Family run business Wyncraft Essay Example for Free

Family run business Wyncraft Essay As a Family run business Wyncraft produces high quality decorative home wear, ranging from mainly wooden products as well as high quality pottery, decorative metals and table decorations. Wyncraft will produce these quality products by using wood from only sustainable Norwegian Forests to maintain the future of the business and the environment from which the products naturally and originally derive from. Objectives: Staff levels of Wyncraft Wyncraft operates with different levels including: Technical the practical job roles involved with production of goods, staff perform tasks set out by manager and supervisors etc. Workforce are usually without authority and controlled by managerial and community level staff. Staff at this level- * Jack in addition to one full-time and one part-time member of staff in the sanding and varnishing department * Fred, Albert (Tub) and JR (John Roberts) are hands on in the cutting department and 8 full-time production staff, * Despatch employees 3 full time staff and one driver Graham * Part-timers and home workers assembly assistance * Assistant/secretary Jean Hudson, * Yvonne human resources role, * Harry sales, personnel as well as the books Managerial the technical level interrelates with the managerial level, which is concerned with the co-ordination and integration of work at the technical level. Generally supervisors/managers, the main role is to outline the specific requirements to the technical level form the community level. Other roles include dealing with customers, clients and suppliers. Staff at this level * Harry manages and oversees all operations of the company providing him with high responsibility and authority. * Jack manages the sanding/varnishing department * JR oversees the production department Community the board of directors, this level makes decisions of how the company is to be run by the other interrelated levels. They are responsible for the operation of the organisation as a whole they have authority to provide regulations/requirements in which the rest of the organisation must comply with. In addition this level interrelates with the managerial level to inform of such procedures. Staff at this level * Harry * Jack * Albert * Fred All the brothers above are the owners/directors of Wyncraft where as Harry has more of a managing director role. Although the brothers are at the community level they do operate in the technical level and most operate in the managerial level too. The three levels community, technical and managerial can be represented in a diagram to show the interdependence and authority levels. The diagram highlights the fact that each level could not survive without the other levels. Wyncraft Memorandum To: Harry Roberts From: Ryan Johnson Date: 5/12/04 Re: The importance of good organisational structure Although there are many factors and constraints, which can affect a company structure there is a need to establish a framework of order and system of command by which the work to be undertaken is accomplished successfully. This implies that attention be given to the design and implementation of the company structure. Structure can make or break an organisations (Mullins 2002 p.536) Organisations are groups of people brought together for a specific purpose, for this to be achieved successfully people need to be organised within the best possible structure. (Mullins 2002) In relation to Wyncraft it is necessary to organise and formalise the company into a structure in order to expand successfully and attract and recruit new staff. Good organisational structure can be a means of dividing responsibilities and tasks equally and fairly amongst executives to ensure a simple, effective and functional process for Wyncraft. At present it would appear that Harry Roberts has a higher responsibility level than his co-owners, it can cause pressure for one person to have the majority share in responsibility. It is not good for the company or Harry to oversee all departments and company functions, the role should be shared to ensure that quality is being produced within Wyncraft. If there were shared roles in high responsibility tasks then this could guarantee service and production are of an acceptable standard for Wyncraft. Furthermore specialist staff within managerial department roles could provide Wyncraft with higher standards and production leaving the executives more time to concentrate on further selling and expansion. Wyncraft Proposed Organisation Chart There are many possible structures for organisations to use when considering producing an organisational chart, function, area, process, product and customer. * Function most common structure used, involving the company being split up into departments or specialisations. * Area used by large national or multinational businesses, the concept being that co-ordination is implemented from Head Office to ensure that efforts are not duplicated when different locations carry out similar activities. * Process this is used when requirements for different skills are needed, for example when product is manufactured it passes through several stages requiring different skills for the stages of the process. * Product This is used in large organisations or for companies that have wide product ranges. * Customer this is used when a business has different types of customers who need different and specialised treatment or modified service or products. Most organisations will structure themselves in a way that a variety of structure options are used, different departments could be structured using a different format. In relation to Wyncraft it is appropriate to consider using chart structures that are relevant to its production and process. Although all options should be considered I propose that Process and Function are more practical in terms of Wyncraft. Looking at the above descriptions of structure options