The Mauritius As A Green Destination Tourism Essay

The Mauritius As A Green Destination Tourism Essay Fifty years ago, tourism was a word rarely used by most people. However, over the time, it has witnessed a dramatic transformation into a multifaceted activity. Travel and tourism have been confined to a privileged few, namely the rich at the early time. Now, tourism has grown to such dimensions and importance that it is regarded as one of the fastest growing industry in the world, transforming into a mean of development for several countries, including many Small Island Developing Countries (SIDS) like Mauritius (UNWTO, 2011). Today, it is understood by people all over the world, many regard holidays as part of everyday life and foreign travel is taken for granted. Consequently, holidays making has become a booming business. Tourism and hospitality industry is now recognized as the worlds largest and fastest growing industry, as it is estimated that between 1950 and 2004, tourism activities have increased from 25 million to 763 million worldwide, with an estimation of 1.6 billion by 2020- an average annual rate of about 6.5 percent (WTO, 2004). Profile of Mauritius Mauritius, an island on the outskirts of tropical Africa, has a nice card to play as a tourism destination and it is endowed with resources and has the potential to be a green destination. Mauritius surrounded by cobalt blue seas with long beaches and soft and silvery sand makes the island an ideal tourist attraction. Mauritius is a fascinating island which is loaded with historic sites, cultural diversity, geographic variations and nature. The Aapravasi Ghat- the Immigration Depot where indentured laborers disembarked, was declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 2006. Later on in 2008, Le Morne Cultural Landscapes- which encompasses a natural fortress that was used as a retreat for escaping slaves in the island in the 18th and early 19th century was nominated as World Heritage Site. Black River Gorges National Park is on the tentative list of Mauritius to be nominated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. 1.2 Mauritius as a green Destination Across the globe, public is increasingly concerned about environment issues, thus tourism destinations are realizing that adopting green practices and green management are rapidly becoming a strategic tool that can enhance a destinations competitive advantage. The facts that people are beginning to look at green practices in a whole new way; it is a must to involve sustainability in the hotel industry. The perception of green has change; it has gone from a fringe movement to a mainstream. The tourism market has been diversifying into different sub segments in order to respond to the exact needs and wants of their customers. Tourism is regarded as the main economic pillar of Mauritius, indeed the Travel and Tourism industry brings many positive impacts in Mauritius but the fact that alongside with these advantages, other factors like climate change, pollution and effects of tourism practices have also created a hot issue in the Tourism arena. The negative impacts of tourism activities has resulted in an increasing demand of green destination, meaning destination where there are visible efforts of protecting and sustaining the environment by dealing with issues like carbon emissions, bio diversity conservation, resources usage, water supply and waste management. It can be said that the tourism and the environment sustainability concept are visibly becoming natural partners. Green tourism, for the past couple of years, has been a crucial factor for tourists while opting for a destination. Mauritius has several sites that encourage green tourism such as Pamplemousses Garden (it ranks among the most famous botanical gardens in the world with its giants water lilies and evocation spice plants), Domaine Les Pailles (a natural park spreading over 3000 acres at the foot of a mountain range), Casela Bird Park (which stretches over 25 hectares and contains more than 140 species of birds from five continents), Black River Gorges, Ile aux Aigrette and among others. A green destination can contribute to favourable behavioural intentions: intentions to revisit or an intention to offer positive recommendations to others. 1.3 Problem Statement Although Mauritius is heavily dependent on income derived from tourism, it is important that the countrys natural resources be maintained for future generation to experience. Therefore, going green is a key component of the next phase of change in the industry. To better analyze the relevance of Mauritius in relation to green destination, the concept must clearly be defined: Green Tourism may be defined as In short, green tourism is all about adapting to and mitigating climate change in relation to tourism, about green market, green programmes, green practices and among others. Originally, the term green related in business operations to environmental matters but now it embraces all aspects of sustainable development. Mauritius hosted 925 000 tourists excluding transit and cruise passengers in 2011, whereas in the year 2010 the arrival rate was 898 000. Although there is an increase of 3% which may seem respectable at first sight but, however, it pales in comparison to double digit growth rates earned by Indian Ocean peers, for example Maldives +18%, Seychelles +11% and Sri Lanka +31%. Mauritius registered a decline which was partly offset by greater penetration into Eastern Europe and Asia. Mauritius has plunged from a dominant 41% to 33% of Indian Ocean market in just two short years. The tourists arrival for 2012 was 938 000 and the year 2012 was a difficult year wherein Europe slipped back into recession and this recession is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. It is feared that 2013 may be as harsh as 2012. However, tourism has not reached the end of the journey; it finds itself at a critical juncture where Mauritius has to diverse to a new market segment which is the green market. Mauritius must realize that in order to stay competitive, becoming green must be a principal element of branding and marketing policies. Failing to adopt such an approach may mean losing a loyal customer base. By advertising Mauritius as a green destination, the tourism industry will show their environmental responsibility of tourist operations to attract green tourists and improve their standard with customers. 