When Armpit Hair Grows :: essays research papers

What happened to wanting to grow up? Where did all my sports and hobbies go? Why is it I have to take showers daily now? I woke up this morning and I was eighteen. I absolutely hate being eighteen. I am expected to be an adult now and forget about having fun. If this is the path of what growing up is going to be like, then I QUIT! Bring me back to twelve I want to be young again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The irony, when I was twelve I could not wait to be eighteen. The thought of being able to do what ever you want seemed so appealing to me. Little did I realize that being eighteen has plenty of downfalls. I remember thinking eighteen year olds were so cool. They were able to buy the coolest things, cigarettes, scratch tickets, and porn. Now eighteen I don’t buy any of these items because; A) I don’t smoke; B) I never win on scratch tickets, and C) I now know I can get porn free on my computer. My idea of eighteen seemed much more glorious than what it is. Being eighteen went far past the ability to buy the coolest things. Someone must have forgot to tell me that I now need to work to live, that I need college to work, and that I need to grow up to go to college. Someone forgot to tell me it sucks being eighteen. I use to be an active kid. I was outside everyday, rain or shine. Nothing would stop me from doing what I loved to do. Everyday after school I would go out dirt biking, skateboarding, or bicycling. Some times you might have found me thirty feet up in a tree building a fort. I was always far from being board. My imagination was incredible. I would be able to play Ninjas with my buddies, holding paper towel rolls as swords. Now my imagination is consumed with ways to make money so I can pay bills on time. Now everyday after school you’ll find me working at a local package store in Leicester. Sometimes you might find me sleeping in bed, making up for the lack of sleep I don’t get throughout the week. The only time you’ll see me out side now is when I’m on my way to the car or walking to the mailbox.

A Different Life :: essays research papers

A Different Life Silence came in seventh grade. It was in seventh grade that I began the first of six years at a private school. In those six years I realized that it was not only I who had lost their voice; I was one among many who were denied the opportunity to speak. I distinctly remember the first time they betrayed me and informed me that my voice was invalid. A close friend of mine from elementary school wanted to attend and I was telling others about him- telling them how neat he was. The three people whom I had felt I could trust- the headmaster, academic dean, and dean of students- cornered me and attacked me for things that I had supposedly said. They did not believe me when I pleaded my case, saying, "He is my friend. Why would I say such horrible things?" They three looked at each other, stuck their noses in the air and simply explained that it sounded like the kind of thing I would do. They did not know me. They had accepted a rumor as truth. They attacked me and disregarded my testimony. Unfortunately, this moment was merely the beginning of the silencing. It continued until the day I graduated. They condemned me for being curious and outspoken and lively. They shut me down for every brilliant idea I proposed, telling me that it was against the rules. I lived, quite literally, in this silence. I could not win by being myself, so I engulfed myself in obtaining their approval through silence and obedience. And I remember exactly what he said to me when I left. On June 4, 1999 my headmaster said to me, "Saint James has really changed you. You've really calmed down a lot. You've become a real lady." I finally gained his approval, but at what cost? Even then, when I was leaving, I could not find the voice to scream at him and tell him how deeply he had hurt me. I did not have the voice to tell him about all the pain he had brought me. I did not have the voice to tell him that I would have forfeited all of the "ladiness" I had gained over six years if I could have my voice back. Saint James taught me to bottle my emotions, because whenever I was open with them I would get in trouble.

Fish Cheeks

I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese, but as white as Mary in the manger. For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappoint-ment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires. And then they arrived – the minister's family and all my relatives in a clamor of doorbells and rumpled Christmas packages.Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence. Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and his family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert grimaced. Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. â€Å"Amy, your favorite,† he said, offering me the tender fish cheek.I wanted to disappear. At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. â€Å"It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,† explain ed my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face. The minister managed to muster up a quiet burp. I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night. After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, â€Å"You want to be the same as American girls on the outside. † She handed me an early gift.It was a miniskirt in beige tweed. â€Å"But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame. † And even though I didn't agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I had suffered during the evening's dinner. It wasn't until many year later – long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert – that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods.

