Consumer Behavior - Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Behavior - Marketing - Assignment Example They were chosen as my subjects since they bought a high-involvement product which is a laptop . It is considered a high-involvement product since it is quite expensive and would be used for a long period. At the beginning, it was quite hard to look for these two subjects since many people buy different types of high-involvement products. Fortunately, some friends helped me out in finding two subjects who bought different brands of laptop some months ago. The profile of the subjects vary greatly, nevertheless, they are typical consumers since they go through a lot of painful decision-making before buying a product. Also, they needed advice from friends or colleague before making a decision of their own. Consumer A is a technogeek, someone whose main source of living is developing operating systems in an IT company. He is a very busy person living a high-profile life in the city. However, he is the father of a friend that is why he agreed to be my subject. The other subject is a stude nt in a university, a social science major heavily involved with research. I think their background would somehow be significant in their decision process in acquiring a laptop. In order to a have a logical presentation of the process they went through, I decided to tabulate the result in a table. Technogeek’s old laptop broke down and needed many upgrades to cope up with is demands being an incessant programmer. His need for a laptop is like his need for oxygen. He immediately bought a laptop three days after his old laptop broke down. His need is mainly triggered by his job. This consumer felt that there were too many demands from her research subjects. Although she has a desktop in her dorm, she needs a laptop to access the wi-fi environment on her campus. She also hangs out late night at some coffee shop writing her papers. Her need is triggered by mobility and access to information anytime she wants

Reliance Industries Limited and CSR activities Essay Example for Free

Reliance Industries Limited and CSR activities Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Flagrantly, nowadays CSR approach has been immensely exploited by the organizations and non-governmental organizations in a negative manner since the global markets are becoming competitive. The term corporate social responsibility has become a trend of symbols to explicit the company’s corporation as being socially responsible, however intrinsic intention has been self-regulation and private interest of the company. Hence, the reliance industry limited has taken the corporate social responsibility as their mainstream of profit maximization in terms of being socially responsible to educational, environmental, health care, and agricultural perspectives. Introduction The aim of this report is to apply sufficient knowledge’s for the importance of (CSR) and its contribution to strategic corporations, critically review the (CSR) functions of businesses as well as delivering efficient  information regarding the (CSR) activities of Reliance Industries Ltd. To demonstrate the above objectives it is essential to explain what is meant by CSR? What are the objectives of CSR? And furthermore brief description of Reliance Industries Ltd profile. In recent years, there has been greater attention to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. The term is described as the businesses responsibility towards their stakeholders’ legal, ethical, social and environmental expectations. Different scholars have defined (CSR) in various ways. First effort for defining (CSR) was made by Bowie (1953) who was observed as the father of academic debate for Corporate Social Responsibility (Carroll 1979, p.479). Bowie stated, that it is the businesses oblig ation to manage business process for the betterment of a society and enhancement of its value. Moreover, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) illustrated CSR as the commitment of business while behaving ethically and cooperating to the economic development by strengthening the quality life of workforce, families and local communities. Furthermore, Davis and Blomstorm elaborate the term CSR as an activity in order to improve the quality life of a society as well as developing the status of the organization by expanding its interest. However, Carroll defined (CSR) â€Å"Social responsibility of business encompasses the economic, legal, ethical and discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time† (Carroll, 1979, p.500). Relatively, Carroll illustrated the pyramid of CSR by differentiating the four concept of social responsibility: economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic obligations. To sum up CSR can be defined, managing the business processes with being responsiveness to the economic, legal, ethical and environmental expectations of stakeholders so that to produce a positive impact to the society. Consequently, as far as the report do concerns to the CSR activities of Reliance Industries Ltd, it is important to take a look after the mentioned company’s profile. The largest private sector of India, The Reliance Group founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002) with operating in energy and material businesses value chain. The flagship company, Reliance Industries Ltd, owes an excess of Group annual revenues of US $ 66 billion and is apart of Fortune Global 500 Company. Starting with textiles in late seventies, Reliance expanded their business by pursuing the backward vertical integration strategy while  producing fiber intermediates, plastics, polyester, petrochemical as well as petroleum refining and oil and gas exploration and production. Reliance company proud itself for being the largest polyester yarn and fiber producer among the top five producers in the world. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBLITIES: Conduction of Corporate Social Responsibility strategy has became vital trend for the companies in a current highly competitive global market. Inherently, the CSR strategy has remained the pillar of the sustainability of a business as far as the consumers and markets taste and preference changes are concerned. Moreover, the CSR-Asia has described CSR as the business operations incorporation in environmental and social perspectives with the interaction of their stakeholders. Hence, CSR approach owe following features: Firstly, it observes for the increasing of the shareholders profit in order to preserve the long-term viability of the business. Secondly, environmental and social improvisation has been the core objective of the CSR approach. Thirdly, the CSR concept is not a crowding out effect for the business, but it is about the way that business is operated. In this sequence, CSR concept is concerned with the long-term sustainability of the business while maximizing the shareholders interest and plays an active role in the development of community (http://www.scribd.com/doc/3934672/Importance-of-CSR-to-Business). CRITICAL REVIEW OF (CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Inherently, above discourse explicit that mainstream of CSR does concerns with social, legal, and economical expectations of stakeholders. Therefore, CSR is flagrantly accountable for capitalist apparatus that business solely considers their own private benefits of raising their shareholders profit. For instance, on the one hand, Coca Cola company do informs African nations of HIV in order to vest a vast reputation to its company, qua profit is considered as core objective of business. On the other hand, it is a shame that they do not implement a program for telling the world regarding tooth decay as such program would affect their brand name reputation. Subsequently, in a survey of 1100 chief executives, 62% of those chief executives have underpinned the CSR concept as vital for profitability. Relatively, CSR has a risk of compelling chief executives to be sociopolitical players. As the government shrinks and loses its power, the business chief executives remains with huge power in which the businesses might acquit the power for their self-regulation profitability of the business. Companies, such as, Glencore company, whose enjoying an immense portion of political power in some Africa’s nation, is conducting the child labor extra-legal function for the purpose of cost reduction. Relatively, CSR has been criticized by excluding the local communities from policy-making decisions while working on Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. Moreover, many contradictions exists in CSR approach, such as lack of financial incentives, lack of legal literacy, etc. those disincentives the poorer group to use laws for their protection of their civil rights. CSR is also criticized in some arenas as the source of gaining access to the market while using it as a factor of price. Furthermore, some industries conducts the CSR program for not considering the government’s strong laws and regulations, as far as their CSR project implementation are concerned with profit maximization. Therefore, mentioned CSR project implementation may lead the NGO’S for protesting and boycotting in which firms may endure a huge expenditure on such projects. However, CSR approach compels companies who cannot cover their costs, to impose high prices to the society while catering their products with high prices. In a sequence, critiques have been arisen against CSR policy of companies for its none existence of accountability and corporate accountability, where lack of transparency, a sophisticated analysis of the political economic dimensions of corporate power and immense inequities of power exists (Ray Broomhill, corporate social responsibility: key issues and debates, 2007). To sum up, according to Rhys Jenkins (2005) the UK political economist, many CSR projects of high profiled companies has ample the scope of tax avoidance, transfer pricing and the misusing of market power which contradicts to the legitimacy of CSR. Relatively, some reforms of corporate policies has been exploited by the act of CSR in which consequently brought vast disparities to the society such as destructing the labor conditions associated with outsourcing and labor market liberalization, increases in the level of pollution, and the promotion of macro economic policies through the acquitting of corporate lobbying which has a negative impact on society and  environment (Ray Broomhill, corporate social responsibility: key issues and debates, 2007). RELIANCE INDUTRIES LIMITED CSR ACTIVITIES: Reliance industries have performed major social responsibilities towards the betterment of the community. The company has valuable contribution in terms of health, education, environment, corporation in natural disasters, and infrastructure development. Following are vast disclosure regarding CSR activities of Reliance Industries Limited: 1. Education: Reliance Industries has constructed nine schools with improving the 13,251 students education level across the India. Furthermore, the company conducts â€Å"the Kanya Kelvani† program, which plays a vital role to the contribution of supporting Indian Governments projects towards education of girls across all over the India. Relatively, RIL’s are implementing (Jagurti Project) for those students who are suffering mentally from social and economical backwards and support them to obstacle with dyslexia. Under the Jagurti Project, 35 trainees are spending 8800 hours in order to arise the tolerance of underprivileged children to tackle with dyslexia. Consequently, the company owes partnership with UNESCO and BBC for the awareness of dyslexia to the other villages’ students. (http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html). 2. Community Health Care: Reliance Industries has brought pivotal improvisation to the Community Medical Centers for providing ample health care services to the neighboring villages. For instance, the Reliance Company is acquitting Drishti project, which is cooperated with the Association of Blind and made contribution to 9000 free corneal grafted surgeries for those blinded folks who are suffering from being underprivileged. Moreover, one of the manufacturing divisions of Reliance Company (Hazira Manufacturing divisions) has commenced an Anti-Retroviral Treatment Center in the country and specifically for the cleaners and drivers of all product transport vehicles. The program mainstream is for HIV / AIDS awareness. (http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html). 3. Environment Initiatives for the Community: The Reliance Industry initiated a zero garbage campaign to develop the disposal of solid wastage concept in its surroundings and residential area. The aim of the campaign is to provide a cleanliness drive in order to sustain a disease-free environment for its employee’s residual sites. The industry is acquitting a social and economical security program for woman rag pickers with assistance of an NGO. The core objective of the project is to reduce the plastic litter for preserving its commitments of being responsible care. Relatively, the company has stretched a 900-meter road through the usage of 5% plastic waste in order to deduct the construction cost and as well as to improve the roads construction quality and life. (http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html). 4. RELIANCE RURAL DEVELOPMENT TRUST: Reliance Rural Development Trust (RRDT) has initiated a rural infrastructure development program by undertaking 797 projects in 760 villages of 24 different zone of GUJARAT states. The project is consisted of 58 Concrete Cement Roads, 61 underground, and 06 Check Dams. Subsequently, all the check dams are constructed with accordance to the 8.7 mcft water storage capacity and 1065 Hectors of the land would have access to the Check Dams water. (http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html). 5. Livelihood Support Program: Reliance Industry has undertaken the self-help group (SHG) program for women and youth generation of the surrounding villages in order to enhance their quality life while being â€Å"self sustaining† to support to their families. The program has facilitated the women by providing various courses such as dress making and designing, beauty culture, health care, nursing and hospital attendant. However, the program implement pumping and hand pump repairing, mobile repairing, computer hardware repairing, vehicle motor driving, and etc. courses. (http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html). 6. Improving Quality of Agriculture Produce: Reliance Industry Limited has also participated in assistance of farming in terms of advanced technologies, storage, handling and distribution of products. For instance, the company vested Leno bags, which are made out of polypropylene and such bags are effective for reducing the handling losses of fruits and vegetables. Explicitly the company enforced the formers for the usage of advanced techniques (plastic) as it increases the productivity, contributes to the reduction of losses and in enhancement of earnings and distributed promotional materials (http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html). RELIANCE INDUSTRIES CSR CONTRIBUTION TO ITS STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT): In a current competitive global environment, corporations does exist vastly where social responsibilities are concerned (Halme, Roome, Dobers, 2009). Therefore, to make more flagrant the contribution of corporate social responsibility with corporate strategy, it is essential to explicit what is corporate or strategic management? And what is mean by social responsibility? Essentially, strategic managements core objective is to accomplish goals through standard decision-making that concerns with determining objectives, policies and plans (Andrew, 1987). According to Andrews (1987), strategies main observations are regarding the implementation of companies and businesses goals, their economic and non-economic corporations and nature, and the relationship between the stakeholders, he furthermore stated that corporate strategies are a complex concept as the top managements decisions reflects an impact to the stakeholders who are independent with the company. However, undoubtedly the strategic management decisions covers both the social as well as economic aspects. According to Porter and Kramer (2006), there is a strong correlation between corporation and society. This is due to the fact of direct influence of company’s activities to the communities of their work and the strategic management department executives should have strictly consider the society’s needs and decisions with accordance to their  expectations. Hence, Reliance Company has processed various CSR activities in order to make ease to their decision-making trends towards policies and plans in order to accomplish the organization’s goal. For instance, the Reliance Limited Industries is conducting educational programs, health care services, agricultural development services to give a boost to their status of their company as wells as implement environmental initiatives community program while procuring a clean environment to their working community for the purpose of being safe to provision an ease way for acquitting policies and plans. As a result, the strategic management executives undertake the corporate social responsibilities as an intrinsic factor for the purpose of catering sustainable profits to the stakeholders (BAR, Curitiba, v. 7, n. 3, art. 5, pp. 294-309, July/Sept. 2010). Conclusion: To sum up, virtually the corporate social responsibility concept considers the ethical, social, and environmental aspects of the stakeholders. Relatively, the organizations exploit the corporate social responsibility as maximizing their shareholders profit through satisfying the stakeholders mentioned expectations. Many organizations make the CSR approach as their mainstream trend and apparatus for gaining reputation and catering a better working environment for their employers in order to enhance the quality status of their organization as well as acquitting the organizations prime goal. For instance, Reliance Industries Limited process the environment initiatives, education programs, health care programs, rural development program, etc. at their own working community for enhancing the quality life of the company’s employees and maximizing the shareholders profit. Although, CSR approach owes indispensible positive impacts to the society, the concept has extralegal and negative disparity to the community. As far as the core objective of the organization concerns with maximizing their profits, organizations misuse the CSR approach for their own private interest in terms of power (in case government shrinks the company remains with mass power), cost (in order to recover the CSR projects cost the company rises the their products cost for the consumers), accountability, and etc. Lastly, CSR concept can be observed as the utility apparatus for the stakeholders, owing negative impacts with it. RECOMMENDATION: Since many companies are interlinked with extralegal activities while implementing the CSR activities due to owing immense power after the government in some Asian and African countries and goes to disparity of their trends and code of ethics such as exploiting the child labor method, they are recommended to follow the code of ethics they have established as it might affect to the quality and status of the organization through the media revealer. Furthermore, companies are required to motivate their CSR projects employees via catering training facilities, bonuses, developed salary system in order to enhance their productivity, thus, to reduce their total cost of the CSR project as higher cost for CSR project remains the company with higher prices of the products to the customers. Therefore customer tends to change their preferences to other market. REFERENCES: Benn, Suzanne and Bolton, Dianne (Key concepts in corporate social responsibility, 2011). Broomhill, Ray (Corporate Social Responsibility: Key Issues and Debates, 2007) El Ghoul, Sadok, Guedhami, Omerane, C.Y. Kwok, Chuck, R.Mishra, Dev ( Banking of Journal and Finance, 9th September 2011, p.g. 2388-2406). Volume 35. Lober, Heike (corporate management, corporate social responsibility and customers, 2012). Ril.com (N.D.) Social Responsibility and Community Development (Online). Available from: http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html (access on 29th May 2012). Ril.com (N.D.) Reliance Group (Online). Available from: http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/aboutus.html (access on 29th May 2012). Scribd.com (N.D.) Importance of CSR to Business (Online). Available from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3934672/Importance-of-CSR-to-Business (access on 26th May 2012).

