Marks and Spencer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Marks and Spencer - Case Study Example The other products that are sold by the company include; flowers, hampers and drinks such as wine. The company offers financial services to its customers like providing account cards, personal loans, unit trusts managements, life assurance schemes as well as pension policies to its customers. The company is subdivided into three divisions and they are United Kingdom's retail, International retail and the financial services division (Megone, and Robinson, 2002). In the United Kingdom's retail division, the management sells different kinds of merchandise .This division is sub divided into business units' that include; women's wear, men's wear, children's wear, beauty items, home furnishings as well as food items. The International retail business is categorized into three geographical areas such as; Europe, North America and the Far East. The European international retail business is further on divided into Continental Europe, Republic of Ireland and European franchise businesses. In North America, the group operates two types of businesses such as Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarkets. The Far East consists of 10 stores that store the products of the company that are later on sold to the customers. The financial services offered by the company to its customers include; account cards, personal loans, unit trusts as well as life assurance and pension policies. The suitable organizational structure for this company is that of the matrix organizational structure. This structure involves arranging its activities according to the employees function and products. The structure can combine the best functions and product structures within an organization. Functional organizations are organized according to the technological disciplines. A functional manager is normally appointed so as to allocate the resources within the organization in the appropriate way .The coordination of activities can be undertaken through following the laid down procedures, detailed specifications, and ensuring that meetings are held on a regular basis. Products that require specialized knowledge consists of functional organized structures. On the other hand, a product manager is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the product creation activities through liaising with the functional representatives of the organization. The major tasks of the product manager are to collect information, solve conflicts and enhance the facilitation of objectives of the organization are achieved within a stipulated period of time. The employees are expected to accomplish their tasks as required so as to exploit their potentials as well as be in a position to increase the sales returns of the company. They are also expected to understand the factors that have been hindering them from accomplishing the tasks that have been assigned to them. The importance of this kind of structure is that the management of the company can be in a better position to focus on the market segment thus be in a position to meet the needs of the customers with ease. There is also an element of competition between the divisions as they try to achieve the objectives that have been set for them to meet within a stipulated period of time.The divisions within the organization can be controlled with ease since they act on different profit centers of the organization. Marks and Spencer Company sells different kinds of products to the customers thus the product manag

Chinese Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese - Essay Example ined the expertise to use gunpowder and heavy fighting engines which helped them to defeat the song and Jin emperors which were known to be the most powerful and experienced dynasties. Large armies; Yuan dynasty ensured that it had a large army when they were about to attack a territory this give them maximum chances of success in their attacked it also scared away other dynasty from attacking them Discriminations; This dynasty was made up foreigners who did not allowed the natives to hold any position in the government .With nobility not allowed to hold government office they ventured in education ,this made them to be better educated and thus they open private schools and refused to teach in government institution. Zhu Yuanzhang established Ming dynasty in 1368. The reason for this was the rebellion against the yuan dynast, which is said to have brought great famine, drought, flooding, bubonic plague among other natural disasters. This was as a result of what was believed as loosing mandate of heaven Trade; As a way of supporting this dynasty free trade was encouraged majorly with European with which the merchant class and the peasant farmers became very rich, got the education, and entered into government. They used hard currency and later due to inflation, adopted gold and silver as the most efficient means of exchange (Chris). Repression tactics: in order to remain in power after sensing rebellion, laws were enacted to make it official that it would capital offence for any one of within the clan or an official in an office to criticize the emperor. To enforce these laws, many officials were sacked, corruption cases increased, a secret police was established to torture and killed many citizens. Superstition: Natural calamities, such as famine, Drought, flooding Plague, climatic change and rebellion were termed as signs of losing the mandate of Heaven therefore the leader was supposed to be overthrown and his kingdom taken Suppression of some

