Essay On Water Supply System - 771 Words

In a recent proposal the state of California has decided we need to take further action into protecting our water reliability. Officials are suggesting that we should spend $20-50 billion into creating a two new tunnels known as the California WaterFix system from the Sacramento River to the Delta pumping plants in the Southern Delta, with funding being allocated from both agricultural and urban users. Although there are some benefits from creating a new water project, it would have far more negative externalities when it comes to economical, environmental, and corrupt agribusinesses. To invest in a completely new water supply system is economically unreasonable. The total costs to build the tunnels could go over $20-50 billion,†¦show more content†¦The California Waterfix proponents often mention that building the new tunnels will be safer and more reliable towards the fisheries and the ocean outflows. However, the co-plan Bay Delta Conservation Plan is deceitful in its tru e intentions. By shifting the Sacramento River with the flow of fresh water, it would lead to an even greater rise in sea levels along with climate change. By focusing our investments into restructuring the current Delta levees with an increase in outflows and state of the art fish screens, it would preserve the endangered marine life. Also, there is an ongoing fear within Southern California residents with the topic of earthquakes, finding comfort with the â€Å"reliability† of the new Waterfix systems. In the case of the surrounding areas of the Delta, it’s almost impossible for the system to be completely protected against water breaks. Investing in new tunnels won’t change anything in how our system will put up against a natural disaster. The main audience that benefits from building the new Waterfix system are the agribusinesses and oil companies. In particular, the Kern County Water Agency, Metropolitan Water District, and the Westlands Water District are big proponents in building the tunnels for their own personal gain, even though they already receive plenty of water from the Bay Delta. Instead of paying directly for the regulation of the WaterFix tunnels, taxpayer money would subsidize water for privateShow MoreRelatedAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Irrigation1033 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay discusses about the positive and negative effects of irrigation on crops or plants. Before irrigation, man satisfied his hunger by eating fruits from the forest and drinking water from natural streams. Slowly his demands grew and he felt the need of different types of food. He started cultivating, grew crops and he depended mainly on rainwater to water the crops, but nature did not favour him always. There was a need for irrigation and he started to use water from ponds, streams and riversRead MoreWater Degradation in the Pacific1545 Words   |  7 PagesGeography3 | MAJOR ESSAY ANDFIELD RESEARCHWater | Discuss four major causes of environmental degradation experienced in your community. Also discuss four major reasons why It’s very important for us to protect and conserve our environments.Use relevant examples and pictures in your essay write up. | | Fig. 1: A bar graph depicting the distribution of the world’s water. Source http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/graphics/earthwheredistribution.gif Water is a very precious earthly resource that must beRead MoreWater Shortage in Central California672 Words   |  3 Pages Central Valley Water Shortage 1. Fresno is a city located in central California, also known as San Joaquin Valley Famously knows for its grape field and green trees. Known for where the immigrants came to work, by picking grapes making little to know money. Every year I go back to visit my home town about twice a year, each time we get near the grape vine which is located between Fresno and Las Angeles. The first thing that is noticed byRead MoreThreats to Global Food Supplies Essay621 Words   |  3 Pagesthreats to global food supplies. Explain the problem, identity possible solutions, and assess the implications of implementing these solutions. Because of the increasing world population and the growth of the environmental problems such as global warming and acid rain, global food supplies meet great challenges to feed so many people especially those in economically richer areas wasting foods. A series of problems following food supply shortage like the competition of land, water and energy are alsoRead MoreHow The Soft Drink Industry1396 Words   |  6 Pages In this essay, I would like to discuss the structure and the development of the Soft Drink Industry and how it manages to stay alive and profitable, over the years. The reason why I chose this topic is because I wanted to study how the Soft Drink Industry operates from selling beverages to growing very successful. In this essay, my intentions are to inform the reader about the responsibilities a Soft Drink Industry must take to survive in the long run and also answer the questions that I have createdRead MoreThe Global Water Supply Is Essential For The Survival Of All Species1677 Words   |  7 PagesWater is the most important substances on Earth as it is essential for the survival of all species. Water covers seventy-six percent of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful (Girard). However, the way society misuse the substance makes freshwater start to become incredibly rare. The global water supply is becoming more of an issue every day. Water is a resource that much of the developed world takes for granted, but that many in the developing world struggles to findRead MoreEssay On Water Pipelines823 Words   |  4 Pagesplans seem to consider undersized infrastructure capable of