Stages of criminal trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stages of criminal trial - Essay Example The choice of this paper is in the case of a admitting a guilty verdict and the process of sentencing. 1984 The US Sentencing Commission issued guidelines: what kind of sentence, length, if fined, how much, whether supervised released and multiple sentencing. Honesty in sentencing. Guidelines applied to facts. Statistical data tables to establish sentencing range. In Government document. (2011 Sentencing has been standardized. Everything has been quantified to a point system. A person who is guilty of having tried to sell over 500g of an illegal substance and has never committed a felony is liable to 51-63 months of prison. If the prison sentence is over 11 months. He will have 4 years of and there is now a book of tables showing if the guilty person . Because of the having committed manslaughter, the judge did not take into account the probation report according to Fisher (2011) because he was given 5 years of parole after his 12 months in jail. Rule 32 establishes the number of poi nts by the Probation officer. The probation officer also supplies the judge with a detail report with intimate information about the guilty person including his background, his participation with the authorities and whether he helped in his conviction by plea bargaining. Probation officers gives presentence reports(rule 32) to the judge.

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Essay Example for Free

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Essay World War I was supposed to be the war that ended all wars. Instead it set the stage for future conflicts throughout the 20th Century. The people of the time called the conflict the Great War, and they believed that there would never again be another like it. Although the United States tried to remain neutral, it was eventually drawn into the conflict. The war had a profound effect on the nation, and touched upon many aspects of American life. When the war ended, the United States, and the world, was changed forever. Your Task: Place all of your answers in your computer notebook for the following questions. Your notebook should include pictures, maps and anything else you want to make your project the best. Please use the links provided and your textbook to answer the following: Area 1 : Choosing sides and war plans: 1. Using the map in your text pp. 375 and the chart on page 379, answer the following in your notebook. -Allied Powers (6 major countries) Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Serbia and the U.S -Central Powers (4 major countries) German, Hungarian, Turkish, Bulgarian -Neutrals (6 major countries) Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands. -What were the central and the allies called before the war? The Central powers were known before the war as the Triple alliance and before the war the Allies were known as the triple entente. 2. Which side did the United States eventually join? Why? All allied forces, The US had planned to stay out of the war at first. They would only send aid to the Allied Powers, but they did not fight. When Germany heard they were sending aid to the Allies, they got angry and bombed one of the supply ships, which really angered the US. Thus, the US joined the war on the Allied side. 3. Which country switched sides just before the war started? Why? Italy was in the Triple Alliance but then switched to fight with Russia, Britain and France and don’t forget the U.S. 4. List and describe the four long term causes of World War I. Militarism- is when a country builds up on their armys navys and weaponry. Alliances- A union or association formed for mutual benefit, esp. between countries or organizations. Imperialism- A policy of extending a countrys power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Nationalism- An extreme form of this, esp. marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries. 5. What was the spark! that led to the immediate cause of World War I? Murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria set-off chain reaction of national treaties guaranteeing alliances/protections and they honored those agreements until they were all at war with each other. 6. Who was General Schlieffen, and what was his plan for World War I? What was his country trying to avoid by implementing this plan? Alfred Von Schrieffen to help Germany win a war on two fronts against France and Russia. The general gist of it was that Germany would attack France first as their army was the most organized. They would surprise the French by attacking through Belgium (not accounting for the fact that the UK would rush in to help, and that Belgium itself would put up a fight.) and spit in half half would take the coast to defend against Britain, whilst the other half would circle round and take Paris. They expected Russia would take a few weeks to get ready for war by which time they would have cap tured France and be ready to fight Russia. Area 2 : Weapons of War: 1) List and describe 4 weapons introduced in World War I. Be sure to explain their effectiveness and how they were used? Tank- The tank was first used at the little known Battle of Flers. It was then used with less success at the Battle of the Somme. Though the tank was highly unreliable – as one would expect from a new machine – it did a great deal to end the horrors of trench warfare and brought back some mobility to the Western Front. Gas- most feared of all weapons in World War One. Poison gas was indiscriminate and could be used on the trenches even when no attack was going on. Whereas the machine gun killed more soldiers overall during the war, death was frequently instant or not drawn out and soldiers could find some shelter in bomb/shell craters from gunfire. A poison gas attack meant soldiers having to put on crude gas masks and if these were unsuccessful, an attack could leave a victim in agony for days and weeks before he finally succumbed to his injuries. Rifle- they used rifles to use people duhhhh.. they could only use those because they were in a trench and it was hard to get other stuff in there. Machinegun- Machine guns inflicted appalling casualties on both war fronts in World War One. Men who went over-the-top in trenches stood little chance when the enemy opened up with their machine guns. Machine guns were one of the main killers in the war and accounted for many thousands of deaths. 2) What is Propaganda? What were four reasons propaganda posters were used? Propoganda is the aim of getting people to believe your side of the story 1. They were trying to enlist people into the army. 2. They were trying to convince people to ration the food they used and send the rest to the soldiers 3.They were trying to convince people to grow victory gardens and send the food to soldiers 4. They were trying to show people the opposing side was a monster and to donate money/food/work to help the soldiers fight them 3) What nation produced the most posters throughout WWI? Germany. 4) Go to sidebar to the right and click on a couple of countries; England, U.S. and Germany. Are they similar? List some symbols, messages, similarities and differences, if any, in the posters. No they are not similar. Area 3: Life in the Trenches: 1) What is trench foot? What caused trench foot? Trench foot is a condition of the foot resembling frostbite, caused by prolonged exposure to cold and dampness and often affecting soldiers in trenches. 2) What affects did it have on the body? What was the remedy for it? Trench foot is what you get when your feet have been exposed to long periods off wet, cold, and unsanitary conditions .If the infection was left to sit without medical attention for to long it could turn into gangrenous and have to be amputated. The remedy was for officers to change their socks at least 4 times a day and wear thigh high boots. 3) Read the diary entries from Thomas Fredrick Littler and answer the following: * Describe some common repetitive themes (tasks) of trench life. July 2nd 1916 (Sunday) We rested all day, and many of us are still a little shaky. July 3rd 1916 We had a number of reinforcements sent to us, and paraded at 9-30 p.m and moved up the line to Foncquevillers a little to the north of Hebuterne and were billeted in cellars, turned out to work at 11-p.m and went up the trenches and in places we were waist deep in water, and at last got to the fire trench and went on top and put out 150yds of barbed wire and returned to billets at 4-30 in the morning. July 4th 1916 Put another 150 yrds of barbed wire on the top and the trenches were still waist deep in water July 5th 1916 Just the same as the day before. * Define stalemate, How does the definition of this word describe life in the trenches? Stalemate in ww1 refers to the period throughout the war where trenches dominate the front-line. Like the definition stalemate, during this period the battle lines barely moved, so most historians refer to it as stalemate. 3) What was No Mans Land? (Please be sure to describe at least three distinct features) No Mans Land is the area of land between the trenches of the opposing forces. To get to No Mans Land you had to crawl under barbed wire . While in No Mans Land you were at high risk of dying as you could easily be shot dead by a sniper bullet. You were most likely be taken down by machine guns or simple assault rifles, if you went to No Mans Land snipers were for long distances for the enemies who were in trenches. The machine guns that the Germans had were much more advanced; the English ones were more basic Area 4: America enters the War: 1) What was the Lusitania? What is the significance of the Lusitania in the War? How many people died and were there any Americans on board? Lusitania was a ship built by Cunard for the Admiralty, who loaned the shipbuilder 2,600,000 pounds for the construction of two ships, the Lusitania and her sister ship RMS Mauretania. Both ships were to be built to Admiralty standards for heavy cruisers and during time of war would be placed in the service of the British Navy. Carried Americans. On the Lusitania a total of 1,198 people died (785 passengers and 413 crew). Those killed included 128 US citizens. 2) How many Allied and Neutral ships were lost to submarines in 1917? How much total number of Allied and Neutral ships were sunk by submarines between 1914-1918? (Scroll downits there!) there were 2,439 ships were lost. There were 4,837sunk. 3) What is the Zimmerman Telegram and who wrote it? Why did Americans feel threatened by this telegram? (Think Monroe Doctrine). The Zimmermann Telegram (or Zimmermann Note; Zimmermann-Depesche; Telegrama Zimmermann) was a 1917 proposal, Arthur Zimmermann wrote it. The British intercepted a telegram sent from Germany to Mexico asking the Mexicans to attack the U.S. if the U.S. got involved in WWI. They promised the Mexicans money and a return of AZ, CA, NM territory lost by the Mexicans to the U.S. in the Mexican American War of 1846-8. Mexico considered it, after all, they did not like the U.S. or Wilson, but were more afraid of the U.S. than Germany. Plus, Germany is 1000s of miles away it was one of the factors that helped bring us into the war. 4) In the telegram, what did the German government decide to begin on Feb. 1, 1917? What was promised to Mexico in the telegram? 5) When does the Untied States declare war on Germany? Who was John J. Pershing? There were two major reasons. First off, the German U-Boats sank 3 passenger ships carrying US civilians and citizens. As if that wasnt enough, the Germans sent the Zimmerman code, which was a code (intercepted and decoded by Britain) that asks Mexico to ally itself with the Axis (or, at least Germany). If Mexico does ally itself with the Axis, then the Axis would help Mexico take back some of the original Mexican lands that the US took over. Seeing this, the US got pissed (after a large amount of casualties and a lethal threat note) and began to attack (or, declare war on Germany). Because the British were also going against Germany, and Britain was once the US homeland, the US joined war on the Allies side. John. J. Pershing was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. Pershing is the only person to be promoted in his own lifetime to the highest rank ever held in the United States Army—General of the Armies (a retroactive Congressional edict passed in 1976 promoted George Washington to the same rank but with higher seniority[1]). Pershing holds the first United States officer service number (O-1). He was regarded as a mentor by the generation of American generals who led the United States Army in Europe during World War II, including George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar N. Bradley, and George S. Patton. 6) What was the Brest-Litovsk Treaty? How did it affect the fighting on the Western Front? (Think Schlieffen Plan) The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, at Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus) between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers, marking Russias exit from World War I. it make fighting more intense on the western front. Area 5: Results of the War: 1) What was the name of President Wilson’s Speech to Congress on January 8, 1918? 14 points. 2) Through the points mentioned in the above article, how does Wilson address: * Imperialism- * Militarism- * Navigation of the seas- * International trade- * Self-determination What does this mean- * League of Nations- 3) How does the US Congress feel about the League of Nations? Why is this League set up for failure? 4) In Articles 231232 of the Treaty of Versailles, what is Germany responsible for? 5) What happened to most of Wilsons Points in the final draft of the Treaty of Versailles? Why? 6) What country lost the most soldiers, and has the most missing, How many American soldiers died and what was the total number of soldiers who died in the war? 7) When did the war end? When was the Treaty of Versailles signed? Why are these dates significant? 8) Why did this attitude of an unfair peace and US noninvolvement in the League of Nations help set up the foundations for a new world conflict? Reflection Assignment Historical Context: World War I was supposed to be the war that ended all wars. Instead it set the stage for future conflicts throughout the 20th Century. The people of the time called the conflict the Great War, and they believed that there would never again be another like it. Although the United States tried to remain neutral, it was eventually drawn into the conflict. The war had a profound effect on the nation, and touched upon many aspects of American life. When the war ended, the United States, and the world, was changed forever. Using the information acquired from your Webquest, write a well-constructed essay including the following: * An Introduction, body and conclusion. * Evidence of proof reading—grammar and spelling do not interfere with the message. * Answer a separate sheet of paper to be used as a rough draft for your next test. -List and describe the long and short-term causes of World War I. Be sure to also include how the agreements at the Treaty of Versailles left many of the causes still in place after the war. -Be sure to use specific examples from your World War I Webquest as well as other information provided in class. -Be sure your thesis is supported through the body and conclusion from this packet and other information from this unit. -Be sure the essay has clarity and answers the question. On Sunday, June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, an 18-year-old Serbian named Gavrilo Princip, shot and killed Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Duchess Sophie while they were driving in an open car. Princip belonged to a sercet terror society, called the Black Hand, that wanted to rid Bosnia of Austrian rule and unite it with Serbia. The assassination led to the first World War. This terrible conflict latsed over 4 years, involved over 30 nations, and claimed more than 20,000,000 lives, both miltary and civilian. It cost billions of dollars, destroyed Europe, crumbled empires, and sowed seeds of World War 2. There were also others causes that led up to World War 1. Over time, countries in Europe made mutual defense agreements that would pull them into battle. If one country was attacked, allied countries were bound to defend them. Before World War 1, the following alliances existed: Russia and Serbia, Germany and Austria-Hungary (The Dual Alliance 1879), France and Russia (Franc o-Russian Alliance 1891), Britain and France and Belgium, and Japan and Britain. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia (July 28, 1914), Russia got involved to defend Serbia. Germany seeing Russia mobilizing, declared war on Russia (August 1, 1914). France was then drawn in against Germany and AustriaHungary (August 3, 1914). Germany attacked France through Belgium pulling Britain into war (August 4, 1914). This eventually split the continent into two hostile sides. The Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, later joined by Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire), and the Allies (Great Britain, France, Russia, later joined by Japan, Italy, and the United States). Another factor that increased the rivalry in Europe was imperialism. Before World War 1, Africa and parts of Asia were areas of conflict between the European countries. This was because of the raw materials these areas could provide. The increasing competition and desire for greater empires led to an increase in conflict that helped start World War I. Militarism means that the army and military forces are given a high profile by the government. The division between European countries and militarism, or a policy of glorying military power and keeping an army prepared for war, led to an arms race between the main countries, another cause of World War I. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914, and there was fierce competition between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas. In the fall of 1914, a series of battles occured in the region of northern France known as the Western Front. During this time a German general, named Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, had drawn up a plan, called the Schlieffen Plan, which called for attacking and defeating France in the west and rushing to fight Russia in the east. By early September, German troops had reached the outskirts of Paris. But, on September 5, the Allies attacked the Germans northeast of Paris, in the valley of Marne River. The Germans retreated after four days of fighting. The Battle of the Marne was an important battle because the Frenc h and British forces were able to stop the Schlieffen plan for a quick victory. However, the German army was not beaten, and its successful retreat ended all hope of a short war. By early 1915, armies on the Western Front began digging long trenches to protect themselves from opposing armies. This became known as trench warfare where soldiers fought each other from trenches. New technology, such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and submarines, allowed armies to wipe out each other more quickly. War was also going on in a region known as the Eastern Front, which strecthed along the Russian and German border. In this region, the Russian and the Serbs fought the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. Here, the Russians lost many lives. Near the town of Tannenberg, the Germans defeated the Russians killing over 30,000 Russian soldiers. In September 1914, after defeating the Austrians twice, the Russians were defaeted by the Austrians pushing them out of Austria-Hungary. By 1916, Russia was near collapse. Russia was less industrialized than the other European countries, but they had a large population which allowed their army to rebuilt its ranks. In Feburary 1915, the Allies made an effort to take the Dardanelles strait, which led to the Ottoman capital Constantinople. Taking over this region, would allow them to defeat the Turks and make a supply line to Russia. This became known as the Gallipoli campaign. The Gallipoli peninsula was attacked by British, French, Australian, and New Zealand troops. By May, the campaign turned bloody. In December, the Allies began to evacuate. They had lost over 250,000 soldiers. Germanys colonies in Africa and Asia were attacked. The Japanese defeated the Germans in China and captured Germanys Pacific island colonies. Four of Germanys colonies were attacked by France and England who took control of three of the colonies. Soldiers and laborers from India, South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Indochina joined their French or British rulers in hope that their service would lead to their independence. In 1917, many wars took place on the sea. During the year, the Germans used unrestricted submarine warfare, in which the submarines would sink without warning any ships in the water around Britain. In Janurary 1917, a German submarine sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania which left 1,198 people dead, including 128 United States citizens. Germany claimed the ship had been carrying ammunition, but still recevied strong protests from President Woodrow Wilson. After two more attacks, the Germans agreed to stop attacking neutral and passenger ships. In February 1917, United States officals intercepted a telegram from Arthur Zimmermann, Germanys foreign secretary, which stated that Germany would hel p Mexico regain the land it lost to the United States if Mexico would help Germany fight. This pushed President Wilson, on April 2, 1917, to ask Congress to declare war on Germany. The United States then joined the Allies. When the United States entered the war, the war had already been going on for three years. World War 1 became a total war because all of the countries devoted their resources to the war. The wartime government took control of the economy and told factories what and how much to produce. Nearly every civilian able to work was put to work. Governments began rationing or limiting the number of goods people bought that might be needed at war and using propaganda to put people in favor of the war. Women were also a big help by taking over factories jobs and helping the wounded on the battlefield. In March 1917, Czar Nicholas was forced to step down due the shortages of fuel and food in Russia. By 1917, about 5.5 million Russian soldiers were either killed, wounded, or a prisoner of war. Russia refused to fight anymore. In November 1917, a Communist leader, named Vladimie llyich Lenin took control and insisted on pulling Russia out of the war. Germany and Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which ended the war between them in March 1918. In May 1918, the Germans again reached the Marne River. In July 1918, the Allies and the Germans fought the second battle of Marne. The weakened Central Powers were unable to fight off the Allies. The Bulgarians first surrendered and then the Ottomans. In Germany, the soldiers and the people revolted. On November 9, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down, and Germany became a republic with socialist Friedrich Elbert as president. A representative of the new German government met with Commander Marshal Foch near Paris. They signed an armistice or an agreement to stop fighting. On November 11, the Great War came to an end. World War 1 left the nations of Europe devastated. France and England had large debts. Germany, near economic collapse, was told to pay reparations that it could not pay. For hope the Germans turned to a man, named Adolf Hitler, that promised to avenge Germanys defeat. This would soon lead to another bloody war in the years to come.

