Report on GlaxoSmithKlines Leadership Management Framework

Executive Summary GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been facing numerous management challenges since its inception in 2000. This has culminated in huge court fines and a reputation on the verge on destruction. Additionally, the company faces huge operational challenges despite vast resources spread across the globe. Many pundits attribute this crisis at GSK to weak leadership.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Report on GlaxoSmithKline’s Leadership Management Framework specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper looks into management structure at GSK with the aim of dissecting the type of leadership style employed. In light of this dissection, the author recommends the most effective leadership style to steer GSK to the next level and to enable it to handle previous management misjudgements. The author finds that Transactional Leadership style has been prevalent at GSK for quite some time. This leadership style is attributed to managerial pitfalls at GSK. The author recommends use of transformational style of leadership. Transformational leaders are dynamic, creative, proactive, and have the ability to save the company from itself. While Transformational Leaders show sensitivity to people’s needs, develop visionary objectives, and take risks after taking the right precautions, transactional leaders shy away from risks and employ short cuts to amass short-term gains. Transformational leaders, the author finds out, are agents of change and have exceptional skills for winning the support of their followers. Experts recommend that companies that are on the verge of collapse should employ transformational leaders to help the situation. While the author concedes this is the best style, he takes note of the need to use all styles interchangeably in the management’s structure of GSK. Katz model is one such interview tool that the author recommends. The company should also revise the pro cess of identifying immeasurable leadership qualities. This will improve the image of GSK and put the company in the path of reputational and managerial health. Introduction GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is a British multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Brentford, London, with operations in USA’s Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. GSK has been implementing different leadership strategies to overcome the impact of competition in the global pharmaceutical industry. This has been imperative to the company since it has considerably optimized the population of its global clients. Nevertheless, GSK’s inability to implement leadership strategies appropriately has resulted in a series of operational challenges.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Formation and Global Expansion GlaxoSmithKline was founded in the year 2000, following the merger of SmithKline B eecham and GlaxoWellcome. The following year, GSK purchased Block Drug for US$1.24 Billion. In 2006, the company acquired CNS Inc. a US-based consumer healthcare company, for US$566. Following the CNS Inc. acquisition, GSK increased its range of products and realized extra sales of  £81 million. Additionally, in the same year, GSK invested  £8 million in a joint venture with Shionogi Co., Ltd (GSK Annual Report, 2008). Thereafter, GSK opened its first research centre in China affirming its commitment to invest globally. This centre majorly focused on producing drugs for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases at first. In other global investments, GSK has focussed massively on malaria research. It has specifically been carrying out clinical trials of a new malaria vaccine, RTS, since 2008. It intends to continue with the trials until 2014 and test more than 15,000 children (Our History, n. d.). Mission and Corporate Social Responsibility GSK’s vision is to help the less privileged members of the society. In 2009, it announced plans to cut drug prices in at least 50 of the poorest nations, invest part of its profits from the undeveloped nations in improving medical infrastructure, and encourage new drug development in those nations. During the same period, the company acquired an Argentine pharmaceuticals company Laboratories Phoenix. This centre specializes in the development and sales of generic products. GSK entered into a joint venture with Pfizer and created ViiV Healthcare. Subsequently, the company announced its acquisition of Maxi nutrition in 2010. Moreover, it announced plans to invest in manufacturing plants in Ulverston in Northern England. According to official reports, GSK employs over 97,000 people globally to handle research and development projects. The company sells its products in about 70 countries (Our Mission and Strategy, n. d.). GSK is committed to offer medical products to its global clients more conveniently. GSK has outsta nding Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. According to the company’s CEO, GSK plans to get rid of a disease that has been afflicting humanity for centuries. Hence, the company plans to donate Albendazole drugs, as much as needed. GSK has been short-listed for the Worldaware Award. It received this award because of its efforts to eradicate malaria in Kenya. Apart from this achievement, UK Corporate Citizenship Index ranked the company as a leading donator in 2006 (Our Mission and Strategy, n. d.). GSK, notably, endeavours to give back part of its profits to the society. GSK’s Operational Challenges Despite the company’s outstanding operations and management systems, it has faced several controversies over the past ten years. Most of the challenges resulted from managerial mistakes. The major mistake was the mismanagement of an advertisement regarding Ribena production components. GSK has been producing Ribena, a popular black currant fruit drink, for a l ong time. The company misadvised consumers to believe that the juice is a rich source of vitamin C. However, two 14-year old students, Anna Devathsan and Jenny Suo, while engaging in a science assignment, discovered that the drink contained almost no traces of vitamin C. The matter was made public on Fair Go, a consumer fair trade show.