Case Study on Rondell Data Corporation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 747 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/12 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? The Growth of Rondell Rondell Data Corporation was founded in 1920 by Bob Rondell. Its inception was based on Rondell’s invention of several electrical testing devices. During the 60’s the company had increased its business to include data transmission equipment. Rondell data Corporation had a reputation of being a source of high quality innovative designs. By 1978 they had two major lines known as Broadcast Equipment and Data Transmission, with broadcast equipment accounting for 35% of the company sales, and Data transmission blossoming with increased demand for highly specialized and innovative designs. Sources of Conflicts The conflicts in Rondell started gradually as a result of increase in disputes between research, engineering sales, and production staff over the last few years. The disputes seem to center on the problem of new product introduction, and are focused on the engineering department. There were communication issues between departments and upper Management. Rondell’s outdated organizational structure contributed also to the conflicts. The structure in Rondell follows a strictly functional approach. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Case Study on Rondell Data Corporation" essay for you Create order Rondell also lacks the cohesive and clearly organized structure required of a large company. As the company was growing, the different departments were also growing, but at different rates and interactions were changing disproportionately. The engineering, research and development departments bore the brunt of this irregular expansion, because the workforce for the engineering department is distributed among other departments. This leaves them without a clear mission or purpose and the chain of command is therefore unknown. For instance the engineering services are bogged down by the details of managing its disparate components and employees instead of increasing the product line under their direction. The Organizational Design at Rondell The organizational structure in Rondell was based on several beliefs, such as length of employment which is the basis for selection of key individuals. There was no formal structure and there was little regards for hierarchy. Each department was required to take care of its members regardless of the impact it may have on the organization. Rondell has a very close family tradition, yet the culture of uncooperativeness still exists among its different departments. It is noted that the firm had experienced a number of disputes between research, engineering, sales, and production people, and each department had blamed the other for Rondell’s decline in profitability. When Rondell was founded in 1920 as Rondell Equipment Co. , the Organization’s values based on tradition of â€Å"a long-standing reputation as a source of high-quality, innovative design† led to an elitist mentality. Rondell’s employees boasted that they were the best and performed so well because of the family spirit within the old organization. This traditional Elitist model made it hard for the organization to adapt to growth and rapid change. According to (Reimann Wiener, 1988) â€Å"The real test of the effectiveness of a corporate culture comes when the organization’s environment changes. Sometimes a strong culture can be like a millstone around the neck of a firm that is trying to respond to environmental changes†. As the Company grew and added second generation employees, a more formalized structure was needed. The strong â€Å"family† culture had become dysfunctional, giving way to divergent subcultures. Recommended Design Changes According to Cook, Hunsaker Coffey, 1997, p. 87. Rondell has a typical organization by function. This structure works best in a company with few and similar products, but depends on managerial control and coordination. This is because all functions are working toward the same goal which is- develop, build, and ship the product. In addition this design is most effective when departmental tasks are relatively independent of each other. Basically this design is best suited to encourage specialization. Another issue meant to be addressed is the fact that the entire performance system enabled, and indeed seemed to encourage individuals to see their own performance as separable from the enterprise as a whole. Below are my recommendations: †¢ Rondell should make strong emphasis on Team building, Team participation, and decision making. †¢ A cross-functional approach should be taken to accomplish key company tasks such as new product development. Retain the services of a qualified consulting team to help the management team †¢ An organizational design process should be initiated to determine the best organizational structure for the company. †¢ Engineering services should add a project management function to aid the team in coordination, planning, and monitoring the project process. References 1. Curtis W. Cook, Philip L. Hunsaker Robert E. Coffey, (1997, p. 87): Management and Organizational behavio r 2nd edition. 2. Reimann, B. C. Wiener, Y. (1988). Corporate culture: Avoiding the elitist trap, Business Horizons, 31, 36-44.

Comparing Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of...

Imperialism in Heart of Darkness and Kiplings Poetry Imperialism sprung from an altruistic and unselfish aim to take up the white mans burden1 and â€Å"wean [the] ignorant millions from their horrid ways.†2 These two citations are, of course, from Kipling’s â€Å"White Man’s Burden† and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, respectively, and they splendidly encompass what British and European imperialism was about – at least seen from the late-nineteenth century point of view. This essay seeks to explore the comparisons and contrasts between Conrad’s and Kipling’s view of imperialism in, respectively, Heart of Darkness and â€Å"White Man’s Burden† and â€Å"Recessional.† In a historical context, the two texts differ greatly: Heart of†¦show more content†¦This was the occasion for which â€Å"Recessional† had been written, and it celebrated a vast empire that had â€Å"dominion over palm and pine,† and a â€Å"far-flung battle-line.† The poem speaks of ‘lesser breeds without the Law,’ and it is this law that â€Å"if, drunk with sight of power,† must not be forgotten. It is a prayer for the eternal altruistic mission that the white man had been destined for, as well as a hopeful prayer that England should not decline: Far-called, our navies melt away— On dune and headland sinks the fire— Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!4 The call to extend ‘the Law’ continues in Kipling’s poem â€Å"The White Man’s Burden.† However, such an extension calls for a definition of a â€Å"white man.† By this term, Kipling refers not only to those with white skin colour. Charles Carrington points out in his biography5 that in the late 19th century â€Å"white people† included all men with the moral standards of the civilised world. Carrington convincingly cites Kipling’s own poem â€Å"Gunga Din† about an Indian water-carrier, in which Gunga Din is ‘the finest man I knew’. I have elaborated upon Carrington’s example: [When] a’servin of ‘Er Majesty the Queen, Of all them black-faced I

