The Importance of Human Skills

Introduction Human or interpersonal skills are believed to be essential for every effective manager or leader. This component has been discussed by many scholars and researchers. This paper will illustrate the importance of human skills by discussing the examples of successful leaders and managers such as Charlie Bell. In part, this discussion will be based on the ideas of Robert Katz (1955) who identified and examined the attributes of good administrator and executives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Human Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is also necessary to compare his views with more modern theories of leadership and management. This analysis will enable us to better see the role of human skills in everyday management. Moreover, this discussion will also identify some of important and unresolved questions related to the development of interpersonal competencies of those people who want to make a managerial career. The examples illustrating the significance of human skills There are several cases which can demonstrate the significance of interpersonal skills. One of such examples is Charlie Bell, the former CEO of McDonald’s Corporation. He began to work in this company at the age of 15 as a regular employee. In later years, he made a brilliant career in this organization ultimately becoming the chief executive officer of this international corporation. In part, his successes can be explained by the fact that he always worked on his managerial skills. For example, his attentiveness toward employees and excellent memory for faces earned him support of many people in McDonald’s (Robbins et al 2009, p. 16). It should be borne in mind that in the course of his career Charlie Bell worked in a variety of different teams and he always managed to cooperate effectively with every member of the staff (Boje 2008, p. 136). These qualities enabled him to rev italize this corporation and increase its market share. On the whole, Charlie Bell’s successes can attributed to perseverance, willingness to work in a team, and ability to pass his enthusiasm on other people. His example substantiates many theories of leadership and management. For instance, one remember Katz’s model[1] of managerial qualities, and particularly his idea that human skills are vital for business administrators. The case of Charlie Bell is worth attention because it shows that human skills are important for people who work at different levels of managerial hierarchy. He began to work in McDonalds as a crew member and he occupied virtually every position that exists in this corporation (Boje 2008, p. 136). During every stage of his career he was known as a reliable team player, excellent communicator, and motivator.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is possible to cite other cases which prove that excellent human skills are among the attributes of a highly effective manager. Once can certainly mention Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric. Despite the fact that he has often been criticized for his brutality and extremely high performance standards standards, Jack Welch is more famous for his openness to the employees, ability to motivate every member of the staff, and attentiveness to the opinions of his colleagues (Rowe Guerrero 2010, p. 217). In fact, these skills are one of the reasons why General Electric improved organizational structure, production, and subsequently financial performance. Finally, we should definitely speak about Anne Malcuhy, the president of Xerox who saved this company from bankruptcy (Hamilton 2010, p. 296). Among her human or interpersonal competencies, one can surely distinguish great listening skills and motivational ability (Hamilton 2010, p. 296). First, they helped her understand w hy this company was facing significantly problems. But more importantly, she was able to convince the investors and employees that this corporation could survive the time of crisis. Her achievement might not be possible without great human skills. Theoretical aspects of human skills Thus, we have discussed three very successful administrators and leaders. They may have various educational backgrounds, spheres of interests, personality traits, and so forth. Nonetheless, they share some common attribute, namely the ability to communicate with and influence other people. This is the significant component of human skills. Overall, this element of managerial efficiency has been of considerable interest to many scholars and researchers. One of the most important works written in this area is the article Skills of an Effective Administrator by Robert Katz. This scholar defines human skill as the manager’s ability â€Å"to work effectively as a group member and build cooperative eff ort within the team† (1955, p. 34). According to the author, a good administrator must be able to understand the needs of the employees in order to better motivate them. Moreover, this person must be very attentive to what his/her colleagues are saying and why (Katz 1955, p. 35). These qualities are essential for every person who is willing to gain the support of co-workers, business partners, clients, contractors, and so forth. It is important to people, who work at various levels of management (Katz 1955). These people can be the main executive officers in a company or frontline managers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Human Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, Katz’s interpretation of human skills is mostly related to such areas as motivation, emotional intelligence, and willingness to involve the subordinates into decision-making. Although modern scholars may disagree with Katz’s classification of managerial competencies[2], many scholars admit that human skills are really indispensible for every business administrator. At the given moment, there are numerous frameworks which strive to describe, classify, and analyze the main strengths of a successful manager. For instance, one can mention Trait Theory, the Hersey-Blanchard Model of Leadership, or Transactional Theory. Some of them pay attention primarily on the personal characteristics and traits of a business administrator, while others emphasize the functions that this professional has to perform. Yet, each of these theoretical approaches attaches great importance to various interpersonal skills such as delegation of tasks, motivation, listening skills, emotional intelligence, or ability to establish rapport with colleagues (Manjunath Nagendra 2009). Thus, one can say that existing theoretical approaches to management support the ideas of Robert Katz. Nonetheless, this discussion of l eadership theories also shows that it may be difficult to identify every interpersonal skill that a manager should possess. The researchers, who currently investigate the changing role of management, argue that human skills have become much more important nowadays than they were several decades ago (Mackenzie 2010, p. 529). The thing is that modern companies operate in globalized markets which are driven information technologies. Modern managers have to work with the employers, clients, contractors, or investors who represent different cultures. Moreover, in many cases, they cannot communicate face-to-face (Mackenzie, 2010, p. 529). These changes in the workplace suggest that a modern business administrator has to have considerable human skills; otherwise they will not be able to compete in the labor market. The main issue which is still to be solved is how to measure and evaluate human skills of a person. In his article, Robert Katz admits that the assessment of interpersonal skill s is likely to be very subjective (1955, p. 41). This question is particularly relevant to those professionals who recruit managers or promote them. Without an objective evaluation method they can hardly cope with this task. Apart from that, currently the educators and scholars attempt to create methods and techniques of improving and developing interpersonal skills of future business administrators. This task has yet to be fully accomplished.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion This discussion indicates that a person can achieve success as a manager, leader, or administrator, only if he/she has well-developed interpersonal skills. The theory introduced by Robert Katz strives to explain the core competencies of a good executive. Despite the fact that the author’s classification of managerial skills can be disputed, however, his views on human skills are still valid. The existing theoretical frameworks emphasize the importance of these qualities. Moreover, the process of globalization and increasing adoption of online technologies only increase the importance of human skills. Yet, there are several issues which still need to be addressed. First, the researchers must find ways of identifying various human skills and their applications in the workplace. Secondly, one has to develop techniques of evaluating this managerial competency. Reference List Boje, D. (2008). Storytelling organizations. London: SAGE Publications. Hamilton, C. (2010). Co mmunicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions. NY: Cengage Learning. Katz, R. L. (1955). Skills of an Effective Administrator. Harvard Business Review,  33(1), 33-42. Mackenzie, M. L. (2010). Manager communication and workplace trust: Understanding manager and employee perceptions in the e-world. International Journal Of Information Management, 30(6), 529-541. Manjunath, V. Nagendra, S. (2009). Entrepreneurship Management. Delhi: Pearson Education. Robbins, S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I., Coulter, M. (2009). Management (9th ed.). NY: Prentice Hall. Rowe, W. Guerrero, L. (2010). Cases in Leadership. NY: SAGE. Footnotes In the next section, the ideas of Robert Katz will be discussed in more detail. Robert Katz divides managerial competences into three groups: 1) technical skills; 2) human skills, and 3) human skills. This essay on The Importance of Human Skills was written and submitted by user Knox Barnes to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition and Examples of Conditional Clauses

