Basic Practices Essay Example for Free

Basic Practices Essay Their basic practices consist of what they call the Five Pillars and the Jihad. The Five Pillars of Islam are: Beliefs and witness; Daily prayers; Zakat; Fasting; and Hajj. Beliefs and witness Every Muslim, without resorting to the use of force or intimidation, are obliged to spread the words of Islam so that other people may know about it, understand it, and use the knowledge to guide them in choosing their faith. They are convinced that once non-Muslims acquire enough knowledge, they would voluntarily embrace Islam (Fisher, 2005). Daily Prayers Prayers should be recited five times a day while facing the direction of Mecca. It is believed that requiring every Muslim to face Mecca symbolizes unity among the devotees of Islam around the world, while the daily prayer emphasizes Islam’s teaching that every Muslim should remember God everyday of his or her life (Fisher, 2005). Their daily prayer is called salat and consists of the Fajr, or the morning prayer; the Zuhr, or the noon prayer; the ‘Asr, or the afternoon prayer; the Maghrib which is the sunset prayer; and the Isha, or the night prayer which is said at night just before going to bed (Robinson, 2007). Zakat Zakat, the third pillar, means â€Å"spiritual tithing and almsgiving. † Muslims are enjoined to help the poor by donating part of their annual income to charities of their choice at the end of each year. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, channels its contribution through the Islamic Relief Organization which aids people around the world regardless of their religion. Other Muslims could give their contribution to their local mosques (Fisher, 2005). Fasting Every year, the first Qur’anic revelation is celebrated with a month-long fasting called Ramadan. All able Muslims are required to abstain from â€Å"food, drink, sexual intercourse, and smoking† from dawn to dusk. Although fasting during Ramadan is an obligation, fasting, per se, is advised from time to time because it provides an individual with â€Å"a Transparent Soul to Transcend, a Clear Mind to think and a Light Body to move and act† (Fisher, 2005). Ramadan is considered as their holiest period which every Muslim who is over 12 years old is expected to observe. However, a Muslim could be excused from observing Ramadan because of reasons of health. This was expressly provided for in chapter 2, verses 183 and 185 of the Qur’an, viz: O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting (Robinson, 2007). Hajj The last Pillar – the Hajj – is a pilgrimage which every Muslim is expected make provided that he or she is financially and physically capable. It should be done even only once during his or her lifetime to honor Allah. Their pilgrimage destination is Mecca, where their holiest sanctuary, the Ka’bah, was built by Abraham with the help of his son Isaiah (Fisher, 2005). The Hajj was described by the Council of Islamic Education as consisting of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of prophet Abraham and his family Prophet Muhammad had said that a person who performs Hajj properly will return as a newly born baby [free of all sins]. The pilgrimage also enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colors, languages, races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship the One God together (Robinson, 2007). Jihad Jihad means struggle. It is often misinterpreted by non-Muslims because it has often been portrayed by the media in the west as another term for a â€Å"holy war† which is waged by Muslims against non-Muslims. However, for Muslims, Jihad is actually a personal struggle to excel in one’s work or achieve a noble objective. It also means a Muslim’s struggle for â€Å"self-purification† (Robinson, 2007). Impact of Muhammad’s life on Islam The birth, life, and death of Muhammad impacted the world of Islam differently. His birth in 570 CE signaled the resurgence of the religion which had already sank into obscurity for centuries because the people of Meca rejected the monotheistic religion preached by Abraham. His life as a preacher which began three years after the start of the revelations resulted to a rejuvenated Muslim world. The flight of the Muslims to Medina (or the hijrah) which he orchestrated in order for them to escape persecution from the hands of the Qurayshites of Mecca was what strengthened Islam as soon as they had settled in Medina. Their newfound strength later enabled them to raise a strong army to recapture Mecca from the hands of the Qurayshites. However, while he re-established Mecca as the holy sanctuary of Islam, Muhammad himself chose to live in Medina (Fisher, 2005). While his birth signaled the rebirth of Islam and his life rejuvenated their religion, his death in 632 CE in Medina rocked the Muslim world. It caused a serious split among the followers of Islam. The Shi’a and Sunni Muslims became irreconcilably separated because of the issue of succession after Muhammad died. Most of the surviving Muslims believed that although Muhammad was able to leave explicit instructions telling his followers what to do after his death, they contended that he failed to anoint his successor. Thus, for the said majority, the issue of who should succeed Muhammad became an issue which should be settled satisfactorily in order to prevent dissension among the Muslims. After only discussing the problem briefly, they decided to settle the issue of succession by election. Unfortunately, the minority group insisted that it was not true that Muhammad failed to name his successor. They declared that several weeks before he died, Muhammad held the hand of his son-in-law, Ali, and uttered the following words: â€Å"Whoever I protect, ‘Ali is also his protector. O God, be a friend to whoever is his friend and an enemy to whoever is his enemy† (Fisher. 2005). The issue of succession was ultimately decided according to the wishes of the majority – by election – but the two factions have never reconciled up to this day. The Shi’a Muslims now form the majority faction in Iran, while the Sunnis are the majority in â€Å"Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, northern African countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union, and Indonesia† (Fisher, 2005). The minority, the Shi’a Muslims or the Shi’ites, interprets the Qur’an strictly and adheres rather closely to the teachings embodies in the Qur’an. The Sunnis, or the majority, constitutes almost 90% of all Muslims who are considered traditionalists and secular. Because of their secularity, they are more adaptable than the Shi’ites (Robinson, 2007).

