Ethics in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Ethics in the Workplace Essay The case study provided in Craig E. Johnson’s book, Ethics in the Workplace , is a moral and valuable lesson regarding the blurred vision between a for profit and a nonprofit. This example, while it may be considered severe, is an excellent one that leads the reader to more important questions. The question of whether nonprofits should operate as businesses encourages the reader to think about the pros and cons of each. If a nonprofit were to operate as a business, it would basically eliminate the unending concern about funding. Nonprofits, operating as a business, would be able to reap the benefits of for profit companies making more money for the organization but not necessarily the mission. However, this would ultimately lead to more expenses as the budget would have to include higher amounts in staff pay, marketing, and benefits. Another con of operating as a business is taxes. Nonprofits would no longer be exempt from paying taxes and once again, the cost would greatly increase the budget. Probably the most dangerous aspect of a nonprofit run as a business is the loss of the mission and vision. One may be concerned that the need for money and greed will usurp the original mission of the nonprofit. Should businesses operate more like nonprofits? This question is a difficult one to answer. Nonprofits exist for social justice, in many cases nonprofits pick up where the government has left off. While our economy is based on supply and demand, there is societal pressure to be charitable and giving. If businesses were to be as charitable as a nonprofit, they would undoubtedly lose money and perhaps close due to lack of funding, yet, their sense of social justice would be fulfilled. Since there will always be consumers, thus a demand for goods and services, businesses should not operate as nonprofits. As cited in the case study in the introduction by Johnson (Johnson, Ethics in the Workplace, 2007), the Goodwill Branch in Portland, Oregon does compete on the same level as businesses in the area. The Branch pays their top staff over $100,000 with the CEO’s salary at a whopping half a million. Yet, because they are registered as a nonprofit, they are exempt from paying taxes on goods and services, people utilizing the nonprofit get services for free, and they are able to pay their staff lower than competitive wages. If, as cited in the case study, a nonprofit competes on all levels with a for profit business, then the competition must be fair. Either the nonprofit has to begin to pay taxes or taxes for the business should be eliminated. It is important to note, however, that the elimination of taxes would devastate the economy. When it comes to salaries, businesses definitely have the upper hand. Because businesses operate to make money, they can afford to hire only the best in the fields. Nonprofits, relying more on government funding, are unable to afford those astounding costs. Furthermore, nonprofits operate under the definition of social services. For a nonprofit to lose sight of that and pay top dollars for staff, is a vision they can not afford to lose. Thus, executives of nonprofits should in no way be compensated or expect to be compensated at the same rate as their business counterparts. The services offered are meant to be taken advantage of by disadvantaged citizens and pay rates should reflect that mission. In the case study previously mentioned, Michael Miller, the CEO of the Goodwill Branch in Portland Oregon, is receiving a salary of $500,000 not including benefits and expenses. Moreover, some of the workers at that same branch are making below minimum wage. It is immoral for Mr. Miller to receive such a high salary, not only because his staff is making considerably less but more importantly because the salary is not in line with the overall charitable mission of Goodwill. It is unreasonable to believe that staff pay will remain the same as a nonprofit expands. However, certain standards must be in place to substantiate higher salaries. Standards may include: overall budget of the nonprofit and allocation of funds, effective service of the nonprofit based on data taken from all available programs, how the nonprofit compares to others in its region or state, and how well they are fulfilling their mission. The question as to whether this writer would charitably donate to the sight mentioned in the study can best be answered by weighing morals against greed. This writer believes that they would not donate to the sight unless there was documented proof that at least 90% of the donation was going to the people it was intended to help. Since this branch is more likely to document exaggerated salaries such as the CEO’s, it is unlikely a donation would be made to that particular branch.

Welfare Facilities During Construction Work

Welfare Facilities During Construction Work Hughes and Ferrett, 2008 have defined that health is the protection of people from illness due to the materials, processes of procedures used in the workplace while safety defined as the protection of people from physical injury or in the absence of the danger in simple way. Health and safety often closely related with the physical and material and mental well-being of the individual at the place of work (Hughes and Ferrett, 2008). By referring to Oxford Dictionary, welfare is defined as the health, happiness and fortunes of a person or group. For the purpose of this research, the provision of welfare facilities consist of washing and sanitation arrangements, provision of drinking water, heating, lighting, accommodation for clothing, seating, eating and rest rooms as well as first aid arrangement for the well-being of the employees (Hughes and Ferrett, 2006). CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES Construction health and safety should be of primary concern to employers, employees, government and project participants (Kheni, 2008). Therefore, the client, main contractor, regulatory agencies and employees are the main parties who responsible for construction health and safety (Laryea S. and Mensah S., 2010). There is several government agencies involved in construction safety and health. Each has the same mission towards the safety and health in construction industry as to reduce the accidents or fatalities and the compensation cost as well as to ensure that the risks to health and safety of workers are properly controlled. The contractors role has been mainly focused by the research and publications on construction worker safety due to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) places the responsibility for safety on the employers shoulders (J. Gambatese, J. Hinze, 1998). The table below explained on the main duties of construction parties. PLANNING OF WELFARE FACILITIES Good health and safety planning helps to ensure that a project is well managed and that unexpected costs and problems are minimised (Laryea S. and Mensah S., 2010). Consideration should be made during planning stage prior to constructing any facilities. Issues here include consideration of a safe and healthy location, application of appropriate construction standards, provision of adequate and sanitary living conditions as well as appropriate leisure and health facilities (IFC and the EBR, 2009). Firstly, it is important to make sure welfare arrangements are clearly addressed in the health and safety plan where the Laws and Legislations apply (HSE, 1998). Make sure the facilities reflect the site size, nature of the work, and numbers of people who will use them. An example of nature of work, where consider the provision of showers if the project involves hazardous substances or very dirty work such as sewer maintenance, dusty demolition activities as well as works with contaminated land or concrete pouring (HSE, 1998). The distance of workers will have to travel