General Motors Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

General Motors - Article Example Bowen and Radhakrishna (1991) define motivation as a force that makes an organism or a person to respond. Thus an effective manager must be aware of the various factors that induce his or her employees to behave in a certain way. One of the significance theories that early managers adopted in their management was related to the appetitive function. According to this theory, the result of motivated employees which is the outcome of the forces and stimulus provided by the employers is brought about by imagination, memory as well as perception.According to James (2010) in his article on understanding employee’s motivation, staffs are not only motivated by salary increment but also by other factors such as more responsibilities, training, and shifts among others. Additionally, James (2010) covers the Hawthorne studies that sought to indicate the significance of human relations to the managers especially in focusing at the motivation and the needs of the employees. Two major ways t hat GM can emulate to maintain a productive work force is through provision of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Intrinsic factors include recognition of the hard working employees. This may be undertaken by promoting them or making them to be team leaders. On the other hard, James (2010) argues that a firm can provide job security and increased salaries as key extrinsic factors. James depicts that managers should also ensure equity among the employees as a way of motivating them. Equity is attained when the ratio of a worker’s output over inputs is the same with that of other employees (James, 2010). Studies undertaken by Adams (1965) indicate that for managers to effectively motivate their employees, it is paramount to first understand their goals. This is based on the fact that the goals of the employees vary. Through the provision of hygiene factors that include security, safety, salary, fringe benefits among others Adams (1965) argues that employees are powerfully motivated. Thus it is paramount for the GM managers to determine what their employees like and dislike so as to identify the appropriate hygiene factor to emulate. Adams (1965) argues that employees like six major aspect to improve their performance. First is achievement. This implies that workers are motivated when tangible goals are derived from their efforts. Secondly, employees like to be appreciated and recognized by their managers and other workers. Thirdly, employees are motivated by the work itself. For example, employees who enjoy working in garages will be more motivated if the GM managers take them to the production facility. Fourthly, workers are motivated when their responsibilities are increased. Fifthly, labor force is significantly motivated through promotion and advancement within their firm. In the same way, workers performance is enhanced when a company creates opportunities for growth. This can be undertaken by ensuring that workers are given ample opportunities to undertake part time courses either within the firm or from high institutions of learning. To ensure its employees in various parts of the word are motivated and are focused at attaining their own goals and those of the organization, General Motors should adopt McClelland's Human

Aspects of Kirk's and Malcolm's Management Style that Contribute to Essay

Aspects of Kirk's and Malcolm's Management Style that Contribute to Their Effectiveness - Essay Example Like most of the managers of Neverwire, it is precisely the vision of Frank that led Kirk Arnold to join the company. Unlike Frank who wanted to have the right people in the company, Arnold focused on ensuring that their people knew what they need to do. By streamlining the operations and processes of the company, she was able to ensure teamwork and produce results that will guarantee the Neverwhere's sustainability. She became the model employee that she wants her team to be. Yet, aside from being a skilled manager, Arnold also had a personal approach, always commanding the effort, and coaching those who need improvement.  Ã‚  Like most of the managers of Neverwire, it is precisely the vision of Frank that led Kirk Arnold to join the company. Unlike Frank who wanted to have the right people in the company, Arnold focused on ensuring that their people knew what they need to do. By streamlining the operations and processes of the company, she was able to ensure teamwork and produce results that will guarantee the Neverwhere's sustainability. She became the model employee that she wants her team to be. Yet, aside from being a skilled manager, Arnold also had a personal approach, always commanding the effort, and coaching those who need improvement.  Ã‚  Frank and Arnold are the perfect partners for managing the company – one provided the â€Å"bigger picture† while the other provided the â€Å"inner work†. While one of them was busy ensuring that their people knew what they were trying to achieve, the other one was busy ensuring that their people had the right tools to get the work done right. Together, they make good complements.2. What are the key female gender stereotypes when it comes to leadership? Consider Kirk, do you find any evidence for or against these stereotypes? What factors (including her personal attributes) do you think might have contributed to her success in the business world?   In a research conducted by Alice Eagly and Linda Carli (2003), they mentioned several female gender stereotypes in leadership. Some of them are: (a) Women are more communal, they are attributed with characteristics such as warmth and selflessness and they lack assertiveness and instrumentality which people think are important distinctions of a leader (Eagly & Carli, 2003, p. 818); (b) Women are emotional, hence are unable to make objective decisions.Kirk Arnold however, one will see that the stereotypes are somewhat correct, but she was able to use it to her advantage. For example, her emotionality allowed Arnold to commend and appreciate her team explicitly, hence motivating them.

Layoff Protocol Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Layoff Protocol Assignment - Essay Example The layoff protocol is to be facilitated by the directors in close co-operation with the management team. It takes into account the current emotional and psychological distress being experienced in the organization and therefore requires that the implementation team adequately communicates the importance of this activity. The criteria of selection shall be pegged on four major benchmarks that will include the years of service, the nature of work, performance appraisal records among other factors like recommendation by head of departments according to fairness and the organizational policy. The management shall look into requests for volunteering workers who intend to leave for other reasons. Secondly, the committee shall proceed to look at the classification of employees on the stated factors as indicated above. The order of priority shall be given to technical employees, those who have served for longer years and are therefore not able to look for other places and highly performing employees as recognized by the human resource policy mechanisms. It is notable that the board arrived at this decision after considering other options and therefore it was the last option. The laid off workers shall also be given priority for redeployment should the current situation

Registered Nurses Essay -- Careers Jobs

Registered Nurse (RN) â€Å"Registered nurses treat patients and help prevent disease, educate patients and the public about various medical conditions and health issues, and provide advice and emotional support to patients’ family members both physically and mentally.†(Registered). It is important for the individual going into this occupation to search out the pros and cons of the different areas of nursing. Sometimes gender plays a part in choosing the specific area of an RN. For instance, the strength of males is needed in areas of physical therapy. While the gentle attributes of women are needed in the care of babies. â€Å"A nurse must like people and want to help them, and must also have self-reliance and good judgment, patience, honesty, responsibility, and ability to work easily with others.†(Jacobi). The occupation of a registered nurse includes many advantages such as having the ability to assist your family in medical needs, the salary is attractive and above the average s cale, and it offers great job security. The first advantage of being a registered nurse is you have the great ability to assist your family in medical needs. Whatever happens to a family member, you’ll know what to do right away in just about any case. There could be a possibility where somebody could have a chance of dieing right away, you would have that ability to save their life. RNs are very knowledgeable and have a good education on how to live a healthy life that they could share with their family and have a good, healthy lifestyle. Registered nurses know the types of foods to eat that are essential to your body that could help expand your life and live longer. In this fast paste world that we live in where fast foods are in abundant and are cert... ...r occupations where one can dress stylist and dine at fine restaurants and climb the corporate ladder, there could not be a more honorable and satisfying career that a person could give to their community and their society. Works Cited â€Å"Become a Registered Nurse (RN).† AllNursing Schools-Your Guide to Nursing Education and Careers. 2002-2008. All Star Directories. 12 Feb 2008 http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/be_m.php. Jacobi, Eileen. â€Å"Nursing.† The World Book Encyclopedia. 14 ed. 1978. â€Å"Registered Nurse (RN) and Nursing Careers, Jobs, and Employment Information.† Career Overview. 2004. Career Overview. 12 Feb 2008 http://www.careeroverview.com/nurse-careers.html. â€Å"REGISTERED NURSES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS.† Labor Market Information. 2002. Employment Development Department. 12 Feb 2008 http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov./file/occguide/NURSEREG. HTM.

Machiavelli: Hero or Villain? Essay

Writing one of the most acclaimed books of all time must not have been easy; not one bit. Stating that, the fact that Frederick Douglas, among many others, is capable of criticizing Machiavelli and his genius work on The Prince, really infuriates me. Unconsciously, Niccolo Machiavelli became one of the first and most important philosophical leaders of all time after writing The Prince. Although The Prince is considered one of the greatest pieces of political theory in history, it is not always looked upon favorably, and a clear example of this comes from Frederick the Great. In 1739, Frederick the Great wrote a severe critique of The Prince entitled Refutation of The Prince of Machiavelli in which he expressed that he thought â€Å"Machiavelli corrupted politics, and in doing so hoped to destroy the very percepts of sound morality†. This is an idea with which I don’t particularly side with. In his critique of The Prince, Frederick the Great talks about how this book is one of the most dangerous pieces of literature that has ever been released to the world. He describes how if this book were to fall into the hands of young, naive princes whose judgment hasn’t fully developed, their perspectives would be corrupted. Honestly, Frederick has this all wrong. The Prince is meant to be looked at as a type of â€Å"handbook† or â€Å"guide† which Machiavelli created in order for the current prince to have a successful career as commander in chief. He is hoping to help and facilitate the journey the person who is the acting prince, which in that case was de Medici. It is clear that Frederick the Great thought that Machiavelli’s intentions in writing the story were to corrupt the mind of young princes, but the wise words on the guide had only one unique function; to ease the roll of the b eing a prince. This is why Frederick is certainly â€Å"wide of the mark† concerning his opinions. In the midst of Frederick’s severe evaluation of The Prince, he mentions a quote made by Machiavelli which appears in the book. The citation went as following, â€Å"Since all men are villainous and will not keep their word with you, there is no obligation for you to keep faith with them.† Frederick the Great then goes on to critiquing Machiavelli by saying that he is implying that the prince should act without mercy and be a cruel ruler of his people. He then goes on to complain about how Machiavelli is of evil influence and that he is out to corrupt politics and in doing so â€Å"hoped to destroy the very percepts of sound morality†. Honestly, this quote mad by Niccolo is one which needs to be looked at figuratively. Machiavelli is trying to convince the prince to become a powerful, significant figure with his people, who doesn’t let himself get pushed over. He’s is implying that the prince be one who is firm in his decisions and but is also feared by his people. He explains why this should be; reasoning that being feared is the equivalent of being respected. Machiavelli strongly recommended a leader with no remorse meaning the certain respect from the people he ruled over. Near the end of the critique, Frederick the Great points out how Machiavelli thought that the, â€Å"people would be more impressed by the show of devotion, than revolted by the bad treatment they have received from the prince†. There is no room for doubt concerning this matter. Machiavelli is very clear concerning his perspective. A prince who wishes to be respected and looked well upon must be a demanding one who shows his commitment and dedication to his duties. Frederick is completely wrong in believing that Machiavelli wishes the prince to treat his people incorrectly. All that Machiavelli is implying is that the prince must not be one who doesn’t show his presence as a leader. He must be demanding and at times harsh. This will make him seem as a leader who doesn’t care about his people, but in reality, he is just doing what is best for them. Machiavelli also previously stated that it is better for a prince to be feared than loved because of the amount of respect received when he is feared. This does not mean that the prince be a diabolical one, it means he must be devoted to all he sets mind to without caring for anything else but his people. All in all, the prince must not be a push over in the eyes of the public; and this is all that Machiavelli meant to say. Although The Prince is considered one of the greatest pieces of political theory in history, naturally, it is not always looked upon favorably. It is clear that not all will see eye to eye concerning this piece of literature, as is the case with Frederick the Great. This being said, this book is not a list of what princes actually do, moreover, it is a guide to help a man become a prince looked up to by the people he governs over. This is clearly what Machiavelli wanted to get through, and it is how Machiavelli and his work on The Prince should be remembered for many years to come.

Mares Tail and MacKerel Scales in Weather Folklore

Mackerel scales and mare’s tails make lofty ships carry low sails. If you have no idea what this means, you are not alone. Weather proverbs and folklore are being technologically ousted from our everyday vocabulary. In the past, people looked towards nature for clues to ever-changing weather patterns. The Meaning of the Weather Proverb In the past, people looked at the  weather and related it to something in their lives. For instance, cloud types are often described by their shapes in the sky. The mare’s tails are wispy cirrus clouds while the mackerel scales are small clumpy altocumulus clouds resembling fish scales in the sky. In the days of large sailing ships, this meant a storm would be approaching soon and the sails should be lowered to protect from the accompanying high winds. How Has Technology Changed Weather Folklore? Today, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has the Dial-A-Buoy program. Part of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) the program is designed to give sailors advanced meteorological and oceanographic data. A sailor can literally call for data from a series of buoys all around the world. Dial-A-Buoy will give anyone wind speed and direction, wave height, dew point, visibility, and temperature are updated hourly and available for analysis. With access by phone or the Internet, the relay center at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi generates a computer voice which will report the current information. With over a million hits a month and countless calls to the center, the NDBC is changing how we use weather information. Need to know the weather? Forget mackerel scales! Todays folklore is all about innovation. Are Mackerel Scales and Mares Tails Good Predictors of Approaching Storms? In short, yes. The cloud systems that develop prior to a storm will often appear clumpy and wispy like a fish scale or horsetail!

Why Does Money Have Value in Economics

While it may be true that money makes the world go around, it is not inherently valuable. Unless you enjoy looking at pictures of deceased national heroes, these colorfully imprinted pieces of paper have no more use than any other piece of paper. It is only when we agree as a country to assign a value to that paper—and other countries agree to recognize that value—that we can use it as currency. Gold and Silver Standards It didnt always work this way. In the past, money generally took the form of coins composed of precious metals such as gold and silver. The value of the coins was roughly based on the value of the metals they contained because you could always melt the coins down and use the metal for other purposes. Until a few decades ago, the value of paper money in many countries, including the United States, was based on a gold or silver standard, or some combination of the two. The piece of paper money was simply a convenient way of holding that particular bit of gold or silver. Under the gold or silver standard, you could actually take your paper money to the bank and exchange it for an amount of gold or silver based on an exchange rate set by the government. Up until 1971, the United States operated under a gold standard, which since 1946 had been governed by the Bretton Woods system, which created fixed exchange rates that allowed governments to sell their gold to the United States treasury at the price of $35 per ounce. Believing that this system undermined the U.S. economy, President Richard M. Nixon took the country off the gold standard in 1971. Fiat Money Since Nixons ruling, the United States has operated on a system of fiat money, which means our currency is not tied to any other commodity. The word fiat originates in the Latin, the imperative of the verb facere,  to make or become.  Fiat money is money whose value is not inherent but called into being by a human system. So these pieces of paper in your pocket are just that: pieces of paper.   Why We Believe Paper Money Has Value So why does a five-dollar bill have value and some other pieces of paper do not? It’s simple: Money is a both a good and a method of exchange. As a good, it has a limited supply, and therefore there is a demand for it. There is a demand because people can use the money to purchase the goods and services they need and want. Goods and services are what ultimately matter in the economy, and money is a way that allows people to acquire the goods and services that they need or want. They earn this method of exchange by going to work, which is a contractual exchange of one set of goods—labor, intellect, etc.—for another. People work to acquire money in the present to purchase goods and services in the future. Our system of money operates on a mutual set of beliefs; as long as enough of us believe in the value of money, for now, and in the future,  the system will work. In the United States, that faith is engendered and supported by the federal government, which explains why the phrase backed by the full faith and credit of the government means what it says and no more: the money may have no intrinsic value, but you can trust using it because of its federal backing. Furthermore, it is unlikely that money will be replaced in the near future because the inefficiencies of a purely barter  system, in which goods and services are exchanged for other goods and services, are well known. If one currency is to be replaced by another, there will be a period in which you can switch your old currency for new currency. This is what happened in Europe when countries switched over to the Euro. So our currencies are not going to disappear entirely, although at some future time you may be trading in the money you have now for some form of money that supersedes it.   The Future Value of Money Some economists dont trust our system of fiat currency and believe we cannot continue to declare that it has value. If the vast majority of us come to believe that our money wont be nearly as valuable in the future as it is today, then our currency becomes inflated.  Inflation  of the currency, if it becomes excessive, causes people to want to get rid of their money as quickly as possible. Inflation, and the rational way citizens react to it is bad for the economy. People will not sign profitable deals that involve future payments because they’ll be unsure what the value of money will be when they get paid. Business activity sharply declines because of this. Inflation causes all sorts of other inefficiencies, from a cafà © changing its prices every few minutes to a homemaker taking a wheelbarrow full of money to the bakery in order to buy a loaf of bread. The belief in money and the steady value of the currency are not innocuous things. If citizens lose faith in the money supply and believe that money will be worthless in the future, economic activity can grind to a halt. This is one of the main reasons the U.S. Federal Reserve acts diligently to keep inflation within bounds—a little is actually good, but too much can be disastrous. Supply and Demand Money is essentially a good, so as such is ruled by the axioms of supply and demand. The value of any good is determined by its supply and demand and the supply and demand for other goods in the economy. A price for any good is the amount of money it takes to get that good. Inflation occurs when the price of goods increases—in other words when money becomes less valuable relative to those other goods. This can occur when: The supply of money goes up.The supply of other goods goes down.Demand for money  goes down.Demand for other goods goes up. The key cause of inflation increases in the supply of money. Inflation can occur for other reasons. If a natural disaster destroyed stores but left banks intact, we’d expect to see an immediate rise in prices, as goods are now scarce relative to money. These kinds of situations are rare. For the most part,  inflation  is caused when the money supply rises faster than the supply of other goods and services. To summarize, money has value because people believe that they will be able to exchange this  money for goods and services in the future. This belief will persist so long as people do not fear future inflation or the failure of the issuing agency and its government.