The Washoe Indian Tribe of Nevada Essay Example for Free

The Washoe Indian Tribe of Nevada Essay The Washoe Indians resided around Lake Tahoe in Nevada and nearby the Great Basin. The Native American People lived near the western Great Basin, where the Washoe lands were the first areas to be settled. For reasons of survival, the Washoe Indian tribe migrated to more economically feasible areas, due to the loss of their hunting grounds, in the valley and their prior ways of life were taken over by farms that needed hired hands, and the large demand for charcoal and lumber. The Washoe tribes moved toward the cities and areas that held employment, where they could support themselves and their families and other areas where farms and ranches were available to them for sources of employment. Before the Washoe tribe met up with Europeans, the Washoe people’s territory was surrounded by the southern shore of the Honey Lake in the north, and west fork of the Walker River in the south and the Sierra Nevada crest in west and the first range east of the Sierra Nevada in the east. Usually the Washoe tribe would spend their summers in the Sierra Nevada, while they would move to the east mountain ranges and when winter rolled in, they would spend the cold months, plus the spring season in the valleys between the east and west areas. â€Å"The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California is a federally recognized, self-governing tribe headquartered in Gardnerville, Nevada. It was organized pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act of June, 18, 1934, as amended.† we learn from the Government Home of Nevada and California. (Honoring our Elders, 2007) â€Å"The Washoe Tribe is a sovereign nation and has supreme authority over the Washoe people, tribal lands, and its own operations.† We are also told that, â€Å"The tribal government has jurisdiction over trust and allotments in both Nevada and California, with additional tribal trust parcels located in Alpine, Placer, Sierra, Douglas, Carson and Washoe Counties.† These counties are governed by a Tribal Council and Chairman, the Washoe Tribe in which the tribe is led. (Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, 2007) â€Å"In a personal committee announcement, for the Washoe Indian Tribe, we learn that â€Å"The Washoe Indian Tribe Human Resources Department is seeking interested tribal members to serve on the Personnel Committee.† This Indian Council meets monthly in making recommendations for the Tribal Council with regards to employment related issues. Any individuals, who are chosen to serve on the Indian committee, must be enrolled as a Washoe Tribal member. We learn from (Honoring Our Elders, 2007) that, â€Å"The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California operates a variety of grant-funded programs†, which are used for schools, including Head Start Programs and Native Temporary Assistance to Needy Families is used to promote healthy and thoughtful development of children and their families in Washoe communities. The Washoe Indians are self contained and remain a great part of our Native American history. Reference Page Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada. (2007) Programs Honoring Our Elders. (2007) The Government Home of Nevada and California. Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada. (2007) Personnel Committee Announcement.

Study On What Is Reflection Nursing Essay

Study On What Is Reflection Nursing Essay This assignment looks at the study of theoretical reflection in conjunction with how effective communication skills can be developed to expand our knowledge. To achieve this I will explain what reflection practice is using models of reflection; evaluate theories of personal development what they are and how they are used. Discuss how reflective practice benefits communication skills and in turn influence our knowledge of nursing care. What is reflection? In scientific terms reflection is seen as light, heat or sound striking a surface to give off a reflection (Darlene 2006). Reflection is also seen as philosophical understanding of how one can gain knowledge through experience and use different approaches to the same scenario (ref). Reflection can be described as; meditation, deep thinking and or giving careful considerations to possibilities and opinions of a given situation (Mcferran and Martin 2008). The novel idea of reflection rose from a theorist John Dewey (1859-1952); his proposed view on reflection is described as persistent, active thinking and taking into consideration the supporting evidence that forms knowledge to the given situation. This theorist suggests that the person uses their mind and emotions to facilitate reflection (Bulman and Schutz 2008). This suggests that John Dewey describes reflective individuals has being open-minded, responsible and wholehearted (Vaugn and Leblanc 2011). Deweys perception of reflection was a platform for many authors to elaborate on in terms of understanding reflective practice. Johns and Freshwater (2005) propose that health professionals should find the meaning of reflection through description rather than definition because to define reflection is to suggest the author has authority over its meaning. This in turn allows reflections models and frameworks to be used intuitively giving a more holistic approach, it can be subjective and purpose driven (Johns and Freshwater 2005). Mann et al (2007) describes Schons (1983) view that reflection can happen in two ways: reflecting upon activities whilst they are happening called reflection