The role of inventory management in the logistics and operation of Fed Essay

The role of inventory management in the logistics and operation of Fed Ex Corporation Limited - Essay Example This report will seek to describe the process of inventory management undertaken at Fed Ex Corporation Limited (courier industry) and the role it plays in the overall logistics and functioning of the company in helping it pursue its objective: the fast and efficient delivery of parcels to their desired destination anywhere across the globe! Knowing the role of inventory management is important because it contributes to the overall functioning of the company and in turn, determines the efficiency of the entire process. In other words, it is very important for any firm to deal with its inventory carefully because this in turn complements and directly affects other related processes such as warehousing, transportation and all of this eventually determines the level of customer satisfaction. This customer satisfaction is essential in building and maintaining the goodwill of the company. Any little negligence or carelessness can lead to big failures and destroy very easily the goodwill that the company took years to build. Therefore, through this report, we aim to highlight the importance of inventory management and hence, the logistics operations in the overall functioning of any company, specifically explained here through Fed Ex corporation.

The effects of working mothers on children in the UAE Essay

The effects of working mothers on children in the UAE - Essay Example It is mother who guides children towards diverse fields. According to Cuber J.F (1955) an individual’s character is outcome of mother’s efforts. Thus a good mother with impressive credentials will bring up her children in an impressive way and inculcate all of her qualities into them to the maximum. On the other hand, mother who does not devote proper and required attention on her children cannot never attain purpose of hoping her children to be good group members even let alone good citizens. Thus evaluation that mother is, fundamentally, responsible for a good family can be understood from the impacts mother puts on children in a social milieu. Working mothers particularly are prone to effect children’s future because they hardly offer appropriate time to them. This phenomenon has been gaining ground across the globe on general and in UAE in particular. This paper is drafted to analyse role of mother and impacts which children get from the inattentive attitude mother has for children across the globe especially in UAE. This paper deals chiefly with the case in point of working mothers in UAE. I have structured this paper into various sections in which I have defined working mothers and their statistics, role of maids as a replacement of mothers’, working mothers in UAE and Gulf and negative effects which children get from working mothers. Further, I have also elaborated that factors which have caused increase in number of working mothers in UAE and Gulf and social aspect of working mothers in different sections under different headlines. I end this paper with logical conclusions and also some advices which, I find, essential towards a better future of the children and mothers. Working mother is one who earns livelihood for her family by working outside of the home. These services earn them handsome amount to make both ends meet and also to bring up children according to social changes and control. It is also a fact that every mother

Derrick Jones, Former Albion Prison Inmate, Wins $312,000 Jury Verdict Article

Derrick Jones, Former Albion Prison Inmate, Wins $312,000 Jury Verdict for Negligent Medical Care - Article Example The doctors gave him narcotics and crutches. The next day he fell from stairs, but was not given an MRI. The second case study is that of Dennis Austin, who was convicted of rape, and died of bed sores. The article’s information and the case studies raise awareness for health care organizations. The message is for the health care communities, to raise their efficiency of health care provision and quality of care. Hospitals and health care agencies must comply with the code of ethics, so that no individual remains deprived of proper and timely health care. There is need for steps taken by health care organizations to provide timely and quality health care to citizens. The Affordable Care Act is one such law that ensures affordable and high quality health care provision. This legislation was passed by Congress, and the President signed it into law on March 23, 2010. The article made me feel sorry for the health standards provided in state prison. I feel that the prisoners must be provided proper health care, since negligence regarding provision of health care is not part of their penalties. It is their right. Lohr, D. (2012). Derrick Jones, Former Albion Prison Inmate, Wins $312,000 Jury Verdict For Negligent Medical Care. Huffpost Crime. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from

The System that Couldnt Deliver Essay Example for Free

The System that Couldnt Deliver Essay Three years ago, Diana Sullivan, was recruited by Lenox from a major competitor to work as its Chief Information Officer. Sullivan, a 20-year veteran information systems executive, knew going into this job that computers had never been one of Lenoxs strengths. James Bennett, Lenoxs Chief Executive Officer told Sullivan that they simply need a tool that would help their agents provide fast and reliable information needed to close a sale. After years of hard work, Sullivan thought she had done her job well by delivering Lifexpress on time and on budget. Lifexpress is a sophisticated computer-aided system that enabled Lenoxs 10,000-plus agents to do everything from establishing a prospects financial profile, to selecting the most appropriate products from the companys myriad policies and generating all the paperwork needed to close a sale. Lifexpress, however, wasnt boosting sales productivity as much as management had expected. Two of Lenoxs competitors had launched similar systems and are already running ahead of them. Sullivans Boss, Chief Financial Officer Clay Fontana seems to be blaming Sullivan for the problem. Bennett appeared to correspond with Fontana. They believe that since Lifexpress is Sullivans system then she should be accountable not only for its creation and implementation but for realizing the business goals that goes with it as well. Yet Sullivan believes that had already taken what the necessary steps to bring the company up to speed. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM How can information technology projects help Lenox achieve its business goals?OBJECTIVES1.To describe the companys attitude towards information technology2.To determine how Lenox can achieve radical performance improvements through the use of information technology THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Decisions on investments in IT are both critical and contentious. With a thorough understanding of a companys strategic context, managers can identify business and IT maxims that can help determine the IT infrastructure capabilities necessary to achieve their business goals.Management by Maxims The framework is made up of four components. 1.Considering Strategic Context. To clarify infrastructure requirements, companies also need to understand the current strategies and strategic intents of each business unit, the synergies between units and the firms experiences and beliefs in the value of leveraging those synergies.2.Articulating Business Maxims. Business Maxims capture the essence of a firms future direction. It is grouped into six categories: cost focus; value differentiation as perceived by customers; flexibility and agility; growth; human resources; and management orientation. It is therefore important for managers to prioritize the relative importance of maxims to ensure that the most important messages are understood. Business Maxims form a base from which business and IT executives can work together to identify IT maxims. 