Warfare in Medieval Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Warfare in Medieval Japan - Essay Example During the Nara period, conscription policy did not distinguish between a warrior and a peasant, which resulted in an army that suffered from poor organization because of the presence of unwilling farmers and government failure to devise regular system of promotion or command. Prior to 789 reforms in Japan’s army system with new regulations that necessitated the use of trained warriors together with men specially selected for their strength and prowess, imperial army was humiliated in 724. The year saw Yemeshi people revolt killing the governor of the province of Mutsu and seizing much of Japan’s mainland. Military power was the province of samurai families with two clans comprising many warrior households became the main security of the Imperial and the clans were Minamoto and Taira (Ratty and Westbrook 80). Another clan, the Fujiwara at the time dominated both Imperial court and the nation, grew its impact with soft life and intricate politics in the capital, which co ntained the seeds of disaster (Brinkley 4). However, the Fujiwara experienced their its first danger in 930 when the Fujiwara attempted the customary maneuver of putting a child in throne, a son eight years old named Shujaku, since the clan had selected Tadahira for the role (Kane 48). During Tadhira’s rule, Taira Masakado a warrior in Japan aspired to be a governor in his native province; however, Tadhira appointed his companion in a debauch manner, a man named Sadabumi. This made Masakado return to his home in disgust and even though he did not instantly get involved in a revolt, he was involved in family feuds. From his actions, Masakado became an outlaw to the Imperial court and instead of submitting to punishment of rulers that he detested, he raised a revolt. In 1159 rivalry in Fujiwara family created another upheaval with a dispute that concerned imperial succession with emperor Go-shirakawa abdicating in favor of his son and Fujiwara Shinzei supporting the ex-emperor. In an open battle, once the Taira household assembled its army the households met in the battle where Taira and Shinzei won a stupendous victory. Thus, the Fujiwara no longer ruled by their power and Taira Kiyomori, a man whose martial skills twice shaped the nation’s future, took advantage of the situation and crushed several conspiracies against his life (Kane 49). The Gen and Pei war that ended in 1183 with a naval battle at Dan-no-ura, saw Minamoto forces’ 800 ships attack Taira’s fleet of 500 in a battle that involved gaining the upper hand. When Minamooto secured defection of Taira admiral Tomomori, the Taira suffered total defeat as their samurai struggled to protect the ship carrying the infant emperor (Van Bergen 41). Emperor Antoku took the throne and the victorious Yoritomi paid long visits to the imperial capital seeking the office of Sei-i-tai-Shogun, the supreme military leader of the country, which he later gained. Though in the past emperors app ointed military leaders for brief periods in order to see the nation through certain crises, Minamoto Yoritomi ensured the office became permanent (Kane 50). Hideyoshi managed to impose control as well as peace and government, which partly lay in his diplomatic skills. Moreover, Hidoyeshi fought several fights campaigns against internal enemies, which ended not in military victories but with treaties in which rival clans received an active stake in the fresh Japanese order. Hideyoshi success lay in the ruthless

Congenial associates Essay Example for Free

Congenial associates Essay This want issues from the social need of gregariousness and acceptance. Management can aid the process by carefully planned and executed induction programs, provision of means to socialize through rest periods and recreational programs, and promoting the formation of work teams through proper work-station layouts and human-related work procedures. Credit for work done: This want issues from the egoistic classification of needs and can be supplied by management through verbal praise of excellent work, monetary rewards for suggestions, and public recognition through awards. Releases in employee’s newspapers, and the like. A meaningful job: This want issues from both the need for recognition and the drive toward self-realization and achievement. This is a very difficult want to supply, particularly in large organizations having minute division of work and mechanically paced assembly lines. Some research into the possibilities of job enrichment has indicated the possibility of integrating the need of employees for significant work and the need of the organization productive, co-ordinate activity. Opportunity to advance: Not all employees want to advance. Some feel the social needs more strongly than the egoistic ones. However, most employees like to know that the opportunity is there, should they desire to use it. This feeling is influenced by a cultural tradition of freedom and opportunity. Comfortable, safe, and attractive working condition: The want for good working conditions also rests upon multiple needs. Safe working conditions issue from the security need. The specific attributes, such as desks and rugs, constitute symbols of status denoting a hierarchy of importance. Much management has discovered that the allocation of such status symbols can be quite as difficult as the allocation of money. In today’s environment where the threat of violence is increasing safety is also an important factor which plays an important role in employee motivation. Competent and fair leadership: The want of good leadership can issue from physiological and security needs. Good leadership helps to assure that the organization and its jobs will continue to exist. In addition, the ego demands that one-respect person from whom orders and directions are to be received. It is very frustrating to be subjected personally to a command from an individual who is deemed unworthy and incompetent. Reasonable