Boas 610 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Boas 610 - Essay Example It is not only important, but at times, it is necessary as well, since the proof and evidence at hand is not sufficient enough to draw appropriate conclusions (Boas 610); at such times, it becomes a necessity to make use of the historical or the present forms of the culture in order to solve the puzzle (Boas 610). When dealing with the historical aspect of anthropology, there is often a tussle between the social and economical factors that have helped shape the historical and the present conditions and cultural practices (Boas 611). Sociologists tend to make the field of sociology as the central theme of anthropological discussions (Boas 611), claiming that the human mind and its interactions with its surroundings, as discussed in sociology, is the key component of cultural evolution (Boas 611). Whereas this might be true, it is not the sole player in the game (Boas 611). Sociological factors shape the long term designs of culture (Boas 611); indeed, some cultural practices which for m the core of the society take a long time to change, if at all, and it is only the radical changes that can truly be identified (Boas 610), with the more subtle and gradual changes often hard to recognize or overlooked (Boas 610). Sociology alone can not account for the short term and immediate social decisions which shape the day to day cultural activities of the populace (Boas 611). Such decisions are often strongly dictated by the economic conditions of the place (Boas 611). Economists, likewise, tend to emphasize completely on the economic factors that govern the evolution of a society, neglecting or undermining the psychological and social bearings of the process (Boas 611). Economy is helpful only for studying the short term effects, as pointed out previously; it can not explain the general decisions of the masses which span entire societies and centuries, with such decisions often being static or very slowly changing (Boas 610). This is because economic conditions are dynami c, and do not remain the same over extended periods of time (Boas 611). Therefore, they can only account for periodic changes. Long term practices like religion, art, and language are beyond the parameters of economics to define (Boas 611). Therefore, it follows that sociology and economics are mutually dependent to mold the society and are equally responsible for the growth of the culture the people who practice it (Boas 611). Part I: Q1: Although Frank Boas is not a theorist, he is considered to be am important figure in anthropological thought and study. This is because of his important contributions in the anthropological study of the relation of the individual with the society (Boas 610), and the effects and reactions of individual to the practices of the society and the established culture (Boas 610). In turn, according to Boas, this reaction has some effect on the culture and how it develops and changes (Boas 610). The importance of Boas’ work can only be fully appreci ated if the importance of the topics that he has worked on is recognized. The relation of the society and the individual and their mutual cause and effect (Boas 610) cycle is often overlooked, for the favor of the population mass as a whole (Boas 611). Whereas Boas does admit that the overall functioning of the society is not effected to an appreciable degree by the psychology of an individual (Boas 610), and that society is home to many varied human minds (Boas

Victor Moritz Goldschmidt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Victor Moritz Goldschmidt - Essay Example The family had a history of scientists and philosophers from Victor's fathers and mother's side. In 1914, he became the Professor and Director at Mineralogical Institute of Oslo, when he was offered this position. He worked in this position till 1929. After this he moved to Gttingen. The first important contribution made by him was in the field of geology and mineralogy. Goldschmidt went into geochemistry after the death of raw material in World War 1. The general studies that he carried out marked the beginning of modern geochemistry. His work, Geochemical Laws of the Distribution of the Elements, volume 8 in 1923-38, laid the foundation of inorganic crystal chemistry. (Biography.com) According to Goldschmidt, "The primary purpose of geochemistry is on the one hand to determine quantitatively the composition of the earth and its parts, and on the other to discover the laws which control the distribution of the individual elements."