The Lockwood Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Lockwood Group - Essay Example In the similar context, it can be stated that rather than paper and packing business, Lockwood had expanded its firm with the food industry. The company had gained long-term profitability in the market related to the food and packing industry. Further, they had expanded the business into other fields (The Lockwood Group, Inc, â€Å"New Strategies for the 21st Century†). The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the major situation faced by the Lockwood Group. Though the company had faced certain problems in the competitive market, it is essential to analyze their marketing situation and provide appropriate recommendations for the company. Therefore, it can be stated that the main motive of the paper is to provide recommendation for future by analyzing the Lockwood Group’s present as well as past marketing scenario (The Lockwood Group, Inc, â€Å"New Strategies for the 21st Century†). Major Situation Faced by the Lockwood Group Lockwood Group had faced major ch ange in the competitive market, as the company had initially started the business with packing and paper section. During the second part of the 20th century, Lockwood Group was engaged in producing auto parts, electrical equipments, metal alloys, electric motors, communication equipments, furniture, appliances, power equipment, specialty equipments and consumer products. However, Lockwood could not succeed in the above mentioned businesses. All the segments were sold or liquidated at losses (The Lockwood Group, Inc, â€Å"New Strategies for the 21st Century†). Though the Lockwood was bearing a loss, the CEO of the company has taken various majors in the 21st century to set up long-term profitability in the competitive market. Their main business was financial services, energy, and packaging along with forest products. The company had reinvested the funds in vicinity promising the expansion of cost-effectiveness. In 2001, Lockwood had increased its sales from the four main bus inesses due to adoption of various strategies as it has been stated earlier that the company had expanded the business in the four sectors (The Lockwood Group, Inc, â€Å"New Strategies for the 21st Century†). Financial Services Lockwood had started financial services in 2000s. The company had appointed the investment banker to trade the unwanted business and had invested the capital in financial business. Lockwood insurance sector had good profitability in the market. Visualizing the profitable financial scenario, the company had extended to insurance operation. In 2002, Lockwood financial services had three broad categories i.e. life insurance, real estate and causality insurance. Though the company was strongly positioned in the financial sector, its competitors were high, because Lockwood financial division was petite by the national standards (The Lockwood Group, Inc, â€Å"New Strategies for the 21st Century†). Energy Lockwood had operated in the energy business since 2004. The company had entered into energy businesses through the acquisition of the EasyGas Energy. Previously, Lockwood had small businesses in the offshore and onshore oil industry but later on expanded the firm into Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi. Lockwood had gained long-term

Environmental Impact Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental Impact Analysis - Assignment Example It also leads to social problems that are interconnected to the perception of the people who reside in the area where such plants are situated. Nuclear power initiates from fission reaction in which the uranium atoms split into smaller constituents. The energy that is released during this fission reaction is used to produce steam. This steam is then further used in turbines to produce electricity. This method of electricity generation in accumulation is responsible to generate 20 percent of the electricity that is produced within the United States of America. There are more than hundred nuclear power plants currently in the United States of America that are producing this form of energy. (U.S. Energy Information Administration) Uranium is a radioactive metal that is cannot be regenerated by any humanly process. There are specific methods that are used to extract Uranium like the conventional mining technique or by leaching of chemicals. As soon as uranium has been extracted it is the n sent to the uranium processing plants so that they are converted in fuel that can be consumed for various purposes. This fuel is then carried to the nuclear plants for further work. (uranium reserves estimate, EIA) Furthermore when the fuel reaches the plant it is sent to the nuclear reactor, reactions occurs when the neutrons present in uranium undergo collisions that generates heat and produces a chain reaction. Through this process heat is obtained which produces steam to generate electricity in turbines. The environmental impacts of such reactions are mentioned as follows: Despite the fact that the government and other authorities in concern have formulated strict laws to protect the health of the people as well as to secure the environment irrespective of that there are still a vast range of the environmental problems and impacts that are linked to the generation of electricity through this medium. In my paper I would be discussing the various ways through which this form of energy is impacting us. Heat rejection is one of the major concerns that our environment is facing. In the same way we experience with the thermal generated power plants which produce electricity through fossils etc. nuclear power plants also need some way through which they can radiate heat energy which is part of their condensing system. (Bulletin of the atomic scientists, 1946, pg 17)The quantity of the heat that is generated from the various parts of the generating plant differ but an estimate states that about 60-70% of heat energy is released from the plant when a nuclear fuel is ejected.It is usually seen that some of the plant that uses a cooling towers whereas some plants have created an artificial lake or a naturally formed body of water. (Hoffelner, 2013, pg 309) Apart from that it is greatly affecting the marine life that are a part of the environment in which the heat is given out. Another adverse effect that the heat causes in the water is the changing of rate at which the rivers flow also the anomalies present in the water of the sea. A research that was done shows that the apparent rise that occurs in the sea level is almost 3mm/year in the Northeast coast of United States of America. (Kopytko, 2011, pg 318-333) These nuclear power generation plants do not produce normal radiation like carbon , sulphur dioxide or various other gases present in the environment, instead of that these plants radiate emissions which contain uranium which is far more harmful and has