orders and directions: The order is the official communication of organization requirements. In general, it should be related to the requirements of the situation, capable of being executed, complete but not unnecessarily detailed, clear and concise, and given in a manner that stimulates acceptance. Unreasonable orders incapable of accomplishment serve only to increase insecurity and frustration. Unreasonable orders that work contrary to the best interests of the organization may lead to a form of malicious obedience; the employee takes great delight in following them to the letter in hopes of harming the superior who merits little respect. A socially relevant organization: The trend toward greater social expectations of private organizations has impact upon such an organization’s employee’s expectations. This want issues from human needs of self-esteem, and levies a highly challenging responsibility upon the organization’s management. In a job environment where the most of the above mentioned conditions will fulfilled the employees will be more committed and productive. The managers at ACTAVIS should fulfil the conditions above in order to achieve the desired goals. Solution through using theories: As Locke (1976) put forward a theory of motivation based on goal setting. The individuals in the company can be motivated by setting goal as Goal Theory suggest that it is the goal that an individual is aiming for which motivates, rather than just the satisfaction of attaining it. Locke’s view is that what a person values or desires determines the goals he sets for himself, but that what actually drives him (motivates him) are the goals themselves. Locke’s own researches indicated that individual performance was better when people had been set specific goals of a challenging or difficult nature, and when they received feedback on their performance. This approach clearly has implications for the practice of management-by-objectives of target setting. Which relies for its success on the mutual agreement of specific goals between a manager and his subordinate. A modern and a more permanent approach to motivation are through job enrichment. This involves putting meaning into jobs. In other words, it is putting Herzberg’s two-factor theory into effect by building motivators into the job. These motivators include achievement, growth, responsibility, advancement and recognition. This approach can also work for ACTAVIS since the company is renovating its units. According to the approach the company should plan to change the job contents of the employees in order to motivate them for the new unit settled by ACTAVIS in Bulgaria. A number of research studies have indicated that the job content is an important factor in motivating people. So the content of a routine or repetitive task must be restructured to provide motivation to the performer of that job. One way of restructuring the job is through job enrichment, or making jobs more meaningful. If a manager can include more of Herzberg’s motivators, people who perform such jobs utilize their skills and potentials to the best of their abilities and be more productive on the job. Thus, the jobs would be richer and not just bigger. Hence the use of the term job enrichment. Keeping in view the case of ACTAVIS following steps have been recommended to make jobs enriching: Selection of an area or job where an improvement in motivation will make a difference in performance or productivity. Clues such absenteeism, turnover, tardiness, poor quality, lack of interest and production delays may provide an answer in selecting an area or jobs to be enriched. Development of criteria for measuring changes in productivity among the employees in the selected area or job. These measurements may include rate of absenteeism, number of products rejected, waste, etc.

Prejudice and Racism in America :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

In America there seems to be a major problem. It has hindered this country since America was founded. It has been used against Native Americans, Japanese, and Black Americans. The problem is racism. If this country wants to become truly great racism must be eliminated. Racism began when someone thought they were better than someone else. One source said, " Racism began during the Enlightenment Period in Europe" ( D' Sourza 87). Now organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and the Islamic movement are promoting and continuing the terrible problem. As a consequence, a bad effect on this country is inevitable. Racism has had a bad effect on this country. Incidents like the Rodney King beating and the O. J. Simpson verdict have practically split this country into two sides. " When white policemen routinely stop black people for traffic violations, they feel a deep resentment for the O. J. Simpson verdict and look for any reason to take out their anger on the unlucky black victim" ( Kennedy 72). The only solution to this problem is to eliminate racism. No one can deny the effect racism has had on America; so we must do our best to stop it.. to end racism we must be able to understand each other. " In a recent poll, 11% of whites thought that blacks were lazy, yet 76% of blacks think whites think they are lazy" ("color" 41). It is this kind of misunderstanding that racism thrives on. If we work harder to understand each other better, racism would have a harder time existing. There is no doubt that we need to find a solution to racism. It has torn this country apart, and the aftermath of this invisible enemy will be devastating if something is not done to stop it. Before this country can become truly great, a solution must be found and racism eliminated. In America there seems to be a major problem. It has hindered this country since America was founded. It has been used against Native Americans, Japanese, and Black Americans. The problem is racism. If this country wants to become truly great racism must be eliminated. Racism began when someone thought they were better than someone else.

