Relationship of Leadership to the Politics

DefinitionLeadership-This is the practice of controlling and directing the behavior of individuals towards the completion of some common goals and objectives. It involves influencing people in undertaking things to a given set and value on top of their standard and all this is done willingly.  Politics-This is the process of recognizing and eventually integrating opposing interests inside the organization. This may be as the means of creating non autocratic or a democratic working environment.  Organization-This is the social arrangement that pursues collective objectives and goals, hence controlling its own performance, and it has a boundary separating it from environment surrounding it.DiscussionThe politics of an organization is essential and an unavoidable reality woven with system of management whereby organizational activities are affected by it. Organizational mission, goals, strategy, correction, assessment and ways of developing agreement are always leadership and politi cs of that particular organization. This is so because some of the great leaders in organizations have also ventured in politics thus becoming more influential in there actions as they dominate specific places both within and outside the organization. Politics and leadership go hand in hand, since most key leaders will tend to listen and get involved as they interact with politicians. For instance politicians may seek to meet trade, chambers of commerce and economic planning and development leaders to find out the operational activities of firms since both of them are policy makers. These politicians go their not to ask for endorsements but they go there to get out what is happening in the market and their country.Employees have the biggest influence on deciding what leadership style works for them, and sometimes they will mislead the leader to a very easy style hence the first thing to be undertaken is figuring out an exact style which works for and with them, hence democratic will not work well here and the preferred will be situational leadership and this will make the followers of a particular leader to decide for him. Though leaders should lead by example and move further to formulate and implement organizational policies.Organizational structure cannot be expected to resolve political problems within an institution. Political ambitions are frequently driving force behind these structural changes. Wider political and social forces in societies a s a whole also limit the choice and operation of organizational structures. This is common in the case of state organizations in both socialist and capitalist economies and of public service departments as well. Here the form of structure is usually imposed as a political rather than purely managerial decision.According to George’s leadership, political climate of a particular organization is affected by a leader through management and making use of alternative settings which is visible in decision making, interaction with others in mobilizing support and setting of agenda, also in inspiring individuals, teams and other people. The relationship between organizational politics and leadership can be comprehended from the fact that organizational leadership occurs in the perspective of groups, where followers are prejudiced by the leader to make sure their loyalty and voluntary participation towards predetermined outcomes. The interaction between leaders and their influence & authority over the followers lay down the tone for political climate in an organization. By clearly understanding of organizations’ political systems which is necessary for leadership to lead the company towards the goal achievement. Leaders who have worked for long in the company will possess the general knowledge of political climate prevailing in the organization. Leaders from outside should take time to learn and understand the organizational politics by focusing and observing keenly relationship of the v arious groups in the company.  The literature on politics in organizations is both complex and confusing. Consistent with the connotation that politics is somehow bad and to be avoided, at least in rational organizations. Politics in organization arises where groups in an organization have there own preferred goals, and the means to attain those goals, sanctioned by rest of the organization, for instance the case must be of powerful groups. Pfeffer (1981) suggests that political behavior is best known as those activities taken within organizations to acquire, develop and use power and other resources to obtain ones preferred outcomes in a situation in which there is uncertainty or discensus about choices. In this respect organizational politics and social power are very much a like, only that they are distinguished primarily by the unit of analysis involved. When our focus is on individuals influencing other individuals, here we talk about social power and when our focus is on gro ups influencing other groups we are talking about organization politics, hence political behavior occurs in situation characterized by uncertainty.Conflicting opinions and preferences are perhaps the single most important cause of political behavior. But such conflicts can exist only if there is some degree of uncertainty about what is objectively the best or must appropriate course of action. To try and solve this political behavior in organizations, power should be distributed equally among the groups affected by decision which give rise to this. It is also important to recognize that although conflicting preferences can exist only when there is some uncertainty about what is objectively the most correct or