(Bob Weintraub) His doctorate thesis, 'Die hpontaktmetamorphose im Kristianiagebiet' and 'Geologisch-petro-graphische Studien im Hochgebirge des siidlichen Norwegens,' are known as his first two major works. The first publications for geochemistry were 'Geo-chemische Verteilungsgesetze der Elemente.' These were a series of publications under this title. In 1921, he was able to show an electrical balance between the positive and negative ions using an X-ray crystallography. These ions are the most important factor in crystal structure. Goldschmidt's work on the cosmic abundance of the elements and the links between isotopic stability and abundance was led by the analysis of geochemistry, astrophysics and nuclear physics. In 1935, Goldschmidt moved to Norway because of the rise of Nazism. When World War II started Goldschmidt had to move again. He went to Sweden first and then Britain. In Britain he worked in the field of soil science and once the war ended he returned back to Norway. At the time of the war, Goldschmidt always carried a cyanide capsule with him just in case he was caught. According to Goldschmidt cyanide was for chemists, while rope was for mechanical engineers. (Msn Encarta) Goldschmidt got a doctoral fellowship at the age of 21 from the University and a Norwegian doctor's degree when he was 23 years old. There have not been many people who have done this. He did not even have to take the usual exams or degrees to achieve these levels. The Norwegian doctor's degree is usually received after the age of 30 and some people have received it after the age of 50. Thus, it was a big achievement. Goldschmidt won the noblest scientific award 'Fridtjof Nansens belonning,' in 1912, for his work 'Die Kontaktmetamorphose im Kristiania-gebiet.' When he applied for a Professorship in Stockholm, the University was able to give him the same position. This was a special case because the Norwegian University does not offer a position until two years have passed since the appointment. Goldschmidt identified the main difference between geochemical elements of geological evolution. He out them into four groups: 'siderophile, chalcophile, lithophile, and atmophile'. He also identified the fact that the earth and the meteorites have a common origin. He developed the Mineralogical Phase Rule;

Energy Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Energy Security - Essay Example It is an effective strategy too because it would help countries to venture into newer energies, since the coal, oil, and gas resources are highly depleting. It does not come as a shock, because most developing countries may lack the power to acquire nuclear energy, but at least have and are aware of other alternative energy sources. According to Gallagher, China’s concern on environmental problems has pushed it to pursue renewable energy; it has so far acted towards ethanol production, and progressively installed small hydropower, solar hot water, and installed wind capacity to add up what accounts from existing hydropower and nuclear energy (n.d.). The adjustments need investment, further research, and early planning to ensure countries develop with uninterrupted energy supply in future. It is a challenge for developed, emerging, and third world nations, if responsibility of safe environment and sustainable energies and development should be given priority. Addressing pattern s of consumption: The amount of energy consumed and carbon emissions in any given country varies with the population, industries, and available forms of energy. China and India have very high populations and have been very active to alleviate poverty and inequality in their nations through further industrial development. As such, with the very high consumption of coal energy in China, the more inevitable the carbon emission remains. This demonstrates that even as international and national policies lay strategies to control consumption, it can only be achieved if the locals and individuals act towards it (Parker, Scott, and Rowlands, n.d.). The developed nations do not have the world’s largest population, yet they are the highest consumers of energy resources;... Addressing patterns of consumption: The amount of energy consumed and carbon emissions in any given country varies with the population, industries, and available forms of energy. China and India have very high populations and have been very active to alleviate poverty and inequality in their nations through further industrial development. As such, with the very high consumption of coal energy in China, the more inevitable the carbon emission remains. This demonstrates that even as international and national policies lay strategies to control consumption, it can only be achieved if the locals and individuals act towards it (Parker, Scott, and Rowlands, n.d.). The developed nations do not have the world’s largest population, yet they are the highest consumers of energy resources; developing nations on the other hand, have large population sizes that with rapid developments, the world natural resources would be stripped away quickly in their demand for energy. The UK’s pop ulation is relatively small and besides investing in renewable energies and nuclear power, the country has invested in research for carbon and capture storage (CCS) technology, which if successful, would boost energy security by reviving coal energy (Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2013). Governments policies and incentives have to be strict, especially in industries of developing nations with respect to how they consume energy.

