Computer background

The booming industry of technology, one would naturally assume that computer literacy is not a problem. However, it is the case that not all of the people have the opportunity to learn the new technological advancement. It has been an issue that computer literacy has a big impact on a person’s capacity to find sufficient jobs. It has been a necessary requirement that one should have a certain background on computer works. It would seem then that being literate with computers had been a forgone issue for a person living in this era. Nonetheless, the issue of computer literacy has always been present. The essential knowledge that a dichotomy of generations is still present should not have been neglected. The problem that could be seen here then is that not all of the previous generations have the sufficient information about computers and other technological advancements. Other people might have the opportunity to learn but others could not cope with the advancement. Main reason for this is the issue of the socioeconomic status that a person might have. Learning to use computers would necessitate the need for computers in the home. Not all of the people though have the same opportunity financially though. At the rate of the fast advancement of computers, it would have been hard to be able to keep up with what ought to be learned. The main issue here then is the socioeconomic status that a person has. Learning could be done through computer classes but having the means to learn is the problem. It would seem that the major hindrance for learning is the monetary issue. But what is socioeconomic status? It is known that this refers to the status or background of person. It is here that a person’s background that includes his/her â€Å"occupation, education, income wealth, and place on residence (â€Å"Socioeconomic Status†)† is scrutinized. In this aspect, there could be those who are deemed to be unfortunate. They are the ones who are usually subjected to the harsh realities in this life. Those who could be considered poor then would have a deprived background. Those who could be considered well-off would have a privileged background. It could be seen here that not all of us has the privilege to have a relatively better socioeconomic status. The benefits of having a better status are countless especially when a person is determined. But determination could not always take us somewhere if we have not had the chances or opportunities in the first place. I was one of the fortunate ones. Growing up in a family whose socioeconomic status is relatively better than others I had the benefit of going to a good school. I had learned to use the computer through school and had the opportune time to practice at home. As a child, I did not think that computers would have to be relevant in my life since all I cared about was fun and games. Computer class was not considered to be fun and games in my book then so I just went to class and tried my best to pass. As I grew older and childishness had deserted me, I have learned the real value of computer classes. I took it seriously and realized that fun and games could also be found in computers. My teachers were drilling in me the basics of computer programs had given me the benefit of being called computer literate. It is not an uncommon knowledge that computer literacy is highly favored nowadays. When I filled out my resume, computer skills or literacy was an important factor. Offices now had long dispatched type writers and replaced it with the more convenient computers. In this time, it is believed that modernization would require the usage of technological aspects and computers are one of them. Computers have been a given necessity that computer illiteracy was a forgotten issue. However, this issue is still in circulation but some would usually shrug at the thought of computer illiteracy. The main culprit here is the presumptuous thinking of the people. They have seemed to have conveniently forgotten those who are down the social triangle. I have come across with other people who did not have the opportunity to learn the ropes of computers let alone had the chance in ever using or touching one. This is not an exaggerated case but this situation usually happens to those who did not have the blessings that I had. This person had to stop going to school so she did not have the opportunity to learn the usage of computers. It was later when she had a family that she realized that her children might suffer the same plight. Although, it would not have been a problem for her since she had managed to send her children to a school that had computer classes. But her frustration came when she would observe her children in front of the computer. Her frustration stemmed out from the fact that she had to learn through her children plus she found computers to be complicated. Generally, a person trying to learn would think it to be complicated but one could not blame him/her. In this case, the woman did not have the opportunity and means to learn since she was busying earning a living. Going back to what I have said earlier, computers had been a prerequisite when it comes to job hunting. The importance that the people had found in computers was due to the dependency that they have about it. My father told me that they did not have to use computers before nor was there a need to use other gadgets before. He usually frowns upon the great importance that people put on computers but in the end he had to learn. The company that he was working for made technological upgrades so he had to learn how to use a computer. Fortunately for my father he had the means to learn and he had his children to teach him. Others would not have been lucky though. Some had a hard time coping with it that soon new employees were easily promoted than them. The company would not always hesitate to do so not because they were not grateful for the loyalty and service but they had to do it for the progress of the company. It was a sad situation but it was inevitable. I think that the booming technologies would not be stopped especially when man thirst for a more unproblematic way of life. It could not be helped and maybe someday soon that what I know about computers would be rustic compared to the younger generations. The best way for me to avoid this is to accommodate the change and change as well. This change would have to be for the betterment of my status in life, work related or not. Work Cited â€Å"Socioeconomic Status.† The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Ed. Jr. E.D. Hirsch, Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil. Third Ed: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.      

Microarray Student

In the cell cytoplasm, the ribosome reads the sequence of the Mrs. in groups of three bases to assemble the protein. D. What is the resulting primary sequence Of the protein you made in the interactive? Mennonite, Lucien, Aspartic Acid, Valise, Phenylalanine 2. Go to the â€Å"DNA Microfarad Virtual Lab† found at the university of Tutu's Learn-Genetics: Genetic Science Learning Center's website: http://learn. Genetics. Utah. Du/content/labs/microfarad/ 3. Click on the microfarad slide to begin. Then choose Chapter 2 â€Å"Measuring Gene Expression† and go on through Chapter 3 â€Å"The Experiment†.Complete the interactive a first time without writing anything down. 4. Answer the following questions as you work through the virtual DNA microfarad a second time. . What can scientists look for to see which genes are turned on in a particular cell? Provide an example. Scientists use DNA microfarad's that used techniques allowing the amount of Mrs. transcribed by each gene which allows scientists to determine which genes are expressed to a cell. To do so, they use PC to make copies of a gene and then DNA is placed on the microfarad.An example of this is when the DNA microfarad's can be used to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (Snaps). B. Why are tissue samples from healthy and cancer cells taken from the same patient? Both samples are elected to be able to compare the cells, look at differences in gene expression in cells that have the exact genetic blue print. C. How is RNA separated from the rest of the tissue? In order to be separated, RNA samples are mixed with organic solvents, and then they run through a vortex and centrifuge. D. Describe the process used to isolate Mrs. from the other types of RNA. RNA is different from other types of RNA because it is the only type that has Poly-A tails, having several adenine amino acids at the end of the molecule. E. Explain how samples are marked. Cancerous cells are red and healthy cells are gre en. . Why is it necessary to make a CDMA copy? Why is Mrs. not used? RNA is not used because DNA is a more stable compared to RNA Making a CDMA copy is necessary to visualize the CDMA later on. This is possible because when you make the CDMA copy, you incorporate a fluorescent label in the molecule. G.Draw a diagram of the process of how labeled DNA copies are made. Label the important components of the process. Your diagram should be in color. Turned in. H. What does CDMA stand for and what was used as a template to create it? CDMA stands for complimentary DNA fragments. The reverse transcription of Mrs. allows for single stranded CDMA to be made. I. What happens once you apply the DNA from the two samples to the DNA microfarad? On the microfarad there are many identical copies of the same genes on certain spots, each spot represents a different gene. J. What does the red color indicate?The red color indicates genes that were induced by elevated CA. K. What does the green color ind icate? The green color indicates that the gene was strongly repressed by cancer cells. L. What does the yellow color indicate? The yellow color indicates that the gene was neither strongly expressed nor strongly repressed in cancer cells. . What conclusions can you make from microfarad data? Microfarad data is a collection Of DNA spots attached to a solid surface that's used to measure the expression levels of large numbers of genes simultaneously or to genotype multiple regions of a genome. . Does every red spot mean that the genes in that spot are bad? Explain. Not every red spot is cancerous. Red spots on the merged image represent genes that have had their expression turned up or on in the cancerous tissues and are not expressed in normal cells, the they are not always cancerous. O. What are the limitations of DNA microfarad technology? The quality and amount of RNA remains a major challenge in the microfarad experiments. The amount of obtained tissue and the complexity of the t issue sample itself limit the quality and quantity of RNA that can be isolated.Therefore, clinical studies that are published using the microfarad approach are performed in settings where biological samples are abundant and easily obtainable. 5. Complete the Paper Microfarad analysis that comes with the kit. Part II: Smoking and Lung Cancer Grandpa Joe, Judy Smith's father, has been a smoker for the past thirty years. Last year, Grandpa Joe came down with a cold that turned into pneumonia. It took him more than a month to recover. The family is very concerned he is going to develop lung cancer.They heard about a study being conducted at the local hospital that is exploring lung-cancer associated genes in smokers and non-smokers. The family convinces Grandpa Joe to participate in the study in order to learn more about his risk for developing lung cancer. The study is investigating six genes thought to be involved with lung cancer using DNA microfarad technology. The researchers hope to compare gene expression of the six genes of interest between smokers and non-smokers in order to gain more knowledge of what causes a normal lung cell to become cancerous.You have been assigned to the study. Your first task is to learn more about the six genes of interest. Below are descriptions for the six genes of interest: Gene Name (and Symbol): Protein Function: Prediction: Gene l: Human carcinogenicity antigen (CANDACE) This gene codes for a protein that is located in the extracurricular matrix. This protein is involved with adhesion between cells and is thought to be a proto- nosecone and when over-expressed is an nosecone. Expressed in smoker. We predict that the CANDACE will progress to the form of a tumor or untie to harbor that potential.Gene 2: Surfactant protein B (SIFTS) This gene codes for an extracurricular protein. This protein enhances the rate of spreading and increases the stability of pulmonary' surfactant, a lipid-rich material that prevents lung collapse by lowering surface tension at the air- liquid interface in the alveoli of the lungs. Expressed in the Smoker. This gene can possibly progress to spread a higher production of cells or possibly a higher rate of cancer, maybe in the lungs. Gene 3: POP tumor suppressor (HTTP) This gene codes for a protein that is located in the mitochondria and in the nucleolus.This protein is involved with cell cycle checkpoints. This gene is a tumor suppressor gene and is thought to be the â€Å"Guardian of the Genome. † Suppressed in the smoker. I predict this gene is unlikely to get cancer as it monitors cell production, etc. To prevent tumors. Gene 4: CRY This gene codes for a protein that is located in the nucleus. The protein that this gene codes for is testis-determining factor (UDF) which initiates male sex determination. This protein has no function in lung cells. Not expressed in either. Non-smoker-?yellow.This gene probably determines whether or not you get cancer based on cell produc tion. Assume it contributes to getting cancer, unless in the lung cells, where there would be no increase or decrease in likeliness. Gene S: Stockroom IPPP (COPY AY) This gene codes for a protein that is located in the endoplasmic reticulum. The protein catalysts reactions involved in drug metabolism and synthesizes cholesterol, steroids, and other lipids. The expression of this protein is induced by some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PARS), some of which are found in cigarette smoke.Suppressed in smoker. This gene will contribute to causing cancer if deregulated because it controls cell signaling pathways. Gene 6: Clinical 3(SPEC) This gene codes for a protein that is located in the plasma membrane and extracurricular matrix. The gene controls cellular response to damage and may control cellular growth regulation and apotheosis. This gene is considered to be a tumor suppressor gene for lung cancer. Suppressed in smoker. This gene decreases your risk of cancer as it controls cel l self-destruction and responds to damage or advances in cell growth 6.Highlight or underline any interesting or important information about the function of each protein. 7. Predict how these genes will be expressed in a DNA microfarad of a smoker versus a non-smoker. Would you expect the genes to be induced in the smoker (more expressed), suppressed in the smoker (less expressed), not expressed in either the smoker or the non- smoker, or expressed the same in both the smoker and non-smoker? In a DNA microfarad, I would expect these DNA genes to have a bit of diversity. I think Gene 1 and 2 will be likely induced as they can contribute to overall cell production, 4 would be unaffected as Mr..Smith is testing for lung cancer, and 3, 5, and 6 to be suppressed as they work to control cell production and smoking destroys several of their functions. For example, Gene 6 works to control cell apotheosis– if smoking ruins the chances for a cell to destroy itself, production can get o ut of control. 8. Record your predictions in the Prediction column of the above table. Part Ill: Microfarad Wet Lab Now that you know more about the six genes of interest, your job is to perform a simulated DNA microfarad using tissue samples taken from Grandpa Joe and a non-smoker's tissue samples.

The car industry brought its decline on itself. Comment, with Essay

The car industry brought its decline on itself. Comment, with reference to the period since 1960 - Essay Example The government tried to play its role in curing the demise of the car industry in Britain. However, it ended up making decisions and policies that adversely affected the state of the British car industry. They include the steel rationing scheme, improper investments and development to support mergers, and unsuccessful regionalization policies. On the other hand, the management practices prevalent in the industry did not help its condition either. There was unsystematic authoritarian leadership, poor integration after mergers, and other improper strategies that also played their role in bringing down the growing car manufacturing industry of Britain. (Church, 1994) This paper will shed light over the ineffective government policies and the poor management that, together, led to the demise of the British car industry. It also discusses some specific cases and examples from the history of Britain’s auto industry and points out where the mistakes were made and how management could have avoided them. Some may argue that the government’s economic policies could have had an adverse affect on the development of the industry. The factors that may have contributed towards the meltdown of the auto industry in UK may include the steel rationing scheme, unsuccessful regionalisation policies by the government and the failure to maintain the development of the newly funded mergers. After the success of the auto industry in the UK, in 1945 the multinationals expanded their factories in order to increase the productivity. The government supported this effort made by the multinationals as it would increase employment in the surrounding areas. But the scarcity of resources such as steel kept the government to keep the supply under their control also known as the steel rationing scheme; this prevented the firms to produce the maximum output. The changes in energy

Mass Spectrometry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mass Spectrometry - Essay Example The first step involves production of ions of the compound by electron ionization. Each product ion is generated from the molecular ion. The result results are then displayed in a plot of a graph of ion abundance against mass to charge proportion. The ions give information concerning the structure and nature of their original molecule. However, the spectrum of a molecular ion appears at a greater value, which gives the total molecular mass of the substance. Mass spectrometry instrument consist of various components, the detector system that detects ions and record relative abundance of every compound, ion source, which produce gaseous ions and analyser, which resolve ions into their respective mass components. In addition, a computer is also required to monitor and control the instrument, get and manipulate data then use it to compare spectra. With the help of these components, a mass spectrometer can perform various processes. This includes, separating ions in accordance to the ratio of their mass to charge, producing ions from the compound, which is done in the ionization source, fragmenting and analysing ions, processing signals from detector, which are then transmitted to computer system and control the instrument via feedback and detect the ions from the last analyser and measure their abundance. This can be done using the detector, which converts the ions to electrical signals. Mass spectrometry has several advantages compared to the other analytical techniques used. It is highly accurate, can be coupled with liquid chromatography to separate samples further, and has a large mass range, fast, auto runs with sampler or direct injection. On the other hand, it has some drawbacks like it is complicated spectra, salts drown signal which takes more time to filter from the machine, a high intensity peak can eclipse smaller intensity peaks, fine tuning work. In conclusion, although Mass

Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Property law - Essay Example Furthermore, it is Debra who has been making payments on the mortgage for five years and she was also the guarantor for Fred in the initial few years. As a result, she is the one who has a considerable financial investment in the house. The basic principle that applies in the case of voluntary dealings is the presumption that a person making a transfer intends that the transferee remains a nominee only, while the person making the transfer is to retain a beneficial interest in the property2. This applies in the case of Fred, who originally had the title to the property, but later transferred it to Debra. It may be possible to apply proprietary estoppel on the basis of representation3, i.e, despite Debra owning title to the property, Fred is to have rights in respect of the property. As a result of such rights which Fred may have in the property because he has been living in the council house and the property was also in his name initially, his interests in the property may pass on a beneficial interest to Stan.4 But in this instance, it must be noted that Fred has not left a will, therefore the question of beneficial interest in the property passing through the will5 does not apply. In arriving at a determination of whether or not equity will apply, Lord Scarman has stated that the conduct and relationship of the parties must answer three questions: â€Å"First, is there an equity established? Secondly, what is the extent of the equity, if one is established? And, thirdly, what is the relief appropriate to satisfy the equity?"6 Firstly, in establishing whether Fred was the substantial owner in equity, the question that arises is whether Debra allowed or encouraged Fred to assume that he had rights in the property, rather than a mere hope for such rights, which is not sufficient7. In this case, it was Fred who was the continuous resident of the council house and Debra was the one who moved back in with him. Furthermore,

Employment interviews as a selction tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Employment interviews as a selction tool - Essay Example There are various types of interviews. Some interviews are conducted face to face between the employer and candidate while others may be conducted electronically or on phone. In terms of forms, interviews can be classified into three types, namely structured interviews, semi-structured interviews and unstructured interviews. In the structured interviews, interviewer analyzes the skills of interview through a preformed set of questions. In the semi-structured interview, the interviewer may make the conversation apart from the questions as well. In fact, some questions are developed on the spot from the discussion. In unstructured interviews, there are no preformed questions. Quite often, very simple questions are used to assess the interest and enthusiasm of a candidate for work. For example, one of the interview questions an Assistant Engineer was asked for his assessment by Chunghwa Telecom was, â€Å"Why do you want to join our company?† (â€Å"Engineering Interview Questions†). Interview is one of the best selection tools because it promotes public relations in addition to regular assessment of

Child Care from a Licensed Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Care from a Licensed Center - Essay Example All of these institutions are looking after the children ´s welfare. To obtain a license to operate the child center has to be located in a safe place. It needs to have clean facilities: kitchen, bathroom, play area, instructional area, equipment, and toys. The personnel involved should meet the minimum requirements to care for the children and the children have to have a balanced and nutritional diet.  For the baby sitter there are no particular guidelines. She or he may be a family member, a neighbor, a friend, or someone who recommended the babysitter. The babysitter does not have to have a degree. The babysitter does not have to have a clean place or supply a nutritional diet. In many cases, if the payment is made to the baby sitter to include meals, she or he will buy what they think will be sufficient depending on their budget. In the case where the parents supply the meals in addition to the babysitter payments, it may usually a brown bag depending on the parent ´s budge t.  I prefer to have my nephews and nieces to be cared by a licensed child care center because the probabilities of being safe are greater than if they are taken care of non-specialized personnel. The nutritional factor carries weight in their formative years and in their healthy development. There have been instances where safety is an issue, however, with the constant supervision of qualified personnel the odds are less.  I have had the experience of having my nephews and nieces cared for at a licensed child care center.

Can Nation States response to dealing with illegal drug trade ever be Essay

Can Nation States response to dealing with illegal drug trade ever be effective - Essay Example The governments are spending heavily on the war on drugs and terror, yet little can be determined a success. According to the NCA, the UK hosts a highly attractive illegal drug market, which the government’s organized crime strategy states that it costs the nation an estimated  £10.7 billion annually (n.d.). The effects of the drugs moving around the streets of the world’s nations without well-known linked sources remain a devastating issue for the societies, where most families involved with the crimes of trafficking or use of the substances flourish at the expense of others or waste their health in addictions. UK’s demand for illicit drugs, especially Class A consisting of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and ecstasy have a large market share; Matrix Knowledge Group (2007, p.11) earlier on revealed estimates as â€Å"300 importers, 3000 wholesalers and 70000 street dealers†. Countries like USA, Jamaica and UK are among well-established origins and routes linking the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, North and South America, where high demands for illegal drugs are found. The UK has adopted numerous policies and has been working in coordination with other foreign governments. The fact is that drug smuggling and associated crimes is quite a complicated issue that cannot be solved by one nation state. Rather, it requires collective intervention and policies by governments, NGOS and good will individuals to offer an effective solution in reducing drug smuggling and production. Edwards and Gills argue that through international collaboration, these bodies can â€Å"pursue policies that re duce opportunities for successful organized crimes† and break existing criminal conspiracies (2003, p. 15). Drug smuggling into the UK has in the past been perceived to occur through different methods. Criminals have proved capable of using various

Learning styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Learning styles - Essay Example †¢ Visual-spatial-usually reflects in by means of physical space, they are responsive to their environments. They draw complete puzzles, study maps, and daydream. They can be educated through drawings, oral and physical imagery. Tools used include graphics, television, models, photographs, video conferencing video, drawings, multimedia 3-D modeling, etc.†¢ Visual-spatial-usually reflects in by means of physical space, they are responsive to their environments. They draw complete puzzles, study maps, and daydream. They can be educated through drawings, oral and physical imagery. Tools used include graphics, television, models, photographs, video conferencing video, drawings, multimedia 3-D modeling, etc.†¢ Bodily-kinesthetic-utilize body effectively, like a surgeon or a dancer.   Awareness of the body .they like touching, movement, and making things. They communicate through body language, and they learn using physical activity, acting out hands-on learning and role-p laying. Tools used are real objects and equipment.†¢ Musical-sensitive to sound and rhythm. They like music and are sensitive to all sounds in their surroundings. They study well with music in the surroundings. They learn by turning classes into lyrics, tapping out time and talking rhythmically. Tools used include music, stereo, multimedia, musical instruments and CD-ROM.†¢ Interpersonal-interacting and understanding other people. Learning takes place through interaction; students have several friends and compassion for others. They learn through dialogues, group activities, and seminars. Tools used include video conferencing, audio conferencing, writing, E-mail, the telephone computer conferencing and attention from the tutor.†¢ Intrapersonal-involves considering one’s own goals and interest. These students regress from others, they are in harmony with their feelings.

Organizational Culture Essay Example for Free

Organizational Culture Essay This essay/assignment is a solution paper on Organizational Culture. It reviews the Hofstede Model and Schein Model as well as tries to understand the the dynamics which influences the occupational cultures. This is a sample paper. The definition of culture remains quite ambiguous with researchers assessing it utilising different methodologies. The common understanding of culture is a way of doing things, or the norm by which a society organizes its tasks. However, the terminology tends to be classified more distinctly when looked upon in the aspect of organizations and their systems of performing actions. Two of the most prominent researchers on this aspect of organizational behaviour are Geert Hofstede and Edgar Schein. Each has presented the concept of organizational culture using a paradigm based on the values and thinking exhibited by the workers of an organization, but has assessed different levels of adaptation and integration that bind this aspect of culture. According to Hofstede, ‘culture is the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one group from another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values’. On the other hand, Schein has taken a slightly different approach and states ‘culture is the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organization that operate unconsciously and define in a basic â€Å"taken for granted† fashion an organization’s view of its self and its environment’. The common notion among researchers is that every organization exhibits certain values and norms in the business environment and a company will likely end up portraying two things; organizational culture and corporate culture. The former is based on what the company ‘is’, while the latter principle is an embodiment of the vision and character of the company, making up what a company ‘has’. Both Schein and Hofstede showed similarities in their presentation of the concept of organizational culture by applying a focus on the mental assumptions that shape the ideology of culture and give rise to the norms and values that end up being regarded as the primary character of an organization. However, the anthropological approach adopted by them towards organizational culture varied greatly. Hofstede favoured the ‘etic’ or dimensional approach, where the description of behaviour is very neutral and can be applied to various cultures. A key reasoning for this is the linkage he presented between the national culture  prevalent in the business environment that an organization operates in, and its resulting effects on the shaping of the norms that are applied by the organization itself. On the other hand, Schein looked upon organizational behaviour with an ‘emic’ approach, describing the dimensions that affected companies by viewing it from the aspect of a person within the culture. Hofstede undertook an extensive research process within IBM, to understand the behaviour it and its employees exhibited across the many offices it had in the world. His ideology was that organizational behaviour was greatly influenced by national and regional cultural groupings. The conclusion from the research conducted allowed Hofstede to present five characteristics of culture that he believed were exhibited by organizations in one way or form across the world. These included power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs. femininity, long vs. short term orientation, and individualism vs. collectivism. Schein’s organizational model looked at culture from the standpoint of an observer and presented three levels to describe the complex workings involved in a company. At the first level were the observable artefacts, pointing to those attributes which could be seen, heard or felt by the observer. The second level was the exposed values, which referred to the professed culture of the organization by its members. At the third level lie tacit assumptions, which are made up of the unseen elements of culture of an organization that become the unspoken rules of the company. While Hofstede’s model of organization culture relies on the tried and tested ideology of cultural theorists by underlying the determination of culture in an organization from core values and assumptions of a given national culture, Schein’s model brings about more functionality to the subject area by delving into a deeper understanding of the factors that influenced the exhibited culture in the organization. Hofstede’s IBM study developed linkages between personality and culture, by relating to individuals as components of societies, and organizations a resultant of both. Schein presented the notion of learning as a part of the organizational culture, and one of the building blocks that courted different operators in its assimilation and establishment. In both models, the common factor remains the individuals who form the organization, and in many ways are responsible for providing the behavioural traits to the company in order to portray a sense of belonging. The divergence in its  initiation relates to the variance held by Hofstede and Schein, with the former attributing the national culture being the driving force, while the latter focuses on the various actors who play a role in the creation of the organizational entity as the contributors to the culture of that establishment. While personality will play a part in the integration between the original and acquired culture, the need for understanding the dynamics which influence the occupational cultures is important in order to become aware of the human factor and its role in the process. References Hofstede, G. McCrae, R. (2004) ‘Personality and Culture Revisited: Linking Traits and Dimensions of Culture’, Cross-Cultural Research, Volume 38, No. 1, pp. 52 – 88 Schein, E. (1996) ‘Culture: The Missing Concept in Organization Studies’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Volume 41, Issue 2, pp. 229 – 240

The Strategic plan for Toyota Company

The Strategic plan for Toyota Company Executive Summary: The Strategic plan for Toyota is to serve as guideline for conducting and coordinating development, research, marketing ,and all other business activities across the motor industry and for increasing the development of new and exciting efforts based on identification of region in the motor invention opportunity and challenges. Then strategic plan shows a dynamic or changing planning process and brings multidirectional research and manufacturing agenda, together with an interlinked collection of goals and strategies for attaining those goals. Once the plan is setup, it is implemented in the reality for analysing and testing those formed strategies about its effectiveness and attractiveness. Toyota follow the concept of strategy can be updated and changed anytime whenever it is in need of that. Strategy is not any fixed rule that any origination when establishes it, can not change. That means Strategy can be modified anytime when needed. But unless it is updated or said to be changed, all the stakeholders have to follow that to achieve the collective goals of the origination. Some time there is strategy failure in the organisation. But Toyota has never experienced its strategy failure ever. There is constant monitoring of the implemented strategy in Toyota Company in Order To identify the effectiveness and efficiency of implemented strategy. As the Toyota has got distributed architecture of management, all its branch around the world can adopt and implement any separate strategy plan in order to balance the pressure of localization. Literature Review: Seen from the almost mid seventies, it can be noted that scholars can make big difference between big and small business in term of sophistication level, needs, and strategic planning. Pearson and Bracker(1986), Ibrahim and rue(1998), Perry(2001) and Wijewanrena Zoysa, Perera and Fonseka (2004) they all formulated the exact definition of strategic planning which take the distinct of small businesses in consideration and gives the chance that any small businesses cant make on management and resources in a way same as large businesses do. Then findings of piric shows that at correlation between performance and strategic planning. Nevertheless, those findings are mixed. The survey conducted on twenty-six different studies based on experiments Cardinal and Miller (1994) to find an appropriate positive connection between small business performance and strategic planning. In 1982, Robinson argued that very high level of profitability as well as growth in share value and sales return and quantity of employees, who are working fulltime, in a set of small businesses which has paid the consultants from out of the company for strategic planning purpose. Comparing with other business Pearson and Bracker (1986) discovered an appropriate growth in income and remuneration per entrepreneur in business activities that has prepared that strategic course of action to be followed. But not much increase observed in the expenditure (salary) divided on the sum total of sales. A significant differentiation in the rate of sales increase was found by Rue and Ibrahim (1998) in small businesses that incorporated written planning (basic or sophisticated), as opposed to other businesses. Perry (2001) detected a significant differentiation in the degree to which planning was conducted in small businesses that did not applied for bankruptcy as opposed to those that did. Wijewardena et al. (2004) define three levels of planning: no written planning; basic planning; and detailed planning. The findings indicate that the level of planning stands in direct proportion to the level of increase in sales. Yusuf and Saffu (2005) classify three levels of planning: low; moderate; and high. A connection was found between increase in sales and the low level of planning. No correlation was found between strategic planning and increases in market share or in profitability. Andrews (1998) argued that corporate strategy is decision pattern in any organisation that reveals and determines its goals and objectives, then helps to produce principal plans and policies for achieving formed goals, and also expresses the business range that company can pursuer. Strategy Reveals and identifies the companys purpose in terms of action program, long term goals and objectives and available resources allocation priorities: Finding the business in the organisation where it is in, or it is to be in. Helps to find out distinct task for managers at functional, business and corporate levels Is a unifying, coherent and integrative patterns of making decisions Is organisations strategic intoned expression process Is for nurturing and developing intend of the organisation. Part 2: Analysis Task 1 Construct a management strategy. A) Identify an organisation of your choice which you will discuss as an example in this assignment and give your reasons for choosing this organisation. The organisation I have chosen for this assignment is Toyota Motor Company. The company counts under worlds top ten largest companies and stands second in overall vehicles production worldwide. This organisation has always been of my interest and would like to see further to be a part of it. As the company is in the height of success, it has a very effective and successful strategy management. The company initiated on fourteenth February 1867 has now expanded into a massive motor production known worldwide. The success of any organisation depends on how it is structured, organised, managed and controlled, and in this company all of these important functions are well managed. While having a research on this company it was found very interesting on how the company strategy are set, measured and managed. Therefore i choose Toyota Company, as the best example for this assignment. B) Who are the major stakeholders of your organisation and what considerations should be made to ensure their (stakeholder) participation in developing management strategy? In this complex world, any corporate activities to remain sustainable must consider what society demands and how to work for the best interest of the organisations shareholder. Any person or group that are affected or can be affected by the organisation activities are stakeholders. There are numbers of stakeholders for Toyota Company (external and internal). Toyotas major stakeholders Internal stakeholders Owners/Shareholders of the organisation Employees Senior management team unions External stakeholders Customers Business partners/suppliers Local communities Government Debt holders Environmentalist For all these groups or individual it is important to understand their expectations in detail and how these might differ from each other and the extent to which they are likely to seek influence over an organisations purposes and strategies. These stakeholders have divergent interest therefore they create conflict of interest. Therefore management should set such a strategy that their personal goal leads toward the overall goal of the organisation. In order to achieve that target it is important to have their active participation in management strategy. Given below are some considerations to be made for large motor company like Toyota for active participation of its stakeholders. Shareholders participation: as they are the owner of the organisation, company should run on their best interest. Therefore before setting any strategy there should be the clear vision on what the shareholder wants and how are they going to measure it. After knowing on what direction they want to lead the company and what are their long terms and short term objectives strategy should me made accordingly. Participation of internal stakeholders: Employees or staffs plays a vital role to meet the target of the organisation, therefore it is important to know what kind of environment they want to work on, what kind of culture they are expecting and how can it be set. For instance in Toyota motor company, business is totally oriented on production staff and IT staff thus workable environment is most essential factor. Therefore during strategy formation needs and demands of employees should be considered. Dispute among management and employees can lead to a huge loss even company can collapse, for instance regular strike (recent postal strikes), staff absenteeism, staff turnover etc. Involvement of It department: In 21st century IT plays a vital role. In this competitive market company must have latest technology and infrastructures which can kill or can be killed. Thus IT departments involvement is must in formulating any strategy from the start. Meetings, decision making and reports: the success of company depends on how well the strategy of the company is set. Therefore during planning and formulating strategy all important stakeholders should be called for meeting for group decision. At least a member from external stakeholder should be given to attain the meeting. Experts views and senior management involvement is must in decision making process whose progress can be measured and analysed. Management style: Senior management, staffs, supplier, creditors and production department should interact with each other and deicide on what management technique they want to adopt say directing style, teamwork style, and participatory style and so on. C) What are the key criteria that should be considered when reviewing management strategies options? Following are the criteria for reviewing management strategy: 1. Countrys regulations and restriction: the countrys regulation and restriction has main impact. Strategy formed must be according to the countrys regulation and restriction when the business of Toyota is running 2. Flexibility: Ability of an organization to effect changes in the process components (activities, inputs, resources, information etc.) in a timely manner usually in response to changes in business environment and stakeholders needs. 3. Sustainability: has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy-a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line. Often, sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies. 4. Resources: the availability of resources in the organisation. It also needs to be considered while reviewing potential options. 5. Alternative functions and strategy: while reviewing it is necessary to go and analysis all others alternatives too so that best alternative could be selected. 6. Overall planning and possible outcomes D) Describe a situation with your chosen organisation where a potential strategy might be developed to resolve an issue. Produce an appropriate strategy and indicate its resource requirements. Toyota is already very grown company and its all most all level of management is, I can say best. But still after going throw number of reading and analysis I can say that the Toyota can make more output than it is getting now. It has enough resources and infrastructures and capability to handle any kind of innovative development. But this could be more effective if the human resources could be used more effectively. Here is one hypothetical strategy example presented by me to explain how to create a good strategy Implement the Framework Agreement through the successful alignment of company and staff objectives in the management and treatment of staff. Implement new pay structures for all staff which guarantee equal pay for work of equal value and provide transparent mechanisms for both career and pay progression. Ensure that all managers have successfully realigned their approach to deliver the more effective performance management which should be one of the major outcomes of the implementation of the Framework Agreement. Execute a systematic, transparent and equitable job evaluation process which will be uniformly applied to all posts and informed by rigorous equal pay review. Achieve greater harmonization of staff pay and conditions. Pilot a new approach to the review of all staff which will promote their professional development and will facilitate the effective and equitable introduction of performance pay, with the least bureaucracy possible. Pursue fairness as a guiding principle in relation to all company behaviours Challenge current arrangements by which specific staff groups are excluded from particular activities and introduce new transparent policies, no longer based on unjustified notions of status or narrow expectations of contribution, which will increase morale and facilitate more productive networking between colleagues. Improve the way in which the Company recruits, employs, manages, develops and rewards its contract researchers by introducing improved arrangements upon the basis of a careful analysis of the overall impact of the Company almost exclusive, reliance on the use of fixed-term contracts in relation to these and other members of staff. ensuring that all staff receive equal opportunity and diversity training Improve the Companys performance by recruiting new staff of the highest quality and motivating existing Colleagues. Review Companys staffing strategies, in the light of the objectives, in terms of the age, gender, ethnicity and seniority of the staff to be recruited, the balance to be achieved between the numbers of academic and support posts to be filled and the precise competences to be sought with regard to all advertised positions. Assess, through appropriate benchmarking of the performance of other like companies, the effectiveness of current search procedures and induction arrangements. Ensure that the company response to the Framework Agreement motivates and assists the retention of those staff who make significant contributions to the companys success, utilizing a diversity of approaches to reward and a flexible approach to career development which allows advancement and lateral development of jobs Enhance the well-being of all colleagues as engaged members of a caring Company community. Encourage productive and open interaction about concerns and issues, by, for example, making improved use of the communication channel afforded by the Staff Survey. Ensure the provision by Human Resources of a service which is highly supportive and regarded as both accessible and effective. Preserve the privacy and security of all colleagues in a period in which Company is attracting much external interest Task 2: Develop Vision, Mission, Objectives and Measures. A) For your chosen organisation, list the down its ethical, cultural, environmental, social and business objectives. How are these influenced by the current business and economic climate? Toyotas objectives are discussed below: Business objectives: To maximize shareholders wealth and giving them returns on their capital invested. Effective working capital management Cost management Quality production Resources utilization (manpower, capital, assets and other) Public image in market (national and international) Overcome competition Ethical objectives: No compromise in ethics True and fair presentations, comply with law and standards (in United Stated list and tick basis whereas in The United Kingdom follow what standards say if not explain why?) Maintain highest level of honesty, integrity, professionalism and ethical behaviours. Cultural social and environmental objectives: See foreseeable future needs, companys responsibilities as a manufacturer company and always take proactive steps that benefits customers as well as society. Proper waste management as a corporate social responsibility Protect whistle blowers and have regular meetings and review on social, cultural and environmental issues. Guarantee safety, peace of mind and comfort to its valuable customers Quality production ( Toyota has commercialized vehicles such as the Prius hybrid vehicle that achieve superior driving performance, in addition to high fuel efficiency and low exhaust emissions, source www2.toyota.co.jp). Employment generation. In present, business market has been worse ever due to hard time of recession. Because of economic recession most industries are facing huge wealth loss. As a result Toyotas sales percentage has been effected and having hard time to meet its first and important objective. Company believes it will be better once the market revive. Due to current market situation people are forced to leave their job and are made redundant. However to meet its business objective company has adopted JUST IN TIME (JIT) principle. To make best use of the staff idle time the company staff has starting engaging themselves on activities like promoting green clean environment. Therefore, although the market and economic situation influence the objectives of the company but it depend on how can it be minimised and managed. B) Describe the role of vision and mission statement of chosen organisation. Mission Statement Toyota is a very successful manufacturing company with a mission to contribute to peoples lifestyles, society, and economy through automotive manufacturing. The company is to benefit people worldwide with an affordable automobile. Furthermore company wants customer satisfaction, safety, peace of mind and comfort which protects the goodwill and ultimately provides very attractive returns to its owners. Some of the corporate principles of Toyota are: Respect each trading countrys language and culture. Provide safe and clean product to enhance quality of life through the companys activities. Create new technologies to meet customers changing demand Foster corporate culture and built mutual respect and trust between labour and senior management. Work together with its partner to achieve mutual benefit together with long term growth. Vision statement Toyota aims to achieve long term, stable growth in harmony with the environment, the global economy, the local communities it serves, and its stakeholders. (Hiroshi Okuda, Chairman, July 2003) Company aims to continuously offer its customer combination of environment friendly, safe and comfortable quality automobile and continuously improve: Customer services Quality and design Economic and durable The details of companys mission and vision are stated above and below are the explanation of its role: Role of vision and mission statement Figure1.  Key Roles of Mission and Vision (Source: http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/principles-management/29026 ) Mission and vision is all about organizations objectives and purpose. As in the figure above mission and vision statement helps to set companys strategy. Mission and vision statement acts as a stepping-stone for the employee for better understanding of companys strategy and its implementation. These statements helps to shape companys strategy and can helps in evaluating performance and achieving its targets. For instance, in this case of Toyota Company, it is moving forward vision urges management to find newer and environmentally friendly way of delighting the purchaser of their cars. Therefore the success of business depends upon how well its mission and vision statement are stated and to achieve those how well the strategy are planned and implemented. C) Indicate how it is possible for an organisation to evaluate the achievement of its objectives: There are three important parts for the evaluation process: By making the group of 4 to 5 stakeholders with experts objective achievement need to be evaluated which helps to measure the level objectives met against the objectives and plans set. Forming the group of leaders evaluation of achievement in percentage of their ideas and goals is measured. In fact this stage indicates the level of attainment of the strategic and significant goals proposed by leaders. Social evaluation: for evaluating quality, attitude, work efficiency, work effectiveness, justness and influences from customers and society. The primary phase of performance evaluation is conducted by a numbers of people (5 to 8) who can be from both internal as well as external of the organisation to examine accurately and correctly without biasing report in one direction i.e. independent of others. Second phase evaluation is done by senior leaders of the organisation and the social appraisal is carried out by group formed from representative of given social aspects above in chart. Therefore the evaluation process is 360 degree and it is the combination of both bottom-up and top-down approach. Phase Assessors Number of Assessor Objective Achievement Internal/external examiner including expert 3-5 Leaders evaluation Top level managements (directors, chairman, CEO, stakeholders, departments managers, etc.) All leaders almost Social Appraisal All person concerned with community and society like community members, environmentalist, government representative, citizen representative, employees or staffs themselves, human rights 360 social entities including customers (Source: Book on Corporate strategy 2001 written by: Mk Bhatt) Task 3 A) Discuss how a timetable for strategy implementation can be determined. Include a sample timetable, to include key milestones and their timings After overall planning and formation of organisations strategy it is important to bring it in practise with the obligation to finish by its deadline. Every project and plan has its life and for the given time table it is assumed that the first stage starts from first week of November with a deadline of October 2014.each activities are evaluated, analysed, reviewed and reported on yearly basis or half yearly if required. Implementing HRM Strategy The framework agreement implementation by staff and company corporate objectives in both the treatment as well as management of staff. All colleagues well-being enhancement for making employees engaged member for company caring. Motivating all staffs and recruiting new quality staffs to improve the performance and compete in the market Pursue true and fair guidance principle in relation to company behaviors Implementing Marketing Strategy Advertising, Join The Chamber of Commerce, Participation in Car Shows B) How might the dissemination process be used to help an organisation gain commitment to its strategy and the implementation of this? Monitory term is not always sufficient to bring commitment and motivate people to follow vision of the organisation. Positive outcomes and commitment from staff in the organisation can be obtained by practising 3 complementary and distinct leadership (Antonakis and House 2002; 2004). Among all the complementary and distinct leadership, successful cascading leadership takes place in 3 stages: Stage1: Creating vision stage, Stage2: Created vision and strategies distribution, and Stage3: Monitoring and controlling the effect of the stage 2. 1. Vision creation stage: For this propose, a team of stakeholders with experts come into play that go through number of analysis and deep understanding of different images of the company future. In order to make vision realistic, it must be formed in the form of pictures so that it can be easily felt, understand, and followed by followers and this will also implicate follower action (Den Hartog and Verburg 1997). All the team members must show their equal participation and contribution to the vision formation. At this stage need, importance of strategic initiatives must be articulated to gain the agreement from the all followers and make vision to happen. 2. Using Effective communication distributing the formed strategies and vision: To make mission, vision and strategies formed successful, it is necessary to share this information to all level of organisation ranging from higher level of management to lower level of management. Very effective channel for communication must be used to share and distribute this among the stockholders. Here, the formed vision is converted into concrete actions, and then the implementation plans and milestones are set. 3. Monitor the impact of stage 2: Regular monitoring is very important to know how effectively works are going on. It is necessary to share this information to all level of organisation ranging from higher level of management to lower level of management. Very effective channel for communication must be used to share and distribute this among the stockholders. Here, the formed vision is converted into concrete actions, and then the implementation plans and milestones are set to share this information to all level of organisation ranging from higher level of management to lower level of management. Very effective channel for communication must be used to share and distribute this among the stockholders. C) Describe the importance of monitoring and evaluation of new strategy. Outline how this might be achieved. Importance of Monitoring Monitoring of any new strategy from the time of implementation to its completion is very important in order to make comparison against plan developed and past strategies. The effectiveness or non-effectiveness of any strategy can be only determined by its monitoring after implementation. Therefore all the strategy, not only just new, must be monitor toed in the business process. It also helps to identify and establish what is happening now, what may happen in the future and then compare these trends against existing policies and targets to determine what needs to be done. Once the data or observation is made on the implemented new strategy we do evaluation of that to be sure about effectiveness and efficiency of that particular strategy. Once it is evaluated, it will be helpful for future level of effective strategy formation. Monitoring and evaluation process moves together and can be achieved in the following ways. Determine what to measure: Identify who will be involved in the design, implementation, and reporting. Engaging stakeholders helps ensure their perspectives are understood and feedback is incorporated. Clarify scope, purpose, intended use, audience, and budget for evaluation. Develop the questions to answer what you want to learn as a result of your work. Establish Predetermined Standards: Indicators are meant to provide a clear means of measuring achievement, to help assess the performance, or to reflect changes. They can be either quantitative and/or qualitative. A process indicator is information that focuses on how a program is implemented. Measure actual Performance: Determine the data collection methods like Examples of methods are: document reviews, questionnaires, surveys, and interviews. Analysis and evaluation: Review the information obtained to see if there are patterns or trends that emerge from the process. Evaluation and Control The process of analyzing data and understanding findings should provide you with recommendations about how to strengthen your work, as well as any mid-term adjustments you may need to make. Communicate your findings and insights to stakeholders and decide how to use the results to strengthen your organizations efforts. Monitoring and evaluation not only help organizations reflect and understand past performance, but serve as a guide for constructive changes during the period of implementation. Conclusion From my evaluation, I have realised that the measurement of the performance had been based on communication, human resources commitment, finance, cost and time. The overall result reveals that the strategy which was used by the company was successful as the added to the organisational core competencies shows that the company has the ability to face the future competitive factor that might be prevalent in the business environment in the nearest future. The company, by believing in the committed leadership could achieve its strategic because the company has lots of consistency in the commitment.

The Fun Atmosphere of Knoxville, Tennessee :: Tourism

The Fun Atmosphere of Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee, keeps its citizens and visitors busy with many options for shopping and food at places like The Old City and the college strip. The town also makes for a cheap vacation spot with high-energy nightlife. The city gives its visitors a wide variety of shopping options from the antique and thrift shops of the Old City to the West Town Mall and ritzy plazas of West Knoxville. The antique shops of the Old City prove to be a hot spot for the frugal tourist. Downtown K-Town is a popular antique shop located in the Old City that is best known for opening up on selected weekends with everything in the store on sale for half price. There are also a few thrift shops around the Old City, such as Frenchys’ Hip Hop, that provide the low-budget shopper with a mixture of second hand clothing and trendy new material. West Knoxville caters more to the visitor who is looking for a finer quality of shopping, and is located about ten minutes from the college strip. West Town mall is always busy with shoppers jotting in and out of its many shops from Proffits to Abercrombie & Fitch. This is the answer for parents on a family vacation because at the mall there is a wide variety of shops, so everyone will have access to a store that interests them. Around the mall are located several shopping plazas chalked full of small, pricey shops that sell unique designer clothes and accessories that are usually imported. Sophies and BeBe are two "designer" shops that sell mainly women’s clothing and shoes. They will definitely put a dent in your budget, but for the tourist who came financially prepared these are a couple of fine shopping stops for unique apparel If you are looking for nightlife in Knoxville, the college strip is the best place to be. O’Charlies on the strip is usually packed with sports fans and is open late into the night. This is a great place if you are interested in sports because there are televisions positioned throughout the restaurant (and one big screen out on the patio) that are usually tuned into a sports station. The scene for most college students in Knoxville after about ten o’clock is Moose’s’ Music Hall, which is located just across the street from O’Charlies. Moose’s’ attracts a variety of club-goers because they always have events going on such as weekly foam dancing and concerts.

The Iraqi Candidate :: Iraq Politics Political Essays

The Iraqi Candidate "To prefer evil to good is not in human nature; and when a man is compelled to choose one of two evils, no one will choose the greater when he may have the less." ~ Socrates It's the day of the 2004 presidential election. People swarm into public school gymnasiums, fill the voting booths, and escape a while later into the crisp autumn air. The trees have turned and the streets are covered in reddish-brown debris and yet, America is tense today. Today, the day when many people find out whether all of their efforts have been in vain. Today is the day when the future of America is decided. Today is not just any day; it has the power to change Tomorrow. With so much riding on the 2004 election it is not surprising to find that presidential campaigns have gone to a whole new level. People are using media that has never been used before to express their opinions about the election. The Michael Moore movie Fahrenheit 9/11 about the September 11th attack and the war that followed was a big step in using popular media to present political issues. That film was intended to swing votes away from President Bush by examining closely many of the mistakes he made during his presidency. Fahrenheit 9/11 is the first example of a movie trying to have a direct impact on an election. It is a documentary which was made to articulate Michael Moore's feelings on certain political issues for the general public. Because it is an independent film it is not so surprising that it is also biased. Unfortunately political propaganda has invaded mainstream movies as well, where people are not prepared for it and the messages are more subtle and difficult to discern. I was shocked and appalled to see a mainstream movie filled with political messages where there didn't need to be any. After watching the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate the only question that I am left with is whether the movie was meant to reflect the way Americans feel about terrorism or instill in us a fear of terrorism which would cause the election results to lean favorably towards George W.

New England: A Matter Of Perspective Essay -- essays research papers

New England: A Matter of Perspective   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Smith's A Description of New England and William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation both present a picture of the same pre-colonial land of New England. Mr. Smith's writing, out of necessity, painted a rosy picture of the new land, while Bradford's historical account shows early New England was not Heaven on Earth. Mr. Bradford and Mr. Smith are writing about one land, but they present two different accounts of the life in the land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Smith's writing is his ideal vision of what the new land could be with the best of people colonizing the new land. John Smith's fine piece of literature may also be considered a beautifully worded, finely tuned piece of propaganda. Mr. Smith wrote this selection to influence people to leave their lives in England and cross the globe to start a new life in a strange land. John Smith described a a land where little work was needed, and riches could be easily acquired. A man with little fishing ability could catch one hundred, two hundred, or three hundred fish a day. He tells of animals perfect for hunting that give plenty of food to live on, and rich furs that could be traded for money. Mr. Smith declares the land free, so anyone could come to the New World and accumulate great wealth. John Smith envisioned a land where all men would live in peace and harmony, a vision that would not be fulfilled in New England or any of the New World.  ...

Being a Change Agent: Managing Social Change

We believe that the job of being a change agent should start with two kinds of question. First, is a structural question: How do you identify persons and subgroups that are the â€Å"strategic levers† of change in any particular public? This means identifying the opinion leaders and community influential who can influence others in the system to adopt change. Second, is a social-psychological or an interactional question: How do you change the behaviors or the minds of the people in question? The different strategies discussed earlier represent alternative ways of going about change agents can do to reduce resistance to change. What are some of these changes? On can reduce resistance to the adoption of a change by attempting to make the particular innovation (1) simple and easy to communicate, (2) divisible, and (3) maximally compatible with the status quo values and needs (Harper & Leicht). Is it possible that a change agent is for the good, not purely destructive change? In my mind, change is agent is to make people better. Which is something we should all strive for? In addition, cans someone starting being a change agent, can a person successful in being a change agent? In this paper you learn about what is a change agent and who can be a Change Agent, How to create change, The ethics of Inducing change, What makes a good change agent, Define change leaders on five levels of leadership skills, and Five most important competencies of change agents. In addition, I will imagine myself as a change agent trying to change my neighborhood or community for the better. What is a Change Agent? A change agent is a catalyst and when added to the mix, changes everything. It can be a process, an element, a thought, or a person. A social change agent is an individual working to bring about a more life-affirming society. This is a person whose presence or thought processes cause a change from the traditional way of handling or thinking about a problem. They know how to get people involved in solving their own problems. A change agent lives in the future, not the present. Regardless of what is going on today, a change agent has a vision of what could or should be and uses that as the governing sense of action. To a certain extent, a change agent is dissatisfied with what they see around them, in favor of a much better vision of the future. A change agent has a strong ability to self-motivate. A change agent is fueled by passion, and inspires passion in others. Moreover, at the end of the day, change is about people (Stevenson 2012). Who can be a Change Agent? A Persons with Innovative Ideas, Calculated Risk Takers, Person coming with different Industry or sector even from different department, That's why reshuffling is done within an organization, External consultants, Trackers who are tracking market ,competitors ,technology etc secretly, Persons ingrained with sharp business knowledge and skills, Team leader who are having a quality to integrate, People possessing qualities like need achievement, positive attitude, ethical behavior, One who think big and realistic, and Who knows more about your company policy and people. There is no cookbook for creating change. Why? As anyone who has attempted to cook a complex meal knows, exact specifications are always missing and recipes contain many vague instructions: â€Å"Add salt to taste†. How much is that? â€Å"Cook until vegetables are crisp, but do not over cook. † What does that mean? Like cooking, social change requires experience, making do with imperfect ingredients, and often mudding through. There are some issues that a change agents need to consider. Plans for social change involve a number of issues: The first task is to good plan is to define the goals of the desired change. Second task, is that a good plan needs to specify as precisely as possible the target or reference public: Who is to change? Third task is to have a good plan will identify situation or times when the target population is most receptive to change. Fourth task is to have a good plan will develop an inventory resource available. Fifth task is that a good plan should consider appropriate strategies (for example, facilitation, reeducation, persuasion, or power/coercion), how they might be combined, and how their contradictions might be addressed. Finally, a good plan should include mechanisms for the ongoing monitoring of change so that it can be modified, fine tuned, or abandoned (Harper & Leicht). There are various strategies along a continuum in term of the extent to which we believe that they involve ethical problems, as follows: facilitation, reeducation, persuasion, or power/coercion. In the terms of these criteria, facilitation and reeducation (to the extent that the latter can be honestly practiced) do respect the autonomy, rationality, and dignity of person who are the targets of change. Persuasion, in comparison, respects the voluntary choice to adopt change but may overwhelm the person with distorted (or false) information, withheld information, and non-rational appeals to emotion. Power and coercive strategies carry the greatest number of ethical problems because they deny voluntary adoption and rejection and maximally violate people's autonomy and dignity. There is a bottom line here. Granted that creating social change is often costly and demanding to. Granted that success, even partial success, is always uncertain as well. Granted that long-term systemic consequences may be well counter productive to one's original intent. Even so, should one refuse to make efforts to change things if the issues are important? The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was long, costly, and difficult effort that only partly succeeded. Being aware of its high costs and limited successes, should its organizers have given up? We do not think so. The lives of millions of minority Americans that are better today for those efforts even thought the goal of complete racial justice remains elusive (Harper & Leicht). Due to the dynamics in the external environment, many organizations find themselves in nearly continuous change. The scope reaches from smaller change projects in particular sub business units up to corporation-wide transformation processes. Unfortunately, not every change process leads to the expected results. There are multiple reasons for potential failure: Typical barriers to change are unexpected changes in the external conditions, a lack of commitment in implementation, resistance of people involved, or a lack of resources. The implications of failed change projects go beyond missed objectives. More important is the negative symbolism and the de-motivation of people involved. People within the change team may become dissatisfied with their own performance or the lack of support they received. In the result, some of them will probably never again be willing to commit themselves to change initiatives. Similarly, people affected by the (failed) change effort will develop growing skepticism. They might perceive future change projects as â€Å"another fancy dea from management†, which brings a lot of work and few benefits. In the light of the many problems and risks associated with change projects, the change agent has a very important function. The change agent’s or change leader’s capabilities have a major impact on success or failure of the project, and on the extent of potential unwanted side effects. The following article describes required capabilities of good change agents. Readers should keep in mind, however, that there is no ‘ideal’ change agent. Particular requirements normally relate to the actual situation in the organization (e. . corporate culture, strategic relevance of the project, acceptance of the project among management and staff, timeframe, resources etc). Depending on these factors, either change agents may need good project management capabilities in order to guarantee timely progress, or they should be good leaders with the ability to motivate people (Recklies 2001). Jim Canterucci defines change leaders on five levels of leadership ski lls. Although he mainly focuses on leadership capabilities and qualifications, his system can easily be transferred to change projects with varying importance. The leader of an organization-wide restructuring project will need different capabilities than the one who is responsible for clearly defined project on departmental level. Levels of Change Leadership Skills, derived from Canterucci: is Level I is to Accepts the need for change, communicates and defends the need for change throughout the organization, creates an open and receptive environment. Small change initiatives with clear direction. Level II Defines and initiates change, identifies advantage points for change in processes and work habits. A change projects at local level. Level III is to leads change, translate the vision of the organization into the context of a specific change initiative and bring this message to the entire organization, redirects approaches in the face of new opportunities. A transformation of a central vision into change initiatives and organization-wide communication. Level IV is to manage complex change, understands the cultural dynamics of the current state of an organization, and creates a strategic practical course, balancing the current reality with the need for rapid adoption of the desired future reality. A generates change with a high degree of transformation. Level V is that champions makes change, challenges the status quo by comparing it to an ideal or a vision of change, causes crisis in order to support dramatic actions and change efforts, transforms the organization. An ability to revolutionize organizations (Canterucci 2008). Buchanan and Bobby have carried out a study on the perceived effectiveness of change agents. On that basis, they compiled the five most important competencies of change agents. These, too, are evidence for the importance of the soft factors. The five most important competencies of change agents are Objectives, Roles, Communication, Negotiation, Managing up. Each of these five most important competencies of change agents has descriptive of how to implement change. The first most important competencies of change agents are objectives. The descriptive of how to implement change of objectives are: Sensitivity to changes in key personnel, top management perceptions and market conditions, and to the way in which these impact the goals of the project. , Setting of clearly defined realistic goals, and Flexibility in responding to changes without the control of the project manager, perhaps requiring major shifts in project goals and management style. The second most important competencies of change agents are roles. The descriptive of how to implement change of roles are: Team-building abilities, to bring together key stakeholders and establish effective working groups, and to define and delegate respective responsibilities clearly, Networking skills in establishing and maintaining appropriate contacts within and outside the organization, and Tolerance of ambiguity, to be able to function comfortably, patiently and effectively in an uncertain environment. The third most important competencies of change agents are communication. The descriptive of how to implement change of communication are: Communication skills to transmit effectively to colleagues and subordinates the need for changes in the project goals and in individual tasks and responsibilities, Interpersonal skills, across the range, including selection, listening, collecting appropriate information, identifying the concerns of others, and managing meetings, Personal enthusiasm in expressing plans and ideas, and Stimulating motivation and commitment in others involved. The fourth important competencies of change agents are negotiation. The descriptive of how to implement change of negotiation are selling plans and ideas to others by creating a desirable and challenging vision of the future, and Negotiating with key players for resources, for changes in procedures, and to resolve conflict. The fifth important competencies of change agents are managing up. The descriptive of how to implement change of negotiation are political awareness in identifying potential coalitions, and in balancing conflicting goals and perceptions, Influencing skills, to gain commitment to project plans and ideas form potential skeptics and resisters, and to have Helicopter perspectives, to stand back from the immediate project and take a broader view of priorities. According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter mentions many emotional components among the most important characteristics of change agents. In addition to the factors described above, she stresses the need to question the knowledge of the organization. According to Moss Kanter, existing patterns of thinking and existing assumptions about the organization, its markets, customers, and relationships have to be challenged. Thus, change agents should realize that there is more than one right solution. The change agent has to be able to evaluate facts from different points of view, e. g. from the customer’s or competitor’s perspective. Furthermore, Moss Kanter stresses the importance of coalition building, which she describes as an often-ignored step in change processes. Change agents should identify and involve opinion leaders, decision makers on resources, functional experts and other important persons as early as possible in the project-planning phase. The importance of the factor motivation is well described with the phrases transferring ownership to a working team and making everyone a hero. In my opinion, Moss Kanter gives the most important preconditions for successful change management – the involvement of the people – with these two phrases. Members of the change team and other employees affected by the change initiative must not feel like as if they are just the tools for change or the subject of change. In my experience, it is not enough to have a convincing vision. Real commitment can only be gained by giving people the chance to become actively involved, to contribute their own experiences. Every employee needs to know that his contribution to the project is important and is valued. Thus, people will develop a sense of ownership for the project, which, in turn may serve as a major source of motivation when it comes to the inevitable problems and barriers. Kanter 1999) provides a great summary of the characteristics of good change agents when she writes that the most important things a leader can bring to a changing organization are passion, conviction, and confidence in others. Imagine myself as a change agent trying to change my neighborhood or community for the better. What are some issues that I would consider to change in my neighborhood or community? Assume that I have some, but not having unlimited resources and money to use. How would I go about it? What things would you consider in order to change that particular issue? As I sit here and imagine myself as a change agent, a few things come to my mind that I want to change in my neighborhood or community. I would consider changing in my neighborhood or community is they way we go about our health on a daily basis. Having limit to the resources and money it can consume. If that limit is a problem, then the project may really end up being a waste of time. With limited resource, I would go about it by make a plan to pull out of the project or at least good backup plans for handling failures. At worst, make sure to minimize any risks. Get more resources. Sometimes this is hard work, but it may pay off. Get help. Sometimes someone with more experience may know of resources or can spot misuse of resources in a project. Just be willing to accept criticism. Cut out any parts of the project those are unnecessary. However, one part of a project it be well liked, it may not be truly important. Plan, study, research, prepare. There is a saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Good preparation can eliminate the need for many resources (wikihow). With limited money, I would need to raise some extra capital; there are a number of different ways that I can raise money. The good thing about this strategy is that they cost little, if anything, to use. After all, the last thing you want is to spend a lot of money to raise the cash you need. How I would raise, money is to have an online auction. By cleaning out my closets and I can make some extra money at the same time by posting unwanted belongings on online auction sites. Pay a small listing fee when I post each item, then another commission based on the final selling price. To start me need a free online auction account as well as having a good digital camera for taking photographs. Then I can make even more money by offering to sell unwanted items on commission for family members, friends, and co-workers (ehow. com). I can bring in to friends that I would help my neighborhood and community on dieting and fitness tips. They will explain the ten essential elements of good health. If you take all of the actions listed below, you will be much healthier. Eat a Healthy Breakfast, Drink at Least 8 Glasses of Water, Take a Good Quality Multiple Vitamin/Mineral, Connect with Other People, express Your Emotions Appropriately, Eat Fruits and Vegetables, Spend at Least 30 Minutes Outdoors Active, Take Some Quiet Time for Yourself Keep Regular Sleep Hours, and Establish a Relationship with a Doctor You Can Trust (Bauer 2009). In conclusion, a change agent has a strong ability to self-motivate. There will be many days where everyone around does not understand and will not offer props. The change agent needs to find it within themselves to get up every day and come to work and risk being misunderstood and miss-appreciated, knowing that the real validation may be far in the future and may be claimed by someone else. A change agent must understand people. At the end of the day, change is about people. If you change everything but the people, I doubt you will be effective as a change agent. Change will really â€Å"stick† when people embrace it. Therefore, change is part sales, part counseling, and part encouragement. It is all about people, at the end of the day. Reference Bauer, Carl H: (2009); Ten Simple Things You Can Do to Get Healthy and Stay Healthy. http://www.somaacupuncture.com/healthy.html Buchanan D. & Bobby D. (1992);  The Expertise of the Change Agent: Public Performance and Backstage Activity  . Prentice Hall. Canterucci, Jim: (2008); are You a Change Leader?http://www.corpchange.com/Resources/Articles/Areyouachangeleaderarticle.asp Recklies, Dagmar: (2001); What Makes a Good Change Agent? http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/change_agent.htm#_ftnref2 Haper, Charles L. and Leicht, Kevin T. (2010); † Exploring Social Change: America and the World, 6nd ed.† Upper Saddle River, NJ; Prentice Hall. Moss, Rosabeth K. (1999):  The Enduring Skills of Change Leaders. In Leader to Leader; Nr. 13. Recklies, Dagmar: (2001); What Makes a Good Change Agent? http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/change_agent.htm#_ftnref2 　Stevenson, Dennis: (2012); What is a Change Agent? Http://www.thechangeagents.net/what-is-a-change-agent.html htt p://www.ehow.com/info_8026713_ways-money-quickly-limited-funds.htmlhttp:// http://www.wikihow.com/Work-With-Limited-Resources-on-a-Project

Roles and Responsibilities of a Teacher in the Lls, Module Epf 135

Marie Appleby Module EPF 135 Roles and Responsibilities of a Teacher in the Lifelong Learning sSector The Lifelong Learning UK (2007) standards, highlight the complexity of the role of the FE teacher as follows â€Å"teachers have a responsibility for ensuring high standards of teaching and learning, as well as contributing to curriculum development and to the development of their subject knowledge† http://dera. ioe. ac. uk 21/10/11 Identifying Needs A key role of the teacher is to identify the needs of all learners so effective learning can be developed. The teacher may conduct tutorials at the beginning the course, to review and record personal information, barriers to learning, academic and vocational achievements. The information can be used to develop a learner pro? le, ensuring lesson planning and learning materials are appropriate and increase the chance of successful teaching and learning. Learners may feel uncomfortable disclosing or discussing personal information, therefore it may be advantageous to issue an anonymous questionnaire to the class. All information must be handled in a professional manner and kept con? ential. Planning and Design Teachers could plan and design a learning schedule. Changes can be made to these plans throughout the teaching cycle using assessment and evaluation. Teachers need to ensure that learning outcomes, objectives and aims for the course are covered in an appropriate way e. g. order in which outcomes are planned, delivery strategies, length of time, resources and assessment methods. Courses may be planned with an aim to ensure learning outcomes are met in the time allocated, using appropriate resources and methods. Teachers’ need to be aware of the requirements issued by their awarding body and organisation. Delivery Delivery of a course should be appropriate for all learners using clear aims and objectives. Activities should be differentiated to accommodate different learning styles. Resources should be well prepared, with suf? cient copies that support the learning activities. Sessions should be divided using an introduction, main and a conclusion to help the lesson progress logically and consolidate learning. Teachers need to ensure they have the 1 Marie Appleby Module EPF 135 knowledge and skills to deliver the course and be able to answer questions. Teachers should be smartly dressed and use a professional manner when teaching never using discriminatory, judgmental or offensive language. Teacher / student relationships should be based on mutual trust and respect with a responsibility to uphold safeguarding procedures, keeping learners safe, both physically and emotionally, within a safe learning environment. the process of safeguarding protects individuals who may be at risk from abuse or neglect, which could cause an impact on their education, health and development. safeguarding aims to ensure individuals are provided with a caring environment that is safe, promotes optimum life and learning chances†. (safeguardingchildren. org. uk (20/10/2011) Assess Methods of assessment should be planned, fair, reliable and linked to activity tasks. Learner achievement and progress can be mon itored throughout the learning process. Clear, concise and accurate feedback can be given to learners on their progress and achievement. Feedback should be given as quickly as possible, based on the quality of submission or performance, using positive and developmental comments. Information should be recorded in preparation for submission to the course awarding body. Teachers should avoid assessment tasks that do not link directly to the learning objectives, and ensure planned assessments are at the correct level for learners. Evaluate Evaluations should be conducted after each session, including strengths of the session, and areas for development and improvements. Learners could also be asked to re? ect on the sessions; this could be done verbally, through an evaluation form or by an evaluation activity. Conclusion The teaching/training cycle provides a cohesive structure within which roles, responsibilities and boundaries can be assessed and re? ected upon. The structure of the cycle is such that a successful teacher will multitask stages in a constantly evolving way. This ensures that teacher and students’ re? ctive growth of role, responsibilities and boundaries remains core to reaching a greater understanding of the aims and objectives relating to development with the course. 2 Marie Appleby Module EPF 135 Bibliographic References lluk 2007. (2007). National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the role of learning support practitioner in the lifelong learning sector . Available: http://dera. ioe. ac. uk/2332/1/ lspnosdraft. pdf. Last accessed 21st Oct 2011. Ofstead. What is safeguarding. Available: http://safeguardingchildren. org. uk/. Last accessed 20th october 2011. Word Count: 650 3 Marie Appleby Module EPF 135 4

Human Resources Policies Essay

Armstrong, (2006) defined Human Resource policies as continuing guidelines on the approach the organization intends to adopt in managing its people. In addition, it can also be defined as the philosophies and values of the organization on how people should be treated, and from these are derived the principles upon which managers are expected to act when dealing with Human Resource matters. Human Resource policies therefore serve as reference points when employment practices are being developed, and when decisions are being made about people. Mullins, (2005) highlighted that Human Resource Management must be committed to creating a working environment free from discrimination and where all employees are treated equally with dignity, courtesy and respect. This can be done by putting into place Human Resource policies that shows how people should be treated, and from these are derived the principles upon which managers are expected to act when dealing with Human Resource matters. The most common areas in which specific Human Resource policies exist are HIV and AIDS, discipline, employee development, employee relations, recruitment and selection, equal opportunity, grievances, health and safety, managing diversity, promotion, redundancy, reward, sexual harassment, substance abuse and work life balance and e-mails and the internet. Cole (1997) argued that this employment equity policy helps in preventing discrimination and promoting equality in the workplace. The equal opportunity policy should spell out the organization’s determination to give equal opportunities to all, irrespective of sex, race, creed, disability, age or marital status. The policy should also deal with the extent to which the organization wants to take affirmative action to redress imbalances between numbers employed according to sex or race, or to differences in the levels of qualifications and skills they have achieved. According to the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01),Section 5 states that no employer shall discriminate any employee or prospective employee on grounds of race, tribe, place of origin, political opinion, colour, creed, gender, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS status or subject to the Disabled Persons Act (Chapter 17:01). Every manager must take steps to promote equal opportunity in the workplace by eliminating unfair discrimination in any employment policy or practice within their sphere of authority. All forms of unfair discrimination, whether direct or indirect, are prohibited and it is the responsibility of all employees to inform themselves about and refrain from perpetrating unfair discrimination. The sexual harassment policy is another policy which aims at preventing and managing sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment; or is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such an individual. The company must prohibit inappropriate conduct that is sexual in nature at work, on company business, or at company sponsored events. This can be done by prohibiting comments, jokes, or degrading language or behavior that is sexual in nature, sexually suggestive objects, books, magazines, photographs, cartoons, pictures, calendars, posters or electronic communications and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or any sexual touching this is according to Armstrong (2006). Sexual harassment is prohibited whether it’s between members of the opposite sex or members of the same sex. All managers have a key responsibility in establishing and maintaining a workplace free from personal harassment and they are directly responsible for the conduct of their staff. Sexual harassment is regarded as gross industrial misconduct and if proved makes the individual liable for instant dismissal. Less severe penalties may be reserved for minor cases but there will always be a warning that repetition will result in dismissal. Therefore all employees are expected to comply with this policy and that it is the pers onal responsibility of each employee to ensure that inappropriate conduct does not occur, as stated by Armstrong (2010). Safety policies should reflect the employers commitment to safety and health at work and should indicate what standards of behavior are to be aimed for in safety and health welfare matters. The policy statement should be drawn to the attention of all employees. In practice this is achieved by issuing a safety policy document to all employees via their pay packets, or by issuing company handbooks which include details of the policy. The important point is that the employer should be able to show that he has done more than just pin up a notice in various parts of his premises, this is postulated by Mullins (2005). The HIV/Aids policy is also used and its purpose is to provide guidance on managing departmental responses to HIV/AIDS in a manner that complies with the National Aids Policy and applicable laws, eliminates unfair discrimination and enables the harnessing of each person’s full potential. Employees who know that they are infected with HIV will not be obliged to disclose the fact to the company, but if they do, the fact will remain completely confidential. There must be no discrimination against anyone with or at risk of acquiring AIDS. In addition, employees infected by HIV or suffering from AIDS must be treated no differently from anyone else suffering a severe illness. All human resources processes and practices should promote an affirming non-discriminatory environment that fosters respect for the dignity of all while ensuring the maximum productivity of each employee regardless of HIV/AIDS status. This will be done through a regular review of all human resources practices and processes to eliminate existing or potential direct and indirect discrimination on the ground of HIV/AIDS. A prospective employee will not be required to disclose his or her HIV/AIDS status, there shall be no pre-employment HIV/AIDS testing in respect of a prospective employee and both permanent and contract employees are not obliged to disclose their HIV/AIDS status, as subject to Labour Relations Act (chapter 28:01). Recruitment and selection policies are also used to ensure a work environment that is anti discriminatory, democratic, respectful of rights, mindful of dignity and legally sound or legitimate. The Human resource department must be committed to utilise recruitment and selection practices that are based on merit, equity, objectivity, fairness and the need to redress the imbalances of the past so as to achieve a department that is broadly representative. According to Storey (1995), the recruitment process should reflect the department’s employment equity values and goals. Moreover, all phases of the recruitment process must support the recruitment of suitably qualified men and women from diverse racial and other backgrounds with a view to giving them an opportunity to serve all the people with excellence and responsiveness. Considerations of affirmative action will inform the entire recruitment process. The policy on age and employment should take into account that age is a poor predictor of job performance. It is misleading to equate physical and mental ability with age. More of the population are living active, healthy lives as they get older. Therefore the policy should define the approach the organization adopts to engaging, promoting and training older employees. It should emphasize that the only criterion for selection or promotion should be ability to do the job; and for training, the belief that the employee will benefit, irrespective of age. The policy should also state that age requirements should not be set out in external or internal job advertisements. Armstrong (2006). Diversity management policy is a concept that recognizes the benefits to be gained from differences. A policy on managing diversity recognizes that there are differences among employees and that these differences, if properly managed, will enable work to be done more efficiently and effectively. This concept does not focus exclusively on issues of discrimination but instead concentrates on recognizing the differences between people. Maund (2001) express it, the concept of managing diversity is founded on the premise that harnessing these differences will create a productive environment in which everyone will feel valued, where their talents are fully utilized and in which organizational goals are met. The diversity management policy must acknowledge cultural and individual differences in the workplace, state that the organization values the different qualities that people bring to their jobs, emphasize the need to eliminate bias in such areas as selection, promotion, performance asse ssment, pay and learning opportunities and focus attention on individual differences rather than group differences. Mathis, (2003) is of the view that the disciplinary policy should state that employees have the right to know what is expected of them and what could happen if they infringe the organization’s rules. It would also make the point that, in handling disciplinary cases, the organization will treat employees in accordance with the principles of natural justice. It must be the policy of the company that employees should be given a fair hearing by their immediate supervisor or manager concerning any grievances they may wish to raise, have the right to appeal to a more senior manager against a decision made by their immediate supervisor or manager and have the right to be accompanied by a representative of their own choice when raising a grievance or appealing against a decision. Cole, (1997) highlighted that the reward policy must cover matters as providing an equitable pay system, equal pay for work of equal value, paying for performance, competence, skill or contribution, sharing in the success of the organization and the relationship between levels of pay in the organization and market rates. There must not be discrimination of employees in pay levels. This will encourage the optimum productivity from employees and ensures high level of quality output. A performance management system must be put in place so as to pay employees according to their performance and efforts. Armstrong (2006) is of the opinion that job evaluation must also be done in a fairly and equitable manner so as to have a free work environment. In conclusion, companies must be committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Human Resource policies must prohibit discrimination and harassment in the workplace, whether committed by or against managers, co-workers, customers, vendors, or visitors. Employees must work and develop in an environment that is anti-discriminatory, democratic, respectful of rights, mindful of dignity, legally sound and productive. Workplace discrimination or harassment based on an employee’s race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, age status, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law, must not be tolerated. REFERENCES Armstrong, M. (2006) Strategic Human Resource Management, (3rd Ed), London: Kogan. Armstrong, M. (2006) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, (10th Ed), London: Kogan. Cole G.A. (1997), Personnel Management, Theory and Practice, London: Continuum. Labour Relations Act Regulations (1998), HIV and AIDS, Government Printers: Zimbabwe. Maund, L. (2001), An Introduction to Human Resource Management Theory And Practice, New York: Palgrave. Mullins, L. J. (2005), Management and Organizational Behavior, England: Prentice Hall. Storey, J.(1995), Human Resource Management: A critical text, London: Routledge.