Evolution and current status of the method Assignment

Evolution and current status of the method - Assignment Example This is mainly because there is no universal method that is appropriate and suitable for all teaching contexts. Rather, different methods will work better, or even worse, in different contexts and equally important, they are all partially valid (Prabhu 161). For instance, the choice of communicative language teaching can be viewed as an ignorant perception that what is suitable for Europe will also be appropriate for Africa simply because it is a documented method. Essentially, that only serves to develop resistance from learners. The approach of method limits the relationship between teachers and theorizers to one in which teachers are not empowered with knowledge, skill and autonomy implying that they may not devise relevant, coherent and systematic methods based on principled practicality (Kumaravadivelu 1994, p. 537). It is further observed by Brown (74) that the concept of method places all responsibility in the classroom environment upon the teacher and effectively barring stud ents from developing their own initiatives and strategies towards learning. Further, the concept also stifles the notion of self-regulation among learners, which means they cannot develop goal-oriented attempts to direct their learning. Rather, what is preferred is pedagogy of practicality that attempts to go beyond the deficiencies that characterize the dichotomies of the theories of theorists versus the theory of teachers by empowering teachers to form their own theories (Kumaravadivelu 2001, p. 541).

The Main Developments of E-Marketing Based on a Comprehensive Essay

The Main Developments of E-Marketing Based on a Comprehensive Literature Review - Essay Example The main interest of a business is to know what their consumers’ need. The advantage of this type of marketing is that it customizes its offers, personifies the sites, and this provides added value. The customer can choose whatever he wants and other varieties that have been offered. This also improves the loyalty of the customer. The traditional type of marketing was only focused with the physical appearance of the product. Using the internet the cost paid by the consumer and the profit expected are both put in check. The customers can purchase whatever they like on the internet wherever they are, and get the item delivered to them instead of them going around physically and wasting time. Internet marketing offers a two way communication. These means that a business could easily fit in a customer’s needs, and provide whatever the market needs. Another advantage of internet marketing is that it reduces the many advertisements done on TV and radio, hence minimizing costs of selling the business. The speed of communication is also favored between the buyer and the seller. Time is saved unlike the way it was done traditionally. During the transportation of the products purchased, there could have been delivery obstacles, leading to insufficiency, but e-marketing has really reduced such inconveniences. It can also be noticed that transportation costs are reduced as the customer will not travel from point to point in search of a product in the market. A customer will also enjoy the reduced transaction costs and will not be suffocated by time and space. Internet marketing has helped the upcoming business in their difficult areas like unskilled labor, reduced business costs and increased productivity, inadequate capital and unavailability of good infrastructure. HOW TO DETERMINE IF E-MARKETING IS WORKING FOR YOU OR NOT When determining this, one should look at the effectiveness of a marketing strategy. It should be cheaper, faster and better than previou sly. There are some ways in which industries and organizations can measure if E-Marketing is working for them or not. As (Mokhtar & Burgess, 2002pp1368) suggests, â€Å"Increased revenue per employee, customer satisfaction, reduced inventory, increased sales per salesperson, an increase in market share and increased profits† are some of the ways in which the success of internet marketing can be determined. LIMITATIONS OF E-MARKETING ESPECIALLY TO SMALL ENTREPRISES Most of these enterprises lack E-infrastructure, they are not aware of what is happening, limited capital, low technology skills, unskilled labor, social and cultural inhibits just to mention but a few. These barriers have always pulled their business backwards. Strict policies in some countries could also affect the good performance of the businesses. Culture can be a barrier when looking at the ICT adoption. ADVANTAGES OF E-MARKETING It is vital to note that the traditional marketing activity occurs in three main channels. Distribution Transaction Communication. These advantages are divided into three main parts. They include Communication channel: information can be easily exchanged from the buyer to the seller. This can improve how the organization interacts with the customer and have a perpetual experience. By communicating directly with the customer, on is able to gather

Royal Dutch Shell Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Royal Dutch Shell - Assignment Example Royal Dutch Shell is a trend setter in innovation. From a large, but weak and mediocre company to an innovative multinational, now being 2nd largest in revenue and highest in profits (Rijnbach), and with services in more than 90 countries, Shell has definitely revolutionized the concept of Energy Business. Shell uses multi innovation practices to enhance its innovative tendencies and maintain its name as a brand in the energy business. It has a Projects & Technology organization which heads research into different technological aspects for Shell’s Products and services, and aims at providing solutions for the technological hurdles faced by the upstream and downstream product organizations (shell). Like any organization, the Innovation Structure at Shell has its strong and weak aspects. Strengths of Innovation Management Structure The innovational structure at Shell manifests strengths not only aimed at energy but also at the well being of the Planet, its customers, and employe es. Here is a look at the strengths of Shell’s innovation management structure. 1. ... The management at Shell is not only an advocate of change but also takes initiative in this regard, by all means possible. Special departments have been constructed, to research and propose new avenues of change. The senior management is involved in activities that show risk taking tendencies, an important characteristic of innovation; and also try to bring together groups and people that brainstorm (Ruth) and introduce new ideas and concepts. The Shell Australian Innovation Challenge is one of such attempts made by Shell. It is a joint venture of The Australian and Shell. The challenge allows you to enter whether you are a scientist or not. There is also a category of backyard innovation, which is open to general public, and has prize money of $10, 000 (The Australian). 2. Scenario Planning Strategy Shell has been following its innovation strategy for the past 40 years. Shell utilizes scenario planning in its aim to tackle the energy problems of tomorrow. It first implemented the sa id strategy during the 1970’s oil shock (Rijnbach). With the uncertainty of future growing with every passing day, scenario planning is a strong way to devise strategy. The world is faced with resource, market, organization, and technical uncertainty, the proper management of which leads to radical innovation (O’Connor). Scenario planning refers to the orchestration of probable certain scenarios in the future result from social, economical and political factors (Rijnbach). Shell has a Scenarios Team, which has six members. These members look into different versions of the plausible future (Shell). They do not predict future, rather analyzing different facts, create plausible future scenarios taking place between now and 2050 (Mainwaring). Scenario

Managing and Leading Quality Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Managing and Leading Quality Services - Essay Example The policy that selected to audit is ‘Promoting Positive Behaviour’. My workplace caters for children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and these children often display a range of extremely inappropriate behaviours such as spitting, hitting, kicking and throwing. Both in terms of individuals and as part of such an establishment, we have a duty of care and a responsibility to ensure the safety of the children as well as the staff members. With this in requirement mind it is clear to me that it would be appropriate to audit our current policy of ‘Promoting Positive Behaviour’. This is a generic policy published by the local authority and it does not take into account the varying needs of children whom my organization serves. There are some issues arising from the absence of a clear policy or guidelines on how to promote positive behaviour imbedded into the practice of my establishment. The Rationale, Justification and Purposes: Rationale: Proper discipline i s a mandatory prerequisite for facilitating good learning. No matter the nature or extent of indiscipline, it is an obstacle to both teaching as well as learning. At the organisation, I think that every child has a right to access the best education which can be offered in partnership among school, community and the parents. The organisation’s Positive Behavior Policy forms part of â€Å"Safeguarding Policy Portfolio† (Promoting Positive Behavior n.d.) and exhibits our commitment to safeguarding the welfare of all students. Thus, our organization needs to focus on reliable, strong and fair management of learner behavior to establish a safe, congenial and purposeful atmosphere in which every child may develop his or her complete potential. Providing such a high quality learning atmosphere is a significant precondition for learners to attain the maximum possible levels of achievement. â€Å"Parents, teachers, and students work together to create an environment that is s afe and supportive and that promotes learning. It encourages children to think and learn actively and to be hopeful, trusting, loving and healthy† (Positive Behavior Policies and Procedures 2010, p. 2). Every child will also be asked to conform to the principles and rules of the school and parents will be kept educated so that they can support and encourage the use of system. The policy for promoting positive behavior is mainly based on encouragement through recognition of the positive aspects in children. This, in turn, will inspire them to mould their behavior appropriately. Also, when other children observe such encouragement, it will motivate them to imitate such behavior. The policies of the organization must reflect the policies and guidelines of the present local authority and government. At the same time, as procedures symbolize an accomplishment of policy and must evolve over time as new apparatus emerge, new processes will be planned, and the risks connected with an area modified in response to changes in the external or internal environment. Justification: There have been numerous initiatives and investigations in the UK over the last several years with regard to promoting and encouraging positive approaches to behavior and actions. Schools report that their chief concern relates to low level interruption although there are some schools and students that experience severe problems. â€Å"The school needs to be confident that its policies and practices in relation to behavior are positive and

The High Tide †Second Day’s Battle at Gettysburg Essay Example for Free

The High Tide – Second Day’s Battle at Gettysburg Essay The first day at Gettysburg had seen the two great armies – the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, led by newly appointed Major General George Gordon Meade – come together. The fighting had ended with the southern army in control of the town and Seminary Ridge, while the northern army possessed the high ground along Cemetery Ridge, a very formidable position dominated by two large hills – Round Top and Little Round Top on the southern end of the line; it will be around those two hills that the Confederacy’s effort of independence from the United States will reach its high tide; it will break upon, and around those heights and it will ebb and flow there. It will be on the Union left that Longstreet’s Corps will be broken, and it will likewise be there that the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac will see the south’s hopes break and recede and from whence it will gain renewed strength from having been the instrument upon which those hopes are dashed. The night between the beginning of the battle and its fiercest fighting found Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s I Corps hurrying toward the field. It had been delayed during the morning, left waiting as of part of Lieutenant General Richard Ewell’s corps passed by near the town of Greenwood; the I Corps had been moving throughout the day and evening reaching the main army about midnight. On the morning of the second day, Lee, Longstreet, A.P. Hill, Harry Heth, and John Bell Hood sat beneath a tree on Seminary Ridge and discussed plans for the day’s attack.[i] Longstreet had tried to convince his leader that the Army of Northern Virginia should move around the Union forces flank and position itself between Meade and Washington, and he had believed he and Lee had agreed upon this strategy, and he tried to get Lee to follow through on that strategy, â€Å"We could not call the enemy to position better suited to our plans,† he observed. â€Å"All that we have to do is to file around his left and secure good ground between him and his capital.†[ii] After the first day’s fighting, Lee had decided if Meade’s army was still found along Cemetery Ridge in the morning he would attack him and he told Longstreet so, â€Å"If the enemy is there tomorrow, we must attack him.†[iii] Longstreet had disagreed, â€Å"If he is there, it will be because he is anxious that we should attack him – a good reason in my judgment, for not doing so.