Planning

Planning Introduction - What is Planning?Planning is one of the major functions of a manager and the future of the organization and the achievement of corporate goals may rely on the fact how well the planning process is carried out at each level of the organization.Planning is a logical process as it involves thinking and decision making and is a continuous and a dynamic process because changes in plans have to be made from time to time to take care of the changing environment. It concerns a series of action steps to achieve a specific goal. If you do it effectively, you can reduce much the necessary time and effort of achieving the goal. It is well known that for unstructured activities 80 percent of the effort, give less than 20 percent of the valuable outcome.Why do we need to plan?It is much easier to avoid wasting effort as some activities that you do without planning may end up as irrelevant to achieving our expected goals.Emmaus Bible College's Mission StatementAnd therefore redundant work may take place resulting in waste of time and resources. But with a plan it is possible to carry out the tasks in a most efficient and effective way possible.Planning is vital for meeting your needs during each action step with your time, money, or resources. The planning phase can be utilized to gather the resources that are need to fulfill a task. This helps the planner to get a clear idea about the expenditure of the task, the impact it has on the organization and the risks involved.Furthermore, a plan can be used as a tool which you can used in directing people to carry out their tasks and help supervisory personnel to identify the progress or where we are currently and also to...

Too Many Partners A Challenge To Partnership Working The WritePass Journal

Too Many Partners A Challenge To Partnership Working Introduction Too Many Partners A Challenge To Partnership Working ). Strong leadership and management In order for a joint working to be successful, there must be strong leadership and management structure in place. The importance of having a strong leadership and integrated management structure has been identified by Rutter et al. (2004) Aims and objectives Practitioners from the various agencies involved in the joint working should understand the ultimate goals, aims and objectives as well as the eligibility criteria for the new initiative to become a success (Cameron et al. 2012). Roles and responsibilities The agencies involved should understand their roles and responsibilities to prevent conflicts. Responsibilities may include administrative tasks, budget management and coordination of material resources(Cameron et al. 2012).   Team building Another factor that is likely to promote joint working is team-building and arranging for weekly meetings. Regular team-building events and subsequent weekly meetings allows for the various agencies to share information and to discuss issues arising (Clarkson et al. 2011). Additionally, such team meetings enhance the understanding of the different professional roles and prevent conflict between the different professions by building trust and rapport between the various agencies or groups involved. Information sharing Other factors that may promote joint working include mechanisms for sharing information such as using shared information technology systems and shared documentation. Such effective sharing mechanisms lead to timely assessments of needs (Cameron et al. 2012) Factors hindering joint working  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aims and objectives Whilst we have shown that an understanding of the aims and objectives is key to success of a partnership, it should be noted that such shared purpose can be problematic as well. For example, studies by Clarkson et al (2011), Asthana Halliday (2003) and Glasby et al (2008) which examined some of the integrated care services found a general lack of understanding of the central aim of partnership working among the health care practitioners. Without a shared understanding of the aims and objectives among the various agencies involved, then it becomes difficult to develop a sense of purpose.   Further, this difficulty is made worse if there are conflicting roles and responsibilities. Roles and responsibilities Roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined to avoid conflicts between the professionals involved. In their study, McCormack et al. (2008)found that a shortage of clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the professionals involved in the joint working resulted in delays in treatment and inappropriate referrals. Organizational difference Partnership working can also be undermined by competing organizational visions. If organizations are in competition about the joined-up agenda, the initiative may not be successful. This is evident in a study by Young (2003) on partnership working between the local authorities and NHS. Young’s study foundthe partnership as undermined by the differences in resource and spending criteria between the parties involved. Poor Communication and coordination As noted above, communication is critical to the success of a partnership working. Poor communication hampers collaborative efforts which may result in delays in service delivery. Using specialist languages that some partners are not familiar with and communicating selectively may fuel suspicion and personal agendas leading to conflicting messages which undermine collaborative efforts (Cameron et al. 2012).Almost all tragedies which have resulted have been a direct result of poor communication and failure of professionals to coordinate with each other. This is especially the case where there are too many partners involved and where there is a lack of clarity of the responsibilities of each partner. Power and hierarchical relationships Partnership can also be hindered by power and hierarchical relationships. Some practitioners may perceive others to be below them in terms of their status. When perceived status differences occur, the dominant high status professions such as the medics may silence the contribution made by the others (Clarkson et al. 2011). Such kind of perceived status difference hinders integrative efforts and can stultify effective partnership. There is a host of other factors that may hinder partnership working including difficulty in information sharing due to incompatibility of the IT