Leadership Management Profile - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1764 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Profile Essay Did you like this example? Introduction The assignment is based on leadership and its importance for managing an organization. The assignment includes solution of various problem based on two leadership models that are Hershey Blanchard Model and Path- Goal Model. The assignment further includes a complete description of both models. Lastly, the assignment incorporates a self- reflection based on leadership. Hersey Blanchard Model Hersey Blanchard Model is a style of leadership in which the leader must decide the form of leadership by their own according to the behavior of their subordinates. As such, it tends to be said that this model gives four kind of leadership styles as per which the leader can direct its subordinates. The type of leadership style among these four styles relies on the development, certainty and maturity level of the employees of the organization (Management Study guide, 2018). Hersey Blanchard Model is also known as Situational Leadership Theory as in this approach the leadership style is taken after as indicated by the circumstances or conduct of subordinates. Hersey Blanchard Model includes following styles of leadership: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Leadership Management Profile" essay for you Create order Directing: The first and foremost stage of this approach is leading the subordinates by the method of directing. In the initial time of joining the association, the employees need receiving directions from there seniors or leader. Currently the employee lack knowledge about the functioning and policies of the organization(whitehead, 2016). Therefore, the main motive of any leader at this time should by directing the subordinates about the association and its working. Coaching: Coaching can be represented as a stage in which the leaders try to gain the confidence of its employees. In this style, the main purpose of the leader is to build the factor of trust among subordinates. The leader further tries to improve the capabilities of its juniors in stage. In this style of leadership, the leaders act as a coach of the subordinates and provide suggestions to them at every level (Whitehead,2016). Supporting: In this stage, the leader acts more like a support system for its subordinates. Here, the main objective of the leader is to provide support the subordinates who are more committed to their work and who are ready to take responsibilities on their shoulder with full confidence (whitehead,2016). In this stage, the leader does not provide any sort of instructions. Their work is just to provide support to their juniors. Delegating: The main aim of the whole process is delegating the power or authority in the hands of the subordinates. At this stage, the subordinates are fully confident and are now capable to handle responsibilities. Therefore, in this phase, the leader tries to delegate their authority. Path-Goal Model The theory Path-Goal Model is propounded by Robert House and Martin Evans. According to this theory of leadership, the leader or the manager is responsible for providing all the information regarding the organization to the subordinates. In other words, it can be said that according to this approach the manager is responsible of providing a clear path of success to its subordinates. Path-Goal Model also has four stages or styles of leadership. These are as follows: Supportive Leadership: This is a style of leadership in which the leader tries to maintain a bond with its subordinates. The leaders always try to maintain a connection or bond with its juniors in this type of leadership. Directive Leadership: This is a type of leadership when the manager must guide or direct the subordinates personally. Generally, this kind of leadership is adopted when the subordinates are very inexperienced or when they need proper guidance or directions from their leader. Participative Leadership: This is a type of leadership in which the leader involves the participation of the subordinate in their work. This style of leadership is adopted by the leaders when they think that their staff is quite experienced and is now capable of handling responsibilities. Achievement-Oriented Leadership: In this style of leadership, the manager or the leaders set certain goals which are to be achieved by the subordinates. By setting goals the leaders try to provide a path to their subordinates. These goals are determined to motivate the employees of the organization. Scenario 1 In this scenario, the employees have a lack of confidence in them which is hampering their performances in the organization. Therefore, the leader should adopt the style of Coaching for leading its subordinates. As in this form of leadership, the leader acts as a coach of the subordinates and guides them at each part of their work. Coaching is a leadership style that is propounded under Hersey Blanchard Model. In this style of leadership, the leader tries to build a relationship of trust among its employees.in this way, the leader tries to build confidence among the employees and provide them suggestions at every level. Therefore, for boosting Morales of employees and increase confidence in them, coaching is the best style of leadership under Hershey Blanchard Model. Scenario 2 The leadership style that will be beneficial in this case will be Achievement-oriented leadership as in this style of leading a corrective or predetermined path is provided to work in the organization. These goals or path provide motivation to the employees as they start working with more