Managing Organizational Change Essay - 2602 Words

Daniel LeBlanc Managing Organizational Change BUS600 Management Communication with Tech Tools Professor Emmanuel Lewis November 16, 2009 Organizational change is any action or set of actions resulting in a shift in direction or process that affects the way an organization works. Change can be deliberate and planned by leaders within the organization (i.e., migrating from legacy technology to new improved Internet Protocol infrastructure), or change can originate outside the organization (i.e., new government regulatory process) and be beyond its control. Change may affect the strategies an organization uses to carry out its mission, the processes for implementing those strategies, the tasks and functions performed by the†¦show more content†¦In addition, these leaders frequently control resources and rewards within the organization. These core believers need to involve a larger group of initial participators who don’t necessarily have the same level of commitment to change as do the core believers, but they participate in the initiative out of loyalty to the organization. The change process takes hold and its successes are publicized, support will spread to others who typically wait and see whether they should commit to the initiative. Last to commit to the efforts are the hard-core resisters, some of whom will never support the change process because of personal agendas. A clear and concise motivating vision is needed to inspire a large number of employees to change. People need to know why change is desirable, why they should make the effort to support it, and what it will achieve. The change can be very painful to some employees whose jobs may require new skills, transfers or even elimination. The motivating vision should be sufficiently concrete so that people can understand what it means and why the change is necessary, but not so rigid that it has no room to evolve. A motivating vision is one that enables people to imagine new possibilities for the organization as a whole and for themselves as members of the organization. That motivating vision is an advanced leading edge technologyShow MoreRelatedManaging Risk With Change : Managing Organizational Change1178 Words   |  5 PagesManaging Risk with Change Shelly L. Estill Colorado State University Global Campus Abstract â€Å"Effective change management offers a standardized method that efficiently evaluates the potential positive and negative aspects of change† (Scarborough, n.d.). In order to fully understand the change, and the impact of the proposed change, it is helpful to have all of the facts. However, when faced with decisions that offer very little information either short term, or long term, judgement comes moreRead MoreManaging Organizational Change484 Words   |  2 Pagesresearch will examine a specific change topic in order to better understand the process of organizational change as a whole. Therefore, this research will explore the images of managing change concept as presented in Palmer Dunford (2009). According to this source, the change concept is the image or mental model of what they think is achievable, (Palmer Dunford 2009 p 9). This essentially helps create a clear direction for the change that is to come. Therefore, the change concept is then a tool toRead MoreMa naging Organizational Change3118 Words   |  13 PagesResistance to Change †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...4 ï‚ ² Overcome Resistance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 ï‚ ² The Leadership of Organizational Change †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 ï‚ ² Stages of Change Process †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...6 ï‚ ² Organization Culture Change †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 ï‚ ² Motivation and Performance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 ï‚ ² Stakeholder Relevant issues ..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 ï‚ ² A Case Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..12 Reference †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 Introduction Managing organizational change has been anRead MoreDiagnosing The Change : Managing Organizational Change Essay1413 Words   |  6 PagesPart 3: Diagnosing the Change Managing Organizational Change The Burke-Litwin Model highlights the main elements or source of major transformational change and also the changes that are incremental in nature. The four transformational factors are external environment, mission and strategy, leadership, and organizational culture. The main cause that makes a company to make changes is the external environment. It can force any organization to make changes to its mission, culture, leadershipRead MoreThe Issue Of Managing Organizational Change1335 Words   |  6 Pages Abstract The issue of managing organizational change is important within management theory and practice. A number of cases have shown that attempts to manage organizational change had frequently failed. Therefore the objective of this paper is to find why does the failure almost occur