Relationship between Mood and Opinion

Theoretical A person’s quick state of mind may influence their assessment of a film not long after watching it. An individual can be in different mind-sets. This converts into a bunch of assessments of a film if numerous individuals are considered.Advertising We will compose a custom basic composing test on Relationship among Mood and Opinion explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this proposed examination, 200 workers of a specific association will happen in an investigation wherein the scientist will attempt to decide a person’s mind-set preceding viewing a film and the feeling they structure about the film later. It is normal that people with pessimistic temperaments will have a contrary assessment of the film and people with decidedly slanted dispositions will have constructive conclusions. Factually noteworthy consequences of this investigation will prompt better post prevalence audits of motion pictures, might be a bit nearer towards better futu re surveys, and will encourage further research in this field. Members This investigation will focus at any rate 200 workers of an enormous association. The members will be looked over an email that will be sent to all representatives in the organization. The email will build up accessibility of someone in particular, sexual orientation, and ethnicity to guarantee all socioeconomics are caught in the examination. The email will likewise express that the members will go for a head film, whose ticket will be given, as long as they take an interest in this examination marginally when the film. The examination will take roughly 30 minutes in the two meetings. The representatives who partake will likewise get a reward ticket for one more film toward the finish of the film under examination. This will be a token of gratefulness for taking part in the investigation and will guarantee that the members participate in the examination until the end.Advertising Looking for basic composition on brain research? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Design The examination will associate a person’s mind-set preceding viewing a film and the assessment they type of the film in the wake of viewing. The indicator variable is a person’s state of mind before the film and the standard variable is the sentiment they structure subsequent to watching it. The state of mind of members will be estimated by posting various temperaments extending from tragic and terrible to bright and energized. The mind-sets will be sorted extensively into lovely and terrible. The members will rank themselves in either classification by picking the most suitable mind-set to depict them by then (Zeally and Aitken, 2012). Feelings will be estimated by a 5 point Likert Scale extending from ‘1’ to demonstrate the member didn't care for the film at all to ‘5’ showing a high respect for the film (Unuth, 2012). Connection i nvestigation instruments, for example, Excel and SPSS will be utilized for examination to concoct significant data. Nonetheless, cautious information cleaning will be required to guarantee that all surveys are filled well. Strategy The administration of the association, whose representatives this examination will test, will keep an eye out for an up and coming film with evaluated mass viewership. The administration will at that point send an email educating representatives regarding the up and coming investigation to build up if there is a connection between a person’s temperament preceding viewing a film and the supposition they type of the film afterwards.Advertising We will compose a custom basic composing test on Relationship among Mood and Opinion explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The email will completely express the quantity of members (200 workers) and the measure of time the examination may take. Moreover, the organization will pay for the ticket s for the film. It will empower ladies and individuals from various ethnicities to take an interest. The analyst should be cautious at this stage as a result of the high stakes at coordinations. On the chose day of the film, members will show up around 45 minutes before the film begins. This will give them plentiful chance to fill the principal poll (which will expect them to choose the most fitting disposition they think they are in) and take into consideration other strategic cutoff times, for example, settling in their seats and passing out tickets. The analyst will have composed for a room where members will fill the polls. Everybody should be there before anybody fills their survey. The analyst will state expressly that the examination is intentional and nobody is constrained to fill all inquiries. In any case, it is imperative to fill the two pieces of the examination to make it pertinent to the specialist. In the wake of filling the main poll, the scientist will distribute nu mbers to respondents and request that they compose it on the survey. They will compose a similar number on the second survey after filling it. The specialist will hand the second poll to the members after they leave the film corridor. This should be done at the exit of the lobby since certain members may leave in a rush and overlook the second part.Advertising Searching for basic composition on brain research? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More The subsequent survey will decide the assessment that the member has shaped of the film. The suppositions will be estimated in a 5 point Likert Scale with ‘1’ showing an amazingly negative feeling and ‘5’ demonstrating an exceptionally positive assessment of the film. The survey won't require to be filled at a specific spot since it will have not many inquiries. Henceforth, it will take under 5 minutes for a member to fill. After the film, the scientist will hand another reward ticket as a token of thankfulness for partaking in the examination. This film ticket will likewise act a motivating force to take an interest in the investigation to the latest possible time. Measures Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) This calendar comprise of 60 states of mind that an individual can have at a specific time (Zeally and Aitken, 2012). The mind-sets are offered in a Likert scale position. ‘1’ demonstrates ‘not at all in the mood’ an d ‘5’ speaks to ‘extremely in the mood’. The states of mind go from charming ones, for example, ‘cheerful’, moderate ones, for example, ‘anxious’ to terrible ones, for example, ‘disgusted’. The members will reply as honestly as could reasonably be expected (Zeally and Aitken, 2012). Circumplex Model of Affect To sort the states of mind into charming and terrible seriously, the specialist will utilize Circumplex Model of Affect. The Mean Opinion Score (MOS) The Mean Opinion Score (MOS) by Unuth (2012) will be utilized to gauge assessments of members with respect to the film. It orders conclusion from 1 to 5. This incorporates ‘impossible to communicate’, ‘very annoying’, ‘annoying’, ‘fair with some imperfections’ and ‘perfect’ individually. The above order will frame a reason for simple investigation by utilization of programming (Unuth, 2012). Conversatio n A person’s state of mind before viewing a film is required to influence a person’s assessment of the film in the wake of viewing. A positive state of mind is probably going to bring about a good feeling while a foul mind-set is probably going to bring about a negative assessment of the film. The examination bolsters this speculation as it brings about a relationship coefficient of 0.72. This shows a measurably positive connection between the two factors. Henceforth, it shows that a person’s disposition largy affects the assessment they structure about a film. In the event that the theory had not been factually bolstered, at that point we would infer that a person’s state of mind has no any relationship with the conclusion they structure about a film. Thus, it is foremost not to settle on choices, for example, film surveys dependent on the assessments of people. This is on the grounds that such an audit might be slanted one way or the other relying on wh o takes an interest in it. The three in all likelihood causal connections that could have modified a variable in this investigation incorporates a bustling day at home grinding away or in rush hour gridlock, the occurrence of an occasion during the day or desire for such an occasion in future (for example wedding, internment), and nature of the overall climate. The film that is indicated will be exceptionally publicized. It is normal that a worker who routinely goes out to see the films will have found out about it. Be that as it may, there is a likelihood that this specific film isn't a person’s ‘type of movie’. For this situation, positive feeling is more uncertain regardless of the individual been feeling acceptable. Also, an ominous feeling is almost certain if an individual is feeling foul. Be that as it may, this may change throughout the film and result in a good sentiment. These confinements may slant the result of the investigation. They are probably goi ng to occur. In doing comparable explores in future, analysts can concentrate on giving respondents their ‘type of movie’ to conquer this constraint. Also, this investigation should be possible precipitously to discover the respondents in their most normal perspective. This is probably going to bring about a progressively delegate study. Conversely, it may not be strategically conceivable to complete. References Unuth, N. (2012). Mean Opinion Score (MOS). Web. Zeally, A.K. Aitken, R.C. (2012). Estimating of Mood. Web. This basic composition on Relationship among Mood and Opinion was composed and presented by client Harvey Cole to help you with your own examinations. You are allowed to utilize it for research and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; notwithstanding, you should refer to it in like manner. You can give your paper here.

How to Win Friends and Influence People essays

The most effective method to Win Friends and Influence People expositions Dale Carnegies book How to Win Friends and Influence People gives strategies for guidance and models with respect to how to triumph in the social world. It remembers sections for how to deal with individuals, how to make individuals like you, how to win individuals in your mind, and how to be a pioneer. The book starts with an introduction of proposals on the best way to get the majority of the book. These incorporate exploring it occasionally and taking the recommendations with a receptive outlook and genuineness. The primary section opens the peruser to the procedure of how to deal with individuals effectively. It accentuates that so as to comprehend individuals one must respect the circumstance from their perspective. A great many people have purposes behind choosing what they do. The individuals who perpetrate wrongdoings and loot stores don't see themselves as awful individuals. Criminals, for example, Al Capone viewed themselves as neglected and unrecognized open supporters, not as foes of the state. Individuals don't denounce themselves, so for what reason would it be a good idea for one to censure others? Exercise one discloses to the peruser that one ought to never censure, whine, or denounce others. Standard two recommends that you give individuals your genuine and legit appreciation. An individual ought not think about his achievements or victories, yet praise others on theirs. The most significant thing one can give another is his veritable appreciation. I consider my capacity to st ir energy among individuals the best resource I have, and the best approach to build up the best that is in an individual is by gratefulness and support. - Charles Schwab You can compromise individuals forcibly or unforgiving words, yet the best way to get others to do what you wish is to give them what they need. What do they need? Appreciation. Standard three in the central methods of taking care of individuals manages how to excite in the other individual an anxious need. It is anything but difficult to tell individuals your requirements, however nobody needs to hear them. Individuals are just intere... <! Step by step instructions to Win Friends and Influence individuals papers Step by step instructions to Win Friends This book was written in 1936 by Dale Carnegie. A portion of the terms and jargon utilized are dated however the guidance and data can at present be utilized today. It manages correspondence with others and the requirement for all gatherings to have the option to see the target from the others' perspective. The point of view of the book is from a place of intensity or the executives however it very well may be helpful to anybody that understands it. While this book is helpful, it ought to be recollected that it was composed during when the individuals in the workforce had an extremely solid protestant hard working attitude associated into them. The book is isolated into four sections, and they are: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People. The following area is called: Six Ways to Make People Like You. The third part is titled: How to Win People in Your Mind. The last section is called: Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment. The titles to the areas are to some degree dull and infer control as opposed to comprehension or bargain yet the book stresses seeing things from the perspective of others and settling strife in commonly satisfactory manners. The accentuation of the book is encouraging the aptitudes important to utilize the teaming up struggle style and conduct change. The main area, Fundamental Techniques in Handling People, has three standards. 1) Don't reprimand, denounce or grumble; this is the most troublesome one to oversee. 2) Give legit, earnest appreciation. Everybody has some positive characteristics. 3) Arouse in the other individual a longing to please. Utilizing these standards advance the capacity for the people to have an open, legit discussion. This thusly makes a positive air for compromise. The six standards of the subsequent fragment are, Six Ways to Make People Like You, 1) Be truly inspired by others. 2) Smile at individuals. 3) Remember and utilize a pe... <!

