GE’s Two Decade Transformation Jack Welch’s Leadership Change Management

Answer 1In April 1981, when Jack Welch became the CEO of GE, US was in recession. There were high interest rates. Strong dollar resulted in country’s highest unemployment rates. In this rapid changing and uncertain environment it was extremely difficult task for him to handle a conglomerate as big as GE and ensure that general confidence among the investors is not lost. His predecessor, Reg Jones, had set the bar extremely high at the company leaving a legacy for Welch to compete with as the new CEO.Also, acquiring new businesses and ensuring that each business unit under the GE umbrella was one of the best in its field was another challenge. Welch was extremely effective in taking over the GE reins. He challenged each to be †better than the best† and planned radical changes across the company. Under his guidance, the company expanded dramatically from 1981 to 2001.He instilled in everyone a culture of innovation and learning, and incorporated measures related to n ew product development, technological leadership, and rates of improvement.He set the standard for each of business to become #1 or #2 or get out of business.Welch categorized business in 3 circles as core, high technology and services and sold off 200 businesses which all together contributed for 25% of sales.Even budgeting process got radically changed and evaluation started against external competition rather internally.Managers that did not fit into or who failed to embrace his strategy were let go. Anything and anyone that didn’t bring value to GE was eliminated.  The most important change he brought in was by eliminating the sector level and reducing the hierarchical levels from 9 to 4.Through downsizing, de-staffing and delayering, Welch modestly increased revenues from $27. 2bn to $29. 2bn.Welch made a varsity team where he wanted managers who were ready to accept change, have a strong commitment towards values and willing to break with old culture and most of all r eady to take lead and bring changes.Answer 2Welch’s objectives:To modify the culture of the company to match the needs of the changing environment and to make sure that each employee embraces the new culture with ease. He created an environment of openness, speed, simplicity and self-confidence.To get the fundamentals right.To create a culture of a small company a place all felt engaged and everyone had voice. A forum where employees could not only speak their minds about how their business might run more effectively but also get immediate response to their ideas and proposals.To increase productivity beyond imagination. He made six sigma a part of the cultureHe focused on locating and developing leadership at all levels of the company. GE employees were being developed, evaluated and compensated based on a demanding evaluation process called â€Å"Session C†.To incentivize stronger work ethics, GE revamped its compensation package by offering more stock options tied d irectly to individual performance for program initiatives. Welch wanted employees to feel valued for their contributions, and highly-compensated for their efforts. Welch based his proposed and implemented changes on proven tactics used by other successful. For eg. Implementation of Six Sigma first stared by Motorola. He realized it was important to develop leaders and break from the conventional to achieve extremely high standards and be at the top, undefeated. So he revolutionized the way GE worked.Answer 3GE defied critics by implementing not just strategies to combat the challenges faced but by implementing a long term sustainable strategy that will be a masterpiece for years to come. Although GE had gone through a major reorganization that contributed to its successes, the changing business climate when Welch took over as CEO required more to be done. Welch realized that overcoming the magnitude of challenges would require unconventional leadership and bold strategies.In times o f uncertainties and recession, the normal course of action for many businesses is to engage in cost cutting strategies, but he believed investments in the right places during hard economic times enables a company to perform better during and after a recession.Right investments at right time: He offloaded all the unprofitable or not so profitable businesses and acquired companies during the slowdown. This was a clever decision since companies can be bought really cheap during recession.GE had acquired firms that enabled it to expand globally and developed global operations that resulted in the company almost doubling its international revenue to $42. 8billionAdapting various strategies which included â€Å"Fix, Sell or Close†. This strategy is an indication that Welch did not adapt cost cutting strategies like many of the companies during that time. Welch ’s goal of making GE lean and agile resulted in de-staffing and reduction of bureaucracy, eliminating layers of hier archical that were bottlenecks to growth.Critics saw the company’s strategy of developing leadership and employee capabilities enhancement as being risky especially in times of uncertainties. However, through the determination of Welch and his team, and the desire for change; the risk paid off contributing to the value of the company. Welch understood that strategy is not about doing things better, but it is about doing things differently through effective decision making and knowing where to compete and how to compete regardless of how radical and risky it may seem to critics.Through the stretch target initiatives, all employees were asked to prove how good they can be by setting and reaching higher goals that were once deemed to be impossible to achieve.Another important value added to the company was the service business, which contributed to 2/3rd of the company’s revenues. With Welch’s leadership GE ventured into new sectors, and did away with ineffective o nes, developed a massive global market that out performed its domestic markets, created a service industry and an E-business.Last but not the least, his introduction of the Six Sigma quality initiatives led to 62% in turnaround time, return of $750million over the investment exceeding expectations along with a forecast of additional returns of $1. 5 billion in 1999. Thus created a large complex diversified conglomerate that continues to defy the critics and grow in performance and profitability.Answer 4According to me Welch set the standard really high for the rest of the world. There was so much to learn from Welch’s leadership. He initiated a change in mindset and was successful in doing it, thanks to his commitment and rock solid attitude. Jack Welch’s mission was to restructure the company in order to become the #1or #2 in the industry. He embraced change, expected his team to do the same, and challenged his team be â€Å"better than the best†. Furthermore t eam members had to have the willingness to take charge, to think outside of the box, and most of all to be team players.Welch fostered open communication and created a culture characterized by â€Å"speed, simplicity, and self -confidence. † Welch never rested on his last success; he continued to innovate and to look for ways to grow the business both internally and externally. He understood that GE’s assets were in fact their people and in turn had to be managed as a company resource. Welch’s unwavering involvement in every facet of the business was essential to all of these directives. Everything Welch did reflected his belief in his people and as he once stated.â€Å"I own the people, you just rent them. † Without a doubt, Jack Welch’s leadership has left a lasting impact on GE and the business world. Welch’s has left a legacy for his successor. The successor will need to establish him/herself and make a name for themselves. This person w ill need to clearly communicate their vision and how they will go about accomplishing those goals. He/she will need to continue to foster open communication in an effort to continue to encourage teamwork. Innovation will be crucial if the company is to thrive under the new leadership.

Short term

Idea objectives For short term (3 to 6 months): 1. Raise an awareness of suppliers and demander: Achieve the number of visitors up to 50,000 views which include both potential suppliers and demander. Lots of student don't know about the concept of ‘mall department', they often hire a small house/ floor and stay with other people to share the cost.In 6 months, we target on 60% student of some of university and college near Nagy ©n trip street (Hanoi university, institute of traditional medicine, so on) will know our website then achieve the number of visitors up to 50,000 views . When website become more popular, it will attract student and other worker not only in Than Guan district, but also other places in Ha Noel. On the other hand , we also try to get 10,000 view of potential suppliers who will post or use our website to Introduce â€Å"mall department† to customers. . Increase the amount of information (about 15 posts/months) from suppliers. When the number of pag e view Increase dramatically , people feel trust in our website , they will contact with us to find a Department . Especially when student attend to heir university or collages , the demand Is really high _ A large number of student live in rural areas , they find too difficult to hire a department with the reasonable price but clean and safety .When they visit our web , if they see that all mini department can deal with these problem , they will want to hire it . When we have a large demand , we need more and more potential suppliers . In 6 months, we try to get 1 post per months from supplier For long-term (more than 5 years): 1. Capture the profit and balance the cost: Our strategy is design to achieve revenue growth of 15% per year for the next five years. It is essential at the time of attracting additional capital for undertaking expansion and modernization measures for our website. 2.Gain customer's loyalty: Increasing customer loyalty yields big profits over the long haul an d creates raving fans that promote our website for free and it is cheaper than finding new customers. Based on that, we design strategies to increase the amount of customers revisit to our website up to 60% (based on counting IP address). 3. Create an online library for people to search apartment for rent In Ha Not by gain to find suitable person who want to live in one department to decrease the cost. E-marketing strategy for idea: We are in the estate industry.Specifically, we focus on mini department for rent and our business model is broker. Therefore, to compete with other competitor such as controls. Com, Rangoon. Van and so on, we have specific target market is students in Hanoi capital. Our competitive advantage support for what we have said above are : + First-mover for providing information about mini apartment for students in website. + Our website is for only college student in Hanoi while our competitors do not focus on this segment or student in HCI.

