Organizational Behavior - How a successful Iranian based company like Research Paper - 1

Organizational Behavior - How a successful Iranian based company like Hirbodan is surviving in tough times of sanctions against Iran - Research Paper Example Hibordan organizational structure contributed to its success (Sigh 12). They have a well-structured organization pattern where the Board of directors seats a top, the mid level management, and then lower management. This kind of structure facilitates decision-making and coordination of members in an organization. They use a technique in management called theory Y in motivation of its employees. Under these theory employees show commitment to goals and accept responsibility. Theory Y has enable Hirbodan to have a goal-oriented workforce (Champoux 16). Iranian economy has suffered a lot from the sanctions imposed by the international community. Sanction imposed on the government of president Ahmedinejhad, include ban on Iranian oil, which is the backbone of Iranian economy. This has affected several industries Hirbodan included. To worsen the situation President Amedinajhad’s plan on reforms on subsidy of 2010 removed subsidies on electricity and water affected industries. Iranian currency depreciated much making the cost of living rise and inflation skyrocketed (Sigh 18). The cost of running of a company turned high due to high cost of importing raw materials. The effects on Iran are adverse that companies are hoping for the best to have an enabling environment for investment. Hirbodan Rose against all odds and wage the storm, due to its strong foundation and the expertise offered by the founding professional. It coordinated with companies in Engineering, procurement& construction (EPC) to have its operations outside Iran (Sapru 36). According to the chairperson of Hirbodan, their success during hard times was through definitive strategies and logical solutions to firm’s problems, which include; reduction of financial debt in both local and foreign banks. It focused on means of increasing revenue to trade on real estate. They created teams to deal with opportunities and threats then sort problems

Bridging Academic and Career Competencies Essay Example for Free

Bridging Academic and Career Competencies Essay The university learning goals are essential skills that hiring managers look for when reviewing applications. Knowing how to incorporate the learning goals into your career competencies can help you in the application and career-search process. Fill in the following table with 100-word summaries of how each university learning goal can help you with career preparedness. University learning goal How each goal prepares you for success in the workplace Professional Competence and Values Professional Competence and Values prepares me for success in the workplace by giving me the classes that I need to be successful in a future career and my personal life. The university providing these courses, which give the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful, is helpful to me since I am not being put into classes that I have nothing to do with my career field. This goal also encourages lifelong learning, which encourages me to take more classes once I graduate from my current program and strive to learn more when I enter my career field post-graduation. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Critical thinking and Problem Solving prepares me for success in the workplace by giving me the skills to be better with how I think about and address problems. While in the workplace, this will help me and has helped me so far to take my thoughts from just a yes or no answer, to answers that I have reflected on more. This goal will also help give me the skills to come up with a more reasoned and detailed solution when solving a problem. With that knowledge, I can explain to my employer the solution I chose for a problem and why I chose it. Communication Communication helps me prepare for success in the workplace by giving me the knowledge I need to be a better formal communicator. Learning how to better use grammar, punctuation, and tone in how I write will help when I need to  send memos to colleagues in my career field. Having that information will help me better communicate to them professionally, and not how I would talk to my friends on a daily basis. Communication will also help with how I present my ideas to others, so that they are easy to understand and respectful of colleagues both in the tone and words that I use. Information Utilization Information Utilization helps me prepare for success in the workplace by helping me to improve my research skills and how I use the information that I find. Having classes where I have to locate answers using the research skills that I already have, causes me to better refine what I am already doing so that when I enter a career field, I will not need assistance if I am looking for information that I may need. This goal also will help me to use the proper information, so that whatever I am working on can be right the first time and negate the need to have to go back and research again. Collaboration Collaboration helps me prepare for success in the workplace by allowing me to work in groups with other students on projects. Collaborating will give the ability to hear and see things from multiple points of view that I do not possess, something that will help me when I get to a career. Collaboration will help me with the ability to trust team members, and not be quick to judge or try to do things on my own, as in my chosen career field, that is not something I will be able to do, and will have to work with others on solutions.

