Personnel management-Part I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personnel management-Part I - Essay Example accordance with the changes that are continuously occurring in the business environment in order to maintain their competitiveness and ability to lead the market. The aim of this essay is to help the reader understand how to conduct training and development in an effective way. In order to yield the maximum out of the training and development program and making it effective and impactful, there are many roles a supervisor or trainer can play. These roles help the supervisor in encouraging the employees and inducing confidence and interest in them. (Reece et al, 2010). The most important role of a supervisor is that of a coach. A good coach identifies the trainee’s strengths and weaknesses in such a way that he would neither get over-confident (due to his strengths) nor too overwhelmed (due to his weaknesses). He helps the employee pin-point his skills and interests and improve accordingly. He would also suggest ways through which the employee could transform his weaknesses into his strengths, increase his productivity and prosper in his career at a faster pace creating a win-win situation for himself as well as the organization. A good trainer is also a good advisor. He keeps an eye on the employee’s shortcomings and advices accordingly without putting him down. He helps his subordinates in setting up realistic career goals that would help him as well as the organization in the long run. He would provide the employee with all the necessary information and instructions that are necessary for him to know, in order to perform his tasks more efficiently. A good supervisor evaluates his subordinates in an open and transparent manner. He is apt at giving frequent feedback but of constructive nature that is intended to boost the employee’s morale and help him develop. He restrains from useless criticism that might bring the employee’s morale down and imparts objectivity. He also plays the role of a motivator and boosts the workers’ self-confidence by

Computer Forensics Essay Example for Free

Computer Forensics Essay Computer forensics, also called digital forensics, network forensics, or cyberforensics, is a rapidly growing field that involves gathering and analyzing evidence from computers and networks. Because computers and the internet are the fastest growing technology used for criminal activity, the need for computer forensics specialists will increase in years to come. A computer forensics specialist examines computer media, programs, data, and log files on computers, servers, and networks. Many areas employ computer forensics specialists, including law enforcement, criminal prosecutors, military intelligence, insurance agencies, and information security departments in the private sector. A computer forensics specialist must have knowledge of the law, technical experience with many types of hardware and software products, superior communication skills, a willingness to learn and update skills, and a knack for problem solving. When a problem occurs, it is the responsibility of the computer forensics specialist to carefully take several steps to identify and retrieve possible evidence that may exist on a suspect’s computer. These steps include protecting the suspect’s computer, discovering all files, recovering deleted files, revealing hidden files, accessing protected or encrypted files, analyzing all the data, and providing expert consultation and/or testimony as required. A computer forensics specialist must have knowledge of all aspects of computers, from the operating system to computer architecture and hardware design. There are three main areas of law related to computer security that affect computer forensics and those come from the fourth and fifth amendment, the U. S. federal rules of evidence and hearsay and finally the three U. S. statutory laws. Computer forensic specialists must be very careful when doing any type of investigation and be sure to follow the laws, if the laws are broken in any way they can be charged with a felony. In conclusion to sum up what computer forensics is in a short it is simply the application of computer investigation and analysis techniques in the interests of determining potential legal evidence.

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler

The Leadership Processes Of Daimler Chrysler Since its establishment in 1924, Chrysler has been the leading automobile company manufacturing various motor vehicles such as the Chrysler Six; which was the one of the first modern cars to be built. Chrysler Six was claimed to be the first car scoring several firsts, for instance, oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four wheeled hydraulic brakes and other such tech parts. Chrysler took over its competitor, American Motors Corporations in 1987. This was one of its initial mergers and acquisitions that placed Chrysler on the third position of United States auto manufacturers. On the 12th of January 1998, Chrysler Corporation merged with the German company, Daimler. In the period leading up to the merger, both companies were experiencing high profit growths. Daimler admired Chryslers entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking while Chrysler respected the methodological engineering and technical capabilities of Daimler. The two companies were interested in a merger as it would complement their capabilities and resources which would produce greater profits. The merger was touted as a corporate merger of equals and held high expectations among all stakeholders of the organizations (Darling, Seristo, Gabrielsson, 2005). Soon after the merger, both subgroups experienced various conflicts due to different national and corporate cultures, business practices, management and leadership styles and inefficient communication networks. Negotiations between senior leaders frizzled and led to the lay-off of then Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton. Due to the lack of management support, communication and the eventual domination of Daimlers culture over Chryslers, key executives who had been credited with Chryslers success in the 1990s left the organization. This resulted in a management brain drain which evolved into a crisis situation for DaimlerChrysler. Subsequently, an organizational restructuring, production cutbacks and cost cutting measures were announced. However, it was unable to resolve the crisis and thus faced huge losses which eventually resulted in a merger failure. Chrysler dropped from its third position in the United States automobiles chart when it went through a merger with Daimler-Benz. Although it was a merger of equals, it was soon overridden by Daimler-Benz due to Globalization, Classical Approaches, Systems Approaches, Management Styles, Leadership Processes as well as Culture. Soon it was realised that Daimler and Chrysler could not function successfully, and thus in 2009 DaimlerChrysler filed for bankruptcy which left a mark on the history of United States automobiles. The main focus of our report will centre on Chrysler, throughout the period before and during its merger with Daimler, and how internal and external factors affected its operations. GLOBALIZATION When Chrysler first started out, it scored several firsts in the industry such as an oil filter, air cleaner, high compression engine, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, and other advanced Chrysler parts. As the company progressed on, it went through several disturbances in its environment continuing into its merger with Daimler. Globalization started taking its toll on Chrysler.Globalization, according to Miller, K. (2009), is the improvement of transportation and telecommunications system making our world, both on a personal and organizational level ever more connected, efficient and interconnected towards a more global economy (p. 2). Chrysler embarked on its journey of manufacturing efficient automobiles through various improvements such as