Draw from the sociotechnical debate to discuss the...

INTRODUCTION Technologies can be considered as structural constraints. Similar to all structures human beings have created, they can limit or enable human actions. Technology can be defined as the creation, adaptation, usage and comprehension of mostly machines which are known to make life better and assist in solving a problem (Wright, 2008). In addition to that, technology is also used to perform a specific function. The use of technology by human beings can be dated back when they began creating simple tools from natural resources. From using fire to prepare their food which led to the increase of food production to the use of the wheel which aided in moving from one place to another and environmental controlling, human beings are†¦show more content†¦According to this theory, technology affects the society outside the society (Mackenzie Wajcman, 1985). This can be compared to climatic changes in which the human forces have no control over them. This theory, therefore, tries to rela te climate and technology. This implies that the society does not have any control over technology and that technology controls the society. In addition to that, although the scientist that invent technology are part of our world, the things they create are over our control and understanding, therefore, viewing technology as an independent factor and which has control over the society (Mackenzie Wajcman, 1985). With the sophisticated nature of technology being used in media devices together with its importance in communication, it is no wonder that media technology usually emphasizes on the power of the latest media and how it affects the society. However, it is likely that the influence that technology dictates on social change will be overemphasized. Claude Fischer, a well renowned sociologist acknowledges that technology is usually seen as an external force which is usually introduced to a social situation. However, contrary to the view of most sociologists who support technological determinism, majority of the scholars have argued that social forces determine technologies (Hutchby, 2001). As much as technology is important in ourShow MoreRelatedChange Management49917 Words   |  200 PagesMBA –H4010 Organisational Development And Change ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE UNIT – I LEARNING OBJECTIVES The student is expected to learn the following concepts after going through this unit. 1. Change 3. Planned Change 5. Unplanned Change 2. 4. 6. Stimulating Forces Change Agents Lewin’s Three Step Model The change means the alteration of status quo or making things different. It may refer to any alteration which occurs in the overall work environment of an organizationRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesclear that all this complexity has been changing the fundamental dimensions of business strategy and the meaning of its implementation. These changes affect a broad range of decisions, including the following: ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  How to invest in technology How to lead meaningful human resources initiatives How to maintain alliances successfully What the speed of new product or service development should be What the appropriate time horizons for investments and financial planning are How to implementRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesLibrary and Information Center Management, Sixth Edition Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran United States Government Information: Policies and Sources Peter Hernon, Harold C. Relyea, Robert E. Dugan, and Joan F. Cheverie Library Information Systems: From Library Automation to Distributed Information Access Solutions Thomas R. Kochtanek and Joseph R. Matthews The Complete Guide to Acquisitions Management Frances C. Wilkinson and Linda K. Lewis Organization of Information, Second Edition Arlene G. TaylorRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesCross Reference of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Concepts to Text Topics Chapter 1 Modern Project Management Chapter 8 Scheduling resources and cost 1.2 Project defined 1.3 Project management defined 1.4 Projects and programs (.2) 2.1 The project life cycle (.2.3) App. G.1 The project manager App. G.7 Political and social environments F.1 Integration of project management processes [3.1] 6.5.2 Setting a schedule baseline [8.1.4] 6.5.3.1 Setting a resource schedule 6.5.2.4 Resource

Private Schools Vs Public Schools - 878 Words

Education is an essential need for living in today’s society. A school is an organization where students are provided information and skill that will be useful in their future. Picking the best school for them is crucial. One problem that people need to experience is choosing where to send their children to class; private or public. There are many differences of public and private schools such as, environment, cost, and education. Everybody needs to get the proper learning experience that they need because it leads to a desired learning process. It helps students to grasp a better interest in their studies. There are many qualities that private schools offer that public schools can not afford to offer. For example, private schools offer better facilities. Private schools are not funded by the government, therefore they seek their profit through tuition fees and sponsors. Private schools have higher spending plans than government funded schools, or public schools, because they are able to choose the areas where money needs to be spent. The room size at private schools is typically bigger to attract the eye of incoming students and helps with a better learning environment. Private schools thrive for better learning environments for their students. Private schools are known to attract the eye of peers. Students often first take notice to the bigger and better facilities such as the athletic department. Student at hletes desire the best environments for themselves and theirShow MoreRelatedPrivate Schools Vs. Public Schools1406 Words   |  6 Pagesthat private school is more expensive than public school, but has it ever occurred to you why it is like this? Private schools are not just trying to take your money, they are just trying to provide a quality education, without the government funding that public schools get. The tuition money goes to very important things; high quality teachers, better resources and the overall quality and stability of the institution. It is true that private school tuition is expensive, but private schools haveRead MorePrivate Schools Vs Public Schools1723 Words   |  7 Pagesthink of private schools they often think of a quality of education that cannot be found in a public school. Private school education is thought of to be so thorough and innovative that public vouchers are given to individuals just to attend. Many parents could rest easier at night if thei r kids could attend private school because for generations it has been drilled into the psyche of many that going to private school is a sure way to have a good future. In actuality however, private schools are notRead MorePrivate Schools Vs Public Schools1428 Words   |  6 Pagesstudy in private schools, which almost represents the fifth of students in Saudi