Capital Punishment Essay -- Death Penalty

Capital Punishment is the legal infliction of the death penalty. In the United States capital punishment is legal in thirty-nine of the fifty states. Beginning in 1973, prison populations began an inevitable growth. There were 204,211 inmates in 1973, and by 1977 the number of prisoners had grown to 285,456, which later grew to 315,974 in 1980. By 1976, it was clear that the death penalty had to be reinstated. America’s experiment with capital punishment has resulted in a total of 944 executions, fifty-nine of which took place in 2003. Every year about 15,000 killers are charged and only about 300 wind up on death row. The death row population is constantly increasing. It is now more than 3,000. Because of constant appeals, it takes a person on death row typically between five to eight years to finally get executed. To kill all the prisoners on death row, it is estimated that it would take two executions a day for seven years. Crimes such as aiding in suicide, causing a boat collision resulting in death, forced marriage, procuring an abortion resulting in the death of the mother, espionage, castrating another, rape, homicide, child molesting resulting in death and conspiracy to kidnap for ransom among many others are, in some states, crimes that are punishable by death. What the law permits, however, is not always used by the courts or the executive authorities. Most executions are a result of a murder or rape, and a small number for robbery, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault and espionage. In the US, the death penalty is currently authorized in one of five ways: hanging, which has been the traditional method of execution throughout the English-speaking world; electrocution, which was introduced by New York S... ...ting crimes. A sweeping sixty percent don’t think that vengeance is a legitimate reason for killing a murderer. Many court decisions of the 1980s and early 1990s have lowered bars to executions. In 1986 the Court ruled that opponents of executions may be barred from juries in murder cases. The following year the Court ruled that the law may be applied to accomplices in crimes that led to murder, then rejected a challenge to capital punishment based on statistics that indicated racial bias in sentencing. In separate decisions in 1989 the Court decided that the death penalty could be applied to those who were mentally retarded or who were underage, but at least 16, at the time of the murder. In the early 1990s the trend of Supreme Court rulings was to cut back on the appeals that Death Row inmates could make to the federal courts. Capital Punishment Essay -- Death Penalty Capital Punishment is the legal infliction of the death penalty. In the United States capital punishment is legal in thirty-nine of the fifty states. Beginning in 1973, prison populations began an inevitable growth. There were 204,211 inmates in 1973, and by 1977 the number of prisoners had grown to 285,456, which later grew to 315,974 in 1980. By 1976, it was clear that the death penalty had to be reinstated. America’s experiment with capital punishment has resulted in a total of 944 executions, fifty-nine of which took place in 2003. Every year about 15,000 killers are charged and only about 300 wind up on death row. The death row population is constantly increasing. It is now more than 3,000. Because of constant appeals, it takes a person on death row typically between five to eight years to finally get executed. To kill all the prisoners on death row, it is estimated that it would take two executions a day for seven years. Crimes such as aiding in suicide, causing a boat collision resulting in death, forced marriage, procuring an abortion resulting in the death of the mother, espionage, castrating another, rape, homicide, child molesting resulting in death and conspiracy to kidnap for ransom among many others are, in some states, crimes that are punishable by death. What the law permits, however, is not always used by the courts or the executive authorities. Most executions are a result of a murder or rape, and a small number for robbery, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault and espionage. In the US, the death penalty is currently authorized in one of five ways: hanging, which has been the traditional method of execution throughout the English-speaking world; electrocution, which was introduced by New York S... ...ting crimes. A sweeping sixty percent don’t think that vengeance is a legitimate reason for killing a murderer. Many court decisions of the 1980s and early 1990s have lowered bars to executions. In 1986 the Court ruled that opponents of executions may be barred from juries in murder cases. The following year the Court ruled that the law may be applied to accomplices in crimes that led to murder, then rejected a challenge to capital punishment based on statistics that indicated racial bias in sentencing. In separate decisions in 1989 the Court decided that the death penalty could be applied to those who were mentally retarded or who were underage, but at least 16, at the time of the murder. In the early 1990s the trend of Supreme Court rulings was to cut back on the appeals that Death Row inmates could make to the federal courts.

