Organisational Learning - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2500 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Review Did you like this example? It has been stated that a business derives value from knowledge, know-how, intellectual assets and competencies rather than things and that these capabilities are vested within people (Hamel, 2005). Consequently, in order to create an enduring competitive advantage, a company must therefore focus on the retention and development of its organisational expertise (skills set, tacit and explicit knowledge, capabilities and core competences) and how to engage staff in the process (Porter, 2004; French, Rayner, Rees Rumbles, 2008). Two contrasting learning philosophies appear to exist within organisations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a basic, predominantly instructional approach focussed on remedial action to correct errors or omissions; and a more comprehensive lifelong learning recognising the fundamental importance of employees to business therefore adopting a more developmental approach (viewing people as assets) (Beardwell Thompson, 2014). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Organisational Learning" essay for you Create order Training is a planned and systematic way of improving an individuals knowledge, skills and attitudes so that they can perform their current role more competently, whereas development is the process of preparing a person to take on more onerous responsibilities or equip them to face higher level, future challenges within the organisation (Malone, 2003: 76). Learning is the process that brings about a persistent change in behaviour through the acquisition of increased competence to deal successfully with the operating environment through the acquisition of knowledge, skills and required attitudes (French et al, 2008: 123). Whilst learning is focussed on the acquisition of the required skills and competences to perform effectively, this has to be linked to performance i.e. combining this essential learning with the motivation to engage in a manner that applies it in a way that delivers improved or enhanced results (Bratton Gold, 2007). This learning (and its application) can take place at various levels within a company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" such as on an individual or team/group basis à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" but the focus of this paper will be on organisational learning aspects (French et al, 2008). Key Definitions and Concepts Organisational learning can be viewed as the process by which a company can build a collective or shared knowledge base and the development of mechanisms to retrieve and disseminate this knowledge (Hora Hunter, 2014). This is built upon the premise that as an organisation grows and adapts, it is able to generate/create a store of institutional knowledge that delivers a collective business benefit exceeding that which could be expected to be provided by employees operating individually (Hagen, 2010). As a company develops over time, the collective learning that takes place generates organisational knowledge à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the shared intelligence specific to that company accumulated through both formal systems and the shared experiences of people in the organisation (Cole Kelly, 2011; Johnson, Whittington Scholes, 2011). Organisational learning therefore requires an entity capable of continual regeneration through the application of knowledge, experience and skills by creat ing a culture that encourages challenge and review (Johnson et al, 2011). The traditional, rigid, hierarchical structures that ensure the command and control of individuals are no longer conducive to competing in more dynamic environments or for generating organisational learning (Henry, 2011). Organisational learning consequently refers to the capacity of a company to learn how to do what it does, where what it learns is possessed not by individual members but by the collective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" when the group acquires the know-how associated with its ability to carry out its collective activities then organisational learning has taken place (Cohen Sproull, 1996). Organisational learning provides a mechanism to address the essential nature of knowledge (Thompson McHugh, 2009), in that there are fundamental differences in terms of explicit knowledge (which can be expressed formally and communicated through language) and tacit knowledge (which is difficult to formalise or commu nicate as it is embodied, personal and rooted in action/context) (Nonaka, 1994). A company requires the effective application of tacit knowledge developed from a more intimate appreciation of their operations and environment, in order to build a sustainable competitive advantage (Henry, 2011; Porter, 2004). This tacit knowledge can be perceived as corporate wisdom and despite the challenges associated with its transmission and dissemination, organisational learning approaches can be used to capture it effectively to create, innovate and maintain the competitive advantage required (Mullins Christie, 2013). In terms of individual employee capabilities, a company requires skill in the person (rooted within the individual and can be developed through education, training and experience), skill in the job (meeting role requirements) and skill in the setting (an understanding and appreciation of the shared/collective interests of the company and the organisational culture) (Johnson et al, 2011). Effective organisational learning approaches should therefore seek to maximise the collective return from the application and sharing of tacit knowledge, and the skills that can be acquired and developed through the working environment and culture (Hatch Cunliffe, 2006), as these possess real business utility as they cannot be