Wednesday, January 29, 2020

How to Develop Leadership Skills Essay Example for Free

How to Develop Leadership Skills Essay Malaysia is one of the countries that practice democratic system. Many countries around the world practice democratic system such as United States, India, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Japan and United Kingdom. In â€Å"Democratic Style,† (2008), the democratic leadership style means encouraging people to share their ideas, and then collect all the available information into the best possible decision. This leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making with the group members. This style of leadership includes discussion and sharing of ideas and encouragement of people to feel good about their involvement. The democratic leadership style is very open and collegial style of running a team. Leaders who practices democratic style can organize company effectively. To be a good leader, there are three ways to develop leadership skills in an organization through democratic style such as a leader should practice positive attitude, listen to other people’s opinions and always motivate the subordinates. Firstly, a leader should practice positive attitude in the workplace. According to Robert Christopher (2007), there are some positive attitudes that someone should practice as a leader. For example, he has to have an open mind. As an example, he would not easily punish the employees for their mistakes until he knows the reason. To explain more, one staff who comes late due to emergency care would not be punished. Therefore, a good leader should investigate first before make a decision. Another point is a good leader should also have a wisdom and confidence. Thus, he can make a good decision to lead the organization without doubts. For example, he must select which type of investment the company should choose. Therefore, he must be confidence to make this important decision to ensure the company’s success. In addition, a good leader should be a positive role model to subordinates. Besides, a leader as a role model in an organization can affect the attitude and give a positive impact to subordinates. The subordinates will follow the attitude that their leader shows to them. Secondly, in â€Å"3Cs of Exemplary Leadership,† (2012), a leader should listen to other people’s opinions because it is one of the criteria of a democratic leadership. In that case, a thoughtful leader should listen and accept the opinions of subordinates in order to share ideas. When the leader listens to employees’ opinion, they will appreciate more and feel like they are parts of team. In this way, a leader would gain more respect by subordinates. A good leader should not ignore and must respect the subordinates’ ideas because they will be hurt and think a leader is selfless. In addition, a leader should accept the opinions from subordinates and evaluate it with the committee members. In that case, having a committee member is important in order to make justful decision. This can be done through an evaluation form, suggestion box, and doing informal meeting every week. Moreover, a leader should not be too sensitive and he needs not only to listen to other people’s ideas but also their complaints. Therefore, a problem may be solved through their complaints. He must not be emotional; instead he should be wise to make a decision. Therefore, to be democratic leaders, they must to accept any opinion of subordinates to improve their leadership skills. Finally, to be a good motivator through the democratic style, a leader should motivate the subordinates. All employees must be motivated to work for a company or organization in doing daily tasks. If no motivation is present in an employee, their quality of work will deteriorate. According to Robert Christopher (2007), a leader should provide motivation to encourage the subordinates to get into action. For example, a leader has to act professionally to help employees complete the task given by carefully organize and sequence the components of each task to be assigned for employees. One main responsibility in educating employees is to make instructions as clear and precise as possible. A leader should not get angry easily because employees need to train. Therefore, a leader must understand employees situation. Besides that, a good leader should reward their subordinates for their outstanding performances for they may establish certain reward. Rewards can be in the form of token or gift, be one-time bonuses or pay increments. In this way, employees will be appreciated and feel more motivated to work better. So, if good leaders want their employees to be good in all work, they must motivate their employees to achieve organizational excellence through the democratic leadership style. In conclusion, democratic style is one of the ways for an organization to succeed. The democratic style will enable the leader to maintain relationship with the subordinates. This leadership style is one of the most effective and it has created advanced productivity, better contributions from subordinates and boost group morale (Woods, 2010). It can also lead to betters ideas and creative solutions to certain problems. The democratic style train all staff in the company to communicate with each other, play a part and participate in the group’s discussion chaired by the leader. In short, a leader will be more responsible to perform his duty and lead the organization to succeed in the future through democratic style. Reference Cherry, Kendra. (Ed.). (n.d.).What is democratic leadership?.Retrieved August 1, 2012, fromhttp://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/democratic-leadership.htm Gill, Roger. (2006). Theory and practice of leadership. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Leadership styles: democratic leadership style. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2012, fromhttp://www.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.html Lussier, N. Robert, Achua, F. Christopher. (2007). Effective leadership. United States: South-Western. Transformation Academy.(n.d.).3 Cs of exemplary leadership (even if youre not the boss!).Retrieved August 1, 2012, from http://www.transformationacademy.com/?p=1651

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Knight and the Cart Essay -- essays research papers