in action (present reflection) and reflecting upon activities once they have happened (reflecting on the past). Reflection can also be seen as the engine that facilitates superficial learning into finding a deeper understanding that enables the practitioner to transform what is known to knowledge in action (Boud et al 1985 cited in Rolfe et al 2011). Reflection (Broad overview) Describe some of the different theories and models of reflection that are available and how they are used. Explain how reflection can aid personal development. Schon, reflection on and in action Models of reflection, Driscolls, Atkins and Murphy, Gibbs, Johns, Kolb. 750 words Reflection Model and frameworks There are many different models of reflection which seem to have similar philosophical theories attached to each approach. Rolfe et al (2011) asserts models are methodologies and frameworks are methods used to understand and give guidance on how use the chosen reflective model and models therefore are ontological this mean they have formal specifications for representing ideas and concepts that aim to improve personal growth and development. Models of reflection developed by Schon and Argyris (1992) involves three elements: (1) knowing-in-action (2) reflection-in-action and (3) reflection-on-practice (Ghaye and Lillyman 2010). Ghaye and Lillyman (2010) have extrapolated Schons work to include knowing-in-action; they propose that practitioners customise and tailor their own knowledge or theories to the situation presented. Knowing in action is described further by Carper (1978) who identifies five approaches to knowing in action; empirical, personal, ethical and aesthetic knowing ( Newton and McKenna 2009). Empirical knowing is the formation of knowledge organised into general laws and theories for the describing and predicting phenomena pertaining to nursing practice (Averill and Clements 2007). Empirical means of knowledge tends to seek out theoretical explanation which can be replicated and be publicly verifiable (Newton and McKenna 2009). Newton and McKenna (2009) further suggest that empirical knowledge can only be effective when it is interpreted within the context of given clinical situation and how it is assimilated into practitioners personal knowledge. Personal knowing described by Carper (1978) is about finding out how much we know about ourselves when faced with clinical challenges and that health care professionals may not necessarily know about the self but do strive to know about the self. Newton and McKenna (2009) state that Caper (1978) does reiterate that it is difficult to master however it is an essential in understanding nursing care. Newton and McKenna (2009) suggest that personal knowing demands a deeper level of understanding and awareness to communicate and interact with ourselves and others. This type of knowing requires the nurse to be empathic, nurse attempt to do this by developing a personal yet professional relationship between the patients as opposed to viewing a patient as an object (Newton and McKenna 2009). Moral actions and ethical choices are intertwined with personal knowing to which Carper (1978) suggests presupposes personal maturity and freedom. Ethical knowing is about the moral aspect of nursing that is concerned with making choices, making justifiable actions and judging outcomes (Newton and McKenna 2009). The main focus of ethical knowing is trained towards issues of obligations that would require rationalisation and deliberate reasoning (Carper 1992). Chinn and Kramer (2004) suggest that rational can be expressed through codes, moral rules and decision-making. Newton and McKenna (2009) assert that having knowledge of moral issues is not isolated to ethical codes of nursing disciplines for example the Code of Conduct written by the NMC (2010). Newton and McKenna (2009) assert that ethical knowing is only partly learnt through applying codes and moral rules but is more through experiencing situations that initiate reflection upon what is or has happened and how this affects patient care. Aesthetic knowing is the process that is involved in understanding the given clinical situation by interpreting the information provided and how it impacts others involved in the situation (Johns 1994). Aesthetic knowing allows nurses to use their judgment and skill to respond in clinical situations often referred to as the art of nursing (Johns and Freshwater 2005, Bulman and Schutz 2008). Newton and McKenna (2009) assert that there is an essential component attached to aesthetic knowing which is having empathy, which gives the patient reassurance that the practitioner is able to experience another persons feeling and situation the patient is faced with. Gibbs( date) Driscoll(dates)and Kolb ( date)all conjured reflective models which are each similar to one another; they are all cyclical reveals that learning through reflection about what is or what has happened is continuous cycle. Gibbs et al (1988) model please see appendix 1 (a) Do you know of any other models that perhaps dont take on such a cyclical approach†¦ consider the work of Chris Johns, Mezirow, Boud et al also†¦. How do they compare and contrast with each other? Why might one model of reflection suit one situation or context better than another?Think about which models promote single loop or double loop learning if you can. Reflective practice (Specific) Give an overview of how reflection is used in nursing. Explain its relevance to nursing and how and when it is used. Explore the concepts of reflective practice and critical incident analysis. Introduce use of reflection for personal development. CPD, self regulation. Identify the different situations where reflection can be used. Skills V critical Incidents what is a critical incident. 