delivering the projected water supply. The most apparent example of this assumption can be seen in the sizing of the pipelines intended to transport the water from the intakes to the intermediate forebay. With water velocities ranging around five feet per second for both pipelines, its safe to say this water velocity is to high for the sca le of these pipes. Water traveling that fast negatively effects equipment lifetime and is a major safetyRead MoreThe Flint Michigan Water Crisis1729 Words   |  7 Pagesno news. I have chosen three articles regarding the Flint Michigan water crisis to evaluate based on my criteria. One from CNN titled, â€Å"Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan, Draws Federal Investigation,† written by Greg Botelho, Sarah Jorgenson, Joseph Netto, which focuses on the investigation but also background into the crisis. The next article I have chosen an article from the New York Times (NYT). This article titled, â€Å"As Water Problems Grew, Officials Belittled Complaints From Flint.† From theRead MoreGlobal Sustainability and the Water Supply1566 Words   |  6 PagesThe increase of global urban population has become a critical issue that the world is facing; as the world population continuously increases, the need for natural resources (Land, water, energy and food) also increases. Howe ver, natural resources are known to be finite. Which is why sustainability has become a major concept during recent times. Based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (ND), Sustainability is based on a simple principle: â€Å"Everything that we need for our survival and well-beingRead MoreEssay1027 Words   |  5 Pagesoutlets show the contrast in accessibility to water, the cleanliness of water supply, and the political influence in water quality to both populations. In 2000, an outbreak involving dangerous strains of E. coli pathogenic bacteria invaded the water supply of Walkerton, Ontario. Since this incident, the Canadian government has invested millions of dollars to increase urban community’s water safety. As stated from the CBC network, the City of Toronto tests water for over 300 chemical contaminants every

Distinguish Between Management And Leadership - 2189 Words

Distinguish between management and leadership giving relevant examples. Leadership is known as the skill of leading a group of people and inspiring them towards a direction. It is an interpersonal process which involves influencing a person or a group, so as to ensure achievement of objectives, willingly and enthusiastically. (keydifferences.com) key characteristic of leadership are; ï‚ · Vision: A leader knows where they stand, where they want to go, and would involve the team in the charting of a future path and direction. ï‚ · Honesty amp; Integrity: Leaders have people who believe them and walk by their side down the path they wish to tread. ï‚ · Inspiration: Leaders are usually inspirational and help their team understand their role†¦show more content†¦Leadership and management work hand in hand. However, the main difference between leadership and management includes; ï‚ · Leadership is a virtue of leading people through encouraging them while Management is a process of managing the activities of the organization. ï‚ · Leadership requires trust of followers on his leader. Unlike Management, which needs control of manager over its subordinates. ï‚ · Leadership is a skill of influencing others while Management is the quality of the ruling. ï‚ · Leadership demands foresightedness of leader, but Management has a short range vision. ï‚ · In leadership, principles and guidelines are established, whereas, in the case of management, policies and procedures are implemented. ï‚ · Leadership is Proactive. Conversely, management is reactive in nature. ï‚ · Leadership brings change. On the other hand, Management brings stability. B) Discuss the importance of emotional intelligence to project management (your discussion should clearly include at least THREE benefits of emotional intelligence to the management process and THREE ways in which lack of emotional intelligence can hider performance on a project). Emotional Intelligence is particularly significant for anyone who strives to be an effective leader and project manager. At times interpersonal relationships do make a difference. People areShow MoreRelatedManagement and Leadership1549 Words   |  7 PagesMANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP Defining Leadership Leadership Defined ‘Leadership is at its best when its vision is strategic, the voice persuasive and the results tangible.   In the study of leadership, an exact definition is not essential but guiding concepts are needed’.   Useem1    Definition of Leadership    Establishing a single definition of leadership has its challenges: * Leadership has many contexts: from political, military, business, sports and culture, right through every levelRead MoreJob Descriptions1311 Words   |  6 Pagesor electing a competent chairperson, and recognizing/rewarding committee accomplishments. 