Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership

Introduction As a result of globalization, many organizations are employing people from different countries in order to pool resources and boost their operational efficiency. However, documented literature indicates that having a culturally diverse team presents numerous challenges based on language differences, communication issues, different working techniques and conflict resolution mechanisms (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If not addressed efficiently, these challenges may lead to process and coordination inefficiencies. This paper shall provide solutions to five problems a multicultural team may face as it tries to open and run a shop in Zurich. Cultural Diversity: A Brief Overview Cultural diversity refers to a situation whereby members of given group have different beliefs, ethnicity, languages an d attitudes. Hankin (2005), states that there are negative and positive consequences that may arise from a culturally diverse team. For example, a multicultural team has different experience levels, skills and attitudes that may help organizations tackle numerous challenges in international business (Hankin, 2005). However, differences between members may lead to increased conflicts, miscommunications and confusions leading to low productivity due to process and coordination inadequacies. As such, understanding and acknowledging cultural diversity may help teams create a more efficient group process. Challenges in Multicultural Teams Early and Mosakowski (2004) assert that the cultural orientation of an individual affects the level of tolerance for uncertainty he/she can handle. For example, people from individualistic or low-context cultures prefer to confront conflicts directly, while those from collectivistic or high-context cultures adopt an indirect approach to conflict resolut ion. The high-context culture and low-context culture concepts shall be used to identify the problems a multicultural team might face while trying to run a business in Zurich.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Norms for problem solving and decision making US, Germany and Australia are considered as individualistic societies. As such, a majority of the people that belong to such societies focus their attention on individual goals rather than those of a team. On the other hand, Italians adopt a collectivist approach, in which the needs of the group have more weight than those of an individual. This difference in personality may cause a big problem when it comes to making quick decisions regarding the business. For example, individualistic people within the team will do what they think is best for the business while those from collectivistic cultures will prefer to discu ss and come up with a solution that is acceptable to all members. As such, decision making and conflict resolution within this team will be difficult because members apply different approaches when handling such issues. Communication challenges Efficient communication is very important in any business endeavor. However, different cultures use varied communication styles. As such, miscommunication in a culturally diverse group is likely to occur due to language barriers, accents and communication styles (direct or indirect communication). In this case, accents may be the main challenge faced by the members of the team. For example, English spoken by the Germans and Italians may not be clearly understood by the Americans and Swiss and vice versa. As such, it may be difficult to communicate effectively therefore leading to conflicts arising from such miscommunications and misunderstandings. Prejudice and stereotyping This challenge is very common in multicultural settings. In most case s, different cultures have varied opinions about other cultures. For example, Italians and Germans perceive Americans as disrespectful, talkative and egocentric. On the other hand, Americans and Australians may view the Italians and Germans as proud, lazy and less intelligent. With such stereotypes, fair delegation of duties and teamwork may be difficult because each member believes that his/her culture is more superior than that of fellow members.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Time, urgency and pace orientation According to Hogan (2007), different cultures view time differently. For example, individualistic cultures like keeping time, working with schedules and deadlines, and tackling one task at a time. On the other hand, collectivistic cultures view time holistically. As such, they like taking their time and doing things as t hey come without restrictions. In this team, this will be challenging because the Italians may be viewed as slow workers. Attitude towards work In this regard, the challenge may arise from the different perspectives members have about acceptable work etiquette. According to Hankin (2005), nations have different work norms and behaviors. As such, members of a culturally diverse team may have different descriptions of personal time and work time. Individualistic cultures have the ability to separate personal time from work time. When at work, Americans, Germans and Australians tend to do what they are supposed to do and try as much as possible to minimizing personal or social disruptions. On the other hand, Italians tend to be social while working and may even sacrifice work time so that they can deal with personal matters. As such, this team may face a difficult task of determining and separating personal and work time. Management of multicultural challenges According to Hogan (2007) , challenges emanating from cultural diversity can only be solved if a culturally diverse workforce learns to tolerate each other and focus on attaining the set organizational goals. In this case, the members of this multicultural team should acknowledge their differences and come up with an organizational culture that fosters cooperation, effective communication and fairness among team members. Similarly, Hecht-El Minshawi and Berninghausen (2009) suggest that members of a culturally diverse team should understand the existing barriers that may affect the efficiency of the group process. With this in mind, this team should develop procedures for decision making, conflict resolution and work etiquette. Implementation of such procedures and policies play a pivotal role towards addressing the challenges arising from work attitudes, time orientation and communication barriers. Conclusion Cultural diversity in workplace settings presents numerous challenges for managers. If not addresse d these challenges may lead to the failure of businesses. As such, people should try to be multiculturally competent in order to facilitate teamwork and cooperation in a multicultural work environment.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Early, P., Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 82(10): 151 – 157. Gibson, C., Vermeulen, F. (2003). A healthy divide: Subgroups as a stimulus for team learning behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(12): 202 – 239. Hankin, H. (2005). The new workforce: Five sweeping trends that will shape your company’s future. Chicago: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn Hecht-El Minshawi, B., Berninghausen, J. (2009). Intercultural Competence – Managing Cultural Diversity: Training Handbook. New York: Kellner Klaus. Hogan, M. (2007). The four skills of cultural diversity competence: a process for understanding and practice. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. This research paper on Multicultural Teams and Their Leadership was written and submitted by user Emmett Hewitt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Shays Rebellion

