Reasons for Change Free Essays

Lowes is one of several organizations well known as a home store which, draws customers that’s homeowners interested in do it yourself home projects or contractors. According to research Lowes has employed over 238,000 people, with the economy taking a turn for the worst Lowes was also affected. Which caused them to lay off over 1,700 employees in 2010. We will write a custom essay sample on Reasons for Change or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many were in manager positions that had been with the company for years and was hired during a time when business was booming. Lowes decided by laying off full time higher paid employees that it would benefit the organization as a whole by replacing them with part time employees. Lowes intended on hiring 8,000 to 10,000 part time sales associates between the 1,725 stores statewide. These workers would be paid less due to their positions being entry level for instance sales associates that would be paid a lot less. Part time employees would not be entitled to any benefits such as: health insurance, 401k, retirement, and etc. Although, most Lowes would possibly lose one manager position the store would be given 4-8 part time workers to compensate for the loss. The manager that lost their jobs would be compensated by receiving severance pay and assistance with job placement. Those workers that wasn’t laid off witness how some employees received pay cuts depending on their position. One of Lowes competitor is Home Depot which was placed in and unfortunate situation that led them to laying off many employees. This lead to them letting go full time employees and replacing them with part time associates that was paid less. As a result Home Depot received a lot of back lash due to this decision. Lowes was advised to pay close attention to how their customers react to the many changes. Because, the changes made within the organization will affect employees and customers. Lowes took a chance on downsizing and reconstructing which had a 46% success rate according to research (Leban Stone,2008). By Lowes making these changes it allowed them the opportunity to lay off higher paid employees while replacing them with lower paid sales associate’s within the organization. The purpose for this change was to save the organization money while continuing to accommodate their customers by maintain good customer service. Another reason Lowes felt it was essential to make changes within the organization was because, of the economy and the downturn that effected the construction industry. Lowes receiving over half of their business from construction industry so when business slows up so does Lowes. Some of Lowes customers are homeowners also which was affected by the turn in the economy which caused them to do fewer home repairs. Lowes organizational change could have been categorized by total quality management. Lowes began to focus mainly on the sales associates and how they interacted with the customers. Due to the middle managers not previously playing a major role within the organization. Lowes decided that the middle managers that’s not managing a department or currently working on the floor that remained on with them was instructed to monitor the sales associates. The organization strategy was to hire more part time workers to better serve their customers while building a rapport while becoming a asset to the organization. When reconstructing and downsizing, quality management driven change will work well due to the success rate being 37% ( Leban Stone, 2008). With the economy going downhill it would benefit Lowes to increase their prices however, it may not be wise at this time. Although, changes would be essential to too save money within the organization. Once Lowes made major changes within the organization they increased its quarterly profit by 17% from the previous year (Portillo,2011). According to research within the first 9 months in 2005 profits increased by 3.5% (Portillo, 2011). One must question how Lowes was able to lay off some of their full time managers and hire many more part time workers. This change occurred when the economy was bad and a lot of people had already lost their jobs. Lowes was looking for a way out that would benefit their organization as a whole. Their solution was done with hopes of saving money while increasing profits. This change has made a difference thus far and hopefully in the near future they will be able to promote part time employees and offer benefits. How to cite Reasons for Change, Papers