3.Identifying IT Maxims. IT Maxims describe how a firm needs to connect, share, and structure information and deploy IT across the firm. It is grouped into five categories: expectations for IT investments in the firm; data access and use; hardware and software resources; communications capabilities and services; and architecture standards approach. 4.Clarifying a Firms View of IT Infrastructure. IT Infrastructure has four views: none, utility, dependent and enabling. Firms take on one view. There is no one best view but rather one is more appropriate for a particular firm, according to its strategic context and business and IT Maxims. A firms view of infrastructure should change together with its strategic context and business maxims. a.None View. It is when a firm decides to do without IT economies among its businesses. It does not invest in IT infrastructures at the firmwide level. b.Utility View. IT infrastructure is viewed as a way to reduce costs through economies of scale and sharing. c.Dependent View. IT infrastructure is viewed as a response to specific strategies. d.Enabling View. IT infrastructure is viewed as a core competence that provides competitive advantage. Firms with this view are industry leaders in terms of infrastructure investment levels and provide extensive infrastructure services in a highly centralized way. CASE ANALYSIS Lenox Insurance Company admits that computers were never their strength and with the way they are going, it will never be. Bringing in new technologies, updating key applications and the reorganizing and streamlining of the information services organization should never be seen as a cure all to the problems plaguing the organization. An information services overhaul is not a feel-good pill. New technologies should be met with fresh attitudes and ideas. Information Services is just one of Lenoxs many problems. In fact, it is not one of its biggest problems when Lifexpress became operational. It is that its top people, its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer have no idea about the concepts of product strategy and increased productivity. The way the Chief Executive Officer and the CFO understand increased productivity is how Lifexpress translates into increased sales. Lifexpress effect on Lenoxs productivity is that it cut the processing of all the necessary paperwork from four weeks minimum to a matter of hours. If thats not an increased in productivity, I do not know what is. Lifexpress should be assessed on its own merits and not on comparisons to competitor systems. Lifexpress was received positively by Lenoxs technologically challenged agents. This could only mean that the agents will get the hang of using the Lifexpress system given time. It is just that Lenoxs agents have a steeper learning curve having a handicap of technological incompetence. Ease of use is relative Lenox insurance company should take the steeper learning curve into consideration. The completion of the Lifexpress project in itself was a success and credit should be given to Sullivan. The project was made operational on time and in budget. It is hard to argue with these facts. It is given that Lenox Insurance Company has more product offerings than its competition so Lenoxs  Lifexpress project should be expected to be more complicated and therefore will take more time to cover all of its services. The Lenox Insurance case resonates with the parable of the mustard seed. As it is now, the proverbial mustard seed, the Lifexpress system cannot be brought into fruition with Lenox Insurance Companys initial technological shock. But it should not lose hope. Lenox Insurance Company can still cultivate its lad to be fertile, given time. Using the management by Maxim Framework, Lenox does have a clear strategic context improve productivity and help the sales force close on more new policies using information services. But it did not have a clear articulation of its business IT maxims. For one, Lenox confuses the goal of increased sales with Lifexpress effect of increased productivity. Starting from a technological handicap relative to competition, Lenoxs investment in Lifexpress was a big leap enough. It is time for them to get back to the drawing board and reassess their business strategies that need to be saved from the quicksand of confusion. The clear articulation of an agreed position in a form that executives understand and act on is sorely lacking in Lenox. Because of this, accountability is muddled and could lead as it is to Lenoxs case to endless and pointless finger pointing. To this end, Sullivan is partly to blame, she should have discussed her role in clear detail with Lenoxs top executives. She could have been spared of all the accusations being thrown at her. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Once and for all, Lenoxs top people should sit down and reassess their strategies using the 4-point Management by Maxim framework. They should agree on courses of action and execute them accordingly. Bibliography: Byron Reimus, The IT system that couldnt deliver, Harvard Business Review (May-June 1997)

Historical Background Of Foster Care In Ireland Social Work Essay

Historical Background Of Foster Care In Ireland Social Work Essay In order to fully appreciate the present situation of foster care in Ireland, an insight into the past history of foster care will be told. There has been a long tradition of fostering in Ireland. Foster care was present in the past, it was known as fosterage. It can be seen during the Brehon laws. Children from families of all classes were put into care of other families. This form of care was to lighten somewhat of the pressure for space in the home. This may have been as families were quiet large in the past and also financial difficulties. It also included children who were abandoned and needed the support and protection (Robins). The Brehon laws acted as the legal laws in Ireland and created two types of fosterage on where no remuneration was given and the other where a few is given (Shannon, 2005). Foster parents in both cases were to maintain their foster child to there rank. It was under a legal contract to keep and for the child until the period of was fosterage was not being cared for sufficiently, the chid was to be returned to there family home (O Higgins, 1996). Foundations of the present law around foster care were developed with the introduction of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1862. This provided children being boarding out to families who were not in work houses (O Higgins, 1996). The Infant Life Protection Act of 1897 presents where our recent system has originated from. This involved the appointment of females to inspect the conditions in which the children lived in, it also gave power that if not up to standards the child could be removed and placed in with families. Under the Health Act of 1953, health boards were empowered which provided for a major shift towards foster care. The arrangements that were introduced in boarding of childrens regulations in 1954, included provisions around the issue of being boarded out, placement in an approved school or if over 14 placed in employment (Task Force, 1980). Providing to be an important piece of legislation was the childrens act of 1908. It stated that a child who was neglected or abuse could be placed in the care of a fit person (O Higgins, 1996) Foster Care Foster care as previously discussed was a main expression towards the need for recognition of the rights of the child. Development in this area for acceptance that the child has needs of their own has led to the system of foster care that provides personalised family care that the workhouses and institutions could not provide. (Kelly and Gilligan, 2000, pg 7-8) Offers care in family setting Offers care in communication Offers opportunity to make attachment relationship to committed foster