Modern Business Environment Assignment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2157 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Business Management Assignment Question 1 In the modern business environment, ethics as well as values play an integral role in business sustainability. Ethics may be defined as the written or unwritten moral principles that govern a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s or individuals actions within an organisation while values, in a business sense, may be seen as certain standards or principles considered valuable or important in life, such as attitudes towards topics like truth, justice and honesty(Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 95). Ethics and values have become a paramount necessity to successful contemporary business outfits. In recent yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s people, policy makers, and businesses themselves have been focused on manufacturing products and using services that are of a positive ethical nature (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 92). Further proof of an increased attention to ethical practices may be seen in the growth in demand for ethical inv estment products, organic produce and fair trade (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 92). Due to this elevated consciousness of ethical practices in business, organisations should ensure that application of favourable ethics and values are always upheld, else various consequences which threaten the sustenance of the business may arise as an organisation which is perceived as being unethical to the public-eye will influence the organisation in a negative manner. Once knowledge of unethical behaviour has been made public, credibility of the business may come under scrutiny as customers and consumers of the organisations products and/or services may choose to boycott the business entity. This will in turn diminish the image, brand and reputation of the business and result in a lack of sales in products and services thus resulting in an inability to make profit. Once the reputation of a business has been damaged it is often difficult to rebuild a good name for the organisation. Furth ermore, due to its tarnished reputation, the business may find it hard to keep hold of its most valuable employees as well as recruiting new ones due to the fact that no one would like to work for a company with a poor reputation. Investors as well as suppliers will also tend to overlook any association with businesses that have a poor image as it may be detrimental to their own images and reputations. As a result, the process of sustaining the business entity will become more challenging. A lack of ethics and values in an organisation may also lead to unfavourable employee performance. In many cases employees tend to become greedy and almost obsessed with financial gain to such an extent that standard business procedure and protocols are not followed in the correct manner which then results in additional work completion to correct errors. As a result of employees unethically working only for personal gain, performance of the organisation and its ability to satisfy customers will decline in conjunction with the ability to sustain the business. On the other hand the ethical employees may feel that their approach to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“life in the workplaceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  is not as beneficial as those unethical employees and this may cause a lack of motivation and therefore a decrease in productivity from the ethical employee. Internal employee relationship is another factor that may be harmed by poor ethical behaviour and a poor set of personal values. Whistle blowing whereby an employee or person in association with a business entity reports and/or raises concern about illegal activity and other unethical behaviour to those in authority is an example of an ethical issue that affects employee relationships (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 97). By doing so other employees often tend to treat the whistle blower differently, usually in a more negative manner and this puts the whistle blower in a difficult situation. The whistle blower often becomes an outcast in the workplace and is seen as a traitor by the organisation (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 98). Sexual harassment where a member and/or members from the work force make unwanted sexual advances to other member/members of the work force, as well as, plagiarism where someone elseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ideas are used without appropriate acknowledgement are examples of other modern ethical issues (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 99). Unethical behaviour in general may also cause tension between the employees of the company. Leaders such as managers in an organisation should always set an example of positive ethical practice. Leaders who do not set such an example may find that employees of the company also behave unethically and as a result there is a sense of mistrust and disunity amongst employees which is detrimental to the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s productivity and thus the businesses ability to sustain itself. A more recent example of an ethically challenging situation may be seen with the organisation Enron. This American business had grown to be one of the largest organisations within the USA, employing 21000 staff in more than 40 countries (BBC, 2002). However due to poor and unethical management within the business entity, the organisation was forced into bankruptcy in the year 2001. Managers and Leaders within the company had become avaricious and wanted to live beyond their needs (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 92) and as a result lied about profit and concealed debts so that they would not show on the companies accounts (BBC, 2002). In addition to the unethical behaviour of leaders within the business, management had sold their shares for