Zimbabwes present economy Essay Example for Free

Zimbabwes present economy Essay Introduction: Zimbabwe is facing a huge economic crisis that is worsening living standards by the day and a decline in industrial growth. Unemployment is now one of the highest in the world, running at 50% against an annual population growth of 3%, mainly because of inadequate sustainable job creation activities in the market. The rampant unemployment has given rise to the worsening abject poverty, rising crime levels, falling quality of life and standards of living, as well as general delinquency. Close to 65% of the population is considered poor according to the latest poverty assessment. The country is facing near bankruptcy. The problem is Governments huge borrowings where much of the money is used for recurrent expenditures to meet the day to day running of Ministries. Very little is for capital investments. Since the attainment of independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has produced a number of Annual Budgets that were supposedly implemented together with the national economic plans such as the following: Zimbabwe Conference on Reconstruction and Development (ZIMCORD), On the Road to Socialism, Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) that came in volumes I and II; Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) 1991-1995, Zimbabwe Programme on Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST) 1998-2000, Millennium Economic Recovery Programme (MERP) 2000-2002, Ten Point Plan and more recently the National Economic Revival Programme (NERP) February 2003. The focus of all these policies was to bring about economic development and improved quality of life for Zimbabweans. Regrettably, none of these economic policy documents together with the accompanying annual budgets have succeeded in producing real positive tangible results especially in the area of poverty reduction. A number of factors accoun t for this hence the rampant poverty that has rocked the country today. An analysis of the various economic recovery and reform programmes is done summarily done below with more emphasis and time given to the most recent one NERP. Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) In October 1990, the Zimbabwe government succumbed to Western donor pressure and grudgingly agreed to implement the five-year Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) as a response to the economic crisis which had been afflicting the country since the 1980s. The measures introduced were: Removal of price controls; Removal of wage controls; Reduction of government expenditure; A 40 per cent devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar; Removal of subsidies on basic consumer goods; Liberalising the foreign currency allocation system; Removal of protection of non-productive import substituting industries and increased profit remittance abroad; and A radical restructuring of the various parastatals and other public enterprises. ESAPs prime mandate was to shift the style of economic management from a setup where state intervention was perverse towards a framework where market forces had more influence. Economic liberalization was expected to accommodate major fiscal reforms, aimed at trimming the budget deficit from 10% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 5%, increasing national output by 5% over the reform period, as well as reduction of inflation from over 17% to 10% by 1995. The major achievement made by ESAP was domestic deregulation, trade liberalization, foreign currency liberalization, and foreign direct investment liberalization (among other areas of deregulation). The major  challenge during the period was the issue of huge fiscal deficits that averaged 10 percent of GDP. Though inflation was an issue, it was still within manageable levels. Zimbabwe Program for Social and Economic Transformation (ZIMPREST) Beyond ESAPs phase, the Program for Social and Economic Transformation was implemented from 1998 to 2000, with focus on consolidating the gains of economic liberalization. ZIMPREST still pressed forward with economic stabilization, aiming to reduce the budget deficit from 10% of GDP to 5% and inflation to single digit levels. The major constraint ZIMPREST encountered was the fact that donors did not provide any funding, nor did budgetary provisions take note of its funding. The economy as a result subdued, and savings and investments tumbled from 18% of GDP in 1996 to 9% and 13% respectively in 1999. Millennium Economic Recovery Program (MERP) In the year 2000, the Millennium Economic Recovery Program (MERP) was launched, with a thrust towards restoring macro economic stability and therefore restore a vibrant economic growth and ridding the economy of inflation. Fiscal reforms and monetary policy measures would foster to restore price stability, while the domestic debt portfolio was to be massively restructured and industry sector revived. The program never took off due to lack of coherence on whether the economy should continue on liberalism or perhaps pursue a compromise, which places less emphasis on markets. At most MERP was marked with major policy reversals with initial and subsequent commitments to adjust the exchange rate for example remaining on ice, and the local unit maintaining a peg of Z$55 to the US$, despite widening inflation differentials with trading partner counties. It is also the time when the government reversed market economics, culminating in the institution of price controls in the third quarter of 2001. The failure to implement MERP marked the turning point on steeper falls in business confidence in Zimbabwes economic history, with business failure  rising significantly. The economy took a steeper downward trajectory in the period. Since then economic events have not helped either to build or sustain business confidence. The performance of most sectors was largely influenced by the aforementioned economic terrain; where neither ESAP nor ZIMPREST have been able to tame macro economic instability and MERP went on to accommodate it. All productive sectors have maintained a negative growth trend since the year 2000, save for estate, finance and insurance. The performance of these sectors hence mirror the persistent decline in national output. Since there is a strong correlation between agriculture and manufacturing, the ESAP era had a strong growth for all sectors, yet the ZIMPREST and MERP depict basically an erratic and downward trend. National Economic Revival Programme (NERP This is the most recent of the economic reforms and was launched in February of 2003. This was a brainchild of consultations with social partners namely Government, Business and Labour under the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF). NERP was formulated with the principal objectives of: Increasing the output across the productive sectors as a way of reducing shortages and curbing the black market; Increasing employment generation through sector specific measures and Improving exporter viability and the supply of foreign currency through an Export Support Scheme. Under NERP, sector specific measures were formulated which are: agriculture, manufacturing, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), mining, tourism and services sectors. Under agriculture, the following measures are being implemented:- Offering viable producer prices timeously Entering into contract farming to ensure adequate supply of strategic crops for exports, local