to the welfare facilities might have to consider as well. The exact nature of the facilities also depends on the intended duration of work and number of different locations. Lastly, consideration on whether the welfare facilities need to be relocated during the construction phase. MINIMUM STANDARD OF WELFARE FACILITIES Minimum standard of welfare facilities should be provided at construction site complying with the regulation for the particular project. The satisfaction of the safety and health act and regulation can be achieved by providing the optimum facilities through the assessing the maximum and minimum of construction workers (Tan, 2010). The person in charge of the construction site must always make sure that the legal requirements of workers welfare are met (HSE, 2004). However, simply providing and enforcing prescriptive rules and procedures are not sufficient to foster safe behavior in the workplace (Reason, 1998). Most construction employers now have safety policies in place, but they need to be kept up to date. The objective is to reflect what actually happens, and to make sure the policy does not contain a hopeful list of wishes that are never likely to be fulfilled (Hotl, A.S.J, 2001) The provision of welfare facilities at transient construction sites and the provision of welfare facilities at fixed construction sites that supplied by Health and Safety Executive often used as guidance in United Kingdom. It gives guidance on the minimum welfare facilities that must be provided or made available to workers on construction sites. The nature and scale of facilities required will depend on the size, location and type of project. Suitable welfare facilities must be available for all workers during all working hours. As a minimum, these will be access to toilet and washing facilities, a supply of clean drinking water, a place to take a breaks and meals and store clothing, shelter in bad weather, and first aid facilities. Most, if not all of these will be covered by local or national regulatory requirements. TYPES OF WELFARE FACILITIES Good welfare facilities not only improve workers welfare but also enhance efficiency. The facilities may be provided and maintained by one contractor or by individual contractors for all workers (ILO, 1995). General welfare facilities that provided on site include: Living Accommodations Sanitary and toilet facilities Washing facilities Drinking water Changing rooms and lockers Rest Facilities Canteen WELFARE FACILITIES REQUIREMENTS The main health and safety requirements in construction relate to tidy sites and decent welfare, falls from height, manual handling, and transport on site (Laryea S. and Mensah S. ,2010) In Malaysia, the welfare provision refer to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514), Factory and Machineries Act 1967 (Act 139) and Construction Industry Development Board Act 1994 (Act 520). Whereas In United Kingdom, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulation 2007 covers a wide range of basic health, safety and welfare and applies to the workplaces involving construction on sites. By referring to Health, Safety and Executive, (1997), adequate and appropriate welfare facilities must be provided for employees so far as is reasonably practicable while them are at work even though in short period. This means that facilities must be provided unless it is clearly unreasonable in terms of time, trouble, cost and physical difficulty. There is an important additional duty in this Regulation. The one in control of a site has to ensure that there are reasonable welfare facilities available at readily accessible places. HSE, 2010 has provided the information sheet for those in control of construction sites which describes minimum welfare facilities that should be provided or made available on fixed construction sites. In addition, the guidance note is based on a review of these instruments and legislation, as well as guidelines and best practices produced by a range of different private and public sector actions at national and international level. (IFC and EBRD, 2009). The regulation 22 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulation 2007 has stated few requirements for welfare facilities provided for construction industry. These include provide sanitary and washing facilities and an adequate supply of drinking water; rest facilities; facilities to change and store clothing. Good facilities can positively benefit health and well-being and can help to prevent dermatitis. The requirements of welfare facilities are as below: Living Accommodations The provision of workers accommodation is often related with the importation of an external workforce into an area (IFC and EBRD, 2009). There are several reasons that lead to this occurrence such as the local labour supply or skills base is inadequate, the workers are simply not available due to the remote location of the worksite or the particular skills required. Also it may happen as the labour requirements can only be fulfilled by migrant workers due to the nature of the work or the working conditions (IFC and EBRD, 2009). The accommodation provided either in building type or conventional container for the sleeping and resting purpose. The workers accommodation for construction more relate to a temporary phase of a project (IFC and EBRD, 2009). The accommodation provided shall be appropriate for its location and be clean, safe and at minimum, meet the basic needs of workers because the location of the facilities is important to prevent exposure to wind, fire, flood and other natural hazards (IFC and EBRD, 2009). Therefore, living accommodations are located within a reasonable distance from worksite as possible. The building of living accommodation requires sufficient materials, appreciate maintenance as well as acceptable cleanliness free from nuisance of rubbish and other waste. It shall not be used for the storage of building materials purpose. (ILO, 1992) The conventional container is generally used in Malaysia construction site because it is easily moved to new project (Tan, 2010). It is important to ensure good standards in living facilities. It helps to avoid safety hazards and to protect workers from diseases and illness resulting from humidity, spread of fungus, proliferation of insects or rodents, as well as to maintain a good level of morale (IFC and EBRD, 2009). Sanitary and Toilet Facilities Sanitary and toilet facilities include water closets, portable chemical toilets and urinals. Toilet facilities needed include the flushing toilets and running water which connected to mains water and drainage system if possible. The alternative way is to provide facilities with a built-in water supply and drainage tank (HSE, 2010). An adequate number of toilets should be available at all times for construction workers. Adequate facilities mean by make sure that there are enough toilets for those expected to use, so that the people should not have to queue for long periods to go to the toilet. Toilet arrangements are essential to avoid any contamination and prevent the spread of infectious disease. The following tables show the minimum number of toilets and urinals that should be provided. The number of toilets needed will be depends on the number of construction workers on site. The number of people at work (left column) refers to the maximum number likely to be in the workplace at any one time. Portable chemical toilets are only acceptable instead of making other adequate provision which is not reasonably practicable and it should be maintained and emptied regularly. The number of persons and the frequency of emptying are used to determine the number of portable toilets needed on site by using the ratio 1 toilet to 7 persons where portable toilets are emptied once a week (HSE, 2010). Beside, toilet facilities are conveniently located and easily accessible. Shorter distance for travelling