Summary 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary 7 - Essay Example This can validate the identities of culturally diverse children as well as be the role models for these children. Teachers who can understand and appreciate culturally different strengths and cultural resources of children are found to be much more effective teachers are more likely to provide enriching environments that celebrate everyone’s differences. However, since the teachers themselves are exposed to mainstream education where cultural diversity is not as celebrated as it is today, it is quite a challenge to adapt. To address this need to adapt to the culturally-heavy classes, there are professional seminars and trainings that have been offered to them. One of these is the Family Literacy Nights with Latino families and their children since the Latino population comprise the biggest chunk of the culturally diverse population. With Family Literacy Nights, the teachers have interacted with the parents and the kids themselves. This project helped quashed misconceptions about the culturally-diverse families. With family literacy nights, the teachers have firsthand information about the immigrant families. They empathized with the frustration that the parents have over language learning and their affinity to use their old language. They understood that these people can never think like the native speakers. They also learned that the parents want to help their children excel in their English-based classes but cannot help since they do not know the language. They also knew reasons why some families cannot come to school activities: location and time matter. It is not that they do not support their children’s education, it’s because they do not have the means of transportation and the time to go to events (they have to work, and they are too poor to have a car). They also knew not to prevent the children from speaking their native language as this fosters sophisticated linguistic abilities (they had English-only policies

Strengths in basketball Essay Example for Free

Strengths in basketball Essay In my Analysis Peace I am going to be analysing Alex combs at basketball. I chose Alex because he is a talented basketball player and I have seen him improve in basketball in various ways since yr7 and I feel I can help him improve even more. Alex has adapted himself into becoming a centre and thats the position I have chosen to help him improve on. I believe with a little bit of direction Alex can make it a far way in basketball. To make it at a professional level in basketball and to be able to become a centre you need to have certain qualities and aspects. You need to have self belief because basketball is a game of trail and error. A great centre is always willing to try over and over again. Above all a great centre needs to be enthusiastic and determined a successful centre generally wants the ball and will do anything to get it. Also a great centre has the ability to change the flow of the game. He also has the ability to change his team mates attitude. A centre needs to be aware of the rules especially the 3 second rule. In the game basketball the centre controls the game he is the heart of the team offensively and defensively the more rebounds he makes the more points your team will score lastly You need to be tough dont worry about contact with other players dont be afraid to use your strength and speed to keep other players from getting the ball. Including those following aspects there are other attributes that affect your performance in basketball such as: Strength: Strength is needed so you are able to compete for rebounds when shots are missed. Having that extra strength gives you the advantage against other players and enables to position yourself. This is done by boxing out (sometimes referred to as blocking out). Boxing out is where you position your self between the basket and another player and push them away by backing into them therefore you have to be close to the basket at all times. Strength is needed so that you can protect the ball after a missed shot. Its important to rebound so that the other team does not get another chance of scoring and offensively you create another opportunity for your team to score. Speed: Speed is need so that you get to the ball before anyone else after a missed shot allowing you to get the rebound. This also means your reaction and movement time needs to be quick. Speed is need so that youre able to intercept dangerous passes also you need speed endurance allowing you to run back and defend. Speed is also need when attacking your opposition mainly fast breaks. Reaction Time: Needs to be fairly quick so youre able to intercept passes you need quick reactions allowing you to get between the passer and receiver. Agility: The ability to change your direction and body position is highly important in basketball. Its useful to help you to get past defenders. Agility is also important allowing you to change direction very quickly enabling you to attack the basket at speed. Its also important to be agile whilst defending it helps you stay with you defender. Basketball is a fast pace game that requires a lot of movement effort and work. Balance: Balance is need so that youre able to stay on your feet which mean you are unlikely to get injured. Its also important because it allows you to perform a successful jump shot or a lay up. Balance is important because if youre being shoved you dont wobble or fall over easily. Stamina: Stamina is important enabling you to run back to defend your basket and to run up and down the court to get hold of rebounds. Stamina gives you the ability to finish a full intense basketball game. Skill: Being ambidextrous having the ability to perform skills with both your left and right hand this a good advantage in basketball because it gives you confidence in your play and gives you various ways of attacking confusing your opponent. Left hand lay up Right hand lay up Section 2 Alexs Strengths Watching Alex Perform In school matches and watching him in practise gave me the chance to analyse him carefully. I have recognized some of his strengths in basketball.

