Aligning Action and Values Article Critique Essay

In the article ‘Aligning Action and Values’ article by Jim Collins, a very pertinent point is made that is applicable in today’s business environment. Organizations spend very little time aligning daily work with the overall vision and core values set by the organization. Collins’ article was written 10 years ago, but the content currently still has merit. Organizations are constantly changing and adapting to industry and environmental trends. With the explosion of the Internet and rapid global expansion, company’s need to have efficient change management programs and vision to keep the organization on track. Too often, companies are sidelined by managers that are self-promoting and not working for the overall vision of the company. Yet, this is not necessarily a middle manager problem, but a problem of the company not identifying and pursuing the grand vision the company was founded to achieve. Mr. Collins points out the often company’s are either to busy trying to repeatedly craft the perfect vision statement or the organization has not spent any time aligning the organization with the values that have been determined. Truly visionary organizations are able to use core values become efficient in management and operations to keep the company moving forward. Organizations that do not align goals with values spend more time evaluating past problems and too little time focusing on the future. Jim Collins is correct in that one must first identify the internal dialogue to identify organizational misalignments. There is typically mistrust between senior leaders and employees in terms of who is doing the right things. Senior leaders need to listen to lower level managers and employees and take into consideration the perspective of those that directly link to the customer. Senior leaders also need to determine what is said in the organization’s undercurrent internal dialogue. What often drives employees to perform is what is felt unconsciously, not what is stated in official forums. Company’s that have alignment of goals with vision are able to determine the internal dialogue and keep the dialogue positive. Identifying the difference between core values and strategies is essential for organizational alignment. Mr. Collins points out that core values should be timeless and never change. What should change are operational practices and strategies. Many companies too often are constantly identifying new core values, and this makes focus difficult. By identifying permanent core value, employees are able to always rely on what the greater purpose of the company should represent in all daily operations. Without this concrete focus, employees become disgruntled and unable to focus on any one thing, increasing inefficiencies. Mr. Collins also posits that organizations cannot â€Å". . . nstall new core values into people. . . † but that people are predisposed to holding them. Therefore, the key is to find people that are already predisposed to holding the company’s particular values. This concept is especially hard for organizations that are attempting to align actions to values. People are inherently resistant to change and any change in an organization’s core values will be difficult for all employees to embrace. Therefore, it is crucial that organizations identify core values at inception so that all employees will identify with the goals and vision when hired. Otherwise it is exceptionally difficult to implement change management strategies to get employees to ‘buy in’ to new values. In all, Jim Collins is accurate on his assessment of aligning action and values in organizations. Although this article was written 10 years ago, companies still struggle with these concepts today. Mr. Collins is correct that organizations need to have permanent core values, identify internal dialogues and act on inconsistencies, and hire people that are predisposed to a particular organizations core values, instead of attempting to gain ‘buy in’ from current employees.

