Movie Analyses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Movie Analyses - Essay Example This reality shall be divulged upon, in light of movies such as Volver, A Separation, The White Ribbon, Tsotsi, Departures, Animal Kingdom and The Secret in their Eyes. Thesis All movies are derived from prevailing socioeconomic realities with the main intention of fostering emancipation, justice and equity, in lieu of comic relief, catharsis and entertainment. Question 4 Of the seven movies, Tsotsi has the most interesting setting. This is by virtue of the manner in which the author and the film crew have labored to use various elements of filmmaking to make the movie more persuasive. For instance, although South Africa’s Johannesburg is more urbane than any other city in Africa, yet the featuring of the neighboring sprawling and (in)famous Soweto slum makes the plot of the movie more plausible. Another instance which reinstates this sense of authenticity is the presentation of large construction pipes which serve as Tsotsi and his gang’s domicile. Otherwise, it would be out of order to speak of Tsotsi’s crime as taking place within Johannesburg (Hood, 2005). The author also uses special effect filmmaking strategies to make the setting very plausible and congruent with the plot. Specifically, lightning techniques have been used to this effect. In instances where Tsotsi and his gang carry night raids, weak light is used, thereby making the audience believe that such criminal undertakings are nocturnal. Through the use of silhouettes, Tsotsi and his proteges are also densely shadowed, so that they are easily identified as malefactors. The failure to use proper lighting could have portrayed Tsotsi’s criminal exploits as taking place during daytime, and thereby painting Johannesburg as an insecure, crime-riddled city where crimes happen even during broad daylight. Lance Gewer and Gavin Hood as the director and cinematographer respectively showcase their dexterity and ingenuity in filmmaking by making the movie polyglot. The movie consists of languages such as English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and isiZulu, and thereby rightly painting Johan nesburg not only as a polyglot but also a cultural melting pot. Question 5: The concept of family In all the seven movies, the concept of family is not only ubiquitous, but also given a central thematic value. In the 2009 German film titled The White Ribbon, a family is depicted in Eichwald, northern Germany as the world is on the verge of World War I. Authored by Michael Haneke, the film portrays the family as morally hypocritical. On the facade, the society appears chaste by the virtue of a puritanical pastor’s emphasis on sexual asceticism. However, a thorough look at the society peels back this facade. The village doctor treats other children kindly but has a penchant for humiliating his housekeeper and is found in a compromising situation with his teenage daughter. The family is also presented as morally unstable, even in the person of the baroness who confesses to her husband of being in love with another man. The larger family of human society is painted as unjust and giving way to moral decay. Particularly, this is seen in the instance where the baron whimsically dismisses Eva from work, but retains and recommends a farmer whose son had rummaged the baron’s cabbage farm (Haneke, 2009). In Volver, the family is also depicted as one that is replete with sexual scandals and unresolved matters. Particularly, there is an instance where Paco tries to rape Paula, despite being Paula’s father figure (Almadovar, 2006). In Tsotsi, the family is depicted as being characterized with a degree of inequality and

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Business Law - Essay Example This Corporate Compliance Plan version is particularly developed for the officers and directors of Riordan Manufacturing to make them aware of the existence of laws that regulate certain acts and that violation thereof not only exposes the company to fines and penalties but makes them liable for fines and/or imprisonment as well. In addition, any violation of these laws will also merit them severe sanction by the company like termination, depending on the severity of the act. This Compliance Plan also reminds the officers and directors that it is the company policy to abide by the laws of the land. A Compliance Officer is designated by the company for the purpose of ensuring that all the provisions of this Compliance Plan are implemented and supervised efficiently and rigorously. The Compliance Officer shall have the following duties and functions: Periodically review the efficacy and efficiency of this Compliance Plan and proposes changes, amendments and new measures that will enhance, improve and ensure that Riordan Manufacturing maintains corporate policies that are ethically and legally sound and correct; To perform such other duties necessary and relevant to the implementation and supervision of the Compliance Plan and for such purpose, engage the aid of subordinates, if necessary, to facilitate such implementation and supervision. An ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION is any means of settling differences extra-judicially – that is without or before resorting to court actions. The term can include within its ambit anything and everything that seeks to settle conflicts between parties like negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration or even mini-trials approximating that of formal judicial court trials. In the hope of resolving intra-agency and inter-agency between and among officers or directors of Riordan Manufacturing

Production And Operations Management Information Technology Essay

