Trust And Politics Essays - Social Psychology, Reputation Management

Trust And Politics Lack of trust is a reoccurring theme through out the three cases. One might ask, why you need trust in any civil society? Lack of trust in a civil society has the society with no real stability. Trust in authority is lacking in each case. The approval rating for Bill Clinton is high. Does this mean that most Americans trust Bill Cliton? Most polls would tell that trust is a serious issue. So, what is the consequences of Americans not having trust in there president? It can't be to bad because the economy is doing great and the budget and finally balanced. Most Americans are happy so what is the problem? The lack of trust is a direct correlation with weak and/or illegitimate authority. Trust with our president has always been a sensitive issue. Richard Nixion broke that trust with the country and sealed the fate for himself and his party for a short term. No one really understood why Nixon had ordered the break in of the democratic offices in the first place. What made matters worse is Nixion never came out and admitted his mistake even when the evidence was overwhelming. Clinton's case has some similarities to it. While he finally did come out and admit what he had done he showed little remorse and accusations still remain about a cover up. The lack of trust in a political position in this country tends to the norm. It is created and redefined every day in Washington with a political figure. This creates an image and a strong stereotype for all political figures. This in turn hurts all of our civil society. Without the trust then how do you have the legitimate authority to lead the country. Most would say that Clinton's leadership really is not the question but his judgment is. To me, that is a contradiction and that poor judgment leads to poor leadership. His poor judgment leads to his ethics and morals that he has. People with weak family values will have a hard time trusting Cliton with just recognition of their own problems. The lack of trust is not just with Cliton in the impeachment arguments. All of the political system seems to be lacking credibility. How mush faith do people have that their representative will represent their opinion and not act in the best interest of their party? Who in all this has the best interest in the country? If Congress does not represent the majority and decides on the rational of what party they are in then it is a illegitimate use of authority. Cananada's theme in the early part of the book was an issue with trust. In such a community, trust was not apparent and was earned. The lack of trust went further then authority. In his neighborhood trust was earned the hard way by a serious of tests. The policy matrix in that community dictates that trust when earned is essential for survival. Trust within sub cultures of the society also lead to survival. Even with individual families trust was earned. Geoffrey Canada's mother sent his bothers out to retrieve a jacket to prove that the family could trust in each other in adversity. Federal mandates dictated massive efforts to extent efforts to improve the equality of the educational opportunity. A lack of trust was apparent in Hamiltion High in the 60's and 70's. This was in part do to the end of segregation of schools. At such a great time of transition there were so many outside influences trying to control the policy matrix. Most notable was the federal government mandating the segregation. The lack of shared values during the transition played a crucial role in the process. The civil rights was suppose to be a trickle down effect from the federal government. The problem there is that not all respected government officials believed in equality for education. Conflict arose and with it side were drawn. Ho could the government decide on what a "moral education" is when such confusion existed on what morals were for many political figures. The lack of shared values weighed heavily with trust of many just to provide a safe educational environment. The lack of values can be an argument traced back to the Clinton's scandal. Who is to say that Clinton himself did not help dictate what many people believe is a society that is severely lacking values. To many, he began this process early when he answered what kind of undergarment he wore or when he

Essay on glengarry and good faith part 2

Essay on glengarry and good faith part 2 Essay on glengarry and good faith part 2 Essay on glengarry and good faith part 2Essay on glengarry and good faith part  1Just like the case of Marcus, they do not think of consequences of their criminal actions. They do not care about the company which they can ruin by such crime. What they do care is their personal well-being, wealth and success.However, the film makes the audience think of true motives which drive people to launch the pursuit of wealth. Moss is apparently ready to steal shares to become wealthy, while Levene has a different motivation since he wants to save his daughter and commits the crime as the way to earn money for the treatment of his daughter. In this regard, the action of Levene does not look absolutely immoral, even though it is definitely a crime from the legal standpoint. However, the motive of Levene is justifiable from the ethical standpoint since the salvation of his daughter was a reasonable pretext for committing the crime.Moreover, Levene turns out to be forcefully involved into the cr ime by Ross, who schemed the crime and elaborated the plan. More important, it was Ross, who forced Levene to commit the crime. In such a situation, the ending of the film gives implications that business is very complicated and no one can foresee what can happen next. For instance, Levene has got the offer from Roma to become his business partner, but as Levene has committed the crime he will definitely lose its opportunity. Such ending is probably the attempt of the director of the film to show that any crime leads to the punishment of the offender. However, such ending also gives implications to the injustice and evil nature of business. To put it more precisely, the main character, Levene is apparently ready to do everything to succeed but business turns out to be too cruel for him and he cannot find the right way to success.At the same time, the film shows that people are pursuing wealth as the main purpose of their life since wealth brings everything. For instance, Ross and ot her salesmen are looking for any opportunity to become wealthier than they are at the moment. Even Levene views the wealth as the way to save his daughter suffering from a serious illness. In other words, the wealth is the main purpose of their life because they believe they can buy everything they want, if they have money.However, such worldview contradicts to many ethical theories, which tend to prioritize the morality over material benefits. In this regard, the film as well as the book shows the loss of spirituality. Joe, who grew up in a very religious family, where parents discussed salvation every day along with the price of tomatoes (Smiley, 59), cannot find his way to success because his spirituality and moral values raise unsurpassable barriers on his way to the successful business development because business has nothing to do with morality, ethics and spirituality. Similarly, the film depicts the main characters, who are absolutely deprived of spirituality. They have no m oral values and norms that will guide them throughout their lives. Instead, they focus on ripping off all the money they can, even if they deceive or even steal money from other people.The total loss of spirituality becomes the mainstream trend in the contemporary society and the book and film uncover this trend to the full extent. In such a way, they show that people become enslaved by their desire to become wealthy, whereas the wealth itself is worth nothing. At any rate, the main characters of the book and film view their business as the main point of their life, while there are issues which they cannot buy. For instance, the daughter of Levene is ill and he cannot buy health for his daughter. The problem is not the shortage of money but the problem is the lack of health and related problems his daughter has. However, he believes sincerely that money can solve all his problems.Furthermore, characters of the film and book have no other priorities in their life but their business. Even Joe, who grew up in the religious family, has lost his spirituality and he views believes of his parents ironically and he feels contempt to those beliefs of his parents. At the same time, his spirituality is probably not totally lost as is the case of Marcus because he is not ready to deceive his business partners so far.At the same time, it is worth mentioning the fact that the film and book uncover the degradation of morals of the contemporary society, where everything is for sale. The business brings people money but leads to the moral degradation. For instance, Marcus brings considerable changes to the community since he is the first person, who is absolutely free of any morals norms and values and he is ready to commit any act, including crime, if it makes him richer. Remarkably, community members learn fast to ignore any moral norms and values. The community steadily slips to adultery, disrespect to each other, offenses and the total loss of spirituality. Marcus changes the worldview of people in the community making them believe that they can make money from everything.The similar trend can be traced in the film, where the main characters are degenerates, who view deception as a norm and, more important, they have made deception, scheming and abuse of moral norms an integral part of their life. They are just like Marcus ready to commit any crime, if it makes them richer. As a result, they eventually do commit the crime just like Marcus. In such a context, it is possible to trace the clear ties between crimes and desire of people to become wealthy. In their ultimate manifestations, those efforts to become wealthy end up in either the crime or disaster. Since offenders depicted in the film and the movie steal money from their business partners, while their business partners suffer from financial losses and face a risk of bankruptcy. In such a situation, the film gives a hop that the crime will be investigated and offenders will be punished but the d irector leaves the denouement in suspense intentionally to make the audience think whether there will be any punishment at all or, probably, the criminals will use one of their immoral schemes to avoid the punishment. For instance, Levene has already tried to bribe Williamson twice. Therefore, he probably can try bribing the authorities to avoid the just punishment for his crime.In such a way, people turn out to be slaves of money and wealth but the main characters depicted in the book and film are apparently unhappy. The film and book show that the wealth does not make people happier. On the contrary, their anxiety grows stronger the richer they become. The main problem of the main characters of the book and the film is the deep-rooted belief that money can buy everything but this idea is intrinsically wrong and violates basic ethical norms. The pursuit of wealth dehumanizes people and they violate basic ethical norms. They fail to understand that there are things that are much mor e important than money, like health, family, happiness and others.Furthermore, the main characters of the book and film are conformists since they try to adapt to circumstances instead of changing them. They are looking for the easiest to resolve their problem, as was the case of Levene, who tried to talk to Williamson to persuade him not to fire him. Also Marcus prefers to steal money, when he has them at hand and when he sees the option to take the money and get away fast remaining unpunished for his crime. In such a way, the main characters of the book and film do not even think of changing their life or their environment. For instance, real estate salesmen in Glengarry Glen Ross do not even try to change their performance. Instead, they look for other options to stay in the company or in business. For instance, even Roma, who holds the leading position in the team, prefers to launch a new business to stay in business rather than trying to dissuade Williamson from changing the po licy of the company. The salesmen are not ready to change the way they work and they will apparently keep deceiving their customers to earn more money.Thus, the film Glengarry Glen Ross and the book Good Faith depict the moral degradation of the main characters under the impact of the dominant culture oriented on the pursuit of wealth. The film and book reveal the destructive impact of the pursuit of wealth on the morality of people. In fact, business has the dehumanizing effect on the main characters since the most successful characters are the least moral ones.

