Case Study Of The Virgin Group

Case Study Of The Virgin Group Virgin Group is made up of more than 200 companies, which employ nearly 50,000 people all over the world. The business has witnessed continual growth since it was started. The revenues reached a record mark of 10 billion sterling pounds in the year 2006. This reveals the magnitude and level of business in which Virgin Group is operating. The nature of leadership in existence in Virgin Group draws many features from the personality of Sir Richard Branson. The business philosophy postulated by Sir Richard Branson believes that the ultimate results of customer satisfaction and shareholders gain is the responsibility of every individual. He believes that if the staffs are kept happy then the customers are going to be happy meaning that the shareholders will be happy too (Branson 1998, pp. 14). Consequently, the management of Virgin Group does not fall in to any particular model. It has a unique management structure whose characteristics do not fit those of the existing models. The amalga mation of concepts makes it distinctive. A critical review reveals that the success witnessed by Virgin Group can be attributed to the uniqueness of its management styles. Management Theorists like F Taylor first created the concept of scientific management. This scientific concept postulates that there are six main features of management, namely; experiment, observation, selection, standardization, and training. Scientific philosophy of management expects that rewards and employee compensation should be pecked on performance and co-operation. Although some facets of this theory are outdated, some of its features are still applicable in the business structure of modern times. As a good illustration, Virgin group may be having what appears as a relaxed working environment but some features of scientific management are in the application. Such aspects of scientific management used in Virgin Group include training, selection, and payment pecked on results. Some employees are compensated because of their outstanding entrepreneurial ambition and innovative thinking. Outstanding performance in Virgin Group is not only measure by the amount of financial input an employee has brought but also creativity and ability to think outside the box. Another model of management is bureaucracy, which sees the organization of business as one unit. The pioneers of this school of thought believed that family practices could not be delinked from the organization. Therefore, there a need to merge family goals with those of the entire organization. Organizational goals of Virgin Group cannot be dissociated with those of Sir Richard Branson. This is enough reason to conclude that the management style in the organization has some elements of bureaucracy in leadership. Max Weber first formulated this kind of management approach. The impact of the entire society is given considerable attention by the management. In this model, the organization forms an integral part of an amorphous society. Despite having some draw backs, this model has found its way in to the Virgin Groups management style. In a bid to meet the needs of the society it is serving, virgin management give priority to the impact, its strategies will have on society. This is the reason as to why Virgin Atlantic, an airline company under Virgin Group, has been on the frontline on the crusade for environmentally friendly jet fuel. Furthermore, there is an element of administrative theory in the management of Virgin Group. Propounded by Henry Fayol, administrative theory view management as a chronological process comprising of planning, organization, training, and coordination of functions. This model represents the transitional theory between the traditional and modern models. It is characterized by rigid and mechanistic tenets. Virgin Group has a little bit of these management principles. It has deviated from it by allowing liberalized management at departmental level. However, at the departmental levels, there is a need to advance the principles of management. The thoughts of employees should remain to be customized to suit these principles. The management of Virgin group with a heavy weight is contingency approach. The decision-making and plans executions are done with close reference to the problem at hand. This has seen the group attain notable milestones in streamlining its management, which eventually translates in to revenues. In this management model, the dynamics of business environments is appreciated. It recognizes the fact that different environments require different management approaches (Damanpour1996, pp 694). Concisely, it is true to argue that Virgin Groups success story of many years is a factor of many things including it optimal management model. The group has been able to amalgamate the presets of every model to suit its present needs. What is emerging vividly from this global organization is the fact that the efficacy of management is determined by its ability to move away from conventional and rigid requirements. Moving with the trends in the market has been proven beneficial in optimization of profits. From the descriptions given above, it is evident that Virgin Group leadership is a transformational. In transformational leadership the management looks beyond the compensation to employees. The model, which is in use at Virgin Group, explores the inner factors, which enhance performance of employees through motivation. On the contrary to the transactional model, which look at compensation alone, transformational leadership looks at the way of achieving high-level loyalty and commitment from the followers. The brand in the name of Virgin was founded in 1968. Since then it has grown beyond borders and become a worldwide product. Its venture into many different industries is a true reflection of the success. Sir Richard Branson is the present chairperson of the group. He is well known for his stylish but competitive leadership skills. Many analysts and scholars attribute the success of Virgin Group to the creative leadership skills of Branson. In the process of expansion, he took over several risky ventures in a more to diversify and improve his business. In most of his business plans, he focused on minute segment of a specific market and provided quality products or services. This approach allows for creation of small monopolistic markets with high profit margins. One major contributor to Bransons success story is his ability to lead people in exploring innovative and