Production And Operations Management Information Technology Essay As Purchasing Manager for Grandiose Motors, I have endeavored towards continuous critical evaluation of the existing processes and policies that has impact on the daily operations, with the purpose of promoting efficiency, reducing costs and further improving the performance of Grandiose Motors. This report aims to give solutions to the challenges faced by Grandiose due to its growth, of purchasing and availability of service parts and materials which play a significant role in its operation and sustainability of the business. This report attempts to critically evaluate the process and submit recommendations for approval of the management. It will also highlight the significance of purchasing and inventory management policies and procedures and introduce the concept of supply chain management as solution to operation challenges and strategies as well as performance management in terms of deliverables and service levels of Grandiose Motors to its stakeholders most especially to its cu stomers. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1.1 Aims 2.0 Background: Grandiose Motors 3.0 Critical Evaluation of the current Purchasing and Inventory Function for Grandiose Motors Dealership network 3.1 Restructure Processing and Inventory Function 4.0 Recommendations TASK 1: Recommendations with respect to structuring the purchasing and inventory functions: SCM Implementation at Grandiose Motors Business Operation Supply Chain Management Purchasing and Inventory Management Policies and Procedures TASK 2: Recommendations for different purchasing and inventory management policies for purchase of different types of service parts and materials TASK 3: Supply Chain and Inventory management concepts designed to reduce Investment and space requirements and maintaining adequate service levels of Grandiose Motors Solution to reduce Investment and Space requirements Performance Management and Service Levels Grandiose Motors: Operational Strategies and its Implication SCM professionals or SCM consultant or practitioner Using SCM ERP Packages 5.0 Conclusion 6.0 List of References Introduction Grandiose Motors is foreseeing that the sustainability of its successful performance and efficient service is to manage its current challenges -ensuring availability of service parts and materials and finding a solution to facilities and warehouse space requirements to accommodate the growth of Grandiose Motorss business. To sustain the companys growth, impending challenges for the company have been identified and the need to address them has been raised. 1.1 Aim This report is made to critically evaluate current processes involved in the operation and suggest some recommendations to address the forthcoming challenges. An idea and the perception from industry practices that Supply Chain Management solves inventory and warehousing concern for business operations, is an option that Grandiose Motors desire to explore. This paper will provide an overview of how Supply chain can help business operations as well as solving the current challenges of the company. 2.0 Background: Grandiose Motors Grandiose Motors was established 15 years ago, starting from one office it has grown to its fourth automotive dealership. Grandiose Motors is involved in automobile sales and after sales servicing. Managing four automotive dealerships and catering to over a million consumers requires hard work, consistency in customer service and continuous improvement to ensure sustainability of the business. The automotive dealership of Grandiose Motors operated autonomously wherein only one car make is being sold and serviced. The business was started with the acquisition of the Mitsubishi dealership; after over a decade it had already acquired two more and now it is on its fourth dealership, the company is now going beyond being synomomous with one car make. The new dealership is his first auto supermarket where they sell multiple car makes. This includes Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen. The success of Grandiose Motors is attributed to three interdependent key factors. First is volume, second is its marketing methodology hassle-free buying experience and lastly, its solid reputation for after sales service. These three factors are cyclic by nature, the high volume of sales pertains to availability of choices of cars and car makes, then the buying experience entices customers to make their purchases at Grandiose Motors and of course, all cars purchases are maintained to ensure its usability and this is done through after sales service- like diagnosing repairs, timely and efficient service and outstanding customer experience. Grandiose Motors is banking on these performance indicators as their solid foundation for their customers. They have gained the confidence of their buyers, thus, they are known as a reliable car sales dealer and have outstanding after sales support and servicing. 3.0 Critical Evaluation of the current Purchasing and Inventory Function for Grandiose Motors Dealership network Currently, the purchasing and inventory function of the four dealership network of Grandiose Motors follows that they purchase their own service parts and materials. Grandiose is following decentralized purchasing policy where each dealership is buying their inventory independently. It leads to higher costs and more time for managing inventory at each dealership. Centralized purchasing policy helps in better control over inventory investment, space, quantity and cash discounts and assures uniformity in quality and reduces overlap and duplication of purchasing effort. Grandiose is not profiting from these advantages of centralized purchase policy, (Ng Lam 1991). Supplies forecasts are based on historical demand data since service and material requirements are based on seasonality factors. These seasonality factors are based on weather during the winter there are high requirement for batteries while during summer there are high demands for air-conditioner parts. On the other hand, during autumn there are high requirements for antifreeze. In addition, Grandiose Motors may have seasonal promotion for vehicle sales and its services; therefore there will be demands for service parts and materials. Grandiose is not managing inventory risk associated with seasonal products effectively. By using a pull contract it can get discount on the prices as well as the inventory risk will be upon the supplier rather than the retailer during the season, whereas the risk will be with the retailer before the season (Cachon 2004). Due to different car models and car make sold by Grandiose Motors, there is a demand for service parts and materials for each kind and model. On the other hand, there are various types that should be maintained and kept available. The supplies are used to service vehicles and some are sold to consumers over the counter. Parts suppliers are the car manufacturers and certified wholesale to maintain authenticity. There are various suppliers for oils, lubricants and fan belts. The treatment of these two types of purchasing should be different as the demand, procurement, type of suppliers and inventory and storage is totally different. For example high inventory has to be maintained for rapidly moving parts, where as small inventory for slow moving parts (Duft 2010). And also the purchasing should be centralized for products like oils, lubricants and fan belts where as for genuine spare parts it can be centralized (Bossart et al. 2007). Grandiose is able to maintain hassle free buying experience as well as outstanding customer servicing, by ensuring lowered cost concept, service and repair using the right parts and repairs at the right time as well as reliable after-sales servicing. This key performance policy might not be sustainable in the future as the company is handling various spare parts of different automobiles and if the current policy is not changed about how it handles the procurement, inventory and storage of the different parts, cost will definitely increase because they are not using effective ways like placing the rapid moving parts in such a way that they are easily available to the employees for restocking, using mechanical means to handle and movie stock. This will decrease the labor cost and time (Duft 2010). 