Definition of organizational structure Essays

Definition of organizational structure Essays Definition of organizational structure Essay Definition of organizational structure Essay Introduction After sing the definition of organisational construction we can now see the undertaking in item. As this undertaking wants to research the cultural values about three companies. Following are these three companies. VODAFONE NOKIA SBI BANK First of all would wish to present the companies in brief. VODAFONE Vodafone is a really large company holding its base office in United Kingdom and commanding its concern all over the universe. This is a company covering in cellular service supplying. It is taking company in all over the universe holding a immense client base. Vodafone Group Plc is the universe s taking nomadic telecommunications company, with a important presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States through the Company s subordinate projects, joint ventures, associated projects and investings. The Group s nomadic subordinates operate under the trade name name Vodafone . In the United States the Group s associated project operates as Verizon Wireless. During the last few old ages, Vodafone Group has entered into agreements with web operators in states where the Group does non keep an equity interest. Under the footings of these Partner Market Agreements, the Group and its spouse operators co-operate in the development and selling of planetary merchandises and services, with changing degrees of trade name association. At 30 September 2009, based on the registered clients of nomadic telecommunications ventures in which it had ownership involvements at that day of the month, the Group had 323 million clients, excepting paging clients, calculated on a proportionate footing in conformity with the Company s per centum involvement in these ventures. The Company s ordinary portions are listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Company s American Depositary Shares ( ADSs ) are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market. The Company had a entire market capitalization of about ?71.2 billion at 12 November 2009. Vodafone Group Plc is a public limited company incorporated in England under registered figure 1833679. Its registered office is Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN, England. Referee: 2- www.vodafone.co.uk The Board of Directors of Vodafone Group Plc has adopted this codification of moralss ( the Code ) , which is applicable to all its Relevant Officers ( as defined in paragraph 2 below ) , to To advance honest and ethical behavior, including the ethical handling of existent or evident struggles of involvement ; To advance the full, just, accurate, seasonably and apprehensible revelation of the Company s fiscal consequences in conformity with applicable revelation criterions, including, where appropriate, criterions of materiality ; To advance conformity with applicable governmental Torahs, regulations and ordinances ; deter error ; and Require prompt internal coverage of breaches of, and answerability for attachment to, the Code. The Code may be amended merely by declaration of the Board of Directors of Vodafone Group Plc. In the Code, Company agencies, in appropriate context, either Vodafone Group Plc or a subordinate of Vodafone Group Plc Referee: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.vodafone.com/start/about_vodafone/corporate_governance/code_of_ethics.html As defined above Vodafone s organisational civilization means their traditions, their givens, their beliefs and their schemes are easy defined as perpendicular form hierarchy or their on the job construction. They recruit different peoples from different beginnings. They are adaptative to the regulations of the authorities as and when required in different states and that is besides a ground for their success. Now we can see the organisational civilization of Nokia. NOKIA There are three chief concern groups in Nokia Devices, services and markets. All these three chief units receives functional support straight from the Corporate Development Office, led by Mary T. McDowell, which is besides responsible for researching corporate strategic and future growing chances in Nokia. Let us briefly go through this three chief groups. Devicess. This division chiefly concentrate on Nokia s nomadic development and managing portfolio. Multimedia and Enterprise Solutions every bit good as the division consist of the old mainline Mobile Phones division with the separate sub-divisions once centralized nucleus devices R A ; D called Technology Platforms. In the first one-fourth of 2006 Nokia sold over 15 million MP3 capable nomadic phones, which means that Nokia is non merely the universe s taking provider of nomadic phones and digital cameras ( as most of Nokia s nomadic telephones feature digital cameras, it is besides believed that Nokia has late overtaken Kodak in camera production doing it the largest in the universe ) , Nokia is now besides the taking provider of digital sound participants, MP3 participants, outpacing gross revenues of devices such as the iPod from Apple. At the terminal of the twelvemonth 2007, Nokia managed to sell about 440 million Mobile phones which accounted for 40 % of all planetary nomadic phones g ross revenues. Services. The Services division operates in five countries of consumer Internet