Comparison of Organizational Cultures of the United States versus Essay

Comparison of Organizational Cultures of the United States versus Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - Essay Example Arguments in this paper flow from four cultural traits of effective organizations that include involvement, consistency, adaptability, and mission. The paper compares and contrasts the organizational cultures of the U.S and those of the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by applying elements such as collectivism versus individualism, femininity versus masculinity, orientation, and power distance. America organizational culture features a system of inclusive involvement whereby employees are rewarded for taking initiatives. The American system values accountability and empowerment. The American organization cultures stress the significance of accountability. The U.S. organizational culture provides a favorable environment for peak performance accompanied by extrinsic rewards. Aspects such as individual bonuses are tied to initiative and personal accountability. The organization culture of the U.S. establishes conditions for achieving operational objectives. U.S. organization culture stresses the importance of values such as communication, innovation, collaboration, and stability, which influences the employees’ roles and expectations. The organizational culture of U.S. also encourages innovation and risk taking. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, which comprise part of Arab World, exhibits unique values and beliefs as reflected on the organizations practices and systems development, implementation and management. The two countries are heavily dependent on foreign labor, especially in essential professional and skilled or technical fields. Expatriates in the countries are hired contractually; their jobs attract high extrinsic rewards. There is a strong inclination in both countries for an increased preference for managerial positions. Survey conducted in organizations in both countries highlights conflicting attitudes towards Western business models. However, most agree that they enhance organizational performance. Regulatory decisions within the

Work Performance and Employee Well Being Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work Performance and Employee Well Being - Essay Example Work performance and well-being of an employee have a cause and effect relationship with each other that runs both ways. Well-being is both a cause and effect of good work performance. On one hand, when an employee is psychologically and physically healthy, he/she is able to deliver his/her best at work and thus his/her work performance is enhanced. On the other hand, good performance at work leads to better reputation of the employee in the organization so that the employee feels good while at work. Similarly, good work performance is both a cause and effect of well-being. When an individual shows good performance at work, he/she finds interest in work. This interest helps him/her work hard so that he/she earns the trust and confidence of the employer. As a result of this, the owner appreciates the efforts of the employee by rewarding him/her through increase of wages, additional benefits with wage, and/or a higher position in the workplace. â€Å"People’s experiences at work affect how they feel about themselves, how they interact with their families and friends, how they use their leisure t ime, how anxious they are about the future and so on† (Fairhurst and O’Connor, n.d., p. 2). Any kind of reward increases the level of happiness of the employee and the employee’s overall well-being is enhanced. Work performance of an individual is an outcome of several variables that include but are not limited to the physical and mental health of the employee, the eligibility and competence of the employee in the work, the employee’s qualification and experience in the similar kind of work, and most importantly, the employee’s level of motivation. Of all of these factors, employee’s well-being is the most fundamental factor that affects his/her performance because if an employee does not feel well, he/she might not arrive at the work at the first place. â€Å"Having healthy employees is

