What does it mean to study management critically Essay - 1

What does it mean to study management critically - Essay Example There are also various terms associated with management such as scientific management, human resource management, knowledge management among others. In organisations, it is mostly used to mean the relationship between those in the higher levels of the hierarchy or employer and employees. So why do we need to study management critically? I will argue that there is need to study management critically due the rise in globalisation which is rapidly changing the nature of work and management. Secondly, management and organisation as Minzberg (1971) asserts affects all aspects of our lives thus a need to understand what it entails and how it can be made effective leading to orderly society. Thirdly, the managers need to be self-critical in order to perform their roles successfully and this needs critical analysis of what their roles entail, how they are supposed to behave and relate with their environment. In the first section, I shall outline how the management concept has evolved over time and how it impacts on organizations and workforce. In achieving this, I shall draw on ideas from Bakan (2004); Linstead, Fulop and Liley (2009) and Jackall (1988). In the second section, I shall demonstrate the benefits of management as well as the negative outcomes associated with it to show that one can be critical of management wi thout necessarily being against it as the critical management studies do (Clegg, Kornberger, Carter & Rhodes, 2006; Edwards & Wajcman (2005); Mintzberg, 1971; Parker, 2002). In the third section, I shall demonstrate the role of being critical in own management and what it means to be critical. I shall then conclude with a brief summary. The Management concept has evolved over a long period of time prompted by changing nature of the economic systems from feudalism to capitalism and recently to a knowledge economy. According to Linstead et al (2009), work in traditional societies or feudal societies was done by hands; for