in an organisation? Additionally, this papers objective is to provide discussion and find reply on the following questions: 1) Which specific aspects of change are currently impacting most on practicingRead MoreQuestions On Managing Organizational Change890 Words   |  4 PagesManaging Integration IMC 457-0 Angel (Ju-Ping) Lee June 3, 2015 Deep Dive Blog Post How to Survive Organizational Changes in the Fast-Changing World As we have learned all quarter, managing the changing organizational environment is one of the most salient challenges in today’s business world. Managing organizational change properly can minimize resistance from employees and cost of and maximize the effectiveness of the changes. In other words, managing organizational change addresses the humanRead MoreEssay on Managing Organizational Change1052 Words   |  5 Pagesdynamic business environment, change is inevitable. Changes can be planned, or unintentional: depending on the driving forces behind. The major forces for change can be derived from the nature of the workforce, technology, economic shocks, competition, social trends, and world politics (Robbins Judge, 2011). In this post the author will explain the Kotter’s eight –step approaches to managing organizational change and discuss how his company handles the planned changes in term of organization reconstructionRead MoreManaging Conflict And Organiza tional Change924 Words   |  4 PagesManaging conflict and the importance of a vision/mission in an organization are two important topics in our course of Leadership and Organizational Change. In this paper we tried to analyze the connection between these two important aspects of leadership. Our analysis and our interviews of leaders have supported and amplified what we have learnt in class. As we have seen during this course, working in a team can often lead to conflicts. In particular there are three types of conflicts that we describedRead MoreManaging Organizational Structure Change1903 Words   |  8 PagesManaging Organizational Structure Change LDR 531 Managing Organizational Structure Change Smith Falmouth (SF), a mid-sized phone and mail order product company, has expanded into the online product market. SF created S;F Online as an independent business unit while it proves the strategic viability and value of online as a sales channel. SF Online is made up of a small team that has been successful, and is now working to increase sales and diversify their online offerings to add healthRead MoreChallenges in Managing Organizational Changes1080 Words   |  4 PagesChallenges faced when managing change The making of changes within an organization in a planned, systematic, and managed fashion is referred to as managing change. The main aim of managing change is to effectively implement new systems or methods in the organization. Managing change involves managing the employees and managing the impact of change on employees. To ensure an organization keeps up with changing times, it is important for the organization to change. Employee resistance The greatest

Teenage Depression and Suicide Essays - 1790 Words

â€Å"A dark brooding cloud was slowly casting a shadow across my mind.† â€Å"I felt weighed down, oppressed by the burden of having to face a new day.† â€Å". . . A crushing sense of hopelessness that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.† â€Å"It was as if something else had seized control of my mind.† â€Å"The darkness was spreading inside me like a cancer (Irwin 1+). — These are descriptions of how Cait Irwin, who suffered from depression as a teenager, described it. They show how awful and frightening depression during the teenage years can be. Depression and suicide are closely linked. â€Å"In fact, about two-thirds of all people who die by suicide have some type of depressive disorder† (Irwin 47). Teenage depression is a common but serious†¦show more content†¦Adding these numbers together will show that one-fourth of teens questioned in this survey had experienced depression-like symptoms by age 18. Also, two million, about one in ten, adolescents aged twelve to seventeen had a major depressive episode in the past year (â€Å"Major Depressive Episode and Treatment Among Adolescents: 2009†). These facts verify that depression in teenagers is considerably common, and awareness of the signs of depression in young people needs to be raised. Everyone needs to recognize signs and symptoms of depression in teenagers since many teenagers with depression may not even recognize the signs themselves. In addition, because of how serious depression in teenagers can be, adults or other teenagers need to know how to recognize teenage depression to prevent it from getting worse. â€Å"People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms vary depending on the individual† (â€Å"National Institute of Mental Health†). Symptoms of depression may include: vague, nonspecific physical complaints such as muscle aches, headaches, stomachaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment, overeating or appetite loss, persistent sad or irritable mood, loss of interest in activities or hobbies once enjoyed, outbursts of shouting, complaining, or crying, lack of interest in socializing with friends, absences from school or poor performanceShow MoreRelatedTeenage Depression and Suicide1246 Words   |  5 Pagescancer.