John Chambers (Cisco CEO) - The Role of Decisiveness and Decision Essay

John Chambers (Cisco CEO) - The Role of Decisiveness and Decision Making - Essay Example In October 2011, Cisco’s net income dropped by 8%, while earlier in august this year, the net income had dropped by 36%, although it later on rose by only a small margin of 3.3%. Shareholder value creation is one of the most important strategies in an organization, and should be a priority for a CEO; however, Chambers has failed tremendously. According to Rappaport (2006), executives should always make decisions that aim at maximizing value. In addition, at times, it is wiser to return the shareholders cash in dividend form, rather than using excess cash in investments that end up being destructive. Therefore, excess cash should be returned to shareholders when the value-creating opportunities are not available. In addition, an organization should focus on the activities that contribute to long-term value in the organization. Decisiveness is one of the major qualities of a successful chief executive officer; the act of being determined is evident in Chambers such that, despite the rise of Cisco from $1billion to $40 billion followed by the challenges in 2001, Chambers has continued to hang on in the company’s leadership. ... argues that the continuous recovery of Cisco can be attributed to the CEO’s leadership skills, as he is known as an effective communicator and motivator of employees. Literature Review John Chambers, the Cisco’s CEO, has faced both negative and positive remarks concerning his role in the company. The failure to persuade the public that the company’s future earnings are reliable is one of the existing critics. Chambers replaced the top-down decision-making process with the committees of executives. This strategy required most managers to spend their time in committees; this absurd system was later on abandoned. According to Geothals, Sorenson, and Burns (2004, p.319), the presence of the correct information leads to informed decisions, whilst decisiveness creates room for timely actions. Nevertheless, inconsistency and failure to fulfill promises in a CEO creates an atmosphere of mistrust from the employees and the customers. Therefore, an open management style co ntributes to the development of trust, improved communication skills, and listening skills as well. However, ineffective communication leads to poor teamwork due to lack of collaboration, decrease in productivity, and high levels of turnover. Decisive managers are aware that their decisions may not be effective; hence, they leave room for modification, and therefore, they do not hesitate to modify their decisions once they realize that their original decisions are not effective. This is evident in Chambers case; for instance, when chambers changed the company’s top-down decision-making process to manager’s committee strategy, the new strategy proved ineffective as managers spent most of their time in committees. However, Chambers reconsidered changing the strategy after discovering that it did not

Comparing Characterization in Alias Grace, Their Eyes Were Watching God

Characterization in Alias Grace, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Fools Crow      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood is a novel where the main character Grace is a sort of mystery character.  Ã‚   In the end she is at peace, but there are still many questions about her left unanswered.   Because Atwood's style of writing is informative, yet unclear at the same time, the audience is left to put the pieces of the puzzle that is Grace together themselves.  Ã‚   This leaves the reader guessing about her character.   Two other works that contrast the characterization of Grace Atwood uses in Alias Grace are Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, and Fools Crow in Fools Crow by James Welch.   The characterization the authors use in these three novels determines how well the reader will get to know the main characters in terms of emotion.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Characterization is one of the main components of writing a novel.   Most of the time in a novel the attributes of the main character are well known.   By the time you've finished the novel, you feel as if you know all that there is to know about that person.   In the case of Alias Grace, Atwood leaves more to questions about Grace's character than are answered.   It seems as if the more you learn about her life, the more of a mystery she becomes.   It is the reader's job to take what is known about Grace and piece her together the best she can. In a review of the book, David Wiley states, "What unfolds is that no one will ever know Grace" (Wiley 3).   Her personality is never totally revealed, and the reader is left wondering who she is. One character, Dr. Jordan never finds out anything new about her personality than any of the other doctors who evaluated her before did.   She t... ...statement:   The characterization the authors use in these three novels determines how well the readers will get to know the main characters in terms of emotion. I.   Characterization of Grace   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What role characterization plays   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How well the reader gets to know Grace II.   Characterization of Janie   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hurston's development of Janie   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What the reader learns about Janie III.   Contrast of Janie and Grace   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What makes the two characters different   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contrasting views on love and marriage IV.   Characterization of Fools Crow   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transformation made by his character   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How his character is developed V.   Contrast of Fools Crow and Grace   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Difference in the two character's emotions   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reaction (emotionally) to different situations   

Christmas past Essay

The plot of the story goes as follows. Right from the start it is made clear that scrooge’s partner Marley is dead. Scrooge then goes several years without changing a single thing in the business. He and his only worker bob Cratchit work alone in the small dark office. Then one Christmas Eve two charity workers call round to ask him to make a donation. This is when we find out that scrooge despises charity. Later that day his nephew Fred comes to invite him round for Christmas dinner, an invite that is turned down by scrooge. That night when he gets home the ghost of his dead partener marley visits him. He tells scrooge that he must change his ways or he will end up like him not being able to allow his spirit to rest. But being force to â€Å"wear to chain he created in life. † Marley tells him that he is to be visited by three spirits over the next three nights. These spirits would show him the error of his ways. The first spirit is Christmas past. This spirit shows him his past again. The things he enjoyed as a young boy and his desisons he made that affected his current life. The next spirit is Christmas present. He shows scrooge what is currently happening in the people close to him and shows him what he is missing out on. The final spirit is Christmas future. He shows scrooge what will happen in his future if he doesn’t change his ways and that he will die a lonely old man. Scrooge then accepts the advice given by the spirits and generally becomes the ideal human often giving to charity and folks worse off than him. The first stave in the novello is when his former partner Marley visits scrooge. Right form the very beginning it is made clear Marley is dead. The first words on page one are â€Å"Marley was dead to begin with† â€Å"Scrooge new he was dead† as he signed for the register of his death. So when Marley appears to him his being there traumatizes him. Marley warns scrooge of the spiritual after life. He explains that man must share his humanity with others if he is not t be condemned to an after life. â€Å"It is required by every man†¦ that the spirit within him should walk abroad. † Scrooge also observes that Marley is â€Å"fettered† Marley explains â€Å"these are these the chains I forged in life†¦ I made it link by link, yard by yard of my own free will and of my own free will I wear it. † Marley then informs scrooge of what his afterlife will be like if he doesn’t change his ways â€Å"the weight and length of the chain you bare. † Marley then tells scrooge that he will be visit by three spirits, which will show him the error of his ways. Stave two tells the arrival of the first spirit the ghost of Christmas pass. This spirit, â€Å"a strange figure, like child like, old man viewed though some supernatural substance†, shows scrooge his most enjoyable moments of his past. One place which scrooge is taken is taken is his old work place, to Fezziwigs Christmas party. While there the spirit says â€Å"a small make to these silly folk so full of gratitude. † The spirit playing devils advocate by criticises Fessiwig causes scrooge to defend him â€Å"he has the power to flauntier† the spirit also shows him women which he once loved like his sister and a girl he once loved as a young boy. Stave three shows the next spirit, the ghost of Christmas present. This spirit, a large jolly old fellow, shows scrooge the true meaning of Christmas. First scrooge is taken to the cratchits house where he is shown how much such a large family appreciate so little. He has enough money to buy what ever he wants but then he realises that the simple things to him are luxuries to then that they can’t even really afford at Christmas, The joy on the faces of the children when they see that they are getting a pudding after dinner. He even is surprised to find that they are grateful to scrooge for putting the meal on the table even though scrooge knows that he is under paying Bob Cratchit. The spirit then takes scrooge to his nephew Fred’s home where he was having a Christmas party. Scrooge sees on the fun, which he is missing out on. The games and dancing which scrooge turns down as his despises sharing his fortune. Stave four shows the arrival of the final spirit, the ghost of Christmas future. This spirit, a ghostly figure dressed in black gown, takes scrooge to see his current future if he doesn’t change his ways. The spirit takes him to see his self in the future lay in bed. This is where scrooge comforts his own dead body without realising that he is dead. â€Å"Avarice, hard-dealing, griping cares? They have brought to a rich end truly. † â€Å"This is a fearful place†¦ In leaving it, I shall not leave its lesson, trust me and let me go! † scrooge finally realises what his dead body means: he loves his nerve and begs the spirit to let him go. The ghost insists, by pointing a finger that scrooge should lift the sheet to see the body scrooge responds â€Å"I understand you†¦ and I would do it if I could. But I have not the power, spirit. I have not the power†¦ † meaning that scrooge cannot bring him self to lift the sheet because it would mean coming to terms with his own death. Scrooge wants to kwon if anyone grieved for him â€Å"is there any person in the town who feels emotion cursed by this mans death, show me and that person spirit. † The spirit shows people who grieved for scrooge: ironically it is his debtors. When scrooge has died. They have lingered to pay off the debt. Scrooge is then taken to the churchyard to a churchyard: scrooge still needs to know the identity of the dead man but has lung suspected that it is himself. Scrooge is shown a tombstone and a new grave. Scrooge remarks ironically that the graveyard is a â€Å"worthy place† full of worthless dead bodies costumed by worms. â€Å"He advanced towards it trembling† he confronts the truth. Scrooge suddenly under stands the phantom:† he saw new meaning in its solemn shape†¦ † scrooge seems to understand that he can change his future. † Tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone†¦ † scrooge is asking the spirit for a chance to avoid death. Scrooge is completely transformed â€Å"I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, present and future. The spirits all three shall strive within me. I will not shirk the lessons they teach. † The ghost fades away. Stave five is the final stave in the novello. It is when scrooge realises that he can alter his ways. â€Å"The time before him was his own, to make amends in†¦ † scrooge now seeks not to be a good businessman but to be a good man. â€Å"Glowing with his good intentions†¦ sobbing violently†¦ † yet even though scrooge has changed his way of life completely for the benefit of others. He is still happy with the new life he leads. â€Å"I am as a feather†¦ I am as happy as an angel; I am as merry as a schoolboy†¦ I am as giddy as a drunken man. † After scrooges complete change, the church bells ring out to celebrate Christmas morning and scrooge’s rebirth was on the birthday of Christ. Scrooge is completely changed: well-dressed and wearing a â€Å"delighted smile. † Scrooge rejoices in humanity: he enjoys the company of people and attending church. Now Scrooge visits Fred and accepts his invitation to Christmas lunch. Scrooge tells Bob Cratchit that he will raise his salary. Scrooge will become a â€Å"second farther† to tiny Tim. The transformation is complete. Scrooge has be come † as good a friend, as good a master, as good a man as the good old city knew†¦ â€Å"

Procedural Memories Of Procedural Memory - 1969 Words

Do you remember the time you had learned to ride a bike? Do you understand how you can still ride a bike every day? The answer is called Procedural Memory. Procedural memory is a step-like process of how to do the important work that you decide every day. It is connected with long term memory and is the most basic form of memory. Procedural memory is usually part of an implicit memory. Procedural memory refers to the sensory motor skills by repeating the actions over and over. The procedural memory stores bags of information in our heads on how to perform a specific procedure and makes actions more automatic. In addition, these memory systems can function independently, so you cannot lose those memories. Many examples are playing an†¦show more content†¦The step-like memory is first stored in the motor cortex. Then this memory will be sent to the cerebellum of the brain. Procedural memory works with a motor and spatial data to store information. Procedural memory depends more so on the frontal cortex, not the medial temporal lobe. Procedural memory is automatic and is lumped with cognitive loads of strain on the body. Procedural memory includes acquisition, storage and retrieval processes. There are three sections in procedural memory. They have conditioned reflexes, emotional associations, and skills or habits. They are all associated with some section of your brain. First, conditioned reflex is connected with the cerebellum. However, the emotional association is connected with the amygdala. The skills and habits are part of the cerebellum and neocortex. The neocortex is the motor of the brain. To show, according to scientists, procedural memory is controlled by different parts of the brain. Inside the brain, the cerebellum or the parietal cortex, or the prefrontal cortex can be used for early learning of motor skills in the memory. Damages to certain places in the brain like the cerebellum or the basal ganglia can also affect the procedural learning in many ways. The cerebellum is so important because it has been needed to coordinate the flow of movements and the skilled motion of the brain. Though, Procedural memory operates by the striatal neural