Distance Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Distance Learning - Essay Example The online enrollment estimations made in the late 1990s have been exceeded and continues to grow at amazingly high rates. Thus, the number of online students reached 2.6 million in the fall of 2004 (Allen, and Seaman, 2004). Despite the tremendous success of distance technology-mediated learning (this term covers not only fully online courses, but also various blended approaches that integrate online components into traditional classes), experts suggests that it still remains at an early stage of development (Smart, and Cappel, 2006). The conventional concepts and theories of education were reported to retain their suitability in the web-based learning environment. Numerous research studies demonstrated that cognitive factors such as performance, learning, and achievement in distance education classes are comparable to those observed in traditional classes (Russell, 1999). ... s enrolled in an introductory psychology course performed better in distance education courses, although the level of their satisfaction with them was lower. Students in the web based course consistently scored an average of five percentage points higher on the final exam than did those in the lecture course, but they consistently reported less satisfaction than the students in the lecture course (Hagel, and Shaw, 2003). Student satisfaction is currently believed to be one of the major indicators of student development in conventional higher education. The mission of higher education is not only to impart knowledge but also to enhance the student's total development (Astin, 1993). One of the ways higher education institutions accomplish this mission is by continuously collecting information on student satisfaction, defined by various authors as an "everpresent campus variable" (Betz, Menne, Starr, and Klingensmith, 1971: 99), the key outcome of higher education (Astin, 1993), and the 'quality enhancement tool designed to improve the quality of the student experience' (Harvey, Plimmer, Moon, and Geall, 1997: 3). Traditionally, the institutions of higher education have used the data on student satisfaction to improve understanding of the educational environments. This understanding, it its turn, allowed to create settings more conducive for student development. Student satisfaction is an indicator of higher education institutions' responsiveness to the needs of students. Also it is a measure of institutional effectiveness, success, and vitality. Measuring student satisfaction is also important for maintaining and increasing enrollment, managing attrition and retention problems, and making better-informed decisions in the area of student affairs (Beltyukova, 2002).

Leading & Managing People - Expatriate Essay Example for Free

Leading Managing People Expatriate Essay Multinational firms throughout the world are increasingly concerned about hiring, developing and retaining managers with international experience and global perspectives† quoted by Briscoe and Schuler in 2004. This report will be focusing on variety of issues relating to Human Resource implications which faced by the expatriate working in MNC located in Malaysia as well as Malaysian working in overseas. The extraction will be from the most recent newspaper, journal and articles relating to the following topics in human resource management. 1) Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy 2) Training and development for cross-cultural 3) Performance appraisal for expatriate The expatriation was subjugated by professionals sent by their employers to foreign subsidiaries or headquarters. 3. 0 KEY ISSUES AND ANALYSIS 3. 1 Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy Expatriate facade many new challenges both in the workplace and the community. For instance, culture shock differences in work-related norms, isolation, homesick, housing, schooling, language, customs, cost of living and coping with his/her spouse’s problems of adapting to new environment. According to Stone(2008), research indicates that a manager’s inability to adapt or their partner’s inability to adapt is the major cause of expatriate failure. Harvey(1983) cited the consequence include premature return from a foreign posting and high resignation rates, with expatriates leaving their company at about twice the rate of domestic managements. Tung (1987) expounded the three main reasons contributing to the failure of expatriates in US MNC is as follows:- * the inability of the manager’s spouse to adjust to a different physical or cultural environment; * the manager’s inability to adapt to a different physical or cultural environment; * other family-related problems. One study by International Orientation Resources, an HRM consulting firm, found that 60 percent of expatriate failures occur due to these three reasons too(Solomon,1994). Besides the above mentioned reasons, include inappropriate selection practices, inadequate preparation and training as well as the stresses associated with expatriation which identified by New Zealand research (Enderwick and Hodgson, 1993). Another critical reason is the cross-cultural communications can be a struggle for the international manager. Gestures, facial expressions, behaviour and words can have different meanings and connotations. China, Korea and Japanese have high-context cultures where considerable importance is given to non-verbal and situational cues. In contrast, Australia, Canada, the US and Britain have low-context cultures where what is said is what it meant(Stone,2008). In contrast, some Malaysians who work aboard feel that the grass is greener on the other side. In Appendix A, this article highlighted the reasons why some Malaysian prefer to remain overseas. Due to higher paid, to widen their horizons, the prestige of working in a foreign company and the quality of life is unbeatable. The expatriate is unable to adapt in the foreign environment due to lack of cultural skills. According to HRM consulting firm, this is because the expatriate selection process at many organisations is essentially flawed (Solomon, 2000). Expatriates failed because these three focal reasons which mentioned by Tung that have not been part of the selection process. The underlying message was that the family is the basic unit of expatriation, not the individual. The MNC needs to look into this matter seriously in order to reduce expatriate failure. 3. 2 Training and development for cross-cultural Many companies including MNC have been ignored on providing training for employees whether local or global organisations. MNC recruits expatriate based on technical competence and past job performance as the key selection criteria and assumed the expatriate is able to adapt in the country where he was posted. MNC should not take them for granted. They should be pre-prepared by providing orientation, training on the cultural, language and living skill in the host country. Shown in Appendix D, expatriate reports interviewed an expatriate working in Nanchang, China on how significant was the culture shock he experienced when he moved abroad? He replied that quite significant and hard to adapt to the Chinese food and people spitting on the streets. Certainly, at the initial stage every expatriate will face cultural shock difference which may lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Then directly he will be unproductive, inefficiency and faces expatriate failure. The MNC has to recruit a new manager to replace him which will be time consuming and have to repeat the process of selection and hiring. The MNC requires the expatriate to train the local employees in the host-country by transferring his knowledge and skills to them so that they are able to be independent and step into the positions/responsibilities within the shortest possible time. The article in Appendix B highlighted Malaysia government will review the education system to produce talent needed for an advanced nation and also perks to lure home highly skilled Malaysians (brain drain) and retain global talent to develop a quality workforce. Even our government recognise the essential of education/training to develop our highly skilled employees that are not only vital to the companies but also making the nation into globally competitive and transforming it as the high-income economy for instance Singapore, HK and Shanghai. 3. Performance appraisal for expatriate Stone (2008) cited that performance appraisal is a matter of serious concern for many expatriates. This is because performance appraisal is often handled badly. Companies fail to take into account the added complexities that come with international appraisals. Key issues involving performance expectations, performance measures and who will be responsible for the conduct of the appraisals are left vague or undecided. Worse, some head office managers ignore the international appraisal and do not incorporate it into the career development process. The end result is that expatriates perceive the appraisal process as unfair and as a source of never-ending frustration. Groeschi (2003) quotes that a number of comparative international and cross-cultural management research projects have concluded that HRM is influenced by culture. He also highlighted the same HRM policy is likely to be attributed quite different meanings by different cultural groups for instance performance appraisal. An organisation’s performance appraisal systems are an important element of its control systems, which is a central component of organisation architecture (see Figure 1 as below). In many international companies, the thorny issue is how best to evaluate the performance of expatriate managers (Hill, 2009). During the appraisal evaluation for the expatriate, there are two groups who evaluate the performance of expatriate managers. They are host-nation manager and home-office managers whom are subject to bias. The host-nation managers may be biased by their own cultural frame of reference and expectations. On the other hand, home-country mangers’ appraisals may be biased by distance and by their own lack of experience working abroad. Home-office managers often not aware of what is going on in a foreign operation and they tend to rely on hard data in evaluating an expatriate’s performance, such as the productivity, revenues, profitability or market share which reflect factors outside the expatriate’s control. Due to such biases, many expatriate managers believe that headquarters management evaluates them unfairly and does not fully appreciate the value of their skills and experience. It also one of the reasons many of them believe a foreign posting does not benefit their careers (Hill, 2009). 4. 0 RECOMMENDATION 4. 1 Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy Managing a MNC provides a diversity of challenges which the crucial one will be how the parent-company will recruit potential expatriate to manage their off-shore operations affiliates/subsidiaries. Selection of the expatriate must be right at the first time although time and resources consuming in reviewing and evaluating all the potential candidates follow by filtering them. The expatriate should not be selected based on technical competence and past job performance as the key selection criteria. Expatriate failure in many cases is the result of a lack of personal adjustment rather than a lack of technical skills. Harvey (1997) cited furthermore, research shows that in many companies expatriate selection is often haphazard and irrational. Organisations need to understand that in choosing expatriates, they should take into account differences in the business, social and cultural environment in the specific country and the impact on the potential expatriate, spouse and dependants (Stone, 2008). Stone’s (1991) study found that both local managers and expatriate managers perceive the essential selection criteria as the expatriate’s ability to adapt and the adaptability of the partner and family. 4. Training and management development for cross-cultural According to Hill (2009), superior performance requires not only strategy must also be supported by the right organisation architecture. Strategy is implemented through organisation. In Figure 1, people are the linchpin of a firm’s organisation architecture. For a firm to outperform its rivals in the global marketplace, it must have the right people in the right postings. Those people must be trained appropriately so they have the skill sets required to perform their jobs effectively and so they behave in a manner that is congruent with the desired culture of the firm. The following trainings are recommended for MNCs’ expatriates:- * Cross-Culture Training prior to departure The purpose of this training allows individuals to more rapidly adjust to the new culture before departing to host-country, and therefore, to be more effective in their new roles (Black and Mendenhall, 1990). It has been widely recognised for more than 20 years that the partners and children of expatriates play an important role in contributing to the success of expatriate assignments (Fukuda and Chu, 1994; Rahim, 1983) Cultural, Language and Practical(Living Skill) trainings * These trainings are helping to control and reduce expatriate failures. There is no question that comprehensive cultural training can have many benefits for MNCs. For starters, it can help orient and develop expatriates to better communicate, understand, and work effectively with people from different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Comprehending and valuing cultural differences can al so help expatriates in the effective management of multi-cultural teams. Understanding global markets, customers, suppliers, and competitors is another indirect benefit. Pragmatically, cultural training can have a positive impact on combating very expensive expatriate failure (Luthans, 2002). Their spouse adaption problem, it is important that the spouse and the whole family to be included in this training * Language training usually conducted in host-country’s language. When the expatriate willing to communicate in the host-country language(even not fluent), can help build rapport with local employees and improve the manager’s effectiveness. * Benefit of practical training in helping the expatriate manager and family ease themselves into daily life in the host country. The expatriate community group can be a great source of support and information sharing in helping the expatriate’s family adapt to a foreign culture. 4. 3 Performance appraisal for expatriate To overcome the expatriate’s frustration and problems, the HR manager needs to ensure that the following key issues are clarified before the expatriate begins an overseas assignment:- * What are the organisation’s performance expectations? * What criteria and standards will be used to measure performance? * Who will conduct the evaluation – a local manager, a head office manager or both? * What will be the frequency of the appraisals? What consideration will be given to local environmental influence? (for example, volatility of foreign exchange rate fluctuations, availability of skilled labour, political instability, corruption and so on) * Is the appraisal positively incorporated into the career development process? * Are head office managers cognisant of the local business environment? * Are there any cultural influences that may distort the measurement of the expatriate’s performance? In order to overcome the biases of the two groups who evaluate the expatriate managers’ performance, it is recommended to implement 360-degree feedback.

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz :: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Duddy's obsession with land lies within his grandfather, Simcha. When Duddy was small, he spoke those unforgettable words to him, "A man without land is nobody." When it seemed as if nobody cared or respected him, Simcha did. Duddy did not receive the same kind of love from his father or uncle as Lennie did.   When Duddy comes back from work at, he asks, "Why [Max] didn't answer any of [his] letters?"   He replies he wasn't "one for letters." "But Duddy remembered that when Lennie had worked as a camp counsellor one summer his father had written every week.   He had driven out to visit him twice."(pp. 104 & 105) Duddy did not have the same kind of affection and devotion Lennie and Max shared.   The same situation came from his uncle, Benjy. At first sight, Benjy described him as having a "thin crafty face, the quick black eyes and the restlessness_the grain so shrewd and knowing, all made a bad impression on Uncle Benjy." (p. 61)   Benjy supported Lennie, giving him money for his education.   With the exception of Simcha, he had no other parental support which is the reason why Simcha words had such a great effect on him. Duddy gains what he had wanted in its acquisition, respect. Everyone except Simcha, Mr. MacPherson, and Uncle Benjy thought he was going to be a nobody.   He wanted so much to prove them wrong and he has.   We may say he has gained self assurance, restating the fact he was a somebody important.   Since his days at Fletcher's Field High School, he ran a gang based on respect, not friendship.   Things do not change when he becomes an adult. Virgil is just one of the people Duddy uses to get money for his land.   He feels no grief for hurting his so called friends because he has never experienced true friendship.   His purchasing of land would push him into higher step in society.   What he gains is nothing compared to what he loses. Duddy has lost his innocence.   No longer is he the pure and na†¹ve

Scholarship Essay

For the longest time, I displayed an interest in the educative arts. It has always been a matter of how I would be able to succeed in my goal that would put the complete cherry on top. To obtain a scholarship of such quantity would open up so many doors for me that it would not be difficult in the slightest to find a way to pay my way through college. There are several reasons why I would be an ideal candidate for this scholarship opportunity, so let me delve into the many aspects that will show why I deserve this opportunity to aid me in completion of my present and future goals.It has not been too much of a struggle to work long, laborious hours and also pay for my education, while learning and absorbing as much knowledge as I could. This is true because I have displayed qualities such as responsibility and perseverance that consume my personality. However, these qualities are still present. I have adapted myself to these conditions to allow me to keep working at my goal without gi ving up. However, if I had a scholarship to appease my needs, I would definitely be able to focus on my education even more than I already do.The one thing that would be on my mind would be learning, which in the end is the most important thing. I have harvested a determination for this program that may be quite unbelievable. To teach and educate others is nothing less of a dream, in my view. To be honored and awarded with an aid to help me in my endeavors would not only motivate me even more, but I would make the most of it rather than treat it less than what it is. In all honesty, it is not a fact that may be denied that those who are partaking in the educative system are not paid extremely well.However, I chose this profession because I have a passion that is unimaginable. It is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time and deserve the aid to have an opportunity to make that vision come true. A scholarship should always be awarded to someone who is deserving of it. I have paved my way for my own edification and to have support to make it easier on myself would be not only a chance to focus on other important aspects of my work, but will allow my future to be clear of debt and worry.Education requires complete focus. To be educated is already an opportunity in itself, and to educate is quite a noble profession, and I would appreciate to be a part of that. In summation, I believe that I am a qualifying candidate for the scholarship from the College of Education because I display qualities such as passion and motivation that will allow me to work with the utmost concentration that will bring me face to face with success. Scholarship Essay For the longest time, I displayed an interest in the educative arts. It has always been a matter of how I would be able to succeed in my goal that would put the complete cherry on top. To obtain a scholarship of such quantity would open up so many doors for me that it would not be difficult in the slightest to find a way to pay my way through college. There are several reasons why I would be an ideal candidate for this scholarship opportunity, so let me delve into the many aspects that will show why I deserve this opportunity to aid me in completion of my present and future goals.It has not been too much of a struggle to work long, laborious hours and also pay for my education, while learning and absorbing as much knowledge as I could. This is true because I have displayed qualities such as responsibility and perseverance that consume my personality. However, these qualities are still present. I have adapted myself to these conditions to allow me to keep working at my goal without gi ving up. However, if I had a scholarship to appease my needs, I would definitely be able to focus on my education even more than I already do.The one thing that would be on my mind would be learning, which in the end is the most important thing. I have harvested a determination for this program that may be quite unbelievable. To teach and educate others is nothing less of a dream, in my view. To be honored and awarded with an aid to help me in my endeavors would not only motivate me even more, but I would make the most of it rather than treat it less than what it is. In all honesty, it is not a fact that may be denied that those who are partaking in the educative system are not paid extremely well.However, I chose this profession because I have a passion that is unimaginable. It is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time and deserve the aid to have an opportunity to make that vision come true. A scholarship should always be awarded to someone who is deserving of it. I have paved my way for my own edification and to have support to make it easier on myself would be not only a chance to focus on other important aspects of my work, but will allow my future to be clear of debt and worry.Education requires complete focus. To be educated is already an opportunity in itself, and to educate is quite a noble profession, and I would appreciate to be a part of that. In summation, I believe that I am a qualifying candidate for the scholarship from the College of Education because I display qualities such as passion and motivation that will allow me to work with the utmost concentration that will bring me face to face with success.

Answers to queries on Orwell’s 1984 Essay

In the essay Why I Write, Orwell explained that all the serious work he wrote since the Spanish Civil War in 1936 were â€Å"written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism. † (Orwell, 5) What can you add by looking at his life and his mental state when writing the novel? The author wrote the novel in 1947–1948 while critically ill with tuberculosis. The writer himself wrote about the stages of his life leading to the period when he wrote the novel: First I spent five years in an unsuitable profession (the Indian Imperial Police, in Burma), and then I underwent poverty and the sense of failure. This increased my natural hatred of authority and made me for the first time fully aware of the existence of the working classes, and the job in Burma had given me some understanding of the nature of imperialism: but these experiences were not enough to give me an accurate political orientation. Then came Hitler, the Spanish Civil War, etc. By the end of 1935 I had still failed to reach a firm decision (on political position)†¦. † (Orwell, 6 parenthetical interpretation mine. ) What was the world like in 1949 (the immediate post-WW II era) in terms of politics, economics, and particularly the media? After Allied victory, two opposing world views and ideology—capitalism ( that termed itself democracy) and socialism (that called itself the democracy of the working class) characterized the previously unified Allied Forces, the former led by  America, on the latter by the Soviet Union. The two worlds have polarized economic systems: capitalism (which espoused free enterprise) and socialism (which espoused economic central planning). The two blocks also had opposing media philosophy: the so-called free libertarian press, in the tradition of the US revolution, and that of the Marxian school which saw media as the tool of the socialist revolution. This was the cold war era, and the world was politically bipolar: the United States and the Soviet Union were the superpowers. Orwell’ s once mighty Britain had become an impoverished crumbling has-been, even as its newspapers were reporting false triumphs. When he wrote 1984, Orwell saw the betrayal and perversion of socialist ideals in his country, and his hope of â€Å"English Socialism† had crashed. The novel is aimed primarily as a critique against totalitarianism. But what kind? As his dream of â€Å"English Socialism† turned into a monstrous ideology of oppression, Orwell saw its dehumanization even as its source model has become oppressors of the Soviet nations. Many of the characters in the novel in fact are believed to be depicting real figures from the Soviet Union. He was focused on the British socialists but obviously he had the Soviet politburo in mind as well. And he was obviously sure the British-American partnership would be heading towards the same direction. Why is the novel perhaps even more relevant than it when it was first written Al Gore in his Assault on Reason panned against us present-day Americans in our failure to oppose Bush when he led us to a baseless war against Iraq, against the advice of his own policymakers and using fabricated lies. Through the power of the media and the arousal of fear in us, our leader and his media spinners led us to embrace his war without us raising a whimper. (Gore, 2007; Bossard, 2007) He also warned us against any future effort to gag the internet, in the manner China is now doing it—arguing that the internet is our last hope of interactive democratic dialogues through which an informed nation can guard itself against the media and other manipulative technologies of a ruling demagogue. There have been many instances when even the most intelligent of nations have een misled by their leaders—the example of Hitler for the German people, and the recent example of the Philippines (1986) where a dictator ruled for 30 years until a unified people power ended a despotic rule, incidentally American-supported. Initially, warnings of intellectuals like Orwell may be voices in the wilderness in, but as proven by world events, at the appointed time nations would heed them, and people will move against their oppressors. Tell me why you think the novel can be used to teach students about media, history, and what we think we know. What does the book teach us about how to respond to political campaigns and advertising? What does it say about us? Against the backdrop of experience, the novel tells us how revolutions devour their sons and fail their fathers. But what Orwell warns against is the use of our skills as media men in the overall scheme of Big Brother. In the novel, the main character Winston Smith, was a revisionist writer of history who wrote it according to the whim of Big Brother’s officialdom. The propaganda machines of Big Brother were staffed by media professionals. Media churns out materials tainted by political motives. Media people are potential instruments of oppression and deceit. Lastly, how is the novel truthful, original, and human? In Why I Write Orwell said : â€Å"(I write )†¦. because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing. † (p. 5) Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel We was a primary influence for 1984. He also included the following as influences of the novel: Darkness at Noon and The Yogi and the Commissar by Arthur Kostner, The Iron Heel (1908) by Jack London, among other books. (Shelden, 1991) Surname 5 The humanity in this novel rests in its vigorous warning against falling into the trap that will lead humanity to the nightmare of 1984. The inhumanity of its characters ironically dramatically aroused a fear in us, so we its readers recoil in the lost of such human sensibility — which the novel helped recover for us, in its aspiration for a society of equals where people are human beings and not Big Brother robots.

Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change

Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change Introduction In the ever changing dynamic world, change is inevitable. Businesses have to be adjusted with the changing environment. Change in a business is a gradual process that must be well planned. The management should be actively involved in the change process since support is required from all corners.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When an organization or a country at large, wants to make a change in the way things are done then the start point is understanding the need that require a change. People are not willing to change, they tend to be in a state of inertia; however if well implemented then it can be a smooth transition. Change in organizations is greatly favoured by the mode of organizational culture, if a company has a freelance culture; this is a culture that embraces a system that the employee s feel free to air their views to the higher leadership, then change can be smoothly implemented. In large organizations, there can be a division into various departments and the departments are supposed to face a certain area; the same departments can be undergoing varying changes. As much as there are departmental meetings, and departments are supposed to come up with their own way of doing things, there are meeting with the larger managements that are not restricted to the team managers alone. Views from all are weighed equally and no one is supposed to be seen as the sole holder of wisdom when a change policy is being discussed. Views from all stake holders must be considered. Though decisions in this type of organizations take a long period of time, in most cases they make informed decisions. They are firms that embrace change and keep changing gradually. Innovations in the organizations are seen as the order of the day and entrants are highly encouraged to be innovative and em brace change. This paper discusses how to manage change effectively. Change The world is undergoing different transition; these translations require organisations to align themselves with the changes in the world. Change can be to improve the current conditions, take a complete strategy or adopt a different way of doing things. Change management is a process where the management learn, understand, and critically think about alterations they are supposed to make in an organization.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, for an effective change process, change should not be imposed to employees but they should be involved in the change system. When undertaking a change, the employees are the immediate people who will be affected and thus they need to be engaged from the earliest stage. To remain competitive in the changing environment, there is need to a dopt new mechanisms which ensure that a business is up to the task with the changing environments. When a business has taken the path of change, there are mechanisms that must be adopted for a smooth transition from the traditional method, of doing thing to a new mechanism. This takes the form of psychological needs, technical expertise, and structure of a business, suppliers and other stakeholders. To undertake this task, the management need to do their homework well for a smooth ride. The power of inertia will act negatively to the management since people generally do not want to be moved from their areas of comfort to adopt a change. This is where the need for a psychological approach is required. Objectives of a change management program Change is taken for different reasons; each reason has some objectives that it aims at meeting; the universal objectives are; Improve current working condition and strategies Adopt a different way of doing things Make new combinations of resour ces in an organization Adopt new technology Change of business, target market, production formulae, management, job schedules, and job description among others Have a different human resource management system, computer system among others Change process Before a company adopt a new system of doing things, there is need to appreciate that the new way can only succeed if the employees are positive about the change. This calls for a gradual way process of implementing the change. The organizational culture is one of the factors that can affect the change negatively or positively. The change agents should understand this well before implementing the change program. Generally a change follows the following procedure. Problem identification and analysis This is where the agents of change realize that there are / is some process that has to be made. After this there is the looking for the probable solution to the problem that must be alighted with the mission and vision of the organizati on. The staffs that will be affected as well as the entire team should be given the detailed analysis of what the organization want to do.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this stage the management brain storms the effect of the program with the employees and let the employees learn how they will be affected. If there is any learning needed it is done at this stage. Generally to have a job well-done, it is of great importance that people involved start from the beginning. Change management is not an exemption. In this stage, a good context of the problem is grasped. It is only after getting the correct understanding of the problem that he/she can make a good decision. Pilot study There is always no guarantee that the new system is going to be more effective than the old system, thus there is the need for the system to be run as a pilot study alongside the old system. This also offers the employees the time to have a hand on experience on the new system. They learn more about it and may even improve on it. If the program is seen as a better one, then the final stage is done. In this stage the manager should gather all relevant data and facts. It is from the facts and data that he develops various alternatives of choices that can be used to solve the problem at hand. The statistics will also be the ones that will support the final decision. There are various methods of collecting data; they include researching, brainstorming, and experimentation. It is the manager’s duty to choose the right method to adopt because different problems call for different methods. Depending on the problem, the people to be consulted differ. However, an effective manager should ensure that he/she consults those who matter and those who know. Consultation assists in making a more informed decision and as sists in generating more alternatives of choice. Their opinions and viewpoints should be considered in the final decision making, but the manager should always keep in mind that it is his/her responsibility to come up with the right decision. Choosing the best alternative After taking time and pondering over the issues (time taken depends on the urgency of the decision on the right change to be adopted), he/she chooses and implements the best alternative. At the initial stage a lot of support of the decision is required to ensure that the whole organization or the departments concerned have adopted it effectively.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is not always that a decision made bring the expected results; thus feedback from the people on the ground and the general performance of the business should be sorted, so as areas that need improvement are recognized. In-case an area that needs improvement has been recognized, it should be addressed appropriately Full adoption, control, and monitoring At this stage, all things are alighted to follow the new system and the old one is switched off. All the employees are supposed to adopt the system. Improvement of the system is the major thing that follows this. Manager’s role in change Management Leaders are the people who are mandated with the task of pioneering a business to its desired objectives. In transitional period the leaders is the one who guides subordinates to the desired path. They jointly make rules and policies to be followed in attaining the goals. The role of the leader in this case is to oversee the performance of the roles of subordinates and giving guid ance in various areas. Change needs to be planned at all times when it is being implemented and conducted in such a way that it will be accepted in the business. The role of the leader in such case is the change agent. His (charisma) is put to test. He is supposed to guide his subordinate in a way that will inspire them and give intellectual stimulation. He will consider what is referred to as individualized consideration, where by the focus will be on making each individual in the business comfortable with the change and be able to contribute to decisions as expected. One of the major hindrances of change is organizational culture. A manager when pioneering a company from one wave of leadership to another should first of all understand the culture of the company. The use of opinion leaders is another way that a manager can use. Change is inevitable however it is one of the things that need to be planned by the concerned change agents since human being repel change; but when well de veloped and implemented it is adopted freely. Major barriers to an effective change system The first step in successful business change is to identify the communication channels to use in coaching employees. This can be through brainstorming where challenges facing the business can be identified. Such challenges can be obtained through reviewing the day to day activities of the business. Some questions may serve as a guideline, these include: Have employees been provided with a good working environment? Are they happy with what they are doing? Has the business been able to satisfy all the clients? Is proper information provided to all stakeholders? Is there good flow of conversations? Four communication weaknesses or barriers at any company are overload of messages, failure to share information among major stakeholders, failure to include employees in decision making processes, and personal attributes. Employees are given many instructions and they are not given room to practice the m nor to show their expertise. Communication means more than just giving out messages; it involves speaking, listening, sending, and receiving messages. In communication, listening is the key to success and most of the time listening gets people into problems because they do not practice it. For business communication to be successful, listening has to be proficient. Listening simply means holding back one’s judgment and allowing answers to come from outside. Sharing of important information is poor and most of the time it is withheld from the staff. The top managers are responsible to make different ideas and views concerning the development of the organization which may be influenced by their knowledge and culture. If incompetent decisions are made effecting a change is a hard task. Good communications will assisting employees embrace change effectively, transition period will also be reduced and efficient. Change and Organizational culture Organisational culture is a set o f belief that exists in an organization and determines how the employees interact with each other as well as how the workers respond to a certain situation. Culture of an organisation determines how employees are going to perceive change. The culture like any other society defines issues and expected response to them. It is worth saying that the culture is not written down somewhere but is exists and controls the behaviour of the organization. There are some values that the organization holds, and for one to be seen as a â€Å"compliant† member of the larger group, you need to act in line with the expectation. As individuals we have our personality that is different from others, the same happens with other organizations; they have an organizational personality that is can be termed to as the organizational culture. An organisation which has a freelance culture adopts change more easily than one with a power culture. A certain language is developed, signs and symbols start def ining situation in the organization. As much as there is no set way of punishing those who don’t act in line, with the culture, it is self reinforcing. The culture after it has developed is very hard to change. The entire entity seems to have deep roots in the culture and anybody who goes against is seen as an outcast and don’t interact smoothly with the other colleagues. There are different issues of organizational culture and have different effects on the leadership of the organization as well as well as the conduct of the employee (Jones 12). Eight steps to successful change by John P Kotters Increase urgency This is involving all the people affected by a change in understanding the current position and the need for change. The management should let their employees understand how the change will affect them. One of the barriers to an effective change is negative perception of employees. The perception is brought about by lack of people understanding of change effect s. Build the guiding team Depending with the kind of change to be implemented, management should develop a team of change agents. They are people who should be well informed about the change to occur and used to train others on the way forward. They are opinion leaders. The most effective people for this task are leaders in departments. Get the vision right This is the stage where objectives and timeframes for change are set and discussed with the people who will be affected by the change to occur in a business. Objectives should be attainable. Communicate for buy-in This is the most important stage where there is communication to employees on the change. It is the time for training of the new way to employees. An effective communication strategy should be prepared to be proactive. This is a plan that is prepared after defining a business’s success and getting solution from the listening activities. Things to be included in the plan includes: taking employees to seminars that cover topics such as customer care, organizing get together between employers and employees, rewarding employees, holding regular meetings, including major stakeholders in business decision, assurance to personal service, among others. This plan does not concentrate in solving past troubles but in laying down a good foundation that guarantees business future success. A communication plan should take into consideration the availability of resources and whether the business aims at a long term or short term objective. Once a communication plan has been prepared, the company now focuses on its implementation. The expected result should be kept in mind and the main constitute of the plan reviewed to make sure they are in line with the expected result. The implementation process should involve as many people as possible but it should have one person who is answerable to it. Empower action This is the stage where practical change is undertaken although operated with the traditional syste m. This stage assists in polishing any issues which may have been ignored in the initial stage. Employees learn more about the new system and its operations. Create short-term wins This is timely evaluations of the system to ensure that it is efficient and can replace the old system. There is no need to wait for long periods for results but can even be done on daily basis. Dont let up This is polishing any deficits recognised as the new system is undertaken. This is support from all angles where the system is made more understandable to the users. At the same time polishing of areas and people who have not grasped the system well is done. Make change stick Monitoring and sticking to change. This is where the old system is forgotten and focus is put on the new system. Those people who are repelling the new system are expelled from a company and those entering it will only hear of the old system as some stories of the company (Kotter 57-78). Conclusion In the ever changing environment , change is inevitable. Business processes need to be adjusted with the changing environment. Change is a gradual process that must be well planned. Management should be actively involved in the change process since support is required from all corners. The main objective in a change management process is to facilitate better methods of doings things for a cost effective business. For an effective change, employees should be involved right from the start. They should understand how the change is going to affect their employment; this is through training and good leadership. Leaders are the people who are mandated with the task of pioneering a business to its desired objectives. In transitional period the leader is the one who guides subordinates to the desired path. They jointly make rules and policies to be followed in attaining the goals. One of the major barriers of change is communication barrier and organisational culture. Jones, Helen. Managing Change. Businessdate 11.1 (2003 ): 1. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. Kotter, John P. Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 73(2), 59. 1995. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Complete. (Document ID: 4470386).

Disrespect and Dr. Fell

Disrespect and Dr. Fell Disrespect and Dr. Fell Disrespect and Dr. Fell By Maeve Maddox I’ve always enjoyed this cheeky translation of Martial’s 32nd epigram: I do not like thee, Dr. Fell, The reason why, I cannot tell; But this I know, and know full well: I do not like thee, Dr. Fell It reminds me of the continuing outcry against the acceptance of disrespect as a verb in standard English. Like many speakers, I reacted to the use of disrespect as a verb with surprise and disapproval the first time I heard it. It still pushes my â€Å"sounds wrong† button when I hear it used in a formal context. Apparently this reader feels the same: Seriously peeved with the use of â€Å"disrespect† as a verb as in â€Å"He disrespected me†.   What is that?   Please make them stop. I had to smile at the â€Å"Please make them stop.† When it comes to usage, who can hold a fire in his hand By thinking on the frosty Caucasus? –Richard II A word that fills a need for millions of speakers will find its way into standard speech, despite such objections as these: Im fine with it [disrespect] being used in, for instance, meaning no disrespect. , but it drives me wild when I hear dont disrespect me or she disrespected my space. It makes me want to scream! As far as I’m concerned, the word disrespect should be treated as street slang and nothing else. Disrespect should be banned as a verb. Its a cultural thing, one to which I do not subscribe. Occasionally, someone counters objections to disrespect by citing the OED: Look in the Oxford English Dictionary. Disrespect has been used as a transitive verb since the early 1600s. This defense that disrespect is in the OED as a verb cuts no ice with true objectors: â€Å"Disrespect† as a verb or adjective, however old and prehistoric the word may be, make me cringe. I hate the word, and anyone using it in conversation with me is sure to receive no respect from me. â€Å"Disrespect† is indeed correct when used as a verb. But I still think it sounds wrong that way so I refuse to use it. Instead of You disrespect me, I would choose to say, You show me disrespect. The Google Ngram Viewer shows that the expression â€Å"disrespect me† was in moderate use earlier, but that it really took off in the 1980s, about the same time American hip hop music hit the mainstream and it became necessary to explain the word diss (as in â€Å"Diss me and don’t diss my daddy†). Like it or not, the use of disrespect as a verb is grammatically unobjectionable. If one may â€Å"respect one’s elders,† one may also â€Å"disrespect one’s elders.† If people are respected, they may be disrespected. The only justification I can see for the intense dislike felt for this usage by so many commenters is that–like the speaker in the Dr. Fell rhyme–they do not like it. For them I have written a manifesto: I do not like thee, Disrespect, Perhaps it is your sound effect, That causes me to so object And makes you sound so incorrect. But this I more than just suspect: I do not like thee, Disrespect. Related post: That Annoying New Verb â€Å"disrespect† 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictRules for Capitalization in TitlesHow Do You Determine Whether to Use Who or Whom?