Family, its meaning, important and functions Essay

Family, what is it? The Thesaurus dictionary defines family as â€Å"a primary social group consisting of parents and their offspring. † Dcitionary. com defines family as â€Å"any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins. † Do you agree with it? What is your concept of family? For me, family has more to do with the emotional side because someone might have been adopted, might be an exchange student but still is part of the family. Two years ago, I was an exchange student. I lived in Snellville, Georgia with the Head family. I wasn’t related to them by blood, I was not even adopted (meaning that I didn’t have their middle nor last name) but that didn’t stop me from feeling like I was a part of the family. There I learned a new concept of what family is and what the functions of the family are. The functions of the family are giving material and emotional security to the ones you love, social placement, and socialization besides regulation of sexual activity through the incest taboo (meaning that there shouldn’t have sexual relationship or marriage between certain kin). Between all the things I learned that were functions of the family, one seems to me the most important, emotional and material security because those are the base of a good and happy family, once the others can change. Due to career changes, a lot of families now-a-days move quite often, thus every time you move you have to once again adapt yourself to the new habits of the place you are and start to socialize, going through the whole social path again (meeting the people, getting to know there culture, showing them your culture and adapting yourself to the new). I admit that this path it is not easy but if you have material and emotional security you’ll go through it easier. For me it was a bit different because I didn’t have my â€Å"blood family† with me but they were supporting me every way they could. Even without them, it wasn’t hard to adapt myself to the American culture because I also had my American family with me. Whenever I had difficulty with something in the American culture I had my American family to help me to understand the new concepts and also to show me some other new things; and whenever I need help in accepting the new cultural values, my Brazilian family (even far from me) were supporting me and showing me that all the values they taught me when I was younger were now going to be used because, sometimes you don’t need to like the new but you always have to respect it. My family taught me that the love, affection and companionship family members have for each other are bigger than any other feelings someone can have and that is what makes a family, that’s what makes family such an important concept in everyone lives.