Management Skills Karlas Situation

Question: Discuss about theManagement Skillsfor Karla's Situation. Answer: Introduction Essentially, managers must illustrate the ownership of a team, an aspect that is achieved by maintaining a close contact and provision of objectives regarding various tasks. By adhering to these principles, the organization realizes an efficient working environment and an excellent layout that attracts potential customers (Hayton, 2015). Therefore, this paper assesses the leadership qualities that are portrayed by Kayla to highlight the efficacy of international relations. Description of Karlas Situation Notably, Karlas situation is a complicated affair given by the inability to maintain the computers in the three workstations to run on a shared network. Moreover, the administrator faces enormous tasks that are critical to the operation of the machines. For instance, a significant amount of documentations is necessary to allow proper configuration and this undertaking has led to a lack of time to help in the system analysis. Plans on how to Work with Karla To make the working environment efficient, operating with Karla will be based on responsibility sharing. Further, Karla will be in charge of identifying the properties of the computers and making sure that proper connectivity to the printers is done. Besides, the administrator will be tasked with the documentation and layout of the office. However, as the network strategist, the analysis, and installation of the software will be done through my office. How to Address Issues of Persons that Run Personal Computers Importantly, the customization of the computers ensures that each staff is comfortable and enjoys privacy at work (Donaldson, 2001). The current conduct of the employees is wrong; thus, none of the personnel will be allowed to install unauthorized applications into their devices as this may lead to high cost of maintenance by the company. Each employees will have to privatize the passwords on their computers and should not be shared unless the individual relocates to another department. References Donaldson Jr, G. A. (2001).Cultivating leadership in schools: Connecting people, purpose, and practice. Teachers College Press Hayton, J. (2015). Leadership and management skills in SMEs: Measuring associations with management practices and performance. Dep. for Business Innovation Skills.

