Case study National Grid - Developing skills in a large organization Term Paper

Case study National Grid - Developing skills in a large organization through training and development - Term Paper Example In the past, numerous workers with diverse duties employed the name of â€Å"Company analyst† in spite of their responsibilities, backdrop or expertise set. We have established â€Å"business analysts† who are information analysts or scientifically-oriented systems forecasters or even scientific authors. Nowadays, the Global Institute of Company Analysts (IICA) has assisted defining the practice of BAs both more cautiously and more methodically and has created the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) that sets out the information areas significant to the company analyst. This manual has become the acknowledged benchmark for the BA career. Nevertheless, whereas the BABOK Guide comprises important information, it is not a bit by bit procedure that BAs may follow. In other terms, awareness of the Guide’s constituents alone is not sufficient to guarantee success (National Grid, n.d). Analysts who may essentially carry out the BA function as stipulated by the BABOK as well as the IICA are not many and wide. .As the occupation becomes extra famous and trade analysts are perceived as critical affiliates of every project body, the BAs presently in a company cannot have the expertise or knowledge needed to productively carry out significant projects. Or, as is frequently the situation, there are basically not sufficient company analysts to satisfy investment demands. Companies can be compelled to use untrained employees or go devoid of a significant tactical resource on the whole (National Grid, n.d). Organizations that require company analysts may discover it hard to draw and maintain trained venture-tested talent. On the other hand, even when there is a scarcity of funds, the job must be accomplished. The effect may be to rely too profoundly on the know-how of a selected a small number of over-worked, company analyses. This shortage of bench power will cripple a business as major forecasters become too profoundly allocated, or shoddier,

Adaptive and Assistive Technologies Research Paper

Adaptive and Assistive Technologies - Research Paper Example Technologies such as software and hardware can promote computer access for individuals with disabilities and diverse backgrounds. Assistive and adaptive technology resolutions may comprise readily available, undemanding modifications, for example, a specified blend of hardware and software such as those required for Braille or voice output, or utilizing built-in access appliances on regular computers. In addition, developments in technology give novel alternatives for people with disabilities and diverse backgrounds to take part in and complete assignments. Assistive and adaptive technologies also assist several learners to connect with others, access information, and share in manners that may not be possible without them. It is significant for all instructors to utilize assistive and adaptive technologies that permit all learners to reach their capabilities (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2005). This paper will look at a research that is focused on improving cognitive functioning and memory i n adult learners. Question A The instructional setting is online course delivery. The research concentrates on enhancing cognitive functioning and memory in adult learners. The target population for this instructional unit is made up of returning students that are over the age of 24, who have a gap in their education between secondary and postsecondary enrollment. These individuals are seeking to enhance their abilities to foster their all round performance within a learning environment. Students participating in the instructional unit can read and write and have a general education level background at the post-secondary level. In addition, all individuals must be currently enrolled in an online learning environment. Also, individuals should have basic level technological skills including the ability to utilize the Internet. Individuals must also have the capacity to identify numbers and basic images that are effortlessly recognizable by the student population when displayed on a co mputer screen. No additional knowledge or skills are required to successfully accomplish the instructional unit. Question B IPhone and Mp3 players The Iphone and Mp3 players are significant tools for learners with different categories of disabilities. There are a number of applications that can be downloaded or installed into the Iphone which learners can have at all times. These devices may be utilized by learners at their desks. These can be of significance to learners who want to correspond with others. An Mp3 player is also convenient for these learners (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2005).

