Gender Imbalance in Singapore Boardrooms Essay

The recent debate over the increasingly persistent issue of under-representation of women on boards in Singapore has shed light on the underlying problems in Singapore’s work sphere. While the country has evolved into a first-world economy, it has ironically and stubbornly retained the tradition of male-dominated upper-management—so much that a recent study found it to be even behind less-developed economies in terms of the percentage of women holding directorships on the boards of listed companies. In Singapore, this phenomenon seems to be caused by the lack of preexisting culture of female leaders, and the perception of females being suited to the domestic sphere rather than the office as well as of women being reticent, resulting in a general reluctance to appoint women onto boards. Currently, the pressing issue concerns the steps to be taken in response to this problem. Perhaps the most drastic of them would be the implementation of quotas, as adopted by various European countries (e.g. France, Italy and the Netherlands). The argument for this is that this â€Å"creates an impetus to create diversity† (Marleen Dieleman, NUS) and is crucial for progress, backed by statistics showing that companies with higher percentages of females on their boards have indeed performed better in relation to their counterparts with lower percentages. Indeed, diversity is a crucial element for progress in today’s globalized and fast-paced society; the wider the variety of personalities within a company’s workforce, the higher its likelihood of constantly developing innovative ideas and solutions, and hence the more successful it becomes. The mix of personalities also enables it to consider and amalgamate a variety of viewpoints for every issue at hand, allowin g it to come up with feasible solutions that appeal to multiple groups of people. Despite this, implementing quotas inevitably gives rise to a range of problems. Quotas fail to take into account the different needs of various sectors; for example, the nature of certain industries is such that there is inherently a much higher percentage of males in relation to females, hence it is only natural for company boards to consist mainly of males. Upsetting this balance will only lead to inefficiency, as talents may not be fully utilized as a result of such quotas. Economically wise, setting quotas would also upset the balance of demand and supply in the free market achieved by the ‘invisible hand’, causing a loss of societal welfare. Implementing a minimum percentage of females that is higher than the existing figure inevitably causes a surplus of candidates vying for a fixed number of board positions, resulting in many existing candidates’ inability to secure a position and hence giving rise to problems such as an inefficient allocation of jobs and p ossibly higher unemployment. This would be particularly detrimental to Singapore as competition for jobs is already stiff due to its large labour force and small economy. Given its major limitations, quotas are only applicable to Singapore in the short run, and cannot be implemented as a permanent measure. Another possible solution is for the government to encourage voluntary target-setting by companies, under the assumption that companies would take up the initiative and responsibility of implementing this measure. The idea is to cultivate incentive and instill the culture of appointing more females onto the board in the long run. For example, the 30 per cent Club in the UK—consisting of a group of chairmen from prominent global companies—voluntarily commits to bringing more women onto its companies’ boards with a self-declared target of 30 per cent, serving as a concrete example that companies with more women on their boards are still able to perform well financially. Such a measure would be both beneficial and sustainable in the long run, as it allows companies themselves to realize the benefits of appointing more female leaders, thus instilling initiative in them to continue doing so, rather than forcing them to do so via the implementation of quotas. However, statistics seem to indicate that Singapore lacks the culture of appointing women to leadership positions—the percentage of females on executive boards have consistently remained below 7% over the years, despite females making up over 40% of the workforce since 2001. Rather, the stereotype of women as ‘domestic homemakers’ still prevails—a recent study found that the 3 organisations (out of 65) that have at least half of their boardrooms made up of female directors are under industries traditionally dominated by females due to their characteristic of ‘caretaking.’ Given local circumstances, implementing the policy of voluntary target-setting would be rather ineffective, as no company would take up the initiative to change its inherent mindset and practice. Hence, while the policy is ideal, it is not yet ingrained in Singapore’s culture and needs to be cultivated in the long run. In this case, temporary quotas of around 15% should be imposed temporarily to kick start the system; thereafter, assuming that research proves true and companies start performing better under a higher percentage of female board directors, they would then be automatically motivated to keep up this practice in order to achieve even better results in the future. At the same time, additional measures should be implemented to minimize the problems of self-efficacy common amongst women in general. Studies have shown women to be naturally more reserved and reticent than their male counterparts and are thus less likely to apply for or get appointed to leadership positions. Nevertheless, studies have also shown that extraversion is a characteristic that can be trained and adopted at any point in one’s life; hence, the solution to this problem lies in grooming women to be more effective leaders—for example, letting experienced directors take them under their wings. This would allow women to be better equipped for leadership positions and also cause companies to be more willing to appoint them onto boards, thereby developing a culture of a higher percentage of women heading executive boards in Singapore. While there is a possibility of the unwillingness of experienced directors to take on such a responsibility, the government can introduce incentives (such as monetary compensation) to effectively induce initiative in these directors. In conclusion, in order for the issue to be solved in Singapore, a long-term mindset change must be implemented. Quotas can be used as a catalyst to start the ball rolling; however, it can only ever be a short-term measure as it will inevitably lead to inefficiency and dissent in the long term. Thereafter, the government should encourage voluntary target-setting by companies, coupled with additional measures to ensure that women are well-trained to be effective leaders, thereby enabling women to be sufficiently represented while maintaining the efficiency of companies.

Julius Caesar Concession

Julius Caesar Concession Essay Marcus Brutus was a noble man. He was loyal to himself and never did anything wrong without believing that what he was doing was right. Even though killing Julius Caesar was wicked and evil, when he did it, he had all the right intentions. Up to his very last breath, he thought that he was saving the people of Rome from an unjust ruler. He never wanted anything bad to come from it. He thought that he could bring peace to Rome Marcus Brutus, however, was very easily deceived. As long as someone told him that doing something would bring good, he would do it.This allowed Cassius to quite easily trick Marcus Brutus into doing what he wanted him to do. And being as sneaky as Cassius was he was able to pretty easily blame it on Marcus Brutus. The fact that he could be so easily tricked made him a prime target for Cassius to do the dirty work and share the blame. It can be argues that since he was so easily manipulated that you can’t really tell how goo d of a person he was. But since his intentions were so noble, that he was a truly honest, noble man. Unlike the other conspirators who chose to take place in the assassination of Caesar, Marcus Brutus did it to help his people.All of the others only took place in the assassination due to jealousy and dissatisfaction. And for Marcus Brutus, it was a big sacrifice to him as well, seeing that he and Caesar were good friends. And that that proves just how noble his intentions were. That he would kill his own friend if it meant that others could be safe. Even his enemies (Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar) respected him for the honest man that they knew that he was. He did evil things, that that did not make him an evil man. It’s like the old saying: â€Å"It’s the thought that counts† Works Cited Shakespeare, William Julius Caesar.

Miss Essay

Unit Title: Unit sector reference: Level: Credit value: Guided learning hours: Unit accreditation number: Promote good practice in handling information in health and social care settings HSC 038 3 2 16 J/601/9470 Unit purpose and aim This unit is aimed at those working in a wide range of settings. It covers the knowledge and skills needed to implement and promote good practice in recording, sharing, storing and accessing information. Learning Outcomes The learner will: 1 Understand requirements for handling information in health and social care settings Assessment Criteria The learner can: 1.1 Identify legislation and codes of practice that relate to handling information in health and social care 1.2 Summarise the main points of legal requirements and codes of practice for handling information in health and social care 2.1 Describe features of manual and electronic information storage systems that help ensure security 2.2 Demonstrate practices that ensure security when storing and accessing information 2.3 Maintain records that are up to date, complete, accurate and legible 3.1 Support others to understand the need for secure handling of information 3.2 Support others to understand and contribute to records Other s may include: ï‚ · Colleagues ï‚ · Individuals accessing care or support Exemplification 2 Be able to implement good practice in handling information 3 Be able to support others to handle information  © OCR 2010 1 Assessment This unit needs to be assessed in line with the Skills for Care and Development QCF Assessment principles. This unit is competence based. This means that it is linked to the candidate’s ability to competently perform a range of tasks connected with their work. This unit may be assessed using any method, or combination of methods, which clearly demonstrates that the learning outcomes and assessment criteria have been met. This unit requires workplace assessment of occupational competence. Assessment decisions for competence based learning outcomes (eg those beginning with ‘Be able to’) must be made in a real work environment by an occupationally competent assessor. Any knowledge evidence integral to these learning outcomes may be generated outside of the work environment but the final assessment decision must be within the real work environment. Competence based assessment must include direct observation as the main source of evidence. For this unit, learning outco mes 2 and 3 must be assessed in a real work environment. Guidance on assessment and evidence requirements  OCR does not stipulate the mode of delivery for the teaching of the content of this unit. Centres are free to deliver this unit using any mode of delivery that meets the needs of their candidates. Centres should consider the candidates’ complete learning experience when designing learning programmes. National occupational standards (NOS) mapping/signposting This unit has been developed by Skills for Care and Development in Partnership with Awarding Organisations. It is directly relevant to the needs of employers and relates to national occupational standards developed by Skills for Care and Development. As such, the unit may provide evidence for the following national occupational standards in health and social care developed by Skills for Care and Development: HSC 31 Content recurs throughout HSC NOS knowledge requirements NOS can be viewed on the relevant Sector Skills Council’s website or the Occupational standards directory at www.ukstandards.co.uk Functional skills signposting This section indicates where candidates may have an opportunity to develop their functional skills. Functional Skills standards can be viewed at http://www.qcda.gov.uk/15565.aspx 2  © OCR 2010 Functional Skills Standards English Speaking and Listening Reading ïÆ' ¼ ïÆ' ¼ Mathematics Representing Analysing ICT Use ICT systems Find and select information Develop, present and communicate information ïÆ' ¼ Writing ïÆ' ¼ Interpreting Additional information For further information regarding administration for this qualification, please refer to the OCR document ‘Administrative Guide for Vocational Qualifications’ (A850). This unit is a shared unit. It is located within the subject/sector classification system 01.3 Health and Social Care.