Organizational Change Essay

1 INTRODUCTION 1 THE NEED FOR ORGANISATIONS TO CHANGE Organisations worldwide are currently facing increasing competition, price pressures and slower growth rates and in order to be successful, for many organisations, this prompts the need to constantly change to survive (Appelbaum, Delage, Gault & Labib, 1997; Burnes, 2004; Ndlovu & Parumasur, 2005) This new type of organisation is dynamic and change has become strategic to stay ahead of the game. Successful organisations are changing continuously but managing their change positively and carefully which results in increased productivity, commitment and involvement from employees (Kenton & Penn, 2009; Ndlovu & Parumasur, 2005). According to Luthans (2011), a successful organisation needs to create a learning culture that is proactive in its approach to both internal and external forces of change. 2 AIM OF DISCUSSION In an economy that is rapidly changing, an organisation’s ability to anticipate and respond to forces of change is a key success factor (Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). The aim of this discussion is to provide a critical overview of change in the organisational context, using the field of Organisational Behaviour to analyse change at the individual and organisational level and to examine the ways in which organisations try to  eliminate resistance to change in the workplace. More specifically, the case study of organisational change at Nissan South Africa will be used to illustrate the impacts of change and the ways in which organisations try to manage change at the individual and organisational level. The following aspects will be further discussed to give an extensive understanding of organisational change: An overview of the concept of change, and the ways in which organisations should prepare for change An analysis of the change process using Kurt Lewin’s model, A discussion of the ways of reducing resistance to change in the workplace, An examination of the reasons for resisting change at the individual and organisational level An overview of the ways in which organisations should manage resistance to change in the workplace. 2 PREPARING AN ORGANISATION FOR CHANGE 3 THE CONCEPT OF CHANGE The concept of organisational change has many different meanings, but simply, it can be explained as the transition of an organisation from its current state to a desired state. Kenton & Penn (2009) highlight two types of changes, evolutionary and revolutionary change. Evolutionary change refers to continuous improvements of an organization which is gradual. This type of change becomes part of the norm in the ways of working. Revolutionary change refers to radical changes in ways of working where there are periods of normal operations followed by periods of drastic change (Kenton & Penn, 2009). Robbins et al (2009) describe change as planned or unplanned. Both of these types of change refer to a transformation, however, planned change is seen as a proactive approach to improve an organisation’s ability to adapt to anticipated forces of change. Forces of change can be internal or external. For South African organisations, change is overdue. After the sanctions of political Apartheid regime were lifted, South African organisations have  found themselves in a climate where the need for change has intensified due to the political and economic changes, an increasing diverse workforce, technological advances, increasing global competition, and rapid social developments. These internal and external forces of change need to be closely managed for an organisation to be profitable. 4 THE USE OF CHANGE AGENTS At the heart of an organisation are its people. Thus for any change to occur an organisation needs it’s people to change (Pasmore & Fagans, 1992). To prepare employees for change organisations often use change agents to facilitate organisational change. These change agents can be internal (e.g. managers, H.R. practitioners) or external (e.g. consultants). Internal agents, such as managers, are useful in that they have a deep understanding of the organisation’s systems and culture whereas an external agent, such as consultants, offer more objectivity and have a deeper understanding of change processes (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Kenton & Penn,2009; Robbins et al, 2009; Worren, Ruddle & Moore, 1999). 5 THE LEARNING ORGANISATION Burnes (2004) refers to organisational change as a constant feature both at an operational and strategic level. Thus for organisations to ensure their sustainability they need to constantly and actively identify the forces of change, their desired state and take the necessary actions to manage these changes to achieve the desired state. These organisations need to become learning organisations where there is a systems thinking approach, open and honest communication, teamwork, the presence of innovation and change, a gap between a desired state and current state to serve as motivation for change, critical reflection, empowerment and empathy, inspired leadership and other external factors (Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). 6 DEVELOPING A CHANGE MODEL As discussed, learning organisations are key to successful organisational  change. The characteristics of a learning organization are at the core of the organisation’s culture. One of the important steps to prepare an organisation for change is to assess its current culture and desired culture. From this an organisation can identify how to manage change. A change model or a development process should be used to identify an organisations current and desired culture and to facilitate the change process (Burnes, 2004; Cummings & Worley, 2009; Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). According to Worren et al (1999), this change model needs to be an integrative and holistic approach for change management that focuses on strategic changes to process and people. Some of these models for change include Kurt Lewin’s three step change process, action research, and the positive model, amongst others (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). Kotter’s eight step plan for change will now be used to illustrate how to prepare for change management in an organisation followed by a detailed discussion of Kurt Lewin’s model for change process. 7 PREPARING NISSAN SA FOR CHANGE USING KOTTER’S EIGHT STEP PLAN Kotter’s eight step plan was developed as a result of findings that majority of organisational change efforts failed. This model indicates that the change process is a series of long phases and mistakes in any of these phases can have a considerable impact of the success of the change effort (Robbins et al, 2009). Kotter’s model will now be further explained with application to the Nissan S.A. case study. 