My Antonia Film Review Essay Example

My Antonia: Film Review Paper My Antonia, a film produced by Victoria Riskin and David Rintels, was released in 1995. It stars Neil Patrick Harris in the lead role. The cinematography and music are handled by Robert Primes and Lori Slomka respectively. Based on a classic literary novel of the same name by Willa Cather, the screenplay is adapted by Victoria Riskin. Directed by Joseph Sargent, the movie stars Jason Robards (Josiah Burden), Eva Marie Saint (Emmaline Burden) and Neil Patrick Harris (Jimmy Burden) in lead character roles. The script of the film manages to retain most key aspects of the original written work. Set in the late nineteenth century Nebraska, the story revolves around the travails of orphan Jimmy Burden, who moves into his grandparents’ (played by Jason Robards and Eva Marie Saint) farm that is located nearby Black Hawk, Nebraska. Young Jimmy is immediately drawn to 15-year neighbor Antonia Shimerda (played by Elina Lowensohn) and they become close friends. Conflict arises when Antonia’s father wants Jimmy to teach her English, whereas Jimmy’s grandfather is concerned about his grandson’s own education. But soon the Shimerda family meets a tragedy and contact with the Burdens is severed as the latter move into town. We will write a custom essay sample on My Antonia: Film Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Antonia: Film Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Antonia: Film Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As the ageing grandparents pool their resources into making their grandson a graduate, Antonia renews her contact with Jimmy as she also now lives in town. The subsequent narrative is about the evolution and endurance of their friendship, which lasts for many years, even as Jimmy takes further strides in his academic and professional life. The relationship between Jimmy and Antonia has a romantic basis to it, but neither of them expresses it in overt ways. The intrusion of the beautiful Lena also disrupts the harmony of their relationship. As Jimmy takes greater interest in Lena, he drifts further apart from Antonia. This element of the relationship adds suspense and intrigue to the narrative and keeps audience interest alive throughout. The adaptation to film comes off well, although some of the smaller characters in the novel do not find space in the shorter film format. Yet, the essence of the novel is fully captured through the strong impression that the character of Antonia makes on the audience. Even as the film moves toward the final denouement, the benevolence and kindness of Antonia lingers on the mind of the discerning viewer, standing as a testament to the film’s overall success. For example, even as she realizes that Jimmy is lost to her, Antonia does not cry foul and neglect her duties toward her family. She carries on bravely and reconstructs her life in a manner fitting the circumstances. When Jimmy eventually meets Antonia toward the end of the film, he finds her living a happy married with children. The film ends upon this note of implicit regard and goodwill for each other. As for the performance given by lead actors, excepting for Elina Lowensohn’s stand-out central performance, none of the other actors evince much energy, especially Neil Patrick Harris in the lead role. Even accommodating for the fact that Jimmy Burden is a reserved character in the film, he nowhere nearly capture the emotional turmoil that Cather portrayed so eloquently. One of the larger themes covered by the movie is the disparate treatment meted out to immigrant communities. This is most evident in the ordeals of the Shimerda family in assimilating with the local community in Black Hawk, Nebraska. Willa Cather was a writer of great cultural and social sensitivity. And the film My Antonio successfully captures the thrust and emphasis of her presentation of American social problems. For example, reviewer Tom Wiener correctly notes in his review article that â€Å"The strongest portrayal in the film is the plight of European immigrants and in particular the young women. As Antonia plaintively says, â€Å"Girls like me don’t get chances,† and although she almost blows what she thinks is her best shot, she does land on her feet–no thanks to the self-absorbed Jimmy. A longer film might have given more screen time to the liberated character of Lena Lingard, Antonia’s Swedish friend and Jimmy’s first real lover, to enhance this point. Victoria Riskin’s script is adequate, but it’s forced at times to resort to voiceover narration that spells out what adroitly composed dialogue and more forceful direction might have dramatized.† (Tom Wiener, Rovi) The director Joseph Sargent has to be given a credit for pulling off a fine balancing act. If any faults are to be found, they lay in the technical aspects such as cinematography and background score. Apart from this, only some minor elements of the novel could not properly be translated into the film version, which is a reflection of the low budget that went into production. Moreover, considering that the film was intended for a television audience, the parameters of critical assessment are slightly different for this film. This is one reason why many scenes of intimacy were either cut short or entirely cut-out from the film, making it easy to gain a PG viewer rating and as a result a broader reach. Work Cited: Tom Wiener, Rovi , My Antonia : New York Times Review, New York Times, retrieved from on 25th june, 2011

How Far have We gone essays

How Far have We gone essays Moses Virella How Far Have We Gone? Audience: Government Agencies English I Birth is one of Gods greatest and oldest gifts. Being created by the fluids that run deep within our parents body, has been topic of research and studies for decades. The thought of human reproduction has always fascinated scientist, and brought many questions and doubts into play. How are we made?, and What makes us the smartest animals on the face of the Earth? Strike interest and pose serious curiosity to many researchers and scientist around the world. With technology advancing at a rate surpassing our previous time periods, it is still unclear how far can we go, and how far have we gotten. Scientist have found that as humans we are made up of a substance called DNA. (DNA is any off a various substance of nucleic acid that are used as the basis of the molecular basis of heredity and are localized especially in the cell nuclei.) This substance entrained from a humans spinal cord can be used in creating identical clones. Research has been under way for many years now, and in November a group of scientist plan to clone humans life for the first time ever. You can view your thoughts towards either advancement in technology or a race towards world annihilation. Reasonably speaking, I believe that human cloning is unnecessary and should be reconsidered. As people living in a immense cultural population, clones will likely pose threat to our social structure and cause severe damage. If we start letting doctors clone humans, we are just going ...