3.1 Restructure Processing and Inventory Function From the above critical evaluation of the current inventory process it is apparent that Grandiose needs restructuring of its inventory processing function. Grandiose Motors is growing, the company wants to make sure that the business operation will continue through enhanced customer experience and sustainability of the companys after-sales service and support. The proper use of storage space for inventory is also crucial because space is costly and with the new dealership acquisition investment finances, space and facility support are over stretched. In addition to this, financial resources on hand is depleted in every business investments. It can be said that restructuring and purchasing and inventory supply chain management will address these operation at constraints. Recommendations Based on the above critical evaluation the following recommendations are being suggested for Grandiose Inventory management with relations to the different tasks or forthcoming challenges. TASK 1: Recommendation with respect to structuring the purchasing and inventory functions: SCM Implementation at Grandiose Motors Business Operation Supply Chain Management. Supply Chain Management (SCM) can solve its current challenges in space, supplies and finances. As supply chain pertains to strategic and systemic coordination of all business factions for an organization with the purpose of efficiency and long-term performance improvement, SCM is the best option for Grandiose Motors. This includes products, services, finances and information from one source to the other within the chain of operation and down to the consumer or end user. The entire purpose of SCM is to create value for the company and the consumer (Jespersen Skjott-Larsen 2005). SCM can be used as a competitive strategy which integrates suppliers and customers; also it reduces response time and creates flexibility (Irfan, Xiaofei Chun 2008). Figure 1. Source: Jespersen Skjott-Larsen ( 2005), p. ) The above model illustrates the Supply Chain Management cycle in terms of planning specific to the requirement of the organization (Jespersen Skjott-Larsen 2005). Following this model, the initial step is to identify the operation strategic requirements efficiency in investment, supplies procurement and space requirements. 1. Supply Chain and Process Mapping This is the planning part where the CEO and Grandiose Motors management team will brainstorm and define the strategies and directions. The purpose is to identify the required supply chain capabilities and gaps appropriate to solve the operation challenges. As of this time, it has been earlier identified that the challenges involve investment, supplies procurement and space requirements. 2. Data Gathering and categorization Though meetings, discussion and interviews, data are gathered and documents are checked for the data sources; like reports, suppliers lists, demand reports, product inventory, infrastructure, warehouse distribution and expenses and others. 3. Analysis and Validation Data gathered will be analyzed and the SCM model will be recommended. This model will include cost, warehouse, distribution and inventory for supplies and materials. Validation will be done by finance and management. Findings and results and possible issues will be identified from sample data and the model. Recommendations will be presented to get the approval of CEO and the management in order to design the solution model. 4. Solution Design and Recommendation The Supply Chain simulation model will be presented. This is the model designed specifically to address challenges and operation of Grandiose Motors. In addition to this, an optimal chain model will present the financial impact. 5. Implementation Plan Based on the recommendation the solution that will be implemented for Grandiose motors will be presented. Details of the task, the resources, suppliers, accountability, structure and timeline will be included. Implementation or Output will carry out a Solution Implementation Plan. This will detail out the task, the resource, the involved party or partners and the time frame. The simulation plan will present opportunities and gaps in order to come up with a specific solution. See illustrations below. Sample Supply Chain Simulation Figure 2. Saurce: Jespersen and Skjott-Larsen (2005, p. ) Purchasing and Inventory Management Policies and Procedures Purchasing and inventory management policies and procedures will differ depending on the processes and policies of the respective supplier in the Supply Chain. With the SCM, these differences can be minimized since industries and suppliers are now familiar with efficiency and systematic process. Purchasing and inventory management ensures physical control and layout of key areas of operation. This manages the different procedures with third parties and other partners essential to availability and procurement of supplies and parts. This would cover forecasting and replenishment strategies, quantity calculation and inventory systems (Muller 2003). TASK 2: Recommendations for different purchasing and inventory management policies for purchase of different types of service parts and materials In the case of Grandiose Motors, the four dealership networks are managing various car make and models and this would entail different suppliers for materials and parts. This would have various differences in policies and procedures like purchasing policy, delivery time, demand, schedule and methods, forecasting, order placement, payment settlement and return policies and others. With regard to servicing, Grandiose Motors is supporting genuine parts for different car makes and models are which are being supplied by authorized dealers and wholesalers. And it is also selling over the counter products like oil, lubricants and fans. Also it has certain spare parts whose demand is only seasonal. For Grandiose Motors, the company and its Purchasing department has already established a system to manage this inventory and purchasing system. However, due to the business growth, changes in operation as well ensuring continuity of supplies and parts procurement in the future, it has to reduce p rocuring and inventory costs by having a different policy for different products. Following are the recommendations. 