Management and University Simmons Case Essay Example for Free

Management and University Simmons Case Essay In time of economic crisis, companies are looking for innovative methods to improve production and to meet the needs of a diverse workforce in order to improve or maintain the organization’s profit margin in a stress global economy. Indeed, companies are extremely concerned about their future, as well as, preventing closure of their establishment. SimmonsCompany is no exception. However, how does a major company make those changes when tradition is the foundation of their organization and the economic status of their company is in jeopardize of folding, if the right decision is not made? The need to allocation funds for the training and development of its and employees when major debts are owed to the company; thus, threatening bankruptcy is a problem facing Simmons Company. Accordingly, there is certainly a need to change the culture and structure of the organization, if it wants to survive a depressed economy, while other organizations are advancing. In so doing, the company is considering the Great Game of Life (GGOL) whose underlying purpose is to change the dynamics of an organization in order to achieve maximum satisfaction for both the customers and employees. If customers and employees are satisfied, they are loyal, cooperative and creative, thus creating a culture conducive to the workforce. In order to establish such an environment, it is necessary to empower its workers by changing the attitude of each individual employed by Simpson Company. The program will be used to improve morality and empower the lower level of the company in performing their respective jobs in order to improve the outcome of the company. Changes are often difficult to make and, are usually resisted from the top because control of the company is centralized. The result is a poor culture and dictatorial practices. Immediate changes are normally discouraged by those in control, but gradual changes are encouraged, if done overtime or gradually phased into the daily operation of the company. Management must recognize that if changes are not made, their position might be null and void for not doing so. The question is whether changing the culture of the organization is in its best interest? Indeed, some changes must be made considering the state of fair of the company. There are several outstanding debts owed to SimmonsCompany and the debtors are threatening bankruptcy. Additionally, a major supplier has caused havoc for the production department. The need to change the culture and the way it operates is more apparent than ever before. To stay the same, means eventual failure for the company. GGOL is a great opportunity to enhance or change its culture and improve its staff’s level of expectation through effective management in order to meet the needs of today’s demanding economy. As previously mentioned, the company is already experiencing a decline in its profits margin because of its accounts receivables from customers and their major supplier has an item in the form, emitting afoul odor, causing the company to compromise production schedules and posed a serious threat to its profit margin. It would certainly influence my decision to implement GGOL at Simmons. The video was both inspirational and informative. Since diversity is a major concern for most global companies, this is not the case with Simmons. That is, it was prevalent at Simmons, as well as, their enthusiasm in working with each other at the company and for the company. Their positive attitude resonated throughout the video. It is evident from the video that they work collectively and are eager to assist others in different department, when asked to do so. Coming to work seems second nature for them. They are able to share with the upper management areas of concerns and questions, and as such, not prohibited from doing so, which was not the case in the past. In short, they are empowered to take on task without being micro-managed. Now, it is a shared vision by the top, middle, and lower levels of the company with one mission in mind to do what is in the best interest of company. The company should use the top-down and bottom-up design in implementing the GGOL program. However, the company should employ a professional evaluation team to determine which plant should be the catalyst to receive the program. After selecting the plant, the program should start at the top level of the plant because they are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the plant and if they buy into the program other levels are more willing to accept it. The top-level can assist in delivering the GGOL program to the other employees. The next level should be the middle level because they are responsible for inspiring the workers to work collectively towards a common goal, i.e., what is in the best interest of the plant. Needless to say, these individual are very reluctant to change, but must be done gradual due to their commitment to the company, embedded old core values, and long history with the company. When the worker realizes that the change is positive, their outlook improves and this attitude has a snowball effect. That is, one worker at a time starts to embrace middle management’s vision for the company. Now, the