Mexican Art

The land called Mexico has many moods and faces. Without a doubt Mexico is steeped in ancient Indian lore, seasoned with Spanish colonial customs. The array of folk art and crafts in Mexico is simply mind-boggling. Each region of Mexico has its own specialty, with villagers maintaining the traditions handed down from countless generations. Mexican culture is a fascinating blend of Native American traditions and Spanish colonial influences. Long before the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, the indigenous civilizations of Mexico had developed arts such as ceramics, music, poetry, sculpture, and weaving. After the conquest, the intricate designs and bright colors of many Native American arts were often mixed with European techniques and religious themes to create a hybrid and uniquely Mexican artistic style. Numerous churches constructed during the colonial era reflect the blending of Spanish architectural designs with the handiwork of Native American workers who built and decorated the buildings. Many of Mexico’s most popular modern crafts—such as textiles, pottery, and furniture making—borrow designs and techniques from Native American culture. Mexican painting and music have also been shaped by this heritage. Indigenous influences were given a tremendous boost by the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). During and immediately after the revolution, many Mexican artists celebrated the nation’s unique mixture of races and cultures in their work. Political and social themes from the revolution—such as efforts at land reform and the right of common Mexicans to participate in the nation’s government—were also reflected in the arts. Immediate post revolutionary governments supported the arts and contributed to efforts to make them more accessible to average Mexicans, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. The  individual most responsible for this support was Josà © Vasconcelos, a leading intellectual who served as secretary of education in the first post revolutionary government. The government was especially influential in promoting mural painting, commissioning artists to paint murals depicting Mexican history on public buildings (Hutchison, 2003). During the 1930s, painters came to Mexico from the United States to study the mural movement. Many people from Europe, the United States, and Latin America also visited Mexico as tourists in the 1930s and 1940s, increasing the popularity of native arts such as the making of silver jewelry. Paintings Mexican arts, with the exception of folk arts, generally followed European patterns during the colonial period and the 19th century. The Mexican Revolution was instrumental in fostering a new sense of nationalism and experimentation at the School of Fine Arts in Mexico City. Artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros belonged to a group of painters who decided that content and form was as important as aesthetics. A number of these artists, including Siqueiros, were political activists as well as artists who aimed to inspire the lower classes in Mexico by creating paintings that dealt with revolutionary themes. They encouraged the development of public murals, so that ordinary Mexicans could view the work of leading artists (Martin & Jacobus, 2004). Painting with a permanent medium on large walls, these muralists—including Diego Rivera, Josà © Clemente Orozco, and Juan O’Gorman—dominated the Mexican art world in the 1920s and 1930s. Other artists pursued a different tack. Frida Kahlo painted numerous small self-portraits, which captured her own vision in strange, often surrealistic presentations. Kahlo fractured her  spine and pelvis in a traffic accident as a teenager and began to paint while recovering from her accident. The constant pain Kahlo suffered due to her injuries, as well as her sadness over being unable to bear a child, are reflected in much of her work. In the 1930s Rufino Tamayo combined native folk themes with European art forms such as cubism. His work reached a much larger foreign audience than that of other Mexican artists, particularly in Europe and New York City. Tamayo was an outspoken opponent of the painting style of the revolutionary muralists, arguing that their focus on political and social themes came at the expense of artistic quality. The intense colors of many of Tamayo’s paintings and his use of flattened two-dimensional figures—a style that is common in Mexican folk or pre-Columbian art—gave his work a distinctly Mexican flavor. Manuel Alvarez Bravo, who associated with some of the leading creative photographers in the United States, such as Edward Weston and Tina Modetti, became the first Mexican photographer to reach a large international audience. He was influential in promoting photography as an art form in Mexico. See also Latin American Painting; Latin American Sculpture. Architecture From the 16th through the 18th centuries, architecture overshadowed other forms of art in Mexico. The early buildings of the Spaniards tended to be simple and practical. In the 17th and 18th centuries, however, architecture in Mexico became highly decorative and elaborate. It was during this period that many of the country’s famous churches were built, including the    Cathedral of Mexico in Mexico City. Examples of Spanish colonial architecture are found throughout Mexico. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the French splendors of the Second Empire style were introduced in Mexico City. This trend began under Emperor Maximilian, who ruled Mexico briefly during the 1860s, and later under President Porfirio Dà ­az. Dà ­az commissioned the ornate Palace of Fine Arts, which was completed in the 1930s. Since the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), many outstanding examples of modern architecture have been built in Mexico. The National Autonomous University of Mexico contains many spectacular modern buildings that feature murals in fresco and mosaic. It includes a multistory library almost completely covered by mosaics designed by Juan O’Gorman. Another Mexican architect, Fà ©lix Candela, created highly original concrete shell designs for several churches and for the sports palace at the 1968 Olympic Games (Billington, 2003). One of Mexico’s most internationally admired architects, Pedro Ramà ­rez Và ¡zquez, designed the renowned Museum of Anthropology and History in downtown Mexico City. Ceramics (Clay Art) Since the appearance of the Olmec culture, considered to be the â€Å"mother of the Mesoamerican cultures†, ceramics took a prevailing place in the lives of the Mexican people. The earthenware vessels, anthropomorphic figures, and various types of utensils found in the archaeological ruins of the ancient Olmec cities of Tajin, San Lorenzo, La Venta and Tres Zapotes, suggest the techniques used in their ceramics: the use of clay, the knowledge of some primitive firing techniques, their means of coloring and painting designs. The Olmecs transcended their era (1500 B.C. –800 A.D) and bequeathed their knowledge to the cultures that flourished after them. The Teotihuacans (100 B.C. – 800 A.D.) prepared the majority of their vessels with clay and decorated them with a variety of techniques: mainly stucco, painting, and smoothing. The pottery of the Aztecs (1325 A.D. – 1521 A.D.) was extremely varied.   They made all types of earthenware, plates, jugs, cups, and pots, mostly with red and orange clay. The Mixtecs stood out for their polychrome lacquer ceramics, in which after polishing a piece, they would cover it with white stucco and then paint it. To the north, the Casas Grandes culture (100 A.D. – 1360 A.D.) produced beautiful polychrome ceramic, basically with geometric motives and influences from the Mimbres culture. Each region had its own unique characteristics in pottery.   However, in all these cultures, the potter himself was given a great deal of importance.   The Aztecs summed it up in the following way: â€Å"A good potter: he puts great care into his work, he teaches the clay to lie, he speaks with his own heart, he brings life to things, he creates them, he knows everything as if he were a Toltec he makes his hands skillful.† The ancient techniques employed to make ceramics are still used today – mostly in the rural parts of Mexico. It’s curious how these groups were able to preserve their artistic techniques – coil building, open firing, natural pigments – and yet they lost their original language and their religion. When the Spaniards arrived, the blending of societies allowed the indigenous people to learn new techniques, and the combination of styles gave life to some of the more famous ceramic styles of Mexican earthenware, such as the â€Å"majolica† or Talavera. Puebla’s Talavera is a direct descendant of the Arabic-Andalusian tradition, which began in Spain in the ninth century, when the influence of the Arabic culture passed on its techniques to peninsular potters.   In Talavera de la Reina, Spain, it became very popular and took a characteristic stylistic form toward the 16th century.   It was then that it was brought to the Americas, especially to the Nueva Espaà ±a, the New Spain, as Mexico was called in colonial times. Although Talavera is only produced in Puebla, other majolica type earthenware is also produced in places like Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. To the west, in Tonala, Jalisco, is another Mexican state with a long tradition of ceramic production.   Here, there is more of a Persian influence, including pieces such as stew urns, using gold and silver. In Metepec, State of Mexico, the ceramic tradition has been influenced by Christian beliefs. Here they create the well-known arboles de la vida, trees of life, which are made to look much like tree. Wire is used to attach the clay leafs and figurines to the â€Å"tree†. It is called de la vida because it explains the origins of life. Usually there are figures of God, angles and Adam and Eve, as well as the serpent and some fruit are represented by special figures. Day of the Dead trees is also made using skeletons, and images related to the festivity. Some are made in terracotta, without glaze; others are painted in every imaginable color. Red ware, which is used to make everything from large cooking pots to rice dishes to table dishes, is typical of Michoacan.   The characteristic decoration of these dishes are small flowers made with the thick part of the paintbrush, with white or green paint around a small black circle, as if it were a margarita (the flower). In Oaxaca, the town of San Bartolo is famous for its barro negro, black clay.   The artwork made with this clay acquires its color through the pigments in the polishing process, which brings out the red color from inside the clay.   