To what extent is Marxism still relevant today

To what extent is Marxism still relevant today In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activitysociety regulates production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic. (Marx/Engels The German Ideology) I love talking and thinking about politics and to imagine a better society, where I can reflect on what to write in my essays, but the quality of these activities would change very much, if one was not forced to do it, to pass exams, to get a degree, and eventually to find a job to survive in the capitalist society. Everyone knows the difference between self-fulfilling activity and the obligation of wage labour, what we normally call work. When we are looking at the quotation above, we see that Marxism is rather a social utopia than a political program. The utopia of a society without exploitation of people by people, a society where concurrence is abolished and the voluntary cooperation of men and women is the motor of production. The precondition for this view is the idea, that the individual is a social being and for that reason must be analysed in its social and historical context and that is continually in development. The fundamental difference in the history of political thought between the left wing and the right wing is based on the view of the human being. Hobbes for example describes the condition of archaic societies as a bellum omnium contra omnes2, that is why the main fear of men comes from its similars so to protect people from people, there is the need of a strong state and law and order. You ca not change mankind, there is no development There were always these two views of humans that built the basics of ideologies and it seems to be more a matter of belief than a fact that you can prove. In the last decades we experienced a dominance of what I call new liberal thinking, conservative think tanks began to describe human behaviour with the rules of the neo classical school of economics, that sees the person as a advantage maximising individual, all aspects of life are tried to explain as economic behaviour. In 1989 the concurrent system to capitalism lost its last battle of the cold war; the right celebrated the victory of capitalism and liberal democracy and the left was paralysed. The well-known Francis Fukuyama described the End of history as the end point of mankindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s ideological evolution and the universalisation of Western liberal democracy. (National Interest, 1989, 16) In the same article Fukuyama says that it will be a sad time, because there is not going to be any ideological struggle any more, idealism would be replaced by economic calculations, the endless solving of technical problems environmental concerns and the satisfaction of sophisticated consumer needs. The right wing ´s argument against Marxism today is the breakdown of communism and the dark sides of the soviet system, although we know from an Marxist point of view, that the system in Russia had not anything to do with the ideal and the utopia of Marxism. It was state capitalism without any form of democracy that failed because of social movements in Eastern Europe, for example Solidarinosc in Poland. The problem is that left wing intellectuals fell into agony after 1989 because they shared the feeling that capitalism had won and the world is bad, many of them stopped to think about alternatives and lost their utopia, went fishing, or some orthodox ones lost their belief and became new liberals, others searched for third ways. The dominance of new liberalism also colonised the social democracy, for example the words of the social democratic Austrian chancellor, who said in the eighties, that somebody who has visions needs a doctor. The theory of the third way left the road of Marxism as a result of 1989 and is defined by Anthony Giddens as a way between old social democracy and new liberalism. The question is: is the third way a road that leads to nowhere? It is very likely so because there is no final perspective. I would explain it rather as a parking lot of conservative and liberal political ideas, than as a way. Ten years after the transition in the east we are facing a growing social movement with a big scepticism about the economic globalisation, more and more people experience the negative effects of capitalism and more and more people are claiming for alternatives. Social utopias are still relevant because naturally an other system comes to your mind, when you are not satisfied, even if they are only wishes sort of dreams, the next step is the thinking process to realise your dreams. You cannot kill utopias. Marxism is still relevant as an utopia to reach a society of free and equal. The function of ideologies is to conquer the minds, because the actions of people are led from their view of the world and their wishes. Ideology only has an influence on a personality if there is a belief in it. The task of the academic left (if there is still one) today is to win back the hegemony at the battlefield of ideas. 2. Marxism as an instrument of critique I think it is incontestable that Marxism is still relevant as a critique of capitalism the state and liberal democracy. Marxism is a child of the Industrial Revolution and was born as a reaction to the bad effects of proletarianisation, dependency on wage labour, the new mode of production, which caused hunger and oppression. The theory that the development of the capitalist system, with a growing number of wage labourers leads more or less automatically to a revolution forgot, that capitalism was able to react to social and economic changes very fast. So the ruling class understood how to bring more and more wage employees on their side (ex. white collar employees). Nevertheless a big majority in Europe has to live with their income through wage labour, and when we look to a world perspective, we find a massive proletarianisation in the world. (compare Callinocos, 1992, p. 113), In a world perspective we also see growing differences between the south and the north, which makes Marxà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s theory in a global perspective very plausible. Globalised capitalism with its new liberal face, hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²t found an answer to the exploitation of nature and the growing social inequalities. The waste of resources and the economic crisis canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²t be abolished through capitalism. The principle of profit is the principle of exploitation. The regular breakdowns of the stock markets with their destructive effects on states, is a good example. Marx knew that the state couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²t be neutral, because the state represents the interests of the ruling classes and the owners of the resources, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s why liberal democracy could not be a real democracy, it leads to a passive citizenery in the 1988 presidential elections in the US, upper-income electors were twice as likely to vote as lower income electors: the displacement of parliamentary institutions by unelected centres of power [.]; structural constraints on the piecemeal transformation of capitalism it was above all the massive flight of capital from France which forced the Mitterand administration to abandon the program of reforms on which it was elected in 1981. (Callinicos, 1992, p. 109) Variables like class, gender and income are very important for a sociological description of the society, the marxist point of view, played always an important role for class analyses and the question, who has the power in a society, who owns the production means and so on. 3. Marxism as an alternative First we have to define our aims even if they are utopian, first we have to know what we want, then we can search for ways to reach our aims. We will see that there are many ways that lead in the same direction, so the main difference between Marxists, are the means they are using. Marx conceived the post capitalist future as an association of all workers, an association in which freedom and equality were combined through (1) the democratic regulation of society; (2) the end of politics; (3) the planned use of resources; (4) efficient production; and (5) greater leisure. (Held, 1999, p. 147) These are the aims shared by all Marxists to overcome capitalism, to abolish the state and the power and to introduce democratic self-government. What they all have in common is the utopia. The differences between them are the way to come closer to these aims. Libertarian Marxists reject all forms of compromises with organisations of the capitalist society, authoritarian leadership, division of labour. They refuse party organisation. They believe that progress can only be made with democratically organised mass movements. Pluralists are using the institutional framework of the liberal democracy to win control of the state for restructuring it. They believe in the necessity of party organisation, using power to abolish it and extension of participation. Many social democratic parties, some communist parties come from this tradition, green movements can be subsumed under this category too. The orthodox Marxist branch belief in a strong party organisation with professional leadership and cadre discipline, but rejects compromises with the capitalist democracy, which only represents the interests of the capital. (compare Held, 1999, p. 148 150) So Marxists are fighting in many places, in parliaments (pluralists), in basic movements (libertarians), in hidden places (planning the revolution), but they all meet on big demonstrations against globalisation. They donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²t like each other, but every branch plays its role. The orthodox Marxists lost influence, but the forces of the traditional democratic left in the parliaments could come closer to libertarians, because of the growing movement against new liberalism. In the so-called civil society we will find libertarian Marxists. The main difference between these two factions is the question of reform or revolution. Pluralists wanted to get control of the state to transform capitalism, but they became part of the state and of the capitalist system, many lost their ideologies (Third Way), but there are still some left in the institutions. They won ´t bring innovation, what they could remobilize is a strong democratic, anti capitalist basic movement, that is inspired by libertarian Marxist ideas. If this movement is strong enough, it could be the beginning of a new age of a sustainable transformation of capitalism to something different, what seems not realistic at the moment, but who knows. In any case the libertarian branch with its allies in the civil society could wake up the old pluralists in the parliaments and party machines to start a new offensive against new liberalism, to improve democracy, to concentrate on redistribution and to get back or defend important public resources and so on. My theory is, that social movements are a motor of reform, even if they don`t manage to bring revolutionary changes. Marxism always was a threat for the capitalism, that forced capitalism to adapt, but not the theory brought a welfare state or socialist elements to capitalist states, it were always the social movements in connection with the utopia that brought the change. I believe that Marxism is an alternative, because of the weak sides of capitalism and liberal democracy, the exploitation of humans and the nature, the waste of resources and the social inequality, but as long as we don`t have Marxism as an practical alternative, it has three functions: As an utopia it shows us an aim a direction, as an analysing method helps it to show us the contradictions of capitalism and it is a threat for the free market system and liberal democracy, that could lead to an permanent reform of the system. Perhaps we need no revolution. Perhaps capitalism will reform as long as it turns into a communist society, and if not, the revolution will come, Marx said. Bibliographie Callinicos, A: The Revenge of History: Marxism and the East European Revolutions (Polity Press, Cambridge, 1992). Duncan, G.: Democratic theory and practice (University Press, Cambridge, 1983) Held, D.: Models of Democracy (Blackwell, Cambridge, 1999) chapter 4. Levin, M: Marxism and Democratic theory in Duncan, g. 1983. Journals: Booth, W.J.: Making Sense of Marx concept of Communism (1989, Political Theory, 17/2). Fukujama, F.: The End of History? (1989, National Interest, 16) Halliday, F.: An Encounter with Francis Fukuyama (1992, New Left Review No. 193). Milibald, R.: Fukuyama and the socialist Alternative (1992, New Left Review No. 193) Milibald, R.: The Plausability of Socialism (1994, New Left Review No. 206). Pierson, C.: Democracy, Markets and Capital: Are there Necessary Economic Limits to Democracy? (1992, Political Studies, Special Issue). Rustin, M.: No Exit from Capitalism? (1992, New Left Review No. 193). 1 Utopos means nowhere, a place that doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²t exist; an utopia is the birth of a wish. 2 War between all

An Analysis of A Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

An Analysis of A Tale of Two Cities    By reading the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, it gives us an understanding of the French Revolutionary War that cannot be found in textbooks.    By reading between the lines, each of the characters represents the stirring emotions and reactions of the people that were affected by the War.    Lucie Manett, who later becomes Lucie Darnay, is a tender and affectionate loving person. She is a very virtuous woman who reaches out to all human beings in need of love. Most of all the people she meets immediately have respect for and are loyal to her. From the French Revolutionary war point of view, Lucie represents family and bonds between lovers. She is what people are truly fighting for, to defeat the antagonist, battle for what they believe in and then go home to their loving families...Lucie. Lucie also symbolizes peace, when being with the one you love or knowing that they are there its makes people more at ease, it makes war and life a lot more easier to go through.    Charles Darnay is a French nobleman by birth. He is a righteous man who renounces his inheritance and his title, he chooses to earn an honest living as a tutor in England. Charles Darnay was falsely accused of treason. Dickens wrote this, to stand for all the people that were barely involved in the war but were unjustly accused of things they did not do. In the novel you felt what Darnay was portraying and how it affected the people that cared for him most. This showed that there were many people that had done wrong and were sentenced to death for it, yet there were also people who did not deserve to be there. These people were either killed or rescued. Fortunately Darnay was rescued to be with his love.    Like in all wars there is always evil to be present. Madam Defarge is all of the dreadful aspects of war put into one. As she slowly knits the names of her victims that need to die she plots revenge on the people who she watches. She seeks war but waits for the perfect time.

Harriets Hats Essay

1. A year-end physical count of office supplies on hand reveals supplies worth $1,800. The balance sheet reflected a balance in the office supplies account of $3,700 before any year-end adjustments were made. What is the amount of supplies expense that will be included on the current year income statement? 2. On December 1, 20Y1, Nelson collected rent of $7,200 (for December, January, and February rent) from a tenant renting some space in its warehouse and credited Unearned Rent Revenue for the entire amount. What is the balance sheet value of Unearned Rent Revenue on 12/31/Y1? 3. On July 31, 20Y1, Smith Company paid $10,200 to rent warehouse space for the period 7/31/Y1 to 7/31/Y2. This warehouse space was also rented from 7/31/Y0 to 7/31/Y1. Smith’s 1/1/Y1 balance sheet reflected a balance in the Prepaid Rent account relating to this warehouse of $5,775. Determine the amount of rent expense that would appear on Smith’s 20Y1 income statement. EXAM 1 REVIEW | PAGE 1 Reporting Special Income Items Plush Textiles had a beginning balance in its retained earnings account of $580,000 on January 1, 20Y1. Income from Continuing Operations (before-tax) was $225,000 for 20Y1. The company’s tax rate is 30% for all years presented. Following is a list of special items that have not been considered in the amounts above. All amounts are before taxes: Extraordinary gain Correction of a 20Y0 revenue understatement Loss from operations of a discontinued textiles division Gain on sale of the textiles division Omission of depreciation charges from January and February 20Y1 $31,000 $50,000 $22,000 $60,000 $10,000 Prepare a partial income statement for 20Y1 starting with Income From Continuing Operations before Taxes. What is the 12/31/Y1 balance in the Retained Earnings account? Change in Accounting Principle Tom Zuluaga Company began operations in 20Y1. In 20Y1 and 20Y2, the company estimated its bad debt expense by using the percentage of credit sales method. During 20Y3, the company’s management decided to change to the aging-ofreceivables method for determining bad debt expense. Yearly bad debt expense using the two methods is presented below. Tom Zuluaga has a 35% tax rate. 20Y1 20Y2 20Y3 % of Credit Sales $450,000 $300,000 $320,000 Aging-of-Receivables $380,000 $270,000 $290,000 How much bad debt expense will be reported on the 20Y3 Income Statement? What is the dollar value (if any) of the 20Y3 adjustment to the beginning balance of Retained Earnings to reflect this change in accounting principle? Debit Credit What Balance Sheet account other than Taxes Payable and Retained Earnings needs to be adjusted in 20Y3? By how much? Account Change in Accounting Estimate $Â  Debit Credit Tom Zuluaga Company placed an asset in service on January 2, 20Y1. Its cost was $1,350,000 with an estimated service life of 6 years. Salvage value was estimated to be $90,000. During 20Y3 the company’s management determined, due to technological obsolescence, the asset’s remaining useful life is 2 years, and the salvage value is estimated to be $45,000. The company uses the straight-line method of depreciation. Assume a 35% tax rate. How much depreciation expense will be reported on the 20Y3 Income Statement? How much depreciation expense will be reported as an adjustment to the beginning balance of Retained Earnings? $Â  Debit Long-Term Contracts On July 1, 20Y1, Tribe Construction Company Inc. contracted to build an office building for Moser Corp. for a total contract price of $2,500,000. On July 1, Tribe Construction estimated that it would take between 3 and 4 years to complete the building. On December 31, 20Y4, the building was completed. Following are accumulated contract costs incurred, estimated costs to complete the contract, and accumulated billings to Moser for 20Y1 – 20Y4. Contract costs incurred to date Estimated costs to complete the contract Billings to Moser to date Collections to date At 12/31/Y1 $ 250,000 1,750,000 325,000 200,000 At 12/31/Y2 $ 1,300,000 1,100,000 2,000,000 1,800,000 At 12/31/Y3 $ 1,800,000 750,000 2,300,000 2,000,000 At 12/31/Y4 $ 2,650,000 -02,500,000 2,500,000 Complete the following information regarding the amount of profit/loss Tribe will recognize each year of the contract: At 12/31/YI At 12/31/Y2 At 12/31/Y3 At 12/31/Y4 Percent Complete Method Completed Contract Method Prepare a 12/31/Y2 partial balance sheet related to the above contract, assuming Tribe uses the percentage of completion method.

Human factors and ergonometric Essay

Injuries and as well as illnesses are usual things in the workplace and back injuries is said to be about 20% of it. Around 20 to 50 billion dollars are also estimated to be lost because of back injuries per year. Due to the seriousness of the problem and its economic costs, companies are implementing different ways such as the use of back belts in order to reduce if not totally eliminate back injury cases. Today, most workers are depending on back belts, also known as back support in order to protect themselves from back injuries that may happen in the workplace. There had been some claims that the use of back belts reduces the force on the spine and increase intra-abdominal pressure that counters the force exerted on the spine. It is also said that back belts also stiffen the spine and restrict bending motion. It also helps in reminding the wearer to lift properly and thus, reduces injuries specifically back injuries in the workplace. However, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and health or NIOSH, these claims lack scientific support and the validity and truthfulness of these claims cannot be proven. Studies done by the NIOSH also asserts that the difference in back injury incidence between those who use back belts and those who do not have no statistical significance. NIOSH also added that the strongest risk factor is the history of back injury and that the rate of having back injury of those who have history of having back injury is almost twice as the rate of workers without back injury history. Results of the study also shows that through comparing the injury claims and as well as self-reported cases failed to show any significant difference that is associated with the use of back belts even for employees who does the most strenuous type of jobs. Thus, NIOSH does recommend the use of back belts in order to reduce the cases of back injuries in the workplace. Still, although the use of back belts lack scientific evidences that it lessen the cases or the risk of having back injuries there is also no concreter evidence that will totally prove that using back belt have no effect in the performance and safety of the workers and so I will still recommend the use of back belts in the work place to reduce such cases. It would be better than using nothing at all and it may also improve the performance of the workers because they will that the company does care for their needs and safety. In order to guard the safety of the workers against back injuries any gadget is not enough. The best way to really reduce if not totally get away with back injuries is through ergonomics program that will help the workers not just to ensure their safety but as well to maximize their capabilities. Such program may include the assessment of all work activities. This is to make sure the every task in the company can be done without exceeding the worker’s physical capabilities. It is also important to provide a surveillance program that will identify any musculoskeletal problems that are potentially work related cases. Knowing those problems that may occur in the workplace will help the workers to really be cautious in certain types of works wherein the problems may originate. A medical management program is also needed as well as to monitor the workers condition and health to ensure that the workers are in good condition and to prevent not just back injury cases but other injuries and illnesses as well. Preventing the case before it is even able to develop is still the best way to eliminate such cases. Another important step that must be taken is to have a comprehensive training for all workers regarding lifting mechanics and as well techniques not just to be able to do the job better but also to do the job in a safely manner. This is not just for those who are newly hired by the company but also for those who had been working in the company for a long time. The proper ways and techniques especially in lifting are very important to prevent cases of back injuries. The use of back may not have sufficient scientific basis for its effectiveness is reducing back injury cases but there is also no concrete evidence that will disprove the claims. Also, using back belts may not just help the company regarding the issue of back injuries but it may be able to help the company in other ways. Through the use of back belts and right practice, the cases of back injuries in the work place can surely be avoided. References CCOHS. (10, November 2005). Back belt. Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www. ccohs. ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/back_blt. html NIOSH. (10, June 1997). Back belts do they prevent injury? Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www. cdc. gov/Niosh/backbelt. html NIOSH. (February 2001). Back belts. Retrieved January 11, 2008 from http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/backfs. html.