Operation & Logistics Management Essay

In modern world, the management of operations and logistics can represent the know-what, the know-how, and know-why of a company’s overall picture as well as its functional areas. Knowledge of the management is acquired by managers and employees, including analysts, by examining and investigating operations under study. This differs from the acquisition of specialized knowledge that is learned by performance over time. Usually, the management of operations and logistics is conducted by company personnel who possess a high level of skills in their field of work, for example, strategic planning, marketing, manufacturing, accounting and finance, and human resources. Besides, there are other company occupations that include some type of management work, directly or indirectly. The management of operations and logistics can therefore be defined as ‘‘the acquisition, creation, packaging, or application of knowledge’’ (Lesser 90). KANGPUT Technology Development Company has been increasingly, and heavily, influenced by economic theories of the firm; notably, developing management systems, selecting appropriate software that may be placed under the umbrella term of the â€Å"knowledge-based view of the firm†. KANGPUT Technology Development Company is based on customer satisfaction. This essay is based on KANGPUT Technology Development Company in China. This paper will consider how to use, maintain and control the knowledge effectively so the current management of operations and logistics of the organisation could be improved and have a better future overall. This work also covers the possible need for the director of KANGPUT Technology Development Company to accommodate changing knowledge work processes. An important part of developing operations and logistics management systems is selecting appropriate software, and therefore software selection is also discussed in the paper. Operations form the base of both multinational and small company, whether in manufacturing, service or non-profit organisations. Operations Management & Logistics is a field that involves several subject disciplines such as product development, quality management, logistics, information systems and human resources management. Operations comprise beginning from the performance management of a group of design engineers to the exact forecast of production and delivery performance. People are the source of the ideas and actions that grow organizations. Yet the role of people and human capital has been changing in a fundamental way over the last several decades. Until recently, institutions have been the dominant part of the equation. As long as human inputs into wealth were seen as commodities, then people were interchangeable, one for another. Their contributions were marginal to the profits and practices of the company. As much as leadership proclaimed, â€Å"Our people are our most important resource,† very few organizations actually mobilized their people (Thierauf 32). A major challenge for the organisation is to engage and cultivate its networks of human capital (Bassett 35). In this era, the human capital that supports the company is only partially a group of direct employees. In fact, as time goes on, many organizations will operate with a core group of strategic leadership. The era where benign bureaucracies hired people to have jobs for life has come to an end. Instead, people will work in a number of organizations during their working lives and may have multiple engagements with a number of companies at the same time. People will increasingly begin to see themselves as companies of one, where they are responsible for their learning, their personal growth strategies, the quality of their relationships, and their work environment. As a result, a growing proportion of the people working with enterprises will be independent contractors, outsourced from other organizations, members of organizations with whom the enterprise has alliances. KANGPUT Technology Development Company raises these critical questions and lay the groundwork for establishing the kinds of frameworks, practices, and relationships that are necessary for any company to successfully navigate operations management & logistics. KANGPUT Technology Development Company must to make organization that is nothing more than an extension of human thought and action, which makes human capital the only active capital. Financial and physical resources are important, but they cannot be transformed without the lever of human capital. The input of human capital grows in value and is becoming the differentiator for the company. Therefore, KANGPUT Technology Development Company must recalibrate to see how that input operates and bring it into balance with all of the other elements, including long-term knowledge management strategy. There should be a power shift. As people will begin to be better able to autonomously gather information, achieve mobility, and initiate connectivity, they will redefine the role and value of their human capital. As a result, they will make new demands on management for more satisfying kinds of tools and techniques for the management of operations. Operations management has to, in a sense, catch up with its workforce and respond with increasing flexibility to obtain the kinds of capabilities and commitments it needs to succeed (Lowson 120). This is a major reversal for operation management, which is used to being able to dictate the terms of employment. Regardless, it is a necessity. Company leadership must come to know better what human capital it needs, not just for today, but also for tomorrow and the day after. It must understand how to rapidly acquire, compensate, grow, and retain it so that it can positively affect its business performance and operating objectives. The result is that it must change its orientation and its basic systems to be at the lead of the knowledge-based enterprise reality. Managing the knowledge and human capital for continuous learning, sharing, and connecting as human beings needs to be part of the daily practice of everyone, from leadership to the frontline of the company (Thierauf 67-78). In the beginning, it should be said that there is no single hardware or software product or combination of the two that can give a comprehensive approach to operations management. If a comprehensive operations management system environment is the ultimate purpose, hardware and software products cannot be utilized alone. Creating a company-wide knowledge