The schools of organization theories Essay Example for Free

The schools of organization theories Essay The schools of organization theories serve as the poles of support in keeping the order in an organization through the organizational functions. Each school of thought functions in a unique way causing changes in a certain work environment. The four schools of organizations theories that were listed are the human relations approach, neo- human relations school, the theories X, Y and Z (also known as the theories of motivation) and the systems approach. Major organizations that make use of the said theories include the finance undertakings, operations or productions, marketing and personnel purposes. These functions must be executed effectively and efficiently to be able to achieve the organization’s objectives. The organizational theories are manifested to almost all functions but in order to see a clearer perspective, specific reflections of the theories to each organizational function will be laid down. The human relations approach applies to the personnel functions. It dwells on the change of relationship between the leader and the subordinate. There is existence of decentralization and decision-making which let the employees be involved to enhance skills. The neo- human relations school is the â€Å"upgraded† version of the human relations school. Thus, it can also be reflected in the personnel functions. The said organizational theory patterns its principles to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. But, viewing form another perspective, the theory can also be utilized through meeting the goals of the marketing division. In marketing processes, advertising of a certain business entails the consideration of psychological aspects. In considering which marketing strategy to use, getting the consumer to respond to a certain product is important. This can be done through highlighting the achievement of human needs in an advertisement. For example, a television advertisement about a body spray targets the market segment of teenagers. So, the advertisement will highlight the need of teenagers to gain self-esteem through showing scenes in the advertisement that once a teenager will use that body spray, he or she will gain admiration from the opposite sex. Therefore, if and when the message was conveyed to the target market, the marketing function of the business will be accomplished. The third school of organizational theory is composed of the Theories X, Y and Z which somewhat clash in the purposes of managing the workplace. But, these are of great help in managing again the function of the personnel division. Theory X deals with a stricter work ethics to motivate the employees while Theory Y stated that workers have indeed a sense of self-direction. On the other hand, Theory Z (the hybrid of the Japanese and American management), incorporates the principles of creating a strong bond between the company and the employees through valuing the human resource development. Lastly, the systems approach is manifested through the technical functions of finance and production. The theory caters the requirements for financial matters through the open and closed systems. The open system as the name speaks for itself, caters boundaries that can be penetrated while the closed system has more rigid boundaries. It is up to the financial management on whether adjustments will be done in investments through accepting the influence of external factors or keeping everything as internal matters. For the operations or productions, the company can decide on whether adopting an open or closed system. Manufacturing lines can be subject to the transformation model if there is demand to do so. The company or the business can adapt the organizational theories for further improvement but it must be noted that some concepts of the theories can also hinder progress. As for the human relations and the neo-human relations approach, a concrete line must be drawn so to not abuse the professional ethics. It is true that the two theories give utmost importance in establishing individual autonomy to the employees, the leaders or managers must still be able to exercise power over major organizational matters. There must only be a right dose of relationship-oriented activities so that the work-related activities will not be overpowered. Otherwise, the sense of leadership will be obliterated. The theories X and Y must be adapted in a careful manner since the two are polar extremes. If Theory X is implemented in a leadership aspect, rebellion might occur in the workplace due to very authoritarian rules. The leader may solicit suggestions from the workers but still ahs the power to decide on whether to accept those suggestions or not. With this kind of management, conflict will definitely arise since the workers might think that the efforts are just put to waste. It must be made sure that the intensity of implementing it is well-adjusted to the needs of the organization. Theory Y does leadership in a lighter way but if the leader trusts the wrong people in the management to do specific tasks and these employees failed him, the quality of output will be affected. Theory Z may be taken in a brighter light so there may be fewer complications. It encompasses long term employment, specialized career paths and other holistic concerns for the employees. The theory may seem to be idealistic but there will still be conflict since the workers will be the one who will resort to solving the issues. Hence, managers won’t be touching issues causing poor control over matters. Finally, the systems approach can help in outsourcing ideas but then again, accepting changes pose the risk of having a negative feedback. The transformation may also alter some organizational traditions. The schools of organizational theories take on an effect of a double-edged sword. Some may help in facilitating tasks while some may worsen given situations. In a keen manner, the right theory to adapt for the company should be identified. The implementation of plans must of course go hand in hand with good management. References: Pugh, D. Organization Theory [PPT Document] Retrieved from http://www. scribd. com/doc/4880211/Organization-Theory Ankushsing. Theories of Motivation [PDF Document] Retrieved from http://www. scribd. com/doc/7781940/Theories-of-Motivation