Troubled Farmers â€Å"In the first years of peacetime, following the Revolutionary War, the future of both the agrarian and commercial society appeared threatened by a strangling chain of debt which aggravated the depressed economy of the postwar years†.1 This poor economy affected almost everyone in New England especially the farmers. For years these farmers, or yeomen as they were commonly called, had been used to growing just enough for what they needed and grew little in surplus. As one farmer explained â€Å" My farm provides me and my family with a good living. Nothing we wear, eat, or drink was purchased, because my farm provides it all.†2 The only problem with this way of life is that with no surplus there was no way to make enough money to pay excessive debts. For example, since farmer possessed little money the merchants offered the articles they needed on short-term credit and accepted any surplus farm goods on a seasonal basis for payment. However if the farmer experie nced a poor crop, shopkeepers usually extended credit and thereby tied the farmer to their businesses on a yearly basis.3 During a credit crisis, the gradual disintegration of the traditional culture became more apparent. During hard times, merchants in need of ready cash withdrew credit from their yeomen customers and called for the repayment of loans in hard cash. Such demands showed the growing power of the commercial elite.4 As one could imagine this brought much social and economic unrest to the farmers of New England. Many of the farmers in debt were dragged into court and in many cases they were put into debtors prison. Many decided to take action: The farmers waited for the legal due process as long as them could. The Legislature, also know as the General Court, took little action to address the farmers complaints. 5 â€Å"So without waiting for General Court to come back into session to work on grievances as requested, the People took matters ... Free Essays on Shays Rebellion Free Essays on Shays Rebellion Troubled Farmers â€Å"In the first years of peacetime, following the Revolutionary War, the future of both the agrarian and commercial society appeared threatened by a strangling chain of debt which aggravated the depressed economy of the postwar years†.1 This poor economy affected almost everyone in New England especially the farmers. For years these farmers, or yeomen as they were commonly called, had been used to growing just enough for what they needed and grew little in surplus. As one farmer explained â€Å" My farm provides me and my family with a good living. Nothing we wear, eat, or drink was purchased, because my farm provides it all.†2 The only problem with this way of life is that with no surplus there was no way to make enough money to pay excessive debts. For example, since farmer possessed little money the merchants offered the articles they needed on short-term credit and accepted any surplus farm goods on a seasonal basis for payment. However if the farmer experie nced a poor crop, shopkeepers usually extended credit and thereby tied the farmer to their businesses on a yearly basis.3 During a credit crisis, the gradual disintegration of the traditional culture became more apparent. During hard times, merchants in need of ready cash withdrew credit from their yeomen customers and called for the repayment of loans in hard cash. Such demands showed the growing power of the commercial elite.4 As one could imagine this brought much social and economic unrest to the farmers of New England. Many of the farmers in debt were dragged into court and in many cases they were put into debtors prison. Many decided to take action: The farmers waited for the legal due process as long as them could. The Legislature, also know as the General Court, took little action to address the farmers complaints. 5 â€Å"So without waiting for General Court to come back into session to work on grievances as requested, the People took matters ...

Biomedical Ethics Should healthcare be public or private Essay

Biomedical Ethics Should healthcare be public or private - Essay Example Grounded in the concepts of fairness, equity, and solidarity, Canada’s system ensures that people can access health care in the public sectors. Nonetheless, a debate on whether Canada and abroad ensures the right to health is rampant. Whereas some stipulate that Canada fails to offer the human rights to healthcare, others point out that the Canada’s system of health care is sufficient despite the failure to put the phrase of human rights in their documents. As such, exploration on whether the rights to healthcare are explored in Canada’s system of healthcare is paramount. This essay clarifies that the Canadian health care system ensures that all people have the right to healthcare despite the fact that the phrase human right lacks in documentation. Typically, the healthcare system in Canada is publicly funded hence; access to health services is free for all members within the country. As directed by the implementation of Canada health act, the government assures all its citizens access quality health care. The fact that healthcare is public means that accessing healthcare is cost effective thus; catering for the needs of all people notwithstanding their economic status. Every doctor in every province should claim the insurance from provincial insurers. Canada’s private insurance is kept very minimal to avoid competition from advertisements of commercial insurers and health providers that may interfere with the quality of healthcare. Although to some point competition may be regarded as good, in the case of healthcare in Canada, it is not. This is because it may lead to privatization and marginalization of some economically unstable individuals who may lose trust with the public centers, but may not afford the private centers. The term rights to health care is particularly important to the poor people who are technically disadvantaged in terms of accessing costly health care. Kluge defines this kind of people as those who are known as congenitally incompetent patients who lack the cognitive awareness and will never be competent . Therefore, a country that ensures that all people can access affordable and quality care at their disposal is one that respects the individual’s rights to healthcare. With this view, Canada is one of those countries that respect and fulfill the principle of individual’s right to healthcare. One of the values that guide the provisions of healthcare in Canada is portability. Here, portability means that citizens of the country can access healthcare at any province within the country as long as one carries his or her card. This implies that incase one is travelling and gets an emergency; there is no call for alarm. Likewise, people who move from provinces to provinces as a requirement of their jobs do need to undergo unnecessary procedures to ensure that they acquire affordable healthcare. The notion of this principle implies that people can access medical care at any place w ithout any limitation (Baylis 152). A keen look at this concept indicates that human rights to healthc

Summarize the artical, give an overall meaning, key facts and opinion Coursework

Summarize the artical, give an overall meaning, key facts and opinion of the sources - Coursework Example Post uses cells called myosatellites, these are muscle cells, which are used normally to repair damaged muscle tissue. These cells can be extracted without necessarily killing the animal, and they develop into a muscle cell; it is easier to control the development of these cells (Brown, 2011 p1). For the cells to develop the muscle cells must be exercised regularly, this can be done by giving the cells minute electric shocks that stimulate their growth. However, the professor wants the muscle cell to exercise on their own; pieces of velcro act as anchor points and are fitted into a Petri dish where they create tension in the muscle cells. Naturally, the cells will try to contract, but the velcro provides the necessary resistance, which stimulates the cells to grow and increase their bulk (Brown, 2011 p1). After a few weeks, the cells will have grown into strips, which are a couple of millimeters thick and 2-3 centimeters long. The professor has not yet managed to grow them any bigger; this is until he finds a means to enable nutrients and oxygen to access the cells that are at the center of the strip. The professor is hopeful that, in a few months coming, he will have developed an intricate meshwork that will enable the nutrient and oxygen to reach the center of the strip and produce strips that will be thick enough (Brown, 2011 p1). According to the professor, the research that he is carrying out has potential to change the meat production methods. With laboratory production of meat, we shall still need small herds of cattle to donate the stem cells, but the traditional livestock farming will be outdated. Although no one has tasted the meat yet, even if the hamburger does not taste good, it still represents a very significant breakthrough that could reduce carbon emissions and transform the face of farming (Brown, 2011 p1). The professor has had a lot of experience in the field of vascular physiology. The document was obtained