Developing leadership after change in management

Developing leadership after change in management Explain in detail what you believe are the possible consequences of Sir Terry Learys Resignation from Tesco. Mr. Leahy stands out from other great CEOs in Europe because he has taken a business that was stalling and made it consistently outperform the entire sector. Hes done that while never being a celebrity. Hes always kept his feet on the ground.- George Cox, Former CEO and Chairman, Unisys Corporation (UK). The first thing you notice is that Terry has a completely different character to anyone else you know. That tells you that people who are successful dont have the same makeup as everybody else. In Terrys case, his approach is low key. He is sharp and much focused: he is very close to his people and he doesnt spread himself too thin. Above all else hes a very good leader.- Allen Leighton, Chairman of the Royal Mail Group. Introduction Background Sir Terry Leahy was born on the 28th of February 1956, in Liverpool. He grew up in the Belle Vale district in Liverpool where he studied at St. Edwards College and earned a management science degree (an Upper Second Class honours in Management Sciences) at the University of Manchesters Institute of Science and Technology in 1977. In his early life, Leahy briefly worked stacking shelves and washing floors in the London branch of Tesco during his school holidays, which could have played an important part in his decision to join Tesco after his graduation. Having lost to another candidate in his first application in Tesco, Leahy applied again and became a marketing executive in 1979. From the time when he joined Tesco, Leahy was identified as a capable and prospective employee who if developed could benefit the organisation. He was promoted 1981 as a marketing manager and from 1984 to 1986 held the position of marketing director for Tesco Stores Limited. He was later appointed as the commercial director of fresh foods in 1986; in 1992 Leahy was appointed to the board and finally became chief executive (CEO) in 1997 on the retirement of his mentor Lord MacLaurin (then CEO) who sought after appointing a successor to lead Tesco into the international market and increased its market share. Tesco was a follower of Marks Spencer and Sainsbury in terms of strategic market decisions but that changed when Leahy decided it is time to stop playing catch-up and start leading the UK grocery market through market knowledge and devising effective strategic plans. This change in focus led to the birth the Tesco Clubcard (loyalty program) and the Tesco Value lines both of which was a successful strategic plan and has been a key to the success of Tesco in the UK. During his era, Tesco has tightened its lead as the UKs largest retailer and has grown considerably locally and internationally with opening of stores in USA and China. In April 2005, Tesco announced a pre tax profit of  £2 billion with over  £37 billion in revenue. This proved that Tesco under his administration was too successful and growing too fast. Following his appointment to the Tesco board, Leahy has been awarded and recognised locally and internationally. In 2003, he was award Britains Business Leader of the Year and the Fortune European Businessman of the Year for 2004. In 2005, Management Today recognised him as Britains most admired business leader and was finally honoured with a Doctor of Science from Cranfield University on the 7th June 2007. Despite the fact that Tescos financial performance under Leahys administration had been exceptional, he was criticised on numerous counts, especially for the companys Human resource policies. The average wages paid by Tesco were among the lowest compared to others (Sainsbury and Marks Spencer) in the retailing industry in the UK. In addition, the wages were paid on an hourly basis and the time taken off for tea breaks was not included while calculating the total working hours. The company was also criticised for its radical policy on sick leaves, for examples, it refused sick pay to workers on their first three days absent from work. Regardless of the criticism, Tesco claimed that their worker were in support of such scheme because most were tired of covering for those who called sick. Furthermore, the company claims to have already seen a reduction in the amount of days taken off sick in the stores using the schemes, which were first introduced in Ireland. Another radical scheme is to offer more holiday allowance to workers but reduce it every time a worker takes a day off sick. Tesco believes that such scheme would discourage workers from taking more sick leaves, hence improve their performance and contribution to the company. However, many workers union association condemned these schemes, claiming that it does not motivate or improve employee morale. The company was also criticised for its planned movement into the organic food market. Many organic food watchdogs question whether the supermarkets policy of sourcing their organic products from large industrial-style farms, who are only attracted to organics because of higher profit margins rather than ethics, as well as importing from poor countries in Africa who can barely feed themselves such as Zimbabwe, is really true to the original social and environmental aims of the organic movement. Very few of Tescos organic products are locally sourced from local farmers. Tescos stance on competition in the UK retail industry is less favourable to its rivals; the company already has 32% of the retail market share and is gunning for more. Many of its competitors have complained that the company does not play fair but instead is aiming to totally get rid of them. The entry of Tesco into the pharmacy and health products markets has severely affected stores like boots and other pharmacy outlets with analyst claiming that some of these stores would have to close down due to fierce competition and jobs would be lost. The company was also accused of practising predatory pricing, many off-licence and small grocery shops claimed Tesco intentionally reduces some of its products below the production cost and increase others so as to lure more customers. Presently, Tesco has 2482 stores in the UK, approximately five times the number it had 13 years ago. This has led to complaints by small retailers about its impact on local shops and the creation of Tesco towns w here shoppers have little choice in deciding where to go shopping. Furthermore, there are also accusations that as the leading grocery company, it has too much power over the supply chain and influence prices by driving down prices for the likes of farmers. Effects After the exit