Detailed models of strategic change management

Detailed models of strategic change management This unit helps would-be-managers to understand the nature of change and to cope with it. It gives an understanding about change and the ways to manage with it without disturbing the working of the organization. In this unit we have discussed the different definitions and models of change which have been given by thinkers in the past which helps in evaluating the relevance of models of strategic change to organizations in the current economy. As we proceed, we examine the need for change and assess the factors that are driving the need for it. Also, the resource implications are discussed which do not respond to strategic change. The theories given by Kotter, Prosci, Lewis and others are milestones of the research on change management. Their theories have helped in thorough understanding of change management. As the topic develops, it gives vital information on the reasons of change in markets, budget pressures, new technologies and other new programs such as TQM and re-engineering. All in all, the topic is an important resource on the factors and implications that bring change. Another unavoidable and inseparable resource of the organization is stakeholders of the company. The topic discusses about systems modelling, divergence and convergence and methods of involving them into organization. It is also quite obvious that change brings resistance; therefore this unit enables us to manage resistance giving a way to strategies such as communications, education, forums, etc. The entire work gives a clear picture of change management. All a manager needs is to understand the criteria and manage with a difference on the guidelines of the researchers. Task 1: Discuss the Models of Strategic Change There are many theories about how to manage change. Most of the theories originate with leadership and change management guru, John Kotter who is a professor at Harvard Business School and world renowned change expert. The following eight steps in the change process are his contribution. JOHN KOTTER: Eight steps to transforming an organization (Kotter.J, 1995) Establishing a sense of urgency Forming a powerful guiding coalition Creating a vision Communicating the vision Empowering others to act on the vision Planning and creating short term wins Consolidating improvements and producing still more change Institutionalising new approaches Kotters research gave a whole new way to managing change. A programme of planned change and improved performance developed by Lewin involves the management of a three-phase process of behaviour modification. Lewins Change Management Model Source: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm Unfreeze- Reducing those forces which behaviour in its present form, recognition of the need for change and improvement to occur. Movement Development of new attitudes or behaviour and the implementation of change. Refreezing Stabilising change at the new level and reinforcement (Hardy 1996) A new culture should be created within the organization such that managers look to change as an opportunity and adapt their business system to continuously emerging conditions. (Hussey 2000) Proscis ADKAR Effective change management demands five key goals to form the basic ADKAR model: Awareness of the need to change Desire to participate and support the change Knowledge of how to change (and what change looks like) Ability to implement the change on a day-to-day basis Reinforcement to keep the change in place (Hiatt 2003) Proscis ADKAR Source: http://techotoys.com/qwxDnJu0J/ Action Research Action research refers to a way to look at ones own work practically and check as he would like it to be. Because research is done by the person himself or the practitioner, it is called practitioner based research. It is also referred to as a form of self reflective practice because it involves the person himself and his own work. (Hardy 1999) Action research Source: http://www.llas.ac.uk/projects/2837 Task 1.2 Evaluate the relevance of models of strategic change to organizations in the current economy Teambuilding Consensus Strategic change models, as discussed above are the keys to success of any organization provided they are implemented in a sophisticated way. To achieve effective team decision making leadership, (Franzen 1994) describes Consensus Team Decision Making CTDM model which has three key pillars. Maintain high conceptual level Strive towards consensus Manage the decision making process Strategic interventions Types of interventions selected for a project although depend on variety; they are highly concentrated in a project. Strategic interventions are useful in situations like Rapid changes in the external environment Rapid or stagnant sales Increased competition Rapid expansion of markets Mergers and acquisitions (Lewin 2005) Decision Making Contingency Theory of Decision Making Decision participative contingency theory or the Normative Decision Theory is a model which says that the efficiency of a decision procedure depends on a number of aspects of the situation: the importance of decision quality and acceptance; the quantity of relevant information possessed by the leader and subordinates. (Fiedler 1999) In the autocratic style, the leader takes decisions without consulting others. (Lewin 2005) The participative style leadership, also known as participative democratic leadership style does the job of creating and maintaining healthy relationships between the employees and their leaders.