Stroke Incident essays

Stroke Incident essays Strokes, also referred to as a brain attack, deal with a problem with the blood supply to the brain. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States costing $30 billion a year. It strikes about 700,000 Americans each year, killing 160,000 victims annually. Twenty-percent of cases result because of internal bleeding within the brain. The other 80% of all strokes are associated with blockages in the carotid arteries and are preventable! On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 53 seconds. Studies show that 10-18% will experience another stroke within a year, and 20-34% within 3 years. African-Americans also die of stroke about two times more than whites do, due to their higher risk factors of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and sickle cell anemia. In addition, 4 million Americans are living with the effects of a stroke: 1/3 mild, 1/3 moderate, and 1/3 severe. Almost half of the people who are going to have a stroke have no symptoms prior to the time of stroke. The symptoms suffered depend on which part of the brain is affected. Some common symptoms experienced are: sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, paralysis down one side, sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye, speech impairment or loss, confusion, inability to swallow, sudden severe headache with no known cause, dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden falls. For some, the effects are more minor and last less than 24 hours. When this happens, doctors call it a mini-stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). For others, the effects are more severe, sometimes improving after a few weeks as other parts of the brain take over, sometimes leaving people permanently disabled. There are many things that put people at risk of having a stroke, and it is important to try and keep these to a minimum. Even though there are some risk factors that cannot be changed such as getting older, being male, fam ...