to toilet from worksite means that unnecessary and non-productive times are minimized (Tan, 2010). Standards range from 30 to 60 meters from rooms. Sanitary and toilet facilities are never shared between male and female resident. Otherwise provide lockable doors instead of failing to provide separate facilities for different gender. Moreover, adequate supplies of toilet paper should be always be available. Specific additional sanitary facilities are provided for women where necessary. It is essential for workers to maintain a good standard of personal hygiene but also to prevent contamination and the spread of diseases which result from inadequate sanitary facilities (IFC and EBRD, 2009). Always make sure that the facilities provided are well-lit, have good ventilation, cleaned frequently and kept in fully working condition (HSE, 2010). The number of utilization determines the frequency of cleaning. Basically, daily cleaning may not always be sufficient. Washing Facilities Work in the construction industry is often dusty and dirty as well as involving handling chemicals and other dangerous substances. Therefore, washing facilities provided as a basic hygiene measure, preventing chemical contaminating foods and so being eaten during snacks or meals, being absorbed through the skin or being carried home. Apart from that, it also functions to remove dirt and grime, which also can be ingested and cause sickness and disease. Washing facilities include basins or sinks that allow people to wash their hands, face and forearms (HSE, 2007). Also, it consists of a supply of hot and cold, or warm, water which should be running water and soup or other washing agents for cleaning purpose that are enough for the workers. Washing or shower facilities is provided for particular dirty work or work exposing workers to hazardous substance such as concrete pouring (HSE,2007). An adequate number of washing facilities should be provided to construction workers. Washing facilities should be provided in conjunction with toilets and changing areas. It should be located within reasonable distance from other facilities and from sleeping facilities in particular (HSE, 2010). A clean supply from a tank should be provided instead of main water supply when it is not available (HSE, 2007). Men and women can share basin used for washing hands, face and arms. Provided that a basin large enough to wash face, hands and forearms if necessary and also a means for drying hands such as paper towels or a hot air dryer (HSE, 1998). Unisex shower facilities is available for both gender, provided that is stands alone, is lockable room and can only be used by one person at a time (HSE,2007). These facilities must be kept in good working condition, cleaned frequently, and always ensure that there is sufficient ventilation and lighting (HSE, 2010). Drinking Water Drinking water is essential for workers in the construction industry, irrespective of the type of work they do. To prevent dehydration, workers should always have easy access to a source of clean water. Therefore, a special attention to water quality and quantity is absolutely essential. A supply of wholesome drinking water should be readily available, preferably from the mains. If this is not possible then bottles or tank should be provided for storing water, protected it from possible contamination as well as changeover sufficiently and regularly to prevent it from becoming stale or contaminated (HSE, 2007). Mark clearly on the drinking water supply to distinguish between drinkable and non-drinkable water such as hazardous liquids or water which is not fit to drink. The supplying of drinking water requires cups or other drinking vessels at the outlet, unless the water is supplied in an upward jet, which can be drunk easily such as drinking fountain (HSE, 2007). Drinking-water should not be placed in sanitary facilities, or in places where it can be contaminated by dust, chemicals or other substances. Whatever the source of water supply for drinking, whether at the mess accommodation or elsewhere on the site, it should be clearly marked as drinking-water in words or with a suitable sign. Changing Rooms and Lockers Changing rooms or lockers are particularly important for workers storing personal clothing that not worn on site such as jackets and training shoes and protective clothing that needed for site work such as high visibility jackets and safety boots (HSE, 2007). Changing rooms should be provided with drying and clothes hanging which are easily accessible. Thus, they can separate their wet and dry clothing by hanging on the cupboard. This is essential to where some working clothes are likely to be contaminated by dangerous substances, atmospheric conditions or workplace conditions. Therefore, facilities should be provided to keep working cloths apart from personal clothing (Fon, 2006). For smaller site, the site office may sufficient be a storage area but the separate lockers might be needed too. This is because there is a risk of protective site clothing contaminating everyday clothing, items should be stored separately (HSE, 1998). If electrical heaters are used, ensure the room has well ventilation and fitted with a high temperature cut-out device where possible. Many fires have been caused by placing too much clothing to dry on electrical heaters, making the heater overheat. Rest Facilities Construction workers begin work early. They start their day alert and productive but their activity level decreases as the day passed. Therefore, short breaks taken frequently are much better than infrequent long breaks. Recovery is much faster as having rest before show signs of being really tired (ILO,1995). Rest areas are not to be used to store plant, equipment or materials. It provides shelter from wind and rain. The rest facilities should have an adequate number of tables and chairs, a kettle or urn for boiling water and a means for warming up food such as a gas or electrical heating ring or microwave oven and be adequately heated. Suitable and sufficient, readily accessible rest facilities should be provided. Work areas can be counted as rest areas and as eating facilities, provided they are adequately clean and there is a suitable surface on which to place food. On smaller sites, the site office or hut may suffice as rest area. Canteen Canteen is adequately furnished and protected from the weather, where one can eat in comfort food brought from home or brought from vendors. Canteen may be used as rest facilities provided there is no obligation to purchase food. If canteen is provided, it does not only save the time for construction workers not going out for eating (Tan, 2010). Standards range from providing tables, benches, individual drinking cups and plates to provide special drinking fountains. It should be situated away from workstations to minimize contact with dirt, dust or dangerous substances. Good standards of hygiene in canteen are crucial. Facilities must be kept in a clean and sanitary condition as well as conform to hygiene and safety requirement. EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE WELFARE FACILITIES ISSUES A company was found not to have provided welfare facilities at a construction site and was served with an improvement notice during an inspection section. The company was prosecuted as failed to provide the facilities within the timescale. The company received a  £2000 fine for not complying with the notice, a  £5000 fine for not providing the welfare facilities, and had to pay prosecution costs of  £1272. A construction company in Devon is caught by surprise for not having hot water and accessible toilet facilities on site and was fined 2,500 by HSE. Rod Hepper concluded: Installing proper facilities on site costs far less than the fines that the HSE will impose if inspectors find the law being flouted. (Pickles, 2001). The Elliott Workspace Marketing Manager, Rod