Operations Management Principles and Tools Essay

Operations Management Principles and Tools - Essay Example 5). I think our company would benefit from a systematic enhancement to the communication of policy and procedures, similar to the tools implemented by other organizations, which would save time for managers and ensure compliance with corporate directives. As a good model for operations management ("OM") success, I have looked at several companies and decided to use FedEx as an example of one company that has successfully implemented OM tools. "FedEx provides access to a growingglobal marketplace through a network ofsupply chain, transportation, business and related information services" (FedEx, 2006, p. 1), and is very dependent upon efficiently operating its world-wide services. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the organization is known as the industry leader in fast package delivery for individuals and businesses. Its management and delivery of information data to its various departmental leaders is a key source of profitability, as it enhances efficiency and policy compliance. My sources for researching this information are included in the References section of this report. I selected Robert Lowson's book on Operations Management to provide me with general information, relied on the FedEx website to give me specific company information, as well as the website of Quadralay's WebWorks product information for specific quotes and insight from Joe Lakey, the Senior Technical Writer for FedEx. The primary OM initiative for FedEx that I consider applicable to my company is their electronic provision of operations manuals and policies. As the WebWorks article, using the corporation's slogan, points out, "to 'absolutely, positively' guarantee the on-time delivery of nearly three million packages...managers rely on the business operations manuals located on their corporate intranet (Quadralay, 2006, p. 1). In this OM initiative, FedEx has determined that their Ground Operations Station Managers need instant access to the manuals that govern corporate procedures and operational directives. The benefits already being reaped by FedEx are numerous. They operate within a fiercely competitive environment, and the backbone of their success lies in two areas; the ability to have efficient operational guidelines to prescribe procedures, and the communication of those instructions to line managers. In this case, the Quadralay article points out that "[t]he documentation supports the highly efficient, high-speed operations of FedEx's largest division and North America's largest provider of overnight package delivery services" (2006, p. 1). For FedEx, the key words are "highly efficient" and "high-speed." This is a company whose business depends on speed, and whose competitive advantage hinges on efficiency. Through the successful implementation of the OM information system, the organization reaps the benefit of both. As Mr. Lakey notes, the managers of the company's stations are very busy people, and they "don't have time to spend digging through information to find what they n eed. So anything we can do to save them time and make their job easier is extremely helpful" (Quadralay, 2006, p. 1). Thus, this single OM initiative of providing operational manuals via the company's intranet is seen as a key part of the organization's

Over 30 workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Research Paper

Over 30 workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse - Research Paper Example The rescue team had to drill another shaft to get into the miners. After, two months of drilling since the collapsed of the mine the rescue team managed to get into the trapped miners. Although, the conditions were unbearable the miners did all they could to remain alive while waiting to be rescued. Moreover, the government provided liquid food like milk to the mines to sustain the health condition of each person. The collapse of San Esteban mine was tragic and distressing mainly to the affected families. Thus, a communication design had to be in place to address the issue to the public and affected families. The government of Chile and San Esteban Mining Company had to filter the information that gets into the world about the disaster. Whelchel and Dauble indicate that the company has to deliver information in two main ways (2011). This is because of the existence of people with difference roles in the group and the having the audience in mind. Firstly, the information should be to the families and workers and secondly to the employees and press. As a result, delivering information with these audiences in mind will ensure most people receive the message as the company and the government intended. ... Therefore, Whelchel and Dauble indicate that the mining company has the responsibility to inform the families of the trapped workers about the happenings and proceedings taking place to rescue the trapped workers. The information will help address the potential need of the families of the mine. The potential need of the employees while receiving the information is to know the chances of survival of the trapped workers. More so to help trace the records of the workers trapped in the mine and stand in solidarity with the company leaders. This will help in the process of rescuing and identifying of the affected families. Before delivering the message about the collapsed San Esteban mine, the company should first know the number of workers trapped and have the list of the workers in the mine. The company would call an impromptu board meeting to explain to the internal management team about the disaster that has just happened and lay strategies of rescuing the trapped people. This will he lp in the clarity of the issues. Durham describes that before delivering information about the mine accident the company needs to know the ways of delivering information to the employees and the affected families (2011). This will help calm and reassure the families and employees and increase the peoples trust in the company rescuing process. Since, the collapse of the mine is a disaster that has affected the country, the government of Chile has to get the first hand information from the mining company before the information about the accident is officially released to other people, The focus of both the company and government will be on the action taken after the release information about the accident. The company could take

