Organizational Behavior Study Guide and Sample Comprehensive Review Assignment

Organizational Behavior Study Guide and Sample Comprehensive Review Questions - Assignment Example A number of factor help to have access to what an individual likes and dislike including: projection, hako effect, attribution, perceptual set, perceptual context, perceptual defense, stereotyping among others. 4. Attitude is a way of behaving, or thinking towards a belief. Attitude has three components. The first is emotional which refers to an individual’s feelings towards a tangible object. The second is informational which are the beliefs or ideas that an individual has concerning an object. Lastly is behavioral which is the behavior (cognitive and affective) that a person has towards an object. 5. Attitudes can be formed through learning from experience of the social situation around a person. Attitudes can be changed through an individual’s will to reduce dissonance; also rewards of changing a particular perception about an object can help in change attitude. 6. Maslow hierarchy of needs is a human motivation theory which states that the most basic needs (which are at the bottom of the hierarchy) must be met in order for a person to desire the needs at higher levels. Herzberg’s motivation theory suggests that a worker can either be motivated by good incentives or dissatisfaction by bad conditions of a working place.Alderfer’s ERG (Cycle of Needs) is an employee motivation theory proposing that there three categories of human needs (existence, relatedness, growth) that motivates a worker. McClelland’s Three-need theory advocate that needs to achievement, affiliation and power motivates an employee when they are met.Expectancy Theory (Vroom and Porter/Lawler), propose that a person will select behavior and choose motivation based on the outcome/result desirability. Equity theory suggests that fairness and unfairness in a working place determine a workers satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Attribution theoryexamines the u se of

Internet Resource Guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet Resource Guide - Essay Example Furthermore, the Civil Engineering discipline attracts very few students due to its technicality. However, once the guide is made public, interested students will feel comfortable to join Penn State University and pursue the degree. The contents of this guide include Electronic indices that include periodical literature in Civil Engineering and professional journals from renowned scholars in the Civil Engineering discipline. The guide gives a summary of the journals and describes in details the relevance of the journals to freshmen students and students in the sophomore year. The scope of this guide further includes enlisted government sites approved by Penn State University whose content is crucial to Civil Engineering students as professionals in the field laid it down. There are other internet sites in the guide that have been proposed for subtends and other individuals with interest in the field of Civil Engineering. It is definite that the information available in this guide wil l be helpful to the freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. The scope is broad and students who have problems in locating the internet resources will now find it easier as the guide is precise and elaborate. Students with interests of pursuing a Bachelors degree in this field and have fears over resources will be highly encouraged to join the course. Whom this guide is for This guide is prepared at Penn State University for students pursuing a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. It particularly aims at freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. Other students with interests in the field of Civil Engineering will find this guide very useful. Researchers in the Civil Engineering field will make use of this guide as a link to internet sites they deem necessary for use in their research. This being a guide to the internet resources, it will crucial to any other person with problems in searching for the appropriate sites that they need to get information and use. Be ginners in the course who try to find ways of starting the degree in the right way will find this guide an indispensable partner throughout their stay in the course. The guide will be a remedy to their teething problems at the beginning of their research and studies. It should be remembered here that though the guide specifically targets fresh and sophomore students, the civil engineering knowledge is technical therefore, other students including continuing and finalists in the bachelors’ degree will have to use it. Knowledge and skills in technical areas is always interlinked. Information learned at the beginning of the course will remain relevant until the student comes to the end of his or her course. The guide because of this will be important to all the students in the course (Hido and Leon 123). Assumptions of the Guide The guide takes several presumptions among them those students pursuing the bachelors’ degree in Civil Engineering at Penn State University are f ull time learners. The guide assumes that having enrolled in a technical course and at that level; the students already have necessary computer skills to use the interne

Abnormal Psychology Essay Example for Free

Abnormal Psychology Essay Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with psychopathology and abnormal behavior. Abnormal behavior is disruptive in classes unable to control tempers and loud. Abnormal Phycology is when someone’s thoughts are causing them discomfort and they act on it. This will then allow someone to be diagnosed mentally Ill. Normal Psychology: See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay Normal psychology is the study of the human behavior and the mind. It is stereotype in way that judge’s criteria are normal or abnormal. Normal psychology is a common way to diagnose behavior by the ability to be Maladaptive. Two aspects make this flexible and common. Maladaptive to one’s self is the inability to reach goals, and to adapt to the everyday demands of life. Also there is Maladaptive to society, the interference in social functioning.(Spoor 1999) Being in either of these categories someone would be diagnosed mentally ill. Comparison of Normal and Abnormal Psychology: Normal Psychology and abnormal psychology works together because they both are decisions made that people chose to react to. In a normal setting someone can be sitting and reading a book quietly. Then another person comes along and makes loud distracting noises that the person either chooses to adhere to or ignore. Abnormal psychology has worked out more problems that were associated with normal psychology. Therapies and treatments are advanced, illnesses and disorders are common and frequent, and studies are in depth. The root of normal psychology has attached itself to abnormal psychology. The study of how a person feels, thinks, interprets, and behaves is the root of both of these psychological paths and they are intertwined.