† — These descriptions are how Cait Irwin, who suffered from d epression as a teenager, described it. Teenage depression is a common but serious illness that can ultimately send some on a downward spiral towards suicide that can be averted if recognized and given the proper treatment. Countless teenagers experience some type of depression in their lifetime, but what exactly is depression and just how common is it? â€Å"Depression is a mental disorder that involves being either sad or irritable nearlyRead MoreTeenage Depression - Teen Suicide1399 Words   |  6 Pages Teen Suicide Over the past few years’ teenage depression has drastically increased due to multiple factors such as peer pressure and bullying. According to Linda Lamb’s article Young People Can Suffer From Depression, Too,† The suicide rate among teenagers [today] is about 10 per 100,000†. A handout from the Health and Human Services Department and National Institute of Mental Health stated,† in the last 25 years, the rate of suicide among teenagers and young adults has increased dramatically.†Read MoreTeen Depression : The Problem Of Teenage Depression, And Teen Suicide721 Words   |  3 PagesTeen depression is a definite topic most people are unaware of and depression is a worldwide issue and is the leading disability. Depression can lead to many things, from anxiety to thoughts of suicide. Things like social media is a big cause of depression. Everyone has those days where they are feeling sad or maybe even just having a bad day. Sometimes, it goes even more downhill. When it turns into something major, it becomes a real problem. Some people ignore the issue, brushing it off as a â€Å"phaseRead MoreTeenage Suicide1064 Words   |  5 PagesTeenage Suicide Suicide is intentional self-inflicted acts that end in death(Suicide, Comptons). After a series of traumatic events, normal coping abilities can be pushed over the edge; the result may be suicide. In each year, an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States. It is estimated that 5,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers(SA\VE, 2). One major reason that the suicide rate among teenagers is so high, is that the teenage years are a period of commotionRead MoreDepression Is The First Leading Cause Of Suicide1496 Words   |  6 PagesToday in America, depression is the first leading cause of suicide. Reported in recent statistics, every year, thousands of people succeed in taking their lives and even more have attempted suicide at some point (Hyde and Held 8). Although it is an afflicting concern today, depression dates back to centuries ago, but wasn t fully recognized as a clinical illness until the 1960 s. At this point, depression treatment was only available to adults because it was so unlikely for adolescents to experienceRead MoreTeenage Depression And Teen Depression792 Words   |  4 Pages Teen depression, which is also known as adolescent depression, is a growing problem in today’s society. Depression among teenagers is overlooked by many and is often mistaken for â€Å"normal† teenage behavior. This mental illness is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Depression is predominantly seen amongst young women who are transitioning into adulthood. Teenagers are at a point in their lives where they come face to face with the reality of peer pressure and a milestone in becomingRead MoreSuicide Among Teenagers1095 Words   |  5 Pages Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-old (Green, Paragraph 1) Teenage suicide is the intentional act made by teenagers usually below the age of 19 to take their lives. Suicide is not thought of in a day. It is a series of processes that goes on in the mind before manifesting. Although, during these processes there are visible signs that shows a prospective suicidal person. There are factor s that trigger and cause the act of suicide in a teenager. Most of these factorsRead MoreTeenage Suicide : A Devastating Event1509 Words   |  7 PagesTeenage Suicide When I was undergoing my journey through high school, there was a devastating event that affected the entire school from that point on; one of my fellow classmates had committed suicide. It was heart breaking to hear what had happened to someone at such a young age. A teenage boy drove to a spot in North Carolina where his dad had committed suicide just a few years ago. In that same exact place where his dad committed suicide, he decided to take his own life. According to WorldRead MoreRisk Factors of Teenage Suicide1217 Words   |  5 PagesTeenage suicide is a major national public health concern facing America today. Thousands of teenagers commit suicide each year. Many experts believe that teenage suicide is often due to unpredictable circumstances and can be contributed to hormonal impulses. However, recent case findings and statistics prove that this is not necessarily true. Although some teenage suicides may be the result of youthful and impulsive actions, certain risk factors, signs, and symptoms can contribute to self-inflictedRead More Teenage Suicide Essay1404 Words   |  6 PagesTeenage Suicide Each day 86 Americans take their own lives and another 1,500 attempts to do so. Even more disturbing is that suicide among a young people nation wide have increased dramatically in recent years. In fact thousands of teenagers each year commit suicide. It is the third leading cause of death among young adults aged 15-24. With the first two leading causes being unintentional injury and homicide. There are many reasons why teenagers feel the need to take their own life. They are at