Effects of Technology on Music

Effects of Technology on Music Effects of Technology on Music Production and Distribution Introduction Technology has brought many advantageous opportunities to the music industry in the area of production and distribution. Besides popular and valuable instruments such as the electric guitar and the synthesizer, technology has brought us new production equipments such as high-fidelity microphones, re-mastering equipments and CD-ROMs that provide us with a crystal clear sound of the recording. The development of these equipments has allowed the audience to experience a higher quality of sound coming from both live concerts and recordings. Easiness of transportation that came along with the technological developments in the sector, has allowed the record labels to distribute music all around the world. During the 1950s turbojet engines were cleared for civilian use, and with new civil jet-engine cargo aircraft distribution of almost any item became easier and faster than ever before. The evolution of the computer and the Internet was also a great distribution advantage for the music industry and should not be underestimated. New sound formats, such as the MP3, have made music distribution easier. Companies could now provide selling licenses to companies that would allow users to download certain songs from the Internet at a very high speed. The music industry also got many opportunities for advertisements since they were now not limited to billboards, TV and radio. Many companies can now promote their records by playing a preview for the user, on certain websites. Music Production Recording equipments were mostly used after the 1920s. These electronic devices were very hard to find and also very expensive. 1950s was when electronic equipment became easier to obtain and also became relatively cheaper. Not only that, they were also better in quality of recording and reproduction when compared to those devices used during the 1920s. By this time there were a lot of studios that were in demand for more electronic recording equipment. With the development of electronic equipments by engineers and inventors (such as Raymond Scott, who was an American composer and inventor who invented recording equipments and electronic instruments), studios started to buy these relatively cheap instruments. With these new equipments, studios were able to re-master previous recordings (mostly classical and jazz) to produce a more crystal-clear sound. However re-mastering was not the only feature of these equipments. Studios (sometimes individual labels) and bigger recording compani es (labels) started to record more and more music using these equipments and then sold them to the audience. Also during this time, along with the development of new instruments, new genres started to form. Consequently more and more label companies were formed and companies were categorized according to the genre they produced and sold. Slowly by slowly, label companies started to compete with each other and signed contracts with artists to record more songs to sell. This competition between labels made popular music a commodity and in time, these music equipments were started to be used for music sampling or element extraction which in some cases led to lawsuits. The developments in music production equipments have led to companies wanting to make more and more profit by recording and distributing their records. With these developments, companies started to look for new ways of distribution that could allow them to distribute their records at a global scale. The general development in technology has worked to their advantage. Music Distribution 1. Transportation Transportation before the evolution of civil aircraft was very hard and took a very long time. Mostly, merchandises were transported with ships and trains. However, during the 1950s, civil aircraft manufacturers were allowed to use turbojet engines for their aircraft. With these engines, new passenger and cargo aircraft were able to travel at a higher speed. New maritime technologies that were developed around the 1950s (such as the bulbous bow, used to decrease drag) allowed transportation ships to travel at (relatively) very high velocities. These developments made air cargo and ship transportation the primary platforms for transporting merchandises. Using these developments, record companies started to use air cargo and ships to distribute their records to all around the world very quickly. 