Understanding Language and Literacy

Question: Define Visual literacy and its role in childrens language and literacy development. Answer: Visual literature is defined as the fundamental ability to interpret language, decode, understand, create, challenge, question and thus evaluate texts which communicate with visual graphics and words. People who are educated visually are able to understand the meaning and the purpose hidden within the language of the texts or the graphics from their shape, structure and organization(Vasquez, Comer, Troutman, 2010). In the 21st century digitalization is an important factor in day to day life. Due to this the power to acquire knowledge by children has increased which states its importance both in the development of the language and literacy. Benefits of Visual Literacy With the growth of the technology; learning process of the children is no more dependent only on the texts material but extends to the images and prints which are used to boost up the text. The graphics and images form part of visual literacy which plays a very important in the education and learning methodology of the children(Hartley Horne, 2011). Estimating the benefits of visual literacy; the visual texts are referred as the easiest way of presenting the kids with a clear idea of the concept in study. While this is the primary benefit; visual literacy plays a very important role in special education. When children are taught with the help of visual literature, they are made and helped to think way beyond their linguistic abilities. These graphics and images provide equal learning to children coming from diverse cultural background and potential learning abilities. Images also possess the ability to visualize a whole story in brief like a movie being screened while the colors use d in designing these images helps in arousing and directing the emotional ability of the children(Kidwell Hasford, 2014). Describelearning experiences which can be derived from Visual literacy for childrens language and literacy development From the meaning of visual literacy; the learning experiences which one derives from it can be assimilated in brief. Visual literacy helps in decode images or graphics to understand the message in them. It also produces the requisite visual representation by making use of various art elements such as shapes, colors, etc, which are needed for creating a new message to prove their understanding (Spencer Schuweiler, 2012). Moving deeper into the learning experiences which can be derived from visual literacy for childrens language and literacy development; the experiences can be broadly classified into 5 categories. They are namely literal or explicit learning experience, inferential or implicit learning experience, creative experience, critical experience and visual experience(Machin-Mastromatteo, 2014). Literal or explicit learning experience can be defined as the idea which the children get to decode and assimilate from the verbal expression or from the letters of the texts. This refers to the real idea which is meant by the text and is notdependent any way on the figures or the metaphors used alongside the texts. Children read out the text, use their cognitive skill to decode its meaning; understand the words and sentences and derive the true meaning which is meant by the text. Overall meaning says that literal or explicit learning is not influenced by imagination or ideas related to the complete meaning exerted by the texts(Chaffer Swedberg, 2013). Inferential learning experiences refer to teaching students the ability to read in a more strategic way or more inferentially. In this process the children are able to assimilate and develop greater and deeper knowledge by making interpretation of new ideas in the context of the past learning experiences. Children keep on recalling the past learnt knowledge by developing a relation of the same with that being learnt presently for example the new information. Moving further; inferences are termed as the conclusions which one draws keeping into context the already known ideas and information with the topic presently being studied. Such a learning experience helps the students in developing a relation between the experiences they have gained in life with those involved in the context of study. Such type of learning helps the students in understanding the relationship between the characters and draw conclusions from the facts which are represented within the texts thus relating them to t he outer world happenings. Creative experiences are defined as those experiences which help in building up the creative skills of the students. When a student is engaged in the process of visual literacy likereading texts from a story book; they develop their creative learning experience by using their mental ability to design the scene being read out in an imaginative way(Svensson, 2015). This helps them in better understanding the context of the story for example decode the meaning and draw conclusions as well as builds in their confidence in creativity. From the educational learning process visual learning experiences are referred to as sight visits which invest memorable ideas within the children. Hence by giving them through an excellent process which will live among them for a long duration even after they take away their eye from that particular sight (Newsam, Walley, McKie, 2010). The case is similar in the context of children who are specially challenged with problems as eyesight issues. This kind of learning experience drawn from visual literacy invests such an in-depth idea within the childrens mind that they retain even the texture, color, smell, brightness and sound they have visualized or heard of. References Banerjee, R. Luckner, J. (2014). Training Needs of Early Childhood Professionals Who Work With Children and Families Who Are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. Chaffer, J. Swedberg, K. (2013).Learning jQuery. Birmingham: Packt Publishing. Curriculum document update. (1995).Curriculum Journal,6(2), 265-271. Geddes, J., Murrell, A., Bauguss, J. (2010). Childhood Learning: An Examination of Ability and Attitudes toward School. Hartley, R. Horne, J. (2011). Researching Literacy and Numeracy Costs and Benefits: What is possible. Hayn, J. Kaplan, J. (2012).Teaching young adult literature today. Lanham: Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Kidwell, B. Hasford, J. (2014).Emotional Ability and Nonverbal Communication.