The Whitsun Weddings, Philip Larkin

The Whitsun Weddings, Philip Larkin Many of the poems in Philip Larkins The Whitsun Weddings are concerned with themes such as disillusionment, isolation and the passage of time. However, one common factor that connects the majority of his work in this collection is Larkins seemingly contradictory attitude towards women. Although in many of these poems it can be claimed that Larkin dismisses women as insignificant, there is also sufficient evidence to suggest that his portrayal of them is in fact indicative of their desirability and power, particularly over the male gender. In Afternoons, Larkin seems to directly disregard women in a variety of ways, beginning with the suggestion that they are inferior to men their husbands are occupied in skilled trades whereas the sole function of the women is to produce and bring up their children. The first stanza paints a particularly dreary picture of the routine lives of the mothers, with the gloomy opening summer is fading quickly followed by references to leaves falling and the hollows of afternoons which connote the melancholy image of youth passing. Considering these are young women, however, may suggest that Larkin feels a degree of sympathy towards their plight of gradually being replaced by a new generation as they set free their children. The idea that this change is an inevitable process, indicated by natural words such as wind, thickened, and leaves fall may further imply that the speakers feelings are not as harsh as they initially appear. The symbolism of time passing present in the title is carried through the entire poem, ending in the rather ambiguous something is pushing them/ to the side of their own lives, to add to the sense that the women are continually taken for granted and have no control over the direction of their lives. They are thus rendered insignificant both in the eyes of the speaker, who sees them as inferior to men standing behind them for support and with regard to life: they are gradually upbraided, have no control over the passage of time and the only imprint they leave on the world is their impatient and expectant children. However, in both Afternoons and other poems such as Selfs the Man and Love Songs in Age it becomes clear that rather than simply dismissing women, Larkin is actually struggling to separate his attitude towards women with his perception of marriage a constant dichotomy for Larkin, who Nicholas Marsh describes as being terrified of marrying, and incapable of committing himself, mainly due to witnessing the horror of his own parents marriage. This fear and negative attitude is reflected in the language he uses to depict marriage and weddings, such as farcical and the oxymoronic happy funeral in The Whitsun Weddings. Similarly, the disdain he feels for the routine of domesticity is apparent in Selfs the Man, in which the woman is depicted as a persistent nag: he has no time at all, now shes there all day. In Love Songs, Larkins combination of triviality the covers pleased her and poetic diction -frank submissive chord depict the life of a woman who has been left deeply unfulfilled in her widowhood. Like Afternoons, there is a clear sense of domesticity leaching away the individuality, and thus the human significance, perhaps, of the woman as time passes there is no longer the certainty of time that is present in youth; instead only tidy fits and an estateful of washing remain. Interestingly, there is a sharp contrast between the relatively mature viewpoints in the aforementioned poems, which offer a more sedate commentary on the perceived role of women, and the blatant objectification present in others, most notably A Study of Reading Habits and Sunny Prestatyn. Although the latter could be seen as a commentary on the false, idealised images sold to us by the advertising industry, and social reaction to it, the imagery and language used can alternatively be interpreted as a crude portrayal of archetypal male attitudes towards women. Marsh states that Larkin himself was abusive and contemptuous of women, and the poet was widely known for his view that all women are stupid beings -both statements clearly demonstrated in Prestatyn. The fact that the girl consistently has things done to her she was slapped up and setastride rather than being in control of her actions perhaps indicates a dismissal of women as static beings , yet the coarse and somewhat distur bing language offers a darker perception of women. Similar to in Afternoons, a hunk of coast stands behind her as if for support, but as the poem progresses from the subservient image of the girl kneeling (the use of girl itself suggesting inferiority) the stanzas quickly give way to darker male humour: obscenities such as huge tits and a fissured crotch used to deface her image, until eventually she is stabbed and torn apart. On the other hand, the satirical tone present in the final stanza of Prestatyn (she was too good for this life) could allow readers to make an alternative judgement. In the first stanza, the girl on the poster seems shallow and trite: laughing on the sand in virginal white satin. This image of youth seems hardly likely to provoke such a despicable attack, but the words kneeling and tautened also connote sexual provocativeness. In light of this, the girl seems to bring the victimisation upon herself figuratively prostituting herself as it were. The end of the final stanza, however, subtly seems to mock those (assumedly men) who attempted to punish her (either for her contributions to the idealised images of the advertisement or for her unattainable sexual innuendo) in the end all they had in their power was the ability to tear a picture. The replacement image of Fight Cancer illustrates this futility, and a degree of sympathy is present in the tender observation of a vulnerable hand left behind a body part also focused on in Broadcast. Another poem which deals explicitly with Larkins attitude towards women is A Study of Reading Habits. The language is quite childish, with its simplistic, colloquial vocabulary and references to comic books -the alliterative dirty dogs, or clichà ©d old right hook. This idea is continued in the structure: the excitement conveyed in the repetition of and in me and my cloak and fangs is also present in the irregular rhyme scheme, but the initial shock comes in the second stanza with the introduction of rather sadistic sexual fantasies and violent behaviour towards women. This derogatory portrayal of women ripping times, clubbed with sex, broke them up- seems to suggest that women are solely there for the pleasure of men, sweet meringue-like objects to be enjoyed and consumed without regard to their individuality: the women are turned into mere objects deprived of character or humanity. Moreover, distinct patterns throughout the collection can be seen to emerge. Although a number of the male characters in The Whitsun Weddings have names (Mr Bleaney, Arnold, Dockery and a poem dedicated to Sidney Bechet), women are unfailingly dismissed as insignificant through their lack of them they are only vaguely recognised as her, she, and girl. At best, in Wild Oats, they are titled bosomy and the friend, but that hardly shows a sensitivity towards these women rather, it further degrades them by acknowledging only their physical attributes. Indeed, this poem only briefly (and awkwardly) refers to the friend in specs as someone to talk to, whereas reference to beautiful as the bosomy English rose is rhythmic, lilting and positive. Furthermore, the last stanza of this poem mentions two snaps of the beautiful woman kept in the speakers wallet such static images of women can also be seen in poems including Broadcast and Sunny Prestatyn, again reducing women to objects rather th an living, breathing, accessible people. However, one must also take into account the social conventions of the time in which Larkin lived. He comments in Wild Oats that in those days it was faces that sparked/ the whole shooting-match off, indicating the restrictions and emphasis placed on courting. This consolidates the tone of sexual frustration that is implied in many of Larkins poems particularly the darker ones with their emphasis on male domination and female subservience. When viewed in this way, the collection as a whole- with its subtle emphasis on self-discovery and journeys through life seems to provide a parallel to Larkins experiences with women. One of Larkins lovers, Maeve Brennan, commented that, for Larkin at least, romantic distance isthe most desirable relationship one can have with a woman. Alternatively, therefore, the static photographs and freeze-frames referenced in a number of the poems could symbolise either, in Rossens words a metaphor for not being able to communicate with or touch a woman, or even simply Larkins way of demonstrating and dealing with his affections. Therefore, Larkins portrayal of women in The Whitsun Weddings is complex and nuanced. On one hand, Larkin is often dismissive, even derisive at times, of women, characterising them as insignificant and inferior to men. This can clearly be seen in many of the poems in this collection, significantly in Afternoons, and Broadcast. At times, this dismissal moves into more blatant objectification and sadistic fantasy at the expense of the woman, although often with a slight hint of satire and self-parody, such as in Sunny Prestatyn and A Study of Reading Habits. However, we must also take into account the fact that women feature prominently in a variety of his works, becoming the centre of his focus. Very often, there will be tender details which indicate a more sensitive side of the poet, such as the tiny hands, gloves and shoes in Broadcast. In this manner, the reader is shown that although Larkin can present a crude and unpalatable depiction of the female gender, equally he is able to p resent his underlying emotions in a stark, yet understated, way unique to himself.