A Fundamental Extension In Morality Philosophy Essay

A Fundamental Extension In Morality Philosophy Essay In this essay I will try to explain and analyse the effects of the tragedy of the commons when dealing with a global ecological crisis. Moreover it will be observed how the tragedy of the commons prevents us from solutions to solve ecological problems which affect the world as a whole. I will try to put a focus on the economical problem of the tragedy and the solutions which have been proposed yet. The last decades have made it clear that our planet is on the verge of an epochal shift, different organisations dealing with ecological problems raised the alarm concerning the short- AND long-run future. It is well summarized by Al Gore: Unfortunately, in the intervening years, time has not stood still for the global environment. The pace of destruction has worsened and the urgent need for a response has grown more acute. ()The relationship between human civilization and the Earth has been utterly transformed by a combination of factors, including the population explosion, the technological revolution.() the worlds leading scientists, have offered increasingly dire warnings.2 Some wise, man already acknowledged this long before the status quo of ecological crisis in the modern world: () the white man does not understand our ways. ()he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. (), and when he has conquered it, he moves on. () His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.3 Indeed the lifestyle of many societies is not sustainable, and has not been so even in ancient times. We just need to think of the fact that the roman empire 2000 years ago, during its thriving period was responsible for the destruction of the biggest forests in Europe. deforestation did not cause the Roman collapse, but that one could make a case as to being a part of it. 4   If we think of how small we are compared to the enormous, massive number of individuals in society, we could feel that we are insignificant members of a huge machine, which is moved by its self-enforcing and self-imposed rules. We feel insignificant and weak. (This kind of view is known in philosophy as Holism the idea that systems, in this case ecological and demographical systems, can only be explained as a whole and not a collection of parts. Moreover Holism states that society determines individuals and not the other way round) On the other hand we feel that it is not only our personal fault but also of the others who waste, abuse, exploit and prefer comfort to responsible and conscientious use of natural resources.(This will be explained better in the paragraph dedicated to the Tragedy of the commons) Garret Hardin 1968 Al Gore 2006 Chief Seattle,1854 Joseph A. Tainter, 2006 The Tragedy of the commons The tragedy of the commons was first described in an article by the ecologist Garrett Hardin published in 1968 in the Science journal. Hardin arrived to this dilemma starting his article from the concern of nuclear arms race between United states and the Soviet union during the years of cold war. His conclusion was that since our world is finite no technical solution is possible. What he means by technical solution is best defined by Hardin himself: A technical solution may be defined as one that requires a change only in the techniques of the natural sciences, demanding little or nothing in the way of change in human values or ideas of morality.5 Hardin only started from this concern to define a no technical solution problem , a category of dilemmas which cannot be solved in a technical way. The reason is that we live in a finite world and even technological innovations cannot solve the problem of exponentially growing population, that is why we have to assume a finite world. The tragedy of the commons is one type of this dilemmas as will be explained. Concretely the tragedy of the commons is the situation which emerges in social systems, which leads to over exploitation of common resources and therefore their destruction. As common resources affected by the problem we usually find things like non polluted water, air or environment in general; forests; but also clean streets, roads without traffic, fisheries resource, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ At the base of these resources is the fact that they all belong to the public good (or perfect public good for certain authors) category as defined by economic theory: A public  good  (or  service) may be consumed without reducing the  amount  available for others, and cannot be withheld from those who do not  pay  for it. Public  goods   include (), national defense, parks, and other things for the use and  benefit  of all. No  market  exists for such goods().6 As defined above these goods have basically two characteristics : Non- rivalry in consumption and non-excludability of potential users. They are basically opposed to the private goods which have the opposite characteristics; for instance food is a typical private good: there is rivalry in consumption as if one person eats it, it cannot be eaten by someone else. Certainly they are also excludable a as is evidently clear. We can summarise the types of goods in the following table: 7 We wont focus on Common goods and Low congestion goods (also known as club goods) since they are more technical and not of the concern of this paper. Hardin 1968   businessdictionary.com livingeconomics.org As stated in the introduction of this text, environment it a typical public good and people have an ambiguous feeling concerning protection of the environment as conscious behaviour. Regarding this last point we can observe a certain psychological process occurring in an agentsA mind and logic. Agents is the economic definition of individual. They are purposeful agents who interact in space and time and whose micro-level interactions create emergent patterns. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) 8 The agent has two distinct feelings. The first one is a sense of injustice which can be summarized in the sentence Why should I care while anyone does not, and moreover enjoys the benefits of taking advantage of nature. The second reasoning going on in an agents mind is more rational. Furthermore if the person thinks of his utilityB he will end up noticing that if he chooses to protect the environment and act consciously he will not get the benefit (utility) of his actions (for instance a less polluted air) because anyway other agents will abuse the environment increasing their own utility. B. In  economics, the level satisfaction the person derives from a good or service. Utility is inherently subjective and thus difficult to measure(). Historically, it has been thought that one can  quantify  the utility of each unit, but some  economists  disagree with this. 9 Hardin makes the example of a pasture in the land to which everybody has access to. Given a group of many herdsmen anyone willing to increase his own utility and therefore revenues, it appears clear that one is better off having many animals than a few. If we imagine a rational herdsman taking decision whether to add an additional animal to his herd, he has two effects from the decision, one is a positive and the other a negative in regard to his utility. The positive is the fact that he will have all the proceeds from an additional animal. We can therefore imagine an incensement of utility equal to +1. The negative one is that the pasture is exploited more and more and will yield less. But since the herdsman is not the only owner but there are many, this negative effect will be shared with the others, it is therefore only a fraction of -1. 10 Since they are rational it is reasonable to add an additional animal but as all do so, the pasture gets ruined. Indeed this is due to the fact that the revenue is individualistic, the loss on the other hand is shared by all. Additionally each one is only applying his individual rationality which is different from collective one. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit-in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush10 At this point one could argue that after some years the herdsmen understand that abusing the pasture by over exploiting it leads to a worse outcome for all since it gets infertile and no one can profit from it anymore. But even if they do understand the mechanism of the dilemma it is very difficult to enforce means of controlling the others: pastures are huge and there are many animals, so how to distinguish one from another? If it would be conceivable to create such a control in the herdsmen case it would be even worse and unthinkable for cases like pollution. How to control every person who is dirtying the streets? Agreement to prevent polluting action is almost impossible, violators are difficult to catch because the agents are many and the damage produced by each action is relatively small and hidden. What is even worse is that violations are hard to identify not only because the group is big, but also fluid (lots of agents are in the place for a very short period of time) New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2008 Farlex Financial Dictionary. 2012 Farlex, Inc. Hardin 1968 Conclusions As we have seen the tragedy of the common is the biggest deal preventing us to deal with a global ecological crisis. We know that the problem of each person will be asking what would change if they act in a conscious way, but the conclusion will only be that the environment gets ruined anyway and the individual will be worse off than when acting selfish. This is not only true for single people but also for entire nations. The latter concept is also known in international law as Transboundary damage: Transboundary damage can arise from a wide range of activities which are carried out in one country but in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ict adverse effects in the territory of another. Traditionally, however, transboundary damage as a term of art normally refers to border-crossing damage via land, water, or air in dyadic State relations11, 12, 13 It is the idea that industrial or economic activity conducted by one country for its own sake creates damage for others. The technical definition is That large-scale industrial, agricultural, and technical activities conducted in the territory of one country can cause detrimental effects in the territory of another country or to areas of the global commons.11,12,13 The problem is still that: Everyone is waiting for everyone else to act first, the result being that no one acts at all.14, 15 Economic theory deals with this kind of problem as a market failure. As we said in the previous paragraph, public goods lead to market failures because a certain part of the cost of the action is not paid by the agent. For instance the cost of a polluted environment is not paid by the polluting industries. These agents are known in economic theory as free riders: Party  that enjoys a  benefit  accruing from a collective effort, but  contributes  little or nothing to the effort.16 General solution