systems, lack of trust and respect, relationship between agencies, and financial uncertainty among many others. These barriers can perhaps be addressed by arranging for a local forum where practitioners can meet regularly and share issues arising. Whereas there many benefits to partnership working, such joint collaboration can prove to be extremely difficult especially where there are too many partners involved. Partnerships that involve too many partners often suffer from poor communication and coordination, competing organizational visions, lack of clarity with regard to the roles and responsibilities of the professionals involved, duplication of roles, unclear accountability, too many referrals between agenciesand lack of trust and respect among several other factors (Douglas 2008). These barriers tend to hinder the effectiveness of partnership working and can ultimately lead to failure in delivery of services as seen with the case of Victoria Climbie. However, there are many success stories where many partners were involved. The future holds promising for more partnership involvement and collaboration as more community development workers are increasingly funded by primary care trusts. Further, many government funded initiatives are currently being implemented to promote the integration of services and multi-agency partnership including the Sure Start, Best and Connexions, Youth Offending Teams, and Childrens Fund (Cheminals 2009). Conclusion It is very hard to predict the dynamics and outcomes of partnership working especially where there are many partners involved due to continually evolving nature of such partnership. Partnerships that involve too many partners suffer from a range of factors that may stultify joint working including poor communication and coordination, competing organizational visions, duplication of roles, unclear accountability, and too many referrals between agencies among several other factors. Whereas the practicalities of adopting a multi-agency approach can prove to be difficult, promoting integration of services and joint approach to service delivery is key to addressing key societal problems which cannot be constrained neatly within traditional boundaries such as poverty, crime, social exclusion, community safety and inequality. These problems are highly complex in nature and since no single actor or entity has sufficient knowledge and information required to solve them, it becomes extremely important to have multi-agency partnership working. Reference Asthana, S and Halliday, J., 2003.‘Intermediate care: its place in a whole-systems approach, Journal of Integrated Care, vol.1, no.6, pp.15-24 Audit Commission, 1998.A Fruitful Partnership: Effective Partnership Working. Audit Commission. Audit Commission, 2006. Governing Partnerships: Bridging the Accountability Gap. Audit Commission. Barrett, G., Selman, D. Thomas, G., 2005.Interprofessional Working in Health and Social Bella, 2001. Turning point: collaboration for a new century in public health. Washington DC: the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Cameron, A., Lart, R., Bostock, L. and Coomber, C., 2012. Factors that promote and hinder joint and integrated working between health and social care services. Research briefing 41. Social Care Institute for Excellence. Care: Professional Perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Carnwell, R. and Buchanan, J., 2008. Effective practice in health, social care and criminal justice: a partnership approach. McGraw-Hill International Carnwell, R. and Carson, A., 2005. ‘Understanding partnerships and collaboration’,in R. Carnwell and J. Buchanan (eds) effective practice inhealth and social care: a partnership approach. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Cheminals, R., 2009. Effective multi-agency partnerships: putting every child matters into practice. Sage Publications Clarkson, Brand, C., Hughes, J and Challis, D., 2011. Integratingassessments of older people: examiningevidence and impact from a randomized controlled trial, Age and Ageing, vol 40, no 3, pp 388−391. Douglas, A., 2008. Partnership working. Routledge. Dowling, B. Glendinning, C. and Powell, M., 2004. Conceptualising successful partnerships Health and Social Care in the Community 12(4) 309-317 Fletcher, J. K., 2006. Partnerships in Social Care: A Handbook for Developing Effective Services London: Jessica Kingsley Fraser,S. and Matthews, S., 2007. The Critical Practitioner in Health and Social Care London:Sage publications Gallant, M.H., Beaulieu, M.C. and Carnevale, F.A., 2002.‘Partnership: an analysis of theconcept within the nurse–client relationship’, Journal of Advanced Nursing 40(2): 149–57. Glasby, J., Martin, G. and Regen, E., 2008. Older people and the relationship between hospital services and intermediate care: results from a national evaluation, Journal of Interprofessional Care, vol 22, no 6, pp 639−649. Harris, S., 2003.‘Inter-agency practice and professional collaboration: the case of drug education and prevention’, Journal of Education Policy 18(3), pp.303-314. Huxham, C. and Vangen, S., 2005. Managing to Collaborate: The Theory and Practice of Collaborative Advantage. London: Routledge Ling, T., 2002. ‘Delivering Joined-Up Government in the UK: Dimensions, Issues and Problems’, Public Administration, Vol. 80 No. 4, 615-642 McCormack, B. Mitchell, E.A., Cook, G., Reed, J., and Childs, S., 2008. Older personsexperiences of whole systems: the impact ofhealth and social care organizationalstructures, Journal of Nursing Management,vol 16, no 2, pp 105−114. Rutter, D., Tyrer, P., Emmanuel, J., Weaver, T., Byford, S., Hallam, A., Simmonds, S., and Ferguson, B., 2004. Internal vs. externalcare management in severe mental illness:randomized controlled trial and qualitativestudy, Journal of Mental Health, vol 13, no 5,pp 453−466. Tait, L and Shah, S., 2007. Partnership working: a policy with promise for mental healthcare. Journal of continuing professional development. 13: 261-271 Taylor, I., Sharland, E., Sebba, J. and Le Riche, P., 2006, Knowledge review 10: The learning, teaching and assessment of partnership work in social work education, London: Social Care Institute of Excellence. Welstead, M., 2013. Child protection in England-early intervention. [Viewed on 13th November 2013]   available from law.harvard.edu/programs/about/cap/cap-conferences/pp-workshop/pp-materials/27_welsteaddoc.pdf

