...Joan Didion: What is Home? In Joan Didion’s essay “On Going Home” she writes about leading a double life. She feels like one person when she’s with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles, and a completely different person when back “home” surrounded by her childhood family in the Central Valley of California. During this particular trip, she begins to reflect on her life in Los Angeles. Didion contemplates the fact that she often feels uneasy around her husband, just like he feels uneasy being around her family. At a crossroad, she must decide not only who she is, and the life she wants, but also the kind of life she wants for her daughter. Her life in Los Angeles has cleansed her from her youth—one that was dusty and full of useless trinkets. She ponders the time her husband wrote the word “D-U-S-T” on those useless trinkets and she remembers her feelings of sadness and indignation. She says, “We live in dusty houses…filled with mementos quite without value to him” (139-40). The dust-covered trinkets signify what is important to her, or what needs to be addressed in her marriage. Yet, these objects just lay there waiting for someone to see them—for someone to dust them off and care for them—not unlike how Didion wishes her husband would see her and nurture her in their marriage. Didion wonders which of her two homes is normal or if they are both flawed. When she and her husband are with her family, he becomes apprehensive about her behavior, “…because once there I fall...
Words: 1042 - Pages: 5
...speaks about four ways in which HR can deliver organisationalexcellence. First being partnering with senior and line managers in strategyexecution. Second, it delivers administrative efficiency to ensure that costs arereduced while the quality is maintained. Third, it helps in increasing employeecontribution. Finally, it acts an agent of continuous transformation. Based onthese points, the line managers must work to completely integrate HR intocompany’s real work. There are five challenges that the companies face in the modern scenariobecause of which HR finds an important role. First, increase in globalisation haspushed the companies to increase their ability to learn, collaborate and managediversity, complexity and ambiguity. Second, initially the companiesconcentrated on cost cutting measures to increase their efficiency but later onthe focus needs to shift towards revenue growth. They must be market focussed,develop innovative and creative products and must encourage free flow of information. Third, there is a need to incorporate technology as a viable,productive part of the work setting. Fourth, the organisations face a majorchallenge in attracting, developing and retaining intellectual capital. Last, thesuccessful organisations are the ones which adapt themselves quickly to thechanges and which can take rapid decisions and innovate new ways of doingbusiness. The challenges described above have moulded new roles for HR. Successfulorganisations are the ones which can quickly turn...
Words: 1101 - Pages: 5
...assignment to submit a case study analysis helped bust several myths about teams and provided valuable lessons in working as groups. There was rich diversity in the team in terms of work experience; varied skill sets as well as varying exposure to theoretical and practical concepts of OB. The approach taken to achieve our goal was to divide and conquer. The entire analysis was broken into smaller sections that were split across the individuals who picked the topics based on their comfort levels. The more senior and experienced members offered to take up more complex sections that involved more analytical skills. I offered to take up the task of compilation of the sections into a single deliverable and perform the necessary editing and review to publish an output that was consistent. This was accepted without any conflict due to the team’s faith in my writing skills and producing case reports which was demonstrated through my grades from earlier courses. The tangible evidence of skill/expertise helped build trust in my abilities and reduced potential conflict around leadership. Stages of Team Building: It was an interesting experience to see the different stages of team building in action such as the forming of the team when individuals who haven’t worked together in the past came together to work towards a common goal. Although in our case we didn’t have the need for introduction and pleasantries as we knew each other well during our time at MYRA, the fact that the five of us...
