Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace

Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace Phones 4 you Case Study Chapter One: Introduction Phones 4u is a large independent mobile phone retailer in the UK. Since opening in 1996, it expanded to 400 stores throughout the United Kingdom. Head office is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and was until recently part of the The Caudwell Group formed by John Caudwell. In September 2006 the group was sold and Phones 4u is now owned by Providence Equity Partners (Minter, 2003, 18) Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of the persons biological, psychological or social systems. In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. Stressful stimuli can be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical reactions. Lost car keys, tardiness, family death, and loss of job, pressure, frustration, and social changes-these are different types of stress, the process by which one appraises and copes with environmental threats and challenges. The events of daily life flow through a psychological filter that helps a person the react in certain ways. Some stress early in life is conducive to later emotional and physical growth. But stresses, or conflicts, can also threaten a persons life as well and health (Amatea, 1991, 48). Behavioral psychologists have determined there is a correlation between stress and the declination on ones behavior. One may increase his usage of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs to escape his stressful state. Other problems include arguing with friends, neglecting appearance, crying easily, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawing from family and friends. In extreme cases, stress can cause insanity. Emotional changes are also a common effect of stress. Symptoms include anger, anxiety, depression, nervousness, loneliness, and rejection. Changes in emotional state may lead to psychological disorders or even death, if not treated. Suicide is among the leading outcomes of stress-related depression (aspinwall, 1992, 48). Not only does stress effect ones emotional and behavioral states, buy it also plays a large role in ones physical state. Symptoms of stress include, but are not limited to, allergies, back pain, respiratory infections, fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, sleeping problems, and dizziness. British scientist Hans Selye made a basic point of stress. It states that although the human body comes designed to cope with temporary stress, prolonged stress can produce physical deterioration. MRI brain scans of people who have experienced a prolonged amount of stress often show the results of a shrunken hippocampus, the inner brain structure vital to laying down explicit memories. Stress can put people at risk for one of todays four leading causes of serious illness and death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lung disease. Such findings were proven true by studies done by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman in 1956. Psychophysiological illnesses are stress-related. They are i llnesses, such as high blood pressure, that are caused by high levels of stress. Immune responses may also be effected by stress. They can either speed up or slow down causing a variety of illnesses such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. Stress does not make one sick, but it does restrain ones immune functioning, making him more vulnerable to foreign invaders (Bandura, 1986, 58). Stress in unavoidable. If one can not eliminate stress by changing or ignoring a situation, one must learn to manage it by confronting or escaping the problem. Stress management may include aerobic exercise, relaxation, and social support. Without knowledge of stress and ways to manage it, people are more susceptible of disease and psychological disorders. There are various sources of stress. The very definition of stress is: A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. In todays world of competition and success, the limits of our threshold are being pushed to succeed. Success is the driving force behind many people pushing their bodies to the limits. A human body needs a delicate balance between work, and relaxation. When this equilibrium is not maintained, problems occur, which might have repercussions later. These repercussions take the forms of Burnouts, break-downs, and sometimes extreme cases of heart attacks. In most cases of the systems breaking down, there are methods of control and mechanisms of improvement of the situation. Stress can be handled very effectively in todays world. Healthy and wholesome living is the new day mantra for better work efficiencies. What causes stress? There are various triggers to stress. Work, personal life and external factors (Banyard, 1993, 45). Work: the pressures of work are one of the greatest factors contributing to the high stress levels today. Long working hours, constant pressures of deadlines, and the inevitable fear of job security pushes people to work very hard. Personal Life: outside the work place, people are always subject to constant pressures from family, friends, and well wishers. Handling these pressures in the most effective way is the tact of the new manager. Family life can cause stress, especially if there is some friction between partners, the ill heath or sudden death of a partner can cause great levels of stress. External factors: personal finances, world events and other non classifiable events also add to stress. Time management or lack of thereof is another cause of external factors of stress. How does one handle stress? There are several ways of fighting stress in ones life. This essay will briefly attempt to touch base with some important methods which can be imbibed in handling stress. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time Management: Time management is one of the greatest methods of combating stress especially in the workplace. Effective time management helps us prioritizing, planning, allocating and executing effective schedules in order to maximize our most valuable resource, time. Once a person has been able to handle time effectively, he or she would be able to handle many tasks which have been allocated (Baruch, 1987, 59). 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health: stress has a great impact on the personal health of the individual. Ageing is speeded up and white hair apparently comes aplenty. Living a healthy life helps in handling stress better. A regular routine, the offshoot of effective time management, allows us time to regularly exercise. Exercise, as many say release endorphins, these help combat stress and depression, a stress induced side effect. Healthy foods, such as greens, and maintaining a balanced diet are some other ways, which when coupled with exercise help us maintain a healthy body. 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Non Conventional Methods: going back to the basics is a term that is used very regularly today. When one says going back to the basics, it includes going back to the past. Yoga, pranayama and other methods of controlling the mind, body and soul, have existed in our country for a very long time. This is fast gaining popularity as methods of combating stress. Yoga has immense powers to help us maintain our minds and body in shape. From the above, we can see one of the greatest factors of handling stress is to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul. Prevention is better than cure, preventing stress by having a healthy life style and a healthy mind, is a plus point which has no substitute in todays world. However there is no effective way of handling self induced stress. Calming the mind and regulated breathing can ease the stress, but it will be rendered ineffective if the person is not willing to practice it in the positive way (Bem, 1981, 49). Stress is one of the greatest hindrances to efficient productivity in todays workplace. Production efficiency is the key word today and this does face a serious threat with stress. Combating stress on a war footing is the need of the hour, and some of the above points will assist in effective stress management through a healthy mind , body and soul. Stress is a combination of responses in the body. Stress can be short-term (acute) or chronic. Acute stress is the fight or flight response. If a car is careening toward you at a high rate of speed, you will (or should!) experience acute stress. It is when you experience so many common stressors, such as heavy traffic, noise, money worries, illnesses, relationship problems, rising crime rates, or work frustrations, that stress takes a chronic form. In the short term, stress can be vital. Over time, it turns destructive . How destructive can stress be on your body? Research has shown that prolonged stress can produce actual tissue changes and organ dysfunction. With the new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques, scientists are able to prove visibly that chronic stress can shrink an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. Read More On This They have found that the brains of war veterans, as well as women who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse, have a marked reduction in the size of their hypothalamus (Betz, 1987, 29). Stress also affects your brain by releasing powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). The hypothalamic/pituitary-adrenal portion of your brain releases steroid hormones, including the primary stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol affects systems throughout your body, including an increased heart rate. Your heart, lungs, and circulatory system are influenced by the increased heart rate. Blood flow may increase 300 to 400 percent. Blood pressure increases and breathing becomes rapid. Your mouth and throat may become dry. Skin may become cool and clammy because blood flow is diverted away so it can support the heart and muscle tissues. Even digestive activity shuts down. Once again, occasional stress is normal. Once youve handled the situation, the stress goes away and you heal from the episode. But, if stressors accumulate over time, eventually the body becomes inefficient at handling even the least amount of stress. The brain, heart, lungs, vessels, and muscles become so chronically over or under activated that they become damaged. It is this sort of stress which may trigger or worsen heart disease, strokes, susceptibility to infection, sleep disturbances, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, memory and learning dysfunction, digestive problems, weight problems, diabetes, pain, and skin disorders. Extensive multidisciplinary studies have presented unequivocal evidence that our psychological responses to stress and our perceptions of stress to a considerable extent affect our susceptibility to disease. In active relationship, the immune, neuroendocrine, and nervous systems respond to the brain and psyche. Virtually all illnesses, from the flu to cancer, are influenced for good or bad by our thoughts and feelings. R. Lloyd, 1990 Healing Brain: A Scientific Reader (Betz, 1987, 48) Statement of the Research Problem How do the employees cope with stress in the workplace to achieve a more balanced lifestyle at Phones 4 you ? Stress is a part of everybodys life. Depending on the level of stress, it can control our lives, especially in the workplace. We begin to spend several long hours at work, and thus have less time for other things. Stressed employees may be unhappy and thus produce nominally. Stress can deteriorate social and family relationships and eventually burn you out; ultimately it can take toll on your health. Organizations need to recognize stress as a problem and decide whether or not to act upon it. Background Information This question needs to be answered because stress is a problem that Phones 4 you must deal with; stress can cause poor work performance and lower employee morale. These factors can increase employee turnover rate and lessen quality of life. We all must deal with stress; question is how we handle and control it. With downsizing the buzz word in the modern corporate world, companies have become mean and lean. Employees are compelled to be more efficient Phones 4 you; they find themselves taking on the work of what used to be two. The result is longer hours, less time for outside activities, and consequently increased stress. According to Business Week, the typical British works 47 hours a week, and if current trends continue, in 20 years the average person would be on the job 60 hours a week. Another factor that increases stress is technological advancements. With all the new technology one is always connected to work and accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. According to Business Week, it is now possible, and thus increasingly expected, for employees to be accessible and productive any hour, any day (Bollen, 1993, 18). At a workplace, one observes several sales people working long hours, claiming it is due to under staffing. Employees reach a point of diminishing returns. The more hours they work, the less productive they are. This stressful condition causes the quality of work to dwindle. Consequently, clients recognize this, and eventually they terminate the business relationship. Soon the company loses, as it is built on these clients (Moos, 1989, 58). Statement of the Objectives This research expects to discuss factors which lead to stress in the workplace at Phones 4 you. Are individuals stressed in the workplace at Phones 4 you? What causes stress in the workplace Phones 4 you? Who is mostly stressed: men or women? Are individuals being exposed to stress management techniques? Should employers implement stress management techniques? as a future manager, I would like to be able to determine if stress is a problem for employees; if so, implement a strategy to curtail stress in the workplace. By recognizing stress in the workplace, employers can act appropriately to reduce stress. The outcome can benefit social and family relationships, as well as preserve ones health and make us more productive in our organizations (Moos, 1982, 25). Scope The research project will comprise of a sample size of 30 individuals, randomly selected from general business areas. The study will analyze stress factors in the U.K workforce and its impact on the British organization. Effective stress management techniques will then be presented, which will allow individuals or organizations to implement. Secondary information from various sources will be utilized to explore effective methods of coping with stress. The conclusions and recommendations I will draw will be applicable to any British organization with stress as a problem. Although this study will generalize from the small population, it can be used as a starting point to recognizing the problem, as