King Louis Essay Example For Students

King Louis Essay IntroductionPerhaps one of the most famous of European monarchs, King Louis XIV ruled France for some 72 years, the longest by any French head of State. It is believed that reign of King Louis XIV was reputably famous as one of Absolute government, primarily because the King had his own particular and dominating style of governing the nation. Attaining the powers of a King at a young age of only 5 years, King Louis XIV would rule through his mothers guidance and Cardinal Mazarin acting as the head of state deciding most of the official and civilian matters concerning the governance of France. With no proper or formal education to his credit, King Louis XIV nevertheless gained immense insight on practically all matters of governance and grew up to be an extremely intelligent head of state. From the onset of his adulthood, King Louis XIV had perceived numerous plans for his country, and if one were to grade the King according to todays standards, one would certainly place him in the ca tegory of Type-A personality. This was because the King had learnt, and that too from childhood that the best way to rule would be to control the subject with absolute authority. In doing so, the King chose his advisors and consultants from the category of non-nobles, with the objective of inviting least opposition, and for reasons of imposing his decisions and motives without being questioned. The nobles too were useful, and had to be retained around the Kings circle, primarily to win over their confidence, in return for the positions and wealth offered to them on behalf of the state. Also famous as a hard working and pleasant natured, the King sought to bring glory for France, and strived for a united France, simply because it was easier to rule. The Kings ideas about making France a glorious state were also exhibited in his desires for other European nations to fear, respect as well as imitate France in all matters of governance, aspects which only remained merely a set of ideas. Born in 1710 at Versailles, King Louis XIV gained the title of Louis the Well Beloved, yet this title only remained so until the King remained a monarch of France, and practically diminished upon his death. Unlike heirs of monarchs, King Louis XIV was neither formally educated in worldly discipline, nor was he nurtured to become a head of state. It was perhaps these primary factors together with the ineffective upbringing during his childhood, which kept the King weak through out his life, in turn implying the King was the head of a weak government. Add to this his attaining the powers of a King at the young age of only 5 years, as also reiterated in the opening lines and his marriage at the young age of 15 years. Thus, it was not until the King had reached the age of 34 years, when he finally decided that he did not the assistance of any intermediaries, a practice which had continued since he was the King of France at age 5. Yet, his lack of education, self-confidence and failure to have a grasp on matters of governance continually hampered his role as a successful monarch. The result of this somewhat disastrous set of policies, and the Kings pre-occupation with the ladies of the court in contrast to the more needed matters of national policy and governance led the nation into the 7-years War. As a result, France lost most of its territories across the world, including those of North America. Though King Louis XIV did try to improve the judicial system at home, and enhance his political and moral authority. Nevertheless, the King had generally lost support from majority of the French populations, in particular the French working class. This culminated in the Great French Revolution of 1789, only to be replaced by Kings grandson Louis XVI. (King Louis XIV, 2004) Influence of Childhood and Youth on the Personality and Reign of King Louis XIVAn overview on the childhood and youth of King Louis XIV reveals that when the King was only a child, he suffered the traum a of loosing both his parents, with a brother as his only surviving immediate family. Though there are some sources, which grade the King as the only heir to the throne, the majority of works on the life of King XIV cite that he had a brother. Thus, one may observe that the King was crowned at the young age of 5, he was duly assisted in the affairs of governance by his mother