Personality Theory in Organizational Behavior Assignment

Personality Theory in Organizational Behavior - Assignment Example Some people will be very good at communicating with clients, people within the company, and competitors. These people should be assigned to tasks that involve outreach to customers or other businesses. Other people might be less extroverted. Putting them onto, say, account management and debt collection might not be wise. Similarly, accountants will need to make sure their workers are conscientious, undoubtedly the most important element of accounting. But if workers have difficulties with conscientiousness, this isn't the end of the world. Training can be one solution. Another solution can be putting more time into infrastructure: Making procedures simpler and less ambiguous, providing managerial support and monitoring, etc. Perhaps the same people who have difficulties with conscientiousness are those extroverted people who will be great handling communication. The key insight of personality theory is that everyone has different skills and that this is not a problem but a boon to organizations. Like everything in business, organizations simply have to adapt to this as a fact of the market and of life. Companies that do this well thrive, companies that don't die. Accountants will need to work with a wide variety of personality types that vary along the Big Five axes. 2. Luthans et al examined hundreds of managers in different industries and found that all of their skills and job descriptions boiled down to four roles: Management, communication, human resource management, and networking (Robbins). Management is traditional managerial roles such as distributing tasks, planning, and decision-making. Communication is paperwork and exchanging information. Human resource management is motivating, hiring, firing, etc. (It is the least important task according to Luthans et al; Robbins). And networking is interacting mostly with others, but also inside the company in terms of socializing and engaging in office.

Review the arguments and evidence for and against the efficient market Essay

Review the arguments and evidence for and against the efficient market hypothesis and discuss whether the recent financial crisis has caused the hypothesis irreparable damage - Essay Example The global financial crisis has made a huge impact on modern financial theory which was based on the hypothesis that the financial markets were more or less efficient. Many economists and writers were respected the efficient market hypothesis. Economists Robert Shiller touted EMH as the most important theory in the history of economics. This report will look at the implication of efficient market hypothesis in the functioning of the financial markets. It will focus the disadvantage of EMH and why some analyst wants to reject this hypothesis permanently. Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is an investment theory in finance that states it is impossible to beat the market because the efficiency in the stock market leads to the reflection of all relevant information in the prices of shares. According to this theory, the trading of stocks always takes place at their fair values on every stock exchange. Hence it is impossible for investors to purchase stocks that are undervalued and also to sell stocks at a higher price than its fair market price. In this regard, it is not possible to outperform the return of the overall market through expert opinion on stock selection and also by timing the market. The theory also mentions that investors are left with only one way to obtain higher returns and it is through purchasing investments that are riskier in nature. The financial crisis of the year 2008-09 has left the economies of Europe and US vastly devastated. The rate of unemployment has reached very high and the economies in the US, Europe a nd also other countries are performing well below their economic capacity. The crisis has shaken the theory of efficient market hypothesis which assumes the existence of efficiency in every financial market. According to EMH, public information is reflected in the asset prices without any delay. It also suggests that the availability of any information which may affect the future price of any stock is already reflected in the

Mass Media Creates Rather Than Reflects Social Reality Media Essay

Mass Media Creates Rather Than Reflects Social Reality Media Essay The modern society is surrounded by different types of media that present multifarious information. This is done in a gratuitous manner whether with or without the consent of the audience. It has been argued by some that the medias role has extended from the conventional reflection of societal values to the creation of new values. This is a complex and controversial matter though. However, this articles final stand is that the media is an amplifier of underlying societal values. Some of the content is distorted, even though one cannot down play the inherent significance of the medias belonging to the society (Lull, 2000, p. 37). The media has rapidly developed with the advent in information technology. It has become easier to access information in contemporary times than it was some few decades ago. This has been through smart gadgets and technologies such as phones, and the internet, and social networking sites such as Facebook, My Space, and Tweeter among others. Virtually everything is going e, from e-mails to e-newspapers. This has made it so easy to communicate; you could easily speak your mind and even show the world what youve got through YouTube (Kuerschner, 2006, p.11). When one is sitting in their living room to watch music videos from MTV, different interpretations arise, but one thing is common-MTV clearly displays the way music has developed. MTV has generally been a symbol of those who are young and jaunty. The music, the lifestyle of rap stars, rock stars, pop stars have liberally set new criterions, which are earnestly followed by the young. MTV has increased its presence in oriental countries; this has been observed as an invasion from the West and a destruction of conventional values. There has been a creation of new styles of walking, talking, clothing, and consequently thinking for the young oriental minds. For example, MTVs era in Japan is quickly associated with the birth of the rebellious Japanese adolescents. However, it is sincerely wrong to believe that the MTV itself creates reality from nowhere or to conclude that the MTV is responsible for all changes in the contemporary technologically advanced Japan. The MTV has actually been s uccessful in the western world, and then in the rest of the world simply because it has continued to support and magnify the values that are inherently held and nurtured by these societies. The contemporary society is more liberal, more spontaneous, and more rebellious; this may be as a result of industrialization, and the media serves as an amplifier of such values. If the modern media would instead assume a more conservative figure, the expected result would be its extinction. (Connell, 1995, p. 9) Information has a significant effect on people lives. For example watching the world cup can make one to experience a gamut of emotions, a sense of delight, nervousness and even