Organisational Change and Development

Introduction So as to be able to achieve organizational goals and objectives, it’s important for the organization to embrace effective interventions. Organization development interventions are aimed at increasing the performance and output of the organization. So as to be successful, organization development interventions should affect the whole organization and should go down to the individual level.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Change and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The interventions should be sponsored by the head of the company and should be supported by the organization’s staff. Interventions that should be implemented in this case should involve respect for employees and the administration, having a working administration in the organization, having trust and open channels of communication between the administration and employees. The interventions must be ab le to support open confrontation of problems that are facing the organization. Major stakeholders in the organization must also participate actively in the interventions. This will somehow give the interventions a bit of weight and seriousness Dustdar (2006). Management For any company to prosper, proper management should be implemented. Management is defined as the act of leading and directing all or part of an organizational structure through the deployment and use of resources; human, financial, material intellectual or intangible. It involves providing guidance and letting others follow through. Poor management often leads to chaos and confusion among workers in a particular company or organization, leading to misuse of available resources and hence low production Dustdar (2006). Problems noted Bladetech Australia is a manufacturing company that after a while of being a productive company has seen its growth rate dwindling. It is noted that the company has began failing due faci ng direct competition from the Korean Manufacturing of windscreen wipers and as a result causing the Australian government to reduce its tariffs. As much as the tariff reduction would help consolidate the global competitiveness of Australian companies as a whole, it also makes them four to five percent less competitive than other economies in the world. Bladetech therefore may suffer a great loss to the Korean company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bladetech a need to have better use of support functions and resources involved in new product development. This is an issue noted that has led to the inflexibility of the structure and service operations such as engineering and design. The lack of flexibility in a manufacturing company, or any company for that matter should be an issue of concern as it may lead to dysfunctional relationships between different departments in the company and miscommunication. This leads to failure in the company as a whole because it is the departments that make up the organization. Another problem facing Bladetech is the lack of proper and aggressive marketing. Marketing is an important aspect in the development and growth of a business venture. It is through marketing that a company attracts its potential customers and investors more so advertises its products creating new opportunities for market expansion. Badetech has failed in actively trying to expand its marketing horizons leading to it having limited access to its products. Bladetech has poor structure and the lack of co-ordination among the departments. The general manager is viewed as the overall overseer of the three departmental heads; operations, sales and marketing, and human resource management, under which operation and sales and marketing managers are concerned with the departments of engineering and design, manufacturing and distribution. Apart from havin g a disorganized structure, there is weak managerial competence and training at all levels of employees in the company. This has led to disunity between the various departments due to unconstructive criticism and comments towards each other. The efforts employed to initiate several training and change programs have seemed futile due to the negative attitude from the affected parties which has as a result provided almost no solution.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Change and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The manager operations points out that the marketing and the HRM fields are at fault. He notes that the marketing field engages in expensive marketing that he implies might not be necessary because he probably does not seem to see its results, whereas HRM involves itself in training and development courses. The major problem here however is the issue of pointing fingers. This partic ular manager blames his failures on his fellow colleagues without acknowledging any efforts that might have been put out by them towards the improvement of their firm. He further fails to concede that one of his teams a need attention to achieve improvement Spedding (2008). The main constraints affecting the operations group is the lack new ideas and innovation, the time taken to implement the ideas and the time it takes to come up with new products Williamson (2004). This has been greatly fuelled by the lack of proper technological assistance and the slow adoption of the latest technologies and current management practices. These management practices have been characterized by the head of operations who actually maintains that a need for an expert in organizational development is merely a waste of financial resources! According to the manager of sales and marketing, the major issue facing his field is the lack of proper rewards to him and his subordinates who often are dedicated to lengthy working hours Nuthall (2010). This has led to loss of productive force hence poor production. He further comments that his proposals for improvement have been met by strong