CHANGE MANAGEMENT (CASE STUDY) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

CHANGE MANAGEMENT ( ) - Case Study Example Organizations can be transformed by creating a new system in a new place with new personnel, or by renewing the old system in the same place with the same personnel. Critics admit that when change is conducted by taking the "renewal" alternative, it usually entails the positioning of a new top manager or top managerial team. In business organizations, Ford, like many other firms, created separate plants to develop new technology and new products. In total institutions, the creation of a radical new vision that really rehabilitates is possible by starting out with a new strategy, guards carefully chosen to be rehabilitators, and a new, dedicated staff. Ford is one of the oldest automakers in the world. The history of the company goes back to 1903 when the first converted factory was opened. Today, Ford is the second largest automaker with 17.5% market share. Historically, Ford sought to compete against the industry's leader, General Motors (GM), by increasing its presence in foreign markets. Ford's International Automotive Operations co-ordinates activities in twenty-six countries grouped in three principal regions (Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific). In the late 1970s, Ford produced outside the United States half of its worldwide vehicle production - compared with GM's one-fourth. The Ford Motor Co. has also been a leader in introducing or rapidly adopting technological innovations in the industry (Lessons In Change From Ford Motor Company n.d.). Henry Ford, the founder and president of the company, is considered the father of mass production. In the difficult decade of the 1980s, Ford showed its capability to rapidly adopt the Japanese system of production and to move faster than any other auto maker in seeking the integration of its operations on a global basis. The company was also a pioneer in the internationalization of production, as it was the first to open an assembly plant in Canada (1904), in Mexico (1925), and in many other countries. Historically, the company has had a leading role in developing an automotive capability in those countries, and its strategies have been characterized by its responsiveness to local government demands and its relatively high levels of export activity (Lessons In Change From Ford Motor Company n.d.; Ford Home Page 2007). The change process within the company is influenced by the industry requirements and competition. In order to survive and maximize profits, auto makers like Ford must comply with structural rules. Structural rules are derived from production technologies (hard and soft technologies) that are successful in producing cars efficiently. An automobile is a complex product, which consists of over 10,000 parts and requires multiple and complex processes for its manufacture. Mass production proved successful in efficiently producing automobiles, which explains that for almost seven decades, it determined the structural rules for the automobile industry. It is a complex system that needs to be understood in order to comprehend Ford's strategies. Where they existed, differences in strategy or goals between the US Big Three (Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler) stemmed basically from each firm's ability to conform to the rules of competition and from its relative power position in the industry. Durin g 1990s, Ford had little room for designing

Why are many countries in Africa described as weak states Essay

Why are many countries in Africa described as weak states - Essay Example table political institutions; ensuring security for their populations from violent conflict and maintaining their territory; and meeting the basic human needs of their populations. State effectiveness in delivering on these four critical dimensions, is the main criterion for measurement. A state’s strength or weakness is a function of its effectivenes, responsiveness, and legitimacy across a range of government activities. Many countries in Africa are described as weak states. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the world’s highest concentration of weak and failed states. Weak states are defined as having a prevalence of structural inequality, which consist of economic differentiation, cultural or social inequality and political inequality (Atiku-Abubakar & Shaw-Taylor, 2003: 168). Weak states are unable or unwilling to provide essential public services which include supporting equitable and sustainable economic growth, legitimate governance, ensuring physical security and provision of basic services. To evaluate state capacity in each core area of state responsibility, policy makers and scholars resort to a host of adjectives: weak, fragile, failing, failed and even collapsed, to distinguish between countries suffering from a wide variety of capacity gaps (Rice & Patrick, 2008: 5). The degree of effectiveness of the delivery of the most crucial political goods distinguish strong states from weak ones, and weak ones from failed or collapsed ones. The hierarchy of political goods have security, especially human security at the apex, followed by the provision of law and order, free and open political participation, medical care, educational facilities, physical and social infrastructure, in that order (Rotberg, 2004: 4). State failure is a long-term and multidimensional process whereby state collapse is the distinctive endpoint of this process. The two dimensions to state failure are: the loss of legitimacy which is the gradual decline of the authority of

