Schneiders Food Company History and products

The Domestication History of Cotton (Gossypium)

The Domestication History of Cotton (Gossypium) Cotton (Gossypium sp.) is one of the most important and earliest domesticated non-food crops in the world. Used primarily for its fiber, cotton was domesticated independently in both the Old and New Worlds. The word cotton originated from the Arabic term al qutn, which became in Spanish algodà ³n and cotton in English. Key Takeaways: Domestication of Cotton Cotton is one of the earliest domesticated non-food crops, independently domesticated at least four different times in four different parts of the world.  The first cotton domesticate was from the wild tree form in Pakistan or Madagascar at least 6,000 years ago; the next oldest was domesticated in Mexico about 5,000 years ago.  Cotton processing, taking the cotton bolls and making them into fibers, is a global technique; spinning those fibers into strings for weaving was anciently accomplished by the use of spindle whorls in the New World and spinning wheels in the Old World.   Nearly all the cotton produced in the world today is the New World species Gossypium hirsutum, but before the 19th century, several species were grown on different continents. The four domesticated Gossypium species of the Malvaceae family are G. arboreum L., domesticated in the Indus Valley of Pakistan and India; G. herbaceum L. from Arabia and Syria; G. hirsutum from Mesoamerica; and G. barbadense from South America. All four domestic species and their wild relatives are shrubs or small trees which are traditionally grown as summer crops; domesticated versions are highly drought- and salt-tolerant crops that grow well in marginal, arid environments. Old World cotton has short, coarse, weak fibers that are today primarily used for stuffing and quilt making; New World cotton has higher production demands but provides longer and stronger fibers and higher yields. Making Cotton Wild cotton is photo-period sensitivein other words, the plant begins to germinate when the day length reaches a certain point. Wild cotton plants are perennial and their form is sprawling. Domestic versions are short, compact annual shrubs which do not respond to changes in day lengththats an advantage if the plant grows in places with cool winters because both wild and domestic kinds of cotton are frost-intolerant. Cotton fruits are capsules or bolls which contain several seeds covered by two kinds of fiber: short ones called fuzz and long ones called lint. Only the lint fibers are useful for making textiles, and the domestic plants have larger seeds covered with comparatively abundant lint. Cotton is traditionally harvested by hand, and then the cotton is ginnedprocessed to separate the seeds from the fiber. After the ginning process, the cotton fibers are batted with a wooden bow to make them more flexible and carded with a hand comb to separate the fibers before spinning. Spinning twists the individual fibers into a yarn, which can be completed by hand with a spindle and spindle whorl (in the New World) or with a spinning wheel (developed in the Old World). Old World Cotton Cotton was first domesticated in the Old World about 7,000 years ago; the earliest archaeological evidence for cotton use is from the Neolithic occupation of Mehrgarh, in the Kachi Plain of Balochistan, Pakistan, in the sixth millennium BC. Cultivation of G. arboreum began in the Indus Valley of India and Pakistan, and then eventually spread over Africa and Asia, whereas G. herbaceum was first cultivated in Arabia and Syria. The two main species, G. arboreum and G. herbaceum, are genetically very different and probably diverged well before domestication. Specialists agree that the wild progenitor of G. herbaceum was an African species, whereas the ancestor of G. arboreum is still unknown. Regions of the possible origin of the G. arboreum wild progenitor are likely Madagascar or the Indus Valley, where the most ancient evidence for cultivated cotton has been found. Gossypium arboreum Abundant archaeological evidence exists for the initial domestication and use of G. arboreum, by the Harappan (aka Indus Valley) civilization in Pakistan. Mehrgarh, the earliest agricultural village in the Indus Valley, holds multiple lines of evidence of cotton seeds and fibers beginning about 6000 BP. At Mohenjo-Daro, fragments of cloth and cotton textiles have been dated to the fourth millennium BCE, and archaeologists agree that most of the trade that made the city grow was based on cotton exportation. Raw material and finished cloth were exported from South Asia into Dhuweila in eastern Jordan by 6450–5000 years ago, and to Maikop (Majkop or Maykop) in the northern Caucasus by 6000 BP. Cotton fabric has been found at Nimrud in Iraq (8th–7th centuries BCE), Arjan in Iran (late 7th–early 6th centuries BCE) and Kerameikos in Greece (5th century BCE). According to Assyrian records of Sennacherib (705–681 BCE), cotton was grown in the royal botanical gardens at Nineveh, but cool winters there would have made large-scale production impossible. Because G. arboreum is a tropical and subtropical plant, cotton agriculture did not spread outside the Indian subcontinent until thousands of years after its domestication. Cotton cultivation is first seen in the Persian Gulf at Qalat al-Bahrain (ca 600–400 BCE), and in North Africa at Qasr Ibrim, Kellis and al-Zerqa between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. Recent investigations at Karatepe in Uzbekistan have found cotton production dated between ca. 300–500 CE. G. arboreum is thought to have been introduced into China as an ornamental plant about 1,000 years ago. Cotton may have been grown in the Xinjiang (China) province cities of Turfan and Khotan by the 8th century CE. Cotton was finally adapted to grow in more temperate climates