Le Creuset :: essays papers

Le Creuset Concentration of Manufacturing: In comparison to the diversified nature of Le Creuset’s approach to export markets, manufacturing in the company is very much concentrated. All Le Creuset’s products are manufactured at the two production sites in France (Fresnoy-le-Grand and Cousances). What could be the reason or reasons behind such a concentration in manufacturing? One reason could be the nature of the production process at the company. It is highly specialised. The products have to meet certain standards and levels. It consists of four distinct stages (production of cast iron; casting; finishing; and enamelling). The process thus is a distinct and orderly method. In addition there is the factor of the presence and remoteness to raw materials (in this case pig iron and recycled iron). Also the production process needs appropriate specialised equipment to support the highly specialised stages of production. Beside Le Creuset’s products have the image of being traditional, made in France with experience for long consecutive years. The production has been going on in France since 1925. This therefore creates or is part of the brand image. All these factors make it difficult for the company to found other production sites for the company in its foreign markets. The company instead concentrated on a more diversified level of marketing, sales and distribution. However this does not mean that production is neglected for still great attention is focused on improving productivity in the company through an on-going investment programme targeted at re-organising and modernising the production facilities and process at Le Creuset. As a result the process has now become more cost-efficient, effective, and automated. In fact automating the casting process for example has proved to be six time more efficient than the labour-intensive method that has been replaced. Culture or the Image of Le Creuset: What does Le Creuset as a brand name suggest a vision or an image of? Above all we should at first point out that it is the very qualities of Le Creuset products that create its image and culture world-wise. Le Creuset cast iron cookware has three outstanding features by which its recognised: its high quality, its superior durability, and the brightness and depth of its colour. These three distinct characteristics guarantee a very up-market product that consumers would highly desire and aspire to buy. The name, image and culture of Le Creuset created by the properties of the company’s products are very unique.

Is Classical Approach to Management Obsolete? Essay

Introduction Management is one of the most important parts contributing to the success of an organization. By understanding which managerial activities are actually effective, a manager could choose the best way appropriate for his application to his company. Many studies about classical school theories have been undertaken so far to examine the effective management approach. However, a major problem with the classical approach to management is human dimension ignored will result in inefficiencies (Anthony Boland, 2012). This essay will attempt to identify the weaknesses of dismissing human motivation and explain the important of it by using other experts’ advocacies. The analyses of classical theory Classical management approach is the first theory about management based on the experience of famous experts for engineer industry. While scientific management’s purposes are in justification and control of employees in the same method with a justification and control for machines by engineers (Sheldrake, 2000), human motivation is more needed in recent years, which is considered to be a vital part contributing to an organisation’s prosperity. In the view of scientific approach, workers were considered to be as akin to machines and with favour in larger production volume at whatever human cost (Sheldrake, 2000). This leads to the decline in attendance and the organisation’s performance. Satisfaction seems to be involved with motivation. Therefore, this managerial approach can lead to negative outcomes such as a decrease in how effectively they work a decline in efficient production and a higher absenteeism rate. In this case, demotivation may discourage creativity and innovation which are significant important factors that give rise to the company’s development. Kets de Vries  suggested that more choices for workers to choose freely, physiological needs and enjoyment needs were the emphasis of higher set of motivational needs, instead of being controlled by authorities of which they are unaware (Mullins, 2007). This will resulted in becoming the best-performance company where satisfaction of employees can be created by being a part of an organisation and as a member of a group not individual. Additionally, better ideas and decision making can be gained from the employees’ contributions (Marcouse, 2011). Notwithstanding, earlier theories written by F. W. Taylor highlighted â€Å"people work for only one reason: money† (Marcouse, 2011), Saunders pointed out that if people of long time ago preferred to be judged as high as their bonuses, recently, fulfilling their psychological needs were turning out to be valuable, such as holiday arrangement, job breaks and opportunity of flexible working hours and homeworking are now on the priority list (Mullins, 2007) Coclusion Although maintaining the focus on achieving the aims and prosperity is the most important aspect of the managerial activities which is defined in classical school (Sheldrake, 2000), this may be ineffective in other particular circumstances in which there is a need for high job satisfaction in more recent years. References Marcouse, I., Surridge, M. and Gillespie, A. (2011). Business Studies for A level. (4th ed). London: Dynamic Learning. Mullins, L.J. (2010). Management & Organisational Behaviour. (9th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Sheldrake, J. (2000). Management theory: from Taylorism to Japanization. London: Thomson Learning.