to the problem is to tax the agent who is creating the social cost so that he has to pay the price for the damage he is creating. This kind of taxation is known as Pigouvian tax, from the name of his inventor: Arthur Cecil Pigou What is different in our case is that we deal with a global ecological crisis so there is no global financial institution which could enforce taxation on national states. A particular solution which is interesting in our case is the one of emission trading. This refers to a system of tradable permit which can be bought on a market. Each permit gives the right to pollute a certain quantity, the outcome of the trading is unexpected: An industry whichs cost of reducing pollution is high might buy the permits, on the other hand an industry with low reduction cost for emission might reduce its emissions and sells its permits to others. The more efficient in reducing emissions are rewarded. This system is not only a theoretical one but was actually applied for the Kyoto protocol of 1997 about CO2 emissions. Still as stated above and previous to our times by Garret Hardin these are mostly technical solutions and will only delay the moment in which resources will not suffice especially with a growing population. Therefore a different approach is necessary, a shift in the way we act but fundamentally in what we believe to be the goal of our lives and therefore societies. Certainly one answer to the problem would be the one of the Ecologist view of the world. Green parties have been asking for reduction of emission and preservation of environment since the late sixties. The basic foundation of their claims is that human society as a whole should reduce its consumption and live a life which is sustainable. () the more fundamental response is to try to reduce or avoid those human activities that are seen as endangering sustainable development.17 We should demand ourselves if we really need all the material good provided by society and if this really makes us happier. Market economy states that the price is the value a consumer gives to a certain good. If he is willing to pay one hundred dollars for a good or service this means he values it exactly one hundred dollars of utility. But the question is does our happiness really depend on this? Because in the end, at the deepest layer it is just about it Happiness. It has been questioned if the relation with nature is only one sided or if it might be that our life depends from what nature gives to us : Weve heard copious accounts of our impact-as humans, as a society-on the natural world. But this is not a one-sided relationship. Lost in these dire and scolding accounts has been the impact on us and our well-being.18 This is Lambins view in his book ecology of happiness. Further he arrives to the conclusion that You sense it while walking on a sandy beach, or in a wild, woody forest, or when you catch sight of wildlife, or even while gardening in your backyard. Could it be that the natural environment is an essential part of our happiness?18 The answer is a positive one, we were born as natural beings but the development of modern society pushed us extremely far away from our original situation. We should really think if the direction our society is going will bring to a better life for all? Hanqin, Xue 2003 Crawford, James 2003 Bell, John 2003 G. Smith 2002 J. Connelly 2002 The Business dictionary Szarka, Joseph Eric Lambin 2012

Comparison of Coca Cola and Pepsi Essay -- Coca Cola Pepsi Business Ma

Comparison of Coca Cola and Pepsi Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the two greatest competitors in the soft drink industry. A brief introduction and history of the two companies will provide a basis for understanding how the companies have come to be where they are today and how they run their companies. The company structure of each will also be briefly explained to provide an understanding of how management style is impacted. Marketing and Advertising The marketing skills that these companies possess are the reason both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are so successful. Our research will provide an in-depth look at the marketing tactics that these companies use and how they compare to each other. The use of new technologies, forecasting, advertising, and political environments will all be included when determining what affects the marketing strategies the companies choose to take. SWOT Analysis To gain a better understanding of each company, we determined some strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each company. Each company has brand recognition on their sides and threats such as foreign, political, and economic situations in countries that Coke and Pepsi are established in. Comparing these aspects of each company will provide a good idea of future successes. Conclusion After a detailed look into Pepsi and Coke’s tactics for managing and successfully running their businesses, a summary of how each company manages its resources ties the research together and compares the overall management of the two companies. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Coca-Cola Company is the world's leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, with world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Coca-Cola, the Company's flagship brand, and over 230 other soft-drink brands are manufactured and sold by the Coca-Cola Company and its subsidiaries in nearly 200 countries around the world. The Company and its subsidiaries employ nearly 31,000 people around the world. Dr. John Stith Pemberton first introduced Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia in 1886. The pharmacist concocted a caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. The Coca-Cola Company’s operating management structure consists of five geographic groups plus The Minute Maid Company. Other Coke products are: Barq’s Root Beer, Cherry Coke, Powerade, Citra, Mel... .../sectors/3080.asp, (accessed 11/9/2000) Hays, Constance L., (2000), http://nytimes.com/library/financial/Sunday/080600biz- coke.html (accessed 10/8/2000) â€Å"It’s the Real Thing,† (1999), http://www.t- bird.edu/alumni/readingroom/magizine/features/realthing.asp (accessed 11/9/2000) â€Å"Law Firm Chitwood & Harley Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Coca-Cola Company,† (2000), http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001027/chitwood_h_2.html (accessed 11/2/2000) PepsiCo, Inc., 1998 Annual Report. Purchase, New York: PepsiCo, Inc., 1999 PepsiCo, Inc., 1999 Annual Report. Purchase, New York: PepsiCo, Inc., 2000 PepsiCo, Inc., www.pepsi.com, (accessed 9/2000 – 11/2000) PepsiCo, Inc., www.pepsico.com, (accessed 9/2000 – 11/2000) Simao, Paul (2000), SoBe deal may spur Coke into new age drinks—analysts, http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/001101/n1340525.html (accessed 11/2/2000) Thompson, Mark (1999), Coca-Cola and PepsiCo find their fizz, http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/invest/sectors/3080.asp?Printer (accessed 11/9/2000) â€Å"When Coke and Pepsi Battle, More than Cola is at Stake†; Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine; Feb 1992

Rehabilitation Counselor Education Programs Regarding Essay

For the past several years, the health care and insurance industries in America have been undergoing significant reform in order to rein in the high cost of delivering health care services. Managed care has become a cornerstone of this process (Strickland, 1995). The case management industry (with its focus on cost containment, managed competition, and quality care) is playing an increasingly important role in the managed care environment (Owens, 1996). According to Mullahy (1995a), the number of case managers has risen astronomically in recent years. These individuals come from diverse professional backgrounds and practice settings that include nursing, rehabilitation counseling, and social work. Case management, however, is not a new concept. Many human service, rehabilitation, and health care professions have a history of using case management models in the execution of their responsibilities. For example, in many psychiatric rehabilitation work settings social workers are frequently hired as case managers to coordinate the provision of community-based services to their clientele (Sledge, Astrachan, Thompson, Rakfeldt, & Leaf, 1995). Case management is also an extremely important function of rehabilitation counselors in both public and private sectors (Leahy, Chan, Taylor, Wood & Downey, 1997; Leahy, Szymanski & Linkowski, 1993; Matkin, 1995). Similarly, medical case management is increasingly being viewed as an essential aspect of professional nursing practice (Lamb, 1995). The Development of Private Sector Case Management The impetus for case management practice in health care settings can be traced to the skyrocketing cost of workers compensation in the 1970s. Private sector rehabilitation grew in response to the demand for vocational rehabilitation services by workers’ compensation insurance carriers (Matkin, 1995). Federal legislation also promoted the growth of private sector case management services. albeit inadvertently. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 gave priority within the state-federal vocational rehabilitation system to individuals with severe disabilities, causing workers’ compensation carriers to seek vocational rehabilitation services for their (typically less severely injured) claimants in the private sector Habeck, Leahy, Hunt, Chan & Welch, 1991). In increasing numbers. rehabilitation nurses and rehabilitation counselors were hired to provide both medical and vocational case management services to workers’ compensation claimants. In the late 1980s, case management began to develop its own impetus as an independent profession (E. Holt, personal communication, December 1, 1996). In 1991, 29 organizations involved in the field gathered in Dallas, Texas, at a consensus meeting organized by the Individual Case Management Association. The intent was to agree upon the philosophical basis for case management, a universal definition of case management, and a set of meaningful practice standards. Eventually, a certification program for case managers was developed, including eligibility criteria and content areas for a certification examination. On July 1, 1995, the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) was incorporated as a separate, independent credentialing body. Although the process is still very young, there are already over 19,000 Certified Case Mangers (CCMs) who have completed certification requirements. With technical and administrative support from the Foundation for Rehabilitation Education and Research, Leahy (1994) surveyed 14,078 practicing case managers representing multiple professional disciplines in a variety of work settings. His research suggested that case managers share a common knowledge base required for case management practice comprised of five factors: 1) coordination and delivery of services; 2) physical and psychosocial aspects of disability; 3) benefit systems and cost benefit analysis; 4) case management concepts; and 5) principles of community re-entry. Roles and Functions Studies In 1991, Matkin used a job analysis approach to identify work role categories as well as knowledge requirements associated with the major tasks performed by rehabilitation specialists in the private sector (Matkin, 1995). Seven major knowledge domains were identified, but case management and the coordination of rehabilitation services were determined to occupy approximately 40% of the subjects’ work time. More recently, Leahy, Chan, Taylor, Wood, and Downey (1997) identified seven empirically derived knowledge factors as important for effective private rehabilitation practice. These knowledge factors are: vocational assessment and planning; case management and reporting; expert witness testimony; employment and disability related legislation and regulations; community resources; psychosocial and functional aspects of disability; and job analysis and odification. In their study, knowledge of case management was rated as most important with a mean (M) score of 3. 