Control Process in Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Control Process in Management - Research Paper Example The control process, in this case, can be described by use of the following steps; first, the management of united airlines makes establishes plans (Morden 156). In this cases, the united airline have a committee that is composed of members from the entire department in the organization. The committee is charged with the responsibility of formulating plans for the organizations. The committee formulates plans and set standards to achieve the objectives. The plan formulated by the committee must define the expected results and how results will be verified. Second, measurement of performance actual performance; in this case the management of united airlines measures the actual productivity obtain and this through the various method of performance appraisal. For example, in the year 2007, the actual sales from online booking ticket was 213,456 tickets. The organization a clear method of gathering and reporting tickets sold during the period.  The third step is comparing the actual performance achieved with the standards. This step compares the actual performance with the set standards, in this case, the managers of united airlines determine whether any deviations from the set standards are. In this steps the variation between the actual results and the set standard are determined. In the fourth step, the manager determines the action that should be taken where there are deviations from the set standards. This step is known as the† Take corrective actions† the manager determines the changes that should be taken if there is a ny, and how to implement those changes.

Oedipus the King Essay Example for Free

Oedipus the King Essay Man is the marionette in the hands of destiny. It is the circumstances and fate which bring tragic incidents in his life. The Aristotelian tragedies are generally based on this attitude. According to Aristotle tragedy is the representation of action. Common meaning of tragedies is the poignant end of the play. Here we are going to discuss about the two different tragedies which took place in different era. The first tragedy is the tragedy of â€Å"King Oedipus† which happened approximately 2000 years before and the second tragedy is the tragedy which belongs to the modern era. It is Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman. † They are different from each other but apart from a long gap of about 2000 years, but yet some resemblances are there in them. We are going to discuss on the resemblances and differentiations. Let us consider â€Å"King Oedipus† first According to the rule of Aristotelian plot â€Å"Oedipus the King† is divided into two different parts, one is simple plot and another is complex plot. In simple plot the changes in the fortune of King Oedipus take place without Peripety and discovery. It is a journey from ignorance to knowledge. He has to confront with the consequences of the miserable truth. At first he is not ready to accept the fact but at the end the circumstances compel him to accept the reality. The protagonist, along with the other characters, totally becomes helpless in the hands of destiny. He is a king but the qualities of normal human beings are present in him. The tragedy takes place because of the sin he has committed inadvertently. According to the opinion of Aristotelian tragedies the hero of the play is neither perfectly good nor entirely bad. Oedipus thus is the man of ordinary weaknesses. He has had all the eminence but here he has shown falling into ruin from this distinction and it is unfortunately not because of any deliberate sin but because of the error committed by him in his ignorance. Like the protagonist the other characters in this play are also good but not perfect. For example Laios, father of King Oedipus who is of course a good soul but still he commits a sin of attempting the murder of his son at the infant stage of his life because of the fear that his son would one day kill him. Laios had the feet of this child bound and pinned. Someone tossed it in a mountain wilderness. So there. Apollo didnt cause this boy to be his fathers killer. Laios didnt bear the terror he feared from his son. Thats what the words of prophecy defined. (Line 717, Scene 3, â€Å"Oedipus the King†) The theory of tragedy of Arthur Miller is based on the life of an ordinary man. Miller was rejected by many critics because his tragedy was not based upon the Aristotelian concept of tragedy where the tragic hero is always a king or a prince. On the contrary the hero is a common man and so according to the critics he is unable to arise the tragic sentiments. But it was the belief of Miller â€Å"that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were. On the face of it this ought to be obvious in the light of modern psychiatry, which bases its analysis upon classific formulations, such as the Oedipus and Orestes complexes, for instance, which were enacted by royal beings, but which apply to everyone in similar emotional situations. † (an essay by Arthur Miller, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†) With the same viewpoint Arthur Miller has depicted the tragic story of a very simple ordinary man, Willy. Willy is an ordinary person by occupation as well as by nature. Not only Willy but rests of the characters are the exact mirror image of the ordinary man in the modern society who is constantly pursuing the materialist happiness. According to Miller it is not only the kings that can be the tragic heroes but the common man can also play the role of a tragic hero. As far as the issue of morality is concerned both plays are somewhat similar and somewhat reverse to each other. Morality plays a very important role in both of this play but still it defers from one another. Many people believe that Oedipus is an immoral person but it is not a premeditated immorality. Oedipus’ tragic fall, which