Applying Leadership Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applying Leadership Styles - Essay Example iated by the leadership of Apple include Tim Cook as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and also inspiring employees to work with innovative ideas along with rewarding the employees for motivation. Additionally, previous CEO and charismatic leader of Apple, Steve Jobs shared the vision of launching cell phone in the market besides the computers and motivated the employees to follow his vision (Docstoc, 2012). Generally, there are three styles of leadership namely transactional, transformational and situational leadership styles. Transactional leadership style can be defined as a style of a leader with which he/she promotes acquiescence of the employees with rewards and punishes according to their performances along with focusing on every operation and activity of the organization. In other words, transactional leadership style is also known as managerial leadership style (Dibley, 2009). With due consideration to this aspect, it can be stated that a leader following this style might desire to promote innovation in the organizational operational processes by inclusion of promotions and rewards to obtain best out of the employees. Similarly, it is observed that Apple’s leaders considered this style into its operational process. Apple’s management led by Steve Jobs prudently considered the inclusion of Tim Cook as the new CEO to lead Apple to further growth and prosperity (Docstoc, 2012). Transformational leadership style can be classified as the quality of a leader who changes the state of mind according to the organizational requirements through motivating and implementing various mechanisms, further which also helps the employees to enhance their performances. The roles performed under this style include idealized influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Moreover, idealized influence can be stated as the manager who is identified to be the best in his/her abilities to guide and to respond to the employees’ requirements.

Gary Kelly CEO of Southwest Airlines Research Paper

Gary Kelly CEO of Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example He has a background as an accountant (Fitzpatrick). He has proven himself throughout the years to be both a steady leader and a confident innovator. The airline industry is extremely competitive and profit margins are at the mercy of a number of factors beyond the control of even the most activist CEO. He is routinely called one of the best CEOs in the United States (McCann). His personal background is somewhat instructive. A story is told of him wanting to be an oceanographer as a young man, but then moving to Texas to play football in university. It was a bad season and he moved on to try something else: accountancy (Fitzpatrick). Throughout his life he is quick to size up errors and shift focus when things are not working out. There are few better qualities in the leader of a large business. In a sense Kelly comes to work in the shadow of the man who built Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, but he has distinguished himself from the founder in a number of ways. While most other air lines were seeking to charge customers for every pretzel, Kelly saw an opportunity. People thought he was crazy, but he decided to respect customers. He saw the market going one way, and he understood instinctively that space was opening for Southwest to seize. He refused to charge customers for baggage, and the company quickly shot to profitability. A recent article quoted Kelleher on his successor. "To be an excellent leader, you have to be a superb follower," Kelleher said. "Gary has provided great leadership. We transitioned for three years, and then he took over everything that I normally did. I'm very, very pleased and proud of his accomplishments" (LA Times). Being adaptable has helped Kelly and Southwest succeed in a way that few airlines have done in this day and age. Not only has he expanded Southwest's market, but he has become something of a legend. A story that business reporters like to quote goes as follows: When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans— Southw est Airline’s largest hub—the company’s service to the city dramatically dropped from 57 flights a day to just two. Â  But while the City of New Orleans was forced to lay off workers, Southwest was able to offer the option of relocation to all of its 250 New Orleans employees (McCann). For many other companies this would have been devastating, but for Kelly it was an opportunity. It is clear that his leadership style owes a great deal to seeing opportunity where others see disaster. He isn't afraid to pursue risky projects, but knows that customers come first. Recent problems with Southwest aircraft have given Kelly a chance to shine in front of the national media. In early April, a Southwest plane suffered from a tear in its fuselage. This attracted a great deal of attention and lead a number of news broadcasts. Kelly had a choice with this situation. He could have said that the problem was just a fluke, a once-in-a-lifetime structural defect. That would have been the easy thing to do. But instead he chose to show what kind of leader he is. He ordered the fleet grounded for inspection (Martin, et al). Kelly understood that branding and marketing are important, but that when it comes to basic issues of safety, airlines cannot afford to skimp. Recovering from the negative attention can only be done by showing that Southwest has a safety climate with a real abundance-of-caution philosophy. His actions were widely heralded, even if they were expensive and

Organizational Culture and Societal Culture