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Report on GlaxoSmithKline’s Leadership Management Framework specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Following the controversy, the Commerce Commission took over the case and confirmed that the pupil’s findings were accurate. GSK was sued and pleaded guilty to 15 charges relating to the case, which resulted in fines amounting NZ$217,000. However, the company maintained that it did not harbour ill motives and that the advertisement claim was based on certain testing procedures that had since been corrected (Outterson, 2012). In 2012, GSK grap pled with yet another controversy relating to a health care fraud settlement in the U.S. The company was apparently engaging in illegal promotion of prescription drugs. In addition, GSK could not provide adequate safety for private data. It was also accused of giving doctors bribes and promoting the use of medicines for treatments for which they were not approved. The government had launched investigations after learning of the illegal acts from whistleblowers (Thomas, n. d.). The company was found guilty and repaid a $3 billion settlement. This incident had a severe negative impact on the company and its management. GSK has also been facing criticism from animal rights activists. The activists believe that the company is a consumer of services from Huntingdon Life Sciences, a controversial animal testing company. Reports indicate that in 2005, some of the activists donated a bomb containing explosives on the doorstep of Paul Blackburn, the corporate controller of GSK, and caused da mages (Lang Chu, 2006). The extremists were not pleased with GSK for collaborating with Huntingdon Life Sciences. Management of the Operational Challenges Consequences of the Challenges GSK has faced monumental operational challenges over the past 10 years. The pharmaceutical company has paid the highest amount of court fines relating to trade misconduct in the last few years (Thomas, n. d.). The controversies portray the company in bad light (Field, Holden, and Lawlor, 2002). Its vision, objectives and mission statements are positive and obliging in helping the world to improve health and education standards. Additionally, the company is committed to bettering the quality of human life by enabling people to live longer and feel better (Our Mission and Strategy, n. d.). GSK is working with partners such as Pfizer to provide financial aid and reduce drug price for the poor. The company’s mission is to reach out to the global population and serve them more effectively and effic iently. However, the numerous court cases and accusations against the company have a negative impact on its overall operations. The cases, in addition, have a negative effect on the consumer’s perception about the company’s products.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They (consumers) might concentrate more on the company’s unethical strategies rather than the benefits of the products. If the management fails to take urgent action, the company might soon begin to operate on credit, ultimately collapse, and go bankrupt. Owing to the ineffective team of leaders, the former scenario is possible. Effective Management of the Operational Challenges GSK ought to take action and reform its leadership styles. Research has shown that effectiveness is measured depending on the people’s achievements and their skills and behaviour. The measurement is done by comparing the actual results and behaviours with the expectations relating to the achievements and behaviours of participants (Field, Holden, and Lawlor, 2002). GSK has vast resources at its disposal. By contrast, GSK has been losing billions of dollars in paying fines arising from careless management. The amount of loses can be reduced if the company employs a management team that exercises visionary leadership, do things the way they are expected, understand the business and its key drivers, and locate resources according to appropriately laid down procedures. The new management should be able to undertake innovation duties accurately, adapt and respond to market changes appropriately, and anticipate problems before they happen. Moreover, it should handle problems that arise unexpectedly with sufficient care. Leaders that use these techniques are transformational (Bass and Riggio, 2006). They are the best group of leaders to save GSK from collapsing. The company pleaded guilty to almost 15 charges since it depended on transactional managers. GSK’s management failed to be responsible following inadequate appreciation of past mistakes. After pleading guilty to the initial charges, it met other numerous controversies that caused the company billions of dollars. Transformational leaders are good at learning from the past. To solve the challenges sufficiently, the company should employ transformational leaders (Pierce and Gardner, 2002). The frequent rate at which suits are filed against GSK demonstrates the inability