Thursday, November 28, 2019
Rebecca Crim Essays - Visual Arts, Design, Typography,
Rebecca Crim Response #7 Byrne and Whitte's "A Brave New World: Understanding Deconstructivism" begins by talking about how technology has evolved and has given the designer or typographer endless freedom of what they can create. They then go on to discuss how typography and image interrelate. "For designers, using different layers to create a sort of comparative visual vocabulary in order to present the evolution of a particular idea has become fairly common" The deconstructivist movement as a whole is about uncovering or creating multiple meanings and differences. This reading seems to relate to the others we have done so far in that Byrne and Whitte state that engaging with history is the "source for change." Quite a few of our past readings, such as Purcell's "Art of Psychographics," have stated that design must reference the past in order to relate to the present and relate to the consumer. I have found that throughout this course using history as a point of reference in design really allows for more engaging work. Byrne and Whitte talk about the freedom given to the designers with evolving technology, which relates to the textbook when Drucker and McVarish mention that individualism is an "overriding theme." Designers had many more tools to work with, which opened for more creativity within the work. I believe this article relates to Robert Bringhurst's "The Elements of Typographic Style" In that Bringhurst talks about how chosen type can have a huge impact in a work. The right typeface can convey the idea a designer wants to convey and can influence how a viewer reacts and absorbs the content. "But the very essence of typography-driven design lies in the process of determining the characteristics and arrangement of the type relative to the interpretation or presentation of the text or words in order to enhance communication or expression." Byrne and Whitte touch on how typographic design is related to the deconstructivist movement through its visual rhetoric. In conclusion, I have noticed a lot of overlap throughout the different readings for this course. One in particular topic is that design takes its inspiration from the past. It was interesting to read about that common subject within the context of this reading, which is primarily about how the deconstuctivist movement is a contrast in several elements based off of the context of the work itself. Works Cited Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style. "Choosing and Combining Type." Hartley Marks Publisher; Second Edition. 2002. Byrne, Chuck and Whitte, Martha. A Brave New World: Understanding Deconstructivism. PRINT Magazine. 1990. Drucker, Johanna and McVarish, Emily. Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide. New Jersey: Pearson Education. 2013.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Four Types of Tissue Essay Example
Four Types of Tissue Essay Example Four Types of Tissue Essay Four Types of Tissue Essay In this lab you will review the four types of animal tissues. After watching the presentation and taking notes, you will create a presentation on tissues to show your mastery of the topic. Animal tissues may be considered the second level of organization within the body. Specialized cells come together to make specialized tissues which allow the organism to function. You will have the opportunity to be creative as you demonstrate mastery of the four types of animal tissues.Materials Needed You will need a computer, an internet connection, your lab notebook, and a pen or pencil. You will also need materials to create a presentation of your choice. You may choose a poster, a 3 dimensional model, a recording, an investigative lab, or a power point presentation. Procedures 1. View the PhET presentation about animal tissues. This can be found in the presentations section. Non-majors Biology ââ¬â lesson one Animal Tissues. (please inset link here). 2. Take notes to review the informati on about the 4 tissue types.These notes should be organized in your lab investigation report. 3. You will then prepare a presentation to teach others about tissues. You are encouraged to focus on one tissue type, but you may also compare and contrast the 4 types of tissues. 4. You can make a three dimensional poster, a power point, an investigative lab, or even a video recording. 5. This presentation should show what you have learned about tissues from the lesson, this presentation, and other additional sources you choose. Remember to cite additional sources) 6. Complete the Analysis Questions and Conclusion. Analysis and Conclusion Questions: : This conclusion should be answered in paragraph form, with at least 5 complete sentences. 1. Please conclude your lab with a summary paragraph of at least 5 sentences about the design of the presentation you created to show mastery of animal tissues. You should begin with a sentence that explains how you investigated tissues. You should then address the reason you chose your method of presentation.You should then use 2-3 sentences to explain how you developed your presentation. I decided to do a PowerPoint presentation and used the tissues as the background picture. So for the slide for epithelial tissues I used a picture of epithelial cells as the background and so on. I found the pictures in a Google search. I then researched information on the tissues and added a text box that explained what they do. I decided to use PowerPoint because I like how it makes things look because I have lots of things to choose from for designs.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Discussion Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4