Definition and Examples of Conditional Clauses In English grammar, a conditional clause is a type of adverbial clause that states a hypothesis or condition, real (factual) or imagined (counterfactual). A sentence containing one or more conditional clauses and a main clause (which expresses the result of the condition) is called a conditional sentence  (also known as a conditional construction). A conditional clause is most often introduced by the subordinating conjunction if. Other conditional subordinators include unless, even if, provided that,  on condition that, as long as, and  in the case of. (Note that unless functions as a negative subordinator.) Conditional clauses tend to come at the beginning of complex sentences, but (like other adverbial clauses) they may also come at the end.   Examples and Observations If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. (Anne Bradstreet, Meditations Divine and Moral)Romans park their cars the way I would park if I had just spilled a beaker of hydrochloric acid on my lap. (Bill Bryson,  Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe. William Morrow, 1992)Even if it snows, even if there is a tornado, nothing will put off this expedition. (J.F. Powers, Death of a Favorite, 1951)After that first taste of the sandal in the dining room, I foolishly believed I would be safe as long as I stayed away from the table. (Adrienne Kress,  Alex  . Weinstein Books, 2007)and  the Ironic GentlemanIf you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, dont deal in lies,Or being hated, dont give wa y to hating,And yet dont look too good, nor talk too wise...(The first stanza of Rudyard Kiplings If- , 1895) What Are 'Conditions'? Conditions deal with imagined situations: some are possible, some are unlikely, some are impossible. The speaker/writer imagines that something can or cannot happen or have happened, and then compares that situation with possible consequences or outcomes, or offers further logical conclusions about the situation. (R. Carter,  Cambridge Grammar of English. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Stylistic Advice: Positioning Conditional Clauses Conditional clauses have traditionally been placed at the beginning of a sentence, but you should feel free to place a conditional clause elsewhere if doing so would make the provision easier to read. The longer the conditional clause, the more likely it is that the provision would be more readable with the matrix clause rather than the conditional clause at the front of the sentence. If both the conditional clause and the matrix clause contain more than one element, you would likely be better off expressing them as two sentences. (Kenneth A. Adams,  A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. American Bar Association, 2004) Types of Conditional Clauses There are six main types of conditional sentence: For example, the equilibrium between liquid and vapor is upset if the temperature is increased.(General rule, or law of nature: it always happens.)If you start thinking about this game, it will drive you crazy.(Open future condition: it may or may not happen.)But if you really wanted to be on Malibu Beach, youd be there.(Unlikely future condition: it probably wont happen.)If I were you, I would go to the conference center itself and ask to see someone in security.(Impossible future condition: it could never happen.)I would have resigned if they had made the decision themselves, she said.(Impossible past condition: it didnt happen.)If he had been working for three days and three nights then it was in the suit he was wearing now.(Unknown past condition: we dont know the facts.) (John Seely,  Grammar for Teachers. Oxpecker, 2007)

Ecotourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecotourism - Essay Example However, according to the normative definition, ecotourism is centered on three main criteria: (i) 'it should have nature based attractions (ii) visitor interactions should focus on education, and (iii) experience and product management should follow the principles associated with ecological, socio-cultural and economic sustainability' (Weaver and Lawton 2007:170). Prescriptive definitions of ecotourism is preferred amongst experts which include 'value-based dimensions' such as conservation, community involvement and social responsibility.(Weaver and Lawton 2007: 1169). Ecotourism is being promoted by governments and the tourism industry as a sustainable alternative to mass tourism. However, this too has not escaped critics' comments and myths. They have suggested that ecotourism can be damaging to the natural environment. Critics are skeptical that the future of tourism industries can be at risk (Mihalic 2000) with the motivation of ecotourists. There are different types of eco/nature tourists. Lindberg's 1991 typology distinguishes hard-core, dedicated, mainstream tourists from casual nature tourists. Similarly Laarman and Durst (1987) has drawn a distinction between 'hard' and 'soft' ecotourism experiences based on the degree of difficulty in ecotourism. Ecotourism is one of the 'new' forms of tourism based around sustainable ideas. As compared to other forms of tourism ecotourism is small in scale, non-consumptive, ethical/responsible, and of benefit to local people. However, in the absence of an adequate management regime ecotourism is unlikely to be sustainable ecologically by any relevant measure. Most ecotourism destinations are geographically remote and hence ecotourism involves the issue of carbon expenditures with long distance travel and their contribution to climatic changes. Therefore, ecotourism can never meet the parameters of environmental sustainability. Critical Comments The sustainability of ecotourism is a controversial issue. As long as ecotourism serves its purpose as an 'alternative tourism' by satisfying ecotourists and fulfills their mission, it has already achieved its goal and purpose. There is a definite scope of developing ecotourism both at the local and global scales in order to promote tourism industry as such. Critical Reflections Different types of ecotourism have to be formed and developed by the government systems of developing and developed countries. Ecotourism must aim to gain the economic advantages of tourism development causing minimal negative environmental impact. SUMMARY 2 Tourism and Environment With reference to the environmental impacts of tourism from geographical perspective tourism as an industry depends on physical environment. Tourism is associated with environmental benefits although it is not free from negative impacts. Tourism is not free from related pollution problems. Most of these are related to traffic, tourist infrastructure and the activities of tourists. In congested areas emissions negatively influence vegetation, soil and visibility. Heating systems of tourist related buildings emit some

Career in Pharmaceutical Sales Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career in Pharmaceutical Sales - Research Paper Example Many of the decisions that pharmacists make are life and death ones, and so we require a strong code of ethics from them and the people who supply them with their products (Altilio, 2009). Like many other important professions, drug salespeople are respected but they are also held to high standards.   I work very well in team situations and have always developed a good rapport with peers, co-workers, professors and employers. While I highly enjoy teamwork I also have the motivation and knowledge to work efficiently and independently on major projects. I work extremely well under pressure and have always been able to put my best forward and receive top results.  These are important qualities in a sales professional. Sales can be a high-pressure, high-stress field and you have to work very hard at it to make a go of it (Appelbe, 2005). Another important aspect of pharmaceutical sales is travel. You need to cover a lot of ground and meet a lot of people. I have a good sense of geography and can fit in in many unique situations. You have to charm them and make them want to buy the product. But more than that you have to be credible and knowledgeable. You have to understand the position that pharmacy managers and pharmacists are in. Their profession can be high stress and they will want to ensure that the products they receive are the best (Kevin, 2001). Fortunately, I am good at all of these things.    In life, one has to fight and work hard in order to get ahead. I have always been a hard worker and a person who is dedicated to improving myself through academic study and work as well as everyday experience.   I respond to setbacks by working even harder and increasing my determination.    I possess the intellectual commitment and compassionate interest to make this a satisfying and successful vocation. I truly want to leave my mark on the world by helping others. I realize this will not be an

Models of decision making and problem solving Essay

Models of decision making and problem solving - Essay Example Decision making is about choosing from several options or ideas and taking action to generate a particular result. It is usually considered to be a rational and logical thinking process. It is defined as a process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or opportunity (Schmerhorn, 2003, p 174). Problem solving is one of the steps involved in decision making. Decision making is a part of everyday life for all of us. However this essay is confined to analysis of the process of decision making in an organizational context. In an organization, decision making is one of the key managerial activities. Decisions taken in a timely manner, making optimum use of information and a sound implementation are the hallmarks of organizations which perform effectively. This essay covers aspects of decision making processes in an organization and the models which can be used to describe them. The roles of creativity in individual as well as organization decision making, intuition, gro up and collaborative decision making and leadership that makes the decision making and problem solving in organizations efficient is also discussed.It is important to understand the context under which decisions are made in the organization. Decision making within organization can be broadly classified as happening at four levels. The first is the long-term strategic decision making process. ... The operations level managers will be involved. Speed and implementation of decisions will be very important here. Very often problems to be solved will be routine in nature. The last is the corrective decisions that an organization will have to make based on the monitoring it does of its decisions and the feedback that it receives through such monitoring. Another type of classification on the decisions within an organization are those that can be differentiated as programmed decisions , those which are routine and can be solved by standard methods and the other un-programmed, those which cannot be solved by routine responses, but which require tailor made solutions. Decisions are usually made by managers as individuals, but in organizations, the particular decisions or policies chosen by decision-makers can often be explained through organizational culture and practices. These practices may be decision making by committees and groups, or by adopting fixed or standard operating procedures. Culture of the organization will decide whether decisions are taken autocratically, creatively or through participation. Decisions are often not made by an individual alone in an organization alone. Decisions are made through a complex set of interaction between different people at different parts (functions) and levels of organizations, since the stakeholders of the outcome of decisions will be many. In real life in organizations it is rare to find decision making and other processes where social and political activity does not play a significant part (Teale et al, 2003, p 289). Decision making depends upon the environment under which decisions are made. Schermerhorn, (2003, ch. 17) describes these as certain, risky and uncertain environment. "Certain"

