Lonely Characters on Of Mice and Men - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 933 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/06/14 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Of Mice And Men Essay Did you like this example? Mother Teresa Said that the most terrible poverty in loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck explores the topic of loneliness expressed by several different characters. Taking place on and isolated ranch near a town called Soledad (spanish for solitude), George and lennie are workers who travel each other and look out for one another. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Lonely Characters on Of Mice and Men" essay for you Create order The stand in stark contrast to the many other characters who live lives of loneliness without anyone to care for or who cares for them. Steinbeck uses the characters of Crooks, Curleyrs wife, Candy to show what life is like for people who, unlike George and Lennie, are truly isolated or alone in this world. The character Crooks, is an example of a lonely character in the story because he uses so much evidence that makes whoever is reading the story believe he is a lonely and is without nobody. Crooks, as the only character of color, and doesnt really have people that know him because of his color. He has hidden or backed off of any groups or having friends because of racism. Crooks has reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality no ego, ?nothing.(81) There is no personality in the point of view of people who dont know him. People dont know him and thatrs why they say he has no personality because hers not social with no one and that disassembles who he really is as a person. Crookes keeping back out of attention Range.(96) Crooks is a character that seems to be alone and quite distant from other people, and doesnt like to be the center of attention at all because maybe he seems self conscious about his skin tone. Overall, he is character that has a lonely personality and isnt t alked to or mentioned a lot during the story, that might indicate that he is a character thatrs not really known or that no one knows him. Curleyrs wife is a big important factor to the point that people are lonely in this story. She is probably the loneliest character in the story because she is the only female,I get lonely she said, ?you can talk to people but I cant talk to anybody but curley.(87), and because she is a women she is limited by her husband Curly what she can and not do. One big thing she cannot do is talk and socialize to the men/workers, which is why she might feel lonely most of the time . She communicates her feelings to another character and she tells him that she would love to talk to somebody but cannot since her husband doesnt let her do whatever she wants, Think I dont like to talk to somebody ever once in a while?(77), she obviously seems like she wants attention and needs it because of how desperate she is. Even though Curleyrs wife doesnt in particular have a name, I feel like that has a meaning behind that too. I think the meaning behind that was to show that she wasnt much of an important character as far as having the title of just Curleyrs wife. Candy, the old man, is old and lonely, and throughout the story it seems to be like that for a while now. Candy mentions how hes had a dog for a long time, that might indicate that thats the only companion has only had, throughout his life. So in the part of the book in where Candy is pressured to give up his dog for dead, he doesnt want to do it because I feel like he was gonna be even more lonelier without the dog, ?Candy looked unhappy No he said softly. No, I couldnt do that . I had ?im too long. (45) When he did give him up, Carlson, shot the dog from far away. But, they heard it from the distance, and when it happened, they all looked straight at Candy, For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. The he rolled over slowly and faced the wall and laid silent. He probably regrets the way the dog died, later on he tells george that he should of shot the dog and not somebody else. Continuing along the story he disrupts George and Lennie when they start talking about how they are going to live on a small piece of land and have animals to care for. He starts by saying, Spose I went in with you guys. Thats three hundred and fifty bucks Id put in. I aint much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. Howd that be? This supports how lonely he is because when George and Lennie talked about their future, there was a huge chance for Candy to not be lonely for once in his life. Steinbeck made such a big deal about loneliness because we dont realize how many people are lonely in this world and maybe wanted us to self reflect on our lives compared to the lives that lonely people live. He might of been saying that lonely people struggle more than people with others to share it with. Comparing the life of the characters in the book to people today is much different because back when the great depression was being introduced, more and more people traveled alone. And today, its not common to see that. Overall loneliness is a stressful topic to talk about, just the thought of it makes people be more grateful for having someone in their life to share it with.

Comparing the Philosophy of Life in Christianity and...

Comparing the Philosophy of Life in Christianity and Chinese Buddhism Chinese Philosophy not only is the fruit of thinking of the Chinese nation, but also is the important component part of world culture. In Chinese philosophy, there are three main parts: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Among them, Chinese Buddhism, which came from India, experienced a course of sinicization under the influence of Chinese traditional culture represented mainly by Confucianism and Taoism , so it keeps the general features of Buddhism ,and also formed its Chinese characteristics. The changes of Chinese Buddhism from going out of this world to being in this world and building pure land in this world fully manifested the humanistic spirit†¦show more content†¦In this way , in actual life, there are often conflicts and struggles between goodness and evil in human nature. So Christianity stresses that human beings should believe in God, and depend on Gods power to ensure tending towards goodness, and entering the paradise after their death. Buddhism, starting from its basic teaching arising through causation (Pratityasamutpada), believes that all things are naturally formed from causes and condition (Hetupratyaya), man is also the combination from Five Classifications (Pancaskandha), under given conditions and the result of ignorance (Avidya). As for man is the result of ignorance, its a bit similar to Christian original sin . but influenced by Confucius goodness of human nature and Taoist return to nature and true , Chinese Buddhism specially emphasizes the inner basis of free from world , and stresses that human nature, which is naturally pure and enlightened but dirty and befuddled because of being hoodwinked by desire. Only when man could see mind and enlighten nature by practicing Buddhism, then he is free from world and become Buddha. Comparative speaking, both Christianity and Buddhism have the tendency of paying close attention to what happensShow MoreRelatedWestern and Non Western Divinity 774 Words   |  3 Pagesconcepts of western and non-western religious philosophies. For example, the Kyoto school of philosophers attempted to combine the phenomenology of Husserl with the insights of Zen Buddhism. Largely, most of the philosophers belonging to this school of thought were heavily influenced by the German philosophers, specifically the works of Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. In addition, many engaged their cultural resources to help them formulate their philosophy. However, while their work was not specificallyRead MoreConfucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, And Platonism1045 Words   |  5 PagesEssay One Brian Munoz Philosophy 10/23/15 What Are We - What are we? 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Rebuilding Companies as Communities