each organization can require a different approach (Parkes, 1986, 36). Limitations The sources utilized in the research will be extracted from current articles (2006-present) from online services, the Internet, and public libraries. A survey will be given to individuals of randomly chosen organizations and will not target any specific company or industry. Due to time constraints, the population will be limited to 30 individuals. The research will explore factors causing stress in the workplace and its impact on organizations. Effective methods of coping with stress will be given, but limited to ones examined in the secondary resources (Portello, 1996, 548). Research Procedures The project will focus on stress factors in the workplace and effective methods to balance a healthy lifestyle. The sample group will consist of 30 individuals randomly selected from general business areas. The survey will be conducted during lunch periods when several employees leave and return to the workplace. The questionnaire will attempt to see if the sample individuals believe stress is a problem and what can be done to resolve it. The questionnaire will be delivered in person and each individual will fill out the survey at that point. Since the survey will be conducted in a general public area, no authorization is needed to administer. Once I receive all the surveys, I will quantify the data into an Excel spreadsheet. I will report the data mostly in percentages (e.g. 70percent of the individuals acknowledge that stress is a problem in the workplace). The data will be utilized to see if stress is a factor impacting the British workforce. Stress management techniques will be presented where appropriate (Browne, 1993, 578). Chapter Two: Literature Review Stress is an adaptive response. It is the bodys reaction to an event that is seen as emotionally disturbing, disquieting, or threatening. When we perceive such an event, we experience what stress researchers call the fight or flight response. To prepare for fighting or fleeing, the body increases its heart rate and blood pressure; more blood is then sent to your heart and muscles, and your respiration rate increases (Carmines, 1981, 48). Stress is both positive and negative. Good stress is a balance of arousal and relaxation that helps you concentrate, focus, and achieve what you want. Bad stress is constant stress and constant arousal that may lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and worse. The body does not distinguish between negative and positive stress. The same physiological responses can take place whether you are happy or sad about a given situation. When extending to the workplace, stress may lead to poor work performance and end up costing an organizations several thousands of dollars. The organization loses on salary because they are not receiving satisfactory production and if the employee becomes ill, health and workers compensation rates can soar . The organization must decide whether or no to implement a stress management program, since there are several external stressors that can overtake an individual. Internal stressors, within organizations include technology and corporate downsizing which leads to longer hours and job uncertainty. If one does not know how to manage stress, it can get out of control ) (Rock, 1997, 4). Analyzing Stress on Individuals In a 1995 survey of 1,705 respondents it is analyzed that stress rises with level of education and job level and is higher than average for women (Robinson, 1996, 88). Fifty-eight percent of the women respondents possess moderate to a lot of stress in the workplace compared to 53 percent of men. From the divorced individuals, 62 percent are stressed in the workplace compared to married and never married at 57 percent, and 58 percent respectively. The widowed respondents maintain the least stress at 38 percent (Robinson, 1996, 48). College graduate respondents possess more stress at 64 percent than high school graduates at 55 percent. Only 43 percent of the less than high school respondents felt stress in the workplace. Those with more education feel more stress, possibly because their jobs involve greater managerial and financial responsibility (Robinson, 1996, 87). Stress is an epidemic in British life. In nationwide polls, 89 percent of Britishers reported that they often experience high levels of stress, and 59 percent claimed that they feel great stress at least once a week (Hellmich, 1994, 57). A five year study of the British workforce conducted by the Families and Work Institute showed that 30 percent of employees often or very often feel burned out or stressed by their jobs, 27 percent feel emotionally drained from their work, and 42 percent feel used up at the end of the work day (Hellmich, 1994, 4). Balancing work pressures and family responsibilities leaves many workers feeling burned out. Examining the Effects of Downsizing on Stress The downsizing of organizations have caused a stressful environment. Downsizing has created concerns over job security, and has forced employees to take on a larger workload. According to a local union representing U.K. West stated that work still needs to be done, but with fewer people (Scott, 1996, 41). Downsizing creates quantitative and qualitative stress. Quantitative stress pertains to doing the same amount of work with fewer people. Reengineering the organization entails shaping the company to be more efficient with less individuals. These individuals are asked to do a wider variety of work functions they are not trained to do, causing qualitative overload (Scott, 1996, 35). Occupational Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviours (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease (Rosenfield, 1989, 5). Prevalence Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in todays workplace. About one-third of workers report high levels of stress. One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations (Scheier, 1985, 65). Health and Healthcare Utilization Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to low risk workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses (Schwartz, 1993, 58). Causes of Occupational Stress Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention str ategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of Britishers work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a considerable incr ease over the previous three decades, especially for women. According to the Department of Labour, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children (Shaw, 1993, 4). Signs of Occupational Stress Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family, friend and girl/boy friends are examples of stress-related problems. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders (Sherer, 1982, 36). Prevention A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work. How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress Ensure that the workload is in line with workers capabilities and resources. Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills. Clearly define workers roles and responsibilities. Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs. Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects. Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities (Smith, 1981, 24). Chapter Three: Research Methodology Design The data reported here are from two separate data sets. In order to cross-validate the model, data from the original study of managerial women were used, and these included data from the first three assessments of a 2-year longitudinal study. In the original article (B. C. Long et al., 1992, 165), a conceptual model of stress and coping was tested and developed that was based on data from the first three assessments (Time 1 to Time 3) of 11 assessments completed over 2 years. Status, Sex Role Attitudes, and Agentic Traits were assessed at Time 1; Appraisals, Disengagement and Engagement Coping, Work Environment, and Daily Hassles were assessed at Time 2; and Distress and Satisfaction were assessed at Time 3. These data were used as a base to test the validity of the model on a new set of data obtained from clerical workers, data that have not been reported elsewhere (Snapp, 1992, 32). Sampling The managerial women (n = 249) were employed in nontraditional occupations (i.e., fewer than 35% of British employees are women). Their mean age was 38.84 years (SD = 7.68, range = 22–66). More detailed descriptions of the managers characteristics can be found in B. C. Long et al. (1992). The clerical workers who participated were employed in both large and small organizations in the same large western British city in which the managers were employed. The clerical workers volunteered in response to written requests for participants that I circulated in the media and by networking. The notices were directed to full-time female clerical workers and indicated that the purpose of the study was to investigate how clerical workers experienced Occupational Stress. No incentives were offered other than a final summary report. à Ã… ¾f the 284 respondents who made contact by telephone, 273 met the criteria for inclusion (i.e., they were employed in a clerical position, worked more than 20 hours per week, and did not supervise others). à Ã… ¾f the 273 clerical workers who met the criteria and were distributed questionnaires at Time 1, 39 withdrew from the study because of lack of time to participate, 7 no longer met our criteria because of promotion, unemployment, or leave o f absence from work (e.g., due to accident or illness), and 4 moved. The overall dropout rate was 18%. Dropout analyses were conducted on the demographic variables measured at Time 1. No differences were found between the retained (n = 223) and dropout (n = 50) respondents. Chi-square analyses of the demographic variables (marital status, education, number of children, job level, and size of the company) were not significant. Because 9 participants identified a personal rather than a work stressor, their data were omitted from the model testing. All respondents were self-identified clerical workers. Job classifications included clerks (25%), secretaries–stenographers (23%), administrative assistants (34%), and others (18%). The mean age was 39.77 years (SD = 9.46, range = 22–63 years). Fifty-three percent of the clerical workers were married, 22% were single, and 25% were divorced, separated, or widowed. Fifty-three percent were parents. Twenty-four percent had a high school education or less, 42% had special training (e.g., secretarial, clerical), 17% had a college education (2 years postsecondary), and 13% had a university degree. Household incomes ranged from less than $25,000 (British) per year (23.4%) to over $61,000 (British) per year (27.5%). The major industries represented were education (31%), service (35%), utilities and public administration (12%), manufacturing and transportation (10%), and other (8%). On average the women had been in the workforce for 17.02 years (SD = 8.74, Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace Phones 4 you Case Study Chapter One: Introduction Phones 4u is a large independent mobile phone retailer in the UK. Since opening in 1996, it expanded to 400 stores throughout the United Kingdom. Head office is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and was until recently part of the The Caudwell Group formed by John Caudwell. In September 2006 the group was sold and Phones 4u is now owned by Providence Equity Partners (Minter, 2003, 18) Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of the persons biological, psychological or social systems. In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. Stressful stimuli can be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical reactions. Lost car keys, tardiness, family death, and loss of job, pressure, frustration, and social changes-these are different types of stress, the process by which one appraises and copes with environmental threats and challenges. The events of daily life flow through a psychological filter that helps a person the react in certain ways. Some stress early in life is conducive to later emotional and physical growth. But stresses, or conflicts, can also threaten a persons life as well and health (Amatea, 1991, 48). Behavioral psychologists have determined there is a correlation between stress and the declination on ones behavior. One may increase his usage of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs to escape his stressful state. Other problems include arguing with friends, neglecting appearance, crying easily, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawing from family and friends. In extreme cases, stress can cause insanity. Emotional changes are also a common effect of stress. Symptoms include anger, anxiety, depression, nervousness, loneliness, and rejection. Changes in emotional state may lead to psychological disorders or even death, if not treated. Suicide is among the leading outcomes of stress-related depression (aspinwall, 1992, 48). Not only does stress effect ones emotional and behavioral states, buy it also plays a large role in ones physical state. Symptoms of stress include, but are not limited to, allergies, back pain, respiratory infections, fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, sleeping problems, and dizziness. British scientist Hans Selye made a basic point of stress. It states that although the human body comes designed to cope with temporary stress, prolonged stress can produce physical deterioration. MRI brain scans of people who have experienced a prolonged amount of stress often show the results of a shrunken hippocampus, the inner brain structure vital to laying down explicit memories. Stress can put people at risk for one of todays four leading causes of serious illness and death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lung disease. Such findings were proven true by studies done by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman in 1956. Psychophysiological illnesses are stress-related. They are i llnesses, such as high blood pressure, that are caused by high levels of stress. Immune responses may also be effected by stress. They can either speed up or slow down causing a variety of illnesses such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. Stress does not make one sick, but it does restrain ones immune functioning, making him more vulnerable to foreign invaders (Bandura, 1986, 58). Stress in unavoidable. If one can not eliminate stress by changing or ignoring a situation, one must learn to manage it by confronting or escaping the problem. Stress management may include aerobic exercise, relaxation, and social support. Without knowledge of stress and ways to manage it, people are more susceptible of disease and psychological disorders. There are various sources of stress. The very definition of stress is: A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. In todays world of competition and success, the limits of our threshold are being pushed to succeed. Success is the driving force behind many people pushing their bodies to the limits. A human body needs a delicate balance between work, and relaxation. When this equilibrium is not maintained, problems occur, which might have repercussions later. These repercussions take the forms of Burnouts, break-downs, and sometimes extreme cases of heart attacks. In most cases of the systems breaking down, there are methods of control and mechanisms of improvement of the situation. Stress can be handled very effectively in todays world. Healthy and wholesome living is the new day mantra for better work efficiencies. What causes stress? There are various triggers to stress. Work, personal life and external factors (Banyard, 1993, 45). Work: the pressures of work are one of the greatest factors contributing to the high stress levels today. Long working hours, constant pressures of deadlines, and the inevitable fear of job security pushes people to work very hard. Personal Life: outside the work place, people are always subject to constant pressures from family, friends, and well wishers. Handling these pressures in the most effective way is the tact of the new manager. Family life can cause stress, especially if there is some friction between partners, the ill heath or sudden death of a partner can cause great levels of stress. External factors: personal finances, world events and other non classifiable events also add to stress. Time management or lack of thereof is another cause of external factors of stress. How does one handle stress? There are several ways of fighting stress in ones life. This essay will briefly attempt to touch base with some important methods which can be imbibed in handling stress. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time Management: Time management is one of the greatest methods of combating stress especially in the workplace. Effective time management helps us prioritizing, planning, allocating and executing effective schedules in order to maximize our most valuable resource, time. Once a person has been able to handle time effectively, he or she would be able to handle many tasks which have been allocated (Baruch, 1987, 59). 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health: stress has a great impact on the personal health of the individual. Ageing is speeded up and white hair apparently comes aplenty. Living a healthy life helps in handling stress better. A regular routine, the offshoot of effective time management, allows us time to regularly exercise. Exercise, as many say release endorphins, these help combat stress and depression, a stress induced side effect. Healthy foods, such as greens, and maintaining a balanced diet are some other ways, which when coupled with exercise help us maintain a healthy body. 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Non Conventional Methods: going back to the basics is a term that is used very regularly today. When one says going back to the basics, it includes going back to the past. Yoga, pranayama and other methods of controlling the mind, body and soul, have existed in our country for a very long time. This is fast gaining popularity as methods of combating stress. Yoga has immense powers to help us maintain our minds and body in shape. From the above, we can see one of the greatest factors of handling stress is to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul. Prevention is better than cure, preventing stress by having a healthy life style and a healthy mind, is a plus point which has no substitute in todays world. However there is no effective way of handling self induced stress. Calming the mind and regulated breathing can ease the stress, but it will be rendered ineffective if the person is not willing to practice it in the positive way (Bem, 1981, 49). Stress is one of the greatest hindrances to efficient productivity in todays workplace. Production efficiency is the key word today and this does face a serious threat with stress. Combating stress on a war footing is the need of the hour, and some of the above points will assist in effective stress management through a healthy mind , body and soul. Stress is a combination of responses in the body. Stress can be short-term (acute) or chronic. Acute stress is the fight or flight response. If a car is careening toward you at a high rate of speed, you will (or should!) experience acute stress. It is when you experience so many common stressors, such as heavy traffic, noise, money worries, illnesses, relationship problems, rising crime rates, or work frustrations, that stress takes a chronic form. In the short term, stress can be vital. Over time, it turns destructive . How destructive can stress be on your body? Research has shown that prolonged stress can produce actual tissue changes and organ dysfunction. With the new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques, scientists are able to prove visibly that chronic stress can shrink an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. Read More On This They have found that the brains of war veterans, as well as women who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse, have a marked reduction in the size of their hypothalamus (Betz, 1987, 29). Stress also affects your brain by releasing powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). The hypothalamic/pituitary-adrenal portion of your brain releases steroid hormones, including the primary stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol affects systems throughout your body, including an increased heart rate. Your heart, lungs, and circulatory system are influenced by the increased heart rate. Blood flow may increase 300 to 400 percent. Blood pressure increases and breathing becomes rapid. Your mouth and throat may become dry. Skin may become cool and clammy because blood flow is diverted away so it can support the heart and muscle tissues. Even digestive activity shuts down. Once again, occasional stress is normal. Once youve handled the situation, the stress goes away and you heal from the episode. But, if stressors accumulate over time, eventually the body becomes inefficient at handling even the least amount of stress. The brain, heart, lungs, vessels, and muscles become so chronically over or under activated that they become damaged. It is this sort of stress which may trigger or worsen heart disease, strokes, susceptibility to infection, sleep disturbances, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, memory and learning dysfunction, digestive problems, weight problems, diabetes, pain, and skin disorders. Extensive multidisciplinary studies have presented unequivocal evidence that our psychological responses to stress and our perceptions of stress to a considerable extent affect our susceptibility to disease. In active relationship, the immune, neuroendocrine, and nervous systems respond to the brain and psyche. Virtually all illnesses, from the flu to cancer, are influenced for good or bad by our thoughts and feelings. R. Lloyd, 1990 Healing Brain: A Scientific Reader (Betz, 1987, 48) Statement of the Research Problem How do the employees cope with stress in the workplace to achieve a more balanced lifestyle at Phones 4 you ? Stress is a part of everybodys life. Depending on the level of stress, it can control our lives, especially in the workplace. We begin to spend several long hours at work, and thus have less time for other things. Stressed employees may be unhappy and thus produce nominally. Stress can deteriorate social and family relationships and eventually burn you out; ultimately it can take toll on your health. Organizations need to recognize stress as a problem and decide whether or not to act upon it. Background Information This question needs to be answered because stress is a problem that Phones 4 you must deal with; stress can cause poor work performance and lower employee morale. These factors can increase employee turnover rate and lessen quality of life. We all must deal with stress; question is how we handle and control it. With downsizing the buzz word in the modern corporate world, companies have become mean and lean. Employees are compelled to be more efficient Phones 4 you; they find themselves taking on the work of what used to be two. The result is longer hours, less time for outside activities, and consequently increased stress. According to Business Week, the typical British works 47 hours a week, and if current trends continue, in 20 years the average person would be on the job 60 hours a week. Another factor that increases stress is technological advancements. With all the new technology one is always connected to work and accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. According to Business Week, it is now possible, and thus increasingly expected, for employees to be accessible and productive any hour, any day (Bollen, 1993, 18). At a workplace, one observes several sales people working long hours, claiming it is due to under staffing. Employees reach a point of diminishing returns. The more hours they work, the less productive they are. This stressful condition causes the quality of work to dwindle. Consequently, clients recognize this, and eventually they terminate the business relationship. Soon the company loses, as it is built on these clients (Moos, 1989, 58). Statement of the Objectives This research expects to discuss factors which lead to stress in the workplace at Phones 4 you. Are individuals stressed in the workplace at Phones 4 you? What causes stress in the workplace Phones 4 you? Who is mostly stressed: men or women? Are individuals being exposed to stress management techniques? Should employers implement stress management techniques? as a future manager, I would like to be able to determine if stress is a problem for employees; if so, implement a strategy to curtail stress in the workplace. By recognizing stress in the workplace, employers can act appropriately to reduce stress. The outcome can benefit social and family relationships, as well as preserve ones health and make us more productive in our organizations (Moos, 1982, 25). Scope The research project will comprise of a sample size of 30 individuals, randomly selected from general business areas. The study will analyze stress factors in the U.K workforce and its impact on the British organization. Effective stress management techniques will then be presented, which will allow individuals or organizations to implement. Secondary information from various sources will be utilized to explore effective methods of coping with stress. The conclusions and recommendations I will draw will be applicable to any British organization with stress as a problem. Although this study will generalize from the small population, it can be used as a starting point to recognizing the problem, as each organization can require a different approach (Parkes, 1986, 36). Limitations The sources utilized in the research will be extracted from current articles (2006-present) from online services, the Internet, and public libraries. A survey will be given to individuals of randomly chosen organizations and will not target any specific company or industry. Due to time constraints, the population will be limited to 30 individuals. The research will explore factors causing stress in the workplace and its impact on organizations. Effective methods of coping with stress will be given, but limited to ones examined in the secondary resources (Portello, 1996, 548). Research Procedures The project will focus on stress factors in the workplace and effective methods to balance a healthy lifestyle. The sample group will consist of 30 individuals randomly selected from general business areas. The survey will be conducted during lunch periods when several employees leave and return to the workplace. The questionnaire will attempt to see if the sample individuals believe stress is a problem and what can be done to resolve it. The questionnaire will be delivered in person and each individual will fill out the survey at that point. Since the survey will be conducted in a general public area, no authorization is needed to administer. Once I receive all the surveys, I will quantify the data into an Excel spreadsheet. I will report the data mostly in percentages (e.g. 70percent of the individuals acknowledge that stress is a problem in the workplace). The data will be utilized to see if stress is a factor impacting the British workforce. Stress management techniques will be presented where appropriate (Browne, 1993, 578). Chapter Two: Literature Review Stress is an adaptive response. It is the bodys reaction to an event that is seen as emotionally disturbing, disquieting, or threatening. When we perceive such an event, we experience what stress researchers call the fight or flight response. To prepare for fighting or fleeing, the body increases its heart rate and blood pressure; more blood is then sent to your heart and muscles, and your respiration rate increases (Carmines, 1981, 48). Stress is both positive and negative. Good stress is a balance of arousal and relaxation that helps you concentrate, focus, and achieve what you want. Bad stress is constant stress and constant arousal that may lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and worse. The body does not distinguish between negative and positive stress. The same physiological responses can take place whether you are happy or sad about a given situation. When extending to the workplace, stress may lead to poor work performance and end up costing an organizations several thousands of dollars. The organization loses on salary because they are not receiving satisfactory production and if the employee becomes ill, health and workers compensation rates can soar . The organization must decide whether or no to implement a stress management program, since there are several external stressors that can overtake an individual. Internal stressors, within organizations include technology and corporate downsizing which leads to longer hours and job uncertainty. If one does not know how to manage stress, it can get out of control ) (Rock, 1997, 4). Analyzing Stress on Individuals In a 1995 survey of 1,705 respondents it is analyzed that stress rises with level of education and job level and is higher than average for women (Robinson, 1996, 88). Fifty-eight percent of the women respondents possess moderate to a lot of stress in the workplace compared to 53 percent of men. From the divorced individuals, 62 percent are stressed in the workplace compared to married and never married at 57 percent, and 58 percent respectively. The widowed respondents maintain the least stress at 38 percent (Robinson, 1996, 48). College graduate respondents possess more stress at 64 