1. Using a pull contract and an advance-purchase discount system for procuring seasonal parts. A pull contract has a single wholesale price, and the supplier bears the supply chains inventory risk because only the supplier holds inventory while the retailer replenishes as needed during the season (Cachon 2004). Advance -purchase system will give a discounted price for inventory purchased before the season, and a regular price for replenishments during the selling season thus it has two wholesale prices. Also the risk allocation will be with the retailer for parts ordered before the season and for the parts replenished during the season risk will be with the supplier (Cachon 2004). 2. Maintaining high level of inventories for rapid moving parts like oil, lubricants and fans and low inventories for slow moving parts or genuine parts which are required only at the time of servicing (Duft 2010). 3. Decentralizing purchasing policy for servicing parts and centralizing for over the counter sales spare parts (Bossart et al. 2007). 4. Rearranging the sales area and storage area in such a way that rapidly moving parts are easily picked and restocked by the employees using mechanical means for storing and moving parts. Using storage space interchangeably, with seasonal parts (Duft 2010). 5. Using JIT -Just in time inventory for rapid moving and over the counter sales for parts like oil, lubricants and fans which are easily available and have a large number of suppliers. JIT reduces inventory cost as firms have to incur costs and interest for holding inventories (Morgan 1991) TASK 3: Supply Chain and Inventory management concepts designed to reduce Investment and space requirements and maintaining adequate service levels of Grandiose Motors. A. Solution to reduce Investment and Space requirements INVESTMENT Efficiency in savings The solution for investment is settled through review of all processes and ensuring efficiency and eliminating redundant process. This ensures cost minimization and ensures savings for the company. Minimize paper transactions and the use of recycled papers for receiving papers and documents is recommended. This will ensure savings on office supplies costs. SPACE REQUIREMENT Central Warehouse The locations of the four dealership network may have significant differences, however the company has to strategically situate a central warehouse for the four dealerships as it is more cost efficient. The 45 minute to an hour drive is better than renting expensive warehouse spaces. In addition, proper scheduling of supplies and parts replenishing will ensure that a proper inventory system is in place. The following will be involved transportation of company moving trucks, warehouse people and warehouse department, database in place for inventory and order system, central warehouse. B. Performance Management and Service Levels The above recommendations automation, paper-less transactions, process efficiency and other cost reduction measures for Grandiose Motors will ensure savings on investment. Since there is no need to avail on expensive warehouse spaces, the company will save more to use the investment in purchasing supplies and supporting system automation and database software. The Central Warehouse may be located in one of the network dealerships or in the main office of Grandiose Motors; this will just be an additional facility and will not require additional start up investment. Service levels and performance management are measured through the companys key performance indicators. These are measurable objectives to ensure that the performance of the company is able to attain its target and measure the savings and cost of the organization (Muller 2003). The service level for Grandiose Motors is determined by various factors such as servicing turn around time, timely availability of supplies and par ts for different dealership network, sales and volume, distribution and inventory. Below is the sample transport and packaging process model followed by Toyota Motors which illustrates the model to follow and ensures that each process is documented and all are aware of the system (Iyer, Seshadri , Vasher 2009). Toyota Figure 3. C. Grandiose Motors: Operational Strategies and its Implication By Following SCM concepts, best sources and sustainability of the business is ensured through proper sourcing of suppliers, planning of warehouse and savings efficiency in processes to manage investment finances. The forecasted implication would be a change in operation. For effective management of inventory and to meet the changing demand and supply trends of the market, it is essential to develop a SCM which is responsive to the dynamic business environment so as to profit from the new opportunities in the market (Leà ³n Peà ±a 2008). D. SCM professionals or SCM consultant or practitioner Grandiose Motors should employ the services of consultants or third party professionals expert with Supply Chain management and familiar in the Automobile dealership, servicing and supply procurement. SCM can be outsourced at Grandiose Motors. E. Using SCM ERP Packages ERP packages are used to substitute traditional separate SCM into an integrated suite for a new business model resulting in a compact flow of information through the enterprise. It helps in automation of SCM updation, inventory control, reporting, ordering, and scheduling, (Wu Kao ,2006). 5.0 Conclusion Supply chain management is a system that is implemented to an organization to ensure improved performance. For organizations that are new to this model and application, this may be change that has to be managed. Management has a significant role in ensuring that the plan and implementation of the SCM model has been carried out. With the growth of a business, the entire organization should understand the direction of the company and that the quality measures through SCM and efficiency in processes should be encouraged. This paper proposed recommendations for the improvement in terms of resolving the current challenges in investment, space and supplies procurement. In addition to this the benefits and implication to business of SCM concept has been discussed.