1.4 Aims and Objectives of the research Green tourism has been identified as one of the most important economy driver for most developing countries. My objective is to market Mauritius as a green destination to benefit from competitive advantage. Therefore, my aims are: To explore the reasons why Mauritius should be promoted as Green-destination To explore the possible ways to build up a sustainable image of the country To focus on the potential ways for establishing green tourism that can benefits local community To examine on some critical issues which could act as barriers from benefitting from green tourism In particular based on the research findings, I will offer recommendations in the field of green tourism in Mauritius 1.5 Organisation of the study This study is organized into five chapters listed as below: Chapter one: deals with the background information, problem statement, research aims and objectives Chapter two: provides a review of the literature on Green Destination Chapter three: presents the methodology of the study, explains the steps involved in developing research design, sampling and data collection procedures Chapter four: includes and presents the findings and results in the statistical analysis Chapter five: summarise the whole study with a conclusion and recommendation. LITTERATURE REVIEW The modern tourists opt for green tourism: Green Tourism, synonymous in meaning with eco-tourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people (TIES, 1990), as they want to lower their carbon footprint. Nowadays, customers no longer accept just linen and towel reuse programs as being enough green practices in the green destination concept. They consider factors that are leading to energy efficiency, a proper waste division, procurement, and water conservation (Heisterkamp, 2009; Wolff, 2008). Tourism destinations and tourism industry need to position themselves to meet these challenges and take advantage of new opportunities arising from changing consumer preferences as well as changing environmental and business practices. Green Research within Hospitality Industry Buying a certificate doesnt make you green said Lyndall De Marco, executive director, International Tourism Partnership, The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. Being green begins with a thought process De Marco said. What makes hotel sustainable involves an integrated, holistic process that encompasses site use, water and energy use, materials and resources, operations and community and social relations. (DESIGN: Patricia Sheehan, Hotel Design Managing Editor) The global environmental certification program for the travel and tourism industry was developed in 1996 by three international organizations: the World Travel Tourism Council, the World Tourism Organisation and the Earth Council. These organizations jointly launched an action plan entitled Agenda 21 for the Travel Tourism Industry: Towards Environmentally Sustainable Development. Subsequently, Green Globe, a benchmarking, certification and performance-improvement program based on the Agenda 21 principles, was created. This program identifies the environmental and developmental issues which threaten the economy and ecological balance, and presents a strategy for transition to more sustainable development practices. Hotels receive Green Globe certification by addressing major environmental issues in key areas including: greenhouse emissions, energy efficiency, management of freshwater resources, ecosystem conservation, and waste water and solid waste management. Reasons to go for Green Destination: Eco-tourism is not a new phenomenon. Nature-based tourism has a long tradition (Ousby, 2002). Modern forms of eco-tourism became popular in the 1980s but can be traced back to the wildlife conservation reserves in Kenya opening to tourists in the 1960s (Honey, 2009). Academic study of eco-tourism has grown steadily over the past two decades (Jayawardena et al., 2008). Enthusiasm for the issue reflects the segments buoyancy over the past 20 years (Mastny, 2001, The International Ecotourism Society, 2006) and greater consensus on the meaning of key concepts (Horobin, 1996). A destinations environment, often a core component of its image, is a key factor motivating tourists destination choice and loyalty (Meng and Uysal, 2008; Hosany et al., 2006). With rising concern over the impacts of global warming, there is a danger that tourism operators and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) will exaggerate their eco-credentials. Consumer Demand The last few years have been a considerable increase in consumer awareness of green tourism, partly may be because of extensive media coverage. Consumers are increasingly seeking environmentally friendly products and have a greater understanding of the impacts of green practices and climate change. There are an increasing number of consumers who are willing to change their actions in relation to these