Abstract This paper examines how organizational behavior studies and practice reconciles the differences between technical-oriented and interpersonal skills-oriented management approaches within an organization. It looks at how reconciling these two approaches results to effective organizational management, where the technical skills of its members produces high-quality products and services. It also shows how organizational behavior studies and practice have become an invaluable management principle in the development of healthy individual and group behaviors within the organization.
From the Paper "The function of organizational behavior in organizational management and communication is to improve organizational processes and interaction (among its members), yielding high rates of productivity and quality of the products and services offered by the organization. As an interdisciplinary field of study, organizational behavior touches on several aspects that greatly influence individual behavior within an organization, which may include psychological, communication, and sociological studies. Organizational behavior is essential in organizations, especially in the workplace environment, because the management is able to determine the right course of action when formulating policies or solutions to problems that may greatly affect the members of the organization."
Abstract The image of organizational ethics suffered severely from recent Wall Street scandals. However, experts suggest that, in times of distress and tough economic conditions, it is more important than ever to remain faithful to personal and organizational moral principles. This paper shows that, even though companies cannot build the individual morality and personal ability to recognize right from wrong, effective communication, guidance, or resources availability, an example set by upper management and formal education can help students and employees avoid ethical risks and make knowledgeable ethical decisions. The paper analyzes various problems associated with moral behavior and decision making in the modern workplace and discusses several ways to improve and promote workplace ethics.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
I Introduction
II Body
1 The Concept of Workplace Ethics
2 Organizational Ethics Policies and Their Purpose
3 Is Workplace Ethics a Myth? The Facts
4 Reasons Behind Workplace Ethics Decline
5 Workplace Ethics Today: Its Importance and Ways to Improve It
6 Promoting Ethical Behavior Through University Education
7 Ethics Courses in University Curriculum: Problems and Opportunities
III Conclusion
IV Bibliography
From the Paper "In 1996, Archer Daniels Midland Company pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $100 million dollars for fixing the price of two corn-based products that cost consumers millions of dollars a year (Hunter-Gault, 1996). In 2000, Firestone and Ford Motor Company had to apologize to their consumers for a series of deadly accidents linked to tire failures, while trying to pin blame on each other. In 2002 Ford/Firestone scandal was followed by the largest corporate bankruptcy in the US, the collapse of Enron, whose "rapid expansion - and escalating profits - turned out to be based on false accounting methods that artificially inflated its size and potential" (Enron puts itself, 2002). Since the Enron scandal erupted, many more scandals tarnishing the names of once-mighty companies, such as Andersen, WorldCom, Xerox, Tyco, Merrill Lynch and others came to light (Wall Street Scandals, 2002). Are the scandals that have shaken the confidence in corporate America just the result of a few bad apples, or do they indicate a tragic tumble of corporate culture, integrity and business ethics?"
Abstract This paper explores the variety of reasons why Sarbanes-Oxley will fall short in meeting many of its objectives for making companies more accountable.
From the Paper "The future of the accounting profession will be very different under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (How the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 impacts the accounting profession 2002). First, auditors will report to an audit committee, not management. This committee must pre-approve all services provided by its auditor. The auditor will need to keep the audit committee informed if accounting policies and practices to be used, alternative treatments of financial information within GAAP that have been discussed with management, accounting disagreements between the auditor and management and other relevant communications between the auditor and management."
Abstract With the longer lifespan of the average American citizen, coupled with the earlier retirement trend, the future of America's Social Security system looks headed for disaster. This paper presents a detailed examination of the privatization of Social Security. The writer produces an argument in favor of privatizing the system.
From the Paper "For many years people have invested in private investment situations that have included blue chip stocks, mutual funds and other things. They have managed to put away money for retirement, often times because they do not believe the social security system is stable enough to provide for them when the time comes. The fact that millions of Americans are already creating their own retirement funds aside from the money they are paying in to social security illustrates their ability to handle a privatized system."
Abstract This paper explains what is meant by the term "organizational culture" and explains the key variables that affect that culture. The paper points out that an organization's culture can change over a period of time and that a large degree of the success of a business depends on the amount of awareness and understanding of the culture of the organization.
From the Paper "Organizational culture constitutes values, norms and behavior in which employees, workers and the management believes. Often, organizations espouse one culture. But in reality, they may practice another. The culture of an organization includes the language, dress codes, and operational modes, value systems, a code of ethics, attitude and interactions between various strata of the organization and work principles. ABB Asea Brown Boveri for example states that the company believes in having a constant learning culture. This has proved to be true as the company has constantly been able to change and adapt to the market requirements. (Bierbaum, Kischewski, Kischewski, & Schmidt, 2001) Another good example is the culture definition at the Saturn Car manufacturing plant. In the production domain, there is no differentiation between the managers, engineers and the shop floor workers?all dress the same. This eliminates the distinction between the blue collared and white collared workers."
Abstract This paper examines how, as increasing numbers of businesses look to expand and develop their consumer and market base through the internationalisation of their operations, managers are recognising the importance of effective international marketing to counter the increased levels of uncertainty and complexity. It focuses specifically on the role of culture in the formulation of international marketing strategies, using a number of examples to highlight the points raised. Firstly, international marketing strategies are considered in more detail, followed by an exploration of the concept of culture and its influence on international marketing strategies.
Outline
Introduction
What are International Marketing Strategies?
Understanding Culture
The Role of Culture in International Marketing Strategy Formulation
Hofstede's Five Dimensions
Hall and Hall's High-Low Context
Direct Influence on Marketing Mix
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Importance of Ethics
Critiquing the Role of Culture
Conclusions
References
Appendix 1
From the Paper "Since value judgements vary between and within cultures, perceptions of what constitutes acceptable behaviour also differ: for example a gift in one country may be considered a bribe in another (Cateora and Ghauri, 2000; Doole and Lowe, 2001). Kotabe and Helsen (2004 p.171) highlight the significance of this for international marketers who "must understand and respect cultural subtleties, whilst finding the limits of ethical behaviour"; since a company's ethical stance may affect its ability to do business in some countries. For example, Motorola's lengthy "Code of Business Conduct", sets out standards for accepted behaviour throughout the organisation (see www.motorola.com). They recognise the "ethical legitimacy" of gift-giving in Japan, but decline to "participate in the practice" (Hamilton and Knouse, 2001 p.87). This allows the company to show respect for Japanese culture, whilst maintaining its own corporate values. Similarly, consideration should be given to product usage and production processes, which may not be appropriate in certain cultures or environments."
Abstract This paper examines how globalization is one of the most hotly debated issues in world politics and how some view globalization as a system or age, while others regard it as a revolution or the neo-imperialistic process of the 21th century. It looks at how globalization can be defined as the process of denationalization, integration, and growing interdependence of markets, economies and societies, which affects the environment, political systems, and cultures.
Outline
Introduction
Economic Impacts of Globalization
Globalization and National Sovereignty
Globalization ? The End of Cultural Diversity?
Conclusion
From the Paper "Information technology is one of the main drivers of globalization. The important role technology plays in the globalization process is often disregarded or at least underestimated. The degree of technological innovation determines whether a country reaps the benefits of globalization or not. Studies have shown that developing countries still lag behind industrialized countries as far as technological development is concerned. According to a recent UN report only one person in 200 in Southeast Asia has Internet access. In Arab countries only one person in 500 has access to the Internet. In African countries, the ratio is even worse. Information technology, which was originally designed to connect the world, has produced a "digital divide" that has exacerbated the gap between the rich and the poor. The low degree of technological innovation in developing countries certainly deprives people in developing countries from participating in the globalization process. The question is, however, whether information technology will at the same time be the only key to catching with industrialized countries."
Abstract This paper examines three logical fallacies namely: Begging the Question, Hasty Generalization and Appealing to Emotion. It presents examples of such fallacies in contemporary society and ties them into the concept of critical thinking.
From the Paper "The Appeal to Emotion fallacy is committed when someone manipulates peoples' emotions in order to get them to accept a claim as being true (Labossiere, 1995). This is very common in politics and it serves as the basis for a large portion of modern advertising. Most political speeches are aimed at stirring and steering feelings in people to get them to vote or act a certain way. In the case of advertising, the commercials are aimed at evoking emotions that will influence people to buy specific products."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of a case study involving the Gillette company. The writer discusses the company's operations in Indonesia in 1995. Th writer looks at the function of marketing within a company and discusses what Gillette's marketing strategy should be. The writer examines which of the 4 P's of marketing should be manipulated to help Gillette increase sales and profits.
From the Paper "Marketing is the business function that attempts to address customers' unfulfilled needs and wants. The role of the marketing department in a company is to identify and measure customer wants, needs and determine which of them the company can serve, decide on the appropriate products and services and prices and determine the level and mix of advertising and promotional activities. The most successful marketing managers understand the objectives and resources of their company and make decisions that take into account the constraints the company ... "
Tags: Case study, Harvard Business School, Indonesia, Gillette, price, product, place and promotion, market share
Abstract This paper examines how the ethical difficulties involved in the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm that had been responsible for auditing Enron accounts, are both numerous and overreaching. From the initial process of setting up the special purpose entities (SPEs), to the accounting bias fueled by large fees that Enron provided to Arthur Anderson, it looks at how the failure to testify truthfully about the Enron scandal in a court of law, showed a lack ethical decision making.
From the Paper "The ethical difficulties involved in the case of Enron and Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm that had been responsible for auditing Enron's accounts, are both numerous and overreaching. From the initial process of setting up the special purpose entities (SPEs) to the accounting bias fueled by large fees that Enron provided to Arthur Anderson, to the failure to testify truthfully about the Enron scandal in a court of law, participants showed a lack ethical decision-making. Freeman, in his stakeholder theory of business ethics, argues that businesses do bear social responsibilities for their actions. This paper will examine the actions of both companies against the strictures of the stakeholder model of ethics. "
Abstract This paper describes the competition between PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and analyzes the balance sheets for these two publicly traded companies. The paper provides an examination of each company's history, market share and investor holdings. The paper includes a comparison of the company's stock price, dividend distributions and the types of financial data in each company's financial statements. The paper concludes that Coca-Cola currently leads PepsiCo in sales, but no one knows for how long, as these two warring companies compete for the last consumer, the last dollar.
Outline:
Abstract
Pepsi vs. Coke
Products and Services
Companies Established
Trade Index / Stock Ticker Symbols
Independent Audit Firms
Conclusion
From the Paper "It would be simple to say that both Pepsi and Coke are in the soft drink business, but the truth today is that both are engaged in the overall beverage industry. Both distribute soft drinks, water, juices, teas, coffees, and isotonic. The number of SKUs has grown from one to approximately 300, mostly in the past decade (Foote, 2005). Both Pepsi and Coke share a common history. Both were born in the rural South and created by drugstore operators. Both drinks were originally marketed as ''medicines,'' not "liquid candy" (McDonough, 1998)."
From the Paper "The United States economy is "corporate capitalism". For the past 50 years or so, large corporations have dominated the American economy. "Corporations constitute less than 20 percent of the business population yet produce 90 percent of total business output. The influence of corporations varies significantly from industry to industry. They dominate manufacturing and are strong in the communications, power utilities and banking and financial industries. In 1996, some 2 million farmers combined sales were less that those of the economies two largest industrial corporations" (McConnell & Brue 1999 p.84). That is an example of how powerful and influential corporations are becoming. Just whom do these powerful giants represent?"
Abstract This is a persuasive paper that analyzes the proponents of censorship. In recent years, the American entertainment industry has undergone vast changes in aspects such as music, television and Internet, and what began as innocent entertainment is no longer. Censorship is emerging into the limelight once again, as children are immensely affected by what they see, and their intentions of repeating what they see makes censorship ever more important today. The amount of violence in all forms of entertainment must somehow be regulated or censored in some way to protect the innocent youth of today.
From the Paper "Please note the following: ?Where Them Ho's At;? ?Tits;? and ?Simple Instructions for Assembling a Bomb with Household Materials.? The title of a song, a word used in a TV drama, and something easily accessible from the Internet. What might these three things have in common? They are all salient factors in the corruption of today's youth. These are not the types of programs and songs our country's future leaders should have access to. "Entertainment" such as this has been proven to cause aggression in young children, causing them to be more prone to use violence to settle disputes. It also exposes children to adult situations they are not yet suited to understand, which in turn confuses them. More stringent laws must be passed for the sake of our nation's impressionable, innocent young children."
Abstract This paper compares the various management practices of the Americans and the Japanese. The author examines issues such as hiring, evaluation and promotion, decision-making and communication in these two cultures.
From the Paper "Managerial reality is not an absolute; rather it is socially and culturally determined. Managers, of any nationality, do not make decisions in a vacuum. Much of the way in which managers think, behave and make decisions is influenced by countless factors determined by cultural background. Management styles tend to reflect cultural norms; those of society at large and the more specific culture of a particular organization."
Tags: business, promotion, hiring, evaluation, communication
Abstract The effect of stress on employees' morale, motivation and satisfaction at work. The paper discusses the causes of stress and how it effects the performance of employees in an organization.
From the Paper "Stress is experienced by almost every one of us. The reasons can be numerous ranging from family tensions, problems at school or anxieties at the workplace. The perception of stress is usually misunderstood because of its complexity. Stress has been defined in a number of ways. However, the basics of most of these definitions are the same . Stress is a person's adaptive response to excessive psychological or physical demands caused by one stimulus. (James & Jonathan, 1984) The stimulus causing the stress is said to be a stressor. It is not necessary that a stimulus causing stress for one person may also affect other individuals. Stress is caused only when a stimulus places excessive demands on the individual and some individuals have more patience for certain demands as compared to other individuals."