Leadership And Change Management At General Motors Commerce Essay

Leadership And Change Management At General Motors Commerce Essay General Motors (GM), one of the worlds largest automakers, was initially founded by William Durant in 1902 and held a remarkable presence in the automobile industry for almost a century. It is predominantly engaged in the designing, manufacturing and marketing of cars, trucks, and other automobile parts in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific regions. Additionally, GM also provides vehicle safety, security and information services through GM OnStar. This company sells not only cars but also trucks under several brands such as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall in 31 different countries (Datamonitor). The main headquarters is located in Detroit, Michigan where over 200,000 people are currently employed globally. Its largest market is in the U.S, followed by China, Brazil, the UK, Canada, Russia and finally Germany. Globally, the automobiles and components industry was severely affected by the global ec onomic downturn in 2008. Unfortunately, the recession in the global economy harmed GMs business by adversely affecting its revenues, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition. According to Isidore (2009) in CNN Money, General Motors filed for bankruptcy on June 1, 2009. . This move was once viewed as unimaginable, since it was one of the worlds leading automakers. However, after years of losses and market share declines topped by a major plunge in sales, bankruptcy was inevitable. A new company financed by the US Treasury stepped in and purchased most of GMs assets and trademarks. By July 10, 2009, the companys name changed from General Motors Corporation to General Motors Company. Consequently, the company experienced major changes such as massive job cuts, closure of a dozen facilities, emergence of new leaders, etc. In order to evaluate the radical change undergone by General Motors, both internal and external factors leading up to the change must be identified. Several pressures such as economic conditions, competition, government intervention, technology, resource availability, and people can cause change (Porter, Smith Fagg, 2006). In order to be successful, organizations increasingly need to be scanning the environment to anticipate the appropriate change action. More importantly, they need to be proactive in their attitude to change. In the case of General Motors, the causes of change were economic conditions on a global scale and unavailability of financial resources. Even though there was a resistance to change, GM had to swiftly evaluate the situation and devise new strategies on how to move forward. The success of the transition of an organizational change is mainly dependent upon the leadership of senior management (Porter, Smith Fagg, 2006). The Chief Executive Officer at GM, Mr. Fritz Henderson, was replaced by Mr. Edward Whitacre in 2009. He was the former Chairman and CEO at ATT from 1990-2007. Mr. Whitacre serves on the Boa rd of the Institute for International Economics and the Boards of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Exxon Mobil and the PGA Tour (Datamonitor-GM). Furthermore, he is also involved in The Business Council. Even though leaders of General Motors are still trying to implement stability, the transition leading up to the radical change could have been more efficient and effective. LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND APPLICATION TO GM 1.1 Leadership Theories: Amongst the many definitions of a leader, Bryman (1992, p. 3) describes The leader is characterized by a strong drive for responsibility and task completion, vigor and persistence in the pursuit of goals, venturesomeness and originality in problem solving, drive to exercise initiative in social situations, self confidence and sense of personal identity, willingness to accept the consequences of his or her decisions and actions, readiness to absorb interpersonal stress, willingness to tolerate frustration and delay, ability to influence other peoples behavior and the capacity to structure social interaction systems to the purpose at hand. A true leader has the ability to motivate his or her followers. While the early leadership theories focused on the leaders individual characteristics and behavior, later theories explored the duties of the followers and the environment contributing to the success of a leader. Up to the late 1940s, it was believed that leadership qualities were innate primarily by men or passed along from generation to generation. Whether a leader is born or made was the controversial question that arose in the past. Historical evidence can justify that many effective leaders seem to be born with innate aptitudes. This is known as the Traits theory, which has three broad types of traits. The first is primarily based on the physical factors such as appearance, physique, height, etc. Secondly, the traits reflected on the persons abilities including intelligence, fluency of speech, and knowledge. The third type covers a wide range of personality characteristics such as conservatism, self-confidence, dominance, and emotional control (Bryman, 1992). On the contrary, the Style theory describes that employees will perform better depending on the adopted style of their leader (Porter, Smith Fagg, 2006). In other words, the same group of people will behave differently according to the leaders style. A type of leadership that follows the style theory is transactional leadership, based upon contingency where reward or punishment is given depending on the subordinates performance. The leader designates a specific task, and the subordinate is fully responsible to carry it out despite the circumstances. The