Driving Consumer Needs: Evaluating the Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman Essay

Introduction Wal-mart has transformed the corporate and consumer culture in America and the rest of the world- by focusing on its corporate mission of Very Low Prices, Always, Wal-mart placed itself as a fixture in the everyday lives of millions of people. Fishman (2006) in his book The Wal-Mart Effect shows us exactly how Wal-Mart figures in everyday corporate and consumer lives making it the biggest and most influential company in the world today. This paper evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the book using a sociological perspective particularly on how the author characterizes the impact of Wal-Mart in our contemporary society. Significantly, Fishman had successfully presented us with the positive and negative impact of Wal-Mart both on the business and consumer front. Moreover, to a considerable extent, Fishman was able to show how the interplay of society’s many forces can yield both positive and negative effects. The Wal-Mart Effect Fishman (2006) characterized the economic power of Wal-Mart: it is bigger than ExxonMobil, General Motors and General Electric and rakes about US$244.5 bullion sales in 2005 and it outcasts the competition by selling in three months what the number two retailer Home Depot sells in one year. Rich with anecdotes and stories, the primary thesis of Fishman’s The Wal-Mart Effect is that there is a price that needs to be paid in order to have the cheapest possible prices in everyday Wal-Mart stores- and this price significantly affects the greater part of the American as well as the global society in that Wal-Mart pushes its suppliers and employees to take the negative side of providing its customers with the lowest prices. The fundamental strength of the book is the ability of Fishman to dissect the core strategy of Wal-Mart in lieu with the consumers’ demands. Wal-Mart is projected by Fishman as merely an instrument in feeding the need of consumers for very low prices- or paying for something with almost nothing. Even consumers’ who rejects the cheap prices at Wal-Mart is shown by Fishman to spend at least US$450 a year at Wal-Mart- a proving testimony that consumers are willing to sacrifice the quality of products in order to get the cheapest prices. Furthermore, Fishman successfully showed how Wal-Mart fosters a business relationship with its suppliers and its competing companies- suppliers and other companies are powerless in lieu with the invincibility of Wal-Mart in the retail sector. Almost all companies’ sells at Wal-Mart- being the number one retail store in the country, companies cannot afford not to sell at Wal-Mart. Fishman contends that despite the negative impact of Wal-Mart on the suppliers’ end, they choose to sell at Wal-Mart because not selling at Wal-Mart would mean losing their biggest clientele. Interestingly, Fishman provides the readers with an entertaining work through the illustration of examples. For instance, Fishman showed that while Wal-Mart is a very powerful player in the retail industry, not all suppliers and companies are scrambling for Wal-mart to sell their products. Fishman (2006) illustrated the case of Snapper, the maker of quality and durable lawn mowers where the CEO had refused to sell at Wal-Mart because of the incompatibility of their corporate values with that of the company. Selling prices at almost the same level of the production cost would mean sacrificing the quality of the products- not to mention the salary cuts and the ends to which suppliers would go through just to meet the price that Wal-Mart dictates for their products. Thus, this leads to the fourth argument of Fishman- the cost of low prices for Wal-Mart consumers is manifested in the very low wages of its employees, driving its suppliers to lower their employees’ wages themselves and prompting others to make production in sweatshops exploiting children and workers in third world countries, and in driving the mania of consumers for low-priced but products stripped of the product quality that corporations have initially offered. While Fishman’s The Wal-Mart Effect is essentially driven by the popularity of Wal-Mart, its primary weakness lies in its inability to provide a deeper evaluation of the long-term impact of The Wal-Mart Effect on the consumers. For one, the benefits of Wal-Mart to the consumers is not long-term in nature, Fishman however, did not explore this topic. Moreover, Fishman neither provided a business and sociological framework that shows how Wal-Mart is perceived in the greater part of the society and how Wal-Mart perceives its consumers. Wal-Mart has been a subject of many commentaries and success stories in the business world. For consumers, Wal-Mart is like a haven and similarly, the literature has also projected Wal-Mart on all the positive qualities that can be given to a company. Fishman (2006) in his book provided us with the good and the bad effects of Wal-Mart- whether it is more positive or negative; the author does not say but argues that the impact of Wal-Mart on world markets is very vast. The impact is such that an American eating a Salmon from Wal-Mart significantly affects the economy of Chile. What Fishman (2006) shows is not just the business side of Wal-Mart but its larger impact on the American and world society in general. For one, Wal-Mart significantly dictates the economies of most countries because of their ability to dictate the supplier of their products. Hence, Wal-Mart’s goal for low prices is not a simple mathematical formulation- it involves the interplay of the society’s political, economic and sociological actors. According to Fishman, in their bid to get the lowest prices, consumers are suffering both in terms of quality and in forcing suppliers’ and their workers to cut down on operational and production costs. On the other hand, political institutions are being pressured by Wal-Mart to submit to their demands because of the possible change in a country’s economy once Wal-Mart decides to do business with them. Fishman’s audience spans all individuals regardless of gender, age or socio-economic status. This is because Wal-Mart spans all sociological barriers as well- businesses, suppliers, workers, housewives, even the young adults and adolescents are all familiar with Wal-Mart as a part of their everyday lives. Fishman’s The Wal-Mart Effect is therefore more than just an interesting book; it presents an open-minded presentation and analysis of Wal-Mart and its impact on the greater society. By illustrating examples, Fishma’s the Wal-Mart Effect succeeded and how it had benefited the common American in providing low prices and at the same time, illustrated the cases of Wal-Mart’s suppliers and how Wal-Mart has twisted their corporate values in order to adhere to their own. Using simple illustrations, Fishman was able to tell us that Wal-Mart gives what the consumers ask for- cheaply priced products. However, he also showed the cost of these low prices- sweatshops, measly wages for its employees, changing corporate goals and driving consumers to demand for cheaper products. Feeding this type of consumer system is the goal of Wal-Mart and it is the very reason why consumers are rewarding the company. While Fishman is a journalist, he offered his viewpoints using investigative journalism means and with scholarly ethics not to go overboard. The goal of Fishman is not to show the myth surrounding Wal-Mart but rather to offer an alternate view on how the company operates and how it achieves its goals. Notably, Fishman was successful in providing a book that covers not just a description but rather a deeper understanding of how Wal-Mart works and how it affects every individual and the society. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fishman’s The Wal-Mart Effect does not offer to provide the scholarly or deeper understanding of the success of Wal-Mart but rather it seeks to present a more balanced view of how Wal-Mart strives to give cheaper products to the consumers. Using an easy-read tone of writing, Fishman captures the imagination and the interest of its readers and takes them into a journey of the different facets and strands of the company. Fishman succeeds in providing the details that readers need in order to form their own conclusion. While most part of the text is judgment-free, one is left asking how the biggest company in the world has achieved that much power to change the very society that created it. Reference Fishman, C. (2006) The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Really Works–and How It’s Transforming the American Economy. The Penguin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press: 294 pages.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Essay