Massachusetts and the Puritans

Massachusetts and the Puritans Nhat Nguyen Now the state of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established by Puritans (see  Puritanism) fleeing religious persecution in England. Composed of numerous settlements established at various times, the colony had its beginning on June 19, 1630, when John Winthrop stood aboard the ship Arbella and delivered a sermon to a group of sick and weary passengers about to begin a new life in the howling wilderness of New England. Winthrop reminded his listeners that their removal from England did not break their social and political ties, indeed those ties should become tighter and more closely follow the will of God. The colony was to be an ordered community, dedicated to realizing the will of God and to creating a model society for old England to emulate. The rulers of old England however, did not wish to, follow the Puritan lead. Both James I and Charles I were suspicious of the Puritans, especially their rejection of bishops, which they saw as tantamount to rejecting royal authority. James, I had been surfeited with this rejection of episcopal authority while the king of Scotland, having seen the Scottish Presbyterians remove his mother from the throne and place him upon it while still a youth. When he succeeded to the throne of England, James knew that he wanted to retain the Church of Englands bishops and promised to make his Puritan subjects conform or harry them out of the kingdom or worse, as he put it. This anti-Puritanism was continued and expanded by his successor, Charles I. Charles and his archbishop of Canterbury engaged in a process of persecution that led to the great migration of thousands of English Puritans to British North America. This migration, led by the Arbella and accompanying ships, resulted in numerous Puritan colonies in New England, the most significant of which was Massachusetts Bay. The colony was originally organized as a stock company with voting rights limited to stockholders who chose the colonys leaders, but this changed soon after their arrival in America. Winthrop, who held the title of governor, gathered the colonys inhabitants on October 29, 1630, and by a show of hands gave all the freemen of the colony the right to elect assistants or legislators. This action, which soon encompassed nearly all adult males in the colony, gave Massachusetts Bay a much wider franchise than England and most of Europe, despite its limitation to church membership. The Puritans desired to build an ordered community, under the watchful providence of God. This society was not, however, the theocracy that many have claimed it to be. In fact, ministers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony had less formal power than anywhere in Europe and did not constitute a recognized class with special privileges. This absence of inherited privileges was a significant factor in the life of the colony. Although the Puritans firmly believed that there were greater and lesser people, and titles such as Goodwife, Mistress, and Master constantly affirmed these divisions, the range was much less than in England. Sumptuary laws governed the nature of individual dress-limiting the colors, amount of gold, and jewelry a person could wear. These laws both affirmed social distinctions and limited ostentatious displays of wealth and power. When combined with the Puritan doctrine of human sin and of human equality before God, they resulted in much less overt social differences in M assachusetts Bay than the home country. The desire to maintain harmony, stability, and social order was great. The magistrates enforced the laws against blasphemy and punished those who failed to attend church services. The nature of colonial settlement also served to strengthen social stability and cohesion. The land was allocated to each colonist for farming, but people lived in towns, traveling out to their farms each morning and returning in the evening. Towns centered on the meetinghouse, the church building that functioned as the center of the communitys social, political, and religious life. The stereotypical independent settler separated from the community was not acceptable in Massachusetts Bay. Such a settler, separated from the bonds of family, church, community, and government, was bound to lapse into antisocial and irreligious behavior. The godly life could be lived only with others. Conflicts over the nature of that life, however, were such that the harmony desired by the colonys political elite was never realized. These conflicts emerged early in the colonys life. The first was the so-called Antinomian Controversy. Occasioned by the religious instruction thatAnne Hutchinson provided in her home and involving conflicts between the growing merchant class and the colonys political and religious elite, the Antinomian Controversy was typically Puritan in that it was fought over theology and the role of social harmony in theology. Similarly, the expulsion of Roger Williams from the colony was a response to theological differences that authorities viewed as destabilizing. Williamss belief that the government had no right to enforce the first part of the decalogue-the first four of the Ten Commandments dealing with worship-was seen as an assault upon the social stability of the colony. Indeed, many viewed any failure of the state to enforce these laws as an invitation to divine destruction. To outlaw blasphemy was not only an act of religious faith but also helped ensure social survival. Such conflicts, like those with other socially disruptive groups such as Baptists, Quakers (seeFriends, a Religious society of [Quakers]), and witches (see Salem witchcraft trials) recurred as the Puritans attempted to build a viable society in a hostile land. They struggled mightily to establish the social institutions that would provide for the colonys stability. Churches and towns were the first to appear, then came a college (Harvard, 