Applying Agile to Non-Software Projects - Focus

Applying Agile to Non-Software Projects - Focus If you’ve heard about Agile project management, you’ve most likely heard about it in the context of software development. True, a first look at the Agile manifesto might have you convinced that the Agile approach is strictly for development experts. You know, those colleagues who have you asking “what language are you speaking?” when they talk about their work (a question that can result in even more confusion when you get an answer like “HTML/CSS”). While Agile may have been created with software in mind, it offers a fantastic collaborative method of managing work that is applicable across a range of industries and project types. The beauty of Agile project management lies in its potential to deliver value at every phase while remaining flexible and open to change. Agile thus addresses a conundrum that many industries face: How can we maintain controlled development and implementation, while also promoting innovation and creativity? Read on to find out how you can take advantage of this approach and apply Agile project management strategies to non-software projects. It’s simpler than you might think. Agile What? First off, a word on Agile project management  and just what it entailsâ€"for the less technically inclined among us. Established in 2001, Agile was developed as a step-by-step approach to software delivery. Instead of trying to put all the pieces together for one single final product delivery, Agile project management encourages iterative development. Projects are divided into “user stories”â€"small pieces of user functionalityâ€"which are then prioritized and delivered in short cycles known as iterations. A user story could entail a piece of functionality like being able to “find friends” through a software tool or enabling its ability to print overview reports. A user story can be implemented into an iteration of a software product but that doesn’t mean it will necessarily remain in place permanently. Whether or not it does depends largely on how users respond to that piece of functionality once it has been implemented. As you can probably guess, the Agile process requires ongoing communicationâ€"between the different experts who are working together to create the software, as well as between the developers and users who provide feedback on iterations. This makes way more sense than spending a great deal of time and money to create a final product without user input on the way, right? It’s one of those ideas that, in retrospect, seems so self-explanatory that it leaves everyone thinking, “Why haven’t we been doing this all along?” That’s the logic behind Agile project managementâ€"and it’s logic that certainly applies to a range of projects beyond software development. So how can we apply the Agile approach to non-software projects? Individual Tasks, Individual People, Intersecting Interactions If you’re working on a project, you’ll likely start off with a to-do list of the steps you need to move that project ahead towards its end goal. That end goal could be a product, an advertisement, an eventâ€"the options are endless. By breaking up the big tasks you need to accomplish to reach that goal into smaller, manageable to-do items, you can more easily prioritize and assign tasks to team members. The first incremental steps of progress that result can be tracked, measured and shared with fellow team members, representing the first “iteration” of your non-software project’s development. A task management tool like MeisterTask allows you to create lists like these to organize your workflow, and assign tasks and due dates to team members while tracking progress. The open nature of an Agile project management approach requires more flexibility than simply giving someone a task, however. That’s why MeisterTask also allows team members to comment on tasks  and to invite input from additional team membersâ€"and, thanks to MeisterTask being completely web-based, this can all be done in real-time. Productive Collaboration on a Continual Basis An essential element of Agile projects is collaboration among team members on an on-going basis, not just in the early brainstorming phases of a project. For software developers, user input on new functionality is essential to determining future iterations. For non-software projects, the input of different experts working together towards a common goal is just as important to ensuring positive project development. By allowing team members to comment in real-time, Agile-inspired workflows encourage creativity and help a project evolve positively. MeisterTask further taps into the collaborative nature of Agile workflows with its possible integrations. MeisterTask integrations allow you to connect your favorite tools like Zendesk, GitHub,  and Slack, among others. The integration with Zendesk, for example, allows you to create tasks for MeisterTask directly from Zendesk. Once the task is completed, you’ll receive a private comment. Or you can connect on Slack, communicating via the messaging app and creating new tasks directly via chat. Needless to say, MeisterTask can also be integrated with the collaborative brainstorming app MindMeister, allowing you to seamlessly transition from brainstorming to creating actionable task lists to realize a project’s completion. Repeat and Review, Repeat, and Review, Repeat and Review The iterative nature of Agile project management relies on creating new repetitions of software, updated each time with changes to user stories on a continual basis. Apply this concept to non-software projects by pinpointing recurring steps and setting them to repeat automatically. This encourages consistency and efficiency in the work process, while also forcing you to constantly revisitâ€"and, just as importantly, to reconsiderâ€"basic elements of your non-software project. With  Section Actions, MeisterTask allows you to automate recurring steps in your task management workflow. Maybe you work in online marketing and you have an SEO pro in your team who reviews all content before it goes on your website. You can automate the assigning of tasks on a recurring basis so that, for instance, any website content review is automatically assigned to your SEO pro. If a specific action is configured for one project section, you can even automatically apply this action to all tasks in this section. Adapt Against Risk Applying Agile project management strategies to non-software projects addresses a fact that most of us in the working world don’t like to discuss: Most projects have an inherent element of risk involved. The best way to negotiate risk and combat potential failure is to be open to evolution in the project development process. By promoting individual accountability and interaction, supporting collaboration, and encouraging repetition and review, Agile project management provides an adaptive framework for non-software project development. Making costly long-term project plans is tricky and deters project managers from adapting after significant time, when money has already been invested into a process. A complex non-software project can thus better conquer risks with an adaptive Agile approach. Coming back at the Agile manifesto, if you just ignore the software-specific language, its application value to effective project management of all kinds becomes clear: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools; Working software (Let’s replace that with “Deliverables with value”) over comprehensive documentation; Customer collaboration over contract negotiation; Responding to change over following a plan. Don’t Be Shy, Be Agile Considering the above, it becomes obvious that Agile-inspired workflow strategies and tools apply well beyond software development. Don’t forget, the LEAN method of project management was originally used in industrial processes. Who would have thought that a process once used primarily in auto manufacturing would be applicable in the office? It took innovative and open minds to see that potentialâ€"and to dare suggest putting LEAN into practice in an office environment. No doubt, the proposal was initially met with skepticism. Today, however, LEAN is used in many office environments. So don’t shy away from the Agile approach! By using Agile delivery for non-software projects, you’re promoting your team’s ability to remain creative while delivering concrete value. This is exactly what keeps people enthusiastic about their work and when people are excited about the work they’re doing, you’ll get the best ideas and greatest results. This is a guest post by Alison Kilian. Alison is a communications and marketing professional with a focus on digital and social media. Based in Vienna, Austria, she works independently for clients across Europe and North America. She holds extensive experience in a variety of topics including healthcare, technology and EU affairs. You can find out more about her work on her website ASK-Communications.com or follow her nerdy passion for creative content on Twitter. Download our free white paper for more information Agile White Paper 2.0.