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research task Paper

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander task - Research Paper Example The colonial rule developed new laws that segregated the minority groups from other Australians. Children were forced to abandon their culture and were subject to both physical and sexual abuse. In brief, the colonial period was a suffering period for the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders and this had long-term impacts for this minority group. The colonial period contributed to the disorientation of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. During the pre-colonial period, this group was diverse and comprised of over 1 million people. A large number of this population died during the colonial rule and there was a significant reduction of the population. In the 2001 census, the population of the aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders was 458, 000 people, contributing to 2.4% of the total population in Australia (Garvey et al., 2011). Besides, their displacement during the colonial period made them lose their original habitats. Currently, they reside in the New South Wales and Queensland with scanty of land to settle in (Rose, 2000). A close evaluation indicates that the population of the Aboriginal people is growing at a slow rate, a fact related to the nature of the problems that they face today. In the post-colonial period, the discrimination of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people is a common feature. The end of the colonial period was expected to be end of the suffering of the indigenous people. However, it is clear that the Europeans had already created a social difference between the people and the spirit of racism was already high. The Australian government was slow to enact social justice and hence the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander remained the weak race (Heffernan, Andersen & Kinner, 2009). They were discriminated by the other Australian races in all social spheres, which resulted to creation of enmity between the two

American Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

American Imperialism - Essay Example Therefore the main reason for adopting an imperialistic policy was to dominate over economic resources which have always been control by the advanced capitalist countries over the liquid and real economic resources of economically backward areas. Since the easiest way to colonize was to take over main liquid resources as foreign exchange and public and private savings, and real resources consist of agricultural, mineral, transportation, communication, manufacturing, and commercial facilities and other assets, therefore Nationalist economic policy worked. Restricted free trade was monopolized and inhibited the growth of income and economic well-being, but these barriers were lowered by the breakup of the European empires. Such an imperialist policy was rationalized as the trademark of this doctrine was based on the notion that exploitive economic relations between the advanced and backward capitalist countries would not be able survive in a world of politically independent countries (Fann & Hodges, 1971: 24). The countries that were affected by the foreign policy of America were Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau and Puerto Rico. However across the globe American imperialism in the first half of the nineteenth century presided over Ottoman, Persian and Russian empires thereby expanding its empire towards the northward, westward, and southward while establishing its authority over all parts of its territory (Iriye, 2005). As an imperial state, the nineteenth century for America brought persuasion, coercion, and outright conquest and often insured that tariffs and other taxes were turned over to foreign bondholders. Therefore in the presence of military rule, foreign lending was frequently a precarious undertaking which Latin American countries, witnessed by experiencing an uneven history of bond payments. The deployment of the U.S Imperialist policies, particularly in

