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Situation Audit for Lockheed

A Situation Audit for Lockheed Martin Corporation

Erica Johnson

University of Maryland Global Campus

MBA 610 9042 Leading Organizations and People (2222)

Donald Shandler, PhD

May 13, 2022

Executive Summary

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC) is the world’s largest and one of the most successful defense and aerospace company. Although LMC’s business has grown, it hasn’t done so without facing some challenges. Unexpectedly, it suffered a scandal in 2014 after a whistleblower revealed that Lockheed Martin paid the U.S. government illegal kickbacks for military equipment contracts worth $3 billion since 1995. After disclosure of these practices, public moved away from LMC stock to pursue safer investments elsewhere which resulted in its price dropping 42% by 2015 as well as lost market share due to competition from diversified firms such as Boeing and Raytheon Company who generated more profit than LMC throughout 2014 – 2015 period (AlSuwaidi et al).

A situation audit for Lockheed Martin Corporation will comprise of the followings: Analyzing LMC’s situation by frame of reference and provide its current status, business trends, and important issues. Justifying the actions taken in the past by LMC to analyze the reasons for poor performance by LMC and recommending possible future actions to be taken by LMC before the situation becomes irreversible. Suggesting solution for solving the issue based on your findings such as setting up a company-wide strategy, conducting internal restructuring or hiring more employees to develop, implement and maintain strategy.

Lockheed Martin Corporation has been doing great in most aspects but the company has been facing a few problems which have resulted in a negative impact on its revenue and market share. A situation audit for LMC will address various issues. Decrease in Revenue from Business Segments and Key Programs. In 2014, Lockheed Martin had a net sale of $44,917 million but suffered a drop to $43,642 million by 2015 (Mavridou et al., 2020). The company also reduced its revenue from 2014 to 2015 by $1.8 billion as it sold fewer products that year as compared to previous years.

A Situation Audit for Lockheed Martin Corporation

A situation audit involves assessing an organization’s current situation and making recommendations for improvement, through a variety of different metrics, programs, policies and initiatives. This article will provide some examples of what’s been developed to help Lockheed Martin Corporation improve in the following areas: Business Process Improvement; Employee Engagement; Leadership Effectiveness; Governance Effectiveness; and Design for Sustainability. One of the key components to improving a situation is recognizing that there will be no one circumstance or level of performance that will lead to success. The key to success often depends on the combination of multiple factors including the amount of work with minimal effort, opportunities for improvement and lessening the opportunity for failure. Breakthroughs require more than one person.

There are two types of improvement – incremental and revolutionary. Incremental improvements are made in many small, easily identifiable steps typically included in a business process improvement program. Revolutionary improvements are often more difficult to identify but can make a significant difference if they occur within organizations or industries at their inflection point.

The situation audit will also involve audits of operations and processes, which in the context of Lockheed Martin Corporation, entail: Evaluate the success or failure rates for Lockheed Martin Corporation projects; Review challenges faced by Lockheed Martin Corporation including personnel challenges, workforce size, workload distribution among employees and skill sets. ; Review current financial standings for Lockheed Martin corporation and its expenditures versus revenues; Review capital expenditures for Lockheed Martin corporation in relation to investments made by competitors in similar sectors; Provide recommendations on future investments needed to be made, as well as maintenance costs that should be projected into the future budgets.

A situation audit will serve as an evaluation of an organization’s current situation as well as make recommendations to improve the organizations strengths and overcome its weaknesses. There are four areas that should be examined in a situation audit: Leadership; Governance; Design; and Business Processes. This area will specifically address the business processes within Lockheed Martin Corporation including operations and management processes, which entail: Employee Engagement; Business Process Improvement; Governance Effectiveness, and Design for Sustainability. Employee engagement is a key factor within the success of any organization because it directly affects the productivity level of employees.

Fact Sheet

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a defense contractor, originally formed by Lockheed Corporation in the United States of America to undertake projects for the United States Department of Defense. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland and its largest industrial plant occupies almost 10 million square feet (930 000 m2) on the site of the former Montgomery Ward Warehouse Complex in northwest Chicago (Lockheed Martin Corporation n.d). The field offices are mostly located worldwide with a focus on military aerospace, information systems and defensive technology. LinkedIn is their social media platform.

Lockheed Martin has helped shape the 21st century with its developments in the areas of aeronautics (aviation), space exploration, hypersonics propulsion systems and nuclear engineering.

Lockheed Martin also offers a variety of products ranging from missile technologies to satellites. The company was founded on October 14th 1943 by Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson under the name “The Lockheed Aircraft Company” (Davies, 2019). Since then, it has taken pride in advancing US defense systems by developing innovative technologies with major global implications in aeronautics, navigation & guidance as well as other surveillance technologies such as radar (Allen et al., 2014).

Lockheed Martin has a unique relationship with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The two organizations partner in many areas, including robotics and space exploration, with JPL providing critical technologies for new projects that are later produced for government agencies as well as some commercial entities. Their mutual cooperation recently resulted in the production of high-quality 3D printed parts for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) project, a satellite set to launch into orbit this year (Petrescu et al., 2017).

Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals

Lockheed Martin’s mission, vision, values, and goals are as follows:

Mission: “We solve complex challenges, advance scientific discovery and deliver innovative solutions to help our customers keep people safe” (Lockheed Martin Corporation 2022). This mission means that the company is in place to provide solutions to complex issues, advancement of scientific discovery and provision of channel where innovative solution in the industry can be sought to help ensure the safety of the people their customers serve. This is clear especially based on the fact that the company deals with government agencies and hence the end user impacted by the technology is the citizen. Ensuring that the end user is safe is paramount and hence all decisions, innovations and advancements must be based on this mission and all operations aligned to it, which is an actual reality for the company.

Vision: “Be the global leader in supporting our customers’ missions, strengthening security and advancing scientific discovery” (Lockheed Martin Corporation 2022). Lockheed Martin envisions itself as a leader in supporting its clients’ missions in areas of security with a clear focus on advocating for scientific discovery.

Values: The company identifies its core values as; Do What’s Right, Respect Others, and Perform with Excellence (Lockheed Martin Corporation 2022). For the company to achieve its vision of being a global leader, it has recognized that it must respect issues such as diversity, human rights and good labor practices as well as quality driven performance. Thus, the company directly indicates that it values and admire doing that which is right in all situations and circumstances; maintaining self-respect and respect for others; and ensuring that all performances are geared towards excellence.

Thus, there is a good alignment of the company’s vision and core values. It makes sense, therefore that as a company that has been dealing with public agencies and governmental organization, its impact on the larger society is significant. Upholding the above values on a global scale will help to achieve the vision and by extension assist in realizing the broad mission of being dedicated to innovation to solve complex global and local challenges.

Goals: Besides being guided by the mission, vision and core values, Lockheed Martin has strategic goals that are short-termed and evaluated every few years. The goals are based on prevailing issues in the industry and also in the external environment and are designed to support its mission and vision. For instance, there are the Go Green Goals set in 2016 as the baseline to immediately reduce per-occupant waste by 11%, energy use by 14% in 2025 and overall carbon emission by 70% in 2030 (Lockheed Martin Corporation 2021). These professionally crafted strategic goals are set in the background of the climate change debate.

Strategy And Objectives

The main strategy used by Lockheed Martin is to survive in the market by offering a range of products. One strategy that is successful is the use of subcontracting to ensure that the company has the resources it needs to survive.

“Think like a customer”

Lockheed Martin is customer driven. Being customer driven helps to ensure that their products are what the customers want, by using feedback from customers and also asking them when designing new products. This strategy has made Lockheed Martin customer driven which has allowed the company to survive over time because they have a market for their products and there is always demand for more. Being customer driven helps ensure that Lockheed Martin provides the best customer service possible so as not to lose its reputation of being one of the best companies in its industry.

“Think like an ally”

When customers have the support of allies then it means that they have loyal customers who are less likely to go to a competitor company. This ultimately helps ensure that Lockheed Martin, the customer and their allies have a good relationship. This strategy also allows for easier business transactions such as when competitors buy products from Lockheed Martin. The relationship between these companies is fairly positive as there is mutual respect for each other’s work and this helps ensure that there are fewer issues between them. This strategy ensures a stable environment leaving no room for competitors to try and steal their loyal customers or cause problems in business related issues.

There are three main objectives achieved by this plan:

– Manageability: Ensuring that there are no complications leaving Lockheed Martin in a difficult situation.

– Technical Intelligence: Ensuring adequate resources so as not to make many mistakes which could weaken Lockheed Martin’s competitiveness and lead to failure.

– Productivity: To produce more products with less effort and knowledge so as not to increase costs significantly.

Strategy Types and Competitive Advantage

Strategy types in Lockheed Martin involve two main approaches, namely value-creating and cost-reducing strategy. A company’s competitive advantage can be generated through a better quality product, lower price, an innovative service, or a new distribution channel. Lockheed Martin’s strategy types are often used interchangeably in the literature but diverse and distinctive. Technological innovations by Lockheed Martin have been driven by an aggressive R&D program (Davies, 2019). Using advanced technology, they generate new products to enter new markets usually related to a particular product on which they would focus on (Benusa et al., 2012).

Lockheed Martin’s strategy has three major components: global operations, vertical specialization, and R&D investment (Vera, & Rodriguez-Lopez, 2004). Firstly, the company’s global footprint covers all the major global markets except mainland China and Russia. Secondly, Lockheed Martin is highly specialized in a few defense segments that are critical to national security such as aeronautics, electronics and information systems, shipbuilding, space systems, and tactical aircraft combat systems.

This corporation has global strategies, corporate-level strategies, business-level strategies, business-level strategies, and functional-level strategies. Global strategies are the strategies that are implemented at the corporation level, and corporate-level strategies are the strategies that are implemented by the corporation as a whole. Business-level strategies are the strategies that are implemented by a business unit as a whole to achieve targets, whereas business-level strategies are strategies implemented at the business unit level. On this basis, Lockheed Martin can globally compete for market share in all five business units and achieve its long-term objectives through its function-level strategy.

Lockheed Martin has chosen to focus on protecting national security and health and safeguarding US domestic industries by developing advanced technology. The company is positioned in both defense and civil aerospace markets. The current functional-level strategies of Lockheed Martin that are used to achieve the company’s long-term strategic objectives include operational excellence, technology leadership, and global competitiveness (Petrescu et al., 2017).

The company’s operational excellence strategy is key to delivering superior customer support, transactional excellence, business productivity, overall organizational performance, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, continuous improvement in operations and resources based on lean principles. Lockheed Martin has focused on its core competencies as a global defense contractor for nearly 100 years (Hughes, 2015). The key elements of its technology leadership strategy include: investing in innovation; acquiring new technologies; leveraging its intellectual property rights portfolio; developing innovative solutions; and implementing world-class research and development (R&D) programs.

