Risk management for small and medium transit agencies Assignment

Risk management for small and medium transit agencies - Assignment Example Elimination / minimization of hazards The mentioned Act merits that all the hurdles in the way of smooth working are to be addressed properly to take concrete steps to eliminate or minimize it. Potential hazards which may cause irreparable damage to life and assets should be taken seriously for removal. In case elimination is not possible then two options are left to address this issue, either to separate it or minimize it. By applying mentioned tactics, we may put to the hazard at its lowest ebb. The chain of control meant for ongoing monitoring and to analyze the risk that are in the way (Health and Safety in Employment Act). Initially, the business sector showed its anger on the inclusion of Health & Safety cover for the employees in the Employment Act 1992 with a view that they have to bear unnecessary burden of expenses that relates to health and safety measures for the employees within their area of operations of small to medium sized business concern (Health and Safety in Empl oyment Act). On the public side, it was applauded by the workers and treated this act of government, a step in the right direction. The effectiveness of this act can be gauged with this fact that it proves its lasting and positive impact. It definitely reduced the incident that took place in the past within the premises of working place in New Zealand prior to promulgation of this act (Health and Safety in Employment Act). Example Take the example of Ruth who  engages himself for the sewing of fashion garments that enables  Lavina to sell it from her apparel outlet called Lavina Modes. He does the job for Lavina on piece rates who, according to the broader term of the Act is the employer of Ruth. Therefore, where she works may be considered as place of work. In case Ruth does the job independently where the role of Lavina is an independent contractor. By all means as per the terms of the Act, he may be treated as self employed. It is a case of multiple factors, inclusive of reso urcing, economic dependence and the control of Lavina over Ruth. Employment Relations Act (ERA) The New Zealand Employment Relations Act 2000 came into being to safeguard the interest of human resources. Later on it was amended by the Parliament to meet the requirement. Courts and Authorities Under the mentioned Act, numbers of courts have been established to deal with the issues of Employment, Employers, Employees and the Self employed. The judges of the Competent Courts are appointed on the advice of Attorney General and the members of Employment Relations Authority are appointed by the Attorney General on the advice of the concerned ministry. The mediation service is the prerogative of labor department. These courts are empowered by the section 187 of ERA on the matter that relates employment disputes. The employment court in question has the status of the High Court of New Zealand (Rudman, 2009). According to Section 157, Employment Relations Authority has to carry out the inves tigation of the matter handed over to find out the factual status of the case and to resolve the issue between the employer and the employee. As per Section 144, Mediation Service is being provided by the Labor Department. However, section 164(b) empowers parties involved in disputes to resolve the issues themselves before knocking at the door of Employment Rel

Evolution of Human Skin Colour Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Human Skin Colour Essay Skin cancer can be caused by many things; the first is getting too much exposure to sun. The UV rays come in contact with your skin and reaction occurs which makes your skin tan or burn. The UV rays from just one sunburn can damage your skin and cause you to become more at risk of getting skin cancer. Another cause of skin cancer could be genetics, if your someone in your family had skin cancer the mutated gene could possibly get passed down to you and you could have a higher risk of developing skin cancer. One last cause of skin cancer is if someone has a lot of moles. If there are many moles some could be abnormal which means it is more likely that one mole could be or could turn cancerous. 2. Caucasians are more at risk of skin cancer than other populations because Caucasians have fair skin. Fair skinned people don’t have much pigment/melanin in their skin which means they’re less protected by the suns UV radiation. Other populations such as African-Americans would be less at risk of getting skin cancer because they have lots of melanin in their skin to block the UV rays. 3. A lifetime of sun exposure will obviously increase a person’s chances in developing skin cancer so as you get older the risk increases. Most diagnoses are made when people are over the age of 50 but if someone is highly exposed to the sun frequently the cancer could occur earlier than 50. The incidence of skin cancer is greater in old age because someone who is older would have accumulated all the sun exposure over the years and someone who is younger would not have been exposed to as much sun which lowers their chances of developing skin cancer at their age.