Analysis Of Lolitas Enslavement To Humbert English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Lolitas Enslavement To Humbert English Literature Essay Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita depicts the relationship between a young girl and a much older3333 man. Humbert Humbert is in his late thirties and forties throughout the book and he talks the reader through how this relationship with Lolita made him feel and how it progressed as she got older and they moved around becoming closer as the months went on. Humbert Humbert narrates the entire book and he expresses to us how Lolita was in his words, but we never hear how it was for her, her side of the story, and how she felt in reality and not just how Humber Humbert thought she felt and was. It can be seen as how he wanted to ensure the reader believed him, about how he didn’t approve himself of the relationship he had and longed for with Lolita. It also however, makes the reader wonder was Lolita in one sense a slave to Humbert in that she was trapped as his daughter and lover because she had nobody else, the novel only gives Humbert’s point of view so there is no thing saying he isn’t making up Lolita’s personality to make himself look better to the reader. Humbert Humbert begins the book with a short chapter one his love for Lolita. He claims that his love for Lolita was only so strong because he had once loved a young girl before her for one summer, Annabel. He initially comes to meet Lolita when in chapter ten he moves to New England, to the house if Mrs Haze, 342 lawn street as she extended an invitation to him when he was stuck unsure of where he’d b going   [ 1 ]   . He sees Lolita for the first time in the garden and he describes her as if she was the young girl from his past, Annabel, and in doing this he seems to of immediately fallen for Lolita. Seeing Lolita was so much like Annabel, Humbert decides to accept Mrs. Haze’s invitation to stay on at the house. As the novel progresses we learn hoe Humbert’s ‘fondness’ for Lolita grew. He describes how he used to look at her and watch her sometimes. The reader quickly learns how fascinated he was becoming with Lolita, he would go into her bedroom from time to time and touch her things to be near her, â€Å"My heart seemed everywhere at once. Never in my life – not even when fondling my child – love in France – never†Ã‚   [ 2 ]   . Lolita it seems had no idea as to what Humbert was doing. It is during this part of the book that Humber first kisses Lolita, it was just on her eyelid but to him this created agony, when describing it in the book Humbert says â€Å"never have I experienced such agony†Ã‚   [ 3 ]   . Humbert becomes increasingly close to Lolita and her mother, mainly so he can continue being around the â€Å"hot little haze†. Even though he continually tries to justify his actions the reader still has no reason to trust him because he clearly tells of his deceit and the feelings he should not be having. After Lolita leaves for camp, Humbert and Charlotte Haze get engaged, this is purely from Humbert’s point of view just another way to stay in the house without question. However while Lolita is still at camp her mother gets run over by a car swerving from a dog and she is killed. Humbert now has to go and get Lolita from camp and tell her about her mother. They go to stay in a hotel and on the way she kisses him and again in the hotel. Humbert realises he still loves her and thought of being a good father figure leaves him. Also in the novel, towards the end or Part One, Humbert and Lolita’s relationship turns clearly sexual and it makes the reader question him, and whether we can trust how he describes the affair and how he says the Lolita seduced him in the hotel and not the other way around. Could Lolita of been too young to understand what was going on, the initial advance she makes on Humbert while she was so young is also questionable, Humbert was the only one she had at this point in her life, Humbert himself says ho w it was probably nothing huge for her, just exploring and living her adolescent life. And as Simone de Beauvoir says â€Å"She is already free of her childish past, and the present seems but a time of transition; it contains no valid aims, only occupations†Ã‚   [ 4 ]   .He also tells her at the end of Part One the truth about her mother and this upsets Lolita, drawing her closer and closer to Humbert, â€Å"in the middle of the night she came sobbing into mine, and we made it up very gently. You see, she had absolutely nowhere else to go†Ã‚   [ 5 ]   .

Study skils (multimedia technology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Study skils (multimedia technology) - Essay Example Television is a highly accessible media for public consumption, reaching millions of viewers in the UK alone. Producers of television programmes, and in particularly of commercial advertisements, must be highly aware of the potential for the distortion of their messages in order to most efficaciously counter the distortive effects. They do so by making use of visual and auditory queues in many cases, which guide viewers toward the intended understanding. These queues may be derived by research into current social trends, psychological research, or other evolved responses. Advertisers frequently make use of more subtle queues, with the intent of changing public opinion in favour of their particular products or services. Several techniques are utilised by the producers of television programming and advertisements. Musical queues are ubiquitous, as it has been well established that particular musical queues will inspire particular feelings or thoughts in the individual listening. In con junction with imagery, musical choices can have a profound impact on the way that individuals decode the information being presented. Imagery is carefully constructed by the producers of television as well. ... Advertisers are particularly skilled in the use of subtle imagery, designed to engage the emotions of an audience while bypassing their higher cognitive functions. We know, for example, that we do not actually need many items presented in advertisements to survive or thrive, but shrewd advertisers inspire us, on an emotional level, to accept the notion that our happiness or well-being are somehow linked to the product or service presented. Our higher thought processes are largely circumvented by the imagery and musical queues presented to us, so that we end up feeling that we have some personal investment in procurement of the services or products being sold. Producers of television programmes similarly inject particular messaging into their programming, dependant upon the desired effect in the viewer. The portrayal of minority individuals in accordance with stereotypes in order to generate either sympathy or antipathy toward members of that group. While this is established within th e context of the particular programme, these feelings frequently translate to real life, especially when the same images and ideas are portrayed frequently and in different

Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature review - Essay Example Students are usually afraid of having not enough time to prepare for the exams or to complete their tasks in time. The root of evil here is not in a lack of knowledge, but very often it is inability to organize their working time effectively. In order to increase students’ abilities to catch up with educational process, it is necessary for students to spend more time on preparing for their classes (Kwan and Ko, 2002). Thus time management skills should be developed for quality increase of individual and class work. It may be also argued that if a student spends more time on preparation for classes he would succeed for sure. Not the quantity but quality plays an important role as well. For example, a student may spend 25 hours per week to prepare for classes, but he would be inattentive during the process of preparation. That’s why, â€Å"If [students] started to manage their time and feel more in control of their lives their marks went up and they seemed to get more ou t of their experience at university† (Trueman and Hartley, 1996). Thus a great advantage of time management skills development is a student’s ability to gain more knowledge and be more socially active during his study at the University. The fact that Universities rushed into developing of students’ time management skills witness the crucial importance of this aspect of students’ lives. Personal emotional conditions of students, their high-quality participation in educational process would be beneficial for their self-perfection and self-esteem (Claessens et al. 2007). Unfortunately, there is a lack of students’ interest in the development of their time management skills. In spite of the fact that numerous seminars on these topic are held in the Universities, the level of students present there is very low. â€Å"Although many seminars, workshops and orientations are held in university on the topic of time management, few students pay attention to t he advice† (Kwan, 2003). Negative aspects of time management discipline development are that students remain indifferent to this problem. Therefore it is relevant to reveal the real reasons for that. If students don’t want to manage their time and spend it on their study they should be encouraged not only theoretically but practically as well. Lectures on time management may seem boring to modern students. It would be more interesting, for example, if they had an ability to watch a funny film about a student who couldn’t manage his time and came across different mishaps and unpleasant situations. Therefore, time management should turn from a theoretically-based discipline to be more practical and creative. That’s why a suggested technique during seminars, such as funny films viewing, would encourage students to catch up with their group mates because they would be afraid of becoming a prototype for such kind of films. Moreover, an essential drawback of stu dents’ inability to manage their time is a violation of their social roles and personal lives. Being distressed and nervous because of failures in their educational process, students may loose their interests in their friends or families. It can be even suggested that a ‘brave procrastinator’ is a tender creature full of fears before his inability to cope with home task or fail during the exam. Such kind of students usually