1638), printing presses, and schools. Soon Massachusetts Bay was an expanding and successful colony, kept alive by fishing, agriculture, timber harvesting, and even the slave trade. Prosperity did not, however, ease the difficulties of creating an ordered society pleasing to God. Tensions emerged within the New England way among not only those outside but those within it as well. The first concern was the perception that piety was declining within the colony. From the heroic period of settlement, when the colony seemed to have been dominated by great men and high religious concern, many saw a decline by the mid-17th century. Religious interest appeared to have waned and the number of visible saints to have declined. This concern became so prevalent that the sermons preached about it have received their ow n name. Jeremiads, as they are known, were directed against this perceived declension. Whether the decline was as great as the ministers claimed is debatable, but it is true that the colony experienced the shift from a time when people immigrated from religious conviction to a period when people simply were born into the society. A telling anecdote, probably apocryphal, illustrates this change well. A Puritan minister once berated a man he caught unloading fish on Sunday, reminding him of the religious nature of the colony and its founders. The fisherman quickly responded, My grandfather came here from God, I came here for cod. The colony faced other challenges. Chief among these were the local Indians and the French who, from their outposts in Canada, occasionally harried the colonys more distant settlements along with their Native American allies. These challenges ended with the eventual British conquest of Frances North American colonies in 1759. The removal of this external threat only exacerbated the internal one, the ongoing conflicts between the colonists in America and the mother country. This conflict was not to be taken lightly, and in Massachusetts, it had a religious dimension. The late 17th century had seen an apparent victory of the Puritan party in its monarchical form in England. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 had removed the Catholic king, James II, and with it the threat to the colonys independent existence under James, who had revoked the colonys charter and established an Anglican foothold at Kings Chapel in Boston. But this was not the only religious threat that England presented to the colony. If some contemporary writers are to be believed, the most significant conflicts and the true start of theAmerican Revolution began with the rumor that England would send a bishop to the colonies. The imposition of a bishop was seen by many colonists as an inherent threat to their liberties. InMassachusetts Bay, where stories of episcopal persecution of Puritans were still remembered, this was the final assault on everything they had tried to create. Already forced to allow toleration to other Protestants, they now faced the final loss of their religious independence. The Puritan tradition of self-government, the rule of law, and human activity helped to set the stage for the American Revolution. The revolution in the hearts and minds, as John Adams-a Puritan scion-wrote, had already occurred. It was no coincidence that a great deal of the revolutionary leadership came from Massachusetts. The colony and i ts Puritanism had helped to pave the way. Work Cited Timothy Breen Puritans and Adventurers: Change and Persistence in Early America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980) Cedric B. Cowing, The Saving Remnant: Religion and the Settling of New England (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1995) David Hall, Worlds of Wonder, Days of Judgment (New York: Knopf, 1989) Perry Miller, Errand into the Wilderness (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1956) Edmund Morgan, The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop (New York: Longman, 1999) Samuel Eliot Morison, Builders of the Bay Colony (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1930)

Building A World Class Hr Organization Management Essay

Building A World Class Hr Organization Management Essay The situation facing Sonoco is that the company has grown rapidly over a period of several years, largely through acquisitions in a growing packaging industry. This has led to the development of a large number of silo based HR systems for each of the companys divisions, which are largely influenced by the specific demands of the divisions and by the acquired businesses, and hence are divergent in nature without a strong level of strategic direction. This is causing issues for the company, as HR is now an expensive function that is not providing significant strategic value. As a result of this, the company has appointed a new senior vice president of Human Resources, Cindy Hartley, with a mandate to develop new organisational structures for HR in order to save costs; improve talent management; develop more effective performance management systems; and provide customised strategic support to the overall business. Hartley has already implemented a number of new systems and process chang es, and has seen some benefits, but still needs to overcome issues related to ineffective talent management and a lack of alignment between performance management and company strategies (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 5). This essay will critically reflect on your own personal learning by drawing upon various academic themes and concepts around managing human resources in order to offer and propose interventions on the case study, as well as to assess the actions already taken and their effectiveness. Diagnosis As noted above, the core issue in the case study appears to be the fact that the company has grown by acquisition with a relatively rapid pace of growth, including making over 60 acquisitions in just a single decade (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 