emphasis is based on goal clarification, the setting of tasks and objectives, and organizational rewards and punishments. While this approach still remains popular, certain limitations exist such as the assumption that the subordinate is strictly motivated by money and reward (Dave Paper). On the other hand, transformational leadership theory is centralized on the development of commitment and motivation among followers. A transforma tional leader creates a vision and eventually persuades his or her followers to buy in in order to transform the performance of the organization (Porter, Smith Fagg, 2006). Even though people wont readily accept a radical vision, the transformational leader will do whatever it takes to get every person on board. This concept is based on a relational contract, where subordinates willingly contribute beyond the requirements. Both transactional and transformational are equally important to help increase organizational competitiveness in an era of global competition (Mohamed Rafiuddin, 2010). Yet, another leadership theory is that of Vroom and Yettons decision-making model. According to Porter, Smith and Fagg (2006, p.76), All leaders are considered as decision-makers, and their effectiveness can be determined by examining the quality of decisions taken over time. The most appropriate style of leadership is flexible which depends upon the subordinates preferred style, the situation and the task facing the leader. Vroom and Yetton defined five key types of leadership where two are autocratic, two are consultative and one is group-based. The way how the leader obtains information or the way how the leader makes a decision is different for each type. Situational factors influence which method is considered the most pertinent. While the path-goal theory of leadership is similar to the Vroom and Yettons model, many differences exist. A characteristic of the path-goal theory also involves a participative leadership, where the leaders consult with the followers and take their id eas into account for decision-making. However, the leaders are expected to guide, encourage, and support their subordinates in achieving the goals. For example, they are required to clear the path by removing roadblocks so that the subordinates know which way to go (Daves Paper). Moreover, the leaders are to be supportive by showing concern for the followers welfare and creating a friendly working environment. Another similarity to the Vroom and Yettons model is that the path-goal oriented leader will also vary in his or her approach depending on the situation. Finally, a term used to characterize brilliant forms of influence, exceptional, gifted, and even heroic is known as charismatic leadership. According to Galvin, Balkundi and Walkman (2010, p.477), Subordinates who view a leader as charismatic will tend to see the leader and his or her vision as core their own identity and will be willing to sacrifice so as to benefit the collective and achieve the goals and vision of the leader. Some distinguishing attributes possessed by the charismatic leader are confidence, power, success, and influence. A transformational leader can also be qualified to be charismatic and vice versa. Since a transformational leader instills the vision onto the subordinates, he or she can do so in a charismatic manner. 1.2 Leadership in General Motors Leadership models and theories should be used as frameworks for developing personal styles, and self-reflecting. While various theories exist, a successful leader should know their industries, have astute insights, and are willing to induce the changes necessary to their organization (Van Wart, 2010). Furthermore, they are an inspirational figure, where they can influence their followers in the course of events. In the case of GM, the former chief executive, Mr. Fritz Henderson was asked to step down from the position. Mr. Henderson had worked along the former GM president, Mr. Rick Wagoner, throughout his career. According to Madslien (2009), This could pose serious problems for GM, which may now find it hard to find not only a replacement for the charismatic car guy. However, concerns such as the fact that Mr. Henderson was clinging on to power in the name of stability were expressed. Additionally, he was eagerly trying to rebuild the company based on the traditional model that GM used prior the crisis. Based on this analysis, it shows that the former CEO was not apt for changeability. He can be categorized as being a transactional leader, where a clear structure must be set in place and subordinates are required to just follow. Fritz Henderson could also have been path-goal oriented, where he would direct the subordinates, tell them what to do, and provide appropriate guidelines. The new CEO stated, Mr. Henderson had done a remarkable job in leading the company through an unprecedented period of challenge and change (General Motors BBC article, 2009). On the contrary, Mr. Ed Whitacre, who replaced Fritz Henderson, is more of a transformational and charismatic leader. The newly-appointed CEO, who previously ran the ATT telecoms company, was brought in as chairman by the Obama administration. General Motors needed an outsider, who had no attachments, as the leader. When he accepted the post, he announced that sweeping management changes needed to be made at GM (Luft, 2009). The fact that Mr. Whitacre reorganized and restructured departments three days after taking over demonstrates that he is both transformational and path-goal oriented. He managed to guide his followers in how to achieve the goals and objectives set in place for the future GM. Moreover, he had a vision to recreate General Motors and put passion and energy into everything. This type of leader constantly sells the vision to his followers. With all the changes that GM was experiencing, Whitacre realized the workforce was rattled and immediately addressed it by sending a companywide email. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the email reassured the employees that the major leadership changes are all behind them (2009). Even though Whitacre might be somewhat naÃÆ'Â ¯ve in the time frame of product development amongst other areas, he strategically designates other people to overlook the areas he lacks in knowledge. Furthermore, he wants to give people more responsibility and authority deeper in the organization and hold them accountable for their doings (Luft, 2009). In decision-making, this leader follows Group procedure, where he shares the problems with followers and seeks consensus agreement. Essentially, as a transformational, charismatic, path-goal oriented leader, Mr. Whitacre will try to ensure a smooth and successful transition for GM as a company and for the employees. General Motors new management team will focus more on leadership duties and responsibilities to meet their objectives to design, build and sell the worlds best vehicle. 2.0 EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FACTORS Organizations are expected to experience changes due to the instability and inconsistency of the environment. Organizational change is usually provoked by some driving force such as decrease in productivity and services, substantial cuts in funding, major new markets and clients, etc (Barbara and Fleming, 2006). The reasons why and how changes occur can only be understood if an internal and external analysis of the company is performed. The Porters five forces, PESTLE and SWOT analysis, and internal resources can be used to conduct an environmental scanning; hence, objectives and strategies can be formulated and used to implement the changes. 2.1 PESTLE Analysis PESTLE analysis is a framework comprised of political, economical, social, technological, legal, and environmental components. From the beginning, General Motors has always been affected by the law and government regulations. Most of the regulations are associated with the environment and concerns for safe automobiles. For example, the EU recently restricted the usage of heavy metals due to environmental issues. Additionally, the vehicle emissions regulations have also become stricter (Datamonitor: Automobile). Economically, since 2008, the global automotive industry has been severely affected by the major global credit crisis where both North America and Europe encountered recession. This in turn caused unstable oil prices, decreases in employment rate and decrease in consumer spending. Other essential components are the sociological and environment factors. With the increasing interest of the environment worldwide specifically in the US and Europe, General Motors has taken a firm s tance in Corporate Social Responsibility in all its business practices. This includes the operation of the factories and business offices, usage of renewable and recyclable materials, production of fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and less emission of greenhouse gases (GM website). Additionally, society has become relatively materialistic and driven by status quo. General Motors is aware of this; therefore, it would target each market depending on status and income. The last component in the PESTLE analysis is the technological component. The rise of the internet worldwide has affected not only the automobile industry, but many others as well. GM can benefit from the increasing usage of the internet, because more and more consumers can access its website and view products more easily. 2.2 Porters Five Forces Porters five forces of competition framework can be used to analyze the intensity of competition and the level of profitability (Grant, 2005). These five forces include competition from substitutes, entrants, power of suppliers, power of buyers, and established rivals. In replace of purchasing automobiles, consumers can use public transportation such as buses, trains, and bicycles. Moreover, consumers can also choose from other automobile products that are not GM-related making the threat of substitutes high-risk. High barriers to entry such as large capital allow the threat of new entrants very low-risk. In the automobile industry, the bargaining power of suppliers is considered low, since these suppliers rely on the automakers to purchase the raw materials such as steel, paint, glass, aluminum, etc. In regards to the bargaining power of the buyers, the risk is high. Customers can choose not only from other automobile manufacturers, but also from many automobile dealers that exist. Finally, there is a high rivalry existing among the competitors of General Motors. The major competitors include Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ford Motor Company, Mazda Motor Corporation and several other automakers (Datamonitor- GM) 2.3 Internal Analysis According to Porter, Smith, and Fagg (2006, p.393), Environmental analysis also requires an examination of the organizations internal environment. Internal analysis is concerned with the resources and capabilities that an organization must seek to understand before it can pursue any form of strategy. An internal audit includes the organizations human, financial and other resources which contribute to supporting its strategies. General Motors employs more than 200,000 people worldwide. Moreover, it has created a business environment based upon mutual respect, responsibility, and understanding. One of GM goals is to give employees more responsibility and authority and hold them accountable (GM website). In other words, this company believes in empowering its employees. Additionally, GM understands the effectiveness of performance when personal life and work are linked. Given that General Motors is considered to be one of the largest employers in the world, the benefits offered are just as grand. Amongst some of these benefits are medical plan including dental, investment options, life insurance, paid holidays and discounts on GM products and services. Financially, GM leaders and employees are committed to building its market share, revenue, earnings and cash flow with the goal of paying back its loans by 2010. In the year ended 2009 the estimated worldwide market share was recorded as 11.6%. Furthermore, vehicle sales in the US fell drastically since the peak in 2007 (GM Annual report). 2.4 SWOT Analysis Once an audit of external and internal influences has been conducted, a framework such as SWOT analysis can be used to link an organizations resources and capabilities. Then, the implications of strategies can be identified (Porter, Smith and Fagg, 2006). SWOT represents strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is the most widely used analytical management technique. 1. Strengths: General Motors not only has a strong brand portfolio, but also has a wide portfolio of regional brands like Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn. The strong brand portfolio spanning the global market allows GM to gain a competitive advantage. Also, since it has an extensive geographic presence in 207 locations, General Motors is able to spread its risks across the global markets. 2. Weaknesses: GM incurred significant losses from 2005 through 2008 due to operations and restructurings. The companys liquidity position along with its operating performance was negatively affected by the industry conditions. Additionally, there was a major decline in sales in major business segments. 3. Opportunities: The increase in the global truck market experienced a growth during 2004 and 2008 and will continuously have a steady growth for the future. This represents an opportunity for General Motors to capitalize on this market which can positively affect its revenues and profits. Moreover, there has been a worldwide demand for hybrid electric vehicles. Therefore, General Motors has been focusing on developing new high technology products for these eco-friendly automobiles. Consequently, this would boost the demand for GMs products. 4. Threats: Due to the ongoing global recession, GMs business would be significantly affected in its revenues, results of operations, cash flow and financial condition. More importantly, the global automotive industry is extremely competitive, where General Motors are facing strong competitors. As a result, there would be an adverse effect on vehicle pricing and market share. 3.0 CHANGE THEORIES AND APPLICATION TO GM According to Palmer (2006, p.50), Variety of pressures on managers: the environment, discovery of deviations from standards, new desires and visions of the future or the fundamental nature of organizations themselves. He also continues on stating that the result of change is, ironically, stability. While these pressures for change are constant, advantages of a changing organization are better integration, teamwork, common values, and mindsets. All these benefits contribute to achieving a better organization with more efficient and effective outcomes. John Kotter explains that some forces for change are greater economic integration, maturation and slowdown, technology, and fall of socialist countries and their reorientation toward capitalist economies (Palmer, 2006). 3.1 Change Theories Several change management theories describe the process of developing a planned approach to the changes taken place in an organization. The first model is John Kotters 8 steps, which was published in 1995 in the Harvard Business Review. Firstly, establishing the need for urgency refers to performing market analysis by determining the problems and opportunities. The second step, ensuring there is a powerful change group to guide the change can be performed by creating team structures to help drive the change and making sure the teams have sufficient power to guide the change. Thirdly, developing a vision can be carried out by providing focus for change. Then, the vision must be communicated by using multiple channels to constantly communicate this vision. The next step is empowering the staff by removing organizational policies and structures that inhibit the achievement of the vision. Once this is done, the organization must empower the staff which help support the need for change an d provide motivation. Consolidating gains is the seventh step. This refers to rewarding those who engage positively with the change. Last but not least, the change must be linked to organizational performance and leadership (Palmer, 2006). However, while the Kotters 8 steps outline the management of an organizational change, the Bridges Transition Model suggests that change will not be successful if transition doesnt occur. In this case, transition is defined as the ending of something, which is the first phase. The second phase is the neutral zone, which is a confusing state between the old reality and the new. During this phase, people are not ready or comfortable to welcome the new beginnings. Much importance must be given during this stage, because the change might be jeopardized if the organization decides to prematurely escape. However, if the neutral zone is completed successfully, many opportunities for creative transformation can be presented. The final phase is acceptance of the new beginnings and identification with the new situation (Bridges, 1995). Similarly, another model of change that was developed in the earlier days is that of Lewins. His model also consisted of three phases like Bridges Transition Model. The first phase is identified as unfreezing, where it involved dismantling the existing mindset of the people. For example, a change in the organizational culture would take place in this stage. According to Brown (1998, p.6), Organizational culture refers to norms, attitudes, values, and beliefs that conduct the behavior of members of an organization with each other and with external stakeholders. Changing is the second phase of Lewins model where actual changes are implemented so the organization progresses to the new position. Just like Bridges, this phase is also accounted as the hardest to overcome. In the last phase also known as refreezing, the changes are stabilized. They have been accepted and become the new norm. At this point, the need for recruiting new staff untainted by old habits might be fitting for the or ganization (Senior and Fleming, 2006). 3.2 Changes in General Motors In 2007, General Motors declared record sales of more than nine million vehicles for the third consecutive year. Despite that this company had such an achievement, environmental turbulences such as the global recession in 2009 forced GM to declare bankruptcy. This was considered as the biggest failure of an industrial company in US history (BBC website- GM ready to file). According to the news article GM ready to file for bankruptcy, GM, once the largest company in the world, has been losing market share since the early 1980s (2009). Some causes leading up to this disastrous event are high production costs and collapse in credit markets and consumer spending. Furthermore, the automaker was slow in moving away from the production of gas-guzzling SUVs when consumers were looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles (BBC-Website, 2009). Even though restructuring of the company was necessary, the transition and resistance to change were posed challenging. Using Bridges Transition Model, the radical change that occurred in General Motors can be evaluated. In the first phase, the organization realized there were major discrepancies between its goals and the current system of operation. Consequently, General Motors accepted the fact that it was the end of their glorious era and placed its fate in the hands of the US government. The new GM left the government holding 60% of the companys equity (Clark, 2009). Since this automaker was an iconic symbol of the American auto industry, it was necessary to preserve it. General Motors then entered the second phase, the neutral zone, of the Bridges Transition Model. Herein, the company faced many barriers and resistance to the changes that were taking place. According to Bridges, management and employees would feel anxious, disoriented, resentful, and self-protective (Bridges, 1995). At this stage, it is natural for people to feel confused between rushing forward and going back to the old ways. Th e GM official website states that the company has a new global operating structure, a leaner and more streamlined leadership team, and a restructured Board of Directors (GM Website). The designated leaders take a crucial role in the neutral zone. The newly-appointed CEO Ed Whitacre exercised his authority by drawing up a new management blueprint to improve accountability and responsibility for key market performance within General Motors (Luft, 2009). Inevitably, during the restructuring and reorganizing, employers were fearful for their jobs. Bridges (1995, p.41) advises, Communications help to keep people feeling included in and connected to the organization. On March 31, 2010 Whitacre decided to send out a companywide email to ease the anxiety and anticipation that had been developing during the change. In his email, he wrote, A smart company changes and adapts to the needs of the business. So, while there will always be individual moves within GM, I want to reassure you that the major leadership changes are behind us (Welch, 2010). Once General Motors was out of the neutral zone, the company was able to indulge in the new beginnings that have been much anticipated for. Even though the new GM decided to get rid of Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, and Saab, it still held on to the most profitable brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC. Additionally, it will continue to press on for structural cost reduction and a healthier balance sheet with a significant lower debt. Most importantly, the automaker will strictly concentrate on investing in innovative products and new technology. 3.3 Resistance to Change While the new GM managed to leave the neutral zone of the change process, it was prolonged because of the resistance to change. Some reasons why individuals resist change are routine, security, economic factors, fear of the unknown and selective information processing (Porter, Smith and Fagg, 2006). In the case of General Motors, management and employees were confined to the traditional way of the companys operations. Even more so, they knew that restructuring and layoffs were going to take place; therefore, they lost their sense of security and allowed anxiety to take over. 4.0 LINKAGE OF LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE According to Porter, Smith and Fagg (2006, p.301), The change agent should be at the center of any change process, and one of the most important jobs for him or her to do is to develop a good relationship between all the parties involved in the change process. This is vital to ensure that commitment, trust and mutual respect develop. The change agent is also known as the leader of the organization. During the transition of the old GM to the new GM, Mr. Ed Whitacre was designated as the CEO. He immediately recognized the importance of organizational development by changing its structure and the people within it. A successful change is accompanied by the redistribution of power within the company so that the decision-making is moved towards shared power (Porter, Smith and Fagg, 2006). CEO Whitacre alongside other directors and managers had to work together as a team in order to carry out the changes successfully. They may even have had to find themselves adopting the role as a transfor mational leader. As leaders, they are responsible in having a clear sense of direction in order to keep the organization moving on track towards the agreed objectives and goals. However, leaders cannot accomplish a successful change on their own. They need to also depend on the subordinates, which can be achieved by encouraging teamwork, empowerment, and acceptance of certain failures (Porter, Smith and Fagg, 2006). 5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS / CONCLUSION While General Motors was able to fast-track the change process with the right leadership in place, certain actions could have been done differently to maximize efficiency and minimize resistance. Palmer suggests that resistance to change can be managed by communication to the followers, participation from everyone involved, negotiation between the leaders and the subordinates, and explicit or implicit coercion (Palmer, 2006). Although Mr. Whitacre automatically sent out a companywide email when the company was in turmoil, it was not necessarily effective. Alternatively, he could have done a video conferencing with all the employees worldwide. In this manner, not only would his body language be viewed, but also would he be able to display emotions. According to Bridges (1995, p.41), Communications help to keep people feeling included in and connected to the organization. Without communications in place, wrong information can be multiplied and people develop apathy. Moreover, since the new General Motors wanted to revive its innovativeness, it is recommended for the company to expose people to new aspects of their tasks and opportunities for collaboration (Vermeulen, Puranam and Gulati, 2010). Also, while an organization is in neutral zone, creativity should be encouraged. This can be fostered by providing training in the techniques of discovery and innovation, encouraging experiment, embracing losses or setbacks, and looking for opportunities to brainstorm new answers to old problems (Bridges, 1995). All these must be carried out by the changing agents or the leaders. In conclusion, General Motors was able to identify their disparities and firmly decided to change the organization in order to accomplish its goals and objectives. More importantly, it acted quickly and and realized that current leadership talent did not have the capabilities to deal with the radical change. As a result, General Motors was assigned a charismatic, transformational leader to guide it through change, solve complex problems, and build for the future.

HR Training Strategy :: essays research papers

Introduction Since the opening the market of the Bahrain telecommunication industry, it has gone through major structural changes. As with most opening of markets of former public companies, the government wished to see increased efficiency in the service of telecommunication. Nouradeen (2005) By opening the market, the government hoped that the incentive of higher profits would act as a reward for efficiency, meaning that more effort would be made in research and development of new techniques so as to make the service more efficient. In order to pass savings onto the consumer, the telecommunication companies would have to work under certain restrictions imposed by the government and the telecommunication regulator, (TRA), which were designed to prevent private monopolies exploiting the consumer. The aim of this project is to investigate to what extent the industry has changed since these changes were implemented and how the price of telecommunication to consumers has been affected by these changes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The opening of the market in this industry has seen Two main stages: Firstly, Batelco, a company which was effectively a monopoly ran from the 1960’s until the first step to opening the market in 2003. This stage on the road to opening the market was to introduce competition in direct supply for customers, thus introducing the idea of competition into the industry, allowing a small proportion of the market to be run to a certain extent by the market mechanism. By 2003 the telecommunication company was introduced mtc Vodafone and was set up to provide mobile services for the country. TRA(2003). This effectively meant that in a particular area of service a different company was in a position of to create competition to the sole provider in mobile services. (Which was regulated by the government). Akhbar Alkhaleej (14:2003) The question that I wish to answer is: - To what extent did the restructuring of the telecommunication industry affect the price of telecommunication to consumers and for what reasons did this occur? Economic Concepts The market for telecommunication in the Bahrain has undergone several important structural changes as outlined in the introduction to the coursework. Initially, before opening the market, the telecommunication market was a public monopoly which meant that although it had all of the features of a monopoly it was controlled and owned by the government and thus it was intended to provide the best price for the consumer. However, the idea of opening the market the industry was that the extra competition found in the market would allow the consumer to see a further fall in price, particularly as the competition should have increased finance of research and development and therefore increased efficiency in the market.

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Chinese Workers: Their Thoughts, Ideas, and Spirit Although many have doubts that Chinese workers work in conditions like prisons, they are still willing to work. Often these workers remain optimistic about their spirit; they never give up. Also, they never complain about their suffering in the factories. These depictions of the positive aspects of factories are never shown in the media. However, Leslie Chang discovers the true opinions of Chinese factory workers. In her speech, The Voices of China’s Workers, Leslie Chang describes the eagerness of the Chinese worker and their apathetic response towards their working conditions. Chang tells the real reason why the Chinese people leave their homes to work in the factories. Chang offers three reasons for leaving home and seeking a job far away. First, workers are eager to â€Å"learn new skills† (Chang). Most factory workers come from the poorest areas of China: these villages have no education, industry, or economy. They are just â€Å"farmers† (Chang), who cannot do any other jobs. As a result, nearly â€Å"153 million rural migrants† (Smith) work outside of their hometowns in China. Secondly, Chinese workers work in factories to â€Å"earn money† (Chang). Because many factory workers come from rural areas in China, they are faced with the challenges of reality. They have many concerns such as, â€Å"how much money I can save? How much will it take to buy an apartment or a car, to get married, or to put my child through school† (Chang). Compared to the urban areas, â€Å"salaries are far lower† (Perlin) in the rural regions. Therefore, they travel to big factory cities like Dongguan, China. Lastly, Chinese factory workers want â€Å"to see the world† (Chang). In the â€Å"impoverished provinces such as Henan, Hubei, and... ...earch. â€Å"When I first went to Dongguan, I worried that it would be depressing to spend so much time with workers. I also worried that nothing would ever happen to them, or that they would have nothing to say to me. Instead, I found young women who were smart and funny and brave and generous† (Chang). Chang creates and solves her own fallacy. Her speech proves that the Chinese workers value money and family more than the actual conditions or purpose of the job. The media shows the negative parts of Chinese factories, like the â€Å"suicide nets† (Perlin). However, the most important thing is to learn new skills and make new money, eventually returning to the village â€Å"for good† (â€Å"What Do China’s Workers Want?†). Chinese workers want the world to know they desire a successful life through their hard work; they are not afraid of the challenge and they will never give up.

Lady Macbeth Letter Essay

I have just finished reading a letter hand written from my husband Macbeth. He has informed me about a mysterious prediction that was made to him by three not mortal beings. The letter tells of how his prediction says he would be King of Scotland, and before this Thane of Cawdor. The foresight that he would be Cawdor was not incorrect – so why not to be king? My wonderful husband could become king and I, Queen of Scotland. Macbeth would be a noble king, far more worthy than Duncan. King Duncan is not fit to be called a man let alone king of a country grand as Scotland. My courageous Macbeth was the reason the war against the barbaric Norwegians was won, not Duncan. The only problem is by the time Duncan’s reign on the throne has ended, when the wretch is dead and buried, I too and Macbeth shall most likely be old and feeble – if not dead ourselves. I must find a way to put an end to Duncan, I cannot risk losing an opportunity as grand as this for Macbeth and myself. Perhaps murder is the only options, I could not commit such a thing myself, I have not the strength nor the willpower but Macbeth? The trouble would be convincing him, Duncan has such high opinions of my love and Macbeth returns the favour equally as well; but he loves me and I am sure I can convince him. Maybe when I show him what this could mean for us and use my feminine charm on him he’ll be convinced. I am not deceiving him, the eventual result is for his benefit, how I miss him so much already, he’s such a wonderful man and would make such a worthy king. I can hardly wait for him to return, it’ll be so wonderful. He was a born ruler, my true love; we shall be King and Queen Macbeth of Scotland. I do not care that ‘God’ chose King Duncan – I will give my husband his crown and we shall rule. Even if I have to call down the evil spirits and take my emotions away, I want to feel like a man and kill him without remorse. I must go now and decide how he shall die, farewell.