(Kotter 2007) Proactive and Reactive (Whitehead 2006) PROACTIVE REACTIVE Needs to have and use own answers Understands the power of and uses team in solving problems Makes decisions by self Requests that team members make decisions Pushes for results Shares a vision so compelling the team wants to move towards it Reacts to change Foresees and influences change Teaches team to expect direction Teaches team to be self reliant Focuses on finding and fixing problems Focuses on achieving performance outcomes Quick to punish on mistakes Lets the team learn by errors Task 1.3 Assess the value of using strategic intervention techniques in the organization The most important asset of any organization is human resource and strategic intervention helps them to adjust with the changing strategies of the organization and understand it.(George 1999). At Sapphire Beauty Box, it is vital to have a peaceful mind and sound behaviour as this profession deals with direct clientele. The method of strategic intervention assists the employees of Sapphire to find meanings to their life, discover what, and why they do and how to meet their needs in positive and negative ways which helps to promote sustainable change. (Hiatt 2006) Human Process Interventions: These are helpful in particular during change project in organizations where there are some combinations of many new employees, different cultures, working together, many conflicts, etc. Activities: Coaching, counseling, delegating, group learning, virtual teams, etc. ( Hiatt and Creasey 2003) Techno-structural Interventions: These interventions are helpful in particular for rapid growth but few internal systems to sustain growth, many complaints from customers, etc. Activities: Balanced scorecard, downsizing and out placing, ISO 9000, Six sigma, etc.(Kurt 2005) Human Resource Management interventions: These interventions are helpful in situations like establishment of new organizational goals, implementation of technology for a short time, low productivity, etc. Activities: Staffing, evaluating performance, career development, employee wellness programme (George 1999) Task 2.1 Examine the need for strategic change in the chosen organization Reasons for change Change in market: The United Kingdom is going through recession and there has been recession and the CPI annual inflation has rose to 3.3%. (London Business Times 2009). There has been increase in prices, job loss, bankruptcy and what not. Every business has gone through losses and needs to cover up their expenses. (Fiedler 1999). At this point of time, Sapphire needs to change accordingly to ease customers at their purse and still keep them coming. Economic downturns: Due to price rise, the raw material needed at the store is also become expensive. It is important to cover the costs by bringing about change in the organization. (Paul 1996) Customer Expectations: There is a very hard competition in the market especially in the beauty field. Customers get attracted to offers and it is not easy to get their confidence. To invest into customers, It is important to change the strategies accordingly. (Kotter and Cohen 2002) Competitive Edge: Competition is healthy but can be fatal if the strategies become too monotonous and outdated. There is need for change to face competition. (Kotter 1995) Sapphire needs to be updated with products and material being used by competitors and try to do better than other turning the tables towards them. (Kotter 2007) Mergers: The merger of the organization with another can lead to change in strategy as the new staff can have better ideas and plans to make the company a success. (Paul 1996). If Sapphire merges with another company to make it a success, it may have to revise the ways to do things. Change in mission: If the mission of the company changes, obviously there has to be a different strategy to deal with it. The mission of Sapphire is to fight ageing and make people look beautiful but now the market demands more of stress releasing treatments. So Sapphire needs to rethink about its strategy. (Franzen and Hardaker 1999) Task 2.2 Assess the factors that are driving the need for strategic change in an organization The Shifting Economy The economy is so very changing and dynamic. Due to the unpredictability of it, the organization is in constant need of change in the strategy and economic plan. This is more prevalent since recession Environmental factors There are certain environmental changes that have an effect on the production and sales. These changes are to be monitored and the demand of change arises. Financial pressure There occur financial pressures on the organizations, in order to meet deadlines and targets. In order to handle finances, there has to be a change in finance plans. This is where the need for change management occurs. Technological advances There has been drastic change in production, marketing, outsourcing and other fields due to technology. The organization needs upgrading and has to keep in pace with the technological advances to succeed in its mission and make way for growth. Keeping in mind the factors discussed above, there is a need for change. Funding cuts With the recession in the economy, the company has cut down on costs and funds. There is need for change in financial strategy to keep the balance. Competition Competition is a healthy asset for any business. To keep up to the standards and do better than others is very important, hence it is vital to keep a watch at what others are doing and bring change in the company accordingly. Task 2.3 Assess the resource implications of the organization not responding to strategic change Restructuring of HR- If the company does not respond to the changes as discussed above, it may have to face severe consequences and lose in the process. The organization will have to restructure the HR making way for a new beginning. There have to be leaders chosen again and staff employed for the smooth working of the company. Interview and hire of new employees Interviewing and hiring of new staff will have to be done which is a time consuming and costly process for any business. Redundancies The organization will have redundancies if proper steps for the change are not taken in time. This will affect the working and time management of the strategy of work. Training Training is another costly and time taking process. It takes a lot to train the employees and bear the costs. If the need for strategic change is understood, there is no need for the organization to bear costs or losses. Task 3.1 Develop systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change in the chosen organization A stakeholder is one who has something to gain or lose through the outcomes of a planning process or project. These are also called interest groups and can have a strong bearing on the outcomes of political processes. It is useful for research projects to identify and analyse the needs and concerns of different stakeholders, particularly when these projects have an effect on policy Input-output transformation model Operations management transforms inputs (labour, capital, equipment, land, buildings, materials and information) into outputs (goods and services) that provide added value to customers. Transformation System is the critical element in the model that determines how well the company produces goods and services that meet consumer needs. It does not matter whether the organization is a for-profit company, a non-profit organization (religious organizations, hospitals, etc.), or a government agency; all organizations must strive to maximize the quality of their transformation processes to meet customer needs. Steps Involved Step 1: Clarify the research or policy change objective (Problem Tree Analysis or objectives analysis might help with this.) Stap 2: Identify all the stakeholders or interest groups associated with this objective, problem or issue. Stakeholders can be organizations, groups, departments, structures, networks or individuals. http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5257HYPERLINK http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5257title=stakeholder-analysisHYPERLINK http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5257title=stakeholder-analysistitle=stakeholder-analysis Step 3: Using the grid organise the stakeholders in different matrices according to their interest and power. Interest measures to what degree they may to be affected by the research project. Power measures the influence they have over the project or policy, and to what degree they can help achieve, or block, the desired change. The Cultural Web The Cultural Web http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_90.htm The Cultural Web identifies six interrelated elements Johnson and Scholes (2002) call it the paradigm the pattern or model of the work environment. By analyzing the factors in each, you can begin to see what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed. The six elements are: The past events and people talked about inside and outside the company. Who and what the company chooses to celebrate say a great deal about what it values, and perceives as great behaviour. The daily behaviour and actions of people that indicate acceptable behaviour. This determines what is expected to happen in given situations, and what is valued by management. The visual representations of the company including logos, how exquisite the offices are, and the dress codes. Multiple Cause Diagrams Multiple cause diagrams http://ilearn.cto.int/login/index.php Multiple cause diagrams are a way of using interconnectedness to shape up a complex situation. They represent both adequate and casual cause without making a distinction between them. This system is pictured as an interconnected group of events or effects to cause an effect as a purpose. Sometimes, if the input cause is removed, the output cause continues to happen, may be because feedback loops are present or other causes drive the effect. Influencing skills The careless reception of authority is becoming increasingly less common in the world. To get things done, it is better to rely on commitment rather than authority. For example, gaining co-operation from other departments. Task 3.2 Develop a change management strategy with stakeholders in the chosen organization Developing a winning strategy is messier than textbooks suggest. Most insights that are important for formulating strategies rest in the heads of operating managers. (Kotter 2007) The Stakeholder Circle This is designed to put stakeholders on the project management radar. It is a proven method supported by a tough, easy to use tool that guides us through five easy steps namely: Identify your projects stakeholders and understand their needs Prioritize the stakeholders on the basis of power, proximity and urgency. Visualize the key stakeholders using the Stakeholder Circle. Engage with the stakeholders by building and implementing an effective communication plan. Monitor changes as you update and review your stakeholders at key points in the project. Public Hearings: There can be events where stakeholders are allowed to give evidence or question general public authorities about decisions. Public hearings: Regulated, formal arrangements for times and places at which members of the general public and other types of stakeholders can give evidence or question public authorities about decisions. Deliberative Polling: This collects views when people are introduced to the issue and think about it. It also includes a feedback session. Task 3.3 Evaluate the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change in the chosen organization The stakeholder model is helpful in explaining the rules of the economic game and the link between stakeholder value and competitive advantage. The stakeholder strategy plan guides us on how to interact and communicate with each stakeholder during different stages of a project. It also helps to define who should participate, in what ways and on what level of the project. It gives thorough knowledge of the matter and suits best to most organizations. Other ways such as polling, seminars and workshops are also perfect ways to handle change in a proper manner. Task 3.4 Create a strategy for managing resistance to change in the chosen organization Selective Perception: Peoples self interpretation of stimuli presents a unique image of the real world and results in selective perception. This leads to biased view of the situation that fits into the perception of reality. Habit: People are used to the same way of doing things which makes a habit. It becomes serves as a source of comfort. Bringing about change brings resistance. Loss of Freedom: If the change is seen as an inconvenience, it reduces freedom of action or results in increased control, there will be resistance. Direct vs Indirect There is staff that may resist directly and others that may be indirect in resistance. Direct resistance is to oppose in a direct manner and fighting straight but indirect resistance is to show resistance by making excuses such as resigning. Task 4.1 Develop appropriate models for change in the chosen organization that will reflect their circumstances The best model for change that applies to Sapphire Beauty Box is Proscis Five Building Blocks change management model which includes the ADKAR The first thing Sapphire needs is the Awareness of the need for change. If the need for change is understood, half the job is done. Planned communication is essential for understanding. Sapphire needs change as there is a need for it. Next is the Desire to participate and help the change. The employees of Sapphire need to make a personal decision to support the change and sustain it too. The CEO announced incentives for individuals creating a desire to be a part of the change. The third building block is providing Knowledge. Sapphire held a seminar for imparting awareness for change, how to undergo change and how to implement it. Prosci (2003) suggested forums and mentoring for knowledge of change. Ability to implement required skills and behavior is another building block of the ADKAR model. It is the difference between theory and practice. Once knowledge is imparted on change, the performance of the individual needs to be supported. Sapphire can do this by practice, coaching and feedback. Lat, but not the least comes Reinforcement. It is the final and essential stage of the model where efforts to sustain the change is accentuated. It is to be ensured that changes stay in place and individuals do not revert to old ways. The ways to do it are positive feedback, recognition, rewarding, etc. Sapphire makes it a point to take feedback of the customers as well as the employees to keep both sides balanced. There is a Best Employee of the Month award scheme at Sapphire Beauty Box which inspires employees to do their best. Proscis Change Management Model http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-adkar-overview.htm Task 4.2 Plan to implement a model for change considering the internal and external circumstances impacting on the organization Kaizen Method This is a Japanese method for continuous incremental improvement. It is a concept for gradual, continuous improvement. It assumes that every aspect of life has to be constantly improved. The main elements of Kaizen are effort, quality, and willingness to change, communication and involvement of employees. Its five founding elements are Teamwork Personal Discipline Improved Morale Quality Circles and Suggestions for Improvement. The Kaizen method is best for Sapphire Beauty Box as it is people oriented, requires long term discipline and easy to implement. Matrix Organizations This kind of organization offers the advantages of flexibility, greater security and control of project information. It establishes a grid with a two way flow of authority and responsibility. Task 4.3 Develop appropriate measures to monitor progress of the developed model Goal Based Evaluation To start with goal based evaluation, there can be two main questions we can ask for How has the programme made a difference Are the participants of the programme feeling better as a result of the programme? Outcome based evaluation is a way that determines if the project at Sapphire Beauty Box have achieved its goals. The organized process using OBE helps to establish clear outcomes, to measure benefits, clarify groups for which benefits are targeted. Other ways to monitor progress in Sapphire Beauty Box are regular reports of the activities being practiced in there. Meetings are also undertaken by higher authorities to administer the changes and keep a watch on them. Quality Circles appear simple and straightforward but have to be viewed in regard to Japanese culture and management systems. Quality circles are do work and are used successfully by British organizations. . CONCLUSION It can be concluded that strategic change is the key factor in any organization. Change is a pervasive influence. We are all subject to change in one form or the other which is continuous. The steps to change from Kotter give vital knowledge about making change Kotter is called the GURU in terms of change management. Proscis ADKAR building blocks give deep understanding and guidance for applying change and monitoring it to sustain change. Kurt Lewins change model is also an important one. The freeze, refreeze and transition stages develop new attitudes and behaviour.

European Literature during the Renaissance

Elizabeth Commits Mrs.. Mullen AP European History 19 September 2013 Literature in the Renaissance time period introduced new themes and ideas to the European population. Such writings revolutionized Europeans opinions and the roles in society of man, the Catholic Church, and ancient Greece and Rome. Four Renaissance works, Oration on the Dignity of Man, The Prince, â€Å"Frederic's Falcon†, and The Abbot and the Learned Woman, reflect the humanistic, secular, and classicist themes through the glorification of man and subsequent indifference or criticism of the Church.Monorail's Oration on the Dignity of Man demonstrates humanism more than the other themes. The entire purpose of the address is to leonine and celebrate humans. Essentially, the general opinion holds man as â€Å"the mediator of all creatures, the servant of superior beings, the lord of inferior ones the interpreter of nature by the keenness of his senses, by rational inquiry, by the light of his intellect† (Miranda 335). Humanism is channeled particularly through the statement â€Å"we are what we wish to be† (Miranda 337), which praises the perseverance and confidence of man hat he may do and be anything he wishes.According to Miranda, humans deserve to strive for the highest honors and to be of equal power of angels and God, for he calls man to â€Å"let us emulate their dignity and glory and, if we desire it, shall be in no way inferior to them† (Miranda 338). Machiavellian The Prince involves humanism in the sense of praising the reality of humans. Through the example of Pope Alexander X', Machiavelli recognizes the struggles man faces and his incredible ability to prevail over such hardships. Alexander â€Å"great spirit and high ambition† allowed him to overcome obstacles and employ successful designs during his rule.There is also a great value in the â€Å"truth of things† and not the imaginary; princes aren't perfect, yet it is a balance between g ood and bad qualities which makes them successful. Even when discussing princes who came to power through corruption and crime, Machiavelli still admires their bravery and spirit. Of Prince Stagecoaches: in respect of â€Å"the velour with which he encountered and extricated himself from dangers, and the constancy of his spirit in supporting ND conquering adverse fortune, there seems no reason to Judge him inferior to the greatest captains that have ever lived† (Machiavelli 347-348).In addition, Vocation's â€Å"Feedings Falcon† also references humanism in characterizing human emotions of love, generosity, and compassion. Foddering, the protagonist, is wildly in love with Mona Giovanni. The story praises reciprocal human kindness and generosity, for his actions reward Foddering in the end with his marriage to Giovanni. Similarly, Erasmus The Abbot and the Learned Woman emends human love and respect of one another: the woman and her husband share a love for learning, wh ich brings them closer together.The piece simultaneously scorns disrespect and cruelty toward other humans; the Abbot, who is very sexist and rude to the woman, is made the fool in the story for being so ignorant and standing on weak, immature arguments. Secularism, the indifference or criticism toward the Catholic Church, can be identified in the Oration on the Dignity of Man mainly through the undermining of God's (and the Church's) power. The oration does not capitalize â€Å"he† when speaking of God, suggesting that God is of equal power as any ordinary man.Moreover, when God creates Adam, He gives him and all humans the power and freedom to do what they want: muff, unhampered, may determine your own limits according to your own will, into whose power I have placed you† (Miranda 336). This declaration gives God less control and dominance over man, thus heightening the belief that the Church and God aren't superior to man. In The Prince, continuous reference to †Å"Fortune† as determining humans' lives omits God from interfering in the lives of man; â€Å"it was through no fault of his but from the extraordinary and extreme malignity of Fortune† (Machiavelli 343).The pope's weak power over territory is highlighted through Pope Alexander Vic's conflicts with monarchical rulers and his inability to take lands belonging and not belonging to the church. Criticism is apparent in Alexander creation of Pope Julius II, for Machiavelli notes that â€Å"after using his reputation for liberality to arrive at the Papacy, [Pope Julius II] made no effort to preserve that petition when making war on the King of France but carried on all his many campaigns without levying from his subjects a single extraordinary tax, providing for the increased expenditure out of his long-continued savings† (Machiavelli 351).When remarking that â€Å"No Prince was ever at a loss for plausible reasons to cover a breach of faith†, Machiavelli accept s that royalty disobeys the church often, but it's commonplace and easy to cover up. Secularism is present in â€Å"Frederic's Falcon† because there is a complete lack of the Church and its role in society; Fortune is offered to as the ruling factor of life instead of God. In comparison, The Abbot and the Learned Woman is secular through outright criticism of the Church, portrayed by the abbot's character.He is rude, ignorant, condescending, and close-minded; for his poor reasoning and indignant attitude, he is the fool and loser in the argument. The story serves as a lesson for the Church to reform its ways and become more accepting, open-minded, and educated in the modernizing world around them. References to the study and revival of ancient Greek and Roman history are included n Renaissance works as a meaner to intensify the glorification of man during the humanistic movement.Classicism reinforces the beliefs of humanism by comparing man to revered Greek and Roman figures. In Oration on the Dignity of Man, â€Å"What a miracle, Oh Ecclesiae, is man! † indicates Ecclesiae, a son of Apollo and the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing. Associating man with such an important Greek figure heightens man's value and superiority. Later on in this speech, man is said to symbolize Protests, a sea god known for his ability to assume different forms. This imprison of humans to Protests emphasizes their extraordinary ability to be versatile and dynamic.In The Prince, a reference to Chirps the Centaur demonstrates the value of princes to understand how to act both like the man and the beast; many successful princes including Achilles were trained by the centaur. According to Machiavelli, â€Å"it is necessary for a Prince to know how to use both natures and that the one without the other has no stability' (Machiavelli 353). The development of humanism, secularism, and classicism in the Renaissance affected how writers depicted society at the time.New ideas of the superiority of man arose, revitalization ancient Greek and Roman figures in order to further glorify the human. Along with praise of humans also came criticisms of the Church, questioning the Church's outdated beliefs and common frauds, encouraging major reforms. Often the Church wasn't mentioned whatsoever, showing the dwindling importance and influence of the Church in society. Renaissance writers captured the changes in European life through their works by crafting clever stories while giving their two cents on the issues at hand and revolutions to come.

Facebook faces up, for better or worse? Essay

Facebook started as a â€Å"collegiate social network† (Atal, 2007). In May 2007 it abandoned the college niche and opened its doors to everyone. ComScore noted that â€Å"71% of users are now outside the college age-bracket† (Atal, 2007). There’s no doubt that the move significantly increased the membership in the network, but is their decision to open to the public undisputedly for the better? Facebook made its mark by focusing on a college niche. Their decision to veer away from this market could have serious consequences to the network. One trade off is between size and significance. A niche encourages specific, familiar and private network. â€Å"Student-exclusive networks provide users with a sense of importance: It’s easy to become a big fish in a small, students-only pond† (Atal, 2007). It gives them the feeling of belonging; of being a part of a community they can call their own. It connects them to people they can relate to. While membership is limited to a specific class of people, size is compensated by closer and more meaningful interaction between the members. The downside is, applications are also restricted to the interests of the niche market. Public networks on the other hand can reach more people. A diverse crowd needs varied things, thus they have bigger room for improvement and development. They are not limited to specific programs, interests or advertisements. By shifting to a public social network, Facebook got rid of its boundaries. It opened its doors to serve more people. It embraced an opportunity for growth. One of the issues raised is the reaction of the original members to the upgrade. â€Å"Facebook has such a strong hold on the college social networking market† (Atal, 2007). The change in focus market did not seem to affect the support of students.   Original members remained loyal to Facebook despite the change. Going from a niche to a public network is a new ballgame for Facebook. They are up against giant networks. They need to perform on a higher level. They have to create a niche amidst the league of giants in order to stay on top. Leaving their niche opened opportunities for new networks to step in. CollegeOTR.com, CollegeTonight.com, and CollegeWikis.com are three of the websites that are likely to benefit from this. Capitalizing on the niche left by Facebook, these network aim to create networks that are â€Å"as specific as they could be† (Atal, 2007). Conclusion Facebook’s decision to abandon the college niche and upgrade to a public social network is beneficial to Facebook. It offered opportunity for growth without alienating the original members. While the focus expanded to include everyone interested in joining the community, they can still serve the need for smaller communities by developing applications suited for this purpose. By upgrading to a public social network, Facebook put an end to the competition between Facebook and other college networks and paved the way for collaboration. One example of this successful partnership as mentioned in the article is the SuperWall (Atal, 2007).   CollegeWikis.com sponsored Superwall, a Facebook â€Å"application where users post college-specific information that is instantly communicated to the virtual message walls of other registered users at their college† (Atal, 2007).   Collaborations like this not only promote cooperation among the networks but also present the best of both worlds to the users. Facebook gave up its niche market to give way to improved service, diverse membership and better partnership with other networks. The decision positioned the company to serve more people, produce more products and services well into the future. Reference Atal, Maja. (2007, August 8). Facebook Faces Up. Businessweek, 1-2.

William Black - I Heard an Angel Singing - 1404 Words

WILLIAM BLAKE â€Å"I heard an angel singing† A Matter of Life an Death Abstract In this poem William Blake at the beginning speaks about an angel, who was singing in the small hours every day. An angel was singing all day about mercy, pity, peace, which is the world ´s release. Angel was positive feature. He tried to help people. His voice is really beautiful and people feel good during his singing. Devil cursed mercy, pity and peace, because he saw all men are happy in the world and they don ´t need any mercy, pity or peace. At a devil ´s curse the sun went down and it started heavy rain for three days. Devil do not know people, what they need. Devil is baddy. He try to destroy all the world. People have to have faith in God. Only He is†¦show more content†¦I think people had to recognize day and night, Angel and Devil, good and evil... â€Å"Down pourd the heavy rain. Over the new reapd grain ... And Miseries increase is Mercy, Pity, Peace.â€Å" In this part of poem Blake wrote about results of being stupid and bad guy in human world. There i s no human world without God. â€Å"I am Alpha and Omega...† These are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and signify the same as what follows: The beginning and the end: the first cause and last end of all beings: who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty... These words signify the true God only, and are here applied to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is to come again to judge the living and the dead. Revelation contains more apocalyptic predictions about the future than any other book in the Bible. Blake wrote about their visions too. Why is it easier to think of evil examples than good ones? Is it much easier to do something big and bad than it is to do something big and good? For example, perhaps many Americans consider dropping the bomb on Hiroshima good whereas many Japanese consider it evil. Some people don ´t know what they do. They don ´t have any time for anything. They are always running anywhere. And that ´s why theyShow MoreRelated The Voice of Billie Holiday Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pagessings as Our Lady of Sorrow(Davis 1), a representation of a whole people torn and discriminated against.   And though her speech is not spoken, she moves a crowd, one that gathers into many. Billie Holiday comes to prove that one womans voice, singing one song, that calls awareness to one issue of society, can change the world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Music has come to shape our views of society, love, race, and creed. We can all remember a time when a song evoked an emotion. The song seemed to expressRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1708 Words   |  7 Pagesboth males and females, were rebels for themselves. 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Ltd.) 4626/18, Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi - 110002 Website: www.studentsmorningstar.com E-mail: info@studentsmorningstar.com A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories Volume I — Poems  1. Where the Mind is Without FearRead MoreMandinka Empire21578 Words   |  87 Pagesadditional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hia/summary/v032/32.1schaffer.html Access Provided by your local institution at 03/10/13 1:43PM GMT BOUND TO AFRICA: THE MANDINKA LEGACY IN THE NEW WORLD MATT SCHAFFER I I offer here a theory of â€Å"cultural convergence,† as a corollary to Darwin’s natural selection, regarding how slave Creoles and culture were formed among the Gullah and, by extension, supported by other examples, in the Americas. When numerous speakers