Mattel Organizational Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mattel Organizational Crisis - Essay Example Reports from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2007) indicated that three children had been hospitalized due to ingesting some particles from the toys and all these three were diagnosed with intestinal perforation, hence required surgery. Owing to this recall, the company lost over $30 million and nearly 1.5 million toys it had sold were removed from the shelves. The Wall Street Journal (2007) notes that previous to the recall, Mattel was the biggest toy manufacturer reputed for its strict safety standards. As noted by Mitroff (1989) a positive public image could easily be destroyed in the course of a crisis. Scholar, nonetheless, have established that strategic application of corporate information, proper crisis communication and effective crisis management can assist in wining back public confidence, since communication has the ability to determine how information reaches the public as well as the media (Coombs, 2007). This paper examines Mattel crisis, the paper will specifically examine how the crisis happened, corporate communication of crisis, crisis management and give conclusion. Mattel recalled 19 million toys from August to September in 2007 because of two separate reasons (Media Statement, 2007). This was the biggest recall in the history of the company because both recalls happened at the same time. The first reason for recall of toys was due to faulty magnets used. The toys were designed in such a way that most parts had high-energy magnets. These magnets are of great effect to infants and young children because they can ingest some parts and be affected in their digestive tract. When children shallow several magnetic particles there are high chances of that they will pull together in the stomach and rip by use of stomach tissue. The combination of magnet strength with poor design of Mattel toys made these toys dangerous to the health

Viewpoints of Benjamin Harrison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Viewpoints of Benjamin Harrison - Research Paper Example Being a farmer, it was mandatory that he was to use slaves on his plantations. Despite the ruthlessness that was being shown to the slaves, he seemed to have a soft spot for them. He was a nationalist who believed that the Americans had the same rights as Britons as well as other groups of people. His resistance to the obnoxious stamp duty against tea is an indicator of his resentment to economic injustices committed against the Americans. He would be very happy to establish that there is more economic freedom today. Many individuals can manage to live a decent life and have free opportunities to engage in economic activities without much oppression from the government of the day. In addition, the fact that the resources within the country are used for the good of its citizens and not foreigners, then Harrison would have appreciated the effort that has been put. Benjamin V viewed societal injustices from a personal viewpoint and attempted to do something about it. He went ahead to us e his own resources in the activism that opposed the bill that mentioned that the laws passed by the Virginia parliament were contrary to the law. He would be pleased to notice the separation of powers between the states and the federal government and how they are able to work in synchrony. In another situation, he condemned the enactment of the intolerable acts and joined hands with others to form the continental congress. He is on record for having desired to unite the Americans to fight against the ruthlessness of the colonial master.

What is the Major Role of Police in Society Assignment

What is the Major Role of Police in Society - Assignment Example A democratic police force fundamentally enforces the rule of law equally among the members of the society, rather than the rule of those persons in power or with power. Police community relations function as an adjunct or as an alternative to the centralized, bureaucratic model of policing, where neutrality and efficiency are valued (Police and Democracy, 2001, n.p.). Police members are encouraged to view themselves as part of the community and help in solving the problems of the community. Community policing emphasizes the social service and order maintenance role of the police. The underlying assumption of police-community relations is that the police would be more effective in doing its duties by immersing itself in the concerns of the community and if it has the support of and inputs from the community. The justice system in the United States operates under two levels - the federal and state levels. The state justice system basically covers prosecutions of most law violations except those offenses that concern federal government employees, crimes committed across state lines and fraud involving the national government which is covered by the federal justice system. In turn, the justice system is differentiated between the liabilities involved, whether it be criminal or civil. Criminal trials happen when the government prosecutes an individual for violating the rights and security of another individual or the society as a whole. Civil trials involve the settlement of disputes between two parties. In addition to the civilian courts, there is the military justice system which has jurisdiction over offenses committed by military members. There are also a number of Native American or American Indian justice systems which settles disputes between members of various American Indian tribes. The police selection processes have a great impact on police-community relations as the system of recruitment and its purposes will affect how effective the police will be in gaining or maintaining support from the community. Recruitment of members of the police force (or the selection of the police chief for example that takes into consideration the situation of the community) would very much aid in the smooth maintenance of the police-community relationship. For example, if a community is composed mostly of black people, it makes sense to have a police force where its membership reflects the racial make-up of the community. Similarly, recruitment if it has to take consideration of police-community relations, must first look into the recruitment of immediate members of the local community, rather from the outside of the community in question. Â  