Constitutional Conventions. Should Conventions Be Made Into Laws Essay

Constitutional Conventions. Should Conventions Be Made Into Laws - Essay Example These are the nations which follow the Westminster system of government, common in the Commonwealth Nations. The constitutional conventions often distribute the powers between the head of the state and the head of the government making the head of the state a ceremonial post. For example in the Indian subcontinent (Present India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) the constitution is based on the Govt. of India Act 1935 which was formulated by the British legislators, the additions to the act are made in the form of constitutional conventions and the affairs of government in these states are being run by these constitutional conventions. There are other constitutional conventions which operate alongside written constitutions. In Britain there are many constitutional conventions which have been made into laws. Still there is a marked difference between Laws and Constitutional Conventions. According to Dicey [1883] laws are the set of rules which are enforced by the courts while const itutional conventions are those set of rules which are not actually enforced by the courts and are merely are the habits and practices of people in certain offices of the state. According to Hood Phillips â€Å"constitutional conventions are rules of practices which are regarded as binding by those to whom they apply but which are not laws because they are not enforced by the courts and parliament†. L.B. ... The traditions and practices which are followed by certain governmental procedurals over large periods of time are considered as informal rules and are made constitutional conventions. According to one perception the English constitution drifted from the monarchical system to parliamentary system by way of constitutional convention. The ultimate object of most of the conventions is that the affairs of public interest should be conducted in accordance with the wishes of the majority of the electorates. The origin of constitutional conventions also takes place when certain authorities try to exercise power which is actually not prohibited by law but a certain opposition is aroused against that exercise of power and the opposition is of such an extent that the same action cannot be taken in future and the opposition marks an end to that practice. In such a scenario the certain practices which are not actually forbidden by law becomes forbidden under the constitutional conventions. Const itutional conventions automatically assume the role of constitutional amendments as the legislators and the government starts following them. But the constitutional conventions are not enforced by the courts of law because sometimes these are in conflict with the legal rules and the courts are bound to enforce the legal rules and not the constitutional conventions. On an occasion the British Supreme court has ruled out the possibility of the constitutional conventions to be enforced as laws no matter how well-established and universally accepted they may be because there are instances when there is clash between the constitutional convention and a present law. The only way

CT scan protoclos at RMC HOSPITAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

CT scan protoclos at RMC HOSPITAL - Essay Example Single-slice helical CT scanners were introduced in the 1980's and multislice CT scanners in the 1990's, which allows a larger section of the body to be scanned in a smaller period of time (Wesolowski, 2005). From the practical perspective, the benefits of CTs are immense. However, CT scans involve higher doses of radiation than the conventional x-ray procedure (Smith-Bindman et al, 2009). CT contributes a large dose towards medical radiation, and is the main source of man- made radiation excluding natural background radiation (Wiest, 2002). There is concern about the exposure of radiation in children and adult population and the subsequent long-term cancer risks. CT procedures cause high doses of radiation to be absorbed through the skin, in the range of 20-30 mGY (2-3 rads) (Wiest, 2002). There is greater concern for the pediatric population because they are more sensitive to radiation exposure than the adult population (Brenner, 2007). Children are more prone to exposure because they have a larger proportion of dividing cells and the tissues of children are up to 10 times more radiosensitive than adults (Brenner, 2007). Chwals et al., found that CT examinations of the head, abdomen an d pelvis routinely performed in pediatric trauma patients exposed them to 50 times the standard yearly dose of background ionizing radiation (Chwals, 2008). Radiation exposure in the adult population is low but still a concern. Broder suggests that in adults, it reaches its threshold in the 40's and then slowly decreases (Broder, 2006). Due to the repetitive radiation exposure and adverse effects associated with it, the operators of CT are expected to possess a concrete knowledge and practical understanding how to reduce the radiation dose patients receive to acceptable minimum (Manghat et al, 2005). Similar concerns regarding radiation exposure and cancer risks have propelled the medical community to implement protocols to lower the radiation dose in children, by adjusting the machine settings without compromising important information (Brenner, 2007). Other measures include reducing repeat CTs and decreasing unnecessary CTs by ensuring that any additional CTs ordered by a physician will only benefit the patient (Brenner, 2007). According to Manghat et al (2005), CT operators can utilize the variety of strategies to reduce radiation exposure such as the use of bismuth shields to protect organs sensitive to radiation, adjusting the machine settings using automatic exposure control (AEC), the tube voltage (kVp) reduc tion, decreasing the pitch and the tube current-time product (mAs). Practically, educating doctors regarding the risks associated with radiation is an important factor to allow physicians to make informed decisions when considering radiological tests (Thomas, 2006). Lee and colleagues highlighted this in a study that found 75% of Emergency Department (ED) physicians and radiologists underestimated the risks associated with radiation from CT examinations (Thomas, 2006). Recognition of the potential cancer risks by the medical community has pressed CT manufactures to implement programs to allow adjustment of the dose with respect to the child's body mass (Chwals, 2008). As of 2003, the majority of hospitals in developed countries reported implementing some programs to reduce radiation exposure in children, though still many hospitals have yet to implement these changes

Introduction to Human Resource Management Essay - 1

Introduction to Human Resource Management - Essay Example that employee-related laws were followed, and that all staff members were following the company’s policies and procedures (Cafà © Co Case Study, 2009). Also, the company’s hard HRM approach made the HR manager less of a director of HR but more of a policy-maker to make sure employees followed the company rules and regulations. Allen (2007) also describes the soft HRM approach which deals with issues of human behaviour, making sure that people are led rather than managed, are communicated with effectively and are motivated by leadership. The soft HRM approach views staff members are being important to meeting strategic goals and should be treated as valuable assets to achieving what the company wants to accomplish. One aspect of the Harvard model of HR outlines that people should be given rewards for their support to meeting goals (HRM Guide, 2007). After the review of Cafà © Co HR policies, this approach was undertaken with performance management systems and attempts to increase pay. The HR manager role, now as a member of the Board, already has a difficult time trying to improve existing HR policy at the company. Being in such a high position does not give Kim first-hand access to in-store employee behaviours, skills and abilities, therefore the line manager must take on this role in order to provide fair and accurate employee assessments. One HR expert offers that in order to have a good HR policy, line managers should â€Å"interview job applicants, provide training, carry out disciplinary procedures, and provide performance ratings† (Kleiman, 2007). Because there is already such a high turnover rate at Cafà © Co due to HR being unable to perform these tasks, it is both logical and benefitting to the business to have line managers take on these responsibilities since they are the regular point of contact for in-store staff activities, skills and behaviours. Kim simply cannot do this with her busy job role. Ulrich’s first role is being a strategic partner,

Giving economic circumstances over the last five years of how Tesco, Essay

Giving economic circumstances over the last five years of how Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrisons have coped - Essay Example 1, the economy is contracting. The situation affects retailers because of the low purchasing power of consumers. BBC said that the rise in sales will be slower than expected, with a rise predicted at only 1%. Analysts blamed rising prices are the cause of the slow growth of retail sales. Economic outlook of UK for 2013 as raised by the Confederation of British Industry will stagnate and the Bank of England will refrain from a stimulus expanding. Their forecast is that the recession economy will stay until 2014. Purpose of the study is to analyze steps taken by the giant superstores to cushion the effect of recession, and strategies they plan to stay in competition. Since recession is not over yet, the study will benefit smaller retail stores in designing strategies that will reduce impact of recession in its operations. 4. Methodology . This study will make an analysis of performance of the three retail giants in UK during recession period using comparative analysis of its financial performance as an indicator. Review of its annual reports will show strategies implemented to survive the economic recession challenge. Government policies to stimulate economy will also be inspected TESCO is one of the world’s largest retailers with operations in 14 countries, employing over 500,000 and serving tens of millions of customers every week. Diversified businesses: retailing of books, clothing, electronics, furniture, petrol and software, financial services, telecoms and internet services, DVD rentals and downloads. It has repositioned itself from a cheap retailer to finest ranges of higher quality merchandise. SAINSBURY was founded in 1869 and operates over 1000 stores including 440 convenience stores. It operates joint ventures with Land Securities Group plc and the British Land Company PLC. It has on-line ordering system and a roll-out delivery system. Sainsbury Finance provides credit cards, insurances, and savings and loans, and an

Making a Script for ENGL presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Making a Script for ENGL presentation - Essay Example In the late 1950s and 1960s, the beginning of postmodernism came into scene as a ‘new sensibility’ by attacking modernism’s official status and through canonization in the museum and the academy, as the high culture of the modern capitalist world. It was therefore a populist attack on the elitism of modernism and signaled a refusal of what Andreas Huyssen (1986) calls ‘the great divide’. The American and the British pop art of the 1950s and 1960s also presented a clear rejection of the ‘great divide’, preferring William’s social definition of culture as ‘a whole way of life’. This was proven in the late 1970s when the debate about the postmodernism crossed the Atlantic. Different cultural theorists also debated on the advent of postmodernism in various aspects. For Lyotard, the postmodern condition is the collapse of certainty and the dissolution of the metanarrative of ‘truth’. God, knowledge, higher education, science, the working class, all have lost their authority as centers of authenticity and truth. Popular culture of the postmodern condition is therefore, a culture of ‘slackening’, where taste is irrelevant and money is the only sign of value. For Baudrillard, postmodernism is a culture of the ‘simulacrum’ i.e. an identical copy without an original. Over the years we have seen a historical shift from a metallurgic society to a semiurgic society; destroying the very distinction between the original and copy. The result of this is not a treat from the ‘real’, but the collapse of the real into hyperrealism, where reality and stimulation are experienced as without difference, e.g. Disneyland, for it allows a concentrated experience of ‘real’ America. For Fredic Jameson, postmodernism is theorized from within a Marxist or neo-Marxist framework. It is referred to as the ‘cultural