and through a regent Philippe II, Duke of Orleans. In addition, the King was represented in the governance of the State through Cardinal Fleury. This also implied that no particular attention was paid towards the education, upbringing, or character building, which would prepare the young heir for the post of a King of France. The inability to acquire any formal education, training or character building all led to the upbringing of an individual who would have to rely on his own intuition, insight, and personal experiences to rule an entire nation. [pic] EssayPerhaps the single most influencing factor in the life of young Louis XIV as the King of France was the series of events, also known as the Fronde. The Fronde was the result of the ill planned policies of the Cardinal Mazarin, also the caretaker of the French state representing Louis XIV. Initially commenced by the French nobles and the Paris Parliament (a powerful law court) rose against the policies of the Cardinal Mazarin, the Fronde was also the beginning of a long civil war. Such was the fateful events of this Fronde that Louis too was caught up in the misery and suffered poverty, misfortune, fears, humiliation, cold, as well as hunger. These periods of hardships in turn evolved the true character of the young King, and molded his behavior as well as his style of approach towards life, leaving a greater influence on the manner of governance of France. These hardships also made the King more than bitter, and committed never to forgive the nobles and the common French public alike. The Fronde was however suppressed by 1653, and Louis XIV with the help of Cardinal Mazarin were able to proceed an entirely new administrative plan for the French State. This was also a period of King XIVs strengthening of beliefs in the activities and planning of Mazarin, as well as the latters acclaim on the absolute powers of the state, as aspect which left little to be disputed by the young King. Aside from the series of civil wars and uprisings by the French nobles and judiciary of the state, as also reiterated in the preceding paragraphs, the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661 was yet another important event, which resulted in the testing of the true capabilities of King Louis XIV. This was also a period for announcing the take-over of the entire responsibilities of the governance of the state by the King. Though, this had become as a surprise for the team of French nobles with close relations with the expired Cardinal, the action of taking over the entire set of responsibilities was nonetheless a rightful claim by Louis XIV. Furthermore, come it may as a tradition, the very concept of dictatorship by divine right; could not be disputed by any individual of the state, regardless of his position or status in the French society. The acclaim to the throne by the Louis XIV also clearly implied that he was the Gods representative on earth, and in that respect any form of disobedi ence and/or rebellion amounted to a sin, duly punishable according the laws of the state. By virtue of these divine powers, King Louis XIV also sought to strengthen his own feelings of infallibility, and at the same time adopt an attitude of serenity and moderation, as was demanded of monarchs with absolute authority. This is also the reason why the people of his era referred to Louis XIV as head of the absolute government, also mentioned in the opening lines of the subject paper. One can thus observe that using these absolute powers, King Louis XIV devoted his later life for the affairs of the government, and there was little that escaped his attention. These included for example, the smallest aspects such as etiquette of the royal court, to the more mundane task of the movement of the French military, the construction of roads and buildings, to the sensitive subjects such as theological disputes. In conclusion, one may deduce that at once, King Louis XIV was an absolute monarch, as also proven by his virtues and acts of taking France to its pinnacle of fame and prosperity. Yet, at the same time, his isolation of the royal court from the reach of the common man, and the concentration of the entire government machinery into his own personal being, made his own accomplishments diminish against the successes. Indeed the armies under Louis IV committed atrocities, yet compared with the horrors of today, where entire nations have been reduced to slavery, and where mass deportations and genocide are looked upon and regarded as weapons of development, Louis XIVs policies are but mere shadows in a dark tunnel. It is said that once an Italian chemist offered Louis XIV the first ever-bacteriological weapon. In return, the passive natured King promised to provide pension to the scientist on the condition that the latter would never divulge the secret invention. The words of the famous French philosopher Voltaire perhaps best depict the person and monarch in King Louis XIV. According to Voltaire, His name can never be pronounced without respect and without summoning the image of an eternally memorable age. (Voltaire, 1751).