The Panama Canal Essay

The Panama Canal Essay The Panama Canal Essay Example Essay on The Panama Canal: The Panama Canal is an international waterway that stretches up to 50 miles connecting two large water bodies namely the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The record of Panama Canal dates back in 16th century. The water way has since simplified the passage of ships between these two water bodies cutting across the Isthmus of Panama. Since 1819, the Panama Canal has been a property of Colombia until 1903. The United States of America successfully conducted the construction of the canal between 1904 and 1914 as a result of gold discovered in California in 1848. The construction of the canal was important to reduce time and distance traveled between Pacific and the Atlantic. The initial inhabitants of the canal were Indians and U.S citizens. History states that, in 1869, the French government had attempted to construct the canal after the Suez Canal’s construction was completed; that inspired them but failed. The French had first undertaken a project to create the Suez Canal; a pr oject that was successfully completed without much struggle. This motivated the French to rush into starting the construction of the Panama Canal. This canal was not as easy as Suez Canal because the French did not have appropriate procedures and equipments. Hence, France wasted millions of dollars, and still failed due to factors beyond their control. Before the Canal was built, ships used to travel double the distance through Cape Horn. This was the largest engineering project to be undertaken and successfully completed despite the failure by the French. In present day, the canal plays the role of a commercial venture as well as a link in world shipping (DuTemple 32). Ever since its completion, the canal has seen an increase in ship traffic from 1,000 ships in 1914 to 14,000 in 2008, and approximately 825,000 ships have traveled the canal. Civil engineers of the American society have termed it as one of the wonders of the present world. Although the Panama holds an economic advantage, it has a major disadvantage; large ships such as military battleships, large oil tankers and aircraft carriers cannot pass through the Canal due to its limited size. Fortunately, a 5.2 billion dollar project is underway to be completed in 2014 that aims at expanding the Panama Canal to accommodate much larger ships (Jeong Crittenden and Xu 4). The French failure to construct the canal was based on several challenges. The French had a faulty project that did not take care of basic issues such as the rivers that flooded the canal that would turn constructions difficult. In this project, the French engineers overestimated the time taken to complete as eight years as opposed to ten years for Suez Canal. At the end of the ten years, completion was not in sight, and in fact, abandonment was the decision being considered. Accidents and infirmities exemplified by malaria, as well as yellow fever, claimed approximately 20,000 lives of canal builders. The diseases were rampant because the canal runs through the Panamanian jungle that is infested with dangerous insects like mosquitoes (DuTemple 37). The role that the mosquitoes played in transmitting malaria was not known by then hence high death rate recorded. This was the most serious challenge that made the French quit the project. The mosquito elimination project included identifying and separating patients suffering from different diseases. Burning of sulphur and pyrethrum proved to be effective in eradicating mosquitoes. In addition, the French did not have the right equipment for the heavy-duty job, as the area is volcanic in nature having been constituted of rocky surfaces. The attempt by the French started in the year 1882 with 20,000 men at work and ended in 1892. In 1892, France hired another company to undertake the project but still failed although the second company had good strategies that assisted the U.S in completing the task. Consequently, the French endeavors went bankrupt as a result of loss of experienced people; thus, abandoning the project immediately after nine years of work. Other contributors of failur e include mismanagement of funds and political fraud. Surprisingly, the work completed assisted Americans in completing the task despite the fact that America had an upper hand due to the advancement of technology (Haskin 4). The construction of the canal was negatively influenced by insufficient skills in engineering, organization and sanitation problems. The Victorious Conclusion of the project was due to engineering skills of men like John F. Stephens and health solutions by William C. Gorgas. However, people with such knowledge were few; this slowed the procedures down as few men had knowledge of administration. Other engineering challenges encountered included the amount of digging required, constructing the biggest gates of the time and creating the biggest dam of the time (DuTemple 43). The French design of the Canal had shortcomings like failure to address flooding from river Chagres that restrained construction process. On the other hand, U.S engineers had studied these challenges and came up with a design that overcame most difficulties. Some of the solutions discovered included the construction of a large dam at the mouth of river Chagres. Mosquitoes spread diseases were nearly eliminated by proper sanitation tactics by the U.S (Joeng et al., 8). President Roosevelt was the acting president of the time who presided over appointments of engineers to carry on with the construction. A reservoir lake for the canal was constructed to curb the level of the water issue. The canal constitutes of artificial lakes, artificial channels and sets of locks. Despite all the setbacks involved in the construction of the Panama Canal, there are many advantages and benefits associated with the operation of the canal. The main reason why the canal was built is to ease transportation. Contrary, other effects on the immediate environment are noted. These effects included physical and social-economic impacts. Shipment transportation by road has not proven effective as compared to water transportation for bulk goods. The Panama Canal served a good role in faster transporting of bulk consignment. There were many benefits associated with the canal that still apply even today (Haskin 7). First, the canal provided water used for hydropower production, human utilization, industrial deployment and transportation for inhabitants and countries that bordered the canal. Some uneven sections of the canal provided perfect ground for hydropower production used in homes and industries. These industries also benefited from the readily and easily accessible water for their operations. In addition, Inhabitants of Panama used the water for agricultural purposes to support the industries with raw materials and resources (Cameron and Dodds 3). Microclimatic changes have also been experienced since the construction of the canal. These climatic changes have been positive and negative, as well. In some areas, improved climatic conditions like rainfall have been observed. Developments of forests around the area has also commenced in the area. On the other hand, emergence of industries led to depletion of forest cover to construct the industries. This has seen the area experience long dry spells that are not appropriate for the canal’s water levels. Geographically, this waterway has contributed to cool climate for the surrounding environment hence low evapotranspiration for water conservation while industries have brought dryness. Loss of the ability to capture carbon is another negative impact on the climate. Other effects include exposed soil surfaces, shrubs and lack of pastures (Cameron and Dodds 11). Availability of water has encouraged cattle ranching and exclusive profit-making agricultural practices for residents. This further provides meat industries with raw materials for processing. Support dams and manmade lakes have been built to reinforce water scarcity problem that may arise from prolonged droughts. This has in turn provided further ground to practice agricultural profitable business adding to the economy (Cameron and Dodds 16). The Canal has provoked economic advancement for Panamanians. Income from agriculture and fishing practiced in the surrounding areas has contributed up to 7%of Gross Domestic Product of Panamanian economy. Additionally, 120,000 express and non-express jobs have been created in different sectors. Such sectors include the tourism industry, field of agriculture, fishing and processing industries constructed (Mann 5). Different ideas have been suggested for an efficient construction and expansion of the canal for better presentation. Building of two lock complexes, one on the Pacific side and another on the Atlantic side each constituting three chambers. These chambers should in turn contain three water saving basins. Access channels should be excavated to these new locks and extension of existing channels so that large ships can navigate on them. Suggestions indicate that navigation channels ought to be deepened to provide maximum operating depth. The purpose of expanding the Panama Canal is to preserve and uphold competitiveness of the canal, maintain the importance of the Canal course by making superior benefits for the vast population of Panama. Another objective of expanding the canal is to boost its potential to meet the increasing requirements for transit while working at maximum levels of productivity possible. The key aim in consideration is the ability to allow large ships to transit through the canal as this would enhance the canal output. Maintenance tasks on the ships and other water vessels require adequate space, so that relevant servicing services can be performed. The expansion of the canal would increase room for these tasks and eliminating congestion of ships (Mann 13). Despite of the advantages involved with the expansion of the waterway, there are negative effects to it. Increased ship traffic and building activities would most likely lead to air and noise pollution. Alteration to the current geological features and formation of the canal can lead to landslides and soil movements that in turn cause deaths. Other possible impacts include loss of forestry ability, impact on fauna, and commotion to wild animals, wildlife road kill impact and influence on protected areas. Positive impacts likely to be observed embrace motivation to the economy by improving exports by 10%, fiscal revenues improve by 32%. Job creation is the major challenge facing young people all over the world. Expansion of the canal would call for more work forces hence creation of jobs for citizens and natives. Relocation of people from other areas to Panama would increase due to the advancement in economy aspects. The project is projected to have an impact on infrastructure that includes improvement I the sewerage systems and construction of new roads to cater for inland transit services. Establishment of processing plants would call for the establishment of high voltage power cables to supply enough power to meet Panama’s demands. An increased necessitation to transport goods, vehicle traffic would increase (DuTemple 17). Eviction from industrial areas would be a major issue affecting the minority living in Panama, as business owners would evict residents from their homes to provide ground to build the plant. Before residents get used to new working conditions, accidents related to work would be prone. As experience advanced, accidents reduced by up to half. Experience was enhanced by the busyness of the Canal that called for extra working hours. Advancement of economy goes hand in hand with crime. Crime rate reduces due to availability of employment for all willing citizens. Tourists are a major influence on a country’s economy by contributing to the revenue. Isthmus has steep slopes that are good sites of tourist attraction in Panama. Industrialization always attracts tourists who pay for visiting the country; hence, increase in revenue. Competition between canals has also been analyzed concerning transit numbers. Transit goods are increasing every day; these being the case researchers are viewing the Suez Canal as a proper alternative (Jeong et al 10). Fortunately, disadvantages involved can be solved by having a citizen participation program, risk prevention program and environmental education. For a successful and a sustainable development, interrelations, citizen participation and environmental conservations should be observed. If a persistent problem were found, an alternative to that would be a wise decision. You can easily buy a high-quality essay online on The Panama Canal at . All custom essays are written from scratch. High quality and plagiarism free guarantee!