percent than high school graduates at 55 percent. Only 43 percent of the less than high school respondents felt stress in the workplace. Those with more education feel more stress, possibly because their jobs involve greater managerial and financial responsibility (Robinson, 1996, 87). Stress is an epidemic in British life. In nationwide polls, 89 percent of Britishers reported that they often experience high levels of stress, and 59 percent claimed that they feel great stress at least once a week (Hellmich, 1994, 57). A five year study of the British workforce conducted by the Families and Work Institute showed that 30 percent of employees often or very often feel burned out or stressed by their jobs, 27 percent feel emotionally drained from their work, and 42 percent feel used up at the end of the work day (Hellmich, 1994, 4). Balancing work pressures and family responsibilities leaves many workers feeling burned out. Examining the Effects of Downsizing on Stress The downsizing of organizations have caused a stressful environment. Downsizing has created concerns over job security, and has forced employees to take on a larger workload. According to a local union representing U.K. West stated that work still needs to be done, but with fewer people (Scott, 1996, 41). Downsizing creates quantitative and qualitative stress. Quantitative stress pertains to doing the same amount of work with fewer people. Reengineering the organization entails shaping the company to be more efficient with less individuals. These individuals are asked to do a wider variety of work functions they are not trained to do, causing qualitative overload (Scott, 1996, 35). Occupational Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviours (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease (Rosenfield, 1989, 5). Prevalence Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in todays workplace. About one-third of workers report high levels of stress. One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations (Scheier, 1985, 65). Health and Healthcare Utilization Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to low risk workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses (Schwartz, 1993, 58). Causes of Occupational Stress Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention str ategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of Britishers work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a considerable incr ease over the previous three decades, especially for women. According to the Department of Labour, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children (Shaw, 1993, 4). Signs of Occupational Stress Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family, friend and girl/boy friends are examples of stress-related problems. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders (Sherer, 1982, 36). Prevention A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work. How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress Ensure that the workload is in line with workers capabilities and resources. Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills. Clearly define workers roles and responsibilities. Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs. Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects. Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities (Smith, 1981, 24). Chapter Three: Research Methodology Design The data reported here are from two separate data sets. In order to cross-validate the model, data from the original study of managerial women were used, and these included data from the first three assessments of a 2-year longitudinal study. In the original article (B. C. Long et al., 1992, 165), a conceptual model of stress and coping was tested and developed that was based on data from the first three assessments (Time 1 to Time 3) of 11 assessments completed over 2 years. Status, Sex Role Attitudes, and Agentic Traits were assessed at Time 1; Appraisals, Disengagement and Engagement Coping, Work Environment, and Daily Hassles were assessed at Time 2; and Distress and Satisfaction were assessed at Time 3. These data were used as a base to test the validity of the model on a new set of data obtained from clerical workers, data that have not been reported elsewhere (Snapp, 1992, 32). Sampling The managerial women (n = 249) were employed in nontraditional occupations (i.e., fewer than 35% of British employees are women). Their mean age was 38.84 years (SD = 7.68, range = 22–66). More detailed descriptions of the managers characteristics can be found in B. C. Long et al. (1992). The clerical workers who participated were employed in both large and small organizations in the same large western British city in which the managers were employed. The clerical workers volunteered in response to written requests for participants that I circulated in the media and by networking. The notices were directed to full-time female clerical workers and indicated that the purpose of the study was to investigate how clerical workers experienced Occupational Stress. No incentives were offered other than a final summary report. à Ã… ¾f the 284 respondents who made contact by telephone, 273 met the criteria for inclusion (i.e., they were employed in a clerical position, worked more than 20 hours per week, and did not supervise others). à Ã… ¾f the 273 clerical workers who met the criteria and were distributed questionnaires at Time 1, 39 withdrew from the study because of lack of time to participate, 7 no longer met our criteria because of promotion, unemployment, or leave o f absence from work (e.g., due to accident or illness), and 4 moved. The overall dropout rate was 18%. Dropout analyses were conducted on the demographic variables measured at Time 1. No differences were found between the retained (n = 223) and dropout (n = 50) respondents. Chi-square analyses of the demographic variables (marital status, education, number of children, job level, and size of the company) were not significant. Because 9 participants identified a personal rather than a work stressor, their data were omitted from the model testing. All respondents were self-identified clerical workers. Job classifications included clerks (25%), secretaries–stenographers (23%), administrative assistants (34%), and others (18%). The mean age was 39.77 years (SD = 9.46, range = 22–63 years). Fifty-three percent of the clerical workers were married, 22% were single, and 25% were divorced, separated, or widowed. Fifty-three percent were parents. Twenty-four percent had a high school education or less, 42% had special training (e.g., secretarial, clerical), 17% had a college education (2 years postsecondary), and 13% had a university degree. Household incomes ranged from less than $25,000 (British) per year (23.4%) to over $61,000 (British) per year (27.5%). The major industries represented were education (31%), service (35%), utilities and public administration (12%), manufacturing and transportation (10%), and other (8%). On average the women had been in the workforce for 17.02 years (SD = 8.74,

Creation of a Web Based Business Property Website

Creation of a Web Based Business Property Website Isidoros Ioannou Creating an Innovative Business Nowadays, the cost of living has been increased significantly in the majority of the European countries. This raise can be reflected on the high amount of money spent by people for renting flats to reside. Especially, UK is the country that charges the highest rent rates to tenants among the other European countries (Guardian, 2015). It is inevitable for several groups of people, particularly students and young professionals to seek and rent a room in a flat share. The process of finding the suitable property and the appropriate future housemates is not easy at all. Living with other people is usually a complicated and difficult situation, because peoples characters are different and not everybody matches with each other. There are several aspects to consider when someone is choosing a property to rent or flat mates to live with. Most of the times people do not respect your privacy and this can lead to various conflicts (BBC ,2013), (thefirstpint, 2010). As a result, UK citizens spend every year a serious part of their income to find a residence that could meet their preferences and countless time to search for important information, such as potential housemates. In order to alleviate the problem of the significant amount of time and money invested for the process of finding a flat and suitable flat mate, a corresponding service provider needs to be developed. The company will focus on helping especially students and young professionals, since these two categories of humans are noticed to search usually for renting properties. The company named easyproperty would be web-based it would give the opportunity to their customers to search for the more suitable people to share a common property, according to their preferences. Customer will have to register first and submit their preferences and characteristics. These would be for example, occupation, gender, nationality, age, habits, interests, the amount of money they could afford to spend, their preferred location, etc. They could have also the capability to prioritize some of their input preferences, in order to the matching algorithms could give more effective results regarding their preferences. The customer could then perform a search on the website of the company. Its search mechanism will find the people that match mostly the customers preferences and concurrently will provide in the same page property recommendations from the databases of various agencies. The capability of altering the location and other attributes before search will be also included. The people list and property list will be sorted based on the people and properties that matched more successfully the persons inputs that conducted the search activity. However, the property list will be displayed with some peculiarities. In other words, for properties that nearly showed the same percentage of matching with the user, priority will be given to them that contain already residents. For instance, if a house consists of two rooms and only one is vacant, this house will be in a higher position in the list, compared to other houses. Currently in the market some competitors exist that offer similar services. The most renowned are SpareRoom.com, Rightmove.co.uk and Zoopla.co.uk. The technologies that these competitors use and the ones that the suggested company is going to use will be analyzed in detail in the following chapter. First of all, the immediate competitor of the authors suggested company is SpareRoom.com. It allows clients to perform searches for suitable flats or flat mates based on their preferences and characteristics. spareroom.com provides its services across all the UK and USA and it is the pioneer on its activity field in the UK since it counts nearly 6,499,202 registered users (spare room, 2017). The user can also register to the website and upload advertisements about suitable rooms or flat mates that he wishes to find. Other users can review these advertisements by performing search tasks to the systems database. One of the drawbacks that spareroom.com has it possess its own database system. This means that the searches are limited to the properties that are included only in its database. In addition, due to spareroom.com targets a wide range of the market, it is difficult to focus on certain categories of people, which in this case are students domestic and international among with you ng professionals. The operation and success of easyproperty will be based on its attempt to tackle the drawbacks of spareroom.com. It will use databases of each areas local estate agencies to offer more options to its users. The options will be mostly compatibles to the two fore mentioned categories of people that the company aims to target. On the other hand, the other remaining competitors, rightmove.co.uk and zoopla.co.uk provide only the option to users to search for the suitable room. They do not offer options for the user to search for a suitable flat mate. Both also use databases from local estate firms they cooperate with and offer a wide range of available property choices. Particularly rightmove.co.uk provides renting and sale services only in the UK while provides also selling services across Spain and France. (rightmove, 2017). Likely zoopla.co.uk provides renting and selling features only in UK but provides selling features for a wider domain of countries, nearly all over the world (zoopla, 2017). The competition with these companies is noticed on the establishment of cooperation with the local estate firms. The web based firm that the author suggests and will penetrate into the property estate market aims to offer efficient features to students and young professionals who are the main groups who cannot afford to rent a house by themselves and need to share a flat. The service that easy property offers is unique as it offers the opportunity to their users to find the most suitable house mate and at the same time it assists them to choose the most desired property to live. From the description of the services that the company will provide it is conceived that the environment of its activity will be the World Wide Web (WWW). According to Gong and Zhu (2009), the main service that an e-commerce electronic website provides is user registration, query, shopping and communicating online. As a result for our business, a functional e-commerce website would be the ideal choice. An electronic commerce website should equip WWW browse, data server, e-mail service, customer operation system together with web service system and so on software and hardware (Gong Zhu, 2009). In addition, the usability factor is vital for this kind of website, since it determines the intention of the customer to use and exploit the services of the website. The term usability refers to both a set of independent quality attributes such as user performance, satisfaction, and learnability (Green Pearson, 2011). In order to, satisfy these requirements and produce an effective and user fr iendly application, the author chose carefully the components that will constitute the website. The website will be developed using the WordPress Content Management System (CMS). It is a free open source tool that requires little programming experience and various free plugins. It will be integrated with php and HTML 5 web development technologies, since they are scripting languages focused on implementing website pages. They will offer dynamic connections to other websites and great responsiveness when the companys website will be displayed on different devices. This practice would result in a better user experience for the user, thus in a better usability (websitesetup.org, 2017). In addition, the Woo Commerce platform will be incorporated to the website as bridge with the companys server which will help with the data retrieval and manipulation from the server. Regarding the other components that are crucial for the operation and tasks of the website and were mentioned above, the author is going to use the most value for money solutions. For the domain name which will be www.easyproperty.co.uk the namecheap hosting company will be chosen. Other software elements, for example the web server and the business email server are provided also from the same company. The technology of cloud computing is really attractive to the majority of the small and medium size companies, since they are not obliged to invest a significant asset on hardware or software services. Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) (Jula et al., 2014). The service and the maintenance of the infrastructure is the responsibility of the cloud provider. Companies can exploit the high performance and the support that cloud providers offer without spending extra money (Laudon Laudon, 2016). From the four cloud computing service models: Software as a Service, Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Network as a Service (NaaS), the company will depend on IaaS model for utilizing its data storage. Microsoft cloud will be chosen as the cloud provider. According to Payne and Frow (2005), a very important practice that plays important role in the success of the business is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). It is a practice that if a company implement efficiently, can easily achieve better relationship with its customers and increase the flow of them. The clients will be regularly notified about offers and services by sending those emails that will be stored in the companys database. Finally, the aim of the company is to expand its service by implementing the website into mobile applications. Cross-Platform tools enable the development of applications for multiple mobile operating systems (OS). It allows reusing the same source code for building an application for multiple platforms (Charkaoui, et al., 2014). By using one of the available cross platform tools it will save a lot of time and cost comparing to using native application development tools, since it requires developing separate apps for the different mobile OS and in a different programming language. Business model is the content, the structure and the administration of the transactions, which have been designed to create value and to exploit the various business opportunities. (Zot Amit, 2011). It explains the insight that a business should have in order to achieve revenue by defining its position into the value chain. (Rappa, 2010). According to Ostwalder and Pigneur (2010), the business model describes how an organization can achieve value creation, value delivery and value capture. The authors have also invented the Business Model Canvas which is a tool that organizes all the activities an organization should implement from the initial value proposition stage to the final stage of value capture. It is two dimensional depiction of nine vital blocks that help the organization to fulfill its objectives, achieve its goals and manage its products and resources. The Business Model Canvas contains the tree elements that define the successful activity lifecycle of a company. Value proposition is the activity of designing services and products that would provide value to customers. Value delivery is the activities the business implements for delivering their products and consequently the value to customers and value capture is the way the company has income from the above activities. The Business Model Canvas, as well as the detailed description of each block is discussed below. Â   Â   Figure 1: Business Model Canvas Customer segments Customer segments are the category of people that the company aims to offer value. The targeted audience of the easyproperty company will mainly consists of university students and young professionals, since these categories are most likely to be searching for flat mates in order to share an apartment. Value propositions/creation The value creation or value proposition is an element really important for any business. Any new business that enters the market should offer something unique or provide better services/products from similar organizations, in order to attract customers. The aim of the company is to provide advanced search features for its customer so that they could find the perfect roommate. This is achieved by providing many fields for entering the customer preferences and the ability to prioritize the ones that are more important for them. The next step is to give them a wide list of properties to choose from in various locations. By using the databases from local estate agencies and the advertisements of private landlords, clients have a lot of options to choose from. Finally the company will provide the opportunity for real estate companies to advertise themselves through the companys website. Channels The channels block contains all the means that the company communicates with its customers and these means are used mainly for marketing purposes. Social media like Facebook and Twitter will be used mostly. Then the website will contain all the links for our social media and also information about all the estate companies we cooperate along with links to their websites and social media. In addition, once the company will target students, the universities of each city could provide assistance in promoting the company. Also the student unions of each university. Finally for promoting our company on the web the Google AdWords is going to be used that could offer better positions on their search engine and advertisement. Customer relationships Customer relationships include the means that the company provides for interaction with its clients. The company will use the customer relationship management practice for maintaining close relationship with the customers and provide them with various means to contact. This could be achieved by direct interaction by visiting the companys office. Moreover through the telephone support that it will be provided on a 24 hour basis. In addition through the website or the mobile application by submitting a contact form and by posting on the social media. Revenue streams(Value Capture) In the revenue streams the sources of the companys income are explained. Firstly, the main source of income will be from the agencies and landlords once a client will get in contact with them and agree to rent or buy the property. The agreement process will begin from the website but it will be finalized face to face. Then the agency or landlord will finalize the deal to the companys website and pay the fee, which will be a 10% commission of the first rent. The customer can also cancel the deal and the fee will be returned. All these activities with the agencies will be agreed under contracts. Another source of revenue will be capability of agencies to be advertised through our company. The tool Google AdSense will be used which is operating in pay-per-click manner. Key resources The Key resources are the activities and resources used for developing the Value proposition/creation and for delivering the value to the clients. As resources could be considered first the company staff that will develop the website and is going to support the clients issues later. Another key resource is the staff that will operate the promotion campaign of the company. Finally the information about the properties of the private landlords that will be stored in the companys database and the databases of the estate agencies. Key activities (Value Delivery) Key activities are the most crucial operations for the execution of the companys business plan. This block contains all the tasks for delivering the value which was created in the value creation block. The initial activity is to develop a fully functional website that it will serve all the services explained in the value creation block. The next step is to sign contracts with the landlords and especially with the estate agencies. This is a very important step as the agencies databases will provide the clients with many options to choose. As advertisement and promotion plays an important role for every new established company, assign to a marketing team the promotion of the business is the next steps. Signing contracts with universities for promotion purposes in order to support students searching for apartments belongs also in this step. Finally as the business starts operating the final step is to develop mobile application for providing furthers to our clients to use our services. Key partnerships Key partnerships include the cooperation network of the company. The network will consist of the real estate agencies and the supply of their databases. Moreover, experience promoting agencies, the University staff and students. Cost structure It summarizes the different costs the company has to make for the value creation. In the cost structure, the staff wages and the hardware equipment are included, for example computer infrastructure. Also the cost of hiring a promotion company and flat wages for the domain and the email server. Finally the annual costs of the cloud services (database) and the hosting server should be added. Previous researchers like Rappa proposed a classification of the various business models instead of a detailed description of what each includes. He supports that a business model should just describe how a firm produces revenue based on its position in the value chain. He proposes nine main categories of business model: Brokerage, Advertising, Infomediary, Merchant, Manufacturer, Affiliate, Community, Subscription and Utility model (Rappa, 2000). The proposed business belongs to some of these categories and the reason is explained below. Firstly the company could be classified to the Brokerage model, since its activities focus on the business to customer (B2C) market as it helps customers who are searching for a room to let, to contact the estate agencies that manage the room they wish to rent. In other words it operates as an intermediate between students, young professionals and the real estate agencies. In addition the company charges a fee as commission for every agreement it is achieved between customers and agencies. Particularly, based on the subcategories of the Brokerage model, the company could be described as a distributor as it offers catalogue services and acts as a bridge between customers and agencies. Moreover, it is a search agent as it enables the customer to search properties according to its preferences (Rappa, 2010). The company also could be classified also to the advertising model. The income from the advertisements of the agencies is secondary. The website contains advertises of agencies and n ew entried apartments in the form of banners. Also advertisement messages about new apartments that were inserted and match the users previous searches are sent to the emails of registered users. Finally it could be stated that the company has some characteristics of the Affiliate model. For instance, it enables the client to contact the agency or the landlord, whenever the customer has access to the Internet. Also it charges the agencies that advertise themselves through the website by the pay per click way. According to Timmers (1998) a business mode is an architecture for the product, service and information flows, incorporating simultaneously descriptions of the sources of revenues, description of the actors and the benefits for them. He recognized eleven business models for the operation of the business transactions which are: e-shop, e-auction, e-mall, e-procurement, third party marketplace, virtual communities, value chain service providers, value chain integrators, collaboration platforms and information brokers. References Adrian Payne, Pennie Frow (2005) A Strategic Framework for Customer Relationship Management. Journal of Marketing: October 2005, Vol. 69, No. 4, pp. 167-176. BBC News. (2017). Houseshares: How do people avoid picking a terrible housemate? [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24622858 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Bachelor, L. (2017). UK tenants pay more rent than any country in Europe. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jun/24/uk-tenants-pay-more-rent-than-europe [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Chandrasekhar, I. (2017). London Flat Hunting tips: Dos and donts for UK flat search [online] Thefirstpint.co.uk. Available at: http://www.thefirstpint.co.uk/2010/10/09/flat-hunting-useful-tips-advice/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Charkaoui, S., Adraoui, Z. Benlahmar, E. H., 2014. Cross-platform mobile development approaches. In: Third {IEEE} International Colloquium in Information Science and Technology,2014, Tetouan, Morocco, pp. 188-191 David T. Green J. Michael Pearson (2011) Integrating website usability with the electronic commerce acceptance model. In: Behaviour Information Technology, 30:2, pp. 181-199 Gong Y., Zhu C.,(2009). Design and implementation of electronic commerce website. In: 2009 ISECS International Colloquium on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management, IEEE Jula, A., Sundararajan, E. and Othman, Z. (2014). Cloud computing service composition: A systematic literature review. Expert Systems with Applications, 41(8), pp.3809-3824. Laudon, K., Laudon, J., (2015). Management Information Systems, Managing the Digital Firm, Pearson Namecheap (2017). Domain Names Cheap Domain Names [online] Available at: https://www.namecheap.com/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y. (2010), Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. Wiley, Hoboken Rightmove. (2017). About Rightmove [online]. Available at: http://plc.rightmove.co.uk/about-us/company-overview.aspx [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Spareroom (2017). The UKs #1 Flatshare Website. [online]. Available at: https://www.spareroom.co.uk/content/about/about-spareroom-new/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Timmers, P. (1998, 04). Business Models for Electronic Market. Electronic Markets, 8(2), 3-8 Websitesetup, (2017). How to Make a Website Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. [online] Available at: https://websitesetup.org/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. WooCommerce eCommerce for WordPress. (2017). [online] WooCommerce. Available at: https://woocommerce.com/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Zoopla. (2017). About Zoopla [online]. Available at: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/about/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]. Zott, C., Amit, R. (2010), Business Model Design: an activity system perspective. Long range planning, 43(2), 216-226.

