Hardness Tests And Charpy Impact Test

TITLE Hardness Tests And Charpy Impact Test OBJECTIVE 1. To compare the hardness of the carbon steel, mild steel and ASSAB steel using three different hardness tests, which are Vickers Hardness Test, Rockwell Hardness Test and Brinell Hardness Test. 2. To study the hardness of mild steel, carbon steel and ASSAB which is an important in engineering to design structures or components that related in mechanical properties 3. To determine the resistance of carbon steel and mild steel against sudden impact by Charpy Impact Test. INTRODUCTION Hardness is a measure of a material’s resistance to localized plastic deformation.It also is one of the important properties to be considered. Mechanical properties of metals are a vital of engineering to design the components which using predetermined materials such that unacceptable levels of deformation and failure will not occur. Hardness is a resistance of properties of material to permanent (plastic) deformation caused by steel ball or py ramid-shape diamond when it is pressed onto its surface. There will be three basic method of Hardness Test that will be carried out on carbon and metal: (a) Vickers Test (b) Rockwell Test (c) Brinell Test THEORY 1. Vickers TestVHN = Applied load / Surface area of depression = = 1. 854 P/ d2 (approximate) Where P = applied load (kgf) d = (d1+ d2) / 2 (mm) 2. Rockwell Test HRC = 100 – d /0. 002 HRB = 130 – d /0. 002 Where d = depth of the indentation 3. Brinell Test BHN = Applied force / curve area of indentation P / D/2 [D – (D? – d? )] = P / Dh WhereP = applied load (kgf) D = diameter of steel ball (mm) d = diameter of resulting indentation (mm) h = depth of indentation (mm) = ? [D – (D? – d? )] APPARATUS 1. Set of Vickers Hardness Test Machine . Set of Rockwell Hardness Test Machine 3. Set of Brinell Hardness Test Machine SPECIMENS Mild steel, carbon steel and ASSAB steel A) VICKERS HARDNESS TEST From this method square shape pyramid diamon d 136 ° was press to surface of metal using some load (5kgf until 120kgf) under certain time (15 sec) and lastly the load will release. Square shape corner on the metal surface will be used. To obtain the value of hardness, Vickers Hardness Number (VHN) is calculated as below: VHN=Mass of the loadSurface area of depression =2PSin136 °2d2 =1. 854Fd2approximately Where, P=applied forcekgf d=d1+d22B) ROCKWELL HARDENESS TEST This method has 2 main scales which are: a) Scale B, concavity is a steel ball (1. 58 mm? ) and load using is 100 kgf. b) Scale C, concavity is a cone diamond having corner 120 ° and load is 150 kgf. Rockwell hardness (HR) can be calculated as equation below: HRC=100-d0. 002 HRB=130-d0. 002 Where d=concavity C) BRINELL HARDNESS TEST From brinell hardness test, the harden steel ball has good diameter, D under the load and certain time will be use to get diameter concavity effect,d. BHN=LoadArea of concavity =PD2D2-d2 =P? Dh Where, P=loadkgf D=diameter of the st eel ballmm =diameter concavity effectmm H=internal concavity effectmm =12D-D2-d2 PROCEDURE a) Vickers Hardness Test 1. The specimen (Mild Steel) is put on the anvil of the Vickers hardness machine precisely. 2. The sample is focused until the lines on the surface of the sample can be observed clearly. 3. The focal lens of the microscope is turned to the indenter. 4. The indenter is then pressed into the sample. 5. The test force is maintained for a specific dwell time of about 15 seconds. 6. The indenter is removed when the dwell time is complete. 7. The square shape is appears on the surface of the sample. . The indenter is then turned back to the focal lens. 9. The size of the indent is determined by measuring the two diagonals of the square indent. 10. Step 1 to 9 is repeated for five times by using the same sample but at different part of the sample. 11. Step 1 to 10 is then repeated by using different sample, which is carbon steel. 12. All the readings taken are recorded in a t able. b) Rockwell Hardness Test 1. The sample of ASSAB steel is placed exactly on the anvil. 2. The anvil is wound slowly until the LED begins moving to ‘SET’ and the test is started automatically. 3.The indenter moves down into the position of the part surface of the sample. 4. The load is then applied on the sample for a specific dwell time of 15 seconds. 5. The readings taken are recorded from the indenter machine. 6. Step 1 to 5 is repeated for five times by using the same sample but at different part of the sample. 7. Step 1 to 6 is then repeated by using different sample of carbon steel. 8. All the readings taken are recorded in a table. c) Brinell Hardness Test 1. The sample of mild steel is placed accurately on the anvil. 2. The anvil is wound slowly until the edge of the indenter touches the surface of the specimen. . A handle on the right side of the testing machine is lifted slowly until the gauge shows 1000kgf. 4. The indenter is pressed on the sample by an accurately controlled force for about 15 seconds of dwell time. 5. The indenter is removed slowly after 15 seconds, leaving a round indent in the sample. 6. The diameter of the indent is taken by measuring two diagonals of the round indent by using a portable microscope. 7. Step 1 to 6 is repeated for two times for the same sample but at different portion of the sample. 8. Step 1 to 7 is repeated for another sample of carbon steel. RESULT VICKERS HARDNESS TESTMild Steel Mild Steel| Reading| Diameter,D1( µm)| Diameter,D2( µm)| Average( µm)| VHN| 1| 409. 0| 409. 8| 409. 4| 111| 2| 395. 2| 395. 2| 395. 2| 119| 3| 402. 5| 404. 2| 403. 35| 114| 4| 401. 1| 402. 3| 401. 7| 115| 5| 371. 7| 364. 3| 368. 0| 137| Average| 119. 2| Carbon Steel| Reading| Diameter,D1( µm)| Diameter,D2( µm)| Average( µm)| VHN| 1| 282. 4| 368. 1| 325. 25| 245| 2| 271. 2| 269. 0| 270. 10| 254| 3| 292. 6| 291. 0| 291. 80| 218| 4| 313. 5| 306. 2| 309. 85| 195| 5| 293. 4| 292. 6| 293. 00| 216| Average| 225. 6| ROCKWELL HARDENSS TEST Carbon Steel Reading| HRC| HV| 1| 24. 9| 265. 4| 2| 27. | 280. 4| 3| 27. 0| 279. 0| 4| 28. 3| 288. 4| 5| 28. 2| 287. 6| Average | 27. 12| 280. 16| ASSAB Steel Reading| HRC| HV| 1| 56. 9| 631. 0| 2| 57. 5| 643. 0| 3| 57. 4| 641. 0| Average | 57. 27| 638. 33| BRINELL HARDNESS TEST Mild Steel Reading| Diameter ,d(mm)| BHN| 1| 3. 5| 101| 2| 3. 6| 95| 3| 3. 5| 101| Average| 3. 53| 99| Carbon Steel Reading| Diameter ,d(mm)| BHN| 1| 2. 75| 165| 2| 2. 5| 200| 3| 2. 7| 271| Average| 2. 65| 212| DISCUSSION a) Vickers Hardness Test 1. From this experiment, we can conclude that the higher the Vickers Hardness Number (VHN) of a specimen, the harder the specimen is.We had being tested two specimen which is Carbon steel and Mild steel for Vickers hardness Test. Carbon steel has an average VHN of 225. 6 while the mild steel has an average VHN of 119. 2. This means that carbon steel is harder compared to mild steel. 2. The carbon steel is harder than mild steel because the re is a presence of carbon atoms within the atoms of the structure. When the external force is applied, the carbon atoms prevent the atoms in the structure into sliding over and slipping. b) Rockwell Hardness Test 1. From the Rockwell hardness test, we can conclude that the higher the HRC number of a specimen, the harder the specimen is. . ASSAB steel is a type of alloy steel and thus its composition is much different than that of carbon steel, causing it to possess higher hardness compared to carbon steel. 3. From the result obtained, ASSAB steel has an average HRC number of 57. 27 where as carbon steel has an average HRC number of 27. 12. This mean that AASAB steel is harder compared to the high quality carbon steel. c) Brinell Hardness Test 1. For two specimens which carbon steel and mild steel is being tested with brinell hardness test. The BHN values are obtained. The values are depends on the diameter of the indentation caused. 2.We can conclude that the higher the value of th e BHN, the harder the specimen is. 3. From the results, carbon steel has an average BHN of 212 while mild steel only as an average BHN of 99. This confirms that carbon steel is harder than mild steel. 4. Furthermore, the values of BHN obtained might be not accurate because of the limitation that caused human errors. It is difficult for the observer to note the exact diameter of the indentation through the microscope. CONCLUSION In conclusion, from the results we obtained, it is conclude that ASSAB steel is the hardest material, followed by carbon steel and then mild steel.The hardness of the steel is mainly affected by its composition and percentage of carbon. Carbon steel is absorbed energy is lower than the mild steel. Carbon steel is a brittle material compared to mild steel because of the higher percentage of carbon present in the steel. Thus, fractures almost immediately upon sudden impact. 2. Charpy impact test INTRODUCTION The Charpy Impact Test is the most commonly used test to determine material’s resistance to the impact or sudden fracture where a sharp stress raiser is present.Toughness is a measure of the ability of a material to absorb energy up of fracture. For dynamic (high strain rate) loading conditions and when a notch is present, notch toughness is assessed by using an impact test. Material that experiences very little or no plastic deformation upon fracture is termed brittle whereas material that experiences great deformation upon fracture is termed ductile. The fracture surfaces for brittle material, which has low-energy impact failure, are generally smooth, and in metals have a crystalline appearance.But for ductile material which has high energy fracture, has regions of shear where the fracture surface is inclined about 45o to the tensile stress, and they have in general a rougher, more highly appearance, called fibrous fracture. THEORY 45? 2 mm 45 mm 10 mm 30? Figure 1 45? 2 mm 45 mm 10 mm 30? Figure 1 In Charpy impact test, the specimen are arrange as shown in the above picture and every specimen is prepare will has a notch at the centre of the specimen and the hammer will clout at the region of the notch i. e. stress concentration point.The hammer is release from a specific high which the initial energy having by the hammer is 300J. The scale will show the energy absorbs by each specimen after the experiment and it is recorded. APPARATUS Charpy testing machine SPECIMENS Mild steel and carbon steel PROCEDURE 1. Mild steel and Carbon steel is used in this test. 2. The load was applied as an impact blow from a weighted pendulum hammer that was released from a cocked position at a fixed height. 3. The specimen was positioned at the base of the machine. 4.Upon release, a knife-edge mounted on the pendulum strikes and fractures the specimen at the notch, which acts as a point of stress concentration for this high velocity impact blow. 5. After the weighted pendulum hammer has swung to its original position, the specimen was removed from the vice and its fracture surface was observed. RESULT Specimen| Energy Absorbed / J| Mild Steel| 299| Carbon Steel| 30| DISCUSSION 1. In this experiment, we can see that the energy absorbed by mild steel (299J) is higher compared to the energy absorbed by carbon steel (30J).This shows that carbon steel is a more brittle material and mild steel is a more ductile material. 2. According to the result which energy absorbed by mild steel is higher and it is more ductile. In addition, carbon steel is a brittle due to presence of the carbon atoms in steel. The presence of these carbon atoms provide resistance for plastic deformation to occur by preventing atoms in the steel to slip and slide over each other. The high percentage of carbon atoms reduces the ability of the steel to absorb energy upon impact. 3.As we observe the experiment that we had done in lab, the carbon steel breaks almost immediately when subjected to sudden impact whereas the mild steel shows only deformation and did not fracture. 4. Besides the area where the carbon steel fractures is shinny and smooth which shows that it fractures without much deformation. 5. The diagram below shows fracture surface of the mild steel. 6. The diagram below indicates the fracture surface of the carbon steel. Based on the results, it is clear that the ductility of mild steel is higher than carbon steel.The presence of carbon in carbon steel has minimized its ability to absorb energy from the impact. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we can conclude that mild steel has a high level of ductility than carbon steel. Mild steel is tougher than carbon steel. REFERENCE 1. William F. Smith and Javad Hashemi â€Å"Foundation of Materials Science and Engineering† McGraw Hill, 2005 2. David D. Rethwish and William D. Callister â€Å"Fundamentals of Material Science and Engineering†, John Wiley & Sons, 2008 3. Lab worksheet 4. Rollesen â€Å"Metallurgy For Engineering†, ms 15