of the current leaders to take charge of the company’s operations. GSK’s reaction to the actions of the advertising team also depicted the management as incapable of conveying its vision appropriately. The company argued in court that the error regarding the inaccurate contents of Ribena was based on a miscommunication from the advertising department. According to prominent leadership theories, an effective leadership must have control over its followers and develop proper communication channels. The leader must be able to share his/her vision with the entire team efficiently. Moreover, effective managers need to have the ability to switch flexibly from one model of management to another, depending on the needs of different people and the situation. Besides, effective leadership requires understanding of exceptiona l methods of influencing employees to operate according to laid down policies and regulations. The leader should earn the respect of other employees because of the effective ways of performing tasks (Thomas, n. d.). Notably, GSK’s management does not possess these qualities. The current leaders have failed to ensure that all internal processes of the company operate efficiently. There are several miscommunication cases from within. In addition, the leadership has failed to enhance external stability and efficiency in achievement of goals. GSK has not succeeded in meeting its financial goals, providing quality services, and addressing customer’s needs effectively. These are the roles of effective leaders (Field, Holden, and Lawlor, 2002). Additionally, GSK has failed to meet its key objectives due to the frequent settlement of heavy court fines. It has been using a lot of money to settle cases rather than initiate major developments and innovations. Apart from failure t o meet financial objectives, the company has failed to make use of its global resources to satisfy the tastes and preferences of its customers. The misinformation regarding the contents of Ribena shows that the company cannot satisfy the needs of its customers and therefore uses unfair means to make profits. The case depicted a picture that the company uses unfair trade mechanisms to take cash from the public. The cases, moreover, threatened to destroy the reputation of the company. Losing the trust of the public is one of the key factors that may lead to the closure of a company indefinitely. GSK ought to maintain cohesion with clientele and evolve successfully. Notably, the organisation uses the transactional model of leadership. The leadership has shown interest in maintaining stability by entering into joint ventures with other global companies. It has also invested heavily in acquisitions of new and improved facilities in the last ten years. Moreover, it has developed policies that take care of the interests of poor patients. The ventures and programs help the company to remain competitive globally. However, it has developed policies to promote changes within the organization. Despite providing cheap drugs to the poor and financing medical infrastructure in those regions, the culture of the company seem to remain targeted at making profits. It has impressive corporate missions, but it is at risk of falling prey to social evils. The shortcomings demonstrate lack of transformation qualities in the leaders. It is notable that the leaders take risk without taking adequate care (Ferran, and Salim, 2008). This has resulted into the erosion of the culture of respect for human rights. The company therefore needs a leader that possesses the appropriate skills and behavioural mannerism to correct the mistakes done in the past. Recommendations and Justification A Change in Leadership GSK’s new leaders should adopt appropriate leadership styles to eliminate a number of operational problems. The new leadership should have the quality to motivate followers to transcend self-interest and serve a higher level of ideals (Heizer and Render, 2004). This management should practise servant leadership in the company. This will strategically place the company to achieve its goals. Nevertheless, to be assured of the success, the company should employ leaders with the passion of transformation. Transformational leaders are commonly hired to revive companies that are at the verge of collapsing. They possess the ability to articulate compelling vision and influence others to sacrifice their interest for the sake of the society (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Justification for the Call for Change in Leadership Transformational leaders see themselves as agents of change. In addition, they believe in themselves. By employing such effective leaders, GSK will get the opportunity to improve its eroded culture. The recommended leadership will not maintain the status quo as commonly done by transactional leader. Commonly, they encourage innovation and develop original ideas that can solve the current evolving trade challenges that the company is facing. These leaders have high trust for their intuition. Transformational leaders encourage democratic rule but at the same time are well informed. They endeavour to create cohesion and improve quality of service provision. The leaders have the skills for instituting turn-around strategies in organizations that are approaching total collapse. The change in management will therefore help to eliminate reckless action done under the guise of risk taking management. This is because the leaders believe in taking action after engaging in careful deliberations and considerations. The new style of leadership will work towards using resources economically by making decisions that will bring a positive change within the company. Moreover, it will increase chances of the company to make more profits and increase its social value. An outstanding characteristic in transformational leaders is having a set of core values that tend to determine their own behaviours. They possess extraordinary cognitive skills. Since leaders’ skills and aspirations are reflected in their management styles, the company would develop exceptional policies to take care of anticipated and unanticipated risks (Bass and Riggio, 2006). The company’s current leadership does not demonstrate trust and faith in people. Research shows that transformational leaders do not only believe in people but also show sensitivity to their problems. The new style of leadership will therefore develop policies and put them into action (Bass and Riggio, 2006). GSK has attractive corporate mission statements. It manages several charity programs. However, the expected behaviour has nothing in common with the actual actions. This is because of poor leadership. The company does not show sensitivity to the people’s needs. I t constantly gives misleading information and engages in fraud. The occurrences portray the company as ruthless, a brand that is unhealthy for its success. Transformational leaders believe in creating an atmosphere that is conducive for living. The leadership can therefore create a marketable brand for the company. The leadership has the ability to use negative past experience to improve the company’s future operations. Transformational leaders believe that all past occurrences are useful for further learning. The dark past of the company can therefore become resourceful for improving performance (Cherry, 2002). Moreover, transformational leadership will help the company to save a lot of money. This is because they perform transactional behaviours, as well. The company needs transactional leaders, especially at lower management levels, and transformational leaders, at higher levels. Since transformational leaders can perform both roles, the company would benefit from the valu able services of the new management and improve efficiency most conveniently (Bass and Riggio, 2006). GSK cannot succeed if it fails to use the accurate methods of identifying leadership skills. There are several theories on how to identify skills in individual leaders (Fear, 1984). However, Robert Katz’s model that provides the ‘three skills approach is highly recommended for GSK. Katz suggested that success in leadership depends on technical, human, and conceptual skills. The mode illustrates that skills are measurable, as they are what leaders can accomplish while traits are not. On the other hand, traits represent who leaders are. The company should use this model to evaluate leaders’ skills. The model identifies technical skills, which help in production of the actual products. It also identifies human skills. Leaders with enhanced human skills have the ability to work with others harmoniously. The company also needs leaders with conceptual skills. The skill s make leaders competent. Katz’s model can help it to identify employee who have these skills, and therefore, have the ability to work with different ideologies and concepts (Northouse, 2013). At the same time, GSK should give priority to identification of exceptional leadership skills, some of which are not measurable using the model. Transformational and charismatic leaders have high levels of emotional intelligence that should be assessed as well. Conclusion GlaxoSmithKline has the potential to achieve it global objectives. It began operating in 2000 and about ten years later, it has expanded in all key strategic global markets. This indicates that GSK has sufficient resources at its disposal. The company also has impressive relationship with global companies, such as Pfizer. The warm relationship helped the companies to agree to enter into a joint global relationship. GSK therefore is a viable company. A management team that has the ability to not only manage the resource s effectively but also transform the company can solve its problems. The company should employ a team of transformational leaders. Transactional leaders are also helpful for the companies’ success, especially at lower management levels. These leaders are competent in managing organizations to perfect their current operational standards. They cannot save a company on the verge of collapse. The company can train them to gain insight on the desirable course of action. It can transfer leaders with innate transactional qualities to Middle Level Management offices (Fear, 1984). GSK should develop methods of identifying transformational leaders preciously. One of the available options it should consider adopting is the Katz model. It is straightforward and easy to use. The model also identifies major management skills in individuals. References Bass, B. M., Riggio, R. E. (2006).Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.). Mahwah, N. J. Cherry, K. Transformational Leadership. Psychology à ¢â‚¬â€œ Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators Enthusiasts. Web. Fear, R. A. (1984).The Evaluation Interview (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Ferran, C., Salim, R. (2008).Enterprise resource planning for global economics managerial issues and challenges. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Field, K., Holden, P., Lawlor, H. (2002).  Effective Subject Leadership (Taylor Francis e-Library ed.). London: Routledge. GSK Annual Report 2007. (2008).  GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – Global Healthcare Company. Web. Heizer, J. H., Render, B. (2004). Principles of Operations Management (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Katz, J. A. (2002). Managing People in Entrepreneurial Organizations: Learning from the Merger of Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Management. Amsterdam: JAI. Lang Chu, W. (2006). Animal Right Extremists Target GSK investors. Pharmaceutical Supply, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Contract Research, Pharmaceutical Outsourc ing. Web. Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Our history. GlaxoSmithKline. Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) – Global Healthcare Company. Web. Our Mission and Strategy. GlaxoSmithKline. Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) – Global Healthcare Company. Web. Outterson, K. (2012). Punishing Healthcare Fraud. The New England Journal of Medicine: Is the GSK Settlement Sufficient, 10(367), 10820-1085. Pierce, J. L., Gardner, D. G. (2002). Management and Organizational Behaviour: An Integrated Perspective. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing. Thomas, K. Glaxo Smith Kline Agrees to Pay $3 Billion in Fraud Settlement – NYTimes.com. The New York Times – Breaking News, World News Multimedia. Web. This report on Report on GlaxoSmithKline’s Leadership Management Framework was written and submitted by user Christina James to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Reader Response to The Good Soldier Essays - Modernist Literature

Reader Response to The Good Soldier Essays - Modernist Literature Reader Response to The Good Soldier Reader Response to The Good Soldier Ford Maddox Ford?s The Good Soldier is saturated with ironies and ambiguities. It is told through the voice of Dowell, giving his interpretation on the events that unfolded around him as well as those that involved him. ?This is the saddest story I have ever heard? is the opening line to the novel and although there are points of sadness embedded throughout the experiences of the individuals, the saddest event is the obliviousness of Dowell. The general irony that overlay the first half of the novel is the ?heart condition? that both Florence and Captain Ashburnham each suffer from. The only condition they seem to have is allowing their heart to beat for those other than the ones they are married to. The spouses, Dowell and Leonora each do what is needed in order to keep their other half comfortable, happy and healthy. Their time is spent in a health spa, where the respective couples meet one another. Dowell?s narration is all over the place, jumping from time to time without much clarification. His re-telling of the events also shifts continents, from the Americas to Europe. The Dowell?s are American, while the Ashburnham?s are English. These memories are impressions that have been left on Dowell and he recalls them with eagerness and certain sense of respect for Captain Ashburnham. Dowell?s marriage is one that has never been consummated, however his bride experienced a sexual relationship prior to her marriage. She has not divulged this information to Dowell, other than to say: ?Once I tried to have a lover but I was so sick at the heart, so utterly worn out that I had to send him away? and now her newly diagnosed heart condition does not allow for sexual activity. Dowell accepts the doctor?s orders for his lack of passion in his marriage and continues to pine for Florence as well as play nursemaid to her. Florence is an interesting character, full of secrets as well as deception. Florence understood exactly what having a heart condition entailed, since her uncle had suffered from one as well. She seemed to have observed his behaviors and helplessness and modeled her own from the experience. While leaving on a ship for Europe for their honeymoon, Florence warns Dowell that she suffers from a heart condition. From here the lie continues to grow and Dowell?s job as an attendant to Florence is secured. Dowell is kept in the dark on many activities of his new bride. He later reflects that he never let her out of his sight, however the rules that Florence had in place allowed her privacy needed to carry on extramarital affairs. Once the couple made it to Paris for their honeymoon, Florence?s affair with Jimmy was reignited. This was the man who was her uncle?s companion and who was her first sexual escapade. However, her inability to travel ironically keeps her from Jimmy in time. Her own excuse created so that she could be with him is the same one that keeps her from him. Edward Ashburnham is a man full of his own secrets and infidelities. Edward is seen by Dowell as a ?cleanest looking sort of chap; - an excellent magistrate, a first rate soldier, one of the best landlords.? Dowell is envious of Edward?s suave appearance and sexual conquests and prowess. Edward also captures the attention of Florence with his sexual prowess, as she falls in love with him. Dowell is none the wiser, as Edward is a man with whom you can trust with your wife. Dowell?s storytelling unfolds as though he mind is slowly unfolding the events and piecing them together as he tells them. At times, it seems as though he tells us of his realizations of the actions of those around him as they make sense to him. Dowell loves Florence, and wants nothing more than to care for her, but he also hates her. ?I hate Florence with such a hatred that I would not spare her an eternity of loneliness.? Dowell sees Florence for what she truly was, but never sees Edward in the same light. Edward and Leonora have no relations with one another.

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The Teachings of Isaiah and Their Relevance to the Contemporary Reader Essay Example for Free

The Teachings of Isaiah and Their Relevance to the Contemporary Reader Essay Isaiah, 30. 21 Isaiah (meaning â€Å"the Lord saves†) was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem about 2700 years ago and is considered â€Å"one of the greatest figures in the prophetic series† (Blunt 1953: 49). Little information is known Isaiah the man, and what information exists is often contradictory or ambiguous. What Charpentier (1982) gathers from his writing is that he had a wife (known as the prophetess) and three children. Isaiah’s most famous prophecy was that of the birth of Jesus when he wrote, â€Å"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) but his other writings are also often accredited with being some of the most accurate of all the prophets. So prominent is the reality that those who preserved a knowledge concerning Isaiah have done so with a sole interest in his message surely stresses its importance to the contemporary reader. Due to its geographical location between the strong nations of the Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and Assyrians it was rare to have a time when Canaan was not under attack. What is more, after the death of Solomon the kingdom was divided in two, with Israel to the North and Judah to the south remaining under the rule of David. In 721 BC Assyria invaded from the north and conquered the northern capital Samaria. Therefore when Isaiah undertook his ministry in 736 BC, the year that Uzziah died, the north and south were divided, and soon after, the â€Å"northern kingdom was in turmoil† (Charpentier, 1982:20). It has been contested by many scholars (Clements Heaton)that the book of Isaiah has in fact been written by more than one person. This is due to the variations in writing style, tone throughout the book. Furthermore, at different parts of the book, the political situation Isaiah refers to seems to change, some information coming from a time after he was thought to have ended his ministry. Some claim that the book is merely a collection of teachings from numerous writers, but it is generally accepted that there were three main authors, due to the trio of defined preaching styles evident in the book. The author of the first section is known as â€Å"Isaiah of Jerusalem† in which the prophet denounces Israels prejudice and foolish trust in rituals, and he calls the people to repent. The second section, by Deutero-Isaiah is thought to encompass chapters 40-55 and refers to the time Isaiah’s people spent in exile in the sixth century BC. This period is after Isaiah had allegedly finished his ministry. The final section of the book spans the entire period from Isaiah’s call to ministry, to the return to Jerusalem after exile. Whilst these differences provide substantial evidence against a sole author, it must be noted that there are similarities throughout the book. Phrases are repeated and certain prophecies refer to messages in other prophecies. Therefore, the existence of more than one author can be seen as an advantage as wider time-frame has been covered, and yet the teaching has remained constant; by listening to God’s message you will receive his saving mercy. Judgement and redemption† (Clements, 1980: 17) are the core themes of Isaiah, but the manner in which this message is conveyed varies throughout. The chapters below outline the key focuses of Isaiah’s teachings and their relevance for today. The opening chapter serves to introduce Isaiah’s prophecies in an open and direct manner. From the very outset the tone is one of disappointment and anger as he presents the message from God, â€Å"I have nourished and brought up my children and they have rebelled against meâ⠂¬  (Isaiah 1:2). Isaiah, who was a strong supporter in the Davidic dynasty, used the term â€Å"Yahweh† (meaning â€Å"God of Israel†) throughout his writing, to convey the strength of his belief that Israel as a whole nation was God’s chosen people and so should not be divided. In this chapter he expresses his disgust at the division between North and South, and at King Ahaz’s acceptance of allegiance with Assyria at the expense of the Northern kingdom; â€Å"Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence. † (Isaiah 1:7). To him this signified movement away from their duty as the chosen people and thus deserted God. He condemns the people’s hedonistic acts such as corruption, excessive amounts of festivals and, â€Å"vain oblations† (Isaiah 1:13). What is more he warned that if the people did not change their ways, God would turn away from them and, â€Å"when ye make