The role of social media in the 2011 Japanese disaster Dissertation

The role of social media in the 2011 Japanese disaster - Dissertation Example This is simply because the media are always after of informing the public of the great risk involved nd the needed recovery (Miles and Morse, 2007). The world witnessed such event due to the availability of live coverage and actual footage of the disaster’s destructive force. In situation like this, the media are the most important sources of information. They eventually have pervasive power to disseminate information to keep everyone highly informed about things that matters to the entire humanity. For many decades, media have remarkably improved and evolved due to its vibrant dominance in imparting information throughout the world. Their scope of spreading the right information has reached not just within a certain place but today it has remarkably moved over in the entire world. The media have remarkably become among of the most important tools for public relations activity and news coverage (Courtright and Slaughter, 2007). In the midst of advanced information technology, the ultimate goal of the media is to aggressively scatter information from one place to another in a fast pace. In fact, people are bombarded with information daily because of the capacity of the media to transform certain information to be relevant to them. People are always looking forward to the right information and they always expect to have it from the media. In particular, this paper tries to discuss the role of social media in the 2011 Japanese disasters such as earthquake and tsunami. The role of television One of the oldest technologies invented by human is television. Today, in wherever part of the world, it is one of the most important sources of information and entertainment of the people. Television has become the major part of the daily lives of... One of the Japanese in an interview told the media about his horrible experience during the earthquake and its series of aftershock. ‘I have witnessed how strong the magnitude of the earthquake was. The whole building was already moving like a cradle does.’ Due to this coverage of the media, people from other parts of the world were given enough idea how horrible was the said experience. They were given the right and even detailed information how strong was the magnitude of that earthquake plus they were provided with the actual idea of the tsunami through a live aerial video footage. In the midst of 2011 Japan disasters, it is evident that television has become one of the most important sources of information. For instance, it is through television news reports that individuals have been informed about their family relatives abroad especially those in Japan. Specifically, television has become one important instrument that could be used for precautionary measures and monitoring of hazards behaviours of the people (Morris, 2005). The television broadcasted significant news reports from Japan and these specifically try to update concerned individuals about the ongoing progress of disaster among the Japanese. For instance, the television has become the channel of information how Japan had correspondingly attempted to solve the issue in facing the aftermath of the disaster. It is therefore clear that television has the potential to trigger emotion by simply trying to give visual details of specific information. People may not be focusing on the opinion of the news report but they are actually after of what they see. Through the live telecast of tsunami in Japan, people from around the world had enough information about the potential destructive forces of nature.

Strategy Report of Tesco Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategy Report of Tesco Case Study - Essay Example Although Tesco concentrated on the core growth of the company during the 50s and 60s, apart from organic growth, they also grew through acquisitions. They increased their market share at low cost as they concentrated in opening stores in and around London. The organic growth represents the long-term strategy of the company and also its core strength and vitality. The number of stores grew and they acquired cost leadership but cost leadership comes with disadvantages (Porter, 1979). Very low cost may take loyal customers away and it may also start losing revenues, which is what happened to Tesco. It then changed its strategy to increase its market share – price reduction and centralized buying. Thereafter Tesco concentrated on growth based on four factors. While UK was their core market, they also expanded internationally. Apart from market development, they also focused on product development as they became as strong in non-food products as in food. Besides, they also introduced new retailing services. So their strategy was both market and product development. This is how they penetrated into the market and increased their market share. In their overseas expansion, they adopted a localized approach where they took into account the local culture, local suppliers and ways of working. They also recognized that each individual was different and hence adopted the multi-format strategy. They focused on a few markets which helped them gain competitive advantage and then find the direction for growth and development. During the 1990s Tesco concentrated on national market development through product innovation. They attracted and retained customers through different innovative strategies. To retain loyal customers they introduced loyalty cards; to attract a new segment they started online shopping and thereby created differentiation in their service offerings. It was the same market but with the help of technology they could

Enzyme Catalysis Essay Example for Free