Social Movements and Their Impact on the World Essay -- Common Goals,

As society redevelops itself and progresses to keep up with the ever changing dynamics of its citizens, social movements are an outlet available to bring about change within the law. Social movement is a broad term and often can have specific goals and targets in mind, when trying to mobilize the law. "Social movements are collective actors or groups that seek a common goal or express a common identity; targets may include states, society, corporations, and/or social norms and values. May be conservative or progressive" (Hilson, 2002). We must accept that social movements may not always be seeking a goal but expressing an identity. Social movements make claims in relation to law or based on law. Social movements deliberately and proactively litigate when they bring a case with a number of different goals in mind. An example of legal mobilization through a social movement would be the assertion of women's rights in regard to abortion. Women have a right to choose whether or not they want to reproduce and through the use of social movements we have seen laws progressively change. "Legal mobilization is the ways in which collective actors such as social movements draw on and use law to achieve their goals or to express their identities" (Hilson, 2002). Women mobilized their rights by engaging in the language of law to claim their rights are being violated. Legal mobilization can be described and interpreted in many different ways depending on the situation and in which way the law is attempting to be changed. Critical legal studies and legal realism ascertain that when a certain law exists that is ineffective you must mobilize it in order to encourage change. Legal mobilization can be viewed as either progressive or regressive d... ...ons, 1-228. Gable, L. (2010). Reproductive Health As A Human Right. Case Western Reserve Law Review Vol. 60, No.4, 957-996. Hilson, C. (2002). New Social Movements: The Role of Legal Opportunity. Journal of European Public Policy Vol. 9, No. 2, 238-255. Joffe, C. (1987). Abortion and Antifeminism. Politics & Society Vol. 15, No. 2, 207-212. Outshoorn, J. (2012). Assessing the impact of women's movements. Women's Studies International Forum 35, 147-149. Rohlinger, D. (2013, March 4). Moving Forward or Standing Still? The Battle Over Abortion in the 21st Century. Retrieved from Mobilizing Ideas: http://mobilizingideas.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/moving-forward-or-standing-still-the-battle-over-abortion-in-the-21st-century/ West, R. (2009). From Choice to Reproductive Justice: De-Constitutionalizing Abortion Rights. The Yale Law Journal Vol. 118, No. 7, 1394-1432.