Here's a Wise investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Here's a Wise investment - Essay Example Many experts added that they would go out of their way to help such needy students, as they add to the campuses and are very rare. College days are exciting in August and September when students sign up for courses. The trouble comes in spring, at the end of 1st or 2nd year when their scholarships expire. Parents can’t afford to pay tuition bills. Some say that parents didn’t save enough, some say they chose expensive four-year schools when community colleges were just as good, while others say that they didn’t do enough of research. The real problem is people don’t know how to go about scholarships, loans, grants, etc. And that readily available money is left untouched. Mathews also states that several illegal immigrants work their way out through college. There are students who deny themselves little luxuries such as movies and restaurant meals so that they can save for their education. Unfortunately, research shows that they earn less and are more likel y to drop out. Today, getting into a college and earning a degree is a monetary issue. Several students with a will to study don’t have a way to pay for it. So to help them, we have to invest more money in those students. But, where will all those funds come from? How could we help the young people to complete college, the ones who are going to be paying for our Social Security and Medicare. Well, there are many possible ways in which we could help the young students to complete their education. The first and foremost is to educate them about the following means of availability of funds. Scholarships are the chief form of monetary aid available to students who

Prison Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Prison Life - Research Paper Example This paper looks into the purposes and conditions of prisons in USA and rehabilitation of prisoners. Background The main principles that guide criminal law include retribution, deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation. People focus on any of the rules depending on what suits them in their life whilst legal experts and legislators favor the ideas depending on the political or economic situation (Whitney, 2009). Retribution deals with dispensing rewards or punishments to individuals, whilst rehabilitation aims to restore an individual’s worth and purpose in the society through training or counseling. Incapacitation leads to deprivation of freedom in offenders upon removal from society. It also deals with civil rights. Finally, deterrence seeks to minimize criminal acts by emphasizing on the restoration of appropriate behavior. Nowadays, the law also focuses on the constitutional rights and rehabilitation of prisoners with renewed interest following the case of Pell v Pronun ier. In this case, it was held that journalists could interview prisoners whilst also ensuring that the rights of prisoners were not in conflict with the operations of prisons. Nevertheless, there are limits to prisoners’ rights in participating in community based rehabilitation programs. With education, a prominent issue in prisoner rehabilitation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons requires prisoners to attain at least twelfth grade education level (Whitney, 2009). The high illiteracy rates in prisons hinder reintegration into the society with the tax payer left to pay for the functioning of prison systems. There was ratification of the Functional Literacy for State and Local Prisoners Program in 1992, aimed at reducing recidivism and improving rehabilitation of prisoners. Prisons Both federal and State prisons are classified into either maximum, medium or minimum. Other high security prisons that go beyond maximum security are the â€Å"super- max† prisons, which deal wi th the most violent offenders. However, this classification is less prevalent today with some medium security prisons holding maximum security inmates (Clear, Reisig & Cole, 2012). Maximum security Prison are meant to avert prisoner’s escape or violence, they are surrounded by high security walls. Because of the nature of inmates, the prisons follow strict protocols similar to military services. Medium security prisons look like maximum security prison. However, they operate differently, with prisoners allowed communication with the outside world. Lastly, the minimum security prisons allow prisoners greater access to the outside world than the others and lack vigorous security measures. Taxpayers in the US fund prison systems mostly cater for medical and other utility bills. Nevertheless, private individuals may be contracted to provide services like vocational training, food, medical, and education provisions. Prisons may be co owned between the government and private indivi duals, or owned by the government but administered by the private sector or owned by private individuals but administered by the government upon terms of a lease agreement. Purpose and Conditions of Prisons Prisons are primarily aimed at punishing offenders for acts considered wrong in the society. Offenders are either detained or arrested upon breaking the law and then later presented before a court for the determination of their case. Judges determine the case depending on the arguments and

Non-Sovereign small islands in the international economy Essay

Non-Sovereign small islands in the international economy - Essay Example Generally speaking, the OFCs were accused in undermining the stability and inviolability of the global financial system. To manage the situation, a group of initiatives were taken by the Financial Stability Forum, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union and the Financial Action Task Force (Woodward 686). In addition to the development of small islands as offshore financial centres, there are some other examples of cases when many small islands have exceeded in small-scale, high-value service and product-niching in various fields of economic activities, including: finance and banking, brokerage, tourism and hospitality (Baldacchino 254). This paper is focused on the research the small islands, performing an important role in the international economy and on the global arena. The more detailed analysis is carried out for the British Isle’s Crown dependencies: the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands o f Jersey and Guernsey, as well the Prince Edward Island. The Financial Services Sector: the Isle of man, the Channel Islands and New "Havens"Among Developing Small Islands There are many various definitions of the offshore, which is the evidence of the challenges which many scholars and economists face in attempt to explain this concept precisely. For example, Palan defines the offshore as a â€Å"special territorial or juridical enclave†, in which regulation or taxation in the state is either partially or fully withheld (cited by Payne 627-628). While significant stress in the definition of the offshore falls on the territorial dimension, juridical properties is what really matters. Richard Woodward clarifies this view by the statement: â€Å"offshore is a legal as well as physical domain; where an activity takes place is secondary to the rules under which it takes place† (cited by Payne 628). Even though there are some slight variations in definitions, offshore finan cial centres have a set of common characteristics. The offshore financial centers can be characterized by the following attributes: minimal taxes or tax free; bank anonymity and secrecy laws at a high level, a high number of financial institutions, which serve mainly non-residents; flexibility of use of various company structures, the proportions of financial systems are exceeding needs of the domestic economy, light financial regulation (Levin 2), protection of the secrecy of transactions and few or no restrictions of financial transactions (Palan 155). The most successful OFCs are characterized also by stable economic and political climate, support from of a large international financial market, money laundering or drug money scandals free, availability of agreements for avoiding double-taxation with major countries, and are easily reached due to established information-exchange facilities (Palan 156). Referring back to the last item, many OFCs are developing laws and investing in telecommunications for attracting e-commerce providers (Levin 5). Obviously, telecommunications and IT is a very important factor that enables OFCs to respond to the needs of their customers and operatively react to external changes. Financial centres can be distinguished by many different ways. Thus, for example, International Monetary Fund (n.p.) has developed its own way of differentiation of the financial centers by splitting those into three categories: 1. International financial centres (IFCs) – are large internation

There are three topic in the file. choose one of them. thanks Essay

There are three topic in the file. choose one of them. thanks - Essay Example From the inception of patriarchal society, women’s labor has been carefully and systematically neglected and pushed to the background. It has never been acknowledged as pertinent to the main economic sources and centers of power. America, with its Puritan origins, strictly adhered to narrow gender roles, as religion dictated. The duties of women had been, traditionally, confined to the home and the hearth. They were the biblical ‘helpmates’, the passive caretaker of their children and their husband, while men were exalted as brave, noble and powerful in their ability to provide for and protect their women. In the 19th century, rapid industrialization produced a demand for cheap labor in America. Rural men who began to throng the busy cities in search of work seized this opportunity. Economy saw a shift from an agrarian mode to the dominance of waged labor. The vision of the earning man and the meek mother and wife – the ‘angel of the house’ - b ecame a cultural stereotype that was repeatedly reinforced through the literature and the politics of the day. However, the social climate was slowly changing. During the 1820s, women, especially young farm girls, began to participate in waged work as demand for labor rose. Women began to occupy a substantial position in the economic scheme of the newly industrialized nation. (Figart 1) The division between the spheres of the glorified male and degraded female labor saw a definite change in the 20th century United States. Emma Goldman, in her radically anarchist essay, champions the rights of worker, both male and female, over the state-issued exploitative policies of a greedy, capitalist society (Goldman). American Women Workers in the early 20th century As women became integrated within the larger economic network, the number of paid women workers began to increase. In the 20th century, for the first time in the history of the nation, women labor became an ‘established prese nce’ in the industrial set up. (Figart) However, while capitalist exploitation was a predominant evil of the American society, severe gender bias created an added problem for the female workers. In the early 20th century, they were still social and cultural stigmas associated with married women workers, unless they could provide evidence severe financial necessity. Furthermore, on the hand, the patriarchal order of society began to perceive threats in the increasing number of financially independent women who were now competing with men for their of the job market, since female labor cost less and were more easily exploitable. The women were not only victimized by their employers, economically and physically, but also by the larger society through marginalization and stigma. Racial and class divisions were crucial features of labor politics. When the viciousness of the First World War (1914-1918) took the men away from home, white, middle class women began to emerge from thei r sheltered existence and took on the novel role of the ‘breadwinner’. Previously, waged work was limited to the colored, poor or immigrant women. Now, with the inclusion of the educated middle women’s work, for the first time, gained an amount of prestige and social approval that

Chinese Indonesian People Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Indonesian People Discrimination - Essay Example As a 6-year-old girl, I remember feeling helpless as I saw my parents shaking when the mob was in the vicinity of our house. They tried to keep a watch on the movements of the mob through the radio and television fearing something would happen to our family if we did not keep a close vigil, while I sat dumbfounded, not knowing what to do and how to react. The most we could do was just sit and wait till the mob calmed down and stopped indulging in the kind of heinous activities that they were. Despite this entire situation, the reason behind the action was unclear because even though some said that it was because of genocide toward Chinese Indonesian who monopolized the economy in Indonesia, but no one knows the actual truth. However, fourteen years have passed since that nightmare, but discrimination is still a big problem in Indonesia. Even though the state is not as anarchist in nature, the hatred between these two ethnicities is still visible. They tend to make misconceptions about each other beforethey really look at each individual. This bad habit can be seen in almost all walks o life including both politics and education; discrimination is very deep rooted in Indonesia. Dealing with this kind of hatred becomes extremely difficult because people are not willing to live with one another and adjust to the other’s needs. Today, people need to understand that whatever war had to take place in the past is over for a reason that the struggle does not take place again in the present. Discrimination on the basis of an ethnic group is a very saddening thing that forces the minority to live in a powerless bubble.

Business Plan for Loan Approval Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Plan for Loan Approval - Assignment Example Falcon is likely to achieve 150 % of what its competitors are doing because of favourable location and other completive advantages. An initial market research finds that the firm would be able to achieve the 200% sales in the next 2 years from the date of commencement of business. At present there are three firms doing similar kind of business in the locality. But, all of them import from some other countries and pay high price for the goods imported. So the first and foremost key element of proposed firm's success is that MP3 players can be marketed at high margin where competitor have no market and at low price where they have market. Both strategies will result in high sales and income. Another key area to be focused upon to bring more sales is the introduction of innovative strategies. When the retailers are given special selling offers and discounts and long credit period to trustworthy customers, more sales can be brought in more turnovers and high profit. Similarly, human resources-the sales people- must be inspired and encouraged to market the product and make the product popular among the retailers. Last, but not least, management of finance must be given equal importance as any other resources. To start with the business takes partnership form of business with two partners of equal share. Accordingly, a partnership deed is created and the firm is registered as per the Partnership Act. It must be given in the partnership deed that both partners should take part in the business and have equal share in the profit earned and loss incurred by the firm. Once the firm achieves major share in the market, the firm is indented to be converted into a privately owned company with few more shares to be distributed among the relatives of the partners. After a few years of successful operation, the company will expand its operations to other markets with diversified products of similar nature. Then, the company will convert itself into a public owned company with limited liability to enjoy all the benefits of a Public Limited Company. 2.2 Start-up Plan The start-up plan begins with athree month start-up period (September to December, 2008). During this period the firm will give emphasis primarily on setting up an office premises and developing an efficient and effective marketing plan and resources including sales personnel. The start-up expenses include expenses associated with opening an office, legal expenses, initial marketing expenses and those associated with hiring people.A part of the initial expenses can be met with the legacy amount inherited from one of the partners' uncle. The rest of the expenses is intended to be met out of the loan sanctioned by a bank. The expansion expenses in future are financed from sales revenue. Initially, the firm is leasing a property in our local high street for which an amount of 200,000 pounds has to be given to purchase the leasehold of the property for ten years in addition to a monthly rent of 15,000 pounds. The following office equipments are necessary at

Analysis of A Phenomenological Investigation of Good Supervision Essay

Analysis of A Phenomenological Investigation of Good Supervision - Essay Example Through a phenomenological interview, the researchers were able to garner considerable results for the process of completion. According to the study of Worthen and McNeil, â€Å"phenomenological inquiry is very similar to the interviewing techniques central to the training of counseling psychologists† (p 120). As a result, the researchers of the study were able to find the most convenient source of understanding that lead to their formulation of the elements forming a â€Å"good† supervision event based on the gathered informations gained from the interview procedures handled by the researchers. (p.134) Likely, the problem of supervising issues among psychologists who practice the process of observing and understanding the situations of their clients is the main focus of this particular study. Upon interviewing the eight trainees who were observed to have been involved in examining the supervising procedures handled by their superiors upon clients that they needed to deal with at the time, it could be observed that â€Å"inquiry into the experience of supervision events is a natural methodological extension of researchers’ precious training experiences† (p. 120). Making important implications as to how their superiors handled the situation taught then various values that defined good supervision practices. Through the interpretation of Worthen and McNeil with regards the gained results from the said process adapted for the proving of the ideas suggested by the study that they are aiming to portray for better application in the field of psychological procedures. Several experts in their own field to be able to solve certain issues do researches and also to create possibilities in discovering or even inventing new things based from possibilities and probabilities of the things that exist in the society. Most likely, â€Å"research† as the word defines itself

Informal Fallacies Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informal Fallacies - Article Example The paper discusses the State of the Union address by the president of the United States, Barack Obama.   In this speech, President Obama said that America was facing a â€Å"Sputnik moment.† This was an interesting premise and one that was designed to gain the attention of millions of Americans, even those who did not remember what Sputnik was. The facts are as follows: Sputnik was a satellite sent into orbit by the Soviet Union. It was the first ever satellite and marked the dawn of the Space Age. Americans were shocked that the Soviet Union was able to beat them in this manner. They believed they were richer and more technologically advanced. Sputnik was a wake-up call. It encouraged America to innovate faster. They were eventually the first country to land a man on the moon. Obama suggests that America has fallen behind countries such as China in terms of economic growth and research. Obama argued that this is a new Sputnik moment that must spur America on.   This is t he fallacy of hasty generalization. It may sound like a persuasive argument but the premise that America in 2011 is like America in the 1950s is a false one, as is the notion that a clear goal such as landing a man on the moon is comparable to increasing economic activity and research. Sometimes nice sounding rhetoric is not effective. The truth is that it was not a concerted government effort that landed a man on the moon, it was the hard work of engineers dedicating themselves to a specific task.

Psychology Project Racism Essay Example for Free

Psychology Project Racism Essay Racism People see it every day across the world. A group of whites burn down a black , someone gets hurt or murdered from a racial insult, or fights break out at school or in public. These are the extremes of racism. Racism is definitely not a good thing; it’s a power that has taken over through the present daytime. What will the future bring for Racism? What are the main problems of racism? Can we get a hold on racism throughout the world or will we self-destruct in our own hate? Racism is everywhere, as much as today tries to hide it or say that we resolved it years ago. Racism is still all over the place. Definition of Racism: Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should remain apart from one another. Racism has existed throughout human history: It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, and place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. Prejudice: If someone is a racist they are of course, prejudiced. Prejudice is when someone doesn’t like someone else for the way they look.. It flies right over their heads schools, the workplace, our community, our friend’s  house, even our homes. Racist or prejudice jokes are not harmless and it is a reality today. Racist jokes are just the start of it. Many people think the jokes are funny. Maybe they are, but they still hurt the people the jokes are about. Superiority: Superiority is a big part of racism. Every race thinks that they are superior to other ,that they are the best . The power issue may make the difference, that’s one of the main reasons. Each race thinks they are a better race.. Therefore, they fight and create violence to justify who is the greater race. But the reality is, that it doesn’t matter who you are or what color you are. Forms of Racism: †¢Individual Racism takes the form of individual attitudes, beliefs, values and be haviors. Some examples of racist attitudes are racial prejudice, belittling, jealousy and bigotry. †¢Institutional or Systemic Racism takes the form of the practices, customs, rules and standards of organizations that unnecessarily disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. †¢Cultural Racism is the cultural values and standards that disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. . Bio-psycho-social-spiritual phenomenon of racism: Racism is the outward manifestation of an inward system. This system justifies power of position by placing a negative meaning and value on perceived or actual biological/cultural differences. This system gives biological differences, such as skin color, texture of the hair, physical features; or cultural differences, such as language, religion, ethnicity, or accent, a negative value and meaning. In real they are merely biological or cultural necessities. Thus, there is nothing wrong with the color black, brown or yellow. It is not skin color that forms the basis for discrimination, but the negative meaning and value given to the color of skin. Color is neutral; it is the mind that gives it meaning. Neither are women discriminated against because of their gender. If gender were the problem then the solution would also be to have a sex-change operation. But the problem is not gender but value systems.. Women are discriminated against because of the negative meaning and value given to their gender. How one defines a situation depends on how one perceives it. That’s the psycho pattern. The meaning that  people therefore give to their reality, whether or not true, causes people to behave in a manner that makes the original meaning actually come true. The interpretive meaning called perception.. The same goes with the spiritual dimension, the fourth factor. In order to justify such evil use of power, people will appeal to those moral systems which give them a sense of meaning, rightness, and ultimate value in life, their ideological belief systems, which serve as the highest authority in their lives, the moral basis of their existence. Like this the bio-psycho-social-spiritual framework works -and how it shapes our world. Common factors of Racism: †¢Color: Prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color †¢Religion: Religious discrimination involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. Religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs. †¢Gender: Granting or denying rights or privileges to a person based on their gender. No Boundaries: Victims and perpetrators of racial prejudice are not confined to any period in history, place, skin color, income group or other boundary. No one is immune! But the images we associate with the term racism depend largely on the part of the world in which we live. For instance, in different countries most commonly think of tension between whites and blacks, or increasingly, Hispanics and blacks or whites. Further back, though, other forms existed. Racism –different countries: Racism world-wide is manifested in every continent. In Europe, extreme racist groups have gained more and more acceptability in countries like France, Germany, and Austria. In Australia, the Aborigines have lost much of their land and have been the victim of extreme prejudice. Not only has Apartheid legalized separation been practiced in Australia, it has been a well-publicized condition in South Africa. Many African countries have endured long-term civil wars, some beginning shortly after that nation’s freedom from former colonial  countries. In Asia, Cambodians harbor extreme prejudices against the Vietnamese, and Chinese students have been forbidden access to higher education in Malaysia. In the Middle East, antagonism between the Israelis and the Palestinians continues to exist. Racism in Pakistan: In Pakistan people do face problem regarding racism and its done on the following bases. †¢Socio economic status †¢Gender †¢Color †¢Religion †¢Cast †¢Provincial Causes of racism: Major causes of racism common in all societies are: †¢Lack of self love †¢feeling of unworthiness †¢desire to feel superior †¢Fear of loss and displacement †¢lack of understanding †¢false perceptions †¢Ignorance, †¢Xenophobia †¢Brainwashing †¢ upbringing, †¢negative experiences with individuals of a given race, †¢negative images portrayed in media and societal stereotypes, †¢hate †¢ lack of education, †¢distorted thinking †¢ fear †¢Selfishness †¢Environmental Factors Effects of racism: It is said that â€Å" Racism always breaks a country and spoils a society.† The effects that are commonly observed are: †¢Self hate †¢ Suicide †¢Self harm issues †¢Eating disorders †¢Fear of going to school/public places (agoraphobia) †¢Bullying †¢Knife and gun crime †¢Panic attacks †¢Violence †¢hate crimes †¢inequality †¢inhumanity †¢intolerance †¢trade imbalance †¢depression †¢self loathing Racism and future: Today we are living in a load of social issues that we have to deal with and racism is one of them. People blame their faults and disappointments against society and the whole race in which they live in. but anyone can do good or excel if they put their mind to it. The future, when you hear the word – Racism you start to think about advancing our technology and furthering science. You think of exploring new boundaries and seeing new places. A better world, but a worse world is what we see. The technology may improve as we go deeper into the next century, but what about the children of today that are responsible for the future? Right now, we are only hurting ourselves with racism and hate. We have taken many steps in controlling this disease, but like most diseases, they spread. Does God do favoritism? God is the  Creator of all the races—yellow, black and white (with brown and red). Each has strengths and gifts as well as weaknesses. For our better future it is important to finish this discrimination. If He has created everyone equally then who are we to judge? Who are we to complain? Who are we to discriminate? We being a Muslim, how can we do such a thing? Our religion has a clear concept about equality. It’s clearly written in the Holy book that no one is superior to another. Our God has created everyone equally. Its His choice how and what He do†¦ What Can We Do? â€Å"Racism isnt born, its taugh† Where there is a problem, there is a solution. The only solution that seems to be found is to stop the hate. Dr. Martin Luther King said: â€Å"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.† He had a dream.Its up to us that how and what we make a world without racism†¦. Changes: self-awareness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Reengineering our attitudes about race means that we must examine ourselves. †¢Closely examine your values and beliefs; why do you think, believe, and behave toward others as you do. †¢Remember, one of the bases of prejudice is ignorance. Try not to ignore but to know other. †¢Measure your words carefully before you speak to others. †¢Try to be a human first . Society is formed by us †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.society changes can be . †¢Do not tolerate prejudiced people, prejudiced talk, or racist action. †¢Give good literature, recommend films, lectures, meetings to your friends and family. †¢Write letters to newspapers, magazines, and TV sponsors giving your opinion on statements and actions that demean people. †¢Organize a cleanup or rebuilding campaign †¢Make an effort to support minority cultural events †¢ Make an effort to teach the value of equality and tolerance For Institutions-Effecting Change: †¢For institutions to change, their culture, vision, values, and ideology must change. All policies must be based around a single ideology. †¢Examine an institutions deep belief and value systems †¢Hold training seminars in intercultural competence: †¢self-acceptance. †¢Put people to work and interact in interracial learning teams so as to develop positive attitudes and cross-ethnic friendships. †¢Make a commitment and act on it! Things You Can Do in the Schools: This can be done in a school or university setting. †¢sponsor panel discussions †¢awareness activities †¢cultural †¢projects that will promote cultural understanding and inclusiveness. †¢anti-racism education in your schools curriculum †¢events relating to a variety of cultures.. †¢Example: The Book of Dreams To sum it up: Figuring out what to do about the ugly reality of racism in our communities presents a difficult challenge. There is no single or easy set of instructions that will eliminate racism once and for all. Instead, it is something we must continually work against choosing the strategies and actions that will be most effective in our own individual communities. In this resource, weve suggested such strategies and actions, and shown examples of how many of them have been put into practice in real communities. When you start deciding how to reduce racism in your own community, feel free to use any of these ideas, but also feel free to be creative and come up with your own solutions as well. Remember: â€Å"Rainbows arent just one color. Theyre every single color. Be a rainbow. Enjoy all of the colors in the world.†

Critical Analysis of Organisational Change Development and Management

Critical Analysis of Organisational Change Development and Management INTRODUCTION Sometime in the 5th century BC, Heraclitus of Ephesus philosophised the only constant is change. (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heraclitus). All organisations go through change as they develop and evolve, whether to success or to failure. This essay will look at two companies as they go they go through change, planned and unplanned, their approach and the extent to which they succeeded and applying organisation development and change theory to these two case studies. Organisational change is a recurring theme in the study of organisational development there are several factors, internally and externally, that will influence the development of the organisation, initiating a change which may, or may not, lead to success and sustainability. How the change is implemented is essential to its success as it often impacts one, if not all, areas of the organisation. Early change management theorists include: Kurt Lewin (1951). Doug Stace and Dexter Dunphy (2001) identify organisations which they describe as prudent mechanistics, which retain traditional structures, avoid the organisational fashion show, and perform well. (Buchanen, p566). Harold Leavitt (2003) argues that, while rigid beaurocratic structures encourage authoritarianism, distrust, dishonest, territoriality, toadying, and fear, they also provide ways of handling complexity, give us structure and predictability, and offer psychological rewards by fulfilling needs for order and security. It is argued that the study of change is paradoxical (Buchanan, 565) as the reasons for organisational change are many and complex and because change is a process not a static moment in time, hence can be only understood in relation to continuity. Not all change needs to be deep change it can be a fine tuning to an appropriate response. Transformational change of the Australian Defence Force. The companies were chosen because other their organisational similarities. Company A Company B Similarities Large > 20,000 Reactive International Public Sector Strong corporate culture Founded 1921 Large >20,000 Reactive International Public Sector Strong corporate culture Founded 1922 Differences Australia 90s Organisational structure Approach to change England 00s Organisational structure Approach to change Scope: PESTEL Organisational behaviour terrain. Study this at the organisational level. This essay is not going to examine the group or individual level. Australia has maintained military forces since federation as a nation in January 1901. Upon Federation, the Australian Government established the  Australian Army  and Commonwealth Naval Force. In 1909, the Government established the  Royal Australian Navy, which absorbed the Commonwealth Naval Force. The Army established the Australian Flying Corps in 1912 although this separated to form the  Royal Australian Air Force  in 1921. The services were not linked by a single chain of command, as they each reported to their own separate Minister and had separate administrative arrangements. The three services saw action around the world during  World War I  and  World War II. The importance of  joint warfare  was made clear to the Australian Military during World War II when Australian naval, ground and air units frequently served as part of single commands. Following the war, several senior officers lobbied for the appointment of a  commander in chief  of the three services. The government rejected this proposal and the three services remained fully independent.[13]  The absence of a central authority resulted in poor coordination between the services with each service organising and operating on the basis of a different  military doctrine.[14] The need for an integrated command structured received more emphasis during  the Australian militarys experiences in the Vietnam War.[14]  In 1973, the Secretary of the  Department of Defence,  Arthur Tange, submitted a report to the  Government  that recommended the unification of the separate departments supporting each service into a single Department of Defence and the creation of the post of Chief of the Defence Force Staff. The government accepted these recommendations and the Australian Defence Force was established on 9 February 1976.[15] The  British Broadcasting Corporation  (BBC) is the principal  public service broadcaster  in the United Kingdom. It is the largest broadcaster in the world with about 23,000 staff.[1][2][3]  Its global headquarters are located in London, and its main responsibility is to provide  public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom,  Channel Islands  and  Isle of Man. The BBC is an autonomous public service broadcaster[3]  that operates under a  Royal Charter.[4]  Within the United Kingdom its work is funded principally by an annual  television licence fee,[5]  which is charged to all United Kingdom households, companies and organisations using any type of equipment to record and/or receive live television broadcasts;[6]  the level of the fee is set annually by the  British Government  and agreed by  Parliament.[7] he BBC was the worlds first national broadcasting organisation[8]  and was founded on 18 October 1922 as the  British Broadcasting Co mpany Ltd. The original company was founded in 1922[9]  by a group of six telecommunications companies-Marconi, Radio Communication Company,  Metropolitan-Vickers,  General Electric,  Western Electric, and  British Thomson-Houston[10]-to broadcast experimental radio services. The first transmission was on 14 November of that year, from station  2LO, located at Marconi House, London.[11] Outside the UK, the  BBC World Service  has provided services by direct broadcasting and re-transmission contracts by sound radio since the inauguration of the BBC Empire Service in December 1932, and more recently by television and online. Though sharing some of the facilities of the domestic services, particularly for news and current affairs output, the World Service has a separate Managing Director, and its operating costs are funded mainly by direct grants from the UK government. These grants are determined independently of the domestic licence fee. How do organisations change why do they change. How change is implemented, their impact and their success factors? Two organisations will be compared and contrasted against the various theories, their similarities being that they are both large and complex organisations whose purpose is to serve the public. Initition What are the triggers for change? Why did the organisation have to change. Organisational life cycle (Greiner L) Mintzberg types of change possible step change (company 1) Elements of change : Whipp, Rosenfeld and Pellige The Change Kaleidescope Bolgrum, Barly Whitepaper 1986 Organisational behaviour terrain. Types of change planned and unplanned Strategy Safari Punctuated equilibrium Organisational structure Cultural Era Implementation Strategic Elements of change (Whipp) Levels of change Change Kaleidescope Factors faciliting change Levels of change Wilson, D Forces for change, Lewin K (disagree in co1 cas but potentially for co 2) Total quality management nstep process : c1 y c2 elements of Resistance to change bellelan co1 n long terms, c2 yes short-term bursts Managing resistance : Kotter Co1 yes, co2 no The coping cycle Kublar-Rosser co2 yes ; n/a to company 1 Factors facilitating change Yes co1 2 but co2 fainlied in mid-implementation Unless structure follows strategy, inefficiency results. (Chandler 1962: 314) Impact Contingency approaches Dunphy and Stacy : Yes can be applied to both Effectiveness of change strategy The change kaleidoscope (culture leadership) Time Preservation Capability Scope diversity Organisational structure- tie into first part (initiation) Organisational culture- tie into first part (initiation) Efficiency Resistance 5 types of organisational structure : Mintzberg Divisional Form, mechanistic 1982 : Peters and Waterman in search of excellence Mckinney 7 steps Elements of change context : Economic Political ? Organisational effiveness/ development maturity? Transformational Political and economic forces Restructure of organisation Culture Organisational design IT communciation Conclusion: Bluprint for change One must consider the culture re: effectiveness and how deep it is to go Contigiency Approach Lawrence and lorsh structure depends on factors from the environment. Contingencey Theories : imprecise specification of factors such as environment Ashridge leadership and management BPR radical decentralisation BBC petal. The management of innovation burns stalk mechanistic Æ’Â   organic The Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) has an enduring strategic priority is to keep Australia and the Australian people safe from attack or the threat of attack, and from economic or political coercion. To meet this requirement, the Defence Department employs a full time workforce of over 92,000 personnel consisting of both uniformed Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and civilian Australian Public Service (APS) personnel. The Defence Environmental Scan 2025, identified that the Defence Organisations workforce consists of an ADF with 50,600 full time members and 20,600 Defence Public Servants. In addition, the ADF has 21,000 Active Reserve members.2 2. As a whole, the Defence workforce is responsible for delivering the range of defence outcomes required by Government. While the military and civilian components of the Defence Organisation are required to contribute collectively to the achievement of these Government objectives, the management of the Defence workforce is currently stovepiped along ADF and APS lines, with limited consideration of the workforce as a total resource. Scope. This essay will examine the theories current Defence workforce structure across the ADF and APS. It will consider the potential disadvantages of the current stovepiped separation of ADF and APS personnel management, and examine the merits of moving towards an integrated and total Defence workforce. It will explore the potential benefits of increasing the number of contested positions available to ADF and APS members, particularly in middle and senior management. ONE DEPARTMENT TWO WORKFORCE COMPONENTS Experience and Opportunity 7. The Department of Defence is consistently praised for its success in the planning and conduct of military operations, while also being criticised for failings in its corporate and strategic management. This somewhat paradoxical situation is in part a result of the Defence Departments personnel management processes, where on one hand significant effort and resources are applied to ensure that ADF personnel are adequately educated, trained and prepared for roles they are likely to undertake within the Defence Organisation, while within the APS, individuals are expected to undertake any task without subject matter expertise or professional qualification.6 8. The structured and formalised ADF approach underpins a culture where the importance of experience and professional development are valued and built into career pathways. The APS personnel management approach is not supported by the appropriate personnel structures or management mechanisms required to enable this development. While ADF senior commanders understand and expect ADF personnel to be released from mainstream responsibilities at certain times during their career to meet professional development milestones, the APS management framework does not offer senior managers this flexibility. The APS workforce structure provides limited ability to backfill APS staff undertaking formalised professional development and as such, it is very difficult for senior APS managers to release personnel for extended periods professional development and education. 9. The lack of opportunities for professional development in the APS is compounded by the relative inexperience of the APS workforce when compared to their ADF counterparts. This inexperience has been exacerbated by the accelerated promotion of individuals in recent years as a byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ product of the rapid growth in civilian numbers.7 A comparison of the relative experience levels of senior and middle management in the Defence Organisation shows that 27 %of all APS Senior Executive Service (SES) staff are under the age of 45 and 26 %of Executive Level 2 (EL 2) staff are below the age of 40.8 For ADF members, the minimum period of commissioned service for promotion to one star rank is approximately 23 years, with a minimum of 20 years service required before being eligible for promotion to colonel equivalent rank. The accelerated progression to middle and senior management in the APS limits the time and opportunity for staff to pursue professional development and education for civilian personnel is very much an exception rather than a rule. A TOTAL AND INTEGRATED WORKFORCE Workforce Integration 11. The Chief of the Defence Force and Secretary are currently focussed on moving the Defence Departments people management in a more strategic direction so we [Defence] can better recruit and retain the talent we need to meet the security challenges of the future.11 To meet these challenges, the Defence Department will require a people management framework that draws together the capabilities of the current personnel resources available to the Department more effectively. Key to this approach is breaking down the culture of stovepiped management of ADF and APS personnel. A move to a more integrated workforce management framework, that selects the most experienced and qualified candidate from across the Defence Organisation for particular appointments, would provide significant benefits to the Department. 12. While acknowledging that certain areas of the Defence business requires a degree of specialisation, particularly in the ADF for the planning and conduct of operations and the APS in the delivery of specialist services, there is a great deal of scope for a more integrated approach to personnel management across large sectors of the Department. This is particularly the case across middle and senior management within the Department at the EL 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ lieutenant colonel (05) equivalent level and above, where the requirement for specialisation is often not as important as a sound knowledge of the broader functioning of Defence. 14. In relation to the ADF, an integrated workforce would significantly improve the capacity of the Defence Organisation to better leverage the experience and skills of ADF members. ADF members detailed knowledge and skills gained through experience in a variety of operational and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ operational appointments, and structured professional development, can be applied in a range of areas within Defence. For ADF members, an integrated approach would provide increased career opportunities for the large majority of ADF officers who currently find themselves with limited options midà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ career. Achieving Improved Effectiveness and Efficiency 15. An integrated personnel management framework and the corresponding improvement in experience and professional development across middle management within the Department would provide considerable scope and opportunity for senior management to consider delegating additional responsibility to a more capable middle management group. This would assist in focussing the decision space of senior management on the strategic direction of the Defence Organisation as opposed to the more routine issues currently consuming their limited time. The empowerment of middle management would also provide increased job satisfaction, leading to improved productivity and retention. This is a significant benefit in an environment where the Defence Organisation is aggressively competing to recruit and retain the best. 16. The introduction of an integrated workforce will require cultural change within both the ADF and APS. There will need to be an acceptance that the lines of accountability for personnel issues to the Secretary for APS members and CDF for ADF personnel will become less clear. The personnel management framework will need to move away from a differing model for the APS and ADF to a more integrated management system, particularly in the area of middle and senior management. The recent appointment of a human resource management professional into the role of Deputy Secretary People Strategies and Policy, provides a real opportunity to realign personnel management across Defence. 17. To assist in this process, a review of all middle and senior management positions from EL 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 05 equivalent and above is required. The review should focus on identifying which positions are suitable to be classified as contestable between APS and ADF members. With an understanding of the nature and scale of these contestable positions, an overarching management structure that incorporates both APS and ADF senior and middle managers can be developed. This overarching approach requires Defence senior and middle management personnel to be centrally managed to best meet Defenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ wide requirements. For this approach to be successful, the Departments personnel numbers would need to be managed in a more flexible manner, with a move away from separate ADF and APS caps, towards an overarching cap on total Defence employees. 18. There are many examples within industry and other Government agencies where personnel with diverse skills and backgrounds are managed as a total resource. Studies of these approaches would be of benefit when developing a revised framework for the Defence Organisation. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has addressed these issues very effectively and achieved a wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ integrated workforce incorporating both sworn and unsworn officers. Defence should consider using the AFP experience as a case study on how to integrate differing elements into a total workforce. CONCLUSION (Substantial conclusions are drawn about the implications of the analysis for theory and practice) 19. The Defence Department can no longer afford a stovepiped approach to workforce management and must move towards greater integration between the ADF and APS components where the total personnel resources of the Department can be applied to achieve best affect. A move to a more integrated workforce, particularly in the areas of middle and senior management would have significant benefits for the individual APS and ADF members and the Department as a whole. It would provide opportunities to build mechanisms and flexibility into APS personnel management to enable increased professional development and enhanced experience levels. This will improve the job satisfaction and overall employability of APS members both within the Defence Department and the wider APS. For ADF members, greater workforce integration will provide improved career opportunities for the majority of experienced and qualified personnel who, under the current construct have limited career options once they reach the mid career point. This will have significant benefit for ADF retention. 20. A more integrated workforce would provide a framework that ensures the most qualified and experienced personnel from across the entire Department are identified for appointments at the middle and senior management level. Increased integrated can only improve overall workforce effectiveness and efficiency as the Defence Organisation confronts the complex security challenges of the future. RECOMMENDATIONS (Detailed, relevant and considered recommendations for practice are offered).In developing a total and integrated Defence workforce the following is recommended: TQM-What Is It?   If you are reading this book, it is likely that you already know what we mean when we use the term Total Quality Management. Still, its a good idea to define the term, and provide a brief overview.   Certainly TQM can be defined in a number of ways, and the details of different approaches can vary somewhat. However, a good starting definition, drawn from Capezio Morehouse is:   Total Quality management refers to a management process and set of disciplines that are coordinated to ensure that the organization consistently meets and exceeds customer requirements. TQM engages all divisions, departments and levels of the organization. Top management organizes all of its strategy and operations around customer needs and develops a culture with high employee participation. TQM companies are focused on the systematic management of data of all processes and practices to eliminate waste and pursue continuous improvement.    Perhaps a better way of understanding TQM is to compare a TQM organization with what we might call a traditional organizations. tets look at a number of differences.   1. Customer-Driven vs. Company-Driven   Traditional organizations tend to make their decisions based on what is most convenient for them, rather than what is wanted and expected by their customers. Being customer-based means gatf7ering information from customers/clients and modifying services and processes to meet those needs as well as possible. In government, this is not always easy, due to the conflicting responsibilities of a department, and the multiple customers/stakeholders involved in government situations. However, in many cases moving to a customer-driven organization can yield many positive results for government departments.   2. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation   Traditional organizations tend to think and plan with respect to short term outcomes, white TQM organizations tend to think in much larger time spans. A typical example might be that a TQM organization would look at downsizing as having effects over a decade or two, while a traditional organization would look only at the immediate budgetary issues, letting future chips fall where they may.   Also, successful TQM organizations make a long term commitment to the principles of TQM, rather than looking at TQM as a program; something with a beginning and end. This means patience.     3. Data-Driven vs. Opinion-Driven   Traditional organizations tend to be managed by gut feel, or by opinion. They guess at what their customers want, and guess at the costs of waste, etc. TQM organizations base their decisions on data they collect; on customer needs, on waste, on costs, and on the sources of problems. While judgment is always involved in any decision, TQM organizations begin with the data, not with the solution.   4. Elimination of Waste vs. Tolerance of Waste   Most organizations operate with a high degree of waste and inefficiency. Traditional organizations consider waste, whether it be in time, materials, etc, as a normal part of their operation. TQM organizations are very active in identifying wasteful activities, and eliminating them.   5. Continuous Improvement vs, Fire Fighting   Traditional organizations tend to address problems with the way they do things only when there is a major problem or crisis. The watchword in traditional organizations is: if it aint broke, dont fix it, except that often it IS broke, but nobody is paying any attention .   TQM organizations are always looking for improvement, and are constantly engaged in problem-solving to make things better.   6. Prevention vs, Inspection   Traditional organizations tend to fix problems after the fact. Rather than trying to prevent problems, they catch them after the fact, which is very costly. TQM organizations work to prevent problems and errors, rather than simply fixing them.   7. Cross-Function Teams vs. Fortressed Departments   Traditional organizations tend to have sub-units that work autonomously and with little communication or involvement with other units. For example, personnel may have only limited interaction with other departments. Or, on a local level, administrative staff may have little communication with other staff in a government branch, and have a different reporting structure.   In TQM organizations, there is more use of cross-functional teams; teams convened for a particular purpose or purposes, with representation from a number of units or levels in the organization. The use of cross-functional teams means that input is gained from parts of the organization that need to be involved.   8. High Employee Participation vs. Top-Down Hierarchy   Traditional organizations tend to have very restricted communication and decision- making patterns. Employees are told what to do, rather than being inctuded in figuring out what to do. Information tends to flow from top to bottom.   In TQM organizations, employees are much more actively involved in both the decision-making and communication processes. Information flows both top to bottom and bottom to top. For that matter, information also flows sideways.   9. Problem-Solving vs, Blame   Traditional organizations tend to look to affix blame for things that go wrong. TQM organizations attack the problems in their organizations rather than the people. They fix things.   10. Systems Thinking Vs. Isolation   Traditiona~ organizations tend to see the parts and processes of their organization as single things, unretated to other part of the organization. TQM organizations tend to recognize that most often, probtems arise as a result of multiple causes, and that sub- units are interdependent. TQM organizations tend to see problems as a result of the entire system.   11. Leadership vs. Management   Traditional organizations tend to see people as objects to be managed; told what to do, disciplined, tracked, etc. TQM organizations exhibit more confidence in staff and more trust, and expect MORE from them, not less.   Thats a good starting point. There are probably a number of other comparisons to be made, but that gives us some common ground for discussion.   The Three Quality Gurus   While TQM may seem to be a new development to many, it has been around since the 1940s. One of the reasons why TQM seems to be the newest fad was that it was not embraced by North Americans, but it did find a home in post-WWII Japan.   The most well-known advocate of TQM was W. Edwards Deming, a statistician who, while largely ignored in North America, was actively involved in the 40 in the rebuilding of Japan. Deming passed away recently, and was in his 90s.   Two other gurus are Philip Crosby and Joseph Juran. Both are a bit younger than Deming, but have been influential in the field. It is worthy of note that the three gurus do not always agree, probably due to differences in terms of what each thinks is important, rather than in basic principles.   For those interested in learning more about TQM, it might be a good idea to read material from each of these experts.   TQM As Organizational Change Overview Moving to TQM is like any other organizational change. It must be managed effectively, and leaders of the change must take into account aspects of the organizations current culture. In fact, although TQM brings a number of benefits to those in the organization, you can expect some people to be cynical and resistant to change. Lets face it. Everyone in government has seen management fads come and go. Thankfully, a well managed TQM organizational change is likely to bring most if not all people on side over time. Organizational Change Principles 1) Time Any change (and its attached benefits) will take longer to realize than you expect. Typically, it may take as long as two or three years to have TQM working at its peak. 2 Resistance Regardless of the objective nature of the change, some (even many) people will resist it because it is unfamiliar. TQM must be introduced so that it maximizes peoples enthusiasm and minimizes resistance. 3. Leadership Any change will succeed or fail based on the ability of the change leaders to lead. People will take their cues about TQM from the management. If management show that they are committed, employees will become so. If management waffles, hedges, and backs off, then employees will see this as just more rhetoric of little importance. 4. Persistence Nobody is telling you that this process is easy. The worst thing a manager can do is start the process, and when it gets difficult, stop it. That breeds contempt for both the process and the manager. Managers need to commit over the long haul and realize they must be persistent while the rest of the organizations works at getting it. 5. Consistency The primary mistake managers make is that they become inconsistent. Perhaps most of the time, their thinking and actions reflect the principles of TQM. However, not all the time. This tells employees that the manager is not serious. As soon as a manager suggests that a poor product or service be delivered, the game is up. Instant lack of credibility. Consistency also means including employees in the planning of TQM activities, treating employees as the managers customers, and a number of other things. 6.Incentive People will embrace changes that they see are in their own self-interest. When presenting or deal ing with TQM changes it is important that managers highlight and focus on the benefits to the other people in tt7e organization. 7. Communication Change will be accepted or rejected based on the effectiveness of the communication about it. Communication must be frequent, of a two-way nature, and balanced (both positives and negatives). It must begin as early as possible in the process. http://work911.com/articles/tqm2.htm accessed 23102010 Impact Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed; the culture reflects the realities of people working together every day. Frances Hesselbein The Key to Cultural Transformation, Leader to Leader (Spring 1999) Implementation Ten years ago, Peter Senge introduced the idea of the learning organization Now he says that for big companies to change, we need to stop thinking like mechanics and to start acting like gardeners. Alan M. Webber, Learning for a Change Vision without action is merely a dream Action without vision just passes the time Vision with action can change the world Joel A. Barker The Power of Vision In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy. J. Paul Getty Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. Confucius

The advantages and disadvantages of internet marketing

The advantages and disadvantages of internet marketing Our Company, Houston Incorporated has decided to expand into online sales. The goal is to continue to sell our products in the retail stores located throughout the United States but also establish a presence on the World Wide Web. Your company has recently decided to expand into online sales. The company wishes to continue to sell its products in the retail stores located throughout the United States opportunities available for retail sales and provide a report to your manager which includes the advantages and disadvantages if marketing online, As Marketing Manager, I was tasked to research online marketing opportunities available for retail sales. This report outlines the advantages and disadvantages of internet marketing, the potential impact of online sales to the company, and the requirements for a successful online marketing campaign. Marketing and selling goods online electronically is made possible by software programs that execute the main functions of an e-commerce application. This soft enables product display, online ordering, and online processing. Online marketing encompasses both e-business and e-commerce. E-commerce typical refers to transactions involving the exchange of money such as selling products to customers. E-business is a broader term that includes providing customers with descriptions and specifications for a given product. Online marketing offer many advantages as this report shall show. Having a presence on the World Wide Web offers the opportunity to reach customers not only on a national level but globally. Doing business 7 day a week and 24 hours a day is a reality with online marketing. The gathering and analysis of information gather via online marketing is possible. This information can be used to improve marketing strategies both online and in traditional retail segment. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Increase sales, increased brand recognition coupled with the low cost of operating online leads to increase revenue. These are only a few of the overall impact of online marketing. Executing a comprehensive online marketing plan encompasses virtually the same processes and procedures as traditional marketing. It also requires the establishment of a web site for product display, online ordering, and online payment systems to process payments. The decision to expand into online sales is justified by this research. Expansion into online sales is a much more cost effective mean of growing the company. The recommended model is integration of the traditional retail segment with the new online arm. This is in opposition to establishing a purely online business. The current marketing strategies can be modified to include the online segment and used to promote the website. Introduction The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow. That quote was attributed to Bill Gates, Cofounder of Microsoft. Tomorrow has come and according to an article on Reuters website, Online retail sales in the United States could reach $248.7 billion by 2014, growing 60 percent from 2009. As Marketing Manager, my job is to do market research and develop market strategies. This report will outline the advantages and disadvantages if marketing online, the advantages and disadvantages if marketing online, the potential impact of online sales to the company, and the requirements for a successful online marketing campaign. The goal of online marketing, similar to traditional marketing, is to communicate and provide value to the customer and manage relationships with customers that benefit the company and stakeholders. Online marketing encompasses both e-business and e-commerce. E-commerces typical refers to transactions involving the exchange of money such as selling products to customers. E-business is a broader term that includes providing customers with descriptions and specifications for a given product. Marketing and selling goods online electronically is made possible by software programs that execute the main functions of an e-commerce application. This soft enables product display, online ordering, and online payment processing. The advantages of online marketing, including the ability to reach a larger market, far outweigh the disadvantages. Online selling tends to be very competitive and may necessitate lower pricing. This is one of the few disadvantages. Establishment of a globally presence and increased sales are ways that the company can be impacted. However, having an internet presence does not guarantee success. It requires a comprehensive marketing strategy aimed at attracting new customers to our website. Online marketing has its own process and tools that contribute to the achievement of marketing goals and objectives. . Research Findings Advantages: Similar to traditional business, online marketing presents many advantages and disadvantages. However, the advantages of online marketing significantly outweigh its disadvantages. Online marketing can expand the geographic reach of the company by accessing customers in markets where the company does not have a physical presence. In the ecommerce world, doing business around the globe, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day is a reality. (Hossein Bidgoli, 2002) Online Marketing or e-commerce creates the ability to sell virtually any product that can be sold in a traditional retail environment. Nights, weekends, holidays, and time zones are no barriers to e-commerce. Online marketing can also reach customers that for various reasons can not personally visit a traditional retail store. Another advantage of e-commerce is the ability to gather additional information about the customer via tools such as cookies, email, and online surveys. This information can be used to personalize marketing effort s in a way that can lead to higher trade volumes. E-commerce also provides increased flexibility for customers. Customers can make purchases without having to leave the comfort of their homes. The customer does not have to deal with the hassle of parking or the worry of losing contact with their small children presented by traditional retail methods. Shopping tasks can be accomplished from the safety of their homes with a few clicks of a mouse. Of course, increased sales are the first thing people thing about when they consider online market. Market research shows that online sales are trending up despite the current depressed retail market. . Revenue generated by online businesses and the online part of traditional retail businesses exceed $96 billion in 2006, up from $86 billion in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. An added advantage of online marketing is decreased cost. Traditional retail businesses have overhead costs that associated with online marketing. These includ e utilities, insurance, store lease, and labor. Lower overhead cost generally result in lower overall cost and increased revenue. Therefore, online expansion will give the company a globally presence at a relative low cost. Disadvantages: Online shopping is not attractive to all consumers. They cite the loss of social contact experienced when shopping with others. While many researchers do not see any fundamental differences between the traditional and online buying behavior, it is often argued that a new step has been added to the online buying process: the step of building trust or confidence. (Constantinides, 2004) Many consumers are concerned with the privacy and security issues associated with doing business online. Almost 95% of Web users have declined to provide personal information to Web sites at one time or another when asked. (Otto Chung, 2000) Credit card fraud, unwanted solicitations, and use of their information for other than its intended purpose are a few of the reasons cited. The difficulty in attracting customers is another disadvantage to online marketing. That, coupled with increased competition due to the ease of comparative shopping greatly decreases the attractiveness of online marketing. Onlin e consumers can quickly access information from other online businesses and make better decisions. In fact, some websites are designed solely for that purpose. Therefore, online pricing is very competitive. Additionally, online marketing does not afford the consumers the luxury of examining and getting a feel for the quality and fit of merchandise sold online and generally require the seller to have liberal return and refund policies. The lack of after sales service is another concern of online shoppers. Time also is a problem with online marketing in that consumers are not able to take immediate possession of their purchases and are faced with added expense for faster delivery. Potential impact of online sales to the company: The greatest impact to the company may be the establishment of a globally presence. This means company growth at relative low cost. . Online marketing does not require the overhead cost associated with maintaining a brick and mortar store. This results in lower cost, increased efficiency and greater profit margin. Another potential impact, online sales increases in-store sales. Having an online presence leads to increased brand recognition and consequently leads to increased in-store sales. Conversely, not having an online presence means loss of potential valuable customers. Online marketing creates the opportunity to interact with customers. Exchange of information facilitates product and process improvement and can lead to greater customer satisfaction. It also allows for greater flexibility in that website information such as price, product availability, and promotion can be readily adjusted in response to market conditions. Information gathered via online sales information can be used when considering future expansion of the traditional retail operations. Requirements for a successful online marketing campaign Developing a successful online marketing campaign comprises most of the same processes and procedures used in traditional marketing. The company will need to establish goals, objectives, strategies and tactics much like traditional marketing. Likewise, market research is required. When formulating objectives, strategies, and tactics for online marketing product display it is imperative that such customers requirements as ease of use, quick access to product information, and effective distribution networks including order tracking for transparency is addressed. Understanding consumers motivations and limitations to shop online are major consideration in making adequate strategic, technological, and marketing decisions. (Monsuwe, Dellaert, De Ruyter, 2004) This is part of identifying your target audience and determining how to reach it, a very critical step. To attract customers, firms need to offer dynamic content, keep their sites fresh, and to install security devices to protect th eir customers privacy and interests. (Wei, Moreau, Jennings, 2005) Customer retention should also be included in any successful online marketing strategy. Retaining online customers depends on the overall experience when visiting a website, which includes factors such as perceived value and trust (Pitta, Franzak, Fowler, 2006; Wang Head, 2007). In addition, every online business must be able to accept online payment. Customers need a level of confidence with your website and business when making on line payment. Integration between the e-business arm and the traditional business segments helps to promote confidence. (Gay, Charlesworth, Esen, 2007) The reputation of the tradition retail environment can be extended to e-commerce. Likewise, an online presence enhanced the marketability of the traditional business. Traditional firms can adopt a range of strategies to combine offline and online market channels to derive synergies. For example Barnes and Nobles e-business model overla ps its traditional brick and mortal business model. Regardless of whether the merchandise is sold online or in a physical retail outlet, the warehousing operation is the same. (Rich, 2008) Retail companies should also integrate offline and online operations such as allowing customers to order online for pickup at stores. (Steinfield, Adelaar, Liu, 2005) Lastly, print and word of mouth advertisement will be needed to attract customers to the web site. Recommendations Based on research data, the company should expand into the online sales arena by creating an ecommerce arm of our traditional retail operation. Expansion into online sales is a much more cost effective mean of growing the company. The recommended model is integration of the traditional retail segment with the new online arm. This is in opposition to establishing a purely online business. Analysis suggests that firms should tailor their e-commerce approaches to improve service to existing customers in addition to pursuing new customers and markets. (Adelaar, Bouwman, Steinfield, 2004) Integration is advantageous in that perceived shopping risks are lower when a company also provides a physical location. Integrating online and offline operations adds additional cost saving measures such as such as ordering online for pick-up at physical location. . The current marketing strategies should be modified to include the online segment and used to promote the website Conclusion There are advantages and disadvantages to online marketing. While online marketing presents an opportunity for the company to expand its market nationally, even globally, online shopping is very competitive, as consumers have access to comparison shopping. In addition to reaching new markets, online marketing can also improve relationships with existing customers. To be successful, ecommerce websites must be properly designed so that it is easy to use, engages the customer, and provides a pleasant and trusting shopping experience. It must negate all perceived shopping risks such as concerns about giving financial or personal information, and after sale concerns such as refunds and after-sale service. Marketing strategy formulation for ecommerce businesses are very much like traditional marketing. Market research, goals, objectives, strategies and tactics are the making of a successful online marketing campaign. Analysis of the research data indicates that integration of the tradition al brick and mortar operation with an ecommerce business segment is the best method of creating an online presence. Annotated Bibliography Adelaar, T., Bouwman, H., Steinfield, C. (2004). Enhancing customer value through click-and-mortar customer experience. Telematics and Informatics, 21, 167-182. This article explains how traditional retail stores can combine online marketing to increase geographic reach and to improve relationships with existing customers of physical stores. Dr. Thomas Adelaar, Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam Business School. Ph.D. in Media and Information Studies, Michigan State University. Awards and Honors include; Winner of the Graduate Office Scholarship Best Ph.D. Research Paper in the Dept. of Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media, MSU (2004). Dr. Adelaar currently has 7 publications in Academic Journals. Charles Steinfield is a professor and chair in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University. In addition to his faculty position, Steinfield participates with the MSU Eli Broad College of Business Information Tech. Management Program. His research focuses on the organizational and social impacts of new communication technologies. Constantinides, E. (2004). Influencing online consumers behavior: The web experience. Internet Research, 14(2), 111-126. Dr. E. Constantinides conducted research showing that online marketing can increase business for companies at their physical retail locations. Dr. E. Constantinides is and Assistant Professor of Marketing, Netherlands. His research activities focus on strategic and commercial aspects of Ecommerce and E-media, and he is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Social Media Research Center. Gay, R., Charlesworth, A., Esen, R. (2007). Online marketing. New York: Oxford University Press. This book provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of online marketing as well as the techniques that can maximize revenues. Richard Gay is a professor at the Newcastle Business School, North Umbria University. Alan Charlesworth is a Senior Lecturer in marketing and emarketing at the University of Sunderland. Rita Esen is a Law Consultant and Visiting Lecturer at Durham University. Hossein, B. (2002). Electronic commerce: principles and practice. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Academic Press. This book is a four-part overview of electronic commerce. The book provides a balance of theories, applications, and hands-on material. Dr Hossein Bidgoli is a Professor of Management Information Systems. School of Business and Public Administration                California State University, Bakersfield, California Monsuwe (2004). , P., Dellaert, B., De Ruyter, K. (2004). What drives consumers to shop online? A literature review. International Journal of Service Industry Management. Using the technology acceptance model framework, the authors conducted a review of literature and identified website characteristics such as ease of use and usefulness as well as personal consumer traits as critical factors for online shopping. P. Monsuwe is a professor at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. His research focuses on the effects of media on strategy and decision-making processes, such as corporate environmental management. Otto, J., Chung, Q. (2000). A framework for cyber-enhanced retailing. Electronic Markets, 10(3), 185-191. This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of online retailing for companies with existing brick and mortar retail locations, and provides a framework for analyzing whether the company should engage in online retailing. Q.B. Chung is an Associate Professor at Villanova University. He earned a PhD in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as well as an M.B.A. in Management Information Systems. He has over twenty two published journal articles, numerous published books and is a seminar speaker. J. Otto is an Assistant Professor with many publications involving Management Information Systems and Operations Research and Management Science. Pitta, E., Franzak, F., Fowler, D. (2006). A strategic approach to building online customer loyalty. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 23(7), 421-429. The article integrates previous research to draw the conclusion that customer loyalty to online websites depends on the perception of value as well as emotional factors such as trust. Danielle Fowler, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Baltimore. She has many awards and grants including The John and Margaret Thompson Professorship in Management Information Systems, and the Presidents Teaching and Learning Initiative Competition. Frank Franzak is a professor with Monash University and Director of Information Systems Honors Program. Steinfield, C., Adelaar, T., Liu, F. (2005). Click and mortar strategies viewed from the web. Electronic Markets, 15(3), 199-212. The authors analyzed retail store websites and found that few engaged in online and offline integration such as allowing customers to order products online for pickup at physical store locations. Dr. Adelaar currently has 7 publications in Academic Journals. Charles Steinfield is a professor and chair in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media at Michigan State University. In addition to his faculty position, Steinfield participates with the MSU Eli Broad College of Business Information Tech. Management Program. His research focuses on the organizational and social impacts of new communication technologies. Wang, F., Head, M. (2007). How can the web help build customer relationships? Information Management, 44(2), 115-129. The authors conducted empirical research to identify the factors critical for building customer relationships online and found that satisfaction, trust, and switching costs determined whether a customer would continue using a website. Dr. Milena Head is an Associate Professor of Information Systems and the Associate Dean at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada. Specializing in eBusiness and Human Computer Interaction, she has published over 50 papers in academic journals, books and conferences. Her research interests include trust and adoption in electronic commerce, interface design, mobile commerce, identity theft, cross-cultural issues in electronic commerce and human computer interaction, e-retailing, and web navigation. Dr. Fang Wang is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the School of Business Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada. Her research interests include e-commerce, e-marketing and marketing strategy. She has published in journals such as Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of Comparative International Management, Internet Research, and Journal of Business Strategies. Wei, Y., Moreau, L., Jennings N. (2005). A market-based approach to recommender systems. ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 25(3), 227-266. The research described in the article uses simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of recommender systems for personalizing customer experiences and customer retention. Yan Zheng Wei is Director of The Department of Broadband Wireless Management, Shenzhen, China. Dr. Nicholas Jennings is an Assistant Professor at The School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, UK.

European Colonialism and Imperialism in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay

European Colonialism and Imperialism in Shakespeare's The Tempest William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest reveals how ideologies of racial ‘otherness’ served to legitimize European patriarchal hegemony in Elizabethan England. In the Elizabethan/ Jacobean times of England there were many relevant ideologies relevant to this play. In examining the values and ideologies this text endorses and challenges, the society of the time (Elizabethan England), and a knowledge of how it operated serves a great purpose in analyzing these relationships. As in many texts of this time, Shakespeare is endorsing many ideologies of his time, and, although many have labelled him ahead of his time in many respects in his writing, he is, essentially writing from the Elizabethan or Jacobean point of view and time. The Tempest endorses the inequitable relationships between races based upon the belief of European superiority. The representation of race and ethnicity in The Tempest reveals a text that is awash with imperialist European ideologies. In a play which usurpation is a dominant theme, Shakespeare endorses Prospero’s appropriation of the island and it’s aboriginal population. The representation of Caliban and his brother Sycorax reveals the extent to which racist and sexist ideologies function to maintain the balance of power in the hands of a small, ruling, elite. Indeed, it should be noted that The Tempest is more than a simple play. Rather, it is a complex and multi-layered literary construction. As it cannot be reduced to the single issue of race to investigate the imbalance of power in the play. Attention must be given to the way patriarchal notions of gender inform racial representations in order to understand the imbalances of power i... .... An investigation into the imbalance of power in the play reveals the ideologies of race and gender that drive the power dynamics of the play. The construction of the inferior nature of non-European characters is firmly grounded in imperialist, European and patriarchal values. The Tempest presents the appropriation of the island and it’s inhabitants by Prospero’s imperial patriarchal regime as entirely natural and inevitable, based upon the inherent inferiority of the original population. In doing so, the play is a precise repetition of imperialist rhetoric, which legitimizes European annexation of ‘other’ lands and peoples over which they have no legitimate claim. Bibliography/ Works Cited Shakespeare, W. The Tempest. Ed. Sutherland, J.R. (1990) G. Wilson Knight, (1932) The Shakespearean Tempest, Oxford B. Thompson, (1995) Notes on The Tempest