Organizational Culture and Societal Culture Many questions have been raised as whether there is a relationship between the organizational culture, societal culture and the leadership styles in an organization. All of the above factors are very important as far as the running and success of any given organization is concerned especially in terms of fulfilling its goals and objectives as well as being effective and efficient in the achievements. The leadership styles used by a certain organization represent part of the culture of that organization and then the culture of the society influences the culture of the organization as well as the leadership styles that the organization should use. For example for any organization to have a culture of using any charismatic, participation, situational, transactional, transformational, the quiet or servant style of leadership, then the societal culture must be put into consideration (Chandler, 1992). Background of the study In order for any manager to maintain a smooth and a good organizational culture, he or she should adopt some very important organizational cultural practices. The cultural practices that any organization will adopt must provide a strong link between the employees and the management as well as the leadership styles, organizational culture and the societal culture (Finlay, 2000). This means that they have to be structured in such a way that they provide great motivation and courage to the employees for improving their working skills and productivity to satisfy the needs of the customers. In addition, the cultural practices also must infuse some aspects of the organization like values, experiences attitudes, and beliefs. This is because these organizational cultural practices are the instrument that every organization uses to cause motivation among all of its workers and employees (Geert Gert, 2005). These cultural practices comprises of beliefs and ideas of which each member of that o rganization must comply with to achieve the objectives and the goals of that particular organization. This then means that the cultural practices must be made in such a way that they are acceptable to all the members of the organization whether in the management or employee level (Hannagan, 2005). Research problem Due to changes in the technologies as well as the rate at which the people all over the world are embracing innovations, there is a great need for any given organization to align its organizational culture and leadership styles to be able to fit in the societal culture, which is in actual sense changing on daily basis (Hill Jones, 2007). Research questions What is the association between the organizational culture, societal culture and the leadership styles in an organization? How does the leadership style affect the relationship between the societal culture and the organizational culture? How does the societal culture influence the leadership styles used in an organization and the organizational culture and the leadership styles in an organization? How does the organizational culture influence the leadership styles used in an organization? Research goals and objectives To find out the association between the organizational cultures, societal culture and the leadership styles in an organization. To find out the leadership style affects the relationship between the societal culture and the organizational culture. To find out the societal culture influence the leadership styles used in an organization, the organizational culture, and the leadership styles in an organization. To find out the organizational culture influence the leadership styles used in an organization. Research hypotheses There is no significant relationship between the organizational culture societal culture and the leadership styles in an organization Significance of the study the study will be very significant in the following ways The employees will be able to understand what is required of them as far as the culture of the organization is concerned. The managements main objective is to ensure an organization succeeds in meeting its mission, objectives and goals and so the study will show the performance of an organization in comparison to other organizations. The shareholder who are supporting the organization will be aware of the risks they are being exposed to as well as the effectiveness of the organization The customers or the clientele will be able to determine the reliability of the organizations service as far as meeting their needs is concerned The evaluators will be able how the level of efficiency, effectiveness and compliance with the law requirements. CHAPTER II 2.1 Literature review ÂÂ  One of the most important aspects that should be considered in implementing organizational theory is the issue of behavior patterns in the organization (Hisrich, 2000). This is the reason as to why most of the organization organizes for seminars and workshops for their employees so that they can be informed about the organizational cultural practices the organization implements; this is a great advantage because it enables the workers to change their behavior accordingly to be in line with the organizational goals and objectives (James, 2007). This also enables their behavior to add much credibility to their work as well as increase ethical value of the organization hence adding its popularity hence giving it a platform for competition. It should be noted that any theory that an organization opts to implement, must be thoroughly scrutinized by the professions before critical decision about its creation is made (Paauwe, 2009). This is to ensure that it works for the bettermen t of that particular organization. A better strategic vision is therefore very important to ensure that all the cultural changes that are made are geared towards the wellbeing of that organization. Another importance of organizational cultural practices is that it brings understanding between the employers and the employees. As a result, it then leads to development of loyalty and trust within the organization (Peter, 2007). If for example in a particular organization the team leader in a department does not cope well with the rest of the employees, then it means that there is need to investigate and find out the root cause of the problem. By doing this, the organization will be ensuring that the cultural practices that have been set do not just benefit the organization but also are taking care of the welfare of the employees (Salder Craig, 2003). There are many cultural practices that are used by the organizations to achieve the above benefits and especially the issue of creating a good relationship between the employer and the employee. The relationship between leadership styles and the organizational culture and societal culture Organizational culture refers to the norms, shared values, and expectations that determine the governing of a certain organization. It actually describes the manner in which people interacts as well as approach the work. Societal culture defines the norms, expectations, and shared values of a society or a group of people living in a particular place governing them. For any given organization to run well, there organizational culture, societal culture