Change Management And Leadership

Change Management And Leadership INTRODUCTION The present age of business is extremely competitive and the only tool for survival is adaptability which comes through constant change. Vested deeply in leadership styles, culture and communication, successful change is vital and yet hard to describe. The role of human resource as an active partner, focusing on the companys vision and ensuring open communication channels is fundamental for change in the organization. Change in any organization may be a result of a combination of elements; social, cultural, economic and/or environmental (Beer, 2002). Also, a lot of companies indulge in the change process to improve their overall efficiency. It is quite established that any kind of change in the organization, triggers emotions as the employees face the effects and end results of the transformation. The way and extent to which employees may experience emotions is largely shaped and influenced by the culture of the organization (Beer, 2002). Research suggests that when the employees val ues were consistent with the organization, they embrace the changes more easily (Beardwell, 2004). However, the emotional response to cultural change is usually of a severe nature. It is known that when emotions were taken into account and respected the employees positively adapt to the change. SCOPE OF THE PAPER The paper is an effort to understand organizational change in the global economy. In this paper I shall attempt to explain the importance of mission command as a driving agent for change. Furthermore, I shall also discuss the roles of leaders in order to bring about successful change and lastly, the role model of a successful organization for the global age. DEFINING CHANGE MANAGEMENT Change management, which is the recognized method for bringing about any change in the organization, is defined as the procedural manner and implementation of skills and knowledge, resources and tools to control the outcomes of change (Beer, 2002). It implies defining and embracing corporate plans, procedures, technologies and configurations to handle the change which results from both internal and external events. More and more, change management is perceived as a vital part of every business to boost productivity and maximize profits by ensuring that the organization remains at par with the changes in the surroundings (Beer, 2002). Nonetheless, to bring about an all-encompassing and manageable change, there are usually few barriers that have to be overcome. Usually, these barriers surface because of the organizations failure to address the vital elements of change management, which includes intelligent planning, proper communication and cooperation, often on many lines and varying cultures (Beer, 2002). To carry out the responsibility of a strategic business partner, human resources must be incorporated in the change management process from the very first step. After a thorough understanding of change, from employee perspective to novel tools and techniques, human resources play a very significant role to bring about change in any organization successfully. DISCUSSION Sudden shifts, authentic and drastic revolutions are the forces that are changing the nature and environment of businesses in the current age of globalization. The business arena is getting tougher and the competitors too resourceful as organizations are liberated from the traditional ways of operating (Machin, 2003). The old notions for conducting business no longer hold true in the era of globalization. Globalization is a term with no specific definition and is often used interchangeably with the term internationalization. As mission command explains, global leaders are those who have the potential to steer through the intricacies of the transactional business world. (Kanter, 2003) They express the vision and plan in a multi-environment from a multiple functionality perspective so that they are able to pull along the entire team. This requires setting up examples thorough determined leadership and sharing the views of the team members. This implies fast paced development for individuals with potential along with a multi-cultural exposure, performance appraisals and developmental opportunities to keep them motivated. The teams led by global managers need a vision and a global fellow feeling (Kanter, 2003). This means that high performance global organizations should create an all-encompassing culture where people feel that their interests match with those of the organization and hence they remain self-challenged in accordance with the mission dashboard. In such an environment, a sense of belonging preva ils and motivation stems from common values and ideals, being involved in work that is both challenging and has meaning too. (Millward, 2007) Such organizations are not distracted by inward issues. They have a clear agenda and focus on competition, consumers and communities. Both the commercial and the large-firm divisions of the financial structure are experiencing a transformation in UK, stemming from a system which was egalitarian, had low affinity between work endeavor and incentive to more market-driven preparations. This development creates a necessity for management methods that twist the relation linking an individual employees efforts and the monetary outcomes associated with it (London, 2001) Nonetheless, the speed with which the change occurs is very different for both segments. Influenced by political factors, local groups exercising control or even due to links with the government, a lot of big organizations enjoy better and protected positions. It is not rare to come across companies which are inefficient but have been given favors due to their connections. In such scenarios, mission leadership provides the missing link between the desired strategies and the processes required for their implementation and execution. However, with mission le adership things have become more transparent. An inefficient favor may acquire undue favors but when it comes to success, only real potential wins the show in the tough competitive global arena (Coram, Burnes, 2006). When managing changes in organizations, the role of a leader is extremely crucial. It draws on one of the key notions of leadership literature, on interpersonal influences and also as the significant role that managers assume in the business as change agents. Their influence is reflected in the change process as they catalyze it. Leaders today must make decisions in highly complex, competitive and dynamic environments (Gilbert, 2007). This makes effective decision-making more difficult as well as more critical than in the past. Research has found that managers frequently plan, solve problems and make decisions based upon incomplete and sometimes inaccurate information. At worst, this may result in dire consequences for their organization. At best, this can cause less than optimal decisions to be made, placing the organization in a less effective and competitive position than it would otherwise be. Ineffective use of information is often due to the following factors: Managers may make incorrect assumptions about or lack knowledge of, available information. They may lack the comfort, ability or inclination to access critical information because of chain of command or networking issues. Staff may be unequipped to adequately interpret existing information. Critical internal and external information and the abilit y to access it may be absent. Communication promotes changes and broadens support for the companys goals. Communication has been emphasized throughout research as a key to successful leadership roles. Effective leaders understand the importance of communicating the company values and making sure that these values connects with followers and their needs. The management of change process also depends upon the type of organization under review. Different change management procedures are successful in different settings. In other words, success can be determined in terms of the organizations capacity to fit and adjust well in its changing environment. (Kotter, 2005) An innovative organization is one in which forces of change such as learning is truly reflected, whereas the force of direction results from its environment, In order to keep up to date