Meg Whitman at E

Meg Whitman collaborated with other employees in E-Bay which enabled the firm to achieve positive performance in the market. She hired new employees and made them aware of corporate changes she intended to introduce in the firm. Whitman employed older and more experienced employees with multiple skills, who did not have any background in Information Technology. The group of employees assembled was competent and had the necessary qualities needed to initiate positive change in the organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Meg Whitman at E-Bay Case specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More She also hired another team of employees whose were given the responsibility to assure customers that E-Bay’s financial systems were not susceptible to fraud. This restored consumer confidence in the firm which had been severely eroded. She updated the firm’s systems by installing advanced programs which helped to protec t E-Bay from online fraud. These two instances show that Whitman was willing to improve the internal capacity of E-Bay to make its operations more competitive. Whitman improved the company’s policies to make them responsive to new changes which she had introduced. She learnt new technological skills which demonstrated her willingness to learn and understand problems which the firm was facing at the time. This made it easy for her to understand the firm’s situation which enabled her to communicate key aspects of her vision to subordinates. She collaborated with technical staff to solve system problems which E-Bay was facing at the time. Whitman also made E-Bay’s customers more loyal because they were receiving high quality services from the firm’s employees. All employees were aware of the importance of customer focus, which Whitman had introduced, as part of the firm’s market strategy. This encouraged them to interact with clients to understand the ir issues better. This was helped to elevate the company’s position in the market. Whitman removed obstacles which existed between the firm and its customers. She allowed openness in the way the firm interacted with its clients which made them more loyal to the firm. The ‘Voice of the Customer’ allowed the firm to identify areas in operations which needed improvements to ensure customers were offered high quality services. This strengthened E-Bay’s brand in the market because customers were more confident about the firm’s reliability and its willingness to satisfy their expectations. Under Whitman’s guidance, the firm transitioned from an auction website to a full e-commerce website. This expanded the firm’s customer segments and led to positive growth in revenues. The firm was in a better position to benefit from a larger revenue base because these approaches enabled it selling more products in the market. Whitman made customer servic e a key part of the firm’s vision. This changed E-Bay’s corporate culture and the way it conducted its operations in the market. She also changed the mode of purchasing from auction to fixed price which reduced the time products were sold to different customers. This approach helped the firm expand its reach into new markets which helped it grow its revenues. Her guidance helped E-Bay acquire BB and Kruse International, high profile firms which helped E-Bay change its market strategies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whitman encouraged major companies to sell their high priced products through E-Bay by giving them favorable terms. This expanded the amount of goods sold through the e-commerce website and improved its earnings. This helped the firm increase the number of high income clients who purchased products through its website. She improved the reputation of the firm in the market which improved its long term performance in key consumer segments. This essay on Meg Whitman at E-Bay Case was written and submitted by user J0van1 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Get the Best Letter of Recommendation for Scholarships

How to Get the Best Letter of Recommendation for Scholarships SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Scholarships are competitive. They represent an investment in you as a student and your commitment to pursuing your goals in college. Donors want to make sure you're putting their money where your mouth is, so to speak. In order to earn a scholarship, applicants should give committees a clear sense of who they are, what their plans are, and how motivated they are to achieve them. Letters of recommendation for scholarships can go a long way toward testifying to a student's past achievements and potential for future success. Let's take a more in depth look at what purpose recommendation letters serve in the scholarship application process. What's the Purpose of Recommendation Letters for Scholarships? Scholarships are often awarded to a specific type of student with specific goals. They might be merit-based and awarded for achievement in science, writing, or math. Others support a special talent in athletics, music, or art.Whatever the focus, most scholarships are looking for something distinct. Letters of recommendation can go a long way toward reinforcing a student's unique story and testifying to her special talent or commitment. If the scholarship committee is looking for the next great violinist at Carnegie Hall, then the recommendation can speak to the student's singular commitment to daily violin practice and her moving solo concerts at school.Letters of rec can both validate and add further dimension to the story a student is telling the scholarship committee. Recommendation letters also show that the student has teachers, counselors, or other people in her life who are excited to advocate for her. Glowing reference letters show that others believe in her past and future accomplishments. They also hint that a student will be similarly successful at connecting with professors at college and making the most out of the opportunities that are available in and out of the classroom. Finally, strong reference letters help a student come to life as a 3-dimensional person in the