When you are looking for an equipment supplier, you should consider the different strategy types in Lockheed Martin before making a final decision. This is because the supplier’s strategy will influence how they conduct business in other areas of the globe and regionally. A supplier with a cost-reducing strategy might not invest as much money in research into developing new products. However, if a company has a value creating approach to their strategy, then they would invest more money into research or spend more on advertising to promote their product over cheaper alternatives (Petrescu et al., 2017).

Lockheed Martin’s competitive advantage ranges from unparalleled human capital and technology, immunity from market forces, congressional ties and inseparable lobbying, and a monopoly on government defense spending. Lockheed Martin’s privileged position in the defense industry was made possible because the United States government has granted this company immunity from market forces due to its special relationship with the U.S. government. Consequently, Lockheed Martin is shielded from the consequences of competition (Petrescu et al., 2017). Unlike its competitors, Lockheed Martin effectively receives a government-granted monopoly through sole-source contracts and unique legislative exemptions. As a result, it can charge whatever price it sees fit without fear of losing customers or business.

This privileged position was made possible by effective lobbying to ensure that the government chooses Lockheed Martin and its subsidiaries to maintain U.S. military superiority, because the company has made unbreakable political connections throughout Congress (Benusa et al., 2012). Without these connections, it is not likely that Lockheed would receive such favorable contracts as those issued by the Northrop Grumman Corp. or the Boeing Co.

Sources within Congress have revealed that Lockheed Martin has a monopoly on U.S. military spending, and has been granted exclusive rights to the lion’s share of government contracts by the federal government because of its status as a national security contractor. This influence over defense spending makes Lockheed Martin’s market position extremely powerful and provides it an insurmountable advantage over its competitors.

Lockheed Martin also enjoys an extraordinary degree of immunity from market forces because of its close ties to the government and meddling in national security affairs and foreign policy in an effort to maintain U.S. superiority. The company’s innovative human capital and technology effectively provides it with a competitive advantage that other companies simply cannot match. Lockheed Martin’s ability to deliver superior products at low prices, coupled with its unconditional access to the U.S. defense budget and lawmakers’ preferential treatment, drives down the cost of new technologies for all competitors, making it impossible for any other company to match its innovations without massive government subsidies.

The influence of Lockheed Martin over U.S. defense policy has become so extensive that the company has been granted self-assumed permission to conduct foreign policy without oversight by Congress (Vera, & Rodriguez-Lopez, 2004). By receiving exclusive sole-source contracts from the federal government that ensure a monopoly on U.S. defense spending, Lockheed Martin is immune from market forces and enjoys a protected monopoly over the U.S. defense industry as a result of its close relationship with the U.S. government.

In order to maintain its self-assumed right to conduct foreign policy without congressional oversight, Lockheed Martin used its influence in Congress to weaken federal regulations for facilitating the development and use of the commercial oil and gas industry, which increases energy prices for those who have to purchase energy from these sources. Although oil prices rose by approximately 40 percent over the last decade because of record-high international oil prices, less than 5 percent of this increase occurred in response to increasing demand, because these costs are simply passed on by most consumers through higher energy costs (Vera, & Rodriguez-Lopez, 2004).

Organizational Size and Structure

The organizational size of Lockheed Martin is not large, but rather medium-sized. Lockheed Martin’s size is between what the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) defines as small and large organizations. Lockheed Martin’s organizational structure consists of a three-tiered command and control system with a decentralized management system on the top tier and an integrated operations center at the bottom tier that coordinates all activities across all tiers

Lockheed Martin has been in business since 1912, providing its services to some of the world’s largest corporations including Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Boeing Company and United Technologies Corporation. Its size has continued to grow, most recently surpassing 100,000 employees (Vera, & Rodriguez-Lopez, 2004).

Lockheed Martin’s Organizational Structure

Based on the description provided by Lockheed Martin on its website and information provided by other sources, Lockheed Martin’s organizational structure consists of a three-tiered command and control system with a decentralized management system on the top tier and an integrated operations center at the bottom tier that coordinates all activities across all tiers. The three tiers are (1) “Corporate Executives”, (2) “Center Senior Leaders”, and (3) “Operational Leaders”.

Corporate Executives are in charge of the upper management and have six executive roles assigned to them. They report to the senior vice president for the center that is predominant in their territory. Center Senior Leaders report directly to the senior vice presidents and oversee operations at the center. Operational Leaders are present in all three centers and report directly to Center Senior Leaders.

The eight different executive roles of a Corporate Executive include: (1) Continental Security, (2) Air Operations, (3) Global Security, (4) Field Services, (5) Finance & Accounting, (6) Information Technology Services, (7) Planning & Analysis, and (8) Program Management. These executives report to the senior vice president of the center that is predominant in their territory and oversee operations and guides strategic decisions for each center.

Senior Vice President, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Inc. Mr. Ash has overall responsibility for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ business development, product management, logistics, engineering, customer support, training and sustainment activities for all United States Air Force (USAF) and U.S.

Lockheed Martin Corporation is organized into four business sections: Aeronautics; Information Systems and Global Services; Space Systems; and Electronic Systems. The Aeronautics business is the largest and includes four major product lines: F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-130 Hercules, Sikorsky Aircraft, and Advanced Tactical Fighter (Hughes, 2015). Sitting on the corporation’s board of directors are 56 directors, who include heads of Lockheed Martin’s international subsidiaries in Canada, France, Italy and other countries. Lockheed Martin has over 30,000 employees who work on over 200 projects in 25 countries.

The Income Statement

Lockheed Martin Corporation is publicly traded on Nasdaq (symbol: LMT). The company’s annual revenues were $23.9 billion in 2001 and included sales to the U.S. Government of $12 billion, or 50 percent of the corporation’s total sales, according to company financial reports. The corporation’s net income in 2000 was $1 billion on revenues exceeding $29 billion. The corporation currently holds over $30 billion in assets and maintains a debt level that does not exceed 15% of total assets (Weber, & Chathoth, 2009).

The company’s Information Systems and Global Services segment provides data networks, systems integration and telecommunications. The corporation’s Space Systems segment manufactures and supports satellites, launch vehicles, worldwide positioning systems and space systems components for the government and commercial market. Aerospace products made in the Aeronautics business include engines, wings, fuselage sections and other parts used on airlines, military aircraft and air traffic control vehicles.

The Corporation’s Space Systems and Electronic Systems sections make systems for military, commercial and government customers worldwide. The corporation’s Electronic Systems section works with defense contractors to develop and produce electro-optical and infrared sensors for missile guidance signals, digital video data links for command and control, ultra-high-resolution video cameras for surveillance radars, avionics technology used in aircraft cockpits and communications systems that link ground commanders to their forces in the field.

Lockheed Martin Corporation has a core staff of approximately 114,000 people globally. It operates 90 bases worldwide in 39 US states and 16 foreign countries with an annual revenue of $46 billion.

Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Critical Resources

Lockheed Martin Corporation’s critical resources consists of a multitude of items. Some of the many critical resources in Lockheed Martin Corporation’s arsenal are:

-Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control Systems and Sensors,

-Various weapons systems including Air Force and Navy munitions,

-Various Naval ships such as the Littoral Combat Ship and LCS Mine Countermeasures Mission Package,

-Information based services like data analysis, software design and support solutions.

Other critical resources such as skilled and educated personnel, a well-defined mission and infrastructure are also important factors that keep Lockheed Martin Corporation’s critical resources working in harmony to protect the nation’s security. Lockheed Martin Corporation is a world class organization that keeps critical resources in high gear.

Lockheed Martin Corporation is one of the many companies that specialize in acquiring knowledge from varied sources and applying it to a wide range of fields such as science, technology and defense (Kessler, 2002). The company has been known for their work with space technology for decades. They are currently working on new technologies that will revolutionize how satellite systems are operated. Lockheed Martin Corporation has been partnering with other companies to solve problems such as the explosion of the space shuttle. Technological breakthroughs have allowed for a new generation of satellites to be put into orbit. The new generation of satellites can be used for different purposes and put into orbit faster than ever before. This achievement is also a big step in helping Lockheed Martin Corporation continue to make advancements in research and development.

Lockheed Martin Corporation’s current goals are no longer just about their new technology but about their “new” outlook on space exploration. The company is working hard on applying satellite technology to long-range missile detection systems such as those that are sent out from the National Missile Defense System.

The presence of these critical resources in the hands of a large organization like Lockheed Martin Corporation is an advantage for the country. The company’s various entities not only provide protection for the United States with their various systems and products, but they also help protect our allies by providing them with military assistance. Other countries are making use of Lockheed Martin’s systems as well.

In order to maintain these critical resources and expand them, Lockheed Martin Corporation has relied on government contracts and relationships in foreign countries. Some of their recent contracts have been vital to the operational success of many government projects pertaining to space technology and defense technologies (Petrescu & Petrescu, 2013). The nation’s security relies on these companies like Lockheed Martin achieving successful outcomes from their projects.

Leadership, Governance, And Management

Lockheed Martin Corporation’s leadership encompasses a broad range of functions such as finance, human resources, marketing, and development. Governance and management is managed externally by the company’s executive leadership team comprising of a chairman, president, two vice presidents and one chief operating officer. They then oversee the day-to-day operations within the company which are managed by a board of directors who are elected by an internal proxy in each business unit.

Lockheed Martin Corporation also has many subsidiaries that share similar governance styles with Lockheed Martin Corporation as well as their own unique ones. The governance of these subsidiaries shares common themes with those within Lockheed Martin Corporation or have differences that warrant their own unique style being applied to them depending on any specific circumstances for each individual subsidiary.

Lockheed Martin Corporation’s governance is not limited to just their internal management process. The company also plays an active role in their efforts to provide care and support for the communities in which they operate, as well as contributing to world causes that are important to them, such as fostering science and technology since the beginning of their history, and pursuing quality business practices such as being a responsible employer and leader in the community, both inside and outside of the company (Petrescu & Petrescu, 2013).

The Chairman of the Board, who is elected by the board of directors, is the main leader for Lockheed Martin Corporation (Petrescu et al., 2017). The position is generally held by a current or former executive of one of the company’s operating units. The chairman and all other officers report directly to their executive management team who report directly to the board of directors. The Executive Vice Presidents are also elected by the Board of Directors and answer directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) who in turn reports directly to the chairman and acts as his or her deputy in his absence. The chairman for Lockheed Martin Corporation is Christopher E. Kubasik, CEO and president since 2017 (Petrescu & Petrescu, 2013).

Lockheed Martin is headed by a board of directors. The board consists of twelve members, nine of whom are elected by the company’s shareholders and three elected by the company’s employees. The Chairman of the Board, who is also a member of the board, is elected by the board of directors.

