Zara Organizational Structure

Zara Organizational Structure Structure relates to a skeletal framework of activities and processes in an organisation and specifies the roles of these in achieving goals and objectives of the organisation. According to (Mullins, 2009), a good structure is highly important due to the fact that decisions on structure are primary strategic decisions which can make or break an organisation. One important aspect of a good structure is the human element. Organisation structure should be designed so as to encourage employees and increase the morale and job satisfaction of organisation members which will result to overall organisation efficiency. (Mullins, 2006) describes nine basic considerations in the design of organisation structure. The fundamental step is to define organisational objectives to enable further analysis and comparisons of other forms of structure. Clarification of objectives A clear definition of objectives is vital to provide a framework for the design of structure of an organisation. Organisation objectives provide fundamental schemes for division of labour and creation of group units and sub units. Clearly stated aims and objectives will assist in decisions on the strategy and structural dimension to employ to achieve organisational objectives. Task and element functions Certain functions must be performed in order to produce a good or service, from the development of the good or service to finance of resources used in the complete processing. These functions are referred to as the task functions. The results of the task functions must be coordinated to ensure the efficient achievement of total objectives of the organisation. Element functions refer to vital parts of the management process and are supportive of the task functions such as human resources and public relations. Division of work An organisation needs to accomplish an overall task of allocating many different activities to groups of people or individuals to achieve its objectives. The division of work and grouping together of individuals should be organised according to a basic criterion to establish a coherent link between the activities involved. The division of work and linkage of activities occur in various ways such as specialisation, use of similar resources or common expertise of organisation members as the most commonly used basis for grouping activities. Others include division by product or service, division by location, division by nature of the work performed, division according to common time scales such as shift working, division according to staff employed such as allocation of work based on experience and so on. Centralisation and decentralisation The extent of centralisation or decentralisation refers to the point of critical decision making in an organisation which reflects patterns of authority in a structure. In centralised structures decision making authority is within the power of top management while decentralised structures, decision making authority is delegated (Rollinson, 2005). The arguments in favour of centralisation in an organisation entail the easier implementation of a common policy, easier coordination and management control, preventing sub-units from becoming too independent, over-head cost reduction and faster decision making because of the smaller number of people involved. In contrary, arguments for decentralisation include decisions being made at a point closer to operational levels, increased responsiveness to local circumstances, improved level of personal customer service, more flexible structure, control is distributed more evenly which provides opportunity for development for those lower down, and encouraging effect on motivation and morale of staff. Basically, decentralisation tends to be easier to implement in the private sector organisations than public sector ones where procedures and protocols are the order of the day. Decentralisation being a more flexible approach provides support for employee participation and empowerment at all levels which increases innovation and improves technology while centralisation ensures professionalism in all activities by maintaining effective coordination and overall control of the organisations activities as a whole. A mix of both such as being global and local, practically being decentralised with a central control and authority should produce an organisational advantage. A vivid illustration of decentralisation is the Zara fashion enterprise (cited in Mullins, 2009, p.596), where the company derived its success from integration of design, production, logistics and sales within companies globally rather than separating and outsourcing this different business elements unlike its contemporaries in the fashion industry, while still keeping control of all major operations in Spain. The company rejected rigid organisational structures in favour of a more flexible approach which comes from a highly integrated, fast and efficient form of communication between its global network of outlets and central hub of operations in Spain. The