CHINA TAIWAN :: essays research papers

Taiwan opposition leader James Soong urged the island's independence-leaning leaders to take advantage of his "bridge-building" trip to mainland China to seek cross-strait peace. "People from both sides of the strait are longing for peace ... Mainland leaders have also showed sincerity in improving cross-strait relations," Soong told reporters at the airport upon return from his nine-day visit to China. He added Friday that China had announced a number of concrete steps to boost bilateral ties, including a promise to push for direct air links in 2006. "Peace is in our own hands," said Soong, chairman of the People First Party. Pushing for independence for Taiwan, he warned, could destroy peace prospects. China sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting eventual reunification since they split at the end of the civil war in 1949 and has regularly threatened to invade if the island moves towards formal independence. Soong also said Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian had "promised not to promote independence through constitutional amendments". He was referring to Saturday's elections, in which voters were to elect a 300-member National Assembly to decide on a package of constitutional reforms, including whether referenda could be used to amend the constitution. Beijing has opposed referenda, which it sees as a step Taiwan could take toward declaring formal independence. Saturday's poll is seen as a litmus test of support for the island's independence-minded leaders and the opposition, who favour closer ties with China, following recent visits there by two opposition leaders. Soong's trip followed the historic visit to China by Lien Chan, chairman of the main opposition Kuomintang party. Both Lien and Soong said their trips were meant to bridge differences between the two rival governments and pave the way for peace talks. Beijing also agreed to simplify visa application procedures for Taiwanese and to offer incentives to Taiwanese studying on the mainland, according to a joint statement released after Soong's talks with China's Hu Jintao. Hu and Soong also pledged to push for cross-strait peace talks under a "two sides, one China" principle and oppose independence for Taiwan. President Chen, who stresses Taiwan's independence and sovereignty, immediately rejected the peace overture. "Should we accept the 'one-China principle', Taiwan would be Hong Kong-ized and become part of the People's Republic of China, a scenario which is by no means acceptable to the 23 million people in Taiwan," Chen said Thursday.

Actual advantages to block csheduling via research studies Essay

A Temple University study found that block scheduling had distinct advantages in academic achievement. Students who made the honor roll at the three schools studied rose from 22% to 31%. SAT scores rose by an average of 14 points. In addition, the number of detentions declined while student attendance increased (Evans, Tokarczyk and Rice, 2000). Most recently, a 2006 study indicated a variety of advantages to block scheduling. Five Connecticut high schools were studied to determine what, if any, positive outcomes would result. The researchers used test scores and surveys as a means of data collection from school guidance counselors, teachers, administrators and students. The study found that gains in math rose significantly over a two year period, achievement test score averages rose in a statistically significant manner over three years, and PSAT and SAT scores increased within the first three years but then leveled off. (Wilcox, 2006). This study is one of the few longitudinal studies available. This study also stressed the importance of time as a factor in determining the success of block scheduling. â€Å"Almost all of the results which indicated significant differences were shown after two or more years† (Wilcox, 2006). Clearly some time is necessary in order for students and teachers to become accustomed to the changes. Some of the school studies Wilcox (2006) examined had been operating on a block schedule for as long as ten years. Unfortunately, not all the schools had baseline data for years before the block schedule or had opened with a block schedule. The study further stresses the level of support by the staff can be a determining factor as to the success of any type of block scheduling, which seems to correlate, at least on surface examination of the results, with training procedures and teacher confidence. 2. 2. 