The Discus Ring Essay -- Observation Essay, Descriptive Essay

The Discus Ring There is a place in my mind that none other is equal to. This place holds the dreams of so many; it grants the wishes of so few. Although hope can persevere through so many trials and tribulations, this place can crush hope in less than an instant. When there is the realization that hope has been mangled, that a person can be or has been defeated, this place may choose to reestablish that person's dignity and pride in the next instantor it may not. This place is the discus ring. Its occupants often call it "the ring". It is a small, square slab of concrete placed at the vertex of a precise angle. There is a white circle painted on the cement. Though it seems simple, this is the most complex piece of equipment and the biggest challenge in an athlete's life. Looking from an athlete's eyes, a person could see the world from the ring. Just spending time there could equally duplicate everything of importance that has ever been taught to them. Things like pride, disappointment, and responsibility to others as well as you are learned in this six by six-foot squa...

Ambition In Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

In Shakespearean times, ambition was seen to be wrong, as it went against the natural order. You had to accept yourself for who you were. People were not encouraged to better themselves. In act I scene I, the three witches plan to meet Macbeth upon a heath. They announce the major theme of the play: appearances can be deceptive."Fair is foul, and foul is fair" line 10. Macbeth in Act I echoes this in Scene three,"So foul and fair a day I have not seen"These contradictions introduce a feeling of opposing forces at war. They are a symbol of the struggles that take place in the play. This could tie in with the scene in which Lady Macbeth tells her husband to "..Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't."At the beginning of scene three, the wit...

Energy Research Essay - Coal -- Energy Research Essays

Energy Research Essay - Coal First of all, coal can be classified in many different classes. One way is known as coal rank. Coal rank is a measure of degree of change (metamorphosis) from the peat stage. The ranks range from low rank to high rank. These are called lignite, subituminous, bituminous, and anthracite. Heating value and sulfur content reach maximum values at the bituminous coal rank. This stage contains very important environmental implications. Low ranking coal (eg lignite) releases a smoky flame when ignited. Ignition is also easy. High rank coal (eg antracite) has a clean flame and difficult ignition. Coal contains minerals These are organic constituents derived from different parts of plants. An environmental analysis of coal shows it contain...

Microsoft Environment Analysis Essay

1. The five vulnerabilities that exist for this LAN based workgroup are 2755801, 2501696, 2588513 2639658, 2659883. 2. Yes, the vulnerability that involves privilege elevation is 2639658 (Vulnerability in TrueType Font Parsing), but it is not a high priority. 3. 2719662 Solution: Workarounds refer to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying issue but would help block known attack vectors before a security update is available. Apply the Microsoft Fix it solution that blocks the attack vector for this vulnerability. Disable Sidebar in Group Policy. Disable the Sidebar in the system registry. 2737111 Solution: Workarounds refer to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying issue but would help block known attack vectors before a security update is available. Disable WebReady document view for Exchange. 2755801 Solution: Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Prevent Adobe Flash Player from running. Prevent Adobe Flash Player from running on Internet Explorer 10 through Group Policy on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. Prevent Adobe Flash Player from running in Office 2010 on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. Prevent ActiveX controls from running in Office 2007 and Office 2010. Set Internet and Local intranet security zone settings to â€Å"High† to block ActiveX Controls and Active Scripting in these zones. Configure Internet Explorer to prompt before running Active Scripting or to disable Active Scripting in the Internet and Local intranet security zone.