your prayers I will not hear them† (Isaiah 1:15). However, Isaiah made clear that not all was lost, and stressed that if they did repent, the people would receive forgiveness and though their â€Å"sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18). In short this chapter allows Isaiah to show the people the error of their ways and explain their need to repent. Just as the people of Judah and strayed from God’s message and become preoccupied with worldly ventures, today’s society is full of materialistic desires that can consume one’s attentions. Isaiah’s message is relevant to the contemporary reader in the sense that attending Church and participating in religious festivals is often viewed by today’s society as adequate in affirming one’s faith. However, it is the living out of God’s message daily that pleases God, such as helping others without the expectation of thanks, having an open mind and keeping true to your Christian values, especially when it is most difficult. In Chapter 6 Isaiah reveals how he was called to his ministry through a vivid vision of God. As this is the point when Isaiah is sent by God, his mission is clearly stated; that he must go to the people and make them understand God’s message so that they could â€Å"convert and be healed† (Isaiah 6:10). What is significant about this chapter is the tone of awe and wonder with which Isaiah speaks of God. This vision was sufficient to sustain him through the rest of his ministry, even when the people repeatedly refused to listen, as God knew they would. The strength of Isaiah’s faith should provide inspiration to any reader, contemporary or otherwise. Indeed this passage has inspired the prayer â€Å"Holy, Holy, Holy Lord† and hymn â€Å"Here I am Lord† for this very reason. As in chapter one, this chapter re-iterates the warning that judgement day will come and those who have not repented shall be punished. This passage further prophesises that there will be â€Å"a great forsaking in the midst of the land† but that â€Å"it [the people] shall return† (Isaiah 6:12-13). This refers to half a century the people would spend in exile before returning to Jerusalem late into the 5th Century BC. Today, due to technological and scientific advancements it has become more and more difficult to impress us as a society, but here Isaiah’s awe at the presence of God should remind us of the awesome power that one can barely begin to fathom. This teaching reminds one that it is not necessary to see to believe but that one should keep an open mind and heart to receive God’s message. What is more, just as when Isaiah was called he answered by taking action, today’s society is called too and each individuals actions can contribute to the attainment of a common goal, whether that be ending world poverty, caring for the environment or achieving world peace. Chapter 41, whilst allegedly from a different author continues Isaiah’s message with a noticeable change in tone. This can largely be attributed to the fact that at the time, the people of Jerusalem were in exile and thus the tone is one of comfort and reassurance. The God portrayed in this passage one of compassion and mercy, as the people are assured that â€Å"I have chosen thee and not cast thee away† (Isaiah 41:9). The people are given hope as Isaiah tells them that God knows the future will bode well for the Israelites; â€Å"Fear thy not†¦ for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee. † (Isaiah 41:10) This chapter also foretells the coming of the hero Cyrus who would free the Israelites by defeating Babylon. Today the contemporary reader can gain a sense of reassurance from this text that it is never too late to turn back to God and that regardless of past sins; true repentance will allow one to experience the saving mercy of God. What is more it teaches us that God knows what is to come and we must have faith to trust in him, even if sometimes it is difficult to understand how his mercy works. Regardless of arguments over the contributions of authors other than Isaiah to the writing of this book, I believe the message of Isaiah’s teachings (which are constant throughout the book) can be of value to contemporary readers. In fact the large time-span covered by the writings can only serve as advantageous as it allows us to see a people who in a time of relative peace had strayed from God’s message distracted by materialistic desires, then a people punished and in despair, but in the end a people with a hopeful future. This range of situations allows us to see God’s work from various angles, whilst the message of his saving mercy remains ever-prevailing. Such a message will remain of value to Christians throughout the centuries.