services: music, maps, media, messaging and games. This group is working with companies outside the telecommunications sector to do amendments in the engineering and germinate new applications and possibilities in countries such as online services, optics, music synchronism and streaming media. MARKETS. Nokia has so many subordinates subdivisions, of which the 2 most of import till2009 are Nokia Siemens Networks and Navteq. And they both are explained here in brief. Communications and webs service platforms and besides professional services to operators and service suppliers Nokia Siemens Networks provides radio and wired web substructure. On June 19, 2006 Nokia and Siemens AG announced the companies are to unify their Mobile and fixed-line phone web equipment concerns to make one of the universe s largest webs house, called Nokia Siemens Networks. The Nokia Siemens Networks trade name individuality was later launched at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona in February 2007. On June 19, 2006 Nokia and Siemens AG announced the companies are to unify their Mobile and fixed-line phone web equipment concerns to make one of the universe s largest web houses, called Nokia Siemens Networks. The Nokia Siemens Networks trade name individuality was later launched at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona in February 2007. To sum up I can state this is a virtually advanced company runing in all over the universe. This can be a good beginning to compare different civilizations. STATE BANK OF INDIA This is a taking centralized bank holding basal office in India and ran by the authorities itself. It is a authorities venture. Long before this bank was centralised by Indian authorities and now is a taking bank in the most successful bank of universe. The beginning of theState Bank of Indiagoes back to the first decennary of the 19th century with the constitution of the Bank of Calcutta in Calcutta on 2 June 1806. Three old ages subsequently the bank received its charter and was re-designed as the Bank of Bengal. A alone establishment, it was the first joint-stock bank of British India sponsored by the Government of Bengal. The Bank of Bombay and the Bank of Madras followed the Bank of Bengal. These three Bankss remained at the vertex of modern banking in India till their merger as the Imperial Bank of India on 27-1-1921. TASK-2 Your research should take you to look at direction pattern adopted by organisations when faced by different cultural demands. Write a study on each of your chosen administration depicting the different direction pattern for alternate civilizations. In your study, besides include how these organisations have developed formal and informal multicultural relationship. This research subject can incorporate batch information which can spread out the proper length of this topic but in brief we should see this assignment. If we want to speak about the different direction pattern for alternate civilizations we should travel through the pull offing managers of the company. Vodafone Nick Land ( Chairman ) Dr John Buchanan ( Member ) Alan Jebson ( Member ) Anne Lauvergeon ( Member ) Sir John Bond ( Chairman ) Luc Vandevelde ( Member ) Dr John Buchanan ( Member ) Luc Vandevelde ( Chairman ) Simon Murray ( Member ) Tony Watson ( Member ) Philip Yea ( Member ) Nokia Nokia Board of Directors consists of the following 11 members: Georg Ehrnrooth, Lalita D. Gupte, Bengt Holmstrom, Henning Kagermann, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Per Karlsson, Isabel Marey-Semper, Jorma Ollila, Marjorie Scardino, Risto Siilasmaa and Keijo Suila. Chairman Jorma Ollila Vice Chairman Dame Marjorie Scardino Other members. Georg Ehrnrooth Lalita D. Gupte Dr. Bengt Holmstrom Dr. Henning Kagermann Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo Per Karlsson Isabel Marey-Semper Risto Siilasmaa Keijo Suila STATE BANK OF INDIA Sr. No. Name of Director Sec. of SBI Act, 1955 1. Shri O.P. Bhatt Chairman 19 ( a ) 2. ShriS.K. Bhattacharyya MD A ; CC A ; RO 19 ( B ) 3. Shri R. Sridharan MD A ; GE ( A A ; S ) 19 ( B ) 4. Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala 19 ( degree Celsius ) 5. Shri Dileep C. Choksi 19 ( degree Celsius ) 6. Shri S. Venkatachalam 19 ( degree Celsius ) 7. Shri. D. Sundaram 19 ( degree Celsius ) 8. Dr. Deva Nand Balodhi 19 ( vitamin D ) 9. Prof. Mohd. Salahuddin Ansari 19 ( vitamin D ) 10. Dr. ( Mrs. ) Vasantha Bharucha 19 ( vitamin D ) 11. Dr. Rajiv Kumar 19 ( vitamin D ) 12. Shri Ashok Chawla 19 ( vitamin E ) 13. Smt. Shyamala Gopinath 19 ( degree Fahrenheit ) Referee From www.sbi.com This is the most of import thing to see the board of managers before sing their organisational construction. This can be illustrated by this board of administration because the issue of ethnicity in enlisting procedure at the in-between degree and lower degree of direction is of import. This shows that all the companies are holding their top degree direction from their ain state and they are non leting any other individual to come in at the top degree direction but at the in-between degree and lower degree direction. All the organisations are flourished to wider skylines. They are working in different states and with different mission but their criterions and direction methods are excessively different from each other. Their human resources section and their scheme execution section are working in different organisational civilization and different traditions. Their working schemes are different. Their work history is developed by the alterations over old ages non merely in one twenty-four hours. They organisational constructions are different non merely due to the difference in their sectors but besides depends on their acceptance. Like are they holding best fit method, best pattern method or resource based method of HRM strategic theoretical accounts. Vodafone is enrolling their employees in all over the universe from the same state in which it is working. It is presently working in more than 20 states all over the universe. They are holding decentalisation of power to better their working methods and to heighten their services but for that ground they are non giving with their values and their mission. To exemplify, they are holding their client attention service Centre in India and in all different parts they are holding the people cognizing their local linguistic communication and to give them the maximal support but in other transnational companies and international companies they are non supplying that much autonomy to their bomber subdivisions in all over the universe. They are supplying a good determination power. Except the chief policies they are allowed to alter and amend the regulations clip by clip for betterment and legal intent and it is besides a ground for Vodafone to come across the whole universe and be the first in all taking telecommunication companies. Their accomplishments are itself the reply of their journey for success can person conceive of that a company started with merely a few employees in a little office now expands to an extent that it can stands for a whole state and its glorification. Nokia Company is holding rather a different organisational civilization comparison to Vodafone and other companies because they believe in centralisation of power. They are merely leting different bomber subdivisions to execute harmonizing the guidelines provided by the higher degree direction. And no legal issue or of import determination can be made by in-between degree or lower degree employees for important issues. Their success chiefly depends on their broad scope of merchandise and their standard quality. They anyhow wants to keep the same as it is and for that are non taking any hazard and now leting any other to entree their companies name for any such issues. Even it is a market listed company and it is holding its capital in equity portions but they maintain a good sum of investing to command the concern on their ain manus. SBI bank its history is really interesting. I took this authorities sector bank and non the private sector to besides explicate the difference non merely in sectors but their direction construction. Their mission will non be the same as a private sector corporate company may hold. Their enlisting procedure is based on the best pattern method and besides depended. There is a significant difference in the behavior of parties to a contract between when they pursue their involvements entirely based on the formal contract in the absence of common trust and when there exists an informal relationship of common trust. To exemplify this, Levin ( 2003 ) cites the labour-management difference of UAL Corp. that broke out in the summer of 2001. While dialogues with the direction from 2000 to 2001 were coming to a dead terminal, UAL s pilots brotherhood called on its members to work to the missive of our understanding. Therefore, UAL pilots ( truly ) refused to work overtime and enforced stricter security cheques, which resulted in the holds and cancellations of a figure of flights and forced UAL to single-foot up $ 700 million in losingss in a individual summer ( Lowenstein, 2002 ) . Quite a few readers might retrieve that at that place used to be a labour brotherhood maneuver called a work-to-rule work stoppage. It is a well-known fact that this sch eme caused immense losingss to the now-defunct Nipponese National Railways ( predecessor of the seven Japan Railways companies ) . Referee: Quarterly Journal of Economics In the same manner there is formal and informal multicultural difference found in organisational civilizations of Vodafone, Nokia, and SBI bank. They are holding difference in acceptance of authorities policies of the national where they are working in and besides they are different in pull offing privacy between the imposts and traditions of people populating at that place. Like wise nokia has late started to utilize local linguistic communication gujrati and Hindi in nomadic phones of India. Vodafone is holding client attention centres with local linguistic communication and standard linguistic communication English. In contrast SBI Bank is holding merely nationalised attention Centre in Hindi and some in English but they are non holding attention Centres in other linguistic communications of India even non of any European linguistic communication, but in existent they are holding their profitable subdivisions in this states. This can province that they are holding tonss of formal and informal differences. All this three companies are non even keeping the same criterions as they have they are making favoritism of schemes and execution of their civilization otherwise in different degree of organisation. For illustration, Nokia is non holding the same enlisting procedure in all over the universe because in Japan senior status is the most and merely of import factor for publicity and occupation handiness harmonizing to their imposts but in other states they give precedence to efficient work. The same in Vodafone in UK they are non enrolling any other people instead than British but in other states they are non following this schemes. Even they started outsourcing of their client attention Centres in other developing states like India merely to cut down the cost but on the other terminal they are non enrolling any other than British to keep a criterion in the head of British people. In India SBI Bank is carry oning an test to enroll employees harmonizing to the norms of Indian authorities but in other states they are following new ways or following that states regulations. So such sort of instabilities is found in organisations itself. Task 3 Carry out appropriate research into at least 2 administrations which operate in a practical mode. Identify and develop suited countries which direction of Furniture works demands to look into when puting up a practical organisation. Produce a presentation reding direction on sound direction pattern in a practical administration. Background FURTINUTE WORKS is a company presently working in south London and as it is true that it is a really successful unit since last twosome of old ages it is recommended to distribute this unit all over the universe by the practical organisation. For that I would wish to see two different companies that can give a perfect thought to develop schemes and to be cognizant about the pros and cons in set uping unit outside the state. My two companies are following. DOMINOZ Metro Both above said companies are advanced and virtually organized. Their success narrative is to animating and advanced. They have besides started with a little figure of unit and now they are broad spread all over the universe merely and merely due to their virtually organized schemes and their execution. Let us see both in brief. DOMINOZ In 1960, Tom Monaghan and his brother, James, purchased Dominick s, a little pizza shop inYpsilanti, Michigan. The trade was secured by a $ 75 down payment and the brothers borrowed $ 500 to pay for the shop. Eight months subsequently, Phil traded his half of the concern to Tom for a usedVolkswagen Beetle. As exclusive proprietor of the company, Tom Monaghan renamed the concern Domino s Pizza, Inc. in 1965. In 1967, the first Domino s Pizza franchise shop opened in Ypsilanti. Domino s continued to turn and in 1978 opened its two-hundredth shop. On May 12, 1983, Domino s opened its first international shop, inWinnipeg, Canada. On the same twelvemonth, Domino s opened its 1,000th shop overall, and by 1995 Domino s had 1,000 international locations. In 1997, Domino s opened its 1,500th international location, opening seven shops per continent on back-to-back yearss. Referee: www.wikipedia.com Metro With over 32070 shop in all over 90 states subway is the taking endeavor in nutrient industry. It is good known for its nutrition and gustatory sensation. Who can conceive of that it was started by a household and now it is world-wide and it is besides due to their important and practical managing schemes. And this causes it to be wining in all over the universe. Subway is besides celebrated for its wellness and safety steps non merely for the employees but besides for the client and each member affiliated with it. For Furniture works they need to concentrate on some of the factors before get downing their concern in all over the universe or any new state. This can be listed below. To look into for the market handiness of such merchandise. To look into for natural stuff handiness. To look into for the constitution cost. To look into for the authorities policy. To look into for the worker supply. To look into for the support. To look into for the cultural environment. To look into for the environmental factors. To be after for economic every bit good as societal factors good in progress. To happen proper location. To supply proper franchises to work without duties. This all above said factors are of import before set uping new unit. These factors are including societal and economical factors every bit good as cultural factors. Understanding the nature of the alteration you wish to consequence and the context in which you are of import in finding an appropriate scheme. Entering chartless alteration district without some kind of path map pots you at an immediate disadvantage from the start. One of the first phases in charting the district is to understand a little more about the type of alteration you wish to do. The demand to place, explore and if necessary challenge the premises that underlie managerial determinations. Understanding that organisational alteration is a procedure that can be facilitated by perceptive and insightful planning and analysis and good crafted, sensitive execution stages, while admiting that it can neer be to the full isolated from tge effects if serendipity, uncertainness and opportunity. An of import message of recent direction of alteration literature is that organisation degree alteration is non fixed or liner in nature but contains an of import emergent component as identified in the subdivision on complexness theory. Above said is some of the alterations that can take topographic point within an organisation and at the sub consecutive consequence on the selling environment. Some of these are driven by invention and betterment others are the consequence of the consumer response to merchandises and the organisations themselves. For many of these, the deduction on the selling can be important. Number if these are discussed with appropriate illustrations. Presentation for sound direction patterns in practical direction. This above said points are chief points the tally any organisation in a practical mode. This can be said a guideline rules for any company including furniture work. To sum up i would wish to propose that this company should travel for developing states instead than choosing for any developed state to spread out fast. Because in developed states the rate of development is excessively slow comparison to developing states because there is nil to be developed and in developing states there are still hope for rapid growing. Task 4 Management is worried that communicating may be a job nevertheless, it has been mentioned that on-line communicating could be good to the organisation. Write a study and depict the assorted facets of effectual online and direct communicating that are available to the organisation. The really indispensable issue is to get the better of the job of communicating in company. Whether it may be between different parts of company or the communicating between degree of organisations or communicating of client to company. If this issue is identified and solved so the company will be certainly win in its way. A great trade of direction s current concern for employee productiveness and the demand to authorise people has revolved around the usage of squads. No uncertainty squads have enhanced productiveness and employee dealingss, but one should neer presume that squads are the remarkable, right way toward authorization. Sometimes single attempt instead than group attempt is needed. But more frequently what is required is the simplest demand of all communicating. When a group of industrial applied scientists were asked in a 1990 survey how to better productiveness, communicating concerns drew the strongest response to any inquiry on the study. More than 88 per centum of the applied scientists strongly agreed that the deficiency of communicating and cooperation among different constituents of a concern leads to cut down productiveness ( P and Q Survey 1990 ) . CEOs have besides recognized the importance of communicating. In a survey by A. Foster Higgins and Company, an employee-benefits consulting house found that 97 per centum of the CEOs surveyed believe that pass oning with employees positively affects occupation satisfaction. Furthermore, the study found that 79 per centum think that communicating benefits the bottom line ; surprisingly, merely 22 per centum communicate with employees weekly or more ( Farnham 1989 ) . Executives think pass oning is highly of import to the success of their concern, but they do non make it. Why is this? Possibly many CEOs and other top functionaries prefer the company of their equals to those who do non portion their positions. Possibly, like generals on the battleground, they are more hypnotized with scheme than with tactics. Regardless of the ground, it is highly rare to happen CEOs or other top functionaries who actively seek out a down-in-the-trenches position. Without this intricate, and mostly unobserved, web of communicating our commercial markets, public services and cultural establishments would fall in and decease. Presupposing a basic cognition of the methods of communicating, Blundell sets the advantages of good communicating satisfied clients, motivated staff, enhanced public repute against the obstructions to good communicating cultural differences, power political relations, fiscal and clip force per unit areas etc. However, there are many times when a bipartisan unrecorded conversation or a direct phone conversation is much more productive. Conversation is the quickest and most effectual manner to clear up any uncertainness and allows for ocular and verbal hints to be used to assist voyage the duologue. Dialogue can besides assist to spread any misinterpretations or improper reactions and can bring out new information that is valuable to the state of affairs. Communicationss that have emotional content, require struggle declaration, require group treatment or incorporate sensitive information are some illustrations of when conversation should probably be used. It s of import for people to acknowledge when these state of affairss exist so they can do the right communicating method pick. The undermentioned illustrations and effects are provided to assist better place these state of affairss. These are common instances where electronic mail is used when speaking straight would be more effectual: Conflict declaration is attempted via electronic mail. This can make long togss of public statements and extended emotional discord. A rebuke is sent through electronic mail. This can do the receiver feel like they were convicted without a test. Brainstorming or job resolution is attempted via electronic mail. This can besides make long togss of messages with big distribution lists and normally generates less than optimum consequences since immediate bipartisan communicating is non feasible. A message is sent incorporating content that may do a strong emotional reaction. If an inauspicious