Cultural Web Analysis Of Heinz Australia - Sample Solution

Question: Discuss about theCultural Web Analysis of Heinz Australia. Answer: Introduction The paper will be making use of the case Transforming the Corporate Culture at Heinz Australia for identifying the problems that exist in the company and then the use of the change management theory i.e. the cultural web will be made for providing an explanation as to why the problems have arisen. Subsequently supported recommendations will be developed for improving the situation by taking into account the concerns as well as the interests of the stakeholders. Culture has an influence on the development of strategy as well as learning. Thus, for understanding the issues related to a company, it is first essential to have an understanding of the corporate culture and take into consideration the various dimensions that are associated with it. In corporate culture a system that is self-correcting and which can show improvement when mistakes occur is needed (Newell et al., 2009). Change management is inevitable in the world of today and for implementing changing, it is vital that the or ganisation is ready for it (Weiner, 2009). Understanding the organisations culture is important for implementing change management (Mento et al., 2010). Understanding Organisational Culture Culture is an aspect that comes from within the people and for rewarding the common capacities that they possess they put it together. Identity as well as continuity is provided to a group by culture. Contributions that are contradictory are balanced by culture and it operates as a system that is self steering and which gains learning through feedback. It acts as an information pattern and to a large extent it helps in facilitating the exchange of understanding. Values that are mostly harmonious are present within the culture (Hampden-Turner). Culture has also been explained as a pattern that comprises basic assumptions discovered, invented as well as discovered or developed by a particular group when it is learning to deal with the issues related to internal integration and also external adaptation which have been working fine in order to be considered as valid. Hence, a teaching regarding them needs to be given to the new members for assisting them in learning the correct way of perceiving, learning and feeling with respect to the problem (Schein, 2004). As per the above definitions, every organisation has a unique culture which has been given shape by the beliefs as well as the values of the people working there. As the evolution of culture occurs, it works in coordinating and controlling decision making, action and behaviour in the organisations. Thus, culture is a reflection of not only the written and explicit rules that an organisation has but also the subconscious and unwritten intangible beliefs and assumptions which give shape to organisational behaviour and can be observed in every facet of the daily life. These consist of the control, command, empowerment and styles of leadership; dress along with language; ways in which one way or two way communication can take place, upfront and open or guarded carefully and closed; adaptive and flexible, fluid or rigid, simple or complex, flat or tall structure of the organisation, and the ones that are regarded by the organisation as winners and heroes. It also includes the competitive success basis (cooperative or collective / individualistic). Cultural Web of Heinz, Australia Cultural Web is a tool that was for the first time mentioned by Gerry Johnson (1992). For the identification of culture that exists within the organisation, this is a perfect tool. The six key elements of the cultural web are interlinked to form a paradigm that is webs core. The cultural web can be considered similar to a medical check-up. It is instrumental in providing the management with the organisations cultural audit so that both the strengths as well as the weaknesses can be diagnosed. Thus, an opportunity is provided for the people managing the process of change to go deep in order to bring the hidden assumptions along with the beliefs and values that can be identified more readily to the surface. As a result identification becomes easy in terms of the aspects where major roadblocks will be encountered by the change managers for introducing changes and where allies and supporters can be expected. This will help them in prioritising their agenda of change and implement the mos t suitable mechanisms for managing the process of change. The components of culture that are tangible as well as intangible are also highlighted by the web. These work together in shaping organisational competencies that are distinctive or cause impediments in the organisations growth as well as development (Graetz et al., 2010). The nature of culture along with its composite parts that have been investigated and this will be helpful in analysing the cultural web value to identify the extent to which changes can possibly be made in the existing culture of the organisation. The implementation procedure requires that there is a deep understanding regarding the culture in which the organisation is operating or aiming to operate along with the understandings related to the cultures that exist in the organisation itself so that if required re-adaption can take place. Paradigm/Core Beliefs /Assumptions The real core of the culture of the organisation is represented by the paradigm which lies at the centre of the cultural web. These include the aspects of the life of the organisation that are invincible and hidden and which people find difficulty in identifying and explaining. It is a sort of taken for granted approach on the way things should take place and as a consequence are very difficult to change. A major issue is that the dominant behaviours as well as attitudes in Heinz had resulted in inaction along with fear and changes will be negligible in the organisation till these assumptions that are deep seated are brought to the surface and challenged. The paradigm was very negative at Heinz Australia that was present before the Widdows change. The culture was punitive with low risks. There was too much of inward focus where all the things appeared to be very difficult or involved too much of efforts. A feeling of transparency and positivity was brought into the organisation by Widdow which helped in instilling the confidence of the employees. Routines and Rituals A mantra regarding the organisation that was defined by Widdows was that it was a great place for working. This can be reflected in the routines as well as the rituals of everyday by show of respect towards one another and listening to everyones opinion which formed a part of the organisations routine behaviour (Collins Smith, 2006). Stories The senior management spread the stories throughout the organisation by the demonstration of the approach of Walk the talk in each of their behaviours. Widdow was the leader in this on the way people should behave with one another and the way he expected the behaviour of the other persons. Thus, for all the people in the organisation, he acted as a role model to whom all of them including the staff as well as the senior management could look up to. Symbolic Aspects The behaviour of the employees reflected the symbolic expression related to a great place of working. They were always ready to make contributions, innovating new ideas and challenging the complacency. Doing what was done by Widdows was a challenging task however, by constant communication of the same to the employees, this could be achieved (okpekin Knudsen, 2012). Power Structures Widdow placed emphasis in the removal of the power structure and also on showing the organisations employees that the organisation was respecting them and caring for them. The various initiatives such as the removal of staff monitoring, option of taking Friday as off on savings on the daytime, flexible working week displayed the mutual trust that existed between the employee and the employer and the balance between work and life. Organisational Structures At Heinz, Australia changes were brought in the organisational structure by reduction in salary of the staff by 25%, restructuring of the members of the board by bringing members into the middle level of the board. This made a clear statement that for an organisation the source of the innovative ideas was the bottom and middle level employees and for listening to them, it is necessary to bring them onto the board. Attitude change among the employees was also possible due to this (Cooksey, 2011). Control System Control system measures the system of rewards. All those who had made contributions with the ideas that were innovative were rewarded by the higher management as well as by Widows. This acted as a motivating factor for the others and also for the person who contributed the idea for thinking and acting more for the organisations betterment. The process is continuous wherein all the people working on the daily activities take a decision of doing it in a way that is better and then give suggestions to the superiors. This scenario is different from what it was earlier as people were afraid of thinking as well as speaking aloud. The organisations culture and attitude assisted all the people in being more positive and open. Major Forces for and