Reflective Paper on Management of Organizations Essay Example for Free

Reflective Paper on Management of Organizations Essay The concept of management especially that of managing organizations, is a broad field of study and usually requires understanding of the other branches of human learning such as sociology, psychology and economics, among others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In determining the most effective approach in management, it is important to learn the basics of dealing with persons, how to organize them, develop their skills while bonding them together and eventually generate positive outcome or production from their collective labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being an experienced nurse and member of the US Armed Forces, I have learned through the years in reserve camps and in field that interpersonal relationship is not easily perfected considering man’s innate instinct of â€Å"self-survival. † In order for a man to survive in any given situation, condition and place, it is but natural for him to save and protect himself or his interests, oftentimes resulting to conflict with other persons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This human frailty is often than not the root of problems and conflict affecting the smooth flow of communication and cooperation within a certain group or organization. In addition to this, a person’s inability to understand the proper systems of learning within an organization and the natural course of changes brought by outside forces such as information technology, globalization and the likes usually result to negative output or disintegration of the organization itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, change, transformation and evolution is part of nature. Such reality also affects organizations and the society as a whole. The concept of the continuous transformation of the society and all of its institutions is best described by Donald Schon (1973): The loss of stable state means that our society and all of its institutions are in continuous processes of transformation. We cannot expect new stable states that will endure for our own lifetimes. We must learn to understand, guide, influence and managed these transformations. We must make the capacity for undertaking them integral to ourselves and to our institutions. We must, in other words, become adept at learning. We must become able not only to transform our institutions, in response to changing situations and requirements; we must invent and develop institutions which are ‘learning systems’, that is to say, systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation. (Schon 1973: 28)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schon, as quoted by M.K. Smith (2001) in his article, â€Å"The Learning Organization† posted in the worldwide web infed.org, is indeed correct by saying that we must learn how to adapt to changes and transformation, make them as integral part of us and our institutions and likewise come up with new learning systems that could carry on the cycle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given this idea, I believe that by learning the proper systems in the field of management, one would not only be able to adapt to such transformations in the society and all its institutions or organizations, but also one could make a big difference in mobilizing people together, making them more competent, service-oriented, effective and productive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the same time, learning the proper systems can lessen, if not only its impact, the conflict caused by self-survival by individuals thereby resulting to an effective team that is highly competitive, competent and motivated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Part of the learning systems in an organization is the building of teams that would become the heart and machinery of the organization. In building teams, I have learned from several readings that it is important to determine the strength and weaknesses of each individual to assess their distinct capabilities that would match the requirement for specific responsibilities and work to be done.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In determining the weaknesses and strength of the team members, as well as the over-all status of the team, some analytical modules can be used such as the force field analysis and the SWOT analysis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To initiate the force field analysis, the team must start with a brainstorming session to identify the â€Å"driving† and â€Å"restraining† forces in their organization. The driving forces are the factors that promote obedience to the team’s work or schedule while the restraining forces are the factors that hinder adherence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By learning how to determine both, the team and its leader would be able to design strategies how to approach the problem and decrease the restraining forces to achieve maximum resolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another effective way of identifying the internal and external strength, weaknesses and opportunities of the team is the SWOT analysis. In using the SWOT analysis, the team would not only be able to determine the causes of motivation or hindrances to their work or schedules, but also the opportunities and threats to the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SWOT is more comprehensive and detailed and by identifying the internal strength and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats, the team would be able to draw up critical solutions to its problems. In using systematic analysis in identifying problems, the team leader also develops a systematic thinking or approach in building a strong and effective team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such forms of analysis are effective in most cases especially in military operations. As an active member of the US army, part of our daily activities is to maintain order in each team at the camp and effectively carry out orders from our superiors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By learning how to determine several forces that affect our operations, I am becoming more capable to handle orders and cooperate with my colleagues. At my age of 41, I am still open to possibilities that even an older woman like me could achieve more in the future. Through learning how to build teams and eventually become a very good leader, I am relearning the values of discipline, independence and competence that I could use once I finish my course in Human Resources. But building teams and knowing each team member’s capability is only part of the larger face of learning systems in learning organizations. The next step to an effective management is how to enhance and develop strategies that would improve the team. An effective team develops ways to share leadership roles and ways to share accountability for their work output. It also builds a specific team purpose and goals. There are several ways or strategies how to motivate teams to become stronger and more efficient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to establishe objectives together. All team members must understand the objectives and what actions are needed to achieve them. Each member shall have a sense of responsibility and must have a sense of participation in achieving the collective goal of the team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A good leader also knows how to encourage members to suggest ways how to improve their own services. The team must develop a participatory style. The feeling of belongingness and importance is one of the best ways to boost the team members’ morale. I often do this at home with my children. For 18 years as I reared them as single parent, I tried to teach them to speak and to participate in all house concerns. This made them independent and self-assured the same way a team member should feel – important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most often than not, listening is the best way to learn. Leaders should know how to listen to their team members. They should also acknowledge their points of view and encourage a healthy venue for discussions and democratic debates. Healthy discussions are actually therapeutic to the group because the members will be able to speak their minds or the problems they encounter at work. This improves interpersonal relationships and lessens the conflict of self-interests and self-survival. By understanding each other’s problems or by listening to one another, a team member would learn to decrease his personal walls and start opening doors to other persons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is actually interesting for me. As I go through this course and the learning systems in management and organizational learning, I come to realize that managing teams or organization is not quite different from managing your own home. I could easily relate, not only because I encounter team concerns at work but also because I have experienced being aleder at my own house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meanwhile, other strategies in can be introduced to maximize the effectiveness of a team. Defining specific roles and responsibilities also helps in organizing the team and keeping them focused. It is also important to explain rules and regulations, including time commitments. By knowing the rules and the rationale for such rules, team members will develop respect and trust to the organization. Commitment of time for team building and team work is also crucial in an organization’s growth. All members must have a sincere concern for the team and in doing so, they must be willing to extend time at work to do their responsibility to the group, if needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the experts, an effective team has at least seven characteristics. These are as follows: team members share leadership roles; team develops own scope of work; team schedules work to be done and commits to taking time allotted to do work; team develops tangible work products; team shared accountability; performance is based on achieving team products; and open discussion and collective resolution of problems within the team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Working long hours at the nurse’s station in camps and in hospitals, taking care of the sick and old, then has given me enough insight of the real meaning of team work. It is true that a hospital or a military infirmary is just like an organization. Each medical staff shall take part in all the responsibilities. Less time would also be spent if each nurse takes quality time to take care of the patients or station himself in a designated area. In my former line of work, there are also specific responsibilities and areas of accountability including pharmacy, supplies, maintenance, emergency, wards, among others. The same is true with the military. And mush is expected of us. At present, I am an E6 Supply Staff Sergeant. I work for a transportation reserve unit full time. I am part of a larger team. And it is my responsibility to take care of their supply needs. If I fail, the whole system fails. It is a chain. But if I do my work on time and with efficiency, I help my teammates and the order is protected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Simple things or simple tasks are oftentimes the key to an organization’s success. By doing the very basic things right, the team is assured of a holistic effectiveness and efficiency. As I begin to look back, it is getting clearer to me that the tricks of management, in any given field, are actually around us everyday. One only needs to be more observant and reflective to better understand the processes of learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Part of the continuing learning process is also the methods of solving conflicts. Conflicts within organizations usually arise when there is contradiction between team members, who sometimes have varying views on specific concerns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When conflicts arise, experts tell us that it is important to introduce a constructive way how to resolve it. The first thing that one must take into consideration is to avoid jumping into conclusions. To avoid such mistake, it is crucial to identify the factors that have caused the conflict and determine the stakeholders involved in the conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Group discussion would help determine who are stakeholders in a certain conflict. By diplomatically opening a dialogue between the stakeholders, the leader would be able to recognize individual interests, as well a power issues affecting the conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next step is to consider the alternatives in resolving the conflict. Each alternative must be carefully studied and from each, try to determine which is the most apt solution to the problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the chosen solution is implemented, it is imperative to evaluate its effect to assess whether the results are satisfactory. If not, begin the process again and find other solution to the conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In every organization, change is also a constant factor. Organizations are often faced by difficulties within the structure when there is leadership or organizational change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter (1999, Chapter 5), it was proven over the years that things that sustain change are not â€Å"bold strokes but long marches – the independent, discretionary and ongoing efforts of people throughout the organization.