3. Name the steps in the personnel management process. How does each step relate to the other steps? They are staffing, human resource planning, and auditing human resources. Each step is responsible for the success or failure of the next step. 4. Distinguish between job description and job specification. Job description is a written statement of all the duties and responsibilities to be performedRead MoreManagement And Leadership Essay example859 Words   |  4 PagesManagement and Leadership Management and leadership, two words that are considered synonymous and are often used in the same context, yet they do not mean the same thing and they describe two different concepts. According to the dictionary, management is 1) The act, manner or practice of managing; handling, supervision, or control; 2) The person or persons who control or direct a business or other enterprise; 3) Skill in managing; executive ability; where as leadership is 1) The position or officeRead MoreRelationship Between The Terms Leadership And Management825 Words   |  4 PagesThe relationship between the terms leadership and management in an aviation point of view can be very vague. To begin with, the term leadership can stand for a variety of significations, there are many definitions as to what leadership could mean and various literature defining the concept. Incidentally, when looking at it in context, leadership sets one’s sight on the fact that it is mainly individuals, who are leaders that guides a group or an organisation, which is regarded collectively . It canRead MoreHow Do We Change This?. Recruitment. Within The Area Of1423 Words   |  6 PagesHow Do We Change This? Recruitment Within the area of recruitment, we will be developing a global leadership rotational program to create a talent pipeline program that reflects the global markets that we serve. This recruitment strategy will focus on filling our senior level roles and will help provide a highly qualified diverse pool of talent. 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Essay750 Words   |  3 Pagesdifferentiate effective from ineffective leaders?’ One of their main focuses was on the distinction between trait-like and state-like individual differences, and how those correlate to effective leadership. Much of their research started with references to the ‘Great Man’ approach to leadership. The ‘Great Man’ approach is simply implying that there are traits that are heritable and they distinguish leaders from non-leaders. This would mean that leaders are born, not made. Hoffman et al. (2011) definedRead MoreStrategic Management Position For Hilton Resorts892 Words   |  4 Pagesresponsibility of senior leadership to strategically manage the organization. Strategic management is a continuous process rather than a one-time even t. Therefore, the senior leaders must become strategic thinkers and leaders of the organization and its culture, changing it as necessary (Wells, 1998). According to Fuller and Green (2016) leadership is critical to forming and implementing strategy and without it, good strategy does not happen. The first step toward strategic management is to develop a strategicRead More Management and Leadership Essays1070 Words   |  5 PagesManagement and Leadership Management and leadership are two words that are considered synonymous but describe two different concepts. According to the dictionary, management is the act, manner, or practice of managing; handling, supervision, or control; leadership is the capacity or ability to lead. In many organizations, management is a job description; leadership is a positive trait. The purpose of this paper is to distinguish between the two, to look at the responsibilities that come withRead MoreManagement Functions And Functions Of Management812 Words   |  4 Pageswhich include problem solving, facilitating meetings, and many other routine office tasks. Management is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals. Good managers do those things both effectively and efficiently. (Bateman Snell, 2004) However many of these tasks should not be duplicated by a group of individuals. Different people can take on parts of the management function. Someone on a team can take care of the planning, while another person does the

Odc Interventions free essay sample

Goals, Vision and Mission Boundaries Pattern of activities/administrative practices Assumptions, values and belief Culture Structure Organizational change consists of goal-oriented and to a degree, pre-planned actions, the final result of which can be, more or less, clearly formulated in advance. Van deer Violist What is planned change? Planned change is a conscious, deliberate and collaborative effort to improve the operation of a system -whether it be a self-system, a social system, or a cultural system -through the utilization of scientific knowledge. Bennie, Been Chin. Nuncios, deliberate and collaborative effort to improve the operation of human system through utilization of valid knowledge. Lippie Elements of Planned Change Outcome: goals, results, direction, improvement, renewal History: causes, need, motive, context Actors: External/lanterns Phases: steps, sequences Communication: interaction, cultural aspects Steering: monitoring, directing, guiding Taxonomy to Change Dire ctional Change: Occurs under conditions of severe competitions, regulatory shifts in government policy, and unsuccessful business strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on Odc Interventions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fundamental Change: Redefinition of current purpose or mission. Operational Change: Improvement of quality, quantity, timeliness, unit cost of operations, in developing products and services. Total Change: Developing a new vision, achieving a turnaround; a drastic surgery of the existing system. Planned Change: Basically an operational change on a calculated basis as a response to internal and external demands e. G. Downsizing. Happened Change: Unpredictable. Occurs due to external causes over which one my have no control. Transformational Change: Change involving the entire or a greater part of the organization due to a severe threat to its survival. The threat may occur room industrial discontinuities, shifts in a products life cycle or internal change e. G. Union-management conflicts. Revolutionary Change: Abrupt changes in the organizations strategies and design. Recreation: Tearing down the old structure and building a new one. A metamorphosis -becoming not Just better but different. Strategic Change: Change