Looking at the graph above we can see that Yum! Brands, the parent’s company of KFC are the third biggest firm in the fast food industry. By serving more than 12 million customers in 21000 stores in 109 countries every day, KFC has become the world most popular chicken fast food franchise. (1) However, over the past decade, KFC’s suppliers have been caught several time violating animal rights by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the world’s largest animal rights organization. KFC claims that all their suppliers are very well monitored and often inspected by the government; however PETA undercover investigations have proved otherwise. In 2007, 2 videos secretly recorded workers extremely violated animal rights in these slaughterhouses, showing some disturbing scenes. Although you may argue that KFC does not responsibility for the cruelty in the slaughterhouses, it has violates its own code of conduct, which will be discussed later in this report. Besides, since KFC buys raw meat from these suppliers, they are partly support these slaughterhouses so it is also a part of their responsibility. The main purpose of this report is to show several violations which were caught by PETA investigation in 2007 and the possible solutions for this particular scandal. The investigation takes place in Tyson’s Georgia and Tennessee factories, one of KFC’s major suppliers. Within only 9 days of the investigation, many workers have been caught on videos abusing chickens. One of the most serious acts is workers urinating in the belts that transform birds to different areas in the slaughterhouse (2). And that is not the only thing they did. Chickens are thrown from a far distance to the conveyor belt. The workers at these slaughterhouses somehow found it an entertaining thing to do so the abuse was repeated again and again. They picked up chickens and throw them to the shackles. Chickens are also found dead after trapping their body parts under a door at the end of the belt meaning the facility quality is not good enough. One of the examples is the blade which is supposed to cut chicken’s throat, cut the chicken’s body parts instead, and many of them also miss the blade. Therefore, when being transferred to the next stage of the production, which is going to the boiling tank, they are fully conscious. Moreover, workers are told by supervisors that it is acceptable to rip off thoselive chicken’s heads which are not cut properly. The problem here is, supervisors at both these slaughterhouses were involved with the abuse and aware of it but did not do anything to stop it from happening. Moreover, most of KFC claims on their website are inaccurate and go against their code of conduct (3): â€Å"Our suppliers work with primary breeders who provide poultry specifically selected with health and well being in mind.† This statement is, however, false. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) discovered that KFC’s suppliers use drugs to help chickens to gain as much weight as possible in a short period of time. The effect of this is these chickens will suffer from diseases and injuries such as broken legs, heart attacks and other problems because they are overgrown.(4) â€Å"Prior to slaughter, birds are stunned so they are insensible to pain. †¦ Chickens are stunned and killed before they are introduced into the defeathering tanks.†This statement is again not totally true. Although all the chickens are put in an electrified bath before being throat-slitting, the bath only makes them immobility not fully unconscious. Furthermore, as stated above, there are evidences that chickens completely miss the blade therefore they are still alive when being put in the scalding tank. According to USDA, there are nearly 3 million scalded alive chickens every year.(4) â€Å"KFC sup pliers, KFC and the National Chicken Council have standards for stocking density to ensure birds have sufficient space and are healthy. †¦ The cleanliness of these facilities and the health of the birds are top priorities for the farmers.† Unfortunately, KFC suppliers actually do not have good facility to â€Å"ensure birds have sufficient space and healthy† like they stated. They are famous for raising chickens in a small area, as small as possible so they could cut down on cost. The wastes from chickens are not even cleaned up during their life time, again just to save cost. The effect of this is causing many health problems to chickens. One of the reasons why KFC and its suppliers are so careless is because according to the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, chickens are not protected. Farmed animals such as chickens, cows are also not covered by the Animal Welfare Act either.(4) Ever since the videos are published, many protests and campaigns have been taken place, causing dramatic impact on KFC’s stockholders. Activists, through the media, have made people aware of the problem and therefore most people decided to stop eating at KFC a sign of pro test. There was a time KFC’s stock went down by 10% because of the scandal and this has made these stockholders, managers become more serious with the problem and come up with some solutions. Once of the few solutions that KFC could apply to fix the problem is to ask the suppliers to punish those who are responsible for the incidents. This includes the workers who abuse the chickens, the supervisors at these 2 facilities who completely ignored the abuse. The punishment will definitely set an example for other employees and supervisors at other supplier’s facilities. Moreover, they could install more cameras in the slaughterhouses to control worker’s act. Once a month, private investigators could be hired to make sure animal abuse will not happen again. This seems to be one of the most effective solutions since workers are in tighter control, it is very unlikely that they will violate the rules. KFC, however, has to pay a little extra money each month to maintain the cameras and the cost of hiring private investigators. The reason why workers mistreat the chickens at these suppliers could be because they are not satisfied with their salary. This could be easily explained, firstly, since most of the suppliers will try to cut down cost as much as possible they are likely to reduce the wage rate to exploit workers. Since the demand for this type of job is high, it is workers who need the suppliers, not the other way round so employees will always feel like they are being exploited. Secondly, those farm suppliers are famous for their terrible working conditions, there is always a problem with hygiene and environment in the slaughterhouses. All the factors combined will cause workers to be easily frustrated and pass the angry to the chickens. Therefore, the solution is KFC to force suppliers to improve wage rate and the working conditions. Once these have taken place, the rate of mistreating animals will definitely be reduced. Although, this solution seems to work in theory, it is unlikely to work in practice since it has too many disadvantages. They must spend a lot more each month to increase the salary for all workers in these suppliers. This might also set a bad habit for workers, treating chickens badly as a sign of protest to demand higher wages. In response to all the claims by PETA, KFC states on their website that PETA is actually a â€Å"radical extremist group† and their main purpose is to â€Å"promote a vegetarian health style† (3). Because of this, PETA is unbiased and their claims are not totally correct and could be misleading. In addition to this, KFC has also ensured consumers that their chickens are bought from the same suppliers that provide raw meat to supermarkets and restaurants. Although in the real world they have no responsibility over the animal cruelty and abuse in those slaughterhouses, they did require suppliers to obey the law as well as animal welfare. In conclusion, we can see from the report that both KFC and PETA have different point of views, and they are both reasonable in their ways. However, the situation could have been much better if KFC took care of the scandal thoroughly as soon as possible so that the same mistake will not happen again in the future.

A Time When Something Unexpected Happened Essay

I would hate to be famous. When you’re famous, you don’t have any privacy. Also, there’s too much criticism. Lastly, it can harm my safety. Being famous isn’t all that great, like you think it is. Many people who are famous have many problems and sometimes wish that they weren’t famous at all. I do not want to be famous. First, when you’re famous, you do not have any privacy. Paparazzi will follow you, and take pictures of every single thing you do. The paparazzi are very aggravating. Also, fans will always be running up to you and asking for autographs or pictures. Lastly, people will always want to know where you’re at and what you’re doing. Second, when you are famous, you have to take a lot of criticism. Critics will always be judging you. They’ll judge you on what you’re wearing, what you’re doing, and even what you’re eating sometimes. Also, haters will have mean remarks or comments. They will also spread rumors about you. Finally, being famous can harm your safety. You might have some mega, crazy fans that may stalk you. Myriad famous people also receive threats, and their lives are put in danger. Super haters may dislike you so much, that they actually attempt to murder you. Many celebrities have been murdered due to hate of the famous person. In conclusion, being famous would be atrocious. Celebrities cannot have a sequestered life what so ever, they are criticized, and they are not safe. You don’t need fame to have an opulent life. Living without fame is just fine, and I have fun without it. I do not want to be famous.

The Apocalyptic Probability Containment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Apocalyptic Probability Containment - Essay Example It also points out the possible remedies that can be implemented so that the depletion rate of the world can be reduced. The main issues that will be discussed in the paper include settlement, alternate means of public transport, provision of alternate energy sources, agriculture, and waste disposal. Introduction The world, as we know it today, is rapidly gaining on an apocalypse. The apocalypse has been depicted in films in a manner that worries us as the inhabitants of earth. Scholars researchers have also given a prediction of how the earth might look after the apocalypse. Wall-E’s film shows a world that reduces to a carcass of a planet after it has been deprived of all the oxygen that it was used to. As disturbing and farfetched as these predictions may be, there lies a sense of reality behind them all. The world today is hungry for resources and will go at any length to get a hold of such resources without having to care about the eventual impact of their actions on the planet. Since the industrial revolution in the 18th century from around 1750, the world has been on a downward spiral accelerating toward a dreaded apocalypse. The revolution cannot be downcast because it saw major changes inflicted in practically every industry. The main problem can be traced to the manner in which industrialization was conducted. No prior strategy was put in place to counter the peripherals of the revolution; the main agenda was to revolutionize the world.The revolution saw the development of urban centers, industries and factories. People were moving to the newly founded centers in such of jobs and wealth. This zeal to be a part of the revolution is what has caused problems that are slowly dragging the world and forming a post-apocalyptic trash site of our highly cherished planet.Because of the revolution, people needed to settle, energy needed to be supplied to the settlers and factories, transport needed to be availed for ferrying both goods and people, waste p roducts needed to be disposed and food supply needed to match the population’s demand. To avoid the seemingly inevitable end of this planet as a post-apocalyptic trash site, we must review, address and reconsider the issues of settlement, provision of alternative energy sources, alternate forms of public transport, agriculture and waste disposal in every corner of the world. How Settlement Can Be Reviewed To Help Contain The Apocalyptic Probability Settlement is the most central issue of all the problems. This is because all the other factors are directly linked to settlement. The people are the driving force of the world. Their innovations and inventions are what have brought change to the world as a whole. The main issue about settlement is the fact that population is concentrated in the urban areas with the suburbs being somewhat marginalized. The technology that is being used in all sorts of settlements seems to be getting out-dated and the impact to the environment are p roving to be detrimental. The best possible solution for settlement in avoiding the disastrous apocalyptic end is developing new cities. South Korea is currently building a self-sufficient city similar to Abu Dhabi’s Masdar city. The city is a high technology and one of its core functions will be learning. The city project has been dubbed the Multi-functional Administrative City-MAC (Dillow, 2010). The idea behind this innovation is to create sustainable cities through technology. This kind of a city will help curb the issue of settlement because it will help disperse or depopulate the densely populated areas. The issue with settlement today is the scarcity of resources and the arguably unmanageable waste disposal. In Portugal, a

Growth and Development of Entrepreneural Ventures Essay

Growth and Development of Entrepreneural Ventures - Essay Example Adherence to codes of ethics makes business organizations carry out proper social responsibility programs through which they communicate and show their commitment to the welfare of its workers, other stakeholders and the outside community. Most businesses that do not have codes of ethics often find themselves in various breaches of the law, forcing them to engage in various legal suits. Creditors sometimes sue the business for failing to abide by the terms and conditions of sale agreements; additionally, workers sometimes have various issues concerning contractual agreements and remuneration (Battelle, 2005). Ethical issues have special legal provisions to ensure that business organizations that do not live by the law are punishable according to the laid down legal structures. This paper examines ethical practices and conduct of Google, one of the many successful companies that offer clients the ability to search and carry out various social and economic activities on the internet. It focuses on the various work practices that have elicited ethical concerns not only in the company but also from its clients worldwide. It also examines the effects of these ethical concerns and how they can impact on the company’ operations in the future, giving some possible alternatives the company can embrace in the process of restoring customer confidence in its products and services (David, 2011). The report delves into the discussion of Google Inc., a multinational American corporation that specializes in offering internet-related products and services. These products include search engines, cloud computing services, online advertisements and various types of software. Most of the products that the company specializes in originated from ad Words (James, 2014). Since the company was incorporated, it has enjoyed consistent growth, managing to become one of the greatest companies in the world that offers internet and related services. The persistent growth has seen the company manage to establish a chain of products  and services to take advantage of the ever-increasing internet needs by people worldwide, which are now turning to the internet as the sources of economic livelihood.  

Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Self-reflection Assignment Article

Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Self-reflection Assignment - Article Example Part of being a leader is explaining things in a clear and concise manner so that the people who I am leading can carry out the instructions that I give them. A negative part of this experience was that I was not always able to lead people as I would have liked. My communication skills, or lack of them, made it difficult for me to get my point across on occasion. This is something that I have learned from this experience. I need to work on my communication skills because this makes a leader either ordinary or great. I feel that am someone who can show what I want others to do, but I have a very hard time explaining it in words. I would like to improve my skills in this area so that I can become a better leader. 2. My father was someone who has influenced me the most about the outdoors. He would always take me out camping because he said that it was good to get away from all the noise and everyday living in the city. I look back on these times as good memories because I always enjoyed exploring new things, and the outdoors is a great place to do that. Exploring in the city is not very fun because everything is the same and it is also manmade. Nature holds a special place in my heart because I find it so captivating. My father also felt this way, so this is maybe why I am the same. He would take me out into the wild for days at a time and we would have to rely on our survival skills to survive. With very little access to food and water, not to mention a place to sleep, I learned very early on in life how to fend for myself. I think this is the reason why I am an independent person today. I am grateful to my father that he gave me these experiences because they have helped to contribute towards the person who I am today. I don’t know what I would have done without my father. 3. Outdoor leadership is important to me personally because the outdoors has played an important part in my life and I also like the challenges that leadership brings. This is the perfe ct subject for me because it brings my strengths and desires together. While I already know a great deal about the outdoors, I am willing to learn how to become a better leader because it will improve every aspect of my life. Taking on a leadership role can be quite challenging because it takes a lot of responsibility, but I already consider myself to be a responsible person, so I feel that my personality is well-suited towards becoming a leader of some sort. I have not yet decided upon the right profession for me, but I am definitely sure that the outdoors will be involved some how. Also, even if I am not a leader in the future, the skills that I gain in this course will help me to become a better person, both personally and professionally. 4. The earliest leadership experience that I had would have to be when I was made my class president back in my freshman year of high school. I was very inexperienced as a leader at that time, but many people in my class believed that I had the attributes to make a good leader. One thing that I enjoyed from this experience was that I was suddenly the most important person in my class. Everyone looked up to me and my social standing rose considerably. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed going to school because I felt like I had a purpose for being there. The one thing that I disliked about this experience was that I suddenly had a whole heap of responsibility placed upon my shoulders. Looking back now, I was probably not fully prepared for this

Leadership and Management of Strategic Change Assignment - 1

Leadership and Management of Strategic Change - Assignment Example Economic and technological changes in the past decade comply to change the business activities. New ideas should be generated by management of the company to change the business activities in a strategic way. Such practices which are not updated have to be removed and business activities should be redirected to cope with the changes of economy, technology, international competition and global market. Leadership quality is very much important to make some strategic changes within the organization. A good leadership quality is to predict the situation and future condition of the business. So a good leader always capable to see the future scenario and according to that scenario he make strategies so that the business will not face any kind of difficult challenges in near future. Leadership and management of the company are mainly responsible to bring a good strategic change for the better position of the company. Mannai Corporation is one of the oldest companies in Qatar. It is the largest service and trading company in that country. In the year 2010 it celebrated its 60th anniversary in a successful way. At the time of launching the business it was an auto part trader and later the business grew with numerous activities. It has two main key activities which are trade and services. These activities include sale of wide range of vehicle [small car to luxury passenger vehicle, used cars, commercial vehicle etc.]; sale, repair, hire and servicing of heavy equipments which are used in industrial and construction sector; sale of home appliances and electronic goods, provide services in case of information technology, manufacturing medical equipments, supply building materials and industrial chemicals and also act as an agent who successfully provide air travel services in the country. The vision of the company is to become a dependable business partner in the country with value added and exceptio nal

Long run economic growth and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Long run economic growth and development - Essay Example This paper presents a modern comprehensive analysis of the models of growth, explores main drivers of growth, and discover the mechanism of the influence of the financial liberalization on the long-term economic development of a country. The long term economic growth and development for any country or region in the world is an important subject for all students of sociology, economics and even history since economic development affects all systems that can be found in a political entity. Even in recent years, countries such as Japan that had been destroyed by the ravages of the Second World War and had little to go on in terms of natural resources were able to become economic giants and global economic players. However, such developments could not be emulated by other countries in Latin America and Africa for a multitude of reasons. It seems that labour, economic production output as well as national saving levels are all drivers of economic growth but the overall factor which produces these variables in different quantities is government policy and the economic system that is in place in a given country. A country may follow the practice of becoming more liberal in financial terms and having less stringent controls on the way in which entrepreneurs acquire capital but this does not necessarily mean that economic growth will happen the way the government wants it to happen. Financial liberalization has several advantages and disadvantages which are directly connected with the needs of developing countries.

Characteristics of the Movie The Shinning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Characteristics of the Movie The Shinning - Essay Example The plot of the movie is setting the family in a haunted hotel in winter and then introducing the evil theme. This creates the best recipe for a horror movie (King 32). This paper analyzes the mise-en-scene characteristics of the movie, with emphasis on the frame, composition and design and proxemic patterns. The Frame The opening frame for the movie begins with a tracking shot of the ocean with surrounding mountains. This is a sign of an isolated area to depict confined large spaces away from the city surrounded by nature. The music gets faster parallel with the tracking shot, and slows down as the pace of the tracking shot slows. This creates nervous and uneasy feeling for the audience. There is suddenly an aerial shot of a vehicle driving, an effective camera shot as it makes the vehicle look isolated and small. The movie frame produces some aspect of denotation as the vehicle continues travelling until it approaches a blue, cold, white and grey area with a visible mansion over th e mountains (King 134). The scope and grace of the rest of the shots is hypnotic, but there is a moment prior to a low fly-by pass of a yellow car where the shadow of the helicopter capturing the scene becomes clearly visible in the lower right corner of the shot. The shots of the movie are fully academy aperture, with compositions and design for 1.85:1 purposely for projection in the theatre. The screens were marked and masked off with the ratio of 1.85:1. The helicopter shadow is visible in about four or five frames towards the edge of the masking at the 1.85:1 ratio (King 213). Composition and Design The set design and composition of the movie is epic. The movie incorporates contrasting between warm and cool colors in peak moments, including some major turning points. Lower contrast composition often precedes the heightened shots, subsequently developing some form of contrast between the shots. The interior of the movie feels mundane, yet so evil. The most dramatic weight of the film is the Overlook Hotel. The producer seems to create a perfect fusion between the interior and exterior shots. The producer uses violent color contrasts to heighten the audience’s unease feeling. One such key moment is when Grady ushers Jack into the washroom and urges him unsubtly to help his family. This scene is so intense that the audience may not notice the surrounding. The washrooms are full of stark artificial light, in sharp contrast to the ballroom with the boozy gold and warm (King 289). The pure white floor and ceiling in the washrooms accentuate the scary crimson walls. The composition and design of the movie is best highlighted at the manager’s room where Jack goes through an interview. The office is a typical 1970s office, with salmon-colored walls full with framed pictures. The office is completely different from the evil-looking washroom and the supernatural ballroom. From the set design of the office scene, it is evident that the designer took insp iration from actual hotel rooms in the American society. It seems that the producer built anomalies deliberately into the layout of the hotel to confuse the spatial awareness of the audience (King 325). A quick analysis of the plan view may reveal the drawing of the architects. The layout makes no sense, with hotel rooms open and straight onto balconies and internal windows with external light, as well as abrupt ends of the corridors. Proxemic Pattern Of the four proxemic