significantly expanding the electronics and computer content on vehicles, with applications ranging from power train controls for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, to enhanced safety systems and chassis controls and to on-board communication systems. Moving on in the years, Chrysler developed vehicles using outdated and expensive structures even as its sales and resources shrinked. Since Chryslers business was heavily weighted to North America, this made the organisation more vulnerable to local economic fluctuations and less able to take advantage of developing markets, as stated by the New York Times. Climate change also made an impact on Chrysler. As Stephen J. G. said, The decision to drive cars long distances to work was common among people in North America and Europe in the past 60 years. Cities grew larger. The development of suburbs often placed homes far from work places; massive road construction encouraged extravagant car useà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Driving a car is the most air polluting act an average citizen commits. Chrysler produced auto vehicles that were manufactured without any consideration to its environment. Stephen J. G. (2008), said that Chrysler faced criticisms for their larger vehicles as they were exploiting the innate human tendency to seek domination over othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Bigger is better. However, in 2009, due to climate change, Chrysler changed their tactics, targeting buyers with their higher fuel efficiency and smaller automobiles. Soon after, Chrysler came up with a Hybrid car which boasted fuel efficiency. Chrysler is further expanding on this idea by following it through till 2011 by making new models of the car but using the same technology, for instance, the electric vehicle Dodge Ev. We can view Chrysler in two different views, namely the Utopian view and the Dystopian view. For the Utopian view, we know that Chrysler will continue to change along with globalization and expand its horizons further than North America. It can also adapt with other cultures and societies by learning from its past and bringing it forward to use it in its future. Despite several downfalls, Chrysler always manages to pick itself up and survive through mergers, with Daimler in 1998 and Fiat in 2009. In terms of the dystopian view, clearly, due to its several changes, Chrysler is losing its original organizational structure. Chrysler is maintaining its image by retaining the Chrysler logo for its automobiles despite merging with various other organizations. Nevertheless, even though Chrysler has worked hard to preserve its external image, it has undeniably lost its charm to potential buyers and its customer base. SYSTEMS APPROACHES During the period of cultural change in the 1990s, Chrysler made some improvements to its organizational system. It increased the involvement of people in its operations which improved the permeability of its operations with its suppliers and customers. Before the merger with Daimler, Chryslers management had allowed permeability in its operations in which there was a two way communication between Chrysler and its customers through feedback and information flows. Recognizing the importance of receiving information from customers for improving their focus on development, Chryslers system processes utilized positive, growth and deviation amplifying feedback. In which, customers were requested to provide feedback about their products. Through processing these inputs from customers and workers, Chrysler modified its products to achieve higher profits (Zatz, 1994). In addition, Chrysler improved its system properties namely, holism and negative entropy. The CEO, designers and assembly line workers held meetings together to create and gather information and ideas. This resulted in the creation of successful products by the company (Zatz, 1994). This shows the property of holism where the end product achieved was greater in value than what the employees could have created individually. Chrysler also practiced negative entropy as it valued customers feedback and provided information of its operations to the public. However, after the merger with Daimler, Chryslers existing organizational system processes and properties were replaced by the dominant Daimlers system. This resulted in organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs. The loss of Chryslers successful system resulted in high losses for DaimlerChrysler (Darling et al, 2005). The merger also brought about a high level of uncertainty among employees of Chrysler. According to Cervone, T (2009), communication was an area where DaimlerChrysler fell apart, because there were differences about what needed to be communicated and how to communicate. Daimlers style of communication was solely top-down management communication. However, Chrysler used a more in-depth and extensive communication network with its employees. Therefore as employees were unable to receive important information after the merger, equivocality was high among employees of Chrysler. This was due to the different enactments by employees which created multiple informational environments due to the limited information received in the communication networks. Karl Weicks Theory of Organizing states that reducing equivocality is central to the process of organizing in an organization. It also states that through the use of assembly rules and communication cycles, equivocality should be resolved. In the case of DaimlerChrysler, no effort was made to reduce equivocality and this eventually resulted in the departure of key executives of the organization, creating huge losses for the merger (Darling et al, 2005). The period of merger was a time of uncertainty, disorder and constant conflicts among employees of Daimler and Chrysler. There were various conflicts that stemmed from a vast difference in national and corporate cultures, conflicts on compensation as well as travel expenses. Failure to integrate or assimilate the organizational practices and cultures of both companies created disorder in the merger. Furthermore, the period after Chryslers CEO was fired by Daimler due to differences and the subsequent domination of Daimlers management, pulled Chryslers employees further into disorder (Darling et al, 2005). The New Science Systems Theory states that when systems are at the edge of chaos, order can emerge from disorder. It emphasizes the importance of relationships and being open to information to create new and innovative organizational processes. The high level of disorder present in the merger could have been advantageously used by the management of DaimlerChrysler to create a sustainable and innovative new system. However, as there were problems in the management itself and a lack of information flow and disharmony among employees in the organization, this opportunity was lost to DaimlerChrysler. CLASSICAL APPROACHES As with most German companies, Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality. There was a high emphasis placed on the respect that junior workers had to show those higher up in the hierarchy, and it was expected of workers to take extreme care not to make mistakes when names and titles were concerned. Chrysler, being an American company, was practically the complete opposite of this. There was very little emphasis placed on hierarchies within the company, and the management encouraged a very comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Many a time, mid-level executives could make decisions without fear of negative repercussions from higher-ups. In fact, it was this spontaneity and risk-taking attitude that Chryslers success was partially attributed to. (Vance Paik, 2006.) Upon the merger of the two companies, the actions of Daimler-side co-chairman Schrempp made it clear that despite touting the merge as a marriage of equals, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The Chrysler executives were used to ensuring that their opinions were heard by the rest of the board, no matter what their level was in the corporate hierarchy. This style of communication was unheard of in German companies, and Schrempp felt so threatened by this openness that he removed them from the company to preserve his position and power. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) Schrempp also axed some individuals from the post-merger management board, and a large majority of those fired hailed from the Chrysler division. Communications-wise, we can see that Daimler favored a top-down, formal style of communication within the company as seen from their strict hierarchy and style of decision-making. Chrysler, on the other hand, preferred to encourage an open floor of discussion, allowing as many employees as possible to participate and took their input into consideration. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was that of being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. (Vance Paik, 2006.) In Daimler-Benz, all decisions were made by a board of management executives in the main headquarters in Germany. Those in the lower levels of management had no power in making decisions, as everything would first have to be put past those at the very top of the corporate hierarchy. This cost the company their stability in the time period immediately after the merger, where many problems had the tendency to occur. Despite Chryslers executives being those who were used to making decisions on their own, without having to go through higher levels of authority, they were unable to make any quick decisions which might have saved the company due to Daimlers insistence on forcing them to adopt German style of decision making, which was an arduous, intricate process, and thus took a very long time. Although Frederick Taylors theory of Scientific Management offers that there is only one best way to accomplish any task, the case of DaimlerChryslers failed merger shows that this is not necessarily so there are situations which call for spontaneous, quick thinking as well. (Badrtalei Bates, 2007.) The reason for Chryslers apparent assimilation into Daimler, as opposed to there being a stabilized platform of equals between the two, was made clear by the remark passed by Schrempp in an interview conducted in October 2000. In it, it was insinuated that the German co-chairman had intended for it to be an acquisition of Chrysler instead of a merger of equals from the very beginning. This was ironically the exact same view that Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton had rejected so vehemently. It is then easy to see exactly why such a large majority of the Chrysler executives (about two thirds) had been either fired or left the company and replaced by managers from the Daimler corporate grid (Darling et al., 2005). DaimlerChryslers Hierarchy MANAGEMENT STYLE Despite many labelling the merger of DaimlerChrysler as the deal of the century (Keegan, 2005) where the merger of equals would bring out the best of both organisations, DaimlerChrysler went under major crisis after their merger. According to Darling, Seristo and Gabrielsson (2005), crisis is defined to be situations that interrupt an organisations usual activity and process (pp. 346-347). Crisis occurred within the newly merged company due to a few reasons; Firstly, the merger of Daimler and Chrysler resulted in irreconcilable differences in its managerial and leaderships styles. Managerial-leadership, or the lack of it, makes or breaks an organisation in times of crisis. According to Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid, Chryslers management belonged to the Country club style of management, where organisational leaders exhibited a high concern for its people as compared to the low concern for production. Chrysler, being an American based company, had its managers concentrating efforts on the establishment of a pleasant workplace with friendly and comfortable human relations. On the other hand, Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management. As quoted from Daimlers Chairman Dieter Zetsche, Daimler systematically train [their] employees so that every one of them clearly understands that compliance is not optional its an integral element of [their] corporate culture (2009), which is characterised as high concern for production and low concern for people. The organisations main objective would be to ensure that its managers focus on arrangements of components in the workplace to maximize efficiency and attain goals. Hence, unlike the American based Chrysler, German Daimler management had little concern for human needs. According to Darling et al. (2005), The DaimlerChrysler merger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was not an ordinary merger. This merger had embedded within it the existence of two very strong yet different organizational cultures that were expected to become integrated to facilitate achievement of the goals and objectives of the merged cross-cultural global enterprise. Failure to successfully integrate the two cultures gave rise to a crisis that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ threaten[ed] the existence of DaimlerChrysler. As there was no clear distinction of a culture after the merger, employees from both companies encountered various intergroup conflicts. These conflicts escalated during the interactions of these now interdependent sub bodies of an organisation that lived in mistrust and continued to perceive opposition of goals, aims, and values, each perceiving the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals. Both companies failed to drop their existing organizational culture and find a shared direction or vision. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust between the two subgroups, as could be seen from how Daimler and Chrysler both openly showed their conflict. They failed to reach a compromise, much less a collaboration to solve the differences to resolve the conflict. Many later commented that the DaimlerChrysler merger was nothing more than an outright acquisition of Chrysler by the German automaker (Keegan, 2005). American President of Chrysler group Jim Holden, together with the management, was eventually replaced by Zetsche and the German management from Daimler, who tries to instil the German practice on the American organisation, hence causing the organisational culture of Chrysler to be dominated by the Daimler management. As the merged organisation fought to survive in the highly competitive manufacturing sector, they adopted the Likerts System I due to the Blake and Moutons Authority-Compliance leadership style, the exploitative authoritative organisation, which is characterised by motivation through downward communication, top-level decision making, the giving of orders, and top level control. Although the strict hierarchical regime might have worked with the German Daimler, it only served as a harsh culture shock to American based Chrysler. Chrysler and Daimler succeeded on their own because of their unique features. Merging without collaboration simply meant that their uniqueness had to be sacrificed, hence causing them to lose their edge in the market. LEADERSHIP PROCESSES After the merger of DaimlerChrysler both subgroups experienced a high level of change. Many problems surfaced during the organizational change process. Firstly there was a lack of management support by Daimler and Chryslers management. According to Darling et al. (2005), Chryslers CEO, Robert Eaton who was in charge of the integration of the two companies, lacked the leadership skills or political savvy needed to help the new entity develop a unique culture that represented the best of both worlds. Secondly there was inconsistent action on the part of the management on both sides. Daimler-Benz and Chrysler both had extremely different styles of management and corporate culture. As a result, both companies experienced clashes in operational practices during and after the merger, which quickly escalated in intensity and frequency to the point where the merged company found itself entering a state of crisis (Darling et al, 2005). The leaders of DaimlerChrysler were thus unable to form a clear management vision to be shared with others in the organization. Ownership tension, characterized in this case by these two issues, hampered the successful implementation change efforts and subsequently resulted in a failed merger. In addition, communication between the two subgroups was poor. Daimler practiced an autocratic top down communication style, while Chrysler used an in depth and extensive communication style (Cervone, 2010). As the cultures and communication networks of the two subgroups were not assimilated, there was no clear communication network to both subgroups. Also there were differences about what needed to be communicated. This resulted in uncertainty and anxiety among all organizational members. Despite the multitude of problems experienced by DaimlerChrysler, during the change process, there was no clear effort by the leaders to successfully implement the change process by providing effective management support and reducing uncertainty for organizational members. These problems escalated and subsequently became one of the main factors that caused the merger failure. CULTURE In the early 1990s, Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Its relationships with its customers and various stakeholders deteriorated. These problems adversely affected the companys profits (Zatz, 1994). In order to boost its falling profits, Chrysler made efforts to create a strong organizational culture that increased individual and organizational performance to greater levels. Chrysler began by revamping its core assumption of innovation with a multitude of effective values. These values supported individual participation, growth and improvement in processes which resulted in an overall increase in organizational performance. They are also described as themes for excellent cultures by Peter and Waterman. The values Chrysler incorporated are; the involvement of people in which ideas were solicited from suppliers, customers wants and needs were collated via customer feedback, assembly line workers were included in the planning process and mechanics were consulted early in the process. The value of learning or the Hands-on, value driven theme in which members actively took part in the analysis of past mistakes and achievements in order to improve their overall processes was implemented. In addition the value of quality was created. Chrysler had in place a product quality improvement partnership program to improve quality by increasing teamwork. This is similar to the theme of Simultaneous loose-tight properties as employees exhibited a unity of purpose of achieving quality through diversity in the form of teamwork. The program was a success as it produced the 1966 Grand Cherokee and Chrysler PT cruiser which consistently appeared at the top of the quality charts (Zatz, 1994). These values were encouraged by top management and in time, supported by all employees. This form of synergy was represented in the organizations behaviours and artefacts. Chrysler adopted a participative decision making style, practised wide communication on all networks, implemented low power distance which resulted in a freewheeling open culture that was indifferent to positions or hierarchy. Chryslers Onion Model in the 1990s In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler. The merger was touted as the merger of equals. However, Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures during merger negotiations. This led to conflicting corporate cultures, unresolved problems and ultimately a failed merger (Darling et al, 2005). The German culture of Daimler-Benz was generally less individualistic then Americans. They were uncomfortable with anxiety and ambiguity, practised indirectness in communication and gave respect for title, age and background. While, Daimlers culture consisted of an autocratic leadership style, top- down management and limited involvement of employees. Daimler was characterized as being conservative, efficient and safe. This collided with Chryslers values and opposed its American values of a free-wheeling and open culture. They were characterized as being risk-taking and innovative. Therefore, misunderstandings soon occurred due to the differences in their communication styles, planning and decision-making processes and leadership styles (Darling et al, 2005). During the merger, there were long heated discussions between the CEOs of Daimler and Chrysler about the differences in their corporate cultures and behavioural traits. They recognized the differences but were unsure of how to assimilate the cultures. Finally, they decided that if the differences were far apart, they would pick a spot in the middle and they would merge (Cervone, 2010). By doing so, the CEOs failed to recognize that organizational cultures are often ambiguous. There are potentially multiple manifestations to a corporate culture which are diverse and dynamic. Thus, picking a spot in the middle of two different cultures will not create an effective culture for DaimlerChrysler. Also, organizational cultures are not unitary. It is impossible to characterize an organization as having a single culture as there are multitudes of subcultures existing in conflict or harmony with one another. As such, the CEOs decision to pick a culture that is midway between their cultures will not result in success. This would fail to recognize the subcultures within the organization that largely impacts its behaviours and decisions. In addition, organizational cultures are complicated. Integrating two independent companies with divergent cultures into one cohesive organization is a major undertaking (Zatz, 1994). Simply picking a culture will not create a sustainable culture for DaimlerChrysler. This objectifies culture by simplifying it and de-emphasizing the complex processes via which organizational culture is created and sustained. Culture is in actuality pervasive and it affects the everyday business of the firm (Weber, Camerer, 2003). Thus, more effort is needed to collaborate both cultures. The leaders should create joint basic assumptions and related values for the organization. This would create a shared meaning among all employees and subcultures which would in turn create similar behavioural traits. This level of synergy in cultures will result in success for DaimlerChrysler. Furthermore, organizational cultures are emergent. It is a product of constant interrelationships between organizational members in different contexts and settings. After the merger, cultural workshops were put in place to integrate both subgroups of the company. These workshops were not supported by both members and thus failed. Subsequently, no other efforts were made by the management to integrate the members. As no clear distinction of a culture was made, Daimlers culture grew to be more dominant and oppressing to employees of Chrysler. Employees became increasingly dissatisfied and there were constant cultural collisions in the interrelationships between Daimler and Chryslers employees. This led to the departure of key Chrysler executives who had led the company to success in its domestic and international markets for creativity, efficiency and profitability. As a result, the companies faced huge losses (Zatz, 1994). This situation could have been avoided by integrating employees of both corporations. By creating opportunities for employees to interact in settings such as orientation of members to the newly merged company, company events, department dinners or joint work teams, would have increased familiarity and created cohesive relationships between employees. Also, communication networks should be expanded and fully utilized to disseminate information during the merger in order to reduce uncertainty and increase support of the merger. These methods would have allowed a cohesive culture among members of both companies to emerge over time. CONCLUSION