Management Theories free essay sample

This essay presents several management theories and ideas which can be seen in the Vascellaro article. They include Fayol’s four managerial functions, some ideas about levels of management, Mintzberg’s managerial roles, and challenges for management in the general and global environments, especially achieving a competitive advantage. The essay concludes by considering the implications of Ms Decker’s plan for Yahoo! ’s staff. Managerial functions, levels of management Ms Susan Decker, the president of Yahoo! , will soon unveil a new ‘operational blueprint. ’ A blueprint is a plan or model, so by definition this is part of the planning function. Because the change is a large one – it involves the whole organisation – it is not surprising that it involves the top levels of management. The plan involves centralising the accounting functions of the company’s web services. This relates to the organising function in Yahoo! : we would expect to see more central control of employees who carry out accounting tasks if Ms Decker’s plan goes ahead. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Theories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because Ms Decker must ‘sell the plan to employees’ we can regard her as carrying out the function of leading, because leaders have to present a vision or idea to their organisation. The organising function appears again with the mention of the ‘internal shake-up’: the reporting relationships in Yahoo! are being changed ‘to restore confidence’. Presumably Ms Decker believes that new staff rather than the present executives would do a better job of putting her new plan in place. As well, several senior staff (three vice-presidents and several other executives) are leaving, so this means Yahoo will need to allocate their work to other people. The controlling function is not mentioned directly, but at the end of the article we are told that ‘the investment community’ would like to be more confident that Yahoo! has ‘devise[d] new ways to strengthen its brand against Google and to compete for consumers’ increasingly fragmented attention online’. This would require working out exactly how to monitor Yahoo! ’s performance against these goals, but it is not clear from the article what these evaluation mechanisms would be. Mintzberg’s management roles Mintzberg would regard Ms Decker’s development of new web services as part of the entrepreneurial role, since it is a major new project for Yahoo. In addition, ‘selling the plan to staff’ relates to Mintzberg’s ‘spokesperson’ role, and the ‘organisational shake-up’ relates to the ‘resource allocator’ role, because staff have to be assigned to specific projects. If Ms Decker needs to deal with negative perceptions of the investment community, she would be carrying out the ‘disturbance handler’ role. Challenges for management in a global environment Yahoo! is a global company: it operates and competes in more than one country. However the article makes it clear that Yahoo! has had difficulty achieving a competitive advantage against its major competitor, Google. To use the definition given in Waddell et al. (2007: 21-22), Yahoo! is so far not able to ‘produce desired goods or services more efficiently and effectively’ than that particular competitor. Waddell et al. (p. 22) say that the four building blocks of competitive advantage are ‘superior efficiency; quality; speed, flexibility and innovation; and responsiveness to customers’. Yahoo! ’s latest strategy, devising new web services which would appeal to different regions worldwide, appears to be aimed at ‘responsiveness to customers’, and also ‘innovation’, since the regional focus would differentiate Yahoo! ’s web services from Google’s. The organisation’s environment Waddell et al. 2007: 58) say that resources in the organisational environment ‘include the raw materials and skilled people that an organisation requires to produce goods and services’. Several skilled executives have already left Yahoo! , and there are fears that more will leave, so Yahoo! is clearly having difficulty keeping its skilled human resources. Conclusions and implications The article gives good insights into Yahoo’ s situation in its broader environment, the management roles being carried out by its president, and the four management functions at a general level. It does not discuss how Yahoo! ’s employees feel about the changes. However because some are leaving, it is likely that at least some of the remaining employees may be concerned about whether they will also lose their jobs. Even if they stay, they may be worried about having to do the work of their former colleagues. Some may be concerned about the extra work and responsibility, and others may be worried about whether they have the necessary training. All this could give Google, Yahoo! s main competitor, an opportunity to recruit these unhappy staff or the staff who have already left the company. Yahoo! ’s CEO should discuss with the president of its human resource department how to manage this difficult situation.

Definition and Examples of Double Entendres

Definition and Examples of Double Entendres A double entendre is a  figure of speech in which a word or phrase can be understood in two ways, especially when one meaning is risquà ©. Also called innuendo. One of the most famous double entendres in American advertising is the slogan created by Shirley  Polykoff to promote Clairol hair coloring: Does she or doesnt she? The phrase double entendre  (from the French, now obsolete, for double meaning) is sometimes hyphenated and sometimes italicized. Examples and Observations Rebecca Kordecki . . . created little booties and a slide kit to use while performing moves that strengthen and lengthen the body. The name Booty Slide is a double entendre, she explains: We wear the booties on our feet, but the workout also lifts your booty.(Carlene Thomas-Bailey, American Fitness Crazes Hit the UK. The Guardian, Dec. 28, 2010)While many mento songs are about traditional folksong subjects, from political commentary to simple day-to-day life, a disproportionately large number of the songs are bawdy songs, often featuring poorly-veiled (and delightfully funny) sexual double-entendres. Popular mento songs include references to Big Bamboo, Juicy Tomatoes, Sweet Watermelon, and so on.(Megan Romer, Jamaican Mento Music 101, About.com World Music)Mrs. Slocombe: Before we go any further, Mr. Rumbold, Miss Brahms and I would like to complain about the state of our drawers. Theyre a positive disgrace.Mr. Rumbold: Your what, Mrs. Slocombe?Mrs. Slocombe: Our drawers. Theyre sti cking. And its always the same in damp weather.Mr. Rumbold: Really.Mrs. Slocombe: Miss Brahms could hardly shift hers at all just now.Mr. Lucas: No wonder she was late.Mrs. Slocombe: They sent a man who put beeswax on them, but that made them worse.Mr. Rumbold: Im not surprised.Miss Brahms: I think they need sandpapering.(Mollie Sugden, Nicholas Smith, Trevor Bannister, and Wendy Richard in Are You Being Served?) She touched his organ, and from that bright epoch, even it, the old companion of his happiest hours, incapable as he had thought of elevation, began a new and deified existence.(Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, 1844)Nurse: God ye good morrow, gentlemen.Mercutio: God ye good den, fair gentlewoman.Nurse: Is it good den?Mercutio: ’Tis no less, I tell you; for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon.Nurse: Out upon you! what a man are you!(William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act II, scene three)Its impossible to ignore the prominence of water as a primary motif in black spiritual culture- from the debilitated Gospel pleas to be washed white as snow to the rebellion-coded double entendre wade in the water, which referenced both baptism and escape routes from slavery.(William J. Cobb, To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic.  NYU Press, 2006)Womens Use of the Double Entendre in 18th-Century EnglandOf all the improvements in polite conversa tion, I know of nothing that is half so entertaining and significant as the double entendre. It is a figure in rhetoric, which owes its birth, as well as its name, to our inventive neighbours the French; and is that happy art, by which persons of fashion may communicate the loosest ideas under the most innocent expressions. The ladies have adopted it for the best reason in the world: they have long since discovered, that the present fashionable display of their persons is by no means a sufficient hint to the men that they mean any thing more than to attract their admiration: the double entendre displays the mind in an equal degree, and tells us from what motives the lure of beauty is thrown out. . . .The double entendre is at present so much the taste of all genteel companies, that there is no possibility either of being polite or entertaining without it. That it is easily learnt is the happy advantage of it; for as it requires little more than a mind well stored with the most natur al ideas, every young lady of fifteen may be thoroughly instructed in the rudiments of it from her book of novels, or her waiting maid. But to be as knowing as her mamma in all the refinements of the art, she must keep the very best company, and frequently receive lessons in private from a male instructor.(Edward Moore, The Double Entendre. The World, No. 201, Thursday, Nov. 4, 1756) Pronunciation: DUB-el an-TAN-dra

Pre cal questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pre cal questions - Coursework Example Egypt’s pyramids were tall, lightly tapered four-sided architectural buildings that demonstrated the style of that period. Aesthetic was valued as a reflection of national political stability, thus one unified Egyptian state flourished during that time. With these angles, stability was achieved that has made it possible for the pyramids to remain strong up-to date. Additionally, the pyramid apex is not perpendicular, to the base as it is aligned to the true north while the slanting heights form a golden ratio (φ) (Stewart, Redline, & Watson, 2015, p. 849). According to history, angle 520 is historically considered as pleasing and its correlation to the golden ratio makes the Egyptian Pyramids buildings among the many buildings designed using it. Despite hypothesis that the golden ratio is part of numerous natural instances like proportions in the human body, a conclusive prove has not been arrived at. Nonetheless, the Golden Ratio’s aesthetic aspect appears in numerous architecture that still stands the test of time like the Greece Parthenon. The use of 440 is considered as structural standpoint. I would use a unit circle since for higher level mathematics, unit circle approach would be more sensible especially in memorizing of basic trigonometric ratios like pi/4 (Stewart, Redline, & Watson, 2015)Additionally, besides allowing one to learn trigonometry functions of special angles, it facilitates understanding them (300, 450, 600, and 900) and corresponding angles such as 1350, 1200, and 1500. The implication is that students manage to visualize the constitution of trigonometry functions and obtain precise values for some ratios instead of having to memorize