The Application of Information Technology Systems Essay -- Essays Pap

The application of Information Technology Systems As the application of IT systems is the usage of said systems, it is hard to define how this may be either morally or ethically wrong. The Internet could be considered to be morally dangerous, as a young child could easily stumble across pornography. However, the Internet makes the sharing of information easier for society as a whole, particularly in organisations and gives the individual access to this information. Another aspect of IT systems that could be considered to be morally wrong is the theory of ‘Big Brother’, as so much information, from shopping preferences (loyalty cards) to your address (driving licence number) is held on computers – giving fast and easy access to personal data. The data protection Act is designed to protect individual privacy, so only the people that need to can access your data. But how do you decide who has access to your data? On a police database, records of criminal convictions are stored, to people have the right to know that a criminal is moving into their neighbourhood or does the individual have the right to keep that information private? A worker may feel that the application of IT systems in the workplace may have more lasting benefits. For example opening a file on a word processor and correcting a mistake in comparison with producing the same work on a typewriter and having to redo it, will likely give more of a sense of satisfaction. An individual may feel the lasting benef...

Microsoft: A case in cross-company transformation Essay

One of the key challenges facing this company is the lack of proper innovation. Most of the products that are produced by the company for the past years are mainly influenced the existing products from their competitors. This is very evident from the fact that the Windows operating system was much influenced by UNIX which had been incorporated in the Apple operating systems. Also, Microsoft office suite was greatly influenced by lotus and also word perfect. The lack of innovation in Microsoft Company does not stop here (Terwiesch & Ulrich, n.d.). It has gone further to produce the product that is similar to those that are on the market. This browser, internet explorer resembled Netscape and recently they have produced a search engine Bing, which is very similar to Google. This implies that there is a continuous strategy that is followed by Microsoft when it keeps on producing imitations of other products with the help of very heavy managers of marketing to help in promoting these par ticular products among the people in the bid to get a very big share in the market. Due to this, it can be easily criticized that despite the fact that million dollars have been used on the search engine Bing, it has not offered anything worthwhile or anything that can be termed as extra better as compared to whatever is being offered by the search engine google however, it is expected that Bing would contain some more features as compared to google. This would mean that Bing will contain a little more features that are not available for google. This is only thin that may favor the low profile Bing and give it an added advantage to Bing and give a better platform to the users. I realize that without getting proper innovation ideas, it will be very difficult for Microsoft to generate the same amount of profit and sustain this amount that they are currently earning backed up by the company’s cash cow which is Microsoft office and also Microsoft windows. Going by the I production of this Microsoft cloud computing, Microsoft has to prepare itself very well for the purpose of the incoming web based computing and not give much attention to their traditional desktop computing. For it to continue with the innovations, it has to be very careful on how to plan the prices that it will be charging for its operating systems and its applications which are usually available free of charge through the internet (Vermesan & Friess, n.d.). It should now continue with the innovations on the basis of its new Bing search engine and make sure that there are some unique features and this will give it enough reasons to the customers as to why they should consider this parti cular search engine. Microsoft should try to analyze this issues keenly and tap resources and extract its full potentials for the purpose of innovation. Addressing this challenges will help Microsoft in the future in a lot of ways. For instance, it will make sure that Microsoft is stable in the market and that the competition that it may receive from other competitors in the market will not derail it (Terwiesch & Ulrich, n.d.). Addressing this challenges will make sure that Microsoft Company gets unique features that stand out in various ways thus rendering the company a unique and different face in the market thus more customers will be drawn and maintained in the company for the purpose of the unique products. Low pricing strategy.If this company adhere to this strategy strictly, it will now be very differentiating candidly among the monopolistic practices that it had adopted previously on the basis of their operating systems. Microsoft company can just continue to operate under this strategy and also provide its regular products but maintain the price at its minimum and this will go a long way helping Microsoft in that it will be very difficult for other new entrants to diffuse into the market (Vermesan & Friess, n.d.) .aided by this low pricing strategy, Microsoft a s accompany will gain a lot of popularity by reaching out very many users. This will see Microsoft gain a very large market share .this will work effectively since the majority of the users will prefer to use the low price products and services as compared to the pricey ones. Another strategy that Microsoft can use is the no-frills strategy. Due to the introduction of the cloud computing idea, the majority of the computing will be online based and this means that the customer loyalty to the web-based applications and online soft wares is foreseen to be low. This means that customers can change their online web-based applications and the software if they are given good quality products at relatively reduced prices (Vermesan & Friess, n.d.). If Microsoft keeps their main focus on the innovations, this idea will be attractive to the customers that are price sensitive and do not care about the product quality. If this strategy is adopted by Microsoft, it can retain its customers while ensuring that their customers get best products with reduced prices. I would strongly recommend these particular initiatives to be implemented in Microsoft I at all they are interested in grabbing the future market and through this, they will remain to be the best company that p rovides the services of their kind. Reference Vermesan, O., & Friess, P. Building the hyperconnected society. Terwiesch, C., & Ulrich, K. Innovation Tournaments.

