Organizational analysis of the Nike Company Research Paper

Organizational analysis of the Nike Company - Research Paper Example Nike is no doubt a leading manufacturer and provider of sports goods and equipment throughout the world filled with hundreds of nations. The production facilities of the company are operating in distant parts of Bangladesh and India where employees are paid on an hourly basis (Leavy, 2004). The Nike as a company is the most suitable instance of an organization which has worked tremendously over the past few years to incorporate outsourcing within the very fabric of itself but recent problems with the company are originating within its strategic alignment with the outside world and external environment in a general way. The company is operating in order to provide state of the art gear for sportsmen and women all around the world. Nike is clearly feeling reluctant in terms of adopting change and therefore, lagging behind in the industry of footwear that is rapidly evolving in order to incorporate growing demands of the modern consumer. The company needs to design and market multipurpo se shoes so that public can use them in wide range of scenarios of life. Nike as an organization is serving a very specific and unique clientele in all regions of the world. Major KSIs are described as follows: -The international economic and fiscal pressures have caused people to drop their expenses on purchasing luxuries and as Nike’s products qualify as luxuries and therefore, they also took a notable hit as their global demand decreased. The reduction in demand for luxuries had been motivated.

Charismatic Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Charismatic Leadership - Case Study Example The social conditions and patterns of the charismatic leadership were expected to be the reason for a strong bond between followers and the leaders. Dominating charismatic leaders are visionary and have strong convictions, sensitive to environmental resources and constraints, unconventional in behavior and self-confident. However, researchers have also argued that psychological attributes can also create charismatic leaders. The major assumptions regarding charismatic leadership are personal admirations among followers for the leaders and self-belief in the leader. Few of the basic characteristics of charismatic leaders are: A charismatic leader is creative and unconventional. While resolving issues and troubleshooting, charismatic leaders always look for solutions which are creative and unconventional. These methods are also used to attract others attention towards key issues (Jacobsen 75) They possess effective and influential interpersonal communication skills. They are always rea dy to demonstrate attention and respect towards self as well as others. Through self-sacrifice and personal risks, they are able to create loyalty and absolute trustworthiness. Theories of charismatic leadership Various theories have been established in order to explain the origin and evolution of charismatic leadership style. Few of the well known and popular theories are described below: Weberian Perspective Weber first coined the term â€Å"charisma† and described charismatic leaders as the one who bears the ability to implement drastic social changes. He identified that these kinds of leaders arise in periods of physical, economical, psychotic, religious, political or ethical distress. He also referred charismatic leaders as superhuman or supernatural with exceptional qualities and powers. According to this theory, the loyalty and passion of followers might have aroused out of hope, despair or enthusiasm. He also argued that the major difference between bureaucratic and c harismatic leadership is that charisma appeals to those with a revolutionary attitude. Rebel Leadership of Downton Downton (20-70) proposed the theory of charismatic leadership in context of political and rebel leaders. He argued that effect of charismatic leaders on followers is potent and influential because of their authority and transcendental ideals which facilitates the identification of followers with the leaders. This condition is characterized by psychological changes, solidification of trust and loyalty towards the leader. However, charismatic leadership is independent of other leadership styles such as inspirational. He had also concluded that the position of charismatic leaders can be maintained if they are able to establish security and provide a new cultural reinforcement or identity especially for those followers whose socialization or psychological dispositions are to obey orders. Psychological theory Psychological theory was first presented by House (189-207) in ord er to explain charismatic leadership behaviors. The overall psychological impact of this leadership style on the

A Critical examination of leaders create organizational culture

A Critical examination of leaders create organizational culture Introduction In area of Management and leadership, one of the most crucial and effective factors that determine the performance and position of an organization in public sector is the organizational culture. Organizational culture has been studied extensively for the past 30 or more years (Schein E. H., 1985). Lots of books have been written and much research has been done about it, and also wide range of words applied to describe this notion. Although much different definitions have been presented on this keyword, most of them place their emphasis on common key aspects. Three comprehensive definitions have been gathered in table below: Definitions of organizational culture The pattern of shared beliefs and values that give members of an institution meaning and provide them with the rules for behaviour in their organizations. (Davis, 1984, p. 1). The set of important understandings (often unstated) that members of a community share in common. (Sathe, 1985, p. 6) A set of understandings or meanings shared by a group of people. The meanings are largely tacit among the members, are clearly relevant to a particular group and are distinctive to the group (Louis, 1985, p. 74) According to these definitions, two features of organizational culture seem bolder; first shared meanings and values among organization members and second introducing clear rules and behaviours in organization. Although, some argues that culture cannot be managed (Rabin, T Wachhaus. A, 2008, p. 1) , a correlation between culture and leadership has been identified (Frontiera, 2010). Schein announced this fact in his famous book-Organizational culture and leadership (2004): Culture is a dynamic phenomenon that surrounds us at all times, being constantly enacted and created by our reactions with others and shaped by leadership behaviour. So, attentions have been paid to culture aiming to manage and improve it in order to achieve defined goals. Leaders as persons who have crucial role in improving performance found it vital in organizational discourse. Schein introduced the mutual relation and effect between leadership and culture by the term intertwined (1992) .While culture can be affected by various factors, Senge pointed out that leaders have the most influence on organizational culture (2002, p. 24) : Building an organizations culture and shaping its evolution is the unique and essential function of leadership In this paper the focus is on the influence of leadership on organizational culture to examine to what extent the view that leaders create organizational culture is true. The approach that has been applied in this paper is studying the ways and channels through which leader creates and affects the culture of organization. Four major states have been studied in this area; model leader, strategist leader, ruling leader, and performance changing. Also, the other factors that create culture have been studied and the effect of culture on leadership has been analyzed. The conclusion shows the indirect role of leader in creating culture except through becoming model. In addition, other factors have decisive role in shaping culture. Before the start of this study, clearing the concept of leadership is required. What is leadership? Who is a