†[iv] But the bit was between Lee’s teeth now and he would not, and could not, let go of the Army of the Potomac and move around it. There was too much at stake, and his army would never be able to survive for long as a group, and could not afford to spread out now in order to live off the land around them. Meade could wait them out and Lee knew this. This may not be the ground of his choosing, but here was where the enemy had gathered, and it was now here where he would have to fight him. Lee had been observing the enemy’s position and he believed its left flank was in the air and unsecured, but he had no cavalry to confirm this. Major General J.E.B. Stuart had been assigned the mission to screen the Confederate army’s move northward, but had become distracted with the idea of riding around the Union army, and had hence left Lee with no screen and with no reconnaissance capability, and he now had to use the tools he had at hand. To determine if Meade’s flank was indeed unsecured Lee had sent a small reconnaissance party to the right to verify Meade’s position. He had sent Captain Samuel R. Johnston, one of his staff, to scout out the enemy’s flank. Johnston led his party to the top of Little Round Top, and found no one there. He could see, looking through the trees below him, no Union troops. The flank appeared to be unsecured! He returned to the commanding general and confirmed Lee’s suspicion that Meade’s left was exp osed and opened to attack. But the empty flank Johnston had seen was only momentarily so, â€Å"†¦the reconnaissance party had taken a quick look at the enemy lines during the time when the Federals were in the process of shifting troops. In fact, the Union lines did extend south along Cemetery Ridge. Lee therefore had a complete misunderstanding of Meade’s position.†[v] With his suspicions confirmed, Lee was determined to attack, and he turned to his most trusted Lieutenant – to his â€Å"Old War Horse† – Longstreet. But the I Corps commander did not share Lee’s confidence; he too had been studying the Union defenses and he had â€Å"concluded that this line was too strong for an attack to succeed. He urged Lee to turn its south flank and get between the Union army and Washington. This would compel Meade to attack the Army of Northern Virginia in its chosen position.†[vi] Lee would not be swayed however, and ordered Longstreet to prepare for the attack; the attack that if it succeeded could drive the Union army from the field and win the war. But Lee’s battle plan â€Å"rested on two givens – first, that scout Samuel Johnston had spied not a single Yankee soldier from his vantage point on Little Round Top that morning; and second, that therefore General Meade lacked either the troops or the intellect to anchor his left flank properly.†[vii] The Union line had been established as the Army of the Potomac was driven from Gettysburg during the first day’s battle after Meade sent Major General Winfield Scott Hancock forward to take charge of the army on learning of I Corps Commander Major General John F. Reynolds death. Hancock had quickly determined the high ground south of Gettysburg running from Culp’s Hill on the north past Cemetery Hill and down the long stretch of Cemetery Ridge south to the Round Tops – could and should be held. He rallied the units on hand and established the defense, sending word to Meade of his disposition, who swiftly ordered the remainder of the army to converge on Gettysburg, and hurried to the site arriving around midnight. Hancock will be dubbed â€Å"Hancock the Superb,† by northern newspaper writers for his roll in the Union victory.[viii] As Longstreet’s corps made its way south it would soon discover that not only was the Union left soon to be occupied, but that â€Å"Meade finally had most of his 85,000 men present. Lee with approximately 75,000 soldiers, was facing a formidable line that stretched from Culp’s Hill, around Cemetery Hill, southward along Cemetery Ridge, and finally to the Round Tops.†[ix] Lee’s plan of attack called for Longstreets corps to position itself to attack the Union left flank, facing northeast astraddle the Emmitsburg Road, and to roll up the Federal line. The attack was to move en echelon from the right beginning with Hood’s and Major General Lafayette McLaws’s divisions, followed by Major General Richard H. Andersons division of Hills III Corps. The progressive sequence of the attack was supposed to thwart Meade from shifting troops from his center to bolster his left. At the same time, Major Generals Edward Johnsons and Jubal Earlys II Corps divisions were to make a demonstration against Culps and Cemetery Hills (again, to prevent the shifting of Federal troops), and to turn those demonstrations into full-scale attacks if a favorable opportunity presented itself. What Lee’s plan had not taken into account was the possibility of Union generals doing the unexpected, and as Longstreet’s corps moved into position its leaders were surprised to find Major General Daniel Sickles III Corps sitting right in their path well out in front of the entire Union line. It was both an opportunity and problem. An opportunity because in moving forward Sickles had left the Union left truly unsecured, and most especially he had left the Round Tops void of any Union forces; it was a problem because Sickles corps, blocking the expected path of advance would slow down the rebel assault. As Sickles had moved his corps into position on Cemetery Ridge, he looked toward the Confederate lines and decided – on his own that his corps was not in the best location. â€Å"Trees and boulders covered both the ground that he was to occupy and the area to his front seemed slightly higher. From there, Confederate artillery might be able to command his lines.†[x] As the afternoon wore on, and shadows began moving through the woods nearby, Sickles, sensing a crisis was approaching, sent skirmishers into the woods to find out what the Confederates were doing. Twenty minutes later, his men reported enemy movement toward the south. â€Å"Thinking he had to act promptly to prevent the high ground from falling into enemy hands, Sickles moved his corps forward. Back on Cemetery Ridge, Hancock, whose corps was on Sickles’ right, was astounded by the move. One of his division commanders suggested that perhaps Meade had ordered a general advance and that Hancock’s corps missed the order.†[xi] By moving his corps so far ahead of the Cemetery Ridge line Sickles not only forced Longstreet to modify Lee’s battle plan at the last moment, but he also greatly altered the strategic landscape. â€Å"Lee’s prospective battlefield was extended southward some three-quarters of a mile. Hood deployed his four brigades, newly designated as the outflanking division, along Seminary Ridge facing due east, toward Round Top and Little Round Top. The half mile or so of terrain between Hood and the two heights contained what military cartographers euphemistically termed ‘broken ground.’†[xii] As he moved forward, to occupy the high ground, Sickles had placed his III Corps into a salient extending his line to a length far greater than could be adequately defended by the number of men he had in his command, and the shape of his line exposed it to both Confederate fire and attacks from three directions. To make matters worse, â€Å"not only had Sickles disobeyed his orders to occupy Cemetery Ridge, but he had also left Little Round Top undefended.