Airline and Airport Management: Motivation Theories

Airline and Airport Management: Motivation Theories Introduction This report will analyse the changing world of work and how it has changed a lot recently. The writer will also examine the trends and issues that have affected and may affect the aviation industry both present and in the future by using real world examples, theories to approach a valid conclusion. Motivation Theories Maslows hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper. A Theory of Human Motivation, which he subsequently extended to include his observations of humans innate curiosity. Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne Study results (Terpstra, 1979). Five major approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are Maslows need-hierarchy theory, Herzbergs two- factor theory, Vrooms expectancy theory, Adams equity theory, and Skinners reinforcement theory. According to Maslow, employees have five levels of needs (Maslow, 1943): physiological, safety, social, ego, and self- actualizing. Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need would motivate employees. Herzbergs work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygienes (Herzberg, Mausner, Snyderman, 1959). Motivator or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction. Vrooms theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards (Vroom, 1964). Rewards may be either positive or negative. The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly motivated. Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. Adams theory states that employees strive for equity between themselves and other workers. Equity is achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs (Adams, 1965). Skinners theory simply states those employees behaviours that lead to positive outcomes will be repeated and behaviours that lead to negative outcomes will not be repeated (Skinner, 1953). Managers should positively reinforce employee behaviours that lead to positive outcomes. Managers should negatively reinforce employee behaviour that leads to negative outcomes. Organisational Culture When together all employees or the group of people work to achieve the organisational goal, the organisations are become operational and successful. Therefore, organisational change is possible only when employees of the organisation understand the need for change, buy-in the idea of change, are motivated towards the change, and express their interest (McGuire D. Hutchings K., 2006; Beer M. et al, 1990). Other researchers (e.g. Tichy, 1983) acknowledge the frustration that managers feel when their organisations do not respond to elaborately analyzed plans, where there is a lack of interaction between decision and action. Teamwork Teamworking also offers the employees the opportunity to meet their social needs, as identified by Maslow. (Surridge, M., Gillespie, A. p199) When working in teams there are many people that may have different views and opinions, also not forgetting personalities. Different views are not a problem as such but the expression of views can be a problem. Many people unintentionally may say or do things that may affect certain members by making them upset or even generally uncomfortable. Good communication does not indicate being able to stand on stage and just tell the public a message. Leadership is about having a set of values and believing in them, but it is also having foresight, knowledge and intuition, especially about people. Leaders can not expect others to believe in them if they do not believe in themselves. (Malpas M., 2006 cited by Porter K. et al, 2006) Leadership is about listening to people, supporting and encouraging them and involving them in the decision-making and problem-solving process. (Levine S. and Crom M., 1994, cited by Holbeche L., 1998) The Four Basic Leadership styles: Autocratic This is often considered the classical approach. It is one in which the manager retains as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The manager does not consult employees are they allowed to give any input. Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations. The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and punishments. Bureaucratic leadership is where the manager manages by the bookÂÂ ¨ everything must be done according to procedure or policy. If it isnt covered by the book, the manager refers to the next level above him or her. This manager is really more of a police officer than a leader. He or she enforces the rules. Laissez-faire The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the hands-offÂÂ ¨ style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. Democratic The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. The democratic manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work and shares decision making and problem solving responsibilities. Communication Skills According to Stephen Covey, communication is the most important skill in life. This is no less true for managerial efforts to invest everyone from the total corporate environment toward change, in these demanding times, on behalf of their organisational life (Kotter, 1993, 1996, p. 3 and Mainelli, p. 1). Managements ability to generate trust in the sensibility of their vision- the power of which can only be unleashed when those involved in an enterprise or activity have a common understanding of its goals and direction- including employees and customers (Miller p. 219 and Kotter, 1996, p. 85). Waltslawick et al. conclude: 1. Meanings are not transferred- they are created in the minds of the perceivers, 2. Anything is a potential message, 3. The message perceived is the only one that counts, 4. Interpersonal messages have content and relational components, 5. Communication interaction can be either symmetrical or complementary, 6. Effective communication is hard work (Axley, 1996, pp. 53-63). More over (Daly et al., 2003) Internal communication is important in communicating change. Others focus on the constructional phases of change, where communication is vital to mutual understanding of the problems organisations have to face in order to meet the challenges, and need to change (Bennebroek Gravenhorst et al., 1999). Technology in the workplace Technology in the 21st century has advanced in many ways, people in many organisation use technology to work and communicate. In todays society people dont like to wait to get checked or served, this could include paying bills, topping up payment cards, shopping etc. The writers own workplace at the airport bmibaby have brought 10 new kiosk machines where passengers can check themselves in, this is more useful for passenger who are carrying hand luggage only and can check in at the machines and prints of their boarding pass and head straight to departures without even queuing up for the check in agent to check them in. Work Related Stress The writer works with airline bmibaby at the airport is most definitely stressful. As the writer own personal experience in everyday work a lot goes on at work, staff have to work together as a team making sure that everything is done on time and passengers are correctly checked in and board the flight on time without causing any disruptions. Alternatively, increased flexibility, responsibility, and learning opportunity in todays workplace may offer workers greater potential for self-direction, skill development, and career growth, leading to reduced stress and increased satisfaction and well being. Assessed online www.direct.gov.uk/work_related_stress PESTEL ANALYSIS The PESTEL framework categorises environmental influences into six main types: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) BMIbaby PESTEL Analysis (P)olitical EU expansion Severe security measures and restrictions Climate protection charge French government support for national carriers New EU regulations (E)conomic Fuel price increases EU expansion Europe: cars and taxi hires (S)ocial Increasing travelling lifestyles Increasing business travels Market increase (T)echnological Technology expansion Low fuel consumptions Internet competition Internet online sales (E)nvironmental Noise level controls Green house carbon emissions (L)egal Allegations of misleading advertising Illegal subsidies from airport Conclusion For effective change management process, good communication between management and staff is imperative. In order to keep competitive advantages and to minimize fundamental effects of political and economical disturbance, the continuous change is required but this should be taken place with the involvement of each and every member of staff. In the process of decision making, if employees are taken into confidence and are convinced about the required change while taking them on board in decision making process, they would as a part of change management process adhere and admire the change. On the other hand, if they are left disconnected and arent motivated about this change process, subsequently their spirit and enthusiasm will go down. List of References Dale, G., (2007) Btec National Travel and Tourism Book 1. Oxford, Heinemann Directgov Workplace Stress http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/HealthAndSafetyAtWork/DG_10026604 Fyall, A and Morgan, M (2009) Marketing in the Travel and Tourism. Oxford, Heinemann Page 88-90 Holbeche L. (1998), Motivating People in Lean Organizations, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. Nicholson, I., (2001). Giving Up Maleness: Abraham Maslow, Masculinity, and the Boundaries of Psychology. History of Psychology, 2, 79-91 http://www.essortment.com/all/leadershipstyle_rrnq.htm Porter K., Smith P., Fagg R, (2006) Leadership and Management for HR Professional Leadership and Motivation at work Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. New York: Surridge. M., 2005. AS Business Studies. 2nd edn. London: Hodder Arnold. Trade Unions, 2010 Available at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/unions_main.cfm Turban, Efraim (2002), Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective, Prentice Hall, Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley. Wahba, M.A. Bridwell, L. G. (1976). Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance 15, 212-240

