Category: Success

Intelligence is not a single factor to predict the individuals academic success in higher education because the factor of personality is also crucial to affect the academic achievement. For instance, conscientiousness is a personality trait that explains five times as much variance in GPA as does intelligence (Kappe and Van Der Flier 605).

Therefore, more than 30% of academic success in higher education depends on the factor of students personality, not intelligence (Kappe and Van Der Flier 605). Today, I am here to inform the audience on how the factor of personality can be used to predict individuals academic success in higher education. The main points that I plan to discuss are the definition of personality in the context of education; the Big Five personality traits; and the validity of the personality factor to predict academic achievement in higher education.

People are different because of having different physical and mental characteristics which form their unique personality. Personality can be discussed as a set of psychological characteristics typical for the concrete person that influences the persons attitudes, behaviors, and actions (Harrington 20). Being the psychological and mental core of a person, the factor of personality also influences an individuals academic performance among other activities. Personality is determined by heredity and environment, and these factors are also important to influence abilities to understand and learn the material effectively (Conard 340). Thus, what personality traits are important to predict academic success in higher education?

Psychologists use the Big Five personality model to discuss how people differ in relation to their reactions, attitudes, and traits. Today, the Big Five model of personality traits is actively used in education to understand how the factor of personality is influential to predict the further academic behaviors and achievement (Komarraju et al. 472). Personality traits used in the model are conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, openness, and agreeableness.

Such personality trait as conscientiousness explains the degree to which a person is disciplined and organized. Emotional stability points at the persons impulsiveness and self-control. Extraversion is discussed as the readiness to be sociable and talkative. While focusing on openness, psychologists mean the persons readiness to discuss and accept new ideas. Agreeableness is associated with the ability to work with other people and cooperate (Komarraju et al. 473). These traits play different roles in predicting the academic success in higher education.

Conscientiousness and openness are the main aspects of personality to predict academic achievements. Kappe and Van Der Flier claim that conscientiousness is the best predictor across a broad spectrum of academic achievement measures (Kappe and Van Der Flier 605). Conscientious and open to new ideas and concepts students demonstrate higher academic results because of being more organized and motivated. Those students who are extraverts and ready to cooperate also easily adapt to the higher schools environments (Harrington 54).

The aspect of emotional stability also influences academic achievements, but negatively. The reason is that highly emotional students experience difficulties with concentration and self-management (Komarraju et al. 473). From this point, the factor of personality is valid to predict academic success in higher education. Personality traits can be referred to while predicting GPA, course performance, and students attendance (Conard 342). From this point, the personality factor is even more important than individuals intelligence.

Therefore, to speak about the academic success in higher education, it is important to take into account how the factor of personality can influence individuals academic achievements. The Big Five model of personality traits is helpful to predict the persons academic success in detail, and it is reasonable to refer to the role of personality in higher education along with the discussion of students intelligence. To understand the nature of the academic success, it is important to remember that about 30% of this success is originated from the students personality.

Works Cited

Conard, Maureen. Aptitude is not Enough: How Personality and Behavior Predict Academic Performance. Journal of Research in Personality 40.3 (2006): 339-346. Print.

Harrington, Christine. Student Success in College: Doing What Works! New York: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Kappe, Rutger, and Henk Van Der Flier. Predicting Academic Success in Higher Education: Whats More Important than Being Smart? European Journal of Psychology of Education 27.4 (2012): 605-619. Print.

Komarraju, Meera, Steven Karau, Ronald Schmeck, and Alen Avdic. The Big Five Personality Traits, Learning Styles, and Academic Achievement. Personality and Individual Differences 51.1 (2011): 472-477. Print.

Writing a dissertation is a complex process in itself; however, there may be particular complexities for individual writers with individual parts of the dissertation. When a writer feels hardships with providing a sound literature synthesis in a literature review or is challenged by defining a good and detailed methodology, it is quite common for dissertation writers. However, the final parts of the dissertation are often even more complex since they are based on a much wider body of research conducted previously. A good example of a complicated endeavor is the dissertation discussion chapter.

The discussion in a dissertation is always both analytical and synthetic in nature; hence, those writers who are strong in one of the activities may feel hardships with the second one. The present article aims at helping aspiring dissertation writers not only write dissertation discussions smoothly but also to enjoy the process. These simple tips for dissertation discussion writing will help both beginning and professional writers.

The synthesis part of the dissertation discussion

The synthesis part about the dissertation discussion writing is in identifying the implications of the research results. To achieve success in this undertaking, the dissertation writer has to get back to the introduction and methodology to see what he or she aims to achieve and compare these expectations with the realistic results gained. In case analogs and parallels are found, the synthesis in a dissertation discussion will be conducted easily.

The analytical part of the dissertation discussion

The analytical part of the discussion in a dissertation is to look at the overall result, its meaning and value, and to continue the analysis of the dissertation results by making recommendations for further research. The researcher will have to compare the first part of his or her dissertation (that summarizes what is known about the topic) and the second part (what they have found out). The disparities between these two bodies of knowledge will serve as the step forward in research, and this is the part that has to be analyzed.

The dissertation discussion format

As for the dissertation discussion format, one has to divide the discussion section into several parts. The main issues to discuss are identifying the answers to research questions gained in the research process to show that it has fulfilled its aim and to emphasize the value of the present research (which will make the results feasible for the readership).

Introduction

Success strategy for a student involves effective learning skills, which require the ongoing practice in order to see the improvement. Developing a schedule is essential strategy to consider before you think of starting the process of studying. If you miss the importance of having a detailed plan for managing your studies, you may fail to allocate your time effectively. Therefore, the poorly organized time will directly affect your ability and motivation to study and grasp the full potential of the learning process. A well-thought-out schedule is a crucial asset to dramatically transform your educational skills and ability to remain an active learner in the classroom. The schedule is the students primary responsibility to keep up with the rest of the group, cover all the necessary subjects, and benefit from the time management skills that are central for successful academic performance.

Schedule is a Time-Saving Solution

Every schedule you design should permit you to make adjustment. A good schedule ensures that you maintain your course and allocate time appropriately if you strictly follow it. I am a firm believer that managing time properly is the most crucial power and study skill that each of us can develop. By attentively listening to the following tips for effective schedule implementation, you can easily succeed throughout your unique educational path.