B2C (Business to Consumer) case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

B2C (Business to Consumer) case study - Essay Example E-business provides communication between customers and organisations and they can exchange standard business transactions through online media (Yang & et. al., 2003). E-business in broad context can be stated as any business procedure that organisations carry out by computer networks, comprising internal and external communication flows. Through e-business, customers can make any transactions on the computer network, comprising transfer of proprietorship, or the right to use products and services. The transaction is performed within chosen e-business procedures and is considered to be completed upon agreement between purchasers and sellers regarding the use of products and services. Concerning the relationship between different participants, e-business can be classified into three categories namely B2C, B2B and C2C (Zakic & Mladenovic, 2011). Focusing on this aspect, the report describes a popular B2C application namely ‘Online Bookstore’ and its role in the respective industry. ... E-business opens the door to the notion of commercial activities without any border. Globally, it has also been observed that most popular products for online shopping are books, apparel and accessories (yStats, 2013). According to the report of Pitney Bowes (2013), online shopping is continuing to grow with e-business and is predicted to reach US$963 billion by 2013 in an international extent. The quickly expanding international digital community signifies a massive potential marketplace for any retail business with internet presence. Besides, the report of Pitney Bowes states that most common products which are purchased through internet are books, clothes and magazines. Wherein the overall market of physical books has declined, e-books sales have increased considerably. Indeed, popular e-book retailer Amazon has reported double-digit growth in the year 2011. The following figure demonstrates products purchased through internet in 2012. Fig 1: Products Purchased Through Internet So urce: (Pitney Bowes, 2013) From the above figure, it can be observed that online book shipping is regarded as the most popular item for a majority of online shoppers. According to the research of The Publishers Association, in the year 2012, the books sales in the United States were about ?3.3 billion, with 66% increase in online book sales. Online book sales represented about 12% of the total book sales in the United Kingdom (The Publishers Association, 2013). In the US, the revenue generated through book publishing had increased to about 3.1% in the year 2010 to a figure of US$27.9 billion. The percentage of sales of online book had increased to about 29.4 in 2009 and 38.9 in 2010 (German Book Office New York, 2010). According to the study of Nielsen (2010), books and

Program capstone IP1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Program capstone IP1 - Essay Example Planning as practice of theory of managements, used by many organizations like Microsoft Corporation, involves selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve them. It requires decision-making like choosing future courses of action from among alternatives. The plans range from overall purposes and objectives to the most detailed arrangements to be taken. No real plan exists until a decision a commitment of human and material resources needs to be made. In other words, before a decision is made, all that exists is study of planning, analysis, or a proposal; there is no real plan. Use of organization as the second theory of management, Microsoft Corporation management team and the whole staff usually works together to achieve some goal must have duties to take care of. Generally, these roles have to be defined and structured by someone who wants to make sure that people contribute in a specific way to efforts of group. Organizing, therefore, is that part of management that involves establishing an intentional structure of roles for people to fill in a company. Intentional in that all tasks necessary to accomplish goals are assigned and assigned to people who can perform to their best. Indeed, the purpose of an organizational structure is to help in creating an environment for human performance. However, designing an organizational structure is not an easy managerial task because many problems are encountered in making structures fitting situations, together with both defining the kind of jobs that must be done and finding the people to do them. For Leading as the third theory of management, it means influencing of employees so that they will contribute to organization and group goals is widely used in Microsoft Corporation to mention; it has to do predominantly with the interpersonal feature of management. Most important problems to managers arise from people their desires plus defiance, their behavior as groups and individuals. Hence, effective

Most Significant Events During World War II Essay

