Dupont Case Study Essay Example for Free

Dupont Case Study Essay Tom Harris is the General Manager of Dupont, which is the major employer in their community. Big changes had taken place when the Orlon plant had closed down, but few changes had taken place. Projects such as getting rid of one operation and installing another was being seen as regular business so there was no change management rubric. GM Harris went to the University of Virginia seeking advice from the academic community to bring some of the latest thinking in business to the Dupont plant. He specifically wanted to introduce his managers to new ideas and how to apply those ideas to improving to the plant. He stated he was not looking to improve overall organization effectiveness. He stated he was under increasing pressure to do more with less. A general bulletin was sent out to all employees stating the work culture that would be built. It stated that a representative from University of Virginia would be spending time at the plant and had been asked to give new perspectives on the work being done and the organization as whole. The hope was that it would help develop people and continually improve production. The most important goal was to help the staff appreciate and develop what goes right, assist in building on the strengths and to make the plant work better for everyone. It was also made clear that the representatives presense was not to suggest there was a particular problem, and the result is due to the plants desire to continuously improve. Over a six month time period interviews were conducted with workers and managers. Time was spent in the workplace and the representative learned about the day to day activities at the plant. This produced a description of the shared stock of knowledge that organizational members used to interpret events and generate behavior. What was made explicit with that process was the local widely used everyday common sense model performance unique to the plant and it’s atmosphere. A part of the culture that came out of this fact finding was that the local model of teamwork was organized around a southern stock-car racing metaphor. It was used to explain teamwork and the pattern for accomplishing it. Everyone knew the metaphor, so it was understood. The General Manager and the other managers were surprised to learn of the NASCAR metaphor, but it explained why they had not recognized existing teamwork in the workplace for they had different language used for teamwork. This metaphor gave them a language to introduce change for improvement. It also illuminated of the local meaning of effective supervision, high performance, and what constituted a good day at the plant with making improvements. Managers were instructed to use the findings of the study. It was felt the new understanding could be used to interpret the local meaning of effective work to capitalize on strengths, to expand and develop existing good practices. This would also help to problem solve. It was found too that the findings of the study could also be used as a basis for experiements. There existed a Leadership Core Team who were instructed to introduce change as an experiment. It was to be explained that it was to be tried and watched closely, and if after a designated time it was not working as planned, it can be stopped.

Human Resource Managementa Case Study Essay -- Personnel Management

Human Resource Managementa Case Study Management of Human Resources-Assignment Introduction: In order to critically assess and recommend alternatives, I would like firstly to give a brief description of the business crisis the company was facing and the subsequent need for change in the company’s overall business strategy. I would then like to focus on the key aspects of the firm’s human resources strategy and the changes that were made in order to supplement the overall changes in the business strategy. Business Crisis: International Computers Limited (ICL) was born in 1968 out of the merger between English Electric Computers (EEC) and International Computers and Tabulators. With  £40 million of government support it developed over a period of 6 years, an independent series of computers that was incompatible with IBM computers. IBM had garnered a 50% share of the UK computer market and the government felt the only way to stem this growth was through the integration of British high tech firms. With the government as one of its major customers and through several strategic acquisitions and product diversifications during the 1970’s, the company managed to achieve growth rates of around 20%. But this growth did not continue for long as the recession struck in 1979 and growth rates spiralled. By late 1980 the company was facing a  £100 million shortfall in orders, in spite of having taken some major redundancy procedures. The firm was on the verge of bankruptcy when the government agreed to a ct as a guarantor for a  £270 million bank overdraft. The government subsequently exercised its power of guarantee by installing a new chairman and two new directors, one of who was Robb Wilmott, the new MD. Wilmott was a perceptive man who realised that the only way ICL was going to survive was by planning for the long-term and this was to be achieved by formulating a new product strategy and a complete change in the way it did business. Sparrow P 1995 International Computers Limited (ICL) In: Hiltrop J, Sparrow P (eds.) European Casebook on Human Resource and Change Management Prentice Hall, pp 110-122 Downsizing: The rapidly changing global environment with regard to competition and technological advances in the industry and ICL’s subsequent decision to shift from hardware to total systems differentiation, led the MD to pursue a new strategy based ... ...and Lorenz. 1994a) discusses the main problems associated with the implementation of this structure, including the possibility of role conflict, power struggles with regard to establishment of authority, inappropriate decision making techniques and difficulty in establishing accountability. Though it may be argued that every form of organisational structure has both strong and weak points, maybe a structure that is applicable to the environmental context, as well as having fewer disadvantages attached to could be applied. My personal view would be implementation of a structure based on product grouping, which in essence is similar to the matrix, but appears to posses fewer disadvantages. Reference:  · Sparrow P 1995 International Computers Limited (ICL) In: Hiltrop J, Sparrow P (eds.) European Casebook on Human Resource and Change Management Prentice Hall, pp 110-122 Bibliography: 1. Armstrong M 1999 A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice 7th edn. Kogan Page, London 2. McKenna E 2000 Business Psychology And Organisational Behaviour 3rd edn. Psychology Press 3. Handy C 1995 Gods Of Management 4th edn. Arrow Books Ltd