Enzyme Catalysis Essay Enzymes catalyze nearly all biochemical reactions in living cells (Hein, Best, Pattison, and Arena, 2005). As a catalyst, they regulate the chemical reactions by lowering the needed activation energy (Sackheim and Lehman, 1998). Catalysts facilitate chemical reaction but are not consumed, thus, can be used all over again. This function of enzymes is directly dependent on their three-dimensional structures and on the variables that affect their stereochemistry. It was believed that all enzymes are protein in nature but several findings showed that certain ribonucleic acids (RNAs) have enzymatic function (Hein et. al. , 2005). A typical organism has a thousand of biological simple or conjugated enzymes. A simple enzyme is made up of amino acid units while a conjugated one has both protein and non-protein parts that are called apoenzyme and coenzyme respectively (Hein et. al. , 2005). The substrate or substance by which the enzyme will act upon binds at the enzyme’s active site. This active site is about 1-5% of the total surface area of the enzyme (Hein et. al. , 2005). Catalysis follows that is usually describe as formation of enzyme (E) and substrate (S) complex, then, E-S complex decomposes to yield the product and the enzyme. Enzyme-catalyzed reactions are affected by several factors. This may be due to the variables effect on the stereochemistry of the enzyme and kinetics consideration. For instance, temperature affects the rate of all chemical reactions. The higher the temperature, the faster the chemical reaction takes place. However, enzymes coagulate in higher temperatures while lower temperatures results to low reaction rate. Thus, a particular enzyme best functions at its optimum temperature (Sacheim and Lehman, 1998). Concentration on the other hand, favors faster rate of chemical reaction. An increase in substrate concentration, hence, leads to a faster reaction until to the point wherein the enzyme is saturated by substrate. Moreover, every enzyme has an optimum pH range where it can function best (Sackheim and Lehman, 1998). Slight pH changes affect the polarity of the amino acid backbone of the enzyme resulting to changes in its catalytic function. In this simulation experiment, the catalytic capability of a hypothetical enzyme at different environmental conditions was investigated. The effect of temperature, pH, and substrate concentration on its optimal catalytic function were taken into consideration. In addition, the optimal temperature and optimal pH of the hypothetical enzyme were also determined. Moreover, the relationship between the enzyme concentration and the reaction rate was also explored. Procedure The spectrophotometer equipment was used in the simulation experiment in order to measure the amount of the product formed by the enzymatic reaction. The spectrophotometer is equipped with wavelength of light adjustment within 300-700 nanometre range, and percent transmittance (T) or absorption (A) of light by the sample. In addition, six different substrates labeled from A to F and six different enzymes also labeled from A to F were provided. The wavelength setting for each substrate was indicated on the vial and the clock above the substrate vials were used in setting the wavelength selector and in taking the time of the reaction respectively. Temperature, pH scale, a pipette, and a cleaning button were also made available. The substrate A and the enzyme A were used all throughout the simulation experiment. Optimal PH Five milliliter of enzyme A was added to 25 mL of substrate A and the spectrophotometer was set at 430 nanometer wavelength. This was done for every sample for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 pH values. The absorption for each sample was measured within one minute and 25Â ° temperature. Then, the graphical representation of data was made by plotting pH values against absorption values. Optimal Temperature Five millilitre of enzyme A was added to 25 mL of substrate A. This was done for 10Â °, 20Â °, 30Â °, 40Â °, 50Â °, 60Â °, 70Â °, and 80Â ° temperature values. The spectrophotometer was set at 430 nanometre wavelength and each sample was maintained with pH 8 value. Also, one minute absorption reading was allotted for every sample. Then, the temperature values were plotted against absorption values. Reaction Rate At this part of the simulation experiment, two mixtures of substrate A were prepared. The first sample was prepared by adding 5 mL of enzyme A into 25 mL of substrate A while the other sample was made by adding 25 mL of subtrate A with 15 mL of enzyme A. The spectrophotometer was set at 430 nanometre wavelength and the absorption reading for each sample was done for every 10 seconds within 2 minutes. The pH of each sample was maintained at pH 8 value. Finally, the graphical representation of time and absorption was made for each sample.

Perspectives Of Strategic Change Management

Perspectives Of Strategic Change Management There is one quote from Heraclitus that people frequently use when talking about business, the only constant is change itself. Change is a key feature to business environment nowadays, the ability to strategically manage change is often perceived as one of the core competencies of flourishing organizations (Burnes, 2004, Okumus and Hemmington, 1998).In the face of globalization, innovation of technology and economic fluctuations (Burnes B. , 2004), new business models and appropriate strategic responses have to be formulated in order to manage uncertainty, variability and ambiguity (Clayton et al., 2005) within the context of what DAveni(1995) called hyper-competition. However, current theories and approaches to change management are massive (Armenakis Bedeian, 1999)and often contradictory, regarding the complexity of change and significant differences in perspectives towards it (Burnes, 2004; By, 2005). Even though, it seems that aconsensushas been reached that internally or externallydriven changes are occurring regardless of shape, form or size (Burnes, 2004; Carnall, 2003; Kotter, 1996; Luecke, 2003),henceinfluence everyorganization in every industry. This articlewill critically review part of the key theories and approaches concerning organizational structure and culture, andtry to apply the frameworks discussedinto a case study to see whether they are consistent with empirical evidences. Diagnosis: Change and Managing Change Definition of Change From the origin of the concept, change is defined by Oxford English Dictionary as the act or instance of making or becoming different. It is often referred to as the movement from a current state toward a future state (George Jones, 1996). In his Management textbook, Robins defines change as an alteration in structure, technology, or people. (1994, p. 381)In this definition, structure refers to alteration in structural variables in terms of complexity, formalization, degree of centralization, etc. Technological aspect of change is related to methods or equipment involved. People, as the third concern in change, looks at theaspect of modification in attitudes, perceptions, values, or behavior (Nagaike, 1997).Taking into account the nature of both strategy and change, strategic change isdescribed as distinctionin organizations alignment with their external environmentin the shape, form, or state over a certain period of timescale(Van de Ven Poole, 1995; Rajagopalan and Spreitze, 1996 ).The alignment here denotes the fundamental pattern of present and planned resource deployments and environmental interactions that indicates how the organization will achieve its objectives(Hofer Schendel , 1978, p. 25). In thestrategic level, Pettigrew (1985)argues that within an organization, changes occurs under different situations, ranging from commercial events,to managerialinsight, options and actions, which indicate a classification both on macro and micro perspective. Managers, see the internal setting of change consists connections with structure, culture, power, and levels of control. The relevant parts of the environment (Schien, 1985)had to be re-evaluated in order to check.Change is a continuous anddistinctivefeature of organizational life, both operationally and strategically (Burnes, 2004).As a result, corporate strategy cannot be taken out fromorganizational change (Rieley Clarkson , 2001). Strategic Change Management The term strategic change management is very popular amongacademic articles together with newspapers and magazines. Joan Magretta and Nan Stone (2002) point out that coping with various changes is one of the most challenging tasks in the management arena. Moreover, comments of influential management gurus such as Peter Drucker who suggest that organizations have to command change, rather than simply reacting to it stimulated much interest in this very topic (1995). Strategic change management is defined as the process of managing the implementation of alteration in organizational strategies,by which an organization achieveseffective changes in objectives, performances, relations, procedures and organisms (Bridges, 1991), gets to its future state and attains its vision for competitive advantage. Via a process characterized as sensegiving (Gioia Chittipeddi), a vision for change is created and then disseminated(Whetten, 1984) to peple whoplay the change agents role to reach the created vision. Everett Rogers (1995) described change agents as figures with one foot in the old world and one in the new creators of a bridge across which others can travel.Strategic change management enables change agents (Weick Quinn, 1999) andother stakeholders of theorganization to access to the effective strategiesand allow for tryouts in redesigning the organization s image and identity (Mintzberg, 1989)and accomplish the new vision. Types of Change How change is perceived varies in related literature: somehas regarded it asexecuted from top-down whileothers bottom-up, some sees it an emergent phenomenon while others think it s planned (Lewin, Field Theory in Social Science, 1951); different scholars have described it as incremental, punctuated and continuous (Burnes B. , 2004) Different kinds of change call for different strategies to successfully effect and make a difference to the way things are done around here which referred to overcoming resistance to implementing organization change. Before getting into the details of managing change, it s helpful to review the types of change in organizations and then start to look at specific approaches toward change. Planned and Emergent Change Sometimes changeis classified as planned,which isrationally embarked upon and directed by organizations (Burnes B. , 2004). The term of planned change was first mentioned by psychologist Kurt Lewin (1947),to describe change as deliberate,and a product of rational thinking and actions (McGreevy, 2008). Planned change may as well be called blueprint, top-down, rational, linear change with the need for focus on revolutionary or transformational change (Hayes, 2010), and also be referred to as episodic change as opposed to continuous change (Weick Quinn, 1999). Strategically speaking, planned change s more termed second-order change, often encompassessubstitution of certain strategy with another as well as a significant survival of crisis and take into account the multiple consequences of any such changes (Buchanan Boddy, 1992)in order to distinguish from the change of doing better in what we already do (Watzlawick et al., 1974). In contrast, change sometimes is quiteunplanned. Thiskind of change is recognized as emergent change, which is ongoing and is an unpredictable process of aligning and realigning to a turbulent environment (Burnes B. , 2004). Emergent change occurs spontaneously, involving gradual process of continuous adjustment, cumulative effortmodifications in work and social context that people improvise and learn in daily basis (Hayes, 2010). Also indicatedas incremental or first order change, emergent change has an importantfeature that concerns the fact that people frequently adjusting and correcting thoughts and knowledge they obtain from internal or externalenvironments, which can accumulate and amplify then create significant changes (Weick Quinn, 1999). As discussed frequently in organizational development literature, which followed the work of Lewin (Cummings Huse , 1989), the difference between planned and emergent change helps clarify the school of thoughtsondevelopment of organizations and developmentof long-term organizationalgoals (Naderi, 2010), which is agreed with the strategic thinking of change management.Instead of being a fixed, coherent, or well-ordered process, organizational change is chaotic or uncontrolled most of the time (Iles Sutherland, 2001), often involving emergent or non-linear elements and the consequences of uncertainty andchance (Dawson, 1996). The term strategic change then, is the explanation of the magnitude of change in structure, culture, recognizing the second order effects of these changes (Pettigrew, 2000). Developmental, transitional and transformational change Change mayas well be viewed from the perspective of frequency and scope (Iles Sutherland, 2001). Ackerman (1997)outlines three types of most frequentchange in organizational literature: developmental,which is change that augments or modifiespresentfacets of an organization, highlighting on the enhancement of skills or processes in order to maintain competitive; transitional,intrusive as it bring about completely new processes or procedures to the organization. Examples of transitional change includes corporate restructuring, merger, acquisitions, new product or service designs, and instigating new technologies; and transformationalchangewhichrequires a fundamental redefinition of the organization and some of its key features including a innovative definition of the business, a different strategic orientation, oandsignificant change in terms of structure, processes, and corporate culture (Dunphy Stace, 1993). Theories in change literature are more concerned with developmental and transitional change, leaving transformational change as a difficult and unsolved when implementation is under consideration. Burnes(2004) has a slightly different classification of change, in the need to consider strategically concerning the internal and external environment, which includes:incremental, with separateorganizational segments responding progressively and independently to one problem or goal at a time; punctuated equilibrium, with evolution through relatively greater span of time of stability punctuated by shorter bursts of revolutionary change; and continuous transformational change, with the organization continuously aligning to their environment which leads to more organized management of strategic change. Cultural Perspective If real change is to occur in organizations, it has to happen at the cultural level. Culture has long been a key factor in organizational change literature. As early as the 1950s, psychologist Jaques wrote about cultural influence in a changing factory for the first time(1952). Though there is no consensus on definition, the shared values and shared patterns of understanding(Schien, 1985)embedded in the meaning of culture are at the core of organizational change.In fact, Schien s definition of culture best represents functionalist school of cultural approaches to change. He defines culture of a group as the collective or shared learning of that unit as it develops its capacity to survive in its external environment and to manage its own internal affairs (1990, p. 58). It is stated by scholars that to create effective and powerful change, organizations and individuals have toface, cultivate or challenge core cultural values, thenparticipants of the organization come up against a overwhelming change in perceptionthusturn to another direction(Dunphy Stace, 1993). Then in this sense, two steps have to be taken when we look at culture in terms of change management. First, the resistance of change from the existing culture, which requires anexplicitcomprehension of the corporate culture. The diagnosis of current culture will determine the second step, which how to change the culture and implement change at a strategic level. Johnson and Scholes: Cultural web The cultural web is a good diagnostic tool for ?looking at corporate culture. (See Figure 1) The paradigm in the center of the web is the set of core beliefs, which maintains the unity of the culture. The petals includedsoft aspects such assymbols, routines, political processes and hard counterparts as structures and control systems. They are theculture sexplicitexpressions of the impact of the paradigm(Johnson Scholes, 1999). Cultural web not only recognize current cultural layouts but alsoable to map future culture required by change. But to be critical, environment and contextual factors are more or less ignored in cultural web framework. Figure 1. Cultural web (Johnson and Scholes, 1992) Structural Perspective Opportunity and Resistance Mintzberg(1989)describes structure in a dynamic form. He points out the environmental influence on organizational structure,plus the mannerof its evolvement. It is proposed that complexity plays animportant role in organization s structure, due to its relationship tothe diversity in the environment and the variety of structures in organizations and the pace of change they are confronting. From the practical perspective,both internal and external structural aspects are accountable for organization change in some way(Miller Friesen, 1982).Guth and Ginsberg point out that industry structure affects opportunities for successful new product development(Guth Ginsberg, 1990), thus leads to the innovation and renewal of the product cycle of an organization. From inside, the structures of organizations vary. How individual and team engage and coordinate within an organization influence the ease or challenge of organizational change. It is argued by scholars that there is no perfect approach of organizing an organization (Mintzberg 1989; Drucker 1999). Situational variables involve the environment, objectives, technology, age and size of the organization. For instance,when organization s size increases, structural explanation and dignifiedmechanisms for planning, decision making, and resource allocationwill become more complex(Quinn Cameron, 1983), therefore, are able togenerate progressively greaterconfrontationand inertia to basic change(Tushman Romanelli, 1985).New markets and competitive pressures from the industry call for constant internal innovation and change of prevailing structural dimensions to enable firms to better achieve their strategicobjectives. Restructuring could be a powerful gear for change, in rearrange the resource within the organization and also give strong signals to both customers and employees that things are changing, thus helps to build a innovative image. But sometimes structural change becomes too obvious a choice, without considering other factors such as culture(Clarke, 1994); it can then be at great cost to time, morale, and also ultimately unproductive. So reorganization is not the one solution to every issue.To make it effective, one should always take into account the context of both formal and informal structures, and the bonding alignment of structure and culture, to enable individuals and organizations to cope with uncertainty, variability and ambiguity. Leavitt et al.: Four Levers of Change The organization change can be driven by various factors such as function, structure, and also value and culture alike. Leavitt et al. (1973)suggest that four levers of change constitute the sub-system in an organization, including: structure, which involves hierarchy, authority, centralization and decentralization; task, which indicates work design, uniformity, different levels ofcorporate needs, sovereignty and option; technology, which consists levels of complexity, extent of employee engagement and obligation; and people, which includes cultural aspects such as values, beliefs, attitudes, motives, etc. Force Field Analysis (Kurt Lewin,) Force field analysis provides a framework for checking structural levers in terms of inertia as well as opportunities.By looking at both sides of the organizational driven forces, Lewin s model helps to examine the barriers and resistance of change, and figure out the main facilitators. Figure 2. Force field analysis Model (Lewin, 1951) As shown in Figure 2, one party is attempting to support change driving forces and the other seeking to hold things back restraining forces. In Lewin s model, organizations are more as a dynamic balance of forces effecting in opposite ways. If change is to occur, the equilibrium has to be broken by the driving forces exceeding the restraining forces. Strategy to Change: Contextual Features and Implementation Options Organizational change is often triggered by outside driving force, so the circumstances that form the setting for change cannot be neglected in understanding and assessing strategic change management. Figure 3. Change Kaleidoscope Model (Balogun Hope Hailey , 2002) A change kaleidoscope model is discussed in regard to diagnosis of the context for change (Balogun Hope Hailey , 2002). The authors presents a framework derived from a kaleidoscope metaphoras shown in Figure3, that encompassesan outer ring which illustrate the key change context featureswhich either facilitate or confine change, as well as an inner ring concerning to options openwhen implementing a change.They carry out an analysis of needs, using judgment on what is most critical, and decide which interventions to implement and the orders to be taken. The design choices consist change start-point, change path, change style, change targetand change roles. It is notcontextual feature s impact on the design choices that matters (Balogun Hope Hailey, 2002), they need to work together in a systematic and consistent way. It is argued that the organization mechanisms such as strategy, structure, and peopleshould be aligned with each other to make an effective organization; in this sense, good strategic alignment is crucial to change (Tichy, 1985). Approaches to Change: Models and Frameworks Lewin: Three-Stage Process of Change Most theories on planned change stem from the three-phase model Lewin (1951)developed in describing how an organization undergoes change as following: * Unfreezing: readiness or willingness to accept change. * Moving: choosing appropriate strategies for change itself. * Refreezing: acceptance and stabilization of new behavior. Figure 4. Three-Stage Process of Change(Lewin, 1951) This social-psychological approach to management is about how people in an organization go about changing. First, the members of the organization have to be convinced of the necessityand demand for change, have a sense of urgency, or else nobody will be willing to move and the management will be the only ones believing in the reorganization. Second, the change has to be carried out. And finally the new situation after the second stepneed to be institutionalized, organizational members, have to embed new behavioral patterns, new working methods, new values and norms, otherwise people will soon return to their old habits prior to the change.Later descriptive models all followed this basic outline in how an organization will change. Kotter: Eight-stage Process of Creating Major Change Based on studies of why organizational change so often fails, Kotter (1996)developed the following conditions for successful change in anorganization. i. Establish a sense of urgency ii. Create the guiding coalition iii. Develop a vision and strategy iv. Communicate the change vision v. Empower employees for broad-based action vi. Generate short-term wins vii. Consolidate gains and produce more change viii. Anchor new approaches in the culture. In textbooks and journal articles on managing change numerous other multi-stage models of change management are presented (Burnes, 2009; Carnall, 2003).All of these models provide organizations with a road map for change; they illustrate what steps the organization must take for change initiatives to be adopted within their organization. Application: A Case Studyof Strategic Change Management Introduction and Background Emirates is one of the biggest international aviation service providers. Not satisfied with just being a successful airline company, it aims to evolve into a globally influential travel and tourism conglomerate. In this case, Emirates plans to open the very first Emirates Hotels and Resorts (EHR).This section first focus on the change context for EHR (which uses part of kaleidoscope framework) and followed by an analysis of the cultural dimensions of change using the cultural web framework. And then identify the implementation of change options by applying the rest of the change kaleidoscope model. Finally, a conclusion and recommendations are provided concerning the change management process at EHR. Context of Change Successfully dealt with the change problem in the beginning of its operation, the context which EHR is in should be firstly illustrated. Launched in 2006, Emirates Hotels and Resorts (EHR) isthe premier hospitality management divisionof Emirates Group. Here EHR is facing the problem of opening its flagship property within a short timescale and incongruous force on its side (Carmazzi, 2008). Time, scope, readiness, diversity and capability are identified as contextual features of particular importance in this case. Figure 5.Context of Change in EHR Resource: by author, adapted from the kaleidoscope model Time. The hotel will be welcoming its first customer in 4 weeks time so everyone is extremely busy and everyone has urgent deadlines ahead to accomplish his or her task. Scope. asks the question of what degree of change is needed. EHR has various choice for managing this change, and since the desired type of service should be cohesive with the Emirates philosophy, so top-down, transformational change is required. Readiness. Apparently, the workforce is not ready to change, employees are performing as individuals, and a cohesive way of working is then needed. Diversity. The people involved are quite diversified, but the different background will bring about conflict in service style as well as working values. Capability. Leader of this change is the administration manager, who has his own routine of work. So consultancy was hired to help manage the change. Organizational Culture As discussed in the literature review, organization s culture concerns the shared values and beliefs within it. The cultural web provides a useful perspective to assess what is happening within the company. Figure 6.The Cultural Webof EHR Before the consultancy started working, EHR was more or less in a mess: everyone was running around to get their own business done. The paradigm of EHR shows that in the situation of only 4 weeks left, there are no recognized vision, and lack of unified identity and cohesive force. Though the top and senior management did create a vision for what should be like in the future, but the power of doing their own task is still held by line managers. For example, spa manager has her distinctive view of what are the priorities from the accommodation manager. The status of work and terminologies used at work varies from group to group, individual to individual. Although managers tried hard to communicate the Emirates philosophy to formulate an exclusive service style, the busy, stressed workforce, trained in absolutely diverse background, whose running towards their own deadlines have low interest of what other people are doing, and are not buying in what is forced upon them. Change Choices The outer ring of the kaleidoscope model has been discussed above as to identify the contextual features of the change environment of EHR. That left us with the inner ring of the model, which provides a menu of design options. When change is under consideration, management, as well as other change agents, can find help within this framework.In order to cope with the change effectively, the approach the consultant agency follows can be summarized using the change choices ring in the model. Change path. The change path can range from adaption, reconstruction, evolution or revolution. In EHR s case, the consultancy think it needs a quick win due to the time limit but still not wise to carry out a major transformational turnaround. Change start-point. To start with, the consultants seek for management commitment to the result from a top-down perspective. Then by identifying real issues and key influencers within the company Change target. The attitude and behavior is the major targets of the change process. By group working and sharing, both middle managers and employees expand their psychological foundations by themselves, which lead to a more voluntary transition in attitude and way of doing things. Change style. The changing process is more of a participation style rather than direction or education, with the effort of the consultancy of bringing management and employees together. Change levers. The driven force of the change is interpersonal rather than technological or political. The concept of ownership and self-leadership is conveyed and ignites change in culture from within. Change roles. It is emphasized that every staff is responsible for the change. The key influencers perform as change agents and share with others, so other employee can relate to their own experience at work. Conclusion and Recommendation The subsystems of organizations shown in the culture web are all to do withthe levers of change. Transformational change requiresthe alignment of considerably softer levers within anorganization as well as the hardcore gears ;it is easier to succeed if paying more attention to subtle mechanisms in regard to people (Balogun Hope Hailey, Exploring Strategic Change, 1999). Here are some recommendations on the change management implication of EHR within a short timescale such as 4 weeks to 3 months. 1. Identification process of both the context and change itself should always be carried out carefully. What is happening in the environment has great influence on the nature and type of change. 2. Alignmentof individual factors of the organization should be examined to check whether a fundamental change is required to assure the change undergoes toward the strategic goals. 3. Interventions requireconscientiouslyplanningin order to eliminate the inertia and barriers to change as shown in the cultural web, to create new subsystems including structures, systems, routines, rituals, symbols, and stories. 4. Seen the weakness of an organization, in order to fix it,support from other sort of leaning such as training is required. Individuals need to go through additionalpreparation and be exposed to extra initiatives before they can accept the vision of organizational change.

The Life Behind Things :: Psychology Technology Personal Narrative Papers

The Life Behind Things Free: this is how human beings living in democratic societies describe themselves. The general idea, nowadays, is that as long as you are considered equal and are able to voice your opinion and defend your own beliefs, the power is in your hand. Gone are the chains of repression and tyranny that permeated ancient times and enslaved whole societies in the prisons of silence and immobility, forcing them to surrender all of their power to the ruler. All that is left now is one word, resounding gloriously in the back of our minds every time we compare our current situation with that of the past: freedom. I used to feel that liberation every day, especially when I learned about foreign societies that had "remained" imprisoned by unscrupulous leaders who refused to relinquish their power and wealth to the people, however needy the latter were. Political police, torture, propaganda: all these horrifying stories whirled in my head and inevitably brought me back to the same evident conclusion, the fact that I was lucky to inhabit a "modern," "Western" country, and that my freedom, both compared to these unfortunate people and in absolute terms, was unlimited. Indeed, I had never felt any pressure of any kind to act a certain way, or hold specific beliefs at the expense of my own ideas. The origins of such a view of the world were the innate thought that only another human being, especially a man-have we ever seen a female dictator?-could take away my personal power and control my actions. For what else could? Such had been my state of mind when I came to NYU-sixteen years spent holding the firm belief that I had control over my actions, probably silently injected in my mind by my proud parents, as well as by the French society in general and all that it entails: the media, school, politicians. It pervaded my mental life, and I whispered this doctrine to myself, as though humming a baby nursery rhyme, probably pacifying my unconscious claims the way the soft lullaby would console a newborn baby, making his tears subside and causing him to forget why he was weeping in the first place. I had never considered and thought about my life in other terms. Originally not wanting to question this whole system of ideas, which would unavoidably cause great chaos in my mind, I started thinking about the recent turn that my life had taken, a few weeks ago.

Origin Of Surnames :: essays research papers

Origins of Surnames   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s society we all want to know who we are and where our names originated from. Our names are what give each of us our own style and individuality, the importance of style and individuality can be related back to our original surnames. Our surnames have come from all areas of the world, each with specific meanings to our family. Surnames or last names have an important meaning to all of us, they give us identity through our family’s history. Looking back into history our names have changed drastically, keeping some people from knowing how their surnames really originated. Surnames originated early in history and did so for many reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first knowledge of surnames was in the biblical times, they used names that went by geography, for example â€Å" Corey of Carlisle.† The actual use of surnames originated in Europe, and in some Scandinavian areas, in the eleventh and fifteenth century by small villages. The reason that no surnames were used before this time was the fact that most people were illiterate, living in small villages in a country atmosphere. Living out in the country these people had no reason to learn to read or write, because their lives were lived off the land. They did not need surnames to signify who they we’re or what they did. In these small villages they went by their first names, people all had different first names, so they did not need surnames to tell people apart. But when the population of the villages grew, it became important to have surnames to identify two people with the same name. The use of surnames showed social class, culture, tradition and, the jobs they worked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The forming of surnames first came from other names by which someone was called. The name â€Å"Johnson† originated from â€Å"the son of John,† and the same goes with my last name â€Å"Richardson.† In some countries they would use their mothers first name for a surname, such as â€Å"Paige.† Jimmy Paige, from the band Led Zeppelin, could say his surname originated this way. Other origins of surnames came from places and geographical names. The surname â€Å"England† or â€Å"Penn† show this quality. Obviously England is a country and Penn is shortened from Pennsylvania. Surnames like â€Å"Smith† ( as in blacksmith ) and â€Å"Carpenter† ( one who works with wood ) come from the jobs that these people held.

Justice System Position Essay

Juvenile crime rates in the United States fell to a new 32-year low in 2013. In 2012 there were around 60,000 violent crime arrests involving youths under the age of 18. From 2011 to 2012 there was a 10% decline in the number of youth arrests for all four offenses, which contributed to an overall drop of 36 percent since 2003. In 1994, police reported 500 violent youth crime arrests for every 100,000 10-17-olds in the population. In 2008, the arrest rate fell and there were 300 arrests for every 100,000 juveniles in the population. Now, between 2009 and 2012, there are 190 arrests per 100,000 juveniles (â€Å"Violent Youth Crime in U.S. falls to New 32-Year Low†, 2013). What do all these numbers represent? A new hope in the future of the youth in the United States. Some of the main reasons contributing to this dramatic decrease in juvenile arrest rates include a shift in thinking about the best ways to handle young people who break the law, a continual period of decreasing juv enile crime, and fiscal pressures on state governments that have many people, including conservatives who supported tough-on-crime policies, looking for less-expensive alternatives to mass incarceration. The United States rates for incarceration for juveniles are18 times greater that of France, and more than seven times greater than that of Britain. Countries like Finland or Sweden do not usually lock up young offenders and offer the youth the best opportunities to mature into adulthood. Large-scale incarceration only leads to abuse and harsh treatment for the children and teenagers confined, and it is very expensive. In fact an average bed in a juvenile correction facility costs about $88,000 a year. Putting troubled youth into extremely disciplined, restrictive, and long-term environments goes against everything that we know about the juvenile brain and takes away opportunities from these adolescents to learn new skills and positive ways of behaving. Most states stress incarceration and punishment and it is interfering with effective diversionary, treatment, and rehabilitation practices (â€Å"Building a More Effective Juvenile System†, 2014). Rehabilitation practices seem t o be the most logical route to treating  delinquent youth and preparing them for a better future. They are the future of America and they are treated now will affect the crime rates in the future. A number of evidence-based practices have made a positive impact on reduced incarceration and reoffending for youth. Research shows that threatening and disciplinary interactions, incarceration, and punishment only increase the aggressive behavior that we see in troubled youth. To help our youth and continue to decrease the rates of delinquency and re-offending we can reduce the weight on incarceration and punishment and increase offenders’ interactions with positive well-trained adults that will help them become better individuals. Juvenile delinquency has been a major problem for law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers have a goal to prevent juvenile delinquency from happening. Without knowing what triggers delinquency, officers have no idea how to stop it before it happens. In the past law enforcements reaction to delinquent behavior was to arrest these individuals. With the dramatic decrease in youth arrests, it makes a difference in what police officers are dealing with every day. It also makes their jobs safer. If law enforcement did nothing, then juveniles would continue to do the wrong. Law enforcement should show interest in the youths in the communities that they serve. Talking to them, asking questions, and pointing them in the right direction could change their lives. Police officers are role models and even can be heroes. In 2001 San Diego police officer Jeremy Henwood was approached by a 13-year-old boy and asked for a dime to buy a cookie at McDonalds. Officer Henwood took some time and asked the boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. The boy replied that he wanted to become a basketball player in the NBA. Officer Henwood explained to him that he would need to work hard and focus to get there. He bought the boy some cookies and went back to his police cruiser. Only moments later Officer Henwood was gunned down in his car and killed. When this boy heard the news it broke his heart and he said that his conversation with Officer Henwood meant so much to him. He said he would never forget the conversation that they had. It made a difference to him. He said that he would work hard to reach his goals because of him (â€Å"Slain San  Diego Officer Remembered for Good Deeds†, 2011). Law enforcement can make a difference for our youth and through these efforts reduce delinquency and make their jobs easier. Juvenile courts and probation play a central role in the management of juvenile justice in the United States. Any policies and programs pushed by these units greatly define the Nation’s response to juvenile crime. In 1996 1.76 million delinquency cases were handled by U.S. courts and juvenile probation officers had contact with almost every one of those cases. While rates have decreased since 1996, it still puts a huge weight on both units (â€Å"Overview†, 1999). While it might cost more to rehabilitate and treat all juvenile offenders at first, the number of reoffenders would decrease drastically. They could be taught how to use the skills they were born with, learn new skills, and learn how to be successful in life. Eventually the weight would not only be off of the court and probation system, but also off of the rehabilitation programs. Another unit in the justice system that would be affected by rehabilitation is corrections. Currently correction facilities do offer some sort of rehabilitation for those inmates who choose it or have no choice. Because of high demands, not every delinquent can receive the specific treatment that they need. If rehabilitation took priority in the first place, the incarceration rates would certainly decrease and these facilities could provide individualized treatment. As I mentioned earlier, to provide a bed for one youth for a year costs on average $88,000. If these numbers decreased, these funds could be used to provide scholarships and other incentives to our youth. Currently community services are used as a punishment for juvenile delinquents instead of incarceration. It usually is a method used to show a delinquent that there are consequences to their actions. Meaningful community service along with proper treatment can show children and young teens that there is so much more to l ife than getting into trouble. It is a great way to give back to the community and help these kids feel important. Rehabilitation comes in many forms but its main goal is to restore the good in a person and prevent habitual offending. These centers can provide academic and vocational education, treatment programs  that address violent and criminal behavior, sex offender behavior, substance abuse, mental health programs, and medical care while maintaining a safe and secure environment beneficial to learning. Programs such as these could reduce institutional violence and future criminal behavior by teaching anti-criminal attitudes and providing personal skills for youths. With all that said, some people argue that punishment is necessary and should remain the main focus of the juvenile justice system. Punishment advocates state that our youth understand right from wrong and should be punished for their actions. I think that what these advocates do not realize is what these kids are facing when they are locked up. The conditions that will live in while they serve the time on their sentence may act ually change them for the worse. Maybe if these advocates spent a day or a week living the way an incarcerated juvenile does their opinions would change dramatically. An argument against rehabilitation is that juvenile rehabilitation is unique for each individual. What works to treat one kid might not work for another. It makes it harder to treat each juvenile and get positive results. With each new entry into the system, the chances of rehabilitation for each kid decreases. That shouldn’t mean that everyone gives up hope and locks up each delinquent until they feel they have been punished long enough. What this shows is that more resources and time should be put into rehabilitation efforts. Creating facilities that specialize in different areas and placing these youths where they feel they will thrive is needed. If it doesn’t work, the information that they have learned about that delinquent should be enough to send them to another facility where they will receive the proper services. Before a child turns three years old the state is responsible for all learning disabilities. It is the job of the state to evaluate that child and pro vide services to help that child meet their milestones. Once the child turns three years old the school system in the state becomes responsible for the learning development of that child. The school system will evaluate and place the child into a school that will work to improve the skills of this child. If there are no improvements, the child will receive another evaluation and changes in placement will be made. This process continues until the child is receiving the exact learning environment that they need. I know all of this from personal experience with my son. These same efforts should be used for youths heading in the wrong  direction. They are the future of America and with youth arrest rates already decreasing, there is a chance for a safer future for a lot of people. Punishment can make a person angry and resentful. A child is usually provided warnings that if they continue certain behavior they will find themselves in â€Å"time out† or have certain toys or electronics taken away. Once they use up all possible warnings that punishment is enforced. It makes the child angry and upset but usually they realize that they have to be good before they are able to get out of â€Å"time out† or get back what was taken from them. As a mother I can say that these methods work. The difference in punishment at home and punishment by law is that it is a family matter. These children are working with loved ones. When punished by the law and placed in institutions it is not up to family anymore on what kind of treatment they will receive. It can be damaging to these kids. I can only hope that more time and effort be placed in helping these kids become better people. The right kind of rehabilitation efforts can help almost anyone. Taking time to learn the problems a juvenile has and working to show them that it is only a problem and problems always have a solution, is a positive approach to decreasing juvenile delinquency. Given the decreasing rates of delinquency over the last 32 years shows, in my opinion, that our country is on the right track in helping our youth. Change has always been necessary and ways to improve are always on the agenda. Reference Page Violent Youth Crime in U.S. Falls to New 32-Year Low. (2013). Retrieved from http://johnjayresearch.org/rec/files/2013/10/databit201304.pdf Juvenile Delinquency Current Issues, Best Practices, and Promising Approaches. (2008). Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/gp_solo_magazine_home/gp_solo_magazine_index/juveniledelinquency.html (â€Å"Juvenile Delinquency Current Issues, Best Practices, And Promising Approaches†, 2008). Building a More Effective Juvenile System. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.earlyadolescence.org/juvenile_justice_system Slain San Diego officer remembered for good deeds. (2011). Retrieved from http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?id=8314141 Overview. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/jaibgbulletin/over.html