Men Are Better Leaders Essay Example for Free

Men Are Better Leaders Essay Women in high-level leadership positions, such as corporate CEOs, when studied, seem to exhibit the same sorts of leadership behaviors as their male counterparts. That is probably because the demands of the leadership role require certain actions and behaviors to succeed. In addition, because of the hurdles that women must leap to get to the top (leadership and gender expert, Alice Eagly, refers to this as the labyrinth that women, but not men, need to go through), it could be the case that only women who exhibit the same sorts of leadership styles and behaviors as male leaders make it through. So, studying leaders at the top, gives the impression that there are no big differences in how men and women lead. You get a somewhat different picture if you ask followers and leaders about male and female leaders. They notice differences that are in line with stereotypes about men and women, reporting that female leaders are more nurturing, empathic, and responsive than male leaders, but they will also report the negative side (e. g. , moody). Male leaders, on the other hand, are perceived to be more action-oriented and more focused on tasks. As a Catalyst study concludes that according to leaders and followers in the workplace, women leaders take care, men leaders take charge. Realize, however, that this involves peoples perceptions of leaders, colored by stereotypes and expectations. Finally, there is a growing body of research that has studied the leadership styles and leadership potential of men and women, typically men and women managers (but also women in non-managerial positions). For example, using the theory of transformational leadership as an indicator of successful leadership (transformational leaders are inspirational, positive role models, concerned about followers, empowering, and push followers to be creative and take chances), research shows that women, as a group, have more transformational qualities than men. In other words, and based on this research, women have more leadership potential and tend to lead more effectively than men (I discussed this in an earlier post). So, what are the implications? Well, as attitudes about women leaders change (they are changing, albeit ever so slowly) and the labyrinth becomes less difficult to navigate, we expect more to women attain high-level leadership positions. Noted leadership scholar, Bernard Bass, predicted that by the year 2034 the majority of high-level leaders will be women, based on their more transformational qualities. Of course, men in leadership positions are also realizing that the old way of leading taking charge (command and control) may not be as effective in todays world and in the future, so they learn to adapt and change how they lead.

Love in A.S. Byatts Possession, Zadie Smiths White Teeth, and the Ful

Love in A.S. Byatt's Possession, Zadie Smith's White Teeth, and the Full Monty by Peter Cuttaneo As British literature and film seek to sort out the identity crisis that England finds herself in as a post-imperial nation, a variety of views have emerged concerning solutions for Britain’s confusion. One reoccurring theme to these views is love. A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, and The Full Monty, directed by Peter Cattaneo, all deal with a traditional, romantic view of true love, whether it is presented as a necessity or a dispensable ideal. While Possession and The Full Monty show romantic love as an essential part of what will push Britain towards rejuvenation, White Teeth presents romance as something that can be forfeited in light of the fact that mere survival is the ultimate goal. In Possession, Byatt juxtaposes many different types of relationships in order to set up an obvious comparison between what brings renewal and what does not. Roland Michell, a twentieth century scholar studying the works of nineteenth century poet R.H. Ash, is initially in a boring relationship with Val, an embittered ex-scholar, whom he has admittedly settled for. He does not love her, and, as a result, his life with her is bland. Roland later becomes colleagues with feminist Maude Bailey, whose work with another nineteenth century poet, Christabel LaMotte, coincides with his research on Ash. As they uncover Ash and LaMotte’s secret love affair, Byatt is able to display an exciting yet sorrowful love. Despite its sad ending, LaMotte and Ash’s relationship brings freshness into their otherwise monotonous lives. As the novel progresses, Maude and Roland come to respect and, ultimately, love each o... ...r future but rather settle with her present in order to survive. While Byatt’s Possession and Cattaneo’s The Full Monty are concerned with a Britain that pushes herself towards greatness through love and acceptance, Smith is more concerned with Britain just moving forward. Yet all three of these works have interesting viewpoints on the importance of true, romantic love in post-imperial Britain. Perhaps Britain can be rejuvenated through love, as Byatt suggests. Perhaps only love can bring new life to her bored, undefined citizens, as Cattaneo puts forth. Or, as Smith proposes, perhaps Britain just needs to stop all this focusing on the ideal and trying to redefine herself through these fairytale, unrealistic notions. No matter which stance the British work takes, it is important to note the question that they each pose: could love really find a way?