Effective Leadership And Successful Leaders

Effective Leadership And Successful Leaders A view of leadership as it pertains to equality in education for all students regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status will be reviewed during this 2010 Go Global experience in South Africa. In preparation for this trip, different articles and books were reviewed for insight on management and leadership. Included in these readings were suggestions on how best to lead, as well as direction for handling toxic relationships. Toxic relationships can be defined as those relationships that are shadowed with negativity and tend to be reactive and judgment based in nature. Creating a sense of team building and acceptance were found to be key roles for those in leadership positions. Leaders should have a sense of direction, not misuse their power, and should be able to inspire others. A leader should also be humble in attitude and encourage all team members to brain storm and contribute to the task. Whether leading personally or professionally, in a business or in a school, a leader should recognize the dynamics of the group under their direction and be able to modify accordingly. While great leaders should be flexible, they must retain their convictions and focus toward attaining the goal or vision. It has been through a conviction that great leaders have inspired others to desire and create change. These leaders have intelligently led by example, never condemning anothers beliefs, but instead inspiring in others the desire to change. It is through charisma and intuitiveness that leaders are able to begin movements that create change. Movements for change are not limited to only political greats, they are also found in our own school systems. Assuming the role of the leader in a school must be carefully considered. It should be a role that one assumes with the understanding that they will both directly and indirectly affect, either positively or negatively, many that will follow their lead. Staff and students alike will be affected by the type of leadership roles they have in their school systems, so it must be remembered that school leadership is not limited to the parameters of the school, it affects generations that in turn will affect futures. Life is an echo what you send out comes back. Chinese Proverb There have been many great leaders throughout history, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and even Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Each person was seeking to right a perceived injustice during a particular time in our history. Through history we have seen leaders who would initiate ideas that others would continue, some who would make contributions small, yet impactful, and others who would change the course of history. No matter the result, one thing was consistent, all great leaders throughout time possessed similar leadership qualities. Reading Response to Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech Republicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Bohemian Rhapsody www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010218 Living Responsibly: Vaclav Havels View www.acton.org/publciations/randl/rl_article_284.ph?/view=print Vaclav Havel, former president of Czechoslovakia, has been compared to Nelson Mandela, being considered a saint in the West. Havel, a playwright who put his career on hold to lead a group against communist totalitarianism, a man who would be imprisoned, and a leader who would later become president, is a man of conviction. Speaking and responding to the global force for freedom and the long struggle between conscience and tyranny, Havel is the author of the essay on the Power of the Powerless which deals with the indifference seen in our Western cultures. It would be suicide for the world -the indifference to the freedom of others ultimately becoming indifference to freedom for ourselves. Vaclav Havel The idea that if we assume apathy for circumstances that do not directly affect us, we will ultimately become indifferent to our own freedoms has much significance. It sends a message that we must work as a community in order to continue to move forward. Leaders play a crucial role in focusing their team. Their qualities must include the ability to persuade a group to work together for a common goal, and dissuade, without insult, those ideas that serve only a selected group. As future leaders, we must recognize that our beliefs should not be subjective, nor are they limited. Our goals should always serve the good of all. The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart. Mr. Havel to the United States Congress Our ability to recognize ourselves as part of a greater good is central to becoming a great leader. Our leadership should have focus, yet be humble. Our ability to see others through ourselves, and lead others as we would like to be lead, creates such a salvation. Leadership must maintain a global view, with the leader part of the view and not the puppeteer of the view. I have read and reviewed leaders that possessed many of the characteristics of great leadership (Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson), but whose leadership qualities were outweighed by their self-centered separation of themselves from the human world. I see that leading with your heart can be subjective, but I do not believe that is what Havel meant. I feel as if he stated that compassion, respect and understanding for all members within a particular dynamic, business, academic or otherwise, will create a stronger vision. A vision shared by many is not limited, but grows exponentially. Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means. Albert Einstein Reading Response to Charles Manson as a charismatic transformational leader Leadership Style No Easy  Choice http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/charismatic-leadership.html Leadership needs enthusiastic involvement, by leaders who are not jaded by personal agendas. Charles Manson, one such charismatic leader, chose to use his gift of leadership for less than honorable reasons. Manson would be defined as a transformational leader using passion and energy to transform an organization. He sensed what his followers perceived they needed and then created a vision to fill that gap. Charismatic leaders create visions that seem to improve ones present circumstance by finding the missing link between what one is getting and what one desires. This type of leader is persistent and even willing to make personal sacrifices to attain the vision which has been set. Unfortunately, a negative charismatic leader manipulates their audience for their own good even seeking out audiences that are emotionally wounded. Ones ability to discern between the honorable and dishonorable leader is just as important as ones ability to lead and be part of a productive team. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen Sir Winston Churchill Reading response to Viktor E. Frankl, psychiatrist and Nazi death camp survivorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mans Search for Meaning, Beacon Press, 2006 Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you. Viktor E. Frankl This book was chosen not necessarily because of Frankls leadership, but because of his responses to the effects of negative leadership during the persecution of Jews at Auschwitz. Frankl shares an honest view of the persecutions that occurred, while sending a message of ones ability to control their responses. He talks about not being one of the most muscled up men and that he was looked upon as one who would not make it (survive) long. Frankl had a choice, find himself condemned before his fight began, or choose to be positive and believe that this persecution would soon end. Leaders must understand, as Frankl had to understand, we have no control of others. It can not be forced upon another my vision for change and growth, it can only be exampled. Leadership is not a series of demands, but commands. It is a cooperative effort in which all parties feel valued and respected. While Adolf Hitler possessed many qualities of the great leadership, he did not possess value and respect for all of mankind. This self-serving type of leadership serves a limited time; it can not be maintained or carried on because there is no collaboration and no shared vision. As a leader, one will really have little to no control of anything except ones own responses. We have the ability to choose our response and through modeling teach this strategy to those among us. If I choose humbleness, invite feedback, and remain positive, my leadership will influence others to do the same. This communication strategy invites all members to take part, or have ownership, in the goals at hand. With members feeling valued and sharing ownership, leaders are able to maximize the strengths of a team. It will be the choice of all members, including the leader, to do this even when there is friction within the group. It is easy to respond negatively to internal and/or external negativity, but that response leaves unmet goals and does not promote growth. Reading response to Nelson Mandela, seeker of a multi-racial democratic society and ex-president of South Africaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, 1994 Invictus, (2009) http://www.mandelainstitute.org.za/ If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela, 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner, exemplifies a man of true conviction. He articulated a vision and led by example. At a time when Mandela could have been full of anger and revenge, he chose a much different voice, a voice of dedication to an end of racism. In his speech to the court that convicted him, Mandela said Whatever sentence Your Worship sees fit to impose upon me for the crime for which I have been convicted before this court, may it rest assured that when my sentence has been completed I will still be moved, as men are always moved, by their consciences; I will still be moved by my dislike of the race discrimination against my people when I come out from serving my sentence, to take up again, as best I can, the struggle for the removal of those injustices until they are finally abolished once and for all. Mandela, a man of honor, sought for the end of racial discrimination in South Africa, and even through imprisonment maintained his desire to attain this goal . He did not seek race domination; he desired a multi-racial democratic country. Mandela understood the importance of communication and role-modeling in order to attain the desired outcome of his vision and committed himself to a non-violent resistance against the apartheid*, following the role model of Mahatma Gandhi. Apartheid a social policy or racial segregation involving political and economic and legal discrimination against people who are not Whites; the former official policy in South Africa wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Although Mandela voiced non-violent resistance, he soon saw a need to change the approach. He commented to this change from non-violent resistance at the Rivonia trial when he stated that after long and anxious assessment of the South African situation, I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle, and to form Umkhonto we Sizwethe Government had left us no other choice. The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there. John Buchan Leaders must be able to maintain a vision when circumstances and the world around them seem to stand in the way. Mandela exhibited this quality unlike no other, no matter how provoked he never answered racism with racism