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter (1999, Chapter 5) further says that:   â€Å"real change requires people to adjust to their behavior, and that behavior is often beyond the control of top management.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter teaches us that change is constantly created at many levels in an organization. Kanter says that there are big events that often occur due to outside forces while some changes are brought about by the people’s actions in their daily operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In confronting change, adept organizations share three key attributes. Kanter (1999, Chapter 5) specifies these as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The imagination to innovate. To encourage innovation, effective leaders help develop new concepts – the ideas, models, and applications of technology that set an organization apart. *The professionalism to perform. Leaders provide personal and organizational competence, supported by workforce training and development, to execute flawlessly and deliver value to ever more demanding customers. *The openness to collaborate. Leaders make connections with partners who can extend the organization’s reach, enhance its offerings, or energize its practices. (Kanter 1999, Chapter 5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter cited three important words – concept, competence and connections. She claims that these intangible assets naturally build up with successful individuals and organizations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such intangible assets, she explains, reflect habits and not programs. These habits – personal skills, behavior and relationships – if deeply imbedded within the organization results to minimal resistance to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the organization has such assets, change would be so natural that leaders would find it easier to gear their team members to positively react to change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mastering change and transformation usually brought by outside forces such as technology, globalization, competition and politics as well is not an easy task. The organization should be intuitive, dynamic and innovative.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The organization must come up with its own innovations to adapt to its environment, guided by the skillful and pro-active leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter (1999) explains that the skillful leader must know how to lead with passion, conviction and confidence in others. There are other techniques or tips that could be adopted by an effective leader. The first is to keep abreast with the changing environment. A leader must be constantly observant, keen in learning and updated of what is new and what is latest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter’s concept of effective leadership teaches me and everyone else another basic characteristic of humans – our innate instinct to learn. Man’s curiosity and unending search for the â€Å"truth† or the â€Å"story behind things† is actually a trait that must be mastered by a leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I now find it imperative to double my efforts in honing my skills in preparation for my future as human resource personnel or manager. Doing routines at the military sometimes make you too comfortable with your environment that you forget to check what is happening around.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now, I am beginning to realize that in order to be an effective and skillful leader, one must prepare and master the technique of listening, learning and tuning in to the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another trait that a leader should master is to think outside the box. Kanter said it is okay to challenge the wisdom of the organization. It is alright to question the patternsn and come up with new solutions, looking into different angles or dimensions that sometimes lead to new approaches and innovative ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter (1999) gave several examples how to promote kaleidoscopic thinking. Team members can conduct activities outside the company or the organization itself. Interact, immerse with the community, break routines, rotate job assignments or even exchange projects. These are only few of the ways to generate fresh ideas and opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genuine conviction is also a positive trait that should be taught to team members. Kanter (1999) explains that one cannot sell change or anything else without any real conviction. In order for others to believe what you say or what you are trying to communicate, you must believe it first. Makes sense to me. In many situations that I was confronted by issues at the US Armed Forces, my children would sometimes ask about the real concerns and agenda of the US government. And in many cases, I try to answer them as honestly as I could. But now, it reminds me of my true feelings at that time. Kanter helps me reflect of my thoughts and thinking about it, I know that at times, I am not even sure whether my convictions were genuine enough to let my children believe what I say.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is one trait of a good leader I must master. To have genuine conviction so I could become an effective leader and be able to communicate vision and aspirations to my team members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Change leaders† also needs the involvement of the team members who have the resources, the knowledge and the political influence to make things possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter (1999) calls it coalition building. In early stages of planning, the leader must identify key players with appropriate capabilities. It is also important to find sources across or outside the organization to find influencers. According to Kanter, coalition building requires an understanding of the politics of change and its accompanying principles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once the coalition is in place, a leader must know how to coach and provide guidance to the team members while at the same time allowing them to enhance their individual contribution to the team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kanter (1999) says leaders should allow team members to forge their own identity, build a sense of membership and become accustomed in implementing changes. The leader must resist giving too many responsibilities to the members because in order for their individual capabilities to grown, they must learn how to focus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another effective way to ensure the success of an organization and its resolution to change is the primary law of management – perseverance. I myself believe that in any aspect of our life, not only in management, learning how to persevere and develop a strong passion on what we do is a positive attitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perseverance gives a person more room to grow. As a 41-year-old woman, others may think that my career is almost over or that I may be experiencing the downsides of life. But I beg to disagree because I know that in pursuing my studies in human resources, I will have a better future ahead of me. My perseverance and willingness to adapt to changes and hone my skills in the process makes me a person with a vision and a drive to achieve more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Kanter (1999) explains, one must know how to overcome obstacles during the process of change. Perseverance helps a savvy leader to ensure the success of the process and prevent failure. If a leader launches something, he must not leave it to the team members. He should ensure that the process is done until the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And after everything has been put into place, it is important to recognize each member’s contribution to the any accomplishment. Remembering to reward and recognize accomplishments is critical in any leadership, Kanter (1999) says.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Words of gratitude, recognition or appreciation are one of the most powerful tool in motivating members of any organization. In the US Armed Forces, promotions and awarding of medals of honor or valor are few of the motivational tools being used to boost the morale of US soldiers and to encourage them to fight for America. It is also a form of incentive to American soldiers for their sacrifices and the risks they face in the military, considering that the profession is a high risk one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Kanter, there is no limit to how much recognition a leader can provide to his team members. Making everyone a hero for a job well done often results to higher performance or bigger output in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In relation to change in an organization, Kanter (1999) says recognition motivates people to attempt change again especially if they are involved in the process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In closing, effective management of people or organization is actually the ability to lessen individualism and self-survival instincts, break communication barriers, limit conflicts, building teams and training them to adapt to change, and the ability to innovate in order to keep abreast with the constantly changing environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Effective management, though not easy to achieve, is actually a continuous learning process. One must have the concepts, the competence and the connections in order to become competitive, innovative and effective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ashford University actually teaches us the same foundational values. The values of self-worth, creativity, independence, service, integrity and effectiveness. As for me, after studying this course and learning the proper systems in effective management, it is clear that the university’s core values such as creativity and effectiveness are truly important, not only to every individual but to interpersonal relationships and organizations as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ability to innovate and have the respect for the free flow of ideas are some of the key points in mastering the techniques of effective management. As discussed above, innovation and transformation are continuous processes in the growth of an organization and by learning the values of creativity and self-directedness, one is assured that he could face the ever-changing and demanding world outside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, one’s independence, self-discipline and competence result to effectiveness, not only as an individual but also as integral part of a larger group or organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In any way, I believe that my aspirations in life are clearer and more achievable as I grasp a better understanding of the processes or organizational learning, as well as the values being taught at the Ashford university. This course is actually very interesting and liberating because it gives me a broader view of the society and its institutions. (End)       References: Smith, M.K. (2001) â€Å"The Learning Organization†, The Encyclopedia of Informal Education,   Ã‚   Retrieved May 3, 2006 from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-organization.htm Schon, D.A. (1973) Beyond the Stable State. Public and Private Learning in a Changing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Society, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 236 pages. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss (1999) â€Å"The Enduring Skills of Change Leaders (Chapter 5) †, On   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leading Change. Retrieved May 3 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://leadertoleader.org/leaderbooks/L2L/summer99/kanter.html Force Field Analysis. Retrieved May 3 from http://erc.msh.org/quality/pstools/psffanal.cfm SWOT Analysis. Retrieved May 3 from http://erc.msh.org/quality/examples/swot.cfm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If such could be achieved by a person, then he is a candidate to become an effective leader. By trying to understand the academic theories and vast possibilities to which this course of study has offered me, I now come to the realization that there is room for much improvement to everyone, even to a 44-year-old nothing is impossible I am a person with simple values, who appreciates those around me. I consider nmyself as helper of people and have been a member of the nursing profession for years.