Rotation of Auditors Improving Quality of Audits Essay

Rotation of Auditors Improving Quality of Audits - Essay Example Being faced by many of the threats the financial statements are deemed to provide true and fair view and audit of the financial statements depicts that whether the information provided in the financial statements are up to the standards upon which the financial statements are to be presented and issued. The quality of the audit is crucial for the integrity and reliability of the information provided and disclosed in the financial statements. With the continuous increase upon the integrity of the financial statements there are efforts made and put in to practice in order to provide high quality audit. Many of the legislations and regulations are formed to excel the quality of the audit so that the quality audit can enhance the integrity of the financial statements. There are many factors, which contributed towards the quality of the audit and their relation with the quality of financial statements, one of which is the rotation of the auditors. The independence of the auditors is one o f the major factor which reflects the quality of audit. The impact of the rotation of auditors upon the quality of audit ensuring auditor independence and how the factors affecting the auditors’ independence are tackled with rotation of audit is discussed. Importance of Audit Quality The quality of the audit is crucial for every user as the financial statements fulfilling the information requirement, which is different in every case. The importance of the transparency of information is critical as the users are dependent upon the provided information and that information is needed to be completely free of bias and should present the true and fair view of the company (Zabihollah, et al., 2003). The quality of the audit of the financial statements is decisive for every user as it is the quality of audit that depicts the dependency and reliability of the information provided in the financial statement. Regulations and Principals The importance of the audit is of utmost important as it elaborates the transparency and quality of the information that the company provides in its financial and non-financial statements (Anna & James, 2009). The information that is scrutinized in the audit process depicts the quality of the audit. The quality of audit is measured upon various techniques where the relation of the auditor is one of the major factors that result in the rotation of the auditors. The ethical implication of the audit and the principals provided by the international auditing and assurance standard board are issued in order to guide through the quality of audit. There are various legislations imposed in various countries where the rotation of the auditors is set as compulsory for the company. The importance of the audit is realized and various regulations were made and implemented. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has implemented laws that are mandatory to be followed where the rotation of the auditors are set to be followed by the companies . Corporate governance failure caused many of the scandals that gave rise to many of the regulations (Francine, 2011). In the corporate governance the best practice principals denotes the quality of audit to be enhanced when the rotation of the auditor is made after every three years. The corporate governance best practice is dedicated towards the operations of the company, which depicts the

Mexico and its Importance to US Bilateral relations Essay Example for Free

Mexico and its Importance to US Bilateral relations Essay Mexico is an important asset to the United States, is shares 1,954 miles of border with the United States, and has become an important economic trading partner with the United States. Relations between these two nations are paramount, but we must address a list of issues that need answers, economic reform, homeland security, drug control, migration and even the environment. Every day over one million people cross the border legally, in 2012 two way trade totaled over $500 billion dollars. Mexico has remained one of the biggest tourist destinations for American travelers, and America major source of tourism for Mexico. Cooperation between these two nations is important, it is also important for the United States to help streamline diplomacy with Mexico. In 2010 the Executive Committee for 21st Century Border Management was created to help create advancements in creating a modern, secure and efficient border. This Committee was created to spur ideas on ways to help secure the border, as well as create a better way to manage the legal crossing taking place every day. The attacks September 1 1, 2001 led to the closing of many border crossing, putting a strain on the already verworked crossings, with the implementation of this program new ways are being explored on how we should run these border crossings as well as exploring the re- opening of certain closed crossing points. Cooperative activities between the U. S. and Mexico take place under a number of arrangements such as the U. S. -Mexico Border 2012/2020 Program the North American Development Bank and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission; the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation; the Border Health Commission. These agencies help cooperate with Mexico in regards to the serious environmental issues that have risen ue to population growth and industrialization. In 2008 we began the Merida Initiative seeking to cooperate with Mexico as well as other South American countries in an attempt to curb the growing trend of drug trafficking crimes. Mexico suggested that it was a shared problem because the majority of the money flowing into Mexico was from American drug users. Although as of 2012 congress has appropriated nearly 1. 9 billion dollars to the Merida Initiative. Beginning in 2010 the Merida Initiative took a four pillar approach to break down its attempts at disrupting the drug trafficking and violence problem. The first pillar aims to disrupt the capacity of organized crime to operate and the second pillar focuses on enhancing the capacity of Mexicos government and institutions to sustain the rule of law. The Merida Initiatives third pillar aims to improve border management to facilitate legitimate trade and movement of people while thwarting the flow of drugs, arms, and cash. Finally, the fourth pillar seeks to build strong and resilient communities. Despite the major advances we have made with mexico regarding trade and the furtherance of our partnership as nations, it must be noted the major issues we still ace. The Drug Cartels in mexico currently run a 20 plus billion dollar a year industry. important area of discussion is the immigration issues that have faced the united states from mexico as immigrants attempt to flee mexico for a variety of reasons. Mexico is also a major recipient of remittances, in 2012 the state department estimated over 22 billion dollars worth was sent from relatives living in America. Immigration has become a hot point in current affairs, it is time to analise some options for the future in regards to immigration and options regarding drug rafficking issues. In may of 2013 Obama announced the formation of a bilateral forum on higher education, innovation, and research. With this forum the United States and mexico will encourage typically underprivileged students to attend college and secondary schools providing them access to these schools as well as secondary training programs in STEM fields.. This forum is our first step towards making mexico an economic power as well as a place that can welcome advancing technology. Recommendations. Increasing the funding that is appropriated for the Merida Initiative, this funding hould be sent towards furthering the security checkpoints at Mexicos borders. Updating x ray machines as well as non-invasive body scanners. Money should also be spent in an attempt to inform the Mexican community of the intentions to curb the trend of drug cartel control. The Merida initiative should focus primarily on the first pillar, of disrupting organized Criminal Groups. Scrapping all additional plans for continuing the fence on the American Mexican border. Rather Funds should be appropriated in designating a committee to explore further partnership with Mexico regarding immigration. America needs to accept that Mexican immigrants as a majority are good people looking for honest work. This should no longer be a crime, The process of obtaining a green card should be streamlined, making it accessible to anyone who seeks it out. This policy has to go hand in hand with near total elimination of drug violence. Mexico needs to be regarded as a safe place where both American and Mexican nationals can come and go across the border freely and without safety in question. Mexico should not be treated as a third world nation, we have the potential to help them become a eautiful place to visit. It Just requires some creative policy ideas to meet our goals. Drug Reform has not had much success, in part to the weak policies that have been implemented.

Hca Teamwork Assignment Essay Example for Free

Hca Teamwork Assignment Essay Jennifer Planz As a delegated leader I am asked to solve an issue that is currently affecting the billing department of the facility I work in. The billing department need codes and important that they are not receiving. The doctor needs to be reimbursed for medical care on a patient. The facility I work in needs me to get this done in order to speed up production. This leaves me in charge of picking a team and promoting effective teamwork in order to resolve the current conflict. I will choose the members of my eam by finding individuals who are all trying to achieve the same objective. In this case, it would be the billing specialist, the doctor, myself and a communication specialist to make it go more smoothly. All of us are involved in this conflict on one way or another and need to participate together in order for all parties to be satisfied. I will promote effective teamwork by having the communication specialist involved. Teamwork can also be promoted by establishing ground rules for all team players. Making sure all players knew the nature, importance and cause of the conflict problem. Making sure everyone was aware that conflict is a natural part of life is a way to promote effective teamwork. Also offering social support, workshops, and providing leadership training. Offering social support can help soothe feelings and encourage more social support. It also reduces the risks and causes of caregivers being stressed, burned-out, and feelings of isolation. Offering workshops to employees for building their skills and help them to assume new roles in organization and managing conflict that is involved in with change and teamwork. Leadership training can vary on a range of topics. The ones I like that I would use are managing conflict, handling complaints, hospitality, and writing effective memo and releases. I feel this would be good starting training sessions for soon to be leaders or those already in leadership positions. Communication skills are important because they affect the performance of every employee and not Just leaders. The basic communication skills are both essential and necessary to effectively care for someone. Training and sessions are a great way to enhance or upgrade those skills in order to perfect these skills and become a better professional.

