Total Quality Management (TQM) as a Significant Issue in the Contemporary Strategic Management

The current paper is devoted to Total Quality Management (TQM) as the present-day cutting edge issue in key administration. The historical backdrop of its rise is talked about, and the development of business center is delineated. TQM underlines nonstop improvement at all hierarchical levels, center around consistent learning and advancement.Advertising We will compose a custom report test on Total Quality Management (TQM) as a Significant Issue in the Contemporary Strategic Management explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The advantage of TQM is in its capacity to give a serious edge to an organization in the exceptionally tempestuous present day business condition under the states of globalization. TQM is additionally equipped for expanding item quality and consumer loyalty because of expanded client center, which enhances it in the advanced business settings. There are numerous wellsprings of Total Quality Management inception, since the current idea is very criti cal for supervisors around the world. All out Quality Management (TQM) is a nearly new idea in the territory of vital administration; it developed during the 1980s for the most part as a reaction of the American organizations to the serious weight of associations from Japan (Teeravaraprug, Kitiwanwong, and Tong 102). Notwithstanding, there is additionally an assessment that the making of TQM was the credit of the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) who focused their exertion at guaranteeing Japanese execution and seriousness improvement in the after war years (Powell 16). Ambang claims that TQM rose worldwide as a reaction to the necessities of globalization (83). Thus, the sources of the TQM idea, model, and approach are hazy, and there is substantially less seeing thereof than there is consideration for TQM execution. The TQM approach lays on the presumption that an organization can endure just because of constant improvement of value (Rampersad 1). In this manner, t he TQM way to deal with the structure of the hierarchical procedures is centered around quality improvement, improvement of client direction and fulfillment, decrease of expenses and throughput periods (Rampersad 1). TQM empowers any organization to get viability, adaptability, and intensity in activities; it additionally aids decrease of waste because of the accentuation on avoidance endeavors rather than location and revision of missteps (Rawlins 19-20). It is clear from the diagram of the commitment that TQM makes to the working of any business element that it is presently the forefront of vital administration endeavors. The reason for the current paper is along these lines to depict the preferences offered by TQM in more detail, and to evaluate its viability in the cutting edge business settings. Assessments of the board analysts in the field of TQM application will likewise be fundamentally surveyed to distinguish the genuine estimation of TQM for vital administrative initiativ es.Advertising Looking for report on business financial aspects? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More TQM is viewed as the cutting edge worldview of the board (Jafar, Mohammad, Fariba, and Mehrdad 19). TQM remains close by with Supply Chain Management (SCM) as the most significant key methodology for associations (Talib, Rahman, and Qureshi 26). In light of these assessments, one may expect that TQM without a doubt possesses a focal spot in the cutting edge vital administration activities. The main explanation behind the key significance of TQM is that it endeavors to accomplish its objectives (to be specific, cost decrease and quality increment) by methods for illuminating all partners about the quality issues (Wienclaw 3). TQM brings the expanded utilization of collaboration and moves the foundation of inventive, imaginative atmosphere at any work environment, which is profoundly esteemed in the cutting edge business condition as key preferences. It appears to be sensible to assume that the advancement in business ideal models and approaches isn't turbulent; there are consistently inventive arrangements that meet the changing needs of market members, the two organizations and clients. Thusly, the move from industry structure and serious situating that was prevailing in the vital administration before the 1980s might be advocated by the need of another methodology (Powell 15). It turned out to be clear during the 1980s that an age of new business esteems and abilities came, and the organizations should concentrate on culture, capacities, authoritative aptitudes, know-how, and learning (Powell 15). This change realized the formation of TQM that could react to these hierarchical needs. Presently, the TQM rehearses incorporate top administration duty to the mix of TQM over every single authoritative level; client center is the focal component of the TQM execution. Much accentuation is put on preparing instru ction as the significant ways of expanding the human capability of the association; persistent improvement and development become the benchmarks of TQM coordination in the association. At last, the provider the executives and worker the board rehearses guarantee consistence of all business forms and perfect activity in all perspectives and at all offices (Talib, Rahman, and Qureshi 31). There is no uncertainty that such integrative way to deal with business activities fates the organization to progress, improvement, and independently directed advancement. One can likewise expect the significance of TQM deciding from the proof of its general constructive outcome on the company’s activity (Koc 213), and its capacity to realize item security, adaptability in tasks, quality improvement of the company’s yield, and decrease of the expense of value (Talib, Rahman, and Mehrdad 31).Advertising We will compose a custom report test on Total Quality Management (TQM) as a Significa nt Issue in the Contemporary Strategic Management explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The execution procedure additionally contains some positive highlights, since it includes the extensive inner cooperation of the board and representatives. Therefore, when the