2. Computers and The Internet Recordings were stored mostly in WAV file formats in computers. WAV is a waveform file format and its almost the exact replica of a high-quality CD recording. However, WAV files are very big in size. Transferring these formats over the internet would take a very long time. Even now, when we have access to high-speed internet, downloading a 50MB file takes about a minute. Back in the 90s, most people used the standard dial-up connection (which was very slow, 56 kbps). Downloading a 50MB file with a dial-up connection would take up to 4 hours, considering that the file does not contain any invaluable (overhead) data[1]. The MP3 file format compresses the original sound recording and provides us with a file that is very small in size but high in sound quality. This decrease in file size made the MP3 files very popular amongst internet users because they are very accessible and they can download them very quickly. With these developments, label companies wanted to take advantage of this increase in accessibility and consequently gave (sold) licenses to distributing companies. Currently, iTunes and many other sites allow users to download MP3 music files for a certain price. With this accessibility, both the marketing (distributing companies) and the label companies make profit from selling recordings. Also, besides these, the internet has provided label companies many opportunities to advertise/promote their records. With the increasing number of websites, labels can advertise their records on certain websites, or promote their records in YouTube, etc. Certain websites play previews of records or single recordings for users when they enter the website. Unlike local billboards and TV/Radio commercials/promotions, label companies can extend their range to a global scale. Many local and global popular music groups and labels have official accounts on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. They can simply promote their records on these sites by providing users with full records or previews. These types of social websites are also a great way for labels and individual groups to promote their items. Therefore, this global increase in label advertising opportunities and thus increase in advertising itself, also allowed the sales to increase in time and bring label companies to a higher position. 3. Technological Accessibility Nowadays, almost everyone owns either an iPod or a portable CD-player. Label companies can distribute records in several different formats. For example, some of these formats may be CD-ROMs, online MP3 files, tapes, etc. With the accessibility to electronic portable CD/Tape players, computers, and MP3 players, many users of these different platforms can buy records from a certain label company. The main label will have a higher rate of sales when they distribute for more than one platform. When we compare today with earlier days, where the gramophone was in use, we can say that the gramophone was the only music reproduction platform and not everyone had access to it. Thus the increase in accessibility and platforms do increase profits for label companies. Conclusion Almost every development in technology, from aircrafts to ships and chips to the internet, has affected the music industry. As usual, these developments may be both in advantage or disadvantage to the music industry or label companies, however I have elaborated on the advantageous side of these developments. Record label companies have brought themselves to a high position using these technological developments that helped them mass produce and distribute their records at a global scale. Unfortunately, popular music labels only use this technology to increase the amount of yearly profits instead of using it to create art. Label companies now use â€Å"template† music, where only certain elements of music can be changed to make it look individual (pseudo-individualization)[2]. Looking at these general actions of record companies, I can say that their sole purpose is to make profit by marketing music. Considering the technological developments and their consequences, these developments have been to the advantage of label companies. Bibliography Allan, David. On Popular Music in Advertising. Popular Musicology Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. . Bray, Patrick J. Learning about bulbous bows. Martins Marine Engineering Page. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Holmes, Thomas B. Electronic and Experimental Music Pioneers in Technology and Composition. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print. The Jet Engine. History Learning Site. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Raymond Scott: Biography. Official Raymond Scott Website: RaymondScott.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Shuker, Roy. Understanding Popular Music. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print. Tschmuck, Peter. Creativity and Innovation in the Music Industry. New York: Springer, 2006. Print. Ulucay, Tolga. Difference Between .mp3 and .wav. EzineArticles. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . [1] Download time calculator: [2] Allan, David. On Popular Music in Advertising.Popular Musicology Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. .