issues, and tourism industry can target these consumers to gain a competitive advantage. A range of studies, three of which are referenced below, have been undertaken to look at the correlation between environmental impacts of tourism and changes in consumer behavior. The studies have investigate the gap between what people who have changed their behavior or are willing to pay more for a green experience. Tourists are increasingly demanding that the destinations are pollution free as well as interesting. Consumers awareness regarding green tourism has also fuelled concern among some travelers and made them reluctant to undertake tourism activities such as long haul travel. In May 2008, a joint Commonwealth and State study into consumer awareness found that although consumers feel that the environment is of major important, they have the tendancy not to take responsibility for environmental issues. Many also feel that travel is a compensation to be enjoyed with carefree and without any tension that they are causing any harm to the environment. Their main purpose is to enjoy. The study notes that there is a difference between attitudes and behaviours for approximately 44 percent of those surveyed. However, supporting the findings of the 2007 Lonely Planet Travellers Pulse Survey (24, 500 respondents worldwide) found the following in relation to consumer demand: 84 percent of respondents said they would consider offsetting their emissions in the future (3 percent had done so in the past). 90 percent of people said they would or might purposefully travel in a low impact way; and 93 percent of people said they would or might purposefully partake in environmentally friendly travel in the future. A Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) study also found out that 70 percent of tourists surveyed indicated that they would change their travel pattern or plans in the future to be more green. Another study conducted in India which surveyed Indian consumers about their attitudes towards green practices in the tourism industry showed that 22 percent of the respondents seek out environmental properties (Manaktola Jauhari, 2007). In the United States, 43,000,000 travelers are environmentally concerned (Greening your travel experience, 1998). Gustin and Weaver (1996) found that 73.7 percent of respondents considered themselves environmentally conscious consumers; while 54.3 percent thought of themselves as environmentally conscious travelers. Competitive Advantage Green destinations are becoming increasingly popular due to the current environmental crisis that is occurring worldwide. It has become obvious that the tourism industry does more than its share in damaging and exploiting environmental resources. As a result, more and more tourists are looking for destinations following practices to protect environment. Becoming a green destination can be the foundation for a great marketing strategy and the first step in marketing is providing consumers with what they or need. A growing consumer base exists for green destinations, and marketing the green practices of a destination can help to position it distinctly in the market place. Therefore, going green makes each property unique, and furthermore creates a competitive advantage. Sustainable competitive advantage exists with the ownership or a valuable resource that allows the organizations to perform better or more efficient than their competitors (Graci Dodds, 2008, p.256). For tourism industry, green programmes can provide a competitive advantage, as long as green activities are still optional in the market. Eventually, green practices are becoming a baseline requirement, because the cost of non-renewable energy continues to increase. Therefore, proactive tourism destinations with sustainable green models will have the strongest opportunity of achieving a competitive advantage (Ernst Young Report: Hospitality Going Green). By doing and practicing environment friendly practices destinations gain positive publicity, customer loyalty, hence a definite competitive edge over competitors (Guskin Weaver, 1996). Green hotels create a competitive advantage for themselves by attracting and retaining their employees. Employee turnover is one of the biggest problems and expenses within the hotel industry. However, studies have shown that environmentally conscious hotels have greater employee loyalty. A Canadian study reported that employees are far more likely to identify with an employer whose principles and practices are in tune with current trends (Graci Dodds, 2008). Environmental initiatives have shown to be a valuable way to create passion and encourage team work to achieve a central goal (Graci Dodds, 2008). Team work must be inspired from the top down in a hotel. The Orchard Gardens general manager, Stefan Muhle, said you just cant send out a memo, (Dicum, 2007) All the staffs have to be included front to back. Their heart has to be in it (Dicum, 2007). Each staff member needs to be educated in what the hotel is doing to achieve sustainability goals so they can not only participate, bu t also answer guest questions (Dicum, 2007). By educating staff members, including them, keeping them informed and challenging them to achieve goals, management of green hotels excites their staff and allows them to identify with their organization; which leads to lower turnover rates. Lower turnover rates in turn save the hotel expenses involved with recruiting, hiring, and training new employees. The competitive advantages realized by green hotels do not stop with retaining employees; consumers do seek out green hotels. Green hotels are becoming increasingly popular due to the current environmental crisis that