Lost Military Id

I won't say that losing my Military Identification card was completely out of my control, but even losing it twice can happen obviously. Things happen, we've all lost something before, hell I had lost $75. 00 cash before. When I woke up the next day and couldn't find it, I was so pissed, but it happened and there was nothing I could do about it, just had to take it as a loss. I’m only human, and this will not be the last mistake I ever make. However, I won’t make the same mistake over and over again. I am certain that the corrective training I am doing sucks just enough if not more to make me want to ensure to maintain firm awareness of the location of my Military Identification card at all times from now on, which I'm sure was the intention of this corrective training or essay writing. Don't get me wrong a lot of bad things have the potential to occur if my Military Identification were to fall into the wrong hands,people could get hurt and it would be my fualt. Also what I am doing is not punishment, punishment is Uniformed Code of Military Justice, that's something totally different and effects my well being, my career, and a lot more in the long run so I should be fully greatful and fully blessed that I didn’t get a uninformed code of military justice article 15. Corrective training is just that, TRAINING. Mistakes are okay, so long as people don't repeat the same ones and they learn from them. The U. S. army values soldiers that are accountable for their actions. Being accountable means being dependable-arriving to work and appointments on time, meeting deadlines, being in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing at the right time, and making sure you have your i. d. card at all times. Morning formation is the most important formation of the day. It is made to get accountability of everyone and put out any information that there needs to be dealt with. Without having accountability there is no knowing of where everybody is or what's going on. I have realized that is an important asset always showing up on time. It shows others in the unit that your dependable and ready for more responsibility. If a soldier fails to keep control of the simple things theres noway someone would put him in charge of other soldiers and likewise the soldeirs under him wont respect him cause they cant trust him to keep accountability of formation and tasks given by 1SGT. If were a leader and hade a soldier loseing his sensitive items i would be makeing him do the same thing by writing an essay it gives you to to look up information on the subject of losing an id card i learned lot. the next few paragraphs are of the five top reasones a soldier needs to keep acountability of his Military Identification card. One, someone can use a Military ID to sneak on to base and by passing security. Two, the Soldier who lost their military ID will not be able to access areas restricted to civilians and will be restricted from computers on base. Three, the Soldier can lose security clearance through the chain of command. Four, S oldier cannot access Postal Exchange (PX). Five, the Soldier could possibly be non-judicially punished and possibly lose rank. Allow me explain them further. Reason one: It could help a terrorist to bypassing security. If someone were to find a Soldier's Military ID and bypass base security, the person who breached security could steal sensitive documents, harm other soldiers, or map out the base for future attacks and they could do these multiple things in a twenty-four hour period if they were smart and fast enough to do it. First thing they could do is get access to restricted areas and possibly sabotage military equipment. In addition, they could steal military grade equipment, blue prints to new weapon designs, military vehicles, and information regarding the movement of Soldier's that are out in the battlefield and their objectives, depending on the security clearance of the soldier's military ID. Reason two: military restrictions for losing Military ID. The Soldier who lost his or her military ID will not be able to access areas restricted to civilians and lose access to computers on base. If a Soldier had to report to a restricted area to perform any duties and did not have his or her military ID, they would not be able to perform their duties or tasks given by a superior. In addition, if the Soldier had to access important information about an upcoming task or mission and he or she do not have their military ID; they would not be able to access the important Intel. Reason three: soldiers who lose there military ID card could lose there security clearance as a result effect there job performance. In a combat zone when soldiers are spread thin cause of heavier work load this can jeprodize the mission and put more work load on other soldiers. A security clearance is also good to have in the civilian job sector for when you get out so if you lose it youll lose better job oppurtunitys Reason four: A soldier who loses there ID card will not be able to make use of the PX, MWR, or the resiliance center. These places offer a place for soldiers to go so they can rest and have fun. so till the soldier is able to get a new ID card these places are off limits. Reason five: Wrongful disposition of U. S. Military property. Article 108. Military property of United States Loss, damage, destruction, or wrongful disposition. Any person subject to this chapter who, without proper authority (1) sells or otherwise disposes of; (2) willfully or through neglect damages, destroys, or loses; or (3) willfully or through neglect suffers to be lost, damaged, destroyed, sold, or wrongfully disposed of; any military property of the United States, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. my only hope in ending this essay is that my nco thinks its good enough cuase ive typed all i can on the suject its 2330 right know and i still havent called my daughter and im tired. so good night.

Longing to Escape Essay - 1084 Words

Longing to Escape When adversity stares people in the face, do they run away from it, or do they have the willpower to fight it head on? James Joyce, the author of Dubliners, at the young age of twenty-three, was able to take note of the struggles and hardships of the Irish people at a time when their once prosperous Dublin city was in retrograde. He took all the emotions and angers that his people had during this period in time, and summed it up into fifteen short stories. Throughout these stories Joyce places his characters into situations that leave them in constant states of dishevelment and agony. Some characters run away from and are left defeated by these situations and responsibilities, while other characters are†¦show more content†¦On the surface, this might appear to some readers that Mrs. Mooney is doing her duty as a parent to make sure that her daughter is well taken care of. Others might think that Mrs. Mooney is trying to escape her duties as a mother by putti ng her daughter off with an older man at such a young age. However, being the determined, scheming person that Mrs. Mooney is, she probably is only thinking about the â€Å"dowry for Polly that promises to maintain or increase the female family’s wealth for the next generation† (Kelly 8). This suggests that Polly’s mother is only thinking about money in hopes that it will help their family to escape their middle class and enter into a higher social class. Mr. Doran just happens to be the fly caught in Mrs. Mooney’s web. In â€Å"The Boarding House,† responsibility is surmounting escape. Mrs. Mooney knows that Mr. Doran is the perfect husband. He had a â€Å"good screw,† â€Å"a bit of stuff put by,† he was quiet and level-headed, unlike the other loud, conceited men, and she knows that he didn’t want to get involved in a scandal (60). Mr. Doran knows that in order for him to remain as the respected person he is and to maintain his social status; marriage is the only amends he can make for â€Å"taken advantage of Polly’s youth and inexperience† (59). He also knows that there isn’t any way he could escape the grasp of the manipulative Mrs. Mooney, for Mr. Doran â€Å"represents theShow MoreRelatedLonging For An Escape By James Joyce940 Words   |  4 PagesLonging For An Escape An abusive situation can certainly make one person dream of an escape, but what happens in most cases? Oftentimes a person gets too afraid to leave, remembering promises, or in some cases, wondering what might happen to the other people who are left in the home if the abusive person escapes. James Joyce’s story, â€Å"Eveline,† is based on a young woman who is in an emotional time, but is trying to start a new life due to a rough life; then a reflection from the past strikes herRead MoreTheme Of Similes In The Odyssey767 Words   |  4 Pagesthe use of literary devices, specifically similes. One of the central themes in The Odyssey which is strengthened through the use of simile is Odysseus’ ability to use deception rather than sheer strength to escape perilous situations. Another central theme emphasized by similes is the longing of Odysseus and his men to complete their nostos, or homecoming. In book 9, Homer details the journey of Odysseus and his men to the land of the Cyclopes, a species of one-eyed giants. Odysseus and his menRead MoreWhere The Sidewalk Ends Analysis Essay1159 Words   |  5 PagesMost North-American homes are blessed with one of Shel Silversteins award winning poetry books. His poem Where the Sidewalk Ends is arguably the best poem of all time. In just three short but powerful stanzas, Silverstein is able to create that longing in readers that makes poems great. He accomplishes this through his masterful use of sound and sense, form, and symbolism and imagery and creates a world in which readers cannot help but long to be a part of. The thing that separates a good poemRead MoreGender Roles In Chrysanthemums999 Words   |  4 Pageswomanhood when she meets a peddler who faintly offers the possibility of a lustful fling. John Steinbeck uses strong diction and the transformation of symbols to portray Elisa’s longing to escape the roles assumed by a woman in the 1930s. The transformation of Elisa’s eyes for example, represent Elisa’s changing soul and her longing to have free will outside of the traditional womens roles. In literature, eyes are used as a passage into the character’s soul. At the start of the story, Elisa is describedRead MoreMccandless Obsession Problem, And Into The Wild By Chris Mccandless1584 Words   |  7 Pagestoday because it has a certain allure to it. Into the Wild, The Chris McCandless Obsession Problem, and Where I Lived, and What I Lived For lead to the idea that people are drawn to the McCandless story because they relate to or envy the feelings of escape, purpose, and independence he acquired while in the wild. Much of the literature shows people wanting to be self-reliant like Chris McCandless. In Into the Wild, McCandless lived off the land, alone. He was completely self-reliant. The decisionsRead MoreA Dolls House1511 Words   |  7 PagesHelmer and his wife, Nora. How do the techniques in this play guide his audience’s response to the central characters and the action? First we will explain how the costumes are used as masks, then how the doors reflects Nora’s entrapment and her longing to freedom, to finish on how the macaroons are a sign for Nora’s secret and childishness. Ibsen creates an atmosphere based on appearances; it is one of the most important symbols in this play. Costumes are a big deal of appearances; they are usedRead MoreAn Analysis Of Laura In The Glass Menagerie1579 Words   |  7 PagesLonging for Impossible Freedom: An analysis of Laura in The Glass Menagerie The French actor and enthusiast, Vincent Cassel, pronounced â€Å"You can’t escape from what you are†. No matter how much a person dislikes who they are, they will never be able to escape their body and their mind. People can attempt to forget who they are and what their life is like, but in the end, they will always be stuck in their current situation. Similarly, Laura, in The Glass Menagerie, deals with her self consciousnessRead MoreSexuality As A Means Of Identifying Self Essay1703 Words   |  7 Pagesfor the genuine knowledge about the factual sex. [80] Her poetry has often been considered â€Å"as a gimmick in sex or striptease in words, an over exposer of body or ‘snippets of trivia.’† 7 She feels it and gives better expression to her joys and longings as a woman. Satchidanandan considers it as â€Å"‘female sexuality’ which truthfully expresses a woman’s ‘swelling limbs’, ‘growing hairs’, ‘the pitiful weight of breasts and womb’. It is the ‘female physicality–the sad body of the woman which encountersRead MoreAnalysis of Holy Sonnet XIV Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesintensely personal poem by John Donne which explores the feelings of a man torn between physical desire and spiritual longing. In this essay I aim to study the poem in more depth, analysing what Donne says and how he says it. Holy Sonnet XIV was written at a time of crisis and confusion in Donnes life; a time when he was torn between spiritual longing for religion and holiness, and physical passion. The poem conveys a feeling of utmost ambivalence - at one point, DonneRead MoreOut of Mind Versus Out of World: An Analysis of William Yeatss Sailing to Byzantium and Wild Swans at Coole713 Words   |  3 Pageswill be the touchstone people have to connect to the past, present and future. This yearning to become the immortal golden bird displays how Yeats longs to escape his aging body and his whole world completely. Birds provide emotional comfort and a philosophical touchstone or reference to Yeats’s own life. Both poems express Yeats’s want to escape from an aspect of his life. At Coole Park, Yeats is comforted by the swans, even though they remind him of his lack of a mate. Here, Yeat’s is concerned with