enthusiasm to achieve these goals. In this situation, an experienced employee is lacking the motivational spirit in her and hence it is affecting her work. If she will be motivated by her leaders incorrect manner than she can again come up with good results (Farhan,2018). Therefore, as per this situation, Achievement-oriented leadership style of Path-Goal Model is the most suitable one. Scenario 3 For the fulfillment of the objective of this scenario Participative Leadership should be taken into consideration. As in this leadership style, the leader invites participation or initiative from the experienced employees. In return of this participation, the employees are rewarded either in monetary or non-monetary terms. In this situation, the only complaint of the employees is that they do not receive any appraisal or reward for their contribution to the organization and with this style of leadership the leader can overcome this complaint. The participative leadership is a feature of Path-Goal Model which likewise helps in increasing the level of motivation among the employees. Under participative leadership, only those employees are rewarded who exhibits professional skills or attributes to handle responsibilities. Scenario 4 For overcoming the complaint arises in this scenario the best- suited leadership style will be Supporting Leadership under the Hersey Blanchard Model. In this style of leadership, the leader act as support system for employees. They teach and guide them at every level. Furthermore, the subordinates are motivated by leaders in this style of leadership. For motivating and increasing the level of enthusiastic employees the leader reward the employees in the form of incentives and promotions. By the medium of these rewards, the employees feel motivated and work with more enthusiasm and efficiency. While supporting the employees the leader notices their efforts and then reward them for their efforts (Ghazzawi, 2017). Scenario 5 In respect of the provided scenario Supportive Leadership should be adopted under the Path-Goal Model as under this style of leadership managers try to maintain a bond of trust and dignity with their employees in the organization. This connection or bond boost the morale of the subordinates and increases their efficiency. Furthermore, in this style of leadership, the leader likewise provide support to their subordinates at every level. They guide and motivate them at every point. This will help in changing the behavior of the employees towards the organization and towards the manager. In this way, the organization can procure back its fertility in the form of enthusiastic employees. Self-reflection on leadership and management Leadership is considered as the essence of management. Without leaders, an organization must go through an atmosphere full of confusions and chaos. Being a responsible leader of the organization, my first duty would be providing proper working environment to my subordinates. Forming a bond or connection with my team must be my priority. Leadership is a responsibility of managing the organization. A leader should always guide and motivate his team. Therefore, leader is completely responsible for the growth and success of an organization. Some of the duties which will be at my priority list after being a responsible leader would be following: Being a leader, I will always try to motivate my subordinates by rewarding them for their hard work. It is the right of every subordinate to get paid for what they have done. Therefore, for praising and motivating rewarding them in monetary and non-monetary terms is very important. Secondly, I would try to maintain an environment full of discipline and harmony. For increasing efficiency in the work an appropriate working environment is very necessary and being a leader of the organization, it is my duty to do the same. As a leader, I will always try to form a strong bond with my team or subordinates. I should always consider them as part of my organization and treat them like so. Building up trust and dignity among them is very crucial therefore after being a leader it would be my main objective to maintain a strong relationship with my employees. I will always try to behave in a polite and honest manner with my subordinates and expect the same behavior from them too. I will guide and support them at every level. Providing them a clear path of success would be my objective. Directing or guiding the new employees will also be my duty as a leader. The new employees are unaware of the functioning and policies of the organization hence guiding them in their initial time are very important. I will likewise try to motivate them for their initial times to increase efficiency in their work. Employees are main part of the organization. The functioning of any organization depends on the working of its employees. Therefore, an enthusiastic and motivated employee helps in the growth of the organization. More their motivation I will always appreciate their initiatives and praise them for their hard work. During the time of exchange information, I will also try to understand the thoughts of my team members rather than just imposing my thoughts on them. There thinking, and opinion is equally important for the implementation of any policy in the organization. Conclusion The above assignment clearly conjectures the importance of leadership in an organization. The assignment talks about the importance of leadership for employee motivation. The assignment further explains two theories that are Hersey Blanchard Model and Path-Goal Model. The above assignment provides a clear insight into leadership and its significances for an organization.

