Keeping perspective in todays business world - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1586 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Keeping into perspective todays business world, the cut-throat competition that companies face, and the fact that, today, companies operate in a globalized environment, all contribute to the ever increasing importance of information, which is arguably the most important resource an organisation has. Whether it be giving an organisation strategic edge, by bringing in new technology, or trying to maximise shareholder value by trying to optimise the companies Supply chain, the flow of information around the processes and systems in place matter most. It is this dynamic and unforgiving business environment that forces organisations to continuously adapt and change themselves, in order to stay ahead of their competitors or at least match them in order to stay in contention. Hence, they continuously need to innovate and come up with new and improved products and services to retain their market share if not better. Companies are heavily investing in research and devel opment activities, whether it be a pharmaceutical company or a telecom, every organisation wants to capture and absorb the spirit of innovation into their culture. The fact that organisations are keen to inherit the spirit of innovation into their culture is also indicated by the fact that companies are desperately trying to bring in an air of Intrapreneurship into their culture. Huge Multi-nationals such as Procter and Gamble and 3M, have made it compulsory upon their employees to dedicate 20 percent and 15 percent of their daily office hours to Innovate and be an intrapreneur, respectively. The salient characteristics of todays business world are such that they require companies to have shorter cycle time, development and launch of new technologies, new media and a rapid increase in scientific discoveries. This requires efficient flow of information and feeds onto the spirit of innovation. For an organisation to bear an innovative culture, the employees need to be motivat ed in a manner that they embrace change and creativity. Amabile describes six main areas that can help bolster intrinsic motivation, which can lead to an innovative work environment. The first area is to match people to jobs where the work is optimally challenging enough, such that the work doesnt seem boring and neither too overwhelming or difficult2. Managers need to obtain potent information from an individual to be able to match them with the optimally challenging job. The second area is freedom2. Employees should be autonomous enough to have a sense of ownership of the work they do. The third area is time, which is an important resource, and in certain circumstance can spark creativity in employees, but according to Amabile, time pressure usually kills innovation and creativity, and can thus be counter-productive2. A major reason for this could be the lack of proper communication, as time pressure might cause disruptions in the flow of information amongst employees. The four th area is team work2. The concept of cross-functional teams has often been credited as to have sparked innovations and new ideas, and this is because individuals of varied ideas, perspectives combine and interact, and thus exchange of critical and unique information takes place, which fuels or triggers formulation of new and innovative ideas. The fifth key area is encouragement2. Innovation has to be in bred at the very top level of an organisation. Supervisors and bosses need to encourage their subordinates, share critical information with them regarding their performance and the expectations attached to them. A lot of researchers and theorists believe, an organisations response to failure, i.e. how they tackle failure is key to promoting innovation. The sixth area is Organisational Support. Intrinsic motivation amongst employees increases when they are aware that those around them are excited by the work they do, and this can only be possible in an organisation that promotes info rmation sharing and collaboration amongst employees3. Thinking processes and collective knowledge are also vital, in addition to motivation, just like creative and innovative individuals, innovative organisations must also be able to break barriers amongst disciplines and combine knowledge in new ways. Mauzy and Harriman believe that the key is to encourage risk taking and improve the flow of information through the organisation. A major misunderstanding arises with managers trying to equate creative ability with rank or position. According to Mauzy and Harriman, what this approach does is reduce the creative abilities of a Thirty thousand workforce to the top 100 executives, a shrinkage from 300 to 14. In March 2006, a research was conducted by IBM Consulting Services, in which 750 of the worlds top CEOs were interviewed. The study indicated that the CEOs were looking beyond growth through new products and services and were primarily focussed on bringing innovation into their business model and operations as the basic mechanisms to drive change. The research clearly indicated that, the paradigm had shifted greatly with most CEOs focussing on how to innovate their business model rather than product innovation only. The logical reason behind this is simple, product and service innovation will only benefit you in the short run, as it can be copied, the business model is the real differentiator. Almost 76% of the CEOs interviewed in the study attributed Customer collaboration and business partners as the top sources of new ideas, as opposed to the commonly perceived Internal RD which was ranked eighth. And this is quite surprising as the top two sources of innovation are people outside the organisation. If