by the Islamic Agricultural Revolution, and between 900–1000 CE, a boom in cotton production spread into Persia, Southwest Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. Gossypium herbaceum G. herbaceum is much less well-known than G. arboreum. Traditionally it is known to grow in African open forests and grasslands. Characteristics of its wild species are a taller plant, compared to the domesticated shrubs, smaller fruit, and thicker seed coats. Unfortunately, no clear domesticated remains of G. herbaceum have been recovered from archaeological contexts. However, the distribution of its closest wild progenitor suggests a northward distribution toward North Africa, and the Near East. New World Cotton Among the American species, G. hirsutum was apparently cultivated first in Mexico, and G. barbadense later in Peru. However, a minority of researchers believe, alternatively, that the earliest type of cotton was introduced into Mesoamerica as an already domesticated form of G. barbadense from coastal Ecuador and Peru. Whichever story ends up to be correct, cotton was one of the first non-food plants domesticated by the prehistoric inhabitants of the Americas. In the Central Andes, especially in the north and central coasts of Peru, cotton was part of a fishing economy and a marine-based lifestyle. People used cotton to make fishing nets and other textiles. Cotton remains have been recovered in many sites on the coast especially in residential middens. Gossypium hirsutum (Upland cotton) The oldest evidence of Gossypium hirsutum in Mesoamerica comes from the Tehuacan valley and has been dated between 3400 and 2300 BCE. In different caves of the region, archaeologists affiliated to the project of Richard MacNeish found remains of fully domesticated examples of this cotton. Recent studies have compared bolls and cotton seeds retrieved from excavations in Guila Naquitz Cave, Oaxaca, with living examples of wild and cultivated G. hirsutum punctatum growing along the east coast of Mexico. Additional genetic studies (Coppens dEeckenbrugge and Lacape 2014) support the earlier results, indicating that G. hirsutum was likely originally domesticated in the Yucatn Peninsula. Another possible center of domestication for G. hirsutum is the Caribbean. In different eras and among different Mesoamerican cultures, cotton was a highly demanded good and a precious exchange item. Maya and Aztec merchants traded cotton for other luxury items, and nobles adorned themselves with woven and dyed mantles of the precious material. Aztec kings often offered cotton products to noble visitors as gifts and to army leaders as payment. Gossypium barbadense (Pima cotton) G. barbadense cultivars are known for their production of high-quality fiber and called variously Pima, Egyptian, or Sea Island cotton. The first clear evidence of domesticated Pima cotton comes from the Ancà ³n-Chillà ³n area of the central coast of Peru. The sites in this area show the domestication process began during the Preceramic period, beginning about 2500 BCE. By 1000 BCE the size and shape of Peruvian cotton bolls were indistinguishable from todays modern cultivars of G. barbadense. Cotton production began on the coasts, but eventually moved inland, facilitated by the construction of canal irrigation. By the Initial Period, sites such as Huaca Prieta contained domestic cotton 1,500 to 1,000 years before pottery and maize cultivation. Unlike in the old world, cotton in Peru was initially part of subsistence practices, used for fishing and hunting nets, as well as textiles, clothing and storage bags. Sources Bouchaud, Charlà ¨ne, Margareta Tengberg, and Patricia Dal Pr. Cotton Cultivation and Textile Production in the Arabian Peninsula During Antiquity; the Evidence from Madà ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢in Sà ¢lih (Saudi Arabia) and Qal’at Al-Bahrain (Bahrain). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 20.5 (2011): 405–17. Print.Brite, Elizabeth Baker, and John M. Marston. Environmental Change, Agricultural Innovation, and the Spread of Cotton Agriculture in the Old World. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 32.1 (2013): 39–53. Print.Coppens dEeckenbrugge, Geo, and Jean–Marc Lacape. Distribution and Differentiation of Wild, Feral, and Cultivated Populations of Perennial Upland Cotton ( PLoS ONE 9.9 (2014): e107458. Print.Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean.Du, Xiongming, et al. Resequencing of 243 Diploid Cotton Accessions Based on an Updated a Genome Identifies the Genetic Basis of Key Agronomic Traits. Nature Genetics 50.6 (2018): 796–802. Print.Mou lherat, Christophe, et al. First Evidence of Cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh, Pakistan: Analysis of Mineralized Fibres from a Copper Bead. Journal of Archaeological Science 29.12 (2002): 1393–401. Print. Nixon, Sam, Mary Murray, and Dorian Fuller. Plant Use at an Early Islamic Merchant Town in the West African Sahel: The Archaeobotany of Essouk–Tadmakka (Mali). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 20.3 (2011): 223–39. Print.Reddy, Umesh K., et al. Genome-Wide Divergence, Haplotype Distribution and Population Demographic Histories for Gossypium Hirsutum and Gossypium Barbadense as Revealed by Genome–Anchored SNPs. Scientific Reports 7 (2017): 41285. Print.Renny–Byfield, Simon, et al. Independent Domestication of Two Old World Cotton Species. Genome Biology and Evolution 8.6 (2016): 1940–47. Print.Wang, Maojun, et al. Asymmetric Subgenome Selection and Cis-Regulatory Divergence During Cotton Domestication. Nature Genetics 49 (2017): 579. Print.Zhang, Shu–Wen, et al. Mapping of Fiber Quality Qtls Reveals Useful Variation and Footprints of Cotton Domestication Using Introgression Lines. Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 31954. Print. Updated by K. Kris Hirst

Marketing And Social Network Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing And Social Network - Thesis Example Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..18 11. References.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship of marketing, or in specific, viral marketing and social networks with each other with the help of a sound theoretical framework. The framework thus developed managed to form a study that points out dimensions that ensure a testable hypothesis. The study finds the relationship and interdependency of marketing and social networks on each other and questions whether the data collected by the social marketing intelligence is an ethical dilemma or not. The study is conducted with t he help of a small scale survey and formal interviews that have been conducted over a college premises. The data thus collected is effectively analyzed to find answers to the research questions developed. It has been concluded that the variables under discussion, the viral marketing and social networks, are directly linked to each other and both have aided the advancement of each other over the growth cycle. 1. Introduction: Marketing is a business technique in which a marketing message is spread to the people by several means, with the aim of creating value for customers. This phenomenon encourages and facilitates marketers to increase brand awareness, aids product/brand/service outreach to its targeted customer segment, and achieve aims related to product/service promotion and/or selling. Out of the many types, viral marketing, according to Allen (2008, p 15), is a technique that uses social networks of other people so that they can propagate... This report approves that the social network, thus use the viral marketing to point out that important common factor between individuals that would bring them together. This move will thus allow these social networks to gather more and more individuals with various common interests and thus increasing the usage of the sites so that the survival graph stays high. This paper makes a conclusion that viral marketing and social networking are two terms which go side by side these days as the existence of one without each other is very difficult. Their collaboration in a smooth and steady ways is very beneficial and it is a great source of earning revenue as the economic conditions of the business world is collapsing all over. The two entities evolved with each other and they have created a revolution in the technological and economic world and cannot survive without each other. The field of viral marketing and social networking is a very dynamic field. It has many more novelties and better ways of achieving success to see in the coming years.If they remain on the same track then, further horizons will be opened for them in future years but the privacy of users and their trust should be valued more than anything. If people had not been so socially close to each other by social networking sites etc they would not have any means to enjoy and experie nce new launches in a comfortable way and to be able to share them quickly with other people of the same interests. Viral marketing has acted out as a tool that has provided a platform where entertainment interaction and marketing are collaborated in a fascinating manner.

African American Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

African American Studies - Essay Example While this long term outcome was the same for both men, they differed greatly in the way that they went about turning their ideas into action. Martin Luther King started out as a preacher with a purely religious set of goals. He followed in his family’s tradition, ministering to his own people in his own church and confining himself to religious teachings. Increasing violence against his congregation, and widespread atrocities in the southern states prompted him to change his position to a more political one, however and he became known for his commitment to non-violent political action. He supported bus boycotts, sit-ins, demonstrations and the famous march in Washington, and in word and deed he called black Americans to rise up and join together in resistance, but stopped short of any proactive acts of violence or even retaliation in the face of violence. In his most famous â€Å"I have a Dream† speech to a mostly black audience, he used his considerable talents as a public speaker to paint a future vision of an Alabama, the heart of the currently racist south where â€Å"†¦ little black boys and blac k girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.† (Luther King, 1963a) Using imagery drawn from the Bible he deliberately included white people in this vision, and stressed the unity of all people, male and female, black and white, rich and poor, depicting them as being in chains while they participate in this unjust society, and â€Å"free at last† (Luther King, 1963a) when slaves and oppressor together can enjoy equal rights. By advocating peaceful resistance, he managed to retain the moral high ground, and by stressing the common Christian religion and culture of the majority of blacks and whites in America, he sought to build trust and tackle instances of oppression one by

Business environmental and public policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business environmental and public policy - Essay Example The wrath of industry lobbyists and right wing media was sidelining the politicians of practical nature and who are capable of dealing with the situation as it demands. The narrow margin for Gore in 2000 election is due to his practical ideas on issues like Global Warming. The people who were not at all concerned about the environmental problems and the persons who pander people rather than addressing to their real future needs were in the power. This was the cause of negligence of public safety issues like Global Warming and drawing back in curbing it. As a result the curbing of Global Warming was remained as untouchable. Moreover the campaigners who were against the curbing of Global Warming were publicizing the fact that recently the ice layers in Antarctica did rise in their thickness. Though it was said to be true the warming will be done and the sea level will rise after the extra thick ice was melt. The people who are saying that fact are taking into consideration the details of Antarctica this year. There may be an opposite evidence for their argument if they take the records of thickness of ice for over 10 years of time at the same period of the year. The controversy is that some responsible scientists and politicians like Al Gore were in support of the argument that Global warming is true and the curbing will result in no considerable devastation of economy. But the only politician talking about the controversial issues and the correct measures to be taken was defeated and the right wing media a product of energy-industry lobbyists was making the right thinking politicians a mockery of them in the view of public. They fostered a careful campaign that the curbing of Global Warming will decrease the GDP and thus destroy the economy and so the Americans should not accept to it. But the reality conflicts with that argument. The economy will not be devastated as it was publicized by the media. The growth of GDP may be affected by just 0.2% in a span of 20 years but not as devastating as it was publicized by right wing media. Moreover, the Global Warming is at alarming level that after some time it may become irreversible. By now it was felt by a Science Magazine that the curbing of Global Warming is like eradicating the Small pox from the earth. By this comparison every body can understand that at the stage reached by Global Warming just by negligence due to the lobbying of industry circles against cubing it. One can wonder why the politicians or Industrialists were against the curbing of norms. The reason may be that the norms for curbing the Global Warming will make Industrialists cut their profits and discard some new technology on which they have spent more and there were no substantial returns yet. This may leave them scared as they have to resort to older methods by facing loss in adopted new technology. The Machinery now used might find necessity to be replaced. When this happens generally the heavy industry that makes machines will flourish and there is a chance of curbing the fall in GDP growth which was predicted by the protesters of curbing methods of Global Warming. But it makes some leading industrialists to spend on new machinery and infrastructure, which is difficult to them in their terms of profit. The

Research into Call Centre Customer Confusion

Research into Call Centre Customer Confusion Discussion Following from the results obtained from the survey, most participants had used the call centre service within the past six months and the perceived confusion level by customers was relatively high. Evidently, this research reinforces the fact that consumer confusion still exists within the call centre service. The first factor which influences customer confusion was identified as gender. The majority of the participants in the research were females, however it was also found that there was a higher involvement of male staff working at call centres. This supports the literature review as research suggests that female customers tend to ask more questions during the centre call service than males. It can be detected that this was because males cannot communicate effectively with females. An approach that can be taken to reduce this aspect of customer confusion is to employ more female staff in call centres. Furthermore, before customer service is provided to the customer, the call centre should provide the option to the customer of being attended by a female or male staff, according to their preference. Another substantial cause of customer confusion was language barriers. This is an issue which reinforces the theory suggested by Robison et al 2006. His theory suggests that outsourcing to other countries influences the structure, quality, outcomes and satisfaction in call centres. From our research we found that the majority of customer confusion was caused due to accent and pronunciation issues, due to outsourcing calls abroad. However, our results could not support the effect on outsourcing calls abroad has on the structure of call centres. For participants, the majority of assistance within call centre was non-native English speakers. However it does not indicate that the culture or background that an assistant possesses influences the quality of customer service provided. This point is limited by the context of this research as it is solely based in the UK. By the fact stated in the literature review, English call centre providers tend to outsource calls to other countries most commonly, India. The culture between the UK and India is similar; however there is a significant difference between some countries, such as China, and the UK. Today, more foreigners are coming to the UK which results in a wider variety of customers using call centres. This can explain the continuation of customer confusion in the UK. Accordingly, organisations may need to provide training to assistants relating to cultural differences, especially if some customers from certain countries formulate a considerable portion of their customer basis. Technical issues were also identified from the research carried out which organisations can effectively tackle. The first issue identified was the incompetency of the assistant, such as the lack of expertise about the service or product the company provides. Thus, the company should provide and emphasise the knowledge regarding the product or service they offer sufficiently. Furthermore, the lack of communication between the call centre and other department within the business was identified as the third vital cause of customer confusion. Frequently, customers raise questions that cannot be answered by the knowledge of a certain department. This results in customers experiencing another step, dialling another number for instance, in the call centre process which irritates customers with consumer confusion. To address this issue, a communication system must be established amongst departments, to actively connect customers to the appropriate department who can resolve their problems ac curately. Additionally, another technical problem within call centres is call background noise that organisations must remove enhance the quality provided by the call centre. As written in the literature review, customers may prefer to help themselves when they wish to solve the confusion they have, which was also found in the survey that customers tend to try to browse the organisations official website to see if they can solve the problem without a call to avoid the potential confusions that might be caused during the call centre service. Airline industry as an example, was the sole industry which the participants in the survey did not use call centre for. Certainly there are distinct natures among various industries, but the well-organised and informative Airline industrys web-enabled call centre service can be an inspiration for other industries. Manage the firms website used to interact with customers more effectively with more benchmark of information, better structure and cle arer guide. Moreover, the organisation can transform the traditional calling conversation into online chat by typing or video calling. Ethical issues were also highlighted as a source of consumer confusion. The spam calls which customers receive irritate them and cause their customer confusion. Therefore organisations need to be more concerned with ethical issues that may cause customer confusion and impact on their organisational reputation. The last limitation found relates to the human resource management in the call centres, the assistants attitude and behaviour particularly such as the behaviour mentioned by a participant in the research, launching into their script without any introductions. Therefore additional training should be stressed regarding the courtesy of caller conversations.

The Weimar Republic :: essays research papers fc

Why did the Weimar Republic fail to stand up to Nazism?: PASS NOTES. 2. 1929-1933: The Depression NAZI STRENGTHS 1. What were Hitler's Talents? 2. How did the party change following the Beer Hall Putsch? 3. How did the party change following the Depression? The 1930s were turbulent times in Germany's history. World War I had left the country in shambles and, as if that weren't enough, the people of Germany had been humiliated and stripped of their pride and dignity by the Allies. Germany's dream of becoming one of the strongest nations in the world no longer seemed to be a possibility and this caused resentment among the German people. It was clear that Germany needed some type of motivation to get itself back on its feet and this came in the form of a charismatic man, Adolf Hitler. Hitler, a man who knew what he wanted and would do anything to get it, single-handedly transformed a weary Germany into a deadly fascist state. In order to understand why exactly Hitler was able to make Germany a fascist state, we must study the effects that the end of World War I had on the country. Germany was left devastated and vulnerable at the end of the war. The Treaty of Versailles had left the country without a military and with a large debt that it just couldn't pay. Aside from that, it was forced to withdraw from its western territory where most of its coal and steel were located. This was a major implication for Germany because without these resources, it had no industrial growth (steel and coal are the forces behind industry), which meant that there was no money going into its economy. Without any economic development there was no way that Germany would be able to get out of debt. The Allies did not make any effort to help Germany during this time and left Germany to fend for itself (they seemed to be aware that this had been a mistake by the end World War II when they helped Japan out of its economic crisis; th is is an example of history influencing future actions). The "humiliation imposed by the victors in the World War I, coupled with the hardship of the stagnant economy," created bitterness and anger in Germany (Berlet 1). This is the reason that, when the Allies tried to establish a new government in Germany, the German people were less than eager to embrace it.

Project Management Article

The Article I have chosen to summarize is titled â€Å"Life and Death† by Cindy Waxier and the same was published In the February 2013 issue of The PM Network Magazine, The article Is on Risk Management planning and execution and its requirement before any type of risky operation. The Management team of Children's Memorial Hospital In Illinois, USA faced a dramatic challenge on 9th June 2012 when they moved 127 patients from their aging faculty to a new 23-storied $855 building on Northwestern universities medical school campus.The new facility named Ann and Robert H. Laurie Hospital of Chicago was equipped with modern facilities and the move was necessitated because the present building that was built in 1882 was cramped despite various attempts for renovation and expansion and patients felt like being rats stuck in a cage. In the words of Maureen Mahoney, Laurie Children's chief clinical excellence officer QUOTE We realized that in order to continue to grow and serve patient s in a way that's compatible with our vision, we had to create a replacement hospital †¦UNQUOTE. The new facility had multiple features to ensure better patient care Like spacious treatment rooms, an enclosed ambulance bay and there comforts. The hospital had risk patients and before they could enjoy the comforts of the new faculty the task of moving them to the new establishment situated at a distance of 4. 8 Kilometers from the present hospital was daunting.A single misstep would end in a tragedy and a comprehensive Risk Management Strategy had been put in place by Mahoney who had spent years to draw up a comprehensive strategy that included logistics, budget, staffing and transportation keeping in mind the worst case-scenarios that may crop up during the transfer of patients. A multidisciplinary project team had been built to ensure smooth transition. Outside consultants team was also enlisted for guidance that helped in shaping the foundation but the Hospital's own Risk Man agement Team built on it based on their culture and need of the patients.The Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, USA had undergone a similar migration to a replacement hospital earlier. Ms. Mahoney and her team met with representatives of this hospital to discuss the various aspects. The team also consulted other hospitals that were planning their transition and discussed and shared plans. Since transporting the patients required closing of some of Chicago Streets, Ms. Mahoney had already spoken to the city agencies including police; fire and emergency well in advance so that they could work in an orchestrated manner and ensure smooth transportation of patients without any hindrance.All the faculty and staff were informed in details about the move and meetings were held to address the concerns of physicians, nurses and caregivers. Since this operation would impact everyone in the hospital, organizing and encouraging all and sundry were a necessity. To remove the fear of the young patients, they were shown videos of a Buddy Bear being safely moved to a new capital and each patient was given a Buddy Bear of his or her own on moving day as an encouragement.With the Risk management team raring to go and all city support having been secured plans were laid for logistics of transporting the patients. Elective surgeries were Mahoney who had spent 4 years to draw up a comprehensive the worst case-scenarios that may crop up during the transfer of patients. A multidisciplinary project team had been built to ensure smooth transition. Outside consultants team was also enlisted for guidance that helped in shaping the some of Chicago Streets, Ms. Mahoney had already spoken to the city agencies avian been secured plans were laid for logistics of transporting the patients.Elective surgeries were delayed until after the move and accordingly patients were divided into seven categories based on the severity of their condition. Patients from the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units and children undergoing chemotherapy were given preference. The team also ensured that the required medical equipments as needed were transferred along with the patient and included medication, intravenous line or oxygen. The worst case scenario of patient being decontaminates en route was critically planned and Ms. Mahoney ensured that medical specialists accompany each patient in the ambulance.On the eve of the move I. E. 8th June 2012, everything were checked as planned, patients' requirements were meticulously ascertained and even the less critical medical requirement such as emptying a patients catheter prior to departure was not ignored. The transfer began on 9th June 2012 precisely at 6 a. M. The next day and adequate staff was on hand at both ends to tackle any problem that may arise. Chicago streets were cordoned-off and the medical staff begun the much awaited transfer making note at ACH step to ensure patients whereabouts from the moment he or she was taken ou t of bed.The documentation of movement helped the team to track and look after the patients at four points during the process of transfer. Within two hours I. E. By 8 p. M. Every patient was safely transported to the new facility and en envisaged and planned there was not a single mishap or even a single safety issue. The four years of comprehensive risk management strategy was successfully implemented and all the 127 patients were safely transported to the new facility in Just 14 hours, covering a distance of 4. 8 kilometers.

Organizational Culture and Its Importance Essay Example

Organizational Culture and Its Importance Essay Example Organizational Culture and Its Importance Paper Organizational Culture and Its Importance Paper There is no single definition for organizational culture. The topic has been studied from a variety of perspectives ranging from disciplines such as anthropology and sociology, to the applied disciplines of organizational behaviour, management science, and organizational communication. Some of the definitions are listed below: A set of common understandings around which action is organized; finding expression in language whose nuances are peculiar to the group (Becker and Geer 1960). A set of understandings or meanings shared by a group of people that are largely tacit among members and are clearly relevant and distinctive to the particular group which are also passed on to new members (Louis 1980). A system of knowledge, of standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting . . . that serve to relate human communities to their environmental settings (Allaire and Firsirotu 1984). The deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are: learned responses to the groups problems of survival in its external environment and its problems of internal integration; are shared by members of an organization; that operate unconsciously; and that define in a basic taken -for-granted fashion in an organizations view of itself and its environment (Schein 1988). Any social system arising from a network of shared ideologies consisting of two components: substance-the networks of meaning associated with ideologies, norms, and values; and forms-the practices whereby the meanings are expressed, affirmed, and communicated to members (Trice and Beyer 1984). This sampling of definitions represents the two major camps that exist in the study of organizational culture and its application strategies. The first camp views culture as implicit in social life. Culture is what naturally emerges as individuals transform themselves into social groups as tribes, communities, and ultimately, nations. The second camp represents the view that culture is an explicit social product arising from social interaction either as an intentional or unintentional consequence of behaviour. In other words, culture is comprised of distinct observable forms (e. g. , language, use of symbols, ceremonies, customs, methods of problem solving, use of tools or technology, and design of work settings) that groups of people create through social interaction and use to confront the broader social environment. This second view of culture is most relevant to the analysis and evaluation of organizational culture and to cultural change strategies that leaders can employ to improve organizational performance. BEHAVIOUR AND ARTIFACTS We can also characterize culture as consisting of three levels. The most visible level is behaviour and artifacts. This is the observable level of culture, and consists of behaviour patterns and outward manifestations of culture: perquisites provided to executives, dress codes, level of technology utilized (and where it is utilized), and the physical layout of work spaces. All may be visible indicators of culture, but difficult to interpret. Artifacts and behaviour also may tell us what a group is doing, but not why. One cartoon which captures this aspect shows two executives sitting at their desks in an office. Both have large billed black and white checked hats. One is saying to the other, I dont know how it started, either. All I know is that its part of our corporate culture. VALUES At the next level of culture are values. Values underlie and to a large extent determine behaviour, but they are not directly observable, as behaviours are. There may be a difference between stated and operating values. People will attribute their behaviour to stated values. ASSUMPTIONS AND BELIEFS To really understand culture, we have to get to the deepest level, the level of assumptions and beliefs. Experts contend that underlying assumptions grow out of values, until they become taken for granted and drop out of awareness. As the definition above states, and as the cartoon illustrates, people may be unaware of or unable to articulate the beliefs and assumptions forming their deepest level of culture. To understand culture, we must understand all three levels. One additional aspect complicates the study of culture: the group or cultural unit which owns the culture. An organization may have many different cultures or subcultures, or even no discernible dominant culture at the organizational level. Recognizing the cultural unit is essential to identifying and understanding the culture. Organizational cultures are created, maintained, or transformed by people. An organizations culture is, in part, also created and maintained by the organizations leadership. Leaders at the executive level are the principle source for the generation and re-infusion of an organizations ideology, articulation of core values and specification of norms. Organizational values express preferences for certain behaviours or certain outcomes. Organizational norms express behaviours accepted by others. They are culturally acceptable ways of pursuing goals. Leaders also establish the parameters for formal lines of communication and message content-the formal interaction rules for the organization. Values and norms, once transmitted through the organization, establish the permanence of the organizations culture. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IS ALSO A SYNTHESIS OF SUBCULTURES Sociologists discuss how distinct societies are composites of interacting subcultures rather than a single overarching culture. Organizations consist of subgroups that have specific characteristics and a sense of identification. Within organizations, people can easily classify themselves and others into various social categories or groups based on identification with their primary work group, occupational or professional skills, union membership, or age cohort. Subgroups in organizations can and do create subcultures that comprise specific networks of meaning; yet, at the same time, they remain associated with the ideologies and values of the organizations leadership. For example, at a macro level the culture that is attributed to the Department of Defense comprises the distinct cultures of the different military services and the corps of civil servants assigned to each service agency. A closer examination of each service culture reveals still greater cultural differentiation among occupational specialties, specific units within the service, and between line and staff personnel. Yet all of these subcultures adhere to the core ideologies, values and norms of the DOD. Numerous studies of organizational culture have highlighted that the formation and maintenance of culture requires interpersonal interaction within subgroups. For example, research led by Meryl Louis demonstrated the benefits of subgroup interaction to newcomers learning the ropes of the jobs. Survey respondents in their first job experience reported that the three most important socialization aids were: Interaction with peers Interaction with their supervisor Interaction with senior co-workers. Interaction with peers on the job was viewed as most important in helping newcomers becoming effective employees. Interaction is important for the acculturation of newcomers. Organizations do not, however, always have homogeneous subcultures. The explicit social products produced by subcultures within organizations can be widely diverse and even result in countercultures. Countercultures can have both pro ductive and unproductive outcomes. Perhaps the key to a countercultures success (i. e. the promulgation of its ideology, values and norms) is the groups ability to demonstrate how its idiosyncrasies are consonant with the core ideologies, values and norms of the dominant culture. THE SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS OVERALL CULTURE AND ITS SUBCULTURES Some people may debate which comes first in an organization: the organizational culture or the organizations subcultures. The question that is relevant to the definition of Organizational Culture is how do the ideologies, values, and norms of subcultures compliment the organizational culture advocated by leadership? Explaining this relationship requires an understanding that cultures provide members with a reliable means to interpret a highly ambiguous environment. It is the leaders responsibility to specify the features of the environment that are relevant to the organization and then provide the supporting assumptions and rationale for its operating strategies. The leaders cultural messages should address ambiguities that are beyond the scope of any organizational subculture to explain to employees. Leaders should recognize that their cultural messages should specifically address cultural ambiguities associated with subculture practices within the organization, and limit their attempts to eliminate distinctions that are important to subcultures identities. In other words, leaders have a better chance of creating or transforming an organizational culture if they accept and foster productive organizational subcultures and consistently communicate how employees must perform in order for the organization to achieve its objectives. Cultural change then relies on leaders communication techniques that cross subcultural boundaries and carry messages about ideologies, values and norms that can be internalized by all employees. Memos and vision statements cannot achieve all of these objectives. Leaders, however, have a variety of sophisticated cultural communication techniques at their disposal to link subcultures to overarching cultural objectives of their organizations. The importance of Organizational Cultural can be derived from its definitions. An understanding of Organizational Culture can help a manager understand what the core value system of the company is and how is it a derivative of its culture or vice versa. The importance of Organizational Culture can be felt in all the spheres of an organization. Some of these are listed below. Mission- e. g. , What is the organization’s core purpose? Vision-e. g. , What is the organization’s overriding orientation? Planning- e. g. , What processes does the organization use to actualize ideas? Strategy for implementation of mission and vision- e. . , What kinds of concrete means for implementation of mission and vision does the organization utilize? Measurements of success- e. g. , Does the organization have a system for continuous improvement? What kind of system(s)? Overall organizational structure- e. g. , Does the organization have a flat structure? A hierarchical structure? What influence do staff have? Supervisory system(s)- e. g. , Do staff receive regular sup ervision? What is the content and context of the supervisory relationships? â€Å"Everyday† language- e. g. What are the insider terms that staff members use? Status and rewards- e. g. , Do staff get bonuses? Are they acknowledged in staff meetings for jobs well done? Concepts of time- e. g. , Do meetings usually start on time, 10 minutes late? Concepts of space-e. g. , Do staff have their own offices, do people usually keep their doors opened or closed? Communication systems-e. g. , Is there an intranet, a staff newsletter? Relationship(s) to external culture(s)- e. g. , Does the organization have a competitive relationship with other similar organizations? Individual/Group focus e. g. , Is the organization oriented more to individual or group needs? Views on difference- e. g. , Are differences in race, sex, etc†¦ talked about? Role delineation-e. g. , Are staff clear on what their job description is or their roles in particular projects? As an employee in any type of o rganization can attest, organizational culture is as prevalent and as varied as individuals themselves. Organizational culture is enduring and complex, and may have both a positive and a negative effect on the staff and the workplace. In many ways culture will determine the survival of an organization over the long term, especially in volatile industries. Cultures that can be a liability to an organization include those that create barriers to change, create barriers to diversity or barriers to mergers and acquisitions. Understanding the organizational culture can help you to understand why change does not take place, or why a project fails. It will also help you to determine where to strive to make changes to the culture. As managers, why do we need to get a sense of the prevailing organizational culture? It is essential to understand the organizational culture if you want to make changes to how work is done, what type of work is being done, or at the broadest level, to affect the organizations standing in its industry. Understanding the culture and, as required, changing it, can mean the difference between attracting and retaining good employees and driving away the best employees with an environment that doesnt encourage, challenge, or reward them. For a new leader or manager, understanding the organizational culture that is in place is essential for success in providing direction, especially when the direction is different from what has come before. Are staff willing and eager to take on new challenges and to follow a new direction, or will they provide passive or active resistance to any changes? What is important to people today, based on their view of where the organization is and where it should be? Where are there disconnects between espoused values, such as the mission statement, and the over symbols and culture type? For example, if the organizations mission is to provide expert customer service, yet the strong hierarchical structure means that employees are not empowered to assist customers by providing creative solutions or dont have the required authority to provide responses or results, there is a disconnect. If an organization was eager to see positive change and the time was right for providing impetus to staff to follow a new path. The assessment of culture of the organization can reveal the opposite, however, which is just as valuable to managers. If there is resistance to change, if the espoused values of the organization dont match with the staff perceptions and prevailing culture, you must try to change the culture or change the objectives and mission to reflect reality. As a manager, it may not be possible for you to change the organizations overarching culture. Understanding the culture, howeverespecially if you want to adapt your departmental culture to create a more positive cultureis possible. Departmental cultures may differ greatly in organizations, depending on the leaders and the staff within those departments. You may not be able to have an effect on the organization overall, depending on your position in the organization and how large it is, but with work you will be able to make a difference at the library level. Some ways that you can try to change the organizational culture include reviewing the mission and vision for the firm with the staff to ensure that they are accurate. If changes are needed to reflect the reality of what you want to do and what you can do, then it should be done. For a start, make sure that departmental statements and staff actions reflect the type of culture you want. For example, to increase the market culture, try increasing the measurements of service activities and have staff involved in developing metrics and outcomes for services (as part of the performance management system, for example). Reward staff of particular service areas who respond to changes in customer demands through developing new programs or services. To reduce hierarchical culture, for example, begin by empowering staff to provide suggestions and to help implement their new ideas. You should also empower staff to make more decisions for their own areas of expertise. As the leader, one should always be aware of one’s actions and model the behavior one expects of the staff. Ensure that the statements one makes are consistent with the values and the symbols of the culture one would like to develop. One may not be able to change the overall organizational culture immediately, but the positive results and positive impact at the departmental level should have some level of spill-over effect onto other departments. Moreover, it will make it a more pleasant culture for everyone to be working in. CONCLUDING THOUGHT An understanding of organizational culture, and how important it is, is a crucial skill for leaders trying to achieve strategic outcomes. Strategic leaders have the best perspective, because of their position in the organization, to see the dynamics of the culture, what should remain, and what needs transformation. This is the essence of strategic success. BIBLIOGRAPHY Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books: New York, New York, 1995. Stephen P. Robbins. Organizational Behavior, 8th edition Schein, Edgar H. The Corporate Culture: A Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass Books: San Francisco, California, 1999. www. wikipedia. org

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