is occurring worldwide. Green hotels are few and far between across not only the United States, but also the world. Therefore, going green makes each property unique, and furthermore creates a competitive advantage. Therefore, sustainable competitive advantage exists with the ownership or a valuable resource that allows the organizations to perform better or more efficient t han their competitors (Graci Dodds, 2008, p. 256). The Cedar House Sport Hotel, for example, has gardens on the roof of their hotel. The gardens attract local birds and insects for guests to observe, which in turn attracts more guests. However, the gardens also serve another purpose, as they cool the hotel during the summer months (Dicum, 2007). Environment Toolkit Unplanned or uncontrolled tourism can be a cause of negative impacts such as the physical deterioration of the destination facilities and the destruction of the natural environment. It can also create conflict at the destination areas on the issues of access, irresponsible behavior by tourists, competition for labour, soil, erosion and land prices (Mathieson and Wall, 1982). Environment responsibility makes ecological sense, because keeping the environment pristine means that tourists will come to appreciate and enjoy the natural beauty of the destination. Gone are the days when going green necessarily meant making large investments in expensive technology. The main reason for tourists to travel to a destination is to look for authencity and real experiences (not artificial culture devised to deceive tourists) such as wildlife, historic townscape, scenery. They also respect local identity, its special features that make a destination different and unique- this could be the Taj Mahal of India, or cobalt blue seas of Mauritius. Tourism is among the highest contributor to green house gas emissions and these emissions are likely to increase with tourism sector growth. Tourism accommodation, transport, events and attractions consume significant amount of fuel, energy and water and can impact the natural environment. Of these, air transport is by far the largest contributor to tourism, accounting for 40% of the sectors contribution to co2 emissions globally. The introduction of low cost carriers airlines has improved accessibility to flights and opened travel markets but in turn has increased energy consumption. These wildlife, historic townscape and scenery form the core products of tourism industry and if these core products continued to be harmed by the pollution or other environmental impacts, then the very foundation on which the industry stands will be eroded. The tourism industry in particular has recently received much attention with awareness of the negative impacts that are having on the environment (Kasim, 2004). Emergence of Alternative Tourism The government has announced a visitor target of 2 million by 2020, therefore Mauritius has recently been experiencing a surge in tourism and tourism-related activities, but this growth is also raising concerns that mass tourism development could lead to the destruction of the countrys fragile coastline, fauna and flora. There has been a narrow thinking in pursuit of increased number of tourists without seriously understanding the benefit that local communities derived from tourism or the real cost of tourism for the local community and environment being assessed. Setting targets for doubling the tourist arrival rate, which were believed to bring much more capital, but this is not the case. Alternative forms of tourism tend to be geared to more responsible tourism. Different forms of alternative tourism serve different purposes. Most forms aim to reduce the adverse impacts of mass tourism. Some forms may aim to reduce or dissipate the influence of the existing industry that has developed under a strong western influence, while some aim only for a new or special market that have emerged as a result of shifts in global trade and the political relationship among different nations. Thus, alternative tourism can be seen both as a vision of the future and as an adaptation to mass tourism, however, are closely linked with the sustainable development paradigm. The benefits of responsible tourism are not far off and unclear. They are achievable, and in most cases, can be perceived immediately. On the other hand, it may take years before the negative impacts of environmental neglect are felt. By advertising Mauritius as a green destination, Mauritius will not just pursue an increase in tourist number but instead they will focus more on what kind of tourists want and these tourists will then be directed to the most appropriate areas as suitable. Creating a Green Destination The breadth and depth of opportunity for a destination to establish green credentials is immense, and continues to grow. There are a number of ways in which a destination can work with the environment to create a unique, compelling, and competitive destination. To name a few: ECO-TOURISM: One of the most popular approaches to Going Green eco-tourism (as a globally recognized and celebrated niche offering) puts engaging with the natural environment of the destination at the centre of the offering. Destinations which take pride in their abundant wildlife, flora and fauna have successfully created traveler experiences which make it possible to be immersed in and involved with nature as a tourism attraction which can be seen, felt and even contributed to. In addition, eco-tourism destinations offer the benefit of an enhanced sense of wellness from being in such a pure environment (even if sophisticated in design, that is: Six Senses Wellness Resorts) with opportunity to partake in excursions focused on