Question: Discuss about the Rebuilding Companies as Communities. Answer: Introduction: A community is a socially organized group of people having something in common for example the norms or identity which gives them the sense of togetherness. It is based on this idea of the community that Henry Mintzberg bases his argument as he brings out the concepts in the article Rebuilding Companies as Communities. He begins by identifying the cause to the collapse of many business entities as being due to the over-valuation of leadership at the expense of communityship.' To further elaborate the point, he uses Obamas presidential campaign, Toyota, Pixar and Semco as some of the operations whose success is credited back to the vibrancy of the communityship kind of cooperation. In his analysis, Henry does not entirely discredit leadership, though, he stands for having the leadership positions given just but enough credit in the success of any organization. He also points out the disadvantages brought about by the uncontrolled leadership positions like that of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This positions holders may at times do adopt strategies that devalue their employees equating them to human resources. Such policies like firing employees when the company does not attain its targets or offering themselves obscene packages at the expense of the organization. He claims that some holders of these positions barely understand what is actually on the ground and compares them to a person standing on top of a pyramid in Egypt. He still emphasizes on the middle-level accreditation by using From Top-Down to Middle-Out as an example. This type is where the organizations directions begin from the middle-level managers who are closer to the employees then spreads out to the rest of the firm. The strengths/weakness of arguments and assumptions As a starting point, Mintzberg acknowledges the importance of not only leadership but directional modes of administration. This mode is where the top most leaders in the organization provide directives to the rest of the organization. On the other hand, Mintzberg gives less credit to use of performance outcome data and instead prefers an information diet fed from hearsay, speculation, and gossips. He goes on to say this informal sources of information can be richer in content even though they are less reliable. Secondly, Mintzbergs concepts go contrary to what the performance belief has always been. Business experts advice that the company can transform its operations positively if it effectively inculcates performance management and measuring in its day to day activities. Research methods and limitations There are four typically applicable research methods namely correlational research, observational research, the quasi-experiments and the true experiments shows that he did apply observation as his primary means of data research. Through this method, the researcher used observation and recording of the information then later making a report out of it. The method he used for research also has its limitations which render the practice not to be fully active. One of the limits is that the method is limited to present time information only. All the historical events are not observable. Instead, they can only be got from second-hand sources like interviewing older employees at the firm or from past recorded sources like the company records. The second limitation is that the data collected cannot include personal opinions of the specimen under study (the employees). The exact presence of the viewer and the event under study are most of the time not certain. This uncertainty may act as a direct disadvantage to the observation method. Finally, the subjects under study may change their habits due to the knowledge that they are under study. Their reaction may then affect the overall results. Applicability of approach The managerial concept presented by Mintzberg is highly applicable in many organizations around the world. As a matter of fact, it is by the methods appropriate in reviving poorly performing entities or sub-branches within the same organization. All institutions have different managerial levels in its hierarchical structure. At the middle level lies some leaders together with another low-level employee. Mintzberg argued that these middle-level positions had the greatest influence on the overall performance of the entire entity. Proper organization of ideas, policies, and strategies at these intermediate managerial levels leads to the efficient outcome at the firm. The idea is applicable because it is also much easier to meet the majority of the employees at the business from these levels. Impact on concepts of organizational commitment and organizational decision-making Employees pay, career development, and job security are some of the obligations the business has on its employees (Toga, Khayundi and Mjoli 2014). By meeting these requirements, the organization expects its workers to reciprocate through increased commitments at work and consequently influence them to stay in the organization (Toga, Khayundi and Mjoli 2014; Smith 2011). Recent research has shown that any positive relationships between the employees and the organization ultimately leads increase in job performance. The leadership qualities and functions like decision making offer essential insights and directions to all the operations of the organization. In-depth research also revealed that the leader needs to possess the confidence quality in them to help in gathering information and the final decision-making process (Toga, Khayundi and Mjoli 2014). The manager needs to be informed by the kind of decisions to make to maintain the stakeholder's interest as it is considered that proper leadership and management is the exact success formula for any organization. Mintzbergs views vs. the four perspectives of organizational effectiveness Almost all organizational theories have the specific objective of making the organization more efficient. In the olden days, organizational effectiveness was determined by the extent to which the organization achieved its stated objectives (Shelton and Gartland). This perspective was limited in that there was no threshold of measuring the success. In the modern day, organizational effectiveness is monitored by the following aspects (Shelton and Gartland). Open systems perspective, internal subsystem effectiveness, organizational learning perspective, high-performance work practices perspective and stakeholder perspective. In a comparison of Mintzbergs view to the four views, there are more similarities than differences. To begin with, the concept presented in the organizational learning perspective resonates well with Mintzbergs idea of having the firms strategies developed at the middle-level managerial position. The position is strategically placed in between hierarchy of the enterprise. At this point, the lower level employees get reached too easily while at the same time, directives from the senior positions flow and get acted upon from the point. Therefore, in case the organization has relevant information that needs even distribution within itself, then the middle-level group certainly can carry out the task efficiently. The other important similarity is in line with the internal subsystems effectiveness. An efficient organization is one where there are higher production levels by use of minimal labor, energy, and materials. If the internal subsystems are effectively cooperative, then the organization can register impressive records on organizational efficiency. Mintzberg advocates for operating the organization in the community style whereby it is run from Top-Down to Middle-Out. Organizational Commitment. Every organization has a set strategy controlled by principles that direct its operations and the general management (Ananga and Magesh, 2016; Chimomona 2016). In its operations lies its employees who uphold a certain feeling of responsibility and strength towards the mission clearly defined in the organizations goals statement. Chimomona (2016) stresses that this responsibility brings the commitment that the employee has to the organization which profoundly determines whether the employee will maintain their position at the firm and support towards the attainment of the goals. This commitment is achievable only if there is cooperation between the organization and its employees. The employee engagement can be achieved by the organization serving its employees positively as well. For instance, the remuneration should be adequate and equitable to the amount of service that the workers provide. The firm can also add in other incentives like making arrangements for the employees to have educational improvements. Organizational decision-making Briggs and Little (2008) identifies leaders are the organizations decision makers. The efforts that they put in place to pursue the vision and goals of the organization involves the direction for prioritizing efforts and resources. They should also take full responsibility for the organizations activities, and therefore they need competent decision-making skills (Passarelli 2010). In case the organization uses the top position kind of leadership, then it will be challenging for an organization to achieve its goals quickly. Most of the time, these leaders do not know what exactly is happening on the ground. The middle-level managers in such organizations are reluctant of entirely undertaking their roles resulting in a poorly performing organization. The quality of decision made by the organizational leaders is an increasingly important aspect which determines the failure or success of the organization Kekana (n.d). In the current complex world filled with ever increasing levels of informational connectivity, scarce resources like the finances and the highly required need to meet the expectations of the stakeholders are some of the fields that call for the quality in decision-making skills. References Anagha K and Magesh R, 'Employee Motivation To Innovate And Resources Management: The Mediating Role Of Organisational Commitment' (2016) 9 International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy Briggs C and Little P, 'Impacts Of Organizational Culture And Personality Traits On Decision-Making In Technical Organizations' (2008) 11 Systems Engineering Chinomona E, 'ORGANISATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR AND EMPLOYEE PERCEPTION OF EQUITY ONORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT' (2016) 14 Corporate Ownership and Control Dadallage J, 'Experiencing Organisational And Personal Change Management For Continuous Organisational Effectiveness' (2015) 5 Sri Lanka Journal of Development Administration Gryzi?ska-Sawicka N, 'Possibilities And Limitations Of Research Methods Of The Social Structure In The Roman Iron Age In Poland' (2015) 20 Folia Praehistorica Posnaniensia Kekana M, The Impact Of Frequent Organizational Restructuring On Employees' Psychological Contracts In A Government Department Passarelli G, 'Employees Skills And Organisational Commitment' (2010) 4 International Business Research Shelton C, Gartland M and Stack M, 'The Impact Of Organisational Culture And Person-Organisation Fit On Job Satisfaction And Organisational Commitment In China And The USA' (2011) 1 International Journal of Management Development Smith I, 'Organisational Quality And Organisational Change' (2011) 32 Library Management The Impact Of Organisational Culture On Organisational Commitment (1st edn, 2009) Toga R, Khayundi D and Mjoli T, 'The Impact Of Organisational Commitment And Demographic Variables On Organisational Citizenship Behaviour' [2014] Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Zgrzywa-Ziemak A, 'The Impact Of Organisational Learning On Organisational Performance' (2015) 23 Management and Business Administration. Central Europe

