Opinion of Macbeth Essay

Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the 16th century as tribute to king James the first. At the start of the text king Duncan made me believe that anyone could be a good leader, Duncan effectively portrayed this idea because he put the needs of his country in front of his own. Throughout the text Shakespeare influenced my opinion to change when Macbeth came into power as he cared about no one but himself; Shakespeare influences re seen well through the techniques soliloquies, irony and contrast. King Duncan is a good leader whose only concern is his country. Macbeth is the thane of Glamis; he is an honorable warrior that has potential to be a good leader. He is described as a â€Å"peerless kinsmen† who doesn’t want to risk his status therefore avoids evil, the beginning of the novel makes me believe that anyone can be a good leader that is until the weird sisters foretell Macbeths prophesies one of which states that he is to be king. Macbeth’s unchecked ambition and persuasion from Lady Macbeth makes him peruse to kill Duncan and become the King of Scotland. Shakespeare effectively uses contrast to show the effect of ambition and evil on humans, the contrast between Duncan and Macbeth influenced me to change my opinion on the idea that anyone can be a good leader, Shakespeare does this by presenting Duncan as an excellent king, who is very trusting and gullible and although holding a lot of power in his hands he doesn’t abuse it and become corrupt by power, In contrast Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as an honorable warrior who would never stoop to murder, but Macbeths unchecked ambition drives him to battle with his conscious and in conclusion pursue to kill King Duncan. When Macbeth gains power over Scotland he becomes more callous and only cares for his own needs which in contrast is different to King Duncan who only cared for the needs of his country, at the end of the novel Macbeth is disillusioned â€Å"he has sold his soul for nothing†. This shows contrast between Duncan and Macbeth, Duncan being a good leader and Macbeth being a bloody tyrant. Shakespeare purpose of this contrast is to show that not anyone can be a good leader and that it takes a good person to actually be a good leader. After the death of Duncan, Macbeth looses all decency; he no longer consults with his wife who he describes as his partner in crime. He uses his power for his own benefit and not for his country this shows that he is callous and will kill anyone who gets in his way. Shakespeare uses soliloquies through out the text to reveal the inner workings of a characters mind; this technique shows that not anyone can be a good leader because in order to be a good leader your thoughts have to be affirmative with your actions. Macbeths thoughts are often completely different to what he is outwardly saying or doing this is seen when he claims to be Duncan’s loyal subject but secretly is plotting to execute him, he says â€Å"the bell invites me, hear it not, Duncan for it is a knell, that summons thee to heaven or to hell†. Another example of soliloquies is when Macbeth pretends to be Banquos friend when he says â€Å"fail it not our feast tonight† whilst in his mind he is delegating to get him killed. Throughout the text Shakespeare uses irony to show that some people are not suited to wield power, irony gives the audience insight on something that the characters don’t know, irony is well shown after the death of Duncan, when Macbeth pretends to be concerned and alarmed towards the death of Duncan this is seen when he says â€Å"Had I but dies an hour before this†, we as the audience are aware of his remorse and catch on to this double meaning. Soliloquies and irony intergrade effectively to show that Macbeth’s deceitful and twofaced nature prevents him from being a good leader because in order to be a good leader you must be honest and trustworthy, these are two traits that Macbeth doesn’t hold. Shakespeare purpose in this is to show that a leader cannot have uncheck ed ambition as this will drive them to turn to darkness in order to keep there power in hold. At the beginning of the text my opinion was that anyone can be a good leader, I came to this conclusion because Duncan was a good leader and Macbeth showed potential in becoming a good leader. Shakespeare influenced my opinion to change to, not anyone can be a good leader and in order to be a good leader you have to be a good person, Shakespeare did this through Macbeth though turned to darkness to gain power and then further abused his power by killing anyone who got in his way, in conclusion Macbeth becomes a  bloody tyrant who has no one to stand by him.

Of Mice and Men Paper

In John Steinbeck’s novel, â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, this ambiguous question arises on George’s decision. Did George make the right choice to kill Lenny at the end of the story? There are many reasons why George decided to kill Lennie in the end; however, if George does not take the responsibility to kill Lennie, he would die anyway. Since Lennie was young, he always struggled fitting in and socializing with others because of his disability. Consequently George kills Lennie because Lennie is George’s responsibility, Lennie is a danger to society, and George kills Lennie for selfish reasons.Therefore the decision that George made was the right thing to do. First, it is George responsibility to take care of Lennie. When Lennie’s aunt dies, George makes a promise to Aunt Clara to take care of Lennie. â€Å"I told his old lady I’d take care of him. † (Steinbeck 22) George feel that he should take care of Lennie’s mess, therefore When Lennie makes bad decision, George protect him. Next, George didn’t want anyone else to kill Lennie, just like how Candy said he wished he could have shot his dog instead of someone else.George probably wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he allowed someone to kill Lennie out of hate or maybe torture. George put Lennie in his â€Å"happy place before he dies unlike Curley who would’ve tortured Lennie. George just couldn't turn Lennie over to the police. For example what happen in weed and when Lennie break Curley’s hand but George didn’t. Also George kill because he knew that Lennie would not be able to handle being separated from him. As portrayed George Kills Lennie to protect him. Second, George did kill Lennie for selfish Reasons, because Lennie always got in trouble.He got in trouble in weed. † ‘course he ain’t mean but he gets in trouble alla time because he’s so God damn dumb. † (Steinbeck 41)Georg e kills Lennie for job security. He wants to be in no trouble and just work and get his pay† if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month comes I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. † (Steinbeck 11) And other selfish reason that pushes George to kill Lennie is that he wants freedom to do his own things to live by his own.George think life would be easy for him to live without Lennie. He said â€Å"if I was alone I could live so easy. † â€Å"I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103) with Lennie dead George can work now in peace without getting in trouble by Lennie and get that little place he was dreaming about. Lastly, Lennie’s disability is dangerous for the society. Lennie is so strong â€Å"†¦But I say he’s God damn good worker. He can put up a four hundred pound bale. † (Steinb eck 22) Lennie is so strong and he kill thing accidently. He kills Curley’s wife by mistake and he break Culrey’s hand.Lennie is childlike he like to pet soft thing just like a child. He did not understand what a terrible thing that he did, he would have to answer for her death it isn't like the mice or the puppy that could just be replaced. Lennie forget things so quickly and George is the one is going to remind him everything every time. He forgot that he did not have the word He forgot things that George tells him. And George got to remind him all the time. â€Å"o you fort hat awready, did you? I gotta tell you again do I? † (Steinbeck 4) â€Å"I forgot†¦ I tried not got forget honest to God I did, George. (Steinbeck 4) Overall there are many reasons why George decided to kill Lennie. It is George responsibility to take care of Lennie, Lennie’s disability is dangerous for the society, and George did kill Lennie for selfish Reasons. George knew w hat the future held for Lennie. He also knew that Lennie would never be able to understand what that entailed. Whatever the consequences of Lennie’s actions, George new his actions were the lesser of two evils. And the other would not understand that and there are going to kill him no matter what. So he had no choice. Therefore the decision that George made at the end of the novel was well made.

How Information Technology Affects Business Essay

As a business owner, and manager the need for a way to manage our information is essential. The ability to handle the overwhelming amount of data and information that goes through a company every day could be a key factor in whether a business fails or succeeds. (Ebert & Griffin 2005) The system in which we collect and use this information is called an Information System (IS). An IS is used in financial accounting, managerial accounting, by laborers, and executives. In my basket shop, an Information System is what allows us to keep track of orders, from the time they are received to when they are delivered. It keeps track of customer information, the supplies ordered, what supplies have been used, and whether we need to reorder. IS also keeps track of what we are spending, how much we are making, and whether we are making a profit or loss. There is so much more this system does for us, but basically lets us be more efficient, offer better customer service, and allows us to see our problem areas. We can then correct any problems, and set better goals and plans for our future. The use of the Information System has allowed us to hire fewer employees, and be a lot more competitive in the market. I have to say if we did not have any kind of way to manage the information we receive, we could not be as efficient, which would lead to customer dissatisfaction, and in the end we would go out of business. We all know that in today’s society. Businesses are expected to be proficient by responding quickly in fulfilling all orders correctly and with a timely delivery. â€Å"Web sites are becoming a vital communication tool – almost as valuable as the telephone, and much more flexible and economical than a printed brochure or flier† (â€Å"Internet Use†, 2000) With the use of email and the internet we will have drastic reductions in cost, increased speed in communication time, and a larger customer reach and satisfaction. Email will allow us to save money on stamps and paper, cut response time to a minimum, and send advertisements about sales to previous customers who took this option. A problem that used to take days to handle before by mail, waiting for papers to arrive by mail etc, is now handled in minutes. Without the internet, we would not be able to offer a virtual store front online, which allows us to reach customers, thousands of miles away,  that we would not reach otherwise. The online store, will give the customers the option of having their basket delivered, or they can order ahead of time and pick up at the store location. The internet provides access to the World Wide Web (WWW). With the WWW we can do more cost efficient and quicker research on our competitors, suppliers, and the local economic status. Being better informed, we will be able to keep our prices fair and reasonable, yet still make a profit. Through the use of the internet, and help from a GPS tracker, we will be able to keep track of packages being delivered. This will allow us to keep our customers better informed as to when they will receive their basket and make sure they don’t get lost. The World Wide Web will also allow us to accept payment options that we would not be able to afford otherwise. With the help of ProPay and PayPal we will be able to take payments with credit cards that we would not be able to offer if the internet was not available. In conclusion, with the help of email and the internet, we will be able provide faster, dependable, more cost efficient service, and in return have better customer satisfaction. Information technology has become an important part of most of today’s businesses, it provides us with a way to process, create and store information. With a Database management program a single piece of data is put into several different files to create useful information. It has allowed us to eliminate the middleman in most cases. In cutting out the middleman, this has allowed quicker response times to situations and increase productivity and set better performance goals. We have more reliable financial statements. It allows you to set up filters, so when looking at certain areas, you aren’t wasting time looking through useless information. This in turn saves time and saving time saves money. When keeping customer’s information stored in our system, it allows us to be more personable and develop stronger relationships with them. The use of email, internet, and information technology allows us to do things we wouldn’t have dreamed of years ago. We can talk face to face with people while being continents apart, we can find information we need at the touch of a couple of buttons, and in return have become more productive, proficient, reliable, and better planners. Because we have increased our  productivity, and improved our performance due to the technology, we have become more profitable as a result. Resources: Ebert, R.J., & Griffen, R.W. (2005) Business essentials (5th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall. Rooster Graphics International. (2000). Internet use by small business. Retrieved September 29, 2006, from Rooster Graphics website: http://www.rostergraphics.com/ADMIN/SBuse.html

Evaluate the role played by money in the united states presidential Essay

Evaluate the role played by money in the united states presidential election - Essay Example Increasing presidential election costs has made it more difficult for candidates to come up with threshold resources needed for them to be competitive at every stage. Therefore, as presidential election costs rise, there is shrinkage of the candidate pool, which narrows the spectrum of perspectives and views offered to Americans to just a few individuals with access to money and subsequent resources. Spending in the modern presidential elections, in the US, rather than being dominated by contributions from average Americans, is now dominated by a minority of wealthy donors and special interests; who have the financial clout to ensure their preferred message is amplified (Anschutz, 2013: p37). These groups and individuals use their wealth in order to influence public policy, especially by funding candidates who share similar values to them. Since most of these groups and individuals are reliant on US economic and financial policies to generate more wealth, they have gained an outsized role in US elections as they fund candidates whose policies resonate with their goals. However, these issues arising from the dominance of â€Å"big money† in US presidential elections are not only theoretical. Research has proven that since the opinions held by wealthy American groups and individuals have different priorities, money allows for skewed public policies through dominance of elec tions (Anschutz, 2013: p38). Americans aspiring to be president are today spending more time fundraising than ever before, which is necessary to keep up with their election rivals (Anschutz, 2013: p43). In addition, as with the backlash from ObamaCare, candidates who may offend special interest groups and wealthy individuals by deed or word face the risk of being outspent as the latter finance their rivals. This means that they have to raise and spend

Geologic Time, oceans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geologic Time, oceans - Assignment Example The softer rocks are greatly eroded than the harder strata (Timmons & Karlstrom, 2012). The softer strata are mainly made up of soft sedimentary rocks while the harder are made up of harder and older sedimentary rocks, which are mainly deposited at the bottom strata. This leads to the formation of the gorge (canyon) and explains its appearance. The upper strata are new and weaker; hence, they eroded massively and widely. The cross-sectional view of the canyon, therefore, appears as v-shaped. Moreover, the strata are eroded in irregular manner, depicting that some strata are harder than others are. Since they were once deposited at different geologic timescales and of different composition (toughness), they are subjected to different degrees of erosion. Each strata of the Grand Canyon was deposited at different geological time scales by the very processes that result to the formation of sedimentary rocks. The geological interpretation of the Grand Canyon occurred through a time scale involving may years ago. The horizontal formation at the bottom, which is the Tapeats Sandstone, was deposited in the region at about 550 million years ago. 250 million years ago, the preceding strata, the Kaibab Limestone, which forms the rim, was deposited (Timmons & Karlstrom, 2012). The whole strata stretch over 250 miles. In eastern Arizona, they are one mile lower in elevation. The uplift of the canyon occurred 70 million years ago. It took hundreds of years for the sediments to cement into a hard rock the sediments were unconsolidated and soft when the layers thinned and bent. The plastic deformation of Grand Canyon strata interestingly indicates the reality behind global flood of Noah. River Colorado starts from north central Colorado. It ends at a California’s gulf. The waters of the river come from the melting snow from the top of Rocky Mountains. It passes through seven states in the US; it also passes through Mexico. The main tributaries of River Colorado include San,

The Case Against Helping the Poor Research Paper

The Case Against Helping the Poor - Research Paper Example Others claim that developing nations like those in Africa have serious problems with democracy, and should not be supported, but those who support foreign aid say that supporting these countries provides many benefits to the whole world. Ultimately, Hardin’s view of Earth as a lifeboat is as unrealistic as the view of Spaceship Earth he dislikes. Since assisting developing countries now will lead to their being able to support the rest of the planet later, there is a greater benefit to supporting foreign aid than trying to destroy it. According to Darren Weeks and others, one of the most damaging forms of foreign aid is the globalization of America’s economy as seen in free trade agreements which cost America jobs. Weeks claims that this kind of agreement has been directly responsible for leading America into the recession, and that export agreements that benefit â€Å"impoverished Central American countries† where people can’t buy things can not possibly be â€Å"in the best interest of American citizens and workers† (Weeks). In fact, Weeks makes an impassioned argument that this kind of trade agreement is ruining the country entirely, and that it will soon result in â€Å"unemployment in America, the loss of our jobs, the shrinking of the American way of life, the eradication of our freedom to travel, the elimination of the middle class† (Weeks). According to this view, foreign aid is not limited to just donations and charity, but to trade agreements which benefit poorer count ries at the expense of richer ones. These trade agreements, according to this argument, are dangerous to prosperous countries because they destroy the jobs of those countries’ citizens. However, not everybody agrees that trade agreements with poorer countries are really this bad for domestic job figures. William Overholt, for instance, argues that the

Starbucks and their Substitutes. How the company stayed dominant Essay

Starbucks and their Substitutes. How the company stayed dominant against their competition before, during, and after the recession - Essay Example The period is characterized by the plunge of GDP by two triumphant quarters. Unlike its competitors, Starbucks, and their substitute have managed to stay dominant before, during and after the recession. The analysis of why Starbucks has been dominant is incredibly vital to every organization especially those companies that experience a tremendous decrease in trading activity during the recession. Starbucks can be considered as a sample test to every company that is planning to start trading in the coffee industry as well as the imminent companies on how to maintain their trading activities regardless of the economic period. During the recession, the company attempted to have a massive expansion program. There is a range of advantages that are related to the development of markets especially to a company that is already established. Some of these benefits include better turnover due to high trading, creation of employment among others An expansion and especially in an in a recession period can be beneficial to the company and at the same time it can limit. For instance, the company can acquire a significant market share before its competitors have any plan on their situation. Conversely, the company may become overexposed to various levels of risks which may reduce or constrain the company’s future programs (Higbee, Liaw, Ting, Tjho, & Ton, 2008). Fundamentally, Starbucks situation can be seen from two dimensions including a liberal and a conservative view. From a liberal point of view, Starbucks and its substitute have effectively managed to secure it going concern through the various risk control mechanism. In contrast, the Starbucks strategic plan can be viewed as a way of exposing itself to it competitors There are various alternatives actions that the company can take to ensure that they do not lose their competitive advantage despite the various drawbacks. These measures include maintaining quality standards,

Gala Dinner and the Media Launch Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Gala Dinner and the Media Launch - Case Study Example The planning should include all the aspects of the conference or event. The organizations also need to establish the SWOT analysis to overcome the threats that they may suffer during the event and to maximize on the opportunities that arise. Success of event and festival occasions lies under the marketing research section of a company. Events and festival activities will continue to be a major selling tool of organizations in future. The purpose statement is that the Gala Dinner and the Media Launch concerns the Australian Olympic Committee and they would like to organize the Gala Dinner and the Media Launch through our company. One of the general tasks that we have include; Organizing the Gala Dinner for the whole group and later conduct the media launch, allocation of portfolios to committee members including the entertainers, hotel mangers, chairman, the treasurer and the secretary. To also making a decision on whether a coordinator for the conference is necessary or not. The management of the Gala Dinner and the Media Launch will specifically be left to the organizers starting with the chief executive of this company. Although duties will be dedicated to every individual at the two events, more work will be done by the conference management committee in order to ensure that everything goes as planned. The management committee will also be responsible for the budgeting considerations for the company and that all work will handled by the Gala Dinner and the Media Launch committee. Major stakeholders The major stakeholders here will be; Executive members of the Australian Olympic Committee Members of the Australian sports council Ten members of the athletics team Gala Dinner and th

OPAC Evaluation Between University of Arizona & University of BALAMAN Research Paper

OPAC Evaluation Between University of Arizona & University of BALAMAN - Research Paper Example These features include the general representation of these libraries their database characteristics, how operations occur and managed. Moreover, it also looks at the means that these libraries provide to search for information. Other vital features include operations on Boolean, aids for searching under the subjects, options for displaying on the screen and means to display output. In addition, functionalities that will offer end user support are notably inevitable. The University of Arizona has an unusual layout of the home page clearly showing the menus just below the header page. The integration of sky blue, brown, white and deep blue colors brings out an excellent look ( Lebanese American University, 1997-2015). The selection of the font schemes has differentiated the headings, subheadings, and the body thus making the information easier to read. The spacing is ok. Further, the images in place are informative and not just thrown anyhow. On the other hand, the page on Lebanese American University is simple with links to services easily accessible from the home page. The color contrast of green for the heading and a variation of brown for the body is excellent. The slight color red strip in use under the title LAU Libraries is lovely. The change of the menu coloring clearly distinguishes what is in the selection and what is not. Arizona did not have that, however, it uses color shading to identify what has been highlighted and what is not. The photos in use are standard in the way they convey meaning, for example, the one on how to locate the books. The spacing is alright with the distinction of sections. However, despite the difference between the headings and bodies subheadings, it should have been more distinct. The preceding has been brought out more clearly on the Arizona website. What is common to the two sites is the simplicity in their pages with outright links to

Increase of the staff effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Increase of the staff effectiveness - Essay Example It is imperative for managers to provide clear messages and instructions in order to prevent misunderstandings. The ability to communicate well in the workplace is not limited to the managerial staff. The blue collar workers also have to learn to express themselves better. This is a non-training ability that has to be improved by the individual on a personal basis. If a person has weaknesses expressing thoughts the person should look for help. Simple exercises such as standing in front of a group to realize an oral presentation can help a person gain confidence. Non-training needs are important because they can help workers become more involved in their work setting. It is essential to build a corporate culture in which the workers feel comfortable with their dealings at work in alliance with the rest of their colleagues. Due to the importance of teamwork in the workplace non-training needs can help the workforce become more reactive to the changes in their work environment. 2. The t hree stakeholders involved in the case study are the initiator, the active listener, and the evaluator. In the real world the application of these three roles are sufficient to find solutions to a particular problem. The initiator is the person that establishes cause for a problem. This person will usually have a strong view or perspective about the issue.

How did bay of pigs lead to cuban missle crisis Research Paper

How did bay of pigs lead to cuban missle crisis - Research Paper Example The situation that followed the Second World War was the period of Cold war that lasted up to early 1990s and when the Soviet republic disintegrated. During the period of the Cold War, many political and economic developments were realized ideologically. Thought there were no direct military combat in the Cold War, the period was characterized by many serious allegation of the two blocs; the US and USSR. Propaganda was one of the weapons used during this period, this made tension to build up within the two countries and at one point during the cold war, it almost sparked to a direct military confrontation but this never was. This was the Invasion of the Bays of Pig and the subsequent Cuban Missile crisis. Scholars and policy makers undoubtedly believe that the occurrence of the two scenarios in the 1961-62 constituted cold war peak since US and USSR almost faced one another in what could easily turn to be Third World War (Jones, 2008). Bay of Pigs is situated in the South Cost of Cuba; the development that took place in the coastal part of Cuba necessitated the missile crisis. A military revolution took place in Cuba in 1959 in which Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista and developed very close ties with the then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (Henriksen, 2006). During this time US was not in good books with USSR and the Cuban association with USSR alarmed US. The cause of the tension was all about the attempt of USSR to use Cuba as their proxy to propagate the socialism policy in the whole of Latin America. America was worried following this move and wanted to oust Fidel Castro in a military disguise. During the tenure of Eisenhower, a plan was hatched that accepted to train the Cuban exiles in the US to attack and overthrow Fidel’s administration through the support of the Cuban people that America thought were also anti the Fidel’ administration. The plan failed and Nikita having realized that his sympathizer was attacked,

Central venous catheter Essay Example for Free

Central venous catheter Essay Healthcare institutes today are facing a major problem with centrally-line- associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). CLABSIs occur commonly and are the most potentially preventable source if morbidity. This research was conducted to see how central line bundles could be use to eliminate CLABSIs. According to the Sutter Roseville medical center (SRMC), they have seven years of zero CLABSIs, by using a broader approach of the central line buddle rather then the conventional buddle required by the CDC (Harnage, 2012). The SRMC’s, central line buddle is ease to use and failure proof as shown in figure 1 of the article (Harnage). This article explained how various component of the central line buddle were modified to achieve zero infection of CLABSIs by the SRMC. The most important point of this approach was elimination of infection through central lines. The success of this approach was base on the protocol implemented on dressing change, catheter flushing and daily checking of all central lines. Dressing changes were done only when the site was messes but with the protocol is done every 7 days and as needed, also the catheter lines were been flushed with normal saline then with heparin using a positive pressure flush, but now flushing is done every 8 hours when not in use or before and after medication administration with 10ml of normal saline using a push and pause technique. Remember these lines can not be use if there is no blood return and the potency checked. For this protocol to be effective, education and training was mandated for the register nurses, that is a one -on -one bedside training. The register nurses are the once using this line on a daily bases so training them on the use of this line were a major past in the infection control process. An aspect in the dressing change kit in was also nurse friendly in that all the supplies needed for the dressing change were place in a single package. By putting everything together it helped the nurse to easily access everything they need, because due to the many tasks the nurse needs to do, they may be tempted to bypass or skip entirely preventive practices that are too time consuming. The nurses also had to document on a daily base on the patient flow sheet how the site and dressing on the line look, thus making the nurses take responsibility and accountabit of the site. The main problem with this approach was that it wasn’t cost effective. But according on research, CLABSIs cost from $21300 and $35000 to treat, thus avoiding infections can save most healthcare institute hundreds of thousands of pounds annually (Harnage). I will like everyone who reads this article to implement it because is a patient first culture approach and we as healthcare provide are there to provide care to patient and do no harm. With that say, my clinical group for NURS 210 at Grace Fairview have since this practice and protocol and have also participated in it implementation. So from experience I will follow the approach and encourage my register nurses colleague to do same because the benefits out weight the disadvantages. REFERENCE . Harnage, S. (2012) Seven years of zero central – line – associate bloodstream infections. British Journal of Nursing, 2012 (IVTHERAPY SUPPLEMENT),Vol 21, No 21

Analysis of Marks and Spencer Plc

Analysis of Marks and Spencer Plc Marks and Spencer (MS) is one of Britains oldest and best known retailers of clothing, foods, home ware. MS employ more than 60,000 people worldwide, operate more than 450 stores in 30 countries, and serve tens of millions of customers every week. The company was first established by Michael Marks and Tom Spencer. Marks had immigrated to England in 1882 after fleeing anti-Semitic persecution in Russian Poland. Here he began to eke out a living selling goods on a stall in Leeds town market. Due to his lack of English he made a sign to go on his stall that read Dont ask the price, its a penny. His stall was so successful that by 1890 he had stalls in five cities across the country. Tom Spencer, joined Marks, in 1894. This partnership signified the advent of MS as we know it today. By the turn of the century the company had expanded to 36 branches nationwide. Following the deaths of Marks and Spencer, the running of the company fell into the hands of Marks 28-year-old son Simon. It was he that led MS to break with time-honoured British retailing traditionby eliminating wholesalers and establishing direct links with manufacturers. The company continued to grow and in 1926 it became a PLC. Two years later it launched its now famous St Michael brand and in 1931 in a drive to concentrate on goods that had rapid turnover it introduced food departments into stores. During World War II approximately half of the companys stores were damaged or destroyed in air raids. However the business rebuilt and in 1964 Simon Marks handed over the running of it to his brother-in-law Israel Sieff. In the subsequent decade MS began to expand abroad in North America and later Europe. Sieffs son, Marcus Sieff became chairman in 1972. He was replaced by Derek Rayner 12 years later. Rayner became the first chairman to be hired from outside the Marks family. During Rayners tenure as chairman MS expanded into financial services by launching their own charge card. Rayner retired in 1991 and CEO Richard Greenbury took charge. In the 1990s MS began to rapidly expand across Europe and into Asia, opening stores in Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary and Spain. In 1999 following growing criticism of Greenburys failure to expand the business fast enough and embrace new ideas he was succeeded by, Peter Salsbury. In that same year continued poor sales led Marks and Spencer to cut 700 jobs, close its 38 stores in Canada and part company with its clothing supplier of 30 years, William Baird. Following this continued poor performance the company, was subject to an unsuccessful takeover bid by Phillip Green of the Arcadia group. In response to this MS appointed Belgian Luc Vandevelde as CEO. The following spring MS announced a recovery plan to rescue the struggling chain, which involved selling off the majority of its global operations. Consequently, unhappy with the companys direction and its departure from older values, Marks and Spencer board members Sir David Sieff (the last remaining founder member), Sir Ralph Robins and Sir Michael Perry left the board in July 2001. Within a year and a half of Vandeveldes appointment profits began rising, but although at the time Vandevelde was credited with a revival, it proved to be short-lived, because by 2004 sales had fallen again and the brand had lost some of its credibility. In light of this it was felt drastic changes were needed and in May 2004 Stuart Rose, formerly head of Arcadia, was named CEO. Since his appointment Rose has instituted change programmes within the organisation and given it new strategic direction. The effects of these changes are already beginning to be seen and MS is showing clear signs of recovery. However it is too early to say whether this improvement is sustainable. MS was set up and run by a family for a long part of its history, its values and culture derived from that. For many years it was viewed as being very patriarchal and inward looking. The perception people had of the company up until the 1980s was of quality, affordability and reliability, embodied in the St Michael brand. During this time leadership of the business was very strong but inward focused. However, recent changes in the market place have presented a great challenge to the company which it is still addressing. PERCEPTION According to Huczynski and Buchanan it is our perception of reality that shapes and directs our behaviour, not some objective understanding of it. Marks and Spencers corporate objectives are incorporated in its mission statement. This outlines what the business is and what it should be. Mission statements set out in writing what the firm wants to achieve and often include information on the values of the business. MS outlines its core business as clothing and Food. Its financial objectives is to deliver shareholder value in terms of increase returns, but also in terms of increase sales and market share in retailing. It beliefs and values are outlined as Our customers continue to see Marks Spencer as the place to shop for special food, produced to exacting standards. MS also sees its workforce as an important part of its plan and also considers modernising its stores as a key corporate objective. Vision: The standard against which all others are measured Mission: Making aspirational quality accessible to all Values: Quality, value, service, innovation and trust MS also outlines its corporate social responsibility in its mission statement and considers the needs of other stakeholders too. Customer Perception Once established, from the customers point of view, MS was considered the epitome of quality, affordability and reliability which reached its apogee in the 50s and 60s when customers used to scramble to acquire MSs reproductions of catwalk fashion. MSs clothes lines became so popular that in the 50s limits were set on production as everyone wanted the affordable stylish Paris inspired 1950s glamour. This perception changed during the 90s. As ever increasing choice was available on the high street and a growing number of competitors emerged as rivals in MSs core markets. Retailers such as Top Shop, Warehouse and Gap offered more fashionable designs and labels, whereas others such as Next and Debenhams offered better value. Even food chains such as Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsburys began to encroach on MSs market share in the prepared food markets. In light of this people began to view the company as out-dated and old fashioned. This negative perception of the company is just now beginnin g to be counteracted for reasons which I will detail later in discussing leadership. Employee Perception From the stand point of employees MS was viewed as an employer of choice in the mid-20th century. People felt secure in their employment and viewed a career in MS as highly desirable. In the post-war period the company imposed a more explicit human relations policy. As Marcus Sieff, the incumbent chairman at the time, put it the chief executive has a duty to treat his employees as he would like to be treated himself, to do as he would be done by. This image was reinforced by the way MS treated its staff, stores were furnished with good staff canteens, rest rooms, medical and dental care, hairdressers, chiropodists, clean toilets and good training facilities. By the 1980s and 90s it had stopped being viewed as a viable career path and became characterised as dead-end job. This was reflected in the pay, management and promotional structures in place at the time. This is something subsequent CEOs have had to address. The Market A companys branding and marketing strategies are important tools in shaping the perception of it in the marketplace. Here, MS has never conformed to the norm s and actually created a virtue out of not advertising. Instead, MS relied until the 90s on word-of-mouth to promote the companys brand and image. This strategy is very cost-effective and renowned for being extremely powerful in influencing customer behaviour. As a recent study shows word-of-mouth is now the number one most-trusted source of product information on a global scale, with advertising a distant second. Seventy per cent of consumers across the globe trust friends, family, or other people first when searching for information or ideas on products to buy. MSs decision not to enter into mainstream advertising has reinforced its image of being a household name so famous, that like Rolls Royce it did not need to advertise since the quality of its goods and services were undisputed. The St Michaels brand was also very powerful with its connotations of religion which brings to mind values such as honesty, loyalty and devotion. Therefore a big departure came for MS around the turn of the century when they decided to launch one of the biggest advertising campaigns in retail with the slogan Your MS, embodied by well known models and celebrities from different ages such as Twiggy, Jodie Kidd, Shirley Bassey. This has been hugely successful and has the effect of putting the company firmly back in the hands of the public, giving them a sense of ownership and a stake in its success. CULTURE This is the set of beliefs and attitudes of both employees and management that helps to influence decision making and behaviour with in the organisation. The simple way of explaining culture is the way the things are done in a business. According to Huczynski and Buchanan an organizations culture focuses on the values, beliefs and meanings used by its members to grasp how its uniqueness originates, evolves and operates. Edgar Schein makes the distinction between three levels of culture within an organisation distinguished by their visibility to and accessibility by individuals, surface manifestations of culture, organisational values and basic assumptions. Organisational culture and values: The views of the original founder as modified by the companys current senior management In the case of MS we can see that the original culture derived from the founders and the founders family. In a sense you can say that they were family values, with an overtone of religion, let us not forget that St Michael is the champion of the Jews and that Michael Marks was a Jew. Culture in the early days was based on quick turnover, honesty, hard work and no frills attached. These values evolved into the companys culture which became paternalistic, an approach is commonly associated with family run businesses. The repercussions of this culture are such that if you are not in the family you cannot rise to the top. This has an effect all the way through the company right down to the employees on the shop floor. From the mid-19th century family organisations had the strongest sense of culture, one based on loyalty, paternalism and community. However in the 1960s, post war restructuring concentrated on capital mobility, acquisitions and mergers. The old forms of identification tended to break down and anyone who spoke of solidarity or loyalty was seen as archaic. With rapid organisational growth it became very difficult for firms to maintain the family touch. So by the turn of the 21st century Marks and Spencer had become vulnerable to hostile takeovers with its ever falling share prices and low profit margins. The inward looking culture of the company and the absence of strong leadership were blamed for its poor performance. Stuart Roses vision after he was given the position of CEO was to revert back to old values and simplify a culture which had become too confused and confusing. The type of culture of Marks and Spencer is a customer driven culture. Customer driven culture is where every where in the business makes a real effort to improve customer service, market research, employing right people, and training. The business is trying to up date the technology e- commerce. It also has a positive culture where staff and workers communicate well. They also regard change as opportunity than not a treat. I also found they are dynamic, this where a business is always looking to change the way they work. Always looking for new ideas. The way I have noticed this is by changing the displays to make it appeal more to customers. LEADERSHIP According to Huczynski and Buchanan leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal-setting and goal achievement. They go on to mention that leadership appears to be a critical determinant of organizational effectiveness. It is useful to distinguish between leadership and management. These two concepts are sometimes seen as synonymous as leadership is seen as one component of the management role. However, other commentators on the subject make clear distinctions between the two. Leaders are portrayed as someone who develops drives new initiatives, [whereas] managers achieve stability. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus make the point that managers do things right, while leaders do the right thing. Due to the complex nature of this topic a great effort has been made to distinguish the qualities that make a successful leader. This line of research has been greatly influenced by the great man theory. This argued that leaders reach positions of influence from which they dominate and direct the lives of others by force of personality. In MSs history, men such as, Sir Marcus Sieff could be seen to fall into the great man category. Leadership in the early years was very much in the hands of the family and based on traditional family values. It was strong but essentially inward looking. By the late 90s when MS was in trouble there was a need for a change of leadership. Nowadays a more distributive form of leadership is required. One which creates a vision of a possible future that allows [the leader] and others to see more clearly the steps to take, building on personal capacities and strengths. Examples of these types of leader would be Luc Vandevelde and Stuart Rose. Under Vandeveldes leadership a recovery plan was put in place based on getting the company closer to its customers and returning the company to its core strengths. Recovery was based around focusing on the UK, selling only their own brand and retaking command of their supply chain. His vision was to return Marks and Spencers to its reputation for quality, value, service and innovation. Once articulated, the vision is shared through events designed to disseminate it. Thus we have Vandeveldes address to the shareholders and Stuart Roses mass motivational training for all of staff. They use catch phrases to describe and share what is already happening and to encourage others .In the advertising campaign Your MS Rose is embodying the key values and beliefs on which the newly revived MS is based. In differentiating the customer base and appealing to different sectors through sub-branding such as Per Una by Sir George Davis for the younger customer and Limited Edition for the more style conscious older customer, whilst maintaining the offering of high quality standard basics to everyone MS is becoming more competitive with other high street retailers. Also the advent of the Simply Food stores accentuates one of MSs traditional and continuing strengths- its food offerings. Management styles and culture The management style is the pattern of behaviour that he or she shows in carry out a management role over a period of time the most common management styles, are as follows: Autocratic Consultative Democratic Autocratic Autocratic management style is one where the manager is used to giving instructions like telling people what to do rather than asking them for their options. The manager is the only person contributing to the decision- making process. This style of management is more typical of UK management between 1970s and 1980s, although you are sure to find it today. A number of managers who started up with this approach find it difficult or impossible to change their ways. They are used to holding on power and do not understand how the process of empowerment might work. The result of this style is that members of the group often dissatisfied with the leader. This results in little cohesion, the need for high levels of supervision, and poor levels of motivation amongst employees. Consultative Consultative managers are ones who seek to consult other people before making a decision. Alternatively, they will seek to consult people before implementing a decision. This type of manager wants to draw on more sources of opinion him or herself. The consultative manager will have listening skills and also the ability to create the right sorts of channels to consult other people. In an organisation with a culture of consultation, there will be a series of mechanisms (e.g. newsletters, team briefing, suggestions boxes, etc.) that make it possible to get the feel of the concerns of other people involved in the decision- making, as well as to draw on their expertise. Democratic This is a third type of management style is the democratic one, which involves empowerment. This gives individuals and team responsibility to make decisions, usually within the framework. The team is then held responsible for the decisions that it chooses to make. The manager with this style will feel comfortable allow others to make decisions. The democratic manager will also have to have a good overall understanding of decisions being made, and will want regular feed back on results. However, they will be confidants that empower individuals and teams will use the responsibility given to them wisely. The management style of Marks and Spencer is consultative so this would mean, that leader consults with other before decision is made. There will be a group influence in the final decision; even through it is made by the leader. For example the marketing department, about weather to launch a new range of products may consider first than rushing straight into launching the products. The decisions are all taken in to account. The business of Marks and Spencer sometimes might use a mixture of Management Styles for example Marks and Spencer is consultative, the business might also be using democratic management style. Laissez-faire- This is where people are allowed to do what they feel correct, this is usually associated with medium status (e.g. Managing director Marketing Director) probably because they are experts in their field so they know what their doing. Marks and Spencer have a variety of management styles they often give a choice to the management but it depends upon where they are on the hierarchical scale. Those higher on the scale are autocratic and tell staff what to do, from the production line to the logistical designers. Those managers without managers below them are the ones which have to use an autocratic style because those below them have no knowledge on the field, while those around the middle are permitted to adopt a laissez-faire attitude to management, they are high enough in the company and have enough knowledge to use the style properly and to its maximum potential but the shareholders always have a eye on what there doing with any big decisions having a democratic vote on the item.

Employee Resistance to Change: Dissertation

Employee Resistance to Change: Dissertation Chapter 1- Introduction Change comes from anywhere, and is the only constant. Propelled by the driving force of technology and globalization, the economic landscape continuously transform in a way that has come to undermine the relevance of received wisdom on how a firm should be managed and what underlies its success (Gregory Prastacos, et al., 2002). In this new millennium, it is more challenging for an organization to sustain its competency or even survive in the diversity market. When an organization is threatened by environmental changes such as crisis or competition, it results in the increasing needs for communication as technology develops rapidly and higher customer demands will be foreseen. Organizational change is not an option; it constitutes a fundamental necessity for success within the new competitive landscape (Hamel and Prahalad, 1996). An organization need to evaluate its performance and review its business strategies, corporate structure, operational process and HR policies to identify th e areas that need transformation. To maintain its competitive advantages,ÂÂ  an organization must make effort to implement changes accordingly. Usually changes to be made in an organization is for the seeking of extending the ability of the organization to achieve the strategic goals but sometime changes do not necessarily contribute to the improvement of the organization (Stroh, 2001). The expected result of the change might vary due to other unexpected factors, such as resistance to change. Resistance is a phenomenon that affects the change process, delaying or slowing down its beginning, obstructing or hindering its implementation, and increasing its costs (Ansoff, 1990). Effect of resistance of changes in organization will cause distorted perception, interpretation barriers and vague strategic priorities, low motivation among the people and lack of creative response (Val, 2003). It is crucial for change initiators to deal with resistance for a successful change. Forasmuch as employees are the one who get the job done, and they the one who possess the knowledge, skills, tools and experiences, it is clear that organizational changes cannot be achieved without employees support and involvement. Employee acceptance and commitment are the key factors for successful changes. Effective change management should recognize the importance of its employees and the way to minimize the resistant from employees. Therefore, understand why it is caused, the forms of resistance and the factors determine employees reactions to change is significant. 1.1 Research Objective This research will study on the factors of resistance to change from employees prospective. The aim of this research is to review the factor and find out the correlates among the factors. By better understanding these which a shift in perception could occur, the paper hope to develop a framework to change initiators of how certain group of employees is the likely to react and behave to change that being unleashed by the value and perception, this knowledge will enable change initiators to design change plan and training programs which recognize the values of employees, and to interact with diverse others in order to optimize the expected change affect. The research attempt to explore the followings areas as a systematic way to rationalize the value of this project study: To identify the natural of employee resistance to change. To identify the symptoms of employee resistance to change. To identify the reasons of employee resistance to change To determine the various factors to effect employees resistance to changes. To evaluate the effect of these factors on organizations future development. 1.2 Chapter Summary Chapter 1 of Introduction has provided a background of the circumstances that force organization to change, and examined the inevitable resistance can undermined organizational change. By identifying the importance of employee in the organizational change, research objectives were generated to study on the resistance of change from employees perspectives and listed done the areas of the study to be explored on. The research was planned in a systematic way to rationalize the value of this project. Next chapter of this project will touch on a review of current literatures on the natural, symptoms and the reasons of employee resistance to change and factors affect employee resistance, followed by the research methodology, samples and limitation of the research. The subsequent chapter will be the questionnaire data analysis presentation and lastly the paper will conclude the findings and its implications for change initiators. The aim of this research is to review the factors that affect employee resistance and evaluate it thought the target samples. Chapter 2- Literature Review 2.1 Employee Resistance to Change 2.1.1 The nature Organizations can be confronted with incremental changes that focus on doing things better through a process of continuous tinkering, adaptation and modification or transformational changes that are regarded as revolutionary and break with the past.(John Hayes, 2010) Although the incremental changes rarely presented any abrupt challenges to the assumptions people make about how they related to the world (John Hayes, 2010), this is not always that case. People are not duplicate, the values, beliefs, assumption and knowledge of that person will be developed over the time, formed as a set of personal opinion, perceptions, views of the world to guide their behaviors (Hallie Preskill and Rosalie Torres, 1999). It is concerned with whether employees regards view change can bring present or future personal benefit and opportunities or change is a threat to their job, skills or any other interests. The implementation of changes inevitably involves the vital interests of various shareholders, and especially employees.Resistance occurs since most employees desire to be successful in their work environments due to they have basic needs which must be satisfied. To begin with, employees want to know their role and their responsibilities within the organization. In additional, employees want to be able to predict what they will face in the future (Appelbaum, S.H. et al, 1998). Even though old procedures that were initially regarded as cumbersome, costly or ineffective, after a prolonged recursive execution, employees become comfortable and are used to the ways things were done. Employee might fear in a changing organization, therefore change are frequently be seen as a threat to ones existence within an organization if upgrading or acquiring new skills are a problem because of time constraints , or the inability of the person to learn these new techniques. Change within an organizational setting usually poses several problems and challenged by the pressure in aspect of money , ego, and power for those who resist it. Employees resist change because they have learned to associate it negative feelings since their basic needs may now be threatened (Mealiea, 1978). Thus it is human nature that employees look at Change negatively, resistance thereby coming into play. 2.1.2 The symptoms Resistance, described by Kilian M. Bennebroek Gravenhorst (2003) is commonly considered to be standard or even natural in reaction to organizational change. It is described as an most inevitable psychological and organizational response that seems to apply to any kind of change, ranging from rather modest improvement to far-reaching change and organizational transformation. Symptoms are the specific behaviors exhibited when employee resistance to change (Albert F. Bolognese, 2002) According to Bhutan (1995), it is important to distinguish between the symptoms of resistance to change and the causes behind them. Symptoms can be reflected in varies of forms, which Marc Maltz (2008) categorized it into the two varieties: overt and covert. Overt resistance is concern with obvious opposition, disagreement, arguing, debating, etc., to any change effort. While, covert resistance comes in two forms: one is conscious covert which employees are concerned about the consequences of their actions that they apparently agreed but actually not following though or withhold information and avoid implementation. Secondly is the unconscious covert resistance, which is the most difficult to see symptoms among employees as employees are unaware their resistance. 2.1.3 The Reasons There are many causes attribute to employees resistance to change, such as Coch French (1948), studied the workers of a clothing manufacturer and find that lower employee participitation causing the mistrust of management and increase their resistance to change. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) identify four common reasons why people resist organizational change: people focus on their own interest and fear of losing something of value, it can be power and status, autonomy and control, or specific skills; Misunderstanding the change will cost them more than they will gain and lack of trust to the person who initiating change; Different assessment of the necessity and benefit of change situations; Low tolerance for change, sometimes people just resist to change emotionally even they understand the need for change. Several studies have acknowledged what Kotter and Schlesingers publication and enhance these categories with further researches, according to Prosci- A business process reengin eering directory and resource companys study (2003) in past six years in 288 organizations from 51 countries, result shows the top reasons employee resist to change is because of corporate history and culture, which the organizations past performance of change project failed or did not make much sense, employees are less interested to take initiatives to support the current change, they are not in the flavor the month , thus employee expected it go away like what happened in the past. Lorenzo (2000) also acknowledge that one attribute to employees resistance is that past failures leaves negative image for future changes. Another reason added on in Prosci (2003)s research is that employee often opposes to change because of the added job responsibilities, new processes or technologies. Changes with lower motivation to get employees involved and less consideration of employees interest and their emotional and perceptual perspectives thereby eliminate their initiatives and level of comm itment. Pardo Del Val, Manuela and Martinez Fuentes, Clara (2005) conclude above sources to employees resistance are most likely happen in change formulation stage, they further identify some reason rise resistance that consist of: (a) organizational values in relation to change values that cause a strong implementation climate to determine whether employee to accept or oppose to change; (b) departmental politics that form employees resistance. 2.2 Factors affect employees resistance to change Literatures have identified variety of factors affect employee resistance to change, the most cited views of the factors fall on the organizational level, for instance the communication process, employee participation, change facilitation procedures in change process (Ricky Griffin ,2008) to improve organizational effectiveness. Moreover, employee motivation (David Clarence and McClelland, 1987) and quality of leadership (Ken W. Parry, 1999) have been widely acknowledged to have influence on employees work initiatives, involvement and commitment, so that it can argues to be a significant factor to affect employees willingness to change. Above factors virtually are the ways to deal with the subtext of organizational humanity on the stage of change process. However, one must understand the root factors played to affect employees perception towards organizational change. Fail to understand the intrinsic factors govern employees values and beliefs guided behavior in the context of the way they were doing and expected in the future, and all the necessities organization attempt or should to do to implement and facilitate change is crucial. Therefore, the research will mainly explore on the personal factors played to affect employee resistance to change including age, gender, personality traits (Locus of control) and employee educational level as follows: 2.2.1Age Baby Boomers refer to people who are born between 1945-1964. This generation grew up in an era of unprecedented economic growth and stability, so as to be regarded as a generation that finds comfort with long term employment with one organization. This has provided them with a false sense of stability (Loomis, 2000).Their perceived working values emphasize on chain of command, teamwork, technically challenged, team work and loyal to employer As they born after War II, which they entered the economic boom era, Money and job security such as life time employment are definitely extremely important for them to sustain their living. In this regard, it is argued that Baby Boomers are easier to accept organizational change as their working value of chain of command which they tend to commit to the hierarchical order. Moreover, the inception of organization loyalty also attributes them to be more committed rather than resistant or any other negative reactions. (Hui-Chun, Yu and Peter Miller, 2003) Another neuropsychological research held by (Stanford University professor Laura L. Carstensen et al. 2000) on the relationship between age and emotional experiences found that the periods of highly positive emotional experience were more likely to endure among older people and periods of highly negative emotional experience were less stable. With age, older adults report relatively low levels of worrying (Sandra Hunt, Patricia Wisocki and Julianne Yanko, 2003), experience less anger (Schieman,1999), and have lower levels of emotional distress after natural disasters (Bolin Klenow, 1982-1983). The implication of these findings are older employees have better capability to regulate their negative emotions with organizational change and adjust themselves to adapt the environment.Employees adaptability has been seen a key attribute to a successful organizational change (Heslin , 2005). Compared with Baby Boomers, Generation X refers to those people who were born between 1965 to 1980. This generation of employee tend to more independent, self-motivated and self-sufficient (Loomis, 2000). This is because most X generations did not have enough of their family attention as children because their parent may have been single or working parents. X generations therefore became adaptive at handling things on their own and in their own ways. Their work value is perceived more on personal satisfaction, and their attitudes towards work are focus on flexibility empowerment, loyal to skills. (Hui-Chun, Yu and Peter Miller, 2003). Hence, when the change conflict with their own interest such as against what they used to do , their skills, or leave less empowerment to them, they will feel unmotivated towards to commit to the change. However, David J. OConnell, Eileen McNeely and Douglas (2004) argue that since Xers entered the workforce under the employment of deal, in which career planning and development are largely individual responsibilities and where the average worker can expect to make several changes during their working lives. In this regards, it seems like Xers are more adaptive to change. However, there are also many scholars debate the relationship between the age and the personal adaptability to change, such as Mirvis and Hall, 1996. Recent research held by OConell, McNeely and Hall, 2008 also support this assertion, reporting that age is limited measured as a categorical variable namely the characteristics about an individual . 2.2.2 Gender Although many literatures have acknowledged the impact of gender difference on the management practice, there had been little systematic attention focus on identifying the gender roles on effective change management relatively. Feminist perspectives have tended to highlight not only the impact of organizational change on womens relatively marginalized position but also the role of women in the change management (Melissa Tyler, 2005). Jamie L, Michael G and Homer Tolson (2005) research findings suggest that there is a difference between male and female executive of their emotional expressiveness, and women are regarded to process better skill at encoding and decoding emotions (Laura K. Guerrero and Kory Floyd, 2008). Emotions are intensive feelings that are directed at someone or something (Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge, 2010). Goleman-the founder of emotional intelligence theory also mentioned that women are good at reading others feelings than men averagely in his book pub lished in 1995. The skills to encode and decode emotions generally have advantage to develop and maintain relationships (Laura K. Guerrero and Kory Floyd, 2008), because skilled encoders have ability to express their internal emotional state so that other people can decode their emotions more easily and accurately (Burgoon and Bacue, 2003). In this regard, the chances such as misunderstanding and conflict due to implicit or unclear message delivered or received prone to be decreased, the communication becomes more easily and effective. In many literatures, communication has been widely acknowledged as a useful approach to eliminate resistance to change. Therefore, women are deems to be more successfully engaged in change circumstances. Maddock (1999) added that Women focus on relational aspect of how to do things, while men tend to be expected to think what to do. It appears that women are emotionally discreet on how they are going to process the information, express and interpret their view points to react to change before making any decision. Combined with womens secondary position in labor market due to gender discrimination, especially in Confucian countries, in addition to their greater responsibilities in family and child care than men, which cause women are relatively powerless to challenge the situation (Melissa Tyler, 2005). Hence Melissa argues that women in change management appear to be positioned as performing an interpersonal function associated with safety; providing security in times of unexpected turbulence and anticipating. On the basis of these arguments, it seems that women tend to avoid conflict in working in this regard and to accept the change accordingly. 2.2.3 Personality Traits Some people are quiet and reserved, while others are aggressive and outgoing. Some people are trustworthy, some are not. People differ with each other in various dimensions as a result of different behavior and attitude towards things in personal life and working. The individuals differences are shaped by personalities (Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge, 2010) Personality refers to the traits and characteristics that make individuals unique (Greenberg and Baron, 2002). The most frequent used definition of personality was produced by Gordon Allport nearly 70 years ago which he commented that personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment. Personality thus becomes an important reason mangers need to know to generate a view of employees likely behaviors and examine their coping reaction. Meselaar and Cozijnsen (1997) further highlighted the personality is a determinate of individ ual reaction to organizational change. Locus of control refers to the degree people believe their own behaviours determine what happens to them. People believes they have more control over their destiny are referred as internal, and people who believe they have less control over their life and the results are attributing to the will of God, or to the fortune of being born in the right social class or family are referred as external. At this point, it is suggested that people behave differently towards change. Wilson (1992) developed an approach referred as determinism to study change management portrays the manager and other organizational members as pawns affected by change rather than as agents who can initiate and secure change. Their ability to influence is limited because of the main determinates lie outside the organization. John Hayes (2010) argues that those who are overcommitted deterministic view of change may be inclined to believe that the locus of control is external to themselves and the organization and may therefore develop view that there is little they can do to influence events. Hence, people who think this way is less likely to attempt to adopt a proactive approach to the management of change than those who have more internal view about locus of control. 2.2.4 Educational Level Although there were not many literatures specifically emphasize the employees educational level to their resistance to organizational change, it is widely acknowledged (e.g.: George H. McCall, Karl E. Ristow and Daniel J. Cimini, 2004) that higher education improves employees personal management, time management, communication skills and problem solving skills. Higher education defined by Roberg (1987) refers to the instruction that was obtained at university or colleague. According to Thomas Kent Gaylor (2001)s research on 286 police officer from two North Texas Police department in 2001, result shows no significance relationship between the educational level and employees openness to change. However the limitation of his research was lack of variation in respondents education level. Nevertheless, the author believe that higher education of employees will be more likely to support and commit organization change with more positive thinking of why the change is needed, hence the resea rch intend to do further evaluation with different samples on the relationship of educational level to employee resistance to change since it is a logic factor that higher education equipped with employees more knowledge and broader thinking and believe, which reduce the tendency to be dogmatic and to be more creative. 2.3 Chapter Summary Chapter 2 of Literature Review has explored on the current literatures on employee resistance to change in terms of the natural, symptoms and reasons. The inevitable resistances from employee impulse the research to further find out the factors that affect employee resistance to change. The research noted many factors including communication process, employee participations, change facilitation process, employee motivation and quality of leadership, and lastly mainly reviewed the personal factors played consist of age, gender, personality traits (locus of control) and employee educational level influence various aspects from values and beliefs and emotions as a result of different behavior and levels of adaptability reacted to change After exposit the literature review of factors affect employees resistance to change, the paper will tackle the main objectives of this research. Starting with the description of research methodology, samples and limitation of the research, then paper will touch on the analysis part of the questionnaire, to examine the reflected results against with the literatures reviewed earlier on, so as to evaluate its universality of the factors in the sampling organization. Chapter 3- Research Methodology 3.1 Secondary Research The research was carried out at the beginning though a secondary research to review the current literatures on the areas of the study, which contains of the nature, symptoms and the reasons of employee resistance to change and the factors affect employee resistance to change from a more intrinsic view by looking at employee personal factors. The factors focus on the employees adaptability to change determined by age and gender, one dimension of personality traits -locus of control, and employee educational level. The information is collected from textbooks, journals and articles from reliable and creditable online Journal Publications, National Library and Campus Library. 3.2 Primary Research In order to evaluate the factors been presented in literature review, the research will primarily employ questionnaires as the main methodologies for information gathering. The questionnaire will be carried out with various employees working in a large organization. The methods allow directly and original information to be gathered from participants. Questionnaire results are to be consolidated, and will be analyzed using various questionnaire analyze techniques, to interpret the data. The main reason of using questionnaire and interview is because data is collected directly from specific target respondents. Interviewers have the ability to ask extra intensive questions of the respondent concerning survey responses. 3.2.1 Research Samples The research was conducted using data collected from a large size agribusiness organization located in Singapore, mainly doing palm oil plantation and trading. The reason of choosing this organization is because it is currently undergoing turbulence and change on merger with one small size palm oil trading company and one ship chartering company. And it also has experienced many merger and change in the past. Therefore the target samples of the questionnaire participants in the organization must have many varies views on organizational change to enable the research generate more practical reflections from employees perspective on organizational change and change effect on them, aims to evaluate the universality application of all those factors on employee resistance to change presented in literature on the target sampling. The questionnaire attempt to invite 150 employees in this organization from four departments who are affected by the merger plan, respectively 25 employee from IT department, 35 employees from logistic department, 25 employee from finance department and 65 employees from operation department. 3.2.2 Limitation of This Research During the research, data collected could be deviated due to limitation in the research methodology as follows: Data may not represent the entire population due to the limitation of sampling size As the four department employees may experience different kinds of minor changes in their department respectively, whether the change offend their interest or not might bring subjective bias towards their response to the questionnaire, hence the accuracy of data collected will be deviated. Respondent who experience the past organizational change may bring different perceptions towards new change. The choice of the question may limited respondents response. 3.3 Chapter Summary Chapter 3 presented the methodology of this research which employed on secondary research to review the current literatures on the area of the study, and also the primary research using questionnaires to collect data. Research Samples chosen was a large agribusiness organization who is experiencing turbulence and undergoing merger and work structural change. The limitations of the research were also discussed including the sample size, respondents bias, past organizational change experience as well as the choice of questions may also affect the accuracy of the survey result. Next chapter will touch on the research result analysis and discussion. Chapter 4- Result Analysis and Discussion The questionnaires were distributed to 150 employees in IT, Logistic, Finance and Operation department respectively as planned in Chapter 3, the responding rate is about 76%, namely 114 employees attend the questionnaire. Following are the result of each factors being tested. 4.1 Age The research finding on age factors shows that respondents in different age group perceived change differently and appears with different level of resistance. In contrary with literatures presented earlier on demonstrating age have negative relationship with organizational change where people are more emotional stable and adaptable to organizational change as they age. Instead, the result shows that in the age group of 20 to 65+, employees are more resistant to change as they age; an interesting finding is that for employees aged below 20, whom were surprisingly scored higher marks on resistance. Figure 4.1.2 shows details of scores on resistance in each age group. Figure 4.1.2- Age group vs Resist to change score The possible causes lead to this result might because when younger people firstly enter the workforce with no experience and lower educational background, they are uncertain about their skills and abilities. They may behave self-concerned and less flexible dealing with working matters, and not mature enough to regulate their emotions as they are undergoing a transition from childhood to adult, school life to working life with increased responsibilities, time is needed to help them accept such big changes and adapt themselves in the new environment. As they age and become more mature, they seek for competence, career movement and relationship, they are more flexible and motivated to change themselves in the organization to achieve their objectives. As time goes on, they feel tired and queried about what supposed to be. They are loyalty to their skills and fear losing it in the future. Stability, job security and sense of seniority may become the main values after they age 46. Hence th ey might act more resisting to change as demonstrated in below figure. Super (1980)s Life Stage Theory displayed some common characteristics against to the above analysis and assumptions, which the author would like to research further. 4.2 Gender Out of total 114 respondents, 78 are women, and 36 are men, most of men respond strongly agree that organizational change is necessary and beneficial, and express their willingness to take challenges. Although there is no strong evidence to show that women are more resistance to change, most of women strongly agreed with the statement that when things are not going as plan, they tend to feel stress and if there is significant change regarding the way things are done, they would probably feel stressed. At this point, the research result suggested that women tend to be trapped in stress situation more easily than men. Hellriegel, D. Slocom, J. W., and Woodman, R.W.(2001) has pointed out that organizational change can be viewed as greatest source of stress on job and perhaps employees life. Stress cause low morale, high desertion rate and consequently reduce in job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The women research samples in this study reflect lower ability to regulate stre ss in working and life that affect their job performance. When organizational changes go against their interest, plan or principles, family life, it easily get women feel stress emotionally and potentially raise their resistance level which can be described as unconscious covert resistance (Marc Maltz, 2008) whereby employees are unaware of their resistance to change. Such symptom as mentioned in Chapter 2 is difficult to recognize and manage. The result urges the management to recognize gender-related problems in the organizational process. The implication of the result underlines the importance of evaluating and managing performance between women and men employees in implementing change. 4.3 Locus of Control Figure 4.3.1 shows the relationship between Locus of Control versus Resist to Change scale. The extent of Locus of Control are divided into 5 category based on the score respondents received on answering 10 specially designed question (Q7-Q16) catered to identify the individual level of locus of Control. For each correct answer that suggested Internal Locus of Control, the participant are give 1 point, the end results are totaled up with a formula (N/10)x100. The result are categ

Essay on Utopia - Constitution of the United States as a Utopian Propos

The Constitution of the United States as a Utopian Proposal   Ã‚  Ã‚   Few people would take issue with the statement that America faces monumental challenges both to its own well-being as well as to its self-imposed duty to become "a more perfect union". Over the years, many speakers, authors, and dreamers have used the dirty facts of this nation's (and its predecessors') seemingly unrepentant capitalism, paternalism, belligerence, and tendency toward cultural assimilation to declare the entire enterprise bankrupt and to focus, not on where, exactly, the USA went wrong, but instead on what the truly ideal civilization would look like. They have created, in speech or on paper, entire realms of happiness and harmony, free of injustice, crime, and any other negative social vice. They have failed, however, in most cases, to free themselves from the trap of the nature of the human animal and his uncanny ability to absolutely avoid accurate prediction or even adequate description. It is my suggestion that, out of the bulk of utopian proposals th e world has seen, the Constitution of the United States does, in fact, come the closest to creating "no place" for the greatest number of people through its pragmatism, its admission to not knowing the nature of every man, and, most importantly, its allowal of alternate visions of Utopia.       Of course, all one needs to do to get a glimpse of the monumental challenges the USA faces is open the closest almanac. Nearly half (49%) of all American marriages end in divorce. Some 700,000 high school students end up dropping out of school each year. There are nearly one million cases of child neglect and/or abuse per year and 2,700,000 cases of violent crime. Around 8.5 million individuals... ...ough a total change in the accepted social order. The framers of the Constitution were looking in the right direction; it is our legacy and responsibility to see that the essence of their vision is amended to accommodate the changes this nation has experienced since its founding and to provide the opportunity for every citizen to express, and possibly achieve, his or her own utopia.    Works Cited Bellamy, Edward. Looking Backward: 2000 to 1887. Internet text version copyright 1996 by Geoffrey Sauer. http://english-server.hss.cmu.edu/fiction/bellamy/contents.html Brunner, Borgna, ed. 1997 Information Please Almanac. Boston: Information Please, LLC. Constitution of the United States of America. http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html. Democratic Socialists of America. (1998). http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html

The Contributions of Isaac Newton Essay -- Sir Isaac Newton Essays

Isaac Newton was born in Lincolnshire, on December 25, 1642. He was educated at Trinity College in Cambridge, and resided there from 1661 to 1696 during which time he produced the majority of his work in mathematics. During this time New ton developed several theories, such as his fundamental principles of gravitation, his theory on optics otherwise known as the Lectiones Opticae, and his work with the Binomial Theorem. This is only a few theories that that Isaac Newton contributed to the world of mathematics. Newton contributed to all aspects of mathematics including geometry, algebra, and physics. Isaac Newton was born into a poor farming family in 1642 with no father. Newton's father had passed away just a few months before he was born. His mother intended Newton to become a farmer but his lack of interest and the encouragement of John Stokes, Master of the Grantham grammar school and that of his uncle, William Ayscough, led to his eventual admission to his uncle's college. Trinity College, Cambridge, as a student on June 5, 1661. As a boy in Grantham, Newton had been intolerable to his servants and found it difficult to get along with his fellow grammar school peers. As a student, he bought his own food and paid a reduced fee in return for domestic service, a situation that appears unnecessary in view of his mother's wealth. In the summer of 1662, Newton experienced, some sort of religious crisis which led him to write, in Sheltonian shorthand, his many sins, such as his threat to burn his mother and step-father. As a student at Cambridge Newton found himself among surroundings which were likely to develop and enhance his powers. In his first semester Newton happened to discover a book on astrology, but cou... ...Works Cited: 1. Isaac Newton. Picture of Artwork. 17 Feb. 2015 http://www.newton.cam.ac.uk/newton.jpg>. 2. Newton' Telescope. Picture of Object. 1670-1720. 17 Feb. 2015 http://www.newton.cam.ac.uk/telescope.gif 3. Newton Refracting Light. Picture of Artwork. 17 Feb. 2015 . 4. Newton Sees Falling Apple. Drawing. 17 Feb. 2015 http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Science/Scientists/Scientists-36.html 5. Principia. Picture of Book. 17 Feb. 2015 http://www.manhattanrarebooks-science.com/images/newton%20daniel.jpg 6. A. "Isaac Newton." Galenet. 16 Feb. 2015 . B. "The Newtonian Moment." ProQuest. 17 Feb. 2015 http://proquest.umi.com/>. C. "Newton on Mathematics." ProQuest. 17 Feb. 2015 http://proquest.umi.com/>.

Professional Practice in Early Years Settings Essay

1.1 Explain how the range of early years settings reflects the scope and purpose of the sector The range of Early Years Settings reflects on the requirements of parents and families for their children. Some parents want care for their children so that they can return to work, some may want to stay with their children while they socialise, some may want their children in a setting which offer services aimed at learning, whilst some may want their children to be in a home based environment and some families cannot afford to pay fees for provision. This is why the |Early Year’s sector has various forms of provision to meet the needs of families. Provision include Nurseries, child minders, pre-schools, crà ¨ches, children’s centres and parent and toddler groups. 2.1 Identify current policies, frameworks and influences on the early years There are various policies in place which each setting is required to follow. There are five basic policies of good practice, Equality and Diversity Rights and responsibilities Confidentiality Promote anti discrimination, effective communication. There is also the Childcare Act 2006 were Child minders and childcare providers registered on the Early Years Register must meet the legal requirements set out by this act. The legal requirements you must meet for the safeguarding and welfare and the learning and development of young children are set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is the EYFS Framework which was put into place to ensure every child is given the best possible start in life and to ensure every effort is made ensure a child has equal opportunities to learn in a safe and secure environment. There is also the Foundation Stage, The Birth to Three Matters Framewor k and the National Standards for Under 8s Daycare and Childminding, to which are replaced by the EYFS. There is also the Every Child Matters Framework. The education act introduced free childcare provisions for under-fives and since September 1st 2010 this rose from 12 and a half hours a week to 15 hours a week. 2.2 Explain the impact of current policies, frameworks and influences on the early years sector The purpose and impact of current policies, frameworks and influences on the Early Years sector is about connecting everyone  together as a whole. By having policies and frameworks in place it ensures the safety and welfare of the children. Children are now able to play, engage in and express themselves freely and are being heard. With all groups linked together, working with the same child will mean that the child will learn more effectively. Information is encouraged to be shared with the children and families. Whatever their backgrounds, all children and families are now given the access to affordable quality childcare. 2.3 Describe what is meant by evidence-based practice and give examples of how this has influenced work with children in their early years Evidence based practise is a setting which is influenced by objective evidence gained from research. Professional practices require you to keep up to date with researched findings and to consider how these can be applied to your own setting. An example of how research has influenced work with children is The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) which is a comprehensive report which investigated the effects of pre-school provision, its findings found that children who had attended early years provision were more likely to have better cognitive, social and behaviour skills when they started formal education than those who had no early years provision. EPPE also confirmed the value of early learning through ‘play’ especially from low-income families. Key Elements of effective practice (KEEP) is another example. This documen t emphasises that effective learning in children is dependent on secure relationships. Learning through play and forming secure relationships are both key elements to the EYFS. 4.1 Explain the importance of reviewing own practice as part of being an effective practitioner It is important to review your own practice to enable opportunities to evaluate and reflect on your own work. Reflecting on practice will help to see where changes need to be made and also note if errors have been made and how to rectify them and ensure the same errors are not repeated. To reflect on practice, as a setting you need to be able to provide constructive criticism, question actions and see whether what you are doing is working or whether there is room for improvement. Reflecting on your practise will help you to have a clearer picture of what you actually do within your work role and what is expected of you, and to ensure you are  meeting the required standards. 4.2 Undertake a reflective analysis of own practice Through working with 0-2 year olds it has provided me with opportunities and experience to acknowledge children’s needs by finding ways to communicate through body language. By having opportunities to extend by knowledge via different courses has allowed me to extend my knowledge. Although I have gained a great deal of experience with deal with behaviour and leaning to different forms of discipline, I would like to learn more and extend my knowledge and experience. 4.3 Develop strategies to deal with areas of difficulty and challenge encountered in professional practice in early years setting One of the main difficulties a setting comes across is how to deal with a child that may have difficulties with their behaviour, and how to approach the child’s parents. The first strategy would be to follow the setting’s policy on behaviour and monitor the situation. It may be necessary to approach the parent’s and try and work together. It may be useful to explain the settings policies and strategies to the child’s parents to enable them to carry out the same strategies at home.

The Importance of Teaching Mathematics and Science in English (Ppsmi)

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA SARAWAK English for Academic Purpose (BEL 311) Prepared by, Lauraricka Brenda Benjamin 2010992969 IM 110 Group 3 B Title, The Importance of Teaching Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) Date of Submission, 16th of December, 2011 Lecturer’s name, Nurul Ain Binti Sulaiman The Importance of Teaching Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) IIntroduction The whole idea of a good education system is to prepare out children so that they are better prepared to face the challenges of globalisation, liberalisation as well as the fast development in today’s information and communication technologies. What it has done is given our students, from a very young age, a new sense of confidence when using the international language of communication and it given them a good basic grounding from which they can and they should, continue to improve their mastery of a major second language, apart from Bahasa Malaysia. Ministry of education malaysia, we are behind you. (2009). Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://www. ppsmi. wordpress. com Aidila Razak. (2011, November 5). Page welcomes ppsmi decision, seeks details. Malaysia Kini. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from http://www. malaysiakini. com/news/180610 IIBody AOne reason for the importance of PPSMI is as the competitive advantage. 1. To pursue a high standard of English for Malaysia’s children to ensure that their future is secure. a)It is time that parents step up to the plate and make the future of their children the priority. b)It will help them a great deal in their future pursuit, whatever field they choose to pursue. c)If the government doesn't find a way to improve our poor English in school, we will be nowhere when countries like China catch up. Like it or not, we need to master English. (2011). Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://malaysiakini. om/news/180639 Thesis Statement Topic Sentence B. Teaching Mathematics and Science using English as the medium of instruction at school-level, significantly improves the quality of learning experience leading to the improvement in the proficiency of learners in those two subjects. 1. Teaching school-goers Mathematics and Science in English will improve the student's understandin g in the two subjects. a)Most materials which integrate explanatory style of conveying information regarding scientific and mathematical matters are crated with English as the main medium of communication. )Teaching the subjects in English would have helped broaden students’ knowledge of new terminologies and improve their command of the language. (Cheah, 2009) Mozie, A. K. (2009, September 11). Digital Zone. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://forum. digitalpowered. net/index. php? showtopic=31621 Cheah, C. S. (2009, December 5). Parents unhappy over decision to revert. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://www. pagemalaysia. org/print. php? type=F&thread=29 Topic Sentence C. All Malaysians should be multilingual. 1. Students in Malaysia should know languages that are different from their ‘mother language’. This will be able them to talk many learn and know many languages that are useful when they pursue their study in high level especially in overseas institutions. a)English will help in communication b)Children learn languages much faster and can learn multiple languages when they are below 10. In fact, it is best before age 7. (Feizrul, as cited in Hiaw, 2011) Feizrul Nor Nurbi. (2011, November 1). PPSMI – quality vs. Language. Malaysia-today. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from http://www. alaysia-today. net/mtcolums/lettersurat/44624-PPSMI- quality-vs-language. IIIConclusion PPSMI was introduced not to improve the students' command of English but to ease the process of learning, understanding and acquiring knowledge in Science and Mathematics. (Goh, 2009) Goh, W. L. (2009). Teaching maths and science in english. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from http://drchua9. blogspot. co m/2009/07/teaching-maths-and-science-in-english. html Topic Sentence Restatement of the thesis ————————————————- References Aidila Razak. (2011, November 5). Page welcomes ppsmi decision, seeks details. Malaysia Kini. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from http://www. malaysiakini. com/news/180610 Cheah, C. S. (2009, December 5). Parents unhappy over decision to revert. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://www. pagemalaysia. org/print. php? type=F;thread=29 Feizrul Nor Nurbi. (2011, November 1). PPSMI – quality vs. Language. Malaysia-today. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from http://www. malaysia-today. net/mtcolums/lettersurat/44624-PPSMI- quality-vs-language. Goh, W. L. 2009). Teaching maths and science in english. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from http://drchua9. blogspot. com/2009/07/teaching-maths-and-science-in-english. html Like it or not, we need to master English. (2011). Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://malaysiakini. com/news/180639 Ministry of education malaysia, we are behind you. (2009). Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://www. ppsmi. wordpress. com Mozie, A. K. (2009, Septemb er 11). Digital Zone. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://forum. digitalpowered. net/index. php? showtopic=31621