Free sample - Caucasian Reaction To Latinohispanic. translation missing

Caucasian Reaction To Latinohispanic. Caucasian Reaction To LatinohispanicCaucasian Reaction To Latinohispanic Being A Major Ethnic Group In USA By 2050 Introduction If the current population trends in the US continue, the total population will rise to 438 million in 2050.   82% of the population will be due to immigrants (67 million) and their descendants (50 million). The Latino population size will triple and will account for the region’s population while that of white population will increase slowly and will become a minority by 2050 (Maffitt P.). In this essay we will analyze the status quo of this Hispanic growth and that of the Caucasian who are currently the majority.  Ã‚   Effects of US population structure by 2050 Data from America in 2000 show a steadily growing Hispanic population owing to a large number of immigrants, a high birth rate among the Hispanic who are younger immigrants contrasted to an aging white baby boom population (Maffitt P.). The news has been received with mixed reactions as more Hispanics are achieving upward socio-economic gains. The non-Hispanic whites have barred an all-out immigration ban. But on the positive side, immigration will keep the US population growing and provide taxes for Medicare and social security especially for the majority elderly white. The relationships between the native-born Americans and the immigrants will be strained and problems will emerge from the minority and majority view points of view (Minckler D.). Another important aspect is the American definition which will be defined from the taken-for-granted as being ‘white’. Thus this kind of diversity will safeguard against taking one group as the norm for all others and pluralism is now the current multiculturalism. Linguistic diversity in America has existed as a bane of native’s existence to present but with the Hispanic majority, then the Hispanic language will be a norm although English usage by in America will be promoted to all. The natives in America by 2050 will most likely not hold power especially in the middle and southern colonies because of a huge number of Hispanic populations in the regions. The metamorphosis of who an American is may also be a source of contention as whites will be outnumbered. (Parrillo V. Pg. 8-17). Hence the American identification and ethnic identification for American will no doubt be an interesting phenomenon to watch.  Ã‚   Conclusion In an ever changing culture of pluralism and diversity, a corrective reality of an American heritage and the future changes are needed. This is because if today’s trends continue, the minority Hispanics will be a majority by the year 2050and we will experience a lot of changes in the identity, racism, immigration languages and shifts in power.

The Strategic Verticals of Davivienda Assignment

The Strategic Verticals of Davivienda - Assignment Example The assignment "The Strategic Verticals of Davivienda" analyzes the existing issues regarding internal communication inefficiencies, lagging project duration for O&M department of Davivienda Bank by measuring each of mentioned problems and their impact on the operational efficiency of O&M department. External and internal environment scan in context to O&M department has been done by the researcher in order elaborate scope of the paper. The recommends strategies like implementation of virtual communication portal, enhancement in e-mail communication efficiency, establishment of department consisting of process specialist that would work with O&M department in integrated manner, providing communication training to O&M personnel, implementing ERP system within O&M department, conducting monthly cross-departmental meeting to top level management and CEO of Davivienda to improve overall competitiveness of O&M department. The recommendations should not only improve internal communication between O&M department but also work as strategic initiatives for Davivienda. Financial organizations like banks start their strategic planning from understanding the scope of the service offerings. Davivienda is a bank and it also focuses heavily on the service and product offerings. There is very little scopes exist for banks to standardize its product portfolio and service offerings rather banks need to adapt to changes in customer requirements and design product portfolio that can be relevant in changing business environment.... As the report is addressing to key people of the organization hence there is no point in putting company information in the report because it is expected that the key members of the organization such as CEO is completely aware of these information. In short, O&M department of the organization handles issues like coordinating with marketing department to perform operational initiatives, updating administrative reports regarding organizational hierarchy, preparing system manuals, preparing process reports for the entire administrative blocks in the bank. The O&M department works in close loop manner with operational verticals like Human Resources division, Audit section, Information Technology division and General Administration. Now, what is the objective of this paper? Well, to be precise, the report will suggest a strategic plan for O&M department and study will also review the strategic plans that have been discussed in the previous works and suggestion regarding implementation of contingency plans to mitigate the identified risks will also be important part of this paper. Backgrounds and Accomplishments Bouquet, Hebert & Delios (2004) pointed out that financial organization like banks start their strategic planning from understanding the scope of the service offerings. In similar context, Davivienda is a bank and it also focuses heavily on the service and product offerings while making strategic choices. According to Bouquet, Hebert & Delios (2004), there is very little scopes exist for banks to standardize its product portfolio and service offerings rather banks need to adapt to changes in customer requirements and design product portfolio that can be relevant in changing business environment. Roth and Menor

Character Sketch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Character Sketch - Essay Example is a man with consistent principles both in his views and deeds; a trait that earned him love and a barrage of criticisms in certain quarters in equal measure, more particularly among the white community for being too tolerant towards the plight of ‘Negros’ in the 80s when racism was at its peak. Big Daddy perceives every individual living within the United States and the world over as equal human beings who have all the rights to enjoy justice and social respect. Like principles etched in the corners of his brain, he memorizes the opening sentence of the second paragraph of the United States’ Declaration of Independence long considered the founding creed of America’s civil religion, and actually recites it as it is, that: â€Å"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.† Unlike the majority living during his time, Big Daddy led by example, falling far short to subscribing and living by the norms of the pride in the white community. Accordingly, he fell in love and actually married a black woman. Further, he has had a black man as his aid in his entire career as a lawyer and a rights defender. He actually started drifting off in his early ages, taking the very opposite steps like mingling a lot with the black community to demystify the long standing myths had been peddled for ages. Among other things that he will be remembered for by generations is the very brave act of helping the blacks with own resources in pursuit of injustices for crimes committed in total disregard of the law. According to Miss Jilian words – a neighbor and a friend – Big Daddy is not only a defender of justice, but a passionate, dedicated activist fighting battles worth fighting for even if it means putting his resources and life on the line; he has helped bring sanity into the minds hitherto full of hatred of

Balance between wireless security and performance Thesis Proposal

Balance between wireless security and performance - Thesis Proposal Example This physical connection is easily detected and can be traced to the eavesdropper. This as a result has made the wireless security be under scrutiny since it fails to offer the appropriate security. The security risks that accompany the wireless environment are quite exposing. The amount of security that should be incorporated in the system normally depends on the size and the nature of information being handled by the organization as well as on the devices being used (Dawoud 56). The first and foremost way is to maintain a full understanding of that particular networks topology. This understanding is important as it creates an improvement to the system design whenever the need arise. These improvements are important in optimization of the performance of that system. This is important especially where there is periodic assessment of the security controls and their performance (Hirani 39). This research shall seek to come up with a way of securing the wireless network and enhance the security levels to satisfaction. The research shall propose devices that shall also aid the mobility for the wireless devices. Many scholars have come up with writings assessing the performance of wireless devices. They have come up with ways of maintaining the wireless networks as well as how to create the same. Maintaining a secure network should be a continuous activity that keeps going on. It should be assessed regularly in terms of performance and if there is need to upgrade or improve the technology that is being used (William 78). Keeping inventories of the equipments that are used in that wireless network is also a good way of ensuring performance. In addition, having back up for the transactions and the communications is also important to secure the system (Erica et al. 44). There should be a wide usage of inherent security features. An example of these

Pre Existing Strategies For Youth Offending

Pre Existing Strategies For Youth Offending For over a decade Labours three successive administrations from 1997 to 2010 has left the youth justice system in a state of near permanent reform. With almost two decades prior to 1997 in opposition Labour had the opportunity to implement ready-made polices on criminal justice which started with the youth justice system by adopting a root and branch reform agenda.  [2]  This paper will critically review the policies pursued by Governments over the past fourteen years to address the social causes of crime amongst young people. The primary question this paper will ask is whether these policies have made a difference to either crime figures or recidivism amongst juveniles. The paper will initially begin by discussing the pre-existing strategies on youth crime employed before the last fourteen years which is crucial to critically reviewing the laws development over the past fourteen years. The second part of this paper will focus on the strategies employed to deal with the social ca uses of youth crime. The final section of the paper will draw the paper together by discussing the impact of the strategies employed by the various Governments to deal and manage youth justice offending by examining their impact upon youth offending. Pre-Existing Strategies for Youth Offending: Much of the twentieth-century juvenile justice system was characterised by a double taxonomy which can be best described as punishment and welfare.  [3]  The last fifty years have seen a bewildering complexity of shifts in the approach of the police, courts and various governmental agencies established to respond to youth offending and the social causes of crime.  [4]  It has been a dissected mix of governmental policies that alternate between punitive punishment and a welfare or care approach. The literature presents the 1960s as a high point in the development of welfarism in the youth justice system with a shift away from penal punishment to family councils and family courts to deal with juvenile offending and the surrounding social causes of youth crime.  [5]   The coming to power of the Conservative government in the 1970s brought a shift back to punitive punishment for youth offenders with an increasing use of juvenile courts with custodial sentences rising from 3000 in 1970 to over 7000 in 1978.  [6]  Alongside this shift towards a strong sharp punishment of youth offending in England and Wales, Scotland sought to introduce an alternative approach with the introduction of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. An underlying feature of this approach to youth offending were welfare tribunals which used lay people such as social workers, teachers and family representatives in coming together to manage youth offending in a collaborative way to tackle both the wider social causes of youth offending and the individual offence under consideration. Pratt argues that there were four major sets of criticisms of the welfare model of youth justice: firstly the treatment-orientated interventions were perceived to be ineffective.  [7]  Secondly, evidence suggested that care could become more coercive than punishment. Thirdly, professional expertise of the members of the tribunals was less important than it was perceived to be, in that members were serving with little experience of juvenile offending. Fourthly, the care model of justice was alleged to be ineffective at dealing with youth delinquency. The election of the Conservative government during the 1980s with a law and order agenda produced a mixed approach to youth offending yet again.  [8]  The 1980s brought an introduction of a multi-agency approach to youth offending and the social causes of crime, with an increased use of formal and informal cautioning of youth offenders which distinguished first offenders from repeat offenders. A distinctive feature of this approac h to youth offending was the introduction of the concept of corporatism into the youth justice system which allowed a system to produce efficient, effective justice that worked.  [9]  The focus was on delivering a youth justice framework that worked efficiently delivering value for money for the government using cheaper alternatives than the court system. The youth justice model of the 1980s enjoined the 1990s with a marriage of punitive sentencing of repeat offenders with an incoherent cautioning system for first time youth offenders which the police patrolled without any consistency.  [10]   New Labour, New Youth Justice Police? It is arguable that, amongst other issues, Labour won its first general election under the banner of its tough talk on criminal justice issues.  [11]  By taking a mixed approach between retributive justice and restorative justice Labour sought to increase the States control, regulation and mangerialism of criminal behaviour and the social causes surrounding crime.  [12]   Labour sought to formulate its youth justice policies around a development of pre-existing philosophies of restorative justice values and practice including responsibility, restoration and reintegration, which would draw upon the experience of the existing framework.  [13]  Labour presented a Third way to deal with law and order which centred upon tackling the youth crime which were premised upon making young people take responsibility for crime through the concepts of responsibility, restoration and reintegration.  [14]  The centre piece of reform manifested itself in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 which have sought to bring restorative elements and values on a formal platform within youth justice.  [15]  In essence the statutory framework represented a clear attempt at modernising youth justice based on empirical evidence.  [16]   The reform advanced by Labour to deal with the social causes of youth offending effectively represented a new youth justice system composed of a Youth Justice Board (YJB) at national level and a multi-agency Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) at local level to administer the youth justice framework.  [17]  This multi-level and multi-agency approach to youth justice redefined the architecture of the youth justice apparatus by reconfiguring the lines of power, management and responsibility.  [18]  In addition to redefining the youth justice apparatus within the criminal justice system, Labour adopted a twin track approach with a perpetual stream of legislative reform focused on reformulating the punishment framework within criminal justice. The main stay of the reforms was provided in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which established the Youth Justice Board, Youth Offending Teams and for a restructuring of the non-custodial penalties available to the Youth Court, other reforms included: anti-social behaviour orders (ASBO) and action plans, to reparation orders and parenting orders.  [19]  For offenders under 18, the system of police cautioning was replaced with a new system of reprimand and warnings, to allow young offenders to have the opportunity of at least one reprimand and one final warning prior to prosecution.  [20]   Newburn argues that the new reforms implemented sought to allow restorative values where possible within youth justice through the development of restorative cautioning, action plans and reparation orders.  [21]  The action plan represented an attempt to allow youth offenders to begin a short intensive programme of community intervention combining punishment, rehabilitation and reparation to change the offending behaviour and prevent further crime.  [22]  Although Labour sought to redraw the criminal justice agenda many of the reforms introduced echoed and resembled the multi-agency approach of the 1980s.  [23]  The crucial difference between this fresh attempt at reform was that part of the multi-agency approach this time was not to divert but rather to intervene and become involved in the process.  [24]  A central driving force in Labours restorative reforms was the influence of communitarian thinking, particularly with the introduction of reparation orders and rest orative cautioning.  [25]  The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed local authorities with the responsibility of formulating and implementing annual youth justice plans which dealt with the social causes of crime amongst other priorities. Gelsthorpe and Morris argue that the reforms introduced will allow restorative processes to occupy a marginal place within criminal justice until contradictory values and practices of blaming and punishing are given significantly less emphasis and restorative values and practices are given significantly more emphasis.  [26]  A potential flaw of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 presented in the literature is that significant elements inherent in the reforms are premised on the basis of proportionality which is characteristic of punitive punishment. Wasik identifies that the reparation order is subjected to the normal requirements of proportionality which is linked to the retributive justice value of responsibility of the offender for the crime.  [27]  The central concern among advocates of restorative justice is that this model will not operate with the full potential of restorative justice values and principles which could over time gradually become more punitive than restorat ive in nature. Much of the debate throughout the literature focuses on the various elements of the reforms which can be considered to have restorative ideals.  [28]  The most significant reform was the introduction of Referral Orders as part of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. Dignan and Marsh argue that Referral Orders are potentially one of the most radical aspects of the entire youth justice reform agenda where the court can divert the young offender away from the courts system to deal with the offending behaviour through restorative approaches.  [29]  Crawford and Newburn argue that the reforms implemented by Labour were heavily influenced by the what works paradigm and the language of risk factors.  [30]   Conclusion: Goldson argues that Labour introduced an unprecedented corpus of youth justice legislation both in terms of reach and volume.  [31]  Fergusson argues that the approach to youth offending became a melting pot of contradictions, ideals and ideologies where a hybrid model emerges which encompasses a dissected mix of restorative and retributive values.  [32]  Fergusson correctly identifies that the way governments present policy rhetorically, how they codify it legally, and how those policies are played out in practice are critically different facets of the policy process in the management of crime.  [33]   Successive governments have responded to the social causes of youth crime in various ways throughout the last five decades, in particular the latest strategy employed a double edged sword which leans heavily on punitive punishment for adult offenders with a more welfarist approach in dealing with youth offenders.  [34]  Restorative justice undoubtedly represents one of the most significant developments in criminal justice and criminological practice and thinking over the past two decades.  [35]  It is arguably the social movement for criminal justice reform of the 1990s and into the new millennium.  [36]   Empirical evidence emanating from America, Australia and New Zealand indicate that where the use of restorative justice is prevalent for young offenders, there has been success at reducing youth offending rates and a reduction in repeat offending resulting in greater effectiveness at dealing with youth crime and the social causes of crime.  [37]   The net effect of these new policies aimed at the reduction of youth crime and tackling the social causes of crime represent a more integrated approach by the state to manage youth offending rates. The policies acknowledge the failures of the previous strategies of strict punitive punishment as a deterrent for further offences. The approach of incorporating restorative values, although arguable only at the fringes of the youth justice system, represents a more inclusive justice system which takes into account mechanisms to address the social causes of youth offending.

My Philosophy of Education :: Essays Papers

My Philosophy of Education I believe that education should be looked as as a desire to acquire all possible knowledge, not as a requirement or something that can be formally examined by standardized tests. There are numerous ways that children learn and I want to be able to encourage as much learning as possible for each child. I believe that using many methods of instruction is the most effective way of teaching to these various ways of learning. These methods include group work, hands-on activities, buddy work, etc. Assessment of children should follow the same idea. When children get the chance to perform on different assessments, they can adequately show their strengths and weaknesses. I do not wish to rely on tests only to assess the students in my class. Some types of assessment that I think should be inlcuded in a classroom are journals, presentations, projects and interviews. I also think that the classroom should be run with the help of the children. By distributing jobs among the childre n and everyone participating in the classroom, the students will form a sense of togetherness. This will eventually create a community within the classroom. I feel that this community of learners is essential for the students to perform effectively and efficiently. They will feel comfortable in the environment and will not be afraid to take risks or ask questions. The teacher will also be a member of this community and will not be seen as unapproachable or as the only leader. The teacher should also not be seen as the facilitator of all information in the classroom. The students should be looking to other sources for information, including each other, books, and technology. There should be many points of view exemplified in each subject area. The students will be able to state their opinion and also listen to the other students' views. I believe that the curriculum should be flexible. While teaching a certain subject, if the students wish to learn about something else or move into a different idea, I want to be able to do that. I do not want to say that we aren't going to have enough time to cover something.

The Cask of Amontillado Essay

Rocio Cruz Professor Fred Kille English 102 February 3, 2013 The Cask of Amontillado Essay â€Å"A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself as such to him who has done the wrong† Some people are driven to do wrong by enviousness and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is one good example of such. The story tells the event of the murder of Fortunato in the hands of Montresor, the narrator.Although many critics argue that Montresor acted out of self- righteousness, one cannot conclude such due to the lack of credibility that can be accounted to him and his malice. Montresor is an unreliable, malicious narrator who shows to have contrasting feelings of guilt and remorse towards his crime against killing Fortunato. Montresor, through his own telling of the events, showed not only that he is not accountable for credibility but he also showed that his main mo tif to kill Fortunato was enviousness. Perhaps the most revealing reason to asses that Montresor is not a just person is that he lacked evidence to condemn Fortunato.For instance, Montresor opens the story by saying â€Å"the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. † These latter lines are all the reader knows of Fortuno’s presumed crime which suggests that there was no concrete wrongdoing from Fortuno after all; therefore revealing that Montresor acted without proof and out of malice. In further support of the claim that the narrator is bad-natured is that he also shows to be a cynic. Throughout the story he constantly refers to Fortunato as â€Å"my friend†.The fact that Montresor does not use negative words to refer to Fortunato tells the audience that he is attempting to protect his self-image and that he acted with hypocrisy. By the same token, the way Montresor talks about Fortuno conve ys that he was somewhat envious. While they were already in Montreso’s mansion, he admits to Fortuno â€Å"your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was†. This words are enough to disclose that Montreso was jealous of the place that Fortunato held in society; perhaps implying that Montresor himself once occupied the same place.Not only does Montresor show that he murdered Fortunato unjustifiably but he also seems to live with mixed feelings of guilt and remorse. Following his atrocity, the narrator of the story seems to live with guilty responsibility of killing Fortunato counteracting what many people believe. Montresor’s remorse came right after the crime was committed. â€Å"There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick-on account of the dampness of the catacombs,† says Montresor.To clarify, the narrator first admits that he felt unease in his heart and then, almost like t rying to convince himself, he attributes this feeling to the â€Å"dampness of the catacombs† showing that his conscience was the true causer of this heart â€Å"sickness†. Another clue that tells the reader that Montresor felt guilty is that, although no one certainly knows who the intended audience of the story is, he is conceivably justifying himself to God. In the first paragraph of the story, Montresor says, â€Å"You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat†.By admitting that â€Å"You† knows â€Å"the nature of [his] soul† the reader can draw the conclusion that it might be someone divine who he is talking to for who else would know him so well? In the same manner, he is asking this divine being to not judge his crime so heavily for he did not simply â€Å"give utterance to a threat†. Likewise, another fact that serves as evidence that Montresor is that he is telling the eve nts fifty years later. This goes to show that the event has haunted the narrator for half a century since he not only recalls everything but is taking the time to tell the story.The narrator of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† showed, through his own telling of the events, not only an unreliable narrator but also an envious man that is now living in remorse. The events that led to the assassination of Fortunato do not excuse Montresor as he believes they do. From the way in which Montresor â€Å"brags† his â€Å"perfect crime† the reader can draw the conclusion that he is not but a malicious member of society who tries to justify his wrongdoings by attributing them to the honor of him and his famiy.

Organizational Analysis: Apple Inc. Essay

Apple Inc. is an iconic United States technological company based in Cupertino, California. Apple is engaged in the development of World changing consumer electronic products such a mobile phones, music media devices, tablets, and personal computers. The company also sells and creates operating system software, peripherals and delivery of third-party digital content (iTunes) to consumers. Apple sells its products and services via it 250 U.S. and 140 international retail stores worldwide (Europe, Japan and Asia-Pacific), online stores and third-party wholesalers, retailers and resellers. As of September 29, 2012 Apple has 72,800 full-time employees and 3,300 temporary employees and contractors. Apple is one of the largest and most innovative companies in the world with increased net sales from $65 billion in 2010, $108 billion in 2011 and $156 billion in 2012. (Apple 10K) Two young entrepreneurs; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded the company in 1997. They relied on each other different strengths to propel the business forward. Wozniak was the technical know person and Jobs was the visionary who knew how to conceptualize the product. One of their early computer products was called Apple II. The next big product that brought Apple to the forefront of the computer industry was the introduction of the first Macintosh computer reveled to the world in 1984. Apple spent over 30 million dollars on the advertising of the product, which also launched the famous and iconic television ad that ran during the Super Bowl. Over the years the company has survived management conflicts were Steve Jobs left the company for many years, but was brought back 1997 to help revive Apple from dismal stock prices and competitors. In short, under Steve Jobs leadership the company shifted its focus towards making the best innovative and uniquely designed products Worldwide for consumers. (WPost) Structure: Organizational structure that keeps Apple â€Å"alive† is uniquely different than other multinational companies, but they still follow distinct rules of a well-function organization. To help understand Apple’s structure, we first need to look what is the company’s purpose. Apple wants to be number one at creating some of the best and innovative products for consumers that brings life changing user experience to customers. Formalization – Apple is derived from the create quadrant of the CVF were they pay close attention innovation and envision the future, but at the same they also have a very formal structure that is running in full start-up mode at all times and they can still take part in spontaneous actions without the politics and red tape of normal large companies Centralization – One of the key drives of Apple’s corporation is that they are a highly collaborative company that works really well together in the decision making process, but I would also say they are combination of a highly centralized and decentralized type of business. Hierarchy – Consisted of Steve Jobs being the visionary and visible leader of the company till his recent death. The person now steering the ship is Tim Cook, who is a veteran Apple employee and has been appointed several times as stand-in CEO in the past. Apple has what would be considered a tall organizational structure, but still unique because of how they foster collaboration. Complexity – Like any large multinational company Apple has an array of 10 Top Executives, Board of Directors and a CEO Tim Cook (Apple bios). Integration – Apple is a highly integrated organization, but once again due to how collaborative the company is, different organizational units and sub-units work very well together to meet the core objectives and goals of the company. Leader-Follower Relationships: Apple is probably one of the best in the tech industry, even though Steve Jobs has passed away. â€Å"Entrepreneurial leaders leave a lasting imprint on the structures on the organizations they found,† which is the case with Apple being led by Tim Cook now. The management styles are a little bit different between the two men, but the revenue numbers speak for themself in this situation. Apple’s structure allows the current CEO to carry on with business as it did in the past with the exception of trying figure out what would Steve Jobs do in this scenario of keeping Apple a vibrant company. Steve Jobs watched companies like Walt Disney be non-productive after their CEO passed away and did not want that for Apple, so he explained to Tim Cook â€Å"don’t ever try to figure out what would I have done in a certain situation, just do what is right for the company† (MSNBC). I think this type of leader-follower relationship transcends throughout the Apple organiza tion very well. Stakeholder relationships on the surface seem to be in very good standings. Apple is a leader in so many ways with making superior products; they are number one, who doesn’t want to be a part of the Apple machine? For example, the recently opened Apple store in Grand Central Station, all forms of stakeholders are benefiting from that deal; consumers, employees, Grand Central, New York City etc. Multiply that by various locations around the world and we have a majority of happy stakeholders ready to follow with open arms all because of the structure of how Apple operates its company. Productivity and performance due the company’s organizational structure allows Apple to be number one. For example, when netbooks were all the rage and Apple was introducing the first iPad and started coining the phrase we are now entering into â€Å"post-pc era,† some people or industries did not take that statement serious, but look at the numbers now. 95% of all web traffic from tablets are from iPads and it is only increasing every year (AllthingsD). The benefit and cost of the current structure is very evident all over the world, especially when Apple has a new product launch. It’s like a cult following (in a good way). For example, people start lining up all over the world; to get their hands on whatever product is being released; online sales via Apples website will start to have a 3 to 4 weeks backorder on products because they are in such high demand. Basically the current structure allows Apple to achieve high net sales on all products being sold and keeps their position as number one consumer product seller in the world. Culture At Apple, the work culture was driven by a passion for new products with no end to challenges and opportunities. Apple became the pioneer of the â€Å"Work Hard Play Hard† ethic. The corporate culture at Apple was exemplified by its intense work ethics. Al though it’s work environment was relaxed and casual, there was a very strong commitment to company deadlines. Apple was based on an idea that self-motivated individuals will work harder if they do not have a boss micromanaging every action. This unique structure of Apple had allowed it to grow and react more quickly to changes than its competitors like IBM and Microsoft. The reason Apple took action to a quick responsiveness, is that it was much easier to get a project started if there are only a few people to obtain approval from. One view of Apple’s leader follower relationship can be explained by how quickly Apple initially grew. Due to the ability to have employees make decisions at the lowest possible level. Corporate headquarters made policy and oversaw all activities, but the local employees made the day-to-day decisions in countries all over the world. This type of top-down philosophy allowed for quick responsiveness and resolutions to situations without involving the corporate headquarters, thus avoiding corporate red tape. Analysts have been known to summarize the work culture at Apple as fun, yet demanding. â€Å"Culture helps focus individual effort directly on achieving the organization’s objectives.