resentment at the same time. Watching movies can take someones mind away from reality; this may bring inspiration to do act in a certain way. Therefore, information has created a myriad of avenues to the society but at the same time the society has become heavily dependent on these avenues (Newbold et al., 2002, p. 31). The film making industry is another noteworthy example. Several changes have occurred in this industry and the modern filming industry has witnessed radical changes in the physical appearance of actors and actresses. Main actresses have become symbols of beauty. Modern movies depict beauty as tall and slim. More evidence can be seen from the modern posters and magazine covers display of images of women. The social appetite and taste for the woman body have really changed over time. The figure of a man is displayed as tall and well built (Parenti 1990, p. 6). The media has significantly propagated a certain type of beauty. Think about it this way, what if the media starts to promote short and fat model of beauty, would it be successful? This question may receive more No than yes, this means a doubt in the ability of the media to create the beauty that is not inherently held by the society. Another example is watching a movie of the hero robbing a bank with striking ingenuity; this ins tills negative messages into the masses (McGillion, C., 2003, p. 33). Generally stealing is wrong, but the hero of the movie walks out free, and goes to have fun without any conscience. Such movies create negative values that are against the principles of honesty (Barr, 2000, para.2). However, the media plays a significant role in presenting facts and realities say from newspapers on development, finance, justice, poverty, e.t.c, which are real reflections of what is happening in the society (Newbold, 2002, pp. 219). The values and mentality of the society is displayed as a whole rather than as an individual. Renowned scholar James Curran argued that The conviction à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that the media are important agencies of influence is broadly correct. However, the ways in which the media exert influence are complex and contingent (p. 158). For example the way the media has reported on terrorism has really instilled fear in the minds of people (Cozens, 2006). The loathing of terrorism has on the other hand turned others into pacifist. The media is arguably the most important form of expressing views and it is itself a medley of individuals and societys views (Fiske 1989, p. 127). With all these said, some view the media as being liberal but a closer analysis reveals otherwise, the owners of media outlets are not liberal themselves. Media outlets are businesses that are kept afloat by advertising revenues. It is true that some media outlets do a good job of being impartial. But when a TV station backs a political candidate who is sponsored by business heavy weights it must pay the price (Kalathi, S, 2004, p.40). Money of course directly buys influence as a result it affects how media covers a certain event (Price, 2002, p. 13). It is a medium for the ruling class to perpetuate their power, wealth and status (Barr, 2000, p. 17). Therefore, the media in this sense does not reflect reality (Curran, 2002, p. 45). Conclusion The thesis of this paper is that the media does play a role in creating reality from underlying societal values. Thus, the media cannot create values of its own. The article puts the relative advantage and disadvantage of the power of the media in creating reality, with an emphasis on the way the society has inherently allowed this to happen.

total war Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"[B]oth sides had seen, in a sad scrawl of broken earth and murdered men, the answer to the question†¦.Neither race had won, nor could win, the War. The War had won, and would go on winning.†1 These are the words of Edmund Blunden, a British soldier who survived the Battle of the Somme, who came to the realization that nobody could claim victory in the twentieth-century mass warfare, because both winners and losers paid a high price. The new type of warfare launched in the twentieth-century had a great impact on the modern world that went beyond the immediate cost of casualties.2 The psychological, social, economic and technological effect these wars had on those who survived earned this type of conflict a new name: total war, which encompassed all aspects of life. Before 1914, Western society believed in progress, peace, prosperity, reason, and the rights of the individual. During that time, people believed in the Enlightenment, and industrial developments and scie ntific breakthroughs were a daily reality apparent in the rising standard of living. But World War I crushed all hopes and dreams. It plunged society in an age of anxiety and uncertainty in almost every area of human life. The social impact of total war was also profound. The role of women changed dramatically as the war greatly expanded their activities and changed attitudes towards them. This change was brought about by the total national readjustment and the mobilization of the home front. In order to wage unrestrained warfare, belligerents had to intervene in the economies, diverting production from peacetime goods to the manufacture of munitions and military equipment. Technological advances also took place, which increased the number of â€Å"mechanical contrivances†3 such as heavy artilleries, tanks, submarines, and airplanes, which made war an â€Å"untrammeled, absolute manifestation of violence†4 as Carl von Causewitz so eloquently put it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total war marked the beginning of a revolution in thought and ideas, where turmoil, uncertainty, and pessimism replaced the cherished values and beliefs of peace, prosperity, and progress. Men and women in the West felt â€Å"increasingly adrift in a strange, uncertain and uncontrollable world.†5 In his essay â€Å"The Crisis of the Spirit† written in 1919, Paul Valà ©ry, one of France’s most outstanding poets, wrote that Europe â€Å"doubted itsel... ... wars because of the types of weapons used. Hand grenades, machine guns, poisonous mustard gas, tanks, submarines, and airplanes were introduced for the first time. During the Second World War strategic bombing was used, as well as the form of combat called blitzkrieg. The new type of warfare launched in the twentieth century called total war had a great impact on the modern world. It plunged society into an age of uncertainty and pessimism. It also had a devastating psychological effect on the soldiers that survived the war and returned home. In addition, unlimited conflict created a social impact that was seen in the increased participation of women in the economy, and their newly gained right to vote. The â€Å"all-out† war involved as well the massive mobilization of the home front and the establishment of the first totalitarian society. The introduction of machine guns, poisonous gases, tanks, submarines, and airplanes made total war extremely deadly. Hopefully, the lessons learned from the past major wars will be applied by today’s society, and efforts will be made to avoid at all costs another total war. World War I and World War II should remain to be the Wars to End All Wars.

Supplier Relationship Management

Many customer-supplier relationships were weakened or damaged during the economic downturn. To rescue them, both sides need to acknowledge past mistakes, identify the causes of those problems, take corrective action, and monitor the results. As of this writing, all signs are pointing toward recovery, and economic indicators (take your pick) are suggesting a better ending to 2010 than we experienced in 2009. Optimistic whispers in the first few months of this year became clearly audible announcements when Quarter 1 earnings were released.Demand is on the rise, lashed capacity is beginning to fill up, and at many companies, earnings will exceed expectations. Despite the fact that business is improving in most industries, companies will continue to struggle for some time to overcome the effects of the recession on their supply chains. This is especially true for those that made drastic decisions and acted in ways that altered their supply chain capacity and supplier services. Customer-s upplier relationships have been caught up in this turmoil and have often suffered as a result.The economic upheaval of the past 18 months has left many relationships weakened, damaged, or even severed. With demand increasing, now is the time for buyers and suppliers to assess the current state of their relationships and then address or resolve any concerns. This can be accomplished through a four-step process that includes acknowledging what has happened, identifying the causes of any problems, agreeing on and implementing corrective actions, and following up and maintaining the improved relationship. These steps should be carried out within your company's supplier relationship management (SRAM) program.SRAM is a formalized process through which companies build strong, collaborative relationships with their vital suppliers to make improvements and achieve their mutual supply chain goals. If you do not already have a formal SRAM program, then following these steps can serve as the fo undation for this type of initiative. Customers and suppliers that adopt this process and commit to continuing it in the future will not only reaffirm and strengthen their partnerships but will also ensure that they create an effective, flexible supply chain.Step 1: Acknowledge past mistakes Start out by evaluating your current relationship with your most critical suppliers. This assumes that you have already segmented your supply base and identified your most important suppliers. You can follow this process for all suppliers, of course, but to maximize the value of your efforts, it's a good idea to address the most essential suppliers first. Once the top suppliers have been singled out, you can assess the current state of your relationship with each of them individually.The most important part of this first step is to identify and acknowledge the mistakes that were made on both sides. Ask the following questions and examine your answers carefully: Is this relationship in turmoil? I f so, what were the actions that created this tension, and position are you or your suppliers in now as a result? How does the supplier feel toward you, and how do you feel toward the supplier? Do you deem the relationship to be weakened, damaged, or severed? Is the relationship meaningful for your company, and will improving that relationship bring value to both parties?By answering these questions, you will define the roadman toward reconciliation and improved effectiveness?or to accepting a separation, if that proves necessary. Once you have determined that the relationship is worth repairing or saving, it is time to pursue open and honest communication with that supplier. Integrity and trust are he basis for any relationship, and addressing difficult topics in a frank and objective manner will be appreciated by everyone involved. Coming to the table in an open manner is Just the beginning, however.The magnitude of the strife in the relationship will dictate the level of effort r equired to address it. Weakened relationships, while still requiring direct and concerted effort, can be more easily repaired than those with damaged elements or those that have been severed. A special note on severed relationships: If you are not sincere about reconciliation, then do not waste your time or your supplier's time. The amount of time and audience required to rebuild a previously severed relationship can be substantial, and if either party lacks commitment, true reconciliation becomes doubtful.Step 2: Find the real source of the problem The most delicate part of this process involves identifying the root cause of the problems. Bringing in a neutral third party to help both sides review the current relationship and past experiences is one way to maintain objectivity during these discussions. In this type of conversation, emotions and personal involvement tend to rise to the surface, and the â€Å"effect† part of â€Å"cause and effect† often becomes the foc al mint. This is a situation you should strive to avoid.If participants fail to consider the root of a problem, only the symptom will be treated, and another one that may be even more harmful to the relationship will inevitably appear. In reviewing the events of the last 18 months, many customers and suppliers may point to the economy and decreased demand as the cause of relationship strife and discontent. There's no denying that the economy was an underlying factor. As orders plummeted, original equipment manufacturers (Moms) reduced capacities to attempt to match output and expenses to very weak demand.Many suppliers were unaware of the dramatic steps taken by Moms and were left with buildup in their inventories of up to 50 percent? with no buyers for that stock in sight. These high inventory levels caused a variety of problems for suppliers and, in the worst cases, resulted in bankruptcy. While the economy and declining demand clearly play a role here, poor customer-supplier rela tionships and the lack of strong communication channels appear to be a major cause of the devastating inventory buildup.This might have been avoided by improving forecasting tools or enhancing operational capabilities to more quickly spend to downward shifts in demand. Both are sound actions to pursue at any time, but neither will resolve the lack of customer- supplier communication that will continue to cause problems in the future. An important question to ask here is: â€Å"Were there warning signs before the problem occurred? † As both customer and supplier consider this question, they should reflect upon quantitative (on-time measurements that may have signaled trouble ahead.Discussing these measurements or signals as well as the customer's and supplier's responses to those developments will help to establish where specific problems originated. Step 3: Identify and implement corrective actions Now that the root causes of relationship strife and their leading