against Change The cultural web analysis of the organisation helps in the identification of the key forces for as well as against change. As a part of the analysis all the web elements describe the forces either for or against change. On the basis of the organisational structure, it is a clarity that that restructures have taken place in the organisation by inviting middle level people and providing encouragement to their ideas. This will help in the implementation of new changes in the organisation since the receptiveness of the people towards change will increase. As per this symbolic aspect of the analysis there has been a change in the behaviour of the middle management and thus it has become all the more receptive and respectful of the ideas that are new (Vinding, 2006). This is an indication of the trust in the organisations vision and the same level of behaviours will be shown by the employees when interacting with their subordinates as well as the other members both inside the organisation and also outside it. the positive environment of work and attitude of the organisation has played a significant part in the implementation of changes which have been suggested by Widdows. As a consequence of this the attrition rate in the company was low which indicated increased loyalty for the company. The major forces that exist against the change for the company were figured out in the analysis of routine as well as rituals of the employees that indicated a work environment that was highly depressing and negative, the higher managements lack of confidence as it had the feeling that all the tasks are needed too much of effort and were also very difficult. This resulted in faith and optimism going out of the company resulting in it becoming an organisation that was focused inward. The power structure also gave the suggestion that nobody from the middle management was included in the board members resulting in high degree of autonomy of at the top due to which the opinion as well as the ideas of the lower management could not be heard. For the survival of any organisation, a significant factor is innovation otherwise the organisation cannot survive (Roberts, 2007). In Heinz, Australia also there was lack of innovation before the joining of Widdow which resulted in the organisation b ecoming dull and almost dead. Absence of innovation and also experimentation resulted in the stagnancy of the organisation and it slipped into a mode of complacency. Key Strengths of the New Culture Each change that is conducted as a change management part needs to show compliance with the companys overall strategic objectives. The changes related to trust, openness and challenging of the status quo have been introduced in the organisation and they form the cultures basic ingredients (Adams et al., 2006). Attitude and Behaviour Changes This ensured that no one was taken for granted. From inward looking organisation, it started encouraging experimentation and innovation. The top management sent a clear message that they wanted to survive, change and grow with the assistance of operational efficiency, employee engagement and a desire for excelling. Openness and Transparency The kind of knowledge that is transferred in a particular situation is determined by the cultural norm. It can consist of punishment, rewards, expectation and rules. Heinz Australia developed a culture that comprised transparency and openness which put the organisation in a strong position as openness in environment facilitated the flow of knowledge to the right sort of persons so that they could handle problems in future (Kang Snell, 2009). Loyalty and Commitment The development of loyalty sense for the organisation was developed by the employees resulting in low attrition and high engagement with superiors. This helped in ensuring that new knowledge and learnings remained within the organisation and also spread to others. Employees found the company a great place for working. This develops into a strategic force for achieving common goals. Self-Learning Mode for Improving Continuously The company improved on its mistakes and worked hard for achieving results that were better. This will help it in attaining competitive advantage. Recommendations Sustaining the Positive as well as the Innovative Environment Heinz, Australia has to ensure that the culture of negativity as well as pessimism is not brought back into the organisation and they continue with be a great place for working. The environment that is positive and surrounded by openness along with innovativeness has resulting in giving a platform to the employees for meeting the external world challenges. Avoidance of Complacency Management should avoid becoming complacent even after they have become successful and profitable. The basic behaviour which is related to trust and mutual respect needs to prevail for the organisations success. Once, the maturity of the organisations and increasing profitability will become a regular feature, they tend to develop complacency (Alves et al., 2007). The employees need to constantly communicate the vision of the management and creativity and innovative culture needs to be ensured (Moultrie Young, 2009). Transparency and Fairness The company needs to give a fair treatment to its employees with respect to the corporate practices and ethics. As the control system of the cultural web, the reward as well as recognition practice for the deserving candidates needs to be a practice that should be adopted by all the units of the company. This helps in motivating the deserving candidates and the subordinates to put in better performance. Lead by Example The great place needs to sustain the corporate culture for ensuring that the employees are engaged with the organisation and willing to put in extra efforts for achievement of the best results. A great effort was undertaken by Widdow in bringing changes in the attitudes as well as the mindsets of the people for attaining the best of everyone and increasing the companys profitability (Chen Huang, 2009). Flexibility facilitates innovations and Heinz, Australia by being innovative and open has achieved flexibility. This needs to be sustained. Conclusion Heinz Australia that had become an organisation which was pessimistic as well as inward focusing wherein the people had apprehensions in talking out openly but under Widdows leadership its transformation took place into an enterprise that was profitable and successful. The reason for this turnaround by Widdow was analysed and the changes that he implemented were focused for bringing improvements in the company. Identification of a problem is the first step for solving it. The problems were identified so that change management could be adopted so that the turnaround of the organisation could happen. Consequently, the negativity paradigm, inward thinking and lack of confidence shifted towards being more transparent and open and led to experimentation and exploration. References Adams, R., Bessant, J. Phelps, R., 2006. Innovation management measurement: A review,. International Journal of Management Reviews, 8(1), pp.21-47. Alves, J., Marques, M.J., Saur, I. Marques, P., 2007. Creativity and Innovation through Multidisciplinary and Multisectoral Cooperation. Creativity and Innovation Management, 16(1), pp.27-34. Chen, C.J. Huang, J.W., 2009. Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance The mediating role of knowledge management capacity. Journal of Business Research, 62(1), pp.104-14. okpekin, O. Knudsen, M.P., 2012. Does Organizing for Creativity Really Lead to Innovation? Creativity and Management, 21(3), pp.304-15. Collins, C.J. Smith, K.G., 2006. Knowledge Exchange and Combination: The Role of Human Resource Practices in the Performance of High-Technology Firms. Academy of Management Journal, 49(3), pp.544-60. Cooksey, R.W., 2011. Yours, Mine or Ours: What Counts as Innovation? The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 17(3), pp. 283-95. Graetz, F., Rimmer, M., Smith, A. Lawrence, A., 2010. Managing Organisational Change. 3rd ed. Kang, S.C. Snell, S.A., 2009. Intellectual Capital Architectures and Ambidextrous Learning: A Framework for Human Resource Management. Journal of Management Studies, 46(1), pp.65-92. Mento, A., Jones, R. Dirndorfer, W., 2010. A change management process: Grounded in both theory and practice. Journal of Change Management, 3(1), pp.49-59. Moultrie, J. Young, A., 2009. Exploratory Study of Organizational Creativity in Creative Organizations. Creativity and Innovation Management, 18, pp.299314. Newell, S., Robertson, M., Scarbrough, H. Swan, J., 2009. Managing knowledge work and innovation. Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Roberts, E.B., 2007. Managing Invention and Innovation. Research-Technology Management, 50(1), pp.35-54. Schein, E.H., 2004. Organizational Culture and Leadership. 3rd ed. Available at: Available at: https://www.untag-smd.ac.id/files/Perpustakaan_Digital_2/Organizational%20Culture%20Organizational%20Culture%20and%20Leadership,%203rd%20Edition.pdf (Ac [accessed 8 September 2016]. Vinding, A.L., 2006. Absorptive capacity and innovative performance: A human capital approach. Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 15(4-5), pp.507-17. Weiner, B.J., 2009. A theory of organizational readiness for change. ImplementationScience, 67, p.4.