of all or most of the organizations components. Anticipatory Change: Changes carried out in expectation of an event. In anticipation of such change, the organization may tune-in (incremental change) or re-orient itself. Reactive Change: Response to an event or series of events. Adaptive changes are limited t a sub-system or apart of the sub-system. Recreation can also be reactive but involves the whole organization. [Source: Management of Organizational Changeably K Hairgrips (Response Books)] External Factors of Change Political forces: Political environment is an important trigger for organizational change. Managers need to understand the political system of the country where they work. During the sass, an all-encompassing phase of globalization began throughout the world. Globalization in turn facilitated free markets. Governments began to withdraw their stake from the business enterprises. A number of countries De-regulated industries and thus created new opportunities for entrepreneurs. From regulators, the governments have become facilitators. As a result of new thrust given to free market and foreign direct investment, the companies have changed their strategies and they are growing by leaps and bounds. Certain developments in the international political scene such as the transition of the East-European nations to democracy and market economy, opening up of the economy of South-East Asia, the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union, the Unification of Germany, the Gulf War, the crisis in Yugoslavia etc. Eve had profound impact on economy and business thereby triggering organizational change in a number of companies. V Militant and S Rampancy in their seminal work Change Management (Response Books) mention that organizational change itself is a political process because it involves influencing, persuading, and negotiating with people in order to bring about a change i n their mental models. The manager tries to ensure the support of the key and influential individuals in the organization while implementing any intervention programmer. Economic forces: The uncertainty about future trends in the economy is a major cause to change. For example, titillating interest rates, declining productivity uncertainties arising from inflation or deflation, low capital investments, etc. Have significant impact on industrial organizations. Economic forces usually determine the direction an industrial organization takes. For instance, Informs has changed its strategy from being a profitability-driven organization to growth-oriented one due to economic slowdown in the USA from where they got maximum number of clients. According to a report published in Mint (New Delhi) on 29 July 2008, Informs new approach is a consequence of what is happening in the market in which it operates. Excerpts from the news item: By focusing on growth now, they (Informs) will be looking to add new customers as their existing clients are cagey about increasing their budgets further. Informs has said it will look to add new customers even as it expands its presence in businesses such as health care, pharmaceuticals, logistics, energy and utilities. Currently, much of its revenue comes from four major areas: financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing and retail. The company expects to grow revenue 6% in the three months to September as compared with the corresponding period in 2007. The emphasis on growth could mean a further dip in Informs operating profit margin, measured as operating profit (or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) expressed as a percentage of revenue. In the quarter ended June, the companys operating profit margin was 30. 4%, down 2 percentage points from the previous quarter in the wake of higher salaries and visa costs. Over the past two years, the companys operating profit margin has stayed in the 30-32% range. Informs push for growth reflects the new business reality in the software services business. Our existing customers are not growing and we need to mind new growth engines, Supranational said. As part of growth strategy, the company plans to add new customers and newer service lines such as learning services and offering software as a service (where companies pay not for the entire solution but for what they use) by investing in solutions and intellectual property. The company is focusing on newer geographies such as West Asia, India, Latin America and South Africa. Informs, which serves customers such as British Telecoms Ply. And Cummins Inc. , derives about 63% of its revenues from North America, 27% from Europe and about 10% from the rest of the world including India. We want to reduce our dependence on the US by growing operations in other geographies such as Europe and rest of the world, Supranational said, adding that the target revenue ratio from these three geographies for the company would be 40:40:20. He did not elaborate on the time it would take the company to achieve this revenue mix. Informs ended 2007-08 with revenue of Errs,692 core and a net profit of RSI,659 core. The company has issued a guidance of revenue up to Errs,622 core and earnings per share of up to Risks. 06 in 2008-09, a growth of 29. 5% and 24%, respectively. Shares of Informs closed flat at RSI ,538. Each on the Bombay Stock Exchange even as the exchanges benchmark Senses index closed marginally down at 14,349 points and the technology index ended marginally lower at 3,606. 