1,558 words

Power and organizational structure: types and applications

The term power generally originates from authority or position through which people can be influenced both positively and negatively. The first type of power practiced in an organization is coercive power.

~8 min read

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1,012 words

Frederick Taylor, Peter Drucker, and the evolution of management theory

The first prominent theory in the history of modern management studies was that of scientific management, as espoused by Frederick Taylor. Taylor was attempting to render human beings as productive as possible in a scientific fashion. Workers were treated like cogs in a machine.

~6 min read

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2,217 words

James Collins' "Good to Great" and organizational success principles

Good to Great is written for those who want to achieve greatness. Described as a "researcher and management guru," James C. Collins has authored or co-authored six different books all hinging on the same concepts related to leadership and organizational development.

~12 min read

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1,341 words

Communication failure in restaurant management and staff coordination

Easter Sunday is one of the busiest days for a restaurant. So it was only natural that extra staff should be scheduled to work on that day at the local restaurant where I work. My manager Carmen did not schedule enough additional employees for Easter, and the result was a debacle.

~7 min read

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1,593 words

Personal calling to Christian youth ministry and spiritual healing

I felt my first calling to ministry as a youth, as my family belonged to a vibrant community church. The youth programs at our church included the means by which to inspire young people like myself to pursue a strong Christian life and identity.

~8 min read

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1,482 words

Toyota's evolution from cost leader to hybrid market innovator

For decades, Toyota has been one of the most admired companies in the world. They were able to turn their image in the 1960's and 70's from cheap Japanese import to the car of choice for millions of consumers worldwide. Toyota's strategy has varied significantly over the years.

~8 min read

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1,306 words

Free-riding and groupthink in social psychology

People differ in their views and actions when they are responsible for them and when not. Particularly speaking in the context of society and group, people tend to adopt the most favorable behavior so that they are cherished for success and not blamed for failure.

~7 min read

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1,958 words

Declining volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention causes

Volunteer Firefighting is declining at an alarming pace and there are many reasons associated with this worrisome trend. It is imperative to not only study those cause but also devise practical means of resolving the problems of recruitment and retention.

~10 min read

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1,339 words

Clausewitz's paradoxical trinity and Admiral Nelson's victory at Trafalgar

At the end of Chapter One, Book One of On War, Carl von Clausewitz famously gives his "paradoxical trinity" in regard to the nature of the forces arrayed against each other in war.

~7 min read

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1,154 words

American infantry divisions in World War II's European theater

Japan's wars of aggression and conquest began long before the fascist takeover of the 1930s and the alliance with Nazi Germany in 1940, and the idea that the Japanese were a superior race also had a long pedigree -- as indeed did the Nordic-Aryan racism of the Nazis.

~6 min read

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