Management Theories Scott Straughan Free Essays

Investigate the development of management as a theory and discipline. Asses the relevance of these theories to modern day managers and identify the key management skills that will be of importance to the manager of the millennium. For the purpose of this essay modern day manager shall mean managers of the present day. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Theories Scott Straughan or any similar topic only for you Order Now Management skills are skills that managers need to be good at there work. In this essay I will be investigating management theories at the start of this century, then looking at the progression of management up until the present day, this will include research carried out by a number of people which gave growth to HRM as we know it today. I will then identify key management skills in these theories and assess their relevance to today†s management, I will also identify the management skills required in today†s workforce. At the turn of the century there were a lot of important developments in management. Oil companies (standard oil trust) and (u.s. steel, the first 1 billion dollar company) were rapidly expanding. Smaller and medium sized companies had to improve efficiency in order to survive against the big giants. Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) began to look at the measurement of work, he broke down each task to find out how long it would take, he then planned ahead for numbers of workers wanted and what training they would need, he then decided what wages the workers were worth accordingly to what they accomplished. At the same time Henry ford (1896-1947) reduced his chassis assembly time from twelve and a half hours to ninety three minutes through using these methods. Managers were starting to plan ahead more to increase efficiency, as competition increased researchers began to look at other ways of improving efficiency even more, they started to look at the working environment. Elton mayo (1880-1949) carried out the ‘Hawthorne experiments†, they looked at relationships in the workplace and working conditions. Mayo found that peoples needs and attitudes had much more of an influence on productivity than the efficiency of the production line itself, this was called the human relations approach and is widely used today. The Hawthorne experiments looked at four areas :- 2. The relay assembly group experiments The purpose was to increase productivity. The illumination experiments looked at lighting and heating, mayo found even in poor working conditions productivity was still higher than average, the workers were working harder because someone was taking an interest in them. The relay assembly group experiments took six female workers and gave them there own separate areas to work in, they were given regular breaks and freedom to talk. The person who studied them also worked as their supervisor, the workers were consulted before any changes were made, and productivity was massively increased, again due to the fact someone was taking an interest in them. The bank wiring group studies involved fourteen male workers and was very similar to the relay assembly group experiments. Finally he carried out the interviewing program, this involved interviewing every worker (21,000 in total), they were asked about their opinion of the company they worked for and their attitudes towards their managers, the results were closely analysed afterwards. Mayo had found a way to increase productivity through better working relations and better working conditions. Productivity increased as a result of the following :- Due to better working relations groups of workers worked harder, but what about personnel motivation During the war most of the young men were fighting, managers had to keep up with an incredible demand, they were given older retired workers and women, women had never been widely employed in factories before this time. Managers looked to researchers to get the maximum effort out of workers. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) argued people do not just work for money, but for basic needs such as shelter, food for survival, and higher needs such as self esteem and confidence. This is called Maslows hierarchy of needs, Maslow describes fives types of needs arranged in a hierarchy, Maslow assumed people always wanted more, one level should be the motivator to the next. 1. Physical needs – basic needs such as food, water, shelter, air, rest, and sex. 2. Safety needs – freedom from fear of threats, security and stability (pensions and healthcare) 3. Social needs – the need for acceptance within a group, friendship, love affection and comfort when feeling down. 4. Esteem needs – the need for achievement and recognition, respect for yourself. Managers can achieve this through training and development. 