appropriate course of action, uncertainty simply provides an environment in which conflicting preferences can develop. The real causes of the conflicting opinions and preferences are differentiation and resource scarcity. Political leaders place there interest ahead of the inte rest of an organization, to them don’t visualizes the difference between operating within the law and operating ethically.It is important to note that since differentiation is a natural consequence of organizational growth, and since both uncertainty and resource scarcity are the rule rather than the exception in organizations, it must be concluded that both conflicts and political activity are inevitable group level outputs that can be found in virtually any organization. Understanding is the key for leaders to make use of organizational politics and also to enhance their own leadership credibility.   The amount of conflict and political behavior that occurs in a given organization will depend upon the severity of the prerequisite conditions, that is the degree to which there exist task interdependence, parochial perspectives, resource scarcity and soon.Referenceshttp://www.careerknowhow.com/guidance/micromanager.htmhttp://www.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfhttp://www.leadersdirec t.com/leaderstyle.html

Assessment of ALDI Marrketing Plan

Today, marketing is a fundamental aspect and have assisted most companies around the globe to achieve growth potentials. Apparently, institutions that value total quality management and customer satisfaction usually position the business at a good point to compete favorably in the market (Wilkie, et al. 2015, p. 424). To favorably compete in the dynamic business environment, most organizations align their objectives with its functions units including the finance, human resource, and operation management.   The selection and targeting of the right customers and provision of customer-centric products are among the primary considerations that most business has relied on to develop marketing strategies.   Efficient marketing requires the employment of professional marketers who can perform an appropriate media planning and ensure enacted measures culminates to the desired objective. The most important factors of production are the qualified marketing department, operation management, and above all the financial resources (Stannage, 2106). Marketing, therefore, is the process of positioning the product to the consumers to influence their buying decision (Kotler & Keller, 2016). A focus is usually on the customer's purchase behavior and afterwards informing and promising them that the qualities they might be seeking are contained in the product. In the report, I have explored the marketing strategies used by Aldi Australia in overcoming the fierce competition that has existed in Australia market for a long period. Also, the report has described the background of Aldi, followed by an analysis of the marketing strategies the company has used since the incorporation in 2001, and further offered recommendations to boost marketing strategies currently used. From the conclusion, it is apparent that marketing is a critical function that plays pivotal roles in the success of business, more so, the Aldi Stores in Australia. History about Aldi dates back the year 2001 when the players in the grocery industry recognized its presence in Australia market. Before this period, the company was in operational but under different names and if not, it was under different management and existed in other countries. Aldi operates beyond the borders, for instance, most of Europe, and it majorly deals in the grocery industry (Grant & Butler, 2011, p. 49-90). Because the report intended in assessing the marketing strategy plan for Aldi in Australia, other areas like the United Kingdom and the United States where the company operates were not captured. Despite starting when a significant market share was dominated by Woolworth and Coles, the embrasure of technology and adoption of low pricing strategy has enabled it overpower these competitors and emerge as one of the best supermarkets to shop in Australia (BBC, 2015). Besides, Aldi makes a monthly sale of more than a billion every month where an average of 6.1 million people shops in Aldi stores located all over the country. The investment of about $2.8 billion in the grocery industry shows that the company is large and there and it records an annual turnover of about $7billion. However, measures need to be enacted to enhance the implementation of marketing strategies, in consideration of the changing customer needs and preferences. The company is currently aiming at establishing more stores in the Southern region of Australia to increase the number of stores from about 450 stores (Ruddick, 2012). However, the expansion in the major city has been a problem because of the discriminative State regulations governing planning and developments in urban cities. These bureaucracies existing for smaller firms to establish development projects in the major city has negatively impacted on the pace of infrastructural growth for Aldi. This restriction has bee n a major setback to the administration of the company. In the recent days, the technological breakthrough has been the primary factor that has significantly boosted the efforts of sales persons and promoted media planning. Aldi has appropriately utilized the, marketing mix â€Å"4ps†, promotional mix â€Å"Mc Kinsey 7s†, opportunities and strengths and financed promotional and marketing plans (Pash, 2016).   