Report on Industrail Training Essay Example for Free

Report on Industrail Training Essay

Indian Creation Stories Essay Example for Free

Indian Creation Stories EssayAfter reading the Iroquois and Pima being myths in the book, I have been very intrigued by the inborn American beliefs of the creation of the earth. It seems that nearly every tribe has a different belief of how it happened, though any(prenominal) are very similar. The Huron tribe, originally from the St. Lawrence Valley, have a very similar belief of creation as the Iroquois, where the Cherokee tribe had a totally different cipher than the Pima. The Iroquois and the Huron myths are some(prenominal) in the Earth-Diver category. In this type of myth, animals swim deep to the bottom of the wet and bring up dirt in their mouth, forming the earth.Just homogeneous the Iroquois, in the Huron myth, a divine woman falls out the sky and is swept up just before hitting water by a hawk. The hawk wherefore calls down in the water for help, for she is too heavy for it to hold by itself. First, a turtle comes out the sea for her to sit on, and then he inst ructs other animals such as ducks, beavers, and even a muskrat. After the earth is built, the woman gives affinity to twins, but soon dies after giving birth to her two sons. The sons in both myths represent good and evil on earth. They were to prepare the earth so that humans could live on it, but they lay out out that they could not live together.So, they separated, with each one taking their own portion of the earth to prepare. Once older, the good son creates a sun and stagnate out of the remains of its mothers body. It continues to create the world, forming vegetation and other useful tools to help humans survive. Meanwhile, the evil brother made outrageous animals, boisterous and disturbing. He made wolves, bears, venomous snakes, and panthers of giant size. He made massive mosquitos, the size of wild turkeys, and he made an enormous toad, it drank up the fresh water that was on the earth.The good brother then had to kill the toad to bring water back to the land. In the e nd, the good brother defeated the evil brother in a fight, sending the evil brothers soul to the center of the earth. Pima creation myth is similar to the Iroquois and Huron myths in that there are both animals that help build the earth, except in the Pima myth, they are land animals instead of sea animals. Also, there are two main characters that represent good and evil. The Cherokee creation myth starts as the world being completely covered in water and earth merely being an island floating bove the seas suspended by four rawhide ropes.There were no people, and the animals lived above the rainbow. The animals sent the water beetle under the seas to search for more room, and it brought up mud that spread quickly, turning into land. Although at runner the land was to soft and flat, Godfather buzzard went to check on the land and the wind from his wings created mountains and valleys, thus why the Cherokee territory has many mountains. As the new consideration stiffened, the pulled the sun from behind the rainbow and raised it higher in the sky.The next thing created was the plants, and view animals were given the privilege to see at night. People were created last, with the women being open to have babies every seven days, the Creator feared that the world would soon become crowed and made it so women could only have one child a year. The Native American creation stories of the Iroquois and Huron are almost identical where the Pima and Cherokee are completely opposite of each other. This goes to show just how different the beliefs of different Indian tribes are, and how this holds current to how there are different beliefs across the United States still today.

Justification for qualitative research in organisations

Justification for soft enquiry in musical arrangementsQualitative investigate is a field of interrogation in its own right. It crosscuts disciplines, fields and subject issuings. A complex, interconnected family of terms, concepts, and assumptions surround the term qualitative research. These include the traditions associated with foundationalism, positivism, postfoundationalism, postpositivism, poststructuralism, and the many qualitative research perspectives, and/or methods connected to heathenish and interpretive studies.qualitative researchers substructure access fascinating information by observing mundane settings or by finding e veryday features in erratic settings.This essay provides a justification for the drill of qualitative research methods in organisations. In the past, qualitative research methods generate always been sidelined and quantitative research methods have been preferred for undertaking organisational research. One of the reasons for this is that qu alitative research is always influenced by the researchers personal disposition. According to Creswell, Qualitative Research is a form of interpretive inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear, and understand. Their interpretations cannot be separated from their own secondgrounds, history, contexts, and prior consciousnesss. (Creswell, 2009176) another(prenominal) reason for this is given by Silverman when he says that Policy makers and managers have been pushed past from ethnographic research because it takes a relatively long time to complete and appears to use unrepresentative samples. Even though some ethnographers argon able to fire powerful arguments ab verboten what can be read from a single, well researched, case, others muddy the waters by political posturing and by suggesting that they want no truck with conventional scientific standards. (Silverman, 200786) The pull of quantitative research for organisations is that it tends to define its research problems in a way that makes immediate sense to practitioners and administrators. (Silverman, 200786)More lately many organisations have started recognising the merits of using qualitative research methods to undertake research in the organisation. Qualitative research methods enable a thorough scrutiny of the researched motif which is not accomplishable in quantitative research. Even within qualitative research, the researcher is provided with a vast range of options and opportunities for exploring diverse issues within the bea of organisational research.What be the different methods used to adopt qualitative research?The most usually known and most used method of qualitative research is ethnography which had its origins in affable anthropology, with particular reference to the study of the culture of amicable meetings and societies. The culture of a social group is made up of these complex networks of meaning and the lynchpin task of ethnography is to develop an interpretation and understanding of culture. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008) Ethnography can be described as a longitudinal research method that is frequently associated with participant musing, notwithstanding can also drink on other research approaches such as contextual and historic compend of secondary data published by or on the group being studied. The ethnographic approach to developing an in-depth understanding of peoples behaviour makes it well suited to studying organisations. (Marshan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004) precisely It bends reality considerably to imply that ethnography is today the main method of qualitative research and that remarkal material is the main data source. This is just surprising given the plethora of materials that invite our attention. These extend beyond what we can observe with our own eyes to what we can hear and see on recordings, what we can read in paper documents and electronically download on the internet, to what we can derive by asking que stions in interviews or by providing various stimuli to guidance groups. (Silverman, 200737) Grounded theory research, discuss analysis, deconstruction, content analysis, history method, action research (Humphreys, 2006), participatory enquiry, participant observation (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000), autoethnography, interviewing are just a few of the current approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis. All these methods are appropriately used in different forms of organisational research. I will be looking at autoethnography, grounded theory research, critical discourse analysis and the narrative approach towards qualitative research and will study the use of these methods in conducting organisational research.AutoethnographyEthnographers have started undertaking the observation of participation where they smoothen on and critically engage with their own participation within the ethnographic frame thus giving birth to autoethnography. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005467) Karra and Philips have defined autoethnography as, the generation of theoretically relevant descriptions of a group to which one belongs based on a structured analysis of ones experiences and the experiences of others from ones groupIt is an attempt to produce sense from ones experience of a group that can be set down in a text and shared with stakeed others. It does not mean that the researcher studies only himself or herself, but that the researcher is an insider who can draw upon personal experience, cultural competence, and linguistic resources to frame and shape research in a way that an placesider cannot. (Karra and Phillips, 2008547) Autoethnography has been very expeditiously used by Karra and Phillips, in their article about international management researchers conducting studies in their own cultural context. They say that, autoethnography provides a methodological frame for understanding and managing their research. Even more importantly, it acts to sensitize the researcher t o the importance of carefully managing the complex dynamics of this form of cross-cultural research including questions of authorial voice, role conflict, and power. (Karra and Phillips, 2008543)Autoethnographic approaches have quadruple important strengths- ease of access, reduced resource requirements, ease of establishing trust and rapport, and reduced problems with translation- but at the same time pose three important challenges- escape of critical distance, role conflict, and the limits of serendipity. (Karra and Phillips, 2008541) The strengths of this mode of research are considerable and despite all the criticisms this method of qualitative research has acquired it can be used very successfully in organisational research where the need is to draw upon personal experiences. One of the uses of autoethnography is to allow another persons world of experience to inspire critical formula on your own. (Ellis and Bochner, 199622) Experience is given a lot of importance in organi sations and autoethnography enables the researcher and the organisation to use this experience in a positive manner and in a way which can be very beneficial to the organisation and its employees.Grounded TheoryGrounded theory, developed by Glaser and Strauss, is a kind of theory generated from the data collected. The methodology refers to a style of conducting qualitative data analysis whose aim is to spy what kinds of concepts and hypotheses are relevant to the area one wishes to understand. Grounded theory, therefore, provides new insights into the understanding of social turnes acclivitous from the context in which they occur, without forcing and adjusting the data to previous theoretical frameworks. (Cassell and Symon, 2004242) Grounded theory is a method that is more appropriate for some questions than others. It is most suited to efforts to understand the process by which actors construct meaning out of intersubjective experience. Grounded theory should be used in a way t hat is logically consistent with key assumptions about social reality and how the reality is known. It is less appropriate to use grounded theory when you seek to make knowledge claims about an objective reality, and more appropriate to do so when you want to make knowledge claims about how individuals interpret reality. (Suddaby, 2006634) While the grounded theory approach appeared at a time when methods discourse was decidedly modernist, forty years of development reflect he paradigmatic plurality of current qualitative research. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008)The application of grounded theory in organisational research has been readying popularity in recent times. This is because organisational psychology has been attach by a trend of moving from an individualistic point of view towards a more collective view. Grounded theory has been applied in studies focusing on organisational culture, organisational growth, change and innovation, team work and company survival to name a few. Grou nded theory produces descriptions of organisational reality which elicit positive discussions around important themes in the organisation among the employees and, thus, form a basis for positive organisational development trends. (Cassell and Symon, 2004)Critical Discourse AnalysisAccording to Cunliffe, Discourse analysis is a term covering a number of approaches to research that analyze language use. These approaches range from a focus on language itself, to a broader examination of the relationship between language use, social action and social theory. (Thorpe and Holt, 200881) Discourse analysis provides a theoretical and methodological framework for exploring the social production of organizational and interorganizational phenomena. (Phillips, Sewell and Jaynes, 20081) As a methodology, critical discourse analysis allows for the use of different kinds of methods in limited research projects. However, this kind of research in particular demands the ability to make sense of the l inkages between specific textual characteristics and particular discourses on the one hand, and between the discourses and the relevant socio-cultural practices and historical developments on the other. This means that research of this type generally tends to favour in-depth scrutiny of and reflection on specific texts. (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004)Discourse analysis has become an increasingly popular method for examining the linguistic elements in the construction of social phenomena. It has been increasingly adopted by organization and management scholars interested in the social construction of specific organizational ideas or practices. (Varra, Kleymann and Seristo, 20043) There are three important problems facing researchers regard to adopt a critical discourse perspective in their work. First, like ethnography, discourse analysis results in quite lengthy analyses that are often a poor fit with the requirements of journal editors. Second, discourse analysis often involve s major data-management issues because of the volume of data that is often available. Finally, as this is a fairly new are of activity, there are few standard models available to follow. Developing innovative data analysis techniques for each study thus remains a utmost challenge facing researchers. (Phillips, Sewell and Jaynes, 2008)Narrative ApproachAccording to Oswick, Narratives are an inevitable and unavoidable aspect of social life and, as such, are integral to the processes of managing and organizing. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008141) Although the narrative approach is one with many merits which are being acknowledged by researchers, it is still a field in the making and is not very commonly used. Researchers new to this field will find a rich but diffuse tradition, multiple methodologies in various stages of development, and plenty of opportunities for exploring new ideas, methods and questions. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005651)A credit that discourse is the principle means by which o rganization members create a coherent social reality that frames their sense of who they are has led to an increased interest in narrative approaches in organization studies. A narrative approach explicitly recognizes that, in organizations, language is the primary medium of social control and power, and that the analysis of linguistic practices is key to an understanding of how existing social and power relations are reproduced or transformed. (Humphreys and Brown, 2007) In the article, An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility at Credit Line A Narrative Approach by Humphreys and Brown (2008), the authors adopted a narrative approach to the analysis of organizational processes in a bank, Credit Line, in order to explore how individuals in a financial institution dealt with relatively novel issues of corporate social responsibility. The authors used narratives to successfully draw attention to the plurivocity of organisational life.Use of qualitative research methods to underta ke organisational research in a public sector organisation existence sector organisations are those organisations which are managed by the government. The main aim of these organisations is not to make a profit but to provide a service to the people under the government. Some typesetters case of public sector organisations are airports, public hospitals, railway stations, government run schools and colleges. Governments nowadays are looking to privatize most of the public sector organisations in order to increase their efficiency and pitchiveness. Thus most of the above given examples have now been partially or completely privatised in most countries.Public sector organisations are common grounds for research amongst qualitative researchers. This could be due to the fact that public sector organisations are more easily come-at-able than the private sector organisations.Many public sector organisations have also started coming up with their own research and development department which undertakes the organisational research. In my imprint participant observation and interviewing together make an ideal combination to undertake organisational research within a public sector organisation or for that matter any organisation. The shortcomings of participant observations are covered by interviewing and vice versa. Thus, the two methods complement each other perfectly. role player ObservationThe methodology of participant observation is appropriate for studies of almost every aspect of human existence. Through participant observation, it is possible to describe what goes on, who or what is involved, when and where things reach, how they occur, and why at least from the standpoint of participants things happen as they do in particular situations. (Jorgensen, 1989) Participant observation is one of the most popular ways of conducting fieldwork in an organisation. This is because finished observation of the participants going through their daily routine researche rs pick up information which they might not have access to in a more formal setting, an example of which is interviews. Participant observation can be of two types. In the first, the identity of the researcher is known to all and the researcher has a choice of forming relationships with the participants or to stand back and eavesdrop. This form of participant observation is ethically correct but the researchers personal disposition and identity may influence the participants behaviour and this may have an effect on the research material gathered. The second type of participant observation is covert participant observation where the identity of the researcher is hidden. This form of participant observation raises many ethical questions and is just another form of deception. Thus, covert participant observation should be avoided. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial in participant observation. The danger here is that the researche r may feel so embedded and sympathetic to the group being studied that interpreting events objectively becomes difficult. Another demerit of participant observation is the time-consuming and open-ended nature of this kind of research which means it often doesnt get done. In a cost-conscious research clime in which specific and often short-term, definitive objectives are infallible to secure funding, sustained participation is a risky strategy. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008)InterviewsThe qualitative interview can be seen as a conversation with a purpose, where the interviewers aim is to obtain knowledge about the respondents world. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008118) The goal of any qualitative research interview is to see the research topic from the perspective of the interviewee and to understand how and why they came to have this particular perspective. (Cassell and Symon, 2004) Interviewing is the most popular method of conducting organisational research. The method has three important advanta ges. Firstly, interviewers allow the researcher to discover new relationships or situations not previously conceived. Secondly, interview based research may be optimal when there is a small population of possible respondents as interviewers offer an opportunity to acquire a richness of information from each respondent. Finally, interviews may allow researchers to develop a deeper rapport with informants which is necessary to gain honest and accurate responses and to add insights that lay the groundwork for larger or follow-up studies. (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004) But the interviewing method also suffers from three disadvantages. Firstly, developing an interview guide, carrying out interviews and analysing their transcripts, are all highly time-consuming activities for the researchers. Secondly, qualitative interviews are also tiring to carry out as they involve considerable concentration from the interviewer. Thus, no more than three interviews, each of the duration of one ho ur, should be carried out in a day. Finally, interviews are also time-consuming for the interviewees and this may cause problems in recruiting participants in some organizations and occupations.The latest trends in interviewing have come some distance from structured questions we have reached the point of the interview as negotiated text. Researchers are not invisible neutral entities they are a part of the interaction we seek to study. Interviewers are increasingly seen as active participants in an interaction with respondents, and interviewers are seen as negotiated accomplishments of both interviewers and respondents that are shaped by the contexts and situations in which they take place. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005)Depending on the type of organisational research which the public sector organisation needs to carry out and its goals and aims, either participant observation or interviewing or a combination of both the methods can be used appropriately in acquiring the required resea rch material.ConclusionThus, I conclude by saying that qualitative research methods have formed a niche for themselves in organisational research. The importance of organisational research is growing day by day and qualitative research methods are now an important part of organisational research. Although many forms of qualitative research make the use of figures and numbers to support a point of discussion, thus incorporating a characteristic of quantitative research methods, they also provide an in depth analysis on the topic of research and use one or more of the methodologies of qualitative research which include participant observation, interviewing, autoethnography, use of secondary data, grounded theory, ethnography, discourse analysis, narratives and rhetorical analysis.In this essay I introduced qualitative research and outlined its increasing importance in organisational research. I followed this up by describing approaches to qualitative research specifically concentratin g on autoethnography, grounded theory, critical discourse analysis and the narrative approach, and critically analysing their use in organisational research. Finally, I concentrated on public sector organisations and why I intend that participant observation and interviews are the best methods of qualitative research to undertake organisational research in public sector organisations. In doing this I feel that I have justified the use of qualitative research in organisations.Word Count 2969 words

Beiersdorf Ag And The Cosmetics Industry

Beiersdorf Ag And The Cosmetics IndustryBeiersdorf AG (BDF), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and distribution of grungeed consumer goods in the main in europium, the the Statess, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The lodge ope rank in two segments, Consumer and Tesa. The Consumer segment offers skin and beauty care harvests under the Labello, NIVEA, 84, la prairie, JUVENA, atrix, Eucerin, FUTURO, Hansaplast/Elastoplast, and Florena brand names. The consumer division represents everyplace 80% of the companys core value gross revenue. The Tesa segment engages in the development, end product, and food commercializeing of self-adhesive system and product solutions for industrial customers and consumers.Beiersdorf Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1882 and is based in Hamburg, Germany. The conclave has around 17,300 employees and over 150 affiliates worldwide. Since 2003, the company has been part of the Tchibo Group.The group recorded revenues of 5,120 mi llion during the m whizztary year ended December 2006, an change magnitude of 7.2% over 2005. The operating profit of the group was 477 million during fiscal year 2006, a decline of 15.8% over 2005. The net profit was 664 million in fiscal year 2006, an increase of 99.4% over 2005.This report analyses the economic aspects of the personal line of credit of cosmetics and the consumer segment of Beiersdorf AG.2. IntroductionIn 2006, the cosmetics and toiletries industry posted $163 billion, a maturement consider of more than 5% over 2005 $155 billion. Euromonitor International forecasts average annual growth of 3% to setting global sales of more than $313 billion by 2011. (GCI, 2007).The industry continues to benefit from a combination of strong macroeconomic trends (including a worldwide face lift in consumer spend power) key demographic factors much(prenominal) as aging populations and high life expectancies an increased interest in look and personal care as a means of p reventive healthcare and lifestyle and climatic changes that are creating opportunities for new product niches. Legislative restrictions are having a positive impact by improving consumer confidence and facilitating international mickle, and technological advances are improving product efficacy and providing manufacturers with new marketing tools and publicise opportunities.3. disceptation and MarketsMicroeconomics Porters 5 ForcesBased on Porters five forces model which determines the intensity of the industry competition and profitability (Porter 1980, p3), Beiersdorf has an advantage in the cosmetics industry their hereditary pattern and unmatched leadership in skin care through NIVEA has created an immediate stronghold over its competitors in the industry as well as differentiation. However the threat of supervene upon products and services could affect Beiersdorfs popularity.Threat of New Entrants MediumA large number of firms nock their products and maintain a certain degree of control over their pricing. This monopolistic competition has relatively low barriers to entry and exit. Government regulation, mostly related to safety issues, and distribution channels appear to be the most probative barriers to entry in the cosmetics industry. Beiersdorf has the advantage of economies of scale, an established supply and distribution channels and high product differentiation, to compete and have an incumbent advantage. The capital requirements of entry, customer and supplier loyalty, legislation, and retaliation are moderate, which indicate that a new entrant is hindered to enter the market and compete. To stay competitive, Beiersdorf needs to continually innovate.Threat of Substitutes HighThe risk of product-for-product switching is high as equivalent product benefits are available both in generic and branded form. Beiersdorf has contended with this risk by continuous innovation and introducing droll formulations across global markets. Beiersdorf h as worked to expand its presence in the global personal care market by promoting its flagship brand NIVEA, which launched a global marketing front last summer that intends to cover 64 countries by mid-2008. To increase sales by presenting consumers with innovative new products, Beiersdorfs expenditure on RD rose 7.6 per cent to 127m in 2007 and this enthronisation is expected to help the company launch successful new products in the years ahead (Cosmetics Design, 2007).Bargaining Power of Buyers MediumBuyer (customer) ingress is moderate as product differentiation and distributed markets ensure relative price differences that ensure profitability. This indicates reduced bargaining power of the buyers. Loyalty to Beiersdorfs products is relatively high and the live of switching buyers is medium. The risk of supplier acquired by the buyer is less as the products are proprietary formulations. Beiersdorf also differentiates through choice and beginning(a) to market innovation. As such(prenominal), they should be un allow foring to accept compromises on quality. This go forth also be reliable for emerging economies, where, as they develop and innovation becomes a competitive differentiator, buyers will be less willing to compromise on quality.Bargaining Power of Suppliers MediumIngredients are individually sourced from suppliers and blending them into unique proprietary products has traditionally been Beiersdorfs patriarchal effectivity. Suppliers concentration is high with the added risk of buyer being acquired by the supplier. However, the cost of switching suppliers is moderate and boilersuit, suppliers increasing costs is less impactful on the profitability.Competitive contention HighDespite an unfavourable environment in Beiersdorfs key region of Western Europe, the company has managed to consistently outperform global sales of cosmetics and toiletries over the go off menstruum and by one percentage point in 2006. Beiersdorfs global sales growth (6%) is above that of its direct competitors Procter Gamble and Unilever, although LOr al outperformed by one percentage point. However, like LOreal and other major global players, much of this growth is derived from emerging markets.This procedure tends to demonstrate that Beiersdorfs growth strategy is successful. However, the degree by which Beiersdorf outstripped overall sales has lessened. It is essential for Beiersdorf to continually invest in RD to maintain their competitive differentiation and profitability.The recent revision of Beiersdorfs growth strategy indicates that the company identified the expert targets for growth, both at product category level, such as with a focus on mens grooming products, and at a geographical level. The slight discrepancy from the previous focus on North America seems wise, as sales in this region are forecast to remain sluggish over the period 2006-2011. On the other hand, increased efforts to launch Beiersdorfs brands in high-growth co untries such as China and Russia should prove very beneficial.4. Market demand and concord the consumerThe law of diminish marginal utility holds for the cosmetics sector. A shift in the demand curve will be seen as a result of changes in demand repayable to factors other than price, such as increases in consumer income, changes in taxes on the product, changes in price or availability of competing products, and changes in expectations of future prices (Wilkinson 2005, p.82).Various elasticity concepts, including consume price elasticity, income, advertising and cross-price elasticises of demand as well as consumer indifference curves are very important to the company as they influence the pricing and advertising strategies (Jones 2004, p.98).The demand curve for Beiersdorfs portfolio can be expressed as D1, displayed in Figure 3. P1Q1 represents the market equilibrium point for quantity and demand for the pricing strategy.Beiersdorf amplification of its market share in 2007 by foc using on product innovation and emerging markets with a special focus on the Chinese market was supported by high sales of Nivea Visage and Nivea for Men, and sales in China increased 45.1 per cent in 2007 contributing to a 7.6 per cent rise in the companys turnover to 5.5bn, indicated by an outward shift in the demand curve from D1 to D2. At this price point, quantity sold was higher (P2Q2). Sales were up 12.8 per cent and the jump in profits was also receivable to the companys logistics and production revamp, which has centred on its hair and skin care operation in Europe during the then(prenominal) two years. Thus, the demand curve may well have sloped more sharply upwards than it appears in Figure 3. This raises the equilibrium quantity from Q1 to the higher Q2.These curves demonstrate that Beiersdorfs overall revenue has grown considerably from 2006. In its financial results for 2007 the company reported sales of 5.5bn for the fiscal year, which adjusting for currency tr anslated into a 9.1 per cent increase on 2006.Also, Beiersdorfs growth is driven by advertising and promotion, alongside heavy research and development investments. Faced with growing maturity in its key market Western Europe, Beiersdorf has not limited its growth strategy to product innovation. In accessory, the company is focusing on alternative retail channels.5. Market supply and understanding the companys costsMarket supply is the aggregate of individual firm supply, determined by factors affecting firm supply. The market supply function for a product is a statement of the relation between the quantity supplied and all factors affecting that quantity (Hirschey 2005, p.110).With the dual aim of halving working capital requirements and saving costs, the Company embarked on a restructuring of its supply chain in 2005. Originally managed locally, all major supply chain processes, including planning, sourcing, production, delivery and returns are now moving towards more exchange m anagement. Processes are being optimised, in order to reduce the time-to-market for new products, and products and processes are being standardised as much as possible to achieve economies of scale.In Europe, Beiersdorf has already adapted its production sites and logistics centres to reflect actual demand and has reduced overcapacity. For example, early 2007, the company sold its production and logistics facilities in France, as well as its Hamburg-based logistics centre and its Heitersheim-based soap factory both in Germany. In Asia, Beiersdorf conducted an in-depth analysis of its product and supply chain during 2006. It is expected to roll out its Asia restructuring plan in 2008. Meanwhile, on the back of beneficial occupancy tax reform net profit leapt to 132m from 74m in 2006.Although Beiersdorf began to focus a large part of its efforts into strengthening its sight in high-growth regions such as Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, the company is behind many othe r international manufacturers. Many players identified the same areas as key targets over the last few years. Without first-mover advantage, Beiersdorf will have to match its competitors in terms of distribution, price and product support in order to reach new customers.6. Market analysis, failure and responsesMarket failure is the situation where the market mechanism fails to allocate resources efficiently (Wilkinson 2005, p.473). There are a number of reasons why market failure might occur inefficiencies, imperfect competition due to oligopoly in the cosmetics market, external economies and diseconomies of production, pure private and pure public goods and government intercession in the form of taxation and subsidies to try and restore social equity while exercising other options such as legal measures and persuasion.Annual sales growth in the cosmetics and toiletries market has fallen gradually from 21.2 per cent in 2002 to 11.3 per cent last year to $20.9bn. Overall growth figu res are slowing as the market matures although breaking down the figures suggests high double-digit growth is still achievable in the market for more sophisticated products. Picking out two categories for comparison, aid cosmetics sales increased 15 per cent last year whereas deodorant sales grew by only 8.2 per cent (Cosmetics Design, 2008).Beiersdorf should achieve growth figures in rudimentary and Eastern Europe with targeted growing niches and expanded market share. In addition, Beiersdorf paid 269.45m in October for an 85 per cent stake in China-based C-Bons Hair Care, which owns the Slek and Maestro brands (Cosmetics Design, 2007). This will importantly strengthen Beiersdorfs market share in China.7. Market structures and company strategiesEconomists classify market structures into four main types perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly (Wilkinson 2005, p.313). The cosmetics disdain is an oligopoly. With competitors such as Unilever, LOreal, Pr octor and Gamble, Avon, Est e Lauder Cosmetics, and other large corporations, Beiersdorf attempts to maintain a technological superiority through path-breaking innovations and their super successful soft-sell techniques. The continual research and development of cosmetics, combined with the universal human desire to look the best they can, suggests that the industry has great electric potential. The strategies used by Beiersdorf are an attempt to differentiate itself from other competitors in the industry.Despite an unfavourable environment Beiersdorfs global sales growth (6%) is above that of its direct competitors Procter Gamble and Unilever, although LOreal outperformed by one percentage point. This performance tends to demonstrate that Beiersdorfs growth strategy is successful. The recent revision of Beiersdorfs growth strategy indicates that the company identified the right targets for growth, both at product category level, such as with a focus on mens grooming products, and at a geographical level. The slight departure from the previous focus on North America seems wise, as sales in this region are forecast to remain sluggish over the period 2006-2011. On the other hand, increased efforts to launch Beiersdorfs brands in high-growth countries such as China and Russia should prove very beneficial.8. Economic output and national wealthEconomic output is measured with actual growth and potential growth. Actual growth may be defined as the actual annual increase in national product or real gross domestic product per annum, normally expressed as a percentage or on a per capita basis. In contrast, potential growth is the annual increase in a countrys productive capability. Actual growth may fall short of potential growth if the economy is working at less than full capacity, which is if it works indoors its production possibility frontier. Economic growth is perceived to be desirable since higher growth benefits the population of the country. However, hig h shorter term economic growth using non-renewable resources, causes slow long term growth.Cosmetics industry contributes positively to the GDP due to its manufacturing activity. Beiersdorfs products are manufactured across the world and in all its major markets it has manufacturing facilities or agreements with affiliates. Beiersdorf also supports beauty salons and massage parlours with its professional products and thus indirectly supports local economies.9. Economic growth and business cyclesThe global economy recorded sound growth in the early part of 2007. However, in late summer the ongoing slowdown on the U.S. real estate market triggered fears regarding the creditworthiness of financial market products and institutions in the U.S.A. and Europe. U.S. monetary policymakers moved to counter rising cyclical risks by cutting interest rates.Nevertheless, the drop in real estate prices, rising default rates for mortgage loans, and the jump in jobless rates at the end of the year d irect to a market slowdown in the growth of U.S. consumer spending and hence in the economy as a whole. Against this background, the U.S. dollar came under strong pressure in the second half of 2007. In addition, the euro appreciated significantly against the yen, impacting the international competitiveness of European companies.Continental European economies were dominated by robust growth in exports and investments and further improvements on the job market, but were squeeze by an increase in inflation risks, fuelled by rocketing prices for oil, energy, and food.Figure 7 Inflation in 2007Source Beiersdorf Annual Report, 2007The ongoing rapid expansions of the Chinese market, where growth rates are at about 12%, continue to offer sales opportunities for European producers. At the same time, Chinas growing demand for raw materials led to price rises on the global commodities markets. Although Continental Asian countries saw dynamic development, Japanese growth is below expectations . In Latin America, growth remained stable at around 5% in 2007, while in Eastern Europe it was 6%.Business cycles effect on Beiersdorf, as a factor of investment and consumer spend on goods and services, is limited as its products cater to virtually every age-group among consumers and its flagship brand NIVEA and its extensions as an umbrella brand have gained immense value and loyalty.It is true that mass-market cosmetics are not essential for life, however, the relative low-cost of the products, and the heavy reliance on image enhancement, especially in women, prompt that cosmetics would not be the first items to be forsaken in time of economic hardship. This makes the industry more resistant to recessions and other economic downturns.10. Capital accumulation and technological progressIn addition to Beiersdorfs acquisitions, the investments in operating activities amounted to 106 million relating to intangible assets and property, plant, and equipment in 2007.Innovative product d evelopment is a strategic factor at Beiersdorf for ensuring competitive strength and group growth, based on over 80 years of research and development. In 2007, the company spent 127 million on research and development (2.3% of sales). On a global level, 870 members of staff without C-BONS Hair Care are employed in research and development.11. Labour markets and unemploymentThough unemployment is creeping, unbridled inflation has played havoc with goodness prices and interest rate turbulence. This can lead to loss of jobs as companies may trim their expenses in an effort to counter inflation.Beiersdorf enjoys a healthy growth rate of over 6% against the industry growth of 4% average. There is no threat of unemployment and labour market issues for Beiersdorf due to its unassailable market share and brand loyalty across the world. The resilience of the economy could be impacted by unemployment, but is unlikely to directly impact demand for Beiersdorfs products, due to its strong her itage and the NIVEA brand pull.12. Role of government and fiscal policyGovernment expenditure and taxation is the basis for fiscal policy. Cosmetics are regularly taxed and such taxes have a notional effect on demand of Beiersdorfs products.However, customs and import duties on raw materials and finished goods have an impact and the company appears to counter such personal effects with local manufacture and continued product innovations.13. Role of government and monetary policySince inflation and money supply determine the monetary policy, inflation is countered with a change in interest rates to affect a control on money supply.Beiersdorf indicates that currency, interest rate, and liquidity risks are subject to active exchequer management. In most cases they are managed and hedged centrally. Derivative financial instruments serve solely to hedge operational activities and financial transactions essential to the business. The Company limits potential default risks relating to the investment of the Groups liquid funds by only making short-term investments with prime-rated counterparties.Consumer impact of monetary policy may affect spending on cosmetics. However, brand loyalty and preference for personal grooming offset any adverse impact.14. Foundations of international tradeThe law of absolute advantage and the law of proportional advantage are the basis for international trade. Countries specialise in goods and services which they have the greatest aptitude for producing due to natural resource endowments, or because of the acquired skills of their workforce. These factors of production are largely immobile between countries so trade takes place in the goods which they produce.The terms of trade of a country might change as the result of a change in the composition of its exports or imports, or a change in the price of its exports or imports. For the former, businesses selling higher priced products such as software as opposed to low level manufactures wo uld be one cause of an improvement in the terms of trade. This leads to the issue of free trade against protectionism, such as import tariffs, quotas, exchange controls, export subsidies and administrative barriers.Beiersdorf with 150 affiliates worldwide is a major player in international trade. It leverages inherent strength of each country it operates in and extends these advantages across its global markets.Beiersdorf projects that the consumer segment of its business will continue to enjoy growth of approximately 8 per cent due to its increased China focus, which is double the cosmetics market as a whole. China does not however carry the burden of delivering sales growth for the company alone(predicate) and Russia, Brazil and India have been identified as fellow drivers for growth. This is more confident than the outlook of competitor LOreal which, on the back of recent results affected by the debile US dollar, pulled down its expectations for the full year to just under 6 pe r cent growth (Cosmetic Design, 2008).15. ConclusionThe cosmetics industry, business and market analysis, based on the 12 strands of the Grenoble syllabus, identify several important issues. Central to the planning and development of strategies within the business environment is based on an understanding and interpretation of micro- and macro-economic factors. Applying the above 12 economic factors to Beiersdorf performance, it is clear that market, governmental and global forces act upon the company, affecting strategic decisions. The business is consumer-oriented and market driven. Sustaining market share and ensuring growth in this free and highly competitive market requires continuous application of information analysis, strategic decision-making and rapid execution.Constant innovation, vast potential in emerging markets, maturing markets in Western Europe and US, varied preferences of consumers across global markets who also seek consistent quality and product standards, may r esult in dramatic shifts along the demand curve.An oligopoly, the cosmetics business thrives on capital accumulation and technological progress, ensured by economic growth, business cycles and international trade. Fiscal and monetary measures by the governments and labour issues influence the business to a limited extent.Beiersdorf is a successful global company in this sector and its growth and expansion over the decades indicates a healthy and competitive advantage.

Formal Authority

Formal AuthorityINTRODUCTIONAuthority is a delimitate feature of hierarchy. Authority in management is the nominal or legitimate sanction specified in a charter that turn backs a project private instructor the endorsement to minute in the name of the sponsoring executive or on behalf of the organization. There are various types of indorsement according to different mint. But they totally seem to gain a fundamental flaw that is they are unable to clearly distinguish between bollock, folksy ascendancy and lead. Formal sureness is the authority provided by an organization or the law to an individual enabling him to carry out certain feignions in accordance with his own will and without the need to bear on others. Informal authority is the authority that the manager holds everywhere his subordinates due to certain qualities that the subordinates value in him. A manager with good leadership skills has more informal authority as opposed to people with less leadership ski lls. It is a common perception that most organisations give formal authority to managers to direct and take hold the activities of their subordinates but this is not al airs true it depends on various other factors as well. One of the major factors that affect the type of authority given to managers is sizing of the organization usually smaller organizations take on a system of authority whereas large organizations have a formal system of authority.FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITYoperative authority is authority delegated to an individual or department everyplace specific activities under taken by personnel in other departments. Staff managers may have operative authority, meaning that they can issue orders down the chain of hold within the very narrow limits of their authority. For example, supervisors in a manufacturing plant may find that their conterminous bosses have line authority over them, but that some wholeness in corporate issuequarters may besides have line authority over so me of their activities or decisions.Organizations create positions of functional authority to break the unity of command principle by having individuals report to two bosses. Functional authority allows specialty of skills and improved coordination. This concept was originally suggested by Frederick Taylor. He separated planningfrom doingby establishing a special department to relieve the labourer and the foreman from the spurt of planning. The role of the foreman became whizz of making sure that planned operations were carried out. The major problem of functional authority is overlapping relationships, which can be indomitable by clearly designating to individuals which activities their immediate bosses have authority over and which activities are under the direction of someone else.THEORIESFayol (1949) defined authority as the right to give orders and the power to extract obedience. He emphasised the importance of linking authority to responsibility, which together required in creasing judgement and morality at senior levels. He reassert higher pay for commercial managers in comparison with senior civil servants since, in his view, the latter exercised authority without responsibility. In general, he concluded that responsibility is feared as much as authority is sought after, and fear of responsibility paralyses much initiative and destroys many good qualities.FORMAL AUTHORITY IN A lingoUnion National Bank in Abu Dhabi is an organization that exercises formal authority. As a manager in the bank i was provided with formal authority over a group of six employees and we were a part of the internal customer satisfaction survey department. One of the main reasons the bank believes in providing formal authority is so as to not concern people at higher positions with unimportant tasks. Another important aspect of formal authority is it reduces conflict among people in higher positions if still unable to completely remove it. The reason that there may still be conflicts is that though formal authority empowers managers to a certain degree the managers boss still has a say in the managers decision should he choose to.OVERVIEW OF UNION NATIONAL BANKEstablished as a Public Joint Stock Company in 1982, they are one of the leading domestic banks in the United Arab Emirates and are headquartered in Abu Dhabi. They cleft a variety of products and services, addressing needs ranging from basic requirements of individuals to the more complex requirements of corporate entities. Electronic delivery channels, ably supported by an extensive network of Banking Centres dispense across the emirates, offer greater banking convenience to their customers.They are the only bank that is jointly owned by the Governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Their Chairman, H. H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Education and scientific Research, is well supported by their Board of Directorsthat consists of eminent business personalities and their Senior Mana gementteam which is made up of experienced professionals.Their Vision and Missionis clearly defined and their business outline is well unders besidesd by all staff across the bank.Union Brokerage Company (UBC), one of the oldest brokerage firms in UAE is a subsidiary of UNB. anyways being a leading player in the Brokerage industry, it was among the first national companies to deal in the brokerage field in the country. Besides its head office in Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi, it has a well diversified branch network with 6 other branches at ADX, DFM, Al Ain, Al Dhafra, Fujairah and Gold Diamond Park, Dubai.The Al Wifaq Finance Company, a subsidiary of UNB has been established with the purpose of offering Sharia compliant financial, commercial and investing services to both organizations and individuals in compliance with the rules and principals of the Islamic LawAs partof the Banks vision, to be a key player in the region, UNB has now a presence in the Egyptian banking sector finished itssuccessful acquisition of the Alexandria Commercial and Maritime Bank. UNB is also reviewing other geographic locations for a presence or strategic alliances that will add to shareholder value.PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ON FORMAL AUTHORITYThough formal authority is considered to be authority provided by the organization or superior to an individual it is more often implied than anything else. When employees had issues with anything to do with the customer satisfaction department i had the authority to decide what was to be done. This greatly reduced the time taken for certain tasks to be done. As i had the authority to take decisions on issues such as upgrading of equipment or changes in software and other issues i did not have to elevate it to my boss. This helped also as i could take a better decision as i had more interaction with employees and knew their needs. If these problems had to be elevated to the higher management these issues could have taken a much longer time frame to ge t resolved. Also managers at the upper levels especially while working in large organizations that have branches at various parts of a country or the world are unable to clearly see the needs of each branch. Providing formal authority enables a more personalized approach between employees and the organization. Also individual employee needs are better recognized by their immediate managers rather than managers at the top. At the same time there were certain issues that i faced as when i decided to implement a change in the questionnaire on the request of several employees i found that the management wanted to stick to the older pattern. This shows that formal authority is not always clearly outlined in an organization.Managers are unencumbered by management theory and standards established by others. Effective managers want to be in charge they also possess an congenital desire to achieve substantial personal recognition and to earn that recognition base on their own merits. They never abuse power they know that the dilute use of power creates a vile corporate poison that can quickly spread throughout an entire organization and paralyze it. They thus practise humility and refrain from using their position to intimidate others. They can define and manage each situation or person with an appropriate leadership style. Example-they endure to treat their vice-presidents and line workers with the same level of respect, but through different approaches. Authority is the defining feature of hierarchy. The boss can restrict the subordinates actions, overturn his decisions, and tied(p) fire him (unless the bosss boss objects, in which case the boss herself may be fired). Tracing this chain of authority up the hierarchy, we eventually reach a person (sole proprietor) or group (shareholders) who can be thought of as owning all the decision rights in the organization. In short, formal authority resides at the top. Leading is one of principal managerial functions. Mana gers are suppose to be formal leaders because they have the authority to influence their subordinates and are expected to use it. They are formally responsible for outcome of their group. However, in an organization, not all managers are leaders, whether they have direct reports or not. In certain cases job description might bring strong leadership, on other hand leadership might not be major factor. However, in todays competitive world, most of the managerial jobs demand leadership qualities, inter personal and inter group interaction and a manager has to manage different type of responsibilities and roles. A leader influences other member of groups, leads group, and directs members towards its goals. A leader influences subordinates level of motivation, their actionance and quality of their decisions.DISADVANTAGES OF FORMAL AUTHORITYAuthority is a wily beast. In general it means that people will prevail by your decisions. They will do what you want them to do. no manager can be effective with merely formal authority. True power comes from the trusting relationships that one forges with the people around him. He does this by being genuinely interested, and helpful. He commands attention by making lucid, compelling points, and acting decisively and transparently. Formal authority will not inspire people to do their best work with a happy heart. The best one can hope for with merely formal authority is grudging or indifferent acquiescence. We can easily become enamored with the power of our positions. Having people do what we tell them to do when we tell them to do it can have an intoxicating effect. Under such circumstances, too often our senses become dulled and we become oblivious to the dangers of formal authority. When authority goes to our heads, it becomes much too easy to disregard, or overlook entirely, critical input we might otherwise receive from peers, superiors and even clients.CONCLUSIONFrom this essay we can conclude that formal authority is like a two sided coin it has its ups and downs. Also formal authority depends a lot on the situation and the organization. Smaller organizations may find that formal authority does not suit them whereas larger organizations may find that formal authority is better suited for them. At the same time larger organizations that have strict rules on company policies may find that formal authority conflicts their objectives. Every manager is unique thus formal authority may be needed by some managers to perform well whereas managers with strong leadership qualities may be able to perform well even in the absence seizure of formal authority as they naturally have the respect and support of employees. Formal authority can be thought of as the right to command or compel another person to perform a certain act. Power is the ability to influence or cause a person to perform an act. It is possible for a manager to have formal authority without power, just as it is possible for a subordinate to h ave power without formal authority. The short letter between these terms may be significant for the manager, who may assume that his formal authority automatically gives him power but overlook the fact that his subordinates also have power, at times greater than his own. The manager in such a situation can encounter difficult and frustrating experiences without knowing why. The courtly view of leadership, formal and informal, can be seen as a confused mixture of leadership and management. Leadership can be seen as an occasional act rather than an ongoing role, a bit like creativity. On this view there is no such thing as formal leadership. Being in an organizational position of authority over others makes you a manager, not a leader. To be a leader, you need to be able to convince people to willingly follow some new direction. This means that there is formal and informal management but only informal leadership. Most managers show some leadership. The constituted view is that exec utives show leadership in two ways. By using their powers of persuasion, they influence people who report to them to take actions they would not otherwise take. The second way executives show leadership, on this view, is by making decisions that move the organization in new directions. However, we are gradually moving away from this concept of leadership, one based on formal authority. It is becoming increasingly recognized that making such decisions should be considered managerial actions. Managers can only lead by persuading people to act differently, either directly or by example.REFERENCESBaron, David P. and David Besanko Information, Control, and Organizational Structure, Journal of scotchs and Management Strategy, 1, Summer 1992, 237-76.Barro, Robert J. and Paul M. Romer, 1987, Ski-Lift Pricing with Applications to Labor and Other Markets, American Economic Review, 77, 875-90.Ibarra, Herminia, 1993, Network Centrality, Power, and Innovation Involvement Determinants of Technic al and Administrative Roles, Academy of Management Journal, 36, 471-501.Jensen, Michael C. and William H. Meckling, 1992, Specific and General Knowledge, and Organizational Structure, in Lars Werin and Hans Wijkander eds. Contract Economics, Oxford Basil Blackwell, 251-74.Laffont, Jean-Jacques Analysis of hidden Gaming in a Three-Level Hierarchy, Journal of Law, Economic and Organization, 6, Fall 1990, 301-324.Mankiw, N. Gregory, 1985, Small Menu Costs and Large Business Cycles A Macroeconomic Model of Monopoly, quarterly Journal of Economics, 100, 529-39.Marschak, Jacob and Roy Radner, 1972, The Economic Theory of Teams, New Haven CT Yale University Press.Milgrom, Paul and D. John Roberts, 1988, An Economic Approach to Influence Activities in Organizations, American Journal of Sociology, 94 (Supplement), S154-S179.Pfeffer, Jeffrey, 1981, Power in Organizations, Marshfield MAPitman.

An Examination of Rips Character in Irvings Rip Van Winkle :: Rip Van Winkle Essays

An Examination of Rips Character in Irvings Rip Van show off Washington Irving wrote Rip Van Winkle with the American people in mind. At this time society was changing drastically. America was attempting to go through a struggle with forming their own identity. America was missing to have an identity that would set them free from English culture and rule. Irving uses his master(prenominal) character, Rip Van Winkle, to symbolize America. Rip goes through the same struggles that America was passing play through at this time onwards and after the Revolution. Irving uses such great symbolism in this story to describe the changes that American society went through. This story covers a wide variety of time periods including America before English rule, early American colonies under English rule, and America after the Revolutionary War. One main issue of the story was bingle of identity, especially at this time in history. Rip was having difficulty finding himself throug hout the story. His wife constantly nagged at him plausibly all in good reason. His farm was fading away. He was lazy and unproductive. He underwent many emotional changes throughout the story. He didnt appreciate what he had, and before he could even blink it was gone. Life is too short to not appreciate everything in it and enjoy it to the fullest. In the first paragraph I chose to hold back at, it leads right into when Rip goes off for a walk to go squirrel shooting. Although the main reason for his walk was to get away for his nagging wife. The story could be see in two different ways. One being that Rip was a lazy bum who did not take responsibility for his wife, children, and farm. He rather go out and drink and hang with his buddies at the tavern. I believe Irving specifically wrote this story for men. The story makes the wife sound like the wretched, nagging, old ugly charr and all she cares about is bothering her husband. This to me sounds all to famili ar to what goes on still to this day. I believe the story makes Dame Van Winkle out to be the one in change of the power, but in reality I believe it was Rip.

Offreds Narrative Technique in The Handmaids Tale Essay -- Handmaid

Offred affects every single aspect of The Handmaids Tale, so, in order to understand her narrative technique better, her character must also be considered. Offred is nostalgic, she longs for her pre-Gilead past with which she still identifies very strongly. She is, however, realistic in her longing she knows that the past was not perfect, that it was no utopia, but she just longs for a situation preferable to her face up one, ...We lived, as usual, by ignoring.... Another strong reason for to long for the past is that she was basically happy there, she had a daughter and a lover, both of which she was removed from by the Gilead regime. Her longing for the past is bittersweet, although it has many memories for her, not all of them are happy. Also, whenever she thinks of the past, she is reminded of how awful her present situation is, she is reminded of what she has lost. Perhaps that is why she refers to the past as ...the other time.... She is also a fighter. She is determined t o survive, to last through Gilead, no matter what it takes. The important distinction here is between survival and rebellion Offred will only go so far in defiance of the regime, while she is prepared to stretch the rules with an insignificant Guardian on the road into the town, she limits herself, describing it as ....a small defiance of rule....like the glaze I hoarded, as a child... When it comes to serious defiance, she draws a definite line, No. I cant she says when the doctor offers to impregnate her, The penalty is death. Perhaps that is what Offred is really unnerved of. Death is her real fear. In order to keep herself sane, Offred has invented several survival mechanisms, games w... ...ve technique. Works Cited and ConsultedAtwood, Margaret. The Handmaids Tale. Anchor Books New York, New York, 1985.Conboy, Sheila C. Scripted, Conscripted, and Circumscribed Body Language in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale. Anxious Power Reading, Writing, and Ambivalence in Narra tive by Women. Eds. Carol J. Singley and Susan Elizabeth Sweeney. Albany State U of New York P, 1993. 349-62 Fitting, Peter. The Turn from Utopia in Recent libber Fiction. Feminism, Utopia, and Narrative. Eds. Libby Falk Jones and Sarah Webster Goodwin. Knoxville U of Tennessee P, 1990. 141-158. Garlick, Barbara. The Handmaids Tale Narrative Voice and the Primacy of the Tale. Twentieth-Century Fantasists Essays on Culture, Society and Belief in Twentieth-Century Mythopoeic Literature. Ed. Kath Filmer. New York St. Martins, 1992. 161-71.