Hepper commented that there are still companies across UK that ignores the necessity of providing appropriate welfare facilities on construction sites in line with regulation in force even after warning from Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In reality, it is a legal requirement for the companies to provide proper toilet facilities and warm running water available at all times (How, 2006). News from workplacelaw on date 13 Dec 2010, a builder whose employees had to work in unsanitary conditions, with no toilet or washing facilities, has appeared in court in Rochdale. Michael Connolly, 46, was prosecuted by the HSE after he repeatedly ignored calls to improve conditions at the site in Littleborough where he had employed contractors to convert a house into flats and shops. HSE inspectors who visited the site found that there were no toilets or washing facilities. ( http://www.workplacelaw.net/news/display/id/31712, 2010). CONCLUSION Work in the construction industry is hazardous and dirty; it involves much manual or physical activity. Welfare facilities such as the provision of drinking water, washing, sanitary and changing accommodation, rest rooms and shelter, facilities for preparing and eating meals, temporary housing, all help to reduce fatigue and improve workers health. The facilities may be provided and maintained by one contractor for all workers or by individual contractors. Good facilities can positively benefit health and well-being and can help to prevent dermatitis. Good welfare facilities not only improve workers welfare but also enhance efficiency. References Welfare at work Guidance for employers on welfare provisions IFC and the EBRD , 2009. Workers accommodation: processes and standards.A guidance note by IFC and the EBRD (ILO, 1992). Thesis ILO, 1995 Safety, health and welfare on construction sites: A training manual ILO. 2003. Safety in numbers. Rep. No. 061, International Labor  Organization, Geneva. J. Gambatese, J. Hinze, 1998. Addressing construction worker safety in the design phase Designing for construction worker safety. Automation in Construction 8 (1999): 643-649. (Laryea S. and Mensah S. ,2010) The Construction, Building and Real Estate Research Conference of  the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Held at Dauphine Università ©, Paris, 2-3 September 2010 Kheni, Nongiba Alkanam (2008) Impact of health and safety management on safety performance of small and medium-sized construction businesses in Ghana, Unpublished PhD thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, UK Phil Hughes, Ed Ferrett,2008. Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction: The Handbook for Construction Professionals and Students on NEBOSH and Other Construction Courses Phil Hughes, Ed Ferrett, 2006. Introduction to health and safety in construction HSE, September 2007 CONSTRUCTION HEALTH SAFETY STANDARD No. 20 ,Principle sources of information HSE Construction Information Sheets 18 and 46, HSE, 2010 provision of welfare facilities during construction work. construction information sheet no 59 HSE, 1998 Provision of welfare facilities at fixed construction sites, Construction Information Sheet No 18(rev1) HSE, 2007 workplace health, safety and welfare. A short guide for managers.leafetlet INDG244(rev2) According to the International Labor Organization 1992, the general provisions of welfare are stated under clause 19.there should be adequate supply of wholesome drinking water provided at reasonable access of construction site.

Managing Change At Procter And Gamble Commerce Essay

Managing Change At Procter And Gamble Commerce Essay The world of business is facing different changes in the environment which create opportunities and threats. As a result, businesses make changes in different processes that are related to work place more abruptly and often compare before. This is because these changes can influence the speed and quality of the performance of companies including: acquisitions, merging, innovation, restructuring and downsizing which can result to the growth of climate of uncertainty (FEAP n.d.). Currently, the business world is facing different changes that are related to technology, regulation and competition and economic condition which affect the perceptions and behavior of the customers and other stakeholders of the company. Due to this, change is considered as inevitable in the world of business, because change constitute growth and development. According to Peter Drucker, any change in any organizational culture and management is considered as normal and healthy (cited in Dulebohn 2006, p. 37). It will be impossible for any business to grow and improve without improving any changes in order to cope with the changes happenings in the environment its operating. Any change to be done inside and outside the organization can help the entire organization to adjust to the current situation of the market and industry, by improving and adjusting the culture and other important internal aspects of the organization. Therefore, it is important to consider that change is the most important decision of the top level management of different companies; however, it is one of the most taken for granted aspect of management, particularly regarding the issue of lack of involvement. This paper will focus on implementation of change in Procter and Gamble (PG). PG offers branded products of superior quality and value in order to improve the lives of the consumers from different parts of the globe. This results in: leadership sales, profits as well as value creation, which allow all the stakeholders to prosper (PG UK 2010). Currently, the company markets more than 300 branded products and operating in more than 80 countries and employs about 140,000 people (PG UK 2010). The business started when William Procter and James Gamble started their business of making and selling soap and candles separately on April 12, 1837. In August 22 of the same year, the two decided to formalize their business relationship by pledging $3, 3596.47 in Cincinnati, Ohio and signed in October 31. The initial foray of PG into branding was The Moon and Stars, a trademark that have appeared on all products of the company starting early 1860s (PG UK 2010). As a result of this effort and the unyielding commitment of the company to strengthen the brand, widening portfolio and delivering high level of customer service, PG ranked 10th in the Fortunes Most Admired Companies in 2007 and hailed as the 23rd largest company by US revenue and 14th largest in terms of profit. Because of the dominance and leadership of PG in different consumer product categories, it is important for the company to focus on the improvement to be done in its overall operation. The company focuses on adopting new changes and seizes new opportunities that the company created. This paper will focus on analyzing the new technology to be applied in PG that will help to improve its current operation and performance. Background to Change Background of Change One of the important characteristics of PG and the reason behind the success of the company is its ability to cope with change. The company focuses on adopting different changes that will help to improve its performance. If needed, the company is willing to unlearn habits as well as assumptions that were rapidly becoming obsolete and challenge traditional skills as well as strengths. Based on this, change is the term that equates with PG and it happens in major events, such as technological innovations inside the company. One of the major technological movements of the company is the concept of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) in 2003. This enables the company to implement content spread across different applications. The result is the integration from back-end system into the more appropriate application of choice. It also enables the company to move from unstructured to structured content management and have been applied to the internal stakeholders to enable information life cycle management. This had helped in order to create, store, retrieve and distribute information that lead to trimmed cost and improved collaboration. However, this system created some problems or threats that might affect the operation of the company. There is a need to tap virtual working opportunities, at the same time, reduce the workload because of web-based space and chargeback reports. Therefore, it is important to implement smarter working practices and focuses on the need for a fully integrated web-based facilities management environment. This action is connected to the goal and mission of the company to use innovative technologies that will help PG to work smarter, faster and more efficiently. Therefore, based on this, it is important to implement new system that will help in order to fully integrate the operation of PG in the UK, as well as other parts of the world. This is important because it can help in order to lessen the effort that must be exerted by the employees in terms of managing the system, at the same time, it can help in order to fully integrate the system that will handle the data of different departments and units of PG UK, which will help in order to improve the decision-making process. Strengths and Weaknesses of PG In connection with the current problem of the company, and the proposed change, it is important to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of PG. One of the strength of PG focuses on its ability to handle change. This pertains on the different activities of the company regarding researchers and development. One of the main activities in the company is researching regarding the changes that are going on in the environment, which the company believes that could offer threats and opportunities. Due to this, it can be said that being open to change is strength for PG because of its willingness to adopt development and improvement. Furthermore, the company also has a strong relationship and connection with other IT organizations which enables the company to have connections with those companies that are informed and skilled in this aspect. With the connection and the willingness to learn and change, the company will have edge in the said aspect. On the other hand, the weakness of the company will focus on the ability of the employees of the company to use the fully integrated system. This will be a problem because the perceptions of the employees towards a system are important factor that will affect their individual performance, thus the overall performance of the company. Organizational Development Organization development (OD) is a powerful set of concepts and techniques in order to improve the effectiveness and individual well-being of an organization (Friday 2003, p. 2). In the case of PG, the application of new technology, online workspace system, it can offer different development and improvement for the company. This can help in order to build up an inventory of applications that will deliver information for the entire business units in the UK as well as other parts of the globe, which will help in order for the information to be available as the services through the portal. With this, the employees as well as managers will be able to reuse systems and codes from other parts of the business including purchasing, marketing, logistics, manufacturing and other parts of the company. Furthermore, it can also offer a security module which will help in order to protect information, at the same time, offer service platform that will facilitate data from different sources that can be accessed when needed. Overall, it can help in order to improve and maintain decision-making, at the same time, increasing the access of the internal and external stakeholders to knowledge and information (Mari 2008). Systems for Process of Change Systems of Change The nature of change program falls under three important categories, including continuous improvement, knowledge management and management by objectives. The continuous improvement placed its focus on the improvement of the satisfaction of the customers by implementing continuous and incremental improvements to processes. This focuses on offering workers with flexible data access, particularly regarding the ongoing management of web content. On the other hand, knowledge management pertains on the collection and management of critical knowledge for the purpose of increasing the capacity in order to achieve results. With the help of the program, the application of computer technology can help to wider the audience and connection with the stakeholders. Above all, the ongoing tracking and feedbacks can help in order to motivate PG to reach its objectives by way of employee and consumer inputs. This change will focus on satisfying the end-users and develop products that are innovative, which will help to improve the lives of the consumers and the employees of the company. Three important strategies will be implemented in order to capture the end-users requirements and build new products in meeting those requirements. The first two are interactive, which pertains to: living it and working it, while the third pertains on the innovation labs. The innovation labs focus on the needs that are not articulated in direct manner. Aside from these, the corporate portal will also focus on implementing personalized website which will mainly focus on individual websites of each and every products of the company. This will focus on refurbishing the website, introducing new workspace standards, flexible hot desks for workers who occasionally work at home and additional meeting and huddle rooms. With this, different physical and structural aspect of the company will be changed. The structure of the organization will be changed in a way that managers and employees will be trained and coached with accordance to the new system. Furthermore, it will also focus on the improvement and changing the overall standards, rules and procedures being implemented inside the company. This is because it can help in order to ensure that everything is based on the mission, vision and goal of the company. Evaluation Assessment and evaluation is important in any change or any actions or strategies to be implemented in an organization. This is because, it can help in order to ensure and maintain that the planned outcome of the program is the exact result, at the same time, ensure that the company acquires competitive advantage. It is important to focus on the main purposes of the program: management support, internal and external communication and program operation. These important factors will be the deciding factors in the evaluation process to know if the program is effective. With this, it is important to implement intensive communication between the different levels of management. It is vital to maintain formal and informal communication via reporting in order to know the status of each and every changes being implemented inside the organization. In the end, evaluation of the impact of the system to the organization will be evaluate by asking the employees about the result of the system and i ts advantages and advantages in their current works and roles, at the same time, focuses on the overall performance of the company via the financial and other resources matters. Models of Implementation Commonly, business leaders considered IT to be costly; however, it is important for PG to focus on becoming and continuing to be innovation leader, particularly in the UK. Therefore, it is important to unite the IT aspect of the company with its core business services as the core strategy. With this change, it will help to drive shared services across business process with the ongoing commitment in order to maintain the top-to-bottom focus regarding the mission. In the entire change process, the eight-stage process by Kotter (1996). 