2.1.1 Establish a sense of urgency The first step to avoiding failure of a change management process is to create a reason for the need to change (Robbins et al, 2009). For Nissan S.A. this could be a number of factors (both internal and external) to change. Externally, the organisation needs to change to meet world class standards of performance and to be able to compete. Internally the organisation needed to improve its efficiency, align to internal global standards, as well as to improve on its labour workforce to be sustainable in the future. Nissan S.A. should develop scenarios identifying the threats and opportunities for the future. Nissan S.A. needs to communicate well the  reasons for transformation and downsizing, the internal and external forces that have prompted change and the factors that are within the employees control and out of their locus of control. The organisation could also request support from outside stakeholders to support their argument. 2.1.2 Form a powerful coalition to lead change The second step to managing change is to create a team of change agents. These change agents need to be strong leaders that constantly communicate the urgency for change (Robbins et al, 2009). NUMSA members, managers as well as some older influential employees could be targeted for this team at Nissan S.A. This team should be used to convince others of the urgency for change and the need to take voluntary severance packages vs. forced retrenchment. 2.1.3 Create a vision for change The next step in the change management plan is to create a clear understanding of why the change is needed and what is the end goal (Robbins et al, 2009). Creating this vision can help convince and direct employees. Nissan S.A. should create a vision that would encourage employees to take severance packages, creating a vision of the end state for them, for example, starting their own business as suppliers. 2.1.4 Communicate the vision Once the vision is created it needs to be continuously communicated (Robbins et al, 2009). Poor communication about the downsizing process, the new structures, roles and future of the organisation can impact on trust and loyalty of survivors (Appelbaum et al 1997; Aucamp, 2001). Organisations need to constantly communicate to employees throughout the downsizing process as well as after, providing support and encouraging positive attitudes and commitment (Ngirande & Nel, 2012). Organisations should communicate the future of the organisation, clarify the new roles of employees, and be transparent about the reasons for downsizing. Constant communication will build security, trust and commitment (Aucamp, 2001; Luthans, 2011; Ndlovu & Parumasur , 2005). Nissan S.A. could follow the example of the tools the mining company De Beers used for staff  communication. Some of these include open employee engagement sessions, videos from leaders communicating the vision, one on one sessions, helpdesks and regular emails/ letters (Bomela, 2007). 2.1.5 Empower others to act on the vision Once the vision is created and communicated it needs to be actioned. But there will be obstacles to make this happen. Therefore it is important that the team of change agents are empowered to keep the vision and direction alive. One of the ways Nissan S.A. could do this is to identify those resisting change and help them move past their conflict as well as rewarding the team of change agents that are working to facilitate the transition (Furst & Cable, 2008; Robbins et al, 2009). 2.1.6 Create short term wins The next step is to identify the low hanging fruit that aids the vision and celebrate achieving these steps to motivate employees (Robbins et al, 2009). For example, Nissan S.A. could have celebrated the agreement reached with NUMSA and communicated this widely across the organisation as a positive agreement. Another example, Nissan S.A. could celebrate and reward the first few employees that have taken the severance packages and that have become suppliers. 2.1.7 Consolidate and build on change To avoid failure of a change process it is important to continuously assess the change plan, vision/actions and to change and make improvements along the way (Robbins et al, 2009). Nissan S.A. should have constantly assessed their change program and when they found poor responses to severance packages they should have revised their plans and changed the way of doing things to target more responses. Some of the improvements that could be made is in communication to employees or educating and training employees in becoming â€Å"change masters† (Aucamp, 2001, Oxtoby, Mcguiness & Morgan, 2002). 2.1.8 Reinforce the changes One of the most important steps in Kotter’s plan is to embed the plan such that it becomes core to the organisation’s culture. This is about creating a learning organisation where change becomes part of the normal ways of working and where employees have the ability to manage change easily (Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). Some of the things that Nissan S.A. could do is to add and constantly empower their team of change agents and publicly recognise these change agents, as well as include change management values when hiring their new staff to ensure continuity of the culture (Oxtoby et al, 2002). 8 PREPARING NISSAN S.A. FOR CHANGE As discussed, to manage change, a model or process is an important tool in facilitating the change process. Key to the process though are the employees who themselves need to change. The use of change agents is an impactful way in which to encourage employees to change and to create a learning culture. Some of the key highlights that Nissan S.A. could use in preparing their organisation for change include assessing their current and desired culture, developing a team of change agents to facilitate change, creating a short term and long term change strategy and constantly improving on their change plans to achieve their goals. Some of the things that may impact an organisation’s readiness for change are the employees’ perception toward change efforts, the level of trust, communication and support from managers, and the employees’ level of acceptance of the change (Susanto, 2008). Central to the steps in preparing for change is to create a learning culture/ organisation to manage planned change. Planned change if managed through a model or process can improve an organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness in achieving its goals (Burnes, 2004; Robbins et al, 2009). 3 KURT LEWIN’S THREE STEP CHANGE MODEL One of the models for planned change that can be used for the Nissan S.A. case study is Kurt Lewin’s three step model for change process which is based on the theory that for change to occur there needs to be a challenge  to the status quo whereby the forces driving change must overcome the forces against change (Robbins et al, 2009). 