Analyzing the character of Reverend Hale :: English Literature

Analyzing the character of Reverend Hale Mr Reverend Hale had a very controversial role in moving the story to the end how it had happened. Beside the other three main characters: Mr Proctor, Elizabeth and Abigail he was fourth biggest person who influenced the happenings the most. However, while the main characters played a kind of a passive role, he always wanted to be in the middle of attention. He was a very proud man, but naà ¯ve as well. He though that himself is an expert in the mysterious world of witches. â€Å"a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he has felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for. This bad self-conscious brought to attention the witchcraft. The role of his character is a good example how a not completely reliable person can mislead a whole community. Mr Hale played a crucial part in starting the witch trials and initiating the madness in the town of Salem. Though, he was the one who accused the girls of being witches and trying to get their testimony, he was always seeking the truth. He did not intend to make such a huge conflict between the villagers. Abigail used his willingness of believing in mystic creatures like witches, she realized that he can be misled easily. Moreover, through his convincing personality everybody in the town can be misled, too. Therefore, the madness was partly happened due to his intervention, because the others should have not listened or believed to him. Hale’s goodness and naivety was shown through his enlightenment. After he had realized his wrong decision, he strived for persuading all the innocent citizens to confess cooperation with the evil that they obviously had never done. He did not take into account the people’s

Research Change Models Essay

To make meaningful and long-term change in an organization, an organization needs to follow the guidelines of a change model, a diagnostic instrument, and change intervention. This paper will discuss two change models, two diagnostic instruments, and two change interventions. Change Models The two change models discussed in this paper are Lewin’s Change Model and the Action Research Model. Both of these models give a map on how to create change. Lewin’s model simplifies the process into three steps while the Action Research Model consists of eight steps. Both models three phases: Research phase, changing phase, and solidification phase (Luckett, 2003). Lewin’s Change Model Lewin developed one of the very first models for change management (Luckett, 2003). He stated there are two types of people in an organization; those who resist change and those who strive for change (Luckett, 2003; JPC, 1995; Spector, 2007). He stated the two groups need to be of equal measure to maintain homeostasis (Luckett, 2003; JPC, 1995; Pellettiere, 2006; Spector, 2007). When both groups of people are equal, a frozed state (freeze) is achieved. Lewin (as cited by JPC, 1995) states a driving force is needed to either â€Å"strengthen the driving forces or weaken the restraining forces† to achieve change (para 3). Spector (2007) states, â€Å"to break the social habits that support existing patterns of behaviors, effective implementation needs to start with dissatisfaction, disequilibrium, and discomfort† (p. 29). When one side is strengthened and/or one side is weakened then change (move) can be achieved. During this time, the organization goes through redesign, new roles and responsibilities, and new relationships are made (Spector, 2007). After the change, or movement, is completed, the organization then needs to go back to a state of homeostasis (refreeze). Bridges (2003) echoed Lewin’s three stages to organizational change in his naming of the stages: Ending, losing, letting go; neutral zone, and New Beginning (Bridges, 2003, p. 5 as cited by Stragalas, 2010, p. 31). Lewin’s model with its three steps may be too simplistic for many organizations to achieve change. Without a less ambiguous map, the organization may not be able to sustain change. Action Research Model The Action Research Model consists of eight steps: Problem identification, consultation with behavioral science expert, data gathering and preliminary diagnosis, feedback to key client or group, joint diagnosis of problem, joint action planning, action, and data gathering after collection (Boonstra, 2003; Luckett, 2003). The last five stages can be perpetual. After the last data gathering, the organization should return to â€Å"feedback to key client or group†. Once the feedback is given, the group may want to continue through the next steps. Whereas the diagnosis is completed through the â€Å"unfreeze† in Lewin’s model, in the Action Research model, diagnosis is completed during the â€Å"problem identification, consultation, and data gathering steps† (Luckett, 2003, p. 25). The changing phase for Lewin is the â€Å"move† step. In the Action Research model, the changing phase occurs during the â€Å"feedback, joint diagnosis, action planning, and action steps† (Luckett, 2003, p. 26). In Lewin’s model, the solidified phase takes place during the refreeze. In the Action Research model, solidification takes place during the â€Å"gathering after the action† (Luckett, 2003, p. 26). Moreover, â€Å"the continual process of feedback analysis solidifies the changes as the occur† (Luckett, 2003, p. 27). Unlike the Lewin model, Action Research allows for perpetual analysis that â€Å"facilitates adjustments in the organizations change plan† (Luckett, 2003, p. 28). Diagnostic Instruments Diagnostic instruments, or assessment instruments, are used for data collection and to analyze an organization. Without a proper diagnosis, change is very likely to fail (Pellettiere, 2006). Alderfer (1980) states â€Å"organizational diagnosis proceeds in there orderly phases: entry, data collection, and feedback† (p. 460). The entry phase consists of identifying who will participate in the assessment and if an agreement can be reached (Alderfer, 1980). The data collection phase consists of collecting the information and then analysis of the information (Alderfer, 1980). The feedback phase consists of sharing the results with the organization along with suggestions for the organization (Alderfer, 1980; Preziosi, 2012). The feedback should consist of strengths and weaknesses within the organization (Alderfer, 1980). Salem (2002) states there are three type of assessments: structural assessments, functional assessments, and process assessments. Structural assessments are a snapshot of a specific point in time, functional assessments relates antecedents with actions and outcomes, and process assessments consists of collecting data over an extended period of time (Alderfer, 1980). SWOT Analysis SWOT Anlysis is an acronym which stands for strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats (Balamuralikrishna & Dugger, 1995; Boonstra, 2003; Hughes, 2007; Mind Tools, 2012; RapidBI, 2010; Renault, 2012). According to Balamuralikrishna & Dugger (1995), a SWOT analysis should cover the internal environment and external environment. In regards to education, the internal environment consists of â€Å"faculty and staff, the learning environment, current students, operating budget, various committees, and research programs† (Balamuralikrishna & Dugger, 1995, para. 13). External environment includes â€Å"propective employers of graduates, parents and families of students, competing schools, population demographics, and funding agencies† (Balamuralikrishna & Dugger, 1995, para. 14). SWOT analysis would be very beneficial to school systems. Understanding an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats assists the organization and their leaders to develop a plan of change that will be meaningful, measurable, and achievable. Balamuralikrishna & Dugger, 1995 give many drawbacks to the SWOT analysis. They warn against misusing information to â€Å"justify a previously decided course of action rather than used as a means to open up new possibilities† (Balamuralikrishna & Dugger, 1995, para. 19). They also warn against being too concerned about labels. For example, in many instances threats can also be considered opportunities depending upon the mindset of the leader and/or organization (Balamuralikrishna & Dugger, 1995). Functional Assessment Functional assessments are another diagnostic tool useful to organizations. Functional assessments look at antecedents, behaviors, reasons for the behaviors, and outcomes (Salem, 2002). Antecedents describe what happened before the behavior. The behavior refers to how a person(s) or organization responded to the antecedent. The next question one must ask is â€Å"why did the person(s)/organization act this way?† There are several reasons a person or organization responds the way they do. However, there are only a few categories for any given behavior: attention, avoidance/escape, and control/tangible (McConnell, Cox, Thomas, & Hilvitz, 2001). Finding the reasoning behind a behavior can be very important in overcoming a behavior/resistance to change or to repeat desirable behaviors to change. Problems associated with functional assessments often revolve around lack of direction. What does the organization do with this data? Functional assessments should be followed by goals. Go als are long-term change for an organization. To achieve their goals, organizations need to develop short-term wins, also called objectives. Change Interventions Change interventions are the â€Å"planned programmatic activities aimed at bringing changes in an organization† (Sadhu, 2009, para. 1). Interventions are detailed maps to help an organization achieve its long-term change. Aligning Reward Systems through Objectives Objectives are a road map to achieving an organizations long-term goal. Objectives need to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (Morrison, 2010). As employees or other stakeholders meet objectives, a reward system should be set in place. The reward system needs to be appropriate and balanced with regard to the objective and motivate the organization to meet the objective(s) by the deadline. Problems with reward systems include over compensating, under compensating, and the reward not being meaningful to the recipient (Cole, Harris, & Bernerth, 2006; Morrison, 2010; Nevis, Melnick, Nevis, 2008; Sadhu, 2009. Polarity Management Intervention Morrison (2010) states there are benefits of embracing resistance. He states embracing resistance can speed up the change process, help build strong relationships, help all stakeholders to meet some of their own personal goals, and keeping leaders from â€Å"taking untimely or foolish action† (Morrison, 2010, para. 22). Johnson (1992) developed a table with four quadrants to â€Å"depict change initiators and resisters† for both individuals and teams. Using this table helps organizations to see the whole picture, understanding where individuals and the organization as a whole is at this time and how to get it individuals and teams from polar opposites to common ground so change can be made (Morrison, 2010). Downsides to Polarity Management Intervention include loosing individual creativity and freedom as well as neglect of personal needs (Morrison, 2010). References Aderfer, C.P. (1980). The methodology of organizational diagnosis. Professional Psychology, 11(3), 459-468. doi:10.0033-0175/80/1103-0459. Balamuralikrishna, R., & Dugger, J.C. (1995). SWOT analysis: A management tool for initiating new programs in vocational schools. Journal of Vocational and Technical Education, 12(1), 5 pages. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JVTE/v12n1/Balamuralikrishna.htm. Boonstra, J. (2003). Dynamics of organizational change and learning. Chichester: Wiley. Cole, M.S., Harris, S.G., & Bernerth, J.B. (2006). Exploring the implications of vision, appropriateness, and execution of organizational change. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 27(5), 352-367. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01437730610677963. Holt, D.T. (2002). Readiness for change: The development of a scale. Ph.D. dissertation, Auburn University, Alabama. ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. (Publication No. AAT 3070767. Huges, M. (2007). The tools and techniques of change management. Journal of change management, 7(1), 37-49. doi: 10.1080/14697010309435. JPC (1995). An ethical, means based, approach to organizational change. JPC Media LLC. Retrieved from www.jpcmediallc.com. Linkage (2012). Diagnostic instruments and assessments. Linkage. Retrieved from linkageasia.com/our-leadership-consulting-expertise/diagnostic-instruements-assessments/ Luckett, M.T. (2003). Organizational change and development. (Unpublished dissertation). Walden University, Minneapolis, MN. McConnell, M.E., Cox, C.J., Thomas, D.D., & Hilvitz, P.B. (2001). Functional