Human resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Human resources - Essay Example It is important to understand that the employees are the party that is most affected by a performance management system. Their salaries and promotions are decided through the performance management system. And also their benefits are cuts through the same system. This is why for implementing any successful performance management system it is essential to take all employees on board. Without the greater support of employee no performance management system can work successfully in any firm. It is as important to listen to the employees as it is to talk to the employees. Human resource has to be carefully nurtured and therefore it is essential to pay heed to their opinions and reservation. Many companies never listen to their employees and therefore are not able to successfully benefit from performance management process. The case illustrates that through listening to employees and taking into account their reservation greater support for performance management system can be developed. Focus groups, discussions, and interviews of employees and managers can help create greater support for a performance management system. When designing a performance management plan it is important to customize it according to the needs and opinions of employees and this can only be done when feedback is taken from employees and they are given a chance to raise their reservations. When employee feedback is taken and performance management system is designed according to the feedback, employees feel empowered. They feel that they have themselves made the system and it was not forced upon them. This is how support for performance management system can be garnered through employee participation. Letting the employees decide as to how they want to be evaluated is a very good way to generate support for performance management system. It is always good to have an outside consultant in order to shape a

Occupational Safety and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Occupational Safety and Health - Essay Example Much is known about the causes of many traditional occupational diseases, but according to Schute, "what is needed are better ways to apply what is known" (273). The workplace is changing, with new methods of organization, non-traditional work schedules, and economic pressure from globalization, and it is up to the business community to be aware of changes and address them. With technology a major part of today's business, the latest research brings nanotechnology into play. Nanotechnology is "the control and manipulation of matter at near-atomic scale to produce new materials, structures, and devices" (NIOSH: Strategy, par. 1). This new focus in business creates a variety of risks not previously part of the workplace. With the development of new applications, it is necessary to give high priority to societal implications, human health, and environmental issues related to nanotechnology in addition to other workplace risks. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for studying work-related injury, illness, and death. NIOSH's past experience equips them for research into the possible risks of working with engineered nanoparticles. Exposure to noxious fumes such as diesel, welding, smelter and fire smoke particles are known to affect health, and research is being done to see if engineered nanopar ticles have similar risks. Chemical and physical properties of engineered nanomaterials can vary greatly from bulk forms of the same materials. These new substances require research, analysis, and testing to determine their risks and how to manage them (Bartis and Landree ix). The projects initiated by NIOSH are focused on safe materials handling, exposure handling, exposure assessment and mitigation, and further toxicity testing. Their strategy includes all facets of the corporate structure from input to outcome and from strategic goals to management objectives. Critical occupational safety and health issues possibly arising from nanotechnology are: Exposure and dose Toxicity Epidemiology and Surveillance (NIOSH: Strategy) These potential dangers lead to the need for risk assessment, measurement methods, controls, safety, communication and education, and finally recommendations. The Institute's projected timeline for addressing critical issues covers the period from 2005 to 2009. It will be necessary to update the Material Safety Data Sheet system to incorporate relevant classifications, toxicity data, and safety and health recommendations for working with nanomaterials. Societal Implications of the Technological Advances of the 21st Century In the global community, several organizations are studying the issues brought about by new technology, for instance the European Commission's New OSH Era project initiated on 1 April 2006 (New and Emerging). It is their goal to identify new and emerging risks in the area of occupational health and safety through cooperation and coordination in the national and regional arena. The scheme is called ERA-NET and is made up of four phases: information exchange, strategies for future cooperation,

Filipino Accounting Education Essay Example for Free

Filipino Accounting Education Essay This Statement is issued by the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC). The AECC was appointed in 1989 by the American Accounting Association and supported by the Sponsors Education Task Force, representing the largest public accounting firms in the United States. Its objective is to be a catalyst for improving the academic preparation of accountants so that entrants to the accounting profession possess the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for success in accounting career paths. The Commission encourages reproduction and distribution of its statements. The Commissions first Position Statement, on the objectives of education for accountants, emphasized the importance of teaching. The Statement cited the need for training in instructional methods, recognizing and rewarding contributions to teaching and curriculum design, and measurement and evaluation systems that encourage continuous improvement of instructional methods and materials.1 Without progress in these prerequisites to effective teaching, the objectives of that Statement cannot be realized. Moreover, progress is needed in mechanisms for sharing ideas and techniques and in the culture and organizational climate that establishes and maintains the scholarly status of teaching within the professoriate. All interested parties (e.g., university boards of trustees, regents, legislatures, governors, parents of students, and other sponsors of education) should help establish a priority on teaching and otherwise improve its effectiveness, but faculty and administrative leaders bear the greatest responsibility. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING The characteristics of effective teaching must be identified if their presence is to be measured and improvements envisioned. Understanding the characteristic of effective teaching is essential for faculty (so they know what is expected) and administrators (so they can assess performance). Five characteristics of effective teaching are listed below. Curriculum Design and Course Development. To effectively design curricula and develop courses the teacher must: set appropriate objectives; develop a useful framework for the conduct of courses and programs; conceptualize, organize, and properly sequence the subject matter; integrate courses with other related courses, disciplines, and current research; and be innovative and adaptive to change. Use of Well Conceived Course Materials. Effective course materials enhance presentation skills, fulfill course objectives, are consistent with current developments and new technology in the field, create a base upon which continued learning can be built, challenge students to think, and give them the tools to solve problems. Presentation Skills. Effective presentation skills stimulate students interests and their active participation in the learning process, respond to classroom developments as they occur, convey mastery of the subject matter, achieve clarity of exposition, instill professionalism, and engage students with different learning styles. Well Chosen Pedagogical Methods and Assessment Devices. Effective pedagogical methods (e.g., experiments, cases, small group activities) vary with circumstances (e.g., size of class, nature of the subject, ability or skill being developed). Assessment devices (e.g., examinations, projects, papers, presentations) should be geared both to course objectives and to the progress of the course and should have a pedagogical component (e.g., fixing in the students mind what is most important, learning by thinking through a problem, identifying weaknesses to be corrected, reinforcing acquired skills). Guidance and Advising. An effective teacher guides and advises students as appropriate to the level of study and research (e.g., a freshmans exploration of potential careers, a seniors job placement, or a doctoral students work on a dissertation). THE ADMINISTRATIVE TASK Administrators should ensure that the reward structure stimulates effective teaching. They should also give attention to the other administrative issues that can affect the quality of teaching. These include: The schools or departments infrastructure for learning. This infrastructure includes, for example, classrooms, EDP and projection equipment, library facilities, and study space. Deployment of discretionary resources (e.g., availability of secretarial assistance, printing and duplicating, travel funds for teaching conferences). Appropriate class sizes and teaching loads, given the educational mission and resources of the school. Administrators should consider how each of the factors above is influencing the quality of teaching at their institutions and whether improvements can be made. Finally, administrators should be satisfied with the quality of the procedures in place in their institutions to evaluate teaching and continuously improve it. REWARDING EFFECTIVE TEACHING Faculty and administrators have a joint responsibility to develop incentive systems that produce the best educational outcomes for students. No one reward system or set of reward criteria can serve all institutions, but all should create adequate incentive for effective teaching. The incentive systems should reward effective teaching in deed as well as in word. Effective teaching should be a primary consideration in the tenure, promotion, and merit evaluation process. Effectiveness and innovation are not free, and it would be a mistake to assume that in the long term simply faculty pride and altruism are sufficient to accomplish continual change and improvement in the instructional function. STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING AND IMPROVING TEACHING There is a close relationship between evaluating and improving teaching. Information about performance provides feedback on where improvements might be made. Assessments of performance need not have a purely administrative function of determining salaries and promotions; they can be devoted to improving teaching. The techniques below illustrate the range of what is available. Regardless of the technique chosen, assessments of teaching should be systematic and consistent. Self-assessment. Every teacher should regularly assess his or her work in order to improve. Self-assessment requires an evaluation of what was effective, what was not, why some things were relatively more effective, and what changes are desirable. Self-assessments can include documentation of purposes and techniques provided to colleagues as part of formal evaluations and are a natural basis for informal discussions of teaching techniques. Observations by Colleagues. Faculty should be primarily responsible for evaluating the teaching performance of colleagues. The evaluation process should be systematic and should strive for objectivity. A structured approach lends consistency to observations, which can make subsequent observations less stressful. All observations by colleagues should have as a major purpose to make recommendations for improvement, even if the occasion for the observation is administrative. Experience should be considered in assigning faculty observers. Student Evaluations. Student evaluations provide direct evidence of student attitudes toward the classroom experience. Students can report reactions to course workload; to the course materials; to the teachers classroom enthusiasm, demeanor and control; and to their personal interaction with the teacher. They can also estimate their own academic growth in the course. Alumni Input. Graduates can report on the thoroughness of their preparation, the usefulness of specific educational experiences in their lives and careers, and recollections of effective courses and teachers. Aggregate data on alumni outcomes (e.g., employment data) can be combined with information on curriculum design and teaching effectiveness to evaluate how both an accounting program and teaching approaches might be improved. Instructional Consultants. Consultants can analyze teaching techniques and styles and provide recommendations for improvement. Sometimes it is useful to work with a consultant and a faculty colleague, with the colleague focusing on course content and the consultant on teaching techniques. Teaching Portfolios. A teaching portfolio is a factual description or collection of a professors teaching achievements (i.e., an extended teaching resume). The teaching portfolio is to a professors teaching what lists of publications, grants, and academic honors are to research. A portfolio might include documentation of ones teaching experience and philosophy, syllabi, evidence of student learning, student and faculty evaluations, videotapes, and documentation of work on curriculum design and course development. A teaching portfolio may be critical to providing the teaching vita with the portability and external review enjoyed for so long by the publishing vita. CONCLUSION Every party with a stake in improving accounting education has a stake in improving accounting professors teaching, but faculty and administrators can do the most to bring it about. They can work to ensure that teaching is appropriately rewarded and supported, that campus conditions are conducive to effective teaching, that effective teaching strategies are shared with others, that sound mechanisms for feedback on teaching effectiveness are in place and functioning, and that methods of evaluating teaching are refined and viewed as credible by those who play key roles in the evaluation and reward process. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (2nd Edition) San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993 Boyer, Ernest L. Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. Princeton, N.J.: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1990. Blackburn, Robert T. and Judith A. Pitney. Performance Appraisal for Faculty: Implications for Higher Education. Ann Arbor, MI: national Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Education, The University of Michigan, 1988. Braskamp, Larry A. and John C. Ory. Assessing Faculty Work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers (in preparation), 1993. Cashin, William E. Defining and Evaluating College Teaching, IDEA Paper No. 21. Kansas State University, Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, September 1989. Centra, John, Robert C. Froh, Peter J. Gray, Leo M. Lambert and Robert M. Diamond, eds. A Guide to Evaluating Teaching for Promotion and Tenure. Syracuse University, Center for Instructional Development, 1987. Diamond, Robert M. Designing and Improving Courses and Curricula in Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1989. Edgerton, Russell, Patricia Hutchings and Kathleen Quinlan. The Teaching Portfolio: Capturing the Scholarship in Teaching. Washington, D.C.: American Association for Higher Education, 1991. Gabbin, Alexander L., Scott N. Cairns and Ralph L. Benke, Jr., eds. Faculty Performance Appraisal. Harrisonburg, VA: Center for Research in Accounting Education, 1990. Lambert, Leo M. and Stacey Lane Tice, eds. Preparing Graduate Students to Teach: A Guide to Programs that Improve Undergraduate Education and Develop Tomorrows Faculty. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Higher Education, 1993. McKeachie, Wilbert J. Teaching Tips: A Guide Book for the Beginning College Teacher. (8th Edition) Lexington, MA: Heath and Company, 1986. Mckeachie, Wilbert J., Paul R. Pintrich, Yi-Guang Lin and David Smith. Teaching and Learning in the College Classroom: A Review of the Research Literature. Ann Arbor, MI: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Education, The University of Michigan, 1986. Menges, Robert J, and B. Claude Matkis, eds. Key Resources on Teaching, Learning, Curriculum, and faculty Development. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1988. Seldin, Peter. The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion Tenure Decisions. Boston, MA: Anker Publishing, 1991. Seldin, Peter and others. How Administrators Can Improve Teaching: Moving from Talk to Action in Higher Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1990. Stark, Joan S. and others. Planning Introductory College Courses: Influence on Faculty. Ann Arbor, MI: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Education, The University of Michigan, 1990. St. Pierre, E. Kent, Michael P. Riordan and Diane A. Riordan, eds. Research in Instructional Effectiveness. Harrisonburg, VA: Center for Research in Accounting Education, 1990. The Teaching Professor. A newsletter published by Magna Publications, Inc., Madison, WI: Maryellen G. Weimer, Editor, Pennsylvania State University. The AECC acknowledge the contributions to the Statement of the following task force members who are not Commission members: Ronald J. Patten and Arthur R. Wyatt. Other Statement issued by the Accounting Education Change Commission: Issues Statement No. 1: AECC Urges Priority for Teaching in Higher Education (August 1990). Position Statement No. One: Objectives of Education for Accountants (September 1990). Issues Statement No. 2: AECC Urges Decoupling of Academic Studies and Professional Accounting Examination Preparation (July 1991).