Halleys Comet arrives Essay Example for Free

Halleys Comet arrives Essay The poem begins with Good evening, little visitor, in this first line two things are brought to our attention. First, Good evening is a very formal greeting, it implies a great deal of respect and shows us the poets opinion of the comet as a thing that should be revered and appreciated. Second, the words little visitor present a slightly different opinion of the comet, one of smallness and insignificance, in fact, its almost diminishing, but still retaining the same fondness we found in the first half of the line. These contrasting ideas of importance and insignificance are maintained throughout the remainder of the poem. Still very near the beginning of the poem another significant line can be found: But whod have thought youd be so shy, the significance of this line lies partly in the beginning But whod have thought this establishes the idea that the shyness is unexpected, the world was expecting a fantastic display but have yet to see it. Also with the introduction of contracted words whod and yould which are the beginning of a far less formal and more relaxed style of writing. The informality is associated with the theme of insignificance, almost as if the comet, being nothing more than, a dirty undense snowball is not deserving of such respect. Also, the subject of shyness, also an important theme, is first brought to light in this line. Furthermore, here it becomes noticeable that the poem is divided into a few distinguishable parts the first of which is Abrahams physical description of the comet in the sky. Continuing from the theme of modesty and the comets description is a statement of the worlds presumption of the comets behaviour; that it would streak through, flashing that famous double tail, / autographing the prophetic sky. These actions are not dissimilar to the behaviour you would expect from a celebrity, because to the people of the world the comet is a celebrity, it has been on the news, theyve heard of its awesome mysteries and, above all, they have been expecting its return for years. However, this is not what they actually discover. Instead, they find it has done an elusive Garbo act the use of Garbo is strikingly apt as she was an incredibly famous and beautiful actress who was widely known and held in great regard by most of the world at the time, but she also shunned the spotlight and the attention she gained from her career, she rarely made public appearances and therefore developed a great air of mystery, rather like Halleys Comet. Equally, the use of prophetic is meaningful as the notion of prophecy becomes very important it the latter parts of the poem. The second section of the poem deals with the effect of modern science on the comet. It returns to notion of shyness, and, more specifically, the reason for it. The reason being that people know too much, that modern technology and science have stripped the comet of its ancient awesome mysteries and revealed that it is, in fact, nothing more than a dirty undense snowball () that only shines because the sun / lends it a bit of common light during this phrase Halleys Comet is no-longer personified, it is no-longer directly addressed as you but, instead, is referred to as it, this implies that that the poet is paraphrasing somebody elses opinion of the comet and, while these facts are true, they do not, in Abrahams opinion, retract from the importance he gives the comet in the opening line, he feels that these revelations combined with the comets new subtlety, as it hides among our city lights, only serve to make it more moving. This transition between the worlds opinion of the comet and Abrahams opinion of the comet is marked by the line I like it, in a way. What is also significant about this line is that it marks a definitive change in the style of writing Abrahams is now using very informal language which not only serves to re-engage the reader but also allows for a clear division between his own point of view and the rest of the worlds. Essentially, Abrahams is saying that the comet has lost its majesty due to our technological advancements, such as the city lights which make the comet seem inconspicuous. However, this leaves the reader curious as Abrahams has not explained why this makes the comet important. During the next part of the poem Abrahams discusses how he believes the comets journey to be one that requires a heroic effort, how it is only barely making its orbit by the skin of its momentum. We should applaud like mad he writes that you make it again on time. This sentence reiterates that the comet is barely managing to arrive at Earth, and as the poet believes we should be applauding the comet for this achievement shows that, in his opinion, the fact that the comet returns is incredible when the vast distances it crosses on its long, lonely orbit are taken into account. Youve shed the scary Nostradamus mask says Abrahams, meaning that through our scientific discoveries the comet is no-longer a symbol of anything as it used to be, can no-longer move the likes of the old Wise Men, King Harold and Mark Twain as we do not believe it to be prophetic anymore. Instead, he likens the comet to some private rare Aunt Maud, the generic distant relative that nobody really knows but will occaisionally drop by merely to show herself and check our face. The casual dropping by in this sentence continues the theme of insignificance surrounding the comet, that its visits are no more important than those of a friend we see every day. This idea is re-enforced in the line No more fortune-teller, dearest Aunt, though the word dearest shows that this guise of the comet is far more friendly than scary Nostradamus. However the use of the word private is also noteworthy, it demonstrates that while the comet is not important to the world at large it is still important on a personal level, this is the clear message of the poem, because as Aunt Maud arrives she gives she gives us her gift, allowing that we achieve a stroke of prophecy. Meaning that the comet is prophetic of itself returning and it is one of the few things that we can predict. Continuing with this idea he closes the poem by saying We thank you, little comforter: / that the dark potent emptiness ahead / contains one probable smear of light firstly, in this sentence Abrahams returns to the use of we showing that he speaks for the entire globe as he says this giving a lot of weight to the next lines of the poem. Secondly, use of little comforter mirrors the little visitor at the beginning of the poem, drawing more attention to these lines but also mirroring the feeling on fondness that we saw at the beginning of the poem. The comet is not seen as a foreteller of great events as it used to be. It has shed its scary Nostradamus mask and is not prophetic of human events anymore, but it is prophetic of its own return and in doing so fulfils its own prophecy, an this is the important message of the poem; that despite all we have done to damage the comets image, it is, perhaps, more important than ever as because of our advances in technology we cannot possibly conceive what the world will be like the next time Halleys Comet arrives, but the one thing we can be sure of is that it will.

