8 Ways to Tell If a Website Is Reliable

For every credible website, there are dozens chock full of information thats inaccurate, unreliable or just plain nutty. For the unwary, inexperienced journalist  or researcher, such sites can present a minefield of possible problems. With that in mind, here are eight ways to tell if a website is reliable. 1. Look for Established Institutions The internet is full of websites that were started five minutes ago. What you want are sites associated with trusted institutions that have been around for a while and have a proven track record of reliability and integrity. Such sites may include those run by government agencies, nonprofit organizations,  foundations, or colleges and universities. 2. Look for Sites with Expertise You wouldnt go to an auto mechanic if you broke your leg, and you wouldnt go to the hospital to have your car repaired. This is an obvious point: Look for websites that specialize in the kind of information youre seeking. So if youre writing a story on a flu outbreak, check out medical websites, such as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and so on. 3. Steer Clear of Commercial Sites Sites run by companies and business—their websites usually end in .com—are more often than not trying to sell you something. And if theyre trying to sell you something, chances are whatever information theyre presenting will be tilted in favor of their product. Thats not to say corporate sites should be excluded entirely. But be wary. 4. Beware of Bias Reporters write a lot about politics, and there are plenty of political websites out there. But many of them are run by groups that have a bias in favor of one political party or philosophy. A conservative website isnt likely to report objectively on a liberal politician, and vice versa. Steer clear of sites with a political ax to grind and instead look for ones that are non-partisan. 5. Check the Date As a reporter, you need  the most up-to-date information available, so if a website seems old, its probably best to steer clear. One way to check: Look for a last updated date on the page or site. 6. Consider  the Sites Look If a site looks poorly designed and amateurish, chances are it was created by amateurs. Sloppy writing is another bad sign. Steer clear. But be careful: Just because a website is professionally designed doesnt mean its reliable. 7. Avoid Anonymous Authors Articles or studies whose authors are named are often—though not always—more reliable than works produced anonymously. It makes sense: If someone is willing to put their name on something theyve written, chances are they stand by the information it contains. And if you have the name of the author, you can always Google them to check their credentials. 8. Check the Links Reputable websites often link to each other. You can find out which other websites link to the site youre researching by conducting a link-specific Google search. Enter the following text into the Google search field, replacing [WEBSITE] with the domain of the site youre researching: link:http://www.[WEBSITE].com The search results will show you which websites link to the one youre researching. If lots of sites are linking to your site, and those sites seem reputable, thats a good sign.

Literary Analysis of “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell

In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,† George Orwell achieves two achievements : he shows us his personal experience and his expression while he was in Burma; he use the metaphor of the elephant to explain to describe what Burma looked like when it was under the British Imperialism. The special about this essay is that Orwell tells us a story not only to see the experience that he had in Burma; he also perfectly uses the metaphor of the elephant to give us deep information about the Imperialism. By going through this essay, we can deeply understand what he thinks in his head. He successfully uses the word choices and the sentences to express his feeling. By reading this essay, Orwell succeeds us with his mesmerizing sentences and shows us the†¦show more content†¦Orwell uses this metaphor of an elephant’s rage and destruction of homes, theft of food shelves, and even killings as an example to the inner working of imperialism. Metaphorically, Orwell expands his argume nt about how imperialism is tyrannical towards to the Burmese people by comparing an elephant’s rage to the British Empire’s invasion of Burma and its destruction of the native life. Similarly, the elephant’s theft of food represents the oppressed of the British Empire’s imperialism has brought upon the Burmese people. They try to implement their aim of domination upon Burma without any care upon the Burmese way of life. This event not only makes the oppressed country become the victims of the imperialism, but it also is the foundation of Orwell’s dilemma regarding the killing of an elephant or the peer pressure he feels towards killing. In short, the use of metaphorical devices found throughout Orwell’s narrative help emphasizing the similarities of imperialism to that of an elephant ravaging through a town, illustrating the true effects it has upon the Burmese people. Beyond the use of metaphorical techniques, Orwell also uses vivid imagery to the strongest extent, to further his stand against the imperial forces. Under the oppression of British imperialism, the Burmese people become â€Å"wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups, the grey, cowed faces of the long-term convicts† (Orwell 285). Orwell appliesShow MoreRelatedConflict of Convictions1695 Words   |  7 PagesSection 4: Analysis page 7 Section 5: Conclusion page 9 Section 6: Works Cited page page 10 Introduction The literary piece â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell, highlights the apprehensions of a colonial officers obligation to shoot a rogue elephant. The author does not want to shoot the elephant, but feels pressured by a crowd of indigenous residents, before whom he does not wish to appear indecisive or cowardly. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, by George Orwell, utilizes characterizationRead MoreIn the autumn of 1836, George Orwell, a British author, novelist, essayist, and critic wrote an1000 Words   |  4 Pages1836, George Orwell, a British author, novelist, essayist, and critic wrote an essay called Shooting an Elephant. In the essay, he describes his experiences as a white British imperial police officer in Burma. The story takes place in British-ruled Burma. This essay portrays Orwell’s discomfort about Imperialism. In shooting an Elephant, Orwell uses different literary techniques to portray the Imperialism collapsing. In this essay Orwell describes his experience of being pressured into shooting an ancientRead MoreAnalysis of George Orwells Shooting an Elephant Essay example1050 Words   |  5 PagesTechnique Analysis of ‘Shooting an elephant’ Written by George Orwell Essay by Arthur Diennet In 1936, George Orwell published his short story ‘Shooting an elephant’ in an English magazine. Since then, it has been republished dozens of times and holds a place as a definitive anti-colonial piece of literature, in an era where the British Empire was at its peak and covered almost 1/3 of the Earth’s surface. George Orwell believed that â€Å"†¦imperialism was an evil thing...† and uses much themesRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 941 Words   |  4 PagesKylie Murphy Professor Wilson WR 122 5 February 2015 Analysis Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   George Orwell’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shooting an Elephant† is a story about the experience of the narrator who was asked to shoot a wild elephant. He was a police officer who worked for British imperialists and killing the elephant would help him receive good judgement from the villagers in Burma. Orwell says that imperialism is evil and should be eliminated while others think that it is good for the public. The purpose of Orwell’s storyRead MoreBlack Humor in America2112 Words   |  9 Pagesthe first true film was The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935. Many American black humorists were influenced by black comedy in Britain. Many of todays movies or books today contain elements of British black humor. In America, black comedy as a literary genre came to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s. Writers such as Terry Southern, Joseph Heller, Thomas Pynchon, Kurt Vonnegut, Harlan Ellison and Eric Nicol have written and published novels, stories and plays where profound or horrif ic events were

After the Reconstruction period, African Americans Essay Example For Students