1). When a company grows through such an acquisition focused approach, it is almost inevitable that the HR resourcing and development functions will not be perfectly aligned, and this will hence create silos of HR functionality, with each individual silo only considering their own specific role and function rather than the strategic goals of the organisation (Alberg, 2007, p. 9). This form of silo based approach to HR can be very damaging for a company, as it will create an HR function which is aligned to the requirements of each individual division or department, rather than to the requirements of the business as a whole. The negative impacts of this can be seen in the case of Sonoco, where HR is focused primarily on day to day employee relations issues rather than strategic concerns, and where there are high levels of non cooperative competition between the individual divisions (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 3). The other major crucial HR problem that exists in the company is that there has been a lack of effort to develop a strategic and proactive HR culture in Sonoco. This has resulted in the emergence of an HR culture which is highly reactionary, with the HR function viewed primarily as a watchdog to head off legal and employee relations problem, as well as to assist managers with specific employee issues such as helping managers tell employees they are being terminated even when they have excellent performance evaluations (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 3). The reactionary nature of the HR culture also sees the company being broadly unable to hold underperformers accountable. This has resulted partly in poorly performing employees being able to free ride through the company, and partly in compensation being viewed as an entitlement rather than a reward, and hence failing to improve performance levels. This has led to employees generally being paid at or near the midpoint for all indiv iduals and jobs, which has prevented the creation of any form of meritocracy on the company. According to Weinberger (2003, p. 29), this creates the peanut butter issue where wages are simply spread evenly to avoid any discontent that can come from rewarded highly performing employees and penalising others. This is again evidence of the reactionary culture that avoids conflict and thus fails to boost performance. These two main issues can be seen to be responsible for the majority of HR problems encountered by Sonoco. Specifically, the company is failing to achieve good talent management due to a lack of a coherent HR approach across the company and a lack of desire to identify the best individuals out of all employees. The silo based approach to HR also prevents effective performance management leading to the peanut butter issue identified above. These silos and the reactionary culture also mean that HR is not able to provide strategic support to the business as a whole. Finally, the lack of a mechanism for identifying and disciplining or terminating poorly performing employees has prevented the company from eliminating poor performance, thus hindering cost control as the company cannot effectively save costs by removing the poorest employees. Analysis This section of the work will focus on appraising the environmental and organisational context of the case to identify the main issues these contexts create for the company and the strengths and weaknesses of the HR policies, practices, and systems in light of these issues. The analysis will also consider Cindy Hartleys objectives for changes at Sonoco and the drivers of these objectives. The primary environmental issues at the time of the case came from the changes in the packaging industry. In particular, the industry was going through a period of stagnation and change, with volume now less likely to increase and revenues under threat from low cost foreign competition whilst the industry as a whole began to consolidate (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 2). These trends highlighted the major weakness in Sonocos silo based approach to HR and the resulting disparate systems they created. Specifically, Sonocos HR practices tended to make it difficult for the company to control costs, and hence made it difficult for the company to respond to market changes in a manner as aggressively as its rivals. This can be seen in the fact that the companys stock price significantly trailed the SP 50 between 1995 and 2000, despite the company increasing net income at this time (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 1). This indicates that investors felt the company was underperforming r elative to the market, implying that costs could be cut in a more effective manner. The other main change in the packaging industry was that customers were becoming more demanding, with more variations in packaging and higher levels of segmentation of many markets. As a result of this, clients expected the packaging companies they purchased from to be able to supply them with competitively priced packaging that was highly responsive to industry trends, and to be able to apply new technologies and innovative tools to provide higher levels of customised service (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 2). This is another area in which Sonocos reactionary policies and practices made it difficult for the company to compete, and hence acted as a strong weakness. Specifically, the company lacked a strategic and proactive approach to HR, which reduced its overall ability to respond to trends in the marketplace. This meant Sonoco was restricted to developing new approaches as they were required, thus slowing the packaging concept to market delivery cycle. The company hence had fa iled to align its HR function with the demands of the market, which is a key weakness in any HR system (Aswathappa, 2005). In light of these two issues, it can be seen that Cindy Hartleys objectives for changes at Sonoco are not simply those addressed in the case. The case states that the objectives were to increase accountability for talent management; to distribute HR talent and make systems and processes more consistent; and to provide strategic support to the individual business units. However, in light of the environmental issues identified, her objectives can also be seen as being to improve talent management and performance management in order to increase overall performance; to improve performance management in order to facilitate cost control by allowing the company to terminate underperforming employees; and to provide strategic support to enable the company to be more proactive when responding to the demands of the market. Evaluation This section will consider the success of the HR changes at Sonoco, as well as the extent to which they are in line with state of the art HR policies, practices, and systems, and how they could be improved through the implementation of best HR practices relevant to the case. The fundamental change at Sonoco has been the introduction of a top down approach to performance management, with goal setting and targets being implemented at corporate level and trickled down to individual performance goals through negotiation. This practice has the benefit of attending to employee development needs and career development, as well as linking to the financial rewards system. The system as it stands appears to delegate significant authority to the divisions to set their own goals, and lacks the crucial control and assessment techniques such as business intelligent and analytics to ensure that the performance management system provides strong support to the goals of the business (Elbashir et al, 2011, p. 155). On the other hand, the system has the benefit of being relatively simple and easy to implement, which Muras et al (2008, p. 65) argue is more important that using complex processes which often confuse employees and managers. The system also implements 360 degree feedback for managers, which is vital in ensuring strong managerial development (Carson, 2006). One of the main issues that can be identified with the new performance management system is that it is focused on the value added by the individual. Whilst individual performance important, and will help overcome the problem of employees free riding, it is not in line with best practice performance measurement techniques. These techniques generally focus on the combination of individual and team performance, in order to ensure a balance between the individual and team levels of performance (Addison and Haig, 2012, p. 37). In particular, a failure to incorporate team performance into the performance measurement approach risks harming team identification levels as employees see themselves as individuals rather than members of a team. As Solansky (2011, p. 247) notes, team identification is a vital driver of performance, and hence by failing to attend to this there is the risk the new performance measurement system will hamper levels of team work. This is thus something that needs to be addressed through the implementation of best practice in the future. Design This section will focus on identifying ways of improving the existing HR policies, practices, and systems and how they can become state of the art or best practices. It will hence focus on making recommendations for improving the HR practices and addressing the problems identified in the case, as well as determining the right HR structure for Sonoco: either centralisation or hybrid. As noted above, one of the key methods that can be used to improve existing HR practices is to improve the performance management system to measure team work and individual contributions to team performance. According to Levasseur (2011, p. 204), contemporary organisation development theories hold that this needs to be achieved through consideration of various issues such as team development, conflict management and change management in the team context in order to create high performing teams. Hartley should thus look to include these factors in the new performance measurement framework to ensure high quality outcomes. The other primary issues to be resolved are how to ensure effective talent management, how to be responsive to industry and market requirements, and how to save costs. All of these issues are linked to the fundamental question of which HR model to implement: the centralised model or the hybrid structure. Of these, each option has its own specific focus on different aspects of the organisation. The centralised model will offer greater cost savings as well as improved talent management across the entire organisation, as HR will be able to identify talented employees on an organisation wide basis and move or promote them as necessary. In contrast, the hybrid model will allow for greater responsiveness to industry and market requirements due to the support provided to the general managers. The hybrid model also offers improved talent management at the divisional level as managers are encouraged to invest in their own people and staff them accordingly, although there are concerns over the level of companywide coordination and change management under a hybrid model (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 6). In general, the hybrid model appears to be more desirable as it improves market responsiveness and proactive behaviour due to the support offers to the general managers. Whilst it saves $400,000 less in costs, it still comes close to meeting the $2,800,000 cost saving target, and the improved revenue is likely to be much more important for a business with revenues of around $2.5 billion (Sonoco Products Company, 2012, p. 1). In general, current HR best practice is that the HR function and HR metrics should be focused on strategic alignment ahead off cost saving, as this will allow for higher levels of performance and a more positive HR strategy (Gates and Langevin, 2010, p. 