Challenges for E-Learners

Challenges for E-Learners Distance learning, sometimes called e-learning is here defined as interactive learning in which the learning content is available online and provides automatic feedback to the students learning activities. Online communication with real people may or may not be included, but the focus of e- learning is usually more on the learning content than on communication between learners and tutors. Distance learning and its relationship to emerging computer technologies have together offered many promises to the field of education. In practice however, the combination often falls short of what it attempts to accomplish. Some of the shortcomings are due to problems with the technology; others have more to do with administration, instructional methods, or students. Despite the problems, many users like technologies such as compressed video and see continued growth in the area. However, distance learning is no such advantage is that it is easy, a person can study without attending classes or lectures, while working or doing some other course. It is also a good alternative for housewives who are not able to enroll into courses because they have to take care of young children, just deal with computers and have their own time to learn and also can communicate with tutors and peers via online such as email, forum and chat. . In distance education courses, you would be provided with study material and also would have to submit assignments on time. These assignments would be assessed by professors who would send you feedback. However, if you are planning to enroll into distance learning, you need to to know about some of the distance learning pros and cons. Like every good thing, even distance learning has some disadvantages that can make it seem a little inconvenient for people. The problem may be due to factors balance between personal and learning problems. If students cannot adapt to the system of distance learning, they will face a different problem. In addition, lack of knowledge and skills about using technology and computers, language skills, especially English language, disorganized way of learning to mix work problems, family and study time. These are some of the distance learning advantages and disadvantages. Before making a decision, it is important to weigh the distance learning pros and cons. Though distance learning can be termed as a useful and convenient way to gain knowledge and to higher ones qualification, whether it would benefit you would entirely depend upon your personality and attitude. Here we will discuss in more detail about the problems faced by online learners and solutions or suggestions can be followed so that any problems that arise can be resolved satisfactorily. So it is important to identify the problem faced by online learners because without this knowledge, maybe the learners will lose their focus and motivation THREE MAIN PROBLEMS FACED BY BEGINNING ONLINE LEARNERS Despite the promises and obvious advantages to distance learning, there are problems that need to be resolved. These problems include balancing the combination of work, family and education, study habits and lack of skills in technology. Each one of these has an effect on the overall quality of distance learning as a product. In many ways, each of these issues relates to the others. This is one of the major problem which will make them think twice before decide to advance their study. The first problem faced by online distance learners is in balancing the combination of work and education. Most of the open and distance learner usually have many commitments and responsibilities that they must attend while doing their educational goals. Many of them are married, work full time and of course have children. If not carried out, all of this can cause the student drop out from their learning. Job responsibility is already intimidating, let alone the family and the learning, so adult learners have limited time to do their study. The task of balancing all of the above responsibility is truly challenging for most of them. The second issue is in acquiring go online distance study habits. The students everyday environment is very distracting for most of the students. Unlike traditional university students who are always in their learning community which supports them most of the time, online distance students are not. Distractions such as friends asking for night supper and wife demanding to go shopping at the mall every weekend are among other distractions faced by students. Acquiring some time in a day to study is quite a hard task to complete. Online distance learners also have a hard time in being independent and responsible to their own self. Most of the time, there is no one around to monitor the students learning process. The openness of the online distance program gives students the freedom to do their learning process whenever they like but most of the time, procrastination is the culprit. Unfocused view of their learning goals also will make the students act irresponsibly towards their learnin g. The third issue is online distance learners also face problems in recognizing and mastering strengths and skills in Information Technology (IT). In online distance learning, technology is the main conduit which information and communication flow. A computer with internet access is usually needed for this process and its application will need the user to master certain level of acquirement. Some of these problems arise from a lack of training, some from the instructors attitudes about using the technology, and still others by hardware problems. It seems to be self evident that instructors need to be trained to use distance learning technology, but too often they are not. The student will also need to have some basic writing skills and go online distance command of English language. Unfortunately, not all of the students possess the above skills. THREE LOGICAL AND PRACTICAL SUGGESTION ON WAY TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY BEGINNING ONLINE LEARNERS Adults students mostly do not have the luxury of attending college on a full time basis because of their work and family obligations. They often experience problems which, if not overcome, can result in the derailing of their educational goals. There are things that they can do though to help overcome the typical problems that arise. The first solution is learners must manage and plan themselves effectively in order to balancing work, family and study. They have to apply smart time management. Avoiding procrastinating a must. They must be more responsible and have a focused view towards learning. They must also learn to improve themselves in areas they are lacking ( such as writing skills, computer skills, note taking skills and English language skills) because not all skills will be taught by the tutor. They need to motivate their own self by setting achievable goals and have a positive attitude. The second solutions are start with less demanding course. There tends to be some challenging courses that must be completed by students, there is rarely a requirement that these should be the first ones studied. Therefore, start with less challenging ones that you find more enjoyable initially so as to build confidence. This assists in getting used to the college atmosphere and the demands of course work again. Furthermore, every student make a study calender to detailing examination dates and assignment due dates on a dedicated calender helps to avoid the rushing of assignments at the last minutes or exam cram sessions. Proper preparation leads to good grades, while inadequate planning results in failure. The third solutions are make sure that internet access is readily available. Study today is dependent on the internet, forum, e-mail and etc as intermediate communication. The ability to access library databases and complete research online is the basis of succeeding. Also, electronic access eliminates the requirement of spending many hours working on campus, you can study from home instead. The practical suggestion on way to reduce problem faced by online learners are problem solving skills. It gives the opportunity to develop other useful learning skills such as like practice specific procedures and put theoretical use when develop reasoning abilities and creativity in finding answers. Other method also like develop learners understanding of underlying principles and make research topic in detail. Resolving a study problem may go through the following stages as like review of information. Define problem, relate available information to the problem with design a work plan and methodology and monitor outcomes. Encourage them to make a strategy for developing their problem solving skills, which could include reviewing their own effectiveness in this area, identifying the main steps of the problem solving process, identifying the criteria against which to judge the standard or quality of outcomes, looking at the problem in different ways, simplifying it, making comparisons with researching information and consulting people to establish critical thinking, choosing and using methods to tackle the problem and taking into account factors that may affect problem solving plans recording information in useful way. CONCLUSION The problem faced by beginning online learners is such as like is in balancing the combination of work and education. Most of the open and distance education students are older, have jobs and families, so they are should know how to manage time properly and which one are the priority. The second issue is in acquiring go online distance study habits. The students everyday environment is very distracting for most of the students. Unlike traditional university students who are always in their learning community which supports them most of the time, online distance students are not, so they must should make a study calender so that proper preparation leads to good grades, while inadequate planning can get failure result. Online distance learners also have a hard time in being independent and responsible to their own self. All the student online learners have to solve all this problem with their own way and also have to take more responsibility on their study. The third issue is problems in recognizing and mastering strengths and skills. They must also learn to improve themselves in areas they are lacking such as writing skills, computer skills, English language skills because not all skills will be taught by tutor. So students should find their own alternatives to enhance the skills. If you know if this entire problem cannot resolve maybe something might happen in the future. For example, online learners maybe will fail with their study or get bad result and waste their money and time to study. As student online learners we should have aim for success in our study. Our goals are for every course participant to succeed, leave the course looking at the surrounding world with the perspective of a scientist, feel confident using science in his or her own learning, and know how to support inquiry-based learning in his or her own classroom. APPENDIX 1 Distance Learning With the history of distance learning encompassing so many different learning environments, we need to find a definition that fits in all situations. There have been many definitions put forward in modern literature. Greenberg (1998) defines contemporary distance learning as a planned teaching/learning experience that uses a wide spectrum of technologies to reach learners at a distance and is designed to encourage learner interaction and certification of learning. Teaster and Blieszner (1999) say the term distance learning has been applied to many instructional methods: however, its primary distinction is that the teacher and the learner are separate in space and possibly time. Desmond Keegan (1995) gives the most thorough definition. He says that distance education and training result from the technological separation of teacher and learner which frees the student from the necessity of traveling to a fixed place, at a fixed time, to meet a fixed person, in order to be trained. From these definitions we can see that the student and teacher are separated by space, but not necessarily by time. This would include compressed video, which is delivered in real time. As stated earlier, this type of live video instruction is the fastest growing means of distance learning today. Because of this, much of the discussion here will be dedicated to the promises and problems of this technology. APPENDIX 2 The Reality of Adult Learners Online I was somewhat concerned about the students and the lack of personal attention they would be receiving through my online course. Since I did not know them, I didnt know their learning styles or cultural differences. Adult learners in particular have different learning styles and cultural backgrounds, and they may feel they are being left out of learning activities (Baloglu, 2007). Thus, distance learning may cause a psychological, as well as a physical, gap (Durrington, Berryhill, Swafford, 2006). Students may feel lonely, and a lack of face-to-face communication and competition can affect their motivation. Barriers for adult learners are categorized as situational, institutional, and dispositional. A persons circumstances in life at any given time are considered potential situational barriers. Different policies and practices may make course participation more difficult are considered institutional barriers. Students attitudes about their own abilities to succeed are considered dispositional barriers. These barriers present additional obstacles for adult learners who attempt to obtain an advanced degree (Spellman, 2007). I found these adult learners, who were teachers, to be motivated and very timely in turning in their assignments and posting on Blackboard. Having them complete assignments that benefited their theses made them even more enthusiastic about completing the work. They all asked questions and sought clarification about things they didnt understand. They also did an excellent job commenting on the other students posts. By the end of the course, I could see a definite improvement in the content of their article evaluations. I think they were learning from one another. The adult learners I taught were clearly self-directed and able to be autonomous. They had life knowledge and were goal-oriented. It seems they wanted to see the relevance and application of their education, were practical, needed respect, needed feedback, and had to be interested in the subject matter (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, 2000; Henick, 1994). The reasons adult learners obtain a post-secondary degree tend to differ from those of traditional students. Adult learners typically want to advance in an organization. An additional degree also makes them more marketable and competitive in the job market and allows them to change careers (Milheim, 2005).

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach :: Essays Papers

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach May 11, 1752-January 22, 1840 Born in Gotha, Germany in 1752, Blumenbach went on to Jena to study medicine. He completed his doctoral training at Gottingen in 1775. Just a year later, he was appointed as an extraordinary professor of medicine. His study of the history of man showing the value of using comparative anatomy and his classification of the five varieties of man were two important contributions made by Blumenbach (1911 Edition). He wasted no time in becoming one of the most influential members of the fields of comparative anatomy, zoology, physiology, anthropology, and craniology, in fact, Blumenbach is considered to be the founder of anthropology as well as craniology. In his construction of this new field of physical anthropology, he used the methods of natural historians, and applied those methods to the human species (Keith 106). Objectifying the study of mankind, Blumenbach collected numerous specimens from various races. Skulls, skin, hair and pictures were among the items coll ected. From each item, the location, as well as race of the item, was known and recorded. Prior to Blumenbach's systematized assortment of specimens, the only collections "consisted of miscellaneous oddities preserved in the 'cabinets' of noble houses, for the idle amusement of the curious." (Keith, 106). Blumenbach' s more complete collection allowed intensive study into the racial history of mankind, which is just what he wanted to do. Blumenbach was also the first to study the actual form of skulls (Retzius 283). The book, On the Natural Variety of Mankind, was Blumenbach's main contribution to the field of anthropology and comparative anatomy. In this book he discusses the chief varieties of mankind, the causes of degeneration, the differences between man and other animals, the differences, and causes of differences, between varieties of man, and various other issues related to the existing varieties of the species of man. Blumenbach asserts that climate is an important contributing factor in racial differences. In fact, he states specifically, "climate is the principal cause of the racial face," (Blumenbach 229). Diet and customs were also important contributions, according to Blumenbach. He even went so far as to say that the Ethiopians’ flattened facial features were caused by the practice of mothers carrying their infants on their backs while working, and thus pressing the infants face into the mothers’ backs (Schiebinger 393).