Fauquier Gas Company free essay sample

In this case study presented by Hood (n. d. ), Fauquier Gas Company is up against a timeline to supply a new construction project in the works where agricultural land was being developed into residential and commercial use. Fauquier Gas Company is looking for supplier to help with building of 3 ? miles of new gas pipe that will go online by beginning of September. The manager of supply management Mr. Murphy is having trouble getting any purchasing request for the new pipeline from Mr. Charlie Buck and the specifications from the design team to know what he needs to order. This project is to be complete in the next five months to meet the new gasoline project. The vice-president of operations for Fauquier Gas Company has the management control over the supply organization including Mr. Murphy, construction project manager Clive Byers, design engineer Pat Wilson, and design Superintendent Charlie Buck. Mr. Murphy faced many logistical and supply problems from the very beginning of this project. We will write a custom essay sample on Fauquier Gas Company or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lead-time is essential for design team getting all the information on the new pipe to the Mr. Murphy so he can get the much need specification out to the need vendors to supply the correct materials for the upcoming project that need to finish by September. The biggest problem that Mr. Murphy came across was the new specifications for the new pipe were the wall thickness and length was different from previous purchases which could hurt in finding new vendor or seeing if older vendor can meet specifications on the new pipe. Pat Wilson informed Mr. Murphy the reason for the different specifications was the operation of the line would be governed by less stringent specifications and using 57-foot-length pipe versus â€Å"random double normal† (40 feet plus or minus 5 feet) would reduce welding costs. The coating for the pipe was also another problem that Mr. Murphy faced as no of team was communicating with each other on how to get the project and design in on time to help the supply manager with his job. II. Major Problems: The cross-functional team failed to overcome organizational resistance because not all functional areas were involved up front, and this helps reduce organizational resistance to decisions that will affect specific functional areas. (Burt, p. 40) III. Possible Solutions: a. The cross functional team should include Pat Wilson, Charlie Buck , Sam Law, Bill Murphy, and Clive Byers as they need to sit down with each other to get all the needed specifications and designs in place before starting this project. The advantages of having sit down with each other than sending emails back forth on new changes to pipe and coating could help with the much need lead time to fix or find a vendor to meet the new specifications. The emails going back-and-forth between Mr. Murphy and Mr. Wilson, which could possibly lead to a delay in completing the project. The team can design a plan of approach once the estimated time for delivery of the pipes to meet the requirements of 45-day project. b. Mr. Murphy could possibly have too many additional functions that he performs as the supply manager for Fauquier Gas Company which could hurting him put his full effort into the cross functional team. The vice-president of operations might need to help Mr. Murphy during this time so he can get all the necessary material for the upcoming project. The vice-president of operations should focus on minimizing role conflict between functional and team assignments. Pat Wilson, Charlie Buck, Sam Law, Bill Murphy, and Clive Byers working on cross-functional team should be there main priority until this project is complete due to time line and lead times needed for materials. c. Fauquier Gas Company has a cross-functional team has acted more as individuals than as a team. Mr. Murphy, Mr. Byers, Mr. Buck, and Mr. Wilson did not understand the cross-functional team approach which in turn his hurting the team. The team of supply management, engineering, and design changes that need to be fixed with enough lead-time to accommodate the specifications so the new pipe can be bought. The advantage of applying enhanced problem resolution is the solution to a number of problems are not under the control of the vendor but the one requesting the materials for the project. IV. Choice and Rationale: My choice would be A. above. The reason for choosing A is a cross functional team is best way to fix all problems while everyone is sitting at the table to discuss new changes in the project. Pat Wilson, Charlie Buck, Sam Law, Bill Murphy, and Clive Byers working on cross-functional team could of prevented the supply mangers problems from occurring with just simple communication with the changes in pipe specifications, wrapper, supplier, cost, and timelines could hurt in finding the new material needed for the project. The team would of cut out the back and forth emails on the project due them sitting down and talking. Burt Pinkerton (2010) identified â€Å"a good rule of thumb is 10 hours of preparation for every hour of face-to-face discussions† (372). This would assured that the work to be completed by Fauquier Gas Company would have been completed on time.