• Make Value of Every Hour that You Have
  Your schedule needs to contain each of the classes, laboratories, lectures, social occasions, and other activities in which you want to participate. As a student, you need to consider the available free time and think about mindful ways of utilizing it to good use. Therefore, many specialists suggest creating a 7-day schedule with hourly increment of time. It is important strategy to incorporate every college session, classes, labs, lectures, social, and work time on the study schedule (Donaldson et al., 2016). Also, do never forget to indicate your sleeping time and plan for the remaining time as the available period for study.
• Time to Study
  Determining the appropriate time to study is critical for each of you as a motivated learner. For this reason, it is advisable that studying should happen after you have had sufficient amount of rest and planned the activity in advance. A last-minute study shortly before a class may be sometimes unnecessary and unproductive because you will not be able to spend enough time examining the subject and making sure you understand it in-depth.
• Studying for Lecture Courses
  Ensure you read all the assignments and make notes on topics you do not understand before a lecture class. If the study period occurs after the lecture, review the notes you made during the class since this information in your mind is relatively new and there are more chances you remember everything.
• Making and Revising a Schedule
  Developing a schedule to assist in your studying journey is not the final result that you have to rely on. It is essential to revise your study schedule whenever you find it necessary, especially when the it fails to work effectively. Make sure to spend some time to analyze all the missing gaps in your planning approach to education to decipher whether you need to change it. Schedules are a great tool to help you develop productive study habits and they, therefore, make planning for your activities easier.
• Place of Study
  Students are usually offered a variety of places for helping them focus on their studies. It is possible to learn from any place, although some places are more effective than others. For instance, libraries and private revision rooms might be the most suitable for you. In general terms, learning places need to be free from distractions since they waste time when they build up (Morehead, Rhodes, & DeLozier, 2016). Therefore, you should develop a habit of selecting an appropriate physical environment for study and include this into your planning because it might take some time to get to the needed location.

Studying Guidelines

The following tips are effective and powerful guiding points for planning, thinking, studying, and learning processes in college. Altogether, they serve as beneficial advice for better performance among students, including every single person in this room.

• Study Space
  You need to secure a quiet reading space that is highly comfortable. Noisy places such as cafeterias or lounges are unsuitable for learning. Prepare and have everything necessary for the schoolwork to avoid valuable time looking for books, notes and other materials (Oliveira, 2016). Put the assembled revision items where you can reach them easily during the study process.
• Study Habits
  It is recommended for you to start studying after 30-90 minutes since you had a meal. You also need to avoid studying within 30 minutes of going to bed. Make priorities of what you intend to study through a list and ensure you follow the list. Make it a habit of studying for no more than 30-40 minutes at a time since short period studies with breaks promote the retention levels (Morehead et al., 2016). Wherever you are studying, take breaks away from the study desk to think about other things since it gives ample time to distract your attention and break the monotony apart from a review of what you have studied.

Conclusion

To sum up, your educational skills depend on your desire to improve and achieve better results in college. Together, we have analyzed effective study practices that include an organized study schedule and adherence to learning guidelines that can help you achieve better study outcomes. Remember that making a study schedule alone would not be efficiently productive if a learner lacks special skills such as identification of reading space and time management.

References

Donaldson, P., McKinney, L., Lee, M., & Pino, D. (2016). First-year community college students perceptions of and attitudes toward intrusive academic advising. NACADA Journal, 36(1), 30-42. Web.

Morehead, K., Rhodes, M. G., & DeLozier, S. (2016). Instructor and student knowledge of study strategies. Memory, 24(2), 257-271. Web.

Oliveira, S. M. (2016). Space preference at James White Library: What students really want. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 42(4), 355-367. Web.

Success in life can be achieved through various means. However, our definition and perception of this term may equally vary depending on what we believe in or value in general. It is imperative to consider both views whether opposing or supporting this argument. Nevertheless, in retrospect, we all understand that the value which has been attached to education from time immemorial is that of success and not failure. There are however notable practical life deviations from the fact that academic qualifications may increase chances of one succeeding in life.

To begin with, it is common knowledge and understanding that academic qualification will often create an opportunity to succeed in different endeavours in life (Bacchus, p. 65). We should not misinterpret this. If qualifications alone are considered as a bridge to success, then it will be utterly wrong and equally misleading. Even after attaining a certain level of education be it a bachelors or masters degree, it is upon an individual to work out modalities of crafting an opportunity for getting a decent job. Additionally, the qualified person will have to be endowed with problem solving skills, good time management practices as well as the ability to deliver the best service at place of work, that is efficiency and effectiveness will be required from the person. Looking at these extra qualities needed for success.

How do we start our career paths? Professional careers like engineering require one to have gone through an educational system and qualified with the right papers. When such professionals are out there, they definitely have a better chance of getting well paying employment opportunities. Then, if our definition of success is financial well being, such a person will be considered successful.

Lifes success is however a very broad concept which goes beyond mere paper qualifications. For instance, good health is one area which we may ignore as not contributing to success. How would an alcoholic and smoking fellow down with cancer and depression consider him or herself as successful regardless of the attractive academic papers at his/her disposal? When we reach at a point when we are struggling to keep our health fit because of reasons known or not known to us, then we stand to lose much in life and any element of what we can consider as success will diminish very fast. Poor health ruins big dreams and visions irrespective of academic qualifications.

Academic qualification is also one way the ability of an individual can be rated in terms of intellect. This can also be used to determine if an individual is quite flexible and ready to learn new concepts. This can be related to life directly. Practically, life is full of tests which are not necessarily marked by some tutor somewhere. There are numerous decisions which we have to make every moment we are alive. Some decisions are tough and require thorough evaluation before they are made while others are easy to go by. This is similar to an examination environment where a student has to be very shrewd in answering test questions in order to pass and have an excellent grade. From this scenario, we can pick one fact that an individual who has excelled academically has an equally better chance of excelling in life due to that ability which has been expressed in a real examination, marked and relevant grade awarded.

As mentioned earlier, the value attached to academic qualifications especially before a person can secure an employment opportunity varies from one place to the other. For example, it has been an old practice in the United States where academic qualifications has not been a key consideration in some areas but that ability of an employee to carry out a given task efficiently and effectively. This has been a similar scenario in the United Kingdom where personal motivation, talent and ability which are not necessarily related to academic qualifications have been embraced. In spite of this cultural practice, there is no evidence there are more life failures in U.S or U.K. however, most countries in the Middle East will often require one to produce academic certificates (mandatory) before securing a particular job. In both cases though, there are no tangible proofs of success one side and failure on the other. This implies that success in life is driven by a myriad of factors although as the statement reads, it is definite that academic qualifications will act as impetus to success in life.