Cebu Pacific Paper

Case Context Cebu Pacific Air owned by the Gokongwei family and established in 1988, is the provider of most domestic flights in the Philippines. In 2000, Cebu Pacific Air was able to go international and expanded operations to Asia-Pacific countries. It owns 45% of the market share, and is among the top 5 in growth in terms of passengers carried and served. The airline company is known for its promo fares, where one can save around 40% to 50%, if flights are booked early. For the longest time, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air's competitor, dominated the local airline industry. Through the liberalization program, the latter was able to enter the market and gain its share of customers and passengers. In response, PAL adjusted its prices to compete with the others, and focused its strategies on cheaper last-minute bookings. Cebu Pacific Air gives importance to customer value, and addresses it by providing hassle-free online reservations, on-time flights, comfortable flying experience, etc. Named as the â€Å"World's Number One Airline† by an e-newsletter, the airline has been growing and has continued to make its mark in the Philippine airline industry. Its emphasis on the importance of the customers has helped Cebu Pacific Air to be successful in proving that it is indeed one of the top airlines in the country. Macro Environment Prior to the Philippine aviation industry liberalization in 1995 under Executive Order 219, state-owned Philippine Airlines enjoyed virtual monopoly with the country's adopted policy of ‘one country, one airline' imposed during President Marcos’ administration. The industry remained uncontested between 1973 and 1994 compelling the government to regulate fares to prevent PAL from engaging in monopoly pricing. In the years following liberalization, the domestic airline industry has attracted as many as five entrants but this has dwindled to three. Currently, the Philippine aviation market is mainly served by Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), Philippine Airlines (PAL), Airphil Express (APX) and ZestAir. As of August 2011, CEB is the market leader and holds 45 % domestic market share, followed by PAL with 22%,   APX with 19% and ZestAir with 12%. Seair also takes a small part of this market such as by serving flights to Batanes. The impact of liberalization on the domestic industry is mixed. Departure frequency increased in the most profitable markets, while smaller communities either lost service altogether or experienced sizeable declines in departure frequency and capacity. Furthermore, some markets served by a single airline have relatively higher fares. In the recent economic crisis, many foreign countries and the rest of the world were affected. The Philippines, however, was not greatly hit by this recession. Even though we fared better than the others, it cannot be denied that we were still affected. Many multinational companies shut down their operations in the country, such as Intel and Goodyear. Also, many overseas Filipino workers from the United States, United Kingdom and the Middle East were forced to leave these countries with no promise of return. It also affected the Philippine Stock Exchange since it closely followed other stock exchanges from around the world, particularly NYSE. All of these resulted in great fears among the citizens. Filipinos are now more frugal and conservative in their spending habits. The economy experienced dwindling demands of different products, which resulted to more production cuts, succeeding layoffs, and more layoffs. Filipinos started looking for products and services that would provide more value to their hard-earned money. As people are now starting to go back to the basics, leaving the extravagant lifestyle behind, companies now face the problem of losing their customers, even their loyal ones. Thus, many of them started offering products that would exemplify true value for money. More so, discounts and promos have boomed. Cebu Pacific was no exception to this scheme. As many people considered air travel as something they could live without, the industry faced a bigger problem of attracting customers. The â€Å"Piso Fare† that they launched in 2005 was already a big help to company. More and more people are choosing Cebu Pacific over other airlines, such as Philippine Airlines. What is important now is for travelers to get to their destinations in the most affordable way possible, and the company was able to offer them a low-cost yet high-quality service that perfectly catered to the needs of their clients. SWOT Analysis Strengths The key strengths of Cebu Pacific are on its strong market positioning, lean cost structure, ability to reap scale efficiencies, healthy brand equity, and balance sheet strength. The heights of Cebu Pacific’s victory over its competitors cannot be attributed to the aggressive low-pricing strategy that it blazed per se. The ability of CEB to identify the objects that are of value to their customers, and extend those perquisites at low cost is of tantamount importance in the airline’s success. Cebu Pacific customers also get their value through the airline’s very convenient online reservation and payment system. This, equipped with the company’s partnership with banking firms as well as servicing companies such as LBC and Rustan’s, as well as its rigorous promotion in social networking sites, allows the customers to access information regarding CEB’s prices and low promo fares and easy payment. Equally valuable is also the management’s employee training which reflects the company’s strong customer-centered, team-based orientation. Weaknesses To allow for its promotional activities such as low-fares in domestic and international travels, Cebu Pacific must also cut some costs on some segments of its operations. Either by cutting some operational costs or personnel costs, this would have an immediate impact to the image that the company is trying to project. With the entry of relatively smaller airline companies in the industry that can afford to compete CEB in low-pricing makes the airline company vulnerable to price wars, and this pressure increases the vulnerability of the airline to maintain its image. Like all airline companies, and especially because of its big operations, Cebu Pacific heavily relies on forecasts of volatile fuel prices to produce sound business decisions and pricing. Lastly, industry commentators are disappointed that the strong brand and marketing platform of Cebu Pacific lacked scale in terms of fleet size. Opportunities The 21% year-on-year international passenger growth on the year 2011 opens a wider door for Cebu Pacific to increase its market share. Offering foreign travels exclusively on selected destinations allows Cebu Pacific a wider market and a more flexible marketing mix. The company’s financial stability, sustained growth, and good brand image allow the financing for more expansion in the products and services they offer which is tantamount to put down competitive pressures from its competitors, both via cost leadership and product differentiation. Cebu Pacific is strategically positioned for this as it has a strong domestic network that is able to offset headwinds to the international network. Reaping the benefits of scale efficiencies may be realized through this expansion. Finally, with its biggest competitor facing internal labor concerns as well as concerns on solvency and liquidity, the airline can choose to increase market share profitably at the expense of this competitors—instead of only positioning to stimulate and grow the market. Threats That low-pricing schemes such as the PisoFares became a trademark for Cebu Pacific is threatening the airline’s brand of acquiring an inferior image against its more expensively priced competitor products. Its customer segment that caters for businessmen and other high-profile class are at the expense of its extensive marketing promotion on cheap fares. Also, the company’s profit margin has been slowly declining as it engages in price competition with relatively smaller airlines such as Air Philippines and Zest Air. While both competitors have been investing for expansion, CEB must stand prepared while pursuing for a higher market share and leadership. Finally Cebu Pacific must strategically position it’s cost-cutting strategies such as outsourcing, as recent moves to outsource some noncore operations of other airlines that has been encouraging from a cost-saving perspective has ensued labor disputes and strikes which showed the insensitivity of such a move. Problem Through tedious research and careful analysis, we have proven that Cebu Pacific exhibits cost leadership as it was able to cut prices to deter the entry of new entrants and at the same time able to offer low prices to powerful buyers. (See Porter’s Generic) Competitors are always on the look as to how they can catch up and perhaps Cebu Pacific may be threatened by competitors copying their low cost strategy. With this, how can Cebu Pacific maintain to be the market leader when time comes that competitors have already adopted their low-cost strategy? Marketing Mix Product Cebu Pacific Air provides its customer both domestic and international flights to fifty two destinations. Company with its slogan it's time everyone flies tries to keep what they have been promised