The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics Essay Example

The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics Paper The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics Both movies show neo-noir characteristics though both production and story elements. Production elements such as the dark scenes throughout the movie are used to show the contrasting sides to the story. Within both movies it also shows that a friend of the main character dies, and it shows how this may be devastating to the character however they avoid showing emotion or grief as they are determined to finish their quest and do what is right. These characteristics are vital for creating an nagging neo-noir film. The scenes in the matrix were mostly dark when going through out the movie and they show a kind of dark green tint in the movie. There were other parts to the movie that were lighter but there was not many and when there were it was only for a small moments within the movie. The darker parts to the movie showed another side to the movie but it made the movie more contrasting and unexpected. The Dark Knight showed darker scenes because of the main character, Batman who fights crime In a dark and mysterious way. The matrix used the contrasting lighting to show how the light and happy matrix Is a veil over our eyes and the dark real world scenes show the horrifying truth. The dark shades In both movies makes them similar production wise but also very mysterious. In the movie The Dark Knight a friend of the mall character dies (Rachel) and It turns the way the character acts with people around him. Batman only had the choice to go after one either his friend and ex-lover which he cares much for, or Harvey Dent, Asthmas savior. We will write a custom essay sample on The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He goes for the character he knows Is more important. In the end he did not grieve that much even though he did truly cared about Rachel. Batman knew he must simply accept It till he has completed his goal at fighting and doing what he Intended to do from the beginning. Within the matrix friends of the mall character Neo Is killed. The characters within the movie do not grieve they Just move on In the hopes of completing their goal of stopping the enemy and saving the day. This Is an Important neo-noel element shown within both films The Dark knight and the Matrix both shows a lot of Neo Noel elements Including a hearted that dies who Is a close friend of the mall character, they grieve but for not that long however they are still determined to continue their quest. Both movies also show noir production elements such as the lighting effects to contrast between the different sides of the story and to create a dark and mysterious atmosphere, the techniques that were displayed In both films are comparable with those of noel films and are considered Neo Noel films because of that. The Dark Knight and The Matrix neo-noir characteristics By brownness wowed darker scenes because of the main character, Batman who fights crime in a light and happy matrix is a veil over our eyes and the dark real world scenes show the horrifying truth. The dark shades in both movies makes them similar production In the movie The Dark Knight a friend of the main character dies (Rachel) and it Harvey Dent, Asthmas savior. He goes for the character he knows is more about Rachel. Batman knew he must simply accept it till he has completed his goal at fighting and doing what he intended to do from the beginning. Within the matrix rinds of the main character Neo is killed. The characters within the movie do not grieve they Just move on in the hopes of completing their goal of stopping the enemy and saving the day. This is an important neo-noir element shown within both films The Dark knight and the Matrix both shows a lot of Neo Noir elements including a character that dies who is a close friend of the main character, they grieve but for not techniques that were displayed in both films are comparable with those of noir films and are considered Neo Noir films because of that.

Monogamy as an acceptable system of marriage in America

Monogamy as an acceptable system of marriage in America The choice between polygamy and monogamy family patterns requires considering the psychological, sociological, and spiritual aspects of marriage. The definition of family as a spiritual union of two partners is a weighty argument for justifying monogamy as the only acceptable practice of marriage in the United States.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Monogamy as an acceptable system of marriage in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The forms of families differ significantly throughout the world and the choice of the appropriate pattern depends upon the religious, philosophical and cultural background of a particular community. Monogamy as the marriage between two partners is recognized as the only legal form of marriage in the United States (Mooney, Knox and Schacht 161). At the same time, there are some situations in which the cultural background of an individual contradicts the current legislation of the count ry in which he/she lives. For example, immigrants who come from the countries in which the polygamy is accepted, as a rule, do not give up their accustomed lifestyles but have to hide it from the community. According to the current legislation of the United States, polygamy can become the ground for deportation. The question is whether the state should make an exception for those who have polygamy families because of their ethnic origin and the system of their beliefs. However, it would mean that people who can justify their persuasions with their system of beliefs would have the right for violating the law because along with the ethnic origin and cultural background the polygamy is rooted in the system of beliefs. The assertions of Augustine, an influential philosopher and theologian, concerning the family as a spiritual union of two people have not lost their actuality nowadays and might be taken into account for solving the moral dilemma of the acceptable family patterns. Analyzi ng the marriage of Adam and Eve before the Fall as a purely spiritual relationship, Augustine tried to define the concept of sin with regards to family and procreation (Reynolds 241). Augustine shifted the emphasis from procreation as the primary and natural motivation for marriage towards satisfying the spiritual needs of the spouses. Considering the customs and the cultural background of the American community, the marriage traditions are rooted in the Christian doctrines which depreciate polygamy as an example of lust. Still, even the interpretation of the Bible Holy Scripture concerning polygamy and monogamy is not unanimous and the examples of patriarchs who lived with several wives and had children with their lovers gave rise to the prolonged debates. Explaining this controversy between the Bible teachings and the personal example of patriarchs, Augustine pointed at procreation as the only their motivation for marrying several women. â€Å"He [Jacob] used the women not for se nsual gratification, but for the procreation of children† (Braun 247).Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taking into account the changes in the system of beliefs and the society norms, the need for the procreation became obsolete and cannot be regarded as the primary motivation for creating a polygamy family. â€Å"In the present altered state of customs and laws, men can have no pleasure in a plurality of wives, except from an excess of lust† (Braun 248). The goal of procreation was obsolete even in Augustine’s times, not to mention the American society of the third millennium. The moral desirability of preserving the monogamy as the only acceptable pattern of creating a new family can be justified with the demand for satisfying the spiritual needs of the present day men and women which is possible only on the condition of ensuring the equal rights for both spouses. Considering the spiritual needs of contemporary citizens and Augustine’s definition of family as a spiritual union of two partners, monogamy should remain the only acceptable marriage pattern. Braun, Nathan (ed.). The History and Philosophy of Marriage: A Christian Polygamy Sourcebook. San Francisco: Imperial University Press. 2005. Print. Mooney, Linda , David Knox, and Caroline Schacht. Understanding Social Problems. Belmont: Cengage Learning. 2008. Print. â€Å"He [Jacob] used the women not for sensual gratification, but for the procreation of children† (Braun 247). â€Å"In the present altered state of customs and laws, men can have no pleasure in a plurality of wives, except from an excess of lust† (p. 248).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Monogamy as an acceptable system of marriage in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reynolds, Philip. Marriage in the Western Church: The Christianization of Marriage during the Patristic and Early Medieval Periods. Danvers: Clearance Center. 2001. Print.