Rewriting Canonical Portrayals of Women :: Good Bones Margaret Atwood Literature Essays

Rewriting Canonical Portrayals of Women In her collection of short stories, Good Bones (O. W. Toad, 1992), Margaret Atwood (1939 - ) has included Gertrude Talks Back, a piece that rewrites the famous closet scene in Shakespeare ´s Hamlet. The character of Hamlet ´s mother has posed problems of interpretation to readers, critics and performers, past and present, and has been variously or simultaneosly appraised as a symbol of female wantonness, the object of Hamlet ´s Oedipus complex, and an example of female submissiveness to the male principle (Hamlet ´s as much as Claudius ´s). Like other revisionist rewritings produced by women writers in the last few decades, Margaret Atwood ´s short story challenges received concepts of the female, and particularly the "Frailty, thy name is woman" notion that has marked so much canonical literature. Recent developments in the humanities, usually grouped under the common label of "post-structuralist theory," have contributed to making us sensitive to the politics of culture, in general, and of literature, in particular. Much thought has been given in the last few decades to how the literary canon emerges and holds its ground, and to the relations between canonical and non-canonical, between the centre and the margins. Post-colonial theorist Edward Said reminds us that "[t]he power to narrate, or to block other narratives from forming and emerging, is very important to culture and imperialism, and constitutes one of the main connections between them" (xiii). Here as in other respects, the political agendas of feminism and post-colonialism overlap; both aim at challenging the canon and at inscribing the experiences of the marginal subject (female and/or post-colonial). Revisionist rewritings are one of the strategies that can serve that purpose; I need not mention the by now many rewritings of such canonical texts as The Tempest or Robinson Crusoe. As regards the author I am concerned with here, Margaret Atwood, extensive attention has been paid to a recurrent feature of her fiction: her repeated reworking of fairy tales, most importantly the different versions of Bluebeard ´s Egg, a re-shaping which culminates in her novel The Robber Bride (1993). I would also point out how what is perhaps her most popular novel to date, The Handmaid ´s Tale (1985), thematizes the politics of reading and writing or, as Hutcheon has aptly put it, "the opposition between product and process" (139). Similar concerns are apparent in the compilation of her short stories under the title Good Bones (1992). If the constructions of womanhood and manhood occupy her in The Female Body and Making a Man, in other stories (There Was Once, Unpopular Gals, etc) it is the literary construction of womanhood that is foregrounded.

The Other Caste :: Essays Papers

The Other Caste For some professions the need for standardized higher education is obvious. We wouldn't want our doctors to have learned their craft by simply reading books and practicing on patients in their kitchens. Neither would we feel comfortable crossing a bridge or inhabiting a building designed by someone with a passionate interest in architectural engineering but who had not been subjected to rigorous testing of his or her own abilities. There are many professions, however, for which the unconsidered demand for a degree is unnecessary and creates an artificial class distinction. More importantly, the most qualified people for the job are often not even considered. My mother greatly influenced my views on this subject. She dropped out of high school when she was a freshman but she personified the self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. When she wanted to learn something, she read everything she could find on the subject. She then put her newfound knowledge to practical application until it because a new skill. Her library contained books on subjects as varied as horticulture, philosophy, stonemasonry, interior design, and architecture. She knew the Latin name of every plant in her extensive gardens. She knew more about heath and nutrition on a budget than the dietician at the assisted care facility where she worked, earning just over minimum wage. She eventually did get her GED but because she didn't have a degree in any of her areas of expertise she was poorly paid and sometimes perceived as uneducated. I saw this same prejudice all the years I worked for the Forest Service. They employ people with degrees and people without. Degree holders have the opportunity to advance professionally and become permanent employees. Those with no degrees are consistently paid lower wages and kept in a temporary status though they often do the same work as the permanent employees and return to work year after year. My Forest Service job required three things: being able to hike all day, not getting lost in the woods, and an appreciation that my repetitious acts were insuring future forests. A college degree was irreverent but I often had to train people with no aptitude or knowledge of the forest and watch them move ahead of me professionally because they had the degree. In Mark Salzman's book, Lost in Place most of the learning he writes about took place outside or even in spite of his formal schooling. The Other Caste :: Essays Papers The Other Caste For some professions the need for standardized higher education is obvious. We wouldn't want our doctors to have learned their craft by simply reading books and practicing on patients in their kitchens. Neither would we feel comfortable crossing a bridge or inhabiting a building designed by someone with a passionate interest in architectural engineering but who had not been subjected to rigorous testing of his or her own abilities. There are many professions, however, for which the unconsidered demand for a degree is unnecessary and creates an artificial class distinction. More importantly, the most qualified people for the job are often not even considered. My mother greatly influenced my views on this subject. She dropped out of high school when she was a freshman but she personified the self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. When she wanted to learn something, she read everything she could find on the subject. She then put her newfound knowledge to practical application until it because a new skill. Her library contained books on subjects as varied as horticulture, philosophy, stonemasonry, interior design, and architecture. She knew the Latin name of every plant in her extensive gardens. She knew more about heath and nutrition on a budget than the dietician at the assisted care facility where she worked, earning just over minimum wage. She eventually did get her GED but because she didn't have a degree in any of her areas of expertise she was poorly paid and sometimes perceived as uneducated. I saw this same prejudice all the years I worked for the Forest Service. They employ people with degrees and people without. Degree holders have the opportunity to advance professionally and become permanent employees. Those with no degrees are consistently paid lower wages and kept in a temporary status though they often do the same work as the permanent employees and return to work year after year. My Forest Service job required three things: being able to hike all day, not getting lost in the woods, and an appreciation that my repetitious acts were insuring future forests. A college degree was irreverent but I often had to train people with no aptitude or knowledge of the forest and watch them move ahead of me professionally because they had the degree. In Mark Salzman's book, Lost in Place most of the learning he writes about took place outside or even in spite of his formal schooling.

Corporate Governance Benchmarking

Running head: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BENCHMARKING Corporate Governance Benchmarking University of Phoenix Corporate Governance MMPBL 570 November 30, 2009 Corporate Governance Benchmarking McBride Financial Services Inc. is a low cost mortgage provider located in Boise, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, as well as North and South Dakota. Recently, Beltway Investments became the majority investor in McBride Financial Services, Inc. As a result, McBride’s CEO needs the board of directors’ collaboration while setting up internal governance controls and ensuring proper auditing. To secure that corporate governance benefits the company and investors, McBride’s CEO needs to consider benchmarking. Thus, the authors of this paper examine the benchmarking of Adelphia Communications, Tyco, Calpine Corporation, and Tyson Foods to help develop best practices for McBride Financial Services, Inc. Accordingly, Chew and Gillan (2005) state, â€Å"The role of top management is no longer just control and coordination; it is anticipating, leading, and managing change and articulating the rationale for such change to employees† (p. ). Hence, the lack of corporate governance could not be demonstrated better than the rise and fall of Adelphia Communications. Adelphia Communications was at one time the fifth largest cable provider in the United States. The company was controlled by John Rigas, the founder of Adelphia, and his family; they controlled 60 percent of the total voting shares. The family considered Adelphia funds their own personal funds and spent them lavishly on everything from airplanes to professional sports teams. When all was finally revealed, the Rigas family received $3. 4 billion in loans from Adelphia. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy and was split up in a buyout by Time Warner Cable and Comcast (Comcast, 2006). McBride Financial Services, Inc. (MFSI) is a small company controlled by McBride, the CEO. He is looking to move to the next level, like Adelphia. MFSI has recently formed a partnership with Beltway Investments to allow growth into a regional financial services provider and form a board of directors. It is not a partnership. It is a corporation and owned by Hugh and Beltway. They are not partners which is a different legal form of business. The company needs to embrace the board of directors as an independent oversight committee and not as rubber stamp committee, yet this is the initial direction the CEO wants the board to take (University of Phoenix, 2009). Adelphia Communications failed because the board was part of the corruption and independent from the daily operations of the company. The CEO needs to also allow an external accounting firm to conduct regular audits, regardless of the results, of the company to ensure the corruption of Adelphia is not duplicated because â€Å"The way boards are structured, meeting every other month, they have to rely on outside advisers† (Patsuris, 2002). Another situation to consider is the decline of the stock prices for Tyco, turning out to be quite detrimental because of the same actions of Kozlowski, the former CEO; he failed to lead the company affectively. Kozlowski was found guilty of using company funds for his personal expenses (Cummins, 2006). Even though he was found guilty, the company’s image is still flawed and questioned, the same as the value of company stock prices. Nevertheless, Eric Pillmore is in the process of reclaiming the company’s image by reconstructing and communicating a well built ethical atmosphere. Pillmore may be strict and enforce control to help the company; perhaps if the control had been maintained through corporate governance in the past, and if employees had been at ease in bringing issues to the fore front, Kozlowski would not have been able to send the company into the tailspin it has experienced (Cummins, 2006). MFSI can learn valuable lessons from Tyco; in conjunction with legal action and a marred company because of inadequate corporate governance, Tyco has made strides in changing its business environment. Tyco has managed to make improvements, from restructuring the company ethics statement, to meeting each employee personally, supplying them with a company ethics statement, and publishing a quarterly report on any problems employees brought to the company’s attention, and compiling the findings and disciplinary actions (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). Pillmore may be strict and controlling but he has turned Tyco around by improving employee behavior, creating a trustful environment and communicating with Tyco employees. MFSI’s CEO needs to consider such changes as Tyco has implemented, to be in compliance with federal guidelines, build trusting relationships with his employees and change the tone of MFSI’s corporate culture by adhering to a new corporate governance plan. Basically, in critiquing and analyzing the roles of the key leaders of corporate governance to assess the function of ethics in compliance, key concepts and the best practices of Calpine Corporation have also been considered to help MFSI. According to Chew and Gillan (2005), â€Å"During the past decade many CEOs of large companies have become highly visible public figures,† and while MFSI is still evolving, pressure to act appropriately exists (p. 1). This visibility increases accountability for leaders’ corporate governance. In the case of MFSI, the CEO is faced with critical decision making. MFSI’s CEO’s corporate governance has the potential of creating undesirable outcomes. However, to