Most Significant Events During World War II - Essay Example I think that this event achieved the intended goals. William Schneider stated that "Suburban growth is not likely to end anytime soon.† and I fully concur. Years have passed and more communities and homes have urbanized (Martin, 1979). In 1950s, the suburbs’ homes were single story-ranch styled residences, but the houses now are 2, 4, or still yet 4 story mansions. Automobiles also made the suburbs reachable. In the midcentury, the automobile background defined America in many ways. Henry Ford was behind the reason why suburbs developed the way they did in the year 1953. His inventive plan of making cars lessened manufacturing expenses thus decreasing the retail cost for clients. This made the life of suburbs easy because they could go to work every day and return. The government also played a considerable role in this development; they provided financial support and loans to people who were willing to move to newly designed suburbs. They encouraged the movement from the city; the federal legislation came up with an inexpensive method where people were allowed to build a new house outside the city instead of developing a pre-existing house inside the city (Gilbert, 2004). Some of the earliest and most well-known suburbs in the post war period were the Levittown developments. Civil Rights and the Crisis of Liberalism: (1947-1969) Greatly walled out from 1950s success; Latinos and African-Americans, fought to acquire the freedoms denied from them through rampant racial discrimination. When the civil-rights movement began to blossom, young, fairly wealthy baby-boomers spread the revolt to other sets of American life (Genovese, 1993). Their fundamental goals at times collided with Lyndon Johnson’s liberal policy of making use of federal... This essay stresses that as aggravation mounted during the era of limits, conservatives struggled to reinstate customary religious and social principles. Ronald Reagan had a program to decrease government regulations, increase military spending, and lessen taxes. A recent conservative Supreme Court set restrictions on government involvement in the matters to do with social rights, abortion, and the church/state division. However as the national arrears rose more and a depression deepened, electorates reined in the conservative association. This report makes a conclusion that the U.S. has the vitality and the strength to carry on shaping this world. America is a world leader but in many cases, it has failed the world. U.S. ought to prevail over its political dysfunction and re-orient its strategy. If U.S. does not come up with better strategies, in the next ten years, their economy will stagnate or decline and their political climate will not improve either. Am sure most America citizens know that their economy is gradually collapsing due to of enormous trade arrears, white-collar jobs outsource, unbalanced budget, wavering housing market and increasing national debt. The wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq are adding more monetary demands to their economy. If this continues, United States can go bankrupt in a-few years. Drastic measures ought to be carried out but politicians are virtually doing nothing. In ten years, I do not anticipate any changes with America unless different strategies are implemented.

Leading Teams Essay Example for Free

Leading Teams Essay The following report presents an analysis of Shell Oil, and the ways in which it incorporates team leadership concepts in balancing stakeholder needs. Stakeholders are defined in The Times 100 case study Balancing Stakeholder Needs as â€Å"anyone who has an interest in what a business does or an influence on the business†. The case study continues on to identify Shell’s stakeholders as shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, local communities, and interest groups. It is vitally important for large corporations such as Shell to balance the needs of these parties, in order to ensure profitable, safe and continuous operations. In order to do so, Shell must consider what the needs of each of these groups are, and how to use leadership to control the effects of conflicting needs. a) Making reference to appropriate theory what aspects of leadership and team dynamics may Shell have considered when considering their approach to balancing Stakeholder needs? The leadership tactics employed by Shell in balancing stakeholder needs will be varied, but will no doubt include an assessment of its vision and principles, the corporate leadership style, and how to construct its teams to maximise performance. The statement â€Å"Begin with the end in mind† (Covey 2004 cited Benson and Rice 2009a, p.3), gives a fair indication as to the purpose and necessity of a corporate vision. Where is the business going, and how is it going to get there? An essential element to leadership, a vision defines the goal that everyone in the company should be working towards. Kotter (1990, p.105) suggests that a key part of vision is â€Å"how well it serves the interests of important constituencies†. In other words, Shell should display balanced stakeholders needs in the company vision. According to Nanus (1992 cited Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1993), a vision should also display the following  characteristics, which Shell would likely have taken into account for each group of stakeholders: * Attracts commitment and energises people * Creates meaning in workers lives * Establishes a standard of excellence * Bridges the present to the future * Transcends the status quo. Shell publishes its vision, along with its core values and other operating principles in the Shell General Business Principles, which is widely communicated, and available for download from the company’s website. Shell has clearly recognised for quite some time the value and necessity for a vision in balancing needs, as the first set of principles was originally published in 1976 (Royal Dutch Shell plc 2005). It is important to separate leadership from management. Kotter (1990, p.104) states that â€Å"Management is about coping with complexity†, and that â€Å"Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change.