...April 9, 2012 Visionary and Enduring Companies Jerry Porras’ video about leadership and vision was thought provoking. The last few years of my college education; I’ve learned that there are many different philosophies, theories and leadership models or styles that you should follow to be a great leader. So I thought that this was another motivational speech that would rally your thoughts and give you the drive or foresight to be the best leader. Instead he made me think and I answered the simple basic questions he posed. When Porras talked about leadership, he asked simple questions, as a leader where do you see yourself or the world in the future, and how does it affect the way you lead? Porras’ co-wrote a book called “Built to Last” which studied the fundamental differences about visionary companies and how they differ from other companies. A visionary company is a company that had or has a significant impact on the world. It is also a company that is widely admired by its peers and that it has a long track record of success. It also has multiple generations of leaders, product growth and a successful industry cycle. An enduring company is defined as a company that is thriving and doing well for at least a period of ten years. Porras talked about companies who in the beginning where small, then grew to medium and continued to grow. These companies had to endure the pain of ups and downs and turbulent times but in the long run they remained...
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...The Differences and Similarities of Two CEO’s There are many computer companies in the world. Two men who have made contributions to the field are Michael Dell and Andy Grove. Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Computers. Andy Grove the former CEO and cofounder of Intel. How these two men got started in their perspective fields and the obstacles they have overcame to make their companies on the Fortune 500 list. We will compare their styles, changes they made, and how they kept their companies on top of their perspective fields. Michael Dell started his computer company in college dorm room (Krames,2003). He spent most of his high school years hanging out at the Radio Shack and piecing computers together for fun(Krames, 2003). He began selling the computers he built in 1984 and three years later started Dell Computers. He makes computers based on what the customer orders, builds the machine, and then delivers it to the customer (Krames, 2003). Andy Grove is a cofounder and former CEO of Intel (Krames., 2003). He started making memory chips and then decided to reinvent the company into microprocessors, the thinking chips, to keep up with changing times (Krames, 2003). Andy Grove and the Intel group wanted to make a chip that could increase the function but not increase the cost (Krames, 2003). They did well until the Japanese started doing it better and cheaper (Krames, 2003 They had to readjust their thinking. They started making the...
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...Building your Own Computer It is increasingly popular to build your own computer. In most cases, it saves money, and it guarantees you get what you want. It also assures you avoid proprietary designs many companies use to keep you coming to them for new parts. Best of all, having built the system yourself, you become very familiar with that system and with computers in general. People from all walks of life today build their own PCs. Executives, engineers, students, housewives, they all do it today. But, at the same time, pre-built PCs have come down in price quite a bit. Today, one is left to wonder whether it is best to build a PC yourself or to simply buy one off the shelf. I’ll address that here. If you are a real PC enthusiast, this question may be a non-issue. The answer may be as obvious as the color of the sky. This is predictable, of course. When one builds their own PC, they are able to not only understand their PC better because they built it, but they are able to choose each component that goes into their PC. There is really something to be said for choosing your own components, and I’ll go into that further below. There is also a certain sense of satisfaction with having built a PC. One spends a few hours (or less for those more familiar with the process) to put the thing together. Then comes the moment of truth when one hits the power switch for the first time. If it works on the first try, its beer time! But, besides the joy of it, is it worth it? Is it...
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...Obsolescent Apple Introduction The ethical issue I have decided to dissect for this assignment is the issue of built-in obsolescence. This act, also known as planned obsolescence, is the intentional action of a manufacturer to create a built-in a point of failure or a pre-planned expiration date into a product (Investopedia, n.d.). This is done so as to force consumers to continually replace their products with newer versions, thereby increasing the manufacturer’s profits. This is clearly an ethical violation that most people would be outraged to know is a common practice in a variety of products, and at one point in time was actually encouraged in order to help our country break free from the great depression (White, 2008). Though this practice could serve to stimulate the economy, it is wrong to purposely cause products with the potential to last a decade, to only last a couple of years. This is not only wasteful, but it cheats consumers out of the option to hold onto products until they either become legitimately obsolete, or break due to normal wear and tear. While some companies are worse than others when it comes to a built-in obsolescence, there is one electronics manufacture that, in my opinion, is the worst of the bunch. It is a company that started out with a sincere and humble beginning, then rose to fame in the electronics world, but has since fallen far from the tree, so to speak. Fact based scenario Apple Incorporated has been at the heart of controversy...