Personal Philosophy of Education Essay

Teaching is mostly a social activity; it begins with social interactions between teachers, students and their peers through conversation and demonstration. The information received in these social interactions is then processed cognitively in their working memory and hopefully stored in their long term memory. This learning process has two main stages the social stage and the cognitive stage which then can be broken down into many other stages. Given that that social interaction and cognition are in my opinion the most fundamental parts of learning I have gained much interest in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The true direction of the development of thinking is not from the individual to the social but from the social to the individual’, (Vygotsky, 1986, p. 36). This idea argues that the social relationship between the teacher and learner is crucial in their cognitive development and that the information learned by the student is not simply passed down from the teacher but it is constructed internally through mutual social interactions. The importance of social interaction means that as a teacher I must use every opportunity I can to allow students to be involved socially while building their knowledge. This will involve planning lessons which involve carefully guided class discussions. This allows students to express their views while the teacher can guide their thinking and correct them if needed. I believe learners mostly process new information by comparing it to previously stored information. In many cases the teacher may need to show the student how it is related to the new information by comparing it to what the student previously learnt. It is the teacher’s job to bridge the gap between known and unknown and I believe this is best described using Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. Vygotsky (1986) argues that it is the teacher’s job to assist the student to build on their previous knowledge rather than just provide them with new information, turning them into passive recipients. Allowing students to process information critically with some guidance leads to better understanding and allows students to regulate their own learning. In order for this to be effective the teacher must be aware of the different ability levels of the students as if the information is placed outside of their proximal development zone they will be only memorising information without truly understanding its meaning. In my classroom I would aim to have knowledge of all my students’ abilities so that I may pose questions within their zone of proximal development which will then deepen their understanding of the topic. There are many simple ways of doing this such as giving analogies that compare pieces of information in a way that they understand or by giving them hints about the correct method to solve the problem. Education is a lot more complex than having knowledge of relevant theories. This is due to the huge diversity among students who may have different ethnicity, socio economic status and moral values. These are all external factors which are mostly out of the teachers control and while it is important to consider these differences I believe motivation is the key to allowing students to get the most out of their education. Current views conceptualise motivation as a dynamic and complex phenomenon comprising many cognitive, affective and social processes that instigate, direct and sustain action (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Given that motivation is sustaining the student’s interest in their learning it is up to the teacher to keep them motivated. A cognitive approach to motivation is achievement motivation which allows students to build on their successes by motivating them to be successful in the future. This can only be achieved if the knowledge is within the student’s ability which once again reinforces to me the importance of being aware of my students’ abilities and using their zone of proximal development to its full advantage. Having the ability to motivate and understand students differences are traits which I believe are essential for a successful teacher but in order to possess these abilities the teacher must first be able to build a quality relationship with the students. When there are high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict and dependency, students are more likely to be motivated to succeed, to feel successful in educational pursuits and, consequently, to perform better than students without such supports (Koomen, Zee, Van der Veen 2013). The research shows that positive student teacher relationships not only improve academic achievement but allow students to work more independently. As a teacher I will strive to build these quality relationships in which I can allow students to work independently with some guidance. This will allow more freedom in their learning and will ultimately motivate them towards better academic achievement.