reaction occurs, hours or yearss may go through before the transmitter can turn to the issue. Or worse, the transmitter may neer understand that the receiver had an inauspicious reaction to the message. Group determinations for complex issues are made via electronic mail. Since bipartisan interaction is limited and many people are less comfy talking out on electronic mail, merely a part of information that would be available from a group treatment is used to do the determination. Negotiations are done via electronic mail. The ability of the transmitter to convert or carry the receiver is much more limited over electronic mail. It s really hard to interrupt down person s concerns or read their immediate reaction without direct interaction. Besides, one time the receiver publically refuses a petition over electronic mail, it is more hard to acquire them to alter his or her place. Equally obvious as it may sound, reminding people that speaking is an option may supply great benefit at times. Peoples get so used to pass oning via electronic mail that they frequently forget this point. Talking besides helps to construct informal relationships and webs that are critical to an organisation s success. Normally, if there s any signifier of uncertainness, dissension, or emotional content in an issue, holding a treatment is the best pick. And if there s any uncertainty whether an electronic mail will be effectual, you should likely speak it out alternatively. BIBILLIOGRAPHY WWW.VODAFONE.COM WWW.SBI.COM WWW.NOKIA.COM WWW.WIKIPEDIA.COM WWW.DOMINOZ.COM WWW.SUBWAY.COM

General Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War

General Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1786, near Petersburg, VA. The son of American Revolution veteran William Scott and Ann Mason, he was raised at the familys plantation, Laurel Branch. Educated by a mixture of local schools and tutors, Scott lost his father in 1791 when he was six and his mother eleven years later. Leaving home in 1805, he commenced classes at the College of William Mary with the goal of becoming a lawyer. Unhappy Lawyer Departing school, Scott elected to read law with prominent attorney David Robinson. Completing his legal studies, he was admitted to the bar in 1806, but soon tired of his chosen profession. The following year, Scott gained his first military experience when he served as a corporal of cavalry with a Virginia militia unit in the wake of the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair. Patrolling near Norfolk, his men captured eight British sailors who had landed with the goal of purchasing supplies for their ship. Later that year, Scott attempted to open a law office in South Carolina but was prevented from doing so by the states residency requirements.   Returning to Virginia, Scott resumed practicing law in Petersburg but also began investigating pursuing a military career. This came to fruition in May 1808 when he received a commission as a captain in the US Army. Assigned to the Light Artillery, Scott was posted to New Orleans where he served under the corrupt Brigadier General James Wilkinson. In 1810, Scott was court-martialed for indiscreet remarks he made about Wilkinson and suspended for a year. During this time, he also fought a duel with a friend of Wilkinson, Dr. William Upshaw, and received a slight wound in the head. Resuming his law practice during his suspension, Scotts partner Benjamin Watkins Leigh convinced him to remain in the service. War of 1812 Called back to active duty in 1811, Scott traveled south as an aide to Brigadier General Wade Hampton and served in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. He remained with Hampton into 1812 and that June learned that war had been declared with Britain. As part of the wartime expansion of the army, Scott was promoted directly to lieutenant colonel and assigned to the 2nd Artillery at Philadelphia. Learning that Major General Stephen van Rensselaer was intending to invade Canada, Scott petitioned his commanding officer to take part of the regiment north to join in the effort. This request was granted and Scotts small unit reached the front on October 4, 1812 Having joined Rensselaers command, Scott took part in the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13. Captured at the battles conclusion, Scott was placed on a cartel-ship for Boston. During the voyage, he defended several Irish-American prisoners of war when the British attempted to single them out as traitors. Exchanged in January 1813, Scott was promoted to colonel that May and played a key role in the capture of Fort George. Remaining at the front, he was brevetted to brigadier general in March 1814. Making a Name In the wake of numerous embarrassing performances, Secretary of War John Armstrong made several command changes for the 1814 campaign. Serving under Major General Jacob Brown, Scott relentlessly trained his First Brigade using the 1791 Drill Manual from the French Revolutionary Army and improving camp conditions. Leading his brigade into the field, he decisively won the Battle of Chippawa on July 5 and showed that well-trained American troops could defeat British regulars. Scott continued with Browns campaign until sustaining a severe wound in the shoulder at the Battle of Lundys Lane on July 25. Having earned the nickname Old Fuss and Feathers for his insistence on military appearance, Scott did not see further action. Ascent to Command Recovering from his wound, Scott emerged from the war as one of the US Armys most capable officers. Retained as a permanent brigadier general (with brevet to major general), Scott secured a three-year leave of absence and traveled to Europe. During his time abroad, Scott met with many influential people including the Marquis de Lafayette. Returning home in 1816, he married Maria Mayo in Richmond, VA the following year. After moving through several peacetime commands, Scott returned to prominence in mid-1831 when President Andrew Jackson dispatched him west to aid in the Black Hawk War. Departing Buffalo, Scott led a relief column which was nearly incapacitated by cholera by the time it reached Chicago. Arriving too late to assist in the fighting, Scott played a key role in negotiating the peace. Returning to his home in New York, he was soon sent to Charleston to oversee US forces during the Nullification Crisis. Maintaining order, Scott helped to diffuse the tensions in the city and used his men to aid in extinguishing a major fire. Three years later, he was one of several general officers who oversaw operations during the Second Seminole War in Florida. In 1838, Scott was ordered to oversee the removal of the Cherokee nation from lands in the Southeast to present-day Oklahoma. While troubled about the justice of the removal, he conducted the operation efficiently and compassionately until being ordered north to aid in resolving border disputes with Canada. This saw Scott ease tensions between Maine and New Brunswick during the undeclared Aroostook War. In 1841, with the death of Major General Alexander Macomb, Scott was promoted to major general and made general-in-chief of the US Army. In this position, Scott oversaw the operations of the army as it defended the frontiers of a growing nation. Mexican-American War With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, American forces under Major General Zachary Taylor won several battles in northeastern Mexico. Rather than reinforce Taylor, President James K. Polk ordered Scott to take an army south by sea, capture Vera Cruz, and march on Mexico City. Working with Commodores David Connor and Matthew C. Perry, Scott conducted the US Armys first major amphibious landing at Collado Beach in March 1847. Marching on Vera Cruz with 12,000 men, Scott took the city following  a twenty-day siege  after forcing Brigadier General Juan Morales to surrender. Turning his attention inland, Scott departed Vera Cruz with 8,500 men. Encountering the larger army of General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo, Scott won a stunning victory after one of his young engineers, Captain Robert E. Lee, discovered a trail that allowed his troops to flank the Mexican position. Pressing on, his army won victories at Contreras and Churubusco on August 20, before capturing the mills at Molino del Rey on September 8. Having reached the edge of Mexico City, Scott assaulted its defenses on September 12 when troops attacked Chapultepec Castle. Securing the castle, American forces forced their way into the city, overwhelming the Mexican defenders. In one of the most stunning campaigns in American history, Scott had landed on a hostile shore, won six battles against a larger army, and captured the enemys capital. Upon learning of Scotts feat, the Duke of Wellington referred to the American as the greatest living general. Occupying the city, Scott ruled in an evenhanded manner and was much esteemed by the defeated Mexicans. Later Years Civil War Returning home, Scott remained general-in-chief. In 1852, he was nominated for the presidency on the Whig ticket. Running against Franklin Pierce, Scotts anti-slavery beliefs hurt his support in the South while the partys pro-slavery plank damaged support in the North. As a result, Scott was badly defeated, winning only four states. Returning to his military role, he was given a special brevet to lieutenant general by Congress, becoming the first since George Washington to hold the rank. With the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the beginning of the Civil War, Scott was tasked with assembling an army to defeat the new Confederacy. He initially offered command of this force to Lee. His former comrade declined on April 18 when it became clear that Virginia was going to leave the Union. Though a Virginian himself, Scott never wavered in his loyalties. With Lees refusal, Scott gave command of the Union Army to Brigadier General Irvin McDowell who was defeated at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21. While many believed the war would be brief, it had been clear to Scott that it would be a protracted affair. As a result, he devised a long-term plan calling for a blockade of the Confederate coast coupled with the capture of the Mississippi River and key cities such as Atlanta. Dubbed the Anaconda Plan, it was widely derided by the Northern press. Old, overweight, and suffering from rheumatism, Scott was pressured to resign. Departing the US Army on November 1, the command was transferred to Major General George B. McClellan. Retiring Scott died at West Point on May 29, 1866. Despite the criticism it received, his Anaconda Plan ultimately proved to be the roadmap to victory for the Union. A veteran of fifty-three years, Scott was one of the greatest commanders in American history.