Womens Experience Mortgage Credit - 1225 Words

4. Conclusion The purpose of this study was to examine whether women’s experience mortgage credit after the 2008 housing crisis. Origination, denial, and fallout rates were produced from HMDA data and fallout rates. These rates captured the behavioral performance of lenders during the loan underwriting process; thus, shedding light on women s credit experience as compared to men in the mortgage market. Between gender comparisons, the results reveal good news. The women‘s mortgage credit experience is statistically equal to men as measured by mortgage origination, denial and fallout rates. These findings are consistent with some mortgage gender stud-ies such as Dietrich and Johannsson [15], Robinson [9], Awoonor-Williams [14]. They are in contrast to other studies, Woodstock Institute [10] and Cyr [11]. Dietrich and Johannsson [15] study used a multivariate model, which control for economic factors considered during the underwriting decision. They found 15 of 18 fair lending e xams had no statistical gender effect on the decision to deny a mortgage. The Robinson [9] study found that applications for low-income women were more likely to be originated than men of similar income. Awoonor-Williams [14] found that being a female statistically did not increase applicants’ denial experience; results were based on Freddie Mac s national consumer credit survey and logistic regression analysis. Control-ling for income and loan type, Diabate [13] found little differencesShow MoreRelatedCorrelation Between White Males And Females1723 Words   |  7 Pagesstudy was to examine whether women’s experience mortgage credit after the 2008 housing crisis. Origination, denial, and fallout rates were produced from HMDA data and fallout rates. These rates captured the behavioral performance of lenders during the loan underwriting process; thus, shedding light on women s credit experience as compared to men in the mortgage market. 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Military and Corporate Strategy - 7776 Words

Business and Management 2010-2011 Military and corporate strategy Corporate and Business Strategies [pic] Alexandre de Rodellec Bettina Voisin Fleur Bazin Alicia Dutheil Aimeric Raynaud Introduction: Stake of the topic Definition of key words Establishment of paradoxes Issue as a question form Announcement of the plan I. The historical origin of strategy A. The birth of military strategy: Sun Tzu - Main actors - Historic main events of the evolution B. The concept of business strategy - What is strategy about? - Different kind of company†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, a business strategy is about building. Actually, the main goal is not to destruct but at the opposite to build something in order to get earnings. In the same time, the way to get through this objective implies to fight against different kind of enemies. As soon as we speak of fight, we have to deal with plan and strategy. 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Teaching/training cycle Free Essays

Teaching should be a learning experience for both the teacher and the students; we never stop learning, whether it is the unconscious referral to past experiences that prevents us taking a wrong turn down a well trodden path or a conscious decision to learn a new skill. As teachers it is our role to ease learners through the process of learning, Coffield, F (2008) supports this by stating that teaching and learning are not separate activities but â€Å"intertwined elements of a double sided, interactive process† which is enabled by the understanding and implementation of the key stages of the teaching/training cycle. The 5 Key Stages are: Identify needs, Planning and design, Delivery, Assess Evaluate. We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching/training cycle or any similar topic only for you Order Now Identify needs: Adult learners bring a wide range of abilities, skills and life experiences to the classroom and these can influence the way they learn. It is a crucial responsibility of the teacher to ensure that learning needs are identified in order that delivery can be planned or adjusted to meet these needs. When delivering short, legislative courses, identification of needs is not always achieved prior to commencement of delivery for many reasons. In some cases enrolment is completed by employers who may not be aware of learners’ literacy, numeracy or special needs, (e. g. dyslexia); some learners may have had previous bad experiences of learning but require the qualification to do their current job, or employees may just â€Å"have been sent† by their employer so may bring a negative attitude. It is the teacher’s role to identify any issues as early as possible and to implement delivery and support strategies ensuring learner needs are met throughout the delivery, at the same time respecting learners’ rights to confidentiality. Planning Design: It is the responsibility of the teacher to plan and design the course to meet the needs of the learners and the awarding body. Occupation specific courses have very prescriptive learning outcomes, aims and objectives so it may be suggested that the teacher has little involvement in course planning or development. As supported by Armitage et al (2003) even highly prescribed courses still allow some freedom to interpret, resource and emphasise the various course elements in our own way. Every group of learners is different with a wide variety of learning needs and although the base design of the course remains the same each course delivered is adapted with varying resources, exercises, and anecdotes drawn from working experience. Many of these adaptations are made â€Å"on the hoof† in response to the limited learner knowledge prior to commencement of delivery. Delivery: The teacher is wholly responsible for delivery of the learning programme to achieve identified aims and objectives whilst meeting individual learner needs. Delivery should incorporate differentiation to allow for individual learning goals and expectations, competence levels and speed of progress and there should be a variety of learning methods utilised, while the pace of learning should be varied to maintain interest and concentration. Teaching should allow for different learning styles, such as VARK learning models learning styles identified by Honey Mumford, active learners should also be encouraged. Responsibility for the safety of the learners lies with the teacher, from both the physical and emotional viewpoint who should ensure that no learners are being discriminated against by themselves, other learners or the organisation as a whole. When delivering occupational training in the workplace an enhanced level of professionalism may be applicable to standards of dress and conduct, the teacher is also responsible for ensuring these standards are met. Assess: It is the teachers’ responsibility to ensure that learners are progressing and achieving throughout the course through a variety of methods of formative assessment. Methods of assessment must be linked to the course delivery and learning objectives supported by a clear idea of what students are setting out to learn and how far down the line they are to mastering that learning, as they progress through the course, this theory is well supported particularly by Minton (2003). The teacher is responsible for roviding timely feedback on learner progress which should be clear, concise and include both positive and developmental comments for learners to focus on. On legislative training courses summative assessment, is carried out in strict adherence to the requirements of the awarding body, however it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all learners are aware of the format and assessment requirements and are provided with any agreed support to ensure equality of oppor tunity. Evaluate: The teacher carries the responsibility for evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and learning of sessions and the course as a whole. Evaluations should cover content, resources used or needed, teaching methods and learner satisfaction. On legislative training courses, where each session makes up a module of the whole day’s course delivery, it is not always feasible to carry out a formal session evaluation however each course is evaluated in depth to ensure that strengths and areas of improvement are identified for future delivery. Learner evaluations and achievement provide useful feedback on course content, whether learners achieved their individual aims and objectives and whether they believe their learning has helped them in their working role, which is invaluable information when delivering occupational courses, however any changes to delivery must be tempered with any employees needs, as identified in the first stage of the cycle, and requirements of the awarding body. Adult learners already hold diverse life experiences when they arrive to learn. It is the role of the teacher to ensure that their needs are identified met through planned provision and delivered in a professional manner on order that they can achieve to the best of their abilities and ensure that they are happy with their learning experience. How to cite Teaching/training cycle, Essay examples