9 STEP ONE: UNFREEZING This first step for change involves challenging the current status quo and weakening forces against change. Lewin indicated that for employees to accept the new change then they need to â€Å"unlearn† the current status quo (Burnes, 2004). To do this it is important to convince employees of the need for the change (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Robbins et al, 2009). According to Robbins et al (2009) unfreezing involves either increasing the driving forces, reducing the forces against change or a collaboration of both of these approaches. Currently at Nissan S.A. the forces against the change is clearly stronger than the forces driving change. Nissan S.A. need to clearly communicate the needs for the change and work on strategies to convince employees of the desired future state. The use of change agents in this instance could be very useful as they will introduce the new desired state in a positive way to challenge the current status quo and convince others (Robbins et al, 2009). Some of the things that need to be clearly communicated are the need and reasons for downsizing as well as the short term benefits of the rejuvenation process (severance package, small business start up, staying on longer to train others) vs. forced retrenchment and long terms benefits of the rejuvenation process (increased efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the business). 10 STEP TWO: MOVING Once the current status quo has been unfrozen and employees start to accept and adopt new status quo it is important that the new status quo is strengthened. To do this involves changes to structures and processes (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Robbins et al, 2009). Nissan S.A. needs to identify those change agents and empower them to facilitate change. Another step that is important is creating short term goals for the change process and communicating this throughout the organisation as well as to assist those employees resisting change to accept change (through communication, education, more involvement). According to Oxtoby et al (2002), apart from methods and changes to structures, equally important is the time need to build employees’ career resilience. 11 STEP THREE: REFREEZING Refreezing involves reinforcing the new status quo that has been created by balancing the forces for and against change (Robbins et al, 2009). It is important that the new strategies implemented become permanenent through creating a learning culture/organisation (Burnes, 2004; Luthans 2011, Robbins et al, 2009). This can be done through introducing a reward system. Another important step is for Nissan S.A. to constantly assess their change strategies and adjust it so they can achieve their desired goal. Some of the things that Nissan S.A. could do is to add and constantly empower their team of change agents and publicly recognise these change agents, as well as include change management values when hiring their new staff to ensure continuity of the culture. 12 REDUCING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Resistance to change can be evident at both the individual and organisational level (Cummings & Worley, 2009). From Lewin’s model of change and Kotter’s eight step plan it is evident that there will always be some resistance to change from employees. It is important that the resistance to change is managed appropriately for change to occur. For change efforts to be successful organisations need to reduce resistance from employees for them to adopt new behaviours (Furst & Cable, 2008). 3.1.1 Ways to reduce employee resistance to change According to Cummings & Worley (2009) some of the ways to reduce employee resistance can be achieved through the following five phase approach: Motivating Change This involves preparing employees for change through communicating the need for change , the current state and desired future state of the organisation as well as reassurance that the desired future state can be achieved successfully. It also inlvoves management developing strategies to implement change and ensuring support mechanisms are in place to help employees overcome resistance to change. Creating a vision This phase includes creation and communication of the vision of the future state of the organisation. This vision needs to be convincing for employee buy in of the change efforts. It therefore needs to be relevant, realistic and needs to communicate the message of the improvements the change will make for individuals and the organisation. Managing the transition This includes the activities planned to manage the change, the changes to structures and processes to achieve the desired future state and commitment planning. Important is that these plans and activities are constantly assessed and modified if needed. It is important to keep employees engaged and informed throughout the process so that they understand the needs for change, the processes to getting there as well as keep them in the loop of the progress made. Developing political support This phase involves identifying key stakeholders that have powerful influence on the change process and managing these stakeholder interests and engagement in the change process. It also involves assessing the power that change agents have on the change efforts and their ability to influence others. Sustaining momentum This includes providing the necessary resources and support for change to occur. Some of the aspects that are important is providing support from managers, training and education of employees, empowering change agents, reinforcing new behaviours (for example through reward systems) and providing feedback to employees. Telkom SA developed a change model focusing on building individuals career resilience to adapt to change more positively and empowered individuals by providing training for new roles and assuring them of their value to the organisation (Aucamp, 2001). 3.1.2 Reasons for resistance to change : Individual level According to Robbins et al (2009) there are a number of sources of resistance at the individual level. These include: Habit and Security Individuals lead complex lives and are constantly faced with having to make decisions. One of the ways to reduce and manage complexity is to rely on habits (programmed responses). Some individuals have a high reliance on their feelings of safety. Any threats to security can result in individuals resisting change as new behaviours sit outside of their comfort zone and any changes that conflict with existing habits can also be a reason for resistance as individuals have a tendency to rely on habitual behaviour. (Robbins et al, 2009). According to Peus et al (2009), individuals may feel uncertainty regarding their positions, roles and responsibilities in the organization and a result will resist change. Fear of the Unknown and Economic Factors We live in a volatile and uncertain era where there are constant changes in the business world. Individuals faced with this constant uncertainty of the future may resistant change due to the fear of the unknown (Robbins et al, 2009). According to Peus et al (2009) individuals seek to gain prediction over future events to reduce the fear of the unknown and their loss of control. Another resistance to change can be an individual’s concern for loss of or lower income as a result of the changes. Selective information processing Individuals perceptions shape their thinking about the world. Robbins et al (2009) recognize that the ways in which individuals perceive their world can also be a factor in their response to change. Anything new to their way of thinking will be resisted as it is not part of their current knowledge system. Fear of Failure Peus et al (2009) also recognises the fear of not being able to cope with the new changes to processes or technologies as one the reasons individuals may resist change. If an individual believes he or she is not able to cope with the changes then there are likely to resist change. Kotter & Schlesinger (2008) also recognise that individuals may resist change if they feel they are not capable of learning new skills and behaviours to adapt to the  changes. Other factors of resistance Kotter & Schlesinger (2008) also highlight some other reasons individuals resist change including parochial self interest, misunderstanding and lack of trust as well as different views of the benefits and costs of the changes intiated. Parochial Self interest refers to the individual’s perception that he or she will lose something of value because of the imminent changes and as a result focus on their own interests and not the organisations. This in turn results in political behaviour which can be overt or implicit. 3.1.3 Reasons for resistance to change: Organisational level Robbins et al (2009) highlight some of the reasons organisations resist change as the following: Structural inertia This refers to the structures and processes in place that produces stability in an organization. This can be an organisations selection and training techniques, job descriptions and procedures for operations. When confronted with change â€Å"this structural inertia acts as a counterbalance to sustain stability† (Robbins et al, 2009: 486). Limited focus of change Organisations are made up of interdependent subsystems and any changes in one part of the system will impact the greater system. Therefore any changes in an organisation that are only focused on one area without recognizing the impact of other areas will experience resistance to change. For example implementing a new technology without considering the training requirements and procedures that also need to change will likely experience resistance to change (Robbins et al, 2009). Group inertia This refers to the group norms and perceptions that exist that direct the behaviours of individuals and that can impact decisions for change by individuals (Robbins et al, 2009). Threat to expertise Some organisational changes will have an impact on the expertise of  specialised groups. Implementing a new way of working may mean that a specialist group of experts are now redundant to everyday operations (Robbins et al, 2009). Threat to established power relationships Any threat to existing power relationships can have an impact on change efforts. Introducing participative decision making for example is threatening to supervisors and middle manager power roles (Robbins et al, 2009). Threat to established resource allocation Some departments in an organisation may be threatened by changes if they perceive the change as a threat to their current or future resource allocation (Robbins et al, 2009). 3.1.4 How can Nissan S.A. manage resistance to change Some of the ways that Nissan S.A. can manage individual and organisational resistance to change include the following: Education and Communication Organisations need to constantly educate and communicate to employees throughout the change process as well as after, providing support and encouraging positive attitudes and commitment (Ngirande & Nel, 2012). Nissan S.A. should communicate the future of the organisation, clarify the new roles of employees, and be transparent about the reasons for change. Constant communication will build security, trust and commitment as well as reduce resistance to change (Aucamp, 2001; Luthans, 2011; Ndlovu & Parumasur 2005; Robbins et al, 2009). Participation According to Oxtoby et al (2002), all employees should have a sense of ownership over the changes that are being implemented in their organisation. Creating a higher level of involvement and participation from employees will create commitment from employees. Nissan S.A. need to value the importance of people and their influence in the changes that are desired. Involving employees at all levels can deliver better commitment to the workforce rejuvenation plan. Creating opportunities for all employees to be involved  in some way of the decision making process for change can have a positive impact on the morale of employees (Robbins et al, 2009). Building support and commitment The use of change agents at Nissan S.A. during the change process is a way in which to reduce the resistance of the fear of the unknown and provide direction and support to employees. Change agents can also assist those that are resisting change by convincing them of the benefits of the changes, improving perceptions and commitment to change. For example, Nissan S.A. could provide counselling sessions, increased management visibility and one on one sessions, providing skills training, etc. (Robbins et al, 2009). Choosing people who accept change Nissan S.A. need to recognise those that adapt to the new changes best and use these individuals as change agents. Change agents can assist in creating a positive attitude of the change process. It is also important that the new employees that Nissan S.A. hires have the same capability as the change agents in that they are open and able to adjust easily to change (Robbins et al, 2009). Implementing change fairly For Nissan S.A. this means due diligence in the procedures for change ensuring fairness and consistency across the change process. For example, if the aged employee given the training can improve his capability and performance then is it necessary for him to be retrenched and replaced with a younger employee? Should this aged employee not be given the chance to prove him or herself? Nissan S.A. should ensure the criteria for retrenchment are also fair. The changes that Nissan S.A. propose should be made from top management down to employees on the line to ensure consistency. Manipulation and Co-optation Both manipulation and co-optation are sneaky tactics but can be useful to gain support (Robbins et al, 2009). Nissan S.A. may use co-optation as a method to gain buy-in from NUMSA or may distort the information about the severance packages offered to make the benefits seem higher than the costs  to the targeted employees. Coercion Threats, poor performance reviews, or any other form of sanctions and legitimization tactics can be used to resist change. The strength of the LMX (leader-member exchange) relationship may have the desired or negative impact on the reaction of employees to such efforts. Research shows that a low-quality LMX relationship results in greater resistance to change whereas those employees with high quality LMX relationships may attribute the sanctions to situational factors and reduce resistance (Furst & Cable, 2008). Nissan S.A. need to identify which relationships require specific tactics. The use of change agents are a more useful way to reduce resistance than coercion however if the desired results are not achieved then threatening with forced retrenchment may be necessary to gain more responses. 4 CONCLUSION This discussion has shown how change should be managed to move an organisation from its current state to its future desired state. In order to facilitate the change process successfully there is a need for the use of a model or process. Resistance to change can occur at both the individual as well as the organisational level. It is important throughout the change process that resistance to change is managed appropriately. According to Luthans (2011), changes to an organisations culture needs to occur for change to become permanent. Organisations should strive to become learning organisations where learning and change is central to business culture and processes (Burnes, 2004; Luthans, 2011). Some of the ways in which organisations can achieve this is through assessing the current organisation culture, setting realistic goals, hiring the right people to facilitate change, ensuring consistency in change management, removing the old culture, managing the resistance to change effectively, keeping the momentum of change and to be persistent (Luthans, 2011). For Nissan S.A. these guidelines could be very useful in developing a learning organisation to ensure that they do not find themselves in this similar position in the future. 5 REFERENCES Appelbaum, S.H., Delage, C., Gault, G., Labib, N. (1997). The survivor syndrome: Aftermath of downsizing. Career Development International, 2 (6), 278-286. Aucamp, N. (2001). Change management implications of a retrenchment strategy in a selected section of a telecommunications organisation. Unpublished MBA dissertation. Port Elizabeth Technikon. Bomela, M. (2007). Retaining critical skills and talented employees during and after organisational downsizing. Unpublished MBA dissertation. University of Pretoria. Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and complexity theories: back to the future? Journal of Change Management, 4(4), 309-325. Cummings, T.G., & Worley, C.G. (2009). Orgaization development and change (9th ed.). Cengage. Furst, S.A., & Cable, D.M. (2008). Employee resistance to organizational change: Managerial influence tactics and leader-member exchange. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 453-462. Kenton, B., & Penn, S. (2009). Change conflict and community: Challenging thought an d action (1st ed.). Elsevier Ltd. Kotter, J.P and Schlesinger, L.A (2008) Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review, 86(7/8). July-August, 130-139. Luthans, F. (2011). Organizational behaviour: An evidence-based approach (12th ed.). McGraw Hill. Ndlovu, N., & Parumasur, S.B. (2005). The perceived impact of downsizing and organisational transformation on survivors. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 31(2), 14-21. Nel, A., & Ngirande, H. (2012). The psychological impact of downsizing on employee survivors in the manufacturing industry. African Journal of Business Management, 6 (11), 4371-4375. Oxtoby, B., Mcguiness, T., & Morgan, R. (2002). Developing organisational change capability. European Management Journal, 20(3), 310-320. Pasmore, W.A., & Fagans, M.R. (1992). Participation, individual development and organisational change: a review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 18(2), 375-397. Peus, C. Frey, D., Gerkhardt, M., Fischer, P., & Traut-Mattausch, E. (2009). Leading and managing organizational change initiatives. Management Revue, 20(2), 158-175. Retrieved april 18 2014 from the World Wide Web: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41783612. Robbins, S.P., & Jude, T.A. (2009). Organisational behaviour: Global and southern African perspectives (2nd ed.). Pearson. Susanto, A.B. (2008). Organisational readiness for change: A case study on change readiness in a manufacturing organisation in Indonesia. International Journal of Management Perspective, 2(1), 50-62. Worren, N.A.M., Ruddle, K., & Moore, K. (1999). From organizational development to change management: the emergence of a new profession. The Journal of Applied Behavioural Science, 35(3), 273-296. 6 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 6.1 I logically and systematically applied the resources to explain and give support to my understanding of the content and central concepts and provided examples where necessary. I understood best the sections on survivor syndrome. I am not confident in my application of the frustration model. I think I have covered Kotter’s 8 step plan best and need to improve on my understanding of managing resistance to change. 6.2 I found Robbins et al (2009) most useful as it provided an overall understanding of change management process and included all aspects that needed to be convered in this assignment. 6.3 I used information on change management from articles and research done in South African industries to use as examples in illustrating my answer as well as to help me further understand some of the models of change 6.4 3 months (March – May) approximately 1 hour each day. This includes reading the material, researching additional resources, planning, writing and checking. 6.5 The material covered is relevant to South African work environment where change is common in industry. Having an understanding of this will assist in helping organisations improve business processes and at the same time improve individual well being. The resources also provided proactive and positive ways to deal with change. 6.6 Areas of knowledge: Referencing Techniques, Motivation Theory; Skills: Planning, Problem Solving;   Other Qualities: Diligence, Perseverance, Critical Thinking. 6.7 Yes. Having an understanding of the ways in which change can be managed can help with improving how I manage and interpret change as an individual as well as I see some beneficial aspects that my current employer can use to manage change. I would like to further develop my knowledge gained on the learning organisation as it has never occurred to me, until now, as a priority to be dealt with in the change process in order for future business success. 6.8 The assessment criteria provide a good framework to answer the questions, clear guidelines; it gives one the opportunity to reflect on the overall concepts and to assess the quality of work presented. 6.9 I would like to improve my understanding of the different models of change apart from Lewin and Kotter. I would like to do more reading on action research etc and see how I can apply this knowledge better. I will by reading more and improve my referencing techniques which I feel I will gain with more practice.