later leads to tragedy was absolutely not his sin. He slays his biological father and marries to his biological mother. It is actually the height of immorality but at the time of committing this sin Oedipus was totally unaware about the reality. In short he is the immoral man by his predestined actions. The concept of morality is deliberate in Miller’s â€Å"Death of Salesman. † Here the hero of this play Willy Loman flouts all the rules of morality. He is charlatan, flirt and a liar. The lack of morality finds there in the Loman’s family itself. He goes on deceiving his wife by keeping illicit relationship with another woman. He goes on deceiving his son and wife by making his false image and by pretending to be an important person. They dont need me in New York. Im the New England man. Im vital in New England. (Act 1, Part 1, pg. 4, Death of Salesman) But it is an illusion. Pride is there in both Oedipus and Willy but pride of Oedipus is at least genuine unlike to that of Willy which is just a fake. The heroes of both of the plays have to pay a lot and both of them have suffered a lot due to the mistakes they have done either ignorantly or deliberately. Both Oedipus and Willy in the end succeed in getting the sympathy of the audience. I dont say hes a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. Hes not the finest character that ever lived. But hes a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. Hes not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person. (Act 1, Part 8, pg. 40) Apart from being an ordinary man Willy like Oedipus deserves the sympathy of the audience.

Transport Company Marketing Plan

Transport Company Marketing Plan We all make use of the services provided by transportation companies. Now we are going to discuss a) transport for London, and b) First transforming travel. Both Companies are U.Ks Transportation companies. First is the largest UK rail operator carrying 270m passenger every year. It operates rail passenger services and Britains largest bus operator services. In North America First is the largest provider of student transportation carrying 3 million students every day. London underground ltd. Carry over 3 million passenger a day run 500 trains in the peak hours own 253 stations with over 12,000 staff. London bus network is largest and most comprehensive urban transport systems in the world. Each weekday over 6500 scheduled buses carry around 6 million passengers over 700 different routes, total of 1.7 billion passengers a year. Now discussing to our two companies Strategy Planning is the managerial process of creating a business strategy to obtain a fit between the organisations resources and objectives and evolving market opportunities. First is the leader in providing reliable, safe, innovative and sustainable transport services. Although First is a global business, it aims to be in its approach. This means that local issues are dealt with by the people live in local area. While in tfl a) Supporting economic development and population growth, b) Enhancing the quality of life for all Londoners, c) Improving the safety and security of all Londoners, d) improving transport opportunities for all Londoners, e) reducing transports contribution to climate change and improving its resilience, and lastly f) delivering for the London 2012 Games and securing a lasting legacy. Before discussing the process of developing sound Business Strategy Plan, it might be pertinent to ask what a business strategy is in the first place. Business strategy, alternatively referred to as competitive strategy or just strategy, refers to taking decisions on the six key areas The product markets in which the business is to compete. The level of investment. Functional strategies required to compete in the selected product market. Functional strategies required to compete in the selected product Markets. Developing suitable and sustainable competitive advantages. Allocating resources over several business units. Developing synergies between the different business units. Now we will discuss the objective of studying the both of Travel Organisation And will try to point out favouring /unfavouring with implementing PESTEL and Porters 5 forces. But before that we would try to focus on implementation of SWOT analysis of both the Organisation. (S)trengths:- In UK to run a business would be simple if the director and the managers had to think about what went on inside the business. First travel employs over 1, 35,000 staff throughout in UK North America and moves more than 2.5 billion passenger a year. For TFL strength already we have discussed. It has a vast experience to the people of UK, in their day to day life. (W)eaknesses:- As we know First Travel deals with only some of the local part of UK. In the same way TFL is also dealing only some of the part of UK. Both of the companies cant deal with globally which leads to weak global control over operations. (O)pportunities:- Now a days people are more prices spending conscious so if both of travel companies think globally there are more chances for growing in international Market. In world market both companies can expand their operations and can make good profit resulting in healthy stands in todays competitive market. (T)hreats:- TFL nowadays is so success that is why other local competitor are criticising the efficiency of company and they are trying to pull the leg behind. Almost same is the situation with First Travel. We know both of companies are UK base so the key issue are same and SWOT analysis will be similar. However business planners have also to understand what goes on outside the business. Businesses are able to identify external changes that may affect it by carrying out a PESTLE analysis. This is a business tools in which each of the letters in PESTLE describes a type of change that takes place in the external business environment. Many of these external changes may be outside the control of