workers are willing to trust middle manager because they are open for suggestions and are encouraging empowerment of workers, unlike the past, when the decision from the top was purely totalitarianism with no questions asked or else be fired. Finally, the workers should be the last to receive the program. The middle-level can introduce the program. In so doing, it encourages team work, which will ultimately change the culture of the plant. Changes are needed and welcomed, if it benefits both the employer and employees. If this company continues to operate in a vacuum, the destiny of the company is almost sudden death with uncollectible debts arising and plant processing being restricted because of the foul odor. Emotions were running high, each level of the organization realizing the potential of closure of the company, if it did not change the culture of the organization. The old way of handling concerns and questions is pseudo at best. The company would continue to experience apathy at the workplace. Thus, the $7 million dollar investment for the training and development of personnel is an extremely prudent investment for the company. References Kotter, J. P. (1994). Leading Changes. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Leading Change at Simmons (A)http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/harvard-business-school-press/2007/change-at-simmons-part-a_1e.php Leading Change at Simmons (B)http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/harvard-business-school-press/2007/change-at-simmons-part-b_1e.php

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I read A tree grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. The story takes place in the summer of 1912 in Brooklyn New York. Johnny and Katie Nolan met very young in 1900. Soon, after six months of meeting, and getting married they have their first child, Francie Nolan who is eleven when the book begins. Later they have their second and last child Neely Nolan. As Francie grows up she begins to lose her innocence through a tree-throwing ritual and an encounter with a sex offender who was shot by Katie. Her father drinks more and more and becomes worthless. Katie then becomes pregnant with a third child, Annie Laurie. Johnny dies on Christmas day, which was five moths before his daughter was born. Francie stops believing in God the Christian faith and begins to do poorly in school. Francie and her brother work after finishing middle school in order to help out Katie. She can only afford to send one of he kids to school so she decides to send Neely, and Francie continues to wor k which allows them to live a little easier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World War I begins in America and this causes the world to change. Francie finds her first love, however he leaves to marry his Fiancà © before going to war. Francie is left with a broken heart but soon she meets a another boy. Then, Sergeant McShane asks Katie to marry him and she accepts. He has enough money to support them fully without hardship, and allowing Francie and Neely to go to college. They move out of their apartment the day before the wedding while Francie gets ready to leave for college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel that Betty Smith relates to many other early 1900 writers in America. She brings forward the realities and struggles of poverty that many other writers have written about. In almost every chapter and character, Smith addresses the hardship of poverty, which gives the reader a feeling of how life was in the early 1900s. I feel that Scott F. Fitzgerald’s writing in his book The Great Gatsby is similar to Betty Smith’s writing because this book is all about the tragedies that are associated with excess money. This gives two sides of two different worlds in America around the same time. However, both writers write about the positive aspects of the two different money backgrounds and the negative aspects.

Counselling Theory Essay

In this essay I will describe key elements of Psychodynamic theory, Person-Centred theory and Cognitive-Behavioural theory. I will also identify the key differences between the above theories. I shall also describe how counselling theory underpins the use of counselling skills in practise. I will then end with my conclusion.Key Elements of Psychodynamic TheoryDr Sigmud Freud (1856-1939), is the founder of the psychodynamic approach. Dr Sigmud Freud believed that childhood experiences and unconscious thoughts had an effect on people’s behaviour. Psychodynamic counselling refers to the inner most deepest unconscious traumas and conflicts of the person’s mind. According to Jacobs, 2010, p.4â€Å"Psychodynamic counselling has more variations then many people realise.† Psychodynamic counselling was developed from psychoanalytic theory. Its main purpose is the client’s self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on present behaviour. As a way o f freud understanding people’s thoughts and motivations he introduced the idea of distinct psychosexual stages. The psychosexual stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital.Dr Sidmud Freud saw human behaviour as a result of give and take between three parts of the psyche (personality). The three parts are the id which is pleasure, too much of everything and instance gratification. The ego is the sensible side of us and try’s to find ways of satisfying the id in a way that the super ego will agree with, and that is also in line with reality. The super ego is the moral part of the psyche; its punitive comes from our parents, teachers and society. It uses anxiety and guilt to prevent us from acting on the id’s impulses. According to Jacobs, 2010, p.8â€Å"Freud used the terms Id, Ego and Super-ego to illustrate his ‘map’ of the internal relations within the psyche.† In the psychodynamic approach clients are encouraged to ‘transferà ¢â‚¬â„¢ feelings they have toward important figures they have in their lives. Onto what they call the analyst in a process called ‘transference’. Success of this approach often depends on both the counsellor and client and how well they work together.1.2 Describe key elements of person centred theoryCarl Ranson Rodgers (1902-1987), was the founder of the humanistic approach. Most counselling courses use Rodgers as their bases. The core conditions are the frame work of Rodger’s work. The first key element of person centred counselling is empathy. Empathy means to understand and share the feelings of another. According to Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p.64â€Å"A state of profound contact and engagement between two people, in which each person is fully real with the other, and able to understand and value the other’s experiences at a high level†. The second key element of person centred counselling is congruence. Congruence means to be genuine and transpar ent for the counsellor to be themselves within a counselling relationship without putting up fronts that prevent them revealing their true self.The third key element of person centred counselling is unconditional positive regard, including prizing. This means the counsellor accepts the clients unconditionally and non-judgementally. Within the frame work of the person centred approach to counselling, the client is given the knowledge of the power and tools they already possess to take responsibility for their own lives and health. Great emphasis is placed upon the importance of the relationship between the counsellor and the client and firmly disregards the concept of the counsellor as an expert who knows all the answers to the client’s issues in life. Carl Rodgers has taught us that given the right conditions, anyone and everyone are more than capable of fulfilling their true potential, this is called self-actualising. According to Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p.49â€Å"Empathy should not be confused with sympathy.†1.3 Describe key elements of cognitive-behavioural theoryAaron Temkin Beck, M.D (1921-present), developed his approach called cognitive therapy in the 1960’s. Cognitive-behavioural theory (CBT) is a kind of psychotherapeutic treatment that enables patients to comprehend the thoughts and feelings that control their behaviours. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is more frequently used to treat an extensive range of disorders such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is widely short-term and concentrates on enabling clients to deal with very particular problems.Often six weeks to six months sessions of course depending upon the problem it is pacifically goal directed and places great weight upon self-help as a long term coping tool that the client can take away with them and successfully use. Cognitive-behavioural therapy believes that clients can learn the wrong ways of developing and making sense of information during their cognitive development. This can often lead to distortions in the way they identify reality, it’s the job of the therapist to enable them to work this out. According to Dryden, 2007, p.299â€Å"Cognitive therapy first came to the attention of British psychologists and psychiatrists through the pioneering work of the British researchers who sought to evaluate the efficacy of Beck’s treatment for depression.† Cognitive-behavioural theory can be used on a one to one basis or in a group setting. It is said that in order for cognitive-behavioural therapy to be effective, the client needs to be ready and willing to devote time and effort analysing their thoughts and feelings.1.4 Identify the key differences between the above theoriesCognitive-behavioural theory’s main purpose is on the awareness cause for negative behaviours has and transforming them through a course of self-help. This treatment is a brief course. Person-centred theory observes that becau se the clients had not been given the opportunity to experience the right conditions during development to be able to self-actualise, the clients problem branch from this.The person-centred counsellor endeavours to recreate these core conditions within a safe therapeutic relationship. This type of therapy usually lasts for a few years. One huge difference between humanistic counsellors and other therapist is that they refer to those in therapy as â€Å"clients† not patients. Psychodynamic theory is based on  the concept of the relationship between the three different fabrics of the psyche â€Å"personality†, psychodynamic therapy is long term. It draws attention to the unconscious and seeks to advance the clients conscious power over their lives.The three theories have their differences for instances cognitive-behavioural therapy is a short-term therapy is usually given to clients free on the NHS and is one of the cheapest hence the reason the NHS provide it. Person- centred therapy is in the middle it cost a lot more then cognitive-behavioural therapy and the timescale for the therapy is considerably longer. Psychodynamic therapy takes a number of years and is the most expensive of the three. According to Dryden, 2010, p.78â€Å"The therapist is confined to listening and interpreting the material brought by the client.†2.1 How counselling theory underpins counselling skillsThe backbone of counselling theory is developing a good rapport with your client. Theory gives the counsellor the professional frame work, guidance and knowledge to be able to enable their clients. This in turn gives the client the reassurance and confidence to build an effective therapeutic relationship (working alliance) with their counsellor. It ensures that a professional frame work is in place to enable the client the freedom to explore very traumatic and disturbing experiences ethically and safely. When a counsellor has a good understanding of the theory they can better provide the therapy their client deserves.They can understand their clients and their experiences comprehend why a client may behave in a certain way or feel the way they do. Having this knowledge better helps the counsellor to know what direction they should take with the material provided by the client. The task of undergoing counselling training teaches a counsellor extensive but vital significant skills for instances by using unconditional positive regard (U.P.R), you are accepting the client for who they are no matter what they may have done or said in their lives. Accepting the client as they are good and bad traits. This is exercised by the counsellor to enable the client to establish self-regard, self-worth. Also part of the counsellors frame work is it is absolutely compulsory to take their material from their session to their supervisor.The supervisor will enable the  counsellor to gain a better understanding and knowledge of their sessions and also work through any transference the counsellor maybe experiencing. Also the supervisor ensures the counsellor is able to counsel as of course the counsellor is human and maybe experiencing difficulties in their personal lives. The supervisor will ask about the theory used following the questions used at this point the counsellor is able to reflect upon their skills and theory. A counsellor will be able to understand what they are doing and able to explain their methods if they have a good concept of theory. According to Dryden, 2010, p.530â€Å"Theory and techniques specific to the therapy approach being learned. In most types of training this is a major component but, as has been proposed, the well-educated therapist needs to consider the range of approaches.†ConclusionIn my essay I have considered the three different theories. There are vital differences between the three theories but equally there are also comparability’s. The main frame work of all the theories are to enable peop le to change so they can understand and appreciate themselves and ultimately have power over their lives, behaviours, feeling and attitudes in all the therapies it is said that this can be accomplished through talking and self-analysing.Through writing this essay I have learnt that I would like a mix of the person-centred and psychodynamic therapy. All three theories have their worth and value and I found it fascinating learning about them more intensely. While most people would say that the issues such as finance and time would be a factor, I believe one of the main issues would also be the willingness of the client for change and self-growth.

Review Of Five Reasons Why The Gulf Stopped Funding Al Sisi

Genre Analysis: The social purpose of this Factorial explanation is that any historical event can be illustrated by two or more factors (Martin Rose, 2007) to describe the events that happened on July 24, 2014. A Factorial explanation has different stages, which include Phenomenon and explanation. These stages consist of various factors. The first three stages are combined together to construct the nucleus, while the explanation is divided into various factors. These factors could be functioning as explanation of reasons that affect the occurrence of the phenomenon. The headline of the factorial explanation, which is titled Five reasons why the Gulf stopped funding Al-Sisi , draws attention to the most vital aspect of the news event and makes the reader of the news more relevant to the story. In the next stage, which is the phenomenon, it introduces the main event. In addition, the explanation stage in this factorial explanation â€Å"An Egyptian economic expert said that five reasons caused the friends of Egypt conference to fail and made the Gulf States reluctant to provide more loans and grants to President Abdel Fatah Al- Sisi despite his victory in the presidential election† focuses on the main event and also elaborates on other events related to the story. The information in the lead is further developed in the next stage, which is the lead development. The explanation has five factors in which each factor has its own information making each factor