111). The main question is hence which approach to talent management and change management is more appropriate. In this regard, it is important to note that, according to Martà ­n-Alcà ¡zar et al (2008, p. 103), best practice HR is moving away from universalistic and centralised approaches, and towards the acceptance of more contingent approaches. This provides further support to the hybrid model, as a model which is more contingent on divisional requirements and hence better able to adapt to specific organisational requirements, including providing the general managers with the specific intelligence, support and responsiveness they need in order to deal with the more competitive industry environment. At the same time, it is important to note that organisational strategy itself has an impact on the most effective HR practices, and hence the company should consider a more universal and centralised approach if its strategy will better lend itself to such an approach. Determining the most e ffective approach to support the organisational strategy should thus be what Cindy Hartley should attend to next. 5. Implementation This aspect of the essay will consider how the changes should be sustained and the schedule and resources required in order to effectively bring about the suggested changes, as well as how the company will you know that the changes are effective. The first aspect of the implementation should be to implement the hybrid model, once this has been formally selected and adapted as necessary to fit the organisational strategy. This will require the concerted effort of all the HR resources, with the specific implementation strategy depending on the availability of these resources and the ability of the company to organise them to obtain the necessary capabilities (Wright et al, 2001, p. 701). The relative success of these implementation efforts should be measured by considering the levels of support provided to the managers, as reported by the managers, as well as the achievement of the cost savings projected from the implementation of the new model (Becker and Gerhart, 1996) A similar appr oach can then be used to adapt the performance management approach in the company to the new organisational realities in order to improve team work, with levels of team performance used as a way to know these changes are effective (Armstrong and Baron, 2011). Reflection The learning activities undertaken in this module and during the analysis and completion of this case study have provided significant abilities with regards to my ability to provide solutions to the case. In particular, whilst studying this module I have learnt how to apply theoretical techniques and models from organisation development and human resources to specific cases and examples. This can be seen in my ability to apply theoretical concepts such as universalistic and contingent HR practices, as well as team work and performance management to the case of Sonoco. This will also assist me in my future managerial career, as I will be able to apply these concepts to the companies I work for. The other primary way in which the learning activities on this module have contributed to my ability to provide solutions to the case is that they have helped me to analyse a practical situation and determine the root causes of the situation from the symptoms. For example, in this case I was able to use the literature to link the acquisition based nature of the companys growth to the development of its HR silos, and use this to make recommendations to address this issue. I was also able to identify and analyse the implications of the hybrid and centralised models using theory, and hence make appropriate recommendations in this area, something which will be useful if I face a similar situation later in my career.

Graduation Speech: We Are Heros :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I'd like to start by thanking everyone who has come tonight, because without you we would never have made it this far. It's been a long hard journey. Each one of us has gone through our own trials and tribulations. But the one thing that all of us have in common is that throughout the years we all had friends to share in the good times and the bad. Without friends this journey would have been impossible. Our friends gave us someone to talk to when times were bad, but most importantly they provided us laughs and many adventures. Now that our high school career has come to an end we will go our separate ways. This however does not mean that we have to lose contact with those whom we have spent so much time with. To lose contact would mean to lose part of our past. That is why I am asking each one of those graduating tonight to stay in touch with those who have gotten us this far. There should be no reason to lose touch in today's world of technology. By staying in touch the good times will be remembered and hopefully new adventures will be explored. The real message though, that I would like to leave to the class of 2006, is to undertake whatever your future holds to the best of your ability. I'm standing up here tonight, not because I am the smartest person, but because I took everything that school had to offer in stride. Even on nights when I wouldn't get home till midnight from sporting events, I still found time to finish my homework. I guess what I am trying to say is, as we move on into the next stage of our lives we will be faced with even more distractions than we could ever have imagined. Up until now life has been pretty easy. But, now that we are moving into another stage of our lives we will be burdened with new responsibilities and commitments. If there is any hope for anyone of us to succeed at what we have chosen to undertake, we are going to have to stay focused and use everything that we have learned thus far. If we don't, the harsh reality of the real world will catch us with our back turned. We will never have the slightest clue what hit us.

