Thursday, October 24, 2019

Human Relations Movement Essay

In the first twenty-five years of 20th century owners and managers assumed that people came to work primarily because of economic needs which led to the development of classical management supported by Taylor and then to the scientific management of Fayol. However, by the 1930s, it has become a certainty, on the basis of research, that people have other needs primarily related not to financial fulfillment but to personal involvement. Since then, there were a lot of theorists that tried to explain what was that triggered and sustained human behaviour. As a result, the research of these â€Å"behavioural scientists† (kreitner 1999) became to what today is called the human relations movement. This study will be demonstrating the need for human relations movement and also if it has completely replaced classical and scientific management. (131) Before the human relations movement, companies were looking for a way to grow their profit by increasing the productivity and efficiency of the workers. The first and most important model user of the scientific method was F.W.Taylor. As an experienced worker, Taylor focused on the design of the manual tasks (David Buchanan, 1997) by rationalizing and standardizing production techniques. Taylor, in the words of Aitken, ‘was the first to synthesize and systemize the best that was known about the management of men’. (80) This researcher’s primary interest was the individual worker that was motivated by financial incentives. Although the planning, organizing and leading the worker’s tasks increased productivity and profit, when it came to methodology of people Taylor showed no concern. It is true that financial incentives kept workers motivated for a while but the closely controlled conditions of work which promoted a militaristic and mechanistic organization (Buchanan) led to a low employee morale. (70) Apart from Taylor, H. Fayol also analyzed the complexity of organizations . This theorist viewed organizations as akin to living organisms, possessing a life of their own and requiring the maintenance of harmony in order to function satisfactorily. As a result, he developed 14 principles designed to facilitate discipline and high productivity in a company. One of Fayol ’s principles was ‘Division of work’ which directed workers in completing certain tasks; other one was ‘Unity of direction’ which meant that all people in the organization had common goals such as making profit. Indeed, this code of principles is indispensable in organizations and seem to be of the utmost importance in the achievement of an effective organization. (113) However, the major disadvantage of both Fayol and Taylor’s ideas was the lack of concern with the interaction between people. Both theorists aimed to analyze and control the activities of people but did not include the employee in the decision-making processes of the organization. Also, these methods neglected the importance of other rewards apart from financial incentives such as job satisfaction, recognition between team-workers and personal achievement. As a result, the human relations movement needed to appear. (77) The notions of human relations movement and the social person, which gathered momentum through the 1950s, took shape in relation to the work of Elton Mayo. The theorist conducted the Hawthorne experiments which concerned the effects of scientific management on the worker in terms of absenteeism and fatigue (Cole). Therefore, Mayo did not exclude scientific management but wanted to help in improving the method. The experiment involved observing a group of six women in their workplace. Although there was some obvious criticism about the outcome of the research carried in five stages, the Hawthorne studies provided some important conclusions that contributed to a better understanding of human behaviour in organizations. (108) Probably the most important conclusion of the Hawthorne studies was that social relationships are at least as important as financial incentives and working conditions. Moreover, Mayo came to the conclusion that the person’s individual needs, supportive supervisors and team work had a powerful impact on job performance. Therefore, scientific management was not denied as an efficient method for the company but was questioned when it came to the social effects. (70) The Hawthorne studies were not considered important only for the conclusions provided but also for opening a path for other theorists who also focused on this approach. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, McGregor’s theory X and Y and Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory brought to managers’ attention the important roles played by individuals in determining the success or failure of an organization. Moreover, Mary Parker Follett who was not only a woman management consultant (kreitner) but also a writer saw employees as complex combinations of attitudes, beliefs and needs. (85) The human relations movement began to expand in time and organizations started to understand the vital importance of groups and social relationships at work and managers began to attend to employees emotional needs. Therefore, the working conditions were improved and workers received recognition as a distinct human being. Social researchers and managers also created new techniques intended to improve employees motivation: job enrichment, employee of the month awards, self-managing teams, incentives and corporate entertainment programmes. (73) In the new millennium, scientific management is still alive and plays an important role by offering companies a way of meeting their technical, economic and social objectives.(Buchanan) Assembly line si today examples