Debates 2000 essays

Debates 2000 essays The third Presidential Debate was between Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush. The debate was in the format of a Town Hall debate. Both Vice President Al Gore and Gov. Bush performed well. An audience member asked the candidates a question and given two minutes to answer the question set forth. After the two minutes the other candidate was given the opportunity to rebuttal. In some instances the candidate that was asked the question was given the chance to refute the prior statement given. The people were very surprised by the actions and the reaction of the two candidates. Al Gore was very quick to make his point and just as quick to show the lies within Bushs plans. Bush was quick to give a sound byte response. Gov. Bush and Vice Pres. Al Gore were very quick to show their distaste for the other candidate. It was obvious that the nation was in for a spectacular performance. It seemed that every time Bush was asked a question he managed to avoid answering it directly by means of saying a sound byte from his campaign. Gore seemed to be performing his absolute best. He managed to show people that even though he seems rigid he is very intersested in learning what it was that the people of the nation wanted. When Gore was asked about a certain topic he would come out of his chair and try to comfort the people about what it was he thought they should hear. In my opinion, he did not seem to be telling people exactly what they wanted to hear. Many people seemed taken back due to the constant references to the way Bush has handled Texas. Bush was also noted by the Wall Street Journal for lying about his plans for social security. The constant references regarding Texas seemed to really make people listen. Gore told people that Texas was last in insurance. For a fact it was last. The topic of affirmative action arose only to disturb people. Bush was asked his views on affirmative action and he ra ...

Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Essay

Sustainable Management of Natural Resources - Essay Example Evidently, the deterioration of human resources emanates from the negligence of human beings. Poor cultivation methods, pollution, and deforestation have all led to wastage of important resources. Since human beings are the major contributors to the destruction of natural resources, it is their commitment that is essential in preventing the problem. Therefore, the current crisis of natural resource is something that can be collectively blamed on human beings. The members of the public must work closely with the government in engaging innovative management of natural resources. In my opinion, I have always felt that the issues of sustainability are exaggerated and that the world is still a habitable place. My focus has been a short-term perception while overlooking the long-term consequences of failing to manage natural resources such as forests, land and water bodies. However, through my course, I have learned that the world is already in a crisis and the future holds a great danger for the survival of the society. For instance, the intergovernmental panel on climate change predicted that the glaciers at the Himalayas would melt by the year 2035. At the same time, the African countries are suffering from the shortage of water because of rivers drying due to increased temperatures. In addition, the cancer levels in the world are expected to rise due to increase in ultraviolet rays that are responsible for skin cancer. These projections point out that the global warming effects will penetrate deep into the future of the world and the consequences will be severe to the human population. Economically, the climate changes will result in a fall economic levels by about 0.5% to 2% across the world (Skinner 23-34). Surprisingly, I learned that human activities are responsible for all these harmful changes.  