Arabia. Although a lot of families prefer to make their children study in private school, that does not mean they are completely satisfied about the schools’ quality and their children’ achievement (Al-Hagbani, 2013). Nevertheless, they still enroll their children in private schools, believing they will benefit more from studying in private schools than public schools. In addition, some parents believe that private schoolsRead MorePrivate Schools Vs Public Schools1207 Words   |  5 PagesAn Introduction of the Topic Private schools differ from public schools for many different reasons. The major difference is that the government, unlike private schools that are privately funded, funds public schools. Another difference would be that the private schools have more flexibility on what they can teach because the government does not fund them. One other difference that is very prevalent is the social goals of schooling. This topic is a very important issue that many parents struggle withRead MorePrivate Schools Vs. Public Schools998 Words   |  4 Pagesnation. People today might say that private schools are superior to public schools, saying that they are safer and a better environment to learn in. Some might say that a private school is a way of sheltering your child and not letting them experience opportunities and face many problems to learn from. There are many positives and negatives to both sides; it mainly depends on whom you are talking to. Some parents might want their child to go to a pri vate school because the class size is smaller andRead MorePublic Schools vs. Private Schools1027 Words   |  4 Pagesare things to consider before choosing to send your child to a public school or private school. Perhaps doing so would be much easier if you would take the time to research the differences between the two. Public schools are better than private schools because of the diversity, funding and extracurricular activities available. Eileen Gale Kugler, a national advocate for diverse schools, wrote an article about how the diversity in schools makes academic and social improvements. She recalls a memoryRead More Private Schools vs. Public Schools870 Words   |  4 PagesChoosing between a public or a private school for one’s education is as important as deciding where to invest one’s hard-earned money—the consequences influence one’s life forever. In the United States, it is the law for every child to be educated. However, the decision as to where to go for one’s education is up to each individual. There is a great deal of debate as to which is the better option: for-profit private schools or one’s local public school. Ultimately, the decision is made regardingRead MorePrivate Schools vs. Public Schools 1081 Words   |  5 PagesHave you ever attended a private institution? What was your experience like? Think back and compare it to your ideal public school, which on e happens to pale in comparison? Public schools, which are controlled by the government, and heavily influenced, by politicians and privateers, hurt your children, not allowing them to reap the full benefits of their growing mind. â€Å"Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening. The average American [should be] contentRead MorePrivate School Vs. Public School1254 Words   |  6 PagesThesis: Private school students are more likely to have a better viewpoint in learning, a firm stance in education, and will be more successful in colleges than of public school students. I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: According to NCES data, 88 percent of private high school students apply to college, compared to 57 percent of public high school students. Every day parents contemplate whether to send their children to private or public school. There are many dangers that come with public schoolRead MorePrivate Schools Vs Public Schools921 Words   |  4 Pageschild’s education, parents want the best the school has to offer their children. Parents want a prosperous future for their child which is not only health, but a well-educated one. Education is of the utmost importance especially because it will impact the child the most in the long run. Private schools offer ample education opportunities. There are some factors to consider when choose a private school education over a public one. Many times, the private schools are religious are having certain beliefs

Suggestions Crisis Communicate Development -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Suggestions Crisis Communicate Development? Answer: Introducation Effective communication is essential for business success and it is all about sharing knowledge and information among each other inside and outside of the organisation. It is worth saying that, effective communication goes far beyond simple speech and hearing and for this purpose, body language, word of choice, tone of voice, communication style and message clarification all come into play. These can make the difference between failure and success in interpersonal interactions and transactions. One of the important employability skills is the communication and communication needs to be accurate to make any business process effective. As opined by Adnan et al., (2017), communication is the essence of business management and therefore, all other aspects of management such as planning, staffing, organizing, controlling and directing are solely dependent on the knowledge of effective communication. There are five diagnostic tools that help to identify individuals communication competence and these are non-verbal immediacy, talkaholic scale, willingness to listen, tolerance for disagreement and the other is self-perceived communication competence scale. Non-verbal immediacy Non-verbal communication holds the same importance along with verbal communication in the effective communication skills. As stated by McCroskey et al., (2014), nonverbal behaviour may emphasize verbal communication in the similar way that italicizing emphasizes written communication. In the workplace environment, it is essential for the employees especially for leaders and managers to use different types of body language, poster, hand gesture and facial expression to make the confrontation more attractive and significant. This non-verbal test has near about 26 questions that have to be answered as per the preferred choice. After that, score will be generated and based on this; it becomes possible to understand the effectiveness of that kind of competence. Talkaholic scale Considerable research has determined that, the more an individual talks (unless the person is an incompetent communicator) the more the individual is positively evaluated by others. Such kinds of people are more likely to be a leader as being more competent in respect to other persons perception variables (Hybels, 2014). There are approximately 16 questions that have to be responded and at the end of the test, it becomes possible to understand how much the participant is Talkaholic. Tolerance for disagreement scale Sometime, in the workplace environment, employees need to involve in debates so that; it becomes possible for them to convey their own opinion over some traditional monotonous culture (Shockley-Zalabak, 2014). However, sometimes, staffs need to avoid disagreement so as to reduce workplace conflict (OGallagher, 2015). From this perspective, the tolerance for disagreement scale helps to measure the extent to which an individual can tolerate disagreement of other people. It is a form of Likert scale where individual needs to answer each question as per their belief in order to measure their level of tolerance. Willingness to listen diagnostic tool Listening is another skill of effective communication and with the help of heightened listening skills, both the organisation and the employee can realize the higher level of success. Employees need to listen to the leaders and the managers while receiving information or getting updates on corporate policies (Couldry Hepp, 2013). Hence, an individual can take a test over the willingness to listen diagnostic tool in order to understand their orientation towards listening. Self-perceived communication competency scale (SPCC) Peoples competence of communication varies as per the situation. As mentioned by Berger (2014), employees have to communicate in group meetings along with individual meetings and therefore, it is necessary for the staffs to be able to share their knowledge and information confidently in any situation. Hence, SPCC tool is helpful to identify individual's competence. There are a number of questions in the tool that have to be answered for developing entire understanding about the self-competence. Findings of the tools Based on the aforementioned tools, it becomes helpful for me to understand my communication competence. Hence, I have practiced all the tools and based on these, I get score from each of the tools. Non-verbal immediacy While confronting others, it is essential for me to involve some of the non-verbal communication skills to make the speech listenable. After conducting the test, I score 97 and it shows I am an excellent communicator in case of non-verbal communication. Based on this tool, I get to know that, I like to smile while talk and usually I make eye contact and move my hands to make the confrontation attractive. Talkaholic Talkaholic test helps me to understand whether I prefer to talk to my peers or not. Based on the test, I came to know that, I am not a talkaholic and I scored 18. Therefore, I can add that, I keep quiet when I should talk to others. However, based on the test, I became able to know that, I am not a compulsive talker and therefore, in most of the situations, I remain silent and prefer not to talk too much. Willingness to listen Being an employee, it is important to listen to others in order to develop a collaborative teamwork. Further, it is important to listen to the leaders and the managers in order to get updates over the organisational policies and culture. Therefore, to get employable and be noticeable in the workplace environment, it is necessary to be active listener. Hence, the willingness to listen tool helps me to understand how much potential I have to listen to others. Based on the test, I get a score of 76 that made me know that, I have moderate willingness to listen. However, I do not want to listen to boar presentations and therefore, it makes me sleepy while listening to non-responsive speakers. Tolerance for disagreement scale From the above discussion, I get to know that, discussion is necessary in the workplace environment in order to understand organisational goal and objectives. However, employees need to share their own opinion about the work process and a conflict or disagreement may arise. Sometimes, disagreement becomes fruitful for the company while sometimes, it brings negative growth in the productivity. From this perspective, an employee needs to be engaged in the conflict situations and hence, tolerance for disagreement skill is required. The tolerance for disagreement tool helps me to understand the extent to which I can tolerate situations where people are in disagreement. Hence, I scored 52 which indicate I encompass high level of tolerance for disagreement. Self-perceived Communication Competence Self-perceived communication competence test encompass different characteristics of same people at different situations and therefore, it is essential to calculate each of the factors of the test in order to get clear idea about different essence of same people. Based on the test, I get to know that, there are different factors of characteristics and these are meeting, group, public, Dyad, stranger, friend and acquaintance. I have tested each of the factors and I scored 85 in public and 75 in case meeting. Along with this, I get 83.3, 73.75, 90, 86.25and 90 in case of group, stranger, dyad, acquaintance and friend respectively. In total, I get 83.3 which depict my high self-perceived communication competence. Two communication issues Based on the above test, I get to know my competence level and therefore, I have found two of my communication issues. I have found that, I am not a talkaholic and therefore, most of the time, I keep quiet. Sometimes, this brings a lot of problem and therefore, I need to improve myself so that, I become an effective communicator. This skill is required to maintain a good professional tone. Along with this, for an employee, it is necessary to be communicative because, sharing information is necessary in the workplace to get benefits in terms of promotion and incentives. Moreover, I have found that I am a moderate listener and therefore, I do not like people with misinterpreted body language and who give bore presentations. In the workplace environment, it is necessary to listen to others in order to understand existing work culture and business objective. From this perspective, it can be stated that I need to improve my listening skills in order to get success in the workplace environment. Reflect on two recent professional interactions One of my professional interactions happens in my previous workplace where I was in the sales team and I had to work within a team. In the workplace, leaders used to provide us training about how to handle customers and there I faced the issue of lack of being an active listener. I did not pay much attention to the bore presentations of my peers and leaders and because of this; I was not able to fulfil all the tasks properly that my leaders used to give us to do because of the lack of assertiveness. The leader behaved rudely because of this kind of communication issue and breaking of organisational composure. In another situation of my workplace, I had to handle customers and sales effectively and therefore, I had to make customers understood the qualities of the products. Last month, I had to handle a client who asked me a lot of useless questions about the product and there, I faced the issue of not being talkaholic. Managing people is not so easy and being talkaholic in all kinds of conversations is not always possible. The customer was continuously asking a huge number of questions and I felt incompetent for not being able to answer all the questions. In this particular reflective study, I have identified two of my communication issues that may bring the potential barrier to career life. The theoretical perspective of communication has been introduced in the literature review where I have explained its issues shortly. In order to mitigate the problems, I have developed an action plan for the betterment of my future career. Two communication issues Without effective communication, organisation becomes unable to exchange information with the employees and therefore, it will not be possible for the company to develop communication network for carrying out new product data. Studies show that people that connect and communicate with each other during the business process are more likely to increase productivity. According to the viewpoint of Couldry Hepp (2013), employees need roots in the workplace environment in order to feel a part of the company. The relationship of employees within the workplace helps to grow entire happiness during working hours. From this perspective, a leader needs to be an active talker in order to manage employees and share all information about business objectives and corporate policies. According to the viewpoint of DeVito (2015), effective communication skills are associated with the team working, conflict resolution, critical observation to workforce and adaptability. Sometimes, it is essential for an employee to give a verbal presentation in front of higher authorities and therefore, it is necessary to be an effective communicator to share knowledge in front of them. Therefore, it can be stated that an employee's performa nce is somewhat based on active communication and therefore, it is essential to be able to communicate in any situation to create extra benefits. Active listening skills Listening, one of the skills is highly valued in the workplace environment. Employers hire employees who have the ability to listen and therefore, listening is one of the soft skills that individual requires in order to get employable. Listening is processed in the work content by which an individual becomes able to gain an understanding of the requirements, needs and preferences of stakeholders' thorough indirect or direct interaction (Petersons Khalimzoda, 2016). Sometimes, it becomes essential for the employees to listen carefully to the leaders so that; it becomes helpful for them to understand business objectives carefully (Fussell Kreuz, 2014). Along with this, it is essential for the leaders and managers to be an active listener so as to empower employees. Therefore, it is worth saying that, to be an active listener, it is essential to make eye contact with the speaker so that, it becomes helpful for the speaker to convey the entire message fruitfully. Theoretical understanding of communication Active listening is involved with listening to all senses and interest of the speaker can be shown by using proper non-verbal and verbal messages. Active listening means not focusing only on speakers, the listeners need to listen to perfectly demonstrating appropriate responses. On the other side, public speaking is another issue for people and it is quite common to nervous in front of audiences. Practice and rehearse are needed to be talkaholic. The matter of speech needs to be simplified and preparation is also needed. In order to develop a complete understanding of communication, there are some of the factors that need to be discussed. Mechanistic: This is the systematic process of communication where there is a source who generally sends information to. At another end of the system, there is a receiver who receives the information (Ganguly, 2017). Social In case of social communication, interpersonal communication takes place between sender and receiver. According to the viewpoint of Hybels (2014), content takes the utmost responsibility for the social communication. Psychological In this particular case, interpersonal communication comes into account along with the flow of feelings between source and receiver. Systematic In this kind of mechanistic communication, a number of individuals play a significant role and thereby, the message is prepared by all of the individuals. Each of the participants interprets their emotions and perspective in the communication. Models of communication Schramms model of communication The basic concept of the Schramm's model of communication is that communication is a two-way process. Both the source and the receivers are responsible for this entire process. Source generally creates a message which is then encoded by the encoder (Jensen, 2016). The encoded message needs to be decoded by the decoder where the wave is transformed into the information. The receiver gets the decoded message and the entire communication process takes place. The encoder and the decoder that transform the message are called as a transmitter (McQuail Windahl, 2015). Therefore, the main components of the communication process are the source, encoder, decoder and the receiver. Schramm's model refers that how the message is transferred to a group of people when interpersonal communication takes place. Berlos model of communication is based on Schramms model and therefore, it is the backbone of Berlos model of communication. According to this model, there are some factors that affect the communication process and make the communication process more effective (Knapp, Vangelisti Caughlin, 2014). The four components of the communication include source (S), channel (C), Message (M) and the other factor is all about the receiver (R). The sender sends the message to the receiver through the channel where the message can be distorted by the factor Noise. According to this model, noise is the one that disturbs the message and because of this, the receiver gets distorted information. For this purpose, it is necessary to improve the quality of the channel so that, it becomes possible to get actual message. The message can be in the form of audio, video, text, voice or media. However, Liu Fraustino (2014) argue that the model is a linear model and therefore, Berlo's model does not involve two-way communication process. Theory of interpersonal communication Triandis theory of interpersonal behaviour: Behaviour partly depends on intention and partly on the responsiveness as well. From this perspective, according to the viewpoint of McQuail Windahl (2015), the situational constraint is all about manages behaviour and communication significantly and therefore, it can be stated that, the intention of individuals being influenced by effective elements of social factors and rational deliberation. It is worth saying that, employees need to communicate in the workplace based on the organisational culture and norm. Hence, moral beliefs impact the interpersonal behaviour of individual and therefore, this can influence the similar cognitive limitations and emotional aspects of human beings. As mentioned by Thatcher Evia (2017), it is essential for the employees to maintain certain aspects of behaviour in the workplace and therefore, it is the responsibility of the organisation to maintain all attributes of organisational process so that, it becomes possible for them to maintain staff mora le and cognitive limitations in the workplace environment. It is worth saying that; social factors in the workplace are associated with culture, role and self-concept of the community within which the organisation operates. Along with the social factors, there is another element that impacts the interpersonal behaviour and this is all about the emotional responses. According to the viewpoint of Stead(2013), emotional responses are entirely assisted with the consequences of the effective communication and the rational-instrumental invigilation of the situation. As mentioned by Shockley-Zalabak (2014), in a difficult situation, the decision-making condition is highly influenced by the behavioural attitude of individual and hence, the brain of individuals provides an extent of behavioural reaction in order to find out best possible solutions for the critical situation. In relation to this, attitudes are highly shaped by beliefs about results and evaluation of various outcomes while habits of individuals are mostly affected by the essence of the previous attitude. This section is entirely based on my planning for betterment of communication. Effective communication is essential to having an improved professional career in life. For this purpose, I have developed an action plan which is set for 24 weeks or 6 months for the betterment of my communication. Within the scheduled timings, I will try to reach my desired objectives. Short courses Crash-courses on communication are available in Australia to improve communication skills within one to two months' time-frame. Hence, I would like to complete these courses so that, it becomes possible for me to deal with individuals effectively within two months. Along with this, it becomes possible for me to do courses on Assertiveness with the help of these crash-courses within 1 month. Moreover, I would like to take a course on Effective People management which is near about three-month course that helps me to improve all my communication issues significantly. It is worth noting that, these short courses have that potential to develop my active listening skills that will help in my future career strongly. Further, I would like to develop my academic degree on Masters in Communication course from one of the top-ranked universities because this course will definitely help me to deal with people in the workplace. The entire course takes near about 20 weeks of a professional portfol io and I will be able to develop my professional behaviour and skills significantly. Reading plan Along with the courses, it is necessary for me to develop a reading plan so that, it becomes possible for me to gain motivation and confidence as well. Hence, I can state that reading proper books help me to gain effective communication skills and I will be able to develop my self-confidence to that extent to get employable positively. I will read top quality books of renowned authors to develop my skills effectively. This is because I want to read books to boost my confidence level and increase the extent to patients. Therefore, I have selected a number of books that will be helpful from the very beginning. One of the books includes Emilia Hardmans Active Listening 101: How to turn down your volume to turn up your communication skill. Another book in the list is all about Helio Fred Garcias The power of communication skills to build trust, inspire loyalty and lead effectively. Along with this, I want to read The Power of self-confidence written by Brian Tracy. Maintaining personal journal Along with reading books, it is essential to maintain personal journals as it helps to keep account of daily activities properly. With the help of this, it becomes possible for me to monitor my growth and progress. Therefore, to measure my progress, I would like to maintain a personal journal in order to note down my growth in terms of the weekly basis. It is worth saying that, keeping a journal will increase my IQ level and this will consequently enhance mindfulness. Along with this, it can be stated that maintaining personal journal will help to reach my objectives with an ease. However, this will positively provide mental support and so that I will be able to enhance my EQ level as well. Identification of mentor A mentor can perform as a catalyst to improve my growth level positively. It will be beneficial for me to have a mentor who can provide a solution for each of my error. I will select a mentor who will be able to motivate me with his experience and training courses. Stephen Rother was my school time teacher and he used to take our English classes. I still have connection with him and I would be taking communication classes from him. Gantt chart Set of Activities Week 1 Week 4 Week 8 Week 12 Week 16 Week 24 Reading books Keeping personal journal Doing short crash-courses of communication Training under mentor Starting of implementation professional along with personal life Searching for Post-graduation courses on Reference List Adnan, Y. M., Daud, M. N., Alias, A., Razali, M. N. (2017). Importance of soft skills for graduates in the real estate programmes in Malaysia.Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property,3(2), 23-26 McCroskey, L. L., Teven, J. J., Minielli, M. C., Richmond McCroskey, V. P. (2014). James C. McCroskey's instructional communication legacy: Collaborations, mentorships, teachers, and students. Communication Education, 63(4), 283-307. OGallagher, A. (2015). Examining the Relationship between Need to Belong, Tolerance for Disagreement, Attachment Style and Life Satisfaction. Berger, J. (2014). Word of mouth and interpersonal communication: A review and directions for future research.Journal of Consumer Psychology,24(4), 586-607. Couldry, N., Hepp, A. (2013).Conceptualizing mediatization: Contexts, traditions, arguments.Communication Theory,23(3), 191-202. DeVito, J. A. (2015).The interpersonal communication book. Sydney: Pearson. Fussell, S. R., Kreuz, R. J. (2014).Social and cognitive approaches to interpersonal communication. London: Psychology Press. Ganguly, S. (2017).Action Research to Improve the Communication Skills of Undergraduate Students.IUP Journal of Soft Skills,11(3), 62-71. Hybels, S. (2014).Communicating effectively. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Jensen, K.B., (2016). Practical theories: Concepts, conceptions and conceptualizations of communication.Empedocles: European Journal for the Philosophy of Communication,7(2), 143-156. Knapp, M. L., Vangelisti, A. L., Caughlin, J. P. (2014).Interpersonal communication human relationships. Sydney: Pearson Higher Ed. Liu, B. F., Fraustino, J. D. (2014).Beyond image repair: Suggestions for crisis communication theory development.Public Relations Review,40(3), 543-546. McQuail, D., Windahl, S. (2015).Communication models for the study of mass communications. Abingdon: Routledge. Patton, L. J., Tidwell, J. D., Falder-Saeed, K. L., Young, V. B., Lewis, B. D., Binder, J. F. (2017). Ensuring safe transfer of pediatric patients: A quality improvement project to standardize handoff communication.Journal of Pediatric Nursing,34, 44-52. Petersons, A., Khalimzoda, I. (2016). Communication models and common basis for multicultural communication in latvia. InProceedings of the International Scientific Conference.423, 433. Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2014).Fundamentals of organisational communication. Sydney: Pearson. Stead, B. A. (2013).Berlo's communication process model as applied to the behavioral theories of Maslow, Herzberg, and McGregor.Academy of Management journal,15(3), 389-394. Thatcher, B., Evia, C. (2017).Outsourcing Technical Communication: Issues, Policies and Practices. Abingdon: Routledge.

Solar Energy Installation Project Management

Introduction Establishment of renewable energy resources to curb global warming is receiving immense support from a majority of the governments (Atkinson 2001). Atkinson claims, â€Å"People have used non-renewable sources of energy like coal and petroleum for a long time† (2001, p. 45).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Solar Energy Installation Project Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These sources have significantly contributed to the emission of greenhouse gases, prompting the nations to look for alternative sources of energy. The sun has proved to be the sole source of energy that does not contribute to environmental pollution. Moreover, the source of energy is inexhaustible and naturally acquired. What’s more, the cost of solar power continues to go down as many people appreciate its use in the society (Ghosh et al. 2002). It underlines the reason many institutions and households a re installing solar panels in their buildings. Project Overview Countries like India have also established â€Å"grid connected solar photovoltaic power systems as part of their action plan for climate change† (Goletsis, Psarras Samouilidis 2003, p.139). Many solar energy projects are in progress as countries respond to the call for environmental conservation. The sun is an excellent source of energy, but many people have not taken its advantage. The sun emits most of its energy in the form of heat and light, which can be harnessed and converted into other forms of energy for various uses (Haapasalo, Ingalsuo Lenkkeri 2006). Long ago, people used solar power to keep warm. They could use solar energy to start a fire and warm themselves. Later, some people came up with passive solar energy plans to keep their houses warm. They built their houses in such a way that the floors and walls could absorb heat energy from the sun and emit it during the night. With time, people learnt that the sun could act as an essential source of energy. In 1839, scientists discovered photovoltaic, which was a breakthrough in the history of humankind. According to Haralambopoulos and Polatidis, photovoltaic (solar) cells are â€Å"large-area semiconductors that convert sunlight directly into electricity† (2003, p. 967). Photovoltaics can be used in numerous gadgets, which include satellites, watches, telecommunication devices and in calculators. Photovoltaics are not widely used because they are very expensive. However, the reduction in cost of energy power should make photovoltaics affordable.  Changes in global fuel cost have led to many organisations losing a lot of money.Advertising Looking for proposal on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Adoption of solar energy would go a long way towards saving the countries and companies from costs attributed to the energy crisis. The fact that solar energy is inexhaustible makes it the most reliable source of energy for business and nations at large (Kendrick 2009). It is alleged that the available oil reserves will only sustain the world for at most 40 years. It implies that countries will have to look for alternative sources of energy before the oil reserves get exhausted. Solar power is inexhaustible, which makes it the next source of energy that countries are likely to adopt.  The objective of solar energy installation project is to ensure that households get the most required light and heat energy. It is hard to run domestic chores without light and heat energy in the houses. Consequently, installing solar panels would go a long way to facilitate domestic duties. The project aims to equip 1000 households with solar panels by the end of six months. The installation will be the first phase of the project. Another objective of the project is to integrate families into the global campaign on environmental conservation. Homes , contribute to environmental pollution through the use of nonrenewable sources of energy like coal and petroleum. Installing solar power would lower the rate of environmental pollution linked to households. This project covers 3000 houses from the outskirts of London. Majority of the families outside the city of London rely on electric energy supplied by the government. The project intends to equip all the households with solar power by the end of one and a half years. The project will not involve non-governmental organisations and public facilities that might be found in the region that the project covers. It will strictly focus on domestic households.  One of the project’s deliverables is the establishment of proper procedures to facilitate installation of the solar panels. The other deliverable is the installation of solar power system in two households to demonstrate the realism of the project in outskirts of London. The project desires to encourage the society to embr ace solar energy as the only source of energy that is sustainable and does not contribute to environmental pollution. Work breakdown structure Kerzner alleges, â€Å"Success of project management depends, to a significant extent, on the manager’s ability to effectively specify the work contents of the project in terms of its activities and deliverables† (2009, p. 113). One of the instruments of planning and managing the activities of a project is work breakdown structure (WBS).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Solar Energy Installation Project Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kerzner alleges, â€Å"The work breakdown structure identifies and groups the project elements in a way that defines the overall range of the project† (2004, p. 75). Every lower level of the structure stands for a progressively more detailed definition of a project component (Kerzner 2004). The constituents may be in form of goods or services. In other words, the work breakdown structure is â€Å"a hierarchical representation of the work contents, whereby the project is divided into progressively smaller elements. The elements found at the lowest level of the hierarchy are known as work packages† (Rogers et al. 2008, p. 4219). The success of the project lies in the ability of the project manager to accurately identify, organise and run each work package. The entire work requires being broken down into a number of successive activities that work coherently to achieve the overall goals of the project (Solangi et al. 2011). The figure below represents the high-level planning workflow of solar energy system installation. Assessment report will involve analysing and reporting on the energy system that the homes are currently using to identify its merits and demerits. The report will give a detailed account of how the existing power system contributes to environmental pollution as w ell as it inefficiency (Cleland 2002). The compilation of assessment report will run concurrently with a pilot project aimed at determining feasibility of the intended project. The pilot project will help the managers to determine if the project will work. Besides, it will help the managers to understand how the society will respond to the project. The success of any project depends on how it is received by the target population. Prior to rolling out the project, it is imperative to conduct a pilot project to understand its reception.  The assessment report will help the project managers to have clear information about the project. It will assist them to evaluate and compare the cost of the project to its benefits.Advertising Looking for proposal on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides, the report will give a clear regional input-output analysis, which is vital for the managers to know if the project will be of significant benefit to the society. The solar installation project is not only intended to help the community to cut down on environmental pollution, but it is also designed to help the nation to reduce its energy cost. Consequently, one of the work packages of the project will be to identify the existing energy service company (ESCO) billing structures and come up with a database for the same. The database will be crucial when determining the energy billing structure to adopt.  Another task that the installation project will cover will be carrying out an audit of the energy saving opportunities. One way of reducing energy cost is reducing the rate of energy consumption. Besides, it is imperative to lower the rate of energy consumption for solar energy to be enough. The audit will help the managers to identify possible ways of maximising the usage of solar energy. Besides, they will identify the available options of solar power projects and settle for the most efficient. Work breakdown dictionary ID Task name Description Duration Start Finish 1.0 Assessment report The report gives an account of the available energy system and its costs. It documents how the existing power system contributes to environmental pollution. 20 days Jan 10 ‘15 Jan 30 ‘15 1.1 Costs/Benefits analysis A cost/benefits analysis will be run to compare the existing and intended energy systems. The analysis will identify the current ESCO billing structure, possible alternative billing structures and establish a database for the same 20 days Feb 2 ‘15 Feb 22 ‘15 1.2 Identify energy saving opportunities A field study will be conducted to determine how the households utilise energy and come up with measures to save energy. On-site energy assessment will be done, and an energy review carried out. 20 days Feb 25 ‘15 Mar 17 ‘15 2.0 Pilot solar energy project Managers will run a pilot project to determine the feasibility of the project. The pilot project will help to determine if the community will embrace the intended project. 28 days Mar 20 ‘15 Apr 17 ‘15 2.1 Project design and implementation After the pilot project, managers will sit down with other employees to develop the overall solar installation project based on the findings of the pilot project. The end of the project plan will mark the onset of project implementation and monitoring 90 days Apr 20 ‘15 July 7 ‘15 Determining package size This project will use â€Å"hammock† activities to ascertain the degree of the lowest package. Many people believe that each work package ought to last for about 80 hours and not more than a month. It cannot happen in this project since it would lead to the establishment of millions of work packages. Therefore, the â€Å"hammock† activity will be used to break the task into smaller packages by splitting the total work into distinct and coherent sub-elements. Activity schedule The success of any project depends on the ability to organise and sequence activities in an orderly manner (White Fortune 2002). Project managers ought to identify the activities that are interdependent and sequence them accordingly. Besides, they need to determine the independent activities and schedule them in a way that they run concurrently to save on time. For decades, countries have incurred enormous economic loss due to the energy crisis (Huraib, Hasnain Alawaji 2007). The project will entail a number of activities, which will be implemented in a sequence to guarantee the success of the project. These activities will include compilation of assessment report to understand the degree of energy requirement. Additionally, the project managers will evaluate the costs and benefits of solar energy and analyse the existing ESCO billing structures. The project will b e preceded by a pilot project aimed at ascertaining the feasibility of the project. The following is the work plan for the project: S. No Position in WBS Activity Depending on Duration 1 1.0 Assessment report – 20 days 2 1.1 Costs/Benefits of current vs. previous energy – 6 days 3 1.1.0 Economic input/output RIO scrutiny 2 2 days 4 1.1.1 Analyse present ESCO billing – 5 days 5 1.1.2 Identify substitute ESCO’s billing 4 4 days 6 1.1.2.1 Establish a database of substitute 5 3 days 7 1.2 Identify possible energy saving opportunities – 7 days 8 1.2.1 Energy audit evaluation 7 3 days 9 1.2.2 Collect data – 4 days 10 1.2.3 Analyse data 9 3 days 11 1.2.2.0 On-site assessment 9 1 day 12 1.2.2.1 Energy review study 11 2days 13 2.0 Run pilot project 12 14 days 14 2.1 Project design 13 10 days 15 2.2 ID feasible solar energy project options 14 4 days 16 2.3 Implementation 15 3 months Project network It is imperat ive to identify the dependencies and to sequence them correctly in a network so as to come up with a project network (Andersen, Cook Marceau 2004). Dependencies are activities that depend on others and cannot be executed before the independent activities (Wustenhagen et al. 2007). The above schedule shows some of the dependence activities in this project. The importance of establishing the project network is to show the order in which the various activities will be executed. Besides, the system helps to identify the critical path, which shows the principal activities. Critical path facilitates in work prioritization to ensure that the project is completed on time. The network technique helps the project manager to identify where to start the project, the order of activities and where to end the project. Besides, the method helps the project manager to identify the relevant activities and trail their execution (Burke 1999). On the other hand, Gantt diagram helps the project manager to identify the various activities of the project. However, Gantt diagram does not allow the manager to determine the critical path. Instead, the manager ends up executing all the outlined activities without understanding their interdependence. For the Gantt technique, the project may take a long duration since it is hard to identify the critical path and the most important activities. The project will use optimization technique to allocate time to the various activities. It will guarantee that critical activities get adequate time. Additionally, it will ensure that managers do not take a lot of time on trivial activities. Resource estimation One of the benefits of breaking the work into smaller packages is that â€Å"it provides accurate cost control if and only if the line managers can determine the costs at this level of detail† (De Wit 2004, p. 167). The managers will use the Ratio Method to estimate the total cost of the project. The ratio method is a top-down approach, which is conducted through estimation (Vine 2005). The managers will do a rough estimate of the requisite resources based on what the project will require for its completion. Ratio Method technique does not require the elements of work breakdown structure. Nevertheless, the elements will help the project managers to understand the required resources based on workflow. For the activities that require an enormous amount of money and time, the project managers will do the estimations based on the available data from previous projects. It will be difficult for the managers to come up with a correct estimate of the cost of the entire project. However, the estimation process will be conducted in a way that takes into account the changes that might arise during project realization. Hence, financial estimates for each activity will be raised a bit to cater for any unforeseen changes.  A number of resources will be required to complete the project. They include both material and human res ources. In the case of human resource, the project will need experts in solar panel installation. The experts will be assigned the duty to install and manage the solar panels once the project managers learn that the project is feasible, and it receives support of the community. On the other hand, the project will require research and data analysts who will be responsible for researching on the existing solar energy installation projects. They will identify and analyse the challenges that the projects face, how the challenges are overcome and project feasibility. In the case of material resources, the project will require numerous resources, which range from solar panels, inverters, batteries and photovoltaic diodes. These resources are essential for the project to be complete. Below is a summary of the costs associated with the project. Resources Estimated cost ($) Human Resources $120,0000 Solar panels $40,000 Inverters $25,000 batteries $75,000 Photovoltaic diodes $15 ,000 Miscellaneous expenses $20,000 Total $295,000 Financial Manager will be responsible for controlling the cash flow during the timescale of the work package. The manager will liaise with procurement staff to purchase all the necessary materials. It is important that cash flow is managed from a central location to minimise wastage. Therefore, the finance manager will account for the money spent throughout the project. Risk assessment and conclusion The project faces a number of constraints, one of which is financial challenges. The cost of installing the solar power system is high. Besides, the amount of energy generated by the system is less relative to the energy produced by the non-renewable sources. Solar power relies on the sun. Hence, it would be hard for the families to use the energy, especially during winter seasons (Kern Howlett 2009). The families will be advised to cut down on their rate of energy consumption to curb these challenges.  Solar energy installati on projects are susceptible to a number of risks. The risks include financial risk, operational risk, technological risk, climate and the weather risk and construction risk. Financial risk may arise due to insufficient capital (Bing et al. 1999). On the other hand, operational risk may occur in the form of project closure due to scarcity of resources or component failure. Technological risk may arise as a result of the equipments not producing the expected amount of electric energy. Changes in the weather condition may also affect the project. Risk assessment matrix Risk identified Management Reactions Probability Cause of the risk Manageable Solution There might be insufficient financial resources Gathering adequate financial resources Low Poor planning Soliciting for funding from financial institutions The project may come to a halt due to inadequate resources Not starting the project before all resources are mobilised Very low Poor planning Mobilising resources before laun ching the project The equipments may not produce the required amount of energy Not purchasing equipments before they are tested Low Technical problem Purchasing electrical gadgets from authorised dealers There may be alterations in electricity generation Ensuring that solar panels are clean, and no snow covers them Low Natural cause Cleaning the solar panels regularly Conclusion The accomplishment of the solar energy installation project will depend on accurate identification of the work packages and proper allocation of human and financial resources. The work breakdown structure has been provided to help the project manager to identify all the activities that the project involves. Besides, a project network has been prepared to assist the project manager to prioritise the different activities. The project is vulnerable to numerous risks. However, if the management team conducts thorough preparation prior to starting the project, it will avert all the potential hazards. The o verall cost of the project stand at $295,000. To ensure that the project is completed on time, the management team should make sure that it has mobilized the necessary resources, and it has evaluated all the potential risks. Reference List Andersen, P, Cook, N Marceau, J 2004, ‘Dynamic innovation strategies and stable networks in the construction industry: Implanting solar energy projects in the Sydney Olympic Village’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 351-360. 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White, D Fortune, J 2002, ‘Current practice in project management- an empirical study’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1-11. Wustenhagen, R, Wolsink, M Burer, M 2007, ‘Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: an introduction to the concept’, Energy Policy, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 2683-2691. This proposal on Solar Energy Installation Project Management was written and submitted by user Qu1nt1n to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.