Discussion Topic - Essay Example Thus, unconventional war should be resulted to, under conditions where the enemy side has the military capability to devastate the other side, and under conditions where it is most apparent that victory in that war is not likely to be attained (Paret, et al., 1986). Further, the modern and ancient writings agree that the unconventional war should also be aligned to the principle of war requiring surprise attack, such that it should be conducted through underground and intelligent means that are not open to confrontation, until at such a time that the enemy has been incapacitated from effectively raising a reprisal attack (Sawyer, 1993). Therefore, both the modern and the ancient writings about the unconventional warfare holds that it the unconventional war is a tool for offensive as opposed to defensive strategy that should be applied on the event that the enemy side is mightier. However, the modern writings differ on the ancient writings about the unconventional war, in that the mod ern writings emphasize that, while opting for the unconventional warfare strategy, the preparation for conventional and confrontational war should be underway, due to the fact that the unconventional strategy can be intercepted and the confrontational war resulted (Paret, et al.,
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The critique of We are raising a generation of deluded narcissts Essay
The critique of We are raising a generation of deluded narcissts - Essay Example The current generation of students is highly obsessed with success and fantasy, courtesy of the negative media influence on their psychology. A study undertaken for 47 cumulative years has indicated that freshmen in colleges and universities, up to a tune of 30% are regarding themselves as gifted and self-driven to success, yet their test scores indicate otherwise (Ablow, n.p.). It is the toxic psychological impact that the media has on children, adolescents and young adults that is giving such young people the illusion of being celebrities, though in a more unrealistic world. Through social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, young people have obtained the sense of control in their world, where they display to the world what they would want the world to see, akin to the celebrities, sportsmen or movie stars, while controlling and blocking those who may poke holes into their self esteem issues (Ablow, n.p.). The friend following and the friend lists they have managed to gene rate out of such social media platforms, which are purely based on false love and false fame, make them feel that they are already stars. Playing different types of games also makes them feel as if they are Formula 1racers or sharpshooters, thus deluding their minds psychologically, such that it is the social media, the computers and the computer games that have turned into the psychological drugs addiction of the 21st century. This explains why young people are doing anything to distract themselves from reality, through becoming more and more drunk, tattooed, smokers and drug addicts, to help them sustain their false pride. This article has touched on the center nerve of the youth problem; technology, social media, advertisement and carefree society thus does little to control the unrealistic pride and fame that young people are displaying. Nothing can be true, than the fact that many lonely, lowly esteemed and less confident youths and adolescents have found salvation in the
Monday, November 18, 2019
Technological Forces of cars industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Technological Forces of cars industry - Essay Example In addition, new materials that make the car lighter will enable the manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency whether they are powered by gasoline, electricity, or flex fuels. Technological forces will result in cars that go farther for less cost. Electricity is the fuel of choice for many people that see it as sustainable and environmentally friendly. It can be produced from solar or wind and can utilize hydrogen through the use of fuel cells. However, the battery has been the weak component in the system. They are traditionally heavy, dirty, have a limited storage capacity, and a short lifespan. Lithium Ion batteries do offer some promise as improvements have been made in recent years. Don Hillebrand, director of the Center for Transportation Research at Argonne National Laboratory "believes that the ultimate medium for electric vehicles' batteries may well be lithium ion, the same material used today in batteries for laptop computers" (Orzech, 2007). Lithium Ion is poised to replace the existing battery technologies of lead-acid and nickel-metal-hydride, and the new high-end electric roadster Tesla is powered by 6800 lithium batteries. As the industry bridges the gap to the totally electric automobile and a move away from gasoline, the interim period may be fuelled by natural gas. Natural gas is a technology that has been largely overlooked due to a few disadvantages.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Toyota Motor Corporation the effective management of people