profitable ventures. Therefore, the leadership style depicted by Branson is a topic to be investigated in the following discussions. The kind of leadership philosophy advocated by Branson has been infiltrate into the entire company. Sir Richard Bransons leadership style falls in the category of transformational. He has an outstanding ability of bringing out the best out of humanity. Interpersonal and relational skills possessed by Branson are impeccable. He has close touch with the day to day activities of various companies within his group. The most common feature that has made him achieve great milestones in business development is the ability to motivate and rally fellow partners in pursuit of a business opening. If the recent acquisitions are taken as an illustration, he managed to convince fellow stakeholders in adoption of a new strategy. In his ventures, he looks for people who are outgoing and willing to start new businesses. His capacity building nature has made him an admirable leader of modern business. His focus spans beyond the orthodox perspective of employees where the management expects the workers to perform to deserve compensation. The interest of Branson surrounds asking the question as to whether a partner or employee is optimizing his or her capacity. He is interested also with people who are willing to take risks and the best in their tasks. For a long time, he has succeeded in bringing out the best out of his staff, a core character of transformational leader. There is no doubt about the fact that Bransons success since 1970s is attributed directly to his attitude towards management of a team. In his approach, the barrier existing between the employees and management is broken. In fact, many people working with him approaches business issues with a philosophy of achieving through innovative thinking and not adhering to the preset rules. Because of the ideologies propagated by Branson, all participants in the organization share similar values. He formulated his own style of leadership, priding himself on integrating the employees in to his style and seeking their thoughts on ways of improving value to customers. Employees are expected to internalize these values and respond in accordance to them. Integration of corporate values in leadership strategies means that there is little interference by external forces (Werdigier 2007, pp. 4). Nevertheless, Sir Bransons approach does not mean that the employees are entirely dependent on the chairpersons thoughts. They are equally accountable of their actions like fellow employees under transactional leadership. In order to motivate his employees, Branson and his management team, especially human resources management department have systems of enhancing commitment of employees through bonuses, stock options and profit sharing, and internal promotion wherever possible. Apart from Sir Bransons input in the success of the Virgin Group, there is a contribution of organizational culture in the company. Organizational culture existing in Virgin Group in fairly complex. The Group serves more than 100 companies operating separately in the industries which are not entirely related. The common feature within ever company in the group is the glamorous Virgin Brand. The brand remains unchanged in all companies operating in different businesses. This is a similarity, which puts a heavy responsibility on each department or division to positively represent the brand. The image reveals an overall image of quality and innovation inherent in the group. Through the creation of an exclusive brand, the company has been able to consolidate and maintain desirable loyalty levels among the customers. The diverse business portfolio evident in Virgin Group businesses is helpful in building and maintaining loyalty in various industries. This is the main reason as to why the company has witnessed high levels of success. The managers in the company employ the concept of creativity to encourage employees to enhance their contribution to the group in whatever level of hierarchy. They discourage the scenario where employees sit back to execute instructions. Employees have the capacity of producing cutting-edge products, which the whole company will be able to deliver to the market. They can also formulate ways of improving efficiency in the company. This is an outstanding feature of Virgin Group. Every individual has a say when it comes to products development. The management style in application at Virgin Group encourages members of staff to be competitive. This will eventually build a desire in the hearts of employees to see the company succeed so that they can be recognized as contrib utors to new and innovative business model. There is no clear cut between management and leadership within Virgin Group. Transformational leadership emanates from executives and top managers in the company. There are harmonized goals set by Sir Richard Branson and fellow company executives. Various companies within the group will work towards achieving those goals. These ambitious goals range from utilization of new technology, expansion in international markets, joint venture with other existing companies and loyalty among customers. Goals formulated at this level of management are communicated to every employee in the company. This is a beneficial strategy, which gives every employee a task to accomplish in fostering the groups mission. The senior management implores the employees to output their skills in such a way that they are going to complement the company (Virgin Group n.d.). The notion behind this effort is to advance the philosophy that the entire benefits of the group will eventually lead to individual gains for ev ery person involved. The contribution to the group will ultimately result in rewards for managers, employees, shareholders, executives, and customers alike. One desirable feature of Virgin Group is its organizational structure. Through its structure the company has succeeded in overcoming the challenges related to expansion. An expansive organization like Virgin Group must explore ways of handling the massive information within the company. Through its flat organizational chart, Virgin Group Limited has been able to handle it expansive business portfolio with much ease. The reduction of horizontal chain of command means that interdepartmental communication is enhanced. As the level of hierarchy moves down, the lower levels of management tend to concentrate more keenly on the management of the company. Although leadership is always