What is Sin? Essay -- Adam Eve Religion Sinning God Essays Papers

What is Sin?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adam and Eve, the two that started it all. These two names will remain as a reminder to us forever because of their actions. Genesis chapter two talks about how man was made perfect; flawless and in God’s favor. These two individuals change how mankind would be from that time on. Sin entered the world and things began to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before Adam and Eve’s decision there was no sin or death, because of their actions we now have to deal with both. This brings up the question of where original sin came from. We know that God cannot create evil, so it did not come from Him. He gave man free will. From this man went against God and therefore created sin. Because of this we know have inherited depravity. We can not have the relationship that God intended us to have. We now must make a choice if we are going to follow Him or not. Since Jesus’ death we can now ask Him to enter us through the Holy Spirit; God just does not walk with us like He did with Adam in the garden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sin has been defined as many things by many groups throughout the ages. In the Old Testament it was defined as a failure to hit a mark or an attitude of rebellion. In the New Testament it is defined as failing to conform to a standard or as a condition. However, we must decide for ourselves what it means in our own lives. The Holy Spirit will guide us in our definition. Without being taught right and wrong we still are able to decipher between the two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Bible uses sin in...

Radical Energy Technologies

A radical energy technology is one that is not classed as â€Å"business as usual† and takes a different approach, such as renewable resources, for instance using solar cell technology instead of traditional fossil fuels. It could be a wide range of different technologies, including nuclear, wind, and other fuels. A policy regarding energy or energy consumption reduction could be a target to reduce consumption over the next decades, such as seen in the Kyoto protocol. It could also be more local or domestic such as recycling targets.With the world’s primary energy needs set to grow by 55% by 2030, and electricity consumption to double over the next few decades, managing future need is a global challenge, and one of the most significant of our time. The International Energy Authority (IEA) estimates that $22 trillion of new investment will be needed by 2030. At the same time, there is the global challenge of climate change and the need to develop cleaner sources of energ y in order to improve the health of our environment.There are two main ways of achieving this; measures such as emissions controls, carbon trading and green taxation to encourage a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in energy efficiency, this known as a ‘carrot and stick’ approach. The alternative to this is to develop new and radical technologies that are sustainable and bring energy security. An example of a stick and carrot approach would be through ‘green axes’. In some countries taxation measures, known as green taxes, have been introduced with the aim of cutting the use of natural resources and encouraging waste recycling.In the UK these include new vehicle excise duties (VED) that tax vehicles according to their level of carbon dioxide emissions. Owners of so called ‘gas-guzzlers’ pay more, as do those with older, less fuel-efficient vehicles. Other ideas for taxes aimed at reducing energy consumption include removing stamp duty on the sale of carbon neutral homes, raising the duty on petrol and diesel, and raising air passenger duty on flights out of the UK.Greater use of renewable energy and advances in energy technology may be one answer to a more secure energy future. However, all the new technologies that have emerged so far have their own advantages and disadvantages. Offshore wind turbines for instance costs at least 50% more than on land, but wind speeds at sea are generally double those on land, so offshore turbines can generate more electricity. The fact that offshore wind turbines cannot be seen nor heard from landcommunities, this being a massive advantage, as proposal to build inland wind farms have been strongly opposed by those who claim they are visually unappealing and far too noisy. Horns Rev, in the North Sea off Denmark is one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms. It opened in October 2002, covering an area of 20 km2, and costing in excess of ?220 million to build. It g enerates 160MW through its 80 turbines. A prime factor in the selection of the site was the strength of the winds from all points of the compass.This will make the future of Denmark’s energy much more secure because they know they are guaranteed this supply of energy. Geothermal energy is a new radical technology becoming popular in areas of the world geographically suitable to do so. In the Philippines, 25% of the electricity supply is generated from an underground supply of heat. This renewable geothermal heat is free, inexhaustible and available day and night, due to local geology. The heat is used to turn water into steam, which generates electricity in turbines.Geothermal energy has significant advantages over other renewable resources. There is no need to cover several square kilometres of land with wind turbines or solar panels, when certain parts of the world (main areas include Iceland, the USA and south Australia) have the ‘hot rocks’ that make recovera ble heat possible. However, extracting this heat is not easy. In many locations the heat is too deep to be extracted economically, and the local geology can create problems.