staff of the organization receives the TQM reasoning both at the individual and aggregate level, the accomplishment of TQM incorporation turns into a significantly more suitable point of view. Rather than an end, one should take note of that TQM combination in the authoritative setting is right now the main need for directors managing key arranging at their work environments. TQM is a general model expanding the serious edge of the organization, decreasing expenses and squander, and expanding item quality. The TQM approach causes associations to turn out to be more client centered, and to increase more elevated levels of consumer loyalty. Along these lines, it is a stage towards another phase in key adminis tration of any association, giving a far reaching, all encompassing way to deal with management, arranging, and hierarchical change. Works Cited Ambang, Tabian. â€Å"Influences of worldwide administration slants on business associations in Papua New Guinea†. Contemporary PNG Studies: DWU Research Journal. 13 (2010): 81-94. Jafar, Azizi, Mohammad, Taleghani, Fariba, Esmaielpoor, and Gudarzvand Chegini Mehrdad. â€Å"Effect of the quality costing framework on usage and execution of ideal Total Quality Management†. Worldwide Journal of Business and Management. 5:8 (2010): 19-26. Koc, Tufan. â€Å"The connection among TQM and execution in little assembling undertakings: The intercession impact of failure†. Global Journal of Industrial Engineering. 18:4 (2011): 203-218. Naagarazan, R. S., and Arivalagar, A. A. All out Quality Management. New Delhi, India: New Age International, 2009.Advertising Searching for report on business financial matters? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More Powell, C. Thomas. â€Å"Total Quality Management as upper hand: a survey and experimental study†. Key Management Journal. 16 (1995): 15-37. Rampersad, K. Hubert. All out Quality Management: An Executive Guide to Continuous Improvement. New York, NY: Springer, 2010. Rawlins, R. Ashley. Complete Quality Management (TQM). Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2008. Talib, Faisal, Rahman, Zillur, and M. N. Qureshi. â€Å"Integrating Total Quality Management and Supply Chain Management: Similarities and benefits†. The IUP Journal of Supply Chain Management. 7:4 (2010): 26-44. Teeravaraprug, Jirarat, Kitiwanwong, Ketlada, and Nuttapon Sae Tong. â€Å"Relationship model and supporting exercises of JIT, TQM and TPM†. Songklanakarin Journal of Science Technology. 33:1 (2011): 101-106. Wienclaw, E. Ruth. â€Å"Business system and policy†. EBSCO Research Starters. 2008 Birmingham, AL: EBSCO Publishing Inc., 2008. This report on Total Quality Management (TQM) as a Significant Issue in the Contemporary Strategic Management was composed and put together by client Grant Snyder to help you with your own examinations. You are allowed to utilize it for research and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; notwithstanding, you should refer to it in like manner. 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Patriot :: essays research papers

THE PATRIOT Blur IN: EXT. THE SWAMPS OF SOUTH CAROLINA - NIGHT Dull. Foreboding. Kudzu swings from the bogs maples. A dull and disallowing place. A flying creature CRIES EERILY in the obscurity. Bugs HUM unfavorably. SUPERIMPOSITION: FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR A unit of French fighters with a few wagons makes it's way along a sloppy street slice through the bog. The fighters are attentive, checking the underbrush, weapons prepared. In the bog, corresponding to the street, SHADOWED FIGURES, tucked away among the brush, quietly track the French fighters. As the lead wagon turns over a sloppy puddle, riding it, a MUD-COVERED FIGURE, comes to up, gets the wagon's undercarriage, pulls itself up and sticks, concealed to the underside of the wagon. The figure, darkened by the mud, scarcely looks human. As different wagons turn over other sloppy discouragements in the street, three more mud-concealed figures reach, get what's more, stick to the underside of different wagons. Fortress CHARLES The entryways are opened. The eased French warriors enliven their pace and rush into the general wellbeing of the fortress. In the stronghold yard the fatigued separation scatters. UNDER THE LEAD WAGON The primary dull, mud-shrouded figure quietly drops to the ground and draws a particular TOMAHAWK from his belt as different figures drop from different wagons. The figures creep through the shadows toward the guards who are shutting the primary doors. THEY SPRING... the lead figure runs forward, raises his TOMAHAWK and HACKS DOWN at a TERRIFIED FRENCH SENTRY... The other sloppy figures join the assault... smothering the shouts of the French fighters with VICIOUS KNIFE Slices... increasing valuable seconds... A FRENCH SOLDIER CRIES OUT... sounding the caution... other FRENCH SOLDIERS come coming up short on the dimness... The four sloppy figures, hold fast at the entryway, mercilessly murdering the French astoundingly, holding the entryways open as... Many other sloppy makes sense of race of the encompassing swamp, tearing through the stronghold doors, joining the butcher... The lead figure, HACKS, over and over with his tomahawk... Blood and tissue spread his arm as the horrendous cutting edge rises also, falls in the midst of the SCREAMS in the dimness... Break up TO: EXT. SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTRYSIDE - DAY Lovely daylight. Ethereal SHOT of a post rider running along a street through serene untamed forests. Taking off old-development elms curve over riverside maples along the shores of the tenderly bending, profound water Santee River. SUPERIMPOSITION: SOUTH CAROLINA April, 1776 The post rider rides along a raised bog street. On either roadside, lovely shafts of daylight penetrate the shelter falling onto delicate, influencing greeneries that spread the high grounds. Several BIRDS SING. The water is clear, with fields of drifting lily cushions, each with a obvious white bloom ascending from it. EXT. New WATER PLANTATION - DAY

Freshman February Wave of Admits - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

