Garmin Analysis - Looking To the Future Research Paper

Garmin Analysis - Looking To the Future - Research Paper Example In order to go forward in the future, there are three scenarios under consideration, which are related to different possible course of strategic actions that the company may follow to address its problems. In this report, these strategic options are evaluated on the basis of various financial models and descriptive analysis of the company’s existing position and outcome of these decisions. Before the analysis is carried out, it would be useful to provide a summary table of the performance of five identified business segments of the company in the last three years. Business Segments 2011 Net Sales % Change in Sales 2011 EBIT % Change in EBIT 2010 Net Sales % Change in Sales 2010 EBIT % Change in EBIT 2009 Net Sales 2009 EBIT Outdoor 363,223 13.82 171,245 13.43 319,119 6.62 150,973 2.01 299,300 147,996 Fitness 298,163 23.99 107,881 24.72 240,473 41.77 86,499 49.02 169,624 58,046 Marine 221,730 11.50 60,092 -3.75 198,860 11.94 62,431 8.71 177,644 57,430 Automobile/Mobile 1,590,59 8 -4.69 171,717 -16.60 1,668,939 -18.75 205,887 -57.86 2,054,127 488,584 Aviation 284,855 8.51 73,226 2.44 262,520 6.83 71,482 26.30 245,745 56,595 The table provided above provides trends in net sales and EBIT of all business segments, which would be referred to in the discussion related to the scenarios presented below. Scenario #1: Assault on the Smartphone Market Under this future scenario, the company may aim to target the Smartphone market which is worth $65 billion and it has been growing at a fast pace of 20% every year. The smart phone market is dynamic as new markets are emerging such as Africa and Asia. However, the competitive forces including companies like Apple, Google, Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung, HTC, and even manufacturers from Far East countries are already playing an important role in this industry having strong positioning and they share a major proportion of the global market. The company will have to invest heavily in developing technologies and acquiring assoc iated businesses as Garmin does not have any prior experience and its current market share is zero. The entry into this market segment the company will require an investment of $3 billion that could be raised from the capital market by offers shares to both institutional and private investors. Move to the Smartphone segment the company will have divest non-operations including aviation, and marine, in the third year and it expects to receive $500 million. In addition, by doing so, the company will have to let go of the profits generated by these segments, which are already observed to be slowing down in the year 2011. The following financial analysis is based on certain assumptions and understanding regarding future of Smartphone industry and the company’s investment decision: 1. The time period for investment appraisal is considered to be 5 years from the completion of the project and inception of sales. 2. The cost of investment is expected to be $3 billion which will be ra ised by issuing additional 75 million shares at a price of $40 per share. 3. The investment is expected to generate results from the year 2013. 4. In 2011, the Smartphone industry has grown by 20% and same growth rate is assumed for the year 2012 onwards as there are no signs of slowdown in both short and medium terms. 2011 ($ mn) 2012 ($ mn) 2013 ($ mn) 2014 ($ mn)

Humanists and Reformers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanists and Reformers - Essay Example Another similarity that emerged out of the writings of these four authors is their consideration paid to the importance of early biblical scripts. It has been found that both humanists and reformists used earlier Greek and Latin bibles as a source of understating the early doctrines of Jesus Christ and attempted to promulgate the teachings of earlier scripts along with special attention paid to removal of unjust acts and corrupt people from higher clergy of Christianity. Another striking similarity is their attempt of investigating the core meanings of earlier biblical scripts and their reference to the practices of 16th century instead of simply bringing a reform by questioning church’s authority. Other attributes such as references to practices of early church, criticism on scholastic theological approach and problems in church i.e. simony, pluralism, favoritism and illiteracy in clergymen, also show further similarities (â€Å"The Reformations† 4). Reformism has been considered as an ultimate outcome of humanism due these resemblances (Patrick n.d). Where humanists like Erasmus and More are accused of laying down the foundation of Protestantism, both sects are often found criticizing each other due to some major differences. Erasmus’s and More’s writings have been found more convincing for the elite class with an understanding of Latin. On the other hand, reformists like Luther and Calvin addressed the concerns of every social class when it came to church and its way of functioning as a nucleus of society i.e. authority of religion and society’s civil law. Humanists also showed their adherence to the higher offices of church and did not question the authority of pope as the leader of the church and its proceedings whereas reformers considered only faith as a source of acquiring salvation by following bible. In extension to that,

John Leonard and Pepsico, inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

John Leonard and Pepsico, inc - Essay Example Fourth, the contract would have to have legal purpose. A contract would not be binding if the terms or enforcement were illegal at the time and place that it was implemented. The ruling in the Leonard v. Pepsico case relied on the objective theory to consider the contact void. This theory, often called the innocent bystander theory, purports to ask the question of what a reasonable person might expect from the agreement. Simply put, if an innocent bystander had witnessed the agreement, would they expect it to be serious This sometimes enters a ruling where one party has misstated a condition that any reasonable bystander would understand as a mistake. The party would not be bound by this error. In this case, it was held that any reasonable person would assume that the offer was a joke. The court found that Pepsico was not bound by the agreement on two key points raised by the defense. The first was that the humor used by Pepsico in the advertisement clearly indicated that the offer was intended as a joke and thus failed the innocent bystander test. In Judge Wood's ruling she writes, "The commercial is the embodiment of what defendant appropriately characterizes as 'zany humor'" (United States District Court, 1999, p.6).