King Lear: A Tragedy Essay

In Shakespeare’s, â€Å"King Lear† the structure and elements of tragedy help develop the theme of greed throughout the play. In the first act of the play the reader is introduced to a proble, King Lear is getting old and when he passes away he doesn’t want his three daughters fighting for his kingdom. King Lear decided to play a game with them asking them â€Å"Tell me, my daughters, which of you loves us most, that we may place. Our largest bounty with the largest merit.† The King is playing a very selfish game with his daughters he wants them to tell him how much they love him. Goneril and Regan go along with his game because they both are power hungry and want the biggest part of the kingdom. They even lie to Lear and tell him that they love him more than anything, even more than their husbands. Both sisters are power hungry and selfish willing to put power before the truth. Unlike their youngest sister Cordelia, she refused to lie to her father and to ld him she loved him how any child should love their father. King Lear was angered by this and disowned her vanishing her from the kingdom. Lears actions showed how greedy he was with his daughters love and he wanted to make sure that they spoke his love for him out loud. An element of tragedy that appears in the play is peripeteia. This is shown when King Lear goes from being a powerful king to not being wanted by either of his daughters. Lear first arrived at Goneril place with his 100 man, although Goneril says†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Is most unseemly: hourly they break out In quarrels, bred by their unbounded riots..† Goneril doesn’t want Lear to have that many servants because she is afraid that she they will take over and over real her and she doesn’t’ want that because she wants to keep her power. Later King Lear goes to Regan’s palace but she doesn’t want him either. Both sisters have made up a plan to overrule Lear and make sure he doesn’t go back to ruling again. Goneril and Regan both are power hungry and are willing to pick power over family. Lear went from having all the love of his two daughters to being rejected by them in a series of tragic events. In the last act of the play the reader experiences catharsis, Goneril poisons Regan and later feels the guilt so she kills herself. Cornelia is hung and King Lear dies from the news, The deaths of the family show how throughout the book they every member of the Lear family was driven by greed, except for Cornelia. The audience sees what happened to a family full of greed and that was power driven. In the end no one wins the tragedy takes over. The last act (V) is the closing of the play it shows the results of the events that had occur.

Teenagers – not as bad as they are portrayed?

Britain altering her ways, has successfully managed to keep up with the ever changing world. However the youth of our day, seem the only change society somewhat fails to keep pace with. Are we leading our teenagers forlorn? Teenagers are categorised under offenders and criminals and not to mention are covered by an umbrella of stereotypical views of which if its coverage of teenage Britain fails to cease would be a slow and gradual obliteration of Britain’s future. If society takes a step back and realises the sought of pressure left upon the shoulders of our future leaders, doctors , engineers etcetera we would come to the realisation that the strain put on them is a strain put on the nation’s future. Furthermore, as the well-being of the nation hangs in the balance it seems as if eyes are staring purposefully watch it lose its balance with the likes of the media broadcasting nothing but the negatives, painting a villainous image of which the public do nothing but believe. Although there are some teenagers who follow the wrong path, statistics show 10 percent of anti-social behaviour were committed by them and the increase of knife crime amongst teenagers increased by 2 percent over the past year however it seems statistics like this also fail to mention the other percentage of teenagers who actually do something valuable for the society such us charity work, and those whom constantly thrive in the aspiration of making the nation a good one to live in, until then the current government has to work on making this nation a bearable one to live in. The constant pressure from the media towards the teenage generation has yet to show the many good works of the youths. ‘’Back in my day†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ seems to be the reoccurring statement by the nostalgic few, the few, whom believe that without the morals and discipline of the old age teenagers today show no respect for society today, however, Do they know how it is to work in a teenagers shoes. Above all, teenagers still get along with life amongst all the turmoil: postcode wars, gang warfare and peer pressure. Being at a vulnerable stage in life, youths feel pressured into becoming the image everyone expects, seen in the small town of Lancashire where a normal boy named Tom, was bullied to the extent he committed suicide, this in itself is not accepted in society. ‘’Now I will not get to see my son lead a normal life’’ said Mrs Smith tearfully. Would the outcome be different if he spoke to someone? 2011 witnessed the London riots, often described as ‘’mindless act of violence ‘’ saw parts of London set ablaze teenagers seen as the apparent cause, could this have been prevented? Or was this just a way to gain attention from the society as they have been put on the lower end of it, always put at the receiving end of pessimistic views. Although this would be seen by some to be destructive, inconsiderate and uncalled-for , this might be what teenagers think would actually make sure their voices are heard and also make sure they have an actual say on what decisions are made about them. The life of teenagers would continue to remain a mystery to some, as times change people also change, if things do not change for the better the life of a 21st century teenager would continue to be hard.