enormous amounts of capital and advised employees to invest their pension in shares of the business entity. When the company had eventually filed for bankruptcy thousands of employees had lost their jobs and received only a measly amount of funds from their share investments (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 92). Today Enron provides a perfect example of how unethical practices and lack of values can influence the sustainability of a business in a negative manner. The Networking organisation, Cisco on the other hand is a company which pride themselves on their positive ethical behaviour. Over the past five consecutive years Cisco has been recognised as one of the Worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s most ethical companies (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 92). As a result Cisco is a well known brand with an impressive reputation in its field expertise. This company has the luxury of having strong customer and consumer relationships as well as employees who are motivated to work for the company and therefore Cisco is an organisation with a strong ability to sustain itself within the modern age of business. Considering both of the situations within the organisations Enron and Cisco, it furthermore becomes obvious that Ethics and values play an enormous role in terms of business susta inability. Unethical practices as well as poor sets of values may lead to the poor reputation or eventual liquidation of the company while positive ethical behaviour and a good set of moral values may improve the image, reputation and brand of the corporation. As a result modern companies have used a number of techniques in an attempt to eliminate unethical behaviour. Most modern business outfits tend to use a Code of Conduct which acts as a guideline for how employees should behave within the organisation (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 96). Multiple countries also use the law to ensure ethical practice within businesses. Corporations which fail to follow the ethical procedures set out by the government may find themselves receiving a fine or paying other penalties detrimental to the businesses. Question 2 Leadership or the ability to guide and motivate groups of people in order to achieve common goals (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 232) is paramount to the succes s of any business entity. On a daily basis leaders will often strategise and coordinate the activities in the workplace in order to achieve multiple organisational objectives. The people who provide leadership within the business entity can therefore be seen as the link between employees and the objectives of the organisation. In order for an organisation to be successful, the business entity should meet its goals and objectives. For the organisation to meet these objectives employees are needed to perform the work. As a result employees often need guidance on how to go about in doing their jobs. It is here where leaders and leadership skill play an integral part. A leader will often supervise and supply his/her employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s with direction and ideas on how to tackle problems. In doing so not only is the leader contributing to the success of the business in the present but also training the employees so that they become valuable members of the corporation and contri bute to the future success of the business outfit. Another important aspect in business success, of which leadership is involved, is motivation. Motivation may be described as any incentive which causes employees to work towards the objective at hand (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 251). Leaders have the responsibility of ensuring that subordinates are well motivated and complete their tasks/jobs in an efficient manner. Just like in Maslowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hierarchy of needs, different people have different levels of needs. As a result businesses have multiple incentives that motivate employees to maximise their performance, such as, promotion, bonuses, salary increases etc. In some cases employees may even be motivated to work for their leaders due to abundance in charisma and other exceptional leadership traits such as proficient communication skills and a strong emotional intelligence to handle the pressures of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“work placeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . These manager leaders act as an inspiration for subordinates and therefore get the optimum performance from the employees of the company to ensure favourable business performance and successful business ventures. A motivational leader in conjunction with an enthusiastic work force may also be beneficial to the success of the organisation due to the fact that employees who are willing to work for their companies and its leaders often contribute to the organisation much more than the employees who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t. As a result leaders who let employees express themselves in the work environment often have a greater influx of ideas and this give the organisation the advantage of being more innovative and creative than competitors thus improving the business and its chances of success. Communication is a fundamental leadership skill which vastly contributes to the success of organisations worldwide. Business entities with an exceptional communications arrangement or set-up are able to c onstantly exchange valuable information between the different departments of the organisation. The latest trends in terms of needs and wants, information about various competitors and other types of important information are examples of data which leaders can effortlessly pass on to employees through the use of different communication mediums. A leader with virtuoso communication skills will also be able to comfortably pass on his/her vision to employees so that the subordinates clearly understand the direction that the business and leader wish to take as well