and the leadership style must be in harmony. There are seven leadership styles used that can be used in the running of an organization and each of them depends on the organizational culture and the societal culture of where the organization is set. Servant leadership refers to the leader ship in which the responsibility of the followers is in the leader. The leader serves the juniors for helping them achieve their goals (Woodward, 1998). This helps them to grow as individuals, be transformed, trust the leaders and helps in team building. The quiet leadership style is in such a way that the success of the organization is based on the thoughts as well as actions rather than the egocentric nature of the leaders (Thompson Martin, 2005). They are not bully leader but are very charismatic in the accomplishment of their roles. The transformational kind of leadership involves the leaders who put all of their passion as well as energy in all that they are doing. They are very vision oriented and convert their employees to potential contributors to the organization and they transform the organization. The transactional leadership style is the one that the leaders ensure the employees are motivated by the rewards as well as they make it clear what the employees must do to get the reward. The leadership is based on the contingency theory (Thad, 1992). Situational leadership is the one that leader makes decisions depending on the prevailing situations like the capacity of followership and the motivation. This is also affected by the behavior of the leaders since the leaders perceptions about themselves as well as other factors as if stress determines the success of this leadership style (Terence, 1984). Participative leadership is the one a leader involves the other people in the process of decision making like the peers, and subordinates. It helps the managers to consult, be empowered, and engage in joining decision-making and exercise democracy. Finally, the charismatic leadership uses w wide range of ways to deal with management. It is very similar to transformational (Thompson, 1997). CHAPTER III Methodology This section involves the real planning of the study. This is whereby all the methods of data collection are identifies, the design of the research is also determined, the sample size is calculated, and the population under study is defined, methods of data analysis are also given and finally the study limitations and ethical considerations are given (Welman Kruger, 2000). The main aim of the research or its priority is to develop a detailed discussion that will provide conditions that are favorable to the research process and results in efficient and effective research design or strategy. The aim of research methodology is coming up with the appropriate research process accompanied by the appropriate tools and procedures that will ensure that the entire process is successful (Welman Kruger, 2000). Some of the factors that this chapter will discuss are the research sample, the target population, research methodology, research design statistical test, and data collection. The sample s that have been used were selected from different organizations. (Welman Kruger, 2000) Research design The study is a cross sectional descriptive study. This is because it involves a lot of observation and it does not involve any control sample (Welman Kruger, 2000). It involves a section of the population since not everyone in the organization, customers or employees shall be used as a study sample. It will also measure the current and the past situation. It will enable the study accomplish the specific objectives. Population The population under study includes employees, managers and customers associated with different organizations both males and females. Sampling The sample of the research shall be obtained through a random selection. This is whereby, managers, employees and regular customers for different organizations shall be picked by names in a random manner (Yin, 1994). This means that the research shall involve people of all ages and demographic attributes. This is to avoid biasness through using people of the same attributes. The formulae for finding the sample size is as follows when using the 95% ss = Z 2 * (p) * (1-p) c 2 Where: Z = Z value (e.g. 1.96 for 95% confidence level) p = percentage picking a choice, expressed as decimal (20%) used for sample size needed) c = confidence interval, expressed as decimal (e.g., .05 = ÂÂ ±4) In the case of the research, p is 20% or 0.2. , Therefore, the sample size shall be 50 people. Methods of data collection Data shall be collected using two main methods. There shall be administration of the questionnaires (Yin, 1994). This is whereby the some set up questions shall be given to the managers, customers, and employees under study to fill up. Then also, an interview shall be carried out mainly to them. Finally, data shall also be retrieved from the secondary sources like the internet and books. Methods of data analysis Data shall be analyzed using a statistical tool known as Microsoft Excel. Then the results shall be presented using a range of presentation tools specifically the charts and graphs (Yin, 1994). Scope and limitations There are number of limitations that are likely to affect the study. One of the main predicted limitations includes the issue of time. This is because much time is needed for the data collection, filling in of the questionnaires, the process of interviewing as well as reviewing some secondary data storage as well as for me to move around to collect information (Sekaran, 1992). Another predicted form of limitation is finances. This is due to the expenses to be incurred in travelling and purchasing some materials for the research. It may be hard obtaining particular data that is secondary in nature. Ethical considerations A number of ethical considerations shall be taken to ensure that the study will be legally carried (Sekaran, 1992). First and fore most consent shall be sort from the organizations, which the research will be carried. This is whereby; the management shall be presented a letter to seek permission to carry out the research. Another very important precaution is to get consent from the individual people on which research shall be carried. They shall be clearly informed about the research, the benefits, and their responsibility. Finally, before, any information is retrieved from either any institution or the government then permission shall be sort.

