Organizational Behavior free essay sample

Company’s performance plummet (Assignment) Summary XYZ Company’s profits are solely based on its sales volumes. In the recent past the sales reports recorded a slump in the figures. Market conditions are favorable for the products and it has been identified the reason for sales drop is the low motivation and morale of the employees. Superiors are facing difficulty to manage day today work as employees have developed a habit to go on unplanned unapproved leave. Some of them notify their superiors or a colleague on the day of the leave and some never. Sabotage acts have created mistrust. Integrity in the organization has become a thing in the past. The latest developments were the clashes between superiors and subordinates reported by the human resources to the CEO showcasing the infested relationships within the organization. This report evaluates the on going crisis of the XYZ Company, the reasons for such behavior from organizations and individual point of view based on the theories in organizational behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Recommendations to overcome this challenging situation will be suggested using the results proven concepts and theories in the field. Literature Review MARS Model McShane, S. L. , Glinow, M. A. V. , Sharma, R. R. (2008) uses the MARS model to explain the drivers of individual behavior and results. The authors have used this to highlight the factors influence the individual’s behavior which results in the performance. The four factors are Motivation, Ability, Role Perception and Situational Factors. The model explains the combined effect of these factors for the performance of an individual. Big Five Personality Traits Costa McCrae, (1992) explained the five traits of personality which have been scientifically discovered to define human personality. This model explains the positive relationship of the five characteristics and performance, motivation and job satisfaction. Schwartz’s  Values  Model Shalom Schwartz (1992, 1994) used his Schwartz Value Inventory (SVI) with a wide survey of over 60,000 people to identify common values that acted as guiding principles for ones life. He identified ten value types that gather multiple values into a single category. The values namely are Power, Achievement, Hedonism, Stimulation, Self-direction, Universalism, Benevolence, Tradition, Conformity, Security, Super-grouping. They can also be collated into larger super-groups namely Openness to change ( Stimulation, self-direction and some hedonism) , Self-enhancement(Achievement, power and some hedonism) ,Conservation (Security, tradition and conformity) and Self-transcendence( Universalism and benevolence) Employee Engagement McShane, S. L. , Glinow, M. A. V. , Sharma, R. R. (2008) defines employee engagement as â€Å"Employees’ emotional and cognitive (rational) motivation, their ability to perform their jobs, their possessing a clear understanding of the organization’s vision and their specific roles in that vision and a belief that they have been given the resources to get their jobs done†. What is happening? If XYZ company challenges were to analyze many years ago, according to Theory X assumptions, by the scholar Douglas McGregor, a pay revise, ensure security of the job or a favorable working conditions (Luthens, Fred, 2008) would have been recommended to boost up the morale and increase the productivity of employees. Many research has identified people are extremely complex, and theoretical understanding empirical research is needed to, implement solutions in order to manage people effectively. As Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, says â€Å"Engaged employees create loyal customers who in turn create bigger profits†. From the description given on the characteristics of the employees at XYZ, it is obvious employee engagement does not exist in the slightest way resulting sales drops caused by poor performance. Employee engagement is described in the book Organizational Behavior by McShane, S. L. , Glinow, M. A. V. , Sharma, R. R. (2008) that the concept refers to, â€Å"Employees’ emotional and cognitive (rational) motivation, their ability to perform their jobs, their possessing a clear understanding of the organization’s vision and their specific roles in that vision and a belief that they have been given the resources to get their jobs done†. As stated in the literature review reasons or drivers for different individual behaviors have been in the focus of organizational behavior experts. Experts have identified the main factors influencing the individual behavior as Motivation, Ability, Role Perception and Situational Factors defined in the MARS model. The model says the four factors have a combined effect on individual’s good or poor performance. These four factors are influenced by individuals’ variables such as values, personality, perception, emotions and attitudes and stress. The most stable important variables in the model are the personality and values (McShane, S. L. , Glinow, M. A. V. , Sharma, R. R. (2008)). Then the importance comes as perception, emotions attitude and stress respectively. The main challenge XYZ company is facing at present is the low morale and low motivation of the employees which has been affected the individual performance and thereby the company’s performance resulting sales drops. Motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. The intrinsic motivation is an incentive to do something that arises from factors within the individual, such as a need to feel useful or to seek  self-actualization. These factors can vary from individual to individual. Then the extrinsic motivation is an incentive to do something that arises from factors outside the individual, such as rewards or punishments. The promise of a bonus if one meets agreed performance targets is an obvious example of such motivation. In this case, with the given context, the employees’ motivation has become low. Therefore it can be assumed that XYZ Company’s employees’ intrinsic or extrinsic drive or both have diminished at present. First factor adversely influencing the individual behavior and results of XYZ company in MARS model is Motivation. According to the context of the XYZ Company it is assumed that its cadre is skilled and competent to do each of their roles. This can be made under the assumption of XYZ’s sales figures had been superior in the past. As a result, the factor ‘ability’ in the MARS model is present in XYZ Company. Further employees’ morale or the dictionary definition, self-confidence or self-esteem or spirit(s) or team spirit or enthusiasm is low. In management subject point of view employee morale is how employees actually feel about themselves as workers, their work, their managers, their work environment, and their overall work life. It incorporates all the mental and emotional feelings, beliefs, and attitudes that individuals and groups hold regarding their job. It could be seen that employees’ perception on what they how they do and to whom they do is distorted and unfavorable. This can be seen in MARS model point of view that another factor namely the individual’s role perception is weak or in danger in XYZ Company. XYZ employees at different levels experience difficulties to carry out their jobs. Assume the company still posses an engaged supervisor, and he / she does not get the support from the subordinates to perform his/she job. On the other hand assume an engaged sales officer does his job and he is unable to complete is job if his / her supervisor is absent. Therefore the situational factors are not in favor of the XYZ Company individuals. In summary, XYZ Company’s employee behavior displays that there are issues in areas of motivation, role perception and situational factors. MARS model says, the four factors (Motivation, ability, role perception, Situational factors) have a combined effect on individual performance. (McShane, S. L. , Glinow, M. A. V. , Sharma, R. R. (2008)) Further it says if any factor weakens there will be an impact to employee performance in a negative manner. Figure 1 depicts what has happened to XYZ Company in the purview of the MARS model. Values Personality Perceptions Emotions Attitudes Stress Individual Characteristics Motivation Ability Role Perception Situational Factors Individual Behavior Results Decreased Performance Figure 1. MARS model of individual behavior and results for XYZ Company Reasons for weakened motivation, role perception, situational factors It is of great importance to evaluate the reasons for issues in the areas of motivation, role perception and situational factors. MARS model indicates the individual characteristics which influence the four factors as values, personality, perception, emotions, attitudes and stress. Out of these factors the two deeply held characteristics of people that influence their attitudes, motivation and behavior and therefore it is vital to study XYZ companies values and perceptions in detail as a measurement to understand why these things happen at the organization. Personality A person’s personality is like all other people’s, like some other people’s, and like no other people’s. ’ This statement was made by kluckhohn and Murray and it explains how complex and diverse a personality is. The experts say heredity, the brain, environment, maturation and learning contribute to the formation of human personality. These complex characteristics are simplified in Th e ‘Big Five’ personality traits. Research shows a positive relationship between the ‘Big Five’ and performance motivation and job satisfaction. Figure 2 analyzes the XYZ employee personalities as specified in ‘Big Five’ core personality traits. Core Trait| Characteristics of High Scorers| XYZ individuals Score| Conscientiousness| Dependable, Hardworking, organized, self-disciplined, persistent, responsible| LowNeeds attention| Emotional Stability| Calm, Secure, Happy, unworried| LowNeed attention| Agreeableness| Cooperative, warm, caring, good-nurtured, courteous, trusting| LowNeeds attention| Extraversion| Sociable, outgoing, talkative, assertive, gregarious| OK| Openness to Experience| Curious, intellectual, creative, cultured, artistically sensitive, flexible, imaginative| OK| Figure 2. The ‘Big Five’ personality traits and XYZ Company’s standing Experts have proved that the most important trait of the five, which has a strong positive relation to performance, is conscientiousness. The background of XYZ Company shows the negative set of characteristics from individuals for the most vital trait, the conscientiousness for high performance. Values â€Å"Employ the whole person, the mind and the soul† (McShane, S. L. , Glinow, M. A. V. , Sharma, R. R. (2008)) Tom Chapell, the co-founder of Tom’s of Maine, speaks about importance of values of an individual to an organization. Values are the stable evaluative beliefs that guide our preferences for outcomes or courses of action in a variety of situations. XYZ’s individual behavior actions at different circumstances are evidence for adverse set of personal values among individuals. Although it is necessary to conduct a survey among employees to come in to a accurate picture of the individual value distribution for the different values identified by S. H. Schwartz, with the individual actions at XYZ company it can be identified the majority of the individual values fall in to the colored area (Blue Lines) of the Schwartz’s  Values  Model depicted in Figure 3. Self-transcendence Openness to Change Conservation Self-enhancement Figure 3. Schwartz’s  Values  Model and XYZ Company’s behavioral study Ethics Ethics is defined by the dictionary as a branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct with respect to the rightness or wrongness of certain actions. As mentioned earlier humans are complex and ethics is based on their values, perception and attitudes making the problem of ethics too complex. People perceive things in different ways, but most people agree that ethics involves a lot of common sense. Peoples ethical standards are often based on values instilled in them in their youth, and in their environmental background. As the definition says ethics deals with individual values, XYZ Company’s ethics can be assessed based on the Schwartz’s  Values  Model distribution (Figure 3. ). Among XYZ individuals it is often observed disturbing actions for the daily activities of the company. So me of the ethically deficient behaviors are unplanned leave without notifying, conflicts, loss of integrity and acts of sabotage. Therefore, since these actions are hindering the company performance this behavior can be seen as unethical self conduct, among groups of people in the organization. As Figure 4. depicts when observed the XYZ’s individuals, considering the three principles of ethics it can be derived that the interest is towards ‘My interests’ and ‘Our interest’, but not ‘Everybody’s interest’, in other words not Company interest. Utilitarianism Individual Rights Distributive Justice (Group) Figure 4. Ethical Principles standing at XYZ Company Revisit To the Outcome of Applied Theory To XYZ Company In Summary, from the MARS model it, it says in the given context of XYZ Company, it has issues in Motivation, Role Perception and Situational Factors. It was considered that the most important factors to affecting performance are Values and Personality. When analyzed the personality in detail, the Big Five personality trait showed that the employees has low score characteristics for the core traits namely Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Agreeableness. In the area of values XYZ company employee displayed strength in openness to change qualities defined as Stimulation, Self-Direction and Hedonism. In the same way they had the strength in self-enhancement defined as Achievement and Power. The ethical principles analysis showed that the employees are only interested in themselves and the group they are in but not the company. Recommendations Therefore XYZ company has a talented set of employees who has a high ego and talent who’s values are not aligned with the company values. Value motivated workforce is more long lasting than a incentive motivated workforce. They are proven to be more engaged. Starting from the company values ethics should be considered as a vital component for success. The ethical values of the company should be shared with the employees and those should be implanted in them. As David M. Taylor is a professional engineer, says companies having shared values that are consistently modeled within the organization results in: Employees focused on what is important to the organization Less stress on individuals ,Less tension between individuals and departments Enthusiasm in the workplace , Pride in work , Direction in the workplace Less bureaucracy , Positive attitudes , Positive momentum Examples of companies that did not have proper alignment around a value system and paid the price in the marketplace; WorldCom , Enron , Bre-X Examples of companies that have built themselves around their values; Disney , Home Depot , Walmart , Starbucks Some suggested morale-boosters for the high talented employees suggested by Morale  Encyclopedia of Management Practicing of fairness and consistency ,Bestowing praise in public while leveling criticism in private , Encouraging humor and fun in the workplace, Communication ,Listening and remaining receptive to new ideas , Getting to know something about employees personal lives and treating them as individuals, Creating opportunities for employees to learn and grow, Sharing decision making and offering employees choices, Promoting from within, and most importantly Leading by example. Organizational Behavior free essay sample Managers and employees alike should have a set standard of ethics to abide by. While it is impossible to not have any cases of unethical behavior, all organizations should strive to have the least amount of unethical cases as possible. 