consumption and seeds; Putting in place a Dairy Development Facility; Providing adequate resources to enable the productive use of the land, since the latter is a basic economic resource which must be exploited efficiently and effectively and Introducing duty free exemptions on imported agricultural equipment not locally available, amongst others. Under manufacturing, the policy thrust will be to reverse de-industrialisation and increase capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector through:- Reviewing the countrys Industrial Development Strategy; Resuscitating the business linkages programme; Introducing technology linkages programmes between manufacturing industries and institutions of higher learning and research and Availing financial support to distressed companies Under Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the Government acknowledges that an integrated policy and strategy for the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is critical for generating employment, stimulating growth and contributing to foreign exchange generation and has thus instituted the following :- Developing the enabling and regulatory environment; Investment promotion in SMEs; Improving access to markets and finance; Providing technology and infrastructure support and Undertaking entrepreneurship, management and skills development programmes In the mining sector, the measures include:- Allowing the small scale mining sector to benefit from the productive and export sector facilities where they access at 15 and 5 percent respectively; Putting in place incentives for projects that encourage value addition of exported minerals and metals in order to increase foreign currency generation and employment opportunities and Implementing a revised and consolidated fiscal regime for the sector. Under Tourism, in order for Zimbabwe to regain its reputation as a leading tourist destination, the following will be done:- Launching a public relations campaign; Intensifying marketing activities and broadening tourist source markets to realise diversification; Encouraging investment in tourism infrastructure (such as shopping malls, agro and eco-tourism development zones) and Promoting the cultural industry to realise its income potential through cultural tourism. Under the services sector, the following will be implemented amongst others:- Enhancing marketing of agricultural commodities by establishing an Agricultural Marketing Authority; and Recapitalisation of key public transport enterprises in order to improve urban transport. In addition, the Government through the Tripartite Negotiating Forum signed a Prices and Incomes Stabilisation Protocol on 30 January 2003 whose fundamental objectives are to:- Enhance viability of companies as well as sustain production; Guarantee the availability of products on the market at affordable prices; and Deal effectively with problems arising from the regime of price controls. Further, Government instituted the following measures to ensure that savers and borrowers mutually benefit from the following interest rate policy:- Narrow the current high spreads between deposits and lending rates in line with international best practices; Reviewing upwards deposit interest rates on consumption and speculative activities; and Reviewing the proliferation of service charges levied on depositors by banks. The link to the 2003 National Budget hinges upon: Development of a Macroeconomic Consistency Framework which ensures consistency between policy implementation and performance of the four sectors of the economy; A supplementary budget to accommodate additional expenditures occasioned by  the financial implications of NERP; and Development of a Medium Term Expenditure Framework to ensure the improvement of the macroeconomic environment, for the period 2003 to 2005. Assessment of the National Economic Revival Program: The best tool to asses NERP is the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats model which is outlined below: NERP Strengths: Some of the strength of NERP are as follows: It is about immediate measures to revive the economy, which gives it some urgency and focus; It draws heavily from deliberations of the TNF and was in fact sanctioned by it. This implies a high level of consensus on the policy measures contained therein; It specifically derogates responsibility to specific bodies or parties. It is therefore easy to check who has to what by looking at the implementation matrix. It is part of a comprehensive set of protocols focussing on specific areas; and It had a clear time frame. NERP Weaknesses NERP suffers from the following weaknesses: Its implementation is based on the TNF principles of trust and goodwill. Without these, it founders; Slippages in one area affect the rest; Lack of harmony and consistency of government policy creates unwarranted policy conflicts that undermine its implementation; Deteriorating political conditions and in particular increased polarisation of the Zimbabwean society undermine its implementation and therefore success; it comes after the budget: in the context of already inadequate resources, it falls on its face. It contains high expansionary measures (for instance on land), which are inflationary (yet in its own analysis it decried the fact that money supply growth reached 150% by December 2002); It lacks measures to deal with hyperinflation. No sterilisation measures are included; It is about everything, and yet it is a short term programme; there is no prioritisation of issues; It is based on representative democracy; constituencies may not be aware of what they have been bound to or may not be able to implement their obligations; It is impeded by a general lack of political will; and It has no time horizon. NERP Opportunities The opportunities to it include: What needs to be done is collectively determined and known; Given the right environment, the stakeholders are committed to implementing it; Flexible framework of the TNF based on the win-win principle; and It allows for self and collective responsibility and evaluation. NERP Threats The key threats to NERP include: Policy conflicts (stabilisation versus expansion); lack of adequate implementation capacity; Overcrowded agenda and lack of prioritisation; Unrealistic expectations; sometimes seen as a quick-fix magic; Lack of resources and continued resort to domestic borrowing; Slippages in implementation; the programme is already behind schedule; In formalisation of the economy; Political expediency may result in policy inconsistencies; Continued political polarisation; Stakeholder mistrust and misunderstanding; and Lack of political will. Conclusion: However, a combination of near-total disregard by government for all those components of the programme which were at variance with intensive state control of all major facets of the economy, or which were in conflict with failed ideologies, and two years of severe drought, saw the first three years of ESAP as an economic non-event. By 1993 government had little alternative but to implement much of that which it had up until then disregarded, although it did so reluctantly and half-heartedly. Nevertheless, belatedly ESAP began to yield positive results and therefore it was used as the basis for the next programme, intended to be implemented from 1996 the Zimbabwe Programme of Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST). But governments lack of enthusiasm was such that although the programme was to be embarked