There are some more recent techniques that bring out a mixture of the natural dark and light tones of the clay, which artists protectively keep to them (Wasserspring, 2000). The small town of Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua stands out for its beautiful pottery as well.   It was here that they reinvented pre-Hispanic ceramics techniques after shards of ancient pottery were found in the ruins of Paquimà ©.   This renaissance was mostly due to Juan Quezada, outstanding Master Potter of Mata Ortiz. Some Mexican creators have implemented new forms and new designs for typical Mexican artwork, such as ceramic eggs from which little frogs are born, lizards and other little animals; glass and ceramic twisters; key chains with eclipses; masks with a pre-Hispanic or oriental motif; dish sets with images of Tamayo or Rivera; tiles with geometrical figures, etc. In the 1950s, High Temperature ceramics or stoneware appeared in Mexico.   The origin of this type of ceramics is from China, Korea and Japan. This technique was introduced to Mexico by a small group of Mexican ceramic artists who studied abroad, mainly in Japan and the United States.   Little by little, it caught on, and these days there are several regional centers in which artists work with Stoneware, such as Michoacan, Veracruz and Jalisco. As we can see, Mexican ceramics bring together the influences of pre-Hispanic, European, Arabic and Oriental cultures.   Whatever technique is used, Mexican ceramics have individuality and â€Å"flavor† that is appreciated for its art and quality worldwide. References Hutchison, P., (2003). Footprint Central America and Mexico 2004 (p. 93). USA : Footprint Handbooks Martin, F. D., Jacobus, L. A. (2004). Humanities through The Arts (p. 399). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Billington, D. P., (2003). The Art of Structural Design: A Swiss Legacy (p. 136, 162). USA : Other Distribution Wasserspring, L., Ragan V., (2000). Oaxacan Ceramics: Traditional Folk Art by Oaxacan Women (pp. 1, 22). San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books

The Nature Of The Human Soul Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Nature Of The Human Soul - Term Paper Example type of approach used 2. mortality status 3. purpose 4. knowledge 5. types or parts of the soul 6. distinguishing characteristics 7. relation between body and soul 8. origin Plato takes a spiritual approach to understanding the nature of the soul. He sees the soul as an immortal being, whose origin is in a spiritual world of perfect forms. He contrasts this with the physical world, which is a mere imitation of this perfection (Page, 2003). There are three phases of the soul, relative to humans. There is a prenatal phase, the embodiment phase, and a postmortem phase. Plato believes that reason, emotion and desire comprise the soul (Velitchkov, 2009). They function with sequential differences from the womb, through life and after death. The purpose of the soul, from Plato’s perspective, is to carry knowledge to the body, but its duration there is of little meaning, since true meaning can only be in the spiritual world of perfect forms, not in this imitation world. In fact, Plato feels that the soul is distinct from the body, pre-dates and outlasts it, is imprisoned by the body, and achieves liberation only at death. Conflicts arise among human thoughts (connected to upper body tension), spiritual experience (connected to the chest area), and desires or appetites (connected to the lower region of the body) (Page, 2003). Knowledge is not so much transmitted as it is remembered, since the soul carries knowledge from one incarnation to the next, Plato’s version of anamnesis (Kowalczyk, n.d.). I support Plato’s spiritual approach. The soul cannot be measured by science, as it is apparently not bound by the laws of physics, the way the body and physical world are. I also support Plato’s theory that the soul is immortal, that it belongs to a world of spiritual perfection, of which our physical reality is a substandard imitation. At night, when I dream, I experience myself flying and changing physical reality with focused intention. I do not c onsider this to be my imagination, but rather my soul’s memory and deeper understanding of reality and thought. I believe that experience of freedom from the body is real, more real than body reality. Not only in dreams, but also in hypnosis, or with the inspiration of hallucinogens, or in a near-death experience, or other out of body experience, one can remember and appreciate freedom from the body. I support Plato’s contention that the soul carries all knowledge across incarnations, and brings it to the body in each current incarnation, so that it must be remembered and not re-learned (anamnesis) (Kowalczyk, n.d.). I believe this because of my own experience. For example, sometimes a friend or even a stranger approaches me and begins to outline a deep problem or confusion they are struggling with. I cannot possibly have all the answers, based solely on current life experience and education. Yet, once a deep rapport is established, my soul speaks. Of course the sound is my voice and comes from my body, and what I say is embroidered with my own thoughts. But the essence that flows freely is my soul, and not my body. Of this I am certain. I have had the experience of driving a car and becoming lost in thoughts, having no knowledge of where I am, passing my destination by miles. At such times, it seems clear to me that I am not in a safe state to be driving, since I am