Words: 1558 - Pages: 7
...1. I can identify almost all type of variables that could affect performances reviewing the two interviews. The way the candidates describe their experience shows off that they have , even if in different views, a role perception about the job. Furthermore, opposite motivations and aptitude to the work are remarked through their expectancies and behavioral strategies. They present skill levels depending on their carrier’s path . I think organizational (defining only the area) and the environmental factors relating to the job are missing. 2. In my opinion, Dag Wicklo (DW) has a better perception of the work is going to do because of his previous experience in this field as employee and his love for selling and speak with people. Katharine Bryant (KB) knows the specific technical language but she never work as sales in this particular field and maybe she doesn’t know or remember what does it means to work as employee instead of being an owner. For J.P. Reynolds I think a good variable for perception could be the accuracy in the way candidates see the job with all the pro and cons, so being experienced in this particular field matters. Within motivations I can see again a remarkable will to make money from DW and but I could not for KB. She doesn’t feel stimulate to gain money and this could affect her performance as well. The company’s point of view on motivations has to be in line with maximization of the opportunities. DW seems more willing to try to exploit his balance...
Words: 601 - Pages: 3
...With plants located in the western United States and Canada, Agrigreen employs certified surveyors to ensure quality and safety of each project. Eighteen years ago, Agrigreen’s survey crew was composed of part-time drafting personnel or project engineers. Howard Lineberry, a lead surveyor had been employed with Agrigreen for eighteen years. Over his tenure he had been supervised by five different managers, and had three surveyor’s helpers. Howard’s work over the years has caused multiple safety and production issues. He has also had conflicts with the engineering staff, his managers, and almost everyone he worked with. Mel Cutler, a surveyor’s helper, after being employed by the company for only a few years was assigned to assist Howard. Five years into this assignment, Mel began to notice problems due to Howard’s note keeping method. These problems contributed to the production and safety issues with several projects. Later Mel began to notice that Howard was taking an excessive amount of snack breaks, coming to work late and leaving early. He also noticed Howard taking naps on the job. When the opportunity presented itself, Mel accepted a part-time assignment away from Howard. This reassignment resulted in a new surveyor’s helper...
Words: 2493 - Pages: 10
...Pg 10 Executive Summary The organization being described in this paper is Somerset CPA, which is one of the largest accounting firms found in Indiana. They have been repeatedly awarded for their outstanding work environment throughout the last decade. This company has been constantly improving themselves through there continued efforts to be an important tool for the customers to use. They pride themselves as being a customer oriented company. Through this dedication to the customer the company has gone through extensive expansions to a numerous amount of different account fields in which they can successfully partake in. This paper will describe a variety of different aspects that help to illustrate the type of organization that Somerset is. Some topics being discussed are the history of the company, employee discussions, cultural artifacts, involvement with the community, and more. These different parts all help to define the organizational behavior of the company. According to the Colquitt textbook organizational behavior is the study to defining and comprehending the different entities that make up an organization. By analyzing the company managers are better able to identify what is necessary for change to put into practice the best possible work environment. History of Somerset Somerset CPA was originally started as a certified public accounting institution known as Whippie & Company in 1960. During the early stages of the company primary tasks were...
Words: 2571 - Pages: 11
... Research Methodology Primary Sources Questionnaire Secondary Sources Journals Research Papers Internet Limitations Limitations Only one official from each company was interviewed Difficult to contact HR managers due to their work schedules Hesitant to provide information due to their confidential nature Difficult to assess reliability as based mainly on interviews Job Analysis and Design Job Analysis: Importance & Purpose Primary task for setting a baseline for each job Enables HR professionals to effectively manage job-related activities Systematic approach to defining the job role, description, requirements, responsibilities, evaluation, etc. Legal validation of employment decisions Defines duties & tasks Identifies reporting relationships Basis for determining relative worth of jobs Identifies redundancy Job Design Refers to the way that a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized Takes into account factors that affect the work Organizes the content and tasks to improve the efficiency of the business and improve employee satisfaction Job design involves administrative areas such as: 1.Job rotation 2.Job enlargement 3.Task/machine pacing 4.Work breaks and working hours Industry Background Industry Background...
