Contents Page
Task 1
Aims for the system 1
Possible requirements for the web based system 1-3
Task 2
Resource allocation 3-4
Importance of timescales 4-5
Required resources 5
Timescales for each activity 6-7
Task 3
How the autocratic leaders help/hinder the project? 7
How the democratic leaders help/hinder the project? 7-8
Implications of having leaders with different styles 8
How effective leadership can overcome the problems 9
Task 4
Communication related problems and solutions to it 10-12
Task 5
Possible areas where mentoring/coaching is needed for new employees 13
Mentoring, Coaching and how each one can help Antiques 2000 13- 16
References 17
Bibliography 18
Task 1
Aims/Objectives for the Antiques 2000 web based system
The objectives for the web based system includes: Make use of the web based system to reach more clients. Use the web based system to make sure that the company will have secure transaction with the clients. Provide easier shopping experience to clients. Reduce the fear of clients on the use of the internet as a shopping venue.
Possible requirements for the web based system
The web based system should provide information on Antiques 2000, its history, its mission and vision, its branches and the people involved with the company. It should help the company inform the clients who are located in a far place about their products and where do they get such products. The homepage of Antiques 2000 should provide information about the overall contents of the site. It should contain the different choices on what product is available and the different subcategories of the company’s products. The homepage of Antiques 2000 should have an option of changing the language so that clients from other countries can understand the content of the site. Such function will enable the user to just click a part of the site and wait for it to transform in their desired language and text. This requirement of the web based system has a non technical restriction. Its restriction is the cost of hiring people to translate the website to different languages. The developers of the web based system have to hire people fluent in different languages. Moreover the homepage should contain short descriptions of some of the products and what does a certain client think about the company’s product. Antique 2000s web based system should be easy to use because of its simple design and understandable contents. It should be free from complicated signs and symbols that can confuse the client. It should make use of graphics and pictures that gives assistance to the user on what to click if they need certain information. This requirement of the web based system has a technical restriction. The restriction is longer uploading times due to the graphics and pictures. As more pictures are placed additional minutes will be needed to complete the uploading of the system and its contents.
The web based system should feature a support and help section which can guide the user in navigating the website. It should make the client feel how important they are to the firm. The page layout of Antique 2000’s web based system should be simple yet informative wherein all the needed information and related information can be a few clicks away. Antique 2000‘s web based system should have obvious section names wherein the user doesn’t have to use a dictionary to know what a certain section means. Antique 2000’s web based system should contain understandable information on certain aspects of the product. The website should provide the needed information on each of the company’s product. Antique 2000’s website should also feature quotes about the product and information on why a client should buy the product. The non technical restriction of such requirement is the possible questioning on the responses of clients and how credible are those who gave their comments on a product. Five months would be used to create the web based system. During these months the system would have been properly tested and maintained. ,000 was the budget for the system. ,000 would be used to purchase the materials such as the computers, books, internet connection, servers and other important hardware. The computer that will be used should commit less errors, it should be fast and dependable. The books will help the developers of the system to construct the best system. It would help them know the means to make sure that the system would commit minimal errors and would be virus free. The internet connection would be another means for the developers to research about similar systems and know what should be done so that Antiques 2000 system would be better than others. The internet connection would help in testing the system. ,000 would be used to pay for the developers and consultants. The developers and consultants would be groups not employed by the firm. They would be the group behind system development.
Task 2
Resource allocation
Decisions taken by firms are part of a wider process that leads to an allocation of resources within the economy. This means that firms allocate capital, hire workers, and buy raw materials in order to produce certain products. These are the products available to satisfy consumers’ wants. Firms are involved in allocating some scarce resources so that they cannot also be used in any other activity simultaneously An allocation of resources is productively inefficient when it is possible to produce more of some product without producing less of any other product, and efficient when this cannot be done or when the only way to produce more of one product is to produce less of some other product. Allocative efficiency is defined as a situation in which it is impossible to change the pattern of production of goods in any way so as to make someone better off without making someone else worse off (Chrystal & Lipsey 1997). Changing the pattern of production implies producing more of some goods and less of others, which in turn means moving from one point on the production-possibility frontier to another. Resources are said to be used efficiently when it is impossible, by using them to produce a different bundle of goods, to make any one person better off without making at least one other person worse off (Chrystal & Lipsey 1997). Resource allocation is the process of using available resources so that a company will achieve goals for the future. It is the process of determining the best resource that will be used to achieve overall goals. Resource allocation may be chosen using computer programs. The programs are used to automatically and dynamically distribute resources to the section of a company that needs it.
