Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Religion Essay - 2243 Words
Karl Marx (1818-1883) was the most influential revolutionary socialist thinker of the 19th century. Marxââ¬â¢s key interests were in establishing a revolutionary party for the working classes and analysing capitalist society in order to find its strengths and weaknesses and so plan its demise. With his friend and colleague, Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), he created ââ¬Å"The Communist Manifestoâ⬠in which they described the communist society which would be created as a result of the revolutionary overthrow of the capitalists by the working classes. This essay will discuss the view held by Marx and Engels with regard to religion and consider this perspective in its relevance to contemporary society. Although, in Marx and Engelsââ¬â¢ opinion, religion isâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Marx believed that inversion itself must be inverted so that humans regained their place of importance over idols, in society. Marx and Engels believed religion distracts the proletariat from their life of oppression under capitalism, keeping them away from materialistic ideas. The magic of religion blinded them to the reality of what was happening in the material world, leading Marx (1844, p652) to hold the view that ââ¬Å"Man makes religion, religion does not make manâ⬠. This resulted in Marxââ¬â¢s idea of commodity fetishism, (Marx, 1867) in which he believed that special powers were given to goods, by the working classes, which resulted in an unnatural relationship between the goods and man, with commodities held in a state of supernaturally high regard and taking on the characteristics of gods. Marx and Engels considered the role of religion as an ideology for the proletariat, creating a false consciousness; those holding religious views considered themselves good hard working law abiding individuals, with high moral standards, believing they appreciated the materialistic value of what they had. Politicians, claimed Marx and Engels, were able to use these religious ideals, to convince the proletariat of the benefits of a capitalist society, to highlight the benefits of a capitalist over a feudal society. Marx and Engels saw religion as an ideology, making workers accept the conditions of exploitationShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx And The German Political System1427 Words à |à 6 PagesKarl Marx was born on May 5th 1818 in Trier, Germany, which was then known as the Kingdom of Prussia. Karl was a philosopher, economist, sociologist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His work in economics laid the basis for much of the current understanding of labor and itââ¬â¢s relati on to capital, and subsequent economic thought. He was born into a wealthy upper middle-class family. He attended school at the University of Bonn and later he studied law and philosophy at the University of BerlinRead MoreEssay Biography of Karl Marx1084 Words à |à 5 PagesBiography of Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, social scientist, and revolutionist whose writings formed the beginning of the basic ideas known as Marxism. Although he was largely disregarded by scholars in his own lifetime, his social, economic and political ideas gained rapid acceptance in the socialist movement after his death. With the help of Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx created much of the theory of socialism and communism that we know today. Karl Marx was born inRead MoreKarl Marx, The Philosopher, And Revolutionary Socialist1068 Words à |à 5 PagesKarl Marx was the philosopher, social scientist, and revolutionary socialist during the 19th century. He was born in Prussia, on May 5, 1818, into a wealthy middle-class family. His father was disqualified from being a lawyer because he was Jewish so he converted to another religion. Karl attended a Lutheran Elementary School, but later became a non-believer of any God and a person that believes physical matter is all that is real. Karl graduated from Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium at the age seventeenRead MoreMarx And Engels : An Old Meeting Place Of Voltaire And Diderot856 Words à |à 4 PagesIn August of 1844, 26-year-old Karl Marx and 23-year-old Friedrich Engels met in Paris for an aperitif at the Cafà © de la Regence ââ¬â an old meeting place of Voltaire and Diderot. Their ensuing discourse lasted ten intense days and resulted in a lifelong friendship. This trans formative relationship is evident in the publishing of The Communist Manifesto in 1848, during a period of widespread European revolution. Although Marx and Engels agreed that revolution was justified to create a communist societyRead More The Life of Karl Marx1160 Words à |à 5 PagesThe Life of Karl Marx Karl Marx was the co-author of The Communist Manifesto, along with Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto is a pamphlet that was written to let the public know how the working class was being treated, and to try to get rid of the class system that existed at the time. Marx believed that many of the workers throughout England were not being treated fairly and that something needed to be done about it. Marx explains, ââ¬Å"The history of all hitherto existing society is theRead MoreKarl Marx And Socialism Negatively Impacted Society1803 Words à |à 8 Pages How Karl Marx and Socialism Negatively Impacted Society Marxism, also known as Socialism, and Communism, is ââ¬Å"the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by a man known as Karl Marx; it is especially: a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless societyâ⬠(merriam-webster.com). Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are responsible forRead MoreThe Radical Nature of Social Contract Theorists Essay1403 Words à |à 6 Pagessocial contract theorists have worked to understand the ties that bind man. Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, and Friedrich Nietzsche, each felt constrained by their times, and because of this introduced radical concepts surrounding the social contract. Each of the philosophersââ¬â¢ revolutionary concepts challenges power and even though their arguments differ dramatically Nietzsche can be viewed as the most radical of the three. Karl Marx is most often recognized as a radical who wanted to overthrow capitalismRead MoreCommunism Created By Karl Marx And Friedrich Engels799 Words à |à 4 Pagescreated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. For the most part it has failed to build stable and prosperous nations. What factors caused communism to fail? Can we identify those factors and avoid it entirely? We must try to, and preserve our successful form of government. The creators of communism are Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818 into a well off German family. He eventually attended university and this is when his interest and critique of religion and governmentRead MoreThe Shaping Of The Modern World Essay1407 Words à |à 6 PagesModern World 10/31/16 ââ¬â¹Question #5: The Growth and dominance of Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution transformed the world. Explain the different positions and outlooks on capitalism and the Industrial Revolution taken by Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels. ââ¬â¹The growth, influence, and power of the world surrounds itself around capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. Capitalism is best described as the economic and political system where different countries trade. It is the economic marketRead MoreKarl Marx : An Atheist And Materialist1204 Words à |à 5 PagesHUM-2249-06Z September 29, 2014 Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx was born on May 05, 1818 in Trier, Germany to Heinrich Marx, a lawyer, and Henriette Presburg Marx, a Dutchwoman. The eldest of five children, Marx was baptized Jewish as his parents however; attended a Lutheran elementary school. He soon rejected both the Christian and Jewish religions, becoming an atheist and materialist. Marx claimed that Religion is the opium of the peopleâ⬠(Karl) He later attended Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium where he
Monday, December 23, 2019
Taking a Look at Adult Stress - 1295 Words
Until recently, stress was considered mainly associated with adulthood. The impact of stress on other parts of the lifespan is now being acknowledged. In this project, it is my mission to explore stress in depth. I will research general information about stress and attempt to reveal sources of stress, and it varies at different stages in life. To finish, I will examine some techniques for informally assessing stress and treatment options. STRESS IN GENERAL What is stress? Stress is a normal, physical reaction to events that cause one to feel threatened or uneasy in some way. Some people are resilient, and can bounce back from obstacles faced in life, while others do not cope as well. In reaction to a stressor, such as sense of danger, our bodyââ¬â¢s natural defenses kick into high gear in a quick reflex method known as the ââ¬Å"fight-or-flightâ⬠response. When this happens, the nervous system releases a flood of hormones called cortisol and adrenaline, shifting the body into gear and enabling us to meet the challenge of the particular stressor. In this incredible process, our body is protecting us by supporting us to stay focused and alert. In emergencies, stress can actually save our life by giving us extra power to defend ourselves. Stress can keep us on our toes and ready to meet challenges. Beyond a certain point, however, stress has the ability to damage our health, relationships, and quality of life. What is ââ¬Å"eustressâ⬠? Endocrinologist Hans SelyeShow MoreRelatedMost Stressed Out Generation : Young Adults852 Words à |à 4 PagesStressed Out Generation: Young Adults Stress is a common health issue for the body and mind, but managed if not avoid This article describes the stress among young adults and how these stressors have developed a generation with more health, mental, psychological disorders than any other generation (Time. 2015). Based on what the cause of stress is and in what ways the stress is formed. This article also discusses how the definition of stress and the level of stress has changed over generations (TimeRead MoreThe Process Of Adolescence Is A Period Of Different Changes1308 Words à |à 6 Pagesmaturation along with the want for independence. This time can be a liberating part of life but can also cause children to feel disconsolate with themselves. Because of so many different changes happening in a childââ¬â¢s life during the period of adolescence, stress and depression are common factors that child may feel for the first time in their lives. Adolescence refers to the period of transition from puberty to adulthood which usually occurs from ages 10 to 19 (World Health Organization, 2017, p. 1)Read MoreThe Death Of A Girl1236 Words à |à 5 Pagescommitting suicide. Not everyone knows that today is the day, but she doesnââ¬â¢t want to talk about it. She is stressed about the homework she might not have done and her mind is in so many different places. The first bell rings so she takes her seat and looks at the board. A worksheet was due and she hadnââ¬â¢t completed it. Swiftly walking around the room, the teacher comes to collect the worksheet, but she hadnââ¬â¢t completed it. The girl doesnââ¬â¢t pass her worksheet forward and tries to explain to the teacherRead MoreBanning Childrens Beauty Pageants661 Words à |à 3 PagesFor years, we were told from when we were little to when we grow up as an adult, to ââ¬Å"never judge a book by its cover.â⬠But apparently dressing childrenââ¬â¢s up in immode rate dresses and overly excessive makeup, while throwing them on a stage to perform or ââ¬Å"show their talentsâ⬠like monkeys for the world to judge, are still considered as the same value? Even now, there is a show called Toddlerââ¬â¢s and Tiara, showing the backstage and the daily lives of children who thrown into the world of pageants, allRead MoreManaging Time as an Adult Learner933 Words à |à 4 Pagesï » ¿ Managing time as an adult learner Daniel L. Beard COLL100 B155 Sum 13 American Military University Prof. Allen Olsen Managing time as an adult learner Some people say ââ¬Å"there arenââ¬â¢t enough hours in the dayâ⬠. The people who usually say that kind of statement need help with time management. Successfully managing time and energy is a skill that an adult learner must find and master. To stretch those hours in the day it takes planning, being flexible and balancingRead MoreEssay On 12 Ways Spoonies Cope With Chronic Illness979 Words à |à 4 Pages12 Ways Spoonies Cope With the Stress of Chronic Illness As Iââ¬â¢ve mentioned in earlier posts, Instagram has become an absolute treasure trove of practical information for people living with chronic illness. Here are 12 ways spoonies just like you cope with the stress of living with an invisible illness while having fun at the same time! Being Stubborn When living with a chronic illness, stubbornness can be both your best and your worst asset. On the one hand, youââ¬â¢re incredibly determined to notRead MoreThis Paper Will Cover Eriksonââ¬â¢S Eight Stages Of Psychosocial1308 Words à |à 6 Pagesto be. Stage six is Intimacy vs. Isolation ââ¬â18 to 40yrs- At this stage young adults look for someone to hang out with and someone to love or they become reclusive fearing rejection. Stage seven is Generativity vs. Stagnation ââ¬â 40 to 65 ââ¬â At this stage middle age adults start families, getting jobs, or they get stuck in a routine and just never change. Stage eight is Integrity vs. Despair- 65+ At this stage older adults review their lives thinking that their lives were good or upset they never didRead MoreHow Stress Affects Our Lives904 Words à |à 4 Pagesthat in more recent years that young people today have so much more stress than in the past. We are always saying to ourselves, ââ¬Å"I wish I could go back to elementary schoolâ⬠and this can start as early as middle school. Itââ¬â¢s unbelievable how young ââ¬Å"stressâ⬠starts to effect us on a daily basis. However if we took more time to learn about what stress can do for us we can let it effect us in a positive and beneficial manner. Stress is a state of mind, the subconscious mind which processes all our thoughtsRead MoreA Phenomenological Analysis Of The Experience Of Security And Contentment For Latency Children1502 Words à |à 7 Pagesleading the youth to experience conflict due to divorce making them resent the situation they have no control over. Mental and emotional effects are also linked to divorce. Divorce is a strong topic as is mental and emotional health, so when taking a look at the two itââ¬â¢s no wonder why in America the topics are well discussed. As stated previously divorce effects everyone, the spouses and the children adding to the research provided that out of everyone who goes through divorce some develop issuesRead MoreP2: Describe Indicators That Abuse May Be Happening to Adults643 Words à |à 3 PagesP2: Describe indicators that abuse may be happening to adults. Abuse may be revealed in a number of different ways. For example you may find that someone wants to tell you about it because they trust you. Also it might be from someone who has observed the abuse taking place, e.g. resident seeing a care worker shaking another resident because they were too slow getting dressed. The abuse is disclosed to the professional, sometimes with a request for confidentiality. Unexplained injuries A medical
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Gadget Addiction Free Essays
string(47) " information about his books, see: carlalasko\." First it was ââ¬Ëtexterââ¬â¢s thumbââ¬â¢. Now gadget addicts are coming down with ââ¬Ëtext neckââ¬â¢. Today, many patients are suffering neck pain from spending too much time hunched over phones and computers. We will write a custom essay sample on Gadget Addiction or any similar topic only for you Order Now The rise of smartphones and tablet computers has fuelled the problem. The extra capability for playing games and browsing the Internet on smartphones means they tend to be used for longer periods. And unlike laptops, tablet computers are often placed flat on the lap, meaning you crane your neck over to view the screen. Knee and hip replacement surgeon Dr Kaushal Malhan says, ââ¬Å"Technology has made life easier, but at the same time brought in newer problems. The easy accessibility to almost any information and quick communication through the use of smartphones and laptops has made them an invaluable resource. At the same time, their indiscriminate use has brought in new health problems. â⬠It is common to find people using their laptops for hours at a stretch. Smartphones now work as mini computers and it is not unusual to find people busy with their phones which are much more than simply a means of communication. People often complain of neck and back pain, and the cause for these can often be sourced to indiscriminate laptop use in an incorrect posture. These patients often have a good range of movements with pain mainly at the end of the day,â⬠adds Dr Malhan. Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Ashish Arbat agrees. ââ¬Å"Today, we are observing many young patients who are into gadgets with wry neck, which is caused by continuous craning of the neck for texting, etc. â⬠He advises that one should exercise oneââ¬â¢s neck daily and stretch the cervical and trapezial muscle, with a healthy habit of sleeping supine straight, with balanced diet to prevent wry neck. How to avoid such problems ââ¬â Use a chair of correct height so that your legs comfortably reach the floor. ââ¬â Table height and computer monitor height should be at your eye level so that you are not forced to adopt unphysiologic postures. ââ¬â Elbows should be well supported on armrest or table in front of you. ââ¬â Do not forget to blink your eyes intermittently to reduce eye fatigue. ââ¬â Change your posture every now and then and regular breaks in between. ââ¬â Stretch out all muscle groups whenever you have the opportunity. ââ¬â Regular stretching exercises are a must for people who sit for long hours. In case of problems like neck pain, see a doctor to rule out other non-postural causes. Once that is ruled out, one can look at changing habits and lifestyle as advocated above. A short course of anti-inflammatory medication and hot packs with gentle massage should help. ââ¬â Dr Kaushal Malhan http://articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/2012-08-03/fitness/33002266_1_neck-pain-text-neck-tablet-computers Carl Alasko: How will gadget addiction affect us? Carl Alasko On Relationships Posted: 04/08/2012 12:06:07 AM PDT Updated: 04/08/2012 12:06:07 AM PDT Dear Dr. Alasko: Our two sons, ages 9 and 13, love technology. My husband is himself a computer geek so he thinks itââ¬â¢s great. He says the more they know the better equipped theyââ¬â¢ll be for their future. But I worry about the human side of their lives. For instance, when theyââ¬â¢re together with their friends, all of them seem to be looking at their gadgets and doing very little talking. I worry that they wonââ¬â¢t be able to form healthy adult relationships and bond with their own children ââ¬â except maybe through technology. Dear Reader: You have a right to be worried. We donââ¬â¢t yet know if there are permanent developmental problems when children have constant access to fast-moving technology. At this point the ââ¬Å"expertsâ⬠seem divided. About half are optimistic. They believe that electronically connected youth will have the advantage of being nimble analysts and fast decision makers. The others are pessimistic. They worry that hyper-connected young people are too distracted by constant input to have deep-thinking capabilities. And theyââ¬â¢re not able to retain information and train their brain to remember things because everything is instantly available on their phone. Then thereââ¬â¢s the question of face-to-face relationship skills and the ability to focus on emotional issues. My personal concern is that boys who grow up completely immersed in the electronic connectivity of video games, texting and ear-buds will not be capable of the extended focus required to deal Advertisement with the complex world of emotional issues, the kind that every adult relationship requires. Thereââ¬â¢s a physiological analogy with our vision. If you do a lot of reading as a child in dim light, your eyes strain to see the tiny printed words and in response your eyeballs actually become enlarged. This condition leads to extreme myopia. It seems logical to suppose that if a childââ¬â¢s growing brain is subjected to constant fast-moving images and scattered input from video games, texts, etc. , the childââ¬â¢s brain will lose the ability to remain focused on one issue beyond a few seconds. From the psychological point of view, the term ââ¬Å"deep-thinking capabilitiesâ⬠is the biggest area of concern. I recently read about how we are losing our ability to do long-term thinking, the kind that happens when, for instance, a person spends a few hours walking in a forest. During extended periods of rest (without media), the brain automatically sorts things out on its own. We can ââ¬Å"think throughâ⬠complex problems. Supporting this idea is the fact that we must have periods of deep sleep. Only during REM sleep does our brain recalibrate and settle down. If we consistently interrupt REM sleep the person develops a kind of psychosis. As I said earlier, you have a right to be worried. The goal would be to achieve a balanced, moderate use of technology. But promoting these behaviors in your technology-dominant family will be difficult. However, if you strongly believe in the wisdom of moderation, your belief (and common sense) should provide the energy to effect meaningful change. Carl Alasko, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is the author of ââ¬Å"Emotional BSâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Beyond Blame. â⬠For information about his books, see: carlalasko. You read "Gadget Addiction" in category "Essay examples" com. Contact him at dralasko@gmail. com . http://www. montereyherald. com/carlalasko/ci_20351336 Modern menace: Societyââ¬â¢s addiction to gadgets Top ArticleAll 4 Articles 2 of 4 by Nanette Piotrowski Created on: February 19, 2013 Just ask any six year-old to put down his cell-phone or controller to a video game to come to the table to eat and you have your answer to the statement. They would rather starve to death than do it. Children no longer know what to do with themselves without them. The statement ââ¬Ëgo outside and playââ¬â¢ is foreign. If you told them to play a game of tag, they would look at you like youââ¬â¢d lost your mind. Unfortunately it is the parents who have turned the young ones into veritable Zombies. The parents are the ones who fortunately (or unfortunately), benefited from the advancement of modern conveniences; whether it is appliances like washer/dryers, toasters, coffee pots and micro-wave ovens to cell-phones, computers and fancy cars. Somewhere and somehow with time, people have forgotten how to wash dishes and clothes by hand, cook over an open fire, use a broom and live by candle-light or lantern. Heaven forbid! Whereas modern technology has made crucial advances like medicine and surgery, time travel shorter (planes, trains, automobiles) and life easier, it has also created a decline in family time, creative thought, obesity and believe it or not, intelligence. Today a majority of the population (particularly children), cannot add, subtract, multiply and divide (without a calculator), spell (without spell check) or count back change for a dollar, balance a checkbook, change a tire, work on a car, and in a lot of cases, canââ¬â¢t even cook. So regardless of technological advances (by a brilliant few), the remainder of the population has become inept, unproductive robots. It is a sad state of affairs to see adults and/or children sitting in a restaurant texting someone, only to find out that it is to each other. Cell-phones, while a possible convenience and safety gadget (calling for help), is also one of the main reasons for deadly car accidents. Most people canââ¬â¢t walk and chew gum at the same time, let alone operate a motor vehicle that weighs 3,000 pounds safely while they are talking and texting. Besides these issues, there is also the fact that these modern gadgets also make it possible for government intrusion. Cameras in the television, GPS in vehicles and cell-phones, direct accessibility into your computer; every move you make can be accounted for and watched. Very real intrusions of privacy which can be very menacing. The big question to be asked here is: ââ¬Å"How would society react if there was a complete electrical and satellite shut-down? â⬠It could happen whether caused by a meteor, massive volcanic explosion, hackers or terrorists. Think about it; could you and/or your family survive without all the modern gadgetry and convenience? Would you know what to do? And what if it was the worst case scenario where it was impossible to return to the current standard of things and we were thrown back to the 1800ââ¬â¢s. Truly, societyââ¬â¢s addiction to gadgetry has become our greatest menace; that of how to cope without them http://www. helium. com/items/2422560-addiction-to-gadgets-in-modern-society Gadget Addiction Making People Crazy Gadgets and machines have become an integral part of our lives. What would we do without them These gizmos are like a necessary condition now which make our lives complete. However, we must keep in mind that everything has its own limit otherwise it can become a cause for concern and in extreme cases, fatal. Market of devices and gadgets seems to be flooded with production. Day in and day out new technologies appear in front of us. If one has bought the latest mobile phone or laptop etc then he does not have much time to feel proud on that because the next day there would be much more superior device than that in the market. This is one of the reasons of addiction. The present day is no less crazy. We are now getting addicted to those things which five years ago we had not thought of even. Earlier people would go and talk to people they know, spend time with them but now they love to talk to their gadgets. Once my friend showed me an application of speaking Tom-cat in her mobile phone which repeats everything you speak and told that she spends a long time with it.. seems crazy.. The effect of this addiction is that people even canââ¬â¢t resist themselves from taking calls and accessing Facebook and other social networking sites during office hours. The lure of being constantly in touch is so strong that they donââ¬â¢t stop sending text messages even if they are told to switch off their phones. It creates a distraction from work. The devices supposed to increase the productivity are giving an opposite effect. In fact the worst affected are the youths. In most of the schools use of cell phones is banned but many of the students carry them. Use of costly and hi-fi gadgets has become a status symbol among them. Daily on way to my work, I see children in school uniforms of age not more than 15 carrying smart phones, iPods etc. It has become a trend now. They push their parents to buy them the latest cell phone or other gizmos because their peers use it. HOW TO GET OVER THIS ADDICTION Gaining or using anything in excess frequently becomes a source of disturbance. It is very important to prevent this. There should be some time bounds to use gadgets. Getting dependent on them is harmful. We will have to learn to balance and manage time. It is important to have a balance between our different engagements such as time spent with family and friends, office work, proper rest as well on gadgets. ââ¬Å"We are exposing brains to an environment and asking them to do things we werenââ¬â¢t necessarily evolved to do. We know already there are consequences. â⬠http://writerspavilion. hubpages. com/hub/-Gadget-Addiction-Making-People-Crazy How to cite Gadget Addiction, Essay examples
Friday, December 6, 2019
Wolfgang Keller Case Analysis free essay sample
Wolfgang Keller Case Analysis MBA-6120 Abstract Wolfgang Keller is a 34 year old graduate of the Harvard Business School. After a fast moving career building a reputation for turning around failing businesses, Wolfgang Keller once again found himself facing the challenge of turning around a losing business. This time it was as managing director of the Ukrainian subsidy of the Konigsbrau Brewery. The company was experiencing â⠬2. 9 million per year with annual sales of â⠬116 million, (Gabarro, 2008). Even though this was a bigger company that he was used to dealing with, he seemed to be well on his way to success after just three years. Sales had increased to â⠬145 million and the company was finally turning a â⠬7 million profit, (Gabarro, 2008). Wolfgang Kellerââ¬â¢s boss, Dr. Hans Haussler, appeared to have confidence in his abilities, but Keller was still new and needed to continually prove himself. To add to his confidence, the Haussler was sending him off to Brazil to head up a start-up task force for a joint venture between Konigsbrau and a Brazilian brewer. We will write a custom essay sample on Wolfgang Keller Case Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Still Wolgang Keller was smart enough to know that things were not quite right. There were still a few problems remaining that could derail the expansion of the Ukrainian Division. Not the least of which was Dmitri Brodsky, Konigsbrauââ¬â¢s commercial director. There were serious differences in philosophy between Keller and Brodsky that needed to be resolved before they damaged the company. Before Keller returned home from Brazil, he was going to have to decide how to handle this problem. Situation Wolfgang Keller was a hands-on manager that was used to taking over small companies and making all of the decisions necessary to turn them around as fast as possible. He turned a failing German food products manufacturer into a profitable company and then saved another subsidy of the company in under two years. In less than three years Keller changed the marketing strategy, restructured the sales force, hired new top management, and acquired an additional brewery for Konigsbrauââ¬â¢s Ukrainian Division. Kellerââ¬â¢s predecessor was replaced due to his inability to get along with Vladimir Antinov, the companies Ukrainian partner and for all intents and purposes, Kellerââ¬â¢s counterpart who handled many of the local relationships with banks, trade associations and government agencies. In fact, Kellerââ¬â¢s ability to relate to people may have been a large part of why he was chosen for the position. Keller introduced an aggressive marketing strategy that was heavily dependent on developing and maintaining personal relationships with Konigsbrauââ¬â¢s distributers all the way down to the retail level. Because there was not much differentiation among premium beers, it was important that Konigsbrau stands out from the competition. Keller believed that the close relationship with their distributors and sales team was just what they needed. He felt that the upper management needed to be seen out in the field with the sales force supporting them at all times. Dmitri Brodsky, Konigsbrauââ¬â¢s commercial director, did not share Kellerââ¬â¢s enthusiasm for developing close relationships with the sales force and the distributors. He was more of an analytical type who preferred an arms-length relationship. Brodsky was extremely thorough and had excellent technical skills. He was very good at organizing and developing controls. He had recently redesigned the sales force organization and the information and control systems. However, Keller felt he took much too long to do it, and that it only got finished because Keller put a hiring freeze on sales staff until it was completed. Brodsky was more of an ââ¬Å"old guardâ⬠type manager that felt it was important to keep a distant relationship between his subordinates and that getting too close would undermine his authority to get things done. Keller believed that this was all just an excuse to keep form dealing with the part of the job that he did not like. By contrast, Brodskyââ¬â¢s Marketing Manager, Ivan Zelenko was heavily involved with the sales and marketing staff and most of the middle managers and sales staff preferred woring directly with Zelenko instead of Brodsky. Even though Brodsky was brought in because it was thought that his maturity would balance the group of young managers that were brought it, it still seemed to surprise Keller that they did not instantly bond. This is why Keller has been seriously considering splitting the department and making Zelenko Sales Director and Brodsky Marketing Director Analysis It is obvious that we are dealing with two completely different personalities and management styles. Wolfgang Kellerââ¬â¢s management style would be more of an affinitive style (Goleman, 2000). He prefers to establish trust and relationships with his subordinates to help motivate them to perform well because they value the relationship, rather than because they fear punishment if they donââ¬â¢t. However, when it comes to Brodsky, he leans more toward a coercive management style (Goleman, 2000), dictating how he wants things done. Brodsky on the other hand is almost the polar opposite of Keller. He prefers to use a coercive approach to managing people and feels that he is being micro-managed by Keller when he tries to impose his management methods on him. He has a more ââ¬Å"administrativeâ⬠approach, and a distant management style. He has a lack of attention and disregard for the recommendations given to him by Keller. I do not completely agree with Kellerââ¬â¢s negative analysis of how Brodsky kept his personal life away from his professional life. There may be legitimate, reasons for this that Keller is not aware of. Conclusion I donââ¬â¢t see any evidence that Keller himself made much of an effort to establish a personal relationship with Brodsky. There does not appear to be a lot of contact between them, other than to address issues that Keller is unhappy with or to perform evaluations. Although Keller does not think Zelenko is ready to take over the entire division, he does think he is qualified enough to take over the Sales Directors job. Perhaps his confidence in Zelenko is at least in part due to the fact that he has a previous relationship with him, or because of their previous relationship, Zelenko has adopted Kellerââ¬â¢s management styles. Either way, Keller needs to first take a look at how he handled his relationship with Brodsky in the past, before he decides how to handle it in the future. The same relationship building approach that Keller wants Brodsky to take with the sales team would have been a useful approach for Keller to take with Brodsky. Since the company is finally making a profit and not in immediate danger, maybe it is not too late to try that approach with Bodsky. Keller also needed to be mindful that his advice to Brodsky was not perceived as micro-managing. I think that some of this is Kellerââ¬â¢s fault. Keller needed to make his preferences about how the team should be handled known at the beginning of his relationship with Brodsky. A big part of the reason Brodsky was hired was because Keller thought his maturity would balance out the younger managers. If Keller was looking for someone to be a charismatic leader, he should have made that clear in the hiring process. At that point, he could have made the decision to separate the two departments and make better use of Brodsky and Zelenkoââ¬â¢s talents. Had Keller used the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument as part of his hiring process, he would have found that Brodsky has a tendency toward the ââ¬Å"avoidingâ⬠range and would have been able to predict his performance in the situation. A compromising approach may be necessary in order to get moving to a solution quickly, Thomas-Kilmann , (2007). Keller may be able to offer splitting the departments between marketing and sales as a solution to the conflict. Brodsky can focus on the tasks that he enjoys the most and avoid the tasks that he dislikes, such as building the personal relationships with the sales staff. In turn Brodskyââ¬â¢s evaluations are likely to improve. Keller will also need to seriously consider whether or not he is ready to fire Brodsky if he is not ready to go along with the plan. If Brodsky does not buy in, he is likely to sabotage the plan to prove his point. References Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90. Thomas, K. , Kilmann, R. (2007), The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, CPP Inc. Gabarro, Comings, Suesse, (2008) Wolfgang Keller at Konigsbrau-TAK (A), Harvard Business Review, 1-18
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)