industry average time for introducing a design into the shops is six to nine months; Zara achieves this task in three to four weeks. What is peculiar here is that Zara only makes what is selling at the moment, store assistants and managers constantly get information about what is selling and how quickly it leaves the racks implyin g that local managers have a strong influence on their stores success and thus the company overall. On the other hand, an illustration of centralisation is that of Nissan Motor Company (cited in Certo and Certo, 2006, p.123), a successful global automobile manufacturing company where the new CEO ordered calls for the elimination of 30 per cent of production capacity in Japan due to recent financial difficulties. The CEOs plan is to help reduce expenses as well as close offices in New York and Washington with a view to centralise company operations in Japan to enhance success. Principles of organisation The ten principles of organisation include principles of the objective, specialisation, co-ordination, authority, responsibility, definition, correspondence, span of control, balance and principle of continuity. Span of control This refers to number of subordinates who report directly to a particular manager or supervisor. Span of control is larger at lower levels of the organisation where responsibility is concerned more with the performance of specific tasks. If span of control is too wide, supervising too many subordinates effectively becomes difficult and stressful for managers as well as planning and development, training and control. Narrow span of control may lead to low morale and initiative of subordinates due to close supervision level, and also increase administrative costs. Chain of command This refers to the number of different levels in the structure of the organisation, the chain of hierarchical command. Every employee must know there position within the organisation structure. The combination of chain of command and span of control determines the overall pyramid shape of the organisation and whether the hierarchical structure is flat or tall. Flat hierarchical structure depict a broader span of control and few levels of authority while tall structure depicts narrower spans of control and more levels of authority. There is no ideal hierarchical structure but it is best to have a balance of both. An illustration is Mc Donalds fast-food restaurants (cited in Certo and Certo, 2006, p.236). Mc Donalds decided to reorganise its global senior management team as a reaction to its recent poor financial performance. This involved creating two geographic areas of responsibility. The new positions focuses on managing operations in the Americas while the other in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The new structure evolved with a view to create clearer lines of responsibility and more focus on the companys financial performance within the territories. The new organisation hierarchy was also aimed at helping the company make business decisions more quickly. Formal organisational relationships This refers to individual authority relationships arising from defined patterns of responsibility in an organisation. This are identified as; line relationships where there is a direct relationship between subordinate and supervisor; functional relationships between people in advisory positions, and line managers and their supervisors; staff relationships are usually personal assistants who exercise only representative authority. Line and staff organisation This provides a means of making full use of specialists while maintaining the concept of line authority. Project team and matrix organisation A project team refers to a separate unit set up temporarily for a particular project which is disbanded when the duration elapses while matrix organisation involves functional departments specialising in numerous activities. In conclusion, the overall effectiveness of the organisation will be influenced both by a healthy structural design, and by the behaviour of people who work within the structure. There are numerous variables and factors which influence the soundest structure. Nothing like a perfect organisation exists but it is crucial to establish a framework of order and system through which organisation activities can be planned, organised, directed and controlled. Since structure divides up the organisation into different parts and specifies what roles these will play in achieving specific aims and objectives, it also provides for control and coordination of the parts to achieve this goals. Basically, the essence of structure is the division of work among organisation members, the coordination of activities and various jobs which are inter-related. References Certo S.C and Certo S.T. (2006) Modern Management. 10th edn. Prentice Hall Mullins, L.J. (2009) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 8th edn. Financial Time Press Rollinson, D. (2005) Organisational Behaviour and Analysis: An Integrated Approach. 3rd edn. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall

The Dreamer and the Dream :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Dreamer and the Dream Even after all these years of dreaming I am still dumbfounded by the intricacy and originality of the "props" that lie scattered across the dream stage. One of my dreams, for instance, featured a carefully crafted letter from a past love which included a map of the Pacific Coast near Seattle with a cardboard sailing ship that slowly sailed south by southwest as I lifted the page. It was so clever that I wondered out loud "how did she do that?" and turned over the page to discover a small slit made rigid with a careful application of black wax. The ship was attached by a pin which passed through the slot; the pin had a small black plastic cap that kept it in place. The mechanism was crafted so that the force of gravity caused a stately procession of the ship shortly after the page was lifted. So that's how the letter worked, but how did the dream itself work? I won't ask what it "means," but, in general, how do dreams do what they do? Are there any patterns we can detect? If I could turn my dream over what kind of pins and slots would I find? The basic pattern I sense is a dichotomy, two distinct and often opposing forces: the dreamer and the dream. The dreamer is like a hobbled version of my waking "self." Perspectives in a dream often shift in bizarre ways - one minute I am watching a movie, the next I am in the movie, first as one character then as another - but there is generally a "me" in the dream. When people describe dreams they say "I did this. Then I saw that." Despite all the shifting imagery we perceive ourselves as being "in" the dream. But the me in the dream is different from the me I experience in waking life. For one thing, I can't seem to think clearly in dreams. I've had dreams in which I struggle at great length with some simple mathematical problem; upon waking the answer is obvious. I sometimes try to take notes in my dreams but to no avail: the dream "me" cannot read. (I can "pretend read", that is, I can look at a newspaper or letter and seem to read a story, but I'm not actually seeing the words; even if I try to write I cannot see the actual words I've written. The Dreamer and the Dream :: Personal Narrative Essays The Dreamer and the Dream Even after all these years of dreaming I am still dumbfounded by the intricacy and originality of the "props" that lie scattered across the dream stage. One of my dreams, for instance, featured a carefully crafted letter from a past love which included a map of the Pacific Coast near Seattle with a cardboard sailing ship that slowly sailed south by southwest as I lifted the page. It was so clever that I wondered out loud "how did she do that?" and turned over the page to discover a small slit made rigid with a careful application of black wax. The ship was attached by a pin which passed through the slot; the pin had a small black plastic cap that kept it in place. The mechanism was crafted so that the force of gravity caused a stately procession of the ship shortly after the page was lifted. So that's how the letter worked, but how did the dream itself work? I won't ask what it "means," but, in general, how do dreams do what they do? Are there any patterns we can detect? If I could turn my dream over what kind of pins and slots would I find? The basic pattern I sense is a dichotomy, two distinct and often opposing forces: the dreamer and the dream. The dreamer is like a hobbled version of my waking "self." Perspectives in a dream often shift in bizarre ways - one minute I am watching a movie, the next I am in the movie, first as one character then as another - but there is generally a "me" in the dream. When people describe dreams they say "I did this. Then I saw that." Despite all the shifting imagery we perceive ourselves as being "in" the dream. But the me in the dream is different from the me I experience in waking life. For one thing, I can't seem to think clearly in dreams. I've had dreams in which I struggle at great length with some simple mathematical problem; upon waking the answer is obvious. I sometimes try to take notes in my dreams but to no avail: the dream "me" cannot read. (I can "pretend read", that is, I can look at a newspaper or letter and seem to read a story, but I'm not actually seeing the words; even if I try to write I cannot see the actual words I've written.

The World is Flat †Thomas Friedman

1. Do you agree or disagree with Friedman’s assessment that the world is flat? Be sure to justify your answer I agree with Friedman that technology has made the world flat. But there is another point of view disagree with Friedman stating that there are still many people that do not have access to technology and for them the world is still round.2. What are the potential impacts of a flat world for a student performing a job search? In a flat world it is far more difficult to get a job because competition will be increasing at an incredible rate. There are currently 1 billion people online in 2006. It is anticipated that 4 billion people will be online by 2010. As the next 3 billion people come online in the next 4 years competition is going to dramatically increase. But the truth is that Students can now perform a global job search right from their apartment. A student in Chicago can accept a job in Tokyo and never leave the apartment, even when the job starts.3. What can stu dents do to prepare themselves for competing in a flat world? Businesses operate using technology and understanding how business and technology relate will help them achieve success. They can use it as advantage in their completion. And they will gain more skills and learn new ideas4. Identify a current flattener not mentioned on Friedman’s list Videophones and collaboration tools allowing people to meet face-to-face even when they are in different parts of the world Technologies such as Voice-over-IP that offer a cheap alternative to traditional long-distance carriers

George Berkeley’s Argument and Proof on God’s Existence Essay

Questioning about the eternal mystery about the existence of one Supreme Being may appear to be one of the most controversial topics to discuss. Wherever one goes in the world, people would always tend to take this issue of a God as a very sensitive and insightful issue to debate about. With this perceived controversy about the existence of God, a lot of philosophers have dared explore and expound on the topic better. Some of them presented positively appealing views; however there were also some who chose to present a rather contradicting and appalling statement about the reality of one Supreme God. And in dealing about this topic, one of the most surprising and rather intriguing arguments is from George Berkeley. Unlike any other, his claim appeared to be surprising as he argues that religion and science are not always two contradicting fields, thus, the ideas of God’s existence and science can indeed support each other. God and Science: Idealism and Representationalism More often than not, people have always encountered conflicting claims from religion and the fields of science. This may be brought by the conflicting bases of belief which the two fields have. Religion as the more mystic and supernatural field would tend to base its creed on beliefs established by tradition, time and holy scriptures, while science on the other hand would tend to base its conclusions on hard, cold facts. However, one interesting claim and argument is presented by the great mind, George Berkeley who disputed that science can also be compatible and supportive of the idea about the existence of one God (Berkeley Reading, 2009). He argues that the representationalist minds of men are the factors which make them skeptical about ideas such as a Supreme Being. This is because representationalism promotes the belief in things which can be supported and explained by material things. And this is the idea which Berkeley chose to debunk. He argues that, people can only avoid skepticism if only they will choose not to base things on material facts, because not all ideas and concepts are actually explained by these material bases. This is his explanation of Idealism and this is his first basis about his claim that a Supreme God indeed exist. Moreover, Berkeley insists that â€Å"the existence of God is far more evidently perceived than the existence of men† (Priest, 2007). Thus this implies that as people try harder to explain God existence than men’s existence it can be said that God appears to have a more significant reality and existence than men. As more people try to explain God as a supreme being, the more that the idea proves to be stronger. Berkeley believes this argument since he supports the claim that the belief in God’s existence is the product of all men’s ideas, as compared to the belief in men’s existence which is but an inference of one’s ideas. Therefore this logic implies that the evidence of God’s existence if far greater that the evidence of men’s existence (Priest, 2007). And this is another strong point of Berkeley’s argument about God’s reality. George Berkeley like Rene Descartes is a fan of science which is innately a material fact-dependent field. This is the reason why it appears rather surprising how he can explain such a supernatural concept with supporting ideas from science. It is also surprising and very puzzling how Berkeley can argue that matter is not always the basis of the explanation about the existence of things. And this is because he rather believes in the idea of â€Å"sensible things† than of â€Å"matter. † This also shows that Berkeley believes more on ideas over matter. However, he still relies on matter as basis of explanation since it can explain the existence of material things. And since God is immaterial, it supports his claim that God, indeed, cannot be explained materially like any other things people perceive as material. In several ways, this claim of Berkeley also shows that he supports the idea that not all things are material; that there are things which will not be ‘visible’ but rather be ‘sensible’. Thus for Berkeley, reality does not just stand on solid material bases but also on strong sensible perceptions. Assessment of Berkeley’s Claims In many ways, George Berkeley’s ways may appear puzzling and incomprehensible in some parts. This is quite understandable since people have been used to the notion that science is just based from real, concrete facts. Unlike science, religion and belief in supernatural forces has always based its creed on invisible, immaterial and rather intangible forces. But although science and religion appear to repel each other’s ideas and views, Berkeley was still able to merge these two fields in explaining his own perception on the existence of God. Berkeley’s effort of expounding on the idea of God’s existence roots from his need of having something that explains order and regularity in the world (Yuksel, 2005). Berkeley himself believes that aside from the material things and forces, there is one intangible and invisible idea whose existence is far stronger and greater than any other material force’s existence. Thus, since this inference is based on a personal need, it also appears that Berkeley actually based his claims on what he chose to believe in; that since he needed an explanation on the seemingly invisible force which promotes order in the world, he rather chose to explain it as God. It is undeniable that his differentiation of materiality and sensibility has been a struggle. Up to now, there are still some aspects of this claim which appears like a blur. One man previously challenged this claim by asking that, if Berkeley closes his eyes and he cannot see, does he also closes an idea or does he eliminates a material thing (Yuksel, 2005)? This challenges Berkeley’s argument that materiality is not always the sole bases fro truth, rather there is also sensibility. Although in many ways, Berkeley’s arguments may really seem puzzling and confusing, it also appears that he delivered his ideas in such a very systematic and well expounded way. Truly, people have their choice as to whether or not to believe in one Supreme Being. People also have the liberation as to how to perceive this Supreme God. And in this context, Berkeley also has his own way. It just so happened that the bases he chose are two of the most repelling and contradicting ideas in the world of humankind. Thus, it is understandable why his argument remains intriguing and puzzling in many ways. References â€Å"File Uploaded. † (2009). Berkeley Reading. Priest, S. (2007). The British Empiricist. New York: Routledge. Yuksel, E. (2005). â€Å"Descartes vs. Berkeley: On the Two Corners of the Triangle. † The Islamic Reformer. Yuksel. org. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www. yuksel. org/e/philosophy/triangle. htm