Why was Chrysler a success? Chrysler initially pioneered several automobile parts, making it more accepted in the automobile market. After being criticised for not being environmentally friendly, Chrysler replied to the criticisms by introducing a new line of automobiles such as Hybrid cars and electric cars in the Dodge EV series and brought the brand back into demand. Why was DaimlerChrysler a failure? The merger of Daimler and Chrysler did not thrive as many people had predicted. It would have became the collaboration of the century if only they had managed to solve the problems that occurred within the newly formed DaimlerChrysler. The issues they faced were: There were problems with the organizational system processes of the newly merged organization. Chrysler, on its own, constantly strived to improve its system properties, for instance, holism and negative entropy. However after it was merged with Daimler, they went under organizational restructuring, production cutbacks, cost cutting measures and numerous worker layoffs resulting in a high level of uncertainty among employees due to limited information received in communication network. Daimler embodied the concept of absolute formality, while Chrysler placed very little emphasis on hierarchies within the company. Furthermore, Daimler was still fighting to retain dominance in the newly merged DaimlerChrysler. The main mistake committed by the DaimlerChryslers managerial board was them being far too rigid when it came to the issue of communications within the company. The lack of a suitable managerial-leadership also caused a crisis. Daimler exercised the authority compliance style of management over Chryslers style of management of the Country club. The merger was thus marked by deep distrust when they failed to even reach a compromise to resolve their conflict. Chrysler experienced several problems that stemmed from a lack of a strong culture in the organization. Chrysler was historically known for its innovation but along the years, lost its core value by producing outdated products. Daimler and Chrysler failed to consider the vast differences in their national cultures and assimilate them during merger negotiations, thus causing DaimlerChrysler to lose its edge in the market, which ultimately led to a failed merger. What they should have done to solve the problems? During the negotiations prior to the merger, leaders of Daimler and Chrysler should have identified the vast differences in the national and corporate cultures of both companies. As both of the companies merged to complement their capabilities and resources, the domination and oppression of Daimlers culture over Chrysler adversely affected the merger. Chrysler experienced a loss of culture and an erosion of its successful values which reduced its overall capability. Therefore, the leaders of DaimlerChrysler should have exhibited cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence to facilitate the growth of a cohesive culture. Through the collaboration of shared meanings and values, DaimlerChrysler would have created a successful merger. What happened to Chrysler in the end? Chryslers sales tumbled 30 percent in 2008 and it ended the year with only $2 billion in cash and reliant on a government bailout to keep it afloat. After which Fiat took an interest in Chrysler after thorough research of whether it will have minimal downside and be profitable. As JP Morgans analyst Himanshu Patel said, the merger for both Fiat and Chrysler could help the U.S. automaker secure another round of bailout funds. This is a strategic alliance, said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer with Solaris Asset Management in New York By Gilles Castonguay and Poornima Gupta We hope that Chrys

Evaluating the Communication Strategy adopted by Yahoo

Evaluating the Communication Strategy adopted by Yahoo Founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang, Yahoo! began as a hobby and has evolved into a leading global brand that changed the way people communicate with each other, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information. Today, Yahoo! Inc. attracts hundreds of millions of users every month through its innovative technology and engaging content and services, making it one of the most trafficked Internet destinations and a world class online media company. The majority of Yahoo! offerings are available in more than 30 languages. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a presence in more than 25 countries, provinces, and territories. Yahoo!s vision is to be the centre of peoples online lives by delivering personally relevant, meaningful Internet experiences (Yahoo, 2010) Yahoo! operates the web portal http://www.yahoo.com which provides content including the latest news, entertainment, and sports information. The portal also gives users access to other Yahoo! services like Yahoo! Mail which is the most popular product, Yahoo! Maps which provides the user with maps of cities and town , Yahoo! Finance enables user to have achieve to financial trade and stock market, Yahoo! Groups is a large collection of online discussion boards and Yahoo! Messenger which offer free communication . The majority of the product offerings are available globally in more than 20 languages. When any organisation is formed is main objective is to serve a certain purpose or need. Yahoo aims to be the center of peoples online lives. Customer is king and it is always important to provide a personal responsibility in order to maintain the customers loyalty and trust. Customer are always regards as the number one priority and keeping them satisfied is main goal always. Main body External And Internal Communication Corporate Communication is an essential aspect of an organisation and one that can determine the success of the organisation. It is the management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintain favourable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organisation is dependent on ( Joep Cornelissen 2008) http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680040405005.png Markwick and Fill model helps with explaining how an organisation presents itself to each stakeholders and how it enables to distinguish itself from all other organisation In every organisation employers are the one of the key assets that helps the business establish itself in the market. Yahoo! believes that Work and play join forces to revolutionize the web When Yahoo! Started it was a directory of websites. They pioneered a new profession for its employees called Web Surfer which involved categorizing sites of every stripe in which they have to decide what to include, where to arrange the information and how to describe things in a clear point of view. In embarking on the task of bringing order to so much information, Yahoo! established foundational principles which are as relevant today as they were when the Web was new: Be simple, clear, direct. Be useful, inclusive, and provide context, not judgment. Employers are not confined to their offices for hours. Yahoo! believes that Work and play join forces to revolutionize the web. Forbes magazine has named Yahoo one of the best companies to work for. Yahoo! believes humor is essential to success and it applauds irreverence and dont take ourselves too seriously. We celebrate achievement. The company fosters an environment of teamwork, offering video games and Foosball, and celebrating achievements and milestones with company parties. Environment Yahoo! has a strong commitment to corporate citizenship, and strives to conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner. Yahoo! is constantly trying to give back to the community in a lot of ways. It ranked number one environment corporate citizen in the Corporate Responsibility Officers 10 Best Media list in 2007 We use ingenuity and technology to reduce our dependence on natural resources such as energy, materials, and water. And each Yahoo! employee pitches in to help reduce waste. This teamwork makes decreasing