Reflection Paper on Organizational Behavior Course Essay

When the Philippine Army (PA) gave me a Masteral Degree Scholarship, I was told to take a Human Resource Management (HRM) course. Since I chose to take my graduate course in UP Diliman {where I took my BA in Public Administration undergraduate course before going to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)}, I enrolled in the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) because they have an equivalent graduate course in HRM, which is the Master of Industrial Relations where I can specialize in Human Resource Development. The intent of my graduate study is to educate me with the latest trends, principles, procedures, programs, policies and concepts in HRM, and be able relate and apply them in the personnel management of the Philippine Army. Although the MIR at SOLAIR is more of the empowerment of labor, enlightened industrial relations and social justice, still there are courses that would be very useful and relevant for the Philippine Army. Among those relevant course is IR 213 or Organizational Behavior in Industrial Relations, which covers interactions of organization, individual and group in unions, management and government in IR situations, with emphasis on sociological, psychological and cultural factors. I took this elective course because when I saw the description of the course I immediately believe that this would be very relevant for me. I came from an organization that is among the largest single employer in the country, which is the Philippine Army. We are more or less 85,000 strong, and with that number cultural and social diversity is a certainty. Thus for an officer like me who would be handling a large number of personnel in the future, a course in organizational behavior would be essential. Although I already took a similar course in my BS major in Management at the PMA, still that is an undergraduate course and I believe the level of teaching and approach would be higher, and that the focus would be more of the professional level since my classmates would be graduates students many of whom are already practicing their professions. At the initial part of the course I was a little bit overwhelmed by the volume of readings required for a three hour once a week class with a quiz on said readings at the beginning of each class. Although I was not that surprised since my instructor for said course, who is Prof. Ronahlee A. Asuncion, PhD, or â€Å"George†, happens to be my instructor also in my IR 202 Class the previous semester where the same technique was used in our class. But as with my previous class, I have learned to appreciate this style of â€Å"semi† forcing in effect each student to really read all the readings. Indeed somehow that â€Å"torture† like shock for the second time around, was replaced with my curiosity and enthusiasm as the semester went by. Unlike my undergraduate course in organizational behavior, where I never really had much appreciation, maybe because it’s more of the theoretical level, this course now really enabled me to get involved on how it is in the real situation. My experience with the Philippine Army, especially in my field assignments in the Visayas and Mindanao, enabled me to handle from 30-100 men in a combat area, initially as a platoon leader and later on as a company commander. During this time I have to be a leader, adviser, counselor, brother, father, friend and commander all at the same time. Although I am not really that good or efficient on the roles I just mentioned, since it’s my first time to be assigned in the field, perhaps my leadership training at PMA and other experiences in life allowed me to somehow overcome my shortcomings and finish my tour of duty with flying colors. But looking back at that episode in my career and as I relate those that were discussed in IR 213, I just wondered if I had taken this course prior to that experience, would I have been a better leader of men and a more efficient commander of a unit. It is common knowledge that the military is a highly regimented organization, wherein everybody must strictly obey orders from commanders, if not you will be punished under the articles of war or the military version of the penal code. So in a way many would say that it is very easy to manage a military unit or organization since everyone must follow orders, but this is easier said than done. In my experience, especially in my field assignment in a combat unit in a critical area, as a platoon leader I had my initial challenge as an officer. â€Å"Greenhorn† as I am, leading a group of majority veteran soldiers, wherein their previous area of operations enabled them to be involved in combat encounters with the communist insurgents with a more experienced and senior platoon leader, it is like a rookie trying to be a go to guy in a basketball team, where I have to earn their respect first before being accepted truly as their leader. Yes, they will follow your orders, but there wi ll be times where this rule will be challenged especially in combat situations. Now here lies the relevance of the course on organizational behavior. Knowledge in human personality, perception and attitude would indeed be very important in this situation, although this is well covered in my undergraduate course in management, the ideas of Fred Luthan’s on the chapter on Personality, Perception and Employee Attitude; and Natasha Marinkovic Grba’s (Lisa Matthewman, et al. â€Å"Work Psychology†, Chapter 3) chapter on Personality and Individual Differences refreshes my previous knowledge on the topic and gave me new incite on the nurture-nature debate on personality, the â€Å"Big Five† personality traits, the Myers-Brigg types, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors. I really can relate on the issue whether personality is genetic or influenced by the environment. As I was observing then the individual personality and attitudes of my men, I can really distinguish what part of their personality and attitude were really is a result of their training in the military, so I have no problem with that since most of that pertains to discipline and technical expertise as a soldier. Now the problem lies on what other individual personality and attitude that may have been inborn or environment influenced that could affect my relationship with them. Although their initial