Coffin vs Tubman Essay

Though many individuals in the antebellum United States felt slavery was an abomination, few felt so strongly about it that they would risk their livelihood or wellbeing to fight for abolition. Those who sought change most avidly often drew inspiration from personal life-changing experiences or their engrained beliefs. Anti-slavery operations such as the Underground Railroad could not have functioned on such a large scale without the financial and organizational support given by wealthy citizens such as Levi Coffin. Others who had experienced slavery firsthand, like Harriet Tubman, felt that it was their duty to risk all the freedom they had won to help their enslaved family and comrades. In addition to freeing slaves and fighting to end slavery, these individuals became symbols of bravery and fortitude, giving inspiration to other abolitionists and sympathizers. Tubman and Coffin worked primarily in different time periods and geographical locations, but both were motivated to break slavery laws by their religious beliefs and their childhood experiences with the horrors of slavery. Even after the emancipation of the slaves in 1863, there was something within these two that kept them fighting for equality and justice. Levi Coffin grew up in the heart of slave-owning America, on a farm in New Garden, North Carolina. He was born on October 28, 1798 into a devout Quaker family, who believed that slavery conflicted with the teachings of their religion. Clearly his parents’ teachings and the influence of the Quaker community had a lasting effect on Levi, since he knew from a very young age that he was morally opposed to slavery, claiming â€Å"I date my conversion to Abolitionism from an incident which occurred when I was about seven years old.† Working on his father’s farm with no assistance from slave labor, he developed an appreciation for hard work and often found himself interacting with local slaves. He received very little formal education, which is astonishing, given the degree of business success he would experience later in life. Throug h his teenage years he helped his parents by caring for escaping slaves who had sought refuge on their farm. Unfortunately, the toughening enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act led to public disdain for the Quakers, who defied the government’s laws to pursue what they perceived to be the morally righteous path. To avoid increasing persecution from slaveholders who suspected them of aiding runaways, the majority of Quakers in the Coffins’ community packed up their things and moved northwest to Indiana, in a similar fashion to their relatives who had emigrated from England years ago. Indiana was a part of the Northwest Territory, where slavery had been made illegal with the passing of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. Therefore, the Coffins could resume their abolitionist work in relative safety. The religious persecution experienced by Levi and his forefathers must have served as a strong reminder of the society’s tendencies to mistreat groups of people and individuals who look, think, or act differently. Levi Coffin gained inspiration from Quaker teachings and used his family’s substantial resources to help those whom he felt could not help themselves, whereas Harriet Tubman drew courage and strength from her experiences as a slave to aid her family and friends. Born into slavery around 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland, Araminta Harriet Ross would eventually become one of the most famous female abolitionists of all time. Since her mother had duties to attend to in the plantation house of her owner Mary Pattison Brodess and her father was owned by another family, she was often the only one around to look after her younger siblings. She was also sent to work for both her parents’ owners’ families and other local families from time to time. She was put to work in the woods and fields, where she became strong and acquired valuable skills she would utilize later in life. She experienced many unjust and unwarranted beatings at the hands of her owners that would scar her physically and emotionally. Probably the gravest of Tubman’s injuries came in the form of a skull-fracturing blow she received at the age of fifteen from a two-pound metal weight, which had originally been aimed at another fleeing slave. She was slow to recover from this injury, and once she was fit to work again she still experienced seizures, random bouts of sleep, and vivid dreams and visions for the rest of her life. The difficult life she led and the painful memories she carried fueled her desire to never stop fighting for equality for her people. While Tubman and Coffin were born over 20 years apart, they were both subjected to life changing circumstances in their early years that would shape their outlook on society and foster their determination to help others. The Quakers were well known as forerunners in the fight against all forms of bondage and enslavement, both in the United States and Europe, though not every Quaker chose to actively aid escaping slaves. According to H. J. Cadbury, the â€Å"Society of Friends †¦ would surely if slowly become a pioneer moral force in abolishing the accepted and time honored institution of slavery.† For Levi Coffin though, there was no excuse to not help all those that he could. Even as a young boy he realized how terrible it would be to be torn away from his family and forced to work for nothing, just as the slaves he interacted with in his community had been. While Tubman was not a Quaker, her mother told her stories from the Bible as a child, and she quickly developed an unwavering faith in God without the conventions of any particular religious institution. Her abolitionist activities were neither limited by laws of a guiding religious body nor motivated by any incentive besides her own desire to see a world without slavery. Not long after his family and neighbors in North Carolina moved to Indiana to escape persecution for their unlawful acts, Coffin chose to join them. In 1826, two years after marrying his wife Catherine, they settled down in Newport, Indiana with their firstborn son. He farmed a small plot of land and opened a rather successful general store within his first year of living there. He soon learned that there was a community of free African Americans near Newport, which was unfortunately a well-known stopping point for escaped slaves making their way northward along the Underground Railroad. He did not hesitate to approach the black