International business management - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1206 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? INTRODUCTION: Coming together is a beginning Keeping together is progress working together is success. Henry Ford Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "International business management" essay for you Create order This report describes the successful application of reflective learning to promote critical self-awareness and improve both individual and team performance, in a group project work assessment for MSc in International Business Management at LJMU. Boyd and Fales (1983) defined reflection as: The process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience ,which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self and which results in a changed conceptual perspective. According to the suggestions of Kolb learning cycle, i.e. Reflective observation (watching) Abstract conceptualization (thinking) Active experimentation (doing) Concrete experience (feeling) The team members engaged themselves in reflective practice of Assimilating, Organizing, Implementing and Executing the assessment on Burberry case study. (Jennifer Annoon, 2000) GROUP WORK ANALYSIS: Many professional bodies and educational quality institutions now require that students have proven experience of working in groups or teams (Blease, 2006 in Kelly 2007). Hence forth we formed a group to invigilate the challenges and issues that the Trafford group was confronting. To compliment this, catholic youth council (1980) also stated that when examining the relative success and failure amongst group works, the selection process may be a key variable in establishing criteria for successful group work. 1. GROUP FORMATION: For this particular assessment, the group was christened by choice and acceptance i.e. students were given the liberty to select a peer and later on were clubbed with another team to form a clique. A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others. Initially group was formed with low level of conflicts and high level of group cohesion. The presentation was due in 3 weeks; the roles were assigned, norms were laid and work was divided as a part of group contract. Scheduled meetings were altered at regular intervals considering team members availability and preferences. The members in the group had 4 attributes namely activist, reflector, pragmatist and theorist. Honey and Mumford linked Kolbs learning cycle with the personal attributes. 4 Members A(reflector)- reviewing and observation B(theorist)- developed thought process and conclusion C(pragmatist)- applied theory in practice with the existing ideas D(activist)- application through action in a new circumstance with new ideas. 2. GROUP DEVELOPMENT Effective teamwork plays a vital role in group development. The key factors which effect the group are conflict management, personality traits, individual performance and time management Shaw and Barrett Power (1998) explained group development and the creation of a productive working /learning with the help of a model showing the effect of diversity and small group processes on performance. The model reflects that a successful group work requires open communication, symbiosis, effective conflict management discussion of strategy and the appropriate weighing of individual inputs into decisions. Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a four stage model of group development. He labeled the stages forming, storming, norming, performing and ten years later added a fifth stage called adjourning. In the first week, our group was in the forming stage. Initially all members were confused and uncertain in assessing the assigned work. We did the Big Five Locater (Kelly) personality test to assess the personality trait clusters of each individual in the team. This helped each member to analyze each other. Group contract helped us to overcome these barriers by defining the goals, establishing rules and getting acquainted to the task in hand. During the first week of discussion, time consensus was a big issue, as couple of members had their vocations. There was constant atoning of the schedule, which had spilled the beans for a conflict. However according to Maddux R.B., (1998) conflict is healthy when it causes the group to explore new ideas, test their standards and beliefs and stretch their imagination. When conflict is dealt constructively, people can be stimulated to great creativity, which will lead to a wider choice of action and better results. Another important aspect was that the group was more into planning than execution (Schon, 1983). In the later part of the second week the group progressed well by understanding each other and got settled down as an appeased group. A whole brained approach for development and execution is an essential constituent to stimulated long term productivity (Eales-White,2005). This approach was taken by the group members by applying a variety of different learning abilities towards common objectives which was more focused and integrated, which helped in enhancing the Burberry case study. With a combination of formal and informal practices group gained a potential competitive advantage while performing. 3. CRITICAL EVALUATION AND REFLECTIONS: Group conflict is essential for a groups cohesion. It helps groups identify areas of common values; provides group stability through shared beliefs, helps to balance the difference between extreme ideologies and helps to clarify roles and structures frequently. If managed constructively, conflict can be a strong indicator of the groups effectiveness (Mary Holz-Clause, 1996) Issues: Time Consensus: One of the serious hurdle faced by the members during the discussions were meeting the time requirement. Although all had opined to meet on an agreed time. The attendance was really an impeding factor. There was constant atoning of the schedule which resulted in frequent feuds between the members giving rise to clouds of disharmony amid group. Cold war: The transmission of information and exchange of meaning between two or more people is communication and lack of which can lead to ambiguous situations, where people may differ in the reception of intended meanings (Buchanan and Huczynski ). We were initially distracted by the pall of uncertainty that was prevailing due to profuse interpersonal misconceptions. The group was deprived of amiable and cordial environment as none were gelling together. The varied attributes and behavioural differences among the members of the group proved to be significance for the meetings but at the same time, differences in ideologies and perceptions lead to clashes. Personal Commitments: Another persistent worry was the prior commitment of the members. Couple of them were employed and we found it really challenging to have their presence in the meeting during the initial stages of the discussions. They had irregular shifts which aggravated the situation furthermore. Lack of Acceptance: Members were too much into there own findings that they gave less importance to others work. REFLECTIONS: The recurring issues had to be solved and the garbage can model (Cohen, March and Olsen, 1972) was used which suggests a scenario where decisions have a random element to them. For an effective decision to be reached, the problems and solutions had to come together. Bringing them together was a challenge. Developing the ability to identify relevant problems and seeking radical solutions by bringing the right people together at the right time. In order for them to reach the sometimes radical decisions that will be needed in often turbulent environment (Ian Brooks, 1999). Conclusion REFERENCE: BROOKS, Ian and Cohen etal.(1999).Decision making.Organisational behaviour-individuals, groups and the organisation,Pearson Education.edi.5.p.32 BUCHANAN, David and HUCZYNSKI, Andrzej(2004).chapter6Communication.Organisational communication- commitment and propaganda,Pearson Education.p.207 CLAUSE Mary Holz.(1996), https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c6- 55.html, date accessed 23/03/08

Why Did Enron Fall - 1804 Words

Why, why did Enron fall? On December of 2001, the nation’s seventh largest corporation valued at almost $70 billion dollars filed for bankruptcy. Illegal and fraudulent accounting procedures would led to the demise of the company. Over 20,000 people lost their jobs, and about $2 billion in pensions and retirement funds disappeared. Despite all this, Kenneth Lay, Jeffrey Skilling and Anthony Fastow profited greatly from Enron. These events resulted in the implementation of new legislation on the accuracy of financial reporting for public companies. The fall of Enron became known as the largest corporate bankruptcy in the United States at the time. CEO Kenneth Lay was a very smart man who always thought ahead of the curve. In his search for new opportunities, he started thinking about the deregulation of energy markets, particularly the natural gas market. Then in 1985, Lay eventually founded Enron in Houston, Texas. This was the result of merging two relatively small regional natural gas pipeline companies: Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth. In 1987, the misappropriation of money by two traders of Enron Oil brought to light the Valhalla scandal. These traders created offshore accounts and phony books, thus betting on the price of oil for Enron on both sides. Despite the executive board’s attempt to bring this case to Lay’s attention, no action was taken against these traders. On the contrary, they were encouraged to keep making money. The traders bet all of Enron’s moneyShow MoreRelatedThe Smartest Guys At The Room : The Amazing Rise And Scandalous Fall Of Enron1654 Words   |  7 PagesIn the Room† the amazing rise and scandalous fall of Enron goes into great detail of what happens when a company has no ethics. It could be said that ethics was the last thing on the minds of the executives that worked at Enron. 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Marx Philosophy and the End of History Free Essays

string(179) " This change was not permanent but would cease with the end of history, and there would finally emerge a classless society where each person enjoyed the fruits of his own labour\." Karl Marx is, without a doubt one of the most influential thinkers to emerge in the nineteenth century, and the theories he proposed, have influenced various regimes in different parts of the world. His success is the result of the flexibility present in his theories to adapt themselves to the times. In his mid twenties Marx, turned away from philosophy and concentrated his attention more towards the economic and political aspects of the society. We will write a custom essay sample on Marx Philosophy and the End of History or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was in the light of economics that he viewed the problems in society and sought to provide a remedy to it. He viewed society not as an independent entity. Contrarily, he saw, society as a reflection of the progress made by History. The progress made by history always left behind a legacy in its trail. This legacy had a profound impact in the shaping of society. The validity of this statement can be proven, by citing the example of the poverty in the Africa Americans as the legacy of their history as slave labourers. However the direction of History was uncertain and could not be predicted. It was dictated by the economic factors present in society. The only certainty was that an, ‘end of history’ was inevitable. In his theory on Historical Materialism, Marx carefully analyses the various factors influencing the different stages in the growth of society from slavery to modern day capitalism. Thus the views of Marx can be summed up under, four basic principles. Firstly, he believed that society followed a straight law of motion and underwent various phases in order to get to the final stage of Communism. Secondly, the laws governing the society were purely economic in nature, for the only thing that shapes society are the ‘material tools of production. Thirdly, he believed that these laws would continue to be in force until the end of History. Fourthly, the classes and the State would perish with the end of History. However this end would be brought about by a bitter struggle of one class against another. It must be mentioned in this context, that Marx borrowed the concept of a dialectical history, with a cognate beginning, middle and end from Hegel. Marx’s main concern was the ‘State’, which he viewed as the main tool of exploitation. It is the State and its various institutions that are utilised by the dominant class to wield their power. He advocated that the State was the most powerful tool of exploitation, whose sole purpose was to represent the interests of the ruling class. He chose to study the State through the annals of History. To him only ‘History’, could reveal the secrets at work behind the evolution of the state and determine its future shape. However, Marx did not consider History to be an open-ended process. Instead he saw a definite ‘end in history’. This end would result in the downfall of Capitalism and ensue the coming of a new era of Communism. An end in History did not signify an end to human life, it simply meant that there would no longer be any changes in the underlying principles or institutions for all the major problems had been solved and man’s major needs fulfilled. Before we can elaborate on the ‘end of history’, as predicted by Marx, it is essential that we know what history is all about. Marx claims that History has not progressed in a straight line. The coherent development of human societies through the ages has been a result of the various regimes that it has undergone. Marx thus traces the evolutionary process from, tribal based societies which were dependant on slavery and agriculture for subsistence, to theocracies, monarchies, feudal aristocracies, modern liberal democracies and finally to the technologically driven Capitalism. In his study Marx points out that the fundamental element present in all these different societies is the ‘class’ system and the ‘means of production,’ which determined which class would be dominant in the society. The ‘Class’ and the subsequent ‘class struggle’ were the sine qua non of Marx’s theory. History showed that the class who controlled the means of production was the dominant class in society. It is the tools of ruthless dominance and exploitation used by the dominant class to maintain their authority that would one day turn against them and spearhead the inevitable revolutions. History has shown that every revolution brought about a change in the social structure. This change did not bring about an egalitarian order it simply replaced the old dominant class with a new one. The unequal social structure continued to exist. Every revolution just changed the composition of the oppressor and the oppressed. The day that the society became classless would be the day that History came to an end. This end was possible with the rise of Communalism. While proclaiming the advent of Communalism, Marx refused to give a cognate shape to his ideal society. He claimed that the final shape of Communism would be the result of the different historical processes that society underwent. It was not a realisation of a predetermined moral idea. When it came to classes, Marx outlined two major segments into which society was divided. They were the oppressed or the ‘Proletariat’ as he called them and the oppressor or the ‘Bourgeoisie’. When the levels of oppression reached its penultimate point the oppressed class rose in rebellion and the outcome of this rebellion was a new society. Thus Marx stated, â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing societies has been the history of class struggle.† The day history ceases to exist; classes shall also cease to exist. Marx in his theories always stressed on the Historical aspect and asserted that every society contained within itself the forces of contradiction, known as the ‘Thesis’ and ‘Anti Thesis’. When these two contradictory forces clashed against one another, a class struggle emerged that sought to change the shape of society and replace the existing dominant class with a new one. This change was not permanent but would cease with the end of history, and there would finally emerge a classless society where each person enjoyed the fruits of his own labour. You read "Marx Philosophy and the End of History" in category "Essay examples" In his theory on History Marx, points out that in a divided society the tools of production are owned by the dominant section of society who exploit the weaker classes in order to amass more wealth and gain strength. But, there would come a time, when the levels of consciousness would rise among the oppressed class and they would unite in a struggle against the oppressors. History is replete with such examples. The slave society was replaced by the feudal society and the feudal society by the Industrialists or the Bourgeoisie. The coming of the Industrialist Revolution brought a boom in the industry and a new class emerged as the dominant section. They were the Capitalist class who owned the means of production. Like its predecessors the Capitalist society also contained within itself the seeds of dissent. The Capitalists became the dominant class who usurped the means of production and relentlessly exploited the working class or the proletariat. It resulted in the alienation of the worker. The working class was denied of the fruits of its labour and