easily replicated by competitors (Barney, 1986). Organisational Learning Approaches Senge (1990) argued that an effective organisational approach to learning required the application of five key disciplines: Personal mastery à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" understanding individual aspirations and creating clear linkages to organisational goals; Mental models à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" creating a culture of reflection and inquiry to develop a wider awareness of the organisations needs so that individual thinking begins to anticipate those needs; Shared vision à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" creating a collective commitment to a common purpose with activities and targets clearly linked to that purpose; Team learning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" group development interactions (rather than individual skills programmes) to ensure that training reflects requirements generated by shared goals; Systems thinking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" taking a holistic view to understand and appreciate key interdependencies, using feedback to develop, refine (and ultimately simplify) often complex systems. (Senge, 1990) For such an integrated thinking approach to be effective, the leader(s) must be able to develop a shared vision of where the organisation wants to be, developing a creative tension by also clearly articulating the current position of the company (Henry, 2011). The organisation uses clear mission and vision statements, underpinned by shared goals and targets to create a collective framework, which in turn shape learning interventions (often utilising individual or group performance development agreements) (Schein, 2004; Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2011). In order to create collective commitment, flexibility and creativity from employees, learning opportunities/interventions must be relatively frequent, as this then creates an enduring capability for change and innovation (Huczynski Buchanan, 2013). Whilst this approach is reflected in many large organisations and has the capacity to foster a culture that could maximise the return from tacit knowledge held within the organisation (Knights Willmott, 2012), the structural emphasis outlined has been criticised. Unless the articulated mission and vision are regularly reviewed to consider the wider business environment and the demands of competitive advantage (Porter, 2004), thinking and learning can become constrained. Consequently, challenge is not encouraged and process/activity is seen as a worthwhile end in itself ultimately the focus on measureable achievement/innovation can be lost and a blame culture can develop (Seddon, 2008). Using organisational learning to manage the development and sharing of knowledge (as articulated by Senge, 1990) has the potential to maintain the competitive advantage required (Newell, Robertson, Scarborough Swan, 2009). However, to maximise the potential return, know-why (such as design rationale and reasoning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the capturing of best practice) must be combined with know-who (the mapping of relevant expertise and skills) as well as know-how (promoting a learning and development environment in a manner that encourages innovation) (Mullins Christie, 2013). Efforts to capture the critical aspect of know-how has led to the creation of Communities of Practice as an organisational model of learning (Lave Wenger, 1998). Cross-functional communities of practice seek to utilise the informal, social interaction of the group (rather than rely on structured, mechanistic knowledge transfer mechanisms) to create an engaged learning approach focussed on what needs to be known by the group (Lave Wenger, 1998). Such groups often have the ability to capture and share vital tacit knowledge which more formal information management systems are often unable to do (Newell et al, 2009). A community of practice recognises that in order to learn and innovate, it is necessary to participate on a more personal level and to create engaged participation, it is necessary for people to feel included in the decision-process, thus allowing a sen se of ownership to develop (Easterby-Smith, Burgoyne Araujo, 1999). In sharing a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, the group/community are proactive in developing their knowledge and expertise, interacting on a regular basis (Wenger, McDermott Snyder, 2002). The perceived added-value of effective communities of practice has led to organisations attempting to manage the process by creating groups that cut across organisational boundaries in order to innovate, share knowledge and solve problems (Davenport and Hall, 2002).. However, the mere existence of a structure that brings people together does not ensure that this approach will be effective (Linstead, Fulop Lilley 2009). Attempting to overly manage or even directly control any Community of Practice could introduce the very constraints that these informal peer-to-peer groups originally sought to work against/around and thus minimise their effectiveness (Eraut, 2002). Issues and Caveats Whilst it is possible to gain greater business utility and an enduring competitive advantage from organisational learning approaches, the following aspects need to be considered: Superstitious learning. Where organisations learn the wrong things due to the connections between outcomes and actions being incorrectly specified e.g. rapidly or constantly adapting targets will be close to current performance levels (making being above or below the target an almost chance event) creating a misleading belief that organisational performance has improved. Ambiguity of success. Where the indicators of success are constantly modified or targets continually change, it is difficult to measure what has actually been learned