Sociology Essays Code Street Life

Sociology Essays Code Street Life Code Street Life Interpreting The Code of the Street â€Å"Gangster life† is often portrayed as exiting and glamorous, while the news often stereotypes the urban slums as being corrupt by violent criminals. Elijah Anderson thoroughly explains in his book â€Å"Code of the Street† that life in poor minority communities are not always portrayed correctly in the media. The author offers a unique way of researching for this topic; by living in the area he studies he is able to share information only known by experience. He intends to expose and clarify the life of the inner city streets. The first chapter, â€Å"Decent and Street Families†, explains several issues many families face when raiding a â€Å"decent† child. The lifestyles of of these minority communities are, in reality, very complex and intricate. The book explains how the â€Å"Code†, or lifestyle, varies for many groups within the culture. The difference between street and decent families and the way they interact with each other, the difference of communities, and the significance of respect are all main ideas explained within the first two chapters. The violent surroundings and unfair circumstances are the origin of each individual’s lifestyle. The author uses the term â€Å"structural circumstances† to define the position one becomes involved in as a results of their place in society. One example the author used in his novel is the life of a â€Å"decent† single mother, where the term â€Å"decent’ is used to describe the individuals that do not give in to society’s negative influences. Though one common theme among decent families that is currently on the rise is grandmothers raising grandchildren â€Å"particularly the increasing number of grandmothers raising grandchildren, often see their see their difficult situation as a test from God and derive great support from their faith and church community† (Anderson 38). Single mothers and grandparents have a much more difficult time swaying their children from the negative influences of the â€Å"street†. One common trait of the â€Å"decent† child is the ability to â€Å"code switch†. A decent child is often mocked and teased by peers as well as family members as explained in Yvette’s Story, which is the reason for code-switching. One of the first stories titled â€Å"The Decent Single Mother† Explains the many hardships of having to raise a child in a dent manner without the support of a fatherly figure. The ability to code-switch permits a child to use crude and vulgar language and act in a different manner while in the streets, thus giving a child a way to survive certain situations. The author insists that this trait is taught by the parents, thought I believe it is learned thorough experience. In the â€Å"street† manhood is defied as how well one can defend him or herself in a fight. And at the same time, being able to fight and not let anyone else talk oneself down raises respect among the peers. The author claims â€Å"Respect becomes critical for stating out of harms way† (Anderson 66). There is a problem that might arise after a fight though, revenge. Revenge can become very dangerous depending on the person who was offended by being beaten. Examples vary form returning with a group of friends or even family members to intimidate others (An example taken from Marge’s story) to returning with a weapon where the outcome can result in serious injury or even death. This â€Å"Campaign for Respect† arises when the people feel as if they are abandoned and will not receive help from authorities, feeling as if they are on their own. The author writes: â€Å"[M]any of those residing in such communities feel that they are on their own, that especially in matters of personal defense, they must assume the primary responsibility† (Anderson 66). The film that portrays the best idea as to how the streets of the Bronx might have been like is the film â€Å"Boys N the Hood†. There are several scenes in the film that relate to the book. For example, in the beginning of the film the main character, a troublemaker, is sent to live with his father to learn how to â€Å"be a man†. There is a whole chapter dedicated to the campaign for respect; a section of which is titled â€Å"Manhood and Nerve†. Here the author claims â€Å"For many inner-city youths, manhood and respect are two sides of the same coin [†¦] both require a sense of control, of being in charge† (Anderson 91). Loosing control over a situation can result in disastrous effects. The author does not give any specific examples however since the film closely relates to the topic of the book, bringing an example from the film is appropriate. A scene from the film involves â€Å"Doughboy†, one of the main characters in the movie, and his attempt to recover his brother’s stolen football from a group of much bigger and stronger boys. He stands up to the group of boys who are pushing him around. He gets in the face of one boy in particular and kicks him in the leg. The bigger boy retaliates by slapping Doughboy down and kicking him in the stomach. Doughboy criticizes his brother for being â€Å"stupid† and bringing the ball in the first place. Doughboy is has been humiliated in front of his brother and at that time is also feeling embarrassed and places the blame toward his brother. Doughboy’s attempt to retrieve his brother’s football and the resulting