Critical Perspectives on Management and Organisations Essay

Critical Perspectives on Management and Organisations - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to highlight the groupthink implications, which could easily be pointed out as one of the reasons leading to the crisis. The decisions were either taken alone or by the group in totality, but if the decisions taken are imperfect, then outcomes have huge implications on the society. This study discusses the way in which Janis’ theory of groupthink can be linked to the space shuttle disaster. Groupthink can be described as a psychological process of the group members, where people end up taking an erroneous decision that affects them adversely. This implies that the group unanimously takes a decision, despite the existence of another correct course of action. The proponent of this theory is Irving Janis and his researches show that, at times, group of individuals takes successful decisions and at other times, they are unsuccessful. The root cause for failing to analyse the problem comes from the inability of group members to challenge the traditional understanding. This is because they feel empowered if all members agree to a certain perspective (even if it is erroneous) and fails to provide alternative, critique or a new opinion. This essay will first establish a thorough understanding of the groupthink theory and various critiques that has been proposed by other eminent researchers. The next section deals with application of the groupthink theory on the Challenger space shuttle disaster. This is followed by an alternative theory developed by Whyte in order to explain the Challenger disaster. The recommendations and conclusion are mentioned in the last section. Firstly, the managers of NASA were fully aware of flaws in the design of Morton Thiokol’s O-ring. NASA had tried to underplay the problem at hand and the managers decided to stay on schedule. There were also evidences that data, which was provided to the Group Decision Support System (GDSS) of NASA from Thiokol, had declared that it would be safe to launch the mission.