as the employees individual role within the business entity. Efficient communication also positively contributes towards favourable productivity levels and also restricts confusion and misinterpretation in the working environment. Modern communication mediums include face-to-face conversations, phone calls, faxes, email and videos etc. (Nieuwenhuizen Oosthuizen 2014, p. 252). A strong leader is able to contribute to the su ccess of an organisation by correctly managing conflict within the business outfit. Conflict is often recognised as natural behaviour within the work environment. There are two types of conflict which may arise in the work place. Functional conflict where the disagreement supports the organisational objectives and dysfunctional conflict where employees are disrupted and prevented from achieving organisational objectives. Functional conflict therefore may be beneficial to the organisation as it may result in a wider range of creative opinions and better decision making within the group of employees. On the other hand dysfunctional conflict often causes disunity and unrest amongst employees thus decreasing their performance and ability to reach organisational goals. It is therefore the job of the leader to ensure that conflict within the work force is managed correctly and is beneficial to the business entity. A modern example of an accomplished leader is Sir Richard Branson. Richa rd Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group organisation consisting of more than 400 companies worldwide (LiveYourLegend, 2012). Being dyslexic, Branson always found school academically challenging and found it difficult to keep up with his peers. However, in the year 1972, at the tender age of 16 Branson started to show his extraordinary leadership prowess and had started his Virgin brand by opening a chain of record stores (Entrepreneur, 2013). Today Branson is one of the wealthiest people in the world and he may be recognised as a talented Transformational leader due to his vision based on change, creative outlook and continuous involvement in entrepreneurial activity. Richard Branson is also considered to be gifted leader due to his ability in taking calculated risks. As a young business owner Branson was often charged with tax irregularities and even had to put his motherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s house up as collateral (Moneycation, 2013). Branson also firmly believes in the use of functional conflict due to that fact that he employs an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“open doorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  policy where his employees should feel free to give their input and opinions on the matters at hand(Moneycation, 2013). Another example of a Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Modern Business Environment Assignment" essay for you Create order

John Locke s Views On Education - 879 Words

John Locke was a philosopher, doctor and political theorists of the 17th century. He was one of the founders of the school of thought known as British Empiricism. Mr. Locke made foundational contributions to modern theories of limited, liberal government. He was also influential in the areas of theology, religious toleration, and educational theory. During his services at Shaftesbury, John Locke had been writing. He published all of his most significant works within six years of following his return to England. Locke’s â€Å"Essay Concerning Human Understanding† outlined a theory of human knowledge, identity and selfhood. In his â€Å"Thoughts Concerning Education†, Locke argued for a broadened syllabus and better treatment of students. Ideas that†¦show more content†¦Later life he attacked boarding schools for their overemphasis on corporal punishment and for the uncivil behavior of pupils. Between 1652 and 1667, John Locke was a student at Christ Churc h, Oxford, where he focused on the standard curriculum of logic, metaphysics and classics. He also studied medicine extensively and was an associate of Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle and other leading Oxford scientists. Locke spent his final 14 years in Essex at the home of Sir Francis Masham and his wife, the philosopher Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham. Locke suffered from health problems for most of his adult life. In particular, he had respiratory ailments which were exacerbated by his visits to London where the air quality was very poor. His health took a turn for the worse in 1704 and he became increasingly debilitated. He died on 28 October 1704 while Damaris Masham was reading him the Psalms. He was buried at High Laver, near Oates. He wrote his own epitaph which was both humble and forthright. John Locke was one of most influential to educationalist theory. They believed that children were born as blank slates, beginning their lives morally neutral. From this point of view, infants were neither inherently good or inherently evil. A child s nature and personality would develop over childhood, a period of time during which the educationalists believed a child was particularly impressionable. Adults surrounding aShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke s Theory Of Religious Tolerance884 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Locke, a 17th century English philosopher is remembered for his great contributions to three issues that was important during his time and still concerns us today. The three topics Locke covered during his lifetime was how to handle people with different religion, determining who should rule, and how to educate our children. Locke developed theories from the three topics because they played a central role in his life. 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Megan Fox Free Essays