leader? The concept of leadership has been defined in various ways. Some stated it as a process, for instance Northouse believe that it is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (2007, p. 3). Also, Stogdill analyzed it as influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement (1974). By these two types of definitions, leader can be known as a person who makes decisions, sets directions, makes things happen and often He is recognisable at the top of organization. Leader carries out this process by applying their leadership knowledge and skills. (Jago, 1982) Hence leader is placed at top of organization and clarifies strategies and directions, has most effects on the culture of organizations. In following next parts some ways by which leader affects culture have been examined. Leader; as a model In an organization the leadership and the behaviours of leader become an ideal pattern for followers, and a stream of organizational deportment would flow from top (leader) to down (followers). This case often happens in transformational type of leadership in which leader has charismatic features (Harms, p Crede, M, 2010). Bass and Avolio described transformational leader as able to motivate others to do more than they originally intended and often more than they thought possible (1993). As the organizational culture is made of behaviours and manners, charismatic leader cultivates a particular method of comportment in climate. Culture of an organization consists of different areas; competitiveness, social responsibility, innovation, stability, performance orientation, and supportiveness. So, the manner of leader affects every area of organizational culture and this top-down influence can lead to affirmative or mortal outcomes in performance (Sarros, J. Gray, J and Densten, I, 2002). By way of illustration, this can be studied in realm of Innovation and change; Fishman and Kavanaugh claimed that the culture of an organization and how people respond to change and innovation is shaped substantially by the behaviours of the leader (1989). Smith revealed that leaders behaviours can be followed by employees (2010); Leaders are the role models and when they walk the talk long enough, fairly soon these values become standard procedure. Leaders are lent very crucial and decisive position by which they influence the culture of organization through leading motivation, attendance and attitude of followers in organizational operation. This can be found in Amabile suggestion (1998): By influencing the nature of the work environment and organizational culture, leaders can affect organizational members attitude to work related change and motivation. Schein assumed culture begins from leaders who impose their own values and assumptions on a group (2004, p. 2). Leader as a ruler Leaders externalize their own assumptions and embed them into structures, mission, goals and working procedures gradually and consistently (Schein E. H., 2004, p. 406). In one hand, a leader make decisions and determine rules, and in the other hand organizational culture is described as a set of structures, routines, rules and norms that guide the constrain behaviour (Schein E. H., Organizational Culture and Leadership, 2004). So, leadership manipulates organizational culture through ruling in organization. Dull reflected this fact in the other way (2010): Public sector leaders attempt to cultivate organizational culture as a means of controlling administrative behaviour and building organizational competence, defined as the skill and capacity to accomplish necessary tasks Here the culture described as a tool for improving procedures to facilitate achieving goal. This case can be examined when leader feels sure about a needful innovation in organization. For promoting change, beside other necessities, leader has to provide a firm ground for implementing innovation; this ground is formal procedures and actions. As Armenakis et al. claimed leaders can modify formal structures, procedures, and human resource management practices (1999). So, leader initiates change and clarifies orientation of organization; he arrives to alter proceeds for reaching ends. In reality, changing procedures interpreted as changing culture. Leader as strategist Stewart declared that the strategy of an organization gives it identity based on its functions, Also it clarifies what an organization is and what it is doing (2004). Strategy forms culture of through highlighting tasks, directions, positions and behaviours . The change management strategy or approach selected by leaders will result in shifts in organizational culture. (Kavanagh, H Ashkanasy, N, 2006) By understanding the importance of strategy and its relation with culture, leader enters this relation and influence culture in two ways; first standing between strategy and culture, second use the strategy as a tool for modifying culture. Fernandez and Rainey interpreted strategy as a course of action for implementing changes (2006). Despite strategy plays a crucial role in organization, this is the role of leader to translate it into a course of actions. Goldsmith explains to CEO (chief executive officer) how leaders are needed to communicate and execute an organization s strategy. (2009) When leaders and their executive teams take an active role in implementing strategies, this is a commitment to ensure the ideas or strategies become part of the organisation. Insightful leaders realise that for strategies to be successfully integrated into their organisations, they must align, measure, market and package the strategy to their business, customers and investment community as they would with any marketing campaign. While strategy introduces direction of an organization, it is just on the paper. The best-planned strategy is no more than wishful thinking if it cannot be translated from concept to reality (Hsieh, T and Yik, S, 2005) .Here it is leader who translates it from language of paper to a course of actions. Speculand has studied the decisive role of leadership and placed his special emphasis on leaders in success and failure of implementing strategies (2009). So, leader as a median interprets strategy into organization procedure, role, and belief. This action forms the culture; in this area culture is set of behaviours and procedures that are defined by strategy. In this process leader injects strategy into the body of organization. In reality, leader makes strategy feasible, and at the same time forms culture. But it is not whole the story about relation of strategy and culture. Leader alters climate of organization by applying strategy as a tool too. In other words, leader stands at the top and place strategy between him and culture; actually, leader applies strategy as a means to influence organizational culture. This is deducted from the role of leader in designing strategies, Where Abramson and Lawrence claimed (2001): Managerial leaders must develop a course of action or strategy for implementing change. Convincing the members of an organization of the need for change is obviously not enough to bring about actual change. The new idea or vision must be transformed into a course of action or strategy with goals and a plan for achieving it Changing performance The performance of an organization is effective factor through which leader influence the culture. Wikipedia defined Performance defined as the activity of a unit (be it individual, team, department, or division) of an organization intended to accomplish some desired result (2011). This item is evaluated by measuring outputs and outcomes. There is a multilateral and at the same time mutual relation among leadership, culture and performance. In other words, they are interdependent (i.e. leadership and climate are subject to affect by the status of performance of organization). To understand this linkage a circle of relation between leader, climate and performance should be studied. It can be understood from this circle that leader can affect culture through changing performance. In this network of linkage leader affects culture and alter its elements through changing performance and informing employees about it. This influence