5. Self actualisation needs – the need for a person to achieve their full potential, accomplishment and growth. Not everyone meets these needs through work, some might gain them through social activities with friends, and an activity such as playing in a football team may achieve this. However some people are happy after achieving the first level and are not motivated to the next level, while others strive to improve themselves, this was the flaw in Maslows theory. More researchers began to look at HRM, there was still a lot to be discovered, Maslow had started the work and now more people were following in his footsteps, they started to look at positive thinking and the way management treated workers. Douglas McGregor (1906-1964) looked at traditional management styles compared to newer ones, these were called theory x and theory y. He found old methods assumed people did not want to work, had to be closely supervised and did not take much pride in their work, this was called theory x, theory y was completely the opposite and argued people did want to work and got a lot of satisfaction from taking pride in their work. McGregor argued â€Å"if you treat workers as responsible and intelligent people who want to work, that is the way they will behave†. He also looked at achievers and successful people and suggested these people took responsibility for their work and set themselves moderate achievable goals, low achievers came from poor cultural backgrounds, poor education and felt they could not achieve any goals they set, they could however be achievers through training and development. we have looked at the development of management from the early 1900†³s up until present day. All management styles traditional or modern focus on efficiency and productivity. Traditional management includes bureaucratic management which relies very much on rules, procedures, discipline and hierarchy, this causes a clear division between workers and management and causes low productivity. Scientific management focused on the â€Å"one best way† to do a job and did not take into account that workers know how to do their work better than management, again this method causes low productivity. Modern day managers have regular meeting with staff to discuss any problems they have, and identify help where it is needed. This is Japanese style management e which emphasizes on HRM and increasing productivity, modern management still uses a lot of traditional theories though. Technology is rapidly changing management with the introduction of computers, global communications and the Internet. The skills a modern day manager needs are changing as rapid as technology, the workplace is becoming more informal where we socialise as well as work. Traditional management was strict with rules and authority which workers were afraid of, there was no contact between management and workers and it seemed they both had completely different goals to achieve. Companies now work together as a teem with a common goal of increasing profit. Modern day managers are flexible to meet employees needs, they motivate and encourage workers to succeed, they have confidence, charisma and are patient. Managers should posses counselling skills and nurture there workers, this is a more feminine approach and are called soft skills. Do modern day managers bear any relevance to traditional skills Although traditional management styles seem prehistoric compared to today they are still relevant, Maslows hierarchy of needs can be compared to the corporate ladder, more people choose careers instead of just a job. Mayo†s Hawthorne experiments eventually led to laws being made on working conditions (Health and safety at work act). McGregor†s theory x and theory y, all managers now assume people want to work and take pride in it to. If asked which is the most relevant I would argue Maslow, most people can relate to his theories as the corporate ladder and I feel it is widely used now as a personnel motivator for employees. As the millennium approaches managers are forming even closer links with employees with the use of soft skills. Companies invest a lot of money in training of staff and can receive grants from the government for this purpose, appraisals are now widely used to coach and motivate staff. Managers are empowering workers more to supervise themselves and be responsible for their own workload, this is partly because more people are working from home with new technology. Business is now thriving thanks to the work of researchers at the start of the century. How to cite Management Theories Scott Straughan, Essay examples

