Course work 3 ( how the Marketing Communications Mix ) Essay

Course work 3 ( how the Marketing Communications Mix ) - Essay Example Moreover, Versace use their website as the advertising medium. They run separate advertising campaign on their website for fashion accessories and clothing, for both men and women. Versace also brings out its own magazine which keeps their customers informed of the latest trends in the fashion industry. They use their social responsibility efforts in advertising the brand. However, they do not spend money on advertising through the television. Understanding the importance of marketing, the owner tied up with a photographer to bring out the essence of his clothing in all advertisements (GLBTQ, 2002). Direct sales They reach out to the fashion conscious customer directly through Twitter where discussions on fabric, its quality and performance are openly discussed and suggestions/feedback invited. They have already segmented their target customers and know how to reach them. They have also created a string visible profile on the social networking sites and they have also ensured people know where and how to find them on the various networks. As people get connected they exchange view/opinions about the Versace products and this is how they achieve direct sales. The purpose of social media itself is to connect with people and not people connecting with brands. Sales promotions To build confidence among the customers, they offer 30-day money back guarantee (FragranceX, 2011).

Investigating Resistance Essay Example for Free

Investigating Resistance Essay Resistance is a property of a substance that conducts electricity. Resistance opposes the flow of electricity through conductors and it depends on the PHYSICAL NATURE of the particular conductor. In this investigation I must investigate how one of these physical facts affects the resistance. I will split my investigation into four parts, I will firstly plan my investigation. This will allow me to explain how I will carry out my investigation and predict what I think will happen. The second part of my investigation will be the obtaining part. To complete this I must carry out my investigation and record the results. I will then be able to say if my prediction was correct. The third part will be analyzing the results I have made. This will allow me to draw conclusions. The fourth and final part will be evaluating my investigation, I will say if it could have been improved and if it worked as expected. APPARATUS I will need a Digital ammeter and a digital voltmeter because the readings given are a lot closer than with an analog one. I will need just over a meter of 0. 19mm thick nichrome, a meter stick, a power supply, some wires and two crocodile clips PLANNING I have been given a piece of wire called Nichrome, which has a thickness of 0.19mm. I will connect this into the circuit using crocodile clips, I will stretch the wire across a meter stick and connect one crocodile clip at 0cm and one at 10 cm, I will record a reading from both the ammeter and the voltmeter, I will then move the crocodile clip which is on 10cm to 20 cm and again take a reading from both the ammeter and the voltmeter before recording the results into a table. The variable for my experiment will be the length so to keep it a fair test I must use 10 cm jumps each time, use the same metal each time meaning it must be Nichrome of 0. 19mm. I will eventually have a full table of results ranging from 10cm to 100cm. PREDICTION I predict that as the length of the wire increases, the resistance will increase. I predict this will happen because Resistance is due to the atoms in the wire. The electric charges will collide with the atoms, slowing them down. If the wire is longer, then there are more atoms in the way of the charges so the resistance will increase. The resistance will depend directly on the number of atoms in the wire. I have indicated in the rough graph below on what I think will happen and what it will then look like on the graph. RESULTS Results below are first set recorded Length Of Wire Current Voltage Resistance CMSecond set will now be recorded before finding the eventual average Results below are Second set recorded Length of wire Current Voltage Resistance CM (A) (V) (Ohms) The table below shows the average of the results allowing me to plot the graph. It shows the average resistances Temperature Resistance results 1 Resistance results 2 Average Resistance CM (Ohms) (Ohms) (Ohms) . I will now go on to plot the graph before recording my conclusion. Conclusion After recording my results and plotting the graph I can say that my prediction was correct. This shows that resistance is greater the longer the wire is because there will be more atoms for the electrical charges to hit the atoms and get slowed down. From what my results say I am willing to predict that if I had a thicker piece of Nichrome say 0. 37mm thick then the resistance would be even greater because not only will the length give more resistance but now that it is thicker will mean there will be space for more atoms.