Democratic Leadership Style and Follower Performance

Democratic Leadership Style and Follower Performance This research sought to provide information about the relationship between Democratic leadership style and Followers Performance. Drawing on a sample of employees working in a Dairy Product Industry, we tested relationships between Democratic Leadership Style and Followers Performance. On the basis of causation and bivariate data analysis it was found that there was a strong positive association between the Democratic Leadership Style and followers Performance. This report consists on Seven Chapters. In the first Chapter we introduced the topic, in second chapter we review the Literature, where different studies have different empirical results most of them have ensure positive relation ship between the variables. In third and fourth chapters, on the basis of theoretical framework we operationalzed the variables. In chapter five and six we create research design and analyze the data. In the last chapter we draw conclusion on the basis of Data analysis. Chapter 1: Introduction Since the early 1930s, leadership has remained a ubiquitous topic of exploration in the field of management, despite a modest decline in the 1970s (Hunt, 1999). The popularity of this topic was restored with the advent of concepts such as charismatic leadership, visionary leadership and transformational leadership. All of these advances emphasize that some leaders can inspire followers to pursue collective values and aspirations as well as sacrifice egocentric needs and goals. These theories also reveal that leaders can invoke and regulate emotions rather than rely on rational processes to motivate other individuals. Over the last decades, the relationship between leaders behavior and subordinates perceived stress has gained increasing attention from the scientific community. The kind of leadership style influences how subordinates cope with stress. The leadership domain has recently focused on the so-called new leadership paradigm such as transformational leadership . Transformational leaders emphasize higher motive development, and arouse followers motivation and positive emotions by means of creating and representing an inspiring vision of the future. In contrast, transactional leadership explains the relationship between leader and follower as an exchange system of well-defined transactions. In turn, the leader rewards or disciplines the follower with regard to his/her performance. While several studies have focused on the relationship between these leadership styles and follower performance the relationship between the leaders behavior and subordinates work related stress has mainly been neg lected. The present study addresses this gap and explores the relationships between the leaders behavior and subordinates work related stress has mainly been neglected. Objective:- The objective of the study are To measure the impact of democratic leadership in dairy products companies To Measure the efficiency of performance of follower of democratic leader.. To find that democratic leadership is more effective or not on the follower performance. Significance of Study:- This study was made for the following purpose. It will help the managers to improve the performance of their followers or team members if they use democratic leadership style. It will help the workers to improve their performance if they exchange their ideas with their leaders. Chapter 02: Review of Literature In this study, highly democratic leadership is compared with both moderate democratic and less democratic leadership styles. The moderate democratic leadership style is one that focuses on the task at hand. It emphasizes such behaviors as maintaining standards and meeting deadlines. Less democratic leadership involves exhibiting concern for the welfare of the other members of the group by expressing appreciation for good work, stressing the importance of job satisfaction, maintaining and strengthening the self esteem of subordinates by treating them as equals, and making special efforts to help subordinates feel at ease (Bass, 1990). Leaders who display Highly democratic leadership behaviors have been described as providing followers with clear visions of the future, expressing high expectations for follower performance, and displaying confidence in their followers ability to accomplish challenging tasks (House 1988). Leadership research has consistently found a strong positive relat ionship between Highly democratic leadership behaviors and follower performance (Bass, 1990) (House, 1988). Specifically, by articulating compelling vision of the future, communicating high expectations with respect to followers performance, and displaying confidence in followers ability to meet these expectations, highly democratic leaders have been found to positively influence follower performance. These findings have been supported in a variety of settings and using various research methodologies including laboratory experiments (howell Frost, 1989), field research (e.g., Smith 1982; Avolio, Waldman, and Einstein 1988; Hater and Bass 1988; Howell and Avolio 1993), and archival studies (e.g., House, Spangler, and Woycke 1991). Howell and Frost (1989), for example, found that individuals working under an actor trained to display Highly democratic leadership behaviors had higher qualitative and quantitative task performance, higher task satisfaction, and lower role conflict and am biguity in comparison to individuals working under less democratic leaders; they also had higher quantitative task performance, greater task satisfaction, and less role conflict than individuals working under moderate democratic leaders. More recently, in an experiment using 282 undergraduates carrying out a simulated production assignment, Kirkpatrick and Locke (1996) found a positive relationship between Highly democratic behaviors and performance, task satisfaction, and attitude toward the leader. Both Howell and Frosts and Kirkpatricks studies found that individuals working under Highly democratic leaders reported that the