upon in 1996, it was only released to the population in general and to investors, financiers, commerce and industry in particular in 1998 and never meaningfully introduced. So in 2000 government announced its Millennium Economic Recovery Programme (MERP). As with ZIMPREST, that programme proved to be only plentiful words and glossy papers but devoid of any substantive implementation and it was soon cast away into oblivion. In its stead, government announced a new programme the National Economic Recovery Programme (NERP) in February. However, with virtually the only exception being an exchange rate adjustment or export support exchange rate (both being euphemisms for devaluation), NERP was as shallow in its application as had been ESAP, ZIMPREST and MERP. The economy has continued to decline to an ever greater extent, with many believing, erroneously, that it is now beyond redemption. Not only has government shown remarkably consistency in its failure to implement any of its formal economic development or recovery programmes other than with the greatest of superficiality, but it has shown equally great consistency in devising and implementing actions diametrically opposite to those envisaged by the various programmes and plans that it had so proudly placed before Zimbabweans. In so doing, it has brought the  economy to its knees. Inflation has reached an astronomic level of more than 364,5% for the year to June with that months inflation at 21,1%, an all-time record. Never has there been such a high proportion of the population without employment. Never has there been so many suffering and facing malnutrition, if not severe starvation, at incomes far below the poverty datum line, as is now the case. Never has Zimbabwe been as short of foreign exchange, with consequential devastating shortages of fuel, energy, basic foodstuffs, industrial raw materials, agricultural and mining imports, medications, and much else. Agriculture has been virtually destroyed, the mining industrys operations heavily reduced, tourism emaciated, and the manufacturing and distributive sectors battling to survive. And never has government incurred deficits of the scale that are now the order of the day. So great are those deficits that government must now present a supplementary budget to parliament as the national budget tabled in November 2002 and the fiscal out-turn to date have no commonality. As has become a regularity, the spending of almost all ministries is way in excess of the votes approved by parliament. Compounding the problems created by governments profligacy has been the differential in governmental revenues received as against those envisaged in the national budget. With a withering economy, it is inevitable that taxation receipts must fall and with limited foreign exchange the extent of imports diminishes with a corresponding reduction in inflows of Customs duties and import taxes. But another significant non-receipt is that in contrast to expectations in the 2001, 2002, and 2003 national budgets, government has had very little by way of proceeds from the intended privatisation of state enterprises. The intention to divest itself of all but the most critically strategic businesses owned by government has been one of the major elements of ESAP,  ZIMPREST, MERP and NERP. While government repeatedly failed to pursue many of the elements of those programmes, nevertheless it did effect some privatisations between 1998 and 2002, and with some considerable success. Effectively and successfully, the Jewel Bank, Dairiboard, Rainbow Tourism Group, Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe Reinsurance Corporation were privatised. Not only did government realise significant amounts from the sale of its investments but the privatised enterprises rapidly demonstrated substantial growth and enhanced efficiency of operations. The privatisation programme has clearly ground to an ignominious halt and contrary to detaching itself from commercial and other economic production enterprise; government is increasing its involvement through some of its parastatals. Enterprises such as the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Cold Storage Company, Air Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the GMB, and many others have become an ever-heavy millstone around the neck of the fiscus. Evidently, therefore, the inclusion of privatisation in NERP is yet another hollow economic plan of government one devoid of substance. Pity, therefore, the poor officials in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development required to formulate the supplementary budget. They have to find ways of exacting the funds needed by government but have great difficulty in finding any way of doing so within a derelict economy without further catastrophically afflicting that economy and without extorting yet more from a desperately impoverished population. Under the current programme (NERP), the government was supposed to have explored models of land tenure systems vis a vis property rights by March 2003. It was supposed to have reviewed maximum A2 farm sizes and rationalised and consolidated land allocation in line with an audit by the Land Task force the same month. Instead, it threw away the report without disclosing its findings to the public and setup another audit team which is still working on its audit. The government is supposed to have reviewed and topped up input schemes, finance and extension services and facilitated the setting up of commodity associations by the same month. It should have introduced a Dairy Development Programme to revive dairy farms by March 2003 and transformed Agribank into a Land Bank as well as the disbanded Agricultural Marketing Authority. Other tasks that should have been carried out by March included the review of the Industrial Review Strategy to address de-industrialisation, low capacity utilisation, increased exports and empowerment and, a review of the gold support scheme. International public relations companies should have been hired to counter negative publicity. Several measures to boost foreign currency should have been implemented in February 2003. These included an export support scheme, a review of the 50:50 export proceeds surrender every quarter, the introduction of an export revolving fund and incentives to attract remittances from non-resident Zimbabweans. A credible external payments arrears repayment programme should also have been put in place in February. The government should have put in place trigger mechanisms to adjust the prices of fuel, and tariffs for coal and electricity by February. It should also have concluded and signed the Kadoma Declaration (this focuses on addressing the mismatch between policy design and implementation) by February. As things stand, it is still groping in the dark, calling on the nation to remain steadfast Rambai makashinga Economic policy reform in Zimbabwe has not resulted in improved socio-economic welfare for the populace. Consequently, economic decline has resulted in widespread political discontent and disaffection with the present regime. As political tensions have reached a political impasse, there are concerns that Zimbabwes economy is on the brink of total collapse. As the Kadoma Declaration observes, without the assistance of  development partners, it is difficult to revive the economy. While the rest of the world may not need Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe certainly needs the rest of the world.

