Change Management And Systems Implementation

Change Management And Systems Implementation Introduction This essay is about the importance of change management in information systems development and discusses about the issues that will be the result of change in an organization and also the relationship between change management and system implementation. This essay will explain the theories with related examples that were the implications of change in an organization and will critically evaluate and discusses some ideas from my personal point of view. This essay will reflect upon my understanding of change management that I have learned from this module. Change and Change Management Change management is important in any kind of organisations and especially in information system development. It is a structured way to manage change. According to Disraeli as quoted in (Gilley, 2005) Change is constant. Change is present everywhere. The change can be in an individual, in a group or in an organization. When an individual is motivated to do something different, the change that happens in an individual is the main reason for the whole word to change. Since the individual is associated with groups, and groups are related to other groups to form an organisation, the important process in part of change depends on all individuals, groups or teams, and organisations and leaders also have an important responsibility in the process of change. (Cameron Green, 2009). Technology, globalization, society and evolving legislation forces many organisations to change constantly. The organisations ability to effectively implement change decides the success of the change process which completely depends of the person involved in managing the change. Change is necessary for an organisation nowadays because of competetive pressures and to meet the current customer needs. According to (Gilley, 2005), every four or five years, organisations findings planning to undertake major organisational changes and atleast once a year to undertake moderate organisational change. So change management is inevitable in every organisations to successfully manage the process of change. The induction of this module started with the justification for the need of IT professionals to know change management. Most of the projects related to Information Technology failed due to various reasons in which one would be due to poor change management. According to (Burnes, 2009) Brindle study states that UK government had to admit the failure of its 170 million pounds programme to change the old computer systems that holds the whole countrys National insurance records was a chaos that collapsed the system and leaving the social security number into agitation. According to (Burnes,2009) Done and Willman stated that the main reason for the BAs Terminal 5 debacle was the failure of its cutting-edge computerized baggage handling system. According to (CMSI Lectures, 2010, Week 1, Slide 11), the role of the IT professionals would be working in a team with other professionals, designing the system which other people will use, expecting how they will use the system and explaining the u sers how to use the system to their maximum potential. A change management process involves all the above mentioned roles of an IT professional. These points provided me a complete justification and understanding of the need of change management for a person like me who is an IT professional. The following week I learned about different type of systems and different types of implementations involved in an IT project, other considerations for an implementation, the reason for the implementation and the process of implementation. The different kinds of systems are software such as applications and desktop, hardware system and infrastructure systems such as buildings and network. The facts that should be consider while implementing a system are the level of knowledge in the system, technology, the level of importance with the system and people, whether it is in sourced/outsourced and using the maturity models. According to (Okrent Vokurka, 2004), there are three types of implementation 1) Pilot implementation in which the prioritized functional area which gives the most benefits is implemented first 2) Parallel implementation in which the change is tested in both old and new systems parallel and 3) Big bang implementation in which the data is migrated from old system to the new system all at once which is the most risky implementation. The big bang implementation is considered as most risky implementation since most of the projects implemented this way fails. For example, Heathrow Terminal 5 project was implemented using Big bang implementation. The cutting-edge computerized baggage handler system was considered to be one of the hardest-working IT systems as said by BAA and British Airways(BA) before its launch of the system and it didnt work when it was to work. (Swabey, 2008). There are different types of change such as reactive and proactive change, incremental and All at once change, planned and emergent change. According to (Orlikowski Hofman, 1997) the different types of change are planned(anticipated), emergent and opportunity-based change. Planned change is the change that is well planned and it happenes as we planned. Emergent change is the change which occurs spontaneously out of some experimentation which is not planned. The opportunity-based change is the change that is not planned but introduced purposefully to meet the opportunities that were not expected. Some various issues and aspects of change management can be illustrated with a case study: GK Printers Limited Background: GK Printers Limited is a small printing business established after the Second World War.It is a family business in which the current managing directors father established the business. The company was involved in printing jobs along with producing publicity catlogues for local companies, business cards and stationeries. The business went down due to various reasons such as recession, no computerised printing techniques and no graphics designed printing. This made the managing director to form some strategy along with the printing manager in which the first phase was to subcontract the printing works with graphical design instead of investing more money in new equipments. The company grew very well and they had a good profit and bought new equipments. In 1989, due to its growth in business, it was complicated to manage printing, designing and managing the subcontracting activities all together. The second phase of planned change was to manage companys costing system, controlling paper work and production scheduling. After many discussion, the company planned to install Computer Based System(CBS) and it took two years completely to install the working system after purchasing hardwares and refining the softwares according to the companys requirement. Training were provided to the users and also some managers to use the system effectively. The company had a growth again with their successful installation of CBS and they managed the changes that happened in their organisation. All the changes were in organisation and there were no change in the managerial behaviour of the organisation. The problem again aroused since the customers wants the company to reduce the cost of printing due to recession and they were giving smaller orders. This made GK to think about their survival. Since they were getting only smaller orders, their production cost remained the same and if they want to reduce the price to retain the customers, they will not have any profits. To find a soluti on, the managing director approached the marketing and design manager to come up with the problems and solutions. The manager came up with the problems and suggested to increase the design business by employing more design staffs. The senior staffs didnt agree and there were no decisions taken after the meeting. This made the managing director to consider and he approached a team builder to organise the teams inside the company. The team builder came up with a report that all the managers in the company are working and fully committed for the companys success and the negative point was the way the managing director approach for solutions. He made decisions himself or to consult only with one manager to make up with the decisions. The managing director was upset with this shock and he said he always wanted a team work in the company and henceforth all the decisions will be taken by consulting everyone in the management. This made the managers happy and they were asked to come up with solutions, and after six months, GK met all their customer requirements with the solutions the team came up with and there was a considerable growth in the business. The company also developed the business of designing and developing the websites for its customers in which this business was an accidental development and the managing director created a separate department for this business which become the most profitable and fastest growing part of GK. (Burnes, 2009:383-395) According to my personal point of view on the above discussed case study, the organisation had three phase of change which means this is a phased implementation. Even though the strategies were not planned and it emerged due to the problems, the approach to the change was planned rather than emergent approach. In the first two phase of changes, the company had changes in the organisation but not in the behavioural which led to some failures such as poor coordination and cooperation between the teams and managers and also the fighting for the position between managers. These led the company for the third phase of change which was the behavioural change in which all the members of the organisation understood and cooperated to work together and also the managin director decided to take decisions after discussing with the appropiate teams. The human implications of the change process can be noted in the above case study. When GK want to change their manual system to computerized system, the workers themselves suggested some companies to GK to discuss about the CBS system. The managing director gave the responsiblities of CBS system to the group of people who were the students analysing GKs requirements to install the systems and write softwares for the system. All the organisation changes that were made in the first two phases and the behavioural change that were made in the third phase were accepted by the individuals in the organisation. According to (Burnes, 2004) Lewin was interested to analyze the origins for change and he wants to understand why people dislike change. Lewins theories includes about the planned change embarked by the organization and unintended change that happens suddenly due to some contingencies, the three stage model (Unfreeze-movement-refreeze) and models of changes. But in this case study, t he organisation has no individuals who resisted change. According to (CMSI Lectures, 2010, Week 4, Slide 16) Mintzbergs definition of strategy as five P s can be applied on this case study as a prescriptive stream since the strategy preceds change and implementation flows from the strategic plan. Some of the plans involved in the GKs strategy was to make the manual systems computerized, meet the customer requirements and build a good team in the organisation. Some of the ploys involved were to provide customers with graphical design service and to satisfy all kind of customer needs.The position of GKs place in the market is high and they are one of the best among in providing creative website development for the customers. In contrast to the planned approach, the example of Volvos approach which is one the leading Swedish motor vehicle manufacturer to reorganising vehicle production from the traditional methods of car assembly can be taken as an approach to change as emergent. The decisions are based from the workers of the company and it is completely based on the group work in which Volvos approach to change is unique in its way in which it considers human-centered approach to work. A consultant is a person who is having skills that are different or unique and they have different perspective on an issue. The reasons for using this consultancy approach includes requirement of extra staff resources, on a temporary basis, need for expert help and knowledge to deal some situations, look differently about a particular situation and for outside opinion and disinterested information. (Nachimuthu, 23 November 2010). In the above case study, since no one in the organisation were aware of the changes to be brought, the managing director approached a lecturer at a polytechnic who is the friend of printing manager, in which the lecture suggested one of his student studying business can act as a consultant for the companys improvements. The student worked as a consultant, studied the company for two months and produced a report of the organisationss finding to the managing director and the printing manager which was the basis for the change in the organisation. Management involves doing things right whereas leadership involves doing the right things. Management is about maintaining stability and leadership is about bringing the change. Management processes focus on the present and leadership processes focus on the future. Management processes involves implementing policies and procedures whereas leadership processes involves creating a culture based on shared values. Management processes uses the power of their position and leadership processes uses the personal power. Leadership roles get strengths with different personality types. (CMSI Lectures, 2010, Week 7, Slide 21). For example, the case study that I was using in the seminar about the Shell Company fostering its new level of individual power can be taken. The leadership skills and personality types of Chris Knight were discussed. The case study explains the strategies followed by Knight. Chris knight was a good leader with skills such as motivation, knowledge of the business and abil ity to manage the change and system implementations that turn around the growth of Shell. (CMSI Seminars, 2010, Week 7) Whether if it is planned or emergent approach to change, if it is at individual, group or organisation level change, or incremental or continuos change, there should be one person to manage the change and take responsibility of the change. Change agent is the one who takes that responsibility who can be a managers, internal or external consultants or it can be a team. (Burnes, 2004) states that Expect the unexpected might be the motto of most change agents since the change agents should be capable of dealing with the unexpected.If I was an agent of change in the Heathrow Terminal 5 project, I would have tested the computerized baggage system with more load and would have given training to all staffs in how to get to the parking area and especially how to handle the baggage system. I would have not compromised on testing as the chief executive of BA did on the Terminal 5 project. (Massey, 2008). Conclusion It can be concluded from the above discussion on various issues of change, its implication on human as an individual and groups within an organisation, the different types of approaches to change, the need of consultants and importance of leadership that the knowledge of change management is inevitable in any organisation for a successful system implementation in which the GK case study is an example. The need of change management, its relationship with systems implementation and its importance in Information Technology is justified from the above discussions. [Word Count: 2508]

AQA AS Philosophy Reason and Experience Key Points Essay

†¢There are different types of knowledge: acquaintance, ability and propositional knowledge. Theories of knowledge discussed here are about propositional knowledge. †¢Knowledge is not the same as belief. Beliefs can be mistaken, but no-one can know what is false. †¢Knowledge is not the same as true belief, either. True beliefs may not be justified, but can be believed without evidence. To be knowledge, a belief must be justified. †¢Rationalism claims that we can have synthetic a priori knowledge of how things are outside the mind. †¢Empiricism denies this. It claims that all a priori knowledge is only of analytic propositions. Do all ideas derive from sense experience? †¢Locke argues that the mind at birth is a ‘tabula rasa’ – there are no innate ideas, which Locke defines as ideas present in the mind from birth. †¢Locke argues that there is no truth that everyone, including idiots and children, assents to – so no truth is innate. †¢Rationalists define innate ideas as ideas (concepts or propositions) whose content can’t be gained from experience, but which are triggered by experience. †¢Locke and Hume argue that all concepts are derived from sense experience, from impressions of sensation or reflection. †¢They claim that simple concepts are copies of impressions; complex concepts are created out of simple concepts by combining and abstracting them. †¢One argument for innate concepts is to challenge the empiricist to show how a particular complex or abstract concepts, for example, a physical object, is supposed to be derived from experience. If it cannot be, and it is used by children, then this is a reason to think it is innate. Are all claims about what exists ultimately grounded in and justified by sense experience? †¢Hume argues that all a priori knowledge is of relations of ideas, and so analytic. All knowledge of synthetic propositions, matters of fact, is a posteriori. It depends either on present experience or causal inference, which relies on past experience. †¢Our knowledge of matters of fact that relies on induction can only be probably – never proven. †¢Some rationalists, for example, Descartes, try to show that we can use a priori intuition and deductive argument to demonstrate what exists. †¢The core of the idea of rational intuition is that you can ‘see’ the truth of a claim just by thinking about it. †¢Descartes argues that sense experience on its own cannot establish what exists – how can we know that all sense experience is not a deception cause by an evil demon? †¢He argues that he cannot doubt his own existence, and that the mind can exist without the body. †¢Descartes argues for the existence of the physical world by first arguing for the existence of God. From God not being a deceiver, it follow that our sense experience in general can’t be completely mistaken – so they physical world exists. Conceptual schemes and their philosophical implications †¢Thinkers who defend the idea of conceptual schemes often argue that there are two distinguishable elements to our experience – the data of the sense, and then the interpretation of these data by a set of concepts. †¢Some argue that human beings have formulated different conceptual scheme which are not translatable into each other. From the same sense experience, they form different views of the world. †¢Because we must use concepts to formulate truths, we can argue that truths are relative to conceptual schemes. Or more accurately, some truths can only be stated in certain conceptual schemes and not others, and there is no one conceptual scheme which we can use to state all truths. Do all ideas derive from sense experience? II †¢One objection to the empiricist theory of the origin of concepts is that there are some complex concepts, for example, knowledge and beauty that cannot be analysed in terms of simpler concepts. †¢A second objection is that some simple ideas, for example, a particular shade of blue, don’t have to be derived from sense impressions. Empiricists can respond in two ways: all ideas could be derived from sense experience’ or some ideas are exceptions to the rule that all ideas are derived from sense experience, but these exceptions are derived from ideas that are derived from sense experience. †¢Another objection is that it is not possible to derive any concepts from experience, because in order to form concepts, we must make judgements of similarity and difference to classify experiences. But we can only make these judgements if we already have the concepts. †¢Defenders of innate ideas maintain that we innately have very specific capacities for forming particular ideas, and these ideas count as innate. †¢Suggestions for the origin of innate ideas include evolution, God, and a previous existence. Are all claims about what exists ultimately grounded in and justified by sense experience? II †¢Rationalists claim that we have synthetic a priori knowledge either innately or through rational intuition †¢Plato argues that many particular objects can have the same property, for example, beauty. These properties can exist independently of the particular objects, as shown by the fact that is we destroy all beautiful things, we haven’t destroyed beauty. These properties are instances of the Forms. †¢Plato argues that innate concepts are our knowledge of the Forms, from a previous existence. Unless we had such innate memories, we wouldn’t be able to classify experience using concepts. †¢Descartes argues that he cannot doubt his existence. We can object that he cannot know he exists; only that thoughts exist. †¢Descartes also argues that the mind can exist without the body. We can object that just because he can conceive that this is possible doesn’t show that this is possible. †¢Both these arguments and the objections use a priori reasoning. Hume objects that a priori reasoning can only establish analytic truths. †¢Nietzsche argues that reasoning is not, in fact, something independent that reveals the truth, but is grounded on assumptions about value. Metaphysical theories are the result of attempts to defend a particular way of understanding the world, one that rests on the false assumption that good and bad are opposites. †¢The verification principle claims that a statement only has meaning if it is either analytic or empirically verifiable. However, the principle itself is neither analytic nor empirically verifiable. †¢Rationalists argue that mathematics is an example of synthetic a priori knowledge. Empiricists argue that mathematics is analytic. Is certainty confined to introspection and the tautological? †¢Descartes argues that what we can doubt is not certain enough to be knowledge. However, we can argue that certainty and justification are not the same thing, and that while knowledge needs to be justified, we need an argument to show that it must be certain. †¢Certainty can refer to a subjective feeling, to a proposition being necessarily true or to the impossibility of doubting a proposition. †¢Empiricists claim that analytic truth is the only kind of necessary truth. Rationalists argue that there are synthetic a priori truths that are also necessary. †¢A necessary truth is certain. Claims about mental state, based on introspection, may also be certain for the person whose mental states they are. †¢Whether any other claims are certain depend on whether there are necessary synthetic a priori truths. Conceptual schemes and their philosophical implications II †¢Kant argues that experience is of objects, and asks how it is possible for experience to be intelligible in this way, not a confused buzz. †¢He answers that what makes experience possible are certain concepts, which he calls categories. These categories together express the ‘pure thought of an object’. †¢One such category is causality. This enables us to distinguish the temporal order of our perceptions from the temporal order of objects. †¢Kant argues that to talk of concepts interpreting sensation is misleading. Our sensory experience is always already conceptualised as experience of objects. †¢Two implications of Kant’s theory are that the structure of the everyday world of objects is defined by our a priori concepts; and that we cannot know anything about how reality is completely independent of how we think of it.

Key Pieces of Civil Rights Research Paper

Key Pieces of Civil Rights Research Paper What You Don't Know About Civil Rights Research Paper Nowadays, it's tough to think that once people had to fight for their civil rights in the united states. Breast cancer rates are rising among women in the usa. What was the reason for the Great Depression. Rate the method of life for the Native American. The Basics of Civil Rights Research Paper The greater part of Southerners could not afford a slave before the Civil War. Those were desperate attempts of southerners to carry on the old purchase. Even if blacks and whites attend the exact schools, they frequently run into another type of segregation. As a historian you should interrogate your sources and ask the crucial questions. Below are the three most important aspects to consider to be sure you select the very best research paper topics. The important thing is finding credible info to demonstrate your thesis. All research papers have guidelines that you've got to follow . Concentrate on the writing, utilize the guides as needed, but mainly concentrate on the writing. Focusing on these regions will cause you to be a really good research paper writer. The principal difficulty is that topic is the main element of the entire research paper. Decide on a Topic A student, can find an assignment of any size, in regards to research papers. After the topic is chosen, it would be useful to make an outline so you could see whether you have sufficient information for good-structured research paper. Start doing some research on those topics and you'll probably get a few other topics that are interesting to you. The Debate Over Civil Rights Research Paper Inquire into the terms alone and make sure that chronological order is adhered to. And many still exist. The very first place to begin is your textbook as it has enough info to get you started. Civil Rights Research Paper Therefore before starting on ant research paper, it's always important to see that the caliber of a research paper entirely is dependent upon the effort inputted. Within this paper, it is going to be discussed how to develop a bigger research paper. Format Every r esearch paper is going to have a style assigned. To be able to be useful, a quick research paper has to be focused on a single and narrow question. Civil rights is an intriguing topic to speak about. They has always been one of those topics that elicits mixed reactions from all over the place. Choosing our service, you are going to understand that studying can be simple if you gain from the help of competent experts. Ever since our inception for a company, our only focus is to supply value to each customer we deal with. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about an approaching deadline. Begin with the introduction part. Civil Rights Research Paper Features Civil liberties can differ in various societies and distinct epochs. Describe advantages and disadvantages of having new members take part in initiation traditions. There were domestic and worldwide problems to be handled. Blacks couldn't use precisely the same public facilities as whites, live in a number o f the exact towns or go to the exact same schools.

Stereotypes And Stereotypes Of People With Piercings

As time has gone by people have changed, it is now common to see piercings in both men and women, the truth is that more than 23% of Americans has or has had a piercing in their life. Although a great amount of the population has had a piercing in her life, why are there so many misconception and stereotypes about people with piercings? Misconceptions is a view or opinion that is incorrect because it s based on faulty thinking or understanding. Then there s stereotypes, stereotypes are usually based on some truth but they are over exaggerated. Stereotypes may have also been true in the past but as time has gone by the group of people have changed but the way they are viewed by society remains the same. People with piercings have been†¦show more content†¦Society has been in charge of grouping people into different sections to make it easier. Many things have contributed to this the media has played a big role in misconceptions. Why is this? Its simply because in now in days all the information received comes from the media whether it s from the T.V magazine newspaper or social media people tend to believe everything that comes from the media. Society has grown to believe everything they see on the media and without a doubt everything is really true but if it s seen in the real world with people around it s ignored. There are many misconceptions seen in the daily lives for example teen moms are seen to be failures, but who said that s how things have to be? Teen moms are twice as likely to work harder and achieve more things in life because of the big motivation given to them. When imagining someone with piercings the first thing that comes to mind is that there most likely covered in tattoos as well. The second thing is that they most likely don t have a good stable job and if they do it s probably in a tattoo shop. Most importantly when thinking about someone with piercings it s always a negative view. People with piercings should not be seen as â₠¬Å"different† these people have simply found a different way of expressing themselves. People with piercings are admirable because nowShow MoreRelatedBody Piercings And Its Impact On Society1665 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to insurmountable sources, piercings, especially in the ear primarily, have been around since 2500 BC and have been worn not only by women, but by men as well all around the world including William Shakespeare and Julius Caesar. As body piercings become increasingly popular in modern culture, it has brought many researchers to the realization that this trend is a tragic insight into an individual’s psyche as well as their physical being and opportunities in the workplace even though it’sRead MoreDiscrimination Of Tattoos And Piercings896 Words   |  4 PagesGoodwin: ERWC November 10, 2014 Discrimination Of Tattoos And Piercings In The Workplace This world is full of discrimination and profiling. Whether you are a different race, practice a different religion, weigh anything other than average, or modify yourself to look the way you want yourself to, you are bound to be discriminated against. All of these things affect your eligibility to work whether you know it or not. America judges people on their appearance rather than their ability to work. MostRead MoreHow To Avoiding Stereotyping Essay example791 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieved that stereotypes were only used by rigid and authoritarian people. Now it’s widely accepted and scientifically proven that each and everyone of us stereotypes others, and others stereotypes us. Many times people are so used to stereotyping other people that they won’t even notice how often they do it. I believe stereotyping can’t be stopped. People stereotype everyday. There are positive and negative categories that stereotyping fall under. Positive category is when people think good ofRead MoreTattoos and Body Piercing in the Workforce1414 Words   |  6 PagesTattoos and Body Piercing in the Workforce What canvas holds some of the most creative artwork today? If you guessed the human skin, you would be right. However, about three decades ago, one would only find these types of markings and insignias on what would be considered the â€Å"rough† crowd: bikers, sailors, gang members, and prison inmates. Today; however, tattoos and piercings can be seen on nearly anyone from the age of 15 and up. Not to mention, these body modifications can be found on allRead MoreRhetoric and Stereotypes: Politicians, Tattooed People, Feminists, and Elderly People986 Words   |  4 PagesRhetoric and Stereotypes: Politicians, Tattooed People, Feminists, and Elderly People PHI 103: Informal Logic Rhetoric and Stereotypes: Politicians, Tattooed People, Feminists, and Elderly People Rhetoric pertains to the use of language to create an effectively persuasive argument. Stereotyping is taking the description of an individual and applying it to a group as a whole. There are many generalizations made when it comes to politicians, tattooed people, feminists, and elderly people. This essayRead MoreThe Affects Body Piercing Has on Society853 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Affects of Body Piercing has on Modern Society† Thesis statement: Body piercing can affect modern society in several different ways, one is the way the art makes society look at individuals differently, religious backgrounds questioning the choices newer generations make, and also infectious diseases they may cause if not cared for properly. Piercing one’s body in a creative way has become a very popular way for various types of people to express their different personalities. In the 16thRead MoreWhy Do People Still Stereotype?1026 Words   |  5 PagesWhy do people still stereotype? There are many people in the world that are all different races or to some all different colors. People tend to judge others because of who they are and their skin color. Most people tend to judge black individuals more because of some negative things that they tend to do or say. However, this issue has not just started its been going on for years. Although, all people are human beings; their cognitive thinking is different as individuals. Many people tend toRead More Stereotypes in the American Media Essay1361 Words   |  6 PagesStereotypes in the American Media Propaganda is an effective device that is used to influence and manipulate human behavior by appealing to emotions. When propaganda is combined with stereotypes, it usually produces negative results. A simplified view of a group of people, spread by mass communication can cause people to be more narrow-minded and can alter their perspective. Living in the Information Age, people are exposed to a constant stream of ideas and images. These ideas can reflect theRead MoreThe View of Tattoos in Our Society Today Essay1522 Words   |  7 Pages Axia College of University of Phoenix The View of Tattoos 2 â€Å"People who drink, do drugs, have been jailed or do not believe in religion are more likely to be tattooed. â€Å" , said Mom. Is there any truth to what Mom said? According to a study conducted by the Journal of Academic Academy of Dermatology in 2006Read MoreTattoos And Piercings : Work Environments1417 Words   |  6 Pages Tattoos and Piercings in Work Environments â€Å"According to a 2010 Pew Research report, about 23% of adults born between 1981 and 1991 have piercings other than their earlobe† (Pfeifer, Web). Also, in 2012, 2 in 10 adults in the United States reported to have at least one tattoo. That number has increased to 3 in 10 adults just last year in 2015 (Shannon-Missal, Web). The prevalence of tattoos and piercings have increased dramatically over the past few decades, especially in teens and young adults