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...Permitting the Keystone XL Pipeline To Be Built Anthony Draper EN 1420 The Keystone Xl pipeline which is a proposed pipeline line that would run from Alberta Canada down through the US to the Gulf Coast should be permitted to be built. It would have a huge positive benefit on the country as a whole. It will provide America with more permanent jobs, economic growth; reduce our dependency on overseas energy, reduce emissions from trucks on the road transporting oil as well as train cars carrying oil. In a country hurting for jobs and some kind of positive economic relief this project can help ease some pains. If our government can waste millions upon millions on failed energy efforts than it can support one that will actually provide jobs and money to this country instead of taking money and not being worth the effort as many of the green initiatives have proven to be. The main opponents to the pipeline being built are on the environmental side. Their main reasoning is that it will have huge negative impacts on the environment and the areas in which the pipeline will cross through. Now while there is always the possibility of this pipeline having negative impacts on the areas around it but the way those on the environmental side would have attacked it are unjust. They claim it will leave a big carbon footprint and cause too much pollution in the environment. President Obama even made it a point not to permit this from being built until the dangers can be assessed. The State...
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...downtown Anaheim. Both companies want this land for different projects, but at the same time, have the same interest to make money for their company. The main focal company in this debate is SunCal, while Disney is considered a company, they are looked at as a stakeholder because stakeholder refers to a person or group that is affected by an organization’s decision or operations (Lawrence & Weber 2011), while at the current time (with no housing being built yet) Disney is merely a nonmarket stakeholders. This of course could change if housing is built and Disney and Suncal, now operating inside of the resort area, are conducting business with each other. Do to the fact that no houses were built all parties involved are considered nonmarket stakeholders to SunCal. These nonmarket stakeholders are Disney employees who stand to gain from the subsidized lower income housing. The city of Anaheim, who’s choice to change the zoning of the resort area to allow for personal family dwellings or can choose to deny the request. As well as other companies in the resort area who would lose building space as a result of the housing development. All of these current nonmarket stakeholders could change to market stakeholders if this housing track is built. A market stakeholder differs from a nonmarket stakeholder in that the market stakeholder is not just affected by the company’s actions, but are engaged in economic trade with a company (Lawrence & Weber 2011). I think that it should...
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...not to try to think of startup ideas. It's to look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself. The very best startup ideas tend to have three things in common: they're something the founders themselves want, that they themselves can build, and that few others realize are worth doing. Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Google, and Facebook all began this way. Problems Why is it so important to work on a problem you have? Among other things, it ensures the problem really exists. It sounds obvious to say you should only work on problems that exist. And yet by far the most common mistake startups make is to solve problems no one has. I made it myself. In 1995 I started a company to put art galleries online. But galleries didn't want to be online. It's not how the art business works. So why did I spend 6 months working on this stupid idea? Because I didn't pay attention to users. I invented a model of the world that didn't correspond to reality, and worked from that. I didn't notice my model was wrong until I tried to convince users to pay for what we'd built. Even then I took embarrassingly long to catch on. I was attached to my model of the world, and I'd spent a lot of time on the software. They had to want it! Why do so many founders build things no one wants? Because they begin by trying to think of startup ideas. That m.o. is doubly dangerous: it doesn't merely yield few good ideas; it yields bad ideas that sound plausible enough to fool you into working on them. ...