the, like new government legislation. Some changes may present a threat to the business like competitor using new improved technology. Social changes may bring opportunities for example worker from outside country will bring new skills to the employment market. Environmental impacts such as emissions of smoke causing carbon dioxide. A business must assess what external changes are likely and which it needs to react to or take advantage of. Business planners can then create strategies to help the business respond effectively. We use the term Business Strategy to refer to a plan for a group of related products. First Travel TFL Strategy relates to its transportation plans and takes into account the entire PESTLE factors in its environment. PESTL Analysis (P)olitical Factors:- Transport services are the heart of the UK economy which moves to people to school, colleges, job place and basic requirement at home, and businesses. In the year 1980s, the government started to private base bus services in the UK. It believed that allowing private firms to compete to run bus services would keep prices low and ensure companies would try harder to give customers what they wanted. The result has been more efficient, innovative and sustainable bus services. Government operates at two levels -National level and Local level. First Travel believes in providing local solutions, therefore it concentrates on working closely with local government. Same way TFL is operates National level covering whole London trying to cover UK also. A key government policy affecting all transport services relates to the reduction of CO2 emissions, therefor the UK government has signed on an international treaty-the Kyoto Protocol. Countries which sign the agreement intend to the reduce the emission of harmful gases. This can succeed only through partnership with business. A good example of this is the government initiative to encourage more children to use Bus or Rail services rather than travelling to school by car or other means. First as well as TFL both have produced a Climate Change Strategy which shapes every action the company takes. This is a part of vision to Transform Travel It wants to change how people feel about public transport by delivering the highest levels of services and customer satisfaction. This involves recognising its responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions to as low as possible. Tram, bus and rail travel create less pollution than other forms of transport, but there is still room to improve. Key element of Climate Change include: Improving the fuel efficiency of its vehicles Purchasing vehicles with greater fuel efficiency Using alternative fuels, such as biodiesel Operational improvements through driver training and new technology to monitor driver performance. (E)conomic Factors:- Businesses need to make money to continue to exist. They do this by listening to customers to ensure they keep their customers and new ones with good services that customers want and need. First Travel changes in demand from customers, for example First responded to increased demand in the Neath valley in Wales working closely with the Neath Port Council to run improved services .Another good example for First travel designed to start special pilot services with the student in mind. Londoners want more economical improvement s such as the new London Over ground rail service, further reductions in the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on Londons road as well as the better air quality that the low omission zone will deliver. With more than 10 million journeys made each day on tube and bus alone, TFLs challenge remains improving the level of passenger services while delivering the projects of its 10 bn. Pound Investment Programme. Another economic factor affecting business is taxation. High tax on fuel encourages customers to switch from using cars to more economical nbus and rail transport. Congestion charges in cities like London also encourage drivers to switch to other forms of transport. (S)ocial Factors:- Social changes may have a major impact on business:- The number of older people in the UK is rising. There are more people with bus passes in this country than ever before. The local authority pays for providing service. Many elderly people prefer to travel by bus because it is convenient and safe. Societys habits and tastes are changing. People are more aware of the importance of the environment and becoming green consumers. Green consumer prefer goods and services that are environmentally-friendly and which have less impact on the environment. The green consumer, for example prefers to travel by bus or train than by air or in a large car. People are now more mobile and travel more. Following are some Statistics record produced by the Department of Transport pick out some major trends. National Rail use increased, with 1.2 billion passenger journeys made-a rise of 8% on the previous year. Passenger journeys on local buses in UK rose by 4% in the year. Passenger journeys on light rail systems in UK increased by 9%. In London, bus and light rail passenger journey grew by 6% in the year. The average age of the national bus fleet fell from 8.4% to 8.1% years. The market is growing and more people are realising the benefits of a more environmentally-friendly form of transport. (T)echnological Factors: Businesses are continually developing new technologies to provide the best solutions for the market place. Intelligent companies find out what the most appropriate technologies are for their businesses and use them. This is particularly true in transport. A good example of this is in the provision of buses that lower the floor for the easy entry. These provide better accessibility for disabled and elderly people. TFL has Docklands Light Railways (DLR) which uses an automatic train control system, which is monitored by the permanently staffed control centre located at