Service Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Service Marketing - Research Paper Example Marketing challenges are a common issue for all service companies. The major focus of these companies is to highlight intangible or tangible element present within the service aspect. In this research study five different companies will be included belonging to different service sectors. The various service sectors chosen for this study are financial services, telecommunication services, airlines, hospitality and health care services. Financial services are usually provided by finance industry and are regarded as economic services. There is wide range of firms belonging to this industry like banks, insurance companies, real estate funds, credit unions, investment funds, accountancy companies, etc. Air transport services are another well-known service for travelling freight and passengers. Telecommunication service is all about enhancing transfer capabilities of user information through telecommunication systems. On the other hand, health care services are highly responsible for provi ding appropriate health care facilities to patients. Hospitality services are inclined towards providing guests accommodation facilities, travel, food, other amenities, etc. Etisalat is the brand name for Emirates Telecommunications Corporation. The company belongs to the telecommunication industry and was founded in 1976. Etisalat is a well-known telecommunication service provider based in UAE. In current scenario the company operates across 15 countries encompassing Asia, Africa and Middle East. The company is ranked as 12th largest operator of mobile network across the globe. Total customer base of the firm is about 150 million. Services being offered by the company are mobile and fixed line telephony, digital television and internet services. It can be stated that fixed line telephony and digital television is a form of tangible substance being offered by Etisalat. The company has even entered into approximately 150 roaming agreements, expanding across 186

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business Environment - Essay Example Although the organization is well capitalized and enjoys a global presence, its reputation has constantly been at stake following several fines related to environmental pollution and inadequate maintenance of equipment and facilities. The company has also been accused of ranking poorly in terms of upholding human rights according to some quarters. In view of the company’s business environment, it may well be concluded that the company has a bright future although it needs to make certain adjustments to continue achieving astronomical growth. The research and findings of this report are based on information drawn from a range of reputable secondary sources including the company’s website. BP Oil Limited, formerly known as British Petroleum Incorporates, is a private limited company whose country of origin is the United Kingdom (British Petroleum, n.d). Incorporation on 20th December, 1947, the company has been in existence for close to 63 years and has achieved significant growth economically and in terms of global presence. With its headquarters located in St James’s, London, BP Oil Ltd ranks among the largest privately owned energy corporations globally. In fact, the company is among the six â€Å"supermajors† as it deals in natural gas, oil exploration, and marketing of petroleum products. The multinational organization is currently listed on the London Stock Exchange and features among the 100 most highly capitalized companies in the United Kingdom (FTSE 100) (British Petroleum, n.d). Its capitalization was approximated at 119,039 million Euros as of October, 2009. As a result of the merger between BP Plc and Amaco in 1998, the company has continued to sell Amoco brands in the United States to-date. This is primarily due to the fact that Amoco gasoline brands have been rated by consumers as among the best in the market for close to 16

A piece of writing of Graphene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A piece of writing of Graphene - Essay Example The interesting thing about graphene is that it has huge power along with adequate electrical conductivity and elasticity. Graphene is actually a significantly huge aromatic molecule. Graphite can get its crystalline form by combining a number of sheets of graphene together. Graphene is regarded as the most fundamental structural component of a few carbon allotropes. For example, graphene lays the basis of graphite, fullerenes, charcoal, etc. The discovery of graphene has immense significance as various new possibilities of research in the area of physics have opened up. Researches in graphene have also helped in opening up huge scopes of its application in high-tech fields. Graphene is considered to be one of the most potential and adaptable components that have ever discovered in the area of physics. (Geim; 2009; Sakamoto 2009). The production of Graphene: Graphene can be separated from graphite as an isolated plane of carbon atoms. People now know that a minute portion of graphene sheet can be produced by abrading graphite. For example, one can get a tiny piece of graphene sheet when one draws a line on paper with a pencil. (Geim; 2009). During the year of 2008, the production of graphene used to be done by exfoliation. This graphene produced through such exfoliation