A thorough understanding of the external environment through the use of environmental tools assists the management to gain knowledge about; the magnitude of competition as well as customers purchasing behaviors (Solis, 2011, p. 201-202). Relying on the internal environment is importance in customizing on the strengths and opportunities. Over the period, Aldi has been keen in applying a marketing approach that tally with the company financial ability (Pash, 2016).   This part has, therefore, assessed the marketing strategies and further proposed other approaches to be applied by the management of Aldi. Aldi is a famous company in the provision of quality products at relatively low prices. In addition, its marketing strategies are well known to buyers because they focus much on the market needs and company mission. Indeed, Aldi has been more influential to suppliers and manufacturers to offer quality products at lower prices (Muston, 2014). The company has, however, applied the following sales and marketing measures to convince and attract customers. As we talk today, Aldi is one of the leading sellers of grocery products to the most of the people in Australia who are known to uphold price sensitive character. First and foremost, Aldi has utilized pricing strategy to win the favor of the customers. The approach has involved selling quality products to customers at the lowest price. Despite the company just being a dealer, it has managed to offer its products to consumers at affordable prices. Additionally, their services have been satisfactory. From statistics, the company offers its products as cheap as at 25%, in comparison with the prices offered by other supermarkets (Chung, 2015). Secondly, Aldi has applied marketing mix and sales promotional mix. These two are the major approaches used by companies. Aldi is not an exceptional. The marketing mix has included the elements of price, product, place and price (Voberda, et al. 2011). The price aspect however, was a major strategy as discussed above. The marketing mix led to the distribution of the products near customers. Aldi has established most stores at convenient places that are reached by customers. Marketing mix has, therefore, been greatly depended on by the company and it was successful because of the unlimited support from the shareholders (Lancaster, et al. 2002). Furthermore, it has utilized advertising through electronic media like the Television and Radio.   It has an excellent record in monitoring the effectiveness of the advertising media as well as media planning. Apparently, these two forms are reached by most of the target market served by Aldi. Also, Aldi has been using differentiation strategy. Under this approach, it has ensured that the right products are offered to the customers. They offer products that are needed by consumers but not any product (IBIS world, 2016). And the interesting part above all is that these products are usually of the best quality. Users found it very unusual to shop in Aldi stores where there is a variety of products, of high quality and at the lowest cost. Sincerely, this approach is the best holistic experience customers have had from Aldi. As per now, Aldi is still performing well in the grocery industry. The success is not only in Australia but also experienced in the other parts where the company has affiliates. With the developments experienced in technology, businesses are imperatively required to perfect the current operational and marketing approaches (Bradley, 2010, p. 90-120). Therefore, the enhancement of these strategies can be possible through normal changes based on the prevailing market conditions. Some of the additions and considerations that are supposed to be implemented by Aldi are discussed below: First, Aldi has to embrace integrated marketing communications. Through this method, the marketing approaches utilized are usually complemented by the others. Those that become ineffective are, however, are boosted by the other. Consequently, a large number of customers will be reached. However, this approach works well if the organization has enough funds to finance the initiative (Kotler & Keller, 2016). But the long-term effect is that it enhances most number of the targeted population to reach more information. Secondly, it should adopt creativity and innovations through incorporating technology into organizational processes. For example, talented employees indeed bring new ideas and methods of overcoming the fierce competition on the market. Being a company that has redefined the grocery industry in Australia, and applying the cost leadership approaches, it will be ironical to found that the same company is lagging behind in technological know-how. The adoption of technology will automatically enhance the use of social media, internet, and other electronic sources to promote its products (Lancaster, et al. 2002). In the long run, the company will found itself in a scenario where other transactions will be conducted by e-commerce. Thirdly, Aldi should focus on the use of publicity. Substantial investment in publicity will foster a good relation with the customers who will consequently develop customer loyalty. Though it has been involved in a marketing campaign, this trend should continue by adding more focus on it (Shimizu, 2016, p. 25-26). Lastly, it should enhance the marketing mix strategies by using appropriate sales promotion techniques. Through market research, the firm can understand when to use a particular form of marketing and sales promotion mix (Reicheld, et al. 2010, p. 121-126). For these methods will timely inform the consumer about the new developments in the products and price to offer them an opportunity to perform price comparison. Most importantly, Aldi should use appropriate form according to customer segmentation to ensure everybody has sufficient information about the company. Wrapping up, it is apparent that marketing is a fundamental subject for any organization. An effective marketing strategy will be the reason for the success, contrary in which failure will be inevitable.   