The Art of Neosoul Essay Example for Free

The Art of Neosoul Essay Neo Soul is a genre of music that arose in the 1990s from the experience of RB/Soul music and is characterized as â€Å"bringing freshness to a genre long pronounced dead †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Phillip Cunningham/Bowling Green State University). As defined by the Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy, â€Å"art is modern works that appear to break radically with all traditional art† and this music genre is by definition new and radically different. Considering neo soul in terms of art, I believe that this music is an expression of modern mainstream African American culture, experience, belief, and surely, the root of this ethnicity. Different and more artistically expressed than soul music it brings great aesthetic value to the music scene. Not just music, but a powerful expression of deep rooted feelings through attention-grabbing and talented artist of our day. Neo-Soul is new and innovative in expressing the common culture of African American life and in its refusal to walk the conventional line. In what the Music Said’ an essay by Mark Anthony Neal, this form of music is ‘post-soul’ and is a combination of rhythm and blues, funk, rap and hip-hop and arose out of resistance to, and often times in opposition to, middle class sensibilities of respectability and norms. In Soul, the expression seems disdain and rebellion for the normal societal norms, that have been put in place by the government influences such as Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Let’s Get it On? two of his most popular pieces where he is in defiance of the current political agenda and abstinence. Neo, meaning ‘new, or ‘Nu’ brought a different vehicle of expression the experiences of the time. Though there is much debate regarding the terms ‘Neo-soul’ or ‘Neo-classical-soul’ has become, in the 1990s and 2000s, more popular. Neo Soul is an extension of a culture that has a voice. The African American community in the 1990s as ‘church’ and faith become more important to young professional Christian, Neo soul also creeps into the Gospel music with artist such as Lisa McClendon and Leon Timbo. These individuals express a ‘real time’ acceptance and reliance on their God and expression of their faith in contemporary terms. Neo-soul music is one such singularity, which has reframed the subjectivities of black people and suggested identities embodied and disembodied, human and post-human. (Weheliye 30) Simply put, it is a genre of music that refocuses the African American art of music. More aesthetically pleasing I think. The beauty of neo Soul has I believe redefined African American Music as an art form rather than beat for bump and grind, distrust and defiance. Such artist as : Lauryn Hil, India Aria, and Jill Scott, women who have redefined lyric with bold and encouraging expression and melody that beats to the heart of the listener. In Aria’s â€Å"Strength, Courage, and Wisdom†, she speaks of positive thoughts to encourage and that these elements are internal, pointing the listener to uplift rather than what can be done in secret. As well as the song â€Å"I Am Not My Hair†, which counteracts bigotry and sterotypes with positive phrases and rhyme. Similarly Jill Scott, with a more rhythmic driving beat in â€Å"My Petition†, Scott speaks out against the American government without the hatred that you would usually see in this type of song, through straight, it is not militant – just truthful. Neo Soul music is an adaptation of Soul music as an art form and moves it to a higher degree of listening pleasure. Not timid but definitely bold, but respectful of both the artist and the listener. Even the presentation of the artist in this genre is an artistic expression of the African American culture. One of India Aria’s latest releases, Testimony Volume 2, Love Politics says explains this artistic form of getting her point across about poverty and society outlook on those that live in poverty in Ghetto: Now the dictionary says / That the ghetto is a place / of minority, and poverty, and over population. We list on this earth together, / ain’t no separation. / when you’re looking down, / from outer space. / we’re just a human race and the world is a / ghetto-o-o-o. A clear point, but not so hard on the heart. Work Cite Afrofuturism and post-soul possibility in black popular music. Aria, India. Strength and Wisdom. http://www. azlyrics. com/lyrics/strengthandwisdom. html Art and Popular Culture online. http://www. artandpopularculture. com/African_American_music Cunningham, Phillip. â€Å"There’s Nothing Really New Under the Sun†: The Fallacy of the Neo-Soul Genre. Journal of Popular Music Studies, Volume 22, Issue 3, Pages  https://www.thefreelibrary.com/

Style and its Relationship to Good Writing Essay -- Writing Education

Style and its Relationship to Good Writing Style. It’s a small word that packs a powerful punch, and most writers do not stop to think about what it truly means. Initially, I thought style was a personal element in writing specific to the writer and to change this personalized style of writing was absolutely forbidden. However, through our class exploration of the two style manuals, Style Toward Clarity and Grace and The Elements of Style, this original definition was challenged, and eventually changed based on the compelling evidence. Contrary to popular belief, style is not specific to one’s writing; it is much more involved than that. This notion of style takes into consideration the reader and the ease of the reading material. So, it is not selfish, it is actually focused on the reader and values the thoughts and considerations of the audience. With this in mind, it is important to apply it personally to one’s own writing by changing the perspective about what you, as the writer, are trying to say and take a step back, critically look at your writing and wonder about how it will affect your audience and what they will walk away with. Now that there is an understanding about what style actually means, a quick analysis of each text is in order. Both books are style manuals, each with the purpose of educating writers to be better writers. However, their approaches are vastly different, and it’s important to explore each manual to see how, in some cases, they compliment and contradict each other. To better appreciate different teaching techniques and explore which one should be used based on the goals of the writer a study of each of the writing stylebooks is in order. The first impor... ...adability of the text and a concern for the audience that is reading the writing piece. It is about well-written work that is not personalized with each writer, it’s more general. Manuals are written because there is a need for writers to write more clearly and with style. Each one has its elements of positive and negative and it is the ultimate responsibility of the writer to incorporate the information found within these manuals to assist with readability ease and style. Works Cited: Haas, Christine, http://people.emich.edu/chaas/, date accessed March 3, 2004 McGahey, Michelle, http://people.emich.edu/mmcgahey/eng328/, date accessed March 4, 2004 Strunk Jr., William and E.B. White The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York: Longman, Inc., 2000. Williams, Joseph M. Style Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.

African Allele Essay

It is a fact that Central Africa is a rural area while the United States is highly urbanized. This means that diseases are more prominent in the African territory, one of which is the malaria. This widespread illness caused evolution to favor a type of change in the human body to protect it from the deadly virus. This protection is the heterozygous make up of the hemoglobin gene, where one allele is the abnormal one that causes sickle-cell anemia. When comparing three types of persons, one with homozygous normal alleles, another with a heterozygous pair, and finally one with a homozygous pair of abnormal alleles, those with the heterozygous pair would have the greatest chance of surviving the conditions of Africa. Having a pair of normal alleles would not save a human from malaria infection, and having a pair of abnormal alleles would cause sickle-cell anemia that can also kill the patient. Thus, in places such as Africa, the population has quite a number of people having the heterozygous hemoglobin gene. The lower number of sickle-cell allele carriers in the United States can be attributed to two main reasons. First, malaria is not as prominent in the United States as it is in Africa. People then did not adapt that much and this abnormal allele haven’t evolved that much. Another is the intermarriage between Africans and Americans. If an African, who carries the sickle-cell allele, would marry an American having a homozygous healthy gene, their children would only have a 50% chance of getting that trait, as compared to an African-African marriage (both heterozygous sickle-cell alleles), where the chance of getting the allele is 75%.

Technology and Organizational Structure

Technology and Organizational Structure Wanda Armour University of Phoenix Technology and Organizational Structure This paper represents the research on how technology interacts with organizational structure. Two companies will be identified to compare and contrast their organizational structures. A matrix will be included to summarize the findings. Introduction Organizational structure in today’s complex multi-dimensional organizations is the connection that holds the infrastructure together to achieve the organizations goals.It is the patterns or arrangement of groups of jobs within an organization. It is also a process that requires organizational re-structuring as the company grows. Historically industry has shifted from the job-shop manufacturing to mass production, with innovative pioneers such as Frederick Taylor, Henri Fayol, and Max Weber ((Dristelzweig & Droege, n. d. ). These early pioneers were very different thinkers in terms of their principles to determine how t o structure organizations for maximum productivity.However, they all had a common view that it was like a machine and that power was in the position, not in the individual holding the position; clearly a vertical bureaucratic structural hierarchy ((Dristelzweig & Droege, n. d. ). This ‘one best way’ mindset gradually disappeared as concerns that the traditional organizational structure may hinder, rather than help promote creativity and innovation (Dristelzweig & Droege, n. d. ). Today, pressures in U. S. business structures to compete globally calls for a variety of organization structures.There is no ‘one fit all’ organizational structure that has proven effective in contributing to business success. Organizations operate in different environments with different opportunities, products, tasks, risks, strategies, constraints, strengths and weakness, and different organizational structures to meet those challenges (Reference for Business, n. d. ). There are two types of organizational structures found in business environments; centralized and decentralized. Centralized organizational structures rely on one individual to make decisions and provide direction or the company; decentralized organizations rely on a team environment at different levels of the business (Vitez, n. d. ). Organizational Structure Overview of Two Company’s Two very successful companies have been identified with different organizational structures; Toyota Motor Corporation and The Watson’s Creative Company. These two companies are on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of organizational structure. Toyota, a Japanese, multinational corporation, has a centralized matrix organizational structure (the combination of two or more different structures-organic/mechanistic) with a bureaucratic infrastructure.The Watson’s Creative Company, a New York based adverting agency, has a small-decentralized organic organizational structure (organizations that are flexible and effectively adapt to change) (Dorf & Byers, 2008). Toyota is considered by some as the world’s largest maker of automobiles, trucks, buses, and robots. Toyota has factories all around the world, that manufacture and assemble vehicles for local markets (Taneja, Pryer, & Sewell, 2012). Toyota has an interesting blend of mechanistic, organic and bureaucracy in a centralized organizational structure, which allows them to accommodate their versatile product line.This structure develops a workforce who believes in the company’s products, image, and vision; along with placing a high value on the welfare of its employees (Taneja et al. , 2012). A recent SWOT analysis shows that intense competition could pose a threat resulting in lower price pressures. A recent massive product recall (10 million worldwide) which could hurt the company’s brand image and sales ((Toyota, 2012). Toyota is a company that has a reputation for reliability; the challenge n ow is rebuilding the emotional ties of customers.A bureaucratic organizational structure could be the flaw as hindered information sharing, miscommunication; along with delayed response time to quality and safety issues have been sighted as the root cause of the recall (Taneja et al. , 2012). One of the disadvantages to a matrix organizational structure is keeping communication channels clear so that potential conflicts do not arise and hinder organizational functioning (Reference for Business, n. d. ). As corporations become worldwide the process of restructuring is inevitable, as they must respond to challenges on a global level.The foundation of Toyota is respect of its people and continuous improvement through the ‘Toyota Way’ which is summarized by five keywords; â€Å"Challenge,† â€Å"Kaizen,† â€Å"Genchi Genbutsu,† â€Å"Respect† and â€Å"Teamwork† (â€Å"The Toyota Way,† n. d). The Watson’s a Creative Company, is an ad agency. They have a decentralized organic organizational structure that is simple and low in formalization. All parts of the organization need each other as an interdependence relationship improves functioning.As an organic organization they need to stay flexible in dealing with customers and in creating concepts for television commercials and print advertisement (Field, n. d. ). I recently visited the Watson’s ad agency and I found a confortable informal environment with a small staff and their dogs. It seemed quite remarkable that a company with such clients as ‘Whole Foods’, ‘Metropolitan Home Magazine’ and many others could work as a community. However it is in line with their mission statement of building lasting relationships between great companies and the audiences they benefit (â€Å"The Watson’s,† n. . ). Their core competency is in their knowledge management and creativity. An