being at one with nature. ECO-FRIENDLY: Destinations which define themselves as Going Green from an ecofriendly perspective openly and voluntarily adopt and express environmentally friendly practices which, while seemingly small, can in fact make a big difference when added up. The desire to be considerate of the impact of the industry (or parts of it) on the environment are there, with efforts made to do the little things which are simply the right thing to do. Eco-friendly efforts include basic environmentally considerate changes to existing infrastructure, i.e. frequency of linen washing, keypads in hotel rooms to turn on/off power mains, increased air conditioner temperatures in large spaces, replacement of traditional light bulb to energy saving bulbs, selective recycling efforts (like grey water). Interestingly, destinations venturing into these even incremental practices will notice a positive impact on the bottom line. ECO-POLICIES: Getting more serious about the impact which the industry has on the environment, enforcement of eco-policies by governments and tourism corporations reflects the fundamental philosophy held by leaders of a destination and tourism business towards energy conservation and environmental responsibility. Enforcement of policy removes the window of choice for members of the Tourism community, making changes to existing and future tourism products and services changes to increase energy efficiency and/or reduce wastage of resources a must. These policies do not apply purely to destinations which exist within locations surrounded by greenery and teeming with wildlife. Even the most built-up, uber-urban, heavily-populated areas which could be described more as concrete jungles than even garden cities can successfully impose and activate green policies and incentives. Macau, as an example, has put in place a green hotel awards programme for international developers of resorts and casinos scr ambling to get a piece of the action and place a bet on tourism growth in the new Asian tourism hot spot. The initiative by Macaus Environment Council (now Environmental Protection Bureau), which was introduced in 2007, drives across the industry the importance of environmental management in the hotel sector while giving high-profile, highly-respected recognition to those hotels mobilising environmentally sound management policies. ECO-ENGINEERED: Linked to the above, eco-engineering is the adoption of new generation technology and practices into new tourism products, services and developments, effectively making obsolete old, less energy-efficient methods. This increasing sensitivity to the design and development of tourism industry assets, particularly major structures such as airports, retail centres, theatres, hotels and conference centres, can have a dramatic effect on the impact which the industry has on the environment, both visibly and invisibly. The following eco-engineering concepts are just a few of the energy-smart and environmentally sensitive techniques increasingly being built into new TT infrastructure: o Water heating: heat recovered from the hotels air-conditioning system used to warm water for swimming pools; solar panels for water used in hotels and spas; o Temperature Control: solar glazing in windows and doors assists in maintaining constant interior temperatures; o Lighting: energy efficient lights and lamps; movement sensors for after-hour lighting in common areas and underground parking; keycard room power control; o Air conditioning: sensors automatically switch off air-conditioning in the bedrooms when doors to balconies or terraces are opened; o Irrigation: rainwater is directed off the roofs via an extensive underground pipe network to a large storage tank for use in the gardens; Interestingly, initial investment into green design often proves to be a valuable revenue protector as operating costs can be dramatically reduced. The green economy is a reality, a much needed and a deeply meaningful one. Taking into account the above possible approaches to Going Green, and many others which exist, tourism industry leaders within both the public and private sector need to look closely at how they plan to, and often must, incorporate Going Green into their tourism growth strategy, ethos, Brand and business models. Form follows function. Function follows philosophy

One Child Policy Should Be Abolished

One child policy has been in effect in China for more than thirty years. However, during the recent several years, the controversy of whether the government should abolish the one child policy has been debated widely among government officials as well as ordinary people. It is a significant issue because it involves a lot of essential social problems and moral principles. There have been various opinions concerning this issue. This essay will consider arguments for abolishing the one child policy and point out the problems and consequences of keeping the policy in effect. When the one child policy was advanced, it had been argued that one child policy would benefit the country as well as its people (Qing, 1995). Its undeniable that the one child policy has shown its great effect on alleviating the population pressure. However, as the society develops, more and more inharmonious social problems are coming about because of the one child policy, among which the biggest problem is the unbalanced population. By 2020, there will be about 40 million Chinese men unable to marry, because too few girls will have been born. Sociologists say that could trigger aggressive behavior among frustrated bachelors, including kidnapping and trafficking in women. † (VOA, 2006). Moreover, the one child policy is also exacerbating