The Importance of Motivation Essay examples -- Education Teaching

The Importance of Motivation Motivation is perhaps the most crucial element of a child’s education. According to Michael B. Brown, Ph. D at East Carolina University, an academically motivated student is a child that â€Å"wants to learn, likes learning-related activities, and believes school is important† (Brown, 1998). Thus a motivated student and a smart student are not categorically equivalent. While the correlation between intelligence and achievement is higher than the correlation between achievement and any other factor, the relationship is not perfect. For instance, 10 students with identical IQs will demonstrate variability in achievement on similar and dissimilar learning tasks (Andrews, 2003). Motivation is one of the primary causes of the range of scores. Thus, it is logical to conclude that in order to maximize a student’s potential, and in turn the educational experience, a student must be motivated. With the knowledge that motivation must precede success, it is clear that those in charge of educational planning should attempt to maximize motivation with the forthcoming technological advancements. The Nature of Motivation Before educators can begin to map out a plan to stimulate motivation via the use of technology, they must first have a sufficient understanding of the nature of motivation itself (Marlow, 1999). Motivation is not a static entity, but rather a constantly changing intrinsic essence that is continually being influenced by way of internal and external forces. As young children, we have a natural sense of motivation. This can be each time â€Å"a baby struggles to reach a toy, learn to walk or eat without help† (Brown, 1998). All of these are examples of motivation to learn. However, this natural inq... ... United States Department of Education. (n.d.). Technology and Education Reform. Retrieved April 6, 2004 from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/index.html The site contains a very detailed description of the various changes in the classroom sparked by the advent of new technologies. Ysseldyke, J. (2002). Cooperative learning. University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. Retrieved April 29, 2004, from http://education.umn.edu/research/ResearchWorks/coop-learning.htm Ysseldyke detailed the five externalities of cooperative learning. He also described how these attributes influenced motivation. Weiner, R. (2000). More Technology Training for Teachers. New York Times. Retrieved on April 22, 2004 from http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/22/technology/22EDUCATION.html?ex=1083211200&en=740fa1d60417ec03&ei=5070

Hsm Appendix

Instead of confronting the husband trying to talk rationally with him and defuse the situation while alarming the authorities is the best route for dealing with a person like that. In the case of the wife the programs offered through the agency promote self-worth and help prevent her from feeling bad about herself. Learning new Job skills and healthy ways of thinking about oneself should prepare her for an Independent lifestyle to provide for her and her children. Scenario 2: Closure of a Planned Parenthood Clinic In Scenario two the prevention level being used is the Secondary level of prevention.Secondary prevention can be defined as the early detection and treatment of dysfunction. In this scenario I see the human services program attempting to prevent teenage pregnancy and the rate in their community from steady climbing up by offering services to help teens prevent unplanned pregnancies. I would handle this situation a little differently than how it is handled in this scenario. I would I would still organize a group of other health and human service providers to help In assisting the county to solve the issues, but In Dalton to that I would bring wariness to the community and local politician through getting the media involved.I would also look into doing different fundraising drives to help build money as well as charity drives to keep the clinic open. I would make sure I explain to the public and politicians how unique our program is from others and why it's essential that we stay open. Scenario 3: Caring for the Homeless In scenario three the prevention level being used is the tertiary prevention. This type of prevention is generally defined in terms of efforts to rehabilitate and return to the community those afflicted with severe mental disorders.In this scenario I wouldn't change anything I think that bringing health services In the clinics is the best solution to ensure that the homeless are getting the attention and care they need since they genera lly wouldn't go on their own. Having the health resources there onsite makes it physicians and staff to work towards rehabilitating them and ensuring they are healthy. Bringing the services into the clinics will ensure that their needs are being met properly and it will also help to clean up the community of those who are mentally ill by making sure they are well taken care of.

