Organizational Culture of Toyota

Organizational Culture of Toyota Toyota is a globally recognized automobile manufacturer. It is one of the top auto mobile manufacturers in North America. Passion, integrity, and innovation are element of great importance at Toyota. It is an innovation leader in the industry, and well known for its philosophy of management its mass market hybrids. Toyota is delivering diverse line up of vehicles around the globe. The integrity, innovation and passion are extended beyond the vehicle manufacturing; this statement by Toyota is backed by procedures and policies that are practiced at Toyota. Toyota has been distinguished among its competitors for its ability of forward thinking. In the current environment of rapid growth and development, Toyota plans in advance to deal with the prospected growth rate and demands of diverse market. For Toyota to predict the growth in future, start must be from looking behind to their past. Behind the Toyotas remarkable success, there is excellent corporate culture of Toyota that hires the people as individuals not employees. At Toyota, everyone involved in the process strives for excellence and committed to his duties. Lean manufacturing practices of Toyota helps it move fast toward incorporation of TQM in its organizational process. Toyota has strong relationship with its all stakeholders and remarkably with its suppliers and customers. There is high degree of understanding between Toyota and its suppliers that enables Toyota to use Just in time technique of inventory. Toyota understands well about the fact that people possess different abilities and skills and these skills are their strengths, thus its exploits as many possible talents of its employees in one area and able to create great opportunity for growth within the corporation. Diversified employment approaches are used y Toyota that helps to generate a set of new ideas for future growth and become the leader of automobile industry by incorporating these ideas (Christensen, Overdorf, 2000), not only on loc al basis but also globally. From top ten official business strategies of Toyota is to recruit brightest and best among candidates, this strategy also help Toyota to create new opportunities for partnership. This approach of Toyota, help it to build an image of Toyota that it is committed to excellence. Ethics and social responsibility are of basic concern of Toyota. Ethics begins with core value of Toyota and whole process goes with these ethical set of values, creating a distinction as the Toyotas way. Despite having a very diverse workforce, there are no prejudices or stereotypical assumptions are apparent at Toyota, as there is a fair policy (Liker, 2004), that is concerned to hire the best and talented employees for company that can be source of leadership and innovation at Toyota. Due to its concern for society Toyota has a positive corporate image, a company that believe in helping people to improve their quality of life. In this regard Toyota is working with many organizations, universities, schools, and other businesses in support of programs that are beneficial for our world. Rules/norms at Toyota: Some important rules and norms at Toyota include the following: Respect for human rights: At Toyota, people are respected for their human rights. There are no discriminating practices on the basis of gender, race or ethnicity, age, religious, physical disability or material or social status. Intimidation or work place harassment is not tolerated at all (Yu, 2008). Toyota provides social protection to its employees and remuneration in accordance with local regulations. Safe and healthy working environment: Providing safe, healthy and comfortable working environment is the ultimate priority at Toyota. Systems at Toyota are designed to prevent disasters and accidents (Gowen Iii, Tallon, 2003). If any disaster or accident occurs, Toyota will cease the all related areas of operation and try to save and rescue the people. Team work: A culture of team work and cooperation is supported and practiced at Toyota, to achieve objectives and tasks effectively and efficiently and strive to enhance the capabilities of individuals and organization. All individuals at superior positions such as managers, supervisors etc. will encourage the team work (Gowen Iii, Tallon, 2003) and guide their subordinates to perform their duties efficiently. Customer opinion is an invaluable asset: Toyota has greater concern for the safety of its customers and thus provides adequate information to them on new safety related equipment that helps them to operate the vehicles in safe and sound manner. Honoring and observing the terms of contract: Toyota takes due note on terms and conditions of its contracts with it research and development partners and show full honor and respect for them (Liker, 2004). For such agreements, all relevant laws and regulations are considered. Contents for restrictions on joint research are always considered and practiced according to regulatory requirements of different countries. Organizational hierarchy of Toyota: Toyota is a multinational corporation; major decisions come from Toyota motors Japan. There is three tier executive systems at Toyota, executive vice president, senior managing director and managing officer who deals and manages the group affairs. Decision making lies on the side of executives in Japan. In Toyotas structure following important attributes include: Decision making is based on centralized style as major decisions are made at top level of management in Japan. Authority to make important decisions is retained at top of the hierarchy. To group the job tasks, Toyota uses departmentalization of different types, functional departmentalization, product departmentalization, geographic departmentalization and cross functional departmentalization namely. Toyota has tall hierarchal structure of organization as it has several layers of management between top level and frontline employees. There is narrow span of control, 49 managing directors at every department (Marksberry, 2012). Due to its rigid hierarchal structure, formalized communication system, tall structure and centralized decision making, Toyota can be said to have highly mechanistic structure (Sako, 2004). In Toyota every employee has not only to answer superior authority or manager, but also to engineer who representing the interests of customer. So it crosses a traditional structure with product structure. Finally it is a boundary less organization with no definite design. Toyota is managed to create strategic alliance. Internal communication practices at Toyota: At Toyota motors, written communication takes place at all levels of business. Corporate communications and newsletter writings are the vital elements that have kept staff informed and publically perceived notion of reliability and credibility that is highly important to its bottom line and given corporate and company image. To disseminate information from corporation, notice board is used. This way of communication is not so effective as people commonly ignore and do not read news from it. Bulletins are also used at Toyota which is an effective tool of internal communication. Bulletins are placed in front of counters or offices which are open to every member of organization. In order to pass urgent messages, Toyota motor uses cell phones as tool of internal communication. Telephones and cell phones are part and parcel of communication at Toyota Motor Corporation. Instant messaging allows staff at Toyota to communicate effectively and efficiently, as this system is featured with inst ant acknowledgement or reply. E-mail as a mean of communication is also popular practice at Toyota. Face to face interaction and communication also takes place. All these means of communication used at Toyota, plays critical role in passing important and necessary messages that help build the company. Planning and decision making at Toyota: As the hierarchal structure of Toyota reveals that important commands and decisions come from the top management in Toyota. Top management makes decision and then these decisions are communicated for implementation at lower levels. There is tell type of culture for decision making at Toyota. Top management issues commands and orders and seeks for implementation. Leadership at Toyota: Toyota perceives lean as continuous improvement and respect for people, embodying in two simple but powerful concepts (Cusumano, Kentaro,1998). Respect of people for Toyota lean leadership is viewed as having long term partners in business that mines the value by challenging people to stretch themselves and grow (Liker, 2004). By lean leadership approach in place, people who are not so challenging and are stagnant, are handled in nice way, they find opportunity to grow and enhance their capabilities by participating under process of continuous improvement. Conclusion: This paper provides a detailed view of organizational culture and characteristics of Toyota. Toyota has culture that is attributed with, commitment to excellence, respect for all inside the organization, concern for all stake holder including community, strong ethical values and code of conduct, hiring talented and bright people without any discrimination of race, ethnicity. Toyota has structure of mechanistic organization in decision making style. There is centralized decision making takes place at Toyota (Takeuchi, 2008). As far as communication system of Toyota is concerned, different effective tools for internal communication are used by Toyota such as bulletins, newsletters, email and text messaged and telephone system and face to face communication method. All these tools are used in mix to have effective and quick communication at workplace. Toyota is committed to excellence and in this journey, it not only uses lean manufacturing techniques but approach of lean leadership is also being practiced at Toyota (Cusumano, Kentaro, 1998), that helps Toyota to move forward towards process of continuous improvement.