indifference on my leadership is a group learned attitude, wherein it’s a kind of an initiation period where I must first pass before being accepted in the group, still I have to consider their individual personality, perceptions and attitudes in dealing with them individually. I consider the topic on organizational commitment essential, since this pertains to the very essence of a military organization. As defined by Luthans, organizational commitment is a strong desire to remain a member of a particular organization, a willingness to exert high levels of effort on behalf of the organization and a definite belief in, and acceptance of, the values and goals of the organization. In short loyalty to the organization is what’s keeping discipline and order in the military organization. Perhaps a lecture on this organizational commitment to soldiers on my future unit assignment would be inspirational and reassuring for this will strengthen their zeal as soldiers and allegiance to fight against the enemies of the Filipino people and the state. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) is also very much military in nature. Everything that are ideal behaviors in a military organization may be considered as organizational citizenship behaviors. Actually military discipline, which is discipline or following an order in the absence of a commander, is part of these so called OCBs, and this really what differentiate the military organization from other organizations, and what makes it very efficient and effective. A review and reorientation of the OCBs in the military would also be very important and fundamental in keeping the military highly motivated and committed to the call of the service. Thus I really appreciate being reoriented in these OCBs, for this will also be included on my future lectures to my would be soldiers in my next tour as a field unit commander. Another very relevant part of the course where I can really relate to is on the topic on stress. A soldier’s job is very demanding both physically and psychologically, and this what makes it very stressful. Identifying these sources of stress is crucial in enabling commanders like me to provide opportunities for my men to cope up with stresses that they would encounter on the job. Fred Luthans pointed out on the Chapter on Stress and Conflict of his book on Organizational Behavior, (1) that stress is not simply anxiety, (2) that stress is not simply nervous tension, and (3) that stress is not necessarily something damaging, bad or to be avoided. Luthans said anxiety operate solely in the emotional and psychological sphere, whereas stress operates there and also in the physiological sphere. Thus stress may be accompanied by anxiety, but the two should not be equated. It’s good that Luthans clearly differentiate anxiety with that of stress, because soldiers sometimes only suffers from anxiety and at times real stress, knowing what is from the other enables me to provide the appropriate approach or method for them to cope up with either one or both. Luthans also said that like anxiety, nervous tension may result from stress, but the two are not the same. He further said that unconscious people have exhibited stress, and some people may keep it â€Å"bottled up† and not reveal it through nervous tension. Soldiers do suffer nervous tension, thus I must consider the fact that stress could complicate things that may result in a more damaging situation than just a simple stress for the soldier. Luthans further pointed out that eustress is not damaging or bad and is something people should seek out rather than avoid. He mentioned that the key is how the person handles the stress; distress may be prevented or can be effectively controlled. As mentioned there are stresses that soldiers encounter that are positive in nature and thus may not have to be avoided, and furthermore negative stress may be prevented or effectively controlled by using coping up methods. Survival in combat situation is a skill that every soldier must possess. This skill is the reason why the PA or the entire military organization is very strict in its recruitment of soldiers, neuro-psycho test is one very stringent examination wherein it must be proven that the recruit is psychologically prepared in becoming a soldier. I also mentioned that I must also be a counselor to my men. Since all of us are away from our families and civilian friends, and at times we are in combat situations, stress will definitely be a problem if it will not be addressed. John W, Newstrom mentioned on the chapter on Stress and Counseling from his book â€Å"Human Behavior at Work†, that stress affects performance; it can either be helpful or harmful to job performance, depending on its level. Thus to enable commanders like me to maximize soldiers performance, I must consider stresses that tends to increase performance or avoid stresses that tends to decrease it. Indeed stress management is a must in every organization, Newstrom mentioned that in attempting to manage stress, individuals have three broad options (1) is to prevent or control it, (2) escape from it, or (3) learn to adapt to it (handle its symptoms). Adapting these steps will enable commanders to reduce or eliminate stressors for soldiers. Newstrom mentioned about social support, which he defined as the network of helpful activities, interactions and relationships that provides an employee with the satisfaction of important needs. That’s where commanders like me come in; first I had to provide the necessary opportunity for my soldiers to have social interactions with fellow soldiers and at times with the civilian populace around our area of assignment; and then I must also be available always to provide counseling to my soldiers as the need arises. Newstrom mentioned about relaxation and sabbaticals both designed to give soldiers a peace of mind and time to somehow escape the world of combat that we are living in. We regularly schedule field trips and social events that soldiers engage into when situation allows it. Rest and recreation for soldiers are periodic where every soldier has the opportunity to go home to their families in a certain period of time. Another issue I am concerned with regarding stress and counseling is the debriefing of soldiers after a combat operation wherein they are exposed to violent actions and at times incurring casualties