After the Reconstruction period, African Americans Essay had won freedom and no longer were seen as processions of the whiteman, although, something even more evil existed, segregation. This problem made life for many black people an ever-continuing struggle. Black people were forced to attend separate schools, churches, hotels, and even restaurants. At the time, white males dominated the work force and many African Americans rarely found well paying jobs. The court system judged people of color more harshly than people of white skin, which led to unfair sentences and lynchings. A lynching is when a person is hanged or executed without a trial; they were very common during this time period. African Americans could only take so much of this, they cried out against the unequal ways that white people practiced. Foundations were formed to aid these people and bring justice to the society they were living in. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was probably the most significant of these foundations. This was the same organization that Thurgood Marshall became the leading lawyer of. Thurgood Marshall was born in the year of 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was prepped and raised by his mother, Norma Arica Marshall, and his father, William Canfield Marshall. Thurgoods mother was one of the first African Americans to graduate from Colombia University and his father was the first black person to serve on Baltimores grand jury in the 20th century. Their accomplishments influenced young Thurgood in the years yet to come. Thurgood was always top of his game and graduating from an all black high school in Baltimore at 16 and graduating from Howard Law School in Washington D.C. first of his class, proved it. During his time at Howard, Thurgood met and eventually married his first wife, Vivian Burey. After finishing up law school in 1933, Thurgood moved to New York City, where he was later recruited as a staff lawyer to NAACP. During his years spent with the NAACP, Thurgood helped develop a strategy to fight racial segregation throughout the United States. He brought many cases before numerous courts but the cases he brought before the Supreme Court were his greatest achievements. Thurgood won almost all of the cases he argued before the Supreme Court. Through his court victories, he convinced the courts to strike down practices in several states that prevented blacks from voting. Due to Thurgood, the Supreme Court agreed that courts could not enforce private agreements not to sell land to black people. These were major steps forward in the struggle to end segregation but Thurgoods most important victory came in a case dealing with racial segregation in public schools, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Thurgood managed to persuade the court to unanimously declare segregation in public schools unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In addition to the victory of this case, Thurgood fought to win six other Supreme Court cases during the 1950s, leading to the desegregation of public parks, swimming pools, local bus systems and athletic facilities. Even after his retirement as a lawyer for the NAACP, Thurgood continued to fight for the rights of racial minorities, the uneducated and the poor. In 1965, Thurgood was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Lyndon Johnson and later confirmed by the Senate to the role of an associate justice. He became the first black justice to serve in the Supreme Court in the history of the U.S. With this high ranking position, Thurgood was determined to end inequality once and for all in the U. .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f , .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .postImageUrl , .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f , .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:hover , .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:visited , .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:active { border:0!important; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:active , .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf976c51314b73363c3b6508573b6e63f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Forensic science and technology EssayS. Up until his death in 1993, Thurgood Marshall wrote more than 300 papers and essays on his personal beliefs and court cases that he had dealt with. He declared that his papers should be open for immediate use by scholars, journalists, and others. I selected Thurgood Marshall because I believe he made the most significant difference in the U.S. as far as eliminating unequal racial treatment, an even bigger difference than such famous people as Martin Luther King Jr. made. Over the course of less than a century, Thurgood shaped the U.S. to be a much more open and equal nation for African Americans .

Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project Concepts and Applications Essay Example

Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications Essay Organizational Theory: Concepts and Applications Andrea F. Bass Columbia College Annotated Bibliography Aslam, H. D. , Javaid, T. , Tanveer, A. , Khan, M. , amp; Shabbir, F. (2011). A Journey from Individual to Organizational Learning (Exploring the Linking Bridge: Team Learning). International Journal of Academic Research, 3(3), 738-745. The article addresses the need to adopt knowledge retention initiatives and continuous learning commitments amidst the challenges in today’s business environment. This begins with the topic of individual learning and further details the operational and procedural levels of learning, as well as how learning is applied in the organizational context. The authors focus on how to effectively apply the techniques of individual learning to a team learning process, the transfer of these skills and knowledge to the organization level, and the subsequent sustainment of this valuable knowledge base. To better facilitate organizational learning, individuals have to understand how they learn, how their organizational teams learn, and how this knowledge translates into the collective organizational know-how. The authors also explore the four steps in the organizational learning process that will engage and facilitate an organization’s members to learn effectively: knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, information interpretation, and memorization. Exposure to new knowledge, such as changing technological knowledge, or shifts in industry standards can happen quickly; therefore, it is vital that the knowledge from the individual worker be effectively captured in a team environment, which can then be translated into organizational memory. Baker, K. A. (2002). Chapter 11: Organizational Culture [PDF file]. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Retrieved from http://www. au. af. mil/au/awc/awcgate/doe/benchmark/ch11. pdf Baker provides her insight on the topic of strong versus weak organizational cultures and how these cultures can or cannot support organizational effectiveness. She emphasizes the value of a company’s intellectual aspects, which is its human capital, and the need for organizations to successfully implement strong cultures when it will offer them a competitive advantage. She does postulate that not all organizations would do well with a strong culture and suggests that some strong cultures will cause more dysfunction than opportunity. Individuals will put unrestricted demands on themselves, which could increase barriers to an environment of adaptation and change. Baker goes on to analyze the four distinct hypotheses of organizational culture: the consistency hypothesis, the mission hypothesis, the involvement/participation hypothesis, and the adaptability hypothesis. She identifies and effectively discusses the need for a synergistic approach to managing cultural orientations, due to the increased importance of understanding and implementing effective cultures in today’s global market. Damanpour, F. (1992). Organizational Size and Innovation. Organization Studies, 13(3), 375-402. Damanpour performs a meta-analytical review of how an organization’s size affects its ability to successfully adopt innovations, in reaction to a rapidly changing external environment. Damanpour points out that there is very little consensus in the academic circle, in regards to the relationship of organizational size and its innovation capacity, due to a multitude of conceptual and methodological factors. The author proceeds to analyze the size-innovation relationship for complex and diverse organizations and smaller entrepreneurial organizations as well. Damanpour speculates that larger organizations do not always gain greater innovativeness because of their large size. Many times, the larger organizations are not as flexible and adaptable, as their smaller counterparts, despite the wealth of resources they have at their fingertips. Meehan, P. , Rigby, D. , amp; Rogers, P. (2008). Creating and Sustaining a Winning Culture [PDF file]. Harvard Management Update. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/download/ 175698369/U0801C-PDF-ENG/U0801C-PDF-ENG. PDF This newsletter investigates the importance of having a winning culture in the competitive environment that organizations face today. The authors focus on the need to identify the unique heritage and values that translate into the organization’s personality because of their belief that having a winning culture is as important as well-developed strategies for organizational success. The authors note that it might be necessary to perform a cultural udit, in order to see where the organization falls short and to expose how these weaknesses are preventing the company from realizing its strategic goals. The need to promote cooperation across different levels of the organization, along with changes to the organization structure, will drive the changes needed to maximize the development of a winning culture. Miller, F. A. (1998). Strategic Culture Change: The Door to Achi eving High Performance and Inclusion. Public Personnel Management, 27(2), 151-160. Miller’s review identifies the need for cultural diversity in organizations as a means of strategic culture change, which he argues ultimately, promotes inclusion and high performance. He details that organizations need to focus on the maximization of their workforce. This translates to the elimination of any diversity barriers that have been formed in the organization, which could prevent management and employees from committing to a fundamental change of the organization’s structure, activities, procedures, leadership practices, and culture. In order to change an organization, powerful motivators, along with a carefully considered strategy are imperative. Miller points out the necessity of effectively communicating the drivers behind the change and the need for organizational cultural diversity. He promotes change advocates, encourages the coaching of management to lead change, and change in the organizational structure, in order to root out any outmoded systems or beliefs. Michael, S. R. (1982). Organizational Change Techniques: Their Present, Their Future. Organizational Dynamics, 11(1), 67-80. Michael’s article focuses on the difficulties of organizational adaption, due to the various external factors that managers struggle with. He stresses the developmental responsibilities of managers as change agents and details how management now has to tackle two jobs: one is guiding the organization internally and two, is mitigating the effects of the external environment on the organization. Michael touches on the inevitable tension between bureaucratization and innovation and he warns that change is not standardized across industries. A technique that works for one company might not be equally successful for another. Michael suggests that managers need to approach change with a systematic attitude and not make the mistake of trying to change too quickly, without proper planning and analysis. Change does not need to be done in one giant step or several little steps; instead, it should simply mean taking the right steps, when needed, to facilitate a consistent and orderly method towards change. Rijal, S. (2012). Leadership Style and Organizational Culture in Learning Organization: A Comparative Study. International Journal of Management amp; Information Systems, 14(5), 119-128. Rijal’s focus in this article is the importance and prevalence of a strong leadership style and culture transformation, in order for an organization to become a learning organization and remain strong amidst environmental uncertainty. Leaders in learning organizations must maintain a culture of flexibility and transformation and displace the transactional culture models that many organizations have used in the past. Concern for the organization versus the individual must be a central tenet of all employees of the organization, in order to obtain a high level of commitment by all organizational members. Leaders must also help the organization develop its future state, by way of current factors, while also understanding that the consistency of change that may become an institution will itself change with time. Sorensen, J. B. (2009). Note on Organizational Culture [PDF file]. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/download/175698369/OB69-PDF-ENG/OB69-PDF-ENG. PDF Sorensen discusses the the topic of organizational culture and its central role in maintaining a cognitive and normative order to an organization. The ability to develop a strong culture will allow firms to realize higher levels of performance and widespread consensus in the beliefs, values and norms of an organization. The more common modes of control: formal hierarchies, standard operating procedures, or incentive plans, will be replaced by the less expensive and more effective means of informal social control, which is the organization’s culture. Sorensen points out that a strong culture will better facilitate goal alignment, as well as promote employee motivation, performance, and satisfaction because of the perception that this informal social control allows employees more autonomy. Valentino, C. L. (2004). The Role of Middle Managers in the Transition and Integration of Organizational Culture. Journal of Healthcare Management, 49(6), 393-404. Retrieved from http://business. highbeam. om/6093/article-1G1-125568514/role-middle-managers-transmission-and-integration-organizational This article addresses the unique challenge that middle managers face in uniting two distinct cultures when organizations merge. Middle management is tasked with communicating the new vision that is created by upper management, to facilitate the strategic needs of the new organization, but this can prove to be very difficult. Valentino details four distinct competencies that middle managers must possess to be successful at this cultural integration: management of attention, management of meaning, management of trust, and management of self. These competencies take the middle manager on the journey of helping to create this new vision, by pulling employees in, as if the organization and employee share the same dreams for the organization. Managers have to actively communicate this new vision, or meaning, through their own actions and behaviors, and managers have to be able to be reliable and consistent during the integration process. Employees and managers do not always have to agree, but respect and mutual trust will be built if communication is open and constancy is unwavering. Lastly, managers have to be confident in their own personal skills, knowledge, actions, and beliefs, if they are to request that all employees mirror these ideals. Managers need to set themselves apart as leaders, so that they can be successful and effective during the difficulties of the merger. Yang, B. , Watkins, K. E. , amp; Marsick, V. J. (2004). The Construct of the Learning Organization: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation. Human Resourced Development Quarterly, 15(1), 31-55. This article focuses on the learning organization and how it is typically identified as an organization that has high adaptability, due to the encouragement that is fostered for all of its members to engage in activities that enhance their own learning and the strategic position of the organization. Organizational learning is compared to that of individual learning: both are organic units that can grow and change over time. The difficulties for organizational learning are of course harder to quantify, but building this learning parallel to the day-to-day work of employees is vital to a firm’s survival. The authors further discuss the difficulties of measuring the constructs that make up a learning organization and hope with their research that they are able to develop and validate a measurement tool for these organizations. Literature Synthesis The ability and need for organizations to change in the past meant something very different than it does today. Technological shifts were slower in the earlier parts of the 20th century, global expansion wasn’t the norm, and diversity and cultural sensitivity were not embraced by a large majority of the population, let alone organizations. However, companies today face a variety of changing factors that sometimes leaves them scrambling to catch up. With the advent of instantaneous communication, new ideas, beliefs, trends, and technology can become market sensations virtually overnight. Organizations need to look at the opportunities for growth and determine how they are going to change to best fit the needs of their external environment, while maintaining the health of their internal environment. Focusing on the external environment is the key to maintaining a competitive edge, but organizations have to ensure their internal structures are adequately maintained to fulfill their constant need for learning and adaption. This adaptability means money invested in programs and tools to ensure the organization’s knowledge base is up to par with other companies in their industry, as well as their consumers. They will also need to focus on how these shifts will affect the strength of their company’s culture. Are the individuals that make up the heart and soul of the organization trained, educated, and dedicated enough to weather the storms that the 21st century has to provide? Learning to Learn One of the best ways for companies to maintain and build on the knowledge that they currently have, and to react appropriately to shifts in their industry’s environment, is to commit to becoming a learning organization. The future of an organization that refuses to change is almost certain; however, the future of an organization that embraces an adaptive capacity is limitless. This is tied to the â€Å"generativity† that is created by organizations that commit to growth and learning; they essentially have the â€Å"ability to create alternative futures† for themselves (Yang, Watkins, amp; Marsick, 2004, p. 32). In order to facilitate this type of learning environment, an organization has to have the structural dimensions to support the learning process. This would require high degrees of coordination across department levels and full support by senior managers (Daft, 2009). Intellect and innovation are of no use to an organization if they are not shared, but are instead guarded between layers of a bureaucratic hierarchy. Even though the focus of organization learning is studied from a macro approach, it is definitely necessary to appreciate the contributions of the individual, and the team, in regards to organizational intelligence. The organization can provide tremendous amounts of horizontal linkages, collaborative teams, and specific employee development opportunities, but if the individual does not become engaged in the learning process, the ability to build the collective intelligence of the organization will disappear and the organization will struggle to remain competitive. Therefore, it is necessary to foster the appropriate knowledge management channels, on the departmental, organizational, and regional levels, so individuals across the organization will have the ability and ease in their sharing of information. This level of cooperation will promote the team learning experience, which becomes the vital link in the organizational learning experience (Aslam, Javaid, Tanveer, Khan, amp; Shabbir, 2011). The ability for the organization to achieve the status of â€Å"learning organization† is a dynamic process that is dependent on a number of external factors, as well as internal factors. Two of these internal factors: leadership and culture are an important part of the structural support mechanism that will foster the learning environment. A leadership style that fosters the organic growth of a company and its employees is going to give birth to the innovation that is needed to take risks and compete in the business environment (Daft, 2009). Transactional cultures that encourage managers to support strict compliance and rule enforcement do not breed leaders or longevity for themselves. That is why transformational leadership is vital to the development of an organizational culture, made up f individuals that are geared to envision what is best for the organization and not just themselves (Rijal, 2010). This strong cultural mentality will help institutionalize the role of learning in an organization, which will allow companies to â€Å"learn better and faster from their success and failures,† inside and outside the organization (Rijal, 2010, p. 119). Cultural C hameleon The functional and technical characteristics of an organization are important, when certain quantitative performance metrics are needed, or specific operational or procedural systems are being discussed. However, there is a growing importance in the study of the â€Å"soft side† of management, which encompasses the study of organizational culture and how it motivates and maximizes the value of the employee and the organization as a whole (Baker, 2002). Sharing a common set of values and beliefs allows for coordination across departmental lines, which can â€Å"improve efficiency, quality, and speed of designing, manufacturing, and delivering [of] products and services† (Baker, 2002, p. 6). A strong culture develops in a unique set of almost contradictory elements. There is an amount of consistency and shared purpose that is a somewhat stable and controlled aspect of the development of an organization’s culture. There has to be enough common ground that is found within the organization to develop a communal value set, along with a mission towards collective goals. However, with this consistency and stability come the dynamic and flexible functions of participation and adaptability. By sharing a common vision, employees will be allowed to collaborate, integrate, and build social capital, in the pursuit of organizational goals (Daft, 2009). This will encourage a sense of mutual understanding and ownership in the organization (Meehan et. , 2008). This will further push employees to adapt to changes that will affect the organization’s ability to survive in the external business environment (Baker, 2002). The development of a strong corporate culture that provides a competitive advantage can be difficult for some organizations. If formalization is high and vertical structures are commonplace in an organization, trying to foster a culture that is adaptable and flexible might be difficult to impossible. This is not to say that these types of mechanistic and highly centralized organizations do not have strong cultures, in which there is a common set â€Å"of basic beliefs and values that have been internalized† by the organization’s members, but instead these strong formal cultures are not equipped to be adaptive to the constant shift of external environmental factors (Sorensen, 2009, p. 1). Therefore, the infrastructure of a company must support the culture an organization wants to shape to serve the organization’s present and future strategic vision. If an organization wants to promote inclusion and diversity within their culture, then structural barriers within the organization have to be removed (Miller, 1998). This may mean an organization has to perform a culture audit to see where there are barriers to setting new expectations. These barriers, whether they are outdated structural mechanisms or stagnant cultures, have to be identified and eliminated before they can do permanent damage to the organization’s path of continuous improvement (Meehan, Rigby, amp; Rogers, 2007). Breaking the Barriers Whether an organization is focused on the pursuit of becoming a learning organization, or building up a communal belief system to support a wide variety of strategic initiatives, there will always be barriers to these positive changes. In spite of these barriers, organizations have to undergo the un-pleasantries of dealing with this change, or they risk losing out to firms that are able to embrace change, survive, and thrive. The antiquated belief that change is only needed when there is believed to be â€Å"a poor fit between the organization and the environment† is not enough anymore (Michael, 1982, p. 8). Organizations need to embrace change even when they do not see the immediate need for it. This does not always have to mean costly structural reorganizations, drastic changes to strategic initiatives, or haphazard approaches to change; it could simply mean continuing to promote high levels of collaboration, integration, and learning initiatives between its members (Michael , 1982). This consistent and systematic approach to change is going to be the most successful avenue to implement change. Yes, there are circumstances in which management has to come in and reestablish bureaucratic control, if an organization is in serious decline, but overall most change initiatives can be implemented with a less reactionary approach (Daft, 2009). Despite the need to continuously focus on change initiatives, it is necessary for firms to not become blind-sided by mimetic forces. Not all changes are meant for all organizations, even if these organizations are within the same industry. Firms have to rely on the contingency theory approach to managing their change directives: â€Å"the proper solution to a management problem depends on the situation† (Michael, 1982, p. 71). All organizations have an â€Å"intricate web of organizational interrelationships and dependencies† that will be affected by change made on any level of the organization (Michael, 1982, p. 68). Therefore, it is important for management to encourage these organizational change initiatives, but to also have the means to deal with any unforeseen reactions that might occur with certain changes or innovations. It might be advisable for firms to consider their size when they are speculating on the repercussions of unsuccessful changes. Larger firms have a larger amount of resources, so it allows them to absorb the loss better from an unsuccessful change or innovation. However, there are also those that argue that even though smaller organizations cannot deal with the unsuccessful nature of innovations as well as larger firms, they still have an advantage because of their inherently superior ability to innovate. Their smaller size allows the organization to adapt more quickly to forces presented by the external environment, so they are better able to innovate, in conjunction with shifts in technology or other market factors (Damanpour, 1992). Despite the sound arguments presented for each side, â€Å"innovation is an intermediate variable which lies between size and effectiveness† for both types of organizations (Damanpour, 1992, p. 397). A fairly common, yet unique barrier to change is that of the merged organization. The difficulties that arise in trying to implement change in one organization are sizeable enough, but when management has the daunting task of two organizations the feat might seem impossible. One of the first issues that a manager must tackle when dealing with a merged organization, is the development and conveyance of a compelling vision for both sides. The circumstances of mergers will be different for each case, so the strategy to merge the two will need to be unique to each situation. For instance, one rganizational culture might be more dominant, so that culture will overtake the other; however, in other cases, both organizational cultures may be just as head strong, so compromise will have to be given on both sides. Synthesis Conclusion As we see more and more changes to the organizational structure, e. g. , merged organizations, joint ventures, consortia, it becomes even more important for companies to complete a thorough analysis of their external and internal environment. How are their competitors adapting to changes in the external environment? How are they planning to adapt? How are they handling internal structure issues, culture conflicts, or reorganization initiatives? Will the structures, culture, goals, and strategies implemented now be effective in 1, 5, or 10 years? Each company has to