Free Essays on My Response To Myths And Stereotypes Of African Americans

Growing up as an African American female, I have been exposed to many forms of racism. Many times I have wondered how and why â€Å"white† people were so hateful towards â€Å"black people†, who were by no means inferior to them. In my generation, I cannot say that I have truly â€Å"suffered†. My parents, on the other hand, could tell me very hateful stories concerning racism. I could never understand the hate that they have towards us. I could understand if there had been some sort of conflict we hade encountered with them, but I had never heard of such a thing. I had always been taught that white people had forced Africans, or better yet that some Africans had sold other Africans as slaves. I still was baffled as to why their was so much hate or disgust. In the many accounts of history I have been exposed to, Caucasians seemed to look upon blacks as animals. Why would they refer to us as animals? Is their something that they see in the mirror that we don’t? Do we walk on all fours? Were not we also human and intelligent in our own right? I never could and never will except the belief that I am in some way inferior to whites, or rather non-blacks. I am just as intelligent as they are and can excel just as they can. I never could understand the hate. To be honest, it angers me still as I reflect upon how our people have been treated. As I read the John E. Harris’ â€Å"A Tradition of Myths and Stereotypes†, I started to encounter feelings I had not felt in a long time. I guess a lot of what I know or have heard about racism was repressed. I did not want their hate overtake me and cause me to be as ignorant and hateful as they have been. As I read the assigned coursework, I began to discover that racism was not confined to America, yet it has been passed down to America as well as other places. I never realized that Africans had encountered this derogatory treatment long before. The cruel comments made by the m... Free Essays on My Response To Myths And Stereotypes Of African Americans Free Essays on My Response To Myths And Stereotypes Of African Americans Growing up as an African American female, I have been exposed to many forms of racism. Many times I have wondered how and why â€Å"white† people were so hateful towards â€Å"black people†, who were by no means inferior to them. In my generation, I cannot say that I have truly â€Å"suffered†. My parents, on the other hand, could tell me very hateful stories concerning racism. I could never understand the hate that they have towards us. I could understand if there had been some sort of conflict we hade encountered with them, but I had never heard of such a thing. I had always been taught that white people had forced Africans, or better yet that some Africans had sold other Africans as slaves. I still was baffled as to why their was so much hate or disgust. In the many accounts of history I have been exposed to, Caucasians seemed to look upon blacks as animals. Why would they refer to us as animals? Is their something that they see in the mirror that we don’t? Do we walk on all fours? Were not we also human and intelligent in our own right? I never could and never will except the belief that I am in some way inferior to whites, or rather non-blacks. I am just as intelligent as they are and can excel just as they can. I never could understand the hate. To be honest, it angers me still as I reflect upon how our people have been treated. As I read the John E. Harris’ â€Å"A Tradition of Myths and Stereotypes†, I started to encounter feelings I had not felt in a long time. I guess a lot of what I know or have heard about racism was repressed. I did not want their hate overtake me and cause me to be as ignorant and hateful as they have been. As I read the assigned coursework, I began to discover that racism was not confined to America, yet it has been passed down to America as well as other places. I never realized that Africans had encountered this derogatory treatment long before. The cruel comments made by the m...

Financial Bubbles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Bubbles - Assignment Example The increase in demand pushed the price of this flower to the sky, leading to market maneuvers of artificial scarcity and artificial price hike. As they say, a bubble bursts when the investors start minting money out of it. Soon when people realized this situation they started selling their stocks and the large contractor started dishonoring their contracts thus resulting in the crash of the bulb market and the bubble burst/ Tech Bubble – 1999 This bubble is also known as the Dot.Com bubble. It happened when the technology market boomed and the internet business was thought to be the star of future profit. NASDAQ soared and so did these internet companies. But then in the late 1999 and the beginning of 2000 saw a crash of this internet bubble when the companies themselves could not take the over burden of these demands and showed losses that very high and pushed the index to a shocking low level, thus resulting in a bubble burst.

Human Resource Management Plan for El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant Food Term Paper - 1

Human Resource Management Plan for El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant Food Chain - Term Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Aumsville is a quiet city in Oregon, USA. Nearly 87% people in the town are white people. There are a few restaurants like Neufeldt's catering the needs of approximately 3000 inmates. There are a few bars, coffee houses, and pizza centers. The population of Latino's, Hispanics and Asian races like Chinese people have been steadily increasing in the area for the past decade. These people come here with immigrant status for labor-oriented work in construction sites, industries and as domestic workers. There is no restaurant serving Chinese, Mexican or other quality continental food in the city. El Rodeo, an upcoming Mexican restaurant chain has decided to open up a branch in Aumsville to cater the needs of the Latino’s there. Mexican food is voted next best to Italian food all over the world. Spicy, traditional and nutritional, the taste Mexican savories have captured people of all ethnicity and age equally. El Rodeo strongly beli eves there will be a good response from the city’s white people as well as the other races in making the restaurant chain a grand success. The restaurant chain teams up with a Serene resort in the area to place their branch in the resort. The resort brings in several tourists to the city for a quite family holiday without any hype. They simply advertise â€Å"no adventure, no shopping and no thrill, just calm and serene† in their promotions.