rejections from the other fields. The lack of support of the various departments is seen as the problem here that has hindered the development of the company. It can be concluded here that each department is after individual benefits other than the general growth of the company Bates (2005). The problems affecting the accounting and financial field as mentioned by its manager is bombardment of too many changes in the field in a short spun of time. It the lacks the newest system of financial technology that might be useful in updating its financial records and is not welcoming to future changes in its operations Burrow (2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unfortunately, management in this department does not exhibit the confidence and assertiveness that is key to any employee that hold an important post. She avoids one on one discussion about the issues affecting her field and prefers to communicate via email. The issue with this kind of communication method especially when dealing with important matters is the information might be missed or not clearly understood. In general, the key problems facing the company are as listed: Poor organizational structure. Poor communication channels among the departments in the company. The lack of proper marketing strategies. The lack of incentives for workers. Presence of incompetent employees. The lack of new and improved technologies. The lack of new ideas for innovation. In order for Bladetech Company to move forward in their quest for improvement, there is a need for providing probable solutions to the problems that are affecting them by evaluating each individually and noting their roots S tatt (1999). Bladetech structural organization might not be viewed as a strong one in that there is only one overseer that is supposed to manage and direct operations of the other heads. This problem might be taken care of by introducing assistants to all levels of managements. This improves the chances that the head is overwhelmed by too much work hence losing track of the activities of the subordinates North (1997). Bladetech needs to work as a unit in terms of communication. Listening skills need to be used to facilitate better relations between the fields. Heads of department should try to hear each other out and try to understand the challenges that face individual fields before disregarding their opinions and wishes. This will generate better working environment comfortable to each employee Jeston (2006). Recommendations The company should improve its marketing strategies. This can be done by looking for ways to expanding market for their products, looking at the current compe titive pricing of the product in the available market and try to regulate their prices that is being fair yet competitive. Bladetech sales and promotion field should try to look for better opportunities outside and view this venture positively, not as a cost but as a means of creating awareness of their products in the global market Thomas (2011). Orientation is the most important part of the first day of an employee at a company and must be done effectively so as to ensure that new employees easy find and identify a place for themselves at the organization. There are however some improvements that the company can make to the program so as to ensure that the new employees are well oriented. The company should have extended the time that is allocated to employees for the orientation. This would give employees more time to get used to their jobs. This can help foster productivity. The orientation process should also be made broader. Instead of having a board room meeting the company s hould organize a number of activities for orientation. This is because people learn best from processes that allow them to see, feel, touch and be one with whatever they are being oriented into. This will also promote productivity and faster settling in by employees. Incompetent workers should be dealt with accordingly. First of all, uncooperative behaviour should not be condoned as this contributes to poor work ethics. Individuals exhibiting such behaviour should have their terms or contracts terminated with immediate effect. The company’s discipline system recruitment rules to guidelines that are in the form of company policies which dictate what employees are allowed to and what they are not allowed to do. The rules are enforced in all departments of the organization. This has increased awareness of employees towards disciplinary measures that the organization takes Thomas (2011). The discipline program also contains a number of steps that are geared at correcting wrong em ployee behaviour. The system has two types of warnings and reprimands that an employee could receive for any form of misbehaviour. These include verbal and written reprimands. The discipline system contains elements such as suspensions without pay where by the reprimanded employee is supposed to take some time off their work without pay and serious offenses may invite a direct dismissal of the employee. This system is effective because it keeps all employees in check and ensures that they are all well disciplined at work. Relevant training sessions and courses should be offered frequently to maintain the credibility of the human resources and to keep up to date with the current technological know-how Barrile (2007). The company also needs to update all its technological equipments so that they may be at par with their competitors Stokes (2006). Management should understand that technologies are bound to change frequently and should therefore work to enable their fields to quickly ad opt these sudden changes Longenecker (2006). This involves greatly the financial sector which is prone to breaking under these sudden changes. Bladetech need to improve management of its financial sector by introducing aggressive individuals who are up to date on the newest forms of technologies Bates (2005). The company must