JetBlue Case Study

Introduction JetBlue was founded as a small entrepreneurial company. Authority was centralized with the CEO having making almost all decisions. Delegation of power was almost non-existent.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on JetBlue specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The CEO basically controlled all operations at the firm. Since its inception, the CEO cultivated the entrepreneurial spirit which saw the company grow tremendously but at the same time reflecting the original image of a small low-cost airline. At JetBlue, the CEO has cultivated a culture of being unique; standing out from the competitors. Being a low-cost airline, it itself does not offer the uniqueness since there are others in the category. What made it unique was the high quality of passenger services and comfort. The company CEO always insisted on three things: low-cost, great product and capitalization. With this experience, talent and expertise, Neeleman saw the company’s profit grow tremendously and this success may have contributed to the growth of the uniqueness culture. It is not easy to operate in the low-cost range and yet offer high quality services. This made the company’s strategy difficult to imitate and hence it stood out. Strategic Change Goals of the new Project There are two major goals in this project: first is Enacting growth in a cost effective manner while, at the same time, maintaining the entrepreneurial culture. Second is to maintain the image of a low-cost airline that is Jet Blue. Ethical issues and Social responsibility Jet Blue’s business is in an industry where ethicality is a key issue to be considered direct interaction with the customers, calls for good moral values and integrity. The airline is an entity in itself and should be given a personality. The personality of the airline is reflected in its employees. In the case study, when the CEO apologized to the passengers who suffered the impact of flight delays, he did so on behalf of the company. This shows that the company values its customers and will not wish to inconvenience them. The move to compensate customers and give them a free full round trip in addition to the profuse apologies was another way to bring out the ethical nature of JetBlue. It is in best Interest to accept one’s mistake and rectify than to point a blaming finger on someone else. JetBlue knew this too well and hence had the courtesy to agree that the flight ought to have been cancelled like in the other airlines; and instead of blaming it on the bad weather, JetBlue apologized and made it up for the stranded customers. This goes along way in building customer trust and in return earns their loyalty.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a social being, JetBlue faces the responsibility of ensuring the wellbeing of those that it interacts with. The first thing that is notable at JetBlue is the low cost of their flights. It has ventured into the unexploited routes and offered fairly affordable flights that encourage even non-flyers to enjoy the luxury of flying. Secondly, the services offered are reasonably prestigious considering the cost. Classy refreshments, comfortable seats and individual seatback TVs is far too much for a low-cost flight. Again by letting the passengers communicate their feelings concerning the 2/14 flight delay publicly shows that the customers’ feelings are catered for. Another responsibility facing JetBlue is being profitable. The owners should boast of a return on their investments. Strategic Approach The project at hand is aimed to substantially cut down cost while increasing profitability and enacting growth. A strategic approach that aims at minimizing production cost yet offer appealing services to the customers will best suit JetBlue. Looking at Porters generic strategies, the low cost leadership Strategy offers the best strategic measures that can help JetBlue achieve its goals. For instance, the decision by the New CEO to drop the idea of adding more jets to their fleet is a way of avoiding additional cost and this is suggested by Porter, 1985 in this generic strategy. He further argues that access to a large capital investment at entry creates a barrier that may not be crossed by any other company. Initially, JetBlue started off with huge investment capital but now that it is recovering from a blow, it is like a fresh entry altogether and the new COO is strategizing and implementing ways in which to accumulate capital for an effective comeback. The strategic plan to cut down the number of current flights and introduce a new route is an assured way reduces cost incurrence. By reducing the number of flights, we introduce some free hours of labor and idle jetliners. These can be transferred to the new route meaning that there will be a new route at no extra cost. Decentralization With the founder CEO out of the scene, and having been faced with great challenges and losses, it is time JetBlue modified its operational strategy. The company needs to break up from the old culture of centralization, and diversify the decision making process. Lewin’s Model of change management, unfreezing, changing and then refreezing can be used to implement the required changes.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on JetBlue specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The starting point is to break up the system that has been since inception; that is the lines of authority and power. Construct them once again but this time in a different form. The conventional hierarchical model of organization can be used in this case. The company is small and this works in favor of the model since even the topmost managers will have an idea of what is happening in the lower leve ls. This hierarchy provides a means of power delegation from the topmost position to the lowest in the ranking. The CEO who is ranked highest in this case will have the overall decision making authority but there are other levels of decision making that can be made in the lower level authority. In this organizational structure, every leadership position is assigned specific roles. This is a particularly important as it enhances accountability and stimulates the urge to work harder to achieve the goals that are expected of the leadership position held. During this change-over, there may be a lot of confusion as employees learn to work in the new system and it may cause a drop I productivity. The new organizational form may be implemented in the current design. This may make things easier for the employees when it comes to adapting to the change. Now that change is underway, it is hard to determine how the new system will be welcome but one thing is for sure, there has to be some amou nt of resistance to this change. This resistance is manageable with a little effort. This is where leadership qualities are evidently required. Communicating effectively the underlying change; its benefits and challenges and the reason why it needs to be implemented prior to implementation is particularly important (McShane Glinow 2009). This may not be a means of avoiding resistance but a way of managing the inevitable resistance. Making every member of the organization a part of the change process by holding healthy discussions, listening to their views and sharing in their fears makes each individual support the change positively with the feeling that he is making it happen and it is in his favor. Such communication issues require a strong leader. Delegation of power and Duties Now that there are different levels of authority and power, delegation of duties comes into play. The question of grouping these duties appropriately and assigning them to the relevant department is quite challenging in many cases. However, the implementation of the organizational form should put into consideration the professional background of each person before assigning them to the different department. The most effective way is to create departments based on expertise and professional or educational foundations. Advertising, for example, should be allocated to the marketing department together with issues such as when to offer discounts on trips and the like. In other words related tasks should be grouped together. When it comes to authority, orders should flow from above, however, every level of authority has its decision making capabilities. Each person should be answerable to the one directly above him.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The organizational goals can only be met if the parties involved work collaboratively towards them. However, with the delegation of authority, delegation came of duties as well. This means that every player in the process has got a role to play towards achieving the organizational goal, (Wonnacott and Wonnacott, 1986) There are needs to be a benchmark against which achievements can be measured. The benchmarks can be created by setting departmental goals. These will form a basis on which success will be measured. As an example, setting target sales may be a goal in the marketing department. The target can be based upon sale projections from previous years or the appropriate trading period. If they are not met, the person in-charge will be answerable. This accountability will translate to commitment towards realizing the set goals and objectives. Also, to determine if goals are being met, performance is measured (Sumanth, 1984). Measures of performance are based on feedback collected from customers as well as deliverables made to stake holders. Performance is measured by the following metric drivers. (House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts) Effectiveness = Actual output/ Expected output x 100% Efficiency = Resource actually used/ Resources planned to be used x 100% Productivity = Outputs/ Inputs this can also be expressed as Expected productivity = Expected output/ Resources expected to be consumed or Actual productivity = Actual output/ Resources actually consumed. Project monitoring is done by the CEO who should feed the Board of Directors with all relevant information and feed back from the employees under his command. Quality Control Quality control should be implemented in three levels; first is the incoming Quality Control, In-Process Quality Control and Outgoing quality assurance. In our case, we are dealing with a service industry and the input is mostly in terms of ideas. The ideas presented by different stake holders should be thoroughly scrutin ized to determine whether they are worthy implementing. Secondly, if an idea is to be implemented, continuous analysis should be carried out on the implementation process to find out if it is likely to yield the anticipated results. Finally, the services and other deliverables should be of the highest possible quality. In the control of quality of any business process, we need to look at all dimensions of quality. The first Dimension is experience. It has got the ability to translate a vision into a reality. Without experience, all visionary plans are bound to fail. Experience also brings about learning in an organization. An organization whose quality management process is done by a person with experience will acquire its own experience during the process and with time eliminate consultancy services. The second dimension is measurement. This is a characteristic of quality that enables the assessment of thee fact that something was done and the degree to which it was well done. The third dimension is relationship and system thinking. Relationships are seen in using such tools as graphs and charts where one variable is plotted against another to see how one affects the other. System thinking translates a two dimensional quality system to a multidimensional, integrated, dynamic and leveraged system. There are two types of thinking, dynamic and static thinking. Dynamic thinking covers the interrelationship among all the dynamically interactive parts of the system. Static thinking captures a single point in time of a process. It shows the process’s logical flow. Static thinking shows the relationship between one part of a system and the other parts. The point wise view of a process is more suitable in showing how the system is working at that particular point in time. The fourth dimension of quality is Interconnectivity and Paradigm logic. A system has three basic parts, inputs, processes and outputs all of which are interconnected to produce results. This fourth dimension looks at the interconnectivity in systems. That is how the parts of a system are connected and thus understand the guiding rules and principles that make the system not only work but work in a certain way. His dimension explains the logic that drives a system. The last dimension of Quality is value sharing. In relational economics theory, the value of sharing defines that if a party A gives party B something that is more valuable to party B than it is to party A then they are better off together as a result of the trade. When it comes to quality, value sharing is used to mean that you should give the customer more than what he is paying for, (Winder, 1993). Risks and Benefits This strategic change process may face opposition from the management who feel that their power positions are threatened. Also, as noted earlier, employees are most likely going to resist this change especially for fear of the unknown. Communication is the key tool that can help in management o f these crises, (Robbins, 2003). The Board of Directors and shareholders may be opposed to the change in fear of failure but if properly discussed and the benefits of the new system in comparison to the shortcomings of the old one clearly defined, they will support it. If the project is successful, the shareholder’s will be the first beneficiaries as the get good returns on their investments; employees may have pay rises and the security that comes with working in a successful company. Due to the diverse views in decision making process, more productive decisions are likely to be made and also with diversity in culture, come employee satisfaction as everybody fits in. Conclusion In conclusion, the project may be summarized as an organizational change induced by change in management and the need to be more profitable. Changes are inevitable, what is most important is how the change is implemented and the benefits that come with the new system in comparison to the old system do benefits out do the risk. References House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts. Department of Trade and Industry: Regulation of weights and measures. Retrieved from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmpubacc/581/581.pdf McShane, S., Glinow, M. (2009).Organizational Behavior. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Porter, M. (1985) Competitive Advantage. New York: The Free Press. Winder E. Richard. (1993) Fulfilling Quality’s Five Dimensions. Retrieved from http://www.ldri.com/articles/93aqcfillqual5dim.html Robbins, S. (2003). Organizational Behavior. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Sumanth, D. J. (1984) Productivity Engineering and Management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Wonnacott, P., and Wonnacott, R. (1986). Economics. 3rd ed. New York McGraw-Hill. This case study on JetBlue was written and submitted by user Esperanza Collier to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