and he stood solid in his dedication to democracy. He recognized the greatness in humanity and strived to help others find it as well. Mandela understood the need to make peace with the enemy. He knew that it was not the person who was the enemy, but the actions of the person that becomes the enemy. In other words, he recognized that the answer for change was in the people themselves. Being a leader is not about what you make others do. Its about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of the people who follow you. An effective leader is not a one-man show or do-it-all-yourself hero. Effective leadership is about recognizing and taking advantage of the skills and talents from different people to form a cohesive unit. All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership. John Kenneth Galbraith Mandela recognized that in order to create change that he too must confrontà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [his] anxiety. He knew that he would have to forge a partnership with all of South Africa (black and white alike); he would have to stand for a united country and put in the past his memories of racial discrimination. Mandela would have to learn from his past, modeling himself as a man of acceptance of all men, both black and white. Like many other black South Africans, Mandelas disapproval of government discrimination was shown in many ways. One such non-violent means to show disapproval was to cheer for any team opposing the white Springbok Rugby team. In the movie, Invictus, Mandela, then president, is questioned by the media about his new found support of the Springbok Rugby team. Without waiver, Mandela replies how can I expect others to change if I, myself, am unwilling to do the same. Realizing the need to mediate difference respectfully and setting an example to others of own willingness to change is crucial to dynamic leadership. If we create an environment that invites open and positive communication along with respect, the overall health of an organization or in this particular circumstance for Mandela, a country, will be positively impacted. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela Mandela was driven not only by his belief in equality for all people politically; he was also an advocate for other non-political issues affecting his country as well. Mandela would address, problem-solve, and advocate for the AIDS epidemic, poverty, and education. Mandela was also instrumental in having South Africa house the 2010 Soccer World Cup. http://www.mandelainstitute.org.za/about/mandate_and_vision/ University of the Western Cape meeting with staff and students (oral interviews) Mandela, an educated man himself, saw education as a tool in the fight against the apartheid. When South Africa won its fight and Mandela became President, he remained focused on the benefits of quality education for all children in South Africa. He would continue to strive for quality education even after his presidency. In 2007, the Nelson Mandela Institute (a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Department of Education, and the University of Fort Hair) would be founded to continue his work in education. There can be no contentment for any of us when there are children, millions of children, who do not receive an education that provides them with dignity and honor and allows them to live their lives to the full. Nelson Mandela, 2006 A man among men, Mandela believes that in order to create a sustainable future South Africa must invest in the education of the countrys youth. The statistics for children of poverty who matriculate is devastatingly low. The education system had not been meeting the needs of the majority of children in the nation (the poor black child). Matriculation (graduation) of the rural working-class has been as low as 1% with a child needing to score well on this exit exam in order to enroll in a university. Of those who do manage to matriculate, they still struggle to read and write at a level of success for the university because of inadequate academic preparation. To change these statistics and recreate an educational system that can provide education success for all children, resources in addition to a focused and strong leadership are a must. Mandela advocates change in education, and brings others together to share the same vision. The Nelson Mandela Institute mandates to work globally t o achieve Mr. Mandelas visions for education and rural development and is inspired by a common future shaped by the minds and creativity of all children. It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to quality education.   Those who do not believe this have small imaginations. Nelson Mandela, 07 http://www.ncrel.org/policy/pubs/html/leadersh/goodschl.htm http://www.newhorizons.org/trans/gardner.htm Whether the leader of a country like Nelson Mandela or the leader of a school system, one must be able to communicate the vision of the organization. School systems, like countries, need dynamic leadership by individuals that realize the potential of the young people following their guide. School leaders have a responsibility to their public; they should both influence and inspire the students and the staff. They should act less like a boss making commands and more like an artist creating unbounded imaginations. They must be able to develop a clear sense of purpose as it is important for people to see where they are going. In addition to direction, effective school leaders should elicit from their staff and students both trust and respect. It is important to remember that both trust and respect are earned by the leader through their actions and are not a guarantee. The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. Henry Kissinger http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/acs/1890s/plessy/plessy.html http://brownvboard.org/summary/ American schools, not unlike the South African schools, have seen many struggles. It has been because of dynamic people (principals, teachers, and students) that our systems have evolved to where they are. Like South Africa, racial discrimination is not a stranger to the American school systems. It was the voice and dedication of a few that allowed our school systems to change and grow. A little over sixty years ago the states overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. Plessy v. Ferguson was an 1896 Supreme Court ruling most remembered as the separate but equal ruling. It was a decision that served as justification for racial discrimination until Oliver Brown and others brought complaint against the school systems. In Topeka, Kansas Linda Brown, an African-American student, lived right across from a school, but because of the color of her skin could not attend this white school. Under the counsel of Thurgood Marshall this discriminatory practices were being challenged. The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education not only affected the educational system, it ended legal racial discrimination. Discriminatory practices can damage the good of the whole, but strong leadership can build bridges and fill gaps. Good schools, like good societies and good families, celebrate and cherish diversity. Deborah Meier School leaders create exponential change simply by caring for people and giving them a chance to succeed. When inspiring the minds of children in a school setting it can be thought that success is never final. Our behavior and our beliefs are carried on through the minds and actions of many. That is a great responsibility knowing that as an academic leader we can affect so greatly, so many. This undertaking has to be done with openness of ones mind and willingness to celebrate others successes and not our own. Imagine yourself as the principal of one of those white schools when the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education. Imagine the strength and character needed to moderate such a change. During world change, it takes great character to evaluate how your personal ideals fit into the role that you must serve. Leading is not limited to times of progression when everyone is inviting openly whatever circumstances may be needed for the change. The test of a great leader comes during times like that 1954 ruling when faced with legal obligation and social conflict. An academic leader must be able to separate oneself from who they are right now and look into the future to where they have dedicated themselves to lead others. A leader must be willing to deal with conflict head on, not with aggression, but with insight and intuitiveness. All leaders, especially academic leaders, must always err on the side of action. They must not just clean up a mistake, they must problem solve and elimi nate it. It is especially important that a school leader view problems as an opportunity for growth. Not all visions will be met without conflict, and if we perceive as an opportunity to grow, then we maximize the effects of our leadership. The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur School leadership is not limited to only those in administration, teachers play a huge role in influencing and changing lives. A teachers full charge is to enable students to become independent citizens of society. It is more than math or english, it is one of the most influential roles in our communities. Teachers not only provide academic knowledge, in combination with administration and the community, they provide clean, safe and healthy environments for the students to learn. All school leaders, administration and teachers, must possess and be proficient in instructional leadership, management, community building, and communication. http://cecp.air.org/download/MCMonographFINAL.pdf He writes, A leader is an individual (or, rarely, a set of individuals) who significantly affects the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of a significant number of individuals. Most acknowledged leaders are direct. They address their public face-to-face. But I have called attention to an unrecognized phenomenon: indirect leadership. In this variety of leading, individuals exert impact through the works that they create. Whether direct or indirect, leaders fashion stories: principally stories of identity. It is important that a leader be a good storyteller, but equally crucial that the leader embody that story in his or her life. When a leader tells stories to experts, the stories can be quite sophisticated; but when the leader is dealing with a diverse, heterogeneous group, the story must be sufficiently elemental to be understood by the untutored, or unschooled, mind. Daily Journal of Observations of team members, and leadership roles within these dynamics. Sunday, 11, Julyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Meeting at the airport getting ready to depart for a two week trip away from family and not knowing anyone you are traveling with can heighten anxiety in even the best of travelers. GoGlobal trips allow many observations of group members, but it also allows one to observe the practices and strategies of the school sponsors in their real-life leadership role. As I am waiting at the airport, as I always do, I spend a great deal of time looking at not what is being said, but at all the non-verbal communication that is also being seen. Understanding a little of those I will be traveling with is very important. My opinion through my various experiences and readings is that there is a high correlation between a leaders intuitiveness and their effectiveness. While not asked, I would assume that there would be a degree of this used when interviewing the prospects of such trips.