by the organisation even if meeting a goal is seen as a major achievement. Competency Traps. Improving procedures or practices that do not deliver any real competitive advantage can create an illusion of organisational progress. In reality, they expose the company to competitors able to focus on improvements that deliver practical business benefits that meet customer requirements. (Hatch Cunliffe, 2006; Cohen Sproull, 1996). Essentially, organisational learning relies on knowledge management to capture and convert individual tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge that can be more easily shared with others in the company (Huczynski Buchanan, 2013). In considering such knowledge management and intellectual capital capture processes in relation to a learning organisation, a number of issues can emerge: Learning organisation positives: A rich, multi-dimensional concept affecting many aspects of organisational behaviour. An innovative approach to learning, knowledge management and investment in intellectual capital. Challenging concepts, focussed on the acquisition of individual and corporate knowledge. An innovative approach to organisation, management and staff development. Innovative application of technology to manage organisational knowledge (e.g. databases, internet and intranets). Learning organisation negatives: A complex/diffuse set of practices which can be difficult to implement systematically. Attempts to use dated concepts (from change management and learning theory) re-packaged as management consultancy projects. New approaches to encourage employee compliance with strict directives applied in the guise of self-development. New/innovative approaches to strengthening management control over staff behaviours. A technology-dependent approach which does not consider how people actually develop and use knowledge in the organisation. (Adapted from Huczynski Buchanan, 2013: 179). Summary A learning organisation is defined as an entity that encourages and facilitates the learning and development of people at all levels of the company, values that learning and which simultaneously transforms itself to maintain an enduring competitive advantage (Cole Kelly, 2011: 487). The best learning organisations are skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge whilst also being able to modify their behaviour(s) to reflect new knowledge and insights (Garvin, 1993: 80). To do so effectively, requires skills in terms of systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, learning from experience and past history, learning from the experiences and best practices of others and the ability to transfer knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organisation (Cole Kelly, 2011). Unless the methods outlined (above) are able to create a collaborative environment where employees feel empowered to reflect on present practices and to provide improvement sugges tions, then they will not provide any real added-value when compared to more traditional/individual learning interventions (Fineman, Gabriel Sims, 2010). References Barney, J.B. (1986). Organizational Culture: Can it be a source of sustained competitive advantage? Academy of Management Review, 1986(11), pp. 656-665. Beardwell, J., Thompson, A. (2014). Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach, 7th Edition, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Bratton, J., Gold, J. (2007). Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, 4th Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Clegg, S., Kornberger, M., Pitsis, M. (2011). Managing Organizations: An Introduction To Theory Practice, 3rd Edition, London: Sage Publications Ltd. Cohen, M.D., Sproull, L.S. (1996). Organizational Learning, London: Sage Publications Ltd. Cole, G.A., Kelly, P. (2011). Management Theory And Practice, 7th Edition, Andover: Cengage Learning EMEA. Davenport, E., Hall, H. (2002). Organizational knowledge and communities of practice. Annual review of Information Science and Technology, 36, pp.171-227. Easterby-Smith, M., Burgoyne, J., Araujo, L. (Eds) (1999). Or ganizational Learning and the Learning Organization: Developments in theory and practice, London: Sage Publications Ltd. Fineman, S., Gabriel, Y., Sims, D. (2010). Organizing Organizations, 4th Edition, London: Sage Publications Ltd. French, R., Rayner, C., Rees, G., Rumbles, S. (2008). Organizational Behaviour, 9th Edition, Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Garvin, D. (1993). Building a Learning Organization. Harvard Business Review, July-August 1993, pp. 78-91. Hagen J. (2010). The Long Term Effects of Informational security: Learning on Organizational Learning. Information Management and Computer Security, 19(3), pp.140-154. Hamel, G. (2005). MT Master Class. Management Today, July 2005, p.5. Hatch, M.J., Cunliffe, A.L. (2006). Organization Theory: modern, symbolic, and postmodern perspectives, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Henry, A.E. (2011). Understanding Strategic Management, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hora, M.T., Hunter, A. (2014 ). Exploring the dynamics of organizational learning: identifying the decision chains science and math faculty use to plan and teach undergraduate courses. International Journal of STEM education, 2014(1), p.8. Huczynski, A.A., Buchanan, D.A. (2013). Organizational Behaviour, 8th Edition, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Johnson, G., Whittington, R., Scholes, K. (2011). Exploring Strategy, 9th Edition, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Knights, D., Willmott, H. (Eds) (2012). Introducing Organizational Behaviour and Management, 2nd Edition, Andover: Cengage Learning EMEA. Lave, J., Wenger E. (1998). Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Linstead, S., Fulop, L., Lilley, S. (2009). Management Organization: A critical text, 2nd Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Malone, S.A. (2005). Learning About Learning: An A to Z of Training and Development Tools and Techniques, London: CIPD. Mullins, L.J., Christie , G. (2013). Management Organisational Behaviour, 10th Edition, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Newell S., Robertson M., Scarborough H., Swan J. (2009). Managing Knowledge, Work and Innovation. Nonaka, I. (1994). A Dynamic theory of organisational knowledge creation. Organizational Science, 5(1), p19. Porter, M.E. (2004). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, New York: Free Press. Schein, E.H. (2004). Organizational Culture And Leadership, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Seddon, J. (2008). Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: the failure of the reform regimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and a manifesto for a better way, Axminster: Triarchy Press. Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, New York: Doubleday Currency. Thompson, P., McHugh, D. (2009). Organizations: A Critical Approach, 4th Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Wenger, E., McDermott, R., Snyder, W.M. (2002). Cultivating Communi ties of Practice: A guide to managing knowledge, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Essay - 1104 Words

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This film unlike most others on the same topic had no real event to focus on. There was not just one climax or specific scene that the others built up to or supported. I cannot say that I enjoyed it but I do feel it has to a great extent affected me. The only reason I feel that this film is one worth watching is because of the latent message it holds. It very successfully exposes authority and bureaucracy in society. The characters in this film portray people that are either convinced or have been convinced that are crazy. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mac, a man with no real purpose in life but to sail through it somehow, is sent to a mental institution for doctors to†¦show more content†¦He befriends everyone, even the surly and patronizing Harding, who feels he needs to be the victim of every situation. Mac’s rebellion against the bureaucratic and authoritarian Nurse Ratched, in the end takes his life. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Out of all the characters the one I loved most was that of Martini, a small man with a huge smile. He is perpetually smiling and always happy and does not let anything bother him. Even though he has no role as such in the film, without him, it would have been dry and lifeless. He brings out the funny parts of the movie and makes sure that the morbid theme does not overwhelm the audience. One of the scenes in this film, which has a huge and very profound impact on the viewer is the death of Billy. The sweet, stuttering, shy boy, who wants to be considered a man, is constantly haunted by his mothers and the nurse’s controlling nature. The viewer finally realizes how unfit the nurse is, when she threatens Billy and drives him to commit suicide. Billy’s death signifies how some people are simply ridden over and weakened by others. They are ruled by the will of others all their lives. Billy was not crazy he was simply a victim of his mother’s tyranny. Another scene that very aptly brings the film to an end is the death of Mac. The whole purpose of the film and its message is then made clear. MacShow MoreRelatedOne Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest1403 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish Written Assignment- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Mr. Rader 23 November 2016 Word Count: 1411 In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the author Ken Kesey 1.enthralls the reader’s attention by displaying events of 2.diminished 3.humanity all throughout the book. This book revolves around the idea that women may be a threat to the masculinity of mental ward patients. 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Music during WW and how it played a role. Essay Example For Students

Music during WW and how it played a role. Essay World War 2 was made to help get people through depression and motivate the men and women fighting in Europe and Asia. Everyone was into patriotism at this time including the music they listened to. At this time music has expanded its demographic to younger audiences, before it popular music was mainly appealing for adults. It contained many uplifting styles of music such as swing, be- bop, and country. For example Frank Sinatra became very popular to the young teenage demographic. He was the first singing teen idol. He created more swinging music to help with the ar with songs like The Birth of the Blues. Joy Stafford also became famous with her romantic World War 2 ballads. Most of her songs helped the troops overseas remember their wives and girlfriends back home. Other songs also helped like America Calling by Meredith Wilson, which helped boost morale of the country and convinced men to enlist into the armed services. It reminds them about what this war is about and to support it. Angels of Mercy by Irving Berlin, which was created after the bombing of Pearl Harbor dedicating the American Red Cross nurses, portraying them as Angels of Mercy wounded victims overseas. Back Home For Keeps by Carmen Lombard, which is about a wife waiting for her husband to return home. This song gave a good mood and also helped support the war. Cowards Over Pearl Harbor by Fred Rose, which gave great American Spirit by talking about how America will over Japan, the evil country. G. L. Blues by Floyd Italian, which describes the view of an American Soldier at war. It describes them as being lazy and doing nothing, which makes him depressed and mating to come home. His thinks that if they continue to have lazy soldiers, America will not be able to win. Hello Mom by Eddie Attenuated, which was about more about the propaganda during the war and gave more morale. Plus, it also supported the war bonds. It helped the parents who had a son in the war make them feel better. Ma! I Miss You Apple Pie by a 6. 