Theories of Learning Teacher Student Realtionship in the Classroom or Clinical Setting free essay sample

Learning theorists: Koffka, Kohler,  Lewin, Piaget, Ausubel,Bruner, Gagne View of the learning process: Internal mental process (including insight, information processing, memory, perception Locus of learning: Internal cognitive structuring Purpose in education: Develop capacity and skills to learn better Educator’s role: Structures content of learning activity Manifestations in adult learning: Cognitive development; Intelligence, learning and memory as function of age; Learning how to learn B. HUMANIST Learning theorists: Maslow,  Rogers View of the learning process: A personal act to fulfil potential. Locus of learning: Affective and cognitive needs Purpose in education: Become self-actualized, autonomous Educator’s role: Facilitates development of the whole person Manifestations in adult learning: Andragogy; Self-directed learning C. SOCIAL AND SITUATIONAL Learning theorists: Bandura,  Lave and Wenger, Salomon View of the learning process: Interaction /observation in social contexts. Movement from the periphery to the centre of a community of practice Locus of learning: Learning is in relationship between people and environment. Purpose in education: Full participation in communities of practice and utilization of resources Educator’s role: Works to establish communities of practice in which conversation  and participation can occur. Manifestations in adult learning: Socialization; Social participation; Associationalism; Conversation REFERENCE: Merriam, S. and Caffarella (1991, 1998)  Learning in Adulthood. A comprehensive guide, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2. WHAT ARE THE THEORIES OF LEARNING DO YOU THINK HAVE BEEN APPLIED BY YOUR PAST TEACHERS? There are many different types of learning theories that are used to help guide individuals through the teaching and or learning process. After reviewing the different theories of learning, I was able to found out that all of these theories was been utilized by my past teachers. All of my instructors from the primary education up to the present in the graduate program apply behavioral theory in terms of providing positive reinforcements after an appropriate response. Positive reinforcements are verbal praise, good grades, and prizes. For example, way back on my elementary days I always study hard to get high grades and be on the top students in our class for me to receive a praise from my dad because I always want him to be proud of me although I know my parents will buy me a material thing as a reward for my hard work. In this situation my behavior was shaped through a positive reinforcement and this will increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. After my primary education, then here comes high school, college and masters where students rely on themselves for answers. I noticed that there was a shift of method our teacher handle our learning. They usually employ cognitivism, wherein the students construct knowledge rather than acquiring it. Teachers use visual aids and physical objects to reinforce concepts. We are pushed to think critically and build on concepts we have already learned since cognitivism implies discovery learning. When I choose nursing as my college course I saw situational learning theory which involves participation in a community of my practice where we learn from observing other people. Initially as nursing students have to undergo on the job training and be circulated in different areas of the hospital and also at the community setting to learn at the periphery. Even before acquiring the nurse staff position, one must undergo a trainee or preceptorship and as we become more competent we move more to the centre of the particular position. In this event shows learning is not seen as the acquisition of knowledge by individuals so much as a process of  social  participation. The nature of the  situation  impacts significantly on the process. As can be seen from my above experiences from my past teachers, these approaches involve contrasting ideas as to the purpose and process of learning and education and the role of the educators. It is also important to recognize that the theories may apply to different sectors of the learning acquisition process. 3. HOW IMPORTANT IS A TEACHER STUDENT REALTIONSHIP IN THE CLASSROOM OR CLINICAL SETTING? In the classroom environment  and clinical setting the  interpersonal relationship between clinical instructor and  students is an important element contributing to the learning process of  students. Clinical instructors who foster positive relationships with their students create a clinical environments more conducive to learning and meet nursing students’ developmental, emotional and academic needs. A positive relationship between the student and the educator is difficult to establish, but can be found for both individuals at either end. The ways for a positive relationship can vary according to different learning experience. A clinical instructor and nursing student who have the qualities of good communications, respect in a classroom, and show interest in teaching from the point of view of the instructor and learning from the student will establish a positive relationship in the classroom and clinical setting. In relation to the article entitled â€Å"The Relationship Between Clinical Instructor Characteristics and Student Perceptions of Clinical Instructor Effectiveness? nursing students does not see the association of the clinical instructors professional qualifications as being indicator of becoming a more effective teacher and as an educator who can provide a more satisfying clinical experience. According to the study professional development of  their clinical instructor is not a means of improving their classroom learning  environment. The challenge of clinical teaching is to transform novice nursing students to practicing nurses. The teaching-learning relationship is complex and its effectiveness depends upon the teaching and learning styles of the instructor and student. Clinical instructors with professional behaviors will facilitate clinical learning. Clinical teaching excellence could not only be achieved by acquiring professional qualifications but also by having positive interpersonal relationships with students that shows confidence, respect, support and accessibility, with effective communicative and collaborative skills. | | | | | | | |