Your Organ Donor Status Matters Essay -- Argumentative, Persuasive Ess

"I think you should automatically donate your organs because that would turn the balance of organ donation in a huge way. I would donate whatever anybody would take..." -- George Clooney According to the Organ Procurement and Transportation Network, a branch of The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are over 134,000 people awaiting the lifesaving gift of an organ in the United States. At sixteen, all I could think about was getting my license and finally gaining my independence. The night before going to the DMV my mom helped me file the paperwork, shocked that her little girl was going to be behind the wheel. When she came to the question of becoming a registered organ donor, I quickly responded â€Å"No! I do not want my organs in someone else’s body after I’m dead! I want to be buried whole and complete!† After a brief discussion, in which my mom tried to explain what being a registered donor entailed, I still held my ground on NOT becoming a donor. I had no idea then the impact the system as a whole would have on my life. At sixteen, when I made my decision not to become a registered donor, there were many things I did not know about donation and the donation system as a whole. Many misconceptions of donation were at that forefront of my mind, as they are the first things many people think of when they think on donation. The biggest and most popular reason to not become a donor is a strong mistrust in doctors and the entire medical system. Tiffanie Wen, a freelance writer who has written articles on the topic of organ donation, recently wrote in The Atlantic, â€Å"Quick [an associate professor of communication at the University of Illinois] and his colleagues have studied how watching Grey’s Anatomy ca... ...n the Default Choice or Allocation Rule." Journal of Health Economics. 32.6 (2013): 1117-29. Print. Millman, Jason. "One Way to Boost Organ Donations: Just Keep Asking." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. Parker-Pope, Tara. "The Reluctant Organ Donor." Well: New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Apr. 2009. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. Richards, Janet Radcliffe. "Opting in and Out: A Methodological Case Study." The Ethics of Transplants: Why Careless Thought Costs Lives. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012. 7+. Print. Teresi, Dick. "What You Lose When You Sign That Donor Card." WSJ. Wall Street Journal, 4 Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. Wen, Tiffanie. "Why Don't More People Want to Donate Their Organs?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.

Postmodernism

First of all, it is important to be aware of the differences between postmodernism and modernism. While modernism always tries to find a new way to express something, postmodernism has no such concern. Modernism itself is representational, normative, original and Universalism. It has a linear progress. Postmodernism has no concern about being original. Moreover postmodernism claims that there is not possible way to create something brand new anymore. So, contrary to modernism's originality, postmodernism is quotation based. It is simulation and relativistic.While it is common to encounter alienated self in postmodernism, there is a decanter self in postmodernism. It will be useful to adopt the major characteristics of postmodernism into the postmodern movies. In postmodern films, we usually do see barcaroles. Those barcaroles are inspired mostly from the past. It is possible to say that the postmodern films have a mission of recycling the past. Moreover, since the high and low cultur e got stuck in the modern times, it is not possible to come across a separated culture in postmodern films. Postmodern films bring them together and melt them in a pot.They do not have one specific genre. Genre-cross over is commonly recognized in postmodern movies. A postmodern movie can be attached to several genres at the same time. One of the major characteristics of postmodernism, quotation shows itself as intellectuality. It can also be engaged to non-linearity in some examples. Postmodern movies mostly contain references to other movies. That's a major element of intellectuality. While it is common to recognize reference to other movies it is also possible for a postmodern movie to reflect upon its own process.Parodies and pastiches have also a major part in postmodern movies. We usually do see the parodies of horror movies. A postmodern film also bends the time and creates confusions over the time and space. By the time it also blurs the lines between dream and reality. Espe cially the hyper reality blurs the lines by creating a simulation of reality. Also the element, metrification is used in postmodern films. For instance if a character speaks directly to the audience, it can be said that one of the elements of metrification is used. Metrification breaks the spell of the movie.