organic organization such as The Watsonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s is a knowledge-based organization. Tacit knowledge is exchanged through interaction with other knowledge workers. This interaction facilitates the development of a knowledge culture within the organization, supporting decision making of various knowledge workers through collaboration (Hosnavi & Ramezan, 2011). How Structure Affects the use of Technology and Technology Decisions Technology plays a crucial role in today’s organizational structure.Toyota understood that the traditional understanding of centralization in organizational structure would fail to capture its vision of technological development, and value in the employee in the face of new challenges and demands. Toyota adopted a matrix organizational structure to facilitate technology decisions ((Hosnavi & Ramezan, 2011). The Watson’s on the other hand believe that technology decisions are based the decentralization of power and control and a higher level of informality and a organic organizational st ructure was the best fit for their company.Toyota’s superior technology was not enough in light of the recent recalls. As a result they had to reduce their organizational structure, which is no easy task. My observation is that Toyota could have closed a blind eye but instead decided to restructure and fix the problem without deviating from their core competency and mission. The Watson’s interaction with technology is equally exciting as visual displays of artistic genius are created and displayed through a variety of avenues. Technology gives expression to the endless possibilities of the mind and allows them to make decisions based on whatever idea they can dream of.Working on something they believe in helps them to focus on the effectiveness of their products and services. TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE| Inquiry| Toyota Motor Corporation| The Watson’s a Creative Company| Organizational Structure| Centralized Matrix Organizational Structure| Decentraliz ed Organic Organizational Structure| Environment| Stable, highly efficient and orderly. | Constant change, simple, low formalization. | Control| Hierarchic| Network community. | Internal Communication| Vertical, between superior and subordinates. Lateral between people. | Core Competency| Lean Manufacturing Tools, Supply Chain Management, Product Development Technology, Branding| Creative Advertising /Knowledge worker| Core Technology| Conventional and Hybrid Vehicles, Hybrid Systems, Safety and Environmental Technologies. | Web based advertising systems, HTML, XML, SVG and Flash, Communications protocols, Video and audio technology. | Enabling Technologies| Toyota Technology Institute, Toyota InfoTechnology Center, Home Living Assistant Robotics, Personal Mobility. R&D product portfolio. iAd mobile app, Ad tracking, Banner Ads, Rich Media Ads, Tradeshows, Commercial Emails, Poster Ads, Social Media| Organizational Members| Task Oriented| People Oriented| Control-Stability and predi ctability. | High| Low| Flexibility-Quick response to changing conditions| High| High| Knowledge Management| Reinforcement of hierarchy| Anywhere in the company| Technology Interaction with Organizational Structure Based on these comparisons I believe that the interaction of technology must be accompanied with the right fit of the organizations structure to achieve sustainability.Toyota works on a technological scale far beyond that of the Watson’s. It uses manufacturing technology that is the cutting edge of science (Taneja et al. , 2012). It is doing an amazing work with its robotic technology that will help the handicapped, as well as the individual. Taneia et al. , (2012 believes that Toyota’s research and development accomplishments are making groundbreaking strides in the area of defense against energy starvation. The Watson’s Creative Company is using the Internet to extend their market reach far beyond what was once thought possible through conventional channels.According to Behboudi, Hanzaee, Koshksaray, Khirkhani Tabar, & Taheri (2012), â€Å"Creative advertising can provide a competitive edge for a brand, add to its value, and give it an advantage over its rivals in terms of more positive market response†(p. 140). The Watson’s advertising agency has achieved sustainability with their creative and innovative ads through the technology of the Internet. In comparison mechanistic and organic organizational structures are like two musicians, one who plays’ by ear and the other who has to read music; both however deliver a beautiful arrangement of music.Toyota is continuously focused on increasing its technological capabilities, while The Watson’s are continuously looking for more ways to use technology to create ads that are an experience for the consumer. Both are making contributions that will add value to organizational learning, and technological capabilities. References Behboudi, M. , Hanzaee, K. , Ko shksaray, A. , Khirkhani Tabar, M. , & Taheri, Z. (2012). A Review of the Activities of Advertsing Agencies in Online World []. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(1), 138-149. Retrieved from Ebscohost Dorf, R.C. , & Byers, T. H. (2008). Technology Ventures (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Dristelzweig, H. , & Droege, S. B. (n. d. ). Organizational Structure. Retrieved from http://law-journals-books. vlex. com/vid/organizational-structure-51758780 Field, R. (n. d. ). Organizational Effectiveness, Structure and Technology. Retrieved from http://apps. business. ualberta. ca/rfield/Organizational%20Effectiveness,%20Structure,%20and%20Technology. h Hosnavi, R. , & Ramezan, M. (2011). Intellectual Capital and Organizational Organic Structure How are these