China's aging population problem, whose severe consequences will be further explained in the following statement. It is the contention that china's one child policy helps eradicate poverty (idebate. org). This opinion goes on to assert that by controlling china’s population with one child policy, there will be more resources distributed to every individual, thus the society will be wealthier and poverty will be eliminated. In fact, it is on the contrary that after china’s population has been massively reduced, the one child policy has started doing harm to the economy. The unusually rapid fertility decline in China has produced a rapidly aging population—one that is expected to become disproportionately older well into this century. What’s worse, â€Å"By 2025, the aging level among urban Chinese will reach 20 percent, a level found today only in Japan and Italy. † (idebate. org) As a result, there are and there will be fewer and fewer available labors contribute to China’s economical development. In addition, other social problems related to aging population such as the burden on the social welfare system and medical insurance system are becoming more and more severe. Above all, the one child policy violates basic human right. The policy has been criticized by human rights advocacy groups and Western religious advocacy groups who consider it contrary to the human rights of reproduction. Many governments, including the United State government, argue that the policy violates a right to â€Å"found a family†, which is protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (UDHR, 1948) Indeed, forcing every married couple to have only one child is morally unreasonable. Moreover, it is every couple themselves, not the government, that have the right to choose how many children they are going to have. Thus, although the one child policy’s intention is to create a better society for people, it has already done harm to people’s basic human rights. In conclusion, even though the one child policy has done a good job before on controlling China’s population, it has been proved out-of-date and should be abolished, at least changed, nowadays. Otherwise, we will still be suffering from the economical burdens, aging population problem, human rights violation, etc, due to the one child policy.

An Effective Manager of Home Depot Essay

According to Robbins and Coulter (2005), effective managers all over the world acknowledge the role that strategic management plays in their organization’s performance. Moreover, Drucker (2004) said that the gauge of an effective manager or executive is the ability to get the right things done. This typically entails doing what other individuals have ignored in addition to avoiding what is unproductive. Imagination, intelligence, and knowledge might all be wasted in an executive job without the attained habits of mind that form them into results. I believe that Bob Nardelli is exhibiting these characteristics and management style of an effective manager as he leads Home Depot to become continually successful in its operations. As he triumphed over various problems in managing the company and a s a result oh his managerial strategy, Home Depot is now has now increased sales by 60 percent and earnings per share by 105 percent (Business Week Online, 2006). During his first day as CEO at Home Depot in the year 2000, the company has various problems to deal with, some of which, were as follows: it lacked the necessary infrastructure to send even a companywide electronic mail, Home Depot stores were already run-down and was being known as a store with poor customer service, the stores’ shipments were logged using pencil and clipboard, and Home Depot stores did not have automated inventory systems (Sellers, 2001). Being a visionary leader that he is, Nardelli believed that better processes must lead to better quality ad higher profits for Home Depot. He employed strategic management in planning to improve the company. As asserted by Robbins and Coulter (2005), the prevailing belief in management theory and society on the whole is that managers are completely responsible or accountable for an organization’s success or failure. However, Nardelli demonstrated that aside from the fact that much of an organization’s success or failure is because of external forces outside of the manager’s control, the manager has a big responsibility in making decisions for the success of the organization. A major component of Nardelli’s far-reaching move to reform Home Depot, which is considered to be the world’s third-largest retailer, into a more centralized company, include importing people, ideas, and platitudes from the military (Business Week Online, 2006). This might be an unwelcome concept in management circles; however, Nardelli couldn’t care less. He believes that it is a vital aspect of his strategy to lead in a cumbersome 2,048-store chain and get ready for its next leg of growth (Business Week Online, 2006). In an uncertain and dynamic environment, real world organizations employ strategic decision-making when making decisions offers managers with a comprehensive and systematic means for taking into consideration the external environment, concentrating on an organization’s strength, reducing weaknesses, and recognizing opportunities in which an organization can have a competitive edge (Shafritz & Hyde, 2004). As maintained by Holstein (2004), the Nardelli decision-making model might help create a pattern for other CEOs who have been extremely frustrated and disillusioned by their lack of success in harnessing technology. In transforming Home Depot to what it is now, Nardelli increased information technology spending by almost 20 