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No worry in failing: Empowering Coaching operates on the presumption that it’s fine to make errors, as long as these errors serve as experiences and lessons to the person. Through providing correct feedbacks about the performance of a person and demanding that the person learns for his/her errors, the leader ensures makes sure that failures are reduced and become less repeated and less serious. Through creating a responsible but supportive atmosphere, the leader assist his/her people to spend little time being worried about failing and more time endeavouring for excellence. This Crane (2007) explains is the way coaching empowers employees. The affect and influence of diversity on coaching Pohlman and Gardiner (2000) explain that, business leaders and managers are also part of the wider society and have to deal with challenges brought by diversity in their organizations. Those leaders and managers that are well prepared to deal with these challenges and exploit advantages of diversity will probably be successful by being effectual coaches in a diverse organization. Discriminatory practices are common within the society and, sometimes, these practices emerge in the workplace which could cause critical challenges for leaders and managers. Unjust issues of discrimination usually stem from societal prejudices, stereotypes as well as propaganda. Rather, than carrying on societal prejudices and treating employees unjustly based on the stereotypes and propaganda, business leaders and managers can use leadership and coaching the responds to the diversity by focusing on performance of each group and developing them progressively on the basis of their level of willingness to assume new responsibilities. As Pohlman and Gardiner (2000) asserts diversity cam lead to disaster with advancement programs like coaching and mentoring, the advancement programs such as mentoring and coaching are all an element of work performance and lack of understanding of diversity‘s affect on these processes, including who is being coached and who is coaching him/her, can influence the performance of workers. The issue of diversity requires that coaches examine a person beliefs and values together with understanding the skills that are required to suitably deal with these beliefs and values. Parsloe and Wray (2000) assert that, diversity just like communication is a reality in modern organizations. It is real and permanent; therefore its acceptance is a prerequisite of life if a coach is operate effectively in a coaching situation. Diversity makes work place to be more lively, interesting and less boring. At the same time it makes the coaching experience to be more challenging and very unpredictable. As Parsloe and Wray (2000) observes, it is common for coaches to be become upset by individuals’ actions, attitudes and general behaviours in a diverse work teams and group environment in present day workforce. Some of those actions, attitudes and behaviours nay make the coach or the leader or even other workers uncomfortable since they challenge their strongly held beliefs and values, which have been cemented in their subconscious minds over many years. Since a lot of organizations attempt to improve their productivity as well as competencies against their rivals, one tendency is attempting to cultivate a learning culture in their businesses. In order to attain this attempt, the leaders’ role ought to be transformed to developmental coach or leader who focuses much more on supporting workers to learn and make improvement to their competencies and motivation. To be highly successful in managing a diverse workforce, leaders involved in coaching must lead through incorporating coaching models and effective communication. Leaders should not just be conscious of their leading styles and adapt properly to employees willingness but must be conscious of their won individual traits regarding communication with their employees, this will strongly influence and establish their style of coaching. In a diverse setting Parsloe and Wray (2000) explain that the there are four coaching styles that can be adapted by the leader: †¢ Senser: the leader focuses on action and getting directly to the point †¢ Intuitor: the leader coaches the diverse group by sharing ideas, theories and concepts, and through motivating and inspiring focusing on the future. †¢ Feeler: the leader provides support and attention to the group and talks about the past †¢ Thinker: here the leader stays focused on rules, facts information and stipulated processes The coach has to comprehend emotional intelligence and strive to increase the performance of diverse workforce through self-conscious and being ware of his/her coaching style when leading.