Writing is one of the greatest forms of creativity, allowing you to express your opinion and voice on anything you feel or any knowledge you want to share. It is also a vital learning skill to have in the workforce, as your writing skills can be reflected upon the way you communicate and present yourself. Everyone’s different writing style shows their personality, allowing you to have an understanding of what the person is really like through their own words on paper. We will write a custom essay sample on Megan Fox or any similar topic only for you Order Now For me, I’ve always considered writing to be one of my favorite subjects throughout my years of school. My interest sparked at a young age when I started reading books at school, and decided to take it upon myself to write my own stories. I’d spend hours at home creating different short stories and hoped that someday I’d get them published, which of course didn’t happen, but it made me realize that writing was something I really appreciate. I loved the freedom of it and being able to write down exactly what was on my mind, so that I’d never forget a certain thought, idea, or story in my head that I wanted to remember. Later on, I discovered I also enjoy writing when it is based on a certain topic, such as research papers on a particular historic figure, or research findings and my thoughts on an issue or topic. I like becoming more knowledgeable on a subject as it can provide you with information on things you never knew about, but find very fascinating. A few times in high school, for example, I remember having to do a couple of 8-10 page research papers that I absolutely dreaded, but when I was done I felt a sense of accomplishment and was happy to have learned something new. As of now, I look forward to improving my writing skills through further studying and practice. I believe writing is a crucial method of communication that you will need to be successful in whatever career you choose. Often, the methods of communication used include email, letters, and reports, all of which require adequate writing skills that you will need to make yourself look professional for your chosen career. I believe writing also improves your speech by being able to articulate your opinions clearly and concisely, as well as widening your vocabularly by coming up with new ways to say what you want to say. My main goal in becoming a better writer is to be able to come up with creative ideas and develop insight on things that I never knew. I want to be able to broaden my mind further and bring this new information with me throughout my life. How to cite Megan Fox, Papers

Canterbury Tales Interpretive Essay Example For Students

Canterbury Tales Interpretive Essay The Evil Side of Human Nature Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales became one of the first ever works that began to approach the standards of modern literature. It was probably one of the first books to offer the readers entertainment, and not just another set of boring morals. However, the morals, cleverly disguised, are present in almost every story. Besides, the book offers the descriptions of the most common aspects of the human nature. The books points out both the good and the bad qualities of the people, however, the most obvious descriptions are those of the sinful flaws of humans, such as greed and lust. One of the peoples traits affected by human nature in many stories is greed. As shown throughout, greed is an evil sin. This is especially obvious in the Pardoners Tale, where the Pardoner, a church-appointed official who collects gold for absolving people their sins, tells about the evils of money. In the story, three friends, who wanted to make the world better by killing death, find gold, and unwilling to share, start planning to kill each other. Two friends sent the third to bring them food and wanted to kill him after he came back. The victim, however, also wanted the money, and poisoned their drinks. As a result, all three friends die. Thus were these two homicides finished,/ and the false poisoner too. (Chaucer 365). Even though Chaucers conclusions are not expressed and actually are very different from what the Pardoner says, Chaucer manages to convey his message to the audience. In the Reeves Tale, greed and envy caused two young students and the Miller to trick and steal from each other. This Miller has done me great mischief, and I will not leave without first finding his daughter (The Reeve). In the end, the students sleep with the Millers wife and daughter, and the Miller ends up beaten and losing many of his possessions, but the story doesnt justify the students, the stealing, or even the greed itself. Chaucer leaves it up to the readers to make their own conclusions. The Canterbury Tales also present a number of shockingly bizarre for their time descriptions of lust and adultery. In a lot of stories old men in their sixties are shown having young wives, which was probably common in Chaucers times. In one example, from the Merchants tale, old January, unwilling to die single, decides to marry, but demands that his wife must be younger than twenty. Later in the story, Januarys young wife cheats on him in a tree after he had gone blind. He cast two eyes up to the tree,/ and saw that Damian had managed his wife/ in such a way as may not be expressed/ unless I would speak discourteously. (Chaucer 293). In the example from the Wife of Bath, lusty human nature led one of the kings knights to raping a girl. It happened that he saw a maiden/ walking before him, alone as she was born./ And from this maiden then, against her will,/ and by pure force, he took her maidenhood. (Chaucer 223). Again, even though neither the knight, January, nor his wife May suffered any serious consequences in the end, and everything turned out almost fine for all three of them, Chaucer clearly shows how grossly inappropriate their actions were, and the moral of each of the stories can be easily understood by the readers. The traits depicted as the most affected by human nature in The Canterbury Tales are sometimes most easily found in anybody, which is why the readers may actually recognize themselves in some of the characters. Such technique let the readers relate to the characters and probably contributed to the books immense popularity over the centuries that passed since .