Storm Born Chapter Three

I'd been people-watching for almost an hour, so I saw him as soon as he walked in. It was hard not to. The eyes of a few other women in the bar showed that I wasn't the only one who'd noticed. He was tall and broad-shouldered, nicely muscled but not over the top in some crazy Arnold Schwarzenegger way. He wore khakis with a navy blue T-shirt tucked into them. His black hair was not quite to his chin, and he had it tucked behind his ears. His eyes were large and dark, set in a smoothly chiseled face with perfect, golden-tanned skin. There was some mix of ethnicities going on there, I suspected, but none I could discern. Whatever the combo, it worked. Extremely well. â€Å"Hey, is anyone sitting here?† He nodded at the chair beside me. It was the only empty one at the bar. I shook my head, and he sat down. He didn't say anything else, and the only other time I heard him speak was to order a margarita. After that, he seemed content just to people-watch, like me. And honestly, it was a great place to do it. Alejandro's was right next to a midlevel hotel and drew in patrons and tourists from all sides of the socioeconomic scale. TVs showed sporting events or news or whatever the bartender felt like putting on. A few trivia machines sat at the other end of the bar. Music – sometimes live, but not tonight – forced the TVs to have closed-captioning, and dancing people crowded the small space among the tables. It was humanity at its best. Teeming with life, alcohol, mindless entertainment, and bad pick-up lines. I liked to come here when I wanted to be alone without being alone. I liked it better when drunk, stupid guys left me alone. I wasn't sure about articulate, good-looking ones. One nice thing I soon discovered was that with Tall, Dark, and Handsome sitting next to me, no losers dared approach. But he wasn't talking to me either, and after a while, I realized I'd kind of like him to – not that I'd have any clue what to say back. With the glances he kept giving me, I think he felt the same way. I didn't know. A sort of tension built up between us as I nursed my Corona, each of us waiting for something. When it finally came, he started it. â€Å"You're edible.† Not the opening I'd been expecting. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Your perfume. It's like†¦like violets and sugar. And vanilla. I suppose it's weird to think violets are edible, huh?† â€Å"Not so weird as a guy actually knowing what violets smell like.† It was also weird that he could even smell it. I'd put it on about twelve hours ago. With all the smoke and sweat around here, it was a surprise anyone's olfactory senses could function. He shot me a crooked grin, favoring me with a look that could only be described as smoky. I felt my pulse quicken a little. â€Å"It's good to know what flowers are what. Makes it easier to send them. And impress women.† I eyed him and then swirled the beer in my bottle. â€Å"Are you trying to impress me?† He shrugged. â€Å"Mostly I'm just trying to make conversation.† I pondered that, deciding if I wanted to play this game or not. Wondering if I could. I smiled a little. â€Å"What?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know. Just thinking about flowers. And impressing people. I mean, how strange is that we bring plant sex organs to people we're attracted to? What's up with that? It's a weird sign of affection.† His dark eyes lit up, like he'd just discovered something surprising and delightful. â€Å"Is it any weirder than giving chocolate, which is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Or what about wine? A ‘romantic' drink that really just succeeds in lowering the other person's inhibitions.† â€Å"Hmm. It's like people are trying to be both subtle and blatant at the same time. Like, they won't actually go up and say, ‘Hey, I like you, let's get together.' Instead, they're like, ‘Here, have some plant genitalia and aphrodisiacs.'† I took a drink of the beer and propped my chin in my hand, surprised to hear myself going on. â€Å"I mean, I don't have a problem with men or relationships or sex, but sometimes I just get so frustrated with games of human attraction.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"It's all masked in posturing and ploys. There's no honesty. People can't just come up and express their attraction. It's got to be cleverly obscured with some stupid pick-up line or not-so-subtle gift, and I don't really know how to play those games so well. We're taught that it's wrong to be honest, like there's some kind of social stigma with it.† â€Å"Well,† he considered, â€Å"it can come out pretty crass sometimes. And let's not forget about rejection too. I think that adds to it. There's a fear there.† â€Å"Yeah, I guess. But being turned down isn't the worst thing in the world. And wouldn't that be easier than wasting an evening or – God forbid – months of dating? We should state our feelings and intentions openly. If the other person says ‘fuck off,' well, then, deal. Move on.† I suddenly eyed my beer bottle suspiciously. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Just wondering if I'm drunk. This is my first beer, but I think I'm sounding a little unhinged. I don't usually talk this much.† He laughed. â€Å"I don't think you're unhinged. I actually agree with you.† â€Å"Yeah?† He nodded and looked remarkably wise as he contemplated his answer. It made him even sexier. â€Å"I agree, but I don't think most people take honesty well. They prefer the games. They want to believe the pretty lies.† I finished off the last of the Corona. â€Å"Not me. Give me honesty anytime.† â€Å"You mean that?† â€Å"Yes.† I set the bottle down and looked at him. He was watching me intently now, and his look was smoky again, all darkness and sex and heat. I fell into that gaze, feeling the response of nerves in my lower body that I'd thought were dormant. He leaned slightly forward. â€Å"Well, then, here's honesty. I was really happy when I saw the empty seat by you. I think you're beautiful. I think seeing the bra underneath your shirt is dead sexy. I like the shape of your neck and the way those strands of hair lay against it. I think you're funny, and I think you're smart too. After just five minutes, I already know you don't let people screw around with you – which I also like. You're pretty fun to talk to, and I think you'd be just as much fun to have sex with.