percent (Sellers, 2001). Then in year 2003 Nardelli spent a total of $400 million on inventory shipping and tracking systems (Sellers, 2001). Aside from these, Nardelli also spent around $250 million refurbishing Home Depot stores (Pellet, 2001). This included the installation of self-checkout systems in 800 stores to lessen customer lines and ease up salespeople. This also included the establishment of two-way cordless scanners, which enabled products to be price-scanned in the shopping cart, in this manner shortening lines. Being an effective manager, he also paid attention to motivating the organization’s workers. Armstrong (2002) said that in providing rewards to employees, supervisors and managers should identify what rewards will succeed for specific employees at any given time. Even though supervisors and managers might not be able to have power over certain rewards like benefits or wages, they have the liberty to give out rewards like recognition and praise. In Home Depot, Nardelli instituted innovations in providing rewards and in human resource management. First, he substituted 157 different employee evaluation forms with two (Pellet, 2001). In addition, coworkers, above and beneath them, rated aalaried personnel from the CEO down and salaries were derived from the scores. Then during a period when Home Depot was planning to hire approximately 100,000 new employees, Nardelli did not automatically fire those employees with poor scores (Pellet, 2001). Nardelli first requested for the advice of others and informed underperformers precisely what they were doing wrong. This way, Nardelli showed that it is important for a manager to vigorously seek opposing opinions and inquire regarding the basis for those opinions before selecting a course of action is being stressed, instead of acting on the basis of tacit or pre-arranged agreement. Necessarily, this needs constantly listening with real curiosity so as to promote development of different opinions and supporting rationales, instead of merely setting forth suggestions and working to make agreement around them (Drucker, 2004). Furthermore, Nardelli seemed to follow step two in Peter Drucker’s model (204) that executives require both themselves and their staff or subordinates what they contribute presently to the organization and what they could contribute to the organization in the future. In Home Depot, Nardelli asserted that in spite of whether a person’s belief of what he/she now contributes, or could contribute, equals his/her manager’s belief, emphasizing and bringing out the importance of everybody’s role as a contributor is necessary to the organization’s general effectiveness. In initiating change in Home Depot, Nardelli showed that everybody in the organization makes decisions; nevertheless, decision-making is specifically vital in a manager’s job. I think that he followed what Robbins and Coulter (2005) said that decision-making is part of all four managerial functions – planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and that decision-making is synonymous with managing. Holstein (2004) has written that when Nardelli joined Home Depot, the challenge of improving the company’s supply chain and logistics became apparent because the company is way behind other stores in these areas. Hence, he established a model called â€Å"full truckload to the store,† which means that the more you brought, the more it would oblige you to sell, since you get kind of jammed (Holstein, 2004). In terms of information technology, at Home Depot, Nardelli has established a system of checks and balances (Sellers, 2001). The manner is which Nardelli is managing the technological transformation is attracting attention and interest from other executives and managers. Sellers (2001) said that Nardelli has borrowed from the CE playbook to establish a system of checks and balances on how technology is managed, and Nardelli has likewise incorporated technology decisions deeply into his business strategy in runring and managing Home Depot. Furthermore, Nardelli likewise employed building deeper relationships with fewer vendors. As stated earlier, the Nardelli decision-making model might possibly help create a pattern for other CEOs who have been exceedingly frustrated and disillusioned by their lack of success in utilizing technology. In conclusion, in transforming Home Depot to become the earning company that it is now, I believe that Nardelli demonstrated that leadership is the capability to influence people or groups toward the accomplishment of goals. As a process, Nardelli showed that leadership forms the goals of an organization or group, inspires behavior toward the attainment of those goals, and helps characterize organizational or group culture; hence, it is fundamentally a process of influence. # References Armstrong, M. (2002). Employee Reward (3rd Edition), CIPD: London. Drucker, Peter. â€Å"What Makes an Effective Executive,† Harvard Business Review, Vol. 82, No. 6, June 2004. Holstein, W. (2004). â€Å"The Depot goes digital: how CEO Bob Nardelli is managing a $2 billion technology transformation,† The Chief Executive. Pellet, J. (2001). â€Å"Mr. Fix-It Steps In,† Chief Executive. â€Å"Renovating Home Depot. † (2006). Business Week Online. Robbins, S. , & M. Coulter. (2005). Management, (8th ed. ). Prentice Hall. Sellers, P. (2001). â€Å"Exit the Builder, Enter the Repairman: Home Depot’s Arthur Blank Is Out. New CEO Bob Nardelli Is In. His Job: To Tackle the Company’s Renovation after Two Decades of Nonstop Expansion,† Fortune. Shafritz, J. M. & A. Hyde. (2004). Classics of Public Administration, 5th ed. Belmont , CA : Wadsworth/Thompson

The Founding Fathers Motivation in writing a new...