eyes of a scholarship committee. While students may have similar resumes, recommendations can helpdifferentiate students and illuminate their unique character and personality.While resumes list what a student has done in the past few years, recommendation letters describe how a student conducts herself and what passions and motivations drive her actions. The best person to communicate all this knows the student well and has the writing skills and time to handcraft an eloquent statement of support. If you're a student applying for a scholarship, how can you choose the right person(s) to take on this important task? Choose wisely. Choosing Your Recommender First and foremost, you have to know the requirements of the scholarship. Do they want to see recommendations from a teacher? A counselor? A friend? Do they want one recommendation, two, or three? The type of scholarship will also help determine who you ask. To win a scholarship for achievement in science, you'd most likely want to ask your biology, chemistry, or physics teacher. If it's a baseball scholarship, then Biology Department Head Mr. Wilson singing praises of your lab skills might not get you too far. Besides these more obvious considerations, you should be thoughtful about who you've connected with and who knows you well enough to provide deep insight into your character and personality. Junior year teachers are often a good choice, because they had you in class recently and for an entire year. Freshman and sophomore year teachers may be reaching too far back into the past, and senior year teachers probably don't know you well enough yet. Some students ask a department head or even the principal. These letters can go a long way if the administrator knows you well, as it shows you stood out among all the students in the school. If it's a generic or distant letter though, then it won't be that effective, even coming from the principal or other administrator. Besides supporting you and having a strong relationship with you, the best letter writers are skilled and experienced at writing recommendations. Often your school counselor will have good advice as to which teachers are good choices. You might also hear through word of mouth, or consider how many years of experience a teacher has. Depending on your relationship with the teacher, you might share guides on how to write strong recommendation letters or a sample letter of recommendation for scholarship with them. You can gauge how this would be interpreted, whether it would be seen as a helpful gesture or unintentionally cause offense.Here you can do a little detective work, figure out who has the skill and time to craft an effective letter, and who might be open to suggestions or feedback. Once you've figured out who you want to ask to recommend you for the scholarship, how can you go about asking them? Might I have a moment of your time? How to Request Letters of Recommendation for Scholarships Since a letter of recommendation for scholarship takes time and thought to craft, you should ask for it at least a month before the scholarship deadline. It's definitely advisable to ask in person. Asking face to face communicates respect and maturity, plus it allows you to have a discussion about your application and any questions your recommender might have. If you're asking a teacher, it's a good idea to set up a time to meet during a break period or after school. You should also bring your completed "brag sheet" in hand, which I'll discuss in more detail below. When you meet with your teacher, you can make your request direct and to the point. She's probably well used to receiving requests for letters of recommendation, whether they're for college or scholarship applications. You could say something like the following, customized to your specific scholarship and teacher: I'm applying to the X Scholarship to support my plans for college next year. I really enjoyed your class and learned a ton from you. I'd be flattered if you could provide me with a strong letter of recommendation for my application. From here, pay attention to your teacher's reaction. If she seems busy, hesitant, or otherwise not into it, you might want to ask someone else. A lukewarm letter won't boost your application; in fact, it could actually hurt it. Make sure your recommender is happy to write you a letter without reservation. Otherwise, thank her and ask somebody else. A lot of teachers, especially experienced ones, are familiar with the various colleges that their students apply to over the years and can customize their rec letters to each school. Since there are so many scholarships out there, though, they might not know the ins and outs of the one you're hoping to win. This information, along with a "brag sheet," is useful to discuss when you make your request. Information to Give Your Recommender Of course, the necessary information is the logistics: how to submit, what forms to fill out, and what deadlines to meet. Make sure to tell your recommender exactly how and where to send their letters of recommendation and by what date. Then you can share more about the scholarship itself and why you feel you deserve it. To help your recommender customize your letter to your scholarship, tell her all about what the scholarship is for and what kind of students it's looking to reward. You can also share the rest of your application, so your recommender can complement your story. If you're focusing in on your passion for coding and building websites, then your computer science teacher can talk all about the site you designed in her class. In addition to your application, you could provide a "brag sheet" like many students do for college recs. You might call this something else in your school, but for the purposes of this article I'll stick with brag sheet. The brag sheet is more than a resume. It goes beyond listing your grades, clubs, and activities and provides space for you to reflect on your goals and passions. You can share significant experiences that shaped your values and sense of who you are, along with tough obstacles you had to overcome in your life. Your parents may also give input on