Organizational Behaviour The Fifth Discipline - Solution is Just a Cl

Questions: 1. What are the main themes of the Fifth Discipline? What are these five disciplines? How you describe and explain these disciplines. 2. How these disciplines relate to each other and why? 3. Why these disciplines are important in establishing a learning organization? 4. Evaluate and discover if that organization is a learning organization or not. If yes why and if not why? Then propose how you can transform this organization to a learning organization.? Answer: 1: Main theme of the book The Fifth Discipline: The main concept of the book involves focusing into solving of group problems through the method of systematic thinking. This would help the organization to become a learning organization. The core capabilities of learning that evolves from the five disciplines are fostering of aspirations, comprehending perplexity and development of a reflective conversation. The central theme of the book helps in suggesting that it is not a wise act for an organization to rely on a single person for learning (Arvinen-Muondo and Perkins 2013). The business can be only successful through the development of members capacity at all the organization levels. A learning organization is the one whose members needs to be open to ideas, able to communicate effectively , understand the organization , form a vision that is shared by the team members and work towards achieving that vision (Senge, 1990). The five disciplines that are referred to as the learning organization are as follows: Personal Mastery Mental Models Building shared vision Team learning System thinking The pictorial representation of the five disciplines is given below: Figure 1 (Source: Wilson and O'Connor 2013) Explanation of the disciplines: Personal Mastery: This discipline helps in deepening and clarifying the personal vision. Individual learning causes organizational learning. Mental Models: This discipline holds the ingrained assumption and generalization that affects the actions and the understanding of the world (Wilson and O'Connor 2013). Building shared vision: This discipline involves unraveling shared pictures of the future that would help in fostering enrolment and genuine thinking. Team learning: This discipline begins with a dialogue conjoined with the systematic form of thinking. The team members have the ability to reject the assumption and form a genuine thinking (Catlin-Legutko and Klingler 2012). System thinking: This discipline is basically an integration of the above four. A type of thinking that has long-term view (Zuber-Skerritt 2014). 2: Relation between the five disciplines: Learning organizations are organization where the learning process is continuous. There is rapid change in the organization through the incorporation of the adaptive and the productive change. There exist learning capacity of individuals but the proper form of structure is not available for expansion. There are some contemporary forms of disciplines based on which the learning organizations are built. These disciplines are interrelated and work in coordination. Individuals are the building blocks to learning process. This would help in guaranteeing organizational learning (Gallistel 2013). The next thing that follows is the mental model. This is the thinking aspect of an individual, the necessary action taken by him and the ability to reflect on certain perspective. The thinking ability of the individual will help in shared vision. When a genuine vision is expressed to the team members then the members can work upon the vision. The vision is spread through the process of reinforcemen t. Individual learning based of certain desires would find a vent through the process of team learning. The concept of team learning centres on shared vision and personal mastery. In an organization, the system of thinking would be established only when individuals in the team are on constant learning phase. 3: The five disciplines are interrelated and help in forming the process of learning in the organization. Personal mastery helps in describing the pro-activeness of individual learning. Individual learning helps serving the purpose of organizational learning. It clarifies and deepens the personal visions. The continuous learning process helps in attaining mastery over their work in the organization. Mental model is the ability of reflecting on actions. The internal pictures of the world can be unearthed through this method. The method of mental learning helps in developing learningful conversation. This helps in exposing creative thinking effectively and this thinking then helps in influencing the team members (Garvin 2013). In order to develop the capacity of work, new skills and development orientation is to be made. The individual learning process will help in sharing of vision. This would enhance clarity, enthusiasm and commitment (Rosenthal 2012). The organization will grow not through single persons learning actions but is dependent upon the learning actions of all the people working in the organization. Individual learning will help in building team learning. Team learning will help in bringing out the objective of learning for each member. Apart from the individuality, the team learns to grow through the visions and prospects about the organization (Gould and Baldwin 2013). The system thinking discipline takes into all the aspects of discipline. Systematic thinking addresses the whole perspective and examines the interrelationship of the parts. This is a long-term phenomenon and so the understanding the loophole gets important. 