Words: 1114 - Pages: 5
...workplace is how people perceive themselves and the individuals they work closely with. In turn, that perception good or bad can affect the way employees interact with one another in a workplace. Although diversity in a work place is seen as a good thing, it also poses some difficult challenges for business organizations. In order for an organization to succeed at being diverse, they must first understand the benefits of a diverse work environment, the true meaning of what it is to be diverse, and how to improve diversity in the workplace. When talking about diversity and trying to achieve a diverse work place, it is very important for an organization to understand the benefits of having a diverse work environment. Organizations with a diverse work place have shown to thrive and be more successful than homogeneous groups. I believe the reason for this is due to the different ideas and perspectives each individual in a diverse group brings to the table. According to the article “How Diversity Works” Paul (2014) stated “the benefit of having diversity in a group is the creativity that it brings out of the group. Diversity encourages the members of the group to search deeply within the group for great ideas while considering the different perspectives of every member of the group, which in turn leads to the overall success of the group in terms of making decisions and solving problems” (P.7). Having a diverse group in a work place is more beneficial than having homogeneous group of people...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7
...Personal Work Priorities and Professional Development | | Short Answer Questions Question 1 - Build downtime into your schedule. When you plan your week, make it a point to schedule time with your family and friends, and activities that help you recharge. - Get moving. It's hard to make time for exercise when you have a jam-packed schedule, but it may ultimately help you get more done by boosting your energy level and ability to concentrate. - Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way. Don't assume that you need to make big changes to bring more balance to your life. Brooks recommends setting realistic goals, like leaving the office earlier 1 night per week. Question 2 - Organize & Prioritize Create a daily schedule and follow it. Identify the top three or four critical projects that need to be completed. Ensure your task list is manageable, adds value, and benefits your firm. - Stop Multitasking Guilty as charged! In the past I’ve been a master multitasker, or so I thought. I could answer a phone call, respond to an email, and dabble on a project simultaneously. I was satisfied that I could work on several projects at once. In reality, the quality of my work was compromised. Multitasking lowers IQ, lowers EQ (emotional intelligence), slows you down, increases stress levels, and causes mistakes. Master unitasking instead. - Avoid Distractions Did you know that focus is a fundamental quality of productive people? Our brains are wired to work best...
Words: 2575 - Pages: 11
...“Wherever you go in this country, you are going to find a diverse workforce; you have to be able to manage that, and if you can’t you are not going to make it. You’ve got to change the way you work.” That’s how Larry Vincent, president of Mastex Industries, a Holyoke textile company that lost its traditional business in 1999, summed up the broad subject of diversity and how companies must address it. Over the past eight years, Vincent and his partners, Jeffrey Stream, vice president of Finance, and Israel Schepps, vice president of Quality and TS Certification, have completely changed both the core of the business and the culture of the organization, and with impressive results. Today, Mastex is the nation’s third-largest manufacturer of automotive airbag fabric. Vincent attributes this success largely to a diverse, though predominantly Puerto Rican/Latino, workforce and to Mastex management that has learned to both accommodate and utilize culturally distinctive characteristics. “All cultures have idiosyncracies to them. You can find out what they are and use them to your benefit,” he said. With this approach Mastex has reduced absenteeism, turnover, lost-time accidents, low productivity, and the high-scrap issues that plague so many manufacturers. Communication is the key building block to managing a diverse workforce successfully, said Vincent. When he arrived at Mastex in 1995 as director of Manufacturing, he began holding regular meetings with employees, who are called...
Words: 1972 - Pages: 8
...With plants located in the western United States and Canada, Agrigreen employs certified surveyors to ensure quality and safety of each project. Eighteen years ago, Agrigreen’s survey crew was composed of part-time drafting personnel or project engineers. Howard Lineberry, a lead surveyor had been employed with Agrigreen for eighteen years. Over his tenure he had been supervised by five different managers, and had three surveyor’s helpers. Howard’s work over the years has caused multiple safety and production issues. He has also had conflicts with the engineering staff, his managers, and almost everyone he worked with. Mel Cutler, a surveyor’s helper, after being employed by the company for only a few years was assigned to assist Howard. Five years into this assignment, Mel began to notice problems due to Howard’s note keeping method. These problems contributed to the production and safety issues with several projects. Later Mel began to notice that Howard was taking an excessive amount of snack breaks, coming to work late and leaving early. He also noticed Howard taking naps on the job. When the opportunity presented itself, Mel accepted a part-time assignment away from Howard. This reassignment resulted in a new surveyor’s helper being assigned,...
Words: 2524 - Pages: 11
...Managing Work Priorities & Professional Development | In today's business world, you can find any number of articles in the media about how important it is for you to manage your work priorities and develop your professional capabilities. Competition among people for professional advancement in both position and salary is high and being able to successfully manage your priorities and personal development is a cornerstone in achieving this. Without professional development you will find yourself left behind in the promotion race and missing out on all the 'plum' and challenging roles that you seek. This applies to all types of employees in every facet of business or industry but it is particularly relevant to office-based workers and managers who don't have the strict structures controlling their every task like a process or factory worker does. There are many different things to consider when thinking about managing priorities and professional development but to begin with you need to formulate a plan. The plan should include your performance as a role model, developing your traits as an effective leader, ensuring your work goals and plan reflect the organisation's, meeting your job responsibilities, measuring and maintaining your personal performance, prioritising your work, use of technology, maintaining a work/life balance, meeting competency standards, determining your developmental needs, taking advantage of learning opportunities that best match your personal...
Words: 3810 - Pages: 16
...identifying four interrelated dimensions of teamwork effectiveness: attitudinal, behavioural, operational and financial. The first two represent transmission mechanisms by which organizational performance can be improved. The latter two provide direct measures of organizational outcomes. The review shows that teamworking has a positive impact on all four dimensions of performance. It also reveals that, when teamwork is combined with structural change, performance can be further enhanced. The paper concludes by highlighting some important research gaps that future studies could address. Introduction Teamwork has emerged in recent years as one of the most important ways in which work is being reorganized (Osterman 1994; Waterson et al. 1997). This idea of delegating responsibilities to work groups has been diffused under a range of different labels. Human resource management (HRM), modern sociotechnical theory, business process re-engineering and lean production all embrace the core principles of teamworking (Benders and Van Hootegem 1999; De Sitter et al. 1997; Kleinschmidt and Pekruhl 1994; Kuipers and Van...
Words: 11643 - Pages: 47
...seven members with varying degrees of professional expertise in strategic marketing. That expertise ranges from backgrounds in the non-profit sector to occupational therapy, financial analysis, logistics, international consultancy, and corporate management. The specific work expertise related to marketing that is relevant to this class is also varied with some members having strong expertise in marketing, sales and business and financial relations, while others have had no experience at all in marketing. This sets up the members for an interesting working relationship. All have had ample experience doing group work in past classes at Liberty University. The group is dynamic in nature. All in all, the individuals are go-getters who work well both as managers and as team members or followers. There seems to be a common work ethic where all members have a strong sense of initiative and are autonomous and self-motivated. While clearly acknowledging that no one is perfect, all seem committed to strive for excellence. Most of the members are process oriented and there is a strong sentiment that the tasks, guidance and specific roles for each individual in the group will need to be clear at all times. All members work reasonably well under pressure, but some members feel that stress is best...
Words: 1291 - Pages: 6
...|Date Issued | |Business Environment | |Week beginning 11/02/13 | |Student Name |Student ID |Due Date – 03/06/13 | |Lecturer Name: Ibrahim kevin, Sujata,& Issac |Internal Verifier Name | | |Mr. M. Azam | Rules and regulations: |Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes: copying information directly from the Web or books without | |referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort; copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from| |another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt | |with according to the procedures set down by the College. Please see your student handbook for further details of what is / isn’t plagiarism.| Coursework Regulations 1. Submission of coursework must be undertaken according to the relevant procedure – whether online or paper-based. Lecturers will give information as to which procedure must be followed, and details of submission procedures and penalty fees can be obtained from Academic Administration or the general student handbook. 2. All...
Words: 2134 - Pages: 9