occurs through the Feedback. Feedback typically consists of information provided to an individual for the purpose of an increase in performance (Kluger, A. N. Denisi, A., 1996). There is variety of feedback forms, which are described by different aspects. One kind of feedback is outcome feedback in which information concerning performance outcomes. (Balcazar, F., Hopkins, B. L., Suarez, Y, 1986) It seems positive and constructive, to inform employees about high performance and improvement of outcomes. Geister et al. concluded in their case study that information and feedback about the team situation is crucial to improving the motivation, satisfaction, and performance of members in virtual teams. (2006) Leader affects the culture of organization indirectly through improving performance and diffusing information about it, an action which leads to a healthy, motivate and more evolutionary climate. If decisions and policies leader applied led to quality performance, it encourages atmosphere of hardworking, competition, integration and responsibility but in fragile situation and poor performance culture would collapse. Culture creates leader, a challenge While the impact of leader on culture is a considerable fact and has been studied and proved in many cases, some opinions challenged it. In an attempt to address this theoretical disagreement, Sarros et al. surveyed over 1,900 managers in Australia and found that leadership was a far more prominent predictor of culture than culture was of leadership. (2002) As it has been mentioned there are an interdependent relations among leadership, culture and performance, so it is a noticeable reality that leader is affected by culture too. Hatch claimed that it is difficult for leaders to have any impact on culture, as culture has a larger influence on leaders. (1993) Schein asserted that while leaders create culture in the early stages of an organization, culture creates leaders as an organization matures. He claimed that culture is deep, broad, and stable. It can be an unconscious determinant of who gets hired, who gets promoted and rewarded, and indeed, how the vision, mission, and strategy are lived. (2004) Culture of organization is a very decisive factor, so leader has to apply appropriate way of leading which does work in that climate. Smith et al. have sought for a proper model of leadership in China by regarding effects of cultural backgrounds (1997), which reflect the crucial role of culture in determining leadership style. It seems imperfect and naÃÆ'Â ¯f to study the relation of leader and climate unilaterally. The relation is mutual and should be studied in this way to achieve a perfect view. Other factors as actors While leadership plays a core role in creating organizational culture, other factors affect climate and even can take it out of control of leader. Culture can be affected by different internal and external factors. As the culture has defined as meanings and behaviours of members, the organizational members are effective actors. Krizek views culture as patterns of meaning and interpretation-whether these patterns emerge among management or employees. So, before leader creates culture, it has been constituted by members beliefs and thoughts as internal actors (2005). As another internal factor, type of function and business of organization conducts the elements of culture. (Schein E. H., Organizational Culture and Leadership, 1992) In other words the mission of organization is a set of beliefs about its core competences (Schein E. H., Organizational Culture and Leadership, 2004, p. 89). External forces may or may not influence the communicative and cultural makeup of an organization. (Cheney, 2001) Examples of external forces include, but are not limited to, economics, education, family, law, media, politics, religion, and technology. External environment and constraints have a considerable role in determining climate of organizations. As, leader has to make situation and organization ready to cope with external environment, any change in environment leads to change policies, behaviours and routines and finally innovates the culture. Schein pointed out that if the environmental context is changing such conflict can be a potential source of adaption and new learning. (2004, p. 108) Organizational culture is influenced by social and national culture of the area in which it is situated. National beliefs, stories, type of thinking and values affect the climate of organization. So, leader is situated in a set of actors that shape culture and is not exclusive actor. Conclusion In this paper the view that leaders create organizational culture has been examined critically. At the first the culture defined as a set of routines, behaviour, meanings and understandings that is shared among members of an organization. Leader defined as who make decision, determine directions and make things happen or not to happen. It has been proved that leaders have a noticeable role in creating organizational climate. The first way through which culture forms by leader is by the stream of meaning, behaviour and beliefs as an ideal method or pattern from top (leader) to down (employees). In this statement employees are assumed as followers who are affected by the nature of leader. As a short explanation, Leadership consists of attributes and skills that determine not only the nature of enterprise, in all its manifestations, but the overall nature of society and the world (Sarros, J. Gray, J. Densten, I, 2002). In this way leaders are charismatic persons by whom followers behaviours consciously or unconsciously are affected. The second conduit for influencing culture is ruling. Leader is top ruler in organization who directs routines, structures and procedures. It has been assumed that by doing these affairs, leader is manipulating culture or changing its elements. In this statement changing culture described as changing procedures and formal administrative process. In third way the focus has been put on strategy. Strategy is the manifestation of mission, directions, tasks and rules and has a strong correlation with culture. It has been expressed that leader affects culture through strategy in two ways. First way is attempt to codify and provide strategy. In this state leader as a strategist inject beliefs and preference into strategy and determine culture through it. The second channel is to standing between strategy and culture in order to interpret and implement it in preferred way. The other area which has been studied is performance. It assumed that leader plays remarkable role in changing performance and the status of outcomes of organization affect the culture directly. The impact of high performance in healthy culture and poor one in weak climate mentioned in this paper. These four ways illustrate the crucial role of leadership in creating culture. But in last two sections of paper this role has been challenged in two statements. First is that while leader creates culture, culture creates leader too. As mentioned, culture is stable and has elements that determine which style of leadership is required and who can be the organizational leader. As, Schein assumes leadership and culture as two sides of one coin, cultural norms define how a given nation or organization will define leadership. (2004) In addition, some factors like external environment, employees beliefs, business of organization, and national culture introduced as factors which affect organizational culture. In conclusion, it should be claimed that the effects of leadership in shaping culture is noticeable and can be realized by studying it through different ways. But the more crucial point is that the effect is not directly except in first way in which leader becomes a pattern for followers. In all conditions leader can apply some policies by which affects culture. Employees play decisive role in changing climate, and leaders dont change culture, they merely invite their people to change the culture (Hillis). So, leader is not the exclusive actor in influencing culture. Other factors should be studied so that an effective innovation and successful change in culture can be achieved.

Gone With the Wind : Born Survivors Essay examples -- Gone With the Wi

Gone With the Wind : Born Survivors  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gone With the Wind is a novel written by Margaret Mitchell which focuses on the life of a Southern belle during the Civil War. The underlying focus in Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is that only those who are born survivors will really prosper during times of true hardship. A born survivor is one who will do anything to survive, at any cost. They will get down in the dirt and work like a dog just for a day's meal; they will take something from someone else just so that they and their own can live. These people may have social advantages or they may be poor farmers. The key element in their make-up is that they want to survive, they need to survive. Not only do these people live, they prosper as well. They take whatever they can find and mold it into something that will help them get ahead in life. These are the born survivors. Those who are not born survivors are lacking that one key element; they don't have the need or the want to get down and dirty and get the job done. Most of these people will either fall through the cracks or they will live out the rest of their lives on a hand to mouth basis. They aren't able to look ahead, to plan, to scrimp and scavenge and do whatever it takes to survive. Most of the Southern gentlemen in Gone With the Wind are not born survivors. "And raising good cotton, riding well, shooting straight, dancing lightly, squiring the ladies with elegance and carrying one's liquor like a gentleman were the things that mattered " (4). One such gentleman is Ashley Wilkes. While Ashley is adept at the things that matter, he " was born of a line of men who used their leisure for thinking, not doing, for spinning brightly colored dreams that had in them ... ...tt observes of Rhett, " ' All you ever do is finance Carpetbaggers in their thieving and take half the profits and bribe Yankee officials to let you in on schemes to rob us taxpayers ' " (763). Rhett knows that there is money to be made during the building of a civilization and during the fall. Rhett is willing to risk his neck participating in "unscrupulous" activities to survive an get ahead in the new South. Some of the characters in Gone With the Wind are born survivors and some are not. Ashley is lost without his world of hazy dreams while Scarlett and Rhett take things and use them to their advantage. Scarlett and Rhett, born survivors, will live and prosper, and Ashley will simply fall by the wayside because he is not a born survivor. Works Cited "Gone With the Wind" Mitchell, Margaret. The Macmillan Company, New York Seventy-ninth printing, 1968.

HRM practices at Ford Essay

Henry Ford â€Å"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again this time more intelligently.† â€Å"I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night† â€Å"It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.† – Henry Ford History of Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American automaker and the world’s third largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. Based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the automaker was founded by Henry Ford, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. Ford Motor Company would go on to become one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, as well as being one of the few to survive the Great Depression. The largest family-controlled company in the world, the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100 years. Ford now encompasses several brands, including Lincoln and Mercury. The founding of Ford Motor Company Henry Ford’s initial foray into automobile manufacturing was the Detroit Automobile Company, founded in 1899. The company floundered, and in 1901 was reorganized as the Henry Ford Company. Ford had a falling out with his financial backers, and in March 1902 left the company with the rights to his name and 900 dollars. The Henry Ford Company changed their name to Cadillac, brought in Henry M. Leland to manage the operation, and went on to be a successful manufacturer of automobiles. Henry Ford himself turned to an acquaintance, coal dealer Alexander Y. Malcomson, to help finance another automobile company. Malcomson put up the money to start the partnership â€Å"Ford and Malcomson† and the pair designed a car and began ordering parts. However, by February 1903, Ford and Malcomson had gone through more money than expected, and the manufacturing firm of John and Horace Dodge, who had made parts for Ford and Malcomson, was demanding payment. On June 16, 1903,  the Ford Motor Company was incorporated, with 12 investors owning a total of 1000 shares. Ford and Malcomson together retained 51% of the new company in exchange for their earlier investments. When the total stock ownership was tabulated, shares in the company were: Henry Ford (255 shares), Alexander Y. Malcomson (255 shares), John S. Gray (105 shares), John W. Anderson (50 shares), Horace Rackham (50 shares), Horace E. Dodge (50 shares), John F. Dodge (50 shares), Charles T. Bennett (50 shares), Vernon C. Fry (50 shares), Albert Strelow (50 shares), James Couzens (25 shares), and Charles J. Woodall (10 shares). At the first stockholder meeting on June 18, Gray was elected president, Ford vice-president, and James Couzens secretary. Despite Gray’s misgivings, Ford Motor Company was immediately profitable, with profits by October 1, 1903 of almost $37,000. A dividend of 10% was paid that October, an additional dividend of 20% at the beginning of 1904, and a nother 68% in June 1904. Two dividends of 100% each in June and July 1905 brought the total investor profits to nearly 300% in just over 2 years; 1905 total profits were almost $300,000. However, there were internal frictions in the company that Gray was nominally in charge of. Most of the investors, both Malcomson and Gray included, had their own businesses to attend to; only Ford and Couzens worked full-time at the company. The issue came to a head when the principal stockholders, Ford and Malcomson, quarreled over the future direction of the company. Gray sided with Ford. By early 1906 Malcomson was effectively frozen out of the Ford Motor Company, and in May sold his shares to Henry Ford. John S. Gray died unexpectedly in 1906, and his position as Ford’s president was taken over by Ford himself soon afterward. Ford came to India in 1998 with its Ford Escort modelFord India was ranked as one of the top 25 best employers in India in 2009 by the Hewitt Associates. The company was included in the top 25 employers due to an objective oriented strategy, strong emphasis on recruiting, motivating, developing and training capable human resources. The company has implemented career development in the company objectives and there is an open culture at every level of the organisation. Growth oriented strategies and well being of employees are emphasised to enhance employee satisfaction (Ford Motor Company 2009). Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry  Ford’s methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Alan Mulally Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American engineer and business executive who is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company. Ford, which had been struggling during the late-2000s recession, returned to profitability under Mulally and was the only American major car manufacturer to avoid government-sponsored bankruptcy. Mulally was previously executive vice president of Boeing and the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). He began his career with Boeing as an engineer in 1969 and was largely credited with BCA’s resurgence against Airbus in the mid-2000s. Education Mulally graduated from the University of Kansas, also his mother’s alma mater, in 1969 with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. He is an alumnus of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and is its 2007 Man of the Year. He received a Master’s degree in Management (S.M.) as a Sloan Fellow from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1982. Ford Motor Company Mulally was named the President and CEO of Ford Motor Company on September 5, 2006, succeeding William Clay Ford, Jr. CURRENT NEWS FORD EARNS FIRST QUARTER PRE-TAX OPERATING PROFIT OF $2.3 BILLION AND NET INCOME OF $1.4 BILLION + Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today reported 2012 first quarter pre-tax operating profit of $2.3 billion, or 39 cents per share, and net income of $1.4 billion, or 35 cents per share, led by strong performance in North America and Ford Credit. Ford has now been profitable on a pre-tax operating basis for 11 consecutive quarters. (27 April 2012) Ford claims multiple Edmunds value awards Ford dominated five categories of Edmunds’ 2012 Best Retained Value Awards. Ford F-150 took Large Light-Duty Truck honors for â€Å"offering so many models and useful features,† while Ford F-350 Super Duty’s â€Å"ideal mix of power, brawn and refinement† earned it the Large Heavy-Duty Truck award. The â€Å"best pony car you can buy† goes to Ford Mustang in the $25,000-$35,000 Coupe category while â€Å"top dog† Ford Shelby GT500 won twice, taking both Coupe and Convertible Over $45,000 groups. Click here for more. (24 April 2012) Ford Motor Company has long had a history of advertising slogans that bring the current company direction to the masses and now, FoMoCo has unveiled the newest motto that the company believes will resonate well both with consumers and employees – â€Å"Go Further†. Human Resource Managment for Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a world-wide leader in automotive and automotive-related products and services as well as in new industries such as aerospace , communications and financial services . Their mission is to improve continually their products and services to meet their customer ‘s needs , allowing them to prosper as a business and to provide a reasonable return for their stockholders , the owners of their business . Values , how they accomplish their mission is as important as the mission itself . Fundamental to success for the company are these basic values : People , their people are the source of their strength People provide their corporate intelligence and determine their reputation and vitality . Involvement and team work are their core human values . Products , Their products are the end of their efforts , and people should be the best in serving customers world-wide . Operation in the Human Resource Department The Ford Motor company ‘s transition from tough managerialism , a management philosophy based on the promising pursuit of tight control over all employees , to a strategy of willing participation and involvement. Ford Motor Company in the 1980s provided a powerful example of major changes in personnel practice . They chose to concentrate on Ford for two reasons (a ) because of its paradigmatic importance as progenitor of the traditional production approach and (b ) because of the magnitude of the chance it initiated during the 1980s which reflected a critical re-evaluation of the production approach and a significant move in the direction of HRM for strategic reasons Ford is synonymous with the creation of a particular  management style- Fordism based on hierarchical decision-making with strict functional specialization , tightly defined job design and specialized machinery to mass produce a standard product for mass markets (Starkey Mckinlay ,1989). A conjunction of market and technological factors stimulated Ford ‘s continuing efforts to redesign jobs , its mode of organization and its prevailing culture . The organizational model for Ford ‘s rethinking of its approach to personnel management was , in part , Japanese-inspired The company ‘s close links with Mazda , in which it owns a 25 a percent stake , serves as a source of competitive bench-marking . This bench-marking formed the basis of its long-term strategy . The pre-existing Fordist system provided important elements of continuity System or Strategy Used For Hiring New Workers Henry Ford ‘s celebrated Five-Dollar-a-Day program , introduced in 1914 contained an element of investment to deal with worker heterogeneity . In the early 1900s , most of Ford ‘s workers were recent arrivals to Detroit and many were new immigrants : in 1915 more than 50 languages were spoken at Ford ‘s Highland Park plant Ford made two types of investments in employment relations to deal with worker heterogeneity . First , it is well known that he introduced an extreme division of labor in his mass production system. Such an arrangement reduced , if not eliminated , the necessity for workers to communicate with one another. Second, for introduced a system of inspection and certification to homogenize workers with respect to certain productivity attributes . Thus , according to Raff and summers (1987 , some 150 Ford Sociological Department inspectors visited the homes of all workers in to inculcate them with Ford values and to certify them for the Five-Dollar-a-Day program Recruitment is the first important step in creating the right work force for successful training . Most hiring in Japan takes place in spring when students graduate from high schools and colleges . New hires arrive ready and malleable for employment-based training . Japanese employers stress academic achievement in their hiring decisions , in contrast to the U .S . situation where academic achievement rarely serve as a hiring criterion . In Japan schools , which are in the best position to judge students ‘ achievements , perform much of the screening through semiformal ‘ arrangements with specific employers. Many employers have  established ongoing relationships with particular high schools to help recruit their graduates year after year . In hiring for production and clerical jobs , for example , employers , especially large ones , rely extensively on the recommendations from high schools . These recommendations are based mostly on academic achievements . In some cases , employers also administer their own tests , though this practice has become less common recently , given the shortage of high school graduates In hiring workers , Ford had no use for experience and wanted machine-tool operators who have nothing to unlearn , who have no theories of correct surface speeds for metal finishing , and will simply do what they are told to do , over and over again , from bell-time to bell-time In deskilling shop-floor work , Ford conformed to the more general trend in US industry at the time . By the 1920s craft control had been defeated , and in the process , in most of the major mass-production enterprises , shop-floor workers found themselves excluded from the organizational learning process that generated competitive advantage responding to , and reinforcing , the segment system of skill formation that emerged in dominant US industrial enterprises in the early twentieth century , a highly stratified educational system evolved that effectively separated out future managers from future workers even before they entered the workplace. Thus , a deep social gulf was created between managers as `insiders ‘ and workers as `outsiders ‘ in the employment relations of US industrial enterprises Until the last decade of the nineteenth century , a formal system of higher education was relatively unimportant for the development and utilization of productive resources , in part because US industry was only beginning to make the transition from the machine-based first industrial revolution , in which shop-floor experience remained important , to the science-based second industrial revolution , in which systematic formal education was a virtual necessity . From the late nineteenth century , however , the system of higher education became central to supplying technical and administrative personnel to the burgeoning bureaucracies of US industrial enterprises Developing its system. During the period when Ford was developing its system of mass production , it  encountered on a correspondingly massive scale the individualized resistance of workers who refused to consent to permanent subordination under the new system . By the time the first moving assembly lines were being created in the Highland Park plant , labor turnover was becoming an acute problem for Ford management . In 1913 the rate of quits at Ford was about 370 percent of the Further , according to company officials , during the same period it was not unusual for 10 percent of those currently holding jobs at Ford to be absent on a given day . The company was becoming aware that problems with its labor force were costing it money . hiring and training of new workers on such a massive scale entailed a significant seen as impairing the efficiency of production Another aspect of the labor problem ‘ which Ford management perceived was restriction of output or soldiering by workers , a form of covert and informally organized resistance which directly challenged the basic presumption of Taylorism and Fordism : management control of the pace and intensity of work. Flow production and moving line assemble were reducing the scope for soldiering , but would not eliminate it. Ford management was also concerned about more organized forms of opposition and the potential influence among its workers of unions such as the Carriage , Wagon and Automobile Workers ‘ Union (CWAWU ) and radical groups such as the International Workers of the World (IWW . Although Detroit had been justly known as an open shop town since around 1902 and labor unions and radical organizations were not particularly strong in the automobile plants , the IWW had launched a well publicized campaign to organize Detroit auto workers , had agitated at Ford ‘s Highland Park plant , and led a strike-all the more frightening to employers because it was organized along industrial rather than craft lines. Ford ‘s problems of labor control were compounded by the large numbers of immigrants who comprised the new industrial workforce at Ford. In 1914 , 71 percent of Ford workers were foreign-born , representing at lest 22 different nationalities (some Ford publications claimed fifty or more ) among which eastern and southern Europeans predominated . Many of these immigrant workers were from a peasant background , and found entirely alien an industrial work culture such as that at Ford . Although the detailed division of labor and specialized machinery in the Ford shops minimized the requirements of skill and judgment and thereby made it possible for unskilled immigrants to become auto workers  with minimal training , Ford managers were concerned about the effects which such a culturally heterogeneous workforce might have upon shop discipline and the steady output of their integrated productive system Fordism and current HRM Practices at Ford Motors  Much of the origins of Modern Human Resource Management can be traced back to developments in American industry in the early years of the 20th century, more specifically t o the management and production policies initiated by Henry Ford at the Detroit factories of Ford Motors. Organising the workforce of the company on the same footing as other factors of production, Ford was instrumental in introducing the concepts of assembly lines, mass production, and the technical division of labour within companies and their production units. Fordism, as this set of personnel management practices came to be known, was identified with strong hierarchical control, extraordinarily good remuneration, (the five dollar day), and the restriction of workers to particular tasks, both skilled and unskilled. The emphasis in Fordism was on quantity, not quality, and workers were not allowed to involve themselves in any activity outside their specifically delegated functions. Fordism came to be associated with hierarchical decision making, strict functional specialisation, and tightly defined job design. With assembly line stoppages remaining unattended on purpose until the arrival of specialists, and workers knowing very little outside their specific areas of work, product quali ty in Fordism was allowed to be subordinated to the need to maintain and increase volumes. Ford Motors also saw the establishment of the first â€Å"sociology†, or employee welfare departments, in which managers tried to ensure that domestic problems were not allowed to impinge on assembly line productivity. Whilst absorption and utilisation of modern technology and design have always been associated with Ford’s way of functioning, the company even today typifies the â€Å"production model† of HR, manifested by tough and consistent practice of industrial relations and a clear focus on the continuity of production. HR policies have continued to be hierarchical and the company organisation is known to be multi layered, bureaucratic, and with comparatively low levels of delegation and working independence. Reacting to the success of Japanese manufacturing practices, Ford initiated changes in its personnel policies in the early 1980s to bring in elements of  Japanese HR practice. A number of measures for increasing participation and involvement of worker s in Ford UK over the following years led to significant improvement in results. Performance Management imperatives were incorporated into the remuneration structure and problem solving groups, similar to quality circles, now flourish in the company. The company’s Employee Development and Assistance Programme, which allowed for non-work, non-pay benefits for educational needs of employees also met with significant worker approval. Whilst Ford Motors is trying to make its HR policy more participative and focused on improving workforce skills and abilities, old bureaucratic practices still remain. Industry analysts assert that the company is manager heavy and that individual managers are prone to guard their own turf. It is estimated that Ford has 12 levels between the shop floor worker and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) compared to 4 for Toyota. Despite recent efforts to renew workforce participation, which resulted in thousands of suggestions, even transparently effective recommendations for improving productivity and cutting costs are difficult to intr oduce because of complex and time consuming procedures and the need for union acquiescence. Steady inroads made by trade unions over the years also means that all Ford workers are covered by contracts that include not just pay and benefits but also a broad range of shop floor actions. Productivity levels, once the glory of the company, is, at 37 hours per vehicle, much worse than Toyota’s comparative figures of 27 hours. Strikes are not uncommon, not just at Detroit but also at Ford factories in other countries. A recent strike at Ford’s Russian factory led to prolonged work disruption and resulted in across the board wage increases of more than 20% before production restarted. Whilst selection and recruitment policies at Ford are extremely structured, with salaries and working conditions being governed by union agreements, adding manpower is the last thing on the management’s mind right now. The management, apart from selling off its Jaguar and Land Rover brands, has initiated a process of downsizing its American workforce by 30,000 workers, a proposal that has not been met kindly by its unions, and which is likely to be the company’s chief HR focus in coming months. HR PRACTICES AT FORD MOTOR HR Strategic Planning Culture and Change Management Leadership Development Labour Relations Succession Planning Diversity Enhancement Learning and Development Employee Relations Reward and Recognition Systems Workforce Planning Recruiting and Selection OTHER HR PRACTICES- US Skills and Credentials HR Summer Intern Program HR Ford College Graduate (FCG) Program E-HR Practice HR ONLINE – a