Airports and Cities in Networks by Maurits Schaafsma Article

Essays on Airports and Cities in Networks by Maurits Schaafsma Article The paper â€Å"Airports and Cities in Networks by Maurits Schaafsma† is a  persuading variant of the article on social science. Maurits Schaafsma’s article â€Å"Airports and Cities in Networks† describes a shift in development brought about by the evolution of the airline industry and the airports that form their transportation networks. The discussion is divided into four parts: First, Schaafsma describes how deregulation has changed the airline industry by consolidating or eliminating many smaller or economically-unviable airlines on the one hand, and providing opportunities for new entrants on the other. Next, he explains how the more competitive environment after deregulation has changed airline business practices to develop the â€Å"hub and spoke† route network model. In the third part, the functional aspects of airports in terms of moving planes and people are briefly described. Finally, the evolution of airports as ‘places’ is disc ussed, both in terms of the features of the airports themselves and in the urban development they attract to the areas around them.The changes in the airline industry have occurred more rapidly in the US than in Europe, following the deregulation of the US industry in 1978 which permitted open competition among the airlines. As a result, many new airlines entered the market, while some of the oldest and less-competitive airlines such as Pan Am, TWA, and Eastern went out of business. In order to remain profitable in the competitive new environment, airlines began shifting their operations from a model in which many cities were connected directly to all, or almost all, of the other cities in an airline’s network to a â€Å"hub and spoke† model, in which cities are connected to a single, strategically-located â€Å"hub† airport, from which passengers make connections to other cities located along the â€Å"spokes.† This allows the airlines to operate more ef ficiently by using fewer, larger planes with a higher capacity between high-density airports (such as from one â€Å"hub† to another), and smaller, more economical planes for less-crowded routes (such as between a â€Å"hub† and a â€Å"spoke† destination). To further increase efficient use of capacity – presumably, since the rationale is not actually explained – the airlines also formed â€Å"alliances,† concentrating their operations in a few key strategic locations.The location of hub airports does not necessarily correspond to traditional geography. Some very large and important cities such as New York, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Hong Kong are not generally used as hub locations but are considered OD (origin/destination) cities. Hub airports have developed, it seems, according to operational logic along major air travel pathways and according to the usefulness presented by the airport facilities themselves. Thus centrally-located Fr ankfurt, for example, is a very large hub in Germany, while the capital Berlin is of comparatively minor importance from the airlines’ perspective. Likewise, Los Angeles and New York, the two largest cities in North America, are not hub locations while Detroit and Atlanta, located along the continent’s natural north-south and east-west air travel axes, are major hubs.The functional design of the airports themselves are evolving to better meet the needs of the airlines and the variety of customers they serve. The traditional airport design is one of a linear terminal or even a collection of terminals adjacent to one or two parallel runways laid out in the direction of the prevailing wind, with a cross-wind runway sometimes included. Newer, hub-friendly airport design considers future expansion and is configured for moving aircraft and passenger traffic efficiently. Typical design features described are multiple pairs of prevailing-wind and cross-wind runways, with centr ally-sited terminal facilities laid out in a hub arrangement; the aircraft can access the terminal from all sides, while passengers enter through a single central area in which most services are concentrated, and can disperse to the boarding areas without leaving the terminal building.

Change Agents. Oticon Case Free Essays

The design of the spaghetti company Is an example of a matrix organizational design, which focused the workers orientations to varying, proved projects In which they approve of. This allowed workers to focus more on the production side, which In the end cut project development time In half. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Change Agents. Oticon Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now While operating within an industry in which products are complex and technically advanced which would require innovated thinking, Diction a disorganized, free- flowing organizational structure. By doing so, they were able to adapt to changes, which were occurring in the market to better figure out solutions to the problems they would experience. This complex system allowed them to operate more efficiently to better serve their customers. Their strategy was viable as it allowed for quicker lines of communication, increased innovation and a more efficient production process, as in the end their profits eventually doubled from their old strategy. 3. The leadership style at Diction was based on a task oriented bureaucratic structure, until they introduced the spaghetti style structure, which turned their strategy into a more employee-oriented style. Kaolin was an example of a discretionary management role as he helped shape the organization in order to change of the company to better suit that to the environmental relationship. The strategy ended up being very successful as it was out of the norm in comparison to other competitors and it also had the full support from the employees of Diction. Although mostly successful, the strategy did fail at their other international factories. This was due to the fact that these factories were accustomed to their own unique traditions In which they refused to let go. Diction should have modified their strategy for these factories to allow them to hold onto their traditions, while at the same time still implementing the overall style they had originally vision. Change Agents. Diction Case By judiciary Diction Case 1 . The spaghetti organization is the title given to the transition from a mechanical management structure to a more non-organized style, which allowed for a more style of the company by getting rid of all titles and departments in order to get out of ranks to number 3 in the market. The design of the spaghetti company is an example approved projects in which they approve of. This allowed workers to focus more on the production side, which in the end cut project development time in half. 2. While the fact that these factories were accustomed to their own unique traditions in which How to cite Change Agents. Oticon Case, Papers

Business Function Outsourcing

Question: Discuss about the Business Function Outsourcing. Answer: Introduction: Outsourcing is considered as one of the major business activities in contemporary world. This is considered as important because it helps in attaining innovation and providing best services to the customers. This facilitates the company to develop themselves in their core competencies and activities that are more important to be conducted. This also helps in reducing the expense of the company in the activities that can be outsourced (Sturgeon and Gereffi, 2009). This is because these activities can be conducted by other third party company and the parent company does not need to spend a huge amount of money in employing the employees as well as provision of training to them. This literature review focuses on disadvantages and advantages of outsourcing functions of business. This report discusses about the theories and concepts of outsourcing as well as their benefits and disadvantages. Definition and Types of Outsourcing: Outsourcing said to be made of two words that is out and sourcing. This suggests that the companies source out their responsibilities and work from different companies or from other sources (Wllenweber, Beimborn, Weitzel and Knig, 2008). It is defined as the process that deals with delegation of work and responsibilities of one party to another party in order to save the expenses of training to the employees as well as saving the time. outsourcing can be of two types, first is partial outsourcing in which the partial work or some of the functions of the company is delegated to third part in order to source out work from them. Another author at the same time defined out sourcing as the process of delivering the responsibility of decision making to the other organization in order to help the business to increase this return of investment. According to Kurdi et al. outsourcing every time is not the appropriate approach to conduct, sometimes it is necessary to out-tasking the responsibil ities (Kurdia, Abdul-Tharim, Jaffar, Azli, Shuib and Ab-Wahid, 2011). He also argues about the facility management activities that are necessary for the business but has not been focused when the business gradually increase, thus he suggested that out sourcing of these activities help the company to have such activities with proper movement without wasting the company's expenses on these activates. He defined outsourcing as the process of procurement of the services from the external organization other than the parent organization. Author suggested that out-tasking is also an alternative for the traditional out sourcing of the work (Shi, 2007). He has compared the out sourcing activities and in house activities to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the outsourcing (Mohr, Sengupta and Slater, 2011). This approach has enabled to reader to know about the differences between the in house activities with respect to outsourcing, this information from this study help the organiz ation to take decision over the selection of any of the effective technique for the function from outsourcing and in house functioning. Tayaouova suggested that there are three theories related to the process of outsourcing. The first theory is the resource based theory that is based on overcomes the weakness of the company (Tayauova, 2012). In this type of outsourcing, the outsourcing of such functions is done that are not established in the company. This is used to overcome the weakness of the company. The next theory is the core competency theory. This theory discusses about the fact that the core competencies or the core activities of the company should be conducted in house but the activities that are not core on nature should be outsourced from the other organizations. The last theory is the transaction theory. The transaction theory talks about determining the transaction cost of any of the activity when conducted in house and when are outsourced. Then, according to that tran saction costs associated with the activity, it should be outsourced. Reasons for Outsourcing: Iqbal and Dad discuses some of the reasons behind outsourcing. The first reason that has been discussed by the author is the reduction in cost and the economies of scale (Iqbal and Dad, 2013). Most of the companies have the motive of reducing the short term cost of the company by outsourcing some of the activities such as IT functions. The main cost that acts as the driver for outsourcing is the cost related to the employees. Another reason that drives the outsourcing activities is advancement in the technology over the globe. The advancement in technology forces the organization to delegate their work to the BPO that have the technical capability to perform the activities outsourcing the non-core activities help the organization to focus completely on the core competencies of the organization so that they can achieve competitive advantage with the help of those core competencies (Lacity, Solomon, Yan and Willcocks, 2011). Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing: Different authors have suggested some of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions. The concepts of these authors may be different but the basic elements that have been discussed by them are almost similar (Carettas, 2009). As far as the advantages of outsourcing are concerned, the first advantage of outsourcing is the reduction in the cost or the reduction in the expenses of the company over the non-core activities. The non-core activities of the company can be defined as the activities that are essential to be conducted but directly do not contribute in the success of the company or the output of the company. For example, if a medium sized company needs to build software for the company, then the company would prefer to outsource the work instead of hiring or training their own engineer to perform the same task (Haugen, Musser and Lovelace, 2009). This is because it saves the hiring and the training cost of the company which is higher than its outsourcing c ost. The second advantage that has been discussed by the author is that the company can get the time and money to spend on the core activities of the business. it has been analyzed by the researchers that most of the companies have suggested that outsourcing some of their activities allow them to focuses on the core activities of the business so that they achieve competitive advantage out of those activities (Noe, 2013). Third advantage that has been discussed is related to the access of the high qualified professional with the help of the third part organization. This point suggests that the company can have access over the well qualified professional that cannot be employed by the company itself. This is because the third part company is specialized in the field and thus has acquired the best human resource for the purposes (Norman, 2010). The fourth advantage of outsourcing the work is the attain improvement in the processes. The improvement in performance is because of the high capability of the outsourcing firm and the economies of scale. As the company that performs the outsourced work processes at very higher scale in the same fields thus provide the companies with great performance output. The last advantage that has been enjoyed by the companies in order to outsource the work from the third party is the flexibility of change. As the business environment changes, it is not possible for the companies to change their operations in order to match those environment every time. Thus, outsourcing the work from the socialized organizations helps in providing the work according to the latest environment. As the process of outsourcing has so many advantages, but also have many disadvantages as well. There are various disadvantages of outsourcing the work. The first disadvantage is the loss of control. The managers of the organization do not have any control over the work processes as the work is conducted by the third party organization (Gewald and Dibbern, 2009). To manage the process that are conducted outside the organization require different skills such as contract management, negotiation etc. auditing is another difficult job that needs to be done in case if the organization chose to outsource the work. It is the essential step to be performed in order to check and monitor the functioning that has been conducted. This is because the work that has been processed in the third party company is very confidential and thus it is very important to secure the data. The third disadvantage of the outsourcing process is expectation. As the third party company is specialized in the function so it is the expectation of the company that the third party will perform beyond expectation as compared to the internal staff (Liston, Byrne, Byrne and Heavey, 2007). Sometimes, this expectation may not get fulfilled and the organization need to suffer loses because of the fault of the other organization. So, this acts as the risk of outsourcing the work. Outsourcing results in downsizing of the organization sometimes. This may be beneficial for the organization but is not good for the employees of the organization. The downsizing is the process that acts as the burden for the top management of the company as they have to make decision over the firing of the employees. It becomes very difficult for the top management to decide who deserves and who is not. The change in the organization due to downsizing also acts as the challenge for the company. Every article that has been discussed has almost same concepts but the author has different way of thinking regarding the concepts (Bustinza, Molina and GUTIERREZ?GUTIERREZ, 2010).. If the comparison has been made in the articles, it can be seen that Tayauova has clearly mentioned the advantages and disadvantages of the outsourcing process. Conclusion: Thus literature review provides the knowledge about different aspects of the business outsourcing functions. It has been analyzed that there are various functions that can outsourced and may have advantages and disadvantages for the organizations, some author discuses that outsourcing provides the company to focus on their core competencies and other argues that the company loses the control over their operations as the work is done by the third party. Many contradictory statements have also been made by the authors such as it help the company to get effective work output but also has the risk of delay and inefficient work as the company is not monitoring the work processes (Liou and Chuang, 2010). This creates the dilemmas among the mind of readers that whether outsourcing is good for the company or not. various advantages of the outsourcing business functions has been discussed in the articles such as reduction in cost, efficient work output, focus on core competencies etc. Several disadvantages have also been discussed such as high expectations of the output, downsizing of the organization, loss of control over the process, responsibility of timely auditing the work, late in delivery of the work, loss due to fault of the third party etc. the articles that have been discussed in the review have contrasting views regarding the topic but have similarities in the aspects that has been discussed by different authors. It is difficult to measure the advantages of outsourcing with respect to its disadvantages. One of the author has suggested that the task that needs to be outsourced should be associated with the cist first and then needs to be analyzed whether outsourcings has to be done or not. The practice helps the organization to make good decision regarding business outsourcing functions. References: Bustinza, O.F., Molina, L.M. and GUTIERREZ?GUTIERREZ, L.J., 2010. Outsourcing as seen from the perspective of knowledge management.Journal of Supply Chain Management,46(3), pp.23-39. Carettas, K., 2009.Outsourcing, teamwork business management. New York. Gewald, H. and Dibbern, J., 2009. Risks and benefits of business process outsourcing: A study of transaction services in the German banking industry.Information Management,46(4), pp.249-257. Haugen, D., Musser, S. and Lovelace, K., 2009.Outsourcing. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Iqbal, Z. and Dad, A.M., 2013. Outsourcing: A Review of Trends, Winners Losers and Future Directions.International Journal of Business and Social Science,4(8). Kurdia, M.K., Abdul-Tharim, A.H., Jaffar, N., Azli, M.S., Shuib, M.N. and Ab-Wahid, A.M., 2011. Outsourcing in facilities management-A Literature Review.Procedia Engineering,20, pp.445-457. Lacity, M.C., Solomon, S., Yan, A. and Willcocks, L.P., 2011. Business process outsourcing studies: a critical review and research directions.Journal of information technology,26(4), pp.221-258. Liou, J.J. and Chuang, Y.T., 2010. Developing a hybrid multi-criteria model for selection of outsourcing providers.Expert Systems with Applications,37(5), pp.3755-3761. Liston, P., Byrne, J., Byrne, P.J. and Heavey, C., 2007. Contract costing in outsourcing enterprises: Exploring the benefits of discrete-event simulation.International Journal of Production Economics,110(1), pp.97-114. Mohr, J.J., Sengupta, S. and Slater, S.F., 2011. Mapping the outsourcing landscape.Journal of Business Strategy,32(1), pp.42-50. Noe, R., 2013.Human resource management. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Norman, T., 2010.Outsourcing human resource activities. Saarbru?cken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing. Shi, Y., 2007. Today's solution and tomorrow's problem: the business process outsourcing risk management puzzle.California Management Review,49(3), pp.27-44. Sturgeon, T.J. and Gereffi, G., 2009. Measuring success in the global economy: International trade, industrial upgrading and business function outsourcing in global value chains.Transnational Corporations,18(2), p.1. Tayauova, G., 2012. Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing: analysis of outsourcing practices of Kazakhstan banks.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,41, pp.188-195. Wllenweber, K., Beimborn, D., Weitzel, T. and Knig, W., 2008. The impact of process standardization on business process outsourcing success.Information Systems Frontiers,10(2), pp.211-224.

Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox free essay sample

Ursula Burns was born on the lower east side of Manhattan, New York on September 20, 1958. She was born of Panamanian immigrants, raised by her mother, where she lived in public housing. Although her mother was very poor, Burns attended Cathedral High School and received her bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU in 1980 and a master of science in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University. Her internship at Xerox provided her with the graduate degree from Columbia. Ursula became a permanent employee in 1981 and worked in various roles in product development and planning throughout her twenties. While in a meeting with Wayland Hicks, a senior executive, Burns was offered her a position as an executive assistant for nine years in different departments and learned the business. During this time she married Lloyd Bean and was named vice president for global manufacturing in 1999. (Iqbal, 2013) In 2000, Burns was named a senior vice president and began working closely with soon to be CEO Anne Mulcahy, in what both women have described as a true partnership. We will write a custom essay sample on Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Nine years later, in July 2009, she was named CEO, succeeding Mulcahy, who remained as chairwoman until May 2010. Analyze the CEO’s Leadership Style and Philosophy, and How the CEO’s Leadership Style Aligns With the Culture. Burns was hired as an intern in the engineering department as an African American women in 1980 when diversification was not the norm. Xerox is a company that is all about diversity and was like that before many other companies. Training is an important factor to Xerox since xerography requires technical training. Then there is training about how to work in a team. So what does that have to do with the culture of Xerox. Burns is considered to be a straight shooter with words and perceptions at crucial times. The time that she partnered with her predecessor, Anne Mulchany gave her the experience and wisdom as when to speak up and/or speak out. They dont want to hire you and change you into something else or even change you to be like the other engineers. Burns believes that her attributes were the calling card that Xerox wanted. She was intelligent, urban, black, and a woman. Burns believes that Xerox wanted her approach to things and a certain way of speaking and thats what they wanted. The culture of Xerox is about hard work that becomes a success story. It is not about money; its about accomplishing a lot. Its leaving behind in the workplace, the communities you work in and the clients that you work for — more than you take away. Xerox engages a client by initially understanding the problems that present and how to solven that says Xerox was a great experience. Burns says that the Xerox approach is what clicked with her and brought her happiness about the job she does. Burns is fearless and expects all employees to be the same. (Doherty, P. , 2012) Examine the CEO’s Personal and Organizational Values. Ursula Burns feels that her success gives her the opportunity to give advice to young women who are asking her for words of wisdom on achieving their career goals. These are her quotes in response to several questions. In her own words; She tells them: 1. Find a good (older) husband. Burns met her husband, Lloyd Bean, while working at Xerox. A scientist and researcher, he was also 20 years her senior. â€Å"He had already gone through this ‘growing up’ stuff,† she says. The age difference proved advantageous when Burns’s job later required her to travel frequently and leave their two young children at home. Her husband retired, allowing Burns to focus on advancing her career. â€Å"So the secret,† she jokes, â€Å"is to marry someone 20 years older. † 2. Redefine work-life balance. It’s a â€Å"fool’s journey† to try to achieve perfect balance between one’s professional and personal lives, Burns says. Instead, she suggests women get comfortable with the idea of taking â€Å"your entire life to find balance. You should have balance, on average, over time – not in a day or in a month. † 3. Be selfish sometimes. Burns advises â€Å"checking out† occasionally to put personal needs ahead of career and family. â€Å"Think about your health, physically and mentally,† she says. A failure to do so, she warns, can put everything else at risk. 4. Don’t take guilt trips. Mothers often feel pressure to be present for their children all the time, but such expectations are neither realistic nor necessary, Burns says. â€Å"Kids are pretty resilient,† she says. â€Å"You don’t have to be at every volleyball game. We can’t guilt ourselves. † Her own mother missed many of her extracurricular activities, she adds, â€Å"and I’m fine. † 5. Don’t take life too seriously. â€Å"Ninety percent of this stuff is just not that serious,† she says. â€Å"We get crazy about it. † Burns says she often thinks back to her mother’s advice to stay grounded. â€Å"Continually go back to the basic stuff,† she says. â€Å"Be prudent. Enjoy it. † Burns contributes to the other organizations by serving ed on numerous professional and community boards, including Exxon Mobil Corporation, American Express, Boston Scientific, FIRST, National Association of Manufacturers, University of Rochester, the MIT Corporation, the Rochester Business Alliance, and the RUMP Group. She will serve as Vice Chairwoman of the Executive Committee of The Business Council in 2013 and 2014. Evaluate How the Values of the CEO Are Likely To Influence Ethical Behavior Within the Organization. Ursula Burns states that as her career progressed, she learned to appreciate and really value the other attributes that define a companys success beyond the PL: great leadership, long-term financial strength, ethical business practices, evolving business strategies, sound governance, powerful brands, values-based decision-making. † Dreams do come true, but not without the help of others, a good education, a strong work ethic and the courage to lean in. That’s why I spend so much time with organizations that help minorities and women gain the education and self-respect they need to take risks, to dream big and, hopefully, to someday pay it forward.

Underdog Play Characters and Summary

Topdog/Underdog Play Characters and Summary Topdog/Underdog is about the men who hustle cards and take money from fools. But these characters are not as slick as the con-men in David Mamet’s scripts. They are soured, worn-out, self-reflective, and on the brink of destruction. Written by Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog  won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002. This two-person drama is filled with gritty dialogue and age-old themes, rooted in a long tradition of fraternal rivals: Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus, Moses and Pharaoh. The Plot and Characters Two brothers in their mid-to-late thirties struggle to eke out an existence in a shabby little rooming house. The older brother, Lincoln (also known as â€Å"Link†), was once a skilled Three-card Monte con-artist who gave it up after the untimely death of his friend. The younger brother, Booth, wants to be a big shot – but spends most of his time shoplifting and awkwardly practicing the art of card hustling. Their father named them Booth and Lincoln; it was his dismal idea of a joke. Booth talks about his many goals and dreams. He discusses his sexual conquests and his romantic frustrations. Lincoln is much lower-key. He often thinks about his past: his ex-wife, his successes as a card hustler, his parents who abandoned him when he was sixteen. Booth is impulsive throughout most of the play, sometimes reacting violently whenever frustrated or intimidated. Lincoln, on the other hand, seems to let the world step all over him. Instead of grifting, Lincoln has settled into a very odd job at a carnival arcade. For hours on end, he sits in a display box dressed as Abraham Lincoln. Because he is black, his employers insist that he wears â€Å"white-face† make-up. He sits still, reenacting the final moments of the famed president. The â€Å"real† Lincoln was assassinated by a man named Booth as he watched the play, My American Cousin ). Throughout the day, paying customers sneak up and shoot Link in the back of the head with a cap-gun. It’s a strange and morbid occupation. Link gets lured back into card hustling; he’s in his natural element when hes working the cards. Seething Sibling Rivalry Lincoln and Booth share a complex (and therefore fascinating) relationship. They constantly tease and insult one another, but alternately offer support and encouragement. They both pine over failed romantic relationships. They were both abandoned by their parents. Link practically raised Booth, and the younger brother is both envious and in awe of his elder. Despite this kinship, they often betray each other. By the play’s end, Booth graphically describes how he seduced Link’s wife. In turn, the older brother swindles Booth. And even though he promised to teach the younger brother how to throw cards, Lincoln keeps all the secrets to himself. Conclusion of "Topdog/Underdog" The inevitable conclusion is as violent as one might expect, considering the names of the two characters. In fact, there is something disturbingly voyeuristic about the final scene. The explosive ending feels very similar to the unpleasant job that poor Link has at the arcade. Perhaps the message is that we the audience are just as blood-thirsty and macabre as the carnival patrons who pretend to shoot Lincoln day after day. Throughout the play, the brothers exhibit very shady, misguided, and misogynistic characteristics. Yet, through it all, they are very human and very believable as brothers who have been through so much together. It seems the climactic violence stems not so much from a believable progression of the characters, but from the author forcing these deadly themes onto her creations. Is the ending predictable? Somewhat. Predictability is not entirely a bad thing in drama. But the playwright could give us one more throw of the cards so that we could be fooled again.

Self-Reflection on Working at a Group Presentation Essay

Self-Reflection on Working at a Group Presentation - Essay Example Preferably the group aimed a postcode with numerous cases of crimes and an equal presentation of all forms of crimes. Hanger hill was selected as a collaborative decision. All members supported the decision since the postcode was known for its crime rates and it presented numerous talking points that would increase the creativity in the project. In addition, the location was researched friendly since most of our group members have visited the place which minimized the challenges that may be presented. After the creation of the group, we embraced the assumption that the arrangement provided us with an opportunity to exploit the abilities of each member(Finch & Fafinski, 2012). For this reason, each group member was provided with specific responsibility and a time framework before they could present their works. However, the activities were conducted in a collaborative manner. For instance, the group member in charge of coming up with online data on the selected postcode requested for website suggestion and all group members obliged to the request. After all, responsibilities were presented, the croup would then convene and discuss the results and date collected. At this time, presentation ideas were presented as a collective selection on the idea was reached. However, minor differences were experienced as group members disagreed on the ways of collecting data, the time margin provided and the mode of presentation. In addition, the group lacked motivation and this was a major hindra nce to the quality and completion of the project. The group dynamic makes it easy to complete projects since one is able to specialize in one activity and the rest of the members handled other requirements. Research for the presentation was conducted mainly from online sources. Through online sources, updated data could be easily obtained (Finch & Fafinski, 2012).