Turning Points in History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Turning Points in History - Essay Example An in-depth analysis of the political scenario that was shaped by the assassination of President Kennedy suggests that for a considerable time, United States continued to suffer from political turmoil. The Vietnam War flared up and brought many displeasing results for America. Why were the events immediately preceding the turning point necessary and essential in preparing for the turning point? Events preceding the assassination of President John F Kennedy were essential because they threatened the interests of many ruling powers. President Kennedy was restructuring the CIA to deprive the capitalist cabal of the ability to spread terrorism, both locally and internationally. The ruling powers would not be able to handle the economy if President Kennedy lived and restructured the Federal Reserve System. Another potential reason of the assassination of President Kennedy was that he had resolved to quite the war in Vietnam which the ruling powers were using as a tool to make profits thro ugh sale of weapons. All of these events flared up the urge to get President Kennedy out of the way of mean ruling powers so that they may practice their malevolent plans and evil machinations.

Cup Plate Method | Cultivation Of Microorganism

Cup Plate Method | Cultivation Of Microorganism An Adduct formed by stirring (0.01 mole) of aromatic aldehyde with the 40% of NaHSO3. O-phenylenediamine (0.01 mole) was dissolved in 50 ml of warm Ethanol 80. The NaHSO3 adduct of the aldehyde is added slowly with constant stirring in the warm solution of O-phenylenediamine stirred for 20-30 min still solid product obtained, then added 100 ml of Distilled water and filtered . Now the product was recrystallised by using Ethanol. Step 2: Nicotinoyl Cloride 0.1 mole of Nicotinic Acid was refluxed for 6 hrs with the 20 ml of Thionyl Chloride. After this the excess of Thionyl Chloride was distilled off and separated from the product and dried it. Step 3: 0.01 mole of 2-phenylbenzimidazole solution in 100 ml Pyridine stirred for 8 hrs constantly with the 0.01 mole of Nicotinoyl Chloride ,then the water added 50 ml to get a solid product. The product was filtered, dried and recrystallised using Ethanol. Scheme: AIM AND OBJECTIVES Molecular modification of a promising lead compound is still a major line of approach for the discovery of new drug. Molecular modification involves substituting, elimination, or adding new moieties to a parent lead compound, there by making gradual changes in the physico-chemical properties of the parent compound and thus biological activity of the compound. It is clear from the literature review that a number of Benzimidazole derivatives are known for the, antibacterial, antifungal and ant-inflammatory activities properties. The present studies were performed with the following objectives: Synthesis of new series of 1,2-substituted benzimidazole derivatives. Characterization of newly synthesized compounds by spectra methods viz.infrared spectra (IR spectra), Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra ( ¹H NMR spectra) and (Mass spectra). Screening of the antibacterial and Antifungal of the newly synthesized compounds using various strains of bacteria and fungi by determining their MIC. Screening of anti-inflammatory action of Benzimidazole derivatives. Scope and Plan of work: Literature survey revealed that Benzimidazole nucleus is a part numerous class of reported molecules exhibiting diverse range of biological activities like antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, analgesic ,anti-inflammatory activity, antihyperlipidemic, antihistaminic, antiulcer, anti-arrhythmic , HIV-RT inhibitor. Considering the reported data about Benzimidazole nucleus we have tried to synthesize some Nicotinoyl derivatives of Benzimidazole. The Benzimidazole derivatives of all above mentioned activities are mostly of 2-substituted type .The synthesis of 2-(substituted phenyl)-benzimidazolyl-1-pyridinyl-3-methanone was carried out and screened for antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity. The present work was divided in to three sections: Synthesis of 1,2-substituted derivatives of Benzimidazole . Chemical Characterisation of the synthesized compounds. Biological evaluation of synthesized compounds. Pharmacological screening of the synthesized compounds. ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING An antibiotic is a chemical compound that in high dilution hinders the growth and the survival of one or more species of microorganism.A drug is considered to have bacteriostatic or fungistatic activity when it inhibits the growth of bacteria or fungi respectively and bactericidal or fungicidal activity when it kills the bacteria or fungi. In vitro tests are used as screening procedure for new agents and for testing the susceptibility of individual isolates from infection to determine which of the available drug might be useful therapeutically. Important factors for antimicrobial activity are size of the inoculums, metabolic state of microorganism, pH, temperature, and duration of interaction, concentration of the inhibitor and presence of interfering substance. ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY STUDIES Literature survey reveals that the synthesis and evaluation of antibacterial activity of various 2-substituted benzimidazole derivatives. The development of resistant among various pathogenic microorganisms towards the antibiotics has increased the impetus for investigating new antimicrobial agent. When a compound are synthesized in the hope that one of them would be more effective than the existing one. The antimicrobial effectiveness of a compound can be evaluated by serial dilution method and cup plate method. Dilution susceptibility tests are used to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). MIC is the lowest concentration of a drug that inhibits the growth of a particular organism under specific condition. The sensitivity of a compound against a particular organism can be studied by cup plate method.Initially the zone of inhibition method was carried out to evaluate the sensitivity of the organism were selected for determination of MIC. CUP PLATE METHOD: Cultivation of Microorganism: The following microorganisms were used to study the antibacterial activity. Bacillus subtilis Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureous Gram positive bacteria Escherichia coli Gram negative bacteria Salmonella typhi Gram negative bacteria Standard: Streptomycin (1000mcg) Solvent: DMF All the test compounds were tested at 250  µg, 500  µg , and 1000  µg. Preparation of the medium: Composition of nutrient agar medium Beef extract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10g Peptone†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10g Sodium chloride†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5g Agar†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.20g Purified water†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1000ml pH 7.2 ± 0.2 The medium was prepared by dissolving the specified quantity of the dehydrated medium in purified water by heating on a water bath and were dispensed in 100 ml volume conical flasks. The conical flasks were closed with cotton plugs and were sterilized by autoclaving at 121 °C (15 lb psig) for 15 minutes. The contents of the conical flasks were poured aseptically into sterile Petridishes are allowed to solidify. These sterilized Medias were used to subculture the bacterial culture. PROCEDURE: Each Petridish was filled to a depth of 4-5 mm with a nutrient agar medium that was previously inoculated with suitable inoculums of suitable test organism, and then allowed to solidify. The petridish were specially selected with flat bottom and were placed on level surface so as to ensure that the layer of medium is in uniform thickness. The petridishes were sterilized at 160-170 °C in hot air oven for 30 mins before use. Small sterile borer of uniform size was placed approximately at 10 cm height, having an internal diameter of approximately 6-8 mm and made of aluminium (or) stainless steel. Each plate was divided in to four equal portions along the diameter. To each portion one cylindrical cavity was made in medium with the help of sterile borer. Three cavities for test compounds and one cavity for the standard. The petridishes were incubated at 37 °C for 18 hours. Diameter of the zone of inhibition was measured and the average diameter for each sample was calculated. The diam eter obtained by the test sample was compared with that produced by standard Streptomycin. CUP PLATE METHOD: Cultivation of Microorganism The following fungal strains were used to study the antibacterial activity. 1. C.raphigera 2. A.polytricha Standard: Ketocanazole (1000mcg) Solvent: DMF All the test compounds were tested at 250  µg, 500  µg , and 1000  µg. Preparation of the medium: Composition of nutrient agar medium Sabraoud Dextrose broth..64gm Distilled water.1000ml pH..7.2 ± 0.2 The medium was prepared by dissolving the specified quantity of the dehydrated medium in purified water by heating on a water bath and were dispensed in 100 ml volume conical flasks. The conical flasks were closed with cotton plugs and were sterilized by autoclaving at 121 °C (15 lb psig) for 15 minutes. The contents of the conical flasks were poured aseptically into sterile Petridishes are allowed to solidify. These sterilized medias were used to subculture the fungal culture. ROCEDURE: Each Petridish was filled to a depth of 4-5 mm with a nutrient agar medium that was previously inoculated with suitable inoculums of suitable test organism, and then allowed to solidify. The petridish were specially selected with flat bottom and were placed on level surface so as to ensure that the layer of medium is in uniform thickness. The petridishes were sterilized at 160-170 °C in hot air oven for 30 mins before use. Small sterile borer of uniform size was placed approximately at 10 cm height, having an internal diameter of approximately 6-8 mm and made of aluminium (or) stainless steel. Each plate was divided in to four equal portions along the diameter. To each portion one cylindrical cavity was made in medium with the help of sterile borer. Three cavities for test compounds and one cavity for the standard. The petridishes were incubated at 37 °C for 18 hours. Diameter of the zone of inhibition was measured and the average diameter for each sample was calculated. The diam eter obtained by the test sample was compared with that produced by standard Ketocanazole.