Toyota Motor Corporation the effective management of people Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Toyota Motor Corporation also known as TMC is a Japanese born company famous for its car making as well as providing financial services and participating in various lines of business including housing, IT and financial activities. Over the years, TMC has become the largest car manufacturing in the world (operating in America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania) after General Motors and is the biggest in Japan producing an estimated eight million vehicles per year. (Toyota Annual Report, 2009) Founded in 1937, its current name, TMC was incorporated in 1981. As of March 31, 2009 TMCs capital totalled to 397.05 billion yen, (Toyota Annual Report, 2009) and despite the current financial crisis, the company only announced its first annual loss in 71 years in May 2009. Importance of Project Management Many organisations use project management in order to survive in todays fast changing environment and it is part of the way things are done in businesses as described by Heerkens (2007). In using project management, companies translate both their strategies and objectives into action because this brings change to organisations and giving the fact that change is almost necessary if a company is to gain competitive advantage, this explains it multiple advantages including the following: Achievement of goal is made possible and decision making is based on more adequate information, thus making collaboration more focused and orientated toward gaining competitive advantage. Clear terms of reference allow employees understand their roles and responsibilities and how these can relate to the company i.e. objective, scope of deliverables, role, responsibilities, structure and schedule all give a clear path of progression in terms of what is expected from people, Dobson (2004) Forecast of revenues and expenditures is made possible by the allocation of budget. As a result, employees feel connected to the organisation from the corporate level where important decisions are made, thus facilitating an effective management. Time constraints (scope, time and cost) and specific expertise are used as measuring tools thus allowing the linkage of HRM to technology and the reduction of managers workload whilst increasing efficiency in the workplace by standardising HR processes. As a result, problem solving is made easy and fast, Harris et al (1996) In the organisational context, a hierarchical structure including the necessary step for achieving the objectives contribute in reaching the end. Different efforts are appreciated and team members recognise the importance of project management by pioneering it main focus. This ultimately leads to success and a drive toward effective management of people which is a critical component of organisational competitiveness as stated by Kerzner (2009). Because the success of any project depend on the leadership and motivation styles of sponsors who are experienced and ensure effective delivery, a sense of achievement is created for both employees and the organisation. Project management has served as tool to many big organisations in terms of innovation and when dealing with changes in the business environment, both employees and managers are able to witness the achievement of their respective goals and that of the organisation all in the same aim to gain competitive advantage, Larson et al (2006) The next sections of this report discuss some of these advantages in the context of TMC. Recruitment, Selection and Training of Personnel in TMC towards Market Advantage The concept of employee resourcing is aimed at employing people with the right skills and attitudes for the organisation. This appears to be acceptable in principle. But there is a tendency to interpret it because managers tend to recruit people who have the same characteristics as themselves. Most of TMCs senior executives are Japanese men, whereas most successful western corporations employ more diversely at the corporate level. In todays modern organisations, key issues include flexibility, innovation, creativity and the success of organisation is not likely to result from those who display similar characteristics to those already in the organisation. It can therefore be argued that organisations which perform better are those who employ people that think for themselves and have ideas and behaviour that are different from others While this suggests the usual selection methods which require evidence of continuous and verifiable employment actually works against the organisation that is seeking innovation, TMC with its The Toyota Way of lean product development and management principles illustrates otherwise. (Liker et al, 2004) So far TMC has been able to achieve market advantage by keeping up with it technology and more importantly being ahead of its competitors. In 1997, the company launched the Prius as the world first mass-produced hybrid car which was achieved through their people system. (Toyota Annual Report, 2009) TMCs system is centred on people from