Violence Dont Play That Game Essays - Video Game Censorship

Violence: Don't Play That Game? Violence: Don't Play that Game? A while back a senator said that violence in computer games is completely outrageous and is amazingly influential on our youth. We'll just randomly choose a name by which to call him and randomly choose a state that he represents. We'll call him Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. Oops, that seems to be his real name and state..... Anyway, Joe believes that violence is simply appalling and that games should not have violence. Well, here are my reasons why violence is not bad in computer games: people are not persuaded to commit amazingly bloody crimes by them, there are ratings on games, and also, movies can have all the violence they please and the rating can justify it all. Let us examine these. Many people would say I am wrong about this one. I say violence does not affect people that much when they are playing a game. I hope that our species has evolved enough to tell the difference between a 15 screen full of pixels and the real world. I hope they realize that the violence on these screens is quite fake, and that in the real world this violence will not be put up with. What is that I hear? It desensitizes people to violence. Let us take a look at this. You've been playing violent computer games since you were five. Violence no longer affects you. Are you going to take a gun to someone's head just because violence is no big deal to you? You probably will not. I can hear Joe now. Mechwarrior 2 is violent and should not have all this violence. Now, if you are familiar with Mechwarrior 2 then you know it is a game that you play as a robot destroying other robots. Little Billy sees this and decides he'll get dad's robot out and do some damage. There is a reason for you right there why game violence is not that persuasive. A lot of it is not completely real. Furthermore, violence has been in movies for a lot longer and children have not been too influenced by it. Eighty-seven percent of violent crimes are committed by adults. Do you think all this violence is really getting the kids to become more violent? Now, people probably are not convinced yet. You are saying little Billy, 5 years old, in this state of complete malleability will play monkey see monkey do (I put this in quotation marks because of how demeaning it is calling people monkeys, but I lack a better saying so I used it) and take dad's shotgun to a buddy and blow him away a la Quake. This is why games have ratings. You know, those little rectangles that say T for Teen rating because of violence, gore, vulgarity or what-not? Yes, contrary to what you might have heard, that is a rating. It means that if parents are responsible they will not let Billy get Quake. If you happen to have games that are not appropriate for your kids you are not out of luck. Daggerfall has parental controls and password protection to keep your kids from seeing the violence. Many companies do this. It's another way moldable young children are protected from violent games. I have one last point to make. Sen. Lieberman finishes his press conference that bashes computer game violence. He then takes a walk to the local theater and purchases tickets to take his 10-year-old to see Saving Private Ryan . Do find anything wrong with this picture? He accepts violence in one form but completely denies it in another form. Movies have ratings to protect children from violent content. They can get away with anything and it has not really affected kids in the past. Then a new form of expression, computer games, pops up into the picture. Now people are saying the violence is overbearing when really they are ignoring the fact that the everyday news has more violence than your average computer game! Take into consideration movies and then the violence in computer games is greatly dwarfed. Well, Joe, did I miss anything? Computer game violence does not seem to affect people; games do have ratings, and there is already so much violence on TV and in society that the violence in computer games is not adding too much to the equation. I think that if you are