4: The case study highlights on the aspect of lower morale of the employees in Nestle Corporation. The company has not been able to cater to the needs of the people and so they are not able to provide efficient output (Robbins and Judge 2013). The morale of the employees are down due to a number of reasons. Some of the reasons are the inability to communicate freely with the management and the efficient people not given the type of job for which they are qualified (Hjorne, Aalsvoort and Abreu 2012). The productivity of the company is falling and it is running in losses. The company Nestle lost a large market share to its competitors. The losses were so huge that the company had to sell a part of their internal assets. The company could not understand where it went wrong. The fall in sales and poor customer services have risen due to the number of unhappy employees in the company. There is no guidance by the organization provided to the employees on a weekly or monthly basis. This is the reason why a special team by the company was arranged to note down the feedback of the employees. The human resources department was given the authority to conduct the whole process (Knights and Willmott 2012). There was diverse opinion revealed by the employees but the common factor that was noticed is that there was lack of creativity or learning process within the organization. 5: Application of five discipline of Peter Senge on the case study: The personal mastery discipline when applied does not show a convincing picture. The personal vision that is projected by the employees in Nestle Company does not have any basis. There is no encouragement given to the employees so that they can reach a fruitful vision (Leistner 2012). It is already mentally present in the mind of the manager that the workers lack productivity. Since there is no sharing of vision by the employees, the process of learning does not evolve and the team learning is stagnated. Due to lack of learning at all the levels, the whole system suffers that is reflected through losses that the company accrues. Reason for the company for not being a learning organization: The reasons for Nestle not being a learning organization are: There is no support or encouragement given to the employees for critical thinking and risk taking with respect to new ideas (Marquardt 2013). Nestle does not give rewards to the employees who offer valuable contribution to the company. Transforming of an organization into a learning organization: In order to transform an organization into learning organization there is need for change resistance. This can only be possible when the vision of a senior like the CEO of the company compels the employees have a similar one (Pettinger 2013). The visionary leader when setting up the learning organization should have the awareness that learning should be involved in all levels not only with respect to the management. It is important to build an organizational structure that is facilitative and which helps in removing the organizational boundaries. References: Arvinen-Muondo, R. and Perkins, S. (2013).Organizational behaviour. London: Kogan Page. Catlin-Legutko, C. and Klingler, S. (2012).Organizational management. Lanham, Md.: AltaMira Press. Gallistel, C. (2013).The organization of learning. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Garvin, D. (2013).Learning in action. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press. Gould, N. and Baldwin, M. (2013).Social work, critical reflection, and the learning organization. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate. Hjorne, E., Aalsvoort, G. and Abreu, G. (2012).Learning, social interaction and diversity-- Exploring identities in school practices. Rotterdam: SensePublishers. Knights, D. and Willmott, H. (2012).Introducing organizational behaviour and management. Andover, Hampshire, U.K.: Cengage Learning EMEA. Leistner, F. (2012).Connecting organizational silos. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Marquardt, M. (2013).Building the learning organization. Palo Alto, Calif.: Davies-Black Pub. Pettinger, R. (2013).The learning organization. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub. Robbins, S. and Judge, T. (2013).Organizational behavior. Essex, England: Pearson. Rosenthal, N. (2012). Active Learning/Empowered Learning.Adult Learning, 1(5), pp.16-18. Senge, P. (1990).The fifth discipline. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Wilson, P. and O'Connor, D. (2013).The learning organization. Kent, C.T.: Scitech. Zuber-Skerritt, O. (2014).The learning organization. Bradford, England: Emerald Group Pub.

Artificial Intelligence Company Case Study †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Artificial Intelligence Company Case Study? Answer: Introduction There are many articles, which have written on the rise of the robotics, which has been regarded as the robotics process automation, in the various organization across the industries. This very subject conjures the images of the robots taking over the workplace and it eventually the entire world (Brighton, 2015). First, it is important to know the definition of the robotics. Accounting to the institute for the Robotic process Automation as well as the Artificial Intelligence they defines it as the application of the technology which allows the employees in the company to be able to configure the computer software or perhaps a robot to capture and interpret the existing applications (Andrade, Pereira, Walter, Almeida, Loureiro, Compagna Kyberd, 2014). This is for the processing a transaction, manipulating of the data as well as triggering of the responses and communication with the other digital system (Tirgul Naik, 2014). This definition of the robotics it highlights on three vital aspects; the initial is the software, secondly, existing application the robotics software will sit on top of the existing applications, in order to connect the pieces of the puzzle that have been connected to the employees manually (Hagerty, 2015). The last part is on the employees; the software will be programmed as well as be managed by the humans. A simple illustration of robotics in the organization is the automation of the low-level work in the recruitment process (Cox, 