Article response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article response - Essay Example Taking more time will only result in further deterioration of the crisis since businesses are already showing unwillingness to invest due to the uncertainties (Smith, 2012). The move to start working towards a bank recapitalization might be a short-term solution for the moment but is definitely not a solution to these crises. Definitely, aspiration for political union might be a wrong move, which might be a source of future crisis. The introduction of continental concepts such as common currency seemed a good move, which is now at the verge of collapsing. Therefore, it would be wiser if the European Council looked for a better solution since the above moves might only complicate the issue further, considering that some European Union members do not agree of current pleas to bail out countries such as Spain from the debts they are facing. The move might buy some time for relative calm but might soon prove inadequate to suppress the crisis. Eventually, European financial markets might worsen resulting in worldwide depression. The crisis could be an indication that the reliability of European policy makers is increasingly becoming nonaggressive. There has been a lot insecurity since the European economic and debt calamity exploded three years back, but the current situation require urgent and ingenious measures if a long-term solution is to be established. However, there is need for establishment of a framework for an extra-unified European Union failure to which, the EU will collapse. At this stage, it is crucial that the European Union salvage the already collapsing European economies as they look for a long-term solution to the crisis, which might take some time. It sure is a time for European Union to make one more dynamic step, with a greater magnitude and decide on whether to resolve the current crisis united or to split up. Smith, P. (2012). EU Crisis: This Week Could Change the Global Economy. The Fiscal Times,

Property valuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Property valuation - Essay Example Then there is valuation based on the type of property: whether commercial or residential. Generally, for a given location, the valuation of commercial property is much higher than residential property. The profession and income levels of the residents also influence the value of a property to a certain extent. "The Isle of Dogs now centres around Canary Wharf (Canary Wharf refers to the both the tower, the tube station, and the offices in its immediate vicinity). Canary Wharf is London's financial district. Businesses located in Canary Wharf include: Citibank, Credit Suisse, Barclays Bank and HSBC. Businesses from other industries, such as BP and Reuters, have also located in the area, but it is still dominated by the financial sector. This means that a significant proportion of the residents of E14 work in the financial sector, and earn high wages. It also means that the types of property here are predominantly new properties (built after the regeneration in 1981) designed for young executives rather than families."1 The above table shows the average estimated monthly rentals in different parts of London. Area 1covers localities like Kensington, Bloomsbury, St. John's Wood, Green Park, Westminster and other central areas. Being centrally located and having access to all amenities, this area is the highest valued one in terms of rentals. Area 2 covers the localities just adjoining Area 1. Kilburn, West Hampstead, Isle of Dogs, Elephant and Castle, Kennington, Dulwich, Brentford are the areas covered under this category. In the south, it extends till Raynes Park and Merton Park. In the north west, Woodford seems to be covered under this category, while surrounding areas do not belong to this category. Here, the rentals are slightly lower as compared to Area 1. Similarly, Area 3 is marked by the localities bordering localities under Area 2. Prominent among these are Kensel Garden, Strafford, Wallworth in the central area, Stanmore, Totteridge, Cockfosters in the north east and Strawberry Hill and Ki ngston in the south. There are a few areas like Surbiton, Bickley and Bromlay that stand out in the south among Area 4 and Area 5 categories. Area 4 consists of Bartnet, Endfield, Ponders End in the north and West Wickham and Ewell in the south. This category is spread out in all the four directions and can be bradly said to be on the periphery of the city. A few exceptions to this would be areas like Nunhead, Ladywell etc, that are located in almost central areas. Area 5 is almost on the outskirts of the city and thus lowest in terms of rent/yields. Recent Changes in Office Rentals Average office rents in the CBD (Central Business District) have recently fallen almost 38 % to $ 777.40 per sq. m, making it Europe's sixth most expensive business district. While London's Mayfair district is a premium business center and can be compared to Triangle d'Or area of Paris , rents have recently fallen in this area too. Even with a 45 % fall in its rental values, West End remains the most expensive office area in Europe till date with rental values to 961 euros per sq m.4 Conclusion Thus, while arriving at an agreement, an owner and tenant have to keep many factors in mind. While the importance of factors like location and amenities cannot be ruled out, market conditions will also have to be kept in mind. In the past one year, rentals have fallen by almost 50 % due to a plethora of reasons; changes in the sub prime lending rates and recession being the major ones. Even after the property has been let out for a certain period, there could be some market forces that might compel the owner to modify

Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay Example for Free

Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay Register for this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/0262-1711. htm Managing diversity using a strategic planned change approach Earnest Friday Management in the College of Business Administration, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA, and Managing diversity 863 Received October 2002 Revised February 2003 Accepted February 2003 Shawnta S. Friday School of Business and Industry at Florida AM University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA Keywords Diversity management, Strategic management, Change management Abstract Many organizations have implemented various types of initiatives within the last few decades in an effort to deal with diversity. A possible missing vinculum (link) between how an organization deals with diversity and its impact on the bottomline is a corporate diversity strategy that is executed using a planned change approach to systemically manage diversity. While many organizations have implemented a corporate diversity strategy, most have not used a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy†. The lack of a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy† is quite likely to inhibit managing diversity from becoming systemic to an organization’s culture and its way of doing business, thus tending to disallow the potential bene? ts of diversity to be maximized. Hence, this paper offers a framework for using a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy† to: progress along the â€Å"diversity continuum† starting with acknowledging to valuing, and ultimately to managing diversity; and systemically managing diversity using a eight-step â€Å"managing diversity process†. Introduction Over the past few decades, academicians, practitioners and organizational researchers have recognized that diversity is a phenomenon that has a wide array of affects within the workplace, and society in general (Koonce, 2001; Stark, 2001; Williams and O’Reilly, 1997). In this paper, diversity refers to any attribute that happens to be salient to an individual that makes him/her perceive that he/she is different from another individual (Williams and O’Reilly, 1997). Some widely accepted differentiating attributes include racioethnicity (which encompasses race and ethnicity), gender, nationality, religion, functional expertise, and age. Even though racioethnic and gender diversity tend to receive the majority of the attention in the organizational diversity literature (Stark, 2001; Williams and O’Reilly, 1997), this de? ition allows for the frameworks offered to be applied to any type of organizational diversity salient to members. Diversity programs have been implemented in many multinational organizations, primarily, in an effort to improve working relationships Journal of Management Development Vol. 22 No. 10, 2003 pp. 863-880 q MCB UP Limited 0262-1711 DOI 10. 