4 Actual Disadvantages to Block Scheduling via Research Studies A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study studied achievement in reading and mathematics of students in a high school which ran a tri-schedule. This schedule consisted of a traditional schedule, a 4 x 4 schedule and hybrid schedules which all operated in the same single school. The NC state mandated tests in reading, language and math were used to determine achievement. For reading and language test results, there was no statistically significant difference based on the types of schedules. There was, however, a statistically significant difference in math computation subtest. The traditional schedule saw slightly higher scores in understanding and retention of mathematical computation for tenth grade students. Thus, this study â€Å"supports the importance of daily instruction and contact time to student achievement in mathematics as distinct from other academic skills† (Veal and Shreiber, 1999). Another study tested students in the Wilmington area of North Carolina. It, too, found that students on traditional schedules scored higher on tests of algebra, English, biology and history than did students on a block schedule (Lawrence and McPherson, 2000). 2. 2. 5 Studies that were Inconclusive in Determining the Efficacy of Block Scheduling in Increasing Academic Achievement. A third North Carolina study, this one undertaken by the Department of Public Instruction, compared End-Of-Course (EOC) test scores in five areas (English I, Algebra I, Biology I, US History, and Economic, Legal and Political Systems (ELP)). It sample scores from schools that operated on block schedules and on traditional schedules for 1993 to 1996. It mentions at the outset that the first schools to adopt block schedules in NC were those that had lower achievement scores to begin with. These schools’ scores were adjusted for the purpose of this study. The overall results were inconclusive. Some blocked schools showed some improvement in some years but then lower scores in other years. â€Å"At present, there are essentially no significant differences between groups of blocked and corresponding non-blocked school groups in terms of student performance in state EOC Tests† (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1997). Walker (2000) conducted a study of students in the Kansas public school system. He focused primarily in math scores with a purpose to see if students’ math scores would increase from year to year using block vs. traditional scheduling. He found that â€Å"while the block-scheduled schools did make better percentage gains than the traditional schools, such gain was found to be insignificant when using split-plot analysis of variance. Therefore, there is not a significant measurable difference in the impact of block-scheduling or traditional scheduling on this mathematics assessment† (Walker, 2000). A test conducted by the Georgia Department of Education found similar results. This study tested four types of scheduling systems (4 x 4, A/B, hybrid and traditional) among nearly 40,000 students in various GA schools. Students were tested in eight subject areas (9th Grade Literature, American Literature, Algebra, Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, US History and Economics). No significant differences were noted among the scheduling types, but one general comment was made that Algebra scores in all blocked schedules were slightly higher than in traditionally scheduled schools (Domaleski, 2004). This study relied primarily on test score results. In the Spring of 2004 the mean Algebra score for students on block scheduling was 601. 78 which the mean score for those on traditional scheduling was 599. 73. Over 73,000 students were tested and scores analyzed for each. In all the other subject areas, the scores were very nearly the same, and no statistically significant differences were reported (Domaleski, 2004). The reasons for the differences are not clear, but one might suggest that schools which adopted block-scheduling early were those with serious problems, behavioral and/or academic and done so as an attempt to create a positive change in those schools. Another reason might be that some schools operated on a hybrid block schedule, so even though a school is designated as a ‘block’ school, a student may not have taken that particular course in a block format. Another possible limitation to this study is the fact that the Spring 2004 scores were obtained before the decision to count the EOCT as 15% of the student’s grade. â€Å"Since the use of the EOCT as an accountability assessment likely differed among schools and systems for this administration, it should not be assumed that the motivation of all examinees in each conditions was consisten† (Domaleski, 2004) 2. 2. 5 Returns to a Traditional Schedule from Block Scheduling Some districts have returned to a traditional schedule from a block schedule. According to Canaday and Rettig (2003), this change may be premature. In a study of over 200 Virginia schools, some of the reasons for change were less the result of poor academic performance and more a result of the following issues: â€Å"The use of a flawed decision-making process to adopt a block schedule; poor preparation for teaching in the block, including insufficient staff development and/or inattention to course pacing; unclear goals, overpromising or not meeting promises made; and poor scheduling decisions in the adoption phase (Canada and Rettig, 2003). Perhaps planning prior to the implementation of block scheduling would make the transition run more smoothly.