Nesting and Matrescence as a Birthing Strategy

Nesting and Matrescence as a Birthing Strategy Critique of Walsh (2006) â€Å"Nesting and ‘matrescence as distinctive features of a free-standing birth centre in the UK. Introduction The provision of evidence-based midwifery care in the current UK maternity care setting is of high priority (Rosswurm and Larrabee, 1999). According to Kitson et al (2000) the implementation of research-derived evidence into clinical practice is mediated by the relationship between the attributes of the research in question, including the type and nature of the research evidence and its rigour and perceived quality; the clinical context or setting within which the research is applied; and the process of implementation and its effects on practice. Research evidence can inform individual aspects of midwifery care, midwives’ attitudes and knowledge, or even the design and development of midwifery services. While for many midwives and other healthcare practitioners there can be ongoing challenges in the practical integration of research evidence into their work and professional role (Rosswurm and Larrabee, 1999), the value of research still lies in its rigour, usefulness and the s pecificity of findings (Stetler et al, 1998). For midwives, use of research evidence also means they can better support women to make informed choices (Magill-Cuerdon, 2006), particularly about place of birth, whilst keeping up to date (NMC, 2004). This essay addresses the critique of a qualitative research study focusing on elements of birth centre midwifery care. Birth centres have emerged as a significant driver within the UK maternity model for bringing about better client satisfaction, better clinical outcomes and more alignment with normality in midwifery. They also represent the emergence of policy which is responsive to some aspects of women’s (and midwives’) choices (Beake and Bick, 2007). The articles were critiqued using a framework derived from the work of Rees (2003), and Cluett and Bluff (2003), due to their familiarity to the author and their ease of use. Both authors have a midwifery orientation, and while this critique has been informed by a range of nursing, midwifery and general research sources, it is good to retain a midwifery orientation for the process itself. Critique Title, Authors and Focus The title of the study is clear and relates to the findings of the research and its focus on birth centre practice within the UK locality and maternity services paradigm. However, it does not refer to the nature of the research, which would have allowed the reader to immediately identify the underpinning research paradigm. The author is a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery within the UK, within a Midwifery Research Unit. It would also have been useful to know what involvement the author might have had in the unit and how specialist their knowledge of the research location was, to judge, for example, if there is any potential for bias (Polit and Hungler, 1995). Literature Review The literature review is placed within the Introduction section of the paper, and presents both a rationale for the research and a placement within the historical development of policy and practice. The nature of the review here firmly places the paper within a midwifery paradigm by critiquing historical applications of evidence within quantitative or scientific paradigms, which focus on pathology (Walsh, 2006). Conversely, theorists define the UK maternity services spectrum as being founded upon an holistic paradigm promoting normality, natural birth, choice, control and client-centred care (Beake and Bick, 2007). Walsh (2006) orients the discussion towards international issues about intervention rates, and links the discussion to pace of birth. However, apart from this, there is very little critical evaluation of existing research within the topic area; rather the author refers to an earlier study to which he contributed evaluating quantitative research studies about free-standing birth centres (Walsh, 2006). The author also uses this section of the paper to define some terms and some of the focus of the paper. A more detailed research critique would have been appropriate here (Baker, 2006; Cutcliffe and McKenna, 1999; Gerrish and Lacey, 2006; Holliday, 2002). Research Methodology The author is explicit about having a qualitative approach, namely methodology, which is suitable for answering their research question (Walsh, 2006). The stated aim of the research â€Å"was to explore the culture, beliefs, value, customs and practices around the birth process within an FSBC† (Walsh, 2006 p 229). According to Cutcliffe and McKenna (1999) qualitative research methodologies can attempt to answer questions about clinical practice which may not be adequately addressed by quantitative research approaches. Ethnography is an established methodology for this kind of research, particularly relating to birth setting and to midwifery centred care, all well aligned with qualitative models (Rees, 2003) and theory generating research (Parahoo, 2006). The usefulness of research studies such as this may be linked to their ‘fit’ with the issues concerned, and also with how detailed and rich (not to mention informative) the data derived are (Kearney, 2001). Such r esearch also has the advantage of being more client-oriented (Parahoo, 2006). The methodology itself is outlined clearly and certainly suggests not only a deep grasp of the true meaning of ethnograpy but also the kind of depth of data it will produce (Baker, 2006). Sample The author defines clearly the setting of the research, which is appropriate for an ethnographic study (Goulding, 2005), and defines the sample as comprising 15 midwives, 10 maternity care assistant (all the clinical staff working at the centre) (a purposive sample) and 30 women who agreed to be interviewed of which five allowed observation of their care (Walsh, 2006). The latter is described as an opportunistic sample (Walsh, 2006), which is similar to a convenience sample and is the kind of sample most commonly required for this kind of research (Wilkinson, 2000). There is no detail provided about how this sample was recruited, and so it cannot be judged whether or not this was done ethically or if any coercion was involved (Rees, 2003). There are no details given about the types of participants, or any demographic information which might enhance transparency and allow the reader to evaluate the transferability of these findings (Grix, 2004). While sample size is not usually of iss ue in qualitative research (Rees, 2003), and in particular, in ethnographic research (Devane et al, 2004; Hicks, 1996), as it is the richness of the data which is most significant (Hek and Moule, 2006), the sample size does seem to be adequate, particularly when the timescale and span of the research is considered. Ethical Considerations Some attention is paid to ethics, in that access was requested and afforded by the local PCT who owned the building, and permission was secured from the hospital that employed the staff (Walsh, 2006). Ethics somittee was granted, and all participants provided â€Å"informed written consent† (Walsh, 2006 p 229). Again, more detail here would have allowed the reader to evaluate the nature of the information and consent, and any other ethical issues there might have been in the research process (Austin, 2001). Ethical issues should be of primary importance in carrying out research of this nature, particularly in observing women during the time of birth, when they are not only particularly vulnerable but also particularly exposed (Austin, 2001). Vulnerability of subjects should be considered in designing clinical research (RCN, 2004). Some caution is needed over understanding the kinds of women recruited to the study and their level of vulnerability, for example (Rees, 2003). A slightly more critical view of the ethical dimensions of this paper would have been useful (Cooper, 2006). For example, while ethics committees of fundamental importance in research governance and have a significant responsibility for the protection of patients and participants (Cooper, 2006), this does not mean that they can ensure true informed consent is given and has continued to be given throughout the duration of the study. The Nuremburg Code (1949) underlines the need for voluntary consent, but could there have been any sense of obligation on the part of the research participants to take part? The Nuremburg Code (1949) further places responsibility for determining the quality and nature of the consent upon each individual person who initiates, directs or engages in the research, and so this author would question whether or not having all the birth unit staff involved in the study might have introduced some pressure on women to participate. Hollway and Jefferson (2000) descri be consent as a continual understanding of the implications of the research for the participant. There is no indication of how this has been addressed here. Data Collection and Analysis Data collection is dealt with as briefly as the sample, analysis and literature review are treated. The author carried out observation followed by follow up interviews, taking field recordings (audio) which were transcribed the next day, and interviews with women, midwives and MCAs, all of which were audio recorded and transcribed (Walsh, 2006). This kind of data collection is suited to the research design (Moore, 2006; Easton et al, 2000). Walsh (2006) describes the analytical process as ‘thematic analysis’ (p 230), using line by line coding which again is an established process for analysing qualitative textual data (Goulding, 2005; Holloway and Jefferson, 2000; Rees, 2003). The thematic analysis process is outlined, and one example of how the researcher arrived at the themes and meanings is provided, which enhances transparency and auditability (Cluett and Bluff, 2006). The author also discusses the process with reference to other