What is the policy-making process Essay Example

What is the policy-making process Paper Policy-making process involves a linked series of actions or events1. It focuses on the way in which policy is made (process), rather than on the substance of policy itself and its consequences (product)2. In general, there are four main stages of the policy-making process, which are initiation, formulation, implementation and evaluation. The institutions or participants of policy-making process include political leadership, citizen participation or interest groups, legislature and legislators, bureaucracy and judiciary. In this essay, I will use the government policy to overcome traffic congestion in Singapore as a case study to illustrate the different stages. In my view, the implementation process is the most important stage in the policy process. Central to understanding policy-making process is the understanding of how decisions are made. Decision-making is a process that focuses on the people involved in the policy process and on the part of the process that deals with choosing among alternative course of action. This led us to the different theories of decision-making process: the Rational Actor Model (Rationality), the Incremental Model (Incrementalism), Bureaucratic Organization Models and the Belief System Model. The Rational Actor Model occurs in a very methodological, neat, problem solving process. Its features include the appraisal of problem, to identify the goals and rank order them, to canvass the possible alternatives, to consider the consequences of each alternative and finally to select the alternative that most closely matches the referred goals. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the policy-making process specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is the policy-making process specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is the policy-making process specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the Incremental Model, decisions are made through small or incremental moves on particular problems rather than through a comprehensive reform program. It is also endless because it takes the form of an indefinite sequence of policy moves. It focuses on making necessary changes and sees policy as variations of the past. In this model, the decisions are the product of bargaining. It implies that policy-making is a messy or untidy process of muddling through. The Bureaucratic Organization Models basically means getting into the Black Box. The organizational process model looks at values, assumptions and regular pattern of behavior in the organization. The policy itself is placed within the context of the organizations objectives, overall strategy and structures. The bureaucratic politics model involves bargaining between personnel and agencies. Lastly, there is the Belief System Model where the role of beliefs and ideologies and political values held by political parties and politicians determine what is to be done. Such ideologies often have the effect of excluding ideas, information and empirical evidence when they fail to support the political partys core beliefs3. The first stage of the policy-making process is initiation or agenda setting process. Agenda setting is the process by which problems and alternative solutions gain or lose public and elite attention4. It means getting problems to government. The participants of this process include governmental and non-governmental actors. The first component of initiation gets at the recognition of the problem with agenda setting. Without the perception of a problem, there is no incentive for the organization to disturb the status quo or to expend organizational energy initiating the policy process. A condition becomes a problem when we come to believe we should do something about them. A problem can be formally defined as a condition or situation that produces needs or dissatisfactions on the part of people for which relief or redress is sought5. Using the case study to illustrate this stage, traffic congestion (initially a condition) becomes a problem because it causes car owners to miss their appointments or be late for work. Traffic congestion is really a matter of time and money. Government or authorities need to solve the problem as it would save a lot of time and money and this would improve the welfare of the population as a whole. Government authorities like the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and academics suggest that traffic congestion may develop due to the size of vehicle population or limited amount of road space. The second stage of the policy-making process is formulation. According to Charles Jones, Formulation is a derivative of formula and means simply to develop a plan, a method, a prescription for acting on a problem6. In other words, formulation is a process of developing a plan or action to resolve a problem identified in stage one. It is about deciding what should be done, considering the alternatives and the actual drafting of legislation. In the case of the traffic congestion problem, the Chief Ministers, Cabinet and the Civil Servants are involved in the policy formulation. The roles of civil servants include information gathering, analyzing advising. They advise the Ministers the Cabinet for example on the cause of the problem, what options should be chosen how the policy should be developed. It thus gives them significant influences over policy formulation. The Ministers lack the expertise and time to perform many of these functions and are therefore dependent upon these Civil Servants. Next, the available options to solve the problem such as building more roads, widening existing roads or limiting vehicle use (by making it more expensive) are identified. Each of these options has benefits and costs. For example, building more roads involves financial costs, opportunity costs disruption to communities but provides more road space. After this, the option is finally chosen in this case study i. . to limit vehicle population by implementing the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system. The third stage is policy implementation. It involves those activities directed toward putting a program into effect7. Basically, it is concerned with putting the ideas of stage two into action. It is essentially a practical activity, as distinguished from policy formulation, which is essentially theoretical. The bureaucracy is the executive arm of this process. There are three sets of activities that the bureaucracy engages in order to execute a course of action over time. The top-level bureaucracy (Cabinet and Ministers) is involved in the interpretation activity i. e. the translation of program language into acceptable and feasible directives. The mid-level bureaucracy (Civil Servants) is involved in the organization activity i. e. the establishment of units and methods for putting a program into effect. The Street-level bureaucracy (Personnel of LTA) is involved in the application activity i. e. the routine provision of services, payments, or other agreed-upon program objectives or instruments. Returning to the case study, the Singapore government implemented the ERP system in 1999 to better manage road use. The Ministry of Transport, the LTA and the Subordinate Courts are involved in the implementation stage. Basically, the LTA sets the amount that motorists have to pay at different times of the day. Motorists who pass through an operational ERP gantry without a properly inserted Cash Card in the In-Vehicle Unit (IU), or with a Cash Card with insufficient balance to pay for the ERP charges, will have to pay an administrative surcharge plus the ERP charge within two weeks of the violation8. If the administrative charge and the ERP charge are not paid within this period, they will receive a Notice of Traffic Offence offering to compound the offence payable within 28 days9. Upon expiry of the Notice, the matter will be referred to the Court. There is also composition fine for passing through an ERP gantry without an IU. The final stage is policy evaluation. Given the imperfect nature of formulation and the contingent nature of implementation, a policy will meet with varying success. In the evaluation stage, analysts will return to evaluate the policy to determine whether it is producing the desired results, to recommend whether it ought to be modified, and even to determine whether resources should be shifted to other programs. The results of evaluation may suggest that the policy ought to be abolished or replaced with a new approach to the issue. This often-ongoing evaluation may well serve to set the agenda again, setting off another round through the policy process. Success itself has to be evaluated. For instance, the ERP system may be relatively effective in managing traffic conditions along major roads and within the central business district, but at the cost of reducing disposable income. This would in turn increase the cost of living the costs of businesses. The authorities might incur a backlash or criticism from the people. Therefore the costs and benefits need to be examined in every case. Side effects must be taken into account. The government can be seen to create its own problems, which then require new public policy to deal with them. The government may, for example, choose to cut down the steep prices of the ERP system or to widen existing roads. In my view, the implementation process is the most important stage in the policy process. It is an important but frequently overlooked step. Firstly, lacking proper implementation, policy innovation and selection may end up being little more than intellectual exercises. Indeed, faulty policy implementation can invalidate the earlier, carefully considered steps in the policy-making process and thereby intensify the original problem. This stage then, warrants our careful attention. Secondly, policy failures mostly occur at the implementation stage. This is because policy-makers have not paid enough attention to policy implementation. To identify the problems caused by implementation, one needs to first acknowledge the difference between non-implementation and unsuccessful implementation. Unsuccessful implementation is where the failure is in the policy or the theory it is based upon. This may happen due to insufficient resources, organizational complexity, inadequate planning, inflated aspirations and complex environments. Non-implementation is when a policy is not put into effect as it was intended. It could be that those involved in its execution are uncooperative or inefficient. Government influence on the interpretation and application of laws, rules and guidelines is seen to be diluted by the delegation of wide discretion to those actually carrying out the policies10. Besides, the government may leave it to the discretion of agencies and Civil Service departments. Hence, the problem of unclear objectives is noted. There is a need during the implementation stage for an understanding and agreement on clear objectives, which must persist throughout the implementation stage, for it to be successful. Thirdly, different implementing agencies may depend on other agencies for success. The smaller the number of relationships between agencies and the smaller their importance, chance of success would be greater. The more they depend on others the more inefficient they will become. In addition, administrators can face many obstacles outside their control, as they are external to the policy or the implementation process. Sometimes these can be put down to bad luck, like physical obstructions such as drought upsetting an agricultural program. Sometimes it may be political obstacles that get in the way, as with the public condemnation of the Poll Tax in Europe, leading to reforms in the policy cycle. However, this is not to say that the other stages of the policy-making process are unimportant. We still need to consider the relative importance of other stages as well because any policy failure may be due to the problems arising from these stages. Policy initiation is crucial in that it sets the political agenda by both defining certain problems as issues and by determining how those issues are to be addressed. Problem definition and policy formulation have contingent or dependent relationships. Problems need to be defined first before policy formulation on a particular course of action is made. As Charles Lindblom says Policy-makers are not faced with a given problem11. Policy-makers are constantly probing, searching and redefining problems and issues. Basically, how one diagnoses a problem would determine ones prescription. Formulation is also important because it includes a number of analytical steps such as the decision about how to decide, assessing the various options and selecting the best, and the actual drafting of legislation. It is the decision-making stage of the policy process. It is the most overtly political stage insofar as the many potential solutions to a given problem must somehow be winnowed down to one or a few picked and readied for use. Obviously, most possible choices will not be realized. Moreover, the policy-makers might get it wrong at this stage by choosing the wrong approach and this can result in policy failures which subsequently occur at the implementation stage. Policy success does require that policy be formulated upon a valid theory of cause and effect. Formulation should be based on adequate understanding of the problem; otherwise it can lead to reasoning of its effects which are very different from the eventual actuality. If policy does fail, it might be this underlying theory that is at fault. Undoubtedly, the evaluation stage is also important. This process is required as our understanding of social issues and the effect of government intervention is imperfect. We cannot be certain of the results a policy will bring or of the efficiency and success of implementing it. Therefore there is a need for evaluation in the policy-making process. It must be decided whether the policy meet the objectives it was designed for. Even when a policy has enjoyed some level of success it is unlikely that it will act as maintaining this level of improvement. It is more likely to lead to a continuation or modification of the existing policy. In conclusion, policy-making process is a long-term matter starting with the establishing of goals and moving through the selection of alternatives and to the implementation and evaluation of the solution. Nonetheless, policy-making is instead a complexly interactive process without beginning or end12. This process model is criticized as being too ordered, predictable and rational. In actuality, policy does not follow this sequential order of approach. Moreover, the boundaries between the different stages are blurred. For instance, policy implementation may lead to problem definition and policy evaluation is a constant activity. They are not restricted to a stipulated stage or time. In my view, the implementation process is the most important stage in the policy process, as a policy will remain as an idea if it is not implemented.

Change Management by Shagun Jain.