Essay --

Iowa State University has a record breaking number of students enrolled for the 2013 school year. With such a boom in new students, ISU has to find a place to house these students. Housing development companies like Breckenridge Land Acquisition of Texas have taken on the daunting task of building new student housing in Ames. Breckenridge has run into several roadblocks that have delayed building. These delays mean that prospective students like George Johnson of Sioux City, IA are still being turned away due to housing constraints. â€Å"I was ecstatic when I was accepted into Iowa State, but when they said they couldn’t get my housing in order for the school year I had to find somewhere else to go,† Johnson said. ISU reached its fifth consecutive year of growth with 33,241 students attending. That’s a 2,201 student increase just from last year. A problem arises with this booming population of students. Iowa State University has too many students that it can’t house. ISU has utilized other housing developments around Ames, such as Legacy apartments in Campustown, and Maricopa apartments in West Ames, to help with the overflow. Even with all of the new acquired properties added in to ISU’s housing, there is still a need for student housing on and off campus. Companies like Breckenridge offer a solution to this problem. Breckenridge is a subdivision of Aspen Heights, a developer of duplex and Craftsmen style townhomes. Breckenridge representatives purchased 48 acres of property on what used to be the old Ames Middle School. The property sold at auction for $2.3 million last December. Their proposed plan for building on the land could house up to 900 students. Their plan has caused a great deal of controversy in the area... ...as steadily decreased since 2000. According to the Ames Chamber of Commerce, Ames High School enrollment has dropped from 1695 students in 2000 to 1495 in 2012. Former member of Ames School Board Patricia Brown said, â€Å"We want families to get kids into the school system so that we can support our Ames schools.† So what does this mean for Iowa State students? No new development can begin on the property until the lawsuit comes to a close. Also, without the proper zoning regulations amended, Breckenridge cannot develop any new land on the property. This means no new student housing on the land for the foreseeable future. This means that students like George Johnson may find that they have nowhere to go. â€Å"It was a major setback. I’m taking classes at DMACC at the moment, but hopefully I can get my housing situation figured out by next year,† said George Johnson.

Employee Motivation Essay

Abstract. Employee motivation is the psychological feature that arouses an employee to behave in a certain manner for accomplishing certain organizational goals. Individuals differ in motivation along three parameters viz. self-esteem, need for achievement, and intrinsic motivation. There has been a growing emphasis on employee’s needs rather than just organizational needs, and recognition of the strategic value of employees being developed to their best potential. Organizations have become increasingly aware that the effective development of their employees’ skills and knowledge has benefits for the whole organization. Performance appraisal can be a crucial factor in the setting of career goals and the perception of job satisfaction leading to increased motivation and productivity. The paper examines employee motivation at the workplace. What is Motivation? Motivation is based on emotions. It is the search for positive emotional experiences and the avoidance of negative emotional experiences. Motivation is involved in the performance of all learned responses. It is a behavior that will not occur unless it is triggered. In general, psychologists question whether motivation is a primary or secondary influence on behavior. For example, is the behavior stemmed from personality, emotion perception, and memory or if motivation stems from concepts that are unique. Each year, billions of dollars are spent on motivation courses by large companies. The course involves training in motivation, meetings to boost motivation, incentives to strengthen motivation, meetings to analyze problems in the workplace motivation, tools to measure motivation mission statements, etc. These training sessions also include how to cope with problems in recruitment, productivity and retention, problems of commitment to teams and corporate agendas. Motivation is extremely important to success and to reach personal and business goals that one has set. Ethics Employees must learn to work together towards common goals. Employees must have an understanding of the organization as a whole and how they fit into the organization. They will most likely need training to acquire the knowledge needed for organizational understanding. Once an understanding of the organization and their role in it has been established, the employee with act on the goals set forth. Management must show the employee the need for their being there and for their output and input. The top to bottom role should be fair and there must be a clear code of corporate ethics. There must be communication between all levels, top to bottom, bottom to top. No employee should be left out. Management should ensure that their employees feel secure and they can be trusted and are equals among their peers. Performance should be viewed as a learning experience, not a horrific experience. Appraisals The annual performance review is one of the most feared and fearful processes that leaves employees angry and depressed as opposed to motivated to perform better. Companies have started to look at the appraisal as a more developmental approach to performance evaluation, instead of making the employee feel more insecure about their job performance. By using this technique, it would emphasize on giving employees the skills they need to perform effectively. The goal of a plan such as this would be to achieve goals that have been set by the company and be appraised on how many of those