Hitlers Weltanschauung (world View) :: essays research papers fc

In the early quarter of the twentieth century, a young man was beginning to fill his mind with ideas of a unification of all Germanic countries. That young man was Adolf Hitler, and what he learned in his youth would surface again as he struggled to become the leader of this movement. Hitler formed views of countries and even certain cities early in his life, those views often affecting his dictation of foreign policy as he grew older. What was Hitler's view of the world before the Nazi Party came to power? Based in large part on incidents occurring in his boyhood, Hitler's view included the belief that Jews should be eliminated, and that European countries were merely pawns for him to use in his game of world dominion.Adolf Hitler grew up the son of a respectable imperial customhouse official, who refused to let his son do what he was most interested in-art. Hitler never excelled in school, and took interest only in art, gymnastics and a casual interest in geography and history due to a liking he had taken to his teacher. It was his history teacher who would fill Adolf's mind with a simple thought: "The day will come, that all of us, of German descent, will once more belong to one mighty Teutonic nation that will stretch from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, just like the Empire of the Middle Ages, and that will stand supreme among the peoples of this earth." Already the young Adolf could envision himself in such a position.Much of the ideology that Adolf Hitler used was not original by any means. There were many thinkers and writers who laid the groundwork for what would become not just Hitler's, but the Nazi Party's Weltanschauung (world view). Three primary writers were Dietrich Eckart, editor of a harshly anti-Semitic periodical, Auf gut deutsch (Agd), Alfred Rosenberg, a Baltic German and contributor to Agd, and Gottfried Feder, an opponent of finance capitalism. These three men molded the political outlook of the German Worker's Party before Hitler encountered it in 1919, and would become quite influential in Adolf's ideology. Rosenberg contributed largely to Hitler's view of the Jews on an international perspective, suggesting the existence of a Jewish conspiracy to overthrow established nation-states on a worldwide scale. In 1924, Hitler proclaimed that he had departed from Vienna as an absolute anti-Semitic, a deadly enemy of the whole Marxist outlook, and as a Pan-German in his political persuasion.