was considered to be one of the most costly components in this world as this component which so small that can be placed on a tiny portion of the cross section of human hair did costs around as much as $1000 in 2008. Since, 2008, the process of exfoliation has been increased and various companies are now selling graphene in huge amount. Researchers have also discovered cheaper version of graphene (Segal, 2009). For example, Korean researchers have produced cheap graphene through the process of transfer of nickel. Graphene can, in fact, be produced by employing different types of methods. Some of the production processes of graphene are listed below: Producing Graphene through Drawing Method: The drawing method is actually a modified version of exfoliation method. Earlier, in this method, a solid tape was used to repetitively divide crystals of graphite into more thin prices to form graphene. The extremely thin flakes of Graphene then used to be dissolved in liquid acetone and after a few steps they were to be sedimented. Over time, the technique of drawing graphene from graphite has been simplified. Particularly, major modification has been done in the step of disposition. Instead of making graphene floating in acetone, the scientists have started to use the method of dry disposition of flakes. (Geim and Novoselov, 2007) Production through heating silicon carbide: Another popular process of producing graphene is heating silicon carbide at a high temperature in order to reduce it to graphene. In this process silicon carbide is heated at more that 1100 degree centigrade. In this method, the dimension of the graphene produced depends on the dimension of the silicon wafer. The face of the silicon wafer which is utilized for the formation of graphene, has significant capacity to influence the density and the level of mobility of graphene. If graphene is produced using this method, then a number of properties of graphene can clearly be visualized. For example, in the graphene produced through heating silicon carbide a kind of feeble anti-localization of the component can be

History of Canadian Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Canadian Labor - Essay Example While plenty of research works paved the way for jotting down crucial historical components related to labor history in other countries, there wasn't too much of study materials for the historians to trace the labor history of Canada. However, with the publication of the Committee on Canadian Labour History, the history of Canadian labor, especially the changing context in the working class section, has assumed an important dimension. Historically, the working class people in Canada, despite their contribution to the economic growth and development of the country, and despite the fact that Canada has always depended more on factory production than service sectors, has remained in the shadows of negligence. The formation of trade unions in the 1880s and the working class revolt in the beginning of the twentieth century have played an important role in shaping the future of Canadian workers. Even today, majority of Canadians earn their livelihood from factory wages. But the changing sc enario is best reflected in the fact that most labors are not registered to unions in modern day Canada. It might be noted however that labor unions, at present or in the past, have been devising effective strategies to take the workers' issues to the respective higher authorities, and this draws the working class into joining unions in large numbers. This paper is going to critically examine the changing situations in the labor history of Canada, especially between 1940 and 1975. Systemization of labor was a major area of focus in Canadian history. This was important because bulk of nation's revenues came from large-scale production. In the 1870s, the living environment of labors in Canada was not at all healthy and conducive to profitable outcomes. So it was important to build a foundation that could lead to prosperity of the workers for the greater welfare of the nation. Incepted in 1869 by Philadelphia garment cutters, the Knights of Labor was one of the prominent labor reformist organizations in the late nineteenth century. The main objective of this secret organization was to launch a campaign for cooperation and education among the working class fraternity, without gender or racial bias. The idea of maximizing the potential of skilled labors was given foremost priority. The age of rapid industrialization required deployment of efficient workers to get optimum output. While the experience and competency of veteran labors was an asset to the management, the youthful exuberance of the young working class brigade was nothing less an important area of contention. The integration of Canadian capitalism in the twentieth century brought a new era in working class history. Diversification of unions, the impending threat of a cold war, gender biases at workplaces, inconsistent wage structures and frequent workouts did not augur well for the overall economic growth of the country. Most workers lived a life of perpetual struggle for food, clothing and shelter. New managerial machinery, so to speak, was introduced to downsize excess workers. It sparked the labor unrest all the more as skilled labors did not appreciate the new rules. Earlier in the nineteenth century, majority of workers in Canada enjoyed supremacy at their workplaces. But