while the rich grew richer the poor grew poorer. The chasm continued to widen with the increase in wealth in the hands of the Capitalists. Despite the contradictions in the Capitalist regime, the ‘Communist Manifesto’ begins by praising the Capitalist system. It says that the Capitalist system has played a revolutionary role in History. It has shown what man’s endeavours can achieve. It has accomplished wonders, which surpasses the wonders of the world. It has conducted exoduses, which have overshadowed all past crusades in the world. Having praised the Capitalist system they go on to say that Capitalism by nature is based on ‘competition’ and the ‘market’. The same dynamics that propel capitalism will also be the reason of its downfall. When there are no more markets left to explore and exploit, the entire buying and selling cycle would collapse. Capitalism would  Ã‚   suffer from the phenomenon of ‘overproduction’ and   would be brought down to its knees. Harping on the ills of Capitalism, the Marxian philosophy, states that the Capitalist system would soon displace the smaller and individual producers. Marx went to the extent of saying that History would witness the replacement of indigenous farming with industrial and mechanised farming. Once this level of exploitation was reached the end of history would not be far away. This exploitation would unleash an era of unemployment and misery among the working class. When living under such miserable conditions became unbearable, history would witness a revolution spearheaded by the working class. Thus what Capitalism produces above all is its own ‘gravediggers’. It is the working class that would lead the final revolution to successfully remove the yoke of Capitalism. But the end of History or Communism as Marx viewed it was not to be achieved easily. The intermediate stage between Capitalism and Communism was the ‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’. It was in this stage that the proletariat had complete control over the means of production as well as over the various institutions. The downfall of Capitalism, Marx claimed, would bring about the end of History. The phrase ‘end of history’ indicates a society based on Communism. It is a classless and egalitarian society where every man has full right over the fruits of his labour. From the ‘end of history’ there would emerge the final shape of the society. It would no longer undergo any more transformations, since all the major ills plaguing its predecessors had been removed. It was a society where man attained true economic freedom. Keeping in mind the fact that Marxism has a great deal of supporters it cannot be overlooked that the society Marx depicted in the end was more of a utopia rather than a reality. Though Marx’s philosophy has stood the test of times his views on the ‘end of History’ is yet to materialise. If we study the history of the world carefully we can see instances when the Marxian theory has borne fruit, but there have also been instances when the theory failed miserably. The theory of Marx was put to the test with the Russian Revolution. The theory defended itself by proclaiming that Russian society had not passed through the necessary stages in order to qualify as a successful communist society. Though the country was growing rapidly the society was predominantly feudal in nature. It had not been through the phase of Capitalism. The Soviet Union that was the glowing example of the success of Communism also faced failure. The downfall of the Soviet Union exposed the inherent corruption, inefficiency and irrationality present in the society. This picture of a communist society seemed to be absolutely contradictory to the egalitarian and classless society in a Communist Regime envisaged by Marx. The most important fact is that the ‘end of history’ is yet to manifest itself. With the ongoing scenario in the world Capitalism seems to have gained an even stronger foothold. Rather than an impending doom, capitalism is on a rise. The State that was supposed to wither away with the end of history is a far cry away. The State seems to be playing an even more important role today. It is far more intervening in the ways of man than predicted by man. Instead of being a tool of oppression the State has helped in maintaining stability, law and order in society. The end of history as envisaged by Marx is not easy to implement in practice. While envisaging an equal society Marx placed complete faith on the just and truthful nature of man. But man is by nature greedy. His wants keep increasing and to meet these wants he needs to amass resources. Thus, to think that man would be happy in his own little share would be a folly. It is inevitable that a man or a group of men would want to take over the reigns of power. Such a situation would lead to nothing but anarchy and chaos. It is because of the above reasons that the end of history seems such a far-fetched thought. The Marxian theory was not about right or wrong it was simply a theory of history. It followed the trends that had occurred in the past and on the basis of those sought to predict the future trends that would ensue. In so far that the theory acknowledged the presence of exploitation and domination in history it stands fully justified. It is only when it comes to predicting an end to Capitalism that the theory seems to falter. It seeks to attain the unattainable. In view of the above mentioned arguments, and in the light of the real world scenario, we can safely say, that, even though the political, economic and social institutions proposed By Marx are dead or dying away, his theory and influence on the world continue to exist. Works Cited Marx, . Karl,   Fredrick   Engels   and   David   Mclellan   ed,   The   Communist   Manifesto,   Oxford   World’s   Classics   1848 How to cite Marx Philosophy and the End of History, Essay examples