Control Mechanisms in Management Essay Example for Free

Control Mechanisms in Management Essay The four control standards the team chose to explore in regard to McDonald’s are performance, performance vs. standards, corrective action, and reinforce successes. The team will compare and contrast these control mechanisms, and determine the effectiveness of each. The team will also examine the positive and negative reactions to the use of these controls. Performance Standards â€Å"A standard is an expected performance for a given goal or target that establishes a desired performance level, motivates performance, and serves as a benchmark against which actual performance is assessed† (Bateman, 2009, p. 576). Performance standards relate directly to the success of the company. McDonald’s has set standards for customer service, and customer satisfaction. The standards are communicated to the employees by the store manager and training manager. Management sets attainable goals to motivate employee performance; he or she communicates these goals clearly, and revaluates these goals. Evaluating Performance Companies should evaluate the performance of employees and management to ensure the goals of the company are achieved. In the past McDonald’s evaluated their own-operators on a regular basis until the mid-1990s. McDonald’s discontinued evaluation that resulted in lower customer satisfaction. McDonald’s reinstated performance evaluations in 2001 to improve customer satisfaction. Today regional managers inspect and evaluate franchises on a regular basis. Forms with standard operation procedures enhance the evaluation process, and this information is input in McDonald’s database for further review. Today’s managers can input the evaluation from his or her company PDA. Performance vs. Standards â€Å"The managerial principle of exception states, which control is enhanced by concentrating on the exceptions to, or significant deviation from, the expected result or standard (Bateman, 2009, p. 578). Companies compare the performance of employees by evaluating how well the employee followed the standards or guidelines set by the company. Corrective Action and Reinforce Successes During the work process errors happen and managers should address these problems with his or her employees. Errors happen but managers also see the success of employees meeting or exceeding company goals. Companies should reward employees who meet or exceed the goals of the company. Compare and Contrast McDonald’s main goal is to develop sustainability. The leaders of McDonald’s have set standards of financial growth, customer service, product quality and safety, and corporate responsibility and conduct to achieve this main goal. Considering McDonald’s dominance in the fast-food industry, it is safe to say they have been successful at achieving their performance standards. McDonald’s has been a success because management takes immense care in measuring their performance, comparing their performance to their standards, and taking corrective action to get their performance on the right track. Management analyzes many reports to measure the company’s performance, such as customer satisfaction surveys, the annual report and corporate responsibility report, and performance audits. Management also observes their operation to measure performance. From analyzing these performance reports and audits, management can compare performance to their standards, past performance, and goals. For instance, the six-year summary in the 2011 Annual Report shows McDonald’s earned nearly three billion dollars in total revenue growth between 2010 and 2011 (McDonald’s, 2011). By comparing performance, management can identify deviations from their standards and goals and make corrections. Initiatives such as Employee Value Proposition, Leadership Development Framework and healthier menu items are examples of corrective action taken to improve performance (McDonald’s, 2009, pgs. 6 -7). McDonald’s management can execute these four performance controls successfully by having the drive to improve, building a culture of values, and constantly working toward sustainability (McDonald’s, 2009, pg. 5). McDonald’s worldwide success for many decades adds credence to management’s effectiveness in executing all four performance controls. Determine Effectiveness The four control standards the team chose to explore in regard to McDonald’s work well together, as is evident by the success of the company. The fast-food industry is hard to be successful in unless the company has the right combination of plans and controls. McDonald’s is a leader in this field because the company uses just the right amount of each. The McDonald’s control standards do not act well together unless there are people who make the standards work together. There have been times when some of the control standards have been in need of further guidance. During such times corporate management has had to change some of the ways the controls work. This is to ensure McDonald’s operates to the best of its abilities for effectiveness. Examine Positive and Negative Reactions From examining McDonald’s awards and recognition, it appears McDonald’s has received a very positive reaction to how they use these controls. Such awards include Fortune Magazine’s 2012 number 11 â€Å"Most Admired Company in the World,† Forbes Magazine 2010 â€Å"Most Admired Companies,† 2010 â€Å"Corporate Award† from the Executive Leadership Council (McDonald’s, 2012). Internally, McDonald’s has received positive reaction or at least buy-in, considering their performance and employer awards, to their performance controls, more than likely from their efforts in taking care of their people. McDonald’s has implemented leadership development and employee value proposition programs, and diversity and inclusion and social responsibility initiatives that have promoted employee satisfaction and trust in the company (McDonald’s, 2012). Also their business relationship model between their employees, suppliers, and owner/operators has developed strong communication throughout its operation. Although McDonald’s has been widely successful, they have also failed from time to time. In 2001, University of Michigan rated McDonald’s as one of the poorest-performing retailers from a year-long customer satisfaction study (Zuber, 2001, P. 1). More recently, ConsumerAffairs.com holds hundreds of consumer complaints of McDonald’s service, showing that even a successful giant like McDonald’s still has room for improvement. Controls Affect on Functions The four control standards the team chose to explore are performance, performance vs. standards, and corrective action, and reinforce successes. These controls affect the four functions of management in numerous ways. Pakhare (2011), Effective and efficient management leads to success, which is the attainment of objectives and goals, that an organization sets for itself. Of course, for achieving the ultimate goal, management needs to work creatively in problem solving and execute all the four functions† (Para. 1-12). Since we have a basic understanding of these functions we can see clearly how they are in direct relationship to the control standards we have chosen. With each control standard we see how they closely work with each function. This particular formula is commonplace in many organizations on a global level. The analysis shows that McDonald’s has a good plan of control mechanisms in place, and good functions of management to support the corporation. This has been a key factor of the corporation’s long success in a business where many do not last long. The company has many beneficial areas to back up why they are one of the world’s favorite places to eat and probably will continue to be as successful for many years to come. References McDonalds. (2011). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/content/dam/AboutMcDonalds/Investors/Investors%202012/2011%20Annual%20Report%20Final.pdf McDonalds. (2012). Awards and Recognition. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/awards_and_recognition.html McDonalds. (2012). Our Company. Retrieved from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcdonalds_system.html McDonalds. (2009). Worldwide Corporate Responsibility Online Report: The values we bring to the table. Retrieved from http://www.mcdonalds.at/presse/maps/McDCSR.pdf Pakhare, J. (2011). Management Concepts The Four Functions of Management. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html Zuber, A. (2001). McD restructures to beef up performance. Retrieved from