in our ranks. During my time in the field this so called after operation debriefing to soldiers does not exist, every soldier is just expected to recover psychologically on their own, since they are supposed to be psychologically prepared when they entered the military service. As defined by the handbook on military combat and operational stress, traumatic stress injuries are literal damage to the brain and mind due to an experience involving real or threatened death or serious injury, or its aftermath. Not everyone who is exposed to real or threatened death or its aftermath is damaged by that experience; most people are not. But everyone is susceptible to experiencing intense terror, horror, or helplessness when confronted with their own or their peers’ mortality, and each soldier’s susceptibility varies over time due to the accumulation of stress from other causes. No one knows how common traumatic stress injuries are among soldiers engaged in combat operations because most are minor, more like bruises than fractures, and most heal quickly on their own without help from others. Even more serious traumatic stress injuries tend to be disabling for only a matter of seconds or minutes, although completely normal functioning may not be regained f or days, weeks, or months. Although now this problem is being addressed by the PA, wherein support to field units on these matters are increasing. I consider this issue as very crucial one since we have been witness to several fatal effect of combat and operational stress that led to several deaths and injuries by soldiers running amok in barracks or at home killing members of their families and neighbors. Newstrom said that counseling is discussion with an employee of a problem that usually has emotional content in order to help employee cope with it better. Its goal is improved mental health and it is performed by both managers and professional counselors. In a similar fashion that appropriate leader actions for managing traumatic stress injuries are analogous to those for managing physical injuries in soldiers, including (1) applying psychological first aid for affected individuals, (2) applying psychological first aid for affected units, (3) assessing the need for professional care, and (4) monitoring heal ing and mentoring back to full health and readiness. Another relevant topic in IR 213 that I want to emphasize is on organizational development (OD). According to Newstrom organizational development is the systematic application of behavioral science knowledge at various levels (group, intergroup and total organization) to bring about planned change. Whereas according to the book of Lisa Matthewman, et al in their book, ‘Work Psychology†, strategic change is concerned with broad, long-term organizational issues, which involves OD programs designed to change vision, mission or corporate philosophy on matters such as growth, quality, innovation and values. It is this kind of OD that the Philippine Army is undergoing right now. The PA has crafted the Army Transformation Roadmap (ATR) which is a transformation program that highlights the commitment of the PA to pursue genuine reforms founded on good governance and performance excellence. Its primary purpose is to transform the Army into a more capable, responsive, reliable, and professional organization committed to its mandate. This was not made by one man for one unit. This was created by several people representing different units for the Philippine Army and the people it serves. As mentioned by Newstrom OD requires transformational leaders. These are managers who initiate bold strategic changes to position the organization for its future. They articulate a vision and promote it vigorously; just like what senior commanders in PA are doing under the direction of the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, the PA is promoting a newly crafted vision that is â€Å"By 2028, to be a world-class Army that is a source of national pride†. I am also part of these so called transformational leaders, where I am tasked to take up a Masters Degree in HRM and be able to contribute in the transformation of the personnel management of PA. Also it is very important to take note of the sources of resistance to change, thus my part in making sure that the resistance among the personnel of the army would be addressed so that complications arising from these resistance would be avoided. For years, the Philippine Army has been viewed negatively by the very people it aims to serve. But times are changing and so are the needs of the nation. Although war fighting is still the core function of the Armed Forces, the Army is increasingly expected to perform non-traditional roles such as disaster response, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping operations, and support to national development. Thus I believe the topic on organizational development would equip me somehow to enable me to relate them in my attempt to contribute in the area of Human Resource Development for the PA. And finally, the experiences that were shared by my classmates in class is priceless, for as a military and government worker, their opinions and shared actual on the job know how both in the private and public sector setting, has given me better understanding of theories applied to actual practice. Indeed this makes graduate school better, since many of the students are practicing professionals, wherein their shared work experiences and higher level of opinion on relevant matters would be an additional learning experience aside from what the instructor would be teaching the students. It has been a long while for me since I returned back to civilian school, and I’m glad I returned to my Alma Mater for it brought back memories and pride in my being a UP student, I’m not disappointed with this course and as in the other courses that I took in SOLAIR, for it really educated me on matters that I really need to. My work as an officer in the military allows me to interact wit h many military personnel and my rank allows me to occupy position that is managerial in nature thus this course on organizational behavior has equipped me with the knowledge that I have just enumerated. I believe the objective of the course has been achieved, and I do hope that it will continue to do so for the other students that would be taking this course.