Mcdonalds An Overview Of Company Commerce Essay

Mcdonalds An Overview Of Company Commerce Essay McDonalds is the number one worldwide foodservice retailer with over 33,000 local restaurants. These restaurants are located in 119 countries and together they manage to serve approximately 68 million people each day. McDonalds brand mission is to be our customers favorite place and way to eat. McDonaldsd worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers experience (mcdonalds.com). They also have seven specific values which are: placing customer experiences at the core of all they do; staying committed to their people; Believing in the McDonalds system; operating their business ethically; giving back to their communities; growing their business profitably; and lastly continually striving to improved (mcdonalds.com) McDonalds HR Planning Their vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. (McDonalds) In order to achieve this mission McDonalds follows three worldwide strategies which are to be the best employer for its people in each community around the world, to deliver operational excellence to its customers in each of its restaurants, and to achieve enduring profitable growth by expanding the brand and leveraging the strengths of McDonalds system through innovation and technology (McDonalds). McDonalds worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. McDonalds targets every age group, not only through the menu of their restaurants itself but also through programs, partnerships and sponsoring. They developed a healthy growing up program designed to encourage children from kindergarten through third grade to adopt lifelong habits of good nutrition, exercise and positive-esteem. McDonalds also partnered with the American Library Association to encourage families to read together through local libraries and they sponsored this animated, anti-substance abuse television special, which was broadcasted on every major network in North America. (McDonalds) Mc Donalds products include a wide variety of their very affordable menu options; mainly hamburgers, cheeseburgers and fries. They compete internationally, nationally, regionally as well as with local retailers of food products. Their competitors include Burger King, Wendys, Hardees, Taco Bell, and KFC. Their competition is on the basis of pricing, convenience and services. The SWOT analysis displays McDonalds strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as an enormous fast food restaurant. Its strengths include: leader in the quick service sandwich industry, brand recognition, strongest international presence and highest worldwide sales, real-estate holdings, easily recognizable product, variety of sources of income, and franchise business model. Its weaknesses are: continuous struggles in offering value-priced items and expensive items, and high employee turnover rate. Their opportunities include: growth in the food- service industry, initial public offerings in other countries , and acquisitions of other restaurants and retail sales of merchandise. The threats of McDonalds are: increased competition from various industries, health conscious consumer trend, value-conscious consumer trend, saturation of US fast-food market, slow growth in the sandwich segment, and price war business practices. (McDonalds) After identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company, McDonalds developed a corporate strategy that encompassed a growth strategy- adding restaurants through people and capital resources, maximizing sales profit through better operations, reinvestment, product development, effective marketing and lower development costs, and improving international profitability. (McDonalds) Currently McDonalds operates in 119 countries, added about 650 stores in Asia/Pacific, 550 in Europe, and 350 in Latin America in the year 2000 with plans to add more during 2001. (McDonalds) However, recently McDonalds began diversifying their successful restaurant business by operating several restaurants concepts, such as Aroma cafà ©- a small chain of coffeehouses serving prepared sandwiches and pastries, Chipotle Mexican Grill- a fresh max grill serving gourmet burritos and tacos and Donatos Pizza- a restaurant business that sells pizza, subs and salads. McDonalds also welcomed Boston Market, a U.S.chain specializing in fresh, convenient meals. (McDonalds). Staffing To ensure that the business is successful and customers are happy McDonalds has to recruit, select and retain a lot of employees through advertisements of vacancies in the actual McDonalds restaurants, local job centers, career fairs and other local facilities. (McDonalds) It is vital to use effective hiring material with a clear message targeted at the right audience because according to McDonalds, customer satisfaction begins with the attitudes and abilities of employees. Effective workers are the best route to success. (McDonalds) After interviewing applicants for the job, managers evaluate the responses received then the employees attend a welcome meeting where the company gives an overview of the job role, food hygiene and safety training, policies and procedures, administration, benefits and training and development. (McDonalds). To ensure employee satisfaction McDonalds provides health insurance benefits to full-time employees and a 10% raise in salary is rewarded on the basis of performance and a 20%increment is given at any time of the year once performance is outstanding (McDonalds). McDonalds human resource management system also includes K/3 HR personnel management, payroll management and report module, as well as performance management, employee capacity quality module (McDonalds). Training Development McDonalds can be recognized for its rigorous approach to ensuring effective training and the successful development of each of their employees. It is not uncommon for employees to begin their careers at McDonalds as restaurant workers or crew, as the company would refer to them, and to continue to develop on their paths eventually reaching levels such as management and executive positions (mteliza.mbs.edu). McDonalds begins training its employees by preparing them to serve in-store customers, and extends to the grooming of future managers as well as future franchise owners. Recently McDonalds has added elements to enhance their training and development program by improving their leadership training, and fine tuning the companys coaching and mentoring processes (auaboutmcdonalds.com). To ensure the effective training of their team, McDonalds created their very own Global Training Center. Hamburger University was founded in the basement of a McDonalds restaurant by a former Senior Chairman in 1961, and has since grown to see more than 500 students each year, and to have over 80,000 restaurant managers, mid-level managers, and owners graduate from its program. Being the first restaurant company to ever design such a facility for the development of their employees and the enhancement of their companys quality of service. According to the McDonalds corporate website, Since its inception, training at Hamburger University has emphasized consistent restaurant operations procedures, service, quality and cleanliness. It has become the companys global center of excellence for McDonalds operations training and leadership development (aboutmcdonalds.com). Hamburger University employs 19 full-time professors with adequate restaurant and management experience teaching students how to be successful in various roles throughout the business. Training for McDonalds employees is tailored to their desired career path within the business. The crew development curriculum was developed by the university and is facilitated in the restaurant; this is specifically designed for restaurant support staff as well as restaurant managers. Shift and Systems management courses have been designed for future managers to attend in one of the many regional training centers McDonalds has for its employees. Managers must complete these courses before they are given the opportunity to attend Hamburger University where their skills will be further developed, and they will be given the expertise necessary to run a multi-million dollar restaurant (trainingmag.com). Business consultants and department heads will begin a path of development designed for mid-level managers. Focusing on leadership and communication skills, this curriculum teaches individuals to coach as well as consult with others to ensure the successful operation of the business. The executive curriculum at Hamburger University provides courses that build upon the leadership skills necessary for the optimal support of employees. Executives are also provided with knowledge about the skills needed to effectively deal with restaurant owners/operators, as well as sales growth. According to McDonalds, Career Development at McDonalds combines a focus on personal growth and development with talent management objectives in order to help employees to perform at their very best while experiencing personal career satisfaction (aboutmcdonalds.com). Performance Management As a global company servicing many countries and cultures around the world, McDonalds does not share a certain set of standards for its performance management at international locations. Because cultures differ, management styles as well as the idea of what peak performance should look like varies with each location. Performance appraisals are measured differently, globally. McDonalds attempts to drive a High Performance Culture within the company and to tie rewards to results. In order to accommodate the differences that can be seen in the measurement of performance at a global company such as McDonalds, as procedure was set in place by the company. The company designed a Performance Development System. In this system the distribution of rewards are based on individual performance. The process includes and Individual Performance Plan, Individual Development Plan, and a Mid-Year Review. This process ensures that the level of performance of employees is reflective of the expectation o f the location of the employee as well as the specific expectations of the managers at a given location. Employee Relations Employee relation is the relationship between employer and employee and the way employees feel about all aspects of the job. By providing more in depth information about the company in this project, we hope to change the view of what employment at McDonalds is like and show that McDonalds employee relations is top notch in this industry. Firstly, we all know that the perception of a McDonalds job is not very good; in fact a McJob according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement. This view of a McDonalds job is what we have grown to know and believe, however, within the organization employees appear to think just the opposite. Employee