Gun laws In The Usa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gun laws In The Usa - Essay Example As such, guns assist in threatening burglars into submission of the law, where they surrender lest the weapon be fired on them. In addition legalizing firearms allows those that possess them to have an upper hand in cases of violence against them, where they buy time for the authorities to arrive and contain the situation by arresting the culprits. This means that legalizing guns is a positive thing to the entire society by curbing the occurrence of crime all over; thanks to the dangerous and life threatening nature of guns into coercing one to comply with demands for the right or moral thing to be done. In addition, the legalization of guns in the American society creates a suitable situation for all to stay away from violent activities that involve life-threatening situations. This is as seen through resolution of disputes through amicable means by persuading aggressors to steer off violence and embrace non-violent means of dispute resolutions. However, the above situation works if the person with the gun exercises his or her rationality in a life-threatening situation since he or she holds the upper hand. Having guns as legal items in America also serve to improve the security countrywide following the equality created in having them. This is through accountability and uniformity that is bound to be all over, considering that anyone with an interest in guns is bound to get and use it according to his or her discretion. This form of uniformity allows individuals to be accountable and responsible with their firearms such that they do not use them at will, but rather in situations that call for them. According to the above statement, cases of threats would be minimal, as would those of violent crime involving guns (Sabhalok). This is because; since everyone can easily get a legal firearm, disputes can and will be resolved more responsibly unlike in cases where only one of those involved owns a gun. As such, rationality will be conventional thing to do since fai lure to be rational would lead to loss of lives. In addition, it is conventional for misuse or abuse of items and substances to go low once the items are legalized for use by the public as is the case for alcohol consumption in relation to binge drinking (CBS News). According to this statement, once guns are legalized, crime rates are bound to go down as guns become prevalent among the public, and with laws governing their use. This is to say that the use of illegal firearms to commit crimes will be low allowing for members of the American society to live their lives in peace. Concerning self-defense, guns are crucial for protection of one’s wellbeing against evil elements in society. This is especially so for individuals with impairments or of a certain age, where their abilities are highly impaired or uncontrollable. As such, senior citizens find security in the guns since they cannot compete against young burglars and criminals (Codrea). As a result, having a gun allows th em to overpower the youth in crime and get their situations under control and save their lives, as well as protect that which belongs to them. Guns also lead to recognition of certain minority groups commonly discriminated against under the pretext of criminal activity. Guns put all the ethnic communities on the map, for the right reasons; thus

Action Research Using Digital Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Action Research Using Digital Technology - Essay Example The use of digital technology has an effect on the teaching process where the teachers ensure that they use computers to revise with the students and help them learn. The students learning at ESOL Entry level 3 Curriculum use digital technology to revise their skills and competences. The revision exercise is done in order to ensure that the students get the best out of the learning process. The ESOL learning curriculum makes the students become equipped with the process of learning, which enables them to become more competent in their day to day lives. The curriculum can also be taught using digital technology where the teachers ensure they use the computers to help the students. These can be incorporated by use of games as block busters, who wants to be a millionaire and World of War craft (WOW). The use of games makes the process of teaching and learning fun and thus the teachers together with the learners are able to get more through the use of games in learning, a process called gamification. Gamification helps in ensuring that the students find fun in learning through the use of games, which motivates them to learn more and get to correct some of the mistakes that they might be experiencing without having difficulties. The ESOL learning helps the learners understand the English language and become competent as they gain skills which enable them understand and communicate effectively with the other people. The game block buster for example, is used by the teachers to make the learning process humanistic and active. The game is used to improve the vocabulary of the learners as they use the English language on their day to day lives. The students get familiar with the language because there are lots of readings that the learners have to take in so as to ensure they get and develop the learning skills. The game has a study skill feature which helps the learners develop the strategies which help them become autonomous as they learn the language. The game has go t songs which help the students enjoy the learning process through singing. This is evident as the students are able to relate the language they are learning with the songs that they sing on daily basis. These are the skills that the learners get as they continue with the process of learning and developing skills (Express Publishing, 2012). The teachers use the block buster game as a teaching tool for the English course and they get to learn the language using it. The game also enables the students to record themselves and assess their progress in learning, which is an advantage to them because they are able to know their progress in learning. The other game that is used for learning is Who Wants to be A Millionaire. This game helps the learners to answer questions which as the game progress, they become difficult. The questions asked have choices of which one of the choices is the correct one. If the learner gives the correct answer to a question asked, the pay off increases. If th e answer given is incorrect, the game becomes over (Jefferson Lab, 2012). The World of War craft (WOW) game is also another tool that is used to improve the learning process of the students. This is a game that helps in the solving problems and it increases the thinking capacity of individuals. This means that as the levels of the game progress, the game becomes difficult as the speed also increases. The game is