5. Which of the seven moral principles in Table 1–4 appear to be in force at Whole Foods? Explain. There are a few moral principles that appear to be in force at Whole Foods. Humaneness is defined as having actions that â€Å"ought to accomplish good† (Kreitner Kinicki, 2013, p. 24).Whole Foods appears to be committed to doing â€Å"good† by changing and improving the world. They sell products that are natural and healthy for all. They believe that they are a heroic company because of this. This also ties into the seventh principle of â€Å"the common good†. The company truly does look out for the common good of all. The company encourages consumers to buy their healthy, organic products as opposed to consuming â€Å"junk† food that over time deteriorates the human body. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finally, Whole Foods appears to be loyal to consumers, employees, and stakeholders.They constantly keep the public trust and abide by all laws. They sell quality products and are proud of their work. While Whole Foods appears to be successful in three of the seven moral principles, they need to strive to achieve all seven. Each moral principle is important and all companies need to strive to be consistent in each of the seven principles. 6. What appeals to you (or does not appeal to you) about working at Whole Foods? Explain. I believe that Whole Foods is a good company to work for.I believe that they do hire managers that will motivate, train, and help their employees achieve success. They appear to be committed to serving the public and try to help the environment. However, I believe that Whole Foods has room to grow. They need to create programs to improve their employees and help them gain even more knowledge. Employees want to feel like they can grow within a company and I am not sure if they are at that point. With the right leadership, direction, and ideas, Whole Foods can become even more successful then they already are. Organizational Behavior free essay sample Is OB Mod a form of manipulation and if it is. Is it unethical for managers to manipulate the behavior of employees? Need to support the argument. Behavioral Modification is used as a technique in both schools and therapy to modify behavior of students and clients, respectively. Likewise, it is used in organizations and referred to Organizational Behavior Modification (OB-Mod), and is used to meet the productivity challenges associated with employee’s behavior. With its roots in modern behaviorist psychology, OB- Mod is a human resources management technique aimed at improving job-related behaviors that are observable and measurable, such as absenteeism or tardiness, or toward behavior products, such as quality or quantity of work. OB Mod calls for intervention to encourage desirable performance behavior and discourage undesirable behavior. The major intervention strategy involves: 1. Feedback on the critical performance-related behavior and 2. Positive reinforcement for progress and attainment Although some argue that OB-Mod it is a form of managerial manipulation and unethical, behavior modification aimed at increasing productivity is aimed at meeting the organizational goals and mission. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Therefore, it could be argues that it is not unethical, but just good business practice. For example, this approach to motivation and dealing with problem behaviors is based on the application of learning theory to people in the workplace. This hardly seems unethical since it is used in schools and therapy regularly to change problem behaviors. However, it does limited the freedom of choice for the employees, so in this sense, it can be considered some form of managerial modification. Whether a person accepts reinforcement theory or not, will determine if you consider it a form of manipulation. Reinforcement theory holds that a desirable behavior can be increased by linking that behavior with positive outcomes, while undesirable behaviors can be decreased by linking them with negative consequences or by eliminating reinforces. Although it is sometimes eferred to as manipulation (and therefore unethical), the advantage of this approach is that it focuses on specific behaviors in the workplace and is thus performance based. It also, at least to some degree, avoids sensitive personal counseling issues in a persons personal life, by focusing on what needs to be done to improve performance. Finally, it provides a clear structure and consequences to employees that encourage them to change in an observable way in a structured time frame (http://faculty. ss. edu/dswenson/web/OB/obmod. html). There has been some reported effectiveness of OB-Mod. For example, B. F. Goodrich has used OB-Mod to increase productivity by more than 300%, and Weyerhauser increased productivity in three different groups by 8%. However, a program initiated by Standard Oil of Ohio was discontinued due to failure to meet objectives, and A Michigan Bell program was considered only modestly successful. However, it is not always successful, because managers cannot find enough reinforcers at times. Perhaps there is a better way to influence and motivate employee behavior in a more open manner. Selling the vision, inclusion, open communication to name a few, have also shown to be highly effective in motivating employees. Organizational Behavior free essay sample The job had met his personal goals and expectations perfectly, and Tony believed he had grown greatly as a person. His work was appreciated and recognized; he had received three promotions and many more pay increases. Tony had also liked the company itself. The firm was decentralized, allowing its managers considerable autonomy and freedom. The corporate Culture was easygoing. Communication was open. The people had been another plus. Tony and three other managers went to lunch often and played golf every Saturday. Their boss had been very supportive, giving them the help they needed but also staying out of the way and letting them work. After the final closing was announced, he spent only a few weeks looking around before he found a comparable position at Reece Enterprises. Well, comparable probably was the wrong word. Indeed, Reece and O’Grady were about as different as you could get. Top managers at Reece apparently didn’t worry too much about who did a good job and who didn’t. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They seemed to promote and reward people based on how long they had been there. Reece was a bigger organization than O’Grady and was structured much more bureaucratically. No one was allowed to make any sort of decision without getting three signatures from higher up. Those signatures, though, were hard to get. All the top managers usually were too busy to see anyone, and interoffice memos apparently had very low priority. Tony also had had some problems fitting in. His peers treated him with polite indifference. He sensed that a couple of them resented that he, an outsider, had been brought right in at their level after they had had to work themselves up the ladder. Tony wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake in accepting the Reece offer without finding out more about what he was getting into. What advice can you give Tony? How would this advice be supported or tempered by behavioral concepts and processes? Is it possible to find an ideal place to worh? Explain. Organizational Behavior free essay sample Organizational Behavior Instructor: Rachana Misraraj December 10, 2012 Organizational Behavior Analysis Organizational Behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. â€Å"Organizational behavior is a misnomer. It is not the study of how organizations behave, but rather the study of individual behavior in an organizational setting. This includes the study of how individuals behave alone, as well as how individuals behave in groups(Werthiem, 2004). † The purpose of organizational behavior is to gain a greater understanding of those factors that influence individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting so that individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. The field also includes the analysis of organizational factors that may have an influence upon individual and group behavior. Much of organizational behavior research is ultimately aimed at providing human resource management professionals with the information and tools they need to select, train, and retain employees in a fashion that yields maximum benefit for the individual employee as well as for the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The purpose of the paper below is to analyze the organizational behavior of my current or former employer (current: Street, Water, and Sewer Department for my town), by describing how each of the components listed below influences the behavior of the organization in a negative or positive manner, and they include, the Type of culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl? ); Modes of communication (Describe the dominant communication form used, e. g. written or verbal); Nature of authority (recognized social rank); Motivational techniques (Describe the motivational driving forces e. g. Intrinsic or extrinsic used to influence productivity and performance? ); Areas of EQ incorporated (Describe how the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence); and How are the components of a virtual organization embraced? (Explain how the organization embraces new paradigms such as teleworking and virtual offices? ). Grasping a complex and knowledgeable understanding on why, when, where and how, organizational behavior functions and operates, can provide great tools and skills to an individual or organization to better manage behavior and productivity within a company. I currently work for as a laborer for the Water/Sewer department for my county/town. As a member of the STREET department which is responsible for the maintenance and repair of City roads and right-of-ways; maintenance and repair of drainage located on City property; installation and maintenance of signs and roadway markings; and removal of snow and ice. The Employee’s operates, maintains and repairs various machinery, tools, and equipment. As for the water department, this position is responsible for maintenance and repair of Citys WATERLINE system. Installs any and all new additions to the existing distribution system as well as performs necessary maintenance and or repairs to any part of the water distribution system. Performs miscellaneous duties such as operating and repairing equipment, general clean up, concrete finishing, painting, etc. Uses various hand tools, power tools, heavy equipment and machinery. As a member of the WASTEWATER(Sewer)Department which is responsible for maintenance and repair of the Citys sewer line system. Employee performs necessary maintenance, repairs, and/or replacement of sewer system components. Employee uses various hand tools, power tools, heavy equipment, trucks, and machinery. Employee performs miscellaneous duties such as operating and repairing equipment, general clean up, concrete finishing, painting, etc. Good communications skills are required as this position frequently deals directly with the public. The primary hours of this position are Monday through Friday during the day; however, extended shifts and overtime on weekends, evenings, and holidays may be required. Therefore organizational behavior skills are a must. Type of culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl? ) Culture can be defined as the cultivated behavior that is socially transmitted. It involves the accumulation of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, experiences, religion, relations, concepts of the universe, values, meanings, roles, notions of time, relations, material possessions and objects acquired and a way of life of a group of people throughout the generations. When it comes to the type of culture on my job I would have to describe it as a pluralism type of culture. This refers to the type of culture whereby smaller groups of people within a large society tend to maintain their unique culture identities and their values, behaviors and identities are well accepted by the wider society or culture. The minor groups of people participate fully within the dominant society while still maintaining their cultural differences. It involves coexistent of different