Product, customer and area can be ruled out, this is due to the size of the company being relatively small in comparison to large multinational companies and the product range generally quite limited. It is important to remember the main function of the company: production of environmentally friendly quality home wear, which leads on to the need for clear process and function management. Read more:Â  Family Run Business Proposed Process chart for Wyncraft: How Wyncrafts product is manufactured requires different departments/functions with different skills etc. The diagram above illustrates the process in which the product is made which highlights the need for a clear functional process. With a sufficient functional chart or structure then the process above can be implemented. Departments such as personnel are necessary to be part of the company but are not necessarily part of the process involved in the production of the product. Therefore although personnel and marketing etc. need to be considered a separate structure chart is not necessary at this stage. Proposed function chart for Wyncraft: Organisation Functions An organisation consists of departments they usually take the following format: * Personnel the function of Personnel is typically to control recruitment, provide staff training, promote legal and safety requirements and create policies and procedures. In relation to Wyncraft personnel Yvonne manages issues and although she does not work full time for the company she takes a leading role in this department. Harry oversees this department and manages this role if necessary to cover any period of time Yvonne is not present. Being a company that only employs 48 people many of the typical functions of a Personnel department are not carried out. The kind of issues Yvonne would deal with within Wyncraft would be the less formal and personal aspects of Personnel for example staff absence etc. * Production typically the function of the production department includes manufacturing the product, establishes priority order for consumer demand, works within standards and budgets and maintains flow of production. In relation to Wyncraft the main focus for the company is production, the list above does reflect the function of this department in Wyncraft well. The production department is responsible for cutting; shaping, drilling and preparing all the wood used in the production of their home wear products. They are heavily reliant on machinery and control machinery maintenance and must adhere to safe practice as well as storing and controlling materials. * Sales typically this department sells the product and continually looks to expand and increase sales for the company. In relation to Wyncraft Harry mostly undertakes this role and concentrates on targeting major department stores and smaller (high quality) independent china/gift stores. Sales for Wyncraft is different to most organisations as selling direct to customers would actually most likely loose custom for the company. Sales for Wyncraft are expanding overseas due to the success of their web page; the main function of this department now is to concentrate on expansion overseas to supplying to the major department stores. * Marketing generally consists of establishing consumer demand, promotes the product, examines the market and conducts market research. In relation to Wyncraft it seems apparent that there is no actual department for this function. Harry oversees this role and perhaps as part of his sales he also implements some form of marketing, however as Wyncraft is a small company it is realistic that there is no specific marketing department. Strong client relationships with major department stores could provide Harry with enough knowledge on consumer demand and market research etc. * Finance this department deals with all monetary aspects of the company. Typical roles include, balancing accounts, planning and expenditure, wage and salary administration and account management. In relation to Wyncraft Yvonne is responsible for wages and accounts Harry takes control of the company accounts, all companies no matter what size need to manage their accounts and obviously pay their staff. Wyncraft does not have a specific finance department due to the small size of the company. * Purchasing this department would generally be in charge of buying in materials required for production. In relation to Wyncraft all wood is bought from sustainable Norwegian Forests and quantities are provided from the production department, the product range for Wyncraft is small and therefore no specific department is required to buy repeat materials. * Research and Development this department usually provides improvement for production methods and processes through research, identifies new technology and researches new products. In relation to Wyncraft there is no research and development department although progress has been made on the technological aspect with the implementation of the successful web page. Interdependence between these departments can vary between companies in the case of Wyncraft where not many specific departments exist then it could be assumed that the dependence occurs without recognition. The finance department will provide obvious constraints to all departments because without funding they cannot function. The main function of Wyncraft is obviously production and without this the other functions would have no purpose. Sales department is reliant upon production and vice versa because without demand production is pointless and without production sales are not attainable. Relationships within Wyncraft: = Line relationship = Functional relationship = Staff relationship = Lateral relationship Staff can operate with more than one relationship an example of this is Harry who operates in a staff relationship with his secretary, a line relationship with JR and Jack Roberts and also a lateral relationship with many of the other members of staff.

The 1920’s: a time of autonomy and responsibility Essay -- Essays Pape

The 1920’s: a time of autonomy and responsibility The twentieth century is coming to a close and it has been a time of sorrow, innovation, and progress. The decades have come and gone and with events like the civil rights movement, the world wars, and the roaring twenties this century will be one that is definitely remembered. All of these events questioned peoples values, especially the values of autonomy and responsibility. The event that is to be looked at on this page is the roaring twenties and how the governments and citizens actions reflected these values in both positive and negative ways. The areas of socialness, literature, The Mafia, prohibition, the government, and the economy are all areas that will be focused on to demonstrate these positive and negative reflections. The group members individually looked at these areas and put together information on the actions of the people in these areas and if they were autonomous, responsible, or both. The first area that will be discussed on this page is the social aspects of the 1920’s. Jen Manno specifically chose the areas of music, theater, youth, and the flappers for her concentration. The social aspects of the 1920’s strongly support autonomy and the ability to make your own decisions. The youth were governed by themselves and the "in" thing was to be independent and expressing your own personal attitudes. In the social realm, no one cared about being responsible, all they wanted to do was have fun and do whatever they had to do in order to achieve that. The second area that will be displayed on this page is the literature of the twenties. Liz Sobieski will reflect on George S. Schuler and his play "The Yellow Peril," "The Great Gatsby,"... ... this behavior and questions. If there ever was a conflict between autonomy and responsibility, it came during Prohibition. The whole idea of this period was the illegal shipping, buying, and drinking of alcohol, which reflects many's definition of responsibility and right and wrong. Theodore Roosevelt brought about the Square Deal and fought for what he thought was right therefore, displaying his ability to act responsible. The final topic that we discussed was the economy of the twenties and many invested in the stock market. Many thought that buying stock was there responsibility and the right thing to do however, peoples overconfidence in the reliability of the stock market caused many to lose many material things. The activities of the Twenties are full of right and wrong and through the explanation of the writers of this page that is brought out and proved.

Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of Weimar Germany

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Germany between 1919 and 1932 IB History HL 28. 12. 2011 Plan Intro: * Historical background of Weimar Republic * Thesis statement (Draw comparisons between strengths and weaknesses, assess their importance and conclude which was the most important) Body: * Compare/Contrast * Attempt at democracy supported internationally vs. German hatred of Treaty of Versailles * Revolution started by the people vs. Right-wing tendencies of elite and army * Strong political parties already in place vs.Weaknesses of proportional representation * Strengths of responsible use of Article 48 vs. Dangers of misuse of Article 48 Conclusion: * Give short summary of all * Which was the most important? * none, all equally important * Refer back to thesis statement ___________________________________________________________________________ Essay In late 1918, early 1919, Germany was faced with the great fate to become a democratic state stemming from a tyrannical monarchy under the Kaiser. Said monarchy had been overthrown by a revolution by the people and now the government was about to turn into a democracy.This democracy, later to be known as the Weimar Republic, was faced with perils on all sides in many situations, overcoming them by virtue of its strengths and lasting until 1932 when the exploitation of its weaknesses ended its reign as a democracy, turning it back into a tyranny under a single man. This essay will assess the strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Germany, draw comparisons between them and determine which was the most important in its rise, flourish and eventual fall. The Weimar Republic was the first attempt at true, constitutional democracy in Germany.Throughout its history, Germany had only been led by autocratic rule, from the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (the First Reich), through the divided monarchy (Prussia, Austria, Bavaria as independent kingdoms), till the Bismarck Era (the Second Reich). When the idea of revolution and democracy, a government for and by the people, spread through Germany and the Kaiser abdicated in the wake of the German Revolution of 1918, other democratic governments like the USA and the UK saw it as a great step in the right and wanted to support it.France, as the third internationally prominent democracy, was not so optimistic towards the idea of a strong German state even if democratic. Had the US and the UK been unrelenting in their support for the German democratic government, Weimar Germany may have lasted longer than it did. As it was, while the international support from prominent powers boosted the Weimar Republic's standing internationally and brought it some support in Germany, the allies' caution in this matter and hence their harsh treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles in fact contributed more to the downfall of Germany than its first success.In fact, the Weimar Republic was seen, and still today is seen, as having been born from the Tr eaty of Versailles. This fact made the democratic system extremely unpopular in the eyes of the German people as the Treaty was seen as a diktat by the allies against Germany and the political leaders of Germany that signed the Treaty, i. e. the political forefathers of Weimar Germany, were regarded as criminals by some Germans. This inherent hatred was a severe weakness of the Weimar Republic and was one of the major factors responsible for its downfall.The German Revolution of 1918 was orchestrated, executed and accredited to the people of Germany. Its importance in the rise of the Weimar Republic clearly signalises that the new democratic government had the full backing of the working class which, at this time, made up the majority of the voting public in Germany. This fundamental backing from the majority of German voters meant that a democratic system could function and this initial support from the people was one of the major strengths of the Republic.A nation, however, does n ot exist without an elite and the elite in Weimar Germany were extremely discontent with then change in political system. The elite in Germany in 1919 were a group that had profited well under a monarchy and many of their income systems would be destroyed under a democratic government that would put the common man before them. In between the bourgeoisie, high-standing army officers saw the political leaders of Weimar Germany as criminals for signing the Treaty of Versailles which effectively destroyed German military power.This distrust and hate from the elite towards Weimar Germany was a fundamental weakness as it led to the political intrigue in later years when figures like Schleicher and von Pappen manipulated the system to their needs, leading to the downfall of Weimar Germany. Had there not been such distrust and hate, Weimar Germany may never have fallen, showing it as a grave weakness of the system. When the Revolution came and the Republic was declared in Germany, there wer e clear political parties that formed.This was a significant strength of the Weimar Republic as there was not much time needed to form political parties with clear goals as these had already been formed in the Reichstag of the Second Reich. This decisive democratic action enabled the new government to form quickly and immediately show a face of democracy with the elections soon after. These elections, however, revealed the weakness of the newly introduced system of proportional representation as the Reichstag was over-run with representatives from countless parties that all needed a seat.This system severely slowed down all decisions in the Reichstag and so frustrated the public. This was hence a major weakness as it compromised the decision-making ability of the German government and made the public lose hope in the system. This weakness also directly contributed to the downfall of the Weimar Republic as the public's displeasure at the ineffectiveness of the system made them look t owards a stronger leader like Hitler for order.In the Weimar Constitution, Article 48 enabled the President to assume dictatorial power in times of emergency to â€Å"protect† the Republic. Used responsibly, this article was an effective if morally questionable mechanism to prevent coups and keep the democratic government in power in Weimar Germany. This was done under President Ebert in the early times of the Republic as the Spartacist Uprising, the Kapp Putsch and the Socialist takeover of Bavaria threatened democracy's power. The article could, however, also be misused with grave consequences.As the only thing stopping the President from dictatorial rule under Article 48 was the Reichstag and the President could dissolve the Reichstag, there was really nothing stopping the President from dictatorship except his own self-restraint. Said self-restraint was apparently not present in President Hindenburg as he blatantly abused article 48 in his time eventually leading up to th e fall of the Weimar Republic, showing that this article was also a great weakness of the Weimar Republic.From above, we have seen the many weaknesses and strengths of the Weimar Republic and how each played their little role in the rise, prospering and the fall of Weimar Germany. The remaining question would now be, so which was the most important? To this there can be no answer. Each of these factors contributed their own little part to the Weimar Republic and its fall. Had they not all been, the Republic may have fallen directly after its conception, or might still stand today, we cannot know.There is no telling what would have happened had one weakness been completely replaced by a strength or vice versa. The facts remain that each contributed their part to the face of modern history today. Bibliography Benz, Wolgang. A Concise History of the Third Reich, translated by Thomas Dunlap. London, England: University of California Press, Ltd. , 2006. John Hite, Chris Hinton. Weimar & Nazi Germany. London, UK: Hachette Livre, 2000.

Lord Of The Flies By William Golding - 1448 Words

Almost everyone knows someone who appears to have grown up without rules or authority figures in his or her life. This person may often act like he or she is better than everyone else. To everyone else, though, this person does not seem to be as civilized as the rest of society. He or she is often rude and inconsiderate and are very mean to others. This happens when no one ever tells the person what he or she is doing is wrong. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, something very similar happens. Young boys have no rules set by an authority figure, and this causes them to decide that they have to make the rules themselves. When some of the boys start to rebel against the rules, the island spirals into a hysteria of savagery.†¦show more content†¦This is shown when Roger is throwing rocks near Henry while Henry is in the water. The narrator shows how Roger is considering whether or not to throw the rocks towards Henry. â€Å"Roger did not consider his escape, but looked from the nuts to Henry and back again† (62; ch. 4). Eventually, Roger does start to throw rocks at Henry. When Henry notices it is Roger throwing them, Roger quickly runs and hides behind a tree so that Henry cannot see him (62; ch. 4). This shows the slow decline of civilization and savagery. Roger knew he should not have been throwing the rocks, but he threw the rocks anyway because he wanted to. There was really no other reason than that he enjoyed it. Along with how Roger treats the littluns is how Maurice treats them. When he and Roger come out of the forest and trample the littluns’ sandcastles, Maurice, perhaps accidentally, kicked up some sand into Percival’s eyes (60; ch. 4). The reasoning the narrator gives for Maurice’s reaction is important, though. â€Å"In his other life Maurice had received chastisement for filling a younger eye with sand. Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrong doing† (60; ch. 4). Then Maurice mumbles some excuse as to why he did what he did (60; ch. 4). This interaction between Maurice and the littluns shows that without parents or adult authority figures