Freedom is the Cost of Stability in Brave New World Essay -- Brave New

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   David Grayson once said that "Commandment Number One of any truly civilized society is this: Let people be different". Difference, or individuality, however, may not be possible under a dictatorial government. Aldous Huxley's satirical novel Brave New World shows that a government-controlled society often places restraints upon its citizens, which results in a loss of social and mental freedom. These methods of limiting human behavior are carried out by the conditioning of the citizens, the categorical division of society, and the censorship of art and religion. Conditioning the citizens to like what they have and reject what they do not have is an authoritative government's ideal way of maximizing efficiency. The citizens will consume what they are told to, there will be no brawls or disagreements and the state will retain high profits from the earnings. People can be conditioned chemically and physically prior to birth and psychologically afterwards. The novel, Brave New World, takes place in the future, 632 A. F. (After Ford), where biological engineering reaches new heights. Babies are no longer born viviparously, they are now decanted in bottles passed through a 2136 metre assembly line. Pre-natal conditioning of embryos is an effective way of limiting human behaviour. Chemical additives can be used to control the population not only in Huxley's future society, but also in the real world today. This method of control can easily be exercised within a government-controlled society to limit population growth and to control the flaws in future citizens. In today's world, there are chemical drugs, which can help a pregnant mother conceive more easily or undergo an abortion. In the new world, since there is no need... ...rolled society appears to be a Utopia, where everyone is happy and lives in harmony, but the price paid is comparable to the superficial happiness that the citizens receive. Without the freedom of choice, the citizens do not actually realize the joy when a task is accomplished. Without having to work for a goal, the people do not appreciate the pleasure once the goal is achieved and do not actually understand the true meaning of happiness. The price for Utopia, in a word, is freedom.    Works Cited and Consulted Bedford, Sybill. Alodus Huxley. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. Berton, Pierre. The Great Depression. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1990. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. London: Flamingo, 1994. Rae, John. Henry Ford. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Woodcock, George. Dawn and the Darkest Hour. London: Faber and Faber, 1972.

Kellog’s Case Essay

Generally speaking, one can say a premium brand is a brand of excellent quality and value. Futhermore, a premium brand is a brand that has a particular value to a market because of the design, inventiveness and quality that it provides. In addition to this, a successful brand name will encourage loyalty amongst consumers who will be more likely to buy the product on a regular basis. So a brand is considered to be premium only when the customers believe the brand is worth the price one is paying for it. In other words, the vendor is able to charge more for a product even if the competition provides a similar product or service at a lower price. Regarding Kellog‘s, one can say it is a premium brand not only because of its wide range of products and 42% of the market share of the value ot the UK‘s cereal market but also because the consumers are con? dent that they receive a high quality product when they buy a Kellog‘s merchandise Question 2: Describe the difference between an aim and an objective. Before differentiating between an aim and an objective on should ? rst de? ne the speci? c meaning of these two words in the management context. An aim is a goal. It is something a company wants to achieve. Moreover, it helps people to understand the beliefs and principles of that business An objective is a more precise statement of the goal. It is designed to contribute to a speci? c aim. Therfore, it has to be speci? c, measurable and realistic. To make it more clear one can take Kellog‘s as an example. Their aim was was to clarify the importance of a balanced lifestyle to the consumers. To achieve this aim Kellog‘s set several objectives, such as increasing the association between Kellog‘s and sports or even encouring and supporting physical activities. Question 3: Outline the purpose of Kellog‘s work with the ASA. The reason why Kellog‘s chose to work with the Amateur Swimming Association can be deduced when one looks at the aims of Kellog‘s and of the ASA. As explained in question 2 Kellog‘s wants to reinforce the importance of a balanced lifestyle so its consumers understand how a balanced diet and excercise can improve their lives. ASA‘s aim is to give more people, more opportunities to swim for health and fun. Because of the correlation of these two aims of these two companies it makes sense to work together in order to use synergies to achieve their common goals and objectives. Whereas Kellog‘s acts as a sponsor, ASA makes sure the swimmers receive the best possble support and the funds reach the proper institutions and people. Moreover, working with ASA assisted Kellog‘s to get in contact with several other companies and partners, such as Sustrans. Furthermore, Kellog‘s reinforces its brand positioning by working with ASA. Because of its corporate responsibility Kellog‘s is perceived much more positively by its customers which automatically leads to a higher loyalty and a better business reputation, which eventually can lead to higher sales and revenues. Question 4: Using examples to support your dialogue, evaluate how Kellog communicates and discuss how this enables it to position its brand. Kellog‘s uses two ways to communicate. The internal and the external way. In order for a strategy to be adopted successfully, a company‘s internal and external communication has to be correlated. First of all Kellog‘s uses internal communication, which is done within its organisation. The goal of trying to clarify the importance of a balanced lifestyle to the consumers is also done within the company. By dispersing a house magazine to its employees, about the importance of a balanced lifestyle, it also wants to highlights the importance of its goal not only to its customers but also to its staff. Furthermore, the Kellog‘s personnel is provided with a pedometer to encourage its employees to live a healthier lifestyle. To summarize this, Kellog‘s wants its staff to understand its business objectives and also be able to relate to them. Secondly, Kellog‘s uses several external communication methods in order to strengthen its brand positioning. It uses several elements of the marketing-mix to communicate with its customers. First of all, it uses a huge variety of media to reach its consumers, such as the press, radio, television and internet. Moreover, the packaging of Kellogg’s products is also a key element of the marketing mix. Kellogs‘ packaging provides the assurances of quality and nutrition that come with its name and also appeal to the end user, mostly children. One example is the use of the cartoon characters of Jack & Aimee the tries to show the importance of exercise and a balanced lifestyle. So to summarize, one can say Kellog‘s wants to position its brand as a healthy, family-oriented, high quality product that puts an emphasis on a healthy and balanced lifestyle. This is done by communicating the need of physical activity by working with partners that emphasize sports and also by advertising the need of sports through their own channels such as packaging and advertisement.

Jsbmha and Hipaa Case Study

JSBMHA and HIPAA Case Study Appendix C University of Phoenix Axia College Week 5 How does HIPAA serve to protect patient rights? HIPAA protects any individual’s past their present and future information whether it be physical, mental or any other condition that affects that person. It also protects anything that identifies the individual involved, that would their name, address, birth date and Social Security number. Nothing should be discussed about any individual that an agency is helping. It should not be discussed with anyone who is not directly involved with the case even if that person works for the agency. If they are not involved then it should not be discussed. What areas of the JSBMHA did HIPAA compliance impact? HIPAA has a great impact on patients rights, all areas of the JSBMHA were affected by these two individuals. They affected the patients, and put the agency in an awkward position. They affected the agency, the grandmother could make others aware about what happened and this could affect the agency negatively. People who are involved with the agency could be made to feel uncomfortable about giving them any information. It would mean that information at the JSBMHA is not secure, the trust has been violated. What actions should the JSBMHA director take about the HIPAA violation? Explain your answers in detail. I feel that both individuals should be suspended, this is a serious violation. The have put the agency in a very bad situation and have lost the trust of the family. Jim knew better, he has been with the agency much longer then Betty, he should have advised her that she should not be talking about these people outside of the office. I think maybe Jim should get fired because he does no better, 20 years is a long time to be with a company and it is more then enough time to understand and know the rules. He was supposed to be an example to Betty, someone who she can learn from. Maybe the agency should make an example of him. They both violated the HIPAA law, but I think Jim’s punishment should be more severe.