their recruitment and selection as well as their training and development in the company. The Toyota Way, as discussed by Liker et al (2004) must be part of their DNA. This concept has so far helped TMC achieve it organisational competitiveness. However, many overseas managers and engineers working for TMC have admitted working under too much pressure, Liker et al (2004). Others have embraced this and felt at home in an organisation where they feel valued. Either way, the question remains whether TMC is an employer of choice. TMC has recently been accused of weak designed practices with relation to the human resource as a result of the recent failure to spot technical issues, Sullivan (2010) In Sullivans view point, reward and recognition, training, hiring, the performance management process, the corporate culture, leadership development, staff retention and risk assessment all contributed to TMCs downfall. The company certainly has a very rigorous hiring process and often only recruit those who have had higher grades and are smart. But it can be argued that intelligence isnt always the key, particularly in an industry that is influenced by changing technologies and competition. The aim of recruiting should include making the organisation attractive to potential candidates by being the employer of choice where people are not only valued but want to be part of the organisation. This may be difficult for TMC as being a Japanese company involve adopting a culture of bureaucracy which ultimately affects the structure of the company as a whole. Introducing flexible working hours in the UK for example and where mostly men are employed, hiring women could all assist in this sector. Still, it remains managers job to examine the situation and identify alternative options in order to achieve market advantage. Armstrong suggested that learning programmes and training schemes should be developed in order to increase employability both inside and outside the organisation. To deal with the challenges faced by training, TMC introduced lean training where all team leaders work together to produce a new model. When producing Corolla for instance, TMC brought a team leader from each of their operating regions and together, they worked in 12 different assembly points around the world which reduced the number of working hours by 30%. (Toyota Annual Report, 2009) In addition, the company has a website that allows all its team members to take part in self training sessions which include weekly and location based trainings locations. (TMC Sustainability Report, 2009) However effective and efficient is this process of recruiting and training, the relationship between individuals who are brought to work together is crucial to the intended success. Teamwork Teamwork is an important aspect of an effective management of people and therefore represents a critical component of any process of project implementation. It defines the relation between individual and other external parties as well as being dependent on each other in their particular tasks. There is reliability on the individual capability. (Tarricone et al, 2002) More importantly, team members all have different skills and each contribute toward the organisations social culture and vision. (Gibson et al, 1980) Theories and Concepts of Teamwork Tuckman (1965) presented a theory of four different stages of group development that he further developed by adding a fifth stage after its popularity in 1970. The first four stages are represented by the guidance in the development and behaviour of the team members. Performing Performing Norming Focus on the Task Forming Storming Storming Figure 3.1: The Different Stages of Group Development Source: Adapted from Tuckman (1965) In the organisational context, the success of teamwork will depend on peoples ability to communicate within the team as well as their commitment to achieving the tasks in question. Contrary to this view, a project team might have different characteristics which allow them to accomplish their task in accordance with the given time and budget. As well as being fully involved, team members have to keep their manager aware of the issues, changes, risks and quality improvement. Gibson et al (1980) were adamant that communication and involvement are two different characteristics and that all that matters was the target or task that was required to be achieved by the team. The following attributes were discussed by Tarricone et al (2002) in the same interest of finding out what represented a successful teamwork. Attributes of Team Work TeamWork Interpedently Individual Skills Liberty of communicat-ion and suggestion feedback Commitment To team Team size Commitment to team and shared Goals Figure 3.2: The Six Attributes of a successful Teamwork (Adapted graph) TMC and Teamwork TMC refers to each of its employee as team member. To them, making customers happy is directly linked to how well they work together as a team. While this partly relate to Tarricone and Lucas (2002) six attributes of teamwork, particularly where team work and commitment are concerned, people have different competencies and as mentioned by Francis et al (1979), wouldnt it be easier if everyone focused on their given tasks? Or maybe TMC has found that taking care of each other, Critchley et al (1986) and respecting