Change Management by Shagun Jain. Massive change is impacting on all facets of society, creating new dimensions and great uncertainty. Instant communication, jet aircraft at three times the speed of sound, rioting student, the Hippy movement, the emerging independent black nation are all the changing dimensions of changing world. These are few of the earth shaking changes which have occurred in and around last two decades. The issue facing mankind today is how to manage such change.Every facet of life from behavioral ethics to organizational and even national survival is undergoing change as forces external to facet changes. Three origins of change such as:1.Institutional-structural2.Technological3.Social-behavioral.are identifiable. The origin of one change has an impact on other origin of changes. For example technological break thorough of the communication in computers resulted in tremendous change of behavioral through an extensive and immediate involvement of the average citizen in world event.à º ¥Ã  º ²Ã  º §: à º Ã  º ²Ã  ºâ„¢Ã  ºË†Ã  º ±Ã  ºâ€Ã  º Ã  º ²Ã  ºâ„¢Ã  ºâ€¢Ã  »â€°Ã  º ­Ã  ºâ€¡...Earlier it was like one month to reach the person across the seven sea's but now it is on the click of the button.The impact of the three change origins on the individual, on organization, and on geopolitical. The management of change by individual, organization, and national and international bodies is critical to survival and health in the decades ahead. The individual who invests his most formative years in an education and his most productive year in occupational activities must build his personal competence both to survive and manage change. Organizations require flexibility in structure and appropriate strategies if they are to survive and be viable in the decade ahead. And government, institutions, and international coordination must create the appropriate environment to permit individuals and organizations to prosper and create the fruits of civilization.AN OVERVIEW OF CHANGEOur emphasi s is primarily on how individuals and organizations can face...

Snows of Mt. Kilamanjaro essays

Snows of Mt. Kilamanjaro essays This story is uniquely Hemingway by its long sentences with many conjunctions. The writing uses many commas, which separates the big chucks/clauses of his sentences. This is a common characteristic of Hemingways writing as well as his simple descriptions of nature, use of colloquial language, writing about things he knows intimately (hunting), and symbols that do not detract form the story. All these styles Hemingway writes with were present in The Snows of Kilimanjaro. The insight of the early twentieth-century mind-frame Hemingway gives us is the feelings and love affairs of different people. Hemingways character, Harry, thinks about all the women he has been with and how he has used them for money. Harry goes after rich women because he has no money and he believes there is a major difference between normal people and rich people, in his time. This shows the bias people had. What I liked about this story is the way Harry reflected on his life while he sat, waiting for deat h. Without this insight, the story would have no connection with the reader. The adventures Harry ruminated made an association with the reader giving the story more feeling and emotion to it, making it more enjoyable. It was a good writing strategy. What I did not like was the ending. I did not understand the last part where it said Harry went off in the plane to the Kilimanjaro mountaintop, but then the story went back to Harry dead in his bed, with his girlfriend weeping for him. ...

Companys IT & Competitive Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Companys IT & Competitive Advantage - Essay Example The organizations and companies are under constant pressure of competition. First this competition was just with the local industries, organizations and companies, but as the world is coming closer and closer every day and is turning into a global village, the circle of competition has grown from local platform to the global platform. Now the firm of one country tends to compete with the firms of not only their own country but also the firms of other countries of the world.The use of information technology makes it a bit easier to compete. It makes them flexible and feasible, generates better productivity and yields better outcomes. It helps them far more than expected and is thought of in earning better profits, in fact even creating new sources of profits, which might include services like online business opportunities etc described by C Kenneth Allard (2004) such thatInformation technology can help a company to be less identifiable with all other related firms and be more differen t. It in fact can make a company stand out among the other competitors and can help it make and, more importantly, leave a mark of its own in the minds of the consumers, which goes a long way to help a company in achieving and maintaining competitive advantage.This is one of the major reasons why the statistics show a constantly increasing rate of growth in the part of the expenditure made on IT and its implications. In some of the areas, IT comprises as much as 50% of total capital investments.

Which city should hold the common wealth games montreal or kuala Essay

Which city should hold the common wealth games montreal or kuala lumpur - Essay Example It was then set to be held in Montreal. In 1946 the event was temporarily abandoned following the outcome of the war and has henceforth continued beginning 1950. The Commonwealth Games as an event normally sees such sporting activities as athletics, boxing, fencing, golf, gymnastics, tennis, Taekwondo, netball, rowing, rugby wrestling and weightlifting, just to mention a few, take place. In total, 21 sports have been approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation for the event. The games are categorized into three; core sports, optional sports and recognized sports. In every Commonwealth Games event, the core sports must be featured at the very least. Several optional sports may be picked for playing by the host nation. The recognized sports on the other hand can only be picked if the federation’s requirements in respect of the same have been fulfilled. Hosting of the international event is normally a privilege to the host country as it stands to gain in various aspects. The host country gains economically, socially and politically while at the same time receiving international attention and recognition. The massive influx of tourists and sport participants sees the host country earn a lot of foreign exchange as its nationals offer services to the visitors. Furthermore, the country’s gross domestic product for the year is bound to increase following the increase in business before, during and after the event. Two cities that have sought to host the Commonwealth Games are Kuala Lumpur and Montreal. The paper discusses the two countries in view of their suitability as hosts for the international event. Based on the discussion, a conclusion will be made stating which of the two cities is more suitable as host to an international event of this capacity. The Commonwealth Games is an international event that attracts several athletes, participants, commentators, media, organizers, business organizations, government agencies and international

Proessionals Responsibility To The Society Essay Example for Free

Proessionals Responsibility To The Society Essay Professionals should not restrict their work to their work place only. Instead they should extend it to the community in which they operate. Professionals can be involved in the society in many ways which include education, economic empowerment and creation of international links. Professionals have a wider understanding of the contemporary affairs. This knowledge can be used to educate the society on its civil rights, how to respond to social challenges and enlightening them on the national and international affairs. The society expects the professionals to use their knowledge and understanding of these matters to help them to be better braced to face challenges in the society. Education can be done through seminars, awareness meeting and mobilizations in order to enable the people to live together harmoniously. The society needs awareness in matters of gender parity, respect for religious and racial differences within the community and other social matters as may be violated in the society. Another area of education is how to utilize the natural resources sustainably since ignorance of such a serious matter can cause drastic effects on people. Â  Professionals can also contribute to the economic empowerment of the society through many ways. They can either directly or indirectly take part in activities aimed at developing people economically in the society. They can do this by proving the necessary conducive environment that can enable people in the society to realize their full potential. In empowering people, professionals have the obligation to enlighten the society on the factors of production available to them and how to look for market for their goods. They can also contribute directly by building schools, factories and medical facilities where people in the community can access them easily. Professionals are in a better position, due to their experience and knowledge, to identify talents in the society. Such talents can be developed and promoted in order to enable be people to live to their potentials. Organization of sporting activities and meet people campaigns are some of the activities which can be used to achieve this. At the same time professionals can use their knowledge to provide carrier counseling for students within the community in which they work. This can help them in choosing their carriers hence empowering them economically in future. Â  Professionals can help to link the society with the outside world. Since they have a better understanding of the culture, believes and economic activities of other people, they can enlighten the society not only on how to interact but also areas of interaction that can realize maximum returns out of such interactions. They can be involved in exchange programs in fields of education, business and culture to mention but a few. This can promote international understanding and cooperation among different countries. Â  Journalists are supposed to provide information to the society. However, this can be difficult in societies where the living standards are low. It becomes difficult for people to access the information due to poverty levels. At the same time some in some countries there is lack of freedom to journalists. They are limited on what they can report. While fighting for their rights, they should fight for the rights of the society as well. Â  Teachers on the other hand are supposed to reduce illiteracy level in the society but this is made difficult by the fact that education is expensive in some countries. Cultural reasons also water their efforts to lighten the society through education. Â  Lawyers can be of benefit to the society by promoting civil rights in the society but their work is hindered mostly by cultural and reasons. Some practices which violate human rights are in most cases valued highly by people in the society. Failure to report of injustices committed in the society also contributes to the difficulties the lawyers face in carrying out their responsibility to the society. Â  Reference: 1). www.internews.org/global/gov/default.shtm 2). www.americanpressinstitute.org/pages/resources/2005/07/

Stereotypes in the American Media Essay -- Media Stereotypes Stereotyp

Stereotypes in the American Media Propaganda is an effective device that is used to influence and manipulate human behavior by appealing to emotions. When propaganda is combined with stereotypes, it usually produces negative results. A simplified view of a group of people, spread by mass communication can cause people to be more narrow-minded and can alter their perspective. Living in the Information Age, people are exposed to a constant stream of ideas and images. These ideas can reflect the views of those with a hidden agenda. They can also produce a generality about something that people are not familiar with, therefore readily accept the stereotype. There are many examples of propaganda from recent times that include stereotypes that assist in getting the message across. From political ideology to advertising, some uses of stereotypes in propaganda are successful in influencing the masses, while others are more transparent and less effective. Sweeping generalizations of people of Middle-Eastern descent are prevalent the American media, especially films, which can easily influence how an audience regards people of this origin. Most action films promote American patriotism, but at the same time, make an enemy of Non-American people. In the past 10 years, people from Arab speaking countries have been portrayed as terrorists in American films. This typecasting generates a view of this ethnicity that is associated with terrorist activity. In the article â€Å"Arabs in Hollywood: An Undeserved Image† that author, Scott J. Simon, discusses action films that portray Arabs as the enemy. â€Å"While the plot of True Lies seems to be no different than any other action movie involving spies and smugglers, the characterization of the Arab g... ...ALD, Michael. [2003]. Dixie Chicks axed by Clear Channel. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. FRANCL, Luke. [2004]. Back to Vermont: New Club for Growth Ad in Iowa. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. CHAVANU, Bakari. [1999]. Seventeen, Self-Image, And Stereotypes. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. MEDINA, Sam. [2003]. Female Stereotypes in Advertising. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. GRAHAM, Judith. [2001]. Five Ways to Save on Essential Cosmetics. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004.