task was more interesting, engaging, and satisfying than individuals working under less democratic leaders; this was so in spite of the fact that all individuals performed the identical task. The above findings have been supported by the findings of studies conducted in the field. For example, in a study of 30 Highly democratic and 30 nonHighly democratic leaders from a wide variety of organizations, Smith (1982) found that Highly democratic leaders could be distinguished from less democratic leaders based on their followers higher performances and higher levels of self-assurance. Based on these reports of higher selfassurance for followers of Highly democratic leaders, Smith postulated that Highly democratic leaders may produce their effects on followers by enhancing their self-efficacy beliefs. While the above empirical evidence supports the relationship between Highly democratic leadership behaviors and follower performance, the effect of those behaviors on follower performance over time and the role of self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between leadership style and performance remain largely unexplored empirically. For this reason, I draw on Shamir, House , and Arthur (1993) and Bandura (1997) for a theoretical explanation of the motivational effect of Highly democratic leadership behaviors and how they might enhance follower selfefficacy and lead to greater sustained effort and performance over time. According to Bandura (1997, p. 101), People who are persuaded verbally that they possess the capabilities to master given tasks are likely to mobilize greater effort and sustain it than if they harbor self-doubts and dwell on personal deficiencies when difficulties arise. Drawing on Bandura (1986), Shamir et al. (1993) propose that Highly democratic leaders expression of high expectations for follower performance and their ability to persuade followers that they can meet those expectations motivate followers to produce and sustain greater effort via the mediation of self-efficacy. Further, they propose that, by articulating a compelling vision, Highly democratic leaders produce in followers a level of personal commitment whose behavioral manifestations produce a self reinforcing cycle that sustains itself over time. This motivational influence of Highly democratic leadership behaviors produces a positive deviation amplifying loop or performance improvement spiral (Lindsley, Brass, and Thomas 1995). Thus, while empirical evidence has demonstrated the link between Highly democratic leadership and performance, theoretical work points both to the sustainability of follower effort and performance over time and to the mediating role of self-efficacy. Chapter 03: Theoretical Framework Interest in leadership increased during the early part of the twentieth century. Early leadership theories focused on what qualities distinguished between leaders and followers, while subsequent theories looked at other variables such as situational factors and skill levels. While many different leadership theories have emerged, most can be classified as one of eight major types: 1. Great Man Theories: Great Man theories assume that the capacity for leadership is inherent that great leaders are born, not made. These theories often portray great leaders as heroic, mythic and destined to rise to leadership when needed. The term Great Man was used because, at the time, leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially in terms of military leadership. 2. Trait Theories: Similar in some ways to Great Man theories, trait theory assumes that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership. Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics shared by leaders. But if particular traits are key features of leadership, how do we explain people who possess those qualities but are not leaders? This question is one of the difficulties in using trait theories to explain leadership. 3. Contingency Theories: Contingency theories of leadership focus on particular variables related to the environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best suited for the situation. According to this theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number of variables, including the leadership style, qualities of the followers and aspects of the situation. 4. Situational Theories: Situational theories propose that leaders choose the best course of action based upon situational variables. Different styles of leadership may be more appropriate for certain types of decision-making. 5. Behavioral Theories: Behavioral theories of leadership are based upon the belief that great leaders are made, not born. Rooted in behaviorism, this leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders not on mental qualities or internal states. According to this theory, people can  learn  to become leaders through teaching and observation. 6. Participative Theories: Participative leadership theories suggest that the ideal leadership style is one that takes the input of others into account. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative theories, however, the leader retains the right to allow the input of others. Assumptions of Participative theory Involvement in decision-making improves the understanding of the issues involved by those who must carry out the decisions. People are more committed to actions where they have involved in the relevant decision-making. People are less competitive and more collaborative when they are working on joint goals. When people make decisions together, the social commitment to one another is greater and thus increases their commitment to the decision. Several people deciding together make better decisions than one person alone. Style of leader in participative theory A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Often, however, as it is within the managers whim to give or deny control to his or her subordinates, most participative activity is within the immediate team. The question of how much influence others are given thus may vary on the managers preferences and beliefs, and a whole spectrum of participation is possible, as in the table below. Highly Democratic> Autocratic decision by leader Leader proposes decision, listens to feedback, then decides Team proposes decision, leader has final decision Joint decision with team as equals Full delegation of decision to team There are many varieties on this spectrum, including stages where the leader sells the idea to the team. Another variant is for the leader to describe the what of objectives or goals and let the team or individuals decide the how of the process by which the how will be achieved (this is often called Management by Objectives). The level of participation may also depend on the type of decision being made. Decisions on how to implement goals may be highly participative, whilst decisions during subordinate performance evaluations are more likely to be taken by the manager. 7. Management Theories: Management theories (also known as Transactional theories) focus on the role of supervision, organization and group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of rewards and punishments. Managerial theories are often used in business; when employees are successful, they are rewarded; when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished. 8. Relationship Theories: Relationship theories (also known as Transformational theories) focus upon the connections formed between leaders and followers.  Transformational leaders  motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task. These leaders are focused on the performance of group members, but also want each person to fulfill his or her potential. Leaders with this style often have high ethical and moral standards. The theory which support to our topic is Participative Theory. The theory support our hypothesis that higher the democratic leadership style higher will be the followers performance. Chapter 04: Hypothesis and Operationalization of variables Research Question: Is there any association between democratic leadership style and follower performance? Hypothesis: H1: There is Positive association between democratic leadership style and follower performance. Ho: There is no association between democratic leadership style and follower performance. Theoretical Definition of Variables Democratic Leadership Style: Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Follower Performance: The  results  of  activities  of an  organization  or  investment  over a given  period  of  time. Operational Definition of Variables Democratic Leadership Style: Democratic Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent through its competency, intimacy, passion and integrity.   Follower Performance: The carrying of an act into execution productively and qualitatively by coordinating with peers by the commitment of employees. . Styles of leadership:- Authoritarian (autocratic) I want both of you to. . . This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. It is useful when:- when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and Your employees are well motivated. Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats and abusing their power. This is not the authoritarian style, rather it is an abusive, unprofessional style called  bossing people around. It has no place in a leaders range. Participative (democratic) Lets work together to solve this. . . This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness; rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. This is normally used when:- You have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note that a leader is not expected to know everything this is why you employ  knowledgeable  and  skillful  employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions. Dimension of democratic leadership Style The major dimensions of leadership are divided into four chambers: Competence Intimacy Passion Integrity Competence Competence includes personal traits and technical skills. Competence can be divided as knowledge of the topic at hand, intelligence, expertise, skill, or good judgment.There are four elements of competence which are as follows:- Technical Skills: Are needed to understand activities, operational processes products and services, technology, and legal requirements. Cognitive Skills: Are necessary to analyze problems, develop creative solutions, identify patterns and trends, understand complex relationships, and develop effective mental models. Interpersonal Skills: Such as listening, persuasiveness, social sensitivity are needed to influence people, avoid unwanted influence, develop cooperative relationships, establish and maintain networks, understand individuals, facilitate teamwork, and resolve conflict constructively. Personality Traits: Seam less important that technical skills. Nevertheless, individual needs, core values, and temperament are clearly relevant to effective leadership. Intimacy Intimacy refers to the leaders ability to build and maintain relationships. All too often we expect people to buy into the position of leadership and be loyal to the title rather than to the person that fills the position. The first thing a leader must declare is not authority because of rights, but authority because of relationships. Effective Management: Social skills help to understand the feelings of others and the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. Cooperative Relationships: Skills such as empathy, social insight, charm, tact, and diplomacy are essential to developing and maintaining cooperative relationships with subordinates, superiors, peers, and outsiders. Influencing: Empathy and social insight is the ability to understand motives, values, and emotions. Understand what people want and what motivates them is necessary for effective influencing strategies. Resolving Conflict: Being able to listen to people with problems, personal complaints, or criticism is necessary for resolving conflicts in a constructive manner. Passion Your passion for something is an indication of what you find worthy in and of itself. Its a clue to what you find intrinsically rewarding. Passion refers to the drive to make a contribution and to create something meaningful and valuable a sense of worth. Its sometimes referred to as enthusiasm, hope, or aspirations. Enthusiasm: Originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a God. Today the word simply means intense enjoyment, interest or approval. Hope: An emotional belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances within ones personal life. Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance such as believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. Aspirations: Providing a climate where people feel free and motivated to cultivate and implement constructive ideas is the challenge of talented leaders. Integrity Most people can manage when things go well, but true leadership is how we cope with people when times are tough. Integrity is what drives us regardless of our situation or position. Too many leaders are ready to assert their rights but not assume their responsibilities. They are looking to the organization to make people responsible to follow. They look for a new title, another position, sometimes a new job. They never come to realize that they lack authority because they lack integrity. Integrity means that a persons behavior is consistent with espouse values, and the person is honest, ethical, and trustworthy. Honesty and Trust: If people anywhere are to willingly follow someone whether it be into the battle or into the boardroom, the front office or the front lines they first want to assure themselves that the person is worthy of their trust. Courage: The strength to lead in these difficult circumstances, meaning that courageous leaders are strong and unlikely to quit. This kind of courage displays itself in an organization when a leader is willing to admit his mistake, when she is willing to stand up for her beliefs, or when he must challenge others. Self-Discipline: People have to know themselves and understand their environments in order to adapt and learn. The most basic defining moment demands that leaders resolve the issue of self-discipline. The higher leaders climb up the corporate ladder the greater their burden of responsibility and their need to reevaluate themselves and their whole self. Dimensions of Follower Performance:- Quality of Work Completing the work accurately, neat, well organized through effective. Documentation:- Fulfilling the documentation requirements and having proper record of files. Safety Consciousness:-Acting with proper safety habits, maintains equipment, corrects unsafe conditions. Coordination Supervision of others:- Guiding and assisting to acquire skills and achieve performance goals and results. Communication Skills:- Articulate in expressing facts, ideas and thoughts with clarity both orally and in writing. Public Contact Service Skills: Honesty , tact, courtesy, awareness of and sesitiviy to customer and co-worker need. Commitment Towards organization Attendance (punctuality):- punctual to work , meetings and from breads; does not abuse leave time. Initiatives:- Self-motivated and makes effort to compete work with minimal supervision. Customer Satisfaction:- Giving full time and paying full attention toward customer in order to satisfy the customers to make them loyal. Productivity Complete the assigned task effectively and efficiently. Efficiency and effectiveness:- Achieving the assigned targets with the given timeframe. Overall Cost Programs:- Delegating the task to junior in order to save time keeping in mind the cost of the task. Budget:- Completion of the tasks within defined budget. Claims: Any Amount, stock or compensation toward third party called lack for adjustment. Dimensions, Elements and Statements of Questions Section 01 Leadership Style Dimensions Elements Statement of Questions Competence Technical Skills I always update my technical knowledge of my organization through peers and my own experience. Cognitive skills I walk the talk, I model the behavior I want from my team. Interpersonal Skills I feel happy to know that my staff is clear about companys goal. Personality Traits I dont scream or lose temper. Intimacy Effective Management I avoid making judgment of premature evaluation of ideas or suggestion. Co-operative Relationship I set down performance standard for each aspect of my staff job. Influencing I provide my staff with opportunities to refresh the skills. Resolving conflict I check staffs work on a regular basis to assess their progress and learning. Passion Enthusiasm I admit when I do not the answer. Hope I provide my staff with opportunities to refresh therir skill. Aspiration I am able to provide negative feedback in a balanced and constructive manner. Integrity Honesty and Trust I keep confidential information very confidentially. Courage I share the credit and ccolades with those who contributed. Self Discipline I am fair and treat all staff members with respect and equal coordination. Section 02 Follower Performance Quality of Work Documentation My team completes documentation and the verified them before entering into new task. Safety Consciousness My team members record and enter data consciously. Coordination Supervisions of others My team adopts internal controls system voluntarily. Communication Skills My team tries to satisfy customers in their language. Public Contact My team member takes active part in public awareness. Commitment Punctuality and Regularity My team members are in office exact according to time schedule. Initiative My team members are self motivated and complete their work with in minimal supervision. Customer Satisfaction My team members dont go for new customer until they satisfy the current one. Productivity Efficiency and Effectiveness my team achieve Targets at their assigned time. Cost Programmes My team members always try to avoid to perform extra cost functions. Budget My team members never go beyond the budgeted expense. Claims My team members are initiatively conscious about claim from others. Chapter 05: Research Design This research is explanatory in nature. In the research the quantitative techniques for data collection has been used. The data was collected in a survey by questionnaire from middle level employees in production department of dairy industry . Our target population is the employees of Dairy Products Companies. We choose Haleeb Foods Ltd, Nestle Milk Pak Ltd and Shakarganj Milk Products. Our sample size is 1000 employees of Production department of all three companies. We conducted the survey from 400 employees from Nestle, 400 employees from Haleeb and 200 employees from Shakarganj Group. For this systematic random sampling techniques of probability method has been used. Data Transformation and Presentation We have tried to measure the Level of Democratic Leadership Style and Follower Performance. It was operationalized with the help of dimensions and elements. We had constructed number of statements on each element with 5 response categories using Likert Scale i.e Strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree and strongly disagree. We scored each of these items form 1 to 5 depending upon the degree of agreement with the statement. The statements was both positive as well as negative. For positive statement we had scored straight away from 5 to 1 i.e Strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree and strongly disagree. For the negative statement we have to reverse the score i.e 1 for strongly disagree, 2 for disagree, 3 for undecided, 4 for agree and 5 for strongly agree. Reason being that negative multiplied by a negative becomes positive i.e a negative statement and a person strongly disagree with it implies that he has a positive responsive so we give a score of 5. We have two variable i.e democratic leadership style and follower performance let us say there were 15 statement measuring for different elements and dimensions measuring level of leadership style and 10 statements measuring level of follower performance. when on each statements of commitment the respondent could get minimum score of 1 and maximum score of 5, on 15 statements a respondent could get a minimum score of (15*1 = 15) and Maximum score of (15*5 = 75) and for follower performance minimum score of (10*1 = 10) and maximum score of (10*5 = 50). In this way the score index ranges from 15 to 75 for democratic leadership style and 10 to 50 for level of follower performance. By transforming the score from score index into scale, we had categorized score ranges below 35 is for less democratic, 35 to 55 for moderate democratic and above 55 for highly democratic for leadership style. And for followers performance it was categorized like score ranges below 20 is for unsatisfactory performance, 20 to 35 satisfactory performances and above 35 is for outstanding performance. Univariate table for Democratic leadership style Table1: Democratic leadership style Leadership style Frequency Percent Highly Democratic 550 55 Moderate Democratic 300 30 Less Democratic 150 15 . Total 1000 100 Table 1 consist on three column ie. Leadership Style, Frequency and Percentage points of respondants. In leadership style, we have catorised it in three forms i.e Highly Democratic, Moderate democratic and Less Democratic. In Frequency column, there were 1000 persons sample out of which 550 are highly democratic, 300 are Moderate democratic and 150 shows the response of Less democratic. Univariate table for Follower Performance Table2: Follower Performance Follower Performance Frequency Percent Outstanding 575 57.5 Satisfactory 270 27 Unsatisfactory 155 15.5 Total 1000 100 Table 2 consist on three column ie. Follower performance, Frequency and Percentage points of respondants. In Follower performance, we have catagorised it in three forms i.e Outstanding, satisfactory and unsatisfactory. In Frequency column, there were 1000 persons sample out of which 575 are giving outstanding performance, 270 are giving satisfactory performance and 155 are giving unsatisfactory performance. Bivariate table Table 3: Democratic leadership style and Follower Performance Followe

Are College Students Getting the Grades They Deserve? :: School Education Essays

Are College Students Getting the Grades They Deserve? Students at Boston University complain of grade deflation College students work hard assuming that they will get the grade they deserve but this is not always the case. Caroline Boulanger, a sophomore business administration and management major at Boston University studies hard. In her freshmen economics class, her final grade was based on three exams. She received two "A's" and an "A-" on these exams. However, at the end of the semester, she ended up with a final grade of a "B-." She tried contacting her professor and he has still not gotten back to her, so she assumes her grade was deflated. Boulanger is not the only person who has had this problem as a result of the grading policy of Boston University. â€Å"I’ve heard that getting a 4.0 at this school is about as likely as winning the lottery or getting struck by lightening. It could be considered an act of god,† said Haley Goucher, a freshman premed student at Boston University. If a student does receive a 4.0 at Boston University they are in the minority. In a survey of 100 Boston University students, only 23% received an "A" in any one of their classes and 0% of the students had a GPA of 4.0. Many of these students expressed that this sudden decline of grades made them lose confidence in their work and themselves. â€Å"People who did well in high school have trouble transitioning sometimes. They work hard and they still feel stupid,† said Alex Corhan, a sophomore journalism major at Boston University. There is no formal grading policy at Boston University but the university does give several guidelines for professors to follow. â€Å"Don’t be a grade-inflater! Grades should reflect the distribution of effort and success in the class †¦ If your distribution of grades is skewed toward the high end, it might imply that either an 'A' does not require a high level of achievement in the course or you are demanding too little of your students,† the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences â€Å"Information for Faculty Instructors† states. Not only does Boston University strongly discourage grade inflation, but they evaluate their professors by how high they grade their students. This leads to problems for both professors and students. â€Å"The individual colleges monitor the grade distribution of courses and let instructors know if their grades seem to be considerably higher or lower than the norm. Are College Students Getting the Grades They Deserve? :: School Education Essays Are College Students Getting the Grades They Deserve? Students at Boston University complain of grade deflation College students work hard assuming that they will get the grade they deserve but this is not always the case. Caroline Boulanger, a sophomore business administration and management major at Boston University studies hard. In her freshmen economics class, her final grade was based on three exams. She received two "A's" and an "A-" on these exams. However, at the end of the semester, she ended up with a final grade of a "B-." She tried contacting her professor and he has still not gotten back to her, so she assumes her grade was deflated. Boulanger is not the only person who has had this problem as a result of the grading policy of Boston University. â€Å"I’ve heard that getting a 4.0 at this school is about as likely as winning the lottery or getting struck by lightening. It could be considered an act of god,† said Haley Goucher, a freshman premed student at Boston University. If a student does receive a 4.0 at Boston University they are in the minority. In a survey of 100 Boston University students, only 23% received an "A" in any one of their classes and 0% of the students had a GPA of 4.0. Many of these students expressed that this sudden decline of grades made them lose confidence in their work and themselves. â€Å"People who did well in high school have trouble transitioning sometimes. They work hard and they still feel stupid,† said Alex Corhan, a sophomore journalism major at Boston University. There is no formal grading policy at Boston University but the university does give several guidelines for professors to follow. â€Å"Don’t be a grade-inflater! Grades should reflect the distribution of effort and success in the class †¦ If your distribution of grades is skewed toward the high end, it might imply that either an 'A' does not require a high level of achievement in the course or you are demanding too little of your students,† the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences â€Å"Information for Faculty Instructors† states. Not only does Boston University strongly discourage grade inflation, but they evaluate their professors by how high they grade their students. This leads to problems for both professors and students. â€Å"The individual colleges monitor the grade distribution of courses and let instructors know if their grades seem to be considerably higher or lower than the norm.

Barilla’s manufacturing Essay

Manufacturing: Barilla has 25 plants, including large flour mills, pasta plants, and fresh bread, as well as plants producing specialty products. Raw materials, in the manufacturing process, were transformed to packaged pasta on fully-automated 120 meter long production lines. The plants were specialized by the type of pasta they would produce, with the primary distinction based on the composition of the pasta, e.g. dry or fresh pasta, pasta with or without eggs and spinach. Also, even within the same family of pasta products, individual products were assigned to plants based on the size and shape of the pasta. The manufacturing process at Barilla was very precise, and required tight heat and humidity specifications in the pasta dry process, so as to keep the changeover cost low and quality high. Distribution: Barilla divided its products into â€Å"dry† and â€Å"fresh† product categories and maintained a different distribution system for the two categories. The dry products category includes dry pasta and longer shelf-life bakery products, whereas, the fresh products category includes fresh pasta products (with 21-day shelf life) and fresh bread (with one-day shelf life). Barilla had two central distribution centers (CDC) to which the products shipped from the plants. The fresh products were then purchased from these CDC’s by independent agents who then channeled the products through 70 regional warehouses located throughout Italy. From the CDC’s approximately 65% of the dry products went to the supermarkets, 70% of these (65% of dry products) went to super market chains, whereas, the remaining 30% went to independent super markets. The remaining 35% of dry products were distributed from the CDC’s to Barilla’s internally owned regional warehouses, which then distributed them to small  independent shops – Signora Maria Shops. Dry products destined for supermarket chains were distributed from the CDC to the chain’s own distribution organization, known as Grande Distribuzione (GD). While those destined for independent supermarkets were distributed from the CDC to a distributor known as Distribuzione Organizzata (DO), which acted as a centralized buying organization for a large number of independent supermarkets. The CDCs held a month’s inventory for dry products, and 3 days for fresh products. The GD, DO and the internally owned regional warehouses (for Signora Maria shops) held a two-week supply for Barilla’s dry products. The following figure (Figure 1) shows an illustration of Barilla’s distribution system for dry products: Figure 1: Barillas Distribution Network for Dry Products What is the problem faced by Barilla? What do you think are the factors causing this problem? Barilla’s pasta supply chain suffers from classic bullwhip-effect problem. It has been experiencing large amounts of variability in demand resulting in operational inefficiency and increased manufacturing, inventory, and distribution costs. The underlying factors of the fluctuating demand include Barilla’s sales strategy relying heavily on the use of promotions in the form of price, transportation and volume discounts; sales representatives being rewarded based on the amount of product sold to distributors, which led to sales representatives trying to push product to the distributors during promotions, decreasing the ability to accurately forecast sales; the distributors having full control over their orders leading to gaming behaviors; and the lack of a computer forecasting system at the distributor level. Describe the solution proposed by Brando Vitali. Why do you think this would help alleviate the problem? Brando Vitali suggested the implementation of a Just-In-Time Distribution  (JITD) strategy, which is essentially the Vendor Management Inventory (VMI) strategy. Barilla will be in charge of the channel between the CDCs and the distributor and decide on the timing and size of shipments to its distributors. Thus, unlike traditional supply chains in which distributors place orders and manufacturers try to satisfy these orders as much as possible, in JITD Barillas own logistics organization would specify the appropriate delivery quantities – those that will more effectively meet the end customer’s needs yet would also more evenly distribute the workload on Barilla’s manufacturing and logistics system. If implemented, Barilla can make better delivery decisions and improve its demand forecasts, be more effective in meeting end-customers needs, and more evenly distribute the workload on its manufacturing and logistics systems. Also, the inventory levels at CDCs will a lso be reduced. What conflicts or barriers internal to Barilla does the JITD program create? What causes these conflicts? How should Giorgio Maggiali deal with these internal conflicts? The main resistance internal to Barilla was from the sales and marketing functions, which Barilla, until now, has relied upon for its success. The sales representatives feared reduction in both their responsibilities and bonuses due to a flatted sales level. The marketing people also feared a reduction in responsibilities as trade promotions would be difficult to run with a JITD strategy. There were also concerns about inability to adjust shipments quickly to stock outs, lack of infrastructure to handle JITD, vague cost benefits, and increased competitor shelf space at distributors. I think Maggiali should demonstrate that JITD benefits not just Barilla, but also the distributors. He should run experiments at one or more distributor sites and prove his case. Also, Maggiali should encourage the marketing and sales people to look at the overall benefit to the supply chain. By getting the top management involved, by effectively advocating the benefits for the entire supply chain, and by removing the obstacles of sales incentives and reduced responsibility, Maggiali can effectively deal with this problem and get JITD implemented. How do you think a typical Barilla customer would respond to JITD? Why? How would you convince the customer that the JITD program was worth trying? If you are not able to sway the customer, what alternatives would you suggest to combat some of the difficulties that Barilla’s operating system faces? I think a typical Barilla customer, if explained to properly, should be able to comprehend the benefits associated with JITD for the entire supply chain. I would convince the customer by mentioning the benefits of the JITD in removing the bullwhip effect. I would point out the fact that they would actually be reducing their costs significantly because Barilla would be responsible for monitoring and replenishing their inventories when levels are low. Moreover, the reduced inventory levels would also save them the cost for both inventories and space. If however, I am not able to convince the customers, I will try other modes, in my capability, to effectively respond to the fluctuating demand. For this purposes, I would either reduce the varieties of products being offered which will reduce the need to have so many different inventories and SKU for both customers and Barilla. I could also try implementing the Just-In-Time (lean production) approach for Barillas manufacturing processes – processes which are internal and Barilla has full control over.

useing evidence to inform nurs essays

useing evidence to inform nurs essays Summative assignment using evidence to inform nursing practise The author of this report will attempt to identify an aspect of nursing practise that raised a question in the authors mind, and therefore required further investigation thus enabling validation of certain actions and practises. In so doing, empowering the author to make informed and rational judgements of observed practises and actions and thereby implement newly acquired knowledge focusing on evidence based practise and the benefits to nursing in general, and the development of sound, informed, nursing practises. During the authors last placement, it had been observed that one particular patient, who shall be known as Jane throughout this document, in order to protect patient confidentiality and therefore act in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (N.M.C.) code of conduct, (NMC, 2000), had after receiving Electro Convulsive Therapy, (E.C.T.), suffered on at least three separate occasions from a sore throat. Jane complained of mild to moderate sore throats, and expressed some difficulties when swallowing for about half an hour after waking up. Jane had been given a laryngeal airway during her treatment, due to her having a fractured septum, leaving her with an inability to breath clearly, if at all, through her nose, but other than this, her treatment was identical to the very next patient, who had oxygen delivered via a standard face mask. After both patients treatments, they were placed in the recovery room and they both fully recovered in a little under half an hour. Upon rec overy Jane asked the author if the discomfort was normal, and the author felt unable to give a clear or fact based opinion in answer. The author determined to allay Janes concerns and wished to contribute to Janes overall after care by helping to reduce any anxiety she may be suffering through worrying about her physical condition. The author may be ab...