Explain what is happening in the passage of pages 120-128 of Wuthering Heights

It is this passage that Cathy realizes that she has made the wrong decision. She shouldn't have married Edgar she should be with Heathcliff. This realization is first saw when she saw her reflection in the mirror. ‘Is that Catherine Linton? ‘ Cathy asks this question because she saw someone that she does not recognize. She used to be a healthy, strong, wild girl and in her reflection she sees a pale, weak and unhappy woman. By seeing her reflection the reader can almost imagine what she is thinking. It seems as if she sees in the mirror her surroundings and realizes that it is her decision that puts her in this position. She chooses to marry Edgar and as a result denies her love for Heathcliff. From a feminist point of view it is a sign of Cathy's empowerment that she has finally realized that she shouldn't have married Edgar for his high social status, instead she should have married Heahcliff to satisfy her own feelings of immense love. It also touches on the fact that in this time period, once Cathy realizes she has made a mistake there is no way out of it, she has no means of escape, she is trapped. Cathy chose this path and as a result entered in to a world of distress and regret. From a moral point of view this passage also emits a strong message. Money and high status is not what makes you happy. You should choose to marry for love else you will end up regretting every minute. Also in this extract Nelly plays a very important role. She is highly unsympathetic to Cathy and she continually makes the assumption that Cathy has invented her illness. From a critics point of view it can be assumed that women during this time period used their frailty as strength to achieve what they want and make it so that they are in control. When Cathy asks Nelly why Edgar has not been to see her Nelly replies ‘the master has no idea of you being deranged, and, of course he does not fear that you will let yourself die of hunger' This is highly unsympathetic of Nelly and also very devious as Nelly has said nothing of Cathy's discomfort and ill health to Edgar, who would surely be worried if he knew. Cathy has further realization in this passage She previously thought that even though people around her hated each other they all still loved her ‘though everybody hated and despised each other, they could not avoid loving me' Although this gives a very self centered naive view of Cathy to the reader, it is true. What ever actions she pursued even if they hurt people they still can't help loving her. For example both Edgar and Heathcliff. She abandoned Heathcliff by marrying Edgar and by doing this ruined both of their lives however Heathcliff still endures undeniable love for her. Also Edgar is aware of Cathy's feelings for Heathcliff yet he still tends to her while she is sick and mourns for her greatly when she dies. This shows Cathy's great power in having control over men so much that they love her whatever she does to them. From a feminist point of view they would greatly reward Cathy for this. Also in this paragraph a complete turn around of Cathy's personality is shown. She is previously such a strong minded, self-confident character however it seem as though she has transformed in to a women with immense paranoia and depression. Not only has she realized that she wants to be with Heathcliff therefore feels regret and sorrow, but the man that she does have to stay with, the man she married, to her, does not care of her mental and physical state because he has not been to see her. She believes that Edgar will be happy to see her gone so that it ‘restores peace to his house' however this is not true. Edgar simply does not know of Cathy's state and this is all down to Nelly. Nelly has not informed Edgar as she believed that Cathy had invented her illness. I do not think that Nelly knows that in doing this she is actually making Catherine's illness worse as it is continually making her more distressed. ‘Tossing about she increased her feverish bewilderment' this paints a visual picture in to the readers head of the true state that Cathy is in. It is as though with time her mental state is quickly turning in to madness that she can't escape. Just like she can not escape her marriage. After this action Nelly realizes what the doctor said during her former illness. She should not be crossed; I think it is at this point that Nelly realizes the true seriousness of Cathy's case. Cathy continues to act with madness. Nelly describes her as ‘violent' which is the precise word judging from her following actions. ‘Pulling the feathers from the rents' Cathy then sorts the feathers according to different species. ‘That a turkeys, and this is a wild ducks and this is a pigeon's' This reference to birds transfers the readers m ind to the past when she was out on the moors with Heathcliff, open and free. The sense of entrapment enters the readers head again. The imprisonment of the Grange can not be compared to the open free moors. ‘Open the window again wide' I believe Cathy wants the window open because she feels this imprisonment and feels like only the wind from the moors can release her. When she opens it ‘the frosty air cut about her shoulders as keen as a knife' A very strong simile is used here because while Cathy feels as though the moors gives her a sense of freedom, this simile enters the feeling of death in to the readers mind by the word ‘knife' It is as if the moors knows that Cathy and Heathcliff can only be together once they are both dead. While looking out of the window Cathy claims that she sees Wuthering Heights ‘that's my room with the candle in it' the reference to the candle being lit is almost a resemblance of Cathy's life. It is though the candle still burns even when she has left Wuthering Heights but will soon die out when she dies herself. Cathy is the first one to make the promise that she will not rest until she is with Heathcliff. ‘I will not rest until you are with me†¦ I never will' so even when later in the book Heathcliff curses Cathy when she has died so that she will not rest peacefully, the reader knows that she does not want to rest without Heathcliff. When Edgar sees what is going on in Cathy's room he is extremely angry at Nelly for not informing him. His ignorance of Cathy's illness is shown ‘Catherine is ill? ‘ By Nelly not telling Edgar she has unknowingly ruined everything between them. Edgar has come too late because Cathy by this time has realized of her mistake. She gave him no glance of recognition' when he took her in to his arms. By this time she is in a different world, she no longer wants to be in this world of the Grange she wants freedom. It seems as if she has true hatred for Edgar. She acts as if it is his fault that Heathcliff and she are together when in fact it is her own fault. ‘You are one of those things that are ever found when least wanted and when you are wanted never! ‘ This shows she is mad that he has not come earlier when in fact it is all Nelly's fault for not making him aware. Catherine talks to him of death and where she wants her grave. This already shows that she has given up. It is as if she has no reason to live because she can't be happy without Heathcliff. ‘My resting place where I bound before spring is over' ‘in the open air with as head stone' this shows her link again with the moors. She wants to be buried there because it is where she feels safe; free and where she experienced the happiest times of her life.