William James

William James, an American psychologist and philosopher was born on January 11, 1842 at the Astor House in New York City. His father James Sr. is described as an independently wealthy and notoriously eccentric Swedenborgian theologian well acquainted with the literary and intellectual elites of his day. (wikipedia, 2011, p. 1) The James family were remarkable epistolary of talents. His brother became a prominent novelist and his sister publicly published a diary. James was a very ill child, who had various amounts of sickness both physical and psychological all growing up and eventually until his death. He attended Harvard Medical School in 1864 and the following year, went on a scientific expedition on the Amazon River. Soon after he fell sick and traveled to Germany in search of a cure and stayed until November 1868. His self diagnosed â€Å"soul-sickness† was cured in 1872. James went on to earn his M. D. in June 1872, although he would never practice medicine. In the same year James began to teach at Harvard University. In his spare time James read philosophy and began to see a link between it and physiology. To James the two seemed to converge in psychology. Morris, Maisto, 2010, p. 6) He published his first textbook, The Principles of Psychology in 1890. He married Alice Gibbons in 1878. William James studied and taught biology, medicine, and psychology but was more interested in the scientific study of the human mind. James' acquaintances Herman Helmoholtz of Germany Pierre Janet of France implemented courses of scientific psychology at Harvard in the 1875-76 school ye ar. (Shultz, 2004, p. 179). James and associates created the lively group known as The Metaphysical Club in 1872. Some of James' students included Boris Sidis, Theodore Roosevelt, W. E. B. Dubois, Walter Lipmann, Mary Culkins, Ralph Barton Perry, G. Stanley Hall, Horace Kallen, and George Santayana. William James retried from Harvard University in 1907. James published Pragmatism, Pluralistic Universe and The Meaning Of The Truth. During his last years he became ill again but this time with cardiac pain. James worked on a philosophy text (unfinished but posthumously published as Some Problems In Philosophy. The following year James sailed to Europe to partake in experimental treatments that proved to be unsuccessful. He returned home and finally succumbed to his illness on August 26, 1910 t his home in Chocorua, NH. He was buried at Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge, MA, in the family plot. (wikipedia, 2011, p. 3) James despite his constant illnesses lived a very prestigious life, he lived out his passions and researched his curiosities. He was one of the strongest proponents of Pragmatism in philosophy and functionalism in psychology. James founded the American Society for Psychical Research. He always challenged his colleagues and students not to let a narrow mindset prevent and honest appraisal of those. (wikipedia, 2001, p. 3) James was found to be the 14th most eminent psychologist of the 20th Century. (Haggbloom, 2002, vol. , 6, No. 2, 139-45) Pragmatism is defined by James as â€Å"truths emerge from facts, but they dip forward into fact again and add to them; which facts again create or reveal new truth (the word is indifferent) and so on indefinitely. The ‘facts' themselves meanwhile are not true. They simply are. Truth is the function of the beliefs that start and terminate among them. † (Mounce, 1997). â€Å"The Will To Believe† a philosophy of pragmatism and a famous lecture of 1897 by James defended the right to violate the principle of evidentialism to justify hypothesis' venturing. This theory justifies religious beliefs by using results of his hypothetical venturing to prove support the hypothesis' truth. â€Å"My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will. † (XXX, 1909, p. 177) James simply asserted that his will was a free two-stage decision process that separates chance, from choice. The Philosophy of Religion was taken very seriously by James he interpreted religious experiences according to his pragmatic conclusions. He claimed that when studying Religion the main topic should be just that, Religion because everything else is just a descendent of Religion. James also said that only a Psychologist can accurately interpret Religious experiences because have the best insight of the human mind. in 1884 William James published an article â€Å"What Is An Emotion? † (psychclassics, 1884, p. 188-205) he conceived of an emotion in terms according to a sequence of events. This article was very important not only because of his remarkable response to the question but also because there were no psychology journals, yet. James felt that emotions were often accompanied by bodily responses. For example If you were to run from a vicious dog, your body will respond to your emotion of fear by heart rate increase, because you ran your body will sweat and/or ache you may also be out of breathe. Basically your body goes through physiological upheaval. Now love has a totally different physiological signature, the parasympathetic nervous system.