2017). The robotics could be effectively automate on the manual, repetitive process, which involves the high volume of the transactions as well as multiple tasks. Rather than the physical mechanical devices the robotic are the intelligent piece of the software, which has been implemented on top of the current information technology infrastructure, which could help in the elimination of the low level, work that are tedious (Brighton, 2015). The rise of the current robotic evolutions has been emerging as the pro duct of three mutual re enforcing macro tends. This has been as a result of the technology underlying the robotics software, which have diversified over the years. About the organization The organization in the case study scenario is an Artificial Intelligence company, which is based in Brisbane. The organization over the years has had interest in the use of the robotics for the domestic use as well as in the other industries such as the mining, transport as well as manufacturing industries across Australia. It has been using the robotic in small number in order to grow the sideline business (Cox, 2017). The organization aims at being competitive over the other rivalry firms therefore they aim at diversifying the organization over the next five years. The company has been planning to expand on their operations within the Australian as well as the Asian region. When an organization leverage on the robotic technology as their key component for the expansion strategy it would likely be more competitive than the other organization. Overview of the research problem in the case study The research problem is find out the application of the robotic technology in order to consider it for the Artificial intelligence organization for their next five year strategy plan in order to diversify and become more competitive over the other rivalry organization. The company wants to expand on their operations within the Australian and to the Asian region (Hagerty, 2015). The problem the CEO is encountering she does not have wide range of the information on the issue of robotic technology. She is only aware of general positive and the negative aspects of using the robotics in the work and the home environments (Cox, 2017). The research is important because it will provide recommendations to her on how to leverage the use of the robotic technology in order to improve on the business. The main of the research The research study is aimed to find how to leverage the use of the robotic technology in order to improve on the business. further, it research will examine on the various types of robots, their advantages and negative aspects and provide a recommendations on the best ways to use in this small business so that they are able to diversify and venture the new markets. Objective of the research The objective of the study is to evaluate the robotic technology and its application in the current industry of the organization to improve the business. Assumptions of the research On this case study, it has been assumed that the competitor or the rivalry organization are not aware of the robotic technology and therefore Artificial Intelligence Company will have a competitive advantage over this aspect (Webber Nilsson, 2014). The research has further assumed that organization under the research is a fictional company, which acts as a guide to help provide insight over the robotic technology. Investigations of robotic technology Definition/s of robotic technology and the current use of robots Robotic is the application of the technology, which allows the workers in a given company to be able to configure the computer software or perhaps a robot to capture as well as interpret the existing applications for the processing of the transaction (Ghahramani, 2015). Further, it has been regarded as the utilization of the innovation which enable the representative in the organization to be able to design their PC programming or the robot to catch as well as decipher the existing applications. This will help to prepare for the exchange, control as well as activation of the reactions along with speaking with some of the other advanced frameworks (Hagerty, 2015). The term robot has been highlights as the controller that could be reprogrammed in order to perform various functions. It could executes various functions such as the moving objects, device through using the numerous programmed movements. Current use of the robots The robots have been used in many almost all the sectors in the industries. This is the reason, which has made the small Artificial intelligence organization to venture in the design of the robots in order to be used in the transport, the mining, domestic, and the manufacturing industries (Hagerty, 2015). Some of the uses of the developed by the manufactures as follows: One of the use has been for the exploration. The robots have been designed in order to enter to the environment, which are dangerous to the human being. An example has been observed in the atmosphere within the volcano or perhaps investigating the marine life. Secondly, it has been used by the military (Tirgul Naik, 2014). The military have used robots such as the flying robots drones, which have been brought in the present time in the modern armed force. In the future, the robotic airplane as well as the automobiles could be utilized in order to transmit the petroleum. The robots have also been useful in agriculture in order to farm (Ghahramani, 2015). The harvesters in order to cut as well as collect the crops use the robot that have been programmed. In the car industry, there is the use of robotic arms in executing various tasks to manufacture the automobile as they are in the assembling procedure (Siciliano Khatib, 2016). They usually perform jobs such as sorting, welding, lift ing, painting as well as bending. The robots have also been useful in the hospitals there have been development of the robotic suit which