Boot Camps and Future Offending Essay Example for Free

Boot Camps and Future Offending Essay :Â   The creation and implementation of programs such as correctional boot camps for juvenile offenders are fundamentally a response to other programs that persistently fail to prevent future offending; indeed, and examination of the relevant academic literature clearly demonstrates that A large body of research, including random assignment studies, consistently shows the failure of community restraint programs to lower recidivism (Sherman, Farrington, Welsh, and Mackenzie 345). The question therefore becomes whether correctional boot camps function as a viable alternative in terms of preventing future offending by juveniles. The issue is especially relevant because demographic changes show an increase in the population of children under the age of ten as well as increases in certain types of offending. The fear is that a failure to identify successful programs to curtail future offending by juveniles will result in an explosion in juvenile offending and recidivism in the near future. Sadly, the preponderance of the empirical evidence suggests that correctional boot camps for juveniles are not a viable institutional solution for preventing future offending (Sherman, Farrington, Welsh, and Mackenzie 346). One scholar even goes so far as to argue that programs that are excessively harsh or punitive, like boot camps, either have no effects or iatrogenic effects; this finding echoes Fagans conclusion about sanctioning juveniles as adults (Steinberg 9). The consequence has been a movement away from the use of correctional boot camps and a state-based movement toward legislation designed to simply transfer difficult juveniles to adult criminal jurisdiction through various types of transfer proceedings. These condemnations of correctional boot camps, however, fail to properly acknowledge the fact that there does exist some empirical research suggesting that some boot camps for juveniles have and may continue to diminish future offending (Dale 91). In support of this thesis, that correctional boot camps for juveniles have generally failed to prevent or minimize future offending, it is helpful to examine the structural features of these boot camps, the benefits and drawbacks, and the best methods for implementation. As an initial matter, these correctional boot camps are designed to instill a sense of personal responsibility and to simultaneously instill a sense of belonging to a larger group mentality. The programs are derived and to some extant modeled on the boot camp philosophies and programs conducted by the United States Marines. Structurally, they focus on structure, discipline and physical and/or mental challenge (Sherman, Farrington, Welsh, and Mackenzie 345). The boot camps are therefore of a slightly more holistic and interdisciplinary nature than other correctional programs such as diversion, punishment, and transfers to adult criminal jurisdiction. One of the underlying premises is that by addressing the entire person, both the juvenile’s physical and mental well-being, that these juvenile offenders will emerge from the boot camps more confident and better prepared to function as responsible members of society. There is also a punishment feature given the fact that these camps are rather strenuous and there is a hope that this will function as an incentive against future offending. Interesting, not all boot camps are the same. Some focus on physical exertion and absolute subordination and discipline whereas others concentrate on therapeutic approaches to treating and condition the juveniles. The research suggests that the results vary depending on the type of boot camp employed. More specifically, physical activities may have health benefits but they may not address the criminogenic needs of these offenders (Sherman, Farrington, Welsh, and Mackenzie 348), but there is some evidence suggesting that therapeutic boot camps may yield better results although more research need to be done in this area. A review of the research therefore suggests that correctional boot camps focusing too much on physical activities are unlikely to significantly reduce future offending by juveniles. Therapeutically-oriented boot camps may provide better results but more research needs to be carried out. The main benefit associated with correctional boot camps is the fact that it functions as a correctional alternative to transfers to adult criminal jurisdiction. The failure to devise programs capable of reducing future offending by juveniles has provided ammunition for citizens and policy makers who prefer to simply treat juveniles as adults and to thereby effectively give up on rehabilitation theories as they pertain to increasing numbers of juveniles. There is therefore a very real incentive to design a more effective type of correctional boot camp in order to avoid the state-based legislative trend to lock up juveniles in adult facilities before tossing away the figurative key. On the other hand, it can also be argued that many correctional boot camps may be failing because they too closely mirror the Marine boot camps from which they are derived without properly incorporating therapeutic models and individual counseling to deal with specific problems or risk factors contributing to juvenile offending. Juveniles are not soldiers, they are not Marines, and this separation needs to be made both theoretically and in terms of implementation. These boot camps might also be designed and implemented in a more selective fashion; more specifically, in terms of determining when and which juveniles are suitable candidates for correctional boot camps, it is advisable to adapt the boot camp structure to particular types of juvenile offenders rather than attempting to compel juveniles with diverse backgrounds and personalities to adapt to the boot camps. In conclusion, the majority of the available evidence presents a less than flattering commentary regarding the effectiveness of correctional boot camps in terms of future offending. Significantly, however, studies in states such as Florida have demonstrated that some types of boot camps have yielded positive results. Rather than praising or condemning boot camps in general, researchers should focus on identifying the valuable features of boot camps in order to design and match future boot camps to the specific needs of different types of juvenile offenders. Works Cited Dale, Nancy. Boot Camp: the Last Stop for Juvenile Offenders. Law Order Dec. 2000: 91+. Questia. Web. 9 May 2010. Sherman, Lawrence W. , David P. Farrington, Brandon C. Welsh, and Doris Layton Mackenzie, eds. Evidence-Based Crime Prevention. London: Routledge, 2002. Questia. Web. 9 May 2010. Steinberg, Laurence. Introducing the Issue. The Future of Children 18. 2 (2008): 3+. Questia. Web. 9 May 2010.