1. Establishing a sense of urgency it is important to overcome complacency. This can be done by creating a strong reason why change is needed. The current implementation of IT in PG created several problems and threats which include duplication and inefficiency. As a result, there is a need to implement new IT platform which will help the company to integrate its current business applications and processes. Thus, the new system will help to focus on scalability, flexibility and easy-to-use system which will help to handle different processes and flow of information and data inside the organization. 2. Creating the guiding coalition it is vital to build a team with the right composition of power, level of trust and shared objectives in order to lead the change. In the case of the PG UK, the guided coalition will be from Cincinnati headquarter by Passerni. This is because the said guiding coalition must conform to the international operation of the company. Thus, in the continuing effort of the company to leverage scale as a global business while retaining the local touch, PG will focus on transforming its global strategic thinkers with aggressive entrepreneurial spirit, with the influence of the improving IT capabilities and skills. Thus, the company will focus on the three important structural drivers including: global organization, holistic thinking across the business process; organizations and technologies; and growth of partnership with HP, IBM and other important IT companies. 3. Developing a vision and strategy this pertains on the clarification of direction, motivating people and helping coordination. The premise focused on how new technologies must find its purpose on delivering the product of PG in the market. Through this process, PG will continue to be the entrepreneurial thinker where in innovative ways that are related on improving the current products and services being offered to the current market and target market. With this, it can help in order for the company to maintain its position in the UK market, at the same time, ensure that continuous innovation and development will be done. 4. Communicating the change vision understanding is vital in any change management, because it can affect the overall change implementation. The actors of this change are the members of the enterprise architecture unit at PG. In order to gain the 100% employee buy-in, it is important that the bulk of ideas will be generated from different sources from the top IT providers to the employee who work on shop floor. This will cause 10% to 15% jobs changes and structural changes. Communication strategies to be implemented are downward and horizontal communication (Guffrey n.d.). Downward communication refers to communications from superior to those who report to them. These may be used in order to communicate about job instructions, job rationale, procedures and practices, performance feedback and company missions. On the other hand, the horizontal communication consists of message between colleagues at the same level of organization (CMR Institute 2006). Overall, the information will flo w from decision-makers and will be shared between lateral channels (Guffrey n.d.). 5. Empowering employees for broad based action this stage will focus on eliminating barriers and time constraints. The team approach gets hold of the willingness of each and every employee for the implementation of the online workspace system. This will help in order to empower the employees for broad-based action. It is vital to focus on creating sense of involvement to the employees, at the same time implement self-directed work teams in order to meet their objectives of adapting to the online workspace systems. The company will focus on implementing different training and development programs that will help to coach and train the employees to be familiar with the new system. 6. Generating short terms wins it is important to stay on the course as major change will take long time. The said change is an indication that the top management of the company must focus on the strategic actions that focus on the total business perspective and not just focus towards the product or the employee. It is vital to focus on the organizational process, decision making and innovation with connection on the IT strategy and the business needs in order to generate short term wins. 7. Consolidate gains and produce more change using short term wins, with this change, the company can focus on international change, particularly in the sense of the geographically dispersed business units, it is important to focus on the development of the organization, global business service as well as corporate functions into a single, cohesive collaboration. 8. Anchor the new culture it is important to innovate and change in continuous manner in order to firmly ground the operating style. It will pertain on the multi-layer content management architecture, at the same time, leverage open standards consolidating the gains. The paradigm shift was from being technologies-thinking into solution-thinking. Conclusion and Recommendation Change is inevitable, particularly in the world of business. Change can cause both positive and negative results for any company. First, change means growth and improvement, thus it can help companies to focus on the different threats and opportunities which can be implemented and prevented inside the organization in order to ensure success and maintain position in the market and industry. On the other hand, change can also cause negative results for any company, particularly in the aspect of management. It can cause huge amount to be spent, at the same time great effort to be exerted in order to ensure that the change will not affect the behavior and attitudes of the employees and other important stakeholders towards the company. In the case of PG, it is important for the company to focus on improving its IT, because it can help to maintain competitive advantage by ensuring that information flow is properly manage, at the same time, ensure that all the stakeholders in the company are properly connected in the decision-making process. With this, it is vital for PG to focus on the different aspects that are related with the change management, including theories and practices.

Little Women Essay -- essays research papers

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott Book Theme: In the arduous journey from childhood to adulthood, a young woman is faced with two things that need great attention and balance - the progress of her individual social standing, and the welfare of her immediate family. Main Conflict: The book does not really follow the traditional single plot line characteristic of many stories (especially during the time it was written). Alcott illustrated the roads the four March girls Amy, Beth, Jo, and Meg take in their lives as they become young women. The storyline includes many mini-conflicts, such as Jo’s writing, or Beth’s illness, or Laurie’s inclination to love Jo despite Amy’s affections. Generally speaking, the one overlying conflict stands as the girls’ growth - the journey they took, and the intermediate obstacles they conquered to get to where they were. The Plot: The girls resolve to focus not on themselves, but on their immediate family’s needs, much thanks to an inspirational letter from Mr. March during the Civil War. Eventually, the girls grow and begin to follow their own aspirations in hopes of accomplishing their dreams. Soon enough, Meg and Beth both come back to carry for their families, and Beth also dies of scarlet fever. Amy and Jo continue on in their own artistry, but soon conform to society’s idea of womanhood and also marry their respective partners. At the end of the book, the girls are reunited once again, as a family, just as they always have been. My...