with the fast paced global business environment, it has now become a necessity to properly manage employees in the workplace. In efforts to excel in the global economy, organizations have evolved from personnel to human resource to finally human capital management (Pettigrew, 2000). Efficient organizations are those who strive to formulate productive and positive relations with employees globally. This ultimately becomes visible in the policies that demand full cooperation of the employees through using better proper performance and organizational change strategies (Kouzes et al, 2005). As technology continues to invade every aspect of our personal and business lives, it is predicted that the economic pressures will increase and will raise a demand for custom-tailored services transformations. It is therefore important for employee relations to stress on knowledge management and individuals at a personal level to gain competitive advantage (Burnes, 2000). The evolving model of industrial relations therefore, acknowledges that companies will be successful in any competitive situation only if they are able to raise the employees skills through a structured method which ensures sustainable benefit and as a result, establishes a safe future for all the employees. When translated, it broadly means that efficient, mutually consented functioning and a basic understanding of workers ambitions should be kept in mind. Overall, it emphasizes on recognizing employees voice (Knights, 2002). Employee voice is described in various manners and is expressed through diverse paths. Another very frequently used way for employee voice is attitude surveys, which provide a flexible but not an interactive route. A few categories of employee voice encompass direct contribution in the organization and structuring of work and an indirect affect on major decisions which have an influence on the organization in the wider perspective via mutual committees or job c ouncils. Like the work environment, leadership style and culture all have a huge impact on the performance and efficiency output of any organization, in the same manner; employee relations too, greatly affect the performance of any organization (Kouzes et al, 2005). One way of leadership is transformational leadership where the leaders act beyond their agendas as emotions steer them to and another is transactional leadership where the leaders map efforts with proper rewards. Nonetheless, the basic constituents that make up good practice are proper skill training and development, job design, continuing consultation and guidance and involvement (Kotter, 2005). Along with this approach is the practice of fair and good management which promotes a positive self worth based on unbiased decisions and mutual trust incorporated into the organizations culture. The outcome of this approach is directly connected to companys performance as it affects the dedication level of employees, besides their motiva tion to perform and excel. For all these reasons it is very significant to maintain healthy employee relations. In UK, in any organization, from the employees viewpoint of their agreement, their individual evaluations of success at work are influenced by a range of elements which encompasses the type of wok assigned, social incorporation in the work environment, involvement in decisions and most of all job security (Burnes, 2000). All these collectively make the understanding of any given job. Even though the contract is for individuals, it has aspects involved that are important to the entire workgroup, at the department level or even throughout the organization. One can say that the nature of employee relations in UK has undergone a lot of significant changes in idea as well as in procedure, leaving widespread impacts. Once, what were considered just unions grew to a level of social participation with constituents of unitarist and pluralist models combined to create a mediatory third approach? (Taylor, 2003)The rebirth of the role of union involvement as partners in organizations, along with the widening of the previously strict concept of voluntarism, to entail an extensive and general approach which had the tendency to embrace economic facts, has depicted that voluntarism in the UK work environment still remains a founding standard in employee relations. (Taylor, 2003) Moreover, the paradigm shift promoting employee involvement has added a new meaning to the employee-manager relationship which has caused a deep change of culture in many business organizations. This also means that the paternalistic and technical beliefs that were prevalent have to be abandoned. With time the reality and presence of the change is felt throughout the organization and the manager should be prepared to deal with any resistance to the change. Employees who continue to resist, remain agitated are often categorized as difficult ones (Pettigrew, 2000). But the truth remains that they feel more vulnerable and may need individual counseling or assurance from the manager to discuss the change and how it affects his performance expectations. It is also important to realize that change can be triggered from both internal and external elements. External triggers encompass developments in materials or technology, shift in consumer needs and demands, actions and innovations from the competitors, new regulations and laws, shifting local or global trade scenarios, political changes and/or changes in cultural and social values. Internal triggers can be innovations in service/product design, ideas to boost performance and morale, job restructuring, change in senior management, insufficient knowledge base, innovations due to training workshops, business relocation, identification of issues, better process of manufacturing and/or improved ideas for service delivery to the customers. Usually the actions of the top management are a reaction to some external agent; tougher competition, shifting market trends or better technology (Pettigrew, 2000). It is vital to realize the importance of change as the key to survival and growth in todays fast paced global economy. Reluctance to change poses the threat of becoming stale and unresponsive. The main challenge is to remain alive and move swiftly and easily. Organizations that are able to embrace and adjust successfully to the change process are the ones who involve their people in it. It is an undeniable fact that the employees of the organization have to face and adhere to the change process and they are crucial in bringing about change. Proper management of the human aspect of change has multifold benefits. Not only does it guarantee successful execution and proper utilization of the technical solutions, it also sets the perfect ground for implementation of future solutions. (Burnes, 2000) CONCLUSION The rate of organizational change has not declined in the past years and with the current pace of economy, it not likely to decline in the near future also. This leaves the organizations with only one option; to adapt and embrace change as efficiently as possible. The swift and continuous developments in technology are leading organizations to change their systems and procedures. (Stickland, 2005) A lot of organizations take a lot of time to embrace and adjust to new economic trends while some implement them without difficulty. New trade ways require new ways for organizations to conduct business (Kotter, 2005). Globalization has shrunk distances and has eliminated the former obstacles in the market. In such a situation, unremitting change has become the soul of organizational life. The irony is that in most of the organizations, despite the ever changing economic scenario and the thrift competition, the operational plans and structures still reflect upon the previous ideals and real ities, making the inertia of the organization the most critical barrier to change (Beardwell, 2004). This failure is a result of a variety of factors, like the absence of a change custodian or the fact that the person trying to initiate change is at a junior position, poor support from the management, lack of appropriate project management skills, all hopes pinned to one solution, lamely or loosely defined objectives and/or the focus of the change unit on a lot of projects instead of the key project. (Knights, 2002)

the red badge of courage :: essays research papers

A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Red Badge of Courage written by Stephen Crane B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This novel traces the effects of war on a Union Soldier named Henry Fleming. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins with Henry Fleming’s dreams of being a soldier, to enlistment, and then to battle in the Civil War. His dream was to be a war hero and to be adored for his amazing achievements. It was his decision to make, even though his mother was against the idea of going to war. Since there was nothing happening during his monotonous life on the farm, he finally decided to enlist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ironically, even after he enlists, he finds himself sitting around. He made two new friends named John Wilson and Jim Conklin. Wilson was as excited about going to war as Fleming, but Conklin was confident about the success of the new regiment. Henry began to realize that his regiment was just wandering aimlessly. Eventually, Henry began to think about the battles differently. He started to become afraid that he might run from the fight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally when the regiment discovers a battle, Jim gives Henry a packet in a yellow envelope, telling Henry that this will be his first and last battle. The regiment managed to hold off the rebels for the first charge, but then the rebels came back with the reinforcements driving back the regiment. One man attempted to flee, then another, and the situation soon began to snow ball. Henry became scared and confused when he saw his forces losing horribly. He finally got up and ran for cover.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Henry started to rationalize his behavior of running from the enemy. His first impression was that he was a coward. Later, he began to see how he saved his own life. He felt that nature did not want him to die even though his side was losing. He believed that he was intelligent for running and hopes that he will die in battle, just for spite. Henry then met up with Jim who watched their acquaintance die slowly. In the next charge, Henry starts asking the soldiers why they are running. He grabbed a fellow by the arm and asked him, not willing to let go. The man hit Henry over the head with the butt of his gun, giving him his first Red Badge of Courage. Henry stumbles around for a while until a cheery man comes up and helps him. At his regiment he confronts Wilson to ask him if he needs any help with his wound. He then gets back into battle.

What is one conflict that Brian faces in “Brian’s Return”?

Brian finds himself in conflict with nature as he ventures alone and somewhat unprepared into the wilderness. Nature proves relentless in her attacks against him, sending torrents of rain and billowing winds that harass his dwelling and begin a series of nearly fatal mishaps. The language expresses the hostility of nature toward him, as â€Å"the wind was hissing and slashing him with water† almost as it the elements had teamed up against him (par. 34). 2.Why are the memories of Willow Creek important to Rick Bass? Support your answer with evidence from the text. (2-3 sentences) Rick Bass remembers has strong memories of Willow Creek because it was there that he was able to commune with nature and find himself at one with and yet in awe of something so much greater than himself. The immensity of nature surrounded and pressed him and made him feel the substance of his life in a way he never had before.His memories of nature cause him to realise that he belongs in the wild and n ot in civilization, as he writes that the geese â€Å"flew away with the last of [his] civility that night† (par. 14). 3. How is the power of nature an important theme in both â€Å"Brian's Return† and â€Å"On Willow Creek†? Support your answer with evidence from both selections. (3-5 sentences) Nature has overwhelmed both the characters in different ways.Brian was overwhelmed with the powerful force of the elements and the danger that is always imminent living bare and unprotected in the wild. Even what Brian brings for protection, his tent, sighs under the pressure of the natural elements (par. 20). The narrator of On Willow Creek feels the power of nature in its vastness, but finds it inspiring. It causes him to feel his tiny insignificance in comparison with nature’s power, as he writes that â€Å"all of the hill country’s creatures had helped him† understand this (par. 1).

Free Essays on Free Blacks In Antebellum Period

In 1860, roughly half a million free people of African descent resided in the United States. Known alternately as free Negroes, free blacks, free people of color, or simply free people (to distinguish them from post-Civil War freedpeople), they composed less than 2 percent of the nation's population and about 9 percent of all blacks. Although the free black population was increasing during the antebellum years, it was growing far more slowly than either the white or the slave population, so that it was a shrinking proportion of American society. But free Negroes were important far beyond their numbers. They played a pivotal role in society during slave times and set precedents for both race relations and relations among black people when slavery ended. Their status and treatment were harbingers of the postemancipation world. Often the laws, attitudes, and institutions that victimized free blacks during the slave years - political proscription, segregation, and various forms of debt peonage - became the dominant modes of racial oppression once slavery ended. Similarly, their years of liberty profoundly influenced the pattern of postemancipation black life. They moved in disproportionate numbers into positions of leadership in black society when slavery ended. For example, nearly half of the twenty-two black men who served in Congress between 1869 and 1900 had been free before the Civil War. Although free Negroes have been described as more black than free, they were not a monolithic group. They can be best understood from a regional perspective, for by the nineteenth century three distinctive groups of free Negroes had developed: one in the northern, or free states, a second in the Upper South, and a third in the Lower South. Each had its own demographic, economic, social, and somatic characteristics. These differences, in turn, bred different relations with whites and slaves and, most important, distinctive mode... Free Essays on Free Blacks In Antebellum Period Free Essays on Free Blacks In Antebellum Period In 1860, roughly half a million free people of African descent resided in the United States. Known alternately as free Negroes, free blacks, free people of color, or simply free people (to distinguish them from post-Civil War freedpeople), they composed less than 2 percent of the nation's population and about 9 percent of all blacks. Although the free black population was increasing during the antebellum years, it was growing far more slowly than either the white or the slave population, so that it was a shrinking proportion of American society. But free Negroes were important far beyond their numbers. They played a pivotal role in society during slave times and set precedents for both race relations and relations among black people when slavery ended. Their status and treatment were harbingers of the postemancipation world. Often the laws, attitudes, and institutions that victimized free blacks during the slave years - political proscription, segregation, and various forms of debt peonage - became the dominant modes of racial oppression once slavery ended. Similarly, their years of liberty profoundly influenced the pattern of postemancipation black life. They moved in disproportionate numbers into positions of leadership in black society when slavery ended. For example, nearly half of the twenty-two black men who served in Congress between 1869 and 1900 had been free before the Civil War. Although free Negroes have been described as more black than free, they were not a monolithic group. They can be best understood from a regional perspective, for by the nineteenth century three distinctive groups of free Negroes had developed: one in the northern, or free states, a second in the Upper South, and a third in the Lower South. Each had its own demographic, economic, social, and somatic characteristics. These differences, in turn, bred different relations with whites and slaves and, most important, distinctive mode...