Free Great Gatsby Essays: The Truly Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Truly Great Gatsby Is his novel the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald creates Gatsby as a character who becomes great. He begins life as just an ordinary, lower-class, citizen. But Gatsby has a dream of becoming wealthy. After meeting Daisy, he has a reason to strive to become prominent. Throughout his life, Gatsby gains the title of truly being great. Even before Gatsby is introduced, he is hinted at being out of the ordinary. The first evidence of this is when Nick says, "Gatsby turned out all right at the end." (2) Nothing was known about Gatsby at the time and Nick is already saying Gatsby was okay. There's a air of mysteriousness surrounding Gatsby. Everyone knows of him, but no one knows who he really is or where he comes from. Even at our first glance of Gatsby, he's reaching out for something only he can see. There were many stories flying about Gatsby but no one knew what to really believe. In on instance Jordan made the comment, "I think he killed a man." (49) Even when Gatsby confessed about his past he didn't always tell the truth. He told Nick he inherited great wealth, but in reality, Gatsby gained his wealth on his own. Even though Gatsby lied, the fact that he made himself what he was makes him even that much greater. When Gatsby was still James Gatz, he had a dream of leaving his life on the farm behind and become part of the upper-class. Even Gatsby's father knew when he said, "If he'd lived, he'd of been a great man." (169) Little did his father know that Gatsby was already great. Gatsby didn't always do the right thing to gain his wealth but he was always good at heart. His first real break in the outside world was when he met his best friend Dan Cody. Gatsby was seventeen at the time and had just left his life on the farm. Cody was a wealthy man of fifty and he showed Gatsby the ways of the world. It was said that Cody found Gatsby to be " ... quick and extravagantly ambitious." (101) He took Gatsby in and treated him almost as a son. Gatsby was to inherit some of Cody's wealth after his death but was stripped of his inheritance by Ella Kaye.

Strategic Analysys of Toyota

INTRODUCTION In this fiercely aggressive business world, the goal of most firms is to establish distinctive or unique capabilities to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through utilising the most of their core competencies. Competencies refer to the fundamental knowledge owned by the firm (knowledge, know-how, experience, innovation and unique information), and to be distinctive they are not confined to functional domains but cut across the firm and its organisational boundaries (2002). Today, business enterprises in developed countries operate in a more complicated, and more regulated, environment. The strategic task, then, is to create a distinctive way ahead, using whatever core competencies and resources at its disposal, against the background and influence of the environment. Through these distinctive capabilities the organisation seeks sustainable competitive advantage. Competition in many domestic and international markets appears to be entering a new phase, in which product quality and performance are becoming more important to customers than price. In such markets, the effective management of the new product development process is the essence of competitive advantage. Due to such changes, a review of the organisations’ strategic capabilities is a must if they are to keep up with the demands of the changing times. This paper analyses the strategic capabilities of Toyota Company in face of the ever-stiffening competition in the automotive industry, as a potential tool to further strengthen Toyota’s position in the automobile market. BRIEF TOYOTA BACKGROUND[1] Toyota Motor Corporation is a famous Japanese multinational corporation, and is considered the world’s second largest automaker of automobiles, trucks, buses, robots, and providing financial services ( 2007). Its founder is Kiichiro Toyoda, born in 1894, and the son of Sakichi Toyoda, who became popular as the inventor of the automatic loom. Kiichiro inherited the spirit of research and creation from his father, and devoted his entire life to the manufacture of cars. After many years of hard work, Kiichiro finally succeeded in his completion of the A1 prototype vehicle in 1935, which arked the beginning of the history of the Toyota Motor Corporation ( 2007). The first Type A Engine produced in 1934 was used in the first Model A1 passenger car in May 1935 and the G1 truck in August 1935, and led to the production of the Model AA passenger car in 1936. In addition to being famous with its cars, it still participates in the textile business and makes automatic looms that are now fully computerised, and electric sewing machines that are available in different parts of the world. It has several factories around the world, which serve to manufacture and assemble vehicles for local markets. The corporation’s factories are located in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Poland, France, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Despite the many locations of its factories, its headquarters is located in Toyota, Aichi, Japan (2007). It invests a great deal of time and effort in its research into cleaner-burning vehicles, such as promoting a Hybrid Synergy Drive and running a Hydrogen fuel cell in its vehicles (2007). It has significant market shares in developed countries, such as the United States, Europe, Africa and Australia, and has significant markets in South East Asian countries. Its brands include the Scion, its division in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico, and the Lexus, which is Toyota’s luxury vehicle brand ( 2007). Aside from producing cars and other types of automobiles, such as SUVs and coasters, Toyota also, participate in rallying or racing. The company’s presence in Motorsport can be traced to the early 1970s, when Ove Andersson, a Swedish driver, drove for Toyota during the RAC Rally in Great Britain, and in succeeding years, Toyota Team Europe was formed ( 2007). Up to the present, Toyota cars are still being used in a variety of racing events in different countries around the world. These events include the CART in Vancouver, the Le Mans, the Indy Racing League, the NASCAR, and the Toyota F1 Series (2007). As the leader in the industry of automobile manufacture and production, the company adopts a philosophy in terms of its production system, which is named The Toyota Way. The company’s philosophy in production involves a list of fourteen principles that are implemented in the company, and serve as guides to the operation of the company. This includes the following principles: Base the company’s management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term goals; * Foster a continuous process flow to sight problems; * Utilise â€Å"pull† systems to prevent over-production; * Level out the workload of the workforce; * Build a culture that stops to fix problems, in order to get quality perfect at the first try; * Standardised tasks are the company’s foundation for its continuous improvement and the development of the employees; * Use visual control to let problems surface; Use reliable and tested technology, which serves both the people and the company’s processes; * Train leaders who understand the company’s work, live its philosophies, and share it to others; * Train and develop a workforce who follow the company’s philosophy; * Respect the work and responsibilities of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve; * Actually immersing one’s self to understand the situation; * Slow but sure decision-making through consensus, through considering a variety of options, and to implement decisions effectively and efficiently; and, * Becoming a learning business organisation through expression and continuous improvement ( 2007) With these principles, the company is guided in terms of its operations and production. Through these principles and philosophies, it can become efficient and effective in manufacturing its products, keeping in mind the welfa re of its employees, the image and brand of the company, and the satisfaction of its employees. PESTLE Analysis Currently, Toyota faces a need for accelerated investment, in order to deploy the new technologies, for pressing geo-political, economic, environmental and societal reasons. Political. Observers will see a continuing progression in the ruinous steps which have forced the industry into a socio-politico-economic corner. Whether this is related to flat demand or to the company’s creation of an ever-wider range of vehicles that many buyers seem to care little about, there is a problem. The company is likewise linked closely to the policies of governments, the earnings of banks. Little wonder then that so many emerging countries are keen to develop an auto sector or that there is such a political pressure to protect it in the developed countries. Toyota Company is currently dominated by little more than a handful of firms, each wielding colossal financial, emotional and political power. The company’s approach to dealing with political institutions has not always been brilliant. It tends to be good on technical issues, although it has not always fully presented the longer-term options, in order to make the choices and their implications clear. Economic. For much of the developed world, and increasingly for the developing world, Toyota Company is a pillar company in auto mobile business, a flag of economic progress. Without Toyota Company in automotive industry, it is impossible to develop an efficient steel business, a plastic industry or a glass sector – other central foundations of economic progress. The Toyota Company has been a core company, a unique economic phenomenon, which has dominated the twentieth century (2007). However, the automobile industry including the Toyota Company now suffers from a series of structural schisms and has become riddled with contradictions and economic discontinuities. For the capital markets and the finance sector, it has lost a lot of its significance, as a result of ever declining profits and stagnant sales. The proliferation of products means that it has become hopelessly wasteful of economic resources. While all these and more sound like a very gloomy assessment of such a vast economic phenomenon, the industry is not in the end despondent. A different future is possible for the industry, a highly desirable one. Social. As part of the development in automotive industry, the Toyota Company actually affects the society as a whole. It employs millions of people directly, tens of millions indirectly. Its products have transformed society, bringing undreamed-of levels of mobility, changing the ways people live and work (2007). The social value of the additional mobility that this industry brings involves the value of the people being able to commute over longer distances easily, among many others. For most of its existence the Toyota Company has been a model of social discipline and control and it is not just that the auto sector offers a ‘pillar’ of something else. There are, on the other hand, particular social issues to address in many developing countries, often those that are the result of an undertone of religious faith. Toyota company has the role to play in helping develop the mobility of such countries and it can be achieved at an acceptable social cost of the country is prepared to learn the necessary lessons from those who have traveled this route before it, and to make the necessary investments. Technological. The Toyota Company works on a scale so awesome and has an influence so vast that it is often difficult to see. The level and diversity of technologies that it must deploy are increasing, which imposes both new investment burdens and new uncertainties and risks (2007). Roughly a million new cars and trucks are built around the world each week – they are easily the most complex products of their kind to be mass-produced in such volumes. The industry uses manufacturing technology that is the cutting edge of science. But still, the potential for developing coordination skills, intellectual capabilities and emotional sensitivities through electronic technologies remain far from fully exploited. There are numerous additional near-term technological opportunities to adapt the company to changing energy availability. The possibilities suggest that automotive technology is unexpectedly robust and provides a powerful defence against energy starvation even if the real price of oil climbs steadily during the next couple of decades. Legal. Toyota Company is subject to numerous technical directives and regulations, as well as legislation of a more legal nature. The legislation covers areas such as competition law, intellectual property law, consumer protection and taxation, and emissions (air quality and fuels). When the auto parts industry reached full development, accelerated technological efforts were made to create a web of local suppliers that would make it possible to meet the growing legal requirements for the national integration of production. Environmental. Other than the vehicles themselves, and the roads and fuel needed to run them; the business is intricately tied to the manufacture of a wide range of components and the extraction of precious raw materials. Indirectly, it brings people road congestion, too many fatalities and a wave of other environmental troubles. The effect to the Toyota Company is that they needed to establish R&D centres to take advantage of research infrastructure and human capital, so that they can develop vehicle products locally to satisfy the requirements of the environmental and safety regulations more effectively. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths. One of Toyota’s most potent strength is that they are one of the world’s best known brands (2007). As they have been in the business for several years now, the experience that they have in manufacturing cannot be overemphasised. They already have built a solid reputation for being a dependable automaker. Additionally, they have the strength of being diverse with respect to their product lines, having affiliated automotive brands including Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo, which allows clients to choose from a variety of car models to fit their lifestyle. They are also known to be supportive of societal causes, in particular the fight for breast cancer and support after the September 11 attacks in the U. S (â€Å"Toyota†, 2007). They pioneered the moving assembly line, which became their mechanism for making vehicles more efficiently and faster, therefore more affordable. Traditionally Toyota's international operations were a source of that allowed the company to maintain its position as the second largest auto maker in the world and to respond to GM's competitive moves. Weaknesses. The company's organisational structure has become inefficient as the company became more complex. This hindered Toyota's ability to manage its international network of subsidiaries, branches, and companies. The weakness of its organisational strategy reflects to the speculations over the likely performance of Toyota in the future, as the company’s financing section is swamped down by hefty outstanding debts. The firm is not in risk of bankruptcy, but the Toyota management is in a tight spot, and has to be extremely vigilant to not make it any tighter. There is also a notable management issues within the company. Finally, because of the increasing competition, the company has witnessed a decline in overall sales, a weakness on their part as they have somehow failed to overcome the challenges that additional competition brings. Opportunities. Toyota Motors Company has the distinct opportunity to have cleaner engine emissions, in alignment with their corporate responsibility to become environment-friendly. Through working with environmental groups to help clean the environment, they also have the opportunity to further enhance their image to the general public. Since they have already started investing in Solar Power, the end is a more viable prospect. Toyota could further widen the scope of their opportunities through specialising and rationalising its worldwide operations on a regional basis and to develop a network organisation in which its subsidiaries would increase their transnational linkages. Besides Toyota learning about the possibilities of producing quality automotive products in their areas of operation at a comparative cost advantage, other relevant factors could bring about new opportunities for exporting vehicles: the parent company's efficiency-seeking strategy; its competitive disadvantage in the small-car segment of the market and the competitors' moves in this market-segment; and the new more flexible regulations in the respective countries in which they have manufacturing plants. Further, with Toyota’s existing capability to innovate on automobiles, they have the opportunity to penetrate a still larger scope of market. Threats. As with any firm in the automotive industry, Toyota faces very tight competitive rivalry in the auto market. Competition is escalating, with the threat of new entrants continuously flowing into the market from South Korea, China and new plants in Eastern Europe (2007). Toyota is also exposed to the risk of movement in the price of raw materials such as steel, glass, rubber and fuel. The key economies in the US, Europe and the Pacific are also experiencing slow downs lately. These economic factors are latent threats for the company under analysis. Further, substitute products such as Natural gas, Electricity, Ethanol, Vegetable oil, Sunlight, Water poses a distinct threat to the sustainability of company sales. While Toyota strategies responded to the local opportunities and competitive advantages that were built over time in different national markets, the competitiveness of foreign operations was also dependent upon the company's management capabilities and its overall position in the industry worldwide. If such factors were to perform under expectation, their competitiveness in the international scene would suffer seriously (2007). RESOURCE AUDIT A resource is a basic element that a firm controls in order to best organise its operational processes. A resource, or set of resources, can be used to create competitive advantage (2002), that is why an audit of the resources of a firm is a must if it is to utilise them to create the latter. The sustainability of a company’s competitive advantage depends upon the ease with which the resources can be imitated or substituted (Peteraf, 1993). When resources are combined they can lead to the formation of competencies and capabilities ( 1990). Financial Resources. 2] Although Toyota Motor’s 2005 financial results showed a full-year net loss, the company still managed to come back in their expressive profits earning in 2007. As seen in the accounting ratios, the company managed to have an expressive positive change of 21. 4% in 200 6 against its low performance in 2005 with only 2. 9% of change. Table 1. Toyota Accounting Ratios Human Resources. [3] Toyota directly employs around 38,340 people in North America. It has made around $16. 8 billion in direct investments in North America. It has in total produced 14. 8 million vehicles, 2. 5 million vehicles sales (2005), 39. 2 million total vehicles sales, and purchased $26. billion worth of â€Å"parts, materials and components† as of December 2005 in North America. It has 1,745 North American dealers and has given around $301 million as philanthropy to the United States since 1991. Physical Resources. [4] To date, Toyota has factories all over the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets, including the Corolla. Toyota has manufacturing or assembly plants in Japan, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Brazil, and more recently Pakistan, India, Argentina, Czech Republ ic, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, and the Philippines. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS 1985) in his seminal work of value chain proposed it as a tool to identify and to analyse the origins of competitive advantages and suggested that the activities of the business could be grouped into two: primary and support activities. What activities a business undertakes is linked to achieving its competitive advantage, and Toyota seemed to be best prepared to implement a global strategy, because of the superior competitive advantages of its foreign operations compared with GM and Chrysler. Paradoxically, Toyota's rivals showed a greater disposition to use resources from outside of the United States. It was not until 1994 that Toyota focused on developing a global strategy as a means to enhance its competitive position in the industry. Before then, Toyota largely focused on building a strategy that would allow the company to recover its competitive position in its own home market, which was essential for survival. An analysis of the structural and institutional factors that shaped Toyota's strategic response both to the new industry rules and the short-term challenges posed by other industry competitors explains this paradox. A number of broad sustainability challenges set the context for all of the value chain activities (see appendix 1). These issues apply across the value chain: (1) Population growth; (2) Urbanisation; (3) Child mortality; (4) Maternal health; (5) Infectious diseases; (6) Biodiversity; (7) Loss of ecosystem services; (8) Poverty; (9) Education; and (10) Gender Equality. All these issues are attended to by the Toyota Motor Company in alignment with their efforts to maintain sustainable competitive advantage through preserving the good public image that their clients expect from them. CORE COMPETENCIES Toyota has several core competencies which they could utilise to further gain advantage over their competitors, and currently the company overtook General Motors in its market leadership in the automotive industry. One core competency of the company is their brand management. The strength of their automotive marketing has been such that their brand is known even in the parts of the world where cars are not the common medium of transportation. Another core competency is their supply chain management, which links to their ability to maintain a steady stream of raw materials coming in for production because of their long-term good standing with their steel, glass, plastic and other raw materials supplier. Their highly coordinated logistics system handled by outsourced firms also form part of their core competencies, leading to excellent inventory management and always on schedule production activities. Another marked core competency is their ability at the moving assembly line. Being the pioneer of such mass production system, they were able to get ahead of the competitors manufacturing processes-wise and were also able to save on costs and time. Yet another core competency is Toyota’s focusing on its product development technology under a single product-information-management program through standardising and incorporating them. If sustainable development is to achieve its potential, it must be integrated into the planning and measurement systems of business enterprises. And for that to happen, the concept must be articulated in terms that are familiar to business leaders. Many observers believe that more stakeholders — investors, consumers, nongovernmental organisations and others — will insist that companies to take environmental and social costs as seriously as they take purely financial costs. In addition, investors are expected to increasingly seek out sustainable companies and avoid firms with poor environmental performance, judging the sustainable companies as better risks over the long term. Likewise, consumers are expected to search for products that perform well environmentally. THE FUTURE OF TOYOTA (1982) observed that the automotive industry has been depended upon by other industrial sectors to provide them with means with which to optimise their investment capital because of the transfer of its technology, which basically means that the manufacturing and materials handling processes that revolve around mass auto production will be, in the future, far removed from their original use through consulting engineering firms that undertake to design and equip factories. The tendency for car manufacturers, then, will be to focus on competition that would become more rigorous, giving special attention to profit-gaining activities and concentrating also on arranging for financial, marketing and industrial cooperation among car makers. In the first three months of 2007, Toyota together with its half-owned subsidiary Daihatsu reported number one sales of 2. 348 million units. Toyota's brand sales had risen 9. 2% largely on demand for Corolla and Camry sedans. The difference in performance was largely attributed to surging demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. In November 2006, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas added a facility in San Antonio. [5] Toyota has experienced quality problems and was reproached by the Japanese Governement for its recall practices (2006). Toyota currently maintains over 16% of the US market share

Free Essays on Medias Advertisement Of Terrorism

Media’s Advertisement of Terrorism The media’s widespread view on terrorism as increased dramatically in the recent years, though terrorism itself has gotten neither better nor worse. Since terrorist attacks have been more publicized people have fear more in spite of the fact that terrorists have been doing similar attacks for many years. In viewing the propaganda the media has put out on terrorism it is to no surprise people are reacting the way they are. After the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11 2001 commonly known as 9-11, the media’s coverage of terrorism seemed as if to quadruple, and in that people’s views of minorities, mainly those who look to originate of the Middle East, also quadrupled. People’s assumptions took them for granted saying that, â€Å"the attackers of 9-11 were Middle Eastern and therefore all Middle Easterns are terrorists,† which as educated humans know is to be false. There is the correlation that the attackers of 9-11 were Middle Eastern but does not fit the reversal saying that all Middle Easterns are terrorists, and yet people took violence to people whom are Middle Eastern. For example after the attacks on 9-11 there was several reports violence against Arab Americans (1). New York citizens, according to Dr. Dave Yount a Philosopher at Mesa Community College, were acting out of emotion instead of reason, similar to the views of Immanuel Kant on individual rel ativism(2). And therefore weren’t acting in a rational manor and unjustly took offense to those Arab Americans who were innocent. But as the media has â€Å"enlightened† the viewers as to how horrible terrorists are and their origin they try to complete their own puzzle by acting in violence to those who â€Å"could be† harmful to American views and ways of life. But why does it take a dramatic hit like 9-11 to get Americans thinking about how bad terrorism is? Back in 1995 when Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah buildin... Free Essays on Media's Advertisement Of Terrorism Free Essays on Media's Advertisement Of Terrorism Media’s Advertisement of Terrorism The media’s widespread view on terrorism as increased dramatically in the recent years, though terrorism itself has gotten neither better nor worse. Since terrorist attacks have been more publicized people have fear more in spite of the fact that terrorists have been doing similar attacks for many years. In viewing the propaganda the media has put out on terrorism it is to no surprise people are reacting the way they are. After the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11 2001 commonly known as 9-11, the media’s coverage of terrorism seemed as if to quadruple, and in that people’s views of minorities, mainly those who look to originate of the Middle East, also quadrupled. People’s assumptions took them for granted saying that, â€Å"the attackers of 9-11 were Middle Eastern and therefore all Middle Easterns are terrorists,† which as educated humans know is to be false. There is the correlation that the attackers of 9-11 were Middle Eastern but does not fit the reversal saying that all Middle Easterns are terrorists, and yet people took violence to people whom are Middle Eastern. For example after the attacks on 9-11 there was several reports violence against Arab Americans (1). New York citizens, according to Dr. Dave Yount a Philosopher at Mesa Community College, were acting out of emotion instead of reason, similar to the views of Immanuel Kant on individual rel ativism(2). And therefore weren’t acting in a rational manor and unjustly took offense to those Arab Americans who were innocent. But as the media has â€Å"enlightened† the viewers as to how horrible terrorists are and their origin they try to complete their own puzzle by acting in violence to those who â€Å"could be† harmful to American views and ways of life. But why does it take a dramatic hit like 9-11 to get Americans thinking about how bad terrorism is? Back in 1995 when Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah buildin...

Robotics Essays

Robotics Essays Robotics Essay Robotics Essay The Shadow robot hand system Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, development and application of robots [1] and computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans, in dangerous or manufacturing processes, or simply just resemble humans. Many of todays robots are inspired by nature contributing to the field of bio-inspired robotics.The concept in creation of machines that could operate autonomously dates back to classical times, but research into the functionality and potential uses of robots did not grow substantially until the 20th century. [2] Throughout history, robotics has been often seen to mimic human behavior, and often manage tasks in a similar fashion. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue, research, design, and building new robots serve various practical purposes, whether domestically, commercially, or militarily.Many robots do jobs that are hazardous to people such as defusing bombs, exploring shipwrecks, and mines. Contents [hide] * 1 Etymology * 2 Components * 2. Finally, summarize In your own words how science, technology, and mathematics work together In order to accomplish real- world objectives. The use the mathematic technique angle allowed me to adjust how far the robot goes and how much it turns. Science helps us keep our food sustainable ND protected from pests. It allows for the mass production of items such as clothing, electronics, and food. Our water can be reused thanks to science. We can mass produce medicinal drugs a lot easier. Technology allows us to communicate and store food and cook food easier. Mathematics helps us when finding the percentage on a discount or anything that requires calculation. Science, technology and mathematics create careers such as engineering, doctors and dentists. Topic experience and Insight(100-150 words) Discuss one specific experience you had while working on the robotics activities that eloped you to understand something important about math, science, technology, engineering, communication, teamwork, or any other area you believe Is relevant. What did you learn? How might this knowledge help you to deal with new challenges in the future? One specific experience that I dealt with was being calm with my robot and the need for communication when doing group/pair work. I got extremely aggravated each time the robot did not work the way I wanted it to. Once I became calm and saw the problem, my partner and I communicated and solved it quickly and we achieved success.

Associations of Diet and Lifestyle with Hyperlipidemia for Middle-Aged Assignment

Associations of Diet and Lifestyle with Hyperlipidemia for Middle-Aged and Elderly Persons among the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han Populations - Assignment Example Since the study is focused Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han Populations, all other populations apart from ones used as control samples will be excluded from the study. Information on demography, dietary intake, and lifestyle factors was collected by standard questionnaires. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, and serum lipid levels were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared. Data will be collected depending on various methods that will be used in the study to collect data. Since study will be conducted within certain period of time, there will be specific timing of measurements collected, depended variable like diet and lifestyle, and independent variables like middle-aged and elderly people. There will also be control variables as discussed above. In this study, people between the age of 25 and 65 (both male and female) were used in this study. This study will be focused on two clans Bai Ku Yao and Han. Their lifestyle and eating habits will also be used in this study. The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperlipidemia in Bai Ku Yao and Han were 19.59% vs 36.13% (P0.05), and 28.45% vs 43.11% (P

Research Methods - past exam paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Methods - past exam paper - Assignment Example He explained that variance process explains the relationship between the dependant and independent variables leading to an outcome while the process theory explains the patterns of events that led to the outcome of an event. Selection bias is the process of selecting group of objects or individuals in a manner so that the selected sample does not represent a particular segment of population. In such a case, the estimated sample would be biased in nature due to random approach of selecting the sample size. Selection bias is likely to occur more commonly as a result of the random sampling method. The given summary statistics could be used to interpret and compare the average scores of the class in the two tests and also comment on the dispersion of the scores from their average scores, the comparison among the highest and lowest scores in those two tests. The mean values suggest that average score for Test2 is more than Test1. The standard deviation shows that more number of students has variation from average score in Test1 as compared to that in Test2. The median suggests that the mid-point score for all students arranged in ascending order for both the tests is same. The 1st quartile shows that the lowest score for the two tests are different while the 3rd quartile shows that highest score is same for both the tests. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is a statistical method that could be used to test the relative dispersion among the variables captured by the researcher. As the measurement units are different, the data set may not follow normal distribution. For this reason, ANOVA method would be useful for testing the relative dispersion among variables. Sample distribution is the statistical distribution of a random variable selected from a sample size in a random manner out of the entire population. It is said to be normally distributed when the mean, median, mode are all equal and the