Corrections for attenuation and corrections for range restriction

Corrections for attenuation and corrections for range restriction One of the most pervasive methodological problems in the educational and psychological field entails determination of the techniques which are to be used in assessing the nature and strength of the relationship between various measures. Of course, the correlation coefficient has provided the field with a viable statistical tool for solving this problem. Unfortunately, in some instances the appropriateness of correlational techniques may be limited by the operation of certain statistical biases in actual data bases. Thorndike (1949) has noted that two of these biases, termed range restriction and attenuation effects, can exert a powerful diminishing influence on the magnitude of observed correlation coefficients. Range restriction occurs when a researcher wants to estimate the correlation between two variables (x and y) in a population, but subjects are selected on x, and data for y are only available for a selected sample (Raju Brand, 2003). This occurs for example when scores from admission tests are used to predict academic success in higher education or are compared with grades in the program they were admitted to (Gulliksen, 1950; Thorndike, 1949). Because selection is made on the basis of scores from these kinds of instruments, the range of scores is restricted in the sample. Although the correlation between test scores and academic success can be obtained for the restricted sample, the correlation for the population of applicants remains unknown. Due to the range restriction in test scores, the correlation obtained is expected to be an underestimate of the correlation in the population (Hunter Schmidt, 1990; Henriksson Wolming, 1998). Attenuation effects refer to the fact that an observed correlation coefficient will tend to underestimate the true magnitude of the relationship between two variables to the extent that these measures are not an accurate reflection of true variation, i.e., to the extent that they are unreliable. In some applied studies, the operation of these biases may be acceptable. Yet when an investigation centers on determining the true strength of the relationship between two sets of measures, the operation of these biases in the experimental data base constitutes a serious, often unavoidable, confound (Crocker Algina, 1986; Worthen, White, Fan, Sudweeks, 1999). Psychometrics has long been aware of the implications of range restriction and attenuation effects with respect to the inferences drawn by researchers concerning the magnitude of relationships. Consequently, a variety of formulas have been derived which permit the researcher to correct data based estimates of the magnitude of a correlation coefficient for the operation of these influences (Guilford, 1954; Stanley, 1971). The aim of this review is to discuss the importance of correcting for range restriction and correcting for attenuation in predictive validity studies and review two methods to correction for range restriction (Thorndikes case II and ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm) and two methods to correction for attenuation (traditional approach and latent variable modeling approach). Results from research evaluating the use of these methods will also be discussed. Importance of corrections for range restriction and attenuation effects As early as the beginning of the last century, Pearson (1903), in developing the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, noticed problems due to range restriction and attenuation and discussed possible solutions. Since then, a great number of studies have examined the biasing effect of these statistical artifacts (e.g., Alexander, 1988; Dunbar Linn, 1991; Lawley, 1943; Linn, Harnisch, Dunbar, 1981; Schmidt, Hunter, Urry, 1976; Thorndike, 1949; Sackett Yang, 2000). It is evident from literature that both range restriction and attenuation can create serious inaccuracies in empirical research, especially in the fields of employment and educational selection. The need for correcting validity coefficients for statistical artifacts is becoming more recognized. Validity generalization research has demonstrated that artifacts like range restriction and attenuation account for large percentages of the variance in distributions of validity coefficients. Although the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologys (SIOP) Principles (1987) recommend correcting validity coefficients for both range restriction and criterion unreliability, researchers rarely do so. Ree et al. (1994) discussed the application of range restriction corrections in validation research. They reviewed validity articles published in Educational and Psychological Measurement, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Personnel Psychology between 1988 and 1992. Ree et al. (1994) concluded that only 4% of the articles dealing with validation topics applied range restriction corrections. Researchers may be reluctant to apply corrections for range restriction and attenuation for several reasons. Seymour (1988) referred to statistical corrections as hydraulic, implying that researchers can achieve a desired result by pumping up the corrections. Another reason for reluctance in applying corrections may be because the APA Standards (1974) stated that correlations should not be doubly corrected for attenuation and range restriction. The more current Standards (1985), however, endorse such corrections. A third reason for not using the corrections is that knowledge of unrestricted standard deviations is often lacking (Ree et al., 1994). Finally, researchers may be concerned that in applying corrections to correlation coefficients, they may inadvertently overcorrect. Linn et al. (1981) stated that, procedures for correcting correlations for range restriction are desperately needed in highly selective situations (i.e., where selection ratios are low) (p. 661). They continued, The results also clearly support the conclusion that corrections for range restriction that treat the predictor as the sole explicit selection variable are too small. Because of this undercorrection, the resulting estimates still provide a conservative indication of the predictive value of the predictor (p. 661). Linn et al. stated that ignoring range restriction and/or attenuation corrections because they may be too large is overly cautious. They suggested the routine reporting of both observed and corrected correlations. Both observed and corrected correlations should be reported because there is no significance test for corrected correlations (Ree et al., 1994). Based on the logic and suggestions from literature, there appear to be a number of reasons to correct for restriction of range and attenuation in predictive validity studies. These corrections could be used to adjust the observed correlations for biases, and thus yield more accurate results. Correction Methods for Range Restriction There are several methods for correcting correlations for range restriction. This review is meant to examine two approaches to correction for range restriction; Thorndikes case II and ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm. These methods will be described first, and then results from research evaluating their use will be discussed. Thorndikes case II Thorndikes (1949) Case II is the most commonly used range restriction correction formula in an explicit selection scenario. Explicit selection is a process, based on the predictor x, that restricts the availability of the criterion y. The criterion is only available (measured) for the selected individuals. For example, consider the seemingly straightforward case where there is direct selection on x (e.g., no one with a test score below a specified cutoff on x is selected into the organization) (Mendoza, 1993). Thorndikes Case II equation can be written as follows Rxy = where Rxy = the validity corrected for range restriction; rxy = the observed validity in the restricted group; and ux = sx/Sx, where sx and Sx are the restricted and unrestricted SDs of x, respectively. Both the restricted and unrestricted SDs of x are available at hand. The use of this formula requires that the unrestricted, or population, variance of x be known. Although often this is known, as in the case of a predictive study where all applicants are tested and test data on all applicants are retained, it is not uncommon to encounter the situation in which test data on applicants who were not selected are discarded and thus are not available to the researcher who later wishes to correct the sample validity coefficient for range restriction (Sackett and Yang, 2000). Issues with Thorndikes case II method Thorndikes Case II is by far the most widely used correction method. It is appropriate under the condition of direct range restriction (a situation where applicants are selected directly on test scores). Researchers used it and proved its appropriateness. For example, Chernyshenko and Ones (1999) and Wiberg and Sundstrà ¶m (2009) showed that this formula produced close estimates of correlation in a population. Although the use of Thorndikes Case II formula is straightforward, this formula imposes some requirements. First, it requires that the unrestricted, or population, variance of x be known. Second, the formula requires that there is no additional range restriction on additional variables. If the organization also imposes an additional cutoff, such as a minimum education requirement, applying the Case II formula produces a biased result. In this example, if education level (z) and test score (x) are known for all applicants, a method for solving the problem exists (Aitken, 1934). Third, the correction formula requires two assumptions: that the x-y relationship is linear throughout the range of scores (i.e., the assumption of linearity) and that the error term is the same in the restricted sample and in the population (i.e., the assumption of homoscedasticity). Note that no normality assumption is required for the formula (Lawley, 1943). Another issue that was found in literature with this method arises when it is applied for indirect restriction of range (a case where the applicants are selected on another variable that is correlated with the test scores) even though it has been shown to underestimate validity coefficients (Hunter Schmidt, 2004, Ch. 5; Hunter et al., 2006; Linn et al., 1981; Schmidt, Hunter, Pearlman, Hirsh, 1985, p. 751). Maximum Likelihood estimates obtained from the Expectation Maximization algorithm Using this approach, the selection mechanism is viewed as a missing data mechanism, i.e. the selection mechanism is viewed as missing, and the missing values are estimated before estimating the correlation. By viewing it as a special case of missing data, we can borrow from a rich body of statistical methods; for an overview see e.g. Little Rubin (2002), Little (1992) or Schafer Graham (2002). There are three general missing data situations; MCAR, MAR and MNAR. Assume X is a variable that is known for all examinees and Y is the variable of interest with missing values for some examinees. MCAR means that the data is Missing Completely At Random, i.e. the missing data distribution does not depend on the observed or missing values. In other words, the probability of missingness in data Y is unrelated to X and Y. MAR means that the data is Missing At Random, i.e. the conditional distribution of data being missing given the observed and missing values depends only on the observed values and not on the missing values. In other words, the probability of missingness in data Y is related to X, but not to Y. MNAR means that data is Missing Not At Random. In other words, the probability of missingness on Y is related to the unobserved values of Y (Little Rubin, 2002; Schafer Graham, 2002). If the data is either MCAR or MAR, we can use imputation methods to replace missing data with estimates. In predictive studies, the selection mechanism that is based solely on X, the data is considered to be MAR (Mendoza, 1993). Using this approach, we can use information on some of the other variables to impute new values. Herzog Rubin (1983) stated that by using imputation one can apply existing analysis tools to any dataset with missing observations and use the same structure and output. There are several different techniques that use imputation to replace missing values. The most commonly applied techniques are mean imputation, hot-deck imputation, cold-deck imputation, regression imputation and multiple imputations (Madow, Olkin, Rubin, 1983; Sà ¤rndal, Swensson, Wretman, 1992). In general, imputation may cause distortions in the distribution of a study variable or in the relationship between two or more variables. This disadvantage can be diminished when e.g. multiple regression imputation is used (Sà ¤rndal et al., 1992). For example, Gustafsson Reuterberg (2000) used regression to impute missing values in order to get a more realistic view of the relationship between grades in upper secondary schools in Sweden and the Swedish Scholastic Achievement Test. Note that regression imputation is questionable to use, because all imputed values fall directly on the regression line, the imputed data lack variability that would be present had both X and Y been collect ed. In other words the correlation would be 1.0 if only computed with imputed values (Little Rubin, 2002). Therefore literature suggest using imputed Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimates for the missing values that are obtained using the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm (Dempster, Laird, Rubin, 1977). Maximum likelihood (ML) estimates obtained from the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is imputed for the criterion variable for examinees who failed the selection test for example (Dempster et al., 1977; Little, 1992). The complete and incomplete cases were used together as the EM algorithm reestimates means, variances and covariances until the process converges. The base of EM missing values is an iterative regression imputation. The final estimated moments are the EM estimates including estimates for the correlation. For an extensive description see SPSS (2002). The idea is that the missing Y values are imputed using the following equation where and are the estimates obtained from the final iteration of the EM algorithm. Schaffer and Graham (2002) suggested that using EM imputation is valid when examining missing data. Issues with ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm method This approach is seldom used with range restriction problems, although it has been mentioned as a possibility (Mendoza, 1993). In a more recent study, Mendoza, Bard, Mumford, Ang, (2004) concluded that the ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm procedure produced far more accurate results. Wiberg and Sundstrà ¶m (2009) evaluated this approach in an empirical study and their results indicated that ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm seem to be a very effective method of estimating the population correlation. Since there is not much work in literature examining the appropriateness and effectiveness of this