of Sir Terry Leahy in March 2011 he will be only 55. Philip Clarke who currently is in-charge of Tescos international operations in Asia and Europe and oversees group information technology will be taking over. Shares, Market share and profits The first effect of Leahy exit was felt few weeks after he announced his resignation with Tescos shares falling 9.7p or 2.4% to 397.4p, its lowest close value since October. Many of Tescos investors have developed full believe in Leahy during his era and have trusted his strategic plans due to their successful outcomes. This I believe will change after he retires. There is now uncertainties on how Philip Clarke would perform or if he is the best man for the job. According to David McCarthy, an analyst of Evolution Securities, said: We are not surprised by Phils appointment or the restructure, but we are surprised Terry is going early, we had expected an announcement saying he would step down in 2013, not 2011. This confirms that the news of his early resignation from Tesco came to most as a shock and unexpectedly. He went further saying that: In losing Terry, Tesco is losing its best player and therefore the team is weakened. The competition will be happy. This I believe is true beca use his track record as Tescos CEO has been exceptional. For example, when Leahy took over from his mentor, Tescos UK market share was just 14.5% but 10 years later the company is well above its rivals (Asda, 16.8%) with 30.6% market share. If Tescos share prices continue to fall, some investors might be forced to sell off their shares which would not be favourable to the company. The possibility of this happening cannot be ruled out because since Leahy took over as CEO, many investors have invested in Tesco because they believe in his strategic plans which have been successful and now that he is leaving scepticism would arise if Philip Clarke is able to deliver as he did. After Leahys exit, Tesco financial performance would be affected in terms of revenue and profits. During his term, Leahy achieved revenue income of over  £30 billion and profits of over  £1 billion, which most believe was only possible due to his early strategic plans and continuous development. When he leaves, the realisation of such abnormal profits would take time to achieve. Hence, a more realistic revenue and profits target would be set which most believe would be far less than what Leahy achieved during his tenure. Sir Terry Leahy has done most of the job, as some market analyst would say; therefore, Philip Clarke should have an easy take ahead of him. However, this might be totally wrong because the management of Leahys success might be more difficult than him achieving his own. Every new chairman would always want to leave their mark or boast of their accomplishment and if care is not taken, focus might be lost. Philip Clarke is presently less popular and well known by Tescos investors, but given his already long career at Tesco and success in developing the international business, many market analysts consider his appointment as the new CEO to take-over from Leahy to be a good one. Furthermore, many analysts believe his strategic approach as the new CEO would be evolutionary but would not make any radical departures from the current organisational strategy executed by Leahy. Market analyst forecast that UK like-for-like sales growth is likely to remain downcast in the medium term due to low level of food price inflation rather than due to the leadership change. According to market analysts, Trading in international markets is expected to gradually improve as economic recovery slowly comes through. Long-term earnings growth prospects remain good, with international and Tesco Bank likely to be key drivers. Given our expectation that the group will deliver at least low double-digit growth in underlying earnings per share and dividends in each of the next three years, we consider the valuation attractive. The recommendation remains accumulate. (Guardian, 2010) In summary, regardless of the fall in share prices, no severe effect is expected when Leahy resigns as Tescos CEO. Organisational Culture According to Pettinger, 2007, the culture of an organisation is the basis for its management style, and individual and collective attitudes, values, behaviours and beliefs. It is therefore essential that the ways in which things are required to be done are clearly established, understood, and accepted by all concerned. During Leahys regime, he introduced a culture that focussed on raising standards and providing value to its customers. The change of such culture might be disastrous to the business operations of Tesco. Organisational culture could posses both strong and weak attributes on the organisation itself and these could determine its working relationships with employees or stakeholders, conditions and productivity. For instance, Strong culture is said to exist where staff respond to stimulus because of their alignment to organisational values. In such environments, strong cultures help firms operate like well-oiled machines, cruising along with outstanding execution and perhaps minor tweaking of existing procedures here and there. Conversely, there is weak culture where there is little alignment with organizational values and control must be exercised through extensive procedures and bureaucracy. Leahy emphasises the importance of vision, value and culture in his 10 business commandment. In his words, Visions, values and culture are critical to the success of Tesco. According to Leahy, Tescos vision is to create an environment where customers could benefit in order to earn their lifetime loyalty. This is the vision that gave birth to Tesco Clubcard which has proven to be an effective customer loyalty or retention scheme. The continuation of this vision by the future CEO is important and any attempt to quickly introduce a new one might have negative effects on the company. It is particularly important that culture is designed, shaped and reinforced by those in top and senior positions, Pettinger, 2007. In order to do this, standards of attitudes, values, behaviours and performance much be set by those in charge in an organisation and employees must be required to follow these standards. (Pettinger, 2007, p.342), went further to argue that, if organisation culture is allowed to emerge, the result is that people or employees think, believe, behave and act according to their own priorities and the process of their peers; and this leads to the tendency to pursue their own agenda. Evidently, according to Pettingers argument, Leahy resignation will trigger a change in the organisational culture of Tesco. The new CEO (Philip Clarke) might attempt to introduce his own working culture but it is vital that he understands the existing culture at first before any attempt to change it. This process might be costly and lead to waste of resources because he would prefer to bring in his own team or hire new one rather than working with the old players in the executive level. Also, those who are loyal to Sir Terry Leahy might end up resigning, seek employment elsewhere or go with him, which means that talent would be lost during and after his resignation. A major re-organisation at the top level will see half the board members change their responsibilities to reflect the companys increasingly international nature. However, some market analysts are worried that this will cause disruption further down the organisation which is not favourable to the whole change process. Organisational culture is a powerful and effective way of life that organisations adopt in order to run their business, however, according to Pettinger, 2007; culture should be changed and developed. The continuous changes in technology, markets and customers needs means that organisations must be prepared to develop new working culture to meet this. Some leaders or managers who were successful in one organisation might fail in another because of their organisational culture. Therefore, it is very important for new leaders to learn, change or accept an existing culture in the organisation. However, culture change can be long and costly, especially where people resist, Pettinger, 2007, p.359. In any case, it is vital that any culture an organisation adopts must create a strong and positive relationship with its employees because this encourages positive view of the organisation and its works. Leadership In the present business environment, the term leadership becomes increasingly important to the organisational development and success of organisations (Eisenbach et al. 1999). This is due to the uncertainty of the business environment of all industries which are globally connected. For this reason, many organisations now depend on the skills, knowledge and experiences of their leaders in order to be successful and competitive. The aptitudes of leadership and management are clearly the most important factors to consider when the organisations are experiencing market downfall (Graetz 2000). In such a situation, the skills and experience of the leader and management would be put to test in devising the best strategy that could be adopted to overcome the troubled times. Besides, where faith exists in the abilities and capabilities of leaders, employees or workers would have high expectations from the leaders and management. Employees will expect to see an effective and reasonable strategy, as well as good communication skills from the leaders during the critical period of the organisation.   According to Adair, 2004, a leader must demonstrate certain attributes in order to effectively exercise his or her leadership functions. These characteristics are: Group Influence a leader must be able to generate the willingness to achieve a desired goal or objective. Command a leader must be able to make quick and effective decisions whenever a situation demands it and must be able to stand by this decisions Coolness a leader must always remain composed under criticism. Judgment a leader must possess the ability to utilise available resources and information in a logical and reasonable way to produce effective results. Responsibility a leader must exhibit continued effort combined with a degree of reliability in order to complete a task or achieve an objective (Kermally 2005).   Even though leadership trait theories are popular, it is viewed by many academics as a very one-dimensional hypothesis. Some academics argue that theories attribute the success of leadership solely to his or her personality and physical traits or characteristics without regard to the situational context. Hence, the trait approach is considered too simplistic as a justification of the complex leadership phenomenon. During Leahys era, he has exhibited the above attributes and proven to be a true leader. His resignation would mean that his successor must also be able to portray such attributes which some think would bring about unnecessary pressure. In addition, some analyst argue that for Philip Clarke to be successful, he has to prove Leahy is second best and he can do a better job which most believe is a tough job to do. Leahy exit signifies a leadership change and organisational re-structure, his 13 years tenure as CEO would have created a rigid leadership style which most is used to hence might be difficult for existing team to adapt to the new CEOs (Philip Clarke) leadership style. Tesco is considered as the most successful retail business in the United Kingdom with a market share of over 30%. The success of Tesco was fast-tracked by the appointment of Terry Leahy as the companys Chief Executive Officer. Leahy is considered by many as a visionary leader who led the company into a series of organisational changes that aimed for the company to become more customer-focused and to develop the companys workforce. Leahy believes that the success of a leader depends upon maintaining a happy workforce and earning the support of the workforce. According to him, there are four things that a leader must be able provide his workers and followers in order to satisfy and motivate them. These are: A job that is interesting to do A chance to get on in life To be treated with respect A boss who helps and cares After Leahys exit, his successors principles might be contrary to his, hence a clear organisational vision would not be sent out to the entire Tesco workforce. The fear of the Unknown might de-motivate Tescos employees and make them less engaged, although, few of these employees are aware of how the new CEOs leadership style might affect them. Impacts of Leadership Styles on the Organization According to Rosen (1989), leadership style refers to the trait pattern exhibited by a leader on the process of decision-making and exercising authority. There are different types of leadership styles, for example, there are autocratic and participative leaderships. Under an autocratic leadership style, the group or organisation is managed under an authoritarian leader who leads by force or with fear. A participative leader in contrast, possesses the same power as the autocratic one; however, he chooses to exercise his power differently during the decision, policy-making and work-role assignment. He is more diplomatic and engaging when making decisions. Leahy adapted a participative style of leadership in which the employees are given voice in the decision-making process. The CEO also gives emphasis on the importance of appointing many leaders to handle organisational process. The organisational structure therefore became more flat where the roles and responsibilities of everyone are clearly stated. Leahy delegates leadership roles to individuals in the organization in order to ensure that the company, with more than 300,000 employees, operates effectively. The leadership style that is manifested by Terry Leahy and is imitated by the leaders in the company has changed the structure of the company. The company has adapted an organic form of organization. An organic system is characterized by low to moderate use of formal rules and regulations, decentralized and shared decision making, broadly defined job responsibilities, and a flexible authority structure with fewer levels in the hierarchy. An organic structure is more appropriate t o those organizations where there is a need to be innovative. The pressure of innovation suggests a structure that can respond to environmental variations rapidly so it is necessarily loosely defined and flexible. The organization tends not to be formalized nor are roles too closely structured (Salaman 2001, p.106). Organic organizations are stratified primarily in terms of expertise, and leadership accrues to those who are the best informed and capable. There is much more commitment to the organization, with the result that formal and informal systems become indistinguishable. A framework of values and beliefs, much like those characterizing a profession, develops that becomes an effective substitute for formal hierarchy (Miner 2002, p. 449). The company has adapted a simpler and flatter organizational structure. Recommendations In order to remain successful in todays highly competitive business environment, many organizations are coming up with strategies to tap the full potential of their human resources. A companys people can be a source of competitive advantage. This is philosophy behind employee empowerment and participative management. Employees are now seen as partners. Because of this, organizations are giving more power and responsibilities to their people. Employee empowerment and participative management will increase productivity, give rise to better decisions, improve employee morale and job satisfaction, elicit greater commitment among employees, encourage flexibility, make employees adapt to changes faster, improve communication and increase employee trust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the current requirements of leadership in Tesco is the development of participative management skills in leaders. The leaders at Tesco need to possess the necessary skills in order for them to practice participative leadership properly. The skills that the leaders must possess are: 1. Interest and concern 2. Communication 3. Conflict resolution 4. Negotiation 5. Compromise 6. Synergy 7. Flexibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participative leadership is a leadership style which involves members of a group, sub-unit or organization identifying essential goals and developing procedures or strategies to reach those goals. Implementing participative management will also help the company to develop people in the organization to become leaders. Through participative management, people in the organization are encouraged to take part in decision-making, express their ideas and to showcase their talents and skills. The discovery of hidden talents and skills will not only help the group, sub-unit or organization reach their goals it will also alert the organization to people within the organization who have the potential to become leaders. Future Requirements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One famous contemporary writer on leadership is Warren Bennis (1994). He believes that a leader must have a direction, he must earn the trust of his followers, he must kindle hope and optimism, and he must be results-driven. On the other hand, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (1987) believes that a leader must   seek to challenge and improve the process, inspire a share vision, enable other to act, act as s role-model, and encourage the heart of the followers. The future leader must not only focus of achieving the task. He must also learn to develop his people. He needs to learn the value of motivation. The future leader must know how to motivate using monetary rewards and he must also use psychological and emotional rewards to motivate his people. The future leader must find the balance between task-orientation and relationship-orientation. On the one hand, he needs to lead his people in achieving their shared goals and objectives an d on the other hand, he must be able to build strong relationships with the people around him. The importance of emotions must also be recognized.   Proposals for the Development of Leadership 1. On-the-Job Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company must recognize that the primary place for leaders to learn is on the job and on the line. In order to the company to help leaders learn within the organization, educational facilities must be established inside the organization. The company needs to appoint educators that will educate and develop leaders in various countries and places where Tesco is operating. The organization must institute a Corporate Education department that will be under the HRM department. Within the Corporate Education, a Business Leadership Development (BLD) must be established. This group will focus on executive development and overall leadership development, and it will also be responsible for all training specific to leadership. Business Leadership Development should be used to come up with systematic ways to build the capabilities of Tescos business leaders. The emphasis of the BLD process must be to provide development opportunities at key transit ion points in individuals careers. To accomplish this goal, a curriculum must be designed and must be operate under the following principles: Based on real problems and strategic initiatives Linked to business objectives and company values Segmented by customer needs Sponsored by CEO and senior executives Comprised of global content and delivered worldwide Based on validated competencies for success 2. Leader Sponsorship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another strategy to effectively develop leaders is through sponsorship. Through sponsorship, senior executives in Tesco will sponsor and will actively participate in leadership development. Example of leader sponsorship activities are involvement of senior executives in management conferences and facilitating dialogue sessions after a leadership development program. Senior executives can also facilitate panel discussions. Through sponsorship, Tescos successful leaders will be able to share and to instil the characteristics, skills and attributes of effective leaders to the future generation of leaders. 3. Leadership Development and Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to identify, evaluate, and develop future leaders, Tesco needs to come up with a list of competencies that is needed to become an effective Tesco leader. These competencies can be used as criteria in leadership development. These criteria will also be helpful in providing content for the leadership and management assessment processes, through activities like self-assessment, multi-score feedback, and assessment simulations. They will help identify and qualify external executive development resources. 4. Corporate Universities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important for Tesco to realize that their most important assets are human capital and the know-how that reside in the minds of the employees. With this realization, the company needs to establish a corporate university. A corporate university links employee learning to overall company strategy, and as a result a corporate university will become a connective tissue for the organization. 5. Developing Emotional Intelligence among Leaders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One important development area which must be focused on is emotional intelligence. Future successful leaders need to recognize and learn to influence the emotions of the people around them. An effective leader must have a high level of Emotional Intelligence. Dubrin et al (2006) identifies five factors of emotional intelligence. These are: 1. Self-awareness the leader of the future must be able to understand his or her emotions and how these affect other people. 2. Self-regulation the leader of the future must be able control his emotions and react with appropriate emotion in every given situation. 3. Motivation money or status is not the only motivating factor for a successful leader in the future. He finds fulfilment and satisfaction in performing his tasks. 4. Empathy the leader of the future responds to the unspoken feelings of others. 5. Social skills having effective social skills is important. The leader of the future must build relationships and networks of support. He must build positive relationships with the people around him or her. In summary organisations should consider adopting leadership styles that best fit their aim and objectives, and organisational culture. No best leadership style can be easily devised; hence what works best in one organisation might be disastrous in another. Management Role Beardwell and Claydon (2007) argued that the roles of management include the following: Planning: The managers have to set objectives and target, make predictions and in general make plans. It is important for managers to set objective and what they expect in order to know what sort of outcome they are looking to get from employees and what they have to do to achieve such objectives. Organising: The managers have to decide what activities employee department or workers should undertake and organise their activities. This can involve delegating authority, co-ordinating the work of others, and establishing communication channels and authority (Beardwell Claydon, 2007). Leading: Managers must ensure they provide the required leadership and guidance for their employees by setting good examples (Using themselves as the examples). Controlling: It is essential for the managers to control employee activities. This can be done by comparing daily or weekly employee performance with the planned or expected outcomes. Motivating: Motivation is an important factor managers could employ in order to increase employee performance, morale and influence them to put their best effort toward work.

Jesus the Christ: The Historical Jesus Essay example -- Biblical Histo

The Birth of Jesus We can see the birth of Jesus in Matthew (Matt 1:18-25) (Matt 2:1-12), Luke (Luke 2:1-2) and John (John1:1-18). Both Matthew and Luke tell us that Jesus’ birth place was in Bethlehem in Judea in the time of King Herod of Judea and Emperor Augustine of the Roman Empire. The gospels tell us that Jesus was born in a stable under an inn (Luke 2:7). This is unlikely because Bethlehem was the birthplace of David, who was Joseph’s ancestor. This means that there may have been a house with his cousins or extended family there. The Hebrew word for inn can also be described as ‘the upper room’ and in traditional Jewish houses, there was an upper room where the family stayed and underneath this was the place where the animals were kept. This could have been seen as the stable under the ‘inn’. Now because of the census performed by Emperor Augustine the Jews had to travel to their ancestral home that meant that the house Mary and Joseph were staying at could have been full, so the upper room was full, making the only available room for the baby to be born in the stable below. Jesus was thought to be traditionally born in 1AD after the Monk Dionysus Exigus tried to calculate the year, from the Birth of Jesus, by taking away the reigns of Kings. Unfortunately Exigus made a few errors and Jesus is now thought to be born a few years BC. We know that in Matt 2:1 and Matt2:16 (Luke 1:55) that King Herod the Great was the ruler of Judea. From Roman records we know that King Herod died in 4BC near the feast of the Passover. This means that the earliest time Jesus could have been born was early 4BC. Herod plays an integral part in determining Jesus birth date because it also could explain the Bethlehem Star, which we... ...s full and to stop the spread of disease. But after the three days cleansing period, some of the disciples returned to find the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus missing. Grave robbing was a serious crime punishable by death and it would have taken a team to roll the stone. But Jesus had told his disciples many times that he would rise again on the third day, which they obviously did not comprehend. He spoke to them later on when he appeared to them and to show he was still human said â€Å"see my hands and feet, that it is I Myself; handle and see: For a spirit hath not bones and flesh; as you see I have† (Luke 24:39). He shows the apostles the obvious wounds he still has from his crucifixion, and then invites them to touch him, vanquishing thoughts of an apparition. Work Cited New American Standard Bible. New York: American Bible Society, 1997. Print.

How was civilian life affected by WW1? Essay

The First World War greatly changed the lives of civilians living in Britain. When the war first broke out, there was a tremendous feel of euphoria and patriotism. In the first four weeks after the declaration of war, over 500 000 men had enlisted in the army. This was partially due to the belief that it would be over by Christmas, and was the opportunity for a holiday; government posters also played a part in the persuading of people to enlist. A popular government poster was that of Lord Kitchener, pointing at ‘YOU’ and with a caption that read†¦ ‘ Your king and country need YOU’. In 1914 the government passed a law that gave them power over civilians daily lives, this was known as DORA (The defence of the realm act). It allowed the government to seize any buildings or land they needed which would contribute to the war effort. This also included the take over of industries. As soon as this law was passed the government immediately seized coalmines. This was an important industry in the contribution towards the war effort. An act under ‘DORA’ was that of the watering down of beer in breweries, this was so that to keep workers focused once they returned from their lunch break. This was one of the stranger acts but yet it was obeyed and carried out. ‘DORA’ also had the power over the media and newspapers. This was so that civilians saw what the government wanted them to see. This therefore kept the general enthusiasm about the war on a high, and the public did not know the true horrors of trench warfare, nor the massive number of casualties and deaths the British army had suffered. Contrary to popular beliefs the British government also produced propaganda. This was in the form of posters. One poster depicts a German as a ‘mad brute’, another showed Germans murdering babies. Both of these posters encouraged Britons to hate the Germans. Another form of Government propaganda was that of a film, released in 1916, it was of the battle of the Somme. Many scenes in this film were staged and were not real. This gave the public who watched it the idea of brave and heroic soldiers fighting the war. This film was a success for the Government, as people did not question the films realism and welcomed it gladly. In 1915, Lloyd George became in charge of the ‘munitions crisis’. This crisis was that there were not enough people working in the key industries. People tended to go for the job that had better pay. He attempted to solve this problem by forcing people to stay in the factories where the government needed them most. Another way he tried was by introducing women into the factories, where once this had stereotypically been seen as the males’ job. This annoyed trade unions as they believed women would work for less and therefore would dilute the male’s wages. To make unions co operate they had to promise that they would pay women the same wage as men, and that as soon as the war was over women would not be kept on. The war really changed the role of women in society as, as men were going to war, jobs were being left unfulfilled. Lloyd George decided that women were as good and as skilled as men to carry out their jobs. Lloyd George and Emily Pankhurst both encouraged women to work in munitions factories. In 1915, 100 000 women registered for jobs but only 5000 were actually given them. This was due to opposition from trade unions. Another government scheme was set up named†¦ ‘ Women’s Land Army’ this was were women were recruited as farm workers, to grow crops and vegetables. This would contribute to the war effort. A slogan on a government poster read ‘Dig For Victory’. Any other jobs that had been once seen as the male’s job had been undertaken by woman and in many cases women could do the job just as good and sometimes better then the men. The fulfilment of these jobs helped dismiss the pre-war belief about women being incapable of doing ‘men’s jobs’. Due to the huge part women played in the war, in 1917 a bill was passed allowing women over the age of 33 the right to vote. In 1916, the government passed another law known as ‘the military service act’ this made all men between 18 and 40 eligible for active service. This was due to the decreasing amount of people volunteering to enlist in the war. Many people were angry at this act, as some did not want to join for political reasons and others because of their religion. These people were names ‘conchies’. By 1917, there was serious concern for the supply of food Britain had left. This was due to the sinking of British merchant ships by German U-Boats. As less and less food was being imported, the small amount of food that was still in circulation within Britain became expensive and many of the prises rose. Voluntary rationing was introduced in May 1917, but proved unsuccessful. So in 1918, compulsory rationing was introduced. This meant that people had to cut down on the amount of sugar, butter, meat and beer that they consumed. They managed to do this by giving everyone a book of coupons in which they bought food. Penalties were forced on those who broke the rationing rules. The First World War was the first war where Britons came under direct attack from the enemy. This was due to German bombers and Zeppelin warships. In 1915, German bombers bombarded Scarborough in which many innocent people had been killed. The government decided to use this to their advantage and encouraged people to avenge the attack on Scarborough by joining the army, yet again, here is British government propaganda. To conclude my essay I believe civilian life was greatly affected in World War 1. The war brought around the right for women to vote; conscription, compulsory rationing and also it changed many people’s views about war.