Math Coursework - The Fencing Problem :: Math Coursework Mathematics

The Fencing Problem Introduction A farmer has exactly 1000 metres of fencing and wants to use it to fence a plot of level land. The farmer was not interested in any specific shape of fencing but demanded that the understated two criteria must be met:  · The perimeter remains fixed at 1000 metres  · It must fence the maximum area of land Different shapes of fence with the same perimeter can cover different areas. The difficulty is finding out which shape would cover the maximum area of land using the fencing with a fixed perimeter. Aim The aim of the investigation is to find out which shape or shapes of fencing will cover the maximum area of land using exactly 1000 metres of fencing material. Prediction I am predicting that the maximum area of land covered will be achieved by using the fencing shapes with the greatest number of sides. Method I made a list of possible different shapes to be investigated and assigned measurements to the sides of the shapes making sure that they fit in within the perimeter of 1000 metres of fencing. I then worked out the areas of each shape using known mathematical formulae and techniques such as Pythagoras' theorem to calculate the sides of right angled triangles; using trigonometrical functions (sine, tangent and cosine) to calculate either angles or sides of triangles constructed. Sometimes there are no known exact formulae for working out the area of certain shapes such as octagon and more complex polygons. In such cases, given shapes are split into shapes that have known formulae for areas and the worked out the areas are added together. Areas of the following shapes were investigated: square, rectangle, kite, parallelogram, equilateral triangle, scalene triangle, isosceles triangle, right-angled triangle, rhombus, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon and octagon. Results The results of the analysis are shown in Table 1 and Fig 1. Table 1 showing the areas for the different shapes formed by using the

Mandatory Testing Needed for Elderly Drivers Essay

In July of 2003, an eighty-four year old man drove through a crowded farmer’s market in Santa Monica, California, killing ten people, including a seven-month old and a three-year old. He also injured around forty others. According to many news reports, the driver apparently panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake, speeding through the crowded street. This mistake is common among elderly drivers who no longer possess the necessary skills to safely operate a vehicle. Either their vision has become poor, they are no longer able to react quickly, or their cognitive abilities have begun to deteriorate. Some older drivers do not realize they are becoming unsafe on the road, while others simply do not want to give up their keys. Still others are perfectly capable of driving safely well into their eighties or even nineties. Because of the variation in driving abilities and the high incidence of fatal accidents among older drivers, states need to ensure the safety of our streets and highways by passing laws requiring motorists over the age of seventy to pass frequent road and vision tests. Although many people agree that elderly drivers are a high-risk age group, some critics of mandatory testing call it a form of age discrimination. This statement, however, is entirely untrue. Mandatory testing and frequent license renewal are not products of age discrimination, but rather precautionary measures to ensure the safety of both the driver and all others on the road, much like the laws governing teenage drivers. Teen drivers cause more fatal accidents than any other age group; therefore, states have legislation specific to that group of drivers. Those laws, though age specific, are not criticized as discrimination, and laws geared toward senior drivers should not be considered discriminatory either. Elderly drivers are right behind teens in the number of fatal crashes they cause, and statistics show that per licensed driver, the rate of fatal crashes rises sharply at age seventy. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2001, elderly drivers made up just over ten percent of the driving population, yet accounted for thirteen percent of all fatal accidents. Also, about half of fatal accidents involving older drivers occurred at intersections, and seventy-three percent involved another vehicle. These facts show that many elderly drivers put both themselves and others at risk by driving when they are no longer able to do so safely. If frequent mandatory testing were required, unsafe elderly drivers would no longer be licensed to be on the road. It is the responsibility of each state to take measures to decrease the number of fatal accidents caused by high-risk groups, and mandatory testing is just such a measure. Many states focus heavily on teenage drivers, raising the minimum driving age or instituting graduated license systems, but statistics show that equal attention needs to be given to elderly drivers. Some states have already instituted frequent renewals and/or mandatory vision and driving tests. In Iowa and Rhode Island, for instance, drivers age seventy and older are required to renew their licenses every two years, as opposed to the five years for all other drivers. In Illinois, drivers over seventy-five have to take a road test at each renewal. In Maine, drivers over the age of sixty-two have to pass a vision test at each renewal, and drivers over sixty-five are required to renew more often. By addressing not only the high-risk teen drivers, but also the high-risk elderly drivers, these states are providing others with an example of what steps can be taken to make our nation’s roads safer. Granted, frequent license renewals and optometry visits can be costly and timeconsuming. But, these problems can be easily addressed. One way to counteract the costs -seniors would incur would be to discount the rate of senior licenses and to have an -optometrist onsite to provide qui ck vision screenings. That way, seniors are not paying more for their license than any other driver, and they do not have to pay for an optometry visit each time they renew. They would still have to receive comprehensive optometric exams on their own time, but not at the requirement of the licensing office. Also, in addition to hiring an optometrist, license offices can make minor adjustments to their normal operations to help -cut back on the wait-time for seniors. For example, there could be a senior day on which all -drivers over age seventy automatically get to go to the front of the line. Another issue that elderly drivers could face if mandatory testing laws were enacted would be finding adequate transportation after they no longer have a valid license. Like the above issues, this problem can be easily addressed. City buses and taxi companies can offer significant discounts for senior citizens. Also, cities can add more bus routes and bus stops, making sure seniors have easy access to public transportation. Local governments or nonprofit organizations can initiate community service programs in which licensed drivers with good driving records volunteer to drive senior citizens to and from work, medical visits, the grocery store, or any other location they may need to visit. Families can also pitch in to see that their parents or grandparents are still able to get around after they are no longer licensed to drive. Drivers should be licensed for as long as they are safe and able, but states must strive to make sure that only safe and able drivers are on the road. It is sometimes hard to identify who is and who isn’t safe, which is why road and vision tests are used. High-risk groups need special laws, and this includes elderly drivers. I know as well as everybody else that there are many seniors who are great drivers, just as there are teens who are great drivers, but there are also many in each of these age groups who are not. States need to make sure that only the capable drivers in high-risk age groups are on the road. In most states, strict laws are already in place for teenagers, but not for elderly drivers. Now is the time for every state to institute mandatory road and vision tests for drivers over age seventy, before any more unnecessary accidents happen.