There is often a slight confusion which sets in when we refer academic qualifications to imply academic training. The two are completely apart from each other though closely related and inseparable (Meyerstein, p. 43). It is possible for an individual to achieve academic qualification as demonstrated on paper certificates but at the same time lack basic academic training required to practically perform a particular task. We however, acknowledge the plain fact that sterling performance in our lines of career is one definite way of attaining success in life be it financially or morally. Achieving this level of success will also require hands on experience to deliver the best and which can only be achieved through realistic academic training (Feinstein, Duckworth & Sabates, p. 56). Although a proof of training competence may be revealed through an academic certificate, there are some cases when such documentary proofs might mislead. It is therefore only sensible for us to consider academic qualification within the confines of proper training as useful ingredients towards success in life.

There are instances when we have attempted to cite examples of people who have excelled in life without sound academic background. A case in point is Bill Gates or even Sir Richard Branson who did not have to attain degree certifications to achieve what they have today. Well, this may be true but such a comparison may be misleading especially if we have to consider the ratio of such successful cases against the unsuccessful ones. We should ask ourselves how many have made it in life like Bill Gates without higher education. Such an analogy only leads us to have a myopic scope of the tremendous gains of education (Department for Children, Schools and Families 78). Better still, even Bill Gates and the likes still require to hire experts and professionals to run their sprawling enterprises. They rely on the productivity of those with necessary academic qualifications which make them to continue excelling in life.

In summing up this argument, it is imperative to evaluate the rationale behind the origin of education. If academic qualifications do not increase our chances of success in life then should we opt for illiteracy? Further, a thousand miles journey begins with a single step while at the same time it is upon us to choose which channels of success to follow: short cut systems which will excuse us not to go through higher levels of education or a comprehensive educational structure which prepares one for a competitive edge and success in life.

Works Cited

1. Bacchus M. K. Education as and for legitimacy: developments in West Indian education between 1846-1895. Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1994.
2. Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Promoting Achievement, Valuing Success: A Strategy for 14-19 Qualifications. Norwich: Crown Copyright, 2008.
3. Feinstein Leon, Duckworth Kathryn and Sabates Ricardo. Education and the family: passing success across the generations: New York: Routledge, 2008.
4. Meyerstein Hazlitt William. The plain speaker;: opinions on books, men, and things. London: Collection, 1826.

Introduction

Companies and enterprises have established operations beyond national borders. This condition has heightened competition in the global markets. Using Arvind Mills from India as an example, Bartlett and Ghoshal point out that companies from developed countries dominate the global markets thus making it hard for companies from developing companies to compete effectively.

This situation has sparked a lot of debates in the management circles as to what could be the possible reasons behind it. The authors suggest that these companies have little resources and have entered the markets too late.

Whereas companies from developed countries such as Toyota, Sony, and NEC have managed to prosper in the international markets, enterprises from developing countries have failed. These companies are doing well in developed countries and this is supported by the value curve.

Well established companies do well in profitable segments simply because they have sufficient resources to pursue research and development and expand their distribution and marketing networks.

The managers of most multinationals from emerging economies believe that they are inferior hence cannot clinch at the higher-value segments in the international markets.

Model to Success

In an attempt to expand the model of success, the authors used Ranbaxy Pharmaceutical Company from India. This company opted to expand its operations beyond national borders. However, they achieved little for almost two decades.

The approach adopted by a company influences the extent of success in the global markets. When Parvinder Singh assumed the post of CEO at Ranbaxy, he strived to change the business approach to be used in the international markets. The CEO believed that the company could compete with giants from the West only by investing in R&D. Within 5 years, the company had succeeded in the US and European markets. It was operating in the upper regions of the pharmaceutical value curve.

The success of Ranbaxy has formed a foundation for ascertaining the right ways of entering the global markets which have been dominated by the giants from Europe and the USA.

Breaking out of the Marginal Mind-Set

The failure of companies from emerging economies is attributed to various psychological factors. Firstly, most managers believe that they do not have sufficient technical skills that can help them do well in international markets. Secondly, managers fail to capitalize on their potentials in the markets. Thirdly, the managers feel inferior in the international markets because of their origins.

To succeed in these markets, companies have adopted push from home and pull from abroad approaches. Push from home strategy involves discovering background-related barriers that undermine their success in the international markets. Consumers in the international markets have negative perceptions towards the products and services of multinational companies from emerging nations. Samsung encountered numerous problems when it entered international markets. However, the company decided to come up with products with unique designs.

Pull from abroad is another approach that has been adopted by companies from emerging markets to succeed in the international markets. This requires a company to improve its management capabilities for units in the international markets. Therefore, organizations should employ managers who are conversant with the markets.

Devising Strategies for Late Movers

Late movers in the global markets often face stiff competition from early entrants. In recent days, companies have learned many things about foreign markets from companies that have ventured into domestic markets. This strategy was adopted by Jollibee Company. The authors describe this as a benchmark and sidestep strategy.

Companies should innovate ways used by foreign firms in their domestic markets when venturing markets abroad. The authors suggest that businesses can succeed in the international markets by devising new business techniques that have a far-reaching effect on already established rules of competition in the global markets. This strategy is referred to as confront and challenge.

Learning How to Learn

Businesses are pursuing expansions outside domestic markets purposely to access more customers and cheap labor. To succeed in such ventures, organizational management ought to learn to acquire sufficient information about the market place.

When venturing into international markets, companies must strive to protect the past while building the future. Protecting the past entails utilizing the available resources that have helped the company compete well in the domestic markets. On the other hand, building the future involves modifying the products and management capabilities to suit the new environment.

Having the right leaders and resources

Most companies from emerging economies have failed to overcome barriers related to their backgrounds because of their inabilities to the managers to determine liabilities and capture the right information about the global markets.

Multinationals from developing countries should embrace good leadership teams comprising of individuals who are committed to excellence in the global markets. The leaders should believe in they can thrive well in the international markets.

These companies should have leaders who are willing to embrace new ideas and ready to confront with vast challenges they may encounter.

Conclusion

Companies from emerging economies have failed in the international markets simply because of a lack of resources and proper strategies. To achieve the intended objectives, a business firm must have sufficient resources and the right management team.

Dominos pizza has dominated both the United States market and the international market in manufacturing pizzas since starting its operations in 1960. It has a vision that targets to absorb brilliant people to assist in achieving the mission of producing and delivering the best pizzas.