Metacomet (King Philips) War

Metacomet (King Philip's) War King Philips War - Background: In the years following the Pilgrims arrival and founding of Plymouth in 1620, the Puritan population of New England grew rapidly as new colonies and towns were founded. Through the first several decades of settlement, the Puritans maintained an uneasy but largely peaceful relationship with the neighboring Wampanoag, Narragansett, Nipmuck, Pequot, and Mohegan tribes. Treating each group separately, the Puritans bartered European products for Native American trade goods. As the Puritan colonies began to expand and their desire for trade goods lessened, the Native Americans began exchanging land for tools and weapons. In 1662, Metacomet became Sachem (chief) of the Wampanoag after the death of his brother Wamsutta. Though long distrustful of the Puritans, he continued to trade with them and attempted to maintain the peace. Adopting the English name Philip, Metacomets position became increasing tenuous as the Puritan colonies continued to grow and the Iroquois Confederation began encroaching from the west. Unhappy with Puritan expansion, he began planning attacks against outlying Puritan village in late 1674. Concerned about Metacomets intentions, one of his advisors, John Sassamon, a Christian convert, informed the Puritans. King Philips War - Death of Sassamon: Though Plymouth governor Josiah Winslow took no action, he was stunned to learn that Sassamon had been murdered in February 1675. After finding Sassamons body under the ice in Assawompset Pond, the Puritans received intelligence that he had been killed by three of Metacomets men. An investigation led to the arrest of three Wampanoags who were subsequently tried and convicted of the murder. Hung on June 8, their executions were viewed as an impingement on Wampanoag sovereignty by Metacomet. On June 20, possibly without Metacomets approval, a group of Wampanoags attacked the village of Swansea. King Philips War - Fighting Begins: Responding to this raid, Puritan leaders in Boston and Plymouth immediately dispatched as force which burned the Wampanoag town at Mount Hope, RI. As the summer progressed, the conflict escalated as additional tribes joined with Metacomet and numerous raids were launched against Puritan towns such as Middleborough, Dartmouth, and Lancaster. In September, Deerfield, Hadley, and Northfield were all attacked leading the New England Confederation to declare war on Metacomet on September 9. Nine days later a colonial force was beaten at the Battle of Bloody Brook as they sought to collect crops for the winter. Continuing the offensive, Native American forces attacked Springfield, MA on October 5. Overrunning the town, they burned majority of the settlements buildings while the surviving colonists took shelter in a blockhouse owned by Miles Morgan. This group held out until colonial troops arrived to relieve them. Seeking to stem the tide, Winslow led combined 1,000-man force of Plymouth, Connecticut, and Massachusetts militia against the Narragansetts in November. Though the Narragansetts had not been directly involved in the fighting, it was believed they were sheltering the Wampanoags. King Philips War - Native American Ascent: Marching through Rhode Island, Winslows force attacked a large Narragansett fort on December 16. Dubbed the Great Swamp Fight, the colonists killed around 300 Narragansetts for a loss of around 70. Though the attack critically damaged the Narragansett tribe, it led to the survivors openly joined with Metacomet. Through the winter of 1675-1676, the Native Americans raided numerous villages along the frontier. On March 12, they penetrated into the heart of Puritan territory and directly attacked Plymouth Plantation. Though turned back, the raid demonstrated their power. Two weeks later, a colonial company led by Captain Michael Pierce was surrounded and destroyed by Native American warriors in Rhode Island. On March 29, Metacomets men burned Providence, RI after it was abandoned by the colonists. As a result, the bulk of Rhode Islands Puritan population was forced to leave the mainland for the settlements of Portsmouth and Newport on Aquidneck Island. As the spring progressed, Metacomet was successful in driving the Puritans from many of their outlying villages and forced the settlers to seek the safety of the large towns. King Philips War - The Tide Turns: With the weather warming, Metacomets momentum began to fade as a shortage of supplies and manpower began to hamper his operations. Conversely, the Puritans worked to improve their defenses and began successful counterattacks against the Native American allies. In April 1676, colonial forces killed the Narragansett chief Canonchet, effectively taking the tribe out of the conflict. Allying with the Mohegan and Pequots of Connecticut, they successfully attacked a large Native American fishing camp in Massachusetts the following month. On June 12, another of Metacomets forces was beaten at Hadley. Unable to secure alliances with other tribes such as the Mohawk and short on provisions, Metacomets allies began to leave the ranks. Another bad defeat at Marlborough in late June hastened this process. As increasing numbers of Native American warriors began surrendering in July, the Puritans began dispatching raiding parties into Metacomets territory to bring the war to a conclusion. Retreating to Assowamset Swamp in southern Rhode Island, Metacomet hoped to regroup. On August 12, his party was attacked by Puritan force led by Captains Benjamin Church and Josiah Standish. In the fighting, a converted Native American, John Alderman, shot and killed Metacomet. Following the battle, Metacomet was beheaded and his body drawn and quartered. The head was returned to Plymouth where it was displayed atop Burial Hill for the next two decades. Metacomets death effectively ended the war though sporadic fighting continued into the next year. King Philips War - Aftermath: In the course of King Philips War, around 600 Puritan settlers were killed and twelve towns were destroyed. Native American losses are estimated at around 3,000. During the conflict, the colonists received little support from England and as a result largely financed and fought the war themselves. This aided in the early development of a separate colonial identity which would continue to grow over the next century. With the end of King Philips War, efforts to integrate colonial and Native American society effectively ended and a deep resentment took hold between the two groups. The defeat of Metacomet broke the back of Native American power in New England and the tribes never again posed a critical threat to the colonies. Though badly injured by the war, the colonies soon recovered the lost population and rebuilt the destroyed towns and villages. Selected Sources Society of Colonial War: King Philips WarGlobal Security: King Philips WarPilgrim Hall: King Philips War