assault has everything to do with â€Å"juice† and the cultural adaptations Doughboy has had to make as the street kid in his decent family. As a street kid he needs to be aggressive and assert himself physically. Therefore, when his brother’s ball is stolen he reacts violently as this is the language of street life. The older boy, not to be shown up by a small, lesser boy, beats Doughboy up, most likely in order to maintain his reputation as a tough street kid. Also, just like a street kid, drugs and alcohol become a major part of his life later on as he is always seen drinking a forty. As â€Å"objects play an important and complicated role in establishing self-image† (Anderson, 73) his car also becomes a source of juice as it has expensive features and is very well maintained. The main goal for the decent family is to give the younger generation, usually their offspring, a chance to develop and grow out of the raging violence of the streets. Instilling good morals in a child’s early years is often emphasized: â€Å"In decent families there is almost always a real concern with and a certain amount of hope for the future. Such attitudes are often in a drive to work †¦ ‘to build a good life,’ while at the same time trying to ‘make due with what you have’† (Anderson 37). Instilling these morals into the children is important if that child is to make the right decisions while in the street. Even though this task is daunting on its own, it becomes especially daunting when there is a single parent. A household maintained under the supervision of a father figure creates a more stable environment for the child. Sure both parents may work double shifts and may work late night after night, but this only serves as another reason for the children to perform well. A passage from the book shares this idea: â€Å"The children nodded attentively. After the adults left, the children seemed to relax, talking more freely and playing with one another. When the parents returned, the kids straightened up again [†¦] displaying quiet and gracious manners all the while† (Anderson 39). In this patriarchal family the head of the household, usually the father, the children remain obedient out of fear of disappointing their parents. The decent children in this passage have a slightly higher chance at success than their fellow peers solely because neither they nor their parents have given in to the street life. Respect, or â€Å"Juice†, is highly valued in the streets. It is something everyone should earn in order to live without being constantly picked on or harassed. Juice can be earned in multiple ways however the most common way is through fights. In the book, Anderson claims â€Å"[T]here are always people around looking for a fight in order to increase their share of respect† (73). The alternative to engaging in random fights is intimidation through physical appearance. The way a person is viewed depends on physical their appearance where factors such as the more jewelry one has, the most expensive clothing, and even the way one grooms oneself determines the amount of respect they have. In the last example Doughboy seeks revenge for his brother’s murder and, in the process the characters act out Anderson’s ideas about reasons for revenge and Tre’s decent kid dilemma. Ricky was a much loved and valued member of the group of boys featured in the film. By murdering Ricky, the group of other males has greatly disrespected Doughboy’s position in the streets. Doughboy, as Anderson would predict, does not appear to fear death as he will face Ricky’s murderers with his gun and kill them, knowing, as he discusses the next day with Tre, that he will most likely â€Å"get smoked†, meaning shot to death. â€Å"True nerve expresses a lack of fear of death† and this proves manhood, which is very closely related to respect (Anderson, 92). Like Tyree in Anderson’s book, Doughboy feels an obligation to hurt those that hurt his brother and gains power from hurting others in the most severe form (Anderson, 84). Doughboy is purely a street kid. In short, Anderson’s book, â€Å"Code of the Street† discusses ideas of decent and street families as well as the crucial concept of respect in a way that is in agreement with the film â€Å"Boyz N the Hood†. The actions of Tre and his father mirror those of a decent family living in poor minority community and Doughboy’s actions are characteristic of Anderson’s ideas about street individuals. Their lives warrant examination in order to determine causes of crime as well as reasons why not all individuals in these violent communities are criminals. It is clear that opportunities need to be afforded to the individuals in these communities so that they can have hope for the future and not end up with the mindset of Doughboy that it doesn’t matter if he’s shot because everyone has to die sometime. The people must be allowed access to the resources necessary to become decent families which include alternative avenues to gaining â€Å"juice.† As opposed to achieving respect through violence and drug dealing, other standards and means to reach those standards need to be instilled in the community. Education and job training should be stressed and drug problems should be treated. Violence in the community should also be controlled so that individuals feel safe and decent kids can listen to music and study as opposed to the popping sounds of gunshots.

Innovation and Traditionalism in Art Essay -- Art Artistic Arts Histor

I am sure that we have all, at one time or another, noticed that almost any discussion concerning the merits and demerits of art, if it goes on long enough will come to the qualities of innovation and traditionalism in regards to aesthetic value. As soon as these two qualities are mentioned, there comes an inevitable forming up of those who favor innovation and deride tradition and those who favor tradition and deride innovation. Either side usually admits only enough merit to their opposition, and limitation of their own view, to make themselves seem reasonable and objective: but the bulk of their effort goes into savaging their opponents and extolling the ultimately ascendant nature of their position. I am inclined to take neither view, but to propose a third. It is not enough that we should pursue either innovation or traditionalism simply because we have some sort of aesthetic attraction to them, such as, for example, sentimentality or novelty. There may be those who would r espond that there is simply no arguing about taste: that you like what you like and that is that. Certainly such people are right in one sense, but this response seems too simplistic and of a ‘sour grapes’ nature to convince me that this is the end of the matter. Rather, I suggest, it is the purpose to which we apply either innovation or traditionalism which dictates whether or not they have aesthetic merit: too often, our adherence to either of the two qualities becomes a thoughtless habit of our culture rather than anything useful in itself. In order to prove the viability of this qualification, I will first explore the negative and positive qualities of innovation, and the possible causes thereof. Then I will look at the negative and positive qual... ...wild beast, a tiger or some such, with whom I am trapped in a small room. There are many factors which may influence the tiger in one way or another, and while these factors, such as my experience of tigers (traditionalism), or clever new ways to influence them (innovation), are of deadly importance, the tiger remains the primary focus, or reality, in the room. Often, however, we confuse the factors for the art itself, the means for the ends, the cause for the effect. We talk of our difficulty about defining art in empirical terms, as if it were an elusive fog of wraiths, a "veil of unknowing", or an ethereal mist of fleeting experiences: we are unable to ever really grasp the identity of what we seek to define. Maybe this is true, but every now and again I am sure I see something strangely beautiful, terrifyingly real, gracefully elusive, gliding through the vapours.