Leadership Interview Essay

Could you speak a bit about your background and the role you have today? I first started school for engineering, and then after two years I found my passion was in nursing. So I started over at school, taking different types of classes as I pursued nursing, and three years later graduated with a nursing degree. Several different paths where traveled in nursing for me, meaning I tried many different departments and assignments. Then by accident I ended up as an RN case manager for mentally ill clients. Psych was never my intended path, but I loved it from the first day. I am now a Manager of a group of outpatient clinics for mentally ill clients and love it. I cannot see myself doing anything else now. How would you describe a leader? A good leader is only as good as the group you are leading is what I was always told. That does help, but there is a lot more that goes into it. I believe a quality leader should also be a good teacher. A leader needs to have the knowledge to pass on to those they lead. A good leader has to be able to listen as well. While those under me may look to me for answers, I have to realize that I may not always have that answer. I may have to take input from my staff, my superiors, and even clients in making proper decisions. Another attribute that is important is a critical thinker. A leader has to think on the go, and know that the answers are not always text book answers. Thinking outside the box sometimes is needed. I also need to earn trust and respect from my staff and those I oversee to be effective. What are important qualities or characteristics of leaders? It is important to have an open door policy, and listen to each staff member’s concerns. You need to be open to changes and be empathic for those who do not deal well with change. A leader needs to be forceful and fair to everybody. Confidence and inner strength will show through, making the staff or those you oversee more confident in your abilities. A diploma on the wall may get you a position in the leadership. But only demonstrating advanced social and professional skills will allow your team to trust you, which in turn, will make for a more productive team. What is your personal philosophy? Personally, my philosophy revolves around the construction of clear and workable vision of what needs to be accomplished. I try to envision the future, and make goals that will benefit the clients, as well as the facility and staff. Building a quality team is not as easy as hiring qualified individuals. Leading means are getting individuals to work as one coherent team. To do this, I need to be able to discipline, listen, and even moderate discussion. My personal ego cannot be larger than any staff member, or the team as a whole. I need to take criticism, and be able to see others’ points of views. I want my entire team to feel as if they are important cogs in the machine. I believe a leader accepts responsibility, and in doing so never places themselves above the team. What learning experiences have had the most influence on your own personal development as a leader? Experiences that shaped my growth began in childhood with the support of my family. I was always told I could do or be anything if I worked hard enough. I took that to heart, and excelled in school and sports. When I started college I had no real answer for what I wanted to be, but the drive that was inside me drove me down this path. Professionally, I once had a manager that loved her job and showed it with every meeting. Her passion reminded me of my parents and what they had taught me. She was a true role model in my professional life. I was also blessed to have quality teachers throughout my years of schooling. Coaches played a key role in my development as a leader too. Unfortunately, I also dealt with my fair share of poor supervisors too. Seeing the impact poor leadership can have in a work environment can be just as enlightening for someone looking to move into a leadership pos ition. Luckily, I do not use them as role models. At least I tried not to. How do you see leadership evolving in nursing today? Leadership in nursing is headed into many different fields today. Nursing roles are evolving with new technologies, new specialties, and higher levels of nursing. Because of the need for healthcare increasing, nurses are being tasked with more responsibility too. Nurses are now asked to step up and become leaders on the floor, in schools, in management, and many other aspects of healthcare. Nurses are becoming leaders in the development of strategies in developing and delivering the product to the consumer. Nurses were viewed as employees who followed doctors’ orders in the past. Today nurses have the ability to grow beyond that, and in doing so, nurses can take the lead in providing care. Leader can positively impact the health care system within which they operate. Nurses will be leading more clinics and other facilities in an effort to care for the increase in those seeking healthcare. Healthcare is a business, and nurses are trained in that business. So it is only common sense that these highly trained people should play a leading role in the changes we will see. What are the most challenging issues in your current position? The biggest challenge is trying to get more funding for the mentally ill. It can be hard to deal with all the meetings that we have to get money for medication, treatment, food and housing and to stay upbeat as a leader. But I love this job, and my clients, so that makes it worth dong. It is also very difficult to find enough staffing for mental health. It can be a very taxing job, and it takes a special person to be able to handle the position in mental health, especially in the long term. Finding professionals with the patience needed in dealing with our clients is always a huge challenge. As a leader (or manager) in your career have you had a mentor? If so, how did this influence your leadership style? I had a supervisor that taught me to leave the business at the door and never bring it home. Working in m ental health can be emotionally draining, so this tiny bit of advice is important for me to keep in my mind. If I took my work home, I would need help soon. What advice would you give someone who is aspiring to a leadership position? My advice would be to learn as much as you can for the position. Use the knowledge you have gained through seeing others in leadership positions to your advantage too. Remember the qualities of leaders who brought out the best in you, and try to bring those qualities to the position. Also, be  humble. Becoming a leader will not end your education. It is just the next step in your evolution. In conclusion, a leader is somebody who accepts responsibility. A leader is a person who can see the big picture. A person, who is adaptable and able to bring out the best in others, is a leader. A person who cares enough to make the team stronger for the benefit of all involved is a leader. A leader is a person who can moderate, discipline, coordinate, listen and teach in a way that demands respect and confidence from those they lead. References Sullivan, E., & Decker, P. (2009). Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. References Sullivan, E., & Decker, P. (2009). Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.