Pros and/or Cons of Stand Your Ground Law Essay

The infamous George Zimmerman case has stirred the controversy around Stand Your Ground laws and brought these laws to the public light, becoming the subject of vigorous nationwide debates whether these laws should be repealed or not. Like many controversial legislative, Stand Your Ground laws have their critics and proponents, and both sides tend to make valid points in defense of their position. The goal of this paper is to show cons and pros of Stand Your Ground laws. In Florida as well as 21 other American states, as stated by to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the above-mentioned laws are self-defense laws that relieve individuals of their â€Å"duty to retreat from an attacker before using force against them anywhere they are legally allowed to be† (Clark). While in general these laws do not use such a notion as â€Å"stand your ground† specifically, Florida together with nine other states has these words in its law. In Stand Your Ground law in Florida, particularly, it is stated that â€Å"a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony† (qtd. in Clark). The major con of this law, as its critics think, is that it essentially gives individuals with malicious intent a legal loophole to avoid criminal prosecution for killing someone if these individual state that they had to defend themselves. Eric Holder, the US Attorney General, is among those opponents of Stand Your Ground laws who believe that these laws will allow individuals to provoke others to attack them first and then, as it can be deemed self-defense and these individuals will not have the duty to retreat, they will be able to kill them without fear of getting prosecuted (Cooke). In states with Stand Your Ground laws, people will not have to think twice whether they should use weapons to defend themselves against the attackers or retreat because they will have the right to kill their attackers. Such violence will breed further violence. Criminals may use this law to cover up the deliberate and premeditated killing of people. However, proponents of this law may respond to the above-mentioned claims of their counterparts as follows. This  critique of Stand Your Ground crumbles under the weight of the argument that â€Å"In almost every state, if and when an individual enters into an altercation with the deliberate intention of provoking the other party into threatening him with death or injury, they lose the right to claim that they were acting in self-defense† (Cooke). All individuals have the right to liberty and life and therefore, they have the right to defend themselves. Those who attack people violate their victims’ rights to live, so Stand Your Ground laws legally recognize these rights, attempting to â€Å"tilt the balance in favor of the attacked† (Cooke). Both, the opponents and proponents of Stand Your Ground laws have reasonable and sound arguments, but they need to find some middle ground regarding these laws that will satisfy both sides. Works Cited Clark, Korey. Nearly Half of States Have â€Å"Stand Your Ground† Laws like Florida’s. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. http://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/criminal/b/criminal-law-blog/archive/2013/07/24/nearly-half-of-states-have-quot-stand-your-ground-quot-laws-like-florida-39-s.aspx. Cooke, Charles C.W. Stand Your Ground on Stand Your Ground. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013 .

Questions On The Teacher s Assumptions About Social...

EDUC 399 Final Exam EDUC 326 Learner Outcome Evidence of how you have met the outcome 1. Examine and discuss how the teacher’s assumptions about social context, teaching, and learning affect the dynamics of classroom life. A teacher’s assumptions can be made through experiences with schooling, their childhood, their own abilities and challenges, the amount of experiences with diversity and different cultures. Through experiences teachers can be motivated, hindered, misinformed, and create bias that affect the dynamics of classroom life. A teacher may have certain views on the roles and responsibilities of teachers that affect the climate for learning and classroom community. Furthermore, depending on how comfortable a teacher may feel with the surrounding of the school and social context may hinder or enhance their participation in the community and advocacy. It is crucial for teachers to reflect on their previous experiences, bias, and assumptions and examine if they are affecting the dynamics of your classroom. Furthermore, teachers should look for pro fessional resources and social experiences to better understand the needs and environment of their students. This may help eliminate any bias and create an understanding to implement a warm accepting environment. 2. Develop practical reasoning and skill in making classroom management decisions by examining cases that involve consideration of diverse perspectives, the consequences of certain choices, underlying assumptionsShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Teaching Culture in the Foreign Language Classroom9379 Words   |  38 PagesThe Importance Of Teaching Culture In The Foreign Language Classroom Radical Pedagogy (2001) ISSN: 1524-6345 The Importance Of Teaching Culture In The Foreign Language Classroom Language And Culture: What IS Culture And Why Should IT BE Taught? 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