key component of Fords HR service delivery strategy Launched in Jan 1999  training program Ford’s training program includes the Fairlane Training and Development Center. This is a center that focuses on teaching vital skills to existing employees to become future leaders. For example they teach the Six Sigma theory that is now viewed as one of the most important management theories. Since 1999 Six Sigma has become Ford’s turnaround strategy to reclaim market share. They trained thousands of their workers to improve their skills on quality management so that they could implement this new strategy. In addition they have set up a Leadership Development Center that is targeted at grooming future leaders. Providing more incentive for workers to work hard and hopefully become leaders in the organization. Ford’s Performance Appraisal System Conclusion A broad summarisation of HRM policies at Ford leads to the following conclusions: HRM policies at Ford have evolved over many years. Ford’s HRM  policies still follow the production model, which works towards continuous production.Ford is making efforts to increase worker participation, its inherent bureaucracies and adversarial relationships with Trade Unions make this task difficult and complex. Ford is also very careful about the quality of its employees at all levels. However, with downsizing programme in the USA, which includes both managers and workers, has effectually led to most of its recruitment efforts occurring in overseas locations, where local constraints play a part in the recruitment process. Remuneration and benefits for employees are attractive in Ford and the company believes in providing for employees through cash and non cash means. Ford is significantly more constrained in its ability to alter compensation or work practices because of the strength of it s Trade Unions. In Ford, whilst the commitment between management and employees is lesser, strong Trade Union agreements make it difficult to terminate workers at will. Trade Unions play a far more dominant role in Ford , especially in its Japanese factories. Some future challenges for ford Globalization and increased competition Managing a global workforce. Ensuring availability of employees who have the skills for global assignments. Focusing increasingly on employee productivity to ensure competitiveness. Ensuring legal compliance when conducting business abroad. Downsizing Managing organizational relationship with survivors Managing morale and commitment of survivors Providing outplacement services or relocation for employees who lose jobs. Providing personal and family counseling to employees who lose their jobs. Industry and Occupational shifts Managing workforce with flexible working patterns. Focusing on competencies during hiring process. Designing incentive based compensation. Developing proactive employee development programmes. Technological Advancements Managing a virtual workforce. Managing employee alienation. Developing training modules and conducting programmes to provide employees with required skills. Retraining current employees to mange obsolescence. Providing work-life balance initiatives. Outsourcing Manage employee concerns about losing jobs due to outsourcing. Managing employee morale and productivity. Flexible Work Arrangement Managing the loss of organizational control over work. Developing programmes for motivating the flexible workforce. Developing ways of ensuring commitment of the flexible workforce to the firm. Workforce Composition Devising customized HR strategies for hiring, retaining, and motivating employees belonging to different generations. Developing life-style driven perks for the new generation employees. Developing work-life balance programmes. Ageing population and workforce Finding replacement for retirees. Managing the demand-supply gap for qualified managerial talent due to a large retiring workforce. Developing mentoring programmes to ensure the skills of experienced mangers are passed on to new managers. Obsolescence training and retaining of older employees. Managing retirement policies. Conducting programmes to retain experienced employees. Women in workforce Strategizing to attract and retain educated and skilled women workers. Conducting programmes for women who opt for career breaks. Providing facilities such as crà ¨ches, flexible working hours, etc. Global Workforce Developing diversity training programmes. Developing HR initiatives directed to workforce diversity. Identifying and training expatriate managers for overseas assignments. Developing equitable pay plans for individuals working in different  countries. References Briscoe, D, Schuler, R, & Claus, L (2004), International Human Resource Management Policy and Practice for Multinational Enterprises, 2nd Edition, Routledge Brewster, C, Sparrow, P, & Vernon, G, (2007) International Human Resource Management. 2nd Edition, London, UK, Chartered Institute of Personal Development Brewster, C., Mayrhofer, W., & Morley, M. (Eds.), (2000) New Challenges for European Human Resource Management, Basingstoke, England: Macmillan Briscoe, D. R., & Schuler, R. S. (2004). International Human Resource Management: Policies & Practices for the Global Enterprise. New York: Routledge Drucker, Peter, 1992, The New Society of Organizations, Harvard Business Review Fackler, M, (2007), The Toyota Way is translated for a New generation of Foreign Managers, The New York Times, Retrieved February 18, 2008 from www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/business/worldbusiness/15toyota.html Gratton, L., Hailey, V. H., Stiles, P., & Truss, C. (1999), Strategic Human Resource Management Corporat e Rhetoric and Human Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press Hughes, A. (2005, September), Fixing Ford: Darryl B. Hazel Revived the Lincoln Mercury Division. Now the 33-Year Veteran Faces the Greatest Challenge of His Career. Black Enterprise, 36, 116+ Keeley, T. D. (2001). International Human Resource Management in Japanese Firms: Their Greatest Challenge. New York: Palgrave Kim, P. S. (1999). Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector. Public Personnel Management, 28(2), 227 Kraut, A. I., & Korman, A. K. (1999), Evolving Practices in Human Resource Management: Responses to a Changing World of Work (M. London, Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Mathews, A. (1998), Diversity: A Principle of Human Resource Management. Public Personnel Management, 27(2), 175+ May, M, 2006, LEARNERSHIP: At Toyota, Success Is a Time for Reflection, Wharton Leadership Digest, Retrieved February 18, 2008 from elegantsolutions.typepad.com/elegant_solutions /2007/08/learnership-at-.html Management and Staff Motivation Key to Cope with Rapid Change, Report Stresses, 2006, August 16, Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), p 8 Mcgoldrick, J., Stewart, J., & Watson, S. (Eds.). (2002). Understanding Human Resource Development: A Research-Based Approach. London: Routledge Meyer, S. (1981). The Five Dollar Day : Labor Management and Social Control in the Ford Motor Company, 1908-1921 /. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press Prahlad, C, and Gary Hamel, 1990, The core competence of the corporation, Harvard Business Review Rosenzweig, P. M., & Nohria, N. (1994), Influences on Human Resource Management Practices in Multinational Corporations. Journal of International Business Studies, 25(2), 229+ Shiomi, H. & Wada, K. (Eds.), (1995). Fordism Transformed: The Development of Production Methods in the Automobile Industry. Oxford: Oxford University Press Sparrow, P., Brewster, C., & Harris, H. (2004), Globalizing Human Resource Management, New York: Routledge Studer-Noguez, I. (2002). Ford and the Global Strategies of Multinationals: The North American Auto Industry. London: Routledge www.google.com www.bing.com www.wikipedia.org www.managementencyclopedia.com www.yahoo.in www.scribd.com www.slideshare.com

When Is It Ok to Break Confidentiality?