Impact Of Internet In International Marketing Information Technology Essay

Impact Of Internet In International Marketing Information Technology Essay Electronic commerce has increasingly become a necessary component of business in the emerging global economy. Electronic commerce is any form of business transaction interacts electronically to exchange the products and services rather than physical exchange. E-commerce is the use of electronic communications and digital information processing technology in business transactions to create, transform, and redefine relationships for value creation between or among organizations, and between organizations and individuals (Andam, 2003). The presentation of group highlights the Electronic commerce in International Marketing and how internet impacted in International Business. In this report our studies indicated further findings on models of E-Commerce and the impact of internet on target market. Generally most of the studies found out that the use of Internet in International Marketing has a positive impact on the organizations marketing performance. Impact of Internet in International Marketing The internet and its associated technology has provided an economical and efficient way for organizations to create an additional e-commerce activities to market their products and services over the past several years (Smith, 2005). Internet affects the activities of marketing channels in three different ways, such as 1. Communication channels, its principal functions are to inform customers or buyers about availability and characteristics of suppliers products/services and facilitate buyers to communicate with sellers; 2. Transaction channels, whose primary function is to facilitate financial exchanges between buyers and sellers and 3.Distribution channels, its main function is to facilitate physical exchanges (Thomas, 2008). Brock (2001) found in his study of German small technology-based firms that the Internet had a positive impact on attitudinal, resource-related, information-related and network-related aspects of internationalisation, thereby facilitating the process. The effect of the internet on the international businesses is making it easier for companies to participate in foreign markets, globally rollout new products, making easier for companies to offer globally standardized products or services, is more often used by companies for customer-related activities than for production-related activities, is not being used much by companies to develop a globally uniform marketing mix and is being used somewhat by companies in selling and customer-related activities to help with the strategy of making globally coordinated competitive moves (). The Internet has given rise to a new economics of information, with the blowing up of the trade-off between the richness of information involved in a transaction and the number of people that it could reach (Wurster, 2000). There are lot of advantages when an organization uses internet for their business. Internet can increase the sales and it can decrease the costs. Because the web advertisements reaches an amount of customers all over the world. A business can reduce its costs by using electronic commerce in its sales support and order-taking processes, twenty four hours online shopping, lower transaction cost, larger purchases for transaction, People can shop in different ways (Prashantham, 2003). Also organization has some disadvantages when they use internet for their business. Such as hidden costs, vulnerability to technical crash, cost of staying in business, lack of security, invasion of privacy, low service levels and legal issues. Models of E-commerce There are different types of e-commerce (). Such as B2B model B2C model C2C model C2B model B2G model M-commerce B2B model is the buyers, sellers, and transactions involve only organizations. It covers a broad spectrum of applications that enable an enterprise to form electronic relationships with its distributors, resellers, suppliers, customers, and other partners. This is the type of e-commerce that deals with relationships between and among businesses. B2C model, here transactions take place between consumers and business houses. Here individuals are also involved in the online business transactions. C 2 B model, here individuals who use the Internet to sell products or services to organizations and /or seek sellers to bid on products or services they need. These transactions involve reverse auctions, which empower the consumer to drive transactions. C 2 C model which is used by consumers to sell their product/services directly to other consumers. This type of e-commerce is characterized by the growth of electronic marketplaces and online auctions. M-commerce (mobile commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless technology. The advantage of this model than others is delivery over wireless devices becomes faster, more secure, and scalable. Conclusion According to Yip and Dempster the impact of the Internet on performance was positive, but moderate, and the greatest positive effect was on brand awareness and brand image. The use of the Internet technologies to link customers, suppliers, business partners, and employees using at least one of the following: (a) e-commerce Web sites that offer sales transactions, (b) customer-service Web sites, (c) Intranets (Wu et al,2001). Overall, the authors concluded that the Internet does help companies to globalize and to implement successful global strategies that allow them to be both global and local at the same time. The Internet helps companies to globalize and to implement successful global strategies that allow them to be both global and local at the same time. Internet marketing has a positive impact on the firms marketing performance (Yip and Dempster 2005).

Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay

Motivation and Organizational Culture Assignment In any given business or workplace environment the employees that work there should be the most valued assets. Research has shown that personnel who are happy and taken care of are much more productive than those who are not, therefore establishing a more pleasing work atmosphere. That being said, business leaders and managers alike play an extremely important role in workplace psychology. According to our text, leadership is the process of leading a group and influencing its members to achieve common goals. All managers are leaders (Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter, 2011). In today’s society more managers are leading through empowerment by allowing team members to be involved in the decision making process. More and more employees â€Å"are developing budgets, scheduling workloads, controlling inventories, solving quality problems, and engaging in similar activities that until very recently were viewed exclusively as part of the manager’s job. As mentioned earlier, research has shown that employees who are pleased are far more beneficial than employees who are not. There are many things that managers can do to ensure that their employees feel valued, and remain satisfied. First of all, it is important that managers avoid using intimidation. To intimidate means to make nervous, or instill fear. In some cases an individual can take advantage of their title and turn in to an authoritarian. In a sense this means that the big guys squash the little guys.