Jay Gatsby Shattered Dreams

Jay Gatsby Shattered Dreams Jay Gatsby: Shattered Dreams F. Scott Fitzgerald?s The Great Gatsby is a tragic tale of love distorted by obsession. Finding himself in the city of New York, Jay Gatsby is a loyal and devoted man who is willing to cross oceans and build mansions for his one true love. His belief in realistic ideals and his perseverance greatly influence all the decisions he makes and ultimately direct the course of his life. Gatsby has made a total commitment to a dream, and he does not realize that his dream is hollow. Although his intentions are true, he sometimes has a crude way of getting his point across. When he makes his ideals heard, his actions are wasted on a thoughtless and shallow society. Jay Gatsby effectively embodies a romantic idealism that is sustained and destroyed by the intensity of his own dream. It is also Gatsby?s ideals that blind him to reality.The Great GatsbyWhen he first meets Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby has ?committed himself to the following of a grail? (156). With extreme d edication, he stops at nothing to win her love back, after years of separation. Gatsby?s idealized conception of Daisy is the motivating force that underlies his compulsion to become successful. Everything he has done, up to this point, has been directed toward winning Daisy?s favor and having her back in his life. The greatest example of this dedication is the mansion he has constructed, ?a colossal affair by any standard...with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden? (9). Once a ?penniless young man without a past? (156), he transforms himself into a self-made millionaire and builds an extravagant mansion, all for the love of Daisy Buchanan. He also strategically places the mansion across the lake from Daisy?s house. From his window, Gatsby can see the blue colored lights of her house. Gatsby seems to be caught in a conflict between materialism and idealism that created and still def ines the American character.Starting from the first day that he meets her, Gatsby does everything within his power to please Daisy. Nothing has changed for him as far as his feelings for Daisy are concerned, even though it has been five years since their first meeting, and despite the fact that she has married Tom Buchanan. He ?revalue[s] everything in his house according to the amount of response it [draws] from her well loved eyes? (96). Inevitably, the two of them draw closer, but this in no way deters Gatsby from trying to make Daisy happy. He even terminates the employment of most of his servants because Daisy is afraid that they will begin gossiping about the afternoons she shares with Gatsby. ?The whole caravansary [falls] in like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes.? (120) Gatsby lives a selfless life in order to attain his dream. His loyalty to his dream is Gatsby?s most noble characteristic. Although it seems to be too idealistic, Gatsby ?[throws] himself into it w ith a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that [drifts] his way.? (101) His entire existence revolves around his dream; recapturing Daisy?s heart, taking her away from Tom and living happily ever after in his mansion he built with her approval in mind.Sadly enough for Gatsby, devotion is not the driving force that propels life in New York. Society is based on money and power, not faith and love. Daisy and Tom ?[smash] up things and creatures and then [retreat] back into their money or their vast carelessness.? (187) Even Gatsby finds himself forced to earn his money through illegal activities and gambling. He sees nothing wrong with these activities because they are part of his dream to have the resources to maintain his lifestyle the way he has become accustomed. Gatsby is more or less enthralled by the glamour and excitement of New York, seeing the huge city from an idealized perspective. Tom overlooks Daisy?s time with Gatsby as a ?presumptuous little flirtation,? (142), not the true love Gatsby hoped it would be. One could wonder if Daisy is worth the adoration Gatsby bestows on her. He truly loves her, but her shallow, materialistic nature must have ?tumbled short of his dreams? (101) at some point. Upon Gatsby?s death, after the loss of his dream, the reader is left guessing whether or not Gatsby held on to any fragment of his dreams about Daisy.Gatsby is totally in the dark to the reality of society, placing more importance on his dreams than on grasped experiences. He has built up his own dream world so perfectly that he can never accept the fact that Daisy is never going to leave Tom for him. This blindness leads to his ironic death. While he is trying to protect Daisy, Gatsby is killed by Wilson, who is avenging the death of his wife Myrtle. Wilson does this in a fit of rage, after he discovers, mistakenly, that Gatsby was the one to run his wife over in the street and leave her for dead. This assumpt ion, of course, is far from the truth. Gatsby dies from a gunshot and floats face down in the middle of his marble pool until his butler discovers his body. For almost five years, his idealism and his perseverance kept him, and his dream, alive. But sadly enough, he had no way of knowing that these very traits would also kill him. ?His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him.? (189) Like many Americans still believe today, Gatsby believed that material things alone constitutes the American Dream. The story itself, and the main figure, are tragic, and it is precisely the fantastic vulgarity of the scene which adds to the excellence of Gatsby?s soul its finest qualities, and to his tragic fate its sharpest edge. Gatsby is betrayed to the reader gradually, and with such tenderness, which in the end makes his tragedy a deeply moving one. Finally, before his death, Gatsby becomes disillusioned. His inner life o f dreams loses its power and he finds himself alone in the emptiness of a purely material universe. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli, New York: Charles Scribner?s Sons, 1925