750 words Reflective practice is seen has using reflective techniques to improve, maintain change in clinical procedures and influence guidelines to encourage greater safety of patients in all areas of health organisations (Bulman and Schutz 2008). Health care organisations in the UK have undergone and still continue to undergo changes to how it is regulated (Rolfe et al 2011). The emphasis is largely associated with increasing patient safety and risk reduction (Rolfe et al 2011). The four main bodies in the UK; Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) and General Social Care Council (GSCC) and General Medical Council (GMC) which are concerned with the controlling, training and regulating of the healthcare system in UK (Rolfe et al 2011). Evidence-based studies have taught the NHS and regulatory bodies how to change practices and procedures to create better outcomes for patients, they have also encompassed further development for staff to promote a better use of resources through continuing professional development CPD (Ghaye and Lillyman 2010). An example of this could be the pressure sore nurses taking on the responsibility of giving guidance to non-specialist nurses to take care of patients with such conditions. This could not have been achieved if it was not for reflective thinking being part of the learning process (ref). How do we use reflective practice within our day to day practice? Consider the approaches that mentors take when supporting students, look at the principles involved in preceptorship and clinical supervision†¦ Communication skills (Application) Discuss and analyse how reflection can be utilised to improve your communication skills in practice. Explore how and when you would use it. What practical steps would you take and what resources would you utilise and why. Link reflection in and on action to communication situations giving information (in), breaking bad news (on), then use of journals, models, writing, peer support. 750 words Conclusion Sum up 500 words You have made a solid start at this assignment so far and have introduced many ideas which are relevant to the topic. These themes now need to be explored in greater detail . You have a slight tendency to introduce theoretical concepts ( not all of which are uncomplicated) without fully explaining their meaning†¦. Take care to avoid this as just mentioning them does not mean that you understand them and we will be looking for evidence of understanding. You also need to pay attention to your sentence construction as there are several poorly constructed sentences noted so far†¦. Make sure that when you lift them from the text you have referred to , that you do adapt them to make sense in the context that you are trying to use them. I would like to have a look at this piece when it has been developed a bit more. You are definitely heading in the right direction though and overall have made an effective start.

Elements of Fiction in Danielle Steel’s Mixed Blessings :: Danielle Steel Mixed Blessings Essays

Elements of Fiction in Danielle Steel’s Mixed Blessings Danielle Steel, in her work of fiction, Mixed Blessings, has effectively used plot, setting, and theme as she weaves a powerful tale of three couples who face decisions about having children that will test, in unexpected ways, the ties that bind them as lovers, partners, and friends. Steel has used these elements to emphasize that there are people who have such a great need and love for children. In Mixed Blessings, she represents women radically and optimistically as shown by Diana Goode, Barbie Mason, and Pilar Graham, unlike the negative representation of womanhood in the movie version of her other novel, The Ring, where Kassandra feels that taking her own life would save her children and her husband from the shame of her unfaithfulness. First, there is a major plot structure in Mixed Blessings, the plot of complications. Right from the beginning, Steel portrays the female characters in terms of their dreams, careers, and their curiosity about having a family. For instance, Diana is the middle child amongst three sisters; her goal is to classically strive to be better, smarter, and more successful. She feels that she has to achieve something more than her sisters have done. Gayle, Diana’s older sister has a dream of attending medical school, but she happily succumbs to marriage temptation. In fact, in Steel’s own words Gayle’s situation is described as: Her oldest sister, Gayle, had been set on going to medical school until she met her husband in her first year of premed, married him that June, and instantly got pregnant. . . . Gayle never looked back at a career in medicine once. She was happily married, and satisfied to stay home with her girls and keep busy with them and her husband. She was the perfect doctor’s wife, intelligent, informed, and completely understanding about his hours as an obstetrician. (6) As the plot progresses, Diana has her own complications from the Intrauterine Device (IUD) she has been using for the past eighteen years. The IUD delayed her from having a child immediately after her marriage. Another aspect of plot that Steel has used in this novel is the reversal of fortune, where Diana, the young elegant looking woman, who knows where she is going and what she wants out of life, ends up being frustrated about inability to have a child.