to its customers by offering a wide array of products and high quality of services aside from air fare to keep their customers loyal and to attract new ones. Cebu Pacific Air does not only provide travel through air but it provides tours for both land and water by building tie ups with travel agencies and hotels. This tie ups provides its customer travel packages with hotel rooms at a discounted price, which make all the fun. Furthermore, the flight does not include a meal but they offer a fun shop where the company sells hearty meal, cold sandwiches, savory snacks, quick snacks, cold drinks, and hot drinks which are changed monthly for variety. Branded souvenirs such as stuff toys, watches, bags, etc. can also be purchased via online or inside the plane. Moreover, other services include seat-selector, sport equipment fee, TravelSure insurance, prepaid baggage, rent a car, and buy event tickets. Cebu Pacific Air always keeps on improving its existing products while introducing new products to tailor fit its products to its customers for more satisfaction and to gain customer loyalty. Price As the barriers to entry were lifted, new players can now easily enter the market to serve the domestic routes. Many benefits were gained by these actions, particularly in the reduction of air fare. Cebu Pacific used its pricing systems to gain a competitive advantage in the industry. It continuously strives to offer low prices, yet also continuously maintain the level of service it promises to deliver to its customers. One of the main strategies of Cebu Pacific to attract customers was its low fares offered on a year-round basis, such as its â€Å"Piso Fare† and LiteFares. This made air travel more affordable to Filipino passengers. This move is considered to be a lethal one for its competitors for it captured a big portion of the market. And although competitors soon followed suit, it was already too late and Cebu Pacific had already gotten a strong position in the market. To compensate for such big discounts, flights that are booked closer to the actual date are fully priced, but they are still comparably lower than those of its competitors. For Cebu Pacific, they value the things that matter most to their customers, such as training of their pilots and crews, aircraft maintenance, and on-time reliability, such that passengers will not pay for trivial things, such as paper tickets and free meals. They focus more on the practical and essential matters to be able to offer their services at low prices yet still earn returns on them. Place Cebu Pacific Air has strategically placed most outlets where passengers can book their flights in business centers, near or inside malls, hotels, and airports. These locations are usually where travellers go to, making it easier and more convenient for them instead of going to a place which might be out of their itinerary just to avail of the company’s services. Aside from this, Cebu Pacific Air has been able to ensure access to customers through online booking. With the growth and development of technology, the airline company has been able to capitalize on the convenience and availability of the Internet to easily reach customers. Promotion Low promo fares are the best known strategy that Cebu Pacific uses to gain ompetitive advantage over competitors. Specifically, they offer 1 peso flights not just for destinations in the Philippines, but also in some areas in East Asia such as Singapore and Malaysia. This promotions strategy is the most popular and most common thing that comes to mind when thinking Cebu Pacific Air. Aside from the traditional forms of promotions and above the line advertising, this airline also makes use of new social media platforms through below the line advertising. Cebu Pacific Airlines is the first airline industry in the Philippines to make use of these new technologies. These types of advertising make use of social networks and give more focus to certain niche markets. An example of this type advertising is Cebu Pacific Airlines’ use of Twitter for announcements, ticket promos, and games for chances to win free tickets. Another form of this promotion strategy can be seen through a viral video posted in YouTube of Cebu Pacific’s flight attendants dancing to the beat of the song â€Å"Just Dance† by Lady Gaga. The special dance number was presented to the passengers after the standard safety instructions had been performed and aimed to give passengers a more enjoyable flight experience. Having assessed Cebu Pacific Air’s marketing mix; we can truly say that its success can be attributed to its low price strategy and loyal customers. CEB has employed strategies to make flying accessible to everyone. They have lowered their prices and yet did not forego the quality of their services. CEB has been loyal to its value proposition of providing more for less. CEB knows very well that customers will try out low-priced products but will be turned off if it does not deliver the value/benefit it promises. And no amount of advertisement will change their perception of a product after a bad experience, even if you have the lowest price in the market. And so, CEB has never been lax in maintaining the other component of their marketing mix besides price as competitive as possible to always satisfy customers. Recommendation Competition from other low cost carrier airlines continues to saturate the market and poses a threat to Cebu Pacific. To fly higher and up and above this hurdle, we now give you our counterstrategy: Cebu Pacific Air: Juan time, Big time! Juan time, Big time is a full blast strategy that banks on Cebu Pacific Air’s Cost leadership and Filipino oriented service to retain its market leadership in the domestic market and eclipse PAL in the international market. In this full blast move, Cebu Pacific will continue to leverage on its constant seat sales and low pricing while making sure that it delivers true value to its customers. Cebu Pacific always wants to provide exceptional, unrivalled service at notches higher than its competitors. To achieve this, Cebu Pacific needs to fuel this four-fold ‘Juan time, Big time’ strategy to continue to fly high and long in delivering its promise in letting every Juan fly. Fuel 1: Juan with You With Juan with You, we strengthen the customer flying experience to encourage more future flights. We will filipinize the customer flying experience and do this by always being hospitable in our service. Cebu Pacific will not only offer air transport, it will also offer a satisfying, fun, and hospitable flying experience. Doing so will increase the perceived value of the Cebu Pacific Air flying experience. Juan with you will be implemented along with these tactics: 1. First, it will strengthen its customer service arm, and assign an actual active CEB officer in operating its Facebook and twitter pages to more instantaneously answer and attend to customer questions and concerns. This will communicate how Cebu pacific values its every customer. 2. Second, it should make its flight attendants wear Filipiniana attire, especially in international flights. 3. Third, it should structure a hip, dance number around the performance of its in-flight safety guidelines. The last two will easily solve the problem of tedium that may set in after long hours for waiting for the flight’s end. Fuel 2: The Juan Time Cebu pacific will lead in debunking the old Filipino time concept, where late is acceptable, even expected. We will put an emphasis on sticking to only one time, the Juan time, and provide incentives to making its passengers arrive early to allow early boarding. Also, Cebu pacific should train its ersonnel to always be fast and efficient in their execution of their tasks to further expedite checking in. Cebu Pacific should strive to increase its on time performance level and again to improve the value offered to passengers, give customer points for every late flight arrival that customers may use when they also avail of Cebu Pacific’s loyalty card program. Fuel 3: Juan with the World Cebu Pacific has already achieved to become the leading low cost airline in providing domestic flights. Its competitors, however, offer more international destinations. With this, we recommend that Cebu Pacific tap on more international destinations as their consumers would be delighted to know a variety of international destinations to choose from. This way, consumers would choose them among its competitors. Fuel 4: My only Juan Since Cebu Pacific has already managed to become the leading airline. It should now focus on keeping its customers loyal. This they can achieve through mileage programs to acquire points that customers can use in availing other flight add-ons. With this mileage rewards program, customers will be attracted to more to avail of the other services of Cebu Pacific. Thus, this strategy will make Cebu Pacific the top choice and the only choice of every Juan. With this four-fold full blast strategy, Cebu Pacific Air will indeed be able to increase customer perceived value through the perks it offers at the same time retaining its low cost pricing. Thus, despite the threat of competitors adopting their low cost strategy, customers will still choose them over others for they are fully satisfied and truly delighted with CEB’s loyalty of providing more for less to its customers. APPENDIX Bibliography

US interaction in sierra leone essays

US interaction in sierra leone essays Since the United States has become one of the most authoritative nations in the world, they have taken on the position of protecting petty, insubstantial countries from harm. However, so many wars are going right now that the United States cannot get involved with all of them. The United States should get involved with the most atrocious and vexing wars, but they decide to get involved with the wars that will give them the most financial gain. Roughly the size of South Carolina, Sierra Leone is a small, tropical country located in West Africa and bordered by Guinea, Liberia, and the Atlantic Ocean (General Board of Global Ministries). Sierra Leone was, and still is a battleground, used for murder, rape, abduction, slavery, and torture. This was all a result of the Revolutionary United Front rebels, or RUF. The conflict began in March 1991, when armed combatants crossed the border from Liberia into the south-eastern part of the country, attacking and subsequently occupying the border town of Bomary in the Kailahun district (Centre for Documentation and Research). In retaliation, the government increased its military force from three thousand, to fourteen thousand men during the first two years of the conflict. After the first month of the conflict, many different military factions were born. Some were allied, and the rest fought each other. The RUF quickly rose during this time, and the government was forced to get assistance from foreign mercenaries. With the revenue of the diamonds the government sold, they were able to pay off the mercenaries. The Mercenaries stayed in Sierra Leone for 22 months. Within that time, they successfully launched attacks against the RUF, which cause them to withdraw from a number of bases they had established around the area. After this the RUF captives surrendered. Because the captives were treated well, this caused fear among the RUF, and was also dangerou...

Has international intervention trying to end violent ethno-national Essay

Has international intervention trying to end violent ethno-national conflict had successful outcomes - Essay Example He did by calling out to the man, â€Å"No one shall dare beat you again.† As if these remarks were not incendiary enough, he proceeded to say, â€Å"This is your land, your fields, your gardens; your memories are here†. A decade later, under Milosevic’s watch, in defense of fields, gardens and memories, Serbian forces unleashed ethnic cleansing in Kosovo -- resulting in the massacre of thousands of ethnic Albanians and the forcible displacement of around 800,000 more. The retaliation of the ethnic Albanians on the few Serbs that have been left behind still continue to this day, pointing to the cyclical nature of the violence. The ethnic divides in the conflict-torn and poverty-ridden ex-Yugoslav region have cut deep and painful wounds, and generations of distrust and hatred fuelled in large part by nationalist myth-making, have created a situation where according to Anastasijevic (2004:105) â€Å"the prevalent mode of interaction has been traditionally one of d ominance, rather than coexistence or assimilation.† Allegedly to prevent further use of force by Slobodan Milosevic, the US-led military intervention of NATO charged in, conducting air strike upon air strike, cloaked by Resolutions 1160 and 1199 of the United Nations Security Council. The military intervention had been nothing if not controversial, with the main problematic stated most elegantly by Chomsky, who stated: There is at least a tension, if not an outright contradiction, between the rules of world order laid down in the United Nation Charter and the rights articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UD). The charter bans force violating state sovereignty; the UD guarantees the rights of individuals against oppressive states †¦ . The issue of humanitarian intervention arises from this tension (Chomsky 1999: 73) This leaves us in a precarious position on course of action where a government persistently violates the human rights of its citizens as eng aging in one set of commitment might involve violation of other international laws. Humanitarian intervention as a process therefore, shall imply a third party militarily invading an independent state without consent of the ‘legitimate’ government to rescue people from grossly violations of their human rights by their government. As Archibugi (2004: 2-3) observed, these interventions could be machineries for the extension of liberal ideas of the West in countries of the South controlled by ‘undemocratic governments with weak military capacities and economies. Ethics and moral justification concepts in humanitarian intervention gained prominence after the cold war in international relations when these interventions went side by side with armed forces for the first time. Viewed through ethical lens, the interventions are in a quagmire of conflict between the world’s responsibility to protect and promote fundamental human rights which are universal and the obl igation to respect state sovereignty, the basis for international order (Hoffman in Chesterman et al. 2001:277). Humanitarian intervention parse has continued to be a disputed concept in the contemporary world of politics (see Chandler 2004: 60) largely informed by events following Operation Allied Force (OAF) in Kosovo by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces (NATO) in 1999 and the Operation Freedom (OF) of 2003 in Iraq (Bellamy 2006: 12) all led by the United States (US) and

Sustainable Tourism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sustainable Tourism - Research Paper Example This forms of tourism, in which foreign people visits other places for leisure and exploration. 2. Supporting the protection of natural areas by generating economic benefits for host communities, providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities and increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets. Ecotourism and sustainable tourism are both inclined in traveling and exploration of beautiful places all over the world. But ecotourism focuses on the conservation and sustainability of our environment, where it should be nurtured, preserved and cared for a sustainable biosphere. The consideration to the environment is much given emphasis in ecotourism. On the other hand, sustainable tourism focused on line with the continuous process and application of more travels and tourisms. It ideally uses the resources for national growth. What it considers is the development t of the society and economic status of the State. Assessment 3 Hunter (1995) define sustainable tourism as the basis of the definition of sustainability in the Brundtland Report as follows: Sustainable Tourism Development (STD) should consider these concerns: 1. meet the needs and wants of the local host community in terms of improved living standards and quality of life. Here he possesses that the state and the people should have progress in living. 2. Satisfy the demands of tourists and the tourism industry, and continue to attract them in order to meet the first aim; and, - The state should make sure that their tourist spots should satisfy the visitors, and continuously attract more and more and encourage them to come back. 3. Safeguard the environmental resource base for tourism, encompassing natural, built and cultural components; in order to achieve both the preceding aims. - there should be planning's to attain and assurance o have this place favorable universally. Assessment 4 Swarbrooke criticize the sustainable tour