William H. Swanson was Lockheed Martin Corporation’s first chairman and oversaw its initial public offering on March 15, 1961 and through 11 consecutive quarterly dividend increases before his voluntary retirement in 1982 at age 65. Swanson was appointed to President Carter’s Export Council in 1978. In 1994, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology “for leadership in introducing advanced technology to U.S.-based defense systems (Weber, & Chathoth, 2009). He led Lockheed Martin during its transformation from a defense contractor to one of the world’s leading commercial aerospace companies.”

Although he is best known for his role as Chairman of the Board, E. Butler MacCallum is responsible for initiating and managing the first phase of Lockheed Martin’s corporate development. The second phase, culminating with the formation of Lockheed Corporation, was initiated by John J. Marlin and Robert H. Hall in 1945-46. In 1961, MacCallum oversaw O’Gara and Swanson’s initial public offering on March 15, 1961 which eventually led to the formation of Lockheed Martin Corporation on March 16, 1964.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The major strengths of Lockheed Martin Corporation are its diversified base of customers and products. Lockheed Martin Corporation has succeeded in different industries such as aerospace, information systems, security technologies and related services. This is mainly due to the wide range of products that the company produces for both commercial and government use. The main weakness of Lockheed Martin Corp is its exposure to a variety of economic risk factors. There also exist risks associated with: cross-selling in international markets; competition from other technological companies; changing global economic conditions; political risk on countries that they do business with; product liability claims filed against them by customers and suppliers, etc.

Another strength is that it provides customers with integrated and multi-layered missile and air defense. Lockheed Martin Corporation has experience in testing and producing modern military systems by man and machine (Ma, 2002). Its diversified portfolio provides it with enough capabilities to perform in a var

The Book that Made Your World

A Review and Reflection of The Book that Made Your World

Name

Institution Affiliation

A Review and Reflection of The Book that Made Your World

Vishal Mangalwadi is the perfect person to describe the Western culture as an individual who understands Christianity coming from a region where other forms of religion reign. Offering an outsider point of view, Mangalwadi (2011) discusses culture and poverty in Chapter 2 Service: Or a Ticket to Jail. In a definition of his own life, the author tells of a culture shock he experienced coming from urban India to the rural areas of the nation. My analysis will focus on this chapter on service to humanity and how it connects to biblical teachings on service to God. Specifically, I will address how the Christian worldview on service changes cultural beliefs inculcated in other typical perspectives lie Hinduism and Buddhism. Ultimately, the bible teaches us to be selfless, to be considerate of others, and to show the love of Christ through our actions and service to humanity.

The cultural issue addressed in the chapter relates to the general outlook on life where the Bible is involved and where it is not. Mangalwadi (2011) is critical of the way rural India perceives life and how their perception of wealth and service differ from the rest of the developed India. The author presents just how dangerous it is to live outside of the villages where people are confined to a culture of togetherness and poverty. Rural Indians survived, at the time, on the rule of strength in numbers and similar living conditions. There is no incentive to improve. The focus is on conformity to the world surrounding an individual without real efforts to provide assistance to anyone or anything. Families bury their wealth because anything less would be seen as wastefulness. Consequently, the poverty mindset and culture that has stricken rural India is an economic stagnation and a prevailing attitude of being okay with poverty.

Jesus emphasized on doing his Father’s will. In the same line, envy, as evidenced by the dacoit bandits, seeks only to destroy the joy of others. Therefore, the Christian response to the cultural issue facing the rural Indians is to mold the faith and belief of others in service to God. The belief in God is a liberation from the oppressive faith that has held the minds and bodies of people for centuries. The faith that the rural Indian cultures subscribe to can be defined as vulnerable to victimization and exploitation. In comparing the faith of different regions in India, Mangalwadi (2011) notes how prosperous Kerala State is having a huge percentage of Christians and Christianity. The belief in God has changed the way people think in such areas, leading to less oppressive mindsets, reduced corruption, and a focus on pleasing God through service to other people. Jesus Christ compels Christians to seek out people whose livelihoods are not as the rest of the society. By helping others to have their grass become as green as the rest of the community, Christians are required to lead others to the belief in peace and love, to lead them to flourish as they are immersed in the love of God. In rural India, the prevalent faith promotes self-love for selfish and individual gains. The Christian response is a command of selfless love, through service to others for the greater good as to please God. From what I have learnt about Christianity, I believe it is the best fit for any given society, especially one plagued by a religion or faith that is oppressive and one that limits people to only think about themselves. Christianity demands more of Christ followers by focusing on the Son and seeing the heart of the Father. In essence, I find Christianity to have an outside-inward focus, one that demands people to be the best they can be to others and to themselves. Jesus Christ taught His followers to love their neighbors as they love themselves. This is the ultimate sacrifice and service to other people as it requires one to think of others before putting their interests first in all situations.

The interesting life and stories about Mangalwadi’s (2011) experiences in rural India define how service to others can lead one to trouble with authorities who are exposed only to oppressive worldviews. A prayer meeting with the intent to mold the faith of rural people to become better people, both in their culture and in their individual lives, led Mangalwadi to jail. His imprisonment turns into a blessing in a period of enforced meditation. It is a period that reveals the need to never underestimate the spiritual blindness of human rulers. I agree with the author’s perspective on service to humanity. I see it as the most fulfilling and a true service to God. It is not only a way to help others see the world differently but also enables them to understand why. The Christian response to the issue of changing worldviews is also refreshing. I agree with how the bible teaches us to put others first in a way that resembles Christianity. While this perspective is not always practical, it is applicable to any human life, lifestyle, or culture. The discussion challenged my own assumptions about being a true Christian. I always thought a personal relationship with God meant minding one’s own business. However, this chapter points to the complete opposite. It demands that we go further and beyond our individual selves to include other people, to help them in the best way to can by pointing them to the love of Christ.

Reference List

Mangalwadi, V. (2011). The book that made your world: How the Bible created the soul of western civilization. Thomas Nelson.

The chosen school law is the Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA).

A New Education Law

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliation

Course Name and Code

Professor’s Name

Date

A New Education Law

The chosen school law is the Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA). The ESSA bill was introduced to the senate on April 30, 2015, by Lamar Alexander. On December 10, 2015, the bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The ESSA was intended to update and replace the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. Although NCLB was revised in 2007, its prescriptive requisites became more unworkable for educators and schools with time. With this in mind, the Obama administration in 2010 collaborated with educators and families to establish better legislation to ensure that each student is sufficiently prepared for success in college and careers. This new legislation was ESSA. The ESSA did not do away provisions that relate to the periodic standardized evaluations given to students. Also, the ESSA represents good news for schools in the country as it builds on significant areas of progress in modern days made possible by the efforts of communities, educators, students, and parents across the nation (US Department of Education n.d).

The ESSA has had significant impacts on public schools today. Firstly, the law has clear expectations from the education Stakeholders where states are required to engage in and provide evidence that is based on facts and consultations with a variety of other stakeholders in making major state-level decisions (Adler-Greene, 2019). This today has resulted in the unity and collaborations of education stakeholders from Principals, teachers, and support persons to other staff in providing quality education. The law has been of great benefit in that it has put states and school districts in charge. With it, there are new opportunities and flexibility, which enables the states to balance many decisions. Among the decisions allowed are that the states are permitted to design their school ratings and choose the criteria for determining the lowest performing rates. Consequently, this has led to an increase in the number of high school graduates. This has been translated to an increase in the number of students joining public colleges than before.

Also, With ESSA, public schools have been able to get more funds to finance school activities. This has been achieved through ESSA’s extended flexibility for funds that are invested in technical and career education as well as money directed towards transportation for students attending higher-performing schools (Office of Elementary & Secondary Education, 2020). The funds have helped in increasing the capacity of schools, states, and local communities. This has benefited all learners to have accessibility to a well-rounded learning and improved learning environment. Under the new budget, ESSA is funded at $17.5 billion for 2022 financial year, an increase above $ 1 billion in 2021 financial year. The funds have been utilized to improve accessibility to better school psychological services and improve public school safety (Aragon et al., 2016). Overall, with the impacts stated above, it can be inferred that ESSA provides a strong basis to expand educational opportunities and improve educational outcomes

References

Adler-Greene, L. (2019). Every Student Succeeds Act: Are schools making sure every student succeeds? Touro L. Rev., 35, 11.

Aragon, S., Griffith, M., Wixom, M. A., Woods, J., & Workman, E. (2016). ESSA: Quick Guides on Top Issues. Education Commission of the States.

Hess, F. M., & Eden, M. (Eds.). (2021). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): What it means for schools, systems, and states. Harvard Education Press.

Office of Elementary & Secondary Education. (2022). What is the Every Student Succeeds Act? Retrieved 5 October 2020, from https://oese.ed.gov/families/essa/.

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). What is ESEA? Retrieved from http://blog.ed.gov/2015/04/what-is-esea/

RSwisher_Describing-a-poem

A letter from Phillis Wheatley

        The poem, ‘A letter from Phillis Wheatley’ as written by Robert Hayden has a total of 54 lines. However, the poem is not divided into any number of stanzas that would make it easy for one to see the poetic aspects that have been used. None the less, the poem does not follow a particular format especially in rhyme schemes of the last sounds of each sentence from the beginning to the end. For example, the first five lines end with the following words, Obour, without, times, destined and yet (p.464). These words end with different sounds therefore making one to conclude that no particular rhyme scheme was followed. This s the format that is followed throughout the poem from the first line to the last line. However, there are some lines that end with similar words that are not that far from each other. Therefore bringing a rhyming effect, this is seen in line 22 and line 25, the word ‘me’ is repeated and there are only two lines in between these two lines (p.465).          Even if there is no specified number of stanzas, there are rhyming words in the poem such as in line, 30, line 32 and line 34. These lines contain the words, wills, is and hiss respectively which are rhyming words used alternatively with the line in between them having a different word that does not rhyme (p.465).          In addition to this, the poem does not have a specific number of words that are included on each line, therefore, making it difficult to make a stable tune when reading the poem. In addition to this, due to the lack of stanzas, the number of words also seem to be random with some ending with a full stop, others with a comma, others within brackets and other lines end with no punctuation mark. This randomness is depicted in line 1 where the line ends with a comma. Line two ends with no punctuation mark-therefore within a sentence, line 5 ends within brackets and line 7 ends with a full stop (p.464). This format of randomness is not depicted in any other parts of the poem.          Even if the poem does not follow a particular format in poetic terms, the poem has some parts that present the thoughts of the persona. These are the parts that are in brackets as seen in line 5 through 6 ‘I yet have some remembrance of its Horrors'(p.464). Also in line 26, ‘I thought of Pocahontas’ (p.465). This bring about the mindset of the persona during such incidents, therefore making the reader know his emotions.          The poem also does not dwell in one scene throughout the poem, however, from line 1 to line 7; the poem talks about what the persona remembers about her voyage (p.464). From line 8, the persona remembers her encounter with her ladyship the previous day and her encounter with her friends (p.464). From line 30 to line 35, the poem talks about the creation period in Biblical terms whereby the persona describes the serpent (p.465).          There is a high level of repetition of the word ‘I’ at the beginning of most lines, even if their appearance do not follow a particular format. This is seen in line 10, line 16, line 28, line 35, line 41 and line 52. In addition to this, there is a resemblance in rhyming words in some words in the beginning of some lines. For example, in line 32, the first sound produced when pronouncing the word ‘Idyllic’ rhymes with the first sound produced when pronouncing the word ‘indeed’ in line 24 (p.265).          There is a time lapse at the beginning of the poem where the poet writes about the voyage to when the persona meets her ladyship (p.464). Also, the poem begins abruptly without familiarizing the reader of the initial setting of the poem that is vividly shown by line 2 where the poet writes, ‘Our crossing was without event.’ (p.464). The reader, however, is not familiarized with the crossing that is being talked about in the poem. In addition to this, the relationship between the persona and her ladyship is not explained anywhere. Therefore not disclosing all the information that is needed to make the reader follow what exactly is being talked about in the poem.

 

Work Cited

Hayden, Robert. “A Letter from Phillis Wheatley”, Mays., and Kelly J.. The Norton Introduction to Literature (Digital Portable Edition), 11th Edition. W. W. Norton & Company, 2014. VitalBook file.

Synecdoche New York

A Critical Analysis of Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York

Overview of Director’s Background

Not many films depict life the way that Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York does. In this film, the director focuses on the concept of solipsism and in so doing intends to dispose of the harmful ideation of “the other”. In the film, solipsism specifically focuses on the attitude and notion that on the mind of an individual is certain to be existent and that the perception held by a person relating to events and reality is the only truth and certainty. This is closely related to objectivism, a belief that one’s own pursuit of self interest is the sole moral commitment to which all humans are bound (Evans, 2014). The strangeness of the human existence is what drives Charlie Kaufman (2008) to the film Synecdoche, New York. The director is keen on reminding the audience that despite a setting of a world that is somewhat normal in comparison to our world, the truth is that anything could happen. This is Kaufman’s first film both as a writer and a director. It narrates a personal perspective on what life is about as an artist struggling in the crowded film industry.

The Film’s Connection to Other Sources of Art

Art is a wide term that has meant different things to different people over the course of history, and it is perceived differently by the people for whom it was intended to impress. Art is a universal language that transcends cultural, temporal, and linguistic barriers to communicate. It addresses a variety of themes and issues that ail a society. Art can be defined as a way of telling an individual story, a concept that is critical to filmmaking. Like every other source of art, Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York speaks to human emotions by a telling a story that connects with the audience on different levels. The beauty of a film such as Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York is that it can be interpretated in a variety of ways by different audience members, thereby meaning something different to each one. The story told in this film relates differently to people.

The concept of realism, certainty of the same, time, actions, attitudes and what constitutes of our world is challenged in this film. It connects to other sources of art in a way that it invokes deep thought into what the director intended to pass across. Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York also showcases how filmmaking uses skills that are unique to the craft, introducing other artists and professionals to improve the overall film. The film connects to other sources of art like the invention of paintbrush through how it employs professionals and other artists to ensure that shoot scenes, sound, production, distribution, props, visual effects, editing, and color grading are all up to expected standards. It uses tools from other forms of media and art to create a unique experience for the audience. For example, there is a connection between Adele’s occupation as a painter and Caden being a different artist focusing on theater and cinematography. As Caden’s life slowly distances from that of Adele, even their art forms separate to a great extent.

Blurry Boundaries between Fiction and Reality

Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York is partly all bout the blurring of the thin line that separates reality and fiction and the imminent dangers of this association. Ironically, the film, in itself, blurs the same line between fiction and reality. Even in its name, the film intends to challenge basic human thinking. A synecdoche describes when a section or part of something represents a whole. For example, the expression “lend a hand” uses a part of the body to mean the entire body. By building a copy of New York in a massive warehouse, Caden, a theatrical director, acquires an enormous quantity of money that gives him artistic freedom. Caden’s deterioration and disorientation lead to plays within plays and the blurring of the barriers between fiction and reality.

The film is ideally and increasingly committed to challenging the idea of realism and what it means to different people under different conditions. Kaufman manipulates time, speeding it up as often as he likes further increasing the effects to Caden. The effect is that Caden exhales despair with each breath as he nears his death. Deteriorating health, consciousness, relationships, and all forms of the things that connect people to others, Caden is increasingly becoming isolated and unaware of the world around him. Among other artistic components, Synecdoche, New York is all about finding authenticity, and this includes the search for the authentic self in a world that is highly inauthentic. Caden intends on creating an artistic piece that will not only justify the award given to him but also quite his partner’s criticism and mocking. It also addresses his own restless doubt and obsession that has become self-consuming. As he develops his story, line by line and actor by actor in his life-size endeavor, nonfiction and fiction begin to blur. The representation now takes dimensions that are reality-like to a point where they can replace reality. Caden creates his own world so perfectly that he no longer fits or even remembers how the real world operates.

The Concept of Synecdoche

Surrealist concepts influenced Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York. It examines daily worries and issues and covers a wide range of philosophical topics, from individual defects to the ruin of society (Perry, 2020). The movie speaks to everyone. Synecdoche, New York can help everyone who wonders what the aim of another day, decision, or creative endeavor is. To understand surrealist ideas, the film shows that one must first understand its central theme: consciousness and the concept of realism. The conscious is where we keep our memories, thoughts, and motivations. They can be recalled at any time. The subconscious, on the other hand, holds memories, processes, and motives that can’t be seen or heard. The subconscious can be known and made visible, brought into the light through remembering. The unconscious, on the other hand, contains the automatic processes that are based on our genes and natural processes.

There is a lot of misery and anguish in Synecdoche, New York, but it also has a lot of various possible interpretations. One individual believes it’s a “crypto zombie film,” while another believes it’s all in Caden’s brain right before he passes away. The fact that Kaufman’s film is so thought-provoking is a clear clue that it’s a terrific picture. As a character, Caden is flawed for sure, yet, this is a reflection of how every human is (Perry, 2020). The representation of Caden in the film only goes to demonstrate how we are all as a species. This is the concept of Synecdoche. It is where a small part is used to represent a whole. It also works in the other way around where something larger represents a smaller component of the same. That is exactly what Caden is in the film. Similar to other humans, Caden is walking through life, trying to figure out what the world is all about, making mistakes, and trying and failing to make things right. Caden is like every other person. In the film, he comes out as selfish and imperfect, but not bad person. He’s just a small part of a bigger whole, like everyone else.

Brecht’s Fourth Wall and its Relation in the Film

Epic theater breaks the fourth wall, which is the imaginary wall that separates the actors and the audience. This makes the audience part of the show. They are part of the theater experience because they aren’t able to turn off their minds during the show. Brecht made it plain that he wanted his audience to be engaged and interested in the play, or else his message would be missed. He sought to keep the characters from becoming emotionally involved. Breaking the fourth wall is important in this film because of how it detaches itself from reality. It intends to eliminate the disbelief in the movie that occurs right from its onset all the way to its end. Breaking the fourth wall is also a tool that Kaufman uses to communicate important information and to evoke deeper and more connected emotions between the viewer and the film characters. A lot of distortion and illusion come from a representation of Caden’s real life within the film as reality, yet it is so unreal to the viewer and normal for other characters. The effect is that the one viewing is forced to accept that what the film presents as real is a distorted version of everyday life (Evans, 2014). The film makes use of infinite regression where there is scene within a scene within another and so on. The physical space seems to be the same for every distortion despite how the different scenes and maps fit within each other. For example, Dianne West plays Millicent, then plays Ellen, played by Caden, and later exchange roles with Millicent to act as Ellen and be Caden at the same time.

The Concept of Death in the Film

The film has a very dark and obvious obsession with death right from its start to the end. Caden is aware that he, alongside every one else, will pass on. He views death as an inevitable process. Kaufman puts Caden through the wringer in his bizarre, expressionistic directorial debut. Gum surgery is performed on Caden. He later loses his natural capacity to salivate or weep (Saxena & Spears, n.d). His eyes have ceased to work properly. Random spasms irritate him, and his left leg soon develops a permanent twitch. He’s been referred to a seemingly infinite number of physicians and experts. They provide appointments but no treatment. Caden, on the other hand, is dying. Slowly. There is a feeling of death throughout the film. Physical death combined with the death of relationships.

Caden uses a meta-play inside a play that portrays an artistic journey that has gone on for so long that characters are dying and the entire set is in disarray. It is not clear whether the world on his stage is what is collapsing or the actual world. There is a hint of Manhattan being in a kind of dystopian setting. Hazel’s house is on fire as a further exploration of the concept of death (Perry, 2020). The constantly burning house is a whimsical and bold symbol of the fate of Hazel and that of others’ inevitable ending. Death in this sense is also a synecdoche, a small part of people’s lives symbolizing that of a whole.

The Art of Theater and its Representation in the Film

Art engagement isn’t limited to one-on-one interactions. Only a few venues in our culture allow individuals to come together and share an experience despite having differing perspectives on the world. It makes no difference whether we agree or disagree on the experience. It is critical that we agree to share any experience at all. Disagreement is welcomed and celebrated as a crucial component of the creative process in art and other kinds of cultural expression. In this sense, arts and entertainment may serve as a source of inspiration for politicians and activists seeking to break through the division and stigmatization that characterizes today’s public debate. In the film, the art of theater is used to bring out the difficulties of how film connects with the audience. It is also a way to break the fourth wall. It creates meaningful connections that force the viewer to understand exactly what is happening.

Personal Understanding of the Film’s Ending

Caden’s sacrifice, in my opinion, comes at the end of the film. It is critical for him to be able to comprehend the perspectives of others in order to comprehend himself. In the end, it turns out that Caden’s preoccupation with death can only be satiated by attempting to establish a connection with another individual. His life-size drama was just a means for him to escape from his real life, allowing him to passively observe it from a safe distance. Once he makes the decision to live as someone else, he will be able to accept himself and live in peace for a brief period of time. In life’s processes, people often compartmentalize the individuals in their lives and dictate how they should behave for their own benefit. Because it is impossible to compel them to obey societal goals, people are forced to deal with mental projections of themselves on others who are of different perspectives. However, they will be defiant and have their own agendas. this, in mu understanding is the conclusion made in the film. That, at times, contradictory versions of ourselves exist.

References

Evans, J. (2014). Figuring the global: on Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York. New Review

of Film and Television Studies, 12(4), 321-338.

Kaufman, C. & Jonze, S. (Producer), & Kaufman, C. (Director) (2008). Synecdoche, New York.

United States: Sony Pictures Classics.

Saxena, I., & Spears, R. M. Synecdoche, New York-An Investigation of Being.

https://ishaansaxena.github.io/assets/files/Synecdoche,%20New%20York%20-%20An%20Investigation%20of%20Being.pdf

Perry, A. (2020). Surrealism in Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York. Available at

https://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/202574/2020PerryAlexander-combined.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

VARIABLE PAY ,INCENTIVES FOR PERFORMANCE

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Pay for performance can be a part of total rewards. As discussed in the previous chapter, more employers are moving toward systems providing base pay for performance using matrixes and other means, rather than just giving all workers a standard percentage increase in pay. If the question is whether people work harder because pay is tied to performance, the answer is yes.

Tying pay to performance holds a promise that both employers and employees find attractive. For employees, it can mean more pay; for employers, it can mean more output per employee and therefore more productivity. However, it is much more difficult to design a successful variable pay or special incentive system than to simply pay employees a set hourly wage or salary.

Variable pay programs are very popular, with more than 80% of organizations using them, according to a World at Work annual survey. The most widely used of these programs involve awards based on individual, unit, and organizational performance and success.’ Common types of variable pay programs are based on factors such as sales, customer service, productivity, attendance, safety, and executive incentives.

VARIABLE PAY: INCENTIVES FOR PERFORMANCE

Variable pay is compensation linked to individual, group team, and/or organizational performance. Variable pay plans attempt to provide tangible rewards, traditionally known as incentives, to employees for performance beyond normal expectations. The philosophical foundation of incentives rests on several basic assumptions:

Some jobs contribute more to organizational success than others.

Some people perform better and are more productive than others.

Employees who perform better should receive more compensation.

Many employees’ total compensation should be tied directly to performance and results.

Pay for performance has a different philosophical base than does a more traditional compensation system, in which differences in job responsibilities are recognized through different amounts of base pay. In many organizations, length of service is a primary differentiating factor. However, giving additional rewards to some people and not others is seen as potentially divisive and as hampering employees’ working together. This is why many labor unions oppose pay-for-performance programs. In contrast, high-performing workers expect extra rewards for outstanding performance that increases organizational results.

Incentives can take many forms. For example, they can include simple praise, “recognition and reward” programs that award trips and merchandise, bonuses for performance accomplishments, and rewards for successful results for the company. A variety of possibilities are discussed later in this chapter. A successful plan will include a combination of different types of incentives.

Variable pay Compensation linked to individual, group/ team, and/or organizational performance.

Developing Successful Pay-for-Performance Plans

Employers adopt variable pay or incentive plans for a number of reasons. Key reasons that many employers adopt these plans are as follows:

Link strategic business goals and employee performance

Enhance organizational results and reward employees financially for their contributions

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FIGURE 12-1

Recognize different levels of employee performance through different rewards

Achieve HR objectives, such as increasing retention, reducing turnover, recognizing training, and rewarding safety

As economic conditions have changed in industries and among employers, the use of variable pay incentives has changed as well. Under variable pay programs, employees can have a greater sharing of the gains or declines in organizational performance results. Even in organizations where the number of staff members has been reduced, such as investment firms, employers are switching from base pay to variable compensation means.’

Variable pay plans can be considered successful if they meet the objectives the organization had for them when they were initiated and if they work with the organizational culture and the financial resources of the organization. Both financial and nonfinancial rewards for performance are important in pay- for-performance plans. The manner in which targets are set and measured is important.” Three elements that affect the success of variable pay systems are discussed next. These are highlighted in Figure 12-1.

Does the Plan Fit the Organizational The success of any incentive pay program relies on its consistency with the culture of the organization.’ For example, if an organization is autocratic and adheres to traditional rules and procedures, an incentive system that rewards flexibility and teamwork is likely to fail. In such a case, the incentive plan has been “planted” in the wrong growing environment.

When it comes to variable pay-for-performance plans, one size does not fit all.” A plan that has worked well for one company will not necessarily work well for another. For instance, in professional service firms, performance measures such as client progress and productivity, new business development revenues, client satisfaction, and profit contributions are typically linked to pay-for-performance programs.’ These measures might not work as well in a different industry. For an incentive plan to work, it must be linked to the objectives of the organization, its financial resources, and its desired performance results. However, when these criteria are met, many employers find that

Effective Variable Pay Plans

Does the plan fit with business

strategies and culture? ‘-

—‘”

Are the appropriate actions rewarded?

INCENTIVE PLAN SUCCESS

Is the plan administered properly?

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Awarding Points for Staff Efforts

One incentive that is widely used is award points. For taking certain actions or accomplishing designated results, the individual employees can get point-based incentive awards in addition to their pay. Examples from different industries illustrate the potential effectiveness of using this type of incentive.

One of the staffing concerns in hospitals is staffing certain work shifts. Instead of using independent contract persons to cover some shifts, some health care facilities are using award points and other incentives to encourage employees to be the extra shift workers. For example, at a Hawaiian hospital, employees who request night shifts or 8-hour days get awarded extra award points in addition to their pay. The employees can use their points for gasoline cards, tuition benefits, gift cards, and other awards. The impact of this system

for the hospital is that about 70% of the firm’s unfilled shift hours are being covered by employees who get the award-point incentives. Over an extended period of time, more than 100,000 extra shift hours by workers were aligned with the awards.

Similar programs have been used in other industries.

For instance, one airline used point-based awards to reward customer service personnel for getting more fees on overweight checked passenger bags. Also, the airline employees received such awards for community service, nonprofit volunteer activities, and other behaviors.

Different types of incentive systems have grown in usage in numerous other firms, industries, and organizational settings. This discussion illustrates how custom tailoring incentives can reward employees for desired actions.”

variable pay plans make performance results a higher priority than just how employees behave in their jobs, thus contributing to positive organizational results.

Does the Plan Reward Appropriate Actions? Variable pay systems should be tied as much as possible to desired performance. Employees must see a direct relationship between their efforts and their financial and nonfinancial rewards, as the HR Perspective illustrates.

Because people tend to produce what is measured and rewarded, organizations must make sure that what is being rewarded is clearly linked to what is needed. For instance, in a highly innovative firm, incentives may be very motivating for managers, given economic and other organizational performance impacts.” Performance measures need to give appropriate emphasis and weights for calculating incentives in order for the programs to be effective. If incentive measures are manipulated or inappropriate, the variable pay systems ma y not be as effective.’?

Use of multiple measures helps to ensure that important performance dimensions are not omitted. For example, assume a hotel reservation center wants to set incentives for employees to increase productivity by lowering the time they spend on each call. If that reduction is the only measure, the quality of customer service and the number of reservations made might drop as employees rush callers in order to reduce talk time. Therefore, the center should consider basing rewards on multiple measures, such as talk time, reservations booked, and the results of customer satisfaction surveys.

Linking pay to performance may not always be appropriate. For instance, if the output cannot be measured objectively, management may not be able

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G LOB A L

MEASURE

to correctly reward the higher performers with more pay. Managers may not even be able to accurately identify the higher performers. For example, in an office where tasks are to provide permits for building renovations, individual contributions may not be identifiable or appropriate.

Is the Plan Administered Properly? A variable pay plan may be complex or simple, but it will be successful only if employees understand what they have to do to be rewarded. The more complicated a plan is the more difficult it will be to communicate it meaningfully to employees. Experts generally recommend that a variable pay plan include several performance criteria. But having multiple areas of focus should not overly complicate the calculations necessary for employees to determine their own incentive amounts. Managers also need to be able to explain clearly what future performance targets need to be met and what the rewards will be.

Global Variable Pay

Variable pay is expanding in global firms, as well as among foreign-country employers. In Europe, Asia, and Latin America, more than 80% of manage- ment professionals and general staff are eligible for broad-based variable pay plans. Many programs are similar to those at U.S.-based companies, but global programs must accommodate cultural, legal, and economic differences.’! For firms with operations in multiple countries, having widely spread incentives requires that local managers be trained to control the reward programs and that the different choices in the programs are beneficial for success.”

Although administering any incentive plan can be difficult, global incentive programs can be especially complex. A company may have an overarching strategy, such as growing market share or increasing the bottom line, but that strategy frequently works out to different goals in different geographical regions. Also, laws and regulations differ from one country to the next. For example, in Latin America, there are mandatory profit-sharing regulations, so variable pay must reflect that. Countries such as China and India use individual incentives more widely than do the United States and Europe. However, to attract and retain expatriates, who are persons from one country working in another one, both salaries and incentives must be considered.

Metrics for Variable Pay Plans

Firms in the United States are spending significant amounts on variable pay plans as incentives. For instance, according to one survey, incentive expenditures in one year totaled $46 billion. Interestingly, more than $30 billion was paid on incentive merchandise and about $13 billion was spent on travel incentives. With such incentive expenditures increasing each year, it is crucial that the results of variable pay plans be measured to determine the success of the programs.’:’

Various metrics can be used, depending on the nature of the plan and the goals set for it. Figure 12-2 shows some examples of different metrics that can be used to evaluate variable play plans.

A common metric for incentive plans is return on investment (ROI). One firm, Leapfrog Group, has developed an ROI Estimator for its hospital pay- for-performance plan on health care activities, such as heart bypass, angioplasty, and others.” To illustrate a general ROI example, suppose a company decides that using a program to provide rewards in the form of lottery drawing

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FIGURE 12-2

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Compensation

Metric Options for Variable Pay Plans

SALES PROGRAMS

HR RElATED

Actual change vs. planned

change

Revenue growth

Return on investment

Average employee productivity change

Increase in market share

Customer acquisition rate

Growth of existing customer sales

Customer satisfaction

Employee satisfaction

Turnover costs

Absenteeism cost

Workers’ comp claims

Accident rates

chances each month for employees who were not absent during the month will reduce absenteeism. An ROI metric would look at the dollar value of the improvement minus the cost of the program divided by the total cost. So if the value of the reduction in absenteeism was $100,000 per year, and the program cost $85,000, calculations would be (100,000 – 85,000) -:- 85,000, for just over a 17% return on the investment.

Other metrics also can be used to evaluate programs for management decision making. Regardless of the variable pay plan, employers should gather and evaluate data to determine if the expenditures are justified by increased organizational operating performance.” If the measures and analyses show positive results, the nature of the plan is truly a pay-for-performance one. If not, the plan should be changed to one that is more likely to be successful.

Successes and Failures of Variable Pay Plans

Even though variable pay has grown in popularity, some attempts at incentives have succeeded while others have not. Incentives do work, but they are not a panacea because their success depends on multiple factors. 16 The positive view that many employers have of variable pay is not shared by all workers. If individuals see incentives as desirable, they are likely to put forth the extra effort to attain the performance objectives that trigger the incentive payouts. But not all employees believe that they are rewarded when doing a good job, and not all employees are motivated by their employers’ incentive plans.

Some employees prefer increases in their pay over noncash incentives, but noncash incentives do motivate some workers to perform better than cash rewards do. In addition, a research study concluded that the incentives employees say they desire may not be ones that actually lead to higher performance results. 17

One factor that can lead to failure of a variable pay plan is having an incentive plan that is too complex for employees and management to understand. If the plan is too complicated to follow, the focus may not be on successful performance, employee misunderstanding and miscommunications can occur, and lower performance may be the result. 18

Given these dynamics and the complexity of these plans, providing a variable pay plan that will be successful requires significant, continuing efforts.” Some factors that contribute to the success of incentive plans are as follows:

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Develop clear, understandable plans that are continually communicated.

Use realistic performance measures.

Keep the plans current and linked to organizational objectives.

Clearly link performance results to payouts that truly recognize performance differences.

Identify variable pay incentives separately from base pay.

Three Categories of Variable Pay

The incentives offered in variable pay plans can be classified into three categories: individual, group/team, and organizational. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Individual incentives are given to reward the effort and performance of individuals. Some common means of providing individual variable pay are piece- rate systems, sales commissions, and individual bonuses. Others include special recognition rewards such as trips or merchandise. However, with individual incentives, employees may focus on what is best for them personally, which may inhibit the performance of other individuals with whom they are competing. For this reason, in some situations, group team incentives may be more appropriate.

When an organization rewards an entire group team for its performance, cooperation among the members may increase. The most common group/team incentives are gain sharing or goal sharing plans, in which the employees on a team that meets certain goals, as measured against performance targets, share in the gains. Often such programs focus on quality improvement, cost reduction, and other measurable results.

Organizational incentives reward people according to the performance results of the entire organization. This approach assumes that all employees working together can generate improved organizational results that lead to better financial performance. These programs often share some of the financial gains made by the firm with employees through payments calculated as a percentage of the employ- ees’ base pay. The most prevalent forms of organization-

wide incentives are profit-sharing plans and employee stock plans.

Figure 12-3 shows some of the programs that fall under each type of incentive or variable pay plan. These programs are discussed in the following sections.

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The Wilson Group provides consulting services on variable pay compensation systems. Visit its website at wvvw.wilsongroup.com.

FIGURE 12-3

Categories of Variable Pay Plans

INDIVIDUAL

GROUP/TEAM

ORGANIZATIONAL

Piece-rate systems

Bonuses

Special incentive programs (trips, merchandise, awards)

Sales compensation

Group team results

Gainsharing/goalsharing

Quality improvement

Cost reduction

Profit sharing

Employee stock plans

Executive stock options

Deferred compensation

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INDIVIDUAL INCENTIVES

Individual incentive systems tie personal effort to additional rewards. Conditions necessary for the use of individual incentive plans are as follows:

Individual performance must be identified. The performance of each individual must be measured and identified because each employee has job responsibilities and tasks that can be separated from those of other employees.

Individual competitiveness must be desired. Because individuals generally pursue the incentives for themselves, competition among employees often occurs. Therefore, independent competition in which some individuals “win” and others do not must be something the employer can tolerate.

Individualism must be stressed in the organizational culture. The culture of the organization must be one that emphasizes individual growth, achievements, and rewards. If an organization emphasizes teamwork and cooperation, then individual incentives may be counterproductive.

Piece-Rate Systems

The most basic individual incentive systems are piece-rate systems. Under straight piece-rate system, wages are determined by multiplying the number of units produced (such as garments sewn or service calls handled) by the piece rate for one unit. Because the cost is the same for each unit, the wage for each employee is easy to figure, and labor costs can be accurately predicted.

A differential piece-rate system pays employees one piece-rate wage for units produced up to a standard output and a higher piece-rate wage for units produced over the standard. Managers often determine the quotas or standards by using time and motion studies. For example, assume that the standard quota for a worker is set at 300 units per day and the standard rate is 14 cents per unit. However, for all units over the standard, the employee receives 20 cents per unit. Under this system, the worker who produces 400 units in one day would get $62 (300 X 14¢) + (100 X 20¢). Many possible combinations of straight and differential piece-rate systems can be used, depending on situational factors.

Despite their incentive value, piece-rate systems can be difficult to apply because determining standards is a complex and costly process for many types of jobs. In some instances, the cost of determining and maintaining the standards may be greater than the benefits derived. Also, jobs in which individuals have limited control over output or in which high standards of quality are necessary may be unsuited to piecework unless quality can be measured.

Bonuses

Straight piece-rate system Pay system in which wages are determined by multiplying the number of units produced by the piece rate for one unit.

Bonus One-time payment that does not become pa rt of the employee’s base pay.

Individual employees may receive additional compensation in the form of a bonus, which is a one-time payment that does not become part of the employee’s base pay. Individual bonuses are used at all levels in some firms and are the most popular short-term incentive plan.

A bonus can recognize performance by an employee, a team, or the organization as a whole. When performance results are good, bonuses go up. When performance results are not met, bonuses go down. Most employers base part of an employee’s bonus on individual performance and part on

CHAPTER 12

Incentive Plans and Executive Compensation

403

FIGURE 12-4

company results, as appropriate. Numerous CEOs receive bonuses based on specific results.”

Bonuses also can be used to reward employees for contributing new ideas, developing skills, or obtaining professional certifications. When helpful skills or certifications are acquired by an employee, a pay increase or a one-time bonus may follow. For example, a financial services firm provides the equivalent of two weeks’ pay to employees who master job-relevant computer skills. Another firm gives one week of additional pay to members of the HR staff who obtain professional certifications such as Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), or Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).

“Spot” Bonuses A unique type of bonus used is a “spot” bonus, so called because it can be awarded at any time. Spot bonuses are given for a number of reasons, perhaps for extra time worked, extra efforts, or an especially demanding project. For instance, a spot bonus may be given to an information technology employee who installed a computer software upgrade that required extensive time and effort.

Often, spot bonuses are given in cash, although some firms provide man- agers with gift cards, travel vouchers, or other noncash rewards. Noncash rewards vary in types and levels, but they need to be immediately visible and useful to be seen as desirable by individuals.” The keys to successful use of spot bonuses are to keep the amounts reasonable and to provide them only for exceptional performance accomplishments. The downside to their use is that they can create jealousy and resentment in other employees who feel that they deserved a spot bonus but did not get one.

Special Incentive Programs

Numerous special incentive programs can be used to reward individuals, ranging from one-time contests for meeting performance targets to awards for performance over time. For instance, safe-driving awards are given to truck drivers with no accidents or violations on their records during a year. Although special programs can be developed for groups and for entire organizations, they often focus on rewarding individuals. Special incentives are used for several purposes, as noted in Figure 12-4.

Purposes of Special Incentives

“TRIGGERS” FOR SPECIAL INCENTIVES + Recognize performance efforts

+ Expand customer service

+ Increase sales

+ Encourage employee teamwork + Increase employee morale

+ Enhance employee loyalty/retention + Improve safety/attendance

AWARDlYPES

+ Performance

+ Recognition

+ Service

404

SECTION 4

Compensation

Performance Awards Cash, merchandise, gift certificates, and travel are the most frequently used incentive rewards for significant performance. Cash is still highly valued by many employees because they can decide how to spend it. However, noncash incentives may be stronger motivators, based on a study that considered awards such as vacation cruises, home kitchen equipment, groceries, and other noncash items. For instance, travel awards appeal to many U.S. employees, particularly trips to popular destinations such as Disney World, Las Vegas, Hawaii, and international locations. These examples indicate that many employees appreciate the “trophy” value of such awards as much as the actual monetary value.

Recognition Awards Another type of program recognizes individual employees for their performance. For instance, many organizations in industries such as hotels, restaurants, and retailers have established “employee of the month” and “employee of the year” awards. Hotels often use favorable guest comment cards as the basis for providing recognition awards to front desk representatives, housekeepers, and other hourly employees.

Recognition awards often work best when given to acknowledge specific efforts and activities that the organization has targeted as important. Global employers may use recognition awards that reflect cultural differences in various countries. The criteria for selecting award winners may be determined subjectively in some situations. However, formally identified criteria provide greater objectivity and are more likely to be seen as rewarding performance rather than as favoritism. When giving recognition awards, organizations should use specific examples to describe clearly how those receiving the awards were selected.

Service Awards Another type of reward given to individual employees is the service award. Although service awards often are portrayed as rewarding performance over a number of years, in reality the programs in most firms recognize length of service (e.g., 1, 3, 5, or 10 years) more than employees’ actual performance. Many of these awards increase in value as the length of service increases, and often they are made as dollar amounts rather than as gifts.

Some firms give recipients gift cards to retail or restaurant locations, while others let qualifying employees select items from a range of merchandise choices (e.g., cameras, watches, and other items). Different firms offer employ- ees of certain lengths of service special trips to resorts or social events. The overall goal of these awards is to give appreciation to employees for service.

GROUPfTEAM INCENTIVES

The use of groups/teams in organizations has implications for incentive compensation. Although the use of groups/teams has increased substantially in the past few years, the question of how to compensate their members equitably remains a significant challenge. Many firms provide rewards for work groups or teams in different ways and for several reasons, as Figure 12-5 notes.

Team incentives can take the form of either cash bonuses for the team or items other than money, such as merchandise or trips. But group incentive situations may place social pressure on members of the group. Everyone in the group succeeds or fails. Therefore, some argue that team incentives should be given to team members equally, although not everyone agrees.

CHAPTER 12

Incentive Plans and Executive Compensation

405

FIGURE 12-5

Teams and Variable Pay Plan Results

TEAM VARIABLE PAY

Improves productivity

Ties pay to team performance

Improves customer service or production quality

Increases employee retention

Design of Group/Team Incentive Plans

In designing group team incentive plans, organizations must consider a number of issues. The main concerns are how and when to distribute the incentives, and who will make decisions about the incentive amounts.

Distribution of Group Team Incentives Several decisions about how to distribute and allocate group team rewards must be made. The two primary ways for distributing those rewards are as follows:

Same-size reward for each member: All members receive the same payout, regardless of job level, current pay, seniority, or individual performance differences.

Different-size reward for each member: Employers vary individual rewards depending on such factors as contribution to group team results, current pay, years of experience, and skill levels of jobs performed.

Generally, more organizations use the first approach. The combination of

equal team member award payouts and individual pay differences rewards performance by making the group team incentive equal while also recognizing that individual differences exist and are important to many employees. The size of the group team incentive can be determined either by using a percent- age of base pay for the individuals or the group/team as a whole, or by offering a specific dollar amount. For example, one firm pays members individual base rates that reflect years of experience and any additional training that they have. Additionally, the group/team reward is distributed to all as a flat dollar amount.

Timing of Group Team Incentives How often group/team incen

Student A Grade Assessment – Wedding Plan

-431322752226003252362200BMGN N470 Project Management

00BMGN N470 Project Management

center20383500-574358342995300-36258578486000723900376237500

624840142611&

Mahra

Hamad

&

Mahra

Hamad

12820532306691Submitted to:

Shaun Hodgson

Submitted by:

Reem Al Falasi

Najla Al Hammadi

Mouza AlmehreziSara Al Mansoori

Sheikha Al Shehhi960001938

970000784

990003148

200020640

200005376

Submission Date: DATE @ “d MMMM yyyy” 7 October 2014

Section: BEIT12

00Submitted to:

Shaun Hodgson

Submitted by:

Reem Al Falasi

Najla Al Hammadi

Mouza AlmehreziSara Al Mansoori

Sheikha Al Shehhi960001938

970000784

990003148

200020640

200005376

Submission Date: DATE @ “d MMMM yyyy” 7 October 2014

Section: BEIT12

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc376729056 h 3The Project Plan defines the following: PAGEREF _Toc376729057 h 3Project Team and Sponsor PAGEREF _Toc376729058 h 4Wedding Goals and Objectives PAGEREF _Toc376729059 h 4Wedding Goal: PAGEREF _Toc376729060 h 4Wedding Objectives PAGEREF _Toc376729061 h 4Wedding Scope PAGEREF _Toc376729062 h 5Wedding Constraints PAGEREF _Toc376729063 h 5Wedding stakeholders PAGEREF _Toc376729064 h 6Wedding breakdown structure PAGEREF _Toc376729065 h 7Wedding schedule PAGEREF _Toc376729066 h 8Wedding Budget PAGEREF _Toc376729067 h 9Total estimated cost for each activity: PAGEREF _Toc376729068 h 9Budget Sheet PAGEREF _Toc376729069 h 9Payment Sheet PAGEREF _Toc376729070 h 10The Mitigation of Project Risks PAGEREF _Toc376729071 h 11Auditing PAGEREF _Toc376729072 h 12Communication Plan PAGEREF _Toc376729073 h 12Quality Plan PAGEREF _Toc376729074 h 13Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc376729075 h 14

IntroductionOne of the greatest days in a person’s life is her wedding day. To ensure that such a significant event goes off without a problem, a suitable planning is required. Months will be spent before the wedding researching vendors, comparing products and prices, meeting with photographers, hotel managers, and many wedding vendors to decide how to save costs on each wedding item (Hammond, 2007). Without a proposal plan that outlines budgets, how important tasks should be organized, and what the possibilities are in the wedding that something goes wrong, could result in what should be one of the happiest days of someone’s life turning into a whole disaster.

Mahra and Hamad have got engaged and have planned to get married on 14-4-2014. Mahra has relied on her best friends Najla, Shaikah, Sara, Reem and Moza to plan out the wedding. Hamad’s parents have agreed to help fund the wedding with AED 400, 000. An estimated 600 people are expected to come to the wedding and they would really like a breathtaking wedding with a full dinner, a stage, a live band, a honeymoon in Paris. The plan is to have a successful wedding by using the budget they are provided with.

The Project Plan defines the following:Project team and sponsor.

Wedding goal and objectives.

Wedding scope.

Wedding constraints.

Wedding stakeholders.

Wedding breakdown structure.

Wedding schedule.

Wedding budget.

The mitigation of project risks.

Auditing.

Project Team and SponsorName Role Responsibility

Hamad’s Parents Project Sponsor Provide fund for the wedding

Reem Project Manager Manages project in agreement to the project plan

Receive guidance from stockholder (bird & groom)

Supervise vendors

Provide overall project direction

Direct/lead team members toward project objectives

Handle problem resolution

Najla Project member Performs project deliverables

Manages the project budget

ShaikahProject member Execute project deliverables

MouzaProject member Execute project deliverables

Sara Project member Execute project deliverables

Wedding Goals and ObjectivesWedding Goal:Having a breathtaking wedding for Hamad and Mahra

Wedding ObjectivesPreparing a wedding within the given budget.

Announcing the marriage of Hamad and Mahra.

Gathering Hamad and Mahra’s families.

Having entertainment.

Having a perfect timeline for all related activities to meet the wedding day.

Large bridal party

Wedding ScopeAfter defining the objectives of the wedding, we had cleared the scope which shows the limit of the project; understand who the stakeholders are and what they expect to be delivered. The last step was getting the stakeholders to review and agree to them.

The below table shows the scope of the project:

Included Excluded

Venue selection Flower Accommodation for guests Not inviting anyone and everyone we know

Photographer Bride’s entrance song A wedding planner Cards distrusting

Cake design Beverages Hospitality Transportation for guests Hair and makeup

Invitation card Chocolate Bridle dress Honeymoon

Stage design and venue thèmes Guest list Reception lunch Bride’s bouquet

Live Band Tables and chairs Engagement party Bride’s dress

Wedding Constraints

Wedding is 4 months and 25 days from today

Limited budget.

Venue holds 600 people.

Skills & knowledge of wedding executors

Wedding stakeholdersStakeholders The Role Influence

Level

Bride & Groom Wedding preparation approvers High

Groom Family Fund the wedding, guest list, offer assistance with wedding details High

Bride Family Host the henna party, guest list, offer assistance with wedding details High

Wedding Guests Attend the wedding party and enjoying it High

Musicians Revive the wedding party and responding to attendance requests for of different songs High

Hotel Caterer Providing previously agreed menus amounts commensurate with the number of attendees and care to meet their demands High

Cake Maker Making wedding cake to meet the desire of the bride in terms of design, color, flavor and size Medium

Card Designer Creating previously agreed invitation card In harmony with the taste of the bride and groom Medium

Venue and Stage Decorator Arrange the venue and stage based on previously agreed them, ensure to offer the necessary small details like, flowers , candles…etc. High

photographer Portray the bride and the wedding hall Photographic and video camera from several beautiful angles High

Chocolate Shop The provision of agreed types of chocolate within the required quantities and time and sophisticated encapsulates Low

Beverage Hostesses Provide different types of hot drinks, traditional sweets and perfumes equally and consistently to all guests until the end of the ceremony Medium

Reem (Manager) Supervising and Entertainments High

Sara (Member) Booking the venue, Decoration High

Sheikha (Member) Invitation card , Decoration, High

Najla (Member) Control budgets, Hospitality, High

Mouza (Member) Photography High

-34290060833000Wedding breakdown structure

Wedding scheduleAfter defining the main activities under the work break down we started to plan for the five main activities or tasks and the milestones that needs to be managed and complete while we are preparing for the wedding and the tasks are Invitation cards, venue, hospitality, photography and entertainments. Additionally, the estimated period for preparation is four and a half months, the starting date will be 1/12/2013 and the finish date is the wedding date 14/4/2014 and the project manager has assigned project members to be responsible for managing and completing the activities.

-21336015303500

Wedding BudgetThe project budget is the cost and budget needed in order to complete all of the project activities. The total budget amount sponsored by Hamad’s parent is AED 400,000 and the total estimated cost AED 350,000.

Total estimated cost for each activity:Activity Venue Invitation Hospitality Entertainment Photography

(AED) Estimate 264,000 11,000 25,000 30,000 20,000

Budget Sheet

-200660103759000The budget sheet covers all the detailed estimated cost for on-going activities till project completion. It includes all of the listed activities in the wedding work breakdown structure. It is classified as 5 main categories and sub categories.

Payment Sheetcenter150050500To control the payment and insure all payments are done on the agreed time, the payment sheet covers all the detailed due dates for each activity. All of the payments are done before the wedding party date and the only payment due on 05/04/2014 is the settlement related to photography cost which is paid when collecting the Album. Below is the payment sheet sample:

The Mitigation of Project RisksRisks Probability Impact Solutions

Shortage of knowledge about vendors low high Team member go to as many wedding party as she can and ask about the vendors with best services

Vendors break the deal just before signing the contract high high Always keep a substitute for all vendors for plan B

Decorations quality poor due to late starting low high Make sure to mention the start time on the contract and remind them more than two times before the wedding.

Error in printing the invitation card high high Ask to have one sample before printing all invitation to check everything, and make sure of the date of reservation first.

Shortage of budget low high Backup plan, keep amount of budget for emergency situations.

Large number of guests high low Request a backup tables and chairs

Due to wrong estimation there is shortage of food low high Backup arrangement with restaurant.

Wrong selection of flowers low low Ask flowers’ vendors about the seasonal flowers that are available on the wedding date.

Photographers’ camera stop working and there is no backup. low high Make sure when signing the contract with the photographer that he will provide a backup camera.

Wedding cake drops or wrong color low high Order two cakes

Brides’ dress damages or her shoe low high Back up shoe and emergency sewing tools

Bride cries and damages her makeup high low Makeup backup

Guests bring their children high high Note in the invitation cards

Death in the family low high Rearrange the wedding or cancel it

AuditingOur manager Reem is responsible to follow the schedule, and make sure to send out meeting invites or project updates to all wedding parties on daily basis. Also, gives them heads up as things start coming together. We believe that it’s important to frequently review the overall achievements and spending to ensuring that you get what you planned and paid for, so we set a communication plan and quality plan.

Communication PlanTo make sure that all parties concerned are totally informed up-to-date. We developed a proactive communication plan that will provide consistent information, frequent updates and ensure clear understanding of whole processes. So we made periodic calendar for meetings as well as we will the use (wedding planning complete), it is a smart phone app that contains all the wedding activities, time line, wedding check list, responsibilities, meetings and notifications alert. All stakeholders will be connected through this app and Ms. Reem (project manager) will manage and control everything. Furthermore, in case one or more parties doesn’t have or use a smartphone, then an email will be sent automatically as well as everything will be discuss through the meetings.

The following table shows meetings calendar:

Type Date Time Location

The first meeting Meeting with sponsors Meeting with vendors Emergency meeting Quality PlanTo ensuring that you get the quality you expected, our manager will distribute hand out assignment lists and checklists to ensure everyone knows their tasks. On top of that testing everything is one of our priorities to make sure that we meet or exceed your expectations. As well as the manager will provide progress reports for all stakeholders to keep our meetings short and to the point with details such as the number of tests that accepted, failed and the one that rescheduled.

Check list:

ConclusionWe did this project to help out our very good friend Mahra with her special day. We undertook this because we always enjoy a learning experience. We produced in budget wedding for Mahra and Hamad. Tools used in this project was MS Project this bit of software allowed the planning of the wedding, and made things easier to plan basically.

In the end everyone including the caterers, photographers and other help enjoyed the wedding just as much as Mahra, Hamad and their families. This was very much a learning experience for me and hopes to do it again one day.

Appendix

Justify why you have structured your change management plan in this particular

4. Justify why you have structured your change management plan in this particular way and why you have used some specific techniques or approaches in your planning, not others, with reference to the literature.

4.1 Justification of Change Management Plan Strategies.

The structure of the change management plan for ANC company involves building a guiding coalition and cooperating with expert organisations. These activities will help in facilitating communication, managing resistance, providing reinforcement and addressing implementation barriers.

These strategies facilitate communication during organisational changes. Communication is vital in implementing change in an organisation; it creates awareness about the project, enhances understanding and acceptance between various stakeholders and builds commitments among parties involved (Simoes and Esposito, 2014). The implementation of ERP systems in the ANC company failed due to ineffective communication and communication breakdown among the departments in the company. One of the guiding coalition functions is conducting regular communication meetings to ensure that all stakeholders understand and accept the expectation of the organisational change. Therefore, creating a guiding coalition during the ANC’s ERP system implementation will eliminate communication challenges.

Secondly, these strategies help in managing resistance during organisational changes. Resistance to change is typical and expected in an organisation when implementing a new system or policy (Hayes, 2018). Thus, businesses must develop initiatives to curb, manage, or eliminate the resistance to change. The resistance to change by various stakeholders is among the challenges ANC company faced while implementing the ERP system. One of the objectives of the guiding coalition in the ANC company change plan is to collect opinions, suggestions, and feedback regularly from employees to assist in decision-making. The involvement of employees in the process of change decision making is crucial in managing resistance.

Additionally, these change plan strategies help in eliminating implementation barriers during organisational changes. Several barriers impact the process of organisational change; from employees’ attitudes, limited understanding of the change to inadequate skills and knowledge for implementing the organisational change (Hayes, 2018). Building a guiding coalition helps eliminate employee-related barriers to change while cooperating with expert organisation help in removing obstacles related to inadequate understanding of the change and insufficient skills, knowledge and expertise (Weiss & Li, 2020). During the ERP system implementation, the ANC company experienced challenges of employees resistance and insufficient technology and expertise. Therefore, through cooperation with expert organisations such as professional risks experts, market economics and information technology system developers, the ANC company can develop insights and ideas essential for implementing the ERP system.

Furthermore, these change plan strategies provide reinforcements necessary for implementing organisational changes and show progress. Reinforcements are vital to the success of all change initiatives. Employees tend to go back to what is familiar, hence the need for a system that monitors the implementation of organisational changes (Hayes, 2018). Additionally, measuring the progress of organisational change is vital to its success and management. Measuring the progress of an initiative is crucial to the evaluation of its success, failure or challenges. One of the functions of a guiding coalition in the ANC company change management plan is conducting a regular progress meeting to report on organisational progress and transformation in adopting ERP system and timely and accurate transmission of instructions and ideas among stakeholders.

4.2 Reasons for the Selected Approaches

Effective change management approaches facilitate employee guidance during the change process and offers a smooth transition. Building a guiding coalition and cooperating with expert organisations is crucial for ANC company to implement the ERP system successfully.

4.2.1 Building a guiding coalition

A guiding coalition comprises a group of social leaders who bring perspective, energy, and expertise across various areas, and their professionalism command respect from their peers. Maximini (2015) documents that these groups of people assist organisational management in transforming the organisation; they can shape, implement and sustain various organisational changes proposed by the organisation leadership and management.

Building a guiding coalition impacts employees’ attitudes towards the change vision, enhances positive energy towards the change, and minimises resistance towards the change. A guiding coalition comprises individuals with the skillset and experience necessary for implementing the organisational plan.

The advantage of this method is that these individuals can quickly gather and process information about the change process and present it to other employees, majorly their peers, in detail and effectively (Maximini, 2015). This will positively impact how employees react and embrace the change process. It is an advantage because it allows a buy-in towards a change initiative. Additionally, a guiding coalition comprises influential individuals in an organisation who are informed and committed to decisions (Chappell et al., 2016). Most organisational changes fail due to a lack of commitment among employees; having a team among employees dedicated to the change process is vital for the success of the change process (Hayes, 2018). The implementation of the ERP system by the ANC company failed majorly due to personnel induced challenges. Building a guiding coalition will enhance the success and the speed of implementing the ERP system within the organisation. It will include diversity in the change agents, thereby fast tracking actual change.

4.2.2 Cooperate with Expert Organisations

Businesses face both internal and external challenges during their operations. Sometimes, the available internal knowledge is not adequate to solve external challenges such as a change in operational policies or the country’s economic status (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). Therefore, there is a need for business managers and leaders to cooperate with external experts. In implementing organisational changes, the business must understand how the change will impact its positions in the market social, economic and politically.

Expert organisations such as risk assessment, market economic, and system developers possess the necessary knowledge and better ideas to implement organisational changes. Cooperating with these organisations provides fresh and unique perspectives in implementing organisational change and improving efficiency (Hayes, 2018). For instance, collaborating with risk assessment experts help business identify and analyse the potential risks associated with changing the organisation’s plans.

The advantage of this method is that cooperating with experts can make up for the lack of skills and management expertise and make the process and need of organisational change more convincingly to employees (Hayes, 2018). Essentially, experts bring in a fresh perspective, including best practices from the industry in order to facilitate smoother change implementation and management (Pollack & Pollack, 2015). The ANC companies will benefit from cooperating with experts in the implementation of ERP systems. For example, the company can partner with system developers to create a better system that meets the market standards, market economics to evaluate the impact of the change on the company budget and revenue and risk assessment experts to evaluate the economic and social risks associated with the implementation of the ERP system. Additionally, it helps in changing the attitudes of ANC company employees and other stakeholders towards the system.

Bibliography

Chappell, S., Pescud, M., Waterworth, P., Shilton, T., Roche, D., Ledger, M., … & Rosenberg, M. (2016). Exploring the process of implementing healthy workplace initiatives: mapping to Kotter’s leading change model. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 58(10), e341-e348.

Hayes, J., 2018. The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave.

Maximini, D., 2015. The Guiding Coalition. In The Scrum Culture (pp. 107-113). Springer, Cham.

Pollack, J., & Pollack, R. (2015). Using Kotter’s eight stage process to manage an organisational change program: Presentation and practice. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 28(1), 51-66.

Simoes, P.M.M. and Esposito, M., 2014. Improving change management: How communication nature influences resistance to change. Journal of Management Development.

Weiss, P. G., & Li, S. T. T. (2020). Leading change to address the needs and well-being of

trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic pediatrics, 20(6), 735-741.

isualization as a co-design

3D visualization as a co-design on the performance of the Apparel Industry

Student’s name

Institution

Course

Tutor

Date

The apparel industry is the same as the garment, clothing, and fashion industries. The fashion accessories, footwear, and clothing sector includes production, designing, wholesale, and retailing. Fashion, modeling, hairstyling, make-up artistry, photography, and other sub-sections are also included. It is a highly significant industry in the country since it provides income to many people and revenue to the government. The introduction of computerization in the garment sector resulted in design progress, as two and three dimensional visualizations are now utilized in the fabrication of stunning designs. As a result, two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations created with computers have essentially eliminated the real dummy in the apparel sector. In that scenario, many people in the Apparel sector believe that three-dimensional visualization is crucial in the current design of textile components. The study presented here deals with the importance of three-dimensional visualization in the apparel industry and the advancement in fashion technology (Lee, Ahn, Kim, & Kho, 2019).

In the Apparel sector, three-dimensional visualization plays a vital role in product design. The apparel designers utilize three-dimensional modeling to create garments and textiles that look stunning. In this context, they use computer programs to design items that would ultimately be made and worn by people. With this type of designing, they can make sure that their designs will look appealing to others who will wear them (Lee, Ahn, Kim, & Kho, 2019). And due to the huge variety of combinations that can be created using 3D renderings and laser scanners, there are no limitations on what can be made with such techniques.

Using three dimensions sparks innovation in the garment and textile industries, resulting in more pleasurable items that are cheaper, nicer, and more efficient. This is only feasible because of rivalry among the many enterprises in the sector. The rivalry among enterprises benefits the end user since they will be able to obtain cheaper and better items than handcrafted products. The fashion industry has a global orientation and is thus reliant on foreign markets for growth (Choi, 2022). Currently, the sector exhibits a wide range of problems that hinder its development, including the lack of qualified workers, poor infrastructure, and the proliferation of counterfeit products. Also, the nature of this sector requires a lot of innovation and creativity in some areas because all brands have to be unique and different. This innovation, however, requires designers to create garments that are different from what others are doing.

With 3D modeling and 3D visualizing technology being so important in the apparel sector, it must be ensured that quality standards are maintained in this field. Apart from ensuring the quality of machinery and materials, the Apparel sector must see to it that designers have the knowledge and skills needed to carry out their work. For example, they must be able to apply technical skills to create a three-dimensional visualization that is correct and accurate. Also, they must be able to adjust their designs in such a way that after production, they can be easily manufactured. This is essential, since the quality of such garments depends on how well their design was executed by designers. Furthermore, designers should also know all about computer-aided drafting (CAD), in order for them to be able to combine three-dimensional modeling with problems encountered during production (such as garment deformation) (Choi, 2022).

What I have learnt from this article is that 3D modeling is going to be very important for our clothing industry. There are advantages in terms of design, advertising and security. I like the idea of creating a 3D model from one piece of fabric which would result in faster decisions about patterns and designs. This can also help with security because if an item has been measured once it can be reproduced in any size and shape (Sun, Rolling, Howard, & Peek, 2018).

The news of 3D visualization as a co-design on the performance of the Apparel Industry is relevant to the business of apparel today since current designs and design trends are heavily influenced by 3D visualizations. This can be seen in clothing stores as well as online. People are looking for more exciting and more innovative clothing and therefore the design industry is becoming even more creative and interactive.

References

Choi, K. H. (2022). 3D dynamic fashion design development using digital technology and its potential in online platforms. Fashion and Textiles, 9(1), 1-28.

Lee, J., Ahn, J., Kim, J., & Kho, J. M. (2019). Co‐design education based on the changing designer’s role and changing creativity. International journal of art & design education, 38(2), 430-444.

Sun, L., Rolling, V., Howard, L., & Peek, P. (2018, January). Learning in a Multidisciplinary Collaboration: A Case Study of Digital Textile Co-design for Apparel and Interior Designers. In International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings (Vol. 75, No. 1). Iowa State University Digital Press.