The Mexican War by Otis A. Singletary Essay -- essays research papers

This book by Otis A. Singletary deals with different aspects of the Mexican war. It is a compelling description and concise history of the first successful offensive war in United States military history. The work examines two countries that were unprepared for war. The political intrigues and quarrels in appointing the military commanders, as well as the military operations of the war, are presented and analyzed in detail. The author also analyzes the role that the Mexican War played in bringing on the U.S. Civil War. The Mexican-American War of the 1840s, precipitated by border disputes and the U.S. annexation of Texas, ended with the military occupation of Mexico City by General Winfield Scott. In the subsequent treaty, the United States gained territory that would become California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Mr. Singletary has been remarkably successful, despite the brevity of his book, in describing with important details the Mexican War. The book can be break into two main parts. The first part gives background which explains different reasons that played a decisive role for the break out of the war, and it relates the different campaigns that allowed the invasion of northern Mexico and the city of Mexico. The second half of the book deals with the way politician and generals behave during the war, and the book ends touching the role played by diplomacy in this war. The book has been organized in chronological order, which g...

John Proctor Essay

This description adds an air of mystery to him – he seems subversive and breeds paranoia, which is bound to encourage the audience to dislike him. This unpleasantness about him rubs off on the characters who side with him such as Parris, Danforth and Abigail, and hence rubs off on the society that gets caught up in his hysterical witch-hunt. Similarly to Proctor therefore, we feel alienated from this society, so different to our own. So while characters such as Hale may be portrayed as popular in the community, and therefore as good citizens following the teachings of their society, the audience sees Proctor as a good man. Furthermore, as the audience comes to dislike this society more and more, partly due to Hale’s influence upon it, and as the events of the play become more serious, our disgust with Salem as a society grows. This leads us to side even more with the characters that are portrayed as ‘good people’ (not only Proctor, but those accused of witchcraft more generally such as Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor) and against the ‘good citizens’. This is simply due to the fact that the ‘good citizens’ chose to distinguish themselves from the ‘good people’ in the eyes of the audience by accusing them of witchcraft, thus forcing us to side against them. However, the audience’s sympathy with Proctor is perhaps not absolute. In his relationship/interaction with Elizabeth, we may find a darker, less appealing side to Proctor. When we first meet her, Elizabeth is â€Å"softly singing to the children†. She obeys John’s orders, seeming mild, sweet and gentle. This serves to instantly ingratiate her with the audience. But similarly, she gains our sympathy. She has the air of a repressed housewife. In obeying John’s every command, Elizabeth appeals to the hearts of the modern liberal audience living in an age of comparative equality. Everything down to the way she laments â€Å"Pray God. I hurt my heart to strip her, poor rabbit† makes her ever more sweet and sensitive and worthy of sympathy in the eyes of the audience. Because of the audience’s sympathies with Elizabeth, when Proctor begins to grow angry and shout at her, for the first time we are encouraged to side against Proctor. Elizabeth, seeming weak and sensitive plays on our sympathies, so when John shouts â€Å"Woman †¦ I’ll not have your suspicion any more†, the audience sees her as the victim of the ‘bully’, John. Even then however, John manages to redeem himself. Elizabeth’s sweetness does seem to have an effect on him. Eventually, he recognises Elizabeth for the good woman she is, and when he comes to resolve his inner battle between truth and life, he values her opinion above all others. He appears therefore, to be a man of some compassion. He begs her to judge him, something that he had rejected bitterly before then, and was the source of their original argument. In his own words â€Å"You are a – marvel, Elizabeth†. In Proctor’s struggle at the end of the play – his choice between a virtuous death and a haunted