encouraged among the managers, it requires some levels of strict management to make sure that the task has been accomplished. Different divisions within the company have different management function. At Virgin Group, managers have several goals of wide scope. Because of the fact that different divisions of the company are specialized in their operations, well-trained and qualified mangers are required to manage it effectively. In most cases, managers employed by the company have a firm background in their sector of specialization. They must also prove that they are capable by showing a successful record of accomplishment. It is the sole responsibility of managers within Virgin Group to ensure that day-to-day operations needed to keep the division running are executed effectively. Organization is a vital ingredient in the success of Virgin companies. Since the group in an amorphous company comprising of several companies, organization is very critical in putting together the processes (Human Resources Magazine, 2003). To start with, the company has many goals to be achieved like expanding the global presence and building of customer loyalty. The top executive are responsible for determining these goals and making them available to the entire company. The same executive must ensure that these goals are achievable for them to be received well by employees. However, caution should be exercised to ensure that the employees are not underutilized. Challenging goals are important for employees to feel that they are engaged in meaningful tasks. Organization of these goals within the division will ensure that specific targets are made. Every division has separate and specialized goals aimed at increasing market share and improvement of product and services. As the hierarchy advances to the junior staffs, goals become more precise and short lived. The targets set at implementation levels are easily achievable because they are very specific. These specific goals are formulated by division managers with close reference to those of the entire group. This system of information transfer enables the company to remain on track on the journey to meeting the targets set by executives. Virgin is a living evidence for the fact that this kind of organization is a major prerequisite for business success. Breaking down of general goals in to actionable points is a desirable feature revealed in Virgins organization. A healthy and workable organizational structure witnessed in Virgin Groups businesses is attained with many varying strategies. Transformational leadership is one of these strategies that have seen the company attain great heights of success. This strategy enables people of diverse backgrounds and ability to share a common goal. Through working together, a team can combine its members efforts and work towards achieving a common goal. Transformational leadership gives everyone an equal chance to output his or her ability without reservations. A critical review of Virgin Group business reveals that its versatile and innovative workforce is due to the transformational leadership in place. This is in contrast with transactional leadership in which employees are compensated according to performance. The draw back with this kind of leadership is that it breeds greedy employees whose goal will be to amass rewards as much as possible (Gill 2006, pp. 63). Conclusion In conclusion, there are many things to be learned from leadership and management of Virgin Group Limited. The company has cut itself a niche in various industries. It has also proven that all things are possible with dedication and commitment. Through the able leadership of its Chairman, Sir Richard Branson, the management team has come up with a unique formula of managing large-scale businesses like Virgin Group. To a large extend, the success of Virgin Group is directly attributable to the input of Sir Branson. He has succeeded in opening a new chapter of management, which deviates from conventional methods (Robert 2000, pp.4). His liberal and all accommodating approach is desirable. There is a formidable blend between management and leadership. A critical review of these two elements reveals that there is no clears cut between the two: a feature that has worked well for the company.

Ozzy Osbourne :: essays research papers

Ozzy Osbourne   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ozzy Osbourne’s music is liked by so many people because of how his lyrics deal with real life experiences. Ozzy writes a lot about what feels or what he has done. Something that has made Ozzy so popular was the fact that he doesn’t care what people think. He always has done what ever he wants. These two characteristics have made Ozzy Osbourne a very popular musician in the U.S and in Europe. Like when Ozzy went to meet the big time record executives at CBS record company, his wife Sharon wanted him to make a big impression so she suggested that he release three doves when he walked into the room. Well what ended up happening is Ozzy came into the office, sat on a women’s lap at the executive table, released two doves into the air and then bite the head off the third one. Another thing helping the situation out was the fact that Ozzy had a little too much to drink that evening as usual. Another thing that Ozzy has done because of the fact that it just made him mad is that one day Ozzy’s wife Sharon came home one day and found Ozzy on the floor underneath the piano with a shotgun in one hand and a bloody knife in the other w ith seventeen dead cats all around him. What happened is Ozzy had drank and smoked and done all kinds of drugs and he didn’t like the cats to begin with so he shot and stabbed every one of them. He just didn’t care if they died or not. If that’s not enough for you to realize that Ozzy doesn’t care about what people think then listen to this. One day Ozzy was in a very expensive motel and once again was drinking heavily, and decided to take a trip down to the bottom floor on the elevator. Well on the way down he must have had to go to the bathroom because he ended up taking a crap in the corner of the elevator. When it got to the bottom floor and the door opened there was a bunch of people at the doors and they saw him and they were all standing there with there mouths wide open.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ozzy Osbourne was born in the small town of Birmingham England in 1948. His Father (Jack Osbourne) was a steelworker and Mother (Lillian Osbourne) worked in a plant building electronic circuits.