† He sat back in his chair again. â€Å"Wow,† I said, now noticing I'd put on a white shirt over a black bra in my haste. Oops. â€Å"That's a lot of honesty.† â€Å"Should I fuck off now?† I played with the rim of the bottle. I took a deep breath. â€Å"No. Not yet.† He smiled and ordered us another round. Introductions seemed like the next logical step, and when his turn came, he told me his name was Kiyo. â€Å"Kiyo,† I repeated. â€Å"Neat.† He watched me, and after a moment, a smile danced over his mouth. A really nice mouth too. â€Å"You're trying to figure me out.† â€Å"Figure you out how?† â€Å"What I am. Race. Ethnic group. Whatever.† â€Å"Of course not,† I protested, even though I'd been trying to do exactly that. â€Å"My mother is Japanese, and my father is Latino. Kiyo is short for Kiyotaka.† I scrutinized him, now understanding the large dark eyes and the tanned skin. Human genes were exquisite. I loved the way they blended. How cool, I thought, to have such a solid grip on your ancestry. I knew my mother had a lot of Greek and Welsh, but there was a mix of all sorts of other things there too. And as for my deadbeat father†¦well, I knew no more about his heritage than I knew anything else about him. For all intents and purposes, I was very much the mongrel the keres had called me earlier. I realized then I'd been staring at Kiyo too long. â€Å"I like the results,† I finally said, which made him laugh again. He asked about my job, and I told him I worked in Web design. It wasn't entirely a lie. I'd majored in it and in French. Both areas had turned out to be completely irrelevant to my job, though Lara swore having a Web site would drive up our business. We mostly relied on word of mouth now. When he told me he was a veterinarian, I said, â€Å"No, you aren't.† Those smoldering eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"Because†¦because you can't be. I just can't see it.† Nor could I imagine telling Lara tomorrow: So I was in a bar last night and met this sexy veterinarian†¦ No, those concepts somehow didn't go together. Veterinarians looked like Wil Delaney. â€Å"It's God's truth,† Kiyo swore, stirring his margarita. â€Å"I even take my work home with me. I have five cats and two dogs.† â€Å"Oh, dear Lord.† â€Å"Hey, I like animals. It goes back to the honesty thing. Animals don't lie about how they feel. They want to eat, fight, and reproduce. If they like you, they show it. If they don't, they don't. They don't play games. Well, except maybe the cats. They're tricky sometimes.† â€Å"Yeah? What'd you name all those cats?† â€Å"Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Mr. Whiskers.† â€Å"You named your cats after the riders of the apocal – wait. Mr. Whiskers?† â€Å"Well, there are only four horsemen.† We talked for a while after that about whatever else came to mind. Some was serious, some humorous. He told me he was in town from Phoenix, which kind of disappointed me. Not local. We also talked about the people around us, our jobs, life, the universe, etc., etc. All the while I kept wondering how this had happened. Hadn't I just been noting how I lived outside of society? Yet, here I was, talking to a guy I'd just met like I'd known him for years. I barely recognized the words coming out of my own mouth. I didn't even recognize my body language: leaning into him as we talked, legs touching. He wore no cologne but smelled like he looked: darkness and sex and heat. And promises. Promises that said, Oh, baby, I can give you everything you've ever wanted if you'll just give me the chance†¦. At one point, I leaned toward the bar to slide an empty bottle across it. As I did, I suddenly felt Kiyo's fingers brush my lower back where my shirt had ridden up. I flinched as electricity crackled through me at that slight, casual touch. â€Å"Here's more honesty,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I like this tattoo. A lot. Violets again?† I nodded and sat back in my chair, but he didn't remove his hand. That tattoo was a chain of violets and leaves that spread across my lower back. A larger cluster of the flowers sat on my tailbone, and then smaller tendrils extended outward on both sides, almost to my hips. â€Å"Violets have sort have become my patron flower,† I explained, â€Å"because of my eyes.† He leaned forward, and I almost stopped breathing at how close his mouth was to mine. â€Å"Wow. You're right. I've never seen eyes that color.† â€Å"I've got three more.† â€Å"Eyes?† â€Å"Tattoos.† This got his interest. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"They're covered by the shirt.† I hesitated. â€Å"You know anything about Greek mythology?† He nodded. A cultured man. Cue swooning. I touched my upper right arm. My sleeve covered the skin. â€Å"This one's a snake wrapped all the way around my arm. It's for Hecate, the goddess of magic and the crescent moon.† What I didn't add was that Hecate guarded the crossroads between worlds. It was she who governed transitions to the Otherworld and beyond. This tattoo was my link to her, to facilitate my own journeys and call on her for help when needed. I moved to my upper left arm. â€Å"This one's a butterfly whose wings wrap around and touch behind my arm. It's half black and half white.† â€Å"Psyche?† he asked. â€Å"Good guess.† He really was cultured. The goddess Psyche was synonymous with the soul, which the butterfly represented in myth. â€Å"Persephone.† He nodded. â€Å"Half black, half white. She lives half her life in this world and half in the Underworld.† Not unlike my own life. Persephone guided transitions to the world of death. I didn't travel there myself, but I invoked her to send others across. â€Å"She governs the dark moon. And back here† – I tapped the spot behind me where my neck connected to my back – â€Å"is a moon with an abstract woman's face in it. Selene, the full moon.† Kiyo's dark eyes held intense interest. â€Å"Why not one of the more common moon goddesses, then? Like Diana?† I hesitated with my answer. In many ways, Diana would have served the same purpose. She, like Selene, was bound to the human world and could keep me grounded here when I needed it. â€Å"The others are†¦solitary goddesses. Even Persephone, who's technically married. Diana's a virgin – she's alone too. But Selene†¦well, she doesn't get a lot of press anymore, but she was a more social goddess. A sexual goddess. She opens herself up to other people. And experiences. So I went with her. I just didn't think it'd be healthy to be marked with three goddesses who were all alone.† â€Å"What about you? Are you alone, Eugenie?† His voice was velvet against me, and I could have drowned in those eyes. They were like chocolate. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac. â€Å"Aren't we all alone?† I asked with a rueful smile. â€Å"Yes. I think in the end, we all are, no matter what the songs and happy stories say. I guess it's just a matter of who we choose to be alone with.† â€Å"That's why I come here, you know. To be alone with other people. There's isolation in a crowd. You're hidden. Safe.† He looked around at the buzzing, moving sea of people in the bar. They were like a wall surrounding us. There but not there. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's true.† â€Å"Isn't that why you're here too?† He glanced back down at me, his expression a little less sexual and a bit more pensive. â€Å"I don't know. I'm not sure. I guess maybe I'm here because of you.† I didn't have any quick retorts for that, so I started playing with the bottle again. The bartender asked if I wanted another, and I shook my head. Kiyo touched my shoulder. â€Å"You want to dance?† I was pretty sure I hadn't danced since high school, but some force compelled me to agree. We stepped out into a crowd of very bad dancers. Most were just sort of floundering around to a fast song with a heavy beat that I'd never heard before. Kiyo and I weren't much better. But when a slower song came on, he wrapped me to him, pressing us together as close as two people could be. Well, almost as close. I couldn't ever remember anything like this happening with a guy I'd just met, a desire for someone I actually wanted and not just someone who was available. His body felt hard and perfect against mine, and my flesh kept concocting ways to touch his. I was already picturing him naked, imagining what it would be like to have his body move against and inside of mine. What was going on with me here? The images were so vivid and real, it was a wonder my feelings weren't written across my face. So I didn't really mind when he slid his hand up the back of my neck and brought his mouth down to kiss me. It wasn't a tentative kiss either. No first-date kisses here. It was the kind of kiss that meant business, the kind of kiss that said, I want to consume every inch of you and hear you scream my name. I'd never really made out in a public place, but it seemed kind of a trivial concern as that kiss burned between us, our tongues and lips exploring the contours of each other's mouths. But when his other hand slid up and cupped my breast, even I was surprised. â€Å"Hey,† I said, breaking off slightly. â€Å"There are people around.† Amusing, I thought a moment later, that I was less concerned about him doing it than being seen doing it. He kissed the side of my neck, just below my ear, and when he spoke, his words heated my skin. â€Å"People only notice if you make a big deal about it.† I let him kiss me again and didn't say anything else about the hand that continued to stroke the curve of my breast and tease my nipple into hardness beneath the shirt. His other hand slid down to my ass and ground me closer to him, letting me feel exactly what was underneath his jeans. The fact that we were doing this in public suddenly made it a lot sexier. I let out a small, trembling sigh and then broke away from the kiss again. Only this time, it wasn't because of any prudish feelings. It was from need. My body's suddenly urgent and excruciating need. â€Å"Are you staying next door?† I asked, indicating the hotel adjacent to the bar. â€Å"No. Out at the Monteblanca.† I let surprise show on my face. That was in the region near where I lived, in the Santa Catalina foothills. â€Å"That's not a hotel. That's a resort. A really nice one. Veterinarians must make a lot.† He smiled and brushed his lips against my cheek. â€Å"You want to see it?† â€Å"Yes,† I told him. â€Å"I certainly do.†

Listo system Essay

Introduction and Background: Listo system is one of the leading graphic service agency with long history of success at early 1990s. In early 1090s, the company quickly grew into one of the top graphic service companies in the world Listo system ‘VISION statement is â€Å"To be recognized as a leader in supplying quality graphic design product and services to our customers and to be respected by our clients and staff.† Listo Systems’ MISSION statement is: â€Å"We strive to develop superior graphic design products and services for our users through state-of-the-art technology, innovation, teamwork, and leadership.† (Justanswer.com) Diagnosis: Development of e-commerce in modern competitive commercial world has reduced need of middleman, brokers, and distributor, which radically changed the traditional layer distribution channel .The development of technological infrastructure epically ecommerce trading system not only shifted the power from seller to buyer, but also gave consumer’s the ability to search for best quality, service, term, flexibility and innovation. This gave wide flexibility in consumer buying process. If customer were not pleased with company’s product or service, they feel free to switch brand to other firm. Technologies have allowed Listo Systems to provide quality services and products faster and more efficiently. However, new technology has also been beneficial for Listo Systems’ competitors. The competition has grown significantly in number and in the quality of services and products that they provide. The increase in technology has also led to an increase in customer demands and expectations. Customers want services and products; however Listo’s Management was less concerned with the opinions and was more focused on production and profit. Instead of enlisting employees’ opinions, more directive orders were given. Listo hired a number of new managers and employees and due to lack of training and increased complexity associated with adding new layers to the hierarchy resulted in the organization’s goals and objectives becoming unclear. Analysis and evaluation: Analysis and evaluation can be done using two theories. PEST Analysis: Political: During 1990 various countries were implementing Trade liberalization, and perfect competition market for globalization where Listo also felt its impact both negatively and positively Economic: Europe and rest of the world felt the impact of government policies concerning taxation, labor union, cyber regulation, exchange rate policies . Social: Huge social change due to change in technology like internet media, was felt by listo system. Consumer attitude and opinion, consumer buying pattern , fashion and role model, were serious matter to focus during 1990 which hit listo hard enough to panic. Technological: Competing Technology development, could be handled through research based strategy, research based funding for replacement and solution of technology , information and communication, and consumer buying mechanism vs technology did not get full attention. Recommendation: 1. Listo should have to implement Research based funding for computing technological change should be implemented 2. Proper management strategy should be implemented to cope globalization and political change. 3. The expectancy theory should be implemented to motivate the employee provide them the assurance effort will lead to acceptable performance (expectancy), Performance will be rewarded (instrumentality), and The value of the rewards is highly positive (valence). (Herzberg, 1968) How has Listo Systems felt the impact of power shifting from the seller to the buyer? According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at Harvard Business School, â€Å"The major challenge management faces today is living in a world of turbulence and uncertainty where new competitors arrive on the scene daily and competitive conditions change. We can no longer count on a stable world that is unchanging and unvarying and manage accordingly.† This statement implies in the case of Listo System and its overall performance in a competitive market. Regarding its history, Listo was very much concerned about its employee’s needs and their participation in decision making of the company. To operate in a world shaped by globalization and information revolution, the company focused more on the advancement of technologies and improvement in productivity. But the employees were taken as a secondary  importance. They were not provided with proper training of new technology and their views on decision making process were ignored. The significant changes in information flow, created people issues and called out the need for mass training in the organization. The company started giving emphasis to the advancement and was more concentrated on production and profit. Due to the lack of proper training, the employee’s became less motivated. For a better and effective performance, it is necessary for an organization to understand the behavior and needs of the employees. Satisfaction of the needs leads the employees to work more efficiently and effectively. A positive environment should be provided to make them more productive. But Listo ignored the requirement of the employees. And, the employees could not resist the rapid change in the organization. Moreover, new layers of supervisors and employees were added which slowed the pace of decision making. All these changes resulted in lack of employee’s motivation, lack of clearness of goal and a shift of power from seller to the buyer. The demotivation of employees and lack of clearness of the goal in the agency resulted in low quality production. As a result, the company could not cope with the growing and changing need of the customer and started losing them gradually. According to Michael Hammer, customers want more products from less money, more quality and service and more flexibility and convenience and more innovation. While the organization had been expanding in size and competence level, productivity was affected and quality decreased. It was very difficult to fulfill the needs and wants of powerful customers who have the ability to search for best service, quality, technology, innovation, etc. Due to the fast internet technology, customers have become aware of the new quality products with cheaper price and their expectancy level has become higher. They want more products in fewer prices and within a limited time. Directing, changing and influencing behavior of such customers is significant for the sustainability. The company must provide real value to them either by offering strong products and services or lowering the cost or by creating new technologies that is more efficient. Listo ignored the issues of consumer behavior as well as employee’s behavior. Ultimately, the power shifted from the seller to the buyer of the products and services. Customers were aware of the substitute products and services that are quality product at lower price which resulted as benefit to the competitors  of the company. As seller may raise the market price by withholding supply, the buyers may be able to reduce the market price by withholding the demand. To gather the attraction of such a huge market with all the knowledge and information, Listo had to strive hard. It should have focused more on customer’s behavior and their needs along with the employee’s satisfaction at work. There was no other option for the agency but to match the changing and growing need of powerful customers. The management needed to make new strategies to sustain in the changing market. The power shifting from the seller to the buyer had a big impact on the overall performance of the company. Due to this change of power, now the supply of the products and services depend on the satisfaction of the customer’s need and wants. It was now up to those large numbers of buyers to evaluate the products and make radical changes in the supply. Thus, the power shifting from seller to the buyer was an unexpected failure and gradual decrease in the demand of products and services of Listo Systems. What external environmental factors are affecting Listo Systems? An environmental factor plays a crucial role in the development of any organization. There are two types of environmental factors that affect the performance of a company (i.e. internal and external).Internal factors of environment refers to events, factors, people, system and conditions inside the organization that are controllable by the company. Whereas, the external factors of environment are those that occur outside the organization but causes the changes inside and are many times uncontrollable by the management of the organization. Based on Achieve Model, the external factors are the environment that can influence the performance an individual even if he/she has all the ability needed to the job. Listo Systems was also affected by both the internal as well as external factors in the environment. The internal factors included the goal of the organization, company’s rules and regulations along with its aim, organizational culture, and the employees working in the agency. Change in the internal factors of Listo had a great impact on its performance. Similarly, the external factors like customers, competitors, technology, suppliers, the economy, resources, and the regulatory system had a significant influence on its operation, growth, and long term sustainability. As per the information provided in the  websites, Listo being more focused on new technology was losing its employee’s motivation. As a result, the productivity was low and the quality was below the expectation of the economy, the customers, the suppliers, etc. Customers want quality product at cheaper price and if they don’t get it, they walk away for a substitute product that different competitors of the organization provide at lower price. The same thing happens in the case of Listo systems. The customers were taken away by the competitors because of the quality product at a cheaper price. The competitors were aware of the consumer’s behavior and expectancy. But, Listo had ignored the consumer’s behavior along with the other human behavior. It is very essential for an organization to understand the human behavior because it has to deal with human with different understanding, thoughts, needs, values and priorities. Even though the external factors are outside the company, it is important to monitor and adapt the external environment in a continuous manner. Since, Listo didn’t have a continuous monitoring on external environment, it lost its control oven those factors and it was very difficult for the agency to sustain in the market. It could not adapt the changing and varying environment as well as needs of the customers who play a vital role in the success of a company. Customers being dissatisfied with its products and services chose to move on to the substitutes provided by the competitors. And, the competitors having a good understanding of the human behavior made changes with their products to attract the customers of Listo. They were aware that if they provide a quality product at that moment they can win those customers which made Listo to lose its customers and made the demand low. Advancement in technology needs proper training which was not provided by the agency to its employees and thus there was lack of motivation resulting in low productivity. Thus, the suppliers of the materials and resources of the company were not willing to work with Listo systems because of its failure in the market. These external factors affected the overall environment of the graphic design company and changing its great success in the world to failure ultimately. CHAPTER- 2 COGNITIVE DISSONANCE Introduction: Cognitive dissonance deals with the relationship between one’s self-perception and their environment. Leon Festinger analyzed that when two  perceptions relevant to each other are in conflict, it creates the situation of dissonance. Diagnosis / Analysis: Alderfer’s ERG theory states that there are three core needs to motivate people; growth, relatedness and existence. Jackie had been looking for a large organization where she could develop her long-term career goals. Her positive attitude towards recycling was influenced by her observations and experiences that she had during her school life. There she tracked what happened to all the paper put in the trash pail in each classroom. Recommendation: There are many such employers who understand the employee’s behavior and adapt themselves to make them influence for a better performance and predict the future behavior of employees. So, there can be other options and opportunities for the job for Jackie. Because if she stays with Dorf, she might get frustrated if she can’t ignore the company’s choice to recycle and later on get disappointed and it will be harmful to both the company and Jackie herself. 1. Discuss Jackie’s dilemma in terms of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance deals with the relationship between one’s self-perception and their environment. Leon Festinger analyzed that when two perceptions relevant to each other are in conflict, it creates the situation of dissonance. Jackie Hartnett, an individual with a high technical skills and a strong passion for the well-being for the environment, got job at Dorf Car Factory. Since, she was very much interested and concerned about the well-being of the environment; she could satisfy her job of reducing the harmful effects of wastes and garbage coming from factories by the means of recycling in an effective way and could give an outstanding performance. She had a very positive attitude and behavior towards her job as well as the boss, Charlie Damon. A positive behavior and attitude at his/her job helps a person to achieve the desired goal and satisfaction of physiological, social, safety, esteem and self-actualization needs. Alderfer’s ERG theory states that there are three core needs to motivate people; growth, relatedness and existence. (Managementstudyguide.com) Jackie had been  looking for a large organization where she could develop her long-term career goals. Her positive attitude towards recycling was influenced by her observations and experiences that she had during her school life. There she tracked what happened to all the paper put in the trash pail in each classroom. Jackie implemented a school- wide recycle program where she could apply her learning and experiences to make the environment free from the harmful elements. In this program, all the waste or papers were put in a separate trash pail and sent to a recycling factory to change it in reusable consumer goods. Her boss was finding her very attentive and efficient at work. She was experiencing a job satisfaction which matched her expectancy. Job satisfaction is achieved when needs of an individual is fulfilled. Both attitude and job satisfaction are interrelated. If Jackie had a negative attitude towards her job, she would have never been satisfied. Her needs were satisfied as well. But sometimes needs are blocked in the attempt to accomplish a goal. Frustration occurs when the goal attainment is blocked. Whereas, aggression comes with an aggressive and unfriendly behavior. Rationalization is a situation when a person makes excuses for his/her failure to accomplish a goal and regression is a tendency to react. Moreover, fixation means repeating the same behavior as per Maier. And, resignation relates to a situation when an individual gives up to the situation or move on after a prolonged frustration. All these situations come under cognitive dissonance. 2. How could this new information on Dorf’s actual recycling program affect Jackie’s perception of the company she works for? What impact could this have on her overall performance? Are her personal values around recycling strong enough to determine who she works for? Being experienced for a year in the job of recycling Drof’s performance had improved day by day. At the same time, she came to know about the facts of the recycling program and she then uncovered the actual information showing that several factory shipments of waste material being sold to another company. She made some quick research and came to the point that those other companies didn’t properly dispose the waste products in a hygienic way. The waste products and materials were not disposed in the right way to keep the environment free from the harmful effects of it. And, when she approached her boss, Charlie,  with the facts and information regarding the waste materials recycling, she was taken aback. She was informed about the costs associated with the approaches to ‘greener’. She was dissatisfied with the reply and was disheartened in a way that she started thinking about her personal values which must match with one’s job. Her personal value towards recycling doesn’t allow her to stay in the same job anymore a kind of frustration was created in her attitude as well as behavior. The actual recycling programs changed her attitude and lead her to cognitive dissonance where two perception of her own were moving in her mind. She was in a dilemma whether she should leave the job and break the commitment she had made with the company or she should continue her job instead of knowing the fact of it. But she had to decide and choose between her own perceptions which were a very difficult situation. Her personal values were strong because they were created as an attitude from school life environment. It’s very difficult to change such a strong and positive attitude which is built in years. It could determine what she was actually working for, whether for her personal values or for the achievement of goal. 3. Do you think Jackie should ignore the company’s choice to recycle or not and just keep doing her job? Is she willing to walk away from a good paying job with benefits? Are there other employers who are likely to be more open to recycling programs, and should she pursue opportunities with those companies? The recycling program of Dorf Car Factory created a psychological discomfort in Jackie and she was bound to change her perception to reduce the tension by ignoring the company’s choice to recycle. Cognitive dissonance in her changed her attitude and also affected her performance. Her goal won’t be achieved if she quits from the job. Her needs will be blocked which will lead her to an irrational behavior in a continuous manner. If she is not satisfied at her work place, the environment where she works, she can’t satisfy her job as well as the boss. She will be frustrated and the frustration will develop to the extent that will occur an aggressive behavior. Later on this aggression will take place of rationalization, fixation and resignation if continued for a long period of time. In that situation, she can’t ignore the Dorf’s choice whether to recycle or not because her inner perception and values are very different than her job requirement. But an employee should never ignore the fact that an organization’s achievement of goal is also the responsibility of the employee working there. Their performance and activity can improve or hinder the overall performance and play a crucial role in attainment of the organizational goal. At the same time, job satisfaction motivates one to work better and increase the productivity. One can’t work in a negative environment where employee’s satisfaction is not given any priority. Firstly, she should understand her need. Then, she should try to handle the situation and make herself comfortable with the job and focus on her work and try to change her attitude towards the recycling programs. If her attitude is changed positively, she won’t have any problem at her job at Dorf. Secondly, Jackie should try to find out a job that matches her satisfaction, competence, values and perceptions. And, she should have the broader knowledge of the companies and should also find out whether she’ll get the same type of job environment and employers or there are many more opportunities in the market where she can fit herself and get job satisfaction which won’t hamper her values and ethics. In my opinion, our values and attitude brings a sense of self-confidence and responsibility in us. So, Jackie should stay with her own values and move on for a job that satisfies her motives and needs rather than hanging on for a better payment. There are many such employers who understand the employee’s behavior and adapt themselves to make them influence for a better performance and predict the future behavior of employees. So, there can be other options and opportunities for the job for Jackie. Because if she stays with Dorf, she might get frustrated if she can’t ignore the company’s choice to recycle and later on get disappointed and it will be harmful to both the company and Jackie herself. Definitely, she should pursue to the opportunities of recycling programs with other companies for her better development and achievement of her own goal and should walk away from the Dorf Car Factory where she can’t get a job satisfaction and motivation. Bibliography F, H. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard. Herzberg. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard . Justanswer.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.justanswer.com: http://www.justanswer.com/homework/5gcht-case-study-listo-systems-challenge-growing-organization-listo.html Managementstudyguide.com. (n.d.). Retrieved