Leading Change

â€Å"The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back† is the 2nd law in The Laws of the Fifth Discipline.   These laws are the core of a process called systems thinking and the concept is that it’s â€Å"best to manage the system, not just the individual processes.†Ã‚   (West & Cianfrani, 2004, p. 69)   Corporations have a tendency to look at the â€Å"direct linear cause and effect relationships,† rather than looking at â€Å"interactions.†Ã‚   (West & Cianfrani, 2004, p. 69)   Peter Senge’s book The Fifth Discipline identified 10 laws that defined systems thinking. The 2nd law in The Laws of the Fifth Discipline can be interpreted as â€Å"Compensating feedback.†Ã‚   Senge defines this as â€Å"when well-intentioned interventions call forth responses from the system that offset the benefits of the intervention.†Ã‚   (Senge, 1990, p. 58) In other words, the more effort exerted to change or improve the current organizational processes, the more effort it requires. Organizations have experienced this process when, for example, a product or brand suddenly begins to lose its popularity within the market.   When organizations begin to push new marketing strategies aggressively it often turns out that more revenue is spent on the marketing efforts with only a temporary pay back.   This process is not only limited to the business market, it can also be illustrated in personal experiences.   Senge uses the smoker as an example – if a person who is a regular smoker suddenly quits he or she might begin to gain weight, become frustrated with personal appearance and then suddenly begin smoking again.   (Senge, 1990, p. 59) As humans it is natural for us to get drawn into the process of compensating feedback.   We push harder and it’s exhausting and we often â€Å"glorify the suffering that ensues.†Ã‚   (Senge, 1990, p. 59)   When our efforts to produce change fail initially, we push harder and often have the belief that our hard work and effort will overcome all of the obstacles in front of us. However, compensating feedback is a process where we become blind to the fact that our efforts are actually contributing to the current obstacles we are facing as well as creating others we must overcome. (Senge, 1990, p. 59-60) Over the past two decades information and communication technology has continuously evolved and has empowered small businesses and large corporations with new emerging markets and tools.   The Internet has become the information highway and has impacted both social and economic relationships in various sectors such as education, health, government, trade and tourism.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. vii) In order to maintain its impact on society the information technology must continuously evolve to compensate for future needs for both local and global societies.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. VI)   Focusing on one idea or concept that does not elicit long-term success consumes time and effort that is imperative to online success. The consistent evolution of technology and the platforms provided are numerous and are impacting our society regularly.   These newly emerging technologies affect the way we do business, communicate with others, daily entertainment, study and do research.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. VI)   Ecommerce is the largest growing platform of the World Wide Web and it has provided a â€Å"new momentum of doing business in the digital economy.†Ã‚   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. VI) In order to compensate and adjust to the constant change through the internet environment we must be able to identify the implications. At the end of 2004 it was estimated that 750 million users represented the Internet community worldwide.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. VI) The e-marketplaces consist of various products and services that market their products both from Business to Business and Business to consumer.   These products and services provide value for both buyers and sellers. In order to create a successful ecommerce venture processes must be transformed from the traditional ways of doing business to modern Internet transactions that are efficient to both the buyer and the seller.   The biggest challenge for internet businesses is adapting to the virtual environment and integrating their current business processes into the e-marketplace. (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. 97) The Internet environment has its benefits as well as disadvantages, or threats.   On a local business level it immediately provides â€Å"easy and fast entrance to new markets,† 24/7 business hours, less physical structure maintenance, and the possibility of sales increasing.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. 99) For buyers this offers more selection of products and services, 24/7 business access and easy comparison between the various seller’s offers.     (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. 99) Threats for businesses as a whole are the loss of direct customer face to face relationships, increased competition and the extra funds required for consistent upgrading of products and platforms.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. 99)   For buyers there is the same lack of direct face to face relationships, the unknown reliability of the seller and lack of trust in products and services.   (Waddell & Singh, 2003, p. 99) E-commerce is about â€Å"rediscovering the individuality of the customers and their needs, and the creation of frictionless modes of commercial interaction with them.†Ã‚  Ã‚   (May, 2000, p. 4)   Businesses must approach change in an internet environment carefully, as in the traditional business model the direct interaction allows the consumer to feel important.   Ecommerce does not provide the close interaction; therefore it is imperative that the online business practices allow the consumer to feel like a person, not a type.   (May, 2000, p. 5) A great example of ecommerce success is Amazon.com.   This company has proven its ability to implement change and business growth without affecting its customer base or falling behind the competition.   The vision of the â€Å"Earth’s biggest bookstore† (May, 2000, p. 52) was to offer a range and large quantity of products that would dominate traditional booksellers and to â€Å"achieve market ubiquity without acquiring retail real estate.†Ã‚   (May, 2000, p. 52) Jeff Bezos identified books as an ideal product for selling online because the number of books the traditional bookseller could offer was limited; therefore, if these products were offered online the number available would be unlimited.   In a sense the book trade has always been â€Å"virtual† – any customer can enter a traditional bookstore and order any book in print. Amazon.com brought a new online concept to the book trade and improved the efficiency of a traditional process.   However, though this insight was extraordinary introducing the concept into the ecommerce marketplace meant that consistent change was necessary and that customers must receive the same attention and personal relationships currently experienced in the traditional environment.   (May, 2000, p. 53-54) In order to change the ecommerce impersonal environment Amazon.com had to introduce a new strategy into maintaining and increasing its customer base.   Changing the internet environment is not a simple display creation or the addition of a personable salesperson to physically approach customers.   Amazon.com had to approach this change with a technology based solution that offered a personal approach to its customers.   The applications Amazon implemented offered their customers a positive experience. Customers are now able to access their portfolios at any time and without interaction with a sales representative.   These portfolios are personalized and address customers on a first name basis, provide purchase history and even suggest similar titles that might be of interest to the customers.   This change provided a personal touch, saved Amazon on staff time and clearly benefits the customer.   (May, 2000, p. 54) Rick Berry, CEO of ICGCommerce.com, an Internet-Based procurement business, describes leading an e-commerce business as â€Å"driving a Ferrari with a cinderblock on the accelerator.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004)   This fast-paced environment requires consistent change, as â€Å"E-Procurement is a $10 trillion market worldwide.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004) Berry states that building a procurement business in the traditional sense would take at least 10 years to become successful; however within the internet environment they are making an attempt to establish credibility within six months.   Their goal is â€Å"to grab a chunk of that market before the competition moves in.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004) Berry believes that talent is what businesses require to provide effective leadership and the ability to change quickly within Internet based businesses.   Leadership must have the ability to â€Å"attract teams of talented risk-takers.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004)  Ã‚   The speed of the working environment in an e-commerce structure means that very little time is available to train staff; therefore leaders of e-commerce ventures â€Å"must strive to create a specific type of work culture† that is high-energy and results-oriented.   (Pandya, 2004) Because little time is allowed for training and communication in an internet environment is more direct than others, changing the actions of others as well as effectively communicating the vision of change is difficult.   â€Å"You communicate directly, and you must build a team that can cope with that.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004) If an internet company is to be successful it must begin with establishing a visionary culture with the ability to attract and retain talented staff.   Talented staff members have the ability to effectively introduce change within the internet environment effectively and without disrupting business flow. David Perry, founder of Chemdex says that creating a successful business with the ability to adapt to the constant change of the internet environment is â€Å"raising money, so you can hire good people, so you can make and sell good products, so you can raise more money.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004)   These staff members must be â€Å"enthusiastic, passionate and share the organization’s values.†Ã‚   (Pandya, 2004) In his article titled The True Value of Change Management, George Spafford quotes â€Å"The only constant is change.†Ã‚   (Spafford, 2005)   He believes that many IT organizations â€Å"lack a fundamental understanding of the need to manage change† and that these organizations feel that change management stops at budgetary planning. When introducing change into the internet environment organizations must understand that this process has huge impacts on business operations – the more complex the change is within the system the â€Å"effective change management processes† increase.   (Spafford, 2005)   As most change within the internet environment is technology based, it’s imperative to know that 80% of security breaches have been caused by human error. (Spafford, 2005) Potential solutions in technology have three parts â€Å"people, technology and process.†Ã‚   (Spafford, 2005)   Most organizations have processes in place where change requests are â€Å"submitted, reviewed, planned tested, scheduled and then implemented.† (Spafford, 2005)   The procedures are put into place to ensure that proper thought and planning have been applied and the implications assessed before introducing it within the business structure. Spafford believes that many organizations lack the resources to implement change and that many simply give up once the implications have surfaced with unsuccessful results.   He believes that companies must learn from their mistakes and work continuously to improve and implement future successes.   Developing one simple model of change in an internet environment can also be devastating.   â€Å"The point is to be flexible, keep costs down and remain responsive, adopting multiple change models.†Ã‚   (Spafford, 2005) The ability to manage change within the internet environment will always be a challenge for organizations.   Effective leadership is the key to any organization’s success as well as leadership’s ability to attract talented staff members who are constantly looking to the future, rather than traditional one-sided ideas. Technology is constantly evolving and introducing new competitive strategies into the ecommerce marketplace and little time is available to adapt to the competition.   Looking back at The Laws of the Fifth Discipline, â€Å"The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back† we see that it’s imperative to remain open-minded and constantly looking to the future where new concepts and ideas will introduce positive changes to the Internet environment. References May, P. (2000). The Business of Ecommerce: From Corporate Strategy to Technology. New York, New York: Cambridge University. Pandya, M. (2004). Center for Leadership and Change Management:   Leadership in E-Commerce:   What does it Take to Lead an E-Commerce Venture? Retrieved from http://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu/ecommerce/articles/Wharton_ECommerce_Forum.shtml Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline. New York, New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group. Spafford, G. (2005, August 15). Datamation:   The True Value of Change Management. Retrieved from http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/service/article.php/3527471 Waddell, D., & Singh, M. (2003). E-Business Innovation and Change Management. London: Idea Group Inc (IGI). West, J., & Cianfrani, C. A. (2004). Unlocking the Power of Your Qms: Keys to Business Performance Improvement. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: American Society for.          Leading Change Introduction Intense global competition, rapid technological change, and international capital markets are creating more demand for change leadership than at perhaps any other time in history. These forces, combined with the complexity of new and more global organizational forms that span nations and unite organizations through alliances, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions, make the job of leadership increasingly difficult. No wonder it is popular to suggest that leadership is in short supply in most organizations. Moreover, we have a limited understanding of the role that leaders should play in making effective change a reality. This is the motivation for this essay. In the pages that follow, I discuss how leaders can help organizations change to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.Body of the Essay It is one thing to argue that organizations need to reinvent themselves and develop new, more effective approaches to organizing, and quite another to accomplish it . Large-scale organizational transformation is, at best, a developing art that has yet to produce any clear formulas for success, but more and more attention is being turned to executives as the principle agents of change and adaptation. It is increasingly common to assume that leadership plays the crucial role in an organization's successful adaptation to a changing world. Companies are paying record compensation to attract the best and brightest executive talent to lead them safely through today's turbulent business environment. Many boards and executive recruiters assume that there exists an elite corps of individuals who possess leadership skills that have almost universal application.The subject of leadership and organization change is embedded deeply in the lexicon and discourse of business executives, management consultants, and organizational scholars. Business periodicals, the trade press, and academic publications are brimming with information and knowledge about leading o rganization change. Widespread attention to leading change is largely a reflection of the times. Fueled by unprecedented changes in technologies, markets, and economies, organizations are experiencing rapidly changing environments and enormous competitive pressures. Responses to these challenges are resulting in a virtual revolution in new organizational forms and systems. Organizations are increasingly seeking to transform themselves to become more adaptable and competitive, with leaner, more flexible structures, more empowered and committed employees, and more performance-driven human resource practices. (Lawler et al., 1995)As organizations strive to implement these innovations, they discover that change is incredibly arduous, requiring a great deal of expertise, resources, and luck. The sheer difficulty of transforming organizations is evident in their enormous inertial qualities as well as the scope and magnitude of the required changes. Organization transformation typically in volves radical changes in strategy and structure, in work practices and methods, and in members' perceptions, norms, and work behaviors. As many observers have pointed out, because transformational change involves the total organization including strategic relationships with the competitive environment, top leaders or CEOs need to lead the change process and are essential to its success. (Tichy & Devanna, 1986; Greiner & Bhambri, 1989; Nadler, 1997)â€Å"The Harder You Push, The Harder The System Pushes Back† Any organization has its own corporate culture and the employees in all hierarchies are accustomed to that particular culture. Bringing about any change at any level is bound to shake the status quo and bring in an element of disturbance within the smooth functioning of the organization. Keeping that in mind, the change leader has to be extremely careful in doing the job and allowing ample space and time for the employees and other variables to adjust to the change being brought about. If the change process is accelerated too much and transformation is imposed hard on the people and the system as a whole, it will result in increased resistance from the system and mounting difficulties in the process of change.â€Å"Change involves moving from the known to the unknown (Cummins/Worley, 1993). Because the future is uncertain and may adversely affect people’s competencies, worth, and coping abilities, organizational members generally do not support change, unless compelling reasons convince them to do so. Similarly, organizations tend to be heavily invested in the status quo, and they resist changing it in the face of uncertain future benefits. Consequently, a key issue in planning for action is how to motivate commitment to organizational change, such as Business Reengineering. This requires management attention to two related tasks: creating readiness for change and overcoming resistance to change.† http://www.prosci.com/w_4.htmPeople c an be made ready to accept and contribute towards change once they themselves get to feel the need for change. This means making people so discontented with the status quo that they are provoked to try new ways of performing. Generating such discontent can be to a certain extent difficult. People who have been functioning and behaving in ways that have become norms for them now, may find it difficult to the level of hurt, prior to their undertaking the change seriously. In a situation as sensitive as such, the change has to be led very cautiously providing room for delay. The many issues related to change leadership could be structured around multiple themes. They include leader behaviors for effective change, sources of change, different change strategies, whether leadership really matters, and the development of change leaders.Most leadership scholars emphasize the importance of developing a vision or direction as the first step in leading change. This direction is critical in mak ing sure that everyone is moving in the same direction. It is, however, an open question whether a vision is really necessary for leading change. A key issue, particularly in the literature on charismatic leadership, is how to create a sense of empowerment and ownership for employees.One argument is that this requires giving employees the autonomy to determine appropriate means for implementing the vision. (Conger, 1989) Prior research has shown that employees are most motivated when they have the freedom to determine what works best given their talents and skills. (Spreitzer et al., 1997) However, in order for such autonomy to work employees must have access to the resources necessary for implementation and to information about the competition and the financial situation of their organization; without these they are likely to feel helpless in bringing about change. Also, rewards may be particularly helpful in building a sense of ownership. (Lawler, 1986)Leaders in crisis organizati ons facing a revitalization challenge must devote considerable effort at the front end of their transformation to the creation of resources. Individuals' resistance to change builds in direct proportion to the magnitude of the gap they perceive between the level of effort expected of them as part of the transformation process and the resources available to get the job done. Often this initial resource-generating step involves closing and consolidating peripheral or under-performing operations, trimming employee payrolls, reducing corporate staff overhead expenses, and suspending or deferring programs so that current operations can generate more cash to be redeployed to the launch of the corporate transformation process. Leaders attempting to revitalize their organizations also need to seek new external resources as they launch their transformation process.For example, at General Electric during the early 1980s under Jack Welch, the creation of slack resources was not so much a probl em as was the reallocation of existing resources to the corporate transformation effort. So the initial transformation issue was less one of resource creation than one of resource reallocation. Businesses that did not fit the vision had to fix, sell, or close themselves, and resources that would otherwise be consumed by these ill-fitting businesses were reallocated to enhance productivity and automation initiatives and to fuel capital investments in businesses that offered greater promise for achieving Welch's lofty vision of being first or second in their chosen global markets. (Aguilar et al., 1985)It might be argued that the key role for the leader is setting context; he or she must create a culture that embraces the importance of change. The leader then needs to create an organization structure that will support the new vision. This might, for example, involve a team-based design to reduce centralization, hierarchy, and bureaucratization. The leader must select and hire top-notc h people who have the skills necessary to bring the new vision to actuality. If the vision involves globalization, for example, this might involve hiring or promoting people who have international experience. The leader must also create a reward system that encourages behaviors appropriate for the new vision. For example, if the vision requires more focus on the customer, then employees must be rewarded for actions that improve customer satisfaction. In other words, the leader's most important role may be to devise an organization that sustains the vision.Implications For Change In An Internet Environment Sebastian  and Samuel  (2004) â€Å"explore the challenge that technology will deliver to management at both the tactical and strategic level. Changes in communication, content of communication, globalization of communication, are critical to these changes. The environment will support a greater degree of discontinuities in planning which is brought about by the globalization of management activities. Successful management must encompass the management of these discontinuities but use information in an artificial intelligence environment. The integration of these data and the actions that come from that integration must be understood within a moral framework.† (Sebastian  & Samuel, 2004)In the present era of technological innovation and globalization, when the world’s business is coming closer to work as a network, when the logistics are being designed in a way that encompass the ever so easy access of technology, communication and information, when a single business is catering to the markets around the globe, the changes within the organization become more important than those ever were. It is the international culture that the employees have to work in, the greater than ever expansion plans and newer and faster service demands that they have to attend to. All these developments and enhancements come as part and result of the Internet en vironment in which virtually all businesses are operating these days.ConclusionLeading change in such circumstances become an even more demanding and challenging of a task for the managers or leaders. As the trade of goods and services around the world is getting faster and easier, the need for as fast a change continues. However as mentioned in the preceding pages that such changes cannot be brought overnight, nor can those be imposed or pushed hard on the individuals. The system pushes back even harder and poses even more resistance to the change. Instead, the vision once established has to be communicated to the people properly, make them ready for the change by suitably establishing the loopholes of the current state and furnish the future expectations of being technologically sound and equipped.ReferencesAguilar, F. J., Hamermesh, R. G., and Brainard, C. General Electric, 1984. (1985) Boston: Harvard Business School Press (9–385–315, Rev. Mar. 24, 1993).Conger, J. A. (1989) â€Å"The Charismatic Leader† San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Greiner, L., and Bhambri, A. (1989) â€Å"New CEO Intervention and Dynamics of Deliberate Strategic Change.† Strategic Management Journal, 10, 67–86.Lawler, E. E. (1986) â€Å"High-Involvement Management† San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986.Lawler, E., Mohrman, S., and Ledford, G. (1995) â€Å"Creating High Performance Organizations: Practices and Results of Employee Involvement and Total Quality Management in Fortune 1000 Companies† San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Nadler, D., (1997) â€Å"Champions of Change† San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Spreitzer, G. M., Kizilos, M., and Nason, S. (1997) â€Å"A Dimensional Analysis of the Relationship Between Psychological Empowerment and Effectiveness, Satisfaction, and Strain.† Journal of Management, 23 (5), 679–704.Tichy, N., and Devanna, M. (1986) â€Å"The Transformation Leader† New York: Wiley.Wolf D. Schumacher â€Å"Ma naging Barriers To Re-engineering Success.† http://www.prosci.com/w_4.htm Accessed January 31, 2007.