the overall environmental impact almost as much fun as yodeling. We endeavor to use our global reach to promote the story of sustainability. As a result, we are increasing value to our customers and shareholders, providing an example to other companies, and contributing to a more sustainable  future. Yahoo believes in sharing the success with the communities it lives and works in and strive to do our very best for their employees, shareholders, customers and the  environment. Yahoo is committed to provide the best online user experience to all individual disable or non-disabled alike. In 2008 Yahoo! developed the accessibility lab which designers and engineers studied how disabled children and individuals soon computers and assess the internet Yahoo!s commitment to accessibility is not only socially responsible but also a reflection of our mainstream business practices. Yahoo! fundamentally respects its customers. Identity, Reputation and Image Every organisation has an image that gels with its reputation.By establishing an identity in a market a company is able to distinguish itself from other corporations in the market. Apart from being a leading global internet brand Yahoo!s When is come to identity Yahoo regards itself a corporate citizen it has associated itself with two charities which are Trans Tanz And Hope HIV. Tranz Tanz charity in Tanzania that aims to provide people living with HIV and AIDS with drug treatment and testing facilities in regional health centers without charge. But since many people cannot afford public transport .Trans Tanz provides free bus service transporting patients to and from the health centers and their homes. In 2010 on world aids day it plans to use motorbikes to deliver the drugs and test kits from the Health Centers to the patients home. Hope HIV supports people in sub Saharan Africa who have been affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS by providing education and emotional support to the victims. HopeHIV aims to make the victims future one of hope rather than despair. By being associated with such charities Yahoo! is able to project its image of itself as a caring and responsible corporate citizen contributing to the fight against one of the deadliest diseases around. This enables to boost Yahoo! brand recognition and royalty to its customers (Yahoo 2010) Culture http://www.designedforafrica.org/images/blog/hofstede.jpg Every organisation has a culture which generates the image of an organisation to the outside world. It determines how the corporation presents itself. Hofstede Framework for assessing culture helps us in identify Yahoos culture. One of factor for cultural assessment is Power Distance in Yahoo the level between the top level management and employees is low which means ideas and view are encouraged and accepted by the management to surfaces anywhere within the organisation. All employees are treated equally and are encouraged to communicate openly (Yahoo Code of Ethics) Individualism is hugely prevalent in all Yahoo ! companies since it an American establishment. With regard to the Masculine and femininity approach Yahoo! adopts both the styles.Yahoo is committed to being a leading global company and strives to do so with integrity. They execute the task flawless and dislike any shortcuts on the other hand Yahoo adopts a famine approach towards its relationship with its employees .Yahoo employers are regarded as valuable assets and the company takes good care of them by providing them with all of perks (dental medical insurance etc).When it comes to uncertain factors affecting the environment Yahoo is able to adapt to it. Yahoo always tries to anticipate the trends in the market and quickly embrace it. Role Of Human Resource Management Human Resouce Management is regarded as one of the most important functions in an organisation. It acts as a guideline for the organisation to add value to its business. One of the main roles of Human Resource management is to meet the needs of management, HRM is a strategic management tool that links people in an organisation towards the goals and objectives of the business. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0690170707001.png The Harvard analytical framework explains how the organisation operates in a business environment. Situational factors influence the organisations HR strategy choice. With reference to the work ethics of Yahoo! it conducts itself with integrity that upholds the values of the organisation. The style of management adopted is different from most business organisation they believe that humour is essential for success. The power distance between the top management and employers is low as Yahoo accepts view, ideas and opinions from anywhere within the organisation. By enabling employers to express themselves will lead to more dedication and commitment which in turn helps Yahoo to achieve their targets. Stakeholders interest is an essential aspect in an organisation. Yahoos management consist of high skilled and qualified people. To name a few one of them being Micheal J. Callahan who is the executive vice president of Yahoo! his role is to advise the companys management and board of directors on strategic and corporate matters. When it comes to Yahoos marketing strategy Elisa Steele is in charge Elisa handles the global marketing strategy as well as global communication and regional marketing. Yahoo! considers itself to be an equal opportunity employer and believes in treating it employers with courtesy and respect. With the wide number of employers working in Yahoo! coming from different backgrounds the organisation has zero tolerance towards unlawful workplace harassment and always strives to maintain an environment where all cultural backgrounds are embraced. The HRM policies of Yahoo! provide guidelines on how the organisation accepts its staff to conduct themselves and how communication between various departments should be carried out in a structured manner so that it is complaisant with the laws and regulations which are applicable to all their worldwide operations. David who works as the Chief Human Resouces Officer say I constantly listen to feedback from employees on how the HR processes can improve and do my best to address Yahoos concerns. Employers are encouraged to take up new challenges to learn more about the business and with that exposure they will be able to contribute immensely to the team and Yahoo! as a whole HR Outcomes The HR outcomes revolves around the commitment the employers have towards the organisation, The staff views and ideas are always considered by the management and discourage them to be spectator in the organisation this helps with developing an emotional bond between the employers and the organisation itself. Long Term Consequences It has been 15 years since Yahoo! established itself and during its time period it was been able to emerge as one of the top most successful companies in the world .With all the success it said gained Yahoo! has not forgotten the staff who have been with the organisation from the start and their efforts havent gone unnoticed . Conclusion In light of the above analysis undertaken by me for Yahoo! I feel that the communication strategy adopted by the firm is extremely efficient .Yahoo has adopted an excellent corporate strategy that enable the organisation to communicate corporate messages to all its stakeholders. Yahoo is one of the most successful media and communication enterprises in the internet industry. People from all over the world come to Yahoo to find information that matters to them the most and Yahoo never fails to deliver that to their customer. All the employers in yahoo are recognised and rewarded thereby sustaining their contribution towards the success of the company.With regard to corporate reputation Yahoo has consistently communicated and projected its corporate images towards the stakeholders as being authentic , unique and responsible with its association to a large number of charitable organisation and fight against AIDS.

Frankenstein: Who is the victim? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Frankenstein, the monster and Victor are both put through many depressing and hurtful situations. I think that the monster was the true victim. He was rejected by everyone he came across from the day he entered life. His creator was never there to teach him right from wrong or responsibility. And also, the monster's soon-to-be wife was killed before his eyes. These agonies are what make the monster more of a victim than Victor Frankenstein does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, the monster was abandoned by his creator Victor, the only man he's ever had a relationship with. He was made eight feet tall and very grotesque. At first sight, his creator rejects him. The monster tries to integrate himself into society, only to be shunned universally. When the creature goes to the village, he is attacked because of his horrifying appearance. He assists a group of poor peasants and saves a girl from drowning, but because of his outward looks, he is rewarded only with beatings and disgust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The monster is left to live his life with no help from his creator after being abandoned. While having the mind of a newborn, this is not easy for him. By not knowing right from wrong, he murdered Victor's loved ones in order to get attention. He never had anyone to teach him how to live life with dignity and respect. This is a major loss for a living being. The creator is at fault here because the monster does not know better. Victor should have taken responsibility by accepting, raising, and controlling the monster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Victor destroys his work on the female monster meant to ease the monster's solitude, the monster is overcome with suffering and sadness. These feelings affected his state of mind and caused him to do wrong things. He did not deserve to see his one and only mate be destroyed.

Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay

During the late nineteen-forties, it was common for playwrights such as Tennessee Williams to use symbolism as an approach to convey personal thoughts, through the attitudes of the characters and the setting. Williams' actors have used symbolism to disguise the actuality of their thoughts and to accommodate the needs of their conservative audience. A Streetcar Named 'Desire' has a few complicated character traits and themes. Therefore, they have to be symbolised using figures or images to express abstract and mystical ideas, so that the viewers can remain clueless. Williams not only depicts a clear personality of the actors but he also includes real-life public opinions from the past (some of which are contemporary.) These opinions were likely to raise controversies on issues such as prejudice, social gender expectations and men and women's roles in society. There have been numerous occasions when symbolism has taken place in A Streetcar Named 'Desire.' Firstly, Stanley is insulted several times by Blanche (his sister-in-law) Stella (his beloved wife) and other residents of the 'Quarter'. For example, the term 'animal' has been constantly spoken of, to define Stanley's malicious and ill-natured conduct. In scene four, Blanche tries to persuade her younger sister to go elsewhere and leave her husband. On page 163, she complains: Blanche: He acts like an animal, has an animal's habits! Eats like one, talks like one! There's even something - sub-human - something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something - ape-like about him there he is - Stanley Kowalski - Bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle! Furthermore, when the play begins, Stanley enters the ground-floor apartm... ... of the play, Williams may be hinting that Blanche is gradually being ruined. Perhaps her 'white radio' being tossed 'out of the window' tells us that Stanley is already against Blanche and does not like the sound of her being around. I shall conclude this essay with a brief understanding of symbolism. It is a very useful concept and often needed to give the audience a few suggestions. Symbolism makes people think and broadens their mind with varieties and ideas. In A Streetcar Named 'Desire', symbolism has been significantly used to show the roles of men and women in society and how they expect each other to be treated. It has disguised many possible sexual scenes; therefore, Williams has succeeded in transmitting some of his themes or ideas. Some of these are sexuality, madness, jealousy, racism, cruelty, loyalty, gender relationships and conflict.

Wedding in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, wedding marks the beginning of a new life. Men and women who decide to get married will throw out their old clothing and buy new ones (Wedding Customs). They attribute new life by means of having new properties and things. Marriage is also sacred and calling the couple bride and groom is a very common way. The best way to call them is by looking upon them as man and wife. Choosing a spouse in Saudi Arabia is never easy before. The tradition of arranged marriage was a big issue for the Arabs (Monger 11). The most common basis of choosing the best spouse is by examining the wealth of the family and how powerful they are in the society. Tribal alliances are also another basis for the marriage that’s why there are instances when a man is married to his first cousin (Monger 11). At present, this tradition is still followed but the good thing is that brides are now allowed to choose their potential mates. The basis for their choice should be the properties and assets that the man could provide her as they establish their own family (Wells 171). Marital foundation in Saudi Arabia is often based on the Sharia law or on what is written in the Quran (Robertson). Cultural barriers can be solved if the couple is really willing to pay tribute to the culture of Saudi Arabia. Despite of the many changes in customs and traditions in marriage, women in Saudi Arabia are strictly prohibited to marry men who are not Arabs. They are only permitted to marry a non-Arab once they are given consent by the King. â€Å"This holds true if the Arab is not a citizen of a country belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council† (Robertson). Westerners are qualified to marry an Arab woman only if they came from rich families and who will decide to live outside the country right after their wedding. In the case of marrying a male Arab, a woman should ready herself to submit her life not only to her husband but to his gamily as well. â€Å"Parents of the husband to be have a huge amount of influence over the couple† (Robertson). Dating is not part of the culture in Saudi Arabia; most couples are based on the choice of the bride’s mother (Monger 11). She will decide if a man is the best match for her daughter. There are also instances when matchmakers are paid to find the perfect husband for a female Arab. A woman must also marry for the sake of her welfare and safety (Kavanwal). Female are well treasured in the culture of Saudi Arabia, the men around them should look after them and give all their needs which includes clothing, food, shelter and protection (Robertson). â€Å"Caring for a woman becomes burdensome, and traditionally, women are married as soon as possible† (Kavanwal), Saudi women marry much younger than expected. If a 10 year old girl gets married, it is not a big deal for her family as long as the groom is capable of providing all her needs (Wells 171). The most common age for a Saudi woman to get married is between the age of 16 to 18 while the groom is between 16-20. There is such a thing as polygamous households where a young bride will end up as a junior wife because she married a much older man (Wells 172). For those who marry more than one wife, the traditional view is because they wanted to have more children and in order to satisfy the sexual needs of husbands. In this fast changing world, the western part of the world greatly influenced the people of Saudi Arabia. Arabs are now open to international influence like making oil sales and reinventing the wedding tradition with a different twist. Marriage has become more expensive and detailed based on the preference of the couple. For wealthy families, wedding is frenzy in Saudi Arabia. Women will begin competing for attention because they are adorned with splendid accessories which are mostly expensive (Wells 172). A traditional wedding in Saudi Arabia is always accompanied by an engagement party. This is celebrated by means of introducing the bride and the groom to each other. The bride to be is expected to be as beautiful as possible. Her hair is arranged like a camel’s hump and is piled up. Her skin is painted white, her eyes painted with black circles and her nails manicured to perfection (Kavanwal). She sits on a table and waits for her groom and the groom’s family like a figurine on display. There are rare instances wherein a bride is allowed to speak over the meal and decides if she wants to marry the groom chosen by her family. Once an agreement is made, the detail of the wedding will be discussed by both parties including the contract, the dowry and what should be done with the properties once the couples decides to divorce (Wells, 172). The dowry or mahr in Islamic language is paid by the groom to the bride’s family as a sign of good intention for his wife to be. In the earlier times, it is paid by means of camels, sheep or goats but at present the dowry is paid by means of money in Riyal currency (Monger 105). The amount of dowry depends on the social status of the family of the bride. The more influential the family, the higher is the dowry to be paid. Court registry is now part of the marriage in Saudi Arabia. A contract is based on the negotiation of the groom and a male representative from the bride’s family. A witness will attest the validity of the contract under the Sharia law. After the document is signed, the marriage is considered valid and binding. The marriage contract can also include prenuptial agreements like children custodies, divorce, and permission of wife to travel outside the country and if marriage should be terminated in case the husband dies (Wells 172). Sahria Law allows male Arabs to marry up to four wives (Kavanwal). But he must assure the family of the wife that he can support everything and provide a good life to all of his wives and children. Now that the modern period is costly, more and more Saudi men prefer marrying 1 wife only. The cost of getting married is never easy because it includes many things and practices (Kavanwal). Signing the marriage contract in the court is not the only basis of marriage in Saudi. It should be incorporated by a henna party where the wedding events are held for the bride and another party for the groom (Robertson). Henna parties are intended for the bride only (Monger 150). It is usually done before the wedding and a sugaring is done where all body hairs are removed from the bride. There are also instances where female circumcision is done during henna parties. If the sugaring was not able to remove all the hair from the bride’s body, the groom has the right to divorce her because this is a sign of dishonoring and displeasing him (Kavanwal). The groom on his wedding night will wear white colored clothes and covers himself with a Bisht (Wedding Customs). The bride on the other hand wears an abaya that covers her hair (Kavanwal). The bride wears a long white gown while the bridesmaids are dressed in red which signifies youth and virginity. Guests are all female and the only male present is the groom (Wells 172). The wedding also includes the gift ceremony where the groom gives his offering to the bride which is usually a piece of jewelry that is equivalent to the price of the dowry. The celebration of the wedding is based on the generosity of the groom and his family. Meanwhile the gentlemen and other male relatives are gathered in one room as they sip coffee of tea (Wells172). After the wedding rites, the groom will pay respect to his relatives as he comes with his father and sits with them to drink some coffee before they leave (Robertson). The same thing goes with the bride who will come with her mother and also drink with her relatives. The said ritual is done to release the stress of the newly weds (Wedding Customs). This will ensure them that their new life will be free of any struggles and be well prepared in facing the new life. In most cities of Saudi Arabia, wedding should be celebrated very well by letting other people know that a special event is going on. This is done by the bridegroom and his friends who will go to the party hall which is usually located near the groom’s house. His friend on the other hand will take their cars and honk its horns while flashing the headlights so that neighbors and other people will know that a wedding party is being held (Wedding Customs). Cake cutting is also present in the wedding culture of Saudi Arabia. The said ceremony is the symbolic representation of how couples will look after each other (Wedding Customs). Marriage marks the beginning of a more intimate relationship between the bride and the groom because they are expected to take care of one another. The cake cutting ceremony is done by the bride and the groom who walks towards the table where their wedding cake is placed (Robertson). The guest gives way for them and with astonishment they will witness how the bride gets his bride’s hand and they will hold the knife together. They will cut a small portion of the cake and the groom will take a piece of the cake and allow his bride to take a bit of the piece (Monger 49). The bride will also do the same thing as she holds another piece and let her groom eat it. After the cake ceremony, the crowd will start rejoicing for them (Monger 49). Marriage customs in Saudi Arabia also includes the part where the bride and groom goes to their wedding tent or most commonly known as the honeymoon. If the groom is not capable of paying his own apartment, he has the alternative to take his wife and live with his parents. The house of the newly weds are comprised of the groom’s siblings and other relatives. Nevertheless, male and female are segregated as much as possible even at home (Kavanwal). Marriage under the culture of Saudi Arabia is quite complicated especially if the woman is not an Arab. Living with the groom is often associated with the fact that the woman will also live with families and relatives of the male Arab. Extended family is a typical scenario in Saudi Arabia. Since women are not allowed to socialize with men, the only circle of friends of the wife will be those who are related to her husband like his relatives for example (Robertson). This becomes a problem for foreigners who are married to male Arabs especially if they are not familiar with the language of Saudi Arabia. Females are not allowed to go out, drive and take public transportation if they are not accompanied by relatives or their children (Robertson). The goal of marriage in Saudi Arabia is to establish a family that is stable and happy (Wells 172). Although there are lots of expectations from the family of the bride and groom, husband and wife also struggle to meet their romantic fulfillment. The most vital factor in their marriage is financial stability and social standing. This is the main reason why most marriages in Saudi are prearranged and marrying one’s cousin is common. Being aware of each other’s family background will ensure that the risk of having bad family life is avoided.