The management of Aldi applies effective sales and marketing techniques that were much customer-centric which have resulted in this unquantifiable success. For instance, the pricing strategies have attracted most customers to prefer purchasing the products from Aldi stores. However, this method was not the only strategy that resulted in the success. There are others like advertising, public relations, market campaigns, differentiation and more. It thus implies that there is a great need for businesses to consider all possible measures for them to withstand the changing market. Most importantly, the opportunities and strengths should be adequately relied on in turning the hostile external environment bearable.   The marketing mix 4ps and Mc Kinsey 7s model should appropriately c ombine for the goal of meeting organization short and long term objectives. Through embrasure of the discussed topics, Aldi has managed to reach where it is and considering the plans that are already in place and the company will still grow. BBC, (2015). Aldi overtakes Waitrose's market share. BBC News dated 8th April, 2015. . [Online] Accessed on 19 th Jan, 2017, from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32218170 Bradley, Nigel (2010).Marketing Research: Tools and Techniques. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p.90-120 Chung, F. (2015). The Supermarket switch is on as Aldi takes top award in customer satisfaction: Business retail July 21 2015. Accessed online on 19 th Jan, 2017, from: https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/the-supermarket-switch-is-on-as-aldi-takes-top-award-in-customer-satisfaction/news-story/3ce35413bb26d01118190010c9cb0916 Grant, R., & Butler, B. (2011). Contemporary strategic management: An Australasian perspective, John Wiley and Son Australia, 5(21), 54-90 IBIS world, (2016). Supermarkets and Grocery Stores in Australia: Market Research Report. Retrieved on 19 th Jan, 2017, from https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/default.aspx?indid=1834 Kotler P & Keller, (2016). Marketing Management 15 th Global Edition published by Pearson Education Australia Pty Ltd. Lancaster, G., Massingham, L. and Ashford, R. (2002). Essentials of Marketing: Fourth edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Muston, P (2014). Marketing Practices and Strategies for Aldi:  slide share, retrieved on 19 Jan, 2017, from: . Pash, C.   (2016). Aldi opens its battle with Coles and Woolworths in South Australia: Business Insider Australia. Accessed on 19 th Jan, 2017, from: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/aldi-opens-its-battle-with-coles-and-woolworths-in-south-australia-2016-2 Ruddick, G. (2012). Billionaire Aldi heir Berthold Albrecht dies at 58. Retrieved on 19 th Jan, 2017, from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9729434/Billionaire-Aldi-heir-Berthold-Albrecht-dies-at-58.html Reicheld, Z and Sasser, N. (2010), â€Å"Enhancing Customer Retention Through Relationship Marketing†, Journal of Marketing, 6 (11): 121-126. Shimizu, Koichi (2016). Co-marketing (Symbiotic Marketing) Strategy: (Japanese) 5th edition, Souseisha Book Company, pp.25-62. Stannage, T. (2106).‘Marketing help: Marketing Strategies that work.   Business Consultancy Services,  weblog post,  retrieved 19 January 2017, from: . Solis, B. (2011). Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 201–202. Voberda, H., Morgan, R., Reinmoeller, P., Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., Hoskisson, R. (2011) Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, South Western: Cengage Learning. Wilkie, D., Johnson, L., White, L. (2015). Overcoming late entry. The importance of entry position inferences and market leadership: Journal of Marketing Management, 31: 424

Impact of Innovation on Economic Perfomance on Micro and Macro Level Essay

Impact of Innovation on Economic Perfomance on Micro and Macro Level - Essay Example This essay is one of the best examples of comprehensive theoretic analysis of the mechanism of the impact of technology changes on the competitiveness of a company or an entire economy of a country. The tighter and more competitive business environment is driving firms to innovate in order to maintain their existence as a market player. However, as more firms innovate, the struggle to maintain their share in the market in turn gets other firms to innovate, capturing everybody to be part of a complex economic cycle. A source of new technology is the society’s search for increased economic efficiency and a sincere desire to reduce the cost that it has to pay for the availability of goods. Whether the purpose of the technology is to improve its effective use of available natural resources or to increase or alter the supply of available resources, it has impacted what people buy (hence created new demand types), what they choose to do with their time (leading to new market for leisure events), what jobs are lost due to changes in the overall economic mix, and possibly the price of other goods that compete with the products, that were produced using new technology. Research, entrepreneurship, new start-ups, consolidation of businesses, interaction with other companies and financial markets create an environment that is conclusive to innovations. Novel trends in innovative activities are impacted by new technologies, modifications in the existing knowledge base, as well as changes in consumer needs.