Divorce Laws in The United States Essay -- Law

â€Å"Divorce is a decree by a court that a valid marriage no longer exists. It leaves both parties free to remarry. The court will award custody, divide property, and order spousal and child support† (The American Bar Association 71). â€Å"†¦till death do us part† is almost always heard at wedding ceremonies. But all too often this phrase does not represent its true meaning. Between 1960 and 1999 the divorce rate in the United States tripled (Porterfield vii). Out of all first time marriages, 41% end in divorce (Divorce Rate). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every 1,000 people, 6.8 get married and 3.4 of those marriages will end in divorce (Marriage and Divorce). The Family Legal Guide from The American Bar Association confirms that of the couples who marry before the age of forty-five, one-half of them will get divorced (71). These numbers do not seem to be decreasing. They only seem to be increasing as time goes on. If two people can no longer find it in themselves to be passionate towards one another and they no longer desire the others company, they should end their marriage. However, the growing number of divorces is proving that getting a divorce in the United St ates is too easy. The evidence proves that divorce laws should be made stricter throughout the United States. Every divorce is different. Some divorces involve children. Some only involve the couple. Some have step children or half children. Some include hostile situations. Some are peaceful. Some are for valid reasons. Some are simply because the couple does not feel like being together anymore. Some are mutual. Some are not. So why is every divorce so quickly done and so easily obtained? A number of states allow do-it-yourself divorces.... ...2. â€Å"Marriage and Divorce.† Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. Porterfield, Kay Marie. Straight Talk about Divorce. New York: Facts on File, 1999. Print. Portnoy, Ph.D. Sanford. â€Å"A Lawyer’s Primer Part 1- The Effects of Divorce on Adults.† Ed. Ron Brown. The Psychology of Divorce. 1(2006): 1-7. Print. Russo, Francine. â€Å"Can The Government Prevent Divorce?† The Atlantic. Oct. 1997. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Shapiro v. Thompson. 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data. U.S. Supreme Court. 21 Apr. 1969. Print. Tavernise, Sabrina, and Robert Gebeloff. â€Å"Once Rare in Rural American, Divorce is Changaing the Face of Its Families.† www.Nytimes.com. The New York Times. 23 Mar. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. The American Bar Association. Family Legal Guide. 3rd ed. New York: Random House, 2004. 71-88. Print.

The India we want

In United States there is a term called the ‘Great American Dream'. Historian James Tortuous Adams defines it as ‘life should be richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to their ability or achievement. † We for sure do not want to copy this term but according to me the ‘Great Indian Dream' would be defined as ‘Everyone should be ranked according to ability, strive for innovation and invention, be happy and content but at the same time work for the progress of the country.India is a great country with a great potential. Its sheer massiveness has given it a big advantage in front of other countries that face a problem of human labor and area. It is truly said that ‘The citizen is the true treasure of the country. ‘ If the power of these citizens is put to good use there is no doubt that India can overcome all the problems it faces. Yes, India faces a number of problems and yes many of the effects are seen on the comm on people who form the major population of the country. However, imagine if these common people only come together, what mind of change they can bring.A large population of India is in its youth years and I believe that if the youth of the country begin to think over the current issues, find solutions and lead other people we will very soon be able to see the perfect India we picture in our minds. We can live to see the next generation happy and contented, we can live to see the â€Å"India we want! † While everyone will have their personalized perception of a happy India, the generalized ideas are the same In the India of our dreams; we can clearly visualize a lace where there is no poverty and sorrow.Although this dream can be made true through a lot of hard work and dedication let us talk from a more realistic point of view. In the perfect India we would all want the name and fame we deserve. We all see that sons and daughters of famous, rich businessmen get all the luxuri es and fame Just because of their family background. A student who deserves his place in a good, reputed college might lose his seat to a less deserving but rich student. This needs to change and that will only happen when we change our mindsets.Accumulation of money is necessary but only to a certain limit. So in the India of our dreams we would definitely like to be Judged on the basis of our ability and not on our father's bank balance. When we talk about a perfect India we cannot forget our oldest enemy- corruption. Ask anyone about the one thing that has slowed down Indian's progress and you are mostly likely to hear corruption. We Indians have a bad habit of blaming others. It is the same with corruption. We have now become so habituated to blame corruption as the root cause of all the miseries in our lives.Although it is true that we have corrupt politicians, it is we who elect them. If we get the opportunity to study and keep ourselves updated with the politics or rather the Government's policies we can question them as well as reform unjust policies. Education will also form capable candidates for various Jobs. Education will help us question everything we have to blindly follow from the age old customs to the unnecessary paperwork. I believe that education and the values of a person are the only tools which can eradicate corruption.