Freshman February Wave of Admits - UGA Undergraduate Admissions Freshman February Wave of Admits The status check is now back and open for viewing, and the small wave of freshman February admit decisions that I discussed earlier are now showing up on the site. Please remember that this is a small group of admits who meet the EA criteria used in our December admits (and are mainly RD applicants due to this fact), and remember, I cannot comment/discuss specific decisions on this blog. Do not panic if you have not been admitted in this wave, as we still have a lot of files to read and lots of decisions to make. Final decisions will be made by roughly the end of March, so try to be patient as we finish up the process over the next month or so. Go Dawgs!

Student s Expression Of Religious Beliefs Within The...

Eventually, teachers, in the public school system, will find themselves in the crosshairs in the debate over a student’s expression of religious beliefs within the classroom. What should a teacher do if a student decides to submit an essay on Jesus as their hero accompanied by a drawing of the Last Supper? Should the teacher accept the student’s submission? If so, will the assignment be displayed on the classroom wall? By investigations the students’ religious rights under the First Amendment, coupled with the evaluation of the assignment, and the teacher’s practice of displaying student’s work in the classroom will reveal the predicament that the instructor will find themselves in. A student may submit an assignment with religious content if the material coincides with the parameters of the given assignment. In this case Jesus as a hero falls within the criteria if the student provides information to support their claim. Plus, they refrain from using the assignment to proselytize. According to Tinker v. Des Moines School District, the Supreme Court declared that neither teachers nor students â€Å"shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate† which affirms the students First Amendment rights (Tinker v. Des Moines School District, 1969). The Supreme Court reiterated the student’s right to express religious belief when the court stated â€Å"private religious speech, far from being a First Amendment orphan is fully protected underShow MoreRelatedThe Teaching Of Things Like Photography1316 Words   |  6 PagesLiz Ashburn attempts to conquer the subject of homosexuality in the arts, and the need fo r acknowledgement of it in the classrooms. Ashburn believes that the teaching of things like photography provides an opportunity to prove wrong the assumption that everyone has a universal sexuality, and that sexuality is much more broad. Ashburn writes that providing a space for these other sexualities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender is only possible when we tear down the idea that everyone isRead MoreDeath Of A Social Work1648 Words   |  7 PagesThe First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly and the right to petition. In the case of religion and expression, there is a case that highlights both. In 2001, Emily Brooker attended Missouri State University in pursuit of a Social Work degree. In the fall of 2005, Emily was a senior and was faced with making the pressing decision to complete an assignment or fight for her First Amendment rights. She ultimately chose to fight with the help of prominent attorneysRead More Religion and Pr ayer in Public Schools Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pagesto preserve the freedom of religion (Haynes 2). 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Students need to be exposed to literature from the divinity, to who God is, and the reasons of why atheist exist. In areas of literature, artRead MoreThe First Amendment Was Created To Protect Americans’ Basic1820 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof† (McElroy 1). In 1791, when the Amendment was created, the United States of America contained fourteen states, and seven of those states had religious establishments, also known as state religions. The purpose of the Constitution was to bring the power back from the states to the federal government, therefore centralizing the power. However, with half of the states in the United States having theirRead MoreReflecting on Religious Expression and School Prayer Essay1772 Words   |  8 Pagescultures and beliefs of other groups. Furthermore, as educational leaders, we must be equipped with knowledge aro und policies related to the above mentioned, so that we can enforce such and build upon those that need refining. In reflecting on religious expression and school prayer, it is important to realize the current legal issues and policies that should inform the regulation of such within the context of the school. Organized prayer in the public school setting, whether in the classroom or at a school-sponsoredRead MoreA Teachers Rights and Responsibilities Essay1324 Words   |  6 Pagesyoung people within a framework of respect. But it must also be clear about the limits on its own power, which should not be applied as autocratic, but, on the contrary, in order to develop the autonomy of children and their ability to decide responsibly. Legally and morally, the teacher is obligated to build and promote a respectful learning community of mutual rights. 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This meant â€Å"students would recite a few basic prayers and read passages from the Protestant, King James Bible without commentary or interpretation.†2 This did not please the some 200,000 Roman Catholics within the city who had serious objections to Protestant â€Å"non-sectarianism†2. In 1842, New York City attempted to decentralize the issue by mandating that â€Å"no sectarian religious instruction was to be offered. All publicRead MoreEdre515 Paper2024 Words   |  9 PagesAssignment 1 The religious education system in Australian Catholic Schools has endured many significant changes since the Second Vatican Council. With reference to Peta Goldburg’s (2012) Transforming religious education: Implications from the Second Vatican Council, the following discussion will review and critique the important religious education approaches that has had an impact on the Catholic schooling system for the past fifty years, and also help shape the contemporary classroom we teach in today

A Renewed Sense Of Hopelessness American Sentiment...