Discussion Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discussion - Movie Review Example He resorts to painting one of the most sarcastic pieces of work he ever did, presenting himself in the painting as the villain of peace thereby suggesting a guilty plea. His youthful life existed during the time of religious dilemma in Italy attributed to artistic symbols used by the Catholic Faithfuls in Italy (Schama 1). The fact that Catholic Faithfuls successfully shot back idolatry accusations leveled against them by the Protestants from Northern Europe offered even better environment for Caravaggio to thrive in his yet to be painting career. Caravaggio’s artistic work majorly revolved around slavish copying of surrounding phenomenon while presenting them in exactly opposite and unexpected form. For instance, he painted himself as Bacchus, the god of wine who was also a symbol of beauty and youthfulness in an opposite but similar way. His nature-twist form of art did catch attentions. He got a special invitation from Maria Del Monte, a Cardinal in Rome to move into the palazzo. However, despite the struggles, recognition and fame, Caravaggio’s life remained more or less the same. He committed murder, ended up in the wrong side of the law. Born in Spain in 1599, Velazquez grew up a talented man in painting. Humbled, relatively peaceful, and benign paintings dominated his artistic choice throughout his pieces of work. His painting reflected the ancient ways of livelihood in Southern Europe. He painted taverns cum pubs, kitchens, and contrasting family pictures showing innocent faces of both old and young alike. The paintings appeared distinct than painting could be, presenting the household picture the way it ought to appear explicit (ZCZFilms 1). Velazquez’s appreciation for the role of the family and religion in social livelihood became a major theme dominant in his paintings. The theme ranged from painting of a pub, kitchen, humbled family members, and a portrait similar to that of Virgin Mary. He valued his wife so much

Tsunami Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Tsunami - Essay Example In general, tsunamis normally consist of a sequence of waves which occur in stages ranging from minutes to hours and these arrive in what is usually referred to as a wave train (â€Å"Tsunami Fact-ite†). The height of tsunami waves, which are tens of meters high, can be generated by large events in the ocean, and although their brunt tends to be limited to shoreline areas, they have a massive power of devastation and they can also affect whole ocean basins. There are two ways through which tsunamis cause damage and one of these is the force of smashing water, which travels at high speeds. The other is the destructive power of large volumes of water which drain off the land, and takes everything with it, even if the wave that brought this water to land did not seem to be huge. While everyday wind waves have a wavelength of about a hundred meters and a height of roughly two meters, a tsunami in the deep ocean has a wavelength of about two hundred kilometers and such a wave may travel at well over eight hundred kilometers per hour (Nelson, 2). Owing to this huge wavelength the wave fluctuation at any given position takes  20 to 30  minutes to finish a cycle and has amplitude of only about one meter, which makes tsunamis exceedingly difficult to notice over deep water, and, in fact, many ships rarely notice their passage. A large tsunami may bring with it numerous waves, which arrive in interludes of hours, often having a certain term between the wave lengths (â€Å"Water Waves and Tsunamis†). It is a proven fact that the first wave to reach the coastline may not necessarily have a high run up and instead, those which come after it may have higher ones. About eighty percent of all tsunamis take place in the Pacific Ocean, but there is also a high possibility of them occurring whenever there is a unusually large water body, and this includes some lakes. Tsunamis have come to be some of the most feared natural

Lysistrata Unbound fit as a prequel to Aristophanes' original play Essay