San Diego Police Department †Management Research Paper

San Diego Police Department – Management Research Paper Free Online Research Papers San Diego Police Department Management Research Paper Police Departments of different cities are undergoing a transition. Police department and their operations, hierarchy design, and strategies are becoming increasingly similar to that of other commercial organizations. Police Departments today operate with a sense of direction, a mission that is broken down into objectives and achievable goals that must be met in order to rank the mission of the department as a success. Therefore, it will not be incorrect to compare police departments to business organizations functioning within the society. Strategic planning is a management tool that is used by organizations in order to effectively implement resource utilization towards future goals, growth, efficiency in operations and sustenance. Strategic planning is highly recommended for organizations in today ever-changing environment. There is no reason why strategic planning cannot be implemented within a police department as it is a significant establishment (or organization) in a society. Strategic planning is being used at various police departments across the United States. An instance of one is the San Diego Police Department. This paper tends to analyze police department and suggests a strategy plan for the future of the department than the one already implemented at the department. About San Diego Police Department The police department of San Diego is one of the most efficient police departments from across the country. The department is also amongst the pioneers in implementing strategies that have won the country the edge in the fight against crime. These strategies include implementation of an Information Technology infrastructure and programs such as ‘Community Oriented Policing’. The San Diego Police Department has a strength of over two-thousand-six-hundred personnel. This strength consists of officers that are sworn, as well as other that are civilians. These personnel function conjointly towards accomplishing the mission of the police department. These personnel are further divided into eight divisions: Field Operations, Special Operations, Neighborhood Policing, Training and Development, Office of Administration, Personnel Services, Professional Responsibility, and Support Services. All these departments function under the assistant chief, except for the Personnel Services which functions under a civilian personnel director. (Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The department has been a leader in trying new strategies for implementing effective criminal justice routines. The department works closely with the community and encourages the society to participate and coordinate with the fight to make the city free of crime. The ‘Community Oriented Policing’ and ‘Problem Oriented Policing’ are two such programs that bring the community and the department together in the fight against crime. Further, the department has also implemented Information Technology as a strategy for efficient crime reporting and monitoring (details of this is mentioned during the course of discussion later in the paper). The aforementioned strategies have yield promising results for the San Diego Police Department. The crime rate has considerably declined in the city and is continues to drop. The crime statistics of the year 1997 show that fewer homicides, murders, violent crimes, property crimes and burglaries have taken place that year as compared to 1978 (Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999). However, this existing crime rates are still quite high for the United States. The San Diego Police Department has therefore the responsibility to sustain the comparative low crime rates and try to reduce these statistics even further. This cannot be achieved without efficient strategy planning of department’s resources. Following is a study and analysis of the San Diego Police Department. The various aspects of the operations of the department are studied, analyzed, and based on these a strategy plan is devised for sustainability in operation of the department. San Diego Police Department’s Mission The department envisions cohesion of efforts of various entities in the society, aimed at improving the lives of the inhabitants of San Diego. The collaborative work is one of the most stresses attributes of the police department’s mission. This collaboration includes entities such as â€Å"communities, government agencies, private groups and individuals† (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2002) that share the same vision as the San Diego Police Department, i.e. fighting crime and improving the quality of life in San Diego. The attributes of the mission statement are the values that the San Diego Police Department tends to use to accomplish its mission. These values are representative of the spirit, and are the basis of the policies of the police department’s mission. San Diego’s Web Site (2002) lists some of the core values of their police department, rating protection of human beings as one of the highest priority values. This is significant for any police department as the primary reason for establishment of peace, law and order systems is protection of human life. The value deserves to be at top priority as a lack of value suggests taking for granted the objective of the department’s motif for existence. The implementation of ethical policing follows in the list of values. The reason for giving ethics a high importance is crucial for the acceptance of the police department by the people it is established for. There are many issues surrounding execution of duties of the police force and officers, ethics being one of them. It is not fiction but a fact that a police subculture has established itself within the officers which sometimes provides for officers to carry out unethical practices or misuse of authority. The public shows its concern for such unethical practices implemented by law enforcers themselves. Therefore, the implementation of ethics in particular and mention of it that high in the mission statement of the police department is strategically intended to ward off bad attention. Another high ranking value of the San Diego Police Department is the Partnership with the community. It is important for the success of any ‘business’ intended for the public to include the public as much as it can. The San Diego police department is one such activity that is intended to protect the public; therefore this motif must also include public participation. Hence, Partnership is mentioned as one of the key values at the particular key department and may also be pinnacle for the success of the San Diego police department. The overall mission of the San Diego police department will be analyzed by the discrepancy between the mission statement and actual operations strategy of the department. The San Diego police department has been recognized as one of the leading and most effective of the departments operating within the country. The department not only has shown its realization for its key values of protecting human life, but integrates all the other key values such as partnership and ethical policing. Evidence of this can be sought in the fact that there has been a sharp decline in the crime rate in San Diego since the police department has implemented its ‘community oriented policing’ measures. (Tos, 2000) Units in the San Diego Police Department The police department has been organized into several different units based on nature of function or crime. This helps organization of resources as well as represents the image of a well-organized/equipped police department. The different units operating in SDPD are: Air Support Unit, Armory – SWAT, Background Investigations, Canine Unit, Child Abuse, Communications, Crime Analysis, Criminal Intelligence, Crisis Intervention, Data Systems, Domestic Violence Unit, Elder Abuse, Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO), Field Training Officer Administration (FTO), Financial Crimes, Gang Detail, Harbor Patrol, Homicide, Internal Affairs, Juvenile Administration, Laboratory, Legal Advisors, Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST), Media Relations, Mounted Enforcement Unit, Narcotics, Neighborhood Policing, Permits Licensing (Vice Administration), Personnel, Psychological Services, Records, Recruitment, Robbery, School Task Force, Sex Crimes, Special Investigations, SWAT/SRT (Special Response Team) and Vice Operations. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Critical Success Factors of San Diego’s Department of Police The success of the Police Department in accomplishing and maintaining the mission objective in the community can be contributes to various factors. Some of these factors can be outline to be critical for the success of department, without which the SDPD could not have realized their mission objectives. These factors are summed up and briefly outlined here as the critical success factors for SDPD. Well-defined Strategy The reason why San Diego Police Department has been recognized as one of the leading police departments in controlling crime is that the department has well-defined strategic objectives. The objectives are responsible for focusing the resources of the organization in an organized manner, towards attaining the mission objectives of the department. Setting up a well-defined strategy for a criminal justice unit is rather a new concept in criminal justice administration as usually these departments just focus resources in an unpremeditated manner towards the customary objective of reducing crime. However, the strategy of the SDPD is different. The police department has laid down a definition of more than one goal and further strategically channelled their resources towards realizing these goals. An instance of such a strategy is the department’s awareness about different approaches towards criminal justice, such as the ‘problem-oriented policing’ strategy or integrati ng the community in the fight against crime in the neighborhood. Training of Human Resource The shift away from the conventional means of operations brings forth the need to train the human resource of any organization to accustom it to the new strategy. Not only would a new strategy introduce new processes for conducting conventional operations, but it may also introduce new tools (such as Information Technology tools, including software and hardware) that are intended to enhance the efficiency of the human resource. San Diego Police Department faced the same circumstances where the introduction of a strategy enticed the need for human resource training. Eventually, the proper and trained use of strategies and tools led to efficient operations and increased productivity of the police department which was unprecedented. Besides the consideration of training with a changing information technology infrastructure, officers at the police department have to undergo extensive training from the police academy before they can start performing their duties in SDPD. A focus of ethical grooming is also maintained during this course of training. This helps realize and implement the value of the San Diego police department to use ethical policing when serving the community. The officers undergo comprehensive training in the police academy which prepares them not only to ‘serve and protect’ but to efficiently implement policing according to the strategy that is implemented at SDPD. A significant aspect of the human resources that has acted as a critical success factor for San Diego Police Department is training of the community. The participation of community members and individuals in accomplishing the mission of SDPD is crucial for the success of the department; hence it is just as important to train the community on how to help the department achieve its objectives. The participants from the community are trained to help SDPD to implement its strategy, which also includes educating/informing individuals about procedures for making their lives more secure and protected. Not only have these measures ensured increased protection of these individuals, but has also have increased the acceptance of SDPD’s mission within the community. Use of Information Technology The introduction of Information technology tools is one important development for crediting the success of the mission at SDPD. Conventional policing shows less use of high tech tool for attaining criminal justice objectives, but with the advancement in technology the role information technology tools play has become a crucial success factor of policing. San Diego Police Department has been one police departments that accredits it success to the use of Information technology tools, including software, hardware and processes. The department has segregated the use of Information technology in various units and systems. The New Technology Unit (NTU) is one such unit which is headed by a sergeant and staffed by patrol officers. Each individual involved in the integration of technology in policing is thoroughly trained, committed and knowledgeable about the use of this technology. The information technology infrastructure is used for a range of operations. This includes activities from in stallation of software of laptop machines to the use of Automated Field Reporting (AFR) devices. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) Information Technology helps improve the efficiency of operations of the San Diego Police Department in various ways. For instance, the patrol officers can electronically transfer information from their remote locations to the central information system regarding criminal activity or general reports. This information can be processed in this database to provide the San Diego Police Department with useful information on crime, criminals and statistics. These may include felons that may be involved in various criminal activities, crimes that are mostly committed in a neighborhood or statistics on the effectiveness of the department in the specific neighborhood. Further the information technology infrastructure is also used to efficiently monitor the performance of police officers on duty. Besides efficiency enhancing policing, the Information technology infrastructure has also improved the integration of the community with SDPD. For instance, individuals can log on to the website of the police department and use various maps available online to conduct criminal analysis. This is just one of the facilities made available to the community and part of the Community-Oriented Policing objective at SDPD. The inclusion of community in criminal justice is complimented with various computerized processes based on the SARA (Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment) Model which cumulatively make the Problem-Oriented Policing strategy of the police department. Concisely, the various strategies implemented by the department promise community inclusion in criminal justice and analysis and end up contributing to the success of SDPD’s mission. Financial Situation Finances are the backbone of the any organization as refining the state of the community comes at a cost which must be met. Finances help any organization buy and employ resources towards a definite objective. Similarly San Diego Police Department has the primary objective of making the city a secure place by protecting them and further improving their quality of life. In order to realize these (and many other) objectives for the mission of the police department, the department needs finances. Once finances have been obtained, which is further required is the proper and efficient management of these finances in order to get the maximum out a limited finances. Budgeting is used by SDPD to plan its finances most effectively. The total annual departmental budge of SDPD is just under $300 million (the final budge allocation for the year 2004 is $287,972,689). This total budget is further allocated systematically for various activities. For instance, a major portion of this budget goes into the personnel expense account, which also includes the salaries and wages of employees. The remaining of the department’s budget goes into non-personnel expenses. This amount covers expenses for everything ranging from maintenance, acquirement of the existing infrastructure, to costs of implementing the technological infrastructure and training. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The major part of the budget is used to cover personnel expenses. This shows the worth and its expected reliance on the human resource for the success of the mission of the department. Like any other organization, monetary benefits are used to keep the human resource motivated. When the major portion of the budgeted amount is spent on salaries, the remaining amount is still a hefty lot for the police department to plan investment in information technology and other infrastructure – efforts aimed at improving the efficiency of SDPD. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The primary sources for the finances made available to the San Diego Police Department are five, namely: Property Tax, Sales Tax, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), Motor Vehicle License Fee (MVLF) and Franchise Fee. As the financial resource of SDPD depends on the City’s General Fund, they are generally sensitive to political and economic stimuli coming from either local, state or national levels. Fluctuations in any of these sources tend to directly impact the funding of various other departments in San Diego, besides the Police Department. This suggests that adverse political or economic climate of San Diego, California or the United States may have adverse impact on the financial position of the San Diego Police Department. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Organizational Design Strategy The organizational hierarchy is clearly listed at the San Diego Police Department Web Site (2003). The organizational hierarchy shows the structure of the police department and the chain of command can be conveniently analyzed. An analysis of the organizational chart reveals that the department is arranged in a way of a business organization with the Chief of Police as the CEO, and the managers take places lower in the hierarchy. So much so that the organizational chart is also labeled as â€Å"San Diego Police Business Center†. These similarities do not stop here, where other similarities such as community involvement in attaining the mission of the organization is another front where SDPD conjoins with any other business organization. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) The organizational hierarchy is top down, however possesses horizontal attributes, which make communication between individuals working at the same level (horizontal communication) and also across departments. Vertical communication however is not favorable in the top-down hierarchy. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Further analysis of the organizational chart of the San Diego Police Department reveals that the department intends to implement a central control over other departments / entities working lower in the hierarchy. This organizational design will be helpful in enforcing strict monitoring and accountability of entities lower in the hierarchy. Such an organizational design, therefore, is used to implement effective programs and reduce the relaxation/room for errors for entities as activities are reported to entities higher up in the hierarchy design. This is one strategy that is used to accomplish the mission of ethical policing at all levels within the department. It is safe to suggest that the organizational design of the San Diego Police Department compliments its ethical policing objective. Strategic Plan for San Diego Police Department The aforementioned analysis has laid the foundation to devise a strategic plan for the San Diego police department for the coming years. The analysis of the department’s mission, critical success factors, financial situation and organizational design strategy are the groundwork for a smart strategic plan for the department, which would otherwise not be feasible without these analyses. The following is a suggested strategic plan for the San Diego Police Department including justification for each strategy suggested. Strategic Design for SDPD The analysis of the organizational design reveals a hierarchy with strict and inflexible structure. This organizational design might be appropriate for implementation of ethical policing and complimenting strict measures of control within the department, however the organizational design conflicts with an important aspect within any organization, i.e. communication. The design strategy hinders communications within different departments at different levels of the hierarchy. The design strategy suggests to the community that officers and entities placed lower in the hierarchy will be the interface for dealing with the department, whereas entities higher in the hierarchy depict not much interaction with the public. It is important to mention here the expectancy of the public to have transparent execution of services as it is the public’s money which is the source for funding the police department. Therefore, what the San Diego Police Department needs is an organizational design that fosters communication with all the entities involved in policing, however one that also implements a strict control for implementing ethical policing without hindrance. This can be implemented with a new, lean organizational design. A horizontal organizational hierarchy will implement better communication between entities within the department, at all levels of the hierarchy. However, such a design cannot be implemented without compromising control and accountability of the entities within the department. Thus, to back the same level of control and accountability, SDPD must be backed by assigning leadership status to each entity within the department, along with delegation of responsibility and authority. This assignment of leadership, responsibility and authority offers the officers/entities the right mix for operating independently within the department. An entity responsible for accountability and gauging the execution of duties of each entity must be assigned in the department to conduct assessment of the operations of duties and delegated responsibilities. A new, lean organization design with provision for better communication and provision for entities to function independently and responsibly may be the m ost efficient organizational design for the San Diego Police Department. Such an organizational design will also help motivate and increase the efficiency of the officers as the ability to act as leaders (with delegated authority and responsibility) will encourage active participation and management of the resources of SDPD. The results from the suggested strategic organizational design are expected to be encouraging. The delegation of responsibility and authority will relieve the entities higher up in the existing SDPD hierarchy of hefty routines for check and accountability. With the new hierarchy, each officer will be actively accountable and responsible for the quality of execution of his/her own duties. A department for accountability can help make this task easier (with the use of existing Information Technology infrastructure being used at the San Diego Police Department). Further, the higher-ups in the existing hierarchy would also be relieved and have more time available for paying attention to devising better strategies for the department and maintenance of its caliber. Contingent Strategy for SDPD As analyzed earlier, the financial strategy of the San Diego Police Department is susceptible to economic and political fluctuations on the local, state or national level. This susceptibility poses a threat to the sustainability of operations of the police department by exhibiting dependence on these factors. The department needs to device a financial management strategy to provide when in difficult times such as those that may not cause disruption of work. This means that an alternative source for generation of funds must be established or sought out by the San Diego Police Department that can cater to the financial needs of the department when other currently implemented sources are not available. A primary activity that the department needs to adopt is the establishment of a reserve that can accommodate the revenues of the department from the previous budgeted year. The reserve funds can be collected over many budgeted periods till a threatening situation occurs and requires SDPD to consume from the reserve. Further, the financial resources of the department must be efficiently allocated. This includes the need for the department to reduce redundancies in processes and eradicate all the hidden costs in operations amongst many other options that prove efficient in management of finances. Using Information Technology tools is another noteworthy activity in this regards which helps reduce inefficient processes, reduces hidden costs by cutting down processing time and reducing the instances of errors. Conclusion The San Diego Police Department has implemented quite a few strategies to minimize crime in the city. Nevertheless SDPD must implement further strategic measures for sustainability of its mission of fighting crime. References 1. The City of San Diego Web Site. (2003) â€Å"About SDPD†. [Online] sannet.gov/police/about/ 2. Decker, S., Cordner, G., Ward, S. (1999). Case Study: San Diego, California Police Department Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project. abtassoc.com/reports/ISTEP_C3.pdf 3. Tos, D. (2000). A Fortune 500 Police Department. Cultural Diversity. Mid-City Division, San Diego Police Department. communitypolicing.org/publications/exchange/e30_00/e30tos.htm 4. Anderson, T. (2000). Every Officer is a Leader Transforming Leadership in Police, Justice, and Public Safety. ISBN/ISSN: 1574441183 5. The Reason Foundation. (2002). Study: San Diego Is Most Efficient City Government in State, San Francisco Least Efficient. rppi.org/022302.html Research Papers on San Diego Police Department - Management Research PaperThe Fifth HorsemanUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Project Managment Office SystemThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCapital PunishmentOpen Architechture a white paperPETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Prevention and Control