Free Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Free Trade - Essay Example Free trade also underscores the benefit of the foreign direct investment in Canada, particularly by the United States in their bilateral trade. To cite an example, Alex Rugman (1990) points to the greater stock of US foreign direct investment in Canada than Canadian foreign direct investment in the United States. (p. 78) The impact of this fact offsets the reservations of critics regarding the outward flow of Canadian wealth to other countries. It makes sense to think that because of the larger amount of capital invested, the US firms in Canada demand more labour than those needed by the Canadian firms operating in the US, or the jobs â€Å"lost† when Canadian capital is funneled abroad. Free trade also addresses the issue in regard to tariffs and the concept of â€Å"rules of origin.† It is inevitable to have discrimination in favor of supplies from one country, risking the diversion of lower-cost supplies from another. By reducing tariff levels in multilateral system, free trade can reduce discrimination as well as strengthen cost control. (Barton, Goldstein & Josling 2006, p. 176) The value of the Canadian dollar that accompanied the negotiation and implementation of free trade upset all projections of benefits to Canada†¦ In effect, an increase in the exchange rate of 15 percent is equivalent to imposing a tax on all exports of 15 percent and removing a 15 percent tariff on imports. (p. xvii) Finally, it is important to highlight that free trade agreements in general lead to internal reforms and that all countries that are engaged in them may benefit from it. There is the aspect about raising standards to bolster competitiveness, for example. To illustrate: Since Canadian customers now have better access than ever before to products and services made in the United States, they have become more demanding consumers as they assimilate the American consumer expectations. While

Digital culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Digital culture - Essay Example On the other hand, the presentations illustrated unbundling and dynamic of self organization. We are able to build upon our pre existing knowledge by interacting with the tools created by the digital culture. For example, using the Google such as Google drive or Samsung digitized products can help an individual learn many things that they previously never knew about. By this we can say that the presentations illustrated beyond doubt how technogenesis, unbundling and self organization is brought about in the process. Question B Several additional factors would have supported my learning. Direct interaction with the outside world that is out of classroom environment would have been great so that to bring the learning more into a reality. The idea of automated and consistent assessment would have helped me to have a more concrete understanding of this course. Moreover, convenience and flexibility would have supported my learning and even make it better. The course ought to have considered the student interests and make it more learner centered, if it were to support the student fully to improve their learning. Lastly, motivation by the instructors, a more direct questioning approach and additional time would have been perfect in making my learning more favorable. The conception of the internet as our most interactive medium today, would have guided us to interact more thus learn more. Instructional designers need to extend and expand the various aspects in order for this course to be more tool complete, and stand alone online expert system. These include developing a broader array of tools for proper communication. They need to understand which communication mediums are best suited for learners of our kind. This will give the course an upper hand over other online expert systems. For this course to be the most outstanding in the whole world, it needs a proper implementation which will guide it throughout. It should also embrace a faster learning experience which will help it to be more competitive when compared with other online expert systems. Furthermore it should be more interactive and student oriented so that to benefit the students and their productivity as well. All these will help the course to be a more complete system. Cheat sheet This course is very important in that we live in the digital age and much has changed. Issues regarding unbundling and its t heme become a major area of interest in this course most probably because of its significance. Another important aspect is technogenesis technology which carry’s the weight of digital culture. The relevant ideas I stipulated in tackling this task is acknowledging the importance of this course and its application in the modern world. List of important areas Disembodiement Technogenesis Digital graphics and interphase Online scholarships through

Banded Iron Formation of Bonai-Keonjhar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Banded Iron Formation of Bonai-Keonjhar - Essay Example BK is the youngest iron ore in the horseshoe belt. The focus is on Banspani-Jilling–Jajang bit of the iron ore. BIF of Banspani-Jilling–Jajang section of BK belt covers a section of the Precambrian super crustal north Odisha iron ore super group. Geology: the BIF hosts tabular strata-bound bodies mainly formed of high-grade hematite ores. Banspan-Jilling–Jajang covers about 40 sq. km. above the BIF lie the high-grade hematite ores which cover three stratigraphic positions. The southern range has massive and hard laminated cores. These ore bodies form the bulk of the resource. They are tubular in shape, irregular in size and have a thickness ranging from 2 and 50m. Langalata forms the bulk of the ore deposit, taking about 73% of it. Banspani-Jilling–Jajang deposits have a total reserve of about 61.7 million tons. Petrography: the rock types in the study area include banded hematite Jasper (BHJ), banded manganese formation (BMnF), banded hematite shale (BHS), banded shale, banded hematite quartzite (BHZ) and iron ore bodies. BHJ and BHZ are dominant rock types. They have alternating bands of silica and iron mineral. Some of the iron minerals in the BIF include goethite, martite, partitioned magnetite, hematite, and specularity. Hematite is the dominant iron mineral in the area. The varieties of silica forming alternate bands with the mentioned iron minerals include jasper, quartz, and chert. The iron minerals are formed by three distinct processes; thematization, marketization, and graphitization.