Issues of Alcohol Misuse

Issues of Alcohol Misuse Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol, is a chemical, liquid, colorless, flammable compound used industrially for the manufacture of medicines, perfumes, sprays and spirits as well as wine, beer, whiskey and others.There are two main methods for their production by the fermentation of sugars, the most common, or from the ethylene by a synthetic method. The production by fermentation of sugars is from macerated grain, fruit juices, honey, milk, potatoes or molasses, using yeast that create an enzymatic reaction that converts complex sugars into simple and then in alcohol.94 History There is evidence that consumption of intoxicating substances has been around since the Paleolithic era, although the purpose of its use is unknown, and the frequency of use in the Neolithic born an alcoholic beer-like product, which was obtained from barley fermentation. Wine was used almost exclusively by Roman settlers of origin and citizenship and this part of the imperial refined cuisine.95 Pharmacodynamics Alcoholis consumed by the oral route, after being ingested 20% of it is absorbed in the stomach and 80% in the small intestine, the absorption process is completed in an average of 30 to 60 minutes, even if a food intake simultaneously may be delayed up to 3 hours.Alcohol circulate freely in plasma, its metabolism occurs in the liver at a rate of between 7 to 10 grams per hour, this is removed from the body in small amounts so as respiratory renally.96 Metabolism The alcohol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which is saturated with low levels of blood alcohol concentration, then acetaldehyde is converted to acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase.Under normal situations acetaldehyde is metabolized rapidly and fails to accumulate normally, however when large amounts of alcohol consumed, the accumulation of acetaldehyde can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and gastritis, which is a possible hangover.97 Types of alcoholic beverages Alcohol is industrialized in different presentations of the same, varying in taste, odor and color each time, the proportion of use of each type of alcohol varies between different social groups, both age and sex, as with social class the person.In this research the types of alcohol used in the universitys population.  Cervezabe defined, is the product of fermentation of malted barley, is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages.The basic elements of beer are malted barley, hops, yeast and water.The beer is known for being a little bitter and foamy and usually, except in special beers, it looks bright and clear.  Whiskey and Vodka  are distillated starch, distilled Vodka is produced from the fermentation broth of starch.Whiskey is distilled from the broth produced by fermenting grain and aged in wooden casks.  Ron,  is an alcoholic beverage obtained from the distillation of molasses and cane juice sugar and is colored with caramel.  Came,  we obtain fermentation of grape j uice, wine to distill methanol, aldehydes, esters, acids and higher alcohols is obtained.The obtained ethyl alcohol, also called heart, is essentially wine.98 Effects on the body Alcohol is part of our lives and culture, but the overuse of this can trigger serious health problems. Alcohol can not only lead to accidents or dependency, but alcohol abuse can cause organ damage, weaken the immune system and promote the development of neoplasms.99 Because alcohol potentially affects physical and mental health, chronic use both as a high intake at one time may increase the risk of death, directly, in the case of alcohol poisoning, or indirectly by altering behavior and induces violence.100 Immune and bloodsystem,the alcohol in excessive amounts can suppress the immune system making this way harder fight both viral and bacterial infections.Chronic use of large amounts of alcohol can also develop anemia and low platelets in the user. Bones andmuscles,Moderate use of some types of alcohol can prevent the development of osteoporosis, however when used excessively, this interferes with the absorption of calcium and contrary then develop into finalinstance osteoporosis.A great use alcohol chronically has also been associated with muscle weakness. Brain and nervoussystem,being under the influence of alcohol impairment involves judgment and concentration, lethargy involve extremely high amounts and in worst cases, coma.It is equally common temporary memory loss in those drinkers high rate of consumption.Brain tissue damage in people who use large amounts of alcohol, thiamine deficiency (vitamin B1), which can be caused by poor dietary intake or associates because alcohol reduces absorption and interferes with the use of this in the body, thiamine deficiency can evolve in a severe condition called Wernicke encephalopathy.Chronic alcohol use can likewise alter the cerebellum, which is responsible for balance and coordination of movement.Furthermore,peripheral nerves are also affected, causing pain and weakness. Heart and bloodpressure,excessive alcohol use increases the risk of coronary artery disease.Have been recorded cases of sudden cardiac death in patients with a history of heavy alcohol consumption, irregular heartbeat and chronic disease of the heart muscle.A high alcohol intake is linked to high blood pressure more frequently in men. Intestines,alcohol can lead to developing malnutrition because it blocks the absorption of many important vitamins and nutrients. Kidneys,alcohol intake leads to fluid loss since this acts as a diuretic, which can cause dehydration.Similarly von lost fluids can escape minerals and salts from the body, such as magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. Liver,chronic use of alcohol can damage the liver, with conditions ranging from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis and eventually cirrhosis.It is very common in fatty liver drinkers large amounts of alcohol, although this is reversible when the alcohol intake ceases.Alcoholic hepatitis is developed by a 10 to 35% and leads to symptoms such as fatigue and malaise, death from liver failure may occur in severe cases.Cirrhosis becomes suffered by 5 to 15% of you large consumers of alcohol, at this stage the liver has suffered irreparable harm where the affected cells are replaced by fibrous tissue. Lungs,drunkenness increases the risk of pneumonia, since high concentrations of alcohol in the blood are sedative and relax the mouth and throat, suppressing reflections and reduces the ability of the lungs to clear mucus and foreign bodies.Chronic alcohol use has also been associated with an increased risk of pneumonia, tuberculosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mentalhealth,alcohol affects mood in different ways, leading the person to feel happy, sad or aggressive.There is a risk of dependence when alcohol intake is given by anxiety or stress relief.Because alcohol increases aggressiveness and affects judgment, is often associated with people who have attempted or completed suicide.In people who drink large amounts of alcohol, mood disorders, including depression, anxiety and psychosis, alcohol abuse and dependence develop is also common in people with pre-existing mental condition.100 Reasons for use Young,  the reasons why young people use alcohol involve several factors such as the environment in which the person was raised during his childhood, peer pressure, social activities, and inadequate parental control.Children born in an environment where the sale of alcohol is part of the family economy are more likely to use it when they grow up, as well as children whose parents abused alcohol.The abundance of spirit with which society has today, also plays an important role in the development of the habit of using alcohol.  Adults,  there are similarities between the reasons that young people and adults consume alcohol, social and therapeutic reasons , stress, need for stimulation, pressure from peers.Adults report that alcohol offers relaxation after a busy day at work.101 Consumption patterns in university In universities there are students who are not consumers of alcohol, and sometimes consumers and consumers of high amounts of alcohol, there are predisposing reasons for students to consume alcohol or not, including the influence of family and friends.The fact that a student has consumed alcohol at some point in your life does not make an active consumer, however those who consume alcohol regularly, consumers can be classified into low-risk and high-risk consumers.Studies say that about 20.9% of adolescents report being regular drinkers.102 Toxic Dose It is established that the lethal dose of pure ethanol is 300 to 400ml in less than an hour in adults being potentially lethal dose of 10 ml / kg in children and 5ml / kg, as children are highly sensitive to ethyl alcohol.The clinical manifestations of alcohol intoxication will be related to blood alcohol concentration of10 to 50mgis still in a state of sobriety, so the stage is asymptomatic;30to120mg,produces euphoria, covering motor incoordination, emotional instability, restlessness, inattention and association of ideas;90to 250mgexcitability appears where irritability, dysarthria, muscular incoordination, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis and visual disturbances seen;180to 300mgcomes the confusion, including sleep, drowsiness, marked incoordination, hypothermia and temporary amnesia;270 to 450mgof the patient falls into a coma, expressed punctate miosis, respiratory depression, areflexia, superficial and profound analgesia, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia and seizures;increased to45 0mg,death occurs from paralysis of Cardiorespiratory Centre.103 Alcohol Dependence When the individual has used his body to chronic alcohol intake, this begins to develop addiction and dependency, worsening by more consumed, inadequate intake of alcohol causes malaise, called withdrawal.WHO defines alcohol dependence as a mental and physical state usually also resulting from the ingestion of alcohol, characterized by responsesbehaviorand others, which always include a compulsion to drink alcohol continuously or periodically to experience its psychic effects and sometimes way to avoid the discomfort of withdrawal;tolerance may have or may not be present.104 Alcohol tolerance When high amounts of alcohol are ingested for prolonged periods, the body tends to develop a series of adaptive responses due to the constant presence of ethanol in the bloodstream.Studies demonstrated that continuous exposure to ethanol, results in a significant loss of activity of membrane in neurons besides adaptive changes in electrophysiological responses from them.105 Abuse in young The percentage of college students who ate five or more alcoholic beverages for a period of one month is 41.7% to 45.2% according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).Of those university students who inferred alcohol, 26.1% to 29.2% driving under the effects of alcoholic beverages.106 The age with the highest incidence of alcohol use are those being 21 and 23 years of age, the percentages being 49.9% at 21, 46.6% at 22 and 47.7% at 23, the fact that the highest percentage is at 21, it may be that in the most populous countries the legal age to consume alcohol is 21 years, the freedom to consume alcohol upon reaching the required age encourages young people to get alcohol as a sign that they are already adults.Anyway as young people themselves is easy to get alcohol even when you are under 21 years of age, this being expressed by 87% of students.106 Diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse. There are four criteria according to DSM-IV avalà ºan if the consumer is within the range of alcohol, then it is enunciated identically to DSM-IV: a)  Recurrent use of alcohol, which leads to the violation of obligations at work, school or at home (eg, repeated absences or poor work performance related to substance use,.. Substance related absences, suspensions or expulsions school, neglect of children or household duties). b)  Recurrent alcohol use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (p. Example., Driving an automobile or operating a machine when impaired by substance use). c)  Repeated legal problems related to alcohol (p. Example., Arrests for alcohol-related disorderly conduct). d)  Continued alcohol use despite having persistent or recurrent social problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of alcohol interpersonal problems (p. Example., Arguments with spouse about consequences of intoxication, physical fights).107 Legality Across America the use of alcohol is allowed, however it is restricted to certain ages depending on the country.Some countries do not have regulationsfor the age at which it is allowed to use alcohol, this representing a risk for young people to develop negative behaviors on the use of alcohol.108 Alcohol and energy drinks The use of alcohol and energy drinks with high caffeine content has become popular in recent times.Previously the use of caffeine to maintain sobriety after having ingested alcohol was known for a large proportion of frequent drinkers today, because of this trend, there are drinks energy properties included in its composition, ie, according to studies allows the user not feel drunk even if you are at a stage where the alcohol in your system is categorized as intoxicated.109 Alcohol is addictive in a large proportion of people have used these once your palate to this, just as energy drinks with addictive substances like caffeine, alcohol and energy drinks use sum the probability that the individual will develop addiction to this such substances.Another property that has this binding substance is to increase the desire to continue taking more alcohol, increasing the risk of over-consumption and worsening the caudate damage by alcohol, since with increasing alcohol consumption people show less inhibitions.110 Due to the large increase in the simultaneous use of these substances the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug administration) issued notices care about inconsiderate alcoholic and energy drinks.Since the population is currently the most affected population is mostly young university, the FDA called the authorities to consider studies to understand clearly and precisely as these substances affect both together and individually, to college students in health and academic activity.111 There are many risks that bring the use of these substances from the increased likelihood of developing dependence to a greater chance of developing alcohol poisoning.The use of energy drinks during the same period in which they are drinking alcohol keeps an alert position and gives the perception of a lesser degree of intoxication which leads people to consume greater quantities of alcohol.Drinking alcohol and energy drinks together is associated with a decline in the notion of deteriorating mental and physical health caused by alcohol.112 The use of energy drinks is associated in many cases people who have a problem with alcohol.Studies show that in people where a problem is reported in the consumption of energy drinks, usually a high frequency of episodes of high alcohol intake, and problems resulting from consumption of alcohol and increased symptoms of alcohol dependence were reported.113 Regarding susceptibility possessing people ingest energy drinks tend to develop alcohol dependence, studies show that people who used energy drinks with high frequency had begun to consume alcohol and become intoxicated at a younger age than those who do not frequently consumed energy drinks, like having drunk more alcohol in the past year and more drinks on a typical night of drinking alcohol, plus they were more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence.114 There are several reasons that motivate young people to consume alcohol with energy drinks, in fact these are the drinks consumed while on holiday and that adding some kind of energy drink alcohol improves the taste of the beverage.Observations indicate that college students who visited a bar reported greater use of alcohol in those who had consumed energy drinks, these students also had a threefold increased risk was after leaving the bar highly intoxicated by alcohol.115 Among the factors that influence the use of alcohol with energy drinks among young people is equally the fact that these young people mostly believe in the idea thatwill look better in front of others if they consume these types of drinks, associating greater popularity with the same classmates. College students report that if they are seen with some energy drink while consuming alcohol, they feel somehow more striking and interesting manner.116