Of Syria and Civil Wars

Virinder Kaur POLS 202-01: International Relations Reaction Paper #1: Of Syrian Wars and US Foreign Policies Due: October 4, 2012 Modern Syria first gained its independence in 1946, following many years of violent strife. Before this, the state had been under a French Mandate and had suffered under a conditional (or more aptly, false) independence, wherein the French State held veto power over any potential laws introduced by the Syrian people (US Dept. of State). In 1970, the Baath party came into political power in Syria in yet another bloody coup-d’etat, with Minister of Defense, Hafiz al-Assad, taking up the mantle of President (US Dept. f State). He would remain in power up until his death in the year 2000. This would ultimately result in the appointment of his son, Bashar al-Assad, to the presidency, a position that would once more see civil malcontent and intrastate violence (US Dept. of State). Over the past 18 months, there have been ongoing violent conflicts in Syria between the Syrian government and various groups of rebel fighters (US Dept. of State). According to BBC News, this extremely bloody conflict within the state has instigated a multitude of international war crimes on the side of both the government and the rebel groups involved.The civil war in Syria began in mid-March of last year when citizens first openly protested against Assad’s administration (US Dept. of State). Shortly following the Syrian Army’s continued violent suppression of the protests, the situation quickly turned to armed rebellion, ultimately leading to 18 months of violent assault on the citizens of Syria by its government and by rebel/terrorist groups (US Dept. of State). These continued violent uprisings in Syria are in no part a failure on the part of the United States foreign policies. In fact, the United States played very little role where the start of this conflict is in question.Beyond its support of the protestors’ cry for democratic proceedings, the US was not responsible for instigating violence on either front. Furthermore, the United States was openly critical of Assad’s earlier reaction to what had started out as peaceful protests. According to Al-Monitor News, the US financially supported the opposition to the Syrian government by granting a waiver to a Free Syrian Army (FSA) support group, also called the Syrian Support Group, or SSG, which is an NGO aiming to provide the FSA with intelligence, communications, and financial support (Rozen).The US, like most governments, is reluctant to strike any arms deals or provide lethal aid to the FSA and other loosely organized militant groups as they cannot control the violence of all of their members (Frieden). Any intervention beyond this would be unreasonable and a hazard to state interests of which, according to realists, in the hierarchy of issues facing the state, national and international security is most important (International Relations Text, 40). Direct involvement in the conflict will only further incite the violence as intervention by foreign states is believed to cause, not prevent, rebellion (Frieden).Al Arabiya News maintains that the United Kingdom and France have also provided similar support for the Syrian opposition. The UK offered monetary assistance and France offered non-lethal military aid (Al Arabiya). France, in particular, was adamant against becoming directly involved in the bloody conflict without UN support. Instead, it provided â€Å"means of communication and protection† for the FSA (Al Arabiya). France justifies its determination to avoid direct involvement by reiterating the mistake George W.Bush made when he independently decided to invade Iraq. France had also opposed that proposal and, in time, had proven correct (Al Arabiya). Russia and China, on the other hand, are vehemently opposed to the UN’s resolution to impose force and economic sanctions, believing they are measures taken by American and European states to further assert their power over Syrian sovereignty or as a means to line the US Treasury and EU banks, according to George Lopez, a professor of Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame (Lopez).However, the people of Syria are rebelling against the Assad regime, from which it can be inferred that the legitimacy of the Syrian government is already under question. Russia, in particular, is against UN intervention in Syria, predominantly in providing aid to the rebel groups. As stated in the The Moscow Times, this is because Russia has strong economic ties to Syria; due to its’ economic and military interests in Syria, Russia will not rescind its support of the Syrian government in favor of the anti-Syrian government sentimentalists (Amos).Russia’s economic interests include its billion dollar arms contracts with the Syrian government and its military interests lie in the Russian navy base in Tartus, which is â€Å"Russia’s las t base beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union (Galpin). † According to BBC, China has also