Management Evolution Essay

The evolution of management can be traced back to the start of the Industrial Revolution. â€Å"Management and leadership abilities were not thought of as learnable skills but derived from one’s heredity. There did not exist the need for a theory of management: leaders were born, not made. † (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 14). This belief ignored the need for a written theory of management and focused on the practice itself. As industrialization increased and spread, problems related to the factory system began to appear. Large numbers of workers were needed to keep up with the rapid economic expansion. Many of these workers were immigrant, unskilled, and non-English speaking. Managers did not know how to train these employees. This led to a scientific study of management and to what is today known as management theory. Classical School of Management The first management theory, Scientific Management, arose because of a need to increase worker efficiency and productivity. Emphasis of this approach was placed on the best way to get the most work accomplished. Focus was on examining the work process and developing the skills of the workforce. The classical school owes its origins to several contributors; including Frederick Taylor, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, Henry Gantt, and Mary Parker Follet. Frederick Taylor is often referred to as the â€Å"father of scientific management†. He believed that organizations should study and gain an understanding of work and develop precise procedures to complete it. â€Å"Taylor believed that economic prosperity could only be achieved by maximal worker productivity, which in turn, would be the product of making workers more efficient† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 5). By analyzing every job through scientific observations, he felt there was only one best way of doing a job. He believed managers should study each job and determine the minimum necessary steps needed to complete it. Individuals step would be analyzed to determine the most efficient way of performing it. Managers would then total the time of each individual task to determine the optimum amount of time necessary to complete the entire task. Workers would then follow the precise instructions of management. If tasks were not completed in the optimal amount of given, workers were removed from the job. He believed this system gave managers power over workers. Workers could no longer resist management demands. Managers possessed the knowledge and workers performed their detailed steps. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were a husband and wife team that studied job motions. â€Å"The Gilbreths are considered pioneers in making use of motion studies to improve worker efficiency† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 16). Frank analyzed worker actions to determine the best possible method of performing a given job. When he understood all the motions, he would seek to improve the efficiency of each action and reduce the number of motions required to accomplish the job–a process called job simplification† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 16). Managers would then select, train, and develop workers with devised procedures. Lillian extended this theory into the home in an effort to determine the ideal way to complete household tasks. Henry Gantt developed the Gantt chart; a work scheduling chart that measures planned and completed work along throughout each stage of completion. The Gantt chart is a powerful planning and evaluation tool used by managers. He believed inefficiency was a result of management unrealistic production standards. According to Gantt, â€Å"work standards should be determined by scientific observation and measurement, and only then may realistic work standards be set† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 17). Gantt also believed that workers should be rewarded for good work through a bonus system. He felt that workers would be more productive and achieve higher levels of production if there was an incentive. To motivate workers to go beyond the daily production quotas, he pioneered the use of a production bonus (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 18). Gantt also focused on the importance of quality leadership and management skills and their relationship to building effective industrial organizations. Mary Parker Follet is often referred to as the â€Å"mother of conflict resolution†. â€Å"Her research and writings pointed to a collaborative approach to problem solving that advocated compromise† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 17). Follet focused on the importance of establishing and developing common goals within the workplace. She believed workers should be allowed to participate in the decision making process. She believed workers could and would comply and follow management’s logical requests without being given too many orders; workers should not be micromanaged. â€Å"The classical approach to management theory had asserted that the key to worker efficiency and organizational productivity was efficient job design, use of appropriate incentives, and effective managerial functioning† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 23). This approach emphasized the work elements and eliminated the human dimensions. Behavioral School of Management The behavioral approach stresses that effective management will come from an understanding of the worker† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 23). Emphasis of this approach is based on the belief that every human being has social and physiological needs which affect performance and motivation. Focus was on improving the self-esteem and self-confidence of the workforce. Contributors to the behavioral school include Elton Mayo, Chester Barnard, and Douglas McGregor. Elton Mayo was the founder of the human relations movement. â€Å"Mayo concluded that factors other than the physical aspects of work had the power of improving production. These factors related to the interrelationships between workers and individual psychology† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 25). Mayo believed that if workers were treated with respect and their needs were being met, they would be more productive and their work would be more efficient; therefore both the employee and management would benefit. Mayo is known for his work conducted at the Western Electric Company in Chicago; known as the Hawthorne Experiments. He was able to prove that the relationship that employees have with management directly affects productivity. He concluded that management needed to be more directly involved with employees. Chester Barnard developed the acceptance theory of management, which focuses managerial authority. He believed that employees themselves determined if managerial order is legitimate and acceptable. He felt that in order for employees to accept that managers have legitimate authority to act, they must first understand the communication they receive from management. Employees must also feel that the communication that is received is consistent with the organization’s purpose. Bernard believed that managers needed to share a common purpose and express a willingness to cooperate with the employees. â€Å"Douglas McGregor, in distinguishing between the pessimistic Theory X view of employees and the optimistic Theory Y, had a dramatic impact on management theory and practice† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 27). Theory X which characterized the views of Taylor is based on the assumption that the average human being dislikes work and that because of this dislike they must be threatened and controlled before they will work. Theory X also assumes that the average person desires security and prefers being directed. Average people dislike responsibility and have little ambition. Theory Y which characterized the views of Mayo is based on the assumption that if a job is satisfying and the working conditions are good, then the worker will be committed to the organization. Theory Y also assumes that if the average worker is committed, then they will not only accept, but seek responsibility. McGregor believed that managers should operate with the belief that workers will contribute more to an organization if they feel valued and are treated responsibly. The behavioral approach to management theory focused on the workforce and their needs; the human element of the organization. This approach emphasized work as a group activity and aimed at increasing work productivity through collaboration. Production Operations Management (POM) Approach The Production Operation Management Approach to management was developed in response to increasingly difficult operational problems and a rapidly changing environment. The concepts of the POM Approach were based on the belief that the scientific method was the solution to problem solving. Herbert Simon was a major contributor to the POM Approach. â€Å"Herbert Simon is best known for his research in decision-making and information processing but also made contributions to cognitive psychology, computer science, public administration, philosophy of science, and artificial intelligence† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 29). Simon coined the term satisficing which was based on the belief that executives rarely had access to perfect information. They were more apt to accept data acquired early in a search and seek solutions or accept choices that are deemed good enough for their purposes. He believed that seeking the maximal solution or result expended resources. â€Å"Production operations management stresses a systems approach that views the total operating system and analyzes a problem within that system. The problem is seen to exist as it relates to the total system, and any proposed solution is evaluated as it relates to the same system† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 30). The POM approach focused more on production and less on the human factor. Contingency Approach The contingency approach to management is the most recent school of thought about management. It combines the ideas of the other three approaches and states that there is no one universal set of management principles or one best way by which to manage an organization. This approach is based on the belief that to effective, planning, organizing, leading and controlling must be contingent on the circumstances in which an organization operates. Different problems require different solutions. â€Å"This approach arose out of the observation that the three earlier approaches to management–the classical, the behavioral, and productions operations research–did not always lead to an acceptable solution† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 1). The contingency approach applies to all areas of management, not just organizing and leading. This approach takes into consideration both the internal and external environments of the organization. Conclusion â€Å"The foundations of the various approaches to schools of management theory are found in a variety of disciplines, incl uding economics, psychology, sociology, mathematics, philosophy, and industrial engineering. But management theory, even though it makes use of other scholarly areas and the observations of the practicing manager, has emerged as a separate area of study since the 1940’s† (Montana & Charnov, 2008, p. 4). The thoughts and ideas of the classical school have been analyzed and developed over the years; however the basic concepts are still in practice today. Relation to Work Environment I believe that the contingency approach to management is the most effective. The classical, the behavioral, and productions operations research approaches all are based on a universal approach, one best way, of management that applies the same techniques to every organization. As a manager I have come to realize that not all people and every situation should be handled identically. I believe managerial decisions and actions are contingent upon a given situation. Managerial styles and techniques must vary according to the circumstances of the situation. To be effective, managers must determine which factors are relevant in what situation. I believe the most important aspect of the contingency theory is that it accounts for the human factor. As the Dining Services Director at Miles Community College, I am required to make daily decisions concerning both my department and the organization as a whole. I believe that to be an effective manager it is necessary to evaluate each and every situation to come up with the appropriate decisions and actions. I understand that each and every situation is unique and requires a situational analysis. I also believe that every decision I make affects the organization therefore my decisions are based on the goals and values of the organization as a whole. I believe that the contingency theory best fits my management style.