community to let them know that he would gladly harbor these runaways, since his property was far less likely to be suspected of aiding escaped slaves. As his neighbors and others observed the success that Levi was having in helping runaways, they became increasingly willing to offer their assistance in the form of food, clothes, and shelter. With more support, Levi and his supporters were eventually able to develop a secret network of safe locations for fugitive slaves to stop as they were smuggled north to Canada. He continued to help more and more slaves escape to freedom, and his house became known as the â€Å"Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad,† which was fitting, given the fact that it was the meeting point of escape routes from Madison, New Albany, and Cincinnati. His business initially struggled while the majority of the community disapproved of his illegal activity, but as more citizens who opposed slavery moved into the area he saw increased sales. After becoming the director of the Richmond branch of the Bank of Indiana, he was financially able to increase his contributions to his fugitive aid efforts. He even built an addition on his house where he could hide up runaways from the slave-hunters who constantly checked his house for escapees. Despite public knowledge of his involvement with the abolition movement, Coffin never feared for his safety or the safety of his family and business; claiming, â€Å"If by doing my duty and endeavoring to fulfill the injunctions of the Bible, I injured my business, then let my business go. As to my safety, my life was in the hands of my Divine Master, and I felt that I had his approval.† Tubman eventually married a free man named John, whose last name she took, and around the same time, changed her first name to Harriet. Although marriages between free and enslaved blacks were not uncommon, they did nothing to change the status of the enslaved individual. As Tubman’s value as a slave diminished due to symptoms associated with her head injury, her owner Edward Brodess attempted to sell her, but could not make a sale before he himself died. Brodess’s death all but guaranteed that Harriet would be sold and separated from her family and husband. At this point she decided that she would live in slavery no longer, and made an escape attempt with two of her brothers in September of 1849, despite John’s advice against it. They did not make it far before her brothers got cold feet and she was forced to return with them. It did not take her long after this to make a second attempt at escape, this time with nobody else. She made use of the Underground Railroad to make her way north to Pennsylvania, often traveling by night and using her knowledge of the land to survive. Although she was free in Philadelphia, where she was working odd jobs and saving money, Tubman could not be content while her family and friends were still enslaved in Maryland. Unfortunately though, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 prompted many escaped slaves living in free states to venture further north to Canada, since they were no longer protected from slave-hunters, and Tubman was once again a fugitive. Upon hearing that her niece was to be sold in Baltimore, she travelled there from Philadelphia to aid in her extended family’s escape. She successfully transported them back to Philadelphia, and was soon returning to Baltimore to free her brother and two others. With her newfound abilities as a strong leader, she made her way back to Dorchester County to attempt to free those whom she cared about most. However, she found that her husband John had remarried and claimed to be happy in Maryland. Rather than make a scene that could result in her capture, Tubman swallowed her pain and decided to aid several other slaves who were anxious to escape. She would make approximately 19 trips into southern states in the next eleven years, guiding as many as 300 individuals north to freedom, including her other brothers and their families. In her time not spent guiding slaves out of Maryland, she helped guide those escaped slaves who had already made it to Pennsylvania further north to the political refuge of Canada. Coffin and Tubman both claimed that their faith in God overpowered any fear they may have had regarding their own safety or wellbeing. They felt as though there was no way they could be punished for doing God’s work. Tubman’s powerful visions and dreams often took on a religious theme, which she interpreted as God speaking to her. While Coffin did not have visions, he had strong faith and varying amounts of support from his community. Their driving forces were similar, yet their means of lending aid were almost exactly opposite. Where Coffin provided lodging, food, and transportation, Tubman acted as more of a shepherd, sharing her knowledge and courage with the runaways she guided. Tubman was reliant on help from anti-slavery activists like Coffin to provide her runaways and her with food and shelter. Allegedly, she received a great deal of help from northeastern Quakers such as Thomas Garret, which demonstrates the Quakers’ aversion to slavery, no matter where they lived. The life of an Abolitionist in the 19th century United States was anything but easy, given the fact that they were battling an age-old institution that was deeply engrained in the culture of the nation. Both Tubman and Coffin faced adversity wherever they attempted to assist escaped slaves, though the obstacles they faced were different given their very different circumstances. Being an escaped slave herself, Tubman was constantly in danger of being recognized and taken back to the south, especially after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. She could use this to her advantage on her frequent trips into southern states though, often hiding in plain sight by acting like she was busy running errands for an owner. While Tubman acted in secrecy and used her relative anonymity to her advantage, Coffin managed to help thousands of slaves escape to freedom despite his local fame and constant scrutiny from law enforcement and public officials. After public support for his actions increased amongst his community members, he was able to expand his network; endeavoring into the business of transporting runaways along secret routes. Coffin noted that many times, â€Å"people who were not abolitionists were deeply moved by the sight of another human fleeing slavery.