The Elderly

Growing up , children are taught to respect those who are elder than them , emphasizing parents and grandparents. This is a fine moral value to instill on a child but once that child begins to age , he/she will begin to see the truth behind the lies. As people age their minds deteriorate leading to bad motor skills , forgetfulness and irrational thinking , causing society to view them as a crazy nuisance. Elderly people need some assistance with daily activities and health care from their families. The adult children of this elders often face a difficult challenge in helping their parents make the right choices.The family is one of the most important providers for the elderly. Infact, the majority of caregivers for the elderly are often member of their own family , most often daughter or granddaughter. But sometimes family members of the elderly people ,who generally take care of them , get frustrated or angry and behave harshly with them , beat them. This leads to elderly abuse. Eld erly abuse in our country is growing. Abusers of older adults are both male and female. Usually family members are often the abusers in the domestic surroundings. Researchers estimated two thirds of the elder abuse are family members.The news which comes in the national news paper that elderly parents are being harassed, neglected, and even thrown out of the home, makes a citizen of India shameful and sad. This country was renowned for its good treatment to elderly as well as to the young since ages. The reason was the profound ethical and religious teaching which was prevalent in this country from ages. India being a land of multi lingual and multi religious back ground never one could have thought to see that elderly parents one day could be regarded as unwanted stranger in their own house.But, from a decade or two this unnatural phenomena suddenly appears with such a magnitude that one find himself bewildered how to accept it. Unfortunately this is a real hard fact through which the nation is passing. According to a survey 40% senior citizen living with their families are facing â€Å"emotional and physical abuse. † It is reported that one old grand mother is being thrown out in the garbage by her son and grand son where she ultimately died. India was land where elders were treated with respect and dignity.Mother and father in a house were just like a king and queen where they were treated as a commander of the house not by force but by the way of love and affection which was flourishing in the house. How this sudden change in the attitude of son of the same soil has appeared so abruptly. It is not the soil which has changed but the air and atmosphere of the land has gradually infested with foreign culture and artificial light and glamour as projected through the television and electronic media which has eroded the Indian culture of patience, gratitude and sacrifice. The Elderly Growing up , children are taught to respect those who are elder than them, emphasizing parents and grandparents. This is a fine moral value to instill on a child but once that child begins to age , he/she will begin to see the truth behind the lies. As people age their minds deteriorate leading to bad motor skills , forgetfulness and irrational thinking , causing society to view them as a crazy nuisance. Elderly people need some assistance with daily activities and health care from their families. The adult children of this elders often face a difficult challenge in helping their parents make the right choices.The family is one of the most important providers for the elderly. Infact, the majority of caregivers for the elderly are often member of their own family , most often daughter or granddaughter. But sometimes family members of the elderly people ,who generally take care of them , get frustrated or angry and behave harshly with them , beat them. This leads to elderly abuse. Elde rly abuse in our country is growing. Abusers of older adults are both male and female. Usually family members are often the abusers in the domestic surroundings. Researchers estimated two thirds of the elder abuse are family members.The news which comes in the national news paper that elderly parents are being harassed, neglected, and even thrown out of the home, makes a citizen of India shameful and sad. This country was renowned for its good treatment to elderly as well as to the young since ages. The reason was the profound ethical and religious teaching which was prevalent in this country from ages. India being a land of multi lingual and multi religious back ground never one could have thought to see that elderly parents one day could be regarded as unwanted stranger in their own house.But, from a decade or two this unnatural phenomena suddenly appears with such a magnitude that one find himself bewildered how to accept it. Unfortunately this is a real hard fact through which t he nation is passing. According to a survey 40% senior citizen living with their families are facing â€Å"emotional and physical abuse. † It is reported that one old grand mother is being thrown out in the garbage by her son and grand son where she ultimately died. India was land where elders were treated with respect and dignity.Mother and father in a house were just like a king and queen where they were treated as a commander of the house not by force but by the way of love and affection which was flourishing in the house. How this sudden change in the attitude of son of the same soil has appeared so abruptly. It is not the soil which has changed but the air and atmosphere of the land has gradually infested with foreign culture and artificial light and glamour as projected through the television and electronic media which has eroded the Indian culture of patience, gratitude and sacrifice.

John Updike`s A&P Essay

â€Å"A & P† is first-person narrative revealing the delusively ordinary story related by the checkout boy in the grocery store named in the title. In â€Å"A & P† the first-person narrator is defined largely by his tone and vocabulary. Updike molds his protagonist through the use of specific writing style, thus Sammy is casual and colloquial. The customers in his grocery are referred to as â€Å"the sheep† the commonness of which has been one day disturbed by the appearance of a sexually uninhibited, young ladies in bathing suits. Surveying the three girls as they wander the aisles, Sammy describes the girls, and here Updike’s style is prolifically intoxicated with the description of the girls with the flights of slang language, trying to show why these teenagers deserve the sacrifice: chunky with â€Å"a sweet broad soft-looking can†, breasts, on the other hand, become â€Å"two smooth scoops of vanilla†, the shoulder bones become â€Å"dented sheet of metal tilted in the light†. Besides, Sammy’s narration is lard with the discourse markers that make his flow of narration softer and folksy: â€Å"kind of jerk†; â€Å"she kind of led them†; â€Å"she had sort of oaky hair† The colloquial style is expressed not only in the vocabulary of the protagonist but in the violated sentence structures. Updike’s uniqueness lies in his process of detachment. Coming in adjective or adverb modifiers rather than main sentence elements, the ironic posture emerges without affecting plot: â€Å"and a tall one, with black hair that hadn’t quite frizzed right, and one of these sunburns right across under the eyes, and a chin that was too long–you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very â€Å"striking† and â€Å"attractive† but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much† Not rare are also broken structures like: â€Å"She had on a kind of dirty-pink–beige maybe, I don’t know–bathing suit†, or â€Å"The sheep pushing their carts down the aisle–the girls were walking against the usual traffic (not that we have one-way signs or anything)–were pretty hilarious. † The story is presented through the present-tense narration. Such choice of grammar technique imparts narration the sense of immediacy, makes it a chronicle of one event, so that reader feels as if he himself is a witness of that event. â€Å"IN WALKS these three girls in nothing but bathing suits†, â€Å"The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, †¦ †, â€Å"Lengel sighs and begins to look very patient and old and gray. † Updike’s striking adjectives appear often: â€Å"kind of dirty-pink–beige maybe†, â€Å"chubby berry-face†, â€Å"long white prima-donna legs†, â€Å"the cat-and-dog-food-breakfastcereal-macaroni-rice-raisins-seasonings-spreadsspaghetti-soft-drinks-crackers-and-cookies aisle†; Their intrusiveness increases and besides literary irony, they produce an ambiguity of intent or author’s attitude (hence diction) in his story, which is matched somewhat by unexpected metaphors or visual comparisons, like â€Å"two smoothest scoops of vanilla†, â€Å"outside the sunshine is skating around on the asphalt outside the sunshine is skating around on the asphalt†, â€Å"his back [was] stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron†. All of these figures, although appropriate functionally to the text, often call attention to themselves and piece out Updike’s style. Updike, John (1962) Pigeon Feathers, and Other Stories. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Effectiveness of the Websites of Unionized and Non Unionized Organizations

Effectiveness of the Websites of Unionized and Non Unionized Organizations Introduction Due to the need of interactive capability to communicate with the clientele, internet has turn out to be an essential marketing tool in almost all industries. Researches indicate that almost all organizations ranging from small enterprises to large firms use internet to interact with their consumers (Wen et al., 2001).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effectiveness of the Websites of Unionized and Non Unionized Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the associations are gradually budding websites which would be utilized in satisfying their user needs hence realizing their set objectives. However, not all organizations are capable of effectively integrating the use of internet into the strategic marketing goals. This is due to the differences that exist in the capacity of organization to comprehend and convert information and communication technology (Wen et al., 2001). The website e valuation can be used by organizations to track performance of their websites over a particular period of time. This will ensure continuous improvements and facilitate comparisons of performance with other peer organizations (Li Wang, 2010). Due to the ever varying hi-tech setting and user taste, it is critical that businesses should frequently appraise their websites using the applicable and customary approaches to guarantee that websites serve their anticipated use. Therefore, this research paper will evaluate the effectiveness of the websites of union and un-unionized organizations. Comparing and contrasting the websites of Union organizations The websites are similar in both the content and appearance. Contents of both the websites are up to date and unique in own way. In fact the current and unique way of representing information is an essential component of the web sites (Wen et al., 2001). For instance, the websites contains the fresh news concerning the forthcoming nursing day. The purpose is to increase their information dimension intended for the users. Moreover, the contents of both sites are easy to find and arranged in such a manner that could easily be understood by the audiences or those being targeted. In fact, the features that is characteristic of the standard website. Further, the websites are similar in design. Though having distinct color of that particular union, the texts within the websites are given a similar technical approach. The home page of each website leads the user to the needed information with the most important being at the front home page to attract the user.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the pages are arranged in such a way that they become user friendly and easy to navigate. That is the most popular contents are placed on just a click away so as to increase their accessibility. T he other important feature in these websites is their interactive nature. Both the websites are essentially interactive and instructive. However, the websites, especially that of ICN, contains a lot of texts that could overwhelm the user. Though the ICN have the information broken into bullet points and subheadings, the layout of the pages still becomes un-scanable. This makes the page so voluminous and as such becomes unattractive to the users. In most cases users of websites does not have time to read every word within the pages. Rather they scan the pages for the information they need (Wen et al., 2001). If the page is loaded the users get difficulties finding the information they need hence becomes bored with the site. Therefore the sites should have an attractive and simple layout. The colors should have a proper contrast with the texts. Also the way the website is designed should attract the user attention and enhance its content (Wen et al., 2001). In addition the web site sh ould serve the purpose of the organization and at the same time does not detract from its usability. Some of these characteristics are somehow lacking in both the websites especially the attractiveness of the sites to the user. In fact attraction and interaction are the most important features of web marketing. Lack of these features makes the site redundant on its purpose (Wen et al., 2001). The effectiveness of the unionized websites The effectiveness of the websites of the two union organizations will be assessed from the functional perspective. That is, their purpose in form of how they communicate, inform, transact, relate and their technical merit (Li Wang, 2010). Indeed, the analysis indicates that these sites have their focus mainly on the dimensions of the information. The analysis besides signifies that the appliance of website on the dimension of operation and dealings are not commonly being positioned.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on E ffectiveness of the Websites of Unionized and Non Unionized Organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Amongst the appraisal dimension scientific plus affects the efficacy of all other selling magnitudes. At the basic marketing level, the website must be in a position to provide to the visitors of the site, in this case union members, timely information about the organization (Li Wang, 2010). Once the information dimension has been achieved, the communication function should be considered. The communication function involved all areas of marketing and promotion. In other words the union communicates to the members their intentions, programs activities as well as other relevant information. Conversely, the information and communication dimensions will be used by the HR departments to know the workers intentions, their planned activities as well as their agitation. This would be useful in the buildup of proper relationship between the org anization employees. Comparing and contrasting the union avoidance consultancy firms The two renowned union avoidance consultant firms are the Alignment Group Consultants and the Weissman Group Consultants. The Weissman Group Consultants tend to work jointly with supervisors and managers in helping organizations to realize positive results. In the process, this firm does not only offer guidance to managers and supervisors to precisely educate workers as regard to the potentiality of union representation implications, but it equally assist them in understanding and identifying issues that led to the unionization efforts. The assumed procedures do not just enhance the probability of organization triumph in an attempt to unionize, but it also decreases the possibility of prospective attempts through heightening the management compassion to issues which might impact the morale of workers negatively. The Alignment Group Consultants in contrast works to ensure positive employees relations . This union avoidance consultancy firm aspires for great change during the current widespread economic transition. It works to guarantee that corporations that are extra susceptible to the union groups have regulations altered in their support.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The websites have contents that reflect the company uniqueness and tend to be informative and interactive. In essence the contents tend to attract the customers rather than members as in the case with union websites. The informative and interactive characteristic of the contents keep the visitors of the site coming for more. Moreover the texts are arranged in such a way that the information needed by the user is just a click away. In fact, what the companies offer in terms of services are well arranged under the headlines services with the details of each services placed a click away from the main service. This makes the websites easy to navigate and user friendly. Though the main targets audience of these websites is companies and union organizations individuals can also have an access. Nevertheless the information being provided is focused towards attracting corporate that avoid unions as well as union organization. In other words these, firms are more informative than interactive with the audience (Feng et al., 2003). The reason is that services being offered by these firms such as workers strike management depend entirely on the available information. As such, these websites are perceived to be boring especially by individual users who might not be interested in the offered information. Moreover, the information being provided is scarce. Rather than providing information about services being offered by the firm, they have left the reader to consult the firm for more details and this appears to generate additional costs to the users. The website contents should be arranged in such a way that the user gets it easy to find the needed information. In a situation where the user does not get the needed information then the website becomes boring and its main purpose is compromised. However, the websites are kept in their professional and simple format. The layout is attractive and easy to the viewer. This enhances their usability. The websites also contain pop u p adverts that interact with the user. The pop-up ads are attractive and forms additional contents that attract users. The speed with which each page loads is extremely high. These means that the websites are less graphic and the traffic volume are user’s computer friendly. In addition, the websites have servers that have enough space or the bandwidth as well as lightweight code. All the websites have optimized their search engines. In other words they have offered the options for searching the information wanted by inserting key wards on search area of the websites. This is essential as users will find it easy to get whatever information by simply searching rather that navigating all through the web sites. This enables the sites to be convenient to the users. Critically, the websites are not built to market the firms rather to inform the users. Though there are elements of marketing the firm’s services, the main purpose is to inform the target audience about the compa ny and the services they offer. This is evidence by lack of interactive capabilities that would glue the users to the website such as the current news as well as other forms of web interactions. Effectiveness of the non unionized web sites Like the unionized websites the effectiveness of these sites will also be evaluated in accordance with their functionality perspective. As shown by Li Wang (2010), the current online promotion, contrasting to the customary selling relies a lot on IT. Thus, the efficacy of one website has to incorporate both the promotion philosophy and expertise. Per se, the websites for these organizations should be appraised based on their proportions namely communiquà ©, operation, affiliation and mechanical merits (Feng et al., 2003). Of these scopes, the mechanical merit merges all other scopes as its efficacy is hinged on by the other scopes. The websites analysis indicates that the union avoidance firms have focused on the information and communication di mension (Angehrn, 1997). The firm’s services depend wholly on the information. Moreover the target audience or the users of the websites are searching for the appropriate information that touches on the needs of the organization. Therefore the web is developed in such a way that it achieves its intended purpose through the development of information dimension. In conclusion, from the attributes of these two websites, the Weissman Group appears to be more effective than the Alignment Group. References Angehrn, A. (1997). Designing mature Internet business strategies: The ICDT model. European Management Journal, 15(4), pp.361-369. Feng, R., Morrison, A. M., Ismail, J. A. (2003). East versus West: A comparison of online destination marketing in China and the USA. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 10(1), pp.43-56. Li, X. Wang, Y. (2010). Evaluating the effectiveness of destination marketing organizations’ websites: Evidence from China. International Journal of Tourism Resea rch, 12(5), pp.536-549. Wen, H. J., Chen, H. G. Hwang, H. G. (2001). E-commerce web site design: Strategies and models. Information Management Computer Security, 9(1), pp.5-12. Appendix Union organization websites The American Nurses Association Retrieved from: https://www.nursingworld.org/ The National Nurses United Retrieved from: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/