† (Greenwald, P207) The Apple experience as a stakeholder has always been about the user experience not just the technology, even though the majority of the market didn’t care about that Apple wanted to be different. Apple is a company that is in the business of making markets vs. addressing markets. The Apple ego is a belief that it is the best company in the world and it should carry itself that way, all its lenders, employees, software designers and customers understand its ego and for those who don’t like it found out it has become a call to arms for all of the company’s stakeholders. Another way to view Apple is that it doesn’t ask people what they need but gives them products they decide they want. Think about a simple question, does anyone need an iPhone or iPad? Not really, but a lot of people seem to want them. Apple’s culture is based on some basic facts that really drive its productivity performance. It is a vertical integration company where most of technology is developed in house for its key products and it will have key advantages over other less vertically integrated companies and Apple makes â€Å"cool† products. Attention to design and detail, fit and finish really distinguishes Apple’s products from competitors. The iPod was not the first digital music player and the iPhone was not the first smart phone and the iPad is not the first portable computing device. But having differentiated business models where Apple develops and innovates products with key features like the iPod+iTunes and iPhone+App Store provides a strong competitive advantage, where this process makes it difficult for competitors to match what Apple is producing in a timely fashion. Apples culture produces and offers very clear and simple set of products. It’s easy to understand the differences between their products, product families and the various configurations where many other companies complicate things unnecessarily. Apple’s employees had to run their own show and work in a challenging and creative environment. Apple adopted a style that was not too formal or hierarchical and a more results-driven approach, which worked best for them. Apple fostered a culture of secrecy. The demand for absolute secrecy and insistence on control were infused into the company culture right from the beginning. â€Å"My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.†(Steve Jobs, 2010) Human behavior The understanding of the human behavior at the Apple organization has truly shaped its design, structure, function and culture by the following points. * Apple employees understand that a key internal emphasis at the company is that it cares about the design of its products more than any other firm in the market, unlike Microsoft who has done a poor job of creating aesthetically pleasing products. Apple’s focus on design shows it understands what consumers want and how to meet those needs and desires, and it sets out to beat any and all expectations. The pressure falls onto an employee who doesn’t help the company meet those needs they may end up with another company sooner than later. * Apple is known to do everything differently; therefore employees need to forget what they ever knew about the technology world. Whether it’s the design of products, system for developing ideas for new products or the way it handles data everything is different at Apple. Employees who function similar to a past employer is a mistake that could cause trouble within the rank and file. * Apple takes it flaws to heart and listens when it hears people criticize its products. They respond with firm tone and harsh statements in ways that other companies in the industry would not dare to replicate. Apple doesn’t like being told that it’s wrong. * Apple will never admit defeat no matter how badly its products are getting beaten. The company seems to find ways of turning itself around and out of the hole with an right strategies business action that saves the day. Nowhere is that more evident than in the computing market. With the results that Apple is setting record profits. * Apple understands attention to detail is key strategy that will pay off in the long run. Apple goes that extra mile which has become a staple of the company’s vision and it’s something that it expects from its employees. * Apple’s focus on technology domination worldwide is everything that the late Steve Jobs aspired to be. It was his ultimate goal to not only compete with his competitors in the all the markets his company competes in but rather destroy them. He wanted to make it clear to the world that his company was the best and would beat them all. At apple he established a culture that would help him achieve his legacy. Communication and decision making styles We know that the form of communication within an organization is directly reflective of its structure. Information is transmitted through diverse methods such as speech, writing, symbols, and body language. (Greenwald, Organizations; Management without controls, 2008) At Apple, communication is what they sell and what they welcome. â€Å"Whether or not you as an Apple employee choose to create or participate in a blog, wiki, online social network or any other form of online publishing or discussion is your own choice. In general, what you do on your own time is your business. However, activities that affect your job performance, the performance of other Apple employees, or Apple’s business interests are still covered by company policies and guidelines. This applies whether you engage in these activities in or outside of work, and whether or not you identify yourself as an Apple employee.† (Heath, Alex, 2012) It is clear that Apple knows that it is to protect itself from the very creative minds it cultivates. This policy leaves no room for unnecessary overlap. Business is business and that is what matters. â€Å"Apple runs an extremely tight ship, with tiny product groups; just two engineers were given the task of writing the code to convert the Safari browser to run on the iPad, a task that on its face seems like a huge undertaking that other companies such as Microsoft or Google might have devoted dozens of people to.† (The Dictatorship, 12) Apple, as a formal organization has had a long history of capturing informal leaders. The previous excerpt is from an article, which also describes the gathering of 100 exclusive employees. They were not all at same pay grade and or security clearances but they could be trusted to keep dates and products a secret as well as to give their honest opinions. â€Å"Every executive action, product or project has a â€Å"DRI† – directly responsible individual – who carries the can (or laurels) for its outcome.† (Heath, Alex, 2012) â€Å"The creative process at Apple is one of constantly preparing someone – be it one’s boss, boss’s boss, or oneself – for a presentation to Jobs,† writes Adam Lashinsky, who calls him â€Å"a corporate dictator who makes every critical decision – and oddles of seemingly noncritical calls too†. (Heath, Alex, 2012) While Apple does subscribe to what may be considered a ‘normal’ type of policy and set of norms, we often learn of the overlapping, dictator-ran, bully-driven ship that shines through in their product releases and market bravado. Observations: Our observations of Apple employees are limited to Apple Store ® employees. Although we have included various reports and accounts of encounters between Steve Jobs and other executives, we find it necessary to compare the culture levels on the outer bands of this grand organization. Passing by the Apple Store in any mall, it is apparent how different the selling atmosphere is. The products are all sprawled out for customers to play with and engage in. There is nearly a 1:1 staff/customer ratio. They have a â€Å"genius bar† where any consumer holding a MAC product can bring their device to for assistance. The environment is alive and vibrant. These geniuses are the face of the company to the everyday employee and they are raised and bread by Apple. They are taught communication styles, they are integrated into the norms and values of the Apple brand and they execute a marketing and sales strategy that benefits the customers and the company. This is done through verbal communication, non-verbal communication and symbolic communication. The entire store is a symbol of Apple. The training manual for the Apple Genius explicitly trains the employees on nonverbal queues and communications to control each interaction (Biddle, 2012). Apple Inc. executives could teach a PhD level course in human behavior and how to influence. It. Just as with any other product or organization, saturation levels are pushed if we don’t pay special attention to how we grow our business. In the early stages, Apple was more of a novelty and so could afford to hire ‘like’ minds to mind their storefronts. Having to expand its numbers in an effort to combat other retailers for sales, Apple has had to let in a second tier of mildly interested individuals who would be just as happy working for Geek squad ® at BestBuy ® or any other tech driven retail outlet. The promise of â€Å"first dib’s† and other benefits are now comparable to family discounts received throughout the malls. This is not only acceptable but it is a welcomed change in personnel type for Apple ®. The dictatorship can freely set plans for stores without worrying about everyone trying to become the next ‘Steve Jobs’. Part 2 – Team Analysis Team Formation: The team assignment was posted to the module 3 team assignment, but did not clearly state who the teams were comprised of. In an effort to be proactive and to get started on creating a team, Jim reached out to the entire class to try and obtain volunteers to work as a team to complete the assignment. Team member volunteers emailed Jim expressing their interest. Thirty minutes after his initial email, our team was formed. Initially the team consisted of Jim Fiorino, Amber Winters, Jason Shanks, Khari Clarendon, Kevin Connolly, and Michael Keys. Shortly after we formed this team, Dr. Kymn clarified team assignments and sent out communication to the class helping to bring clarity to the assignment. Dr. Kymn honored our volunteer formed team, minus Kevin who had previously left our class. The team formed is a formal organization, working and communicating with each other according to standardized patterns recognizable by everyone (Greenwald, 2008) as students under the larger group we all belong to, the Empire State MBA program. The team selection process reflected our coursework in our Human Systems and Behavior class, as well as earlier class work specifically Competing Values Framework (CVF). Our team has charged itself with finding the perfect balance to the 4 quadrants of the CVF, COLLABORATE, CREATE, COMPETE and CONTROL. The entire team is a group of independent and busy individuals who are all focused on completing the assignment on time, and making sure that we all contribute equally to the assignment given. Team members agreed to be flexible and focused in this process with the ultimate goal in site, a successful organizational analysis. Organization Selection Process: A list of companies was suggested via course email by Michael Keys and was sent to the team for consideration. The list included The Apple Store, Home Depot, Target, Macy’s, and Gap stores. Through email discussions, it was decided by consensus that the group would analyze Apple stores. Mike in the role of team liaison, texted Dr. Kymn with our result, and our selection was approved. Self managing teams are defined as groups of workers assigned the responsibility for making decisions over the manner in which work will be carried out, setting schedules, assigning individuals to perform specific functions, and evaluating members’ performance (Greenwald, Organizations. Management Without Control, 2008). This is a true example of our team, we all need to manage our own time and make decisions that are going to support the timelines discussed on our conference call and complete the specific assignments (specific functions) described earlier. Team Roles and Tasks Roles naturally defined themselves as our team members learned more about each other. Jim’s initial outreach to the entire class identified him as our team’s natural LEADER and PROJECT MANAGER. He was charged with keeping the team on task, on time and on topic. He also promoted positive and timely communication, key to the success of any organization. Our group by nature, is limited to strictly verbal/written communication in our virtual learning environment. This communication mode is characterized by use of words and numbers. Verbal communication has clear advantages over other modes for the exchange of deliberate messages. Transmission of data is always a verbal process (Greenwald, 2008). Amber took on the role of EDITOR and PROOFREADER. A major challenge of the approach our team took to writing this paper was creating it in five voices. The role of editor is important to put the paper in one voice. She also is responsible for reviewing the paper of grammar and typos. The team members shared a few common roles. We all played the role of TEAM MEMBER, RESEARCHER and WRITER. By assigning sections to each team member, we were individually responsible for researching our portion. Following the compilation of our research, we were each independently responsible for writing our 2 page section. Team Responsibilities: After agreeing on the organization to analyze, Jim reached out to the team and we agreed to have a conference call on Sunday December 9th to discuss next steps and to assign the work. Prior to the call Mike had sent out an email stating that he had already completed sections A & B of part 2, which was a great way to get everyone motivated on getting this assignment completed early. During the conference call, the work was split up among the team. Mike already completed A & B, Jason was assigned C & D, Khari was assigned E & F, and Amber was assigned G. Jim volunteered to take all of part two, the team analysis. During this meeting it was agreed that all team members would try and write two pages on their sections to meet the minimum assignment target of ten pages if the content. We agreed that each of our sections were to be completed by Wednesday night and emailed to Jim all of our work can be consolidate and sent over to Amber to allow her time to complete her part of the assignment. During this conference call we all agreed that we will regroup on Wednesday December 12th, to make sure that we are all complete with our sections and to seek assistance if needed. Team Outcomes: Our successful organization, role structure and communication allowed our team to be productive and successful. There were no disagreements or conflict and we all agreed that we want to complete the assignment early, but be successful in doing so. The entire team worked collaboratively with good discussions through positive verbal communication. . All of us shared in ideas and agreed on a time commitment and schedule. People who are collaborative share the same objectives, mutual and equal contributions, and a sense of collectivity among the group, producing a work environment that is free of conflict and tension (Cameron, Quinn, Degraff, & Thakor, 2006). Our two page sections were all emailed to our TEAM LEADER on time. He combined them and sent them to Amber for review and editing and for the summary to be completed. All team members met their obligations as agreed. Team Assessment: Our team can be defined as a high performance team. A high-performance team can be defined as a group of people with specific roles and complementary talents and skills, aligned with and committed to a common purpose, which consistently show high levels of collaboration and innovation that produce superior results. (Hanlan, 2004). The high-performance team has individuals who are highly skilled and are able to interchange their roles and are flexible. Our team operated in this exact manner and had positive outcomes. By definition, this is a good description of our team. Teams that are successful translate their common purpose into specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals. Specific goals facilitate clear communication and help teams maintain their focus on obtaining results (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Our time lines that we discussed on the conference call set clear goals and challenged the group to make sure that we left enough time for Amber to review the work and complete her section. Difficult goals have been found to raise the performance of team members especially to avoid letting down another member of the team (Robbins & Judge, 2009). Forming teams is almost always more productive than having people work by themselves (Cameron, Quinn, Degraff, & Thakor, 2006). This is very true when you have a team like ours that was very collaborative throughout the entire process. Because we were able to work independently, we are able to bring our own ideas to our assigned sections. Many new ideas come from individuals being given the time and resources and allowed to work apart from the normal activities of the organization (Cameron, Quinn, Degraff, & Thakor, 2006) Team Grade: As a team, we have agreed that our work qualifies for a minimum of an A-. We completed the project as assigned. It is our belief we met the challenge of this project by applying the tools of this class successfully. Through organization, structure, communication, role defining and proactivity, we were able to avoid conflict and complete this project on time and in good quality. Our established set of norms that exist within the graduate structure of this class set a good base for the team members to start from. Our team led the class in team creation before the professor was able to clarify the approach. We consider ourselves leaders. We are sure the paper isn’t perfect, no product from any working team is. But what it IS, is a successful compilation of teamwork. SUMMARY: Apple Inc. is a perfect company to analyze through the human behavior lens because their founders understood and structured their company with human behavior in mind. They considered their people and the behaviors that were desired, but they also pay close attention to the consumers and their behaviors. Jobs maintained a company by building a structure, culture, set of norms and values that fostered creativity. He was a genius of people and technology. Jobs did this at apple under 7 rules of success (his norms/values). Rule one is passion, because most people fail because they don’t love what they do. Rule number two is build a team of great people, success hinges on the ability to identify talent and the know how of building successful teams. Rule number three is vision. One must never lose sight of the big picture. Rule number four is creativity; you have to think outside of the box in business and in practice. Rule number five is to learn to say no more often. It’s all about the power of focus. Rule number six is help customers reach their dreams. If you don’t solve a problem, if you don’t accomplish a dream, you don’t have a business. Finally, work on your marketing message (communication externally). Trumpet your success and deliver it in a way people want to hear about it. Don’t be the norm or fill the status quo. (Gallo, 14 O) Steve Jobs says â€Å"Apple is an incredible collaborative company.† Did you know that? Do you by chance know how many committees they have at Apple? ZERO! Teamwork is key to Apple. Teamwork, in terms of trusting that people that will deliver what they committed to without watching them all the time. Jobs set up a training environment that taught his people about people and how to interact with them and get them to achieve the desired result (sales). There is a cult like following not only because of the quality of product, but because of the great care the leaders at Apple took to create and maintain their company in a way that considers (and possibly manipulates) human behavior. Recommendations for Apple Inc. are a bit more complex. With Jobs passing, Tim Cook is just starting to get his feet wet in running and driving the company. Consumers and employees have a high expectation for apple. In terms of structure and communication, roles and culture, it seems Apple is a leader. It will continue to be important for Apple to define that fine line between taking advantage of their knowledge of human behavior and manipulating it for strictly gain. Their technology has also been a leader in the industry. However they have many competitors who are catching up and arguably, surpassing them. The question will be how so they stay ahead and keep their creative people happy. It may require a new out of the box thinking. With new leadership in Cook, it is likely that there will be changes. He will have to establish himself with his people and his consumers who so loved his predecessor. References Cameron, K. S., Quinn, R. E., Degraff, J., & Thakor, A. V. (2006). Competing Values Leadership. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing. Greenwald, H. P. (2008). Organizations. Management Without Control. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Hanlan, M. (2004). High Performance Teams. Westport: Praeger Publishers. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2009). Organizational Behavior. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall. All Things D. (2012, May 25). Mobile devices now make up about 20 percent of U.S. web traffice. Retrieved from AllthingsD.com: http://allthingsd.com/20120525/mobile-devices-now-make-up-about-20-percent-of-u-s-web-traffic/ Apple. (2012, December 9). Apple Press Info. Retrieved from Apple.com: http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/ Apple Inc. (2012, December 9). Investors Relaitons. Retrieved from Apple.com: http://investor.apple.com/financials.cfm MSNBC. (2012, December 7). Rock Center – Apple CEO on challenge of keeping company cutting edge. Retrieved from Video.msnbc: http://video.msnbc.ms n.com/rock-center/50112247#50112247 Washington Post. (2012, December 9). Apple: A history of one of the world’s most valuable companies. Retrieved from Washingtonpost.com: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/apple-a-history-of-one-of-the-worlds-most-valuable-companies/2012/02/29/gIQA1VFVmR_gallery.html#photo=1 Don Reisinger (2010) Apple’s Corporate Culture: 10 Lessons for Staying in Steve Good Graces, Enterprise IT Technology News, retrieved from: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/Apples-Corporate-Culture-10-Lessons-for-Staying-in-Steve-Jobs-Good-Graces-825505/