Organizational Transformation Issues In A Health Care Clinic

CONTENTS:Pages ASSIGNMENT BRIEF 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 4-5 1. 0. INTRODUCTION 6 1. 1. OBJECTIVES 7 1. 2. METHODOLOGY 8 2. 0. LITERATURE REVIEW 9-25 3. 0. ANALYSIS 26-30 4. 0 REFLECTION 31 REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENT BRIEF:ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION ISSUES IN A HEALTH CARE CLINIC (CASE STUDY). EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper is based on the case study Organizational Transformation in a Health Care Clinic where focus, is the many organizational transformational issues that take place during an organisational development and transformational change of the Health Care Clinic. According to Anderson and Ackerman (2001:39-40 & 50), transformational change is defined as a â€Å"completely new way the organization and its people see the world, their customers, their work and themselves. For organizational change to be successful the procedure would require changes that would affect employees’ behaviour, how they think and the organization’s culture thus raising many transformational issues such as leadership issues, communication issues, training and development issues, and cultural issues. GLOSSARY BehavioursThe way in which people in the organization act in terms of what they do and say that brings the strategy and desired culture to life ControlsWhat gets measured and rewardedChange To alter, modify or transform CultureThe totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs of an institutions FacilitateTo make something easier to do GoalsThe objectives or targets that the organization is trying to achieve LeadershipThe ability to guide, direct and influence persons ManagementPersons in charge of organizing and controlling the affairs of a business or a sector of a business MissionThe purpose of the organizationOrganizationA body of persons organized for some specific purpose Organization Development (OD)A primarily behavioural science approach to planned organizational change that is composed of traditional OD and mainline OD ( Krell 1981) Organizational Transformation (OT)Change that involves transformative changes in the fundamental nature of the organization and requires completely new ways of thinking, behaving and perceiving by members of the organization Realignment To readjust or change something to fit different circumstances StrategyThe approach that the organization is adopting to achieve the goals that support the strategy ValuesThe underlying principles and ethics that drive the organization Vision A picture of a desired future state that is sufficiently appealing and compelling to drive change forward 1. 0. INTRODUCTION:ORGANISATIONAL TRANSFORMATION can be defined as â€Å"a fundamental shift in the way business delivers value to its customers and stakeholders resulting in dramatic change strategy, processes, technology and utilisation and management of human resources to meet the needs of the global economy†. ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT is a system wide application and tra nsfer of behavioural science knowledge to the planned development, improvement and reinforcement of the strategies, structures and processes that lead to organisational effectiveness. Many organizations of today go through changes because of circumstances, wanting to become more developed and/or advanced or simply because of wanting to move with the time.Management of the health care clinic initiated an organizational development programme because of problems originating from the application of modern technology to the jobs of medical technologists. It was discovered that employees of the biochemistry department were greatly dissatisfied because of their feeling of having their skills underutilized, having cultural differences with other staff members, having communication barriers and not having job challenges present. The organizational development staff and the manager agreed that job redesign should take place to bring more autonomy, control, feedback and meaningfulness to the w ork for the employees of the clinic.Over a period of two years evaluation of the results by the organizational development staff found that job characteristics and satisfaction declined for both groups that were involved in the transformational change process. Changing environments of an organization has effect on the organization and the organization’s environment thus creating many transformational issues. Transformational issues include leadership issues, cultural issues, communication issues, cultural issues and training and development issues. 1. 1. OBJECTIVES: 1-To identify the organizational transformational issues that are involved in the change in the health care clinic 2-To evaluate change implementation and intervention strategies at a health care clinic. 1. 2. METHODOLOGY:The researcher in the context of this case study has opted to use the phenomenological approach as opposed to a positivistic approach (Collis and Hussy 2003). Triangulation-â€Å"the use of more than one method or source of data in the study of a phenomenon so that findings can be cross checked† Bryman (2008 pg. 700) Triangulation method of data collection will be used collecting qualitative and quantitative data from both primary and secondary sources for example using unstructured questions and interviews. A variety or literature, theoretical and analytical tools and techniques will be used. The research conducted being a case study the data collection will be consequence on the evidence as suggested in the case study. Random sampling s suggested by Saunders et al cannot be validated, in that for quantitative research the sample size must be of at least 95% in order to obtain realistic or quantifiable data and it may be dangerous and less accurate to do otherwise. 2. 0. LITERATURE REVIEW The core issues which will guide the facilitation of policy development, plans and programs for the organisational will include the under mentioned factors: Lewin’s(1951) fo rce field analysis demonstrates the two key external forces that push organisations into change situations but counteracting, resisting forces are often arisen from inside organisations when the changes are attempted and that change occurs when the driving forces out number resisting forces.This force field is propagated on the idea that social situations can be seen as equilibria that are periodically disturbed when changes to the situation are attempted. The concept of change as modification of these forces keeping a system’s behaviour stable. The two groups of forces are those striving to maintain the status quo and those pushing for change. A state of ‘quasi-stationary equilibrium’ as coined by Lewin(1951) is achieved when both sets of forces are almost equal and current behaviours and attitudes are maintained. FIG. 1 BELOW REFERS. Kurt Lewin (1951) identified three stages of behaviour modification in a simplistic change management model is seen in the table 1 below. LEWIN(1951)THREE STAGE MANAGEMENT TABLE. (TAB. ) UnfreezingIs concerned mainly with selling the change and provides a motive for groups and individuals to change their attitudes, systems, behaviours values and structures. The unfreezing stage will be greatly accelerated if it is recognised that the need for change is immediate, clear and the survival of the organisation depends upon it. MovingIs concerned with recognising what the new attitudes and desirable practise, norms and behaviours should be and communicating it and encouraging others in the organisation to embrace and own it as new job requisites. This aspect can occur through assimilation and exposure to new concepts or from individuals with different perspectives. RefreezingThis stage is the final and stabilising stage of the change implying reinforcement of the new behaviours.Evoking positive reinforcements such as rewards and praise. For negative reinforcement such as sanctions for indiscipline or deviant attitu des. Source:Mullins,Laurie J. (1997) Management and Organisational Behaviour 9th. Edition. FT/Prentice Hall . Again, Lewin(1951) suggested that for change to be successful there must be group activity. Unless group norms are transformed there will be no sustenance to individual actions and without reinforcements change can be short-lived. Employees are beginning to accept