†[xiii] Reporting to Meade’s headquarters for a meeting of corps commanders as he was dismounting, heavy artillery fire could be heard in the direction of his corps on the Union left. Sickles quickly remounted and rode swiftly back to his men. Just as quickly, Meade mounted his horse, and he and his chief of engineers, Major General Gouverneur K. Warren rode to ascertain the situation on the III Corps’ front. When they reached Cemetery Ridge, Warren said, â€Å"‘Here is where our line should be.’ Hearing the Confederate cannon fire to the front, Meade replied, ‘It is too late now,’ and rode in the direction of the fire. Warren, wanting to get a better view of the terrain, rode to the crest of Little Round Top.†[xiv] While the fire was spreading and intensifying, Warren and his aides raced up the rocky slopes of Little Round Top, and once there were stunned to find there were no Federal soldiers, except for a handful of signal-men on the heights, and it was further apparent, â€Å"from what the signal-men had seen and from Warren’s own observations, that Confederate attackers were less than a mile away and moving toward the heights even as they watched. That discovery, Warren later wrote, ‘was intensely thrilling to my feelings and almost appalling.’ Earlier in the day he had written his wife, ‘we are now all in line of battle before the enemy in a position where we cannot be beaten but fear being turned.’ Now that fear was upon him. To General Warren it was instantly clear that if Rebel infantry and artillery seized Little Round Top, they would utterly dominate the Potomac army’s position on Cemetery Ridge.†[xv] Understanding what would happen if someone didn’t occupy the heights and do so quickly, Warren sent one of his aides to Meade calling for troops to meet the emergency. He also dispatched another aide, Lieutenant Ranald Mackenzie, to Sickles and to have him order one of his brigades to the crest. By the time Mackenzie found Sickles, his corps was already heavily engaged and the General was beginning to realize the scope of his recklessness, and told Mackenzie he could not spare any of his men. Mackenzie rode back to Cemetery Ridge in search of other troops, and soon found Major General George Sykes, moving forward with his V Corps. â€Å"Without hesitation, without clearing the matter with headquarters, Sykes sent a courier to the commander of his lead division, James Barnes, with orders to answer Warren’s call. â€Å"Sykes’s courier, in his search for Barnes, encountered Colonel Strong Vincent, commanding the V Corps’ lead brigade. ‘Captain, what are your orders?’ Vincent demanded of the courier. He needed to find General Barnes, said the courier. ‘What are your orders?’ Vincent repeated. ‘Give me your orders.’ The captain answered, ‘General Sykes told me to direct General Barnes to send one of his brigades to occupy that hill yonder,’ pointing to Little Round Top. ‘I will take the responsibility of taking my brigade there,’ said Vincent. As the corps’ lead brigade, Vincent’s was the logical choice for this task, but in sensing the crisis and bypassing the chain of command, Strong Vincent, too rose to the occasion. His variegated brigade – Twentieth Maine, Eighty-third Pennsylvania, Forty-fourth New York, Sixteenth Michigan – was soon scrambling up the rocky face of Little Round Top.à ¢â‚¬ [xvi] Warren did not sit idly by while his aides were looking for troops; Warren also moved off searching for men to place on the exposed left. Noticing infantry moving up, he moved to the unit discovering it was none other than a regiment from the brigade he had earlier commanded. â€Å"As he started to explain the army’s plight to the regimental commander, Warren saw his younger brother, Edgar, approaching. Edgar Warren was an aide to Brigadier General Stephen H. Wood, commander of a brigade in the V Corps. The army’s chief engineer received promises that the entire brigade would send help. Next, Warren directed an artillery battery and the brigade’s lead regiment to move to the top of the hill. He then rode to see the V Corps commander and secure additional reinforcements. The ensuing fight for Little Round Top was a close contest. Federals ran up one side of the hill as Confederates ran up the other. The fight ended with the Army of the Potomac holding the positio n. Warren had taken action in time.†[xvii] Longstreet had repeatedly argued to have the army move around Meade’s flank, but he had been overridden by Lee. He was not happy about the planned attack, but he was a career soldier and he would obey orders. But after being rebuffed, he was determined to follow the letter of Lee’s instructions and it made him extremely inflexible. His division commander on the far right, Hood, recommended that the right wing of the attack should be extended around the Round Tops and into flanks of the Union army. â€Å"Longstreet replied that Lee’s orders were to attack up the Emmitsburg Road, and that everyone would obey the orders of the commanding general. Nevertheless, Hood extended his lines to the right to include Little Round Top, and his near success against Warren on that hill was proof that the Federal line of battle was vulnerable.†[xviii] Longstreet’s artillery fired a cannonade for more than an hour, and then his divisions charged forward, slamming into Sickles’s front and flanks. Sickles’s decision to move forward was a bad one, but his men fought bravely and made the Confederate I Corps pay dearly for each yard it advanced, and Sickles defended it well. â€Å"†¦the fight for the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield lasted almost four hours. Before being seriously wounded, Sickles skillfully plugged the holes in his lines almost as quickly as they developed.†[xix] As the I Corps continued its assault on the Union left it began to flow up and around the Round Tops, as it moved to the left and right enveloping Sickles’s Corps it began the long hard fight into and through the forbidding Devil’s Den. This area of the Union line was being defended by the One Hundred Twenty-fourth New York Infantry known as the â€Å"Orange Blossoms†. The fighting soon became some of the hardest of the war, and presently became desperate. â€Å"Some of the Texans later claimed that the muzzle flash of their rifles had singed the New Yorker’s uniforms. At the start of the fight, the regiment’s Colonel A. Van Horne Ellis and Major James Cromwell had been on foot. It was safer that way.† As the fight worsened, â€Å"Ellis had their horses brought forward, and he and Cromwell mounted up. To a captain who remonstrated at what good targets the colonel and major would make on horseback, Ellis replied, ‘The men must see us to day.’†[xx] The fighting became hotter, and as moment of immediate â€Å"crisis seemed to approach, Ellis gave the signal. He and Cromwell led their men down the slope in a counterattack. For a few moments all was glorious victory for the Orange Blossoms as the First Texas broke and fled before them. Then, near the foot of the slope, the Texans turned and blasted a volley into the faces of their pursuers. Cromwell, a magnificent figure on his iron-gray horse, crumpled to the ground. The Orange Blossoms surged forward to recover his body, and the rocky hillside became a fiery cauldron of battle. One participant recalled that all was ‘roaring cannon, crashing rifles, screeching shots, bursting shells, hissing bullets, cheers, shouts, shrieks and groans.’