The Human Mind For Millennia Essay - 1430 Words

Introduction Personality is a topic that has interested the human mind for millennia. As early as the fourth century BC, Aristotle was writing about the differences within individuals based on â€Å"determinants of moral and immoral behavior (Matthews Deary),† which he identified as cowardice, vanity, and modesty. Aristotle’s student, Theophrastus, continued this thought process through a book detailing thirty personality traits, thus bringing forth the idea that an individual’s personality could be broken down into smaller, more manageable parts that could then be studied individually in order to better understand what makes humans unique. The term ‘personality traits’ can be defined as a category of characteristics that can be used to describe the personality of an individual. These traits are expected to remain stable over time, but may differ across individuals and situations, but must be measurable in some way, as well as classifiable. (Matthews Deary) Personality as a term can be defined as having organization, processes and individualized patterns. It can also be defined as a psychological concept that is tied to the physical body and as a causal force in a person’s interactions with the world around them. Personality is a part of a person’s feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. (TEXTBOOK) To best understand the particular trait that is the focus of this paper, one must understand the origins of a model of personality traits called ‘The Big 5 Personality Model.’ ThisShow MoreRelatedHuman Perception And The Evolution Of Intelligence1394 Words   |  6 Pagesconfused feeling I felt towards self-awareness The questions of sentient perception have plagued man since the dawn of his very own intelligence. Homo Sapiens are a consciousness species, that means humans have an awareness of oneself and the external objects in the world that surround them. Humans perception of the world around them had rapidly changed with the evolution of intelligence. People were now capable of theorizing the external objects that surrounded them like the cosmos that is litteredRead MoreWhat Are the Literate Arts Good for? Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pagessituations and reasons why we could say the Literate Arts are useless in today’s world. What might the Literate Arts be good for? I ask this question a lot nowadays too. When I go for an English class or see literary books, the question creeps into my mind unconsciously. In this modern world ‘reading and writing’ have gone downhill and yet people do not seem bothered or affected by it which makes the doubt in literary power even stronger . But after a lot of thinking and research, I have come to realizeRead MoreThe True Nature Of Homosexuality912 Words   |  4 Pages54. What is the True Nature of ‘Homosexuality’? †¢ First of all, even though some overlapping is possible, the Earth Humans basically could be categorized in three chief groups regarding their sexual orientation: heterosexuals, bisexuals, and homosexuals. Regarding the perception of own sexual identity, the picture is ‘bi-polar’, with blurred and ‘grayish’ deviations. Further, the most vocal representatives of ‘man-made’ science have no clue on the exact causes of sexual orientation, and by lackingRead MoreThe Persistence Of Ancient Symbols From Neolithic And Pictish Eras1568 Words   |  7 Pagesprocesses. 2. The Exhibition Thesis: how we decide what is ‘Art’ The ancient artefacts in the exhibition include works widely separated by great periods of time, and works which have been altered by succeeding generations. For millennia the oldest works were simply ‘there’, and part of folklore. From the eighteenth century they began to be viewed as being of antiquarian interest; later they were taken into the care of professional organisations, and later still they began to beRead MoreThe Creation Of Othheus Essay : The Fate Of Prometheus828 Words   |  4 Pagesperfected, then the figures are hardened into the beings in which they are meant to be. Prometheus’s last and final creation was mankind and by the time, he had completely run out of the abilities and assents that were given to him by zeus many millennia ago which meant they had no fur to be protected from the cold or any sharp teeth to hunt for food, not even the four legs to run from predators. Yet prometheus learned to start to love them for their affection to ea ch other, the loyalty they hadRead MoreThe Psychology Of Buddhism And Buddhism1504 Words   |  7 Pageswith a surging following in the United States. An epistemic shift toward empiricism and science is responsible for our contemporary rapprochement with the millennia old religion. Buddhism is hailed in the modern era for its â€Å"rejection of the theological impulse.† [Flanagan, 2003] Modern understanding of psychology and inquiry into the human mind has shown notable convergences with Buddhist ideology, with some even suggesting Buddhist practice as a form of psychotherapy. To understand the convergenceRead MoreMy Journey From Non-Belief To Trenchant Atheism Began With1256 Words   |  6 Pagesthey came as a considerable surprise. Opening the book at 900 year old patriarchs †¦Skipping to the Commandments, of which there are actually hundreds, to see†¦. Murder To be honest, I couldn’t believe humanity had been in thrall of this stuff for millennia. And, unencumbered by the detritus of a Christian upbringing, I don’t see why I should have to exhibit a sympathetic attitude to only this belief system. The theocrats of centuries past were never sympathetic to nonbelievers: they even reservedRead MoreMalik Johnson. Professor Cimorelli. Th 334-001. 1 May 2017.1606 Words   |  7 Pagesthe world around them. Jesus Christ, after his crucifixion, left an imprint on the human race with the establishment of Christianity and the spread of his beliefs through his followers. His accomplishments that were recorded in the Gospels will continue through the ages, spreading his wisdom and way of thinking. Even though it would beneficial for believers to truly fathom his significance to history and the human soul, challenges ascend that hold its effectiveness back. To better understand JesusRead MoreCulture And Identity ( Rough Draft ) Essay894 Words   |  4 Pagesand literature, without the help of writing or art, cultural unity would be impossible. A good example of a culture without writing and art would be the early humans; their culture did not carry along, and one tribe would be completely different than the other, and they couldn’t even speak to express their ideas. It wasn’t until early humans began to draw cave art that ideas could be expressed, and then culture grew and evolved and spread into government’s and civilizations and certain ways of doingRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Addiction On The Body Essay1987 Words   |  8 Pages Humans have been recorded using drugs for over 9000 years. During this time, drugs have been used as home remedies for maladies and religious ceremonies, in addition to recreational drug use (Guerra-Doce, 2014). When opioids, hallucinogens, stimulants, inhalants, cannabinoids, depressa nts, or anabolic steroids appear in recorded history, abuse of these drugs also appear. Writings on ancient Egyptian scrolls show rehabilitation records. Sumerians have writings about opium, using a word that translates