Aging population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aging population - Essay Example It secondly followed by south Dakota, which has 10% of youth aged between 20-24 .The youth unemployment rate in this state is only 8.4%.the Third number falls to Lowa state. It has a low rate of 11% of unemployed youths (Christine, pg.3). Increased fertility, migration and mortality rate always have tremendous effects on the overall pattern of people in America. Like in Lowa state, the population is mainly composed of youth due to the increased fertility rate. Majority of Lowa youths marries at an average of twenty three years compared to the typical American average of twenty five years. This leads to increased birth rate across the state thus leading to the increased number of young people. Secondly economic trends have an impact on the age structure (Christine, pg.3). In many states like Lowa and Dakota has attracted many young people due to the employment opportunities they offer. This has attracted many young unemployed Americans in these states thus leading to increase of the young group in these states. California has been affected by both internal and international migration. It has faced steady outflow of young people looking for jobs in other states. As these younger people move north and west in search for jobs, the older population is left behind. This has made Florida to have large proportion of older people compared to other

An analysis on the movie The Untouchables Assignment

An analysis on the movie The Untouchables - Assignment Example Ness engages Malone who assists him with ideas on how he can create his own team from the police academy. Ness forms a strong team with George Stone an Italian-American trainee besides an accountant Oscar Wallace that will beat Capone and his unlawful welfares (Floyd). Ness and his team raids Capone’s liquor storeroom. The raid succeeds and Capone kills the storeroom caretaker. Press notes Ness and his team besides Oscar Wallace starts to probe the Capone’s organization savings. An alderman from Chicago, one of Capone’s cohorts, visits Nell aiming at convincing him to end the investigation (Floyd). Nell rejects the offer and the alderman warns him that Capone can get any person in to his arms. Carpone’s chief Frank Nitti threatens to kill Ness and his family where he shifts his family to a safer residence. Stone and Malone bring the news of liquor shipment coming to Chicago from Canada. Nell and his team then fly to the border northwards to plot for an attack. During the attack, Ness team either kills or arrests whoever is involved. George is arrested so that he can be evidence against Capone (Floyd). Infuriated, Capone orders his team to kill Ness and his family, besides it is at that time when Ness’ wife has just given birth. While in the Mise-en-scene of police station, George and Wallace are killed by Nitti who disguises himself as a cop. This leaves Ness with very little evidence to media charges and he becomes so much frustrated that he fights Capone. Malone gets involved and makes Ness to withdraw from the fight besides, he advises him to request the attorney general not to drop his case until he finds another witness (Floyd). Malone plans to get Walter Payne one of Capone’s storekeepers as a witness, but he is killed in the process. Ness and Stone gets Payne alive out of gangsters who had fled him to Union Station. Payne gives evidence in court against Capone. While in

Urban vs Rural India Essay Example for Free

Urban vs Rural India Essay Urban vs Rural India About 80 per cent of the Indian population live in villages. When travelling through the length and breadth of this subcontinent, one can really visualise the difference betweenrural  and  urban  India. There is a big difference between urban and rural India. One of the  major  differences that can be seen between rural  India  and urban India, is their standards of living. People living in urban  India  have better living conditions than those living in the rural parts of India. There is a wide economic gap between rural and urban India. Rural India is very poor when compared to Urban India. Another difference that can be seen between urban and rural India, is their education. In rural India, the parents seldom educate their children, and instead, make their children work in the fields. Poverty, and lack of sufficient infrastructure, can be attributed to the lack of education in rural India. When considering homes, about three-quarters of the households in urban India live in pucca homes. On the other hand, only a quarter of the people in rural India live in pucca homes. While groundwater is the main source of drinking water in rural India, the urban people rely more on tap-water. Urban India is almost electrified when compared to rural India. One can even come across villages where electric power is not yet available. When comparng the sanitary facilities, it is limited in rural india. About 90 per cent of the households in rural India do not have latrines, but this is not the case in urban India. Most of the developments have not yet reached the rural parts of India. With regards to health care as well, rural India lacks  good  hospitals when compared to urban India. Some of the rural areas even lack a dispensery. Summary: 1. People living in urban India have better living conditions than those living in the rural parts of India. 2. Rural India is very poor when compared to urban India. 3. In rural India, the parents seldom educate their children, and instead, make their children work in the fields. 4. About three-quarters of the households in urban India live in pucca homes. On the other hand, only a quarter of the people in rural India live in pucca homes. 5. Most of the developments have not yet reached the rural parts of India. 6. With regards to health care, rural India lacks good hospitals when compared to urban India.

Technology in Education; Where it has been, Where it is now, and Where

â€Å"Technology in Education; Where it has been, Where it is now, and Where it is Going† â€Å"Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other. And we need them all† (Re-inventing 1995). These words spoken by the distinguished author, Arthur C. Clarke, bring to light where exactly the technological situation in education is and the direction it is going. The discussion and debate of introducing and improving classrooms with technology has been a relatively heated topic as of late. Many have even claimed that if schools are to survive it is imperative for us to stand back and carefully rethink our notions of intelligence, learning, instruction, and evaluate the situation in light of the new age of communication. In discussing the use of technology in education a distinction needs to be made between itself and ‘tech ed’. The common definition of technology education is that it is an action based program for all students to use resources to design, produce, use, and assess the impacts of products and services that extend human potential to improve and control the natural and human made development (Patterson 1999). While these skills and practices are integrated into using technology in education it does not fully explain or utilize what is needed to provide affective technology in the classroom. A mission of this program is to help students apply technology to effectively make decisions and contribute to a rapidly changing technological society. But more than that, the purpose is to give students the best possible education for their generation with the suppli... ...y. http://education.indiana.edu/keyfrick.html Jackson, Lorrie, (n.d). Teaching and learning about technology. (2005. May 9), Education World. http://educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech219.shtml Kaplan, Erez, (n.d.). Calculating Machines. (2005. May 7), http://www.webcom.com/calc/calculatingmachines Patterson, Jason, (n.d.). The history of computers during my lifetime. (2005. May 9), http://pattosoft.comau/jason/Articles/HistoryofComputers/index.html Re-inventing schools, the technology age is now. (2005. May 9), National Academy of Sciences. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/techgap/index.html Schrum, Lynne, (n.d). Technology in the classroom: asking the right questions. (2005. May 8), http://www.enc.org/topics/edtech/context/document.shtm?input=FOC-000694-index Whelan, Debra Lau. (2005) Let the games begin: School Library Journal, 51, 40-44.

