WAC analysis

Dry. Nearness's Dilemma Written Analysis and Communication I Rushing Patella (Section D) Submitted to Proof. Rhino Patella Mrs.. Paola Thomas on July 2nd, 2011 Indian Institute of Management, Mohammedan. Letter of Transmittal TO Dry. Meridian Indian Medical (Asides) College (MIMIC) Achaean, Tamil Nadia Subject: Suggested course of action for Dry. Meridian Dear Dry. Meridian, Attached herewith is a short report analyzing the various alternatives available to you in response to Dry. Rampart's request regarding acquiring and commercialism patent on his research.After evaluation of various options, the recommended elution Is to sign an agreement with a manufacturer and gain annual royalties on sales of medicine. Detailed analysis is presented in the report attached herewith. Regards, Rusher's Patella student, WIMP Jan 5th, 2011 Executive Summary The key problem to be addressed is how to respond to the request made by fellow faculty member Dry. Earmark to ensure the intellectual property protection and centralization of his formulation targeting coronary atherosclerosis and what might be the possible repercussions of the decision on MIMIC and Asides medicine system.The Recommendation 9 Action Plan 9 Exhibits†¦. Situation Analysis Indian Medical College (MIMIC) was established in 2004 in Achaean (Tamil Nadia) to be a centre of excellence in Asides medicine by imparting higher education, promoting its use and researching various aspects of it. The key problem is the proposal put forth by Dry. Earmark to MIMIC three months ago in early October 2010 that MIMIC should ensure the patenting and commercialism of his herb-mineral cardiovascularAsides formulation that can be used for the treatment of coronary atherosclerosis. It has 90% chances of securing intellectual property rights as per a legal firm. The unique selling propositions of the formulation include non-invasive technique, cost- effectiveness, no side effects and reduction in need of vascular extents. Thus, it can be expected to have a great acceptance in market. It is understandable that the way this proposal is handled shall not only affect Dry. Earmark, MIMIC and its staff but also impact the future of Asides medicine system.The decision might impact the two referrers researching in aneurysm and treatment of septa defects and also the future of research activities at the institute. It is also true that validating gastric procedures and preparations may serve as a means to motivate other faculty members as well. Looking at Dry. Rampart's past record of developing useful modified gastric formulations which included a successful preparation for infertility, his new formulation can be safely presumed to be equally useful.The information sheet he provided shows that the formulation has been through animal toxicity study and was also tried on patients yielding successful results. No Asides medicine has the acceptance of Asides medicine by alternative systems of medicine. The patenting of a Asides medicine backed by evidence of safety analysis would be a major leap towards recognition as a globally-accepted medicine system. The solutions provided by a couple of management education students seem to be quite useful but need to be carefully evaluated to find out the most optimal route and what might be its possible repercussions.The Problem To find the most optimal solution to Dry. Rampart's proposal, keeping in mind, the interests of MIMIC, its staff and Asides medicine system. The Options The various alternatives that can be considered include: 1. Turning down Dry. Rampart's proposal or 2. Directly transferring the rights to a third party for a one-time licensing fee or 3. Using a registered pharmaceutical setup to manufacture the medicine, but do the marketing itself or 4. Signing an agreement with a manufacturer and gain annual royalties on sales of medicine.Criteria for Evaluation Criteria in descending order of preferences: a. Impact on Asides medicine – Mimic interests' lies in promotion of Asides medicine and hence, is the most important criterion. B. Interest of MIMIC – MIMIC mandate has to e followed and the interests of MIMIC & staff have to be protected. C. Profitability – Higher profitability shall help in development of institute and promote further research in Asides medicine. Evaluation of Options 1. Turning down Dry. Rampart's proposal a. Impact on Asides medicine – There shall be no apparent effect as such.But, the golden opportunity to foray into the global market and getting recognition amongst the conventional medicine systems shall be missed. B. Interest of MIMIC – Dry. Earmark shall be utterly disappointed with MIMIC and also the other two professors shall also feel denominated. C. Profitability – The institute shall not be able to capitalize on the commercial benefits on the formulation. 2. Directly transferring the rights to a third party for a one-time licensing fee Asides produ ct. No significant credit of success shall go to MIMIC or Dry.Earmark as all the rights over the patent are handed over. B. Interest of MIMIC – Transferring the license will not let MIMIC commercialism the benefits of exploiting the formulations, and hence the interest of the institute might get affected. The other two professors might be motivated by the recognition and support rendered by MIMIC to Dry. Rampart's research. C. Profitability – The expected return as per random variable distribution turns out to be RSI. 57,500 (Exhibit 1). Since the profitability is greater than 1, it is an acceptable proposal. . Using a registered pharmaceutical setup to manufacture the medicine, but do the marketing itself a. Impact on Asides medicine – The promotion of Asides medicine can be regulated in an efficient manner since the marketing responsibilities will be of MIMIC who shall dedicatedly work towards it. B. Interest of MIMIC – Dry. Earmark shall be extremely h appy with MIMIC. The other two professors shall be motivated by the support displayed by MIMIC. However, lack of competent marketing professionals might restrict the progress of this approach. C.Profitability – This plan provides better profitability as compared to the previous plan (Exhibit 1). 4. Signing an agreement with a manufacturer and gain annual royalties on sales of medicine a. Impact on Asides medicine – This shall be the foray of Asides medicine towards getting recognition amongst the parallel medicine systems as it would be the first patented Asides drug backed by evidence to enter the market. It illustrates the best way as to how to reap commercial benefits of Asides formulation and shall also inspire other Asides colleges and researchers. B. Interest of MIMIC – Dry.Earmark shall be overwhelmed with Mimic response and the other two professors shall also derive inspiration from this. There are minimal responsibilities on the shoulders of MIMIC. The patent rights remain with MIMIC and hence, they own the formulation if the agreement ends before exclusivity period of patent. C. Profitability – This plan provides highest profitability I. E. 2. 21 and highest gross sales I. E. RSI. (Exhibit 1). Higher gross sales suggest promotion and acceptance of Asides medicine among masses. The Recommendation Action Plan Following steps are proposed to follow up on recommendation: 1 .

Biz Cafe Reflections

My Biz Cafe Simulation Learning Experience Davenport University Abstract This paper will cover a reflection of my experience with the Biz Cafe simulation. After reading this paper, one should have an idea of what I learned from the simulation and how it works. I will be talking about the challenges my team and I dealt with and how we overcame these challenges. Most importantly, I will be talking about how we made Coffee Connection run as a successful coffee shop.In this paper, I will also discuss my thoughts on teamwork and the significant factors of running a small business. My Biz Cafe Simulation Learning Experience Taking part in the Biz Cafe simulation has been one of the most motivating, enjoyable and enriching learning tools that I have ever been given the opportunity to utilize. It actually gives you the surreal feeling that you are really running your own coffee shop business. I appreciate the creativeness of the simulation and the fact that it provided a fun, delightful educ ational experience for me.Biz Cafe has allowed me to become familiar with the significant factors of successfully starting and running a small business. Some of the significant factors include management, marketing, operational and accounting decisions. The Biz Cafe simulation provided hands-on experience that allowed my group members and I to make the imperative business decisions that contribute to the making or breaking of a business. Overall, I have certainly developed a better understanding of the management of a small business and what it possibly feels like to become an owner.Having the opportunity to start and run a simulated coffee shop from a practical standpoint, I have been able to broaden and strengthen my knowledge of the day-to-day operational functions of a small business. With the help of my team, we were able to make the careful decisions needed in order to run as a successful coffee shop business. Coffee Connection In the start-up decisions, the name we chose for our cafe was Coffee Connection. We agreed upon the name, Coffee Connection because we thought that the name was nice and appropriate for our cafe.The furniture we chose for our coffee shop was the used furniture which was cheaper for us. Choosing the used furniture proved to be a good choice that in the long run worked for our coffee shop. We also decided that purchasing the high capacity espresso machine would be very convenient for the business. The machine turned out to be a great investment that served Coffee Connection very well. Challenges We Overcame A challenge that we faced with our coffee shop was making the staffing decisions. We struggled with trying to figure out a sufficient number of managers and servers to hire and an appropriate pay for them.Around the beginning of the simulation, we had a nice amount of servers which resulted in us receiving an award for best staff. After we extended hours, things seemed to go downhill with our staff. As a result, this had an effec t on the overall service of the workers. They were not as happy or productive as we had hoped. Our managers were becoming stressed out and our servers were being overworked and even a couple of our servers quit. This lead to us hiring more servers, another manager and giving our managers a raise. These necessary adjustments were a must in our attempt to increase productivity.We also thought that by giving the managers a pay raise, it would make them feel appreciated and motivate them to work. Recognition is what is needed to inspire employees to do their best. According to Business Now (Shah, 2009), â€Å"People are willing to work—and work hard—if they think their work makes a difference† (p. 284). After all, a company’s employees are their most valuable resource. During each round of the Biz Cafe simulation, we tried to exercise a realistic way of thinking when making important decisions that would have an impact on our business.When purchasing coffee, one thing we did not take advantage of was sales forecasting which was probably our biggest mistake. As a result, our coffee purchases were constantly off. Not taking advantage of sales forecasting caused it to be difficult to determine an adequate amount of coffee to order for just about every round. What Made Us Successful Early on in the beginning of the simulation, I think we did a great job as far as brand awareness. We were sure to take advantage of the radio and newspaper advertisements. Before long, business was booming.The advertisements were one of best decisions we decided upon due to how much business we brought in by simply marketing our cafe and product. By investing in the advertisements, our sales were definitely increased. Good marketing is undeniably one of the keys to the success of a business. As a team, it is most important to always work together if you plan to succeed. Throughout the Biz Cafe simulation, my teammates and I each put forth an awesome team effort by working together. We all brought different ideas and thoughts to the table.Communication is one of the most vital aspects in working as a team. We made it our business to meet on our group’s discussion board to discuss our weekly decisions and goals for our coffee shop. Each of us was determined to run our cafe successfully. It was pretty fun participating in the simulation with them. Constantly keeping track of the other cafes helped us determine where we should be. Our ultimate goal was to grow and run as a successful cafe. Overall, I think we did a good job! References Shah, A. J. (2009). Business Now (p. 284). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Western Civilization and the Greeks

There were many contributions to western civilization from the Ancient Greeks. Many roots of the civilization we have today can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks. They made long lasting contributions in the areas of art, architecture, philosophy, math, drama, and science. If the intelligent thinkers of the Ancient Greeks such as, Socrates, Aristotle,and Hippocrates never challenged the way Greeks lived many of the ideas we have today would have never been established. The Greeks made contributions in modern day art, architecture and philosophy. †The unexamined life is not worth living. (Document #1) This was a quote spoken by Socrates, an Ancient Greek philosopher. He was suggesting by this quote that if you don’t look at life in a different perspective why bother living it. â€Å"Since human reason is the most godlike part of human nature†¦ † (Document #2) This was a quote spoken by Aristotle, and Ancient Greek Philosopher. He believed about human nature that making deals or reasoning was the best human quality and separated us from others. â€Å"Nor do I think your orders were so strong that you, a mortal man, could overrun the gods‘ unwritten and unfailing laws†¦ (Document #6) This was an except from Sophocles‘ play Antigone. The values expressed in this play are that the gods are more powerful then humans and that the gods law are not written down but overpower written human law. The picture of the Parthenon in document #7 shows how specific features of that building influenced Western Civilization. The pillars and the shape of the building showed a sense of power and the actual architecture used in the Parthenon is still used today in places like the White House and Lincoln Monument. The picture of The Discus Thrower sculpture in document #8 reveals things about Greek values and shows an olympic event that is still used in modern times. This statue shows that the Greeks were very athletic people. The olympics sill influence p[people today by bring a competition throughout the countries of the world like a peaceful war. The Greeks also made contributions in modern day science, math, and government. â€Å"As for social standing, advancement is open to everyone, according to ability. † (Document #3) This was an excerpt from Pericles‘ Funeral Oration. In this, Pericles is describing the perks and benefits of aving a Democracy. He was hoping for all citizens to prosper because of this new government. â€Å"I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such [advice]†¦ † (Document #4) This was a excerpt from Hypocrites, an Ancient Greek doctor and philosopher, Hippocratic Oath. In this he was promising to always give the bes t treatment to anyone that seeks help. This is still used by doctors today. â€Å"Proposition 15, THEOREM: If two straight lines cut one another, the vertical, or opposite, angles shall be equal. † (Document #5) This was an excerpt from Euclid’s Elements. Euclid was an Ancient Greek Mathematician. His impact on modern day is that his ideas are the basis for our geometry/math. There were many contributions to western civilization from the Ancient Greeks. The Greeks have made contributions in many areas such as art architecture, philosophy, science, math, and government. Many roots of modern day ideas can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks. Mainly back to the philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle and the mathematician Euclid. If these people never would have though differently and looked at life from a different perspective then many ideas we live by today may not be present.

Crito Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crito - Personal Statement Example His association with then Athenian regime landed him in prison (Melchert 103). Even after being locked behind bars, Socrates held on to his philosophic principles of life. Socrates was unwilling to abandon his quest for truth even after being advised so by his trial jury. He believed in his wisdom and the power of reasoning rather than illusion reality. His firm devotion to his convictions and beliefs is illustrated well in the Crito incident. Socrates was known to display a calm spirit concerning serious issues in his life. Even after being sentenced to death, Socrates accepted the jury’s decision and maintained that giving up his philosophy at the expense of freedom signifies defeat. In this Crito incident, Socrates friends who had visited him in jail devised a plan of getting Socrates out of prison. However, Socrates engaged his friends through a series of rational evaluation of their plan. His friends were faced with an obligation to rescue Socrates because of the society’s expectations on them, concerning Socrates’ sentence. As usual, Socrates subjected his friends’ idea into an evaluation on whether it was in concert with any moral values. The basis of his friends’ plan was the expectation of the people after Socrates had been unjustly sentenced to death. Despite this underlying reason for the plan, Socrates opted to question the plan’s validity at the moral arena. He engaged his friends on the quest for what is truly right. Socrates always argued that in the context of decision-making, what matters most is not the public’s opinion but an individual’s knowledge on the subject problem (Melchert 107). He argued that the public are fond of acting randomly and usually fails to come up with rational justification of their actions. Socrates also based his argument on his belief that no one should think of doing something wrong, regardless of the state of affairs. He acknowledged the moral principle that it is not right to pay injustice with

Litterature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Litterature review - Essay Example The study focused mainly on NHS acute hospitals, in the study the authors use semi structured interviews and focus groups as their research instruments. The study is very qualitative, the findings from the study show that education to nurses provides an increase in palliative care, that is through offering training and education to nurses, there is a rise in the levels of palliative care foe the patients in need. It shows that the education enables the non-palliative nurses administer the right dosages to the patients in need of the care Grant, Wiencek, Viran, Uman, Munevar, Malloy, and Ferrrell (2013) examine the whole concept of the acute and critical care nurses on the aging population in the last stages of life. They aim at showing that the critical and the acute care nurses do not have enough education for the proper care of this population and the benefits of having the education as well. The ELNEC modules make use of 388 participants, from 2007 to 2010 for this study. The participants had to revise the policies and made changes in their workplaces so that there is provision of better care for the dying critical care patients. The participants offered training to more than 2900 classes. The ELNEC program aimed at improving the education to nurses regarding acute and critical care. Through this education, there was an increase in the nurse’s knowledge and skills on how to take good care of the patients in need of the palliative care. Saunders and Clark, (2005) describe the importance of palliative care to at the end of life. He views the problem linked to lack of training of the nurses and suggests the importance of carrying out research on the issue. Comparing with previous researches conducting, he put more emphasis to the importance of palliative care to nursing care. The researcher defines the problem

Political Consensus Decision-Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Consensus Decision-Making - Essay Example Perhaps the most notable instance this mode of political consensus has been implemented is in wartime situations. Within the United Kingdom the 20th century witnessed a major instance of wartime consensus proceeding World War II where it’s argued that consensus politics culminated in the Labour party’s victory. This essay considers that the idea of a wartime consensus culminating in Labour’s election victory fades the closer you get to it. The popular perspective had considered that following World War II the political situation in Britain was such that an overwhelming consensus resulted in the election of the Labour Party. Recognition of this perspective takes into account historical perspectives on the Labour Party. While the Labour Party has been in existence since the early years of the 20th century they assumed great control during the period surrounding World War II. In 1940 the Labour Party returned to government as a part of the wartime coalition; during this period Clement Attlee was appointed the Lord Privy Seal (Pimlott 1994, p. 225). Following the end of the war, the Labour Party contested the 1945 general election and won a large-scale victory. Clement Attlee then assumed control and one of the most radical government’s in British history was instituted. It is this victory that many have contested was the result of wartime consensus. ... mplements a number of notions within this spectrum of investigation, perhaps the central thorough-put of his argument is the contention that rather than constituting an actual consensus, this notion has been constructed by individuals attempting to establish a mythic ‘golden age’ of British history. As noted, this perspective has been embraced by a large number of theorists (Rollings 1994; Kelly 2002; Ellison 1994). The broad spectrums of these theoretical perspectives have considered a variety of ideological differences that occurred between the main political parties during this period. Rather than constituting a golden age of consensus politics, Pimlott (1994, p. 231) notes that there was considerable Conservative hostility towards universal welfare benefits. Kelly (2002, p. 21) considers that in 1956 Anthony Crosland made a large-scale plea for the left to oppose conservative ideas; this is believed to demonstrate a general lack of qualitative accord among political perspectives during this period. Pimlott has extended the situation through metaphorical notions. He states (1988, p. 232), â€Å"sandbagged in their electoral trenches, early postwar voters can be seen as the anonymous infantry of two implacably opposed armies in an era of adversarial politics, with the middle-way Liberals floundering in no man’s land.† To a large degree what Pimlott has established with these notions is a mode of myth-making that seemingly implements higher degrees of fact-based understanding. While Pimlott’s perspectives have gained widespread support there also exists a strong contingent of theorists who hold to the consensus perspective (Kavanagh 1994; Addison 1992). Paul Addison is the theorist perhaps most identified with consensus notions of post-war politics (Addison

Services Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Services Marketing - Essay Example UK bus industry having about 9000 licensed bus companies now supports about 170,000 odd jobs. There are about 22000 bus services registered within UK. Stagecoach comprises of one of the largest bus operators in UK. It runs about 8100 buses and employs around 35000 staff. It is also engaged in providing rail and tram services in UK. Size The daily travel density across the country is about 2 million people. Major competitors for the concern include Cowie, FirstBus, Arriva, West Midlands Travel, National Express, First and GoAhead. Other competitors include international bus service agencies and independent operators (Arriva. 2013). Competitive Structure Since 1985, the bus industry has seen a growth that is remarkable. Presently, 4 of the major bus operators, namely, Cowie, FirstBus, Stagecoach and West Midlands Travel have more than 50% market share. However, the typical market structure specific to a bus industry is that unlike other manufacturing and service concerns, bus service i ndustry focuses majorly on numerous local markets. The local market is evidently the large urban areas (Tsiotsou, and Goldsmith, 2012). What is also striking about the market is that each one of the big 4 operators has almost equal market share with none having a significant market presence in all of the regions. If any of these big four operators want to become a market leader, they would necessarily need a very aggressive marketing strategy to acquire the market of other competitors. Competition is very limited because each one has its own market niche and customer set (Competition Commission, 2013). Opportunity and Threat Analysis Opportunities: Acquisitions Stagecoach is operating in a market where there are primarily three major competitors, namely, Cowie, FirstBus and West Midlands. Here, each bus operator has almost equal share in the industry ad each one acts as a major market player. Competition is faced by these 3 bus operators alone; rest smaller operators do not pose sig nificant threat (Reuters, 2013). This is because the bus market in US is geographically segregated. Each player has his set and defined market area. Players do not compete in each other’s defined territories. This culminates in what is known as a lack of head to head competition. Bus operators are running excess profits because of lack of competition in their area of operation. Cities like Oxford, Nottingham and Sheffield were among the few places where there was some sort of competition observed (The Courier, 2012). With a view to become a market leader and overcome such competition, Stagecoach can employ a consolidation strategy. It can expand its operations, and thereby market share by a series of acquisitions of smaller bus operators. With such acquisition based expansion, benefits to passengers will be felt directly in the form of falling prices, better services and higher frequencies. As for the firms, intense rivalry shall lead to one large firm being replaced by the o ther such that it leads to complete shutdown of the weaker firm (ReportLinker, 2013). Emerging markets and expansion abroad Stagecoach operates majorly in UK and is expanding its operations in USA, NewZealand and Canada. Emerging nations like Brazil, China, India and Indonesia are countries full of growth opportunities. Expansion of bus services in these countries would be a great business opportunity. Countries like China and India have a huge

Economy of Germany Nowadays Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economy of Germany Nowadays - Assignment Example Germany is one such country whose economy was largely affected by the economic recession leading to inflations and a drop in currency value. The economy has since stabilized as it continues to invest in its economy. The value of the euro has since stabilized and the trend is approaching upward exponential growth. The current biggest hurdle facing the country is an ever-increasing rate of unemployment facing young youths who are joining the job market. This has been cited to arise from the high number of foreign labor infiltrating the market due to the competitive, lucrative industrial wage rate that attracts labor from all over the world to the disadvantage of its native labor force (Wall, 2010). Germany has since maintained its competitive labor market as compared to its neighboring states owing to a well-crafted wage rate with a competent and productive pool of labor. The economy of the country has been slowed down by post-German wars that incapacitated the state and brought down the economy to ground level as everything came to a halt. It took time for Germany to recover but even then, they could not restore their resources and degraded infrastructure to their previous state. Such setbacks are what impacted the economy. The other factor affecting the economy is the high rate of unemployment as earlier mentioned. The country has no setbacks absorb its labor force into developing the economy due to the increased growth rates and frequent infiltration of labor forces from the neighboring states.  

MEMO FORMAT - Marketing - Management. Proposal Essay

MEMO FORMAT - Marketing - Management. Proposal - Essay Example Some of the other desirable features of the Fiat 500 are its highly recommended sporting ability ("2012 fiat 500 consumer reviews," 2012). Older models of the same make have broken world speed records on racing heritage. The car is relatively cheap and is characterized by a one-point four-litre turbo engine. The car is among the smallest in the US and fits very well in crowded cities. Additionally, the 2012 fiat 500 comes with interior furnishing and adequate front space to give the driver a lot of room. Statistics collected by researchers in the US have verified that since its launch, sales have registered an upward trend. This started with 3,227 in the first month. Vehicle dealers have embarked on informative campaigns to create awareness. Fiat motors will have to come up with a strategy better than other motor firms if it is to impact the American market. The market strategy adopted must be backed up by an effective corporate strategy dedicated towards meeting the shareholders’ investment objectives. The strategy to be adopted ought to compete effectively with other motor models already in the market. This memorandum recommends that congruent with the specific strategic business intentions and the desire to make an immediate impact in the American market, that a commercial for the 2012 Fiat 500 be placed in the Super Bowl. It is recognized that the cost of a 30 second slot in the 2011 Super Bowl was $3,000,000 (Damiano 2012). With such a steep price tag it is recognized that the commercial must make a significant impact. Last year’s Super Bowl commercial involved a nerdy man approached by a gorgeous woman only to discover he was actually looking at a Fiat. For next year’s advertisement it is recommended that an external advertising agency be contracted. While the specific creative angle will be their domain, it is recommended that a narrative be built from the past

WZH-MIT-Essay1-3-0920-ec Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

WZH-MIT-Essay1-3-0920-ec - Essay Example I didn’t care to listen and accredit the much valued experience of my subordinates. A daily non-interactive reporting system was scheduled with scarce chance of consultation and negotiation. I didn’t recognize that in the trial to be an effective ‘authoritative’ leader, I turned my self to be a mere ‘authoritarian’ leader. As the interaction factor was lacking, there was no space for a healthy debate and no disagreement was expressed on the decisions made. I was also hesitant in taking help from subordinates even though I lacked the expertise in many of the technical and practical issues. Rather than looking for some wise capacity building ideas, I tried to masquerade my lack of knowledge with the authority I had, resulting in doubtful decisions. Things started to back fire as these decisions proved wrong and even led to the rejection of goods by clients. On this development, my supervisor intervened privately and we had a detailed discussion on my setbacks .He pointed out my drawbacks, and gently advised me on the qualities a good leader should have. In this process, I observed an ideal leader in him, as he heard and understood me, was inspiring and had respect for my thoughts and observations. Well blended with his experience, the discussion pointed out the lacking factors in the team and the leader. I realized the need of being more mature in leadership and collaborative team work. From there on, I ensured to accredit the experience of my team members and devised an effective communication with them. The morning meeting continued, but in a collective way discussing the issues and scopes, resulting in final plans to be put into practice. I made it a routine that each staff was heard to .The team was inspired to be bold in innovations, taking care of the quality standards. Subsequently, I developed integrity by improvising my technical understanding. All the required resources were ensured to the

Finance valuation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance valuation - Research Paper Example In 2006, the company had a high amount of equity shareholders of 2618000. However this figure has reduced until the year 2013 when it is at a negative figure which is (1414500). This shows that over time, the company is reducing the rate at which it relies on external sources of funding. This shows that the company might have found other sources of cash or it is slowly building up its assets and therefore does not need external monies to fund its growth. The company has a high capital surplus and an increase in the amount of retained earnings. The amount of retained earnings in 2006 was 2904000 and in 2013, this figure had increased to 3793000. This shows that in the next 10 years, the company will have very limited requirements for external funding. This is a good sign for any investor as it shows that in future the business will be able to meet its financial obligations. The retained capital can further be used to to expand the business and grow its operations and this shows that in the long run it is the shareholders who will benefit from such a move. The key assumptions that are made in this regard is that the business environment of the business will remain the same as it is. It is assumed all the stakeholders involved in the business will not have any major policy changes that will impact the rate of growth in the business operations. It is further assumed that the management will always have in place policies that ensure that the company is on a growth phase for the next 10 years, it is only in this way that the profits that the business is earning can be maintained over the long term. The recruitment policy should also ensure that only the best and most qualified people are hired in the company so as to ensure continuity in a certain level of success. A major factor that affects all businesses is government policy it is assumed that the regulations in regards to the business will remain the same. This is

Energy Audit Essay Example for Free

Energy Audit Essay

Conflict Management in the Construction Industry

Conflict Management in the Construction Industry The nature of the construction industry in Hong Kong is such that there is an existing conflict between the major construction project participants, owners, design professionals and contractors. The construction industry is well-known for high levels of conflicts and disputes. Construction is construction, and no matter how complicated the technology. It is also a project-based industry with each project being unique. Within a project life cycle, a large number of separate firm are involved. Failures by one party can affect those engaged in a project and, as work often takes substantial periods during which national economic circumstances can change, it is unavoidable that dispute will arise. From the above-mentioned scenario, it should not be surprised that the techniques of conflict management and dispute resolution in construction industry are more developed, compared to the industry, one might be inclined to ask the questions as to whether there is any hope for the industry in attempting to reduce the serious and extent of conflicts and disputes? According to Fenn et al(1997), conflict can be managed, possibly to point of preventing it from leading to dispute whereas, dispute require resolution and , therefore, are associated with distinct justifiable issue. The purpose of this paper will firstly describe the definition of conflict management and dispute resolution. And also identify the causes of the conflicts and disputes in Hong Kong construction industry. Finally, this study will also identify the way of formal conflict management and the dispute resolution methods to be used. 2. Conflict Management in Construction Industry: 2.1 The definition of conflict management: Conflict may be defined as a contest between people with opposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values or goal. Conflict on team is unavoidable; however, the results of conflict are not predetermined. Conflict might increase and lead to non-productive results or conflict can be beneficially resolved and lead to quality final products. Therefore, learning to manage conflict is essential to a high-performance team. Though very few people go looking for conflict, more often than not. Conflict results because of lacking communication between people with regard to their needs, ideas, beliefs, goals, or values. Conflict management is the principle that all conflicts cannot consequentially be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non-productive escalation. According to Algert, N.E., and Watson, K. (2002), Conflict management involves obtaining skills related to conflict resolution, self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a structure for management of conflict in your environment. 2.2 The causes of conflict in construction: Construction is significantly different from manufacturing, in which the same goods are produced a thousand times. Also, construction does not allow for the change of variable while holding the rest fixed in order to study its effects. The nature of the construction referred to earlier so conflicts among owners, design professionals and contractors are general. To suggest that these parties are prone to confrontational interaction and conflict would be a major statement in the construction industry. Owners are even arguing with their design professionals over design service explain of errors and neglect in design services rendered, aesthetic considerations and budget overruns. (p.4-white) Accordingly, Howell et.al (1998, cited by Vorster 1993) proposed a nomenclature of elements that summarize four causes behind conflict in the construction environment: Incomplete scope definition: The design professionals responsibility to define and design the project scope so as to meet the owners functional, budgetary, time and environmental project criteria. When the design professional fails to meet their responsibility, the owner is almost always dissatisfied with the result, with the effect that strict correspondence soon ensues between the parties. Also, when the scope of the work is unclear, this presents an unhappy relation for future between the owner and the contractor, arguing about the scope and quality of the work, and whether in fact the work is properly defined by the contract documents prepared by the design professional. Inappropriate contract type: Contracts are endemic as causes of conflict within the construction industry; almost every stage of the construction process is regulated by an agreement of some sort. Some of the areas of contract dispute are breach of contract in contract clause interpretation, inspection of work clauses, indemnity clauses, payment of supplies, and liability to third parties, just to name a few possible areas of contract dispute. Poor communication: Infrastructures are unique products with more complex production process than other and most of building products are a combined effort of several peoples or organization. So many professionals have contribution to do a building in various capacities. Among construction team members, each may have different aim in relation to their profession, but their main aim should be to complete the project within a given plan. Conflict between team members may arise when their objectives are inconsistent. Also, their interpretations of contract documents, terms, and conditions can diverge, leading to discrepancies and conflict. In short, all causes of conflict within an area are interrelated. Uncertainty: For external: a) Environmental concerns; b) Social impacts; c) Economics; d) Political risks; e) Weather; f) Regulation; g) Unforeseen site condition. For internal: a) Error in design; b) Construction methods and workmanship In figure 10.3 which is one example of what the owner should consider when identifying potential conflicts. We can identify which of them may be realized at the interfaces among the multiple participants in an agency construction management delivery system. Certain conflicts in the relationship among the owner, designer, CM and trade contractor can be eliminated in various situations if a different delivery system is selected. (P.205-White) 2.3 Methods of conflict management used in construction industry in HK: In the construction industry, ask anyone if they completed a construction project without any conflict. The answer 100% of the time will be NO. The successful project managers must be implement strategies to avoid or monitor conflict in their construction project. The following common steps are used by the project managers when developing a successful conflict management: Conflict identification; Conflict analysis; Design and implementation of a conflict management; Monitoring and review of the conflict management. (P.202-White) Prevention is the best method in the management of the conflict in construction industry. The methods include: Dispute review boards or advisors; Negotiation; Quality (Total quality management and quality assurance); Procurement systems which are all non-blinding process. Baden-Hellard (1988) emphasized that construction industry has a built-in potential for conflict arising from the differences always present in values, principles and interest. Thus, when differences arises from unforeseen events, no matter how well the clients, design team and contractors have managed the project, better methods of resolving the differences are needed. Dispute review boards or advisors: It is virtually impossible to complete a large construction project without having any disputes develop between the parties. The DRB is a panel of two neutral individuals who are selected by the parties to the construction contract, usually the project owner and the general contractor. The project owner will stipulate in the specifications for bidding the project. DBR provide the processes and mechanisms to not only help to settle disputes but also can provide a method to prevent the potential conflict from ever happening. The potential conflict to the DRB means that plausible argument at each construction stages and the quality of the presentation of claims. The first meeting of the DRB usually takes place well before the commencement of the construction project and will continue to meet until the DRB members are well-known all of the aspects of the project. After the project begins, each DRB will usually meet on a regularly scheduled basic such as once each month or once each quarter, etc. Besides, site visit can ne made depending on the requirements of the project. Negotiation; Negotiation needs to be carrying out to resolve the conflict before it reached a more serious stage and change into dispute. The parties are required to come together and approach an agreeable settlement through communication. The following two example shown a simple negotiation between the main contractor(MC) and a subcontractor(SC) who is unable to meet the objective in the contract. Example A: SC: I will not be able to finish this process on time. MC: You must be finish theses according the time schedule. SC: I need three extra weeks to finish it. MC:You cannot have extra three weeks. SC: If I do not get three weeks, i can not complete this process on time. MC:No, you will complete as scheduled, if you really cannot finish it, we will collect damage and replace you. The example A is a position-based type of negotiation which will go around in circle until one of parties abandons its position. It is not clear why the parties are even arguing. Example B: SUB: I will not be able to finish this process on time. MC: What are the reasons and why can you not finish as scheduled? SUB: My supplier will not able to deliver the materials until next week so I need three extra weeks to finish it. MC: You should know the schedule is very tight for this project. Are there any other suppliers who can deliver on time? SUB: Yes, but the suppliers are more expensive than the damages given by finishing late. MC: Although you are responsible for reaching the target, I also understand your predicament. Actually, I know some other suppliers that might be able to solve these problems and I will contact them as soon as possible. The example B is an interest-based type of negotiation which can be reached a mutually agreeable solution even the source of the conflict is uncovered. According to these two examples, a successful negotiation should result in a solution acceptable to both parties that will not damage their relationship and implies collaboration, trust and common objectives. Quality (Total quality management (TQM) or assurance): According to Gardiner et al (1992), the most confliction stages are identified within the organization, closely followed by the issue of quality and control. One of the most confliction stages is the quality issue so a good and suitable quality management or control system should be issued. It can reduce the frequency of conflict. TQM is an extensive management system which: Focuses on meeting owners needs by providing quality services at a cost that provides value to the owners; Is compel by the quest for continuous improvement in all operations; Understand everyone in the organization; Observe an organization as an internal system with a common objective rather than as individual parties acting to maximize their own performances; Emphasize teamwork and a high level of workers. Procurement systems: The procurement system is one of most effective methods in prevention of conflict so it should be located in the earlier stage of the project life cycle. According to Bennett et al (1990), the procurement system built up the roles and relationships, which constitute the organization. It establishes the overall management structure and systems, which helps to form the overall values and styles of the project. The Procurement System for Construction provides support for: Selection of appropriate procurement and contracting strategies, and nomination of an appropriate Principal in the contracts; Preparation of tender documents and contracts based on standard forms; Selection of contractors and consultants with proven performance records; Effective management of contracts, including clause commentaries, sample letters and checklists; Maintenance of an effective performance management system through monitoring and reporting; and Resolution of contractual claims and disputes. (NSW Government (2000), Procurement system for construction. Available from: NSW Government, NSW Government Procurement Web site: http://www.nswprocurement.com.au/Procurement-System-for-Construction.aspx [Accessed: March 13, 2011].) 3. Dispute Resolution in Construction Industry: 3.1 The definition of Dispute Resolution: Dispute resolution is about identifying the root causes of conflict and preventing and managing conflict with the purpose of resolving disputes or conflict during the construction process in order to avoid post-construction claims, litigation, and related costs. According to Whitfield(1994), resolve disputation can use either informal resolution methods such as negotiation and alternative dispute resolution(ADR) or formal resolution methods such as litigation and arbitration. 3.2 The causes of dispute in construction: Disputes are often the outcome of ill considered procurement practices, inadequate preparatory planning and design activity, or poor project and commercial management procedures. If the conflict happened in construction site, all parties are agreed to each other. There is no further conflict because objectives of both party become same. But if one or both party becomes intransigent, then the conflict may turn to a dispute. In other word, disputes are come up when parties are unable to manage their conflicts properly. Dispute can be defined as a disagreement between parties in connection with their objectives. Construction failure may create dispute between the parties in construction sites. According to Feld and carper; Kaminetzky (1997), failure during the construction phase may include: Overloading. Improper temporary supports. Inadequate planning and execution of construction process. Lack of inspection. Insufficient safety factors. Inadequate training of construction workers. Feld, J. and Carper, K. (1997). ConstructionFailure. John Wiley Sons, New York.   Cause of client: 1) Failure to respond in timely manner. 2) Inadequate tracing mechanisms for RFI (Request for information). 3) Reluctant to check for constructability, clarity and completeness. 4) Discrepancies / ambiguities in contract documents. 5) Poor communications between and among the parties involved in theproject. 6) Failure to appoint an overall project manager. 7) Lowest price mentality in engagement of contractors and designers. The absence of team spirit among the participants. 8) Deficient management, supervision and coordination efforts on the  part of the project. Cause of designer: Failure to understand its responsibilities under design team contract. Over-design and underestimate the costs involve. Inadequate in open and factual communication. Late information issued and cumbersome approaches to RFIs Design and specification oversights and errors or omissions resulting  from uncoordinated civil, structural, architectural, mechanical and  electrical designs. Incompleteness of drawing and specifications. Cause of contractor: Inadequate contractor management, supervision and coordination. Lack of understanding and agreement in contract procurement. Failure to understand and correctly bid or price the works. Reluctance to seek clarification. Failure to plan and execute the changes of works. Inadequate CPM Scheduling and update requirements. Delay/ suspension of works. Fenn et al (1997) provides a synopsis of the findings of nine frequently cited  studies of the sources of disputes: 3.3 Methods of dispute resolution used in construction industry in HK: According to Carmichael (2002), the step approach to dispute resolution as below. An attempt is made to resolve the dispute at the level at which it occurs, in a reasonable time; If this fails, involve parties at a higher level with decision making authority, and the potential to settle in the interests of a commercial solution; If this fails, proceed to an ADR approach using and independent third party; If this fails, arbitration or litigation will be used. 3.3.1 Informal resolution methods: a) Negotiation: Negotiation is a common dispute resolution method, which we all are using in every day. There is no neutral third party for the negotiation, only the disputants. It is also defined as a means to reach mutual agreement through communication, according to Down, L.J. (2009), (p.140-white) Negotiation is considered by most appropriate way to resolve any dispute in construction industry. It was because negotiation is not expensive and can be maintained relationship with the related parties. However, there are also negative sides of negotiation. For example, if the related parties negotiated a long and protected period of discussion, the negotiation will be fail because they are not blinding. Besides, it is an informal resolution method, it can allow any surprise issue or irrelevant points rising. b) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) ADR is a collective term used to describe methods of resolving disputes which are alternatives to litigation and arbitration and which usually offer a less expensive solution. For example: Mediation: This has appeared as an increasingly used form of dispute resolution, involving a neutral third party working to facilitate effective negotiations to enable a mutually acceptable settlement. In mediation, the parties explore options, measuring the strengths and weaknesses of their respective cases. Mediation can save a great deal of time and cost in resolving a dispute and can also help the parties to re-establish trust and prevent damage to ongoing relationships. Adjudication: This is a quick and relatively inexpensive way of resolving a dispute.The adjudicators decision is normally upheld by the courts and so it is important to ensure that all the relevant facts are put in front of the adjudicator. Adjudication does not necessarily achieve final settlement of a dispute because either of the parties has the right to have the same dispute heard afresh in court. However, experience shows that the majority of adjudication decisions are accepted by the parties as the final result. (Powell, J. David. 2005. Boundary Dispute Resolution in England Wales Surveyors and Lawyers Working Together to Resolve Problems. Proceedings of Cairo: Egypt.) Because of the following potential advantages, it is worth considering using ADR early in a lawsuit or even before you files a lawsuit. Advantages of ADR: Better communication; Continued business relationship; More options for settlement; Reduced costs in achieving settlement; Confidentially Control of outcome and the process. 3.3.2 Formal resolution methods: a) Litigation On occasions, alternative dispute resolution procedures are not successful in resolving disputes, resulting with the parties resorting to formal litigation through the courts. According to Whitfield(1994), the process of litigation is from the issue of a writ to a hearing and then on to a judgment. One of the failures of the legal process has been the speed with which solicitors have been prepared to issue writ. After writ has been issue, the plaintiff cannot simply withdraw his writ and forget the matter. If he did so, the counterclaim would be found against him along with the cost. The related construction companies need to provide litigation support services for both formal litigation and alternative dispute resolution as follows: Programme delay analysis; Forensic research; Preparation of statements of claim and statements of defence; Paralegal support. b) Arbitration According to Ashworth (2005), Arbitration is a legal technique for the resolution of dispute outside the courts. The parties refer the dispute to a neutral, knowledgeable person (arbitrator or arbitral tribunal) who then gives the final decision (award) to which both the parties agree. Arbitration, in lieu of court proceedings, as the last resort to resolving disputes in construction contracts has been commonly used in Hong Kong as well as internationally. Although intended to be a less formal and more flexible alternative to litigation, arbitration can be as thorough and time-consuming as litigation, especially for construction disputes. The related companies should be employ the expertise in representing them in arbitration proceedings and handling the whole arbitration process from the appointment of arbitrators, drafting of pleadings, dealing with interlocutory proceedings through to the hearing stage and beyond. Where necessary, lawyers who experienced in construction disputes to provide the most comprehensive services to the company in arbitration. 4. Conclusion: Each construction projects are unique and complex undertakings. A unique set of drawings and specifications are used to describe each construction stages. The drawings and related documents generally performed by a general contractor and several subcontractors, many of whom have not work together previously. The unique aspects of each project and the unique constitution of each construction team are common reasons for disagreements to occur. Disputes can be generated in any environment; indeed, conflict can occur whenever two individuals try to work together. These disputes often concern topics such as changes, differing site conditions, delays, and payments. Many researchers had attempted to determine the causes of conflict and disputes within the construction industry. Besides, H. Murray Hohns (1979) leads to the conclusion that the specific causes of the conflict and dispute can be largely traced to the following five sources: Errors, defects or omissions in contract documents; Underestimation of the cost by the client, the contractor, or both; Changes in conditions, (e.g. unforeseen ground conditions); Claims from end-users (legal rights of owners and tenants); People involved in the construction process. When confliction is arise in the construction industry, the importance of proper conflict recovery method and compliance with formal procedures cannot be over-stressed. If disputes proceedings become unavoidable, it should be some comfort to know that proper alternative dispute resolution will be a favorable condition rather than a drawback.

The change kaleidoscope

The change kaleidoscope Table of content Introduction Describe the strategic change context in 2002, at the start of the change process at Faslane. You should apply Balogun and hope Hailey’s change Kaleidoscope and discuss your findings. You should also briefly describe the type of change (use Balogun and hope Hailey’s type of changes model). You may additionally use any other relevant academic reading to develop and support your ideas. 1.1 Balogun and hope Hailey’s change Kaleidoscope. 1.2 The kaleidoscope Change Kaleidoscope 1.3 The contextual features of change in Faslane , (Kaleidoscope Model ) 2. Compare and contrast the internal features of the organizational when it was run by the MOD and Royal Navy (Up to 2001) with when it was run by Babcock Marine (2002-2010). You should apply McKinsey’s Seven S framework (do this twice – once for ‘up to 2001’ and once for 2002-2010) and discuss your findings. What, for example, where the most significant differences? You may additionally use any other relevant academic readings to develop and support your ideas. 2.1 McKinsey’s Seven S framework 2.1.1 Importance of McKinseys Seven S structure 2.1.2 McKinsey’s Seven S framework 2.2 Faslane run by the Royal Navy and MOD (up to 2001) 2.3 Falsane run by the Babcock Marine (2002-2010) 3.Critically evaluate the Faslane change using Kotter’s change steps. 4.Would you describe the strategic change process at Faslane as more â€Å"intended† or more â€Å"emergent†? You should use examples from the case and relevant academic reading to support your answer Conclusions Introduction The main aim of this paper is to focus on the strategic changes at Faslane from different perspectives of the Babcock marines and the Ministry of Defense (MOD). The objective is to understand the change and the studies of strategic leadership. Taking into consideration a number of different theories and models to analyze internal and external influences of the organization. In the year 2002 Faslane which was previously managed jointly by the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Navy decided to partner with Babcock Marine, a private sector company. The main aim of such partnering agreement was for the purpose of reducing cost and improving their services. Babcock Marine was given the responsibility to save the cost as well as to improve their operational effectiveness. They were given a target of  £76 million saving within five years. With a significant change Faslane was able to achieve the target and was considered best. Describe the strategic change context in 2002, at the start of the change process at Faslane. You should apply Balogun and hope Hailey’s change Kaleidoscope and discuss your findings. You should also briefly describe the type of change (use Balogun and hope Hailey’s type of changes model). You may additionally use any other relevant academic reading to develop and support your ideas. Balogun and hope Hailey’s change Kaleidoscope Change Kaleidoscope was produced by Hope Hailey Balogun (2002) to be a method for pulling together and arranging the extensive variety of logical highlights and usage choices that require thought amid change. In this sense Change kaleidoscope is even more a model than a strategy, however it is usable instrument for conceptualizing the way of progress. By its plan, the model speaks to an exhaustive system which manages the greater part of the variables that the creators regarded noteworthy by the writing. The kaleidoscope model was utilized interestingly to reflectively investigate a change project embraced in a first pharmaceutical organization. The kaleidoscope contains an external ring which is concerned with the highlights of the change setting that can either empower or oblige change, and an inward ring that contains the menu of usage choices open to change specialists. Comprehension of the context oriented highlights empowers change specialists to judge the fittingness of any methodology for their specific setting. 1.2 The kaleidoscope Change Kaleidoscope The kaleidoscope Change Kaleidoscope theory was developed by Hope Hailey Balogun has three rings: The outer ring relays to the broader strategic adjustment context. The central ring relays to specific contextual issues that need to be considered when expressing a revolution plan. The internal circle gives a set of choices of selections and interferences, design selections obtainable to change. Time -How rapidly is change required? Is the association in emergency or is it concerned with longer-term vital improvement? Scope -What degree of change is needed? Does the change affect the whole organization or only part of it? Preservation -What authoritative resources, attributes and practices need to be kept up and secured amid change? Diversity -Are the diverse staff, expert gatherings and divisions inside the association generally homogeneous or more various as far as qualities, standards and disposition? Capability -What is the level of authoritative, administrative and individual capacity to execute change? Is there a need to enhance this ability before the change methodology can be begun? Capacity -How much asset can orgnaisation INVEST in the proposed change as far as money, individuals and time? Readiness for change How prepared for change are the representatives inside the association? Is it accurate to say that they are both mindful of the requirement for change and roused to convey changes? Power -Where is the force vested inside the association? What amount of scope of carefulness does the unit expecting to change and the change pioneer have? 1.3 The contextual features of change in Faslane , (Kaleidoscope Model ) 2. Compare and contrast the internal features of the organizational when it was run by the MOD and Royal Navy (Up to 2001) with when it was run by Babcock Marine (2002-2010). You should apply McKinsey’s Seven S framework (do this twice – once for ‘up to 2001’ and once for 2002-2010) and discuss your findings. What, for example, where the most significant differences? You may additionally use any other relevant academic readings to develop and support your ideas. 2.1 McKinsey’s Seven S framework The McKinseys Seven S structure grew by well-known business specialist Robert H Waterman Tom Peters in 1980. McKinseys Seven S system is an administration model which incorporate Strategy, Structure, Systems, staff, style and style. McKinseys Seven S structure is habitually utilized as an Organizational examination instrument to quantify and screen changes in the inward state of an association. 2.1.1 Importance of McKinseys Seven S structure †¢ Examine the execution of an organization. †¢To rearrange authoritative change. †¢ To close how best to actualize arranged technique. †¢ Inspect the probable impacts of inevitable changes inside an organ 2.1.2 McKinsey’s Seven S framework Mainly McKinsey’s Seven S framework can be divided in to two major categories, they are hard elements and Soft Elements Strategy – The plan formulated to continue and build competitive benefit over the competition. Over-all, strategy is the one that’s obviously expressed, is long-term, helps to grasp competitive benefit and is reinforced by sturdy vision, mission and values. Structure Strategy signifies the way business divisions and units are planned and contains the data of who is responsible to whom. In other words, structure is the organizational map of the firm. It is also one of the most noticeable and easy to change fundamentals of the framework. Systems – Systems are the methods and actions of the organization, which expose business’ regular happenings and how choices are made. Systems are the zone of the firm that concludes how business is done and it would be the main attention for managers through organizational adjustment. Shared values – Share values can be highlighted as the core of McKinsey’s Seven S framework. Shared values are generating an organization that admirations each and every worker, committed to the environment and constantly attempts for waste elimination and perfection in everything it does. Skills Skills are the capabilities that firm’s workers accomplish very well. They also contain competences and capabilities. During administrative conversion the question often rises of what skills the company will really necessity to strengthen its fresh strategy or different construction. Staff – The general meaning of staff is the employees and their general competences. Staff component is apprehensive with what type or how many workers an organization will require and how they will be employed, educated, encouraged and satisfied. Style Style signifies the way the company is control by top managers and how they intermingle, what movements do they take and their representative value. In addition style is the administration style of company’s leaders. 2.2 Faslane run by the Royal Navy and MOD (up to 2001) 2.3 Falsane run by the Babcock Marine (2002-2010) Critically evaluate the Faslane change using Kotter’s change steps. Establishing a sense of urgency Faslane needed prompt change so Babcock assumed control over the administration framework and continue for change. They need to decrease cost and enhance operation proficiency without influencing administrations to Navy. Creating the guiding coalition They urge staffs to impart thoughts and insight additionally give energy to make own gathering and arrangement for division. They lessens administration layer to 4. Developing a change vision They make focus to attain to 76 million of expense sparing in 5 years period without influencing the administrations gave to the Navy. They help and bolster representatives to embrace the change process. Communicating the vision of buy in Babcock Marine decrease administration layer to 4and make association structure straightforward. They completely bolster representative for change and make a point to accomplish the association objective. Empowering broad based action They decrease political interference and administration layer. They likewise evacuate the trepidation of representatives for change process. Experience workers for change methodology were brought so that other existing representatives of Faslane will embrace change rapidly. Generating short term wins They effectively actualize change in low level and change impression of worker that change methodology is for good. They enhance execution and quality in administrations. They additionally break their 5 years plan and make yearly target which was to attain to 3 million however they had the capacity accomplish 14 million. Never letting up Babcock Marine discover positive change after lessen in worker view of apprehension and administration layer. New administration style was ideal to accomplish the focus of association. Incorporating changes into the culture The new administration and administration for Faslane was accomplishment to meet target. They enhance the quality and administrations for client. Thus, Faslane got opportunity to oversee whole UKs submarine armada. Would you describe the strategic change process at Faslane as more â€Å"intended† or more â€Å"emergent†? You should use examples from the case and relevant academic reading to support your answer Emergent Faslane was in requirement for quick change, so in 2002 they cooperate with Babcock Marine with understanding of acquiring positive change entire association. They have an arrangement to attain to  £76 million of expense sparing in five years of period without influencing the administrations gave to the Navy. Meanwhile for accomplishing their targets they apply distinctive expected and new technique according to needed. Change was not simple for Babcock in light of the fact that at first the client was not to support them. So to change individuals outlook Babcock begin to spurring for change as their acquiring was taking into account the sparing of the expense. Babcock urges to impart new thoughts and insight through entire day exchange. Babcock was knowledgeable about change process they knew the things need to decrease and enhanced in Faslane. They reengineer the structure of an association. By decreasing the administration layer from 7 to 4 they were accomplishment to decrease c ost and enhanced operational adequacy without influencing in nature of administrations. They concentrate on straightforward correspondence through and through level of administration. They decrease around 400 full-time equal posts. From distinctive explanatory apparatuses used to examine for inward and outside change environment make us straightforward the particular change prepare in Faslane. Babcock has admirably utilized their experience and method for change process which make them accomplishment to attain to their target furthermore more than desire CONCLUSION The contextual analysis demonstrated that particularly amid times of progress a trade of expertise is indispensable. This exchange must happen in the middle of new and experienced workers, generalists and experts, et cetera. Likewise, it got to be clear that cost decreases and administration upgrades are conceivable in the meantime. What is required is a reasonable objective (key pioneers obligation), a certain independence for representatives (constrained self-rule is liable to be ineffectual because of long choice making techniques) and the incorporation of every single influenced partner in the change process (clients, workers, nearby group, and so forth if there should be an occurrence of Faslane). Faslane has possessed the capacity to consent to all the five components of Successful and viable key authority. It had the capacity impart associations motivation to all the partners. It was additionally fruitful in keeping up moral standard and overseeing HUMAN RESOURCES. With its great execution, it had the capacity meet its target and had the capacity deal with the whole UK submarines armada. Proof for this administration style being successful can be seen in the choice that Faslane would turn into the home base for atomic submarines as well as for the whole UK submarines armada which means up to 2000 more JOBS. Faslane was extremely intriguing contextual investigation and considered associations MANAGEMENT and by what method can shrewd changes influence everything. Referencing A. Franken, C. Edward, and R. Lambert, ‘Executing Strategic Change’, California Management Review, (2009), pp. 49-71. Lynch, R., (2009) Strategic Management, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall J. Kotter, ‘What leaders really do’, Harvard Business Review, December (2001) Johnson, Gerry, and Kevan Scholes. Exploring Corporate Strategy. London: Prentice Hall Europe, 1999. Print. Johnson, Gerry et al. Integrated Business Applications. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Australia, 2013. Print. Kotter, and Kotter International. The 8-Step Process for Leading Change Kotter International. Kotter International. N.p., 2015. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. Kotterinternatinal . 2014. The 8-Step Process for Leading Change. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.kotterinternational.com/the-8-step-process-for-leading-change/. [Accessed 22 April 15]. Ambrosini, VeÃÅ' ronique, Gerry Johnson, and Kevan Scholes. Exploring Techniques Of Analysis And Evaluation In Strategic Management. London: Prentice Hall Europe, 1998. Print. 1

An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society :: Religion Culture Heritage Papers

An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society On March 23, 1998, I carried out an interview and field observation to confirm a previous hypothesis on Amish social change and survival. I hypothesized, based on library research and personal experience, that Amish society was not static but dynamic and affected by many factors such as economics and cultural survival. In order to check the validity of my hypothesis I arranged to spend a full Sunday (March 23, 1998), with an Amish family. I attended church services at the Westhaven Amish-Mennonite Church in New Holland, Pennsylvania, and afterward spent the day observing and interviewing with an Amish dairy farmer named Aaron and his wife Anna. They have six children and live on a dairy farm in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, which is a large farming community. I met Aaron and his family roughly four years ago while in Lancaster County with my family and since then our families have remained in close contact. Thus, to do an ethnography on the Amish, my primary informant was Aaron, som eone I was already comfortable speaking with. What I found in the process of my observation and interview was that my hypothesis on social change and survival was greatly influenced by my own secular and scientific world view. I had also underplayed the importance of certain key ideas which help to explain Amish cultural ideologies, Amish survival, Amish social change, and dynamics. I found that religion, more than I had assumed, played a crucial role in Amish survival in America. The Amish family, I also found, contributed to the rate of Social Change. Prosperity, to my surprise, played a greater part in social change than I had previously thought. In addition, I was able to establish the accuracy of other research information on Amish society that I had collected and observed. Realizing that vast cultural cleavages exist between Amish society and my own, I am not surprised, in retrospect, to find communications, as is probably common in most anthropological studies, was the most difficult aspect of my interview. The educational barrier that existed between myself and Aaron during the interview was one of the complications that I experienced. What I had not thought about before carrying out my interview with Aaron, was that he would not be familiar with Sociological, Anthropological, and Economic concepts, terms, and theories which I had learned through my college education. An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society :: Religion Culture Heritage Papers An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society On March 23, 1998, I carried out an interview and field observation to confirm a previous hypothesis on Amish social change and survival. I hypothesized, based on library research and personal experience, that Amish society was not static but dynamic and affected by many factors such as economics and cultural survival. In order to check the validity of my hypothesis I arranged to spend a full Sunday (March 23, 1998), with an Amish family. I attended church services at the Westhaven Amish-Mennonite Church in New Holland, Pennsylvania, and afterward spent the day observing and interviewing with an Amish dairy farmer named Aaron and his wife Anna. They have six children and live on a dairy farm in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, which is a large farming community. I met Aaron and his family roughly four years ago while in Lancaster County with my family and since then our families have remained in close contact. Thus, to do an ethnography on the Amish, my primary informant was Aaron, som eone I was already comfortable speaking with. What I found in the process of my observation and interview was that my hypothesis on social change and survival was greatly influenced by my own secular and scientific world view. I had also underplayed the importance of certain key ideas which help to explain Amish cultural ideologies, Amish survival, Amish social change, and dynamics. I found that religion, more than I had assumed, played a crucial role in Amish survival in America. The Amish family, I also found, contributed to the rate of Social Change. Prosperity, to my surprise, played a greater part in social change than I had previously thought. In addition, I was able to establish the accuracy of other research information on Amish society that I had collected and observed. Realizing that vast cultural cleavages exist between Amish society and my own, I am not surprised, in retrospect, to find communications, as is probably common in most anthropological studies, was the most difficult aspect of my interview. The educational barrier that existed between myself and Aaron during the interview was one of the complications that I experienced. What I had not thought about before carrying out my interview with Aaron, was that he would not be familiar with Sociological, Anthropological, and Economic concepts, terms, and theories which I had learned through my college education.

AT&T Essay -- essays research papers

The dominant economic traits of this industry start with having an enormous amount of capital required for staying competitive. One is also required to spend lots of money on research and development, as the telecommunications industry seems to be the vision of the future. More and more companies like AT&T are trying very hard to combine their network services of phone line, video and data transfer, high speed internet access, and television cable via one line in the consumers homes. With a successful combination of the above stated services AT&T is hoping to be the industry leader in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s telecommunication market there is a lot of competition by industry giants such as Sprint, MCI, and AOL, but simultaneously the very high cost involved with entering and competing in this industry also makes it very unattractive for new entrants. These are just some of the big names who are planning to and are presently providing parts of the pipe dream that AT&T seems to seek. In this industry it is very important to have customer awareness of the line of products you carry. Most of the public hears the name AT&T or Sprint or MCI and they think telephone bills but many consumers do not realize that these companies have expanded their field of services from cellular phones to wireless web services. The reason mainly being the lack of marketing, and direct consumer advertising provided by these firms on the other line of p...

Lysistrata Water versus Fire Essay -- essays research papers

There are many ways in which the men’s carrying the logs and the fire and the women’s carrying the water symbolize the views gender. As one may realize fire is often uncontrollable and wild similar to a men’s raging hormones. Fire is an example of an element that can be easily started, but extremely tricky to put out when spread. When pertaining to sex, the male gender is often the aggressor whose fire is quickly growing to the point of restlessness as Cinesias was. â€Å"God, I wish she’d hurry up and get through with all this!† As his wife goes to retrieve a pillow for him and perfume for herself he screams out, â€Å"Damn the man who invented perfumes!† Though the men represent the elusive fire that may sometimes seem impossible to put it out, the women represent the most illustrious enemy of fire: water. Though generally cool and collected, water can be used as the ultimate adversary of a fire that is going about wildly. Pertaining to women, they hold the only solution to the raging fire of a man. As in the play Lysistrata, women actually have the authority to stop a war between ...

Bowen Family Systems Therapy Essay

Abstract This paper was designed to fully describe Bowen’s Theory of Family Systems Therapy. The eight concepts that illustrate this theory will be thoroughly discussed and explained. References of professionals who have worked with and studied Bowen theory will be implemented and relied on in order to adequately understand and depict this theory. And finally, the second portion of this essay will include a case study. The case study will present a family profile, a treatment plan and goals, interventions and a projected outcome for the family’s recovery. Through this case study the reader will be able to identify Bowen techniques and get a more kinesthetic look on how Bowen’s Family System Therapy is applied. Introduction Bowen’s Family System Theory is based on the family as an emotional unit. The theory is based on the idea that the family is so emotionally integrated that the effect each member has on the other members can be overwhelming. Bowen’s Theory focuses on that emotional connectedness and assumes that the family can either promote cohesiveness and cooperation or tension and anxiety. Therefore, according to this theory, a change in one person’s attitude or actions will be followed by a reciprocal change in the functioning of the other members. When anxiety levels rise within the family unit the stress levels will also heighten. Therefore, when this happens one or members will end up feeling overwhelmed, isolated or out of control and then the family unit will be shaken as a whole. During this time of distress, the members who feel most out of control or  stressed will work extra hard to accommodate the other members. This is part of the reciprocal interaction. This member who absorbs most of the tension is most likely the member who will end up most susceptible to problems such as illness, alcoholism and affairs. Eight Concepts In order to implement this theory into a therapy session Bowen created eight interlocking concepts to assist the therapist in working with families. The concepts include triangles, differentiation of self, nuclear family emotional system, family projection process, multigenerational transmission process, sibling position, emotional cutoff and societal emotional process. However, it is important for any therapist to keep in mind that, according to Mike Nichols (1988), the core goal underlying the Bowenian model is differentiation of self, more specifically, the â€Å"ability to remain oneself in the face of group influences, especially the intense influence of family life†(p.2). Triangles The eight interlocking concepts are key to understanding Bowenian Family Therapy. To begin, triangles are a three person relationship system. Triangles are considered the building blocks of the larger emotional system. The reason being that the triangle is the smallest stable relationship system. Three people can take on much more tension than two people. Additionally, a triangle can contain a large amount of stress without bringing in a fourth person because the tension can shift around to all three relationships. However, just because a triangle can bear more tension does not make it healthier. Someone is almost always left out and nothing gets resolved in a triangle formation. Triangles and their undesirable effects on the family unit contribute greatly to the development of clinical problems. Within triangles, members are pushed from outsider to insider positions of conflict. Within this inside/ outside drama members will begin maneuvering and manipulating their positions within the group, thus causing fights and with that heavy strain on the relationships. Getting pushed from inside to outside positions can trigger depression and even a physical illness. For example, two parents focusing on what is wrong with a child can trigger serious rebellion within that child. While triangles may seem  comfortable and stable, they end up being a huge problem within the family unit. Differentiation of Self In opposition of triangles is Bowen’s idea of differentiation of self. According to Fritzland (1991, p. 1), the degree to which a differentiation of self occurs in an individual reflects the extent to which that person is able to distinguish between the intellectual process and the feeling process he or she is experiencing. Thus differentiation of self is related to the degree to which one is able to choose between having his or her actions, relationships and life guided by feelings or thoughts. Individuals with the most fusion between their emotions and thoughts and relationships are the lowest functioning people. These people get to a point where they cannot even tell what feelings and thoughts are their own and which are those of other people. Undifferentiated Family Ego Mass Bowen introduced the concept of the undifferentiated family ego mass. Undifferentiated family ego mass is the idea that there is a syndicated emotional oneness that exists in all levels of intensity. Goldenberg and Goldenberg (1991, p. 171) give a great example of this in the relationship between mother and child and child and father. They write, â€Å"The symbiotic relationship of interdependency between mother and child may represent the most intense version of this concept; a father’s detachment may be the least intense. The degree to which any one member is involved in the family from moment to moment depends on that person’s basic level of involvement in the family ego mass.† When the emotional closeness is too intense and possibly overbearing this may lead to an uncomfortable closeness within the family, closeness that will lead to mutual rejection between members. It may lead to fights that include intense yelling, slamming of doors and phone hang ups. Bowen insists that maturity and self-actualization demand that an individual become free of unresolved emotional attachments to his or her family of origin. Fritzlan (1991, p.4) notes that Bowen’s theory assumes that every human has an instinctive force inside them that propels the developing child to grow up to be an emotionally separate person, able to think, feel, and act as an individual. At the same time, Bowen proposes that a similar life force, also instinctively ingrained, thrusts the child and family to remain  emotionally connected. As a result of these counterbalancing forces, argues Bowen, no one ever achieves complete emotional separation from the family of origin. However, there are considerable differences in the amount of separation each of us accomplishes, as well as differences in the degree to which children from the same set of parents, emotionally separate from the family. Nuclear Family Emotional System The third concept builds on the idea of differentiation of self and is called nuclear family emotional system. The concept of the nuclear family emotional system describes four basic relationship patterns that govern where problems may develop in a family. Marital conflict, dysfunction in one spouse, impairment of one or more children and emotional distance are the patterns which will govern where problems will probably develop within the family. The more anxiety one person or one relationship sucks in, the less other people must absorb. This means that some family members maintain their functioning at the expense of others, which ends up causing a strenuous amount of tension on the people who must accommodate. People do not want to hurt each other, but when anxiety chronically dictates behavior, someone usually suffers because of it. The next concept that Bowen introduces gives the concept of the nuclear family emotional system more reason to it’s’ rhyme. Family Projection Process The family projection process touches on the different type of relationships that parents have with each of their children. When one child is focused on more than another child, the focused on child will typically be more fused with his or her parents than the unfocused on child. Goldenberg and Goldenberg (1990) say that â€Å"differences in parental behavior make for significant differences in how each child functions† (p.221). Furthermore, the child who is most focused on is most sensitive to disturbances and initial signs of instability within the family. Simply put, when the parents select the most infantile child of the family as the object of their attention, Bowen calls this the family projection process. Multigenerational Transmission Process The next key concept that Murray Bowen developed is multigenerational  transmission process. Multigenerational transmission processing describes how the entire family joins in the family projection process that was previously discussed. Bowen wrote that multigenerational transmission process provides a base from which to make predictions in the present generation and gives an overview of what to expect in coming generations. This process entails the way family emotional processes are transferred and maintained over the generations. In this theory Bowen contends that people choose mates with equivalent levels of differentiation to their own. Thus, the highly undifferentiated person will choose a mate that is similarly undifferentiated from their family and the differentiated person will find a mate who is also differentiated from their family of origin. Goldenberg and Goldenberg (1990, p. 198) say that it is probable that these poorly differentiated people, now a marital couple, will themselves become highly fused and will produce a family with the same characteristics. Furthermore, Bowen believes that the resulting nuclear family emotional system will be unstable and will seek various ways to reduce tension and maintain stability by over indulging in such things as alcohol, drugs, and getting involved in codependent relationship. This can affect a child psychologically as well and it can then perpetuate and become a cycle within the family. Goldenberg and Goldenberg (1990, p. 199) say that psychological impairment in a child is enabling to the parents as they will simply focus attention on the child and ignore or deny their own lack of differentiation. This will only further inhibit the child’s development of self as well as support the already dysfunctional marital relationship. Sibling Position Sibling position is a concept that Bowen stressed. He believes that each child has a place in the family hierarchy and therefore was more or less likely to fit certain projections. For example, the oldest sibling is more likely to be the mature, responsible one. Whereas the youngest child will more likely be the class clown, irresponsible and immature one. While this concept is well known and maybe even intrinsic to most people, Bowen believes this to be key when understanding differentiation and working within the family emotional system. Emotional Cutoff The seventh concept that Bowen developed for his theory is called emotional cutoff. Most people have experienced this concept or have at least heard of it. Goldenberg and Goldenberg (1990) write that emotional cutoff is a flight from unresolved emotional ties, and is not true emancipation from the family (p. 225). Emotional cutoffs do several things; they reflect a problem, such as underlying fusion between generations. They solve the problem by reducing the anxiety in the cutoff relationship. And finally, they create a problem by isolating people who might benefit from closer contact. Fritzlan (1991) notes that cutoffs most often occur in families where there is a high level of anxiety and emotional dependence. Bowen has suggested that when emotional cutoffs exist between parents and grandparents, then a cutoff between parents and children of the following generation increases in likelihood. It is easy to see how cutoffs can occur and how the other key concepts if not understood or resolved can cause an emotional cutoff in a family relationship. Societal Emotional Process Finally, the eighth key concept is societal emotional process. This process is in a way like the family projection process except scaled to a societal level. Families that deal with discrimination, prejudice and persecution will pass on to their children coping methods and ways to which they survived these factors. Basically, these are social expectations about racial and class groups, the behaviors or each gender and their effects on the family. Andreas Viklund (2009) noted that the family unit and society as a whole have the task of promoting the long term interest of individual members and the society as an entirety. Evaluation and Validity of Bowen’s Theory While Bowen is considered to be one of the most effective theorists in marriage and family arena of therapy, there are both strengths and weaknesses to his ideas. His eight key concepts are great tools for therapists to use as a guide for therapy, but it is important to note the validity of his theory and to review his theory in a more critical way. The main concept that Bowen teaches is differentiation of self. This is the founding idea for all of his concepts. Differentiation of self is very important, however Bowen did not leave a sufficient tool as a means to measure clients’ differentiation of self. Richard et al (2004) note that Bowen suggested that clinicians could use a differentiation-of-self scale ranging from 0 to 100; however, he provided few guidelines to help clinicians reliably and accurately assign an appropriate score. Indeed, he claimed that the concept was not quantifiable for researchers. Consequently, Bowen’s scale has been useful only as a theoretical tool. In the last decade there have been two scales, Haber’s Level of Differentiation of Self Scale and Kowron’s Differentiation of Self Inventory, that were developed as a means to measure differentiation. Richard et al (2004) researched the validity of these two scales with Bowen’s theory by having two experts in Bowen theory rate the relevance of the items in these scales. The first scale significantly correlated with chronic anxiety and psychological distress, which is consistent with Bowen theory and, thereby, demonstrates sufficient validity. The second scale was also consistent with Bowen theory, the Differentiation of Self Inventory correlated significantly with chronic anxiety, psychological distress, and marital satisfaction. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated psychometric support for the four subscales. Bowen theorized that people marry according to their same level of differentiation, this is called the multigenerational transmission process. Bowen simply stated, â€Å"People who marry have the same level of differentiation of self (Kerr & Bowen, 1988, p. 225). This is because each spouse has the â€Å"same need for emotional reinforcement from the relationship† (Kerr & Bowen, 1988, p. 171). This concept is probably one of Bowen’s weakest. There have been numerous studies, Richter (1998), Richards (1988) and Skowron (2000) just to name a few, that totally refute this idea of Bowen’s. While this does not necessarily knock down his entire theory it does poke some holes in it and force the common therapist to rethink their approach to working with married couples and their families. While the above concept is a fairly weak one, there is another aspect of multigenerational transmission process that proves to be stronger. There is a vast amount of research supporting a specific aspect of Bowen’s concept of multigenerational transmission process. The aspect that parents’ and children’s values and beliefs are highly correlated seems to have strong validity according to studies. Many of these studies were conducted in the field of social gerontology and date back to the early 1970s when research about the â€Å"generation gap† was conducted to examine continuity between generations (Troll & Bengtson, 1979). These studies have consistently found that parents’ and children’s values and beliefs are highly correlated, as assumed by Bowen. There is also a substantial amount of literature that gives evidence that levels of individual and relationship functioning are passed on from one generation to another. For example, Richard et al (2004) write that studies have revealed that there is a multigenerational transmission process for violence (Alexander, Moore, & Alexander, 1991), divorce (Amato, 1996), and marital quality (Feng, Giarrusso, Bengtson, & Frye, 1999). Richard at al (2004) also remarks that â€Å"research has also shown that eating disorders (Whitehouse & Harris, 1998), depressed affect (Whitbeck et al., 1992), and alcoholism (Sher, Gershuny, Peterson, & Raskin, 1997) are transmitted inter-generationally† (p. 9). Through many studies testing different aspects of Bowen’s theory there are and will continue to be weak points exposed. However, there proves to be a vast amount of validity to his theory as well. The weakest suggestion is definitely that people marry according to their own differentiation. In my own life Bowen’s idea proves to be untrue and while looking at different marriages around me I do not see any sort of pattern in this regard. If anything, I have observed people marrying opposite of their own differentiation level rather than finding a spouse who matches their level of differentiation. Even still, differentiation of self as a whole demonstrates to be the most valid and prominent idea in Bowen theory, both Biblically and psychologically. Biblical Integration and Evaluation I believe God was first to introduce the idea of differentiation of self, especially differentiation of self when entering into marriage. Genesis 2:24 says, â€Å"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.† According to this verse it seems that differentiation is shown by one’s ability to leave their parents before they can rightly cleave to their spouse. Since Bowen emphasizes the need for a person to be emotionally differentiated from parents in order to maintain healthy balances of individuality and togetherness in ensuing relationships, this seems to be paralleled with the command presented in Genesis. According to Bowen and Kerr (1988), only a differentiated person can be securely attached. Furthermore, this seems to be God’s stance on differentiation as well. It seems that God, being omnipotent and all knowing, designed marriages to work out best when spouses are healthily differentiated from their families of origin. In my opinion, differentiation of self is very important and seeing how the Bible supports this idea I feel even stronger about its’ significance. This is the main reason I chose to write about Bowen’s Theory to begin with. I appreciate Bowen’s eight concepts, as I believe they are great tools for therapists. The concepts help the therapist to work within this theory without feeling lost or overwhelmed by the new ideas or different facets they are implementing into the therapy session. Even more personally, I think that my own differentiation of self has been weak until the last year or so. This is another reason I chose to work with Bowen’s Theory. When I first got married I was very attached to my family and often chose them over my husband or even over myself. I know that this not only hurt my husband’s feelings, but also the quality of our marriage. When I finally understood that I was spending too much time with my parents and choosing their events over quality time with Elden (my husband), things drastically changed between us. Many problems we were having fixed themselves and he became significantly happier. Elden emphasized to me that he felt much more respected by me when I began deferring to him rather than my parents regarding issues. And in turn, I began to feel much more loved by him because he became mindful of the way he was treating me since it was  obvious I was making conscience decisions to be more attached to him and to my own independence than my family. While I still spend a good amount of time with my family, Elden is much more willing to spend time with them along with me because he knows and feels that he always comes first. Also, I take much more time for myself and the things I enjoy, which makes everyone happier. Looking back I wish that I would have truly understood differentiation of self before getting married, but I am so grateful that I did learn it early on as it will only help us for the rest of our lives together. Seeing how this very small aspect of a lack of self-differentiation played out on my own life drew me to Bowen’s Theory. I wanted to understand how great of a role this theory could play in everyday life. I see now that differentiation of self has a much larger role in familial success than I had thought. And I believe Bowen’s eight aspects only further make the point of this theory’s significance in family systems therapy. Case Study Looking at my own life would be a perfect case study for Bowen Theory. However, since Elden and I did not get any therapy for our issues it would be difficult to use. Keeping my previous story in mind, here is the profile of the case I have chosen to illustrate: The client family consists of three boys and a mother and father. Stan, the father, called in to make an appointment because his wife, Jen who is in her late 40’s, is having anxiety attacks and is overwhelmed by her three sons. She tends to yell at the boys and feels like she has not patience for them anymore. Stan says he has been out of a job for three years and Jen ‘s parents have been supporting their family for the last 6 months. The boys, Joel, Derek and Steve range in ages from pre adolescent to late teens, the eldest being Steve who is graduating from high school soon. Stan reports that they are very high energy, but well behaved and successful in their school and sports activities. Stan emphasizes that h e is most worried about â€Å"mom†, Jen, and thinks the boys are handling things just fine, as is he. After seeing the family as a whole once it is obvious that Jen is not the main problem, it is Stan. However, since Stan is out of work Jen is taking  on the stress of the family and it is more than she can bear. The three boys are very close to their parents and the youngest one, Joel, is totally fused with Jen. Joel sat on Jen’s lap during the session and acted very much like a baby when she was not able gives him her full attention. Stan seems to have come to terms with not having a job and the fact that Jen’s parents are supporting them, however he continues to call Jen â€Å"mom† and talk about how sensitive and delicate she is. There seems to be a lack of intimacy between Stan and Jen along with a lack of respect for one another. And finally, the only one of the children who does not call Jen â€Å"mommy† is Derek, the middle child. Goals, Treatment Plan and Interventions Before presenting the family’s treatment plan and prognosis it is important to understand what the goal of Bowen family systems therapy is. The goal is to increase the capacity of one or more members to adapt to and deal with the constant change and evolution of family life. Graefe (1955) describes the differentiation effort by using a metaphor from sailing: â€Å"you cannot change the velocity of the winds, but you can change the direction of the sales† (p.2). It is with this goal in mind that the treatment plan can be created. To begin, this family’s treatment plan will be to complete a genogram so that I can fully understand their families of origin. It is easy to see that in this family there is a lot of triangulation, mostly between the parents and Steve, the oldest son. At times Derek takes Steve’s place in the triangulation between Stan and Jen. However, he is mostly in an alliance with Stan and has picked up much of his father’s sexist attitudes. The genogram will allow me to see if there was any domestic violence or abuse in the family’s history and will also allow me to get a better idea of the attitudes men had towards women in Stan’s family of origin. Furthermore, the genogram will help indicate how differentiated Stan and Jen are from their own parents and how self-differentiation looks in their family’s past. The genogram will reveal many aspects of Jen and Stan’s family history, some more important than others, but all useful in understanding this couple. Once the genogram is completed I will be able to focus on generational issues. However, in order to help the family more immediately, decreasing the anxiety that Jen is feeling will be absolutely necessary. When anxiety  is decreased presenting symptoms will begin tomodify or decrease. Nevertheless, this will mean that Stan, Steve and Joel will need to learn to be more differentiated from Jen. Stan is interesting, because he has a very sexist attitude toward Jen, but totally relies on her and her parents for most things in life. He needs to recognize this in order to help Jen lessen her anxiety. One way in which I will help the boys become more differentiated from Jen is by, first of all, asking Stan to stop calling Jen â€Å"mom†. Since Stan sets the tone and attitude for his children, having him break this habit will be helpful. It might also create a more intimate attitude toward the couple. Furthermore, Joel will need to sit at least two chairs away from Jen for all futu re sessions. And finally, Jen will be asked to allow Joel to speak for himself so that he can find his own voice. Part of this family’s treatment plan will rely on my use of interventions. It will be very important that I am able to model to them what healthy parenting relationships may look like. I also will need to develop a functioning healthy triangle between Stan, Jen and myself. I believe that once the parent’s relationship is put into a more healthful place, the children will begin to differentiate themselves from their parents. A component of working on Jen and Stan’s relationship will include Stan having more communication with his own mother and with Jen’s parents. It will also include Jen and Stan taking some time out to research their own family history which will hopefully enlighten both of them on a few different levels. Finally, Jen’s major homework will be to take an hour out of each day where she is not available to her family in any capacity and she must journal about this process three times a week. This â€Å"homework† will expectantly allow her family to learn to differentiate themselves from her and reduce some anxiety in her immediate stage of life. Also, I believe this exercise will be very eye opening for Stan to see how much he actually relies on Jen. Stan and Jen’s family should continue therapy for a minimum of one year, as Bowen believes four years is a more reasonable prognosis schedule. If the children do not continue, Stan and Jen should follow through with couple therapy. I would imagine that couple therapy will be more beneficial in the  long run and that their sons will only need to be in family therapy initially. In fact, if I have done my job properly the children will want to discontinue therapy on their own accord. This will be a great indication of the differentiation they are achieving. However, once Joel, Derek and Steve terminate their role in therapy the reason why Stan and Jen will need to continue is so they can fully appreciate the generational transmission process and understand how their emotional projection onto their children is prohibiting growth and differentiation in their circle of five. Conclusion Bowen Family Systems Therapy is a therapy that focuses on emotional process rather than content. Murray Bowen’s eight concepts outline this idea of emotional process very clearly and make following a system and intervention plan easier for a therapist. While some of Bowen’s Theory and concepts are based on his own secular viewpoint, God shines through this theory in His own way. Biblically, many facets of Bowen’s theory are sound which only make a better case for the knowledge that the Bible has to offer the world. Since God is the Ultimate Counselor, it makes sense that differentiation would be mentioned in His Word first. In conclusion, looking at the case study, along with the treatment plan, interventions and prognosis one can get a much better idea of how Bowen Theory can be implemented into family therapy. The family depicted in the case study thought that the problem was the mother, Jen. But it turned out that she was not the only problem. In the treatment plan it was important to focus on the family’s emotional process rather than â€Å"fixing† Jen. All of the members of the family needed to learn to think on their own two feet and live parts of their lives without Jen’s approval. Once this happens, Jen should feel substantially less anxious and angry. Thus, this case was classic for employing Bowenian Therapy. However, Bowen Family Systems Therapy can be applied to any case and will always achieve satisfactory results as Bowen is a master at family therapy. References Fritzlan, L. (1991). How to Get Your Own Life and Not Get Overwhelmed by Your Family. Pacific Grove. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Goldenberg, I., Goldenberg, H.(1990). Family Therapy: An Overview. Pacific Grove, CA. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company Kerr, M., Bowen, M. (1988). Family Evaluation: An Approach Based on Bowen Theory. New York, NY. W.W. Norton & Company. Miller, Richard B., et al. (2004). Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. Family Systems Therapy: Is Bowen Theory Valid? A Review of Basic Research. Blackwell Publishing. http://www.interventions.net/BowenTheoryUpdated.pdf