life – we see open, frank and emotional expressions of his goodness and compassion. Indeed, it is here that we see the true evidence that John Proctor really is a good man. Here, for the first time, he openly recognises his flaws – â€Å"I cannot mount the gibbet a saint †¦ Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that wasn’t rotten long before†. The audience now recognises him as a man of great humanity, who will own up to his past sins. Furthermore, his benevolence shines through in his recognition of Elizabeth as a better person than he. This is most prominently displayed in his desperation to be judged by her. He recognises her goodness and begs forgiveness, and when she sullies her own name his pain is most apparent: â€Å"PROCTOR (In great pain): Enough, enough – ELIZABETH (Now pouring out her heart): Better you should know me! PROCTOR: I will not hear it! I know you! † Never before has Proctor used such emotion as this, denoted by the short sentences, exclamation marks and short bursts of pained speech. It is clear that he loves Elizabeth above all other things, and would willingly die for her to think better of him. He is a man of true compassion and love. But most revealing of his good nature is Proctor’s ultimate choice. When it comes down to it, he cannot lie. As he tries to give the confession, he has great trouble in physically saying it. His jaws lock, we are told, as if God himself were intervening to stop a good Christian from sullying his name. His confession is short, pained and brief. He cannot bear to elaborate, simply uttering â€Å"I did †¦ He did† in answer to the charges against him. It is too much for this good man. He cannot darken his soul to save his life. He would rather die a good and honest Christian, than live a lie and stoop so low as those who interrogate and imprison him. It is here that he proves himself truly heroic, as he rises above the hypocrisy of Salem and dies a martyr to the cause of good and truth, and this he recognises himself – â€Å"I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. † Clearly then, John Proctor is absolutely the central character of ‘The Crucible’. He is purposely detached from Salem society and moulded into the key to a play with a deeper underlying meaning. In many ways he represents Miller himself, and shares a viewpoint with the modern audience, providing a window into a very different world. In order to do this it is vital that the audience sympathises entirely with his plight. His respectable and likeable character draws the audience to him, before Miller pits both him and us against the misguided witch-hunters – Miller’s own House Un-American Activities Committee. We side and sympathise with Proctor, just as Miller requires us to side and sympathise with him, before a greater evil. 6 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section. Download this essay Print Save Not the one?

Office Depot

â€Å"Office Depot† The First Office Depot opened in 1986 in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. The Office Depot is a global supplier of office products and services and has experienced a dramatic growth process over the past twenty-five years. In 1990 the Office Depot Companies bought â€Å"The Office Club Inc. †, and immediately became the largest office retailer in North America. Having built its business within the United States and having secured a firm business foundation, Office Depot expanded internationally in 1992. In 1996, Office Depot took its’ catalog and delivery service(s) online.Office Depot opened about 125 stores between the years 2000-2004. With the economic downturn of 2007, new strategies had to be put in place, and by 2009, 125 stores in international markets were closed. Office Depot exited the Japanese market entirely. Today, Office Depot provides office supplies and services through 1,678 retail stores worldwide, a dedicated sales force, top-rate d catalogs, and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of $11. 5 billion, employs roughly 39,000 employees, and serves customers in 61 countries.Their distribution channels include stores, direct mail, contract delivery, the internet, and B2B e-commerce. Viking Office Products, their wholly owned subsidiary, currently operates one of the industry’s leading direct mail marketers of office products worldwide. The competitive strategy that the Office Depot will approach is a â€Å" best-cost provider strategy† to become #1 in the office supply business. For online purchases, customers will be offered free shipping on any purchase over $25. 