each other is primordial. We can still question TMCs communication and feedback standards because of the guidance they use from their recruitment to the training where strict rules are used. Harris et al (1996) outlined this in saying that members must have the right to express their feeling with regard to the work being carried out. Again, it is the managements job to not only give adequate direction, but also divide the job among the members while making sure they are not just following set rules but contributing individually. It is clear that TMC challenges its employees. For example, the company believes that respecting and trusting it people will ultimately mean that they will give 100% of output. They also agree that everything cant be done through machines and therefore human force is important. Thats why the company motivates it team members by trusting them and given them responsibility in order to fulfil their objectives. However, being a corporate company involves having low tolerance in terms of mistakes. TMC is currently at the centre of massive allegations regarding quality issues involving their recent cars. They have taken actions to correct these issues but could this be related to team members working under too much pressure? Is TMC too consumer driven? Or maybe the culture of the company which evolve around the Toyota Production system is in need of restructuring. The 5th stage of Tuckmans (1965) theory particularly represents this as being the split of the group after fulfilment of their purpose. In Tuckmans (1965) view, moving on is helpful to the team members as it creates a sense of recognition. What is obvious is that TMC understands teamwork and refers to it as its foundation. The next figure represents an example of how teams are formed in TMC. Team Size Team Member 5-8 Team Leader 3-4 Group Leader 5-8 5-8 Asst. Manager 4-10 Smallest Group 4TLs 18 TMs Largest Group 5 TLs 23 TMs Manager Figure 3.3: Typical Toyota Organization Assembly Operation Source: Bill Constantino, former group leader, Toyota, Georgetown. While other organisations use highly skilled employees to find solutions to day to day issues such as quality of products, maintenance of equipment etc, TMCs system (see figure 3.3) allows employees to do thing differently. Work groups are responsible for solving problems that occur and have many responsibilities including carrying out monthly planning in advance for quality production, scheduling etc. Another example of teamwork in TMC is where experts select two or three members depending on how many people are needed for the task and each member has to learn every job to allow rotation. The company believes that this way no member gets the load of work and the system runs smoothly while motivating employees. TMC and Change Management The management of TMC spotted the need for change from an early stage and has ever since been improving the companys productivity, quality, customer service etc. The company cultivates the leadership and teams styles change culture as well as growth to devise the strategy of what they refer to as The Toyota Way or the 14 Principles of Management. (Liker, 2004) This is also explained by the 4P model of The Toyota Way (Liker, 2004), where he highlights the Philosophy, Process, People and Partners and Problem Solving as a way of improvement and uniqueness of TPS. These 4Ps also constitute the 14 principles of management. Fig: 3.4: A 4PModel of The Toyota Way Source: Adapted from Liker (2004) However, change has its issues and most organisations begin to realise this when they are hit by competition or often bankruptcy. TMC experienced this in 1950 when the company encountered bankruptcy and began changing its culture. As recognised by Bridges (1995) with his transitional model of change, often dramatic change is needed in order to survive in a competitive market place. TMC accepted the challenge to survive in the US market and started working towards the companys vision by motivating and inspiring its employees. As a result of leading the global market, the company introduced the Prius in 1997. Change is part of TMCs leadership as well as being environmentally friendly when making cars and despite the current crisis facing all automobile makers, TMC remains a leader deriving from change as their main culture. Leadership and Motivation Both leadership and motivation have emerged as some of the most important aspects of an effective management of people and referred to as two elements that complement each other. In the 21st century, organizations are seeing leaders as those who set direction, has clear vision, inspire and motivate teams in achieving tasks. Once motivated, employees begin to prioritize organizational goals and culture, thus encouraging change and it adherence. TMCs Leadership Approach TMC doesnt follow a set of rules but rather exercises very unique values and approaches that set them apart from others. They believe in building employees strengths as well as building car. (Liker, 2004) Chemers, (1997) referred to leadership as a common task where people support one another. Hiebert et al (2001) on the other hand associated leadership with interpersonal relationship and corporate strategy. At TMC, Managers involve their subordinates into the thinking process which also reflect part of McGregors (1960) Theory-Y (participative style), and adjust themselves to situations depending on the project, or resources available which is reflected in Fiedlers (1967) approach. Fiedler (1997) further highlighted the environment as being the principal factor that influences leadership. He referred to this as contingency theory and placed leadership styles in two categories, task-oriented or relationship-oriented and situations in high-favourable and low-favourable. He came to the conclusion that task-oriented leaders perform more effectively and that when the level of situation favourability was intermediate, relationship-oriented leaders performed better. The leadership philosophy at TMC can be represented by the 2-dimentional leadership matrix of The Toyota Way, (Liker, 2004) where leadership styles have been divided into four types: Bureaucratic Manager, Group Facilitator, Task Master and Builder of Learning Organizations. Again we can distinguish similarities here to that of the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid (1964) where the organization man manager shows the ability to balance between organizations goals and peoples needs. John Adairs (1973) Action-Centered Leadership Model proposed that a good leader must perform following 3 main responsibilities. Figure 4.1: The Action-Centered Leadership Model Source: Adair (1973) A good leader in Adairs (1973) point of view is the one who create balance between these three circles. TMC achieves performance by giving importance to both production and people (team), but in doing so people and production needs are left unfulfilled. This is almost a subtle way of telling people what to do as represented by the next graph. Figure 4.2: The TMC Leadership Model Source: Liker (2004, P. 196) Liker (2004) associated The Toyota way with that of the organisation that is building a learning organisation which nurtures the abilities and motivation level of its team and plans ahead in order to get the maximum out of employees. This has so far resulted in them setting example to many organisations by adding values to their existing culture. The 4P model of The Toyota Way studied by Liker (2004) put people on the third level from the bottom up along with long-term vision of the companys goals and adequate knowledge of technical and management skills. This is all well but we can argue that the primary goal as well as injecting that vision and knowledge to people should also include putting people at the very top since without them nothing is possible. Such an approach will allow employees to feel even more part of the company, motivates them further and enables them to put a maximum effort in order to achieve a longer-term success. However, at TMC, leaders encourage and respect position and decision making capabilities of their people working from the very bottom as many of them recognized having started at the bottom. (Gertner, 2007) Deriving from Fiedlers Theory (1967) and Adairs Model (1973), development of mutual trust and respect are very important to TMCs management relation which is the primary key to HRM practices in the 21st century. (Toyotas CSR Initiatives, 2010) TMCs Motivational Approach For most organisations, the ultimate goal is to make the employees work at their full potentials and this cannot be achieved easily as every individual is motivated differently. The concept of motivation has been developed by many scholars over the years. Fritz Heider (1972) developed two concepts of motivation which were Intrinsic and Extrinsic and which he believed were driven by the factors including employees attribution, beliefs and desires. Similarly, Maxwell (2008) discussed motivation factors where he associated needs, values and goals to peoples level of production. Figure 4.3: Employment Motivational Factors Source: Maxwell (2008) TMC is constantly committed to making improvements rather than just responding to problems that occur. The management develops friendly relationship within the teams and recognises their improvement. As a result, 94% of ideas in the company are adopted. For a Japanese company which guaranties life time employment, this is an obvious expectation because it allows internal promotion and develops motivation. However, motivation is a concept that changes with time and research on dynamic motivation carried out by Herzberg (1987) in his Dual Structure Theory pointed out that the diversity of motivation distinguishes between motivators (challenges) and hygiene factors (job security). But how important is job security in the 21st century? It is clear that being made redundant is no longer a threat and bigger organisations like TMC need to work harder in motivating and retaining their employees particularly in an age where competition and changes in the environment are part of their day to day lives. Heider (1972) believed that intrinsic motivation was driven by employees own self-esteem rather than financial reward which is often short lived and costly, while the extrinsic concept was influenced by the outside. Other factors were studied by Maslow (1954) in his Need Hierarchy Theory where he highlighted human needs as being very important and need to be satisfied if advancement was to be made possible. Agreeing with McGregor (1960) and Heider (1972), Maslow found money the least important. TMC recognises