Social and Spiritual Energy in Middlemarch :: Eliot Middlemarch Essays

Social and Spiritual Energy in Middlemarch  Ã‚   I do not believe that it is sufficient to say that Middlemarch explores the ways in which social and spiritual energy can be frustrated; it would be more appropriate to say that Middlemarch explores the ways in which social and spiritual energies (ideals if you will) are completely destroyed and perverted. One need only look to Lydgate to see an example of idealism being destroyed by the environment in which it is found. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to the "young, poor and ambitious" and most of all idealistic Doctor Lydgate, who has great plans for the fever hospital in Middlemarch. Throughout the novel, however, we see his plans frustrated by the designs of others, though primarily the hypocritical desires of Nicholas Bulstrode. The second example of the idealism of the young being destroyed by the old is that of Dorothea. This can be seen by her continuing desire to "bear a larger part of the world's misery" or to learn Latin and Greek, both of which are continuall y thwarted by Casaubon, though this ends after his death, with her discovery of his selfish and suspicious nature, by way of the codicil. The character who has their ambitions and ideals brought most obviously low is Lydgate. The earliest example is when he has to make the choice between Fairbrother and Tyke. Both of these characters are rather poor examples of the clergy (Fairbrother because of his gambling, and Tyke because of his rather lazy attitude). Our sympathies are clearly with Fairbrother for a number of reasons; he doesn't gamble because he wants to, but because the wage he receives from running his parish alone is too small to support him and the various members of his family that rely on him. Lydgate has to make the choice between some one he likes as a person (Fairbrother) and someone who he needs help from (Bulstrode). It is clear that Lydgate is very similar to Fairbrother in a number of ways; both are scientists, and both have great hopes for the future. It would therefore seem to be the case that Lydgate would automatically support Fairbrother. However, Bulstrode uses his money and his influence to en sure Tyke's success. Bulstrode is another example of a character that has had his idealism and destroyed, though not by Middlemarch.

Gender Discrimination

Social stratification is the structured form of social inequality within a ranked group of people that bring about unequal financial rewards, such as a person’s income, and power or property, which is brought upon by wealth in a society. The social stratification systems come in many different ways and forms. For example, slavery, castes, social class, race, and gender are just some of the issues that are affected by stratification. This essay will particularly focus on the issue of stratification by gender, or in other words, gender inequality.Gender inequality or also known as gender stratification, is the unequal distribution of a society’s wealth, power, and privilege between females and males. (Scott and Schwartz, 2000). When the issue is approached, it is evident that the majority of the women are the oppressed as in turn the men being the oppressor. This idea of the oppressed vs. the oppressor is evident throughout history; even in religious terms, some can date back to God’s creation.For example, in the Bible, God had caught Adam and Eve eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was forbidden. It is written in the Bible, â€Å"To the woman he (God) said, I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for you husband, and he will rule over you. † (Genesis 3:16). Around the mid-nineteenth century until nowadays, three beliefs about women and men have prevailed as part of biology or evolution. One, men and women have different psychological and sexual natures, two- men are inherently the dominant or superior sex, and three – both male female difference and male dominance are natural. † (Bem, 1993). Considering these three beliefs, women experience gender inequality in different environments, stereotypes, and occupations. For example, women are stereotyped to be only a stay at home wife and to be in an environment where they are respo nsible for cleaning the house, cooking dinner, and taking care of the children.Nowadays, there are more women known to have jobs and not a stay at home wife, but yet they are still responsible, or show some responsibility for cleaning the house, cooking dinner, and taking care of the children. As for occupations among women, they experience the limitations of the occupations available. Women also experience less pay or earnings, and the devaluation of their work by society. An article, Social Class and Gender, written by Nancy Andes, expresses occupational stratification by gender inequality through the comparison of three theoretical frameworks or perspectives.The first theoretical framework is the sex segregation model, which is where sex is the only characteristic that affects the placement of a worker into a profession or occupation. The second theoretical framework is the pure class model, which is where the workers’ position of determined by their status or position in the society and how much authority and ownership they possess. The third theoretical framework that is used is the integrated gendered social class model, which is where gender and class perform together that affect the positioning of women and or men in the labor force.After Andes introduces the three theoretical frameworks, she explains each frameworks or approaches in depth, in relation to a table that expresses the earnings and occupations of men and women. The source of the table, or known as empirical evidence, is taken from the UC Bureau of the Census in 1989. The table expressed many different types of employment in the labor force. Within that employment of occupation, the table included the percentage of women within that occupation, women’s annual earnings within the occupation, and even the men’s annual earnings in that same occupation. Read also: Our Changing Society

Define the Risk Assessment Scope & Risk Criteria

2. 1. Define the risk assessment scope & risk criteria 2. 1. 1. Objective The purpose of this step is to develop the context for the risk assessment and to define risk criteria that will be used for evaluation of well integrity risks. The deliverables from this step are: risk assessment scope; list of risk criteria. 2. 1. 2. Define risk assessment scope The context and scope of this specialist risk assessment should be defined by the more general risk assessment step in Section 2. 5 of [1].The latter should assess risks to the capacity, injectivity and containment of candidate storage sites, where well integrity represents one type of risk to storage containment. This step should involve: defining the goals and objectives of the well integrity risk assessment; defining responsibilities for and within the risk assessment process; defining the specific inclusions and exclusions; defining the risk assessment in terms of time and location; defining the relationship between the risk asses sment process and the overall development of the CO2 geological storage project; defining the risk assessment methodologies; dentifying and specifying the decisions that have to be made prior to milestone M2; 2. 1. 3. Defining risk criteria Risk criteria for evaluating the significance of well integrity risks need to be defined by the project developer. The risk criteria should reflect the objectives and context for the risk assessment. Adequate consideration should be given to the time and resources available, stakeholder views and risk perceptions, and the applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The risk criteria chosen should be continuously reviewed. Prior to specifying risk criteria, the categories for which risks will be evaluated shall be defined.These include: human health and safety; environmental protection; legal and regulatory compliance; cost; project schedule; reputation; well integrity (functional) performance. The following points should be considered when defi ning risk criteria for well integrity assessments: the categories of risk for the CO2 geological storage project established in the ‘screening basis’ step of [1]; the nature and type of causes and consequences that can occur and how they will be measured; how likelihood will be defined (for example qualitatively or as a quantitative probability); the timeframe of interest; ow the level of risk is to be determined; the level at which the risk becomes acceptable or tolerable; whether combinations of multiple risks should be taken into account and, if so, how and which combinations should be considered (for example leakage pathways composed of multiple failures). In order for the risk criteria to be adequate to support a storage site selection decision they should: be suitable for decisions regarding risk reducing measures to levels as low as reasonably practicable; be suitable for communication; e unambiguous in their formulation; not favour any particular concept solutio n explicitly nor implicitly through the way in which risk is expressed. In addition, risk criteria for CO2 leakage rates related to existing wells should be consistent with the overall storage site containment criteria established in Section 2. 1 (‘Screening basis’) of [1]. Note: Temporal, spatial, volumetric and rate limits for CO2 leakage should be finite and quantifiable to allow for effective risk management.