00. A promotional discount will be applied for 20% off, on the next purchase for every $100. 00 spent by the customer.There will be a rewards program for customers and businesses that continue to shop with Office Depot. Based on the number of office supply items purchased, the next item will be free and additional d iscounts will be applied to future purchases. After the retail store(s), prices will be lowered on items bought primarily by back-to-school customers and also year-round casual shoppers items. The retail stores will monitor active inventory for excess quantities and slow moving items and record adjustments as necessary to lower the price(s) if the anticipated realizable amount is below cost.Also, estimate and determine what items to stock and at what level, and what items to discontinue and how to value them prior to sale. The large-format retail stores will be reduced to half of the current square-footage, and staff will focus only on supplying consistently purchased merchandise. Items that tend to sit dormant at retail will be provided online only. If a retail store cannot maintain projected sales quotas, the store will be closed in that market area. New government contracts will be provided at 20% discount based on the number of office supplies purchased.Office Depot will retain business with local, state, and federal governments’ and non-profit organizations contracts by offering a lower cost than other competitors. Office Depots long term strategic direction is to be consumer focused in terms of product assortment, store layouts, new service offerings, and compelling pricing that sends a positive value message to its’ customers. This falls in line with the â€Å"best cost provider strategy† giving customers more value for the money while satisfying buyers’ expectations on key quality/features/performance/service attributes beating their price expectations.One of the main ways that Office Depot has responded was with its’ Magellan innovation, a three-year program which significantly enhanced IT capabilities. The new system will provide such benefits as improved forecasting, better support for planning, and improved profitability. This can be achieved through better utilization of store space, better pricing and data integ rity, better stocking, and reduced inventory with the end results benefiting the customer.In 2011 Office Depot announced that it is boosting their capital expenditure budget for 2012 to approximately $160 million, with a heavy emphasis on e-commerce and other IT investments. The retailers’ digital investments will be particularly important given its plans to shrink both the average size of its brick-and-mortar stores and its product assortments. Office Depots’ e-commerce sales have become an integral part of the company. Office Depot is the number (2) U. S. e-commerce retailer, second only to Amazon. com Inc.Office Depots’ aggressive Internet strategy has also generated twice the e-commerce sales of its’ rival Staples Inc. Office Depot SWOT Analysis Strengths: * Strong private label product line increases sales nationally and internationally. * Large, diverse customer base (individuals, small business, and large businesses) both nationally and overseas. * Company transitioning to smaller store format will increase presence in high growth markets. * As a direct result of negative economy, company has shuttered underperforming stores. * Cash liquid business with total assets of over four- billion dollars U.S. Weaknesses: * Little opportunity for real growth in U. S. market due to over-saturation. * Increases in competition in U. S. products market, combined with a reliance on low profit- margin electronics. * Due to the downturn of the economy coupled with continued nationally high unemployment rates†¦ sales, profits, and some business markets have diminished. * Accusations of overcharging Government Contract customers have been made public. Opportunities: * Money spent on office equipment and related items increasing among small and medium businesses. Increased ability to enter into more densely populated areas, while also reducing costs. * Increased opportunities of acquisitions due to strong cash reserves. * Increasing line of private label products geared towards â€Å"green† technology. Threats: * The global financial downturn. * High unemployment, coupled with an increase in office vacancies, compounded by low consumer confidence results in decreased spending. * Low cost/low quality imported equipment and products can lead to quality related issues. * Low switching costs increases competition and can lead to â€Å"price wars†.

Technology and Organizational Structure

Technology and Organizational Structure Wanda Armour University of Phoenix Technology and Organizational Structure This paper represents the research on how technology interacts with organizational structure. Two companies will be identified to compare and contrast their organizational structures. A matrix will be included to summarize the findings. Introduction Organizational structure in today’s complex multi-dimensional organizations is the connection that holds the infrastructure together to achieve the organizations goals.It is the patterns or arrangement of groups of jobs within an organization. It is also a process that requires organizational re-structuring as the company grows. Historically industry has shifted from the job-shop manufacturing to mass production, with innovative pioneers such as Frederick Taylor, Henri Fayol, and Max Weber ((Dristelzweig & Droege, n. d. ). These early pioneers were very different thinkers in terms of their principles to determine how t o structure organizations for maximum productivity.However, they all had a common view that it was like a machine and that power was in the position, not in the individual holding the position; clearly a vertical bureaucratic structural hierarchy ((Dristelzweig & Droege, n. d. ). This ‘one best way’ mindset gradually disappeared as concerns that the traditional organizational structure may hinder, rather than help promote creativity and innovation (Dristelzweig & Droege, n. d. ). Today, pressures in U. S. business structures to compete globally calls for a variety of organization structures.There is no ‘one fit all’ organizational structure that has proven effective in contributing to business success. Organizations operate in different environments with different opportunities, products, tasks, risks, strategies, constraints, strengths and weakness, and different organizational structures to meet those challenges (Reference for Business, n. d. ). There are two types of organizational structures found in business environments; centralized and decentralized. Centralized organizational structures rely on one individual to make decisions and provide direction or the company; decentralized organizations rely on a team environment at different levels of the business (Vitez, n. d. ). Organizational Structure Overview of Two Company’s Two very successful companies have been identified with different organizational structures; Toyota Motor Corporation and The Watson’s Creative Company. These two companies are on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of organizational structure. Toyota, a Japanese, multinational corporation, has a centralized matrix organizational structure (the combination of two or more different structures-organic/mechanistic) with a bureaucratic infrastructure.The Watson’s Creative Company, a New York based adverting agency, has a small-decentralized organic organizational structure (organizations that are flexible and effectively adapt to change) (Dorf & Byers, 2008). Toyota is considered by some as the world’s largest maker of automobiles, trucks, buses, and robots. Toyota has factories all around the world, that manufacture and assemble vehicles for local markets (Taneja, Pryer, & Sewell, 2012). Toyota has an interesting blend of mechanistic, organic and bureaucracy in a centralized organizational structure, which allows them to accommodate their versatile product line.This structure develops a workforce who believes in the company’s products, image, and vision; along with placing a high value on the welfare of its employees (Taneja et al. , 2012). A recent SWOT analysis shows that intense competition could pose a threat resulting in lower price pressures. A recent massive product recall (10 million worldwide) which could hurt the company’s brand image and sales ((Toyota, 2012). Toyota is a company that has a reputation for reliability; the challenge n ow is rebuilding the emotional ties of customers.A bureaucratic organizational structure could be the flaw as hindered information sharing, miscommunication; along with delayed response time to quality and safety issues have been sighted as the root cause of the recall (Taneja et al. , 2012). One of the disadvantages to a matrix organizational structure is keeping communication channels clear so that potential conflicts do not arise and hinder organizational functioning (Reference for Business, n. d. ). As corporations become worldwide the process of restructuring is inevitable, as they must respond to challenges on a global level.The foundation of Toyota is respect of its people and continuous improvement through the ‘Toyota Way’ which is summarized by five keywords; â€Å"Challenge,† â€Å"Kaizen,† â€Å"Genchi Genbutsu,† â€Å"Respect† and â€Å"Teamwork† (â€Å"The Toyota Way,† n. d). The Watson’s a Creative Company, is an ad agency. They have a decentralized organic organizational structure that is simple and low in formalization. All parts of the organization need each other as an interdependence relationship improves functioning.As an organic organization they need to stay flexible in dealing with customers and in creating concepts for television commercials and print advertisement (Field, n. d. ). I recently visited the Watson’s ad agency and I found a confortable informal environment with a small staff and their dogs. It seemed quite remarkable that a company with such clients as ‘Whole Foods’, ‘Metropolitan Home Magazine’ and many others could work as a community. However it is in line with their mission statement of building lasting relationships between great companies and the audiences they benefit (â€Å"The Watson’s,† n. . ). Their core competency is in their knowledge management and creativity. An organic organization such as The Watsonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s is a knowledge-based organization. Tacit knowledge is exchanged through interaction with other knowledge workers. This interaction facilitates the development of a knowledge culture within the organization, supporting decision making of various knowledge workers through collaboration (Hosnavi & Ramezan, 2011). How Structure Affects the use of Technology and Technology Decisions Technology plays a crucial role in today’s organizational structure.Toyota understood that the traditional understanding of centralization in organizational structure would fail to capture its vision of technological development, and value in the employee in the face of new challenges and demands. Toyota adopted a matrix organizational structure to facilitate technology decisions ((Hosnavi & Ramezan, 2011). The Watson’s on the other hand believe that technology decisions are based the decentralization of power and control and a higher level of informality and a organic organizational st ructure was the best fit for their company.Toyota’s superior technology was not enough in light of the recent recalls. As a result they had to reduce their organizational structure, which is no easy task. My observation is that Toyota could have closed a blind eye but instead decided to restructure and fix the problem without deviating from their core competency and mission. The Watson’s interaction with technology is equally exciting as visual displays of artistic genius are created and displayed through a variety of avenues. Technology gives expression to the endless possibilities of the mind and allows them to make decisions based on whatever idea they can dream of.Working on something they believe in helps them to focus on the effectiveness of their products and services. TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE| Inquiry| Toyota Motor Corporation| The Watson’s a Creative Company| Organizational Structure| Centralized Matrix Organizational Structure| Decentraliz ed Organic Organizational Structure| Environment| Stable, highly efficient and orderly. | Constant change, simple, low formalization. | Control| Hierarchic| Network community. | Internal Communication| Vertical, between superior and subordinates. Lateral between people. | Core Competency| Lean Manufacturing Tools, Supply Chain Management, Product Development Technology, Branding| Creative Advertising /Knowledge worker| Core Technology| Conventional and Hybrid Vehicles, Hybrid Systems, Safety and Environmental Technologies. | Web based advertising systems, HTML, XML, SVG and Flash, Communications protocols, Video and audio technology. | Enabling Technologies| Toyota Technology Institute, Toyota InfoTechnology Center, Home Living Assistant Robotics, Personal Mobility. R&D product portfolio. iAd mobile app, Ad tracking, Banner Ads, Rich Media Ads, Tradeshows, Commercial Emails, Poster Ads, Social Media| Organizational Members| Task Oriented| People Oriented| Control-Stability and predi ctability. | High| Low| Flexibility-Quick response to changing conditions| High| High| Knowledge Management| Reinforcement of hierarchy| Anywhere in the company| Technology Interaction with Organizational Structure Based on these comparisons I believe that the interaction of technology must be accompanied with the right fit of the organizations structure to achieve sustainability.Toyota works on a technological scale far beyond that of the Watson’s. It uses manufacturing technology that is the cutting edge of science (Taneja et al. , 2012). It is doing an amazing work with its robotic technology that will help the handicapped, as well as the individual. Taneia et al. , (2012 believes that Toyota’s research and development accomplishments are making groundbreaking strides in the area of defense against energy starvation. The Watson’s Creative Company is using the Internet to extend their market reach far beyond what was once thought possible through conventional channels.According to Behboudi, Hanzaee, Koshksaray, Khirkhani Tabar, & Taheri (2012), â€Å"Creative advertising can provide a competitive edge for a brand, add to its value, and give it an advantage over its rivals in terms of more positive market response†(p. 140). The Watson’s advertising agency has achieved sustainability with their creative and innovative ads through the technology of the Internet. In comparison mechanistic and organic organizational structures are like two musicians, one who plays’ by ear and the other who has to read music; both however deliver a beautiful arrangement of music.Toyota is continuously focused on increasing its technological capabilities, while The Watson’s are continuously looking for more ways to use technology to create ads that are an experience for the consumer. Both are making contributions that will add value to organizational learning, and technological capabilities. References Behboudi, M. , Hanzaee, K. , Ko shksaray, A. , Khirkhani Tabar, M. , & Taheri, Z. (2012). A Review of the Activities of Advertsing Agencies in Online World []. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(1), 138-149. Retrieved from Ebscohost Dorf, R.C. , & Byers, T. H. (2008). Technology Ventures (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Dristelzweig, H. , & Droege, S. B. (n. d. ). Organizational Structure. Retrieved from http://law-journals-books. vlex. com/vid/organizational-structure-51758780 Field, R. (n. d. ). Organizational Effectiveness, Structure and Technology. Retrieved from http://apps. business. ualberta. ca/rfield/Organizational%20Effectiveness,%20Structure,%20and%20Technology. h Hosnavi, R. , & Ramezan, M. (2011). Intellectual Capital and Organizational Organic Structure How are these