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

As/Ad Model

Macroeconomics – Chapter 10: The Aggregate Demand/Aggregate Supply Model * Keynesian Economics – Economists who focused on the short run * John Maynard Keynes – their leading advocate the originator of macroeconomics as a separate discipline from micro * Classical Economists – economists who focused on long-run issues such as growth * Aggregate Demand Management – government’s attempt to control the aggregate level of spending in the economy * Equilibrium Income – the level of income toward which the economy gravitates in the short run because of the cumulative cycles of declining or increasing production * Potential Income – the level of income that the economy is technically capable of producing without generating accelerating inflation * Paradox of Thrift – and increase in savings can lead to a decrease in expenditures, decreasing output and causing a recession * Multiplier Model – the model that was meant to ca pture Keynesian economics * This model emphasized aggregate output fluctuations * Explored why those output fluctuations generally would not lead to wild fluctuations in output – depressions * Instead lead to smaller fluctuations – recessions * The AS/AD Model – aggregate supply/aggregate demand Is a pedagogical model – designed to give a framework to organize thinking about macro economy * Does not focus on problems that occur because of interactions between individuals * Consists of 3 curves * Short-run aggregate supply (SAS) curve * Aggregate demand (AD) curve * Long-run aggregate supply (LAS) curve – highest sustainable level of output * The price level of all goods is on the vertical axis and the aggregate output is on the horizontal axis * It is a historical model – starts at one point in time and says what will likely happen when changes affect the economy * Aggregate expenditures (demand) – the sum of consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports – p. 234 * Discuss the historical development of macroeconomics * The depression began in the 1930s and lasted 10 years * During he depression output fell by 30% and unemployment rose to 25% * This was the beginning of macro’s focus on the demand side of economics * Keynes started asking what short run forces were causing the Depression and what society could do to counteract them * This created the framework that focuses on short-run issues such as business cycles and how to stabilize output fluctuations * By the 1950s, Keynesian economics had been accepted by most economists and taught almost everywhere in the US * In the 1970s inflation became a serious issue which meant that the multiplier model was not very helpful * It assumed that the price level is fixed * The standard model taught in macro then shifted to the Aggregate Supply/Aggregate Demand (AS/AD) model * Explain the shape to the aggregate demand curve and what factors s hift the curve * Aggregate demand (AD) curve – a curve that shows how a change in price level will change aggregate expenditures on all goods and services * It is downward-sloping The reasons for the downward slope are due to the: * Interest rate effect – the effect that a lower price level has on investment expenditures through the effect that a change in the price level has on interest rates – p. 234 * International effect – as the price level falls (assuming the exchange rate does not change), net exports will rise – p. 234 * Money wealth effect (real balance effect) – a fall in the price level will make the holders of money richer, so they buy more – p. 234 * The multiplier effect strengthens each of these effects * Multiplier effect – the amplification of initial changes in expenditures – p. 235 * Shifts in the AD curve – means that at every price level, total expenditures have changed – p. 236 * Shift factors of aggregate demand: Foreign Income – recessions and expansions occurring in other countries cause demand for US goods decreases or increases respectively * Exchange Rate Fluctuations – when a country’s currency loses value, relative to foreign currencies, demand for foreign goods decreases and demand for domestic goods increases; exports also increase * Distribution of income – * Expectations – expectations of future output and future prices * Government Policies – spending policy, tax policy, etc – p. 238 * When consumption expenditures increase, the AD curve shifts to the right, when consumption expenditures decrease, the AD curve shifts to the left * Explain the shape of the short-run aggregate supply curve and what factors shift the curve – p. 39 * Short-run Aggregate Supply (SAS) curve – a curve that specifies how a shift in the aggregate demand curve affects the price level and real output in the short ru n, other things constant * The curve is upward-sloping which means that other things constant, an increase in output is accompanied by an rise in price level * When aggregate demand increases, the price level rises * Two reasons that the SAS curve slopes upward, other things constant: * Upward-sloping curves in auction markets * Firms’ tendency to increase their markup when demand increases * The shape of the SAS curve reflects two different types of markets * The auction market – markets represented by the supply/demand model * Posted-price markets – prices are set by the producers and change infrequently * Often called Quantity-adjusting Markets – markets in which firms respond to changes in demand primarily by changing production instead of changing their prices * Shifts in the SAS curve: – p. 239 Changes in input prices, such as wages or supply costs * If input prices rise, the SAS curve shifts up, if input prices fall, the SAS curve shifts dow n * Change in the productivity factors of production * An increase in productivity shifts the curve down * A reduction of input costs per unit of output shifts the curve down * Changes in import prices of final goods * Import prices are a shift factor because they are a component of an economy’s price level * When import prices rise the SAS curve shifts up * Changes in excise and sales tax * Higher sales tax shifts the curve up * How much will the curve shift: The percentage change in wages and other factor prices minus changes in productivity * If productivity rises by 3% and wages rise by 7%, we can expect that the price level will rise by 4% for a given level of output * Explain the shape of the long-run aggregate supply (LAS)curve – p. 241 * Long-run aggregate supply (LAS)curve – a curve that shows the long run relationship between output and the price level * The position of the LAS curve is determined by potential output * Just where to position the curve is somewhat in debate * The range is bounded by a high level of output and a low level of output and the LAS curve can be thought of as being the mid-point of that range * The shape of the LAS curve * The LAS curve is vertical At potential output all resources are being fully utilized * A rise in the price level mean that the price of goods and factors of production, including wages, will rise * Show the effects of shifts of the aggregate demand and aggregate supply curves on the price level and output in both the short run and long run – p. 243 * Short run equilibrium is where the SAS curve and the AD curve intersect * If the AD curve shifts to the right * Price level will rise * Output will increase * If the SAS curve shifts up * Price level will rise * Output will decrease * Long run equilibrium is where the LAS and AD curves intersect * AD curve can only determine price level, it has no effect on output * If the AD increases, price levels rise Explain how dynamic feedback effects can destabilize the economy – p. 246 * * Discuss the limitations of the macro policy model – p. 250 * Fiscal policy – changing government spending and tax policy is a slow process * Changes cannot be completed in a timely fashion * Potential output cannot be measured accurately * Many other interrelationships that the model does not take into account * Rate of unemployment fluctuates and is difficult to predict * Falling asset prices and falling price level on expectations of aggregate demand * When there are pressures for price levels to fall there are also pressures for asset prices to fall

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Magnolia Essays - Culture Of The Southern United States, Magnolia

Magnolia Essays - Culture Of The Southern United States, Magnolia Magnolia In regards to the Magnolia Therapeutic Solutions Case Study and how my decision compared to the board members decision were closely the same. There were a few differentials that I feel that the full grant should have been issued to an extent but final decision of not being conducted. Mary showed substantial size of how much help was going to be needed during the September 11th attacks on America and with the experience of how Magnolia was conducted previously to help individuals with Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder. When the board made their decision to approve the budget for Magnolia it was done in haste; the grant should not have been submitted to the board within their budget so the board members could have seen what the true submissions would have been. With the past acknowledgment of how Magnolia supported individuals before September 11th and the success it brought it was only natural to follow through with what the board members did. I think we base our decisions off of facts, recognition and references from what is brought to our attention. Being able to go off those facts will be able to make our minds up how we want our decisions to go. Mary had shown a challenged yet great organizational infrastructure when conducting this organization. The employees of Magnolia had grown in numbers which meant that their grant was going to exceed what asked for the previous years; going from six employees to thirty-four is a high increase of funds to be shelling out. I feel I would of asked Mary to produce the records that correlated with the budget submitted; Mary did nothing more than put her budget together by using the grants and fundraising from the previous grant. Mary made her budget with a grant she was not yet approved; not even taking into consideration if the grant was reinstated or not.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Full Sail University Online MBA Program no GMAT Essay Example

Full Sail University Online MBA Program no GMAT Essay Example Full Sail University Online MBA Program no GMAT Essay Full Sail University Online MBA Program no GMAT Essay Full Sail University  Online MBA Program no GMAT located in beautiful Winter Park Florida, Full Sail College is an educational leader for students pursuing careers in the exciting entertainment industry. Established in the late 19oos, the school’s online program provides our students with an innovative and accelerated yet unique of education specifically geared towards career opportunities in all facets of the  entertainment  industry. Online degrees as with the majority of online degree programs are offered at the bachelor’s and master’s level, each one is designed specifically to provide you the students with special knowledge and real world experiences that will help you realize your career goals. Our school’s unique approach to education  combines both of these elements of creativity, art, and technical  strength combined  with a very solid academic foundation. Full sail has a very unique approach to curriculum emphasizes a very intensive, real world education system, using the latest industry  technology,  equipment and production processes. Our Students develop their skills in real world class recording studios and online programs along with spacious film sound stages and a very professional performing arts hall, all housed in a 1o0+ studio, 185+acre complex. Click the Banner below for the Official:   : Full Sail University Online MBA Program no GMAT

