Managing Change The Case of FastLink Logistics Company

Introduction Contextual Information Cut-throat competition, technological advances, geopolitical realignments and other related pressures are combining with concerns for security, shifting customer demands, expansion urges and organizational governance to generate momentous pressure for organizational change (Howard, 1994). Current literature as demonstrated by Kotter (2007) reveals that organizations need to continually change and reinvent their strategies, structures, processes and culture to remain relevant as well as maintain competitive advantage.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Change: The Case of FastLink Logistics Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But as observed by McGahan (2004), the change process itself need to be planned beforehand and aligned to the business strategy and objectives if it is to achieve success. The capacity of an organization to plan and implement the change process is therefore fundamental for success. By presenting a case of the current challenges facing FastLink Logistics Company, this paper will focus on providing an outline through which the underlying challenges can be adequately addressed by initiating a change process. Headquartered in Boston, MA, FastLink Logistics has been in operation for the last 20 years, and has consistently maintained a leadership position in the industry judging from its financial returns and competitiveness. An interview with the company’s operations manager revealed that the company operates a fleet of 3000 trucks and 10 cargo airplanes for purposes of transporting goods to various destinations across the U.S. and internationally. From the beginning of the current financial year, however, the company’s management has been receiving sustained customer complaints regarding delayed deliveries of their orders, especially from truck drivers. Indeed, some of FastLink’s traditional customers have opted to look for other logistics companies who keep their word on deliveries, implying that profits for FastLink Logistics have been on a downward trend. The management, having studied all the facts, identified massive paperwork in cargo clearing departments and irresponsible behaviour on the part of truck drivers, who engage in personal business while performing official duties. Upon holding several consultative meetings, the management decided to undertake a change process that will automate the clearing departments and install remote sensors on their trucks to monitor their movements and timeliness. The intended change process, however, is likely to experience some challenges, especially from employees who may oppose the intended automation of duties for fear of being rendered redundant. Still, truck drivers may feel that the intended introduction of remote sensors on their trucks may impinge on their privacy, hence perceive the new system negatively. Overall, the change proces s may be resisted by employees since it requires dramatic shifts in business processes and employee roles (Suntano et al., 2008). The management, therefore, must come up with strategies that ensure employee participation, commitment and identification to the change process so as to achieve success. In line with the above, FastLink’s management decides to enrol the services of a consultant to prepare a project feasibility study that could be effectively used to manage the change process.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Project Feasibility Study for FastLink Logistics Company The Project Scope Greer Conradi (2009) observes that â€Å"†¦the feasibility study usually refers to an assessment of the product/project against technical, operational, financial and social/political criteria† (p. 357). Academics and practitioners are in agreement that recognizing the challenges facing an organization and justifying the need for change must form the initial step of a system change effort (Suntano et al., 2008). Section A of this report demonstrates that FastLink is currently being faced with challenges arising from slower business processes and inability of some employees, particularly truck drivers, to identify with the values of the company. These challenges have caused the company to lose its traditional customers to competitors due to late delivery of orders, implying that the company’s profitability and competitive advantage in the market have been negatively affected. This particular feasibility study, hereafter identified as PFS, will therefore aim to come up with ways to balance business processes and technology constraints facing the firm so as to select a cost-effective solution. More importantly, the PFS will also involve matching the new system to organizational objectives in terms of deliverables, ability to meet customersâ⠂¬â„¢ requirements, efficient utilization of resources, budgetary allocations and time-frames. The PFS will be presented in the form of a short report. The Current Analysis FastLink logistics has for a very long time employed a manual process in its operations across all the offices located in the U.S. and abroad. This implies that the work environment has been largely paper-based and personnel-intensive. It is also imperative to note that FastLink’s working environment has been largely distributed over expansive geographical areas due to the nature of the transportation business. The advantages derived from the above working methodology may in fact be minimal as opposed to the disadvantages. In terms of advantages of the ‘status-quo’, it is important to note that manual processes of doing business in a way motivates employees to offer more, not mentioning that they are beneficial in aligning members of staff to organizational objectives and strategies (McGahan, 2004). A paper-based working environment also implies that information can be retrieved from the cabinets anytime without undue regard to other externalities such as the availability of power to run the machines, computer viruses, and end-user capabilities. In terms of the disadvantages arising from the current business processes, it is evident that FastLink has been losing, productively, due to delay occasioned by the tedious paper-based working environment and centralized information architecture.