24 (based on a five-point Likert-type scale, with 0 meaning not important to 4 indicating absolutely essential). Their study may reflect a shift in private rehabilitation practice from predominantly vocational counseling and job placement to medical and vocational case management. These same researchers also found several distinctions between private rehabilitation practitioners with a rehabilitation counseling background and those with a nursing background. While specialists with rehabilitation counseling expertise viewed knowledge in vocational rehabilitation as important to private rehabilitation practice, practitioners with a nursing background believed that community resources and medical rehabilitation service coordination activities were more important.

Public Administration : Chief Executive Essay

Governmental power is three-fold, legislative, to make laws; judicial and to interpret the and to execute or carry out those laws. There is a separate organ which will look after each function function, but the separation is not rigid. A complete separation would lead to perpetual deadlocks in administration. Thus there are various points of contact between all the three organs of the government to ensure smooth functioning of governmental programmes. With expanding complexity of the activities of the modern State, the Legislature is not in a position to have direct dealings with the administrator and so is the executive branch which is becoming more and more powerful. The modern State assigns a variety of functions to the executive. Thus it has become a vital part of the government. In this unit, we shall analyse the functions of the chief executive in the light of the differences between the real and the nominal executive. The unit will also highlight the growing strength and importance of the chief exccutive.We shall also discuss the need for staff and line agencies for advising the chief executive and in carrying out his policies. The unit will enable the student to understand the crucial role of chief executive in the task of administration. We will also come to know the factors and forces behind the chief executive at the Union, State and local levels. The executive is that branch of government which is charged with the execution of taws. It consists of various administrative agencies which are involved in the implementation of the laws. According to F.A. Nigro, â€Å"the executive branch of government in Public Administration is a truly visible form†. The executive branch of the government includes the chief executive and the civil servants who exec ute the laws made by the legislature. Thus the role of the executive is of paramount importance. . By ‘chief executive’ we mean the person or body of persons at the head of the administrative system of a country. The administrative hierarchy of a country resemb1es.a pyramid, broad at the base and tapering off towards the top till it ends at a single point, the apex. The chief executive is at the apex of the administrative pyramid. He is a person or persons in whom the executive power has been authoritatively vested for performing various functions. In a political system, the person or persons in whom the constitution vests the executive power of the government is the chief executive. In public or private organisations, the person who is at the top position with the major responsibility of carrying out the work of organisations is the chief executive. The chief executive has to perform various political and administrative functions. He occupies a central position in Public Administration. He determines the goals of the organisation, prepares plans, determines the tasks, fixes priorities, takes crucial decisions, mobilises resources, recryits personnel, coordinates the work of all the departments under him, motivates the personnel, provides leadership and supervises .[1] the implementation of plans. He sees that goals of organisation are achieved with maximum efficiency and optimum use of resources. The success or failure of an organisation, therefore, depends on the dynamic nature and character of the chief executive. The type of executive varies with the form of government. In a dictatorship, the chief executive comes to power through a military coup and continues to be in power through army support. Modern democracies have either a Presidential or a Parliamentary/ Collegiate executive, which is chosen from, and responsible to, an eIected legislature. The parliamental and Presidential. TYPES OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE : In countries like India and the UK, with parliamentary system,the chief executive consists of the Prime Minister and other Ministers. The Prime Minister heads the cabinet in these countries. There is a close, continuous and intimate executive legislative relationship as the cabinet is accountable to parliament in the parliamentary system. President of US can be impeached and removed from office by the legislature i.e. the US Congress by two-third majority. In the USA, for instance, because of the system of checks and balances, Congress, the President and the judiciary have become separate. entities independent of each other. The Titular and the Real Chief Executives In parliamentary form of government, all executive power is vested in the titular or constitutional head in theory and all decisions arc supposed to be taken in his name. It means that the head, whether it is the King or the President can exercise his powers only on tbs advice of the ministers and not independently. Thus, though the Constitution vests the powers with ihe President or the King, in practice these are not his real powers and cannot be exercised by him without the consent, of ministers. The chief executive in this sys te.