Employment and Job Satisfaction

Activity One Reasons why the organisation needs to collect HR data 1) To record contractual arrangements and agreements. Through retaining a copy of the employees contract along with any amendments ensures that there is no confusion in regards to an employee status. 2) To ensure compliance with legal requirements and provide a statutory excuse if required. An example of when this could be required is if an employee working for your company is found to be working in the UK illegally. If you are able to demonstrate that you carried out the necessary initial and annual checks you can avoid a ? 0,000 fine. Types of data that is collected within an organisation and how each supports HR practices 1) Customer Feedback – The collection of customer feedback allows the employer to identify any learning and development needs that may be required. It can also be used as a tool for performance management. 2) Demographics – The collection of information in regards to age allows for s uccession planning should you be dealing with an aging workforce. The collection of information in regards to gender can be important when considering equal opportunities. ) Recruitment – The collection and analysis of recruitment information helps assess legal compliance in particular monitoring of equality and diversity information. It also provides statistics on success rates of each stage of the process along with how successful different methods of recruitment have proved. A description of at least two methods of storing records and the benefits of each 1) Manual System – This is the keeping of hard copies of HR records in staff files. Manual filing is low cost and easily accessible.A manual system cannot be affected by loss of power and cannot be maliciously hacked into from outside the company. 2) Hosted Computer Records – keeping records on a hosted cloud reduces physical storage space required along with allowing access to records remotely. It can reduc e administration time (ie filing) and information may be easier to find. Two essential items of UK legislation relating to the recording, storage and accessibility of HR data The Data Protection Act 1998 states that data must be collected and processed fairly and lawfully and obtained for only the lawful purposes.The data must be adequate and relevant and not excessive along with being accurate and where necessary kept up to date. You must not keep information longer than necessary and it must be stored securely and in accordance with the rights of data subjects. Personal data shall not be transferred outside the European Economic Area unless the country or territory has adequate safeguards for data subjects. An example of where this may be applicable is the keeping of CVs on file. The Freedom of Information Act creates a public â€Å"right of access† to information held by public authorities.This applies to all public authorities including: * government departments and local assemblies * local authorities and councils * health trusts, hospitals and doctors’ surgeries * schools, colleges and universities * publicly funded museums * the police * other non-departmental public bodies An example of where this may be applicable in an HR setting would be the request of information regarding the successful candidate by an unsuccessful applicant following the recruitment of a new position. Activity Two Introduction On an annual basis our company carries out an Employee Survey.The survey is sent out to every single staff member from branch staff to directors and there is an average response rate of around 80%. This year's employee survey was carried out in July with the results being collected and collated in August and September. The surveys are carried out anonymously and employees are asked to identify their level of seniority within the company along with length of service. I have decided to look at staff members length of service and job satisfaction in relation to their seniority within the company.I think that there are several factors which make this a valuable exercise. Through identifying length of service by seniority it may identify specific job roles where there is a trend of employees are leaving after a particular length of time. Through doing this it may allow further investigation as to the reasons behind this and allow the company to bring in measures to limit this, eg specific areas of training or changes in approach to particular roles. Through reducing turnover this can reduce recruitment costs and disruption in the workplace.Identifying job satisfaction can take this a step further by identifying people who are currently in positions who may need some extra attention to prevent them leaving. Analysis and Interpretation Firstly, I transposed the dataset into percentages as this allows standardisation and ease of comparison. I decided that it would be a good idea to give a general overview of the company by creat ing a pie cart to show how the company is made up (graph one). I then further broke this down to compare length of service by seniority (graph two).I decided to use a bar chart with the break down of figures below as I think it gives good visual represetation of the situation across the company. I then broke the data down further to identify job satisfaction by seniority – again in a bar chart as I am looking at a decrete set of data (graph 3). I attempted to link the three sets of data (length of service/satisfaction and seniority) but found that the resulting chart was very complicated and unclear so decided it was better to keep these as two separate entities. Finally, I indentified the reason why people were unsatisfied in the workpalce and displayed this in graph four.From the work carried out I believe that there is evidence that the people at â€Å"assistant† level within the company are in need of a bit of TLC. Whilst their pattern of length of service may be e xplained through people being promoted, they are also the lease satisified group in the company and cite â€Å"management† as the reason behind this. Graph One – Break Down of Company by Job Type Graph Two –Length of Service by Seniority Graph 3 – Job Satisfaction by Seniority Graph Four – Reason Stated for Unsatisfaction in the Workplace %

How can Tesco fulfill its need to adapt to changes in its workforce Essay

How can Tesco fulfill its need to adapt to changes in its workforce - Essay Example The company earned revenue of ?64.826 billion as on 2013 from its 6351 stores across the world. In terms of profit it is the second largest player and in terms of revenue it is the third largest after Walmart and Carrefour, who are the main competitors of the brand. For carrying out its operations, Tesco employs people both in store oriented and non store oriented jobs. For the stores it requires staff for a variety of activities like customer care staff, inventory managers, supervisors, stock takers etc (Humby, Hunt and Phillips, 2006, p.39). For successful distribution of products the company needs people who are well equipped with logistic management skills. The corporate office has people performing mainly the senior management roles like Finance Management, Marketing Management, Human Resource Management, Accounts Department, Production Control, Information Technology Department and Legal Departments. Tesco aspires to make sure that all functions work in harmony to steer its bus iness goals. In order to do that, the company has to ensure that it employs the right people in the accurate work at the correct time. To accomplish this, the company has structured a method for staffing and selecting employees for managerial as well as operational roles (Argyris and Schon, 1978, p.987). Workforce planning Tesco like every successful organisation is involved in the process of planning which entails an analysis of the prospective needs of the company in terms of staff. They need to analyse how many more staff that they need, what skills they should possess and where should they be recruited from and put into operation (Hackman and Craig, 2008, p.543). It permits the company to map how these wants is to be met by indulging in recruitment and training. Tesco essentially needs to plan ahead of its inception of the work. A dynamic organisation hires new employees on a daily basis for all the variety of activities that the people in the organisation perform. Vacancies are created in the organisation when the company opens up new stores or expands in the present location. Positions are also opened due to employee attrition in the company. They might switch jobs or retire from the company after the end of their tenure of service. When an employee of one department gets promoted to a higher rank the previous position also needs to be filled. New openings are also created when the company changes processes or adapts to a new technology. This entire exercise is done for both management and non management position. The objective behind this is to understand the demand for workforce in a particular year for various departments. The reports at the end of every quarter gives an estimate of how many people would be required for the operations and accordingly Tesco manipulates the needs of staffing as per necessity of departments (Ravasi, and Schultz, 2006,p.654). By this the company can buy some time for planning and flexibility for meeting the demands of the employees. It helps the company in achieving the organisational goals and short terms objectives as well (Cummings, and Worley, p.67). They consider it as Talent Planning which in turn helps in motivating the people to do their work with efficiency and precision. They also encourage the staff to progress in their careers. The job descriptions for the various positions have to be free from any ambiguity and each person needs to understand his work and know his scope of action. The appraisal

Art Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Summary - Essay Example Rather, masculinity is not only displayed through the physical body, but also through the mind and how people conduct themselves nobly (Dyer, 148). The change of interest in body building from solely African Americans to whites made a big impact in the showbiz sector. The rise in many white males who were actively involved in the body building was appealing and led to several analyses of the ‘whiteness’ masculinity. Currently, body building has been portrayed as an art that white men ought to go through to have the ultimate figure. Body building involves several sacrifices, and it has been portrayed similarly to crucifixion (Dyer, 84). Lifting weights is a painful task that the participants endure substantial pain and suffering so as to attain the supreme body shape. Richard Dyer, in his book, discusses the white culture and its effect in history, films, literature and other areas. In this book, dyer writes of the importance of black culture in relation to that of the white one. Dyer brings out the difference in cultures from the black race and the white race and how the media portrays it. The symbolism of how the two cultures are dependent on each other is quite amazing. The example of how a black lighting is used to bring out the whiteness, for example of a blonde and how a white dress in a wedding brings out the glow in a black lady, shows the interracial relationships that can be achieved (Dyer, 104). In this chapter, a lot has been about the representation of the different races on camera, especially the problems that are encountered during filming of the black race, and the necessary steps taken to counter the problems. Several artists were given an assignment to define masculinity, and the results given were more confusing than defining. However, these artists had a common sentiment of masculinity in sports. The images shown by the artists refute the black and white depiction of masculinity and

Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation - Assignment Example For instance, people who do menial jobs will always increase their performance if the wages are improved (Whiteley, 78). However, it is further seen that in cases where the job only requires even the most rudimentary cognitive skills to perform, then the higher the amount of reward then the poor the performance realized. This certainly contradicts the expectancy theory. In the same way, once the nature of the job requires above average cognitive skills, then an increase in the rewards will not always lead to better performance on the part of the workers. In fact the situation gets much worse for those people who get the largest rewards as their performance usually becomes the worst compared to those who are least rewarded. 2) In a way, the message of the speaker is a bit consistent with what is normally seen in real life situations. Across many organizations, the people at the lower levels usually receive the least wages and salaries. These people are therefore very sensitive to aspects of money and any slight increase in their wages will definitely increase their performance. For instance, people who do mechanical jobs tend to increase their input in the job in case they are promised higher pay. On the other hand, the top executives at the organization receive large amounts of money and are therefore very insensitive to such issues. Increase in their bonuses cannot therefore make them improve their performance. Since they get huge rewards to motivate them, such rewards are normally wasted in most cases since they do not really affect performance positively but negatively. I experienced such a case while working at a paper making factory where many people performed mechanical jobs while other worked i n the offices at the factory. 3) As a manager, the knowledge gained from the video would be very appropriate in enabling me to effectively know how to reward

Reggio Emilia Approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reggio Emilia Approach - Essay Example According to Gandini, this was the time when men and women became motivated towards building schools by themselves for their children. At the same time, teachers also began to work hard in creating fresh methods of educating in order to "support the new democratic society." The schools built up at that time merged the theory of "social services with education." There was a sequence of national regulations accepted during the years 1968 and 1971 which made it feasible for the progress of Reggie Approach. According to Rinaldi, who is an educational director, the teachers worked as a steady piece in order to establish a new strength, and had rights to assign certain working terms like the authority to suppose, to arrange, and to understand various things. Every single child has prospective, inquisitiveness, and divert ness in communal dealings, creating affiliations, building their knowledge, and bargaining with whatever their surroundings offer them. When a child takes part in a commotion, it is necessary that they pick out their wrong doings and correct them. This step can help kids in becoming more practical and solving matters more by themselves. Teachers' role here is vital, as they should give children enough space to correct and improve themselves without being criticised and pointed out by teachers. Due to their young age group, they are tending to be more proficient than any other age group. The Reggio Emilia Schools take this picture of children as being more enthusiastic and confident towards life instead of being dull and dependent. "Children's Relationships and Interactions Within a System" Schooling involves paying attention to each child individually with respect to their behaviour with their family, other mates, their teachers, their surroundings, and their society. "The Rights of Children, Parents and Teachers" All children have their own rights of getting worthy care and proper schooling which could further enhance their prospective and abilities. "Parents have the right to be involved in the life of the school; teachers have the right to grow professionally." "The Value of Relationships and Interactions of Children in Small Groups" Children get this chance to work along with their teachers and in a form of huge cluster of children, or a small one, or as an individual. Teachers are supposed to choose that which type of grouping is suitable for each child depending on the type of project and work assigned to children, children's interest in the project, and the duration of time taken by them to complete the task. The teachers play a vital role while making children work in small groups in order to make children comprehend their tasks better. "Cooperation and Collaboration as the Backbone of the System" Collaboration between all elders in the educational institute should be inclusive of asking questions about various things, sharing their views, and developing a trust in each other. For the sake of achieving this goal, all teachers should pay close attention towards children, enquire about their interests and explore their knowledge and ideas.

Improving Palm Chemist Systems To Cope With The Expansion Needs Essay

Improving Palm Chemist Systems To Cope With The Expansion Needs - Essay Example Through its continuous growing demand in the products required by its clients, the company is building a big pharmaceutical store which will be conducted in three phases. With this demand, it is no doubt that the firm requires a technological system that is secure and efficient to ensure timely distribution of its products. The firm therefore requires a secure system that connects the entire departments and track sales of all the products. The first phase of the Palmcy chemist was a detailed demonstration of electronic messaging through the use of the GSI system within its supply chain management. The demonstration showed the successful application of bar coding and messaging of various departments of ordering, packing, dispatching and receipting of various products as manufactured by the company. Some of the benefits which were recorded during phase one included reduction in the time of receipt time by 25%, embracement of technology by the staff members and enhanced accuracy. The second phased focused on the broadening of the first phase through the expansion of the project implementation scope, project team, and reduced difficulties during the implementation. The areas of implementation of the system were mainly identified in the second phase. They were mainly driven by some of the learning in the first phase, which includes - Identification and the bar coding of various pharmaceutical; and related products as manufactured by Palmcy chemist.

Sales Management - Report on Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sales Management - Report on - Case Study Example The company may wish to examine changing the bonus structure from an annual structure to a quarterly method to enhance motivations for those extrinsically motivated. Research indicates that there is another poor performer in the sales group, Robert, who may also be reliant on extrinsic motivational rewards. Based on all statistics and qualitative evaluations of performance, it is recommended that Concorde develop a training program that focuses on cost controls, lean ideology and production surplus to assist salespersons in reducing expenses that are contributing to a low average gross margin. Jose, especially, requires empathic yet assertive discourse about his performance to motivate and inspire Jose to take responsibility for his sales leadership deficiencies. Concorde and Associates, a company specialising in the sale of computer peripherals to major computer manufacturers, achieved a marginal increase in sales which only surpassed sales forecasts by one percent. During the formal performance evaluation period, the regional sales manager began an investigation into the performance statistics of the sales team to determine which were over-performing and which staff members under-performing. Jose, a sales representative from the Arizona territory, had fallen short of achieving the sales expected in his established sales quota on three of the four main product lines offered by the company. Jose was the largest under-performer in the business, which requires a critical assessment of what strategies should be employed to improve his performance and, if appropriate, other salespersons not achieving expected performance goals. This report highlights what might have contributed to Jose’s poor performance, evaluates other salespersons that might have moderate performance issues, highlights the approach that should be taken to fairly and accurately evaluate Jose’s total performance and provides

Marketing Mix Recommendations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Mix Recommendations - Essay Example Hygiene is one of the important factors within the food industry and consumers give highest priority to it. Therefore it is highly recommended that the company should only sell hygienic and fresh foods. The pricing should be done on the basis of cost plus pricing method and market penetration strategy can be followed to grab more market share. Regarding the promotional aspect, the company can effectively use television and newspaper advertisement as both the media have mass reach. Finally regarding the distribution, the company can appoint distributors and target food marts to distribute and sell their products. Memorandum Date: 18th October, 2012. Subject: Organic Food for the family Unit To: The Big Boss From: Consumer Research Department To maintain sustainability of a business, it is extremely important to keep hold on the present market share. However after a certain point of time it becomes essential to focus on the ways by which market share can be increased. Greater market sh are helps in increasing the brand recognition. There are some interesting facts about increasing market share. Increasing market share is important only when the company is earning more profits. However it does not have any importance when the market share has increased but the company is losing money. Now in the context of project, Mintel can increase the market share for organic foods and drinks market by considering modifications in their marketing mix. Hence following are the recommendations to Mintel for the primary rationale of attaining more market share. Product Recommendation For an organization to get success in the market place it is imperative to give highest priority to its product stagey (Mcgrath 1-5). Similarly for food industry product is the ultimate element for which a customer pays to the company. Study reveals that among 2000 people, 30 % of the respondents are highly concerned about the safety of foods. Hence for Mintel product strategy should be considered as t he central business strategy. Also the product strategy of an organic food company plays an important role in managing and handling the competition. Furthermore a sound product strategy will be responsible for exemplifying the path of success for Mintel. Now in the context of the study the target group of the company is the family unit, thus in order to cater to that segment the product strategy is vital. The study also reveals that among 181 people, who are living with a partner, 33 % respondents are highly aware of food security. Similarly among the married people 31% of them have high concerns and 47 % have average concern over the food hygiene. Therefore based on the available data, it is highly recommended that the company should only sell hygiene and fresh foods, which will also help them to build an unique selling proposition (USP). Price Recommendation In simple words price is the amount paid by the customer for gaining the ownership of a product from the seller (Kotler and Armstrong 282). Although the concept of price is very simple, but when it comes to actually value a product or service the notion does not exactly remain the same. A pricing strategy is defined as a course of action or an approach in order to achieve the marketing objectives of the company (Pride and Ferrell 318). Hence pricing strategy is crucial towards the acceptance of the product or service in the market plac

Applying Psychology to Homelessnes Essay Example for Free

Applying Psychology to Homelessnes Essay Housing is a basic human want and plays an important role in ensuring the well-being children and adults. Stable housing is a necessary need for positive child and youth development in society. Although proper housing is essential for human biological and social development, statistics have shown a rising cases of homeless families with children in recent years because of inadequate affordable houses (The United States Conference of Mayors, 2006). Homelessness is a complicated socioeconomic issue with several economic and social factors underlying it. The socioeconomic factors include; poverty, inadequate affordable housing, some biological and mental ill health, community disintegration and family breakdown. These are the factors which in combinations, would contribute to the frequency, and type of homelessness (The United States Conference of Mayors, 2006). Homeless means to live without proper shelter; many people experience partial homelessness by living in uncertain, temporary, and sub-standard shelters. Homelessness has become national disaster in some countries. Some of the biological causes of homelessness are mental ill health (The United States Conference of Mayors, 2006). Due to the hard circumstances that befall homeless people throughout their lives, statistics have shown that there are higher rates of mental illness affecting this population. During the year 2008 survey conducted by the U.S Conferences of Mayors, showed mental illness the third largest cause of homelessness in the United States (The United States Conference of Mayors, 2006). Mental illnesses can be biological and medical conditions which affect the normal activity of the human brain and mind. It often affects one’s moods, emotions as well as the thought processes. The functionality of the mind is diminished hence reducing their ability of the affected individuals to take care of themselves or their living environment hence may not care even if they are living in the streets (Nielsen, 2011). Mental illness also affects an individual’s ability to make and maintain friendship and relationships and therefore, issues involving mental illness can push those closer to the affected individual away. In such case the people closer may remain homeless by keeping away or they may dispose the affected individual to be homeless in the streets (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). The other biological factor leading to homelessness is depression. Depressive disorders have been proved to be the most common factor causing homelessness with nearly 25% of homeless individuals suffering from depression. It controls individual’s outlook on life and their ability to judge circumstances. It results to low self-esteem, a loss of interest in actions that were once important as well as incapacitating effect on people’s ability to relate to others (Nielsen, 2011). Depression can be trigger homelessness because one feels isolated and lonely being homeless (Ravenhill, 2008). The feelings of isolation and loneliness have adverse effects on the relationship and could trigger rooflessness, for example, parental neglect (Ravenhill, 2008) Identify and describe at least 2 social factors that may be related to becoming or being homeless. Talk about how these factors may play a role in homelessness and support your statements with research evidence, where necessary Social factor that can cause homelessness is economic insecurity in a community or family. According to statistical findings, in the year 2005, almost 60% of individuals earning an income of less than 30% of the HUD were paying more than half of their salary on housing and accommodation, and almost the same percentage of people were also living in poor and inadequate housing (Ravenhill, 2008). Inadequate affordable housing for rental and the high economic recession have contributed to the increasing number of homeless adults and children. Economic recession have led to the high number of unemployed and has also increased laying off of employees hence people cannot afford decent housing due to lack of the rental allowance. Violence at home is another social factor that has led to homelessness in the United States of America. Violence often predicts whether children and adults would experience homelessness or not. Research has shown that most homeless mothers with children have at one point in their families experienced domestic violence. Domestic violence may make somebody run away from home to safety and in the process the affected find themselves homeless in the streets. This social factor has mostly affected women and children. Women and children in homeless shelters and those affected by domestic violence shelters are affected by same experiences like exposure to traumatic lives. Intimate family violence often triggers housing instability and in the process, one partner may run away from home. The domestic violence can be brutal beating or sexual abuse to a partner or a child (Ravenhill, 2008). In solving the problem of homelessness, the government should increase housing subsidies and provide permanent accommodation for those people living in domestic violence affected families, and unaccompanied youths. Research has shown that families who get housing subsidies are likely to have permanent housing stability than those who do not receive housing subsidy (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2008). Reference Nielsen, S. (2011). Psychiatric disorders and mortality among people in homeless shelters in Denmark: a nationwide register-based cohort study. The Lancet, 377, 2205-2214. Ravenhill, M. (2008). The culture of homelessness. Abingdon, Oxon: Ashgate Publishing Group. The United States Conference of Mayors. (2006). A status report on hunger and homelessness in America’s cities. Retrieved April 27, 2014 from http://www.usmayors.org/publicationsNational Coalition for the Homeless. (2008). How many people experience homelessness? Retrieved April 27, 2014 from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/families Source document