Ethical Issues on Confidentiality Essay Example for Free

Ethical Issues on Confidentiality Essay Ethical Issues on Confidentiality: Research and Medical Procedures A guiding principle followed by most administrators and health care providers is the concept that ethical principles must match the values of the whole organization. This belief should serve as a continuous teaching to all staff so that the organization’s goals may be uniformly achieved. Healthcare administrators must be fully competent in adhering to the ethical principles of patient and employee confidentiality in order to promote trust, respect, and the protection of individual’s rights concerning health information. This is one of the main objectives of the Privacy Rule or HIPAA, and a breach to this rule is one of the most common ethical issues. When administrators demonstrate capable ethical decisions in guiding the flow of services in the organization, there may only be a few disorders that will be encountered in the operations as a result of ethical perplexities. In the article, Ethics of Stem Cell Research (Siegel, A., Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Spring2013), the ethical dilemma of confidentiality in research pales in comparison to the dilemma posed in destroying human embryonic cells. A great dispute is presented on the use of human embryos and whether researchers are dealing with a human being or not. The question on the permissibility or the impermissibility to destroy human embryos is fully explored without the full ethical answer being presented. Confidentiality, research, and medical procedures all impart ethical dilemmas that complicate organizational activities. Problems of the Affected Population: Patients and Participants In the procurement of embryotic cells for example, research subjects are not considered the same way as patients and regarded differently in terms of confidentiality and privacy issues. According to the article, HIPAA, the Privacy Rule, and Its Application to Health Research (2009), â€Å"Health research is not the focus of HIPAA.† and, â€Å"Because a great deal of health research in the United States is also subject to the Common Rule- the federal rule that governs most federally funded research conducted on human beings and aims to ensure  that the rights of human subjects are protected during the course of a research project, historically focusing on protection from physical and mental harm by stressing autonomy and consent.† (HIPAA and Research, Beyond the HIPAA Privacy Rule: Enhancing Privacy, Improving Health Through Research, 2009). Many research institutions are not considered covered entities and therefore the subjects are not covered by the Privacy law. Nevertheless, all subjects must submit personally identifiable health information and in the course of research or procedure, a subject may be harmed. This is an uneven application of confidentiality and the Privacy law that gives more benefit to a patient than a research subject. Medical research in particular has a participant and some experimental procedures are accomplished with the patient as the subject in the belief that the experiment could bring positive results to the patient specially, when there is no definite answer to a needed treatment. According to Fremgen B.F. (2009), ethical issues arise when there is harmful effect to the patient from experimental procedures. Lack of understanding and communication remains a big barrier to ethical issues. Somehow the creation of the Privacy Law did not consider the welfare of the research subject, yet they are likened to a patient who undergoes procedures, submits identifiable health information, and when procedures are not perfect, may also suffer harmful consequences. The other bothersome issue is when the bodily parts contributed by the participant are sold, reused or endorsed to other institutions for other purposes. Other issues pertain to the interest of the researcher placed above the interest of the patient (B.F.Fremgen2009). Informed and voluntary consent from participants are used as shield in order to further the research activities, but privacy and confidentiality are both compromised on research participants and must also be incorporated. Proposed Solutions In California, where the biggest budget for stem cell research is allocated, the California Institute of Regenerative medicine (CIRM) in their objectives has encouraged institutions and researchers on the development of best practices in hSC projects. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at each research institution must be responsible for the proper review of projects involving human participants. The regulations of the CIRM implies that donor  consent must be understood fully by the participant, maintain a clear record of every embryo, strict accounting of donated cells, and must always be consistent with existing laws. In fairness to the donor, any medical complication must be treated fully, and the donor must not bear any cost for any treatment (G.P Lomax, Z. Hall, B. Lo, Responsible Oversight of Human Stem Cell Research: The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, 2007) The foundation for all procurement of biological materials can be summed in informed consent. Authorizations and voluntary consent must be explicitly understood by the donor and must be presented with choices they can understand including the information regarding the destruction of the cells, commercial application and sharing (L. P Knowles, Issues in Procurement of Embryonic Stem Cells: Informed Consent and Conflict of Interest, n.d.) Information management system must be in place for protection of confidentiality. In most instances, the system must protect the anonymity of the donor to safeguard privacy. There will always be people who would donate biological materials for their own reasons beyond ones understanding. These individuals must be informed fully of the consequences and possible risks. In some places, inducement of monetary consideration is prohibited. However, there are instances when the donor sincerely commits to help in exchange for some requirements like burial assistance when deemed terminally ill. Ethical issues and personal choice of the donor must be taken into consideration at all times and the option to donate must be free from pressure. In some parts of the globe, there are ads roaming related to procurement of organs from individuals who are impoverished and destitute. The government and the public must be vigilant in exposing this black market trade of organ trafficking so as to safeguard the dignity, confidentiality, and humanity in general. The mainstream media must be cooperative in relaying to the public not only the positive implications of medical research but also the contrary, so that that knowledge and understanding of present scientific advancement and problems may be learned. The Administrator and Ethical Issues An administrator who is engaged in a healthcare institution where research activities are occurring commits to a heavier burden of maintaining the place for it to be free of ethical issues. Aside from the issue of  patient care, privacy, lack of resources, maintaining regulations, and promoting goodwill, the needed knowledge on the requirements or regulations on research must be understood. The administrator must be adept at ethical analysis and organizational policies. Many have not been through a lot of experience related to research institutions but according to Fremgen B. F. (2009), â€Å"Adherence to bioethical principles involves the entire healthcare team, not just the physicians† (pg. 251). The ethics of the institution must be in accord with the staff and conflicting values should not prevail. The administrator must know how to initiate educational sessions and communicate the ethical values even with the integration of research and experimental procedures. References Siegel, A. Ethics of Stem Cell Research, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, rev. Jan 28,2013 Retrieved from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stemcells/#EthDesHumEmbForRes Knowles, L.P. Issues in Procurement of Embryonic Stem Cell: Informed Consent and Conflicts of Interest, Retrieved::http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca/uploads/File/whitepapers/Inf Consent-and-Conflicts-of-Interest.pdf Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Health Research and the Privacy of Health Information: The HIPAA Privacy Rule; Nass SJ, Levit LA, Gostin LO, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2009.Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9573/ Lomax GP, Hall ZW, Lo B (2007) Responsible Oversight of Human Stem Cell Research: The California Institute for Regenerative Medicines Medical and Ethical Standards.Retrieved http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0040114 B.F. Fremgen, Medical Law and Ethics (Third Ed. 2009)

Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy - The Humanist Chronotope Essay -- Spanish T

Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy - The Humanist Chronotope In "Forms of Time and of the Chronotope in the Novel," Mikhail Bakhtin defines the chronotope as "the intrinsic connectedness of temporal and spatial relationships that are artistically expressed in literature" (84). That is what the chronotope is; Bakhtin continues with what the chrontope does: "It can even be said that it is precisely the chronotope that defines genre and generic distinctions" (85). In The Spanish Tragedy, Kyd layers three chronotopic zones to create a new chronotope, the "humanist chronotope," which in turn creates a unique dramatic genre, one we might call "humanist drama." According to Bakhtin, two seminal chronotopes from classical literature form the basis of most later chronotopes. The first of these seminal chronotopes is the adventure chronotope, found in romance narratives such as Longus’s Daphnis and Chloe. Time in this chronotope is a random and non-causal chain of events characterized by "suddenly" and "at just that moment" that ends at the same point in biographical time at which it began. Time is thus infinite, reversible, and extratemporal; it is also governed by chance, and therefore, Bakhtin writes, "The initiative in this time does not belong to human beings" (95). Extratemporal time requires "extraspatial" space that is abstract rather than concrete, as a concrete space, argues Bakhtin, would limit the power of chance. Adventure space is also alien space: a familiar world would also leave traces that would limit the chance that drives time in the romance. Apuleius’s The Golden Ass exemplifies the second seminal chronotope: the adventure-everyday chronotope, a hybrid, as the name suggests, of the abstract adventure chronotope and a ... ...er a dumb show, so too will the audience understand the idea after the performance of The Spanish Tragedy. Kyd’s "humanist chronotope" thus places drama at the center of humanist learning: yet it is as a spectator, not as an actor or playwright, that one becomes a humanist. WORKS CITED Bakhtin, M.M. "Forms of Time and of the Chronotope in the Novel: Notes toward a Historical Poetics." Michael Holquist, ed. The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays by M.M. Bakhtin. Trans. Caryl Emerson and Michael Holquist. Austin: U of Texas P, 1981. 84-258. Freeman, Arthur. Thomas Kyd: Facts and Problems. Oxford: Clarendon, 1967. Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish Tragedy. J.R. Mulryne, ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1989. Mann, Nicholas. "The Origins of Humanism." Jill Kraye, ed. The Cambridhe Companion to Renaissance Humanism. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996. 1-19.

Why obama is ruining this country

Obama is not stupid, he is simply evil. He is tearing apart this country from the inside and 51% of Americans were stupid to let this communist bastard back in to the white house even after four years of him doing, well, NOTHING. At least nothing beneficial. Now this socialist pig is trying to get rid of â€Å"assault weapons† and 30 round magazines. Colorado theater shooting, sandy hook, even so far back as columbine high school were a result of a mentally unstable person or persons acting violently because they were insane.If you walked up to a sane, rational person and handed them a loaded AR-1 5 chances are they wouldn't think â€Å"Oh well I have this gun, might as well go rob that gas station, and while I'm at it, I'm going to shoot up a school. † These socialist politicians are too stupid to figure that out. I agree with you that he wants total control of the US, I wouldn't even be surprised if he tried to run for a third term. He could probably find some loop ho le. And all the minorities and illegal would rally behind him if he wanted another term.In addition to all of this, he is a post turtle. He is president, sure, but he sure as hell didn't get there by himself. I will close with saying this: I have only been on this earth for 14 years but In that time I have seen the once great America crumble around me. The world hates us, we turned tall In Vietnam, and now Afghanistan. This once great nation is turning into a communist powerhouse and all the dumb-asses that voted for Obama are scratching their empty minded heads eying â€Å"Well he promised change, I guess capitalism to communism Is change, that's good, right? I have watched time and time again, news reporters walk up to minorities and go â€Å"Do you think Obama Is doing a good Job? † then they would reply â€Å"Well yes. † then the reporter would say â€Å"What do you think he has done that has benefited us the most? † then they would respond with, â€Å"Wel l, man, uh†¦. It's all good. † And that's the best they could come up with. I submit that If America continues on this path, It might as well bend over, grab It's ankles, and kiss It's ass goodbye.

The Big Switch

The president of our company has brought to our attention that he would appreciate it if our department could create a new information system for our company. The current information system that we use is Microsoft Excel and we need to create a way to transfer and implement the new office system of Microsoft Access. We need to explain the current downsides to using Microsoft Excel and explain the positive ways by using Microsoft Access that will help our company grow, expand, and be more efficient to our company. We also need to come up with software that is compatible to Microsoft Access just to have a contingency plan, in case the president is not pleased with the results we research and to help improve the internal communications along with help make the workflow of the sales department improve. We do know that the current plan is not working for our company and we need to all work diligently to improve our current system and make the transition easy. Microsoft office is a great tool and Excel, when used properly, is a valuable asset. The problem with Microsoft Excel is that there are various manual inputs that can go wrong. Other common problems that can cause an error involve not using a colon to indicate a range of cells, forgetting to close your parentheses, and adding common formats as part of the formula (Murray, 2013). The formulas that Excel uses would be complicated to track everything. (Murray, 2013) It is also very difficult to track the history of changes that our company uses has it moves forward. This would not only hinder the company but could possibly cause miscommunication of the data inputted. (Murray, 2013) These reasons stated above are why the company should not use the Excel program to move forward in the progression of the company. With Access, it is a relational database association that exists between the tables, which stores the data. These help to maintain the integrity of the data contained within. Access can store tons of data in different forms and yet still intertwine for easy referencing and analyzing. (Microsoft, 2013) Access is also great for the business since it has the ability to manage contacts, track inventory, track orders, and events. (Microsoft, 2013) One great feature about Access is that multiple users can have it opened working on the same database and only what the other person is working on is locked. Microsoft, 2013) This allows several people to input their data at the same time and it is secure. Conclusion As one can see there are far more advantages using Microsoft Access verses using Microsoft Excel. Access is more suited for our company’s needs now. Using Access will cut down on our company’s mistakes. This will utilize and maximize our company’s growth. This will increase the employee production. In the long run, Access will make the company’s bottom line profit grow, which at the end of the day is the most important thing.

Off Shoring †Management Essay and Analysis

Off Shoring – Management Essay and Analysis Free Online Research Papers The issues with off shoring are that there is not enough information as well as vagueness of the information presented. It is important to address both sides of the issue in order to get a better understanding of whether or not off shoring is a good business decision. There are four areas which are taken into consideration when looking at the effects of offshoring on the U.S. economy that have two opposing sides. One issue is the average U.S. standard of living which is predicted to be beneficial in the long run with the use of offshoring, however some argue that offshoring could harm the standard of living by undermining U.S. technological leadership. Another issue is employment and job loss, some predict that offshoring will have little effect on overall employment levels, however there are still arguments that it may be a much larger impact on the white collar jobs that the U.S. offers. A third issue is the distribution of income, â€Å"some economists maintain that offshoring could increase income inequality in the U.S., while others argue that changes in the income distribution are driven primarily by factors other than offshoring.† (GAO, Overview of the Issues) A final issue is security and consumer privacy. O ffshoring may actually be making our national defense system vulnerable as well as consumer’s financial and medical information. There are many resources for and against the use of offshoring, although there are negative effects of offshoring, the positive effects seem to outweigh them. Globalization â€Å"has left many Americans disgruntled, jobless, and distrustful of corporations that practice it† (ezinearticles.com/outsourcing) Job loss and loss to U.S. income have seem to be the most prevailing of all issues against offshore outsourcing. Some feel that the potential damage to the labor market remains quite large and is heavily ignored by studies purporting to tally offshoring’s costs and benefits. (Economic Policy Institute) Although it may make sense for some firms to resort to offshore outsourcing, if the trend becomes too widespread, resulting in an increase in foreign productivity in sectors where the U.S. is a net exporter, it could actually result in a loss to U.S. income through terms of trade effects. â€Å"The terms of trade of the U.S. refer to the prices foreign purchasers pay for U.S. exports relative to the prices U.S. residents pay for imports. If U.S. exports fetch ever higher prices on world markets and/or U.S. import prices dro p, the terms of trade for the United States improve- the United States is able to consume more goods given its current income and productivity. If instead U.S. exports fetch ever lower prices and/or imports become more expensive, U.S. terms of trade deteriorate and its residents are able to consume less given current income and productivity.† (Economic Policy Institute) Also if the U.S. economy reaps efficiency gains from offshoring, these are unlikely to accrue to American workers. Of all the net jobs predicted to be created in 2008 due to offshoring, 44% are in only two sectors: construction and transportation/utilities. Another point made about labor is that â€Å"software is a very labor intensive industry, and large price declines can be had in this sector only through a large reduction in labor costs. This means either large scale employment relocation to other nations, or significant wage cuts for software engineers, publishers, and programmers in the United State s.† (Economic Policy Institute) The rising popularity of offshore outsourcing will continue to push down the prices of IT services for the next several years, this is a challenge for IT service providers. A second major risk is data security. Most countries do not have the protective practices that the U.S. and Europe require. The channels are well beyond the control of the company or the provider. These channels often do not have end to end transaction encryption which leaves vulnerability throughout the communication path. Validating security in a multi-vendor, multi-client, mixed environment is extremely difficult. There are also gaps in personal security, many companies have weak personnel policies. Also offshore providers do not have very strict contractual agreements so when there is a security breach they are less likely to inform clients of it. This lack of offshore loyalty also leads to many viruses implemented by possible government intelligence or organized crime. By offshoring, a company gives up a certain amount of control of the business processes. â€Å"Also, language barriers, cultural barriers and the protection of intellectual property, or lack thereof, can increase the risk of miscommunication and consequent misinterpretation of legal commitments.† (www.crm-daily.com) Research Papers on Off Shoring - Management Essay and AnalysisDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New Employees19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Project Managment Office SystemAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

Hurricane Etymology and Word Facts

Hurricane Etymology and Word Facts The word hurricane is widely known and recognized by all people, but its etymology is lesser-known. How old is the word hurricane and where does it come from? Hurricanes AreNamed for the Mayan God "Huracan" Our English word hurricane comes from the Taino (the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida) word huricn, who was the Carib Indian god of evil. Their huricn was derived from the  Mayan god of wind, storm, and fire, huracn. When the Spanish explorers passed through the Caribbean, they picked it up and it turned into huracn, which remains the Spanish word for hurricane still today.  By the 16th century, the word was  modified once again  to our present-day hurricane.   (Hurricane isnt the only weather word with roots in the Spanish language. The word tornado is an altered form of the Spanish words tronado, which means thunderstorm, and tornar, to turn.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hurricanes Aren't Hurricanes Until Winds Reach 74mph+ We tend to call any swirling storm in the tropical ocean a hurricane, but this isnt really true. Only when a tropical cyclones maximum sustained winds reach 74  miles per hour or more do meteorologists classify it as a hurricane.  Ã‚   They're Not Called Hurricanes Everywhere in the World Tropical cyclones have different titles depending on where in the world they are located. Mature tropical cyclones  with winds of 74 mph or more that exist anywhere in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, or in the eastern or central North Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line are called hurricanes. Mature tropical cyclones that form in the Northwest Pacific basin the  western part of the North Pacific Ocean, between 180 °Ã‚  (the International Date Line)  and 100 ° East longitude are called typhoons.  Such tempests  within the North  Indian Ocean  between 100 ° E and 45 ° E are simply called  cyclones. Hurricanes Get PersonalizedNames to Better Track Them Since storms can last for weeks and more than one storm can be occurring at a time in the same body of water, theyre given male and female  names to reduce confusion about which storm forecasters are communicating about to the public.   Hurricane Names Are BorrowedFrom Names of the People They Impact Many storm names are unique to the basin they exist in and regions they impact. This is because names are lifted from those popular in the nations and territories of the lands within that basin. For example, tropical cyclones in the northwest Pacific (near China, Japan, and the Philippines) receive names common to the Asian culture as well as names taken from those of flowers and trees.  Ã‚   Updated by Tiffany Means