one talks about a product, starting off with the idea of the product, it becomes evident how important a role information has played all along until the product dies off and is discarded or replaced with a new or better product, which is more meanin gful and useful. Companies invest in research, where valuable information is gathered and investigated and organisations make sure that the idea should be materialized and offers a good opportunity. Various marketing functions play an important role in this process, from business research to trying to identify the right target market for the product or service and position it accordingly. Come up with the right price and market the product accordingly. All of these processes require a lot of information, market data, surveys, and even advice or suggestions from 3rd party consultancies, etc. The information flow need not be limited to the marketing and RD department, but it is inter-departmental or cross-functional. Product innovation will also need to involve people from the finance department, who will try to come up with a quantitative analysis explaining how profitable the new investment may be. And then every aspect needs to be kept into consideration, and the results that are e xpected out of the new project need to be checked, if they align with the companies overall business strategy, and this requires ample information flow. The importance of Information can be realised from the fact that RD departments tend to use special information tools that may help them in bringing the product to the market faster. Most technologically driven products such as Electronic gadgets, cellphones, etc, require investing heavily in RD, as their product life cycles are relatively shorter, and they need to keep coming out with new and advanced phones, in order to stay competitive, even ahead of the competition. There are a few theoretical and conceptual frameworks designed around innovation. One of the more commonly referred to innovation models is the Chain-linked model of Innovation. Kline and Rosenberg, chain-linked model of innovation, divides the process of Innovation into 5 distinct phases. During the first phase, a need in a potential market is identified. The identification of market needs itself is a result of ones perception about the society and the market, and hence a smart innovator will always cross-reference his thoughts and perceptions with others, and this will involve an information exchange between two or more individuals. The second stage marks the invention and the analytical design of the new process or product7. This stage requires insight and ample amount of knowledge on how to invent and design the product. Incase its a product, blue prints are made. This often involves technical and business experts who share their perceptions and about the innovation in process. Hence this stage is also marked by sharing of information, whether it be in the form of knowledge, or an expert opinion, etc. The third stage is marked by development of a detailed design and testing the new product7. Testing, obviously would involve feedback, which is an information loop, and helps in finding drawbacks, if any, in the product design, or concept, product features etc. The fourth stage involves the product going into full scale production, after the design has been finalised. The production, may not be as information intensive a stage as the others, but information on when to produce and in what quantities to produce are vital pieces of the puzzle, and contribute heavily in the success of a new product or service. In the fifth and final stage, the innovation is introduced to the market, and marketing and distribution efforts are then put in. This requires coordination amongst companys supply chain, and this requires both analysis of information available to predict where to distribute the product, what distribution channels to use, what quantities to ship, what lead times to keep or maintain, what inventories to maintain, etc. Every single stage of innovation is almost single-handedly dependent on availability of information. With the dynamic external environmental surrounding businesses information regardin g the markets, the competitors, the suppliers, the products, etc has become a priceless resource to companies, and this trend has gradually become more and more strong. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Keeping perspective in todays business world" essay for you Create order

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter From a Birmingham...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail† In King’s essay, â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail†, King brilliantly employs the use of several rhetorical strategies that are pivotal in successfully influencing critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. King’s eloquent appeal to the logical, emotional, and most notably, moral and spiritual side of his audience, serves to make â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† one of the most moving and persuasive literary pieces of the 20th century. In Birmingham, Ala., in the spring of 1963, Kings campaign to end segregation at lunch counters and segregated hiring practices drew nationwide attention when police turned attacks dogs and fire hoses on peaceful demonstrators.†¦show more content†¦King further declares that laws are established to promote justice and with their current amoral application, civil resistance to those segregated laws by blacks is justified and inevitable. King continues he logical argument when he exhorts the reader to analyze the quote of an elderly black woman who comments, My feets is tired but my soul is at rest (168). King acknowledges that although her statement is grammatical incorrect, and her lack of education apparent, she is still cognizant of the magnitude of injustice suffered by Blacks under segregation. King understands that to communicate such a controversial position effectively; logic alone will not be sufficient. To reach even deeper into the psyche of his reader King also attempts to appeal to the reader’s emotional side. By presenting vivid details to describe the plight of himself and other Blacks, King offers the opportunity for us to vicariously experience the heartbreaking emotions in the daily lives of African Americans under the laws of segregation. These poignant images are detailed with striking clarity when King writes, †¦when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your sex-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored childrenShow MoreRelatedAntigone And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1233 Words   |  5 PagesIn Sophoclesà ¢â‚¬â„¢ Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, Antigone and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used resistance against powerful leaders to follow their morals and make a statement. 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Discuss your opinion of the recovered memory Free Essays

Psychologists believe that it is common to consciously repress unpleasant experiences although the unconscious repression of traumatic experiences such as sexual abuse or rape is a defense mechanism that usually backfires (Carroll, 2005). Loftus (1998) wrote an article on â€Å"The Price of Bad Memories† that leaves a room for doubt for people who are contemplating on seeking treatment and those who are already being treated by a psychiatrist. It is difficult for those who are emotionally and psychologically helpless to determine the best possible treatment when their main concern is to seek assistance from mental health professionals who are in the best position to help them gain a better quality of life. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss your opinion of the recovered memory or any similar topic only for you Order Now In many cases, patients who are subjected to hypnosis, guided imagery, influence of drugs and other methods during therapy sessions to uncover unpleasant memories of childhood sexual abuse, rape, satanic ritual abuse and cult activities are also isolated from their families, friends, and the outside world (United States v. Peterson et al. (n. d. ). Hence, implanting false memories into the minds of patients is not only alarming but also unethical and a serious criminal offense. The case of Patricia Burgus and other patients who were diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is a wake-up call to the medical profession. The neglect on the part of the psychiatrist and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center with regards to documenting and safeguarding the tape records of the patient’s therapy sessions may earn a questionable mark on the reputation of the professionals and health centers. Questions with regards to the safekeeping of patients’ records may arise. The mix-up of tapes is an indication that tape recordings are not properly labeled with the patient’s name, date of therapy session and the name of the mental health professional who conducted the therapy. There were also failures on the part of the mental health providers to keep a hard copy of patient’s therapy, treatment and progress. From the cases that were filed, it is apparent that administrators of the hospitals or medical centers do not impose strict policies in terms of securing patients’ records. The conspiracy among the psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and medical centers leads us to a thought provoking situation. As one would seek an answer to the question regarding the hidden motives of several mental health professionals who risk their professions and be subjected to malpractice suits by unjustly collecting insurance payments as a result of exaggerating diagnoses and overstating the need for expensive treatments remains doubtful. Psychiatrists maintain patients who seek their treatment and advice on a regular basis. Hence, deriving income at the risk of their profession and reputation is not a motivating factor. The question of benefiting from insurance payments is unbelievable to some extent although therapy for the treatment of multiple personality disorders may take a long period of time. From the standpoint of a reader who is neither a health professional nor a patient, one may not discount the possibility that these mental health professionals may be subjecting their patients to an experiment in order to test the effectiveness of their technique. However, there is no evidence to prove this accusation. With the multitude of lawsuits filed against the mental health professionals and medical centers regarding claims of corroborated repressed memories, there will be more patients and families who may take advantage of the situation. False accusations regarding misdiagnosis and improper treatment may also grow in numbers as the victims gain awareness of the monetary settlement that may be derived from the litigation. The American Psychological Association (1996) claimed that most people who were sexually abused as children have memories of all or part of what happened to them although they may not fully understand or disclose it. Amidst the controversy on recovered memory, people who are victims of substance and sexual abuse, depression, personal adjustment and problems of relationship should not hesitate to consult their mental health providers. As a precautionary measure, it is important to choose competent professionals and get a referral from the state psychological association in the local community. How to cite Discuss your opinion of the recovered memory, Papers