Supply Chain Management

Introduction

Supply management is basically the stream of various commodities and services (Covin & Miller, 2014). The supply management is a design that involves the formulation, actual execution, the control and finally the monitoring of the activities carried out with a motive of creating profits, inventing a competitive structure, time leverage, equalizing the supply and demand structure and generally measuring the rate of performance in the global market.

Job title

Job titles within the supply chain management structure can vary depending on the level of business. Such job titles can include the supply chain manager, the master scheduler, buyer planner, planner, material manager, procurement manager, logistic manager and the purchasing manager.

Supply manager is a job position which basically deals with the general staffing of the organization. The supply manager has the obligation of reviewing and updating the supply chain practices with relation to the current trends including the laws and regulations. Supply manager has the duties of intelligently selecting the transportation route in order to maximize the delivery and therefore being economic in terms of job performance since most of the warehouses and shipments will be done at the same time and in line with the company (Oshri et al., 2015). The development of material costs which needs to be standard is also a job description done by the supply manager. The supply manager helps in maximizing the profits and reducing the cost incurred in various dealings for an organization.

Procurement Manager

This is also a vital position in the supply chain management structure. Procurement manager has the duty of devising and fully using a fruitful sourcing and procurement strategy for an organization (Waller & Fawcett, 2013). The procurement manager has the duty of the discovery of profitable suppliers and initiating proper business deals and also negotiating with other external vendors with an aim of securing advantageous deals.  

Purchasing Manager

Purchasing manager has the duty of developing, controlling and the execution of purchasing strategies. Purchasing manager has an obligation of tracking and reporting the essential functions of the organization in order to reduce the expenses and in this way increase on the effectiveness of the organization.

Strategic partnership

In order to maximize the profits of the company, the business has to have some partnerships with major companies or companies which can allow working together for success. The manufacturing company can partner with another manufacturing company for the development of one single business which can help in the selling and distribution of the final products. The best type of partnership to engage in at the moment is the joint venture where the partnership will help in the development of a new business entity separate from either of the two businesses. Having a pool of contribution is a better way of being competitive in the market (Covin & Miller, 2014). The benefits for this kind of move is that there will be the shared cost advantage on both parties since the contribution will be based on an agreement. Another benefit is the increased capacity in terms of market share which is hugely influenced by the occurrence of a new business with an aim of making maximum profits. The sharing of the risk with the partner is also a benefit for the organization. The military equipment, in general, require stability and influence for a successful survival.  

Roles of supply chain management

The supply chain management is an important part of every business which has the vision of creating value and having a great reputation in terms of the services it offers for success. The supply chain management acts as a booster of customer services. Every customer for the equipment expects the correct and best assortment for every order made and must be of great quality. The delivery and also the availability of the products requested are to be assured to the customers. The delivery time must be according to the agreement and this will help increase the earning capability of the organization. In many cases, the supply chain management part of an organization is the head in terms of reducing the operational costs of the organization (Oshri et al., 2015). The cost of purchasing the products is reduced significantly, therefore, there will be a reduction in spending. Improving the financial position of the organization is also the role of the supply management. The organization basically depends on the profits to survive. Increased profits will be assured since the control of spending will reduce the costs and thereby increase the profits. There will be a cash flow increase since there is the speeding up of the production process and also the time for delivery is set to minimum. Decreasing the fixed assets such as the transportation costs, warehousing, and plant operations can increase the revenue for the organization.

Total cost of ownership

The cost of acquisition can include the costs property or the equipment before the taxes are included. After the commissions, incentives obtained from purchasing, closing costs and the discounts can be the cost of acquisition. The upgrades which are necessary during installation or usage of the assets can also be the costs of acquisition. This is a positive value since the reduced expenses can be used in other areas of the business (Waller & Fawcett, 2013). Costs of operation can include the subscriptions and services required to keep the business on the right track. Such costs can include the cost of utility, direct operator labor, and the cost of initial costs. Cost if the operation is a positive value since any reduction geared towards this strategy can increase the earning capability of the organization. The training cost can be avoided by giving the experienced members an opportunity to work with the new members (Oshri et al., 2015). Personnel costs can include the administrative staffing, facility where the equipment is kept, the support personnel using the equipment, and the general operators. This can include the ongoing operations of training and the troubleshooting labor for developed maintenance purposes.

 Personnel costs in many cases can be termed as a negative value since any reduction in the number of people in a certain area will be an increase in workload for other individuals. Documentation costs can also be useful in the analysis of the total cost of ownership. If the total costs are reduced on this part, then there are valuable chances that the organization rate of earning can be maximized accordingly. Documentation costs is a positive value since the rate at which the documentation process takes place in the organization can be done by the machines, only simpler for this scenario. Manufacturing equipment can also be of advantage to the business but if not properly used then the cost can be very high (Waller & Fawcett, 2013). These items are mostly of high value and when one reduces such costs it is a positive value but in the event that the cost has been reduced without proper strategy then this is a negative value towards the business.

Characteristics of a supply chain leader

Certain characteristics are essential to allow for the continuation of a successful business relationship. As a senior specialist in supply chain management, the qualities one should possess are to be in line with the business specification. These qualities include the ability to solve certain situations which affect other negotiators in terms of being constructive to implement great projects. The current consumer prices for every commodity have doubled and this allows for the main participators to predict the future based on the daily trends (Brandenburg et al., 2014). The ability to deal with ambiguity is required and therefore the need for such a quality. Applying the soft and hard skills in determining the risk and the rewards for the organization through an analysis of the best strategies is a good quality of a supply chain management. The analysis in many cases can be used during calculations which need a high speed to be competitive. Thinking imaginatively is also a strategy for making successful deals in every situation (Covin & Miller, 2014). Maintaining and also improving the relationships between the supply chain members is a favorable quality which can help in negotiations. Mutual benefits connectivity among the supply chain members needs a deep understanding of the organization as well as a good understanding of the relationship among all members. This relationship is important for the business as it brings the best out members into the organization.

Method of choosing a supplier

One of the best methods of choosing a supplier is through attending events such as the regular exhibitions to view quality products and services. This can be done through developing a good relationship with either a partner or through the supplier. Quality products are the key issue in this scenario and therefore the products the supplier deals with must be of high quality and likable for the customers. Depending on the quantity of the materials required, the development needs to be precise and on point (Brandenburg et al., 2014). During the selection, it is important to include every key stakeholder in the procedure in order to agree on the best important criteria for the best kind of a supplier. Every supplier has to have a good reputation in terms of the service delivery and timely delivery. The prices for the products should be stable and at a favorable specific place. Cheap products in many cases present other challenges such as poor quality products, therefore, buying expensively but the quality is essential in every sense. Attending the exhibitions is very important for a business or an organization (Brandenburg et al., 2014). This is part of marketing that allows the exchange of ideas, resource improvement and also the development of strategic planning for the business setting. Businesses or suppliers who have presented their products and services in an exhibition have the reputation of doing a clean and open business therefore important to use such a method to determine the best supplier.

Considerations on imports

Before an organization decides to get suppliers from abroad, there are certain considerations to consider before making such a decision. The organization should dedicate more time in the evaluation of the local market suppliers. Investing both effort and the time is important to help result into a functional project internally. This is important for the creation of long-term beneficial business strength. It is also important to prices of the commodities are worth the import duty to the organization. The volumes of products, the discounts from the products, and what criteria one is using in determining the prices is important before one decides to import (Brandenburg et al., 2014). The state of the commodities to be imported is also an important consideration as certain commodities are not valuable when they arrive in other parts of the world. The potentiality of the products to survive in a member state must e considered to reduce the effects of defects in the commodities. Each of these considerations differs since the rate of imports is high in some countries compared to using the locally available materials.

Fixed-price types of contracts

Types of fixed price contracts differ accordingly. One of the types is the fixed price contract which needs the contractor to be able to manage the costs of the workforce in order to improve the profit making. If there is an event whereby the workforce is more than it had been planned for, then, in this case, the contractor may lose some money for the contract (Waller & Fawcett, 2013). For the case of the supplier, the above scenario can make him or she loses money in the event the supply is less than the requested amounts but for the purchaser, it is a benefit since the terms of the contract have been broken. Fixed price contracts which have economic price changes are the types of contracts which have reasons for the change in prices. In such a case the supplier can be favored by such since he or she may use certain supply challenges to break the fixed costs. The purchaser, on the other hand, can be dependable since the fixed price might affect the business terms. Fixed-price type of a contract which has incentives firm objectives can vary depending on the occurrence of the planned costs either above or below (Waller & Fawcett, 2013). The implications on the supplier are a standard since the contract does not limit products quantity. On the part of the purchaser, it is difficult to configure how well or certain a supply can be therefore open speculations.

Conclusion

Supply chain management is one important part of a business. It is basically the backbone of the business. Reducing the costs, working with the favorite prices in the market, maximizing the profits or the organization is beneficial and this helps in keeping the organization very competitive in the market. Organizations should consider having the best supply chain strategies for the survival of the organization in general.