employees participation and money isnt used as motivator. At least not from what we have seen from their recruitment, selection and training strategies and team work structure. For any project implementation purposes, managers will need to further develop the process of working together by perhaps understanding employees needs rather than those of the organisation. This can assist in promoting motivation and therefore adhere to the organisations cultural implications which are becoming more homogenous in todays business environment. This also presuppose an understanding of employees own culture and context. TMC and Cross-Cultural Issues Taylor in the 20th century, studied how employers can increase their workers efficiency and decrease waste, later referred to as Muda by Japanese. TMC with their Toyota Production System champions this culture as well as what the company refers to as Kaizen which means team. Although Kaizen happens to be the improvement of Toyotas culture, it differs from the philosophy of Command and Control. The methodology of Kaizen is based upon monitoring results and making changes. TMC employs the very best people and trains them on cross training issues. By doing so, managers believe they are removing any problems from the root. But people are different and being a global company implies employing people who are culturally different. This therefore raises another concern about how diverse TMC really is. As earlier discussed, TMC is a global company still mainly run by its Japan headquarters. Its top leadership does not include foreign executives. This has resulted in slow problem solving of recent crisis of product defects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently stated that the heart of Toyotas issues lies in its secretive corporate culture in Japan. (Financial Times, 3rd March 2010, P. 22) The interesting debate on these recent quality issues which is linked to the cross-cultural training and consultation factors is that TMC focuses on their Kaizen concept, which is eliminating problems; whilst Americans and other Western consumers focus on the transparency concept which is based on the freedom of information. Either way, organisations can hardly avoid mistakes. It is how managers address these issues that determine their future. So far TMC has proven its success deriving from its leadership culture which has resulted in: Promoting innovation and creativity as well as developing new ideas which are recognised by the management. Continuous expansion allowing TMC to explore foreign markets and achieve stability in the global economy. Efficiency and uniformity of the workforce allowing the maintenance of a respectable level of stability and competitiveness in the business environment. However, limitation of promotion prospect TMC might lead to a need to consider using more Total Quality Management (TQM) which results in rising cost for the company. This can also create inner conflicts considering the current rise in competition. Also, TMC should be mindful of the fear for disappearance of personal identity on the employees side; because the majority of ideas are adopted from employees. They are treated as a team which limit their recognition as individual. TMC and Diversity Since the early 1990s, large organisations including TMC have recognised Diversity as being an important aspect of managing people and declared themselves as being committed to equal opportunities. (Cockburn, 1991) Diversity is reflected in TMCs famous respect for people and continuous improvement. Reichenberg (2001) referred to this as a perspective that made business sense and the United Nations in particular has embraced this philosophy which further proves the companys efforts. However, being a Japanese company involves certain level of collectivism, which raises concern about TMCs diversity policy. Morrison et al (1991) used Hofstedes (2001) international cultural diversity study to demonstrate organisations relationship with their suppliers and customers and how these can be affected by diversity. For instance matching customer diversity to that of the service offered will imply considering ethnic differences which will lead to parties speaking the same language. This fits TMC because as stated by Lichtenthal et al (2001), the company benefits from matching its sales people to demographic attributes of buyers since buyers are more trusting of those who share similar cultural attributes to themselves. Managers often need something to go wrong in order to decide that change is necessary and prepare employees to cope with it. Claiborne (2001) discussed Toyotas racist advertisements and this lead the company setting out a $7.8 billion, 10-year diversity program. Conclusion We have seen that successful people management comes through a process of selection, training, teamwork, leadership, motivation, involvement and participation such that employees feel their needs and interests are being appropriately addressed. When combined with the organisations own requirements for achieving efficiency and effectiveness, this emphasises the need for managers to provide leadership which is characterised by both strong task and relationship orientations. Both leadership and motivation go hand in hand because for any form of task to succeed, a leader with motivational skills is needed