81 points. In the past year, shares of Informs have touched a high of RSI,140 each and a low of RSI ,212 each. (Source: http://www. Livening. Com/ 29 July, 2008) Global Competition: Companies often change due to explicit or implicit pressure from their competitors who might have better technologies, better systems, better products, better brand image, better HER practices, better tearless service or better supply-chain. Moieties, the competitors might have advantages of being a first mover in the market or having a monopoly in raw material procurement (a captive mine for Steel companies, for example). When the competition is sharp-edged, the companies have no choice but to usher in necessary changes. Ionians strategic move to reengineering its Research and Development unit is a case in point as reported in Economic Times (New Delhi) on 6 August 2008. Excerpts from the news item: In a major strategy change, handset major Monika is re-engineering its research and development (R;D) model world-wide to tackle growing competition from unconventional sources of competition like Apples phone and Googles mobile phone platform Android. Taking a cue from companies like PG, Monika which till now largely carried out in-house innovation and RD, is looking at external collaborations for product innovation. Nearly 50% of its new innovations are expected to come from external sources, a fact which is expected to help the company cut RD costs significantly. It is expected to spare higher resources for product design and marketing, reduce time-to-market and improve return on investment (ROI), sources said. The Finnish giants move, which will be implemented throughout the company, is based on findings that breakthrough innovation sometimes originates from external sources. The company has also initiated a company-wide cultural change program, called Living it working to directly involve and expose employees to consumers The major change in the way Monika will now look at RD has been caused by a slew of reasons. Not only are consumer preferences changing faster than ever, competition is emerging from hitherto unknown quarters. Computerize Apple has swept the world with its phone, which now poses a huge halogen for Monika. Google, which started as a search engine, has now launched a mobile phone platform called Android and the first handsets from this initiative are expected in the second half of this year. (Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, 6 August 2008) There are other illustrations of completion-led organizational change as well. Facing stiff competition from the American automobile majors, the Japanese automobile companies such as Toyota, Ionians and Mediumistic have been forced to relocate their manufacturing and assembly operations to South East Asia where the cost of labor is quite low. Simultaneously, they have established their plants all over Europe and America to get past the import restrictions. In this process, they have been able to retain their competitive edge in catering to the global automobile market. Technological forces: The world is characterized by the dramatic technological shifts. The technological advancements, particularly in information and communication technologies, have revolutionized the workplaces and have helped create new range of products and services. For example, a super communication system is on the anvil in which about 20 Japanese companies will Join a Motorola-led project to set up a atelier cellular telephone system that can be used anywhere on the earth. The partner companies include Sony, Mediumistic, Crockery, among others. The estimated cost of the project is IIS$ 132 million or 15 billion Yen. Globalization: Globalization meaner integration of capital market, labor market and commodity market. This integration has touched almost all the aspects of business lifestyle. Hence, globalization is a unique trigger to change present everywhere. Internal Factors of Change System dynamics: An organization is made up of sub-systems, similar to that of the sub-personalities in human brain. The sub-personalities in the brain are in constant interaction with each other creating changes in human behavior. Similarly, the sub- systems within an organization are in constant and dynamic interaction. The factors that influence the alignment and relationships are, for example, technology, internal politics, dominant groups, and formal and informal relationships within it. Inadequacy of administrative process: An organization functions through a set of procedures, rules, and regulations. With changing times and the revision of organizational goals and objectives, some of the existing rules, regulations and reoccurred could be at variance with the demands of reality. To continue with such functionally autonomous processes can lead organizational in-effectiveness. Realization of their inadequacy induces change in the organization. Individual/group expectations: The organization as an entity is a convergence f people, each one aiming to satisfy his/her needs and aspirations. In anthropological context, man is a social animal whose needs and desires keep changing. This creates differing expectations among individuals and groups as to the needs they intend to satisfy in the organizational context. Positive factors such as ones ambition, need to achieve, capabilities, career growth, and negative aspects such as fear, insecurities, frustrations, etc operate as complex inter-individual and inter-group processes inducing change in n organizations functioning and performance. Organization design and structure: Over the years, structure of a company might become redundant due to new technologies and paradigm shift in managerial practices. At times, structure becomes a stumbling block in retaining competitive edge because of cost as well as procedural issues. Such a situation invariably leads to structural changes in the organizations. Many companies have launched structural reforms in their endeavourer to remain at the top. Examples include: MOM, Data, Ford, Hounded etc. Skills of a Change Agent Any person who has the power and knowledge to make a difference, challenge the stereotypes and create prototypes can be termed as change agent. A change agent must possess the following: Knowledge of the business environmental (understanding); A value system and self-concept to support and under gird the actions of a change agent (motivation); Change agent abilities (skills). Change Agent Abilities: The following is a listing of change agent abilities compiled room numerous sources. Resilient Optimistic Tenacious Committed Passionate Patient Emotionally intelligent Assertive Persuasive Empathetic Authentic Ethical Self-Aware Competent Curious They can: Communicate ideas clearly, concisely, and precisely both orally and in writing Listen to others and incorporate their ideas and perspectives Accommodate individual differences (cultural, socioeconomic, global, etc. ) in your decisions and actions and be able to negotiate across these differences. Engage in se lf- assessment, self-reflection, and analysis Reflect on what is happening to make meaning, gain perspective and understanding Engage in civil discourse and debate Mediate and resolve conflicts Analyze power, structures of inequality, and social systems that govern individual and communal life Recognize the global implications of their actions Span boundaries Challenge the status quo effectively when appropriate Creatively and collaboratively solve problems using critical thinking skills; search for families of solutions for complex multi-faceted issues Collaborate, network What makes good change agents? When assessing potential candidates for roles as change agents, three questions need to be asked: Do they have the right attitude? Do they possess the appropriate knowledge? And do they have the necessary skills? Here is an exploration of each of these questions: The Right Attitude Change agents cannot succeed without great persistence. Change is a complex and labor-intensive process that arouses feelings and emotions. Angry people, frustrated teammates, conflicting priorities, unforeseen problems and behind-the-scene resistance are typical daily challenges. Project leaders or managers cannot lead names through these difficulties without determination and stamina. To avoid changes in leadership in the midst of change, change agents must be fully committed to see projects through to completion. A good way to ensure such commitment is to appoint ambitious and enthusiastic individuals who have potential for career advancement within the organization. They will look at the challenges as a career-development opportunity and will be highly motivated to succeed. These high potential employees will gain a broader understanding of the business, an extended network of relationships and stronger leadership skills. Attitude is one aspect of good hanged agents that is often overlooked. A person with relevant knowledge and skills but inappropriate attitude will not be able to contribute as much to the organization and the community. Moreover, the higher the skills and knowledge of a person, the greater damage they can do to the organization if their attitude is flawed. Change agents must be prepared to stand up for their projects, even if it meaner tactfully challenging powerful executives including the senior leadership. In many cases, implementation problems are due to the project sponsors or top management under-estimating the significance of their own duties. They are reluctant to commit the necessary resources; they sometimes send conflicting messages about the importance of change by failing to apply enough pressure to those who resist; or they alter priorities half-way through the change. Change agents must act as voices of conscience when any mid-course corrections are contemplated. It is the responsibility of change agents to make sure such issues get a complete airing in order to avoid the project ending in failure. One effective change agent summed up the attitude needed: My primary goal is to ensure this project succeeds, no matter what. My secondary objective is to preserve my personal relationship with all senior management. The best change agents are tactful and diplomatic. Political skills are necessary, not so change agents can Join in the game, but so they can better understand it. Change leaders must make their own Judgments and keep their own counsel. No one can do that for them. The Appropriate Knowledge Project sponsors should be seasoned change agents with a general understanding of the business. However, project managers should be subject-matter experts in their respective area of responsibility. Having someone with excellent project management kills is simply not enough. They will crash due to lack of detailed understanding of the subject area. Expertise also brings the credibility and respect needed to succeed in their role. Simply put, change agents better understand how a business works in particular, the business in which they are involved. This entails understanding money where it comes from, where it goes, how it goes and how to keep it. The Job also requires knowledge of markets and marketing, products and product development, customers, sales, selling, buying, hiring, firing and Just about every other aspect of the business. In addition to the relevant expertise, change agents also should be well-connected throughout the organization. Active relationships in all areas of the organization are important in communicating effectively with stakeholders, developing coalitions and designing a successful roll. The Necessary Skills The pressure on the project leadership can be tremendous. Change agents have to be able to operate during times of instability and uncertainty. They have to manage conflicting priorities, multiple constituencies and fast-approaching deadlines. They are responsible for guiding the organization through the numerous challenges of ruinations. Therefore, in order to survive, change agents must possess the ability to remain highly effective under intense pressure. In addition to being well organized and disciplined, change agents need strong analytical skills. Guessing wont do. Insight is nice, even useful and is sometimes mistaken for brilliance, but insight is often difficult to sell and almost impossible to defend. A rational, well-argued analysis can be ignored, but not successfully contested. Change agents must learn to take apart and reassemble operations and systems in novel ways, and then determine the financial and political impacts of what they have done. At the same time, good change agents must be flexible enough to work around roadblocks and handle evolving priorities. In short, a disciplined and yet flexible approach is needed to tackle the challenges of change. People skills team-building, forging strong interpersonal relationships and communicating within groups are mandatory tort good change agents. The challenge is to build the project team, putting the team members competencies to best use. To succeed, change agents must create a strong sense of identity, purpose and Joint-ownership, as well as a high-performing mindset. To manage resistance a natural part of the change process change agents must start by understanding and acknowledging the resistance. They need a lot of empathy, with good listening skills. Change agents must be able to put themselves in the shoes of people affected by the change. Resistance is most damaging when it remains unnoticed. It usually occurs when the feelings and concerns of employees are ignored or when they feel change is forced upon them. In order to avoid resistance or the risk of hidden resistance, change agents must learn to listen to the voice of employees and involve them in decisions whenever possible. During the change, communication is the glue that keeps the organization together and moving toward the desired goal. Change agents need to be able to communicate effectively at all levels and across all organization boundaries. Choosing a Good Leader for a Change Change is never easy and the failure rate can be high. Top management must take a hard look at the candidates for change agent positions. If none of the in-company candidates closely match requirements of the Job, then a search outside the company is required. And, once an organization finds the right individual to be its hanged agent for a project, management has one more commitment to make assuring the change agent has between 50 and 100 percent of their work time available to dedicate to the success of the initiative. Resistance to Change People like Comfort Zone Stability Predictability Familiarity Conventions Status quo People do not like Change Risk Instability Uncertainty Both these factors have an impact on how people react to any change programmer at a workplace. More precisely, why people resist change? Fear of Unknown Fear of Failure Disagreement on need for change Losing something of value False beliefs/Misunderstanding Lack of Trust Personals TTY Conflicts Peer pressure Loss of status/Job Phases of Organizational Change Organizational change causes individuals to experience a reaction process comprising four phases: Initial Denial: Employees feel that change is not at all required in the company. Resistance: Employees try to prevent the implementation of change programmer Gradual Exploration: Employees try to explore their role in the new scheme of things and start cooperating with the management Eventual Commitment: Employees commit themselves to new way of doing things. Resistance is a natural and normal response to change because it involves going from known to unknown. Conceptual Framework of Resistance to Change Perception-cognition-Affect-Resistance Perception: Employees try to perceive the impact of change at this stage. The force or resistance is directly proportionate to the perceived impact of change on an individual. Cognition: During organizational change, individuals create their own interpretations of what is going to happen, how they themselves are perceived, and what others are thinking or intending. Generally, people have a tendency to develop negative self-schema about themselves and their life events (organizational change, for example). This results in cognitive distortions as they are not able to remain objective in the cognitive process. In case of any change programmer, the employees construct irrational ideas as part of cognition. Affect: Affective processes are usually personalized as emotions and feelings that are related to actions. Emotions in the context of organizational change can be described as a state of arousal involving facial and bodily changes, brain activation, ejective feelings, cognitive appraisals, which can be either conscious or unconscious, rational or rational. Psychologists have identified a number of primary emotions experienced by individuals universally such as fear, anger, sadness, Joy surprise, disgust, contempt, etc. Organizational change generally leads to feelings of anger, denial, loss and frustration. Individuals experience loss and grief when established ways of doing a Job are changed. Changes and losses role identity can lead to feeling of anger, sadness, anxiety and low self-esteem. Resistance: At this stage, the employees display physical actions that can be seen and heard. Moreover, it also includes mental process which cannot be seen or heard. So the employees may oppose, argue, obstruct, stall, dismantle and undermine a change effort. At the same time, they may withdraw, avoid or ignore the change efforts. How the companies respond to change Failure of many corporate change programmer is often directly attributed to employee resistance.