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Change: The Case of FastLink Logistics Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Preliminary observations reveals that the distributed information architecture coupled with lax rules are to blame for the truck drivers’ unbecoming behaviour by virtue of the fact that critical information aimed at necessitating effective order deliveries to customers is either delayed due to the manual operational processes, or the information does not get to the intended recipients at all due to lax operational rules. Another problematic area for the company is the fact that it has to employ a large number of employees to do the paperwork needed to necessitate order deliveries, implying that the company’s wage bill may exceed profitable limits. These disadvantages, according to preliminary observations, are to blame for the company’s continued dip in profitability and competitive advantage within the logistics industry. According to Davies (1994), these challenges are functional in nature owing to the fact that they hinder effective work-flow processes for the company, thus they demand functional solutions. Benefits Pitfalls of the Proposed System The next stage of designing a project feasibility study, according to Greer Conradi (2009), is to develop specific objectives and limits of the proposed system. Here, it is proposed that the company redesig n and automate its database management system for the obvious advantages of faster and better customer service as well as ensuring the distributed use and processing of order information. Automated work systems, according to Howard (1994), not only simplify and streamline work processes, but they also enhance efficiency by curtailing excessive use of an organization’s scarce resources. The proposed remote sensors to be installed on trucks will go a long way to ensure that truck drivers follow their routes in the process of delivering orders to customers, and the orders are delivered on a timely basis. However, financial resources must be channelled to purchase the needed automation hardware and software as well as the remote sensors. The decisions to automate the offices and install remote sensors on trucks will most probably be met with resistance from members of staff who may fear loosing their jobs or who may argue that their privacy is being impinged on. Here, Suntano et al (2008) advises that the company should take an all-inclusive approach to enable employees participate in the change process; hence offer their views, fears and expectations as concerns the intended change. In addition, the management should exercise an open-door policy, whereby employees should be encouraged to raise any underlying issues and seek clarifications to better understand the proposed change.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Davies (1994), involving employees and effectively answering their concerns in any change process is advantageous since it minimizes resistance during the implementation process, not mentioning that it facilitates employees to identify more with the change process once it is operationalized. Alternatives Companies in the 21st century are increasingly faced with the dilemma of whether to automate their operations or to continue with paper-based working environment (Alkuwaiti, 2010). In the present case, one of the viable alternatives would be to recruit more human resources to clear the backlog, hence necessitate timely delivery of orders to customers. Another alternative would be to enlist the services of security firms to escort trucks so that drivers do not engage in personal business during official working hours. The company may also consider investing in telecommunications to facilitate a more distributed information infrastructure. Assessment The assessment of any viable change process or alternatives must be evaluated against a backdrop of risk management controls, ability to meet fundamental objectives of the project’s attention, program needs and costs, intensity of effort, time-scale, security features, and flexibility for future modification and expansion, among others (Kotter, 2007; Bryce, 2011). It is indeed true that the proposed automated process may in the short-term be costly for the company in terms of purchasing the needed hardware and software as well as training staff members to operate the automated systems. In the long-term, however, the company will largely benefit from enhanced customer satisfaction, improved sales and reduced overhead costs. The alternative of employing more members of staff to clear the backlog may not be tenable in these circumstances, especially when the company is working on new modalities that will enable it to return to profitability and maintain competitive advantage. The time-scale needed f or implementing automated systems and installing the remote sensors may indeed be minimal when it is compared to the time-scale and resources needed to advertise for positions, recruit, orient and train new members of staff. According to Howard (1994), companies must always be on the lookout for proposals that enhance value creation as well as offer viable solutions to the problems that triggered the change process. In this perspective, the proposed system change should be recommended over the other stated alternatives. Automation of business process and introduction of remote sensors for trucks seem the only way to go for FastLink Logistics Company if it has to overcome its present challenges. Lastly, it is indeed true that automated systems can be expanded or modified to meet future needs and expectations (Suntano et al., 2008). The same cannot be said of other alternatives such as utilizing security firms to make the company drivers toe the line. List of References Alkuwaiti, A. J. (2010). The Project Book: A Simple and Direct Approach to Project Management. New York, NY: Create Space. Bryce, T. (2011). The Elements of a Good Feasibility Study. Web. Davis, S. M. (1994). Attempting Major Change? 10 Pitfalls to Avoid – And How. Human Resource Planning, Vol. 7, Issue 4, pp 175-188. Greer, D., Conradi, R. (2009) Software Project Initiation and Planning – An Empirical Study. IET Software, Vol. 3, Issue 5, pp 356-368. Howard, A. (1994). Diagnosis for Organizational Change: Methods and Models. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Kotter, J. P. (2007). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 85, Issue 1, pp 96-103. McGahan, A. M. (2004). How Industries Change. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 82, Issue 10, pp 86-94. Suntano, J., Kankanhalli, A., Tay, J., Raman, K. S., Tan, B. C. Y. (2008). Change Management in Interorganizational Systems for the Public. Journal of Management Information Systems, Vol. 25, Issue 3, pp 133-175. Wischnevsky, J. D. (2007 ). Change as the Winds Change: The Impact of Organizational Transformation on Firm Survival in a Shifting Environment. Organizational Analysis, Vol. 12, Issue. 4 pp 361-377. This essay on Managing Change: The Case of FastLink Logistics Company was written and submitted by user Ian U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Societal Change Motivated by the Brown vs. Board of Education Ruling essays

Societal Change Motivated by the Brown vs. Board of Education Ruling essays The Brown vs. Board of Education sparked change across the United States in many ways. While the ruling was specifically intended to end segregation, it was also responsible for inspiring African Americans to fight for the freedom they deserved. The ruling was the beginning of a new society that could finally be recognized. While fighting for freedom and equal treatment proved to be a painful and difficult process, no one would When the decision was handed down, schools in 21 states were still segregated. The court ruling forced them to decide how they would adhere to a new system. While they were allowed a certain amount of time to comply, they were also told by the court to act with "deliberate speed" (Davidson 1144). The area that experienced the most difficulty with desegregation was the Deep South. In fact, in 1956, just one year after Brown vs. Board of Education, a "Southern Manifesto" (1144) emerged, declaring to use "all lawful means" (1144) to restore segregation. While Brown v Board of Education changed the law, it was apparent that it would take more than law to change the behavior of a society. While it would prove to be a challenging task, the African American community was poised for change. In Alabama, Rosa Parks was one of the first individuals to act on the new ruling. Her refusal to give up her seat on a public bus and subsequent fine stirred what many tense emotions about segregation. Many African Americans participated in a boycott of Montgomery buses, which was significant because African Americans constituted most of Montgomery bus customer base. The white community responded to this challenge with "legal and physical intimidation" (1145). For instance, Martin Luther King's home was bombed because he was leading the boycott. In addition, more than 80 African American leader were arrested for organizing a boycott that was deemed illegal. ...

All About Quotation Marks

All About Quotation Marks All About Quotation Marks All About Quotation Marks By Daniel Scocco Tie Sing Chie asks, â€Å"Whats the difference in terms of usage between the single quotation mark () and the double quotation mark ()?† Quotation marks are used mainly to quote speech, sentences or words. Both the single and the double quotation marks serve that purpose; the difference in their usage comes from geographical preferences. Traditionally, the double quotation mark was used in the United States while the single quotation mark was the preference inside the United Kingdom. Recently, though, some British pubblications started to adopt the American usage, which is becoming the de facto standard (see a quotation from The Guardian below). Notice that when you use nested quotations you should invert the quotation marks, for example: My mother said, John told me, I will not go there.' Quotation marks can also be used to express irony: Uncle Joe was really sad about it. The only point where there is a clear distinction between the American and the British styles is the usage of punctuation with the quotation marks. In American English commas and periods, even if not part of the quotation itself, need to be included inside the quotation marks. Cultists are camping out in front of Apple stores; bloggers call it the â€Å"Jesus phone.† (NY Times) In British English, on the other hand, the commas and periods will be included inside the quotation marks only if they were actually part of the quotation, otherwise they will go outside. Margaret Jay ruefully reflected that all Blairs considerable achievements would be terribly undermined, and probably fatally undermined, by what I think of as the tragedy of going into Iraq. (Guardian.co.uk) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should AvoidOne Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .Is Your Novel "Mystery," "Thriller," or "Suspense"?

Sonnet analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sonnet analyze - Essay Example Contrary to popular misconception, it is addressed, not to his lady-love, but to a friend, probably William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke 1. Shakespeare commences his sonnet by comparing the youth with summer, with its’ connotations of warmth and light, but then devotes the first two quatrains to listing the shortcomings of summer. Unlike the even-tempered disposition of his friend, summer is subject to excesses. It is a transient season, which flits away all too soon: the metaphor of the short lease (Line 4). The sun, â€Å"the eye of heaven,† (line 5) either blinds one with a surfeit of light, or vanishes behind overcast skies or the darkness of night. Capitulating to the inexorable march of time, nothing can adhere permanently to the ideal of beauty. In the third quatrain, Shakespeare acclaims the unchanging nature of his friends’ virtues, denoted by â€Å"thy eternal summer† (Line 9). His beauty, being of the mind and not of the body, will always remain wi thin his grasp. In the last two lines of the third quatrain and the concluding couplet, the poet asserts the immutability of his love for the youth, whom he has immortalized â€Å"in eternal lines† (Line 12). As long as the written word exists, his love will live on, beyond the reach of death. The sonnet apotheosizes both the poem and the poets’ Muse, concluding with the poignantly beautiful words: â€Å"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this and this gives life to thee.† Coming to Sonnet 130, the first contrast to strike us is the difference between the straightforward paean of praise, which is Sonnet 18, and the light-hearted, satirical tone of Sonnet 130. All the three quatrains apparently mock the physical deficiencies of Shakespeare’s mistress: her eyes are less bright than the sun, coral outdoes her lips in redness, snow outshines her dull breast, her hair is far from the ideal of spun gold, she lacks the pink and white complexion of

Acme Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acme - Coursework Example In the plan, they will be required to establish the breakdown of the available financial resources. The planners will also be required to establish the number of workers required for each category. They will also determine the order in which the activities of the project will be undertaken in order to deliver the project within the specified time. Obtaining the necessary legal documents- the legal department should ensure that they obtain the necessary legal documents to allow the project to proceed. This is importance to ensure that the project does not become a white elephant. The department should also ensure that it provides the authorities with all the required information and documents. Construction- this includes laying the foundation, construction of walls, floors and the roof of the structures i.e. the garage and the store. The constructor should pave and landscape. Installation of electrical appliances and plumbing should be covered at this stage. The construction should adhere to the rules and practices of Mexicans. They should also bear in mind the company’s policy on building. Hiring and training- at this point, the HR department, should recruit the all the required employees for the store. The department should also ensure that a successful training program is undertaken for those who are successful in the recruitment stage. These processes must be conducted in line with the company’s policy on both recruitment and training. Inventory- after successful completion of the buildings and training program the company should stock the store awaiting its opening. The inventory shall be arranged in accordance to the company’s practice. Given the average size of the company’s store, the company will invest financial resources to the tune of seventeen million dollars to undertake all the above activities. However, this amount of money does not cover the cost of the inventory but covers the cost of labor employed during the process. About

Given Name and Passport Information Booklet Essay Example for Free

Given Name and Passport Information Booklet Essay

Immigration Restriction Law of 1924 Essay -- essays research papers

The immigration act of 1924 was really the first permanent limitation on immigration. This limitation was like a quota system that only aloud two percent instead of the three percent of each foreign born group living in the United states in 1890. Like it say in Document A â€Å"Under the act of 1924 the number of each nationality who may be admitted annually is limited to two per cent of the population of such nationality resident in the United States according to the census of 1890.† Using the 1890 census instead of newer up-to-date ones they excluded a lot of new immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe that came by in resent years (This is shown awfully well in Document B). This acts annual quota changed from 358,000 in 1921 to 164,000 in 1924 and finally changed to 154,000. Their was a couple of reasons that the United States made this an act; people were prejudice such as the KKK, and Americans lost jobs to new coming immigrants. People also felt that they had a suffi cient population and wanted to breed pure Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What Senator Ellison D. Smith was talking about when he said â€Å"I think we now have sufficient population in out country for us to shut the door and to breed up a pure, unadulterated American citizenship.....thank God we have in America perhaps the largest percentage of any country in the world of pure unadulterated Anglo-Saxon stock†¦.greatest of any nation† (Document I). He was really talking about how he thinks that if so calle...