management infrastructure needs the integration of many different technologies. For KANGPUT Technology Development Company to open successfully its collective knowledge for companywide use, it is essential not only to develop and use integrated hardware and software technology but also to use the development company’s employees and their related business processes with this knowledge management technology. If KANGPUT Technology Development Company employees are not working in a collaborative environment or if no procedures are in place to share the knowledge, no amount of operations management system technology can change that. For operations management system environment to work well, it must be viewed by company employees at all levels as a strategic means for KANGPUT Technology Development Company to become more competitive and ensure success in the long run. To better comprehend what needs to be done to develop operations management systems effectively, it is best to begin with past and current approaches to the management of operations. This can be done in the form of expert systems and then go on to various levels of operational knowledge acquisition and use—beginning from tactical knowledge to strategic knowledge (Leonard-Barton 156). To acquire and spread narrow- to wide-based operational knowledge for KANGPUT Technology Development Company’s employees, the present knowledge work processes may have to be innovated. This may include reengineering in which knowledge work processes have to be revamped so that knowledge flows freely to every functional unit and subpart that needs it. In order to achieve this ambitious knowledge work redesign, several approaches can be undertaken by operational knowledge management system developers. First, KANGPUT Technology Development Company can change the content of knowledge by expanding what it encompasses in order to better meet desired goals. Second, the company can reorder the composition of work so that company employees may change the concentration of their jobs from information to knowledge. This change may demand the use of more teams of employees in order to share knowledge learned from previous projects, job assignments, and the like. From another side, the change can concentrate on the employment of new networking technology that lends itself to groupware. Using this technology allows employees to have individual knowledge bases and global knowledge bases so that to improve the effectiveness of their operations. Overall, the described changes are quite consistent with reengineering approaches to work and also bolster the efforts of employees using knowledge to make their jobs more effectively. For the purpose to decide which approach to use for reengineering work processes, it is essential for the operations system developers to define which knowledge orientation is required by the company and its employees. Additionally, there are other factors that can influence which direction to choose. These involve the competitive environment, corporate culture, company strategies, problem-finding approach, and the information technology infrastructure. By creating an effective relationship among knowledge work processes, company employees, and the items set forth above, operations system developers can sort out the important factors and set forth ones that are useful in the final design. Operations management systems represent a new business intelligence technology that is useful. Business intelligence technology has become popular because it gives decision makers the opportunity to access and analyze large quantities of information. This information can be used to distil knowledge concerning current and future patterns and trends. Besides, operations management systems are attractive because they give decision makers faster access to desired knowledge which can be presented in new ways that do not require extensive custom programming. In the future of the company they will assist decision makers in making better informed decisions. The point is that decision makers have a wide base of resources at their command to use on problems facing them. Since no one software product can serve the full range of user knowledge needs, there are a host of products available today. Good operations management systems require the cooperation of the vendors, the computer department, and the company’s decision makers and their employees. Most outside vendor products have limitations that will be reached the first time a user says, ‘‘I need †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. What the person then finds is that the package has provided what is thought to be needed. The vendor can do little to adapt it. So instead of simply acquiring this package, it is necessary to look for one or more software packages that provide capabilities for adapting it to the needs of company decision makers. This naturally leads to the next team that must be created, the computer department. Cooperating with the computer department rather than treating it as an outsider will result in a operations management system much better used to the users’ needs. These computer employees, after all, have been providing much of the information that managers and their employees use. Therefore, they know what some of the decision makers’ needs are already. They will also be the people who will create and implement the system and adapt it to decision makers’ needs.

Best Practices of Mergers and Acquisitions

Running head: BEST PRACTICES OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Mergers and Acquisitions: Best Practices for Success Abstract Mergers and acquisitions have become a growing trend for companies to inorganically grow a business within its particular industry. There are many goals that companies may be looking to achieve by doing this, but the main reason is to guarantee long-term and profitable growth for their business. Companies have to keep up with a rapidly increasing global market and increased competition. With the struggle for competitive advantage becoming stronger and stronger, it is almost essential to achieve these mergers. Through research I will attempt to dissect the best practices for achieving merger success. Mergers and Acquisitions: Best Practices for Success When companies are acquired or merged, people almost immediately start to focus on the differences in the companies. They also begin to pay attention to who are the winners and who are the losers. It is typical in an acquisition for the acquiring company to see itself as the winner, and the acquired company as the loser. The controlling company wants to impose changes and view those in the acquired company as highly resistant to change. It is clear that most mergers and acquisitions are primarily based on strategic, financial, or other objectives. However, ignoring a potential mismatch of people and cultures can lead to strategic and financial failure. In most mergers, serious consideration should be given to cultural and leadership style differences. The success of a merger or acquisition can be defined as the creation of synergy. But every merger and acquisition is a unique event, occurring in a unique environment that is subject to various influences. Analyzing a merger should begin by understanding the culture and core values of the business that is being acquired. Ashkenas, DeMonaco, and Francis (1998) observed that â€Å". . . it is increasingly important that executives learn how to manage the integration of acquisitions as a replicable process and not as a one time only event† (p. 166). DiGeorgio (2002) has researched this topic extensively through the mergers and acquisitions of Cisco and GE Capital. Cisco approaches mergers by â€Å". . . (a) doing [its] homework to select the right companies and (b) applying an effective reliable integration process once the deal is struck†(DiGeorgio, 2002, p. 138). Cisco has in the past turned down deals with companies which did not fit within its strategy. Cisco looks at deals from the following perspective (DiGeorgio, 2002): 1. Are our visions basically the same? 2. Can we produce quick wins for shareholders? 3. Can we produce long-term wins for all four constituencies – shareholders, customers, employees, and partners? 4. Is the chemistry right? 5. For large M&A, is there geographic proximity? (p. 138) GE Capital, on the other hand takes a more process-based approach to handling mergers. Since GE has performed plenty of mergers and it learns and grows from each one. The crux of its process is â€Å"[g]etting the right integration leader [which] constitutes 95 per cent of the success of an integration† (DiGeorgio, 2003, p. 139). This study highlights the importance of being proactive in pre-merger planning and offers advice to help ensure that the merger process will be a success. Within this paper, I plan to discuss the best practices companies can use to ensure a successful merger. These practices include timely merger planning, choosing the right leadership, focusing on corporate culture, communicating effectively, and engaging the staff, human resources, and middle management. Timely Merger Planning There is a lot of time and effort spent on finding good merger candidates and courting them only to fall through on the follow-up integration activities. As soon as serious discussions begin with a potential merger candidate, the integration planning efforts should begin. It is essential that acquisitions be assimilated into the parent as quickly and as smoothly as possible to minimize any losses in productivity and maximize opportunities between the two organizations. â€Å"There is good agreement that the first 100 days after a merger change set the tone, signal the troops about the real direction of the organization and its vitality†(DiGeorgio, 2003,p. 266) A slow integration process can actually worsen problems. Merger integration should not be treated as an after-thought. It is something that needs to be addressed uring the merger search and negotiations phase while there is time to minimize any negative impacts. Choosing the Right Leadership Choosing the right leadership, not only for the merger integrations, but also for the new combined company is important in terms of vision, mission, culture, and expectations. A leader should focus on the larger design of the new corporation. A leader has to resist the temptation to take the easy way out. It is not pleasant to deliver bad news or to be a naysayer, but it is necessary at times. It is also important for a leader to promote and ensure good morale. This starts with treating people with respect and listening to their opinions, rather than telling them what to do. â€Å"Leaders set the tone for the culture and for how relationships are going to unfold in the combined organization† (DiGeorgio, 2003, p. 260). Effective working relationships and increased trust developed among the senior executives will carry throughout the organization as a model of how the newly integrated organization will work. Senior executives need to establish the cultural rules of engagement in the new entity quickly and effectively. Company leaders should strive to provide as much transparency as possible to decision making and address employee concerns such as changes to roles and responsibilities, compensation and employee benefits as promptly and practical as can be performed. â€Å"Integration management is a full-time job and needs to be recognized as a distinct business function. . . † (Ashkenas et al. , 1998, p. 169). The role of the transition merger leader cannot be taken lightly. This person must make critical personnel, process, and structural decisions quickly. This role requires the mental tenacity to endure long meetings, tough questions, and low morale. The G. E. Pathfinder model as presented by Stopper (1999) suggests that it find an integration leader to direct these merger activities and get the necessary results done to have a successful integration. Stopper (1999) also suggests a few other skills and qualifications necessary to look for in this person which include experience in project planning and management, communication planning and implementation, expertise specific to acquisitions, and corporate culture familiarity. Research by Ashkenas (1998), on the other hand, believes a merger leader should have ability to facilitate integration activities, to help the acquired business understand processes of the new company, and to help his or her company understand the business that is being acquired. Leadership also needs to be held accountable for the success of the merger (DiGeorgio, 2002). The leader should have a sense of purpose and responsibility not only for his or her job but also for the company as well as the employees who work there. When leaders don’t exhibit this accountability, they can take a nonchalant attitude which can hinder any progress which has been made. Ensuring the appropriate leadership is in place from the start will present a successful blueprint for the outcome of the merger or acquisition. Focusing on Corporate Culture When companies merge there can be a clash of cultures, conflicting beliefs, and different norms. Organizational culture is important because it has been shown to have a significant impact on organizational performance. Cultures that support the missions, goals, and strategies of an organization provide a means for dealing with change and conflicts when they arise. â€Å"Cultural integration is ignored in the majority of business combinations† (Pekala, 2001, p. 32). Research has shown that because of cultural aspects, mergers often encounter difficulties in achieving the goals of the merger. While due diligence is performed on all of the financial aspects of a merger, one major reason that so many mergers fail is a lack of â€Å"cultural fit† (DiGeorgio, 2003, p. 259). Understanding how things are seen in the other cultures, learning mutual respect, and being open to exploring different points of view are the keys to the people factor in any merger or acquisition. â€Å"A sound M&A integration strategic plan is as cultural as it is structural and entails both the welding of hard assets and a delicate/neurosurgery of minds† (Brahy, 2006, p. 54). Corporate culture tends to be viewed as a company having casual Fridays or working alternate work schedules. However, it runs deeper than the external characteristics. Pekala (2001) suggests that â€Å"merger partners need to zero in on the basic ways that decisions get made in their companies and how different approaches can be combined in harmony† (p. 32). The organization’s culture is simply how things are done in the organization. It could be as simple as putting the customer first or driving for excellence in safety. The challenges encountered when merging two different cultures are that either one or the other (or both) needs to change. The issue, then, becomes not just culture awareness, but culture â€Å"change management† (LaMarsh, 2006, p. 9) during the integration period. Building a new culture that combines the best of both previous cultures makes the new organization better, stronger, and more competitive than either of the organizations can be on its own. One way to build a new culture is by having representatives from both companies or organizations list the principles that currently guide its behavior and attitu des. Once this has been captured, both groups can then combine their efforts into a discussion of what type of cultural behavior is necessary to ensure that the best of both worlds is fairly represented. Brahy (2006) even suggest the acquiring company learn another language to help the merging companies feel more at ease and are accepting of their individual culture and traditions. Top management, however, must support this new combined culture. Management cannot force people to work together to build a new culture. As DiGeorgio (2003) notes â€Å"leaders set the tone for the culture and for how relationships are going to unfold in the combined organization† (p. 260). Control over the new corporate culture is critical to the success of a merger. Achieving cultural synergy is possible, but it takes work and effort especially on the side of leadership. Communicating Effectively Communication plays a very critical role at the time of a merger. Communicating with the employees is very important as they should not feel that they have been kept in the dark. It should be remembered that they are the most important assets of an organization and also major stakeholders. Most people understand that mergers and acquisitions take place for business reasons. But it is important to communicate the specific reasons and benefits of the merger. People may not like it, but if they see that it has a legitimate purpose, and the benefits are clear, then there is less resentment and employees are more likely to accept it. Mergers and acquisitions breed uncertainty, ambiguity, and fear among employees. Rumors often begin in organizations before the announcement of any impending merger is formally announced. â€Å". . . Trying to hide bad news such as layoffs by not revealing further details . . can damage morale and lead to turnover† (Messmer, 2006, p. 15). A good communication plan can help avoid complications by ensuring that employees understand the reasons for the deal, the objectives the organization is trying to achieve, and the potential benefits for everyone involved. In mergers and acquisitions, employees typically want answers to the following basic questions: †¢Will I have a job in the new organization? †¢Will my pay, b enefits and work locations change? †¢Will this merger be good for my career? These and other questions must be addressed soon after an announcement is made since productivity can suffer the longer employees have uncertainty. Straightforward, concise, and timely communication assists in building employee commitment and focuses employees on the day-to-day operations of the organization. â€Å". . . Communication minimizes the negative reactions of the acquired employees† (Brahma, 2007, p. 8). The faster employees feel connected to the new organization, the faster they will begin working toward the business objectives and understand what is expected of them. Research shows that organizations using effective communication strategies achieve the best results in productivity and shareholder returns. A good communication strategy is critical to a successful merger or acquisition. A successful plan cannot be reactive but proactive and it has to be included as part of the original merger plans. Nikandrou, Papaleaxandris, and Bourantas (2000) assert that â€Å"frequent communication does not imply that management should communicate every little detail of the process . . . t rather means that management communicates its concerns about employees . . . † (p. 336). An effective communication plan must take into account many elements such as the unique needs of various stakeholders, such as managers, employees, investors, customers, suppliers, and surrounding communities, need to be identified and addressed. Successful mergers only happen when upper managers make themselves visible and accessible to all employees affected by the merger. All e mployees need to experience the buy-in and support of their leaders for the merger or acquisition. Leaders need to be prepared to communicate the answers they do have and be open to stating what answers they do not have yet (Terranova, 2006). For leaders and managers to maintain credibility and trust with employees, they must be open and honest in dealing with these problems rather than choosing not to communicate at all. Engaging Staff and Middle Management People issues are often the most sensitive but also overlooked aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Organizations fail to realize that people have the capability to make or break the deal. It is important for organizations to address the viability of the integration on the human resources front. There are key resources within the organization that can help in handling people issues namely the employees, human resources, and middle management. Frequently there are a lot of people who get overlooked in the acquisition process; specifically lower-level employees who may be able to offer valuable input. They are the people who produce the profits, represent the company, and, ultimately, are the ones that will make the combined company succeed. Proactively engaging the employees can cultivate change agents for the acquisition making the entire process more desirable for all parties involved. â€Å"Managing change is a systematic process that requires moving through a series of action steps to predict and address the risk caused by potential resistance† (LaMarsh, 2006, p. 59). The best way for leadership to actively involve employees is to engage in active feedback sessions. This could involve setting up meetings with key people from various groups in the organizations and soliciting feedback from them (Messmer, 2006). Another suggestion could be to set up a website answer board where employees can ask the integration team or top management questions anonymously and view answers to other questions that have been proposed. Retaining and motivating employees is a major challenge for the human resource department of organizations. Actively engaging human resources early in the process can ensure merger success. Human resource leaders can play a key role in helping senior management identify, involve, and assess the key executives and other critical talent who will be vital for the success of the new business. Human resources can help facilitate employee question and answer meetings and are the most knowledgeable about current policies and procedures. Human resource skills are essential for the facilitation and negotiation processes regarding combining pay and benefits. Human Resource skills are also needed for supporting, counseling, and coaching line managers, who have to supervise their functions during very difficult times. Middle management also plays an important role in ensuring the success of a merger or acquisition. Communications with the middle managers will help to not only alm their fears and concerns but also help them understand what is in store for them. If middle managers are not kept in the information loop, it can lead to false information getting out that could damage morale as well as increase turnover. They need to fully understand the benefits not only to the organization but also to them as individuals. Once concerns have been dealt with, middle managers should be h eld accountable for implementation of the change. Without this accountability, they ultimately will not have a desire to change their behavior. Middle managers should become a positive part of the change process and they should not feel as if it is another program or process that is being forced upon them. Middle managers are the leaders that lower-level employees will look to for timely, accurate information. If approval of the merger is given at this level, then those under them will more than likely not give their approval either. Conclusion Several important lessons have been learned from the merger research conducted throughout this paper. When a merging with another company, managers should be focused on uniting the two companies as quickly as possible. Management should also be aware of the importance of starting the integration planning as soon as a definitive merger candidate is determined. Another important aspect of the merger process is a commitment to change on the part of leadership. Management needs to assign appropriate leadership resources to complete the transition successfully. Communication is also very critical even when there is nothing new to say. It is impossible to over-communicate throughout the merger process. Employees have an almost insatiable desire for information, and misinterpretation of silence and rumors are very common. Mergers are seen as a way to solve problems but it also creates a new set of problems as well as opportunities. Success in mergers and acquisitions rests not only on good strategic and financial planning, but also in the analysis of people issues. Making mergers work successfully is a complicated process which involves not only combining two organizations together but also integrating the people of two organizations with different cultures, attitudes, and mindsets. To ensure success in mergers and acquisitions there needs to be timely merger planning, the right leadership, cultural integration, effective communication, and the involvement of staff and middle management. References Ashkenas, R. , DeMonaco, L. , & Francis, S. (1998). Making the Deal Real: How GE Capital Integrates Acquisitions. Harvard Business Review, 76(1), 165-178. Badrtalei, J. , & Bates, D. (2007). Effect of Organizational Cultures on Mergers and Acquisitions: The Case of Daimler Chrysler. International Journal of Management, 24(2), 303-317. Brahma, S. , & Srivastava, K. (2007). Communication, Executive Retention, and Employee Stress as Predictors of Acquisition Performance: An Empirical Evidence. ICFAI Journal of Mergers & Acquisitions, 4(4), 7-26. Brahy, S. (2006). Six solution pillars for successful cultural integration of international M&As. Journal of Organizational Excellence, 25(4), 53-63. DiGeorgio, R. (2002). Making mergers and acquisitions work: What we know and don't know — Part I. Journal of Change Management, 3(2), 134. DiGeorgio, R. (2003). Making mergers and acquisitions ork: What we know and don't know–Part II. Journal of Change Management, 3(3), 259. LaMarsh, J. (2006). What mergers miss. Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance (Wiley), 17(2), 59-62. Messmer, M. (2006). Leadership Strategies During Mergers and Acquisitions. Strategic Finance, 87(7), 15-16. Pekala, N. (2001). Merger They Wrote: Avoiding a Corporate Culture Collision. Journal of Property Management, 66(3), 32. Stopper, W. ( 1999, July). Mergers and Acquisitions: Fulfilling the Promise. Human Resource Planning, 22(3), 6-7.

A Overview of ESL and Bilingual Program Models

Each twenty-four hours, more and more kids enter American schools with a small or no English linguistic communication accomplishments. As this diverse pupil population continues to increase, schools across America must be prepared to run into the challenges that this entails. To run into this challenge, instructors must implement a assortment of plan theoretical accounts for linguistic communication minority pupils. Although many of these plan theoretical accounts differ from territory to territory, there are a few theoretical accounts that are preponderantly used throughout America. Transitional Bilingual Education, English Immersion, and Dual Language Education are three of many theoretical accounts that are used throughout American schools.Bilingual Program ModelsTransitional bilingual instruction is a theoretical account in which some topics are taught in the pupil ‘s primary linguistic communication ab initio but the direction in the primary linguistic communication is qui ckly phased out. The end of transitional bilingual instruction is to transition pupils out of their native linguistic communication and into English every bit rapidly as possible. This plan theoretical account Fosters â€Å" subtractive bilingualism † since the primary linguistic communication is frequently lost as the 2nd linguistic communication is acquired. This plan by and large places less accent on developing the pupils ‘ primary linguistic communication and more accent on utilizing the first linguistic communication as a span to English linguistic communication development. There are two fluctuations to this plan theoretical account. Early-exit transitional instruction normally passages to mainstream pupils within 2 to 3 old ages. This fluctuation The Late-exit transitional plan continues to develop the primary linguistic communication for a longer period of clip and these accomplishments are so transferred to the 2nd linguistic communication. Students in this theoretical account will normally stay in the plan throughout their simple old ages. A disadvantage of utilizing the Transitional Bilingual Education theoretical account is that it can frequently take old ages before an English linguistic communication scholar is able to be mainstreamed into the schoolroom. This happens due to the deficiency of development in the primary linguistic communication. Double linguistic communication is a signifier of instruction that allows pupils to be taught literacy and content in two linguistic communications. This plan provides high-quality direction for pupils who arrive in our schools talking chiefly a linguistic communication other than English. While making this, it besides provides direction in a 2nd linguistic communication for English speech production pupils. The linguistic communication is taught through content by accommodating the direction to guarantee that kids understand what is being taught every bit good as by utilizing content lessons to learn vocabulary and linguistic communication construction. Double linguistic communication instruction promotes bilingualism and biliteracy. Students in a double linguistic communication plan develop hearing, speech production, reading, and composing accomplishments in two linguistic communications. The double linguistic communication ( besides known as Two Way Immersion ) has fluctuations within the plan. Full submergence ( 90/10 ) plans normally begin literacy direction in the primary linguistic communication and so add formal literacy in English by the 2nd or 3rd twelvemonth. Students come ining kindergarten receive 90 % of the direction in their primary linguistic communication and 10 % of the direction in English. Each twelvemonth that per centum lessenings so that by the 4th or 5th twelvemonth, the pupils receive 50 % the direction in their primary linguistic communication and the other 50 % in English. Partial submergence ( 50/50 ) plans provide 50 % of the direction in the primary linguistic communication and the other 50 % of the direction in English. This division of linguistic communications starts from the beginning. There are many advantages to utilizing this plan theoretical account. English is best acquired by those pupils that have strong unwritten and literacy accomplishments in their native linguistic communication. In implementing the full submergence plan, non English talkers are taught in their primary linguistic communication. This strengthens their native linguistic communication accomplishments which so let them to more likely achieve in geting the 2nd linguistic communication. The pupil will non necessitate to relearn to read, many of their accomplishments will easy reassign to the new linguistic communication. Double linguistic communication plans promote â€Å" linear bilingualism † in which a primary linguistic communication is developed and maintained as a 2nd linguistic communication is acquired. Native English linguistic communication talkers greatly benefit from a double linguistic communication plan. By take parting in this type of theoretical account, these pupils will get a 2nd linguistic communication every bit good. Double linguistic communication plans promote transverse cultural consciousness. It promotes transverse cultural friendly relationships and it fosters interaction among pupils and parents. Students in this plan theoretical account maintain a connexion with their heritage. English linguistic communication scholars achieve more assurance in this type of environment since they are non segregated due to their deficiency of English linguistic communication proficiency.ESL Program ModelsDistricts that have a really diverse population with many different linguistic communications represented are likely to utilize ESL ( English as a Second Language ) plans instead than bilingual plans since ESL plans can suit pupils from different linguistic communication backgroun ds in the same category and the instructor does n't necessitate to be adept in the place linguistic communication of the pupils. There are assorted ESL plan theoretical accounts used throughout the schools in our state. ESL pull-out plans consist of English linguistic communication scholars passing portion of the school twenty-four hours in a mainstream schoolroom but are pulled out for a part of each twenty-four hours to have direction in English as a 2nd linguistic communication. This type of theoretical account is most frequently used in simple school scenes. Students that participate in this plan theoretical account normally work in a little group puting with an ESL instructor. ESL category period is most frequently used in in-between school scenes. English linguistic communication scholars attend an ESL category for one period of their school twenty-four hours. By and large the pupils are grouped for direction harmonizing to their degree of English proficiency. The ESL resource centre is a fluctuation of the ESL pull-out plan in which pupils come together from different schoolrooms or schools. This resource centre is staffed by at least one full-time ESL instructor that provides support to English linguistic communication scholars. The ESL resource centre focuses on holding ESL stuffs that will do content more comprehendible for the English scholar.Other Program ModelsEnglish submergence plans is an instructional plan in which pupils are taught by an ELL certified instructor. The instructor follows the same course of study as mainstream instructors in the same class degree except adapts it to the pupil ‘s demands. The gait of direction is besides set harmonizing to the academic degree of the pupils. English submergence plans use English as the primary linguistic communication direction. Teaching of English occurs at the same time with instruction of all the topics. There are two fluctuations to this plan, submergence and structured submergence ( SIE ) . Submergence is the â€Å" sink or swim † and the structured submergence plan physiques on vocabulary. In the structured submergence plan, content direction is in English except sheltered English instructional methods are implemented doing the content more comprehendible. An advantage to this type of plan is the English linguistic communication scholar will absorb the civilization and linguistic communication faster than if they were in a bilingual plan. A disadvantage is that the primary linguistic communication is non developed nor is it used to further the new linguistic communication. This plan theoretical account besides does n't learn English linguistic communication scholars to keep their cultural or lingual heritage.DecisionThe effectivity of the different plan theoretical accounts for English linguistic communication scholars continues to be the topic of contention. When sing which plan theoretical account to implement, territories must see different factors. The demographics of the territory or school are of import. The figure of linguistic communication minority pupils, the figure of pupils from each linguistic communication background, and the distribution across the class and schools are factors to see. Student features such as the academ ic degree in their primary linguistic communication will besides act upon the type of plan that will be more good. Another thing to see when taking the plan theoretical account to implement is the resources available within the school or territory. In order to shut the spread in our instruction system, English linguistic communication scholars must develop academic accomplishments while larning English. These plan theoretical accounts must supply linguistic communication minority pupils with the direction necessary to let them come on throughout school at the same rate as their native English speech production equals and finally let them to win in our society.

Business Models And Its Managerial Implications Business Essay

Business Models And Its Managerial Implications Business Essay A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value – economic, social, or other forms. The process of framing the right business model design is an integral part of the company’s business strategy. In theory and practice the term business model is used for a broad range of informal and formal descriptions to highlight its basic objectives like its vision, core competencies, strategies, infrastructure, organizational structures, trading principles, and operational processes and policies.( Changing Business Models: Surveying the Landscape, J. Linder and S. Cantrell) The essence of a business model is that it defines the ways by which the business enterprise delivers value to customers, entices customers to pay for value, and converts those payments to profit: it thus reflects management’s intention of what customers want, how they want it, and how an enterprise can organize to best meet those needs, get paid for d oing so, and make a profit. After all the future of any company lies in the value that they deliver (David Teece 2010). Business models are used to describe and classify businesses (especially in an entrepreneurial scenario), but they are also used by managers inside companies to explore possibilities for future development, and finally well known business models operate as recipes for creative managers. 2. Role and Importance Nowadays, the business models used depends on the technology levels in the organization. Top level managers have created entirely new models that depend fully on existing or emergent technology. Using technology, businesses can reach a large number of customers with minimal costs. Such is its importance in today’s world that a properly framed business model provides clarity to any business. To identify and create value from an innovation, a start-up needs a well structured business model. Business models transform latest technology into outputs at the e conomic level. For emerging firms in industry, established business models cannot be followed, therefore there is a need to frame a new business model. Not only is the business model important, in some situations, innovation lies not in the product or service offered but in the business model itself. Taking into account the complexities of products, markets, and the environment in which the firm operates, very few individuals fully understand the organization’s tasks and objectives in their entirety. The technical experts and the business experts know each of their domains clearly. 3. The Domains of Business Model The conversion process that a business does is shown in the following diagram: Technical Inputs Business Model Economic Outputs A business model covers a plethora of business subjects, which includes financial, marketing, operational and entrepreneurial strategies. The business model itself is an important determinant of the firm’s revenues to be made from an idea. A well framed business model can outshadow even a weak innovation but a weakly framed business model will hide off a good innovation. 4. Components Following are the six major elements in business models: Value proposition – a clear description of the root cause for customer need, the product that will satisfy the need, and the delivered value of the product from customer’s view.