Management and Organizational Behavior Essay

This is a reaction paper on the book ‘Leadership and Self Deception: Getting out of the Box’, by the Arbinger Institute. This will therefore discuss how I felt about the topic in the book and the reasons why. The book is about self deception which is described in dialogue between Tom Callum, a new employee for senior management position Zagrum Company, with Bud Jefferson, the executive vice president of the same company. An excerpt of the dialogue is quoted below with Bud Jefferson talking to Tom Callum saying the following words: â€Å"The bigger problem was that I couldn’t see that I had a problem. † Bud paused for a moment, and then, leaning forward toward me, he said in a lower, even more earnest tone, â€Å"There is no solution to the problem of lack of commitment, for example, without a solution to the bigger problem—the problem that I can’t see that I’m not committed. † Bud also added: â€Å"Tom, there’s a technical name for the insistent blindness I exhibited in San Francisco. Philosophers call it ‘self-deception. ’ At Zagrum we have a less technical name for it—we call it ‘being in the box. ’ In our way of talking, when we’re self-deceived, we’re ‘in the box. ’ From the above the word self deception is defined. We will use the meaning in the following paragraphs. If self deception is incapacity to see the reality of the problem, the next question is: Could it happen to everyone? Dr. Peck said â€Å"Life is series of problem. † If there is truth in what Dr. has said then self-deception could happen to everyone because every body will really have a problem. Hence the issue should be to become aware of the problem so that solutions could be made accordingly. Hence Dr. Peck suggested that discipline is the basic tool we require to solve life’s problems. He argued that without discipline we can solve nothing and that with only some discipline we can solve only some problem and with total discipline we can solve all problems. Given that problem solving is a reality, failure therefore to see that there is a problem could be a dangerous or pathetic situation. To illustrate, I had a friend who just did not know that he is sick and that he is dying of cancer which he failed to detect earlier. Before he realized to do some prevention he was already dead. In the case of every living thing, failure to recognize the problem is the most damaging because that would mean wrong use of freedom and intelligence bestowed to us. This applies to business organization since they also have life to sustain. They must continue to serve their customers otherwise these organizations are sick or in danger of dying. What could be the consequences of self deception? Not knowing what the problem is, one cannot solve the problem. Not being able to solve the problem will cause the problem to create more pressure and the greater the pressure the less are the available choices. In psychology we have the so called neurosis and character disorders which are the result of the result not balancing responsibility. When one assumes too much responsibility he is neurotic, while the one with character disorder assumes little. That could be also the consequence for people who will assume too much problem and those who simply cannot see that there is a problem. In the book that we are reacting upon, character disorder as a consequence would be the closest thing to happen. The consequence for failing to heal the disorder is delay in emotional maturity. If we apply that to Zagrum, that would be restricting the normal growth of the company that could amount to killing the company slowly. How then to solve self –deception? Discipline through openness and transparency is the best solution. People must be ready to accept accusation especially if they are true since that is the only way where one would not have him self-deceived. We need the eyes of other to reflect what is hidden in us. Socrates said that we should know ourselves and that could be found in disclosing about ourselves to other so that they get reflected to others who will help us see the truth in us. This is one of the lessons of the book on Self-deception as dreamed by Bud for the Zagrum Company. Bud was quoted saying to Tom: â€Å"At Zagrum, Tom, our top strategic initiative is to minimize individual and organizational self-deception. † Bud did have good experience about self deception which he wanted to impart to Tom. He realized that problem would be most damaging. Self deception may not be easily recognized by some or they may get hidden because of stubbornness, pride and simply ignorance. Although an open person is vulnerable, there are more advantage to self-disclosure than self-deception, the consequences of which are simply damaging. To conclude, it may be stated that a problem that half well define it half solved. Wrongly defined problem is not solving the problem. Avoiding the problem will cause problem to run after you. A health organization accepts the reality of problems because of objectives set. Objectives-attainment involves series of problems that must be anticipated and solved. A problem in life is bound to arise and the reality is that life is difficult. Indeed life is a series of problem to be solved, hence by not acknowledging the problem, there is an attempt to escape what is reality and to escape reality would be more painful in the long run. Work Cited: Peck, S. The Road Less Traveled, Simon and Schuster, 1978 Arbinger Institute , Excerpts of Leadership and Self Deception. Getting out of the Box’, {www document} URL, http://www. arbinger. com/C2/ArbingerHome/default. aspx? Page=Home, Accessed October 30,2006

Analysis of Serial Killers essays

Analysis of Serial Killers essays Every human being have experience the feeling of urge, whether or not it is screaming and swearing in the church, or have a road rage while driving. Most of the time we don ¡t act on these urges because we know that we might suffer from the consequences. Where doe these urges come from and why are they so powerful? Will we be able to control these urges? Unfortunately, there are people out there who cannot control their feelings of urge, perhaps they are braver, or perhaps they are ill. "It was an urge. . . . . A strong urge, and the longer I let it go the stronger it got, to where I was taking risks to go out and kill peoplerisks that normally, according to my little rules of operation, I wouldn't take because they could lead to arrest." This quote is said by Edmond Kemper, whose urges lead him into serial killing unfortunately he was not the only person who suffered from these feelings. Serial killers are killers who do not kill just one or two people; they are involved in series of killings. Do these killers find killing as being a pleasure or are they slaves to their own body and mind? Psychologist has been studying on serial killers for years and still there are many arguments on whether or not these killers are monsters or victims. There are all different kinds of excuses for these serial killers to kill,  ¡Henry Lee Lucas blamed his upbringing; others like Jeffrey Dahmer say that they were born with a "part" of them missing. Ted Bundy claimed pornography made him do it. Herbert Mullin, Santa Cruz killer of thirteen, blamed the voices in his head that told him it was time to "sing the die song." The ruthless Carl Panzram swore that prison turned him into a monster, while Bobby Joe Long said a motorcycle accident made him hypersexual and eventually a serial lust killer. The most psychopathic, like John Wayne Gacy, turn the blame around and boast that the v ictims deserved to die ¡ (www.crimelibrary.com). ...

A P- The Heroic Sheep Herder

A P- The Heroic Sheep Herder Free Online Research Papers One of the main reasons that a short story can be so effective is familiarity. An author uses different ways to connect with their readers to draw interest. Some authors use themes that are common to everyday life no matter what time period a person lives in, their race, or financial status. Others use emotional connections to make the reader sympathize with the characters. In the short story written by John Updike in 1962 entitled, â€Å"AP,† he uses the familiar setting of a supermarket, and gives the reader an idea of what a teenage boy thinks about teenage girls. Sammy, the narrator of the story is young, impulsive and naive. Both he and the three girls in the story are being rebellious by doing things that aren’t considered to be the norm, otherwise not conforming to what others think is right. It is not uncommon for teen aged kids to go through periods of rebellion. At this time of their lives when their hormones are raging they are basically looking to find themselves and doing things that make them feel good. Updike uses what can be viewed as a typical teenage boy for the protagonist first person narrator of this story. Sammy is a nineteen year old boy who works as a cashier at a local AP in a Boston suburb. His story begins when three young girls walk into the store barefooted wearing bathing suits. He makes it easy to see that he has great interest in these girls by his in-depth descriptions of them; this is about the first girl: The one that caught my eye first was the one in the plaid green two-piece. She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs. (Updike 610) It appears that he has put a little more time and effort into this new customer; he may not be able to describe other customers with such detail. As Sammy gives us his view of the second girl he goes into greater detail with his assumptions of what other people may think about her as well: A tall one, with black hair that hadn’t quite frizzed right, and one of those sunburns right across under the eyes, and a chin that was too long- you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very â€Å"striking† and â€Å"attractive† but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much. (Updike 610) Finally in walks the leader of there group, one Sammy has titled, â€Å"Queenie.† Right away he goes into great detail about her entrance. He describes the way that the other two girls followed her throughout the store, assuming that she had convince the other two into coming in dressed in their bathing suits, and that she had to show them how to do it, walking slow and holding themselves straight. (Updike 610) Sammy shows his level of interest in Queenie by describing every detail about her from the color, shape and style of her bathing suit, to the manner in which is sat on her body, â€Å"off her shoulders looped loose around the cool tops of her arms, and I guess as a result the suit had slipped a little on her, so all around the top of the cloth there was this shining rim.† (Updike 610) He continues on about her face, skin, neck, and hair stating she was more than pretty and that he didn’t mind seeing this much more of her. Another way Sammy shows his high level of interest in these three young girls is by how he describes the other shoppers in the AP. He very negatively describes the customer that is at his register while the girls first walk in. This fifty year old witch is what he calls, â€Å"a cash-register-watcher† and his error of ringing up an item twice by accident has definitely made her day. (Updike 610) He finishes up his description of her by stating, â€Å"By the time I got her feathers smoothed and her goodies into a bag- she gives me a little snort in passing, if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem.† (Updike 610) Once again stating how much of a witch he thought she was. Another instance where Sammy shows his dislike for the other customers is when the girl walk down the aisle in front of his register, doing what he calls walking against the grain of traffic while â€Å"the sheep pushing their carts down the aisle.† (Updike 611) He describes the reaction the girls got while walking down that aisle, causing numerous looks, including a few housewives who had to do a double take to make sure they had seen correctly. The young girls did more than catch the attention of the â€Å"sheep† as Sammy liked to call them. In order to back up Sammy’s interest in these girls he tells of responses of agreement from two of his fellow co-workers who apparently feel the same way he does. The other cashier working at the AP that day was named Stokesie and he said to Sammy as the girls walked past, â€Å"Oh Daddy†¦..I feel so faint.† (Updike 611) Also, the man at the meat counter named McMahon who after giving directions to the girls, â€Å"patted his mouth and looked after them sizing up their joints.† (Updike 611) However, the sheep weren’t the only ones who did not approve of their attire as much as the boys did. The manager of the AP Mr. Lengel walks through the front door and everyone’s luck had run out, it’s what Sammy says is the saddest part of the story. (Updike 612) Mr. Lengel walks over to the girls and tells them that they are not at the beach and that the AP requires its customers to be â€Å"decently dressed.† (Updike 612) Queenie stands up herself and says, â€Å"We are decent.† The girls try to give their side of the story saying that they were only coming in to buy one item, but this fell upon deaf ears when Lengel asks Sammy to just ring up their purchase so they can leave. (Updike 613) Sammy does as he has been told. Sammy however has something build up inside of him, be it courage or stupidity and cannot let this be the final moment between himself and these three young girls. Before the girls are out of earshot Sammy tells Mr. Lengel that he quits, and that â€Å"you didn’t have to embarrass the girls the way you did.† (Updike 613) Sammy attempts to be the hero for these young girls, even though by the time it was all played out they had left the building. At this point it didn’t matter to him though, it was his way of standing up for himself and what he thought was right. At the end Sammy had lost his job for three girls who he hadn’t even spoken to. But just like the three girls who walked into an AP with no shoes on and wearing only bathing suits he was doing something rebellious by standing up to his boss and quitting his job on his own terms. In Sammy’s mind he had done something heroic, something he probably didn’t think he was capable of. Even though he knew his parents would be upset with him and he realized that he â€Å"felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter† (Updike 614) but at least he still didn’t have to check the sheep through the line day after day. 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