are under construction, which would allow the nurses to be able to raise the patients without injuring their backbones. Types of robots The artificial intelligence company have invented, designed as well as developed on the robots, which would be useful in the field of transport, domestic, manufacturing as well as the mining industries (Ferber, 1999). Some of the types of the robots, which have been used in these sectors, are: Domestic uses According to Siciliano Khatib (2016) highlighted that the global number of the domestic household robots would rise to thirty one million between 2016 to 2019. The sales of the robots for cleaning would likely increase to about thirteen billion dollars in this period (Hagerty, 2015). . The robotics in the personals as well as domestic applications have experienced a great worldwide growth with much relative in the mass market products such as the floor cleaning robots, lawn mowers as well as the edutainment robots which have been dominating the market (Ghahramani, 2015). In the upcoming years, the vacuum as well as the floor cleaning robots would continue to make up the wider share of the units at the work when it comes to the households (Siciliano Khatib, 2016). The sales volume would rise to more than three million units to approximate thirty million units within the forecasted period. The vacuum and the floor cleaning robots account to more than ninety-six percent of the domesti c robot sales. The robotic mowers as well as the pool cleaning robots have been ranked the second and third respectively. There has also growth, which has been reported in the sale of the handicap assistive robots as well as for the elderly. The sales figure stands at thirty seven thousand units at 2015 (Russell, Dewey Tegmark, 2015). This value is expected to increase with the mirror in this development over the forecasted period. Mining robots Some of the mining robots are the abandoned mine robot: this kind of the robot are built for the mining organization in order to be driven to the abandoned mineshaft to search for the potash leftover from the many years ago. The tethered fibre optic robot: This robot was built in order to be sent to hundreds of feet down the mineshaft. It has the capability to travel a long distance. Manufacturing robots The robots are used in the various manufacturing environment. They usually are made of articulated arms, which are used in the applications such as in the painting, and welding. These robots are automatically controlled, and they are multipurpose manipulator, which are in three or more taxes in order to perform the duties assigned to them (Siciliano Khatib, (2016). The robot, which is used in the welding, is regarded as the arc robot and the ones used for the painting are designed in order to perform the tasks of painting. These robots are able to undertake the task faster as well as in uniform and accuracy as comparison to individuals. Transport robots Today there are various types of robot, which have been developed for the transportation industry. Some of this are travel mate robots. These robots have been created an autonomous robot suitcase that has the capability of moving both vertically as well as horizontally positions. Another type is the SMP robots. This company have created unmanned robot, which have various applications such as the security as well as surveillance. These robot they have the ability to avoid the obstacles are they are able to work under the conditions that is difficult such as low temperatures of less than twenty degrees. How to incorporate robotic in artificial intelligence company future The use of robots currently being used by some of the organization and Artificial Intelligence Company is part of these groups. The company has been some robotic technology in small number on their sideline business but they want to fully venture in to it in order to expand their business in Australia and the other region in Asia (Frankish Ramsey, 2014). The company is focused in the design of the robot, which would be used for the domestic use, mining, manufacturing as well transport industry. The company is small but they want this to be their expansion strategy. In order to be able to incorporate this technology to the company they are aiming at hiring designers in the field of robotic to help the company to be able to position itself in Australia as well as venture to the other regions (Suri, Dearani, Mihaljevic, Chitwood Jr, Murphy, Trento Gillinov, 2016). The company has been using the robotics in their sideline business therefore with this experience and additional knowledge they would be able to implement this strategy and begin the production process. Some of the areas they would use the robots is when it comes to security where they would replace the security personnel and adopt the SMP robotics for the surveillance and security. The robots would also be incorporated in undertaking the task therefore; there would be increase in the production. Short term and Long term options to implement the robotic technology strategy The short term option which the Artificial Intelligence Company could implement the robotic technology will be based on the making their invention to for the commercial purpose and the short be in a position of manufacture the robots, which are upgraded as comparison to their rivals. This will enable the company to establish itself in the market of Australia since they are capable of performing their duties much efficiently. Consequently, the capital gains from the project would enable the company to expand in the Australia region (Frankish Ramsey, 2014). When it comes to the long terms options for the company, it will aim at utilizing the robots in their operations. When the company has gained enough ground in the Australian market as one of the major manufactures (Patel, Mullins, Pierorazio, Jayram, Cohen, Matlaga Allaf, 2013). The company will need to incorporate