POPULAR SCIENCE ARTICLE Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

POPULAR SCIENCE - Article Example It stays this way to protect itself against adverse conditions for long periods of time, in order to wait for a better time period to grow. Through experimental incubation, these spores are revived, which seem to have come from deeper hot spots inside the ocean. These newly discovered bacteria have very similar genetic characteristics to a set of bacteria found from offshore oil reservoirs. Hubert, a PhD in petroleum microbiology states that  that surveys will be able to pinpoint the exact  place from where these microorganisms have originated. He believes they might have some interesting applications, that is, if they are coming from petroleum reservoirs. These bacteria were found to be anaerobic, as they were found in high number in the sediments. Hubert stated that a source of the bacteria could be the oil reservoir and another could be that the fluid circulation through the ocean crust at the spreading ridges where hydrothermal vents are present. While these spores are extremely helpful in tracking down marine hot spots, they also offer new information about the wild life and everything about the different variety of things here in the biosphere. The bacterial species  found  in  the  environment  hide  many  of the minor groups of bacteria that apparently  don’t seem to participate in  the  functioning  of  the  ecosystem. These dormant thermophiles can be a useful key in understanding how diverse is the marine ecosystem and how well it is maintained by the submissive spreading of cells over a large area. These arctic thermophiles can be the holders of great and important clues to solve broader riddle of biogeography and biodiversity.   The thermophiles are a form of bacteria that live and breed in hot places and kill organisms around them (Kristjà ¡nsson; p 43). These are grouped into two types, either Prokaryotes or Eukaryotes.   They breed in temperatures that range between 50C to 70C. Studying these

Mixing the Ideas of Marketing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mixing the Ideas of Marketing Strategies - Essay Example She starts off with a very earthy and grassroots campaign, asking her friends and family what they think about the idea and gathering information. Jessica's strategy is somewhat unique, as it mixes the ideas of several of the main marketing strategies together. That being said, it includes almost no traits of market dominance, as she never mentions hoping to control the entire bridal registry market in its entirety. She never really compares herself to her competition, except that she thinks she can provide a better service than the service that is already available. In that tiny aspect, she could fit into the market challenger, as she is trying to challenge the norm for the market at the time, and providing what she feels is a new and necessary service. The market strategy that I think best fit's Jessica's model is the Innovation Strategy. This is one of the more complex strategies as it relies heavily on the creativity of the person partaking in it. She is trying to innovate the previous business model that was in place and is hoping to bring in revenue by doing so. I think she took a good first step in partaking in a successful innovation strategy, however, there are several things I would have her do differently along the way.

Compliance Standards in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Compliance Standards in Education - Essay Example Students will be able to immediately discuss, write about, and implement material from the classroom in everyday life. Based upon a learner-centred workshop model of classroom participation, the Lesson Plan: Weather is intended to provide students with core curriculum on climate change, environmental science management, and economic and social policies. An advanced lexicon within the English language, the universality of 'Weather Speak' as part of the mediated landscape in the late-capitalist moment, makes the topic both pertinent and timely. Pervasive and highly accessible, classroom activities on weather offer ready assimilation of key concepts, while learning vocabulary and linguistic usages. Mitigation of GHG emissions toward reductions that might decrease carbon dioxide to 1990 levels stand to have long-term effects on environmental health and social foms. From atmospheric research to new models of finance, climate change as a cultural exchange is reinforcing knowledge of our surroundings in new ways never thought possible. Indeed, something as simple as Weather, is now a site for inquiries into environmental science, poetry, and urban planning. Technologies employed within the classroom are responsive to prescriptive methodologies for teaching in the 21st century. Within present pedagogical discussion on training students in the global village, requisite inputs for a well rounded curriculum are constituted not only of the traditional verbal and mathematical proficiency models, but competency building in creative dialogues based on interpretation, critique, the semantic application of visual communications. Deep engagement in visual media has brought us to a state of sophistication in image iconography and accompanying performance. The cultivation of linguistic literacy from visual and media literacy promotes rapid assimilation of concepts familiar from both a consumption and production point of view. Innovative opportunities for skill development, and introduction to secondary sources of research that are now entirely mediated, as in the utility of satellite GIS mapping in weather monitoring, would not be possible without reliance upon media communications strategies, and the attendant lexicons of Science or other disciplinary specific terms. Visual learning models also introduce an element of application within discursive contexts dedicated to intuitive intelligence, for the furtherance of student knowledge and critical inquiry. The implementation of media methods in this course is standardized throughout, and the students become