this. Sharing these reflections not only helps remind your recommender of what you've accomplished in high school, it also helps reveal deep things about yourself that she may not have known about yet. By learning what's important to you and what lessons you take from your experiences, your recommender can gain even further insight into who you are. All of this is a recipe for a powerful and moving letter of recommendation in support of your scholarship application. Sharing so much about yourself can feel uncomfortable to a lot of students, and requires a certain amount of vulnerability and courage. Don't feel like you have to talk about anything you'd rather keep private. At the same time, sharing your stories could help you connect more meaningfully with your recommender and lead to an insightful, dynamic recommendation letter in your favor. Your recommender may even share her letter with you for feedback, though this is completely up to her. Recommendation letters are generally kept confidential in the academic world. Once you've made your request and shared all the important details, what are the next steps you should take in this process? Unlike the Penrose Stairs, these next steps are possible and recommended. Next Steps After giving your recommender at least a month's notice, if not more, I recommend following up with her about a week before your deadline. You can ask her if she has any other questions about the scholarship and thank her again for providing you with a reference. Once she's submitted her part, and you've completed all the other parts of the scholarship application to the best of your ability, make sure to send a thank you note. Also let her know how it all ends up, hopefully with a letter of congratulations from the scholarship committee! Ultimately, your instincts about who should recommend you will take you a long way. Additionally, these are the most important points to remember about getting a letter of recommendation for scholarship. Money fan. Key Points to Remember These are the most important takeaways for requesting letters of recommendation for scholarships. Ask a qualified person (experienced teacher, counselor, supervisor, etc) who knows you well and is happy to provide you with a strong and thoughtful endorsement. Discuss all the important details with your recommender, like the requirements of the scholarships and the themes of your application. Take the time to reflect on and share your thoughts about your own motivations, goals, and the significant experiences that have shaped you in your life. Send your recommender a friendly reminder about a week before your deadline, and be careful to get everything completed thoroughly and on time. Send a thank you note (or fruit basket, cookies, Groupon for paintball lessons...whatever seems most fitting). All parts of your scholarship application are important, including your recommendation letters! As long as you're careful about who you choose, your letters of recommendation can go far toward strengthening your application and impressing the scholarship committee. What's Next? Do you also need letters of recommendation for college? Is the process of asking for a letter for college any different than asking for one for scholarships? Find out here, with our complete guide to requesting recommendation letters for college. Are you applying to a selective institution, like an Ivy League school? Learn how to make your application stand out among the pool of qualified applicants with this Harvard alum and admissions expert's guide to getting into Harvard or the Ivy League. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. 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El Derecho Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

El Derecho - Essay Example A crane is a bird. Then consider: The crane is used to lift heavy things. The meaning gets twisted depending on the usage. The same is true for El Derecho. In Spanish, as an adverb, the term when translated to English means straight, upright, or directly. Or if used in a sentence, Derechos could mean a straight path, as in â€Å"The children walked straightly to the room† But as a noun, the term is no longer used to describe a direction, but rather it refers to the â€Å"right† of a person. Erichsen, Gerald, a Spanish Language Guide (n.d.), explains that the word, when used as a noun would mean another thing and not specific to direction, but more on the rights of a person such as morals, customs, principles, or according to law. The word can also come in a plural form such as â€Å"derechos†, or derechas. So if one would refer to human rights, it is correct to call it â€Å"derechos humanos† for human rights’. When â€Å"derecha† is used, Er ichsen said it connotes political affinity, such as opposite of the â€Å"left† political party, or ‘right wing’. Vernor Munoz Villalobos, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education (2010) used the term â€Å"derecho humano† on her paper to describe a human right to have an education.(UN General Assembly, New York, 2010) . The word has a clearer meaning when used as an adjective because it is specific such as right, opposite of left, straight or upward or in brief, it gives a specific direction, like â€Å"linea derecha†, that means straight line. In news reporting, El Derecho is used as a super storm prediction and a criterion for severe wind gusts. It is a word coined by the NOAA-NWS-N CEP Storm Prediction Center that describes â€Å"derecho† as a long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. This could be related to my above description of the word because of the straight damage direc ted in one direction. Thus the Storm Prediction Center calls it a ‘a straight-line wind damage’ or Derecho (John, Roberts, et. al. 2012). The word Derecho was created by a physics professor in Iowa University in 1888. Reportedly, it was said he chose this term to describe a thunderstorm-induced straight line winds as an analog to tornado. The Center so far has used the word to classify storm according to its behavior and damaging winds. It has also become an important word used in meteorological forecasting. As such, â€Å"derecho’ has been an adapted term for storm news reporting, like D.C. Derecho, Maryland Derecho, Derecho Storm, etc.