handle its organizational â€Å"life† different than any other, just as individuals do. What works for one organization may not work for another. The unique cumulative experiences that make an organization what it is, also make that organization’s ability to adapt and change different than those around them. Introduction to Baldridge Analysis When organizations have weaknesses that they are not addressing and opportunities that they are not taking full advantage of, this affects overall company performance. The best way for an organization to root out these negative practices is to complete a self-analysis of their organization in its present state. It is helpful to obtain an outsider’s perspective and look at what competitors are doing, but when it comes down to changing the organizational performance the organization has to do the hard work and overcome these obstacles themselves. The organization will know the intimate details of where their strengths lie and where they have opportunities for improvement, so they are in the best position to determine the change that is needed. One of the best methods to evaluate how a company is handling their performance management is to complete a Baldridge Self-Analysis worksheet, which is tied to the Baldridge Organizational Profile questionnaire. The Baldridge Self-Analysis details seven criteria that any organization can use o focus on the opportunities for improvement in performance management and overall competitiveness in their industry. The seven criteria are leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; operations focus; and results (http://www. nist. gov/baldrige/). The following executive summary provides an analysis using the seven Baldridge criteria, of the current state of the Construction and Safety Products business units of Hubbell Power Sy stems (HPS), in Centralia, MO: one of three platforms of Hubbell Inc. The separate business units under the HPS product line offer products that â€Å"serve the utility industry and support the infrastructure for transmission and distribution of electrical power throughout the globe† (http://www. hubbell. com/). Executive Summary of Baldridge Criteria Leadership Strength. There are a number of HPS managers who have worked at the company for a number of years, who have built a very strong culture of technical knowledge, in regards to the products and processes of their respective departments and/or business units. They are valuable resources that can be tapped into and many of these managers have natural leadership abilities that draw other employees to them for guidance. Opportunity for improvement. The term leadership might be an ambitious term though, since most managers at the Centralia facility act on behalf of their own departmental agenda. The managers fail to see the benefits that could be gained from collaborative learning within the departments of their business units, in order to align their unique structure, staff, systems, and culture to the strategic goals of HPS (Govindarajan amp; Trimble, 2005). In addition, they fail to nurture a culture that motivates individuals to work towards common goals and strategies for the business units and the organization as a whole. Strategic Planning Strength. The president of HPS conducts a personal meeting once a year with each business unit to provide detailed performance information on the whole organization, as well as its competitors’ stance in the power systems industry. These meetings are informational, since they give lower level employees a brief overview of the health of the organization. Due to the nature of HPS’ core businesses, the economic downturn that began in 2008 had a marginal effect on sales and revenue for HPS. HPS’ continuous acquirement of diverse product lines within the three platforms that make up Hubbell Inc. , allowed for a sizeable buffer to the downturn, since infrastructure and power systems are vital to virtually every market in the world. Therefore, HPS was able to weather the economic storm better than some of its competitors and other industries. Opportunity for improvement. There is a disconnect from the daily work life and the yearly meetings that are provided by the president of HPS. The information is given once a year and then no thought seems to be put into conveying these operational and performance goals after the fact. There is a continuous drive to ship more material at month’s end, but this seems more like a dictatorial mandate versus a goal that all of the employees share and want to see fulfilled for the good of everyone in the organization. There is an obvious breakdown in the communication of strategic directives to lower level employees, since HPS fails to offer a shared vision for all employees to feel a part of, which could, if effectively implemented, increase organizational performance (Muafi, 2009). Customer Focus Strength. One area that HPS does excel at is their level of customer service. The number of customer service reps that are dedicated to regions within the U. S. are substantial. Customer service employees, known as Key Account Specialists, develop very close relationships with large customers and Specialists have a great deal of resources to pull from when trying to help their customers with power outages, or other power systems problem. HPS has implemented a H. E. A. T. Hubbell Emergency Action Team) team to respond to any type of emergency a customer has in the power systems industry, whether it is a fire, tornado, ice storm, or other natural disaster. Specialists in the domestic business definitely pull together and have a shared vision of providing the best customer service to customers at all times. Opportunity for improvement. The resources that are dedicated to the international market are a fraction of those that are given to the domestic market. In addition, t he International Customer Service group is isolated and excluded from the rest of the Customer Service group. The largest room for growth, like so many other industries in the U. S. , is in the global market, so it would seem prudent for HPS to invest in more Specialists positions for this growing market. There needs to be a sense of inclusion of the whole Customer Service group, so all Specialists can learn from each other and work towards a common goal of customer service excellence (Daft, 2009). Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management Strength. One of the strengths that HPS has in the area of knowledge management is their implementation of a training program known as Customer Service University (CSU). The program brings employees from specific disciplines together from each business unit to teach the customer service group about their area of expertise. Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project Concepts and Applications Essay Example Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications Essay Organizational Theory: Concepts and Applications Andrea F. Bass Columbia College Annotated Bibliography Aslam, H. D. , Javaid, T. , Tanveer, A. , Khan, M. , amp; Shabbir, F. (2011). A Journey from Individual to Organizational Learning (Exploring the Linking Bridge: Team Learning). International Journal of Academic Research, 3(3), 738-745. The article addresses the need to adopt knowledge retention initiatives and continuous learning commitments amidst the challenges in today’s business environment. This begins with the topic of individual learning and further details the operational and procedural levels of learning, as well as how learning is applied in the organizational context. The authors focus on how to effectively apply the techniques of individual learning to a team learning process, the transfer of these skills and knowledge to the organization level, and the subsequent sustainment of this valuable knowledge base. To better facilitate organizational learning, individuals have to understand how they learn, how their organizational teams learn, and how this knowledge translates into the collective organizational know-how. The authors also explore the four steps in the organizational learning process that will engage and facilitate an organization’s members to learn effectively: knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, information interpretation, and memorization. Exposure to new knowledge, such as changing technological knowledge, or shifts in industry standards can happen quickly; therefore, it is vital that the knowledge from the individual worker be effectively captured in a team environment, which can then be translated into organizational memory. Baker, K. A. (2002). Chapter 11: Organizational Culture [PDF file]. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Theory Integrative Term Project: Concepts and Applications specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Retrieved from http://www. au. af. mil/au/awc/awcgate/doe/benchmark/ch11. pdf Baker provides her insight on the topic of strong versus weak organizational cultures and how these cultures can or cannot support organizational effectiveness. She emphasizes the value of a company’s intellectual aspects, which is its human capital, and the need for organizations to successfully implement strong cultures when it will offer them a competitive advantage. She does postulate that not all organizations would do well with a strong culture and suggests that some strong cultures will cause more dysfunction than opportunity. Individuals will put unrestricted demands on themselves, which could increase barriers to an environment of adaptation and change. Baker goes on to analyze the four distinct hypotheses of organizational culture: the consistency hypothesis, the mission hypothesis, the involvement/participation hypothesis, and the adaptability hypothesis. She identifies and effectively discusses the need for a synergistic approach to managing cultural orientations, due to the increased importance of understanding and implementing effective cultures in today’s global market. Damanpour, F. (1992). Organizational Size and Innovation. Organization Studies, 13(3), 375-402. Damanpour performs a meta-analytical review of how an organization’s size affects its ability to successfully adopt innovations, in reaction to a rapidly changing external environment. Damanpour points out that there is very little consensus in the academic circle, in regards to the relationship of organizational size and its innovation capacity, due to a multitude of conceptual and methodological factors. The author proceeds to analyze the size-innovation relationship for complex and diverse organizations and smaller entrepreneurial organizations as well. Damanpour speculates that larger organizations do not always gain greater innovativeness because of their large size. Many times, the larger organizations are not as flexible and adaptable, as their smaller counterparts, despite the wealth of resources they have at their fingertips. Meehan, P. , Rigby, D. , amp; Rogers, P. (2008). Creating and Sustaining a Winning Culture [PDF file]. Harvard Management Update. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/download/ 175698369/U0801C-PDF-ENG/U0801C-PDF-ENG. PDF This newsletter investigates the importance of having a winning culture in the competitive environment that organizations face today. The authors focus on the need to identify the unique heritage and values that translate into the organization’s personality because of their belief that having a winning culture is as important as well-developed strategies for organizational success. The authors note that it might be necessary to perform a cultural udit, in order to see where the organization falls short and to expose how these weaknesses are preventing the company from realizing its strategic goals. The need to promote cooperation across different levels of the organization, along with changes to the organization structure, will drive the changes needed to maximize the development of a winning culture. Miller, F. A. (1998). Strategic Culture Change: The Door to Achi eving High Performance and Inclusion. Public Personnel Management, 27(2), 151-160. Miller’s review identifies the need for cultural diversity in organizations as a means of strategic culture change, which he argues ultimately, promotes inclusion and high performance. He details that organizations need to focus on the maximization of their workforce. This translates to the elimination of any diversity barriers that have been formed in the organization, which could prevent management and employees from committing to a fundamental change of the organization’s structure, activities, procedures, leadership practices, and culture. In order to change an organization, powerful motivators, along with a carefully considered strategy are imperative. Miller points out the necessity of effectively communicating the drivers behind the change and the need for organizational cultural diversity. He promotes change advocates, encourages the coaching of management to lead change, and change in the organizational structure, in order to root out any outmoded systems or beliefs. Michael, S. R. (1982). Organizational Change Techniques: Their Present, Their Future. Organizational Dynamics, 11(1), 67-80. Michael’s article focuses on the difficulties of organizational adaption, due to the various external factors that managers struggle with. He stresses the developmental responsibilities of managers as change agents and details how management now has to tackle two jobs: one is guiding the organization internally and two, is mitigating the effects of the external environment on the organization. Michael touches on the inevitable tension between bureaucratization and innovation and he warns that change is not standardized across industries. A technique that works for one company might not be equally successful for another. Michael suggests that managers need to approach change with a systematic attitude and not make the mistake of trying to change too quickly, without proper planning and analysis. Change does not need to be done in one giant step or several little steps; instead, it should simply mean taking the right steps, when needed, to facilitate a consistent and orderly method towards change. Rijal, S. (2012). Leadership Style and Organizational Culture in Learning Organization: A Comparative Study. International Journal of Management amp; Information Systems, 14(5), 119-128. Rijal’s focus in this article is the importance and prevalence of a strong leadership style and culture transformation, in order for an organization to become a learning organization and remain strong amidst environmental uncertainty. Leaders in learning organizations must maintain a culture of flexibility and transformation and displace the transactional culture models that many organizations have used in the past. Concern for the organization versus the individual must be a central tenet of all employees of the organization, in order to obtain a high level of commitment by all organizational members. Leaders must also help the organization develop its future state, by way of current factors, while also understanding that the consistency of change that may become an institution will itself change with time. Sorensen, J. B. (2009). Note on Organizational Culture [PDF file]. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/download/175698369/OB69-PDF-ENG/OB69-PDF-ENG. PDF Sorensen discusses the the topic of organizational culture and its central role in maintaining a cognitive and normative order to an organization. The ability to develop a strong culture will allow firms to realize higher levels of performance and widespread consensus in the beliefs, values and norms of an organization. The more common modes of control: formal hierarchies, standard operating procedures, or incentive plans, will be replaced by the less expensive and more effective means of informal social control, which is the organization’s culture. Sorensen points out that a strong culture will better facilitate goal alignment, as well as promote employee motivation, performance, and satisfaction because of the perception that this informal social control allows employees more autonomy. Valentino, C. L. (2004). The Role of Middle Managers in the Transition and Integration of Organizational Culture. Journal of Healthcare Management, 49(6), 393-404. Retrieved from http://business. highbeam. om/6093/article-1G1-125568514/role-middle-managers-transmission-and-integration-organizational This article addresses the unique challenge that middle managers face in uniting two distinct cultures when organizations merge. Middle management is tasked with communicating the new vision that is created by upper management, to facilitate the strategic needs of the new organization, but this can prove to be very difficult. Valentino details four distinct competencies that middle managers must possess to be successful at this cultural integration: management of attention, management of meaning, management of trust, and management of self. These competencies take the middle manager on the journey of helping to create this new vision, by pulling employees in, as if the organization and employee share the same dreams for the organization. Managers have to actively communicate this new vision, or meaning, through their own actions and behaviors, and managers have to be able to be reliable and consistent during the integration process. Employees and managers do not always have to agree, but respect and mutual trust will be built if communication is open and constancy is unwavering. Lastly, managers have to be confident in their own personal skills, knowledge, actions, and beliefs, if they are to request that all employees mirror these ideals. Managers need to set themselves apart as leaders, so that they can be successful and effective during the difficulties of the merger. Yang, B. , Watkins, K. E. , amp; Marsick, V. J. (2004). The Construct of the Learning Organization: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation. Human Resourced Development Quarterly, 15(1), 31-55. This article focuses on the learning organization and how it is typically identified as an organization that has high adaptability, due to the encouragement that is fostered for all of its members to engage in activities that enhance their own learning and the strategic position of the organization. Organizational learning is compared to that of individual learning: both are organic units that can grow and change over time. The difficulties for organizational learning are of course harder to quantify, but building this learning parallel to the day-to-day work of employees is vital to a firm’s survival. The authors further discuss the difficulties of measuring the constructs that make up a learning organization and hope with their research that they are able to develop and validate a measurement tool for these organizations. Literature Synthesis The ability and need for organizations to change in the past meant something very different than it does today. Technological shifts were slower in the earlier parts of the 20th century, global expansion wasn’t the norm, and diversity and cultural sensitivity were not embraced by a large majority of the population, let alone organizations. However, companies today face a variety of changing factors that sometimes leaves them scrambling to catch up. With the advent of instantaneous communication, new ideas, beliefs, trends, and technology can become market sensations virtually overnight. Organizations need to look at the opportunities for growth and determine how they are going to change to best fit the needs of their external environment, while maintaining the health of their internal environment. Focusing on the external environment is the key to maintaining a competitive edge, but organizations have to ensure their internal structures are adequately maintained to fulfill their constant need for learning and adaption. This adaptability means money invested in programs and tools to ensure the organization’s knowledge base is up to par with other companies in their industry, as well as their consumers. They will also need to focus on how these shifts will affect the strength of their company’s culture. Are the individuals that make up the heart and soul of the organization trained, educated, and dedicated enough to weather the storms that the 21st century has to provide? Learning to Learn One of the best ways for companies to maintain and build on the knowledge that they currently have, and to react appropriately to shifts in their industry’s environment, is to commit to becoming a learning organization. The future of an organization that refuses to change is almost certain; however, the future of an organization that embraces an adaptive capacity is limitless. This is tied to the â€Å"generativity† that is created by organizations that commit to growth and learning; they essentially have the â€Å"ability to create alternative futures† for themselves (Yang, Watkins, amp; Marsick, 2004, p. 32). In order to facilitate this type of learning environment, an organization has to have the structural dimensions to support the learning process. This would require high degrees of coordination across department levels and full support by senior managers (Daft, 2009). Intellect and innovation are of no use to an organization if they are not shared, but are instead guarded between layers of a bureaucratic hierarchy. Even though the focus of organization learning is studied from a macro approach, it is definitely necessary to appreciate the contributions of the individual, and the team, in regards to organizational intelligence. The organization can provide tremendous amounts of horizontal linkages, collaborative teams, and specific employee development opportunities, but if the individual does not become engaged in the learning process, the ability to build the collective intelligence of the organization will disappear and the organization will struggle to remain competitive. Therefore, it is necessary to foster the appropriate knowledge management channels, on the departmental, organizational, and regional levels, so individuals across the organization will have the ability and ease in their sharing of information. This level of cooperation will promote the team learning experience, which becomes the vital link in the organizational learning experience (Aslam, Javaid, Tanveer, Khan, amp; Shabbir, 2011). The ability for the organization to achieve the status of â€Å"learning organization† is a dynamic process that is dependent on a number of external factors, as well as internal factors. Two of these internal factors: leadership and culture are an important part of the structural support mechanism that will foster the learning environment. A leadership style that fosters the organic growth of a company and its employees is going to give birth to the innovation that is needed to take risks and compete in the business environment (Daft, 2009). Transactional cultures that encourage managers to support strict compliance and rule enforcement do not breed leaders or longevity for themselves. That is why transformational leadership is vital to the development of an organizational culture, made up f individuals that are geared to envision what is best for the organization and not just themselves (Rijal, 2010). This strong cultural mentality will help institutionalize the role of learning in an organization, which will allow companies to â€Å"learn better and faster from their success and failures,† inside and outside the organization (Rijal, 2010, p. 119). Cultural C hameleon The functional and technical characteristics of an organization are important, when certain quantitative performance metrics are needed, or specific operational or procedural systems are being discussed. However, there is a growing importance in the study of the â€Å"soft side† of management, which encompasses the study of organizational culture and how it motivates and maximizes the value of the employee and the organization as a whole (Baker, 2002). Sharing a common set of values and beliefs allows for coordination across departmental lines, which can â€Å"improve efficiency, quality, and speed of designing, manufacturing, and delivering [of] products and services† (Baker, 2002, p. 6). A strong culture develops in a unique set of almost contradictory elements. There is an amount of consistency and shared purpose that is a somewhat stable and controlled aspect of the development of an organization’s culture. There has to be enough common ground that is found within the organization to develop a communal value set, along with a mission towards collective goals. However, with this consistency and stability come the dynamic and flexible functions of participation and adaptability. By sharing a common vision, employees will be allowed to collaborate, integrate, and build social capital, in the pursuit of organizational goals (Daft, 2009). This will encourage a sense of mutual understanding and ownership in the organization (Meehan et. , 2008). This will further push employees to adapt to changes that will affect the organization’s ability to survive in the external business environment (Baker, 2002). The development of a strong corporate culture that provides a competitive advantage can be difficult for some organizations. If formalization is high and vertical structures are commonplace in an organization, trying to foster a culture that is adaptable and flexible might be difficult to impossible. This is not to say that these types of mechanistic and highly centralized organizations do not have strong cultures, in which there is a common set â€Å"of basic beliefs and values that have been internalized† by the organization’s members, but instead these strong formal cultures are not equipped to be adaptive to the constant shift of external environmental factors (Sorensen, 2009, p. 1). Therefore, the infrastructure of a company must support the culture an organization wants to shape to serve the organization’s present and future strategic vision. If an organization wants to promote inclusion and diversity within their culture, then structural barriers within the organization have to be removed (Miller, 1998). This may mean an organization has to perform a culture audit to see where there are barriers to setting new expectations. These barriers, whether they are outdated structural mechanisms or stagnant cultures, have to be identified and eliminated before they can do permanent damage to the organization’s path of continuous improvement (Meehan, Rigby, amp; Rogers, 2007). Breaking the Barriers Whether an organization is focused on the pursuit of becoming a learning organization, or building up a communal belief system to support a wide variety of strategic initiatives, there will always be barriers to these positive changes. In spite of these barriers, organizations have to undergo the un-pleasantries of dealing with this change, or they risk losing out to firms that are able to embrace change, survive, and thrive. The antiquated belief that change is only needed when there is believed to be â€Å"a poor fit between the organization and the environment† is not enough anymore (Michael, 1982, p. 8). Organizations need to embrace change even when they do not see the immediate need for it. This does not always have to mean costly structural reorganizations, drastic changes to strategic initiatives, or haphazard approaches to change; it could simply mean continuing to promote high levels of collaboration, integration, and learning initiatives between its members (Michael , 1982). This consistent and systematic approach to change is going to be the most successful avenue to implement change. Yes, there are circumstances in which management has to come in and reestablish bureaucratic control, if an organization is in serious decline, but overall most change initiatives can be implemented with a less reactionary approach (Daft, 2009). Despite the need to continuously focus on change initiatives, it is necessary for firms to not become blind-sided by mimetic forces. Not all changes are meant for all organizations, even if these organizations are within the same industry. Firms have to rely on the contingency theory approach to managing their change directives: â€Å"the proper solution to a management problem depends on the situation† (Michael, 1982, p. 71). All organizations have an â€Å"intricate web of organizational interrelationships and dependencies† that will be affected by change made on any level of the organization (Michael, 1982, p. 68). Therefore, it is important for management to encourage these organizational change initiatives, but to also have the means to deal with any unforeseen reactions that might occur with certain changes or innovations. It might be advisable for firms to consider their size when they are speculating on the repercussions of unsuccessful changes. Larger firms have a larger amount of resources, so it allows them to absorb the loss better from an unsuccessful change or innovation. However, there are also those that argue that even though smaller organizations cannot deal with the unsuccessful nature of innovations as well as larger firms, they still have an advantage because of their inherently superior ability to innovate. Their smaller size allows the organization to adapt more quickly to forces presented by the external environment, so they are better able to innovate, in conjunction with shifts in technology or other market factors (Damanpour, 1992). Despite the sound arguments presented for each side, â€Å"innovation is an intermediate variable which lies between size and effectiveness† for both types of organizations (Damanpour, 1992, p. 397). A fairly common, yet unique barrier to change is that of the merged organization. The difficulties that arise in trying to implement change in one organization are sizeable enough, but when management has the daunting task of two organizations the feat might seem impossible. One of the first issues that a manager must tackle when dealing with a merged organization, is the development and conveyance of a compelling vision for both sides. The circumstances of mergers will be different for each case, so the strategy to merge the two will need to be unique to each situation. For instance, one rganizational culture might be more dominant, so that culture will overtake the other; however, in other cases, both organizational cultures may be just as head strong, so compromise will have to be given on both sides. Synthesis Conclusion As we see more and more changes to the organizational structure, e. g. , merged organizations, joint ventures, consortia, it becomes even more important for companies to complete a thorough analysis of their external and internal environment. How are their competitors adapting to changes in the external environment? How are they planning to adapt? How are they handling internal structure issues, culture conflicts, or reorganization initiatives? Will the structures, culture, goals, and strategies implemented now be effective in 1, 5, or 10 years? Each company has to handle its organizational â€Å"life† different than any other, just as individuals do. What works for one organization may not work for another. The unique cumulative experiences that make an organization what it is, also make that organization’s ability to adapt and change different than those around them. Introduction to Baldridge Analysis When organizations have weaknesses that they are not addressing and opportunities that they are not taking full advantage of, this affects overall company performance. The best way for an organization to root out these negative practices is to complete a self-analysis of their organization in its present state. It is helpful to obtain an outsider’s perspective and look at what competitors are doing, but when it comes down to changing the organizational performance the organization has to do the hard work and overcome these obstacles themselves. The organization will know the intimate details of where their strengths lie and where they have opportunities for improvement, so they are in the best position to determine the change that is needed. One of the best methods to evaluate how a company is handling their performance management is to complete a Baldridge Self-Analysis worksheet, which is tied to the Baldridge Organizational Profile questionnaire. The Baldridge Self-Analysis details seven criteria that any organization can use o focus on the opportunities for improvement in performance management and overall competitiveness in their industry. The seven criteria are leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; operations focus; and results (http://www. nist. gov/baldrige/). The following executive summary provides an analysis using the seven Baldridge criteria, of the current state of the Construction and Safety Products business units of Hubbell Power Sy stems (HPS), in Centralia, MO: one of three platforms of Hubbell Inc. The separate business units under the HPS product line offer products that â€Å"serve the utility industry and support the infrastructure for transmission and distribution of electrical power throughout the globe† (http://www. hubbell. com/). Executive Summary of Baldridge Criteria Leadership Strength. There are a number of HPS managers who have worked at the company for a number of years, who have built a very strong culture of technical knowledge, in regards to the products and processes of their respective departments and/or business units. They are valuable resources that can be tapped into and many of these managers have natural leadership abilities that draw other employees to them for guidance. Opportunity for improvement. The term leadership might be an ambitious term though, since most managers at the Centralia facility act on behalf of their own departmental agenda. The managers fail to see the benefits that could be gained from collaborative learning within the departments of their business units, in order to align their unique structure, staff, systems, and culture to the strategic goals of HPS (Govindarajan amp; Trimble, 2005). In addition, they fail to nurture a culture that motivates individuals to work towards common goals and strategies for the business units and the organization as a whole. Strategic Planning Strength. The president of HPS conducts a personal meeting once a year with each business unit to provide detailed performance information on the whole organization, as well as its competitors’ stance in the power systems industry. These meetings are informational, since they give lower level employees a brief overview of the health of the organization. Due to the nature of HPS’ core businesses, the economic downturn that began in 2008 had a marginal effect on sales and revenue for HPS. HPS’ continuous acquirement of diverse product lines within the three platforms that make up Hubbell Inc. , allowed for a sizeable buffer to the downturn, since infrastructure and power systems are vital to virtually every market in the world. Therefore, HPS was able to weather the economic storm better than some of its competitors and other industries. Opportunity for improvement. There is a disconnect from the daily work life and the yearly meetings that are provided by the president of HPS. The information is given once a year and then no thought seems to be put into conveying these operational and performance goals after the fact. There is a continuous drive to ship more material at month’s end, but this seems more like a dictatorial mandate versus a goal that all of the employees share and want to see fulfilled for the good of everyone in the organization. There is an obvious breakdown in the communication of strategic directives to lower level employees, since HPS fails to offer a shared vision for all employees to feel a part of, which could, if effectively implemented, increase organizational performance (Muafi, 2009). Customer Focus Strength. One area that HPS does excel at is their level of customer service. The number of customer service reps that are dedicated to regions within the U. S. are substantial. Customer service employees, known as Key Account Specialists, develop very close relationships with large customers and Specialists have a great deal of resources to pull from when trying to help their customers with power outages, or other power systems problem. HPS has implemented a H. E. A. T. Hubbell Emergency Action Team) team to respond to any type of emergency a customer has in the power systems industry, whether it is a fire, tornado, ice storm, or other natural disaster. Specialists in the domestic business definitely pull together and have a shared vision of providing the best customer service to customers at all times. Opportunity for improvement. The resources that are dedicated to the international market are a fraction of those that are given to the domestic market. In addition, t he International Customer Service group is isolated and excluded from the rest of the Customer Service group. The largest room for growth, like so many other industries in the U. S. , is in the global market, so it would seem prudent for HPS to invest in more Specialists positions for this growing market. There needs to be a sense of inclusion of the whole Customer Service group, so all Specialists can learn from each other and work towards a common goal of customer service excellence (Daft, 2009). Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management Strength. One of the strengths that HPS has in the area of knowledge management is their implementation of a training program known as Customer Service University (CSU). The program brings employees from specific disciplines together from each business unit to teach the customer service group about their area of expertise.