Advantages of Learning Organization

Advantages of Learning Organization Due to impacts of the international financial crisis and the notable slowdown of the economy, Bank co has encountered more challenges. Accordingly, Bank co is transforming from an operational company to a sales-oriented one, in a bid to enhance their competitiveness. As the customer services centers are established and original branch institutes are shut down, the structure change influences 7 percent of the workforce. The board doesnt think a young management can handle the shift and further reforms; therefore, a great emphasis is put on staff learning approaches. As the staff capabilities are core resource to an organizations competitive advantage, all the management focuses on the planning and implementing of strategies. This essay not only elaborates Bank cos successful integration its HRM strategy with the overall business strategy, but also discusses the problems in the policy implementation. Some coherent solutions for these problems are also discussed in this essay. 2.0 Bank cos Objective as a Learning Organization 2.1 Definition of Learning Organization Peter (1990) proposed that any organizational thought a learning organization can be conducted by teams led by managers that facilitate a communication that values reflective thought, new patterns of thinking and a suspension of assumptions. In generally speaking, a learning organization has the following characteristics. First, the staff has a shared vision as their daily guideline and considers all organizational processes, functions, activities, and interactions with the overall environment as a member of the system. Second, each staff can air their own opinions to each other without fear of criticism or punishment. Third, staff sacrifices their personal self-interest and integrates department interest to cooperate to achieve the organizations shared vision. 2.2 Advantages of Learning Organization Brandt (2003) proposed that a learning organization is just like a school, a flexible and responsive organization should change in accord with changing circumstances. A learning organization has the following advantages. First, learning organization can promote continuous improvement. Whether project outcomes satisfy customers needs or not relies on how managers assess and narrow the gap between the two. Levine (2001) found that improve managers concentration span to organizational learning is a great potential to establish cooperation and continuous improvement that promote organizational performance. Second, learning organization can promote innovation. Although this statement is obviously true, but there is no quantitative study based on parallels between the characteristics of learning organization and the statement in literature that supports innovation and employee creativity can improve the performance of learning organization (Ramous and Steger, 2000). Third, learning organiz ation can foster community building. As learning community can break through stereotype routines and cultivate effective learning environment. Digenetic (1998) claimed that a learning community should be a mechanism for creating the learning organization. 2.3 Evaluation of Bank cos Objective With the financial crisis wreaking havoc on nations across all continents, the sense of living in a globalized age has become more acute. To cope with profound changes, Bank co made a strategic shift which focuses on four main units. First, human resource planning is long-term programs of Bank co. Due to the resignation of skilled and veteran managers, Bank co supports staff development by offering investment of  ¿Ã‚ ¡17 million. It allocates about 25,000 training days for the staff each year. The training and development (TD) department has finished the training programs for more than 5,600 managers until nowadays. And the training programs coherently focus on five units, such as, resourcing and development, HR quality, training design and delivery, equal opportunities and residential training. Second, training and development should be implemented to management staffs at all levels. Since a survey indicates that 60% employees considered that the training programs are just attending courses, the TD department decided to implement a wider range of flexible training methods, such as, self-directed learning, coaching, job rotation, secondments, etc. As a result, staff at all levels start to self-study in learning resource center without the reliance on training courses. Their hobbies and interests have been explored by a large margin. Thats to say, Bank co cultivates a learning atmosphere within the company, and ushers staff to take the responsibility of self-development. Third, employee relations are another focus of Bankco. The employee relations are cooperative instead of competitive, because staff at all levels share the same goal of the organization. It coincides with the policy of a harmonious society. It is an opportunity for staff to realize themselves, while it is a challenge for the managers who provide opportunities within which the staff can learn and develop. According to Maslows hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is the highest need on the pyramid of needs, self-actualization must produce an attraction and stimulant for staff to find themselves (Maslow, 2008). Fourth, personnel operation is important. As HR department had considerable power, Bank co established a belief that a learning organization would remain competitive and successful. The shift causes an unprecedented series of efforts and initiatives intended to learn from diverse source, because the line managers are responsible for ensuring that proper action will be good for individuals who keep a partnership with their mangers. During the establishment of learning organization, Bankco has achieved good financial performance as a reward. 2.4 The Achievement of Learning Shift The shift from being operational to becoming sales oriented has brought significant changes in the performance of Bank co. First, as a learning organization, Bankco retains knowledge workers. Bank cos shift causes some of middle-aged managers to leave, when the company is in desperate need of talent to rebuild itself. Therefore, the management had to give top priority to learning programs to cultivate talent as fast as possible. Second, the learning center collects public recording which is unobtrusive and useful in the execution of decision-making and work process. The data on management and information about staff behaviors to certain jobs are useful for researches to analyze Bank cos operation and set down the appropriate management policies. As learning is applied to innovate or modify individual dispositions, processes, policies, and procedures, the staff can further develop their interests and hobbies, Bankco can improve its management experience as well. 5.0 Conclusion In our uncertain world, the only thing that appears to be certain is that social computer-base communication technologies are rapidly becoming online hot spots and changing the way we communicate and information. It is convenient to express social relationships on the IM and blog through links and comments. But we should take advantage of these technologies and overcome their challenges. The best approach is to develop good habits to use computer-based communication technologies, even the link is from friends, they need verify to friends again.

Troublemaking Interpretations of Horation Ode Essay -- Horation Ode

Troublemaking Interpretations of Horation Ode   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There exists debate of how one is to read Marvell's "Horation Ode," One of the most unexamined issues in the three essays, yet one which seems to be a presupposition for most of the argumentation that goes on between both parties, is Brooks's careful caveat early in his essay that his project is not to "reveal triumphantly that what it [Marvell's poem] really says is something quite opposed to what we have supposed it to be saying" ("Ode" 323). For Bush, what the poem is supposed to have said is key, for his argument will rest around such suppositions and commonalities, or unprejudiced readings as he might call it; and among his final arguments will be that "Marvell's poem means what it says" (348), which will be arrived at by looking at the poem in "its common and natural sense"(341). But Brooks is not necessarily strict in sticking to traditional interpretation, so it is intriguing he would begin with what we might call at this point an interpretational warning label to insure that the reader does not misinterpret him and think that he is trying to merely find a new interpretation for an old poem. While he will later argue that the New Critic is indeed in debt to the historicist, and we might accept this initial warning as a part of that debt to "proper norms" (326), it is with other interests in mind that Brooks ends his "Notes on the Limits of'History' and the Limits of 'Criticism."' Invoking Matthew Arnold, Brooks concludes his essay dealing with Leslie Fielder's call to "interpret literature in relation to the rest of man's concerns" (qtd. in "Limits" 354). To this, Brooks is "in hearty agreement" ("Limits" 354), and with this ending it is clear that there are ... ...es so many of his criticisms of Brooks in terms of how he looks for "desperate solutions" that stray from a common sense reading of the poem. This idea that the type of critic that Brooks advocates makes trouble for the type of interpretation established by a historical reading of the poem raises such questions as the role of the critic in a society, and whether this critic is obliged to make trouble or not, and who is to be the focus of his troublemaking energies.    Works Cited Brooks, Cleanth. "Criticism and Literary History: Marvell's Horation Ode." Class Handout ENG 415. April 9th, 1996. "Notes on the Limits of'History' and the Limits of ‘Criticism’." Class Handout ENG 415 April 9th, 1996. Bush, Douglas. "Marvell's 'Horation Ode'." Class Handout ENG 415. April 9th, 1996. Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble. New York: Routledge, 1990.   

Ikea Operations Management Essay

Profile: ikea IKEA is the world’s most successful mass-market retailer, selling Scandinavian-style home furnishings and other house goods in 230 stores in 33 countries and hosting 410 million shoppers per year. An acronym for founder Ingvar Kamprad and his boyhood home of Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd, IKEA began operating in Sweden in 1943 and continues its original ethos based upon cost obsession fused with design culture. No design, no matter how inspired, finds its way into the catalogue if it cannot be made affordable. With an aim of lowering prices across its entire offering by an average of 2% to 3% each year, its signature feature is the flat packed product that customers assemble at home, thus reducing transportation costs. Yet, unlike some peers, IKEA has sustainability at heart and, through an internal mantra of ‘low price but not at any price’ is a leading example of sustainable innovation and business growth.The company designs its own furniture, which is made by about 1,500 suppliers in more than 50 countries. It also sells online and by mail order with the print run for the 2006 catalogue hitting 160 million – more than the Bible, so IKEA claims. Finding the right manufacturer for the right product is a key component of the company’s success. It once contracted with ski makers – experts in bent wood – to manufacture its Poang armchairs, and has tapped makers of supermarket carts to turn out durable sofas. Simplicity, a tenet of Scandinavian design, also helps keep costs down. For example, the 50 cents Trofà © mug comes only in blue and white – the least expensive pigments. IKEA’s conservation drive extends naturally from this cost-cutting. Adding to the challenge, the suppliers and designers work to customize some Ikea products to make them sell better in local markets. That said, the global middle class, that IKEA targets, shares buying habits: The $120 Billy bookcase, $13 Lack side table, and $190 Ivar storage system are its best-sellers worldwide and average spending per customer globally is even similar: According to IKEA, the figure in Russia is $85 per store visit – exactly the same as in statistically more affluent Sweden. IKEA operates approx 25 US stores, which account for 11% of the company’s sales and Germany is its biggest market, accounting for nearly one-fifth of revenue. Sales have been growing steadily each year thanks both to expansion of its store network and the ongoing price cuts – 18 new stores were opened in 2005 and the retailer reduced prices by 3%. Such expansion has kept IKEA’s turnover rising – in 2005 by 17.3% to $18.8 billion from $16.0 billion in 2004. And, although being privately held IKEA’s profit figures are not published, conservative estimates put pretax operating profits at around $1.7 billion. IKEA maintains these profits even while it cuts prices steadily with operating margins of approximately 10% being among the best in home furnishing. To keep growing, IKEA is accelerating store rollouts in both large outlet and new high-street formats. Nineteen new large outlets are set to open worldwide in 2006, at an average cost of $66 million per store. The firm plans to boost their profile in three of its fastest-growing markets: In Russia, where it is already a huge success in Moscow, in China, where is has a strong footprint, and in the US, where the goal is to have 50 outlets by 2010. IKEA demonstrates that, when underpinned by strategic partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers, providing access to affordable contemporary design, in an exciting, yet simple format can be a winning formula. Where and when did IKEA start? What does IKEA stand for? Who founded IKEA? Find out all about the history of IKEA and the timeline of the store’s development in this article. IKEA founder, Ingvar KampradIngvar Kamprad The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began his business career as a young boy selling matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbors near Agunnaryd. As his business grew, he expanded to selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens which were a new phenomenon in 1935. He was very clever in utilizing his resources – he delivered his goods by bicycle, and later used the local milk delivery vehicle to make deliveries. IKEA In 1943, with a gift from his father, Ingvar established his business, using his initials, Ingvar Kamprad, the name of the farm on which he was born, Elmtaryd and the village nearby, Agunnaryd for the acronym. At this time, he was selling everything from pens and wallets to watches and nylon stockings by going door to door and selling directly to his customers. By 1945, the first advertisements for IKEA began showing up in local newspapers and he had developed a rudimentary catalog. IKEA Catalog Locally manufactured furniture first showed up in the IKEA product range in 1947 and was received positively by its customers. It wasn’t until 1951 however that Ingvar began to focus only on furniture and discontinued all other products from the IKEA product range. The first IKEA furniture catalog was published that same year and 2 years later, in response to competition, the first furniture showroom opened in the village of Älmhult. This same competition caused other furniture stores and manufacturers to put pressure on suppliers to boycott IKEA which led to the critical decision to design their own furniture beginning in 1955. IKEA Flat Pack Furniture ikea_lovet_table.jpgIt’s difficult to overstate the importance of this turn of events. Designing furniture for their own stores allowed IKEA to focus on low prices, improve function and ultimately led to the success of the company. Around this time, an employee removed the legs of a table in order to fit it into the trunk of a car and avoid transportation damage, which began IKEA thinking about designing furniture to be flat packed. In 1956, IKEA began testing the concept of flat pack to reduce costs through reduced transportation expenses, lowered storage space requirements, decreased transportation damage and reductions in labor costs. The IKEA Lovet table, pictured left, was the first IKEA product designed as flat pack furniture. http://www.ikeafans.com/ikea/ikea-history/ikea-history.html Ingvar Kamprad The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began his business career as a young boy selling matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbors near Agunnaryd. As his business grew, he expanded to selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens which were a new phenomenon in 1935. He was very clever in utilizing his resources – he delivered his goods by bicycle, and later used the local milk delivery vehicle to make deliveries. History of IKEA IKEA was founded in Älmhult, Sweden, in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. He founded the company at the age of 17. IKEA is an acronym incidentally similar to the Greek word ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± [oikia] which means (home) and to the Finnish word oikea (correct, right), but actually was originally an abbreviation for â€Å"Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd†. Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd comes from the address where Ingvar Kamprad started the company IKEA initially. Originally, IKEA sold pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewelry and nylon stockings or practically anything Kamprad decided is a needed product on reduced price. Furniture was first added to the IKEA product range in 1948. In 1955, IKEA began to design its own furniture. The company motto is: â€Å"Affordable Solutions for Better Living.† At first, Kamprad sold his goods out of his home and by mail order. Later a store was opened in the town of Älmhult. It was also the location for the first IKEA â€Å"warehouse† store which came to serve as a model for IKEA establishments elsewhere. On March 23, 1963, the first store outside Sweden was opened in Asker, a Norwegian municipality outside Oslo. IKEA has grown step by step into the world’s largest furniture retailer. There are 202 Ikea stores in 32 countries. Of these, 180 stores belong to the Ikea Group. The remaining 22 stores are owned and run by franchisees outside the Ikea Group. Products Available IKEA’s products are used from the customers for the whole furnishing of a home. Customers may find everything they need and basically furnish their houses â€Å"from the forks to the chairs†. The products available are: * Storage furniture; * TV solutions; * Small storages; * Sofas and armchairs; * Tables and desks; * Chairs and lighting; * Decoration and mirrors; * Floors; * Textiles and rugs; * Beds and mattresses; * Cooking and eating; * Furniture care and hardware; * Kitchen cabinets and appliances; * Bathroom furniture; * Clothes storages; * Safety products;

Essay about Chartism Womens Suffrage and National...

Chartism was a working-class political movement calling for the extension of the franchise that emerged in the mid-1830s. Motivated by a sense of ‘betrayal’ by the actions of the Whig government and the impact of a deep economic depression between 1837 and 1842, it saw political reform as essential if the living and working conditions of working people were to be improved. The power of the spoken and written word played a central role in Chartism and the foremost demagogue of the movement was Feargus O’Connor, whose rhetoric in all its ambiguity and exaggeration was published in his newspaper, The Northern Star. His speech at York, reported in the Star on 6 July 1839, was in favour of a motion that: â€Å"every male adult of the kingdom†¦show more content†¦The campaign for democratic reform began around the Battle of Waterloo and fluctuated alongside economic pressure. In 1838, the democratic reform was reborn as ‘Chartism’. Chartism b ecame a national political movement, a group of people working together to achieve a political goal, and was one explanation for the support of Chartism. The creation of the ‘People’s Charter’ (1838), incorporated the principles of Cartwright, proposing all that the poor and working class desperately needed. Chartism gave the people a voice and with that voice, gave the solutions they sought. One answer to people’s woes was addressed by the speaker of the extract, which was, â€Å"a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work†. FLOW The motion favoured at this meeting was Universal male suffrage – i.e. all adult males over 21, of ‘sound mind’...not undergoing punishment for crime, should have the vote...’. QUOTE ASS BOOKLET Although this was a radical step, they omitted to go above the hierarchical nature of British society at the time and include the vote for women. Women, ‘seldom spoke on public plat forms’ (Thompson, 1984, pp 120-1, RB, pg 39), however, Lovett, amongst other Chartists, were in agreement that women should have the vote. There are two separate economic issues within Chartism though O’Connor and addresses both. First, there was the issue of the ‘Old Corruption’, a radical concept thatShow MoreRelatedAP-Suffrage In England1416 Words   |  6 Pagessteps taken between 1832 and 1918 to extend the suffrage in England. What group and movements contributed to the extension of the vote? Several groups, movements and reform bills passed between 1832 and 1918 extended the suffrage in England. The process took many years and the voting rights were first given to the wealthier and more distinguished men, then later to the less wealthy men, and finally to women. The major reform bills that extended the suffrage in England were the Reform Bill of 1832, 1867Read MoreAssess the significance of popular pressure in bringing about improved representation and greater democracy in Britain in the period 1830-19312683 Words   |  11 Pagesrole in stimulating change such as the work of individuals an d rivalry between the political parties themselves. The role of popular pressure in bringing about improved representation and greater democracy in Britain was both extensive and diverse. The movements involved the working and middle class and the methods used varied from violence to peaceful protest. The predominantly middle class Suffragette movement was well known for its radicalism. The campaign for the female franchise had been