† However, the Quakers were a historically unpopular religious faction in both Europe and America, and eventually the leaders of the Quaker’s governing body decided his actions could possibly provoke law enforcement officials and the non-Quaker community to force them to move once more. Using his skills as a leader and organizer, he simply formed his own sect of the Quaker religion known as the Antislavery Friends. One notable quality shared by both Tubman and Coffin was their undying need to help others and willingness to sacrifice everything they had. In 1847, Coffin undertook the unappealing task of moving to Cincinnati to try to promote goods produced from free labor, even though the quality was poor and he saw almost no profits from such goods. He felt as though it was an important business venture to support, and gave no heed to the financial risks. After operating his business rather unsuccessfully for some time in Cincinnati, he began helping escaped slaves again by opening his house as a stop on the Underground Railroad. As emancipation became more likely he began to concern himself with the wellbeing of freed slaves, helping to form the Western Freedman’s Aid Society and petitioning the government to form the Freedman’s Bureau to help freed slaves receive educations and get jobs to support themselves. He would raise over $100,000 for the Western Freedman’s Aid Society after the Civil War, and attended several notable international anti-slavery conventions. Eventually he slowed down in his old age, declaring that he would retire from this stressful lifestyle after the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, since the abolitionists had won what they had been fighting for all these years. Coffin’s views on such matters conflicted with many other Quakers who felt as though, â€Å"opposing slavery was one thing,† and, â€Å"envisioning the place of free people of color in American society was quite another.† In the years leading up to the Civil War, Tubman took an aggressive stance, advocating the need for definitive action. She helped John Brown recruit volunteers for his attempted revolt at the raid on Harpers Ferry in 1858, though she did not actually participate in the skirmish due to her illness. Throughout the War, she aided the Union as a spy and nurse, and even led an armed raid on several plantations along the Combahee River. However, the whole time she worked for the Union Army she was never paid a regular salary, and did not receive an official pension for her service until 1899. This is why she was especially unique as a leader, because she had experienced both the oppression of slavery and the prejudice of a strongly male-dominant society. This is why she was keen on joining the women’s suffrage movement later in her life, and quickly rose to be a great leader; working alongside Susan B. Anthony. Later on in life, she also contributed a portion of her land in Auburn, New York to be used to build a care center for impoverished elderly African Americans. This was the same land on which she had housed her parents, siblings, and many fugitive slaves, suggesting that she was intent on using her land to aid those for whom she cared. All of her efforts eventually left her in a great deal of debt, despite her status as a folk hero and truly inspirational American patriot, and she would spend her last years living in the rest home named after her. To compare Levi Coffin and Harriet Tubman is difficult due to their differing circumstances and methods for assisting escaped slaves. Tubman could hardly have provided an inconspicuous and consistent hiding place for those she helped on her early missions, due to her fugitive status and lack of steady income. Coffin found that providing the financial backing for a large network was more effective than if he were to have simply guided a few escapees at a time to the safety of Canada. Both Tubman and Coffin had to draw strength from their faith and experiences to become the leaders that they were, and their actions reflected the conviction they felt for advancing the abolitionist movement. To bring about change, there must be individuals who are willing to take the reins and expedite the process through action. These individuals must act with no fear and no regret, with total confidence that their plans will bear the fruit of success. Levi Coffin and Harriet Tubman luckily lived to see the fall of slavery, which they felt justified all of their efforts and any amount of law breaking they partook in over the years. Bibliography Brawley, Benjamin G. Women of Achievement. Women’s American Baptist Home Mission Society, 1919. http://www.unz.org/Pub/BrawleyBenjamin-1919 (accessed November 24, 2012). Cadbury, H. J. â€Å"Another Early Quaker Anti-Slavery Document.† The Journal of Negro History 27 (1942), http://www.jstor.org/stable/2714734 (accessed November 24, 2012). Chism, Kahlil. â€Å"Harriet Tubman: Spy, Veteran, and Widow.† OAH Magazine of History, March 2005, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25163763 (accessed November 18, 2012). Coffin, Levi. Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the Reputed President of the Underground Railroad: Being a Brief History of the Labors of a Lifetime in Behalf of the Slave, with the Stories of Numerous Fugitives, who Gained Their Freedom Through His Instrumentality, and Many Other Incidents. R. Clarke & Company, 1880. (accessed November 17, 2012). Eusebius, Mary. â€Å"A Modern Moses: Harriet Tubman.† The Jornal of Negro Education 19 (1950), http://www.jstor.org/stable/2966264 (accessed November 18, 2012). Gara, Larry. â€Å"The Professional Fugitive in the Abolitionist Movement.† The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Spring1965, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4634052 (accessed November 20, 2012). Hamm, Thomas D., Beckman, April, Florio, Marissa, Hopper, Kirsti, & Giles, Marie. â€Å"’A Great and Good People’ Midwestern Quakers and the Struggle Against Slavery.† Indiana Magazine of History, March 2004, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27792525 (accessed November 18, 2012). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography: Being the History of the United States. New York: J. T. White, 1898, 1892-1947. – Vol. 1-13. pp. 93-1909. (accessed November 24, 2012). Waldrip, W. D. â€Å"A Station of the Underground Railroad.† The Indiana Quarterly Magazine of History, June 1911, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27785315 (accessed November 20, 2012). Yannessa, Mary Ann. Levi Coffin: Quaker Breaking Bonds of Slavery in Ohio and Indiana. Friend’s United Press , 2001. (accessed November 18, 2012).

Change Management and HRM Essay

1. (TCO All) For the next set of questions, you will first select ONE of the TCOs of the course. Then, you will be asked to write an essay about the project you worked on this term over your two companies’ change program based on the TCO you selected above. Select the TCO your essay question will cover: TCO A – Given that progressive and successful companies require their employees to embrace change, examine how changing work conditions impact the employees. TCO B – Given the inherent reality that all organizations must experience change in order to improve, demonstrate how â€Å"models† are used in Change Management, for diagnosing an organization’s need for change. TCO C – Given external, internal and/or multi-levels of organization factors that drive change, assess and create a leadership model which supports and promotes each type of change within the organization. TCO D – Given that an organization’s mission and vision will determine its strategy towards change, ensure that an organization’s change initiative is aligned with and capitalizes on its culture and mission in preparation for change. TCO E – Given a selected Change Management implementation â€Å"model†, determine the causes of change and develop a plan of action to implement the change. TCO F – Given that both organizations and their employees commonly resist change, understand how to recognize and overcome barriers to change and develop a strategy to manage resistance to change that will ensure successful implementation of change. TCO G – Given that developing a â€Å"vision for change† and communicating that â€Å"vision† is a critical part of the change process, analyze the key elements of the â€Å"vision for change† and develop a strategy to communicate the change to the stakeholder. TCO H – Given the organization’s goal of creating and implementing a sustainable change while moving toward becoming a â€Å"learning† organization, develop a plan to implement change in a sustainable manner that can be applied to any change. Using the TCO you selected from the list above, which you felt was most relevant to your project this term, write an essay answer explaining how the change management you saw in one of your companies from your project this term followed or failed to follow the theory of success ingrained in the TCO you have selected. State the #1 thing you think that company’s change agent did which most contributed to the success or failure of the change and why that relates to the TCO you selected.  · Include in the answer the name of the company you are discussing.  · Explain/analyze why you think this way. (Points : 35) 2. (TCOs A, E) Your project this term asked you to compare and contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the score of your response. Recall that external and internal pressures often impact implementation of change in companies. For this question, please write an essay answering these questions: A. Define specific (at least 2 each) external and internal pressures that will (or did) affect the implementation of the changes in your two companies. (10 points) B. Name two strategies of handling these pressures that you would (have) suggested to the company leaders as being the most effective in managing those pressures during the implementation phase. (10 points) C. Defend your positions with details about why you feel your strategies would assist with handling these pressures. (15 points) (Points: 35) 3. (TCOs E,H) Your project this term asked you to compare and contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project companies. For your answ er, be sure to reference the names of the companies you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the score of your response. You will assess the â€Å"sustainability† of the changes which occurred in the companies you studied. Select ONE of the company change programs for your answer to this question and state it here. Assess the change project. Was it successful or unsuccessful in your opinion? What will it take (what are some steps the company can, should, or DID take) to make it SUSTAINABLE? What theories did you consider in coming to this conclusion? Do you think this change will still be in place in one, five, or ten years? Why or why not?(Points : 35) As for the People, it should be determined whether the organization has the right skills and talents for the change to be supported and for the organization to achieve its strategic goal. For example, if the strategic goal is to increase revenue through increased sales then the company sales people should be given sufficient training about the company’s own and acquired products as this will enable the sales staff to more easily sell the company’s products. I feel that the changes made in SAP will stay in place for years to come. Now that steps have been gathered to analyze large amounts of employees, customers, and sales data being generated by companies it will enable SAP to create new processes and applications that will strength their success. 4. (TCO All) This question does not address your course project. This change scenario is envisioned instead, for this question. First, the scenario, and then the question. Scenario: You have been asked to handle a project where the company is going to close the plant in your company and offer all of the workers an option of taking a buy-out severance package which is quite generous OR relocate to another state, where the business climate is much better (but the cost of living is higher and the style of living is lower). The current location of the company is in an area where people live well, the culture is great, and because it is in a college town, there are many fun things to do on weekends, plays to attend, sporting events, etc. The atmosphere is quite upbeat. The city where the company is moving to has very little in the way of entertainment, the housing costs are higher although not as nice, and property taxes are higher as well. The company is offering moving costs for relocation costs, but not house sale assistance. It is likely most of your employees are going to take the buy-out, but most of them are in their late  30s or early 40s and are not going to be happy about it. The question: This term, we studied organizational development theory versus the more systematic nStep method of conducting a change process. What would be the pros/cons of using OD theory for this change project? What would be the pros/cons of using nStep? Which nStep would you recommend for this if you use one? Of the two methods (nStep or OD), which would you recommend we use for this particular change program? Why? (Points : 35) 5. (TCOs C,D) Your project this term asked you to compare and contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the score of your response. Consider ONE of your company’s change projects (not both companies – just one.) State the company and the change process/program/project. Name the leader of the change from that company. Answer the following questions about that change: A. Would you characterize your leader as the change â€Å"sponsor† or the change â€Å"implementer† of this change? Or was this leader in fact both? Describe the difference between a sponsor of change and an implementer of change, why they are both important, and why you feel your leader was one or the other. B. Evaluate the leader’s implementation of the change as it compared to the company’s vision and mission statement. Were they aligned? Did this alignment (or misalignment) contribute to the success or failure of the change? Why or why not? (Points : 35) 1. (TCO A) When JetBlue left their customers sitting on the tarmac for hours on Valentine’s Day, and their CEO was ultimately terminated as a result, the company was responding to (pick the best group) (Points : 7) A). external, reputation, and credibility pressures. B). hypercompetition, market decline, and internal pressures. C). mandated, fashion, and force field pressures. D). growth, identity, and new broom pressures. E). All of the above 2. (TCO A) Which of the following best shows forces for change vs. forces for  stability? (Points : 7) A). Change forces are: adapting, sustaining, and predicting; whereas stability forces are: bureaucracy, trust, and control. B). Change forces include: lay-offs, IPOs, and inventing new products; whereas stability forces are: hiring, stock buy-backs, and regular yearly dividends. C). Change forces include: lay-offs, stock buy-backs, and bi-annual new models of iPhones; whereas stability forces are hiring freezes, bureaucracy, and regular yearly dividends. D). Change forces include: Harry Potter Park at Universal Studios, Walt Disney Cruise Lines, and McDonald’s lattes; and stability forces are Cruise ship sinking at Giglio Island, bridging and buffering strategies, and JetBlue’s public apology after the Valentine’s Day fiasco. E).Both A and C 3. (TCO B) Which of the following best defines the â€Å"congruence† model of diagnosing change? (Points : 7) A). Includes purpose, structure, rewards, and helpful mechanisms B). Is based on the conceptualization of the organization as a transformation process C). Can be a starting point for an organization that has not given attention to the trends that may impact its future operations D). Includes strategy, structure, process, and lateral capability E). Includes structure, style, skills, super-ordinate goals, etc. 4. (TCO B) During the diagnosis for change period, it is important to analyze the stakeholders for their readiness to change. Using the power-interest matrix, you review the level of interest and amount of power of stakeholders and determine the following: (Points : 7) A). Your key players are those with the highest level of interest, but a lower level of power. B). Your key players are those with the lowest level of interest, but the highest level of power. C). Your most unimportant players are those with low levels of power but high interest. D). Your stakeholders who need to be â€Å"kept informed only† are those with high levels of interest but lower levels of power. E). Your stakeholders who need to be â€Å"kept informed only† are those with low levels of interest but higher levels of power. 5. (TCO C) The Burke-Litwin model states that there are four transformational factors of change. Identify the answer below which contains at least three of those factors. (Points : 7) A).Frames, lenses, angles, and hyperbole B). Mission and strategy, leadership, and organizational culture C). Hypotheses, problems, symptoms and inputs D). Vision, identification strategies, litigation, and execution E). None of the above 6. (TCO C) â€Å"This organization is running like clockwork!† This statement by a company leader is likely to result in â€Å"no change† because(Points : 7) A). the leader is blinded by the light. B). the leader believes his vision and mission of the company will align when the change is over. C). the leader has diagnosed by image that the company needs no change. D). the PESTEL framework has been unchallenged for too long. E). brainstorming for change was uneventful. 7. (TCO D) The art of a leader managing the meaning of a vision for followers and aligning it with his or her values is called (Points : 7) A).scripting. B). performing. C). staging. D). norming. E). framing. 8. (TCO F) The Emotional Intelligence domains and associated competencies are used to help us determine when a potential change agent, or person, is ready for leadership. When a person exhibits the competencies of integrity, initiative, and optimism, we know he or she has reached the stage of (Points : 7) A). Self-Awareness. B). Social Awareness. C). Relationship Management. D). Self-Management. E). Personal and Social. 9. (TCO G) One day, while on the company elevator, the head of HR is talking to the CEO and doesn’t realize his speaker phone is on when the CEO asks, â€Å"Do you think that we can afford to keep the downtown branch of the company  open? Or is it time to think about across-the-board layoffs?† The HR head frowns, turns off the speaker and replies, â€Å"I’ll call you later† and hangs up. Four employees from the downtown branch are on the elevator and hear this comment. The HR head tells the four employees (whose names he does not know), â€Å"Say nothing about this. You heard nothing.† They immediately rush to their cubicles and begin spreading the word. The gossip has hit the entire department and local news agencies by the 6:00 news that night. The CEO is featured saying, â€Å"This is nothing but a rumor at this point. We have no current plan to lay off anyone.† This is an example of what type of communication plan on the part of the CEO? (Points : 7) A).Spray and pray B). Tell and sell C). Underscore and explore D). Identify and reply E).Withhold and uphold 10. (TCO G) Toxic handlers, as related to change management communication, do the following: (Points : 7) A).handle all calls with the Environmental Protection Agency. B). talk in stages using assertions, requests, and declarations. C). listen empathetically, and help cool angry people down, act like sponges, and often burn out quickly. D).All of the above  E). None of the above 11. (TCO H) A sign that a change is â€Å"sustained† could be seen as (Points : 7) A). a significant and abrupt drop in the stock price of the company. B). receiving an offer from a competitor to buy the company. C). sending out WARN act notices. D). finding that the change has become baked into the culture. E). a reward system which is outdated. 12. (TCOs G,H) Review this story and pick the best answer based on your understanding of change management practices: Company X,Y,Z establishes a vision for change where â€Å"cutting costs is critical to our survival† and  establishes a reward system to the department which cuts costs the most in one quarter, and states it will be a â€Å"department-based reward† system for the next four quarters. By the â€Å"most† the management establishes, the cuts will be valued by a somewhat complicated algorithm % and $$ of cut in the total expense budget. The sales team goes for the gold and cuts their travel budget by 50%, which is by far the biggest department cut in both $ and %. They win the 1st quarter reward. In quarter 2, the IT team cuts expenses the most by ending the purchase of all new software or PCs. In quarter 3, the production line cuts their expenses the most by laying off 60% of the workers (sales have dropped significantly and technology problems have slowed production, so this was needed anyway.) (Points : 8) A). The company did a good job establishing urgency and aligning metrics with the vision for change, and this change appears to be successful. B). The company aligned metrics with the vision for change, and created its own nStep method of change. C). The company culture is dysfunctional and could have learned from CEO Bethune and the Continental Airline’s own culture of â€Å"cost is everything.† D). The company will probably win the J.D. Power and Associates award for customer satisfaction this year. E). The reward system is a â€Å"spray and pray† system.

Into the Wild Paper

Mehakpal Grewal Professor King Work, Leisure, & Play April 13, 2011 How Krakauer Balances his Bias? Jon Krakauer's non-fiction novel  Into the Wild  explores the mystery surrounding Christopher McCandless and his life before he inevitably ran off  into the heart of the Alaskan wilderness in an attempt to discover himself in some manner. In order to tell this story as accurately as possible, Krakauer uses a variety of techniques to give different perspectives to Chris’ life.The most prominent decision Krakauer makes though is in regards to his decision to try include or exclude himself and his views from the text. When telling Chris’ story, Krakauer takes an almost fully unbiased approach, and yet when he does present his biased empathy towards McCandless, he has full knowledge, and makes the reader fully aware. So, whether the reader ends up feeling empathetic towards McCandless or finds him rather selfish in dependent on how much they connect with him through his story.Because Krakaeur is able to portray McCandless’ life with such finesse and accuracy, including his faults, while incorporating his own personal observations and similar life experiences, he ultimately lets the reader make up their own mind in regards to how they should feel toward him. In order to truly understand Chris’ story to the smallest detail, Krakauer put a great amount of effort into retracing his past up until his death.As he states, â€Å"I spent more than a year retracing the convoluted path that led to his death in the Alaska taiga, chasing down details of his peregrinations with an interest that bordered an obsession† (Author’s Note 2). Even before the start of the novel, Krakauer points out that he followed Chris’ life like an â€Å"obsession† and became very attached to his story. Krakauer recognizes that his obsession or â€Å"bias† to the Chris will reveal itself throughout the story but makes a key decision i n letting the reader know that he doesn’t â€Å"claim to be an impartial biographer† but does try to â€Å"minimize his authorial presence† (AN 2).Krakauer, like most authors, has some type of bias. In his case, it would be even worse because of how close he got to Chris’ life and his emotional connection to the story. Despite this, Krakauer has already made it clear that his bias is there and his â€Å"convictions will be apparent† in order to â€Å"leave it to the reader to form his or her own opinion of Chris McCandless† (AN 3). So, while he may show empathy toward Chris throughout the novel, he gives enough perspective on Chris’ life for the reader to make their own decision.Throughout the novel, Krakauer manages to show us a character, Chris McCandless, who can be seen in a positive or negative light depending on how you connect to his story. Krakauer points