satisfaction at McDonalds has been rated consistently at 80% or above which clearly implies a good employee employer relationship. In an article from McDonalds titled Employee-first Approach Pays Off for McDonalds  Canada, it states that in a recent survey of about 42,000, 84% strongly agreed that they felt valued as an employee and 86% were proud to be working at McDonalds. In another survey from McDonalds employees in its nine largest markets, 84% of them would recommend working at McDonalds. McDonalds management was faced with the challenge of identifying McDonalds Employment Value Proposition (EVP). Results came in from 55 countries and about 10,000 employees about what they love most about working at McDonalds. From the answers from its employees McDonalds identified three themes, Family Friends, Flexibility, and Future. Despite what a McJob may look like from the outside, McDonalds has great employee relations and employees enjoy their jobs and are satisfied. Compensation Benefits Compensation and benefits can be a major factor when it comes to deciding what job is right for you. Despite popular belief, McDonalds, with regards to its lucrative compensation and benefits package is an ideal employment option for many people across the globe. Medical, Dental, Profit Sharing, Vacation, Sabbatical Program, Employee and dependent life insurance, Incentive Pay, Recognition Programs are some of the said compensation and benefits that McDonalds offers its employees. One of McDonalds benefits is the McDonalds Profit Sharing and Savings Plan, which is a 401k plan. In this plan McDonalds prepare their employees for life after retirement. In an online report from McDonalds, it is said that they have a participation rate of 93% of its eligible employees enrolled in this program. In this plan, employees contribute 5% and McDonalds matches that with 7% contribution. Also, depending on the companys performance an addition 4% may be added to bring the companys contribution towards the employees 401k to 11%, which was the case from 2006 through 2008. Another one of McDonalds compensation and benefit is their education assistance. According to their website, eligible employees can receive up to 5,250 a year for grades C and above. Another excellent incentive McDonalds offer is their Child Care assistance where employees receive discounted tuition rates for their children. As a result of McDonalds efforts with this compensation and benefits program McDonalds UK as reduced turnover rate by 20% according to their online report. McDonalds obviously recognizes that their employees need to feel valued and thus they have come up with this extensive package to attract and keep their employees. Employee Surveys Each year, many publications and organizations conduct surveys, polls, and benchmarking studies to determine which companies are doing noteworthy work in the area of inclusion and diversity. McDonalds has a proud history of being the recipient of many of these awards, some on a recurring basis. Awards include the following: Working Mother Magazine, Top Companies for Multicultural Women, 2011 2010, Black Enterprise Magazine, 40 Best Companies for Diversity, 2011; Latina Style Magazine, Best Companies for Hourly Workers, 2011; Diversity MBA 50 Out Front for Diversity Leadership: Best Places for Diverse Managers To Work 2011; Executive Leadership Council, Corporate Award, 2010; Fortune Magazine, 50 Most Powerful Women Jan Fields (#25), 2010; Latina Style, Best 10 Companies for Latinas to Work, 2010; Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Avoice Corporate Award, 2010; Black Enterprise Magazine, 40 Best Companies for Diversity, 2010; Hispanic Business Magazine, Top 10 Diversity Elite Co mpanies, 2010; PODER Magazine, Top 25 Franchises for Hispanics, 2010; Top 6 Companies for Hourly Employees, Working Mother Magazine, 2010; Top Supplier Diversity Program for Women, Professional Woman Magazine, 2010; Best Company for Promoting Asian Pacific Americans to Develop Workforce Skills, Asia Society, 2010 (aboutmcdonalds.com). Each year, McDonalds Canada conducts internal employee surveys to get feedback on how well the company is doing. The most recent survey of nearly 42,000 people showed that 84% agreed or strongly agreed that they felt valued as an employee of McDonalds, and that 86% said they were proud to be working at McDonalds. From an employer image perspective, it was the second major award of the season for McDonalds Canada, which also earned a nod as one of Canadas 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures. Conducted on behalf of the National Post by Waterstone Human Capital, a leading retainer-based search firm, the results of the survey of 340 Canadian executives showed how strong leadership drives corporate culture and how culture drives performance. McDonalds Canada was a first-time recipient of this prestigious distinction, which was based on the following criteria: vision and leadership, cultural alignment, measurement and sustainability, rewards, recognition and innovative business achievement, corporate performance, and corporate social responsibility. McDonalds and their independent franchisees employ more than 1.7 million people worldwide they are the face of our brand and differentiate us from the competition. McDonalds has been recognized as a great place to work in more than 30 of the markets in which they do business. For instance, the following include awards and recognition under Brands: 2011 Most Innovative Food Companies, 2012 #4 Most Valuable Global Brand, 2012 #7 Worlds Most Powerful Brand and 2012 #7 Best Global Brand (aboutmcdonalds.com). In the category of leadership, Fortune states the following recognition and awards: 2012 #11 Most Admired Company in the World, Ranked #2 among all companies for Management Quality, Ranked #2 among all companies for Global Competitiveness, Ranked #1 among all companies for Use of Corporate Assets, Ranked #4 among all companies for Best Long-Term Investment, Ranked #2 among all companies for Financial Soundness, Ranked #4 among all companies for People Management, and McDonalds also ranked #1 in the Food Services category (aboutmcdonalds.com). Safety and Wellness Safety and Wellness can be best described as the following: Employee wellness focuses on the ability of women and men to secure a decent and productive employment in working conditions that support freedom, equity, security and dignity so the companys economic growth benefits all. Employee Wellness also touches on areas such as compensation and benefits and the use of appropriately aged labor. McDonalds supplier has gone beyond the basic obligations of law and McDonalds Supplier Code of Conduct to proactively support the well-being of their employees. Regardless of the fact if its a quick breakfast, lunch on the go or dinner with the kids, customers come to McDonalds for quality food at a great value. McDonalds goal is to continuously improve our classic offerings and increase the number and variety of new options that deliver the great taste and balance our customers seek (aboutmcdonalds.com). Unfortunately, there continues to be a major concern about juvenile diabetes, obesity rates and related risks to human well-being among consumers, governments, non-governmental organizations, and health and nutrition experts. McDonalds response is the following: We take these issues seriously and are working to do what we can to positively influence the situation. We know we cannot address this problem alone, but we are committed to being part of the solution (aboutmcdonalds.com). With guidance from their Global Advisory Council (GAC), McDonalds continue to evolve their overall approach, while supporting their individual markets in meeting the specific needs and requirements of their local cultures and governments. Since 2004, the GAC has provided McDonalds guidance on key areas such as global nutrition labeling, McDonalds What I Eat, What I Do childrens well-being platform, the development of internal metrics to gauge our progress, and approaches for motivating children to eat more fruits and vegetables (aboutmcdonalds.com). An organization tries to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for many reasons. For instance, it is simply an ethical and socially responsible position; no responsible employer would argue that it is acceptable for employees to get hurt or become ill because of their working conditions. The insurance premium an organization pays for this coverage is determined by several factors, including the value of the claims paid out to employees of the firm. Firms that have fewer accidents and workers compensation claims actually pay lower premiums. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can impose fines against organizations that have unsafe workplace (DeNisi/Griffin). In conclusion, the lost time from accidents and illness can cost an organization a great deal of money, so it is simply good business to maintain a safe and healthy workplace. Communications Choosing effective internal communications methods that are right to deliver key messages for diverse audiences is essential to the success of any business. McDonalds is careful about heir methods of both internal and marketing communications. McDonalds adopts multi-channel communication methods to ensure that all its messages are delivered to staff.   These include the use of print, online and other forms of technology such as video conferencing (thehrdirector.com). McDonalds works closely with its communications agency, Summersault, producing employee magazines that are designed to inspire and motivate employees about the company. McDonalds communication practices are just another way for McDonalds executives to keep employees enthusiastic about their jobs and encourage them to go as far as they can I the business. Overall McDonalds HR policies and Procedures have contributed to the overall success of the organization. McDonalds has successfully geared their business toward the development of their employees which produces optimal performance and the ultimate prosperity of the company as a global unit. Allowing the demand for their product and customer satisfaction to dictate their method of perfecting their business practices appears to be on of McDonalds great strengths, and has allowed them to continue to be the most popular fast food chain in the world. Together McDonalds HR Planning, Staffing, Performance Management, Communications along with many other company practices have propelled the success of McDonalds in the food industry. Efficiency in these areas has provided the foundation for an immensely successful global company. Works Cited http://www.bersinassociates.com http://www.mteliza.mbs.edu http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com http://hrmtoday.org http://www.merriam-webster.com http://www.scribd.com http://www.mcdonalds.at/ Works Cited

