The Painted Door Theme Essay

James Sinclair Ross was a Canadian banker as well as an author. He was most well-known for his short stories set on the Canadian prairies. In Ross’ short story The Painted Door, Ann and her husband John live on a farm in Saskatchewan in the 1800s. While a snowstorm is approaching, John leaves for his father’s farm to help him look after the chores, leaving Ann by herself in the storm. The theme of The Painted Door is isolation leads to irrationality and misery. This can be seen in the characterization of Ann throughout the story, the isolated setting of their farm, and the symbolism of the storm.Throughout The Painted Door Ann struggles with an inner conflict as a result of her feelings of isolation. These emotions are not only present because of the isolated setting in which the story takes place, but also due to the loneliness caused by the distance between her and John in their marriage. John focuses on his work far too much for her liking and their communication ski lls have become less than satisfactory. As she looks out at the land she begins to feel lonely, and those emotions only increase as John leaves her alone to battle her conscience when he travels to his father’s farm.When Steven, John’s close friend, arrives to play cards and to keep her company, Ann begins to compare him to John to determine the better man. Ann thinks about Steven as she tends to the fire and makes observations such as, â€Å"His hair was dark and trim, his young lips curved soft and full. While John, she made the comparison swiftly, was thick-set, heavy-jowled, and stooped. (page 204)† Her comparisons of the two men in a back and forth fashion effectively display how conflicted Ann is as she is caught in a battle between her mind and her heart.Her descriptions of Steven make him appear to be more attractive and a gentleman, while John is the man she married, but has had trouble communicating with. As Ann compares the two men, she uses Stevenâ⠂¬â„¢s positive attributes and John’s flaws to convince herself that Steven is a better man. Her reasoning leads to her irrational choice to cheat on John with Steven, which can be seen as a reason for John’s death when he left the house during the storm with no intention of returning after catching the two of them.Ann’s isolation led to her making an irrational decision that ruined her marriage and will cause her to be even more lonely and miserable without John, the man she loves. The setting of The Painted Door is described in such a way that it enhances the feelings of isolation and misery in the story. Certain imagery is used to create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind to inspire emotions of loneliness. The setting is often described as very cold, or as barren and empty. â€Å"The sun was risen above the frost mists now, so keen and hard a glitter on the snow that instead of warmth its rays seemed shedding cold (page 190)†.In this section of the story, Ross uses words that symbolize happiness, such as â€Å"sun† and â€Å"warmth†, but certain words can be connected to isolation, such as â€Å"frost† and â€Å"cold. † By relating both the Earth and the sky to such chilled words, the imagery leaves the reader feeling as though they are trapped along with Ann in her isolation. Another example of isolation in the setting is, â€Å"She shivered, but did not turn. In the clear, bitter light the long white miles of prairie landscape seemed a region alien to life. Even the distant farmsteads she could see serves only to intensify a sense of isolation (190)†.This portrays the area that they live in as very empty since their nearest neighbours are miles across the snow, giving Ann no one to go to when she is alone. These feelings of isolation and misery are what are constantly weighing on Ann’s shoulders throughout the story and lead to her irrational thoughts and decisions later on, suc h as her choice to sleep with Steven. The snowstorm that occurs during The Painted Door gradually builds over the course of the story and can be seen as a symbol for Ann’s inner conflict.The storm in the story is also Ann’s enemy in a person vs.  nature conflict, separating her from her husband and isolating her from the rest of the world. The stormier it becomes, the more Ann becomes cut off from the outside world. The storm separates her from John for a long time and because of this, Ann considers things that she normally wouldn’t, such as having an affair with her husband’s best friend. These extreme conditions are the driving force behind Ann’s irrational thoughts. As the story progresses and she spends more time alone, Ann’s thoughts and worries begin to build up.The way the storm is described in the story, the reader can infer that the same turmoil is also present in Ann’s mind. By describing the storm as â€Å"eventual furyà ¢â‚¬ , â€Å"blustering and furious†, and â€Å"insane and dominant† these phrases can also be related to Ann’s ever changing thoughts about John. While the storm worsens, Ann becomes closer to committing her sin. As the storm reaches its peak, Ann gives in to her emotions and sleeps with Steven. â€Å"The storm wrenched at the walls as if to make them buckle in. So rigid and desperate were all her muscles set, withstanding, that the room around her seemed to swim and reel.So rigid and strained that for relief at last, despite herself, she raised her head and met his eyes again. (page 209)† In the meantime, unknown to her, John is battling the storm to keep his promise to return to her. As Ann wakes up afterwards, the storm slowly dies down, leaving a path of regret, guilt, and misery behind it. The stormy, isolated conditions of the setting and in her mind are the driving force behind her irrational decision to sleep with Steven and the misery that foll owed her choice. Isolation can be the reasoning behind irrationality and misery, and in The Painted Door, there are no exceptions.Ann’s inner conflict making her choose between her husband and Steven, the loneliness of the setting that seemed to trap her, and the storm that symbolized the thoughts and emotions inside of her were all forms of isolation that led Ann to irrational actions. Had she stopped to think about where her thoughts were going, perhaps Ann would not have let her isolation affect her rationality. Then John would still be alive and she would not feel the guilt, misery, and loneliness that followed her decision.