approach, many questions need to be answered when using ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm for correction for range restriction. Many researches need to evaluate the use of this approach in areas that are of special interest include simulations of different population correlations and different selection proportions when using the missing data approach. Regarding the EM imputation approach, one important research question is how many cases can be imputed  [1]  at the same time as we obtain a good estimate of the population correlation. Correction Methods for Attenuation In educational and psychological research, it is well known that measurement unreliability, that is, measurement error, attenuates the statistical relationship between two composites (e.g., Crocker Algina, 1986; Worthen, White, Fan, Sudweeks, 1999). In this review, two approaches for correcting attenuation effects caused by measurement error; traditional approach and latent variable modeling approach, will be described and results from research evaluating their use will be discussed. Traditional approach In classical test theory, the issue of attenuation of correlation between two composites caused by measurement unreliability is usually discussed within the context of score reliability and validity. More specifically, if there are two measured variables x and y, their correlation is estimated by the Pearson correlation coefficient rxy from a sample. Because the measured variables x and y contain random measurement error, this correlation coefficient rxy is typically lower than the correlation coefficient between the true scores of the variables Tx and Ty (rTx,Ty) (Fan, 2003). When Spearman first proposed the correction for attenuation, he advocated correcting for both the predictor and the criterion variables for unreliability. His equation, rTx,Ty = , is known as double correction. The double correction performed on the obtained validity coefficient reveals what the relationship would be between two variables if both were measured with perfect reliability. Because measurement error truncates, or reduces, the size of the obtained validity coefficient, the effect of the correction is to elevate the magnitude of the corrected validity coefficient above the magnitude of the obtained validity coefficient. The lower the reliability of the predictor and/or criterion variables, the greater will be the elevation of the correction. If both the test and the criterion exhibit very high reliability, the denominator of the equation will be close to unity, thus rTx,Ty à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  . The double correction formula was followed by the single correction formula as researchers began to shift the emphasis from test construction to issues of using tests to predict criteria. As the name implies, the formula involves correcting for unreliability in only one of the two variables. The formula would be either rTx,Ty = (correcting for unreliability in the criterion variable only) or rTx,Ty = (correcting for unreliability in the predictor variable only). The rationale for the single correction of the criterion unreliability was best stated by Guilford (1954): In predicting criterion measures from test scores, one should not make a complete [double] correction for attenuation. Corrections should be made in the criterion only. On the one hand it is not a fallible criterion that we should aim to predict, including all its errors; it is a true criterion or the true component of the obtained criterion. On the other hand, we should not correct for errors in the test, because it is the fallible scores from which we must make predictions. We never know the true scores from which to predict. (p. 401) Although most researchers have adopted Guilfords position on correcting only for criterion unreliability, there have been cases where correcting only for unreliability in the predictor was used. However, these occasions appear to be special cases of double correction, where either the reliability of the criterion was unknown or where the criterion was assumed to be measured with perfect reliability. The former situation was not unusual. We often know more about the reliability of tests than the reliability of criteria. The later situation is more unusual in that variables are rarely assessed with perfect reliability. Issues with traditional approach The correction for attenuation due to measurement error is one of the earliest applications of true-score theory (Spearman, 1904) and has been the subject of numerous debates, spurring criticisms from its very inception (e.g., Pearson, 1904). Despite this, no real consensus on correction for attenuation has emerged in the literature, and many ambiguities regarding its application remain. One of the early criticisms is corrected validity coefficients greater than one. Although it is theoretically impossible to have a validity coefficient in excess of 1.00, it is empirically possible to compute such a coefficient using Spearman correction formula. For example, if = .65, = .81, and = .49, rTx,Ty = 1.03 The value of 1.03 is theoretically impossible because valid variance  [2]  would exceed obtained variance (error variance). Psychometricians have offered various explanations for this phenomenon. Before the year ended, Karl Pearson (1904, in his appendix) had declared that any formula that produced correlation coefficients greater than one must have been improperly derived; however, no errors were subsequently found in Spearmans formula. This led to debate over both how correction for attenuation could result in a correlation greater than one and whether a procedure that often resulted in a correlation greater than one was valid. Many explanations for correction for attenuations supposed flaw have been suggested. Error in estimating reliability. Many statistics used to estimate reliability are known to regularly underestimate reliability (i.e., overestimate the amount of error; Johnson, 1944; Osburn, 2000). Whereas this bias is tolerated as being in the preferred direction for some applications (as when a researcher wants to guarantee a minimum reliability), the result of correction for attenuation is inflated if the denominator entered into the equation is less than the accurate value (Winne Belfry, 1982). Other researchers have shown that some reliability estimates can overestimate reliability when transient errors are present; however, it has been argued that this effect is probably small in practice (Schmidt Hunter, 1996, 1999). Normal effects of sampling process. Others, including Spearman (1910), have attempted to explain corrected correlations greater than one as the normal result of sampling error. Worded more explicitly, this asserts that a corrected correlation of 1.03 should fall within the sampling distribution of corrected correlations produced by a population with a true-score correlation less than or equal to one. Despite this, it was some time before researchers first began to examine the sampling distributions of corrected correlations. However, some early studies that have examined the accuracy of correction for attenuation are of note  [3]  . Misunderstanding of random error. Thorndike (1907) applied multiple simulated error sets to a single set of true-score values and concluded that the equation for correction for attenuation worked reasonably well. Johnson (1944) extended this study and demonstrated that random errors would occasionally raise the level of observed correlations above the true-score correlation. In those cases, the equation to correct for attenuation corrects in the wrong direction. Johnsons conclusion that Corrected coefficients greater than one are caused by fluctuations in observed coefficients due to errors of measurement and not by fluctuations caused by errors of sampling, as suggested by Spearman (Johnson, 1944, p. 536). Garside (1958) referenced the various bases of error variance in the coefficients as function fluctuations. Latent variable modeling approach Latent variable approach is considered when a multifactorial test is used in the admission of students to various schools. Most often a composite measure related to the total test score or subtests are used in such prediction. The use of a multiple factor latent variable model for the observed variables comprising the test can make more efficient use of the test information. Correctly assessing the predictive validity in traditional selection studies, without latent variables, is a difficult task involving adjustments to circumvent the selective nature of the sample to be used for the validation. Latent variable modeling of the components of a test in relation to a criterion variable provides more precise predictor variables, and may include factors which have a small number of measurements. For many ability and aptitude tests it is relevant to postulate a model with both a general factor influencing all components of the test, and specific factors influencing more narrow subsets (Fan, 2003). In confirmatory factor analysis where each latent factor has multiple indicators, measurement errors are explicitly modeled in the process. The relationship between such latent factors can be considered as free from the attenuation caused by the measurement error. For example, The  GMAT exam is a standardized assessment that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. The GMAT exam measures three areas; Verbal, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing Skills. To illustrate the point, lets look at the verbal exam. The verbal exam measures three related latent variables (Critical Reasoning (), Reading Comprehension (), Grammar and Sentence Structure ()). Each of these variables has many indicators. In such model, is considered to represent the true relationship between the three latent variables (, ,, respectively) that is not attenuated by the measurement error ( to ). This approach for obtaining measurement-err or-free relationship between factors is well-known in the area of structural equation modeling but is rarely discussed within the context of measurement reliability and validity. Using this approach, once the interitem correlation is obtained, the population reliability in the form of Cronbachs coefficient alpha  [4]  could be obtained. Cronbachs coefficient alpha takes the form  Ã‚ ¡ = ) where k is the number of items within a composite, is the sum of item variances, and is the variance of the composite score. The variance of the compositeis simply the sum of item variances ( ) and the sum of item covariances (2). = + 2. The population intervariable correlation is obtained from the two-factor model in the Figure above based on the following (Jà ¶reskog Sà ¶rbom, 1989): ÃŽÂ £ = ΆºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¦ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² + ÃŽËÅ" where ÃŽÂ £ is the population covariance matrix (correlation matrix for our standardized variables), Άº is the matrix of population pattern coefficients, ÃŽÂ ¦ is the population correlation matrix for the two factors, and ÃŽËÅ" is the covariance matrix of population residuals for the items. Issues with latent variable modeling approach This approach for obtaining measurement-error-free correlation coefficients is well known in the area of structural modeling, but it is rarely discussed within the context of measurement reliability and validity. Fan (2003) used this approach to correct for attenuation and showed that this approach provided not only near identical and unbiased means but also near identical confidence intervals for the sampling distribution of the corrected correlation coefficients. It is pointed out, however, that the latent variable modeling approach may be less applicable in research practice due to more difficult data conditions at the item level in research practice. DeShon (1998) stated that latent variable modeling approach provides a mathematically rigorous method for correcting relationships among latent variables for measurement error in the indicators of the latent variables. However, this approach can only use the information provided to correct for attenuation in a relationship. It is not an all-powerful technique that corrects for all sources of measurement error. Conclusion It has long been recognized that insufficient variability in a sample will restrict the observed magnitude of a Pearson product moment coefficient. Since R. L. Thorndikes days, researchers have been correcting correlation coefficients for attenuation and/or restriction in range. The topic has received considerable attention (Bobko, 1983; Callender Osborn, 1980; Lee, Miller, Graham, 1982; Schmidt Hunter, 1977) and today correlation coefficients are corrected for attenuation and range restriction in a variety of situations. These include test validation, selection, and validity generalization studies (meta-analysis; Hedges Olkin, 1985), such as those conducted by Hunter, Schmidt, and Jackson (1982). For example, Pearlman, Schmidt, and Hunter (1980) corrected the mean correlation coefficient in their validity generalization study of job proficiency in clerical occupations for predictor and criterion unreliability as well as for range restriction on the predictor. There are several methods that can be used to correct correlations for attenuation and range restriction, and some have been more frequently used than others. For correction for attenuation, the traditional method for correcting for attenuation is the best known and is easy to use. However, in more complex modeling situations it is probably easier to adopt an SEM approach to assessing relationships between variables with measurement errors removed than to try to apply the traditional formula on many relationships simultaneously. Fan (2003) shows that the SEM approach (at least in the CFA context) produces equivalent results to the application of the traditional method. For correction for range restriction, the Thorndike case II method has been shown to produce close estimates of the correlation in a population (Hunter Schmidt, 1990). Wiberg and Sundstrà ¶m (2009) show that ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm approach provides a very good estimate of the correlation in the u nrestricted sample as well. However, because the ML estimates obtained from the EM algorithm approach is not commonly used in range restriction studies, the usefulness and accuracy of this method should be further examined. Using an appropriate method for correcting for attenuation and range restriction is most important when conducting predictive validity studies of instruments used, for example, for selection to higher education or employment selection. The use of inappropriate methods for statistical artifacts correction or no correction method at all could result in invalid conclusions about test quality. Thus, carefully considering methods for correcting for attenuation and range restriction in correlation studies is an important validity issue. The literature reviewed here clearly suggests that practitioners should apply attenuation and range restriction corrections whenever possible, even if the study does not focus on measurement issues (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999).

Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

The infinite battle between good and evil can destroy, refine, or rebuild the human soul by means of choice. However, good is stronger than evil and someday, the power of good will dominate. In the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad illustrates pure evil and its capability to consume one’s soul. The title Heart of Darkness symbolizes the true evil in man, the improper use of knowledge and the downfall of civilization. “I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but by all stars! These were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.'; (Conrad, 81). Violence, greed and passionate desires are elements that help unleash the evil that lurks in man, which symbolizes the Heart of Darkness. The character change of Kurtz is an example of this evil. Kurtz is first describe as “a very remarkable person'; by the accountant. "Mr. Kurtz was at present in charge of a trading post, a very important one, in the ivory-country,… Sends in as much ivory as all the others put together." (Conrad, 84) However, when Kurtz experience power, greed overcomes him and he uses his intelligence and violence to accomplish his passionate desire. “ He is an emissary of pity and science and progress; and devil knows what else.'; (Conrad, 92). It is believed that there is evil in everyone and it can be triggered by mere stupidity of man. The evil in Kurtz is unleashed because he choose his deep desires for ivory and did not look ahead in the future of what will become of him. Consequently, his soul is consumed for eternal damnation. "The improper use of knowledge is another example that symbolizes the Heart of Darkness. One of Kurtz’s advantages is his deep voice and his ability to speak. That man could talk. He electrified large meetings. He had faith-don’t you see? –he had the faith. He could get himself to believe anything-anything. He would have been a splendid leader of an extreme party." (Conrad, 151) Kurtz used his knowledge about the weather and his power of speech to manipulate the natives into believing that he was a god. "He was not afraid of the natives; they would not stir till Mr. Kurtz gave the word. His ascendancy was extraordinary. The camps of these people surrounded the place, and the chiefs came everyday and they would crawl… ‘I don’t want to know anything of the ceremonies used when approaching Mr.

Overcoming Obstacles Essay

After reading the article by Ms. Ann Harrington, â€Å"Where there is a will, there’s a way†, it opened my eyes and my way of thinking to a hold different level. I always wondered how people who have experienced some of the same levels of disappointment, setbacks, successes, and failures walk away with very different attitudes, circumstances and results (Werner, 2004). It has always been my belief that in order to overcome any obstacle in life, whether it’s professional or personal that it does come from within and it is a mind thing (Davies, 2009). Each individual really does control whether they succeed or fail; this is a very hard pill to swallow, because I haven’t quite grab the ability to do it yet, but I do know this is true. Just like the limits that we set on ourselves is the reason why some of us do fail. We tend to make mistakes and instead of owning up to them we want to blame others. The key here is just like mentioned in the article to be tota lly honest with ourselves. To be able to look at our situation and face the fact this was our own fault and do what we have to, to correct the situation. In the article the first thing Ms. Harrington talked about was resilience in the workplace (Absence Management: Annual Survey Report, 2011). It was right on point, when I thought back on days when I worked outside the home, there was not much compassion from my employer whether his employees felt good physically, mentally, or spiritually (Davies, 2009). They were not concerned with anything about the employees except whether you came to work on time, you performed the duties of your job, you treated their customers fairly, and they were able to keep their stockholders happy. The bottom line was the bottom line and that was all they were concerned about. I do agree, that it’s very important for a person to have a good mental health not just about the It’s also important for someone to be able not only to encourage others but themselves as well, and for them to be able to be totally honest about their own personal strengths and weaknesses. To be able to look at a bad or mundane situation and make it better. Not just looking at what others can do to make it better, but what can they do, and what we need to do, to turn the situation around. I find that too many higher ups look for the people who work under them to put their thoughts in action when things get rough, but what they don’t understand, when times are rough that when they throw  themselves in the work force and roll up their sleeves to help their employees get things back on track. When they get involved like that it tends to change the way the workers feel not only about their but about management too. It gives the employees the secure feeling that they can admit that they have flaws, they will make and have made mistakes, that they are not perfect, but that they will learn from them and that life does go on. Also, not everyone will not like them, agree with their ideas, or feel about them the way they feel about themselves, but once again they must be able to recognize that life goes on and they will survive. My favorite quote has always been â€Å"What doesn’t kill me, will make me stronger (Nietzsche, 1888). Everyone doesn’t understand that, but you must be able to look at all of life’s situations and look for the good in them; not being able to do this is a major reason for people getting depressed and committing suicide,they begin to feel overwhelmed and don’t see a way out. This is why I feel the United States Armed forces ha ve failed so many of its employees/soldiers. You cannot treat all of these individuals the same, they come from different backgrounds, family values, cultures, and set of morals and principals. These are individuals that may have had struggles of trying to be their own person, not being shown love, just trying to find that place where they fit in, or just trying to find their way. When you try to use the army’s method where no one is different everyone is the same, they may do some good for a while in that position; but what happens to a soldier when he comes home, gets hurt and can no longer do the job that you so strategically trained him/her for. Too me, this is sort of a brainwashing system, everything that these people were taught and believed in has been washed away to believe what you want them too. When it’s time for them to return to their lives before you entered into it, they wonder why the world has changed; and it’s hard for them to believe that it’s not just the world, but them as well. In order for a person to survive and end up on their feet, no matter what you need to be flexible(tugade et, al, 2004), and adaptable, just like the article says. Life changes and so do we, more than we would like to admit. I have had to failed marriages, one was a drunker and abusive, and the next one thought he was the smartest person on earth and a womanizer. When I realized that it was me who was going through all this pain, and I was not doing my children any good by putting them through  all of that, I ended it. It hurt me to leave the first time, I was young and had never been on my own before; but what you call resilience I call just being plain stubborn. You have to have some sort of confidence in yourself, be able to trust yourself to make good sound decisions, have one or two people in your corner that will help you make rational decisions, love of yourself and above all your trust, love and belief in GOD. REFERENCES Harrington, Anna Occupational Health; Mar 2012 64, 3; AB1/Inform Complete Top of Form Bottom of Form