goals they have reached. Goals should be clear and sufficient to motivate employees into action. Business performance will improve by using an effective appraisal system. By defining clear objectives, the employees will be able to focus on the specified task and company goals. Appraisals help the employees feel that their good work is recognized and that they are valued. It also provides an opportunity to discuss concerns and weaknesses that the employee may have and suggestions may be made to find a solution to the problem. Motivation Techniques In order to motivate employees, they must know what is expected of them. Employees must have a clear understanding of challenges and realistic goals that they must meet. Employees that are encouraged to healthy competition ensure that the criteria for successes are clear and do not encourage resentment or low morale. Tough approaches, like firing staff that are not working to their full potential, can motivate other employees to do work better and strive for those goals that have been set. There is no perfect way to motivate staff. Some psychologists hold that financial bonuses or perks will be enough to motivate employees to give their best effort. Competition between employees is also commonly used as a motivation strategy at times. However, the keys to effective employees are motivation strategies that provide a range of incentives that appeal to the different personalities of the employees. While one individual may be driven by money, another may find job satisfaction or creative opportunities more powerful factors. Some company employee motivation techniques suggest that most employees respond to the same incentives. Money is most commonly used to improve motivation, staff retention and ambition. Everyone is different and has their own view about what is important to their life. For this reason, there are steps that can be used to motivate employees by doing things that they value and mean doing the right thing. They are as follows: Find the right job for the right person Empower Employees Co-operation vs. Competition Involve employees in company development When staff feel secure and nurtured in their work environment they perform  better. These steps help employees feel secure in their environment: Praise and recognition of the employee’s successes as much as you constructively criticize them. Let employees be aware of their job security. Be a Leader to staff. Create a comfortable working environment. Treat employees fairly. Mangers are responsible for overseeing employees who are engaged in work or learning tasks. Managers must be aware that some employees participate more out of interest in the task than others are. Others gain their satisfaction principally out the way in which their performance on the task leads to rewards like pay or status. But typically there is a mixture of motives for which a range of different incentives is relevant. Most employees will find at least some satisfaction in simply doing the work. The balance of these intrinsic and extrinsic sources of satisfaction varies from one person to another and between different situations. Some people indeed are highly motivated by both intrinsic interest and extrinsic rewards. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation Most employees understand intrinsic satisfaction or intrinsic motivation, when an activity is satisfying or pleasurable in and of itself. These activities are things employees like and want to do. For most people, intrinsically enjoyable activities are things like eating, resting, laughing, playing games, winning, creating, seeing and hearing beautiful things and people, and so on. To do these things people do not need to be paid, applauded, cheered, thanked, respected, or anything. They do them for the good feelings that are automatically and naturally received from the activity. Intrinsic rewards also involve pleasurable internal feelings or  thoughts, like feeling proud or having a sense of mastery following studying hard and succeeding in a class. Many, maybe most, activities are not intrinsically satisfying enough to get most of people to do them consistently, so extrinsic motivation needs to be applied in the form of rewards, incentives, or as a way to avoid some unpleasant condition. There are many activities that are intrinsically satisfying to some people but not to other people. This diversity suggests that past experiences can have a powerful influence on determining what is intrinsically satisfying to an individual. In many activities, intrinsically satisfying aspects combine with extrinsic pay offs. For example, employees and people in general, intrinsically enjoy conversing and, at the same time, they get attention, praise, support and useful information. In this case where intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are mixed, one might suppose that over a period of time the accompanying extrinsic reinforcements gradually increase our intrinsic enjoyment of the activity and perhaps vice versa. Extrinsic Motivation Extrinsic Motivation comes from without, such as money, titles, honors, trophies or a date. Extrinsic motivation has been found to destroy intrinsic motivation. Presently there is a movement to eliminate extrinsic motivation from schools, hospitals, and government. Extrinsic Motivation can be based on the phrase, â€Å"Do this, and get this.