indicators h ave been identified, the next step is to define and implement corrective actions. These actions can include procedural changes, changes in safety stocks, increased communication requirements, or even changes in personnel.Observe the impact of these corrective actions on the original symptoms (the â€Å"effect†) and ensure that the resulting improvements can be objectively measured and quantified. For example, a procedural change could reduce the amount of time required to process a orientation, therefore the number of transactions per hour will increase. Moreover, increasing safety stock and boosting communication requirements (such as sending status updates more frequently) may yield higher service levels, which can also be measured.It's wise to avoid subjective measurements, which may invite interpretations that lead to more disagreements and conflicts. Be sure to incorporate these measurements into an existing customer-supplier scorecard process, or if none exists, take th e opportunity to create one that can be reviewed periodically. The solutions you develop can and should vary based on the type of relationship you eave with your supplier: A strictly transaction-based relationship that focuses on only one or two activities is likely to be rekindled by focusing attention solely on improving those specific activities. ?Tactical relationships may benefit from solutions that span both upstream and downstream from the basic operational transactions. These relationships may have multiple touch points, and resolving each relationship conflict at each touch point may be an extensive, time-consuming process. Strategic partnerships call for the most complex activities and coordination to revive a distressed relationship. Moreover, strategic partnerships frequently span multiple organizations at all levels. So, although most efforts may start at the top of the organizational chart, it is important to address all levels when rebuilding trust and good will.Carry ing out the solutions you agree on most likely will involve increased sharing of operational and business information, such as supply inventory levels, point-of-sales data, and market trends that are beneficial for both customer and supplier. Frequently, an investment in information technology software can facilitate and enhance this kind of extensive data sharing. Step 4: Monitor and maintain the allegations After implementing corrective actions, you'll need to conduct management reviews in which progress is discussed, milestones are recognized, and changes to planned milestones are decided upon when necessary.It almost goes without saying that these reviews should be carried out in a timely fashion. The definition of â€Å"timeliness,† however, depends upon what activities are being measured and on their inherent cycle times. The review should occur within a time frame that allows sufficient data points identifying change to be generated. A premature review will show lack o f progress and can lower confidence levels. At the same time, a late review or prolonged periods between reviews can Jeopardize momentum or even introduce been introduced since the previous review.Matching management reviews to meaningful data generation will help avoid these pitfalls and keep the momentum toward positive relationship change. The successful repair of a customer-supplier relationship will heavily depend on the involvement of the leadership teams and the commitment of both sides to the process. If continuing the relationship will bring value to both parties, then their commitment to achieving success (and to maintaining the relationship) should be explicit.In other words, leadership's involvement in supplier relationship management demonstrates the importance of this activity to the organization. Nevertheless, sustaining the relationship can be difficult even when there is great support from the leadership of both customer and supplier. It makes sense, therefore, to c onsider turning the relationship management activities that have been developed to address specific problems into a formalized program supporting continued improvement. Leverage the scheduled reviews, progress metrics, and milestones to shape the content of a formal customer- supplier management process.Expand team and individual involvement to other levels of the organization as appropriate. Remember that a customer-supplier relationship is a two-way street? throughout the â€Å"monitor and maintain† phase, both sides should be openhanded and go out of their way to learn from each other. For example, the customer can teach the supplier that it needs to provide more than Just the right product at the right price, and the supplier can teach the customer that it requires more information than a basic forecast if it is to support the customer's supply chain success.Relationships: The foundation of success Now is the time to assess your customer-supplier relationships, as your co mpany recovers from the Great Recession and prepares for an upturn in business. If those relationships are weakened, damaged, or severed, consider taking the following steps: Objectively acknowledge the past and open a clear communication channel with the sincere intent of building a mutually beneficial relationship. Discuss and discover the sources (the â€Å"cause†) of the problems and develop corrective actions.Be careful not to fall into the trap of addressing symptoms (the â€Å"effects†). Follow through tit corrective actions and continue to monitor and maintain the relationship. To improve the likelihood of success, ensure that there is leadership support from both customer and supplier. Remember, solid, healthy customer-supplier relationships form the foundation of an enterprise's success. Companies that continue to suffer because of weakened, damaged, or severed relationships will surely lose to their competition. Justine Brown is principal at the consulting f irm Tompkins Associates.An organization spends substantial portion of every dollar on the purchase of raw materials, components, and services. In fact, 60% of cost goods sold are consisted of purchased goods. Therefore, supplier quality can substantially affect the overall cost of a product or service. One of the keys to obtaining high-quality products and services is for the customer to work with suppliers in a partnering atmosphere to achieve the same quality level as attained within the organization. Customers and suppliers have the same goal?to satisfy end user.The better the supplier quality, the better the supplier's long-term position, because the customer will have better work together as partners to maximize their return on investment. There have been number of forces that have changed supplier relations. Prior to the sass, procurement decisions were typically based on price, thereby awarding contracts to lowest bidder. As a result, quality and timely delivery were sacrific ed. One force, Deeming fourth point, addressed this problem. He stated that customers must stop awarding business based on the low bidder because price has no basis without quality.In addition, he advocated single suppliers for each items to help develop a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust. These actions will lead to improved products and services. Another force changing supplier relations was the introduction of the Just-in-time TIT) concept. It calls for raw materials and components to reach the production operations in small quantities when they are needed and not before. The benefits of SIT is that inventory-related costs are kept to minimum. Procurement lots are small and delivery is frequent.As a result, the supplier have many more process setups, thus becoming a SIT organization itself. The supplier must drastically reduce setup time or its cost will increase. Before there is little or no inventory, the quality incoming material must be very good or the reduction li ne will be shut down. To be successful, SIT requires exceptional quality and reduced setup time. The practice of continuous process improvement has also caused many suppliers develop partnership with their customers. A final force is ISO 9000, which is mandated by the major automotive assembly firms.Specifically, first tier and tiers subsequent to the Moms must maintain supply chain development through three key factors: zero defects, 100% on-time delivery, and a process for continuous improvement. These forces have changed adversarial customer-supplier relationship into mutually beneficial partnerships. Joint efforts improve quality, reduce costs, and increase market share for both parties. Dry. Koru Chickasaws has suggested 10 principles to ensure quality products and services and eliminate unsatisfactory conditions between the customer and the supplier: 1 .Both customers and the suppliers are fully responsible for the control of quality. 2. Both the customer and supplier should b e independent of each other and respect each other's independence. 3. The customer is responsible for providing the supplier with clear sufficient requirements so that supplier can know precisely what to produce. 4. Both the customer and the supplier should enter into a non adversarial contract with respect to quality, quantity, price, delivery method, and terms payments. 5.The supplier is responsible for providing the quality that will satisfy the customer and submitting necessary data upon customer's request. 6. Both the customer and the supplier should decide the method to evaluate the quality of the product or service to the satisfaction of both parties. 7. Both the customer and the supplier should establish in the contract the method by which they can reach an amicable settlement of any disputes that may arise. 8. Both the customer and the applier should continually exchange information, sometimes using multifunctional teams, in order to improve the product or service quality. . Both the customer and the supplier should perform business activities such as procurement, production, and inventory planning, clerical work, and systems so that an amicable and satisfactory relationship is maintained. 10. When dealing with business the end user in mind. Although most of the principles are common sense, a close scrutiny shows that a true partnering relationship exists with long-term relationship, where each party preserves their identity and independence. Supplier Relationship Management Many customer-supplier relationships were weakened or damaged during the economic downturn. To rescue them, both sides need to acknowledge past mistakes, identify the causes of those problems, take corrective action, and monitor the results. As of this writing, all signs are pointing toward recovery, and economic indicators (take your pick) are suggesting a better ending to 2010 than we experienced in 2009. Optimistic whispers in the first few months of this year became clearly audible announcements when Quarter 1 earnings were released.Demand is on the rise, lashed capacity is beginning to fill up, and at many companies, earnings will exceed expectations. Despite the fact that business is improving in most industries, companies will continue to struggle for some time to overcome the effects of the recession on their supply chains. This is especially true for those that made drastic decisions and acted in ways that altered their supply chain capacity and supplier services. Customer-s upplier relationships have been caught up in this turmoil and have often suffered as a result.The economic upheaval of the past 18 months has left many relationships weakened, damaged, or even severed. With demand increasing, now is the time for buyers and suppliers to assess the current state of their relationships and then address or resolve any concerns. This can be accomplished through a four-step process that includes acknowledging what has happened, identifying the causes of any problems, agreeing on and implementing corrective actions, and following up and maintaining the improved relationship. These steps should be carried out within your company's supplier relationship management (SRAM) program.SRAM is a formalized process through which companies build strong, collaborative relationships with their vital suppliers to make improvements and achieve their mutual supply chain goals. If you do not already have a formal SRAM program, then following these steps can serve as the fo undation for this type of initiative. Customers and suppliers that adopt this process and commit to continuing it in the future will not only reaffirm and strengthen their partnerships but will also ensure that they create an effective, flexible supply chain.Step 1: Acknowledge past mistakes Start out by evaluating your current relationship with your most critical suppliers. This assumes that you have already segmented your supply base and identified your most important suppliers. You can follow this process for all suppliers, of course, but to maximize the value of your efforts, it's a good idea to address the most essential suppliers first. Once the top suppliers have been singled out, you can assess the current state of your relationship with each of them individually.The most important part of this first step is to identify and acknowledge the mistakes that were made on both sides. Ask the following questions and examine your answers carefully: Is this relationship in turmoil? I f so, what were the actions that created this tension, and position are you or your suppliers in now as a result? How does the supplier feel toward you, and how do you feel toward the supplier? Do you deem the relationship to be weakened, damaged, or severed? Is the relationship meaningful for your company, and will improving that relationship bring value to both parties?By answering these questions, you will define the roadman toward reconciliation and improved effectiveness?or to accepting a separation, if that proves necessary. Once you have determined that the relationship is worth repairing or saving, it is time to pursue open and honest communication with that supplier. Integrity and trust are he basis for any relationship, and addressing difficult topics in a frank and objective manner will be appreciated by everyone involved. Coming to the table in an open manner is Just the beginning, however.The magnitude of the strife in the relationship will dictate the level of effort r equired to address it. Weakened relationships, while still requiring direct and concerted effort, can be more easily repaired than those with damaged elements or those that have been severed. A special note on severed relationships: If you are not sincere about reconciliation, then do not waste your time or your supplier's time. The amount of time and audience required to rebuild a previously severed relationship can be substantial, and if either party lacks commitment, true reconciliation becomes doubtful.Step 2: Find the real source of the problem The most delicate part of this process involves identifying the root cause of the problems. Bringing in a neutral third party to help both sides review the current relationship and past experiences is one way to maintain objectivity during these discussions. In this type of conversation, emotions and personal involvement tend to rise to the surface, and the â€Å"effect† part of â€Å"cause and effect† often becomes the foc al mint. This is a situation you should strive to avoid.If participants fail to consider the root of a problem, only the symptom will be treated, and another one that may be even more harmful to the relationship will inevitably appear. In reviewing the events of the last 18 months, many customers and suppliers may point to the economy and decreased demand as the cause of relationship strife and discontent. There's no denying that the economy was an underlying factor. As orders plummeted, original equipment manufacturers (Moms) reduced capacities to attempt to match output and expenses to very weak demand.Many suppliers were unaware of the dramatic steps taken by Moms and were left with buildup in their inventories of up to 50 percent? with no buyers for that stock in sight. These high inventory levels caused a variety of problems for suppliers and, in the worst cases, resulted in bankruptcy. While the economy and declining demand clearly play a role here, poor customer-supplier rela tionships and the lack of strong communication channels appear to be a major cause of the devastating inventory buildup.This might have been avoided by improving forecasting tools or enhancing operational capabilities to more quickly spend to downward shifts in demand. Both are sound actions to pursue at any time, but neither will resolve the lack of customer- supplier communication that will continue to cause problems in the future. An important question to ask here is: â€Å"Were there warning signs before the problem occurred? † As both customer and supplier consider this question, they should reflect upon quantitative (on-time measurements that may have signaled trouble ahead.Discussing these measurements or signals as well as the customer's and supplier's responses to those developments will help to establish where specific problems originated. Step 3: Identify and implement corrective actions Now that the root causes of relationship strife and their leading indicators h ave been identified, the next step is to define and implement corrective actions. These actions can include procedural changes, changes in safety stocks, increased communication requirements, or even changes in personnel.Observe the impact of these corrective actions on the original symptoms (the â€Å"effect†) and ensure that the resulting improvements can be objectively measured and quantified. For example, a procedural change could reduce the amount of time required to process a orientation, therefore the number of transactions per hour will increase. Moreover, increasing safety stock and boosting communication requirements (such as sending status updates more frequently) may yield higher service levels, which can also be measured.It's wise to avoid subjective measurements, which may invite interpretations that lead to more disagreements and conflicts. Be sure to incorporate these measurements into an existing customer-supplier scorecard process, or if none exists, take th e opportunity to create one that can be reviewed periodically. The solutions you develop can and should vary based on the type of relationship you eave with your supplier: A strictly transaction-based relationship that focuses on only one or two activities is likely to be rekindled by focusing attention solely on improving those specific activities. ?Tactical relationships may benefit from solutions that span both upstream and downstream from the basic operational transactions. These relationships may have multiple touch points, and resolving each relationship conflict at each touch point may be an extensive, time-consuming process. Strategic partnerships call for the most complex activities and coordination to revive a distressed relationship. Moreover, strategic partnerships frequently span multiple organizations at all levels. So, although most efforts may start at the top of the organizational chart, it is important to address all levels when rebuilding trust and good will.Carry ing out the solutions you agree on most likely will involve increased sharing of operational and business information, such as supply inventory levels, point-of-sales data, and market trends that are beneficial for both customer and supplier. Frequently, an investment in information technology software can facilitate and enhance this kind of extensive data sharing. Step 4: Monitor and maintain the allegations After implementing corrective actions, you'll need to conduct management reviews in which progress is discussed, milestones are recognized, and changes to planned milestones are decided upon when necessary.It almost goes without saying that these reviews should be carried out in a timely fashion. The definition of â€Å"timeliness,† however, depends upon what activities are being measured and on their inherent cycle times. The review should occur within a time frame that allows sufficient data points identifying change to be generated. A premature review will show lack o f progress and can lower confidence levels. At the same time, a late review or prolonged periods between reviews can Jeopardize momentum or even introduce been introduced since the previous review.Matching management reviews to meaningful data generation will help avoid these pitfalls and keep the momentum toward positive relationship change. The successful repair of a customer-supplier relationship will heavily depend on the involvement of the leadership teams and the commitment of both sides to the process. If continuing the relationship will bring value to both parties, then their commitment to achieving success (and to maintaining the relationship) should be explicit.In other words, leadership's involvement in supplier relationship management demonstrates the importance of this activity to the organization. Nevertheless, sustaining the relationship can be difficult even when there is great support from the leadership of both customer and supplier. It makes sense, therefore, to c onsider turning the relationship management activities that have been developed to address specific problems into a formalized program supporting continued improvement. Leverage the scheduled reviews, progress metrics, and milestones to shape the content of a formal customer- supplier management process.Expand team and individual involvement to other levels of the organization as appropriate. Remember that a customer-supplier relationship is a two-way street? throughout the â€Å"monitor and maintain† phase, both sides should be openhanded and go out of their way to learn from each other. For example, the customer can teach the supplier that it needs to provide more than Just the right product at the right price, and the supplier can teach the customer that it requires more information than a basic forecast if it is to support the customer's supply chain success.Relationships: The foundation of success Now is the time to assess your customer-supplier relationships, as your co mpany recovers from the Great Recession and prepares for an upturn in business. If those relationships are weakened, damaged, or severed, consider taking the following steps: Objectively acknowledge the past and open a clear communication channel with the sincere intent of building a mutually beneficial relationship. Discuss and discover the sources (the â€Å"cause†) of the problems and develop corrective actions.Be careful not to fall into the trap of addressing symptoms (the â€Å"effects†). Follow through tit corrective actions and continue to monitor and maintain the relationship. To improve the likelihood of success, ensure that there is leadership support from both customer and supplier. Remember, solid, healthy customer-supplier relationships form the foundation of an enterprise's success. Companies that continue to suffer because of weakened, damaged, or severed relationships will surely lose to their competition. Justine Brown is principal at the consulting f irm Tompkins Associates.An organization spends substantial portion of every dollar on the purchase of raw materials, components, and services. In fact, 60% of cost goods sold are consisted of purchased goods. Therefore, supplier quality can substantially affect the overall cost of a product or service. One of the keys to obtaining high-quality products and services is for the customer to work with suppliers in a partnering atmosphere to achieve the same quality level as attained within the organization. Customers and suppliers have the same goal?to satisfy end user.The better the supplier quality, the better the supplier's long-term position, because the customer will have better work together as partners to maximize their return on investment. There have been number of forces that have changed supplier relations. Prior to the sass, procurement decisions were typically based on price, thereby awarding contracts to lowest bidder. As a result, quality and timely delivery were sacrific ed. One force, Deeming fourth point, addressed this problem. He stated that customers must stop awarding business based on the low bidder because price has no basis without quality.In addition, he advocated single suppliers for each items to help develop a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust. These actions will lead to improved products and services. Another force changing supplier relations was the introduction of the Just-in-time TIT) concept. It calls for raw materials and components to reach the production operations in small quantities when they are needed and not before. The benefits of SIT is that inventory-related costs are kept to minimum. Procurement lots are small and delivery is frequent.As a result, the supplier have many more process setups, thus becoming a SIT organization itself. The supplier must drastically reduce setup time or its cost will increase. Before there is little or no inventory, the quality incoming material must be very good or the reduction li ne will be shut down. To be successful, SIT requires exceptional quality and reduced setup time. The practice of continuous process improvement has also caused many suppliers develop partnership with their customers. A final force is ISO 9000, which is mandated by the major automotive assembly firms.Specifically, first tier and tiers subsequent to the Moms must maintain supply chain development through three key factors: zero defects, 100% on-time delivery, and a process for continuous improvement. These forces have changed adversarial customer-supplier relationship into mutually beneficial partnerships. Joint efforts improve quality, reduce costs, and increase market share for both parties. Dry. Koru Chickasaws has suggested 10 principles to ensure quality products and services and eliminate unsatisfactory conditions between the customer and the supplier: 1 .Both customers and the suppliers are fully responsible for the control of quality. 2. Both the customer and supplier should b e independent of each other and respect each other's independence. 3. The customer is responsible for providing the supplier with clear sufficient requirements so that supplier can know precisely what to produce. 4. Both the customer and the supplier should enter into a non adversarial contract with respect to quality, quantity, price, delivery method, and terms payments. 5.The supplier is responsible for providing the quality that will satisfy the customer and submitting necessary data upon customer's request. 6. Both the customer and the supplier should decide the method to evaluate the quality of the product or service to the satisfaction of both parties. 7. Both the customer and the supplier should establish in the contract the method by which they can reach an amicable settlement of any disputes that may arise. 8. Both the customer and the applier should continually exchange information, sometimes using multifunctional teams, in order to improve the product or service quality. . Both the customer and the supplier should perform business activities such as procurement, production, and inventory planning, clerical work, and systems so that an amicable and satisfactory relationship is maintained. 10. When dealing with business the end user in mind. Although most of the principles are common sense, a close scrutiny shows that a true partnering relationship exists with long-term relationship, where each party preserves their identity and independence.

Examine the Argument That Social Identities Are Often...

Describe what table 1 and 2 tell us about local authority decisions about homelessness in England The data in table 1 shows a clear increase in total decisions made between 1998 and 2004. Total number of decisions made in 1998/99 was 244,830 and this figure increased up to 298,390 by 2003/04, an increase of 22%. This increase is seen along all four groups. ‘Unintentionally homeless and in priority need’ increased by 30%, ‘homeless but not in priority need’ by 21% and ‘not homeless’ by 5% however ‘intentionally homeless and in priority need’ more than doubled in this time. From 2004/05 onwards all four groups of figures steadily decreased up until 2009/10. However, ‘intentionally homeless and in priority need’ further increased again†¦show more content†¦Word Count 350 Examine the argument that social identities are often characterised by inequality based on your reading of material in ‘connected lives’ and the article The Act. This essay will look at how social identities are characterised by inequality. It will first look at the meanings of social identity and inequality and then it will further elaborate on how certain groups such as the homeless or ethnic races are defined by these inequalities. Taylor (2012, p 167) defines social identity as ‘an identity given by connections to other people and social situations. (Often contrasted with personal identity). Some examples are group and collective identities, situated identities, given by the immediate situation so liable to change, and relational identities, usually given by a two-sided, possibly unequal, relationship’. Taylor (2012) argues that a collective identity can be that of gender, race, age and many more. However, this does not mean that once a collective identity has been formed that all the people within that collective identity have something in common or share the same interests. People who form part of a collective identity will still have a personal identity ‘an idea of who she or he is’ (Taylor, 2012, p 170). Taylor (2012) argues that social identity is not completely separate from personal identity. For example some people would argue that being sociallyShow MoreRelatedChina in Africa Essay20116 Words   |  81 PagesBeyene Property rights Kjell Havnevik Tor A. Benjaminsen Espen Sjaastad inequality and climate change contents to our reAders AfricAn Agriculture 1 3 november 2007 Carin Norberg African agriculture and the World Bank: development or impoverishment? Atakilte Beyene 5 8 Property rights formalisation in Africa Tor A. Benjaminsen Espen Sjaastad the relationship between inequality and climate change Kjell Havnevik commentAries intervieW 11 14 decoding theRead MoreThe Rise of Social Media and Its Impact on Mainstream Journalism21031 Words   |  85 PagesWORKING PAPER e rise of social media and its impact on mainstream journalism: A study of how newspapers and broadcasters in the UK and US are responding to a wave of participatory social media, and a historic shi in control towards individual consumers. Nic Newman September 2009 Contents Executive summary and key conclusions 1. Framing the debate 2. Mainstream media motivations, doubts and dilemmas 2.1 Definitions and motivations 2.2 BBC 2.3 Guardian and Telegraph 2.4 New York Times

Does the GOP Have a Problem With Minorities

Does the GOP have a problem with minorities? The Republican Party has faced such accusations throughout the 21st century, particularly as Donald Trump rose to prominence as well as at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. During that convention, the GOP highlighted minority political figures such as Condoleezza Rice, Nikki Haley and Susana Martinez, but few of the actual delegates were people of color.   In fact, the Washington Post pointed out that just 2 percent of delegates were African American. This stat and reports that President Barack Obama won reelection in large part because of support from the nations three largest racial groups—blacks, Hispanics and Asian Americans—have  signaled that the GOP seriously needs to reach out to communities of color.  Polls indicating that minorities overwhelmingly back Hillary Clinton over Trump in the 2016 presidential race have raised similar concerns. â€Å"This Republican Party base is white, aging and dying off,† David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies told the Post. According to the Pew Research Center, 87 percent of Republicans are white, a far higher proportion than the 63.7 percent of non-Hispanic whites that made up the U.S. population during the 2010 census. In contrast, just 55 percent of Democrats were white during the same time frame. Given this, Bositis was far from the only one to question why the GOP of the 21st century does not reflect the ethnically diverse United States. A number of prominent figures have weighed in on the GOP’s diversity problem by pointing out how Republican policies alienate people of color and how conservatives can adopt platforms that resonate with minorities. GOP Needs New Message Artur Davis, a former Alabama congressman who changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, told the Post that the GOP can’t expect to reach blacks by emphasizing its opposition to Big Government. â€Å"It’s not just enough to go into the black community and say, ‘We want to keep government from taking over your life,’† he said. â€Å"That doesn’t resonate in a whole lot of the black community, who have come to see government as a salvation and as economic leveler. It’s going to take being willing to define conservatism as not just a defense of economic liberty but as a broader way of constructing a society that can promote social mobility.† Not Many Black Women Patricia Carroll, a CNN camerawoman, made headlines after she says whites at the 2012 Republican National Convention threw peanuts at her. â€Å"This is what we feed animals,† she says they quipped during the assault. Carroll suggested that the lack of minorities at the convention might have contributed to her attack. She told Journal-isms, â€Å"This is Florida, and I’m from the Deep South. You come to places like this, you can count the black people on your hand. They see us doing things they don’t think I should do. †¦There are not that many black women there. †¦People were living in euphoria for a while. People think we’ve gone further than we have.† In 2016, little had changed. A number of people of color, including Republicans, were harassed, hit or thrown out of Trump campaign events. The New York Times recorded Trump supporters using racial slurs, misogynistic terms and engaging in other egregious behavior at the candidates rallies. Republicans Must Diversify to Win William J. Bennett, U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush, wrote in a CNN.com piece that the GOP must embrace multiculturalism if it expects to compete with Democrats in future elections. â€Å"With the nation’s changing demographics, Republicans can no longer rely on the South and Midwest to carry them to victory...,† he stated. â€Å"Instead, they must broaden their base into traditionally purple and blue states. Its an uphill battle ...but it’s not insurmountable.† GOP Stance on Immigration Alienates Latinos Fox News analyst Juan Williams says that Republicans have much ground to make before they earn the loyalty of Latinos. He pointed out in a piece for TheHill.com that Democrats such as President Barack Obama have supported legislation that would ease the path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, while Republicans have opposed such laws. Williams wrote: â€Å"Obama used his executive power to implement this provision of the DREAM Act after it had been blocked repeatedly by Republicans in Congress. Mitt Romney said that he would have vetoed the DREAM Act, and Paul Ryan voted against it in 2010. At a time when Republicans should be embracing the pragmatism and inclusion of Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, they are doubling down on the rigid immigration posture of Kris Kobach, Pete Wilson and Arizona laws that alienate Hispanics.† By the 2016 presidential race, Rubio abandoned inclusion to veer to the far right. The fact that he supported immigration reform was used to criticize him during his failed bid for president. Rubios loss and Trumps gains indicate that the GOP has grown increasingly intolerant.