References

Brandenburg, M., Govindan, K., Sarkis, J., & Seuring, S. (2014). Quantitative models for sustainable supply chain management: Developments and directions. European Journal of Operational Research, 233(2), 299-312.

Covin, J. G., & Miller, D. (2014). International entrepreneurial orientation: Conceptual considerations, research themes, measurement issues, and future research directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 38(1), 11-44.

de Araújo, M. C. B., Alencar, L. H., & de Miranda Mota, C. M. (2017). Project procurement management: A structured literature review. International Journal of Project Management, 35(3), 353-377.

Lu, L. X., & Swaminathan, J. M. (2015). Supply chain management.

Nojavan, S., Mehdinejad, M., Zare, K., & Mohammadi-Ivatloo, B. (2015). Energy procurement management for electricity retailer using new hybrid approach based on combined BICA–BPSO. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 73, 411-419.

Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J., & Gerbasi, A. (2015). Strategic innovation through outsourcing: the role of relational and contractual governance. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 24(3), 203-216.

Waller, M. A., & Fawcett, S. E. (2013). Data science, predictive analytics, and big data: a revolution that will transform supply chain design and management. Journal of Business Logistics, 34(2), 77-84.

Comparison between Leadership and Management

Introduction

Leadership is always confused with management given that people assume they are the same thing while in real sense the two are different. The two go hand in hand since where there is leadership there should be management and even though they are different the two ensure goals in the organizations are successfully achieved.

Leadership can be defined as the virtue of leading people through inspiring, motivating and encouraging them and ensuring they carry out tasks willingly. On the other hand management can be defined as the process of ensuring all activities in an organization are effectively managed (Kotter, 2012). Leadership entails trust of the followers on their leader while management entails control of the subordinates by the manager in order to ensure the subordinates follow the stipulated rules and regulations in the organization. Managers ensure they come up with rules that subordinates ensure they follow while leaders influence and encourage others to carry out the duties so that success can be achieved. Managers come up with policies and procedures they expect the subordinates to follow while leaders come up with guidelines and principles they expect followers to follow willingly so that goals and objectives can be achieved within the organization. Leadership involves leaders being innovative and bringing change to the organizations while management ensures stability is maintained in the organization so that subordinates can carry out their duties with accordance to the stated laws and regulations (Kotter, 2012). Regardless of the differences, leadership and management cannot be separated because they work hand in hand to ensure objectives of the organizations are achieved in time given the available resources.

Conclusion

Leadership and management are important within the organizations since they ensure employees remain motivated, inspired and follow all the rules in order to ensure goals and objectives are achieved within the organizations. Managers must come up with polices that will ensure employees work hard at the same time leaders come up with guidelines that will ensure the employees remain motivated and work hard to ensure organizations remain successful.

Reference

Kotter, J. 2012. The Perils of Confusing Management and Leadership. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8AiOQEQmk. 

Organizational Leadership and Theories

 The nonprofit organization: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

            The United Nations Children’s Fund is a nonprofit organization that started its mission in 1946 as a relief organization for children after the Second World War. It later expanded its mandate to helping children who are living a risky life especially in developing countries which includes advocating for children’s rights to education, nutrition and healthcare (UNICEF. Executive Board, 1958). It is under governance of 36 members of the executive board that are elected after a period of three years and in each of its regions, a number of seats are allocated on the executive board.

The management theory: behavioral theory

            Behavioral theory of management is a theory that focuses on how leaders behave and it suggests that leaders are made and not born. According to this theory, it is believed that people can learn to be leaders through training and observation (Cohen, Eimicke &Heikkila, 2013). These types of leaders have been categorized into three types; autocratic make decisions without involving their teams, democratic allow the participation of their teams before making the final decision and laissez-faire allow their team to make decisions freely (Northouse, 2016).

            This management theory can be applied in various ways within an organization. For instance when quick decisions need to be made within an organization and the agreement of the team members is not necessary, the action of the leader is needed hence that leader becoming autocratic (Laureate Education (Producer), 2014). The behavior of a leader is also determined in the organizational set up where the leader involves members in the decision making. This is especially if the views from the members are relevant in making the final decision.

References

 Cohen, S., Eimicke, W., &Heikkila, T. (2013). The effective public manager: Achieving success in government organizations (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Chapter 2, “Defining Effective Public Management” (pp. 19–46) 

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Chapter 1, “Introduction” (pp. 1–17)

Peters, B. G. (2009). Still the century of bureaucracy? The roles of public servants. ViesojiPolitikaIrAdministravimas, 30, 7–21. 
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Walden University Online Writing Center. (n.d.) APA style. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/APA.htm Consult the Walden University Online Writing Center for proper APA Style guidelines.

• Laureate Education (Producer). (2014h).Organizational management and leadership: Course preview and course introduction[Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
• Executive Board (1958 sess. : N.Y.). (1958). United Nations Children's Fund: Report of the Executive Board. New York: UN.
  

Theory in Business Research

Contingency Management Theory

Contingency management makes the assertion that managers normally make decisions in reference to the existing situation within the organization rather than using the philosophy that one strategy suits all (Donaldson, 2001). The theory can best be described as a theory that works on the argument that there is no other suitable way to organizing a company, leading it as well as making sound choices. Instead, the optimal action course is dependent upon external as well as internal situation. The manager in this context therefore develops and implements the most important actions based on the existing situation most essential aspects for efficiency to be achieved (Donaldson, 2001). Managers may opt to utilize a participative approach in acquiring thoughts and gaining insights of the issue from the employees rather than being authoritative.

Based on the utility and falsifiability criteria by Bacharach, contingency theory can adequately be refuted which is achievable through the use of experience within organizations. In addition, its content presents a primary bridge amid the theoretical and the practical application and its usefulness is essential since it can be utilized in explaining and making predictions for organizational results. In that through the use of the approach employees are bound to become motivated thus creating satisfaction, high productivity and ultimate success for the organization. In addition, it emphasizes on participation and efficiency rather that the utilization of authority which can be used in creating better employees relation. The contingent theory is an effective management theory since it makes emphasis on efficiency through the application of different approaches to solving persisting issues within an organization. In addition, the theory is more participative and does not encourage authority which is therefore essential in motivating employees to share insights and thoughts regarding an issue (Donaldson, 2001).

Case Assignment

Case 1

In this case, the authors utilize a qualitative approach since the argument here is inductive in that it has a constructed reality. In that, the claims made by the author offers supportive rationales in support of the probable truth of the research conclusion. The research has thoroughly followed the life cycle of a research that led to its publication. In that, the ideas have been developed and created by a number of authors following detailed research from a number of sources. In addition, the research has offered a discussion of its findings to show the link between its thesis and the conclusion. The case stated that the measures of quality performance have competition while infrastructure includes managing the support and labor force (Flynn, Schroeder & Sakakibara, 1995). The research was not involved in any kind of deviation since the conclusion supports the developed hypothesis and also support the study’s purpose. In this case, the researcher could also use a pragmatic approach which has mixed methods. We should follow the life cycle so as not deviate from the objective. The objective might not be fully covered if a more relative approach is not utilized which may create inaccuracy and the lack of dependability of the results.

Case 2

In the second case, the Authors uses quantitative approach. This is shown by the use of data in numerical form and the statistical data is utilized in offering justification to the study’s conclusion. The authors try to explain the forces that determine system usage and their corresponding demerits. Despite the fact that the forces are useful they are characterized by a number of flaws. A detailed research life cycle has been followed as the author offers, the purpose, a review of literature for supporting the given thoughts, an investigation, thorough findings, interpretations, discussion as well as a conclusion. The partnership has also been done since the publication is a peered review. The author points out some of the limitations according to behavioral intentions, behavioral expectations and facilitating conditions in the use of the system by giving better ways to use it. (Huettermann, Doering & Boerner, 2014)

The author could have also used pragmatic research approach to explaining the theory of determinants of behaviors. This approach is free to explain a theory in a mixed up way in that it can use any of the approaches, therefore, the author has the freedom using it in their research. Since the no limitation in the use of pragmatic approach the author has the power to expound on the theory in many ways. Here techniques of different nature could be used. Following the life cycle aids in the flow of the research of the author thus giving the good connection of the ideas. This approach can be utilized in maintaining consistency, creating accuracy as well as the reliability of the study as the failure may create a number of flaws.

Case 3

The authors utilize a qualitative approach to explaining the influence of leaders’ behaviors to those that happen to be on their side. According to the study, leaders should be a good example to others, demonstrate unity, guidance and also involve people in the governing (Venkatesh, Brown, Maruping, & Bala, 2008). The study should have utilized a participatory approach to explaining leaders’ behaviors in their governing process. The use of this approach would enable to respond to certain situations that are favorable to people. The article significantly followed a life cycle of publication research by offering detailed and evaluative literature review in relation to the study. Lifecycle following is essential since it leads to a smooth flow and consistency. The participatory approach should be utilized to ensure that the study does not deviate from the provided purpose.