† Methods of Extrinsic Motivation are sometimes controversial. Some argue that employees view their work as a form of punishment and the paycheck is their reward. Extrinsic rewards tend to focus attention more narrowly and to shorten time perspectives, which may result in more efficient production of predefined or standardized products. Job satisfaction and long term commitment to a task may also be affected. Management first thinks about rewarding employees with money as an effective reward. Unfortunately, money will not always motivate employees to perform better or stay with the company longer. Not everyone thinks money makes the  world go round. Intrinsic Motivation Intrinsic motivation is the satisfaction in which the rewards come from carrying out an activity rather from a result of the activity. Employees that are intrinsically motivated tend to be more aware of a wide range of phenomena, while giving careful attention to complexities, inconsistencies, novel events and unexpected possibilities. They need time and freedom to make choices, to gather and process information, and have an appreciation of well finished and integrated products, all of which may lead to a greater depth of learning and more creative output. Intrinsic Motivation is the outcome of a work situation that employees enjoy. It comes from inside of the employee. Employees feel that they are in charge and that they have the opportunity to acquire new skills and abilities to match a different challenge. Employees also feel that they are a part of a successful team. When rewards, such as praise, are based on performance standards that imply one is doing well and performing competently, then the intrinsic interest increases. People like to be told they are doing well. Intrinsic Motivation is an emotional preference that gives pleasure and enjoyment. It stems from a strong emotional interest in an activity. It can be classified as a sense of freedom. Theories. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow is considered as the father of Humanistic Psychology. Humanistic Psychology incorporates both Behavioral and Psychoanalytical Psychology. Maslow, although he studied both types of Psychology, he rejected the idea that human behavior is controlled by only internal and external factor. Maslow, instead, based his Motivation Theory on the basis that â€Å"man’s behavior is controlled by both internal and external factors.† (pp. ) He also emphasized that humans have the ability to make choices and  exercise free will. Maslow collected data for his theories by studying individuals with an outstanding presence. His studies led him to believe that certain people have needs which are unchanging and genetic. Some needs are more basic than others are and others are more powerful than others are. As these needs are satisfied, new needs are created and other needs emerge. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is as follows: Basic Needs: Physiological; The need for sleep and rest, food, drink, shelter, sex, and oxygen. Safety; The need to be safe from harm. The need for a predictable world with consistency. The need for fairness, routine, and a sense of stability and security. Growth Needs Love and Belonging: The need for love and affectionate relationships, belonging to a group, and caring. Esteem (two components): Self-respect: The desire for confidence, competence, adequacy, achievement, and mastery. Respect of others: The desire for acceptance, recognition, reputation, appreciation, status, and prestige. Understanding and Knowledge: The needs to satisfy curiosity, explore, discover, find solutions, look for relationships and meaning, and seek intellectual challenges. Aesthetics: The need for beauty in surroundings. Self-actualization: The need for growth, development and utilization of potential, becoming all that one can be; self-fulfillment. McGregor’s X and Y Theories Two theories of human behavior at work were developed by Douglas McGregor. Theory X and Theory Y. McGregor did not indicate that workers would be type X or type Y. He saw the two types as extremes, with various possible behaviors in between. Theory X workers would be described an individuals who dislike work and avoid work when possible. They also lack ambition and do not like responsibility and prefer to be followers instead of leaders. These individuals also have a desire for feeling secure. Theory Y workers are individuals that could be characterized as individuals who did not dislike work and are considered responsible. These workers consider work as play or a rest time. For Theory Y workers, management would need to challenge the individual and create a working environment where they can show and develop their creativity. With Theory X, receiving rewards motivates the individuals. Keller’s ARCS Theory of Motivation John M. Keller designed four conditions for an employee to be motivated. Attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) are these conditions that when an employee uses them, they will become more motivated to do their tasks and reach goals set by themselves or others. Keller suggests that ARCS must happen in sequence. By following the ARCS order, it will keep the employee interested in the topic. If it were to lose its sequential order, then interest will be lost and motivation would not take  place. This motivation theory argues that events that fulfill personal needs or goals will enhance performance and effort put forth by the employee. Each of Keller’s conditions build upon the next condition. The management should keep these conditions in mind when designing goals and assigning tasks. The Conditions set by Keller are as follows: Attention: The first and single most important aspect of the ARCS model. It is gaining and keeping the employees attention. Keller’s strategies for attention include sensory stimuli, question provocation, and variability. Relevance: Attention and motivation will not be maintained unless the employee believes the training is relevant. The training program should answer the critical question, â€Å"What’s in it for me?† Benefits should be clearly stated. For a sales training program, the benefit might be to help representatives increase their sales and personal commissions. For a safety-training program, the benefit might be to reduce the number of workers getting hurt. For a software-training program, the benefit to users could be to make them more productive or reduce their frustration with an application. Confidence: The confidence aspect is required so that the employee feels that they should put a good faith effort into the organization. If they think they are incapable of achieving the objectives or that it will take too much time or effort, their motivation will decrease. In technology-based training programs, employees should be given estimates of the time required to complete the task or a measure of their progress through the program. Satisfaction: The last is Satisfaction. The employee must obtain some type of satisfaction or reward for achieving the goal or finishing a task. This can be in the form of praise from a supervisor, a raise, or a promotion. If managers are to use this Theory of Motivation, they must address adequate  examples and/or choices for their employees to be available to complete the task or reach a goal. Some employees may be active learners and enjoy experimentation. Some employees may be reflective learners and are more in tune with observing and lectures. These styles must be taken into consideration in order for the employee to feel motivated and be able to help the organization. There are currently thousands of articles on employee motivation research that has evolved from the early work of Maslow, Keller and McGregor. The application of these theories into new communication situations, like the Internet, will be an important contribution for generations to come. Benefits of Motivation Employees It is important that employees are motivated to work hard and increase productivity. Yet some workers are not reaching their full potential. Managers need to be proactive and start or improve existing motivation programs. Employees are aware of what their employers are or aren’t doing to recognize their efforts. The time it takes to set up a program is minimal, program administration is easy and efficient with automated program tracking and reporting. The end result is a program tailored specifically to the needs of the company. To develop a successful motivation program that benefits a company the following suggestions may be helpful: Specific goals that provide a strong sense of motivation and are expected to be obtained. Equity for all participants. Employees perceiving inequity may lower productivity. High perceived value so the participant becomes emotionally involved in obtaining the goal. Employee involvement during the development of the program and timely feedback to employees continuing throughout the program. Employee motivation is the responsibility of the company and its managers. The company must create a workplace that is full of culture and high achievers in order for the business to improve. Recognition, appreciation and rewards are crucial to employee motivation. A pat on the back or a mention of thanks can literally move mountains. Productivity rises for employees that are rewarded for the work they do. A company’s reputation and productivity increases with employees that feel appreciated. Recognition keeps communication open. It is important to keep communication alive with staff. By opening the lines of communication and staying in touch with the employees it will keep you in touch with their needs and desires. Create an atmosphere of cooperation, and give credit where credit is due. In return, the company will have employees that will go the extra hundred miles, and the returns will be tenfold. When an employee is passionate about their involvement and contributions, there will be no limit to the success that can be achieved. Bibliography Pandy, Wayne. (2001) Safety Incentives & Recognition. Creating an Achievement Based Safety Culture. Retrieved September 18, 2004 from http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/csseincentive/sld030.htm Captain Webb, Bob. (2001) Developing productive skills through self-discovery. Retrieved September 18, 2004 from http://www.motivation-tools.com/ Accel Team. (2004) Motivation. Retrieved from http://www.accel- team.com/motivation/index.html Accel Team. (2004) Theorists and their Theories. Retrieved from http://www.accel- team.com/motivation/theory_01.html Carnegie, Dale. (1981). How to Win Friends & Influence People; Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment (pp. 205-243). New York, NY: Pocket Books. Faculty of Information Studies. (1995) Motivation Theories. University of Toronto Retrieved from http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/FIS/Courses/LIS1230/LIS1230sharma/motive1.htm

FedEx Corporation Essay

Complete the following exercise (Research and Application 11-30) and submit to your instructor. The questions in this exercise are based on FedEx Corporation. To answer the questions you will need to download FedEx’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2005 (file date July 14, 2005). You do not need to print this document to answer the questions. Required: †¢What is FedEx’s strategy for success in the marketplace? Does the company rely primarily on a customer intimacy, operations excellence, or product leadership customer value proposition? What evidence supports your conclusion? †¢What are FedEx’s four main business segments? Provide two examples of traceable fixed costs for each of FedEx’s four business segments. Provide two examples of common costs that are not traceable to the four business segments. †¢Identify one example of a cost center, a profit center, and an investment center for FedEx. †¢Provide three examples of fixed costs that can be traceable or common depending on how FedEx defines its business segments. †¢Compute the margin, turnover, and return on investment (ROI) in 2005 for each of FedEx’s four business segments (Hint: page 99 reports total segment assets for each business segment.) †¢Assume that FedEx established a minimum required rate of return of 15% for each of its business segments. Compute the residual income earned in 2005 in each of FedEx’s four segments. †¢Assume that the senior managers of FedEx Express and FedEx Ground each have an investment opportunity that would require $20 million of additional operating assets and that would increase operating income by $4 million. If FedEx evaluates all of its senior managers using ROI, would the managers of both segments pursue the investment opportunity? If FedEx evaluates all of its senior managers using residual income, would the managers of both segments pursue the investment opportunity?