Precepts of the Ibm Essay

Theory Getting the Best From all Team Members (Also known as LMX or Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory) Meaning of LMX This situation is at the heart of the Leader-Member Exchange Theory. This theory, also known as LMX or the Vertical Dyad Linkage Theory, explores how leaders and managers develop relationships with team members; and it explains how those relationships can either contribute to growth or hold people back. Intro to LMX Understanding the Theory The Leader-Member Exchange Theory first emerged in the 1970s. It focuses on the relationship that develops between managers and members of their teams. The theory states that all relationships between managers and subordinates go through three stages. These are: Role-Taking. Role-Making. â€Å"Routinization. † Let’s look at each stage in greater detail. 1. Role-Taking Role-taking occurs when team members first join the group. Managers use this time to assess new members’ skills and abilities. 2. Role-Making New team members then begin to work on projects and tasks as part of the team. In this stage, managers generally expect that new team members will work hard, be loyal and prove trustworthy as they get used to their new role. The theory says that, during this stage, managers sort new team members (often subconsciously) into one of two groups. In-Group – if team members prove themselves loyal, trustworthy and skilled, they’re put into the In-Group. This group is made up of the team members that the manager trusts the most. Managers give this group most of their attention, providing challenging and interesting work, and offering opportunities for additional training and advancement. This group also gets more one-to-one time with the manager. Often, people in this group have a similar personality and work-ethic to their manager. Out-Group – if team members betray the trust of the manager, or prove that they’re unmotivated or incompetent, they’re put into the Out-Group. This group’s work is often restricted and unchallenging. Out-Group members tend to have less access to the manager, and often don’t receive opportunities for growth or advancement. . Routinization During this last phase, routines between team members and their managers are established. In-Group team members work hard to maintain the good opinion of their managers, by showing trust, respect, empathy, patience, and persistence. ##can be used for outcome that effect the organization Out-Group members may sta rt to dislike or distrust their managers. Because it’s so hard to move out of the Out-Group once the perception has been established, Out-Group members may have to change departments or organizations in order to â€Å"start over. Once team members have been classified, even subconsciously, as In-Group or Out-Group, that classification affects how their managers relate to them from then on, and it can become self-fulfilling. For instance, In-Group team members are often seen as rising stars and the manager trusts them to work and perform at a high level. This is also the group that the manager talks to most, offering support and advice, and they’re given the best opportunities to test their skills and grow. So, of course, they’re more likely to develop in their roles. This also holds true for the Out-Group. The manager spends little, if any, time trying to support and develop this group. They receive few challenging assignments or opportunities for training and advancement. And, because they’re never tested, they have little chance to change the manager’s opinion. Using the Theory You can use the Leader-Member Exchange Theory to be aware of how you perceive members of your own team. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Identify Your Out-Group Chances are, you know who’s in your Out-Group already. Take a moment to note their names down. Next, analyze why these people have fallen â€Å"out of favor. † Did they do something specifically to lose your trust? Do they exhibit bad behavior at work? Are they truly incompetent, or do they have low motivation? Analyze what they’ve actually done, and compare the facts with your perceptions. Do these match, or have you (perhaps subconsciously) blown things out of proportion? 2. Reestablish the Relationship It’s important that, as the leader, you make a reasonable effort to reestablish a relationship with Out-Group team members. Research published in the Leadership Quarterly journal in 1995 showed that team members who have high quality relationships with their leader have higher morale, and are more productive than those who don’t. So you, and your organization, can benefit from creating a better relationship. Keep in mind that this group will likely be wary of any attention or support from you; after all, they may not have had it in the past. First, meet each team member one-on-one. Take the time to find out if they’re happy with their job. What are their career goals? What can you do to make their work more challenging or engaging? A one-on-one meeting can also help you identify that person’s psychological contract with you – that is, the unspoken benefits they expect from you, as their leader. If they’re in the Out-Group, they may feel that the psychological contract has been broken. You also need to discover what truly motivates them. Use McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory or Herzberg’s Motivators and Hygiene Factor Theory to find out what drives them to succeed. Once you’ve had a chance to reconnect with your team members through one-on-one meetings, do what you sensibly can to continue to touch base with them. Practice management by walking around, or drop by their office to see if they need help on projects or tasks. Work on getting to know these team members on a personal level. 3. Provide Training and Development Opportunities Remember, the biggest advantage to the Leader-Member Exchange Theory is that it alerts you to the preference you might unconsciously – and possibly unfairly – be showing some team members; this allows you to offer all of your team members appropriate opportunities for training, development, and advancement. Your Out-Group team members may benefit from a mentoring or coaching relationship with you. You may also want to provide them with low risk opportunities to test and grow their skills. Use task allocation strategies to make sure you’re assigning the right task to the right person. Also, take our Bite-Sized Training session, Setting Goals for Your Team, to learn how to set effective and realistic goals for these team members. You can also use the Nine-Box Grid for Talent Management to re-assess their potential from time to time, and to give them the right development opportunities. LMX Theory ;amp; Organizational Effectiveness: ##from http://www. technofunc. com/index. php/leadership-skills/leadership-theories/item/leader-member-exchange-theory-lmx-theory LMX theory is directly related to organizational effectiveness as the quality of leader–member exchanges relate to positive outcomes for leaders, followers, groups, and the organization in general. More In-Group members means high-quality leader–member exchanges and that results in less employee turnover, more positive performance evaluations, higher frequency of promotions and greater organizational commitment. – Learn more at www. technofunc. com. Your online source for free professional tutorials. Info from†¦pdf The relationship Between Leader-member Exchange(LMX) motivated to support rather than resist the influence attempt. Conversely, employees in low LMX relationships are accustomed to antagonistic behaviors and may view consultation tactics as insincere and motivated by opportunistic intentions. For example, leaders with poor reputations who engage in supportive behaviors are viewed as self- serving and insincere. Similarly, for employees in low LMX relationships, a manager’s use of consultation tactics may be perceived as self-serving attempts to gain employee favor, or even to highjack employee ideas, rather than as an attempt to improve the change initiative. Such perceptions would likely cause these influence attempts to backfire and prompt employees to resist the influence attempt. It is likely that the contribution aspect of the leader–member relationship (which reflects the amount of effort expended toward mutual goals) will be a stronger predictor of citizenship behavior than will loyalty and professional respect, in part because citizenship behavior reflects effort expended beyond one’s normal role requirements (Illes, Nahrgana, and Morgeson, 2007). iffers from other leadership theories by its focus on the dyadic relationship and the unique relationships leaders develop with each follower (Gerstner ;amp; Day, 1997; Liden, Sparrowe, ;amp; Wayne, 1997). Strong LMX relationships are characterized by support, mutual trust, respect, and liking (Graen ;amp; Uhl-Bien, 1995). Interactions between employees and managers in strong LMX relationships typically reinforce positive affect and strengthen the relationship bond (Fairhur st, 1993). Such relationships include the exchange of material and nonmaterial goods that extend beyond what is specified in the formal job description (Liden et al. , 1997; Liden ;amp; Graen, 1980). This relationship has important implications for Biomedical Informatics technicians and vendors because at high levels of relationships, there is less resistance to change and use of sanctions also seems inconsistent with past behavior (Frust ;amp; Cable, 2008). The LMX model suggests that leaders do not use the same style or set of behaviors uniformly across all members. Instead, unique relationships or exchanges develop with each member. These exchanges range from low to high quality. In addition, the theory contends that a supervisor will develop different quality exchange relationships with each of his or her subordinates which remain relatively stable over time. Employees with high-quality exchanges have been referred to as in the â€Å"in-group† and those with low-quality exchanges as in the â€Å"out-group. In strong LMX relationships, employees are more likely to be involved and provide information needed for task accomplishment. These employees should be LMX and CMX Theory 6 An alternative approach to understanding a leaders’ influence on individual follower or subordinate effectiveness is through the focus on dyadic relationships between leaders and each of their subordinates (Dansereau et al. , 1975). Originally ter med vertical dyad linkage (Dansereau et al. , 1975), leader–member exchange theory LMX and CMX Theory 5