References

Donaldson, L. (2001). The contingency theory of organizations. Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.: Sage Publ.

Flynn, B. B., Schroeder, R. O., & Sakakibara, S. (1995). The Impact of Quality Management Practices on Performance and Competitive Advantage. Decision Sciences, 26(5), 659-691.

Huettermann, H., Doering, S., & Boerner, S. (2014). Leadership and team identification: Exploring the followers' perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 25(3), 413-432. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.10.010

Venkatesh, V., Brown, S. A., Maruping, L. M., & Bala, H. (2008). Predicting Different Conceptualizations of System Use: The Competing Roles of Behavioral Intention, Facilitating Conditions, And Behavioral Expectation. MIS Quarterly, 32(3), 483-502.

The Dilemma of the Dakota Pipeline

According to Categorical Imperative, addressing the Dakota Pipeline dilemma would involve evaluating the moral actions of implementing the project, while considering the universal freedom and reason of the people who are likely to be affected. It would be necessary to address ordinary or common moral sense that the people whose land the pipeline will pass through.  The categorical imperative, therefore, provides the way in which an evaluation of the moral action is going to be done and the moral judgment that will be made (Young, 2014). The decision on whether to support or oppose the construction of the underground pipeline will depend on the various goals to be fulfilled, whether they will depend on individual human ambitions or whether they will respect the autonomy and dignity of every human being. Considering that the construction of the pipeline is attracting support and opposition in relation to effects it will have on the environment, cultural and religious sites, Kent would weigh the reason behind each stand. If the construction of the pipeline will results economic impacts that benefit the whole country, such a project should be supported. If the criticism for the construction of the pipeline stems from a sense of duty, by opposing the negative impact on the environment and violation of the common interests of the community, the project should be opposed.  Kent would support a decision that puts aside the personal attachment that can influence one’s ability to be rational about the project and stick to what is ethical.

Deontology theory places focus on rightness or wrongness of a given action rather than rightness or wrongness of the effects of the action (Young, 2014).  To a Deontologist, the Dakota pipeline project depends on whether the construction is right or wrong, and whether it conforms to the agreed moral wrong. If the construction of the pipeline across the land belonging to the Rock Sioux Tribe could lead to economic benefits but at the expense of the environment and the welfare of the community, this would be morally wrong. This means that the economic benefits would result to bad state of affairs since the way such economic benefits were obtained in the wrong way. This goes against the argument that the resulting economic benefits justify the action of building the Dakota pipeline. The theory holds that some actions are wrong regardless of whatever positive impacts that follows them.  People are bound to do what is right and ethical rules bind these individuals to their duty (Fisher, 2003). If the action of constructing the pipeline will lead to destruction of the religious and customary rights of the people and destruction of the environment, benefits attributed to the end results do not qualify or justify the Dakota pipeline. One cannot justify the construction of the pipeline by showing that it led to good consequences. On the hand, carrying out the right action should be done regardless of possible less good than doing the wrong one.

The best solution is the Kent’s ethics, which allows for what is reasonable among all people. As such the interest of some people should not be allowed for majority’s benefits. The business profitability of the Dakota pipeline project should not be used as a reason for violating the rights of the tribe and environmental preservation.

Reference

Fisher, C. B. (2003). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. London: SAGE. 243-44

Young, G. (2014). Malingering, feigning, and response bias in psychiatric/psychological injury: Implications for practice and court.583-3584

Model application

Leadership is a procedure that a person has been given the obligation of directing, influencing and guiding the activities done by other people in order to achieve certain goals in life. The leadership role is a model that is important since it helps in the identification a successful correlation among the members of the group (Schein, 2010). Leadership roles assist in achieving a particular predefined objective that is mostly associated the aim of the group.

The leadership role is an important way of showing a sense of commitment. For example, I spearhead a group of people where we teach others the importance of loving another person’s skin color. In this group, I have the black Americans, Hispanic Americans and the Americans in general. Together we form a vibrant group that shows we are one people only disadvantaged by the skin color but that does not make another person an animal.

Leadership role helps in making me a good team leader. The more I get to interact with my teammates the more we learn together. The leadership role has assisted in making the team a success where we are invited to schools and other social platforms to talk about this importance of living as one (Schein, 2010). The leadership role has helped me develop other leaders due to a large number of the group into teams doing a similar work of preaching the importance of living as one people.

Leadership role in more ways than one has increased my knowledge and understanding of the different ways of associating with other people. Changing the lives of other people that all is not lost in life is the best experience one could ever wish for as long as they live.

Leadership style is basically the methodologies a person applies while in control of other people to lead them in the right direction. Leadership styles mainly differ or apply according to the number of people being led. The kind of situation, leader functions, and the kind of followers also help in defining the leadership styles (Posner, & Kouzes, 2013). There are leaders who do not have the capability of leading a big team especially when it comes to making a dilemma kind of a decision.

Leadership styles can differ according to people. My kind of leadership style is that of democracy. People have the capability and the option of choosing what they want to do at what time and who can be their team leader in case there is an open post among the organization. Democracy in a team allows others to have a voice which is what we are trying to give the minority groups of people.

The leadership style of democracy has brought many people together in this team. The various sub-teams I have created have members chose who will lead them in a better way. The organization invites members from outside the group since everyone enjoys a place where he or she can be free to express their feelings making it easier for me to lead.

This particular kind of model predefines the better part of humanity. Being able to control various kinds of people and giving them the ability to talk out fills a better part in me. Leadership style makes people appreciate being involved with us generally. Contributing to the society can at times be a tough decision especially since there is no pay but in this team, we all see the best and focus on a comfortable future for our generations to come.

Leadership tasks are generally the duties performed by the leaders for the benefit of the group members or the followers including the members of the society (Schein, 2010). The tasks performed by a leader reflect what kind of a group a person is spearheading. If there are any inappropriate actions done by a leader then the members of the group will also be seen as a similar type of the leaders.

Leadership tasks can vary according to people. For example, leadership task can be that of envisioning the goals in life. Spearheading a team of people can be challenging since helping others see and stick to a way that will bring the future close is very difficult. Various people have different mentality capacity. Others can be able to weigh a point while others can only swim along with the rest.

Having leadership tasks influences the group to be hopeful of what is coming. In most cases, tasks are what define the group. Leaders who have a weak decision strategy face lots of challenges since making a today decision today is simple but making a tomorrow decision today is very difficult (Schein, 2010). Focusing on the ultimate goal of a group is the best strategy which has helped govern this group since so far.

Leadership tasks have allowed the growth mentally and physically since most of the work done by this group involves helping others become better people by showing them how to lead a good life. When one attains a goal, the feeling about how great the goal never goes away and this helps me keep moving hoping for the best in every member of the group both the passive and the active members.

Brainstorming is basically a technique used by a particular kind of a group for the benefit of coming up with the best solutions to a certain problem. Brainstorming combines an informal and relaxed way of solving an issue with literal thinking (Scannell, & Mulvihill, 2012). The first impression might be crazy but actually, it is the solution only that it needs to be well explained to deliver the message.

Brainstorming is the best typical way of explaining theories which have hidden meaning. For example, while trying to identify how many people know about the world, a question like who is the current deputy president of the United States will have so many answers but only one is correct. Brainstorming helps is keeping a person informed and in many cases knowledgeable.

Generation of ideas is the best possible advantage of brainstorming. People who are involved in brainstorming have an advantage of solving difficult tasks faster and more effectively. The ideas generated in this particular model of solving a problem are diverse and of benefit to all (Scannell, & Mulvihill, 2012). The answers provided in this particular session are interesting and funny but they can never be criticized or even rejected.

In the delivery of a solution, if the solutions given do not match the questions asked, then brainstorming helps in answering the questions correctly and in a more precise way. Brainstorming is very important when it comes to giving a solution with urgency (Scannell, & Mulvihill, 2012). A person can understand and participate in the brainstorming questions more than the other platforms of providing a solution.

References

 Posner, B. Z., & Kouzes, J. M. (2013). The truth about leadership: The no-fads, heart-of-the-       matter facts you need to know. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.   

Scannell, M., & Mulvihill, M. (2012). The big book of brainstorming games: Quick, effective activities that encourage out-of-the-box thinking, improve collaboration, and spark great ideas!.            New York: McGraw-Hill.

Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Performance Appraisal System

Organizational leadership runs into a variety of challenges in work management and also, operational remuneration. Matrix provides vital services for its customers and thus Matrix depends on its employees for the sake of perfecting operational progress. It is thus important for the Matrix’s leadership and employees to work together with a united endeavor in order to ensure effective progression of all activities. This implies that regular communication and feedback between leadership and employees should be enhanced so that every party at Matrix is oriented towards similar objectives and also everyone is able to adapt to the ever-changing world. Nevertheless, it is important to embrace an environment that is able to continually motivate and as well as innovate every working party at Matrix therefore excellent performance should be critiqued and acknowledged on a regular basis. Such an environment is facilitated in circumstances whereby job expectations and responsibilities are well communicated for better understanding.  On the other hand, communication facilitates effective negotiation between leaders and employees in instances of unacceptable performance in order to identify areas to be reestablished for improvement.  