- My project is titled â€Å"A Renewed Sense of Hopelessness: American Sentiment Following the Vietnam War.† Since I’m interested in studying how film actively molded Americans’ interpretation of the Vietnam War, I picked Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Apocalypse Now, as my artifact. I thought that it would be a good choice because it’s one of the most well-known war films and it came out just a few years after the Vietnam War. This image from the beginning of the film shows napalm being dropped on the Vietnamese forest, setting everything on fire. - The Cold War began shortly after the end of WWII. Since the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the primary victors, each nation wanted to become the top world superpower. This tension led to a series of proxy wars, such as the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, America aimed to prevent Communism from spreading into Southeast Asia because they feared that if one country, such as Vietnam, became communist, then all of the others would soon follow. Although Americans were ambivalent about the Vietnam War from the very beginning, the Tet Offensive—which was a surprise attack by communist forces during a Vietnamese holiday—significantly increased American disapproval of the Vietnam War. This image shows the streets of Saigon during the Tet Offensive. - Francis Ford Coppola is a prominent director, producer, and screenwriter. His most famous works include The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now. Although he faced manyShow MoreRelatedRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagessensibility. What is clear is that Rastafarianism is one of the most complex and insightful reactions to colonialism and the oppression of blacks that has emerged in the last hundred years. Rastafari: From Outcasts to Culture Bearers helps us to make sense of Rastafarianisms strange oddities that have puzzled many. Most important, the book helps us to understand this religion as one that patterns the emergence of religions in so many other cultures. There is an immense social and cultural logic toRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesThree Ethical Decision Criteria 187 †¢ Improving Creativity in Decision Making 188 Summary and Implications for Managers 190 S A S A S A L L L Self-Assessment Library What Are My Gender Role Perceptions? 166 glOBalization! Chinese Time, North American Time 171 Myth or Science? Creative Decision Making Is a Right-Brain Activity 181 Self-Assessment Library Am I A Deliberate Decision Maker? 183 An Ethical Choice Whose Ethical Standards to Follow? 185 Self-Assessment Library How Creative Am I? 190

Social Performance and Social Influence Free Essays

string(110) " tested the effects of groups on motivation, and social loafing has been replicated in most of these studies\." Social Performance and Social Influence Introduction Social performance is the study of how the presence of others affects behavior. At times, the mere presence of others can have a facilitating or motivating effect, improving performance. However, when others are present, people may also become hindered or less motivated. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Performance and Social Influence or any similar topic only for you Order Now This class will explore how one’s perception of others determines one’s response. Hetherington, Anderson, Norton, and Newson (2003) explored how eating behavior is influenced when eating alone, with strangers, or with friends. Would you predict that eating with others has a facilitating effect, increasing food intake, or the opposite effect, decreasing the amount of food eaten? Research on social influence, which refers to how the attitudes and opinions of others influence one’s attitudes and opinions, is one of the greatest contributions of social psychological research in understanding human behavior. This class focuses on two different types of social influence, one that serves to maintain group norms (social control: conformity and obedience) and the other that aims to change group norms (social change by minority influence and innovation). Social psychologist, Dr. Robert Cialdini has researched basic principles that govern how one person may influence another. You will read about these six principles in his 2002 article â€Å"The Science and Practice of Persuasion. † Social Performance Aristotle first called humans social animals. People tend to gather, play, and work in groups. Groups fulfill a variety of functions such as satisfying the need to belong, providing support and intimacy, and assisting in accomplishing tasks that individuals could not accomplish alone, etc. In Chapter 13 of the textbook, groups will be defined as two or more people working together on a task in which the outcome is quantifiable. This discussion will focus on two major areas that have been researched since the end of the 19th century: social facilitation and social loafing. Social Facilitation At first glance, these terms seem to be opposing behaviors: social facilitation refers to the fact that people work harder in groups, whereas social loafing describes their tendency reduce their efforts when in groups. The difference, it appears, is how people view the individuals in their groups–whether they perceive those in the group as being with them us or against them. If group members are against them, they perceive them as competitors, evaluators, or sources of comparison, which is likely to increase or facilitate their efforts. If they are with them, sharing in the demands of the task and evaluation, they are likely to â€Å"loaf† or reduce our efforts. These findings appear counterintuitive. Research on social facilitation began with Triplett (1989) who observed that cyclists pedaled faster, or performed better, when others were present than when performing alone. He argued that the other biker was a stimulus, arousing a competitive instinct in the cyclist. He tested his theory by asking children to wind fishing reels either alone or beside other children. The majority of the children turned the wheel faster when working alongside another child than when reeling alone. Allport (1924) termed this effect social facilitation. Still, it seemed that many disagreed about whether the presence of others increased or decreased performance on tasks. Zajonc (1965) renewed interest in social facilitation, and suggested that the presence of others enhanced a dominant response–which is the most probable response on a given task. If the task is simple and well-learned, the dominant response will be facilitated. For example, if you were a skilled concert pianist, performing in front of others would increase your proficiency on the task; you would play beautifully. Since you are not skilled at this art, being observed by others would no doubt cause anxiety and would result in quite the opposite effect, inhibiting your performance. Zajonc was suggesting that the presence of others increases drive. Others were still arguing that it was the evaluation or the competition associated with others being present that produced the drive. Whether it was mere presence or evaluation apprehension that increased the drive, the drive theory remained the dominant thought of the time. Alternative approaches to social-facilitation effects fall into three classes: The first was the continued thought that the presence of others increases drive by evaluation apprehension. The second thought suggested that the situation places demands on the individual to behave in a particular way; individuals are engaged in self-presentation and self-awareness. The third idea argued that the presence of others affects focus and attention to the task, meaning that the task becomes cognitive. Hence, the controversy over whether it is the mere presence of others or evaluation that causes social facilitation is unresolved. Social Loafing Social facilitation research demonstrates that the presence of others sometimes enhances performance, yet at times reduces it. But, how does working with others affect motivation? Many would argue that groups should energize and motivate. The tendency for individuals to work less hard on a collective task than on an individual task is called social loafing. For example, those group projects at work or school where a few individuals did the majority of the work–social loafing. Research in this area has been conducted in a way that makes individuals believe that they are either working alone or working with others–then measures efforts toward the task. For example, Ringelmann (Kravitz Martin, 1986) had volunteers pull on a rope as hard as they could in groups of varying sizes. Their efforts decreased as group sizes increased. This was explained in two ways: their motivation decreased as groups size increased or maybe the larger groups were not able to coordinate their efforts efficiently. Researchers sought to tease apart these two factors, focusing on motivation. You can imagine that it was difficult to devise methods that lead participants to believe they were either working alone (when they were not) or with others (when they were working alone), which lends to the difficulty of studying social loafing. However, over 100 studies (Steiner, 1972; Griffith, Fichman, Moreland, 1989; Jackson Williams, 1985; Henningsen et al. , 2000) have tested the effects of groups on motivation, and social loafing has been replicated in most of these studies. You read "Social Performance and Social Influence" in category "Papers" Other theories have attempted to explain social loafing. Social impact theory states that when a group is working together, the expectation is that the effort should be diffused across all participants, resulting in diminished effort. Arousal reduction postulates that the presence of others should increase drive only when they are observers and reduce our efforts when they are coworkers. Evaluation potential suggests that social loafing occurs because individual efforts are so difficult to identify during a collective task; one can easily hide in the crowd or may feel they will not be acknowledged for their hard work. Dispensability of effort argues that individuals may feel their efforts are unnecessary or dispensable. The group simply does not need them. An integrative theory: the collective effort model states that individuals will work hard on a task only to the degree to which they believe their efforts will be instrumental in leading to outcomes they value, personally. Hence, the value they place on the task (and their efforts) depends on their personal beliefs, task meaningfulness, favorable interactions with the group, the nature of the rewards, and the extent to which their future goals are impacted by the task. Social loafing can be moderated, or reduced, when individuals’ efforts can be identified or evaluated, when individuals are working on a task they deem as important or of personal relevance, or when individuals are working with cohesive groups or close friends. Individual differences or characteristics also influence who engages in social loafing less because they value collective outcomes. For example, a need for affiliation, a hard work ethic, or high self-monitoring can influence effort. It should be clear that the mere presence of others is arousing. It appears that if others are competitors or evaluators they facilitate motivation to work harder. If individuals see others as a part of themselves, they can hide behind them or their efforts can get lost in the efforts of others. Further research in this area can help us determine how our view of others affects our motivation and performance. Social Influence Processes of Control and Change Social influence is one of the primary research areas in social psychology and refers to the ways in which opinions and attitudes influence the opinions and attitudes of others. Two types of social influence can be identified in groups: influence aimed at maintaining group norms (social control) or changing group norms (social change). The most common form of social control is conformity, where an individual