When is it OK to Break Confidentiality? Confidentiality is central to trust between doctors, medical team and patients. Patients have a right to expect that information about them will be held in confidence. The birth of the Hippocratic Oath in the fourth century started the responsibility of physicians to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of their patients. One of the provisions of the Oath lays the ethical foundation for the physician’s duty of confidentiality even beyond the circumstances of medical care.The Florence Nightingale Pledge, which was composed in 1893, was a modification of the â€Å"Hippocratic Oath,† a statement of the ethics and principles of the nursing profession. Included in the pledge is to hold in confidence all personal matters. Today we have the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was passed by Congress in 1996. One of the regulations requires protection and confidential handling of protected health informat ion.We also have the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) who takes an active role against potential violations in patient confidentiality (Oram M. , 2008). This paper will consider the ethical implication of a breach of confidentiality with ethical principles. An alternative will be to address the dilemma in a clinical setting. Lastly, the author will address how an ethics committee might approach the dilemma using ethical principles, theories, and a team effort to ethical decision-making.Respecting and protecting our patients medical, personal and private information is a great responsibility. At times it can be very challenging and there are times in healthcare where specific issues are encountered and personal and private information must be shared. It is the position of this author that preserving confidentiality is of the up most importance. Confidentiality is defined as preserving the privacy of the persons that you are caring for. This would include all information verbal or from the patients medical records to be used by the medical team to care for the patient (Oram M. 2008). It is important to retain trust in the nurse patient relationship and maintain confidentiality unless disclosure can be justified. The personal Nightingale Pledge taken upon graduation supports this author’s belief. The Nursing Code of Ethics also guides this author, which states the importance of nurses upholding their duty to maintain patient information in confidence regardless of who they are (American Nurses Association, 2013). This author also adheres to the HIPAA laws and JCAHO.Confidentiality is at the heart of the code of ethics for healthcare. Dealing with confidentiality can be very confusing at times, like in the example of the NBC ER episode 2000, called â€Å"Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care. † The healthcare professional at any given time may have to ask themselves to breach confidentiality or not to breach? Ano ther question that the healthcare professional may ask is do I provide good care or betray my patient and their trust? The good new is there are ethical codes to guide and help the health care professional.In the ER episode the nurse Hathaway was faced with an ethical dilemma of breaking confidentiality or keep her fidelity. Hathaway had promised to help a 14-year-old patient, Andrea, and swore confidentiality in order to gain the girl’s trust. Sadly, Andrea was diagnosed with Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease which led to cervical cancer. Andrea was also involved in risky sexual behavior with classmates. However, if Hathaway contacts the parents or speaks to the school officials this decision would come at a cost of betraying her patient—a breach of confidentiality.To keep the promise to Andrea was concerning because Andrea would need the consent from her parents for medical treatment for the cervical cancer because she was under age. Hathaway ’s concern is that Andrea gets the medical care she needs. There also was the concern for Andrea’s classmates who should be screened for HPV or other sexual transmitted disease. As already stated, it is vital that healthcare workers keep their patents confidentiality, although there are those times when the healthcare team will come to the conclusion that they need to breach their patients confidentiality.According to the American Medical Association (AMA, 2013) and the ethical principles of fidelity, veracity and autonomy nurses or physicians should let the patient know about the restrictions of confidentiality protection and after disclosure have them sign a release record form to authorize the disclosure of the information given (AMA, 2013)). There are circumstances when keeping your patients confidentiality might cause more harm then revealing the information (Edwards, 2008). Such is the case in the ER episode where it was explained to Andrea why her parents and au thorities had to know what was going on.There would be more harm done to patient and classmates if her secret was kept. Hathaway has the obligation to tell Andrea’s parents of her health condition and break confidentiality. Hathaway should first encourage Andrea to tell her parents herself and if she is unable or refuses then Hathaway needs to step in and tell the parents. The author believes that breaching confidentiality and telling Andrea’s parents was the right thing to do. It could be said that Hathaway did breach confidentiality when giving the information about Andrea and the â€Å"sex parties† to the school authorities.The information could have been shared with no names mentioned. There was no benefit to Andrea but harm because after she found out that the school knew she tried to commit suicide. When the medical team or individual is faced with an ethical dilemma there is an ethical committee that can be consulted. The committee is a group of people wh o will collaborate and are specially qualified and trained in laws and theories. The members will have diversified outlook about the dilemma based on ethical principles, beliefs and values. Utilizing the ethical committee will help guide the medical team to the right action.However, the ethical committee is not always authoritative but should be used as a guide. Hathaway should have notified the ethics committee before notifying the school. Most likely Hathaway would not know the legalities about which diseases are reportable. Had Hathaway checked and learned that HPV need not be reported, it would have saved Andrea a lot of pain and emotional trauma. It is the author’s belief that no names should have been mentioned when talking to the school. Confidentiality is at the heart of the code of ethics for healthcare.Dealing with confidentiality can be very confusing at times. Reviewing the episode of ER helps to examine the ethical dilemma with breach of confidentiality. It is im portant as a nurse to have knowledge about ethical principles and theories so as to know if you are breaching confidentiality or not. A nurse also must be aware of who she can go to talk to about ethical dilemmas. While this will be an ongoing challenge during a nurse’s career, it is important that she is aware of both the importance of confidentiality and to whom she can rely on in a ethically difficult situation.References American Medical Association. Confidentiality. Retrieved from http://www. ama-assn. org/ama/pub/physician-resources/legal-topics/patient-physicians-relationship-topics/patient-confidentiality. page Edwards, K. A. (2008). Confidentiality. Ethical in Medicine: University of Washington School of Medicine. Retrieved from http://depts. washington. edu/bioethx/topics/confiden. html Oram M. 2008. Maintaining Confidentiality Course 117. Retrieved from www. jcaho. org/confidentiallyHerb