1108/02621710310505467 JMD 22,10 864 between white males, whose relative numbers continue to decrease, and demographically different individuals, whose numbers continue to increase in the workplace (Friedman and DiTomaso, 1996). While many multinational organizations have a corporate diversity strategy, most have not implemented it using the suggested planned changed approach posited in this paper. Given the intensifying â€Å"war for talent† in today’s competitive, global business environment, it is imperative that the execution and evaluation of a corporate diversity strategy use a planned changed approach to not only acknowledge and value diversity, but to also systemically manage and inculcate diversity into an organization’s corporate culture. This type of approach can contribute immensely to an organization’s ability to use all of its human capital as a strategic means to gain and maintain a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic, global marketplace (Richard, 2000). It has been purported that if diversity can be effectively managed in an organization, some potential bene? ts to the organization include greater creativity and innovation, and improved decision-making (Cox, 1991). Conversely, if diversity is not managed effectively, some potential major costs to the organization include, at a minimum, breakdowns in communication, interpersonal con? ict, and higher turnover (Cox, 1991). While there may not be much empirical evidence to substantiate claims that effectively managed diversity directly leads to bottomline increases (Chatman et al. , 1998; Richard, 2000; Stark, 2001), there is real-world evidence (e. g. Coca-Cola, Denny’s, Publix, and Texaco settlements) to suggest that not effectively managing gender and racioethnic diversity has been, and can be, detrimental to organizations and their bottomlines. Thus, it is a logical extrapolation that an organization’s ability or inability to create a culture in which diversity is systemically acknowledged, valued, and effectively managed is more likely to determine the affects diversity will have on it’s bottomline. Many organizations have implemented various diversity initiatives as a part of their corporate diversity strategy (Koonce, 2001), but most have not used a planned change approach to strategically align their initiatives with their long-term objectives and strategic positioning. It is highly probable that this lack of planned strategic alignment contributes immensely to the purported ineffectiveness of many diversity initiatives (Stark, 2001). Consequently, an organization that seeks to maximize the potential bene? s of diversity should devise a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy† prior to implementing diversity initiatives. The purpose of the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is to align the organization’s diversity initiatives (designed to manage diversity) with the organization’s strategic goals, and ultimately make managing diversity an integral part of the organization’s culture. An aligned planned change-corporate diversity st rategy will contribute immensely to the long-term effectiveness of diversity initiatives aimed at better managing all of he organization’s human resources. This is especially signi? cant for organizations with a highly diversi? ed workforce. With a planned change-corporate diversity strategy, diversity initiatives are aligned with organizational policies, procedures, and systems. Such alignment is desired to systemically reinforce an organizational culture that encourages the effective management of all employees in order to garner diversity’s purported bene? ts, including the end goal of increasing the bottomline. Thus, frameworks are presented for using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy to: advance from the initial passive states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the ? nal active state of managing diversity on the â€Å"diversity continuum†; and systemically manage diversity using the speci? c eight-step â€Å"managing diversity process†. The diversity continuum and the planned change approach Valuing diversity and managing diversity as distinct phenomena Over the last few decades, a myriad of articles have been written on the subjects of valuing diversity and managing diversity (Wanguri, 1996). In some cases, valuing diversity and managing diversity have been considered, and sometimes used, interchangeable when, in fact, they are two different phenomena (Jenner, 1994). By the very nature of their de? nitions, valuing and managing diversity are distinctly different. Valuing refers to the relative worth, importance, or signi? cance of something, whereas managing refers to taking charge or coordinating and supervising situations. Given these de? nitions, valuing diversity should be considered a more passive phenomenon, where importance or signi? ance is given to individuals’ differences, which does not automatically lead to visible actions or reactions on the part of the individuals valuing the diversity or differences. Managing diversity, on the other hand, should be considered an active phenomenon, which involves supervising or coordinating and directing the diversity or differences individuals bring to the organization to ensure the organization’s strategic go als are being fully and effectively met. In other words, it refers to successfully organizing the organizational inputs of individuals with diverse backgrounds. This de? nition is consistent with the managing diversity de? nition given by Thomas’ (1991): â€Å"a ‘way of thinking’ toward the objective of creating an environment that will enable all employees to reach their full potential in pursuit of organizational objectives†. The diversity continuum As a result of the confusion in the literature between the two phenomena, valuing diversity and managing diversity, it is not dif? cult to understand why consensus does not exist on the claims of bottomline bene? s as a result of the attempts organizations have made to value and/or manage diversity. In addition to the confusion, lack of consensus could also be a function of the Managing diversity 865 JMD 22,10 866 complexity of the diversity concept in the organizational context. Given the complexity of diversity within an organizational setting, it is possible that perceiving it in terms of a set of three elements that delineates what to do with diversity may serve t o simplify or clarify the confusion in the diversity literature. Therefore, a diversity continuum is offered to guide researchers and practitioners in moving from the more passive states of acknowledging diversity and valuing diversity, on through to the more active state of managing diversity. As individuals ? nd themselves in situations with diverse individuals, they are likely to take one of two courses of action: avoid dealing with the diversity, or recognize that the diversity exists. In the case where individuals avoid diversity, they do not face the fact that diversity is an issue. It is likely that these individuals do not accept the idea that they are likely to be biased in their interactions with others that they perceive to be different from themselves. Although avoiding diversity is viewed as a possible response to diversity, it is not included in the diversity continuum. The diversity continuum is based on the assumption that individuals take the second course of action and recognize diversity. Once diversity is recognized, as previously stated, the diversity continuum serves as a framework to delineate the three potential states of dealing with diversity: acknowledging, valuing, and managing diversity. The three sequential components of the diversity continuum are: acknowledging diversity; valuing diversity; and managing diversity (see Figure 1). Acknowledging diversity, the ? rst component, refers to recognizing the existence of diversity or the individual differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. In order for individuals to truly acknowledge diversity, they must be exposed to it, experience it, acquire knowledge about it, and they must develop an understanding of diversity. The second component of the diversity continuum is valuing diversity. Valuing diversity, as de? ed above, refers to the signi? cance or importance being given to the diversity or differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. Having an appreciation for, as well as respect for, the differences that diverse individuals bring with them to the work setting can lead to the last component. The last component of the diversity continuum is managing diversity. As stated above, m anaging diversity refers to the planning, organizing, leading of individuals with differences or diversity in a particular setting, such that their inputs are used to accomplish the organization’s strategic goals. Even in racioethnically homogeneous organizational settings, organizations make large investments to ensure an appropriate organizational culture is fostered. An appropriate organizational culture is desirous, such that individuals are systemically managed to perform and accomplish its goals, not just hoping that their performance will somehow lead to the accomplishment of the organizations’ desired goals. Thus, similar systemic efforts are necessary in order to manage Managing diversity 867 Figure 1. The strategic management process emographically diverse individuals such that the organization can gain the maximum synergistic bene? ts from their contributions as well. The planned change approach Rather than being reactive and waiting for a â€Å"diversity crisis† to take place before a change is made (i. e. Coca-Cola, Denny’s, Publix, and Texaco settlements), an organization should be proactive in systemically Managing Diversity. Hence, an organization and its m embers should make the necessary changes to proactively move from just settling for the ? rst stage of acknowledging diversity to the ? al stage of managing diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model is offered as the theoretical framework to proactively and systemically facilitate the management of diversity in organizations. This planned change model is based on the premise that the organizational forces propelling change must subdue the forces resisting change for highly effective change to occur. Therefore, it is posited in this paper that the Lewin-Schein change model is a framework that can assist organizations and individuals in moving through the sequential elements of the diversity continuum. It is also posited that this model can be applicable at JMD 22,10 868 both the organizational and individual level for managing diversity. While Allen and Montgomery (2001) offered the Lewin-Schein change model as a framework for creating diversity, the model is offered in this paper as a framework for Managing Diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model involves three stages: unfreezing, change (moving), and refreezing (Lewin, 1951; Schein, 1992). For the organization or individual to experience successful change, the three stages need to be addressed in succession. Unfreezing using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy In the unfreezing stage, the organization’s or individual’s present culture (which includes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors) toward diversity, needs to be unfrozen. This means there needs to be enough motivation within the organization or individual to want to change from its present state to the new desired state. Thus, in moving from one end of the diversity continuum to the other end, with managing diversity being the desired outcome, management must desire that its members move from just acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. As presented previously, managing diversity refers to systemically organizing and directing the inputs of all organizational members (including diverse individuals) to ensure the organization’s strategic goals are met. Likewise, the individual must want to move from just acknowledging and/or valuing diversity to the ? nal phase of managing diversity. At the individual level, this movement involves governing one’s actions toward diverse individuals in a way that allows for healthy, productive interaction with those diverse others. Therefore, to unfreeze the organization’s culture and its members’ current state of mind toward diversity, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised and aligned with the organization’s strategic positioning to reduce the forces that are striving to maintain the status quo (Dobbs, 1998). A ? rm’s strategic positioning The strategic management process is employed by many organizations in order to distinguish themselves from their competitors in the marketplace (David, 2001; Porter, 1985; Steiner, 1997). Although there are several schools of thought in the strategic management ? ld, the generally accepted components of the strategic management process are: strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation as explained in Figure 2 (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Strategy formulation is comprised of developing or reviewing the organization’s mission, vision, and long-term goals; conducting internal and exte rnal assessments to identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); setting selection criteria and selecting the strategies that will afford the organization the best strategic positioning relative to its competitors (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy implementation entails allocating the appropriate resources to ensure the Managing diversity 869 Figure 2. The three levels of organizational strategy selected strategies are properly executed (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy evaluation involves setting control processes to continuously review, evaluate, and provide feedback concerning the implemented strategies to determine if the desired results are being accomplished, such that corrective measures may be taken if warranted (Hill and Jones, 1998; Steiner, 1997). As illustrated in Figure 3, there are usually three levels of strategy associated with large-scale organizations. The corporate level strategy de? nes the organization’s purpose and the lines of businesses in which it plans to operate, thereby providing the overarching direction for the organization. If an organization only operates in one line of business, its corporate level strategy and business level strategy are effectively one in the same (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). A business level strategy is the blueprint that should enable an organization to leverage its resources in order to differentiate itself from the competition within a particular line of business (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). The functional-level strategies serve to support the organization’s business-level strategy by providing direction for the appropriate short-term activities required by each functional area to meet the goals established in the business-level strategy (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Consequently, having properly aligned corporate, business, and functional level strategies aid an organization in its efforts to accomplish its goals, thereby strategically positioning itself to successfully compete within the marketplace (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998; Porter, 1985). Combining highly differentiated and ef? cient human capital with clearly delineated corporate, business, and functional level strategies can prove to be a competitive advantage for an organization (Barney, 1991, 1997; Wright et al. , 1995). An organization must view strategies for developing and managing its employees JMD 22,10 870 Figure 3. Alignment between corporate strategy and planned change-corporate diversity strategy as a part of its overarching corporate level strategy if it desires to have highly differentiated and ef? ient human capital in today’s competitive, global environment. Therefore, one argument of this paper is that any organization seeking to realize the maximum bene? t from having a diversi? ed workforce should have a planned change-corporate diversity strategy that is aligned with the organization’s overall strategic positioning. Developing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy The organization â€Å"wishing to create an environment that enables all employees to reach their full potential will have to . . . change organizational practices as necessary† (Thomas, 1991). However, prior to changing any organizational practice, a comprehensive strategy for how to accomplish that change should be devised based on an in-depth understanding of relevant organizational dynamics (i. e. culture, structure, ? nancial position, strategic initiatives, etc). Theoretically, a strategy should precede the structure of an organization. Consequently, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised to align with the organization’s corporate strategy before structuring diversity initiatives (as illustrated in Figure 4), and reinforced using a planned change approach. Organizations that have elevated their diversity strategist to executive-level management are likely to have an overarching corporate diversity strategy in place. But, it is not as likely that the diversity strategist is using a corporate-wide planned change approach to systemically reinforce the proposed changes in the corporate diversity strategy throughout all of the Managing diversity 871 Figure 4. The diversity continuum organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. Regardless of whether an organization has a corporate diversity strategy or not, it may be necessary to superimpose a planned change-corporate diversity strategy over existing disjointed diversity strategies and initiatives. At the onset of such an endeavor or superimposition, corporate diversity mission statement, vision, and goals must be formulated to articulate the purpose diversity initiatives will serve within the organization and the desired outcomes to be achieved from such initiatives. The delineated desired outcome should be designed to systemically manage diversity. Conducting internal and external assessments are essential steps in devising a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. An internal assessment will allow the diversity strategist to decide how to position diversity strategies and initiatives within the organization’s structure, and to align them with all of the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. To assess the external environment, the diversity strategist should use environmental scanning tools to extract best practices based on benchmarked diversity strategies and initiatives at other leading organizations. Through the internal assessment, the diversity strategist should become intimately familiar with the organization’s values, vision, mission, strategies, goals, and initiatives, all of which constitute a sound basis for understanding the organization’s culture, policies, procedures, systems, and overall strategic positioning. The diversity strategist must become equally familiar with the bene? ts and shortfalls of various diversity initiatives. The strategist must conduct an analysis to determine the most appropriate linkages between the organization’s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, and its diversity initiatives. Before proceeding, the diversity strategist must recognize and effectively articulate a clear strategic ? t and alignment amongst the organization’s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, JMD 22,10 872 and diversity. Both strategic ? t and strategic alignment are necessary to strengthen the business case for allocating resources to support the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. In order to realize the maximum bene? ts from diversity, the planned change-corporate diversity strategy needs to be properly executed, evaluated and refrozen to ensure that the stated goals are being met, and that the organization’s culture and members are moving toward and sustaining the