Purpose and Value

For that reason, a performance appraisal system is used to embrace a framework that is able to influence continuous improvement in an organization. The major purpose of an appraisal system is to evaluate employee performance in all operational practices meant to cause performance improvement. The PAS creates a foundation of evaluating whether all employees have clear understanding of performance requirements in all operational positions.

Components

A performance appraisal system is associated with very essential elements as far as job analyses and job descriptions in the organization are concerned. Firstly, PAS is associated with performance planning and communication of job descriptions. Planning occurs at the establishment period of a performance appraisal system. This is an essential component of a PAS since it enables discussion of job duties, performance categories in accordance to performance goals, work quality in relation to work timelines and strategies of holding employee rating in terms of work expectations. The component of planning facilitates clear understanding of performance expectations by elaborating job descriptions through effective communication between organizational leadership and its employees. Secondly, PAS is associated with organizational needs to enhance routine monitoring and instructions.  Performance monitoring is a continuous practice for an organizational leadership which necessitates significant observation of essential incidents and regular communication between management and employees for job improvements. Coaching is necessitated during the appraisal stage for the sake of offering support and guidelines in response to job descriptions towards meeting performance goals (Lussier, 2008). Completion phase is critiqued as the last component associated with a PAS which emphasis on evaluation of performance per employee’s efforts within the overall rating period.

Accountabilities

Accountability denotes the process of handing a PAS the responsibility of ensuring goal accomplishment in definite practices in Matrix. The major accountability of a performance appraisal system is to provide continuous progression in the organization terminating the likelihood of poor performance among the employees (Bhattacharyya, 2011). Performance appraisal system therefore holds accountabilities of enhancing attainment of positive results by providing effective management principles. PAS is commonly applied to establish employee expectations in regards to performance plans and avails equitable awarding programs which highly increase employee morale by enriching satisfaction (Phillips, 2009).  It is the accountability of PAS to enhance goal setting in an organization. The system enhances goal setting in organizations by involving employees in making goals that are attainable and also provides employees the mandate accomplish the already set goals. PAS is responsible of providing help and support to employees when need be through coaching them about organizational goals and acceptable means of attaining their accomplishment (Warner, 2002).  Progress monitoring in response to the set goals and provision of immediate feedback with credible and accommodative performance measure is an essential responsibility held by PAS in organization.  Additionally, the system is accountable of ensuring resource consistency and also enhancement of performance acknowledgement in order to influence improvement continuance.

Advantages and Disadvantages

A well developed performance appraisal system is accompanied by a variety of positive attributes in an organization such as improved performance, increased employee involvement in all inclusive practices, increased competency, increased commitment among employees, increased notions of innovation and increased morale by sustenance of employee satisfaction. The named results of PAS are advantageous to an organization in the sense that they are generally the basis for improved performance since they provide progressive methods of work allocation and completion (Arthur & American Management Association, 2008). . Conversely, the use of accountability as a mechanism of categorizing employees can cause gradual disadvantages in organization. Poor development of PAS leads to presence of fear as well as anxiety among employees in the working environment which is likely to hinder job performance (Kleynhans, 2006). For instance, employees may be frightened to settle for new techniques of leading operation for panic of registering deviating expectations hence hindering innovation.

The primary advantages of a new performance appraisal system are composed on perspectives of facilitating operational efficacy in Matrix by providing appropriate evaluation and feedback system. The advantage of an appraisal system is to enable the determination of performance gap instances where employee performance fails to accomplish quality standard in accordance to Matrix’s core goals since it introduces the essential conception of accountability. On the other hand, a feedback system is usually meant to create an effective communication system within the organization. A new performance appraisal system usually reestablishes communication flow and preferably enhancing a two way form of information flow. It is important for the Matrix Corporation since it ensures accurate communication of job description from the management to employees. Nevertheless, it enables appraisers to receive immediate feedback from its employees concerning potential job problems and necessitated resources in order to boost operational accomplishment.

References

Arthur, D., & American Management Association. (2008). Performance appraisals: Strategies    for success. New York: American Management Association.

Bhattacharyya, D. K. (2011). Performance management systems and strategies. Dehli: Pearson.

Kleynhans, R. (2006). Human resource management. Cape Town, South Africa:   Pearson/Prentice Hall South Africa.

Lussier, R. N. (2008). Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, skill development.       Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.

Employee Voice in the international context (Focus on: Involvement and Participation)

Introduction

 The issue of employees’ voice has attracted a lot of attention from individuals seeking improved organizational performance and those who desire a better employee representation system. The international environment has become more sympathetic to the ideas of employees rights, trade unions and which have their fundamental support from various legal regulations. A major ingredient in employees’ voice around the globe and especially in European Union employment and social policy has been the unfaltering commitment to the notion of employee participation and involvement.  Employee involvement has also become central to senior management in increasing number of multinational organizations even across the European markets as they try to maintain a competitive advantage in market and financial conditions that are dynamic and demanding. In the European Union, the employee voice has been enshrined majorly in law, where various measures are outlined that regulates other areas like non-stand contracts, working conditions and working time. These measures have faced stiff opposition from employees and especially the ones touching on employees’ participation have been viewed as intrusive and threatening.  More complication on adoption of the measures has emerged from the large diversity of present legal and industrial relations frameworks among the member states and even from some governments. Organizations such as UNICE have emphasized the issue of employee voice by highlighting the need for a voluntary approach in consultation and a formal definition of trade unions.

 The need for employee involvement and participation in the international markets cannot be overlooked and the spread of information and consultation arrangements have attracted a lot of attention from the employers. The international market is becoming more complex due to the existence of different work related policy frameworks and the fact that multinational firms are expanding rapidly to take advantage of opportunities in foreign countries. This has comes with increased call for employer responsibility and adherence to various principles aimed at ensuring employees rights and hence participation through representative organization.  In European Union, the focus has been on redistributive forms of workplace employee participation at the company level or group level especially on consultation and information (Hyman, 2010). The focus has majorly been directed towards to basic levels .These comprises of representation of employee at board level where they can influence organizational strategy and representation below the board level via works council where they can daily functions and operations of management. These notions have lead to adoption of various regulations that influence labor relations at the organizational level and across the whole industry in the international and European markets (Waddington, 2011). The growth of multinationals to the level of influencing the legislation process and political platform has been driven by the fact that these firms operates under various regulations and involve many expatriates in carrying out international management decisions. Therefore, companies have been undertaking audits or reviews of their existing consultation and information practices against the established regulations and also to assess the possibility that workers will seek to activate these statutory procedures.

Trade unions are at the heart of this debate and the unions are seen to have been left out due to lack of sufficient scope that could bring about the right communication and networking in European Workers council.  The past has also seen arguments that there would be isolation of council representatives from the representational national structure which undermined the councils’ effectiveness. Another issue has been that these councils would not be involved from national collective bargaining, and in turn leading to further exclusion of international bargaining issues (Waddington, 2011). Due to difference in cultures , languages and  hence backgrounds of industrial relations,  opportunities have been spotted which can  be used  for creation of new employee representation that is transnational and which can lay  a basis of developing ‘solidaristic’ strategies that  supplements consultation and information (Caligiuri & Bonache, 2016) .  The European Work Councils has a major role of ensuing employee participation by providing consultation.  However, criticism has been drawn from the fact that the quality of service provided by the council is poor so that, at best, many of these councils act just like institutions where information can be disclosed by managers. Lack of an even pattern of articulation between trade unions and the workers councils in relation to training, support and communication is another issue.  The practices of consultation and information fail to meet the standards in the EWC outlined agreements (Waddington, 2011). Such information and consultation should be of high quality so as ensure employee voice is facilitated through involvement and participation.    

 Employee voice goes beyond representation by the councils to express grievances in work context to participation and management of employees in the process of decision making or even communication where employees and managers are given an opportunity to exchange ideas about certain issues via a collective consultation and on an individual platform. This is true where there is diversity where workers can exchange experiences and objects to other people in different countries or even spreading social structures that can be enjoined in pre-existing culture to have an environment that encourages employees’ welfare and improving organizational performance. In an era of globalization, many employees find themselves relocating to foreign countries to work on multinational organizations and they have to be granted a voice to raise grievances, share ideas and be included in the decision making process (Caligiuri & Bonache, 2016). This is also important for the employees working in transnational companies that aim at spreading out operations in various countries while sustaining a local responsiveness that is of high level. Working as an expatriate in these companies represents certain challenges that emerge from salient differences in economic and geopolitical changes, technological advancement, communication and even the demographic and organizational trend in the business environment. The expatriates normally have some key functions that forms the reasons for working in other countries; management development, control and filling certain positions .The controlling role involves the expatriates representing the interest of the parent firm in various subsidiaries by liaising between the interests of both countries, safeguarding the overall interests of the firm and ensuring that decisions made at the subsidiary level do not deviate from the organizational goals (Caligiuri & Bonache, 2016). This function requires a lot of involvement and participation of the employees who take part in it. The function of filling the vacant position involve knowledge transfer to the subsidiary from the headquarter and such knowledge may be general such as corporate culture or even more specific and technical such as negotiation and purchasing skills , transformational or even outputs(Caligiuri & Bonache, 2016).  Transferring this knowledge involves a lot of participations and involvement by members of an organization so that it can be steeped in the skills and experience of these individuals. 

Management development is a task that involves getting immersed in a wide array of challenging and new intercultural situations which will assist in development of a holistic approach and international business acumen. The need for participation is quit high given the fact that the individuals taking over the responsibilities will encounter challenges that they want solved through engagement. These people also want opportunities to have a work life-balance and be able to explore career opportunities for professional growth. The global mobility undertaken by expatriates has many challenges, while its integration with management of global talent will involve addressing the various needs of these workers (Caligiuri & Bonache, 2016). It is important for the European Union member states in the management of demand and supply of international mobile professionals, an in ensuring that those with the appropriate kind of cross-cultural competences and skills are given the right assignments and at the appropriate time.   To accomplish this, the talent management and the mobility functions are close in reference to employees’ participations and involvement. Employee participation and involvement is also beneficial to the human resource managers who will have an opportunity examine whether the actual competencies acquired are appropriate instead of assuming that such competences were gained while abroad (Bonache & Noethen, 2014).  With increased heterogeneity of foreign employees among the European countries, family demographics and individual needs will continue being more distinctive presently and in future.  The various demands from these expatriates ranging from eldercare and even inclusion of benefits to those partners who are not married will have to be encountered.  These individuals may also demands their rights as provided in the regulations of the various countries or European agreements and avoiding confrontation at the workplace or disruptions in the operations of the firm.

The success of employee in delivering value to the employers such as multinationals across the European Union depends on the various legal regulations that provide an opportunity for employees to engage the management. A legal background provides such an avenue where employee’s rights are upheld such the Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome (now Article 141 where considerations such as the principle of equal pay are provided for both genders – male and female (Barber & Monks, 2006). The female employees are given the right to participate in collective bargain or trade unions and be provided with contractual benefits that are similar to that of men working in a common establishment or same terms and conditions. Similar opportunities provided where discrimination is rule out, enabling equal participation and involvement of all employees with fear of prejudice based on one’s gender or background. This ensures that there is a platform for all employees to engage in information sharing and finding for solutions to problems jointly between employees and managers in both formal and informal arrangements. It shows participation and involvement will best take place if every employee to share their views on the prevailing problems and offering suggestion for available solutions. This supports the idea of aligning the interests of employees and employers and focusing the energy towards common goals within the organization .However, this does not work under the premise that conflict is not likely to occur, or that any the trade unions will not be required to solve such problems. While encouraging the participation and involvement, it is important to appreciate that there will always be separate interest of employers and workers and many of these interests are unavoidable and natural. However, employee involvement will ensure that different there is the appropriate management of these interests and hence open conflicts are avoided or are channeled towards production of more positive outcomes. In the same manner it is can be difficult to avoid conflict in an international environment where the many challenges that relates to labor and  different labor  regulations including in the European Union . It would require the effort of employers and employees to ensure that any cultural differences arising from the expatriates or between them and management are addressed.  

The appropriate participation can be attained through the inspirational social partnership that is established by the European directives, where the process of information and consultation among all sizes of organizations are legally mandated.  The social partnership model is able to move beyond a narrow idea of employment relationship as comprising only of the organization and work is considered in social context that is broader (Hyman, 2010). This allows employees and employers to have responsibilities and rights and some of the rights have been enshrined different laws of various European Union member states.  The participants in this model have a social and economic function in a business environment and where consultation arrangements are promoted to attain the intended social, economic and cultural goals.   Here, social dialogue is promoted and it plays a vital role in development and maintenance of the statutory form of participation by the employee. The aim is to forge a social partnership concept on which a framework is developed for modernization of organizational functions (Hyman, 2010).  Regardless of any criticism on employee democracy to participate or get involved in the decision making process, the benefits will outweigh.

Conclusion

 There are various justifications for employees possessing some participatory rights including providing a remedy for power imbalances between employers and employees and having democratic principles at the place of work which are common across the European Union members. Others include creating organizations that address various community interests, encourage economic efficiency and the development of work relationships that are based on corporation. Therefore, in markets that are increasingly becoming global and where labor mobility level is high, participation will ensure that employees can overcome cultural differences and are provided with a working environment where their value is appreciated.  This will link the gap between employees or trade unions that represent them and the companies, and the interests all parties will be addressed without a need for litigation to solve arising conflicts. In addition, the organizations are under an obligation to consult with employees while assigning them functions, choosing the company representatives in foreign countries and in major decisions such as mitigating the effects arising from redundancies. In addition, consultations and sharing of information with trade unions will remove any fear that social participation will render such organizations irrelevant. In the expansive European Union, the participation and involvement can act like a productive factor, specifically for those firms that are experiencing expansion, restructuring and even business turbulence in the global market.

References

Waddington, J. (2011). European works councils: the challenge for labour. Industrial Relations Journal, 42(6), 508-529.

Bonache, J., & Noethen, D. (2014). The impact of individual performance on organizational success and its implications for the management of expatriates. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(14), 1960-1977.

Caligiuri, P., & Bonache, J. (2016). Evolving and enduring challenges in global mobility. Journal of World Business, 51(1), 127-141.

Hyman, R. (2010). British industrial relations: The European dimension (pp. 54-80). John Wiley & Sons.

Barber, B., Monks J. (2006).Europe and Your Rights at Work.

Fine-search: Project management website/Application

Background

Management of large projects or carrying out many tasks may present a problem to students and even educators.  The solution for such challenges is to use an offline project management website or application that can be used at any place.  The Fine-search application is developed through the agile methodology to provide these services in learning institutions.

Introduction

This reports highlights the creation of an offline project management application that is web-based which can assist in collaboration between patients and sharing of files between them.  This web-based application should allow students to see the work to be done by the group, individuals’ assignment in the group and the progress of the group-work in course of time.  The development of the application will utilize Kaban as a method of knowledge work management that ensures a balance between work demands with available new work capacity.  The development of the project will involve breaking it down into various stages which include the initiation phase, planning and designing phase, execution phase , monitoring and completion. The agile development methodology will be used in the creation of the website, an approach that offers opportunities for assessing the direction of a given project in the entire lifecycle of this development.  The use if an offline application offers benefits relating to security and non-dependence on internet availability.

Aims and objectives

 The development of this application will aim at enhancing students’ individual tasks or group work. In the group work discussion the web-based application will also aim at assisting in information on individual assignment that will contribute to better outcome for the entire group. The objectives of this web-based application is to enable students see whatever that is being worked on, individuals who are working on a given section of work and the extent to which the work has progressed.  It is aimed at making it easier to manage teamwork, organization of anything that the students are working on and customization of different workflows for various projects. As such it will enable an easy way for students groups to assign work for every member and ensuring that they collaborate in their research and studies so as to ensure a common goal is achieved.

Literature review and findings

Project management application refers to software with the ability to help in organizing, strategizing and the management of resource streams while developing approximations of resources (Ferraro, 2012). Depending on how the software is complex and the availability of resources, work project work performance can be optimized by using available resources (Murch, 2004). The development of offline web-based project management application is essential in the assigning of   work in a team and checking the progress of the work for the good performance of the entire group (Emond & Steins, 2011).  The implementation of web-based project management software is done as a web application that can be accessed through an extranet or web browser (Sadashiv & Kumar, 2011).  It is usually multi-user which can be accessed through smartphones or from a computer after installing this software.  Teams that deal with different projects cannot depend on project management tools that are limited by capacity and which cannot offer effective organization of the work (Lewis, 2007).  Trying to limit the tools for project management to online management tools can be a recipe for disaster where the availability of internet is a challenge (Mahmood, 2017).

For members of a given group working on a project, there is a need for providing information to everyone about the requirements, deadline for different tasks and the sharing of documents (Hill, 2013).  In addition, an offline tool will ensure that individuals are in constant communication with others or group members can communicate continually among themselves. Such kind of information may outgrow spreadsheets while integration with various platforms that may be necessary in the absence of internet (Kuiper & Clippinger, 2012).  The project management tool can allow the team members and those interest parties outside the group to keep a track of each detail that can bring about good performance and fruition.  As such, an over view of the work to be done can be provided and the important details about the tasks being performed for the purpose of pushing the project forward. When the browser based application is developed effectively, it can go a long way in helping the group members to deal with common problems like quick deadlines through an automatic rescheduling of tasks that can be impacted by it (Verzuh, 2011).  The various students using this tool can generate reports that provide insight into what areas were given much concentration or which part required little research.

 While integration with various platforms such as Google may be impossible, a collaborated research or study work can be thoroughly done by use of this tool.  The application should be collaboration software so that many different services handling almost everything from attachments and uploads while allowing two students to type on a given document simultaneously (In Silvius, 2016). Whether using communication tools that are included in the application for projection management, or connection to an outside application, the common idea is for the group members to log into a single workplace, where they have access to everything they require to finish the tasks.  In the applications, the work will be simplified by access to the necessary assets, information researched by group members and their notes, the timelines for finishing up this work and a variety of answers to some problems. Communication and collaboration are very essential, a major feature of project management tool is chat application that is in-built, and whose misuse can be addressed through agreement by the users on the right terms how to use it (Binder, 2009). The option for chatting is very essential given that communication is very important in any project management team.

An efficient project management tool is one that allows open environment for communication and collaboration which are very important allocation of given task and the work to be carried out by every member of a group (Margea & Margea, 2011). It should allow for planning and scheduling, collaboration, documentation, reporting and even resource management. In management of a group or a team, it is very important every member’s responsibilities and tasks visible and clearly outlined (Davis, 2009).  The clear indication of responsibilities and tasks assist in avoidance of misunderstandings and even knowing how to share various tasks (Shivalingaiah & Naik, 2009).  The best offline tool will enable the setting of priorities of the group and setting the guidelines on how the deadlines are going to be met.   Prioritizing specific tasks is important especially where problems may arise and room can be quickly made in the schedule plan without having to reschedule the entire plan of the project (Emond & Steins, 2011). Collaboration is very important when the group or a team has very many members, with every member working on some given tasks and being knowledgeable in different areas of research (Schwalbe, 2014).  Moreover, the team members in a group should be able to assess one another’s work so as to have common understanding and even conclusion. 

Collaboration enables communication, and this is true where the website has a chat app or a messenger app that is build in the management tool (Lanubile, Ebert, Prikladnicki, & Vizcaíno, 2010).  A team dash board is one feature that can ensure accessibility of the software by all, so that messages and information can be shared easily. In communication, sharing of project information is important in completion of the project (Pritchard, 2014).  A good tool is one that will enable team members to share information with fellow members.  The members can include their views on the work done by others for further discussion and clarification.  Documentation is also important aspect of a project management website, which makes it possible for all data to be accessible in a single place including completed tasks, planned and upcoming work, and the available resources that can be used in the project (Information Resources Management Association, 2016). Having data that is collected in one place means that it can be shared it easily with other group members and it can be accessed within minimal time.  As such there is no need for using spreadsheets where one would be required to go through multiples of them while looking for bits of data. Reporting requires first understanding the project, related problems and shortcomings where a quick solution is required (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008).  A report helps in having an overview of the progress, the various requirements that are needed and checking where the project aligns to these requirements. An offline project management is therefore an important tool if it enables the entire work to be completed in line with laid down instructions.

 An offline project management application has various benefits that range from connectivity and security if data involved therein.  The application is not prone to denial-of-services attack, which means that it will be available to the intended users at all times (Avola & Raasch, 2013). The DoS attack can indefinitely or temporarily disrupt the function of an online application since it has to be connected to an internet.  The case of flooding the application with various superfluous request will not be encountered by the users given that system overload will not be possible. Offline support is quite useful in the development of project management application given that in many areas of undeveloped countries internet connectivity is not available or assured (Ranjan, Swaminathan, Uysal & Knightly, 2006). An application that depends on internet access cannot be the suitable tool for using in these areas, and hence lack of offline access serves as a limit to where the applications can be used. Therefore, an offline application allows for searching of record sets that are cached almost immediately and a guaranteed continuous operation regardless of network connectivity or not.  This ensures that students have a consistent and effective performance of the application in their projects and tasks in areas where internet is not accessible.

Methodological justification

The agile methodology is used to create the project management application, and it involves splitting the project into smaller projects and every step us shipped towards obtaining the full goal. The broad idea of the project is planned and it is then divided up.  The process will involve each division of the website creation undergoing different phases of development individually (Guay, n.d). Each division undergoes the following stages;

Planning: It involves determining the requirement for the tool where everything that is need to be carried out to have a finished product.

 Designing: involves both basic and detailed designing, where proposed design meets the requirements. At this point a coding language is chosen together with how the user experience will be structured, which will be integrated into the whole project.

Implementation and testing individually: This involves the real construction, where development of each section is measured against certain metrics previously established. Each part if implementation helps in moving to the testing phase. While testing finding and fixing any problems is done. Any part that needs more adjustment is taken to the implementation until the every division of the project is finished

 It makes it faster to ship and adapt the whole process to the emerging needs before integration of all parts is done. As such the development of the tool will not involve the traditional process due to the time constraint and the need for fast completion of the application. This methodology offers opportunities for assessing the direction and progress of the project in the entire development cycle (Cobb, 2015). The divisions of the work or iterations make it easy to achieve the laid down objectives for the development of project management tool.  Given the limitation on time and resources, this method of inspecting and adapting ensures that there is great reduction of time required to develop the application. It also makes it possible to start using the management tool in and realizing or optimizing the product’s value in a real environment (Layton, 2012).

The integration of the Kaban will be involved in the management of project.  Through Kaban system, workflow cards will be organized into some columns like What To Do, Doing and Done on a given board.  The board will include the big picture which involves the project, where cards are added describing every color label and a card for every project on the lost. It will also include an inbox, NextActions, Waiting and Done for the whole project. The system will provide a way of organizing chaos surrounding the group of students by making clear the need for focus and prioritization.  Workflow problems in project and tasks will be uncovered to find solutions that will be delivered constantly to relevant institutions. These features will make it easy for the students to use the tool for their group work or even individual assignments.

Analysis

The application will be a good tool for visualizing and tracking various projects and tasks being undertaken by individual student and groups of students. By the use of a card-based layout, every piece of task or project can have its own card within each of the cards, notes can be assigned to the various members of the group or can be organized into different lists, within the cards, tasks or project lists can be created, color-coded and files attached for easier identification and use by all the members of the group. To include the timeline for the various tasks or projects, a calendar can be a great feature where everything is assigned in its view which makes it easier to organize dates. Being a collaborative tool, it is very effective in organization of all the portions of a projects or different tasks including the students in a group , the tasks or project’s due dates and the how the work is progressing.

The aforementioned board allows the user to invite as many people as possible, while the board is visible to everybody in the group .Using the comments and attachments located in every card; it is possible to start a discussion especially on the progress of the project being carried out by a group. In addition , once a task or a project is completed ,  individuals and group members can benefit from  having a reflection of how the tasks was done , what areas were done excellently and which parts did not go well.  The application will also allow for reviewing what can be done for the process improvement going forward.  Members of a group can also check into the board regularly and by posting cards that show the progress, they air the views.

Recommendations

The Fine-search website should be used extensively by students in their group project or tasks rather than just depending on online applications that are susceptible to attacks and lack of internet. The application should be used especially in areas where internet access is not assured. For maximum use of the application, there should be continuous improvement to deal with problems that may arise with time or for the purpose of upgrade. A mobile application can be developed from future since this is just a prototype.

Reference

Avola, G., & Raasch, J. (2013). Smashing mobile web development: Going mobile with HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley.

Binder, J. (2009). Global project management: communication, collaboration and management across borders. Strategic Direction.215

Cobb, C. G. (2015). The project manager's guide to mastering agile: Principles and practices for an adaptive approach.4-5

Davis, W. R. (2009). Executing change in the organization: The consultant's toolkit. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.4

Emond, J., & Steins, C. (2011). Pro web project management. Berkeley, Calif.: Apress. 171-173

Emond, J., & Steins, C. (2011). Pro web project management. Berkeley, Calif.: Apress. 124-125

Ferraro, J. (2012). Project management for non-project managers. New York: AMACOM. 183

Guay, M., (n.d).Project Management 101: The Complete Guide to Agile, Kanban, Scrum and Beyond. Retrieved from: https://zapier.com/learn/project-management/project-management-systems/

Hill, G. M. (2013). The complete project management office handbook. CRC Press.

In Silvius, G. (2016). Strategic integration of social media into project management practice. 155

Information Resources Management Association. (2016). Project management: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications. Hershey: Business Science Reference.

Kuiper, S., & Clippinger, D. A. (2012). Contemporary business report writing. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. 452

Lanubile, F., Ebert, C., Prikladnicki, R., & Vizcaíno, A. (2010). Collaboration tools for global software engineering. IEEE software, 27(2).