What Inspired Edward Munch to draw The Scream Essay

What Inspired Edward Munch to draw The Scream - Essay Example He is quoted as saying â€Å"I was walking along the road with two friends—then the Sun sets—all at once the sky became blood red—and I felt overcome with melancholy. I stood still and leaned against the railing, dead tired—clouds like blood and tongues of fire hung above the blue-black fjord and the city. My friends went on, and I stood alone, trembling with anxiety. I felt a great, unending scream piercing through nature† (Olson and Doescher Web) Various factors can be attributed as having played a major role in inspiring Edward Munch to draw the picture. We can derive some hints from the set-up of the picture. One of the major sources of his anxiety was the economic condition that existed during that time. At that time there was an economic crisis, which led to a lot of misery to the people. This means that peoples businesses were deteriorating in performance and the unemployment rate was very high. At a personal level, Edward Munch was undergoin g through this condition in addition to the harsh condition from the separating with his longtime girlfriend. This led to stress, depression, and later anxiety (Messer and Munch 7). Another source of inspiration can be drawn from the seasons in which the picture was drawn. While taking into consideration the time that the picture was drawn, and its contents, we can learn that this picture was drawn during the sunsets of an autumn season, shortly before the fall. Moreover, the screams can be related to the Awu eruption of June 7, 1892. It was the eruption that gave the skies the red background color that is reflected the scream (Bischoff 10). Moreover, we can derive some of the inspirations from Edward Munch’s stay in Nice, France, between 1891 and 1895. It was at this time that Edward Munch explicitly discussed art with his friend basing their art discussion on previous works of other painters. Munch himself mentions that the year 1884 was the year of original inspiration for three paintings. One of the main events that occurred during that period was the Bohemian days of the 1880s. Munch as an artist and writer, was greatly involved in the activities of the bohemian community. He was involved in sharing a studio with Christiania, and six other young artists related to the Bohemian community. During this event, he exhibited his drawings for the first time in a wildly confrontational Christiania debut of Henrik Ibsen's play,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ghosts†, on October 17, 1883. The play gave an insight of the activities carried out by the Bohemian community comprising dishonesty, lack of a free life, and hypocrisy. This drawing was painted in a time when sky watchers had an eventful season. Moreover, the period between the end of 1883 and the first months of 1884, had the most remarkable nightfall’s for the past 150 years. A different source of inspiration can be drawn from the eruption of the volcanic island of Krakatoa in a catastrophic explosion on Aug ust 27, 1883, which sent dust and poisonous gases into the air. Consequently, there were magnificent and fiery sunsets and sunrises mostly in the southern hemisphere and later in the equator. The fiery sunsets and sunrises later spread to the northern latitudes instilling fear in most of the people in the affected region (Olson and Doescher Web). Another source of the inspiration can be drawn from the dark lunar eclipse on December 10, 1992. This eclipse happened in a time when there were many optical effects on the sky during the night. This contributed greatly to instilling fear among the people who lived in the region. Moreover, the lunar eclipse was followed by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The eruptions in this mountain contributed to a lot

647 W7 assign Project Monitoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

647 W7 assign Project Monitoring - Essay Example The third stage responds to any issues or problems detected. The fourth and final stage is outbound communication, keeping people aware of what has happened in the project† (p. 295). For the implementation of mobile application, project proponents are assumed to have undertaken the first stage, which is the collection of information for the current project status. Given that everything stipulated in the implementation phases have been completed, except for integrating thw NLMS to the students’ mobile devices, the information needed to be collected are the access points (mobile numbers of the students) to link their devices to the university’s database. After securing this critical metric, the mobile application with access credentials would be activated, as planned (second stage). Under the third stage, there should be a period to be allotted to address any concerns, issues, or problems related to implementation of mobile application. If any student complaints of the inability to access the site, then, appropriate measures should be undertaken to correct this. Finally, an official memorandum should be issued by the Project Manager to all students, faculty members, support personnel, and the board of directors to communicate that multiple phases, including the mobile application, has been undertaken and is currently duly working according to plans. Another method to communicate the results would be through a formal report to the board of directors or through project status meetings (Kendrick, 2003). The progressive case study was an effective method to inculcate theories from the required textbook to practical applications, using GU as the simulation for real-life scenario. The case study was structured in a strategic manner to enable students to focus on needed concepts, depending on the topic areas that should be imbibed as consistent with the learning objectives of the course.

Vitabiotics Marketing Analysis And Future Strategy Marketing Essay

Vitabiotics Marketing Analysis And Future Strategy Marketing Essay Vitabiotics LTD is a UK-founded but globally prominent nutraceutical corporation and describes its business as nutrient-technology based healthcare. The first product to market was a mouth ulcer treatment called Oralcer in 1971 followed later that year by Omega-H, a multivitamin which has since seen huge success in various countries worldwide, often becoming the number 1 selling nutritional supplement. Since then, Vitabiotics invested heavily in research and development and began to increase their product range, creating international manufacturing facilities and landing increased distribution into large UK retailers such as Boots, Superdrug and several of the largest supermarkets. During this expansion Vitabiotics gained UK brand leader status with various products (Pregnacare, Menopace, Perfectil, Osteocare) and now export to over 100 countries. At the current day, Vitabiotics is the second largest branded multivitamin manufacturer (behind Seven Seas) and has a very wide product ra nge: Aquamarine Cardioace Diabetone Dietrim Feroglobin Goldcare Immunace Jointace Liverel Menopace Nerozan Omega-H3 Osteocare Perfectil Premence Pregnacare Tricologic Ultra-D3 Visionace Wellkid WellTeen Wellman Wellwoman (For the full list of products within each of these categories see appendix 1) The fundamental factor behind Vitabiotics success to date has been effective research and development of new products to remain at the forefront of new scientific developments in vitamins and nutrients with respect to health. In the past 30 years, the supplements market increased massively in accordance with the increase in the health food market and the populations increase in disposable income to spend on daily health products. The multivitamin market quickly become very competitive which induced the development of a myriad of more specific supplements by Vitabiotics, most of which were more expensive than the generic multivitamin. These specific supplements were developed on the basis of scientific research and the speed at which the science was developed into useable, marketable products was reflected in terms of growth, profits, brand awareness and brand loyalty. It is often the case that businesses are built upon an idea or a new product/service without the thought and investme nt into creating a brand. In these cases, the product/service can often be replicated or a similar service can be created, thus taking custom away from the original idea. The creation of a brand along with the product/service can protect their future by creating loyal customers. In addition to the brand creation, especially in the health/supplements markets, innovation and new product development is needed in order to keep or increase any market share. Vitabiotics have succeeded in this, both in the development of new products by being at the forefront of scientific research and in brand creation, which are the primary factors behind its exports expansion and its brand UK brand leader status in many of its products. Current SWOT analysis Creating a SWOT analysis is an effective way to assess a companies current market position along with its future prospects, the table below gives a summary SWOT and a much more detailed discussion and analysis follows; Strengths Weaknesses Continued growth during economic difficulties Strong brand image several recent awards Lack of knowledge towards supplements Opportunities Threats Emerging markets in developing countries Diversification into a broader product base health foods and beauty products Recent Product recall could damage brand image A change in consumer behaviour towards eating healthy foods as opposed to taking supplements could erode Vitabiotics growth Strengths Despite a 16% drop in single and multivitamin sales in the UK between 2004-2009 (Mintel), Vitabiotics continue to show growth and therefore future promise; this is in-part due to the expansion and diversification of its product base. Also, its expansion into over 100 countries has shown that globalisation of the brand is not only possible, but is currently being achieved. Another strength is Vitabiotics positive brand image with consumers, this is shown not only in increased sales but also in the recent awards that It has won; Boots Vitamin supplier of the year (for the fourth year running) Boots are the largest European pharmacy chain and this award is often advertised within Boots stores. When customers see an award from a very trusted and successful business such as Boots, this strongly encourages brand trust and greatly reinforces the brand image. BT Vision 100 award Given to the most visionary companies. This further establishes the image of Vitabiotics as a strong British company, a factor which consumers will most likely find appealing. The Queens award for enterprise. Prestigious export award Weaknesses The general consumer still has a lack of knowledge about supplements and it is very difficult to communicate benefits underpinned by science. Also, despite Vitabiotics relative success during the current worldwide economic crises, it isnt going to be ending soon and consumers are getting more conservative with their spending. Opportunities Vitabiotics have recently opened headquarters in Egypt, USA, Iran and Russia (ref) to complement the globalisation strategy. This will allow for greater expansion and possibly increased market share within the respective regions as it will enable more specific and coherent marketing strategies depending upon the region. Even though exports are currently to over 100 countries, there is still much opportunity in emerging markets as consumers have more money to spend on health related products. Threats A very recent FSA (food standards agency) recall of 9 different batches of products in the UK will damage both UK profits and may damage the brand image Vitabiotics have worked so hard to achieve, however this was only due to a labelling issue but any negative media needs to be handled appropriately. Another threat is regarding consumer opinion and behaviour towards taking supplements and multi-vitamins wherein there is an increasing preference towards eating healthy foods as opposed to taking pills. Perceptual Map Below is a simple perceptual map describing Vitabiotics current product diversity and market positioning, the first diagram shows a selection of its products, and places them on the map relative to the particular market segment that they occupy. The promotion strategies of the specific products are also segregated and tailored to where these fall on the map; Omega-H3 promotion spending has reduced drastically and the specific Wellman/teen/kid/woman multivitamins have all received lots of investments, with promotion in gender specific magazines. Perfectil, a skincare multivitamin is advertised separately in more beauty-orientated media. The second diagram represents Vitabiotics product diversification strategy which is reacting to current consumer trends, products are moving away from traditional multivitamins and towards the beauty, specific and medicinal markets. Despite the diversification, segregation and separate promotion strategies, product branding remains similar and noticeable to reinforce the Vitabiotics image: A consumer can easily associate any of the Vitabiotics products with each other. In addition the ecommerce store that Vitabiotics have launched brings these products together excellently, to give the consumer a broad choice when selecting what product is right for them. Future strategy and recommendations For Vitabiotics to continue to grow and attempt to gain more market share from seven seas and chainstore-branded products

Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - The Wife of Bath and the Ideal Woman

The Wife of Bath and the Ideal Woman       The Wife of Bath is one of Chaucer's most memorable characters. In the "General Prologue," she is described as a somewhat deaf, voluptuous, married woman. She is a clothing maker, has a gap tooth, the sign of a lust nature, and she wears brilliant red stockings. Her fantastic description alone sparks interest, a spark that is later fanned into fire when her prologue is read. The Wife's outlandish description of her marriages makes her unique and memorable among the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales, most of which are identified by conventional occupation. Chaucer has deliberately made the Wife a notable character by giving her life many unconventional twists. Her marriages are contradictory, and her personality is at odds with the medieval view of women Chaucer creates her in order to show that this woman, however rare and unique she is, cannot openly struggle for equality and independence. Her prologue gives the reader the notion that, when Alison is talking about herself, "It's a bit like an anti-confession, with her saying this is what I'm like, there's no way I'm going to change (Beer 8). This is her initial portrayal, but at the end of her prologue, the Wife of Bath succumbs to the pressure of society, conforms and becomes the ideal medieval wife.    The Wife's marriages, when viewed in order, show her struggle for power and her surrender to authority. In the first few lines the reader learns that Alison was married five times. Her five husbands represent the progression of a woman from a power-hungry girl to a submissive spouse. Her five husbands can be divided into two groups, the first group consisting of the Wife's first three husbands. Of this first group she says, "Th... ... Mark. "The Wife of Bath and Women's Power." Assays 4 (1987): 67-83. Bott, Robin. "The Wife of Bath and the Revelour: Power Struggles and Failure in a Marriage of Peers." Medieval Perspectives 6 (1991): 154-161. Carruthers, Mary. "The Wife of Bath and the Painting of Lions." PMLA 94 (1979): 209-18. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Riverside Chaucer. Ed. Larry Benson. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton, 1987. Crane, Susan. "Alison's Incapacity and Poetic Instability in the Wife of Bath's Tale." MLA 102 (1987): 20-27. Leicester, Jr., H. Marshall. "Of a fire in the dark: Public and Private Feminism in the Wife of Bath's Tale." Women's Studies 11.1-2 (1985): 157-78. Oberembt, Kenneth. "Chaucer's Anti-Misogynist Wife of Bath." The Chaucer Review 10 (1976): 287-302. Patterson, Lee. Chaucer and the Subject of History. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1991.