Senior Capstone :: Free Essay Writer

Senior Capstone Observations I visited the Ronald McDonald House on September 15, to meet a family that was staying there because they had a very ill child. I was there to interview Mr. and Mrs. Davis who’s had their five-year-old son, John was at Children’s Mercy Hospital. The Davis family was there because John has leukemia and needed chemotherapy. When I first met John, I was at a loss for words. I saw a five-year-old boy that didn’t have any hair (like me) and was thin like a cable wire. I thought it was great that John got to say with his family on good days. What amazed me so much was his spirit and thrust for life. Because they had faith in their little boy getting better, his parents were very much the same. I asked them what made them so upbeat and positive. They told me that they were getting the best treatment around and being close to him everyday really helped. I didn’t quite understand what they meant and asked them to explain. They told me that staying at th e RMH with their son meant everything to the whole family. Instead of being in a hospital bed, or hotel room, the Davis’s kept close and were able to do everything that a family would do. Such things included playing with toys, having meals together, taking walks, enjoying closeness with one’s family, and all in the comfort of a home. The Davis family had been there for almost a week and was very happy to find a place that allowed them to stay without having to pay. They were also elated to know that they could watch after their child and not worry about how he was doing alone in some hospital bed. While I was interviewing the Davis family, I saw so much activity going on around me that it was difficult to concentrate. It was awesome to see, because everyone was interacting with everyone. Parents were relaxing and enjoying themselves, while children were playing together and loving every bit of it. Basically, what I learned from the Davis family is that they were very grateful to the Ronald McDonald House for allowing them to stay close to their child, affording them all the comforts of home while so far away from family and friends.

Shakespeare’s Creativity Essay -- Literary Analysis, Twelfth Night

Shakespeare’s Creativity In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the art of music appears in the opening of the speech as the unhappy and lovesick Orsino tells his musicians, â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on† (I.i.1) In the speech that follows, Orsino asks the musicians to give him so much musical love i.e. food that will â€Å"surfeit† and cease to yearn for love any longer. Shakespeare uses music in opening line of play and at the end by Feste singing his song. It reveals that Shakespeare has presented on stage a romantic comedy which is not detached from our everyday reality. Thus songs are used by Shakespeare with surfeiting desire not only for the purpose of entertaining the audience but also closely linked to the play’s theme. Defining Music Music, as commonly in the English Oxford Dictionary is the â€Å"art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds to produce beauty of form, melody† or â€Å"the vocal or instrumental sound produced by practical exercise of the art of music†. Music is also described as â€Å"a musical composition or a performance† which can be seen in Shakespeare Cymbeline: â€Å"I haue assayl’d her with Muscikes, but she vouchsafes no notice† (II.ii.37). Shakespeare also uses music as the â€Å"cries of a pack of hounds on seeing the chase† (IV.i.105) in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Music in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night opening speech is written as â€Å"MuÃ… ¿icke† in the EBBO version whereas it is spelled â€Å"music† in our class text. The word â€Å"music† has been spelled differently throughout the years. Shakespeare uses the word â€Å"music† differently in his plays, such as: â€Å"musickes,†  "musique,† and â€Å"music.† The word â€Å"music† is spelled differently in the OED and in the song, with different alphabetic but pronounced the same way.... ...are’s writings. Edward W. Naylor writes in his essay that, â€Å"this is the more satisfactory, as no subject in literature has been treated with greater scorn for accuracy, or general lack of real interest, than this of music†. Music is the only topic that the audience and the readers view with content and a smile on their face. Shakespeare’s musical references are mostly found in comedies, but the musical stage direction that is presented in tragedies is due to the military nature or politics that bound the play. Shakespeare knew the impact of music on the society and during his time. Naylor also suggests that music â€Å"was considered an essential part of a clergymen’s education† and this notifies the value music held in the society. In the Duke’s case, â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on†, music seems to be rigorous and the musicians perform it with peacefulness.

