My Conclusion

From my task analysis I have found that I have to design and make either an Pod docking station, phone charging stand, low voltage light or a radio and the chosen product must be styled in eras from the last 100 years. Also found the different design styles in the last 1 00 years which is Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus or Arts and Crafts. .From my investigation on the questionnaire result have found that I will design and make an Pod docking station in the style of art deco made of multi products. This is because that what my target user wants.From my investigation on art deco, I found out the happily styling features which are sunburst motifs, chevron patterns, and jumbled shapes, zigzagged and geometrical shapes From my product analysis I have found out the different type of products and the price of them and the length and I have found out and different type of styling of art deco and this has given me an idea on what to create Design Brief am going to make an pod docking station and it's going to be in the style of art deco and its going to be aimed at over 14+ and so that it would be in the museum gift shop. Requirements for the client The Pod docking station should be:It should be eye catching It should be in a design of the last 100 year era Requirements for the user It should be safe so that they don't injure the user Made from mufti-materials It should be soundly constructed It should be in the design style of art deco which consists of geometric shapes, sunburst motifs, chevron patterns , jumbled shapes and etc It should be priced between EYE-EYE Requirements for the designer and the manufacture The Pod docking station should be.

A Culture of Professionalism Essay

One of the challenges of making Kamak a professional organization is to get Pete, the Managing Director, to change his leadership style that is suitable to the organizational culture. First and foremost, Pete has to accept that he is merely a driver of that culture rather than its measure, and that he should get in touch with the realities of that culture. His personal actions as the main representative of management impact the assessment of organizational culture being that management practices are a significant dimension of it. It is measured through â€Å"the fairness and consistency with which policies are administered, the accessibility of management to employees, the degree to which management provides a safe working environment and how well management encourages diversity.† (Jolly & Recarda, 1997). Given that, he must be prepared to act in a way that promotes and implements the policies and good management practices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The members of the staff, on the other hand, seem keen on getting their opinions heard but they are having difficulty given the current situation. Moreover, confidentiality or a semblance of it is apparently an important condition before anyone will step forward and communicate an opinion. Since a face-to-face and one-on-one meeting opportunity is hard to come by, the best option at this time would be to express their opinion in writing and leave it anonymously and hope actions will be considered and forthcoming or sign it and explicitly request for a private meeting to discuss it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a professional organization, continuity and consistency are important in order to instill a set of values, beliefs and practices that are understood and shared by its members. Unilateral and regular changes in policies merely tend to confuse especially since the organization has only recently evolved from a local organization to one that deals with international companies and has yet to homogenize. However, dealing with international companies would also mean having enough flexibility to adapt to the constantly changing environments and demands and thus, it is prudent to aim for continuous improvement as opposed to drastic changes. Consistency with policies and practices and service commitments can still be maintained and merely the strategy will be amended. It is essential, though, that to make a change successful, that change must be properly communicated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To achieve professional standards in organizational communication, the elements must be present and developed. This would include the communicators or those engaged in the exchange and sharing of ideas with their assessment and accessibility, the message, the language of interaction, the channel of communication which may be formal such as memoranda and meetings or informal such as casual conversations and the climate of the communication situation which would be the dynamics of interaction that there are no hidden agenda, no repercussions, and the like (Chan & Palo, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The organizational culture in Kamak is a networked culture that is â€Å"high in sociability but low in solidarity† and is still at the low context stage which is â€Å"characterized by considerable dependence on explicitly articulated messages†¦ that is usually observed in small firms or start-up firms where the entire operations is in the making and information must be widely distributed and clearly disseminated.† (Chan & Palo, 2002). Hence, the following are essential in its organizational communication: Promote a communication climate that is supportive, i.e., information is widely shared with the aim of progressing towards a climate that is high on empowerment and support; Open alternative modes of communication and utilize and maximize technology such as e-mails especially for information dissemination, fax, voicemail, phone if face-to-face communication is not immediately possible; Conduct regular meeting so that policies are formally introduced, implemented and reinforced; Make use of the grapevine to be in touch with the staff level and would encourage face-to-face interaction between parties making it personal and social; Open a feedback mechanism through suggestion boxes and at the same time, continue to encourage and promote the open-door policy but ensure accessibility in a climate and setting that nurtures confidentiality. References Chan, G.S. & Palo, T. M. (2002). Organizational communication. In G. Chan (Ed.), Managing people in Asian organizations (pp. 229-285). Singapore: Prentice Hall. Jolly, J. and Recardo, R. (1997). Organizational culture and teams. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 62 (2), 4-9.

Pursa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pursa - Essay Example What can explain this drop in voter interest? It just might be that the educated masses of this country, among them the large middle class, are just tired of seeing new faces but no change in policy. Hence they decide that it does not make a difference, and it is better just not to vote. It matters not whether the elected Presidents are Republican or Democrat, they continue making the same noises and go through the same motions, when the truth is that the only needs that are being served are those of the capitalists and the corporations they own. Among the many critiques of democracy as a system of Government are that it just counts the number of votes, and does not weigh them. Thus the vote of a poor illiterate farmer would be equal in importance to that of a college educated graduate (Dahl, 1989, 12). Secondly, the corporations and the capitalists have so ruined the transparency of the system that it does not matter who gets elected to the Presidency, the funding of both participan ts ensures that the interests of the big corporations and their owners are kept uppermost. For all his rhetoric about change, President Obama has not managed to get us out of the financial crisis that has enveloped America due to the sub-prime mortgage fiasco and risk exposures that resulted in the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and others. Despite the bailout packages that rescued some banking institutions and the automobile industry in Detroit, the major loss was still to the American public who lost their homes, cars and jobs in an economic downturn that still persists. Unemployment is still at 9 percent in some States and public confidence at an all time low. The real problem lies in the system itself. If bankers can go on robbing the public through first making loans to clients with high default risks, pocketing fees and commissions in the

Management Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management Information System - Essay Example The Watchiloo has been designed as an embedded player for social network sites to allow for users to access advanced features. The first part of the article shall analyze how these devices can be used to communicate with their advanced features. The article shall also cover different aspects that are involved with the use of these devices such as the number of users for each and their price range. The second part of the article shall cover strengths and weaknesses of this article. Finally, the article shall then cover writers' opinion on the articles and recommendation on what can be done to improve them. Introduction High definition television has brought about some change in the mode of social networking. Thus, with the invention of high definition television (HDTV), there has been remarkable change in video and audio conferencing. Several versions of high definition televisions currently exist in the market including internet enabled ones with built in wireless internet connectivi ty and others with port for wireless or wired connectivity. Since invention of live chat tools by Google and Microsoft, Google+ hangout on air and Skype respectively, there has been increased need to include more users in chat sessions than the logical one user when used in personal computers or smart phones2. Main Themes The main idea of these articles is to analyze and ascertain the extent in which integration between HDTV and chat- enabled devices that have been manufactured. In this article, I shall focus on two essential devices that have been manufactured for this purpose. It shall also cover some issues relating to these devices such as Working capability of these devices The number of users which they support Their price range and connectivity and Their multimedia capability features There has been the invention of Watchitoo device, which was launched for enterprise purposes, and the Tely HD designed for multiple users for home use. These devices according to review articles are ultimately designed to allow for live online streaming of calls, pictures and messages for multiple users using their HDTV sets at the comfort of their homes. The Watchitoo device can allow connection of up to 25 users to the device at the same time and enable them make audio or video calls simultaneously. The Tely HD has been designed to allow family members or small groups of friends to convert their HDTV sets into a live chat device. They are capable of making definition video calls through their HDTV at the comfort of their living room without crowding to a small screen3. In addition, an attractive feature with these devices is that apart from traditional feature whereby devices are independent in communication, these devices have been essentially designed to be fully integrated with already established social networking sites and tools. The Watchitoo has been embedded into users own networking site services like Facebook or Twitter. This allows the user to make video calls and invite friends to chat with them very easily through these sites. The Tely HD has been designed to communicate with all Skype enabled devices in the market. The user can make Skype calls to other Skype enabled devices including other Tely HD televisions, smart phone, personal computers and any other device with inbuilt Skype capability in these devices4.

Commercial law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Commercial law - Essay Example Once the terms of an agency agreement have been made, it is important to draft a written contract that any of the parties involved can request, which would state the duration of the contract among other things. An agency agreement usually contains the fixed term of the contract, exists for an indefinite term that is terminable and lastly a fixed term that can be extended if agreed by both parties1. In relation to Rosie and Simon’s case, the parties did have a written contract or agency agreement that did not state the terms of their contract in detail. The implication of this is that it might be difficult for Simon to prove that Rosie went against the terms of the contract that they had agreed upon through the written agency agreement. Additionally, Rosie is in breach of the contract they agreed upon with Simon because she did not give Simon the 10% commission that they had agreed on when he sold a piece of work for her. In order for Simon to be safe, he would have made sure that he drafted a contract that captured much detail on how he was to make money out of the contract. For this reason, Rosie could be entitled to not pay Simon. On the contrary, the Commercial Agents regulation requires that either of the parties wishing to terminate an agreement entered for an indefinite period issue adequate notice to the other party, which Rosie did not comply. The regulation requires that a person provides notice of termination depending on the period they have been in the contract. For example, if they have been in the contract for a year, they should issue a one months’ notice, two years attracts a two months’ notice and so on. Therefore, Simon has grounds to seek compensation for the breaching of the contract that he had entered into with Rosie based on not being issued with proper notice. The regulation requires that a principal act dutifully to the agent and in good faith to which she did not

Conflict Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conflict Resolution - Essay Example On the other hand, if conflict lacks effective and timely management, it can prevent a nurses’ ability to ensure quality client care and escalate into violence and abuse (Pines et al., 2012). The essay discusses conflict as a hindrance management and one of the greatest challenges to quality health care provision. Conflict is an inherent component of nursing even though the professional code does not articulate for accepting abuse. Conflict can compromise professionalism among nurses if it escalates to great levels. Nurses must knowledge the variety of ways in which conflict can emanate among them and should be prepared to prevent and manage it in the workplace. Positive conflicts are instances involving contrasting viewpoints that leave the parties involved with useful lessons and wiser than they were before. The first positive aspect of conflict is provision of an outlet that strengthens an intergroup unity. In the nursing profession, working involves agglomeration with other professionals to form a group. A conflict that creates togetherness and unity to such a group to work together in order to realize a particular goal is positive conflict. Group members discuss and manage their interests for improving their wellbeing. Secondly, conflict discourages premature decision making in a team, on the other hand, amongst members of a staff giving participants an opportunity to explore concern and interests at stake. Nurse A had a misunderstanding with her colleague, nurse B; their conflict got a lasting resolution through a series of negotiations that left both the parties happy and contented. After the resolution, the two parties settled and added more energy in order to realize the agreed upon goals. The result was an increase in the general output and productivity. The other aspect of conflict is a negative one. Negative conflicts may have diverse harmful implications. Some of the adverse outcomes have far-reaching consequences on nurses’

Research Methods Profoilio Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Research Methods Profoilio Exercise - Assignment Example intains and energizes employees to carry out their tasks effectively but it may not capitalize their full potential if they are not motivated through praise and recognition. The satisfaction level and commitment levels tend to get decreased if an individual is not encouraged, praised or given incentives at regular intervals. Research indicates that Employees are seen leaving the companies not because of less pay but because they feel unmotivated at work (Lutchman, 2008, p.46). This relationship between the two is still unexplored. Thus, it is essential to document and identify the underlying reasons for resignations and terminations taking part in organizations. The number of employees leaving the organization due to lack of motivation is growing tremendously, and this requires scrutiny. Though, there are many factors that have an impact on employee turnover, but motivation is a vital element for success. Its absence can have an adverse impact on the employee and its presence increases the quality of work and makes them more committed to performing their task. Hence, this problem was chosen because it would generate an understanding of individual’s needs that encourages them to carry good practices in the organizations (Lutchman, 2008). At BSc Level, this problem is suitable for study as it is related to a psychological perspective and is related to Human Resources, which is my existing field of subject. The relationship between motivation and turnover is seen ignored by Human Resource Professionals as most of the firms are work oriented and are inclined to maximize productivity by utilizing resources of an organization. As motivation is goal directed so it can be said that the professional standpoint would help me undermine my future value for any company, I plan to work. In other words, it can be said that this relationship between motivation and turnover is a critical element for success so it shall allow ascertain substantial levels of motivational

Choose a case study organisation. Make an evaluation of the reward Essay

Choose a case study organisation. Make an evaluation of the reward implementation problem. Offer recommendations that are logical, viable and scheduled. Offer some costings - Essay Example As for the social factors, issues such as immigration, emigration, and poverty are bound to surface. Employment relations in this context refer to the business relationship between employer and the worker(s). Perkins & White (2011) argue that it plays an important role in the motivation of the employees, building the organization’s reputation; ensuring that there is efficiency in the operations; and maximization of output or production and profit margins (Rose, 2008). There are two main approaches to employment relation. Wilkinson &Townsend (2011) elaborates that these approaches are through either collective bargaining or individual bargaining. Individual bargaining is a situation where the employees individually negotiate about working conditions and remunerations with the employers while in the collective bargaining approach they use trade unions to negotiate on their behalf. There is an emerging trend in the workforce that tends to make it flexible. Firms are increasingly employing the technique of employing part time workers or temporary workers instead of permanent workers (Daniels, 2008). This flexibility is perceived to be cheap as it enables companies to meet the demand of consumers and reduces cost of training. However, its disadvantages are lack of security and effective communication. Workers can influence the operations of businesses through the concept of employee participation and industrial democracy. Employee participation encompasses scenario where decisions made by organizations involve the inputs of the employee while industrial democracy entails the modalities workers can incorporate to influence decisions. In any organizations, disputes and conflicts are bound to surface. It is the modalities that companies or firms adopt that play a key role in providing remedy to the disputes/conflicts. In most cases these disputes emanate from issues such as the working,

Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Term Paper - Essay Example Here, we are talking about US. It is said that GDP grows with time. This is because of the reason that the needs of a country are rising day by day due to an increase in the population. Therefore, it becomes necessary to fulfill those needs, and manufacture products and offer services so that the lives of people are made better. Obviously, there has to be a specific number of people working to undergo this process and they would be paid as well. The overall demand would be met and supply would be increased. The bigger picture would then show that the gross domestic product would definitely increase. It is clearly understood from the above process that when GDP grows, the unemployment rate falls. The reason is that more people would be hired to fulfill a country’s needs and those employees would be paid for their services in the end. It can be said that both these factors, GDP and unemployment rate, are indirectly related to each; when one rises, the other falls. If we look at the World Bank data and make some cross country comparisons, we can better understand how US has been performing when these three major macroeconomic factors are concerned. According to the data presented in 2009, if the whole world’s GDP is taken to be 100 percent, then out of that US takes the second place after Europe. Europe has 22 percent of the GDP’s proportion while US 20 percent of it. (Suranovic, 2013) Similarly, if we look at the unemployment and inflation rates then US has 10 percent unemployment while Europe has 9.8 percent. The inflation rates for both of the countries are positive but relatively stable. Europe has 0.5 percent inflation rate while US has 1.8 percent till year 2009. It is said about the inflation rate that if they are too high, the situation can have bad impacts on the economy while if they are too low, the situation can deflate the economy. Moreover, if the unemployment rates are too low they will create problems as well. The aggregate

They Carried the Truth Essay Example for Free

They Carried the Truth Essay Tim O’Brien uses a unique narrative style as he, the narrator, details the lives of the men from his platoon in the Things They Carried.   It is more about the men (and what happens to their minds) who fought the Vietnam war than the war itself, and even though O’Brien admits that the stories are not true, they certainly could be. The novel is about the lives of the men in Jimmy Cross’ platoon during the Vietnam war, as narrated by O’Brien.    Each man has his own things to carry in his rucksack, both physical items for war, safety, and food, and, in the same token, mental anxieties and deep, mostly unexpressed fears as well.   The novel unfolds as the men deal with the war; a few die, one brings his girlfriend (a pampered thing in a pink sweater) out for a visit, and some, including Cross, seek revenge on their own men in moments of weakness.   That’s what war can do to a man. In chapter one, a reader learns that â€Å"by daylight they took sniper fire, at night they were mortared, but it was not battle, it was just the endless march, village to village, without purpose, nothing won or lost[1].†Ã‚   This is perhaps the most pivotal statement in the novel, because at once it details the pointless aspect of the war, while at the same time demonstrating the bravery and sheer doggedness of the men who fight it—even if the war seems to have no purpose other than killing.   Each chapter reveals a bit more about the men of the platoon in the form of a longish anecdote while the reader is acclimated, nearly as quickly as the men, to the horrors and difficulty of being a soldier. Now, O’Brien’s novel is unique for two reasons.   First, he inserts himself in as the narrator, and second, he admits that this is a work of fiction (even though he did fight in the Vietnam war), but also concludes that his tales could quite possibly be true—because all things have an ounce of truth when it comes to war.   Like the narrator, O’Brien also went to war because he was scared not to (even though he was against what it stood for), which lends an interesting double-life to the narrator as his tales become even more authoritative and honest than he realizes.   While this may be a work of â€Å"fiction† because the spine says so, the fact that O’Brien lived it makes every event and character more vivid and realistic because of the inherent truth driving them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, there are three main themes, among others, that run throughout the novel: bravery, how war effects a soldier both physically and mentally, and, as O’Brien admits in the first chapter, a reader’s understanding of the truth he weaves with fiction, because, only stories that reveal the truth can be true.   This is a story about the men who could have fought the war, how they dealt with it, and what kind of men the frightening, deadly jungles of Vietnam made them become. Overall, O’Brien tells a story that could have happened.   A reader learns about the men of the platoon based on the things they carried, which serves the double purpose of furthering the story while giving each soldier a deeper, darker depth to his character.   As a study of the Vietnam war, this is probably not the most explicitly accurate text, but this is not a story about war, it is about what war does to a man. [1] O’Brien, Tim.   Things They Carried.   (New York: Random House, 1990), 15.

Implementing and Adopting Innovation: Case Study of Skype

Implementing and Adopting Innovation: Case Study of Skype The present assignment focuses on a real business situation which involves the implementation and adoption of innovation. The case study is comprised of four primary parts which explore the process of innovation development, the promoters of innovation, the internal and external reaction within business resources and the likely strategic implications and business model for further development which can be proposed. In this respect, the assignment explores Skype as an example of business organisation which adopts innovation on a continuous basis and the various strategic implications to which this behaviour is associated. Skype is an information communication technology (ICT) which is one of the most popular products used by different consumer segments in the process of communicating over the Internet. This platform provides users with the opportunity to communicate and interact via a low cost channel. The companys growth is promoted by the continuous internationalisation and globalisation of markets. Moreover, not only continuous internationalisation influences the development of Skype, but Skype itself can be seen as a promoter of globalisation removal of market and country boundaries. In this context, Skype has grown through the continuous application of incremental innovation. The company has been adopting innovative applications and targeting different customer segments through the products and services provided. However, the present assignment would not only explore these strategy approaches to competitiveness but primarily focuses on the organisational and structural innovation of Skype. The report particularly focuses on the acquisition of Skype by E-bay and the organisation implication this has. Pay Pal as another integrative part of this acquisition is also presented and discussed. Innovation Characteristics Innovation management and development has grown as one of the most popular fields within social sciences. It has attracted the interest of scholars for many years. For example, Schumpeter (1950) who is the pioneer within the discipline proposes that innovation is the development of a novel solution which alters past perceptions. Schumpeter (1950) characterised the process of innovation development with the concept of creative destruction explaining that innovation restructures the way past patterns are perceived through the implementation of novelty (Hospers, 2005). However, it is essential to be outlined that innovation is not only characterised by its novel characteristics but by the commercial importance which it has (Tidd et al., 2005). In other words, an innovative solution is both new and applicable to the respective market. Apart from the above mentioned characteristics, it is also important to be outlined that innovation can be recognised in different forms and degrees. For example, innovation can be seen primarily as incremental and radical (Afuah, 2003). Incremental innovation occurs when little novel changes are applied within an organisation (Tidd et al., 2005). It is often that incremental innovation is practiced on a continuous basis and thus is known as a process of continuous improvement which has applications in companies as Toyota and their total quality management (TQM) core strategic values (Afuah, 2003; Bessan and Francis, 1999). Contrary to the incremental innovation, the radical one is characterised with profound changes within an enterprise (Francis and Bessant, 2005). Apart from the degree of innovativeness, it is also important to be outlined that business organisations can exploit different types of innovation. The academic literature mainly outlines two main types such as product and process innovation (Boer and During, 2001; Damapur and Evans, 1984). As it can be logically proposed based on the names, the product innovation mainly concerns the products and the process innovation is implemented within the business processes to promote efficiency and effectiveness (DiLiello and Houghton, 2008). However, apart from product and process innovation, organsiational innovation is also seen as another essential type. In this context, the present analysis is specifically focuses on organisational innovation in the case of E-Bays acquisition of Skype and how this affected to the mutual organisational innovativeness. The organsiational innovativeness is mutual as this acquisition has affected both parties in a unique way (Hof, 2005). However, it should be also underlined that as E-bay has adopted and largely promoted the payment platform Pay Pal therefore the implications which Pay Pal has on Skype should be also considered (Vitzthum and Konsynski, 2009). The organisational impact which this acquisition has on Skype is substantial. On the one hand, Skype has been having significant popularity in Europe and Asia but lacked high exposure in the large American market. In this respect, as E-bay is one of the leading e-commerce platforms n the US therefore Skype would be able to benefit for such co-operation. However, the innovative characteristics of this venture do not come from the increased market exposure but from the integration of three different business models: Skype, E-bay and Pay Pal. This can be identified as a clear example of Schumpeters creative destruction, when old and orthodox patterns are substituted by novel behaviour (Hospers, 2005; Schumpeter, 1950). Furthermore, the characteristics of this organisational innovation not only should be identified within the structural implications only but also in relation to internal business resources. For example, organisational innovation promotes the interaction between different groups of employees which as a return increases the creative capability of the enterprise due to continuous knowledge-sharing and idea generation (Tushman and OReilly, 1997). This is the reason why, through this acquisition, Skype not only does gain the opportunity to get popularised within different markets but also benefit from the exchange of insight. Human resource management and in particular the collaborative performance of employees is essential to the promotion of innovation (Dodgson and Rothw, 1994). In other words, organisational innovation can promote the development of other types of innovation, such as process and product innovation as part of the internal collaborative processes. Triggers and Promoters of the Innovation The triggers and promoters of innovation can be divided into internal and external ones. The internal triggers in the present case are the desire of E-bay and Skype to grow in greater capabilities and competitiveness within diverse markets. As it was already outlined Skype had good exposure in Europe and Asia but lacked the same success in United States (Vitzthum and Konsynski, 2009). On the contrary, Skype as a prominent e-commerce platform in the US lacked significant exposure to European and Asian consumers as opposite to the intensive revenue generation in North America (Amber, 2000). Furthermore, the third element in this partnership, Pay Pal at the time of the merger was still in the beginning of its growth and therefore this collaboration looked highly positive to Pay Pals increased business capabilities and market reach. Apart from the internal drive which is always a highly influential promoter of innovation and business competitiveness, the external environment can be suggested to be another substantial stimulus to this acquisition. For example, globalisation and the continuously intensified communication between international customers influence technological development and therefore information and communication technologies as Skype have substantial opportunity to grow. Furthermore, another important trigger to the organisation is the increased market competitiveness. The adoption of innovation is generally associated to both positive and negative external sources. As it is in the present case, these are the market opportunities which the acquisition provides and the industrial competitiveness and threats which may have negative impact on the performance of the organisations. The internal and external sources of innovation, however, should not be perceived as ultimately separate entities. For example, the internal strengths of a business contribute to the business ability to exploit external opportunities and overcome external threats. In this respect, the resource based view (RBV) theory can be used as an analogue, suggesting that a firms strength derives from its internal dynamics and this promotes business continuous competitiveness (Barney, 2001). In the present context, it can be proposed that the current case of organisational restructuring and innovation affects the increased resource capabilities of the business and thus promotes the ventures greater competitiveness. Reactions to the Adopted Innovation As Joseph Schumpeter suggests, innovation is a phenomenon which causes disruption and change (Hospers, 2006; Schumpeter, 1950). This is the reason why, innovation and all processes related to its adoption creates certain internal and external reaction. In the present case, the reactions of E-bays acquisition of Skype and integration of Pay Pal cannot be assessed entirely from internal perspective as the author of the present report cannot access this internal information. However, there are certain outcomes which can be clearly recognised in the academic literature which can be conceptually and theoretically integrated in the current analysis. One of the primary reactions which can be identified in the internal environment of a company when innovation is adopted is the rejection by employees to accept the proposed change (Hiatt and Creasey, 2003). This is especially common in the cases of organisational restructuring which is resulted by mergers and acquisitions (Fedor and Harold, 2004). Employees perceive this as a risk to their career and job stability. However, the present acquisition cannot be recognised with any major physical and structural transformations and therefore it may not have had such a substantial impact over employees. Another reaction which can be identified with such a horizontal diversification and organisational innovation is seen within the external context and in particular in customers and competitors (Cook, 2004). For example, customers become interested in the collaborative propositions which the brands are likely to provide. For example, Skype has been continuously innovating and applying some incremental innovations and improvements due to the wider market share the company is exposed to. This is the reason why, Skype has developed various video and communication application within its platform to fit the needs of multiple customer segments. This is true innovation, not only it needs to be novel but it also need to have commercial and market value (Damanpour, 1991). Strategic Characteristics The present case reveals an innovative organisational situation the acquisition of E-bay of Skype. This is an approach of horizontal diversification by E-bay which not only does have substantial impacts on E-bay but on Skype as well. This is an example of the interconnectivity of innovation it cannot be conducted in isolation and it has effect on multiple business aspects. For example, the organisational innovation resulted in Skypes producing a continuous incremental innovation, developing and introducing new applications to fit the needs of various segments. The platform introduced multiple video streaming which is highly applicable to ordinary users, families and business conferencing. This multiple application of innovation is exactly the purpose and value of the phenomenon. It is important to be underlined that innovation is a powerful source of competitiveness but it needs significant internal commitment. This is the reason why, leadership can be recognised as essential promoter of innovative behaviour. Leadership is the process which motivates and inspires organisational commitment. In the context of incremental innovation, employees need to be continuously committed to promote the innovative performance of the business. Leadership, however, should not be confused with management as these are different approaches to people management, development and co-ordination. Management can be explained as the process of executing business processes and operations in an efficient manner whereas leadership is the approach of doing the right things identifying solutions where no structure guidance exists. This is the reason why leadership is needed to stimulate employees commitment to innovation (Alves et al., 2007). People management and team work are essential to innovation development as this process stimulate idea generation and knowledge sharing between different individuals which is synthesised in the creation of a novel and meaningful solution. References Afuah. A. (2003) Innovation Management. (2nd ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press. Alves, J., Marques, M., Saur, I. and Marques, P. (2007) Creativity and Innovation through Multidisciplinary and Multisectoral Cooperation, Creativity and Innovation Management, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 27 34. Anon (2008) Change management and employee motivation: the balancing act [online]. Available from: http://www.articlesbase.com/recruitment-articles/change-management-and-employee-motivation-the-balancing-act-672944.html [Accessed: 04/05/11] Barney, J. (2001) Is the Resource-Based Theory a Useful Perspective for Strategic Management Research?.Yes., Journal of Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 99 120. Barney, J., Wright, M. and Ketchen Jr., D. (2001) The resource-based view of the firm: Ten years after 1991.,Journal of Management, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 625 641. Bennet, B (2009) Change management: Motivation [online]. Available from: http://billbennett.co.nz/2009/09/16/change-management-motivation/ [Accessed: 04/04/11] Bessant, J. (2003) High Involvement Innovation. Chichester: John Wiley Sons. Bessant, J. and Francis, D. (1999) Developing strategic continuous improvement capability, International Journal of Operations Production Management. Vol. 19, No. 11, pp. 1106 1119. Boer, H. and During, W.E. (2001) Innovation. What innovation? A comparison between product, process and organisational innovation, International Journal of Technology Management, Vol. 22, No. 1/2/3, pp. 83 -107. Cook, S. (2004), Change management excellence: using the four intelligences for successful organizational, Kogan Page Publishers. 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(3rd ed.) New York: Harper Row. Leede, de J. and Looise, K. J. (2005) Innovation and HRM: Towards an Integrated Framework, Creativity and Innovation Management, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 108 117. Tidd, J., Bessant. J. and Pavitt. K. (2005) Managing Innovation. (3rd ed.) Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Tushman, M. L. and OReilly, C. (1997) Winning through Innovation: A Practical Guide to Leading Organizational Change and Renewal. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Van de Ven, A. H., Polley. E. D., Graud. R. and Venkataraman. S. (1999) The innovation journey. New York: Oxford University Press. Vitzthum, S. and Konsynski, B. (2009) EBAYs Acquistion of Skype SA: Valuing the Voice of the Buyer, The Communications of the Association for Information Systems, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 89 104. Table of Contents References 9 Introduction to the Case study The present cases study focuses on Apple which is one of the leading and most innovative producers of technologies and entertainment devices. The company is continuously growing in size and is attracting greater market share. In this respect, the analysis focuses on the particular product and service innovation which are provided by the organisation to sustain continuous competitiveness. It is essential to be underlined that product and process innovation should not be perceived as separate entities (Afuah, 2003). It is often that business organisation incorporate both product and process innovation as interconnected elements of a mutual strategy of industrial competitiveness (Francis and Bessant, 2005). It should be also underlined that often, process innovation is stimulated as a natural outcome of product innovativeness, it appears as a logical and complementary derivative. It is also important to be mentioned that the present case study focuses on another essential element of the development and introduction of innovation, such as business leadership. It specifically focuses on the companys most prominent decision-maker and leader Steve Jobs, and analyses his approaches to business management and innovation leadership. Innovation Types and Characteristics As already revealed in the previous case study, innovation is a popular phenomenon which pioneer Joseph Schumpeter describes as the process of creative destruction. In other words, innovation is a novel solution which has commercialised applicability and significant market value (Hospers, 2005; Freeman and Soete, 1997; Kleinknecht and Mohnen, 2002). This definition clearly describes the innovation which is produced by Apple, one of the leading technological innovators. The company utilises a number of innovative products in its iPhone, iPad and iPod series of entertainment products. The innovative performance of the organisation can be recognised as highly distinctive. The company utilises and merges different types and degrees of innovativeness. The academic literature describes primarily two types of innovation such as, product and process innovation (Storey, 2000). However, often companies can utilise a mix of the two as it is in the case of Apple. The company has popular products as iPad, iPod and iPhone which are complemented by the innovative platform iTunes where users can download music and create playlists to play on their iPods. Moreover, there are hundreds if not thousands of applications which are created by Apple software developers which are downloaded and used on any of the iPad and iPhone devices. This is an example of how the company engages customers through a full life cycle they are provided with innovative products and service from the save brand which ensures long-term loyalty and re-purchase (Iacobucci and Calder, 2003; Kotler and Keller, 2008). The innovative management of products and services at Apple has been led by a management and leadership approach which can be identified with high level of confidentiality, secrecy and partial isolation. Contrary to the conceptual understanding in the academic literature that innovation is stimulate through continuous knowledge sharing and idea generation, Steve Jobs promoted an environment of micro-management and high level of internal control. However, this has led to paradoxical results Apple is continuously generating market share, profitability and above all customers loyalty (Daft et al., 2010). One of the explanations for this outcome can be related to the resource based view theory. Similarly to the previous case study on Skype and E-bay, Apple seems to be also taking advantage of the strength of its internal resources. The resource based view theory suggests that a companys success is derived from the uniqueness and competitiveness of its internal resources (Johnson and Scholes, 2008).This approach is closely related and relevant to the leadership and management initiatives practiced by Apples main decision-maker Steve Jobs. Jobs approaches to people management can be identified and strict but with high level of fairness. However, this leadership and management approach sustains certain risks as too much of micro-management and strictness may decrease employees creativity and innovative capabilities (Daft et al., 2010; Goleman, 1998). Employees are essential source to innovation development and therefore people management should stimulate an environment which promotes the expression of employees creativity and innovativeness, such as: team work; knowledge sharing; initiativeness; risk taking; company and market wide exposure (Rogers, 1995; Tushman and OReilly, 1997; Van de Ven et al., 1999). Innovation Promoters and Obstacles One of the primary promoters of Apples innovative capabilities is the significant strength of internal resources and capabilities. In other words, in order for a companys resources to be considered as contributory to the overall business competitiveness and innovativeness they need to be rare, unique and valuable not only to the particular organisation but to the market place (Barney, 2001). In this respect, the internal resources which are in possession of Apple perform in a highly competitive manner. In this context, one of the greatest promoters of the companys innovativeness is the leadership approach conducted by Jobs which focuses on growth of internal technological capacity and utilisation of internal employees skills. However, it should be underlined that this type of leadership and internal management can lead to certain problems in the company. On the one hand, the substantial commitment practiced by Jobs is a clear indicator of a strong leadership (Day, 2000; Gill, 2006). He is devoted to the wellbeing of the company and therefore he often practices micro-management. However, on the other hand, this micro-management approach can result in certain difficulties and obstacles to the production of innovation. This can reduce employees freedom to be creative and innovative, to take initiative and risks in their decision-making which are all important components in the process of innovation management and development (Daft et al., 2010; Slack et al., 2007; Tidd et al., 2005). Reactions and Restrictions to Innovation The reaction to Apples innovation can be divided into internal and external. The internal reaction is related to employees performance to the development and introduction of innovation. In the present case, Jobs is one of the primary stakeholders in this process of innovation development which can be suggested to restrict employees commitment to the process of innovation development. As it was already outline, innovation development is a process which requires a people management approach which stimulates employees creativity and innovativeness (Alves et al., 2007; Storey, 2000). Furthermore, especially in the case of a cumulative product and process innovation, employees need to be provided with company-wide exposure (Leede and Looise, 2005). In the present case, however, the manger of the company restricts employees involvement in multiple processes. This restricts the ability of employees to get inspired by different departments, responsibilities and ideas. This is fundamentally important to the process of idea generation and creative destruction, when old patterns and thinking habits are substituted by innovative solutions (Hospers, 2005). Another essential restriction which needs to be clearly outlined is the industrial isolation of Apple as compared to other brands. In other words, it can be suggested that Apple refrains from collaborating with other industrial players. On the one hand, this protection is needed in the cutting edge technological industry. On the other, hand, however, Apple misses out on opportunities for strategic partnerships, co-operative research and development, and industrial collaboration (Drucker, 1991). These are all essential components for the continuous and successful adoption of innovation. In other words, in order for a company to be able to produce product and process innovation it needs to have substantial exposure to the industry and market trends (Dodgson and Rothw, 1994). In this context, as it can be identified from Apples comparative industrial isolation which is product of Jobs autocracy management may result in certain long-term risks and unfavourable internal and external reactions. For example, employees motivation may decrease due to the lack of responsibility, ownership and team work to which they are exposed. This is the reason why, employees may become passively aggressive and thus cease being productive due to undermined professional morale. However, it is also important to be outlined that this operational isolation may also have impacts on the industrial competitiveness in the sector. Other technological companies may embrace a copy-cat approach and adopt Apples innovation, therefore Apple will face increasing competitiveness rather than fruitful industrial partnerships (Ettlie, 1999; Kleinknecht and Mohnen, 2002; Kotler and Keller, 2008). Strategy Development and Leadership Another important issue is the strategic development and continuous leadership approaches of the company. Apple is one of the leading providers of entertainment technological devices. The company utilises both product and process innovation which provides them with the opportunity to attract greater customers interest and stimulate customers loyalty which is essential to sustaining continuous revenue generation (Groucutt et al., 2004; Kotler and Keller, 2008). Apart from the combination of product and process innovation, it is interesting to be outlined that Apple also utilises different degrees of innovativeness. The academic literature outlines two primary degrees of innovative impact, such as radical and increment (Bessant, 2003). In this respect, the radical innovation produced by Apple can be recognised in the highly innovative devices which it produces. For example, the switch from walkman and CD player music devices to Apples iPod is radical. In the same sense it is the companys iPhone which is pioneer of the smart phones in the industry. However, this radical innovativeness is also accompanied by incremental novelty Apple produces different upgrades on the devices and new models are released each year. This type of industrial performance has highly influential marketing impact. In other words, customers are continuously engaged with Apples novel propositions and therefore their life time purchasing is extended (Hollensen, 2007). Another essential aspect of the management of the company is the leadership approach which is applied by Steve Jobs. As it was already identified, the decision-maker focuses on the management of an authoritarian approach of managing employees. This causes certain internal secrecy and business isolation. Although, secrecy may be justified as important and necessary condition to survive in the high-tech industry, business isolation cannot be recognised as a positive outcome especially in the context of innovation management (Francis and Bessant, 2005). Finally, the personal approach to management and micro-management deployed by Jobs is also another leadership choice which can be criticized. In other words, through his leadership approaches, Jobs does not promote and sustains intellectual capital within the organisation. For example, if he leaves the company all the ideas, rules, processes and perceptions will leave with him. The primary contributor to this unfavourable outcome will be the reduced engagement of employees on a company-wide level. Apple is currently one of the most innovative companies in the market but the business innovativeness needs to be continuously sustained and updated in order for the company to be able to adequately serve the needs of customers.