Bismarcks appointment of Minister President of Prussia Essay

Bismarck’s appointment of Minister President of Prussia (1862) was the most important turning point in the course of German nationalism in the period 1815-1919? By 1919 Germany had been united, and the nature of nationalism had changed from a freedom seeking, democratic force into one which demanded popular subservience to the state. German nationalism had clearly changed radically over the period of more than one hundred years and defining the turning point at which it changed is difficult due to the sheer number of factors that impacted upon it as well as the vast number of events and organisations which interfered with its development. Otto von Bismarck would become viewed in later years as the father of German nationalism. When he came to power 1862 the Kaiser was looking for a man who could oppose the liberals and force through a favourable army bill. However, within just nine years Germany would have become united, not without the help, though not always willing, from Bismarck. Bismarck effected the unification of Germany almost single-handedly. However, many of the opportunities which Bismarck actually attempted to manipulate were neither created by him nor very successful. Bismarck did not always manage nationalism as effectively as it is suggested. The Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71 forced to unite with the southern states in Germany when in reality it would have been unlikely that he desired this. Prussia was still attempting to absorb the north German states and to add the southern states, especially with their un-Prussian culture, risked diluting Prussia’s culture too far. It is clear that in 1890 Bismarck was managed by nationalism because he was forced to resign due to the outpouring of nationalist feeling that resented him attempting to hold Germany in check. He represented the old Germany, a Prussian dominated one and in an effort to find a â€Å"German† chancellor he was removed from office. Even the Dual Alliance in 1879 demonstrated how German nationalism forced him to take actions against his will. With his Prussian upbringing his loyalties more likely lay with Russian rather than Austria and the decline of Austria was increasingly clear for all too see, to join the young, powerful Germany with this crumbling empire would do nothing to help the country yet nationalistic feeling in Germany forced the Alliance. Bismarck’s appointment in 1882 was an important moment in German nationalism but the theory that one man had such an impact upon the fate of a nation does not stand so well in light of deeper scrutiny. The Congress of Vienna held in 1815 helped create an environment which would help the growth of German nationalism. Prussia’s gains in the west of Germany were actually intended by the Allies to be a burden. They had given the smallest of the Great Powers the most difficult job as acting as a barricade against France. However, this would backfire on the Allies when it would later become Germany’s massive industrial growth. It also affected the nature of Prussia, whereas she had previously been a predominantly Eastern European power she now had a pan-German outlook, though it appeared to begin with that she had little in common with her western population. The distance between the two main blocks of land meant that transporting goods between the two would prove difficult and this would spur the creation and development of the Prussian Customs Union in 1818 which would later become the Zollverein in 1834. However, when at the Congress of Vienna the Allies faced the question of â€Å"what is Germany† they fell back on historical precedent, the Holy Roman Empire. This can be seen as a retrospective step because it actually excluded areas of both Austria and Prussia, as well as making many of the smaller states much larger. The Congress of Vienna was not a turning point in German nationalism, but without it the nature of Germany could have been very different from that with which we are familiar if it existed at all. The creation of the Zollverein in 1834 was a critical turning point for German nationalism, formed from the Prussian Customs Union in 1818. Thomas Nipperdy described the creation of the Zollverein as â€Å"the outstanding event in all-German history†. Given the basis as a pan-German union it improved the contacts between all of the German states, encouraging them to work together for mutual benefit and broke down barriers between the regions of Germany both officially and culturally. It is often the case that economic unity leads to political as appears to be the case with the EU, formerly the European Economic Community (EEC) and the push for a European constitution. However, German political unity was far from inevitable, many Germans now saw political unity as obsolete because they achieved all the benefits of such a union without the risk of losing any of their own unique regional culture. The Zollverein was also critical in training a new cadre of diplomats for Prussia and teaching them to administer a â€Å"German† organisation, experience which would be invaluable in the post-unification era. Bismarck once declared in a speech to the North German Reichstag in 1869 that â€Å"He who has his thumb on the purse has the power† and by taking the economic leadership of the German states Prussia rose importantly and a Kleindeutsch solution to the German problem became much more feasible. It also struck a double blow in this respect. It not only made a Prussian-led Germany more likely but it made an Austrian-led Germany less likely. Because of her exclusion from the customs union the Austrian economy suffered and her already fragile market became on step closer to failing and this would be one of the major reasons for her defeat to Prussia. The use of the economy mirrored the nature of German nationalism; initially it was a liberal move, the reduction of trade barriers embodied by the introduction of the Zollverein. However, by the time unification was achieved economic policy turned its back on liberalism and the economic protectionism Bismarck employed against Russia helped show how far nationalism had changed. The Zollverein would form the template upon which the German Empire would eventually be founded, a kleindeutsch dominated by Prussia. Some historians even go so far to view the whole of the unification of Germany as purely an economic transaction, that it was not driven by political ideology but by the cold logic of money and economic expansionism. The Zollverein did represent an important twist in the history of German nationalism but it did not utterly change the face of the ideology but simply made the prospect more likely. In addition to this, the success of the Zollverein would provide the necessary environment for the rapid expansion of industry within German and this would have a critical impact upon nationalism. 1848 can very easily be viewed as the critical turning point in the history of German nationalism. It is often seen as a turning point about which history failed to turn, and it is this very failure which makes it such an important date in the history of German nationalism. 1848 presented revolutionary factions within Germany, and other countries throughout Europe, with a window of opportunity. In Paris the Second Republic is established in a welter of violence; in Sicily the Palermo Uprising takes place; in Hungary revolution boils over; Swedish revolutionaries are gunned down by their government and in Ireland the potato famine sparks the Tipperary Revolt. To the established order it appeared that stability was breaking down and anarchy threatened them. It was in this climate of exceptional change that the German revolutionary effort failed. The dithering incompetence of the middle classes, coupled with their glaring impotence discredited liberal politics and any idea of a revolution from below. This would prove potentially dangerous for the development of German nationalism. Divorced from its liberal and democratic roots it became a force of the right and of the paternalist government. This resulted in the desire for individual freedoms being sacrificed for the will of state. The government was paranoid about the dangers of the socialist movement within Germany, but they actually shared many common ideals, most markedly the concept of the priority of the state over the individual. It became obvious that power and change could not be achieved without the power of an army to back themselves; Bismarck summarised this problem in his most famous speech â€Å"the great questions of the day will not be decided by speeches and majority decisions – that was the error of 1848 – but by iron and blood†. Given our knowledge of how German nationalism developed into a violent, racist, militaristic force it is clear to see that 1848 was a seminal moment in its development, the pre-1848 liberal, French-styled nationalism became a force of the militant right. 1848 also represented a turning point for German nationalism in a European context. It appeared that countries were naturally progressing from being authoritarian monarchies to becoming nationalistic, liberal democracies. Germany’s refusal to follow this trend fundamentally altered the nature of German nationalism. This turning point about which history failed to turn left something rotten at the core of German nationalism. The change from idealism to brutal pragmatism, combined with the machinations of Bismarck and the authoritarian government meant that the German people’s cause was subverted and used as a weapon against those European powers who had abused Germany for such a long time. On the 18th of January 1871 the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. This can easily be seen as a turning point in German nationalism, it finally created what the nationalists had been striving for over the past half century. Though it is true that the majority of what then became Germany existed in the North German Confederation created 4 years earlier after Prussia’s victory over Austria it represented a subtle but important shift in the history of German nationalism and the process of reaching the announcement played a very important role in defining the new Germany. Even the date upon which the Empire was announced held special significance, 270 years earlier the first Elector of Brandenburg was crowned King in Prussia. This clearly symbolically established Prussian hegemony over the newly created German Reich. Even the fact that the proclamation was made at Versailles was more significant than simple a quick expediency. Were the proclamation were to be made in Berlin, the capital of the new Empire, it would have most likely been made in Parliament. For Bismarck this would have been intolerable, in his eyes it was the army and their feudal, warlord leaders who had united the new empire rather than the romantic liberals and their â€Å"speeches and majority votes†. The Reich was declared in the home of imperial power, Versailles was the benchmark against which all other symbols of imperial might were measured and it clearly showed how the ruling elite of the new Germany planned to rule the country. It would be easy to say that it was a simple political humiliation for the French to have their enemies declare their new country in the French capital but to do this would ignore the deeper significance of both the time and place it was made. Nationalism within Germany underwent many changes over the period from 1815 to 1919. It suffered from a gradual change from its ideals over the time and it is difficult to differentiate between the impacts that the different potential turning points had on German nationalism. However, the most seminal moment in the history Germany nationalism was when it shifted indelibly from the idealists’ views to the pragmatic views of the industrialists within the country. 1866 can be seen as the turning point in the unification of Germany rather than a turning point in the nature of German nationalism. The failure of democracy in 1848 at a time when many other revolutions had succeeded left many Germans with the view that it would only be through violence and warfare â€Å"blood and iron† that their dreams would ever be realised.