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...Today I made a toothbrush holder. It may sound simple to most people, but even so, most people would go to the local store, or online, and buy one. I too could have looked around and found a holder to fit my new large handled toothbrush, but instead built the holder with my rapid prototype machine. It may have taken a few hours to design and build this little part, but when completed, not only did I have the perfect fit for my toothbrush, I had a better understanding of why I have a 3D printer, and how I wanted to use it. I built this prototype machine from a do-it-yourself kit so I wouldn't have to settle for products made for a mass audience anymore. Instead, I can make the exact part I want that does exactly what I need it to do. If the toothbrush doesn't fit on the first try, or the holder fell over because of poor weight distribution, I can build another quickly and try again. Once built correctly, I posted my design online for others to build, change, and improve because the printer and the parts it prints are open source projects. It has been a goal to work on open source projects that encourage the sharing of skills and ideas to make a better product -- I found it in this printer. I'm excited that parts I build and share could spark an idea in someone else that could be completely unrelated to the original design. With just an imagination, the benefits of this technology are limitless. One day I want everyone to have a chance to use this technology because with anything...
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...Quick Trip Quick Trip has established itself as a dominant company and through that process, has created a workforce that is full of happy employees. In this paper, I will attempt to answer some questions about how these employees and their attitudes affect their work environment and the customers that come in and out of their stores. I will also give some perspective on how other companies can learn from Quick Trip and their employees. Case Study Review The case study “QuikTrip: Staffed by Passionate and Compassionate People” (McCuddy), touches on Chester Cadieux’s journey of starting a small business and developing it into the “Forbes List” company it is. Cadieux not only built the $9 billion company, but he has made this a company that has made it onto Fortune Magazine’s “Best Companies to Work For” list. Cadieux says “We’ve been able to compete successfully because of our people. We hire better people, train them better, and pay them more. We are obsessed with keeping the stores clean and well-merchandised and with providing a rewarding customer experience overall.” (Quicktrip.com) Discussion Employee Attitudes and Emotions Influence on Work Behaviors. It appears that the average Quick Trip employee carries a positive attitude and their emotions are projected as the same. As described in the course readings, these positive emotions then directly influence employee work behaviors in a positive way. Also, through creating a positive work environment, the positive...
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...Leadership Individual Paper: The Leadership of Hartley Peavey Hesston L. Johnson William Woods University Abstract During the beginning years of blues, a southern Mississippi man emerged to become the founder and CEO of one of the worlds leading musical product manufacturers. As a young man, Hartley Peavey desired to be a musician. With his father unable to afford a guitar, Hartley Peavey built his own and started what would become a long line of products that he would soon have to offer at Peavey Electronics. After some advice from a store manager, Peavey began to take off. Hartley built his legacy on a great product at a great price. Today, Peavey still operates as one of the only independently-owned music product companies and does so on a global scale. This result came through leadership styles such as: achievement leadership, participative leadership, consultative leadership, and entrepreneurial leadership. With strong leadership styles such as these, Hartley has led an organization that continues to be a leader in the industry by developing new products, implementing new practices and ideas to set the standard. His leadership creates an environment that fosters growth, teamwork and leads to a bright future for the Peavey team. The Leadership of Hartley Peavey The History and Birth of Peavey After 46 years of innovation, one man’s dream has become transformed into a world leading corporation in musical products. Today, Peavey Electronics...
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...The content of this paper is to outline the roles of leadership and how it affects organizational performance. It then discusses the role of Allan Mulally’s, CEO of Ford Motor Company, leadership style. The paper also presents how Mulally’s decision to set a goal increased the company’s performance and mentioning how Allan Mulally’s openness has gained him trust and helped him to reach his goal. Finally, my point of view on the impact of Mulally’s leadership style and how it effects the organization. Leadership is guiding people toward productive results to achieve the goals of the organization. An effective leader has the ability to motivate and influence others. Leadership influences organizational performance depending on the level to which the leader enables managers and team leaders to plan, organize, control, and act effectively. By accepting authority, responsibility, and accountability, managers can confidently face though situations that require decisions made. Faced with an overwhelmingly complex situation, Alan Mulally has been brought in as Ford Motor Company's new president and CEO. As diverse global dynamics confront the company and competitive pressures continue to build, he has the challenging task of improving Ford's brand image and returning the company to profitability. Mulally has invited your consulting firm to advise his management team on restoring the company's reputation and viability. Leaders significantly influence organization’s success...
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...and expense derive the fundamental balance of performance at a reasonable price. The performance to cost ratio, even though consciously imperceptible, maintains the scales of reasonability in the grand compendium of computer structure. History has shown us that moving forward is the only way to succeed. With the founding of AMD in 1969 and Intel in 1968, these two corporations have gained strength and have shown immense prowess in the computer industry. Both companies, in their own way, have given society the best in our radically changing era. With Intel providing their products with end-user ease in mind, and AMD opening new doors to end-user personalization, both of these companies give a wide range of specialized products. With a price range as vast as the products each produce, there is a plethora of potential component combinations to match all socioeconomic classes. Keeping in mind the components each of these companies produce, to say one is better than the other is an opinion I do not wish to convey, rather I would give each of these giants the dues they deserve. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) – Brings a new user defined way of computer construction with a price range to make even the economically suppressed happy to dish out the cash. With industry leading products in graphics, video, and multimedia (amd.com), AMD has captured the eye of many computer enthusiasts. AMD lets the end-user define the basics and fundamentals of how a component will work. By giving unique...
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... Bass Pro also sells many other items like boats, equipment, and hunting equipment. Bass Pro will plan aid to Kava with relief efforts when they are faced with natural disasters. Bass Pro has a couple of plans on ways to give back to Kava, as well as improving the company itself. One thing that Bass Pro would start with is doing a survey. This survey would collect research from all the people who live in Kava on what the needs and thoughts are of the general public. All this information would need to be gathered to see if this is something that the public would like. In these issues Bass Pro would need to come up with a plan. The first issue would be is this something that is going to benefit the company as well as the general public in Kava. The goal would to be building a Bass Pro shop and assist Kava in the clean up. By building the shop in Kava this would give employment to many people on the island as well as bring fisherman to the island. Some of the problems that will be involved in this is if the general public did not want a Bass Pro shop built here. Another problem that will arise is the company may put some local business people out of...
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...•Imagine that your company has decided to expand to the Web. You want to reuse some data entry code that has been developed in Windows and place it on the Web. Visual Basic code has the capability to run on a Web server. Explain the process you would go through to develop a Web page locally. You can create HTML pages and Web Forms pages as the user interface for a Web application. HTML pages are generally used for static content. In contrast, Web Forms pages give you a programmable interface that works much like a Visual Basic form, except that the user interface is rendered in a Web browser or other Web device. Web Forms pages are built on the ASP.NET Page framework. Each Web Forms page is an object that derives from the ASP.NET Page class, which acts as a container for controls. The page actually consists of two files: an .aspx file that contains the UI elements (static HTML text and control elements) and a class file that contains the code that runs the page. •Internet Explorer is the number-one Web browser, but many users are moving to Chrome and Firefox Web browsers. Each of these browsers has slight differences in displaying the screen content. Explain how this can occur to your Web screen and any ways to prevent this. Web Forms applications are, by definition, platform-independent — that is, they are "reach" applications. Users can interact with your application regardless of what type of browser they have and even what type of computer they are using. At the same time...
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...Running head: WALT DISNEY Darla Price Unit 5 IP February 5, 2011 AIU Online Applications in Marketing Abstract When it comes to marketing their product the Walt Disney Company has had over 80 years of experience to do it. As you will read thought this paper you will see how they started with one vision and know have one of the best Fontane 500 companies ever. You will learn thing that you would have never know about, I know I did. “ALL OUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE, IF WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO PUSUE THEM” -WALT DISNEY Walt Disney’s vision was to have a place where children and parents could have fun together (justdisney.com). The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. (Disney.go.com). Here is a list of some the companies they have within the Disney company: (From Disney.go.com) * Disney ABC Television Group * ABC Owned Television Stations * Adventures by Disney * Disney Consumer Products * Disney Cruise Line * Disney Interactive Media Group * Disney Regional Entertainment * Disney Theatrical Group * Disneyland Resort * El Capitan Theatre * ESPN, Inc. * International Operations - Asia * International Operations - Europe * International Operations - Latin America * The Walt Disney Studios * Walt Disney...
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