blocked many UN proposed economic sanctions on Syria, a decision that reflects China’s Communist leaders’ concern that the West is trying to provoke a regime change in Syria under the guise of humanitarian action.This regime change could ultimately threaten China’s economic interests in Syria, its oil interests, in particular. According to BBC News, Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi also rejects the notion of foreign interference in the conflict in Syria, insisting that the solution to the problem lay â€Å"only in Syria and within the Syrian family (Doucet). † Despite this claim, Iran was, in itself, interfering in the conflict by sending out Iranian planes making arms deliveries to the Syrian government under the cover of humanitarian aid (Doucet). bb While it would be possible for the US to intervene and perhaps dissolve the issue in Syria, it would not be in our best interest. Foreign intervention in the Syrian Civil War will only result in a high price to be paid, mainly the US’ loss of support on the international front as well as the financial expenses that the US would incur if involved militarily. Such civil wars and intrastate conflicts between rebel groups and the government can be resolved through diplomatic negotiations that can avoid these expenses (Frieden).The US is not financially secure enough to engage in yet another bloody conflict in the Middle East, particularly one as convoluted as the one in Syria. The usage of the word convoluted is significant in that it remains uncertain who the non-FSA and who the actual leaders of the rebellion are. According to Frieden, it is difficult to gather information about who is a part of these militant groups because they are covert and because terrorist groups have incentives to exaggerate. Furthermore, should that question and the identities of the FSA be re solved, how would we distinguish the innocent from the terrorists?Both important actors in these uprisings, the Syrian government, and the Free Syrian Army and other rebel fighters, have participated in what may be considered international war crimes that have resulted in a multitude of civilian deaths. The Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria reported that murder, torture, and sexually violent acts have been authorized by the Syrian; it also found the anti-Assad sentimentalists were also guilty of war crimes, though not to the same extent as the Assad regime (Syria War Crimes Suspects, BBC).The question to ask ourselves should be â€Å"Is it worth it? What can we gain from this involvement, and more importantly, what are we at risk of losing should the situation spiral out of control, as it so often does? † With many significant UN actors being divided on how the situation should be handled, the idea of any kind of â€Å"strategic interaction between relevant actorsâ €  is difficult to even imagine (Frieden, 75). International politics concerns itself mostly with benefit analysis and bargaining to maximize state security and protect state interests above all else.Getting involved in the conflict would be an unrealistic venture that would ultimately undermine national interests; this is because involvement in this particular conflict reflects a negative sum outlook (International Relations Text, 55). This implies that, in the end, the gains and losses will add up to less than zero, meaning all actors lose in comparison to what they currently have, in which case the US has more to lose than to gain (International Relations Text, 55). Machiavelli theorizes that states are pragmatic entities that ought to protect their own interests above all others (International Relations Text, 45).This concept reflects on the political theory of Realism, which states that a state’s primary interests lies in maintaining or expanding its’ power and security, economically and militarily (Class Notes, Wk 1). In correlation to the theory of Realism, statesmen (i. e. the decision-makers) follow a different â€Å"code of conduct† than the average citizen; this implies a different set of ethics and decision-making processes (IR Text, 46). According to classical realism, if one assumes national security an end, than any means employed to achieve that end are justified (IR Text, 46).The means by which to achieve an end are Joseph Nye’s notions of hard power and soft power. Hard power is concerned mainly with the economic and military capabilities of a state while soft power deals primarily with cultural values and practices of a given state to introduce a diplomatic capacity to influence states (IR Text, 53). Neo-realists, such as the United States, relate more to the notion of smart power, an integral or blend of hard and soft power, advance their purposes and attain their goals (IR Text, 53).By intervening in Syria, t he US would be put at risk in the economic and international relations realm as they would be once again swamped with the cost of war and would be looked upon in an unfavorable manner by Russia and China, who stand firm in their decision