The Role of the Individual and Society in the Late 19th Century, Nation

The Role of the Individual and Society in the Late 19th Century, Nationalism A young boy of both German and Italian heritage opens a book on his ancestry. The earliest recordable links he can trace from his Italian and German roots are two tribes. The tribes are very similar in all aspects that he can discern. The German people have the same interests, occupations, religions, and traditions. Identical traits are seen in the Italian tribe. The boy questions, however, if these people can really be his ancestors. After all, he is German and Italian and the tribesmen all identify themselves with present day cities and provinces. Is he Sicilian and Bavarian instead of Italian and German? As the boy reads on he finds out that in the late nineteenth century, his ancestors suddenly identified themselves as German and Italian, what he expected they would be from the start. So, what happened? Divided between the conservative elite and the common liberal, Italy and Germany became unified nations through the institution of a strong military, economy, government, and the influence of a rich ancestry. Each member of society was affected by the move towards nationalism in different ways; the monarchy, liberals, and working classes in Italy and Germany embodied the results of nationalism throughout Europe. The conservative contingency of both Italy and Germany believed that the only way they could build a strong country that would withstand the tests of time was through the building of a strong economy. By building up a large amount of money from the group of territories in the nation through taxes and other sources of government finance, Italy and Germany could build respect among other nations and join the elite of Europe. T... ...--------- Bibliography 1. David Blackbourn, The Long Nineteenth Century A History of Germany, 1780-1918. New York; Oxford University Press, 1997. Notes: The novel contributes to the analyzation of the role of the individual in nineteenth century society by giving a history of the move for unification in both Germany and Italy. It provides a detailed account of historical events, focusing on all aspects and roles in German society. The book only touches on Italian unification, but it provides a good base for understanding the basic details of what took place. It goes on into World War I to show some of the effects of unification and the advance of unification in the form of alliances. The major strong point of the work, and the thing that helped me the most in my paper, was it's focus on nationalism as it pertained to each part of society in Germany.