integrate new individuals with new ideas into their work force. This will provide ideas on the improvement of their products and their performance hence better products. It requires these individuals to research other companies’ products in order to find new ideas in producing their own improved version of the products. This may also alleviate competition which was seen as a major hindrance towards the development of the company Drucker (2007). This intervention improves the productivity of the company by modifying the existing organization structures. So that the organization can be able to achieve its goals it is important that it changes its structure . By changing the structure the organization will be able to regain control of management and employees as well. This will increase the organizations efficiency and performance Spedding (2008).The implementations of these interventions require a dedicated process. As it may be costly to integrate new forms of technology, financial back ups are needed. This also requires agreement and support of each individual in the company. They should be ready to accept and implement the changes that come along with the implementations for the overall benefit of the company’s productivity. Bladetech management should incorporate the government in its dealings overseas. This will help promote its products and increase its marketing options. Employee diversity is also a major setback to employees working together. Therefore the organization should be able to harmonize all its employees so as to be able to achieve its goals. Employee relation intervention would be very important when there ar e many conflicts at the work place, when there is recruitment of new employees and low employee morale. The organization could implement this on the individual level and also on a personal level. These include: Individual coaching and Counselling: the organization could choose to hire a professional to coach and counsel individuals in the organization. Individuals could be coached on the importance of working together with their colleagues. Counselling may also offer a chance for individuals to voice their complaints about the work place. Mentorship Programs and Visionary Leadership: the organizations top brass for example, the CEO should have a mentorship program for the organizations employees. Management should lead the other employees towards meeting the organizations goals. Leadership and mentorship should be by example. The company should also address employees as a group. The organization should resolve all conflicts that exist between employees. The organization must encoura ge dialoguing and an open communication line between employees. The organization should encourage team building and offer incentives for teams that have good performance Barrile (2007). It is also important to increase employee performance so as to increase the overall performance of the organization. The organization’s goals offer the reference to performance. The organization should clearly state its objectives and the progress to the goals must be monitored regularly. The organization should have a feedback system that tells employees hoe close or how far they are from the organization’s objectives. So as to be able to meet this objectives employee performance is critical Barrile (2007). The first step to performance management is the statement of the organization’s performance goals. The organization must have clearly stated and defined goals. Employees should be made aware of these goals. The next step would be coming up with a performance plan. The company must routinely monitor and track this plan. The organization should evaluate performance and reward where due. The performance plans of the organization should be open to development. They should allow for improvement. Morale Boosting and employee Motivation: the organization can use incentives and gifts to motivate employees. The organization should propose a system which offers employees financial incentives which are pegged on the profits made by the company. This will increase work input and output. This will in turn increase the company’s profits. Employees participating in the scheme directly affect the company’s profits. The organization must ensure that the scheme motivates the selected employees to be more productive. The goals and ambitions must be realistic and attainable. The organization must spell out goals that can be achieved. It would be best if the goals were based on the history of the company. If the goals are set too high it would demoralize emplo yees Barrile (2007). The organization should provide a suitable climate for the development of employee careers. Promotions should be given upon merit not based on years of service. This will enhance career development for hardworking employees. It will also act as a motivating factor. The organization must also plan for leadership and management. Only qualified employees should be promoted to leadership and management positions. This will ensure that the organization has competent leadership and thus increase the company’s productivity Williamson (2004). Benefits are offered by employers so as to make the employee’s stay at the company comfortably and will be more inclined to staying at the company. Other benefits that are offered by employees are so as to enable employees to be able to balance their work and social life outside work. This allows employees to have time for their family, friends or whatever they is important in their lives (Ivancevich, 2010). The main intention of these benefits is to make sure employees are highly motivated and have the morale to work. This is because the benefits are out to make employees happy and if employees are happy at the work place they will increase their work input as well as their work output. The benefits are also beneficial to the company since they ensure the company retains its critical employees. By being able to retain critical employees the organization remains strong towards the path of reaching its goals and objectives. Work life programs help to bridge the gap between work and the personal life of an employee. These programs create a balance between work and the personal lives of employees. This leads to an increase in productivity and work output and creates a better place for employees to work in. There are various options of work life programs for example adjustable work arrangements, salary bonuses and discounts foe employees. Good work life programs highly motivate employees to work bet ter and to love their jobs. Conclusion Organization Development interventions require a leader who is actively participating in the in the interventions. The organization should not implement the above discussed interventions without a good leader. It will negate the need to implement them. A leader is needed to guide and inspire the change required in the organization. The leader should be a visionary. As discussed early they should commence from the apex of the organization. They should start with the CEO and go all the way down to the lowest employee. The organization should also constantly reward employees who embrace the interventions. This will motivate all employees to embrace change Williamson (2004). Reference List Barrile Steve,and Terry Cameron. 2007 Business Management: Corporate Management, People and Change: VCE Units 3 4. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia. Bates,Bronwynne. 2005.Business Management: Fresh Perspectives. Cape Town, South Africa: Pearson E ducation. Burrow, Jim, Brad Alan Kleindl, and Kenneth E. Everard. 2008. Business Principles and Management. Mason, OH: Thomson Learning. Drucker, Peter Ferdinand. 2007. The Practice of Management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Dustdar, Schahram, JoseÃŒ  Luiz Fiadeiro, and A. Sheth. Business Process Management: 4th International Conference, BPM 2006, Vienna, Austria, September 5-7, 2006: Proceedings. Berlin: Springer, 2006. Print. Jeston, John, and Johan Nelis. 2006. Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful Implementations. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Longenecker, Justin Gooderl, and Justin Gooderl Longenecker. 2006 Small Business Management: an Entrepreneurial Emphasis. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Longenecker, Justin Gooderl. 2010. Small Business Management: Launching Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning, Nieuwenhuizen, C.,and Barney Erasmus. 2007. Business Management for Entrepreneurs. Cape Town: J uta. North, Klaus. 1997. Environmental Business Management: an Introduction. Geneva: International Labour Office. Nuthall, P. L. 2010. Farm Business Management: the Core Skills. Cambridge, MA: CABI North American Office. Spedding, Linda S., and Adam Rose. 2008. Business Risk Management Handbook: a Sustainable Approach. Oxford: Elsevier/CIMA, Statt, David A., and David A. Statt. 1999. Concise Dictionary of Business Management. New York: Routledge. Stokes, David, Nicholas Wilson, and David Stokes. 2006. Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship. London: Thomson Learning. Thomas, Christopher and Dianne. 2011. Organisational Change Development Transformation. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Williamson, David. 2004. Strategic Management and Business Analysis. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heineman. This essay on Organisational Change and Development was written and submitted by user Ronald Nunez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Infectious Disease Prevention and Contr Essays

Infectious Disease Prevention and Contr Essays Infectious Disease Prevention and Contr Essay Infectious Disease Prevention and Contr Essay Required Preparation: Read the textbook; review the power points before class. Read the assigned article, and be ready to discuss it in a group. Learning Objectives: 1. Review principles related to the occurrence and transmission of infection and infectious diseases. 2. Describe the chain of transmission of infectious diseases. 3. Apply the chain of transmission to describing approaches to controlling infectious disease. 4. Review types of immunity, including herd immunity. 5. Review principles of immunization and specify the immunization recommended for all age  groups in the United States. 6. Describe the legal responsibility for control of communicable diseases in the United States. 7. Describe the chain of transmission and control for priority infectious disease. 8. Identify nursing activities for control of infectious diseases at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. 9. Review principles related to the occurrence and transmission of infection and infectious diseases. Key Terms: Knowing these terms will help you understand the concepts of this topic. communicable disease isolation mass screening mode of transmission  zoonoses incubation period nosocomial infection outbreak endemic epidemic pandemic cross-immunity Materials Needed for Class: This packet Today’s Activities: Lecture, group work with case studies Study Questions: Talk about the previous perspectives in communicable diseases. What happened in the last century to increase positive outcomes in community health? Talk about transmission of communicable diseases. Transmission depends on the successful interaction of three factors. What are they? What are the four main categories of infections agents that can cause infection? Discuss the modes of transmission. What are the three examples of disease spectrum? How are communicable diseases tracked? What about emerging infectious diseases? What are some examples- and what was done about it? How are communicable diseases prevented and controlled? What is the role of the nurse? Talk about agents of bioterrorism. How are anthrax and smallpox contracted? Treated? How do they present? Vaccines are one of the most effective methods of preventing and controlling communicable diseases. What are these diseases? How do they present? How are they treated? Food infection results from bacteria or viral or parasitic infection of food. Name some food- borne illnesses. What are food intoxications? Vector-borne diseases are transmitted by vectors. How are they treated? Prevented? Zoonosis is an infection transmitted from a vertebrate animal to a human. How is this prevented? Treated? Talk about hospital-acquired infections and universal precautions. Discuss disease surveillance. What are the uses? Purposes? Data sources? What are nationally notifiable diseases? State notifiable diseases? What is the system used for  this report mechanism? Discussion Questions: 1. Your college roommate went to bed not feeling well one night and early the next morning you had trouble arousing her. She was rushed to the hospital just in time to be effectively diagnoses and treated for meningococcal meningitis. The health department recommends immediate antibiotic treatment for everyone that was in close contact with your roommate. They set up a process to watch for additional cases to be sure an outbreak is not in progress. Fortunately, no more cases occur. You ask yourself: should your college require that all  freshmen have the meningococcal vaccine before they can register for classes? 2. As a health advisor to a worldwide HIV/AIDS foundation, you are asked to advise on ways to address the HIV and developing tuberculosis epidemics. You are asked to do some long- range thinking and to come up with a list of potential approaches to control the epidemics, or at least ways reduce the development of TB. The first recommendation to make is to forget about eradicating HIV/AIDS. How did you come to that conclusion? 3. Your hometown of 100,000 is faced with a crisis as an airplane lands containing a  passenger thought to have a new form of severe influenza that has recently gained the ability to spread from person to person through airborne spread. As the mayor of the city, what do you decide to do? 4. You are a principal at a local high school. One of your top athletes is in the hospital with a spreading bacterial infection due to a staphylococcus bacteria resistant to all known antibiotics. The infection occurred after what appeared to be a minor injury during practice. As the principal, what do you decide to do? Case Study # 1: A local university does not require proof of immunization from incoming students. The university administration is afraid that requiring evidence of immunization will deter students from registering for courses. How might you go about convincing the administration that immunization status should be validated before students are allowed to register? You believe that all college students should receive a meningitis vaccination prior to enrolling. What do you believe would work better: 1) requiring the immunization before the student arrives at the college or 2) providing vaccinations to students upon arrival at college? Case Study # 2: A Communicable Disease  Jane is an 18-year-old college student. She lives in the dorm with her roommate, Sally. Shortly after Jane returned from Christmas vacation, she developed a fever and a rash. She didn’t feel too bad, but Sally persuaded her to see a doctor. Because it was Saturday, Jane went to the emergency department (ED) of the local hospital. The physician there made a diagnosis of rubella. Later that night, he and the nurses in the ED became very busy with victims of a multi vehicle accident. As a result, no one completed the health department form reporting Jane’s rubella until 2 days later. By the time a community health nurse contacted Jane to complete a rubella case report, Sally and several other girls in Jane’s dorm had also developed rubella. Sally gave it to her boyfriend, who exposed those in his classes. One of the women in his English class is pregnant. Based on the information presented in the case description, what biophysical, psychological, physical environmental, sociocultural, behavioral, and health system factors are operating in this situation? What additional factors in these dimensions might influence the situation? How might you assess for the presence or absence of these factors? What primary preventive measures could have been employed to prevent this situation? What primary prevention measures are appropriate at this point? What secondary and tertiary measures by the community health nurse are appropriate at this time? What roles will the community health nurse perform in dealing with this situation? What other public health personnel might the community health nurse collaborate with in addressing the situation? How would you evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in this situation?

Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Human Sexuality - Essay Example Moreover HIV infection is serious symptoms in this case which leads to death and is non-curable. In the recent statistics of United States there has been a shocking image of the youth turned out. It is estimated that from 1989 to 2008 there has been a rise of Chlamydia syndrome from 102.5 to 401.3 among 15-24 years. Among women, incidences of Gonorrhea were at the peak. Globally adolescent and young pregnancy is highest in USA (CDC). So certain measures have been undertaken like adequate sex education, use of condoms, doctor’s frank suggestion etc to overcome the problem of STI’s in all over the world. The course of the study deals mainly on the growing sex attempts in the young generation and rise in the extent of HIV virus among them. The research entails some strategies for a prevention programme. Adolescence is an age where children become inquisitive about sex and explore their relationships with friends. They also become potential romantic partners or sexual partners falling prey to flirtation, dating and excitement of sexual