†[xxi] The Texas line receded and it looked as though the Orange Blossoms may have won a startling victory, but suddenly, â€Å"†¦emerging from the thick smoke and passing through the Texas’ line, strode a solid gray-glad line of battle, fresh and unbloodied, two ranks deep, shoulder-to-shoulder and stretching out of sight in the battle smoke in either direction. Brigadier General Henry Benning’s Georgia brigade had moved up from its reserve position and was going into action to renew the momentum of the Confederate assault. The Georgia line swept the scattered Orange Blossoms before it like the first chill blast of a violent spring storm. Colonel Ellis fell dead with a bullet in his brain, and the survivors of the 124th, now scarcely one hundred strong, fell back to the crest of Houck Ridge, struggling to delay the Confederate advance.†[xxii] As the Confederate assault began to flow over the top of the ridge it soon collided with the Fourth Maine Regiment. Its commander, Colonel Elijah Walker, realized very quickly that the Rebels would soon be able to turn his flank and continue to plunge through the Union line. â€Å"Walker responded with the sublime audacity that seemed almost commonplace on both sides this afternoon. He ordered his regiment to wheel to the right, fix bayonets, and charge. ‘I shall never forget the â€Å"click† that was made by the fixing of bayonets,’ the colonel wrote years later. ‘It was as one.’ â€Å"The Fourth Maine surged to the top of the ridge, but there it, too, met the onrushing wave of Benning’s Georgia brigade. The fighting became hand-to-hand on the ridge top and in Devil’s Den. The Maine men were soon joined by reinforcements of their own, one regiment from the other end of Ward’s line and another from de Trobriand. The oversized Fortieth New York took up the position the Fourth Maine had just left, covering the Slaughter Pen and Plum Rum gorge. The Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania, led by Major John W. Moore with the shout of ‘Pennsylvania and our homes!’ charged into Devil’s Den alongside the Fourth Maine and drove the Georgians and Alabamians out of the boulders and off the ridge. Meanwhile, the Fortieth New York charged the Confederates who were trying to press through the gorge and drove them back but could not dislodge them. One Confederate counted seven separate charges by the Fortieth. The two sides blazed away at each ot her there until the Slaughter Pen was more thickly strewn with bodies than with boulder.†[xxiii] Sickles’s salient had caused Hood’s division to move to the right of the assault, and it began to flow over and about the Round Tops, and the two right-hand regiments, the Fifteenth and Forty-seventh Alabama, under the Fifteenth’s Colonel William C. Oates, climbed up – and over the steep, heavily wooded slopes of Round Top, and then plunged down into the saddle separating it from Little Round Top to its north. â€Å"Oates’s instructions were to locate ‘the left of the Union line, to turn it and do all the damage I could†¦.’†[xxiv]

Resistance To Change Management

Resistance To Change Management From individual level to highest organizational level change is seen everywhere for their reformation and development. To cope up with globalization and for survival of the organisation a lot of companies are enforced to make their changes. But it is not always an easy task and some people are not willing to accept the change agenda because of inertia and the fare of losing their job (Edmonds, 2011). A different number of factors affect the change process and for the resistance many change program have failed (Waddell and Sohal, 1998). So for the achievement of successful change, resistance should be considered and managed accordingly (Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). The main objective of this paper is to analyse the organisational change management and specially different ways to address and minimize the resistance to manage successful change by reviewing different related literature. In first part define In this essay there are five sections, i.e. introduction, literature review, resistance to change, how to manage successful change and finally conclusion. What is Change? Before going to start review of different change models, it is important to describe the definitions and concept about organisational change to make a clear idea about it.Organisational change is the transformation of structure, quality and position by introducing latest ideas and dealings for the better performance and global adjustment of the organisation (Sckalk et. al., 1998, cited by Pardo-del-val et al., 2012). Organisational change basically in two types, where first one is evolutionary or incremental or first order change and anotherone is strategic or transformational or revolutionary or second order change (Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). The first category of change is a small scale change which improve the quality within the same framework on the other hand, second category of change is a radical one, organizational structure and basic framework are completely change here (Blumenthal and Haspeslag, 1994). The main objectiveof radical change is to improve the potent ials of the organisation for competing the market (Ruiz and Lorenzo, 1999). However organisational change also classified as planned change and emergent change(Bamford and Forrester, 2003).The planned approach organisational change highlights the different status which an organisation will have to shift from an unacceptable position to recognized desired position (Eldrod II and Tippett, 2002). The emergentchange suggests that it is an unpredictable and undesirable continuous method of adjustment to changing environments (Burnes, 2004). But uncertainty of circumstances create emergent approach more significant (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). So, an organization should identify the requirements of change and how to deal with that changes (Burnes, 2004). Although for the existence and effective competition successful management of change is highly required (Luecke, 2003). Why Change Basically change is requiredfor the global economic crisis, technological advancement, market competition and development of the organization (Brisson-Bank, 2010). Edmonds (2011) argued that some factors influence the organization for changing their strategy and forms. The factors are governmental change, joining with another one, global economic challenges, different formation, Strategy for leaving business, technological advancement and business strategy. Dawson, (1994) also described that, a single instrument or entire design of manufacturing process may be restored in the technological change process. When the structure or formation of an organization change it involves the employee structure, reward system and organisational communication system. Governmental or legislative change includes different policies, environmental control, employment opportunity etc. These