Stakeholder Analysis Strategy And Convergence And Divergence Management Essay

Stakeholder Analysis Strategy And Convergence And Divergence Management Essay Prior to implementing a companywide change, it is important to get stakeholders on board. Organisations take their stakeholders into confidence, just to ensure the smooth transition, since they are the one who will be affected by the change. For an organisation stakeholder can be its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, managers, government, local community, creditors etc. n order to achieve this goal, stakeholder analyses are carried out. Stakeholder Analysis The process of identifying those who will be affected by the actions of organisation. It also enables the managers to analyze the attitudes of stakeholders towards the change. In order to carry out these analysis, following steps are taken: Identify the stakeholders in stakeholder analysis the first step is to come up with the list of any who will be affected by the organisational actions, this can include an individual, a group or an organisation. The possible stakeholders for Gill Construction can be: new Managing Director previous MD senior managers suppliers lenders / banks customers public future recruits, environment protection groups regulatory bodies Prioritize your stakeholders For organisations the list of stakeholders can be very long, in one case of university 20,000 stakeholders were identified. This doesnt mean that everyone is very important to the organisation. Hence the next step in stakeholder analysis is to prioritize stakeholders. This can be done using Power / Interest Grid. Using this grid, Gill construction can identify their key stakeholders, which can be: new Managing Director senior managers suppliers lenders / banks customers public environment protection groups and regulatory bodies existing workforce Stakeholder analysis strategy Understand Your Key Stakeholders this is the last step in stakeholder analysis. It focuses on understanding the key stakeholders, and defines the way they will be affected. It also highlights the interests stakeholders have with the organisation. It answers the following question: What financial or emotional interest do they have in the outcome of change? Is it positive or negative? What motivates them? What information do they want? How do they want to receive information? What is the best way of communicating with them? What is their current opinion? Is it based on good information? Who influences their opinions generally? Do some of these influencers therefore become important stakeholders in their own right? If they are not likely to be positive, what will win them around to support change? How to manage their opposition How they can influence others by their opinion? Convergence and Divergence Another model adopted by management gurus to analyze the stakeholders. It enables the managers to identify the factors which are opposing the stakeholders and which are supporting it. Divergence analysis of the factors which are opposing the change for stakeholders. The first step is to identify the basic change factors which are causing the opposition, these can be beliefs, values, and goals associated with the stake holders. Managers need to answers like What are their beliefs about change and which have led them to oppose it? What are the values being transgressed by change actions? Are their stress values being triggered? How is the change affecting their career social goals? Managers also need into their perception of the change, analyzing this can give them huge edge converting their opposition. They need to answer questions like What do they think about change? What do they think will happen? How do they look at other stakeholders? Convergence elements which are supporting the change. It is much focused on those who oppose the change. Managers need to understand who they are dealing with, what they are capabable how and how they can affect them. For-example A regulatory body or HSE will have permission to shut down the work in progress if they find anything in violation of the laws. Also in case of Supply chain, they may also ruin their relationship with the supplier. Banks and Lenders will have their leverage over the organisation since a loan was taken for the purchase of new machinery. Managers need to look into the following cases: How the stakeholder will be managed? Do they need any leadership or they will just follow? What made them follow the leadership How will they support the change? How prepared are they for the change? Evaluate the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Stakeholders Circle: A tool designed to gain stakeholder commitment and involve the key stakeholders in developing a change management strategy. This cycle has six steps and also known as Six Steps Stakeholders Cycle Identify the stakeholders The first step is to identify the key stakeholders, which can influence and have interest within the organisation. Prioritize the stake holders Managers need to identify the key stakeholder using the Power-Interest Grid. For Gill Construction these key stakeholders are : MD Employees Management Customers Suppliers Regulatory Bodies Map the Profile next step is to map the profile, how will they be affected, what is in the change for them, how they can be supported, what kind of support we can get from them, what are their culture and values. All the questions will be answered at this point Engagement strategy At this point a managers need to decide how they are going to address the issues of stakeholders in order to gain their commitment and support. New MD of Gill Construction need to hold a meeting with management of the company. Clearly define what He wants to achieve and what his goals are. Since his goal is to improve the quality of the work done and also expand the business. It will be then the job of Management to directly contact their respective staff members and explain the situation to them. Ideas for improvement will be taken. Meeting and Presentations will be held with suppliers and explain your objective to them. Also Management will seek advice from regulatory bodies to assists them in improving the H S at workplace. Banks and Lenders will also be taken into confidence. A clear business plan will be presented to them. Optimise their Support next step in this cycle is to optimise the support from stakeholders. Managers need to be very clear and specific about their objective to the stakeholder and try to get most out of them. They need to keep good relationships with their lenders/ banks and suppliers. Monitor the last and final stage is to monitor the strategy. They need to keep going back to their stakeholders and ensure their support is still with them. If they have any kind of doubts they need to clear them out. Develop a change management strategy with stakeholders A strategy will be formed which will help management at Gill Construction to gain commitment from their stakeholders. A general change management strategy involves three steps: Situational awareness before a companywide change is implemented, everyone will be made aware of the change and what is going to happen in result of this change. A vision will be created Stakeholders will be informed that how this will effect. Suppliers will be notified about what will be expected of them. Employees will be taken into confidence to avoid panic. Supporting structures second step is to structure teams and sponsor coalition. They will be debriefed about who is going to do what. If they will be let go off, they will be informed at this stage. They will be informed that they need to trained to operate the new machinery. Bank or Lender will be informed about new purchases and equipment. New policy about H S will be sent to HSE and they will be informed about it. Suppliers will be contacted and new terms regarding JIT will be set, also material price will be revisited.   Strategy analysis this stage involves risk analysis to be carried out. what degree of risk is involved in this change. What will happen if this strategy fails. In case there is no progress even after this change, what will we do, what if lenders refuse to pass a load. In case of resistance from stakeholders a resistance to change strategy will be required. Management will give their best to negotiate on good terms with the suppliers and use the bargaining power. Management also need to convince the bank and lenders to pass the load and take them into confidence. Create a strategy for managing resistance to change It is in human nature that whenever they are asked to move out of their comfort zone or change, they resist it. When organisations go under change it is very obvious that stakeholders will be afraid of its outcome. Hence it is very important to manage this resistance because this resistance can raise the risk factor during the change or transition process. Passive versus Active Resistance A framework adopted from Active Passive Being critical Agreeing verbally but not following through Ridiculing failing to implement change Appealing to fear Procrastinating or  dragging one feet Using facts selectively Feigning ignorance Blaming or accusing Withholding information, suggestion, help or support Intimidating or threatening Standing by or allowing change to fail Manipulating Blocking Starting rumours Arguing Managing Resistance Before a change is implemented it is very important for managers to either eliminate resistance completely or bring it down to a very lower level such that it has a very minor effect. There can be number of ways for managing this resistance. Some of the ways adopted by Gill Construction can be: Communication everyone within the organisation should be made aware of the situation. Managers need to communicate openly with all the stakeholders and discuss the issues with them. Even if they are supporting the change management need to check with them back to back to ensure the full commitment. Management need to hold meetings, brainstorming session with the staff and communicate with them. Suggestions will be taken from the staff and their participation will be encouraged. Training staff will be provided with appropriate training to build up their skills so that they can operate the new machinery. This will help to eliminate the resistance put up by the operational workforce. Also work-shops will be held with other staff to ensure that they are not left behind. They will be provided with the information and steps involved in this transition will be explained to them. Feedback Taking feedback or suggestions from the stakeholders is always the best way to gain their commitment. This shows to them that management is still listening to them and they hold a value to them. Taking feedback about the training is also good to monitor the staff performance. Develop appropriate models for change In the current scenario, Gill Construction has newly appointed Managing Director, who is not very happy with the current operational situation of the organization .He wants to improve the internal situation of the organization as well as the product quality. In past there were a lot of incidents related to poor health and safety at work place, this was due to the fact that no one was following the policy. Also there were cases of project being delayed due to the lack of appropriate equipment and machinery. Since the management decided to go under a change they have faced a heavy resistance from Suppliers, and employees. Also there were concerns over H S policy. The appropriate change management model for Gill construction would be ADKAR model by Prosci. Awareness Management need to create awareness among all the stakeholders and communicate the vision to them clearly, this will help to get them on board. Meeting will be held with suppliers and explain to them about the Just in Time approach for the material in order to avoid storage costs and material wastage. Employees will be explained that what will be expected of them. They will be informed about the new machinery and equipment and their usage. They will also be debriefed about following H S policies or they will face fine. Desire next step is to get feedback from the stakeholders and see what they desire. Full stakeholder participation will be encouraged. They will also monitor the desire for the stakeholders to change. This will be done using meeting and brainstorming sessions Knowledge next step is to educate and train the staff. This will help to motivate the work force and gain their trust. A list will be made regarding the skills and knowledge needed to support the change. If the supplier can provide the stuff on time. Ability even if the stakeholders have the skills and knowledge to support the change but do they have the ability to support it. For-example Supplier has the complete knowledge of JIT and has skilled work force but do not have enough sources or ability to carry it out. Same is the case with employees they might have skills to operate the machinery but they might not have ability to work at a certain place Reinforcement   the last step is to reinforce the sources to retain change. Training should be provided to the staff to motivate them and make them feel empower. Also managers need to look if the current supplier cannot agree on the new terms than a new supplier might be required. Plan to implement a model for change Organizational Development A companywide effort to increase organizations effectiveness. It focuses to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of the organization, so that it can adopt the change e.g. technological or new market or competitor. OD involves process re-engineering and system re-structuring within the organization to increase the effectiveness. Business Process Re-engineering- the complete rethinking, redesigning and reengineering of the business process. The process of material delivery or supply chain will be redesigned. Supplier will be asked to adopt the JIT approach and supply the material at right time. The material will be kept in very low quantity, and if there is need of more material Mangers have to inform supplier prior to 3-days. They will demand for more stock when they have 20% of the stock left. Also Management will adopt a strict approach towards H S policies at work place. If anyone found in violation of these policies will be heavily fined. Customers will be in direct contact with the Project Manager and everything will be done through him. Project Manager will discuss the issues with senior management on weekly basis. Push-Pull Strategy In the current system, organization is following the Push Strategy, which means the stock is Supplier driven. The demand for material is sent to the supplier and it is then delivered but it is resulting in overstocking and in some cases delays which is unacceptable. Hence a new strategy is required, which will be Pull based supply chain. In this strategy the order is placed by the organization in the required quantity, and supplier has to deliver that on time. This will be a mix of Push and Pull. The demand will be given by Gill Construction when the stock reached the 20% mark, and then supplier will be required to deliver the material as demanded. Develop appropriate measures to monitor progress Once the change implementation strategy is planned, the next step is to put appropriate measures in place which will monitor the performance. This can be achieved with the use of following: Goal-based evaluation the aim of this evaluation is to monitor the performance of change and see if the desired goals have been achieved, this involves: Formulating clear goals, what we wanted to achieve. The goal was to improve the operational quality and supply chain. The next step is to align the organizational goals with the change goals. Gill Construction aim is to provide quality service to the client and gaining customer satisfaction, that will be aligned with the goals for change, the change was required to improve supply chain, and also service quality by using new equipment. Next step is to recognize if we have achieved our goals. The effectiveness of supply chain can be checked by measuring waste levels. Also work force commitment can be seen by appraisals and the percentage of accidents at work place. Process-based evaluation it is another tool which measures the effectiveness on the basis of process performance. This checks if the process redesigning has improved the service quality. It will focus on the supply chain process and see if the process has shown its effectiveness. Are the stakeholders happy with the process. The new process for customers to be in direct contact with project manager and not with head office, is it really helping customers or not. Feedback can be taken at this point, which can assists the managers in monitoring the situation.

How Mildred Taylor uses the Characters and Events to show the Prejudice

Mildred Taylor, the author of 'Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry' clearly depicts racism in her novel. She skillfully uses the characters and events in the novel to show prejudice in Mississippi in the 1930s, when the book was set. At the time Mississippi was renowned as one of the worst states for racism. Taylor has created many situations in her novel were several of the characters are victimized as well as discriminated against. Throughout the novel white people form an irrational judgment on the black race, innocent people are burnt and lynched. 'Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry' is a novel which ventures on how hatred, humiliation and degradation fill the gap between the two races that are separate from each other, the races of the black and white. Taylor uses one of the main characters in this novel, Cassie Logan to show how racism impacted on their everyday lives. When Cassie goes to Strawberry for the first time, she is put out of her comfort zone and into the real world. Through these episodes Taylor shows us that Cassie had to grow up, and learn that being defensive cannot always solve the problem. As Cassie angrily confronts Mr. Barnett as she has not been served, he angrily ?recoiled? and told her to get her ?little black self? away from the counter to wait. As Mr. Barnett tries to get rid of Cassie he bellows, ?whose little nigger is this? leaving Cassie feeling ashamed and confused. Taylor uses this incident and characters to show that black people were considered, by some, to be less important than whites, since Cassie had been waiting for nearly an hour. The language spoken by Mr. Barnett is strongly patronizing, and it expands the portrayal of racism. Another point where Cassie is complete humiliated is when she bum... ...hool every day, whilst the white school bus goes past and sprays them with red dust. This also shows segregation, whites and blacks had to be as far apart as possible according to the whites. In the novel we see segregation many times: when Big Ma parks the wagon the other side of the field, the different schools and different buses. Taylor does use strong and powerful language through her characters and events to portray the racism. She also had a clear structure, some may find it confusing at times, but overall it does not affect how prejudice is portrayed as events follow each other. I think that the final message of the novel, perhaps, is that survival is possible, but that there are inevitable losses along the way, and that whatever race we are should not matter. Taylor uses memorable characters and big and small events to show prejudice in 1930?s Mississippi.

Preparation of Alum from Aluminum Metal Essay

The objective of the laboratory is to synthesize alum (KAl(SO4)2.xH2O) from aluminum powder and to determine the proportion of water in the alum crystals. Alum is a product from the reaction between potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. The reaction include several steps, as followed: Aluminum powder reacts with potassium hydroxide to generate Al(OH)4- ions and release hydrogen. 2 Al(s) + 2 KOH(aq) + 6 H2O 2 K[Al(OH)4](aq) + 3 H2 (g) A gelatinous precipitate of aluminum hydroxide was created when sulfuric acid was added to the aqueous solution of Al(OH)4- ions. 2 K[Al(OH)4](aq) + H2SO4 (aq) 2 Al(OH)3 (s) + K2SO4 (aq) + 2 H2O Later, excessive addition of the acid causes the precipitate to dissolve in the solution. 2Al(OH)3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq) Al2(SO4)3 (aq) + 6 H2O Precipitation of alum was resulted from cooling in ice water bath. K2SO4 + Al2(SO4)3 + 2x H2O 2 KAl(SO4)2.xH2O It is noticeable that alum is a hydrate (a hydrate consists of water molecules in its ionic structure), which leads to its solubility in water. However, a minimum amount of cold water will cause the alum to crystallize. The amount of water incorporated in the alum structure should be clearly defined to derive the full formula of alum, which makes it possible for calculations of theoretical, actual and percent yield of alum. Experimental Methods The experiment was constructed based on the guidelines from Franklin and Marshall Lab Manual1. In a 400 mL-beaker, 0.5 g of aluminum and 2.01g of potassium hydroxide was prepared and mixed together. An amount of 25 mL of distilled water was poured into the beaker in the hood. The mixture was then continuously stirred to help disperse the heat generated from the exothermic reaction. As observed, hydrogen was liberated from the solution, along with aluminum powder gradually darkening and disintegrating into insoluble flakes. It took the solutions 15 minutes to complete when there were no signs of hydrogen released. The solution was then filtered into a new 250 mL beaker. The residue left on the filter paper was carefully washed into the filtrate. A portion of 10 mL of 9M sulfuric acid was added slowly and attentively to the filtrate, with gentle stirring. The presence of acid will neutralize the solution, generating a gelatinous precipitate known as Al(OH)3. The precipitate was later dissolved when excessive addition of acid was poured into the solution, combined with gentle heating on hot plate. The acidity of the solution was confirmed when tested with litmus paper: the paper turned into red. The solution was filtered for the second time to eliminate any undissolved residues remaining. The solution was set aside to cool at room temperature. The crystallization process was conducted by placing the solution beaker into an ice water bath for 20 minutes. After crystallization, white, soft crystals were formed. The mixture was filtered through a Buchner funnel. A wash solution was prepared by combining 5 mL of ethyl alcohol and 5 mL of distilled water. The crystals were washed twice with proper wash solution. Then, the solution was put through suction again to dry out completely. The crystals were spread in a recrystallization disk. Large crystals were broken into small ones with a stapula. The crytals were allowed to air dry in one week. The weight of the air-dried crystals was then recorded.   Two porcelain crucibles were supported on ceramic triangles and heated to red heat with a Bunsen burner for 10 minutes each. The crucibles were set aside cool, then was placed into the desiccator to cool to room temperature. Their weighs were recorded. An amount of 0.5 g of the crystallized alum was placed into each of the crucibles. The crucibles (with alum inside) were carefully heated on ceramic triangles to red heat. The alum inside the crucibles appeared to melt, transforming into a kind of liquid solution. After 5 to 10 minutes of continuous and gentle heating, the content inside the crucibles started to solidify again, yielding white, soft crystals. The crystals were heated at maximum heat for 5 minutes. The crucibles were placed back to the desiccator. After cooling to room temperature, the masses of the contents inside the crucibles were carefully weighed. Results The masses of alum, KAl(SO4)2 and water recorded were given in Table I. Table I. Masses of Alum, KAl(SO4)2 and water in two different crucibles. | Crucible 1| Crucible 2| Alum| 0.5000 g| 0.5000 g| KAl(SO4)2| 0.2721 g| 0.2696 g| H2O| 0.2279 g| 0.2304 g| x= nwaterndry product| 12.00| 12.24| According to the values of x obtained from the table above, the average result of x is 12.12. We can define the formula of alum as KAl(SO4)2.12,12H2O (Molar Mass M = 476.16 gmol-1). Finding the formula of alum makes it possible to calculate the theoretical yield and the percent yield of alum. After calculations from the equations demonstrated in the introduction, the theoretical number of moles of alum would be 0.019 moles. The theoretical yield, as a result, would be mtheoretical = 9.69 g. The actual yield recorded after the laboratory was 4.77 g. Combining all the yields gives us the final result of the percent yield: 52,71%. Discussion Several steps of heating the alum crystals and calculations took place to find out the formula of alum. Concerning the first crucible, an amount of 0.5 g of alum was added to the crucible. After heating, there was 0.2521 g of contents (KAl(SO4)2) left in the crucible. That means there was 0.2479 g of H2O fully evaporating. In this case, x= nH2Ondry product= 0.2279180.2721258= 12.00. Concerning the second crucible, an amount of 0.5 g of alum was added to the crucible. After heating, there was 0.2496 g of contents (KAl(SO4)2) left in the crucible. That means there was 0.2504 g of H2O fully evaporating. In this case, x= nH2Ondry product= 0.2304180.2696258= 12.24. The average result of x: x= 12.00+ 12.242= 12.12. With calculations concerning the masses of contents in the crucibles before and after heating, it is observed that 12.12 molecules of water in a mole of alum. The general formula of alum, therefore, is KAl(SO4)2.12.12H2O. The literature value of portions of water molecules in alum is 12, which makes the formula of alum KAl(SO4)2.12H2O. The proximity of the calculated result and the literature result reflected to efficiency and accuracy of the laboratory. Through a series of chemical reactions, alum (the double salt with incorporated water molecules, with the calculated formula of KAl(SO4)2.12H2O) was formed from aluminum powder, potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. The reactions lead to the formation of alum are summarised as followed: (I) 2 Al(s) + 2 KOH(aq) + 6 H2O 2 K[Al(OH)4](aq) + 3 H2 (g) (II) 2 K[Al(OH)4](aq) + H2SO4 (aq) 2 Al(OH)3 (s) + K2SO4 (aq) + 2 H2O (III)2Al(OH)3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq) Al2(SO4)3 (aq) + 6 H2O (IV)K2SO4 + Al2(SO4)3 + 24 H2O 2 KAl(SO4)2.12H2O The theoretical yield was accumulated over a few steps: There are 0.019 moles in 0.5 g of Aluminum. Similarly, there are 0.036 moles in 2.01 g of potassium hydroxide. We used a portion of 10 mL of 9M sulfuric acid, meaning that we use 0.09 moles of sulfuric acid. In reaction (I) that potassium reacted with aluminum powder with the presence of water, the aluminum played the role of the limiting reagent. In reaction (II) that sulfuric acid was added into the solution of Al(OH)4- ions, the ions were the limiting reagents. The gelatinous precipitate formed in reaction (II) by pouring in acid was soon dissolved in the solution in the reaction (III) by the addition of excessive sulfuric acid. The alum crystals were formed in the reaction (IV) by cooling. From the four reactions, we can easily see that the number of moles of alum formed is equal to the number of moles of aluminum in the aluminum powder. nalum = naluminum = 0.019 moles. The theoretical yield is the product of the number of moles and alum’s molar mass: malum= n Ãâ€" M= 0.019 Ãâ€" 476.16= 9.05 (g). The actual yield is 4.77 g (as stated in the results). The percent yield is calculated by dividing the actual yield by the theoretical yield: %Yield= Actual YieldTheoretical Yield = 4.77 g9.05 g = 52.71%. About 47% of alum was lost during the crystallization. From 0.5 g of aluminum, 2.01 g of potassium hydroxide and 10 mL of 9M sulfuric acid at the beginning, the product obtained after crystallization was only 4.77 g of alum, compared to the theoretical value of 9.05 g. A significant amount of alum was lost during filtration, suction and crystallization, because of the fact that the filter paper was not wet enough and the crucibles were not dry enough due to short maximum heating time. References 1. Franklin and Marshall College Chemistry 111/112 Laboratory Manual, Fall 2012/Spring 2013, p. 39-41.

The Power of Fate vs. Free Will in Medea and Macbeth

The Power of Fate vs. Free Will in Medea and Macbeth Throughout both Medea and Macbeth, there is a clear and heavy presence of the gods. This begs the question, are the characters in charge of their own destiny, or are their fates already written? Fate is described as â€Å"that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny.† It can be said that it is the gods who are in charge of creating the character’s fates. In both Medea and Macbeth, there is a common theme of placing too much trust into fate, rather than taking responsibility for their personal actions. In ancient Greek society, it was believed that the gods were in charge of creating people’s destinies. People could make their own small life decisions, but that was the extent of their power†¦show more content†¦With the first prophecy coming true, Macbeth believes that the witches truly know his destiny, though he goes out of his way to make them happen. In reality it is purely coincidental. Before the two murderers leave to kill Banquo, Macbeth says â€Å"Rather than so, come fate into the list,/ And champion me to the utterance! (3.1.70-71). At this point, Macbeth is confronting fate head on. He wants to fight his destiny until the very end, no matter how bitter it may be. At the end of this scene, Macbeth explains that Fleance also â€Å"must embrace the fate/Of that dark hour† (3.1.136-137). Macbeth feels that Fleance’s fate is that he will be murdered as well. Macbeth takes the witches’ prophecies literally in all instances, when he should have interpreted them more, such as the â€Å"born of a woman† prophecy. Rather than thinking through what the Weird Sisters tell him, and letting events pan out as they will, he (and those around him) take matters into their own hands and try and manipulate the situation to make the prophecy come true. Because of this, it is unclear whether or not these are self-fulfilling prophecy. We’ll never know whether or not Macbeth would have become king without murdering Duncan, or if Banquo’s descendants would be king. Most of Macbeth’s actions are also controlled by others, such as Lady Macbeth, though the fact that Macbeth