Viewpoints of Benjamin Harrison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Viewpoints of Benjamin Harrison - Research Paper Example Being a farmer, it was mandatory that he was to use slaves on his plantations. Despite the ruthlessness that was being shown to the slaves, he seemed to have a soft spot for them. He was a nationalist who believed that the Americans had the same rights as Britons as well as other groups of people. His resistance to the obnoxious stamp duty against tea is an indicator of his resentment to economic injustices committed against the Americans. He would be very happy to establish that there is more economic freedom today. Many individuals can manage to live a decent life and have free opportunities to engage in economic activities without much oppression from the government of the day. In addition, the fact that the resources within the country are used for the good of its citizens and not foreigners, then Harrison would have appreciated the effort that has been put. Benjamin V viewed societal injustices from a personal viewpoint and attempted to do something about it. He went ahead to us e his own resources in the activism that opposed the bill that mentioned that the laws passed by the Virginia parliament were contrary to the law. He would be pleased to notice the separation of powers between the states and the federal government and how they are able to work in synchrony. In another situation, he condemned the enactment of the intolerable acts and joined hands with others to form the continental congress. He is on record for having desired to unite the Americans to fight against the ruthlessness of the colonial master.

Sensory perception Essay Example for Free

Sensory perception Essay Sensory perception cannot be entirely trusted specifically in terms of knowing what is real from what is not and what is genuine knowledge from what is mere belief for several reasons. For one, the human senses have the tendency to fluctuate in terms of its capacity to perform according to its specific functions (Ross, p. 500). For instance, the ears, when suffering from an ear infection, are highly prone to hear things quite differently. If this is the case, then our sensory perception of hearing through the ears does not have a strong merit for serving as the foundation for knowing the real world and distinguishing those that are not real. It is also the case that human sensory perception varies from person to person. For example, an ageing man may hear the same rustling of leaves or speech of an individual quite differently from a little kid. Or perhaps the same note played in a grand piano may faintly be heard by those with hearing defects but may be clearly be distinguished by the master pianist. These are only a few examples to illustrate the point that human sensory perception varies from person to person, and the list may very well be inexhaustible. This leads us towards the idea that, since human sensory perception greatly varies, it may be quite difficult to reach at a solid agreement among individuals concerning the common understanding of reality. Although there may be attempts to resolve such a crisis, the very fact that human sensory perception differs inhibit human beings from arriving at the bottom of the issue. Yet it cannot be doubted that, when asked about what is real from what is not, the tendency of the individual is to rely on sensory perception (Walton, p. 557). One can defend the idea that ‘this’ pencil is ‘real’ because the individual is able to see and touch the pencil. There are many other ways in order to provide possible arguments that support the idea that sensory perception grants human beings an access to reality and a corresponding awareness of it. While it may be true that the individual is able to see and old the pencil does it guarantee the individual that, indeed, the pencil is real? One is to be reminded that our eyes sometimes suffer from a blurring of vision and that our skin has the tendency to be sensitive or numb or somewhere between depending on the external environment and on the internal bodily processes the individual is experiencing. Apparently, sensory perception gives one experiences of one’s external environment and that these experiences may correspond to an actual object existing in the external environment of the individual (Brown, p. 336). If this is the case, then it is also probable that the object perceived through the senses may exist. Nevertheless, whether or not the object perceived exists in the external environment, the question remains: can sensory perception be trusted? With the idea of trusting the senses, we are directed towards the notion that the senses provide a way for the perceiving individual to ‘sense’ an object outside of one’s system (Sorabji, p. 60). It can be asserted that the senses provide the individual with sensory experiences such as the color and smell of the object, the quality of hotness or coldness and many others. The idea can further be stretched by arguing that, without the senses, the brain will have no way of accepting data from the external objects. But how is one to know what is real from what is mere hallucination? Correspondingly, how is one to know that one’s senses are giving an impression of a defective data offered by the impaired visual senses, for instance? The foundation for the refutation against the credibility of the senses rests on the idea that the senses of human beings are open to impairments and oftentimes prone to the trickery of the external environment. For example, mirages tend to trick the human eye and, consequently, the human understanding and the larger sphere of human knowledge. What appears to be a small patch of water in the middle of a scorching desert is the visual effect of heat on sand from afar. Unless the individual decides to get closer to the source of the desert ‘mirage’ can one be able to fully discern the idea that the eyes do not give us what is really the case. This case holds highly probable for the individual. The larger aspect of the faulty functioning of the senses can all the more be observed in terms of two or more individuals. Take for example the case of two individuals and a small piece of freshly baked bread. Assume that the first individual is one who lives in a warm region while the other individual lives near the fringes of Alaska. The first individual may very well claim that the freshly baked bread is not quiet hot while the Alaskan may very well claim that the bread is warm for the reason that the former is used to a warm environment while the latter lives in an environment where a little heat is easily detected by the skin. Or let one assume that the opposite case is true for the two individuals—either way, it can be observed that there is a difference in the way both individuals have ‘experienced’ the bread in terms of its hotness or coldness. The instance where there are variations in the manner in which individuals tend to have a sensory experience on the warmness or coldness of objects is one proof that, when applied to the larger context of humanity, there can hardly be any precise and unchanging sensory experience for the same object. While it may be true that humanity can generalize an object as either warm or cold, it nevertheless remains that it does not guarantee that all of the individuals have experienced one and the same degree of warmness or coldness of the object given the fact that the specific human anatomy widely varies from person to person although individuals may have the same general anatomy of, say, the head composed of the skull, eye sockets, teeth, etc. The point is that, although two, three, or a couple of individuals may agree that this or that object is ‘warm’, there is hardly any coherent and precise sensory perception that unifies all of human sensory experience on the same object or event at its most detailed form. This contention leads one to the consequent argument that sensory perception cannot be trusted and that these variations in human sensory experience fail to provide a substantial account for what is real from what is not. Why can’t sensory perception be trusted even if there are wide variations and disagreements on human sensory experiences? The answer to this question rests on the idea that human knowledge is a very critical aspect in the lives and progress of humanity. Since the daily experiences of human beings pretty much contribute to and define their knowledge of the external world, a corrupted sensory experience may lead to knowledge founded on false assumptions or beliefs. Further, if the wide variations in sensory experiences will serve as the basis for human knowledge, then it is not a farfetched idea that it will result to multiple interpretations and, consequently, multiple forms of knowledge on the same object or event. All the knowledge in the world becomes relative to the numerous individuals asserting their own stand on what knowledge is; knowledge becomes equally proportional to the total number of individuals advocating their own ‘knowledge’. If this is the case, can the separate notions of ‘knowledge’ correspond to a genuine knowledge? Or does it give the guarantee that all of these knowledge claims are sound and valid even though one or two of these knowledge claims come into conflict? The argument is clear: sensory perception cannot be trusted due to its dire effects on the epistemological exploits of humanity inasmuch as there is the primary concern or need for a true and genuine knowledge that transcends individual interpretations and relative sensory experiences. The seemingly ‘imperfect’ condition of the human sensory organs contributes in large parts to the disruptions in the corresponding sensory experiences. This ‘imperfect’ state should all the more prompt the rational mind to do away with trusting sensory perception as a guaranteed medium for obtaining knowledge and in understanding reality. Works Cited Brown, Kevin L. Dating Adam Smiths Essay Of the External Senses. Journal of the History of Ideas 53. 2 (1992): 336. Ross, Peter W. Qualia and the Senses. The Philosophical Quarterly 51. 205 (2001): 500. Sorabji, Richard. Aristotle on Demarcating the Five Senses. The Philosophical Review 80. 1 (1971): 60. Walton, William M. Is Existence a Valid Philosophical Concept? A Metaphysical Approach. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 12. 4 (1952): 557.