in order to get results. TMC is an excellent promoter of Diversity and contributes in areas such as education, safety among young people and programs such as Toyota Teen Driver, Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), sponsors events for non-profit organizations like YMCA, National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) etc. However, in the 21st century, managers are faced with many other challenges including uncertainty and constant changes in technologies which all affect the implementation of projects and human resource development. One ought to ask if TMC has remained stock in the 20th century with the classical thinking where division of labour, span of control and line of authority were pioneered by Fayol et al. This is certainly reflected in the companys team work strategy earlier discussed. Also, although employees have a massive input in TMCs success, how far are they allowed to disagree with the proposed goal of the organisation as discussed by McNabb et al (1995)? Perhaps the structure and success of TMC shows a different picture which promotes a learning organisation with their Lean Training and The Toyota Way. But how flexible is TMC when it comes to employees? And are the companys leaders born or manufactured? The answer ultimately lies somewhere in the middle as TMC has had mixed success stories and the management is able to provide the environmental support needed to motivate employees toward the achievement of their vision. To lead an adequate change as proposed by Kotter in 1995 with his eight stage model, managers are faced with understanding the importance of employees need, vision, communication, empowerment and culture. Implementing project will therefore involve the identification of the micro-processes that affect the day to day formal and informal life of employee, Cornelius (2003). Or with regard to change management, there need to be a clear line between people and the organisation as proposed by Fisher,2005. Recommendations As discussed, managers are faced with several issues when dealing with implementation of projects in general. Making these issues manageable will require TMC to rethink its structure and level of control when it comes to team work. It could be that the Japanese culture which is often too reliant on employees efforts needs a different leadership style which will allow the company to meet international competitive requirements as they affect the organisations overall success. In terms of coping with the turbulent external environment, TMC should perhaps consider recognising individuals for themselves rather than the group. They can begin this change in African countries where they have a small percentage of market shares. TMC promotes many of its current employees from inside the company. While this is good for keeping the companys visions and values, employing managers from outside might facilitate obtaining more open minded and goal oriented employees. This is particularly needed now when questions are being raised about TMCs public relation and image due to the companys recent defect issues.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays
The author of my book is George Orwell. The book I am reading is entitled Animal Farm. My book is a fiction book with talking animals. The animals rebel against Jones and his farm and how their food was low and they had to work to much to just make food for Jones and his family. The animals were victorious in gaining control of the farm. Then the pigs slowly take over the farm and slowly turn it back into just what it had been when Jones had been there. The story takes place on a farm in the country side. Old Major is the first pig and the ruler who gives all the other animals hope of a rebellion. Snowball is the pig who actually put the rebellion into affect and started the whole rules and laws to start their own farm. Then thereââ¬â¢s Napoleon who kicks Snowball out of the farm and takes over the farm and slowly he turns the farm back into what it had been with Jones with him and his partner pigs getting lots of food for no work and the workers getting little food for a lot of work. à à à à à à à à à à The story starts with Old Major calling for a meeting of the animals where he tells them of the way animals should live and that he only has a few years left to live, but that the animals must carry out a rebellion one day in the future. So Old Major passes away and one day when the animals had been starved for a few days straight the animals broke into the food room and started eating the food. Jones and his men came out to fight them off, but the animals were to strong for them. The animals drove them out of the farm and declared what used to be called ââ¬Å"The Manor Farmâ⬠into what they called ââ¬Å"Animal Farm.â⬠Snowball took over as their new leader and served them good especially when Jones came back with some men and guns and tried to take back his farm and Snowball took control and stopped Jones from winning the fight. à à à à à à à à à à Then Snowball gets an idea that they should build a windmill that symbolizes their farm and could be used for hay storage. Napoleon, another pig who wanted to take rule, said that was a stupid idea and Napoleon went on to plant fake evidence that Snowball
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)