factors are generally inter-reliant. For instance technological change may need skilled employee, competition among local engineering workforce etc. So, change is intended to different points but it cannot satisfy all. In reality it cannot be managed completely. He also added that if people are not clearly informed about change before implementation they make a resistance against the change process. Paton and McCalman, (2000) argues that naturally a favorable environment is created and accepted by an organization. When change is required, whatever it may be, the organization will face the resistance by its employee, stakeholder, customer, dealer, and distributor, because they feel comfortable with the present environment and frightened with uncertainty regarding change. He also added that the resistance can be reduced but this uncertainty cannot be eradicated completely. Resistance to change: Now it is important to give an idea about the barrier which hinders the change process at its different stages is resistance. So, resistance is defined asan opposing trend which affects the change agenda by delaying start, blocking implementation and raising theprice(Ansof, 1990, cited byPardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003).In addition resistance always wants to maintain status quo. It has a tendency to keep away from change as inertia (Rumelt, 1995). Resistance is indicated as the main cause of problem of implementation and failure of change agenda (Erwin and Garman, 2010). Dawson (2003) recognizes some factors which create resistance i.e.changing of job nature, transfer of job or economic insecurity, psychological pressure, lowering status and disturbance in societal arrangement. Graetz et al. (2002) has identified four main perceptions of resistance to change which are (cited by Hughes, 2006); the psychological model the system model the institutional approach, and theorganisational cultures approach. The psychological model indicates the resistance which is created by individuals behavior. The system model recommends that people do not resist change but they resist what they are losing.Resistance is establishedinorganisational formation, administrative procedure, and allocation of assets at the institutional approach. As the consequence of organisational culture resistance can be described in this approach(Hughes, 2006). Hambrick and Cannella (1989) have classified the resistance as three types which are as blind resistance, political resistance and ideological resistance. The persons of blind resistance type are considered to befrightened in any kind of changes. The considerations of political resistance type persons are to lose something valuable after the implementation of change. More over the persons of ideological resistance type consider thattheir establishedvalues may be tarnished if change is implemented (Hughes, 2006). Greetz et al. (2002) classified the resistance as active and passive where active resistance is occur at the time of aggressive change and passive resistance is occur at the period of indirect change. Continuum On the other hand Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes,( 2003) added that resistace is not always a negative notion when change is not very favorable.InadditionMabin et al., (2001) also argued that for the improvement of the quality of decision for transformation resistance can be make a positive role. Some factors createthe resistance at different stages of change process. Resistance creates difficulties at the stage of strategy formulation and at the stage of implementation. More over the sources of resistance are divided in five groups where first three groups act as the sources of resistance at the formulation stage and last two groups act as the sources of resistance at the implementation stage (Rumelt, 1995; cited by Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). Wrong perception: At the initial stage it is important toassess the needs for change, so incorrectassessment is the first barrier of change. It is also known as the barrier of interpretation.It contains another factors short-term mind set and do not have the clear idea about future strategy, Information rejection tendency, continuationof thoughts or trend to continue thoughts at the changingsituation, implied assumptions, barrier of communication, and organisational silence. Lower motivation: When change is done for a product manufacturing but it can create some problems for another. Different interest groups are involved in the change process. So sacrifice and motivation is needed. Shortage of innovative response: Reactive mentality and lack of commitment of highest authority are the main factors of this stage. Cultural and political gap: Politics of different sections, specific discrepancy among different groups, different values and environment for implementation are the main factors of this group. Another sources: Different sources are acted in the last group i.e. ineffective leadership, unplanned routines, problem of group action, shortage of required capabilities and distrust. How to manage resistance to successful change: Bamford and Forrester (2003) argues that management literature did not make any consensus about a suitable approach forsuccessfully managing organisational change. Some disagreements are always prevailing in this field. So change managers are confused to take decision for choosing the appropriate approach. They did not find any effective and reliable approach for applying in change management. If uncertainty is created by resistance not by change then resistance to change will be the major concern to manage not change itself (Carnall, 2003). Dowson (2003) has suggested that by participation, communication, support, negotiation, influence and force complexities of resistance can beovercome. He also argued that organizational development model supports the participatory approaches. In the reality it is better to employee involvement in the change process rather imposed by the management (Hughes, 2006). Resistance is created in major changes but negative effects of resistance can be red uced by open discussion andopenly discussed resistance is easily manageable than the resistance of unexpressed (Conner, 1998). It is necessary to be practical for managing resistance the nature and context of the resistance should be analyzed by the change managers (Hughes, 2006). The participatory approach is widely analyzed for its effectiveness and mostly discussed in business area as an important issue to smooth the progress of organisational change (Pardo-del-val et al., 2012). Generally, at present participatory management is playing an important part for reducing the resistance (Waddell and Sohal, 1998). Participatory approach is well received for its better creativeness and decision make (Lawler, 1993). Now it is important to know about the participative management and its impact on reducing resistance to organisational change. Participative management is a style where employees are involved in every step of the change process from decision making to implementation (Cole et al., 1993; cited byPardo-del-val et al., 2012). It is known as a traditionalconception in management