A great start

A great start Introduction A great start, a great motivation and great plans were some of the feeling I had when our Project Management lecture started. Project Management has also been one of the key areas I am interested in, because its field of application is both theoretical and practical. The program and the timeframe as well as the division in teams, made us start a process where a project had to be performed and proven. My experience was very positive. Personal learning statement According to a lecture delivered as part of our Project Management module, the fact that a Project is a unique set of coordinated activities, with a definite starting and finishing point, undertaken by an individual or organisation to meet specific performance objectives within defined schedule, cost and performance parameter, taking into account specific constraints such as time, resource, outcome and focus on the often changeable environment on which a project develops, keeping all time in mind the initial orientation of the project (Stratum 2009), set me and my team to perform and deliver a qualitative coursework and presentation for our Project Management lecture. Peer evaluation Conclusion References 7 Sep 2009 Group was formed during the first Project Management lecture to work on a group assignment, Coursework No.1: GROUP REPORT, credited 40%. Took part in Tower Game, a game designed to promote initial team spirit. Group came first as team with the highest tower builded., 14 Sep 2009 Started to work on coursework no.1 Select chapter 9 of the BOK: Project Organization: Structures and Teams as the chosen topic for the GROUP REPORT. Took Belbins Test and Meyer-Briggss Test to specify members straits and according role. 21 Sep 2009 Started to work on the PID (Project Initiation Document) Had the first official Project meeting Group member each was assigned to come up with his own version of the document and sent to Ruben for compilation. 28 Sep 2009 During Project Meeting, group discussed way to approach the Report. Group member each was assigned to explore an area of Teamwork, proposed tools to measure the effectiveness of Teamwork in that area and prepared to apply them into a real-life case study. 5 areas: Characteristics of a Team -Godfrey Life cycle of a Team -Saul Managing Personalities -Hermen Effective Teamwork -Pim Running Effective Meetings -Kenfi 5 Oct 2009 During Project Meeting, group discussed way to present the Report. Group member each was assigned to complete his area of Teamwork, proposed tools to measure the effectiveness of Teamwork in that area and to produce documents in the later week 12 Oct 2009 During this meeting we discussed planning, estimation and tracking. We created an initial relative estimation based on previous work done in the beginning of the project. After that we created a burndown and marked it with milestones. Then we created a second burndown on the milestones and saw that our average velocity was not enough to reach the first mayor milestone (presentation). We accordingly rearranged a couple of items so that the presentation deadline would not be in jeopardy This technique was borrowed from Agile/SCRUM. Work Breakdown Structure What it is: A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a process for defining the final and intermediate products of a project and their relationships. Generally, WBS uses a tree diagram/structure diagram to show the resolution of overall requirements into increasing levels of detail. WBS allows a team to accomplish its general requirements by partitioning a large task into smaller components and focusing on work that can be more easily accomplished. (See also Tree Diagram and Action Plan.) When to use it: A work breakdown structure is an essential element in project planning and project management. In the quality planning process, WBS begins with a generalized goal and then identifies progressively finer levels of actions needed to accomplish the goal. In the quality improvement process, the tool is especially useful for creating an implementation plan to remedy identified process problems. For WBS to accurately reflect the project, however, it is essential that the team using it have detailed understanding of the tasks required. How to use it: Identify the primary requirement or objective. This should be a clear item, based on customer requirements, to which the entire team agrees. Write this requirement at the top of the chart. Subdivide the requirement statement into major secondary categories. These branches should represent requirements, products, or activities that directly lead to the primary objective or that are directly required to fulfill the overall requirement. The team should continually ask, What is required to meet this condition?, What happens next?, and What needs to be addressed? Write the secondary categories below the primary requirement statement. Using sticky notes at this stage makes later changes easier to accomplish. Break each major heading into greater detail. As you move from top to bottom in the WBS, products and activities should become more and more specific. Stop the breakdown when each task is tiny enough to be easily completed and evaluated for accuracy. If the team does not have enough knowledge to continue at some point, identify the individuals who can supply the information and continue the breakdown later with those individuals present. Review the WBS for logic and completeness. Make sure that each subheading and path has a direct cause-and-effect relationship with the one before. Examine the paths to ensure that no obvious products or actions have been http://www.sandstone.co.uk/free-online-team-effectiveness-report/