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Platt Amendment and U.S.-Cuba Relations

The Platt Amendment and U.S.-Cuba Relations The Platt Amendment set the conditions to end the United States military occupation of Cuba and was passed at the end of the Spanish-American War of 1898, which was fought over which country should oversee the governing of the island. The amendment was intended to create a path to Cuban independence while still allowing the U.S. to have an influence in its domestic and international politics. It was in effect from February 1901 until May 1934.   Historical Background Prior to the Spanish-American War, Spain had control over Cuba and was profiting greatly from its natural resources. There are two major theories as to why the U.S. entered war: promoting democracy abroad and gaining control of the island’s resources. First, the War of 1898 was popular with Americans because the government promoted it as a liberation war. Cubans and the well-known liberation force Cuba Libre began revolting against Spanish rule much earlier, in the 1880s. Additionally, the U.S. was already involved in conflicts with Spain throughout the Pacific in the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, citing the European nation as an imperialist and undemocratic power. Therefore, some historians and politicians theorize that the war intended to promote democracy and extend the reach of the Free World, and the subsequent Platt Amendment was intended to provide a pathway to Cuban sovereignty. However, keeping Cuba in the U.S. sphere of influence had great economic and political benefits. In the 1980s, the U.S. was suffering one of the greatest economic depressions in its history. The island had tons of cheap tropical agricultural products that Europeans and Americans were willing to pay high prices for. Further, Cuba is only 100 miles from the southernmost tip of Florida, so keeping a friendly regime protected the nation’s national security. Using this perspective, other historians believe that the war, and by extension the Platt Amendment, was always about increasing American influence, not Cuban liberation. At the end of the war, Cuba wanted independence and self-government, whereas the United States wanted Cuba to be a protectorate, a region with a mix of local autonomy and foreign oversight. The initial compromise came in the form of the Teller Amendment. This stated that no country can permanently hold Cuba and a free and independent government will take over. This amendment was not popular in the U.S. because it seemingly barred the nation’s annexation of the island. Though President William McKinley signed the amendment, the administration still sought annexation. The Platt Amendment, signed in February 1901, followed the Teller Amendment to give the United States more oversight of Cuba. What the Platt Amendment Says The Platt Amendment’s primary stipulations were that Cuba became unable to enter into treaties with any foreign nation other than the U.S., the U.S. has a right to intervene if it is believed to be in the island’s best interest, and all conditions of the amendment must be accepted in order to end military occupation. While this was not the annexation of Cuba and there was a local government in place, the United States had much control over the island’s international relationships and domestic production of agricultural goods. As the United States continued to expand its influence throughout Latin American and the Caribbean, Latin Americans began to refer to this style of government oversight as â€Å"plattismo.† Long-Term Impact of the Platt Amendment The Platt Amendment and military occupation of Cuba is one of the leading causes of later conflict between the U.S. and Cuba. Opposition movements continued to expand across the island, and McKinley’s successor, Theodore Roosevelt, put a U.S.-friendly dictator named Fulgencio Batista in charge in hopes of countering the revolutionaries. Later, President William Howard Taft went as far as to say that independence would be completely out of the question if the Cubans continued to rebel. This only increased the anti-U.S. sentiment and propelled Fidel Castro to the Cuban Presidency with a communist-friendly regime after the Cuban Revolution.   Essentially, the legacy of the Platt Amendment is not one of American liberation, as the McKinley administration had hoped. Instead, it stressed and eventually severed the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba that has not normalized since. Sources Pà ©rez Louis A. The War of 1898: the United States and Cuba in History and Historiography. University of North Carolina, 1998.Boot, Max. The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power. Basic Books, 2014.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

International Finacial Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Finacial Analysis - Case Study Example The accounting and financial reporting standards in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of Financial Reporting Council (FRC). It is an independent professional entity consisting of three auxiliaries viz. the Accounting Standards Board (ASB), the Urgent Issues Task Force (UITF), and the Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP). In the year 2000, the European Commission advised all the European Union listed companies to prepare their financial statements in full compliance with the IFRS for the financial years starting on or after January 2005, so as to enhance the comparability and transparency of financial statements (European Commission, 2000). Ever since then, all the companies in UK are required to prepare the financial statements under the standards issued by International Accounting Standards Board. In the United States, the accounting standards are issued mainly by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). These standards are known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles on the basis of which, companies in United States are required to prepare the financial statements (Nobes et al., 1997). ... These rules are produced both by the SEC itself and through SEC oversight of private standards-setting bodies such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Emerging Issues Task Force". There happens to be considerable divergence between the US GAAP and International Accounting Standards, however FASB and IASB are collaborating to minimise the discrepancies (Malthus, 2004). The FASB has been continuously working for the improvements in the accounting standards prevalent in the United States. This importance to disclosure and transparency of information has helped on the way of harmonising the US GAAP with the IFRS. In the year 2002, it provided its support to IASB and both the boards signed an agreement to act united in the pursuit of harmonisation of accounting standards and thus the FASB has taken a leadership role second to IASB in the internationalisation of financial reporting standards (Halliday, 2003). Classification Of Accounting Systems Both these countries i.e., the United Kingdom and the United States belong to the Anglo-American model as proposed by Nobes and Parker (1998; 2000) (Wolk et al., 2001). The standards issued by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) also come into the category of Anglo-American model. The six important factors of international differences with respect to accounting practices as proposed by Nobes and Parker (1998; 2000), both the countries have legal system based on common law, UK and US have strong equity system with greater shareholder influence, greater significance of stock exchange, both the countries have staunch power of accounting profession (Wolk et al., 2001) and both the countries demand

Friday, October 18, 2019

The impact of the internet an markting development a case study of Dissertation

The impact of the internet an markting development a case study of apple Inc. computers - Dissertation Example high end electronic gadgets like mobile phones with innumerable features, computers, laptops, tabs and many more items have drastically changed every aspect of human life (Hou & Rego, 2002, p. 1). Everywhere technology has taken a leap. From irrigation to the agricultural revolution, from scientific upheaval to the invention of nuclear power, technology has made its presence felt. The list is endless. In this era of globalization with the effect of technology, marketing has also evolved thoroughly in every sector. Earlier marketing used to be a part of business strategy where the main intention was â€Å"telling and selling† the product by force or by will through different mediums like advertisement, push selling, door to door selling etc. to achieve business target first and then to meet the customers’ need (Kotler, 2008). In short it would be defined as â€Å"meeting needs profitably†. (Kotlar 2007). But with time the strategy of marketing has changed and has taken a different form altogether. Nowadays the foremost aim of marketing is to satisfy customers’ needs by providing them with better services without comprising on the benefits of the company. Most of the companies with the help of technology and information started using marketing as an effective tool to build and maintain customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return (Kotler, 2008). In topical time, technology is a vital influence and underlines the choice of implementation strategies of international marketing mix and furthermore â€Å"enables the more effective control of a firm’s diverse international activities.† (Bach, 2007, p. 3). From the above mentioned quotation it is understood that marketing has taken a new dimension with the emergence of the Internet. In this age of Information Technology (IT) most of the companies are exploring their business to another level by diversifying their resources and expanding their busines s on the global platform. With the help of the Internet, companies are utilizing this opportunity to go to every extent to increase their sales, promote their products and services. In simple words it can be explained that Internet marketing helps to market the business online. The increase in the number of online businessmen over a period of time made Internet marketing even more popular and important these days. With the emergence of the Internet, the traditional marketing idea has changed. The broad networking model helped to change the organizational function related to the marketing campaign, altering products or change in the service based on feedback from the customer, shareholders and others related to the companies. Today E-commerce has become important for every company starting from small ventures to MNCs, public or private sectors and common public in general, even to those who are not accessible to the Internet also by effective word of mouth or other medium like radio television etc (Costa, 2001; Keinan, 2000). The online medium provides a faster rate of innovation than the conventional channel (Lee, 2001, p. 12). Thus today's Internet marketing has transformed to a higher level with a lightning speed with respect to website design and usability advances, e-commerce facility, optimization of search engines, pay per click marketing strategy, web analytics initiative via social media, from the booking of bus-train-flight ticket to search for a holiday destination, from online education to online