Some Theories of Personality Essay

Personality Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are a number of personalities that people display in life in accordance with different life situations that they encounter or are living in. The most common personality that a typical person is likely to display today that has been described by Sigmund Freud is that of ego. This is so because in the most part of our lives, we rely on unconscious part of mind (George, 2010). This part is the source reality of what can be afforded, how and when. It controls our desires on the basis of what we really should have at a particular time and if we cannot afford it at that time, the ego informs a person to postpone it for another day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We are occasionally obliged to negate or repel becoming cognizant of some drives and thus, they in most cases manifest in a hidden form but the ego makes these drives real(George, 2010). Although human beings desire to have things that they think are of importance to them, this part of mind makes them aware of what they can afford or what they cannot afford. It is the ego that helps the typical person to relate things that he or she wants to the reality (Sow & Chan, 2010). It thus leads a person into looking for objects that can satisfy what he or she is in need of but because of the inability to acquire them, they compensate with some other source of satisfaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Relating to the world today, people are spending millions of money in search for self-realization through programs that are offered by several firms. These programs help them become enlightened and they quickly turn their lives around. To this end, these people feel that if they realize themselves, they will be able to live a happy life. They thus are willing to spend whatever the money they deem necessary to enroll in the programs that will help them realize themselves. Most of these individuals are wealthy or somewhat able of sustaining themselves if not wealthy but, they do not realize happiness in their wealth or ability. The only way they can get this happiness is through spending their money not on buying expensive possessions but by spending that money to seek for self-satisfaction (George, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Similarly, depending on the level of needs, most people are driven by a desire to accumulate wealth in their life. As they perceive, being wealthy means being happy because, they can afford to buy all that they desire with their wealth. Therefore, they would do anything within their power to satisfy their desire. Sometimes, the justified means of acquiring wealth that have been dictated by the society may not favor such individuals. They are, therefore, driven by their desires to create other means to achieve their goals. These other means may be lawful for example, through investing or starting a business or may be unlawful for example, the selling of drugs, corruption, stealing, and forceful amassing among other illegal means (Sow& Chan, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unfortunately, when one desire is achieved, the body keeps on yearning for more. Such individuals form a disease out of a habit in the process of satisfying their motivations (Weiten et al, 2011). They thus identify by the means in which they achieve their desires and this suppresses their perception on the existing societal laws. If the activity that they achieve their desires through is unlawful, they think of it as lawful and usual. Later on, after such individuals accumulate more wealth, they realize that the wealth is not enough to make them happy. At this point, they invest in programs that are geared towards achieving self-realization (Weiten et al, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such a personality affects a typical person’s behavior in several ways. First, he or she learns to balance between the lusty desires and the actual world expectations (Sow and Chan, 2010). When one is dominated by lusty desires, he or she is able to rationalize those desires through the use of ego personality. If the person allows the lusty desires personality to dominate, he or she goes against the societal norms or the stipulated laws. To this end, such a person is said to be a criminal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, when an individual is driven by the desire to become wealthy through amassing of wealth either through conformity to stipulated laws or negating the laws, they are turned into wealth making machines whose role is to make wealth. This has contributed to failure in social structures such as the family because of the little time these individuals have to concentrate on building social relationships. No wonder the high rate of broken marriages and families. This has left the little children without the most basic contributors to their personality at early age namely; father and mother. Deficiency in personality development on children keeps on adding to the miseries of the world today (George, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through engagement in illegal means of satisfying an individual’s desire, the rate of crimes in the country keeps on rising. It becomes difficult for the individual to do what is right because the part of personality that is responsible for informing is numbed from recognizing the right from the wrong. This is dangerous because the individual would do anything to maintain his source of wealth. No wonder there are many assassinations in places subjugated by illegal business such as the drug vending cartels (Sow& Chan, 2010). References George,B. (2006). Personality Theories. Found online at: htttp://www.social-psychology.de/do/pt_freud.pdf Sow, Gaik and Chan, Wai. (2010). Personality Development. Found online at: http://elearning.ibc.ac.th/sites/default/files/personality%20development_0.pdfWeiten, W.,Dunn, D. & Hammer, E.Y. (2011). Psychology Applied to Modern Life; Adjustment in the 21st Century: Tenth Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth-Cengage. Source document

Character Analysis of Cassio and Roderigo from Othello

Character Analysis of Cassio and Roderigo from 'Othello' Othello is one of William Shakespeares most acclaimed tragedies. The story of a Moorish general (Othello) and the soldier (Iago) who plots to usurp him, the play features a small cast of characters who are manipulated and pitted against each other as part of Iagos deceitful plan. Two of the key characters are Cassio, Othellos loyal captain, and Roderigo, a man who is love with Othellos wife, Desdemona. Over the course of the play, both are lured into the complex love plot engineered by Iago, one of Shakespeares  best-written villains. Cassio Cassio is described as Othellos honourable lieutenant, and he is given this rank over Iago. The appointment, undeserved in Iago’s eyes, justifies the villain’s cruel revenge against him: One Michael Cassio, a Florentine†¦ / That never set a squadron in the field / Nor the division of a battle knows.(Iago, Act I Scene 1) We know that Cassio is of good standing due to Desdemona’s passionate defense of him. However, Othello is easily turned against him by Iago. In Act II, Cassio foolishly allows himself to be encouraged to go for a drink when he has already acknowledged it to be the wrong thing to do. â€Å"Come lieutenant. I have a stoup of wine, Iago says (Act II Scene 3). I’ll do’t but it dislikes me, Cassio replies. Once the captain becomes drunk, he is drawn into a brawl and attacks Montano, a former Cypriot official, badly wounding him. The attack is an embarrassment to Othello, who is forced to act quickly to appease the Cypriot officials. The Moorish general sacks Cassio on the spot: Cassio I love thee, but never more be officer of mine.(Othello, Act II Scene 3) Othello is justified in this, as one of his men has injured an ally; nevertheless, the scene demonstrates Othello’s impulsivity and his righteousness. In his desperation, Cassio falls into Iago’s trap once more as he implores Desdemona to help him win his job back. His office is the most important thing to him, so much so that he neglects his relationship with Bianca while he is trying to get it back. At the end of the play, Cassio is injured but redeemed. His name is cleared by Emilia and as Othello is stripped of his duties, we are told that Cassio now rules in Cyprus. As the new leader, he is given the responsibility of dealing with Othellos fate: To you Lord Governor, / Remains the censure of this hellish villain. / The time, the place, the torture O enforce it!(Lodovico, Act V Scene 2) As a result, the audience is left to ponder whether Cassio will be cruel to Othello or forgiving. Roderigo Roderigo is Iago’s dupe, his fool. In love with Desdemona and prepared to do anything to get her, Roderigo is easily manipulated by the evil Iago. Roderigo does not feel any loyalty towards  Othello, who he believes has stolen his love from him. It is Roderigo, under the guidance of Iago, who goads Cassio into the fight that gets him dismissed from the army. Roderigo escapes from the scene undetected. Iago tricks him into giving him money to convince Desdemona to be with him and then encourages him to kill Cassio. In Act IV, Roderigo finally gets wise to Iagos manipulation of him, declaring that Everyday thou daff’st me with some device (Act IV Scene II). Nevertheless, he is again convinced by the villain to follow through with the plan to kill Cassio, despite his misgiving. I have no great devotion to the deed, Roderigo says. And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons. / Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies (Act V Scene 1). In the end, Roderigo is stabbed his only friend, Iago,  who does not want him to reveal his secret plot. However, Roderigo finally outsmarts him by quickly writing a letter which he places in his pocket, pointing to Iago’s involvement in the plot and his guilt. Although he ultimately dies, he is in some part redeemed by his letters: Now here’s another discontented paper / Found in his pocket too. And this it seems / Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain, / But that, belike, Iago in the interim / Came in and satisfied him. (Lodovico, Act V Scene 2)

Power, Authority and Force are Distinct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Power, Authority and Force are Distinct - Essay Example Power, authority and force are three different aspects of an individual’s or society’s life. In a country, it is the government that is the sole authority and has the power to make decisions for the social welfare and wellbeing of the people. However, despite such power, the government cannot force or impose rules upon people if they do not wish to follow them and thus, there has to be some room left for liberal thinking or allowing the will of the people to persist. Power thus is the ability to get work done because of leadership skills; it is the capacity that a person may have in order to perform some work or carry out an action in an effective manner. Authority on the other hand is the supremacy or command that a person or a body has, to make decisions. Finally, force is the manner in which a person may impose upon another or coerce another in order to do something or carry out an action. In this manner, these three terms are distinct and will be discussed with vari ous examples during the course of this essay. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) All over the world, all the time, there are various examples of these three terms being combined and used in the same situation; where there is authority, there is power being wielded because only an authority on some matter has not only the full right but also the ability to exercise something; and sometimes, this exercising of power by an authority might turn out to be forceful upon a group of people that do not wish to follow it. Power is the ability to influence the outcome of events. It could be both correctly as well as incorrectly used and the incorrect use of power would lead to coercion or force upon people. Authority on the other hand is a very subjective term because it is bestowed upon people that seemingly do well in their respective fields; people who may be deemed fit in order to carry out a certain task. (Jovial Bard) For example, the president of the country is rightfully elected as the autho rity to carry out certain powers but they are not forced or imposed upon people. However, in some cases, like in countries where there are monarchs or countries like China that are completely republican in nature, the power wielded by the authority is forced upon the individuals and they have no choice but to follow the same. There are various views on this very subject; taking into account the reign of Saddam Hussein, the despotic leader, it may be understood that he assumed authority without commanding respect for the same. Thus, in the eyes of the rest of the world, especially the United States of America, he was deemed to be an illegitimate leader, who just assumed an authoritarian position. He had access to weapons of mass destruction which he threatened people all over the world with and thus this was an application of force on his part because of the high power that he held as the president of a country, as he imposed fear among the citizens and led them to a very terrifying and horrific way of life. (Bowen, D) Over the years, nonetheless, the power that the United States has over the rest of the world has been growing; especially because after the 9/11 attacks, the entire world held sympathy for the country and thus supported it with all their might. However, as the US has been

Human resource Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human resource - Case Study Example It is pretty obvious from the case itself that the company is facing problems in retaining the customer service representatives. According to the representatives some of the causes for high rate of attrition have been working on weekends, very little contact with the other departments, hesitance for cold calling, lack of remuneration for success, etc. Therefore in order to solve the problem of employee retention these problems need to be take care. Here are a few recommendations that may provide a way out. One of the major causes of retention has been working on weekends. Customers can need help or support at any point of time in the day, hence the customer care representatives need to be there for help even on weekends. However, the each of the customer care reps the may not have to work on each of the weekends. For example a customer service rep may work on two weekends in the month and may get rest on the other two. The reps should be given some extra remuneration for working on the weekends. Another root cause for attrition has been the lack of fact between the reps. and other members. Hence from time to time job rotation policy can be used. This can reduce the boredom as well as give the reps an opportunity to understand the way the other departments function. It can come in real handy while handling the customer queries. Another problem has been lack of recognition for the reps. hence there could be a token of appreciation for the best customer service rep. of the month. Also th ey reps should be provided some extra incentives for each sale they make. This can also minimize the problem of hesitance in cold calling. But that is not all it has been mentioned by the reps that most of time problems faced is something beyond the control, such as billing issues or late delivery. Hence the organization should make sure that the end product is being delivered to the customers in time,

Pay as Motivator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pay as Motivator - Essay Example Skinner's reinforcement theory (1953) is perhaps the foundation for every study on the matter. By stating that behaviour can be shaped, changed, or maintained through positive and negative reinforcement, he implied that people can be made to behave in certain ways using levers of motivation. Later studies merely attempted to find what those levers were. Maslow (1954) proposed five levers he called human needs, with the lowest being physiological, and self-actualisation the highest; in between are the safety, social, and esteem needs. He said meeting these needs is the motivational key, which leads others to ask: if pay helps meet each of these needs, why is it that even highly-paid CEOs continue to milk their corporate cow, sometimes fatally Pay does not seem to give the complete answer. Perhaps Herzberg (1959) had an answer in his hygiene and motivational factors. He argued that a worker would be satisfied if the motivation factors are met, but not if hygiene factors are unmet. However, hygiene factors do not necessarily lead to job satisfaction. And like these other content theories, MacGregor's (1960) simplistic categorisation of employees does not fully explain the behaviour of greedy managers who used to be honest. An interesting trilogy of process theories (Adams, 1963; Vroom, 1964; Porter and Lawler, 1968) goes beyond the tangible and crosses the line into the realm of the mystical. Balance (Adams's Equity Theory), values and beliefs (the expectancy and instrumentality of Vroom), and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation (Porter and Lawler) point out that money is important, but there are others of greater value that managers need to know about workers so they can trigger the right behaviour. Fifteen years (1953-1968) of research concluded that to motivate others, one has to find out why people do the things they do. And now, some four decades later, as researchers continue investigating the human psyche in search of answers, the list of motivational levers just keeps on getting longer. Pay has never been near the top of the list, superseded by more important ones like job security, the loftiness of goals, and the meaningfulness of work (Ambrose and Kulik, 1999; Gagne and Deci, 2005). Are these findings supported by empirical evidence in the real world of the workplace We find out by looking at two well-known U.K. companies: The Royal Mail Holdings plc, a government-owned firm, and J. Sainsbury plc, the publicly listed owner of the third largest supermarket chain in the U.K. Both companies, just getting out of a serious business crisis, offer us a good look at the "pay as motivator" issue by considering the behaviour of managers and workers. We may find some evidence of how our motivation beast really looks like, discover whether the theories are right and, if not, gain some practical lessons from this exercise. The Reality: Hard Facts The Royal Mail Experience The Royal Mail is a 370-year old organisation that began when King Charles I introduced the postal services in Britain (Steven-Jones, 2004, p. 8-9). It was a government monopoly until the passage of the Postal Services Act of 2000 that liberalised the U.K. postal services market. The law was the culmination of several factors, but what triggered it was an event that took place three decades earlier, when in 1971 postal workers staged a six-week strike that threatened to cripple the

The Benefits of Live Performances over Recordings Research Paper

The Benefits of Live Performances over Recordings - Research Paper Example The sounds of today are not aimed at accuracy of sound. Due to their nature and the way they are made, there could never be a live equivalent of what is being played. The artist hears the music played through earphones, and then sings along to what they hear. Most of the music is dubbed over until perfection of the sound is as close as possible. While it may be extremely enjoyable to sit in your pajamas in bed listening to your favorite music or watching a live performance online, due to the technology involved, it’s not as realistic as an actual live performance. One of the greatest concerns of the music and performing industry today is piracy. We might be the only nation who doesn’t have terrestrial performance rights for sound recordings. Every time recordings are played, royalties are paid by the one broadcasting them. New legislation aimed at guaranteeing royalties for music and films downloaded from the internet, the Performance Rights Act in 2009, made it illegal to record, download, or copy music and videos intended for sale. In some ways this puts a damper on the home experience as many people are unaware of what constitutes piracy. It is the desire to experience the live event again, without paying twice, which fuels this situation. What happens when one listens to a live performance? It’s the whole ambiance of the situation that captivates live audiences. One must mentally prepare in order to fully appreciate their experience. It’s not enough to know about the music one expects to hear.... What a deal! (Recording History) The sounds of today are not aimed at accuracy of sound. Due to their nature and the way they are made, there could never be a live equivalent of what is being played. The artist hears the music played through earphones, and then sings along to what they hear. Most of the music is dubbed over until perfection of the sound is as close as possible. While it may be extremely enjoyable to sit in your pajamas in bed listening to your favorite music or watching a live performance online, due to the technology involved, it’s not as realistic as an actual live performance. (Recording History) One of the greatest concerns of the music and performing industry today is piracy. We might be the only nation who doesn’t have terrestrial performance rights for sound recordings. Every time recordings are played, royalties are paid by the one broadcasting them. New legislation aimed at guaranteeing royalties for music and films downloaded from the internet , the Performance Rights Act in 2009, made it illegal to record, download, or copy music and videos intended for sale. In some ways this puts a damper on the home experience as many people are unaware of what constitutes piracy. It is the desire to experience the live event again, without paying twice, which fuels this situation. (Future of Music Coalition) What happens when one listens to a live performance? It’s the whole ambiance of the situation that captivates live audiences. One must mentally prepare in order to fully appreciate their experience. It’s not enough to know about the music one expects to hear; all the details of the performers, their journeys along the human path are a vital part of the show as well. The experience begins when the line forms to buy tickets. Memories of

Apple Inc Culture Has Both Advantages And Disadvantages Business Essay

Apple Inc Culture Has Both Advantages And Disadvantages Business Essay Introduction Apple Inc, a multinational company delivers high standard computer products, communication products, and entertainment product such as Mac Computers, Iphones, Ipads and Ipods. The American company was developed and formed in Cupertino, California in the year 1976. The company was incorporated in 1977 as Apple Computer, Inc. The company started as computer manufacturer, and over the years the company grew rapidly was soon more than a computer manufacturer. The high standard operating system Mac OS made them unique among the competitors from the same industry. At the moment Apple, Inc is one among the top rated in the fortune companies and is well established as a PC, Mobile phone, and software developers and distributors worldwide. The company was formed in the year of 1976 the incorporation took place in the year of 1977; also the first computer was introduced in the year of 1977. The founders of Apple Inc (founded as Apple Computer Inc) are Steven Paul Jobs, Stephen Gary Wozniak, and Ronald Gerald Wayne. But Wayne has left Apple before the incorporation, the real twist in its growth and development was with the entry of Mike Markkula who was the former marketing manager at Intel Corporation. Markkula offered a financial support for Apple Computer Inc. He had invested $ 250, 000 and some expertise for expanding Apples business. At first, they manufactured a computer without key boards and monitors, the computers even sold without a case. The first computer is named as Apple I. Following Apple I the company had launched Apple II which covers all the drawbacks of Apple I. Apple II had added advantages over its predecessor, including a colour display and a cassette storage drive. The introduction of Apple II was a great success and it enhanced $ 1 million annual sales. By the year 1979 Apple launched Apple II+ computers which came out with better memory and features that Apple II. During the 1980s Apple introduced their Apple III computers. The launch was a big failure. The analysts stated that the PC had launched without sufficient tests, as a result many of the units turned out to be defective. Following that Apple continued to remain innovative in product development. One of their greatest innovations was their Ipods which is able to store and play music files with the help of their own Itune software. The unique design and ultra portability made the product favorite for all kinds of customers. Following that they have introduced their first mobile phone, which was there entry in to the booming mobile phones industry. The mobile phone is top rated for their unique features, and enormous designs. It was great success in the smart phones category. With all their high standard products and innovations the company had remained top rated even in the recession. According to the second quarter report Apple Inc, the 2010 second quarter revenues raised up to $ 13.5 billion, the second quarter revenue of 2009 reported as $ 9.08 billion. Also the profit margin raised from $ 39.9 % to $ 41. 7 %, Mac PCs shows 33 % unit growth and Ipones shows 131 % unit growth compared to the previous quarter. Whereas, Ipods shows 1 % decline in unit growth, the major portion of the revenue is contributed by Iphones. Organisational behaviour According to Mullins, (2005), Organizational behavior as the study and understanding of individual and group behavior, and patterns of structure in order to help improve organizational performance and effectiveness, (Mullins, 2005, p.26) Organizational culture is complex and multi-faceted. Culture is intangible and varies from organization to organization. Many authors came up with relevant theories regarding these subjects. It can be defined in simple terms as the way things are done in an organization. Mullins, 2005 stated that according to Handy there are 4 main ways that organizational culture can be classified, they are as follows: Power Culture Role Culture Task Culture Person Culture Power Culture Organization in this category tend to have minimal rules and regulations, also it is largely dependant on a central character. The decisions are made by this central character or a central group. The focus group of Apple Inc have proved to be best at what they are doing so far. Though this type of culture is adopted by small enterprises, Apple Inc have adopted this due to the fact that they emphasise on delivering quality over anything else. Role Culture The organization in this category, tend to have a bureaucratic way of organizational culture. It very much sticks to the rules and regulations of the company. In this culture, organizations tend to work as the strong pillars, where individual values have less importance, whereas the positions play important roles. In Apple Inc, there involved a level of secracy as individual opinions were not acepted at all points and there were flaws in communication as well. While looked upon from a human resource view, this proved to have affected the product development at various stages. Where as, when looked upon from a product development prospective, this proved to be a more challenging and more demanding quality of significant importance. In most cases the pillars are controlled by the role, also roles and job descriptions are more important than individual performance. Task Culture In this culture, organizations are more concerned about the objective and tasks. It does not pay much importance to HR rules and regulations as this culture is more tasks oriented. Expertise and individual performance are more valued than the positions and roles. The communication tends to be both ways and the employees are free to express their ideas and suggestions at Apple Inc. Also decision making is not relied on information from a single source and the employees take part in expressing their opinion or the managers gathered ideas from the co-workers. But reports at Apple Inc show that this culture can be difficult to achieve economies of scales. In todays fast moving digital world, many companies including Apple Inc adopted this style of operation. In olden days this has been seen in the aeronautic engineering, but now-a-days some of the multinational IT companies are adopting this style, because they are keen about their organisational goals and tasks. Person Culture Individuals are the key factors for this concepts, this culture is normally seen in animal protection organizations. According to Mullins, (2005) Geert Hofstede also identified four dimensions to organizational culture and work place differences. They are as follows: Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Individualism Masculinity Power Distance In this culture there is high level of disparity. According to Hofstede this culture is totally dependent on the management; in this concept subordinates should obey the superiors. Communication tends to flow from top to down. It is seen in military operations, at the moment organisations are trying to reduce power distance and putting their maximum efforts to bring equality in organizations. Apple had this within the management and this was a factor that affected the overall performance to a certain extend. Uncertainty Avoidance As Hofstede linked the national culture and organizational culture, uncertainty avoidance refers to the unexpected situations or unusual situations that a society or the employees of an organization feels that they are going to face. Apple Inc had this problem as there was a level of secrecy maintained among the employees. They themselves were not aware of what was happening around them. Individualism Individualism refers to the individuals being capable of looking after themselves. At Apple Inc, the context of organizational behavior is applicable to some parts of the organization that the employees are self driven. They are highly committed to what they do pertaining to work and were not able to take care of themselves. Masculinity It refers to the gender difference in organizational behavior, in some society the womens value is not differed from mens but in some society it differs women has less value that the men. Automatically it affect the organizational behavior, if an organization provide the same positions for men and women, it may bring internal conflict in that particular organization. Leadership Leadership is not about the leader, it is about how he builds the confidence of everyone else. Leaders are responsible for both the big structures that sever as the cornerstone of confidence, and the human touches that shape a positive emotional climate to inspire and motivate people. Leaders delivering confidence by espousing high standards in their messages, exemplifying these standards in the conduct they model and establishing formal mechanism to provide a structure for acting on those standards. (Mullins J. L, 2007, p.362) A diagrammatic representation of leadership Subordinates-centered Leadership Boss-Centered Leadership Use Authority by Manager Area of freedom for subordinates Manager makes decisions and announce it Managers permits subordinates to function within defined limits Managers presents problems, gets suggestions and make decisions Manager presents ideas and invites questions Managers presents tentative decisions to change subject Manager sells decision Managers define limits, and asks group to make decision (Mullins J. L, 2007, p.362) What is good at Apple, Inc? Innovative and task driven culture Apple Inc is totally focused on innovation, in another word they always tries make superior and unique products to gain competitive advantages. For this purpose they are very keen to choose the best work force available. Hard work and commitment is the main quality that the company seek from it employees. There is a common saying that there is always more work to do than the employees. A relaxed and informal atmosphere is created in the working campus, many researches proved that the employees at Apple Inc is relaxed and at the same time highly committed to tasks given by the company. The company is always taking keen interest to entertain their employees after the working hours. As discussed, the company is recognized as innovator therefore it always prefers workaholic people. In one way the company is adopting Handys task oriented organizational culture, in this culture Handy described that organizations are less formal and highly task oriented. It is agreed that Apple Inc is adopting an innovative and task driven culture, but at the same time they have very strong work ethics and very strict deadlines. The best example for this there working hour, an employee is working 60 to 70 hours per week. The employees believe that apple is not just for making money. The innovations helped the company gain market reputation, at the same time it helps the employee to learn more things every day. That is one of the main things that employees are seeking for, especially in software and computer related fields. The technology is changing day by day, and Apple Inc is always trying to innovate something which can surprise the world. It helps the employees even after they left the organization, the world knows that the employees coming out from Apple will be highly committed, task driven and hard working, also they can contribute expertise in to other business in which they are selected for. Individualism According to Hofstede, in this culture employees are capable or expected look after themselves. Apple Inc is allowing their employees to work themselves. The employees must run their own shows. Because of that the company is always seeking for the best talents, also the guidance are given occasionally, as a result the employees are becoming self confident and self motivated, and they clearly focused and showing high commitment to the tasks. Also they always ready to take more responsibilities. There is common belief in the employees mind that Apple Inc is always seeing for accomplishment rather than the relationship building. Individual has the opportunities to prove their ability and get the reward. The opportunity to grow is wide open in Apple Inc. As it is highly focused on the innovation and their keen interest to launch something new and inspiring allow the employees make the days creating and challenging. It is widely accepted by the employees at Apple Inc is that every day tha t they can learn and they can experience something new. Therefore the individual opportunities to grow and learn is more compared to any other multinational firms, also the employees are capable to their own tasks without any guidance. Diversity and Cross functionality Apple Inc is a multinational which is always looking for the best talents and committed work force, therefore from all the parts of world talented people are appointed. Employees are most often used to work with multinational workforce. It is also allowing the employees to learn different culture and working styles. According many studies conducted, it has been realized that employees are often find cross functional activities to perform the accomplishment of the companys objectives or organizational goals. Apple Inc. took all the necessary steps to promote diversity among its work force and also there always make sure a non homogeneous workforce. Furthermore they have set up partnerships with various of organizations. Apple Inc has a partnership with National Black MBAs, National society of Hispanics MBAs and the society of Women Engineers. These Kind of organization promote diversity and allow the employees mix with diverse work force. Apple Inc believes that the diversity in work force is one of the important tasks to execute a successful corporate culture Managers are asked to do different tasks other than their working area. Many of the multinational firms are adopted cross functional activities in order make their employees multitask oriented and to broaden up their abilities. Many mangers in Apple Inc, stated that they have often asked to cross functional activities which are out of their working area. For instance according to case study, an input manager commented that he is involved in many of the cross functional activities, one day he may asked to involve in industrial design, another day he may asked to involve in the product design and software engineering. These kind of cross functionality will make the employees to work and enhance knowledge in different fields, also they may not be stick in position they will always be creative and active. At the same time the organization will allocate a smooth operation in regards human resource management, it may not stuck if one or more employees are off or on holidays, someone can ea sily cover up the situations. Bonus and Benefits The benefits in Apple Inc are differs from locations to locations and it is also depends on the employment status. The company has taken number of steps to make the employees feel good about the benefits offered by the company. The companies benefit programs starts with the insurance coverage schemes, also they initiated Flexible spending accounts, employees stock purchase program, 401 saving and investment plan, product discounts for the staffs, on site fitness programs also they offered the opportunities to work in big projects where extra bonu is offered. As discussed the bonus and benefits somewhat depends on the performance, in the year 1995 Apple Inc has designed and implemented a program called Apple Fellow Program. The main aim of the program is to identify the best performer and from which employee the company has received extra ordinary contribution. The Fellow program winners used to be the leader and they can guide other for companys progress activities. In return the company offered the Flexi benefit program to its staffs. Also the studies and researches shows that Apple Inc had given free Iphones to its staffs after the unique mobile phone has launched in the industry. Opportunities and Job Securities Career opportunities are very wide in Apple Inc, as it recognized as an innovator the employee are having wide range of opportunities to prove their caliber and can build their career on a performance wise. Also Apple Inc conducting many internship programs which allow the employees to gain the thorough knowledge in different fields. The employees working with Apple Inc is coming out with a great confidence. According to Maslows pyramid after basic need of human it very essential that employees feel job security. In case of Apple Inc it is not only a job security, in Apple Incs words the company is not providing employment security but it is providing employability security. The people coming out from Apple Inc is highly demanded, employers are happy offer opportunities for this candidates. Employers worldwide are well aware that these candidates have a wide range experience and they can cope up with any organizational culture. They expect a strong contribution from these candidates. Unique Corporate Culture The organizational culture at Apple is highly focused on the jobs and innovation, may CEQs came and made some changes in the culture, but over the time the ultimate corporate culture is totally focused on innovation and the jobs done. They are enjoying an informal culture at the same time they have employed very strong deadlines and making the employees to have clear focus on the objectives. The founder Jobs did contributed the best of to make this Unique culture possible for this company. Many of other multinational firms are adopting this kind of organizational culture. The difference between these companies and Apple Inc is that the other companies will be more flexible and they might lose the focus and they wont be strict on the deadline like Apple Inc. On the other hand Apple Inc is maintaining the informal culture and task oriented culture but at the same time they are very much focused on the objectives and tasks and they have very strong deadline with no compromise. The corporate culture of Apple Inc, is making the employees or it is encouraging the employees to make something Insanely Great and the CEO Jobs said to be the founder of this culture. As discussed earlier many CEOs came and altered the organizational corporate culture, but at the end of the day Jobs came and restructured the culture, after he has come back he realized that the company is lacking their original culture which was at time he was the CEO. Experts opinioned and stated the result of this change is Imac. What is bad at Apples, Inc Lack of transparency of information Apple Inc is recognized as an innovator and the products they are offering to the market is unique and high standard. There is secret behavior has maintained from the beginning of the business. In a way it is acceptable that company is mainly focused on Innovations therefore a secrecy in information is necessary, but may reports shows that the secrecy somehow making trouble for smooth operation of the company. Their tight control over the information caused many troubles; even it had led an employee to commit suicide in China. Though they have not affected by the recession, considering future growth of the company transparency of information is necessary. Transparency of information helps the investors as well as the stake holders. Many of the multinational companies showing keen interest in making the information available to the public, but at Apple Inc secrecy is there part of the corporate culture. Reports show that the many of the product launches are surprising the staffs, because it is kept secret, only the product developer and the senior management are aware of the product. But thinking globally many great ideas and suggestions can come out from the internal staffs, especially from the marketing team, because they are the have the clear picture of market needs and wants. Even the managers used to make wrong information product even during the meetings. Dysfunctional culture There are assumptions many times that Apple Incs corporate culture moved to dysfunctional. There are cases reported that many talented people they left the company because they could not adjust and adopt the unique culture of the company. According to the case study vice president is enjoying a greater power in the company. Analysts pointed out that the company has less feeling towards relationship with the employees but they strictly focused on the jobs. An incident reported that vice president hired people and assigned a pay scale twice than the senior employees working the firm. Unfair Promotions and compensations There are many cases that reports unfairness in promotion and analysts say that the employees are treated unfairly. This is mainly because of their unique corporate culture, as discussed earlier personal values have less important in Apple Inc they prefer jobs and innovations but at the same time they are creating a relaxed atmosphere for their employees. Also report says that only top executives are compensated and appreciated for jobs done. The employees claiming that even if they come out with new product, they dont get enough appreciation. Also the promotions are given depends on the interest of the managers. There are comments from employees that they are not given enough opportunities grow their career. Long Working Hours Apple Inc is always preferred hard working people in another word they prefer workaholic people who does not care about the working hours. An average working hours per week in Apple Inc is 60 to 70, which is more than the normal companies working hours. As we can see this will affect employees family life. The job is also bit stressed and the employees must be creative and enthusiastic all the time. For instance if an employee is working in the product development department for 60 to 70 hours per week continuously they might get over stressed, the particular department needs full concentration all the time he or she is working. There case that former employee sued Apple Inc for violating the labor law California, he complained that he used to work 7 days every six weeks. The company is also aware of that, there are cases after working these kinds of long hours the employees were in therapy. Highly Depending on Leadership Apple Inc is highly depending on the leadership, The CEO Jobs has very much influence on the corporate structure of Apple Inc. Analysts sees that without Job Apple will nothing other than a normal software company. Also analysts stated that the company will be struggling without Jobs. Looking into the theoretical side one can see that Job the CEO of playing both democratic and autocratic styles of leadership. In a way he is making an informal atmosphere and creative opportunities for his employees at the same time the company is very strict on the tasks and deadlines like a military camp. The information are very secret and the will not tolerate any leakage of the company information. The always kept a secret behavior. Conclusion Many of the issues have been discussed, it has been realized that Apple Inc as multinational company has a unique at the same very challenging corporate culture. Many supporters have wrote and many companies are trying to adopt this culture, also many studies shows some of the major draw backs of Apple Incs corporate culture. The study realized that the culture has both advantages and disadvantages, the capacity of innovating unique and high standard products the company attract more talented people in to their business, the younger generation will love to work with as they can learn something every day also they can expose themselves. On the other hand there are some major draw backs, they have no transparency of information also they have long working hours compared to another companies. With some changes the corporate culture of Apple Inc can be the best in the world. Recommendations There are major issues that the company can change, they are as follows: The information can be more transparent, the investor and stake holder are always seeking transparent information. Also it can help to improve product quality and can get tremendous ideas and suggestions from the co workers. Transparency of information will help the company to know better the needs and wants of the market. The long working hours can be changed, maximum of 40 hours working hours will help the employee to relax, a relaxed mind can produce greater idea than a stressed and week mind. Having multiple senior executives will allow the company to continue their activities, eve if one senior executive left the organisation. All the employee should be treated same, equality is another great fact for the success of an organization, more talented people will be attracted to organisation. Job appreciation will encourage the employees to work more committed and task oriented.