literature. However, more detail here would have enhanced this section (Easton et al, 2006). Findings As is fitting for a qualitative paper, the findings are discussed in some detail, under sub-headings which clearly signpost the discussion for the reader and make it easy to read and assimilate the information (Baker, 2006). The author also includes quotes from the textual data to exemplify the discussion (Rees, 2003). The findings are commented upon throughout, and there is an extension exploration of each theme. The themes were: The turn to birth environment and setting Affect of the first visit Nesting responses Vicarious nesting Care as mothering Discussion and Implications for Practice The findings from this paper have clear implications for the understanding of the design and provision of birth locations within the UK maternity services. They also have significance for understanding the nature of midwifery practice, particularly within such a setting. The ‘human’ side of caring was evident, from the behaviours of staff in making the environment positive and supportive, to the behaviours of women and staff during their time in the centre. The discussion section of the paper focuses on two elements of these findings, that of nesting as â€Å"psychosocial safety† (p 235) and â€Å"Psychological safety and ‘matrescence’† (Walsh, 2006 p 236). The author contextualises these findings within the current medical model, demonstrating a level of engagement with women on the part of midwives that goes beyond clinical actions to something more nurturing and much more intimate. The complexities of women’s experiences of birth are continually referred to in the literature, and yet there is little apparent significance paid to these when the overarching concern of ‘live mother and live baby’ is trotted out as the final justification for any kind of maternity care that transgresses women’s preferences or emotional responses. Choices in childbirth are in particular complex, and the kinds of decisions that women make about their birth location, experience and preferences are not only related to their individual preferences and knowledge but to the socially-acquired knowledge and attitudes they have developed, which are significantly affected by obstetric models and concerns over ‘safety’ (Magill-Cuerden, 2006). It is apparent from this article that understanding the psychosocial, emotional and even spiritual dimensions of the birth environment, including the relationship with maternity care providers, provides depth of insight into women’s needs and into what can realistica lly be offered them under that all-encompassing, frequently-touted term ‘support’. Women need to understand the factors that influence their decisions (Magill-Cuerden, 2006), but women and midwives also need to understand the ethical, emotional and relationship dimensions of their ‘matrescence’, the process of becoming a mother (Walsh, 2006). The implications for practice here are significant, because, working in the medical model of care, midwives are often hampered in their ability to provide the psycho-emotional or spiritual aspects of care and nurturing which are highlighted as so significant in this paper. Also, there may be midwives and maternity care assistants who do not have the requisite sensitivity, trust in women and themselves, and emotional intelligence to reach this level of practice. Walsh (2006) cites all-too-family â€Å"unhelpful behaviours† including â€Å"paternalism, being patronising† and â€Å"indifference and fear of intimacy† (p 238). Thus, it can be seen that for many midwives achieving what is described in this paper is not suitable. The anecdotal evidence from clinical midwifery practice is that, in the opinion of many, midwives who can achieve this state work in the community or in birth centres, and those who cannot opt for high risk, centralised maternity care areas in which they either can avoid this level of engagement with the client or are actively discouraged by organisational or ward culture from doing so. Walsh (2006) makes the following recommendation: â€Å"These findings lead me to believe that midwives should seek ways to rehabilitate ‘nurture’ and ‘love’, derivative of matrescence, as familiar childbirth language and as mainstream caring activities in childbirth.† (p 238). However, attention would also need to be paid to the effects on midwives themselves, who may suffer from emotional backlash or even burnout, particularly in the current UK context. This would also have implications for the nature of pre-registration midwifery education in the UK, because it would have to become part of the process of becoming a midwife, and it is much harder to teach abstract aspects of ‘becoming’ than it is to run emergency drills and teach students how to critique research papers. However, if such a paper can be used as evidence to change practice, then it would, overall, be a positive change. Conclusion A critical evaluation of this qualitative paper has highlighted its strengths and weaknesses, in that the author has adhered to principles of qualitative research, has selected a question or area of enquiry which demands a qualitative approach, and has demonstrated an ability to use such research to reflect woman-oriented ways of knowing (Hicks, 1996). There are limitations to the study, one of which is that the author does not really explore its limitations in any great depth, but overall the quality of data analysis, exploration and discussion is such that the lack of detail about basic research principles is eclipsed. The author firmly locates the study within the current context, but could go further in exploring the impact on midwives if such principles do succeed in changing practice. While Cluett and Bluff (2006) state â€Å"practice based on traditional knowledge is no longer acceptable† (p 276, Walsh (2006) has taken ‘traditional knowledge’ and ‘tes ted’ it through a study of one particular birth setting, and provided a reasonable level of evidence (in terms of midwifery care at least) for the benefits of certain underlying principles of what has been discarded by the medical profession as the unimportant emotional side of maternity care. References Austin, W. (2001)Nursing Ethics in an Era of Globalization. Advances in Nursing Science. 24(2) 1-18. Baker, L. (2006) Ten common pitfalls to avoid when conducting qualitative research. British Journal of Midwifery 14 (9) 530-531. Beake, S. and Bick,D. (2007) Maternity services policy: does the rhetoric match the reality? British Journal of Midwifery. 15 (2) 89-93. Cluett, E.R. and Bluff, R. (2006) Principles and Practice of Research in Midwifery Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Eslevier. Cooper, T. (2006) Research ethics committee approval: the good, the bad and the ugly. British Journal of Midwifery 14 (7) 439-440. Cutcliffe, J.R. McKenna, H.P. (1999) Establishing the credibility of qualitative research findings: the plot thickens Journal of Advanced Nursing, 30(2), 374-380 Declaration of Helsinki (1964) Available from: http://www.cirp.org/library/ethics/helsinki/. Accessed 30-7-08. Devane D., Begley C.M. Clarke M. (2004) How many do I need? Basic principles of sample size estimation Journal of Advanced Nursing 47(3), 297–302 DoH (2001) Governance arrangements for NHS Research Ethics Committees. Available from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4005727. Accessed 30-7-08. Easton, K, McComish, J.F., Greenberg, R.(2000). Avoiding common pitfalls in qualitative data collection and transcription. Qualitative Health Research 10 (3) 705-707. Elliott, J. (2001) Making Evidence-based Practice Educational . British Educational Research Journal 27 (5) 555 574 . Gerrish, K. Lacey, A. (eds) (2006) The Research Process in Nursing, 5th edition Oxford: Blackwell Science Goulding, C. (2005) â€Å"Grounded theory, ethnography and phenomenology.† European Journal of Marketing 39 (3/4) 294-208. Grix, J. (2004) The Foundations of Research Basingstoke: Palgrave. Holliday, A. (2002) Doing and Writing Qualitative Research London: Sage Publications. Hek, G. and Moule, P. (2006) Making Sense of Research (3rd ed) London: Sage Publications Hicks, C.M. (1996) Undertaking Midwifery Research London: Churchill Livingstone. Hollway, W. and Jefferson, T. (2000) Doing Qualitative Research Differently London: Sage Publications. Kearney, M.H. (2001) â€Å"Levels and Applications of Qualitative Research Evidence.† Research in Nursing and Health 24 145-153 Kitson, A., Harvey, G. and McCormack, B. (2000) Enabling the implementation of evidence based practice: a conceptual framework. Quality in Health Care 7 149-158. Magill-Cuerden, J. (2006) Information giving or receiving: helping women make informed choices. British Journal of Midwifery 14 (10) 614. Moore, N. (2006) How To Do Research (3rd ed). London: Facet Publishing. NMC (2004) Code of Professional Conduct Available from www.nmc-uk.org. Accessed 4-8-08. Nuremburg Code (1949) Available from : http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/nuremberg.html Accessed 30-7-08. Parahoo, K. (2006)Nursing Research: Principles, Process and Issues. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Polit, D.F. and Hungler, B.P. (1995 ) Nursing Research: Principles and Methods. (6th ed.) Philadelphia: Lippincott. RCN (2004) Research Ethics: RCN Guidance for Nurses London: RCN. Rees, C. (2003) Introduction to Research for Midwives Edinburgh: Books for Midwives. Rosswurm, M.A. and Larrabee, J.H. (1999) A model for change to evidence-based practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 31(4) 317-22. Stetler, C.B., Brunell, M., Giuliano, K.K. et al (1998) Evidence-based practice and the role of nursing leadership. Journal of Nursing Administration. 28(7-8) 45-53. Walsh, D.J. (2006) ‘Nesting’ and ‘Matrescence’ as distinctive features of a free-standing birth centre in the UK. Midwifery 22 228-239. Wilkinson, D. (2000) Researchers Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Practitioner Research. London: Routledge.

Comparing Leadership Styles | Effect of Leadership Styles of Business

Comparing Leadership Styles | Effect of Leadership Styles of Business Any organization can not survive without a sound management system. The management and how to manage the company from an overall aspect is mainly established by a core person in this company and he/she is called the leader of this company. It is wide accepted that no company can be successfully without effective management and without a competent leader. Therefore, the leader of the company plays a vital role for the organization. Different leaders with different natures and characteristics may bring up completely different management theory to the company, which will also decide the developing model of the company and determine the success of failure of the company. The leadership style will greatly decide the companys development for the future. It is a careful decision who to be hired or selected to be in charge of the company and guide the strategy of the company. Therefore, in order to analyze how the role of leader plays in an organization, two different leaders have been selec ted in this report. The objective of this report is to analyze leadership styles by selecting two leaders from two companies. One is Carly Fiorina with HP Company, and the other one is Michael T. Duke with Wal-Mart Company. These two different leaders are different in their leadership in many ways and the differences between their leadership approaches are demonsrtated in the critical analysis section. In the end the conclusion of the effectvie leadership is made based on the findings of the two cases. 2.0 Introduction As to the development of a company, the importance of the leader is obvious to the whole company. With reference to each successful enterprise, it is obvious that there is an outstanding leader guiding an excellent team, such as Jack Welch with GM Corporation America and Chinese Zhang Ruimin, leader of Haier Company and so on. Therefore, whether a company will be successful or not is greatly connected with who is leading the company. As the leadership topic is mentioned, this report is going to focus on the leadership in an organization. In this report, two famous leaders have been chosen and discussed from HP and Wal-Mart Companies in terms of their ways of leading the company and the major characteristics they have which may affect their ways regarding managing the team and the company. Based on the findings of the case study, comparison and contrast of both leaders with respect to their managing styles and leader style will be analyzed. At last, reasonable and information-based co nclusion related to leader management will be drawn. 3.0 Leader 1 Carly Fiorina with HP Company Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. which is HP company for short and established in United States in 1939, is a company specialized in developing and manufacturing computers, printers, software and other digital fields. HPs Corporate Objectives which was written by co-founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard have guided the company for decades. The objective is It is necessary that people work together in unison toward common objectives and avoid working at cross purposes at all levels if the ultimate in efficiency and achievement is to be obtained. HP Company has been developed very fast in technology areas and expanded to the worldwide. In anywhere you can see HP logo and its products in everywhere. HPs development and success can not be real without excellent leaders. Here Carly Fiorina as one of the excellent and competent CEOs is selected to analyze for the purpose of explaining the relation between a leader and company success. Carly Fiorina was born in 1954 and graduated from Stanford University. In 1999, she was presented as the CEO of HP company and ended as the CEO role in 2005. Carly Fiorina is a very competent leader. Before she took the CEO position, HP Company was encountering years of depressing time, especially in the years of 1997 and 1998, the company faced the unprecedented difficulties and the sales income was far behind its expectations. Fiorina started her career in business as a receptionist, but later she jumped very fast to the positions of management and leadership. Fiorina is also a very excellent communicator and her speech is convincing the same as the Ex-president Bill Clinton. Carly Fiorina was the first female CEO in HPs history (Carlys biography, 2010). During her stay with role of CEO in HP, she has developed comprehensive skills in leadership which include planning, delegating, decision making, coordinating and communication. She brought a lot of changes to HP and turned the HP ways into the Carly way (Forsyth, 2006). Carly Fiorina is characterized with board decision making and brave in taking actions. When made the merger with Compaq Company with a 25 billion USD in 2001, it was a broad step for taking. In terms of leadership style, Carly Fiorina could be determined as authoritarian in controlling and regulating policy, procedures within the company. Besides this leadership feature, she should also be concluded to be equipped with democratic leadership style (Sprenger, 2010). Carly Fiorinas leadership styles are most cultivated by her personalities. She is very diligent and hard working at the same time she is also good at selling. She stands very calm in any situation and is good at calculating and thinking. She is very dedicated to the pursuit of goals that she thinks that it is well-intentioned. She is very persistent with things. In Fiorinas view, every person is capable of far more than they realize. Fiorina holds this view in her life and applies it into her management. She is capable of digging and encouraging her teams ability. Some of her team workers feel very thankful to her, because she gave the chance to them to realize who they were and what they could do and where the y could reach in the future. With this characteristic, it is good to gather people and make them work hard to achieve the goal. Fiorina likes to engage activities personally which is another factor contributing to her successful leadership (Sadler, 2003). After she took the position as CEO, she started her trips to anywhere the HP covers and to investigate the problems and potentials there. She is very responsible for her position. She is persistent in doing the right things, for the right reasons and the right way, most of the time; it will turn out all right. When she was with HP Company, she will never give up what she thinks is a right choice or decision and she will lead her team to go for it. Thanks to Carly Fiorinas effective leading approach, HP Company has grown and developed very fast and achieved with the most important merger in HP history. During the period she took the leadership in HP Company, HP expanded very quickly to the world and its market share has grown. Compared with the developing and expanding and profit making situation before Fiorina as CEO, HP has made great success in terms of both self-development and its fast expansion to overseas markets. However, although Carly Fiorinas leadership has brought HP benefits in a range of areas, she was still not welcomed by all people within the company. Her leading behavior was not always appreciated by HP board (House and Price, 2009). Carly Fiorina holds her direction was right for HPs development for long term; however, other HP board worried about the direction of HP under Fiorinas leading. And also because Fiorina is a female leader, to some extent, most males are not really accepted the fact of being manage d or controlled by a female. Plus Fiorina is a relatively authorized person with respect to management. Therefore, in 2005, Carly Fiorina finished her CEO life within HP Company. 4.0 Leader 2 Michael T. Duke with Wal-Mart Company Wal-Mart as one of the worlds largest retailers has developed and expanded very fast. It has now expanded to many other countries and has occupied a relatively large retail market share there. Wal-Mart has thousands of products where consumers can find their various needs. The company now is continuing to broaden and accelerate its global efforts on sustainable development and responsible sourcing and opportunities. Until April this year, Wal-Mart has established businesses in 14 countries besides its businesses in United States. There are more than 4000 stores running around the world. Compared with the finance statement in 2009, the sales incomes in overseas markets have broken through 100 billion US dollars (Charles, 2009). Mike Duke is the president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. As CEO, Mike leads a strong management team that is focused on keeping Walmarts mission of saving people money so they can live better relevant to every customer, every day. Mike Duke joined Walmart in 1995. Mike has taken various positions in Wal-Mart before he reached his current position as the leader of Wal-Mart. He has led the divisions of logistics, distribution and administration. He was capable and active in developing and executing corporate strategy. Duke is a low-key person which is very consistent with Wal-Mart style. He does not like to flaunt. The only leisure hobby of Duke is to play Golf. Duke is the fifth CEO of Wal-Mart. He is appointed by the previous CEO, Scot Lee. Lee appreciates Duke very much. Some people comment that Lee and Duke are very similar in their personalities and management. The most distinguished difference is Duke is better at social relations with people. From Dukes colleagues view, he is a considerate person as loyal to friendship and helpful to others. As a senior manager of Wal-Mart, Duke is very clear when to start a fight for Wal-Mart business growth. One retail analyst has commented that Duke is very ambitious. The development strategy held by Duke is that Wal-Mart must occupy the leading position in the retail industry. Therefore, Duke made decision to withdraw Wal-Mart from Germany and South Korea where the sales are not desirable. And also he decided to hold 95.1% of stake from the previous 50.9% of its subsidiary Japanese company Seiyu Department Store. At that time, every one warned that it might be a very high-risk decision, but Duke believed that as long as Wal-Mart gets more control stake, it will make things different. As a successful leader, you must be competent in the areas you exert in. The competence areas such as envision, involving and goal-oriented. Duke is experienced in the management field. Before he joined Wal-Mart, he was an executive at Federated and May Department Stores for 23 years. And before he took CEO role, he was engaged in various sectors in Wal-Mart, which enabled him the wide knowledge about the whole operation in the Wal-Mart. And also from the change perspective speaking, leaders should have the ability of responding to and managing the external changes. When Duke saw Wal-Marts poor sales in Germany, he made the broad step to withdraw from the Germany market. Personal characteristics and behaviors also contribute to be a successful leader or not. Duke gives his colleagues an impression of friendly and kind and easy-going, which does not mean he is not strict or decisive. On the contrary, Duke has the talent of gathering his employees and also has a clear direction where the company shall develop into. Duke made commitment that in order to make up the bad sales in American local market; Wal-Mart would fasten its pace in expanding to other potential overseas markets. He said to his employees that the anticipation is to attract more consumers and set up more stores world widely and accelerate Wal-Mart global expansion. For Wal-Mart, Dukes presence as the CEO is like change blood to Wal-Mart. Firstly, it was the very right time for Duke to take the position after the depressing year in 2008. Secondly, due the change of the political leader in United States, Wal-Mart had to choose a different CEO the represent a different Wal-Mart to the whole America Society. Because the political environment sounds not advantageous to Wal-Mart since Democratic Party won the election. In the previous years , Wal-Mart was supporting the Republic Party with its 85% amount of political capital went to Republican and just 15% left to Democratic Party. Duke may have to transfer its political policy within the organization for seeking a better development in its local market. Therefore, Despite Dukes leadership style will probably bring a bright future to Wal-Mart; Duke will definitely meet new challenges in this position. Under Dukes leading, because Duke is paying highly attention to his employee staff, it will be easy to gather and establish competent team. Also due to Dukes rich experience working the stores Company and his working experience in various sector of Wal-Mart for years, Duke has a very comprehensive view over the overall company developing. However, everything has its two sides. Although Wal-Mart may have the potential of grasping a good chance to develop and expand under Dukes leading approach, there are also potential challenges or disadvantages posed to its development. 5.0 Critical analysis-comparison and contrast between the two leaders with respect to their leadership styles 5.1 Differences in personal characteristics Carly Fiorinas characteristics: Somebody was born to a competitive, such as Carly. She has extraordinary passion, confidence, courage and endurance. In order to achieve goals that can endure hard to imagine the enormous pressures and challenges, even troubled, still self-improvement and never give up. Carly is an insightful strategist, led by her customers and makes the management of excited and kind, but also to carry out different tactics to ensure the smooth realization of goals. Carlys distinct personality made her very difficult to achieve harmonious, peaceful way to deal with things, so she makes many people feel hurt. While she was taking the reforms of HP Company, she also encountered difficulties in the realization of the merger plan. Carlys extraordinary will and unyielding personalities support her to become successful in her career. But at the same time, most of her colleagues do not agree with her in terms of the direction of the development etc. Thus in 2005, company board has fired her as CEO of HP. Michael T. Dukes personal characteristics Duke is a Georgia man, in his spare time; he and his wife did a lot of charity work. For example, they have been taken care of an orphan until finally found the orphan with an adoptive family. He is a low-key person. This moderate character is very easy to integrate into the Wal-Marts way of treating its employees and Wal-Marts humane enterprise culture. Although Duke has been regarded as a good and kind person in the industry, this does not mean his is not a strict man. Actually his work style of being slightly conservative but strategic is very good and helpful for promoting the smooth development of Wal-Mart. The difference in character between these two leaders is obvious, Carly positive attitude is very positive in work. Her enthusiasm for work is the key to her success in her career. However, being sometimes too tough and persistent and anxious to be successful often cause great resistance to the development. Carly belongs to the authoritarian leadership style. For HP Company during its depressing time before Carly took the CEO position, this passionate characteristic was very helpful for the company. Duke is moderate and communicative; Duke more belongs to the emotional intelligence leader type. He is easy-going and listening to others. He is the type of leader who affects his employees by emotionally. 5.2 Different in their reforming pace as leaders of the companies. Carlys reform of the HP, focused on control of the company, focused on adjusting strategy and simplifying the companys structures. Company just needs to keep useful functional departments. She made HP into four groups, which improved work efficiency a lot. Employees felt the sense of urgency in doing their jobs. Carly emphasizes on efficiency. She firmly believed that if she could correct the mistakes of HP made in the past few years, the company will become strong and competitive again. She led HP to the pursuit of speed and passion, and meanwhile to distinguish HP from other competitors in the characters. During her remodeling process for Hewlett-Packard, other senior managers and ordinary employees did not show their disputes openly, but actually some disagreement was originated. Besides continuing implementing the past successful business strategies, Duke made several marketing strategies aiming to survive from the global financial crisis. These strategies, such as improving consumers shopping experiences, more special products included, are attracting more and more consumers. But compared to HP Company, Wal-Mart reforming is relatively conservative. 5.3 Team organization capability Carly has a remarkable ability to communicate. She is good at communicating with her employee personally. She always travels to visit HP worker in different places. And this communication is very essential for the establishing an effective team. However due to Carlys strict and sometimes tough personalities, it is not very easy for her to establish a loyal team. Especially in the reforming period, most of people do not like changes at the same time, gender is another unfavorable factor contributing to her difficulties in managing an effective team. Many people, especially for male workers, it is very uncomfortable to work under a female manager. In the Dukes eyes, the future of employees is Wal-Marts future. He emphasizes this point to his staff that Wal-Mart will continue to work to build a better life. Duke is very popular and respected by his employees. His attitude towards life and relationship with workers gains support from his employees. So for Duke, he is more capable of organizing an effective team. 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, leader is the most important figure in an organization. When a person is hired as the leader of a company, he/she becomes the core part of the whole company. The way he/she adopts for leading the company will greatly affect the companys development. The leaders leadership approach is greatly influenced by his/her personal characteristics, her/his competencies and his/her culture values as well. Different leaders to manage a company may turn the company into a completely different one in terms of its developing direction, its company values or culture and so on. In this report, two different leaders with different companies have been introduced and analyzed regarding to their personalities, leadership styles. Through their respective contribution made to their companies, we can conclude that effective leader is very crucial for the development and direction of the company. In the comparing and contrasting part, the two leaders differences with respect to their leadershi p have been addressed and proper reasons have been investigated regarding the differences. The leadership styles can also affected from the organization variables. The leadership style will be affected by the external environmental changes, such as in the case of leader 2. The change of the leadership is to some extent forced by the economic times and political environment changes.

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