Mckinsey Report July 2012

Day of reckoning for European retail banking McKinsey report July 2012 The dynamics of the global banking sector have been in flux since the beginning of the 2008. Irate creditors everywhere have called for more stringent regulation to ensure that that the interests of financial institutions are more closely aligned with those of their customers and shareholders. The global, European and national authorities have responded with vigour and the regulatory reform to which all banks, wholesale and retail, will be subject in the coming years will have an important impact on their bottom line. The single biggest cause of a reduction in retail banks’ ROE will come from the global regulatory mechanism Basel III, which will place greater capital requirements on banks and more emphasis on adequate funding and liquidity. Furthermore, three important European regulatory instruments, the EU Mortgage Directive, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), Payment Service Directive, will also considerably diminish ROE. Finally, the implementation of new national regulation will create further downward pressure on ROE, though this will vary considerably from country to country. This report provides estimates on the impact on capital, revenues, costs and profit margins of all the relevant regulations on each product (both asset- and liability-based) in each of the four biggest European markets – France, Germany, Britain and Italy – which combined constitute 66% of the EU27 retail-banking market. ROE is the standard metric used and the report calculates the cumulative effect of all regulation as if it were all put in place immediately, using 2010 as the baseline year. The paper reaches some important conclusions. Firstly, with regard to national and continent-wide retail banking markets, ROE will fall from approximately 10% to 6% when all four markets are taken as a whole. Below is a breakdown of the effect in each of the national markets: Country France Germany Italy UK ROE Pre-Regulation 14% 7% 5% 14% ROE Post-Regulation 10% 4% 3% 7% Delta -29 -47 -40 -48 The impact in the UK is particularly caustic as national regulation is extensive. In terms of the effect of regulation on the different product offerings of retail banks, asset-based products are generally the harder-hit. In the UK and France, mortgages and small-business loans will be the most adversely affected. Similarly in Germany mortgages, personal and small-business loans will be the most negatively influenced. In Italy, the value of every asset-based product will be impaired. The disheartening truth of the matter is that across the board the ROE of asset-based products will fall below 10%, which is currently the estimated cost of equity for retail banks. On the other hand, liability-based products will prove more resilient. Deposits will become more valuable to retail banks as they are an advantaged form of funding and liquidity under new regulation. Geographically speaking, in France and Germany only investment products and debit cards will be negatively affected and in Italy most liability-based products will escape relatively intact. However, once again domestic regulation in Britain will play a role in reducing retail banks’ ROE, to the extent that all liability products in the UK will be adversely affected. An important section of the report discusses global systemically important financial institutions (GSIFIs). Such pecuniary establishments are considered too interconnected and universal to be subject to the new regulation imposed on smaller-scale retail banks. The Financial Stability Board has therefore proposed additional capital requirements for G-SIFIs, which will induce a further reduction of their ROE of anywhere between 0. 4 percentage points and 1. 3 percentage points depending on the institution. In addition, it will be obligatory for all G-SIFIs to prepare a recovery and resolution plan (RRP) that will provide a strategic map for authorities to wind down the bank in the event of dissolution. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) is also developing new global rules on risk IT for G-SIFIs which are expected to be issued by the end of 2012. Such regulation will mean that these organisations will be subject to exhaustive supervision and many ad hoc requests, thus amplifying costs and absorbing management resources. The general conclusion of this paper is that it is improbable that banks across the board in Europe will return to pre-regulation ROE levels in the short to medium term. The UK will be particularly adversely affected due to its inflexible domestic regulation. Nevertheless, the paper proposes four mitigative measures retail banks can employ in order to cushion the blow of new regulatory forces on their ROE levels. The first is â€Å"Technical Mitigation†, which essentially involves improving efficiency of capital and funding. Secondly, â€Å"Capital – and funding-light operating models† seek to further improve funding efficiency and reduce risk-weighted assets (RWAs) by implementing changes to their product mix and characteristics and ensuring more vigorous pursuit of collateral and better outplacement of risk. Thirdly, and although they will be severely limited in doing so by regulatory authorities, banks can execute â€Å"repricing† in order to compensate the shortfall in ROE. The paper predicts more repricing in fragmented industries, which implies that the scale of repricing will be limited in the UK, a highly concentrated industry. Types of repricing include new fee-based pricing, modular pricing, partial performance remuneration and value-added packages. Finally, and perhaps most dramatically, financial institutions can engage in â€Å"Business-Model Alignment. Such restrategizing would involve two principle shifts. The first centres on a new, rigorous focus on ROE in retail banks, meaning greater investment in management systems and strengthening their resource allocation processes. The second important shift can be denoted as â€Å"Sustainable Retail Banking,† and comprises four key elements: expansion into new revenue sources, creation of advice for which customers w ill pay, reconfiguration and refocusing of the distribution system to render it leaner and simpler and cutting absolute costs by 20 – 30%. By exercising the above levers, retail banks can create a bulwark against the weight of new regulation and cushion the inevitable reduction in their ROE. Anticipatory forward-planning of mitigation measures is central in adapting to the new regulatory environment engulfing retail banking and will help banks that are fully committed to returning to pre-regulation ROE levels to achieve their post-regulatory reform potential.

Emerald City

Most people are pursuing a dream. The â€Å"American Dream† is the ideal of freedom and opportunity of achieving success and wealth; the belief that every individual can rise from rags to riches with a little grit, imagination and hard work. A dream could just as well be about personal fulfilment. We might not even need the success and glamour if we meet these personal dreams. Nevertheless we pursue opportunities in desire and expectation of living a better life, a life more glamorous and prosperous than our present. In Emerald City by Jennifer Egan, the main character Rory, an ambitious guy from Chicago, is seeking the â€Å"American Dream†.He has moved to New York in hope of reaching the glitter and success he expects the city to offer. Rory has built up expectations and ideas about New York through reading novels and envisioned the glamorous New York life he might be living even before arriving in the big city. In the beginning of the story Rory appears rather vain a nd irrational. He strives towards fitting into his own idea of the New York jet set, therefore he changes his behaviour: â€Å"†¦But no matter how much Rory ate, he stayed exactly the same. He took up smoking instead, although it burned his throat†1.He is pretending to be someone he is not, believing this change of behaviour will make him successful – â€Å"Fake it till you make it†. To emphasize this, Egan uses the Elmer’s glue as a catalyst to get Rory to reflect on his artificial life: the glue might look more appealing, but it is useless and fake as milk2. In the same manner Rory is misusing himself – he is not true to himself. â€Å"Rory had found this disturbing in a way he still didn’t quite understand†3. On a subconscious level he might be aware of this. Yet, it is not until the end of the story Rory realizes this.As one of the world’s largest cities New York, â€Å"The Big Apple†, is the epitome of a metrop olitan, emanating glory, greatness, opportunities as well as temptations. The immensity and diversity of the city makes the individual seem insignificant. Consequently you tend to get lost in the sea of people, feeling unimportant. New York represents today’s civilization of people trying to fit in. Like Rory and Stacey, everybody is reflecting themselves in other people in hope of being recognized and acknowledged. In addition the role of New York has a great importanceregarding the relationship between Rory and Stacey. â€Å"And it struck him that this was New York: a place that glittered from a distance even when you reached it†4. In this sudden revelation Rory realizes that New York always will be full of temptations and achievable success, and he understands that Stacey for him is the true glittering matter, he has been searching for. â€Å"He searched the dark shopfronts for something, some final thing at the core of everything else, but he found just his own re flection and Stacey’s†5. The relationship between Rory and Stacey seems to be the only deep matter in the story.Rory has the option of choosing one of the successful models. Nevertheless, he chooses Stacey: â€Å"†¦a failing model whom he adored against all reason†6. The narrator is a third-person narrator limited to Rory. As a reader you are not acquainted with Stacey’s feelings for Rory. It is implied that Stacey and Rory do not prioritize getting to know each other deeply. They are both too busy in their search of fulfilling their individual dreams. Yet, this changes in the end where Stacey realizes and accepts that her dream in New York presumably never will come true.Rory believed he had the power to crush Stacey by telling her she was not good enough succeeding as a model: â€Å"†¦ it would take so little, he thought, to crush her†7. But when he tells her this in the end she reveals an inner strength and ability to see new possibilit ies: â€Å"Rory held his breath, watching in alarmed amazement as the slender wand of her body swayed against the yellow sky. She had no trouble balancing [†¦] â€Å"If it doesn’t work†, she said, â€Å"then I’ll see the world some other way†8. Stacey is letting go of her dream, and she is able to see the world from a different angle.She may not know what will happen, but for the first time in the story she is showing heartfelt affection towards Rory: â€Å"She took Rory’s face in her hands and kissed him on the mouth – hard, with the fierce, tender urgency of someone about to board a train†9. This tells the reader that she does have feelings for Rory after all. The title â€Å"Emerald city† could be interpreted in several ways. The reflections in an emerald could represent how the people in New York are mirroring themselves in their unattainable conceptions of what it is like to be successful. That everybody is trying to be someone else, someone more successful.The title could moreover relate to the famous children’s novel â€Å"The wonderful wizard of Oz†, where everyone who enters the beautiful capital â€Å"Emerald City† has to wear green-tinted eyeglasses in order to protect themselves from the glory of the city. The city is not a special city, but the glasses make the city look green, although the city is no greener than every other city. Emerald City would in this allegory be New York, and clarify that New York is like any other big city. This would additionally explain why Rory disappointingly does not feel more successful than other people in New York.In â€Å"Emerald City† Rory and Stacey are pursuing their dreams of making it in New York. It is not until the end they realize that their hopes of succeeding is insignificant, as their dreams of a better life in fact are personal needs of acknowledgement and love. We are taught to believe that being successful will make us feel happier – that is what today’s society tells us. We rarely consider what could happen if our hopes of being successful do not live up to our expectations, if our life of chasing success does not make us happy or if being successful does not make us feel any more special.

Hatred by Wislawa Szymborska Essay

In the poem â€Å"Hatred,† Wislawa Szymborska gives a very raw and realist perspective on one of the most powerful emotions in the human psyche. She describes how of all of the different emotions perceivable by humans in the emotion spectrum, hatred is the most powerful and the most capable of impacting our lives. This poem is full of ironies that can be very surprisingly powerful and true and real at the same time. Perhaps the most obvious irony in the poem is simply the way hatred is described as being beautiful and almost skillful in what it does. One line describes hatred as â€Å"Gifted, diligent, hard working.† The irony in this is very clear- hatred is obviously a very negative emotion, and it is described with positive adjectives, ones that you generally would not associate with hatred. Normally, you would see hatred portrayed as a terrible, destructive emotion that brings death and misery everywhere it goes. While Szymborska does not deny that hatred can be described in this way, she brings another perspective to hatred, which is that the power of hatred is unavoidably impressive and ultimately trumps that of other emotions such as peace and happiness. This creates a strange situation with the reader, as we are put in the position of admiring something that destroys the lives of millions every single day and yet we are unable to deny its beauty. Irony is something that has the potential of making people incredibly uncomfortable when it is presented in certain contexts. This poem is no different- the reader is forced to praise an idea that they have come to recognize as a negative poisonous connotation, almost as if we were convinced to admire a fearsome dictator who was responsible for the death of many, such as Hitler or Mussolini, for their incredibly effective leadership skills. We know it’s wrong, but it’s impossible to deny. Certain lines in the poems are ironic by themselves for this very purpose. For example, the first two lines of the poem are â€Å"See how efficient it still is, how it keeps itself in shape.† It is almost comical how Szymborska describes hatred as â€Å"keeping itself in shape,† while on the other hand it keeps the entire world bent out of shape. The entire sixth stanza employs this idea, in lines such as â€Å"It knows how to make beauty. Magnificent bursting bombs in rosy dawns† This is an especially dark, but interesting type of irony- turning a horrific situation, such as the explosion of bombs described as magnificent, into a beautiful one. Yet, although the irony of the poem is dark, unsettling, and almost shocking, it is one of great truth. The fact of the matter is that no other emotion creates such excitement, such energy, motivation, and impact, as hatred. It is a sad truth that hatred has accomplished more than peace and love could ever dream of accomplishing, even if its achievements have a dramatically negative impact. In some ways, it can even be thought of as ironic that hatred is portrayed so negatively and love and peace so positively, considering the sheer power and motivation that hatred is able to provide people with in comparison to that of love and peace. If anything, we should think that forces that are as effective, compelling, and intoxicating as hatred would be embraced by society and praised for their forcefulness and incredible ability. The irony of this poem, and of the world, is that the most negative forces that drive human behavior and judgment are in the end the strongest and most potent ones in the spectrum of human thought.

The Concept of Criminal Justice and Society Essay

The Concept of Criminal Justice and Society - Essay Example It has become a known fact that the Westwood Community has some serious issues of illegal youth activity escalating. Underage drinking and illegal street racing have begun to create an unsafe environment for not only the young people involved but the residents of the neighborhood in general. To combat this issue the SARA method has been placed into affect to try and analyze and distinguish the causative factors into the behaviors that are currently taking place. An in-depth study of the Westwood community showed that the young people involved in deviant activities were being influenced by outside factors that were not found to be a part of the neighborhood. Officers investigating these activities believed that the young people were not looking for trouble necessarily, but rather experimenting in the behaviors. However, their actions showed that they were putting a great risk of endangerment onto their own lives, as well as innocent drivers on the streets. The officers also noted that the age range of the drinking behavior seemed to be situated around youths who were in the bracket of 13- 18 years of age. The occurrence of underage drinking is normally found to be in this category, as well as in the 12-20 years of age population, and the 18-20 age group population (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2006). One of the main detectable factors leading to the drinking had a lot to do with the peer pressure that was observed from a dist ance by the investigating officers. Unfortunately, this is one of the prime reasons that young people begin to drink initially. Gathered data details that a number of fourth graders, and a good percentage of sixth graders felt pressurized to drink, and if they didn't they were told they would get picked on and ridiculed in front of their friends during school (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2006). The investigation team has decided to discuss the underlying causes and conditions with the community action team of Westwood in the hopes that a reliable and effective plan can be put in place to put an end to the activities occurring. The four main concerns that have been pinpointed are seemingly acceptable in order to move forward to correct the problems before they escalate, or someone gets hurt. Underage Youth Driving while Drinking Community Disturbance Promoting a Danger to Other Members of the Community Possible Criminal Damage Taking Place Analysis The investigating officers are planning on making a schedule to observe exactly what times and days the juveniles are gathering together to engage in the street racing and drinking. It is believed that by doing this, more identifiable hotspots can be pinpointed in other areas of the community, and the main causative factors will be readily identifiable. By investigating the causes, the investigation can move further and finally be able to try and take control of the situation by coming to a credible and logical way of putting an end to the illegal intentions of the juveniles. Highlighting the days on which the activity is most prevalent will help in determining when to use legal means to get the disorder stabilized and finally under control. One main cause for the street racing has already been

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 159

Discussion - Essay Example In terms of my situation for consideration in class, educational leaders employing inspirational power in their management agenda achieve better results as compared to those employing coercive power in their leadership. The theory relevant to this scenario is Jean-Jacques Rousseau postulation that the practice of edification ought to endorse and hearten learners creativeness and ingenuity (Rebore, 2013). As further outlined by Rebore (2013), this postulation was based on the notion of independence and citizenship. The kind of power employed in educational leadership therefore will determine the level of performance. For instance, Rebore (2013) points out that individuals in educational leadership positions should shun away from coercive power and should only be used when all other forms of power have failed to achieve the intended results. Inspirational power, on the other hand, is based on motivation and encouragement (Rebore, 2013) thus school districts are likely to achieve better outcomes both in and outside the school district. In summary, the situation I am bringing to class for consideration relates to the forms of power that can be employed by school districts to help achieve high levels of performance. The theory relevant to this scenario is Jean-Jacques Rousseau supposition that edification approaches must hearten ingenuity among

Infrastructure and Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Infrastructure and Security - Essay Example Network infrastructure consists of single networked computers, cables, routers, wireless access points, network access methodologies, switches, network protocols, bridges and backbones among other devices. In the case of our organization, a closed architecture would be favourable. It is very important to have proper infrastructure in place so that future problems can be avoided. For instance, end user devices should in no way be used to perform any networking functions and conversely it is not a good practice for network devices to deal with functions at Layer 7. The right networking devices should be used in a network so that network instability can be avoided. Mixing of network and application functions can be quite expensive in the event of bug fixes and upgrading and might even bring the whole network to a halt (Stilwell et al, 2006). The arrangement of different network items is referred to as network topology. Network topologies are classified into physical and logical network topologies. Physical topology deals with the interconnection of devices while logical topologies are concerned with how data flows across the network. The company will need a physical star topology layout with a logical bus topology. Star topology is easier to upgrade since it requires upgrading the devices without necessarily changing the cabling. The star topology uses a switch which sends traffic where it is required to go (Stilwell et al, 2006). The figure below shows a logical and physical topographical layout of the current and planned network in an organization Different LAN segments in different floors can be interconnected using a collapsed backbone architecture which is a type of LAN architecture. The LAN backbone is collapsed using Ethernet switch of layer 2. A Fast Ethernet switch with a speed of 1 Gps will be the central device where each LAN segment links to the central Fast Ethernet switch, through two Fast Ethernet connections of fiber optic to each switch. Spanning Tree protocol configures the two switches which acts as backup while the other acts as a primary switch. In case of failure by one switch, the other switch takes over (Stilwell et al, 2006). Laying down the infrastructure layout is half job; network security measures have to be considered. There are specific threats that may target poorly managed network infrastructure security. Some of these risks include loss of data privacy, data integrity may also be lost, denial of service and system compromise. Therefore, better practices are implemented to ensure systems and sensitive information is housed (Stilwell et al, 2006). The main principles regarding network security are better design practices which may be expressed in five ways. The first one is to ensure a secured manner of configuring and accessing network devices. The second one is that network communications should use secure protocols. The third one is appropriate separation of external and internal facing networks, by use of control devices like router access control lists or securely configured firewalls and demilitarized zones (DMZs). Finally, there should be secure management of accessibility of internal networks remotely. Lastly, configuring of internal networks to detect or prevent running of untrusting traffic or

There is a relationship between being a victim of cyberbullying and Essay

There is a relationship between being a victim of cyberbullying and adolescent emotional well-being - Essay Example Literature has denoted that cyber bullying potential effects upwards of 50% of all student aged individuals at some point in their lives. With such a high percentage of impact, it is reasonable to assume that tangential impacts and other causation’s can be affected as a result of this particularly negative behaviour. Litanies of studies have pointed to the fact that cyber bullying has a negative impact upon health, development, and emotional capacity. However, fewer studies have focused upon the direct linkages between cyber bullying and the overall prevalence of depression or low self-esteem.1 As such, the following analysis to engage with these variables and determine whether or not this linkage can fairly and accurately be assumed. Through an engagement with the study in question and an understanding of existing research into the field of human psychology and the impacts of bullying, it is the hope of this author that the researcher can come to a more definitive understandi ng of the impacts that these metrics have upon the student. Tangentially, an even greater hope is that a greater understanding of cyber bullying can assist the researcher in gathering key information that can ultimately be utilized to seek to diminish this type of behaviour; in light of the fact that it has an extraordinarily adverse impact upon the emotional health, outlook, development, and wellbeing of the individual. For purposes of clarity, the methodology that was employed within this particular analysis was originally gathered by Bonnie Barber in Australia. As such, the reports that she collected helped to quantify and categorize the overall levels of depression and self-esteem that were exhibited within groups of students that were both subject to cyber bullying and those that were not. The participants included within this particular data set that were

A study of factors which influence student's career choice after Dissertation

A study of factors which influence student's career choice after graduating from a master's degree - Dissertation Example ethnicity and gender (H1), monetary benefits (H2), personal interests (H3), and family influences (H4). The findings of the research depicts that these attributes positively relate to the career choices of graduates, but the impact created by the factors differ in terms of significance. That is, ethnicity and gender along with the family influences tend to be insignificant in influencing the career choices of the graduates directly or strongly. On the other hand, monetary benefits and personal interests are termed to be quite significant in influencing the career choices of graduates. ... 4 Scope of the Research 55 References 56 Bibliography 62 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background The study is based on the identification of factors which tend to influence the career choices of graduates in determining their future objectives. Several studies have been conducted based on a similar issue. The evidences reveal various kinds of factors that strongly influences the career objectives determined by graduate students. The factors are identified to relate to the socio-demographic and socio-economic factors. The career objectives have also been recognised to be influenced by the cultural prospects which relates to the ethnicity of the students (Perrone & Et. Al., 2001). For instance, a student belonging to the African-American ethnic background is likely to posses differing perception with that of an Asian-American which in turn influences his/her career objectives. The determination of the career goals can also be influenced by the sexual characteristics of a student. Other than these factors, the monetary issues and the parental influences are also noted to be significant factors that influence the career objectives of graduate students (Wong & Liu, 2009). Based on these evidences and the problem statement that career objectives determined by graduate students depend upon various attributes, the discussion of the paper will be intended to analyse and evaluate these factors. The paper will further intend to recognise the most crucial factors and conclude on the career management aspect of human resource management. 1.2 Research Objectives With due consideration to the findings of the early researches, it is quite apparent that the influencing factors of career objectives among the graduates relate to various attributes. The studies further reveal that the

Individual innovation appraisal- Concise written description of an Essay

Individual innovation appraisal- Concise written description of an innovation- proposal and evaluation - Essay Example For the innovation to existing in the market, availability of capital and implementation of sustainable market strategies will play a great role. Through proper planning, goal-setting a decision-making, the innovation will go through thorough market testing. After its viability is established, it will be released into the market. Another aspect that has contributed to its existence is availability of resources including human and financial resources. Without resources, it is impossible to get through with any innovation. Over the years, 3D has acquired popularity with more people being attracted to this kind of technology. The situation has forced entrepreneurs to develop new business models. In recent times, most companies are raising capital towards tapping the growing demand and market for 3D (Taylor, 2014). The aim maintaining relevance drives them. The Mink is triggered by the level of profitability expected. The Mink is likely to be successful mainly because of the much hype it has received from the general population. People are always attracted by unique and new ways of doing things. People also like to experiment even with things that they do not necessarily need. Marketing strategies that have been adopted to market The Mink will also ensure this success. Through advertising, the innovation is receiving popularity with more people embracing the idea every day. It is evident that advertising influences the success of a business to a great extent. Through various exhibitions, awareness has been created regarding The Mink. Social media has also played a role in enhancing the popularity. The innovation is, therefore, likely to succeed. Furthermore, it is a common believe that women are impulse buyers; profits are likely to increase since they are the main users of the innovation. Nonetheless, the cosmetic industry is doing well in the business market (Restauri, 2014). Most women use

Symbolic Representation Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Symbolic Representation - Term Paper Example Regards to Hesse-Biber (2007). In the American society, necklaces have been an important part of jewelry, which can be traced back to the ancient times of civilizations. Apart from beauty, just presenting or wearing jewelry has a lot of social, economic, religious and political implications in the American society. In the earlier years it was used to show existence of connection with a particular class of people. Jewelry has been used in many cultural rites that people pass through. Metal and cloth arts have significantly expanded variety of jewelry that are available to people. String and twine have facilitated the making of smaller and durable necklaces. Since human beings discovered the art melting and casting of metals into different shapes, silver, copper, gold and other metals have been used to model magnificent necklaces for both women and men (Hesse-Biber, 2007),Recent technologies such as glassblowing and gemcutting have permitted highly polished and faceted gemstones as wel l as beautiful art glass that are usually added to pieces. Currently, there are numerous brands of new metals that are available for making of necklaces that could not be used in the earlier years as they could not be properly melted, for example, titanium and stainless steel. Electroplating has also come in handy in ensuring that people can at least own gold and laser etching and miniaturization have enabled modeling of very fine and detailed insignias with the elements of an individual necklace. In the American society, women have been enhancing their mode of dressing with pendants and beads. Necklaces are a treasure for Native Americans as they contain substantial amount of jewelry. It is common to see on the US streets women having different types of necklaces that range from beads to metal ornaments or objects made of wood for purposes of aesthetic beauty. Necklaces are known to be part and parcel of ceremonies in the American society. For example, contemporary Americans have i ntegrated precious metal ornaments such as necklaces into about all their ceremonies. In the earlier years, pendants and beads made of naturally available materials were commonly used in ritual ceremonies due to the esteem of Native Americans placed upon metals and other precious metals. In contemporary times, ceremonies and celebrations are some of the occasions that women showcase their jewelry in form of necklaces. This demonstrates that Americans go at greater lengths that involve huge sums of money to buy jewelry to enhance their personal accessories and appearance. Stemming from the earlier times, the Native American dances were mostly accompanied by dishing out ornaments to fans, and to date beads and other precious metal ornaments have formed part and parcel of the American ceremonies (NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art, 2012). Ceremonies such as marriages have continued to witness the use of ornamentation such as necklaces that are offered as present to the newl y wed people. As is the norm, many women have an addiction for pretty things, hence have a lot of appetite for impractical decorations and it happens that jewelry has been on their side to satisfy the need. Since jewelry is very expensive, giving out a jewel such as a necklace to a lady in the American s

Leadership and Management Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Management Essay Initially I plan on reviewing the prevailing leadership styles in my organisation and then assessing the impact of these on the organisation’s values and performance. In order to assess the leadership styles I have produced a questionnaire (see appendix 1). The questionnaire was designed to find out how directive, participative and permissive each manager in our organisation is and then study the most prevailing style. It was evident from the information collated that the prevailing leadership style in our organisation is participative and directive rather than permissive. On assessing this information it became apparent that our manager’s leadership styles reflect a Contingency theory and they rather be present and take part in services in order to ensure controlled success. Contingency theory is a class of behavioral theories that claim there is no best way to lead a company, or to make decisions. Instead, the best action is contingent (dependent) upon the situation. Several contingency approaches were developed in the1960s. They suggested that previous theories such as Webers bureaucracy and Taylors Scientific Management had failed because they neglected that management style and organisational structure were influenced by various aspects of the environment: known as contingency factors. There could not be one best way for leadership or organisation. Historically, contingency theory has attempted to formulate broad views about formal structures that are typically associated with or best fit the use of different organisations. This perspective originated with the work of Joan Woodward (1958), who argued that skills directly determine differences in such organisational attributes as a span of control, centralisation of authority, and the formalisation of rules and procedures. My Organisation Values and Performance The organisation that I work for delivers a range of high quality services and projects, these services follow the principles of empowering communities, developing lives, furthering equality, diversity and inclusion and strengthening local voluntary sector delivery. These principles dictate the values in which we function. We are very much a voluntary sector, charitable organisation ensuring that at the heart of our services are the people that access them. Performance is measured through a set of service delivery indicators which form the base of our promises to funding bodies, staff, volunteers and customers in everything we do. These indicators are measured via our service development plan. Each year we publish an Annual Report based on our Service Delivery Indicators, which measure our progress and informs the public of our work over the previous year in delivering against our priorities. (See Appendix 2 for our organisations SDI’s) Our organisation values and performance clearly highlight a need for the leadership to be open and receptive. This allows us to except feedback and input from our service users. A directive and participatory leadership style is imposed by managers in our organisation for staff; however when dealing with service users we have to adopt a more directive style to ensure commination is clear and there is no room for bought. We have found in the past when we have given service users who are vulnerable and have mental health difficulties an opportunity to contribute to services they feel empowered, however they need time and guidance in order to make informed decisions. Effectiveness of my Own Leadership Style On assessing my own leadership style I appeared to be more directive, in the middle when it came to participation, however I did not seem to be very permissive. The results did not surprise me and seemed to be consistent with my approach. I tend to direct staff by the use of many models including action plans which are produced in team meeting and each member of staff is allocated actions, timescales, budget and directions. I am participatory when tasks are being carried out I ensure I understand the delivery method and observe when necessary. For example if we are promoting a new group I will ensure all promotion literature is checked by me prior to going out and visit the new group to view session delivery. I do not hide away form front line delivery and ensure I gage with staff, clients and volunteers therefore I understand the reason why on my leadership assessment I did not score highly on being permissive. Therefore I feel my management style suits the organisation. However with the changing nature of our organisation leading towards a more business-like approach I may find I have to review my management style. I may need to become more permissive, less participatory and even more directive. This will ensure I can work more strategically to order to retain services and staff. Changing my approach may be difficult for my staff to accept, however explaining that their jobs may be at risks if I do not manage differently may put it all into perspective. By applying a Contingency theory mentioned earlier I should be able to manage this effectively. I asked my staff to assess my leadership style using the questionnaire I produced and gave to fellow managers (Appendix 1). The results mirrored my self assessment, demonstrating that I understand my own leadership style well and that the staff have the same opinion. Apply Own Leadership Style in Range of Situations Over the last two weeks I have begun to assess my own leadership style in a variety of situations. These have mainly taken the form of meetings. I have chaired a client/volunteer meeting and a full staff meeting. My leadership style tended to change in these situations. I became less formal with the client and volunteer meeting in order to project at their level of understanding. Less detail was presented and less decision making was required. The meeting was more informative and decisions had been made by the staff team prior to the meeting. Feedback and participation was welcomed however it was in a manner in which it could be controlled so as a staff team we could make informed decisions.