adult education Essay Example

adult education Essay Example adult education Essay adult education Essay Adult education is the process whereby adults engage in systematic and sustained learning activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Adult education can take place in the workplace, through extension school (e. g. , Harvard Extension) or school of continuing education (e. g. , Columbia School of Continuing Education). Other learning places include community colleges, folk high schools, colleges and universities, libraries, and lifelong learning centers. The practice may also include Training and Development which is often associated with rofessional development. Adult education has also been referred to as andragogy (to distinguish it from pedagogy). Educating adults differs from educating children in several ways. One of the most important differences is that adults have accumulated knowledge and work experience which can add to the learning experience. Another difference is that most adult education is voluntary, therefore, the participants are generally self-motivated. Adults frequently apply their knowledge in a practical fashion to learn effectively. They must have a reasonable expectation that the nowledge they gain will help them further their goals. For example, during the 1990s, many adults, including mostly office workers, enrolled in computer training courses. These courses would teach basic use of the operating system or specific application software. Due to the fact that the abstractions governing the users interactions with a PC were so new, many people who had been working white-collar jobs for ten years or more eventually took such training courses, either at their own whim (to gain computer skills and thus earn higher pay) or at the behest of their managers. In the United States, a more general example is when adults who dropped out of high school return to school to complete general education requirements. Most upwardly mobile positions require at the very least a high school diploma or equivalent. A working adult is unlikely to have the freedom to simply quit his or her Job and go back to school full-time. Public school systems and community colleges usually offer evening or weekend classes for this reason. In Europe this is often referred to as second-chance, and many schools offer tailor-made courses and learning programs for these returning learners.

How to Deal with Behavioral Interview Questions

How to Deal with Behavioral Interview Questions For some hiring managers, a job interview is a chance to get a candidate’s psychological profile as well as his or her direct qualifications for the job. This might include â€Å"staring contest† type questions, hypothetical situations that seem to have little to do with the topic at hand, or questions about your life outside of work. These can pull you out of your interview comfort zone, but they don’t have to. Here are some strategies for navigating behavioral interview questions.DON’T fall into the silent treatment trap.Most people, when faced with silence (especially with someone they don’t know well), feel obligated to fill that silence. If an interviewer asks you a question, and you answer it only to be met with a stare and no reply, don’t try to shovel in more information or clarify further. You already answered the question, and going off the cuff could talk you out of the job. It’s okay to give the pause a few minutes, then as k, â€Å"Is there anything else you’d like to know on this point?† Make sure that when you ask, it’s not sarcastic or nervous- just a straightforward question.DON’T try to match the silent treatment with aggression.Staring down your interviewer, nostrils flaring like you’re in an Old West showdown, is not going to help your cause. It’s not necessarily a case of â€Å"he who backs down first loses,† but rather just a test of how you react. Keep it calm and friendly.DO be prepared to talk about what you do outside of work†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦but try to keep it at least semi-related to the job discussion. If you do volunteer work, talk about the kind of skills you apply there. If you talk about a hobby, emphasize that it’s something that helps you decompress outside of work hours. Before you talk about any outside interests, make sure it’s appropriate for the company and professional conversation. NSFW hobbies should be left off t he table completely (and hopefully your R-rated blog is well hidden under a non-identifiable pseudonym!).DON’T let unnerving questions be a backdoor to illegal interview information.Whether intentional or not, shifting the focus of the interview to personal activities, or to making you so nervous that you’re willing to spill anything, can produce information that the interviewer should not be privy to.For example, if you’re asked about your personal goals and activities, and you talk about your church youth group mentoring, you’ve introduced religion to the interview. If you talk about the Mommy-and-Me yoga class you started in your neighborhood, you’ve opened up family status. Be choosy about what you discuss.DO be creative for â€Å"What would you be†¦?† questions.If you’re asked what kind of tree/animal/Backstreet Boy you’d be, answer the question. But you don’t have to answer it totally faithfully to your person ality. Tailor it to what you think would best match the job and the company. For example, I wouldn’t answer, â€Å"I’d be a panda, because I’m slow and like to eat salad.† Instead, I’d say, â€Å"I’d be an octopus, because I’m great at multitasking.†These questions may be designed to knock you slightly off your game and get to the real you, so you shouldn’t worry too much when they happen. Just be ready to keep the focus on the job that’s up for grabs, and always find a way to spin it back to your qualifications.

Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Human Resource - Essay Example ition, it I concerned with modern industrial relations, for instance, it balances organizational practices with regulations that arise from collective bargaining and legislative laws. From the definition above, I would disagree that every manager is HR manager; however, I would argue that management of human resources is part of every manager’s job. Not every manager takes part in the recruitment and selection of employees, however, the rest of the definition of human resource management holds to every manager. Managers have the ability to functional guide their teams/departments, organization as whole and/or individual employees. For instance, the corrective actions in which managers perform effectively provide re-directional guidance for the employees’ behaviors (Kumar, 2011). Every manager comes into contact with people hence manages them by doing some fundamental HR management. They are required effectively to influence the teams they head to complete the task, managing the individuals on the team make a portion of their job same as the HR manager. In the case, the team members fail to get along well, or other problems arise, the most likely per son to deal with the situation is the manager. Further, managers are undoubtedly involved in employee training and development. On the process, they evaluate them so as to promote them. Generally, every manager is plainly attempting to enhance the adequacy or effectiveness of their workers by regulating them, advising them, correcting them and motivating them (Kumar,

Marymount University computer lab Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marymount University computer lab - Term Paper Example This part takes 11days of the time schedule with the first week of activity being exclusively the meetings before the process of gathering information on the current system also begins to run concurrently with it for the remaining eight days. The next stage is the discussion and analysis of the risks and the financial requirements of the project. This stage runs for three days as shown in the graphs and charts and begins immediately after requirement gathering stage. The second last activity is the obtainment of the building approvals by the relevant authorities that takes five days. The very last activity is the movement of equipment to the building that also takes five days. This section explains the expenditure throughout the whole project. The financial plan is generally divided into two main parts which are the requirement gathering and development part and the maintenance section. The main focus here is in the development part. The other budget estimation that also experienced a lower actual amount is the Mice budget that was first set for $50 and the actual figure comes up to $40 giving a deference of $10 on the actual estimated values. The other budgets are expected to run in line with the actual budgeted figures as earlier estimated making the schedule more realistic and precise as expected. This gives the entire budget for the project to

Connection between Neighborhood Crime and academic performance Annotated Bibliography