Importance of timescales
Timescales and the allocation of time in project planning are important to ensure that there would be a specific time for every action in the project. Having timescales and time allocation helps in reducing the risk of concentrating too much on only one activity and neglecting the others. The timescales and resources can help in determining how long the project will be completed, it will determine if the project will achieve much success. The timescale will guide the project so that time will not be wasted on unneeded things. The timescale will set the boundaries for the different activities in the project to create a web based system. The timescale will determine the different actions that will be done on a specific time on the project. The resources will provide the things that will be used in completing the project
Required resources
Antique 2000 will need financial resource. The finances or funds can come from either the parent company or from other sources like investors. The funds will be used to pay for the different expenses of the firm. In providing excellent service to the clients, Antique 2000 has to have a dedicated staff that will perform well. This staff must know that the service they give to the client can help the company have a positive or negative image. The staff of the company should be trained well to ensure that the best service can be given to the clients. The company should make sure that it hires promising individuals that can assist in the company’s task of reaching their goals. If the company is successful in its initial run the company should provide various financial and compensation packages to their employees. This ensures that for every effective service the employees do they are greatly rewarded. The company should recognize and give awards to employees who perform above standards. The company makes sure that it maintains a good image, positive character and acceptable reputation. The company adjusts its premium pricing and interest rates on the situation on the environment. It makes sure that the core value of hard work, dedication and service is maintained. These intangible traits contribute to the increase in the number of clients and the maintenance of its current clients.
Timescales for each activity
The first stage of the project will take around 2 days. If the first stage of the project starts on May 22, 2009 it should end on May 22, 2009. The first stage focuses on the initiation on the project. During this week the team will make sure that all requirements for the web based system has been included. The second stage of the project is the creation of the web based system. The second stage of the project will take nine days as programming and design of a website and web based system takes some amount of time. If the creation of the web based system starts on May 22, 2009 it should end on May 31, 2009. Commendable programming and web design tools will be used. The third stage of the project will take two days for proper adjustments. If this stage starts on May 31, 2009 it should end on June 02, 2009. In this stage the project is on the testing stage wherein the goal is to slowly try the web based system, check its capabilities and look for probable errors. Some members of the organization will be assigned to test and comment on the web based system. The last stage of creation and implementation of the web based system will focus on evaluation of the site. This will check how the web based system succeeded in its goal and what can still be done to improve the system. The last stage of the project will take around one day. If this stage of the project started on June 02, 2009 it should end on June 03 2009 which is the third week since the first stage started.
Task 3
How the autocratic leaders can help/hinder the project?
The autocratic leader makes all the decisions in an organization in terms of being the absolute center of authority and control. A major advantage of working for the strict autocratic leader is that the leader will decide for the group and then take responsibility if the decision results to failure. The disadvantage is that creativity is stifled and individual development is neglected (Shell 2003). Andy Patel and Kerry Mason would have total sense of authority over the organization; they would use forceful means to make the personnel perform under their standards. Leaders such as Andy Patel and Kerry Mason will dictate or impose their ideas on the project and will not accept any ideas. The good thing about is Andy Patel and Kerry Mason can force the members of the team to perform at their best.
How the democratic leaders can help/hinder the project?
The democratic leader listens to the personnel’s ideas and he uses the ideas to make decisions regarding the performance of the firm. In this type of leadership style the personnel know that they have been consulted with regards to the decision making process, this minimizes resistance (Cheng et al., 1998).
John Alger and Sue Wong will help in encouraging the team members to provide their ideas on the project and give their insight on what the system should look like. John Alger and Sue Wong can provide words that will encourage the team members. On the other hand John Alger and Sue Wong can reduce the discipline of the team members since they have tendency to be complacent. Loss of discipline can result to reduced performance.
Implications of having leaders with different leadership styles
Leadership styles by contrast can be categorized according to the actual behavior of leaders faced by particular situations. (Haus, Heinelt & Stewart, 2004). A range of leadership styles may be appropriate for joint working dependent on the personal characteristics evident in the leaders reflecting the degree of charisma, commitment, persuasion, ambition etc. which rest within any individual (Haus, Heinelt & Stewart 2004). Having leaders with different leadership style can cause conflicts and clashes of ideas and personalities. As the conflicts grow the leaders and the personnel would lose their focus on the completion of the project. At some point having different leadership styles can help in maintaining the check and balance in the project and in the firm. Andy Patel and Kerry Mason can call the attention of John Alger and Sue Wong when they believe that the democratic leaders are allowing unacceptable behavior from the team members/ personnel. John Alger and Sue Wong can call the attention of Andy Patel and Kerry Mason when they believe that the autocratic leaders are too harsh on the team members/personnel.
How effective leadership can overcome the problems
Leadership is a process involving social interaction, and like all such processes, the question of what behaviors are desirable must be understood within the social context. The appropriateness and desirability of leadership and other social behavior is determined by the values of the culture in which the behavior occurs (Chemers 1997). Effective leadership was an if-then proposition with some leaders being effective in some situations, but not others. It was also quite clear that leadership, like other social psychological phenomena, was dependent on a subtle set of interpersonal relationships rooted in a particular context of task and authority. Effective leadership is dependent on a leader’s ability to overcome biases based on quick or ego-protective judgments. The work-related values that people hold affect their reactions to leadership. Values determine the specific traits and behaviors that make up the prototype of an effective leader. They influence the needs and expectations that people bring to the leader-follower relationship. They affect the ways in which the characteristics of the organizational environment are perceived and addressed (Chemers 1997). Effective leadership tends to reduce the conflicts in the project even if the leaders have different styles. Effective leadership can be used to create some sort of compromise or agreement among the democratic and autocratic leaders of Antique 2000. One of the four leaders of Antique 2000 should initiate an agreement with the others to reduce the conflicts they have with regards to the leadership styles used. One should act as the interim leader that will mend the problems of the firm.
Task 4
Communication related problems and solutions to it
People tend to assume that everyone has the same understanding of the messages that they do and they expect their communications to be judged solely by the content as they perceive it. Though this perception is very common, it is inaccurate and is, in fact, an incomplete and unrealistic expectation. Major communication problems occur when people automatically assume this identical interpretation of the message. Effective communication takes place only when a bridge is built between content and emotional impact, connecting the two components and assuring that both are given equal consideration (Chambers 2001). There are five communication related problems that Antiques 2000 has to face as the web based system project is implemented. The following lists the different communication related problems for Antiques 2000:
Miscommunication among the members of the project team
As the web based system is implemented there will be times that miscommunication will happen. As the web based system of Antiques 2000 operates, the personnel might receive a message from the leaders but they will not heed to the message and fail to follow what was instructed. This will cause the autocratic leaders to punish the personnel even if they did not commit something wrong. To solve such communication related problem, Antiques 2000 need to use proven internet communication tools like e-mails, instant messaging services. Leaders of antiques 2000 can also use bulletin boards posted on different branches. The bulletin boards will serve as one of the primary means of communication between the leaders and the personnel. It should not be erased unless an order has been made.
Overlapping messages
As the leaders and members perform their job in implementing the web based design there might come a time where too much message is transferred from one person to another. The importance of implementing the web based system created the need for the leaders and members of Antiques 2000 to pass on messages to each other. This messages can either be verbal or non verbal. Because of the need to pass important verbal and nonverbal messages, there will come a time that messages will overlap. This creates a new conflict in the firm. This creates difficulty to understand a message whether such message is in verbal or non verbal form. To solve such problem an organized means of message sending can be used. Leaders will only give messages that are very important; the members cannot send many messages to each other if there is no need for it. All message cannot be send immediately unless there is an urgent need for it.
Misinterpretation of messages
Some messages can be given a different meaning from what was the original idea. If one of the leaders of Antiques 2000 gave a message on the date and time of maintenance for the web based system, there might be a time where one personnel will misinterpret the message and does some maintenance work on a different time and date. This will lead to sudden change in plans and unannounced delay of service. To solve such problem the firm needs to train both the leaders and the members to listen carefully and understand the message. Trainings on proper listening and interpretation will be needed to reduce the instance of misinterpretation.
Alteration of messages
One probable communication related problem for Antiques 2000 is alteration of messages. As message is sent from the leaders to the members, members to the leaders or members to members there might come a time that the message is altered. Alteration to the message may be intentional or not but it may cause bigger conflicts in the firm and it causes the inability to reach goals. To solve such problem attitude adjustment should be given to those who cause such problem.
Conflict of opinion
One probable communication related problem for Antiques 2000 is conflict of opinion. The ideas of the leaders might differ from the ideas of the members. This will cause differing solutions to problem. To solve this problem the company needs to know the characteristics of its members. Leaders and members of Antiques 2000 should have skills to anticipate the ideas of others to prevent conflicts due to different opinion.
Task 5
Possible areas where mentoring/coaching is needed for new employees
Once the web development system is in full effect, new employees/ school leavers would be needed to accompany tasks. Mentoring/coaching will be needed in the area of introducing the whole process of the company to the new employees. Mentoring/coaching will help the new employee to adjust to Antiques 2000, the processes within it and its different divisions. Mentoring/coaching will help the managers of Antiques 2000 to narrate their experiences to the school leavers who want to be the new employees of the company.
Mentoring, Coaching and how each one can help Antiques 2000
Mentoring occurs when older employees develop special helping relationships with younger employees. Mentors can help their protégés in many ways. For example, they can provide training, reveal hidden aspects of an organization interpret ambiguous work experiences, act as advocates or guardians, and offer sympathy. Such help makes new employees more likely to succeed in part by improving their socialization. Although mentoring is a natural phenomenon, there are ways in which it might be managed by organizations. When these management attempts succeed, mentoring becomes a socialization tactic (Turner 2001). For example, an organization can encourage mentoring by educating employees about its benefits, by providing models of successful mentor/protégé relationships, by rewarding mentors for their helpfulness, and so on. A more direct approach is to match protégés with mentors and then try to regulate their relationships with one another. These programs raise complex issues, such as who should participate, how protégés and mentors are best matched, what mentoring activities to prescribe, and how to respond if mentoring relationships fail. If such issues are not resolved, a mentoring program will be ineffective and may even do more harm than good (Turner 2001).Mentoring programs can succeed but informal mentoring relationships may be more helpful to newcomers than formal relationships that are created through mentoring programs. In fact, doubts about the value of such programs have to argue that most organizations should just encourage mentoring, rather than trying to regulate it. Mentoring can also help new employees to succeed, but some workers especially women and minorities may have trouble finding older colleagues who are willing and able to become their mentors. That is one reason why many organizations have tried to develop formal mentoring programs ((Lick & Mullen 1999). Mentoring is useful, but only for those few newcomers lucky enough to become protégés. There is little evidence as yet that mentoring can be tactical-even competent and likable newcomers may have difficulty establishing mentoring relationships. Collaboration among newcomers can be problematic. Newcomers may have limited contact with one another or believe that it is better to compete rather than cooperate. Even when collaboration is possible, it may be unwise for newcomers to rely on each other for advice or information, because they usually know far less than other employees about the organization. Mentoring usually involves efforts by supervisors to help new employees who work for them and information dissemination is often aided by social networks among employees (Lick & Mullen 1999).Mentoring is concentrated on having a good relationship between an older and younger employee, with the secondary goal of making the younger employee an asset of the company. With mentoring comes a better relationship between the older and younger employee. It also provides an opportunity for the mentor to divulge what he/she want to happen to the company for the protégé’ to act on it in the future. Mentoring can help the new employees of Antiques 2000 to slowly understand the procedures done in Antiques 2000; it will help the new employees who are mostly school leavers to develop a good relationship with the managers of the company. Mentoring is a form of passing the torch from older members of Antiques 2000 to the newer members.
Coaching is fundamentally a high-impact interaction. Coaches influence the beliefs and attitudes of the leaders they work with and help them expand their options when responding to difficult situations. The coach’s role is to affect the leader’s thinking and behavior in ways that may not only have broad-based business results but can be important to the leader’s career for years to come. Coaching, in general, is a process that requires commitment, honesty, diplomacy, and insight into human nature (Kolberg & Weiss, 2003). Coaching for competencies is distinctive because it goes beyond helping someone solve an immediate problem. It is making a longer-term commitment to the development of that person’s leadership potential. Specifically, coaching for competencies is a process that fosters awareness and ongoing, sustained behavioral change, using data from multiple sources that leads to enhanced business success (Rogers 2004). To offer useful career coaching, he/she needs to explore issues that go beyond the workplace and take into account the whole person, his or her stage in life, family issues, and lifestyle and turns based on a combination of what people thought they were good at in school, what people learn about ourselves from the experiences they have had, what they have been successful in, and what opportunities came their way. Perhaps they were lucky enough to have a coach or mentor along the way. Maybe life experiences outside the job, such as a new baby or a divorce, have also impacted choices people felt they needed to make about work (Rogers 2004). Coaching provides a more organized way for the leaders in Antiques 2000 to divulge information needed by employees so that they can be an asset for a company. In coaching the relationship between an older and younger employee may or may not develop. Coaching enables the managers of Antiques 2000 to give orders to the new employees of the company. In coaching the managers dictate to the newer employees’ actions they believe are the most appropriate and acceptable. In coaching the managers of Antiques 2000 are given more freedom to mold the newer employees according to their own idea of a good employee. Coaching and mentoring can provide assistance to the management in making sure that the newer employees will be able to adjust to the company, its strategies and future paths. With proper motivation and guidance from mentors and coaches newer employees will have a better performance. With proper guidance from mentors and coaches newer employees can help in achieving the company’s goal.
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