Relevance of International Human Resource Management

Relevance of International Human Resource Management The study of International Human Resource Management is fine if you are going to work in a large Multinational Enterprise, but has no relevance for individuals who are going to work in small firms. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons and appropriate examples to support your answer. This paper sets out to show that the study of international human resource management is of benefit to individuals who are going to work in small firms whether in a management or worker capacity . It is noted that a â€Å"small firm† may or may not be multinational and for the purpose of this discussion it is assumed that the inference is that they are not. This paper will demonstrate that through showing that an appreciation of different approaches to work there can be benefits for the individual employee and the manager. Further benefits will be seen through demonstrating that strict adherence to accepted national customs and culture can have a negative effect on business success. There will also be a discussion on how individuals and businesses need to be aware of the increasingly multicultural nature of the British workforce. To open this debate it is necessary to define what is meant by the term â€Å"international human resource management†. Investigation into the term suggests that the emphasis lies on how to operate the human resource management function in multinational businesses and that it is concerned with the similarities and differences of managing in different countries and how to integrate a business culture across international boundaries. However, it is found that little attention is given to the fact that the UK has an increasingly multinational workforce and whilst they may be subject to the systems, procedures and laws of the UK, they way they think and operate is strongly affected by their personal national culture which may vary significantly to that of the UK. The BBC reports that â€Å"(a) record 582,000 people came to live in the UK from elsewhere in the world in 2004, according to government expertsâ€Å" (BBC 2005, p. not given). They further suggest that this influx is necessary to help the UK economy grow as the majority of these migrants have come to the country to work. The Times newspaper supports this in reporting that â€Å"Britain needed workers for 600,000 vacancies, including low-paid jobs that were often difficult to fillâ€Å" and goes on to say that â€Å"(e)mployers are aggressively recruiting staff from other countries† (Nugent et al 2004, page not given). They also found that 96% of these migrants were employed in full time work (Nugent et al 2004). This shows that the UK workforce is becoming increasingly multinational and diverse. The main arguments for the increase in awareness of international human resource management would seem to stress the pressures on managers working in multinational businesses. As an example of this, Trompenaars et al tell us that â€Å"(i)nternational managers have it tough. They must operate on a number of different premises at any one time. These premises arise from their culture of origin, the culture in which they are working and the culture of the organisation which employs them† (Trompenaars et al 1997, p. 3). However, the writer would argue that the same challenges also face those working in a solely UK based business as they become increasingly likely to be working with and for colleagues who originate from countries other than the UK and have different cultural expectations. To be able to ensure that the working relationship between groups is a productive and positive one, each individual would benefit from an understanding of some aspects of international human resou rce management especially in the area of culture where attitudes towards leadership, motivation, and pay and recognition may vary. A further benefit of awareness of different human resource management practices may be the realisation that UK based businesses may be able to adopt positive aspects of other countries work practices and cultures. Mullins (2005) states, there are benefits to be found in a business looking at how it’s national culture may be limiting their ability to be strategically competitive. He continues by citing Trompenaars who felt that his own work â€Å"helped managers to structure their experiences and provided insights for them and their organisations into the real source of problems faced when managing across cultures or dealing with diversity† (Trompenaars 1999, p. 31. cited in Mullins 2005, p. 43). Against the argument for individuals who are going to work in a small firm studying international human resource management is the range of areas such a topic covers. International human resource managers need to have an appreciation of the laws and policies of the countries their employer operates in and whilst this may of interest to a UK employee, it is not an area they would automatically be able to influence or change. This brings us to the questions of whether rather than international human resource management, what we are discussing is the management of diversity both from the point of view of a manager who supervises the work of a multicultural workforce or the case of an individual worker whose colleagues originate from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Brooks supports this point and states that â€Å"(d)ifferences in national culture may have a bearing on how organisations deal with each other and also on behaviour within organisations which comprise a mix of nationalities† (Brooks 2003, p. 264). Francesco and Gold say that â€Å"managers must develop organizational systems that are flexible enough to take into account the meaning of work and the relative value of rewards within the range of cultures where they operate† (Francesco et al 1998, p. 144) and whilst when saying this, they meant it to be applied to multinational organisations, the same can be said to be true of those working in a multicultural environment nationally based. Mullins agrees with this in saying that â€Å"there are a number of very good reasons why we could usefully understand cultural differences (and similarity) at work, based on new awareness contributing to our own effectiveness and moreover to the accomplishment of organisational goals† (Mullins 2005, p. 44). He goes on to say that â€Å"there could therefore be advantages of cross-cultural awareness which include: increased self-awareness; sensitivity to difference; questioning our own assumptions and knowledge; lessening ignorance , prejudice and hatred† (Mullins 2005, p. 44). As an example, a manager with a predominantly British cultural background may need to adapt their motivational techniques for individuals from cultures where recognition through praise is more highly regarded than a financial bonus. From the writers own experience, a common UK practice of publicising individual performance levels was found to be highly demotivating and a source of unease amongst a predominantly Asian workforce. Adler suggests there are inbuilt dangers where multi-cultural teams operate â€Å"(m)istrust including stereotyping; miscommunication with potential for reduced accuracy and resultant stress; process difficulties, that is failure to agree when agreement is needed or even what constitutes agreement when arriving at decisions† (Adler 1997, cited in Mullins 2005, p. 44). To overcome these potential issues, there must be an understanding and appreciation of the human resource management systems of other cultures as these will influence the work expectations and practices of the workforce. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) see the embracing if diversity as being crucial. They say that â€Å"(t)oday, many organisations are out-thinking and outperforming their competitors by using diversity as a strategy for ensuring long-term success and advantageâ€Å" (CIPD date not known page not given). They support his view by adding that â€Å"(i)n the face of changing demographics, a narrowing talent pool and an increasingly global marketplace, nurturing the creativity, innovation and hidden potential of organisations is vital† (CIPD date not known page not given). A further aspect to be considered is the legal requirement for companies to embrace diversity in their workforce. Since the 1970s there has been an increasing amount of legislation in the UK relating to pay equality and sex and racial discrimination. However, a CIPD survey found that 68% of respondents gave â€Å"legal pressures† as the key driver for diversity in their business (CIPD 2006, p. 3) suggesting rather than an appreciation of the business benefits of embracing diversity, the importance placed on these issues is due more to a fear of the negative publicity and costs associated with legal action as a result of discrimination. The concept of international human resource management has been seen to be mainly the concern of individuals who are to intend to operate across geographical boundaries. It has been demonstrated however that there are many aspects of the subject that are not only applicable to those intending to work for a small firm, but could also benefit them in being able to encourage cultural diversity and adopt good practice from other countries. The increasingly multi national workforce in the UK and the introduction of legislation relating to diversity means that employers and employees must have an awareness of the areas of international human resource management that relate to understanding and embracing cultural differences. References and bibliography. Adler, N.J. (2001). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. California, USA: South-Western College Publishing. BBC. (2005). Record immigration levels to UK. Accessed at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4359756.stm on 7/03/2007. Brooks, I. (2003). Organisational Behaviour: Individuals Groups and Organisations. 2nd ed. Harlow: Prentice Hall FT. CIPD. (date not known).The Psychology of Diversity. Accessed at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/CMSTraining/Psychology+of+Management/Psychology+of+Management/PCD.htm on 7/03/2007. CIPD (2002). New research shows international HR managers create global culture. Accessed at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/pressoffice/_articles/20092002135000.htm?IsSrchRes=1 on 9/02/2007. CIPD. (2003). HR’s Contribution to International Mergers and Acquisitions. London: CIPD. CIPD. (2006). Diversity in Business: How Much Progress have Employers Made. First Findings. London: CIPD. Francesco, A. M. Gold, B. A. (1998). International Organizational Behavior: Texts, Readings, Cases and Skills. Harlow: Prentice Hall FT Lucas, R. Lupton, B. Mathieson, H. (2007). Human Resources Management in an International Context. London: CIPD. Markides, C. Geroski, P.(2003). â€Å"Colonizers and consolidators: the two cultures of corporate strategy† in Strategy and Business. Fall Vol 32 p 46-55. Mullins, L.J. (2005). Management and Organisational Behaviour. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Nugent, H. Tendler, S. Patty, A. (2004). Foreign workers snap up the jobs that Britons on benefit reject. Times newspaper. November 11, 2004. Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (1997). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd. Trompenaars, F. (1999). Trans-Culture Competence. People Management, 22nd April, p. 31. Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (2004). Managing People Across Cultures. Oxford: Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Free Handmaids Tale Essays: Men Will be Men :: Handmaids Tale Essays

Men Will be Men in The Handmaid's Tale Perhaps the most frightening aspect of Offred's world is not even its proximity, but its occasional attractiveness. The idea that women need strict protection from harm is not one espoused solely by the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Pat Buchanan, but also by women like Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon. This protectionist variety of feminism is incorporated in the character of Offred's mother, and to a certain degree in Aunt Lydia. Offred's mother is just as harsh in her censorship of pornography as any James Dobson. By burning the works which offend her, she too is contributing to the notion that women's safety is contingent on squelching the Bill of Rights. The restriction of sexually explicit pictures places the blame for sex crimes on women, again -- the women in the photographs who supposedly drive men to rape. Where have we heard this before? Who else refuses to hold rapists responsible for their own actions, choosing instead to restrict the behavior of those they consider the catalysts? Aunt Lydia is depicted as being mildly psychotic, but the "freedom from" that she offers seems oftentimes almost soothing. To be free of fear of rape would be a wonderful thing. To force men to act respectful seems not too bad. We can observe this attitude on our own campus, where the student government holds a "nightwalk" every few years. On these walks, dangerous areas are marked out and reported to the Physical Plant and the campus police. In response, bushes and trees next to walkways are demolished to discourage possible attackers who might conceal themselves in them. More halogen lamps are installed. More foot patrol officers walk potential problem spots. Every year the campus looks less like a university and more like an armed camp, but we accept these ugly alterations on our environment in the name of safety. It doesn't seem like such a high price to pay. In a way, many women already live in a sort of Gilead. They would not dream of going out alone. They feel unfulfilled without children. They do not read (they don't have the time.) They occupy little more than a servant's position in their own homes. Their access to abortion is denied. They already live under so many unreasonable restrictions and expectations -- what's a little more, if it comes with a guarantee of safety?