Companies should spend money on improving the work skills of their employees Essay

Companies should spend money on improving the work skills of their employees as it is to be seen from the leading top businesses that this will result in high success. Firstly, the more investment is made in improving a certain aspect, better results follow. By spending money on improving the skills, it will allow more productive workers making the production rate efficient which all leads to increasing profit. The word â€Å"skill† is quite broad since it could be any kind of skill and it will all differ for the employees depending on which position they are in the company. This can also bring the company a good image. Example, the skills of marketing in a company are to comprehend with the customer to satisfy them. By learning these skills, they may pass on the positive energy to the customers leading to word of mouth and Increase Company’s reputation. Secondly, it will be a lot more financially beneficial to develop current workers than to bring skilled workers from outside. It can also bring the company a bad atmosphere and less bonding which is a negative factor as bonding is important between each worker to work as a team to produce goods or services. Example, it will create much better synergy for the teams to help develop skills together than to have one of their fellow worker get fired and have one replace the place. Thirdly, it will improve personal skills and confidence. By obtaining the extra skills it will almost immediately increase the confidence of the worker allowing the worker to even perform well in their personal life. These personal skills may also help the unstable society where anything can happen the next day. Example, this worker who may have been trained and have improved skill of comprehending, can help talk to a person who is trying to suicide in the middle of the street. The worker can persuade the person not to jump off the bridge with their ability to persuade or talk well who dealt with A/S problems in a company. To conclude, for the aforementioned reasons, any kind of training that may benefit a worker’s ability to complete their job is highly likely to be beneficial.