Gender Biased Culture

History of ancient world have shown that gender biased cultures have been in existence for more than thousand of years. The movie Mulan is a perfect example for a gender biased culture by giving the power to the men and withholding it from women. As I grew up in a gender biased cultures like India and Middle East, I can relate this movie with the gender issues in my generation. For many years, woman in these cultures must be fully covered from head to toe when in public, are not allowed to work, and are not allowed to drive.Mulan Fa, the main character in the movie, comes to her elderly fathers defense and refuses to let him go and fight in the Emperor's army. She takes matters into her own hands and cuts her hair and puts on her fathers armor to become a man and take his place in the battle. When my father was immigrated to United States America, I and my mother have to stay in India until I finish my high school. In the movie, Mulan is an only child and her father has a physical di sability, so Mulan and her mother ended up having to take on traditionally male roles in the house for their family to get by.When I was little, I helped my mother with chores outside my home such as running to stores to buy groceries, pay bills, etc. In my culture, when a girl hits puberty, she is not allowed to go outside of home by herself or without covering from head to toe with hijab. So when I hit puberty I was stopped by my grandparents from going out of my house except for school. After I moved to United States, I started to work part time as I go to school. So, I was the first woman in my family to go to work and drive.In the movie, Mulan feels that she should be able to do all the things males do and do them with pride and dignity. Likewise, it was hard for me as I grew up as a tomboy. If a female follows a male's style of life are seen as tomboys and are outlawed in my society. Even my mother did not like to keep me in house but she was afraid of the society we have live d in. So, my parents have decided to move to United States as I can have a life with freedom especially from gender biased culture.Like in the movie Mulan, in my culture, men traditionally have the rigorous and more physically demanding chores around the house as in; taking out the trash, mowing lawns, and working to provide for the family Whereas women traditionally have less physically demanding tasks such as having dinner ready and on the table when the husband comes home, they are supposed to clean the house and take care of kids and strictly forbidden from working. This movie came when I was 12 but I saw this movie when I was 18. I liked that movie so much and I thought I was like Mulan. I think this gender biased culture is unhealthy for both gender.It is unfair for men as they must choose their true selves and it is unfair for women and girls as they cannot develop their own talent if its too masculine. The story of this movie Mulan seems to be known and told for more than th ousands of years. The chinese in the ancient world wore the dress called Hanfu (â€Å"kwintessential†). When Mulan and the other girls go to see the matchmaker they are all wearing Hanfu. When every family is told that it must send a man to fight in the war her father prepares to go but Mulan decides to go in his stead In order to do this she has to cut her hair short and dress as a man.The movie supports the Mulan story where women must cross-dress to achieve the same accomplishments as men. The movie Mulan summarizes all of the cultures beliefs and thoughts on gender myths and determination. Even now, in some asian countries like in India, China, killing female babies and fetus is still happening. It is because of belief in many cultures that a male can support a family but not female. In many cultures since the beginning of time have had the same attitude towards gender and sex; they are in favor of the masculine male.