Poetry Appreciation Essay

In this essay I am going to compare and contrast ‘When we two parted’ a poem of George Gordon, Lord Byron’s written in 1815 and Letitia Elizabeth Landon’s ‘Love’s last lesson’ written in c1838, both poets are British and of the romantic period. ‘When we two parted’ is an elegy of the loss of love, Byron is reflecting and analyzing a relationship that has already ended. His grief, anger and despair, intensifies his use of first person, which maintains a strong impact on the audience throughout. The poem is powerful, personal and unreserved, the emotion and passion is definitely felt through his writing. Byron’s message is ambiguous; so the reader is able to make their own assumption this is the beauty of the poem, it is subject to individual interpretation, making it inclusive and relatable to many different situations. The structure of the poem is separated into four stanzas each one being an octet. Punctuation suggests that every two lines can be read as one, the metre of the poem is iambic pentameter, each line having 5 iambs and 10 syllables when two lines are read as one. The rhyming pattern in stanza one, two and four is ababcdcd but stanza three is ababacac. The poem mainly has a regular rhyming scheme but the ‘flow’ is disrupted in stanzas one and four lines five and six, I am not sure if this was intentional. I believe the poem can be interpreted in many different ways; the overall impression is the separation of two lovers, throughout the poem there are numerous references suggesting bereavement, loss and infidelity. In the first Stanza the metaphor ‘Pale grew thy cheek and cold, colder thy kiss;’ uses pale and cold in contrast with the rosy warm imagery of life, this could very well be an indication of death but could simply be an exaggeration of how he felt after the break up. On Line four the statement ‘To sever for years’ is ambiguous as it suggests a lengthy separation but can also mean cut in two therefore could be related to line three ‘Half broken- hearted’, another interesting point is that the Byron used the word years rather than eternity or forever, maybe there was a hope of being reunited again in the future. ‘Sorrow’ symbolizes the grief and mourning he feels, not necessarily for somebody who has passed away simply just a loss. In stanza two ‘The dew of the morning, Sunk chill on my brow’ the dew is the cold wet, the image of rain could be an allegory of tears and signifying his misery. ‘Thy vows are all broken,’ implies his ‘lover’ was or is married or the promises she made to him were shattered, subsequently Byron speaks of feeling ashamed when he hears his/her name, possibly because their relationship was illicit . The following stanza uses a powerful expression ‘They name thee before me, A knell to mine ear; A shudder comes o’er me’ a knell is the sound of a depressing bell rung slowly at a funeral, his lover may have died or Byron could again be exaggerating his emotions, speaking as though his lover or ex lover has passed away. On line twenty Lord Byron asks ‘Why wert thou so dear?’ why were you so special? Or why did I love you so much?, he is questioning and resenting these feelings, the poem then goes on to assert that nobody was aware of the relationship not even those that knew them both well, ‘Long, long shall I rue thee, too deeply to tell,’ Byron is clearly saying that he bitterly regrets the situation, wishing it had never occurred maybe even feeling guilty if his lover was married. Finally the fourth stanza confirms an affair of some sort ‘In secret we met- In silence I grieve, That thy heart could forget, Thy spirit deceive’, if his lover had died or merely returned to his/her partner, then he would still grieve in silence as the relationship was private, Byron feels betrayed and bitter about the relationship, the use of the word ‘spirit’ again gives the impression of death. ‘If I should meet thee, after long years, how should I greet thee! With silence and tears’, the last line of the poem is a reverberation of the second line; giving an impression of irresolution, whilst the exclamation mark puts the echoed line in a different context, when they meet again it will be with silence and tears however the silence will have a different meaning and the tears will not be ones of sorrow. It is almost like each stanza represents the cycle of Byron’s emotions, stanza one is the initial breakup and the start of his grieving process, in stanza two Byron is still distressed and goes on to express his disappointment and embarrassment, by stanza three he is ashamed of himself, questioning the love and deeply regretting the situation finally in stanza four he is bitter and fantasising of how he would disregard her/him if they were to ever meet again. Love’s last lesson’ is a soliloquy representing Landon’s frustration. My impression is that the character has fallen for somebody who hasn’t returned her love or wasn’t taking the ‘relationship’ as seriously as she was. The structure of the poem is free verse; it has neither regular metre nor rhyme In lines one to eight Landon expresses her anger and frustration towards her ex love, who has obviously moved on and forgotten their relationship with ease, she cannot comprehend how it is her that’s been dismissed as she feels she was the perfect companion. Landon uses words from a semantic field of religion ‘I who have worshipp’d thee, my god on earth’ is a strong statement but the metaphor emphasizes her absolute adoration for him. ‘Your last command, forget me, ‘she speaks about him as though he has control over her and she must obey him. ‘Will it not sink deeply down within my inmost soul?’ questioning herself for comfort the poet doesn’t think it’s possible to move on, ‘Forget thee! – ay, forgetfulness will be a mercy to me’ she genuinely wishes she could evade her emotions, it would cease her heartache. The hurt has taken control of her life to the extent of avoiding sleep in fear; she relives the agony in her nightmares ‘a dream had made me live my woes again’. The dreams she has are in fact worse than reality, ‘Acting my wretchedness, without the hope my foolish heart still clings to,’ the only thing Landon can do now is ‘hope’ that there will be some progression even though she herself thinks it’s highly unlikely, her hope is the only positive thing she has left other than the heartache and sorrow, she uses the simile of hope being like a drug that calms her pain slightly until the realisation hits which makes it unbearable ‘double torture’. Landon is isolated and spending her days alone feelings nervous and uneasy, ‘when a breath sent the crimson to my cheek, like the red gushing of a sudden wound; by all the careless looks and the careless words which have to me been like the scorpions stinging’ crimson and red flushing to the cheek gives an imagery of shame, this gave me the impression of defamation, Landon may have a history that she isn’t proud of and that is what she actually wants to forget, the way she is being disregarded is what is hurting more than anything as she said it was like a ‘scorpion stinging’ which is a simile for unspeakable pain. In this stanza Landon makes some powerful statements; her happiness has been destroyed forever, she’s deemed with perpetual misery, her feelings have been wasted, her health destroyed, her hopes have been crushed and her heart stole,