Organizational Behavior Management at BMW

Organizational Behavior Management at BMW Vision The project that will be undertaken will enlarge the knowledge of the existing employees. The employees will be motivated and will be a source of competent and knowledgeable workforce guarantying Bavaria Motor Works (BMW) a steady flow of innovation and competency in handling global motor production.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Organizational Behavior Management at BMW specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Automobile production requires expertise and motivation to gain competitive advantage over competitors (Shatouri, Omar Igusa, 2012). It is the vision of this project to develop a workforce that will be loyal to BMW. Dedicated workers will facilitate the company in its strategic plan to attain a competitive edge in the automobile industry. Objectives The objective of the proposed project is to develop a strategic human resource management concept that will facilitate the company to attain its corporate mis sion. The objective of BMW is to create an organizational culture that will facilitate the development of skills and loyalty within the employees. In order to attain this objective, the employees will be motivated through a variety of human resource programs. The objective of the company will be assured by the creation of a defined pool of workforce that will meet the demands of customers. Additionally, the human resource function will ensure that the employees are not only financially endowed but also their career and development will have received a new lease. Scope of project The project consists of a variety of aspects. The motivation of employees is the main objective. It is important to acknowledge that motivating a huge workforce is a challenge. The project is a long-term strategy as it is geared towards the development of a pool of knowledge workers. Customers The targeted clients for this project include the upper class as well as middle class consumers of BMW products. Mos t of BMW adverts are aimed to reach these groups of individuals. In fact, BMW strongly feel that these clients are prone to buying most of its automobile products. Key stakeholders Automobile manufacturing has multiple stakeholders that need to be considered when implementing this project. The manufacturing begins with the designers. Typically, the designers are part of the company workforce. Automobile manufacturing involves teams that collaborate to produce a specific part. The relationship between the teams requires mutuality to be effective. The teams require flexibility and adaptability. Mostly, the teams are task-based and as a result, team authority is placed on each individual to accomplish the task assigned.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The supplier of the automobile is another stakeholder. Once the teams assemble the automobile, they hand it over to the supplier after the inspection of its functioning. The supplier is responsible for delivering the automobile to the user. The use is subsequently the third stakeholder. Once the automobile has been sold, the stakeholders such as public authorities and insurance companies emerge. Roles and responsibilities of project team resource The role of every team member is well defined. The manufacturing of automobiles requires skills and proficiency. In this respect, it will be imperative for every team member to execute his or her roles with precision. Team members are essential stakeholders in the development of automobiles. The supervisor will be charged with overseeing the accomplishment of tasks. The HR will be the central player in ensuring the success of the initiative. The function will liaise with the finance department to facilitate the implementation of the project. The department will develop a training program that will not interfere with production. Cost and time estimates a nd allocation of resources In this project, the purchase of computers will be the most costly expense. The company does not need to build a computer laboratory. One of the rooms in the conference complex will be used for this purpose. Twenty computers will be purchased and installed in the room. All these will cost $30,000. The computers will be customized for use in the automobile industry. Software will be purchased and installed. This will cost the company $20,000. The company will require training manuals and stationery to facilitate training. Every employee will be handed a hardcopy of the training manual. Additionally, they will be availed with a softcopy of the same for mobility purposes. The computer will include a server that will be remotely accessible through the internet. The initial training will require the company to hire external service. Currently, the company does not have a trainer for the proposed initiative. The company will eventually employ an expert to train the employees upon the success of the pilot project. The success of the initiative in other companies is the driving force for the project. Competitors have realized the importance of integrating the employees in propelling companies to higher performance levels. The initiative requires the development of technology-based culture.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Organizational Behavior Management at BMW specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company must commit substantial amount of money to fund the project. The human resource department will be an essential resource towards the realization of the objective. The department will facilitate the creation of knowledge workers for the long-term benefits of the company. Since the project involves workers, the human resource manager will develop a schedule for training attendance. The production activities will not be significantly impacted by the absence of some of the individuals. Major project milestones, delivery dates and criticality of milestones Any project requires being measurable in terms of delivery of the objectives. Investing in the project will cost the company a substantial amount of money. Naturally, the shareholders will require the realization of return on investments. In order to substantiate the investment the shareholders will make on the project, it is imperative to use assessment tools that will demonstrate that the project is important in the end. The approach to demonstrating that the project is significant in the attainment of competitive advantage will be facilitated by the utilization of performance appraisal tools. The utilization of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) will be instrumental for this project. It is expected that between January 2014 and September 2014, Development Productivity (DP) will have improved by over 10 percent. The DP is the function points per man day and per platform annually. The quality of auto mobiles manufactured will have improved by 30 percent with innovative automobiles. The milestones will be important in addressing a transformational approach to the Application Development and Maintenance. This will be achieved by actively engaging a culture of constant progression via performance measurement. The changes that will be introduced by this program require tracking and comparative analysis with time. In order to enhance comparability with previous performance, function points will be necessary. The milestones that the project is expected to deliver include the production of modern sports utility vehicles having the ‘greener future’ features. This means that the development teams will be expected to suggest and develop the contemporary engineering applications in automobile manufacturing. Technological changes experienced globally means that individuals in every global location will demand the BMW products.