Organizational Development Essay

John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying â€Å"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.† The world is in a constant state of motion. No one should expect things to always stay the same. Organizations require technologies and human resources in order to operate. A business needs to operate by learning from the past and planning for the future. Since, the economic collapse of 2008, the idea that any company is ‘too big to fail’ has been thrown out the proverbial ‘business window’. Business is now practiced in a global market and technologies have made the world a smaller place. â€Å"Managers and their organizations must anticipate the future and become proactive players.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, part 1.) Consider companies like Blockbuster Video. The demise of Blockbuster proves that leadership did not look to the future. This company considered itself to be the standard. Where is Blockbuster now? Instead of being an industry leader, it is trying to regain its footing in a marketplace it once dominated. Why? Blockbuster failed to take its competitors seriously. It did not consider technology surpassing the company’s own perception of practicing business. â€Å"In 2002 (Blockbuster) had 8,000 stores and a market value of $3 billion. Today, movie-by-mail Netflix is worth nearly three times that much. And Blockbuster is broke.† (Gandell, S., 2010, paragraph 19.) Successful companies are looking to the future as they learn from the past and present. Organizations that are successful will operate without ego, effectively communicate throughout the organization, and constantly reinvent themselves. Organizations need to be in constant development in order to move forward with any success. In this paper, I intend to define the importance of organizational development as it relates to my own company’s recent sale to a new group of owners. I intend to define organizational development as it relates to organizational trust, a strong practitioner-client relationship, the imperative nature of the diagnostic phase, effective communication between ownership and employees, and the importance of strategy as it relates to a successful transfer of ownership and culture to an organization. Organizations need to know when organizational development is necessary. I am a Managing Partner in the restaurant business. I currently have about 50 employees that I am responsible for. Recently, the restaurant I am running was sold to a South African group of owners. The owners actually bought two restaurants from the local restaurant group I was working for. After studying the Charlotte market and other markets throughout this great country of ours, the South African owners decided that Charlotte, NC would give them the best opportunity to grow a restaurant chain. The owners currently have over 150 restaurants in South Africa and this is their first venture into the United States. Once the sale became final, the owners began to evaluate all the current systems and business practices of the restaurants. The new owners began to re-develop the organization by defining its existing and future organizational identity. The owners sat down with staff and management to get an understanding of what the restaurants meant to each staff member. â€Å"The identity will provide an advantage if it is well aligned with the organizational strategy and well suited to the market niche, because identities tend to be socially complex and path dependent, and therefore difficult to imitate.† (Salgado, S.R., 2003, page 65.) The owners became the practitioners of change by purchasing the restaurants. After the sale became final, it was time to develop a sense of trust from the existing staff and management. One way of gaining that trust is to value the opinions of the current members of the organization. The new owners showed that they valued staff opinion of organizational identity. This process helped to develop the fundamental need to build a positive practitioner-client relationship. The new owners need an employee landscape that is friendly, not hostile. There is no way the new organization can move forward with a negative culture. Once trust was established, the new owners were able to begin to identify issues, problems, and opportunities each restaurant was having. The five fundamental stages of organizational development are: â€Å"anticipate the need for change, develop the practitioner-client relationship, the diagnostic phase, action plans, strategies, and techniques, and self-renewal, monitor, and stabilize.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 18). Ownership has followed the principles of organizational change and development in a very smart way. The new owners worked on building a strong practitioner-client relationship while gathering information about the businesses. They remained very approachable and worked hard to assist with the agreed upon change lists. Ownership made everyone feel as though they were not there to change what was not broken. Employees were made to feel proud about the restaurants they worked in. By developing such a good and trusting relationship, change has come easier. Once trust was established, new ownership quickly moved to the third fundamental of organizational development, the diagnostic phase. â€Å"Organizational diagnostic models and surveys have often been demonstrated by practitioners to be very effective in supporting organizational development   programs.† (Goldstein, L. and Burke, W. (1991), Vol. 19, page 5.) Diagnostic models are designed to help organizational development practitioners to â€Å"categorize data about the organization, enhance understanding about organizational problems, interpret data systematically, (and) provide appropriate change strategies.† (Lok, P., Crawford, J., 2000, page 108.) The practitioners have been reviewing every facet of the restaurant’s business practices. Ownership is constantly evaluating the effectiveness of each system. Technologies, equipment, and managerial functions are all reviewed and measured to the new standards and goals set forth by the owners. The ownership designed a â€Å"team approach to setting and reviewing targets, real participation by subordinates in setting goals, with an emphasis on mutually agreed upon goals, mutual trust between subordinate and manager, and a real concern for personal career goals as well as for organizational goals.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 327.) Ownership felt that the technologies were not tied in together very well. Ownership felt that the current gathering of data was cumbersome and inaccurate. The practitioners felt that the clients needed to stream-line the ways in which data was collected. By reviewing every program and system of accounting, the new owners were able to determine that updating would be necessary in order to move the two concepts forward. Looking to future growth was not going to happen for the organization until both concepts were able to produce accurate information about the actual business. Ownership also determined that it wanted its managers out in the restaurant more. There was simply too much to do in the office while running the restaurants. The practitioners asked current upper management to clearly define the responsibilities of each manager and chef position. At this point, the culture of the new organization had begun to take shape. Clearly defined roles and a change in managerial philosophies have started to grow. I have witnessed what I believe is a very successful transformation of culture. Responsibilities are clearly communicated. Accountability has improved. By creating clearly defined roles, the effectiveness of each manager is much easier to measure. At times, however, communication has been inconsistent. The massive restructuring of all current systems has taken a toll on some people in the organization. Missed deadlines and unforeseen problems have occurred. The way in which the new ownership has responded to the unforeseen issues has been impressive. I feel that new ownership has shown an unwavering amount of dedication to the new organizational vision it has set in place. Considering the amount of change, the owners have been very clear and approachable throughout the transformation. I respect and support their efforts in remaining approachable and supportive. They exude an understanding of what each existing member or employee is going through.   Ownership has been very aware of the ego state of the organization. â€Å"Every interaction between people involves a transaction between their ego states. When one person converses with a second person, the first person is in a distinct ego state and can direct the message to an y of the three ego states in the second individual.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 230.) Ownership has made every effort to have open and complementary transactions with groups and individuals throughout the organization. At the same time, they have also shown that the organization will move forward with or without its current members. Holding people accountable has been extremely important. â€Å"In today’s changing environment, organizations that encourage individual ability and hold employees accountable for achieving goals are more likely to succeed.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 381.) The practitioners have been able to accentuate individual strengths and weaknesses within its existing employee body. This approach has brought on a spirit of contribution to the cause of the new vision presented to the ‘old guards’ of the organization. This is a very clever approach to affecting change. Also, the new leaders of the organization have discovered some hidden talents within its current team-members. Finding an existing and in-place pool of needed skills has helped the new leaders keep an aggressive time-line for the development of change. New owners did not have to look completely outside the organization for skills that will enable change. Instead, new owners were able to motivate change by looking for solutions internally. Looking for hidden talents helped to reaffirm the positive culture of opportunity and renewed perceptions of the employee skillset. An internal approach to solving or rectifying identified issues has also kept the cost of change down. Existing members already have a sense of where the shared vision of the company is going. Existing staff has a greater stake in the organization’s success. Because of shareholder accountability, ownership is smart to look internally for as many talents as possible. Ownership believed by stream-lining technologies and accounting systems, it could improve the quality of the guest experience and profitability of its organization. Ownership started this process by surveying all existing management to try and determine what each manager actually knew about the existing programs and technologies. A methodical and measured approach to re-designing office systems will enable the organization to become more consistent in gathering data and measuring the performance of both restaurants. Their  vision of the future of the organization has been effectively shared with everyone involved . The deadlines for improvements have been followed-up effectively. A weekly meeting between ownership and upper management takes place. In these meetings, organizational effectiveness is measured by how well goals and objectives are accomplished. At first, goals were very broad and basic. Managers were asked to evaluate their knowledge of existing point of sale programs, invoicing programs, and budgetary knowledge. Once ownership felt it had acquired enough knowledge about existing systems, the project or ‘goal’ chart was updated and tasks became more narrow and specialized in focus. Managers were held accountable to their goals based on their strengths or expertise. For example, one manager is very adept with computers. This has become his area of focus for the remainder of the re-development of the organization. â€Å"The collection of data is an important activity providing the organization and the practitioner with a better understanding of client system problems: the diagnosis.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 19.) Ownership has been very diligent about data accuracy. Every number and system has been reviewed for accuracy and consistency. In order for the company to move forward, ownership has to determine what is and what is not vital to the new organizational vision. Ownership has already picked two new sites for additional restaurants. It is important that both restaurants operate in the same way as the business grows. This is why organizational effectiveness has to be optimized and not hap-hazard. â€Å"Organizational practitioners need to assess the influence of variables in diagnostic models on organizational outcomes, and effectiveness has often been used as the primary outcome measurement. (Handy, 1985, p. 85; Burke and Litwin, 1992). The new owners have done an excellent job moving the new organization through a surprising change of ownership. I have enjoyed watching how these new owners have handled the organizational development of the restaurant. Organizational change and development is certainly not easy. Leadership from the owners to the managers has to stay on course with the changes. Total commitment and a positive attitude are necessary. Negativity spreads like wildfire when redeveloping an organization. The owners have worked hard to cope and shape their environments, through the way they organize and operate their organization. The history of organizational development has to be an interesting one. As I watch these new owners re-tool both establishments, I wonder if they are taking the same course in organizational development that I am. The owners have to pass forward their beliefs or values as to what the restaurants should be. Things that worked before might be tossed. New things are   introduced. The style of service and the menu, the technology, are all things the owners have to push forward to current and new employees. All the while, business is ongoing. The doors are open. Customers are hearing of the sale and are passionate about the changes. Some changes are subtle. Some changes are extreme. How does the ownership remain familiar to what the concept once was? The entire process is exhausting. The public’s resistance to change is fierce at times. One very popular item on the menu was discontinued when the new menu was rolled out. Granted, the menu had not changed in four years. Servers and cooks were tired of doing the same thing every day. The item that was discontinued was actually a very bland and tasteless item. Servers and cooks hated selling it. There was excitement and concern when the new ownership wanted to get rid of it. We all knew we were in for it when the new menu came out. Sure enough, customers have missed not having this item on the menu. Customers have been very vocal about this one item. Ownership feels that quality ingredients, perfect preparation, and impeccable service will build sales. There is a determination that the new regime can move past this one dish and convince the fickle public that there are a lot of other good reasons to dine at our restaurants. We are doing more than trying to keep our existing clientele. We are building a new clientele. Whatever perceptions the public had of us before does not matter. It is interesting to hear the complaints about some of our changes. All the while, most of the same staff works at the restaurant. The only real changes the public see are dress codes and menu changes. Otherwise, most change is behind the scenes. Because of the intense scrutiny mistakes in service or execution of the shift has to be perfect. We cannot afford to be less than perfect right now. Complacency has no place in the restaurant business. To be successful, we should always be looking ahead and learning from our past mistakes. We should always challenge ourselves to be better than we were yesterday. We are always training and learning. Managers should be acting as coaches and mentors to the staff. Management at all levels should not only ‘talk the talk’, they should ‘walk the walk’. However, the complaints are not always fair. The new menu is terrific. Quality and service are actually better than ever. The new owners spent a lot of money to help update and fix equipment that was vital to running the restaurant. Ownership has brought in more management and has improved the morale of the restaurant, not to mention the quality of life for all salaried people like myself. There has been a certain camaraderie resulting from moving toward common goals with other people. There is now a belief that we are a better place today because of our efforts. The best interventions from a   values point of view are those that help clients prepare their place in the future, whether its creation or adaptation. I am sure as we move forward that we will come in to our own again. The once faithful group of regulars will either go their own way or forgive us. Organizational development is a change strategy. â€Å"OD principles and techniques are experiencing a renaissance, thanks to the growth of the field of change management.† (Worren, N.A.M., Ruddle, K., & Moore, K.,1999, paragraph 3.) Organizational development requires a change in behaviors. These behaviors, good or bad, become the organizational culture. The organizational beliefs and values start at the top of the food chain, the owners. What is important to the owner should be important to the worker in that organization. It is imperative that the owner or any organization find a way to keep his people motivated and passionate about his organization’s products. Therefore, the leadership of any organization has to ‘connect’ to develop change and organizational success. Leadership has to be viewed as the change master. An organization that wants to remain vital, must be able to deal with change. A restaurant is an excellent example of a business in a constant state of change. For some restaurants the menu can stay the same. Maybe that is what people like about the place. However, what goes on outside the restaurant can cause a need for change inside the restaurant. Roads are closed, the economy is shrinking, parking is now too difficult to bother, these are all worrisome real-life issues that any organization or restaurant might have to deal with. The restaurant cannot afford to maintain the status quo, change is simply that critical. Kurt Lewin developed the concept of force-field analysis. This philosophy is â€Å"deceptively simple and can be used to help plan and manage organizational change.† (Cumming, T.G., & Huse, E.R. 1989, page 3.) Lewin believed that an organizational behavior was affected by the balance of two opposing forces. When these opposing forces are at odds, change happens. According to Lewin, there are driving forces and restraining forces. Driving forces affect and assist in the desired change. Restraining forces do quite the opposite. Restraining forces represent obstacles to the change. â€Å"If the weights of the driving and restraining forces are relatively equal, then the organization will remain static.†(Cumming, T.G., & Huse, E.R. 1989, page 3.) Ownership has to remain aware of the balance of power these two forces represent for the organization. Change has to appear to always be for the good of the whole organization. People are wary of change and must be made to feel a part of its success in order to help embrace the new mindset. Lewin’s force-field analysis works as a method of environmental scanning and as a way for creating an empowering environment to the culture of the organization. The new owners have done an excellent job moving the organization forward. The efforts made to gather data and technical knowledge have been diligent. The new owners have moved forward by doing their homework. After reviewing all the necessary information, ownership has been able to assimilate all the necessary funds, materials, staff and time. As the organizational development process has moved forward, it has become obvious that the owners plan on giving their newly acquired business the tools it needs to accomplish the shared vision. This, of course, has led to the owners’ final phase of organizational development, the support of their people. At first, ownership had to tread lightly. In the beginning, it was as if the new owners wrapped their arms around us all and said â€Å"everything will be alright, just stick with us.† As the new team moved forward, some upper management was asked to leave. Time has been a good indicator of the ownerships’ dedication to the new vision and culture of the organization. Their efforts have been unwavering and very consistent. In this paper, I have detailed the importance of organizational development as it relates to my own company’s recent sale to a new group of owners. The process of organizational development has been fascinating to watch. Although the constant evaluation of all systems and actions throughout the organization has been exhausting, I believe ownership has succeeded in redeveloping a once tired and inefficient culture. Employees and managers have felt a greater sense of purpose towards the new organization. New ownership has successfully relayed a positive sense of urgency and purpose towards its existing staff and team members. The revamping of the organizational culture has brought forth a better quality employee and better quality experience for the organization’s customers. The organizational development techniques applied by the new ownership has helped to improve the profitability of both restaurants. New ownership had once touted that two additional restaurants would be opening within twelve months. Because of the success in developing organizational change, new ownership has now determined a new restaurant can be opened in only six months instead of twelve. This fast organizational growth is to be celebrated because it is a direct result of the diligent efforts of ownership and all staff involved after the transfer of ownership became official. Trust, a positive practitioner-client relationship, a successful diagnostic evaluation and change, effective communication between ownership and employees, and the importance of strategy has allowed this organization to become stronger and advance its number of concepts. In short, growth happens if organizational development is applied effectively. References: Brown, D.R., (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development (8th ed). Upper Saddle River Pearson Prentice Hall. Retrieved from: http://onlinevitalsource.com/#books/9780558857257/pages/31616081. Cumming, T.G., & Huse, E.F. (1989), Organizational Development and Change (4th ed.) St Paul, MN: West Publishing. Retrieved from: http://jeritt.msu.edu/documents/TallmanWithoutAttachment.pc. Gandell, S., 2010, How Blockbuster Failed at Failing, Time Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.time.com/magazine/article/0,9171,2022624-2,00.html. Goldstein, L. and Burke, W. (1991), Creating successful organizational change, Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 19, page 5-17. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/215864273?accountid=32521 Handy, C. (1985), Understanding Organizations, Penguin, London. Retreived from: http://search.proquest.com/business/docview/215864273/13901F6FOC3249E4570/1?accountid=32521 Lok, P., & Crawford, J., (2000). The application of a diagnostic model and s urveys in organizational development. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 15(2), 108-124. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215864273?accountid=32521.) Salgado, S.R. (2003), Fine Restaurants: Creating inimitable advantages in a competitive industry. New York University, Graduate School of Business Administration). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 161 p. retrieved from: http://www.search.proquest.com/docview/305261479?accountid=32521305261479. Worren, N.A.M., Ruddle, K., & Moore, K. (1999.) From organizational development to change management: the emergence of a new profession. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 35(3), 273-286. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236248857?accountid=32521.

Childbirth and Midwifery Caring Person Essay

Midwifery became my passion at the age of 10, when my step-mother became pregnant. This sparked off my fascination with all aspects of pregnancy, insisting that I attended every antenatal appointment that I could. From this I discovered what a vital role midwives play in caring for mother and baby in the months leading up to the birth, the labour and the postnatal period. After having this interest for quite some time, I feel my aim now is to prosper in this subject by attending a university course; this will enable me to gain a greater understanding of the medical and practical side of midwifery. As two of my core qualities is to care and nurture, I feel I possess two of the vital attributes to pursue a career within the Health and My aspiration for a career in midwifery is reflected in my A-level choices, where good time keeping, self-motivated study skills and ability to cope under pressure and stress are essential. From studying Biology I have gained further knowledge of human biology, learning more about how our major body organs function and genes and genetic engineering. I found this particularly interesting as it is linked to reproduction. Since studying Psychology, I have gained a better understanding of people and how their minds perform. I can apply this knowledge to the way I interact and understand people in certain situations as my interpersonal skills have been expanded. Both of these subjects tested my ability to recall large volumes of knowledge, which has given me practice for similar situations that I will face whilst studying for a degree. Studying modules in Health and Social Care such as communication and values, and positive care environments has given me a greater awareness of how to communication verbally and physically to people, and how this is interpreted by them. Investigating disease has made me conscious of how easily diseases are spread, their effects and ways of preventing them. This is particularly important when working in a hospital environment, and being around pregnant women and young babies, as they are highly susceptible to infections. I am currently working on an Extended Project Qualification, my title is ‘What are the risks associated with teenage pregnancy and what are the roles of their midwives? ‘ Whilst carrying out this project I have learnt more about the challenges midwives face, and how they overcome them. It has also given me an insight into a specialist area of midwifery, caring for young people. Outside my academic studies, I volunteer at my local hospital. My role is to hand out beverages to the patients, and talk to them. This is important as it boosts their morale. I regularly volunteer on the maternity and gynaecology ward, and have experience on many other wards. This has given me an insight into the roles of different health professionals, and witness part of the process of midwifery. From this I have become more confident and comfortable in a hospital setting, and have a greater awareness of current NHS practices. This experience has also expanded my interpersonal and communication skills, I feel it also represents the committed and caring attitude of my personality. I have a part-time job in a clothes shop. From working in a retail environment and coming into contact with members of the public I have learnt how to work under pressure. It has also improved my organisational and time keeping skills and demonstrated the hardworking side of my character. I am excited by the prospect of having a high level of responsibility and independence that corresponds with university life. I am aware of the demands and challenges that I will face during my studies and within in a medical career, but my commitment and desire to become a midwife has been strengthened by my life and work experiences and the job satisfaction that I will gain from it. To gain practical experience I have recently applied

Management Innovation and New Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Innovation and New Technology - Essay Example However, modern theories are moving away from this inventor mythology to more holistic approaches that are often based on complete processes and this has led to successful commercialization of new products and processes. An individual can confidently state that product innovation is a complex process rather than a one-day event. This means that there is a lot that is involved in product innovation. A number of insights are evident in the product innovation complexity. To begin with innovation starts and ends with invention (Wield & Rhode, 82). Invention refers to the discovery of new and intelligent ideas and artefacts. Despite the fact, that creating new idea is the baseline of innovation, it is noteworthy that the idea must be sorted out as to whether it is workable and or applicable into the societal context. In other words, innovation takes into consideration adapting the newly found ideas into practical productive application in particular work processes or product markets of a particular firm. The applications should not only be to specific firms but also to the entire economy and into the society. This proposition can be justified by the fact that despite Spencer Silvers discovering the Post-it brand adhesive before 1970 this noble invention was only commercialised in 1978 after the company (3M) had ignored for that long owing to lack of practical applicability (Ketteringham & Nayak 427). Silver’s moment of discovering the Post-it brand adhesive began in 3M’s Central Research Laboratories under program dubbed â€Å"Polymers for Adhesives† in 1964. It is unfortunate that despite the fact that silver came up with unique form of adhesive his new idea could not be taken seriously by the management because Silver could not find a problem to apply this great idea. It was until Arthur Fry a 3M chemist, a choir director and an amateur mechanic found a problem to Silver’s idea when he came up with the paper to paper application of the adhesive. According to Wield & Rhode (84), the complexity of product innovation can be understood by withdrawing the assumption that innovation takes a â€Å"linear flow†. It is noteworthy that successful innovation has no straight line considering that it does not spring from scientific invention all the way to develop a competitive edge. The nature of the link between a scientific invention and the technological development is in itself very complex and because of this reason, the link has often been confusing. Individuals need to understand that scientific invention benefits a lot from technological development in a number of ways that include but not limited to transfer of knowledge, network of profession, skills and instruments. In the case of 3M, it is evident that the company boasts of a poll of skilled scientists that range from chemists and engineers who worked tirelessly in 3M’s Central Research Laboratories to come up with new inventions. The idea that led i nto development of one of the best selling product of 3M named Post-it Note Pad resulted from a series of technological developments that took approximately 10 years (Ketteringham & Nayak 425). Successful product innovation is also a matter of interaction between a number of factors within and outside the organization (Wield & Rhode, 84). Studies indicate that those factors that key determinant to the commercial success of a product are found outside the areas which are commonly associated with the with the

IP3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IP3 - Essay Example The services provided by organizations can be analyzed using the market share and growth rates and can be classified into four categories. The services can be classified as cash cows, question marks, dogs and stars depending on their performance in the competitive market. Portfolio analysis enables the organization to allocate it resources effectively and help in the decision making process. The challenge facing portfolio analysis is the accurate definition of product market segment by an organization. Portfolio analysis can be considered as an organized way to go about asset allocation in the market. The services  dispensed by the hospital can be evaluated using the service department offering the services. The market share will reflect the number of patients visiting the organization and the growth rate will be evaluated by the increase in customers on an annual basis. The hospital offers orthopedic services to its patients. Orthopedics deals with ailments affecting the musculoskeletal system in man. This is one of the high performing departments in the organization receiving  many patients on an annual basis. The hospital has allocated a large number of nursing staff and technological resources to the specialty. Another high performing department in the hospital is the Pulmonology department. Pulmonology deals with ailments that affect the respiratory tract in human beings. The hospital receives high numbers of patients thus has invested in nursing staff and technology to ensure that the organization is efficient. The hospital is ranked highly for the number of specialized patient services it provides. Pulmonology and Orthopedics services can be considered as cash cows to the organization due to the market share the hospital commands. Cash cows can be defined as those services that have elevated market share in a sluggish growing industry. The hospital has two cash cows explains the ranking

Cultural competence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural competence - Essay Example We the World Hunger Eradication Grants Organization (WHEGO) of the United States strive hard to eradicate hunger and make people in the world to live a healthy life. Our motto is to exterminate hunger and poverty by funding deserving and innovative projects that address world hunger and so we are about to look at proposals from countries and its organizations. I am a member of the grant awarding committee and I would explain in this report what are the eligibility criteria that a country must demonstrate in order to be considered for the grant, to what kind of organizations we would award the grant, and what are the required elements of the progress report/proposal that needs to be submitted in order to successfully avail the grants issued by our organization. Every year we allot US $50,000 to $500,000 for various poor and developing countries and their organizations that come forward with sustainable solutions to eradicate hunger through innovative food projects. In spite of the civil society’s efforts to provide food for the people suffering from hunger through food pantries, food banks, and other direct servicing programs, the numbers of starving people continue to swell in countries like Africa particularly in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern, South-eastern and Southern Asia (â€Å"2015 World hunger and,† 2015). So, this time we are looking for conceptualized projects from the African country of , that are yet to be implemented and those which are having high potential for accomplishment and replication. The first and foremost eligibility criterion for a country to receive our grant is to be a current dues-paying member of WHEGO. As the African country of Burundi is a current member of our organization, it duly satisfies this criterion. The country which has received our granting award in the last two years can neither apply