Reflective Diary on Change Management

Reflective Diary on Change Management ABSTRACT This report states my individual reflection during the process of learning CHANGE MANAGEMENT module. This covers personal viewpoint of my experience on the issues of change. The later part of the report argues on the constructive and destructive role of resistance as a part of change process. This analysis is applied to the organization (water utility) where change has been experienced. INTRODUCTION It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change- Charles Darwin to cope with a changing world, an entity must develop the capacity of shifting and changing of developing new skills and attitudes, in short, the capacity of learning A De Gues, The Living Company This report has been written as a part of my module course work to state my personal views and experience on various issues of change. The report also emphasizes on the resistance to change and its impact on the change process. I was a bit tensed before the module started because as a database student I had no prior knowledge of change management but after the completion of the module I have gained pretty good knowledge on change management in an organization and issues involved in it. In todays economy, change is all-pervasive in organizations. It happens continuously, and often at rapid, because change has become an everyday part of organizational dynamics. There are 2 types of work in an organization viz. normal delivery process, where the main business of the organization is done and the change activities, whereby necessary change is made to the business and the way it is done. Change externally appears to be changing jobs, places, products etc. but actually occurs first inside peoples heads. It has both positive and negative effects. Change Management can be defined in 3 ways: The Task of Managing Change: It is the task of managing change. Managing change itself has 2 meanings. Firstly, it refers to the making of change in a planned and managed or systematic fashion. The aim is to implement new methods and systems in an ongoing organization. This type of change occurs in information system development projects. Secondly, it refers to the response to changes over which the organization exercises little or no control. An Area of professional Practice: There are change management experts/change agents who claim that they help clients manage the changes they face or help the clients make changes. A Body of Knowledge: There is large, reasonably cohesive albeit elective body of knowledge underlying the change management practice and on which most practitioners agree. It consists of various models, methods and techniques, tools, skills and other forms of knowledge. All the practitioners are integrated by set of concepts and principles known as General Systems Theory (GST). WHAT HAVE I LEARNT? From the course module Change management and Systems Implementation I have learned: Definition of Change management: As described above. Nature of change: Before implementing change the nature of change is analysed. Three various levels of change are understood viz. Alpha Level Change Beta Level Change Gamma Level Change The Change Process: The process of change has 3 basic stages: Unfreezing Changing Refreezing This is based heavily on Kurt Lewins Adoption of the systems concept of homeostasis of dynamic stability. Force-Field Analysis: identify driving and restraining forces and try to increase the driving forces and reduce the restraining forces. Human Issues in Change Resistance to Change. Change Diagnosis. 7- s Framework. Culture and Strategy in Change Management. Strategy safaris. Various personality types involved in CM. From the overall module, the topic Resistance to change excited me a lot. I enjoyed that session in class and have also done extra reading and research on that topic from web. The later part of the report describes my views on various issues of Resistance to Change in any organization and how I applied those issues to the organization where change has been experienced. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: Resistance is an inevitable response to change and will exist in any organization. It may happen at all levels of an organization. It is the action taken by individuals and groups when they perceive that a change that is occurring as a threat to them. It can stimulate healthy discussion. Resistance is the last thing management wants during change process. In many instances if pervasive, resistance to change will have detrimental effects for the whole program. It may bring the change into disaster or worse collapsing the whole organization. It must not be ignored. Resistance may take many forms, including active or passive, overt or covert, individual or organized, aggressive or timid. Initially resistance was seen as an unfavourable thing a harmful problem that must be immediately resolved in anyway in order to achieve a successful change. In the early days Management experts agreed that resistance will bring nothing but unconstructive consequences to management as there was lack of support from people especially at management level. Waddell in her journal Resistance: a constructive tool for change management (1990) has found that resistance to change has long been renowned as a negative factor that may influence the success of any change process. She was supported by many experts like McGuire in her journal How to manage change (2003), Mabin in Harnessing resistance: using theory of constraints to assist change management (2001), Teare in Learning from change (2002), Karyn in her case study identifying resistance in managing resistance to change (2002) and Dym in his PhD paper Resistance in Organisations: How to Recognise, Understand respond to it (1999). Mabin found a survey that reveals the prerequisites for a successful change vision, mission, culture, communication and leadership. If those pre-requisites are not met the whole change will fail due to what is often termed as resistance to change (Mabin, 2001). Teare from his analysis of different scenarios of changes argues that the best suited managers are those with entrepreneurial type who would examine problems as whole, willing to take risks to challenge conventional practices and view change as an opportunity rather than threat (Teare, 2002). The 4 factors for failure in managing change are: Lack of consistent leadership. De-motivated staff kept in the dark. Lack of capacity: budget cuts, no spend-to-save policy, short-term approach to investment, stressed out staff working hard just to stand still. Lack of initiative to do something different. McGuire listed 4 key factors for success when implementing change within an organization: Pressure for change demonstrated senior management commitment is essential for change. Leadership is getting others to do what they want to do because they want to do it Eisenhower Pressure is the 1st thing that triggers change and it may come from external or internal organization (McGuire, 2003). A positive message should be communicated throughout the organization of the need and the case for change. Senior management should be supportive both privately and publicly and their commitment and the drive for change is essential if momentum is to be maintained for effective implementation. Teare concern was more on organizational de-layering (Teare, 2003). A clear,shared vision must take everyone with you. This is shared agenda that benefits the whole organization. Business are nothing more or less than organizational of people trying to a jointly defined future Professor Howard H Stevenson, Harvard Business School. The managerial level of the organization should not only work towards the change process but they have to be able to see the vision and institute the change plan to finally achieve this vision (McGuire, 2003). Teare suggested that organization must focus on its desired outcomes during the change process. The managers should be motivated with recognition of their achievements and should participate in change learning process. Exploring Capabilities Provide the resources time and finance. More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause Jim Cathcart According to McGuire organization should analyse its capabilities in dealing with change. It needs to know its existing capabilities, the abilities those may be required during the change process (McGuire, 2003). Action Plan plan, do, check, act and keep the communication channels open. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit Aristotle Follow the management methodology PLAN DO CHECK ACT A handy formulae to deal with resistance positively and effectively is D x V x F = R, where: D = Dissatisfaction V = vision F = First (or next) steps R = Resistance to change This says that Dissatisfaction, Vision, and First Steps are all necessary in order to overcome Resistance to change. The model most commonly used to illustrate elements of change and resistance to change is lewins force-field analysis: According to this model, pressing for change threatens stability and thus increase the power of forces maintaining the system. The most effective way to bring about change is to reduce the forces of resistance. Both forces (change and resistance to change) exist within the system and if the system depicts an interaction, the forces need to be conceptualized as interactive. According to kotter and Schlesinger (1979), there are four reasons that certain People Resist Change: Parochial self-interest some people are concerned with the implication of the change for themselves and how it may affect their own interests rather than considering the effects for the success of the business. Misunderstanding communication problems and inadequate information. Low tolerance to change certain people are very keen on security and stability in their work. Different assessments of the situation some employees may disagree on the reasons for the change and on the advantages and disadvantages of the change process. The main reasons for employee resistance are A lack of awareness about the change i.e. when the reason of change is unclear. Ambiguity where it is about costs, equipment, and jobs can trigger negative reactions among users. Comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown. When the proposed users have not been consulted about the change, and it is offered to them as an accomplished fact. When the change threatens to modify established patterns of working relationships between people. When the communication about the change timetables, personnel, monies, etc. has not been sufficient. When the benefits and rewards for making the change are not seen as adequate for the trouble involved. When the change threatens jobs, power or status in an organization. Fear of failure. Personality conflicts. Loss of status and/or job security. Lack of tact and/or poor timing. Disruption of cultural traditions and/or group relationships. The risk of change is seen as greater than the risk of standing still. People have no role models for the new activity. People fear that they lack the competence to change. People feel overloaded and overwhelmed. People have healthy scepticism and want to be sure new ideas are sound. People fear hidden agenda as among would-be reformers. People anticipate loss of status or quality of life. People genuinely believe that the proposed change is a bad idea. The different ways to deal with resistance to change are: Facilitation and Support: Where people are resisting change due to adjustments problems, Managers can head off potential problems by being supportive of employees during difficult times. Managerial support help employees deal with fear and anxiety during transition period. Education and Communication: Where there is lack of information or inaccurate information and analysis. Educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort, this reduces unfounded and incorrect rumours concerning the efforts of change in the organization. Participation and involvement: Where employees are involved in the change process emotionally. When their hands are dirty, they realize that dirt is not so bad, after all. They also justify their involvement to themselves and so persuade themselves that is the right thing to do. Negotiation and agreement: When the other person cannot be easily persuaded, then they have to be given order. The manager has to sit them down and ask what they are seeking. Work out a mutually agreeable solution that works just for them and just for you. Manipulation and Co-option: Where the other tactics will not work or are too expensive. Co-option involves patronizing gesture in bringing a person into a change management planning group for the appearance sake rather than substantive contribution. These leaders can be given symbolic role in decision making without threatening the change effort. Explicit and Implicit Coercion: Where speed is essential and to be used only as last resort. Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that resistance to change can lead to losing jobs, firing, transferring or not promoting employees. Depending on the degree and type of performance gaps, different organizational change interventions are designed to conserved resources and effectively close those gaps. The best way to understand resistance to change is to use the change management worksheet. This should be filled out separately by people in an organisation and then discussed. This tells the reasons why people in your organization resist change. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN BRITISH GAS : British Gas was formed in 1940 and it commenced its operation in 1948 with the mission of supplying gas in Great Britain. By 1950 it became one of the monopolies among the various gas providers in the market. There vision is to be a leading supplier of energy and related services in there chosen market and to build position in Europe. There mission is to create value for there share holders and to provide cost effective services for optimum satisfaction of the customers by enabling good environment. They view them selves as partners with there customers, suppliers and share holders by creating value and prosperity for all the stake holders and there respective community at large. The main aim for change in this company to improve customer service in order to save time and improve corporation competitiveness. BRITISH GAS IN THE PAST In the past British gas had very complex system. The staff has to use different software for different queries. Customers services are not up to the mark as the salutation and DPA was very lengthy and customers has to wait for long time in the queue to get there queries resolved. There were different department for different services. British gas followed the strategy safari planning school. The new changes and implementations include drastic change in IT, better customer service user friendly software, maintaining integrity, training and recruiting new staff and providing more choices to the customer. The level of change in British gas is Alpha change. The alpha change includes implementation of effective software in order to improve customer satisfaction, improved IT infrastructure which leads to success in their business. Through the change is small its implications are large. From the Force-Field analysis, the driving forces and restraining forces are identified. The driving forces include: Customers willing to change to the new system. Later support from the staff (Willing to work overtime to get trained to new software.) though there was initial criticism. Instant approval by management members to change the present system. The restraining forces include: Few staff unwilling to adapt to new software as they have to get trained again. Requires extra investments for developing, installing and maintaining new software. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: As a customer service agent working in british gas I have experienced this alpha level change of software in the implementation of queries from the customers. The change was declared by higher management people (My team leader) very suddenly. There was a mixed reaction from the staff, some have welcomed the idea but few opposed it. There was a initial criticism in the staff because of the following reasons: Comfort with the way things and fear of unknown. Fear of failure. Personality conflict. Lack of awareness. People had no role models. The change was surprise. Parochial self-interest. Unwilling to adopt new system. Misunderstanding. Different assessment of situations. Though there was initial criticism, the staff later cooperated very well in the change process as the management as taken necessary steps to deal with resistance like: They had facilitated the staff that had trouble working overtime to get trained to the new software. They educated the staff the reason for change and benefits of new software (how it will be better to them.) They got the people involved in the change process by encouraging them to take part emotionally. They had to sit down and work out mutually with the staff on the implementation of change. As there was pressure of drive from the management, communicated there vision to the staff in an understandable way and supplied the various available resources and acted upon the change towards its successful implementation. The staff later realized the advantages of new software as it reduced most of their work upon acting the queries from customers and made their job very easy and welcomed the idea without any contempt. CONCLUSION: After completion of this module I gained enough knowledge about the concept of Change Management and its implications. I enjoyed the module thoroughly. This knowledge will be very much useful for me in the future understanding of the change process in any organization I work for. The various concepts covered in this module have been very useful. The case study has given a practical experience of what all I have learnt in this module by providing a real-life scenario.

Unusual People :: essays research papers

The most unusual person I know My boyfriend is a very interesting character. Caring, considerate, funny and crazy are just s few word I could use to describe my boyfriend. Each day is exciting and interesting when it is spent with him. My boyfriend Brent, is by far the most unusual person I know. Brent is very playful. He often reminds me of a little kid. I think the most attractive aspect of him is his ability to laugh and have fun. Brent does not let me tease him without getting back at me, and most of the time it is twice the payback. Sometimes If I am in the bathroom getting ready for the day and he is in the shower, he will toss handfuls of water out at me. I act like it bothers me but in actuality I think it is wonderful. He also thinks that he is a pro wrestler and I am his opponent. I never win of course, but it is fun trying. Brent also knows that I am very jumpy and I can be scared easily. Because he has this information he often hides behind the corner only to jump out and scare me when I walk by, it works every time. Although he is mostly playful, He is still quit the charmer. Brent is very sensitive and makes me feel wonderful. I never feel like I am pushed a side and he makes sure that I always feel special. He has a way of bringing out the best in me. He will clean the house while I am at class, change the channel to Animal Planet (because it is my favorite), ask if I need something when he goes to the kitchen, and makes sure I am always happy. He has a very light temper and never looses his cool with me. He likes to talk things out and he is very considerate about my feelings. Brent still does not forget about his manly side . He has the common need to lose himself for hours at a time playing football and hockey on the Nintendo. He reads sports illustrated, needs to watch ESPN and play fantasy football on the Internet. I do not understand why these things are so important. But, I think that is why there is a common saying that goes," Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus". He enjoys the outdoors and yet he can just sit and relax for a day in the house.

The African Athena Controversy Essay -- Ancient History

With the absence of certainty, competitive plausibility is a realistic approach to trying to determine the influences that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had on the Ancient Greeks. Since the publication of the Bernal’s Black Athena volumes I and II, a great debate has surfaced. There is no question that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had an influence on the Greek culture, the questions that are being disputed is the exact nature of the relationship and what period of time this relationship existed. After reading the three articles presented, I have come to agree with Martin Bernal and his Revised Ancient Model of Greek origins. At one time Egypt was accepted as European, but that status began to erode and in the 1790’s Egypt was regarded as an African Nation. Prior to the 1820’s the most widely accepted theory of the origins of Greece was the Ancient Model. In this model, primitive tribes, Pelasigians, and others inhabited Greece. In certain regions of Greece, the Egyptians and Phoenicians settled, built cities, and civilized the natives. The Phoenicians were credited with having introduced the alphabet while the Egyptians taught the Pelasgians about irrigation (Bernal, p. 7). It was during this period, the Northern European scholars began to cast doubt on the colonization of ancient Greece by the Egyptian and Phoenicians and their cultural development of that time (Bernal, p. 7). â€Å"Historiographical developments cannot be linked to the availability of any evidence† (Bernal, p. 7). Sadly, there were some great discoveries found after the models changed, but they were ignored, like Jean-Francois Champollion findings, he had begun to decipher the hieroglyphics during 1820’s, the decipherment of cuneiform, and the first arc... ...ilization and led me to agree with Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model. References Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy Essay -- Ancient History With the absence of certainty, competitive plausibility is a realistic approach to trying to determine the influences that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had on the Ancient Greeks. Since the publication of the Bernal’s Black Athena volumes I and II, a great debate has surfaced. There is no question that the Egyptians and Phoenicians had an influence on the Greek culture, the questions that are being disputed is the exact nature of the relationship and what period of time this relationship existed. After reading the three articles presented, I have come to agree with Martin Bernal and his Revised Ancient Model of Greek origins. At one time Egypt was accepted as European, but that status began to erode and in the 1790’s Egypt was regarded as an African Nation. Prior to the 1820’s the most widely accepted theory of the origins of Greece was the Ancient Model. In this model, primitive tribes, Pelasigians, and others inhabited Greece. In certain regions of Greece, the Egyptians and Phoenicians settled, built cities, and civilized the natives. The Phoenicians were credited with having introduced the alphabet while the Egyptians taught the Pelasgians about irrigation (Bernal, p. 7). It was during this period, the Northern European scholars began to cast doubt on the colonization of ancient Greece by the Egyptian and Phoenicians and their cultural development of that time (Bernal, p. 7). â€Å"Historiographical developments cannot be linked to the availability of any evidence† (Bernal, p. 7). Sadly, there were some great discoveries found after the models changed, but they were ignored, like Jean-Francois Champollion findings, he had begun to decipher the hieroglyphics during 1820’s, the decipherment of cuneiform, and the first arc... ...ilization and led me to agree with Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model. References Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu

We looked at the poems The Behaviour of Dogs and Flying to Belfast, :: English Literature

We looked at the poems The Behaviour of Dogs and Flying to Belfast We looked at the poems The Behaviour of Dogs and Flying to Belfast, 1977 by Craig Raine. In Raine's poem The Behaviour of dogs he describes to us the many different breeds and types of dog that there are in the world and what effect they have on our lives. In the poem Craig Raine describes dogs in a different way than we would normally think of them to make us see them in unfamiliar ways. To make the dogs' actions easier for us to imagine he uses imagery of things we see in everyday life and on television but that we don't usually associate with dogs, "Their feet are four-leafed clovers that leave a jigsaw in the dust". This start of the poem is describing dogs' feet. Saying the dog's feet are four-leafed clovers is describing the shape of the dogs paw, but also four-leafed clovers are associated with good luck, which gives us a benign and warm association. The second verse is also submitting a friendly atmosphere around dogs when it refers to the way dogs "grin" and "tease us", this shows the good relationship shared between man and dog. Raine describes the teeth of dogs like "Yale keys" suggesting that they are serrated, jagged and sharp, Raine also uses imagery to describe the way a dog's tongue slips out as it pants, "joke-shop Niagara tongues," this line also includes an element of humour if you imagine a massive joke-shop tongue! In the third verse Raine starts focusing on the different breeds of dog, and certain characteristics that make them different to one another. He mentions a whippet and how it "jack-knifes across the grass", implying that the whippet is sharp and quick. He also notices an afghan hound with its fringe of straight hair on either side of its head like the traditional folds of an "opera house curtain"; he also mentions how the afghan looks a bit like Wild Bill Hicock - which implies that dogs can sometimes have human characteristics, the 'human' theme is carried on in the last verse, when Raine is mentioning certain things that dogs do. In the next verse Raine talks about the Labrador and how it, "cranks a village pump", this is a description of how it wags its tail so vigorously and enthusiastically. Then he goes to the opposite type of dog, the boxer who, "shimmies her rump, docked to a door knocker", this describes how a boxer has to wag its whole posterior because its tail has been cut off. When describing the Alsatian Raine says, "the

Speech introducing the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop

My fellow students and writers, welcome. The honour of speaking to you, the poets of the future, has been bestowed upon me and I hope I will not disappoint. As Stephen Spender once said ‘I fear I cannot make an amusing speech as I read that all geniuses are devoid of humour'. Today I will be speaking about one of the greatest female poets of the twentieth century, and one of my own personal favourites, Elizabeth Bishop. ‘There's nothing more embarrassing than being a poet really'. The words of this modest poet convey the shy hidden qualities of a woman who was spectacular in being unspectacular. Bishop was never preoccupied with the obsolescent idea of being a poet. This gave her a sincerity that transposed to her poetry in expressing the emotional journey that was her life. Her poetry echoes a life well lived with extremes of emotion from the joy of heightened awareness, to abject isolation and depression. Elizabeth Bishop was born in America in 1911. Her father died shortly after her birth and at the age of five Bishop lost her mother to mental illness. These harsh lessons of life, so early learned, left a void in Bishop's life, the void of a settled loving family. Her poem ‘Filling Station' explores the themes of love and family which depicts her longing to be loved and to belong. The poem describes a family living amongst the oil and dirt of a filling station. At first she dismisses the filthy place ‘Oh but it is dirty! ‘ But as in much of her poetry Bishop looks beyond the obvious to find a beauty and homeliness within all the dirt. In this poem she comes to the conclusion that ‘Somebody loves us all'. This short sentence has gained the power of a proverb for me in my life and I'm sure it will hold resonance with many of you too. This comforting thought, wise and true, shows how Bishop reveals the truth through her close observation of the little things in her quest for self-discovery. Bishop's original way of viewing situations is also clear in her poem ‘The Prodigal'. Have you ever wondered what happened to the prodigal son during his transgression from home? Well Bishop did in this clever poem which focuses on the lowest part of the prodical son's life. This effectively simple poem describes mankind's need for companionship, she herself being a self-proclaimed outsider. As an outsider Bishop led a very unsettled restless life described as desperately and energetically nomadic. She once said ‘All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper – just running down the edges of different countries and continents'. Here Bishop confesses of a great desire to travel, discernibly in search of the home she never had. Bishop wrote the poem ‘Questions of Travel' which depicts the time she spent in Brazil. Although it was a place of immense beauty, she often felt separate and outside of it. She asks ‘Should we have stayed at home wherever that may be? ‘ which shows Bishop's great loneliness in searching for belonging. In this poem she also questions the human need to travel to strange foreign places. It foregrounds the issue of whether the tourist's quest stems from an innocent desire to savour landscapes of difference or whether it might have a darker motive, resembling the imperialistic desire to conquer and acquire other lands. She then asks if it is childishness that causes us ‘to rush to see the sun the other way around'. More humorously this poem signifies the limitations of human knowledge and understanding of foreign cultures. After all are we not all guilty of inwardly complaining of the intrusive tourists that plague our country annually? Bishop asks ‘Is it right to be watching strangers in a play in this strangest of theatres? ‘ However Bishop's argument promoting the merits of travel will banish the negative thoughts of even the most xenophobic among us. I feel many will enjoy the theatrical differences conveyed in this poem as Bishop is so wry and honest about the differences between locals and tourists. A striking photographic quality of images is atypical of Bishop's poetry. Her poem ‘The Fish' uses language that is imagistic and precise in describing the confrontation between an amateur fisher and a ‘tremendous' battle-worn fish. The poem is rich in imagery, simile and metaphor and uses layering of images which describes in intricate detail the newly caught fish. Bishop is an empathetic imaginative observer as she describes the fish inside and out down to ‘The dramatic reds and blacks of his shiny entrails, and the pink swim bladder like a big peony'. The final line ‘until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! And I let the fish go' describes a moment of epiphany and revelation common to Bishop's poetry. Bishop pronounces a merciful verdict on the life of the venerable old fish which contrasts strongly with man's attempt to conquer nature. This moral poem is one to think about the next time you go fishing. My favourite poem by Elizabeth Bishop is ‘First Death in Nova Scotia'. The full complexity of childhood is effectively evoked in this simple poem about the death of her cousin. This is a poem we can all relate to as it captures a child's first experience of death. Although written in her fifties, Bishop manages to capture the confusion she felt as she attempted to understand the finality of death. This poem has quite a chilling quality which echoes the wrong sequence death has taken in extinguishing the life of a child. The final stanza, although chilling, is one of my favourite pieces of poetry. The vulnerability and fear created as the child doubts the presence of an afterlife is true of my experience of death and I'm sure other's. The child Bishop asks ‘But how could Arthur go; clutching his tiny lily with his eyes shut up so tight and the roads deep in snow? ‘ This final line filled with poignancy is a perfect example of Bishop's simple but effective style. Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying ‘One should rejoice in the beauty, the joy and the wonder of life; the less said about life's sores the better'. However, Bishop manages to do both successfully in her striking and distinctive poetry that will give much pleasure for years to come. Her poetry covers topics from death to family and from travel to morality. Her keen eye for detail, her accurate observations and her simple, concise description of the world around us makes Elizabeth Bishop's poetry an animated read. Her poetry boasts genuine feeling which originates from her own harsh experiences in life and often expresses a greater understanding of life and death. Her pleasing style makes her poetry a firm favourite among many amateur writers and poetry lovers. I hope I have instilled in you today the joys of reading the poetry of one of the most influential females of the last century. I will now leave you with a final quote from Elizabeth Bishop's poem called ‘Poem'. This poem maps the reader's experience of reading poetry, from indifference to recognition of a common humanity. ‘Life and the memory of it cramped, dim, on a piece of Bristol board, dim, but how alive, how touching in detail–the little that we get for free, the little of our earthly trust'