Review On The Office Environment Management Essay

Review On The Office Environment Management Essay The environment in the office determines how its employees react to situations. Each organization and its department has a different work environment; for instance, lighting, noise, privacy, and the amount of stress in the office which affects the whole organizations work communication, efficiency and effectiveness, and productivity (Parks, 2003). Having the right environment will generate happier employees that will work more effectively and productively rather than employees who are uncomfortable (http://tinyurl.com/56tcmy). Roles Relationship The roles and relationship played between managers and subordinates produces behaviors that affect work productivity. Both the manager and employees assume roles in the office, which are defined as performing a job function with a set of tasks or responsibility according to their job requirement. Relationship, on the other hand, is established by communication while carrying out a roles office duty (The Readers Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder, 1994; http://tinyurl.com/3qguo). For instance, the frequency a manager interacts with his staff creates a relationship, either positive or negative, while performing their job function will result in different outcome. In this case, mangers are known to be the leader and the employees are the followers. Therefore, a leader must know to inspire his followers, as without them, the leader cannot function properly. The manager must have a good understanding that the difference between all his employees in terms of leadership styles that has variant reaction with their needs, emotions, and motivation. In order to be successful, the manager has to persuade employees that he is creditable to be followed. (http://tinyurl.com/3qguo) Corporate Culture Corporate culture can be referred as a set of values, beliefs, and behavior patterns that form the core identity of organisations, and assist in shaping the employees behavior (Deal and Kennedy, 1982; Jones, 1983; Schein, 1992; Kotter and Heskett, 1992; Pheysey, 1993; Van der Post, 1998; Deshpande and Farley, 1999). Corporate culture also acts as a cognitive map that influences the way in which the situation is providing the selection mechanisms and values when people want to carry out events (Jones, 1983). Most people believe that corporate culture is a pattern of beliefs, symbols, rituals, myths, and practices that have change over time in an organization (Pheysey, 1993). Thus, it causes corporate culture became leading values that adopt by most of the organization. This is because corporate culture is also a part of the organization structure and control system to generate behavioral standards (Deal and Kennedy, 1982; Quinn, 1988). This can increase staffs morale and self-discipli ne as well. Furthermore, Despande and Farley stated that there are four types of corporate culture; that are competitive culture, entrepreneurial culture, bureaucratic culture, and also consensual culture. First, competitive culture is a value that linked with concepts such demanding goals, competitive advantage, marketing superiority and profit margin as well. For example, top sales person will be rewarded extra commission of MYR 1000.00 and this causes all sales person competing harder to get the extra commission. Then, entrepreneurial culture is emphasizing on innovation, risk taking, high levels of dynamism, and creativity; followed by bureaucratic culture which is refer to values like formalization, rules, standard operating procedures and hierarchical coordination. Lastly, the consensual culture is concern on the elements of tradition, loyalty, personal commitment, extensive socialization, teamwork, self-management, and social influence which are important in the organizational values (Des pande and Farley). Additionally, Pool (2000) claims that the organizational culture (passive or constructive) could obstruct job performance, job commitment, and job satisfaction (http://tinyurl.com/5qn56a). This is because corporate culture has a major impact on employee morale and productivity. For example, employees which are committed to the vision and the strategy of the organization will able to achieve organization goal easier compare to an organization that are never adopt corporate culture. Moreover, an effective culture could ensure the organization meets its long-term goals as well. Therefore, most organizations are realizing the importance of effective corporate culture at fundamental level that could help to translate that engagement of corporate culture into high performance. Deal and Kennedy (1982) and Peters and Waterman (1982) had taken a prescriptive approach towards culture management. They argued that adopting certain common cultural traits would result in superior performance. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to imitate a successful culture into an organization because there are many interlocking elements. Based on the resource based theory, there are two other reasons that cause culture to be extremely difficult to imitate. First, cultural norms and values are subject to a pathway of addiction. On the other hand, life cycle theory stated that cultural development and strength depends on the historical development of the company itself. Thus, the assumptions of values and interlocking elements need a longer period of time to build. Therefore, the strength and management style of the company cannot easily duplicate by the competitors. Lastly, the capabilities of an organization to adopt a new culture are still unclear. This is because the impacts of adopting a new culture on the organizations would get the situation worsening due to a wide range of social interactions among organizational members because all organizations members are not ready to accept n ew things yet. (Adapted from: Journal, The influence of corporate culture and organizational commitment on performance Corporate culture and organizational performance) Keyword: workplace environment, leader-follower, beliefs, myths and norms. H1: Leadership is influenced by the environment towards rising company sales.

focus :: essays research papers

ok I'm an "A" Plan brat myself. My dad's been there for 34 years now! : ) I got my fully loaded 2001 Twilight Blue ZTS, not including Advance-Trac or moonroof (DAMN IT!!!) for $15,000 plus tax, tags, extended warranty and the Protection package costs. Came out to around mid-16,000. I don't think I did too bad. That's with very questionable credit and a 9.8% interest rate and no downpayment. My first BRAND NEW car. hahahaha I think I did alright, though I know I got screwed on the final cost. Oh yeah, I got a 3 year lease too. I got the 5 year/60,000 mile warranty.2001 ZX3, 5-speed. Power package, premium package, moonroof. Listed for $15,200 and bought it for $13,900. $12,900 after the rebate. I've owned it for a month, have 1,600 miles, averaging about 29 mpg, with no probs! Love my ZX3 Mine was about $16,700 and I didn't have any money for a down payment. This was the S2 edition though which has the european tuned suspension, spoiler, and moonroof, it had the 6 disk in dash cd player also, but i took that out and put in my tv. I got my 2000 SE Sedan for $14,400. It had all options minus auto, ABS, side airbags, and leather. I really wanted the ABS and side airbags but wasn't going to wait to have one special ordered - I had already been to 5 dealerships that day and was pretty exited to find one so close to what I wanted. V, when dealing for the car, they are going to be playing tricks on you to make it seem like they can't go any lower. When they say "I have to go check this out with my manager", make it look like you are unconcerned and have all day - pull out your gameboy or palm pilot and start playing games. Make sure they know that you know what you are talking about, and that the car you are dealing for is a compromise, not the one car you have spent your whole life looking for. If the car has been on the lot for a while, then it's taking up valueable space and they need to get rid of it. If it just got on the lot, then if they sell it right away the holdback they get from Ford is pure profit. One other thing I found is that there is an airplane club up in Wisconsin or Minnesota or something that costs 20 or 30 bucks to join but members get X-Plan pricing from Ford.