Performance-Based Pay Essay Example

Performance-Based Pay Paper Essay on Performance-Based Pay Organizations pay salaries to their employees based on the type of services rendered. Salary levels rise system is one of the most critical elements in strategic human resource management. This is primarily due to the role played by rewards and compensation system in determining employee productivity. Rewarding the employee on the basis of his productivity or performance generates enthusiasm and interest within the employee to perform better. Moreover, this approach tends to increase the level of motivation encouraging him to perform better. An intrinsic part of rewards and compensation strategy is performance management that seeks excellence and high quality work from the work force. The study highlights various theories in relation to performance related pay and associated human resource strategy. The discussion provides an insight into essential features of performance related pay such as motivation, performance management, appraisals, feedback, and learning that play a vital role in creating effective performance related pay strategies. It also identifies some practical problems faced by managers and strategic alternatives that can effectively meet these challenges. What is performance related pay? Performance related pay is the financial compensation paid to an employee based on his work performance. It translates to rewarding employees for effective performance. Bruno Frey (2002) observes in his book Successful Management by Motivation â€Å"Variable performance related pay has become an increasingly popular form of compensation. The key to performance related pay is that compensation is adjusted to reflect an employee’s individual performance. † This form of compensation is similar to rewards system adopted by organizations to motivate their work force and extract higher quality work. We will write a custom essay sample on Performance-Based Pay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Performance-Based Pay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Performance-Based Pay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Performance related pay has been practiced by a large number of organizations since the inception of trade and commerce. The system has now evolved to include identification of measurable parameters while assessing performance, use of positive reinforcement and feedback mechanism to instill confidence within employees, and ongoing training development sessions to equip the workforce to meet operational challenges. Theoretical bases of performance related pay Rewarding an employee with financial compensation is a form of motivation that is intended to increase productivity and encourage others within the organization to strive harder to reach the specified performance targets. Motivation has been defined as the â€Å"driving force that determines the direction and strength of goal-oriented behaviors† (Preker, 2007; pg 240). Performance based pay schemes have failed in many instances to motivate the employees to the desired level of performance. Many explanations have been given for this failure and it is to some extent attributed to the amount of compensation in lieu of the hard work and the management fairness during performance appraisals. Vroom’s expectancy theory and the Adam’s equity theory provide explanation to the fundamental problems faced during the process of deciding the level of compensation. Pros and Cons of Performance-Based Pay Advantages The first and most important advantage to performance-based pay is that this type of pay is a fantastic motivator. Simply for a worker to get more money, which is the case in nearly every job, he needs to work harder. This pay system is great for retaining key talent the organization has and getting unmotivated individuals to improve productivity. For a sales person, performance- based pay motivates you too sell your product, since it is the only way that you are going to get paid. There is also a feeling of accomplishment when you get your income, its like a reflection of all the hard work you have put in the month or week. Another advantage to performance-based pay that I think is rather important is that amount of freedom that they might get, (depending where they work). For example, a salesperson would be interacting with customers, he wouldn’t be tied down to a strict schedule or be stuck behind a desk all day. Its also good as you can plan your day around personal appointments, like the dentist or your daughter’s piano recital. Another great advantage for an organization that offers a performance- based pay scheme would be that it is attractive to workers who are higher skilled than their co workers in the same category of work. For example, if I am an extremely experienced and educated sales rep, and I know I’m better than most people at the job, I want to work in a place that will recognize my talents and will also be reflected in my pay. So the organization will have access to a wider range of more educated and experienced workforce. This is extremely useful for an organization, especially in the current economic climate. Disadvantage of performance-based pay A disadvantage of performance-based pay that would contradict my previous advantage would be that motivation isn’t just as simple as money = happiness! Too little money will demotivate but more money will not necessarily increase satisfaction or monivation. (Herzberg) Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs model of motivation has 5 levels of motivation. 1.physiological 2. Safety 3. Social 4. Self esteem 5. Self actualization. In the there are many other motivators than just financial incentives, like need to belong to a group, to make friends, to work towards job security and to work towards bettering yourself and your career. Once your basic needs are satisfied, other factors start to become more important. A contrasting view of this would be that, in early careers, some people find themselves working an insane amount of hours, and with a performance- based pay, there may not be a limit to the hours you can work, as you can spend a big amount of time building up a client list. Also if you have a certain sales goal to meet or making up for lost time at that dentist or the piano recital, you can sometimes find yourself working through the weekends or even very late into the evenings. In line with this, another disadvantage would be the financial instability. Your wage or salary cannot be sure. This would increase the tension of the employee. A good way to battle the tension or anxiety caused by performance- based pay would be to have some savings set aside for a rainy day or an emergency or if your performance hasn’t been up to par. This isn’t a great solution but it’s a way to help A disadvantage that I though went together in relation to my previous advantage (employees) is that employees that are working on the basis of performance- based pay, may only be inclined to actually do what is measured in their performance appraisal. For example, an employee who picks orders for customers in a warehouse for a wholesalers might have a daily goal or picking up to 14% of the orders placed in a day. He may have achieved that goal, but in the process of just meeting the target, he has caused long-term setbacks but ignoring tasks involved in the company, like restocking the shelves, which is not ideal for an organization. Another disadvantage to do with the employees is that this type of pay scheme can cause a split amongst employees. If some employees are not being rewarded as equal it can cause other employees to feel under appreciated or even start to have some resentment towards the employee who is getting the better rewards. This error can occur easily enough as not every single aspect of the job can be monitored. It can be prevented by putting strict and clear stipulations in place for the system.