Huxleys View Essay Example For Students

Huxleys View Essay Huxleys viewIn Neil postmans amusing ourselves to death, Huxley teaches us that in the age of advanced technology, spiritual devastation is more likely to come from an enemy with a smiling face than from one whose countenance exudes suspicion and hate. In his teachings we learn that we are always watching our neighbor in order to protect ourselves. Huxley says that all Americans are Marxist, for we believe nothing if not that history is moving us toward some preordained paradise and that technology is the force behind that movement. He is basically saying that due to technology we have culture, political, and religious revolutions. In chapter 11 we realize that watching television is not bad. We must all accept and know why we are watching what we do. If we accept the fact that we are watching television for a means of entertainment rather than information, then we are not corrupted by the influence being given by our media. According to chapter 11, technology is corrupting our natio n and will keep doing this until we become more educated in what we are watching. In conclusion, Huxley says that what afflicts people in the Brave New World is not that they are laughing instead of thinking, but that they do not know what they are laughing about and why they stop thinking. Huxley had sort of the same ideas as so did Mr. Frostneir and Mr. Thompson. They all agreed that our Media is a form of corruption and that technology over taking our lifestyle. Violence as well as anything is growing in our society. Huxley has a point when he says that we should be more educated about what and why we are watching. When we learn that TV is for entertainment and that print Media is more informal then and only then shall we over come a technological revolution. Words/ Pages : 323 / 24

Conceptual Framework of a Study about Teachers` Practical Knowledge

Author Interview #1 †Jane Davis

Author Interview #1 - Jane Davis Author Interview #1 - Jane Davis We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing some great freelancers from inside the industry. And while we’ve learned a great deal about the practicalities of writing, we were left wanting to hear from the other side of the creative process - the writer themselves.Well, good news everyone! We’re now going to be featuring interviews with some of the indie author scene’s established darlings and rising stars. We’ll be talking about how it feels to be at the vanguard of the movement, what they’ve learned getting here, and how they make it work.Our first interview is with Jane Davis, author of, among other things, ‘Half-truths and White Lies’ and  'An Unchoreographed Life.’REEDSY: I was just enjoying the extract you have on your site from An Unchoreographed LifeJANE DAVIS: Thank you. While I shy away from the label ‘Women’s Fiction’ I think of that novel as the most ‘Women’s Fiction’ thing I ’ve written. Although, having said that, one of the last reviews I had was from a single father saying much how he related to it, and that was very interesting.REEDSY: I’ve never really ‘got’ the whole idea of there being a label ‘Women’s Fiction’ - it seems to not say much about the work it describes.JD: Sometimes fiction gets pigeonholed with inappropriate labels. That was my problem with ‘Half-truths and White Lies’. I was pigeonholed as an author of Women’s Fiction, and I’ve massively shyed away from that since. But maybe I’ve come full-circle. Prostitution was an issue I wanted to address at the time when changes in the law were proposed, but since it’s such a sensitive issue, I chose to address it from the point of view of a mother/daughter relationship.REEDSY: So how do you describe your writing?JD: Well, it’s been called literary, but I’m slightly embarrassed by that. I thi nk it has this connotation of being highbrow and inaccessible. For me, my fiction is all about the characters. I put them in these terrible scenarios and feed them to the lions. I try to write sympathetic characters but then I make terrible things happen to them!So I suppose I write contemporary-stroke-literary. I put the label, ‘historical’ on ‘I Stopped Time,’ my homage to the pioneers of photography and it’s consistently been my best-seller. I think that’s because historical fiction is a label people relate to more than ‘literary’ or ‘contemporary’. They know where ‘historical’ sits. ‘I Stopped Time’ is actually a time-lapse novel, which goes between the present day and the lifetime of a woman who lived to the age of 108. But with the ‘historical’ label, people have an expectation of what they’re going to get - whereas ‘literary’ can be quite off-putting. S ome people I interview describe their work as ‘general fiction’ - I don’t have a feel for what that means either.REEDSY: It’s a sort of negative definition - telling you basically nothing†¦JD: I think the fact that my fiction is cross-genre - that I think of myself as a brand - is a large part of why being an indie author suits me. Random House didn’t take my follow-up to ‘Half-Truths and White Lies,’ because it wasn’t ‘Women’s Fiction’ and they had published me under their Black Swan imprint, which is exclusively for Women’s Fiction. I simply wasn’t aware of the implications. But at that point I wasn’t thinking long term. I had won a competition and was happy to be published, however that came about.I saw Adele Parks speak at the London Author Fair. She told us that when she was first published, she was given the choice of marketing her fiction as commercial or literary, and when she asked what the difference was, she was told, â€Å"Well, literary sells 7,000 copies and commercial sells 70,000 copies.