cultures in a location without the domineering of one particular culture. The human differences that exist are accepted by the majority and hence it eliminates discrimination in the form of racialism or sexism. It can also be refereed to as multiculturalism (Henry, 2011). † Within the three departments that I participate and work in, there are 5 different nationalities of workers who coincide within the organization, and they include African American, Mexican, Caucasian, Latino, and American Indian. Each and every one of these individuals, have their own way of living, eating, etc.. But when everyone clocks in in the morning, we are all one cohesive group, who knows that the main goal is to come to work, be safe, respect your fellow co-worker, get the job done in a professional manner, and most importantly be in the best interest of the tax payers and the town in general, while at the same time excepting who each individual is a person, where they come from, and their cultural differences. This influences the company in a positive manner because, it incorporates good behavior on the job, respect for the job, positive progress for the people participating at the job, and goal completion. Modes of communication (Describe the dominant communication form used, e. g. written or verbal) â€Å"Communication consists of transmitting, receiving, and processing information. In organizations, communications flow between individuals, between levels in the organizational hierarchy, between departments, and between the company and outside publics. Effective communication has often been linked to interpersonal and company success (Baak, 2012). † Communication is of high importance on any job, especially the one that I work for, due to the risks that are associated with the work and projects that we take on. Even though we may use written communication from time to time, describing what our daily goals and tasks are, verbal communication is the dominant mode of communication throughout the organization. Whether it be verbal or non verbal, both revolve around the importance of everyone, working in sync with one another and most importantly working safely around your fellow co-worker. One example is, when we are replacing larger water lines (12 inches in diameter) within a trench, which may be at a depth of 2ft to 14ft. Therefore, when a worker is in the trench digging around and locating the pipe, there must to be a competent person at the top of the trench looking for cracks or imperfections in the walls, where a potential cave in could happen, injuring or killing the person in the hole. So, verbal communication is regularly used when there is no machinery running, and you have to alarm the workers of a dangerous situation. And non-verbal communication is used, when a gas powered saw is in operation to cut a pipe, in which, the worker cannot hear you verbally, thus non verbal actions and communication are used to alarm the worker of potential danger and they are pulled out of the trench before anything catastrophic occurs. On that note, this influences the company on a postive level, because, both verbal and non-verbal communication is the dominant and vital mode of communication, that provides protection for a safe work environment. Nature of authority (recognized social rank) The nature of authority is also very important on my job because, each individual respects the fact that one should not go over the next persons head of authority, or having curiosity about a co-workers way of life without discussing it with them first. Because, there are individuals on the job who have been there 20 years, 10 years, 5 years, etc, therefore when you join a team or a group of people, you become part of that organizations social system, and you must adjust and relate to that world of work. â€Å"The variables in an organizational system operate in a working balance called social equilibrium. Individuals make a psychological contract that defines their personal relationship with the system. â€Å"When they contribute to the organizations success, we call their behavior functional. The broad environment that people live in is their social culture, and a major change in it can lead to cultural shock. People need to accept and appreciate the value that cultural differences can contribute to the success of an organization (www. angel fire. com). † â€Å"Other important cultural factors include the work ethic and corporate attitudes toward social responsibility. Role is the pattern of action expected of a person in activities involving others. Related ideas are role perceptions mentors, role conflict, and role ambiguity. Status is the social rank of a person in a group, and it leads to status systems and possibly status anxiety. Organizational cultures reflect the assumptions and values that guide a firm. They are intangible but powerful influences on employee behavior. Participants learn about their organizations culture through the process of socialization and influence it through individualization (www. angel fire. com). On that note, the nature of authority can be both positive and negative, because, from a negative standpoint it can be used for growth in power in domination. But from a positive standpoint, it can be sued for uplifting other coworkers, by improvising their skills, capabilities and more importantly, their motivational drive on the job. Motivational techniques (Describe the motivational driving forces e. g. Intrinsic or ex trinsic used to influence productivity and performance? ) Due to the constant and unpredictable adjustments that my organization goes through, behavior can change in a instant, with each and every individual on the job. Therefore, motivational techniques are a concurrent thing, on a day to day basis. â€Å"There is no doubt that motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the actions required to achieve a goal, without relying on external rewards or pressures (Amin, 2011). † In my organization the motivational driving force is intrinsic, because pride is everything to a man more than anything, therefore everyone on the job feels a sense of obligation to achieve the goals presented to them to their best ability. Productivity and performance stays at an all time high and positive level, thus, whatever daily goal is presented to us, is handled with confidence and integrity. Our motivation consist of reminding ourselves that what we do, is what we enjoy to do, what we do is appreciated by the tax payers family and most importantly we enjoy knowing that our skills and capabilities are worth the time and effort that we put forth to learn and achieve the skills and tools to complete present and future organizational objectives. Areas of EQ incorporated (Describe how the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence) Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic. And it consists of four branches that include perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions (Cherr y, 2012). † Based on the high demands of my job, my co-workers and myself included, may at times have high emotions about whether something on the job is not going right, and show some form of frustration without even knowing it sometimes. Therefore my our organization constantly issues EQ (emotional intelligence ), reminder courses, that helps the crews keep a stable mind set when working in dangerous areas, and if something goes wrong, we use the EQ tools to control and manage our emotions for the sake/safety of our well being the others that are around. EQ classes have been very positive for the organization over the past 5 years, and every since the integration there have been no altercations, accidents, or incidents on the job at all. A 100% success rate. How are the components of a virtual organization embraced? (Explain how the organization embraces new paradigms such as teleworking and virtual offices? ) â€Å"Traditional brick and mortar businesses may become a thing of the past. Today’s modern workplace has embraced the virtual environment. The ultimate goal of the virtual organization is to provide innovative, high-quality products or services instantaneously in response to customer demands (Hamilton, 2012). On that note, my organization has embraced the components of a virtual organization on a very positive and useful level. For example, in the Water/sewer department, we are responsible for the distribution of bills/and cut-off notices for the water use throughout the city. For decades, this task was done by hand; by hand I mean driving to each and every house in the city, knocking on the door, and handing the customer their water/sewer bill for that month. Ever since the company embraced the compo nents of a virtual organization, these tasks are now obsolete. Now we contact the customers, through email, text messaging, and voicemails. When the customer has a question about their bill, they are able to contact the office and have a videoconference with the workers in the water/sewer department, to discuss whatever problem they are having with their water/sewer bill, or their water/sewer in general. My organization has also embrace the concept of a virtual organization in the street department. When there is a down power line, streetlight, street sign, blocked up drain pipes, etc. my organization has integrated a beacon system that alerts us when any of these incidents have occurred and in what area. All we have to do is acknowledge the beacon alert, log on to our computers, locate the problem, and proceed to fix the issue at hand. Integrating the components of a virtual organization has been immensely helpful and positive to our over all daily tasks and duties. In conclusion, Organizational Behavior is the study and application of knowledg e about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. The purpose of organizational behavior is to gain a greater understanding of those factors that influence individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting so that individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. Culture can be defined as the cultivated behavior that is socially transmitted. It involves the accumulation of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, experiences, religion, relations, concepts of the universe, values, meanings, roles, notions of time, relations, material possessions and objects acquired and a way of life of a group of people throughout the generations. When it comes to the type of culture on my job I would have to describe it as a pluralism type of culture. Communication consists of transmitting, receiving, and processing information. In organizations, communications flow between individuals, between levels in the organizational hierarchy, between departments, and between the company and outside publics. Effective communication has often been linked to interpersonal and company success. The nature of authority is also very important on my job because, each individual respects the fact hat one should not go over the next persons head of authority, or having curiosity about a co-workers way of life without discussing it with them first. Due to the constant and unpredictable adjustments that my organization goes through, behavior can change in a instant, with each and every individual on the job. Therefore, motivational techniques are a concurrent thing, on a day to day basis. Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perce ive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic. And it consists of four branches that include perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions. Traditional brick and mortar businesses may become a thing of the past. Today’s modern workplace has embraced the virtual environment. The ultimate goal of the virtual organization is to provide innovative, high-quality products or services instantaneously in response to customer demands. All in all the purpose of the paper above, was to analyze the organizational behavior of my current or former employer (current: Street, Water, and Sewer Department for my town), by describing how each of the components listed below influences the behavior of the organization in a negative or positive manner, and they include, the Type of culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl? ); Modes of communication (Describe the dominant communication form used, e. g. written or verbal); Nature of authority (recognized social rank); Motivational techniques (Describe the motivational driving forces e. . Intrinsic or extrinsic used to influence productivity and performance? ); Areas of EQ incorporated (Describe how the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence); and How are the components of a virtual organization embraced? (Explain how the organization embraces new paradigms such as teleworking and virtual offices? ). Grasping a complex and knowledgeable understanding on why, when, where and how, organizational behavior functions and operates, can provide great tools and skills to an individual or organization to better manage behavior and productivity within a company. References Amin,. (July 21, 2011). Motivate your team intrinsically or extrinsically? Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://blog. 7geese. com/2011/07/21/intrinsic-vs-extrinsic-motivation/ Baack, D. (2012). Organizational behavior. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Cherry, K. (2012). What Is Emotional Intelligence? Definitions, History, and Measures of Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell. htm Hamilton, D. Dr. (April 23, 2012). Today’s Organizations Embracing Virtual Business. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://drdianehamilton. wordpress. com/2012/04/23/todays-organizations-embracing-virtual-business/ Henry,. (April 4, 2004). Culture Definitions and Types. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://language. ezinemark. com/culture-definitions-and-types-17b25a011fd. html Wertheim, E. G. (February 22, 2004). Historical Background of Organizational Behavior. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://ehcweb. ehc. edu/faculty/ljcumbo/downfiles/historyofOB. pdf http://www. angelfire. com/blues/cannonsessays/org_behavior/ORGANIZATIONAL_BEHAV