Arbitrary Defused Incitement :: essays research papers

Arbitrary Defused Incitement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Dan Greenburg’s â€Å"Sound and Fury† a decent point is made from looking at a situation that could possibly become violent. The narrator suggests that people carry a large amount of â€Å"free-floating anger,† which generates within them, ready for use at any point in time; waiting for the slightest hint of incitement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lee, a stand-up comedian, is first introduced by the narrator, who tags along with Lee where he will be the â€Å"emcee† of the night, but right before he is to go on stage a group of drunk young guys chants for a comedian they feel is the greatest, Rusty. Before he even got up to the stage, the young men were ready to cheer on for Rusty, and despite all the exertion he finally gave it up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the narrator begins to talk with him and soothe the ailments of his suffrage some of the â€Å"inebriated young men† began to trickle in and eventually noticed Lee. As events heightened a young man thought that he would want to do something about their chanting and later stepped forward closer to Lee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The total focus started to rest entirely upon the two men â€Å"going through the motion, doing the dance,† while also the bar’s energy of aggression steadily increased with the engagement itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was from a simple measure of conversation that the situation was disabled. When Lee asked how â€Å"the guy† of his well-being it initiated a broad topic capable of going anywhere. Then Lee nonchalantly asks what the young man was in town for, and gets an everyday answer that it was his birthday. So Lee after thinking about it threw out his hand and told him â€Å"Happy birthday.† The situation that was once so potentially volatile now was resolved completely by

Abbey, And His Fear Of Progress Essay examples -- essays research pape

Abbey, and His Fear of Progress Edward Abbey The day that the gray jeep with the U.S. Government decal and "Bureau of Public Roads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that progress had arrived. He had foreseen it, watching other parks like his, fall in the face of progress. He knew that hordes of people and their "machines" would come (Abbey 50-51). Most people see progress as a good thing. Abbey proclaims. "I would rather take my chances in a thermonuclear war than live in such a world (Abbey 60)." "Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher goal; an advance; steady improvement (Webster's)." Is progress really all of that? How can you improve on mother nature? Progress actually detracts from the parks natural beauty. Cars, litter, and vandalism can all be attributed to "progress." In this frame of thinking "progress" kind of contradicts it's self. The most detrimental aspect of progress is the automobile. "'Parks are for people' is the public-relations slogan, which decoded means that the parks are for people-in -automobiles." People come streaming in, driving their cars. They are in a hurry because they are trying to see as many parks as possible in their short vacation time. They have to deal with things such as: car troubles, traffic, hotel rooms, other visitors pushing them onward, their bored children, and the long trip home in a flood of cars. Many of them take tons of pictures, possibly so that they can actually enjoy the park without all of the hassles (Abbey 58). Without leaving their cars they will never actually experience the beauty and wonderment of the parks. They will only find the stress and chaos that they sought to leave at home (Abbey 59). There is a minority though, that prefers to be able to get away from the modern world completely, and travel throughout the parks on foot, bicycle, or horse. With these vehicles they can travel on quiet trails that are impassable by automobiles. These trails will lead them to places where progress has yet to hit. They can sleep in the open, breath the fresh air, and hear nothing but mother nature herself. They will never get pushed out of the way buy the rush of other tourists, cramming to catch a glimpse of the sights (Abbey 59). This is what I call anti-progress. Anti-progress is what progress seeks desperately to destroy. The ... ...y 68)," I tend to agree, people need to get away from the hustle and bustle of their lives. The national parks system is a great way to get away. If we continue to allow our parks to be desecrated by progress our parks system will be just as bad as what you are trying to leave. Abbey strongly believed in his cause. He would also get furious at the destruction of mother nature; he spoke out against this in his lectures and essays. James Bishop wrote in his book The Monkey Wrench Gang (Little 35). Because of Abbey's madcap but deadly serious novel, people of all ages can never again look the same way at massive freeway systems where desert and farmland used to be; at once-lush forests now clear-cut into lunar landscapes-or at huge dams on once-free rivers. Abbey loved the land so much that he wanted to be buried under a rock, in a sleeping bag, in the middle of the desert (Sandlin 11). Carved into the rock reads (Little 35): Works Cited Little, Charles E. "Books for the Wilderness." Wilderness. Summer 1994: 34-35. Sandlin, Tim. "Nightmare Abbey." The New York Times Book Review. 1994, December 11. Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus. 1993. Landoll, Inc.