the robots for increase of the production in order to meet the demand of the products produced since it would be the major player in the market due to gain in the competitive advantage they would have. Advantages of the robots Productivity The robots are able to produce more accurately as well as high quality work. The can rarely make mistakes and they are precise as comparison to humans. The robots are able to produce in large quantities in a short period. Safety The robots are able to save the employees in undertaking dangerous work. They are able to work in conditions that are regarded hazardous such as toxic chemicals. Saving The robots are able to reduce on the amount of the wasted material, which are used due to their accuracy. They are save timers since they are capable of producing in greater magnitude. Disadvantages of using the robots The robots can take the place of the humans in the industries. Individuals have to find new employment. They are expensive to acquire as well as the maintenance and repair is high. The programs need to be frequently be updated in order to suit on the changes in the requirements. The robots do not have the capability to act different from what they are programmed to undertake, because of this application to these machines individual could become overly dependent to them (Jones, 2015). Solutions of overcoming the risks and the challenges These challenges would pose a great challenge to the Artificial Intelligence company but they could be mitigated through the following: one way is the manufacture of the robot, which are much less expensive, thus it would enable the company reduce on the cost of manufacturing (Ingrand Ghallab, 2014). On the issues of taking the jobs of individuals, they could be taken to training in order to learn about the programming as well as design thus they will be able to retain their jobs. Social, ethical and legal consideration of the company Some of the consideration on these is the issue of unemployment. The company need to know that the robots will displace the job of many employees. Many individuals will lose job because a single robot can perform tasks of more than five people (Cohen Feigenbaum, 2014). To address on the issue the company could encourage people to venture on other jobs or even self-employ themselves (Cohen Feigenbaum, 2014). Another consideration would be on the security. An individual may hack the robot and take control of the robot to commit crimes. This could be addressed through designing of the robots that have encryption for the password to operate. Conclusion This report was aimed to research on the robotic technology and its application in order for the Artificial Intelligence Company to consider in their strategic plan and be able to improve the business. There is many modifications, which could be made to the current robots to make them become more reliable as well as productive. From the findings, it has been found that the robot would provide a competitive edge against the competitor and they will offer productivity to enable the company venture in the Australia as well as Asia market. The report would provide an insight to help the company to undergo changes to enable it operate the robots in all their operations. Recommendations I would recommend the company to start in the design of the robot especially those that are used in the domestic uses since they are not complex to manufacture. Further, the organization should provide invest in the research in this field in order to be able to the company achieve diversity effectively and implement on the expansion strategy plan appropria References Andrade, A. O., Pereira, A. A., Walter, S., Almeida, R., Loureiro, R., Compagna, D., Kyberd,P. J. (2014). Bridging the gap between robotic technology and health care. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 10, 65-78. Brighton, H. (2015). Introducing Artificial Intelligence: A Graphic Guide. Icon Books Ltd. Cohen, P. R., Feigenbaum, E. A. (Eds.). (2014). The handbook of artificial intelligence (Vol.3). Butterworth-Heinemann. Cox, B. (2017). Artificial Intelligence Military Robots. Frankish, K., Ramsey, W. M. (Eds.). (2014). The Cambridge handbook of artificia intelligence. Cambridge University Press. Ferber, J. (1999). Multi-agent systems: an introduction to distributed artificial intelligence (Vol. 1). Reading: Addison-Wesley. Ghahramani, Z. (2015). Probabilistic machine learning and artificial intelligence. Nature, 521(7553), 452-459. Hagerty, J. (2015). Meet the New Generation of Robots for Manufacturing. Wall Street Journal, 2. Ingrand, F., Ghallab, M. (2014). Robotics and artificial intelligence: A perspective on deliberation functions. AI Communications, 27(1), 63-80. Jones, M. T. (2015). Artificial Intelligence: A Systems Approach: A Systems Approach. Jones Bartlett Learning. Patel, H. D., Mullins, J. K., Pierorazio, P. M., Jayram, G., Cohen, J. E., Matlaga, B. R., Allaf, M. E. (2013). Trends in renal surgery: robotic technology is associated with increased use of partial nephrectomy. The Journal of urology, 189(4), 1229-1235. Russell, S., Dewey, D., Tegmark, M. (2015). Research priorities for robust and beneficial artificial intelligence. AI Magazine, 36(4), 105-114. Shneier, M., Bostelman, R. (2015). Literature Review of Mobile Robots for Manufacturing. National Institute of Standards and Technology, US Department of Commerce. Siciliano, B., Khatib, O. (Eds.). (2016). Springer handbook of robotics. Springer. Suri, R. M., Dearani, J. A., Mihaljevic, T., Chitwood Jr, W. R., Murphy, D. A., Trento, A., ... Gillinov, A. M. (2016). Mitral valve repair using robotic technology: Safe, effective, and durable. The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 151(6), 1450. Tirgul, C. S., Naik, M. R. (2014). Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. Webber, B. L., Nilsson, N. J. (Eds.). (2014). Readings in artificial intelligence. Morgan Kaufmann.