~re mains titular or nominal. The real executiveis the Council of Ministers or the Cabinet to which the legal powers of titular executive pass, It means that legally he does not havepny powers but in practice exercises ail tfnepowers vested in the titular head. In England, the Queen andin India, the President are the titular chiefs and in both the countries the real executive is the cabinet headed by the Prirne Minister. In countries like the USA, the President is the real chief executive, as the powers legally vested in him are also exercised by him independently. Single and Plural Chief Executives In countries where parliamentary system of government prevails, the real chief executive is the cabinet which is a plural body. Thc body comprises the Prime Minister and other ministers. The Prime Minister works on the advice of his ministers. Unlike this, the chief executive in the Presidential system of government (like in the USA) is: single individual, the President. Though he functions under the system of separatiom of powers and checks and balances, he takes his decisions in an independent manner. VARIOUS TYPES OF LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES The type of executives discussed so far are present at the Union or Central level. Besides these, there are various executives at other levels, the study of which is also important. The local executive, assumes different forms in different countries and is variously designated. It can be single or plural, political or administrative, elective or . re-elective. The executive shares two types of powers and functions: political and administrative. The local executive can be classified as single executive when political authority is vested in a single person. The American, the European and the Japanese Mayors, the Indian Chairman of Zila Parishads and of Panchayat Samitis are examples of single and strong political executives. The plural executive consists of a group of individuals, one of whom is chosen as its chairman. The plural type is illustrated by the committee system of executive under the English local bodies. ‘ Apart from the political executives, at the other end of the spectrum are the municipal commissioners/the chief executive officers in the district development officers of Indian local authorities, the city managers of the USA and the chief executives of the U.K. They offer effective administrative leadership, sharing some executive powers which are political in character. Thus the local executives, may be political on the one hand and non-political, official or expert on the other: The American mayor, the committees of the English local bodies and the heads of the English local bodies are. political. There are executives who are primarily administrative like the American city manager and chief executive[2] officers of looal authorities in India, who are appointed by the State government. There are local executives who are strong, others which are weak. The involvement of thk executive in administration also makes it a strong executive. Its relationship with the local council is another factor which determines the position and status of the executive. It can be said,that an effective local executive can be one that combines ‘ . strong political leadership with professional leadership. But the Indian’rural local authorities are provided with strong leadership both in politics and administration with two separate positions present i.e, politician and professional administrator. In India, the city municipal corporations which are known for effective administrative leadership with the Municipal Commissioner as their chief administrator, suffer from ineffective political leadership as the executive authority is dispersed among various municipal authorities. FUNCTIONS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES The chief executive is the head of the country and in that capacity have far reaching legislative, executive and judicial powers granted by the Constitution of the country. Besides him there are numerous lesser chief executives at the state and local levels who also have to perform various legislative, executive and judicial functions in their respective areas. The nature and quantity of functions keep changing at every level. In companies or corporations the chief executive has the important task of interpreting the policy of the Board of Directors to the rest of the management and the general public. He has to ensure that policies and programmes laid down by the board of directors have been understood by all the employees. He has to devise the various procedures of organisation and determine its structure. The chief executive, at any level has a dual role to play i.e. political as well as administrative. Political Functions The source of political power under democracy is primarily the people themselves and secondarily the legislature which is the representative body of the people. The chief executive obtains his office through the votes of his people. It means that the office of the chief executive is the end-result of apolitical process. For executive discharge of the duties of his office and proper working of the administration, the chief executive needs the support of the legislature and the people. Therefore, he must always work for winning :he support of the legislature and the electorate. The chief executive has to perform his[3] activities by keeping in view the public interest as well as the interest