out how McCandless â€Å"took life’s inequities to heart† (p. 113). He mentions how â€Å"Chris didn’t understand how people could possibly be allowed to go hungry, especially in this country† and on one occasion â€Å"Chris picked up a homeless man†¦ brought him home†¦ and set the guy up in the Airstream trailer his parents parked beside the garage† (p. 113).It is apparent here that Krakauer is painting McCandless in a positive light and possibly showing his bias in mentioning such minor details of his life. He also alludes to how Chris spoke out against the racial oppression of apartheid in South Africa and how Chris â€Å"believed that wealth was shameful, corrupting and inherently evil† (p. 115). However, he claims his view on wealth is hypocritical or ironic because he mentions how Billie, Chris’ mom, claimed â€Å"Chris was a natural-born capitalist with an uncanny knack for making a buck.Chris was always an entrepreneur† (p. 115). He describes in detail how he grew vegetables to se ll door to door when he was eight and started a neighborhood copy business when was twelve. Here, Krakauer is showing Chris’ hypocritical nature that has stayed with him throughout the years. Krakauer continues to show McCandless in a more negative light throughout the book. During Chris’ senior year at Emory, he â€Å"seldom contacted his parents and this caused Walt and Billie [to] grow increasingly worried about their son’s emotional distance† (p. 124).He furthers this by describing how Chris’ parents sent a letter saying† You have completely dropped away from all who love and care about you. Whatever it is—whoever you’re with—do you think this is right? † (p. 124). According to Krakauer, Chris saw this â€Å"as meddling and referred to the letter as stupid when talked to Carine† (p. 124). At this point, Krakauer is clearly pointing out Chris’ flaws and how he seemingly didn’t enough about hi s family to bother contacting them for long periods of time. He builds upon this when mentioning how Chris went on trans-continental journeys through he Mojave Desert and various places multiple times without saying a word. He even goes as far as to describe how in July 1992, 2 years after Chris left Atlanta, his mother awoke one night with tears rolling down her cheeks screaming, â€Å"I don’t know how I’ll ever get over it. I wasn’t dreaming. I didn’t imagine it. I heard his voice! He was begging, ‘Mom! Help me! ’† (p. 126). Krakauer could have deliberately left out such disheartening details that portrayed Chris in a negative manner, as someone who would make his mother suffer in such a way, but he included them in order to give the reader as much perspective on Chris as possible.In chapters eight and nine, Krakauer interrupts Chris’ story to tell a few strikingly similar stories of journeys into the wilderness. Through these chapters, he doesn’t characterize McCandless in a completely positive or negative light. While describing the story of Everett Ruess, who disappeared while in a remote area of Utah, he points out that Ruess, like Chris, â€Å"was a loner but he liked people too  Ã‚  damn much to stay down there and live in secret the rest of his life. A lot of us are like that –I’m like that† (p. 96).So while drawing parallels to Chris’ story and personality, he describes Chris as a loner but is quick to point out that many people including him are like that. While most of us would consider loners as outcasts from society and see them in a negative light, Krakauer’s personal comments leave us feeling some empathy toward him as an individual. Here, Krakauer shows a balance between his own feelings and looking at Chris through completely unbiased eyes. Through chapters fourteen and fifteen, Krakauer diverges from Chris’ story once again when makes a comparison of his own journey into the wilderness to that of Chris’.One would expect a very evident bias in these chapters that would show Chris in an overwhelmingly positive light but that is not the case. Although, Krakauer creates a parallel between his journey through Devils Thumb and Chris’ journey into the Alaskan wilderness, he is simply trying to give a different perspective to McCandless’ story. He mentions this is his notes when he claims he does this† in the hope that my experiences will throw some oblique light on the enigma of Chris McCandless† (AN 2).His point is made clear when he ends his personal account of his near death experience by proposing, â€Å"In my case—and I believe, in the case of Chris McCandless—that was very different thing from wanting to die†(p. 156). So while some may argue Krakauer may be showing some sympathy toward Chris, this is only because his story struck a â€Å"personal note† in him (AN 2). Regardless of this, Krakauer’s willingness to show Chris’ faults in a similar manner balance out Krakauer’s moments of including himself and his bias within the story.So, whether you end up liking McCandless to some sort of â€Å"hero† or find him rather selfish and irritating depends on how much you end up connecting with his story. Regardless of how you feel in the end, it is difficult to deny validity and effort Krakauer puts into this novel. He takes a mostly unbiased approach when telling McCandless’ story and even when the bias slips by, he makes it fully known to the reader. Krakauer might have a personal bias toward Chris but in capturing his story, he was able to keep a balance between showing Chris in a positive or negative light.Krakauer recognized â€Å"McCandless came into the country with insufficient provisions, that he tried to live entirely off the country†¦without bothering to master†¦crucial skills† b ut he like Roman, can’t help identifying with the guy† (p. 180, 181-82, 185). Despite â€Å"identifying† with Chris throughout the novel, Krakauer ultimately allows the reader to make their own decision in regards to Chris and the decisions he made leading up to his death. Works Cited Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1996. Print.