Lysistrata Unbound fit as a prequel to Aristophanes' original play - Essay Example She tries to achieve this by asking the Greek women to deny their husbands of sex until an agreement had been reached to ceasefire (Aristophanes 26). She had an arrangement with the elderly women in Athens to capture Akropolis, which serve as the central point of both the Athenians and the Spartans. The essence of the plan by Lysistrata was just to point out the negative effects of war on the women, as they seem to be more concerned about the welfare of the society. As the play progresses, the chorus of both the old men and women were involved in a confrontation and the women were victorious. In the course of the confrontation, the men made some remarks that seem derogatory and portraying the female race as a gender of no societal value, aside from their domestic functions as wives and mothers at home. This when compared to the ancient Greek society could create some kind of semblance in the way women are being treated as slaves and object of sex (Aristophanes 33). The crux of the wo men’s argument is the fact that they want to be recognized as an important element in the Greek society. They realize the impact of their hard work in the society and would not want the selfish interest of the men, whose quest for self glorification undermine the interest of the society at large. Lysistrata unbound by Machado Machado represents one of the modern adaptations of the original play by Aristophanes. The focus of the play by Machado was centered on a matron that was transformed by the current war situation tearing apart the family structure in the society. The play exonerates the will power of women as opposed to the notion presented in the Aristophanes’ original conception of male dominance. Machado added a feminist angle to the play, which serves as a basis for the differences from the original plot. The answer to question two The use of chorus in the play, Lysistrata unbound helps in the translation of the play to the audience in a clear and explicit mann er. Most Greek plays possess an element of dance and chorus which is more visible by the audience, but the difference with Lysistrata unbound is the way the chorus was employed as a unifying element that joins the dialogue between the women and older men. In the modern adaptation of the play, the chorus was employed as an element that helps interpret the tension and respite in the play. For example, the conversation between the chorus of old women and chorus of old men reflected the tension and respite that accompanied the act in the play. Thus, at some point, it functions as a sort of comic relief, which takes away the shine off the tensed atmosphere caused by the confrontation. While in the original play, the use of chorus signifies the rich Greek culture employed deliberately by Aristophanes to create an avenue where there would be an opportunity for both parties to confront each other. Without the chorus, there possibly could not have been any other avenue for the confrontation to take place. It would be quite irrational for the women to have taken arms against the Greek male whose main occupation is to execute warfare. A careful analysis of the chorus would point out the intention of Aristophanes in employing chorus as a dramatic element. In the course of the chorus, the women saw an avenue in which they could express their desires and anger at the male folks while the chorus of old men

Art Museum Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art Museum - Research Paper Example He is considered a modern artist, which means that he belongs to the era that roughly extended from the 1980’s to the 1970’s, and of a movement that is characterized by a tendency towards experimentation and abstraction (Cahoone). However, despite the undeniable fact that his work was fresh and thought provoking, he shied away from creating abstract artwork, and stuck to the classical technique of oil painting. His paintings were composed and crisp, marked with the influence of the realist painter Gustave Courbet. With superficial examination one might declare that there is nothing modern about Balthus’ work. However, there is an indisputable air of strangeness to his work. This ‘strangeness’ that strikes many as almost disturbing is felt not through the style of painting but rather it was within his depictions and subjects that he displayed his modernism. Balthus’ art is marked with his fascination for the uninnocent sexuality of adolescent girls. Most of his work feature young women in an ordinary setting, but they are shown as naked, or are shown in contorted and suggestive positions. While the artist himself insists that there is no element of sexual provocation in his work (Cahoone), it is difficult to deny the stimulating and sexual nature of most of his work. An example of this would be the oil painting ‘Guitar Lesson’ which was made in 1934. While the title brings to mind an almost domestic scene, the actual painting depicts a young woman half naked with her skirt pulled almost to her waist exposing her bare private parts while she lies across her music instructor’s lap in place of a guitar. Her music instructor, who is a middle aged woman, holds her much as she would hold a guitar, with her right hand clutching the young woman’s hair and the left hand grasping her student’s inner thigh provocatively close to her