literatureabout eighty years (Lawler, 1993). Managers share the decisions with the employees through information technology, training, management culture and leadership (Pardo-del-Val and Lloyd, 2003).The participative approach is generally recognized as the best method for managing resistance to organisational change which acts on two steps, firstly by decreasing resistance and then by increasing efficiency (Pardo-del-val et al., 2012).The success of changeprogramme depends on the proper identification of major sources of resistance. The change process start from its first step taking decision staff involvement is required from this stage. There is a connection between participation and commitment, and resistance is reduced by that commi tment. So the literatures opine that it is the best way to defeat resistance by the participationof all people (Pardo-del-val et al., 2012).When people feel that they are involved in the change process as well as decision making process a commitment is grown inside them by participating in the programme. Then the resistance created by the employees can be reduced by sharing the responsibilities within managers and staffs (Zeffane, 1996). Time consumption is the only shortcomingof this approach otherwisefor growing commitment and feeling it is very convenient process to manage resistance for a successful change (Lenz and Lyles, 1986). Communication is another process to implement change programme by reducing resistance (Hughes, 2006). It is impossible to make changes of an organization without effective communication with staffs (Barrett, 2002). Where communication is essential it depends on the nature, urgency, promptness and reactions of change (Quirke. 1995). The change management is generally a top down procedure, so management should provide information to the employee for clarify the necessity of transformation (Hayes, 2002). Balogun and Hope Hailey (2004) argued some reasons for communication in organizational change; Employees do not like to receive information from rumor; they always desire to know the information of change from their higher authority. Employees can realize and adjust if communicate with them earlier. Employees like to hear authentic information. Employees want to know about changes and do not like hidden policy. Finally Hughes, (2006) argued that the strategic communication is necessary for a strategic change. So, by proper communication resistance can be reduced to manage successful change. Moreover, middle managers can play an important role for both reduce the resistance and implement the change.Bamford and Forrester (2003) argue that senior managers are mainly involved with policy formulation and control but middle managers are directly involved with customer, workers and suppliers. So, operating managers have the multi-dimensional experience. They can predict the consequences of transformation. For these reasons necessary measures and adaptation policies can be taken. Middle managers can displayand filter the proposal of change initiatives and suggest to authority. Then senior managers can take decision by analyzing the proposals of middle managers. The planned change can be executedby managers with their understanding and experiences but emergent changes related to development cannot be executed solely, it needs multifunctional approaches (Wilson, 1992). Additionally Edmonds (2011) argued that team work and training have the role to implement change by decreasing resistance. He asserts that team sets task, scheduling and aim to achieve goal and develops interpersonal relations which is important for change initiatives. Edmonds also emphasized that some special skills are essentialfor manage different types of changes. Training is the basic way to attainthose skills. Finally Taylor (1999) added that training can support to understand the implementation procedure of change and clear the ambiguity. Recommendations for Further Research: Drawing the attention on change agenda, there may be basic requirement of an appropriate outline for the management of organisational change. Due to shortage of experimental study on change management in organisations, it is recommended that more research into the character of change management will be directed. The primary stage may be to complete investigative studies to enhance the understanding themanagement oforganisational change.The significant success factors can be identified by these studies for the change management. Moreover, it is very much essential to determine success rate for creating a suitable structure of change management. Therefore, determinationtechniques should be intended (Todnem By, 2005). Conclusion: Change is a continuous process for organisational development and adjusting with modern world. So, managing change is an important issue for an organization and successfully management of it is highly required (Todnem By, 2005). In the process of management of change resistance is a factor which is to be considered. So success of change depends on the success of managing resistance. Where, resistance wants to keep the organization in its current position by delaying the process. There are different factors acting as resistance which are organizational values, interests of the employees, communication gap, stillness of organization, and lack of capabilities of management and employees. So, management should consider these factors to reduce resistance for successful change (Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). To reduce the resistance to change there is no universal way but some probable approaches are suggested in different management literature. Executives should give proper concentration for their needs. Moreover Pardo-del-val et al., (2012) suggested that participative management can be the one of the best way to reduce resistance. He also added that participative approach canproperlyaddressthe mentioned sources of resistance as a result output of the change process can be improved.He showed a positive relation between employee participation and resistance. Any complicacy related to change process can be resolved by the participation of staffs (Waddell and Sohal, 1998). Furthermore the barriers of change programme can be removed by open discussion (Beer and Eisenstat, 1996). Finally Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003 suggested that change managers can take an important role to implement successful organizational change. Managers have to know the effect of change on organisational culture and take probable measures to develop before start. This measure will be helpful to develop the relation between staffs and managers. He also emphasized that training can lessen the resistance by reducingthe barriers of communication and develop the essential skills for the change. Reference:Claire V. Brisson-Banks, (2010),Managing change and transitions: a comparison of different models and their commonalities, Library Management, Vol. 31 Iss: 4 pp. 241 252 John Edmonds, (2011),Managing successful change, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43 Iss: 6 pp. 349 353 Paton, R.A. and McCalman, J. (2000), Change Management: A guide to effective implementation, Sage, London.

Childhood Obesity: A Public Health Issue Essay -- Obesity Epidemic

Obesity rates in the United States are alarming, with more than one-third of U.S. adults and 17% of children qualifying as obese with a Body Mass Index greater than 30.0 (Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2015). Even more frightening is the growth rate of this crippling health epidemic; between 1980 and 2014, obesity has doubled for adults and tripled for children (CDC, 2015). The physical consequences of rising obesity rates in our country include an abundance of physical ailments including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, elevated cholesterol, and even some cancers. Additionally, obesity-related health care costs to our country are estimated at $147 billion annually, plus the costs of productivity lost at work and in the community (CDC, 2015). With 300,000 annual deaths attributable to obesity, it remains one of the leading causes of premature death in America (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS), n.d.). While obesity is pervasive th roughout all socioeconomic and cultural groups, there are certainly social factors contributing to this state of health. Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest rates of obesity, followed by Hispanics and then whites (CDC, 2015). Additionally, links between obesity and poverty have also been suggested (Bellafante, 2013). Though this is a national crisis, the disparities in affliction between different socioeconomic and ethnic groups demonstrate the strong influence of social determinants of health and the need for upstream interventions to combat this growing disease, particularly in vulnerable children. The threat seems overwhelming to the youth facing the hurdles of poor nutrition and inactivity compounded by society’s failure to protect them, and wi... ...ies in their school lunches, lawmakers say. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/11/nation/la-na-nn-congress-school-lunch-20121011 Stanhope, M., Lancaster, J. (2012). Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community. Elsevier: Maryland Heights, MO. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHH). (nd). Office of the Surgeon General. Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences. Retrieved from: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/obesity/fact_consequences.html ‘We Are Hungry:’ Students protest lunch guidelines in YouTube video. (2012, September 26) FoxNews.com. Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/26/high-school-students-parody-new-school-lunch-guidelines-in-youtube-video/ We Are Hungry. 17 September, 2012. YouTube. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IB7NDUSBOo Childhood Obesity: A Public Health Issue Essay -- Obesity Epidemic Obesity rates in the United States are alarming, with more than one-third of U.S. adults and 17% of children qualifying as obese with a Body Mass Index greater than 30.0 (Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2015). Even more frightening is the growth rate of this crippling health epidemic; between 1980 and 2014, obesity has doubled for adults and tripled for children (CDC, 2015). The physical consequences of rising obesity rates in our country include an abundance of physical ailments including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, elevated cholesterol, and even some cancers. Additionally, obesity-related health care costs to our country are estimated at $147 billion annually, plus the costs of productivity lost at work and in the community (CDC, 2015). With 300,000 annual deaths attributable to obesity, it remains one of the leading causes of premature death in America (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS), n.d.). While obesity is pervasive th roughout all socioeconomic and cultural groups, there are certainly social factors contributing to this state of health. Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest rates of obesity, followed by Hispanics and then whites (CDC, 2015). Additionally, links between obesity and poverty have also been suggested (Bellafante, 2013). Though this is a national crisis, the disparities in affliction between different socioeconomic and ethnic groups demonstrate the strong influence of social determinants of health and the need for upstream interventions to combat this growing disease, particularly in vulnerable children. The threat seems overwhelming to the youth facing the hurdles of poor nutrition and inactivity compounded by society’s failure to protect them, and wi... ...ies in their school lunches, lawmakers say. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/11/nation/la-na-nn-congress-school-lunch-20121011 Stanhope, M., Lancaster, J. (2012). Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community. Elsevier: Maryland Heights, MO. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHH). (nd). Office of the Surgeon General. Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences. Retrieved from: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/obesity/fact_consequences.html ‘We Are Hungry:’ Students protest lunch guidelines in YouTube video. (2012, September 26) FoxNews.com. Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/26/high-school-students-parody-new-school-lunch-guidelines-in-youtube-video/ We Are Hungry. 17 September, 2012. YouTube. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IB7NDUSBOo