Managing capability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing capability - Essay Example "I learn to be a manager from experience". (Mumford, 177) Then, why is it so complicated to manage people all times whether it is 1990 or 2010? The reason is there is not only one way to manage people but a multitude of ways. Everybody is different; he/she acts and reacts differently to the same situation. There are a lot of variables which intervene like character, knowledge, past experience, etc. Management capabilities area, in business management, is quite complex. People, who take part to this process, have their own strengths and weaknesses. They have their own point of view about what management is their own capability to transfer their knowledge. In addition to it, the working context gets changes. It appears some changes in the employment patterns, in the structure of the organization and in the economical and managerial context. Prospective and Modern Trends in Capabilities Management The environment of the work very much influences the form and the efficiency of the manage ment which is applied. Indeed, there were a lot of changes in the way of managing people, because the structure of the company has changed (restructuring, re-engineering, downsizing...), the market has changed as well (globalization, decentralization, and deregulation), the culture has changed (feminization; psychological contract). The manager has to internalize all these variables to be able to produce a greater managerial work, adapted to his/her audience. The achievement of the objectives depends, to a great extent, on the way the management is applied. Thus, we can propose a definition of management in Naylor’s words that management is the course of gaining organizational targets, within a varying environment, by harmonizing efficiency, effectiveness and equity, acquiring the most from restricted resources, and working with and through other people" (Naylor, 6). Managing Capabilities and its Impact of Organizational Development Management is the practice of attaining org anizational objectives, within a shifting atmosphere, by balancing competence, efficiency and fairness, achieving the most from limited resources, and functioning with and through a successful team comprising other people (Naylor, 6). The enhanced intricacy of the working atmosphere and the improved requirement for better productivity transpire the significance of the individual development and learning phases. In addition, Pickett (1998) affirms that in today set ups, managers, must recognize the core competencies of their organization. This act will guarantee the ample and suitable corresponding between the organizational and the personal or managerial competencies. (Pickett, 111) Khandwalla (2004) research results summarize management capability which has been extremely oriented in successful managers in various organizations throughout the world. The core competencies appear to be goodwill promoting" (p.12). Trustworthiness has a great effect on the capability to earn esteem whi ch eventually helps to activate insufficient resources in tough situations. Planning aptitude and time management capabilities have revealed appositive impact for taking individual responsibilities. In managing capability in corporate sector, team building traits are an essential source for helpful, effectual and relaxed environment. Some schools have different approaches to

British Petroleum Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

British Petroleum - Case Study Example Colonialism, however, eventually collapsed but BP did not (Heiss, 1997). Indeed, not only did BP survive the collapse of colonialism but it expanded its global operations, effectively maintained its status as one of the world's top oil and gas multinationals. In recent years, however, BP's status was threatened by industrial accidents which, consequent to their detrimental environmental effects, turned public opinion against the company. Survival, evidenced in the fact that it did re-bounce, was predicated on the successful revamping of BP's image. With the dawn of the new millennium, British Petroleum's problems reached the point of crisis. Its environmental and human rights records were placed in the spotlight and subjected to public scrutiny, with the outcome being that in both 2001 and 2006, BP was named as one of the world's worst corporations (Cameron, 2006). Allegations, the majority of which were substantiated and incontrovertibly factual, encompassed of BP's poor environmental record, its abuse of its own employees, its support of totalitarian governments for its own financial gain and the exploitation of the public's dependency on oil and gas for the expansion of its profit margins. Accusations pertaining to abuse of its labour force focus on the Tex... gh price in 2005 when a large column overfilled with gas, leading to the formation of a vapour cloud and, eventually, an explosion which killed 15 employees, injured several others and destroyed a significant percentage of the plant itself. More independent and internal investigations placed the blame squarely on BP, focusing on mismanagement and lack of regard for worker and environmental safety as evidence in its failure to maintain the plant and implement the minimum required safety standards (Cameron, 2006). Prior to recovering from the Texas City Refinery Disaster, BP confronted an environmental disaster in Prudhoe bay, Alaska, fording the closure of its pipelines there. In 2006, corrosion in its pipeline led to the spilling of 5,000 barrels of oil into the environment (Cameron, 2006). At this point, part of, but not all of the pipeline was closed. In 2007, a second disaster forced the closure of much of the remaining operational sections of the pipeline. Again, the cause was cited as BP's failure to adequately invest in safety and maintenance. It is interesting to note that in 2006 BP admitted to the fact that it had contributed to the degradation of the Alaskan natural environment through seepages which totaled approximately 27,000 barrels of oil (BP,' n.d.). The fallout of BP's seemingly callous attitude towards worker safety and the environment, were only exacerbated by its support of totalitarian and abusive governments for the purpose of maintaining corporate profits. In 2006, BP lost a lawsuit launched against it by Columbian farmers who accused the company of supporting an openly abusive regime for the purpose of maintaining its pipeline operations in the country. A similar accusation was made by the West Papua population which accused BP of

Technology--the solution to prevent terrorism in the US food system Coursework

Technology--the solution to prevent terrorism in the US food system - Coursework Example Thermal Imaging is a non-contact, non-invasive kind of technique to detect food contaminations or modifications. It converts the invisible radiation emitted by a body or object into temperature data. This helps detect a specific kind of contamination in the food. Thermal Imaging can best be used for detecting foreign bodies and pathogenic objects in food material. This paper will also examine the recent technological advances in global food security that include Duponts BAX detection system and RiboPrinter system as these technologies can help in meeting the challenges posed by possible food terrorism in nation’s food delivery system. DuPonts RiboPrinter system is also not only user friendly but detect the biological contamination with accuracy because it analyses genetic information for identifying the specific strain. The paper concludes with recommendations based on current objectives to thwart risks posed by terrorists in food systems so that major losses and damages can be averted. In the world of globalization, food outsourcing and food movement is a common phenomenon depending upon its cost economics and supply abundance. However, at the same time, this raises the risk of food terrorism by introducing harmful pathogens or chemicals. Terrorist groups or individuals are inventing newer and newer ways and means, without limiting themselves to any specific geographical region, to achieve their ulterior motives. What happened on 9/11 was not anticipated by the US government and people in their dreams. Taking heed from the ominous incident of 9/11, it is prudent to assume that terrorists can go to any extent to spread terrorism by getting access to food supply and incorporating biological or chemical agents and jeopardize the existence of large populations. In the new millennia, food supply has been recognized as a major risk area of mass destruction – much bigger in proportion than what has

'Regional inequalities in income and opportunity are developing in Essay

'Regional inequalities in income and opportunity are developing in such a way that the gap emerging between rich and poor regions could threaten Russia's integr - Essay Example Regional inequalities in income and opportunity refer to inequalities that make the gap between the rich and poor that could threaten Russia’s integrity. For the inequality to make to threaten Russia’s integrity, it must be defined as that will merit political or social action on the part of the Russian government. To undertand that extent of this inequality, there must be a way of measuring the same. A way to do it is the Gini coefficient, which a measure of inequality of a distribution. Italian statistician Corrado Gini developed this Gini coefficient and published the same in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability". The term is a ratio with values between 0 and 1: where the numerator is the area between the Lorenz curve of the distribution and the uniform (perfect) distribution line and the denominator is the area under the uniform distribution line. The Gini index then is the Gini coefficient that is converted as a percentage, by multiplying it by 100. The Gini coefficient is used to measure income inequality, where 0 corresponds to perfect income equality and 1 corresponds to perfect income inequality (Wikipedia, 2007) (Paraphrasing made). The coefficient could be used to measure both inequality of income and opportunity. Inequality in income could be easily understood to refer to per capita income but inequality of opportunity must be defined clearly. Mitra, P. and Yemtsov, R. (2006) distinguished equality of opportunity and equality of outcomes as follows: â€Å"The World Development Report (2006) makes a persuasive case for policies that promote equality of opportunity, defined as opportunities to pursue a life of an individual’s choosing and be spared from extreme deprivation in outcomes. However, it cites the examples of decollectivization of agriculture in China in the late 1970s and wage decompression in Central and Eastern Europe following the onset of transition in those countries as cases

Choose a specific commodity, idea, or institution and evaluate its Essay

Choose a specific commodity, idea, or institution and evaluate its impact on history at any point prior to 1815 - Essay Example It gives brief information about the impact of gunpowder on history and also explains how it created gunpowder empires. This paper also focuses on the most famous Gunpowder Empires in the early modern period. The creation of gunpowder empires was considered to be a giant leap for Islamic countries towards stabilizing the politics and identifying themselves as territories. All these empires impacted politics and cultures of various parts of the world. Invention of Fireworks, which is led by Gunpowder in the 9th century by Chinese Alchemists as an elixir of immortality has largely impacted the entire world (Sivin, Nathan, 1994). Initially gunpowder was used in fireworks and pill-making process in the 9th century. When the formulae of gunpowder came to the strategists, they made it as a substance, which was explosive in nature. According to the Chinese formulae in the 10th and 11th centuries, Gunpowder was made with 27 to 50 percent of nitrate. But as time passed, the nitrate levels in Gunpowder was increased to large extent so that it could become an explosive bomb such as grenade bomb. When you read the book â€Å"Huolongjing† written by Jiao Yu, you can clearly understand that the nitrate levels in the 14th century were increased to 90 percent (Needham, Joseph, 1986) Most of the Islamic countries were also impacted due to the Gunpowder. By the mid of the 12th century most of the Arab scientists also acquired the knowledge on gunpowder. During the wars against Transoxania in 1219 and 1240, Genghis Khan used a Chinese catapult unit to invade Caucasus. It is not a surprise to say that the invention or introduction of Gunpowder had changed the destiny of many wars in the world (Khan, Iqtidar Alam, 1994). With the introduction of Gunpowder to Medieval Army, the facets of medieval warfare have been changed. The use of Gunpowder had been continued in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries in

Better speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Better speech - Essay Example Stating â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all’ (King 1), he argues that oppressed citizens have a moral obligation to break unfair laws. King believes that direct non-violent action will â€Å"dramatize the issue of non-violent action so that it can no longer be ignored† (2). The community, represented by their leaders, will thus have no option but to confront the issue through negotiation (king 2). This shows that though coming from a racial group that has been oppressed for hundreds of years; he has faith in the possibility of the white power structure to rise from â€Å"the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood†. Unlike king who portrays unshakeable faith in America’s ability to use dialogue in dealing with the unfairness brought about by segregation, Malcolm X, in â€Å"The Ballot or The Bullet†, conveys the image of a bold and outspoken man. His speech proposes a paradigm shift in the thinking of civil rights activists. He expounds the benefits of Black Nationalism to the audience and portrays â€Å"Uncle Sam† as unwilling to lift the black man from oppression. He points out â€Å"America’s conscience is bankrupt† (Malcolm 1). This statement is indicative of his disillusionment with the government. He believes that the white man’s aim is to keep him in a permanent state of subjugation. He makes it clear that if the blacks are not empowered through participation in elective democracy (the ballot); they will have no choice but to seek empowerment through violence (the bullet). He urges the audience to wake up to the fact that neither the courts nor a ny form of dialogue within America will help solve the problems of the black community. Malcolm X (1) notes, â€Å"The entire civil rights struggle needs a new interpretation†. He informs the audience that they should no longer look for

Google Search Essay Example for Free

Google Search Essay What are the company’s key resources and competitive capabilities? What competitive liabilities and resource weaknesses does it have? What opportunities exist? What threats to its continued success are present? The key resources and competitive capabilities of the search industry are due to the huge company’s success. For instance, Google gains the trust of users through reliable, accurate searches and a clear distinction of upfront advertisements in searches. Therefore, the online business user’s can do their work in minimum physical locations and lower fixed cost. These locations is fully utilized as they maximize the creativity and being in high-spirit for their working environment. The employees are hired selectively amongst some of the greatest minds in technology and related fields, and are given the tools, freedom, and encouragement to be innovative and fulfilled by their job. Several iconic features of Google remain unparalleled, including their extensive Google Earth and Google Maps capabilities, archetypal YouTube video streaming, and Google Search Appliances that allow other companies to feature Google search bars within their own sites. Being a leader in the search industries, Google is also has a few number of weaknesses. These could have serious implications on the future of their business as such the low revenue that is acquired from YouTube represents a lost opportunity for such a large online presence. Their grasp on the comprehensive social networking market is far behind those of their competitors. And while they remain an industry leader, their international reach in emerging markets such as China leave much to be desired and acquired. The rapid growth in search industries which revolving around technology and the Internet turns out of giving many opportunities to Google currently and in the near future. For example, the Internet and mobile advertising growth lead the way for increasing importance of Search Engine Optimization for marketers. More data on users becomes more readily available using data collected from searches and Chrome. Possibly the most important up-and-coming necessity for innovative companies such as Google is the  availability for users to have all of their information in one account through cloud computing. Being in such a competitive and fast moving environment will comes together with the threats to the firms. Companies who are leaders in their industry in avenues Google has attempted to take, such as Facebook for social networking, Microsoft Office for word processing, and Weather.com for detailed weather reports, make finding a stronghold in such ventures very difficult. Users who are already fully integrated are unlikely to switch, and may be hesitate to have their personal information in multiple locations. Cloud computing poses a serious threat to possible hacking and identity theft, since a single set of login information could allow access to a multitude of facets of personal information. The ethical concern in the minds of many consumers regarding the ability of companies to track user viewing habits hurts users’ trust in Google, and is characterized in the blocking habits of Explorer and Firefox. Without access to this information however, the full potential of selective online advertising cannot be reached. Google must also confront substitute services as they arise, so that their main competitive advantage in search specialization is not replicated. In addition, they must be aware of any intellectual property rights laws that may be passed in the near future so as not to impede onto the service they provide.