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In view of the increasing demand for modern and convenient automobiles, it is imperative for BMW to focus on the delivery of novel automobiles. Since the project does not require the recruitment and training of new staff, it will take significantly minimal time to implement the HRM strategy. WBS Number Task Name WBS Description Must Start by Date Must End by Date Task Level of Effort (in hours) Task Duration (in days) Predecessor (Finish-to-Start Dependency) (comma separated) Resource Name(s) Author (of Item for follow-on questions) 1 Infrastructure The task requires the installation of training equipment. These include computers and local area network 01.01.2014 29.02.2014 120 20 Financial 2 Training The staff requires to be trained on the adoption of organizational change 01.03.2014 30.06.2014 180 30 Human and financial 3 Assessment The attitudes of the employees require assessing to determine whether or not further training is necessary 01.08.2014 30.08.2014 30 5 Hu man 4 performance appraisal Individual performance of the employees to determine whether or not the change has any significant improvement on performance 01.09.2014 30.09.2014 30 5 Human 5 Quarterly training This will be necessary to establish a culture of loyalty and commitment to the company 01.01.2015 Infinite 0 Human and financial The milestones achieved through this project will be determined by the satisfaction levels of the employees and shareholders. The attitude of the employees will change. The sense of teamwork will be developed in the employees. The accumulation of knowledge gained through the initiative will present the employees with essential innovation skills. As a result, the company will gain competitive advantage over competitors. Knowledge workers will facilitate the development of green technology automobiles. This will move the company towards sustainable development. Main dependencies, risks, issues and assumptions The human perspective is critic al in automobile manufacturing. The dimension is the most essential component for success. The management plays a fundamental role in the motivation and engagement of the team members to be innovative and collaborative towards a common objective. Effective production of an automobile depends on the ability of the management to define and explain the objectives of the company. It then plays a central role in sharing the means to achieve the objective. BMW management requires motivating the employees to take challenging courses with the aim of attaining the highest degree of competence. The employees need to feel as part of the company. As the company develops, the employees should also develop financially and professionally. Inherently, the approach proposed in this project has many benefits compared to the risks the approach attracts. The costs of producing an automobile are lowered significantly. The risks involved are multiple but preventable. The project seeks to ensure that the level of engaging outside expertise is minimized. The company will depend on the employees for profitability, innovativeness and growth (Lopez-Nicolas Mero-Cerdian, 2011). The success of the project will be the creation of loyalty and commitment to meet the objectives of the company. However, this does not guarantee the retaining of employees. There are companies that often poach skilled employees from other companies (Zapata Nieuwenhuis, 2010). This poses a major risk for this project. Consequently, it will be imperative for BMW to ensure that the employees are appropriately compensated. The company will also ensure that the employees are satisfied with their performance. Irrespective of the remuneration the employees receive, employees need to be psychologically settled when performing their roles. Dissatisfied employees are a recipe to the failure of any company. The cooperation of the management is critical towards ensuring minimal employee turnover. Planning and managing a pr oject involves a variety of risks. The most important risk is the failure of the project to deliver the projected outcomes. This is often brought about by the failure of the management to commit significant efforts in terms of resources. All kinds of projects require funding. It is hence important for the management to establish a pool of financial resources to mitigate the stalling of the project. Another risk hat faces this project is the prospect of the employees resistance to change. In fact, change is usually unwelcomed in the organizational settings. Most of the employees have worked with BMW for years. The introduction of the proposed human resource approach is bound to face resistance from employees who feel threatened. Inherently, the project will entail training of staff. However, the training will involve aspects that some employees may consider undesirable. In order to diminish the effects of resistance from employees, it is essential for the human resource function to c ommunicate to the employees about the importance of the proposed organizational change. Approved project budget BMW management realizes the need for the creation of knowledge workforce. Currently, the initiative to move towards this objective may appear expensive but the benefits from the project will surpass the costs three-fold. Competitors have been implementing such projects as a long-term strategy for sustainable development in the increasingly competitive automobile industry. Description Cost (US dollar) Computers 30,000 Software 10,000 Stationery 2,000 Training expenses 8,000 Total 50,000 In addition to the above expenses, the management has factored in the miscellaneous expenses such as consultation fees. The amount set aside for this purpose is $1000. Upon effective implementation of the project, the company has considered increasing the salary packages for employees who will demonstrate innovation. References Lopez-Nicolas, C., Mero-Cerdian, L. (2011). Str ategic knowledge management, innovation and performance. International Journal of Information Management, 31(6), 502–509. Shatouri, R., Omar, R., Igusa, K. (2012). Towards a new era of sustainability in the automotive industry: Strategic human resource management and green technology innovation. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 69(2), 217-222. Zapata, C., Nieuwenhuis, P. (2010). Exploring innovation in the automotive industry: New technologies for cleaner cars. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(1), 14– 20.