parents It can permit children to be attached and identify with family of origin It can include the childs family in care of child It can provide care and support into adulthood It can channel extra support from the agency for the child and carers (Kelly and Gilligan, 2000, pg 8) Modern child protection procedures are not sufficient as to make up a childs placement plan alone. It is more complex, as child care professionals now see the importance of individualisation and providing not only the physical care but the attachment and emotional needs ought to be provided for also (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). Children need to be placed in an environment where there needs are met, wishes can be supported and they can make individual choices for the future (Coakley, Cuddleback, Cox, 2007) Foster care is not a simple method of caring for a child; most children have experienced some form of trauma, may have been hurt or may have health or behaviour problems (Task Force, 1980). This calls for foster carers to be understanding and accept their emotions through being sensitive and caring. This can be a basis for the start of developing a relationship with the child (Fahlberg, 2004). The emergence of relative care in Ireland has proved beneficial to families. Keeping in with familys tradition and connection helps the development of childs identity, the surfacing of partnership as a key principle in child care (Broad, 2001). Legislation in Foster Care Firstly the researcher will examine the legislation in relation to relative foster care in Ireland. Child Care A ct 1991 There is a clear promotion for the welfare of children in the Child Care Act 1991. The health board has a statutory duty to identify children who are not receiving adequate care and protection (RWGFC). The welfare of the child is paramount and where appropriate the board is to give consideration to the wishes of the child based on their age and maturity (RWGFC). If social services are to meet the needs of children going into foster care then they must, among other things, listen to the child and include the children where possible in the decision making process (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). A plan is made which outlines aims and objectives for the placement and detailed guidelines for support to be given to the child, foster parents and natural parents (Shannon, 2005). UN Convention on the Rights of the Child The UN Convention was ratified in Ireland in 1992. It includes articles providing rights that relate to the childs life. It involves protection of the child from any form of discrimination and states the best interest of the child shall be held where possible when action is being considered which involves the child. It recognises the childs right to be protected and provided for. Foster care is mentioned in Article 20, stating that it is a substitute care provider when the parent or guardian fails to do so. This shows that foster care is a recognised as a suitable and appropriate form of care. Children Act 2001 The health board as stated in Section 23P requires at least 30 days notice for a private foster care placement to be arranged ad for an emergency foster care arrangement the health board requires notice within 14 days according to Section 23P2 (Shannon, 2005). At the time of notification, the health board has to be provided with the sufficient information around the foster placement (Shannon, 2005). It is said that the welfare of the child should be a primary concern to the foster parent. Section 23U allows for three interventions which the health board are obliged to use if the following occur. If it comes to the health boards attention that a private foster care arrangement has been arranged without notification to them or that the carers are not providing for the safety and welfare of the child then the interventions which can be implemented include a supervision order, an order to take the child and put into care or an instruction to terminate the order (Shannon, 2005). National Standards of Foster Care The national standards for foster care were devised following concerns around the quality of foster care services. These concerns were highlighted by the Report of the Working Group on Foster care, Foster Care: A child Centred Partnership (NSFC). The standards were developed by a committee who gathered information from experiences from individuals and organisations who work in the area of foster care and from a representative group of young people currently in foster care (NSFC). The National Standards for Foster Care 2003 provide guidelines on the provisions of quality foster care within the existing legislative framework (Shannon, 2005) There are 25 standards in all; the first 13 standards take into consideration the standard of care of the child including quality of response to factors around the childs needs and services required, whilst sticking to the relevant legislation (NSFC). The 2nd section involving the standards 14 to 17 are in relation to the assessment process of possible suitable foster carers and the training and support they require to provide for successful foster placements (NSFC). The final 8 standards are aimed at the duties and responsibilities of the health board. These standards provide guidelines which aim to promote the quality of services provided by the foster care professionals and Health Board (NSFC). The Child Care (Placement of Children with Relatives) Regulations The Regulations where put in place in 1995 as section 39 of the Child Care Act 1991 requiring the Minister for Health and Children to make regulations in relation to foster care. These regulations are directed at children who have been placed with a relative. The health board must pay attention to the rights and duties of the parents but the board must consider and consult with the child on his or her preferences (Shannon, 2005). Certain procedures must be implemented and fulfilled prior to the placement of a child in a foster care setting (Shannon, 2005). In relation to the welfare of the child needing to be considered, being placed in a family members home can cause conflict between relative carers and the birth family, so if this conflict cannot be settled then other placement should be considered (Shannon, 2005). Once the relative carers have lawful custody of the child, Article 16 of the regulations directs that the relatives take all reasonable steps to ensure the promotion of the childs health, development and welfare. In addition to the above many other factors contribute to the regulations. A relative intending to care for the child, must in according to Article 5 give in certain information regarding their health, two referees, examine into the relatives background such as criminal charges and any other relative information to the Health Board (Shannon, 2005). According to Article 12, the Health Board has to keep records of the children in foster care, including personal details of the child, an up to date case record containing certain documents (Shannon, 2005). In addition to this, the health board may visit the child as stated in the care plan. Whatever the arrangements made, Article 17 calls that the foster placement has visitation from an authorised member of the health board at least once every three months for the first two years (Shannon, 2005). To ensure the above aims of the childs placement, it is recommended that the case should be reviewed in terms of the successive of the placement and the possibility of the childs return to their natural familys home (Shannon, 2005). A foster care arrangement will end when the child reaches 18 years. Other possible reasons are that the child returns to their family home or at the request of the relative carers (Shannon, 2005). Assessment Process in Relation to Relative Foster Carers There are certain issues around the assessment process that are a cause for concern. Certain developments and amendments need to be applied to provide