feelings. They are much influenced by the sexual experiments among them. Due to the excitement and immaturity in their age, these teens are prone to STI and STD like diseases. Having a safer sex can be initiated by various measures like: Having sex is not a crime but here should be transparency between the partners is important. The most important part of sex is to be away from STD infection and for that talking between the partners is very important. Both the partners should be aware of the fact whether their partners are affected or not or if the partner knows about STD and its consequences. Many teens before sex become excited and nervous to talk about issues on STD as being informed is no wrong. The conversation may be tough at times but an exact time and situation makes it easier (Kidshealth). Use of condoms during sex is widely practised between partners now-a-days as people are more concerned about their health

Team Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Team Leadership - Case Study Example Furthermore, the team lacks excellence standards through which individual performance can be assessed. Individual performance should be established at each level in order to identify and correct any wrong doings (Martin 253). With lack of such essential qualities of effective teamwork, it can really be very difficult for the team to attain its goals. Jim should intervene immediately if he wants his team to achieve effectively and with ease its goals. Since his group comprises of individuals with very high expertise, Jim can utilize this opportunity and intervene from within. As an executive leader he should have a clear SWOT analysis of his team in order to approach situations strategically. This will help him to utilize every opportunity/strength the team is exposed to appropriately while avoiding the team weaknesses as well as overcoming the threats. Nevertheless, his intervention should be task oriented even though relational actions may also come into play at times (Martin 254). Jim’s group seems to have no problem with their leader but rather have a problem with what they are expected to do. Jim should define to each individual clearly what he expects of him/her and the exact goal they are expected to achieve. ... Structuring here implies that members’ strengths as well as weaknesses needs to be studied in order for each member to be allocated what they can do best. Decision making is also of equal importance in the process of leading, as it facilitates the process of attaining results. Jim should also ensure that standards are maintained at every step through a constant monitoring and evaluation process. A close analysis of the group will enable him to identify any misunderstandings within the group, and rectify them before they become a major problem. Local Cancer Health Team Teamwork is all about proper communication, listening and understanding each other. Without these qualities group effectiveness which plays a critical role in teamwork is not going to be achieved. Team effectiveness aims at ensuring that tasks are accomplished within the stipulated time, as well as maintaining a strong teamwork. This team may actually fail to accomplish their vision due to poor developments withi n the team. Each individual should be accorded respect in what she/he has been allocated in the team and no one should feel superior over the other. Since within this team other members feel that they know more than others, the team is likely to lack cohesiveness as conflicts may arise (Martin 255). In this team problems are arising from both internal tasks and relations since the two exist co-currently. Conflicts resulting from tasks are likely to spread to internal relations where other team members will feel undermined. As much as it is team work, no one should be looked down upon since it is expected that duty allocation is based on specialty. Doctors in this team however are overstepping their mandate to an extent that they are

Executive Summary Social Networking Essay Example for Free

Executive Summary Social Networking Essay Introduction We are at a time when customer satisfaction is at an all time low, yet it is becoming a more and more difficult to talk to a human for customer service. Many businesses have lost the personal and trust-filled relationship that is so desired by their clients. In order to maintain and grow a loyal customer base, a company can now achieve those real human connections by means of social networking. Individuals from all areas of the company are readily available to meet the diverse needs of its customers, future employees and each other. Social Networking is at the top of today’s technology and is being utilized by many companies. Our business purpose is to share business ideas and opportunities. This has become an effective tool to meet prospective leads, clients, efficient employees and business partners. [i] Social networking is an easy and cost effective way to make profitable business connections with people that you never knew existed. Recommendation ââ€" ª An advantage of Social Networking is to create new ways to communicate and share information about our company. Communication is a key to success in any business, and social networking is the best way to facilitate these successful interactions. ââ€" ª Social Networking ensures that our company is making new and successful connections. We are able to promote our company’s services on a more personal level.