The Founding Fathers were motivated by a variety of factors to write a new Constitution, including reaction towards the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, group attempts to establish a new national government and the desire to limit democracy. The Constitutional Convention was the result of a reaction against the weakness of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention was held to deal with the problems under the Articles of Confederation as well as to seek a solution to these weaknesses. Problems spread throughout numerous areas, from problems in the Southwest to the inability to maintain law and order. In the Southwest, (south of the Ohio River and west of the Appalachian Mountains) American colonists were†¦show more content†¦In the Northwest, British forts and troops remained because they accused the Americans of violating the treaty of repaying debts to merchants and returning land to Loyalists. The Confederation recommended the states to repay and give back the land, for they cant force the states to obey. The Britishs real reason for staying in the Northwest was that they expected the Articles of Confederation to collapse; therefore, they would be ready to take over. Indian attacks were also blamed at the British. The British persuaded Indians to raid frontier settlements. Even though the recent evidence showed this was not true, it continued to be true since accusations are based on what people thought. The collapse of government was also a factor. The collapse of the Articles of Confederation was due to lack or interest and the lack of revenue. Ambitious politicians were more interested in the state than the Articles, since they didnt have any power. Also, the Treaty of Paris of 1783 that ended the Revolution took 6 months to be voted upon. The Confederation had no money and couldnt do anything about it. They try to solve this by requesting money from the states. The Articles asked for $10 million to pay off things such as debts but only received $1.5 million. The Articles also attempted to amend themselves by giving themselves the authority to tax, but the problem was that there has to be a unanimous agreement in all of theShow MoreRelated The Life and Political Career of James Madison Essay4338 Words   |  18 Pageswidely known as the father of the Constitution. It is a title â€Å"deeply deserved on many accounts† (Wills 37). Although his many achievements at times ar e overshadowed by his work on the Constitution, Madison’s life reflects a legislative talent (Wills 3). Through his interest in politics, he was able to shape the forming nation. Education, illness, and religion dominated the beginning of James Madison’s life; the experiences enabled Madison to write the Constitution as well as a number of influentialRead MoreThe Civil Liberties Of The United States1997 Words   |  8 Pageswas found has been forgotten. The United States government at its earliest establishment had set forth a set of freedoms for all people to feel safe from any persecution. In order to make these a set of established rights, the founding fathers created the U.S. Constitution that holds within itself the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was a call for greater constitutional protection for each citizens, or immigrants, individual civil liberties. During the twentieth century, The United States SupremeRead MoreI Love Reading Essay69689 Words   |  279 PagesFigure 4.6 : Figure 4.7 : Figure 4.8 : Entrepreneurship Pyramid Registration of new companies according to nature of economic activity Motivation to become an entrepreneur Highest motivation – Variations according to region Motivation – Variations according to gender Motivation – Variations according to age Motivation – Variations according to family background Motivation – Variations according to time periods Motivation – Variations according to level of work experience Positive factors Positive factorsRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 PagesOxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With oYces in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey