A Vivid Dream Zechariah 3:1-10

Introduction The book of Zechariah is full of vivid imagery and peculiar visions that all help in the conveying of God’s message. This paper will examine the specific vision described in Zechariah 3:1-10. The intent of this essay is to examine the message of this vivid vision that Zechariah received and also to determine the application for readers at that time and for believers today. Compare English Versions The first step in studying this passage had been to read it over and over in multiple English translations to get a feel for how it could be interpreted in English.While there is some difference in the wording of different English translations it does not seem to change what is being communicated in the text. Some interesting differences in v. 4b do appear when describing the new clothing that is given to Joshua, it is described as simply a â€Å"change of raiment† (King James) or more elaborately â€Å"pure elaborately† (ESV) and in the NRSV â€Å"festal apparel†. The following verse describes the charge unto Joshua from the Angel of the Lord as being â€Å"protested† (King James) or â€Å"gave his charge† or even â€Å"spoke very solemnly† (Living Bible) which all seem much different than â€Å"assured† (NRSV).There is obviously some discrepancy as to the tone of this charge. Overall, the different English translations all describe a very similar vision experience. Structural Outline 1. Clean clothes for Joshua (3:1-5) 1. 1 Set the scene (3:1) 1. 2 Rebuke of Satan (3:2) 1. 3 Removal of iniquity (3:3-4) 1. 4 Clean garments and turban (3:5) 2. Promises from the Angel of the Lord (3:6-10) 2. 1 Joshua’s Commission (3:6-7) 2. 2 Promise of a coming Servant (3:8) 2. 3 In that Day (3:9-10) Genre of the Text This section of text is from the Prophet of Zechariah which places it in the genre of prophetic literature; however it also resembles apocalyptic iterature like that found in the book of Revelati on. What distinguishes this type of literature as apocalyptic is the obvious vision that is being described here (Miller 134). The scene for this vision is a courtroom with Joshua being on trial before the angel of the Lord. The vision then concludes with some messianic prophecy referring to the Messiah as â€Å"the Branch† (v. 8) and a promise is made for that day when â€Å"every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and his fig tree†. This is apocalyptic literature in the form of a vision conveying a messianic promise to those who will listen.Research the Text When reading this genre of literature, understanding whom it was written by is important to fully interpret the text. Zechariah’s name means â€Å"the Lord remembers† and is one of the most commonly used names in the OT (Miller 135). Zechariah’s name, along with his message, consistently reminded the nation that the Lord had made a covenant with Israel† (Klein 20 ). It is also a priestly name which could indicate Zechariah was a Priest as well as a Prophet (Miller 134) but this could also mean that he simply comes from a line of Priests (Klein 21).The first two chapters develop Zechariah as a â€Å"young man† (v. 4) who has an ear turned toward God in a difficult time in Israel’s history. It is also essential to understand the historical context that this text was written into. The book of Zechariah would fit into the Post-Exilic era of Israel’s history, after the return of God’s people to the city and the re-construction of the temple in Jerusalem had started. The message was directed to the â€Å"struggling Jewish returnees† (Miller 134) who would have been largely affected by the time in exile in Babylon.The Babylonians had recently been conquered by the Persian Empire and so great change for the nation of Israel was happening once again. Haggai and Zechariah (written at the similar time periods) both em phasize the everlasting Kingdom of God and the coming of a Messiah. The people of Judah would have been concerned about how their nation would survive in a world of such large superpower empires like Assyria, Babylon and now Persia. Would God ever demonstrate his power and establish his people as the most powerful of nations? Have the people paid their dues in exile?Why had he allowed them to go and return to their land and rebuild the temple? These questions would have been on the minds of the people at the time when Zechariah received this vision. This vision describes a courtroom scene involving some specific characters. The first character is introduced simply as â€Å"he† (3:1). This would be the same he as is mentioned in the previous chapter as â€Å"a man with a measuring line in his hand! † (2:1), and this man continues to be a messenger declaring the coming of the Lord (2:10) from his Holy dwelling (2:13).It seems as if it could be the same angel who â€Å"c ame again† in 4:1. Other commentaries say it is more likely that â€Å"the Lord himself made the revelation since the fourth vision, unlike the former visions, does not identify an angelic interpreter† (Klein 131). It seems however that ch. 3 continues on from the vision in chapter 2 and all the visions so far have had an angel to guide Zechariah through what he is seeing not the Lord personally. The next difficult part of this text is the uncleanliness of the High Priest named Joshua.The rebuilding of the temple was occurring at this time in Jerusalem and the High Priest would have been needed to oversee the running of the temple when it was completed but here Zechariah receives the revelation that the high priest is not fit for this service. The scene is this; the Angel of the Lord is the judge, the High Priest is on trial and the ‘adversary’ or the persecutor is â€Å"Satan† who is accusing the High Priest (3:1). The mention of the â€Å"filthy g arments† (v. 3) was significant when referring to a Priest in particular as the clothing of the Priest was to be to very specific standards (Lev. 8:5-9).This indicates that Satan’s accusations would have proved true. Yet, the Lord rebukes Satan. It seems that the Lord is asserting his authority and making the statement that he is the one who declares purity and innocence, he is the judge not Satan or the enemy or the adversary (the word Satan could be interpreted with any of those words). One commentator comments on this section that â€Å"Satan was reminding the Lord of the nation’s past wretchedness (1:2,4-6) and its unworthiness† (Miller 163) another commentator emphasizes this point â€Å"If the high priest is so filthy, how much more the nation as a whole† (Klein 133).Klein goes onto describe how this Joshua figure played a key role in the restoration of the returning community at this time in history and would have served as an excellent symbo l to represent the returning remnant. So the beginning of this text paints a significant picture of the nation of Israel’s guilt and the Lord’s rebuking of Satan for being so audacious as to make such a claim. The Lord responds by declaring Joshua’s innocence. In v. 4 the angel who is standing as Judge (most likely the LORD himself as he has the divine authority to bring judgment) declares that the filthy garments shall be removed.This reveals not the innocence of guilt but the pardoning of guilt. There is a demonstration of God’s forgiveness happening in this vision. Another question that arises has to do with who the witnesses are that are surrounding this trial scene and assist with the redressing of Joshua the High Priest as his pure clothes (vv. 4&5)? They are also brought up in v. 8 as â€Å"your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign†. Klein refers to them simple as the â€Å"unknown angels† (139). The imagery of the Priest being dressed in clean garments is a common imagery and is used in Ps 132:9 â€Å"May your priests be clothed with righteousness†.The clean turban seems to be â€Å"the finishing touch. On the high priest’s turban was a plate of pure gold inscribed with the words: â€Å"HOLY TO THE LORD† (Exod. 28:36; 39:30). All of this is witnessed by the â€Å"Angel of the LORD [who] was standing by† (3:5b), adding to the legitimacy and importance of what is occurring. The Lord has sent his personal emissary to oversee what is occurring (Klein 141). The filthy garments have been removed and replaced with pure and clean clothes, now Joshua is ready to receive his commission. Now we arrive at the angel of the LORD’s commission of Joshua in v. . The discrepancy in the English translation of the description of this commission (described above) is not commented by Klein or Miller. The best translation seems to be â€Å"solemnly assured† (ESV) as it raises the importance on what it about to be said and that it will be a positive commission, an assurance. The commission has three parts. The first part is a call to be obedient, the second part is the reward if he is obedient which includes authority to rule in the temple, and the third part is the right to be included in the witnesses who surround them.Klein comments on this second reward, that it will allow Joshua â€Å"the high priest, whom the Lord exalts still higher, will have a direct access to the throne of God. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies, and only once a year (Lev 16), but the declaration made to Joshua far surpasses this privilege by granting Joshua entry into the Lord’s heavenly throne room. † The scene in the courtroom has now moved from one of accusation to a scene of forgiveness and of honoring the high priest and therefore also the people of Judah.Next, the angel of the Lord prepares to make a promise (v. 8a) by calling Joshua to listen! â€Å"The verbal form mirrors that found in the Shema in Deut. 6:4, emphasizing the importance of the message to follow† (Klein 143). The message is to be directed to Joshua’s â€Å"friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign† (3:8a). It would seem reasonable that these friends of Joshua are fellow priests, or at least people who also hold a place of leadership among the returning community of Judah.Klein comments that this sign is that â€Å"Joshua’s fellow priests, however, symbolize good things the future will bring† (143). The future embodiment of this blessing will be in the servant who is the one called â€Å"the Branch†. These titles â€Å"servant† and â€Å"the Branch† are very common in the OT. The title â€Å"the Branch† links the messiah figure directly to the line of David (Miller 165) and the title of servant is reminiscent of the significant affirmation God gives to characters su ch as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 9:27) and the same Hebrew word (ebed) is translated as â€Å"servant of the Lord† (Klein 145).The messianic imagery continues with the imagery of the stone as it has elsewhere in scripture, â€Å"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes† (Isa 8:13-15; 28:16). Other interpretation of this stone is that it is referring to the cornerstone that would be used to build the new temple (Klein 147). This entire passage however seems to be concerned with the messiah and continued representation of him seems to be more likely, especially when considering the temple was most likely already completed at this time (Klein 147).The seven eyes on the stone would then represent the all-seeing and all-knowing power of this messiah. The concluding verse of this text affirms that this Messiah figure will bring about the desired peace and continued relationship that his people desi re. The imagery of sitting under a vine and â€Å"his fig tree† seems related to the title of â€Å"the Branch† as well and links the time of well-being with the Davidic Messiah who is to come. The vision concludes with an image of peace, prosperity, community and relationship. Relate the Parts In the concluding image the main purpose of this vision seems to be captured.The opening scene acknowledges the guilt of the accused and then removes that guilt, rebuking Satan, declaring that no one but the LORD is the judge. It welcomes the community to come around and participate in the removing of the guilt and the placing on of purity. However, the second section reveals that there is a further command now to live a life worthy of these shiny new clothes. Then it all concludes with the revelation of the source of this forgiveness and acceptance, who is â€Å"the Branch†, servant and stone, the messiah. The Theology How does this text reveal the nature of God?The visi on sets God up as the Judge, but what kind of judge? One who sees the guilt of his high priest and the people of Judah but removes that guilt. What gives him this kind of power? The prophets serve to remind God’s people of the covenant that they have with God and this should be kept in mind when considering who this Judge is. He made the law that the people are guilty of iniquity against. They sinned against him. Just as a debtor is the only one who can release someone from their debt, so the lawgiver is the only one who can forgive the lawbreakers.What is the Judge’s reason then for pardoning his people? The iniquity of the priest would have prevented the coming of his people to worship at the temple. Here is a judge that longs to be part of his people’s lives. He will also provide the means for this to happen in the future with the coming of his servant, he wants to be directly involved, personally involved. The end result of all this sounds much like street p arty. Through the cleansing of our iniquity we gain the honor beyond or expectation and with our neighbor in a prosperous land (v. 10).This is God’s reason for pardoning his people; this is the God we worship. Application How often have I worn the filthy clothes around this week? I constantly believe in the accusations of Satan, that I am a terrible friend, a terrible boyfriend that I simply use the people around me. What happens then? I live like that. When I believe those accusations I lie in light of those accusations. The importance of believing that God has dressed me in clean clothes is undeniable; he has got me ready for a party and declared me worthy of that invitation.Now it is time to live like I am heading to that party. I am who God declares me to be. Another application exists communally. Now the church knows who the messenger who was spoken of here is. We know Jesus and in this text in Zechariah he is once again emphasized as the one who came from God to bring a bout the peace and love of community when he comes. Should not the church also live as people free to enjoy the community of each other and of God? That is why Christ came, that is why he was sent.