Ethics in Fashion

Ethics in fashion Brands such as Hollister, Superdry and Jack Wills are in high demand at the moment. These fashion giants make billions of pounds a year selling top of the range clothing, specifically designed for 14-18 year olds. These brands all follow strict ethical policies, for example Jack Wills is part of the Ethical Trading Initiative, which is an alliance of companies working together to improve the lives of poor and vulnerable workers in the countries in which these clothes are produced. Although over half of Britain’s consumers think that the ethical production of the clothes they buy is important many companies cast a blind eye towards the production environment of their clothes. Their workers may have decent working conditions, get paid fair wages most of the time. A problem is the conditions and wages of other workers, who may not be directly employed to the company. These are called sub-contractors. Such things often take place in third world, developing countries, and are usually a first step for industrialising economies. This has already resulted in widespread poverty reduction, access to skills and sustainable livelihoods for some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world. For example, in Bangladesh 70% of GDP (gross domestic product) comes from the fashion industry. However it is not just the production of these clothes that makes the public question their morals, problems have arisen within the stores. In August 2011 Hollister were charged with discrimination towards one of their Muslim employees, who was criticised for wearing a hijab in store. Months later two stores in America were noticed for not following the Disabilities Act, due to the fact that they have a porch-like entrance that contains steps while customers in wheelchairs have to access the stores through automatic side doors rather than the main entrance. Customers felt that they were being ‘separated’. Furthermore, in November 2010, Hollister prevented an employee from wearing a red poppy into work. This sparked controversy, and attracted unwanted attention from the media. Human rights activists have also pointed out the various ethical issues behind the preparation of fashion products. When companies are not following a strict policy, and sometimes even when they are, workers can be treated very badly. Extremely low wages, long hours, unsafe working conditions and harassment are some of these issues. Additionally, environment protection activists have brought up ethical issues related to the fashion industry time and time again. The main complaint is about the production of cotton, and how a large amount of pesticides are used. The use of toxic pesticides leads to air, water and soil pollution. These are detrimental to the health of the workers applying them, and people living nearby. All of these issues would have been impossible to unearth had it not been for the power of the media. Technology such as mini cameras and microphones made it possible for journalists and in some cases the ordinary public, to go undercover into one of these stores. The media can also publish stories and pictures to a wide range of people, thus making more people aware. The concept of ethical fashion is old; however it has gained more popularity recently. This may be due to the fact that fashion is changing and developing even more resulting in unethical shortcuts being made. These shortcuts may not always be in the best interest of the environment, or indeed the employees. Also, as awareness about environment conservation, cruelty to animals and ethical issues in business is rising, fashion brands are also increasingly adopting ethical means. Customers are also becoming more aware, and consequently the demand for ethically produced clothing is on the rise.

The Beach/the Storm Descriptive Writing

The Beach. A storm brews above. People escape the beach, quickly grabbing their possessions as rain spits down on them. Music from cafes and fare rides come to a halt as their customers quickly disappear and the happy sounds of laughter echo around the empty beach. A gloomy shadow descends over the sea. Feeble light from the few surviving streetlights and lanterns appear to dim as the dark clouds move across the sky like a creeping panther. Birds silence their song and flee to safer places. Sandcastles with small motes, which surrounded them, are now filled with seawater. Any last remaining footsteps disappear and are quickly buried beneath the sand. The wind teases the scattered rubbish†¦ picking it up then quickly releasing it again. People shelter in cars waiting for the storm to pass†¦their windscreen wipers furiously fighting against the increasingly powerful rain. Waves rage upon the sand, sending sand back and forth as they go. They crash against the sea wall, shooting upwards and spraying the abandoned cafes and shops. Yachts begin to rock with the waves; they are like a gymnast balancing on a beam about to fall any second. The pier fights against the drowning waves as they attempt to bring it under the surface. Trees surrender at the battering wind, forcing leaves and branches to be torn off their trunks. A bird-usually so in control of its own destiny-fights the beast as it toys with it playfully. The once clear sky is now full of thick cloud, staining the sky a deadly shade of indigo, forever darkening like a lid closing on a box trapping darkness inside it. The saturated clouds start to rumble. Below them, the streets are lifeless as no one dares leave their secure houses for the extreme weather outside. Thunder shakes the clouds, as its loud rumble echoes around the empty beach. The smell of the sea overpowers the old, lingering smell of chips and candyfloss, now only a stench of salt and seaweed are left. Sand storms are whipping up from the shore into the air and circling in the wind. CRASH! Lightning illuminates the sky and forks downwards to strike a boat, like a spear would to catch a fish. The smoke from the explosion is quickly carried off by the wind and the remains of the boat are rapidly dragged under the waves. The weather torments seagulls with the sight of dead fish washing up onto the shore, yet there is no other choice but to stay in hiding. The icy winds whistle around every rock and under every doorway; not even warm houses can be protected from the chill of the storm. On the shore waves crash against rocks and onto the sand, shattering shells with its immense pressure. The lighthouse is left to fend for itself on the cliff, yet its light has no purpose, as the sea is empty†¦no one would dare venture out into the vicious sea. * * * * * The sound of rain now overpowers the quietening rumble of thunder. Rays from the sun push through the cloud and release the shadow from the sea. Wind still pulls at the sea splashing waves upon the shore, making pebbles jerk against one another. The trees release tension from their exhausted roots. Birds finally venture out into the unsteady weather after their long wait for food. A tempting scent in the air of brewing coffee comes back and drowns the sea-salt smell. Waves still press against the sea wall sending a light spray of water up into the wind. A final deposit of light drizzle falls into the shore. The sun peeks through the last remaining cloud and lights up the shoreline, to reveal the dazzling sight again. The happy fare-ground tune starts again and the merry-go-round begins to buzz with life again, bringing with it once more the familiar sound of laughter.

Community Social Work In Modern Society Social Work Essay Example

Community Social Work In Modern Society Social Work Essay Example Community Social Work In Modern Society Social Work Essay Community Social Work In Modern Society Social Work Essay This survey is an overview of current authorities proposals for the Large Society within community societal work. In July 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron launched a undertaking called the Big Society. It is considered by Mr Cameron that communities merit to be empowered to hold more of a say in what happens in their local country. The belief is that by making this, many of the local services provided by the authorities can be taken over and run by community and voluntary groups, with Mr Cameron depicting the undertaking as a large progress for people power ( www.bbc.co.uk/news, accessed: 30/10/2010 ) . The theory base of community societal work from a historical and modern position will be presented and evaluated. The survey will supply a literature reappraisal of community undertakings in both neighbouring UK states and Inner City London ; analyzing their effectivity in making community authorization to enable the possible declaration of societal corruption. Particular attending will be paid to the differences that each geographical location possesses in footings of economic system, civilization and category diverseness when sing each undertaking and how this relates to its success. A upper limit of four undertakings will be chosen to compare and measure and the survey will reason with lessons learnt for future societal work in community work pattern with the inclusion of messages from the Social Work Reform Board. The Big Society Argument However, Cameron s impression of the Big Society has come under much unfavorable judgment. The Guardian s Jonathan Freedland has written a cutting onslaught on Mr Cameron s proposals and his article posted What is Community Social Work? The thought behind community societal work is the belief that peoples jobs can be countered by interceding with the people within their societal web. This may include friends and relations, and neighbors. Social workers need to seek and reenforce such support webs for service users and purpose to ease their growing where it has become evident that such has lapsed. The work should be seen as both a protective and preventive scheme and is now considered to be the Par excellence of intercession scheme for advancing societal inclusion. ( Walker and Beckett, 2005, pg93 ) . Therefore, community societal work is efficaciously a method of advancing the societal inclusion of persons and their households by authorising them to seek and make the intercessions they require. Walker and Beckett ( 2005 ) inform that societal work is at the cutting border of persons, households or communities efforts to pull off life challenges that have been influenced by both economic and societal policy, public assistance systems and the manner they are made up internally. However, there are differing positions on the construct of authorising people and utilizing socially inclusive methods within societal work. The first position is that the authorization of service users may be considered to be self-evident if the worker sees the jobs people are confronting as merchandises of the an unjust economic system that, Disenfranchises the weak, vulnerable, disabled or hapless from equal engagement and entree to the resources produced by society. ( Walker and Beckett, 2005, pg93 ) . The purpose of societal work here would be to try to acquire service users involved and seek to authorise them to happen a manner of accessing the services that are available to them. Payne ( 1995 ) suggests of this issue that although public policy statements do take to turn out the value of community engagement and user authorization, community work may so, Draw attending to inequalities in service proviso and in power which lie behind terrible want and hence besides become portion of the battles between people in powerless places against the powerful. ( Payne, 1995, pg165-166 ) . The 2nd position on the authorization of service users is that it can give them ( service users ) an increased outlook of what can be available to them. It is believed that in this instance, societal workers may believe that the right thing to make would be to cut down the outlooks of service users, coercing them to accept the state of affairss they find themselves in and that they may go socially excluded merely because that is the manner it is . If this does go the instance, societal workers may neglect to help in the bringing of services that are available to service users, alternatively merely seeking to assist service users to manage with what they believe is available to them. Possibly the best manner to see authorization for service users is to utilize Trevithick s ( 2000 ) theoretical account of when rehearsing societal work you are either ( a ) making things to service users, ( B ) making things for societal workers, or ( degree Celsiuss ) making things with service users. Community societal work foremost came into being following reviews of community work after placing that such was considered to be a wholly different activity to that of societal work. These reviews found that community workers and outreach workers were going marginalised from their co-workers within proper societal work bureaus. In order to forestall this from go oning farther, there was what was deemed a positive motion to encompass some of the rules and patterns of community work within societal work. Coulshed and Orme ( 1998 ) inform us that although independent community action has continued throughout history by being supported by dedicated community workers, policy developments that incorporated both the linguistic communication of community and the work involved began to inform the actions of statutory societal work as of the late seventiess. Despite this being the instance, it is thought that such motions towards community care enterprises were non what societal workers had needfully thought to be right. The above moves were initiated via the Seebohm Report ( 1968 ) . An article by Eileen Munro said of the actions brought about by the study, The division between ( changing ) societal work was seen as the job, so societal services sections were created to offer a joined-up service. ( www.guardian.co.uk/society, accessed: 9/10/2010 ) . These actions included the creative activity of societal services sections that would hold smaller administrative units with country squads functioning their ain geographical vicinities. It was believed that such would better entree to service proviso for those placed within each vicinity and a wider sense of designation with the local country for societal workers. Decisions could be made dependant on the individual and their local demand as opposed to the generic, centralized determinations that took topographic point antecedently. Seebohm s study besides stated that each area-based administration should alter the relationship that societal workers held within the comparative catchment countries that the workers were runing. The study said of this that the sections should, Encourage, support and promote voluntary attempt and prosecute in helping and promoting the development of community individuality. ( Seebohm, 1968, paragraph 477 ) . Despite this alteration in the agreements for which societal services were delivered, Seebohm s study did non decently turn to what it was community workers, or so societal workers working with communities were really supposed to be making. Although the Seebohm study had considered the basic impressions of community societal working, the footings and rules of such were non defined to the full until this was done by the Barclay Committee and published in a study in 1982. This definition was as follows: Community societal work is, Formal societal work which, get downing from the jobs impacting an person or group and the duties and resources of societal services sections and voluntary administrations, seeks to tap into, support, enable and underpin the local webs of formal and informal relationships which constitute our basic definition of community, and besides the strength of a client s communities of involvement. ( Barclay, 1982, p seventeen ) . The accent on the function of the community within society continued following the Barclay Committee s study and re-emerged towards the terminal of the 1980s. In more recent times, the Griffiths Report of 1998 looked at care in the community and was based around an purpose of closer partnerships between statutory services and local communities as portion of a larger public assistance spectrum. The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 excessively pushed towards an accent on community work although Adams et Al ( 1998 ) inquiries whether the theory was really put into pattern. Adams et Al besides speculate as to the trouble that community societal work continues to confront as a consequence of go oning alterations to societal policy. In modern societal work, it is considered by Beckett ( 2006 ) that it is good to work with groups or households as opposed to working with persons. Therefore it seems reasonable that such an attack would of course in some respects at least lead towards working within communities. Community societal work is by and large considered to be a similar activity to that of group work. This is because community work intercessions normally involve the worker trying to promote the development of groups. However, community work is aimed more along the lines of self-help or societal action in consideration of the group work spectrum. Community societal work does non let for the worker to do things for people , be that for persons or so groups, but wants to advance The development of organized activity by the community itself ( Beckett, 2006, pg94 ) through either the self-creation of resources to run into its demands or even by fall ining forces to run against the governments for non supplyi ng the necessary installations. Henderson ( 2000, pg72 ) says of such an attack that At the nucleus of the methods and accomplishments is the thought of organizing: assisting people to come together to organize an independent group. The above shows that in this context, the community worker is considered to be something of an enabler instead than the influence peddler within community undertakings. Despite this, it is besides believed that community workers although being employed by the province and therefore still considered as an outsider within the community with which they are working take on a grade of benevolent paternalism as opposed to developing the necessary corporate community action. Popple ( 1994, pg24 ) says of this, Historically community work has developed from two distinguishable roots: benevolent paternalism and corporate community action. With the above in head it is of import to retrieve that the term community is still instead obscure. It is borne from the impression that a complete vicinity can work as its ain entity as opposed to admiting that vicinities consist of many differing communities. Individual involvement, cultural communities, geographics, familial extensions and workplaces all form portion of communities, yet will frequently widen far beyond the vicinity in which they are formed. Community societal work is harmonizing to Smale et al About the procedures the workers engage in, the relationships they make and how they maintain and change them. adding These procedures generate the particular aims and aims of the workers and those they portion the work with. ( 1988, pg23 ) . The most of import things that must be recognised by any community worker is the type of community that they are working with or so the type of community that they are helping to assist construct. Evaluating Community Projects The Study So Far Decision

The Meaning and Origin of the Last Name Thomas

The Meaning and Origin of the Last Name 'Thomas' Some of the most common names from the Middle Ages tend to come from religious backgrounds such as biblical texts and the names of saints.  Other names have come from the language spoken at the time. For example, Bennett is Latin and means blessed while Godwin comes from English and means good friend.  Along with vernacular language, some medieval surnames have been based on a job or where the person lived, and many of these names still exist today. For instance, the last name Baker could come from a family who had a maker of bread while the last name Fisher involved someone who was a catcher of fish. Patronymic Origin of Thomas Derived from a popular medieval first name, Thomas comes from the Aramaic term t’om’a, for twin. The Thomas surname is of patronymic origin, based on the first name of the father, meaning son of Thomas, much like Thomason.  The first letter of the name Thomas was originally the Greek theta which accounts for the common TH spelling. Thomas is the 14th most popular surname in the United States and the 9th most common in England. Thomas is also the third most common surname in France  and its surname origin is of Welsh and English descent. Alternate Surname Spellings If you have one of the following surnames, it may be counted as an alternative spelling to Thomas with similar origin and meaning: TomasThomasonTomasonTommasiTomaThomThomaThummThomeTomaschekTomichKhomichThomasson Famous People With the Surname Clarence Thomas: U.S. Supreme Court JusticeDylan Thomas:  Welsh poetKristin Scott Thomas:  British-born French actressDanny Thomas:  American comedian, producer, and actorM. Carey Thomas: Pioneer in womens educationDebi Thomas: Olympic figure skater; first African-American to win a medal at the Winter OlympicsJamie Thomas: Pro skateboarderIsiah Thomas: American basketball player and coach Genealogy Resources 100 Most Common US Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Thomas Surname DNA StudyThe objectives of the Thomas project are to use Y-DNA to find connections between Thomas lines and to hopefully determine the countries of origin of these various families. All Thomas males are welcome to participate. Thomas Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Thomas surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Thomas query. FamilySearch - THOMAS GenealogyExplore over 14 million historical records, lineage-linked family trees, and other results posted for the Thomas surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website. References: Surname Meanings and Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Servant leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Servant leadership - Essay Example Students shall receive desirable educational quality with the support of such control system. On the contrary, this system possessed certain loopholes. Firstly, no principal would state that their students were provided with lower quality of education. This indicates all teachers are given a rank of 5 on the grading system (Daft, 2013). Personal feedback given by master teachers cannot be considered as accurate. It is recommended that centralized external agency should exhibit operations related to feedback control system. Personnel needs to be hired who can evaluate efficiency level of teachers in context of subject area outside their expertise. Teacher grading system forms an integral component of feedback control system. Master teachers and principals were the key personnel involved in such grading system. Teacher evaluation system is important when there is a need to analyze performance of students as well as teachers. Feedback control system highlights contribution of teacher towards a system. Student learning progress is dependent on accountability of teachers. Grading system is an essential part simply because it helps in determining position of a teacher in educational system with respect to others. Master teachers and principal needs to cover wide set of areas in order to grade a teacher. Feedback system can operate efficiently only when a framework of grades or results is provided. This framework outlines performance of teachers over a specific time period. Perfection exhibited by teachers can be portrayed through such grading system. Accuracy is a critical element in the entire evaluation process. Principals are involved in the evaluation process and they might possess long term relationship with teaching staff. This form of relationship tends to violate the process. However accuracy standards can be retained only when state controls the operation through an external agent. Principals who are conducting the procedure also need to be