Project Management Conflict Resolution Essay

Overview: Shirley was the manager of new products division at an e-commerce company. She and Maggie, one of her team members, interviewed Jesse for a new position on their project team. Maggie did not feel Jesse was the right fit for the position and strongly opposed his candidature. Shirley felt differently and hired Jesse. Six months after Jesse was hired, Shirley left the project to start her own company and recommended that Jesse and Maggie serve as joint project leaders. Maggie agreed reluctantly-with the stipulation that it be made clear she was not working for Jesse. The General Manager consented; Maggie and Jesse were to share the project leadership. Within a month of this development, Maggie was angry when she felt that Jesse was representing himself to others as the leader of the entire project and giving the impression that Maggie was working for him. She called for a meeting with the General Manager to see if he could clarify the issue again and resolve the conflict between them. Maggie said to the General Manager, â€Å"Right after the joint leadership arrangement was reached; Jesse called a meeting of the project team without even consulting me about the time or content. He just told me when it was being held and said I should join them. At the meeting, Jesse reviewed everyone’s duties line by line, including mine, treating me as just another team member working for him. He sends out letters and signs himself as project director, which obviously implies to others that I am working for him.† Jesse replied: â€Å"Maggie is all hung up with feelings of power and titles. Just because I sign myself as project director doesn’t mean she is working for me. I don’t see anything to get excited about. What difference does it make? She is too sensitive about everything. I call a meeting and right away she thinks I’m trying to run everything. Maggie has other things to do-other projects to run-so she doesn’t pay too much attention to this one. She mostly lets things slide. But when I take the initiative to set up a meeting, she starts jumping up and down about how I am trying to make her work for me.† How is the General Manager going to resolve this conflict? The issues: * Personality clashes * Lack of respect * Authority * Egos * Disagreements about the right way to manage. Problems: Major – Project delay, Client dissatisfaction, Miscommunication, Effectiveness Minor – Confusion, Rumours, Low morale Tying theory to the issue Conflict is defined as a disagreement of persons or groups of persons considering a situation as inconsistent with their own interests (Boulding 1963, Robbins 1974, Putnam & Wilson 1982, Hocker & Wilmot 1985). A conflict can oppose somebody to himself or herself (internal conflict), to other persons, groups of persons or to institutions (Thomas 1992). Several definitions synthesis made in organization theories (Putman & Poole 1987), psychology (Thomas 1992) or information systems (Barki et coll. 2001) considers three properties of interpersonal conflicts: interdependence, interference and disagreement. By itself, each property cannot be considered as a sufficient condition. Interpersonal conflicts are more dependant of their overlapping. †¢Interdependence exists when each party reaches a specific goal, at least because of the actions of the other party. In essence, interdependence is a structural condition for conflicts in a professional context because of respective consequence s of the way the other party acts. †¢Interference is a behavioral condition for conflict and occurs when one or several parties oppose the other party’s attainment of its interests, objectives, or goals. Interference thus represents the central behavioral node of any conflict (Barki et coll. 2001 p.198). †¢Disagreement is a cognitive condition for conflict and corresponds to divergence of interpretations toward values, objectives, needs, methods, etc. Disagreement refers to disputant behaviors and is considered as the central process associated to conflict (Wall & Callister 1995). In the above context, these causes can be task (or process) oriented versus affective (or relational) oriented (Deutsch 1969). Conflicts about tasks are issue oriented and arising from differences between activities to be performed, whereas affective conflicts refer to personalized disagreements or individual disaffections. The first ones can be considered as differences of  points of view rarely assorted of negative emotions while the second ones can raise frictions and tensions which can affect team performance (Jehn & Mannix 2001). The 4 different conflict types drawn from task and affective orientations are: Conflicts about task definition and execution are caused by the way organizational processes have to be adapted or transformed to fit with IT process requirements (for examples: how invoices and orders must be established, new data codification, signature validation process). These conflicts can be â€Å"internally initiated† when users compare the way they achieve their tasks and perceive organizational inconsistencies (Besson 1999). They can also be â€Å"externally initiated† because of the process constraints imposed by information technology to be implemented. Value conflicts are psychologically based. They refer to ideology by which some people share beliefs and make sense of their worlds (Trice & Beyer 1993). Firm subunits may have their own subculture varying in their ideological content (Stewart & Gosain 2006). In IS, value conflicts may arise on inconsistency between cultural principles of users or group of users and the perceived underlying strategic objectives assigned to IT implementation (Leidner & Kayworth 2006). Power conflicts concern the way individual autonomies and capabilities of influence are likely to be distributed among employees. A Analysis and Solution: In this case, there are several issues between Maggie and Jesse. First and foremost, Maggie feels that Jesse is incompetent, thus her perceptions of his capabilities are skewed and has little respect for Jesse. On the other hand, Jesse feels that Maggie seems to have an issue with titles and  placement of authority. There appears to be a clear lack of teamwork and trust. There is also the appearance of self-promotion and miscommunication. This conflict did not originate from conflicting goals, but is related to the individuals involved. It is due to personality clashes between the individuals and some of the reasons are: * Lack of respect for each other * Power conflict * Value conflicts * Working styles * Incorrect perceptions formed due to lack of personal interaction. * Personal dislike. The General Manager needs to meet with them and explain to them how the personal conflict between them is affecting the project and the team as a whole. The goal here is to get them to at least communicate with each other to get everything out in the open. Confidentiality is key here, but it is also important that they are really listening and hearing each other. Remind them that what is discussed in the room does not leave the room. During the meeting: * Inquire as to what (are) the issue(s)? Get it all out on the table – let them vent. * What are their perspectives?  * Work with them to develop criteria for solutions to their conflict. * Ask them their ideas on how to move forward with resolving the issue based on the criteria agreed to, that may help to resolve the conflict. * What alternatives can they come up with to work together effectively? * Can they come to consensus on any of the alternatives? * Ask them to think about what they can do to get past the issue, or put it aside, in order to move forward with working together. What alternatives exist? This should happen overnight – let them sleep on it. * Provide feedback on their working styles as it is hindering team spirit. * Set up off-site sessions to get the team together to improve bonding and overcome personal biases. * Emphasize on the need to separate personal prejudices from the task at hand. The General Managers role here will be to get them talking to each other about their ideas to resolve the conflict and, ideally, coming to a consensus on how to resolve it. It is important to remember that the manager cannot resolve it for them; they need to do so themselves. He is  just facilitating the discussion for them. Help them work toward coming to consensus on resolving the conflict by asking questions, probing for details, etc. If one comes up with an idea, see how that idea might be tweaked so that it is acceptable to the other individual. How can the other add to the idea so that it might work for his/her also? Remember also that sometimes consensus cannot be reached and the conflict is not able to be resolved, but you still need these individuals to work together. How might they do so? What do they need to work together professionally and cordially toward the successful conclusion of the project? Once a consensus has been reached – or there is agreement on how to work together in spite of the conflict between them – review what was agreed and get their commitment that they will continue to work on the resolution of the conflict (as we know it won’t go away immediately!) and abide by the plan they developed to resolve it. The General Manager should also: * Clearly define the responsibilities and set guidelines for both. * Make the dependencies between Jesse and Maggie clear and ensure that their goals are aligned to take care of the dependencies. * Take a commitment that key decisions are taken jointly. * Create a communication plan, escalation mechanism and set up ground rules. * Ensure that both Jesse and Maggie promote project interest over self interest. * Take steps to build mutual trust, as it is key to minimizing unhealthy conflict Advantages: It is important that the team members involved in a personal conflict take ownership of their issues and work constructively to resolve them. This will ensure that the project is not in jeopardy and all the stakeholders have confidence in the team leadership. Once the power conflict is resolved, a collaborative and consultative environment can be created which is conducive to productivity and efficiency. In such an environment, projects are one time and on budget. Disadvantages: A possible disadvantage is that to maintain a balance of power and effective collaboration wherein there is no perception of subterfuge, substantial time commitment is required. Also, even with the time commitment, there no absolute guarantee that the feeling of distrust will eliminated entirely. Recommendations: Follow up with them both individually and together to check on how things are going over the next few weeks and months, and provide them the support they need to continue to head in the right direction of an improved working relationship. References: Barki H. & Hartwick J. (2001), â€Å"Interpersonal Conflict and Its Management in Information SystemDevelopment.†, MIS Quarterly. Besson P. (1999), â€Å"Les ERP à   l’à ©preuve de l’organisation†, Systà ¨mes d’Information et Management. Boulding K. (1963), Conflict and Defense, New York, Harper & Row. Deutsch M. (1969), â€Å"Conflicts: productive and destructive†. Dans F. E. Jandt, à ©d. Conflict resolutiontrough communication. New York, Harper and Row. Hocker J.L. & Wilmot W.W. (1985), Interpersonal Conflict, Dubuque. Jehn K.A. & Mannix E.A. (2001), â€Å"The dynamic nature of conflict: A longitudinal study of intragroup conflict and group performance†, Academy of Management Journal. Leidner D.E. & Kayworth T. (2006), â€Å"Review: a Review of Culture in Information Systems Research: Toward a Theory of Information Technology Culture Conflict†, MIS Quarterly. Markus M.L., Tanis C. & Fenema P.C.V. (2000), â€Å"Multisite E RP implementations†, Association for Computing Machinery. Communications of the ACM. Putnam L.L. & Wilson C. (1982), â€Å"Communicative Strategies in Organizational Conflict: Reliabilityand Validity of a Measurement Scale†. Dans M. Burgoon, à ©d. Communication Yearbook. Putman L.L. & Poole M.S. (1987), â€Å"Conflict and negociation†. Dans Handbook of Organzational Communication. Newbury Park, CA, Jablin, F. M., Putman, L. L., Roberts, K. H., Porter, L.W., Robbins S.P. (1974), Managing Organizational Conflict, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Robey D. & Taggart W. (1981), â€Å"Measuring Managers’ Minds: The Assessment of Style in Human Information Processing†, Academy of Management. The Academy of Management Review, Stewart K.J. & Gosain S. (2006), â€Å"The Impact of Ideology on Effectiveness in Open Source Software Development Teams†, MIS Quarterly. Thomas K.W. (1992), â€Å"Conflict and Conflict Management: Reflections and Updateâ⠂¬ , Journal of Organizational Behavior Trice H.M. & Beyer J.M. (1993), The Cultures of Work Organizations, Englewood Cliffs, PrenticeHall. Wall J.A.J. & Callister R.R. (1995), â€Å"Conflict and its Management,†, Journal of Management

Corporate Structure

implore for apocalypse has been spurred by breeding dissymmetry and agency conflict surrounded by focusing and investors. Good corporal social complex body part principles atomic image 18 the showation upon which trust of investors and lenders is built, merged face is a philosophy and weapon that entails lay in place crack structures and processes by which the affairs of a gild atomic digit 18 directed and managed to enhance immense condition shargonholders value through enhancer and accountability. front empirical studies on the connective amongst speak to of legality gravid and uncoerced apocalypse have documented mistake results, Botosan and Plumlee (2002) found a positive association exists mingled with wilful revealing and equal of legality great while Gietzmann and Ireland (2005) found a negative relationship between divine revelation and damage of bully.Increased c overing of corpo reckon disposal all over the world has risen after major(ip) corporate s quite a littledals receivable to lack or improper corporate revealing, this has resulted to investors and lenders lose impudence in the traditional pecuniary reporting. foil and disclosure creates and sustains assurance of investors, stakeholders and the winder fiat and appropriates prospect for continuous improvement of stock structure and processes this has resulted to re-examination and scrutiny of the existing corporate disclosure thus spurring the essential for expanding the existing disclosure policy. unforced disclosure, creation unrivalled key pillar of corporate face is regarded as an outside mechanism for the correspond of the steering, protection of the addressholders and a slack of the agency apostrophizes resulting from data asymmetry between the focussing and partake inholders. Botosan (2002) observed that firms which smash to a greater extent training in their yearbook reports enjoy the benefit of lower equal of met ropolis.The current growing trend towards increase corporate disclosure bequeath before long transform into a veritable river of surplus learning.Although the purpose of disclosure is to provide able and sufficient schooling to the various stakeholders, managers whitethorn choose not to disclosure trusted learning in orders to protect competitory advantage Kavitha and Nandagopal,(2011).Studies have shown that public firms atomic number 18 c arful slightly disclosing tuition that major power lead to competitive disadvantage, example, information almost technological innovations, strategic and specific surgical operation data Elliott and Jacobson (1994). The conclusiveness on the optimum take of disclosure is thus impact by the interplay between the make ups and the benefits of disclosure.1.2 Voluntary Disclosure Elements of impulsive disclosure pass on be classified into four classes of information disclosure as forward-looking, monetary, corporate rivalionate responsibility and panel size of it. Voluntary disclosure is regarded as an important economic bastard that aids communicating information to polar market players in an industry with an excogitation of providing clear view about businesss long bourn sustainability.Information disclosure conveys troupes information to the owners, stakeholders and general public about the fictitious character and value of the bon ton Hamrouni et al.,(2015). bodied disclosure go into two categories, mandatory disclosure and conscious disclosure covering all types of information, some(prenominal) of monetary and non-financial in nature.Laws, regulations and account statement standards dispose mandatory information disclosure whereas uncoerced disclosure is the information reported beyond the statutory requirements. Meek el al, (1995) defines willful disclosure as the free selection on the part of the company management to provide accounting and other information deemed pertinent to the stopping point needs of users of their yearbook reports.The extent and type of voluntary disclosure is dependent of the industry, size, governance structure, ownership structure and geographic region. Boesso and Kumar (2007) claimed that one of the causal factors that led to the offset of voluntary disclosure was the inadequacy of financial reporting as claimed by investors and shareholders .Investors increasingly demanded openness and disclosure of information relating to process and strategies. Organizations deduces some benefit by lawfulness of disclosing sustainably over and above the statutory necessitate information. Li and McConomy (1999) found that firms in bump financial conditions are more apparent to voluntarily adopt forward-looking supranational Financial Reporting Standards (IRFS) on environmental disclosure and consequently become more profitable and avoid the live of compliance.Spanheimer and Koch (2000) note the primary motive for adopting infor mative accounting as the portal to global funding, widely distri besidesed comparability of financial statements, increased transparency and pressure from majuscule markets. Ross (1997) found that companies that provide more information disclosures abridged the fact of information asymmetry between the owners and manager, by and by get to enjoy low appeal of not bad(p).The benefits of disclosure are for example, increased share price will lower approach of capital resulting from a firms full disclosure Nayak, (2012). Investors and creditors are better informed with a high level of disclosure devising them understand the economic fortune of the enthronisation Elliott and Jacobsom, (1994).Disclosure is generally done in the company annual report either through the statements or notes accompanying the statements. The disclosure elements in the study for measuring the level of voluntary disclosure will involve forward-looking information, financial and capital information, corporate social responsibility information and jump on size information.Forward-looking information represents one form of corporate disclosure. It provides a confidence signaling power to the stakeholder in the management capability to foresee the futurity prospects of the business. accord to Celik et al. (2006) forward-looking information helps to predict the proximo of a company in scathe of operation and strength of the management.Management believability is gained by accurately predicting company incoming forecast over and over. Even though the shareholders frequently question the management about what is going to materialise to the company in future, the management cannot predict or gives a certain answer to what is going to happen but they observe market trends and thus present the shareholders with explanations about what the company future prospects.Companies that wish to access external sources of pay may tend to disclose more forward-looking information to enab le them gain investors confidence Clarkson, Kao and Richardson (1994). Jenkins Report (AICPA, 1994) formulated a number of key recommendations to increase the smell of corporate reporting, which included increasing the caution for and provision of forward-looking information.Financial information disclosure helps stakeholders to pronounce company performance before making any coronation funds decisions about the company. Improved information disclosure does not simply bridge the information asymmetry between management and shareholders but also facilitate the functioning of the financial and economic systems. Adequate disclosure is apply as a mean of attracting new investors in addition to backing and make company reputation.To reduce vulnerability, information disclosure should be comprehensive, timely, informative and credible in nature. Financial information is derived from the financial reports disposed(p) from the books of accounts and analyzed in various categories suc h(prenominal) as the income statements, balance sheet, statement of coin flows and statements of changes in uprightness. Corporate Social tariff (CSR) interpreted as the way firms comprise its social, environmental and economic concerns into their value, culture, operations and strategies.Carroll, (1999) tell CSR as an evolving concept. Centre for corporate governance (2005) issued guidelines which encouraged companies to disclose information on CSR, ownership structure and jury size (Barako, 2007). CSR efforts translate into improvements in firms financial performance. Corporate social reporting disclosure enhances company reputation by gaining trust and support from the stakeholders (Woodwar, Edwards and Birkin, 1996), additionally it helps assess congruence between the social value and social norms (Dowling and Pfeffer, 1975).CSR enables firms to access huge sum of finance that exponent difficult to obtain. mount up size is the total number of directors on a corporate pos ter. The board of directors is the apex organ of a company whose central role being the prep of polices and strategies to be followed by managers in managing firms operations. Board plays an important role in maintaining in effect(p) corporate governance. It is the Board that projects the add of information disclosure by making strategic decision on the level of voluntary disclosure.Chen and Jaggi (2000) noted that greater number of directors on the board may reduce the likelihood of information asymmetry. It is believed that the size of the board affects the ability of the board to monitor and evaluate management. Increase of directors in the board will consequently increase directors ability to control and promote value creating activities.Larger board bring with them a collection of get word and expertise, therefore expanding the need for higher information disclosure, it is also argued that larger board size may find difficulty in arriving at a consensus in decision which c an ultimately affect the superior corporate governance while weeny board size encourages faster information processing .Brudbury (1992). 1.3 Cost of Equity CapitalThe toll of honor is the return that an investor expects to receive from an enthronement in a business. This cost represents the amount the market expects as compensation in exchange for owing the stock of the business, it dwell of dividends and capital gains.From an investors perspective, cost of righteousness capital is the return he expects for a share of stock he keeps in his portfolio. Fama and french (1993) found risk growth and size as the factors that influence the required rate of return by investors. When making decisions which affect the firm, Cost of law plays a polar role because it affects the discount rate at which expected future cash flows are valued. In archiving an effective strategic decision making and performance evaluation, the cost of equity should be estimated with accuracy.According to B eneda (2003) the cost of equity is a vital base of compare enthronement opportunities. Invertors use the concept of cost of equity as an investment opportunity in a company. Cost of equity is one of the methods used to evaluate investment decisions, example capital budgeting analysis, choice of capital structure and firm valuation.Larger firms are associated with lower cost of capital when compared with the small firms since they are in a better position to raise funds from external sources on favorable terms. Equity capital plays a fundamental role in the development of a firm due to its advantages when compared to other financing forms.The cost of equity capital is an important component with solid input in calculating the cost of capital Cotner and Fletcher (2000). It is detrimental to apply slight appropriate model to estimate cost of capital, this can result to underestimation or overestimate. Underestimation may result in value destructive investments while overestimatio n may lead to rejection of promising investment opportunities.The cost of equity capital is a key indicator of operations in the financial markets and is used by managers and financial resource providers. Clear financial statements reduce uncertainties associated with shareholders equity lending to decrease in the cost of equity while uncomplete and unclear financial statements increases scruple consequently causing information risk to shareholders who hence demand higher return.The cost of equity capital is of importance in two folds securities valuation models are based on the cost of equity capital and without cost of equity capital it is impractible to invest company money as it is difficult to determine capital structure hence unable(p) to determine investment priority (Ahmend, 2007). motorbus being agents of the shareholders try minimize the cost of equity hence maximizing shareholders riches at this same time up the value of the company.In most financial decisions, cost of equity is an effective determinant factor. Cost of equity is used in capital budgeting decisions, setting optimal structure and working capital management. Implementing corporate governance practice, the high cost of equity capital problem is overcome.The higher level of voluntary disclosure the lower investor uncertainty, with lower uncertainty investors will be willing to give birth lower dividend payouts. A lower dividend period would decrease the cost of equity capital because of a lower risk bounty expected by the investors. Lower risk premium demanded by investors translate into a lower cost of equity capital of the firm.Voluntary disclosure reduces the cost of equity capital in two ship canal which are based on deepen stock market liquidity and on the reduced non-diversifiable estimation risk. More voluntary disclosure reduces investor uncertainty and attracts long term investments. Determinants of the cost of equity capital can be categorized into two variables care ful on accounting information only (accounting based) and variables measured on relations between market data and accounting data (market based).