Research Proposal Essay

I would like to write about a famous Arabic writer, Naguib Mahfouz. His poetry and works inspire me a lot and I enjoy reading his things. My father always used to read them to me, because his poems were true. Mahfouz always talks about the issues affecting the people of Egypt: generational, historical, religious, and political. Egyptians always have something going on. With his writings, Mahfouz’s introduces the reader to Egyptian reformers and modern and traditional characters as they change. We all know that as a country Egypt constantly reforms, even at an early age, Mahfouz has been able to capture hints of revolution. Mahfouz’s novels are stories of love, ethics, moral responsibility, and crises that characterize a culture that has had many changes. His stories talk about and describe the lives of ordinary individuals caught in struggles of identity and religion. His fictional work paint a picture of Egyptian Muslims that are ruled by their own culture, as well as those they encounter as a result of the outside influence of colonialism. This simultaneity allows Mahfouz to depict the contemporary Egyptian identity as both modern and traditional. In Naguib Mahfouz’s short story â€Å"Zaabalawi† there see a young man in search of the mysterious Zaabalawi, because he afflicted with a disease which doctors are unable to cure. Zaabalawi is known to cure illnesses, a holy man that has healing powers. Zaabalawi is like a mysterious figure that has some strange powers to accomplish the impossible. While in this search, the protagonist visits a variety of figures including a religious lawyer, a book seller, a government officer, a calligrapher, and a musician. Not able to find any definite answers as to the whereabouts of Zaabalawi, he begins to doubt his existence. Eventually, however, while in a drunken sleep in a tavern, he dreams that he is in a beautiful garden and experiences a state of harmony and contentment. He awakes to find that Zaabalawi was with him but has now disappeared again. Though upset at having missed him, the main character is encouraged by his dream and determines to continue his search for Zaabalawi. In this story the author uses symbolism to convey his message to his audience, that the quest to find Zaabalawi is a journey into our souls in search of the inner peace that inside us. Mahfouz uses a lot symbolic meanings, such as irony, that is why I want to write about this work. I have always been drawn to these types of writing. Annotated Bibliography 1. Aboul-Ela, Hosam. â€Å"The Writer Becomes Text: Naguib Mahfouz and State Nationalism in Egypt.† Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 27:2 (2004 Spring), pp. 339-56. – I chose Prof. Aboul Ela because his work because it’s easy to read and very simple, some of the other materials was a bit too hard to put together. 2. Naguib Mahfouz. â€Å"The Happy Man† ONE WORLD OF LITERATURE Shirley Geok-Lin Kim and Norman A. Spencer. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. p.46-p.53 – Im using this source because it’s going to help me explain other literary works of Naguib Mahfouz in this essay. 3. Modern Egyptian Short Stories by El-Gabalawy, Saad (trans.) (Najib Mahfouz, Youssef Idris, Saad Elkhadem) ISBN: 0919966039 – Im using this other source because of the type of writing. This book explains how Mahfouz writes his stories, and what he uses in terms of grammar and how he builds the story, symbolism and irony. 4. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/mahfouz.htm – This source is going to help me discuss the state of mind of Naguib Mahfouz when he wrote his books. It explains how Mahfouz became a beginning of an era not only in the Egyptian literature but also in the Arab literature.He was always lonely, maybe that’s the reason why his writings were always kind of sad.

The Evidence Of Unbound Loyalty - 1746 Words

Sam Carlton Allison Boswell English 30 September 2014 The Evidence of Unbound Loyalty in Oliver Twist As young Oliver, ill-treated and hungry, approaches his masters saying â€Å"Please, sir, I want some more† (Dickens 11), Charles Dickens enthralls his readers in the harsh, twisted journey of Oliver Twist. Through a series of exciting events full of abuse, loyalty, hatred, and love, Dickens portrays the overlooked difficulties of the poor, lower class that Oliver Twist’s action-packed life has been subject to. Some of Dickens most loved characters, including the adolescent pickpocket under the pseudonym the Artful Dodger, the brutal Bill Sikes, devoted Nancy, and the criminal mastermind Fagin, are all presented in his entrancing Oliver Twist. Dickens does a brilliant job of manipulating his characters into acts of heinous crimes, life risking encounters, and joyous memories all the while unfolding an unimaginable ending to his superb tale. Although Dickens presents many captivating ideas, the focus of this particular monograph will concentrate on the unfailing loyalty of his characters and how this faithfulness will lead to their benefit or downfall. Before delving too deep in detail however, a brief summary must be presented. Oliver is born an orphan into a workhouse in a quaint little town about 70 miles outside of London, England. Oliver spends the first eight years of his life abused and neglected in a â€Å"child farm† ran by the parish, and soon after is sent off to slave awayShow MoreRelatedRepublican Wisconsin Senator, Joseph R. Mccarthy Essay1354 Words   |  6 PagesDecember 1947, three years prior to Senator McCarthy’s announcement of communist invasion. In conjunction with AGLOSO, President Harry S. Truman began his â€Å"loyalty program† which required all federal civil service employees be proven â€Å"loyal† to America. 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