Analysis Tools Unit 5 IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis Tools Unit 5 IP - Research Paper Example George Scott founded the non-profit in 1987 and it became the area’s largest provider of student housing; second only to the college dormitories (Dominick, 2012).Scott and his wife obtained a $13 million lease purchase on a building in New York and opened its doors to college students. In 2002, Scott formed a second company, Student Services Inc. which expanded support services to students to include cable, phone and Internet services. Student Services became an outlet to transfer funds from Educational Services through excessive invoices. The non-profit’s board of directors was responsible for reviewing the financials for Educational Housing Services; however, somewhere along the way the checks and balances ceased to happen. Annual Revenue & Expenses Financial information on GuideStar is either digitized from Form 990 images we receive from the IRS or submitted by the nonprofits themselves through the GuideStar Exchange (990 filers cannot override Form 990 financial data). If your organization does not file a Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF and you would like to have your financial data displayed in this section, join the GuideStar Exchange today! Million in a restitution settlement. â€Å"Siphoning millions of dollars at the expense of college students is deplorable,† Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said in a statement. â€Å"We have no tolerance for officers and directors who treat a nonprofit organization as a vehicle for personal enrichment† (Dolnick, 2012). The Board of Directors was also cited for excessive salaries and negligent accounting methods. Educational Housing Services is now a private company with 24 years in the business. Scott could have kept a separate private corporation for his personal ambitions. Since the original venture became such a helpful success to himself and to so many others, it would have been wise to keep the books the way they were. There was nothing to prevent him from pursuing

Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Case - Essay Example The most commonly used tool is the ANOVA (Analysis of Variance). ANOVA helps the manufacturers to predict the customer demands and requirements in particular markets. The results obtained help the Sales and Marketing Department to predict the volume of production and supply of goods. For instance, it helps them to know what type of a car model preferred over the rest in a particular region. The organization also uses correlation as a method of forecasting the sales. The tool analyzes the variables that determine the sales volumes. It then establishes the relationship between the variables. For instance, the exchange rate of the dollar determines the fluctuations of the market prices. The correlation becomes stable if it has a position coefficient of 1, and weak if the coefficient is negative. If it is zero, then at that particular moment there is no relationship between the two variables. In the same case, regression is used to determine the sales volumes. Sales=Number of vehicles sold*selling price (Opsmgt.edublogs.org,). The other company is the Netflix. It deals with the online distribution of movies, videos, and music. One of the tools used to forecast the sales of the enterprise is the descriptive statistics. The tool analyzes the trend in the sales. For instance, it determines the number of videos sold via the online market, the frequency of visit by the registered customers, as well as the rate at which new clients enroll. The data obtained is used to predict the financial stability of the organization, as well as its competitive position at the market. Netflix also uses the exponential smoothing tool. The device employs the principle of comparison the sales of the previous years. The organization uses the margin of error between the last two previous years to brace on how to adjust the production and sales strategies. On the same not, the moving average tool is used to analyze the

Researching the Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Researching the Market - Assignment Example The product success depends on the correct identification of the target market and, so an awareness campaign was useful in letting consumers know that the product exists in the market. The product was sampled to various consumers and the feedback we collected from consumers was helpful in identifying the target market for the new product. This segmentation divides the market of the product into groups through the year depending on the occasions that the consumer chooses to embrace. On these occasions, the consumer will consume the product more than the other regular times and so production of the product will have to cater for these occasions. Consumers are bound to identify the various benefits of the new product depending on its features or characteristics and use it for those benefits. We therefore, have to take advantage of the benefits identified by the consumer. This means dividing the market into different geographical regions like cities, countries, population densities and the like. This will enable us have a larger market area and also be at a position to bust sales by catering for the individual consumer needs in the various geographical areas. According to (Reid and Bajanic, 2009) these are age, gender, level of income and the amount of education. The target market usually always has similar such characteristics like the same age group and the same level of Education. It is fundamental to know the demographics of the target market because by understanding the target market’s demographic we will be able to create a unique and compelling selling point and also be able to package and present the product in a manner that will entice the target market. The demographic for the target market is likely to be a group of both male and female who are between the ages of 25 to 40 years. The target market’s is also likely to have a college degree and earn approximately $25,000 to $35,000 per year. The target market for the novel product is most

What are important factors accounting for early human mobility Essay

What are important factors accounting for early human mobility - Essay Example What are important factors accounting for early human mobility? Eurasia is the collective history of distinct peripheral coastal areas that share major contribution in human development on the grounds of distinct trade routes that interconnects diversified continental masses. The various cultural, social and tradition features of these distinct regions were similar in nature because of the regular migration of people around the board and regular intersection with trading activities. Precisely, the even development on the same pace at the distant regions in religious, technological and philosophical aspects can be regarded the uniform feature of the early Eurasian civilizations. Since ancient times China possess features that add to the strength of the country in attaining global recognition. The first and the foremost point that worth to be mentioned is the strong security (land and maritime) with rapid development of technology because of overwhelming political unity of the place that strengthened the overseas exploration ability of the region. The steady advancement in agricultural and commercial with a strong maritime technology and policy can be regarded as the main characteristics that lead the foundation of global leadership in support of the region. The classical period is the era between 1000 BCE- 500 CE. The Roman Empire in this era got rid of Triumverate when Octavius (Augustus) Caesar defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatara. On the onset of the first Empire of Rome Octavius was given the name of Augustus or the revered.