North Korea Research Paper

North Korea North Korea is a country that is ruled by a dictator and has a communist government. A communist government rules all the land and gives the same amount of money and supplies to all the people in the country. â€Å"Daily Necessities were obtained from the Public Distribution System (PDS)† (95,Hassig). The PDS shut down in 1995 because foreign aid was cut off expect for Pyongyang, the capital city. In rural areas, a lot of the children were born as â€Å"no-count† meaning that when they were born they weren’t counted as part of the existing society and didn’t have supplies given to them.North Korea was once a unified country with South Korea until September 9, 1948 when it became a separate country. From 1910 to 1945 Japan had ruled all of Korea. â€Å"After World War II from 1939 to 1945 Russia controlled what is right now North Korea, and the United States controlled southern Korea. Three years after the war North and South Korea became indep endent countries. † (6, Haberle) The existing Cold War, the war between Russia and the United States, helped start the Korean War on June 25, 1950 when North Korea attacked South Korea. At the time Japan had control of all of Korea, then the U. S. ad South Korea and Russia had the North. This war went on for three years and afterwards, the Demilitarized Zone better known as the DMZ separated South and North Korea. North and South Korea became independent countries with very few allies. Picking North Korea as a topic is very board because there are many social injustices in North Korea. One injustice is the existing communism government they have there, because with what’s happening in North Korea, it shouldn’t be described as communism. Communism is described as a place where the government distributes an equal amount of daily necessities to all the people living there.When North Korea declared itself an independent country, it used the Public Distribution System until 1995, when foreign aid was cut off. Everyone still got the same amount of necessities in Pyongyang but necessities were cut off everywhere else. Rural North Koreans outside of Pyongyang are still starving and sick from the lack of supplies. People do get by with serving the military though. Men must serve the military for at least ten years then assigned lifelong jobs and are able to support their families with that. (95, Hassig) In North Korea all aspects of life are uled by the government, which essentially takes away human rights. North Koreans, rich or poor have this idea put into their head that their dictator is a supreme god. If someone had the idea of not worshiping the supreme leader in public, they would be sent to a labor camp. North Koreans who try to leave North Korea without permission may be shot on the spot or sent to a labor camp where they may never be released. In every house, no matter where you lived, there is a picture of the supreme leader that you pray to every day.When the supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong II, died recently, on December 17th 2011, there was a parade held that had mourners when the casket passed by. As the Supreme Leader’s casket passed by , the mourners were observed to see if they were actually crying. If they didn’t seem like they were sad enough they were sent to prison camps along with other North Koreans that didn’t join the parade. At these Labor camps imprisoned North Koreans are taught how important is to worship the supreme leader and sometimes kept there with their families for as long as they live.With all the money that the government doesn’t give to the people, they spend more than half on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The DMZ is very familiar with the U. S government and the people stationed in South Korea. High ranking officers of the United States of Marines and Army have tours there, or work there. When asked about it most people talk about the men who stand the re ready for war looking at each other the whole time. There is a building that these men on both sides line up and look at each other to see what the other is going to do.In it is estimated that South Korea there is 20,000 soldiers that guard the DMZ and 1,000,000 people that protect in North Korea. The DMZ is 160 miles long and is the most heavily militarized border in the world. The border was built as a result of the Korean War. From way back during the Cold War to now, there have always been trust issues with North Korea because of the nuclear bombs they possess and their threat possible to the rest of the world. What really makes everyone scared of the nuclear threat is that North Korea is so isolated from the world, rest of the world that other nations don’t know whether or not they are just bluffing.North Korea makes nuclear weapons and threatens they will nuke the West Coast if the United States doesn’t trade with them. Since they started making nuclear weapon s, they have made allies with Iran, who are not allies with the United States at the moment. The world is deeply affected from the problems happening in North Korea. Worldwide, nations are either trading with them, or a huge threat to North Korea. The whole situation with North Korea is a worldwide, complex problem potentially affecting many countries many coutries but countries continue to try to help the people living there.Many charities offer support to children that live there including adoptions. The United States’ foreign policy towards North Korea is to not trade with them until they improve . North Korea doesn’t seem like its going to be around too much longer because of all the famine and the growing awareness in other nations. If North Korea remains isolated and keep their people suppressed, it will become a bigger problem around the world than it already is. North Korea is one of the last remaining communist countries and history has shown communist countri es don’t last long.

The UzDaewoo Auto Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The UzDaewoo Auto Project - Assignment Example Uzbekistan was and continues to self sufficient on the agriculture front. Uzbekistan is the fourth largest producer of cotton in the world producing more than 1.5 million tons every year. The country also produces 70 Tons every year of gold making it the leading producer in the region for the metal. It also produces 40 billion tons of natural gas. Uzbek remains one of the largest producers of molybdenum, tungsten, copper and zinc. Though the large desert lands in the middle of the country hurts the continuity of living space, the country boasts itself of a large natural resource and rich agricultural produce. We can possible conclude that there is immense potential for growth in the country with a high education background and an adult literacy rate of over 90%, this is going to be a major motivating factor for any investor. Political climate in the country was stable and was more for consistent economic and industrial growth which would result in better living standards of its people. Fourth reason that any investor should consider is, nearly 85% of the people hold driving license where as only one million cars were plying the roads of Uzbekistan in 1980s when the total population was 22 million and 85% of them could drive! The major competition in Uzbekistan market for cars was from Russia, other Korean companies, European companies and a few US companies like GM and Ford. Russians had positioned their low end model in the country and it was selling at around 6,000/- rubles and the Ford was selling its Escort as a C Class car at around USD 10,000/-. Taking all this into consideration3, Daewoo needs to position itself one at the lower end of the market where there is a huge market since the country has a huge population not having a car to drive but know driving4. There are also people in the market who already had a car but is in need of the luxury that only a better car could provide. There is also a requirement for Daewoo to position a van that would carry a larger number of people instead of the traditional four. Based on all these requirements and also on the fact that the climate and the road conditions in Uzbekistan is not congenial for standard low bodied and low chassis models, cars have to be redesigned to suit the conditions existing in that country5. Daewoo had to and did position a model for every one of these requirements faced by the company. There was a low end module, Tico, which was sold at around USD 6,790/- that catered to the needs described