Einhard and Charlemagnes Palace School: A Mechanism for Wealth, Prestige, Power and Success :: essays research papers fc

Einhard was a courtier in Charlemagne’s Frankish Kingdom. During Charlemagne’s rule/life (768-824), he dedicated a vast amount of time and energy into supporting the notions of classical learning. He went so far as to start a school comprised of many scholars within his palace. Their role was to educate the nobility, the priesthood and the people, as well as hold counsel with the king. This is where Einhard and Charlemagne first encountered each other. Einhard was a small but intelligent man who came to prominence in the PiousCharlemagne’s and Charlemagne’s son’s kingdom. It is often asked how such a small man came to be the heart of the kingdom, and how the court school and the opportunities it provided influenced his success. During the late 8th and early 9th century, Charlemagne came to power. He expanded the kingdom and conceived many reforms during his reign. Charlemagne ruled the Frankish Kingdom from 768-814. He was one of Pepin the thirds two sons. Charlemagne’s brother, Carolman died in 771, and Charlemagne became the sole ruler of the Franks. Almost as soon as Charlemagne assumed the throne he commenced a series of campaigns. From 772-804 Charlemagne was at war with Saxony, from 773-774 Charlemagne was also at war with the Lombards in Italy. In 778, Charlemagne was invited into Northern Italy to extend Christian influence. In 787 Charlemagne invaded and seized Bavaria. Finally, from 788-797, Charlemagne launched a campaign against the tribal horsemen, the Avars. In 789, Charlemagne issued â€Å"The General Admonition†, the concept of the document was that moral reform requires education. At this time, Charlemagne created the palace school at his court, scholars were brought to this school to reform the Frankish priests and people. Various other reforms took place during this time, such as the new form of writing, Caroli ngian Minuscule, and the writing down of law codes. On December 25, 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo the third in the St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. Charlemagne died in 814, and was succeeded by his only remaining son, Louis the Pious. Louis the Pious reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 814-840. When he assumed the throne he quickly replaced administers within the palace. Louis the Pious had three sons; Lothar, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German. Near the beginning of his reign, Louis already faced conflict. In 818, Louis quashed a rebellion orchestrated by his cousin, Count Bernard of Aquitaine . Einhard and Charlemagnes Palace School: A Mechanism for Wealth, Prestige, Power and Success :: essays research papers fc Einhard was a courtier in Charlemagne’s Frankish Kingdom. During Charlemagne’s rule/life (768-824), he dedicated a vast amount of time and energy into supporting the notions of classical learning. He went so far as to start a school comprised of many scholars within his palace. Their role was to educate the nobility, the priesthood and the people, as well as hold counsel with the king. This is where Einhard and Charlemagne first encountered each other. Einhard was a small but intelligent man who came to prominence in the PiousCharlemagne’s and Charlemagne’s son’s kingdom. It is often asked how such a small man came to be the heart of the kingdom, and how the court school and the opportunities it provided influenced his success. During the late 8th and early 9th century, Charlemagne came to power. He expanded the kingdom and conceived many reforms during his reign. Charlemagne ruled the Frankish Kingdom from 768-814. He was one of Pepin the thirds two sons. Charlemagne’s brother, Carolman died in 771, and Charlemagne became the sole ruler of the Franks. Almost as soon as Charlemagne assumed the throne he commenced a series of campaigns. From 772-804 Charlemagne was at war with Saxony, from 773-774 Charlemagne was also at war with the Lombards in Italy. In 778, Charlemagne was invited into Northern Italy to extend Christian influence. In 787 Charlemagne invaded and seized Bavaria. Finally, from 788-797, Charlemagne launched a campaign against the tribal horsemen, the Avars. In 789, Charlemagne issued â€Å"The General Admonition†, the concept of the document was that moral reform requires education. At this time, Charlemagne created the palace school at his court, scholars were brought to this school to reform the Frankish priests and people. Various other reforms took place during this time, such as the new form of writing, Caroli ngian Minuscule, and the writing down of law codes. On December 25, 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo the third in the St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. Charlemagne died in 814, and was succeeded by his only remaining son, Louis the Pious. Louis the Pious reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 814-840. When he assumed the throne he quickly replaced administers within the palace. Louis the Pious had three sons; Lothar, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German. Near the beginning of his reign, Louis already faced conflict. In 818, Louis quashed a rebellion orchestrated by his cousin, Count Bernard of Aquitaine .

Change Process Theories

Change Process Theories: A Review Outline Introduction Four types of Organizational Change Theories: Van de Ven and Poole †¢ Dialectical: Kurt Lewin †¢ Evolution: o Lippitt, Watson, and Wesley o Bartlett and Kayser †¢ Teleology: o Edgar Schein o Prochaska and DiClemente †¢ Life Cycle: Ichak Adizes Conclusion Introduction An enduring quest of management scholars is to explain how and why organizations change. The processes of change or sequences of events have been difficult to define, let alone manage. Researchers have borrowed many concepts from many fields of study, including sociology, biology, and physics. Van de Ven and Poole (1995) proposed four categories of organizational change: dialectical, evolution, teleological and life cycle. Dialectical theory is the development of an organization through the conflict, competition, and/or collaboration of internal or external interests, wherein the status quo is changed regardless of the overall benefit or detriment to the organization. Evolutionary theory views organizational change as the cumulative change brought about through the continuous cycle of variation, selection and incorporation, and retention, caused by competition for scarce resources, environmental change or imposed conditions. Teleology is the purposeful development of an organization towards a defined end result or in line with a predetermined collective ideology by means of repetitive sequences of goal definition, implementation, evaluation and modification. Finally, Life Cycle theory is the linear, organic development of an organization from a homogenous, undefined entity to a differentiated, structured entity through accumulated experiences arising from the pressure of external events as mediated by internal logic, rules or programs. Within these four categories, I present six theories of organizational change to illustrate the underlying concepts within each category. Dialectical Theory Kurt Lewin is widely regarded as one of the pioneers in the study of change processes. A social scientist, Lewin postulated that human behavior is based on a relatively stationary equilibrium of two groups of forces. While driving forces facilitate change by pushing in the desired direction, counterforces known as restraining forces immediately sprout to hinder the change. When a significant change in these forces occurs, behavior must also shift to maintain equilibrium. After equilibrium is reached, the new behaviors gradually become the standard for maintaining the status quo. Lewin described this process in his article, Frontiers in Group Dynamics: â€Å"A change toward a higher level of group performance is frequently short lived; after a â€Å"shot in the arm† group life soon returns to the previous level. This indicates that it does not suffice to define the objective of planned change in group performance as the reaching of a different level. Permanency of the new level, or permanency for a desired period, should be included in the objective. A successful change includes, therefore, three aspects: unfreezing (if necessary) the present level, moving to the new level, and freezing group life on the new level† (p 34). The Evolutionary Theories Lippitt, Watson, and Westley expanded on Lewin’s work by introducing the idea of a relationship between the change agent and the ‘client’ or organization to be changed. Lippitt et al. ’s theory proposes seven phases. The first phase focuses on developing a need for change. A client must not only be aware of a problematic situation, but must believe a better state of affairs is possible, and that the change agent (whether a consultant or method) is relevant and available. Phase two is the establishment of a change relationship. As with any human relationship, one of the most delicate yet absolutely crucial elements in forming the change relationship is the first impression. â€Å"Often the client system seems to be seeking assurance that the potential change agent is different enough from the client system to be a real expert and yet enough like it to be horoughly understandable and approachable† (Lippitt et al. p 134). Phases three, four, and five are an elaboration on Lewin’s moving stage, and can be grouped together under the heading: moving toward change. These straightforward phases are (3) Clarification or Diagnosis of the client’s problem (4) Examination of the Alternative Routes and Goals and Establishing Goals and Intention s of Action, and (5) Transformation of Intentions into Actual Change Efforts. Lippitt et al. return to Lewin’s Refreezing stage with phase six: The generalization and stabilization of change. A critical factor in the stabilization of change is the spread of change to neighboring systems. A change is much more likely to be retained if reinforced by colleagues’ usage. The final phase, achieving a terminal relationship, focuses on preventing a dependency on the change agent for support and developing a form of client self-reliance for future problem-solving. Lippitt et al. issue a final caution, noting that the seven phases present are not always sequential, and the phases can overlap or repeat themselves throughout the change process. Bartlett and Kayser (1973) propose that successful change depends on a reactive redistribution of power within the structure of an organization. This power redistribution optimally occurs through a six phase series of stimuli and reactions. Stimulus 1: Pressure on top management takes the form of both internal pressure (such as union strikes, low productivity, high costs or interdepartmental conflict) and external pressure (such as lower sales, stockholder discontent, or a competitor's breakthrough. When these pressures offset one another, e. g. high sales despite employee grumbling, there is little incentive for top management to induce change. However, when internal and external pressures are aligned, Reaction 1: Arousal to take action senior management seeks a consultant or other diagnostic tool to discover the problem. Stimulus 2: Intervention at the top – While long-term managers tend to look for individuals and groups to blame, â€Å"outsiders† tend to see the org anizational structure or processes as equally likely culprits. The â€Å"outsider†, presumably hired and respected for his expert ability to improve organizational practices, is in an ideal position to Reaction 2: Reorient top management to internal problems. In order to Stimulus 3: Diagnose problem areas effectively, top management speaks with multiple levels of the organization. This step largely determines the success of the change. Top menagers who only consult their immediate subordainates gather little to no new data. Managers who conduct a comprehensive hierarchy-spanning feedback search not only acquiremore information but have a positive reinforcing effect on the change to come. By consulting all hierarchy levels, managers achieve employee buy-in, drawing employees to believe that not is management itself willing to change, but actual important problems are being acknowledged and ideas from lower levels are being valued by upper levels (Bartlett and Kaser, 1973, p. 58). In contrast, manager who take a unilateral approach are making changes based on limited viewpoints with little to no employee buy-in. Perhaps even worse is the CEO who delegates the change to a subordinate, who potentially has less information, less clout within the organization, and the lingering uncertainty that top management isn't sincere about the change. Reaction 3: Recognition of specific problems found through the diagnosis process will cause deliberation resulting in the Stimulus 4: Invention of a new solution. Suggestions for solutions can be gathered in phase 3. Barlett and Kayser place particular importance on group collaboration for generating potential solutions. Through this collaboration, there is greater Reaction 4: Commitment to the new courses of action. Stimulus 5: Experimentation with new solutions inevitably produces occasional setbacks and/or outright failure. During this period, the multi-level employee endorsement of change becomes critical as the organization Reaction 5: Reviews the results of the change. While non-effective ‘solutions' are thrown out, effective solutions are propagated and expanded. Ideally, the quietly discarded solutions only briefly demoralize their advocates, while the retained superior solutions have an infectiously positive effect. Finally, this Stimulus 6: Reinforcement from positive results ushers in a full scale Reaction 6: Acceptance of the new practices. Teleological Theories Edgar Schein further defined Lewin's three stage theory, proposing that the Unfreezing stage can be subdivided into three steps: Disconfirmation, Induction of Guilt or â€Å"survival anxiety†, and Creation of Psychological Safety. Disconfirmation is characterized by the dissatisfaction and/or frustration with the current state of affairs. Survival anxiety occurs when the dissatisfiers are accepted as valid and linked to the nonattainment of goals. The primary restraining force at this stage is learning anxiety – having to admit that the current behaviors are â€Å"wrong† and the additional fear that attempting a new process may result in failure and a loss of esteem. The Creation of Psychological Safety step is the addressing and overcoming of this fear. Schein further subdivided Lewin’s theory by splitting the moving process into three phases. The first phase, Cognitive Redefinition is typified by organizational members discovering that the definitions, concepts and other anchors previously relied upon are not absolutes. While the unfreezing stages create motivation for change, the second phase, termed Imitation and Identification with a Role Model, determines whether the change is beneficial or harmful, depending on the role model chosen. However, if there are no attractive role models, the third phase, Scanning of Alternatives and Trial and Error, comes into play. Occasionally, if there is sufficient psychological safety, spontaneous insight into a solution may occur. This spontaneous insight is highly valuable because such insights often take into account both stated and hidden unique obstacles to a change, unlike process consultants who often can only address the stated barriers. With regard to the Refreezing stage, Schein notes that the new behaviors must be at least somewhat compatible with the remaining behaviors or the cycle of disconfirmation may restart, potentially reversing the progress made, or devolving into an endless cycle of new behaviors. Prochaska et al (1992) developed a change behavior model for the health care field which has gradually been extended to other disciplines. Much like Lewin's model, their model defines the general process of change. Unlike Lewin, Prochaska et al. present their five stages of behavioral change as cyclical in nature rather than as a simple progression. Please see figure 1. Precontemplation (PC) is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the near future. Typically, an external force such as a lawsuit or technological advancement occurs to push an organization into the next stage. Contemplation (C) is the stage where the problem or undesirable behavior is recognized, and serious consideration is given to change the behavior. This stage is characterized by the weighing of current opportunity costs against the actual costs of modifying the problem. Preparation (PP) is a stage that combines intention and initial attempts to change behaviors. The organization intends a full transformation of the indicated ‘problem behaviors' in the very near future. The cessation of undesirable behaviors and embrace of the new behaviors marks the advent of the Action (A) stage. The Maintenance (M) stage is often, and incorrectly, viewed as a static stage. In truth, this stage is the continuation and reinforcement of the new behaviors. This stage becomes particularly pertinent when the initial attitude of ‘new and improved' begins wearing thin and organizational members consciously or subconsciously attempt to return to the ‘old and trusted' methods. This backslide can continue (precontemplation) until the problem is once again addressed (contemplation). Life Cycle Theory In his 1998 book, Adizes presents one of the clearest descriptions and in depth refinements of Life Cycle organizational development models to date. Based on ten sequential stages of development, he addresses the attitudes, issues, and threats at each stage of life. These life stages are categorized into the growing phase, second birth and coming of age, and aging organizations. Please see figure 2 for reference. (In the interest of brevity, a few potential alternative stages have been omitted. ) The Growing Phase begins with the courtship stage where the organization is only an idea in the founder’s mind. At this time, the founder is building inspirational momentum – revving his courage so that when the time comes to make the decision to take the risk, he has the internal commitment to survive the external doubts and hardships. During the courtship stage, this commitment determines whether the idea will result in a healthy organizational child or if it is merely an affair, a momentary infatuation with entrepreneurship. Once the risk has been undertaken, the nature of the organization mutates drastically. At this Infancy stage of the organization, there is an overriding emphasis on doing rather than thinking; thinking of new products may be useful in the future, but sale of current products ensures a future will exist. The organization is incredibly personal, with little hierarchy. Formal procedures are non-existent except for those imposed by outside forces, i. e. laws and government regulation. Like an infant, the organization requires periodic infusion of milk (cash) and the constant tending of its creator. The period of infancy is necessarily short. The energy level required plateaus as brand loyalty builds, suppliers stabilize, and the production problems are no longer a daily crisis: the baby begins sleeping through the night. The infant organization moves into the Go-Go stage. With the idea working, ends meeting, and sales flourishing the founder and the organization become arrogant. The struggle to survive fades to the back of the mind and every opportunity becomes a priority: after all, if one dream came true, why not other dreams as well? The toddler shoves every opportunity into its mouth, without regard for nutritional value. Whereas in the infancy stage there was no hierarchy, the Go-Go stage begins development of a structure. At the beginning of the stage, the responsibilities are shared and many tasks overlap: the organization is organized around the people not the tasks. The CEO risks falling into the Founders Trap: failing to realize the organization has moved beyond a one-man show, that decentralization and delegation have become imperative. The signs of imminent crisis, the arrogance, uncontrolled growth, lack of structure and centralized decision making, are obfuscated by soaring sales, overconfidence from success, and the residual stubbornness of an entrepreneur fighting for his dream. When the crisis hits, the company falters and a second birth occurs. The Second Birth and Coming of Age Phase begins with Adolescence: an awkward period that is more painful and prolonged than infancy. Like a teenager trying to establish independence from his family, the adolescent organization’s characteristic behaviors include conflict and inconsistency. In delegating, the founder must content himself with offering advice instead of taking control: he must allow his organizational child to make mistakes in order to learn from them. Gradually, the organization establishes its sovereignty, with the occasional clash with ‘old management’. This can precipitate a divorce, especially if the founder decides that the organization's goals have become incompatible with his own. The adolescent organization experiences a shift from merely generating more sales, to generating better sales with less overhead and more profit. When the overall structure of the administration stabilizes and leadership roles become institutionalized, the organization moves to the next stage of development: Prime. Prime is the optimum point on the life cycle curve, combining the vision and aggressiveness of a Go-Go with the structure solidified in Adolescence to back it up. This is not to say that a company in its prime has stopped growing, but that growth has become planned and controlled. The challenge of Prime is to continue the momentum, and not become complacent and ride the inertial growth from previous stages. If a Prime organization does not refuel this momentum, organizational vitality will level off, and will enter the stage called Stable, the end of growth and the beginning of decline. The Stable stage is first in the Aging Phase in the organizational life cycle. The organization slowly loses flexibility; the persistent sense of urgency departs and is replaced with a feeling of security in the relatively stable market share acquired over the years. Several changes slip in: the developmental spending budget grows while the product and market research budgets decline, management training is substituted for management development, and there is a power shift to the finance department from engineering, marketing, or research and development. Despite these changes, there is markedly less conflict in the Stable stage. There are no major transitional events in the Aging phase as there were in the Growing phase. Instead, there is a slow process of deterioration. As the organization draws back from personalized attention to each client, it slides into Aristocracy. The organization is often cash rich, leading organizational members to misclassify themselves as in the prime stage. â€Å"Don’t make waves† becomes the company motto, and uniformity of thought, dress, and address becomes the norm. While Bob and Mary may be on a first name basis outside of the office, or behind closed doors, during meetings it is inevitably Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones. Another notable communication change is that focus is placed on how something was said, rather than what is said. Because of the organizational taboo against sparking conflict, consultants are brought in to give voice to the deadly trend of expecting external forces to increase market share without the executives having to admit anything. The consultant reports are often read, but ignored until the advent of Early Bureaucracy. With revenues and profits plummeting and a high turnover of good people, the Early Bureaucracy witch hunt begins. Internal conflict, back stabbing and paranoia obliterate any remaining customer focus. The organization focuses on who caused a problem rather than on what to do about it. The remaining creative individuals jump ship or are fired as though they were the source of the problems. The organization has two options remaining: Bureaucracy or Death. If a company is subsidized or nationalized, it has attached itself to life support: autonomic (administrative) functions are kept moving, but the vital spark from the infancy stage has been extinguished. The organization has become a Bureaucracy; its only purpose is to perpetuate its existence. Eventually, through internal decision making or government reallocation of funds, the organization quietly dies. Conclusion As theories develop, they become more specific and therefore more limited in scope. Scholars examining these theories develop a form of tunnel vision, and can become stymied by unexplainable behavior outside their specialty. Van de Ven and Poole's taxonomy of change theory types helps to reacquaint researchers with the wide variety of possibilities. Further research on the meta-analysis of change theories is indicated. References Adizes, Ichak. (1988). Corporate Lifecycles: How and Why Corporations Grow and Die and What to do About It. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs: New Jersey. Armenakis, Achilles and Bedeian, Arthur. (1999). Organizational Change: A Review of Theory and Research in the 1990s. Journal of Management. 25. 293 – 315. Bartlett, Alton and Kayser, Thomas. (1973). Changing Organizational Behavior. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs: New Jersey Lewin, Kurt. (1947). Frontiers in Group Dynamics. Human Relations. 1. 5-41. Prochaska, James, DiClement, Carlo, and Norcross, John. In Search of How People Change: Applications to Addicitive Behaviors. American Psychologist. 47. 1102 – 1114. Romanelli, Elaine. (1991). The Evolution of New Organizational Forms. Annual Review of Sociology. 17. 79-103. Retrieved November 29, 2006 from JSTOR. http://links. jstor. org/ sici? sici=0360-0572%281991%2917%3C79%3ATEONOF%E2. 0. CO%3B2-M Van de Ven, Andrew. (1995). Explaining Development and Change in Organizations. Academy of Management Review. 20. 510-540.

The Car Accident Essay Example

The Car Accident Essay Example The Car Accident Essay The Car Accident Essay Essay Topic: Push Precious tRunning head: THE CAR ACCIDENT Running head: THE CAR ACCIDENT The Car Accident Catrina S July 22, 2011 It was one of the most terrifying days of my life, the day of my car accident. Disappointment, disbelief, and fear filled my mind as I was lying on my side. I was sandwiched between the cold dirt and the hot metal of the car. The weight of the car was pressed down on the lower half of my body with monster force. It did not hurt, my body was numb. All I could feel was the hood of the car stamping my body farther and farther into the ground. My lungs felt pinched and air would neither enter nor escape them. My mind was buzzing. Where is my brother? What is my father going to think? In the distance, on that cursed road, I saw cars driving by completely unaware of what had happened, or how I felt. I tried to yell but my voice was unheard. I was waiting, waiting for someone to help me, or waiting to die. The third maddening buzz of my alarm woke me as I groggily slid out of bed and into the shower. It was the start of another routine morning, or so I thought. I took a shower, quarreled with my brother over which clothes he should wear for that day, and finished getting myself ready. All of this took a little longer than usual, which was not a surprise, so we were running late. We hopped into the interior of my sleek, white BMW and made our way to school. With music blasting, and voices singing, it was another typical ride to school with my brother. Because of our belated departure, I went fast, too fast. We started down the first road to our destination. This road is about three miles long and it consists of tight curves and blind hills. My father had warned me to never take this road to school, but I chose to take the road to save time and avoid another tardy from school. As we broke the top of one of the blind hills, there was a dead deer in the middle of the right lane. Without any thought, and purely by instinct, I pulled the wheel of the car to the left, and then back over to the right. It was not a big deal, but I was going fast and I lost all control. car swerved back to the left, again to the right, and then the car started to roll. Each time the car rolled over, I could feel the car scratching the earth with its side. My body jolted with the sporadic movements of the car. The car rolled over to the right for the last time, and with my eyes sealed tight, I could feel my body float off of the seat of the car. I opened my eyes to see the black road in the distance above me. I could feel the cold ground on the side of my body. I couldnt move, and I couldnt understand why. It had all happened so quickly. I was wedged between the hood of the car and the dirt. The car rustled and every movement of the car pierced my body. It was my brother. He was okay. I could see him slowly crawl out of the back seat window, and then he was out of my sight. I opened my mouth to yell his name, but air failed to escape my lips. Gasping like a fish out of water, I dreamily lied there until someone could help. I heard an uneasy voice in the distance, Catrina, oh my God, Catrina! † It was my dad. I was disappointed and embarrassed of myself. I had let him down. My voice yelled for help as my heart beat rapidly with fear and relief. The car began to jiggle and I could feel the weight of the car slowly lift off of my body. For the first time, intense pain struck my lower half. Crawl out of there, someone yelled to me. I pushed against the ground with all my might but I couldnt move. The pain was excruciating, nevertheless I could not feel the lower half of my body. I felt paralyzed. Still struggling to move, I felt strong arms glide around my shoulders and under my armpits. They drug me out of the way of the falling car. My dad had saved me. As I lay on the weed covered ground, several people started to surround me. I dreamily looked around and saw my brother sitting Indian style next to me, he was plastered in blood. He ran barefoot to the nearest house to call 911, and our dad. He was my angel. We sat there in shock. Was it just a dream? Everything had happened so fast. Every minute lying on that dirt felt like a lifetime. Strangers kept poking every inch of my body, prodding me with questions, and I could not give them the answers. Finally, the ambulance arrived. They rushed over to me and my brother. They asked me a number of questions and started to get me ready to go. With a bright orange brace around my neck they slowly pushed me onto a stiff backboard. Each tiny movement they made pierced my lower half like a knife. We finally made it into the ambulance and made our way to the hospital. My brother and I were transported to Fairfield Medical Hospital. My brother was going to heal quickly. He had stitches in his eye, head, and elbow. I was relieved that he was not severely injured. I dont know what I would have done if something extremely bad had happened to him. I was then transferred to The Ohio State Medical Center, where I underwent surgery that same night. Plates were surgically placed on both of my hipbones to help them stay together. I was in the hospital for six days, and then in a wheel chair for eight weeks. I now realize how precious life really is, and that it can be taken away in a single minute. I now understand why my father warned me to avoid driving on certain roads to lower the risk of having an accident. One little mishap can result in extreme injury or even death. I am lucky that my brother is not seriously injured, and that I lived. I will never forget that moment when I was lying on the ground, disappointment flooding my mind, waiting.

The Dubai City Essays

The Dubai City Essays The Dubai City Essay The Dubai City Essay Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is one among the seven emirates. It is situated on the Arabian Peninsula along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. To distinguish it from the emirate, Dubai city is sometimes referred to as the Dubai Municipality. This city has been estimated to have existed for more than one hundred and fifty years prior to the formation of UAE. Within the federal framework, Dubai shares economic, political, military and legal functions with its fellow emirates. However, each country has its own jurisdiction over special functions such as upkeep of local facilities, provision of local facilities and civic law enforcement (Brown, 2006, p. 15). In this union, Dubai has the largest population and is the second largest after Abu Dhabi. In the country’s legislature, veto power is exercised on matters that are considered of national importance. In the early 19th century, Dubai was established and operated independently until 1833. With the British government, the country signed the general maritime peace treaty. In 1892, the country came under the protection of the United Kingdom after an exclusive agreement. The country has a history of being an important port for foreign based traders, most of them coming in from India. Ultimately, many of the traders ended up settling in the nation because of the conducive investment and trading environment the nation had. The fame of the country started as early as 1820s and is still very much pronounced today. Today, the nation is mostly referred to as the City of Dubai (Omar, 2006, p. 11). During these times, Dubai was very well known for exporting pearl. Unanticipatedly, the trade was dismissed by the events of the World War 1 in 1930s. The effects of the great depression in the late 1920s also devastated the growth and development of the city. In the realm of the economic challenges the city faced, it experienced massive migration of people to seek better living in parts of the Persian Gulf. The 1950s marks the time when the British moved its local administration offices to Dubai and thus airport, telephone and electricity services were established in the city. The town joined Qatar in 1966 to form a new monetary unit, Dubai/Qatar Riyal. This move led to the devaluation of the Gulf Rupee that had previously lasted as the medium of exchange. Still in 1966, oil was discovered in Dubai and the town granted concessions towards international oil companies. When it was discovered, a large influx of foreign workers mainly Pakistanis and Indians was experienced by the city (Ciecko, 2006, p. 19). Through some estimates, the population of the town grew by more than 300% from 1968 to 1975. The Britain protectors left the Persian Gulf in 1971, leading the emirates to join and form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai joined fellow emirates in adopting a uniform currency, the UAE dirham. Despite the influx of the Lebanese immigrants fleeing civil war in Lebanon in 1970, the city continued to grow rapidly because of the revenues collected from trade and oil. In 1979, Jebel Ali port was established, becoming the largest manmade port around the world. This port enabled the foreign companies to have an unrestricted importation of labor as well as export capital (Rugh, 1997, p. 23). In 1990, the effects of the Persian Gulf War had a large impact on the city. This war created uncertainty in the political fields within the whole region. As a result, the economy experienced a shock as Dubai banks withdrew their funds massively. During the Persian Gulf War, Kuwait trading community moved their businesses to Dubai. During the Shia unrest, communities from Bahrain also moved their businesses to the city since it was felt as the best investment site in the region by then. During the Persian Gulf War, the city provided refueling services at Jebel Ali free zone to allied forces. The town provided the same services during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After the Persian Gulf War ended, oil prices increased largely, encouraging the nation to highly focus on tourism and free trade. The model to develop clusters of new free zones was fueled by the success of the port. The clusters included Dubai Maritime City, Dubai Media City and the Dubai Internet City. Dubai marketed its tourism sector through the construction of Burj Al Arab which up to now serves as the tallest freestanding hotel in the world, and also as the most developed residential holdings. In creating Dubai’s skyline, the country since 2002 has experienced increases in private real estate investments. This development was aided through engaging in projects such as Burj Dubai, The World Islands and The Palm Islands (Khalaf, 2000, p. 27). In the recent years, the city had robust economic growth, which has been accompanied by high inflation rates. In 2007, the rate of inflation stood as 11. 2%, measured against consumer price index. The inflation rise is attributed to doubling trend of residential and commercial rental costs, which have caused substantial increase of living costs for the citizens. The city lies directly within the Arabian Desert. Its topography is however different from the ones within the emirates zone, making the city appear unique. A larger portion of Dubai’s landscape is highlighted by gravel deserts and sandy desert patterns. Gravel deserts dominate the southern part of the city. The sand is composed of coral and crushed shell and it is also white, clean and fine. The eastern part of the city is made up of a north south running line of dunes formed with salt crushed coastal plains. Far to the east, the dunes are tinged red with iron oxide (Sultan, et al, 1999, p. 31). There is a flat sandy desert forming a paving path towards the Western Hajar Mountains that found to stretch along the Dubai’s border with Oman at Hatta. These mountains have a landscape that in shattered, jagged and arid, rising to a height of 1300 meters. The city does not have any natural water body or oases, but only a natural inlet called Dubai creek, dredged to make it deeper for use by large vessels. The city has multiple waterholes and gorges, at the base of Western Al Hajar Mountains. The vast sea of sand dunes in the southern part forms a desert known as the Empty Quarter. The city is located in a very stable zone, bearing in mind that Zargos Fault which is the nearest seismic fault line is one hundred and twenty kilometers from the UAE territory, limiting the possibilities of seismic impacts on Dubai. Through expertise consultation, the region has minimum possibilities of experiencing tsunami because the waters of the Persian Gulf are not deep enough to trigger the disaster (Marios, 2007, p. 16). The sandy desert that surrounds the city nurtures occasional date palm trees and also supports wild grasses. In the east of the city, desert hyacinths grow as ghaf and acacia trees grow in the flat plains. Dubai’s natural parks are composed of both indigenous and imported trees. The indigenous trees include neem and date palm whereas the imported trees mainly include eucalyptus. The parks still have a variety of animals such as Arabian Oryx, falcon, desert fox, caracal, striped hyena and the houbara bustard. This city lies in a migration path of birds towards and from Africa, Asia and Europe, through which about 320 migratory birds pass during autumn and winter. The waters of Dubai also harbor more than 300 species of fish, with hammour being the most popular. The city has a hot and humid climate with monthly recordings of over 40 degrees Celsius. The highest recorded temperature is usually 47. 3 degrees whereas the lowest recorded is seven degrees. The city receives light rains of about 150 millimeters annually, precipitations coming in March, February and January. Heavy rains usually come in winter months, recording 120mm. High humidity levels are experienced in cooler winter periods and the mean humidity in the country is 60% (Daniela, 2002, p. 24). Dubai has a multicultural and diverse community. This was after the arrival of nationals and ethnic groups, first Iranians, Indians and Pakistanis. Only infrequent and minor episodes of ethnic tensions have ever been reported despite the diversity of the whole population. The common conflicts occur between expatriates who are recently and frequently visiting the city. In 1994, Muslim laborers and the Hindu clashed leading to deportation and detainment of Pakistani and Indian workers. The cosmopolitan nature of the society is indicated by the diversity of cuisine. Arab food is readily available and very popular. The consumption and sale of pork is regulated though not illegal, being sold in designated areas and to non Muslims. To purchase alcohol within the city, a liquor permit is required, or else obtained from restaurants and bars within five and four star hotels. Bollyhood and holly wood movies have made the city fame through their popularity. The city attracts celebrities from international cinema and the Arab community because it is where annual Dubai international film festival is held. The nation has an active musical scene, with musicians Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Shakira, pink, Elton John, Santana, Aerosmith, Tarkan, Diana Haddad and Amrdiab having frequent visits to the city and making musical performances (Martin, 1993, p. 67).

The Customer Service Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Customer Service Perspective - Essay Example The SMEs hardly keep in align to these policy and it becomes difficult in applying the balance scorecard technique. But in larger enterprises it is not that difficult. There is larger number of employees, customers are well defined and they have a strong financial stability. Hyde Park Electronics focused upon one product category that provides the maximum of 80% of the sales. This company’s financial position is strong enough but from the point of view of BSC, the focus was only for short term and the company was required to develop strategy for the longer term purpose. Futura Industries is dealing with the high end niche variety of market. Southern Gardens Citrus is the subsidiary company of United States Sugar Corporation and competes in a consolidated market for not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice. The company was financially strong as it had a strong customer base. The sales were huge from the single product category. The BSC tool provided the opportunity for the company to grow. Apart from this perspective, the company focused upon learning and growing with quality and other issues for long run benefit (Robert, 2006). The company focused upon the retention of the talents to help growing in future. There were turnovers, more so a culture was developed and BSC provided the learning and growing technique to be better in achieving the objectives. As per the study of the three companies it seems that they have focused it basically upon customer. Looking at the Hyde Park Electronics and Southern Gardens Citrus it basically focused keeping the customer in the core. The application of BSC in the companies helped in maintaining the objectives and mission of the company. The overall performance of the companies has enhanced in different aspects. From the customers’ perspective the BSC have provided for the improvement in the companies. The implementation was done primarily on the basis of customers, which led to the success of the companies. For

Contribution Margin And Breakeven Analysis Essay

Contribution Margin And Breakeven Analysis - Essay Example This was the wrong decision because she did not consider the fact that despite lower operating profits, Lemon Crme enjoyed higher contribution margin than Real Mint i.e. 0.94 while Real Mint had the contribution margin of 0.64. The right decision should have been that the production of Lemon Crme should continue with the same quantity and its production should not be cut off. The bulk order should be accepted by reducing the current production of Real Mint. 1. If the price offered for the Real Mint is low causing decline in the operating profit OR the price per unit offered can not offset the variable and fixed cost incurred on the production. In the current case, the price per unit of $1.12 is generating the operating profit of $580,000. 2. If the production unit offered for the Real Mint is very high, in other words, in order to produce the required quantity of Real Mint, the production of Lemon Crme should be cut off to its actual position. In that case, the offer should be rejected, as the current price offered per unit is relatively very low than the price of the Lemon Crme and acceptance of the order, will result in the overall lose of operating profit. If the breakeven volume of Lemon Crme cookies in this new plant is 650,000 packs then she should not accept to buy the new unit. There are several reasons for that.