complies with or accepts the group’s views. Since the influence is typically within a context of a group of people influencing an individual, it is referred to as majority influence. Another type of social control is obedience, where individuals obey an authority figure, often against their will. For group norms to change, a small subset of the group must resist the majority view, which is termed minority influence. If minorities never resisted, group opinions would persist, fashions would never change, innovations would not come about, etc. It must be clear that the term majority refers to the larger group of people who hold the normative view and has power over others. Minority groups tend to be small, hold nonnormative positions, and wield very little power. This study textbook is concerned with two influence processes: processes that ensure that others adhere to the group’s position (social control; conformity and obedience) or processes that aim to change the group’s position (social change: innovation and active minorities). Social influence has studied how individuals conform to the majority, often by giving an obvious erroneous response to a question. According to Festinger (1950, 1954), this occurs because there are social pressures for groups to reach consensus, especially when there is a group goal. Individuals seek social approval and seek others to verify their opinions. Deutsch and Gerard (1955) distinguish between normative social influence (conforming to expectations of others) and informational social influence (accepting information from the group as reality). Another view is that people conform over concerns for positive self-evaluations, to have good relationships with others, and to better understand a situation by reducing uncertainty. Social influence also addresses why people comply with acts that clearly cause harm to another. The study of obedience is intimately tied to one social psychologist–Stanley Milgram (1963). His post-WWII research aimed to understand why people willingly engaged in the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis. People probably preferred to believe these were evil, disturbed men who were intrinsically evil? However, many of them claimed they were not responsible for their behavior. After all, they were simply following orders. In Milgram’s (1963) classic study, he led participants (who were assigned to be â€Å"teachers†) to believe they were administering harmful shocks to the â€Å"learners† each time they made an error on a task. The experimenter (the authority figure) demanded they increase the level of shock for each incorrect response. As shocks increased, the receiver (the learner, who was out of the sight of the teacher) responded with distressed reactions. However, the teacher was encouraged, even demanded, to continue the experiment, even though he believed the learner was experiencing extreme distress. The question was, to what extent normal people would obey the instructions of the authority figure and administer harmful levels of shock to harm another individual. Milgram’s results showed that a full 65% of all participants administered every level of shock, surpassing levels believed to do fatal harm to subjects. Milgram’s findings have been replicated with consistent results. Why did they obey? Milgram offered the following explanations: (a) they had entered into a contract with the experimenter and did not wish to spoil the experiment; (b) they were absorbed in the experiment and lost sight of the implications of their actions; (c) the participants are acting for the experimenter; they may be pushing the buttons, but they are not responsible, the experimenter is. Notice these are all situational explanations; participants were put into a powerful role relationship with the experimenter. However, when the experimenter was not visible, or another participant played the role of the experimenter, obedience rates decreased, but did not fall to zero, indicating the role relationship did not fully account for their obedience. Milgram’s research remains some of the most intriguing and influential in social psychology. Minority Influence Moscovici’s (1976) book Social Influence and Social Change, he argues that minorities can create conflict by offering a different perspective, thereby challenging the dominant or majority view. Moscovici claims that people trying to avoid conflict may dismiss the minority position, and possibly denigrate it. However, when the minority demonstrates commitment to their position, the majority may consider the minority view as a viable alternative. He called this the minority’s behavioral style–meaning the way the message is organized and communicated. By standing up to the majority, the minority demonstrates that it is certain, confident, committed, and not easily persuaded. Researchers have compared majority and minority influence. Conversion theory is the dominant perspective and argues that all forms of influence, whether minority or majority, create conflict that individuals are motivated to reduce. However, people employ different processes depending on whether the conflict is the result of majority influence or minority influence. Comparison process suggests that people focus attention on fitting in, or complying with what others say. Their goal is to identify with the group and comply with the majority position, often times without examining the majority’s arguments in detail. Social comparison can drive majority influence, but cannot motivate minority influence, according to Moscovici (1976), because people desire to disassociate themselves with undesirable groups. Because minority groups tend to be distinctive, they stand out, and this encourages a validation process where some examine the judgments in order to confirm or validate them–to see what it is the minority saw or to understand the minority’s view. This process can lead to increased message processing which results in an attitude change on an indirect, latent, or private level. Convergent-divergent theory is proposed by Nemeth (1986) and