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Prevention and Control Trees favored by the Asian longhorned beetle are predominantly maples, but infestations have also been discovered in horse-chestnuts, poplars, willows, elms, mulberries, and black locusts. Currently, there is no known practical chemical or biological defense against the Asian Longhorned Beetle and, in North America, they have few natural predators. How Trees Killed Are Killed by ALB The Asian longhorned beetle is a black insect with white speckles that grows a long antenna. The beetle chews its way into hardwood trees to lay eggs. The eggs produce larvae and those larvae tunnel deep under the bark and feed on living tree tissue. This feeding effectively cuts off the trees food supply and starves it to the point of death. How ALB Spreads Studies have shown that an Asian long-horned beetle can fly as far as several city blocks in search of a new host tree. The good news is that the beetle tends to lay eggs in the same tree from which they emerged as adults - they usually limit their flights under normal conditions. Prevention Unfortunately, there are no methods developed to practically prevent or control Asian longhorned beetle. If you detect the presence of ALB, the only thing that will help is to contact local forestry officials for consultation. They can take steps to contain the outbreak. The only way currently known to combat the Asian Longhorned Beetle is to destroy the infested trees. While cutting down mature trees is not a great solution for the tree owner and a tragedy, it is preferable to permitting the Asian longhorned beetle to spread.

Reflections on doing, being and becoming Assignment

Reflections on doing, being and becoming - Assignment Example The idea that was most interesting and which I would like to explore more is the part of doing as an occupation which many people have focused on much to the extent of destroying our planet and nature. This is of interest because of all the theories that have been put forward about the destruction of nature and the planet, no one has focused deeply on occupation being related to the act of doing which is driven by the notion of an individual’s being. If the being can be addressed in detail, then the doing in relation to occupation can be addressed as well. What additional questions or wonderings do you have about this? The explanation of being in the article has not really touched on psychological explanation and how whether a being can be changed or not and if it is changed, what kind of effect can it have on the becoming as well as doing of an individual. If the inner life of an individual can be changed, can it make an individual better, enable them make better choices and decisions or there will be no much effect felt or seen. Why, in your opinion, do you believe this warrants further discussion? The article itself has not delved deeply into the three aspects and they are all interconnected. If further research can be carried out in the aspect of being, then the results can be able to shed much insight into how to make the occupations of people better the planet rather than destroy them, or even enable them chose better occupations. The aspect of being is much more important than indicated in the article.

Employee -Employer Relationship and Expectations Essay

Employee -Employer Relationship and Expectations - Essay Example Even in the modern world where technology and machines have made lives easier for many, the need of human capital still persists because the common sense, creativity, problem solving skills and decision making abilities cannot be substituted by the automatic mechanics or computers. Therefore an efficient and effective interaction between the employers and employees leads to the success of the business (Buren & Greenwood, 2008). The smooth operation and organisational consistency greatly relies on setting the standard operating procedures which ensures that the working environment is safe and the work is carried out in the most -efficient manner. The SOP’s can be re-evaluated and re-established with a proper feedback from the employees. If the management has an open door policy, this can be an advantage in the betterment of the business because of the positive input of employees due to the natural free thinking. The feedback is analysed by the employees and is utilised in the b est way possible that helps the business without compromising its quality, consistency and reliability. This also improves on the decision making of the management. But, the employee- employer relationship is very critical. The both of employees and employers are different from each other and if these are not somehow met, it results in a conflict. EMPLOYEE – EMPLOYER RELATIONSHIP AND EXPECTATIONS: The relationship between an employer and its employees is not just based merely on economic terms, but it is much more than that. It is an important relationship that is based on mutual dependency and has a great impact on the working and progress of an overall organisation. A set of values and norms that are applicable on all members of the organisation members persists and must be followed. This makes the culture of an organisation that gives it a uniqueness and identification (Zientara, 2009). The workplace in professional life, is like a second home to an individual, so his job is an extremely valued possession that has an effect on a lot of factors. The relationships that an individual maintains at the workplace are different from those that are his personal, and therefore must be very carefully sustained. The employer-employee relationship is the most complicated one and each has a level of expectations from one another. There always has been and will always be an assured push and pull between the employers and employees that cannot be evaded. But if they work together with a mutual consent, they can come up to each other’s level (Zhang, Tsui, Song, Li, & Jia, 2008). Experts say that this tug of war between employer and employee helps to build the synergy vital for focused approach towards the collective goals of the organisation (Evanschitzky, Groening, Mittal, & Wunderlich, 2011). The organisation is a collection of numerous units working together collectively to achieve one goal; the organisations goal. Along the way, the employee tries to achi eve his/her goals be it experience, thirst for knowledge, or the never ending need to financial security while using the employees goal as a driving force the employers try to align these goals with the strategy of the organisation. Experts also say that this is the best way to make a winning solution, using the zeal and creativity of the employee, help them achieve their goals but align them according to the goals of the organisation. Why is it so necessary to align all the expectations and the goals together? Why does an organisation needs this synergy? The

Report on Applied Management Project

Report on Applied Management Project According to Gibbs (1988), simply having an experience is not adequate enough to promote learning. Not reflecting on an experience gained through learning would result in you loosing that knowledge acquired. It is from the concept of reflection that assumptions and theories are drawn. And it is this assumption that allows new situations to be handled more effectively. (Gibbs 1988). The process of reflection, presents an opportunity for an individual to gain further insight into his/her work through critical reflection on experiences, and through further deliberations of other viewpoints from authors and theories. Moron (1999) sheds more light on this topic by stating that, reflection is a form of mental activity (or a way of thinking) that enables an anticipated outcome to be achieved. She suggests that reflection is applied to complex situation where there is no obvious solution. In simple terms, reflection evolves around the notion of learning. Through the process of reflection, we conduct an in-depth review of a piece of work. Reflection occurs when there is a motive or a set target. Subconsciously, this motive may not be realized. In spite of the fact that it may not be a planned endeavour, it is through this same process that a new idea evolves. Reflection is seen as an examination or review of earlier actions, events or decisions. Jasper (2003) contributed to this concept by suggesting that when we reflect on earlier experiences, we end up enhancing our being through the acquisition of new knowledge. LEARNING THROUGH REFLECTION Reflection can be defined in so many ways but they all yield the same outcome learning. David Kolb (1984) supports Gibbs (1988) and Jasper (2003) definition of reflection through the development of the Kolb cycle. It is drawn below in a simplified manner but still portrays Kolbs concept of reflection. The cycle is trigged by the idea of having an experience from a piece of work which goes through vigorous experimentation and reproduced through a new experience. Reflection plays a vital role in this cycle as it reproduces this new experience through the process of learning. Kolb (1984) saw reflection as a psychological activity that has a significant role to play in learning from an experience. In the Kolb cycle, reflection is seen as a developmental stage of the process of observation. In other words through the course of making an observation, an individual tends to reflect on an experience before the notion of learning is realized. While agreeing with this cycle, Moon (1999a) introduced another angle to this phenomenon by suggesting that while reflection is seen as a vital aspect of learning, it also acts as a catalyst for the assimilation of information already acquired. She elaborates further by emphasizing that reflection forms part of a kind of cognitive housekeeping role which in turn creates a new learning experience. RECOLLECTION OF EXPERIENCES The AMP began with a week of induction. Before the week, a module timetable was posted on Breo which divided students into cohorts according to courses and allocated venues. During the first three days tutors are assigned to various sessions to introduce the module to students and to provide us with necessary information required to embark on the project. On the third day, students are expected to form groups. After the formation of groups, each group is allocated a topic. We are to work together as a team to research on the topic and to come up with relevant resources. With the help of an assigned tutor or supervisor the topic is further broken down and made clear to all members of the group. At the end of the week we are encouraged to work individually and to share resources when appropriate. A summary of what took place during the 12 weeks is as outlined below. Day 1 Unfortunately, this day fell on my birthday. I woke up very reluctant to attend the first session but upon remembering the warning which came with the timetable, I had no option than to catch the virgin bus to Luton. I arrived 30mins late only to be embarrassed by the tutor on duty. Everyone seemed happy and the room was very noisy. Most of us were still talking about the exams. After the news that the topic would be given, the room became quiet all of a sudden. I became tensed and anxious because I had a topic in mind which I have been researching on. Whiles we were being introduced to the unit and the topics of report writing, information sourcing and referencing, I was busy reading the module handbook because I was still confused. We were informed that the project topic would be given out on the third day so we had to continue reading the module handbook and ask questions in our next session. I spent the rest of the night reading the handbook hoping the next day would not b ring anymore surprises. Day 2 The second day was even worst. Even though we had a tutor who kept making funny jokes, the introduction of Plagiarism, chunking and reflective writing really made me quite unsettled. The plagiarism session noted various examples of plagiarism and emphasized on the dos and donts of a good project. I was beginning to loose hope when the academic librarian took the stage. He talked about where to get relevant materials for our project. He answered almost all my questions and also said we would be spending sometime with the librarians to practice how to source for materials for our project. During the break, I met with my former group members and we agreed to stick to the same group. I was excited because most of us were hard working. Just when I was beginning to feel a bit better we were informed at the end of the session that the groups we form would be functional for just the subsequent two days. I went home even more unsettled and tensed than I was the previous day. Day 3 The next day, after meeting with my group members, we submitted our names and we were asked to choose a team leader to pick the topic. I was nervous and kept praying for my team leader to pick a reasonable topic. After some few minutes, she came back with our topic. Initially I panicked because I did not understand the topic but after reading through more than once, I had an idea of what was required. I couldnt wait any longer. I started reading, researching and making my own notes. I also passed through the shopping mall on my way home to grab a diary like I was advised. Day 4 and 5 -The final days of the induction week came very quickly and we were reminded that it was the last opportunity we had to ask for help on anything relating to the project topic. We were informed that any further attempt by a student to seek further guidance regarding the project topic would be denied. Although, I had a clear understanding of what I was expected to do, I was still unhappy at the end of the induction week. I was expecting to be supervised by an assigned tutor until the project was completed. Never the less, the group discussions we had with the assigned tutors reassured my confidence. It gave me the much needed clarification, direction and scope of research required. Weeks 2 and 3- In week 2, I started searching for relevant materials for my project. My first starting point was Google search engine as advised by one of the tutors during the induction week. My next point of call was the Universitys digital library and then the Milton Keynes library. My group members agreed to meet every Friday but I could not make it because I was working. They kept sending an update of the meeting until everyone decided to do an independent work. I still kept in contact with my group members to see what they came up with. We shared a lot of resources through email. I gathered as many articles and journals as I could and also kept updating my diary. Most of the information I came across were electronic books so it made my work easier. Week 4, 5 and 6 During the 4th week, it was more of the same thing. I kept reading and piling up articles and updating my diary. I realized that most of the materials we gathered during the first week had nothing to do with the topic because we were just brainstorming and searching with keywords so I deleted them. I took a second look at the objectives outlined during the group meeting and realized we had highlighted all the requirements needed to complete the project. I wrote short notes on any relevant material I came across and kept the reference in another folder. After realizing the magnitude of articles I had piled up, I became scared of loosing them so I made copies as backup. In week 5, I started extensive reading on the relevant materials and made important notes that would help me with the structure of my work. I later realized in week 6 that I was having an entirely different notion of the project topic. I now understood some other angles in which I had to tackle the proj ect topic which was completely different from my initial approach during the induction week. Weeks 7, 8 and 9- From previous experience, I decided to start with the body of the report. As I started typing out what I had written down, I realized that I had too many theories and most of them were just talking about totally different things. I began to panic so I stopped, took a second look at the articles and deleted the irrelevant ones. I managed to bring everything together on paper before typing again. I initially thought it would be very easy to put all the information together after several weeks of extensive reading. In week 8, I discovered some of the things I wrote down were not heading in the direction I had hoped for so I decided to take a second look at the materials I considered irrelevant. To my amazement, these materials were making more sense than the previous materials. I started reading and integrating the useful information into what I previously had. By the end of week 9, I had completed my literature review. Weeks 10 and 11- On the 10th week, I woke up with a terrible headache hence I progressed at a very slow pace. A group member advised me to start working on the reflective report. The diary was very helpful. I used the module handbook as a guide to start my reflective report. I was determined to complete my report before the deadline. In week 11, I completed my reflective report but I was unsettled because it accounted for just 20% of the overall mark. I decided to adopt a strategy of typing out relevant information I had in my hand written notes. I was astonished to find out that I only had to take out some few sentences and I was back on track. I banned my self from watching television and social networking sites till my work was submitted. Week 12- The last week of the AMP was really stressful. I sat down in front of my computer from 7:00 in the morning till 11:00 in the evening. My eyes were hurting but I couldnt take any chances. The pressure kept pilling up when I received a call from my father asking about my graduation date so that he could book his air ticket on time. Through hard work and dedication, I finished my work on the fourth day. I quickly uploaded it to three plagiarism websites to see if it flags up anything. It came up with 5% plagiarism so I properly paraphrased those areas and gave it to my best friend to prove-read and check for spelling mistakes. She came back with minor grammatical errors. I corrected them and began counting the days towards the completion of my masters program. I printed out the two copies as instructed and made an electronic copy. I took it to a local cafe over the weekend to bind it and submitted my work on the last day of submission. I returned home to submit another electron ic copy via turnitin. I was full of smiles when I realized it was all over. PERSONAL FEELINGS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE The AMP was a very challenging endeavor but I rose to the challenge. I was very confident of producing a good project until I was told the topic would be given to us. I was thrown completely off guard but I was determined to give off my best. The new experience was exciting at the same time very nerve wrecking. Since the week started off on a bad note, I was in no mood for surprises. However, it was as a result of this panic and feeling of anxiety that motivated me to work harder. As an Msc student, I was under pressure to apply what I had learnt in the classroom to a real life scenario. I must mention that the total weight the AMP carried as a unit also gave me the scare. My grades were not exactly that good so it was an opportunity for me to improve my performance. I was very upset when I was let down by some of the articles and journals I pilled up but with the experience from previous projects, I quickly recovered and in the end I was satisfied with the final outcome. There were a lot of lessons learnt during this project. I learnt that it is very bad to assume the form a project would take before you are assigned to it. I learnt that setting milestones and deadlines ensures that projects are delivered on time. Even though in my case I had so many short falls I was aware of what was needed to be achieved at each stage. Being organized focused and time conscious ensured that my project was delivered on time. One lesson also worth mentioning is the concept of planning a project structure. This enabled me to define the scope of my project to prevent me from deviating. In addition to this, the first week of the induction made me realize how important it was to work as part of a group. I would have loved to finish this project as part of a group work, but it gave me the opportunity to develop the skill of working on my own initiative. GROUP DYNAMICS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE According to Guirdham Maureen (2002), a group is defined as three or more people interacting together to complete a common task. Mullins (2007) agreed with Guirdham Maureen (2002) definition and went further to explain the five developmental stages of a group. That is Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. Applying that to my AMP group: Forming Stage: My group went into the Forming stage on the second day of the AMP week. There was no need to introduce ourselves because we knew each other. We had a brief discussion and arranged to meet the next day for our topic. Storming Stage: The group went into the storming phase when we were given our topic. We spent sometime reading the topic, trying to understand what was being asked of us. We shared ideas but we were unable to pinpoint what we were supposed to research on. We came together the next day still confused. But with the help of the assigned tutor, we started brainstorming and writing down keywords that would guide our research. It is important to note that there were some conflicts but the tutor present, managed to resolve all issues. We met on the final day with articles and journals to share. We were clear as to what was required of us and we all left the meeting satisfied. Norming Stage: This stage occurred towards the end of the last group meeting. We had most of our questions answered and we were in a good position to start our research. The groups norms were governed by the fact that we had a common task to complete even though it was to be done individually. We basically had to abide by good professional ethics and behavior which were acceptable as students. Performing Stage: This stage was the longest in the groups development. We worked individually and communicated ideas by email. Even though we had a common goal, the success of the project was based on each member giving off their best to obtain a good grade. Adjourning Stage: The group slowly died out when each member submitted their work. I must say it did end early for some as they worked faster than others. One lesson I learnt was that, whenever we came together to brainstorm and to share ideas, it promoted further understanding of the topic. This helped to calm nerves and assured us that we were on the right track. During the tutor lead discussions, each member of the group was offered an opportunity to shed more light on the topic. This encouraged members to expand on their ideas and elaborate further. In my case, my group leader served as a role model to me. She was energetic and organized. She motivated me to think faster and to improve my research skills. As far as I am concerned, there were no elements of group thinking. Each member was dynamic and argued out their points from different perspectives. Even though we all came from different cultural backgrounds, no one was intimidated. Every opinion was valued and conflicts were resolved amicably. Another lesson I also learnt as part of the group was that, I was able to work independently and effectively with the help of the feedbac ks I received from my group members. With the right group members, the most difficult project can seem very easy. LESSONS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS Looking back at the whole experience, I would say that the project has positively impacted the way I think and conduct research. Approaching a project with a negative attitude is not the best. It is natural to be nervous when embarking on a new project but panicking leads to more mistakes. In future, I would rely on my experience, remain calm and plan properly. To track my progress, I would also ensure that I set achievable and reasonable targets. Whenever possible, in future projects, I would ensure that I benefit from the groups dynamism and experience. As a personal motivating factor, in future projects, I would ensure that I work beyond my ability to motivate other members to do the same. Working under pressure is not always avoidable due to time constraints hence in future projects, I would ensure that I plan properly using the right tools such as Gantt charts as guidance. From the AMP experience, I would ensure that in future projects, I keep meaningful hand written notes and d iarize events incase a reflective report is required at the end of the project. Lastly, in sourcing for materials, I would ensure that only relevant materials are stored to enable me work effectively. CONCLUSION From the definition of reflection, it can be deduced that reflection is an essential part of learning and knowledge acquisition. We reflect because there is a subconscious purpose or reason which tends to improve our previous experience and give us further insight into the topic of discussion. Even though I started off on a sketchy path, I hit the road running once the scope and objective of the project was realized. With determination and the zeal to succeed, I followed the advice of tutors and good project management to reach my target. The AMP project was much difficult than I anticipated but the experience gained would certainly go a long way to improve my performance in future projects. Working as part of a group also expanded my horizon and presented me with new challenges. With the right motivation and team spirit, I gradually overcame my worries and anxiety. To conclude, even though I would have preferred choosing my own topic, I must confess that the topic given us was quite interesting and one that required much research. It would have been more interesting to work with our chosen groups throughout the duration of the project but that would have also discouraged individual dynamism and participation. The AMP experience was worthwhile considering the fact that we were working on a masters level. When given a similar project in the future I hope to tackle it with greater zeal and determination. I am of the view that with the right resources and motivation in the future, a much deeper research can be carried out on the topic.