Leadership Through Example essays

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From Cells to Systems Essay

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MS Project Memo essays

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Supply Chain Management Issues in Boeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Supply Chain Management Issues in Boeing - Essay Example This has also put all other stakeholders into serious problems. This paper presents an analysis of the supply chain of Boeing in the context of various facets of the management of the supply chain by the company. In response to A 380 airliner from its arch rival Boeing Corporation embarked on the manufacture of 'Boeing787 Dreamliner' a light weight model with seating capacity of 210 to 296 passengers. "The 787 Dreamliner is a family of new airplanes that promises to bring big-jet comfort and economics to the mid-size market. The Boeing 787 incorporates advanced materials, systems and engines to provide a 20% improvement in fuel performance on a per-passenger basis. The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 to 250 passengers about 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles and the 787-9 will carry 250 to 290 passengers about 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (Boeing Commercial Aerospace). The first delivery was scheduled for May 2008 which now has been pushed as far as the second quarter of 2009. With firm orders worth $ 144 billion the company has found serious issues with its global supply chain as a result of which the company has postponed the delivery of the airliner a number of times causing serious concerns to the major airlines that have placed orders with Boeing for this aircrafts. The production process of making the new aircraft with new light weight composite materials in itself is a challenge for the company. In addition the company has made drastic changes in its supply chain which eventually has hit the progress in the manufacture and delivery of Dreamliner. The way in which the company has organized its supply chain for 787 manufacturing has put a complicated way in which the supply chain partnering firms share risks and profits from the airliner. This implies that the financial burden will be put up and down on the firms in the chain as every company would like to protect their own financial interest. This would necessarily result in chaos in the short-term and considerable delays in the completion of the manufacture of the product which will make everyone in the line suffer. The real issue is Boeing attempted to use what appears to be an automotive product like production pr ocess in which all the parts and components in a pre-fabricated form are brought the assembly line. This has necessitated sections of the aircraft to be flown out of far off locations in Japan, Italy, South Carolina and Kansas to be assembled in Washington within a short time of as much as three days. Apart from this there are various other supply chain issues being faced by the company which are explored by this paper. Boeing and Supplier Quality Management Manufacture of Boeing 787 Dreamliner represents a complete shift in the manufacturing philosophy of Boeing Corporation as the company

Ninth world by Jewell Parker Rhodes book question Essay

Ninth world by Jewell Parker Rhodes book question - Essay Example Moreover, despite not related by blood, Mama Ya-Ya had a incredibly strong love with the young Lanesha. However, despite having outstanding similarities, Jewell Parker Rhodes the author of the ninth world has demonstrated considerable level of differences between young Lanesha late mother and Mama Ya-Ya. The essay below will compare and contrasts the relationship between Mama Ya-Ya and the death mother. Similarities Both the death mother and Mama Ya-Ya had a strong affection on Lanesha. The death mother took great care of Lanesha for nine month until her demise in the delivery process. Similar to Mama Ya-Ya, the death mother hoped for a better future to the new born. She had a great plan to ensure the young girl prosper in her life. However, death could not have allowed her to take care of the new born. Lanesha admits that, she could have died at her tender were it not for the good care of Mama Ya-Ya. According to Lanesha, Mama Ya-Ya sliced the bloody membrane that covered her face d uring birth. Moreover, Mama Ya-Ya took good care of the child until her adult age. In some instances, Lanesha asserted that â€Å"I would have died, too, if Mama Ya-Ya had not sliced the bloody membrane from my face† (Rhodes 12). ... Mama Ya-Ya asserted that, the death mother used to narrate to her stories on past phenomena like earthquake and droughts. Just like the death mother, Mama Ya-Ya talked about past occurrences. It is also through Mama Ya-Ya that Lanesha understand the reality that, she was born with skin netting that covered her face. Moreover, Lanesha explains that, in every year’s birthday Mama Ya-Ya told her about the situation that surrounded her birth. According to Mama Ya-Ya â€Å"Lanesha, your eyes were the lightest green, with the tiniest specks of yellow. I knew you would have the sight. † (Rhodes 17) Differences Contrary to the death mother, Mama Ya-Ya was in a position of predicting future incidences. The same spiritual power was as well transferred to Lanesha. Lanesha held the spiritual ability of interacting with the spirits of deaths while Mama Ya-Ya predicted the coming of Hurricane Katrina and its impacts. As stated in the novel, â€Å"Lanesha can see the spirits of the d ead, and Mama Ya-Ya is a midwife, able to predict the future† (Rhodes 67). However, the death mother lacked the spiritual power of predicting future occurrences. The death mother was also not linked to spirits of the deaths. Despite presences all indicators in her delivery, the death mother could not envisage her death. In addition, although Lanesha intended to rely on her mother spirits to predict the future, the spirit of the death mother lacked the ability to forecast the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina. The death mother was composed and had independent minded traits. She lacked direct and strong connection with other people in the society including her relatives and friend. Despite being too friendly and lively to her family, the death mother

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

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HR Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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HR Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Policy Analysis and Rationality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Client and Policy Failure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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HR Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Practices - Essay Example While the behaviors outlines the HR professional’s attributes that one needs to develop and use through the work, the bands concentrate on describing the transition from one level of professional competence to another, measuring up the contributions and outcomes of the strategic steps used in each level. The map has two core areas which represent the two core professional areas of HR practices. The first one is named, ‘Insights strategies and solutions’ and is placed at the innermost core, while the second one is the outer core of the map and is named, ‘Leading HR’. ‘Insights strategies and solutions’ concentrates on enriching HR practices by providing all the tools and facts that need to be maintained in the development of a viable HR strategy, solutions to address all issues within the strategy, and insights from external and personal experiences to help reach the right combination of strategy, outcome and solutions. These include measuring up employee and customer profiles and prioritizing political, social, and technical relationships and decisions. The ‘Leading HR’ segment concentrates on qualities required to achieve excellent personal and team leading capabilities. The section also identifies the required solutions to delive r performance and add value to HR teams led and manage HR budgets. For both the core professional areas, the Performance and Rewards band can be tested out at band four. For a senior HR professional, the use of performance and rewards strategies would lead to better performance by the junior members of the HR team. The ‘Insights strategies and solutions’ and ‘Leading HR bands are well addressed by senior HR professionals when they use a performance and rewards approach in determining each step. Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce is all about giving your organization the benefit of multi-background employees who are competent enough to understand the dynamics of different markets. Three main

Client and Policy Failure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Client and Policy Failure - Assignment Example By doing so; I will able to cater for the interests of my clients who are affected negatively by the policy on basements and city building codes. My responsibility is to assist clients obtain affordable housing that are safe and habitable, as opposed to expensive houses that lead to people living in the streets. Thus, the clients’ get affordable housing and the city remain free of homeless people. The action-forcing event that triggered the study was the numerous complaints made by New York residents, demanding that action to be taken concerning illegal and unsafe apartments. These individuals are taxpayers being forced out of their homes, and owners of basement apartments being asked to dismantle their rental units, as in the case of Rakha and Mahbub who were asked to pay a penalty of $1,200, after spending more than $4,000 upgrading a cellar apartment of their home in Queens. In addition, the supporters of legalization of basement apartments such as Jerilyn Perine, a former city housing commissioner, and current Executive Director of the research group Citizens Housing and Planning Council claim that the issue of basement housing and other illegal houses has to be dealt with, as well as the allowance of a better city planning strategies. This is in relation to the words uttered by the City Councilman Brad Lander who said he was outlining legislation in favor of the â€Å"a ccessory† housing units, and building code standards for them. The actual policy targeted for reform is the New York City Building or the Housing Maintenance Code, (ARTICLE 5- Occupancy of Cellars and Basements). That states that basements, cellars, and â€Å"granny flats,† should not be rented or occupied due to health and safety measures. What policy options exist for Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice L. Jacobs to decrease employment visa fraud committed by U.S. based high-tech companies in response to the recent discovery of visa fraud committed by

12 years a slave Essay Example for Free

12 years a slave Essay The movie is based of the life and times of a man named Solomon Northup, who was born a free man in Minerva, New York, in 1808. In the movie, the book, and his life, little is known about his mother, because they never gave her name. However in all three we know of his father, a man named Mints, who was originally enslaved to the Northup family from Rhode Island, but he was freed after the family moved to New York. In the movie, a now young man, you saw that Northup helped his father with farming, chores and even worked as a rafts on the waterways of upstate New York. He married Anne Hampton, a woman of mixed black, white, and Native American ancestry, on December 25th, 1829. They had three children together. During the sass, Northup became known as an excellent fiddle player. In 1841, two men offered Northup large sums of wages to Join a traveling musical show, but unfortunately soon after he accepted it they drugged him and sold him into slavery! He was sold at auction in New Orleans in 1841. Now Northup had to serve a number of masters, some of course were brutally cruel and others who were more humane. After several years of slavery, he met with an outspoken abolitionist from Canada who sent letters to notify Northup family of Northup current situation. A state agent was sent to Louisiana to reclaim Northup as a slave and he was successful through a number of chances. After he was finally declared a free man, Northup pressed charges of kidnapping against the men who had drugged him and sold him, but the length of the trial was dropped because of legal inabilities, and he received nothing for it. Little is known about Northup later life after the trial, but he is said to eave finally passed away in 1863. Twelve Years a Slave was recorded by David Wilson who is a white lawyer and legislator from New York who claimed to have presented. The story is sometimes believed to have been dedicated to Harriet Beechen Stows and is even said to have introduced another key to Uncle Toms Cabin. Northup book was published in 1853 which was maybe less than a year after he was set free. It sold over 30,000 copies and is therefore not only one of North Americas many slave books, but also one of the most popular ones.

Organisation Change Management and Resistance to Change

Organisation Change Management and Resistance to Change Abstract This literature review examines organizational change and offers an in-depth study of resistance to change. It aims to deepen this field by a theoretical exposition of the concept of resistance to change. It is a key topic in change management and has been seriously considered for helping the organizations to achieve the advantages of this transformation. This review hints at where an organization should give special attention while initiating a change process. The study analysis the main sources of resistance to change and also how to overcome it. Many authors (Lawrence, 1954; Maurer, 1996; Strebel, 1994; Waddell and Sohal, 1998; among others) have done lot of research to investigate the reasons of the failure of different change initiatives and they found that resistance to change is the one of those may reasons. Resistance to change can cause very costly and time consuming delays in change process. (Ansoff, 1990) we must consider them even though they are very difficult to anticipate. There is another school of thought who consider Resistance as a source of information and can be used as a learning to develop a more successful change process (Beer and Eisenstat, 1996; Goldstein, 1988; Lawrence, 1954; Piderit, 2000; Waddell and Sohal, 1998). There is no doubt that resistance to change is a very important topic in the field of change management and business process engineering and can help organizations to achieve the advantages of the transformation if it is considered seriously . Considering the importance of resistance to change, this paper aims to delve deeper understanding in this field through a theoretical exposition of the concept. In this study, we analyzed the main sources of resistance to change and their relationships with types of changes. INTRODUCTION When a mature and able manager feels bored, he should seriously consider changing jobs, changing companies-or simply retiring. It is not fair to anyone for half a leader to hold a full-time leadership job. James L. Hayes People can easily be overwhelmed by change, especially within large organizations where they may perceive they have little or no voice in or control over the changes they believe are descending upon them. ( Lorenzi N. M., Riley R. T, Blyth A. J. C, Southon G, Dixon B. J, ) The typical response is fight or flight, not cooperation. Managers often interpret such human resistance to change as stubbornness or as not being on the team. This reaction solves nothing in terms of reducing resistance to change or gaining acceptance of it. Many managers do not accept that they are regarded as imposing life-threatening changes and establishing no-win adversary relationships between management and those below in the organization. Sometime managers try to disguise the impending change with what they consider innocuous names, (e.g., organizational effectiveness) or they adopt a metaphor (e.g., architecture for the future). The end result of people feeling disenfranchised is inevitable, as the exampl es of different organisations from around the world attest. (Lorenzi N. M., Riley R. T, Blyth A. J. C, Southon G, Dixon B. J,) Change is a constant in both our professional and our private lives. Children grow up taking for granted such things as powerful personal computers that we could not envision at their ages. The idea that human beings naturally resist change is deeply embedded in our thinking about change. Our language (e.g., resistance to change), our assumptions, and our mental models about change all seem to imply that something in our natures leads us to resist change. However, it is easy to find examples of human beings, from childhood on through old age, actively seeking out change of all sorts. Human beings do not necessarily resist change automatically; however, many people do resist being changed, i.e., having changes imposed on them. (Lawrence, P.R.,) Organizational change normally involves some threat, real or perceived, of personal loss for those involved. This threat may vary from job security to simply the disruption of an established routine. Furthermore, there may be tradeoffs between the long and short run. As an individual, I may clearly perceive that a particular proposed change is, in the long run, in my own best interests, and I may be very interested in seeing it happen, yet I may have short-run concerns that lead me to oppose particular aspects of the change or even the entire change project. The rate of change is escalating in virtually all organizations. The pressure is intense on anybody connected with the business world to focus time and attention on understanding the forces driving the changing environment and develop or implement the information systems needed to support the altered environment. Resistance to Change It is easy to change the things that nobody cares about. It becomes difficult when you start to change the things that people do care about or when they start to care about the things that you are changing (Lorenzi and Riley) Many authors (Lawrence, 1954; Maurer, 1996; Strebel, 1994; Waddell and Sohal, 1998; among others) have investigated that the reasons for the failure of many change initiatives can be found in resistance to change. Resistance to change is costly and time consuming into the change process which means long or short delays in any process of change (Ansoff, 1990) that are difficult to anticipate but must be taken into consideration. Resistance has also been considered as a source of information, being useful in learning how to develop a more successful change process (Beer and Eisenstat, 1996; Goldstein, 1988; Lawrence, 1954; Piderit, 2000; Waddell and Sohal, 1998). Undoubtedly, resistance to change is a key topic in change management and should be seriously considered to help the organization to achieve the advantages of the transformation. Resistance to change is an ongoing problem. At both the individual and the organizational levels, resistance to change impairs concerted efforts to improve performance. Many corporate change efforts have been initiated at tremendous cost only to be halted by resistance among the organizations employees. Organizations as a whole also manifest behaviour similar to that of individuals when faced with the need to change. The relationship between individual and organizational resistance to change is important. An organization is a complex system of relationships between people, leaders, technologies, and work processes. From this interaction emerge organizational behaviour, culture, and performance. (Maurer, R. 1996) These emergent properties and behaviors are tightly linked in two directions to the lower-level interactions. Organizational resistance to change is an emergent property, and individual resistance to change can give rise to organizational resistance. A self-reinforcing loop of increasing resistance can develop as individuals create an environment in which resistance to change is the norm. That environment in turn encourages increased resistance to change among individual employees. The self-reinforcing nature of this loop can be tremendously powerful, defeating repeated attempts to break out of it. (Maurer, R. 1996) Studies of system dynamics frequently reveal that major problems that everyone thought were external are actually the unintended consequences of internal policies. Definition of Resistance to change Zander (1950), defined resistance to change as a behavior, which is intended to protect an individual from the effects of real or imagined change. Resistance to change is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status quo if they feel that their security and status are threatened. (Bolognese, 2002) Whereas Prado del Val and Fuentes say that Resistance to change is a key topic in change management and should be seriously considered to help the organizations to achieve the advantages of the transformation. (Prado del Val, Fuentes, 2003), But De Jager (2001) had described resistance to change by taking a positive approach and stated Resistance is simply a very effective, very powerful and a very useful survival mechanism. (De Jager, 2001) The factors that often lead to resistance to change These are some of those factors that often lead employees and top management resist changing. Ambiguity concerning alteration: Organization members may have a psychological resistance to change because they seek to avoid uncertainty. Past ways of doing things are well known and predictable, and the unwillingness to give up familiar tasks or relationship also cause resistance (Mabin , Forgeson Greene, 2001). Apprehension for mysterious: people become anxious when they exchange the old and familiar for something new and uncertain .A lack of information and understanding often leaves a vacuum which is filled by rumors, speculation and uncertainty. Disruption of Routine: Projected changes that disturb habitual routines or patterns are likely to encounter resistance because a persons behavior is governed largely by habits and routine when a person successfully copes with a situation, he or she will usually continue to operate in a similar manner. The known is preferred and this is especially true when the established behavior has resulted in past successes. Loss of Existing Benefits: When the change causes employees to feel pressured, they may interpret change as a loss of individual security. There may be a emotional loss a loss of prior comfort zone. Threat to Position Power: As the title implies, any change that causes a manager to lose face will always be resisted. Changes that threaten to lower the status or prestige of the individual or group will probably meet resistance. Threat to Security: Change sometimes results in a potential disadvantage to an individual employee or group, and people tend to resist changes that threaten the security of their environment. There may be concerns for the vested interests such as the loss of job, reduced promotional potential, change in career opportunities, reduction in wages etc. Redistribution of Power: A major factor in resistance to innovation is that reorganization invariably implies a redistribution of power and influence. Individuals or groups who perceive that a change will lessen their degree of influence will strongly resist such changes. Disturb existing social networks: Generally technical changes are more readily accepted When do not disturb existing social networks. Friendships, social cliques, or informal teams may be threatened by changes. Resistance to the new Technology: They perceive that new technology will add up to more of unwanted work and will contribute to increased responsibility. They oppose the new processes because they feel that the change will not solve their problems, which they are experiencing. Organizations past performance: The past performance of the change project impacts the perception of employees for the current change project, if the past change project had been introduced and was being failed. This may force them to oppose change. Lack of skill and experience: Managers are fearful about the skills, knowledge and responsibilities, which will be placed on them by the new business processes and technologies. They are also concerned about the experience to effectively manage their employees resistance. And they feel uncomfortable with their role in coping with the change. (Waddle, Sohal, 1998) Disagreement with the new way: When the pace seems too excessive and fast, most people resist. And they conclude that the solution is not the best way for fixing the prevailing problems. So they disagree specifically with the change. (Waddle, sohal, 1998) Overload of tasks: At times they even put change in terms of an additional burden. They find the change initiative as an extra work and a resource strain. Along with the duty of implementing change they are also expected to perform their daily activities and avoid bringing about changes. (Waddle, Sohal, 1998) RESISTANCE TO CHANGE -A BANE The resistance to change if ignored can have detrimental effects on the working of an organization .It is required to be fully reduced or eliminated on an individual levels as people can feign agreement to change and obtain control of change process. This would allow various mechanisms of sabotage to be employed from the inside the organizations such as they can mislead the organization members to completely stall or halt the change process. Resistance to change can also set the managers against each other, as difference of opinions may exist. This will also lead to rumors and misinformation to be spread out deliberately for setting up a conflict within the organization. This can lead to strikes and no-cooperation movements within the organization which will seriously obstruct companys plans and might prove to be the lot of production and time loss for the organization. Resistance to change can led to slowing up of processes as the people not conforming the change will deliberately delay the process by requesting further information. All such actions lead to increase in the overall costs to the organization. Resistance to change may also put the reputation of the organization at stake as those opposing the change can go to media and give statements which may not be good for companys image in the market. How to Overcome Resistance to Change Change triggers emotional reaction because of the uncertainty involved, and most Organisational change efforts run into some form of employee resistance. Resistance to change can be overcome by education and communication, participation and involvement, facilitation and support, negotiation and rewards, and coercion and manipulation. These are some importent change approaches to deal with resistance to change: Kotter and Schlesinger set out the following six (6) change approaches to deal with this resistance to change: Education and Communication Where there is a lack of information or inaccurate information and analysis. One of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort. this reduces unfounded and incorrect rumors concerning the effects of change in the organization. Participation and Involvement Where the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change and where others have considerable power to resist. When employees are involved in the change effort they are more likely to buy into change rather than resist it. This approach is likely to lower resistance and those who merely acquiesce to change. Facilitation and Support Where people are resisting change due to adjustment problems. Managers can head-off potential resistance by being supportive of employees during difficult times. Managerial support helps employees deal with fear and anxiety during a transition period. The basis of resistance to change is likely to be the perception that there some form of detrimental effect occasioned by the change in the organization. This approach is concerned with provision of special training, counseling, time off work. Negotiation and Agreement Where someone or some group may lose out in a change and where that individual or group has considerable power to resist. Managers can combat resistance by offering incentives to employees not to resist change. This can be done by allowing change resistors to veto elements of change that are threatening, or change resistors can be offered incentives to leave the company through early buyouts or retirements in order to avoid having to experience the change effort. This approach will be appropriate where those resisting change are in a position of power. Manipulation and Co-option Where other tactics will not work or are too expensive. Kotter and Schlesinger suggest that an effective manipulation technique is to co-opt with resisters. Co-option involves the patronizing gesture in bringing a person into a change management planning group for the sake of appearances rather than their substantive contribution. This often involves selecting leaders of the resisters to participate in the change effort. These leaders can be given a symbolic role in decision making without threatening the change effort. Still, if these leaders feel they are being tricked they are likely to push resistance even further than if they were never included in the change effort leadership. Explicit and Implicit Coercion Where speed is essential and to be used only as last resort. Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that resisting to change can lead to losing jobs, firing, transferring or not promoting employees. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE A BOON There are some people living in a conservative world, for them change is often believed as a dangerous threat. For some of course change can be a positive thing however since most of negative cases were widely exposed more than the positive side, more people would normally be happy if changes do not take place. Change can be interpreted as promotion and demotion which leaves many feel insecure with their future employment (McGuire, 2003). They are worry about how they may have to do their work in different ways or their current salary will be subject to change (McGuire, 2003). Admittedly, behind all the change process there are organisations needs for make more profits in any possible way which often leads to job-cutting and restructuring. In business world everything is a competition. Everyone within organisation must compete both internally and externally to keep their existing job or to get a better one. Managers most of the time view resistance negatively and employees resisting to change are considered disobedient but often resistance may play a positive and useful role in any change process. Folger Skarlicki has given a positive view and said not all interventions are appropriate as implemented, the organization might be changing the wrong thing or doing it wrong. Just as conflict can sometimes be used constructively for change, legitimate resistance might bring about additional organizational change. (Skarlicki F 1999) Waddell specifically analysed this resistance issues and found that there are many idealist managers who believe that change process that occurs with only minimal resistance must have been a good change that was managed well (Waddell, 1998). She argued that this understanding is an immature perspective which leaves resistance in the negative side of the change process. She discovered that even in the early 1990s a number of management experts were still correlate resistances with counter-productive behaviors (Waddell, 1998). Waddell also found that resistance is far more complex condition than just one thought. Several minor factors may lead to a multifaceted reason why resistance exists (Waddell, 1998): Rational factor This happens when some employees are having different understanding of the outcome of the change with the management. Such condition may convey them to choose being opposition to change. Non-rational factor This reaction comes from insensible employees who simply being egoist without trying to understand the needs of Organisation in general. In this category are those with if it aint broke, dont fix it feeling (McGuire, 2003). Political factor This reaction may arise when some people are trying to politicise the change and the fact that they may be happy if they win against their opponent in decision whether change should take place or not. Management factor Of course there are possibilities where management doesnt provide adequate information which may lead to resistances. Rituals of Transition All change involves loss. In many cases, change requires at the minimum that individuals give up familiar routines. In some cases, the loss is substantial, affecting position, power, networks of friends and colleagues, and such. In all these situations, rituals of transition can be crucial in assisting people to grieve and let go of the old and move on to the new. The strategies for overcoming the barriers to change are quite diverse and touch on every aspect of the organization. No organization can begin using all the strategies at the same time or even in a short period of time. A better approach is to focus on one or two until they become part of the normal way of operating, i.e., until they become engrained in peoples habits. Only then is it time to introduce another strategy. In this way, over time, the organization gradually improves its abilities to learn rapidly, to adapt to new conditions, and to embrace change. Concluding thoughts and reflection of future role Resistance is normal and natural. As human beings we are all naturally resistant to change. This is in essence dictated by evolutionary history. Survival of the species depended upon being able to quickly scan any change for potential danger so it could be avoided if possible. As a result we are naturally danger people and when anything new pops into the environment we look to see how it might be a threat. If we perceive a threat then we avoid or resist it. Resistance emerges when there are a threat to something the individual values. The threat may be real or it may be just a perception. It may arise from a genuine understanding of the change or from misunderstanding, or even almost total ignorance about it. It is very interesting to find that despite the number of people who thought that resistance is a horrifying thing, there are some people who are trying to come up with a new and daring idea that resistant would be helpful, useful, beneficial or even constructive in someway. After investigating some of interesting and useful literatures, I realized that resistance is not just a word to use as blocking every effort of change as it sounds like there are other constrictive meanings of this word. Unfortunately I never had any experience with management jobs where I have to force any change and observe any resistance first hand, however if some day I do get opportunity to manage a team and any change initiative I will now remember that resistant can be positive helpful and rewarding. As a future management consultant, I could imagine that, I will be involved in big and hectic projects where I have to implement new systems or upgrade existing ones I can imagine minimizing the resistance will be a big task but I think if change process is initiated properly it is possible and achievable. I will try to address the problem if resistance is a problem accordingly by putting it in a positive way and educating resisters about the change process and by learning from their fears and concerns. I will try to choose the right change path so that resistance can be reduced or overcome. Easier way to lessen the resistance is by assuring the people and makes them believe, that change is inevitable and it will exciting and will bring new and positive opportunities for all. I will make sure that take them with me and not run fast so they know what is happening in organization. Bottom line is as change is inevitable thing resistance is too, so they run parallel to each other if resi stance is positive company learn and win if it is negative and can not overcome by positive means organization is loser. I would ask those with the future to understand our current needs and those with short vision to watch towards a better future. For me, I would wisely use my free-will certainly as the very last weapon (and not the first) and committed to support any constructive plans headed for a better plan in business and future personally. In this case, a brain would normally work better than a heart.

Wedding Toasts to the Newlyweds †Perhaps Others Have Said it Best :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Toasts to the Newlyweds – Perhaps Others Have Said it Best A health to you, A wealth to you, And the best that life can give to you. May fortune still be kind to you, And happiness be true to you, And life be long and good to you, Is the toast of all your friends to you. Down the hatch, to a striking match! Irish Toast "Marriage: A community consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves - making in all, two." Ambrose Bierce To the newlyweds: May "for better or worse" be far better than worse. "There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends." Homer, from the Odyssey "May you grow old on one pillow." Armenian toast "Two such as you with such a master speed Cannot be parted nor be swept away From one another once you are agreed That life is only life forevermore Together wing to wing and oar to oar" Robert Frost "It's still the same old story, A fight for love and glory, A case of do or die! The world will always welcome lovers As time goes by." Herman Hupfeld. And their misfortunes as light as the foam. "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Carl Jung "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward in the same direction." Antoine de Saint-Exupery "Here's to marriage, that happy estate that resembles a pair of scissors: 'So joined that they cannot be separated, often moving in opposite directions, yet punishing anyone who comes between them.'" Sydney Smith Here's to the new husband And here's to the new wife May they remain lovers For all of life. Anonymous May their joys be as deep as the ocean. Let us toast the health of the bride; Let us toast the health of the groom, Let us toast the person that tied; Let us toast every guest in the room. May we all live to be present at their Golden Wedding. May your love be as endless as your wedding rings. May the saints protect you And sorrow neglect you And bad luck to the one That doesn't respect you "May you have many children and may they grow mature in taste and healthy in color and as sought after as the contents of the glass." Irish toast May your wedding days be few and your anniversaries many. May your voyage through life be as happy and as free As the dancing waves on the deep blue sea Here's to the groom with bride so fair, And here's to the bride with groom so rare!