1. At a training camp, which summed up what America is fighting for. The Apple Pie symbolizes Americas Freedom and how a soldier misses his Apple Pie. Wonder When My Babys Coming Home by Kermit Google and Arthur Kent, which is yet another song about a wife or girlfriend waiting for her lover to come home, waiting in her house. Ive been Drafted Now Im Drafting You by Lyle Moraine Chuck Foster, which is about the pains about separation and a soldier convincing his girlfriend to be proud to so him in uniform. In conclusion, the music during World War 2 where mainly about the war, patriotism, propaganda, and much more with lyrics that helped Americans get through the war years. Music during WWW and how it played a role. By Parkinson

Per-flection Paper Essays - Apoikozoa, Animal Welfare, Cat, Farm Cat

Per-flection Paper Per-flection Paper Madeline Barnard Monmouth University September 14,2016 Pre-flection Paper Growing up I was always surrounded by different types of animals, to dogs, cats, and horses. Due to growing up with all these animals, I have had many positive and negative experiences. Being surround with all these animals has only made my love for them grow stronger. My two dogs that I have now are one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It may sound cheesy but they have truly impacted my life for the better. Whenever I'm sad or scared they are always there for me even though they have no idea what's actually going on. I've also had many positive experiences with horses, my aunt owns a horse farm so growing up I was always allowed to ride them. If you have ever ridden a horse before you know the feeling of trotting down a trail feeling free with the wind in your face. Not to mention how therapeutic it is to just groom them! A horse barn comes with barn cats, I've never been as close to them as I am to other animals but they always come up for a good belly rub. Growing up I also had domestic cats I was not as fond of. The first cat my family had was a little timid at first but then he did start to interact with us. Sadly I a few months later he developed a rare incurable disease, which caused our family to make a tough decision. Do we spend a couple of more months with this cat or do we put him down? In the end, we did what was best for the cat and ended his suffering. The next cats we adopted came from a terrible home, which caused them to be secluded and not very friendly. My experience with cats has not been the best and I hope to further my relation with them throughout the semester. The more I think about the experiences I will have this semester involving this animal shelter I become more thrilled. I cannot wait to be able to help these cats socialize with Pre-flection Paper each other. I'm really anticipating this experience and looking a forward to all that I will learn. Going into this experience I do feel prepared but I do still have a few questions that hopeful will be answered at my time at the shelter. Two things I'm wondering are what is the adopting process as well as the requirements to adopt?

9 to 5 Movie Analysis free essay sample

At start of the movie, one of the black employees in the organization says that he hates his job and has never been promoted despite constant efforts to maximize his productivity. Too many rules and regulations were introduced in the workplace, â€Å"office that looks efficient is efficient. † Women don’t get promotion to top level easily, violet had been working since last 12 years but her trainee got promoted faster than she did because the trainee was male. According to Mr. Hart teamwork experience is learned from the game of football, since women don’t play football they are unaware of how to work in a team, this reflected negatively amongst many employees and Violet’s temper increased day-by-day, she told Mr. Hart’s assistant when she was assigned a task to deliver few paper, â€Å"I know exactly where to stick it up,† indicating her frustrations towards work. Mr. Hart purposely threw pencil case down when his assistant was writing a letter, he wanted her to bend so he could she her cleavage. We will write a custom essay sample on 9 to 5 Movie Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He was a flirt and took the best advantage of his higher position. He later pretended to help her by helping her pick few pencil of the floor trying to show that he actually cared, his intentions were to impress her and make her indulged in sexual relationships with him. However he did have feelings for Doralee and was not strictly for sexual pleasure, not that they ever indulged in one. Violet, â€Å"playing it safe† when Hart presented her idea to the president of the company without giving her any credits, she dint react immediately because she wanted the promotion that only Hart could provide. Later Bob gets promoted and not her, â€Å"clients like to deal with men,† increasing her frustrations towards Mr. Hart. Her relationship with her son is unique in comparison to most of the relationship that mother and child hold. She is open about smoking joints with and in front of her son; in fact her son rolled a joint for her so she would calm down from workplace frustrations. Violet smokes marijuana in the office bathroom, she is open to take risks. When Violet, Judy and Doralee smoke together, they hallucinate about killing/torturing Hart, this depicts like a revolution against the upper class by the common people. All three became friends due to one common factor and that was their hatred towards Hart. â€Å"I know how you feel,† Roz told Violet when Hart was admitted in the hospital. Roz thought that Violet was upset and she was concerned about Mr. Hart’s health, but in reality she was concerned about herself and figuring a way out of the mess she had created. She accidently put â€Å"rat-poison† in Hart’s coffee, soon after which Mr. Hart had lost consciousness and was admitted in the hospital. Doralee on the other hand played her part as an employee and immediately called for ambulance to seek help even though had spread false rumors about her and was constantly harassing her knowing that she was married and not interested. Doralee was an active employee and completed her tasks successfully even though she was harassed constantly. Work was her priority and she was good at her work, she played a critical role when she tied up Mr. Hart in the office when he accused her and her friends for attempted murder towards him. She tried to explain the whole situation calmly, but Mr. Hart was unwilling to listen, he instead told her to visit him at his place. This was against her values especially as a wife and circumstances forced her to engage in such behaviors. Difference between how the three women treat him and how they were treated in the organization varies enormously. In office work is supposed to be considered fun, this has resulted in long hours of torture and monotonous tasks. Employees working in this organization feel like they have been prisoned during working hours. However these three women after chaining him down like a prisoner and keeping him within four walls provided Mr. Hart with magazines, television and cigars for entertainment along with lunch deliveries so he would not starve. The emotional considerations of these women are way higher in comparison to Mr. Hart, whose motive is power and money for self-consumption. Mr. Hart’s absence was not felt amongst majority of the employees in the organization, exception being Roz. Roz had closer working relationship with Mr. Hart because she did everything she was asked for and completed her task without questioning, nor did she respond out of turn. She wanted to be monitored by superiors; in this manner she could avoid problems for herself as well. When Doralee told her that she was assigned to complete a task in France by Mr. Hart, she immediately left for France without inquiring or finalizing with Mr. Hart. She did not question her superiors and completed her tasks, her flexibility and ability to complete her task was well appreciated by Mr. Hart. Men excel women in workplace and therefore higher positions should be appointed to men rather than women. Teamwork is essential, all employees were expected to work together and cover one another’s back in times of crises, however benefits were shared by very few, even though inputs were divided amongst employees. Status was important, boss is always more powerful and has complete authority to make final calls. Salary discussions were not permitted. One common factor amongst most of the employees was that they all shared common language, this firm did not have diversified group of employees. This is not always a positive factor; diversity brings in more idea, creativity and innovation from different perspectives and standpoints. Dick, Judy’s ex-husband plays a small role in this film. Dick seems to be male-dominated and expects Judy to take him back when he goes to visit her. He had left Judy because he was in love with his secretary; at that point he did not account for Judy’s feelings but expected her to have same feelings for him even after their marriage was over. Misunderstanding takes place when Dick accuses her for sleeping with her boss right after their marriage came to an end. Hart was chained and tied up in the room, Dick that Hart and Judy were engaging in some sort of sex games and his misunderstanding was never cleared because Judy accepted the accusations even though they were false, and immediately threw Dick out of the house, she did not want Dick finding out further information on this case. Throwing her husband out was something she had never done before; this left her more brave and courageous. â€Å"Several people lost their hearing in this room† Violet told Judy while making copies in the Xerox room. However no action was taken against it, nor was it replaced. This reflects negatively upon organizational ethics and gives a sense of perception that organization/Mr. Hart did not care as long as their costs were cut and profits maximized. Violet, Judy and Doralee wanted promotion, equality, more liberty and less stress during office hours. When they kidnapped Mr. Hart they tried to renegotiate their contract, this was not successful as Mr. Hart was growing more impatient and was not ready to meet any of their needs. This forced Violet, Judy and Doralee to take control of the office in absence of Mr. Hart. They managed to successfully convince all employees that Mr. Hart was in office even though he was tied up in his house. Upon gaining Mr. Hart’s position three women changed work policies and practices. They introduced breaks for their employees giving them an opportunity to socialize with their colleagues and get to know one another better. There was more freedom in the office for employees, they were not constantly monitored this helped reduced the pressure and stress level amongst employees. They allowed employees to place photo frames of their beloved once on their work table, this was not allowed under Mr. Hart’s regime. New salary policies were introduced for employees, new policies included increase in wages for all employees no matter whether they were janitor or bottom level employees. Their salaries were increased to boost motivation in the organization and outcomes were positive. They introduced day care center for employees, this was introduced to avoid high stress level amongst employees. Employees could visit day care center if they felt sick during work hours as well. This reduced sick leaves, and boosted morale to work harder as employees were more active than they were previously. Part time work was introduced in the organization; under Mr. Hart’s presence organization had standardized working hours for all its employees no matter male or female, young or old. Part time working hours introduced flexibility amongst many employees, retention rate dropped drastically as employees could come work when available and also maintain a balance between their work life and personal life. Violet and her friends managed to spend good amount of organization’s money on renovation of the workplace, in an attempt to make it look new and lively, their attempt was successful. This attempt was not made previously because Mr. Hart wanted to cut down cost so that he could increase his pockets, little did he know that renovating would be a successful investment that would increase profits in long term. Black people were employed and given positions that were above the standards of janitor as long as they met the job specifications. They were given their own desk to work in and this brought an end to ‘racism’ against the blacks. Organization prohibited such actions before and more than 90% of the employees working in higher positions were white male or female. Upon her arrival in the country, Mrs. Hart went home just to see her husband tied and chained up. She immediately loosened him and set him free. She was unaware of her husband’s workplace practices, she thought he dearly loved her and was loyal and supportive towards her husband. She tried to set up a trap for Doralee by sending her to Hart’s house inside which Mr. Hart was held hostage. As soon as Mr. Hart returns to the office, he tries to get standard procedures back in order in a complete authoritarian approach. He threatens Violet, Judy and Doralee telling them â€Å"Send you three bitches to jail,† remarks like these represent the value and respect Mr. Hart had towards women in workplace, this could increase demotivation and decrease the lack of ability to perform better amongst employees. However, Mr. Hart did not take into account what other employees might feel and hence often heard using foul language in workplace. When chairman of the company decides to show up unannounced, Mr. Hart gets extremely paranoid and feels insecure. Violet, Judy and Doralee had completely changed the organizational structure along with organizational norms and roles, this increased Mr. Hart’s tension. However when chairman of the company sees that employees were happy and motivated he praises Mr. Hart for his performance and his work ethics. Confused and speechless, Mr. Hart introduced Violet to his chairman and decided to give her credits for bringing in the change; he would have given Violet no credits if he knew what Mr. Hart was talking about, unaware of certain terms and concepts he gave full responsibility to Violet, who successfully impressed the chairman. Towards the end of the movie, Mr. Hart gets promoted by his chairman and is expected to work in their Brazilian office. Three women celebrate upon hearing this. Doralee has a friendly personality, tries to make friends with other employees in the organization but no one becomes her friend because of the misjudgment of what she is like. Her closeness towards the boss brings jealousy amongst her line of employees, she is pretty and this creates insecurity amongst other employees, hence she is always left alone despite constant efforts. Misunderstanding takes place when he tells everyone in the office that he has been having an affair with Doralee. Things change from here on, Doralee becomes impatient and learns to speak up for her, in order to defend herself from false accusations. Inaccurate judgment takes place when Violet thinks Mr. Hart is dead due to rat poisoning that was dissolved in his coffee. Upon her visit to the hospital in which Hart was admitted, she overheard the doctor saying ‘he is dead’ and thought it was Hart. She takes the body out of the hospital bed before a mandatory autopsy was carried out; not knowing it was someone else. This misjudgment could have resulted in federal offence if things did not fall back to normal. This incident also indicates that Violet has no boundaries set for herself, and can reach any extent to stay out of trouble and keep herself clean from criminal records. Violet wanted to take the body and dump it elsewhere so no proofs were found, however Doralee had a different approach in mind. She played like a devil’s advocate and constantly disagreed to Violet’s plans. Juliet was paranoid as well, but wanted to make cautious decisions that would result in effectiveness. Her patience towards the matter brought an end to Violet’s and Doralee’s quarrel over the dead body. Accurate judgment takes place when Violet, Judy and Doralee decide to take over the office in absence of Mr. Hart. These three women had managed to kidnap Mr. Hart in his own house; he was kidnapped because employees were tired of his central command structure in the office. He would hold employees back to make them work longer, engage in sexual harassment cases and always held a brutal tone towards lower level employees. Violet, Judy and Doralee were employees that were tortured and harassed by Mr. Hart. As employees working for their boss, they knew exactly what practices were hated by employees and which were not, each varying a little based on perception. However they did hold an accurate judgment when it came to dealing with employees, as soon as they took control over Mr. Hart’s position they introduced policies that would reflect positively upon employees from their own perspectives. The outcome was positive and organization experience enormous increase in profits over a period of 2-4 weeks. They knew exactly what policies and procedures were lacking in the organization and immediately restricted for better outcome for the organization and the employees within. Mr. Hart was an authoritarian leader in eyes of most of his employees. He wanted his assigned work completed on schedule, giving exception to few employees for the mistakes they commit; his forgiveness is based upon personal vendetta that he holds against the employee. Hart ‘fired’ a female employee upon finding out that she had been discussing about salaries in the work place during work hours. He held no sympathy towards the women before making decisions. He also engaged in sexual harassment practices towards his employees, he made wrong use of his power in status in the organization. Hart was unhappy by the promotion and realized the torture and pain his employees undergo every day in order to keep up with him, his demands and his work practices. He paid his dues when he was abducted by a tribe in Brazil, ‘what goes around comes around. ’

Paragraph Length 5 Essential Tips - Writing Tips with Proofed

Paragraph Length 5 Essential Tips - Writing Tips with Proofed Paragraph Length: 5 Essential Tips Paragraph length is important. Too many long paragraphs in a document may make it difficult to read. Too many short paragraphs and it could seem disjointed. But how long should a good paragraph be? 1. Paragraph Length Depends on Document Type If you look online, you’ll find advice saying that paragraphs should be between 100 and 200 words long. And as a guideline on paragraph length, this is fine for most documents. However, paragraph length also depends on the type of writing. Some paragraphs may be a single sentence. Some may spread across more than one page. In this blog post, for example, most of the paragraphs are under 100 words because shorter paragraphs are easy to read on screen. But the paragraphs in an academic textbook would be longer to offer more depth. As such, you should tailor your paragraphs to suit the document and the subject matter. But to do this, you need to consider why we use paragraphs in the first place†¦ 2. The Purpose of a Paragraph Paragraphs help us organize the information in a document. Consequently, each paragraph should cover one main idea. Try thinking about a paragraph like a tiny essay: Start with a topic sentence to set out what the paragraph is about Use the main body of the paragraph to expand upon this idea End with a concluding sentence that leads on to the next paragraph If you find yourself covering multiple ideas in a single paragraph, especially if there’s no direct connection between them, consider separating them into distinct passages instead. 3. Consistency vs. Mixing It Up Most of the paragraphs in a document should be a roughly similar length. If you find that they vary a lot, it may be sign that some ideas in your document are underdeveloped and need expanding. However, in longer documents it is a good idea to mix things up a bit, especially if you have a lot of long paragraphs. One way to do this is to bookend each section with short introductory and concluding paragraphs, setting out and then summarizing what you’ve discussed. 4. Editing Long Paragraphs While editing your work, you may want to break longer paragraphs down into shorter ones. Look for a point where the focus changes, even if only slightly (e.g., shifting from introducing an idea to giving an in-depth example). You can then add a line break and, if necessary, a linking sentence. 5. Editing Short Paragraphs If your document contains too many short paragraphs, particularly in succession, you can look for passages that cover similar topics and combine them into a single longer paragraph. This may simply involve deleting a line break, but you might also have to consider the overall structure of your document. If you have several short paragraphs touching on the same topic in different places, think about whether they should all be part of one section instead.

MEDIA STUDIES (assignment relates to the concept of media ownership) Essay

MEDIA STUDIES (assignment relates to the concept of media ownership) - Essay Example Lastly, a comment shall be drawn on the research. The Walt Disney Company is a media related company that shares many other interests. The company has got subsidiaries and affiliate companies. The domain of the business is, however, solely focused on entertainment. The company focuses on four segments. These three core segments entail; media interests, consumer products and studio entertainment. The fourth segment is not media related because it wanders into the hotel industry. This segment concerns resorts and parks (The Walt Disney Company 2012). Disney studios focus on family entertainment. This is the foundation that has marketed and propelled the Disney Company. It focuses on animated films and pictures (Manheim 2002, p.143). These pictures are sometimes adapted into magazine entertainment pictures and conversation (Griffin 2000, p.6). The motion pictures employ exceptional storytelling that creates interests for new releases. Walt Disney has three worldwide acclaimed animated films. They comprise; Mickey Mouse, the Seven Dwarfs and the Snow White. The Disney studios engage several distributional channels to ease the distribution of these products. The main distribution channel is Walt Disney Pictures that also divides its role for subsidiary groups. These comprise animation studios like: Pixar, Disney Toon and Walt Disney. The Disney Toon consists of Touchstone and Hollywood pictures. The Disney Company became the parent company of Pixar when it bought it through stock exchange system. Walt Disney Pictures is the interna tional distribution avenue for the company. The home entertainment focuses on selling rental movies to family oriented markets worldwide. Lastly, there is the Disney theatre distribution avenue that focuses on live entertainment. They are the directors of musicals such as; Disney live entertainment and the Disney Ice. Disney music group is concerned with the distribution of soundtracks and original music under