Connection between Neighborhood Crime and academic performance - Annotated Bibliography Example Bowen, N. K., & Bowen, G. L. (1999). Effects of crime and violence in neighborhoods and schools on the school behavior and performance of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 14(3), 319-342. doi: 10.1177/0743558499143003 This study examined the relationship between neighborhood and school violence and adolescents' behavior and academic performance. Specifically, the authors wanted to discover how violence affects student's attendance, behavior, and grades. Data on students' self-reported exposure to neighborhood and school violence was gathered from a sample of middle and high school students who completed the National School Success Profile (SSP). The SSP revealed reports of high exposure to environmental danger among African-Americans, males, high school students, school lunch recipients, and urban students. The study found that both neighborhood and school danger predicted attendance and behavior. Neighborhood danger, however, was more predictive of school outcomes than do school danger. This study contributed in the early identification of adolescents living in dangerous school and neighborhood environments. The authors suggested taking an ecological approach in assessing school environments to e ncourage excellent academic performance among adolescent students. Ceballo, R., McLoyd, V. C., & Toyokawa, T. (2004). The influence of neighborhood quality on adolescents’ educational values and school effort. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19(6), 716-739. ... Specifically, associations were found between neighborhood quality and educational values of African-American females. In addition, the study yielded gender-specific results when the model was tested separately for males and females. Dearing, E. (2004). The developmental implications of restrictive and supportive parenting across neighborhoods and ethnicities: Exceptions are the rule. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25(5), 555-575. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2004.08.007   This study explored the effect of neighborhood crime and income on the relationship between parenting style and child behavior. Restrictive and supportive parenting styles are said to influence a child's emotional well-being and academic performance. Using a longitudinal design, elementary school-age children of African-American, European-American, and Latino-American descent were studied. Positive associations were found between restrictive parenting style and depression, and between supportive parenting s tyle and academic performance. Negative association, meanwhile, was found between restrictive parenting style and academic performance. In riskier neighborhoods, the negative effect of restrictive style in European-American children was exacerbated. On the other hand, both restrictive and supportive styles were found to be  a protective factor among African-American children in riskier neighborhoods. The results for Latino-American children were generally similar with those of African-American. The author concluded that parenting styles and neighborhood context influenced children's development. Eamon, M. K. (2005). Social-demographic, school, neighborhood, and parenting influences on the academic achievement of Latino

Historical and Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical and Political Science - Essay Example The structure is 30 m tall. It is magnificent and breathtaking, but it seems to me that I have already seen this masterpiece of architecture somewhere else†¦Really, the ancient Greek Pantheon is before my eyes! There are some metamorphoses, but in general this building looks like the ancient Greek masterpiece. Those people, who are not inspired by a classical Greek architecture, cannot differentiate it from the ancient Greek Pantheon. On the other hand, those people, who are in love with the ancient classic architecture, can draw many parallels between these two objects of art. Doric columns can be identified among the columns of the Lincoln Memorial. In the City of New York this architectural monument is well-known as â€Å"Grant’s tomb†. From the one perspective, reminiscences about Abraham Lincoln can be seen in this monument, but from a different perspective, this monument of art reflects a perfect symbiosis of art, which reflects both modern and classical arch itecture. This monument is relevant to those people, who are looking forward to the greatness of the modernity. In the Doric style the columns are sturdy with a plain top. This style is remarkable in the colonies of Greece. The ancient features of Greek architecture in the Parthenos â€Å"Virgin† can be identified by the greatness of the columns and the monuments. Parthenos is the Doric Style. The Greek goddesses were acknowledged in the ancient Greece. Though this monument was built in the 5th century BC, it has survived through centuries. The Lincoln Memorial consists of 36 columns and this architectural monument has a very interesting history. Initially the present Parthenon was built on the sanctuary place of Athena Parthenos.    There were many difficulties with the financial issues in the process of Parthenon construction, but this temple is acknowledged as one of the finest examples of ancient Greek architecture. Cooper claimed about Parthenon that it:"Enjoys the rep utation of being the most perfect Doric temple ever built. Even in antiquity, its architectural refinements were legendary, especially the subtle correspondence between the curvature of the stylobate, the taper of the naos  walls and the entasis  of the columns† (Parthenon).Entasis is a gradual rising of the columns. The columns in the Parthenon are more subtle than they were earlier. The same features can be seen in the Lincoln Memorial. There is an evident leaning of the columns and there is an obvious direct line of the columns, which constitute the delicate curves. Actually, Ancient Greeks were striving for perfection in their building construction. As a result, the ceiling and the floor of memorial should have created an idealistic curve. The illusions of numerous curves are present when one founds himself inside of the Memorial. The golden ratios should have been reached in the architectural constructions of the ancient Greece. Nevertheless, there are numerous contro versial considerations about Parthenon’s golden rectangles in the facade. With respect to the given features of the ancient Greek architecture, which are present in the Lincoln memorial, as well as in the Parthenon, it can be surely claimed that the greatness and simplicity of the classic features of these constructions is evident. In case the central columns were not built in such a magnificent and outstanding manner of Parthenon, it could be said that

Accounting i a subjective subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accounting i a subjective subject - Essay Example A theory'Ã'• Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'• aÃ'• a theory dependÃ'• on itÃ'• value to uÃ'•erÃ'• in explaining and predicting eventÃ'•.AÃ'• of now there iÃ'• not one theory in accounting that can be called "The Accounting Theory," aÃ'• no one theory can currently explain and/or Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'•fully predict all accounting phenomena. However, the paper doeÃ'• take into account the potential value of the poÃ'•itive theory of accounting and itÃ'• limitationÃ'•. Finally, the paper attemptÃ'• to aÃ'•Ã'•eÃ'•Ã'• the need for an accounting theory and to determine whether we need one.If it iÃ'• to be comprehenÃ'•ible and reliable, accounting muÃ'•t be uÃ'•ed in accordance with Ã'•pecific ruleÃ'• and regulationÃ'•. It would be chaoÃ'• of Babylonian proportionÃ'• if each perÃ'•on uÃ'•ed hiÃ'• own grammar and vocabulary - nobody would underÃ'•tand anybody elÃ'•e. LikewiÃ'•e, it iÃ'• eÃ'•Ã'•ential that accounting iÃ'• uÃ'•ed acc ording to generally accepted ruleÃ'•. (ThomaÃ'• , 2003, 10)The hiÃ'•tory of accounting iÃ'• aÃ'• old aÃ'• civilization, key to important phaÃ'•eÃ'• of hiÃ'•tory, among the moÃ'•t important profeÃ'•Ã'•ionÃ'• in economicÃ'• and buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'•, and faÃ'•cinating. AccountantÃ'• participated in the development of citieÃ'•, trade, and the conceptÃ'• of wealth and numberÃ'•. AccountantÃ'• invented writing, participated in the development of money and banking, invented double entry bookkeeping that fueled the Italian RenaiÃ'•Ã'•ance, Ã'•aved many InduÃ'•trial Revolution inventorÃ'• and entrepreneurÃ'• from bankruptcy, helped develop the confidence in capital marketÃ'• neceÃ'•Ã'•ary for weÃ'•tern capitaliÃ'•m, and are central to the information revolution... Big buine required capital market that depended on accurate and ueful information. Thi wa upplied by the expanding accounting profeion. Today, a global real-time integrated information ytem i a near reality, uggeting new accounting paradigm. Undertanding hitory i needed to develop the linkage to predict thi future. The firt prerequiite i that accounting hould agree or conform with the baic truth according to which our economic ytem function; the current economic and buine practice and the applicable law a embodied in legilative regulation or common law. Conequently, it i important that uniformity i maintained in accounting practice; in other word, a pecific et of circumtance, wherever it may be encountered mut be dealt with by everyone in exactly the ame way within the accounting proce. Accounting theory create a framework that enure that accounting practice complie with the requirement of conformity and uniformity. Thi theory i embodied in a et of principle, policie, method, procedure and convention. The continuouly increaing cope and complexity of our economic ytem require a correponding proce of adaptation in accounting in order that the relevant information regarding economic activitie may be recorded. It i eential that everyone involved in accounting hould undertand thi proce of adaptation; moreover, a prerequiite for uch undertanding i a grap of not only the theory of accounting, but alo the tructure of that theory. (Thoma , 2003, 10) Accounting theory i baed on a et of baic economic truth that are of a dual nature. Firt, accounting theory i baed on propoition generally accepted in the economic order of a particular ociety. For example, conider the

Financial Markets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Markets - Assignment Example oney markets which entail bond markets and stock markets, money markets, commodity markets, insurance markets among others (Bhole & Mahakud 2009, p.2). The financial market is crucial  for the success of the businesses encompassed in a given economy. Every business utilizes specific financial instruments in their operations. The document below analyzes 1 PM PLC, a British company on the basis of its financial aspects. Numerous financial markets have cropped up in the modern world of business. The financial instruments that are in existence in the common modern markets can be broadly classified into equity and debt based financial instruments. The debt-based financial instruments represent loans made by a given investor to the asset’s owner. In others words, it entails the businesses borrowing money from financial institutions. It has some benefits to the investors as well as disadvantages. The most significant benefit of the debt based financial instruments is that unlike the equity-based financial instruments, the entrepreneur retains the sole control of the enterprise (Howells & Bain 2007, p.5). This implies that the investors will be entitled to share profits and also have the say run the business towards their direction of choice. When the entrepreneur is need of the cash, acquiring the cash do not seem a problem. However, it can sometimes lead to conflict somewhere along the way since it has to be repaid as per the laid down terms and conditions. Foreign exchange is another type of financial instrument being utilized in the modern business. However, this has limitation to the businesses which transact businesses internationally. The most prominent financial instrument in the world today is the equity market or the stock market. Most of the companies and enterprises are making use of this market to serve their financial needs. It can be defined as an aggregation of buyers as well as sellers of stocks also termed as shares (Bhole & Mahakud 2009, p.3). They

Accounting i a subjective subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accounting i a subjective subject - Essay Example A theory'Ã'• Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'• aÃ'• a theory dependÃ'• on itÃ'• value to uÃ'•erÃ'• in explaining and predicting eventÃ'•.AÃ'• of now there iÃ'• not one theory in accounting that can be called "The Accounting Theory," aÃ'• no one theory can currently explain and/or Ã'•ucceÃ'•Ã'•fully predict all accounting phenomena. However, the paper doeÃ'• take into account the potential value of the poÃ'•itive theory of accounting and itÃ'• limitationÃ'•. Finally, the paper attemptÃ'• to aÃ'•Ã'•eÃ'•Ã'• the need for an accounting theory and to determine whether we need one.If it iÃ'• to be comprehenÃ'•ible and reliable, accounting muÃ'•t be uÃ'•ed in accordance with Ã'•pecific ruleÃ'• and regulationÃ'•. It would be chaoÃ'• of Babylonian proportionÃ'• if each perÃ'•on uÃ'•ed hiÃ'• own grammar and vocabulary - nobody would underÃ'•tand anybody elÃ'•e. LikewiÃ'•e, it iÃ'• eÃ'•Ã'•ential that accounting iÃ'• uÃ'•ed acc ording to generally accepted ruleÃ'•. (ThomaÃ'• , 2003, 10)The hiÃ'•tory of accounting iÃ'• aÃ'• old aÃ'• civilization, key to important phaÃ'•eÃ'• of hiÃ'•tory, among the moÃ'•t important profeÃ'•Ã'•ionÃ'• in economicÃ'• and buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'•, and faÃ'•cinating. AccountantÃ'• participated in the development of citieÃ'•, trade, and the conceptÃ'• of wealth and numberÃ'•. AccountantÃ'• invented writing, participated in the development of money and banking, invented double entry bookkeeping that fueled the Italian RenaiÃ'•Ã'•ance, Ã'•aved many InduÃ'•trial Revolution inventorÃ'• and entrepreneurÃ'• from bankruptcy, helped develop the confidence in capital marketÃ'• neceÃ'•Ã'•ary for weÃ'•tern capitaliÃ'•m, and are central to the information revolution... Big buine required capital market that depended on accurate and ueful information. Thi wa upplied by the expanding accounting profeion. Today, a global real-time integrated information ytem i a near reality, uggeting new accounting paradigm. Undertanding hitory i needed to develop the linkage to predict thi future. The firt prerequiite i that accounting hould agree or conform with the baic truth according to which our economic ytem function; the current economic and buine practice and the applicable law a embodied in legilative regulation or common law. Conequently, it i important that uniformity i maintained in accounting practice; in other word, a pecific et of circumtance, wherever it may be encountered mut be dealt with by everyone in exactly the ame way within the accounting proce. Accounting theory create a framework that enure that accounting practice complie with the requirement of conformity and uniformity. Thi theory i embodied in a et of principle, policie, method, procedure and convention. The continuouly increaing cope and complexity of our economic ytem require a correponding proce of adaptation in accounting in order that the relevant information regarding economic activitie may be recorded. It i eential that everyone involved in accounting hould undertand thi proce of adaptation; moreover, a prerequiite for uch undertanding i a grap of not only the theory of accounting, but alo the tructure of that theory. (Thoma , 2003, 10) Accounting theory i baed on a et of baic economic truth that are of a dual nature. Firt, accounting theory i baed on propoition generally accepted in the economic order of a particular ociety. For example, conider the

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICAL Dissertation

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICAL OUTCOMES IN POST SECONDARY ACCELERATED ADULT EDUCATION STUDIES - Dissertation Example The presence of high attrition within these institutions that offer adult education along with the pressures of accountability are also very high (Hubble, 2000). Previous research shows that most of the adults who withdraw usually do so when they have accomplished their goals or when they want to join other programs that would suit them more. They also indicate that most of the adults who drop out of school usually return when their situations are altered creating a cycle where they drop out and return severally (Skilton-Sylvester, 2002). The process of utilizing class or lecture attendances as the major measurement of persistence actually undervalues other effective activities in learning that should otherwise be encouraged. This includes learning activities like personal studies along with distance learning (Ziegler, Bain, Bell & Brian, 2003). According to Comings (2008), persistence is the period that adults stay in education programs while engaging in personalized studies when fo rced by circumstances to withdraw from attending classes or lecture lessons. He additionally stated that the adult students should return to attending the lectures when their lives demand so. Previous surveys carried out on adult students in the United States indicate that, the adults who have previously been involved in vocational trainings, self-studies and other forms of education were more likely to have academic persistence than those who had not (Rudy, 2003). They also indicate that adult students who have specific needs are more likely to persist than adults attending these institutions but with no specific goals. The institutions proving adult education programs should provide more learning options such as distance learning to those adult students who are no longer willing to join classes or attend lectures (Hubble, 2000). Adults can be engaged in better understanding while managing the forces that advance or affect their learning activities through perspective that is learn er centered so as to effectively support their persistence (Ziegler & Durant, 2007). There are several factors that have been identified as affecting the adult students’ academic persistence. These factors have been identified as ranging from different situations, institutions, dispositions, demographic factors along with emotional or relational forces (Ziegler, Bain, Bell & Brian, 2003). The situational problems that affect an adults persistence in education include problems associated with their employments, finances, the support of their children, families, transport and health issues along with abuses from their fellow learning mates (Reder & Strawn, 2001). The institutional forces that hinder the adults from persisting in education programs include the level or contents of the program, its location and attendance or reentry guidelines that are utilized in the institution (Hubble, 2000). On the other hand, the adult students may be prevented from excelling in their chosen fields by the attitudes they have developed towards the studies, their self-efficacies, resilience’s along with failure attributions (Long, 2001). Finally, the adult student’s academic persistence may be affected by demographic and emotionally related forces. The demographic forces include age, sex and their diverse cultures whereas the emotional forces include the community support they are accorded, encouragements along with the care

Chocolate Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Chocolate Research Paper Essay Chocolate is a key ingredient in many foods such as milk shakes, candy bars, cookies and cereals. It is ranked as one of the most favourite flavours in North America and Europe. Despite its popularity most people do not know the unique origin of this popular treat. Chocolate is a product that requires complex procedures to produce. The process involves harvesting cocoa, refining coca to cocoa beans, and shipping the cocoa beans to the manufacturing factory for cleaning, coaching and grinding. These cocoa beans will then be imported or exported to other countries and be transformed into different types of chocolate products. Cocoa beans grow in countries like Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Malaysia, but the highest cocoa producing country is Cote dIvoire. The production process of cocoa beans include: first, cocoa is harvested manually. The seed pods of cocoa are collected and the beans are selected and placed in piles. These cocoa beans are then ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for production. Cocoa grows in pods that sprout off the trunks and branches of cocoa trees. The pods have the shape and almost the size of football. The pods start out green and turn orange when they are ripe. When the pods are ripe they are harvested gently with machetes. Machines can damage the trees or the clusters of flowers and pods that grow on the trunk, so workers have to harvest the pods by hand, using short, hooked blades mounted on long poles to reach the highest fruit. The cocoa seeds then undergo a process of fermentation by placing them in large, shallow, heated trays or by covering them with large banana leaves. If the climate is right, they may be simply heated by the sun. Workers mostly women come along periodically and stir them up so that all of the beans come out equally fermented. This process may take up to five or eight days. After fermentation, the cocoa seeds are dried before they can be scooped into sacks and shipped to chocolate manufacturers. Farmers simply spread the fermented seeds on trays and leave them in the sun to dry. The drying process usually takes about a week and results in seeds becoming reduced to about half of their original weight. During the production process, labor is not equally divided between men and women who work in the planation; this brings us to the issue of gender division. The gender divide that exists on the cocoa plantation is that most farm work is conducted by men, although most certainly there are tasks where women are very active, such as scooping the beans from the already opened husks, turning the beans during the fermentation and drying process, and sewing the jute sacs needed for the packaging of the dried beans. Women in the farms normally tend to the needs of the family. When female labor is hired during the harvesting time the wages given to them are not the same as those for men. Perhaps another reason why men are preferred is because of their assumed higher productivity rate compared to that of women. Due to different practices followed in individual regions, even within countries, the participation of women and their assigned tasks vary enormously. For instance, because of the popular method of sun drying cocoa beans in Ecuador, it is necessary to â€Å"clean† the beans. This job is mostly undertaken by women. This is not the case in Ghana or Brazil where sun drying is accomplished while protecting the beans from foreign matters and waste. It is interesting to note however that there is no specific pattern for the assignment of tasks to women, except during the harvest when the scooping of the beans from the opened pods is primarily performed by women in most cocoa producing countries. Given the great differences in the systems of production in producing countries it is difficult to find a common percentage that reflects the average participation of the female work force. It is worth mentioning that unlike the coffee agricultural sector, there are no associations or specific groups that house ‘women only’ involved in the cocoa sector at any level, although all associations and cooperatives are open to all who qualify. Due to fluctuation of cocoa prices in the world market, farmers have no long-term security, and in some situations, they do not have enough funds to support their farming business. Cocoa farmers are always faced with financial hardship; they are not able to provide for their families as they would want nor have enough funds to start up their own farming business because they only receive a fraction of the proceeds from the selling of the beans on the world market and there are many people in the trading chain. Cocoa farmers around the world face many challenges. It is estimated that about one-third of global cocoa crops are destroyed by pests and diseases every year. Many cocoa farmers have limited access to the latest agricultural technologies or methods of cultivation and few of them have business backgrounds to help them effectively market their products and manage their operations. Many of the farming communities live in poverty and are infected with diseases. Industry groups, governments and consumers worldwide have raised concerns about the use of pesticides and child labor on West African cocoa farms. An interview conducted by Christophe Koffi showed that one major problem that women in cocoa production encounter is the lack the of financial capability or backing due to the fact that most of these women find themselves in a male dominated occupation. It is very difficult for them to secure financial aid or loans to manage their farms. For instance, â€Å"Women cannot inherit or even create a cocoa plantation under our patriarch-dominated tradition,† said Vanie, criticising what she called a â€Å"backwards and misogynist† practice† (Koffi, 2008) because we still live in a patriarchal dominated society where women do not have the right to own lands and properties. This paper further talks about the sustanability in the production process of cocoa. We will be looking at Lindt Sprungli’s which is a family company and a major producer of chocolate and other cocoa products with a headquaters in Kilchberg, Switzerland. Lindt Sprungli is one of the few chocolate makers that have complete control over every step of the production chain starting with the precise selection of the finest cocoa varieties from the best growing areas in the world right on through the careful and expert processing until ending with the elegant packaging. Lindt gets its cocoa beans mostly from Ghana and Central and South America. Lindt has been very conservative in the amount of energy its invests in the chocolate production process. Each existing and future facility and investment undergoes very detailed analysis to determine how much energy can be saved. Through better insulation and energy recovery, Lindt Sprungli was able to cut down on energy consumption by more than 13% per ton produced between 2004 and 2010. The company intends to continue reducing the energy consumption rate per ton produced by an average over the coming years. According to the Lindt publication, The company’s efforts: since 1999, Lindt Sprungli’s Swiss subsidiary, Chocoladefabriken Lindt Sprungli (Schweiz) AG, has been an active member of the Lake Zurich Energy Model Group†¦The Swiss government and independent engineers have audited the progress and as a result, the Swiss subsidiary has been granted the official certificate. (Kilchberg, 2012) Since 2007, Lindt Sprungli under water conservation has been participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)†¦Since then, the measurements of water emissions and energy consumption have been largely based on the concept of the ‘Methodology Fossil Fuels’ set out in the CDP Protocol†¦Waste water, Lindt Sprungli continuously monitors and analyses the use of water and the output of wastewater in the production process and intends to further reduce the use of fresh water in this process, which, in turn will impact the output of wastewater (Kilchberg, 2012). The major people that benefit from cocoa production are mostly the big corporations. The corporations exploit cocoa farmers in the sense that they do not pay them the true worth of their labour. Women who work on the farms are underpaid and marginalized. There is also the issue of child labor where children of school going age are forced to work on the farms instead of going to school thereby denying them the right to education. The big corporations are not forth coming in releasing information as to how and where they get their cocoa beans from. Most of these African countries where these big corporations get their raw materials from do not have access to good roads, health care facilities, schools, electricity, and there is poverty in most of the communities. These big corporations buy the cocoa beans at a very cheap rate and then import them to the western society and the refined product is processed into different kinds of chocolates (e. g. chocolate drink, chocolate bars of different shapes and sizes and chocolate candies etc. ) . Which are sold consumers at exorbitant prices considering the price at which the cocoa beans are bought from the cocoa farmers. This explains how capitalism and big corporation exploit cheap labour. Almost everyone enjoys a bit of chocolate every now and again. But if you take a closer look at how cocoa is produced, it may well leave a bitter taste in your mouth. The conditions under which the cocoa farmers in many producer countries live and work are worrying: Despite the fact that cocoa is usually their main source of income, the families struggle to make a living from it. Child labour is not uncommon. As consumers we can work with NGOs to find means of helping the farmers to adapt to new systems of cocoa farming that result higher yields, under socially more acceptable and environmentally friendly conditions, to meet market demands and hence ensure a stable flow income. As a major part of the global cocoa industry which has remained inactive and invisible for so long, consumers of chocolate can demonstrate that they want slavery in the cocoa sector stamped out, and your pressure can highlight their lack of commitment and make them more accountable. Finally all cocoa products, including chocolate, run the risk of being tainted by child labour and slavery. To achieve a satisfactory standard of ethical production in chocolate consumers must help to ensure that companies commit to credible and sufficient actions against such things as use of child labour and the exploitation of cocoa farmers and not make false and unsustainable promises to consumers of being â€Å"slavery- free†. The consumers can liaise with government bodies and NGOs to negotiate fair prices for the purchase of cocoa products and this will in turn help the farmers to gain access to basic social amenities of life. Reference Page Archer, D. (2012). ADM’s commitment to sustainable cocoa. Milwaukee: Copyright 2012 Archer Daniels Midland Company . Clarkson, T. (1998). Anti-slavery. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from www. antislavery. org: http://www. antislavery. org/english/privacy_policy. aspx Kilchberg. (2012, April 22). The environment in the Production Process. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from www. Lindt. com: http://www. lindt. com/swf/eng/company/social-responsibility/lindts-sustainable-cocoa-supply-chain/ Koffi, C. (2008, November 7). Ivory Coast women defy taboos. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from iol News: http://www. iol. co. za/news/africa/ivory-coast-women-defy-taboos-1. 423405.