Quistion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Quistion - Research Paper Example There are also sometimes advances in technology that cause an organization to change. In the middle of the twentieth century, for example, most companies had typing pools with rows of secretaries typing up letters. When computers came along, and functions like skype and email arrived, organizations had to adapt to this and train people how to use them. They also had to change the type of staff they employed, so that there were fewer typists, and more technicians. Managers also had to learn to speed up response times and conduct more of their business themselves using technology instead of secretaries. Perhaps the biggest changes of all are caused by economic factors. Companies have to deliver more efficiently, and so this can cause them to review their processes in search of ways to work faster and smarter than before. In times like the recent credit crisis, organizations are at risk of complete failure, if they cannot meet their cost commitments and are not allowed to borrow. This can cause serious changes in staffing levels and in the business focus, in order to concentrate on the essentials for survival. Internal change can be caused by many different things too. Often the appointment of a new CEO can mean a change in the way an organization sees itself. There can be a need for expansion of certain units and reduction of others, for example when an organization chooses to start new lines of business and to close others. Most companies also set up systems for gradual and positive change that leads to quality improvement. Japanese manufacturing companies build this in to their business, and encourage even the most junior members of a team to suggest change and improvement all the time. Investment in new equipment can mean changes in working practices. An example of this can be seen in the photographic industry which

Laddering Interviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laddering Interviews - Essay Example This helped with clear articulation about the qualities of a backpack which stimulates purchase. The other two participants were light users of backpacks, meaning, they were not avid users of backpacks and as such did not know much about the brands that offer backpacks. These two respondents were essentially insensitive to brand name implying they had a preference for generic backpacks. The interview was dissected into questions that inquired about the reasons the participants bought backpacks and the associated characteristics of the backpacks which led them to do so. Next the interview progressed to go deeper to relate the consequences of the characteristics. Lastly, the interview attempted to link how the consequences were influenced by the values each respondent held with respect to backpacks. The responses to the interview showed that most of the participants sought value in the backpacks. A lower price was an attractive characteristic if the backpack was also complimented by greater quality. The more heavy users of backpacks preferred backpacks with high quality fabric, finishing, and water proof lining. This was more common among participants who did sports. On the other hand, participants whose needs were simple preferred lower prices backpacks. This is because the generic backpacks – as opposed to branded backpacks – met their daily needs which included spaciousness to accommodate books, pockets to keep laptop and other accessories, and partitions to keep notes and other books. The size of a backpack was also another important attribute which determined if participants bought the backpack. Size was related to the usage of different participants. Participants who used backpacks for sports needed a larger space to accommodate clothes, equipments, and other necessary accessories. Durability was also identified as a critical attribute

Personal essayapply to college Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal essayapply to college - Essay Example I was excited for this job because when I was in China I didn’t have a job like this one. I liked this job. I had studied Traditional Chinese Painting and I thought I could do well. However, I realized I was wrong after I saw the students’ pictures which were so creative and imaginative. Those were not only pictures; instead, they contained in them interesting stories. For example, there was a cup in the middle and about the picture, a kid thought that was a gas station and cars got refueled from there. I wondered if I could ever think like that. The teacher told me, â€Å"We can, through practice, improve shapes of things we draw, but we cannot practice our creative and imaginative ability.† Now, let’s explain what creative imagination is. Researchers suggest that creative imagination is about creating an image in your mind about a task you want to achieve, and holding that image for a longer period of time till your unconscious and subconscious together start reprogramming the mental software that your subconscious holds by injecting their own suggestions and ideas. In other words, creative imagination allows a person to utilize the unconscious part of their brains to gain its power and combine it with their conscious mind. This includes different characteristics of thinking and this type of thought process encounters and solves a problem from many angles, many sides, many layers, and use different compositions to consider the issue, and look for answers. By not receiving the restrictions of present knowledge and not being restrained by traditional methods, the paths of thinking are open and spread. This is important because it is not a single solution, but a va riety of programs in a variety of ways to explore and to choose. This thinking is not intended to focus on finding old knowledge, nor is it to repeat the same old ideas, but instead it is about attention to the discovery of new things, new laws, new theories, new ideas, and to promote people