help MFSI, the best practices of Calpine demonstrate how decision making can be executed through the code of conduct guidelines. Calpine is a successful company that despite its business strategies, it was challenged with uncontrollable environmental forces. In 1998, Calpine experienced the effects of deregulation; yet leadership followed the company’s good corporate governance to address the issue. Hence, in comparing MFSI with Calpine, it is noted that Calpine’s leadership is committed to act with integrity and transparency while MFSI’s CEO is behaving unethically by disregarding the board of directors’ and shareholders’ input. Chew and Gillan (2005) declare, â€Å"The performance of companies, good or bad, is often attributed—not only by the press, but by the directors and shareholders of the companies—to the CEO’s personal business savvy and leadership† (p. 2). Therefore, in providing MFSI with good corporate governance best practices, Tyson Foods is also considered. Tyson is a company from which MFSI can learn. MFSI’s CEO wants to control the board of directors. He tells them not to worry about doing any work or meeting more than a few times a year; â€Å"I will handle the real work,† exclaims the CEO (University of Phoenix, 2009). Tyson entered into a settlement agreement that not only cost them a considerable amount of money but also required them to practice proper corporate governance. By trying to control the board of directors, and by not offering incentive compensation and stock options, MFSI’s CEO may soon find that investors do not appreciate his self serving financial gain at the cost of their right to a good return n investment. MFSI’s CEO must take seriously, as Tyson now takes seriously, the need to allow the board of directors to be active in the business of the company and to carry out their duty to protect shareholders’ interests (Friedlander, 2008). Also, MFSI’s CEO must set up proper audit procedures, using an impartial outside aud itor while setting up internal controls. MFSI’s CEO needs to understand that corporate governance procedures are not only for his benefit but also for every investor’s welfare. The CEO needs to include others in the decision making, helping to enhance every stakeholder’s benefits. By creating transparency in their procedures and corporate governance, MFSI can help encourage the board of directors to work collaboratively to provide a good return to investors while creating long term gains that will keep the company running strong. If MFSI’s CEO continues to try to circumvent the company’s processes and make the board of directors a powerless figurehead, his investors might soon become disgruntled and take their investments elsewhere. Conclusion Maintaining state and federal guidelines and staying within the company’s code of conduct can be challenging. Thus, top leaders need to delineate the roles of each person in charge of decision making and correct any incompatible behaviors contrary to good corporate governance. In the case of McBride Financial Services, Inc. , for instance, corporate governance was identified as incongruent with the overall ethical code of conduct and responsibility of top leadership. While the best practices of the companies mentioned in this paper offer fundamental principles to executing decision making in managing the interests of stakeholders, it is also critical to adhere to all Federal ethical guidelines to help mitigate any potential undesired outcomes. Synopsis of Adelphia Communication by Michael Gillespie Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Adelphia Communications was a publicly held company owned mostly by the founder John Rigas and his family. Adelphia had a board of directors the consisted of nine people, five of them appointed by the Rigas. Over a five year period of time the Rigas family â€Å"loaned† $3. 1 billion dollars from Adelphia. This was $800 million more than what was initially reported during an SEC investigation (Patsuris, 2002). These â€Å"loans† financed everything rom real estate ventures, airplanes, country club memberships, and operating the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. The Board of Directors fired the auditor of the company, Deloitte & Touche, when they began to question some inconsistencies found during an audit (Farrell, 2002). Ironically, Adelphia sued Deloitte & Touche for incompetence. If Adelphia’s board of directors had been independent, the board would have had to r ely on reports from management, external auditors and consultants, in order to determine the company’s status. Unfortunately, Adelphia’s board was so packed with insiders it was hardly in this position. Company response to the issue Soon after the termination of Deloitte, PriceWaterhouseCoopers was selected as the new auditor for Adelphia. The first step for PWC was to re-audit previous year’s financial statements. Two weeks after the hiring of PWC, Adelphia filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and was able to secure $1. 5 billion in debt to continue operating. The company hired a new board of directors. To fill these positions the firm went outside the Adelphia umbrella and searched for ethical industry veterans to become board members. John Rigas was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his sons were sentenced to 17 years. Outcomes from the company’s response Adelphia Communications was never able to recover from the lack of corporate governance and the corrupt management of the company. In 2006, Time Warner Cable and Comcast Cable purchased Adelphia for $12. 7 billion in cash and stock options (Comcast, 2006). This deal took over 40 months to complete due to fraud and security investigations and the fact that Adelphia was operating under bankruptcy protection. Synopsis of Tyco by Colleen Holdahl Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Tyco faced major legal issues in 2002 and was responsible to pay a â€Å"$50 million fine to settle claims that it inflated profits from 1996 through 2002† (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). Dennis Kozlowski, the company’s CEO, was found guilty of embezzling funds to such extravagance as reporting he purchased â€Å"a $6,000 shower curtain† (Cummins, 2006, para. 2) and hosting a â€Å"$2 million birthday party for his wife† (Cummins, 2006, para. 2). With all the turbulence Tyco has gone through, the present leadership is making progress to clean-up the company’s reputation. Eric Pillmore, the current senior vice president of corporate governance, has been the leader of the clean-up. Outcomes from the company’s response Pillmore started ‘cleaning-up’ Tyco by implementing a new corporate governance plan; starting with the replacement of the previous board of directors, developing, and forming a new ethics code. The newly implemented governance plan â€Å"first principle calls for strong leaders who see themselves as stewards of the company and mentors for its future leaders† (Cummins, 2006, para. 9). Pillmore is of the conclusion that some of the former leaders have more concern with their own self significance; seeing themselves as ‘wheeler dealers,’ instead of being responsible and looking out for the best interests of the company. Pillmore also believes one of the most critical functions of his job as chief financial officer is to monitor the finances and act as a mentor to everyone in the company (Cummins, 2006). Among Pillmore’s other philosophies is ‘a web of accountability’ and ‘a robust process to understand why people behave the way they do’. He believes every employee has something to contribute to maintain an ethical business environment and leaders should not be intimidating. Employees should be free to approach their company leaders on ethics and company values issues. Outcomes from the company’s response Eric Pillmore takes the time to meet each employee, supplying them with the company’s ethics statement, and to discuss concerns or issues they may encounter. Tyco â€Å"publishes a quarterly report on any problems employees brought to the company’s attention, then the company’s findings and any disciplinary action- leaving out all employees’ names† (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). After the turbulence and with the help of Pillmore, Tyco has turned around and once again has a positive company image and the stock has recovered most of its value. Tyco received a rating by the Governance Metrics International as â€Å"one of the most improved companies globally; on a scale of one to te n, Tyco rose from a 1. 5 at the end of 2002 to 8. 5† (Cummins, 2006, para. 13). Synopsis of Calpine Corporation by Marisela Jimenez Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Calpine Corporation is a successful independent power company that has strived to improve its business operations to help it advance its mission, values, and vision. While Calpine has managed to sustain its record high profits, the company, nevertheless, has faced changes in the business environment, particularly in deregulation. In 1998, a national movement, led by state legislation across the country, passed a U. S. Congress bill to accelerate and spread nationwide electric deregulation (FindingUniverse, 2009). This issue affected Calpine’s overall business functioning. Company response to the issue However, Calpine responded to the issue by focusing on the opportunities presented by deregulation. In other words, â€Å"The company’s foundation as a service provider to power plant operators and its subsequent development into a power plant operator itself engendered a vertically integrated enterprise primed for the new competitive era† (FundingUniverse, 2009). Calpine synergized its operations and focused on developing systems to maximize resources by improving conceptual designs, financing, construction, operation, fuel management, and power marketing. Through the synergistic approach to the business of producing electricity, Calpine managed to remain competitive in the market by strategically preserving profits without cutting the highly aggressive rates. The changes in deregulation helped Calpine’s leadership take immediate action by addressing the uncontrollable forces affecting the company. Leadership realized the potential for deregulation and its implications in the company; therefore, when Congress passed the deregulation bill, Calpine’s leadership was competently prepared. Outcomes from the company’s response Calpine’s outcome of the company’s response to the issue helped expedite the acquisition of 46 gas-fired turbines produced by Siemens Westinghouse. This acquisition radically enhanced Calpine’s market presence; leadership identified the opportunity of expansion as a result of deregulation. Basically, â€Å"The combination of Calpine management’s intuitive powers in foreseeing a growing demand for capacity and its willingness to gamble heavily paid handsome dividends,† enabling Calpine to grow into a successful company (FundingUniverse, 2009). Calpine’s leadership, however, ensures that their commitment to good corporate governance adheres to the highest ethical standards; thus, leadership behaves with integrity and transparency while maintaining strong levels of communication with stakeholders, including the board of directors, employees, and the community. Calpine’s leadership decision making is guided by the company’s code of conduct, helping to discourage any illegal and unethical behavior (Calpine, 2009). Synopsis of Tyson Foods by Carole Kindt Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Over the years Tyson Foods has handled controversial issues concerning their business practices. They have been questioned over their ties to former President Clinton, unsanitary and dangerous conditions in their plants, plants staffed by low-paid workers, and even questionable campaign contributions (Unknown 1, 2009). In 2008, Tyson entered into a settlement with its investors over questionable practices in a case that named Don Tyson, members of his family, and the Board of Directors. The case alleged misconduct in connection with related party transactions and granting stock options to officers and directors of Tyson (Chase, 2008). The settlement agreement approved by the judge in the case ordered Tyson to pay $4. 5 million to their largest shareholders and forced improvements to Tyson’s corporate governance policies (Chase, 2008). As part of the settlement agreement, Tyson agreed not to engage in any new related party transactions without the approval of the Board and also to hire a consultant to evaluate its internal audit and control processes (Chase, 2008). Company response to the issue Tyson’s Board of Directors immediately began fulfilling the terms of the settlement agreement and they have worked to create a strong corporate governance structure. In 2008, the Board appointed a lead independent director and a new chairman of its compensation committee as well as establishing a nominating committee (Unknown 2, 2008). By focusing on their internal controls and corporate governance, Tyson’s board of directors has returned to their fundamental task, to work in good faith to assure they are upholding their fiduciary duties to the stockholders. Outcomes from the company’s response Tyson’s board of directors received a wake-up call that shook them out of their lassitude and encouraged them to make changes that enhance the long term goals of Tyson Foods as well as the return for their investors (Friedlander, 2008). In this way, Tyson will rebuild its reputation and trust with investors as well as fulfill the company’s long-term goals. By creating committees made up of independent, non-biased members, Tyson will create the transparency necessary to rebuild investor trust and build their company for the future. Good choice of companies and relating some of the take-a-ways to McB. Paper easy to read and follow but you could have worked the lesson into McB in more detail. Grade 96 References Calpine. (2009). Corporate Governance. [Online]. Available: http://www. calpine. com/ About/oc_corpgov. asp (2009, November 25). (Chase R 2008 Judge Approves $4. 5M Settlement Against Tyson Foods Directors. )Chase, R. (2008). Judge Approves $4. 5M Settlement Against Tyson Foods Directors. CNA Insurance Journal. Retrieved from http://www. insurancejournal. com /news/national /2008. thm? print=1 database. Chew, D. H. , Gillan, S. L. (2005). Corporate Governance at the Crossroads: A book of readings. 1 ed. ). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Comcast Press Release. (2006). Comcast and Time Warner Complete Adelphia Acquisitions. July 31, 2006. Retrieved on November 26, 2009 from http://www. comcast. com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail. ashx? PRID=55. ComcaCCummins, H. J. (2006). Tyco exec makes the rounds spreading the word on corporate ethics. Star Tribune, p. 1D . Retrieved November 23, 2009, from ProQuest database. Farrell, M. (2002). Deloitte Blasts Adelphia on Audit. Multi Channel News. July 8, 2002. Retrieved on November 25, 2009 from http://www. allbusiness. om/company-activities-management/company-structures-ownership/6355799-1. html. (Friedlander J 2008 Overturn Time-Warner Three Different Ways)Friedlander, J. (2008). Overturn Time-Warner Three Different Ways. Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, 33(3), 631-649. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from Business Source Complete database Web Site: http://support. ebsco. com. FundingUniverse. (2009). Calpine Corporation. [Online]. Available: http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/Calpine-Corporation-Company- History. html (2009, November 25). Patsuris, Patricia (2009). Adelphia Hypocrisy. Forbes. om. Retrieved on November 25, 2009, from http://www. forbes. com/2002/06/10/0610adelphia. html. (Unknown 2 2008)Unknown 2. (2008). Retrieved November 23, 2009, from http://www. tyson. com//C orporate/PressRoom/ViewArticle. aspx? id-2879 Web Site: http://www. tyson. com. (Unknown 2009 Tyson Foods, Inc. )Unknown 1. (2009). Tyson Foods, Inc. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories. /Tyson-Foods-Inc-Company-History Web Site: http://www. fundi nguniverse. com. University of Phoenix (2009). McBride Financial Scenario. Retrieved November 16, 2009 from rEsource student website.

Case Study of the Nu Moorish International Group

The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development Mir No. 10 is here to improve the development Of humanity, we aim to educate and uplift our present condition and restore consciousness to a higher level our values consist of honesty integrity and loyalty. All of these values will be used to ascend and enhance and build confidence. Each of these values wills foundation. Leadership is essential and key to promote growth within our congregation the foundation will be embarking on principles that will encourage higher learning and establish discipline for a learning environment manifest great minds that produce great thoughts.The laws of I. S. L. A. M will be used as a tool teach the mastery of self guidance Teaching is the most prominent tool used to help with guidance, discipline self order. T. N. M. I. G. will be instrumental in gearing our constituents for higher Learning so they can be effective not only in society but also at home as well. The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development Mir No. 10 is not governed under any defacto laws or any entity under the corporation is ordered under The Moorish International Group of Science and Development.We are a freeborn people and are the Autochocton of Amexem we here at The Moorish International Group of Science is here to empower, to become and to create without any commands. TheNu Moorish International Group of Science and Development Mir No. 10, I deem it proper to submit a brief statement of our organization, covering its inception, rise and progress and of the Mohammedan religion. Which I hope will be satisfactory to you and be the means of causing you all times to adhere to the principles of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice in your relations with humanity in general.I further, most anxiously hope this brief statement will help you to more clearly see the duty and wisdom of at all times upholding those fundamental principles which are desired for our civilization of our poste rity, such as obedience to law, respect and loyalty to government, tolerance, and unity. The object of our Organization is to help in the great program of uplifting fallen humanity and teach those things to make our members better citizens. A National organization with a Rotarian complexion as it relates to branch Temples became obvious with the ncreasing number of inquiries from men and women in different sections of the organization. There are branch Temples in fifteen different states at this time. Inspired by the lofty teachings of the Koran, we have it as the revealed word of God Allah. We shall foster the principles of its teachings among our members. This is our religious privilege as American citizens, under the laws of one of the greatest documents of all time, the American Constitution.Purpose and Scope. Nature: The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development is concerned with the human service endeavor known as teaching and coaching in an organizational cont ext. The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development members engage in dialogue and projects together to promote, critically examine, and further the quality and success of teaching in organizations. Diverse applications of teaching in an organizational context affect the success of the workforce, for example, through executive Teaching, Science, leadership, performance, alignment, and health, among many other strategies for overall organizational success.Meaning: What the diverse Teaching applications in organizations hold in common is that people and, Therefore, their organizations benefit significantly from the thoughtful and compassionate assistance of an effective and experienced coach, who may either stand outside the formal authority structure of the organization, or be a part of the internal professional development system of their organization. Purpose: The Moorish International Group Of Science and Development’s purpose is to maximize the success and e fficacy of Teaching in I. S. L. A. M. t a global level. This encompasses the ongoing expansion of knowledge about how and why Science and Development produces positive results; the continuous creation of resources – theoretical and practical – and sharing of best practices. Critical to this endeavor is the integration of all Leadership in dialogue, research and debate, to contribute to the growing success of teaching solutions in Science and Development. Scope: As implied in the name, The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development is National and international in scope.This organization intends to serve Constituencies located throughout the world. Given this fundamental intention, The Moorish International Group Of Science and Development shall be mindful of the differing languages, values and customs of these constituencies, as well as taking into account the logistics of time, space and finance that often impair equitable participation of various const ituencies in international consortia of this type. Diversity of perspectives and cultural views is both respected and promoted in The Moorish International Group of Science and Development.Young Leadership: In seeking to examine, promote, and advance the success of Teaching and coaching in an organizational setting, the national and International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations is intended as a forum for all people involved in coaching in organizations: the organizational users of Teaching and coaching, those who train and educate Science and Development , firms who employ coaches and arrange the delivery of Teaching services, the men and women who conduct research and provide scholarly review of the field, as well as those who devote their talents to the practice of coaching and to ongoing critical reflection on their own practices. Structure: The structure of The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development is also conveyed in the title. This organization is a consortium.A consortium is a loosely coupled, yet committed, group that may include individual members, organizations, associations, and professional firms. The consortium shall include businesses, corporations, coaches, coaching firms and as well as supporting organizations, like academic and other coach training programs and associations that provide continued professional education or promotional help. Membership will include both direct providers and users of organizational coaching services, including those who support the growth of the field as a profession through research partnerships, donations, and indirect involvement. .Distinguishing Characteristics The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development embraces five distinguishing characteristics.1. Results-Focused. The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development is committed to initiatives that maintain the quality and credibility of coaching practices in organizational settings. These initiative s will always be result-driven. By focusing on results, rather than on compliance with specific training doctrines, the consortium acknowledges the diversity of coaching settings and the diversity of approaches, which create results around the world. 2. Non-Political and Non-Ideological. The members of The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development believe that there is no one right way to do organizational Teaching.Conversely, while the proposed consortium is ?non-political,? it is also clear that The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development must attend in a serious and sustained manner to the issue of ethics, measurement and accountability. The Moorish International Group of Science and Development is not organized to support each and every mode of coaching in organizations, but is rather an organization that researches, assesses and makes available to its members data on the impact and relative advantages of different coaching strategies, using a v ariety of quantitative and qualitative measures of results as defined by the constituents. In sum, the consortium is apolitical, but not uncritical.The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development allows for—and actively encourages— multiple perspectives on Teaching, rather than pushing for the one right way or a single de facto standard. Yet, The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development also seeks to discriminate between fads and solidly established Teaching practices. The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development recognizes and accepts that there might be an enduring tension between the need for an acceptance of multiple strategies and the need for critical review of all strategies. Members of The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development believe that this tension is healthy and effective for an organization of this type.This second distinctive commitment allows The Nu Moorish International Group of Scienc e and Development to provide professional evaluation, career development and practice-building support to Teaching, assisting them to create results-based profiles of their experience (by providing result categories, examples of effective documentation, etc. ). Research/Scholarship Focus. Rather than just focusing on use of existing Teaching and coaching tools, the Members of The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development endeavor to build a base in theory and research that is geared toward application of teaching strategies.Bridge to the Broader Coaching Community: The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development is distinguished by its efforts to encourage—and co-sponsor—venues in which there is extended dialogue among different coaching modalities. Offering the gift of a true ederation around the world among coaching constituencies brightens the future of coaching for overall organizational success. Membership A. There are two Voting Cate gories of The Nu Moorish International Group of Science and Development membership: (1) Individual Membership (for both individual providers and recipients of coaching services) (2) Institutional Membership (for organizations that utilize coaching services, organizations that provide coaching and those that provide programs for the training of coaches) b) No-For-Profit, governmental, NGO etc. Annual Institutional Membership Fee (Annual Budget: >US$200 M) Annual Institutional Membership Fee (Annual Budget: