Management Under Uncertainly Essay Example for Free

Management Under Uncertainly Essay I had been in Target as a temporary worker and one decision made by the manager left a deep impression on me. As one of the largest retail stores in Australia, Target can be found in the shopping centre of most area. The store I had worked is located in Leichhardt which had the expectancy was achieving a sales budget of $ 50,000 per day, and then the net profit would reach $6000. In order to make the expectation into reality, the manager of Target Leichhardt store from the point of view of cost savings decided to cut the shifts of employees. Originally, one shift had four cashiers, but now reduced to two cashiers. In addition, the manger made a decision to no longer use customer greeters. In Target store, the duty of greeter is not only greet customers into the store, but also check the bags of customers to avoid theft when they leave. The manager decided to reduce shift because he found this is a kind of waste when the store is not busy. On the other hand, he thought the customer greeter looks like a decoration because the phenomenon of pilferage was rarely. Although the manager made the adjustments, the result was still not satisfied and the outcome was the store has not achieved the budget. These decisions caused complaint from a lot of customers about the long queue when they went to the checkout. I had seen some customers drop off the commodities which they had selected because they do not like to wait for a long time. Beyond that, the two operators always feel tired and unfair when the store is very busy. Once they feel bored, they will not have enough energy and passion to serve customers. Furthermore, no longer use greeter also caused some negative effects. For example, tally clerk found that small and precious items had been lost regularly. Obviously, there were customers in the store for stealing and the action of theft reduced the budget seriously. Analysis of the Decision Teale, Dispenza, Flynn, Currie (2003) pointed out that the bounded rational decision making is refer to there are many options, but the decision maker only consider some of these, or from the long term, that is not a best decision but the most suitable for the current situation. Here is an example, a lady fell down along the road and break her stiletto heel, and then she quickly goes into a cheap shoe store and bought a pair of lip-flops that she had never worn before. If it is in normal circumstances, the lady will buy a pair of shoes that she likes at ordinary times, but now she is in a hurry and can not wear the shoes with broken heels. So, buy a pair of shoes that does not like usually become an appropriate choice. This can be called â€Å"satisfying†. People in most cases do decision like this, because sometimes we do not consider all the possibilities in order to save time (Campling, Poole, Wiesner, Ang, Chan, Tan Schermerhorn, 2008). Decision-makers always pick up the most useful one. In the Target Leichhardt store, because the manager chose the solution to reduce the costs in a short time, the decision can be defined as Satisfying. The decision of this store manager made just embodies the people’s bounded rationality in decision making process. The managers thought the store can increase budget by cutting costs. However, queuing for a long time can make customers have bad impression on the store. Finally, people thought for long lines when they mention this store, then they refuse to go to the store shopping instinctively. People should consider three processes that bounded rationality usually involve in. hey are simple search, simple stopping and simple decision rules. These three rules are also referred to as â€Å"heuristics†, it is used to describe â€Å"how normal people make decisions without calculating utilities and probabilities† (Gigerenzer Todd, 2012). In this case, the manager made decision without calculating the chance of various results by using the optimal and maximizing outcome. . In this situation, the manager didn’t use the optimal or maximizing outcome to calculate the probability of outcome occurring, he didn’t use the utility to calculate the expected happiness. There are many factors that can cause bounded rationality, such as emotion, knowledge and culture. According to Teale et al (2003), bounded rationality can also be interpreted as non-rational decisions. This is because people have limited knowledge level and lack of training. The lack of knowledge and training make people with narrow horizons, and then can not take a panoramic view of the situation and do not have a long-term view. In this Target store, the manager did not investigate and understand the situation of the store from all aspects carefully; it also can say he was lack of practical experience in management of decision making. His decision can only satisfy the short-term interest if it goes well. However, it turns out he did not achieve the short-term goals. In terms of the long time interest, invoice for a long time and occasionally steal phenomenon caused bad effect on the company’s image. On the other hand, decision-maker do not communicate smoothly and actively with others can also affect the decision making (McKee, 2010). According to my observation, the manager lack basic understanding of the store and he seldom communicated with employees and customers. Sometimes, he just organized the regular meeting, and the aim of meeting is to decorate task without exchange views with others. When someone makes decision by himself without communicate with others, bounded rationality can get a higher frequency of occurrence. Lacks of communication not only lead to make decision unwise, because the decision maker is likely to be emotional to make a decision, but also make the decision maker overconfidence. In real life, we meet some people who always think they are right (Hanson, Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2011). Beyond that, environment can cause bounded rationality. Today’s general environment is complicated and changefully, people can obtain information from various channels and ways. Not all information is appropriate, sometimes wrong information mislead decision maker to make an irrational decision. In this case, the general environment is the customers and sales performance are different and the manager eager to prove his ability. So he made a non rational decision and this decision does not have any benefit for a long term operation. Reflection Mckee (2010) show us The Eight Stage Decision Making Process Model. If I were the manager in this case, I would use the above mentioned model to help me to make a rational decision. First of all, I would collect all possible information about the sale budget and net profit for five years before. For example, check the financial annual report, the daily turnover and the net profit report. Form these reports, I could analyze and assess which part of work we need to adjust and improve. Our goal is to increase earnings; we can start this goal from attracting more customers rather than reduce shifts and layoff greeters. There are many ways to attract potential customers and make them become returned customers at the same time. One effective way is issue voucher; we can offer a five dollar voucher when the customers purchase more than 50 dollars. By that analogy, we can give ten dollar voucher when the customers purchase more than 100 dollars. In this way, we can ensure customers keep coming. Another way to attract customers is to do some promotions, such as buy three same items for two items price. When I use The Eight Stage Decision Making Process Model to make a decision, I would consider more on one of the elements that is to list alternatives (Mckee, 2010). In this case, arrange employees to the most suitable area according to their own ability and personality is an alternative decision. For instance, a employee with personality of patience and enthusiasm, I would arrange he to be a customer assistance. Put myself in customer’s position, I hope to get a better shopping guide and help. Moreover, Tolbert and Hall (2008) pointed out that the more person involve the decision process, the decision is more rational. Due to the feasibility of this theory, I would be honest to analyze the whole store operating condition and the goals to other managers and employees. Then, I will encourage them to actively participate in discussion and give advices. If I were the manager I would continue to use customer greeters. In order to make them not as decoration, I will arrange them some to do things to attract customers. For example, greeters can pass flyers to passers so that they have a better concept about what product will have a discount in which day. The following step we need to carry out decision, along with this step there may have some obstacles impede our progress. But, these are not serious problems, as long as we step by step; we are able to make sensible decisions (Kramar, Bartram, De Cieri, Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart Wright, 2011). This style of decision making can be described as the rational model. Only managers like a link, fasten all the employees together to make the decision, this decision can be good for long-term development of an organization.

