2016 Real Estate Industry Leader Profile: MaryAnne Gilmartin

[Excerpt] Cornell University and the Baker Program in Real Estate are pleased to announce the 2016 Real Estate Industry Leader Award recipient: MaryAnne Gilmartin, President & CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies. MaryAnne’s leadership in the real estate industry has made a powerful and positive impact on society as a driving force behind several of the highest-profile, largest-scale additions to the urban landscape of New York City.

Error Recovery Performance: The Impact of Leader Behavioral Integrity and Job Satisfaction

This article introduces the concept of error recovery performance, followed by the development and validation of an instrument to measure it. The first objective of this article is to broaden the current concept of service recovery to be relevant to the back-of-house operations. The second objective is to examine the influence of leader behavioral integrity (BI) on error recovery performance. Moreover, the study examines the mediating effect of job satisfaction between BI and error recovery performance. Finally, the study links error management performance with work-unit effectiveness. Data for Study 1 were collected from 369 hotel employees in Turkey. The same relationships were tested again in Study 2 to validate the findings of Study 1 with a different sample. Data for Study 2 were collected from 33 departmental managers from the same hotels. Linear regression analysis was used to test the direct effects. The mediating effects were tested using the mediation test suggested by Preacher and Hayes. In addition, in Study 2, general managers of the hotels were asked to rate the effectiveness of each manager and their respective department. Results from Study 1 indicate that BI drives error recovery performance, and this impact is mediated by employee job satisfaction. Results of Study 2 confirm this model and finds further that managers’ self-rated error recovery performance was associated with their general managers’ assessment of their deliverables and of their department’s overall performance.

A Successful Leader or a Psychopathic Individual?

There are numerous studies that have focused on the qualities and attributes of an effective organisational leader, and these identified characteristics such as, charisma, confidence, persuasiveness and courage. What if these qualities however, were a mere façade, underpinned by a more sinister side? The result might be far from an effective leader, but instead reveal... a psychopath!

Which Boxes Do You Tick on the Outstanding Leader List?

The article published in the Times Educational Supplement (TES) features research by Professor Dhillon from the University of Worcester.

Leader Based Cyclic Pursuit

In this work a system of autonomous agents engaged in cyclic pursuit (under constant bearing (CB) strategy) is considered, for which one informed agent (the leader) also senses and responds to a stationary beacon. Building on the framework proposed in a previous work on beacon-referenced cyclic pursuit, necessary and suffi- cient conditions for the existence of circling equilibria in a system with one informed agent are derived, with discussion of stability and performance. In a physical testbed, the leader (robot) is equipped with a sound sensing apparatus composed of a real time embedded system, estimating direction of arrival of sound by an Interaural Level and Phase Difference Algorithm, using empirically determined phase and level signatures, and breaking front-back ambiguity with appropriate sensor placement. Furthermore a simple framework for implementing and evaluating the performance of control laws with the Robot Operating System (ROS) is proposed, demonstrated, and discussed.

La presupuestación como herramienta de planificación y control de los recursos financieros y su aplicación estratégica en Almacenes Leader S.A. de C.V.distribuidora de electrodómesticos de San Salvador.

La elaboración del presente trabajo de investigación consiste en hacer uso de la presupuestación como herramienta de planificación y control de los recursos financieros de una empresa distribuidora de electrodomésticos de San Salvador, denominada Almacenes Leader S.A. de C.V. ya que en la actualidad esta herramienta brinda beneficios de carácter económicos, tales como aumentar la utilidad y disminuir los excesos de asignación de recursos financieros en áreas improductivas contribuyendo con la administración de la misma, además brindan apoyo para el cumplimiento de las diferentes operaciones permitiendo con esto que se logren los objetivos planteados. Así mismo los presupuestos contribuyen a mantener una liquidez financiera estable, por lo que se realizó un diagnóstico en la empresa con el objeto de conocer la forma de administrar los recursos financieros, dicho diagnóstico se llevó a cabo utilizando el método científico ya que éste, por ser un proceso sistemático, permite abordar el problema, recopilando, analizando y aplicando dicha información. A la vez se hace uso de la observación directa, la entrevista realizada a los propietarios de la empresa y la encuesta dirigida al personal del área contable y los jefes de tienda, en donde se encontró que dicha empresa no utiliza la presupuestación como herramienta de planificación y control de los recursos financieros, para lo cual se ha elaborado una propuesta de la aplicación e implementación de algunos de los presupuesto que sean apropiados al tipo de empresa. Para elaborar de dichos presupuestos se tomó en cuenta los datos históricos, la información obtenida de la entrevista y de la encuesta, también se hizo uso de algunos supuestos que permitieron elaborar los presupuesto, ya que no se tuvo acceso a toda la información necesaria por parte del Contador General. Se propone de igual manera un plan de implementación y control que permita conocer cómo se van a desarrollar los presupuestos, determinando si se está cumpliendo lo proyecto en comparación a los datos reales que se irán obteniendo. Por otro lado, se realizó un análisis financiero de dos años anteriores al actual, utilizando algunas de las razones financieras que brindan información sobre la situación financiera, aportando datos sobre la liquidez, rentabilidad, administración de activos y el nivel de deuda de la empresa, que contribuyan a tomar decisiones financieras y adaptarlas a los presupuestos para obtener mejores resultados. Es por ello que se concluye que: Almacenes Leader, no utilizan la presupuestación como herramienta de planificación y control de los recursos financieros, debido a que la determinación de sus operaciones se elaboran con base a la experiencia de los propietarios y el comportamiento del mercado, así mismo no hace uso de las razones financieras, lo que impide que se conozcan aspectos financieros importantes y por ende tomar buenas decisiones, que determinen el rumbo a seguir.

Programas de desarrollo rural en la Unión Europea: La iniciativa comunitaria LEADER

Introducción La puesta en marcha de una política de desarrollo rural por parte de la Unión Europea fue, en buena medida, la consecuencia de la coincidencia,  a finales de la década de los ochenta, de dos factores. Por un lado, la crisis de la Política Agraria Común (PAC) “clásica” y la necesidad de reorientar las medidas y recursos financieros de la misma, lo que llevó a prestar una creciente atención al “mundo rural”, en detrimento de la “modernización agraria” y, por lo tanto, a “ruralizar” una parte del PAC. De otro lado, la creciente atención ´prestada a la llamada “cohecion económica y social” en un momento en que la Unión se había ampliado (España y Portugal entraron en 1986), la integración se estaba reforzando (el “mercado único”para 1992) y se estaba en vísperas de la unificación monetaria. En este contexto, los territorios rurales debían ser objeto de atención, pues muchos de ellos continuaban perdiendo población y presentaban estructuras productivas poco diversificadas.

Sustainable initiatives focused on social responsibility and regional development: a study of the leader of the petrochemical industry

The present work will investigate the issue of environmental responsibility actions in the ABC Paulista region, of a leading company in the petrochemical sector. In this context, the problem has been to see how the leading company in the domestic petrochemical industry conducts itself relative to the concept of sustainability and what the consequences of these initiatives in the ABC Paulista are. Thus, the objectives are to identify these consequences and practices with regard to regional development in areas where the leader of the national petrochemical company has significant performance, with highlights on economic, social and environmental impacts. The present investigation is justified by the fact that the company is among the world leaders in the production of biopolymers. The methodology used was qualitative descriptive because this methodological procedure makes it possible to observe and analyze the facts relating to social responsibility initiatives undertaken by the company under study without manipulating them , in establishing correlations on perception of other stakeholders before the actions addressed in this research. Therefore, the results obtained indicate that environmental responsibility initiatives taken by the company satisfy the paradigm of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, in the promotion of regional development in its geographic area.

Séquence didactique visant l’efficacité argumentative des textes d’opinion

Cette recherche expérimente une séquence didactique consacrée au texte d’opinion. Elle vise à amener des scripteurs adultes non francophones à produire des textes argumentativement efficaces, c’est-à-dire des textes dont les marques linguistiques, énonciatives et rhétoriques permettent d’obtenir l’assentiment de l’auditoire. Aujourd’hui encore, la prise en compte de l’efficacité d’un texte d’opinion ne constitue pas un aspect essentiel de l’enseignement de textes argumentatifs, largement dominé par une approche structurelle et formelle. Notre recherche développe une approche intégratrice et critique des travaux de didactique du français à propos de l’argumentation discursive; aussi nous situons-nous à l’antipode des conceptions logicisantes de l’argumentation écrite. Opérant une synthèse des courants théoriques qui ont étudié l’argumentation, en particulier la Nouvelle rhétorique, l’analyse de discours dans ses versions française et anglo-saxonne, la pragmadialectique et « l’argumentation dans la langue », nous avons construit le concept d’efficacité argumentative, socle de l’élaboration, de l’expérimentation et de l’analyse de notre séquence didactique. Cette dernière a été construite selon la démarche de recherche de l’ingénierie didactique avec son réseau de concepts et les différentes étapes qui la composent. Un prétest a permis d’évaluer les capacités argumentatives des étudiants. L’évaluation de ces données nous a guidés dans le choix des contenus des ateliers qui portent sur l’inscription des paramètres de la situation de communication, l’étayage de la thèse, la réfutation et la concession, la polyphonie et la contreargumentation. Ce travail a été suivi d’un posttest qui visait à valider l’effet de l’enseignement sur les compétences des étudiants et leur capacité à produire des textes d’opinion argumentativement efficaces. Nous espérons avoir montré que l’efficacité argumentative devrait être le paradigme principal de l’enseignement des genres argumentatifs et qu’il existe des outils didactiques valides pour contribuer à la démocratisation de l’accès à la langue, non pas comme simple code, mais comme un outil pour agir dans la société. L’enjeu dépasse le simple cadre scolaire, puisque la maitrise de l’argumentation est essentielle au développement professionnel et social des individus, mais aussi, osons nous ajouter, pour l’avènement de sociétés réellement démocratiques.

Apprendre à être un Leader dans un Programme de Leadership: Perceptions, Éxpérience Préalable en Leadership et Sexe de l’Étudiant

The purpose of this study was to examine whether leadership can be learned through the Community Recreation and Leadership Training (CRLT) program and how effective the program is in terms of changing the perceptions and abilities of the students. The intentions of the researcher were to discover crucial learning moments as perceived by students and to gain insights that could lead to future improvements to enhance and enrich learning in a leadership program. To continue to be a viable program and to keep step with the demands of the recreation/leisure industry and society's wide-ranging needs, this study may help to inform the program's 'action plan' for continued success. This study employed a mixed method approach to determine how college students develop effective leadership ability in a three-year Community Recreation and Leadership Training (CRLT) college career program. First, a number of statistical tests were carried out to examine the four research questions used to guide the study. The SPSS software was used to analyze the data collected. The first research question asked how perceptions of leadership change as a result of being in a three-year leadership program. This study, using the Student Leadership Practice Inventory (SLPI), compared the five SLPI leadership dimensions by year. The SLPI was administered to all the first, second, and third year CRLT students ( N = 84). A one-way analysis of variance in participants' scores was conducted. No significant differences were revealed in any of the five dimensions of the SLPI among the first, second, and third year students at p < .05. However, two dimensions (model and encourage) approached significance and may hint at a possible influence the program is having on its students as they progress into the third year. The second research question asked whether perceptions of leadership vary by gender. Comparing the mean scores between the males and females on the five dimensions of the SLPI, no significant differences were found. The third research question asked whether prior leadership experience results in better academic performance for CRLT students in their 1st term. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the relationship between prior leadership experience and mean scores on academic performance. No significant correlations were found between grades and low, medium, or high levels of prior leadership experience F(2,79) = 2.67, p = .08. A correlation coefficient was also computed to determine whether there was a relationship between the Recreation Leadership I course grade and prior leadership experience. The correlation coefficient (.02) was statistically significant, r(80) = .24, p < .05. However, further studies with a larger sample size would be necessary to help determine this. The fourth question asked whether there was a correlation between students' first semester grades and their scores on the Student Leadership Practice Inventory (SLPI). Bivariate correlations (Pearson) were computed for the five SLPI dimensions with academic performance. None of the correlations using the five SLPI indicators was significant. Qualitative data was examined to discover what factors and experiences help students to assert a more effective leadership role. The study relied on content analysis of personal statements, and focus groups. Student perceptions of an effective leader, students' perceptions of their own abilities, and the strengths of the program were explored. A content analysis of the 'Personal Statements' was carried out to determine how students defined leadership prior to their having had any formal teaching in a college program. The result of the analysis of personal statements provided eight leadership categories used as an initial baseline for the study. Six focus groups (totaling N = 30) were conducted. Students responded to four key questions: how they define leadership. What is the single most effective quality of a leader? What leadership skills did they feel they had gained? How had the program helped them obtain their skills? Students credited the CRLT program with helping them develop a variety of leadership skills. Students revealed that they had gained skills such as confidence, knowledge and understanding of people's needs, and becoming more self-directed. They attributed their skill development to such things as good course design, intensive outdoor education and fieldwork courses, "hands on" learning approaches, group work, skill practice, the support they received from teachers, and encouragement they were given by their peers. A common finding among genders was defining an effective leader as someone who is "confident". However, the definition of the most important quality of a leader varied by gender. While males showed a tendency to prefer a leader being "confident," females preferred a leader being a "teacher".

Creación del área de ventas y mercadeo para Industrias Leader Ltda.

El departamento de mercadeo y ventas es fundamental en una empresa debido a que es el encargado de desarrollar e implementar estrategias que satisfagan las necesidades y requerimientos del cliente. Es aquí donde más se puede ver reflejado el aumento de las ventas de la empresa. El servicio al cliente, la relación con el mismo y el acompañamiento, es un tema muy importante a tratar, tanto para atraer a nuevos clientes como también para conservar a los clientes actuales. Este trabajo se desarrolló con base en la problemática de la creciente pérdida de clientes de la empresa Leader Ltda., y tiene como objetivo diseñar y crear un plan de mercadeo y ventas para la misma. Por medio de un estudio no experimental, descriptivo e interpretativo  se enfocó en diferentes análisis internos y externos de la compañía para poder desarrollar un plan de acción que se pueda implementar en la compañía.

DISEÑO DE UN GEOPORTAL PARA ANALIZAR LAS INICIATIVAS DE DESARROLLO RURAL LEADER EN EXTREMADURA

En Europa se están gestionando Políticas de Desarrollo Rural desde el año 1991 bajo el amparo de la Iniciativa LEADER. En este proyecto se ha diseñado un Geoportal para visualizar las Iniciativas LEADER de Desarrollo Rural en Extremadura. Para su elaboración se utilizó MapServer que facilita la introducción de las variables físicas, demográficas, económicas, equipamientos y las inversiones por medidas en una base de datos  cartográfica y alfanumérica a escala municipal. El diseño de dicho Geoportal permite, por una parte, analizar el impacto de este tipo de políticas en los últimos dieciséis años, así como establecer su contribución a la mejora de las condiciones de vida de la población rural, sin duda, objetivo principal de estas iniciativas. Y, por otra parte, facilita la consulta pública de los datos sin coste alguno para el usuario, al estar disponible en software SIG Libre.Palabras clave: Europa, LEADER Iniciativa, SIG, software libre, MapServer.ABSTRACTIn Europe, Rural Development Policy since 1991 has been managed under the auspices of the LEADER Initiative. In this project a Geoportal has been designed to visualize rural development under the LEADER Initiatives. MapServer has been used for elaboration and the physical, demographic, economic, equipment and investment measures have been introduced in an alphanumeric and cartographic database to municipal scale. The design of the Geoportal allows the impact of the policies over the last 16 years to be analyzed, as well as to determine their impact on improving the living conditions of the rural population, without a doubt the main objective of these initiatives. Moreover, it allows inspection of the data at no cost to the user via free Open Source GIS software.Key Words: Europe, LEADER Initiative, GIS, Open Source, MapServer.

Analisi e progettazione di un nuovo magazzino automatico all'interno di un'azienda leader internazionale nell'impiantistica industriale: il caso Sacmi

La tesi è basata sul dimensionamento e l’analisi degli articoli che possono andare all’interno di un nuovo magazzino. Il progetto nasce dalla necessità di espandere il centro di stoccaggio attuale. Verranno costruiti un magazzino Autostore, una struttura più compatta ed efficiente nello stoccaggio della merce, ed un nuovo magazzino pallet servito da traslo elevatori. Dato che i materiali all’interno dell’Autostore devono essere stoccati all’interno di cassette più piccole rispetto ad un pallet, è stato necessario stimare il numero di articoli idonei a questo tipo di stoccaggio sia dal punto di vista del peso che dal punto di vista volumetrico, dato che di solo un 30% dei codici si è a conoscenza delle dimensioni. L’analisi si è sviluppata tramite stime in base a quanti codici siano presenti all’interno dei pallet e la loro quantità al suo interno. Da questa stima si sono ricavate tre categorie, verde, arancione e rossa che identificano se i materiali risultano idonei oppure no. I primi sono quelli che possono andare all’interno dell’Autostore, i secondi risultano essere border line, mentre i terzi non possono andare all’interno sicuramente. Degli articoli in esame sono state estratte anche le giacenze medie nei 3 anni passati, in modo tale da dimensionare adeguatamente i magazzini, le entrate merci, così da vedere quante baie di carico sono necessarie e le varie tipologie di movimento legate ai prelievi e le tempistiche di prelievo per ogni baia di scarico, in modo tale da valutare le minime prestazioni che il nuovo magazzino deve soddisfare. Sono stati calcolati anche dei flussi di materiale, uscente ed entrante dall’azienda, in modo tale da individuare la posizione ottimale del nuovo centro di stoccaggio. Infine sono state dimensionate e costificate le due soluzioni: quella Autostore che può ospitare tutti gli articoli della categoria verde, di cui sono stati sviluppati due scenari, mentre quella del magazzino automatico pallet che contiene le altre due categorie.

studio ed ottimizzazione del modello di valutazione del rapporto fra risorse ed obiettivi di consegna in un’azienda leader nel settore del packaging farmaceutico e cosmetico

Il presente elaborato di tesi riguarda uno studio che è stato portato avanti durante il tirocinio curriculare svolto nell’ufficio Engineering di Marchesini Group S.p.A., azienda leader nella produzione di macchine automatiche per il packaging di prodotti farmaceutici e cosmetici. Dopo aver riscontrato alcune criticità nelle modalità con le quali vengono attualmente pianificate e gestite le risorse appartenenti ai team produttivi e con le quali vengono valutati i carichi di lavoro, si sono elaborati dei modelli e degli strumenti che permettono di migliorare ed ottimizzare l’assegnazione delle risorse ai gruppi e di visualizzare in tempo reale la distribuzione dell’impegno di lavoro dei reparti in relazione alla disponibilità in produzione. Le proposte supportano il trend dell’attuale contesto produttivo di garantire un elevato livello di servizio al cliente rispettandone le richieste e i tempi stabiliti. Difatti, un’assegnazione corretta delle risorse in produzione consente di ridurre i ritardi e le inefficienze e, di conseguenza, di migliorare i lead time. In aggiunta, una correlazione chiara e strutturata fra le risorse e gli obiettivi raggiungibili permette di conseguire con maggiore sicurezza i risultati economici stabiliti, evitando di perdere parte del valore potenzialmente collaudabile.