I Knew This Was My Moment

I could remember when I was young, one day, my mother suddenly dragged me out to a concert that I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about. I was planning on persuading my mother otherwise, but the moment I stepped in and the concert started, I immediately fell in love. I was enchanted by the stage effects, the dancers, and the pure vocal talent of the artist. It was then that everything had started, and my world had changed. At that moment, I knew what I wanted in life.Immediately after the concert, I told my mother that I wanted to sign up for vocal and dancing lessons. Needless to say, she was astonished at my sudden change of attitude, but she seemed to understand. Over the years, I trained, and over the years, my passion grew. My life revolved around the dance and vocal lessons I took. But of course, my studies weren’t neglected; I needed a back-up plan if my plans to become a star fell through, though I would definitely prefer if it didn’t.Many people said that a spiring to become a singer was not realistic, that it was just that, a dream. But I never wavered, I never felt discouraged, and most importantly, I never lost hope. When I was sixteen, I took part in a local singing competition, and was unexpectedly scouted by a representative of a small talent agency. He gave me his name card, introduced himself, and told me to call if I was interested. That day, I ran all the way home, and told my parents.Although they didn’t seem to agree with me, being only sixteen and all, they eventually caved in with my constant begging. With their consent, I immediately dialed the number on the card, I wasn’t about this chance pass me by. After that phone call, my life took another turn. I was thrown into a busy life with almost no free time for myself. I’d spend the whole morning in school, and then my afternoons, and sometimes evenings, as a trainee at the agency. Although every day was tiring, I enjoyed those days.That life lasted fo r about four months. After four months as a trainee, they decided that I had enough training, that I was good enough and could finally have my debut, with all the lessons I had before entering the agency. The moment I received the news, I was ecstatic for days, almost nothing could bring me down. The two months after that were spent writing and composing songs. It was decided that they would strip away all other stage effects and focus on my voice, which was my forte.And now, sitting in the preparation room while make-up artists do their final touch up on my face, I recall the past and how my dream had started. Instead of letting my dream remain a dream, I was about to make it come true. More than nervous, I feel excited. Instead of standing below the stage, watching performers enchant the audience, it was finally my turn to stand upon that ground and demand the attention of the whole stadium. Standing backstage and watching the audience of hundreds, maybe a thousand, I could feel t he nerves getting to me, and then the excitement overriding the nerves.The curtains closed upon the end of the previous act, a signal for me to go on stage. This was it, I thought, as the MC introduced me, the curtains opened, and the lights blinded me. Blinking a few times as my eyes adapted to the light, I could see clearly right in front of me, the thousands of people in the audience. At that moment, I knew. I knew that this was my moment, and it was going to be all or nothing. This was the moment I have been waiting for all my life, the moment I have gone through all the blood, sweat and tears for.This was the moment that would change my life, for good; the moment that would decide if my career as a celebrity would turn for the better or for the worse. After all, in the entertainment industry, it’s the first impression that counts. Standing on the extravagant stage, half blinded by the lights, in awe of the number of people in the audience, and excitement rushing through every pore of my being, I sung my heart out, expressing my ineffable feelings for it, for music. Giving it my all, all I could do now was hope that my all was enough.

The Three Estates Work - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1358 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/07/29 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Canterbury Tales Essay Did you like this example? The three estates work in theory when each estate acts well. Some of the characters introduced in the General Prologue of Canterbury Tales are meant at first to show the character as the ideal person in their profession. But, when more description is given by the narrator, they reveal that Chaucer is simply satirizing them based on the stereotypes he perceived in the people of his time. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Three Estates Work" essay for you Create order By making fun of these stereotypes, he reveals the subtle complexity of the human state. This satire is meant to contrast how these people may look to the general public, to how they actually behave and act. It lets the reader decide if the character is really ideal or deeply flawed. It lets the reader choose to view these characters as simply ideals, or as human beings like themselves. Characters such as the Knight, the Squire, and the Monk all disappoint their original estate with their actions. The transgressions of these characters in relation to their estates depicts a world rife with inner conflict, thus making them in-efficient. These descriptions show that when a character acts outside of their estate, they arent ideal and they do not help the society as a whole. One of Chaucers more ideal pilgrims is the knight. The knight displays many traits that seem too good to be true and his character at times is not believable. He has fought many battles to the death, winning them all for his kingdom. He holds his values of chivalry, honor, and respect dear to him and that makes him one of the more likeable characters of the group. He acts almost as if he were a robot: seemingly with no emotion and with a penchant for justice. The narrator begins his introduction with, A Knyght ther was, and that a worthy man. That fro the tyme that he first bigan. To ryden out, he loved chivalrye, trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye. (Pg 4) This description shows him to be a perfect knight, one that values the code of chivalry like all good knights should. This description doesnt hold to end, when the narrator gives additional information on the knight by saying, Though he were worthy, he was wys. And of his port as meeke as is a mayde. (Pg 5) These two descriptions could not be farther from each other. In the first, he is described as a worthy, honorable, and chivalrous man. But in the second, his port is said to be as meeke as a maid, which is very far from what a knight is supposed to be. This shows that the descriptions that Chaucer gave earlier may have been comedic exaggerations. Being meek is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a human convention after all. The knight is satirized in the fact that he is held to unrealistic human standards. Society believes that someone so noble should not have these flaws so it draws every extreme i deal description of him into question. The Knights son, the squire, also has these conflicting descriptions that put his character into question. At first, he is said to be, And wonderly deliver, and greet of strengthe. And he had been somtyme in chivachye. (Pp 6) This shows that he has some of the physical potential of a knight. This would be great if he didnt have all types of other less knightley traits, such as his femininity. He is shown to be a lusty bachelor type of man, who is ultimately concerned about his appearance above all. He wears stylish, but very daring garments that were looked down on by the church. He also always made sure his hair was in perfect condition, With lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse. (Pp 6) This seems to show that he intentionally curls his hair, just as a woman would do. Another less than desirable trait would be his desire for cleanliness, something the knight did not share with him. The contrast between the descriptions of the two goes to show this fact. The narrators description of the knight is much different than of the squire, saying He was a true, perfect, noble knight. But to tell you of his attire, his horses were good, but his clothes not bright. Of rough clothes he wore a tunic all rustained by his coat of mail, for hed no sooner returned from his voyage, than he set out to make his pilgrimage. (Pp 7) This is contrasted quite easily with the narrators description of the squire, He was as fresh is the month of May. (Pp 6) He is described as being fresh as May, showing how much pride he took in cleanliness, also a quality of a woman of his time. He also places more importance in fighting for a ladys honor than fighting for his ideals like his father. All these differing qualities in the character of the knight and the squire drives home the point that even though the squire might someday have the physical qualities of a knight, he would not be an ideal kn ight. He cares too much about womanly things such as appearance while the knight seems to show no such care for it. His vain attitude and selfish outlook should disqualify him from being the ideal knight. His actions show him to be more of a second estate woman than a knight so he is not a helpful character to society. The monk is not the ordinary religious man devout to his ideals and morals. Instead he is a worldly man who only cares for his personal enjoyment. He has a very cocky, sarcastic attitude not usually found in men of the church, which is the biggest sign that he isnt the ideal religious man. Monks usually hole themselves into their place of worship, they dont go out into the world adventuring and hunting like the Monk. This sets the Monk apart from every other religious authority. The narrator states this when he says, He gave not for that text a plucked hen, that said hunters should not be holy men, nor that a monk when he neglects his vows, is like a fish out of water. (Pp 11) This shows that the Monk took his pleasure from more modern things, and didnt care for the old ways of the church. The narrator starts his description by calling him a manly man. (Pp 11) This shows that he puts his hunting and other manly activities over being a man of the church. He differs greatly from other church officials as he seems to have no care for his duties as a monk. He takes up hunting, a leisure activity of the second estate, over his first estate duties. The health of the country depends upon each estate performing and behaving well. The descriptions of these characters show that some of them do not wish to act within their estate, such as the squire and the monk. However, it seems as if these superficial estates do more harm than good. While it is believed that the squire should behave in a noble and honorable way at all times, like most knights, he breaks these conventions by being vain. This therefore hurts the society as a whole to have someone in the second estate acting like they are in the third estate. The Monk does the exact same thing, not acting as those in his estate. Chaucer seems to be bringing these estates into question; he is evaluating the state of society through the use of literary satire. The people in the first estate are suppose to project good, religious values onto the second and third estate. When a monk is acting as someone in the second estate would, it hurts the society as a whole. They should be setting a good example for the rest, but how is that possible if their estates call upon supernatural ideals unsuitable for a mere human being. Stifling human creativity and vast emotion into a preset list of values is not the winning formula. Just like a dog in a dress isnt a princess, a man acting like a knight is not a knight at all.