† And what is a vision, if not an anticipated change to the company? The management of change is a key role of leadership. The recent corporate restructuring and appointment of a new CEO in July 2009 (Wighton 2010), shows that Shell’s leaders are required to consistently react to changes such as market conditions, and adjust its focus to ensure al l stakeholder needs are still being met. The study of leadership in general has led to many differing leadership theories, which can essentially be divided into two categories; Behaviour Models, and Situational Leadership. Behaviour Models tend to address the personal traits of the individual leader, and Situational Leadership addresses a customisation of style to each new situation. While it is possible to apply some Behaviour Model theories to an organisation, it is more likely that Shell apply Situational Leadership methods, altering the balance of task vs. relationship dependent on which stakeholder group is being considered. Shell will also have spent considerable time finding the most effective teams for their business profile. Owing to the highly technical nature of Shell’s operations, there is a good possibility that it uses expert teams to ensure that shareholder needs are incorporated at every level of the organisation. For example, and expert in say, oil drilling, may not have the expertise to determine what effects a proposed course of action would have on the local  community. It is worth noting however, that it may be time for Shell to re-evaluate the effectiveness of its teams. Wighton (2010) reports that Shell has been â€Å"plagued by delays and budget overruns on big projects†, indicating that its teams are not performing. To ensure that stakeholder needs are being met, Shell will have incorporated ways in which to monitor and control performance within the organisation. Shell begins by reporting. It reports on several sectors of the business, to include annual financial reports, which are particularly relevant to shareholders, and sustainability reporting, which will be of interest to local communities and interest groups (Shell International B.V. 2010a). It became apparent, through the annual reporting to their shareholders in May 2009 that Shell had misinterpreted its shareholders needs. This resulted in a tense annual meeting where the shareholders voted 60% against the proposed incentive scheme for executives, which would have seen top executives receive large bonuses, even if they failed to meet performance targets (Lindsay and Pagnamenta 2010) b) How may Shell’s approach to balancing Stakeholder need’s impact upon employee motivation? There are two major motivational theories which are widely used in the field of management; Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory (1959 cited Boddy 2008, p. 500-502), and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1970 cited Boddy 2008, p. 494-497). The Two Factor theory suggests that there are two elements to motivation, Motivating Factors, and Hygiene Factors. Motivating Factors contribute to an employee’s satisfaction, and Hygiene Factors contribute to their dissatisfaction. The theory identifies these factors as: Motivating Factors| Hygiene Factors| Achievement| Company Policies| Recognition| Supervision| The work itself| Relationship with Supervisor and Peers| Responsibility| Work conditions| Advancement| Salary| Growth| Status| | Security| Herzberg went on to conclude that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposites. The opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction, with the opposite of dissatisfaction being no dissatisfaction. In other words, the absence of Motivating factors does not create dissatisfaction, and the existence of the Hygiene Factors does not create satisfaction. On the other hand, in the Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow speculates that everyone has a prescribed set of needs that must be met in a certain order, as follows: Maslow maintains that employees begin by looking to fill Physiological needs, for example a properly heated/cooled workplace. Only when Physiological needs are met, or mostly met, will an employee seek to fulfil their Security needs, for example a permanent contract. And so on through the other needs. Both of these theories have identified common areas of motivation relating to security (job security, salary), recognition (status, advancement, self-esteem, rewards), and job development (growth, achievement, self actualisation, responsibility). Regardless of which theory, if any, that Shell has chosen to adopt, these are the basic employee needs that they will need to have taken into account. It is a widely held belief that employees are a company’s greatest asset, which means that their role as stakeholders is an important one. If Shell is getting the stakeholder balance right, they will have addressed their employee’s needs, which should result in positive levels of employee motivation. As we saw in Question a) however, it is not always that easy to get the balance right. If Shell has favoured its shareholder needs, this could potentially lead to employee pay cuts and a reduction in safety costs, in order to maximise profits. If interest groups and local communities are favoured, this could potentially lead to the cancellation of new and innovative projects that would have allowed employees to develop new skills and achieve new discoveries. All of these outcomes would have a noticeably negative effect on employee motivation. If we are to believe Shell, it recognises this need for balance, and goes to great efforts to ensure that employee’s needs for recognition and job development are met (Shell International B.V. 2010b). It professes on its website: * â€Å"Joining Shell means getting more out of your working life than you thought possible.† (Shell International B.V. 2010b) * â€Å" [We make] every effort to provide the kind of rewards and benefits that will complement your own particular lifestyle and needs† (Shell International B.V. 2010c) Certainly, the testimonials offered by Shell employees, from every facet of the organization, seem to support these statements (Shell International B.V. 2010d). It is worth noting however, that nowhere in the literature published in the Jobs Career section of the Shell website, does it address the subjects of job stability, employee safety, or personal security. It was reported by Wighton (2010) that within weeks of his taking over at the helm of Shell in July 2009, Peter Voser had cut 5000 jobs. Combine this with the inherent safety risks of the petrochemical industry, and the security risks associated with operations in locations such as Nigeria, and some doubt is cast on Shell’s ability to meet all of their employee’s needs. c) What conflict situations may Shell have needed to consider and manage in order to successfully achieve its balance towards Stakeholder needs? Shell has five main stakeholder groups, shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, local communities, and interest groups (The Times 100 ca.2009, p. 133-136). The nature and the needs of each one of these groups differs to such a degree that conflict is nearly inevitable. â€Å"Conflict frequently has its roots in difference† (Benson and Rice 2009b, p.2), this statement supports the idea that conflict management can also be regarded as the management of differences. Shell’s balancing of stakeholder needs could essentially be redefined as management of the differences in stakeholder needs; or conflict management. With a multinational company such as Shell, listing potential conflicts could be a daunting task. To begin with, the shareholder’s need to earn the greatest dividends possible is obviously at odds with the em ployee’s desire for greater remuneration and benefits packages. The shareholder’s and employee’s dedication to innovative new technologies and projects may oppose the goals of interest groups who strive  to protect the environment and human rights, and local communities who are stretched to accommodate a new industry. The customer’s desire for a reprieve from the ever increasing cost of fuels is in direct opposition to a supplier’s objective of selling their product at the most profitable price. The list is virtually inexhaustible. Shell has incorporated measures throughout its organization to mitigate potential conflicts, which centre on ensuring balance, communication and involvement. The first and foremost of these measures is Shell’s decision making criteria (The Times 100 ca.2009, p. 136), which is specifically designed to achieve a good balance of stakeholder needs and provide a transparency by assessing: * the economic impact of the activity is likely to yield a good return for shareholders * the social impact will be suitable for employees and communities * the long-term effect of its activity will harm the environment As mentioned in Question a) Shell report openly and honestly on its activities and their effects, through financial and sustainability reporting. According to Shell, they have â€Å"voluntarily reported on our environmental and social performance since 1997 because this performance matters to our stakeholders and to our business success† (Shell International B.V. 2010a). This provides a consistent avenue for communication with stakeholders. The greatest volume of resources dedicated to mitigating conflict can be found in Shell’s social programmes. A brief review of its website reveals that it has no fewer than seven separate social programmes, which focus on a myriad of topics, from sustainable development, to road safety, to HIV/AIDS (Shell International B.V. 2010e). There is an underlying conflict however that is not so easy to identify, and which is not evidently addressed in the mitigation measures. It is the diversity of the stakeholders that presents Shell with perhaps the biggest challenge of all. In order to truly balance stakeholder needs, Shell must consider the cultures in which it operates, and strive to understand â€Å"the richness and strength of the many different facets of diversity, including age, gender, colour, race, ethnicity, religion, differing abilities (physical and cognitive), sexuality, socio-cultural and economic background† (Benson and Rice 2009c, p.2). This will not only affect the way in which it must represent itself in each region, but it will also have a great impact on the internal development of its teams in order to maximize performance.  Again, the management of differences between cultures becomes the management of conflict. d) Conclude by taking the key elements of your observations in steps a-c regarding Shell in order to make a recommendation for other organisations to consider implementing the approach of balancing Stakeholder needs as a means to business success? Shell Oil began as an antiques dealer in London, who diversified into importing shells from the Far East in 1833 (Shell International B.V. 2010f). This is a far cry from the multinational petrochemical company of today that is a recognized symbol around the globe. The business success that has propelled Shell from local antiques store to global giant will not have happened by accident. It will be well calculated and methodically achieved. This outstanding business success will certainly provide many other organizations with insight regarding balancing stakeholder needs which will be beneficial. First and foremost is the need for vision and leadership. Business success on the scale of Shell Oil cannot be achieved without establishing a vision of what that success will look like, and how to get there. A properly composed and communicated vision will essentially be the battle cry that enlists all of your stakeholders to joining in and making the increased business success a reality. To accompany this, it is necessary to embrace the ideas of leadership over management, after all, â€Å"No one yet has figured out how to manage people effectively into battle, they must be led† (Kotter 1990, p.104). Once a vision has been communicated, it will quickly lose momentum if the stakeholders are not informed of its progress. Tools to measure and disseminate the organisation’s and individual’s performance to the vision should be developed. No matter how inspiring the vision and enthusiastic the leadership, effective teams who are able to perform will be essential. Dependent on the type of organization, and its particular stakeholders, the team dynamic required to meet expectations will be different. For example, the approach to technical innovation required by Shell will not be needed in a non-profit organization that gives support to individuals through social programming. Research into effective team structures for the desired outcome is highly recommended. While no one group of stakeholders should overshadow the rest, it is perhaps the employees who will have the most complex needs to balance against the other stakeholders. Every organisation should ensure that the balance of stakeholder needs promotes positive employee motivation  in order to achieve its envisioned business success. A study of motivational theories should be undertaken to understand the various factors, before assessing them within the organisation. As concluded in Question b), Shell has heavily promoted its ability to meet the job development and recognition needs of its employees, though it may have fallen down on fulfilling needs such as job and personal security. This will in part be owing to research and feedback directly from their employees. The employees most valuable to Shell and achieving its vision may be those who are eager to participate in the innovative and technical projects that Shell has to offer, and are willing to sacrifice in other areas as a result. Every organisation should work with its employees to determine what their needs are against the desired outcomes of the company, before assessing how these needs will fit into the balance of stakeholders. An organisation who is striving to achieve business success would benefit from approaching the balancing of stakeholder needs as if it were the management of differences in needs, in other words, conflict management. Consistent communication will be required with each stakeholder group in order to identify and discuss potential conflicts. This will allow the introduction of appropriate mitigation measures within the balance. It is acknowledged that not every organisation will be conducting multinational business; however careful research into the diversity of the stakeholders is recommended. This will allow the organisation to harness the differences within its stakeholder groups, with a view to maximising potential for performance. This report has summarised some of the key areas addressed by Shell Oil in its balancing of stakeholder needs, and has made some high level recommendations for other organisations to consider. Any organisation that is keen to achieve business success will no doubt find value in research regarding Shell’s approach. References Benson, A., and Rice, M., 2009a. Developing and Sustaining Effective Teams Guide 2: What are you there for? Setting Objectives. London: Royal College of Nursing. Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115.pdf [Accessed 02 February 2010]. Benson, A., and Rice, M., 2009b. Developing and Sustaining Effective Teams Guide 6: Some thoughts about conflict. London: Royal College of Nursing. Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115.pdf [Accessed 02 February 2010]. Benson, A., and Rice, M., 2009c. Developing and Sustaining Effective Teams Guide 4: Is everyone involved? Diversity. London: Royal College of Nursing. Available from: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115.pdf [Accessed 02 February 2010]. Boddy, D., 2008. Management: An Introduction. 4th ed. Edinburgh: Pearson Edutcation. Kotter, J.P., 1990. What Leaders Really Do. Harvard Business Review, 68 (3), 103-111. Available from: Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost [Accessed 31 March 2010). Lindsay R. and Pagnamenta, R., 2010. Shell tries to appease investors with caps on pay. The Times, 17 February. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/movers_and_shakers/article7029759.ece [Accessed 21 April 2010]. Royal Dutch Shell plc, 2005. Shell General Business Principles. The Hague: Shell International Limited. Availa ble from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/who_we_are/our_values/sgbp/sgbp_30032008.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010a. Our approach to reporting. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/approach_to_reporting/our_approach/our_approach_to_reporting_26042007.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010b. Jobs Careers. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/careers/ [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010c. Rewards Benefits. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/careers/professionals/rewards_and_benefits/professionals_rewards_benefits_13092006.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010d. Meet Our Professionals. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/page/careers/our_people/tool/app_xp_meet_ou r_people.html [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010e. Programmes. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available from: http://www.shell.com/home/content/environment_society/society/our_neighbours/social_investment/programmes/ [Accessed 03 April 2010]. Shell International B.V., 2010f. The beginnings. The Hague: Shell International B.V.. Available