Constantines Influence on Christianity

Constantines Influence on Christianity Free Online Research Papers While many have contributed to the growth of Christianity, one man was a key part of the legitimacy, acceptance and growth of the religion. He was the Roman emperor Constantine. Christians had been persecuted in the Roman Empire since the beginning of the religion. Constantine’s participation in the Council of Nicea and his implementation of Christian symbols in highly visible locations are the reasons that Christianity became the dominant religion in the western world. Constantine’s role in the council is why Christianity flourished. During Constantine’s reign, there were many social issues within the Roman Empire which Constantine felt had roots in the religious revolution of paganism and Christianity. These quarrels affected the prosperity of the Roman Empire. After years of infighting among leaders of the Christian church, the Roman emperor, Gaius Julius Octavius, also known as emperor Constantine, summoned all the Christian bishops to attend a council. The purpose of the council was to openly discuss and solve the problems that the differing views caused in the religion. The motivation for this action has been disputed by many, but most agree that Constantine felt a bond with the Christians that were being persecuted throughout the empire. The reason for the bond may have been due to Constantine growing up as a hostage in the east or his vision of the Christian cross on the eve of his most important battle (O’Grady 71). These factors played the deciding role in the decision of Constantine to cal l a meeting of the church. There had been many councils before this one, but none before had been called for by an emperor, and none had imperial authority. Constantine was intent on settling the disputes within the church for both economic and political gain (Payne 52). The council took place on Asia Minor on June 19th, 325 AD and lasted two months. Many Bishops from the west felt the meeting was of no concern to them; they held the populous power and underestimated the resolve of Constantine to settle the disputes at hand. Many bishops of the west were also outraged that the emperor had chosen such a distant local for the council; they felt the west was the center of the empire and this significant of a meeting should be held in the west. The western bishops also took this as Constantine publicly announcing his distain for the western empire and a display of favor for the people with which he identified with, the people of the east. Bishops from the Eastern Church were convinced this was their opportunity to be heard and their view of the Christian religion to be accounted for. The views of the bishops and the location of the meeting accounted for the turnout of the Council of Nicea, while 318 attended only six bishops and two presbyters of the bis hop of Rome were representing the west (Payne 59). The influential control held by the Eastern Church was not the only aspect of this council that was unorthodox. Never before had an emperor presided over a council of the Christian church. Constantine’s views on religion were â€Å"that it should be tidy with well defined lines of command† and his views of the men of the church was, â€Å"these men are bishops†, which was a status symbol of the time,† and these men, like all men, are riddled with flaws† (qtd. in Walker 14). These views along with his lack of tolerance for quarrels set a tone for the proceedings. As the council began, Constantine addressed the council by stating â€Å"he was glad to see them in harmony,† knowing they were in a bitter conflict. â€Å"I won my battles for the glory of God and to my dismay I hear there are divisions among you. We are here to fix it† (qtd. in Walker 14). At the beginning of the meeting, two antagonists came to the forefront. Arius, an outspoken bishop who had little tolerance for any beliefs that were not similar to his own and his fiery public speaking was cause for many of the council’s arguments. Athanasius, an older gentleman, was characterized as having an imposing physical presence, quiet during some disputes but with others he refused to compromise or to end the arguments. His actions led to numerous stalemates in the decision making process. Tired of the endless bickering, Constantine singled out the two men and had them removed from the council, Constantine then summoned the attendees to bring him all of their complaints and petitions he then threw them into the fire. These acts by the emperor left another large segment of the Christian faith unrepresented in the shaping of the religion (Bainton 92). During the remaining meetings of the council the emperor ruled similar to a judge. Constantine silenced all arguments t hat seemed arbitrary to him and rebuked all that spoke too angrily (Cowie 104). Constantine’s actions influenced the makeup and atmosphere of the council. The most dominating arguments of the council involved the beliefs in the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit, also known as the Trinity. The Bishops debated over the relationship between the three entities. One segment of the church believed that God was superior to Jesus and therefore was subordinate to him, while the other segment believed that each entity had its own place and none was subordinate to the others (First 1). Constantine, not understanding or grasping the ideology behind the argument, placed imperial pressure onto the council to come to a solution or he would step in. The council came to the agreement that the son was equal to the father and the Divinity was established. Religious writings were also topics of disputes. Claims of a hierarchy pertaining to one writing versus another were highly contested and no group could offer concrete evidence to legitimize the scrutinized documents (Lane 1). Disputes over religious text lagged for days and with the urging of Constantine the council proceeded to discuss a system of validation for the writings. Constantine had very little knowledge of the writings or of the religion in fact, he was a life long pagan and only converted to Christianity late in life. The council decided to focus on the writings that held popular truth. Writings that contained elements that all could agree upon were validated. The council did not review all writings but the writings that failed to meet the set standards of the council, were burned by the emperor. Many believe that this was done by Constantine because he felt once the center of the argument were no longer around then they could no longer cause disputes. This action enraged many in the church and leaders felt Constantine had no authority to destroy their sacred texts (Brandt 1). To this day, historians and theologists believe that many books of supposed prophets were lost here. The Council of Nicea of 325 was plagued with numerous debates, but progress for uniformity within the church was achieved The council was able to establish the Nicene Creed, a statement that echoes the beliefs and duties of the bishops, the Twenty Cannons and the establishment of a continuing council whose goal would be to further debate and verify texts along with solidifying the religion. With Constantine’s influence over the council, he set in motion an ever progressing religion that would gain momentum and begin to spread. Constantine also influenced everyday life with the Christian religion, he placed XP on currency. XP symbolizes Jesus Christ in Roman moniker. This was done to help give the religion social acceptance within the empire. With the backing of the Roman Empire, Christianity blossomed (Cowie 14). Constantine’s involvement in laying the foundation for the success of Christianity arose primarily from the social and economic problems that were crippling the Roman Empire. Without his participation in the Council of Nicea the Christian religion would have never have gained such momentum. Many people in history have played large roles in the growth of the religion but none more profound than Constantine. Bainton, Roland H. The Horizon History of Christianity. New York: American Heritage, 1964. Brandt, Steven. â€Å"The Council of Nicea.† Steves Theology Page. 27 Jan. 2007. columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/sbrandt/nicea.htm. Cowie, Leonard W. March of the Cross. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962. â€Å"First Council of Nicaea.† The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2003. Answers.com 27 Jan. 2007 answers.com/topic/first-council-of-nicaea. Lane, Anthony N.S. â€Å"The Council of Nicaea: Purposes and Themes.† 27 Jan. 2007. http://debate.org.uk/topics/theo/council_nicaea.html. O’Grady, Desmond. Beyond The Empire. New York: Crossroads, 2001. Payne, Robert. The Christian Centuries. New York: W.W. Norton, 1966. Walker, Williston. A History of The Christian Church. New York: Charles Scribner’s, 1959. Research Papers on Constantine’s Influence on ChristianityBringing Democracy to AfricaBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andQuebec and CanadaMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

Online Style Guides

Online Style Guides Online Style Guides Online Style Guides By Maeve Maddox Russell from Cape Town writes: As a rank novice to the world of writing, and one purely for work purposes not for literature, I was wondering where you gain access to so many style guides. Can you suggest some free guides to download? The two most frequently cited American style guides are the Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law and the Chicago Manual of Style. Both have online editions, but they are not free. Individual annual subscription rates: AP Stylebook $25; CMOS $30. The current Amazon price for the print edition of the 2009 AP Stylebook is $11.37. I paid $18.95 for my copy earlier this year. The AP book is very easy to navigate so I don’t see any advantage to subscribing online. The usual price for the print edition of the Chicago Manual of Style is $55. Amazon has it for $33.65 at the moment. For me the search feature of the online edition is worth the $30 subscription fee. For our readers who use British English, the BBC has a free downloadable PDF: The BBC News Styleguide. Another British online freebie is the Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Style Guide. A free nonacademic online American style guide is the National Geographic Style Manual. An old edition of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style is available free at Bartleby.com/. Be aware that changes have been made in more recent editions. In addition to the AP Stylebook and the CMOS, I sometimes refer to the free Purdue writing lab known as OWL, but I don’t seem to be able to find things there as easily as I do in CMOS. OWL is probably the most comprehensive university guide out there, but many other universities offer style guides based on AP and CMOS, Many of these are available as downloadable PDFs. Most rely heavily on the AP Stylebook and Chicago Manual of Style. Here are a few: U of Alaska Style Guide: based on AP Stylebook and Webster’s New World College Dictionary. University of Buffalo Marketing Toolbox: apparently oriented towards business writing U of Colorado at Boulder Style Guide: intended as a general guide for print and electronic media, but not as a replacement for more specialized guides. Gustavus Adolphus College:an eclectic guide based on the AP Stylebook, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, and the Chicago Manual of Style. Ithaca College Office of Marketing Communications: downloadable Editorial Standards University of Kentucky Style Guide: downloadable PDF â€Å"conforms largely to the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual, but it contains exceptions to both AP style manual and The Chicago Manual of Style.† Lafayette College Style Guide: links in convenient outline form Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsIf I Was vs. If I Were