Apple Inc Case Study Essays

Apple Inc Case Study Essays Apple Inc Case Study Paper Apple Inc Case Study Paper Operational Balanced Scorecard: Apple, Inc. Increasing customer expectations and a rapidly changing market are continually putting pressure on Apple to maintain a balanced scorecard. From the information reviewed, it is evident both financial and non-financial measures of Apple operations constitute the management of their strategic decisions and evaluations of the cost of quality measures. Using the balanced scorecard approach to define the financial positioning of Apple creates a clear picture as to what they can and should measure to balance the financials accordingly. It is a management system that enables them to illuminate their corporate strategy, mission, and vision- and put them into action, while providing current feedback for improving performance and results. The Learning and Growth Perspective In today’s fast-paced world of swift technological change, the level of knowledge and training held by Apple’s employees is imperative to their ability to remain a key competitor in a highly competitive market. Yahoo! Finance Investor Relations illustrates some qualities of the non-financial measures of Apple’s balanced scorecard in respect to the Learning and Growth perspective. It is necessary for employees to be in a continuous learning mode, and it is evident through Apple’s recent investments in training their rapidly growing number of employees. As of 2010, Apple Inc. employed 49,400 employees on a full time basis. That number has risen 34. 2% from 2009, a clear reflection of company efforts to foster formidable growth through innovations, development, and market ability. Employee satisfaction is also relatively high at Apple. Their â€Å"Think Different† philosophy is evident through all levels of operations, from product development and marketing, to the corporate culture amongst employees. According to PC Mag, â€Å"Steve Jobs has passed away, but Apple employees will remember him fondly. When Jobs left Apple in August, he had one of the highest approval ratings for a chief executive by his employees, as documented by Glassdoor. com. Employee empowerment at Apple creates an opportunity for Apple employees to express their creativity through innovative design and foster continual improvements on a business process, customer, and financial measures perspective. Apple’s success is heavily reliant on the intelligence and abilities of their employees. It is imperative Apple continue to promote employee empowerment, boast low employee turnover, and generate high employee satisfaction, as the Learning and Growth perspective establishes the foundation of a balanced scorecard. Continually improving performance in the Learning and Growth perspective will enable Apple to improve its Internal Processes, and therefore increase customer satisfaction, and generate better financial performance. The Business Process Perspective Internal business processes are imperious in Apple’s ability to evaluate their business and understand whether they are meeting and exceeding their customer expectations. In July, 2011 Steve Jobs said â€Å"We’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent†. Considerable growth and record profits are a clear indication that internal processes at Apple are working effectively. Apple’s ability to conform to customer requirements at an internal level are illustrated through their success and double-digit revenue growth. The Customer Perspective Apple operates in different market segments with their multiple personal computing products, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players. The customers are at the heart of Microsoft’s operations. From reviewing Apple’s 2011 third quarter results, it is clear from increased revenues in three out of four of their market segments are reporting growth in revenues. Although revenue growth is not the sole indicator of customer satisfaction, it is clear their good financial performance is directly related to their decision to target specific customer segments, while distinguishing their customer needs and wants throughout each segment, thus creating future value. According to NY Times, â€Å"In the last decade, Apple has redefined the music business through the iPod, the cellphone business through the iPhone and the entertainment and media world through the iPad. Again and again, Mr. Jobs gambled that he knew what the customer would want, and again and again he was right. † Exponential growth in each of these market segments illustrates a high level of customer satisfaction. Consistent improvement of design qualities have led to increased revenue growth. To Steve Jobs, â€Å"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. † Financial Perspective The financial perspective demonstrates the customary need for financial data to be manipulated through metrics in a way that illustrates the fitness of Apple’s core businesses. This information is imperative for Apple to publish to their shareholders and potential investors. As Apple Inc. is a publically traded company, their financial data is available online. Investors can look for potential risks facing the company, which may or may not deter potential investors. The following is an excerpt from Investor Relations, Earnings and Financials; Third quarter results for 2011 illustrate Apple’s ability to create increasing shareholder value. We’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent†¦We are extremely pleased with our performance which drove quarterly cash flow from operations of $11. 1 billion, an increase of 131 percent year-over-year,† said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. Looking ahead to the fourth fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $25 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $5. 50. † Increases in operating income from productivity gain, operating income from growth and revenue growth allow Apple Inc. o manage their costs and unused capacity and build strong customer relationships, resulting in increased shareholder value. Costs of Controlling Quality vs. Costs of not Controlling Quality According to the text from class, â€Å"The American Society for Quality defines quality as the total features and characteristics of a product or service made or performed according to specifications to satisfy customers at the time of purchase and during use. † There is no doubt that Apple is a successful company. From reviewing the Apples’ financial statements, it is clear Apple has cornered the market on â€Å"cool†. Apple has bravely marketed themselves as a company that makes products that â€Å"just work. † However, this success does come at a cost. Costs of Controlling Quality Prevention Cost: Apple, Inc. According to AppleMatters. com, â€Å"In terms of hardware, Apples success is overloading its own Quality Control. With manufacturers that need to produce a record number of Macs, iPods, iPhones, and accessories, it is without a doubt that some testers overlook several tests in order to ship out as many Apple products as possible to the world. By appealing to business, education and the general consumer, Apples products reach a larger target audience than other computer manufacturers, requiring more units to be produced and shipped as soon as possible. † Maintaining consistency in quality in regards to Apple suppliers, design engineering, and testing of new materials is imperative to the future success of Apple. Investments in research and development and quality control are an example of one of Apple Inc. prevention Costs. From the material reviewed, it is evident that Apple has invested considerable amounts of their time and money into RD. The calculated estimate is that these investment costs will create future revenue growth through the reduction of internal and external failure costs incurred by re-work and spoilage, and customer support, while increasing value in their value chain. Appraisal Cost Apple Inc. is well known for their high quality products, and quality control is imperative to their success. The costs of quality (COQ) Apple incurs to prevent the production of low quality products is high, as they differentiate themselves from their competitors. Jobs  obsesses about competitors and forces his employees to do the same, to make sure Apple doesn’t grow complacent  he pushes all products to have leading edge components. Mr. Jobs  embraces Disruption, doesn’t fear seeing it in his company, doesn’t mind it amongst his people, and works to create it in his markets. And he makes sure Apple constantly keeps White Space projects open and working to see what works with customers – testing and trying new things all the time  in the marketplace. Just as investments in testing and RD are an example of controlling the cost of quality (COQ), Apple’s process of inspecting the goods before sale is an example of a COQ and can be referenced as an appraisal cost. The continual process of managing Apple’s COQ, such as the inspection of finished goods will ensure decreases in the costs of not conforming to quality standards, in respect to external failure costs, including warranty repair and customer support, maintaining their high levels of current customer satisfaction and fostering further growth opportunities. With the amazing success of Apple Inc. ver the last decade and rumors of new products on the way, Apples Quality Control will need to grow and continue to expand to maintain Apples standards of products that just work. Apple Inc. in the Context of the Theory of Constraints In context to the Theory of Constraints, and according to material reviewed regarding Apple Inc. , it is clear the company strives to maximize their â€Å"throughput† while minimizing their operating expenses for labor, sales, and administration, while simultaneously decreasing investment costs incurred from inventories, plant and equipment. In the market for technology, Apple faces the biggest bottleneck, created by the increasingly demanding market for new technology and innovations. Early adopters of technology want the products Apple Inc. produces yesterday, respectfully. There is tremendous pressure for Apple to continue to produce the most innovative products in a time-sensitive matter in order to meet the needs and wants of their customers, foster future growth and capitalize over competitors. When there is a delay, such as in the production level incurred by a potential supplier shortage for a component part, or lack of quality from a particular supplier, Apple’s system performs at a lower rate than the rest of the production system, and the system fails to operate at maximum capacity. Internal inspection of supplier products must be inspected prior to being used by Apple to produce their products, and because the delay would translate into a low production level, and increase costs everywhere else, the point of limited production becomes the source of the bottleneck. The bottleneck in this example for Apple could be solved by ensuring there is more than one supplier, or increasing the level of quality control for internal inspection, as to reduce the risks of experiencing a bottleneck in production because of the supplier shortages or lack of quality control from the component parts, while being able to react swiftly to potential risk factors and maintaining their production system efficiently and effectively. Critical Success Factors: Apple, Inc. Cost and efficiency, quality, time, and innovation are the critical success factors that can make or break a company. Customers expect companies to exploit the benefits of maximizing their critical success factors through the value chain. The competition in the software market and in the rapidly changing technological market is fierce, and it is clear Apple Inc. stands strong throughout their decision making process concerning their cost and efficiency, quality, time, and innovation. Cost and Efficiency From analyzing Apple Inc. SEC findings, it is evident they intend on creating value in the value chain to customers through ability to produce highly differentiated products at a low cost in regards to RD, while simultaneously producing products at a relatively low cost to consumers. The figure below illustrates Apple’s level of RD investment in respect to other key competitors. RD expenditures at Apple are merely 2% of overall Revenue. This is five times lower than Google and six times lower than Microsoft. Figure 1. It is clear Apple has made considerable investments towards the level of their cost and efficiency, a low cost in respect to performing the activity in the value chain function. It is clear the benefits in sales revenues and customer relationship acquisition and management at Apple Inc. are complimented through their low levels of investment in their RD, separating them from their key competitors, and thus giving them a competitive advantage in the market. Quality â€Å"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. † Steve Jobs. Quality is what has separated Apple from the competition year after year. Record breaking revenues are an indication that Apple’s customers keep coming back for more. Apple’s success can be seen through their unprecedented levels of quality at a cost affordable to the mass consumer market. According to the text used in class, Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, quality as a key success factor is defined as the philosophy behind total quality management (TQM), in which â€Å"†¦management improves operations throughout the value chain to deliver products and services that exceed expectations. TQM encompasses designing the product or service to meet the needs and wants of customers, as well as making products with zero (or minimal) defects and waste and with low inventories. † Time The time it takes to develop user friendly hi-tech products is imperative to Apple’s success in the fast paced market of hi-tech products and software development. The speed in which Apple produces products is what has defined and created their image thus far. Short product life cycles are communal throughout the market, and Apple Inc. is constantly being pressured to be first in industry in the market year over year. Innovation Steve Jobs on Apple, Inc. â€Å"A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets. † Innovation is the final key success factor. Without innovation, Apple would be worthless. â€Å"A constant flow of innovative products or services is the basis for ongoing company success. The management accountant helps managers evaluate alternative investment decisions and RD decisions. As cited above from the text used in class, innovation breeds success. Apple’s success is largely due to their ability to be very calculated in decision making pertaining to investments of time and money in their RD. In the many examples of innovation Apple has demonstrated through their products, it is evident Apple Inc. is aware of the market needs and wants and is consistently capable on capitalizing on the opportunities that come from being a market leader with the newest and â€Å"coolest† products. To Steve Jobs, â€Å"Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works. Over the past decade, Apple has launched five legitimately groundbreaking innovations: The iPod. The elegant MP3 player that started Apples decade of disruption. iTunes. Beautiful software with a powerful business model that showed that people would, in fact, pay for music if the price was right and the interface was simple enough. The iPhone. Dubbed the Jesus Phone by supporters, a smartphone that three years later still hasnt been matched by rivals. The AppExchange. Sure, no one needs 98 percent of the apps that Apple offers, but wow, what a selection. The Apple Store. The quietest part of Apples revolution, today close to $2 billion worth of goods move through Apple revolutionary stores. It is very evident through the success over the last decade that Apple consistently exceeds the mark on innovation again and again, even in a market that is highly competitive and dominated by other very strong competitors. References: http://biz. yahoo. com/ic/12/12644. html pcmag. com/article2/0,2817,2391785,00. asp#fbid=-03YEURba_U apple. com/pr/library/2011/07/19Apple-Reports-Third-Quarter-Results. html http://files. shareholder. com/downloads/AAPL/1432412872x0xS1193125-10-238044/320193/filing. pdf apple. com/pr/library/2011/07/19Apple-Reports-Third-Quarter-Results. html http://topics. nytimes. com/top/news/business/companies/apple_computer_inc/index. html hobo-web. co. uk/the-best-steve-jobs-quotes-putting-a-ding-in-the-universe/ apple. com/pr/library/2011/07/19Apple-Reports-Third-Quarter-Results. html Horngren, C. T. , Datar, S. M. , and Rajan, M. (2012). Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Fourteenth Edition. applematters. com/article/apples-quality-control-is-overloaded/ applematters. com/article/apples-quality-control-is-overloaded/ quora. com/Apple-Inc-2/Why-is-Apples-R-D-budget-so-low-relative-to-competitors quora. com/Apple-Inc-2/Why-is-Apples-R-D-budget-so-low-relative-to-competitors Horngren, C. T. , Datar, S. M. , and Rajan, M. (2012). Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Fourteenth Edition. ISBN: 978-0-13-210917 Horngren, C. T. , Datar, S. M. , and

