Saturday, August 31, 2019

Understand the Relationship Between Organizational Structure and Culture.

Task 1: Understand the relationship between organizational structure and culture. P1. 1: Compare and contrast different organisational structure and culture. According to Buchanan and Huczynski, an organisation is a ‘social arrangement for the controlled performance of collective goals’. Chester Barnard described an organisation as ‘a system of co-operative human activities’. Organisation are can be define as; ‘A deliberately formed group of human being with known boundaries and common goal’. Or, a group of people working together to achieved a common goal. There are 2 types of organisation: i. formal organization and ii. Informal organisation. A formal organization is one which is deliberately constructed to fulfil specific goals’. It is characterized by planned division of responsibility and a well-defined structure of authority and communication. ‘An informal organization is one which loosely structured, flexible and spontaneous, fluctuating with its individual membership’. Examples of an informal organization are colleagues who tend to lunch together. Organizational structure: There are many types of organisational structures exist. Following are the common types that include their advantages and disadvantages: A. Geographical organisation: In a structure of geographical, regional or territorial departmentation, some authority is retaining at head office, but day to day operations are handled on a territorial basis. Example: northern region, western region. Advantage: i. There is local decision-making. ii. It may be cheaper to establish local factories or office. Disadvantage: i. Duplication and possible loss of economies of scale might arise. ii. Inconsistency in stander may develop from one area to another. B. Functional organization: functional organization involves grouping together people who perform similar tasks or use similar technology or materials. Primary functions in a manufacturing company might be production, sales, finance marketing and general administration. Advantage: i. Expertise is pooled and related technology/equipment or materials accessed more efficiently. ii. It avoids duplication and offers economies of scale. iii. It makes easier the recruitment, training and motivation of professional specialists. Disadvantage: i. It is organization by inputs and internal processes, rather than by output and customers demand. i. Communication problems may arise between different specialism, with their own culture and language. iii. Poor co-ordination may result, especially in a tall organization structure. C. Product-based organization: Some organizations group activities on the basis of product or product line. Some functional departmentation remains but a divisional manager is g iven responsibility for the product or product line. Example: manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sales. Advantage: i. Accountability. ii. Specialization. iii. Co-ordination. Disadvantage: i. It increased the overhead costs and managerial complexity of the organization. ii. Different product divisions may fail to share resources and customers. D. Matrix organization: Matrix organization crosses functional and product, customer and project organization. Advantages of the matrix organization: i. It attempts to retain the benefits of both structures ( functional organization and project team structure ). ii. Coordinates resources in a way that applies them effectively to different projects. iii. Staff can retain membership on teams and their functional department colleagues. Disadvantages of the matrix organization: i. Potential for conflict between functional vs. project groups. ii. Greater administrative overhead. iii. Increase in managerial overhead E. Centralization and decentralization organization: In a centralised organisation head office (or a few senior managers) will retain the major responsibilities and powers. Conversely decentralised organisations will spread responsibility for specific decisions across various outlets and lower level managers, including branches or units located away from head office/head quarters. An example of a decentralised structure is Tesco the supermarket chain. Each store of Tesco has a store manager who can make certain decisions concerning their store. The store manager is responsible to a regional manager. F. Multi-functional and Multi divisional organization: In a functional structure jobs become differentiated around areas of specialty. For example, accounting and human resource specialists are hired to handle these specialized tasks. These specialists (functional line managers) report to the CEO, but usually have autonomy for day-to-day decision-making, e. . , hiring and firing personnel. The multidivisional structure centres on the use of separate businesses or profit centres. The M-Form is used by many organizations that compete in the global economy. General Electric is an example of a company that uses this structure. Each unit is operated as a separate business with its own corporate staff including President. Some parent companies do little more than provide capital and guide units to an organizational-wide strategy. The overall goal is to maximize the overall organization’s performance. In order to accomplish this, managers at the â€Å"parent† use a combination of strategic and financial controls. G. Internal and external network structure: ‘A behavioral view is that a network is a pattern of social relations over a set of persons, positions, groups, or organizations’. ’ Network organizations are defined by elements of structure, process, and purpose’. A network organization maintains permeable boundaries either internally among business units or externally with other firms. H. Organizational charts: Organization charts, such as those used to traditional way of setting out in diagrammatic form: i. The units (department etc. ) into the organization are divided and how they relate to each other. ii. The formal communication and reporting Chanels of the organization. iii. The structure of authority, responsibility and delegation in the organization including. iv. Any problems in the above: insufficient delegation, long lines communication or unclear authority relationships. I. Span of control: The span of control refers to the number of subordinate immediately reporting to a superior official. The right Span of control is depended are those things: i. A manager’s capabilities limit the span of control. i. The nature of the manager’s work load. iii. Subordinates work. iv. The interaction between subordinates. J. Flexible working: A useful definition of flexible working relates to when, where, how and what work is done: Flexible time:Work is performed at times that better suit the employer and/or employee Flexible place:Work is carried out wherever is most appropriate and effective for the employer and/or employee. Flexible contract:Workers are employed and/or rewarded in non-standard ways. Flexible tasks:Multi-skilled workers are able to undertake a variety of tasks according to need. Organizational culture: Organizational culture (in the sense organizational climate) is the collective’s self-image and style of the organization; its shared values and beliefs, norms and symbols. In the bellow we discuss about various organizational culture: Power culture: This is also known as web structure. This is usually associated with the small organizations. This is where the central character, usually the founder has all authority and is typically surrounded by people they get on with and usually seen with empowerment since there is lot of trust between the webs. There is a central power source and the rays of influence spread out from that central figure. In this type of organization individuals rather than a group make all the decisions. The danger of this sort of culture is that, because it is autocratic, there can be a feeling of suppression and lack of challenge in the workforce. Since this is associated with small organizations there are not many theories associated with it and are only seen in smaller companies, which shows it, will only work on small scale. Role culture: The role culture is typical of bureaucracies. In the role culture, the jobs that people do- their roles – are more important than the people themselves. Managers have power and influence due to their status within the organization and not because of personal influence or expertise. Business would be divided into various functions (e. g. finance, marketing, production etc. ). These would then have a hierarchical ordering of offices (e. g. Finance director, Production manager, Supervisors, operators etc. ). Role cultures can only be successful where the environment in which the business is operating remains stable. Where a business faces rapid change, the role culture is likely to collapse. The large organizations, which can be difficult to control often, have a role culture. Task culture: Task cultures have become very important in business in the first decade of twenty first century. The task culture focuses on getting the job done. Groups or teams within this culture are not fixed but are made up of individuals brought together to achieve a specific task. In the task culture there is a strong emphasis on building the team. Team members will need to share values and aspirations. They will also need to feel valued by the organization they work for. In task culture, teams will often have considerable input in determining how a particular job will be done. Their views and opinions will be listed. Person culture: In a person culture, individuals are central. Person culture is also known as cluster structure. This is very rare and is only associated to small organizations with very short structures and an extremely wide base. This is because they are usually conjoined with the organizations that are specialist in many different areas (universities, many lawyers and scientific researching) there is no real rules, only law associated with the types of experimenting and research. Organizational cultures values and beliefs: i. It affects the motivation and satisfaction of employees. ii. It can aid the adaptability of the organization, by encouraging innovation, risk taking, sensitivity to the environment, customer care, willingness to embrace new methods and technologies. iii. It affects the image of the organization. Development of organizational culture: There are many factors which influence the organizational culture, including the following: i. Economic condition. ii. The nature of the business and its tasks. iii. Leadership style. iv. Policies and practices. v. Structure. vi. Characteristics of the work force. P1. 2: Explain how the relationship between an organizations structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business. Broadly, we can say that a behavioural problem is anything in the behaviour of people-individual, interpersonal and group. At first we discuss about various type of diagnosing and interpersonal behavioural problems; Diagnosing behaviour problem: Diagnosis is the thorough analysis of facts or problem in order to gain understanding. Principles of diagnosis: i. Distinguish the symptom from the problem. ii. Look at the facts. iii. Don’t be simplistic about causes. iv. Focus on the problem, not the person. v. Don’t impose your own judgments. vi. Respect privacy and confidentiality. Methodology of diagnosis: i. Observation. ii. Interview. iii. Questionnaires. iv. Reports. Perception: Perception is the psychological process by which stimuli or in-coming sensory data are selected and organized into patterns which are meaningful to the individual. Perceptual selection: Perceptual selection as determined by any or all of the following: i. The context. ii. The nature of the stimuli. iii. Internal factors. iv. Fear or trauma. Perception and work behavior: Perception and work behavior do are following way: i. Consider whether you might be misinterpreting the situation. ii. Consider whether others might be misinterpreting the situation or interpreting it differently from you. iii. When tacking a task or a problem, get the people involved to define the situation. iv. Be aware of the most common clashes of perception at work. Such as, manager and staff, work culture, race and gender. Attitudes: An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual’s response to all objects and situations with which it is related. Ability and aptitude: there have been many attempts to make a useful distinction between: i. Abilities-thins that people can do or are at- largely believed to be inherited. ii. Aptitudes-the capacity to learn and develop abilities or skill. Intelligence: Intelligence is a wide and complex concept. There are many forms of intelligence: i. Analytic intelligence. ii. Spatial intelligence. ii. Musical intelligence. iv. Physical intelligence. v. Practical intelligence. vi. Intra-personal intelligence. vii. Inter-personal intelligence. P1. 3: Discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work: In the bellow we discuss about various type of individual’s behavior: Personality: personality is the total pattern of characteristic ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that constitute the individuals distinctive method of relating to the environment. Traits and types: Traits are consistently observable properties or the tendency for a person in a particular way. Self and self-image: Self: self has a two component: A. T- the unique, active, impulsive part of the individual, which rises above conformity. And B. Me- the mental process which reflects objectively on the self and measures it against the social norms, values and expectation. Self-image: People have a subjective picture of what their own self is like, this called a self-image. Personality and work behavior: Obviously personalities are complex and individual. Personality and work behavior conflicted in organization; manager will have to consider the following aspect: i. The compatibility of an individual’s personality with the task. ii. The compatibility of an individual’s personality with the systems and management culture of the organization. iii. The compatibility of the individual’s personality with that of others in the team. Where incompatibilities occur, the manager will have to: . Restore compatibility. ii. Achieve compromise. iii. Remove the incompatible personality. Organizational structure and Culture of Sainsbury and Tesco: Sainsbury’s organization structure: The organizational structure of Sainsbury’s is hierarchical because there is series of levels of people and the level above controls each level. Each lev el is the responsibility of the level above. For example senior managers are responsible for the line managers and line managers are responsible for sales assistants. The diagram below shows the downward flow of communication in Sainsbury’s. I think Sainsbury’s structure is between hierarchical and tall structure. Tall structure has many layers but not as many layers as matrix structure and as less as flat structure and this means the information is not a s fast in flat structure and not as slow as in matrix structure. Due to fast flow of communication it is easier and clear between each layer. This when decisions are made they will be specific to order instructions. Strengths of Sainsbury’s structure: i. It gives them a greater sense of unity and purpose as they can see themselves as members of a team. i. It is easier to get help, as they can ask experienced colleagues or take more difficult problems to boss. iii. It makes easier to carry out joint projects as everyone involved is working together. iv. There are economies of scale as specialist staff can do more work efficiently. v. Communications from top to bottom are better, as there are definite channels through which orders can flow. Weakness of this structure: i. Hierarchies usually have tall organizational structures with seven or eight levels of authority. This means that there is long chain of command. i. Each employee is concerned mainly with his or her own function, or specialized work, and often has only employees in other departments. iii. There is natural tendency for managers to protect the interest of their own department. This may make them more concerned with office politics than with the interests of the whole firm. iv. The hierarchical system emphasizes status. This creates divisions in the firm, which are reflected in separate car-parking spaces for managers, longer holidays for white-collar workers and separate canteen for blue-collar workers. Tesco organization structure: Tesco has a hierarchical/pyramid structure. In Tesco organisational chart they have more levels and they have more employees at down level. In hierarchical structure each functional area has many staff to do a particular task they are specialised in the job. Each person has a job role and there will be a specific salary for the job. In a hierarchical structure the communication can be distorted because their chains of command are long. When messages pass from top level to the bottom level they receive a message slightly different message than the one they intended to receive. In hierarchical structure the staffs at the bottom level feels that the manager at the top has no idea what they think or do. In a hierarchical structure many people have to be consulted before a decision is made. This means that the company is slow in responding to changes. The span of control is less in Tesco because they have many levels and the span of control explains the person who is responsible for you. For example if a store manager has 4 sections manager then his span of control are four. In hierarchical there is a good promotion prospectus because of many levels. Sainsbury’s organizational culture: Sainsbury is a varied company and I don’t feel it can safely be placed into any of these categories, but I will say it’s a mixture between Role culture and Task culture. Since Sainsbury is a big organization there can be many things at once, I feel Sainsbury has taken the best attributes of the two and made their own Sainsbury’s culture. This includes: – i. Very tall and board structure but with many web links. ii. Strict communication channels low down. iii. Jobs, not people lowdown (but they do get their say when needed). iv. Jobs suited to the task in the central range. . Communication between departments by knowledgeable workers (not manual laborers). vi. Formal communication going up the hierarchy. All these are associated with the two cultures and so Sainsbury can’t be defined to one group. Since Human culture is a mixture of hundreds of separate culture trying to produce the best of all words. In my opinion Sainsbury’s would more suite the Role culture since the formal structure also emphasizes this by adding a rigid structure you add a formality quality or a freedom associated with the person, thus the job is more than the employee, which is the role culture. These two also dictate the management style because Role culture has important job. There is communication with the job not the person, this is autocratic because the person has no say. The structure means there is a formality also so Sainsbury is a formal business and this means all jobs are done in formal and this should increase production by having quick workers who don’t have to think. All the difference influences each other because they all have an effect on certain aspects of the company. They all knock on to each other and manipulate the finer points of each. Tesco organizational culture: Tesco’s corporate culture can be determined from its corporate responsibility statements, which describe its core values and core ideologies as well as some aspects of cultural artifacts. Tesco’s stated core priorities include: i. Ensuring community, corporate responsibility and sustainability are at the heart of our business. ii. Being a good neighbor and being responsible, fair and honest. iii. Considering our social, economic and environmental impact as we make our decisions. (Tesco, 2008) These values have had a significant impact on the way in which Tesco does business, as well as its inancial performance. For example, its expansion into California was designed to be not only profitable, but also socially responsible. As in the United Kingdom, American inner cities have a food supply problem wherein there are few large supermarkets and the smaller supermarkets do not have an adequate supply of fresh foods, including fruits, vegetables and proteins. How the relationships structure and culture can impact Sainsbury and Tesco’s performance: Tesco’s organisational structure is a hierarchical structure. In a hierarchical structure the communication can be distorted as messages pass from one level to another means that the staff at the bottom level receive a slightly a different message than the message they intent to receive it. Many people’s have to be consulted before a decision is made so the company is slow in responding to changes and challenges. This means they cannot provides quick services to their customers and it is going to affect in terms of sales and profit but there is an advantage that if everybody is consulted they will come out with the best results. In hierarchical structure there are specific functional areas and job roles. The employees can be easily identified and given training so they can provide good services to their customers. Hierarchical structure has good delegations because they are many people’s with specialised skills are working here so they can easily assign their subordinates for a particular task. The span of control is less than the flat structures. In hierarchical structures they have good promotion prospectus so the staff are motivated and they provides good services to their customers. I think that the impact of the organizational structure has an excellent impact on Sainsbury due to the staff of Sainsbury working hard and being highly motivated in the work that they do, and the customer service that they provide for the customers that shop at Sainsbury. This is due to the human resources function of Sainsbury recruiting staff that they feel is suitable to work at Sainsbury, this could be due to the experience, qualifications, and availability of the member of staff working at Sainsbury. The finance function helps Sainsbury by the accountants keeping accounts up to date, this is an advantage because this has an impact on Sainsbury by enabling it to see if the financial factors of Sainsbury are improving or declining, and if new targets should be set, and if new objectives should be made. The marketing function has an impact on Sainsbury by the way that it helps the supermarket grow bigger by the advertisement campaigns it launches to make potential customers of Sainsbury notice what Sainsbury has to offer them. Task2: Understand different approaches to management and leadership. P2. : Compare the effectiveness of different leadership style in different organizations. In the below we discuss about various type of management style: Scientific management: According to Fredrick Winslow Taylor, â€Å"Scientific management means knowing exactly what you want men to do and seeing that they do it in the best and the cheapest way. † Classical administration: Henri Fayo l was a French industrialist, according to him, the idea that all organizations could be structured managed according to certain rational principle. Bureaucracy: An organization structured on classical lines is often identified as a bureaucracy. Human relations approach: The human relations approach emphasised the importance of human attitudes, values and relationships for the efficient and effective functioning of work organizations. Systems approach: Systems approach described as which consists of interdependent parts. Every system has a boundary which defines what it is ‘inside’ what is ‘outside’ the system. Contingency approach: The contingency approach to organization developed as a reaction to the idea that there are universal principles for designing organization, motivating staff and others. In the below we discuss about some function of management: Planning: This essentially means looking to the future. It involves selecting the ends which the organization wishes to achieve. Organizing: The work to be done must be divided and structured into task and jobs. Commanding: Fayol called this maintaining activity among the personal. Co-ordination: this is the task of harmonizing the activities of individuals and groups within the organization. Controlling: This is the task of monitoring the activities of individual and groups. P2. : Explain how organizational theory underpins the practice of management In the below we discuss about various managerial role: Interpersonal Roles: Interpersonal roles process and outlined three basic roles. Those are: i. Figurehead. ii. Leader. iii. Liaison. Informational role: A manager is likely to have a wider network of contacts within and outside the organization than his subordinates. So he is the best parson to gather and spread information. Decisional roles: The manager’s formal authority and access to information put him in a strong position to take decisions. In the below we discuss about nature of managerial authority: Power: Power is the ability to do something or get others to do it. Authority: Authority is the right to do something or to get others to do it. Responsibility: Responsibility is the liability of a person to be called to account for the way he was exercised the authority given to him. Delegation: Delegation is the process whereby superior A gives subordinate B authority over a defined area which falls within the scope of A’s own authority. P2. 3: Evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organizations. Opportunist: The opportunist action-logic is aimed at controlling their environment in order to survive. Typically development has been blocked by a legacy of mistrust, egocentrism and manipulativeness. The title for this action-logic denotes a tendency to focus on personal wins and to see relationships as opportunities to be exploited. From the opportunist action-logic, the world is highly competitive. Only the fittest individuals survive and, since the opportunist assumes everybody else is also operating from this frame of reference, competition rather than collaboration is the only viable course of action. Diplomat: Moving away from the â€Å"anything-goes-that-serves-me† framework of the Opportunist, Diplomats are aware of group strength over individual power. Thus, they seek to belong to established groups which may be based on kinship, club, church or profession. Since power comes from affiliation with others, rules and social norms are followed to seek approval and safeguard status as a group member. Achiever: Leaders who have developed this action-logic can be both challenging and supportive, creating a positive atmosphere both inside the team and external to the team. They represent approximately 30% of the general managerial population and are tightly focused on deliverables. People whose developmental focus is on the Achiever action-logic have a more complex and integrated understanding of the world than do managers who display the previous three action logics. Strategist: At 4% of leaders, people who have developed to this action-logic are likely to be found in less conventional settings. If they have survived life in the Public service, they are likely to have developed a reputation as transformational leaders. They distinguish themselves from Individualists through their focus on organizational constraints and perceptions, which they treat as discussible and transformable. Transformational: Transformational leadership occurs when the leader and the follower elevates one another to higher levels of motivation and morality. Carlson (1996) points out that Burns felt that leadership theories developed up to the mid-seventies were lacking ethical/moral dimensions so he elaborated on his exchange theory which maintains that followers play a crucial role in the definition of leadership. This theory is made up of power relations and entails bargaining, trading and compromise among leaders and followers. Management styles and leadership used in Tesco’s: Tesco’s tend to use autocratic because the company needs too or the e tasks won’t be carried out within the business, also decisions need to be made quickly or they won’t be done for example a task that is set for a shelf filler to put the milk out but hasn’t been told to put the milk out because the management are still deciding who’s going to put what out, so the milk would be still sat in the storage room and the customers cant buy it. So if the management didn’t use autocratic then Tesco’s wouldn’t be run sufficiently. Tesco also uses management by objectives. They use this because they state to each employee in their appraisals what their objectives are for a certain period. Also each manager is set objectives by their line manager for their team for example the sales team’s objective that has been set is to increase the amount of customers using Tesco by 25%. The way in which Tesco is structured and managed. (Management at Tesco. † 123HelpMe. com. 05 Jan 2012 . ) Management styles and leadership used in Sainsbury’s: If a company adopts the consultative style, then the person may well set the objectives and this would mean a lesser extent of pushing to achieve objectives. In my opinion Sainsbury uses a mixture of two types of management style. First being autocratic means the objectives would be set up and to a good standard; they will want the most work out of their subordinates, to gain maximum value. For the key areas of operations: Sainsbury is using autocratic management style, for setting its objectives, policies at top management level. They also use democratic management style. These would be set to gain maximum revenue they would want this and strive to get this because this style is associated with the managerial levels and will mean they get bonuses. For overall working of the organization at middle management levels and lower management levels, the style of Sainsbury is democratic, because the area of operations is widely decentralized and for the implementation of policies in three different segments, policies should be consulted with the local personal, which are specially appointed for this purpose. As they know the inner constraints, strengths of that particular segment. Task3: Understand ways of using motivational theories in organization. P3. 1: Discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organizations in periods of change. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs: The basis of Maslow's theory of motivation is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be addressed. Per the teachings of Abraham Maslow, there are general needs (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) which have to be fulfilled before a person is able to act unselfishly. These needs were dubbed â€Å"deficiency needs. † While a person is motivated to fulfill these basal desires, they continue to move toward growth, and eventually self-actualization. The satisfaction of these needs is quite healthy. While preventing their gratification makes us ill or act evilly. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Chart As a result, for adequate workplace motivation, it is important that leadership understands which needs are active for individual employee motivation. In this regard, Abraham Maslow's model indicates that basic, low-level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be atisfied before higher-level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued. As depicted in this hierarchical diagram, sometimes called ‘Maslow's Needs Pyramid' or ‘Maslow's Needs Triangle', when a need is satisfied it no longer motivates and the next higher need takes its place. Herzberg’s theory: Hygiene Factors Hygiene factors are based on the need to for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. If these factors are considered inadequate by employees, then they can cause dissatisfaction with work. Hygiene factors include: – Company policy and administration Wages, salaries and other financial remuneration – Quality of supervision – Quality of inter-personal relations – Working conditions – Feelings of job security Motivator Factors Motivator factors are based on an individual's need for personal growth. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. If they are effective, then they can motivate an individual to achieve above-average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: – Status – Opportunity for advancement – Gaining recognition – Responsibility – Challenging / stimulating work Sense of personal achievement & personal growth in a job McGregor’s theory X and Y: Theory X Theory X assumes that the average person: †¢Disl ikes work and attempts to avoid it. †¢Has no ambition, wants no responsibility, and would rather follow than lead. †¢Is self-centered and therefore does not care about organizational goals. †¢Resists change. †¢Is gullible and not particularly intelligent. Essentially, Theory X assumes that people work only for money and security. Theory Y The higher-level needs of esteem and self-actualization are continuing needs in that they are never completely satisfied. As such, it is these higher-level needs through which employees can best be motivated. Theory Y makes the following general assumptions: †¢Work can be as natural as play and rest. †¢People will be self-directed to meet their work objectives if they are committed to them. †¢People will be committed to their objectives if rewards are in place that address higher needs such as self-fulfillment. †¢Under these conditions, people will seek responsibility. †¢Most people can handle responsibility because creativity and ingenuity are common in the population. Vroom and Expectancy theories: Essentially, expectancy theory states that the strength of an individual’s motivation to do something will depend on the extent to which he expects the result of his efforts, if successfully achieved, to contribute towards his personal needs or goals. Maccoby, Mccrac and costa: There is relative consensus on a five-factor structure of personality, based on a bipolar taxonomy of underlying traits, which is supported by factor analyses of extensive lists of trait adjectives. The five broad personality dimensions are commonly labeled extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness. It should be noted that these dimensions are not types, meaning that personality is made up of scores on the five dimensions. Motivation and performance: Motivation, as it most nearly concerns the manager, is the controlling of the work environment and the offering of rewards in such a way as to encourage extra performance from employees. Rewards and incentives: A reward is a token (monetary or otherwise) given to an individual or team in recognition of some contribution or success. An incentive is the offer or promise of a reward for contribution or success, designed to motivate the individual or team to behave in such a way as to earn it. Motivation and manager: Managers are constantly searching for ways to create a motivational environment where associates (employees) to work at their optimal levels to accomplish company objectives. Workplace motivators include both monetary and non-monetary incentives. Monetary and Non-monetary rewards: The purpose of monetary incentives is to reward associates for excellent job performance through money. Monetary incentives include profit sharing, project bonuses, stock options and warrants, scheduled bonuses (e. g. , Christmas and performance-linked), and additional paid vacation time. Traditionally, these have helped maintain a positive motivational environment for associate. The purpose of non-monetary incentives is to reward associates for excellent job performance through opportunities. Non-monetary incentives include flexible work hours, training, pleasant work environment, and sabbaticals. P3. 2: Compare the application of different motivational theories within the work place. Leadership in organization: This definition is similar to Northouse's (2007, p3) definition — Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Managers and leaders: Influence is the process by which an individual or group exercises power to determine or modify the behavior of others. Leadership traits: People who believe that leaders are born are likely to buy into the Traits Theory. This theory basically centers itself on the leader. What are the qualities of a leader? Now if you look at the different leaders of the world, companies or armies they all carry certain traits. It is believed that if one carries these characteristics then one is likely to become a leader. So, this theory defines what are the qualities that a leader should posses rather than leadership. If one is a leader then these leadership traits should be present. Management style: Managers have to perform many roles in an organization and how they handle various situations will depend on their style of management. There are two sharply contrasting styles that will be broken down into smaller subsets later: oAutocratic oPermissive Each style has its own characteristics: Autocratic: Leader makes all decisions unilaterally. Permissive: Leader permits subordinates to take part in decision making and also gives them a considerable degree of autonomy in completing routine work activities. Contingency approach: The Contingency Theory takes in consideration the weaknesses of the previous theories. Since leadership functions in a dynamic situation, it is only logical that different styles and traits will work in different situations. The Contingency Theory takes into consideration the context where leadership is exercised. P3. 3: Evaluate the usefulness of a Motivation theory for managers. Leadership and successful change in organizations: Pluralistic: inclusive enough consistent with the needs of pluralistic leadership. Such organizations emphasize hierarchy, authority and structure over participation and inclusiveness. Pluralistic leadership results in diversity and diversity results in pluralistic leadership (Bass, 1990; Millman and Kanter, 1986). Pluralistic leadership is very consistent with notions of participation of all in the leadership decisions and the understanding of multiple perspectives within the organization and outside it (Kezar, 2000). Transformational: It depends on two main points of view: – The theoretical, and – The applied Theoretical definitions come from those that study leadership, who have the formal qualifications to write long dissertations on the subject. This body of knowledge is fantastic for grounding in the subject and to get into the depth of the potential implications, especially when it comes to the morals and ethics department. The applied is the interpretation, and then applied action in a specific field of endeavor. We’ll use the personal, organizational, and global contexts for this purpose. You will have your own applied experience, or not, depending on where you are on your own personal Transformational Leadership journey. Communications: The closest definition of a communication leader is Gramsci’s definition of the organic intellectual – which Gramsci essentially sees as a leader. Gramsci sees in the intellectual not only as a leader but also as a poet, thinker, reader and activist. Sainsbury’s motivational theories: Sainsbury agree that employees are their most important assets and need to be treated fairly. The good performance of employee’s management s has an effect on the organization's success, in terms of profitability. Sainsbury give out financial rewords to most people who complete the training programme. Training is designed to keep employees motivated and is convinced to complete their training by rewarding them with financial gain. Motivation comprises of the need for employees and controls their action. Using motivation techniques can improve productivity and customer service. Also employee satisfaction leads to good service that leads to customer satisfaction. Maslows- Hierarchy of needs This theory is based on meeting staff needs with in the workplace and suggests that meeting their needs can lead to be fill are: – Self- fulfillment- researching your full potential Self-esteem needs- status and recognition, achievement and independence Social needs- love, friendship, a sense of belonging part of a team Safety needs- protection against danger, fair treatment, job security Physiological needs- food, rest and shelter Mc Gregor- Theory x and theory y They are two types of main types of managers. Theory x managers tend to have the point of view that the average dislikes and will try to avoid it. Therefore the managers must control direct and punish them to get them to work towards business objectives. Theory y suggests that the ordinary person does not dislike work; it all depends on the conditions in which the work takes place. If people are committed to objectives, they will be motivated towards achieving them the biggest motivation factor is the personal satisfaction of completing the job. (â€Å"A Report on Sainsbury's Resource Management. † 123HelpMe. com. 5 Jan 2012 . Tesco motivational theories: Tesco is Britain’s largest retailer. It now has over 2,200 stores. As well as food, it also sells other products such as insurance and banking. To support growth, Tesco needs staffs who are motivated. It achieves this by increasing their knowledge, skills and job satisfaction through training and reward systems. Needs: Self-fulfill: Tesco offers Personal Developme nt Plans, recognition of skills and talents, opportunity for promotion and career progression programmed. Career discussions feed into Tesco’s Talent Planning meetings. The Options fast-track management programmed provides a route for capable staff to reach higher levels. Self-esteem: Tesco values emphasize self-respect and respect for others and praise for hard work, its self assessment, 360 degree feedback and appraisal system help to recognize individuals’ contributions and importance and celebrate achievement. Social needs: Tesco promotes team and group working at various levels; The Company ‘Steering Wheel’ assesses individual and group work and enables store staff to work as a team. Working conditions and a home-from-home ethos encourages long service. Basic/physical needs Security needs: Tesco provides the security of formal contracts of employment as well as pension and sickness schemes and the option to join a union to give people a sense of belonging. It ensures health and safety in the workplace. Basic/physical needs: This would include a place of work, regular monthly pay and essential facilities such as a restaurant or lockers for personal belongings. Tesco provides motivation for its staff through many different routes. Reviews and personal development plans ensure that employees are able to develop and grow. This benefits both staff and the business. (The Times 100 Edition 15 | www. hetimes100. co. uk) EDITION Task 4: Understand mechanisms for developing effective teamwork in organizations. P4. 1: Explain the nature of groups and group behavior within organizations. Groups: Groups in business organizations are, in effect, sub-organizations and they require management for controlled performance of collective goals, not only their own collective goals, but those of the business organization as a whole. Definition of group is ‘A group is any collection of people who perceive them to be a group’. Informal group and formal group: Informal groups will invariably be present in any organization. Informal groups include workplace cliques and networks of people who regularly get together to exchange information, groups of mates who socialize outside work and so on. Formal groups, put together by the organization, will have formal structure and a function for which they are held responsible, they are task oriented and become teams. Team: A team is a formal group established to achieve particular objectives. Purpose of teams: i. Team allows the performance of tasks. ii. Team encourages exchange of knowledge and ideas or creation of new ideas. iii. The power of the team over individual behavior can be both: control and motivator. Selecting team members: A manager is able to select team members, he or she shuld aim to match some requirement: i. Specialist skills and knowledge. ii. Experience. iii. Political power in the organization. iv. Access to resources, v. Competence. Team roles: RM Bellbin researched business-game teams at the Carnegie Institute of technology. He developed a picture of the character-mix in team, which many people fine a useful guide to team selection and management. Bellbin suggests effective team is made following eight roles: i. The Co-coordinator. ii. The shaper. iii. The plant. iv The monitor and evaluator. . The resource investigator. vi. The implementer. vii. The team worker. Viii. The finisher. Multi-disciplinary teams: Multi-disciplinary teams bring together individuals with different skills and specialism’s, so that their skills, experience and knowledge can be pooled or exchanged. Teambuilding: The team building goal in this learning journey is to help participants devel op increased awareness of team dynamics, practical skills for maximizing team performance, and developing a belief in the power of teamwork. Team building assists participants in planning specific improvements in the way the team operates. Participants will gain an integrated set of skills that can be applied anytime and anywhere, while enhancing their team performance, leadership abilities, and team unity. The result of applying these skills will be serious TEAMWORK – not teamwork in the ordinary sense, but something stronger, more committed, more productive, and more personal. Team identity: A manager may be able to increase his work groups sense of itself as a team by any or all the following means: i. Giving the team a name. ii. Giving team a badge or uniform. iii. Expressing the team’s self-image. iv. Building a team mythology. Commitment to shared belief: All team members must agree on what the team is trying to accomplish. Teams work much harder if members have a say in team goals and focus. Having team members discuss and decide on team goals would foster this sense of team commitment. P4. 2: Discuss factors that may promote or inhabit the development of effective teamwork in organizations. Group norms: The rules of behavior that are part of the ideology of the group. Norms tend to reflect the values of the group and specify those actions that are proper and those that are inappropriate, as well as rewards for adherence and the punishment for conformity. Group decision-making behavior: As we noted, empowerment involves groups in decision-making. This can be having benefited where: i. Pooling skills, information and ideas. ii. Participation in the decision-making process makes the discussion acceptable of the group. Dysfunctional team: Dysfunctional is defined as â€Å"abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction within a group†. Most definitions state that a team is dysfunctional when individuals strive to conform to the prevailing thought processes or decisions within the group, at the expense of feelings of individual responsibility or personal views. Cohesiveness: Cohesiveness is generally defined as â€Å"the resultant of all forces acting on all the members to remain in the group† (Cartwright, 1968, p. 91). Group cohesiveness is one of the essential concepts for understanding group dynamics (Zander, 1979) studied for its conceptual similarity with teamwork. P4. 3: Evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within a given organization. Technology: Technology teams share a common goal: all members are dedicated to helping writing project site leadership meet local needs and priorities through the wise integration and implementation of technology. But while these tech teams generally have a similar purpose, the ways in which writing project sites have gone about establishing and using their technology teams are as nuanced as the sites themselves. Communication: One way to start developing a communications strategy is to look at the nature of the different kinds of work the team will be doing and what kind of communication is needed to support that work. There is a continuum which describes how individuals (or sub-groups) on the team are working from autonomously to interdependently. For example, there may be some tasks unique to a specific country which team members can do on their own without interacting with anyone else on the team. Other product-related projects may require more collaboration among team members in different parts of the region. Change: All these changes in organizations have changed how teams are formed and how they operate. Teams have changed: From fixed team membership all team members drawn from within the organization team members are dedicated 100% to the team team members are co-located organizationally and geographically teams have a fixed starting and ending point eams are managed by a single manager To shifting team membership team members can include people from outside the organization (clients, collaborators) most people are members of multiple teams team members are distributed organizationally and geographically teams form and reform continuously teams have multiple reporting relationships with different parts of the organizatio n at different times Network and virtual teams: The nature of teams has changed significantly because of changes in organizations and the nature of the work they do. Organizations have become more distributed across geography and across industries. Relationships between people inside an organization and those previously considered outside (customers, suppliers, managers of collaborating organizations, other stakeholders) are becoming more important. Organizations have discovered the value of collaborative work. There is a new emphasis on knowledge management – harvesting the learning of the experience of members of the organization so that it is available to the whole organization. Global and cross-culture teams: Cross-cultural training usually occurs as an integral component of training that's designed primarily to attain a broader objective. Two of GROVEWELL's Global Leadership Programs provide examples. †¢Influencing Colleagues across Organizational Units & Mindsets is primarily about influencing colleagues within global organizations, but is infused with the intercultural perspective. †¢Working Effectively on International Projects is primarily for the managers and staff of global projects; it, too, is infused with the intercultural perspective. Effective teamwork in Sainsbury: General theories of work design suggest that groups can humanize work with group tasks designed to create meaningful work. Team working is associated with higher job satisfaction according to job characteristics and participative management theories. The variety of tasks in teams encourages workers to learn and use different skills and rotate between jobs to reduce the boredom of repetitive work. This enables team members to share a sense of collective responsibility for work in their area and to develop the mix of skills necessary for effective work teams who share both identification with a common task and mutual beliefs. Teams also make possible employee participation in goal setting, thereby enhancing intrinsic motivation for team members. www. sainsburys. co. uk J Sainsbury plc Annual Report and Financial Statements 2005 accessed through www. sainsburys. co. uk) Effective teamwork in Tesco: We treat people how we like to be treated. We want our people to enjoy working at Tesco. Our people do a great job each and every day by giving our customers the best possible shopping trip. By creating an open e nvironment of trust and respect, our people feel supported, they share their knowledge and experience and work hard to give our customers great service. We support our people, trusting in their ability to deliver while helping them to reach their full potential. We encourage our people to learn on the job and take responsibility from day one. Giving our people an opportunity to get on in their careers is very important. With the increasing breadth of the Tesco business, our people have a great opportunity to develop their skills and experience across new product areas, services and countries. Every year, we build our plans for the year around our People Promises. We want all of our people across all of our markets to: †¢ be treated with respect; †¢ have an opportunity to get on; †¢ have a manager who helps them; and †¢ have an interesting job. It’s through our People Promises and our benefits package that we are proud to say that our people stay with us for a long time. Around half of our Director population has at least 12 years’ service. Effective teamwork in Asda: Asda changes Norman outlines – in the way people work together and communicate with each other – are more complex. The company's goal is to become a genuine leader in fresh foods and clothing – making the George brand a ‘real brand', second in the UK to Marks & Spencer's St Michael – and also to create an ‘organization which is the preferred place to work', offering customer service ‘with a personality derived from the heart of the company'. One change has, accordingly, been in the approach to recruitment, which now aims to seek out people for the stores who really do want to serve the customers and who genuinely like selling. There is no point, he remarks, in employing people who won't like the ‘Asda Way of Working'. This is the name given to the new approach, intended to transform the old culture, which had grown autocratic and slow-moving, to one where all members of Asda feel involved in improving the business – the equivalent, within the context of a corporation, of market-stallholders, who run their own show, and who engage actively with their customers. (http://www. managementtoday. co. uk/news/410110/UK-ASDAS-OPEN-PLAN Bibliography: Reference: 1. HNC, HND BTEC Business Course Book, Organization behavior, Unit-3, first edition September 2000, publishing BPP, ISBN 0 7517 70337.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Music Affects Mood Essay

Music is any form of sound in a synchronized pattern that affects the brainwaves. Together with many instruments, an emotional harmony is created that can single-handedly manipulate human emotion. When music manipulates emotion to an extreme degree, the practice can become an addiction. There are many causes for being a music addict. It provides an artificial sanctuary, bringing out the emotion that a person is feeling. Music is limitless; there is no end to its boundaries. Music affects how you feel, react, and learn. I can be in the best of moods, then listen to a sad song and start to feel depressed. You listen to something more upbeat your mood will lighten, and you become happier. Music’s ability to â€Å"heal the soul† is the stuff of legend in every culture. Many people find that music lifts their spirits. Modern research tends to confirm music’s psychotherapeutic benefits. Bright, cheerful music (e.g. Mozart, Vivaldi, bluegrass, Klezmer, Salsa, reggae) is the most obvious prescription for the blues. Animals are similar. You play rock and roll and they usually run out of the room, at least mine do. But if you put on some jazz or especially classical, they lie down and close their eyes. It is soothing and calming. Jazz, blues, soul or calypso music can uplift and inspire us, releasing deep joy or even deep sadness, conveying wit and affirming our common humanity. People will also recognize happy faces if they are feeling happy themselves. A new study by researcher Jacob Jolij and student Maaike Meurs of the Psychology Department of the University of Groningen shows that music has an even more dramatic effect on perception: even if there is nothing to see, people sometimes still see happy faces when they are listening to happy music and sad faces when they are listening to sad music. Pretty interesting, but this notion really makes sense. The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozart’s music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, activates the left and right brain. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and re tention of information. The information being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing, cause the brain to be more capable of processing information. Classical music, such as Haydn and Mozart, often improves concentration and memory when played in the background. When I am studying or writing, I want just soft back ground music. Because when I’m listening to upbeat hip-hop or lyrical music, I tend to concentrate on the words more than my studies or book. Also if I’m writing and I’m listening to a lyrical song I tend to write the words in the songs other than what I need to be writing, without thinking about it! I have seen moms in movies put headphones around their tummy when they are pregnant and play classical music such as Mozart because they wanted their children to grow up being smart. Clinical researchers at the U.C.L.A School of Nursing in Los Angeles, and at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, found that premature babies gained weight faster and were able to use oxygen more efficiently when they listened to soothing music. Some rhythms, such as Baroque, induce enzymes in the brain and add amazing well being and focus. Slower Baroque music, such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi or Corelli, can create mentally stimulating environments for creativity and new innovations. I hear people complaining about baroque and classical music being boring, but if that kind of music was never around, then the music we have now would not exist. So I appreciate it, and I agree with the fact it helps people study and feel more creative. Romantic music, such as Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Liszt, enhances our senses and increases a sense of sympathy and love. Liszt was a ladies’ man, and piano master. Some consider his music vulgar and bombastic; others revel in its extroverted romantic rhetoric. Chopin’s pieces were elegant and peaceful. He composed a lot of nocturnal and waltz’s. Chopin, at the age of 10 he was often summoned to play for the Grand Duke Constantine, governor of Poland. The Duke had recurring seizures of madness which could seemingly be controlled only by Chopin’s music. When the little boy played, the seizures abated and the governor could resume his normal activities, only to send for Chopin again when the musical medicine wore off. The Schumann’s were a couple who wrote music together. But before they married Mr. Schumann composed a song about the little girl he taught and would later marry, Chiarina. His wife wrote too, but she preferred to perform. Their love story is sweet and so is their music. This is the reason why this time period was called Romantic, music and musicians were more free and felt love. Rock music, from Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones, stirs passion and activity, and so can release daily tensions. Rock can also mask pain and cover up unpleasant noises. It also has the power to create dissonance, stress or physical pain if we are not in the mood for energizing. Keep in mind that listening to too much pop and hard rock music can make a person more jittery than energized. I know that a lot of guys like to listen it in the workout room to get pumped up. But those who worked out while listening to Vivaldi scored higher in a test of cognitive function. I like a little bit of rock, as it definitely opened the doors for different music to come through. Heavy metal and hip-hop music excites our nervous system, and sometimes leads us into acting out dynamic behavior and self-expression.. I understand you may not want to listen to happy-go-lucky music when you are upset, but why would you listen to something so heavy that it makes you want to bang ones head on something. The words in metal and hip-hop are words we want to say but don’t have the courage to. So we just listen and close our eyes, and it is our song for three minutes because the singers understand. It’s very pumped up and ready to fire off. Hip-hop is dance-able and heavy metal is someone just screaming or yelling for you when you want to. Country music is similar in that it features messages with which listening can identify. A lot of couples use country songs as â€Å"our song†. It has evolved over the years and women have a bigger role in this than any other genre. I have compared some old country music to the newer releases. Now performers sing about more than a truck, drinking, dogs, and a girl. But most country music does have a girl mentioned somewhere. Perhaps that’s the southern way of being romantic, strumming a guitar and singing about one’s lady. But then I have heard that is one of the genres that don’t promote happy feelings. In fact, supposedly country music has been linked to depression and suicide. Suicide rates for Cauca sian Americans living in metropolitan areas are higher in those cities where more country music is played on the radio. If you find yourself feeling down and depressed, country music is definitely not the music you want to be listening to. I don’t know if I agree with that, I just think that country is mostly just good southern music. I don’t listen to it all the time, but occasionally I like the sound and feeling down to earth, unless I just happen to be picking the better songs. I try to pick song without bad language or vulgar meaning. There are better things out there than that. Listening to music with vulgar meaning or language affects how we react and what we think about. Amy Winehouse wrote about drugs, drinking and rehab. Then later she died due to those causes. Was her personal life influenced by being awarded for singing about it? Somewhat unsettling in my opinion. Rap artists use such vulgar language and degrade women why do we listen to it or put up with it. It makes us women look like a piece of meat: Young adults, both male and female, who listen to rap music, are generally more accepting of violence towards women. Rap songs are more known to promote angry feelings than any other. However, there are numerous people who state that rap music makes them feel more relaxed. Others feel more energetic and happy because a lot of rap music promotes dancing and movement. This genre is just one of the examples of music with diverse results. Rap is not music, as it lacks any musical parts. It is rhyming over a beat that the rapper did not usually originally create. And if Mozart heard it, I think he would have a stern talking to that person. But enough of rap, let get into something everyone can associate music with. Music plays a huge part in movies also. When directors want a certain emotion coming out of that scene, they get someone to compose a song. As both music and film sequences are structured in time according to the viewers’ perception, there is a strong link between the two when played together. A viewer has two perceptual modes whilst watching film and listening to music, real time or ontological applies to where the viewer/listener perceives each note or movement, and psychological time in which the composition/film is perceived more subjectively and the viewer takes what they see/hear as a whole. Like â€Å"Jaws,† when the shark shows up, it plays that classic song that everyone can quote. It puts you on the edge of your seat because you know something will happen. I just got done watching â€Å"Parent Trap,† starring Lindsay Lohan, for the millionth time. In the movie when the mom hugs her other daughter for the first time in eleven years, the music gets higher and just more flowing and elegant. It made me cry, but when I muted it, it just like watching a moving scene. Not readily really feeling anything, you had to try to base your feeling on the actor’s facial expressions. To summon up here is an overall look on people opinions. I found a really neat survey that people all over the world took. Here is each question and the highest chosen answer for each. How does classical music affect your mood? 69 people answered this question and 45 said relaxed. How does rock/metal music affect your mood? 83 people answered and 25 people said both angry and happy and coming in close behind 23 said anxious. How does jazz affect your mood? 72 people answered and 35 said relaxed. How does hip-hop music affect your mood? 68 people answered and 24 said happy and coming in close behind 21 said anxious. How does country music affect your mood? This was a really close one. 75 people answered. 8 people said anxious, 15 people said angry, 16 people said relaxed, and then 18 people tied between depressed and happy. It’s really a powerful drug. Music can POISON you, lift your spirits, or MAKE YOU SICK without knowing why. Music is used everywhere to condition the human mind. It can be just as powerful as a drug and much more dangerous, because nobody takes musical manipulation very seriously. There is just so much to say about different genres and how they can affect people. No music is neutral. All of it affects your brain and emotions, as well as physical and spiritual being. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. â€Å"Addiction to Music†, November 13, 2008, http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/20776.html, (accessed March 26, 2012) [ 2 ]. â€Å"How Music Affects Us and Promotes Our Health,† 2011, http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/music.shtml, (accessed March 8, 2012) [ 3 ]. Dr. Ellen Weber, â€Å"The Brain On Music, November 14, 2008, http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/multiple-intelligences/musical/the-brain-on-music/, (accessed March 8, 2012) [ 4 ]. University of Groningen, â€Å"Research Show Music Changes Perception,† April 27, 2011, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110427101606.htm, (accessed March 7, 2012) [ 5 ]. â€Å"How Music Affects Us and Promotes Our Health,† 2011, http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/music.shtml, (accessed March 7, 2012) [ 6 ]. Dr. Ellen Weber, â€Å"The Brain On Music,† November 14, 2008,

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Personal Family History Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Family History Assignment - Essay Example The National Geographic with its partners has taken it upon themselves to extensively provide an answer to this question. Through the ‘Human Genome Project,’ they have mjapped out a landmark undertaking to understand how different people ended up where they are today. In this study, they have found that all human beings descended from African ancestors approximately 60, 000 years ago. In essence, this is where we all started. The Genographic Project imparts details of ancient migration. Headed by Dr. Spencer Wells and his team of international scientists including IBM researchers, they have exhausted genetic computational technologies to investigate DNA patterns from participants around the globe (National Geographic Society, â€Å"A Landmark Study of the Human Journey†). What makes this interesting is the stories unraveled through the course of the project. Furthermore, public participation is encouraged where those who willingly submitted, through their DNA samples has found interesting trivia about themselves. Most of the results stunned the participants. One daughter even commented how her father who had already passed away was assured he was partly Nordic because of his blond hair and blue eyes. He was so sure that he even claimed his ancestors were Vikings. It turns out that he belongs to the haplogroup which points out that they are Phoenicians. A result so far off than what they initially thought and led to further interest among the family to continue the quest for their ancestry (The Human Family Tree Migration Stories, par. 1, 2009). Even the history of California suggests of its amalgamated history which contributes to the hodgepodge of people that inhabits it. From being a Mexican province, people never thought it would be a territorial state until 10 days prior to the Mexican Cession, James W. Marshall, a New Jersey born mechanic, together with John A.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

NCAA Division I Football Coach Compensation Thesis

NCAA Division I Football Coach Compensation - Thesis Example The paper tells that the agency theory postulates that the compensation that executives are given should be aligned to the performance of the executives. The initial perspective that centers on this issue is that the moral hazard calls for unobservable nature of the managerial efforts to run an organization. It is thought that the principal of a given organization such as football coaches design the compensation of the employees of the firm. In the course of designing the compensation of employees, managers aim at meeting the objectives of their agents and therefore deserve the high compensation. The second perspective that supports the compensation of executives to be aligned with the performance is that executives are faced with many difficult choices to choose from in order to solve firm issues. The fact that they are able to make the right choices, their efforts are unobservable and therefore should be paid higher amounts based on the performance. As noted by Core, John, Holthaus en and Larcker, the second perspective assures executives that they are responsible for designing compensation plan of agents to be contingent to the performance measures. To this end, executives are allowed to screen agents and ensure that they possess the heterogeneous ability required in the organization. Despite the two perspectives outlined above that promote the need for aligning the compensation of executives with their performance, division 1 coaches and other football coaches are not paid according to their performance. Both perspectives prescribe that the compensation of employees should be increase as the performance of the employees increase. However, Darrough and Melumad (73) note that there is a weak effect of agency theory on the performance measures of CEO and football coaches. In a study conducted by Jensen and Murphy (1990a), it was established that an increase in the value of shareholders by $1000 led to only a $3 increase in the compensation of CEOs. Therefore, i t was concluded that the compensation offered to CEO and football coaches is independent of their performance. This study seeks to establish whether the compensation of division-1 football coaches relies on their performance and whether it is related to compensation of CEOs. Problem Statement The compensation of most employees follows the agency theory, which postulates that the compensation of employees should follow their performance. An employee whose performance is high should receive a high compensation and vice versa. The need for the compensation to be aligned to the performance of the employee is based on the perspective of the moral hazard and that of the adverse selection. Despite these perspectives and the agency theory, not all employees are paid based on performance. For instance, the salaries of division one coaches and CEOs seems not to follow the agency theory given that an increase in the performance of the organization only leads to a small increase their pay (Bank er Plehn-Dujowich and Xian 56). This has led many scholars to conclude that the compensation of football coaches does not follow the agency theory. Moreover, in some cases, the compensation of the coaches is not aligned to that of CEOs of other firms (Bushman Indjejikian and Smith 56). Due to these issues, it is necessary to determine the factors that affect the compensation of division 1 coaches in NCAA. The division 1 football coach compensation is affected by other factors apart from the performance such as the training of the coach, the level of employment whether the coach is an overall coach or a coach that coaches only a given group such as forwards, center or backwards. This study seeks to establish the specific factors that are responsible for the compensation of division 1 coaches in the U.S. Study Objectives This study seeks to establish the factors that affect the compensation of division one football coaches in the U.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Market Model Patterns of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market Model Patterns of Change - Essay Example According to International Business (2009), the Coca-Cola Company used to be a monopoly initially when there were no competitors. This is because it was the only seller that had a well-defined commodity since there were no substantial substitutes of a similar commodity from other firms into the market. However, the Coca-Cola Company can no longer be defined as a monopoly. Its market model (monopoly) has undergone change into oligopoly. International Business (2009) argues that this is due to the presence of the Pepsi and Schweppes Companies among others that have brought plenty of competition in the market for the Coca-Cola Company, with all their products. For the oligopoly market, model, each supplier has a possibility of influencing the market price; thus, leading to competition among the suppliers. In an oligopoly market model, there are only a few industries that dominate the market. For instance, the Coca-Cola Company and Pepsi dominate the bottled and canned soft drinks indust ry, in most countries. They have control over the market prices and supplies and have high barriers to entry. Their products are nearly identical; hence, the companies involved compete for the market share, and are independent due to the market forces. According to Barlow (2005) there are short-run and long-run behaviors of oligopoly. Long run can be described as a period in which all factors of production, as well as cost, are variable. In this case, industries are able to adjust to cost. The short run refers to a period where the quality of some inputs cannot be raised beyond the priced amount that is available; hence, short run industries can only be able to influence the prices through adjustments made to production. However, in economics, long run models can shift from short run equilibrium where the supply and demand, reacts to price levels with more flexibility. Thus, oligopolistic companies share a variety of short run and long run behaviors such as interdependence, rigid pr ices, competition, mergers and collusion (Barlow, 2005). The Bertrand model and the contestable markets theory leads to a long run oligopoly market-equilibrium price and output solution, which is similar to that achieved in a competitive market (International Business, 2009). Bertrand argues that products and production costs are identical or similar the customers are likely to purchase from the company selling at the lowest possible price. In addition, the kinked demand curve model of oligopoly that was developed by Paul Sweezy assumes that a business in an oligopoly may face a dual demand curve for its product based on the reactions of other companies in the market to a change in its variables (Cameron and Green, 2009). Thus, short-lived price war between rival companies happens under this model, in which firms are seeking to seize a short term advantage and gain some extra market share. Areas in the company that could lead to transaction costs include the global environment, the competitive environment and the socio-cultural differences. The global environment has become quite sensitive forcing many companies that operate locally to join the global market; thus, resulting in globalization. The Coca-Cola Company is also sensitive to the strategies of globalization, which has led to high competition, as well as to transactions costs. The competitive environment also plays a similar role. Coca-Cola Company, which is a

Monday, August 26, 2019

Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 333 Essay

Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 333 - Essay Example Of course there are a variety of women who fall outside of these scenarios but if a woman chooses not to be the woman society expects, she risks being ostracized. Women have always been seen from their body parts instead of their intellect mainly because advertising has made it impossible for women to be seen in any other way. In the article, "Advertisements Stereotype Women and Girls", Katherine Toland Frith and Barbara Mueller present a series of viewpoints showing exactly how women and girls are made by the society in which they life. There focus was on the United States and they showed how the media forms the identity of women and girls to create goals for beauty that are impossible for them to attain. This focus on a beauty they cannot obtain forces girls as early as 14 year old to look for solutions to change their body to make it like what it is "supposed" to look like. Plastic surgeons report that many children of this age want to use plastic surgery to reshape them into the "ideal woman". The authors quote research that shows that college students who were shown pictures of beautiful models felt that they were to look like these models. Because they did not, their self image decreased. This is good example of how women are molded, shaped and brainwashed into accepting these stereotyped images and it gives them a lesser place in society than what men experience. Another study cited showed that males and females saw attractiveness differently. For adolescent girls self-perception declined over time but the boys kept their self-perception in tact. A reason for this that the authors gave was that boys tended to see their bodies as a work in progress and were able to see a bigger picture. Girls on the other hand focused on body parts because advertising tells them this should be their focus. This attitude form

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Social media network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social media network - Essay Example In the past, when there were no cell phones, e-mails or chatting, people had no other means of communication but to post letters to their loved ones abroad. Those letters took days and often weeks to reach the destination, and an equal amount of time would be consumed by the reply to reach the original sender. Thus, a single question asked by the original sender might take weeks to be answered. Today, people can have their question answered within a fraction of a second. This has promoted understanding among the family members. While the social media networking has generally increased the frequency of chat among the family members, it has also played a very important role in disrupting the familial relationships by developing controversies and confusions among the family members. â€Å"While the network does offer opportunities for meaningful social interactions and self-esteem boosts, it also opens a Pandora’s box of options for spying, stalking and other insecurity- and jealousy-driven actions between lovers† (O’Dell, 2011). Since the introduction of such social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, people have been able to spy on their spouses’ activities, links and interactions. A lot of husbands have found out that their wives have been cheating upon them by having extra-marital affairs and so have many wives. People that are too sensitive about relationships cannot see their spouses making friends with other people. Children happen to be the biggest, if any, victims of the social media networking. A lot of children have used the social media websites in the negative way. Numerous cases of child pornography have surfaced in the recent years in which a child has either posted his/her own nude photo or the nude photos of some of the class fellows on the internet. While this may seem an exciting idea at such an immature age, many people have to bear the consequences of such actions for the rest of their

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Application of Theories in Firms Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Application of Theories in Firms - Assignment Example Companies use penetration marketing to gain market share and retain their customers Method Various literature and information were evaluated as regards the culture of employee empowerment theory. Empowerment as a social theory is traceable to Freire, an educator and humanitarian of Brazilian origin who espoused a plant for liberating the oppressed in the world using education. The idea of empowerment was mostly associated with alternative approaches to social or psychological development. The theory of employee empowerment suggests that employees will undertake their duties and responsibilities in a more responsible, efficient, and effective manner if they are allowed to behave in a less encumbered way and are better informed (Hur, 2006). Employee understanding of the mission, objectives, vision, and goals of the company will enable them demonstrate greater initiative, risk-taking and responsibility when they are effectively trained, accorded an environment that is relatively free of castigatory consequences and they have some authority in making decisions. It involves delegating authority up to the lowest level within the organization where decision making is allowed. Over the past twenty years, the theory of employee empowerment has been tried and proven to yield considerable predictive value (Towns, 2010). Employee empowerment culture gives employees the leeway to make decisions by themselves and this gives a lot of room for creativity, and entails principles of shared leadership and is a shift from the traditional hierarchical leadership method. It incorporates an approach that is motivational where not much independent power and authority is accorded to employees. The other approach is relational that entails a lot of power decentralization (Towns, 2010). Question Two The theory of penetration pricing is a strategy that entails giving customers a markedly low price (compared to average market price) at the early stages of the business enterprise with the b elief that over time due to experience and increased efficiency, costs of production will go down for instance due to economies of scale. This ultimately leads to the enterprise becoming profitable (Rao, 2009). It is suitable when a completely new product is being introduced, the market has customers that are price sensitive, a threat of a competitor entering the market exists, and continuous innovation is expected. Question three This memo reviews Google and Wal-Mart as two companies in the USA that practice employee empowerment and penetration pricing; respectively. Most traditional companies condition their employees to rely and depend upon leaders whom they really have no intrinsic connection to as the means for company progress. Employees are just not trusted to make the right decisions on matters affecting the company on their own (Llopis, 2010). Google has shown leadership and ‘breaking away’ from the pack by empowering their employees to make decisions and explo re their creativity. Google employees are empowered to use 20 percent of the time they spend at work daily to pursue personal projects that are not related to Google as a company and remarkably enough, this presently accounts for half of Google’

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Image of American Rock Culture in 1960s Research Paper

The Image of American Rock Culture in 1960s - Research Paper Example Rock music is a genre of music that emerged in the United States in the 1950s and spread to different parts of the English-speaking world by the 1990s (Frith Para 1). Rock music emerged as Rock and Roll and it was modified over the years with the inclusion of different genres and styles of music that culminated in a completely different from of music that served various minority interests and popular streams of music. Due to Rock Music’s diverse components, it has split into different types of genres that are active today. One of the notable definitions of Rock music is presented by the Canadian government who define it as music characterized by â€Å"a strong beat, the use of blues forms and the presence of rock instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, electric organ and electric piano† (Britanicca Developmental Association 2). This presents a set of distinct sounds and it is characterized by the fact that the music is of a distinct nature and of a distinct sound which is somewhat different from other forms of music. The British legislators identified that rock involves all forms of music characterized by â€Å"a strong rhythmic element and a reliance on electronic amplification for their performance† (Britanicca Developmental Association 2). Therefore, like other music forms that were traditionally known to the British society, Rock music comes with some kind of electronic inputs and electronic instruments that makes it different and unique. This provides various forms of influence over listeners that is somewhat different from the effects of the different kinds of songs that existed before Rock music. The distinction between Rock music and other forms of music showed that it was a style of music that was not known prior to its emergence. And it created various forms of performance approaches that were distinct from other

ALS and how it affects middle-aged americans Research Paper

ALS and how it affects middle-aged americans - Research Paper Example Evidence from population studies in the U.S.A. indicates that more than 5,600 new cases of ALS are diagnosed every year, and that its prevalence is 30,000 at any given period of time. The predominant age span at which ALS develops is between the ages of 40 years and 70 years, though cases have been reported in the age group of 20 years and 30 years. Men are more frequently diagnosed with ALS than women and there is a high rate of affliction of the disease among the Caucasian race. Only 50% of those afflicted with the disease live three years or more, with 20% likely to live for five or more years, and 10% living beyond 10 years. In recent years live span of individuals with ALS is found to be longer than earlier, with the likely causes being improved management of the patients and clinical interventions (ALS Association, 2011). There is lack of clarity on how ALS is initiated. Traditionally ALS has been looked upon as a disease that lacks adequate evidence of a genetic basis. This appears to be true as 95% of patents affected by ALS do not have first degree relatives affected by ALS. However, the recent finding of TDP43 as a signature protein in ALS has brought back the question of a genetic connection in the initiation of ALS. This is because TDP43 is found to be a gene wherein mutations have been seen in 3% to 4% of familial ALS. This finding has not removed the fog around the cause of ALS, but may be a light in the dark tunnel. Disparate pathways that include RNA processing, protein turnover and mitochondrial function have been found to initiate ALS, yet a universally acceptable model that describes how ALS is initiated and propagated has not emerged (Talbot, 2011). In the opinion of Talbot 2011, p. 1329, â€Å"the concept of ALS as a pure motor system disease having a single cause, and ultimately a co mmon treatment, has to be abandoned in favor of a model where complex multisystem

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Curriculum designing guidelines Essay Example for Free

Curriculum designing guidelines Essay Purpose The construction of experiences and outcomes that effectively provide progression in each curriculum area and convey the values, principles and purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence is central to the success of the program. In particular, it is important that you reflect relevant aspects of the four capacities in your work. If we can get this right these outcomes and experiences will have a significant, positive, impact on classroom practice and hence on the learning experience of all children and young people. It is an exciting prospect. Starting point In phase 1 each early review group should be asked to simplify and prioritise the curriculum (from age 3 to 15 in the first instance) retaining what currently works well and making changes where these were justified by research evidence. The output from phase 1 of the review process and the rationale for your curriculum area, research and other national and international comparators are your starting points. Your work will be based on the relevant parts of the Curriculum Frameworks: for Children 3 – 5, 5 – 14 guidelines, Standard Grade, and National Qualifications. It is important that experience and outcome statements you write at each Curriculum for Excellence level provide appropriate cognitive demand. The framework for outcomes The experiences and outcomes will sit within a framework of advice to teachers. Curriculum Area The eight curriculum areas are: Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Languages, Maths, Religious and Moral Education, Science, Social Studies and Technologies. Rationale The rationale provides an overview of the curriculum area states its main purposes and describes its contribution to the values and purposes. Subsets of the curriculum area Each curriculum area is subdivided either into fields of learning – or ‘subjects’ (e. g. Expressive Arts into art, drama, dance and music) or into aspects of learning in that area (e. g. Languages into listening and talking, reading and writing) Lines of development These identify learning tracks in each subset of the curriculum area. They are expressed in different ways in each area of the curriculum. For example within expressive arts they identify the skills to be developed: creating, presenting and evaluating in art, drama, dance and music; within science they describe broad areas of knowledge and understanding to be developed; biodiversity, being human and cells in Our Living World. Experiences and outcomes Within each line of development, experiences and outcomes describe the expected progression in learning for children and young people. Essential outcomes. Essential outcomes are a small number of high level statements, derived from the main purposes described in the rationale, that encapsulate what learning in that curriculum area provides for all children and young people. Taken together, the essential outcomes are intended to sum up the expectations for the broad general education of all young people. The focus of your work will be writing the experiences and outcomes for your curriculum area. It is likely that there will be interplay between what you produce and the ‘essential outcomes’ , which are the ones helping to shape and refine the other in an iterative manner. Outcomes should be written in the clearest possible English. Where possible these should be accessible to children and young people, but not at the expense of clarity. It is also important to try to write lively and engaging experiences and outcomes. Best Practices of Writing the Curriculum Ultimately the intention is to produce streamlined guidance for the entire curriculum in a single document. We also intend to make the outcomes available in electronic format to allow curriculum leaders and teachers to identify and blend outcomes from both within and beyond curriculum areas. Several stages will be required to achieve this.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

A Study of Building Obsolescence in Standard Design

A Study of Building Obsolescence in Standard Design Abstract Once the building is obsolete cause by the defect of varying physical deterioration an ageing of various component and building of various age. The primary objective of this dissertation is to find out life cycle of building element and obsolescence and the effect for the building obsolescence. The definition and differentiation between obsolescence and depreciation, as well as explanation for all different types of obsolescence are being identified on the early stage of the dissertation. A survey is then conducted, few case studies are being conducted to collect information from double storey terrace housing tenants in order to achieve the targeted objective. During the survey, some difficulties are being encountered, such as time constraint and restrict of the obsolescence building have been over cycle life 30 years olds. The findings of the dissertation show that part of the hypothesis, which was set at the early stage is wrong. Not all types of obsolescence will cause depreciation of rental in office building. Legal obsolescence will not cause the renewal building and effect the service life of the building. At the end of the dissertation, recommendation will be made base on the research throughout this dissertation. It should be noted that the results from this survey are not perfectly reliable. However, it is hope that it can be a guideline to those who wish to carry out comprehensive or further research on building obsolescence. A STUDY OF BUILDING OBSOLESCENCE IN STANDARD DESIGN TERRACE HOUSES IN PERAK Chapter 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter is the introduction of the dissertation. It will define the background of the study. Aim and objectives of the research will be listed to give a clear understanding on the purpose of this dissertation. Besides, hypothesis is also stated to tell the reader what are the key questions being examined. Scope of study will be deliberated in this chapter too. It is to discuss on the coverage of this research. Research methodology will also be covered in this chapter to describe the method used to achieve the aim and objectives, as well as the way used to produce this dissertation. Case study, interview and questionnaire will be the main methodology of this research. The last part of the chapter will be the research structure, where it shows the layout of the chapter of the dissertation. 1.2 RATIONALE The initial idea of this topic is developed during my visit to my aunts work place. Renovation of her office building is carried out at that moment. The reason for the renovation work, which she told me, was to make the building attractive again, so that, the look of the building would not be out of date. Therefore, it gave me an idea to do a research on building obsolescence. Discussion with my colleagues and supervisor was carried out to narrow down the scope of this topic. Besides, many reading and thinking were done to decide what emphasis of my research is to be. Finally, the narrowed topic was found. As I have found out, obsolescence has been a persistent problem affecting houses property in recent years. Due to the impact of obsolescence, many houses have been renewal and redeveloped after only 20 to 30 years life, long before reaching the end of their physical life. Many houses in the future are likely to enjoy even shorter useful lives as a result of increased rates of obsolescence. Obsolescence occurs due to physical deterioration, wear and tear, technological advances, changes in the economic conditions users requirements, design, appearance, taste, legal, and social needs. Once the building is obsolete cause by the defect of varying physical deterioration an ageing of various component and building of various age. The research is undertaken to find out life cycle of building element and obsolescence and the effect for the building obsolescence. Hence, my research will discuss this issue in greater depth and goes on to consider different types of obsolescence. By doing so, I wish that the results from this research will help me to understand the defect of component of material cause the obsolescence building. Such results may also help me in future to know on the prevent ways to treat the obsolescence in building. 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE Aim To investigate varying physical deterioration an ageing of various component and building of varies age. Objective: 1. To investigate the life cycle of building element and obsolescence. 2. To investigate the effect for the building obsolescence. 3. To explain strategy for avoiding and minimizing the obsolescence in building. 1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT Different project types have in themselves different project life cycle, which in turn influence the life expectancy of their various component. Different elements of building also have different stage obsolescence, Users or owners may change and have requirements different from those the element was initially intended to fulfill. Many of the technologies of modern facilities, as well as the activities they shelter and support to minimizing obsolescence, have changed substantially in recent decades and are continuing to change. 1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY The problem of obsolescence is hardly new so need find the board expertise and extensive experience to get the more information for this dissertation. We should be concerned that in an age of rapidly changing technology our buildings are apt to be obsolete. These building might have been built 35 years ago so we will investigate varying physical deterioration of ageing. These changes in technology are not only inevitable; in the long term they are desirable because the new systems and services offer enhanced performance to the facilities, users and owners. However, in the short term, obsolescence can be costly. Thoughtful design and management can defer or avoid obsolescence and thereby improve efficiency as well as effectiveness of our facilities, and that is the ultimate aim of this dissertation. 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Various research studies relating to building obsolescence in standard design houses in Perak had been carried out in many ways:- Literature review Case Study and Questionnaires Interview 1.6.1 Literature review iterature research is very important to get the information in order to do the theoretical of this dissertation. Reading courses such as books, magazines, reference, articles, newspapers, journals and publication are some of very useful sources to get the data required for the dissertation. The sources can be reached by visiting the National Library, KTAR Library or bookshop in town. Internet advertising is very convenience to use especially for this dissertation, since it related to the internet itself and quite new. By logging onto the internet, website of the internet advertising of the property developer can visited and can get more ideal way of literature research sources. These normally gather from newspapers, journals and publications. Publication: 1. Revision Notes on Building Maintenance and Adaptation, Butterworth (1984), George.T.Hall. 2. Depreciation, Obsolescence and Ageing, (1965), Cowan,P. 3. The Fourth Dimension In building : Strategies for Minimizing Obsolescence.(1993), Donald G. Iselin and Andrew C. Lemer. 1.6.2 Case Study This stage will survey some standard design double storey houses located at Perak. Some houses was built in between the years 1970s and 1990s. Some properties also included building extension for large families, adaptations for the disable, reorganization of space, re-roofing that was present in some of the properties. The renewal internal for these properties was therefore about 20 years. This is a typical time scale for houses and it linked to the condition of properties, available funding, obsolescence, and the need to provide adequate houses in a community. A STUDY OF BUILDING OBSOLESCENCE IN STANDARD DESIGN TERRACE HOUSES IN PERAK Chapter 2 2.1 INTRODUCTION Over the past half of century, our country has been increasing the processes of ageing and obsolescence in building. An observation of buildings in any town will expose an array standards of physical ageing and condition. Many of the buildings are also being used for a purpose which they not original design that one form of obsolescence has affected them. Today, the demand for new building already diminished that many town have become derelict and need some form of urban regeneration. However, such of the regeneration is more likely from renewal and modernization through the development of greenfield sites. Many traditional structures have lower failure rates and costs less to maintain than some of the newer forms of the building. With the increasing level of affluence, standards in buildings, life styles demand to improve quality, space and other. This leads to both the desire for new building and to the renewal of existing structure. More of the renewal of the building is cause by the obsolescence building that failure the structure and the physical. There is considerable degree of confusion surrounding the definition of obsolescence. These two terms are usually without precision. A detail study on the definition of obsolescence is carried out in this chapter to make a clear understanding on building obsolescence. There are two impacts of the obsolescence on a building named are curable obsolescence and incurable obsolescence. Reflection of them will be given separately in this chapter. Obsolescence itself can be divided into different categories. As this dissertation is undertaken to find out which types of obsolescence, it is necessary to understand the definition and differences of each type of obsolescence. Hence, the chapter will also go on to define different types of obsolescence. Hopefully by doing this can provide a guidance to differentiate each type of obsolescence and eliminate the misconception of different types of obsolescence. These changes are related to the uses of a building or certain spaces within the building are expected to serve (i.e., functional); the cost of continuing to use an existing building, subsystem, or component in comparison with the expense of substituting some alternative (economic); the efficiency and service accessible by the existing installed technology compared with new and improved alternatives (technological); or the broad influence of changing social goals, political agendas, or changing lifestyles. 2.2 DEFINITION OF Obsolescence Obsolescence is not depreciation. Both of them are two different terms. However, they are related. Depreciation is an accounting terms and have a formal definition of depreciation, drafted by the Accounting Standard Committee (1987), is: Depreciation is the measure of the wearing out, consumption, or other reduction in the useful economic life of a fixed asset whether arising from use, afflation of time or obsolescence through technological or market changes. This definition is comprehensive and clearly stated what is the depreciation. Besides, the reader can understand the differentiation between the depreciation and obsolescence. Base on this definition, reader can understand the depreciation is a loss in the existing use value of the property and it occurs as the result of the building becoming obsolete. This implies that obsolescence is the cause of the building and depreciation is the effect of the obsolescence. Obsolescence was defined differently by many studies in North America and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, according to Baxter (1971) defined obsolescence as a decline in utility not directly related to physical usage or the passage of time. This definition is not quite correct because the author does not consider physical deterioration as part of obsolescence. In accounting work, obsolescence is separated from physical deterioration. However, based on the original definition given by the Oxford dictionary, obsolescence includes physical deterioration: The word obsolete derives from the Latin obsoleo, which was in use from the middle of the sixteenth century with the following meaning, which is no longer practiced or used; discarded; worn out; effaced through wearing down, atrophy, degeneration. The other aspect that can cause confusion is whether the obsolescence is defined as a decline in the utility of the building as defined by Baxter (1971) or a loss of utility introduced by Flanagan et al. (1989). Both the definitions are correct because both decline and loss of utility are affecting the rental price of a building and therefore, shall be included in the definition. To clarify, obsolescence is the process of becoming antiquated, old fashioned, outmoded, or out-of-date. It describes a decline in utility that not result directly from physical usage, the action of the elements or the passage of time (Baum, 1991). According to Nutt et al (1976), the buildings can only truly be defined as obsolete when they have become completely useless with respect to all possible uses that they have been called upon to support. Utility the sense of use fullness, desirability or satisfaction is therefore central to the concept of obsolescence; if something is not felt to be providing utility, it will be considered obsolete (Smith et al.1998). However, because there is no single measure of utility it is difficult to produce a rational, consistent and objective measure of obsolescence (Raftery, 1991). To overcome this problem, obsolescence in buildings is normally measured in terms of the real or nominal decrease in value (Salway, 1986). Obsolescence also related to decay of tangible and intangible things that all products have an irresistible tendency to become old, but the speed of ageing is different for different objects and circumstances. Obsolescence is much more difficult to control since concerned with the prediction of charges in fashion, technological development, innovation in the design and the use of buildings. Obsolescence occurs due to physical deterioration, wear and tear, technological advances, changes in the economic conditions and user requirement. The design, appearance, taste, legal, and social needs will also have an impact to the building. The impact of obsolescence on a building can be classified into curable obsolescence and incurable obsolescence. Curable obsolescence is one that can be control by the building owner through choice the construction materials, preserve high standards of maintenance and refurbishment. But, it can only manage to a certain extent. The factors into the curable obsolescence are including: a. Construction faults b. Level of deterioration c. Poor level and standard of services Normally, curable obsolescence can be easily counteracted by means of maintenance or repair. Incurable obsolescence being the results of inappropriate changes is less easily controlled by the building owner. The most that can be done is to incorporate flexibility into the design of a building to make alterations and adaptations easier in the future. The treatment of incurable impact of obsolescence requires the introduction of new characteristic into a building, which may not be similar with the existing structure. 2.3 CATEGORISATION OF BUILDING OBSOLESCENCE Previous studies categorized obsolescence into physical obsolescence (Winfrey, 1931; Little 1964); functional and locational obsolescence (Cowan, 1965; Medhurst, 1969); environmental obsolescence (Medhurst, 1969); economic obsolescence (Seymour, 1982); aesthetic, legal, and social obsolescence (CALUS, 1986; Baum 1989). The above studies considered technological and functional obsolescence as one category. However, at later stage, CALUS (1986), as well as Duffy and Henny (1988) suggested that technological and functional obsolescence should be separately categorized because of the differences in the impact on buildings. Suggestions from them are correct. Technological obsolescence should be considered as one of the major causes of obsolescence because of its important. A building that is functionally obsolete has to be demolished to obtain a better return from the site. However, it does not necessarily apply to a building that is technologically obsolete. For example, a lift has become technologically obsolete, but it does not render the function of the building obsolete. Therefore, the building will still be retained but the lift might be replaced. Based on the above, obsolescence therefore, categorized as: Economic Obsolescence; Functional Obsolescence; Aesthetic Obsolescence; Environmental Obsolescence; Legal and social Obsolescence; Technological Obsolescence; Locational Obsolescence; Physical Obsolescence. 2.3.1Economic Obsolescence Economic obsolescence seems to control the durability of real estate, whether residential, commercial or industrial. CALUS (1986) suggested that a building might become economically obsolete following a change in the highest and best use for the land. This might result either from a change in the market condition or in planning policies. Rand came out with another suggestion saying that besides changes in market condition and planning policies, a change in the national economy can also cause the land to appreciate over and above the normal increase in cost. Compare both the suggestions; CALUSs suggestion is poorer. He has neglected national economy as one of the reason that causes economic obsolescence. National economy must be one of the concerns as it has great effect to the land value. Once there is a change in the national economy, the land value will be affected. According to Salway (1986), Economic Obsolescence is considered to be the result of a change in the highest and best use for the land. Such a change could be related to specific site or more generally to the surrounding area. Economic obsolescence is a function of appreciation rather than depreciation: a building becomes economically obsolete not as a result of the existing structure, but through enhancement of the development potential of the underlying land. The building value decreases over time due to obsolescence. The building can become obsolete if the land value exceeds the capital value of the building faster than its expected physical life. On this occasion, replacement of the existing building becomes economically attractive, as better return from the asset can be generated. For instance, the land value in a particular area drops due to relocation of the central business zone to another area. New development having advantage of cheaper land cost will be more competitive and attractive to the tenants and will cause the rental for the existing buildings to decline. Economic obsolescence is incurable and difficult to predict due to lack of information on the future development and confidentiality of government policies. 2.3.2Functional Obsolescence Functional obsolescence is a product of technological progress resulting either in change in the occupiers requirements or in the introduction of new building products: A building may be considered functionally obsolete due to its defective layout (e.g., inadequate floor to ceiling heights and close-spaced structural columns); A building may become functionally inefficient because its inflexibility to accommodate new information technology (e.g., no raised floor for distribution of cables). CALUS (1986) suggested that functional obsolescence is the loss of value of the subject facility resulting from a deficiency (other than physical deterioration) that impairs the subject when compared to a replacement facility. Functional obsolescence is mainly incurable, which can shorten the economic life of a building (Rand, 1986). Baum (1991) considered Functional Obsolescence as the product of technological progress that causes changes in the occupies requirements, impinging on the layout and facilities and also felt that legal and social obsolescence should be regarded as sub-sets of Functional Obsolescence. 2.3.3 Aesthetic Obsolescence Buildings may deem unacceptable by occupiers if the appearance is outdated and incompatible with their corporate image. Either fashion in architectural style may have changed or, alternatively the building may simply look old and fail to satisfy an inspiration to be associated with up-to-date products. The improved appearance of a building could result in more satisfied employees and the higher standing of the firm and its services or products. CALUS (1986) suggested that fashion permeates all facets of life including architectural experience. Whatever the long-term view of posterity about a particular architectural style, it will invariably fall out of favor in the medium term. The changes in fashion will provide an adverse reaction against styles, which characterized the immediately proceeding era. Architectural style cannot be defined precisely. It is best described as a State of the Art of the building design, which is characterized by fashion, vogue, available technology, and personal taste. The introduction of a new architectural style can in some cases, cause buildings with an old design to appear old fashioned and less attractive to potential purchasers or lessees. Buildings with a distinctive design appeal are more likely to have lasting appeal and to be less affected by changes in architectural style. The effect of aesthetic obsolescence is greater in commercial buildings because the buildings with new architectural styles can fetch higher rental values. The decline in the revenue of old buildings requires the buildings to be refurbished to make them attractive and competitive again. 2.3.4 Environmental Obsolescence Medhurst (1969) suggested that environmental obsolescence of a whole neighborhood may occur when the conditions in a neighborhood render it increasingly unfit for its current use. Changes in the character of an area may make a building unsuitable for its original intended use. Environmental obsolescence will normally be of greater relevance to depreciation of land than to the depreciation of buildings. Environmental change such as high pollution, road congestion and urban decay causes environmental obsolescence. For example, an office building may suddenly become obsolete when the adjacent site is used for industrial use. Disturbances from factory engines and air pollution will deter tenants from staying and the building revenue will start to decline. The need for a change in the infrastructure of an area can also cause a building to be environmentally obsolete. For example, the area needs more car parking, pedestrian areas, efficient public transport and roads. This type of obsolescence is not directly related to building design and difficult to forecast. 2.3.5 Legal And Social Obsolescence egal obsolescence stems from the introduction of new legislation or new standards controlling matters such as health, safety, and fire control, which in extreme cases may render a building obsolete. CALUS (1986) and Baum (1989) suggested that changes in social needs might result in occupiers demanding for high and compatible image, good neighborhood and amenities. For instance, cinema in an area loss its utility due to introduction of home videos, VCD or DVD. So, cinema become uneconomic to operate because loses of revenue. The only way is to convert the cinema to other uses. Many building become social obsolete although suitable for the purpose envisaged, because it is situated in the wrong location and therefore of only limited practical to use. egal Obsolescence occurs where a building fails to meet current legislation requirement and the costs involved in bringing the building up to the required standard are prohibitive. In this case, legislation will advance demolition beyond the buildings physical life. Examples, asbestos and other hazardous materials to health are now prohibited in new buildings and where they occur in existing building they need to be either removed or provided with sealed protection systems. The general condition of a building may in some cases make this financially prohibitive, even where grants for their removal are available, resulting in demolition. A STUDY OF BUILDING OBSOLESCENCE IN STANDARD DESIGN TERRACE HOUSES IN PERAK Chapter 2 2.3.6 Technological Obsolescence A Technological Obsolescence occur when the building in no longer technologically superior to alternatives and replacement is undertaken because of lower operating costs or greater efficiency. A building may become technologically obsolete before half of its physical life passed then the speed of change in current society suggests that in the future this life will be reduced even faster. CALUS (1986) suggested that this form of obsolescence occurs as a result of technological innovation. For example, some of the existing electrical and mechanical services are no longer technologically suitable or superior in terms of performance or efficiency. Consider for example, improvement in the lighting efficiency of a new lamp, which may make an existing lighting system no longer economically or technologically effective. In some situations, as with building management systems, it may be possible to install these innovations, without replacing the existing asset. 2.3.7 Locational Obsolescence ocational obsolescence occur when an area and the property located in it suffers from devaluation because it is considered less fashionable or attractive by occupiers (Bryson,1997). A building can become locationally obsolete when the economic activities in the area change (Medhurst, 1969). A change in the city planning, such as relocation of the commercial area and construction of new roads and motorways can change the economic activities of the affected areas. 2.3.8 Physical Obsolescence ittle (1964) suggested that physical obsolescence occurs solely due to the deterioration of the buildings physical fabric. This suggestion is not correct because he stressed only deterioration of buildings physical fabric causes physical obsolescence. The readers may think that no other factors will cause physical obsolescence except for the deterioration of physical fabric. Actually, components of the building can be considered as one of the physical aspect of the building. Hence, if there is any deterioration of the buildings component, the building is considered physically obsolete too. Therefore, Winfrey (1931) said that physical obsolescence not only due to the deterioration of the physical fabric but also the other components such as mechanical and electrical services and equipment used in the building. However, both the definitions have not mentioned what are the factors that cause deterioration of buildings physical fabric, materials or components. Then, CALUS (1986) came out with the suggestion saying that an asset may remain as good as ever in itself, but be rendered obsolete by external factors such as physical deterioration. Physical deterioration is defined as deterioration of the physical fabric of building as function of use and the effect of the passage of time. It is felt that the separation of physical deterioration from obsolescence is not significant, and it is considered as a category of building obsolescence. Flanagan et al. (1989) supported this view by saying that physical deterioration was considered as physical obsolescence. This is because they have similar effects, which can cause the rental price of a building to decrease and its economic life shorten. Flanagan et al. (1989) came out the statement stated that physical obsolescence is determined by environmental and non-environmental factors. Any material or component will deteriorate because of environmental factors such as radiation (solar and thermal), temperature ranges, water (rain, condensation, snow, ice), air contamination, biological factors (micro-organisms, fungi, bacteria) and stress factors (physical action of wind, hail). The non-environmental factors are generally the stresses that are imposed by humans in their various activities of living, working and playing. Examples are permanent loading, fatigue loading, impact, abrasion, chemical attack, normal wear and tear, and abuse by the user. The rate of physical deterioration can be forecast within tolerable levels of accuracy using the lives of the respective building components. However, it must be remembered that considered variation exists in the lives of even the same building component depending upon a wide range of the different circumstances (Ashworth,1996). Kirwan and Martin (1972) suggested that this physical deterioration occurs as the deterioration of the physical structure of the building. It is not simply a factor of age but a combination of age, use and scale of maintenance. Physical deterioration occurs more slowly than other forms of obsolescence, but it is predictable and curable provided the building is well maintained. Baums (1989) showed that physical obsolescence is not as significant as functional and aesthetic obsolescence. The rapid deterioration of buildings and their components can be attributes to many different causes: An emphasis upon initial building costs without considering the consequences of costs in use. Inappropriate design and detailing of buildings and their components. Use if materials and components that have insufficient data concerning their longevity. Constructional practices on site that were poorly managed, supervised and inspected. A lack of understanding of the various mechanisms of deterioration. Insufficient attention given to the maintenance the building stock. Inappropriate use by owners and occupies. Whereas the rate of physical deterioration, can be controlled by the designer through the correct choice of material, methods of construction and appropriate standards of maintenance, obsolescence cannot, other than through the ability to provide a flexible and adaptable design solution to facilitate easier adaptation and renewal at same later date. 2.4 SUMMARY After the study, I clear understanding is developed on depreciation and obsolescence as well as different types of obsolescence. There will be no confusion and misconception surrounding them. Depreciation occurs as the result of the building becoming obsolete. Hence, depreciation is considered as the effect of obsolescence and obsolescence is the cause of depreciation. The impact of obsolescence is classified into curable and incurable. Incurable obsolescence is more crucial than curable obsolescence as it is more difficult to control. It can immediately shorten the physical life of the building. Besides that, I also can understanding the 8 categorizes of obsolescence in this chapter. The categorizes of obsolescence economic, functional, aesthetic and fashion, environmental, legal and social, technological, locational and lastly physical obsolescence. Through the study, it was found that there are no best and perfect suggestions or opinions in the concept of obsolescence. Especially during defining different types of obsolescence, different authors have their own suggest