NBC Universal Essay Example

NBC Universal Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on NBC Universal specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on NBC Universal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on NBC Universal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer NBC Universal NBC Universal LLC is a global media and entertainment company headquartered in New York City, U.S.A. The company specializes in the â€Å"development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience† (NBCUniversal). Two corporate mergers, first in 2004 and then in 2011 led to the formation of NBC Universal LLC. General Electric Company formed NBC (National Broadcasting Company) company in 1926 (Ahn). After years of expanding and buying up other networks globally, NBC decided to merge with Vivendi Universal in 2003. In 2004, the completion of the merger formed NBC Universal. The completion of a second deal in 2011 gave birth to NBC Universal LLC. This new deal involved General Electric Company (known as GE) and Comcast Corporation (Ahn). NBC Universal is considered a powerhouse in the world of entertainment (NBCUniversal Media, LLC Company Profile). The conglomerate owns Universal Pictures (one of the world’s largest and most successful movie studios) and NBC TV (a successful television network). The Company has been expanding globally since the 1990s. This expansion has seen NBC Universal purchase and acquire broadcasting networks in Europe, Asia and South America (Ahn). Some of the world’s most famous and successful movies and TV shows have been produced by NBC Universal. Examples include the television sitcom Friends and the television drama ER. The successes of the company’s productions have turned NBC into a household name especially in the United States (Ahn). NBCUniversal is headed by a chief executive officer (CEO) Stephen B. Burke. The CEO oversees the company’s general operations including those carried out by the company’s subsidiaries and oversees networks (NBCUniversal). Answerable to the CEO are several executive vice presidents (EVP), presidents and chairpersons. They are in-charge the company’s various departments, networks and subsidiaries. They take instructions directly from the CEO. The EVPs are in-charge of the company’s departments such as the administrative department, the financial department and the strategic integration department. The chairpersons and presidents are in-charge of the company’s networks and subsidiaries. These include NBCUniversal News Group and Universal Studios (NBCUniversal). There are seventeen presidents in the second level of management. They are Robert Greenblatt, Matt Bond, Adam Miller, Jeff Shell, Paula Madison, Patricia Fili-Krushel, Mark Hoffman, Steve Capus, Mark Lazarus, Lauren Zalaznik, Bonnie Hammer, Ted Harbert, Page Thompson, Ron Meyer, Rick Cotton, Adam Fogelson and Lynn Calpeter (NBCUniversal). On paper, the presidents are all equal. However, some presidents do appear to be more important by virtue of controlling departments and networks within the company that are more important or successful than others. Examples include Adam Fogelson who is the president of Universal Pictures (a major subsidiary of NBCUniversal that makes movies), Ted Harbert who is in-charge of NBC Broadcasting (NBCUniversal’s marquee TV network) and Patricia Fili-Krushel chairperson of NBCUniversal News Group (NBC Universal Inc). NBCUniversal uses the matrix organizational structure in the organization of its management. The matrix structure combines the attributes of the project structure and the functional structure with the intentions of maximizing the advantages of both (Dubrin 264). In a matrix organizational structure, focus is placed on both the product and the function. Function entails all the process involved in making a product while the product is what is created because of all the functions (Marquis and Luston 274). Matrix structures enable a company to focus on both the final product and the consumer. It also enables a company to divide its work force such that different departments can work on different projects. This means that a company can have multiple projects being run simultaneously without interfering with each other (Marquis and Luston 274). NBC’s management structure has its strengths and weaknesses. First, the fact that projects are divided suits the company well. NBC is a conglomerate and therefore, has several networks and subsidiaries within it. These different parts of the company can all work on different projects simultaneously. This structure also works well for NBC because each department gets its own equipment and facilities minimizing friction between different departments. A disadvantage of this structure is that the cooperation between different departments might be poor. In addition, any joint projects require a lot of communication and this communication between departments is likely to be poor. The highest level of the organization’s management has three clearly discernible layers. The first and the highest is the level where the CEO is found. The second level responds to the CEO (NBC Universal Inc). This level was introduced after the merger between Comcast and GE was completed (James). The new layer helped breakdown the command structure. The CEO no longer has to deal with the various departments directly. This makes the work easier for the CEO as well as for the departments. The departments will find that feedback from high-level management comes faster because each department has its own president. For the CEO, the added layer makes the work easier. The third layer in top-level management has the heads of the specific networks and those of smaller departments of the company. They respond to the presidents in the second layer. This level of management deals directly with the employees and other workers (NBCUniversal). The CEO’s position at the helm makes him the most influential person in the company. The hierarchical structure of NBCUniversal means that all employees answer to the CEO through the chairpersons and the presidents. This structure suggests that the CEO has to be a hands-on manager and deal with all decisions directly. Stephen Burke’s involvement in the selection of the presidents in the second level also suggests that he carries out his functions the way he should. A statement released by Comcast revealed that he was not just involved in the selection of these presidents but created the layered management structure himself (James). This statement also implies that the CEO prefers to take part in the process of making key decisions at the management level. On paper, NBCUniversal’s structure is quite solid. It has multiple levels of management. This reduces the work that the top level of management has to deal with. This layered management structure also means that all departments, networks and subsidiaries have representation in the top management but without forcing the CEO to deal with each head directly. This means that feedback from the top management gets to the departments much faster as the CEO deals with them much faster. In theory, this structure should also enable NBCUniversal to keep growing. Each department focuses on its own projects and success for these departments translates to financial success for NBCUniversal. However, this has not been the case for NBCUniversal. Several of the networks within the company have not been doing well. This insinuates that the company’s organizational structure is not operating the way it should be. NBC Universal’s largest and most popular network is NBC (the company’s marquee television network). Over the recent past, NBC has been experiencing a decline in its shows ratings. This decline started in the early 2000s after several of the network’s key shows ended (Adalian). Stiff competition from other networks has also contributed to the network’s decline. The network seems to be unable to catch up with the competition, as its new shows are unable to match the successes of the shows from other networks (Adalian). Other networks within NBCUniversal are also going through problems. CNBC (Consumer News and Business Channel) and MSNBC (Microsoft and the National Broadcasting Company) have had trouble keeping key personnel as several news anchors have left NBC and joined rival networks (Hall). All of this suggests that all is not well within NBCUniversal. The decline of several of NBCUniversal’s key networks is showing that the management structure is not really working well. NBCUniversal is primarily an entertainment company and this means that its successes and failures are judged on how well its networks perform. The failures of CNBC, MSNBC and NBC are indicative of a decline in NBCUniversal’s standards. The lack of successful TV shows indicates that the management is not making the right decisions. It also shows a failure in the creative departments of the company’s different networks. Additionally, the decline has been occurring over a long period. It started in the early 2000s and after ten years, nothing seems to have been done to stop it. This shows that the management has been unable to adapt to the changing climate of the entertainment business. It also suggests that there may be a breakdown in communication between the management levels and the company’s low-level workers. This is because over te n years, the company does not appear to have been able to outlined the real problems dogging it and as a result of this has failed to deal with the problems Adding more layers to the management structure would not have the desired effect in the company. It would only increase the bureaucratic levels and complicate the coordination between the highest level of management and the company’s employees. It would also increase the number of people involved in the decision making process and this would be a step backwards. Summarily, the levels of management do not need to be increased. An improvement that can be made is to add an extra department to the company. This addition would be vertical and not horizontal. This role of the department would be to assist the networks in their development phase and ensure that creative content produced is top notch. This department would have its own head in the second tier of the management structure. This head would assist the executives in this second tier in making decisions concerning creative content produced by the networks. The main benefit of having this new department is that the departmen t would help stem the declining standards of NBCUniversal’s networks. The employees are the most important part of NBCUniversal. They play key roles in the conception, development, production and release of the content broadcasted by the company’s networks. NBCUniversal is an entertainment company. This means that the employees’ play a vital role in the company and are perhaps the most important part of NBCUniversal. Despite this important role, the employees do not have any direct representation in the second tier of management. The needs of these employees have to go through two levels of management before reaching the highest level of the company’s management. There should be an improvement in this area. The company should create a new department that deals specifically with all the employees from NBCUniversal. The department should have its own president representing it in the second tier of management. This new department would ensure that employees needs move faster to the higher levels of management. Works Cited Adalian, Joseph. Has NBC Passed the Point of No Return?. Vulture, 7 Feb 2013. Web. 30 April 2013. Ahn, Lisa Von. TIMELINE: NBC, Universal through the 20th century and beyond. Reuters, 4 Dec 2009. Web. 30 April 2013. DuBrin, Andrew J. Essentials of Management. Mason, OH: Thomson Business Economics, 2009. Print. Hall, Colby. The NBC News/ CNBC Exodus, Why is so Much Top Talent Leaving the Network?. Mediaite, 20 June 2011. Web. 30 April 2013. James, Meg. Comcast unveils management team for NBC Universal. Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov 2010. Web. 30 April 2013. Marquis, Bessie L, and Huston, Carol Jorgensen. Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing: Theory and Application. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2009. Print NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal, 2013. Web. 30 April 2013. NBC Universal Inc. Cogmap, 26 Jan 2013. Web. 30 April 2013 NBCUniversal Media, LLC Company Profile. Hoovers, 2013. Web. 30 April 2013

Free Essays on Moving City To City

So far in my life I have moved eight times and been to twelve different schools. I’m not talking about just moving houses. I’m talking about eight times, packing all of my things and moving to a whole different state. In all this I have learned the most important quality that anyone needs to get through all of the hardships and changes in moving. That quality is courage. Courage is as stated in The New International Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language to be â€Å"the capacity to meet danger or difficulty with firmness.† In my mind courage has always meant doing what you had to do, and dealing with it because you had to. I never had a choice in my life whether I wanted to move to a different city or not. I just would get told one day that I had about a month before I had to pack up all of my things, say goodbye to all of my friends, say goodbye to my school, and leave everything I had know for the last year or so and move to a whole different place that I didn’t know. For a young child this can be hard. I learned early on, that I was suppost to â€Å"stay strong,† as my father always said. He would tell me that I had to be courageous, and a trooper through all of this and that it would be a new adventure. That’s how I looked at it, as another challenge to face. Courage has to be found deep within you. It isn’t always easy to find, as I have learned from experience, and every time a hardship or a difficult situation comes up you have to dig again to find the courage to get through, but with a little searching I have found that you almost always find it, sometimes at the most unexpected times. Whenever I went into a new school, I would go in shaking, and sometimes crying, and not want to face what was in store for me. My mom would look me in the eyes, tell me everything would be ok, and to find the courage deep within me and I can achieve anything. I would take a few breaths, calm down, and then take m... Free Essays on Moving City To City Free Essays on Moving City To City So far in my life I have moved eight times and been to twelve different schools. I’m not talking about just moving houses. I’m talking about eight times, packing all of my things and moving to a whole different state. In all this I have learned the most important quality that anyone needs to get through all of the hardships and changes in moving. That quality is courage. Courage is as stated in The New International Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language to be â€Å"the capacity to meet danger or difficulty with firmness.† In my mind courage has always meant doing what you had to do, and dealing with it because you had to. I never had a choice in my life whether I wanted to move to a different city or not. I just would get told one day that I had about a month before I had to pack up all of my things, say goodbye to all of my friends, say goodbye to my school, and leave everything I had know for the last year or so and move to a whole different place that I didn’t know. For a young child this can be hard. I learned early on, that I was suppost to â€Å"stay strong,† as my father always said. He would tell me that I had to be courageous, and a trooper through all of this and that it would be a new adventure. That’s how I looked at it, as another challenge to face. Courage has to be found deep within you. It isn’t always easy to find, as I have learned from experience, and every time a hardship or a difficult situation comes up you have to dig again to find the courage to get through, but with a little searching I have found that you almost always find it, sometimes at the most unexpected times. Whenever I went into a new school, I would go in shaking, and sometimes crying, and not want to face what was in store for me. My mom would look me in the eyes, tell me everything would be ok, and to find the courage deep within me and I can achieve anything. I would take a few breaths, calm down, and then take m...

Film Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Comparative reflection paper on literature Essay

Comparative reflection paper on literature - Essay Example ..6 Comparison & Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.7 Racial Discrimination & Youth†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Introduction Literature is the reflection of a society. From past history, to present scenarios, li terature presents social phenomena in a very effective manner. It not only gives the description of the facts but gives value-addition to them which helps us understand life and its various facets in the most beautiful manner. It also helps us to highlight and understand the various problems occurring in the society. Racial discrimination is one such issue. Many authors have written books, short stories, poems etc on this much debatable topic. In this paper, we discuss the impact of racial discrimination by comparing two poems which highlight the issue. Racial Discrimination Racism can be defined as negative beliefs, attitudes, actions, or behaviors that are based on various different characteristics or ethnic affiliations (Patcher et al., 2010). It is the unfair treatment of any individual based on his race or because of the personal characteristics associated to his race. One of the examples of this is treating people unfavorably because of their color complexion. While racism hap pens all over the world in various countries, racism by Western powers toward non-westerners had a significant impact on history as compared to any other form such amongst Asians, Africans etc. The most renowned instance of racial has been slavery when referred to the West, particularly developing Africans into slaves. This happened because of the racist belief that Black Africans were not as human as white Europeans and their descendants. Racism affects every individual who becomes target to it. It particularly has effect on children and the youth. They are already struggling to find meaning to their life at this sensitive age, and such time of discrimination has adverse consequences on them. Racism as a stressor may produce negative biological or psychological responses to the behavioral and emotional health of children and may also explain within-group variability in health status and health results (Clark et al., 1999). Based on this my thesis statement would be: ‘Racial d iscrimination has far-reaching effects on the youth’ Literature Comparison The two pieces selected for this comparison are Child of the Americas by Aurora Levins Morales and What it’s like to be a Black Girl by Patricia Smith. Both are poems written by American authors having African origin. These poems highlight the discrimination against Blacks in America. With this analysis however, we will try to understand how racial/color discrimination is disturbing in any part of the world against any kind of race and its effects on the youth who are trying to settle in, trying to understand life, and trying to grow up; are much more. Let us first analyze each work separately and then compare them. Child of the Americas The author of this poem, daughter of an American Jewish father and a Puerto Rican mother, was born in Puerto Rico and moved to America at the age of 13. In this poem,

Applying to the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Personal Statement

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