Mecca Cola :: essays research papers

MECCA-COLA: A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE There is no denying that Mecca-Cola is a political product. Commercially, it’s capitalizing on the growing anti-American sentiment. The interesting part, which probably no one has ever done before, is the fact that the founder is making a political statement as well as embracing others with the same attitude through a consumer product. At some level it looks ironic that an anti-American movement takes form in the very byproduct of American culture; however, this is also saying that not all about America is bad. It’s not the culture that is being fought, but rather the politics. And Mecca-Cola fights by trying to provide conscience to its consumers, to provide meaning in consumerism (â€Å"buvez engagà ©Ã¢â‚¬ ). Mecca-Cola was born as a reaction to the anti-American sentiments, and it primarily appeals to consumers who support American brands boycott campaign. Entry consumers are primarily Muslims, with the product first being distributed in â€Å"small ethnic shops in Muslim areas†. While Mecca-Cola may continue to appeal to Muslim consumers, its policy to give profits for charity may appeal to other â€Å"engaged consumers†. By positioning itself as the non-American alternative of a cola, Mecca-Cola directly challenged Coca-Cola and Pepsi as the â€Å"American products†. However, as in Mathlouthi idealism, Mecca-Cola will keep the focus on providing an alternative cola drinks, not directly challenge those big players as competitors. Now that Mecca-Cola has successfully initiated a new segment of â€Å"alternative cola†, its real competitors are the other alternative cola that position themselves as a product for Muslims while also offering corporate social responsibility like Mecca Cola. Among the major competitors are ZamZam Cola, Qibla-Cola, Muslim Up and Arab Cola. The launch of Mecca-Cola was a success, perhaps because it is providing a fresh alternative to common consumerism, while using political and social charity leveraging advantages. Nevertheless, Mecca-Cola is vulnerable to competition (specific target base, low entry barrier for me-too products), and its positioning appeal may wear out if world politics change. Mecca-Cola could be a sustainable business if it emphasizes on universal values that appeal to a broader, sustainable consumer base, rather than just another Anti-America alternative product.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mathlouthi and Mecca Cola Taufik Mathlouthi is a Muslim, Tunisian-born French entrepreneur. His exceptional entrepreneurship mindset, along with his involvement in social issues and a sense of pride for his origins, forms the right chemistry that led to the birth of Mecca Cola. Mathlouthi is by nature an involved and exploring individual.

Psychosocial Orientation to Sexuality Essay

Environment has always been one of the major factors affecting our decisions and personality. Psychologists say its either â€Å"nurture† or â€Å"nature† which determines our personalities as we grow up. Nevertheless, our sexuality is also part of who we are. How we act or think in regard to sexual issues is also developed as we mature into adolescents. Various social factors affect a person’s sexuality. Primarily, it is the parents’ responsibility to make sure that their children are properly educated about sex. As a kid, I was oriented by my parents and older relatives that sex is a process designed by the heavens to unite married couples so they can procreate. As a young Christian, I have this notion that I was conceived by this process and only couples who were united by marriage have the permission from God to perform them. Talking about sex at home was actually limited if not restricted. There was a certain uneasiness enveloping the ones belonging in a conversation where a I would suddenly bring it up. It was awkward in a way that my parents believed I was not ready yet to comprehend the real nature of sex. However, I guess sexuality is an inescapable issue amongst children who are beginning to notice changes and differences between their private parts and their playmates’. A friend of the opposite sex definitely has dissimilar body parts than me. It has always been fun to explore and observe friends’ parts especially when it is in a group. Of course, not until we reached the 11th year of our age. Suddenly, things were getting too awkward for us. My playmates were starting to get aloof. Others have stopped invitations to look and some just plainly said, â€Å"My mom said they’re private. † How the privacy of such thing has never occurred to me until I was able to see certain pars of my body grow. Most of my physical parts were getting weirder each day and they did not feel comfortable at all. One of the huge factors which influence my sexuality is the depiction of sex in the television. Media have absolutely bombarded me with concepts that are in direct contrast to my early education of sex. Television series, movies, reality shows, magazines and even anime shows are transparent in portraying sexual activities as normal between two people in a relationship. Sometimes even same-sex relationships. Pornography is also widespread in our society today which I believe has a great impact on the fact that teenagers today in America are sexually active. In my case, it is reasonable to admit that I have my shares of hidden fantasies and desires but one good thing that I am proud of is that I am able to control them in a decent way. Religion also plays a major part in expressing one’s sexuality. It is widely know that Christianity does not allow couples outside marriage to have sexual intercourse. Pre-marital sex is a sin and is not tolerated by the Church. Contraceptives are also not encouraged therefore, if I were to ask how I think religion has affected my sexuality; I would claim that it did not lessen or eliminate my sexual desires rather it remained as a mere reason to control it and repress it. The topic of sexuality is widespread among religious, social and political debates. It comprises of a general idea which is too sensitive to be disregarded easily. However, I believe that one has his/her own rights towards his/her sexuality but are limited to what the law constitutes. A person can be gay, lesbian or bisexual but the mere idea that a person’s sexuality is being developed and identified with different names shows that it is a psychological issue that needs to be studied more thoroughly. It is a subject too complex that must also be given enough education and protection from families and authorities.