[ii] Both our customers and own employees can build a more trusting relationship through the ease of communication of a social network. Analysis Social Networking has always been an effective source of communication. It has become necessary to change they way we pursue our clients and employees. We want to manage more efficiently, hire the most qualified employees and locate potential clients. Our business has to be aware of not only what we communicate, but how we communicate. Society has changed they way we interact with one another. It use to be highly encouraged, by employers, to meet a potential client or future employee while playing golf, having lunch or maybe even dinner. You would provide your sales pitch, hand them a business card and follow back within the next few days to see if they were interested in your business or if you were interested in theirs. This was an approach to maintain a personal relationship and show your future client or future employee how available and interested you are. Social Networking has grown and we need to be aware of the way we connect and communicate. Communication is no longer just reaching a client or future employee. It is reaching millions of business connections that you never knew existed, through technology. Technology has allowed us to create social sites that can be used for networking your business, via the internet. I use to think social sites such as Myspace.com, Facebook.com, and LinkedIn.com were sites for younger people to socialize with their friends. After researching these sites, I found that these sites support much more than socializing amongst friends. It has become one of the most effective ways for businesses to communicate and build relationships with other business people and potential employees. Social networking has provided businesses with the following: business development or sales, raising business capital, professional development, getting job assistance with others in your company, recruiting board members, management of employees and social or personal reasons.[iii] Social Networking can add value to a company externally as well as internally. It can be a very powerful tool and when utilized properly we can learn from others as well as ourselves. There are many companies that have taken the idea of these social sites and utilized them internally. They are using social networking as marketing tool for growing their business. Social Networking is now essential professional competency for employees at all levels. Professionals need to know how to gain visibility and credibility in their target markets and how to build and maintain relationships for long-term growth. They need to develop strategic networking skills and practices to excel. It is the most important tool for intelligence gathering. In a business setting, such as conferences, meetings, and outings, people need to find the latest information on resources, trends and best practices. It is a critical strategy for business development. Employees can create a network of profiles and connect with one another. Enabling connections among employees, the company could easily establish virtual teams, bring new employees up to speed, improve collaboration and increase retention among people who hadn’t felt a strong sense of belonging.[iv] Social Networking is a method for personal retention because it creates feelings of inclusion and helps people from diverse backgrounds feel listened to and valued. Building up a network of diverse people is very helpful for any business. Contacts with different clusters or groups would help your possibility of greater opportunities. A closed group of contacts will not allow you this kind of exposure. Networking can help you with your contact list. This would then help you to expand your sales and social base. [v] It remains the primary technique that people use to find jobs, change careers or land on their feet after a layoff, merger, or reorganization.[vi] Through the company’s social network you can create a word-of-mouth marketing stream that reaches people you would never be able to reach on your own or other means. Experts can provide feedback or validation regarding your current ideas or help to create new ones. You can create an advisory board of business people that are regularly available to you and committed to the growth and success of your business. People are given the opportunity to brainstorm which allows you to get outside of the normal way of thinking and create new and innovative ways to grow your business. People in your social network can connect you with potential employees.[vii] Companies are communicating and connecting using external sites as a tool to check up on employees who are working for them or are a potential candidate. We want to make sure we are ahead of the game, the who’s who if you will. Potential employees seem to be younger and younger. They are not all exploiting the typical Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com to post their resumes or look for jobs anymore. They are developing personal sites with LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com, which are allowing a more personal view of a potential employee or client. More than one in five employers searches social networking sites to screen candidates. There are many areas of concern that can be researched on networking sites including: information about drug and alcohol use, inappropriate photos, poor communication skills, bad-mouthing of former employers or fellow employees, inaccurate qualifications, unprofessional screen names, notes showing links to criminal behavior, and confidential information about past employers. This is a very effective way to help determine whether a candidate should be hired. You want an employee that can show a professional image, solid references and are a well-rounded candidate in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit for the company.[viii] Closing Social Networking is a smart and strategic way to keep our company connected and communicating both internally and externally. Remember the old saying, â€Å"It is not always what you know, but who you know† and social networking has been an effective tool that has allowed us to broaden our personal relationships with our customers, future employees and each other. Social Networking through technology will allow us to grow with endless possibilities. [i] Raj, N. A. (2008). For Entrepreneurs: Social Marketing Optimization. Retrieved November 1,2008, for Gaebler Ventures Website:http://www.gaebler.com/Importance-of-Business-Networking-for-Entrepreneurs.htm [ii] Raj, N. A. (2008). For Entrepreneurs: Social Marketing Optimization. Retrieved November 1,2008, for Gaebler Ventures Website:http://www.gaebler.com/Importance-of-Business-Networking-for-Entrepreneurs.htm [iii] Darling, D. (2003). The Networking Survival Guide Get the Success You Want by Tapping into the People You Know. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill. [iv] Brandel, Mary (2008). The new employee connection: Social networking behind the firewall. Retrieved October 25, 2008, for Computerworld Networking Internet Website:http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasictaxonomyName=knowledge_centerarticleId=9114560taxonomyId=1intsrc=kc_top [v] Sridhar, B.N (2008). The Importance of Networking in Business. Retrieved October 25, 2008, for [emailprotected] Website: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Networking-in-Businessid=1525118 [vi] Baber, A. Waymon, L. (2007). Make Your Contacts Count Networking Know-How for Business and Career Success. New York, New York: Amacom. [vii] Fisher, D. (2001). Professional Networking for Dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc. [viii]Havenstein, H. (2008). One in five employers uses social networks in hiring process. Retrieved October 26, 2008, for Computerworld Networking Internet Website:http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasictaxonomyName=knowledge_centerarticleId=9114560taxonomyId=1intsrc=kc_top

Early Quaker Women in Ministry :: Religion Religious History

Early Quaker Women in Ministry The Account of the Travels, Sufferings, and Persecutions of Barbara Blaugdone gives us an insight into the traveling ministry of the work’s namesake, Barbara Blaugdone, the Quaker woman who persevered through trial after trial to come out on top. As she says, â€Å"I can speak it to the glory of God, he never moved me to any thing, but that he gave me Power to perform it† (Blaugdone 8). In other words, God gave Blaugdone no trial that He did not also give her the power to overcome. However, Blaugdone was only one of many Quaker women to minister and share the Truth that the Quakers so loved. While the majority of active Quaker ministers were men (Trevett 70), women in the Quaker movement enjoyed opportunities to minister, both privately and publicly, while sharing in many of the trials of their male counterparts. Much of what the Quakers considered ministry was less visible to the general public. â€Å"For Quakers, [ministry] encompassed not just preaching, prophecy, and other overtly ‘religious’ activity, but also any witnessing to the faith, be it in the home, the marketplace or workplace†¦. An example had to be set in all those places† (58). Many Quaker women performed more feminine tasks in addition to preaching and teaching (43). For example, they saw to the poor and needy, with extra care given to less fortunate Quakers (58). Other women set an example to public officials by standing alongside their husbands in demonstration of their faith (60). When imprisoned, which happened often enough to Quaker men and women alike, these stalwart, godly people continued to share their faith with those around them (Bauman 67). Still other women followed the example of the great early Quaker leader Margaret Fell, who â€Å"ensured . . . that no ministering Friend lack ed coat, stocking, or shoes,† and provided for Friends on the road. (Trevett 56). When â€Å"called†, though, Quaker women opted to minister in a more public fashion. To the Quakers, a woman in a public ministry role was the fulfillment of God’s Will as opposed to the disobedience of divine directive. They believed that ministers â€Å"were called and served by the ability God gave them, [and] that women were equally eligible to serve in the ministry† (Bauman 36). This philosophy directly opposed a long-observed teaching from 1 Timothy 2:11-12, â€Å"Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection.

Audre Lorde Hanging Fire: Anxiety of a Teenager Essay

The dominant emotion in the poem Hanging Fire by Audre Lorde is anxiety. This is the poem about the uncertainty of a girl in her maturity, who longs for adult guidance. The author uses several examples of imagery in the poem, but the most notable of them is the repetition – anxious repetition. The narrator in the poem is the fourteen-year old girl, who is worried about many things in her life, one of them is the color of her skin. This is a very important issue among the teenagers. In this case, the girl states that her skin â€Å"betrayed† her (Lorde 521). The repetition of girl’s thoughts is quite evident, and her tone of anxiety is thus conveyed to the reader. These thoughts are inherent to many teens, when they are concerned about the way of their awkward dancing, and that they have â€Å"nothing to wear† (Lorde 521). These thoughts of anxiety are intertwined with the narrator’s reference to momma, who is behind the closed door. This is a great depiction by the author of the unavailability of the mother to the teenager. The reader understands that the mother of the narrator does not care about her. The closed door is depicted literally (the door is closed) and figuratively (the mother is not open to her daughter). The repetition makes the emotion of anxiety so powerful, making a strong emphasis on that. This may be explained by the difficult relationship of Lorde with her mother. The narrator seems alone in this world, and the repetition about death expresses her worries about being unnecessary to anybody. Repetition clearly demonstrates to the reader the hard fate of the girl, who wants to convey that she needs someone around her so badly that those people do not even realize. Work Cited Lorde, Audre. The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde. New York, NY: Norton, 2000. Print.