How to write a presentation - Emphasis

How to write a presentation How to write a presentation Delivering a memorable and effective presentation to your colleagues or customers is about so much more than pulling together some PowerPoint slides and donning your best suit. You need to inspire your audience, not bludgeon them with jargon and visuals. Robert Ashton provides some handy tips on how to impress. Gordon Brown, in one of his first high-profile public presentations as shadow chancellor, talked in detail about the post neo-classical endogenous growth theory. He was greeted with widespread media derision while the electorate remained bemused and unenthused. Now, 13 years later, and finally on the cusp of being the new Prime Minister, his words on the economy are unquestionably more straightforward and easier on the ear: The task ahead is to build an even stronger economy with even higher standards of living It would be fair to say that Mr Brown has learned a thing or two about giving a presentation. Of course much has been made of his changing style: he smiles more, speaks more openly, looks more relaxed, wears more fashionable clothes. All of these may have improved his presentation style. But giving a decent presentation is about more than wearing the right outfit and developing a more upbeat speaking voice. It is also about the words you use. As Mr Brown said himself in his leadership-bid speech, I have never believed presentation should be a substitute for policy. He may have been referring to politics (while having a little dig at Tony Blair), but we should echo his call for substance to triumph over style in the world of business presentations. Presentation has always been an important part of professional life, but there has been a noticeable trend over the last few years for the focus to be on delivery and appearance rather than content. Mr Brown is not the only one who has been polishing his presentation style. Countless organisations send their staff on presentation skills courses to learn how to improve their public speaking. Not that presentation skills dont count of course they do. But a good presentation depends on much more than simply presenting yourself. A clear voice and a confident manner will never disguise irrelevant, ill-chosen content or over-complicated, inappropriate terminology. And by content, Im not referring to PowerPoint slides. Most of us have had enough of sitting through presentations where we are either bored to tears by slide after slide overloaded with text or dazed by endless graphics whizzing pointlessly across the screen. To be fair, some businesses are starting to realise this. But many have missed the point in their response to the growing disenchantment with PowerPoint. A well-known software company, for example, decided that employees were not engaging with corporate presentations. Its solution was to decree that no presentation should be longer than six slides. The result? Slides with as many words, figures and graphics as possible squeezed in by means of the teeniest illegible font and the narrowest margins. The employees, I imagine, have gained nothing other than future eyesight problems to add to their disengagement. But my real objection to PowerPoint is nothing to do with the number or style of the slides. It is the fact that pulling together the slides seems to have become almost synonymous with writing a presentation. Slides may give you a checklist of points to cover, and sometimes even some worthwhile visual support. But they will never win over your audience. Wise words To engage and inspire an audience you need to appeal to their values. To carry them, you need pace and rhythm. To change minds and influence decisions, you must choose and order your words carefully. In short, you need to plan and write your presentation, not just pull together some slides. Presentations demand a physical style of writing thats tied to your breath, the ability to deliver a telling phrase or sentence and whether you can capture and keep an audiences attention. You need to tell a good story and you need to keep it short and snappy, using simple, evocative words that will immediately strike a chord. You cant afford to leave your audience behind to have them wondering what you meant by something when youve already moved on to something else. Your ideas and values have to register in the moment. Your words need to be both simple and powerful. No matter how accomplished or experienced a public speaker you are, you will rarely get a good response from using technical, philosophical, or intellectual jargon or convoluted language in a presentation. Imagine if Martin Luther King had said: I am in possession of a vision statement for mankind that my four offspring will at some future juncture reside in a nation where they will not be appraised by the pigmentation of their skin but by the nature and substance of their disposition. I am in possession of a vision statement today. Or if John F Kennedy had tried to appeal to peoples national pride with: In addition, therefore, co-habitants of America, do not request of yourselves as to the nature of the obligations your territory should render unto you; request of yourselves as to the nature of the obligations you should render unto your reign of domicile yourselves. Perhaps their undisputed personal magnetism and formidable public speaking skills may have compensated a little for the lacklustre content. But it is their use of simple but carefully-constructed language that has secured their speeches a place in the pages of our history books: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. So next time you have to give a presentation, whether it is to win hearts and minds, flog your products, or simply tell people what you do, forget the PowerPoint slides, the vocal exercises and whether or not your suit is looking a bit out of date. Instead, concentrate on the actual content of what youre going to say and the words that are going to make an impression on your audience. Some hints and tips for writing a good presentation: Syntax: Disentangle your thoughts and arrange the words in your sentences to be simple and logical. Often when theres a lot of information obscuring a main point, syntax becomes far too complex. Jargon: Every profession or industry has its jargon, but only use it if you are speaking to peers and are sure they will understand you. Words: We all have our favourite words that we enjoy using and make us feel confident. As you write, imagine yourself saying the words you use and see if you are comfortable with them. And avoid any words you have trouble saying eg. if you might stumble over statistics, then say figures instead. Sentences: The sentences in a presentation should be shorter than in the typical business document. When you do write a longer sentence, make sure there is a natural break point so you can take a breath. Pace, rhythm and tone: Varying the pace, rhythm and tone of sentences makes both the speaking and listening experience far more enjoyable. Make sure the stress falls on the most important words (eg. To be or not to be; I have a dream); vary the length of sentences; arranging words in pairs and trios (saying things in threes gives a sense of movement, progression and resolution: Going, going, gone). Saying words in pairs gives a more balanced tone (courage and commitment, energy and effort) or sense of tension between the words (war and peace, imports and exports). Analogies: Good analogies can work well in presentations because they paint vivid pictures for the audience. The best way to do it is to use either a simile (It wasnt so much a dinner party, more like feeding time at the zoo) or a metaphor (Shes a dragon of a teacher). Words to avoid: Be careful about using clichs like pushing the envelope, playing hardball and thinking outside the box. And think carefully about any word that ends with -ism, -ise, -based, -gate, -focused and -driven. Alliteration: Big and bold, sleek and shiny, key components. On the page alliteration may look contrived, but it can effectively highlight important phrases in a presentation. Repetition: Repeating words also works well in physical writing. The phrase used by New Labour politicians, Education, education, education, was much stronger (and far more memorable) than something bland like, Were going to make education our priority. Punctuation: Use punctuation to help you deliver your speech. You dont need to have perfect punctuation in your presentation script instead use exclamation marks, underlining and brackets to tell you when to breathe and which words to stress. You can always have another correct version of your script for distribution. Robert Ashton is chief executive of business writing specialists Emphasis. For more information see emphbootstrap.wpengine.com Do you want your team to write persuasive presentations? Have a look at our in-house presentation-writing course.

FedEx Corporation and Its Strategies Research Paper

FedEx Corporation and Its Strategies - Research Paper Example It was found the declining profitability of the company is the main problem that the company should take into account. In the later part of the project certain strategic solutions were suggested, and then the most feasible one was finalized. It was found that the company needs to disinvest loss-making businesses which are not the part of the core business and the finance collected can be used to strengthen that business that adds core competency to the company. A proper change management process should be followed to minimize hurdles and smooth implication of the change. The management should go on reviving the plan with changing market conditions and in this way, the company will succeed in overcoming the major problem in a highly effective manner. FedEx Corporation offers transportation facilities along with e-commerce and other business services to different parts of the world. The company has under its banner four main operating businesses with the names FedEx Express, FedEx Freight, FedEx Ground and FedEx Services. The above-mentioned business units look after different areas of operation, as for example, FedEx Express provides shipping services to clients for delivering packages and freights. FedEx Express also offers trade services to its clients through the ocean as well as air cargo distribution. It also offers global trade data and customs clearance services that can be used as an effective tool by the customer for tracking and managing the import. Such facilities are used by different international trade advisory service providers to assist their customers. The company publishes specific data related to tax and customs duty information. The other segment, FedEx Ground, delivers parcels with the help of ground services.