Microplastics and Their Environmental Effects

Microplastics and Their Environmental Effects Microplastics are small fragments of plastic material, generally defined as smaller than what can be seen by the naked eye.  Our increased reliance on plastics for countless applications has negative consequences to the environment. For example, the plastic manufacturing process is associated with air pollution, and volatile organic compounds released over the life of the plastic have deleterious health effects for humans. Plastic waste takes up significant space in landfills. However, microplastics in the aquatic environment  has been a newly emerging concern in the public consciousness. As the name implies, microplastics are very small, generally too small to see although some scientists include pieces up to 5mm in diameter (about a fifth of an inch). They are of various types, including polyethylene (e.g., plastic bags, bottles), polystyrene (e.g., food containers), nylon, or PVC. These plastic items become degraded by heat, UV light, oxidation, mechanical action, and biodegradation by living organisms like bacteria. These processes yield increasingly small particles that eventually can be classified as microplastics. Microplastics On the Beach   It appears that the beach environment, with its abundant sunlight and very high temperatures at ground level, is where the degradation processes operate fastest. On the hot sand surface, plastic trash fades, becomes brittle, then cracks and breaks down. High tides and wind pick up the tiny plastic particles and eventually add them to the growing great garbage patches found in the oceans. Since beach pollution is a major contributor of microplastic pollution, beach cleanup efforts turn out to be much more than esthetic exercises.   Environmental Effects of Microplastics Many persistent organic pollutants (for example, pesticides, PCBs, DDT, and dioxins) float around the oceans at low concentrations, but their hydrophobic nature concentrates them on the surface of plastic particles. Marine animals mistakenly feed on the microplastics, and at the same time ingest the toxic pollutants. The chemicals accumulate in the animal tissues and then increase in concentration as the pollutants are transferred up the food chain.As the plastics degrade and become brittle, they leach out monomers like BPA which can then be absorbed by marine life, with relatively little known consequences.Besides the associated chemical loads, ingested plastic materials can be damaging for marine organisms, as they can lead to digestive blockage or internal damage from abrasion. There is still much research needed to properly evaluate this issue.Being so numerous, microplastics provide abundant surfaces for small organisms to attach. This dramatic increase in colonization opportuni ties can have population-level consequences. In addition, these plastics are essentially rafts for organisms to travel further than they usually would, making them vectors for spreading invasive marine species. Microbeads A more recent source of trash in the oceans is the tiny polyethylene spheres, or microbeads, increasingly found in many consumer products. These microplastics do not come from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic but instead are engineered additives to cosmetics and personal care products. They are most often used in skin care products and toothpaste and wash down drains, pass through water treatment plants, and end up in freshwater and marine environments. There is increased pressure for countries and states to regulate microbead use, and many large personal care product companies have pledged to find other alternatives. Sources Andrady, A. 2011. Microplastics in the Marine Environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin.Wright et al. 2013. The Physical Impacts of Microplastics on Marine Organisms: A Review. Environmental Pollution.

Background Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Background Studies - Essay Example J. Acre realized that â€Å"there is a need for more research on critical pedagogy and elementary school practices† (Arce). â€Å"Critical Pedagogy is a teaching approach that attempts to help students question and challenge domination, and the beliefs and practices that dominate. In other words, it is a theory and practice of helping students achieve critical consciousness† (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 2009). It is concerned with â€Å"how education can provide individuals with the tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society, and thus to deploy education in a process of progressive social change† (21st Century Schools , 2004). Arce observed that the foci of previous researches are â€Å"prosocial education, whole language theory and classroom practices, learning conditions and bilingualism and language acquisition† (Arce). On the other hand, there are only a few studies that â€Å"demonstrate the application of critical pedagogy as it relates to elementary school bilingual students† (Arce). Most of these related studies â€Å"address questions of student learning, whole language instruction, and relationships between schooling and the sociocultural process† (Arce). Arce realized to conduct such a study and he made use of a First Grade Two way Spanish Classroom as a participatory study. The second of these two studies is by S.P. Gillian which is â€Å"An Assessment of the Cross-Cultural Training Needs of South Carolina Counselors†. He mentioned that there are already a lot of studies on cross-cultural counseling to the point that they point to different findings and conclusion. His study then is not in a new arena but it is unique in a way that it focuses on the areas that are yet to be dug in. â€Å"The overall aim of [the] present study is to (a) bring attention to areas of need counselors have with respect to cross-cultural counseling, (b) sensitize counselor education program administrator to these needs for

Interactive Whiteboards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interactive Whiteboards - Essay Example "And the color, movement, sound and participation all come without messy chalk, stinky dry erase markers and copies of transparencies" (par. 2). Interactive whiteboards offer tremendous benefits not only for students, but also for teachers. They assist "people of many learning styles and save teachers time and space. Lessons can be saved into the system and can easily incorporate countless videos, maps, photos and websites. Teachers can pause videos and write notes on the screen, science classes can explore frogs through virtual dissection and geometry figures can be rotated, shrunk or expanded" (par. 18). In short, they make classroom instruction more efficient and learning more fun and interesting. The ability to harness the power, depth and breadth of the internet in this manner offers infinite new ways to try and reach out to students to grab their attention and improve their understanding of the material. There are many examples of ways in which this new technology has been and can be applied within the classroom. "Teachers can put a pyramid on the board and turn it so the class can see all the angles and sides. Students can count vertices by touching them on the board and setting them off in another color. Teachers can bounce between editing a paper on the board to searching for something online to illustrating what 1/16th of an inch looks like on a ruler" (par. 4). Any subject from math to literature to art and music can greatly benefit from these cybertronic chalkboards. This emerging hardware technology is significant because of its potential to revolutionize classrooms and teaching approaches. In the past, classroom instruction has tended to be one dimensional, very static, and non-interactive. Teachers would write on chalkboards or overhead slides, and would often be confined to the limited universe of often out-of-date instructional aids and materials to which they happened to have access. The ability of students to actively participate in a lesson, beyond raising their hand to answer the teacher's questions or make comments in a class discussion, was quite limited. With interactive whiteboards, teachers have the ability to take their lessons "outside of the box." Virtually any material available on the internet that pertains to the subject matter being taught can be summoned right then and there during a classroom lesson. This enables a much more detailed, nuanced and up-to-date discussion of the material. Further, students have a much greater opportunity to participate in the lesson in a meaningful way in which they can really interact with and digest the material. For example, at Centerville Elementary School in Minnesota, the technology prompted students to utilize their down time more productively, gathering around the board to review the material that had been taught earlier. "Using their fingers they dragged numbers on the screen into blank spots on a triangle as part of a math problem. When it's time for the class to leave for their next activity, one student pleads to the teacher, 'Can we check if it's right before we go'" (par. 11). As part of a literature lesson at the same school, teacher Tony Valenti used the device to bring to life the book

Enhancing Employability in Marketing Assignment

Enhancing Employability in Marketing - Assignment Example Particularly, the banking and finance industry has witnessed this and there is since a vacancy hence the need to employ more marketers and advertisers in London as its the country’s hub. Financial services, professional services, not-for-profit and media are hiring the majority of marketers in London (Anderson & Marsh, 2011). Also, another current trend worth taking note of in the marketing and advertising industry in the U.K is high demand for digital marketers. Technology has revolutionized the traditional way of doing business. Companies are now hiring personnel who can compete globally and those who are techno-savvy. For example, online marketing is a tool used by most companies that want to gain a global audience. This therefore means that there will be a very high demand for digital marketers who can use various online methods as channels of communication. Another significant trend in this industry is demand for marketers driven by regional specific industries. Each region in the U.K has a specialized marketing need. They will therefore hire marketers who they think will be most appropriate for those various needs. An example would be Leeds is dominated by retail, financial and professional services; Sheffield by manufacturing and public sector; Greater Manchester has a diverse mix of industry, com merce, public sector, as well as dominating the creative agency sector outside of London. The location of the port cities of Liverpool and Newcastle mean they operate almost as separate economies in their own right. This means that the demand for marketers will vary greatly and will definitely depend on the demand and supply rule otherwise known as Adams invisible hand theory. (CBI employability report 2010). Finally, the industry has also experienced a high turnover in the fast moving consumer goods sector.

Indonesia And Its Past Economic Crisis Economics Essay

Indonesia And Its Past Economic Crisis Economics Essay Indonesia is one of the most promising and fast developing countries in the world. After the financial crisis in 1997, this country has managed to demonstrate the great pace of development and to become one of the worlds leading economies. It has become possible because of the combination of internal and external factors and reasonable macroeconomic policy of the government. The economic and geopolitical potential of Indonesia is tremendous. It has a lot of natural and human resources, large potential market and appropriate corporate and organizational culture of doing business. It also rely lowly on exports, hence Indonesia performed better riding through slump. Exports are equivalent to only about 25% of GDP, compared with over 100% in Malaysia in 2008. Moreover, Indonesias core exports are dominated by gas, oil and coal, so the country was less exposed to the sudden and drastic destocking that caused trade in manufactured goods in Asia to dry up in late 2008 (Indrawati 2009). The countrys $514 billion economy, which is the biggest in South Asia, has 240 million citizens. It means that the country is a great potential market in terms of domestic consumption. An emerging middle class (35 million) is driving the economic growth in the country. It means that the country is able to create demand for the goods and services provided not only by national manufacturers, but also by multinational companies. The middle class creates not only an attractive market for multinational companies, but also a basis for the development of small business. Under modern circumstances, small business is a foundation for an effective economy. It creates new working places, contributes to the national GDP and makes the national economy more flexible and resistant to crisis and fluctuations. Indonesia is also rich in different natural resources. The country is the worlds leader in the export of coal. It has the largest gold mine and the single largest reserve of recoverable copper. As we can see, export is an integral part of the countrys success. On the one hand, it creates a lot of benefits for Indonesia. However, on the other hand, it makes the countrys national economy dependent on the situation on global markets. Fluctuations in these markets may hinder the development of the country. This situation however may be improved by having a higher share of value-added goods. These goods are produced by using educated labor force, knowledge and IT technologies. Thus, Indonesia will be able to occupy another niche in the global market and make its economy more competitive. It will also make the development of the country more intensive. One should mention that the current development has an extensive character. The development that has an extensive character is based on the use of resources, labor force, etc. At the same time, intensive development is based on innovations, investments, production of high value-added goods. The country also has some geopolitical advantages. It is close to China and Japan its biggest export markets. It means that transaction costs are insignificant. As a result, the efficiency of business is increasing. Moreover, these countries are not only Indonesias biggest partners, but also some of the biggest markets of the world. The combination of all the above-mentioned factors leads the country to the status of one of the best-performing economies in the world. According to the experts, the national economy of the country is going to grow 6 percent this year. It will make it the best-performing economy after China and India. The current GDP per capita is about $4.000 in Indonesia. Respectively GDP of Indonesia was about $960 billion in 2009 (Indonesia GDP Per Capita (PPP)). According to the experts, Indonesia should be included in BRIC club in the nearest future. Probably, we should explain what the so-called BRIC club is. The BRIC thesis posits that China and India will become the worlds dominant suppliers of manufactured goods and services, respectively, while Brazil and Russia will become similarly dominant as suppliers of raw materials (Brazil, Russia, India And China BRIC). It only proves our assumption that one of the strong sides of the countrys economy is its export of raw materials, including coal, metals, etc. However, as we have already mentioned, the share of these raw materials should reduce in the nearest future. Being a powerful country in the worlds economy also means being a leader in the worlds politics. Thus, the political influence of Indonesia in the world is also going to grow. At least in the Asian region, it is expected to happen very soon. We have said a lot about the countrys competitive advantages. Now it is time to analyze the potential risk factors that may scare the foreign investors and hinder the sustainable development of Indonesia. First of all, one should mention terrorism among the disadvantages that create risks for investors. Terrorist attacks in Jakarta and other similar countries scare foreign investors and thus hinder the economic development of such countries. Islamist terrorist actions have always been usual for the country. Foreign companies do not have any desire to invest in a country, where their facilities may be destroyed or their managers and workers may be killed. That is why decisive steps should be taken to solve this problem. Such steps are currently being made. The current government of the country is fighting against Islamist terrorist factions. However, its efforts should be combined with the assistance of the international community. We believe that this risk factor is going to be eliminated in the nearest future. Another risk factor is potentially dangerous natural factors. We mean, for example, tsunami in 2004 that killed a lot of people and shocked the world. In fact, there is a risk that such a cataclysm may occur again. The scope of that cataclysm can be described by the following words. Massive sea surges triggered by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean have killed over 10,000 people in southern Asia, with many more feared dead. Indonesia is thought to be the worst-hit country in the region, with 94,000 dead, 132,000 missing and 132,000 (Government of Indonesia 2005). Possible consequences of natural disasters may be the following: death of thousands of people (labor force and intellectual potential); destruction of infrastructure; destruction of material objects, including factories, offices, etc.; expenditure of billions of dollars on reconstruction of the country, etc. In general, it, of course, hinders the sustainable development of the countrys economy. This factor should be taken into account by the investors in Indonesias economy. Not only does the country have to fight against possible natural disasters, but it also has to handle other problems related to the natural environment, including climate change and depletion of natural resources. It can be proven by the following quote. The government in 2010 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesias insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, while addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation needs, particularly with regard to conserving Indonesias forests and peatlands (Indonesia Economy 2010). After comparing the advantages and disadvantages of Indonesias economy, we have to talk about the main problems of its current state and prospects for the near future. Nowadays the main problem of Indonesias economy and financial system is a danger that its financial market may be overheated. It is essential to take this factor into account because a few years ago it caused a lot of problems. Ten years of growth resulted in the financial crisis in 1997. One of the reasons was the overheated regional financial market, including that of Indonesia. The influence of that financial crisis on the national economy was enormous. After an average annual rate of between 5% and 7% during a long-term growth in the last two decades, Indonesia has been hard hit during the recent wave of the Asian monetary crisis. With an economic growth of 4.7% in 1997, the 1998/99 State Budget envisages a minus 12% economic growth with an inflation of 66%, which gradually developed into an economic crisis (Indonesias Economy. Economic Growth and State Finance). That is why it is very important to evaluate whether the market is overheated now or not in order to avoid a similar crisis. We believe that we have to explain the term overheated market. It means that market prices of different assets, including stocks, raw materials, etc., do not correspond to their fundamental prices. Thus, the assets are overestimated and the so-called bubbles are formed because of some speculative tendencies. When investors realize that the assets are overestimated, the whole system ruins, creating terrible consequences. As a result, the whole national economy is harmed. The most recent and vivid example of such a cataclysm is the global financial crisis 2008-2010 that was caused by the bubbles in the markets of leading assets. Despite that fact, the tendencies for such bubbles to form are still observed in the global economy. Thus, to conclude, we would like to say the following. Despite the crisis in 1997-1998, Indonesia has managed to demonstrate the rapid pace of economic development in the past decade. As a result, nowadays a lot of people tend to treat Indonesias economy as one of the most promising economies in the world. We also support this opinion and believe that its economy is going to become one of the leading ones. It is possible because of the combination of the countrys advantages and effective governments policy. The countrys advantages are the following: beneficial geopolitical location; rich natural resources; cheap labor force; large internal market. The government economic policy is based on the use of liberal principles that are traditional in the developed countries. The most important thing is that the countrys leaders desire to see their country as an innovative and prosperous state. The countrys economy may also be characterized by some risks, among which some of the most important are a danger of terrorism and possibility of natural disasters. These risks should be taken into account by investors and internal policy makers because they are able to hinder the sustainable development of the country. If they cannot be avoided, they should be forecasted and minimized.

Economic Impact of Natural Disasters Essay

Natural disasters are catastrophes hauled by the nature on man. They may bring about large scale destruction depending on the type of natural disaster. Natural disasters include a range of hazards which may cause widespread devastation and human and animal casualties. They range from floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, tsunamis, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, famine, heat wave and droughts etc. Natural disasters in the past were mostly unpredictable however, with the advancement of science and technology numerous authentic ways of previously detecting the possibility of natural disasters have developed. Nevertheless, even with the invention of modern scientific ways and pre-disaster preparations, human societies are not completely safe from the terrible outcomes of the disasters. The calamities bring with them huge destructions to land, property, human lives and the economy of region concerned. Natural Disasters are not only destructive for the land, people and buildings; they are also at times economically crippling. â€Å"Natural disasters affect people and their livelihoods or their ability to earn a living and support their families. Ultimately, then, severe natural disasters not only destroy people and property, they also affect the economy of the affected region. † (Stoltman, Lidstone and Dichano p. 297) Disasters heavy burden on the economy of the government since it has to make huge monetary expenditures on the recovery of the catastrophe-stricken area and rehabilitation of the victimized population. â€Å"These actions may lead to the postponement of or abandonment of planned investments, reductions in the provisions of public services and deferment of wage and salary increases and of staff appointments. † (Benson and Clay p. 29) This may mean huge losses will be incurred to the economy from this aspect as well in the long run. It is also believed that since in modern times the possible occurrence of a disaster can be predicted, the government has to take safety steps which also incur huge costs; though these safety measures may not even be able to fully protect the area from destruction, which is true in most cases. Hence the cost spent of safety measures is also nearly lost. In the United States natural disasters have been quite frequent and the governments during different times have been able to cope with the economic stress brought about by the calamities. However, sometimes exceptions did exist especially in the past when the technology was not as developed as it is today and the pace with which the rehabilitation should occur was not as fast as in today’s advanced society. America has faced all kinds of disasters from floods, hurricanes, cyclones, volcanic eruptions to heat waves, blizzards and tsunami. Hurricanes and cyclones have been more frequent in some areas prone to such type of disasters. North America especially the United States has generally been successful in holding down the death tolls even in very destructive incidents. (Stoltman, Lidstone and Dechano p. 323) Some natural disasters which occurred in the United States are being discussed from the point of view of the economic destruction they brought. Super Outbreak The largest and the worst known and recorded outbreak of a series of tornadoes over a period of 24 hour in nearly thirteen states of USA took place on 3rd and 4th of April, 1974 and are known as the super outbreak. It is believed by some to the â€Å"worst out break of the 20th century†. (Super Outbreak NOAA) 148 confirmed tornadoes caused widespread damage and destruction in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York. It extensively damaged approximately 900 square miles (1,440 square kilometers) along a total combined path length of 2,600 miles (4,160 km). (Super Outbreak Wikipedia). Reported to have begun around the afternoon and continued for a huge duration of 18 hours, the super outbreak lead to large number of casualties, injured and great loss to the buildings and revenue. According to the statistics caused 315 to 330 people’s deaths altogether in all the affected states, 5,484 victims were injured and 27, 590 families suffered the losses of the disaster. Overall estimated damage ranges from $3. 5 billion to $6. 0 billion according to varying sources. (Statistics taken from â€Å"Super Outbreak† Wikipedia and NOAA). Most of the losses incurred were due to the property damage, damage to basic facilities of life like roads, rail tracks which form the means of communication to other areas were severely affected. Tornadoes incurred maximum damage in areas where their intensity was at their peak. â€Å"Hanover was 90% damaged and destroyed. † (Super Outbreak Wikipedia)The task of rehabilitating the areas was not a small one; in fact it spread over 13 US states and a heavy burden was on the government. The estimated cost of the damage to the Hanover College alone was about $10 million. (Super Outbreak Wikipedia) Estimated damage to about 11 schools amounted to $7, 705, 000 in total with some schools not being included in the list. (Super Outbreak NOAA) Rebuilding huge structures is a humungous task. The recovery of all the basic facilities of life like availability of food, water and shelter and means of communication along with the availability of electricity; all had to be provided efficiently and effectively to all the victims of the disaster. In addition the medical costs of those injured had to be met by the government. Measures had to be taken to prevent disease epidemics from erupting in areas facing sanitation problems. These costs were those which had to be used in investments and on other progressive developmental projects, however, due to the disaster a huge amount was now spent on rehabilitation and recovery of victims of the super outbreak. This did not put a temporary burden on the government’s economy but actually affected all those possible ways of economic progress which were being sought through future investment plans. Louisiana Flood 8th May, 1995 â€Å"The United States has a long history of attempting to deal with hazards beginning with floods and focus has been on mitigation. † After experimenting with dams, levees also became discredited after the expenditure of $200 million in 1927. â€Å"That year a massive flood left 250 dead and 700,000 temporarily homeless. † (Stoltman, Lidstone and Dechano p. 326) This proved that no matter what preventive measures may be taken, the losses incurred by the natural disasters (may they be losses of life or economic losses) cannot be fully prevented. Another huge disaster experienced in the history of natural disasters in the USA was the Louisiana flood of 1995. The flooding was actually on set by excessive continued raining from 7th till 8th of May, 1995. Cities like Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, including the cities of New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, River Ridge, Harahan, Slidell, and Covington etc. All these areas were severely affected and experienced huge losses due to the flood. Six people died as a result of the flooding. The city of New Orleans suffered $360 million in damages, and the damage of the surrounding areas put that total above $1 billion. Some 56,000 homes were damaged in 12 Parishes. Thousands of cars were flooded. 14,600 homes and apartments were flooded in Jefferson Parish. The cause of the massive rain fall totals was a stalled out frontal system from the northwest. It produced a train effect, in which rain and/or thunderstorms continued to form over the same area. Pumping stations were overwhelmed and could not pump out the water into Lake Pontchartrain. The pumping stations are only rated to pump one inch per hour maximum. (May 8th 1995 Louisiana Flood Wikipedia) In addition to meeting the huge costs of restoration of normal living standards, the government was also concerned to take steps to prevent such disastrous conditions as much as possible in the future. The countries economy was once again weighed down by the responsibility of taking prospective and effective safety measures. Such catastrophic rainfall floods were planned to be prevented by building high costing much more effective pumps to remove the rain water before build up develops. 1994 Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurring on the January 17th 1994 caused large scale devastation and a lot of economic damage as compared to its relatively low intensity of 6. 7 on the Richter scale and low duration. â€Å"Yet in terms of financial losses Northridge is one of the worst disasters in US history. 57 people were killed and 72 deaths were attributed to the earthquake. 11,800 people received hospital treatment for injuries and 22,000 people were left homeless. † (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) Direct losses, like damages to residential and commercial buildings, roads and bridges, means of telecommunication, agriculture and lifelines (like water supply and sewerage lines were damaged) etc altogether amounted to $41. 8 billion. Infrastructural losses like water, gas and power demanded immediate action just as the rescue and recovery of those trapped. Basic necessities of life had to be provided without delay just as immediate medical treatment was essential for the injured. â€Å"Life line damage was estimated $ 2 billion but later was found to have exceeded. † (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) Damage to schools was also costly and the cost was approximately $100 million. (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) It was a sorry state of affairs that the hospitals were also damaged nearly 31 in number and 9 were forced to evacuate. (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) This caused serious problems since the injured had to be dealt with in the hospitals and the transportation systems were damaged to take them to nearby safer areas for the purpose of treatment. However the airports were relatively less damaged or almost not damaged at all. The earthquake wreaked havoc on numerous massive buildings including centers of trade and commerce and shopping plazas, bridges and roads. The destruction of roads and bridges lead to serious complications and further economic loss. Lack of transportation caused various business dealings to be delayed, the damage to office buildings also acted as an aggravating factor in this situation and incurring indirect financial loss. â€Å"The area’s largest shopping center, the Northridge Fashion Center was virtually destroyed and did not open for more than a year and a half. † (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) Business loss literally affected the country’s economy which was already dealing with the blow the earthquake had given to it. The overall business losses were estimated to be $15. 2 billion. However, the situations were quickly dealt with which meant that supply was meeting the demand. The area took some time before it was fully restored despite the fact that the recovery process and the aid being provided were both quick and effective. Hurricane Katrina In terms of material as well as economic destruction, Hurricane Katrina, occurring on the 23rd of August, 2005, was one of the worst natural disasters to have affected the US in most recent times. Failure of levee system in New Orleans and Louisiana lead to great loss of life and property. This was greatly criticized since modern day technology demands much more effective measures to be taken by the government in preventing huge catastrophes like hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina has managed to shatter the economy for good. It has caused huge damages to the oil and gas production causing major damage to many oil platforms and leading to the shut down of refineries. â€Å"The total shut-in oil production from the Gulf of Mexico in the six-month period following Katrina was approximately 24% of the annual production and the shut-in gas production for the same period was about 18%. † (Hurricane Katrina Wikipedia)This is a sorry state of affairs since the damage to done to other business market, business dealings and buildings, is apart from this damage to the oil and gas industry. Along with the destruction of various job opportunities the forest industry was also affected. People were not only left homeless but also unemployed and the country’s constant gain through income tax from these previously employed also halted because of the loss of their jobs. Families were left without a means of livelihood and problems of poverty were becoming increasingly significant. â€Å"It is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion† (Hurricane Katrina Wikipedia) It is a natural phenomenon that loss of employment opportunities and unavailability of basic needs of the people causes them to move places in search of better opportunities in all fields of life. This has a negative effect not only on the areas which are left, because their chances of future progress become dim, but also of those areas which are over burdened by the influx of people. These areas come under economic pressure because now they have to provide jobs, residential areas and food for more people on the same available resources. This holds very true especially in the case of victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The economic lows in their region forced them to migrate to other regions or states which also suffered a set back when burdened by an extra population to be supported. Conclusion Analysis of the US attitude towards natural disasters has shown that US governments have been active and keen on preventing as well as providing immediate remedies to the disaster stricken people. However, the preventive measures like levee system have not been cost effective. They have not proved to be good in preventing huge damages. Amount spent on these preventive measures is wasted once the disaster strikes. On the other hand, effective and efficient help is provided for the recovery of the victims and the destructed area but the economic blow is very strong. In many areas the fast rehabilitation system is not enough though and migration of people to other states causes burden on those states. The economic damage due post-disaster era is caused due to direct and indirect causes. The direct causes include destruction of buildings especially corporate and residential ones and providence of basic facilities of life to the victims and injured and indirect damage is incurred by mainly destructed transportations, repair, rehabilitation and rechecking of newly built structures for safety. â€Å"Disasters can cause government revenues to fall since lower levels of economic activity including possible net declines in imports and exports imply reduced direct and indirect tax revenues. † (Benson and Clay p. 29) Hence, modern day technology demands our government to take better and more reliable preventive measures to avoid huge damages from disasters which can prove to be long term economic set backs. Works Cited Benson, Charlotte and Clay, Edward J. Understanding the Economic and Financial Impacts of Natural Disasters. 2004. World Bank Publications â€Å"Hurricane Katrina. † Wikipedia. 26 April 2008. Petak, William J and Elahi, Shirin. â€Å"The Northridge Earthquake USA and its Economic and Social Impacts. † 26 April 2008 Stoltman, Joseph P. Lidstone, John and Dechano Lisa M. International Perspectives on Natural Disasters. 2005. Springer Publishers. â€Å"Super Outbreak†. NOAA’S National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. Northern Indiana. 26 April 2008. â€Å"Super Outbreak† Wikipedia. 26 April 2008.

Language awarenes

The students may use the structure for present habits – He uses to drink a lot of coffee. 2. The pronunciation of the positive form and the negative form is the same / ]u:SST tall which may cause the students to still write the negative form with d – I didn't used to watch TV. Possible solutions and exercises 1 . To compare used to for past habits with Present Simple for present habits. Exercise – pair work â€Å"Ask and answer questions about your lives now and when you were children†. The students use clear structures such as: What do you do on Sunday – I usually/often watch TV. ‘ What did you do when you were a child?I used to help may mother in the garden. 2. â€Å"Fill in the gaps with used to or use to † exercise with positive and negative sentences such as: † When I lived in London .. Drink a lot of tea. ‘ He didn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Read a lot when he was a child. LEXICAL SET Lexical set borrow – lend Part of speech verb Meaning borrow something (from someone), (borrowed (apt, up) someone, (lent (apt, up)) lend someone something ‘boras/, ‘abroad/ /lend/, [lent/ lend something to Borrow shows that something is (temporarily) taken from another person. Lend shows that something is (temporarily) given to another person.Can I borrow your dictionary for 2 days? Am I taking your dictionary from you? – Yes Am I taking your dictionary forever? – No. I am taking it for 2 days only. Can you lend me 100 dollars until the end of the month please? Are you giving some money to me? – Yes Are you giving the money forever? – No. Only until the end of the month. Teaching level and context Pre-intermediate level; asking for a favor or help, talking about money; topics † – In the bank†, â€Å"Between friends† Anticipated problems 1 . Mistaking â€Å"lend† with â€Å"borrow' – Can you borrow me your car? /He borrows me some k ooks. 2.Intermediate, talking about problems, self-control; topics – â€Å"Are you your own Master? â€Å", â€Å"The worst day in my life† Anticipated problems Some students may think that using idioms makes their English more â€Å"native† and use them excessively. They may have difficulties in which context and situation a colloquial language is appropriate. (Headway) Possible solutions and exercises Association of the â€Å"red† as a color of â€Å"anger† can help students to remember the meaning. Explain the students that at this level they are exposed to colloquial language with recognition purposes and they are not expected to use idioms.

Critical Analysis Access for All An Assistive Technologies Training Resource Manual for Library Staff

Critical Analysis Access for All An Assistive Technologies Training Resource Manual for Library Staff Analyzing the submission Access for All: An Assistive Technologies Training Resource Manual for Library Staff, it is necessary to notice that the main idea of this work is the presentation of the program for library staff which includes the issues and technologies that can be explored for people with disabilities. The submission contains different facts about the possibility and level of access of the people with disabilities to the libraries.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Analysis: â€Å"Access for All: An Assistive Technologies Training Resource Manual for Library Staff† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking into consideration the information provided into submission, it is possible to admit a sensible measures and peculiarities of the program for staff that will be helpful for the people with disabilities. Most of the information of the present submission covers the facts about disab ility population and the technical facilities, but there are no peculiarities about what elements such program should contain. The author indicates that, according to the United States Census (2008), the population with disabilities is 54,4 million Americans and obviously all those people require the special conditions within the access to the libraries. Trained staff should pay attention of the different types of the disabilities. It the present submission, the author provides the classification of disabilities of Green and Blair (2011). Thus, print disabilities include blindness, dyslexia, color blindness and concentration problems. Mobility disabilities can include the various conditions such as repetitive stress injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome) and advances conditions (Cerebral Palsy). Speech disabilities influence the communicative capability, including stuttering and loss voice. The last type is hearing difficulties starting form hearing loss to the total deafness. The clarif ication of the particular problem should help staff to understand the specific of the measures which should be provided in order to help people while using the libraries. Therefore, this information is appropriate and helpful. The author cites the Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy, indicating that â€Å"libraries should provide training opportunities for all library employees and volunteers to sensitize them to issues affecting people with disabilities and to teach effective techniques for providing services for users with disabilities and for working with colleagues with disabilities† (American Library Association, 2001). As the Association emphasizes an importance of making the facilities accessible to the people with disabilities, they have to be ensure that libraries meet their legal, societal, professional and moral obligations. Therefore, it is highly important to train staff, providing the information needed for an adequate working of the libraries.A dvertising Looking for critical writing on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The author provides table set by Green and Blair (2011) with a list of technologies that should be used in every library. Thus, people with print disabilities should have an access to the Braille equipment, note taking devices, screen keyboards and magnifiers and speech synthesizers. Mobility disabilities require the use of ergonomic keyboards, ADA compliant library facilities and stacks and alternatives keyboards and mice. People with speech disabilities need special services such as STS (speech to speech services), speech recognition software and head tracking devices. In order to help people with hearing disabilities, the libraries should provide the use of TTY (teletypewriters), telephone amplification devices and closed captioning devices. The training manual should fulfill the different facilities that should be us ed in libraries and measures provided by staff in order to help the people with disabilities to get an adequate access to the information and the sources. Therefore, the analysis of the present submission shows that the author not only demonstrates a comprehension of the problem, but also provides a list of technical facilities and measures which should be used. For instance, the submission provides several websites which use the different technical instruments for the people with disabilities: Boston-IA (2010), National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (2000) and the list of ADA requirements according to the Disability Law Center (ADA Checklist). However, although the author provides a good description of the technical facilities, the topic of the training programs for staff is not covered well. Thus, it is possible to find the statement that such programs are necessary, but there are no peculiarities about what elements such program should contain.Advertisi ng We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Analysis: â€Å"Access for All: An Assistive Technologies Training Resource Manual for Library Staff† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, it can be useful to mention that the library staff can help people with visual disabilities walking with them through the rooms in order to create a mental map (Wade, 2003). Only one example provided is the checklist program of the Library at the University of Washington (2012) which includes the developing of the list of important services needed for the people with disabilities. However, the author does not provide an analysis of this instrument. Concluding the analysis, it is possible to notice that the present submission covers topic well, however, some of the highly important parts are not explored and analyzed well. Thus, there is a list of the technical facilities that help the people with disabilities to use the libraries and mentioned that some of the libraries try to use those instruments. However, there is no explanation which elements the program for staff should include. It would be appropriate to suggest the concrete measures within the process of providing the access to the facilities and the information for the people with disabilities which the staff of the library should be acquainted with. Reference List American Library Association (2001). Library services for people with disabilities policy. Retrieved from ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/libraryservices Boston-IA (2010). Assistive Technologies. Retrieved from boston-ia.org/resources/devices.html Disability Law Center (n.d.). ADA Checklist. Retrieved from disabilitylawcenter.org/publications/ada%20checklists/ADA%20Library%20Checklist.pdfAdvertising Looking for critical writing on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Green, R. Blair, V. (2011). Keep it simple: A guide to assistive technologies. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (2000). NLS references bibliographies: Assistive Technologies. Retrieved from loc.gov/nls/reference/bibliographies/assistive.html University of Washington (2012). Universal Access: Making Library Resources Available to People with Disabilities. Retrieved from washington.edu/doit/UA/PRESENT/libres.html U. S. Census (2008). Number of Americans with a disability reaches 54,4 million. Washington D.C. Retriever from census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb08-185.html Wade, G. L. (2003). Serving the visually impaired user. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 3 (2), 307-313. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216170422?accountid=14800

History of Accounting From Ancient Times to Today

History of Accounting From Ancient Times to Today Accounting is a system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions. For as long as civilizations have been engaging in trade or organized systems of government, methods of record keeping, accounting, and accounting tools have been in use. Some of the earliest known writings discovered by archaeologists are accounts of ancient tax records on clay tablets from Egypt and Mesopotamia dating back as early as 3300 to 2000 BCE. Historians hypothesize that the primary reason for the development of writing systems came out of a need to record trade and business transactions. Accounting Revolution When medieval Europe moved toward a monetary economy in the 13th century, merchants depended on bookkeeping to oversee multiple simultaneous transactions financed by  bank loans.   In 1458 Benedetto Cotrugli invented the double-entry accounting system, which revolutionized accounting. Double-entry accounting is defined as any bookkeeping system that involves a  debit and/or credit  entry for transactions. Italian mathematician and Franciscan monk Luca Bartolomes Pacioli, who invented a system of record keeping that used a memorandum, journal, and ledger, wrote many books on accounting. Father of Accounting Born in 1445 in Tuscany, Pacioli is known today as the father of accounting and bookkeeping. He wrote Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita (The Collected Knowledge of Arithmetic, Geometry, Proportion, and Proportionality) in 1494, which included a 27-page treatise on bookkeeping. His book was one of the first published using the historical  Gutenberg press, and the included treatise was the first known published work on the topic of double-entry bookkeeping. One chapter of his book, Particularis de Computis et Scripturis (Details of Calculation and Recording), on the topic of record keeping and double-entry accounting, became the reference text and teaching tool on those subjects for the next several hundred years. The chapter  educated readers about the use of journals and ledgers; accounting for assets, receivables, inventories, liabilities, capital, income and expenses; and keeping a balance sheet and an income statement.   After Luca Pacioli wrote his book, he was invited to teach  mathematics  at the Court of Duke Lodovico Maria Sforza in Milan. Artist and inventor  Leonardo da Vinci  were one of Paciolis students. Pacioli and da Vinci became close friends. Da Vinci illustrated Paciolis manuscript  De Divina Proportione (Of Divine Proportion), and Pacioli taught da Vinci the mathematics of perspective and proportionality. Chartered Accountants The first professional organizations for accountants were established in Scotland in 1854, starting with the Edinburgh Society of Accountants and the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries. The organizations were each granted a royal charter. Members of such organizations could call themselves chartered accountants. As companies proliferated, the demand for reliable accountancy shot up, and the profession rapidly became an integral part of the business and financial system. Organizations for chartered accountants now have been formed all over the world. In the U.S., the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants was established in 1887.

Evaluating a company's external environment Essay

Evaluating a company's external environment - Essay Example 3D has been embraced as lifestyle and something that is more practical. It is more practical since hobbyist have the advantage of printing out anything they wish at any time with the modest technology. While reviewing the external environment it is important that we address the following points. One of them is the cost of production. It is evident that the use of 3D printers is more affordable compared to other manufacturing processes. Plastic filaments are costing as cheap as $ 30 to $50 per spool. It will be necessary that if a company is to maximize profits in this business then the company must be able to customize cheaply so as to reduce the cost of production. For a company to compete effectively there is need to ensure that you invest properly in high quality plastics. It is evident that most of the companies investing in production of 3D printing are using a poor quality of plastics. As a manager you don’t want your customers to throw away the entire product just because of a broken plastic part. Thingiverse is a design library that provides a good solution to such cases as it offers diverse and modest designers for plastic parts. Apart from motivating your customers this will also help them save on costs of repairs and maintenance. Ryan McMaster is an example of those who have benefited from 3D designers. Her mother’s 1996 Mustang Coupe was restored by simply using a 3D designer. One of the most important concepts to remain competitively advantageous in the market is to be unique. Investing in techniques and ideas which are not easily imitated is one of the ways of remaining competitive in the 3D printing market. With almost 400 3D printers design available online, this business is likely to be flooded in the near future. For this reason, there is need to invest in designs that are copy right protected as well as ones which are not easily imitated. Due to the rapid development in technology it will be important that an organization willing to beat

Strategic Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Strategic Perspectives - Essay Example This particular paper fundamentally aims towards delivering a detailed analysis of the competitive forces and the various strategic issues in relation to the tablet and smart phone industry. With this concern, various aspects that include internal strategic audit of Apple and identification of the major issues regarding the external stakeholders that are currently faced by the organisation will be considered. Additionally, certain recommendations for Apple will also be depicted in the discussion. A Detailed Analysis of the Smart phone & Ta ­blet Industry The various strategic models that are fundamentally used to analyse the macro-framework of a particular industry can be identified in terms of Porter’s 5 Forces Model and Industry Life Cycle (ILC) theory. These models can be regarded as quite beneficial in obtaining an in-sight regarding the competitive forces along with the strategic issues shaping the smart phone as well as the tablet industry. The Macro-Framework Theory W ith due regards to the macro-framework theory implications, the aspect of macro environment tends to determine the various external influences that may impose a crucial effect upon the tablet and smart phone industry. The various macro environment factors in relation to the smart phone and tablet industry include the political, economic, social and technological forces which are prevalently acknowledged as PEST (Young & Pagoso, 2008). From the viewpoint of the technological forces, it has been recognised that the Integrated Circuits (IC’s) along with other electronic elements have emerged as superior, faster and cheaper as well delivering extensive opportunities towards improving the technology of the tablets along with the smart phones... This paper approves that the most significant strategic option for Apple can be identified with regards to its well structured analysis of value chain linkage that it performs while operating the business functions in a systematic and effective way. As it was mentioned earlier, Apple generally follows a well structured analysis of its value chains majorly focusing on the idea of creating new products, designing and re-designing the already developed products through the execution of its own resources and funding. It is in this context that the IT industry is very much competitive, diverse and capital intensive. In this regard, the packaging style of certain products belonging to Apple can also be regarded as one of the chief strategic options for the business organisations that might help Apple to decrease emissions during transportation and can pose valuable environmental impacts. This report makes a conclusion that Apple faces certain limitations majorly in terms of customer satisfaction and ethical measures adopted by the organisation. In order to mitigate these challenges, Apple should focus on creating differentiation business strategy along with lifestyle branding, advancing the close relationship with the suppliers, introducing innovative designs to persuade the customers and continuously investing upon the research and development in terms of technological advancements. Moreover, complying with the various requirements of the Fair Labour Organisation, greater concern towards the environmental as well as CSR conceptions and enhancing the existing valuable products of the organisation can also render significant benefits to Apple.