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Personal Statement Example One of the opportunities is the use of technology to make business processes run smoothly and in real time. Such information and inspiration can only be gotten from supportive lecturers and professors. On matters of relevant experience, I was a treasurer of the Hong Kong Student Association (HKSA). The position of the treasurer entailed getting all the financial and accounting information into book. Apart from keeping financial and accounting information up to date, I also represented the same information to the entire student association. The position has helped me to practice some of the financial principles taught in the class. It has given relevant experience in matters related to business. Apart from giving an exposure to business matters, the position has assisted me to become responsible. Responsibility is a key virtue in any business. Koestenbaum (7) states that for one to run a business today, exceptional levels of personal accountability and responsibility are required. The position as a treasurer of HKSA has made to become a â€Å"responsible business professional.† Being an official member (treasurer) of HKSA has molded my personality. Before joining HKSA, I had issues with my personality. First, I could not approach let alone speak to a crowd of people. I was very shy and talking to anyone made my palms wet. The courage to talk or even express myself was a major problem. Second and lastly, I did not know how to communicate with other people. This coupled by the fact that I could not express myself. However, all these negative personalities were turned into positive personalities through experience and the exposure I got in the association. I got enormous support from my fellow students and the association’s patron. After joining HKSA and through the experience and support I got. I am able to organize activities regardless of whether they are of business nature or not. I can approach anyone without hesitation. My communication skills h ave also improved. I have become more active in matters related to business and those not related to business. I have gained vast knowledge in business matters when I was at HKSA. Thus, my experiences at HKSA have made me a rounded person. Apart from the association, I have also participated in other extra-curricular activities. I believe they have prepared me well to venture into the business world. In other words, they have made me a reliable and responsible person. Transfer Applicant Prompt Brian Schweitzer once stated, â€Å"I challenge you to be dreamers; I challenge you to be doers and let us make the greatest place in the world even better.† My dream has been to excel in the field of business especially in accounting and economics. In the past few years, I have developed a big interest in finance management. The corporate world is growing at a dynamic rate and more opportunities have been created. I have found the right environment when I can thrive in an attempt to fu lfill my dreams. I have had vast knowledge and experience in matters of finance. I am interested in increasing my knowledge in the field of accounting and economics. Thus, I request to be considered as one of the prospective students in MSc in Economics, Accounting, and Finance. My dreams of excelling in business have been greatly influenced by Donald Trump, who I consider as a role model. Donald Trump is a famous American

Identify each terms Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Identify each terms - Assignment Example There are some people who think that men are greater than women, thus the notion of feminism. Raising to the bottom is a socio-economic idiom used to describe an association between countries, countries, region or countries that is an result of aspects such as free trade globalization, economic deregulation or even neo-liberalism The bracero program was a sequence of laws and political contracts, this program was started by in 1942 by an exchange of political remarks between the United States and Mexico. This was done with the intention of the introduction of momentary contract manual workers from Mexico to the United States. This implies to a policy that was followed by several European nations, this policy entails the expansion of their power and influence via the use of force and mediation. For example, the UK expanded its power in much of Africa in countries such as Kenya and Uganda. A cash crop is any crop that is grown for the purpose of making returns in profit. Cash crop is a word that is exclusively used to refer to the agricultural production of crops. This does not include the production of crops for domestic use. This was a German philosopher and as well as a revolutionary communist. The work of Karl Marx influenced a lot of communist regimes I the 20th century. Marx shifted away from philosophy to politics and economics when he was around 25yrs. This is a term in linguistics that refers to a constant but natural language than originates from a pidgin. The vocabularies of this language are adapted from the natural language especially that of the original

Assessment and Measurement Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assessment and Measurement - Personal Statement Example ying to the JMU’s Assessment and Measurement Doctoral program hoping to enjoy such an enriching academic experience that will enable me to graduate as a global citizen. I am particularly interested in studying Assessment and Measurement at the JMU because of the program’s vision of preparing graduates that meet the increasing require need for quality assurance and accountability not only in education but other sectors such as business, healthcare etc. the programs goals of preparing quality graduates through extensive training that combines both theory and practical, conducting high quality scholarship that enhances knowledge for effective practice and providing services that promote professionalism in assessment & measurement attract me to be part of the JMU community. I hope to graduate from the program equipped with skills in designing assessment strategies, performing empirical investigations of new assessment techniques, analysis of empirical data, proper use of assessment outcomes, appropriate strategies to communicate assessment to different audience types and appropriate response to current & new measures of assessment as the world c ontinues to evolve. Currently I hold a bachelors degree from the Kind Khalid University- College of Education specializing in mathematics and a Master’s degree from the University of King Saud in Statistics. I also have an extensive work experience in public service. I also poses professional certification in project management. I have worked as a consultant with the Institute of Public Administration and the ministry of service since September, 2013. I am also a member of the training team at the IPA, have worked with the Ministry of Education since the year 2004 and statistician at the King Saud University. Given my extensive work as a teacher and trainer with different groups as well as educational background in mathematics & statics as well as professional certification in project management I believe I have the

Case study (Implement a marketing solution) Assignment

Case study (Implement a marketing solution) - Assignment Example Answer: 1. Mail - The major advantage of the mail interview is that the respondent can respond to the questionnaire at his convenience. The major disadvantage is the low response rate. Only 20-40% of the respondents reply to mail interviews. 2. Telephone - The cost of conducting the interview is the major advantage in this type of research methods. The problem in these types of research is the response level is low even here. This is because only one call per six calls is picked up. 3. Face-to-Face - The advantage with this kind of research method is that, it is possible to know whether the responses are fake or really true. The drawback is there may be bias on the part of researchers as well as respondents. Answer: Break-even analysis is a graphical and algebraic representation of the relationships among volume of output, costs and revenues. The two types of costs are the variable and fixed costs. The sum of the fixed and variable costs at a specific volume of output becomes the total cost at that volume of output. Both the costs are compared with the sales revenue and the level of sales volume is determined. Also the analysis reveals the level of production or the value of sales where the business would make neither a profit nor a loss. Such a point at which there would be no profit or no loss is termed as the Break-even Point. Answer: This kind of strategy is believed to be a very smart strategy followed by marketers or business ow

Successful Negotiation for Salary Raise Case Study

Successful Negotiation for Salary Raise - Case Study Example It's a quiet convincing statement which refers to human nature where most of the times s/he inquires 'what's in it for me'' and is willing to get into details of the situation. The case presented here is about asking my manager for increasing my salary. It's been almost two years that I have been part of the same organization on the same pay scale; however my job role has changed multiple times, mostly increasing the job responsibilities. Such duration was viable enough to prove my value as being part of the organization and fight the case. In the current scenario, I had an upper hand as recently my coworker resigned, leaving his share of job responsibilities upon my shoulder. Earlier I was managing just a single product line but now another one has been added, making my job role tougher claiming double the time and efforts. I was the only resource my boss had left in retail function, having the set of expertise and experience as I had. If at this point in time I leave, my boss would be left with loads to handle all by himself. Hiring another resource was always an option but as per the regressive interviewing process, it would have taken minimum of three months for hiring adding another three months for trainings and blending in of the new resource. The key here was to present my significance to the organization, specifically to my manager making him believe that I deserve more then what I am getting right now based on my capability of committing to extra amount of work., whereas saving their cost which will be incurred over hiring of the new resource. This did require careful measures, such that I don't look too assertive, giving an impression of over-ambition, nor too timid showing desperation. I was demanding 40% increase over my current gross salary... Alternatives included bonus equivalent to two months of my gross salary, organization paying for my college tuition fees, and one week paid vacations to one of the countries. In return, I was willing to take almost half of the responsibilities of my coworker who resigned or take up additional assignment, distinct to my current job responsibilities. If all above had not worked out, I was willing to take the counter offer I had in hand, which may have been close to my demand if not exceeding it. However this implied starting from scratch in understanding the way of work, getting in the flow and most importantly proving myself once again to my new employer. For my current employer, doing so meant investing their valuable time and resources in hiring and training two resources. Another option was to deny taking additional responsibilities which eventually could have turned out to be the reason for losing my job. My employer could have either let go of me right at the spot or could have removed me till they get a replacement to keep the job running. It was definitely not a piece of cake getting the management team to agree for paying me additional amount. I gathered the Do(s) and Don't(s) needed to be taken care of before presenting my case. Negotiation Process - Do(s) In order to make the negotiation process successful, it was essential to go beyond my current working methods and exhibit my talent. Below are the steps I followed to achieve the outcome: Identify the objective Just like a solution cannot be achieved till the problem is identified, results cannot be attained till objectives are defined. To keep my manager's attention focused, first and the foremost thing I did was to figure out my objective and the desired