desired state of systemically managing diversity. Moving to systemically managing diversity Once the present state is unfrozen, the move that will allow the organization’s culture and members to advance to the desired state should be put in place. In this case, the move is to culturally reengineer the organization and its members to the true state of managing diversity by implementing the managing diversity process. The social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) is offered as the theoretical framework for the managing diversity process. It has also been offered as the theoretical framework for developing training programs in the cross-cultural and expatriate literature (Black and Mendenhall, 1989; Harrison, 1994). There are four major tenets of social learning theory: motivation, attention, retention, and reproduction (Bandura, 1977). These tenets are re? ected in the eight steps of the managing diversity process. In an effort to truly manage diversity, a change in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals, and in organizations’ systemic and institutional ways of doing business is required. Therefore, it is posited that utilizing the tenets of social learning theory can aid in the acquisition of the learning that is necessary for organizations to maximize the inputs of all of its diverse members. The planned change-corporate diversity strategy serves as the motivation for the learning of new behaviors and attitudes. Hence, once the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is articulated, the move through the eight steps of the managing diversity process should be instituted to assist individuals and organizations in culturally reengineering and moving to the desired state of managing diversity. The eight sequential steps of the managing diversity process include: (1) exposure; (2) experience; (3) knowledge; (4) understanding; (5) appreciate; (6) respect; (7) modify attitudes and behavior; and (8) healthy interaction. All of these are undergirded by tolerance (see Figure 5). The acknowledging diversity component of the diversity continuum is composed of steps (1)-(4), and they re? ect the â€Å"attention tenet† of social learning theory. The valuing diversity component of the diversity continuum is comprised of steps (5) and (6), and is re? ective of the â€Å"retention tenet† of social learning theory. Steps (7) and (8) constitute the managing diversity component of the diversity continuum and the â€Å"reproduction tenet† of social learning theory. The movement through each of the eight steps requires individuals to progressively develop appropriate skills to enable them to manage how they deal with individuals whom they consider different from themselves. Therefore, executing the eight steps in the managing diversity process serve as the necessary movement required to progress from acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. The true movement through the eight steps from acknowledging diversity to managing diversity is a paradigm shift, in that it entails a change in the treatment of diverse individuals (Fitzpatrick, 1997). Managing diversity 873 Diversity training In order for an organization to realize the potential bene? ts that can be afforded by employing diverse individuals, there needs to be a paradigm shift in which the inputs of diverse individuals are systemically managed within an organization to enable the successful accomplishment of its strategic goals. Training of individuals is viewed as a necessary tool to facilitate the organization in achieving its goals. Diversity training should be viewed no differently than any other type of training in which an organization invests. Therefore, it should also be viewed as a necessary tool to manage members’ behaviors and their ability to work productively with diverse individuals. After canvassing the literature, it has been noted that most diversity training programs merely raise individuals’ awareness of or sensitivity to diversity (Grubb, 1995; Jenner, 1994). Some few diversity training programs go as far as attempting to change individuals’ perceptions of diversity and how they communicate with people different from themselves (Grubb, 1995). However, these programs tend to be offered to only select employees, and they tend to be short in duration, ranging from a one-hour session to a series of one-day sessions several times a year (Koonce, 2001). The major drawbacks to most existing diversity training programs are that: . they do not build skills to facilitate individuals’ ability to actually manage their interactions with individuals different from themselves; . they are not rigorous nor time-intensive enough to create a paradigm shift in individuals’ treatment toward individuals different from themselves; and JMD 22,10 874 Figure 5. The continuous managing diversity process . there are no enduring reinforcement mechanisms embedded in the organization’s culture to ensure all individuals’ inputs are successfully managed to met the organization’s strategic goals. Managing diversity As a result, most (if not all) existing diversity programs have not been successful in creating enduring change in the way individuals interact with individuals different from themselves, nor have they been successful in changing their organization’s culture to one that systemically manages diversity. In order to create enduring change in individuals and the organization’s culture, members of the organization at all levels need to participate in diversity training that encapsulates the comprehensive managing diversity process. The outcomes that should be expected from participation include, but are not limited to, skill building in the following areas: the ability to clearly articulate their ideas and feelings; con? ict management skills; effective giving and receiving of feedback; effective listening; group observation skills; and group decision-making skills, all of which will facilitate modi? d attitudes and behaviors, and healthy interaction with diverse individuals. Individuals have to come to grips with their feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors toward diversity and others with whom they are different. In the ? rst step of Exposure, individuals provide public notice of where they are at that point. They do this by: laying open who they are; divulging where the y are; unmasking themselves; and receiving others’ culture. Step (2), experience, involves gathering information through personal involvement, encountering, seeing ? rst-hand, and living through events. In the third step of Knowledge, individuals become well informed, thus able to be conversant because they become familiar or acquainted with the culture of others. Knowledge serves as the basis for step (4), understanding. Because of their grasp of cultural realities, individuals are able to comprehend (understanding) relevant cultural dynamics, which leads them to be sensitive, and enables them to share unique insights and perceptions. In step (5), appreciate, individuals’ acceptance of the worth of a person’s culture and values makes it easier for them to welcome and â€Å"justly† estimate diverse individuals. Resultantly, individuals are able to respect (step (6)) diverse individuals; thus, they are able to pay attention, pay deference, and pay tribute to the values, worth, and culture of diverse others, as well as give personal consideration to the diverse individuals. Successful movement through the ? rst six steps, along with tolerance underpinning each step, should lead to modi? cations in individuals’ attitudes and behaviors toward diverse individuals, which is step (7), modify attitudes and behaviors. This change in attitudes and behaviors, again, along with tolerance should lead to healthy interaction (step (8)) with and amongst diverse individuals. Step (8) is a function of continuous acceptance and execution of steps (1)-(7). Therefore, this is a ? uid (not static) process that must be recognized for its ever-changing and 875 JMD 22,10 876 evolving nature. The requirements for successful execution of the managing diversity process are strenuous and time intensive because it requires individuals to modify their attitudes and behaviors. Thus, they must modify the way they interact with individuals different from themselves, and not just expect that they either avoid, acknowledge, or value those individuals that are different. Given that all individuals in today’s global business environment are likely to encounter others that are different from themselves on a frequent basis, the managing diversity process should be viewed as analogous to the open systems approach – it is a continuous process that maintains a constant reciprocal relationship with the environment. Refreezing the systemic management of diversity Successful movement through the managing diversity process requires individuals to change. Resistance to change is inherent in any change process, and it will be no different in this process (Harrison, 1994). Therefore, the managing diversity process is a ? uid, continuous process that needs to be systematically reinforced and embedded in the organization’s culture and individuals’ interactions, such that the organization’s culture and its members do not revert back to just acknowledging or valuing diversity. Hence, refreezing the desired state of managing diversity requires reinforcing the new perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors with emphasis on the modi? ed behaviors and healthy interactions individuals have adopted as a result of going through the managing diversity process. In order for individuals and organizations