to not get involved due to their own economic and military interests in Syria. US’ involvement in Syria would reinforce Hannah Arendt’s idea that â€Å"thinking without a banister,† or in this case, acting, has become prevalent in contemporary politics.In her essay, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Arendt discusses how, in this modern day and age, great politicians and world leaders are thwarted by the ability to think and act without any sort of â€Å"transcendental grounding,† the most significant of which being history (Strong, Politics Without A Vision). Should the United States decide to follow through with intervening in Syria, it would be a repeat of Iraq; countless more soldiers will be stationed in the Middle East , more money that we just don’t have will be spent on a war where very few actors have significant interests (i. . Russia and China). Such blatant disregard for recent historical events while contemplating a decision as massive as US association with the violence in Syria would be concerning and outright dangerous to United States national security. Another concern that arises is the idea of random occurrence and chance; the concept of unpredictable elements, causality, and the effect they may have on the outcomes of a given circumstance (Class Notes, Week 3). The â€Å"Uncertainty Principle† was first introduced in the world of physics by Werner Heisenberg in 1927.Often, particularly in situations of extreme violence or chaos such as the Syrian Civil War, the multitude of actors as well other variables, makes it near impossible to determine the possible consequences given a sequence of conceivable actions. This relates to the realists’ principle of Game Theory, which is essentially an approach to determining the best or optimal course of action in a competitive situation, for example, the Syrian Civil War (IR Text, 55).According to Game Theory, the actors involved in a given situation will try to maximize gains and minimize losses under uncertain conditions and with incomplete information (IR Text, 55). Due to chance, circumstances, and personal initiatives of world leaders, unintended consequences are an inevitable consequence. While these inadvertent effects may be of a positive nature, it is just as possible that they may be negative and end up unraveling the very foundation of our country. Ultimately, the United States should look to wage peace and not yet another war overseas.John Horgan, author of The End of War, entreats not only the US but countries all around the world to embrace the notion of peace rather than of war because we, as humans, are endowed with the ability to bring an end to war for good. Becoming involved in one mor e skirmish in the Middle East, only undermines our freedom of will and of choice. That we should choose to engage in violence rather than in peace, would be a poor resolution if the US’ primary goal is to protect its interests. WORKS CITED â€Å"Background Note: Syria. â€Å"U. S. Department of State. U. S. Department of State, n. d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. .Rozen, Laura. â€Å"US Authorizes Financial Support For the Free Syrian Army. † Al-Monitor. N. p. , n. d. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. . Al Arabiya. â€Å"France Gives Non-lethal Military Aid to Syrian Opposition: PM. â€Å"France Gives Non-lethal Military Aid to Syrian Opposition: PM. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. . Lopez, George A. â€Å"Russia and China: Sabotaging U. N. with Vetoes – CNN. com. â€Å"CNN. Cable News Network, 08 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"UN Draws up New List of Syria War Crimes Suspects. † BBC News. BBC, 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. . Amos, Howard. â€Å"Billions of Dol lars of Russian Business Suffers Along With Syria. The Moscow Times. N. p. , n. d. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. . Galpin, Richard. â€Å"Russian Arms Shipments Bolster Syria's Embattled Assad. † BBC News. BBC, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. . Doucet, Lyse. â€Å"Syria Conflict: No Military Solution, Says Ban Ki-moon. † BBC News. BBC, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. . Frieden, Jeffry A. , David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz. â€Å"A Primer on Game Theory. † World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010. 74-79. Print. Viotti, Paul R. , and Mark V. Kauppi. â€Å"Chapter 7: Positivism, Critical Theory, and Postmodern Understandings. International Relations Theory. New York: Longman, 2010. 322-337. Print. Strong, Tracy B. Politics without Vision: Thinking without a Banister in the Twentieth Century. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2012. Print. Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. Pr int. Horgan, John. The End of War. San Francisco, CA: McSweeneys, 2012. Print. *Also referenced class notes, discussions, and anything else that Professor F. mentioned during lecture. * *One case of referencing notes from another class (Comparative Politics) whilst explaining the uncertainty principle. *

Shouldice Hospital Limited Abridged

3/26/2013 Shouldice  Hospital  Limited   (Abridged) Summary  of  case  discussion Indicators  of  success †¢ Profits – Revenue  =  7600  *  (320*4  +  650  +  300*20%)  =  $15  mil. – Costs  =  $8. 5  mil  for  hospital  +  $3. 5  for  clinic $ $ – Profits  =  $3  mil †¢ Word? of? mouth  advertising – Afraid  of  advertising  for  fear  of  generating  too  much  demand †¢ Backlog  of  demand – Currently  2400,  growing  at  100  /  6  mo. †¢ High  percentage  of  doctors  as  patients †¢ L Low  recurrence – 0. 8%  vs. 10%  at  other  hospitals †¢ Patients  reunions †¢ Low  employee  turnover 2 1 3/26/2013 Capacity  at  key  resources Examination – 6  rooms  x  3  patients/hr  x  3  hrs/day  (1? 4pm)  x  5days/wk  =  270   patients/wk †¢ Ope rating  rooms – 5  rooms  x  7hrs/day  x  5days/wk  x  1  patient  /(hr. room)  =  175   patients/wk †¢ Surgeons – 10  surgeons  x  1  patient/(hr. surgeon)  x  8  hrs/day  x  5  days/wk  =   400  patients/wk †¢ Rooms – Assume  patients  stay  for  4  nights,  and  level  demand – Number  of  patients  per  day  (Sun  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Thur)  =  89  rooms/4  =  22 – Capacity  =  5days/wk  x  22/day  =  110  patients/wk â€Å"Rooms†Ã‚  is  the  bottleneck. So  indeed  capacity  expansion,  if  any,  should  start  with  this  resource.Notice  that  this  processing  rate  does  not  add  up  to  7600  patients  per  year  that  Shouldice  is   handling. Possible  reasons:  patients  stay  for  fewer  nights,  or  they  admit  more  patients  toward   the  end  of  week,  or  there  is  an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"overflow†Ã‚  area  in  the  hospital. 3 Why  patients  like  Shouldice? †¢ Low  price – $1990  (excluding  travel)  vs. $5240  at  other  hospitals †¢ Low  recurrence  rate †¢ Facilities/decor – Investments  made  in  assets  such  as  carpeting,  common  areas  (the   Florida  room  e. g. ),  low  stairs,  nice  grounds. †¢ Socialization/ambiance Schedule  patients  with  similar  backgrounds  in  the  same  room – Group  activities  (e. g. ,  tea  and  cookies)  to  alleviate  anxiety  and  build   p relationships – Create  pleasant,  non? hospital? like  atmosphere †¢ Fast  recovery – Days  vs. weeks  at  other  hospitals – Early  ambulation  (confidence,  medical  benefits) 4 2 3/26/2013 Why  employees  like  Shouldice? â⠂¬ ¢ Doctors – Regular  hours,  on  call  but  rarely  called g , y – Good  pay – Low  risk  surgery,  opportunity  to  be  the  best  in  class †¢ Nurses – Minimal  physical  assistance – Counseling  activities,  instead  of  changing  Ã‚  bedpans Staff – Cross  training,  helping  each  other – Interactions  (e. g. ,  in  dining  room) – Strong  concern  for  employees,  nobody  is  fired 5 The  focused  factory  model †¢ A  narrow  market  segment  (a  simple  type  of  hernia  repair),  ensured  by  a   careful  screening  process †¢ An innovative procedure that emphasizes early ambulation which leads to An  innovative  procedure  that  emphasizes  early  ambulation  which  leads  to   quick  recovery †¢ Standardized  procedure,  not  to  be  varied †¢ Patient s  are  basically  well,  allowing  demand  to  be  inventoried  (and  thus   easy  scheduling) †¢ Family? tyle  management  allows  a  highly  specialized  workforce  to   â€Å"decompress,†Ã‚  leading  to  happy  employees  with  low  turnover †¢ Low  investments  by  sharing  resources  (e. g. ,  anesthetists,  nurses) †¢ Help patients help themselves (e g tea and cookies to mix pre? operative Help  patients  help  themselves  (e. g. ,  tea  and  cookies  to  mix  pre? operative   patients  with  post? operative  patients) †¢ Attention  to  details:  no  TV  in  room;  carpeting;  low? rise  stairs  for  easy   walking;  walk  from  the  operating  table;  gardens;  good  food,  etc. 3 3/26/2013 Options  for  capacity  expansion †¢ Saturday  operations – Pros:  no  investment – Cons:  in terferes  with  regular  work  schedules †¢ Invest  to  build  more  rooms – Pros:  keep  regular  work  schedules – Cons:  heavy  utilization  of  other  resources †¢ Another  hospital – Pros:  there  is  a  market  (1  million  hernia  operations  a  year   ( p y in  the  U. S. ),  save  travel  costs  for  patients – Cons:  Quality  control? Sources  of  doctors. †¢ Another  procedure – What? Expertise? Markets? Too  many  questions.Most  students  chose  either  the  second  or  the  third  options. 7 Key  learning  points †¢ The  focused  factory  approach  leads  to  more   added  value  (and  thus  higher  competitive   added value (and thus higher competitive advantage):  it  increases  the  customer’s   willingness? to? pay  and  lowers  the  cost,  at  the   same  time. †¢ The  devil  is  in  the  details:  many  operational   details,  although  seemingly  routine  and  minute,   play  an  important  role  in  shaping  strategic   decisions  (such  as  capacity  expansion  here). 8 4