No one shall commit adultery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No one shall commit adultery - Essay Example Family members are open and ready to forgive their beloved ones for their sin of adultery. Of course, this position can be seriously criticized from different perspectives, but there is no doubt that adultery is not the reason for killing a person. In the countries where Islamic religion is practiced, a sin of adultery is known as Zina and a person who committed this sin was subjected to stoning. The strictness of religion of Islam cannot be denied, but it should be mentioned that even in the modern context these practices of stoning still exist. 10 commandments of God should be followed by Gods followers, but God has never acclaimed for killing or stoning to prevent adultery. He has always appealed for forgiveness and a power of patience and tolerance (Wael). Nowadays we can see that severe measures of punishment are taken against those who committed adultery. In the article "Afhgan woman slices daughter-in-laws throat for refusing prostitution, police say" it is evident that horrible inhumane attitude towards women is still practiced in Afghanistan. Women are killed for their denial to become prostitutes. The Taliban have a usual practice of killing women in the case of adultery. Adultery is a breach of Gods laws for sure, but if a woman is killed then another sin occurs. 13-year-old girl named Sahar Gul was also tortured by her in-laws because she did not conceive right after her husband raped her. Maybe in this case relatives of a girl were triggered by their religious beliefs but no one can deny a horrible and inhumane torturing to which she was exposed to (Afhgan woman slices daughter-in-laws throat for refusing prostitution, police say). Therefore, in the modern world there are still cases and practices of inhumane attitudes and severe reactions to adultery. It is evident that a person committing adultery has taken sin in her heart, but it is not the reason for killing that

Environmental regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental regulation - Essay Example 1). In step 1 EPA proposes a Regulation, which is also called the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The proposal is presented for mass consideration through the Federal Register (FR). The official website of EPA, Regulations.gov, also can be visited to know and consider the proposed rule and related papers. In step 2 EPA analyses the public remarks and after revising the draft publishes a final rule in the FR and the official website. In step 3, the regulation is codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the government record keeper of 50 volumes, named titles. All environment regulations are listed in Title 40, which is updated every year on July 1 (EPA, â€Å"Laws and Regulations,† par. 2-4). Enforcement of EPA regulations against people and companies comes under civil or criminal violations of the country’s environmental laws and regulations. Different EPA head-offices, regional and state agencies carry out the enforcement program under Civil Administrat ive Actions, Civil Judicial Actions, and Criminal Actions as per the nature and seriousness of the violation (EPA, â€Å"Enforcement,† par. 1-4).