simply states that people expect to share the same attitude as the majority and to differ from the minority (the false-consensus heuristic). Stress is the result of realizing that the majority has a different perspective than oneself, especially if one is in the physical presence of the majority. Stress narrows one’s attention and majority influence, and then leads to convergent thinking. Minorities, on the other hand, do not cause high levels of stress, since they hold different views, which allows for less restricted focus of attention and leads to a greater consideration of alternatives that may not have been considered without the influence of the minority view. This results in creative and original solutions. Other theories that integrate minority and majority influence include mathematical models, objective-consensus models, conflict-elaboration theory, context/comparison model, and self-categorization theory. More contemporary models include social-cognitive responses with an emphasis on information-processing such as the elaboration likelihood model and the heuristic systematic model we discussed in an earlier chapter. New research continues to develop. Conclusion This module reviewed social psychological research that has made great contributions to the understanding of human behavior. Early research (e. g. , Triplett, 1898; Zajonc, 1965) led to the beginning of the relatively new field of social psychology. Research investigating social performance–whether performance is improved (social facilitation) or hindered (social loafing) by the presence of others became widely studied as researchers inquired about under what circumstances and what variables determined our response. Supplementary reading by Hetherington (2006) examined the effects of the presence of others on eating behavior. Milgram’s (1963) research on obedience may be some of the most cited research in social psychology. Cialdini’s contributions to the study of social influence (and social psychology in general) have been significant, as well. References Allport , F. (1924). The influence of the group upon association and thought. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 3, 159-182. Cialdini, R. B. , Goldstein, N. J. (2002). The science and practice of persuasion. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly,43(2), 40-50. Deutsch, M. Gerard, H. B. (1955). A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51, 629-636 Festinger, L. (1950). Informal social communication. Psychological Review, 57, 271-282. Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 337-360. Griffith, T. L. , Fichman, M. , Moreland, R. L. (1989). Social loafing and social facilitation: An empirical test of the cognitive-motivational model of performance. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 10, 253-271. Henningsen, D. D. , Cruz, M. G. Miller, M. L. (2000). Role of social loafing in predeliberation decision making. Group dynamics: Theory, research and practice, 4, 168-175. Hetherington, M. M. , Anderson, A. S. , Norton, G. N. M. , Newson, L. (2006). Situational effects on meal intake: A comparison of eating alone with eating with others. Physiology Behavior, 88, 498-505. Jackson, J. M. , Williams, K. D. (1985). Social loafing on difficult tasks: Working collectively can improve performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 937-942. Kravitz, D. A. Martin, B. (1986). Ringelmann rediscovered: The original article. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 936-941. Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 371-378. Moscovici, S. (1976). Social influence and social change. London, England: Academic Press. Nemeth, C. (1986). Differential contributions of majority and minority influence. Psychological Review, 93, 23-32. Steiner, I. D. (1972). Group processes and productivity. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Triplett, H. C. (1989). The dynamogenic factors in peacemaking and competition. American Journal of Psychology, 9, 507-533. Zajonc, R. (1965). Social facilitation. Science, 149, 269-274. How to cite Social Performance and Social Influence, Papers

Operational Decision Making

Table of Contents Company Description Description of Operations Supply Chain Decisions Operational Decisions Productivity Works Cited Appendix Company Description Rotana Jet Aviation, also known as Rotana Airways, is one of the leading domestic airlines in the United Arab Emirates. This airline company has its main operating base in Al†Bateen Airport, which is about 10 kilometers from Abu Dhabi City. The company offers travel services to both the domestic and international passengers.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Operational Decision Making specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company has been keen to offer quality services to its customers. This is reflected in its mission statement that says, â€Å"To offer quality travel services to domestic and international travelers at reasonable costs.† The company has been experiencing growth in the market, especially after adding new internationa l routes to the previously existing routes. Description of Operations It is important to understand the operational activities of Rotana Jet, and the means through which it turns its inputs into output. As stated above, this firm offers travel services to its clients in the market. One of the main inputs of this firm is the planes used to deliver the service. The firm purchases the planes (input) which it uses to offer the travel services (output) to the clients from one location to another. Another important input that the firm has been using is the entertainment facilities, especially the music system fitted in the seats. This input is used to offer entertainment services to its clients. The firm uses coffee, water, and sugar as inputs, to make coffee as the product for its clients while on board their planes. As Bruce (40) observes, the current competitive market in the airline industry is forcing the airline companies to offer better quality products in order to attract a pool o f loyal customer. This explains why Rotana Jet is keen on offering their clients drinks and entertainment services. Another important input that this firm uses in its operations is the human labor, which includes pilots and cabin crew. The pilots work to ensure that clients are flown from one location to another, while other cabin crews work as a team to ensure that the journey is more enjoyable for the customers. Supply Chain Decisions In the current competitive market, firms are keen to ensure that they employ the best strategy in their supply chain management. This is because they are under pressure to ensure that they are efficient in their operations. Sauter (73) observes that there is need to ensure that acquisition of raw materials, their movement to the firm, and distribution strategies used by a firm are very efficient in order to increase profitability.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15 % OFF Learn More Rotana Jets has been keen to ensure that its supply chain is managed appropriately to deliver the desired results in the market. The diagram below shows some of the most important activities that the operations manager will be concerned with in supply chain management. The products, especially the jets will be coming directly from the manufacturer to the firm. Once this is received, the firm will use the input to offer travel services to the customer. Operations manager will always need to make a decision of whether to make such orders through well-established agents in the market, or to contact the manufacturer directly. This decision will always be guided by the associated costs. One of the main strategies that this firm has been using in the market to increase its productivity is cost leadership. This means that Rotana Jet’s operations manager would determine the options available in the supply chain, and determine the associated costs at each st age in the activities identified above. The firm would then make a decision on the option that is most efficient and cost effective. According to Sauter (51), in supply chain management, firms are always concerned of the best approach to use in order to ensure that they get inputs in time and at the most desirable plans so that a chain of other activities can begin. Given the cost leadership strategy that this firm has been using, it is important for the operational manager to ensure that the decision on the approach to take in acquiring the inputs is conscious of these factors. The management should ensure that the product is always ready whenever the customers need them. Operational Decisions Understanding critical operational decisions within a firm is one of the ways through which a firm can gain competitive advantage in the market (Mahadevan 81). One of the most important critical operational decisions is the choice of product design. Rotana Jet must devise a way to design its products in a manner that will give it an advantage in the market.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Operational Decision Making specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is a fact that all airlines offer travel services to their customers. However, Rotana must design its products in a unique manner that will help differentiate its services in the market. The management should make a decision to design unique seats, customized entertainment services, high quality customer care, and other unique qualities to its products. These decisions would have a direct contribution to the overall strategy of the firm. The identified decision areas focus on improving quality of services of this firm in the market. They are directly concerned of how Rotana Jet will offer positively unique service to its customers. This means that the operations manager must consider making these decisions out of the desire to offer quality servic e to its customers at reasonable prices. For this to be achieved, the management must ensure that costs of production are maintained as low as possible. Productivity According to Anderson (56), a firm should have a clear way of measuring productivity. This will help it when determining the sustainability of its operations. At Rotana Jets, the need to measure productivity is very strong. This is because of the increasing competition in this market, and the rising costs of production. The main approach of measuring productivity in this firm is through determining the output that is made of the operational activities. The output will be measured through sales made after a given trading period. The firm would then determine the associated costs during that period. The productivity would then be determined by deducting the costs from sales to find the profits. The profits will help in understanding the productivity of the firm. The profits generated should be reasonable enough to sustain operational activities of this company, and be able to foster development. To improve productivity of this company, the operational manager should expand the scope of the firm’s internet marketing to include social media marketing. This is because social media such as Facebook and Tweeter are used by a large number of people who can form part of the customer base of this firm. This strategy will also help this firm create viral marketing in the internet.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Anderson, David. An Introduction to Management Science: Quantitative Approaches to Decision Making. Mason: South-Western, 2008. Print. Bruce, Peter. Understanding Decision-Making Processes in Airline. New York: Cengage, 2012. Print. Mahadevan, Bernard. Operations Management: Theory and Practice. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2010. Print. Sauter, Vicki. Decision Support Systems for Business Intelligence. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, 2011. Print. Appendix Cabin Crew Offering Value-Added Service to the Customers This assessment on Operational Decision Making was written and submitted by user Brady W. 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.