Corporal Punishment Essay -- Education

Corporal punishment is a very controversial topic that is being discussed amongst educators across the nation. Corporal punishment refers to any physical form of punishment, but in this case it refers to in schools. Currently there are many different terms used to label corporal punishment, for example, it has been called spanking, paddling, caning, lashing, popping, smacking, whipping or beating. Each term carries its own different meaning, but they all represents some form of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment involves the deliberate infliction of pain upon a child, by an adult, as a result of the child's misbehavior or perceived misbehavior. It has been proven scientifically that the effects of it can be detrimental to the emotional and educational needs of children. The most ironic thing I found pertaining to corporal punishment was that most people, (myself included) do not know that it is still common practice in some public schools in the United States. Many states have outlawed it because it was thought to be cruel and outdated. Some of the punishments were very cruel ranging from having students hold a dictionary over their head for an excess amount of time, paddling in front of school assemblies, to football coaches striking players with wooden paddles for not getting good enough grades. All of these practices seem unnecessary, cruel, and demeaning; but all of them were within the means of the law. Almost half of the states in the U.S. have refused to pass legislation banning corporal punishment in public schools. And in most of these states it is still very common practice. Studies show that there is a regional pattern in the states that have not prohibited corporal punishment. It showed that all ... ...ternative means of discipline, there should be no problem with Ohio changing. In fact, schools that have eliminated corporal punishment have reported many positive results, such as increased attendance, higher academic performance, decreased behavioral problems, and better relations between student and school personnel. In view of the harmful effects of corporal punishment and the availability of far better disciplinary methods, it is important that school district provide the leadership necessary to eliminate this form of punishment in all schools across the nation. Corporal punishment in schools leads to greater intolerance and condones using physical violence. The evidence indicates that failing to do eliminate corporal punishment will jeopardize the health and happiness of many children and will heighten the already high levels of violence in America society.

Critical Essay †“By any other name” by John Lavin Essay

In the short story â€Å"By any other name† written by John Lavin, the theme of relationships is developed throughout the story by Lavin’s choice of language and descriptive writing. By looking at Lavin’s chosen setting and characterisation in the story, I will examine the theme of relationships. The story is set in the slums of Glasgow around the 1930’s is about a boy called Peter and his fight for survival with his parents in very poor conditions. To examine the theme of relationships it is important to examine the setting of the story. The setting Lavin created and how they get on with each other affect the characters. Due to a rapid growth in urbanisation, overcrowding and poor living conditions were very common. â€Å"Disease and death and want stalked through the sunless hovels† The use of personification here offers the reader an insight into the terrible conditions that many had to endure this period of time. It also shows how poor the family were. â€Å"Smell of cats and sickness and primitive drainage† This creates a very filthy image of the area they lived in. It also gives the reader the shock factor. I also feel that it puts a very hard strain of the family has they have to live in such horrible conditions. Peter does not get on very well with his father and they don’t have a very good relationship with each other. â€Å"He was always drunk just as I was always hungry† This shows that Peter’s father spent all the family’s money on drink and since they had no money they could not afford to put no food on the table. I also feel this shows that Peter had no respect for his father and also resented that his dad spent all the money. â€Å"I still fell pity I had for him, the only emotion he ever stirred in me† This gives the me the reader an insight into the feelings Peter had for his father. Peter I think felt sorry but had no real admiration for him, as he was always drunk and never really cared for him. â€Å"A mangled thing† Here Peter is talking about his father. This is a very impersonal thing to say about your father but this was true in Peter’s case. I also feel this shows that Peter lack any sort of emotion. Peter had a very good relationship with his mother. â€Å"My mother had the loveliest hair I ever saw† I feel this shows that Peter shows a lot of affection for his mother and that he loves her dearly. He also I think admires her for putting up with his father and the terrible living conditions that they had to endure. â€Å"Grey autumn day† I feel that his sets the tone for his mother’s death as she died from TB. I also think that his conveys very well how Peter feels, as he is now all alone as he does not get on with his father. Peter’s parents did not have a very good relationship. â€Å"They seldom spoke† They did not have any real conversations. The short sentence I feel sums up and emphasize how poor their relationship was. I think John Lavin has done a great job of convey the theme of relationships between family members.   

Policy Impact Paper †Social Security Disability Insurance...

What action do you or your family take if for some unfortunate reason you become injured, or come down with a serious illness and are unable to work? Because of your injuries or illness and the inability to work your financial resources are steadily being depleted due to your doctor bills, hospital bills, and plain old living expenses incurred by you and your family. Not to mention, you or your family possible have no one else you can turn to for assist to help you through your difficult times, and not even your employer has the capability to assist you. Where do you turn? Who can or what if anything is out there for you to get assistance? Something you can do in the interim is going to your nearest Social Security Agency and file for†¦show more content†¦Secondly, to be eligible for SSDI, as previously mentioned, you must be disabled and you must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity for 12 months and have earned sufficient credits based on taxable work t o be insured for Social Security purposes. Credits are earned by the number of years you work and you can earn up to a maximum of four work credits each year. A credit sometimes referred to as a â€Å"quarter of coverage† (the legal term) is the measure of a persons work under the Social Security program. Your total covered yearly earnings are used to figure Social Security credits for both wages and net earnings from self-employment. The amount needed for a credit increases automatically each year that average wages increase. For this year, 2011, you usually receive one credit for each $1,120 or your earnings and generally 40 credits are needed to be eligible for benefits. There is no minimum age as long as you meet the very strict Social Security definition of disability; however, to qualify for disability benefits you must have worked long and recently enough under Social Security to earn the required number of work credits. Furthermore, worse case situation you hap pen to die and certain members of your family may be eligible for survivors benefits if you had worked, paid Social Security taxes, and earned enough credits. At the time of your death, the number of creditsShow MoreRelatedPresident Franklin Delano Roosevelt And Social Security1152 Words   |  5 PagesPresident Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in August of 1935 to combat high unemployment and poverty, especially among the elderly. In the process, he laid the foundation for a modern safety net. 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