Understand the background to organizational strategic change

Understand the background to organizational strategic change LO 1 Understand the background to organisational strategic change I. John P Kotters eight steps to successful change; Harvard-Professor Kotter, studying the process of organizational change for over three decades. While any change can be successfully implemented or otherwise be a failure. Kotter worked out an 8-step model. The first four steps here focus on de-freezing the organization; the next three make the change happen; and the last step re-freezes the organization with a new culture (Leading Change by John P. Kotter). The change management guru also mentions that when someone people need to make big changes significantly and effectively, he says that this goes best if the 8 steps happen in order. They have been summarised as below: Create Urgency One needs to create and imbibe an increased sense of urgency. This motivates people to make a move, make real and relevant objectives. Form Team A strong and able guiding team needs to be built. Remembering to get the right people in place for the right job as commitment, and various levels of skill sets need to be matched. Create Vision The team establishes a vision and strategy required to deliver quality service and efficiency. Communicate Vision Involve as many people as possible, communicate the essentials, simply, and to appeal and respond to peoples needs. As the vision competes with various day to day organizational tasks one needs to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and embed it within everything. One should also lead by example. Remove Obstacles At this stage one has to put in place a structure for imminent change. Empower leaders removing any hierarchical obstacles, enabling healthy feedback and enough support from all stakeholders. Create short-term wins Create and set short-term targets that are easy to achieve. Manage the number of initiatives and finish running stages before starting new ones. Consolidate Improvements Consolidate and encourage determination and persistence for ongoing change. Highlight achievements; reward progress; and set future goals. Instil new projects and themes. Make it Culture One has to weave change into the corporate culture. Reinforce and institutionalise the value of successful change via recruitment, promotion. At this step one has to create plans to replace key leaders of change as they move on. This will help ensure that their legacy is not lost or forgotten. It has been accepted the world over that change is inevitable. A change can be small restricted to a single or more processes, or even for that matter a system-wide change. Under Kotters theory create a sense of urgency, recruit powerful change leaders, build a vision and effectively communicate it, remove obstacles, create quick wins, and build on your momentum. Such a documented and methodical process can help make the change part of ones organizational culture. II. McKinseys 7S (strategy) framework; Two consultants working at consulting firm McKinsey, in the early 1980s, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman developed this model. It says that, in order to ensure that all parts of the organization work as a single unit, there are seven internal aspects. (Ethan M. Rasiel, Paul N. Friga The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem-Solving Tools and Management Techniques.) The seven independent factors could be categorized as Hard Elements: Strategy, Structure and Systems; these are relatively easy to identify. Soft Elements are Shared Values, Style, Staff and Skills, which are more difficult to identify and influence. These are less tangible and more of the cultural aspect.(In Search of Excellence) Shared values: This interconnecting centre of the model mentions the central beliefs and attitudes of the organization. Strategy: Plans for resource allocation to attain identified goals. Need to look at factors like environment, competition and customers. Structure: The way the firms units relate to each other: centralized or decentralized, matrix, network, holding, etc. System: The procedures, processes and routines that say how to perform day to day work: financial systems, hiring performance appraisal; information systems. Staff: Numbers and the type of personnel required for the organization. Style: Cultural style of the business leaders. Skill: Skill sets and capabilities of the firms personnel as a whole. These can be applied to a team or a project. It should be noted that alignment issues do apply, regardless of how the scope is defined. For example this strategy helps to: align processes and departments amidst mergers or acquisitions. improve company performance. determine the best possible way to implement the proposed strategy. scrutinize the likely effects of imminent changes internally. Whatever be the type of change, this model can be used to understand how the organizational machinery is inter-related, ensuring that the broader effect of changes made in one area are considered. The 7S model helps analyze the current situation (Point A), a proposed future situation (Point B) and to identify gaps and inconsistencies between them. Its then a question of adjusting and tuning the elements of the 7S model to ensure that your organization works effectively and well once you reach the desired endpoint. III. Burke-Litwins causal change model; Burke Litwins Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change, enumerates how performance is affected by internal and external factors. Its framework gauges organizational and environmental factors key to bring in a successful change. It also reveals how these factors can be linked causally to achieve a change in performance. Interestingly it incorporates all the variables in the 7S model adding 5 of its own, describing organisational variables and the relationship between them. Each of the variables interact and a change in any one of them can eventually impact others. This helps in understanding how organisations perform, and how they can be changed. The causal model links what could be understood from practice to what is known from research and theory. The model not only discusses how different dimensions link with each other but also discusses how external environment affects the different dimensions in organization. The model focuses on providing a guide for both organizational diagnosis and planned, managed organization change, one that clearly shows cause-and-effect relationships. Understanding assessing the complexity of organizational change Most organizational change is driven by environmental impact Boxes indicate primary variables affecting organizational performance Arrows indicate critical linkages A change in any variable will affect every other variable Higher level variables have greater weight in effecting organizational change (A causal model of organizational performance and change, W. Warner Burke George H. Litwin, Journal of Management, 1992, vol. 18.) The model outlines that, important elements of organisational success, such as mission strategy, leadership organisational culture, are often forced by changes that finds its source outside of the firm. The change manager has to identify these external changes and understand the implications for him/her and the entire team. The model also distinguishes between transformational and transactional organizational dynamics. IV. David Gleichers change formulae Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher created the Formula for Change. It was later refined by Kathie Dannemiller. This formula, like other theories devised to manage change, provides a model to assess the relative strengths affecting the likely success or otherwise of the programs implemented to bring in change. Change = (Dissatisfaction)(Vision)(First Steps) > Resistance C= D x V x F > R Three factors must be present for meaningful organizational change to take place. These factors are: D = Dissatisfaction with how things are now; V = Vision of what is possible (tangible and concrete); F = First, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision; If the product of these three factors is greater than R = Resistance, then only is change possible. If not, the system would be not capable of overcoming the resistance. It is essential to include planned tactical thinking, and authority to create vision and identify those crucial, early steps towards ensuring a successful change. The models applications could be before change or during the process of change. When planning a major change, planning teams see to it that all the three elements are built in. During the change, the formula is used to trouble-shoot people resisting change finding out the reasons to any resistance. Being different from earlier management theories, such as F.W. Taylors scientific management approach, this approach advocates employee involvement in change, and the use of the internal or external consultants to manage reactions to change. In modern organizations, employees are taking cognizance of the bigger role of the management and realizing their own role and involvement in the organizational success. Employers are now showing more trust in them. The two roles are, now, not mutually exclusive. M1. Since the General Election in May 2010, the UK Prime Minister has announced a handful of changes to a number of government tools and systems. One of the most urgent task facing the country is to wriggle out of the record debt situation and attain better financial position. This requires reforms to the structure of government, including ensuring that the government has the best machinery possible to deliver efficiencies. Restructuring the Civil Services departments was one such thing. Context and rationale The Governments rationale was to ensure that its public machinerys running costs are tightly managed, benefits are delivered and that any changes represent value for money. The change has been made in order to support him in carrying out his Ministerial responsibilities. David Gleichers change formulae could be used to push further the need for change. It has been generally accepted that the British public has various levels of (D) dissatisfaction with how things are now and they would like change. The top priority and need for them is change from the present situation. This brought in a change of guard at the highest level of governance. Overview The people in-charge envisioned a plan to usher in the required objectives. Possible (V) vision both tangible and concrete are drawn and the (F) first, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision were implemented. As, in the formula, the product of the above factors is greater than (R) resistance, change was possible. Signs of the new government and the changes brought in are highly visible: departments renamed; websites reset to year zero; and advisers appointed at the order of the coalitions new ministers. The appointment of special advisers to the new cabinet ministers also revealed a subtle shift in the spin operation Camerons government will run. The majority have been taken from the ranks of policy advisors, as opposed to press officers, and some ministers have been told they can only have one special advisor instead of the usual two. Ministers also have a team of civil servant press officers within their departments. Q1.3 Briefly explain any four out of the following strategic intervention techniques in organization change management; I. Autocratic versus participative style In an autocratic style of leadership is one where a single person holds unlimited power or authority. In such a system the team members are not encouraged and cannot put forward their views. They cannot criticize or question the leaders way of getting things done. Owing to a single decision maker, the biggest advantage this style offers is that it leads to speedy decision-making and greater productivity. On the other hand, this form of leadership leads to greater employee absenteeism and turnover. In a participative leadership style, also referred as the democratic style, leaders invite and encourage the team members to play an important role in decision-making process. However, one should note that the ultimate decision-making power is held by the leader. Here employees communicate to the leader their experience and suggestions. Its advantages are that it leads to satisfied and motivated employees. Such a system fosters employee skill development, encouraging creativity. However, in this style a lot of time is consumed and it is most often slow. II. Proactive and reactive, Proactive Strategies are interventions techniques used on an ongoing basis. Such steps on an ongoing basis attempts to reduce the probability of occurrence of a challenging behaviour. They are preventative in nature. Reactive Strategies are interventions which are used only once a problem occurs. They are consequences to the behaviour. It is a damage minimization technique. In positive approaches to change management the emphasis of proactive strategies is encouraged. If one does a good job with the proactive strategies, then reactive steps and policies need not be necessary. Sometimes it fully eliminates the challenges. Techno-structural interventions; Techno-structural interventions purpose is to form appropriate work designs and organizational structures providing strategic support of organizational development (E lawler III, 1974). In this form of intervention, the restructuring of the organization is very important. Here, workload is divided in the overall organization via sub-units for effective task completion (M Tushman, E Romanelli, 1986). Restructuring can be performed on at least five major factors environment, organization size, technology, organization strategy and worldwide operation (Thomas G Cummings; Christopher G Whorley, 2002). Employee involvement and work design are other major components. IV. Human process interventions; In todays corporate world, strong emphasis is being laid on humanistic values. Focus is now turning on helping members to enhance themselves, each other and the ways in which they work together in order to enhance their overall organization. The following human process interventions might be particularly helpful during change projects: many new employees, different cultures working together, many complaints among organizational members, many conflicts, low morale, high turnover, ineffective teams, etc. D1 Managing change is as important as ushering in change itself. Proper diagnosis of desired organizational changes, allows application of such strategic intervention as role playing, team development, survey feedback, process consulting, etc. Adopting strategic intervention methods, modern organizations can build success and advancement within and outside their organization. LO 2 Understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation Q2.1 examine and briefly comment on the need for strategic change in an organisation (P4) Change has become the essence of organizational growth and development. Most change programmes arise from management whims such as culture change, business process re-engineering, and empowerment among others. Another reason for initiating change is competition and the organisations need to reposition it. The following are the some key reasons that initiate the need for change in an organization. They are forced, telling, participatory, or transformational changes. By identifying the root cause, you can determine which mode of change you are actually dealing with in your business. Situations that require a mode of change can be financial, technological, economic, environmental or human focused. The time between the change and the realization of the results of that change is what William Bridges termed as the â€Å"neutral-zone† (Managing Transitions, W. Bridges). Most initiatives are given up because organizations do not see the gap for what it is; the transition between the old world and the new Q2.2 Outline the forces that are impacting on an organisation and driving the need for change (P5). And critically analyse the current position of an organization of your choice and assess the factors in the organisation that are driving the need for change. (M2) As discussed in the question above, situations that require a mode of change can be anything. Factors could be financial, technological, economic, environmental or human focused. The change may be driven from internal or external circumstances such as a new competitive advantage or threat, economic considerations, advancing technology, management restructuring or ownership change, customer dissatisfaction, vendor disruption, or loss of key personnel just to name a few. The figure below shows the contextual features and design choices for a change process undertaken by Glaxo Pharmaceuticals in 1988, prior to its merger with Wellcome in the early 1990s. (Balogun and Hope Hailey) Glaxo was undertaking a proactive change initiative with time on its side. The initial scope was only realignment, as the aim was to generate readiness in its complacent sales division for the transformational changes that were to come to match the changing customer requirements of the National Health Service and the reduced income that would result from one of Glaxos major drugs coming off-patent in the mid-1990s. Interestingly Glaxos balance sheet was heavy, and had the capacity to invest in the change process. However, it wanted to ensure that the change process did not antagonise its sales force and cause them to leave and join competitors. The timescales and the two phases of the scope allowed it to follow a path of reconstruction to generate the required levels of readiness, followed by a longer term evolution. Its capacity and time enabled it to invest in participative personal development initiatives and other symbolic interventions as part of the reconstruction, which would have been out of reach for a less profitable organisation. Q.2.3 If strategic change is important, why do some people find it difficult to accept and what are the consequences of this on the resources of the organisation and on the change process. (P6) As change can be for the proverbial good or bad for an organisation, there are more often than not resistance to the change process. Resistance could come from the following factors: A lack of awareness about the change Low tolerance to change Comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown. Conflict over the need for change Misunderstanding Parochial self interest Fear of failure. Loss of status and/or job security. Peer pressure. Disruption of cultural traditions and/or group relationships. Change is also resisted because of the poor way in which change is managed. Although most people feel comfortable with minor changes, it is not easy for people to live and work by yesterdays reality. While a degree of resistance is acceptable, it could lead to Disruption, Stress, Project delays, Missed objectives, Decline in production, Absenteeism, Loss of valued employees, and The ultimate failure of the whole process of implementing change or even the whole organization. LO 3 Be able to lead stakeholders in developing a strategy for change Q3.1 Briefly explain how to involve stakeholders in the planning of change (P7). Use an organization of your choice to demonstrate it is workable in the selected organization. (D2) It is important to consider and understand that people and all stakeholders would be personally be affected by the change process. On a broader scale change requires that â€Å"people do something they have not done before† (Galvin 2003). People are generally the most critical resource, supporter, barrier and risk when managing change. At the onset of the change being conceptualised, the articulation of vision cannot be done exclusively and has to take all parties involved in the process. It is essential that at this stage one involves all of those who will have a stake in the achieving the vision. Strategic plan development requires consideration and articulation of values and priorities; the plan should reflect views expressed by all those involved in the process. Q3.2 List and identify the different strategies that are available in the process of change management in an organization of your choice that would involve ‘stakeholders of such organisation. (P8) For the organizational change exercise to succeed, the management team has to depend on an assortment of people at various stages of the organization. They can be divided into five groups. (Managing Change in the Workplace (2nd Edition) Stakeholders at various Stages Description Examples Change recipients Intended receivers of change or change outcomes End-users of new software Employees of merged companies Decision makers People who approve a change exercise and decide its scope and direction Steering Committee Members Project Sponsor Chief Executive Officer Resource holders People empowered to release financial and human resources required by a change effort Chief Financial Officer Financial institution such as a bank Line Manager Program implementers People charged with the responsibility for bringing about the change Program Manager Project Manager Project Team Members External parties People that are not the intended recipients but who are impacted by the change suppliers whose access to a business is restricted after a change in business hours broader community impacted adversely by a new product that contaminates the local environment Once you have identified your stakeholders at each stage, consider the key messages you will need to deliver to each group in order to gain their support. 3.3 Evaluate ‘six step stakeholders circle as an effective system used to involve stakeholders in the development of a change strategy (P9). You need to evaluate the process, taking account of anything that worked well and anything that did not work well or could have worked better in an organisation of your choice. (D3) The concept of ‘Stakeholder Circle is a registered trademark of the Mosaic Project Services Pty Ltd, Australia. The following are considered when positioning a stakeholder within the circle The radical depth of each stakeholders segment represents the power of that stakeholder. Each stakeholders degree of influence is represented by the width of their segment, the wider the segment, the greater the influence. The proximity of a stakeholder to the project is represented by how close their segment is to the project in the centre. The outcome of the visualisation above is to facilitate decisions on where the project team need to concentrate on their stakeholder management effort. This is based on the understanding of each element like key and relevant stakeholders. After such a careful study can one make a stakeholder-centric planning process be started. 3.4 Using the same organisation in 3.3. Create a strategy for managing possible resistance to change that is appropriate to the selected organization (P10). You need to address the issues and provide a workable approach to overcoming the resistance. (M3) LO 4 Be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change Q4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 briefed below By looking at change as a process with distinct stages, the change management team needs to prepare itself for what to expect at each stage and make subsequent set of plans. In such a method it becomes easier to manage transition, rather than being caught unawares. Understanding the why the change needs to place, is one of the foremost in any successful change process. Lewin said that, â€Å"Motivation for change must be generated before change can occur. One must be helped to re-examine many cherished assumptions about oneself and ones relations to others.† This is the unfreezing stage from which change begins. After the initiation in the first stage, the change stage is where people begin to make up their mind and are coaxed to look for alternative behaviours. Ideally team members begin to believe and act in ways that support the new direction. The final stage is all about stability. In the stage before this changes have been made and established. At this level changes are accepted and they replace the previous norm and become the new model. Team members shape new relationships and become comfortable with their routines. This can take time. UK retailer, Marks Spencer (MS), found its way into trouble in late 1990s and it subsequently tried to put in place programme of change. It explored issues concerning to the organisational culture, strategic drift, strategic choice and the management of change. The Unfreeze stage: One of the biggest and foremost needs for change came from the customers front. The management and staffs attitude at MS were now being termed as ‘rude and arrogant by some analysts. This was owing to MS stellar performance and the distant competition. This way of doing things, had to be changed as its growth trajectory was taking a slight southward path. This was extremely difficult to change. The internal workings of at the retailer, which were mainly run by family members at the helm of affairs, had also become highly deferential, male oriented, with considerable bureaucracy. Amid this, the market began to see the tides of changes. More and more customers began to value higher levels of service, and were seeking novelty and difference. Competition was picking up too and the quality of service and range of products being offered started to take a toll on sales for the market leader. The Change stage: Luc Vandevelde, Chairman and Chief Executive, gathered info and talked to all stakeholders. It set up an executive team in place and began a strategic review which was rigorous and all inclusive and was radical. The change management team kept all people informed and took feedback from every important person who had something to offer. The Refreeze Stage: The change leader in the form of Vandevelde chalked out some successful strategies like A rebrand and update of the corporate image thus avoiding the confusing ‘Marks Spencer and ‘St Michael symbols. A restructuring of the supply chain where stores were stocked based on demographic patterns. stressed the importance of restoring confidence to MS ‘core customers