that the time has come for change and the changes must be made so that the organisation can remain viable. Schein (1988) model of change outlined the pivotal role of the change agent.Schein (1988) delineated each stage of Lewin’s (1951) model by expressing the dynamics of individual change and how imperative it is for change agent to manage these changes (see table 2 below) the change agent can be seen as the coach, facilitator and motivator assisting individuals through the change can be seen as the coach, facilitator and motivator assisting individuals through the change. According to Schein’s(1988) model the first stage the change agent assists with motivating the individual by disconfirming their behaviours, attitudes and performance. Stage two emphasises the need to get employees to perform tasks differently and actually engaging belief that changing norms and working habits can effectively improve their performance.At Stage three the change agent helps the employee to change his thought patterns by integrating new and well defined behaviours. Self conceptualisation and reinforced performance standards are confirmed. Schein (1988) believes that none of these stages are susceptible to self management but need the intervention of change agents. In furtherance, Cummings and Worley (2005) planned change concept outlined how change can be implemented in organisations. This action research model places heavy emphasis on gathering and diagnosing data prior to action planning and implementation and on assessment of results after action is taken. The action research model describes change as a cyclical process involving joint activities between employees and organisational ractitioners. Figure 2 below compares Lewin (1951) change model to other models of planned change such as the positive model and the action research model all of which describes the phases by which planned change occurs in organisations. Initiation of successful organisational change modified restructuring strategies and organisational efficiencies can be envisaged through these theories. In this model many steps overlap and interact in practise. This simple model has been used to analyse and manage change and can be useful at times. However, it tends to treat people as the objects of manipulation and does not involve them in the change process at all.All three approaches emphasises the application of behavioural science knowledge, involve organisation members in the change process to varying degrees and recognise that the interaction between an organisation and a consultant constitutes an i ntervention that affects the organisation. Lewin’s(1951) change model approach differs from the other two models in that it deals with the general process of planned change whereas the others target specific organisational development(OD) activities. To manage strategic change effectively, it is important to understand its causes. Two main classifications of the causes of change are outlined by the following theorists: 1) Tichy’s(1983) four main causes of strategic change 2) Kanter, Stein and Jick’s(1992) three dynamics for strategic change. According to Tichy (1983) four main triggers for change:TICHY(1983) TRIGGERS FOR CHANGE †¢Environment- shift in the economy, competitive pressures and legislative changes can lead to demands for strategic change. †¢Business relationships-alliances, acquisitions, value chain linkages or core competencies. †¢Technology †¢People-new entrants may have different educational or cultural backgrounds or expectati ons that require change. Source:Mullins, Laurie,J. (1997) Management and Organisational Behaviour 9th. Edition FT/Prentice Hall. (TABLE 3) Tichy(1983) suggests that change is not only inevitable in such circumstances but can be managed to produce effective results. Kanter, Stein and Jick(1992)identified three causes of strategic change: Environment-changes here compared with the situation in the organisation can lead to demands for strategic change.Life cycle differences-changes in one division or part of the organisation as it moves into a phase of its life cycle that is different from another division may necessitate change. Typically, change issues related to the size, shape and influence of such parts and involve coordination and resource allocation issues between them. Political power changes inside the organisation-individuals, groups and other stakeholders may struggle for power to make decisions or enjoy the benefits associated with the organisation. For example, shifts in s trategy from production oriented to customer oriented would be accompanied by a shift in the power balance between those two functions.The researcher suggested that the causes were constantly shifting, sometimes slowly and at other times faster. Kanter, Stein and Jick’s(1992) theory can be directly related to the Health care clinic as the organisation go through the process of change as it relates to the external environment changes so too must the organisation, as one part of the organisation change so too must other parts of the organisation change to ‘catch up’. Internal and external factors influence changes. Kanter, Stein and Jick (1992) identified three major forms taken by the change process. They linked these three categories of people involved in the change process, to produce a three stage process for managing change.These three forms were: 1)The changing identity of the organisation. 2)Coordination and transition issues as an organisation moves through its life cycle. 3)Controlling the political aspects of the organisation. The three major categories of people involved in the change process: I. Change strategists-those responsible for leading strategic change in the organisation. They may not only be responsible for implementation. II. Change implementers –those who have direct responsibility for change management. III. Change recipients- those who receive the change programme with varying degrees of anxiety depending on the nature of the change and how it is presented.Kanter, Stein and Jick(1992) offer one way of structuring and managing aspects of the change process. However, these categories of people only give limited indicators of how to manage the process. Kanter, Stein and Jick’s(1992) model may be suited to major changes than the more common ongoing process. According to Cummings and Worley (2005) there are five major activities involved in order to lead and manage change and they are done in the order in wh ich they are performed. These in order of priority are: ? Motivating change. ?Creating a vision. ?Developing political support. ?Managing the transition. ?Sustaining momentum. A major point to note is that in this model, overcoming resistance to change is required early in the change.The change process in the organisation can be severely affected by resistance to change. People tend to very reluctant to move from their perceived ‘comfort zone’ to some unforeseen place as it relates to change thereby begging the questions of whether their contributions will mean anything for them in the future. Albrecht (1983) provided an interesting model of change in which organisations undergo the change cycle. Individuals also experience symptoms of change response cycle. This cycle is prevalent when change is dictated or imposed by management and internal and external forces. ( Table 4 below refers. ) (TABLE4) Source:Cummings, Thomas G. nd Christohper G. Worley,(2005) Organisation D evelopment and Change 8th. Edition-,Thomson Southwestern. The six box model of change was introduced by Weisbord (1978) as a diagnostics tool to measure organisational effectiveness and looks at the inter-related elements within the organisation. Purpose. Is the representation of the organisation and an understanding of the employee’s agreement and commitment to it. Leadership.. – Includes the style and integrity of the employee and their ability to be goal oriented. Structure . -Displays the organisational chart, reporting styles and systems, job responsibility and delegation of authority Relationship. Are those of the employees in the organisation together with their norms, behavioural patterns, conflict management and their degrees of inter dependence Rewards. -Represent what the organisation needs to rewards both in real and psychological terms and include incentives for ‘doing the right thing’ Helpful Mechanisms. -Are the different and varied formal p rocedures and management systems that monitor and coordinate the organisation’s work. . According to Kotter(1995) there are eight steps to transforming an organisation. Source:Cummings, Thomas G. and Christohper G. Worley,(2005) Organisation Development and Change 8th. Edition-,Thomson Southwestern.Kotter(1995) suggests † that for change to be successful 75% of the company’s management needs to buy into the change and really work hard at step and spend significant time and energy building urgency before moving into the other steps. Don’t panic and jump in too fast because you don’t want to risk further short term losses, if you act without being properly prepared, you could be in for a bumpy ride’’ As a result of change many times there is the issue of conflict arising. Conflict is inevitable just as change and assuming that organisational goals are broadly dersiable , there are two aspects of conflict that are relevant and leaders mus t take cogniscance of. According to Hunt (1986) conflict can be highly desirable, it can energise relationships and clarify issues. Conflict can be constructive as well as destructive. the constructive effects of conflict are hat it can introduce different solutions to problems, power relationships can be defined more clearly,it can encouragecreativity and testing of ideas,it focuses attention on individual contributions, it brings emotions out in the open and it provides opportunities for the release of hostile feelings that may have been, or may be, repressed otherwise. Conflict can have negative effects as it may distract attention from the task, it can polorise views and dislocate the group, odjectives may be subverted in favour of secondary goals,it encourages defensive or spoiling behaviour,it may result in the disintegration of the group and it can foster emotional, win-lose within the group. Job design involves the planning of the job. This includes its contents, the methods of performing the job and how it relates to other jobs in the organization (Rahim 2001).Job design and redesign main focus is to put together the needs of the employees that are involved in the different jobs with the production necessitate of the organization in mind. One of the main aims of job redesign is to supply the organizations workers with significant work that fit effectively into the flow of the organization. Enriching, enlarging or simplifying are also goals of job redesign. For the improvement of performance job redesign theory focuses on, job rotation and job enlargement. As in the case it was shown that the general feeling of the employees of the clinic was that there was an absence of job challenge and that technology had simplified the work to be done.According to Herzberg’s theory of motivation, workers motivation to work depends on the nature of the work and how challenging it is. Lack of this challenge will allow employees to become disenchanted with thei r job thus having a negative impact on organizational transformation. Having job challenges will help in motivating the employee to work. Adair (2004) believes that motivation comes from within a person but is fuelled by external factors eg. having work challenges to be able to align themselves to achieve a specific goal, (the goal being a challenge but yet it is attainable by the employee). Job rotation where the employees will be allowed to work on different tasks or in different departments.This will increase job satisfaction and would have helped the employees as they would have had the opportunity to perform different tasks, thus inhibiting boredom on the job. Learning will also take place as employees also learn new tasks and have different responsibilities with job rotation. Job enlargement whether horizontal or vertical would also lead to a more successful organizational transformation as it would also help in giving the employees a challenge as they will have more to do. Ti me is also extended so that the challenge of doing more is realistic. Self esteem will be contributed to as the employee would be entrusted with exercising judgement thus having added responsibility for tasks.Job design and redesign is mainly done by the management of the organization who are responsible for making decisions about how to design those jobs ( Mintzberg 1973) as they see fit. Although managers would have more influence and control over job design than they do over structure, technology, culture, relationships and people ( Hackman & Oldham 1980), the time and attention of managers would still be greatly needed (Dutton &: Ashford, 1993). Pfeffer(1994) believed that the depending on how managers make decisions about job design, it can be a liability or a potential source of competitive advantage for organizations however, many managers often use simplified work as the default approach to designing jobs (Campion &: Stevens, 1991). 3. 0. ANALYSIS/FINDINGS:The researcher in her analysis of the case study of the particular health care clinic sought to ascertain where the problems were and attempts to ascribe the requisite solutions. There were certain strengths as well as considerable weaknesses associated with the case study. It was found that Lewin’s(1951) models were followed to the letter in the structure of this health care clinic and that factors outside these frameworks were not used thereby creating obvious gaps. TECHNOLOGY: Tichy’s(1983) four main triggers of successful strategic change identifies technology as an important driver in the change. As is the situation in the case study it was found that with the advent of new modern technology strengths as well as weaknesses are abound.The medical technologists in the bio chemistry department were either inept with the new technology or were not prepared for the imposition of the new technology thereby dissatisfaction was wide spread, which can be seen as another weakness. Technologi cal shifts can substantially impact on the quality or content of the work and may ultimately influence the factors that affect survivability of the organisation. SOURCES OF DISSATISFACTION Paragraph 2 of the case study identifies several sources of dissatisfaction among the technologists that were of concern. The under mention identifies the concerns together with the possible cause and effect and likely solutions. Under utilisation in their work†-this can be seen as a weakness in the organisation and could have been possible as the OD staff failed and or neglected to take into consideration issues such as job design and redesign RAHIM (2001), job rotation, job enrichment, job enlargement and job evaluation on employees at the health care clinic. â€Å"Communication within the laboratories was insufficient†-it is apparent that the communication channels between laboratories were severed or perhaps were insufficient. As such the OD experts should have embarked on team bu ilding workshops and organisational development seminars and sufficient enough training and development exercises. Work wasn’t evenly distributed†- this would suggest that there was a certain lack of supervision in the laboratories and there was a failure to have equity distribution in assignment and management of tasks. The issues of capacity management and production planning are areas that OD experts should have looked at. â€Å"Medical staff didn’t treat them with the respect that they deserve†-this clearly suggests that the medical staff felt that the technologists were their subordinates and felt that way because the technologists may be less remunerated as compared to the medical staff. As such OD staff should take into consideration issues such as reward management systems, merit recognition eg. Employee of the month, performance pays system, team based pay and a comprehensive performance related merit system of remuneration. The advent of technolo gy had had simplified the work to the point that it no longer seemed to require the level of training common among medical technologists†-this would suggest that technologists should have had enhanced training in other skill sets or multi skill training which would give them the extended capacity to build manpower capacity. â€Å"Studies in personnel management literature†-there is no such evidence in the case study to suggest that there were any studies in the personnel management literature carried out. â€Å"Job challenge was a primary cause of job turnover†-this is an issue really of job retention as opposed to job attrition. By looking at performance appraisal strengths and weakness can be determined.In looking at job turnover OD require job retention, job security and career and talent management. LEADERSHIP: The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. (TONY BLAIR, 1994) Are leaders born or made? Trait (1950) theory seems to sug gest that leaders are born and not made, yet Stodgill(1949) and Mann (1959) suggests that there are few relationship between the traits possessed by leaders and their performance. The Trait (1950) theory that leaders are born failed under scrutiny (Zaccaro, 2007). Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) having examined existing literature on leadership suggests that there are six leadership traits.They are: 1-Drive 2-Leadership motivation 3-Honesty and integrity 4-Self confidence 5-Cognitive ability 6-Knowledge of the business As in the case study there is no clear indication as to the leader (Weisbord 1978) of the change process as it is reputed that the OD staff had discussions with the managers. Clearly no one took charge of the change process from the onset of the planned change. There is no evidence to suggest whether the OD staffs were adequately qualified to conduct such a change process or whether the interviews were conducted professionally. COMMUNICATION Communication is a key compon ent in the facilitation of any change process.For this reason communication is heightened importance when change is needed. Bordia et al (2004) suggests that communication during change is vital to manage employee uncertainty and feelings of loss of control. As was the case in this case study there is hardly any evidence to suggest that there was a proper reporting structure so that information on the change initiatives were being communicated to the technologists by the OD experts. To this end came the issue of the readiness for change as this is an important indicator to coping with resistance to change so suggests Armenakis, Harris and Mossholde(1993). Communication strategies need to emphasize two messages.They are: 1- The need for the change, that is, indicating what the organisation is doing as opposed to what it should be doing and 2- The ability to change successfully, that is, it is important that the employees believe that the change could be done thereby encouraging them to make the extra effort. TIMEFRAME: Apart from using volunteers to assist in the analysing of the data which is in itself questionable as there is evidence that they are overworked and not properly remunerated. The OD staff administered questionnaires which asked for confidential opinion as opposed to change or job analysis questions and there is no indication of its contents. These questionnaires sought only quantitative data.Whether the truth will be written on those questionnaires is anybody’s guess as there is no validation of the data. There is no clear definition as to the timeline for the project and no implementation plan. The random sampling data collecting took two months seems to be incredibly long for such an exercise. To suggest that two years later the OD staff evaluated the results of the change program was incredulous to say the least as this was certainly not an effort in organisational transformation but rather an incremental change plan. This was an exerci se that was limited in scope, time and cost thereby failing to meet its objectives. RESISTENCE TO CHANGEResistance to change is a widely used term that generally gives a bad or a negative connotation. It us usually asked of employees to change something in the organisation that they may have been comfortable with for their entire life. That change will not come easy at all, there will be some anguish and fight and may even be the source of collective group action like strikes and industrial action by employees. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Ford and Ford(2009) suggests that resistors to change should not be overlooked but that resistance should be taken in a positive light and accepted as a form of feedback that can actually build and encourage the change process.Pockets of resistance can also be found with the Lewin (1951) model of unfreezing, moving and refreezing. As the activity of unfreezing comes to an end resistance is usually found as employees attempt to move. This i s quite natural as without proper communicating many are unsure of their future especially the employees who have fallen into their comfort zone. As with the case study there was a definite feature of resistance to change. 4. 0. REFLECTION: This change process was a failure from its inception because the very basic of protocols were not adopted. The OD staff sought to enlist volunteers who do not have the requisite educational capacity to carry out that vital function of collecting and analysing data.The human resources department should have been the ones directly involved in the change process. The change agent should have been engaged who is a highly trained professional in organisational development to lead the drive towards organisational transformation. In this case study the data collected would at best be unscientific and unrealistic to say the least. Change, whether planned or emergent can take a number of forms, each of which requires a different type of action. Utilising collective methods of action research together with capacity building and the will to include people in the change process will go a long way in achieving successful change.In conclusion it must be said that there are unprecedented opportunities and challenges in the health care industry for which organisational development (OD) practitioners must be aware of and as such there can be significant positive growth and development by linking strategic activities of the organisation towards the direction of organisational transformation. Organisational transformation can also be achieved by being able to facilitate integration of people and processes across traditional department and organisational boundaries and by acknowledging competencies and integrity. REFERENCES: ATKINSON, P. E. (1990) ‘CREATING CULTURAL CHANGE’ MANAGEMENT SERVICES VOL. 34 NO. 7, PP. 6-10.BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION- ORGANISATIONS AND BEHAVIOUR SUPPORTIND FOUNDATION DEGREES, MANDATORY UNIT 3 P. 185.. CU MMINGS,T. G. AND WORLEY,C. G. (2005)’ ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE’, 8TH. EDITION,THOMPSON SOUTHWESTERN. P. 509. HANDY, C. B. (1993)’ UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATIONS’, 4TH. EDITION KOTTER, J. P. AND COHEN, D. S. (2002)’ THE HEART OF CHANGE’, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PRESS MAYLOR, J. (2004) ‘MANAGEMENT 2ND. EDITION’, F T/ PRENTICE HALL ,PP. 69-74. Mc LEAN, A. AND MARSHALL, J. (1998) ‘CULTURES AT WORK, LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRAINING BOARD’. MULLINS,LAIRIE, J. (1997)’MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 9TH. EDITION FT/PRENTICE HALL SENIOR, B.AND FLEMING, J. (1993). ‘ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE’, 3RD. EDITION, FT/ PRENTICE HALL. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bradford & Burke. 2005. Re-Inventing Organisation Development, Wiley Publication. Cummings & Worley. 2004. Organisation Development & Change, Thomson Publishing French & Bell. 1999. Organisational Development: Behavioural Science Interventions for Organisation Improve ment, Prentice Hall Publication. French, Wendell,Bell, Cecil& Zawacki, Robert. 2004. Organization Development & Transformation: Managing Effective Change, McGraw-Hill Publication Stacy, Ralph. 2000. Strategic Management & Organisational Dynamics: The Challenge Of Complexity, FT/Prentice Hall.Morgan, Gareth. 2006. Images of Organisation, Sage Publication. Handy, Charles. 2002. Age of Un-reason, Pitman Handy, Charles. 1993. Understanding Organisations, Penguin Schein, Edgar. 1998. Process Consultation Revisited, Prentice Hall Schien & Gallos. 2006. Organisational Development, Jossey Bass Publication Burnes, Bernard. 2004. Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics, Prentice Hall. Oppenheim, A. N. 1992. Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement Vansina, Leoplod & Vasina-Cobbaert, M. J. 2008. Psychodynamics for Consultants & Managers: from Understanding to Leading Meaningful Change, Wiley Publication.

Definition and Examples of Irregular Verbs

Definition and Examples of Irregular Verbs In English grammar, an irregular verb is a  verb that does not follow the usual rules for verb forms. Also known as a strong verb. Verbs in English are irregular if they dont have the  conventional -ed ending (such as asked or ended) in the past tense and/or past participle forms. Contrast with Regular Verb. According to the  Longman Student Grammar (2002), the nine most common  lexical verbs  in English are all irregular:  say, get, go, know, think, see, make, come, and  take. Pronunciation i-REG-u-lur verb Exercises Exercise in Using the Correct Forms of Irregular VerbsPractice in Using the Past Forms of Regular and Irregular VerbsProofreading for Tense Errors Examples and Observations The bridge they built brought traffic in both directions.Water slopping from the buckets froze on the feet as it fell.(Sheila Watson, Deep Hollow Creek. McClelland Stewart, 1992)The shoes the slaves bought generally cost between $1.50 and $2.00.(Ted Ownby, American Dreams in Mississippi. University of North Carolina Press, 1999)He said Roadmap Jenkins got the good loops because he knew the yardage and read the break better than anyone else.(Bo Links, Riverbank Tweed and Roadmap Jenkins. Simon Schuster, 2001)Hearts were trumps. I stood, and made three to his nothing. I dealt; he begged; I gave him one, and made three more.(George H. Devol, Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi, 1887)It was true, thought Miss Taylor, that the young nurses were less jolly since Sister Burstead had taken over the ward.(Muriel Spark, Memento Mori, 1959) 180 Cussed Exceptions At first glance irregular verbs would seem to have no reason to live. Why should language have forms that are just cussed exceptions to a rule?..Irregular forms are just words. If our language faculty has a knack for memorizing words, it should have no inhibitions about memorizing past-tense forms at the same time. These are the verbs we call irregular, and they are a mere 180 additions to a mental lexicon that already numbers in the tens or hundreds of thousands. (Steven Pinker, Words and Rules. Basic, 1999) The Origin of Irregular Verbs [I]rregular verbs . . . derive from the Old English period. At that time they were called strong and weak verbs respectively. Strong verbs formed their past tense and past participle with an ablaut or vowel gradation (a means of marking different functions of a word by varying the vowel sound in its base). Weak verbs formed their past tense and past participle with an inflectional suffix, that is, a {-d} or {-t} suffix. With the loss of inflections during the Middle English period, all new verbs took on the weak verb formation with an {-ed} or {-t} in past forms. This weak formation soon became the norm for what we now refer to as English regular verbs; strong verbs became irregular verbs(Bernard ODwyer, Modern English Structures, 2nd ed. Broadview Press, 2006)modern English there are roughly half that number, in classes which overlap and have deviant internal groups, and in addition, a number of weak verbs have joined the class of irregular verbs. The Comprehensive Grammar of Englis h (1985) presents seven classes of irregular verbs, five of them with subgroups. The total membership of the modern irregular verb system is a question of criteria, depending on whether you include i) verbs which are conjugated both regularly and irregularly ii) verbs which are prefixed or compounded forms of monomorphemic irregular verbs iii) verbs which fall into the category of old-fashioned or archaic English To provide maximum help- and to avoid prejudging such issues- the Comprehensive Grammar (QGLS) presents a list of 267 irregular verbs, but it shrinks to about 150 if you apply all three criteria just mentioned. (Pam Peters, American and British Influence in Australian Verb Morphology. Creating and Using English Language Corpora, ed. by Udo Fries et al. Rodopi, 1994) The Future of Irregular Verbs Do irregular verbs have a future? At first glance, the prospects do not seem good. Old English had more than twice as many irregular verbs as we do today. As some of the verbs became less common, like cleave-clove, abide-abode, and geld-gelt, children failed to memorize their irregular forms and applied the -ed rule instead (just as today children are apt to say winded and speaked). The irregular forms were doomed for these childrens children and for all subsequent generations (though some of the dead irregulars have left souvenirs among the English adjectives, like cloven, cleft, shod, gilt, and pent).Not only is the irregular class losing members by emigration, it is not gaining new ones by immigration. When new verbs enter English via onomatopoeia (to ding, to ping), borrowings from other languages (deride and succumb from Latin), and conversions from nouns (fly out), the regular rule has first dibs on them. The language ends up with dinged, pinged, derided, succumbed, and flied o ut, not dang, pang, derode, succame, or flew out. But many of the irregulars can sleep securely, for they have two things on their side. One is their sheer frequency in the language. The ten commonest verbs in English (be, have, do, say, make, go, take, come, see, and get) are all irregular, and about 70% of the time we use a verb, it is an irregular verb. And children have a wondrous capacity for memorizing words; they pick up a new one every two hours, accumulating 60,000 by high school. Eighty irregulars are common enough that children use them before they learn to read, and I predict they will stay in the language indefinitely. (Steven Pinker, quoted by Lewis Burke Frumkes in Favorite Words of Famous People. Marion Street Press, 2011) A New Strong Verb in English The magazine Ozwords published by the Australian National Dictionary Centre has confirmed something that Ive suspected for some time- snuck as the past tense of sneak is now more usual than sneaked. . . . It is always good news to hear of a successful new strong verb in English!..Fewer than 60 of the original 350 strong verbs remain- and even this very small number includes many rather dodgy ones like glide/glode, beseech/besaught, cleave/cleft/cloven, beget/begat/begotten, chide/chid/chidden, slay/slew/slain and smite/smote/smitten. Hardly part of a Modern English speakers active vocabulary! So you can see that a new strong verb like sneak/snuck is a cause for celebration- that is, if you are worried about the extinction of forms like glide/glode. (Kate Burridge, Gift of the Gob: Morsels of English Language History. HarperCollins Australia, 2011) The Lighter Side of Irregular Verbs A boy who swims may say he swum, But milk is skimmed and seldom skum, And nails you trim; they are not trum.   When words you speak, these words are spoken, But a nose is tweaked and cant be twoken. And what you seek is seldom soken. If we forget, then weve forgotten, But things we wet are never wotten, And houses let cannot be lotten. The things one sells are always sold, But fog dispelled are not dispold, And what you smell is never smold. When young, a top you oft saw spun, But did you see a grin ever grun, Or a potato neatly skun? (anonymous, Variable Verbs or Verbs Is Funny) Also See Introduction to Irregular VerbsPrincipal Parts of Irregular VerbsWhats the Difference Between a Weak Verb and a Strong Verb?

History of Slavery

History of Slavery Free Online Research Papers Slavery in the United States began with the African slave trade. At the end of the 14th century, Africans were taken to Europe without consent and used as servants for the rich. The Europeans claimed that the servants would have better chances of becoming Christians this way. The Spanish and the Portuguese also took natives from Africa as slaves. Eventually, the chiefs over these Africans began to barter with the people who were taking the people as slaves. Forts were set up along the coastline to hold the slaves until the slave ships came. Some of the slaves were people that had been captured in tribal battles. The demand for slaves was becoming very high, and people were willing to take desperate and violent measures to get them. Soon after America had been founded, a court ruled that slavery was acceptable. Even from the beginnings of slavery in the United States, slavery was more popular in the South rather than the North. This is because the South was an agricultural land. Families needed the slaves to help on the farms where much manual labor is needed. The north did not need slaves as much because they were industrial. The only places in the north for slaves were within homes of the northerners, so there was not such a high demand for them there. Ninety-five percent of the slave population was in the southern states as opposed to the 1% population in the north. Slaves were not only owned by whites, but also by Native Americans and even free African Americans. The wealth of the United States increased greatly because of all the free labor provided by the slaves. Productivity was at its best, and the Americans were doing the least of the work yet making all of the profits. About 12 million slaves were shipped to the Americas within the 17th and 19th centuries. By the time the Civil War was about to begin, there were around 4 million slaves in the United States. The means by which the slaves were brought to the Americas was disturbing and unnerving. Since profit was the number one priority of the traders, they attempted to fit as many slaves into one ship as they possibly could. A slave ship named â€Å"The Brookes† was made to hold 451 people at the most. This ship was found out to have carried 600 people. On the ship, the slaves were tightly seated and chained at their hands and feet. These journeys were long, and many slaves remained crippled for being chained up for so long. The death rate of slaves on the ships was fifty percent. Because there were so many of them and they were in such close quarters with one another for so long, disease became an issue. The conditions of travelling in the ships were the absolute worst. Some slaves slowly ki lled themselves by not eating. Slaves were bought in Africa for around $25 and sold in the states for $150. When slavery became illegal, the prices augmented greatly. Even though the death rate of the slaves on board the ships was so high, the traders could always make a high profit. Slave markets were built as location to purchase slaves. Locations of slave markets were New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Richmond. Slavery receives its negative connotation from the mistreatment of the slaves by their masters. The slave owners became very greedy after their profits began to increase due to the free labor and higher productivity. The slaves were under a great deal of strain to work hard to make more money for their masters. If the work of a slave was less than desirable, they were harshly punished. The most widely-known form of punishment was being whipped. Slaves were whipped brutally, sometimes in front of large crowds of other slaves in order to serve as an example to the rest. Some masters tortured their slaves and even branded them like cattle, most times on their faces. Most slave-owning homes had twenty or fewer slaves, but the plantations with a large number of slaves, such as 100, had to have someone watching after the slaves to be sure they were all doing their jobs. This person was known as an overseer. The overseer was under much pressure from the plantation owners to make sure the slaves were performing at their best in order to increase productivity. The harsh punishments carried out by the overseers led to death at times. Thirty percent of slaves died within a four year period because of such ruthless treatment. Slaves worked from sunrise to sunset. Most work days lasted 18 hours. Men and women alike worked the same amount of time. Pregnant women were expected to work as well, all the way up until the day of their child’s birth. They were then given a month after delivery to recover. After that month, the child was carried on the mothers back while the mother worked in the fields. Children were expected to work by the time they were five years old. Slave owners advocated reproduction among the slaves in order to have even more workers to help. Some slave owners promised freedom to women after they had a certain amount children. Women were expected to start having children at around 13 years old, and they were expected to have nearly 5 children by the time they were twenty. Sometimes, the slave owner or one of his white friends would father the children of slave women. The children that were half black and half white were called â€Å"mulattoes.† If a white man raped a black woman, it was not considered a crime. The plantation systems came about from the division of land and private ownership of that land. The major crops grown on these lands were cotton, tobacco, rice, and sugar cane. These crops required a great deal of manual labor, and that is why slaves were so greatly demanded in the agricultural southern states. Because the conditions on the plantation for the slaves were less than desirable, there was always an issue of slaves trying to escape. Running away was an issue that had to be thought through thoroughly before carried out. Runaways were unsuccessful more often than not. Most slaves were hesitant to run away because they did not want to leave their families behind. If the slave made a successful getaway, there was always a risk that the runaway’s closest family member would be punished brutally. Most slaves were found, and when they were brought back to the plantation they were beaten. The accounts of a slave named Moses Roper received 200 lashes from the master with the whip. The master would not have stopped at that number if it had not been for his wife begging him to stop. Most runaways were younger men slaves. According to records, most slaves that attempted to run away were field slaves rather than house slaves. The Underground Railroad was organized in order to help slaves escape to freedom. About 50,000 slaves were taken to safety through this escape method. Eventually, slave owners got Congress to pass a law that fined $1000 to any marshal who did not arrest runaway slaves and to any home that housed or fed runaway slaves. House slaves were in better condition than slaves that worked in the fields. They usually had less physically demanding jobs and better food. Slaves that worked inside usually got to sleep inside and became friends with the family. Some women tried to educate the slave children even though it was illegal. Some slaves that were valued in the home were promised freedom when their masters died, but this promise was rarely kept. Slaves were rationed a certain amount of food every month or a small patch of land where the slaves could grow their own food. The slaves were given clothes every year. Their wardrobe consisted only of a couple of shirts and a couple of pairs of pants. If the clothes did not last, they went naked until the next allowance of clothing was given out. Slaves living in the house were often given the clothing that the family members no longer wore. Marriage among the slaves was encouraged because slave owners believed it would keep the slaves from running away if they had a loved on or family. Slave houses were wooden shacks with dirt floors and only one room. One to two families lived in these houses. The beds were straws and rags piled up on the ground. Slavery finally came to an end at the end of the Civil War. The north defeated the south, and slavery was abolished. All slaves were free, but some chose to stay with their masters because they had been treated well and had a home there. Research Papers on History of Slavery19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBringing Democracy to AfricaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyPETSTEL analysis of IndiaQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCapital PunishmentAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Kaplan SAT Book - Full Review

Kaplan SAT Book - Full Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Kaplan is a giant in SAT prep, but that doesn't mean its prep materials are good. In fact, they tend to be far from excellent. In this review, we'll examine Kaplan's SAT 2015 book for its strengths and weaknesses. Why trust this review? When you get advice on the internet, it's important to understand why you should believe the advice you're receiving. Because your SAT score is important, follow the wrong advice, and it might be too late to improve your score. To be transparent, here’s why you might be able to trust this review more than others: I like to think that I know what I’m talking about.I scoredtwo perfect scores on the SATand have worked personally with thousands of students prepping for the SAT. I’ve worked with students at all levels, from people at a 1200 level to people aiming for a 2300+. Other writers often don't have the expertise to differentiate between books, and they recommend books as an afterthought (and you can probably tell). I don’t get paid for these recommendations, and I don’t get paid if you buy these books.I’ve studied dozens of books for SAT prep, and I review the books that I come across. Other sites, especially about.com and reviews.com, get paid for featuring books and get a kickback when you buy a book they recommend. One disclaimer: I’m co-founder ofPrepScholar, an online SAT/ACT prep program. I believe we’ve built the best prep program available right now. Itdiagnoses your strengths and weaknessesand gives you a structured all-in-one program, combining the best aspects of the books below, so you know exactly what you need to study at every point. But I want to stress that you don’t need a program to excel at the SAT. In fact, writing this guide may lose us some customers, since you might decide that you don’t need a program at all. But if you decide that you don’t want to manage 10 books and want an integrated complete program that customizes to your learning,check PrepScholar SAT out. Kaplan SAT Prep Book Review When I consider the quality of a book, I think about a few important questions: Who's the author, and what is his or her experience with the subject matter? How effective is the book, and why? What are the book's main pros and cons? About Kaplan If you've researched SAT prep, you've most likely heard of Kaplan. One of the first SAT prep programs, Kaplan established a reputation for being able to improve student SAT scores while the College Board maintained it was impossible to prep for the SAT. Unfortunately, since its heyday in the 20th century, Kaplan has taken a huge fall. Its classes are consistently rated to be bad, and its prep books tend to receive poor ratings. In some sense, its success was its downfall. Because it's such a mainstream company, it needs to cater to a large span of students. To cut costs, instead of tailoring programs to different students, it shoots for the lowest common denominator. This means it provides a lot of students with subpar experiences, just like most Kaplan SAT books. The specific authors of this book aren't clear, but they're likely internal writers in Kaplan. It's therefore hard to judge the credentials of the authors, but you can guess that they're likely not superbly impressive. How Effective is the Book? I'll say it outright - if you're serious about SAT prep and want to improve your SAT score by over 150 points, this is not the book for you. I know there are some students who just want to put in 5 hours, get some exposure to the test, and then take the SAT and forget about it. I personally believe that for most students, improving your SAT score is, hour for hour, thebest way to improve your chances of college admission. So I would say that if you feel this way, you should re-examine your approach. But if you just want a book that does a mediocre job of a lot of things, the Kaplan book is reasonable.It’s an all-in-one book that covers the three sections and contains practice questions and practice tests. It doesn’t excel at any of what it’s doing, but it covers the important bases. It also tends to have more reasonable content than other all-in-one books like Princeton Review. What's wrong with it? The strategies aren't very helpful - the tricks it offers might help students scoring in the 400 range, but they quickly lose effectiveness once you gain familiarity with the SAT. The content isn't thorough - for example, it doesn't cover all the grammar rules you need to know. The questions also tend to not be realistic, compared to official SAT practice questions. By training on low-quality questions, you risk learning the wrong patterns of the actual SAT test. I don’t love this book. I don’t even really like it. I don’t recommend it if you at all want to improve your score seriously and are willing to put in study time. But if you just want a single source that can do an OK job and is easily digestible, this is the best one out there. Kaplan SAT Book Pros and Cons Pros: Covers all three sections and contains practice tests. It's an all-in-one book that provides an acceptable broad introduction to the tests. At $15, affordable for the breadth that it covers. Contains some basic strategies that can get you a few easy points if you get stuck answering questions, or if you're performing at a low level. Cons: Practice questions tend to be unrealistic – they often don’t phrase questions the way the SAT would, and they don’t test concepts in the right way. The questions also don’t trick you in the same ways that the SAT does. Answers and materials can have errors – not great quality control. Strategies are not helpful once you move beyond a 600 score level in the section. Overall Rating Once again, if you're not too committed to SAT prep, want to spend fewer than 10 hours, and want a brief whirlwind introduction to the SAT, this book is fine for you. If any of these isn't true for you, then other top SAT prep books will be much better for you. Overall Rating:50/100 What's next? Read our detailed guide to theBest SAT Prep Booksto put together your own study program based on the best SAT books available now. What's a good SAT score for you?Figure it out with our step by step guide based on the colleges you're applying to. Aiming for a high score? Read ourguide to scoring a perfect SAT score, written by me, a perfect SAT scorer. Check out our industry-leading online SAT program. We've designed it to cover all the advantages of books and tutors at an affordable price. Featuring in-depth strategy lessons and thousands of practice questions, we have the content from the leading books. Beyond that, the programacts like your personal tutor. It guides you step-by-step through what you should be working on at every moment to best improve your score. Itcustomizes to your strengths and weaknesses, then gives you focused practice so you learn the patterns on the SAT. Furthermore, it motivates you to study so that you put in enough time. There's a 160 point guarantee - if you don'timprove your score by 160 points, you get all your money back.

What do you think about the type of leadership the president of Essay - 3

What do you think about the type of leadership the president of Liberia and Ghana would display on the political scene and why - Essay Example inaugural Chevron Excellence in Leadership Energy Lecture at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy on the campus of Rice University, before an audience of several hundred persons. In addition, a new documentary,  Iron Ladies of Liberia, explores the evolving role of President Sirleaf and the women helping her to lead the country in a democratic way. She equally learned, was once an Assistant Administrator, and then Director, of the UN Development Program Regional Bureau for Africa, and served as Minister of Finance from 1972 to 73, but left after a disagreement over public spending. Having lost an election and with 30 years political experience, she favors free and fair elections (A+E Networks, 2012). On the contrary, although President John Evans Atta-Mills had sworn to be father to all Ghanaians irrespective of our political affiliations, he has not lived to the democratic nature of Ghana. The president and his regime lacks leadership qualities, has unprecedented brok en promises, incompetence and corruption. Indeed, the recent voter registration process was marred by violence, killings, alleged beatings, and shooting in some registration centers while the president was just watching. Indeed, with the rising political tension in Ghana, the president ought to show leadership. He and the ruling party face accusations of intimidation of their political opponents (Thompson,

Possible Approaches in Counseling People Dealing With Bereavement Article

Possible Approaches in Counseling People Dealing With Bereavement - Article Example Death is not a mystery to those who have died. The people living are the ones who struggle to find meaning in it. As far back as 60,000 years ago, prehistoric people observed special ceremonies when burying their dead. Many early cultures believed that people continued to exist after death and had the same needs that they did in life; hence they buried their loved ones with food, dishes, weapons, and jewels. Some religions, such as Christianity, believe that the dead will rise again; to them, the burial of the body is symbolic, like the planting of a seed in the earth to await rebirth. Many Eastern religions share the belief that death marks the end only of physical existence and of the limited view of reality that human beings can grasp. Death itself is a remote experience in most lives today, something that takes place off-stage in a hospital or nursing-home. In earlier times, dying was a much more visible part of daily living. Families, friends, and other loved ones in a community would share in caring for those at the end of life (Schulz et al., 27 June 2001) Most deaths occurred at home, often following a brief illness and unaffected by the limited medical care available. Today, the process of dying almost has become invisible, but it still summons pain among the loved ones left (Bern-Krug et al., February 2001). Coping with loss is a process with an individual course, tem... There are others who benefit from, and still others who continue to require the assistance of, qualified psychotherapists in confronting the void left by death. There is no single ideal time point for therapeutic intervention. As practiced today, bereavement counselling is a valuable and non-stigmatizing method of assisting the bereaved who have difficulty entering, traversing or exiting the grief and mourning process. Review of Literature Throughout history, numerous writers and researchers have articulated their views of what constitutes the bereaved state and its associated actions, particularly since 1970. The earliest conceptualizations was done by Freud (1957), where he related it to loss situation-specific depressive syndromes, and he spoke of restitution of cathected or invested energies, particularly those of id origin. Later formulations bore the hallmark of attachment theory grounding, wherein the broken bond with the lost object/person is the subject and object of a universal psychosocial process leading to eventual reconciliation of painful feelings and reattachment to life, living and, for some, even new relationships. Colin Murray Parkes (1972) also cited stigma and deprivation as key features of the bereavement experience. These authors based their findings largely on studies of widows in Britain, Australia, and North America. Many of these seminal works on bereavement brought about a linear stage model of progression to some better state post-loss. Examples include the popularized views of Elisabeth Kbler-Ross (1969), who wrote of movement from denial, through anger, to bargaining, then to depression, and finally to acceptance. This often misrepresented and misused description none the less has

Words of the Bewitched in Bridget Bishop Assignment

Words of the Bewitched in Bridget Bishop - Assignment Example This affirmed the fears of the witnesses that indeed the Bishop was a witch. Each witness had an account different from the next, all of which were related to an interaction with the Bishop. In most of the testimonies, the unsuspecting culprits would welcome the Bishop into their homes as a visitor or simply interact with her as they would any other villager. However, the more her visits became, the more their miseries increased. This showed them that the torments would not have been instances of accidents but was well planned and the culprits carefully selected. The Bishop’s gender contributed to the accusations against her. Being a woman, she had gained so much influence and was living on her own. This was not common with the villagers. On the trial day, a body search revealed shambled body parts that did not resonate with the physique of a woman. A teat that was found mysteriously disappears right in the sights of her searchers. This is an occurrence that she could not let herself out of. The presence of puppets made of rugs and hogs bristles with headless pins on them were found in her house. These were weird things that the witnesses could not fathom. Their presence in her home and lack of a proper explanation of their use worsened the case against her. The bench of female jurists thus made the ruling of guilt against her based on the amount of evidence. To protect one from being accused of witchcraft, all it took was the courage to sign a book. The Bishop refused to sign this book. This is an act that proved her among the villagers as an outright witch. She could not thus be accused of routine misconduct. Furthermore, the accusation leveled against her and the following testimonials were unique in that they involved strange occurrences that inflicted pain and torture on her culprits. A large number of her culprits and the intensity of their predicament could not help matters for the Bishop either.