the best opportunity for foster care placements to be successful. In traditional foster care the assessment process lasts for a length of nine months usually, this process has to occur before the child is placed in the foster home. In comparison relative care, this process of assessment usually occurs after the child is placed with relatives due to the rapid movement of the child (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). A decision for the child to be placed with relatives is usually in the midst of a crisis. The family can be approached by the agency or the family themselves may contact the agency. As there are different regulations for traditional foster care and relative foster care, and the placement of the children occurs at different times, then it is questionable that there should be different assessment criteria (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). In recent studies, it shows that birth families themselves had preference to relatives caring for their children rather than with a home outside the family. Depending on the route to which the child entered relative care, either by agency approaching the relatives or the relatives approaching the agency, this can cause conflicting tensions between families (OBrien in Broad, 2001). The decision to take on the care of a grandchild is not an easy one. If the birth parents are not happy with the Health Service Executives decision to place their child in care, it can become a dilemma (Climo et al, 2002). The model of assessment of relative care is the same used for traditional foster parents. This is not right for relative carers as they have a connection with the child and family, the process is different to which they become known to the agency and the fact the placement is already made (OBrien in Broad, 2001). The assessment process of placement of a child with a relative usually occurs in two stages. The first is a preliminary assessment of the relatives; if the agency is content with the outcome then they proceed with the placement of the child. When the child is residing in the relatives family home the formal assessment process occurs (Kelly Gilligan, 2000). The following issues were found in a study done by David Pitcher assessing grandparents. The grandparents felt confused when being assessed and feared giving aware giving certain answers would result in their grandchildren not being placed with them. The process needs to be explained and the grandparents informed on the reason behind it to allow the process to be carried out in an honest manner (Pitcher in Broad, 2001). As grandparents have not planned to take on the full time care of a child, the can feel unprepared. Placement of the child usually occur mid crisis so it can cause the grandparents to feel stressed as they face meeting the criteria that is expected of them (Coakley et al, 2007). Social workers need to work with the grandparents in preparing them to cope with the challenges to promote successful placement and to alleviate these pending placements (Coakley et al, 2007). If the process is not explained properly this can lead to difficulty between the social worker and the grandparents. The grandparents can feel overwhelmed by the depth their private lives are being looked into. They can find this process negative and very intrusive and also it can be a frightening experience for them (Kelly Gilligan, 2000) As the process begins the grandparent should be given a written copy of the format of the interview. The social worker needs to give an honest explanatory description to the grandparents to prepare them for the process ahead. The aim of the social worker is to get an idea of the carers personality, to look at practical issues i.e. housing schools and to discuss together the perceived length that the placement will be (Broad, 2001) It can be of some reassurance for the birth parents that the child is going to live with people they know and may trust. The child can have different feelings of moving homes as in a study by Terling, 2003; found that trauma can be reduced when the child knows the person that will care for them rather than a stranger. Although the grandparent must acknowledge that while the child does know the grandparent, it does not reduce all of the stress and trauma that the child may experience when moving into another form of care (Broad, 2001). Also, the relationship between the grandparent and child must be looked at, questions need to be asked by the social workers such as does the grandparent actually like their grandchild and is there a sense of belonging for the child (Broad, 2001). Training should be specific to the carers needs. Parenting the Family Cycle The individual life cycle takes place within the family life cycle which is the primary context of human development (Carter Goldrick, 1988, pg 4). In early adult hood it can be expected that a couple will become parents of the younger generation, this can be an exciting period in a persons life. This new role that they adopt can involve responsibility in the childs developmental process and having authority in acting out parental roles to their children (Carter Goldrick, 1988). Perspectives of the role in later life are viewed as having less responsibilities and more time to reflect and relax. An older person is thought to experience retirement, dependency of others preferably their children or younger relatives, a sense of financial insecurity, possible loss of friends through death and the difficult time when a spouse dies (Carter Goldrick, 1988). Although this is a much generalised view, these experiences do occur. Grandparenthood can offer a person a sense of being and bring joy to their life. Becoming a grandparent can create new motivation and add fulfilment to an elderly person life. It creates opportunities for them to experience a new role and to develop a special close relationship (Carter Goldrick, 1988). Grandparents have a good position in their family network because they are not the parents of the children but they have a caring and considerate interest in their grandchilds development (Brubaker, 1985, citied in Bernades, 1997). A grandparents role has no clear guidelines, they can adopt rules but in remembering that they do not have the same authority that they had with their own children. Instead, grandparents can spoil and indulge in their grandchildren (Bernades, 1997). There are different styles of grand parenting involving different characteristics. The types of relationships they hold with their grandchild can vary from being distant to authoritarian and being involved in their life with assuming responsibility but having love and care (Hammer Turner, 1990). This can have an effect when a grandparent becomes a full time carer for their grandchild. If the grandparent was distant then it can be harder to develop a bond that has been absent. In comparison if a grandparent has been involved and caring, then to gain authority and create rules it can take some time and adjustments (Hammer Turner, 1990). It involves a lot more responsibilities than previously needed. They will have to set routines, assume responsibility in daily tasks and educate the child with essential skills and attend to the needs of the child (Hammer Turner, 1990). Grandparent hood can be seen as a second chance at parenting. This can be seen for grandparents when their own child has failed at their duty of parenting, the grandparent can become the main carer due to the fact that they feel part to blame. They may feel that in helping, they can fix the problem that they may have blame in (Hammer Turner). Another possible reason presented by Climo, 2002, seen that grandparents felt a commitment to the value of family continuity, they agreed to take care of the family. Their commitment to both generations their child and grandchild meant they felt it was their responsibility to step in (Climo, 2002). Also grandparents may not want their grandchild to be placed with strangers and fear that they may lose contact with their grandchildren (Climo, 2002). Factors Attributing to Relative Care It may be hard for the grand parent to deal with conflicting issues between themselves and the birth family so by introducing skills this can assist in managing family dynamics. This can essentially result in ensuring the best outcome for the childs welfare (Coakley et al, 2007). These include boundaries with birth parents, adopting care plan and following guidelines around maintaining a good relationship with the birth family (Coakley et al, 2007). If the grandparents allow continuous contact with the birth family, it can have a negative effect. This can be said when the reason for placement was abuse, if constant communication is occurring then the child may be put in danger. Also, the grandparents will never be able to gain responsibility, authority or develop a routine if the parents are interfering and not sticking to access plans that have been drawn up (Terling, 2001). Some argue that relative carers are not capable of meeting the childs needs (Sparr, 1993, Dubovitz, 1994 citied in Terling, 2001). There are assumptions that a child experience of parenting from their parents can be transmitted from one generation to another (Pugh De Ath, 1985). The grandparents capability needs to be questioned, looking also at their suitability of caring for their grandchildren, as they are the ones who raised the troubled parent (Gladstone Brown, 2007). Parental failure can be seen as a result of learnt behaviour from previous generations poor parenting (Davidson, 1997, citied in Climo, 2002). As characteristics run through the family, it can prove that the relative carers might have similarities in parenting to that of the birth parents. Especially in this case considering that the grandparents raised the birth parents. It can be said that if the reason for placing the child in care is due to abuse or neglect this can be a worry and should be considered (Terlin g, 2001). Implications can occur when a grandparent takes their grandchild into care. They can find it hard dealing with the childs emotional, behavioural, physical problems, issues of attachment or loss, perceived agency inadequacy, dealing with authority of the child welfare system and dealing with birth parents (Coakley et al, 2007, pg 93). A custodial role can affect the grandparents health as they need to alter their routine and plans, they can feel physical tired, have less time for themselves and have extra duties to do around the house with the addition of a new person (Gladstone Brown, 2007). As they are then busier, relationships can be affected. They have less time to interact and enjoy doing things with their friends, this can cause them to become socially isolated (Broad, 2001). Other relationships include the grandparents other grandchildren who can become jealous at the thought of their grandparent being closer to one grandchild and providing them with more attention (Jendrick, 1993, citied in Climo, 2002). Depending on the grandparents employment status, they may have to quit their job as they will be responsible for the child, this can have an affect on their financial income. They will have more to payout as an extra person, with less money to do this with (Gladstone Brown, 2007). It was found that grandparents can become to resent the situation they are in and it showed they felt they were incapable of keeping up with the child (Climo et al, 2002). Role of the Social Care Worker Relatives who foster care tend not to receive as much support, can ask for less help and it is believed that social workers feel they need less help than traditional foster care workers. The worker and grandparent need to draw up a support plan that will ensure the above do not occur (Broad, 2001). The social worker needs to assess what it was like for the grandparent when they were parenting their own children. They need to reflect on what worked for them when raising their children, try to identify possible mistakes they made and acknowledge how it will be different raising their grandchild (Broad, 2001). They need to understand it may be difficult in altering their role towards their grandchild, possibly identifying their idea of discipline as it may not be appropriate in terms of child welfare, for example corporal punishment was norm years ago but times have now changed. Also as the hope is that the child can one day return to their birth family, the parents own beliefs in raisi ng a child has to be made aware to the grandparent so they do not confuse the child (Broad, 2001). The grandparent may find parenting hard if they have to deal with social services monitoring them. It can be difficult for the grandparents as now there are many factors to be considered which put increases in the demand of them (Pugh De Ath, 1985). In comparison to parenting in the elderly persons time, the knowledge around the needs of the child in terms of physical, intellectual, social and emotional development has become more recognised. All of these will be monitored by officials in the case of relative foster care. As before a parent would not receive this type of pressure to ensure that their child is constantly receiving care and having there needs met (Pugh De Ath, 1985). Grandparents can feel inadequate under the high expectations of their role in the childs development. It can be quite a comparison as when the grandmother was parenting there was little demand to satisfy social demands. The importance was to run the household and the saying mother knows best was the pare ntal ethnic (Pugh De Ath, 1985). In comparison to traditional foster care, relative carers are said to not receive as much support as needed. Possible reasons for this are because the social care workers may have the idea that the relatives do not require the same level services (Dubowitz, Feigelman Zuravin, 1993, citied in Mc Coakley, 2007). According Schlonsky Berrick citied in Mc Coakley, social workers may be influenced by the relationship that is already present within the family. As the child is under the care of their family, the social worker may feel it is the families right to raise the child without the intrusion of them (Coakley et al, 2007). Another possibility is that the grandparents themselves either refuse or do not request support from services (Coakley et al, 2007). Grandparents may feel that asking for help or showing a need for help may be perceived as a weakness in their ability to cope. In the findings conducted by Mc Coakley 2006, it can be seen that mutual goals should be drawn up in the a ssessment process so that the best possible care for the child can be achieved. In addition to this, if the agency can show how committed they are in tailor making the families intervention and meeting the needs specific to the child and family then the family may welcome support more openly (Coakley 2007). Gladstone Brown (2007) identified the following factors which contributed to a positive relationship between the social worker and grandparent. It was found that firstly if a social worker presented as a friendly, considerate personality and the grandparents felt that they could connect and talk to them then they were more likely to open up to them. Social workers need to show an understanding to the situation, and allow the grandparents to feel appreciated for the contribution they are making (Gladstone Brown, 2007). Grandparents appreciate when a social worker responds to their needs and offers them informative advice and support on child management issues and referrals of other services that could offer support (Gladstone Brown, 2007). For a grandparent being informed can help them with their new role of parenting. As they are monitored and assessed, receiving feedback can allow them to know where they stand and how they can improve and also know what they are doing right. Also as their situation changes they need to know about entitlements that they can receive (Gladstone Brown, 2007).

A Study On Change Management Commerce Essay

A Study On Change Management Commerce Essay Accepting change is considered the biggest paranoia in todays world. Organizations both business and non-business confront a challenging world. Some of the challenges that are faced by managers today include competition from other firms, globalization, and technological changes besides others. Let us consider a small example that can set the stage for discussing the effects of change. Daily life in a modern society is like a routine, where we wake up in the mornings, have breakfast, go for work, have lunch, come back from work, eat dinner and then sleep again. It has become a scheduled life, or so to say, we conform to structure in our lives. This structure provides us the necessary security. But, if we were to live in a world full of anxiety and unexpected mechanisms, it may leave us feeling uneasy and apprehensive. If this is the condition of individuals, a large-scale change in an organization can surely transform its people into anxiety, exasperation, frustration, depression or even fatal incidents. To curb this, organizations practice what is to be referred to as Change Management. Change Management is a process whereby, the individual, team or the organization develops a planned approach towards any sort of an alteration. The objective is to capitalize the benefits for the people and lessen the risk of failure of implementation. Change management entails thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation, and most importantly, consultation with the people who are going to be involved in the process. This task studies how organizations have evolved to accept change. But let us first look at the drivers that affect organizational change: Ø Inadequate Financial Performance the 2008 economic slowdown can be well quoted as an example for this. Companies failing to reach their financial benchmarks, have to undergo change. Competitive organizations can cannibalize their market share, provided they enter with cheaper labor or superior technology. Failure to maintain the market share can force companies to rethink their opportunity cost and also the deployment of resources. Ø Changes in Strategic objectives many companies shift their focus from being product-driven to being customer-driven or even process-driven. To enable this, restructuring and re-orientation of processes, people are required of in the organization. Ø New Technology companies that neglect the new trends in the market are set to suffer a setback, and, therefore, should adapt to the changes in technology. Ø Mergers and Acquisitions when companies merge and consolidate their operations, people and the culture, re-engineering takes place. The streamlining of the operations, infrastructure and the structure of the two organizations into one centralized theme is a huge part of the change management process. These, could be defined as the drivers of change that evolve businesses and markets. Organizations, today, have learnt to adapt to change. In this era of globalization, fast-moving lives and business-centered organizations, people and the processes have accepted the transformation. For instance, a lot of investment banks had to undergo transformation during the economic slowdown. Citigroup Inc. restructured its banks and other affiliates during the recessionary period, to acclimatize with the new environment. And it did happen. The management has to ensure that a smooth shift occurs, and for this it adopts a number of organizational theories as a basis for effective change management. Some of them are listed in the next few paragraphs. The central challenge of changing peoples behavior and making them susceptible to change remains to be a huge challenge. John Kotter and Dan Cohen, discuss in their book The Heart of Change: real life stories of how people change their organizations discuss highly-successful organizations embark large-scale change. They say it moves through eight stages: What people do and what is to be done for them, requires systematic thinking and planning on the part of the management. It is necessary to build upon a sense of urgency in the people by inspiring them with the need that has arisen to undergo change. This could be done with relevant people in the organization first and then go onto include others. These could be referred to as the Change Agents. These agents can then create a team with the credibility, reputation and formal authority that can inspire change leadership. The visions, strategies and goals of the employees and the organization could be uplifted in this process but communication of these is of utmost important. The right communication can get the change process on an easy path. Every path has some definite barriers to action, and it is imperative to remove these as they would prove harmful. Empowering the people to act on their vision could lead to easy transition. Change cannot be brought about in a jiffy. It requires a lot of patience and observation on part of the organization, and therefore, small waves of change can lead to a bigger, better ocean of possibilities. When the change management process is nearly done, the new culture should remain stagnant until, the next change process comes around. This eight-step process of change would help to slide organizational change smoothly into organizational processes and functions and would bring about a new culture. The next theory of change is Kurt Lewins Three-Step Change theory. This theory is considered to be systematic and planned in its approach. It talks about three steps namely: The first step says to unfreeze or to change the existing behavior. This is necessary to overcome the strains of individual resistance. Some activities that can assist in this step are motivating the employees, building trust and recognition and letting the employees participate in brainstorming sessions and other group activities. The second step talks about taking the level of the employees to a new target level. In this stage, the employees are encouraged to work together, look at the changes from a new perspective, and support the change agents and the leaders in the process of change. The purpose of refreezing is to stabilize the new equilibrium and ensuring that the changes implemented are followed by the employees. There are many other theories that can catapult an organization into accepting change, namely, 7-S Framework by Mckinsey, Cultural Dimensions by Hofstede, Managerial Grid by Blake-Mouton, Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change by Burke-Litwin, besides others. Organizations, today, understand the relevance of inclusion of its employees in the process of change management, and, therefore by implication of various models and theories, involve their people with full intention of their benefit. The Cognitive theory states the importance of understanding the thought processes of human beings, and this theory aids in the development of the theories and the models used by organizations for engaging their employees in the change management process. The next task studies the strengths and weaknesses of a Bureaucratic Organization. Task (b) Max Weber gave the concept of bureaucracy at the turn of the 20th century. For him, the ideal bureaucracy was defined by the terms efficiency, impersonality and rationality. The employees are subject to published codes of rules i.e. the ones that are available in writing. The structure of the organization is a continuous hierarchy where every level has authority on the level below it. Job holders have no rights to a particular position. Responsibilities are delineated within each level, which has its own sphere of competence. Technical competence is the basis for appointment to an office. The strengths and the weaknesses of the bureaucratic organization are described as below: Strengths : Increased control and monitoring of the upper level management More control over the employees with set rules and regulations Reporting relationships are clear and well-defined Centralized system, where all the decisions are monitored Weaknesses: Lack of innovation due to the set procedures and processes Employees are not motivated because of lesser employee participation and involvement Communication has to go through many levels, which gets distorted Encourages politics in the organization These are the strengths and the weaknesses of the bureaucratic organization. The organization chosen is BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke which is headquartered in Munich, Germany and came into being in 1917. It has become one of the ten largest car manufacturers in the world. Long-term thinking and cornerstone thinking has been the reasons for their success. The prime objectives of their corporate strategy include striving for ecological and social sustainability, taking full responsibility for their products, and giving commitment towards their resources. It is for these objectives, that BMW has been the sector leader since the last five years, according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. BMW holds the privilege of having some of the best brands in the world, to be their creations. These are the BMW Series, MINI and the Rolls Royce. These automobiles represent the finest and the most luxurious segment of the cars in the world. Along with the automotive concerns BMW is also employed with other services such as: Motorcycles BMW is also engaged with the development, production and the marketing of motorcycles. These motorcycles are set in standard with technology, environmental protection and outstanding customer pre-sales and after-sales services. Financial Services an extensive product portfolio is offered by BMW that supplies expert information and advice for situations and questions in relation with the finance sector. As stated in their Annual Report 2009, BMW is clear with their mission for 2020 where they are the worlds leading provider of premium products and services for individual mobility. More driving pleasure and less of emissions the BMW group is implementing on this principle, unlike the other automobile manufacturers by working on Efficient Dynamics technology. In 2007, BMW adopted the Number ONE strategy that focused on long-term value growth and profitability. The four pillars of this strategy are Future, Growth, Customers and Profitability. This strategy revolutionized the BMW group and put them on the path to success.BMW has about 24 production and assembly plants in 13 countries. The sales distribution network of BMW stands strong at 41 company-owned subsidiaries and more than 3,000 dealerships. The next task discusses and compares the ways of organizational development and aligns it with BMW. Task (c) Organization development consists of the activities that intervene in the interactions of the people and the systems, i.e. in the work culture and in the organizational design in order to increase the efficiency using a variety of applied behavioral sciences. Richard Beckhard in what is Organizational Development?, mentions that it is â€Å"an effort (1) planned, (2) organization-wide, and (3) managed from the top, to (4) increase organization effectiveness and health through (5) planned interventions in the organizations ‘processes, using behavioral-science knowledge.† The intervention techniques focus on four categories- the Interpersonal, team or group, intergroup and then the overall organizational intervention. Each intervention revolves around these four categories. Some of the important organization development interventions include: Survey Feedback is a part of intervening in the total organizational system. This methodology believes in taking feedback from the managers in the form of a survey conducted. The data is collected, the results are analyzed and then the means are developed to correct the situation. Process Consultation a behavioral effort, this intervention aims at the teams or the intergroup activities, where through interaction, the problem is resolved. Coaching and counseling are the means of influencing change. Goal setting the goals of every division in the organization is set. This aligns with the overall organizational objectives. This is an inter-group activity. Managerial Grid it consists of group and individual activities with a view to developing the managerial style, interpersonal competence and group effectiveness. Management by Objectives this tool developed by Peter Drucker, where the managers at different levels and their subordinates work together to establish and then achieve their goals. Re-engineering a radical redesigning of the people, processes and customer satisfaction that would obtain drastic changes in the performance. These are some of the ways in which organizational development is encouraged in the organization. The automotive industry undergoes structural changes in an uncertain economic climate. Manufacturers face a new set of challenges to their business models, designs and ultimately, their cost structures. Automotive companies have to ensure that their designs are fuel-efficient, light-weight, are cheap to produce and are desirable. In this era of globalization, where the consumer has become a think-tank and is conscious of its status and upbringing in the society, BMW as an organization has always believed in identifying demands, reflecting on the challenges and investing in the future. The group understands that success and sustainability belong together. The Sustainability Board at BMW continuously evaluates progress and determines the suitable strategic directions. Every employee at BMW is called upon to help implement the goal of sustainability and responsibility. Of the ways of organizational development that have been discussed above, the intervention of Re-engineering would suit the framework of BMW. This organizational development intervention would seek to radically transform all the processes and gain quantum leaps in the processes. This model would look at the overall improvement at BMW and would even make amendments in the separate divisions. The level of changes that can be implemented in BMW would include: Structural changes change at the level of the structure of the organization. Inclusion of new members in the committee. BMW continuously evaluates its board members and members of the supervisory board. Also, mergers and acquisitions could bring about a hefty change in the organization. Technical changes hybrid and fuel-efficient cars are the demands of the environment and the industry today. BMW faces the challenge of promoting social and ecological aspects as resource-friendly and effective alternatives on the supplier markets. This is the ecological change that BMW needs to apply in its operations. One of the objectives of BMW is reduce the resource consumption and emissions by another 30% as compared to the 2006 level. BMW is already exercising these options by way of applying the Efficient Dynamics Technology. Changes in the Human Resources people are the most important element in any organization. BMW ensures that its employees are satisfied and that they meet the targets of their Strategy Number ONE, as discussed before. In fact, for any organization, organizational development for its employees is of utmost importance. And that is why, BMW holds its members as the strongest pillar in its Strategy Number ONE. With the help of the Balanced Scorecard method, BMW ensures that its members achieve their targets which are also in view with achieving the company-wide objectives. The human resources department attracts mainly the high performers with the highest competencies. Also, cross-functional training, ideal job description are some of the ways in which the employees are encouraged to challenge the changing environments. One of the powerful programmes of BMW is called â€Å"Drive† for the young professionals with only up to three years of experience. The next part deals with the development of systems for understanding and involving others in the process of change. PART II Task (a) In todays fast paced business environment, companies need to have flexible and planned business operations to facilitate radical change. Change to company processes requires dedicated planning, and its become imperative to align resources and employees to the companys objectives and goals. Adopting long term-change, strategic planning in the business units, building performance metrics, management-encouraged ideas, employee training and development are some of the critical success factors that would help infuse change in the organization. Of these, the most important is the Stakeholder Analysis. This analysis helps in creating and documenting those policies that would be in the interest of the stakeholders. This analysis would help in aggrandizing the process of change management of the organization. Stakeholder Analysis is a process of gathering and analyzing qualitative data in relation to those to whom the interests of the organization are worthwhile. This data is taken into account while deciding upon a particular policy or a program to be implemented. Stakeholders are the persons or organization with vested interest in the policy being promoted. These stakeholders can be the international donors, national/political figures, public agencies, labor, civil society and the users/consumers. There are eight major steps that are involved in this process: Kammi Schmeer provides these eight steps in Stakeholder Analysis Guidelines, and regards this information to be useful for other analyses as well. This system would help in developing and in introducing change in the organization. When this analysis would be conducted before the policy is implemented then, the policy makers and the managers can act to prevent any potential misunderstanding or opposition. This would enable the program to succeed most likely. BMW already exercises good stakeholder engagement policies in their organization. It believes in the principle of ‘Listen, understand and act. In 2009, BMW hosted its first Stakeholder Roundtable where experts from various environmental, societal and organizational concerns were present. They discussed the issues relating to product strategies and lessen the resource consumption across the value chain. BMW regularly holds stakeholder surveys, employee surveys and commits to sustainability initiatives. Task (b) After developing the system for engaging the stakeholders in the implementation of change, the organization is still most likely to receive resistance. In the light of transitions, it is almost natural for stakeholders to resist change. The most affected in the changing circumstances are the employees. Humans have a desire for perpetual stability, especially in their jobs and roles. And hence, the urge to resist is dominant. Many processes recognize and tend to overcome resistance in an organization. Some of them are: Individual Interviews these would help in determining the exact thought processes that are prevailing in the minds of the stakeholders Commitment Plan- all the stakeholders and the members of the organization should be committed to the change plan. And this would majorly succeed, if the top-level management inspire leadership and help create a conducive environment to change Communication of decisions as soon as the decisions are taken, they should be intimated to the stakeholders. The same should be done with care and honor for the stakeholders, respecting the past traditions and describing the advantages of a changed future. Input every stakeholder that is going to be affected by the change plan should be given a chance to express the views, but in a defined and composed manner. A systematic plan should be developed. Rewards successful implementation and cooperation should be credited with compensatory rewards. Evaluation after the necessary changes have been implemented, the organization should evaluate the strategic changes on continual basis. This evaluation is of utmost importance to the stakeholders, as then the effects of the new policy or programme would be known to the policy makers. This would help in making amendments and improvising further. PART III This part deals with the plan that would be required to implement ongoing change in the organization. Task (a) Every organization needs to gain competitive advantage in todays world. Taking a holistic approach towards the process can assure the company to adopt the right mindset from the first go. There are various models for implementation of change management in an organization. Some of the models that would aid in proper change management especially in BMW are described as below. 1. ADKAR Change Model by Prosci This a goal oriented change model that allows the management teams to focus their activities on the business results. This acronym is characterized by the words Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. There should be Awareness for the need for change; a Desire to participate and support the change; Knowledge of how to change; Ability to change on a day-to-day basis and Reinforcement to keep the change in place. This model can be used to: Ø Diagnose the resistance of employees to change Ø Help the employees in accepting the transition Ø Create a successful action plan for personal and professional management Ø Develop a change management plan This model helps in identifying why the changes are not working and what could be done to implement the changes. 2. The 4-D process of Appreciative Enquiry This model by David Cooperrider talks about the change interventions that can take process via the 4-D way: Ø Discovery mobilizing a whole system enquiry Ø Dream envisioning the impact Ø Design co-constructing the future with the stakeholders Ø Delivery Sustaining the Change Organizations, says this theory, are centers of human relations and thrive only when there is an appreciative eye. Kurt Lewins Three-Stage model has been discussed before is a powerful tool in bring about the necessary changes in an organization. BMW, as an organization has learnt to adapt flexibly to any new situation. There are some recommendations that need to be applied by BMW in its organization to foster easy change acceptance by the employees. These are: Temporal Flexibility in this module, the employees should be able to take advantage of flexible work time models. They can work part-time or even full time. In motion- geographically and professionally not only geographical expansion, BMW should ensure that it does not exceed the head count of its employees. It is necessary to have skilled labor in order to survive new technologies and new markets Staff-oriented leadership the staff should be meant to lead the way into the organization. Active Participation BMW should encourage innovation and improvement culture by giving its staff numerous opportunities to have a share in the companys future. They should have the right to give in suggestions and ideas. Co-evaluate staff surveys should be held regularly at BMW to evaluate the effects of change in the organization Total Quality Management the quality at BMW should be enhanced and maintained at all levels. Care should be taken to avoid any mistakes. BMW is a technology-driven organization, and therefore, should apply the above given recommendations. If these are implemented practically, then it would be easier for the stakeholders to accept the new policies which would be based on successful past data. Task (b) In order to ensure that a correct change management plan has been implemented, a plan needs to be developed. This plan is divided into three phases that has been developed by ages of research by Prosci: Phase 1 Preparation for change Phase 2- Managing the change Phase 3 Reinforcing the Change Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 There are various possible outcomes that an organization would experience after successful implementation of the plan. These are: Greater organizational effectiveness Improved work quality and morale Enhanced cooperation and collaboration in work Better customer service Increased ROI Reduced time to implement change This plan can be implemented in BMW by operating not only horizontally but even in the vertical structure. Every division of BMW should exercise this plan and work upon it in making the recommended changes. This effective plan would be able to result in fruitful changes in BMW, and help them in achieving their Strategy Number ONE with ease. Reference List Books 1. Handy, Charles, (1990), â€Å"The Age of Unreason†, Harvard Business School Press, United States of America 2. Kotter, John; Cohen, Dan, (2002), â€Å"The Heart of Change†, Harvard Business School Press, United States of America 3. Weber, Max , (1947), â€Å"The Theory of Social and Economic Organization†, Collier Macmillan Publishers, London PDF files 1. Schmeer, Kammi, â€Å"Stakeholder Analysis Guidelines†. http://new.paho.org/hss/documents/policytoolkitforstrengtheninghealthsectorreformpartii-EN.pdf 2. Beckhard, Richard, â€Å"What is Organizational Development?†. http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/64/07879842/0787984264.pdf 3. â€Å"Prosci Change Management Series† http://www.prosci.com/prosci_change_series.pdf 4. BMW Annual Report 2009 http://www.bmwgroup.com/annualreport2009/_downloads/BMW_Group_2009.pdf 5. BMW Sustainability Value Report 2009 http://www.bmwgroup.com/e/0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/verantwortung/publikationen/sustainable_value_report_2008/_pdf/SVR_2008_engl_Gesamtversion.pdf

Letter Written By MLK From Birmingham City Jail, Alabama :: essays research papers

My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. I think I should indicate why I am here In Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.