Porphyrias Lover, My Last Duchess and To His Coy Mistress Essay Example

Porphyrias Lover, My Last Duchess and To His Coy Mistress Essay Example Porphyrias Lover, My Last Duchess and To His Coy Mistress Paper Porphyrias Lover, My Last Duchess and To His Coy Mistress Paper and he is now full of love and happiness due to a beautiful damsel fleeing from the storm and seeking shelter. This poem is inclusive of the weather and another character unlike My Last Duchess which includes only one character, the rich man. This poem may be less egotistical but still just as sinister, unpleasant and inclusive of death. He falls deeply in love with Porphyria and wishing that time would stand still he took her hair in one long string, and wound it Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. Unlike seeing her as an object, he sees her as a wonderful woman, on a higher level, but the twist is whilst they are in such deep love with each other he kills her. This may be seen as selfish as in the last poem but she loved him too so in his twisted mind it was fine to keep this moment where they love each other forever, and to do this he kills her. He still is in just as much praise of her as before and believes she is such a brilliant woman. Like the last poem this is sinister, but is very passionate. To His Coy Mistress is also very passionate, but is not cold like the others. It is more for comic purposes as the way in which the man talks to the mistress to get her in bed with him is comic. My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires, and more slow; An hundred years should go to praise. He rudely and comically uses vegetable love as a metaphor for his penis erecting and then says how he wants to praise her. The first stanza therefore is all about the lustful man saying that if there was time enough he would spend it praising her. This is all very comic and would seem so to the coy lady. I believe it would make her laugh and blush and the man to her would seem witty and appealing. However, unlike in the last poem where the woman is seen as a wonderful woman who is on a higher level, here he is trying to reduce her and bring her down to his level and in to his bed, literally. It retains however the passion. This passion is in the form of lust and Porphyrias Lover is more passion in the form of love, however disturbing it may be. In conclusion love in these poems is portrayed in a number of different ways. My Last Duchess is very cold poem where the woman is objectified and there is a distorted view of love. There is also little passion shown. Porphyrias lover is quite a passionate poem, which portrays the woman as respectable and brilliant. However the love becomes sinister as in My last Duchess. To his Coy Mistress is much more light hearted than the others and is comic. The poem is quite passionate, but lust is the form of passion and that is not true love, but a love that like in My Last Duchess objectifies the woman. Also the women in the two poems are seen as less important as in Porphyrias Lover which represents the woman as the most important thing in the world. Therefore Browning poems are more sinister and different to Marvell which is more like Donne as their poems are more co mic and lustful.

The conflict of duties owed to the state and duties owed to conscience Research Paper

The conflict of duties owed to the state and duties owed to conscience - Research Paper Example The gravity of the conflict at this point is underpinned by the fact that Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, had just decreed that as a rebel brother, Polyneices’ body was not to be accorded proper and holy funeral rituals on one hand. In this light, Polyneices’ body was to be neglected in the battlefield, as carrion for scavengers and worms. On the other hand, because of the persuasion that her brother Polyneices deserves to be buried, Antigone is compelled by her conscience to burry Polyneices, despite the death penalty which may accompany this act. To show that all odds are against Antigone’s persuasion that Polyneices is granted proper burial, all the Theban Elders and the Sentry have pledged their support to support Creon and Creon’s edict concerning Polyneices’ body. Thus, in intending to have Polyneices buried, Antigone is actually going against the duties and dictates of the Theban state. Unlike Antigone, Ismene is not able to overcome the fear of capital sentence (Riley, 101). The truth above corresponds with that of the civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite all the obstacles that had been placed against civil rights activism for the African American. The obstacles against engaging in civil rights activism for racial equality was imperiled by possible detentions, intimidating investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (the FBI at the time had formed COINTELPRO) and even possible violent ambush by white supremacist groups (Sussman, 43). On one hand were these state-orchestrated dangers as a real threat and as a reason for Martin Luther King Jr. not to engage in civil rights activism. On the other hand, was Martin Luther King Jr.’s strong and indubitable persuasion that the African American and other people of color had the right to be treated with dignity. King’s noble belief in racial equality prevailed over these dangers and setbacks and ultimately even over the love for his own life (Amin, 156). Again, according to Seamon, to show that the conflict of duties owed to the state and duties owed to conscience are a thematic reality in Antigone, Antigone and her sister Ismene are imprisoned temporarily, when they neither deny having engaging in Polyneices’ burial, nor shown any remorse for the act. It is also made clear that Antigone could eventually lose her life and the love of her life, Haemon. However, all these setbacks, however serious they are, do not shake or dissuade Antigone’s resolve at all. This is because Antigone and Ismene totally believed that it was right to burry Polyneices (Seamon, 279). The development immediately above parallels that of Martin Luther King Jr. King was totally convinced that African Americans and other people of color were equal to white Americans and as such, had to be treated equally in all spheres of human existence, public and private. Just like Antigone, King was also subjected to incarceration. King was arrested in 1963 and sent to Birmingham City Jail. Like Antigone, King lost his freedom, his character was assassinated (King was subjected to smear campaigns which portrayed him as a communist ideologue, an adulterer and as a man so controversial that only suicide could absolve him of his problems and controversies.

Polaroid, R.I.P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Polaroid, R.I.P - Essay Example Post SX-70 Polaroid faced a number of unsuccessful inventions and business ventures which crafted the fall of the once hugely successful and innovative company which failed to keep pace with the even newer technologies developed in the industry (Whitford, 2001). The article gave all the credits of the rise and fall of Polaroid to its founder Edwin Land. According to Whitford it was he who had the vision of realizing the idea which was only a dream of a child at that time. The article cited Elkan Blout, the then vice president of research of Polaroid saying that Land had a unique ability to differentiate between an excellent idea and an excellent product. Keeping in mind the concept of value capture he was aware of the fact that not all the excellent ideas can be turned into an excellent commercial product and until commercialized any good invention remains latent without any profitability (Chesbrough and Rosenbloom, n.d.). While inventing new technologies Polaroid showed the successful application of the techniques of capturing values. Its first unique product was Model 95 which was accepted exceptionally in the photography market. But Polaroid did not stop here, it recognized the requirement of constant innovation and improvement to remain and grow in the market as a company. Thus it practiced constant research and development procedures under the supervision of Edwin Land to ultimately invent a product SX-70 which was stated to be a bundle of inventions including new motor, new power source, new optical system and most importantly a thoroughly new film with the ability to be dispensed with the need for timers and peel-away negatives to produce color print instantly. The SX-70 cameras were recognized as the most revolutionary product in the history of photography and were compared with the revolution humankind experienced with the visit to the moon (Whitford, 2001). This invention

Comparative assessment of options for the management of municipal Essay

Comparative assessment of options for the management of municipal solid waste - Essay Example The imperative problem in these countries is lack of resources. This problem produces several others problems which directly or indirectly effect environment of these countries. In addition to this Cambodia has to face natural calamities like flood, drought etc each year. These again contribute in enhancing environmental problems in this country. (Dos, 2005) Cambodia is a small country with many rivers. Major rivers of Cambodia either drain into Tonle Sap or into the Mekong River. The Cardamom Mountains & the Elephant range divide the region into three zones. In the eastern zone rivers flow into Tonle Sap. In the western zone rivers pour into Gulf of Thailand. While the rivers of southern zone flow towards south on the eastern side of the divide. Tonle Sap gets seasonal flow of water. In months of September & October due to monsoon rains ,the flow in Mekong river increases enormously .Thus water overflows and inundates the delta. Flowing north ward this water empties into Tonle Sap. As a result the lake overflows, there by increasing its size from about 2,590 sq km to about 24,605 sq km. These recurring floods are not only big blows to the economy of the Cambodia but also cause devastating effects on the environment of the effected places. After flood decaying plants and animal bodies carried with flood water are remains scattered throughout the places. Due to which the atmosphere of those places get polluted. Decaying substances get dissolved in ground water as well as in fresh water of water bodies. This cause post flood famines in this country. After flood when the water level of Tonle Sap retreats a new layer of sediment gets deposited. Due to annual flooding and poor drainage the surrounding area of the lake gets transformed into marsh lands. During dry seasons these marsh lands are unusable for agriculture .Comparatively lesser amount of silt is carried away from the lake by Tonle Sap River than deposited by Mekong River. Thus gradually silting the lake and decreasing its water level and causing scarcity of water in dry seasons. Cambodia suffers from occasional droughts. These droughts cause soil erosion and reduce soil fertility, which declines agricultural yield in favorable season. Cambodia being an agricultural country, to cope up with this problem increasing yield substantially was necessary. To fulfill this purpose use of fertilizers and pesticides are increasing day by day. Pesticides can be divided into three subgroups namely Insecticides, Fungicides & Herbicides. Insecticides comprise of Chlorine, Phosphorous, Carbonate chemicals such as DDT, Aldrin etc. Herbicides are generally used for controlling growth of weeds. These cause less harm to the environment than insecticides. Example of Herbicides are Atrazine , Propachlor etc. Herbicides do not leave long term effect on soil. Fungicides are mostly used in vegetable farms and orchards. The factors such as soil type , depth of water table , rain fall infiltration and persistence

Grammar edit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Grammar edit - Essay Example Together with my group mates, I was forced to present our final project in class. When it was my turn to speak, I felt so nervous. My heart started to beat so fast. Because of my nervousness, I failed to deliver my speech the way I planned to. It also made me forget important facts I was supposed to inform my classmates. Eventually, the only thing that mattered to me is that the presentation has ended so soon. In another class, I was also required to summarize a book chapter in front of my classmates. Since I was so eager to improve my speaking abilities, I decided to spend a few hours a day practicing what I had to say in front of my classmates. To remove my nervousness in front of so many people, I asked some of my friends to be my audience. I also listened to what my friends would say about the way I speak and act during the presentation. Sometimes, I record my own voice and stand in front of the mirror to check the way I pronounce each word and how I was sending out some non-verbal cues to other people. Since then, I was able to ease and control my anxiety. Gradually, I felt so much confident when being asked to speak in public. Personally, I consider my zone of optimal functioning as the low zone. When having low levels of anxiety, I tend to become less stressed. Basically, low level of anxiety and nervousness made me perform better. Each time I experience high levels of stress, I tend to perform