The Prevalence of Production Sharing Contracts in Oil and Gas The WritePass Journal

The Prevalence of Production Sharing Contracts in Oil and Gas Abstract The Prevalence of Production Sharing Contracts in Oil and Gas AbstractIntroductionBackgroundResearch TopicAimObjectivesResearch questionsLiterature ReviewKey WordsKey LiteratureGaps in literatureOil and gas in AfricaOil and gas in AngolaContracting in the oil and gas industryProduction Sharing ContractsContracting at Sonangol (Types of contracts)Production sharing contracts at SonangolThe nature of production sharing contracts at SonangolResearch MethodologyFindings  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reasons for the adoption of production sharing contracts at Sonangol  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advantages of production sharing contracts at Sonangol  Ã‚  Ã‚   iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disadvantages of production sharing contracts at Sonangol  Ã‚  Ã‚   iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comparison between production sharing contracts and other types of contracts at SonangolDiscussionConclusionReferencesAppendicesRelated Abstract Introduction Background The nature of the environment in which a business operates determines how it engages other players in the sector. This, therefore, determines the types of contracts that businesses get into. The oil and gas industry relies on contracts to carry out its activities just like other business entities do. The oil and gas industry mainly engages production sharing contracts, driven by the numerous stakeholder interests the sector has. Research Topic The Prevalence of Production Sharing Contracts in Oil and Gas (Case Study of Sonangol, an Angolan Oil Company) Aim The aim of the study is to establish the prevalence of production sharing contracts in the oil and gas industry, with particular interest in Sonangol, an oil company in Angola. Objectives The objectives of the study are: To determine the nature of the oil and gas business in Africa To determine the types of contracts administered in the oil and gas sector To determine the share of production sharing contracts relative to other types of contracts To establish the reasons for adoption of production sharing contracts at Sonangol Research questions What types of contracts does Sonangol engage? Are production sharing contracts prevalent at Sonangol? Why does Sonangol adopt production sharing contracts? What benefits and challenges do Sonangol get by using production sharing contracts? Literature Review Key Words Contracts, Production Sharing Contracts, Effects, Prevalence, Economics, International Oil Companies, National Oil Companies, Angola Key Literature Bindemann, K., 1999. Production Sharing Agreements: An Economic Analysis This source touches on the economics of production sharing agreements with reference to oil and gas in Angola and the Middle East. Bindemann, K. 2000. The Response of Oil Contracts to Extreme Price Movements. Discussion Paper. Department of Economics (University of Oxford). Fattouh, B. and Darbouche, H., 2010. North African oil and foreign investment in changing market conditions. Energy Policy, 38(2), pp.119-1129. Gaps in literature Most literature refers to situations in North Africa and the Middle East and not Angola or Sonangol. Most available literature is more than five years old. Chances are that the conditions have changed, rendering them irrelevant to current circumstances This section presents an analysis of existing literature on Oil and Gas in Africa and Angola in particular, while studying the types of contracts that oil and gas companies utilize. This is broken down into subtopics as follows: Oil and gas in Africa This section provides a general overview of the oil and gas industry, highlighting the major players: companies, countries, communities, and other stakeholders. History of the oil and gas industry in Africa Challenges in the African oil and gas industry Oil and gas in Angola This section provides an overview of the Angolan oil and gas industry, highlighting the major players: companies, communities, and other stakeholders. History of the oil and gas industry in Angola Challenges in the Angolan oil and gas industry Merits of oil and gas to the Angolan Economy Contracting in the oil and gas industry Types of contracts administered in the global oil and gas industry Comparison between contracting in Africa and the Middle East Production Sharing Contracts Identify the parties involved Terms and conditions Benefits/demerits Contracting at Sonangol (Types of contracts) Encompasses all types of contractual agreements Sonangol engages Criteria Sonangol uses to select the type of contractual agreements it uses Ratio of contracts based on type Production sharing contracts at Sonangol The nature of production sharing contracts at Sonangol Parties involved Responsibility Terms and conditions Research Methodology The study will follow the constructivist approach and rely on the analysis of secondary data that will be obtained both from the private and public domain. Of particular interest will be records from Sonangol and researches published in journals. The research will use catalogues to locate relevant books and indexes to locate appropriate periodicals. In addition, the study will use the Internet to find relevant electronic resources and databases. An analysis of the books, periodicals, and databases would follow to ascertain the authority and quality of information. Data analysis will be quantitative. Findings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reasons for the adoption of production sharing contracts at Sonangol   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advantages of production sharing contracts at Sonangol   Ã‚  Ã‚   iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disadvantages of production sharing contracts at Sonangol   Ã‚  Ã‚   iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comparison between production sharing contracts and other types of contracts at Sonangol Discussion Discuss the reasons for the prevalence of production sharing contracts at Sonangol, their merits, demerits, and challenges. Conclusion Summary of the suitability of production sharing contracts at Sonangol. Are they the best for the oil and gas industry? Should they be upheld? References List of all works cited in the study Appendices Relevant documents, tables, and graphs

How to write for a global audience - Emphasis

How to write for a global audience How to write for a global audience The growth in global commerce means it is more likely than ever that your writing will have an international audience. Increasingly, we need to communicate with people who speak English as a second language, whether they are based in the UK or overseas. But your words can easily get lost in translation when writing for this readership, especially if you arent adapting your copy. To ensure all your readers fully understand your message, it is essential to make your writing as clear as possible, and bear some rules in mind. Emails between colleagues Even informal emails between co-workers need thinking about. Heres a reply to a colleague who has suggested you visit her office. Hi Mariela Thanks for the invitation. Phil and I are definitely up for it, but as its on the firms time, Ill need to get the go ahead from Tony Ill talk to him asap and get back to you. Jan At first sight this seems to be a perfectly clear email, but Mariela is a second-language speaker of English. This means we have to re-examine our writing. Language barriers Lets take a closer look at the language in the email to recognise the traps we can fall into: Clusters of meaningless words Phil and I are definitely up for it: the English language has hundreds of these clusters, eg put up with, look up to, top it up, which together have specific meanings. They are called phrasal verbs and we can often replace them with a one-word simple alternative, eg tolerate, admire, fill. Confusing words On the firms time: company or organisation are more recognisable words than firm in the context of work. Also, firm has more than one meaning, which could be confusing. And a literal translation of on the time wouldnt make sense. Colloquial expressions To get the go ahead: second-language speakers often enjoy these expressions once they know them. But we cant guarantee they know them yet. So, unless youre sure, avoid them. Abbreviations Asap: again, unless youre confident your reader knows the abbreviations, they will be meaningless. Heres a rewrite of the email: Hi Mariela Thanks for the invitation. Phil and I definitely want to come. Ill need to get Tonys permission as its during the working week. Ill talk to him as soon as I can and tell you what he says. Jan Its still informal and natural, but so much clearer to non-native English speakers.

Technical Rationality and Reflection in Action Essay

Technical Rationality and Reflection in Action - Essay Example Both technical rationality and reflection in action represents the views of a society that can be measured and explained logically. The two concepts are essential in the finding of solutions for most professional problems and difficulties. Therefore, technical rationality is concerned with establishment of technicality in a profession while reflection in action is concerned with the application of the acquired knowledge. Both technical rationality and reflection in action limit the application of real knowledge in professionalism. Reflection in action is also considered as the first step towards attaining technical rationality. This is because technical rationality is vital in defining technical proficiency. Technical proficiency in turn determines the professional capacity or ability of an individual. Technical rationality and reflection in action have often been considered as theoretical concepts. However, technical rationality and reflection have a high degree of application (Smith, 1999). Technical rationality and reflection are essential in health care administration. The healthcare sector is a significant sector to the country and this makes the sector to be of interest to the legal system of a country. The sector also has a significant number of employees who need clear specification on their duties and limitations. Health practitioners also require knowing their limitations and expectations in the medical practice. Medical ethics provide essential guidelines for heath workers in their practice. Efficient and all-inclusive health workers policies and ethics can only be achieved through application of technical rationality. Technical rationality enables healthcare administrators to design logical policies for healthcare practitioners (Kraska, 2004). Healthcare administrators are also responsible for handling legal issues within the practice. This proves technical rationality and reflection

Sources of air pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sources of air pollution - Essay Example What will happen if the temperature of the world increases? Global warming will occur. Global Warming is prevalent on our Earth even today. It is causing deaths of thousands of animals each year, glaciers are melting and the pollutants are causing diseases such as asthma and lung cancer, etc. The destruction of ozone layer is continuously taking place by our activities, the use of natural resources by us and also by emissions of harmful gases in the atmosphere. At first, we will look into the sources of air pollution inside our homes. We, as human beings are a major constituent of creating air pollution. In our offices, schools, and homes, we make use of certain products and perform activities which are the reason for air pollution. Such activities are known as anthropogenic sources of air pollution. These activities include cooking and smoking. Other sources comprise of Boilers in which we boil water or other liquids at our homes, steam generators as they create smog when we start them for electricity purposes. Also piston engines, furnace, and gas turbines create pollution in the air1. Also, industrial plants set up by humans, power plants and vehicles which have internal combustion engines generate VOCs, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and their particulates. In most big cities and urban areas of the world, cars are the primary source of these air pollutants such as Los Angeles and Mexico City2. Farmers burning wastes from crops create carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other particulates. Other human activities such as leaky refrigerators, aerosol sprays, perfumes and fumes from varnish, paint, and other solvents are the main factors in increasing air pollution. Natural sources, also known as biogenic sources, are also a cause for air pollution but are not as harmful as the human sources. The quality of air is destroyed or worsened by natural processes such as volcano eruptions which produce chlorine, sulfur,