(Debonis, Mike. 29 June 2012); the Intense storms called Derecho as reported by Accuweather.com, July 2, 2012 (author not mentioned) and a rare Derecho storm reported by Aron Harris of ABC news, July 2, 2012 As to usage to signify a â€Å"right†, the United Nations used the word â€Å"Derecho al Desarollo† to mark t he 25th Anniversary of Declaration to the Right to Development (Naciones Unidas) The usage of the word is limitless and some even used the word to name organizations, title, etc. Take for example, the international partners of Catholic for Choice in Latin America, a Catholic Organization that has named their organization as â€Å"Catolicas por El Derecho a Decidir (CCD) in Latin America†( Catholics for Choice n.d.). I will not discuss here the purpose of the organization since it is beyond the scope of my topic. A Spanish newspaper for European press has adapted the name El Derecho for its publication because it is mainly concerned on the legality and rights of people (El

The Influences of Jesus in Contemporary Education System Essay

The Influences of Jesus in Contemporary Education System - Essay Example The schooling and education system moulds a child in his/her earliest stage to live in the present stage as a good human being .For this the education system has to adopt various principles which may help to guide the students in order to live with dignity in this world. The importance of principles of Jesus Christ and its adoption in the education system lies here. In this context let’s explore the influence of the Jesus in the contemporary education system. admit that the education of the children cannot be in the way that they are undergoing a mere teaching but they should be diligently instructed. Further they say that â€Å"our Lord has provided the perfect environment for our children to be trained. That environment is the community where the order of God prevails under the good government of God. In this environment our children are being trained according to Gods purpose on earth with concentric vision of how to accomplish this purpose. They, as vital parts of the community, are being prepared to attain to the highest goal possible in this life — to enter the kingdom of heaven.† centuries, in Europe in their tradition of theatre, have adopted such method. Theatre in Jesuit schools created an aesthetic environment in which students could both ponder their relationship to the world, and evaluate the consequences of human action The Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuit order, was founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola in 1534, with the dual purpose of promoting reform within the Roman Catholic Church, and preaching the Gospel in foreign lands. The establishment of colleges played a key role in the renewal of the Catholic Church in the wake of the Jesuit education, in general, is intended to help students attain "perfect eloquence," i.e., the cultivation of ones intellectual, ethical, and spiritual potential(3) Within this context, theatre had two main functions. It

Financing New Ventures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financing New Ventures - Assignment Example This has paved way for diversification in investment According to (Harrington, 1987) it allows the investor to avoid unsystematic risks such as poor management of the company which will automatically lead to returns not being realized. From this model a linear relationship has been developed to show the relationship between systematic risk and the expected return. As compared to weighted average cost of capital (WACC) this model gives a robust discount rate that can be used for assessing the investment. Using WACC a project can be turned down when its internal rate of return is less that of WACC. This is because WACC is based on the assumption that any investment doesn’t have an effect to financial and business risk. Using CAPM, gives internal rate of return that is higher than the security market line and a return that can minimize or eliminate system risk. CAPM is considered as the best tool to calculate the cost of equity as compared Dividend Growth Model (DGM). This is because it takes into account the systematic risk level of the business relative to stock market. Portfolio effect refers to the addition of other investment into the portfolio with aim of reducing risk. This can be termed as diversification of portfolio such that change in the value of one investment e.g. bond in the portfolio there will be a response to change in the value of other assets in the portfolio. Portfolio effect has the ability to minimize a specific risk attached to an asset in a given portfolio, but this depends or lies on the degree of correlation of assets held in the portfolio (Hirt & Block, 1990). Diversifying portfolio can be achieved in either horizontal or vertical diversification both will help to reduce the risk associated to a given asset, vertical diversification occurs when an investor decides to add different form of assets or securities in his portfolio e.g. cash, corporate bonds, and building. This is advisable since whenever a

Ability Job Fit

Ability Job Fit What is more likely to lead to high work performance a fit between ability-job or between personality-organisation? Introduction The aim of this assignment is to construct an argument to support the proposition, that Performance-Organization fit is more important over Ability-Job fit, for higher job performance. Scope and Definitions The scope of the assessment covers only the area of high work performance related to ability-job and personality-organization, using proven research and theoretical information from a wide range of articles and journals that are relatively current and authentic. Accordingly, both theory and empirical research, drawn from thorough literature review are used to analyse, substantiate and conclude Personality-Organization shall to lead to higher work performance In this paper, Work performance is broadly viewed as Contextual performance behaviour, counter productive work behaviour, inter personal facilitation and task performance. Background Information Globalization and its effects have led organizations into unchartered territories. As institutions valiantly try to thrive in an ever demanding atmosphere, the identification of critical resources is paramount to any organization. The single most important factor that is significant to any organization is its human capital. The success or failure of an organization can be largely attributed to its human resources. Thus making it directly related to their work performance. The senior executives of most organizations view people and workforce related issues as a critical competitive differentiator and one of their top agenda items. This sentiment is evident in the survey conducted by Accenture in their 2006 Edition of the Accenture High-Performance Workforce Study, in which attracting and retaining skilled staff and developing talented leaders were cited by the executives as critical factors in achieving high performance (Accenture Consulting, 2006). High Work Performance In an organizational context high work performance is defined as an employee (or group of employees) at any level or functions that is focused on the right priorities and understand that they are accountable for delivering strong results. They are energized, engaged and perfectly positioned to give their best by exceeding or far exceeding their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Ability Job Fit Ability-job fit can be defined as the fit between the abilities of a person and the demands of a job, or the desires of a person and the attributes of a job (Sekiguchi, 2004). Personality Organization Fit Personality-Organization is defined as the compatibility between a person and the organization, emphasizing the extent to which a person and the organization share similar fundamental characteristics and/or meet each others needs (Kristof, 1996). Ability Job Fit for High Performance According to the literature on practical job previews, correct and practical job information enables applicants to review the degree of similarity between their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and the job necessities. Applicants who identify a match between the job requirements and their KSAs are likely to stay in selection and accept the job offer. The basic assumption of the theory is that applicants personal assessments play an important part in initial attraction, to remain in the selection procedure and finally in job acceptance decision. Research also supports that subjective fit is the better predictor of hiring outcomes and applicant attitudes than the objective fit (Carless, 2005). Ability-Job fit assessment If you are a job seeker, you might not be considering the importance of ability job-fit, but this fit is critical. As research suggests, without it, you become among the estimated 75 percent of the workforce who are dissatisfied with their jobs (Coppola, Carini, 2006). The ability job-fit model demonstrates that work performance, personal satisfaction and outcomes are enhanced when the employee and work environment are in perfect synch. Synchronization is a process that includes not just education and experience, but many dimensions of individuals abilities: ability to learn, mental hard-wiring, personality archetypes, leadership dynamics and physical abilities (Coppola, Carini, 2006). Job Characteristic Belief Dimensions A primary classification in the job characteristics is Hackman and Oldhams (1980) Job Characteristics Model, which includes five job characteristics: Autonomy Skill variety Task feedback Task identity Task significance Empirical findings on Job Characteristic Belief Research on the model has also found that a multiplicative or additive index of the five job characteristics reflecting job complication is a better analyst of the models psychological findings than an individual job characteristic (Fried Ferris, 1987). Thus, for the purpose of conciseness, a single complexity job characteristic feature was developed for the current research, involving the degree to which a job is complicated, challenging, and involves diverse tasks (Ehrhart, 2006). Further, research finds that the five dimensions, in the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) predominantly relates to an individuals experience of the job, regardless of other factions such as subordinates, co-workers, supervisors, or customers. Accordingly, the level and nature of interpersonal interaction required by customer service jobs is not represented in the JCM (Ehrhart, 2006). Antecedents and outcomes of Ability-Job fit The review of the ability-job fit literature by Edwards (1991) recognized job satisfaction, low job stress, motivation, performance, attendance and retention as outcomes that are positively affected by ability-job fit. When ability-job fit is assessed as the match between what an employee wants and receives from performing job, it is linked to enhance job-satisfaction, integration, and organizational commitment, as well as reduced intentions to resign. Additional benefits for task performance have been established when the meaning of ability-job fit is expanded to include the match between abilities and their job demands. Research by Sekiguchi in 2004, also demonstrates that structured and validated measures for determining ability-job fit have led to efficient selection of employees leading to high performance compared to unstructured techniques (Sekiguchi, 2004). Personality Organization Fit for High Performance Person-environment (P-E) fit propose that positive responses occur when there is a high level of compatibility between individuals and their environment. Research also emphasizes this proposition that individuals adapt easily to jobs that match appropriately with their career personality traits (Spokane, 1985; Tinsley, 2000). P-E fit is seen as a general and wider term, and covers detailed concepts of fit. In the high work performance domain, one common form of fit has been identified as person-organization fit (P-O fit). Further, empirical data suggests that Personality-Organisation fit is the key attribute in maintaining flexibility and dedicated workforce that is essential to a highly competitive organizational environment (Bowen, Ledford and Nathan, 1991; Kristoff, 1996). The Person-Organization fit is distinguished into two types: Supplementary fit Complementary fit Supplementary fit is defined as when a person has similar characteristics to other individuals (Ivancevich, Konopaske Matteson, 2008). Complementary fit is defined as when the individual and the situation suit each others needs (Ivancevich, Konopaske Matteson, 2008). In analysing the P-O fit and related affects on high work performance, the personality domain should be taken into account and evaluated. The main personality domains of interests in the P-O fit are the following: Big Five personality dimensions Locus of Control Self-efficacy Big Five Personality Dimensions In accordance with psychologists, the five big personality dimensions identified in humans are: Extroversion Emotional stability Agreeableness Conscientiousness Openness to experience Extroversion is a trait that indicates a persons outgoing, sociable behaviour. Research suggests that people with high extroversion thrive in sales and managerial positions as they enjoy interacting and conversing with fellow colleagues and peers Their performance excels in training programs and tends to contain superior levels of overall job contentment (Judge, Heller Mount, 2002). Emotional Stability is the ability to be calm, serene, relaxed and secure. Low emotional stability can result in job dissatisfaction and underperformance due to job-related stress (Judge Ilies, August 2002). Agreeableness is the tendency to be considerate, forgiving, tolerant, trusting and soft-hearted. In the organizational domain this is classified as someone who gets along with others and who possess a cooperative attitude. Agreeableness is a trait for a team player who can develop and maintain good interpersonal relationships and team cohesion (Neuman Wright, June 1999, pp. 379-389). This trait is paramount for high performing teams, specifically in the occupations within areas of customer service, sales, auditing, nursing, teaching and social work. Conscientiousness is to be dependable, organized, thorough, responsible and disciplined. Individuals displaying such traits have a tendency to work hard and enjoy achievements, which research has deemed to be important for job performance (Ivancevich, Konopaske Matteson, 2008, page 75). Further, individuals in this group exhibit higher levels of motivation, job satisfaction and other important forms such as retention, attendance and less counterproductive behaviour which are imperative for job performance (Judge Ilies, August 2002).. Openness to experience tends to reflect the extent to which a person is broad-minded, creative, intelligent, inquisitive and willing to take risks. These characteristics are advantageous in occupations where innovation and change is continuous (Ivancevich, Konopaske Matteson, 2008, page 75). Empirical Findings on Big Five Personality Barrick Mount in 1991 conducted research to indentify the relationship between selected job performance criterias and Big Five personality dimensions within five occupational groups. The job performance criterias were: Personnel data Training proficiency Job proficiency Meta-analysis findings of different occupational groups (professionals, skilled/semi-skilled labour, managers, police and sales) across Big five personality dimensions are presented in Table 1 appendix1 (Barrick Mount, 1991, p.12). The results confirmed that for all the occupational groupings Conscientiousness was the valid predictor. The 5 occupational groups shows consistency across other personality dimensions (Barrick M.R Mount M.K, 1991, pp.12-13) In terms of Emotional Stability (ES) very little evidence was found. The correlations for ES were lower compared to conscientiousness, but ES for professionals was in fact in the opposite direction. Agreeableness and Extraversion were theorized as valid predictors for sales representatives and managers. This theory was found support for Extraversion in both occupations. However, very less support was found for Agreeableness, for sales and for managers. Rest of the true score correlations with respect to other dimensions were quite low (Barrick M.R Mount M.K, 1991, pp.14) Table 2 in Appendix1 shows that Conscientiousness as a credible tool for all three criterion types and the results for Conscientiousness are consistent. Extraversion and Openness to Experience (OE) were significant predictors of training proficiency criterion. Most of the other remaining correlations were comparatively small for all three criterion types (Barrick M.R Mount M.K, 1991, p.14) Van Scotter and Motowidlo (cited in Murphy, Cleaveland Beaty, 2001, p. 127) examined correlations between task performance and personality measures scores, and also the two dimensions of contextual performance: Job dedication such as self-disciplined behaviours like working hard, following rules and taking initiative to solve a problem Interpersonal facilitation (cooperative behaviours which helped co-workers in finishing their tasks) These researchers found that Agreeableness, Extroversion, Conscientiousness, and Positive Affectivity were significantly related to inter personal facilitation and only Conscientiousness was related significantly to task performance (Murphy, Cleaveland and Beaty, 2001, pp.127) The relationship between job context, job content sources of stress and selected behavioural and attitudinal outcomes, absenteeism and perceived performance, were empirically examined, while controlling for differences in personality, occupation and organizational culture. The research was conducted with twelve hundred hospital workers using an occupational stress questionnaire and attendance records. It was found that job content stress was found to reduce absenteeism but not to influence perceived performance, while job context stress increased absenteeism and reduced perceived performance (Arsenault, 1983, p.227) The outcome of the research attributed personality to have significant effect on performance but not on absenteeism, but occupation influenced absenteeism but not performance; while organizational culture contributed to the explanation of both absenteeism and performance (Arsenault, 1983, p.227). Smithikrai in 2008 conducted a study on Counter Productive Work Behaviour (CWB) and the extent to which the strength of situations moderates the relations between personality traits (Smithikrai, 2008, p.253). The study set the following as the CWBs: Absenteeism Production deviance Workplace aggression Theft Sabotage or fraud The Research found that conscientiousness is the strongest predictor of CWB (Hough, 1992; Salgado, 2002; Dalal, 2005; Sackett et al., 2006(cited in Smithikrai, 2008, p.253)). The results also indicated that, in a weak situation only, conscientiousness has a stronger, negative relation to CWB when agreeableness is low than when agreeableness is high (Smithikrai, 2008, p.261). Locus of control Locus of control refers to the extent a person believes that specific outcomes are caused by their actions. If someone feels that they are in control of the outcomes, then they have an internal locus of control and the opposite be interpreted as external locus of control (Salazar, Hubbard Salazar, 2002). Empirical Findings on Locus of Control Daileys (1980) study, conducted with 281 scientists, tackled the association between locus of control and task difficulty, task variability and job performance. The research indicated that individuals with an internal locus of control exhibited greater satisfaction, motivation and had an elevated level of involvement in their jobs leading to high performance. Research with a group of accountants performed in Taiwan, also suggests that accountants personality, as measured by locus of control, plays an essential function in predicting the intensity of job performance (Jui-Chen Chen, Colin Silverthorne, 2008). Self-efficacy (SE) SE is essential for successful job performance and must not be underestimated as simply the belief that ones capability and competence may even determine an individuals attempt at completing a particular task. SE affects a persons choice, behaviour, motivation, perseverance, and facilitative thought patterns. Low SE can result in incapacitating effects such as stress and depression, and thus should be handled with care for high job performance (Christopher, 1999). Empirical Findings on Self-efficacy Research was conducted amongst 118 employees in an Australian financial services firm Christopher, 1999). In the study, self-efficacy was found to mediate the association between the amount of prescribed training and superior ratings of improved performance among individuals in jobs where self-confidence was perceived to be crucial for positive outcome, but not among individuals in any positions where it was considered irrelevant (Christopher, 1999). Research confirms the significance of self-regulatory mechanisms in performance achievements and motivational processes (Locke Latham, 1990; Kanfer, 1990; Bandura, 1997; Carver Scheier, 1985). Meta-analytic investigations and performance outcomes in a variety of contexts have been clearly established when self-efficacy is associated (Bandura, 1997) and meta-analytic investigations (Stajkovic Luthans, 1998a). A positive connection between self-efficacy and work-related performance is found by researchers in areas such as computer-related tasks (Harrison, Rainer, Hochwarter, Thompson, 1997), academic research productivity (Taylor, Locke, Lee, Gist, 1984), managerial decision-making (Wood Bandura, 1989a), career choice (Lent, Brown, Larkin, 1987) organizational change (Judge, Thorensen, Pucik, Welbourne, 1999) and coping with career-related stressful events (Stumpf, Brief, Hartman, 1987). The Importance of P-O Fit over Ability-Job Fit Although studies of Ability Job Fit and Personality-Organization (P-O) Fit have been extensive and increasing, researchers have increasingly put more emphasis on P-O Fit. Kristof (1996) contends that there has been a growing interest in P-O Fit during the recent years by both scholars and managers. Bowen et al (1991) (cited in Sekiguchi, 2004) explains that P-O fit is the key to maintaining the flexible and committed work force that is necessary in a competitive business environment and a tight labour market. Kristof, (1996) contends that P-O fit occurs when an organization satisfies an employees needs desires and preferences. The P-O fit argues that employee/persons leave jobs that are not compatible with their personalities. However, it has been argued that the ability job fit model emphasizes the performances of employees, but their satisfaction and thus the outcomes are enhanced when the employees and their work environment are in perfect synchronization (Coppola Carini, 2006). Also, according to Coppola and Carini (2006), individuals past experience and educational skills would not produce any tangible performance outcomes as they try to match their skills with a new job. Sekiguchi, (2004) contends that employees and organization attract each other based on their similarities. This was confirmed by empirical evidence that an elevated level Personality-Organization fit is linked to a number of positive results. Vancouver Schmitt, 1991, Brets Judge, 1994, Chatman, 1991, Boxx et al; 1991, Downey et al; 1975, OReilly et al, 1991, Postner; et al; 1985, Tziner, 1987(cited in Sekiguchi, 2004) explains that empirical evidence discovered that Person Organization Fit was correlated to a number of positive performance outcomes. Cable and Judge, (1996) explains that people select organizations that fulfil needs that has been seen a process that resulted in P-O fit. Chatman, 1989, 1991, Judge, 1993, OReilly et al., 1991, Meglino, et al., 1989 (cited in Cable Judge, 1996, p. 297) further explains that employees are fully committed towards their organization when they share the values of their organizations and in turn they achieve maximum job satisfaction resulting in high performance. Conclusions Theory and research on Ability-Job Fit and Personality-Organisation fit involved a variety of levels of study with respect to high job performance. The analyses were conducted using various job abilities and personality traits in multiple conceptualizations leading to job performance. The P-O is the important attribute to an employees adaptability in an organization providing the essential impetus to higher work performance. This basically means that recruitment of persons possessing the right personality would result in far better job performance when the person and the organization are aligned together. Based on the theoretical and empirical research on personality-organisation fit and ability-job fit, its extensively proven that personality-job fit carries more importance than the ability-job fit. References Accenture Consulting 2006, High Performance Work Study 2006, Research Report, p. 5, retrieved 2 April 2010, . Arsenault, A 1983, The role of personality, occupation and organization in understanding the relationship between job stress, performance and absenteeism, vol. 1983, issue 3, p. 227 Barrick, MR Mount, MK 1991, The Big Five Personality Dimensions and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis, vol. 44, issue 1, pp. 1-26. Bandura, A 1997, Self-efficacy: The exercise of control, New York: Freeman. Beaty, JC Jr, Cleveland, JN Murphy, KR 2001, The Relation Between Personality and Contextual Performance in Strong Versus Weak Situations, vol. 14, issueÂÂ  2, pp. 125-148. Cable, D Judge, T 1996, Person-Organization Fit, Job Choice Decisions, and Organizational Entry, Organizational Behaviour and human resource processes, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 294-295. Carless, S 2005, Person-Job Fit versus Person-Organization Fit as predicators of organizational attraction and job acceptance intensions: A longitudinal study, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 78, pp. 411-429. Carver, CS Scheier, MF 1985, A control-systems approach to the self-regulation of action, In Kuhl, J Beckmann, J (Eds.), Action control: From cognition to behaviour, New York: Springer, pp. 237-266. Christopher, O 1999, The impact of self-efficacy on the effectiveness of employee training, Journal of Workplace Learning, Year: 1999, vol. 11, issue 4, pp. 119 122. Coppola, N Carini, G 2006, Ability Job-Fit Self Assessment: Employment Considerations for Job Seekers, Healthcare Executives, vol. 21 issue 2, pp. 60-63. Dailey, R 1980, Relationship between locus of control, task characteristics, and work attitudes, Psychological reports, 47, pp. 855-861. Edwards, JR 1991, Person-job fit: A conceptual integration, literature review, and methodological critique, International review of industrial and organisational psychology, vol. 6, pp. 283-357. Ehrhart, K 2006, Job characteristics belief and personality as antecedents of subjective person-job fit, Journal of Business and Psychology, Vol. 21, no. 2. Fried, Y Ferris, GR 1987, The validity of the job characteristics model: A review and Meta-analysis, Performance Psychology, Vol. 40, pp. 287-322. Gist, ME Mitchell, TR 1992, Self-efficacy: A theoretical analysis of its determinants and malleability, Academy of Management Review, 17, pp. 183-211. Harrison, AW, Rainer, RK, Hochwarter, WA Thompson, K R 1997, Testing the self-efficacy-performance linkage of social-cognitive theory The Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 137, pp. 79-87. 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Introducing New Software and Hardware :: Sales Consumerism Technology Essays

Introducing New Software and Hardware ICT Coursework-Spreadsheet Identify: Mr Smith, who is the owner of JC SPORTS, has discovered three main problems with his shop's basketball sales, these were due to: 1. The old-fashioned manual systems in his company. (Manual system). 2. The lack of interest for the latest new products on the market. (Marketing system). 3. The lack of a new hardware & software systems. (Computer system). Surprisingly, because of poor product handling, out of all the sales in his sports and design shop, the amount of basketball sports goods sold dropped massively over the past six months. At the time, I happened to assist Mr Smith as he was recording down his sales. Mr Smith was not very clever when it came to using computers. He needed a quite a lot of helping out. Due to the fact that I was one of his best customers, Mr Smith then showed me his most baffling results that he recently found out. The problem was that Mr Smith was pretty old fashioned and used the ancient, long gone manual technology like the typewriter to sort out his business instead of using the modern day computer software and technology such as the word processor and the spreadsheet. Since I was compiling this project, I offered to help him solve this very problem by myself doing a series of analysis on the sales, marketing and systems later on in that very same week. It was a challenge. Mr Smith was very much obliged and gave me his sales report immediately. I also advised him to shape up and use the latest up-to-date, business & industrial technology around him and not use his very old, former technology. Later on at home, as I assessed the report, I took into consideration any possible alternative solutions and objectives of the following concerning a sales analysis, marketing analysis and a system analysis. These were ========== 1. Write a questionnaire: Write questionnaire in Microsoft Word. (For the customers- Customers will fill it in) 2. Do a survey: Plot survey results in Microsoft PowerPoint. (For the customers- Questionnaires will be sent out to customers as part of survey) 3. Enter all information and data into both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. 4. Cut down prices: this will help by attracting customers who would like to buy the product at an affordable price. 5. Include deals: this is making special offers to customers that they will find hard to resist. 6. Advertise: this will help more and more people, customers and business associates know more about the product. 7. Introduce new appropriate hardware and software. Analyse: Continuing assessing my project, I conducted a feasibility study on