Assess the advantages of job specialisation Essay Example for Free

Assess the advantages of job specialisation Essay 1. Terminology Job Definition Job definitions in practice are usually only applied to low level manual and clerical jobs, at more senior levels there are usually greater degrees of own job making. There is a school of thought that suggests newly appointed staff ought to know exactly what their duties are in detail. The suggestion is that this higher degree of definition (or specification) helps to motivate employees by letting them know exactly what is expected of them. Others schools of thought are that, far from being motivating a high level of job definition acts to control peoples behaviour and sets minimum performance standards. Job Specialisation Job specialisation is typically a feature of bureaucratic organisations where there is an implied clear-cut division of labour and a high level of specialisation; this is especially relevant to both knowledge jobs and jobs of a manual or clerical nature. After general training some workers e.g. doctors may become gynaecologists, assembly line workers may specialise in fitting car tyres whilst others fit doors, therefore they become a specialist. The design of the organisation relates to what types of jobs should be created and how narrow and specialised they should be. Advantages of job specialisation would be: * Job holders can develop enormous skill in performing a narrowly defined and specified task * Job specialisation typically means that less work time is lost in switching from one job to another * Specialised equipment to increase productivity can be more easily developed in highly specified jobs * Training people for specialised jobs is relatively easy Disadvantages of job specialisation would be: * Boredom is a problem. Workers often get little satisfaction from the job and feel no pride in carrying out trivial tasks * Workers with highly specialised jobs often have high levels of absenteeism and job dissatisfaction and may quit more readily or develop antagonistic relationships with their superiors Once jobs have been designed, organisations must then group the jobs into logical units. At upper levels of an organisation, the groups may be called divisions, product groups or units. At middle and lower levels, they are usually called departments. Departmentalisation is the basis on which jobs are grouped together within an organisation. Another form of grouping is by product. This is a popular structural form in large organisations having a wide range of products or services. In the National Health Service, for example, the key groups of employees medical, nursing, paramedical and hotel services are dispersed according to the service they provide, e.g. maternity, orthopaedic, surgical, psychiatric etc. The advantage of a product organisation is that it facilitates co-ordination and integration, speeds up decision making and eases assessment of units performance. Disadvantages of this type of organisation are that there is some duplication of effort in the various functional areas and managers tend to focus narrowly on their product responsibilities rather than the overall organisation. Hierarchical Structure Hierarchy refers to the number of levels to be found in an organisation. In a company that has a flat organisation structure there are relatively few levels between the lowest and highest levels of authority. A hierarchy is the pattern of reporting relationships between individuals in positions throughout an organisation. The hierarchy has two purposes; to specify which positions are responsible for which areas of operation and to specify the authority of different positions relative to one another. Authority is the power created and granted by the organisation. Organisations must decide how authority is to be distributed among various positions, levels and departments. The process of distributing authority between managers and subordinates is known as delegation. Delegation is a three step process between a manager and one or more subordinates. 1) Assigning responsibility 2) Granting authority 3) Creating accountability Many managers are reluctant to delegate because they dont know how to do so or they feel threatened by a subordinate who performs well. Organisations need to help managers decide how much responsibility to delegate and to overcome the threat of being overshadowed. Decisions about how to distribute authority throughout an organisation result in decentralisation or centralisation. Decentralisation is the systematic delegation and responsibility to middle and lower levels of an organisation. Centralisation is the systematic retention of power and responsibility at higher levels of an organisation. Decentralisation and centralisation are the opposite ends of a continuum. Most firms are relatively more decentralised or relatively more centralised. Centralisation generally allows top managers to exercise control over the organisation, however, it also slows decision making and constrains innovation. Decentralisation distributes control more evenly throughout the organisation. It also tends to speed decision making and make the organisation more flexible and responsive. However, decentralisation allows more opportunities for errors in decision making. The decision to decentralise or centralise is influenced by the organisations environment, size and economic performance. Span of Control Delegation is essentially a power-sharing process in which individual managers transfer part of their legitimate authority to subordinates / team leaders, but without passing on their own ultimate responsibility for the completion of the overall task which has been entrusted to them by their own superiors. The reasons for delegation are mainly practical, but some are idealistic. Practical reasons include: * Senior managers can be relieved of less important, or less immediate, responsibilities in order to concentrate on more important duties * Delegation enables decisions to be taken nearer to the point of impact, and without the delays caused by frequent reference upwards * Delegation gives managers the opportunity to experience decision making and the consequences of their decisions * Delegation encourages managers to learn how to cope with responsibility * Delegation enables organisations to meet changing conditions more flexibly, especially at the boundaries of their system Idealistic reasons for delegation include: * Delegation is a good thing for individual growth, and contributes to staff morale * Delegation is the sine qua non of empowerment (Peter, 1988) * Delegation helps to enrich individuals jobs and humanises work. Most organisations find the need to delegate forced on them by circumstances, especially the pressures on managers to concentrate on environmental issues rather than on internal problems. However, the best practice is to be found in organisations that use delegation positively as an important employee motivator as well as a means of facilitating effective decision-making throughout the organisation. One of the major questions which has to be faced when considering the practical aspects of delegation is how many subordinates, or team members, can be managed effectively by any one manager or supervisor. This is the classical management issue of the so-called span of control, i.e. the number of employees reporting directly to one person. The term span of control refers to the number of subordinates that an individual manages or controls and for whose work that person is responsible. In tall hierarchical organisations an individual employee may have a wide span of control. In contrast in a teamwork structure the span of control may be narrow or may not exist at all. Within an organisation, the span of control bears an inverse relationship to the number of layers of hierarchy, i.e. if the span of control is narrow a large number of levels of hierarchy are needed. In practice spans can vary between one and forty or more subordinates directly supervised, although the most likely range is between three and twenty. Smaller spans tend to be found among managerial, professional and technical groups. Here factors such as cost, the complexity of the work and the need to deal adequately with the problems of people, who may themselves be managers of others, require a closer involvement by superiors in the total operation of their units. Towards the bottom end of the organisational hierarchy, where employees who have no subordinates themselves are carrying out routine tasks, it is practicable to have much larger spans. The whole question of spans of control is linked to top managements views about the number of levels they should have in their organisation. If a flat organisation is preferred, then larger spans are an inevitable consequence, especially for middle managers. If a tall structure is preferred, then spans can be smaller. Any final decision has to be a compromise between these opposing consequences. Other important influences on the size of the spans in an organisation or unit include: * The levels of ability of management i.e. are they capable of producing results with spans of a certain number. * The level of knowledge and experience of the subordinates concerned, e.g. well-trained and experienced staff require less supervision than those without training and experience * The complexity of the work of the unit and the degree of change to which it is subject, i.e. the more complex and more fast changing the work, the more necessary it is to install narrow spans of control * The costliness of possible mistakes by individuals in the unit * The degree of hazard or danger associated with the work, e.g. work on oil rigs or in biochemical laboratories requires special attention to safety procedures In a tall organisational structure many levels separate the lowest positions from the highest one. Hierarchical structures are taken to the extreme in organisations like the army. There are lots of different ranks or grades of workers, with different responsibilities, pay and status. Such organisations are meant to be more inflexible and bureaucratic. 2. Informal and Formal Organisational Structures Organisational structure can be viewed from many perspectives, but I find viewing it from a decision making perspective most useful. Structure exists to perform two essential functions within an organisation: a) Control Ensuring that decision makers at all levels use the managerial or hierarchical constraint as one of the criteria in making their decisions, and b) Coordination Ensuring that decision makers at all levels use lateral or peer constraints as criteria in their decision making The informal organisation structure usually consists of staff and workers who report directly to a small number of managers. This permits a strong influence on morale, motivation and how satisfied staff are with their jobs. This can assist in giving a fast response to customers and following up market opportunities quickly but can lead to confusion of responsibilities and confuse decision making. Organisational growth could lead to increased tension due to overlapping of job roles which would lead to the organisation adopting a formal organisational structure. The informal organisation is: * Flexible and loosely structured * Relationships may be left undefined * Membership is spontaneous and with varying degrees of involvement. The informal organisation can serve a number of important functions: * It provides satisfaction of members social needs, and a sense of personal identity and belonging * It provides for additional channels of communication; for example, through the grapevine information of importance to particular members is communicated quickly * It provides a means of motivation, for example, through status, social interaction, variety in routine or tedious jobs, and informal methods of work. * It provides a feeling of stability and security, and through informal norms of behaviour can exercise a form of control over members * It provides a means of highlighting deficiencies or weaknesses in the formal organisation, for example, areas of duties or responsibilities not covered in job descriptions or outdated systems and procedures. The informal organisation may also be used when formal methods would take too long, or not be appropriate, to deal with an unusual or unforeseen situation The informal organisation, therefore, has an important influence on the morale, motivation, job satisfaction and performance of staff. It can provide members with greater opportunity to use their initiative and creativity in both personal and organisational development. The informal organisation is the networks of relationships that employees form across functions and divisions to accomplish tasks fast. Control is also an integral part of the process of management and a key element for any organisation, playing an important role in the relationship between managers and their subordinates. Control is not only a function of the formal organisation and hierarchical structure of authority, it is also a feature of organisational behaviour and a function of interpersonal influence. The whole purpose of managerial control is the improvement in performance at both the individual and organisational level. Control involves the planning and organisation of work functions, and guiding and regulating the activities of staff. A social organisation is an ordered arrangement of individual human interactions. Control processes help circumscribe typical behaviours and keep them conformant to the rational plan of the organisation. Organisations require a certain amount of conformity as well as the integration of diverse activities. It is the function of control to bring about conformance to organisational requirement and achievement of the ultimate purposes of the organisation. At the organisational level, management need to exercise control over the behaviour and actions of staff in order to ensure a satisfactory level of performance. Managerial control systems are a means of checking progress to determine whether the objectives of the organisation are being achieved. Control provides a check on the execution of work and on the success or failure of the operations of organisations. There are two main types of control which can be used within the organisation and whichever one of these two styles is chosen plays an important factor in the relationship between the manager and his/her subordinates. Firstly, there is Behavioural Control which is based upon the direct personal supervision of the employees. This form of control appears more useful to the needs of individual managers in their attempts to control subordinates in one department or section. There is also Output Control which is based on the measurement of outputs and the results achieved. This form of control serves the needs of the organisation as a whole and is used largely because of the demand for simple measurement of organisational performance. There are five essential elements for a management control system to be truly successful. These factors include the planning of what is desired, establishing standards of performance, monitoring actual performance, comparing actual achievement against the planned target and also rectifying the taking of corrective action. Control is viewed as an essential feature of formal organisation and a hierarchical structure of authority. An alternative view of control is more in keeping with the human relations approach, control is seen as a feature of interpersonal influence and takes place within a network of interaction and communication. While the need for some form of control is constant, the extent and manner of control is variable. In the formal organisational structure there will be patterns of communication and procedures for decision making. Some organisations will have tall structures with lots of layers of command. Other organisations can be relatively flat. The formal structure is usually the first structure adopted after the simple informal organisational structure. It represents a significant shift from centralisation (one person in charge) to decentralisation. Management is divided into tasks of getting the work (sales marketing), carrying out the work (operations), getting the staff (personnel) and recording transactions and arranging finance (finance). This can lead to tension and inter-rivalry between functions, overlap, duplication of effort and difficulties in co-ordination can also occur. Formal structures are often based on specific tasks and it is how these tasks are allocated and the authority which they carry are explained by the organisational structure. The formal organisation is based on official links and connections whereas the informal organisation is based on loose ad hoc connections. It is much easier