of the nation. Administration cannot run smoothly unless there is interaction between the people and the administration. Thus, political management is one of the most important functions of the chief executive. we mentioned earlier, chief executive also exits at other levels e.g., in public organisations, private enterprises etc. At these levels too, the chief executive has an important political role to perform. In actual practice, the chief executive in a parliamentary form of government performs many functions which the head or heads of the public or private organisation (which ran be a general manager, managing director or a secretary) perform. The executive in a parliamentary system is controlled by the legislature and in an organisation it is controlled by the Board of Directors. Even though the chief executive in public organisations, is not a result of political process. he has to interact with peoplc, press etc., to run the organisation. He mobilises the efforts of the personnel to achieve organisational goals. This means that political role of a chief executive is very crucial and he cannot avoid it, whether it is at the national level, state level or local levels. His political function of galvanising the entire administration to action in pursuit of the accepted goals and objectives and winning the people’s support and consent thus assumes importance. Administrative Functions The chief executive has to perform a number of administrative functions. Luther Gullick sums up these functions in thc acronym POSDCORB, which has been referred to in the earliar units. Marshall Dinlock summarises these function is none sentence: â€Å"He is a trouble shooter, a supervisor and a promoter of the future programme†. We will now discuss the major functions of the chief executive in some detail. F’orrnulation of Administrative. Policy One of the major functions of the chief executive is the determination and formulation of administrative policy. He issues a number of specific policy directions, written or oral, which enable the administrative officers to perform their duties in a proper manner. They actually serve as a guide to administration. Thc chief executive is consulted by the departmental heads and other administrative officers on certain important and controversial matters. His ability and personality has close bearing on administrative efficiency. The Iegislature only enacts laws in general terms. The executive fills them with details to make then fit for application. Deciding the Details of Organisation The legislature provides for the establishment of main units of organisation, like[4] departments, commissions and corporations for the implementation of various laws. But the details of internal organisation are to be filled in by the chief executive. Thc chief executive can also create new administrative agencies or reorganise the existing ones. The chief executive also prescribes, how the operating personnel shall perform certain or all of their duties. Thus the chief executive authorises the structure of the organisation. Issuing Directives, Proclamations, Orders etc. In order to make any decision really meaningful, it is necessary to convert it into effective action, which the chief executive achieves by directing. The chief executive issues directives, proclamations, orders etc. to make the administrative activities conform to the statutory provisions, directives, circulars etc. and to help in bringing about uniformity in the behaviour of people involved in the implementation of policies and programmes. The kind and number of directives, orders etc. issued by the chief executive sets up the tone of the adminristration.He has to direct the personnel to start or stop or modify an activity.. Appointment and Removal of Personnel It is the responsibility of the chief executive to see that the heads of different Departments perform their duties sincerely and efficiently. Hence he also has the power to select the officers. In almost all the countries the chief executive makes appointments to higher offices. In India, all important appointments such as that of State Governors, Ambassadors, Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court and State High Courts, the Attorney General, the Chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission are made by the chief executive. Recruitment of administrators to other ranks is made by Public Service Commission on the basis of competitive examinations. So even where merit system of recruitment normally prevails, key appointments are made by the chief executive. In public and private organisations, key appointments are made by the chief executive. The recruitment of personnel is done under his supervision and with his due consent. The chief executive also has the power of dismissal or demotion of public servants, if he finds it necessary in the interests of administrative efficiency. Dismissals are subject to certain constitutional arrangements. In the removal of personnel of the lower cadre he is guided by the Civil Service Rules. Coordination of Various Executive Activities Modern administration consists of various departments, commissions, divisions and sections each performing a specialised part of the function. In order to create unity in[5] this huge mass of diversified activities, a very high degree of coordination and integration is needed. The chief executive has to bring harmony, settle conflicts and guard against overlapping and duplication in administrative activities. For this, he may create inter-departmental committees .and other coordinating agencies at various levels. Thus coordination is one of the most important functions of the chief executive. It is his foremost duty to see that numerous activities undertaken by several departments in implementation of a particular policy lead to fulfilment of administrative goals.