not to revert back to their previous states, the new desired state must go through the refreezing stage to be institutionalized. This should be accomplished through systemic, on-going training and daily interactions at the individual level, and through revised policies, procedures, and systems at the organizational level. At the individual level, the systemic, on-going training should not be just periodic training that merely exposes individuals to diversity. A great deal of time is necessary to cement these newly adopted attitudes, behaviors, and skills for healthy interaction. This kind of cementation is required for these newly acquired attitudes, behaviors, and skills to become totally embedded in the individuals’ natural way of interacting with diverse individuals. The systemic, on-going training needs to be skill-based and experiential in nature to promote long-term changes in the way individuals work with individuals different from themselves. This type of reinforcement at the individual level will contribute to the cultural reengineering that also must take place at the organizational level. To reinforce the desired state of managing diversity at the organizational level, revised recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems, as well as an enforceable diversity policy need to be implemented (Allen and Montgomery, 2001; Hemphill and Haines, 1998; Miller, 1998). The revised policies, procedures, and recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems need to re? ct the organization’s position on how the inputs of diverse individuals will be managed, such that their contributions fully aid the organization in meeting its strategic goals. A written, enforceable diversity policy, stating the systemic action steps and behaviors expected by all employees is a must as it relates to effectively managing the organizational inputs of all individuals. Everyone’s inputs should be effectively managed to contri bute to the achievement of the organization’s strategic goals. The revised policies, procedures, and systems should also align with the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Given the resources and time required to revise and initiate implementation of the revised organizational policies, procedures, and systems, individuals are likely to resist these changes initially. Therefore, it is quite likely to be a dif? cult and time-consuming process to make the appropriate and necessary revisions to the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. This is an essential and critical step necessary to ensure the organization and its members do not revert back to their previous attitudinal and behavioral states. It is paramount that revised policies, procedures, systems, and planned change-corporate diversity strategy are clearly communicated to all members of the organization to ensure that it can be appropriately recognized, executed, evaluated, and reinforced. To reinforce this cultural reengineering effort, management needs to initiate and actively participate in the refreezing stage, the same as they must genuinely participate at the unfreezing and moving stages. Potential limitations As with any theoretical model, there are limitations. One potential limitation of this notional model is that no matter how well it is implemented, there are likely to be some individuals whose attitudes may never change or they may continue to consciously or unconsciously show favoritism toward those whom they consider to be similar to themselves (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000; Miller, 1998). Another potential limitation is that subtle forms of biases against diverse individuals may still exist informally within the organization and/or outside of the work environment; thus, highly impacting individuals within the organization. Backlash is also a potential limitation; members of the majority are likely to perceived that they are being excluded at the expense of including diverse individuals (Hemphill and Haines, 1998). Additionally, if the training initiated to implement the managing diversity process is perceived as a bad experience, the organization’s leadership may abandon the initial implementation, hence dooming all future diversity efforts. However, by using the suggested planned change approach along with well enforced diversity policies and disciplinary procedures for violations of the diversity policy, it is more likely that individuals’ behaviors can be altered to be more tolerant of others whom they consider to be Managing diversity 877 JMD 22,10 different (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000). This will allow the talents, skills, and abilities of all individuals in the work setting to be used to meet organizational objectives. Conclusion Given that individuals are less willing to leave their differences outside the doors of the workplace (Thomas, 1991), an organization’s ability to systemically manage diversity will become more important, in years yet to come, if it wants to ensure its ability to compete successfully in the global marketplace. This paper suggests that, ? rst, a planned change approach should be used to systemically manage diversity, by developing and implementing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Second, organizations should execute their cultural reengineering efforts to move individuals and the organizational culture along the diversity continuum from the states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the desired state of managing diversity. Movement to the desired state of managing diversity can be achieved by using the managing diversity process. It is also suggested that the organization needs to provide on-going training, and needs to institute new policies and procedures. Additionally, it must engage in appropriately different recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems that systemically reinforce the cultural reengineering of moving to the state of managing diversity. These new undertakings will ensure that the newly reengineered culture of managing diversity is inculcated into the organization’s culture, and its way of conducting business domestically and abroad. By adopting and executing the frameworks offered in this paper for ystemically managing diversity through a strategic planned change approach, managers will have created an organizational environment where they will be able to enjoy healthy, innovative, and productive interactions amongst diverse members of the organization. The following is a list of other potential bene? ts that may be derived from using the offered frameworks: . in general, individuals will develop an increased knowledge of and appreciation for other cultures; . individuals will learn to value and respect the cultural norms, behaviors, and attitudes of others; . here is likely to be a greater receptivity to necessary organizational changes; . there is likely to be a lessening of workplace anxieties; . a reduction in organizational con? ict; . a more pleasant work environment; and . increased performance and productivity. 878 In conclusion, the proactive management of diverse human resources will aid organizations in gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic global marketplace.

The Truth About Platonic Friendships :: Platonic Love and Friendship

The researcher's qualitative research consisted of speaking with platonic friends of the opposite sex in casual random settings. The qualitative research was completely random using friends by chance that had no idea of the experiment. In doing so the researcher realizes that it is unethical, but figured it was the only way to find the real answers to his problem. During the conversation the researcher at one point or another came to ask the same four questions to all of the subjects involved in the experiment. The four questions were as follows: 1) we are strictly platonic friends, right? 2) Why are you my friend? 3) Have you ever wanted to be more than friends? 4) Is it a possibility for us to be more than friends? The "so called" platonic friends names will all remain confidential in order to keep their business private. To this point there have been ten random friends that have partaken in the qualitative study. In most of the studies the answers stayed consistent. To question number one all ten subjects agreed that "Yes we are platonic friends." For question number two, all sorts of answers were recorded. Most stayed along the line of conventional reasons for being a friend. Some mentioned reasons such as cute, funny, easy to talk to and popular. Three of the ten did however mention that they in fact didn't want to be friends when we first met. They stated they were looking for ore from the beginning it just didn't happen. Question number three an astonishing seven out of ten platonic friends noted they at one point of another did want to be ore than friends. One individual went as far as to say that they quit being my friend due to the fact that she found out that I was involved with another girl. In question four again another seven out of ten friends agreed that something more could become of our friendship. Two mentioned that they had hoped that it would have already happened. Most that replied yes to question number four either looked puzzled of asked if I was still involved with my girlfriend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In one example for the researcher was left stunned. For privacy sake we will call the subject by the fake name of molly. In the platonic informal interview with Molly the researchers exact problem was proven just the way predicted.