Understanding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Understanding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) were chartered by Congress to create a secondary market for residential mortgage loans. They are considered government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) because Congress authorized their creation and established their public purposes. Together, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the largest sources of housing finance in the United States. Heres how it works: You secure a mortgage to buy a home.Your lender probably resells that mortgage to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac either hold these mortgages in their portfolios or package the loans into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that they then sell to the public. The theory is that by providing this service, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac attract investors who might not otherwise invest funds in the mortgage market. This, theoretically, increases the pool of money available to potential homeowners.By the third quarter ​of 2007, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held mortgages valued at $4.7 billion- about the size of the total publicly-held debt of the U.S. Treasury. By July 2008, their portfolio was called a $5 trillion mess. History of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Even though Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were Congressionally-chartered, they are also private, shareholder-owned corporations. They have been regulated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development since 1968 and 1989, respectively.However, Fannie Mae is more than 40 years old. President Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deal created Fannie Mae in 1938 to help jump-start the national housing market after the Great Depression. And Freddie Mac was born in 1970.In 2007, EconoBrowser noted that today there is no explicit government guarantee of their debt. In September 2008, the US government seized both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other GSEs Federal Farm Credit Banks (1916)Federal Home Loan Banks (1932)Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) (1968)Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) (1988) Contemporary Congressional Action Regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac In 2007, the House passed H.R. 1427, a GSE regulatory reform package. Then-Comptroller General David Walker stated in Senate testimony that â€Å"[A] single housing GSE regulator could be more independent, objective, efficient and effective than separate regulatory bodies and could be more prominent than either one alone. We believe that valuable synergies could be achieved and expertise in evaluating GSE risk management could be shared more easily within one agency.† Subprime Mortgage Crisis A subprime mortgage crisis occurred in the United States between 2007–2010, in part as a result of a weakening economy but also as a housing bubble which had pushed housing prices higher and higher collapsed. Houses were large, their price tags steep, but mortgages were inexpensive and easy to get, and the prevailing real estate theory was that it was smart to buy (much) more house than you needed because it was a solid investment. If they wanted, buyers could refinance or sell the house because the price would be higher than when it was purchased.   Fannie and Freddies concentrated exposure to US residential mortgages, coupled with their high leverage, turned out to be a recipe for disaster. When the inevitable crash in home prices occurred, it created an associated spike in mortgage defaults, and Fannie and Freddie were holding hundreds of thousands of underwater home mortgages- people owed more, in some cases far more, on their houses than the houses were worth. That situation contributed greatly to the 2008 recession.   Collapse and Bailout By mid-2008, the two firms had expanded to almost $1.8 trillion in combined assets and $3.7 trillion in combined net off-balance sheet credit guarantees. Over the same period, however, they posted $14.2 billion in losses and their combined capital only amounted to about 1 percent of their exposure to mortgage risks. Despite efforts in the summer of 2008 to prop up the failing GSEs (the Housing and Economic Recovery Act on July 30 temporarily gave the US Treasury unlimited investment authority), by Sept. 6, 2008, the GSEs held or guaranteed $5.2 trillion dollars in home mortgage debt.   On Sept. 6, the Federal Housing Finance Agency placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, taking control of the two firms, and entering into senior preferred stock purchase agreements with each institution. The U.S. taxpayer ultimately paid a $187 billion bailout to the two GSEs.  Ã‚   One stipulation to the bailout was that going forward the quality of housing loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to improve. Investigations by economists Dongshin Kim and Abraham Park reported in 2017 indicate that the quality of post-crisis loans is indeed higher, particularly in the requirements on the levels of debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and credit scores (FICO). At the same time, loan-to-value (LTV) requirements had been loosened since 2008, allowing a steady increase in the number of first-time home buyer loans.   Recovery By 2017, Fannie and Freddie had paid back $266 billion to the US Treasury, making their bailout a tremendous success; and the housing market has recovered. However, Kim and Park suggest that continued monitoring of the quality of the mortgages would be prudent. While FICO and DTI are indicators of the borrowers ability to pay their mortgages on time, the LTV is an indication of the borrowers willingness to pay. When the house value falls below the loan balance, people are less likely to pay on their mortgages.   Sources Boyd, Richard. Bringing the GSEs Back In? Bailouts, U.S. Housing Policy, and the Moral Case for Fannie Mae. Journal of Affordable Housing Community Development Law 23.1 (2014): 11–36. Print.Ducas, John V. Subprime Mortgage Crisis 2007–2010. Federal Reserve History. November 22, 2013.Frame, W. Scott, et al. The Rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Journal of Economic Perspectives 29.2 (2015): 25–52. Print.Kim, Dongshin, and Abraham Park. How Sound Are the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Recoveries? Are There Vulnerabilities for History to Repeat? Graziadio Business Review 20 (2017). Print.Agency/Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Product Overview 200What Are the Origins of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Essay

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants - Essay Example All members of AICPA have to respect and follow the Code of Professional Conduct that provides rules and guidance for the execution of professional duties. Additionally, every three years, individuals have to go through one hundred and twenty hours of professional education. Every year, all records regarding this program must be kept and produced on request from the organization. Those exempted from the program are the unemployed, retired or individuals who may have left work temporarily. Membership to the organization has various benefits. These include; platforms for accountants to the network such as volunteer groups, conferences and task forces and the improvement of professional and personal skills through the education program. Also, members are updated regularly on new key developments, hot issues, emerging trends and new regulations regarding the accounting profession. This is done through news articles and publications such as the Journal of Accountancy offered by the organi zation’s website. The Institute also offers discounts services to members on everyday personal and professional needs such as office supplies, shipping, and travel. Conferences available on the site include the 2015 Auto Dealership Conference and Global Manufacturing Conference both slated for the month of September.The organization has taken initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in the profession owing to the multi-racial and ethnic backgrounds of professionals.