Layton, M. (2012). Agile project management for dummies. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. 43

Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of project management. New York: AMACOM Books. 3-5

Mahmood, Z. (Ed.). (2017). Software Project Management for Distributed Computing: Life-Cycle Methods for Developing Scalable and Reliable Tools. 123-125

Margea, R., & Margea, C. (2011). Open source approach to project management tools. Informatica Economica, 15(1), 196.

Murch, R. (2004). Project management: Best practices for IT professionals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR.150-152

Nicholas, J. M., & Steyn, H. (2008). Project management for business, engineering, and technology: Principles and practice. Amsterdam: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann.

Pritchard, C. L. (2014). The Project management communications toolkit. 9-10

Ranjan, S., Swaminathan, R., Uysal, M., & Knightly, E. W. (2006). DDoS-Resilient Scheduling to Counter Application Layer Attacks Under Imperfect Detection. In INFOCOM.

Sadashiv, N., & Kumar, S. D. (2011). Cluster, grid and cloud computing: A detailed comparison. In Computer Science & Education (ICCSE), 2011 6th International Conference on (pp. 477-482). IEEE.

Schwalbe, K. (2014). Information technology project management.424-426

Shivalingaiah, D., & Naik, U. (2009). Open source software for content management system.

Verzuh, E. (2011). The fast forward MBA in project management. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

Internal Environment Analysis of Microsoft Corporation

            The Microsoft Corporation is a global entity with branches in every nation. The firm has economies of scale which enable it perform well on the world market. The company based its headquarters in the USA, and it has competent managerial administration. The current Chief Executive Officer is Mr. Satya Nadella (Microsoft, 2017). The corporation has enormous revenue averaging of $ 73.72 billion as in (2012), and its profitability is averaged at $ 16.97 billion as in (2012). The company has the largest number of the workforce as compared to its competitors international. There are about 94,000 as in (2012) employees of all expertise professionals.

             There a large number of the competitors that the corporation faces in the market. Key among them being; Apple Inc., Google Inc., Ltd., Samsung, International Machines Business conglomerate and other firms provide similar products (Lombardo, 2017). They offer a divert products on the market of computer hard and software, and all other types of electronics. The firm is the key element in the stock market based on its worldwide operation as well the enormous financial capital base
            The financial analysis of Microsoft Corporation for the past financial years has had a fluctuation from one year to other for the revenue, net profit, sales, as well stocks.  For the financial years; 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007 the revenue, net profit, sales have been fluctuating as seen in the table below.

The Table below shows the financial analysis of Microsoft Corporation for the past years

EXPORT                                                                YEARS       

2007-06

2008-06

2009-06

2010-06

2011-06

2012-06

2013-06

2014-06

2015-06

2016-06

TTM

Revenue USD Mil

51,122

60,420

58,437

62,484

69,943

73,723

77,849

86,833

93,580

85,320

85,688

Gross Margin %

79.1

80.8

79.2

80.2

77.7

76.2

73.8

68.8

64.7

61.6

61.0

Operating Income USD Mil

18,438

22,271

20,363

24,098

27,161

21,763

26,764

27,759

18,161

20,182

19,765

Operating Margin %

36.1

36.9

34.8

38.6

38.8

29.5

34.4

32.0

19.4

23.7

23.1

Net Income USD Mil

14,065

17,681

14,569

18,760

23,150

16,978

21,863

22,074

12,193

16,798

16,768

Earnings Per Share USD

1.42

1.87

1.62

2.10

2.69

2.00

2.58

2.63

1.48

2.10

2.13

Dividends USD

0.39

0.43

0.50

0.52

0.61

0.76

0.89

1.07

1.21

1.39

1.47

Payout Ratio % *

27.3

22.9

30.8

24.8

22.6

26.4

44.3

38.2

49.0

101.5

69.0

Shares Mil

9,886

9,470

8,996

8,927

8,593

8,506

8,470

8,399

8,254

8,013

7,906

Book Value Per Share * USD

3.73

3.97

4.44

5.33

6.82

8.19

9.21

10.61

11.23

9.58

8.90

Operating Cash Flow USD Mil

17,796

21,612

19,037

24,073

26,994

31,626

28,833

32,231

29,080

33,325

36,673

Cap Spending USD Mil

-2,264

-3,182

-3,119

-1,977

-2,355

-2,305

-4,257

-5,485

-5,944

-8,343

-9,114

Free Cash Flow USD Mil

15,532

18,430

15,918

22,096

24,639

29,321

24,576

26,746

23,136

24,982

27,559

Free Cash Flow Per Share * USD

1.44

1.95

1.77

2.48

2.87

3.24

3.24

2.69

3.16

2.93

—

Working Capital USD Mil

16,414

13,356

22,246

29,529

46,144

52,396

64,049

68,621

74,854

80,303

—

Efficiency Ratios

Margins % of Sales

2007-06

2008-06

2009-06

2010-06

2011-06

2012-06

2013-06

2014-06

2015-06

2016-06

TTM

Revenue

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

COGS

20.92

19.20

20.80

19.84

22.27

23.78

26.19

31.18

35.30

38.42

39.03

Gross Margin

79.08

80.80

79.20

80.16

77.73

76.22

73.81

68.82

64.70

61.58

60.97

SG&A

29.09

30.43

28.94

27.65

25.97

24.99

26.06

23.59

21.72

22.57

22.26

R&D

13.93

13.51

15.42

13.95

12.93

13.31

13.37

13.11

12.87

14.05

14.35

Other

—

—

—

—

—

8.40

—

0.15

10.70

1.30

1.30

Operating Margin

36.07

36.86

34.85

38.57

38.83

29.52

34.38

31.97

19.41

23.65

23.07

Net Into Inc & Other

3.25

2.55

-0.93

1.46

1.30

0.68

0.37

0.07

0.37

-0.51

0.36

EBT Margin

39.32

39.41

33.92

40.03

40.13

30.20

34.75

32.04

19.78

23.15

23.42

Profitability

2007-06

2008-06

2009-06

2010-06

2011-06

2012-06

2013-06

2014-06

2015-06

2016-06

TTM

Tax Rate %

30.03

25.75

26.50

25.00

17.53

23.75

19.18

20.65

34.12

14.95

16.46

Net Margin %

27.51

29.26

24.93

30.02

33.10

23.03

28.08

25.42

13.03

19.69

19.57

Asset Turnover (Average)

0.77

0.89

0.78

0.76

0.71

0.64

0.59

0.55

0.54

0.46

0.42

Return on Assets %

21.19

26.01

19.34

22.88

23.77

14.77

16.58

14.02

7.00

9.08

8.29

Financial Leverage (Average)

2.03

2.01

1.97

1.86

1.90

1.83

1.80

1.92

2.20

2.69

3.26

Return on Equity %

39.51

52.48

38.42

43.76

44.84

27.51

30.09

26.17

14.36

22.09

23.03

Return on Invested Capital %

36.92

50.52

33.36

37.45

37.40

22.62

25.07

21.11

10.71

14.18

12.52

Interest Coverage

—

—

—

166.65

96.16

59.60

64.06

47.60

24.70

16.89

13.22

(Morningstar Corp ,n.d)
           

            The company has a culture which upholds the dignity and respect on which values and mission of the firm are based on. There are a number of them namely: Accountability, Responsiveness to clients Growth Mindset, Quality and Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion. Under accountability, the company requires every associate of the corporation to make good use of resources available and be able to account for any possible loss.

            Also, the corporation must be responsiveness to clients Growth Mindset as a major backbone and fundamental of the firm since clients are the primary resource of the enterprise. Another value is Quality and Innovation (Lambardo, 2017). The company insists on the quality and innovation as changes of technology undergo various crucial stages of the innovation. Finally, the value and culture lie in diversity and inclusion since there is stiff competition on the market segmentation and diversity as well as inclusion shall enable Microsoft Corporation to compete favorably in the global market.

Microsoft values are ingrained in its organizational culture and are reflected in the business practices that are ethical and compliance to legal requirements. The employees of the organization are expected to show these values by maintaining ethical standards and conduct the business of the company with high integrity and in compliance with the established policies. Retaliation is not tolerated against employee who prepares a report in good faith and who corporate with the audit process or even declines to take part in activities that are in violation to relevant policies, regulations and laws (Nadella, 2014). This shows that such an employee is observing the laid down standards of ethical standards. The organizational members are expected to think through the values and utilize the available resources to help in improving the ethical, values and culture of the firm. As such, respect for culture and customs diversity is held highly and differences in business practices encountered in the global market place acknowledged (Nadella, 2014).

            In conclusion, the firm celebrates its core values, mission and vision through market diversification. However, the Microsoft’s organizational customs supports industrial goals for enduring global achievement. Such accomplishment is based on innovation and openness to client’s’ concerns. The shared cultural celebration illustrate how Microsoft has to maintain its sell position, as it satisfies needs in both computer software as well as hardware market.

References

Leader-Follower Theory

 In organization, leaders and followers play a significant role in maintain the competitive edge.  Smooth business operations and high quality services are achieved when leaders and followers cooperate to adequate leadership. Due to the   rapid change and growth of competitive organizations, effective leadership is essential as it will help the organization adapt to the changes. Focusing on leader-follower theory and the related various perspectives, RUYI et al, (2016) assert that self-sacrificial leaders help employees create self-sacrificial behavior.Self-sacrificial leaders are committed to their work; they are charismatic, legitimate, build trust and motivate workers to increase performance as well as to follow positive behaviors. The article asserts that self-sacrificial leaders have prosocial behaviors and strong goals that motivate she team in behaving ethically and engaging in prosocial behaviors. Self-sacrificial leaders help the organization achieve effectiveness as employees are motivated to improve performance thus accomplishing the desired effects (RUYI et al, 2016).When leaders exhibit self-sacrificial behaviors and demonstrates value, employees gains the willingness to follow and more importantly becomes committed to the organizational task. Furthermore, when self-sacrificial leadership builds employees’ self-sacrificial behaviors, there is a leader-follower relationship which leads to higher job satisfaction and organization efficiency (RUYI et al, 2016).

 In analyzing leader-follower theory perspectives, Lee et al (2017) introduce the ethical leadership and its role in developing employees’ ethical behaviors. The author asserts that ethical leadership and employees’ ethical behaviors create value congruence. This means that through ethical leadership, employees develop a moral voice and a moral efficacy. The two   help employees conduct business operation with self-image (Lee et al, 2017). Leaders demonstrate ethical leadership through personal actions, communication and decision-making.   The results of ethical leaderships is job satisfaction, high job performance and organization effectiveness. The reason for achieving these desirable outcomes is because ethical leaders act as moral manager, show honesty, trustworthiness, collective motivation and reinforces ethical standards. Ethical leadership rewards ethical followers and disciplines employees who violate ethical standards image (Lee et al, 2017). Thus, ethical leadership develops moral voice and moral behaviors, and the two leads to commitment toward organization goals and objectives, thus achieving the organization effectiveness.

According to Malakyan (2013), the literature on leadership does not put attention on followership but rather it   focus on leaders’ perspective.  However, the article asserts that there is a new paradigm which values the relation between leaders and followers. The emerging literature is based on follower-centered research and it mainly seeks to education on the role and importance of leader-follower relationship in organization. The article introduces various theories which support the new paradigm. For example, path-goal theory asserts that leaders have the reasonability to set goals and help the employees achieve the goals through motivation and empowerment. In addition, leaders ensure that there are no obstacles which hinder better performance. Organization achieves effectiveness when leaders are supportive, directive and   goal-oriented.  Psychodynamic approach also support the leader-follower theory in that leader understands the psychological world of the followers in carrying out effective roles (Malakyan, 2013).  Authentic leadership tells that leaders create relationship with followers through building interpersonal perspective, transparency and authenticity.  Last, the article introduces the leader-follower trade approach and asserts that organization effectiveness is achieved when leaders and follower act as two separate roles. The trade different functions and the build intrapersonal perspectives and mutual effectiveness (Malakyan, 2013).

 Hollander (2009) asserts that leaders and followers play a significant role in organization. Both have an active role in that all the organization levels require the   active role of the leader and the passive role of the follower. The article asserts that leadership functions which correlate with attention and influence are followed by employees. Good leaders show honest, competency and trustworthiness in carrying out roles such as goal setting, decision-making and more. Though there is power imbalance between leaders and followers, they both influence each other through leader-follower interaction. Leader-follower theory  argue that organization effectiveness is achieved when leaders’ traits becomes the attributes of followers (Hollander, 2009).  For example, followers respond to leaders’ competency and motivation.

Cropanzano et al (2017) assert that leader-member exchange   theory (LMX) explains the organizational leadership by connecting the leaders and followers. The article asserts that the relation between the two produce positive outcomes which are achieved through   job satisfaction and high performance. Leader-member exchange theory asserts that the relationship between the two is a associated with role taking (Cropanzano et al, 2017). During the initial interaction, there is high-quality relationship and leaders are able to guide the followers on the right direction toward organization effectiveness. The latter is achieved through role making and members increase performance on the role assigned by the leaders.

Reference

RUYI, Z., LIRONG, L., & PO, H. (2016). POSITIVE AFFECT, ENVIRONMENTAL UNCERTAINTY, AND SELF-

SACRIFICIAL LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE FOLLOWERS' SELF-SACRIFICIAL BEHAVIOR. Social Behavior

& Personality: An International Journal, 44(9), 1515-1524.

doi:10.2224/sbp.2016.44.9.1515

Lee, D., Choi, Y., Youn, S., & Chun, J. (2017). Ethical Leadership and Employee Moral Voice: The

Mediating Role of Moral Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Leader-Follower Value

Congruence. Journal Of Business Ethics, 141(1), 47-57. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2689-y

Malakyan, P. G. (2013). Followership in Leadership Studies: A Case of Leader-Follower Trade

Approach. Journal Of Leadership Studies, 7(4), 6-22. doi:10.1002/jls.21306

Hollander, E. P. (2009). Inclusive Leadership : The Essential Leader-Follower Relationship. New York:

Routledge.

CROPANZANO, R., DASBOROUGH, M. T., & WEISS, H. M. (2017). AFFECTIVE EVENTS AND THE

DEVELOPMENT OF LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE. Academy Of Management Review, 42(2), 233-

258. doi:10.5465/amr.2014.0384

Organizational Justice 

Distributive

            Distributive justice is the perception on equality principle.  Fairness in the distribution of outcomes is a concern and all people should be treated equally (Baldwin, 2006). Outcomes such as career opportunities and wages are expected to be distributed equally and inputs such as training and education should be provided to all people without discrimination. HR policies play a significant role in ensuring that all employees receive equal development opportunities (Baldwin, 2006). Since the issue of favoritism has highly increased in many organizations, attention on justice has been employed to ensure equal distribution of rewards.

 Procedural

Procedural justice is the perception that there should be fairness in the process of making decisions. The purpose of being involved in making decision is to share opinions on a particular issue through following justice principles (Baldwin, 2006). In organizations, employees need to be given the opportunity to express their opinions in making decisions. In addition, employees need a sense of belonging and so the organization should ensure the voice of principle such as empowerment programmes. Even though employees need to be involved in decision making, other criteria for procedural justice include consistency, neutrality, morality and ethicality and more (Greenberg, 2013).

 Interactional justice

 Interactional justice correlates with procedural justice where employee need participation in decision making, but interaction emphasizes that process of decision making as an employee right (Baldwin, 2006).  Employees expect interpersonal treatment and their perceptions is focused on the idea that interactional justice involve truthfulness, respect and justification. Since authority can hinder fair justice judgment, it recommended that managers should be trustworthy, should show neutrality to avoid unbiased decision and should stand firm as a manager-should show respect and dignity (Greenberg, 2013).

Importance of justice in the workplace

             The three dimensions of justice in organization are important as they ensure fair treatment and control threats and challenges (Baldwin, 2006). For example, when organization ensures equitable pay, employees will improve performance, create   loyalty and pay commitment and trust. In addition, procedural justice in organization is very important as it reinforces ‘organizational citizenship behavior’ (OCB) (Baldwin, 2006). Employees develop a voluntary commitment, adhere to prosocial acts and engage in constructive things. Other point is justice promotes employee well-being. When employees are treated fairly with no bias, they use the internal treatment   in creating a self-assessed health. Through justice, employee ensures fair performance appraisal and participates in conflict resolution. Rather than solving cases through mediation and negotiation, justice allows employees to use arbitration and waits for the manager’s judgment (Baldwin, 2006). Layoffs and termination have creating a big problem within the organization as employees are terminated without clear justification.  Justice in this case will ensure honest explanation before termination an employee. Today, employees are facing challenges due to unfair selection procedures.  This not only affects the employees but it also affects the entire organization since the unfair treatment lowers employee performance and commitment on business operations (Baldwin, 2006).  With justice, HR is responsible in ensuring criteria in selection and staffing In addition, justice play a vital role as it involves employees in organizational change. They are involved in decision making where their views are taken seriously. In addition, they understand the need for change and the impact of change (Baldwin, 2006).

 Unfair treatment scenario

 An employee might feel  unjustly treated  when he  receives  the same level of education and training, and have been  in the business  for   the same period  of time as other  co-workers but when it comes to  promotion,  some colleagues  are promoted  but  he is discriminated.  The discriminated   employee loses self-esteem due to different reward given to   workers who execute similar roles with the same level of knowledge. At the end, the employee loses trust and commitment and feels like he does not belong to the organization.  He perceives this as unfair treatment and this can only be eliminated if the organization adheres to principles of organizational justice.

Reference

Baldwin  Susanna. (2006).Organizational Justice.  INSTITUTE  FOR EMPLOYMENT STUDIES.

Greenberg Jerald &Colquitt A. Jason.(2013). Handbook of Organizational Justice. Psychology Press,