The Knight of the Cart By the end of eleventh century, Western Europe had experienced a powerful cultural revival. The flourish of New towns provided a place for exchange of commerce and flow of knowledge and ideas. Universities, which replaced monasteries as centers of learning, poured urbanized knowledge into society. New technological advances and economics transformations provided the means for building magnificent architectures. These developments were representative of the mental and behavioral transformations that the medieval world underwent and the new relationships that were brought about between men, women and society in the twelfth century. As in technology, science, and scholasticism, Literature was also reborn with a new theme.3 Very different from traditional writings of the past was the new flourish of troubadour poetry. Troubadour poetry, derived of courtly romances, focused on the idea of unrequited love. â€Å"A young man of the knightly class loved a lady†, most often, â€Å"the lady was married to the young man’s lord†. The courtly lover would compose highly lyrical and erotic poems in honor of his lady, and the troubadour was filled with rapture even at the slightest kindness that the lady might offer him.3 This new literary artifice provides us clues to the cultural changes that took place in medieval Europe during this time. Of the many writers of courtly romance, the most distinguished literature can be found in the work of Chretien de Troyes. Troyes was a native of Eastern Champagne and most of his career was spent the court of Marie de Champagne. He was the inventor of Arthurian literature and the first to speak of Camelot, and write adventures of the Grail. He may even have been the first to sing the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde. One of Chretein de Troyes’ works, Chevalier de la Charette (The Knight of the Cart) expresses the doctrines of courtly love in its most developed form. The plot of this story is believed to have been given to him by Marie of Champagne and has been called â€Å"the perfect romance† for its portrayal of Queen Guinevere’s affair with Lancelot of the Lake.1 The elements of courtly love operate at several levels simultaneously in The Knight of the Cart; they are expressed by the behaviors of Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, Meleagant and other characters in the story. Two vividly deployed elements are the concepts of loyalt... ...e’s heavenly elevation. In addition, Lancelot literally sacrifices himself for her, when he finds out mistakenly that she has died, he tries to kill him self. Guinevere is portrayed as a divinely creature. Only she had the power to save Lancelot and soothe his agony and pain. Lancelot reaffirming her alleviating power, begs Guinevere to allow him to go to her: â€Å"If you grant me permission, my way is clear. But if my scheme does not suit you, then the way is so difficult for me that my entry is impossible." Once she permits him to enter "†¦Lancelot had every wish †¦.as he held [Guinevere] in his arms†¦ greatest joy and pleasure,† confirming that his salvation was in her hands.2 When all the courtly love elements that flow through The Knight of the Cart are composed, in addition to a tale of love affair between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot of the Lake, a document revealing the enchanting history of the Twelfth Century Renaissance is created. Troyes, our powerful storyteller, was able to do this by taking us on a journey with Lancelot, not only though his exciting battles to Guinevere but, through his passionate and enamored thoughts and behaviors that yearns for his beloved.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Element & Performance Criteria Essay

1. What documentation could you expect to receive when you are asked to undertake a project? Apart from the written documentation, you might need to obtain additional information. What could this be? Why is it important to get all this information before you start your project? Your Answer: You could expect to receive a copy of the contract or agreement, the project brief and project plans. You will also need to know who your stakeholders are and what outcomes are expected, the reporting requirements, inclusions and exclusions, timeframe for milestones, quality standards and resources available to you. You need to understand completely what is expected, what time frame and the resources available and ensure nothing has been left out as you may not be able to ask for extra time or resources once the project has commenced. 2. Why is it important to check out the relationship of your project to both your organisation’s objectives and to other projects? What could be the outcomes if you don’t check these out? Your Answer: You need to ensure your project is in line with your company’s overall objectives to ensure other departments you are working with have ample time to respond to any requests from your team and ensure less disruption to work flow. As you may have some part time staff on your team you also need to ensure project work does not take away them away from their daily duties. You need to make sure that anything you develop works into the established procedures and can easily be adapted to work straight away. Your project wouldn’t be successful if you cannot integrate the end product easily into the company functions. QUESTION 2 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria1.2 1. In any project, there are the direct or formal stakeholders as well as informal stakeholders. How would you go about determining these? Why would you need to know who the informal stakeholders are? Your Answer: You are undertaking a project on behalf of stakeholders so you need to be aware of who they are. You must remember the project mantra is â€Å"satisfying the stakeholders†. Depending on the project you need to work out if it is being undertaken for a customer, a department, funding body, management, sponsor or key personnel to establish their vested interest and better understand the outcomes required for them. As you will need to supply progress reports, you will need to understand who the stakeholder is and what information you can be disclosed to them. Knowing who your stakeholders are can also work in your favour as you can use their vested interest to gain the assets you need. QUESTION 3 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria1.3, 1.6 1. When you are asked to take on a project, you need to know the project brief, but there are many other details you need to have, including items such as legislative requirements, risks, resources and so on. What items should be on your checklist to make sure you are clear on the project, its parameters and the resources available to you? Your Answer: You will need to know the following: Legislative and quality standards – government regulations Physical, human and technical resources available – full / part time staff and how much of their time is available to you. Procurement requirements – limits of authority for sign off and purchase regulations Risks – Physical, financial, technological – a full risk assessment should be undertaken prior to commencement and a comprehensive budget developed. Reporting requirements – who to report to, what needs to be covered and how often reports are expected. How the project integrates into the company QUESTION 4 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria2.1, 2.3 1. If you are setting up a detailed project plan for your project, why must you also set up a risk management plan? How would you go about making sure your two plans are synchronised? Your Answer: Your project plan should work around any identified risks. You should undertake a risk assessment before beginning the project and identify any acceptable risks, ways to avoid or mitigate these risks and if necessary transfer the risk to a third party. You need to work the results from your risk assessment into your project plan eg outsourcing some of the risk or changing strategies to lessen the risks to the project. 2. As you set up your project plan, one of the key components is your timeline. What factors must you consider when determining the timeline? Your Answer: It is best to use a software package for accurate setup. Decide on a schedule that covers from the beginning to the end of the project and list all tasks involved. Sort which tasks can be done in parallel with others and include tasks by outside resources like subcontractors, vendors and other departments. Work out how long each task may take by using past experiences or work out how long it would take you to undertake the task and add 20% for any unseen problems. Be sure to include time for meetings, reports and documentation development. Look at the manpower available for completing the project and schedule times for part time members who also perform work for other departments. This document needs to be flexible with some slack time built into the schedule at various points. QUESTION 5 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria2.2 1.There are many project management tools available to you. Choose five  from the following list and describe the pros and cons of each of the five: †¢cost schedule control system †¢Critical Path Method †¢Gantt and bar charts †¢life cycle cost analysis †¢logistics support analysis †¢PERT charts †¢project management software †¢spreadsheets †¢WHS management system tools Your Answer: Project Management Software Helps schedule the project Assigns tasks Finds the critical path Tracks progress against the time line plan Creates you Gnatt charts for you and automatically updates these charts with adjustments in your plan Gnatt & Bar Charts Shows scheduling information about a project Shows tasks that are part of the critical path Identifies who tasks are assigned to and which tasks are to be completed by people outside of your team Shows the current status of tasks Spreadsheets These are useful for charts of data that need to be created Charts can be created in word processing documents Preforms calculations on data inserted into a document Embedded formulas allows calculations to be in real time and adjusts to any changes made Logistics Support Analysis Shows an analysis of all logistical elements required for each activity Integrates the logistics and supply chain into a seamless operation Reduces costs Increases responsiveness Life Cycle Cost Analysis This is a system of cost evaluation Shows costs throughout the expected life Used to make cost determinations between different systems proposed for a particular need QUESTION 6 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria2.5, 3.1, 3.2 1. What are the advantages of consulting your team members when setting up your project plan? What are the risks if you do not consult them? Your Answer: You can use the expertise of your team to develop a list of tasks, estimate the time needed to undertake these tasks and develop a list of equipment & materials required. As you finalise the project plan communicate with your team members their part in the project and present your plan to them prior to presentation to management. Let them help identify potential problems and suggest any solutions. If your members feel they are part of creating the plan then they will have a greater commitment to completing the project on time and within budget. Involving your staff will get them to buy into the project and will eliminate the idea that it is your plan and giving them an excuse for not meeting timelines or budgets. You want your team to work as a team with enthusiasm to the project for a successful outcome. 2.Describe the techniques you could use to make sure: †¢at the beginning of your project that team members are clear about their responsibilities †¢as the project progresses that all team members continue to be clear about their responsibilities Your Answer: Ensure each team member understands clearly the scope of the project and their individual responsibility. If you have involved the team in the planning and setting up  of the project plan they will understand the aims of the project and what you require from them and the time constraints in place. To keep them on track whilst the project progresses, be proactive and display posters reminding them of the project scope and goals, have weekly status meetings and get everyone to give an update, send a weekly project update email or motivational email and talk to your team members to see where they are up to and help them to get around any obstacles they encounter. Follow up with your team and help guide them in the right direction. You need to have your finger on the pulse a nd know what each member is doing to ensure they stay on track. 3.Some suggested techniques for supporting your project team members are: †¢encouragement †¢feedback †¢learning and development †¢regular project team meetings †¢supervision, mentoring and coaching What are at least five of the key activities you would consider when undertaking these techniques and supporting your project team members? Explain why you would choose these particular five. What communication skills would each activity require? Your Answer: Encouragement – Support your team members and recognise them for their contributions to the project. Help them to get the necessary assistance and guidance to ensure they can perform their tasks. Listening, empathy, understanding are the communication skills required. Provide feedback to members to show what tasks have been achieved and where the budget and timelines are being achieved or missed. Discussion, reporting and presenting of reports and charts to show achievements Provide learning and development opportunities to team members. Get help and guidance from outside the team to help members to get past any problems or road blocks. Coordination, discussion, problem solving and team work would be required in this instance. Conduct regular team meetings and discuss where each member is up to with their required tasks and reward and recognise high performing team members with simple gifts and acknowledgment. Presentation, coordination and discussion will be required during meetings. Supervise,  mentor and coach your team. Your job is to manage the team not do all the work. Your team are the experts in each area and you just need to support them and help them to make everything come together Mentoring, watching, looking and talking would be required when mentoring your team. QUESTION 7 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria1.5, 3.4 1. Projects often start to run over budget, milestones slip, resources don’t reach you on schedule or a key person gets ill. What do you need to have in place to manage these problems? Who might you consult when you hit a problem that you are having difficulty resolving? Your Answer: You need to have identified the potential risks at the project planning stage and factored in some time to deal with these obstacles. You need to deal with each target that is not achieved and establish a plan that can be implemented to get the project back on track. Resources need to be looked at that can be added to the project team or new ways to undertake work need to be thought of. To think outside the box is necessary to establish better ways to achieve outcomes as the traditional company way may be to time consuming when working on a project. The usual company way could be used when full production is undertaken but isn’t necessary during a project. You can approach the stakeholders when you are hit with a problem you can’t easily resolve. They have a vested interest in the outcome and may be able to assist with extra resources or ideas on where items can be procured or sub-contractors that could be engaged. QUESTION 8 0 Satisfactory 0 Not Yet Satisfactory Element & Performance Criteria5.1 1. It is the nature of most projects that there will be mistakes, problems with resources or people, changes in both the internal or external  environments, or even changes in the project scope or brief. Understanding how these happened and how they were managed can become learning experiences, but if they are not documented in some way, they become lost. How could you go about making sure the lessons learnt are not lost? Your: Accurate notes and documentation will ensure lessons learnt are not lost and can be used by future project teams who can learn from your successes and mistakes. Identifying problems encountered and the process used to find a solution and accurate documentation of the solution and the techniques or methods tried is important to have for the company to use in future work or trials. Accurately record what problems occurred, its effects, what you did to rectify the problem and the impact of the changes you made. This will help in the future to improve processes or procedures of the company and may assist future project managers when faced with obstacles.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The Development of Computers Essay - 1473 Words

THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTERS 1945-2013 What is machine before year 1935, it was an individual who do the number juggling estimations. Between year of 1935- 1945, definition alluded to machine, as opposed to an individual. The machine is focused around von Neumanns idea where gadget can accessto information, forms information, saves information, and produces output.it has experienced from vacuum tube to transistor, to the microchip.microchip starts conversing with modem. Nowdays we trade content, sound, photographs and films in a natures turf. Machines additionally has an exceptionally essential influence in our lives and with such a large number of late innovations, no one can claim to have sole obligation regarding their†¦show more content†¦Von Neumann planned the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) in 1945 with a memory to hold both a put away program and in addition information. This put away memory strategy and also the restrictive control exchange, that permitted the workstation to be halted sometime or another and afterward continued, took into account more amazing adaptability in machine programming. The key component to the von Neumann construction modeling was the focal transforming unit, which permitted all machine capacities to be facilitated through a solitary source. In 1951, the UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer), manufactured by Remington Rand, turned into one of the first monetarily accessible machines to exploit these developments. Both the U.s. Statistics Bureau and G eneral Electric claimed Univacs. One of UNIVACs amazing early accomplishments was foreseeing the victor of the 1952 presidential decision, Dwight D. Eisenhower. 1946: Mauchly and Presper leave the University of Pennsylvania and get financing from the Census Bureau to manufacture the UNIVAC, the first business workstation for business and government applications.eniac - Worlds first electronic, expansive scale, universally useful machine, constructed by Mauchly and Eckert, and initiated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. ENIAC reproduced on an advanced machine chip. See a clarification of ENIAC on a Chip by the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania.Show MoreRelatedThe Development Of Computer Development1631 Words   |  7 PagesTHE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER FROM 1980 TO 2014 The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of figuring out/ calculating devices. A generation refers to the state of improvement in the product development process. This term is also used in the different advancements of new computer technology. With each new generation, the circuitry has gotten smaller and more advanced than the previous generation before it. As a result of the making somethingRead MoreThe Development of Computers Essay1346 Words   |  6 PagesDevelopment of computer What is computer? According to Wikipedia, computer is a device that can be programmed to do a set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically. It is started with the basic device to perform a mathematic problem which is known as Abacus. Computer has been developing year by year and we have seen a lot of generation or development of computer nowadays. The first generation of computer starting from years 1940-1950, this can be called as the first electronic computer.Read MoreDevelopment of Personal Computers2502 Words   |  11 PagesThe Development of Personal Computers The history of the computer goes back hundreds of years. From the abacus through the modern era the evolution of computers has involved many innovative individuals. 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Computers haveRead MoreThe History of Computer Development Essay608 Words   |  3 PagesEvery generation of computer experienced a major technological development that basically changed the way computers operate, thus resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices .The history of computer development is always referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. The first generation (1940-1956) is the Vacuum Tubes. The first generation computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for their memoryRead MoreComputer Hardware Developments That Affect The Business Use Of Computers1011 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion Four What are several important computer hardware developments that you expect to happen in the next 10 years? How will these affect the business use of computers? Hardware is any type of computer system that contains circuit boards, ICs, along with other electronics. Hardware is categorized in two ways: external hardware and internal hardware. External hardware is the devices such as the keyboard, mouse, printer, speakers, and thumb drives. Internal hardware consists of items like theRead MoreComputer : The Application Development Crisis Essay1362 Words   |  6 Pagessoftware development ran across a dilemma. It was commonly referred to as the application development crisis, or application delivery lag. Industrial professionals projected the time between an actual business need and an actual application in production was about three years. The issue was, businesses moved quicker than that, even 25 years ago. Within the span of three years, requirements, systems, and complete industries were expected to transform. This meant many developments ended up beingRead MoreRecent Development in Computer Technology2872 Words   |  12 PagesRecent Development in Computer Technology Tablet Computer: A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen. It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard or a digital pen rather than a physical keyboard. Electrical devices with data input and output on a flat information display have existed as early as 1888. Throughout the 20th century manyRead MoreEssay about History of the Development of Computers1478 Words   |  6 Pages In this world the development is consider to be the most important factor because human beings tends to invent and create new things so that they can compete with each other in their own field of work . 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Saturday, December 28, 2019

Essay on Lisa Belkins The Opt-Out Revolution - 1476 Words

I. Synopsis The main argument posed by Lisa Belkin in â€Å"The Opt-Out Revolution† revolves around the multi-faceted issue of women’s involvement and presence in the paid work sector. Belkin argues that the issue of the unequal representation of women in full-time, full-year careers is a culmination of the impact of the maternal wall, the nature of the â€Å"stalled revolution†, and personal life â€Å"decisions† made by women. Throughout her work, Belkin addresses the tangible reality of the maternal wall and it’s impact on women’s ability to climb the corporate ladder, as well as the obstacles it creates for women seeking to re-enter the workforce post-childbirth. Belkin elaborates on the â€Å"stalled revolution† that women and feminists alike are facing†¦show more content†¦There is evidence that these biological, neurological differences could lead to correlating differences in life choices, but to use these as a compreh ensive explanation for the stalled revolution would be radically essentialist and ignore the roles of sociological and environmental factors. The feminist response to the biological explanation for the stalled revolution negates the theory with the idea that â€Å"Biology is not destiny† (Belkin 2003). This idea is pivotal; turning the biological differences between men and women into an overarching belief system is dangerous because as previously stated, it does not account for sociological or cultural explanations of segregation of gender in the workplace. In a sociological or environmental context, there is an implied obligation for women to conform to socialized gender roles. The socialization of these gender roles in young women works to counteract the progress that the feminist movement has made in recent years. Consequently, the impression of Generation Y females is influenced by the notion that personal sacrifices must be made, as a woman, in order to excel in the wor kplace. Likely in part to socialization, and possibly in part to biology, women are implicitlyShow MoreRelated Feminism Essays3962 Words   |  16 PagesEhrenreich to a seemingly brightpanacea: the idea of opt-out feminism. Biological differences and moral inherency aside, women have the unique opportunity to remove themselves from a system that is not built or upon their values, decisions or input or contingent upon their participation. Just say no feminism is an appropriate summation of the thoughts and concerns expressed in Lisa Belkins now-famous article in the New York Times, The Opt-Out Revolution. In her article, published in November 2003Read MoreThe Least Worst Choice : Why Mothers Opt Out Of The Work Place1388 Words   |  6 PagesIn Judith Stadtman Tuckers â€Å"The Least Worst Choice: Why Mothers Opt out of the Work Place† Judith Stadtman Tucker looks at why hard working, intelligent woman are choosing to leave their high end jobs to stay at home with their children. Judith Stadtman Tucker expresses her option that it is nearly impossible to work 40 hours a week, be available on your off hours as well as raise children. I fully agree with Judith Stadtman Tucker’s point of view that it is absurd to have to be at the mercy of your

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Analysis Of Avengers Age Of Ultron - 1816 Words

1.Introduction â€Å"Avengers: Age of Ultron† was a popular American superhero film that released in 2015 directed by Marvel Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures release. The film works for the Ministry of article 11 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 2012 film The Avengers sequel, which has grossed over $1.399 billion (Mojo, 2015) in the world. Senior film and media reporter Brent Lang said â€Å"it scored the second-biggest domestic opening in history this weekend, kicking off summer blockbuster season† (Lang, 2015). It became the third-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time (See appendix 1) (company, 2015). The Marvel series are more and more popular from â€Å"Iron man† and â€Å"Capital America†. They†¦show more content†¦Mickey mouse, Disneyland or cartoon movies? We normally see Disney that is just the tip of the iceberg of the company. The Walt Disney Company is a huge media company, which sold 450.41 million dollar in 2013, and total assets reached 454.29 million dollar (The Walt Disney Company, 2013). It is hard to describe Disney by magic and dream. It is a multinational company with a strategic innovation capability. Walt Disney, Roy O. Disney and M.J Winkler agreed to produce a series of â€Å"Alice Comedies† as partners. Disney Brothers Studio was established in October 16, 1923, which is a start of the establishment of the Walt Disney Company. The company continued to experience a variety of setbacks in this era, such as intellectual property disputes, financial crisis. Until 1928, Disney was famous for every member of the family, across America and around the world because of creating Mickey Mouse, which means creating a company s future. It is more than nine decades, and the Walt Disney Company still provides quality entertainment for everyone. â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs† was the first feature-length animated film in 1934, which gained massive success, the number of visitors were more than the previous movie Twilight snow (Gabler, 2007), Snow White became highest-grossing film in 1939. Not only in the United States, the world can see this movie. Success of â€Å"Sn ow White† made Disney Company that have 800 employees get rid of

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Cross Cultural Management Culture and Management Across the World

Question: Discuss about the Cross Cultural Management forCulture and Management Across the World. Answer: Introduction Cross cultural management is signified as the process of managing the team works in a diversified cultural environment. The cross cultural management initiates the preferences and practices of the business management in the global context. The adaptation of the diversified cultures and approaches is necessary in order to maintain the cross cultural management skills. According to Thomas and Peterson (2014), the intercultural interactions between the expatriates have enhanced the opportunity of accessing the wider business market along with the advanced technologies. The managers in the cross cultural management have to deal with numerous challenges, besides need to keep the sequential pace while making any relevant organisational decision. The study will be highlighting the interview questions of two expatriate employees in Singapore. The first interview will be reflecting the business dealing with the Chinese people. The diversified work attitudes and the value based understanding required for the skilled outcomes will be specified in the section. Second interview will be ensuring the business dealings in the Singaporean environment. The aim of the study is to discuss the challenges faced by the managers in executing business practices in the diversified cultural environment. The project will also outline the theoretical analysis regarding the issue specifications. In keeping concentration on the theoretical alignment, the suitable recommendation will be presented. Furthermore, the reflection will describe the experiences shared while conducting the research with other students. Section One The project is associated with two interview sections of two interviewees. The first interviewee is Dedra, who worked in General Motors. In the initial phase she was quite confused about selecting the proper location of her work. However, she finally selected Shanghai, the capital of China. While expatriating in China, she faced the diversity in working cultural and business practices. Apart from that, she also faced the diverse nature of people in dealing with the management practices. In this study, the different working cultures and required aspects of dealing with the business people in China will be described accordingly. In the second phase, the top management executives took the part in the second interview session. The interviewee is Alison Jansen, who is a foreigner from Denmark and working in Singapore. In both of the cases, the interviewees have to face the cross cultural environment. The latter consequences of the interview section included perspectives upon the participations of gay, transgender, bi-sexual, and lesbians in business practices. In spite of being a conservative country, Singapore people have conducted pink dot campaign to support LGBT. However, some people even do not support the participation of this group as well. Therefore, this interview section will highlight the performance of the company to work with people of diversified groups. Section Two Concept of Cross Cultural Management The cross cultural management is signifying the adoption of the inclusive management methods that provide insight to the diversified cultural aspects of the subsidiaries in different nations. The diversified forms of human race, different cultural development, and diversified cultural types are foreseen. Chanlat, Davel and Dupuis (2013) defined that the cross cultural management study is conducted to state the feasibility analysis of organisational structure and management mechanisms in diversified cultural atmosphere. On the other hand, Eisenberg, Hrtel and Stahl (2013) argued that the cross cultural management indicates the development of the generations by acquiring the advanced forms of business mechanisms. Concentrating on such conceptualised assertion, the components of cross cultural nature have been presented further. Hofstedes Model of Cultural Dimensions In considering the model of cultural dimensions, it is required to define six components. These components are generally representing the independent preferences amongst the different nation cultures. As per the Hofstedes Model of Cultural Dimensions, these six components are described further: Power Distance Index (PDI) The PDI dimension is explaining the degree of accepting the unequal distribution of powers. When the expatriate is working in the different cultural environment, it is required to adopt the cultural traits that are maintained in the very society (Romani and Claes 2014). As per the interview, it is reflecting that the Chinese people respect the decisions of the top management. It is true that the power distance between the management and the employees is quite prominent. However, the leadership approach in Chinese firms is always autocratic. The Chinese employees tend to maintain the suggestions and orders came from the upper management (Schaaper et al. 2011). On the other hand, the Singaporeans are more likely to make their independent decisions. However, the respectful behaviour of the Chinese people and the willingness of learning more are quite remarkable in such cases. Individualism Versus Collectivism (IDV) Rodrguez-Carvajal et al. (2014) explained that the major side of the dimension is specified as individualism, which is determining the evaluation of the self preferences. People tend to take care of themselves and their families in defending the power of individualism. On the contrary, the collectivism specifies the preferences of working in group. As per the case scenario, Dedra is the Singaporean employee who is accommodated in a place of Shanghai, China. She prefers the individualism context where she can make her own decisions. However, while shifting to the Chinese location, the scenario is quite different. People in China like to work in group and usually have faith on each other. In one aspect, this method is quite fruitful, as an employee gets the chance to learn more and develop their professional skills (Taras, Steel and Kirkman 2012). However, adoption of such culture is also quite challenging for the expatriate who belongs to different ideologies. Masculinity Versus Feminity This particular dimension has been representing the society preferences in terms of assertiveness, heroism, and materialistic rewards achieved through success. This dimension is much signifying the competitive scenario of the business management. On the contrary, the feminism stands for the degree of adaptation, modesty, cooperation, and quality of life. Some of the nations usually prefer the aggressive behavioural approaches while undertaking the management practices (Venaik and Brewer 2013). On the other hand, it is required to be much adaptive in case of expatriating in a different nation. The maintenance of such nature is the key to success as the business employee. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) The Uncertainty Avoidance Index dimension is expressing the degree of maintaining the justified attitude while dealing with the uncertainty and ambiguity. In concentrating on the cultural traits of Chinese people, it has been seen that they usually have the short term vision. They are usually interested in working on the current sequences rather than observing the long term aspects. Therefore, the aggressiveness in their business practices is much highlighted. In concentrating on such shrewd business behaviour, the people have less patience in dealing with the situational crisis. Therefore, the recognition of these aspects is necessary in determining the competitive advantage in the business management. Long Term Orientation Versus Short Term Normative Orientation The linking with the past affairs to deal with the current challenges and future construction is much prominent in this dimension. The competitive business usually looks for the long term orientation, which can build the significant future prospects in determining the longer success. In describing the case scenario, it can be inferred that while Singapore employees are much interested in setting the long term goals. However, the changing effects of globalisation create the diversified vision (Taras, Steel and Kirkman 2012). On the contrary, the Chinese business people are concentrating on the short term oriented goals performed in the current business market. For example, Chinese people manufacture the products and the services, which maintain the short product life cycle. However, people from Singapore face the challenges in making the long term goals with the Chinese business people. Therefore, the possibility of cultural conflict is much predicted in such cases. Indulgence Versus Restraints The indulgence refers to the free gratification of naturalistic human behaviour. On the contrary, the restraint determines the suppression of the gratification with the strict social norms. The business expatriates face some of the challenges regarding the acceptability of the society in a different country. The rules and regulations applied by the government can sometimes be difficult for the business conduction. Hence, the people from the different country need to concentrate on such social obligations related to the nationwide cultural values. The theoretical alignment with the case study scenario has been determining the diversified cultural influences on the business executions. While describing the diversified work culture, the adoption capabilities are much necessary for the expatriates. Dedra, the Singaporean employee may feel comfortable in the Chinese business market. However, she will also be interested in relocated to her native country. Even though the changing climate and business market may influence the lifestyle, it would be easier to be accustomed with the home culture. It is needless to say that the expatriation in the different country would be effective enough in developing the skills. Moreover, it helps in knowing the people of different cultures more specifically. The employee can even avail the opportunity for the future business purposes. Leadership in Cross Cultural Management The implementation of the proper leadership style is necessary in the cross cultural management. Leaders are the key drivers towards achieving the organisational excellence and due to such reason; it is required to select the proper leadership style (Du et al. 2013). The leadership style can be classified in diversified components. Autocratic leaders are suggesting the commands over the workforce while performing the organisational practices. The employees cannot take the participation in any decision making process. In analysing this particular case study, it can be inferred that the people in China are much reliable on their leaders. The autonomy decisions are much preferable in this business environment. Democratic leaders prefer the consultation with other employees before taking any relevant organisational decision. The Singaporean organisations usually prefer this type of leadership style while forming any group. Another leadership style is laissez-faire, which considers the power shifting from the managers to the employees. The employees do not receive the regular monitoring session from the seniors and the leaders believe in employees to implement the innovative thoughts. Transformational leadership style is directing the employees to develop their professional and personal skills (Muenjohn and Armstrong 2015). Finally, the transactional leadership style is the form of distributing rewards or punishments as per the performance outcomes of the employees. The adoption of the proper leadership style is necessary to promote the effective business practices. Moreover, the employees receive the necessary motivation to bring out the best performance outcomes. It is to be noted that the leadership style differ in diversified cultural traits. In China, leaders are much oriented in formulating the personal relationships with the subordinates, which enhances the skills of the employees in a more effic ient way. The coordination between the diversified cultural leaders can thus form a global leadership that will be effective enough in developing business goals. In keeping concentration on the extracted answers from the interview questionnaires, it has been seen that the Chinese people are much depended on the decisions made by the upper management. The authoritarian leadership style is much followed in China where Dedra was placed. Dedra Mentioned, the supervisor is all-powerful as in the patriarch. This statement has been specifying that the people in China tend to follow the traditional leadership style as well as the values of incorruptible and good moral. It is quite helpful in improving principles of equality and harmony. More specifically, it helps in developing the personal skills of the employees, as they are able to be monitored by the supervisors frequently. The business practices in China are mainly following the paternalistic style of leadership, which is considering the autonomy in decision making process. Negotiation Process According to Lee, Adair and Seo (2013), negotiation is specified as the process of discussing the third party agreement related to the organisational strategies. In considering the inter-organisational relationships, such as joint ventures, strategic alliance, mergers and acquisition, distribution and agreements, and licensing, the involvement of the negotiation process is much foreseen. It is to be noted that the global business has become much dominant in this current world. Thereafter, the people from diversified cultures are much relied on negotiation process. It is important to note that the persuasion styles differ as per the cultural traits. Therefore, the negotiation process in Canada, China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and France is different to each other. Some of the considerable factors have been influencing the process of negotiation in a prominent way. Verbal and non-verbal communication is one of the significant factors, which are needed to be taken into consideration. It is notified that the verbal and non-verbal communication is the origin of persuasion and it helps in identifying the feelings through words and body languages. On the other hand, some of the cultures even signify Time as the most preferable aspects in the negotiation process (Thomas and Peterson 2014). The maintenance of the punctuality is necessary. The effective decision making system is also essential during the execution period of negotiation process. Concentrating on these factors is necessarily needed to be implemented while promoting the negotiation process in the diversified cultural scenario. In determining the business process in China, it is noted that the negotiation process needs a much longer time to be executed. Chinese are much aware of the legitimacy and takes longer time to conclude any decision. Therefore, they usually try to analyse more deeply before considering any negotiation. Guanxi in China is thus much preferable and it signifies the effective relationship building with the business personnel. In China, people cannot conduct any business unless the associates trust the business. Chinese are more likely to take time for selecting any business partner and need a translator to lengthen negotiation process. Therefore, it is required to keep the records of the meetings, as the memories sometimes differ over time. Dedra has highlighted these major points in the interview session to clarify the entire negotiation process. Third Section Based on the questionnaire, the scheduled interviews are carried out to investigate the cross-cultural concepts for developing a useful understanding. In order to develop the section, critical analysis will be done to the outcomes of the interviews conducted by the help of questionnaires. The perspective of these interviews are different from each other, where the first interview focuses on an individual from Singapore working in China, second interview concentrates on the Singaporean working environment. Therefore, the findings of both the interviews address the cultural difference of these two countries from the perspective of the working environment(Altbach 2003). In order to develop the first interview, the primary feedbacks are collected from one of the employees of General Motor China (GM China). Dedra previously travelled her way from Singapore to Shanghai for working purpose, where she required to station in China for a permanent basis later according to the demand of her job roles. During the time of her employment, she had gained different kinds of experiences reflecting critical information regarding the working environment of China. Based on the collective feedbacks, the fact can be extracted that the Chinese people highly value the establishment of a strong relationship, as they love their language very much(Chan et al. 2014). It is observed that conducting business or achieving satisfactory results from the business context is highly difficult for the people coming from different country if they fail to develop a sustainable relationship with the local people. On the other hand, it can be acknowledged that the Chinese people are shrewd businesspersons, which makes it difficult for developing a strong enforcement with the effective engagement of policies and guidelines. The involvement of a sound implementation of business rules and guidelines is necessary for promoting the outcomes and achievement of business results in the superior manner. Theref ore, the result of the second interview successfully able to capture the mind-sets of the Chinese population from the perspective of conducting a business oriented practice(Leong and Berry 2010). Initially, the Chinese people lack of having long-term vision, as they tend to provide importance to the results occurring in a short period while the bigger picture behind the scenario is avoided continuously. Based on the feedbacks obtained and analysed, it can be stated that the people within the country are not process oriented, as they rather focus on becoming proactive instead of reactive to different business related scenarios. Based on the importance, they prioritise the face value regarding the business related processes and outcomes while engaging in different types of comparisons to focus greatly on their self-advantage. Based on the findings obtained from the second interview, the cultural understanding of the Singaporean working environment can be determined. It is majorly observed that the workplace of the country is highly comprised of people with their different orientations, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)(Lewis 2012). Despite of having different supportive measures defined by the government to promote the development of a collaborative working environment, the majority of Singaporean does not reflect an understanding approach. Therefore, the individuals from the country or outside the country are required to participate in a diverse working environment as part of the different companies operating in Singapore. One of the major advantages of such environment is improving the communication and adaptability of the individuals as part of the workforce(Thomas 2015). Based on the investigation, the cultural differences among the people within the workplace are observed and it is suggested out of the different feedbacks that the Singaporean workplace culture possesses more adaptability. Furthermore, there are different workplace policies designed for shaping up different types of benefits for the expatriates associated with the operations of different companies within the country. The particular fact can be determined by conducting the interview with the HR of the organization(Wong 2012). On the other hand, considering the interview with the top management, it can be determined that the individuals at the superior level tend to provide importance to the individuals participation in the decision making process. Recommendation From the help of the investigation to difference in working culture of two different countries, it can be observed that the individuals often experience with significant number of challenges with the cultural involvement. Each country consists of individual sets of values, beliefs, religions, and opinions. Thus, the cultural difference emerges. For an individual coming from dissimilar culture, involving in a workplace and adopting according to the comfort level is highly difficult (WorldatWork. 2011). Communication challenge is one of the mostly observed challenges during the cross-cultural process within a country. The result of the interviews along with different historical experiences suggests that the basic priority should need to be provided to the cross-cultural communication to enhance the workplace commitment and productivity within a country. For boosting the cross-cultural communication and mitigating the issues, it is most important for the expatriates to develop a suitable bond based on the trusted relationship with the people across the different cultures. It is required to generate and maintain a strong correlation between the different components of trust and workplace productivity. Effectiveness of communication, rapport, and different actions carried out as part of the conflict management are the most essential elements of trust (Lewis 2012). These elements are needed to be covered by the different initiative designed by the government and population of the country to promote an affiliated working environment for the expatriates. From the perspective of the expatriates, they are required to adapt to the differences among the various cultures by respecting the transformations and supporting the development of a collaborative work environment. Conclusion The overall report is produced for developing fundamental knowledge regarding the key effects of national cultures on the different activities and management practices observed within the workplace. In order to identify the various effects, it is always essential to develop a suitable understanding related to the similarities and dissimilarities across the numerous cultures for determining the particular trends and concepts associated with the management practices and workplace benefits. In one scenario, the Singaporean employee has been adjusting with the business environment in China and experiencing the cultural diversification. On the other hand, Alison Jansen, who is the foreigner from Denmark, is working in Singapore. It is noted that the cultural traits in Denmark is completely different to the business environment in Singapore. The Singaporean society is somewhat reflecting the conservativeness whereas the cultural traits in Denmark is quite free. Hence, the cultural diversit y is creating the impact on the business practices as well. The leadership and negotiation approaches are thus effectively impacted by such cultural consequences. 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