Poplar. Signalling is based on the Seltrac system, developed by Alcatel (Canada), which uses the latest moving block technology. In other words we can say if the businesses adopt better technology results in a smooth running and making more profit. (L)egal Factors: Legal changes that affect business are closely tied up with political ones. Many changes in the law stem government policy. Many of these laws are Europe-wide for example, the standards for transport vehicle emissions. Another requirement is like companies need to buy Carbon Credits. These credits will permit companies to generate specific quantities of carbon emissions. A new front facing cameras to halt speeding motorists. The brakes are set up on speeding drivers who attempt to avoid penalty points. Now from the above discussion it is possible to see PESTEL factors as threats. However First Travel and TFL both prefer to see them as opportunities. Social trends are creating increasing numbers of passengers seeking comfortable easy to access all types of transport means. Government pressure is encouraging more and more individuals to use public transport. Many people are seeking a greener form of transport. A detailed PESTEL analysis helps both the companies to make appropriate plans to rise to the changing environment. Both the businesses are able to move forward with confidence and grow its business. Porters Five Forces:- As Porters 5 Forces analysis deals with factors outside an industry that influence the nature of competition within it, the forces inside the industries (microenvironment) that influence the way in which firms compete, and so the industrys likely profitability is conducted in Porters 5 forces model. Understanding the nature of each of these forces gives organisations the necessary insight to enable them to formulate the appropriate strategies to be successful in their market (Thurby, 1998) This analysis can be applied with the SWOT analysis of the firms. From the following Diagram of Porter 5 Forces we can get transparency of the analysis. Diagram of Porters 5 Forces SUPPLIER POWER Supplier concentration Importance of volume to supplier Differentiation of inputs Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation Switching costs of firms in the industry Presence of substitute inputs Threat of forward integration Cost relative to total purchases in industry BARRIERS TO ENTRY Absolute cost advantages Proprietary learning curve Access to inputs Government policy Economies of scale Capital requirements Brand identity Switching costs Access to distribution Expected retaliation Proprietary products THREAT OF  SUBSTITUTES Switching costs Buyer inclination to  substitute Price-performance trade-off of substitutes BUYER POWER Bargaining leverage Buyer volume Buyer information Brand identity Price sensitivity Threat of backward integration Product differentiation Buyer concentration vs. industry Substitutes available Buyers incentives DEGREE OF RIVALRY Exit barriers Industry concentration Fixed costs/Value added Industry growth Intermittent overcapacity Product differences Switching costs Brand identity Diversity of rivals Corporate stakes (Source: gstatic.com) Threat of New Entrants: The UK Transport is primary dominated by few competitors. In our case study both of i.e. First Travel TFL Both dominate the market though to survive in the market and if they are not better off to the passenger another private company may attack. Barriers to Entrants: Both the companies have made a very high barrier for new Entrants so it will be very much difficult for new companies Bargaining Power of customer: There are more chances of customer to have an alternative mode of transportation. Bargaining power of supplier: There are less chances of alternate of transportation but the customer are more price convenience conscious. The marketing Mix: The selected target markets are targeted with a marketing mix which is a unique blend of product, pricing, distribution and communication strategies, created to produce mutually satisfying exchanges with a target market. Distribution is referred to as place and communication as promotion, thus giving us the four Ps of marketing of the marketing mix: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. Over the years several more Ps have got added to the marketing mix such as Positioning, Packaging, People and Process. The strategies for each of components cannot be decided upon independently. The strategies must complement each other and blend together very well for the marketing plan to be successful. The best promotion strategy and lowest price cannot save a bad product. So also the best product will not sell unless there is an appropriate distribution and communication strategy in place. If we apply the above marketing mix strategy in our both of our companies we can say that it will be very fruitful result. Market Segmentation and Targeting: A market segment is a group of individuals or organisations that primarily share homogeneous need as well as other common characteristics such as age, gender, income lifestyles or values. These common variables can run into hundreds and because of shared needs and characteristics, it likely that such individuals will have relatively similar product needs. A marketing plan begins by identifying the various market segments in a given market. The next step is to conduct a segment attractiveness analysis depending on the size, sales potential and competitive factors. The firm now decides selects one or more segments that it chooses to target with its marketing strategy. A fundamental rule of marketing is that If you are not thinking of your marketing in terms of target markets, you are thinking nothing. Conclusion: In a nutshell we can say Business strategies are the basis of all marketing decisions and strategies of the firms. The goal of all business strategy is to achieve long term profitability and Sustainable Growth for the organisation.

Treatment of Ethnic Minorities by Nazi Germany Essay -- Papers

Treatment of Ethnic Minorities by Nazi Germany Hitler hated three kinds of people- Jews, communists and democracy and in his view they were all connected. Hitler believed that the Aryan people were the master race, and most of theses people were Germans. He believed that Jews were an "inferior species". He believed that what the Jews believed in was spreading and crushing Germany. Anything Jewish was wrong. He spoke of a myth that the Jewish bankers planned to break down the financial system and that this was a reason that war broke out in 1914. Hitler hated Bolshevism (communism) because he saw it as a Jewish belief. The Jewish founder, Karl Marx, set out to break the world politically, just as the Jews were breaking it racially. Hitler believed that the reason why communism had taken over in Russia was because most of Russians were Slavs, who just like the Jews were a sub-human species. Hitler called the Slavs rabbit people, only here to reproduce, but unable to organize themselves. That's why Hitler admired Stalin for turning such a degraded form of people into a nation. IN Hitler's book Mein Kampf, he said that it was Germany's job to be the saviour of the Aryan race by killing all the Jews and seizing the Slavs land of the East. This was the goal of the National Socialists. Hitler believed that democracy was a product of the Jews. That's why he believed it was such a weak political system. He didn't believe in compromise and so he thought it lacked purpose. If democracy were to be allowed in Germany it would wreck the whole country and prevent it from it's destiny. When Hitler came to power he got rid of the whole de... ...en's book and is primary evidence. The source was produced in 1938. The Nazi's must have produced this anti Jewish picture for the children to use as part of their propaganda. The source was produced in Germany. The source was produced as a use of propaganda. They fed children's minds to believe that Jews were bad so that they would go home and tell their parents. This source is biased as it shows what the Nazi's wanted life to be like. They wanted the Jews to leave. It shows the Jews in a bad way, it shows them mocking the other children. They are shown sticking their tongues out at the Germans and pulling out their hair. The German girl is pure German with feminine features and the Jewish boy is trying to wreck that by ripping out her hair and making her look bad. This is how Hitler saw things not how the people did.

The hormone’s amino acid

Insulin, an endocrine hormone, is one of the most well-studied proteins synthesized by the human body. Its relatively simple structure and short amino acid sequence have made it a useful model for many protein studies. It is synthesized in beta cells of the pancreas through posttranslational cleavage of proinsulin, and released upon stimulation by elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Insulin plays an important role in regulating several anabolic processes, and is most well-known for lowering the level of blood sugar by promoting the uptake and storage of glucose by the liver.Deficiency of, or resistance to insulin, results in either of the two forms of diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder whose occurrence has increased among humans, especially in the United States; yet to this day, there is no definite cure for either form of the disease. Type II diabetes in particular must be treated with combinations of several different approaches, including dietary management, weig ht loss programs, and oral or antidiabetic drugs, or possibly surgical procedures such as gastric bypass.This proposal discusses the potential of taurine (2-amino ethanesulfonic acid), which had previously been tested in studies on rats and mice, to raise levels of insulin sensitivity in human subjects with insulin resistance, and raises the possibility that taurine could be used in a supplemental form for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type II patients. Introduction The endocrine hormone insulin was the first protein whose amino acid sequence was completed. For his work on deciphering its structure, Fred Sanger won the 1958 Noble Prize.Its discovery is considered a landmark, proving that proteins have a unique and defined sequence of amino acids, which has since been termed the primary structure. Since then, insulin has been used as a model for many subsequent studies regarding the structure and properties of various proteins. It is the human body’s major anabolic hormon e, promoting reactions that lead to the uptake of glucose and its conversion into storage forms such as glycogen and triglycerides, while simultaneously inhibiting their breakdown for use as fuel. It also promotes the uptake of amino acids and the synthesis of proteins, promoting growth.Insulin was also the first protein to be synthesized using recombinant DNA in bacteria, and this technique has made possible the large scale production of supplemental insulin for use in one of the most serious metabolic diseases prevalent among humans, diabetes mellitus. The rising incidence of this disease, particularly in the United States, has drawn further interest into researching the intricacies of insulin and its role in regulating numerous anabolic body functions, as well as the various ways in which insulin’s functions can be regulated.Type II diabetes, the most common form of the disease, has no cure, and research is proceeding to look into several ways to increase sensitivity to in sulin in insulin-resistant individuals suffering from this form of diabetes. In particular, taurine, a derivative of the amino acid cysteine, has shown a promising ability to potentially lower obesity and insulin resistance in rats and mice, although so far there have been few test studies on humans. Compared to other, more complex proteins, insulin is relatively small.It has a compact and monomeric structure (although it is capable of forming dimers or hexamers under certain conditions), with a molecular weight of roughly 6 kDa. The structure of active insulin is made up of two linked chains, labeled A and B, connected by two disulfide bonds, with a third disulfide bond linking the A chain back onto itself. This is a structure typical of the insulin family or group of proteins, which includes other peptide hormones such as relaxin, mammalian Leydig cell-specific insulin-like peptide, early placenta insulin-like peptide, and insulin-like growth factors I and II in humans.Evolutionar ily related hormones belonging to this family have also been found in some insects and molluscs, and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The hormone’s amino acid sequence (specifically, the sequence of the A and B chains) is conserved to such a degree that in most mammals, insulin extracted from another species remains biologically active. For instance, insulin from pigs and even bacteria, has been used to treat human patients suffering from diabetes mellitus.

Free Essays on Groups And Teams

Groups and Teams In this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, leaders and managers are faced with new challenges. Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness of high performance, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change. This paper discusses the characteristics of high performance teams and how a group can become a high performance team. Included is an examination of the impact of demographic and cultural diversity on group behavior. Diversity in culture and demographic characteristics can be a source of friction and conflict or be one of the team's greatest strengths. A group can become a high-performing team by understanding how cultural and demographic dissimilarity influences group behavior. High-performing teams leverage their diversity for competitive advantage. Firstly, let us examine the definition of teams and high performances and the link between those two. A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable (Schermerhorn, 2003, Ch. 10). The high performance team is the unit of effectiveness for the high performance enterprise. Relevant topics include kick starting a brand new team, the intensity and focus of 'hot groups,' team building success strategies, and team process management. High performance teams are otherwise known as self-managed groups or sel... Free Essays on Groups And Teams Free Essays on Groups And Teams Groups and Teams In this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, leaders and managers are faced with new challenges. Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness of high performance, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change. This paper discusses the characteristics of high performance teams and how a group can become a high performance team. Included is an examination of the impact of demographic and cultural diversity on group behavior. Diversity in culture and demographic characteristics can be a source of friction and conflict or be one of the team's greatest strengths. A group can become a high-performing team by understanding how cultural and demographic dissimilarity influences group behavior. High-performing teams leverage their diversity for competitive advantage. Firstly, let us examine the definition of teams and high performances and the link between those two. A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable (Schermerhorn, 2003, Ch. 10). The high performance team is the unit of effectiveness for the high performance enterprise. Relevant topics include kick starting a brand new team, the intensity and focus of 'hot groups,' team building success strategies, and team process management. High performance teams are otherwise known as self-managed groups or sel...