A town Torn apart by Nestlé

The Nestle Waters North Americas plans of building a bottled water plant in McCloud, California was faced by a number of conflicts both internally and externally. Despite Nestle’ company being in the fore front of creating jobs to the residents of McCloud region they were to pose several threats to the lives of people in the long run by depleting water resources.The residences of McCloud are against the Nestle’ waters plant, they argue that the plant will have a negative impact on the local hydrology. This made the residence to seek back-ups from wealth groups and reception of politicians all in the move of bringing to a stop the operations of Nestle Waters. Nestle Waters had to ignore the residence opposition and continue with their activities so as to prevail in McCloud so that it may improve the sale of bottled water in the U.S.The environmentalists claimed that the plant have a say in global warming given that it takes oil in the process of manufacturing bottles to be used to pack water. In addition, transportation of water from the plants to supermarkets utilizes much oil thus contributing to global warming. They have therefore united with the environmentalist in ensuring that the environment is protected against depletion (Conlin , 2008,1).Additionally, there was the organizational politics where some board members in McCloud were against the operation of the plant. This called for a voting to be done in order to find the winner. People had to compromise with the authenticity of Nestlà © plant, given that in the past it promoted infant formula over breast milk. Furthermore, the large size of the company will make it to suck out of the mountain in large quantities thus threatening the hydrology of the area.Competition has been the major conflict to the Nestle in their operation. Other competitors consider this company as a threat given that it has many resources which can make it fund larger activities. Even though the competitors also use w ater in there activities like the soda and beer industries. Apart from competition, the quality of water was another concern in view of the fact that it kept on declining due to toxic brew of pesticides, sewage and industrial run-off.This led to campaign for tap water instead of bottle water on the ground that it is not safe. Moreover, the plant produced large quantities of water per minute leading to drop offs in the flow level and this result to drought. In collaboration with the court, Nestle continued with its operation despite it’s effect of depleting the wetlands on claims that it assured generation of resources to the economy and this is what counts.There was also an organizational conflict where the members of board used to attack each other to the extent that the tires of one of the members were slashed (Conlin, 2008, 4).Reasons for divisionsThe conflict has divided the town into two due to the fact as some view the operation of Nestle’ having many shortcoming s like the competitors. It has provided employment opportunities to the jobless who had nearly lost hope. In addition, half of the residences are against the plant operation claiming that it results to depletion of resources and that Nestle’ requires more water for its company.For those who support the plant is because it has led to employment given that the region is more valuable and they were expectant of such a move. Some are against the plant on the basis that they were not consulted during negotiations and they opted to look for support from other sources especially politicians and wealthy men so that their view may be attended to.The deal was done with few board members giving no room for opposition who claims that water is for life and not for profit and yet Nestle company was after profits given that they sold there water 1000 times the tap water. Furthermore, they regard the plant to be more costly in respect to the benefits derived from its operation.The supporters believe that it help in generation of resources by creating more jobs that will boost the economy, the opposition feel that it is impossible to people to conserve water and later give room for a water plant. This led to lawsuits from those against the plant, thus the biggest challenge is of winning the support of the locals and Nestle’ Waters used to consider this in its plan.Upset residentsThe McCloud residents were upset during and after the September 29th Nestle meeting simply because they were not involved in coming up with the deal. They were eager to indulge in discussion and ask question so that a consensus may be reached after an interactive bargaining but that was not the case.In addition, they were not told the proposal but instead they were dumbfounded as the deal was signed without them knowing what was in it. They consider the move will lead to more droughts in the region given that the country was facing dwindling supply of water (Conlin, 2008, 3).