MGM grand Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MGM grand Fire - Research Paper Example What could occur if a Second annual computer conference COMDEX’80 would not be held in Las Vegas when the blaze started? I woke up to screams of â€Å"fire†. I got dressed immediately, but by the time I went to the hallway, I could not get out because the smoke was so thick †¦ I did not break my window because there was so much smoke outside. (Canon, M. p.17) The MGM Grand Hotel was constructed during 1972-1973 as a 23-floor building with 2100 rooms that was on top of the great ground-floor entertainment center that accommodated a casino, showrooms, get-together room, and sell space. When the MGM Grand was finished in 1972, it was the biggest hotel on the planet. Though similar to all other Vegas gambling places where slots and table games gather the profit, the stress was on getting it up and running so the returns would begin running in to reimburse for high costs prior to the expected earnings. Having that a main purpose, MGM Grand was allowed to open with almos t no fire protection at all, to the point that minor precautions, like fire doors, were installed only after insurers were about to list the place as â€Å"unprotected†. Later, after the fire, an investigation confirmed that the fire spread so rapidly due to many installations and design flaws. Sometime early in the morning of November 21, 1980, something caused an electrical ground fault. The electrical wiring, which was powering the refrigeration unit for a food cabinet display, sparkled inside the soffit. Hotel’s restaurant Deli was closed for the night so the fire burned for a while, undetected. When the hotel originally opened, the Deli was working around the clock. On that ground, MGM Grand also got an exception on installing sprinkler system. However, open hours have changed. Had the Deli be open, the fire would likely be detected and easily contained. As it was closed for the night, hours passed before the fire found fresh oxygen, and burst into a fireball cros sway the catwalk in the casino. Within only six minutes after the fire was discovered, the whole casino area was ablaze, and the fire was spreading very rapidly. The Clark County Fire Department Unit was alarmed at 7:15 AM, and firefighters from the station straight across the road came in just 4 minutes, in time to witness the fire burst. During the five minutes, fire destroyed plastic and other inflammable materials, and spread through the casino at a speed of nineteen feet per second. The fire burnt the manual alarm amplifiers prior to the manual alarm was activated, so the majority of visitors became aware of the fire only at the time when they noticed or felt smoke, saw fire unit apparatus, or were informed by other visitors. Because the construction was equipped with sprinklers only in some parts, there were not any sprinklers in the major casino area. No automatic smoke recognition or fire alarm system was installed, with only manual pull devices set up throughout the hotel. The area protected by sprinklers at the east and south sides of the casino aided in extinguishing the fire. Force from the fireball raged out the front doors of the hotel all the way down to the northwest side. Blaze ran into the roofed entrance and valet part, wounding several passers-by and destroying a number of parked vehicles. Because of the upright gaps with insufficient protection and the non-stop working heating, and air-conditioning system, smoke spread all the way through the building.

HRD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HRD - Essay Example However, in accomplishing this particular objective of long-run sustainability, employee absenteeism rate is argued as a major challenge for Human Resource Managers (HRM) that is quite likely to result in declining productivity of the organisation, increasing conflicts amid the employees and hindered sustainability of the entire organisation (Cascio & Boudreau, 2010). Emphasising the severity of the effects of absenteeism, the discussion henceforth focuses on examining the issue on the basis of critical theoretical explanation. In this regard, various relevant theories have been considered in order to evaluate the factors that contribute towards the increasing the number of employees’ absenteeism rate in the modern day context. Employees’ Absenteeism Rate Employee absenteeism is often attributed as one of the most serious and challenging issues prevailing in organisations today. It is evident that employees are among the key assets for HRM in context to their operationa l efficiency and sustainability. Efficient and dedicated performances of the employees result in higher productivity, which further tends to have favourable impacts on the operations of the business. Conversely, inefficient performance of employees has often been observed to have led to lower productivity, which further contribute to a continuous decline in the company performance altogether. Absenteeism is viewed as a habitual pattern of absence deciphered by employees obstructing them from executing their responsibilities in the most effective manner. It is worth mentioning in this context that according to the modern managerial notion, high absenteeism rate of employees in workplace is often attributed as a by-product of poor work satisfaction owing to lack of motivation and morale (Cascio & Boudreau, 2010). To gain a comprehensive understanding on the increasing rate of employee absenteeism, certain relevant theories and concepts have been explained in the discussion below. Soci al Learning Theory of Employee Self-management Social Learning theory is a particular concept that has been applied in the workplace with the intention to encourage employees towards obtaining adequate learning experiences in their working process. This theory can be observed to be directly relevant with the behaviour and psychology of the employees. The theory basically states that people in the society learn mostly through their personal experiences that are acquired by their presences among others or through social interactions to be more precise. The theory further depicts that people in the society mainly learn by imitating or by observing the approach or actions of others. It is deemed that this theory have both positive and negative aspects associated with it in context to the workplace attitude of employees (French, 2011). According to Bandura (1971), employees in the workplace learn from others in a particular process, which includes attention, retention, reproduction and m otivation. Employees in the workplace is deemed to pay attention to what others do, often without judging the interpersonal differences or the after-effects of such a behaviour. As per the Social Learning theory, absenteeism habits of other employees might also be considered as a factor that attracts employees in the workplace and causes negative effects on their performances. As per this theory, the

Grammar edit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Grammar edit - Essay Example Together with my group mates, I was forced to present our final project in class. When it was my turn to speak, I felt so nervous. My heart started to beat so fast. Because of my nervousness, I failed to deliver my speech the way I planned to. It also made me forget important facts I was supposed to inform my classmates. Eventually, the only thing that mattered to me is that the presentation has ended so soon. In another class, I was also required to summarize a book chapter in front of my classmates. Since I was so eager to improve my speaking abilities, I decided to spend a few hours a day practicing what I had to say in front of my classmates. To remove my nervousness in front of so many people, I asked some of my friends to be my audience. I also listened to what my friends would say about the way I speak and act during the presentation. Sometimes, I record my own voice and stand in front of the mirror to check the way I pronounce each word and how I was sending out some non-verbal cues to other people. Since then, I was able to ease and control my anxiety. Gradually, I felt so much confident when being asked to speak in public. Personally, I consider my zone of optimal functioning as the low zone. When having low levels of anxiety, I tend to become less stressed. Basically, low level of anxiety and nervousness made me perform better. Each time I experience high levels of stress, I tend to perform

HRD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HRD - Essay Example However, in accomplishing this particular objective of long-run sustainability, employee absenteeism rate is argued as a major challenge for Human Resource Managers (HRM) that is quite likely to result in declining productivity of the organisation, increasing conflicts amid the employees and hindered sustainability of the entire organisation (Cascio & Boudreau, 2010). Emphasising the severity of the effects of absenteeism, the discussion henceforth focuses on examining the issue on the basis of critical theoretical explanation. In this regard, various relevant theories have been considered in order to evaluate the factors that contribute towards the increasing the number of employees’ absenteeism rate in the modern day context. Employees’ Absenteeism Rate Employee absenteeism is often attributed as one of the most serious and challenging issues prevailing in organisations today. It is evident that employees are among the key assets for HRM in context to their operationa l efficiency and sustainability. Efficient and dedicated performances of the employees result in higher productivity, which further tends to have favourable impacts on the operations of the business. Conversely, inefficient performance of employees has often been observed to have led to lower productivity, which further contribute to a continuous decline in the company performance altogether. Absenteeism is viewed as a habitual pattern of absence deciphered by employees obstructing them from executing their responsibilities in the most effective manner. It is worth mentioning in this context that according to the modern managerial notion, high absenteeism rate of employees in workplace is often attributed as a by-product of poor work satisfaction owing to lack of motivation and morale (Cascio & Boudreau, 2010). To gain a comprehensive understanding on the increasing rate of employee absenteeism, certain relevant theories and concepts have been explained in the discussion below. Soci al Learning Theory of Employee Self-management Social Learning theory is a particular concept that has been applied in the workplace with the intention to encourage employees towards obtaining adequate learning experiences in their working process. This theory can be observed to be directly relevant with the behaviour and psychology of the employees. The theory basically states that people in the society learn mostly through their personal experiences that are acquired by their presences among others or through social interactions to be more precise. The theory further depicts that people in the society mainly learn by imitating or by observing the approach or actions of others. It is deemed that this theory have both positive and negative aspects associated with it in context to the workplace attitude of employees (French, 2011). According to Bandura (1971), employees in the workplace learn from others in a particular process, which includes attention, retention, reproduction and m otivation. Employees in the workplace is deemed to pay attention to what others do, often without judging the interpersonal differences or the after-effects of such a behaviour. As per the Social Learning theory, absenteeism habits of other employees might also be considered as a factor that attracts employees in the workplace and causes negative effects on their performances. As per this theory, the