to set out an organisation chart for formal structure than for informal ones, which may not be obvious and may change although some informal structures are deeply embedded in working practice. The formal organisation is: * Deliberately planned and created * Concerned with the co-ordination of activities * Hierarchically structured with stated objectives, the specification of tasks, and defined relationships of authority and responsibility. Within the formal organisation an informal organisation will always be present. I would define an organisations structure as the architecture both visible and invisible which connects and weaves together all aspects of the organisations activities so that it functions in a dynamic way. One simple approach is to consider how an organisations structure is described when represented in the form of a diagram which is most often shown as an organisation chart. Below is an example of formal organisation chart for 3. Organisational Structure of Scottish Enterprise Borders a) Scottish Enterprise operates a formal organisational structure subdivided into regional structures for each Local Enterprise company. This structure is due to the organisation being relatively large, geographically dispersed, and delivering a wide range of goods/services. This is in common with all 12 local enterprise companies and allows us to work in close proximity to our customers and partners, by locating staff throughout lowland Scotland. The regional structuring was adopted following a process the Scottish Enterprise Network went through 2 years ago called Business Transformation. This entailed a radical overhaul of the way Scottish Enterprise conducted its business. As part of Business Transformation the organisational structure of the entire Scottish Enterprise Network was reviewed and as a result a flatter less bureaucratic structure developed. The original structure hindered the decision making process and there was a lack of co-ordination. The network needed to modernise its working practices to ensure that it was giving tax payers value for money. b) It was considered that adopting this type of structure would improve decision making, fix accountability for performance and increase the coordination of functions. This structure allows the network to evaluate and monitor its activities, it also allows a degree of flexibility. The main downside of this strategy is that it does foster rivalry among the divisions. This is why our organisational values became an integral part of how we do business. Rivalry between local enterprise companies and departments is a cultural and historical issue that will probably always exist. In Network terms, our business units are the 12 LECs and the directorates in Atlantic Quay. Every business unit owns a balanced scorecard to help them manage the performance of their own business unit. The reference point for this is the Network balanced scorecard agreed with the Corporate Management Team. Strategy maps articulate the key objectives that describe both what the organisation wants to achieve and how it is going to achieve it, and demonstrates the critical cause and effect relationships between these objectives (i.e. linkages between desired outcomes and what we must have in place internally to deliver them). Strategy maps are now considered to be the single most important and useful element of designing a balanced scorecard. 4. Organisational Chart a) The organisational structure of a business is most easily summarised in an organisational chart. The chart shows at any given moment in time how work is divided and the grouping together of activities, the levels of authority and formal organisational relationships. Organisation charts describe in diagrammatic form the structure of an organisation. It is the skeleton upon which every other activity depends, more importantly, it is the framework which explains the communication pattern, process and the linking mechanisms between the roles. It illustrates to everyone who communicates with whom, how the control system works, who is in control, who has authority and above all, who is responsible. It explains how the organisation is co-ordinated and how individual departments relate. The division of labour and the relationship of one position to another is reflected in an organisational chart which can act as a guide to explain how the work of different people in the organisation is co-ordinated and integrated. Once specified and defined, the jobs and the authority and responsibility relations between them are represented on an organisational chart. Some charts are very sketchy and give only a minimal amount of information whilst others give varying amounts of additional details, such as an indication of the broad nature of duties and responsibilities of the various units. Others include names of post holders and even photographs, and some give the salary grading for individual positions. Using such a chart would allow employees to become familiar with the organisation, making them feel a part of the company, allowing them to know whos who and whats going on. Organisational charts are useful in explaining the outline structure of the company. They may be used as a basis for the analysis and review of structure, for training and management succession, and for formulating changes. The chart indicates several important details about the organisation: * Lines of communication * Delegation of authority * Accountability * Span of Control * The way in which the work of the organisation is grouped Organisational charts have several weaknesses as a means of explaining organisational structure. Most importantly, they may not be consistent with reality. They may not be current. They may imply a formality that does not exist in practice. Often, they are drawn from a top down perspective. The organisation may look quite different from the bottom than from the top. They often imply that a pyramid structure is the best or only way to organise a business. A circular organisational approach or team approach may in fact be better in some cases. The organisation chart may fail to come to come to grips with the power and authority of a popular and charismatic person relatively low in the organisation or a person who has a substantial financial investment in the business without being a formal part of the management team. Hierarchy refers to the number of levels found in an organisation. In a company that has a flat organisation structure there are relatively few levels between the lowest and highest levels of authority. The basic distinction made between tall hierarchical organisations, and flatter teamwork structured organisations is that a tall organisation will have several layers of command. In contrast team structures will be based on cells of team members working together, often belonging to several project teams which form and reform as projects start and finish. The line relationship authority flows vertically down through the structure, for example, from the chief executive to director, director to team. There is a direct relationship between superior and subordinate, with each subordinate responsible to only one person. Line relationships are associated with functional or departmental divisions of work and organisational control. Directors have authority and responsibility for all matters and activities within their own directorate. Lateral Relationships exist between team members. The organisation is not concerned with responsibilities or authority but rather with providing an avenue for communication and co-ordination between widely different aspects of work. The lateral relationships that exist may be categorised into: Colleague Relations: These are the relationship that exists between people working in the same directorate and who are members of the same team. Collateral Relations: These are the relationships that are necessary for the interchange of ideas and opinions between people at the same level but in different teams within the organisation. 5. Organisational Structure Matrix Structure Matrix structures are organisational forms which have evolved as a result of co-ordination problems in highly complex industries such as software development, where functional and product types of structure have not been able to meet organisational demands for a variety of key activities and relationships arising from the required work processes. A matrix structure usually combines a functional form of structure with a project-based structure. For example, in a two year project to produce a modified version of a standard software programme, one project manager will co-ordinate, and be held accountable for, the work to be undertaken by the project team, and he will be the person who deals on a regular basis with the client. However, in addition to reporting to his own senior line manager on progress with the project as a whole, he will also report on specialist matters, such as design issues, to one or more functional managers, depending on the complexity of the project. The functional managers provide technical expertise and organisational stability. The project manager provides the driving force and the day-to-day control required to steer the project through during its relatively temporary lifetime. The main feature of a matrix structure is that it combines lateral with vertical lines of communication and authority. This has the important advantage of combining the relative stability and efficiency of a hierarchical structure with the flexibility and informality of an organic form of structure. A matrix form focuses on the requirements of the project group, which is in direct contact with the client. It helps to clarify who is responsible for the success of the project. It encourages functional managers to understand their contributory role of the purely functional form, i.e. individual empire building by the functional heads. Three conditions are necessary for the matrix: * Economy of scale in the use of internal resources * Environmental pressure for two or more critical factors such as product (need to complete a specific projectfor example development of the Lower Churchill Falls for electricity) and function (specialized work activity skills needed from within the functional structure necessary for completing this project) * Environment is both complex and uncertain Key Matrix Roles The matrix relies on three key roles: Top leader This individual must keep a balance between the two authority structures. The leader attempts to achieve a balanced matrix structure. Oftentimes either a functional matrix (primary boss functional leader) or product matrix (primary boss functional leader). Matrix bosses Individuals who have management responsibility within the functional and divisional structure need to work collaboratively and establish a priori arrangements for decision making and dispute resolution. Two-boss employee These individuals are the employees who perform the essential work and they report to two bosses requiring them to be able to deal with conflicting demands. Strengths and Weaknesses * Achieves coordination necessary to meet dual demands from divisional-product and functional requirements, but dual authority can be frustrating and confusing to employees. * Provides flexible use of human resources across divisions-products, but participants need excellent interpersonal skills for work to proceed smoothly and successfully * Suited to environment in which frequent changes occur, but consensus seeking and meetings are time-consuming * Provides an opportunity for employees to acquire in-depth skill development for both functional and division-product skill development. * Suited best in medium-sized organizations with several products or projects However, like all organisational form, matrix structures do have their disadvantages. The most important are: * The potential conflicts that can arise concerning the allocation of resources and the division of authority as between project groups and functional specialists * The relative dilution of functional management responsibilities throughout the organisation * The possibility of divided loyalties on the part of members of project teams in relation to their own manager and their functional superiors Despite these disadvantages, the matrix form probably offers the best answer to date to the issue of handling the tension between the need to differentiate and the need to integrate the complex activities of modern organisations. Hybrid Structure Hybrid structures occur when an organisation adopts a structure, which combines two structures from either functional, product or customer principles as a basis for its design. Most organisations eventually use multiple forms of structure within a single overall structure. Once work groups have been departmentalised, the organisation needs to develop a network of reporting relationships. A hierarchy is the pattern of reporting relationships between individuals in positions throughout an organisation. The hierarchy has two purposes; to specify which positions are responsible for which areas of operation and to specify the authority of different positions relative to one another. Authority is the power created and granted by the organisation. Organisations must decide how authority is to be distributed among various positions, levels and departments. The process of distributing authority between managers and subordinates is known as delegation. Delegation is a three step process between a manager and one or more subordinates. 1) Assigning responsibility 2) Granting authority 3) Creating accountability Many managers are reluctant to delegate because they dont know how to do so or they feel threatened by a subordinate who performs well. Organisations need to help managers decide how much responsibility to delegate and to overcome the threat of being overshadowed. Decisions about how to distribute authority throughout an organisation result in decentralisation or centralisation. Delegation is essentially a power-sharing process in which individual managers transfer part of their legitimate authority to subordinates/team leaders, but without passing on their own ultimate responsibility for the completion of the overall task which has been entrusted to them by their own superiors. Strengths and Weaknesses * The hybrid is a balance between a pure divisional or product structure and a pure functional structure and combines the advantages of each. * Weaknesses include high administrative costs and potential conflict over goal focus and resource allocations for functional and divisional departments. The reasons for delegation are mainly practical, but some are idealistic. Practical reasons include: * Senior managers can be relieved of less important, or less immediate, responsibilities in order to concentrate on more important duties * Delegation enables decisions to be taken nearer to the point of impact, and without the delays caused by frequent reference upwards * Delegation gives managers the opportunity to experience decision making and the consequences of their decisions * Delegation encourages managers to learn how to cope with responsibility * Delegation enables organisations to meet changing conditions more flexibly, especially at the boundaries of their system Idealistic reasons for delegation include: * Delegation is a good thing for individual growth, and contributes to staff morale * Delegation is the sine qua non of empowerment (Peter, 1988) * Delegation helps to enrich individuals jobs and humanises work. Most organisations find the need to delegate forced on them by circumstances, especially the pressures on managers to concentrate on environmental issues rather than on internal problems. Overall, organisations have to adapt and grow whilst responding to environment and technology changes by developing more complex structures that are composites of the basic types. Both Hybrid and Matrix structures are composites of the basic type of organisation structure. The reasons why organisations divide into different structures is varied. Typically, structures develop out of functional lines (production, sales etc); geography (like Coca Cola); or by business. The reason will be about capitalising on some structural efficiencies or economies of scale to produce competitive advantage. The benefits are that the smaller (hopefully more logical) units will be more manageable, efficient and profitable. Perhaps being closer to their market and more adaptable. Possibly maximising on internal communications and transfer of knowledge. The consequences are (hopefully) that the benefits are realised. However, the best practice is to be found in organisations that use delegation positively as an important employee motivator as well as a means of facilitating effective decision-making throughout the organisation.

Synthes And Bioresorbable Internal Fixation Devices

Synthes And Bioresorbable Internal Fixation Devices Synthes roots are based in the non-profit Swiss research group, Association for the study of Internal Fixation or, AO, as it is referred to by the Swiss. The AO was formed by a group of medical professionals including orthopaedic surgeons, metallurgists and other scientists, whose goal was to find other means repairing complex fractures because the methods used around the time, the 1950s, was either left patients suffering months of rehabilitation or with permanent disabilities. AO was built around three basic principles research, education and development, the building blocks for any RD company. With regards to the education aspect of the organisation AO, would frequently offer multi-courses for other orthopaedic surgeons to enlighten them on the new internal fixation techniques. AO began to work with other non-profit organisations, distributing implants to a particular region in the world, with exclusive rights. Synthes was given exclusive rights to North America, and its counterparts Stratec and Mathys were given exclusive rights to Western Europe and Eastern Europe Asia and Africa respectively. Synthes Itself was split into four different companies, Orthopaedics, Spine, Maxillofacial and Canada. For the purpose of this report the main focus will be Synthes Orthopaedic; they are the leader in US orthopaedic trauma implant market with a domestic market share of approximately 50%. The question posed is whether or not Synthes should invest in bioresorbable devices, these are pins or screws or other fixation devices that degrade over time and are absorbed by the body instead of being removed manually. The obvious advantage is to the patients, because they will a smoother recovery process, the major problem that companies face however is finding the formula to maintain the fixation devices for a long enough period of time to ensure full recovery. One of the main reasons why Synthes should get into bioresorbable devices is the fact that they are a RD company and developing new products is their core function, it is one of the major values of the company. There is also the fact that any lapse in the RD of the company may lead to their competitors producing a like product, obtaining a patent and gaining market share and recognition at the expense of Synthes. With companies such as Johnson and Johnson and Boimet competing to achieve the same goal Synthes needs to always be one step ahead. In most cases it is best to be the first mover in an industry, for example when Phizer created the Viagra pill, albeit accidentally, they maintained a patent on the drug for several years and the exclusive production rights allowed them to corner the market. First movers sometimes even create an industry standard, such is the case for Microsoft. Many people still believe that Windows is the best and only operating system, even though there are m any other, much better OSs in the world. Furthermore Johnson Johnson have already crept ahead by producing the second generation of polymers for the industry, even though the success is still not as great as it could be, they still have that expertise. Synthes can use that knowledge to continue the research and possibly produce the third generation of polymers, the game changer, the one that works as well as they industry hopes. A key function that is required is not only research or develop the product, but also to sell it and another reason why Synthes should consider the bioresorbable market is because they have a hugely competent sales force, the case says they are the most experienced in the industry. There are reasons however why Synthes should not go in this market. Key among these is the fact that the market is growing very slowly and is still highly unstable according to the case. The research into stable polymers is going at a snails pace, it can be argued however that slow growth is better than no growth. Take the example of Apple who suffered in the shadows of Microsoft for many years, but one break with the launch of the iPod and the iPhone is helping to push them to the top of the technology market, their persistence paid off. The other main reason can be seen in the case of Johnson and Johnson in the case, although they were one of the first movers into the bioresorbable market, they failure of the product to perform on par with the metallic fixation devices has left them behind Synthes in that respect. 2Æ’Â   The four options discussed by the Synthes managers were to either ignore the bioresorbables completely while focusing on the improvement of their metallic implants or to wait-and-see, where-by they would monitor the progress of the other manufacturers and learn from them as they perform tests. During this stage Synthes will still invest heavily into the production of bioresorbables, that way they can quickly enter the market if they it started become a sounder means of income. The Third method was to develop and market their own line of bioresorbables with the current polymers on the market first developing plates and screws for hand, feet, wrists and ankle fractures and then they plan move to paediatric fractures. The final option is to continue research and development into the 3rd generation of bioresorbables implants, to improve the polymers in an effort to strengthen them and increase their reliability. The industry believes that progress can be made in the development of these polymers but is not quite sure exactly how much progress can actually be made. As with any corporate level decisions there are many advantages and or disadvantages connected. If Synthes chose to completely ignore the bioresorbables market their major advantage is that they will be able to focus more closely on their core competence, the development of metallic implants and improve it faster than their competitors as all of their focus will be on that aspect of the market. Ignoring the market completely is also a means of lowering the risks involved, because this is already their core function and because that sector of the market is far more stable than that of the bioresorbables market they are assured sustainable short term success. However this short term success is not conducive to growth. Synthes will, in effect, be limiting their growth prospects by not even attempting to develop their bioresorbables sector. As risky as it may be they if they were to take part and it became successful the rewards would heavily out-weigh the risks. They are in essence a research and development company and as previously mentioned RD is one of their core values, not even attempting to research the potential of bioresorbables would be undermining the nature of the company itself. Their scientists and researchers may potentially become frustrated if they are not allowed to even touch what to them could be the future of fracture repair. The second choice that Synthes managers discussed was to wait-and-see what the other manufactures are doing, letting the others do the main research and make the major mistakes, while Synthes learns from them and develops their own line of bioresorbables but doesnt market them until market conditions are favourable. In this method Synthes limits their risks significantly by not committing fully to either the development or marketing of their bioresorbables. They will only market if conditions are favourable, if conditions remain as unstable as they currently are then Synthes can simply pull out of the race. However the intend to invest $20 million into the development of their own bioresorbables; this is a very large and substantial investment. If it so happens that the market conditions remain unstable and Synthes decides not to go to market, they will incur a $20 million loss. They also face less risk in the development aspect because they will be leaving most of the work to their competitors; this also limits the amount of developmental failures they would incur if they were undertaking this task on their own. This may seem like the ideal choice for Synthes, however if their competitors do manage to develop more stable polymers and crack the secrets of bioresorbable internal fixation devices, then Synthes runs a patent blockage risk. If for example J J develop a perfectly functioning polymer and get their formula patented then they may have sole production rights for that particular formula for approximately 10 years. In those years they can create such a foothold in the market as the first movers that it could not only hinder the growth of Synthes, but in the worst case scenario, drive them out of the internal fixation device market completely. In the pharmaceutical industry, companies that have first mover advantage tend to retain that advantage for a very long period of time, as their products are more trusted than their competitors. The other drawback for Synthes is that even if a patent does not completely block them out of the industry, then they still run the risk of losing major m arket share to their many competitors. In the scenario where all of the competitors develop at the same pace and launch their products at the same time, the market pie will be divided among more players than is actually necessary thus limiting the potential market share for Synthes. The third option of developing and marketing their own bioresorbables is by far the most risky option that Synthes can take. However they may gain from the first-mover advantage mentioned above, they also have the ability to patent their formulas, block out competition and secure their place in the market for an extended period of time. This option also gives Synthes the opportunity to recuperate their investment into the development of their bioresorbables with the potential returns from marketing with the current polymers. These advantages however depend heavily on the success of the development phase. Therein lays the risk. If Synthes scientists and researchers get it wrong, the results could be disastrous for the company. The investment on development is $20 million, no mention was made of how much it would cost to actually market the product as well, this will push costs even higher, and to have a product fail with those additionally costs could be potentially fatal for Synthes. This is especially true for the paediatric fracture sector that Synthes is hoping to enter, failed products are bad enough, but failed products for children is almost irreversible damage for Synthes. No company wants to be branded as unsafe for children; something like this will lead to permanent scarring for Synthes. The final option of continued research and development into 3rd generation polymers, this once again is highly advantageous to Synthes as it returns them to their core competence of RD. This method will please their researchers and scientists greatly. It is a more balanced option because it is less risky than developing their bioresorbables with the current unstable polymers available and is far more proactive than ignoring the market completely or letting waiting for their competitors to do the research and testing. The costs involved however will be greater than most, if not all of the other methods, but the rewards if they get this one right will be even greater than all the previous methods put together. There are other downsides however, for example even though researchers and other scientists will be pleased to be working on ground breaking new technology, many failures will occur in the interim and this can lead to a large amount of frustration for them, which can be demotivat ing. Synthes still run the risk of their competitors developing better polymers before they do which would leave them in far greater debt than the other methods. The risks and benefits are great no matter what choice Synthes make, but the fact remains that they are essentially an RD company and should stick to their core competence of research development and education. They are industry leaders and need to maintain the high calibre performance they have been demonstrating over the years of their existence. Ignoring a new development, or waiting for their competitors to develop first should not even be an option for such a company. However at the same time jumping into developing and marketing an unstable product in an unstable market is very fool hardy and far too risky to undertake. Continuing to develop a new and safer means of internal fixation with bioresorbables is the best option for Synthes, the creation of the 3rd generation of polymers should be their priority. 3Æ’Â   In the debate of whether or not Synthes will have an impact on the bioresorbables industry, it is the opinion of the author that they can have a huge impact on the progress of the research and development aspect of the industry. Synthes have been a major player in the metallic fixation devices sector, they therefore have the knowledge on how the well the devices need to hold bones together, and also how they need to be shaped or designed to ensure maximum effectiveness. They are currently researching the effectiveness of the second generation polymers and can also begin to develop the third generation of polymers to catapult the industry into the future. The sheer size and capabilities of Synthes allow for them to exert a large amount of influence unto the market. 4Æ’Â   There are many ways for Synthes to introduce resorbables into the market. They are very innovative, with large amount of resources, capable management and therefore are capable of avoiding the valley of death where many innovations end up with poor management. Synthes can fund their own launch and therefore do not need the aid of venture capitalists as such. Great care needs to be used when introducing resorbables; and it is the belief of the author that Synthes should introduce their resorbables in the form of small screws or pins for smaller fractures and breaks first before they commit. This way they can be used on less complex injuries to test just how long they last, smaller fractures need less time to heal. If Synthes finds that their products are functioning properly then and only then, should they consider to manufacture for larger more complex injuries. This is far less risky but at the same time means that Synthes can still be proactive in their research and development. Use for small fractures only, not major complex broken bones. To ensure that they are stable enough and do no degrade in a short period of time. Merge to compete with other two heavyweights.

Human services Framework in USA Healthcare Organisations

Human services Framework in USA Healthcare Organisations Human services framework in the USA and related organizations The human services benefits in the US generally is considered as a consolidation of two significant open and private framework and dependably there is no any exceptional rationality in both of those assets. It mean identified with open wellbeing administrations and rules by the neighborhood, state and administrative level attempt to give astounding wellbeing administrations and private areas, therapeutic suppliers, clinics and facilities are dependably attempt to stay with higher models which executed by the legislative guides and rules. The real issue identified with this distinction is absence of coordination between therapeutic administrations and open wellbeing activities. This contrast bring an additional cost and part of disarray for the individuals to get the same administration with more level expense and perplexity.. Case in point, in 2009 the central government utilized more than three trillion dollars on change of open wellbeing framework and administrations for group parts in diverse divisions like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIPS, gold cards and free group forethought administrations. At the same time, shockingly more than ninety millions US people groups are experiencing nonattendance of protection or high medicinal expenses also (Bodenheimer, 1999). Numerous individuals are whined that they pay the doctors visit expenses more than a few times more than other western nations identified with open wellbeing administrations however the sentiment shows they are truly unsatisfied with their neighborhood open wellbeing administrations and nature of displaying of restorative or preventive projects. Low fulfillment and trouble to get to restorative or preventive administrations particularly for suburb populaces may be identified with absence of coordination between all official wellbeing offices in diverse levels. Obviously, for some individual the holding up time for going to by PCP or other medicinal administration suppliers is shorter contrast with different nations however numerous analysts reason that the nonattendance of protection and trouble to pay the hospital expense is the significant reason for evading doctors facilities or searching for exorbitant restorative administrations. At long last, because of intricacy of medicinal services frameworks in states and regions and distinction in translation of open laws then there is no reasonable and simple methodology to understanding of center capacities for the greater part of the Department of Health Services (DHS) business locales. Still, I have to specify that the US populaces use a lot of cash for therapeutic administrations and open wellbeing administrations and its connected extensions is truly go about as a most questionable allotment of everybody life to handle the complexities of health awareness business locales and its connected exhibitions. ROI and public health marketing ports Effect of ROI after five years investment for public health services ($9/person) America spends $2.7 trillion annually on health care which it is more than any other nations. Too often, the policy for current health care system is more enactive on therapeutic issues of disorders and incidences compare to preventive intervention. For example, related to stop smoking preventive plan, the US spent more than 100 billion dollars of tax payer to enforce cigarettes smoking in public areas and rehabilitation programs by community hospitals. Obesity control programs is another society issues which always associated by other chronic diseases like high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and chronic joint diseases. In one report by the CDC, obesity control plans associated with more than 60 billion dollars costs for federal government as well. The major question is why the government spent billion dollars to treat the preventable diseases compare to other western countries? May be the reason why is that the public health official mostly focus on treatment than prevention. In addition, due to lack of efficient insurance could not participate in preventive programs likes check blood sugar, blood pressure or regular office visiting. I need to add that the rate of chronic diseases in American is very high like carcinoma, heart stroke, COPD and diabetes mellitus. In a recent report, the mortality rate among American due to chronic diseases are considered as 70% and cost of public health budget for above diseases are approximately more than 70 percent of public health budget. I believe, the current opinion regarding to treatment must be switched to preventive initiatives and need a pervasive approach to change of therapeutic culture to preventive methods. In other hand, by changing policy direction toward to prevention then the public health officials could easily recover a lot of cost to spend the money to build up a very strong infrastructure for nation public health. I am pretty sure that in recent changing the culture toward preventive medicine and educating plans could save a lot of budget and lives and divert to cover all community members by strong insurance plans and increasing health service standards. Key findings related to changing policy toward preventive initiative are: -A 2011 study published in Health Affairs found that increased spending by local public health departments can save lives currently lost to preventable illnesses.7 -Researchers mapped spending by local public health agencies from 1995 through 2005 with preventable mortality rates in each agency’s respective jurisdiction. The study found that on average, local public health spending rose from $35 per person in year 1993 to $41per person for year2005 which it shows an increase of more than 19%. For each increase a dollar in local public health spending, there were significant decreases in infant mortality rate (7 percent drop), deaths from cardiovascular disease (3% drop), deaths from diabetes (1.5% drop), and deaths from neoplasms (1% drop). -The 5% decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality required for local health agencies to spend, on average, an additional $350000 each year. In contrast, achieving the same reduction in deaths from cardiovascular disease by focusing on treatment and other traditional health care approaches would require an additional 27 primary care physicians in the average metropolitan community. To put this comparison in perspective, the median salary for a single primary care physician was $200000 in 2010 – as a result, 27 primary care physicians would cost nearly $6 million or more than 37 times the public health investment. -A follow-up to this study presented at the 2013 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting found that low-income communities experience the largest health and economic gains with respect to increases in local public health spending. Researchers again examined spending by local public health agencies to determine the specific types of communities that benefit most from additional public health investments. The study found that the health and economic effects of public health spending were 20-45% larger in low-income communities (bottom 20 percent) as compared to the average community. -Lower death rates and health care costs were seen especially in communities that allocated their public health funding across a broader mix of preventive services. -A 2011 Urban Institute study concluded that it is in the nation’s best interest from both a health and economic standpoint to maintain funding for evidence based public health programs that save lives and bring down costs. Researchers examined the financial costs and health ramifications of ignoring disease prevention. The American health awareness framework right now uses $238 billion for every year in abundance costs – characterized as the distinction between the expenses of look after individuals with preventable incessant illness and those without – to treat individuals with different types of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, coronary illness and stroke. More than a large portion of those expenses are financed through Medicare and Medicaid. Left unchecked, those overabundance costs would climb to $500 billion for every year by 2030, with about $300 billion financed by Medicare and Medicaid. By 2030, if flow patterns precede for constant illnesses among all people’s ages 55-65 years old, one-third will have hypertension, more than one quarter will have diabetes, more than 11 percent will have coronary illness, and almost two percent will have strokes. Comparable pervasiveness rate builds might be normal for people’s ages 65 years or more seasoned – specifically, more than 50% of persons in this age gathering will have diabetes mellitus or hypertension. These builds will influence open segment plan as well as private segment expenses and intensity as well. Slowing the rate of development of these endless ailments will spare lives and cash. For occurrence, cutting the rate of unending infection development by even five percent would spare Medicare and Medicaid six billion dollars for every year by 2030; cutting the rate of constant malady development by 25 percent would spare $26.2 billion for every year; and cutting the rate of constant ailment development by 50 percent would spare $48.9 billion for every year. -Investments in essential anticipation projects wont just help abate the constant illness rate, yet have likewise been demonstrated to lower private protection fetches and move forward investment gainfulness while lessening laborer non-appearance. Truth be told, reserve funds accomplished through counteractive action projects can altogether and rapidly exceed beginning, forthright speculations. A 2011 study distributed in Health Affairs demonstrated that a consolidation of three systems – growing wellbeing protection scope, conveying better preventive and incessant mind, and concentrating on group counteractive action is more viable at sparing lives and cash than executing any of these methodologies alone. Specialists tried each of the three procedures in an element recreation model of the United States wellbeing mind framework. The study found that while each of the three procedures recovery exists and enhance financial conditions, protection scope and therapeutic tend to perpetual conditions lead to expand in wellbeing expenses. Of the three, just those steps identified with aversion moderate the development in the predominance of infection and damage, reducing the interest on restricted essential forethought limit. -Adding group avoidance components, for example, lessening introduction to used smoke and offering more open doors for physical action to an extension of protection scope and therapeutic consideration could spare 90 percent more lives whats more decrease expenses by 20% inside 10 years; those figures ascent to 150% whats more 58%, individually, inside next 20 years. In 2008, Trust for Americas Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discharged a report demonstrating that a venture of $10 for every individual yearly in demonstrated, group based open wellbeing projects could spare the United States more than $15 billion inside five years—a 6 billion return for each $1 per capita contributed. The report mainly focused around a model created via specialists at the Urban Institute and an audit of studies led by the New York Academy of Medicine – concentrated on group based ailment anticipation programs that dont oblige medicinal forethought. Extra findings included: 1- The $16 billion in funds would be spread through Medicare ($5 billion), Medicaid ($1.9 billion), and private payers ($9 billion). 2- Every state in the country would be suffering because of potential profit for venture inside that five-year period, going from a rate of 3.7 to 1 at the low end to 9.9 to 1 on the high end. What is the estimation of a solid open wellbeing framework? The responses are truly surrounding us: circulating everywhere we inhale, the water we drink, the sustenance we consume, and the spots where we live, learn, work and play. This current years main topic for ROI, Efficient Public Health is ROI: Save Lives, Save Money, highlights the quantifiable profit, or ROI, that open wellbeing projects and administrations convey in securing our wellbeing and decreasing therapeutic expenses from infections that could be anticipated. If we realize that putting $10 for every individual every year in group based with wellbeing exercises programs then could spare more than twenty billion dollars for next five years? That means it is simply returned more than six billion dollars for each dollar per person contributed by ROI program. Furthermore that is simply the outcome of an efficient ROI plan. In addition, routine kids’ vaccinations save $10 million in immediate health preventive expenses, spare 33,000 lives and keep 14 million instances of sickness. However, with spare of each $1 per person to provide preventive resource budget like into the countrys drug abuse prevention then the public health officials could spares more than fifteen dollars in medicinal expenses and treatment and in the end gainful policy by local ROI, an aggregate of more than two billion dollars brings consistently. Another outcome with efficient ROI is related to preventive measure and AIDS diseases. During years 1995-2005, speculations regarding of HIV control by counteractive actions turned away more than 400,000 new infected individuals and spared more than hundred billion in therapeutic expenses. For smoking preventive measure then using of smart ROI which is fitted to the community size and culture, could be bring more than three dollars saving cost for each one dollar contributed to public health budget. And for illicit drug prevention treatment has an ROI of six dollars for every one dollar invested for preventive programs. References: Bodenheimer, T. (1999). The American health care systemthe movement for improved quality in health care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 340(6), 488-492.