The company has chains of restaurants and other international joints that spread across the US and outside the US. Dominos pizza has its headquarters at Domino Farms Office Park campus in Michigan. Currently, the company ranks second in manufacturing pizzas in the United States. However, in the international front, the extensive network of Dominos pizza in both corporate and franchise stores makes it the largest in the world.

In 2009, just before the company developed its presence in the social media, two of its employees at the Conover N.C. franchise posted a video in the YouTube. YouTube a website that shares videos that users have uploaded in them. The video showed Kristy Hammonds and Michael Setzer doing disgusting things to a sandwich at the restaurants kitchen.

In the video, one employee is seen preparing sandwiches for delivery and in the process, violating key health standards. The employee was placing cheese close to the nose and blowing mucus into the sandwiches. The other employee was providing a narration of the entire process.

Further, they are seen inserting washing sponge that they had used in washing their clients dishes in their buttocks. They did this without the knowledge of the senior management, and within 48 hours, they had posted the video on YouTube. The video attracted negative comments from over one million viewers within two days. Moreover, the video escalated into other social networking sites like Twitter and Google plus. Specifically, the video attracted over 300,000 comments within 24 hours of its posting.

Dominos pizza responded by launching a communication strategy to save its positive image that had dominated the market. The companys loyal customers had taken the first step in informing the company of the video scandal. In taking necessary steps to correct the wrongdoings, Dominos pizza took the two employees to court where they were charged with a felony.

Also, they were arrested and charged for supplying foods that were not healthy for consumers. Dominos pizza held that the employees promised not to deliver tainted products. After detecting the scandal, the company fired the two employees and went on to give assurance to its customers that the incident was that of isolation. The company also informed the customers that it had taken the necessary steps to contain and correct the situation.

One of the ways that the company used was set up a Twitter account to inform the entire market of its position on the scandal. Since the two employees included Dominos pizza website details in the video, the company had to apologize to the website first. The brewing storm was contained through re-tweeting of the companys responses. Some people wondered why the company took too long to act on the offending video.

The company used the same channel in responding to the customers concerns to cool the storm that had already dominated the market. Further, it optimized the two videos in one location so that customers could view them and understand the entire scandal. Even though the company suffered great consequences from the video scandal, it came out clear and intercepted the offending video using proactive options. Notably, Dominos pizza is still going strong in both the United States and international market four years down the line.

Leadership is an important factor that is essential to successful organizations. This is a case study of the turnaround of McDonalds Corporation after Jim Cantalupo took charge as CEO. It will also provide a competency model for an ideal CEO candidate for the corporation. It will also look at the traits of Charlie Bell who took over as the new CEO of the corporation. It should be noted that the competency model does state a management degree for a CEO candidature in such large corporations as Mcdonalds. But this lack of qualification in Bell (it is assumed) does not in any way make him ineligible for the job. In such few instances where an organization is fortunate to have the services of an employee like Bell, his experience, loyalty, and other qualities mentioned are enough to make him more than eligible. The management degree mentioned in the competency model can be waived in such instances. Building collaborative relationships are needed because the CEO will be working with franchisees (partners) as well as employees. Another competency not mentioned in the above model, but is required, is knowledge in diversity management and international cultures (work and social). Knowledge and application of Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions and the GLOBE study will be very useful. Even with his experience, Bell has to be tested as a CEO to see whether he has the vision to take the company forward especially since the part position was held by a real visionary like Cantalupo. McDonalds should always identify and develop and successor (within its own ranks) since it is the practice done by most forward-looking companies. Then it will not be a problem to find a successor in case of emergencies. In some cases, bringing in a person from outside as CEO will bring a fresh outlook, vision, and perspective, which might be beneficial to a company.

Measurable Factors of Success of CEO Jim Cantalupo

Leadership can be understood with the help of theories as well as through qualitative and quantitative measurements. Leadership theories that have developed over the years include great man theory, behavioral theories, and trait theories. There are also leadership styles like participative leadership, situational leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. (Syque 2009). When the effectiveness of leadership is to be understood in terms of measurement, the concept of dependent and independent variables has to be taken into account. The independent variable is the one over which you have direct control, while the dependent variable is the thing that you measure in the experiment. (Dependent and Independent Variables). When measuring leadership, the two variables are the different types of leaders and the effect of leadership on followers of each of these types. Usually, this is difficult to measure in a real-life environment. But still, it is a useful way of measuring effectiveness. In the present case, the intention is to measure effectiveness, hence this will become the dependent variable and type of leadership, the independent one. In other words, the independent variable is the leadership style of Jim Cantalupo, and the independent variables are his success factors. In this particular case study, changes in the following areas occurred namely profits, increase in share price, enthusiasm and commitment of employees and franchisees, and creation of momentum. Of these, share price and profits can be easily measured since they are shown as numerical figures. All the other indicators are state of mind (or attitude) and hence intangibles. But it is possible to measure attitudes using a Likert scale model. This is because One of the most popular methods of measuring attitudes is the method of summated ratings, commonly referred to as the Likert-type scale. (ARNOLD, MCCROSKEY, and PRICHARD).

Competency model for a new CEO of McDonalds Corporation

The position of CEO is the topmost job in any organization and hence requires many leadership skills, coupled with vision, and competencies. In a sense, many of the qualities of a leader are part of his or her competency also. This section will focus on developing a competency model for a new CEO for the world-famous franchisor, McDonalds. It should be noted that this corporation is a multinational one and hence the competencies required to exceed those needed when managing a national level company. The company operates in diverse markets each having its unique values, work culture, management concepts, and social settings and this is what makes the job all the more challenging. One advantage the incoming CEO has is that the company is on a turnaround mode by the efforts of its past CEO, Jim Cantalupo.

The term competencies that appear in a competency model can be defined as the skills considered by the organization to be necessary to perform a specific job or service. (Accessing Hospital Staff Competence. 2001). The competency model will describe the competencies that are required as a standard requirement that should ideally be possessed by a job incumbent. So this can be described as A job competency model is a description of those competencies possessed by the top performers in a specific job or job family. In effect, a competency model is a blueprint for outstanding performance. (Competencies: What is a Job Competency Model. 2009). Usually, a competency model will have eight to sixteen components depending on the nature and complexity of the job. An ideal candidate would be the person possessing all or most of the competencies as seen in a particular model. A typical competency model is represented by the figure given below.

(The Enbridge Competency Model). For becoming the CEO of a large corporation like McDonalds, core competencies must include job skills as required of a CEO. The ideal qualification would be a masters degree in international business, with ten years or more of experience in this field. It is not necessary to possess too many technical skills here. Flexibility may not be too much of a virtue in certain areas especially regarding the vision set by Jim. So the competency would be flexible according to individual circumstances. Interpersonal skills are a must. Since this is a customer-oriented company, customer focus is a must with the ability to execute and obtain results. All the competencies under the head of leadership are also required. Building collaborative relationships are needed because the CEO will be working with franchisees (partners) as well as employees. Another competency not mentioned in the above model, but is required, is knowledge in diversity management and international cultures (work and social). All twelve competencies are included in the model (including the two additional ones mentioned above).

Charlie Bells traits that have resulted contributed to his success in McDonalds

The case study shows that the present CEO of the company has had an outstanding career in the company. He had joined the company at the age of fifteen holding a part-time job as a crew member and has risen to the level of President and Chief Operating Officer before he was promoted to the post of CEO. There are many factors that have contributed to this success story. Hes starting to work at the age of fifteen shows that he wanted to earn an independent income. Bells loyalty to the employer is evident from the fact that he had worked all his adult life in one single company. He is ambitious as is evident from the promotions that he received to become the top man in the company. That the company found him invaluable is also corroborated by this fact. He has worked in so many capacities at different levels. As such, he has in-depth knowledge about the working of the company. He has also seen many management styles from the different CEOs and other top management personnel he worked under. Even though no mention is made about his educational qualification, the practical knowledge he possesses will be very valuable to the company. He must also be blessed with a certain amount of vision because of the fact of his quick rise through the ranks. Bell might also possess strong interpersonal skills because organizational politics does not seem to have obstructed his way to the top. In short, the qualities that contributed to his success include loyalty, independence, commitment, ambition, knowledge, and interpersonal skills. The fact that he has worked successfully in many departments (and capacities) also proves this fact. These are valuable intangible assets for any employee and can contribute to a large extent to his or her success within an organization.

References

Accessing Hospital Staff Competence. (2001). [online]. Joint Commission Resources. Web.

ARNOLD, William E., MCCROSKEY, James C and PRICHARD, Samuel V O. The Likert Type Scale. [online]. 2009. Web.

Competencies: What is a Job Competency Model. (2009). [online]. Workitect: A Blueprint for Superior Performance. Web.

Dependent and Independent Variables. [online]. 2009. Web.

SYQUE. (2009). Leadership Theories. [online]. Changing.org. Web.

The Enbridge Competency Model. [online]. 2009. Web.

Assuming that a business productivity project was done for a company, it would be first presented to the consulting company for approval before sending it to the prospective client for review. This project focused on a business development initiative that established the stages, which a prospective business person or entity should consider when developing a better strategy for the success of the company (Schmidt, 2009). In addition, it was developed to provide a prospective client with a clear overview of the proposed project so that he or she could determine whether to proceed with the project (Schmidt, 2009).

Table 1: Durations for Each Activity.

Project Timeline under Normal Circumstances

A Critical Path Analysis for the Network

Assuming that the project started on 4/3/12, crashing some tasks during the implementation did not change the length of time the, but only alter the time those activities took to end. For instance, crashing task C for 2 days only made it end on the same day with task B. This could not affect task D since B, C and D can run concurrently after Activity A is complete. However, crashing task G affected the end of activity J by reducing its termination.

Consequently, this affected the start and end of activity K, a situation that reduced the project duration by 4 days. Instead of the project ending on 05/02/2012, crashing of task G made it end on 04/28/2012. Therefore, crashing some project activities could only be done after carefully considering the impacts and benefits of such action. Only profitable actions could be exercised on the entire implementation of the project.

The Earliest Start Time = EST of previous activity + Duration of previous activity = 0+ 3 = 3

Earliest Finish Time (EFT) (A) = EFT at end of following activity  Duration of following activity = 5  3 = 3

Latest Start Time (LST) = LST of previous activity + Duration of previous activity (A) = 0 + 3 = 3

Latest Finish Time (LFT) Time (A) = LFT at end of following activity  Duration of following activity = 5  2 =3

Notably, the calculated values for EST, EFT, LST, and LFT are always equal. This indicates that there is minimal impact of changing the project timeframe on the quality of its outcome.

The Slack Time for Each Activity = Latest Start Time  Earliest Start Time

• A = 3  0 = 3
• B = 4  3 =1
• C = 4  3 = 1
• D = 4  3 = 1
• E = 6  5 = 1
• F = 10  2 = 8
• G = 9  8 = 1
• H = 16  3 = 13
• I = 19  1 = 18
• J = 20  21 = 1
• K = 24  23 = 1

Identify the Critical Path

In this project, the critical path is A C F G H J K. this path is considered critical because Activity C can only commence after A is complete, F comes after C, G starts after F, H begins after G, J starts after H, and K only commences after J is complete.

Assuming that the organization will receive a $1,000 bonus for each day the duration of the project is shortened. Secondly, the organization is also responsible for paying the crash cost associated with shortening the schedule. Therefore, to maximize the net profit, the task that should be crashed is G. This activity will be crashed by 4 days, meaning that the company will receive 4 x $1,000 = $4,000. Alternatively, the crash cost for this activity will be 4 x $600 = $2,400. The profit will be $4,000  $2,400 = $1,600.

The project aims to make the implementing organisation improve the overall productivity. The main objectives of the project included various elements. First, it aimed to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the operations (Kerzner, 2009). Second, the project intended to improve the clients productivity in terms of quantity and quality (Kerzner, 2009). Third, it sought to streamline the production operations and monitoring process to advice for necessary alterations in the production (Kerzner, 2009). This meant that the implementing company maximises on the use of its resources. This was necessary and significant for the projects success.

References

Kerzner, H. (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. New York, NY: Wiley.

Schmidt, T. (2009). Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams. New York, NY: Wiley.

Introduction

Jawbreaker was one of the most ambiguous operations in the history of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The operation took place in 2001, a few days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which took the lives of over 2700 people (Anderson 2015, 54). These attacks spurred the US President and government to target Osama bin Laden, the leader of terrorists. Apart from that, the US government wanted to destroy the terrorist group headed by bin Laden. Jawbreaker had both strengths and weaknesses, but there is one aspect of the operation, the evidence of which signifies the operations utmost significance.

Namely, it was highly important for the country at that time to demonstrate its strength and unity in the period of grief and shock after the attacks. Thus, the CIAs revenge mission to Afghanistan was arranged, which involved cooperation with the Afghan Northern Alliance (NA), the members of which also considered Al-Qaeda as their enemy (Anderson 2015, 59). Jawbreaker did not last long, but the agents involved in the operation managed to reach considerable results.

The operation relied not only on military forces but also on intelligence services to a great extent. The team participating in Jawbreaker was to contact the NA and arrange cooperation with them by providing the alliance with the necessary resources and information (Anderson 2015, 59). Still, the opinions on the operations success differ, depending on what is viewed as the most crucial achievement. On the one hand, Jawbreaker may be considered successful due to the attainment of some goals set. On the other hand, however, the operation is believed not to have gained all of the objectives. Despite the realization of the goals associated with the elimination of the terrorist groups activity, the main purpose  capturing or exterminating bin Laden  was not fulfilled.

The importance of the research topic is related to the role of anti-terrorist activity in the USA and the world in general. The devastating aftermath of massive terrorist attacks has been affecting thousands of people. Furthermore, it is necessary to analyze the reaction of the US CIA to the most disastrous attack in the countrys history. The investigation of this problem will promote further understanding of the gains and losses of anti-terrorist operations and will shed light on their main advances.

Thesis

The thesis of the project is associated with the level of success that Jawbreaker demonstrated. Thus, it is assumed that Jawbreaker manifests both the features of a successful operation and those of an unsuccessful one. The opposition to Taliban forces was highly effective, but the team did not manage to wipe out bin Laden. Still, it is crucial to bear in mind that expectations of inaugurating rational peace and security frequently are too high (Meharg 2009, 9). The thesis of the paper is that Jawbreaker has demonstrated both strong and weak features, thus, the operation should be viewed from different angles to obtain a comprehensive picture of its results. It is important to verify this thesis to demonstrate that the definition of the operations failure or success is not categorical.

Research Question

The main problem to be investigated in the paper is the evaluation of Jawbreaker. Thus, the preliminary question of research would be whether Jawbreaker was successful. However, given the information on the operation, it is reasonable to reframe the basic question into a more sophisticated one: based on different perspectives, what aspects of the operation may be regarded as successful? The research question entails the need for scrutinizing Jawbreaker to the point of evaluating its various elements. Additionally, it implies the consideration of various viewpoints, which can shed light on the issue under investigation.

Hence, the formulated research question is suitable for the study since finding an answer to it will allow making valid conclusions and verifying the thesis of the project. Also, looking for a response to this question will enable the successful exploration of Jawbreaker.

Evaluation Criteria

To assess the case under analysis, it is necessary to select a comprehensive evaluation framework. As Meharg (2009, 5) notes, it is impossible to measure all of the aspects of an operation since not all effects and outcomes can be determined during its planning stages. Furthermore, each of the stakeholders has a different opinion on the indicators of success, which leads to disagreements concerning benchmarks and metrics. The most common reason for the emergence of such tensions is that humanitarian stakeholders use measures different from those employed by military stakeholders (Meharg 2009, 5).

Meanwhile, there is a pressing need to find a unanimous approach since it would enable a better understanding of the operational environments and outcomes. Still, there is no unanimity between various stakeholders as for the definition of an operations success (Meharg 2009, 5). One of the problems with judging Jawbreaker is that commonly, peace operations are trying to achieve too much (Meharg 2009, 8). Therefore, to assess the operation, success is viewed as a complex and non-binary phenomenon that can be evaluated concerning several different aspects.

Another significant aspect of assessment is the definition of the main national values to be defended. According to Nuechterlein (2001, 20), the core national interests include the defense of the homeland, economic well-being, favorable world order, and the promotion of values. As can be seen, Jawbreaker deals with at least two of these interests: defense of the homeland and favorable world order. At the same time, one must admit that the operation, like many other missions, was not able to gain peace writ large due to having too many objectives (Meharg 2009, 9). Thus, to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the case, the following criteria will be used:

1. Procedures. In this part of the evaluation, the operations specifics will be reviewed, such as costs, risks, and the level of planning. By exploring these aspects, it will be possible to establish the reasons for the results of Jawbreaker. Usually, the preparatory stage of the plan plays the most significant role in the whole project since by including all the necessary aspects of the plan, the team may expect positive outcomes. However, if some crucial element has not been foreseen, or a crucial mistake has been made at the preliminary stage, the operation may be doomed to failure. Hence, the analysis of Jawbreakers procedures will allow concluding whether there were any obstacles at the initial stage that might have hindered the success of the operation.
2. The outcomes of the operation are scrutinized from different perspectives. Both intentional and unintentional consequences will be analyzed to understand the situation comprehensively. Additionally, short- and long-term goals and effects will be discussed to see how they might have affected the operations success. Along with that, the assessment of various outcomes significance will be discussed, and the national interests will be prioritized.
3. Goals and their attainment. This section will discuss the operations objectives and analyze the level of their achievement or the failure to gain them. The inclusion of this criterion allows pointing out the greatest achievements and failures of the operation. As well as with the first criterion  procedures  it is important to keep in mind that the fulfillment of various goals bears different levels of importance for each stakeholder.

To gain clarity of the analysis, each of the mentioned criteria will be reviewed separately. It is expected that Jawbreaker may prove successful in one respect but unsuccessful in others. The suggested framework applies to the operation and will offer a detailed analysis of its nuances. Therefore, it is viable to consider the present research paper as a case study with the self-developed analysis criteria that will employ relevant literature as a source of information.

With the use of the framework, it will become possible to answer the research question. Case studies enable researchers to perform an in-depth analysis of the situations (Yin 2017). Given the potential value of a customized framework for operation evaluation, the decision to create one is justified. The suggested evaluation plan is expected to offer a feasible analysis of the researched issue.

Discussion

Procedures

The most important area of discussion that will help to analyze Jawbreakers success concerns the procedures of the operation. Jawbreaker was planned only a few days after the 9/11 attack, with 98 to 0 support from the Senate and 420 to 1 support from the House, which gave President Bush all the force needed to respond to terrorist attacks (Anderson 2015, 57). Several measures were taken by the administration immediately, the first of them being Bushs demand of the Taliban to hand over Al-Qaeda leaders or face the US attack (Anderson 2015, 57). The second measure involved pressuring Pakistans president to collaborate with the USA in the war against Al-Qaeda.

Finally, Bush ordered all the assets of individuals and groups suspected of helping terrorists to be frozen (Anderson 2015, 57). Since the Taliban ignored Bushs request, and the rest of the world supported his intention to initiate military action against Al-Qaeda, the administration started planning a military campaign in Afghanistan.

The operation started to be planned on September 17, 2001, when the president and his security team gathered to outline the war plan. At the same time, the CIA was authorized to perform a series of covert actions aimed at disrupting terrorist activity (Anderson 2015, 57). The war in Afghanistan received the title Operation Enduring Freedom. The Taliban boasted to humiliate the Americans similarly to the mujahedeens humiliation of the Soviets in the 1980s. However, they did not succeed in making that threat true since the USAs allies lined up to help the country in its fight against terrorism. Germany offered its military contribution because of the alliance considerations (Hilpert 2014, 42).

Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and other countries provided logistical support and infantry forces (Anderson 2015, 57). Italy and France offered transport aircraft, carrier battle groups, and engineering teams, and Japan provided the USA with fleet refueling ships. Overall, more than twenty-five countries offered their help in the form of services, equipment, or personnel in the USAs fight against terrorism.

Jawbreaker was one of the many operations included in Operation Enduring Freedom. Several of the participants of the operation have published books describing their initial impressions. Berntsen and Pezzullo (2005) and Schroen (2005) emphasize the high level of preparation for Jawbreaker. In Bernsten and Pezzullos (2005) book, the CIAs key commander, who coordinated the fight against the Taliban in 2001, mentions that all efforts were taken to wipe out the enemy to the worlds freedom. Although they had only six days to prepare the operation, the members of the group recall it being arranged smoothly (Schroen 2005, 20).

The efforts of the CIA in collaboration with Afghan allies and the US military allowed arranging the operation quickly and efficiently (Experience the Collection 2018, 2). The USA planned to use massive aid, as well as air power, to support the NA (Anderson 2015, 58). That plan worked due to the high level of the CIAs preparation: the team understood the language and culture of the community into which it was sent.

The cost of the operation was high, but it was justified by the goals it pursued. The first CIA team that went to Afghanistan had $3 million to prompt local warlords to help them fight against the Taliban (Anderson 2015, 59). Within the first month of Jawbreaker, the CIA gave the group another $10 million, and $5 million were given to the warlord Mohammed Fahim Khan to attack and capture valuable northern towns. On November 9, 2001, the NA, together with the CIA paramilitary officers, captured Mazar-e Sharif, which enabled them to take control of the northern Afghan territories (Dearing 2019, 104). The US team offered the NA help using giving them resources, cash, and power, which they had lacked to fight terrorists.

Gradually, the Taliban forces were defeated, and the operation was considered successful due to the high level of planning. Terrorists were defeated due to the close cooperation between the US forces and those of other countries security and intelligence services (Grenier 2015, 296). The participation of elite teams of the CIA paramilitary operatives and American commandos allowed forming a productive alliance with Afghans opposing the Taliban (Kerry 2009, 10). Thus, it is possible to conclude that the first criterion of evaluation has been achieved.

Outcomes Scrutinized from Different Perspectives

The second important issue to investigate about the operations success is its outcomes. The defense of the homeland is viewed as the most crucial national interest (Nuechterlein 2001, 20). Thus, from the point of view of the CIA and other entities, the outcomes of Jawbreaker were rather positive since the operation allowed improving the level of the countrys defense. Before 9/11, the readiness to oppose terrorist attacks was not sufficient, which led to devastating results. Almost 3000 people were killed during the attacks, and the nation was overwhelmed with grief. Meanwhile, after the attacks and, more importantly, as a consequence of Jawbreaker as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the USAs attitude toward potential attacks became much more comprehensive.

Another significant outcome was the promotion of better-ordered world affairs. Nuechterlein (2001, 20) singles out a favorable world order as another crucial national interest. In the case of events that happened in 2001, such interest became even more than national but international since security was and is the value cherished not only by the USA but by all other nations. Particularly, Afghanistan was one of the nations whose freedom was restricted by terrorists within its land. Hence, the outcome for Afghanistan was rather positive, too, since the country became relieved of the oppressors (Kerry 2009, 10). The NA became able to control the country, which was a beneficial outcome for Afghanistan (Schroen 2005, 189). Thus, from the perspective of the Afghan side, the outcomes were positive.

Finally, there was another perspective: that of the US President who had initiated the operation. From his point of view, the outcome was considered as positive, but not entirely, since the main enemy  Osama bin Laden  was not wiped out during Jawbreaker. However, Bush, as well as the US government and the operations team members, also realized the significance of the received outcomes, despite a certain level of disappointment. Thus, the long-term goals may be regarded to have been more successfully reached than the short-term ones. The fight against terrorism was a positive outcome, but the capturing and death of bin Laden did not occur.

Goals and Their Attainment

Finally, the evaluation of Jawbreaker should incorporate the discussion of goal achievement. Here, too, different points of view will be taken into consideration since the operation had two major goals. The first one was undermining the power of terrorists, and this objective may be regarded as completed. As Buckley (2015, 7) mentions, Jawbreaker has been seen in history as a resounding success. Due to the fall of Kabul and the failure of terrorist resistance in Northern Afghanistan, the operation may be believed to have achieved one of its core goals rather successfully. Terrorists around the globe fell victim to the close cooperation between the US CIA and other agencies and retreated beyond the effective reach of allied governments (Grenier 2015, 296). Overall, when analyzing the level of attainment of the goal associated with wiping out terrorist organizations in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, it was succeeded.

At the same time, the second major objective was not fulfilled during Jawbreaker. The CIA was not ultimately successful in capturing or killing Osama bin Laden (Strandquist 2017, 86). That objective was ultimately important since bin Laden was the one standing behind the terrorist attacks of 9/11, killing 2,977 people in cold blood. Catching bin Laden was strategically important since he was able to plan other terrorist attacks despite the elimination of Al-Qaedas activity in many regions.

Bin Laden was the biggest enemy of the USA at the time, and the failure to capture him was rather disappointing. As Anderson (2015, 59) remarks, killing bin Laden was the original aim of the invasion, and it was not successful. This obstacle made the triumph incomplete, making the CIA continue working hard on finding and killing bin Laden eventually over several months.

Finally, apart from the two main goals, the operation Jawbreaker also achieved another one. Namely, with its help, it became possible to unite the worlds forces against the terrorists, which increased the level of peoples belief in their leaders and intensified the level of security in the world. Although citizens still were afraid for their lives, they realized that their governments were doing everything possible to prevent them from terrorist violence. Starting with Afghanistan and moving to other parts of the world, Jawbreaker, in particular, and Operation Enduring Freedom, in general, returned peoples belief in a better future.

Conclusions

Based on the analysis performed, it is possible to conclude the thesis statement and research question posed in the introduction. The thesis of the research paper was that Jawbreaker demonstrated both strong and weak features. Having scrutinized literature sources, one can consider the thesis confirmed. Indeed, the operation had both gains and failures, which were associated with the elimination of terrorist groups activity and the extermination of the main enemy of the US people, Osama bin Laden. While the first aim was achieved, the second was not fulfilled during Jawbreaker. Hence, the assumption expressed in the thesis proved true.

The research question was aimed at finding out what aspects of the operation might be viewed as successful. The analysis allowed answering the question, focusing on several positive outcomes. The first beneficial aspect was the undermining of terrorists activity in Afghanistan. Another gain was the unification of the worlds powers against terrorists and the increase in the favorable world order. The initial purpose of the research was fulfilled since the question success of Jawbreaker was properly evaluated. The results coincide with the opinions expressed by Anderson (2015) and Buckley (2015), who admitted the failure to kill bin Laden but emphasized the success of suppressing terrorist attacks in general.

References

Anderson, Terry H. 2015. 9/11: Bushs Response. In Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, edited by Beth Bailey and Richard H. Immerman, 54-74. New York: New York University Press.

Berntsen, Gary, and Ralph Pezzullo. 2005. Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIAs Key Field Commander. New York: Crown Publishers.

Buckley, Chip Michael. 2015. Overt Acceptance: Cultural Intelligence in Covert Operatives. Masters thesis, Mercyhurst University.

Dearing, Matthew P. 2019. Turning Gangsters into Allies: The American Way of War in Northern Afghanistan. Small Wars & Insurgencies 30 (1): 101-139.

Experience the Collection. 2018. CIA Museum. Web.

Grenier, Robert L. 2015. 88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hilpert, Carolin. 2014. Strategic Cultural Change and the Challenge for Security Policy: Germany and the Bundeswehrs Deployment to Afghanistan. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kerry, John F. 2009. Tora Bora Revisited: How We Failed to Get bin Laden and Why It Matters Today. A Report to Members of the Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Meharg, Sarah Jane. 2009. Measuring Effectiveness in Complex Operations: What is Good Enough? Web.

Nuechterlein, Donald E. 2001. America Recommitted: A Superpower Assesses Its Role in a Turbulent World. 2nd ed. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.

Schroen, Gary C. 2005. First in: An Insiders Account of how the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan. New York: Presidio Press.

Strandquist, Jon. 2017. US Paramilitary Programs in Comparative Perspective: CIA, the US Army Special Forces, and the Question of Organizational Form. Defense & Security Analysis 33 (2): 79-93.

Yin, Robert K. 2017. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. 6th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Introduction

The main idea of the paper is to identify the major reasons for the success of Exxon Mobil in then world market and trace the major processes that took place in the companys finance over the past years (Exxon Corporation, 2007). To start with, Exxon Mobil is the largest of the worlds six supermajor oil and gas producing companies. It produces about 3% of worlds oil and over 5% of the energy that is consumed in the world every year. The major reasons for such a success of Exxon Mobile are the increase of prices for oil and other energy sources, world-wide financial crisis that caused the decrease in the supplies of oil and made Exxon one of the few regular suppliers of oil and gas in the world. Thus, for example, a net income of Exxon Mobil Corporation for the year 2007 amounted to $40, 6 billion from which $30 billion were paid as taxes, while the year end cash balance of the company comprised $34 billion. The major directions of Exxon activity are Upstream (exploration and production of oil and gas), Downstream (production and marketing of petroleum) and Chemicals (production of petrochemicals). The company operates on all continents and has its subsidiaries in Latin America, Russia, China, etc. The total amount of shares issued by the Exxon consists of 5,331,546,810 in 2008 which were guaranteed by the sum of $5,148 million the same year. Compared to December 2007, the total cash assets of the Exxon Mobil increased from $34,5 million to $39,7 million in 2008, while the long-term debt of the company amounted to $7, 123 by the same period of time (Exxon Mobil Corporation, 2008).

The recruitment policies

The recruitment policies of Exxon are balanced and conform to the demands of the modern worlds political and economic situation. Exxon employs over 107, 000 people worldwide. Among which 63% are employed in Exxons subsidiaries abroad. Women comprise 12% of the employees, while minorities amount to 20% of them and can be employed in staff and in management of Exxon. Employees of Exxon also have certain programs for development at their disposal: Investing in Diversity, GlobeSmart, Working Globally Course and some others. Pension schemes are also a part of employment in Exxon with $ 302 to be paid by an employee per month to pension fund of the company. Moreover, Exxon encourages positive atmosphere in office, i. e. pays attention to the organizational culture, solving of the conflicts in staff, etc. In 2007, Exxon broke several records for US based companies, for instance by earning $116,64 billion which meant the increase of quarterly and annual income by 29,5%. From this sum, about $700 million were spent on promotion and advertisement. Exxon has its own website on the Internet that presents its employees and consumers a wide range of opportunities for the development and cooperation with Exxon. The company has always been an attractive subject for scholars, thus literature on its performance and changes is also numerous (Exxon Mobil Corporation, 2008).

The complexity operation and charity of Exxons

The complexity of Exxons operation consists in its usage of modern equipment and progressive technology. However, accounting is also complicated in Exxon as its subsidiaries can be found worldwide and their taxed have to be converted into US tax rates to be paid. For it, the Financial Accounting Standards Boards (FASB) Interpretation No. 48 was adopted by Exxon to make the accounting easier. The marketing strategies of Exxon are also designed so that to enable companys officials to control and develop the markets for production sales. Exxon is also famous for its charity and environmental protection. The sum of $173.8 equivalent in cash, as well as consumer goods and services were granted to the poor over the past year. The Save the Tiger Fund founded in 1995 still develops and cooperates with environment-protecting organizations. On the whole, Exxon is a rather profitable and developed company which is one of the leaders at the worlds oil and gas market (Exxon Mobil Corporation, 2008).

References

Exxon Corporation. (2007). Century of Discovery: An Exxon Album. Exxon Corporation.

Exxon Mobil Corporation. (2008). Taking on the Worlds Toughest Energy Challenges. Web.