† I’d not heard it in terms as blunt as that before, but I don’t think those figures were unusual in those days. Of course, post-2008, book sales have taken a nose-dive.REEDSY: Can literary fiction work without the support of a publisher? One argument against self-publishing goes that it can only sustain work that meets certain standards of viability in terms of sales. How do you find it?JD: I’ve only been doing this for two years, but my sales figures have only really pushed upwards with cross-selling. When people buy one of my books they do seem to come back and buy all of them. I’m not selling in big numbers by any means. I’m willing to give books away in order to hook readers†¦As for traditionally published authors, I’ve spoken to a few who are thinking of going indie when their deals come up for renewal. M ost are under two book contracts and they hear rumours that those contracts won’t be renewed under the same terms, and there’s also a great deal of dissatisfaction from the authors themselves about the lack of marketing support offered by publishers. Advances are also considerably lower. When I was at the London Book Fair this year, I was hearing about figures of  £5000 for one book or  £8000 for two books. Take from that the cost of marketing and there’s not a lot left in the pot.However, the authors I have met on the speaking circuit still firmly believe that bookshops are their realm. Are you familiar with the ALLi’s ‘Open up to Indies’ campaign?’ I’ve been going out and talking in bookshops and libraries, sometimes pairing up with traditionally published authors, because bringing a crowd puller obviously helps to opens doors. The estimates are that 70% of books will be self-published by 2020. It’s very difficult t o think that bookshops will only want to offer 30% of what’s available. And it’s quite clear that the 70% is going to include books by some of the authors bookshops and libraries currently stock. A stance against stocking self-published fiction is plainly unrealistic, but authors need to put themselves in the places of booksellers and librarians. Quality control is an issue that concerns them.REEDSY: I feel like the myth of the uniformly low quality of indie books is starting to die out†¦ slowly, but it’s fading.JD: I hope so. I use accreditation services that give a clear indication that my books have passed rigorous assessment. And the rise of small presses of course is continuing . Their publications are performing very well in competitions, very well. I went to a book launch this week for an author who has just been snapped up by a small publisher, Burning Eye Books. They publish mainly poetry. In fact, this is their first fiction title. Alice Furse sel f-published in January and they approached her. I think she’ll do very well out of it because they only have one fiction author to promote right now, and having that concentration of force behind you is fantastic. It’s the kind of support you might expect from an agent but wouldn’t normally get from a publisher.Author collectives are also enjoying a great deal of success. Having a name and collective power helps. I didn’t have enough forethought to do any of those things! I went ahead and published under my own name - I think I’d do things slightly differently now.REEDSY: What would you do differently?JD: More preparation. It’s too easy to publish. Don’t push the button unless you’re absolutely certain that the work is as good as it can possibly be. The problem is you’re too close to the book to judge that yourself - even though I used a copy editor and several proofreaders, my first self-published book went out with 13 typos in it. It’s easy to update it if you’ve got the control of the manuscript, but actually I was quite embarrassed that there was a first edition out there†¦ The money I spent on printing books that I then ditched would have been better spent on a further proofread. Because of course you can’t just hire one copy editor and one proofreader. The process needs multiple pairs of eyes.I think that rather than use the free ISBNs offered by self-publishing services, having ISBNs registered under your own name - so that you are shown as the publisher of your own work - helps. When you go to a bookshop there isn’t the ‘Amazon prejudice.’ I don’t put an awful lot of energy into getting my books onto shelves, because it’s very hard for me to break even on the percentages I’m offered, and the sale or return model doesn’t work for most indie authors. Then there’s the question of staying stocked. Even when I was t raditionally published, bookstores didn’t stock my title automatically. I had to go into branches week after week saying â€Å"Right, you’ve sold the copies you had on the shelves, can you order more?† It’s very time-consuming. A couple of indie shops stock my book, and they are amazingly supportive. When I’ve done talks at Waterstones they’ve been happy to stock my books on the night, but they wouldn’t ordinarily because I publish via Createspace. As a result of being in the Smashwords Premium Catalogue, my paperbacks are now available online with WH Smiths and Blackwells now, which was a surprise, so maybe the tide is turning. In the future I’ll think about buying my own ISBN and register it under my own name.Since joining ALLi I’ve become a lot more aware of these issues - all the little things which might hold you back.REEDSY: How much of your time now do you spend on writing vs managing the self-publishing element?J D: I’m quite active on social media. I had a lot of talks over the summer, which took time to set up. It’s not a case of going into a library and they’ll ask you to come along in the next month. Sometimes the impact of the ground work you’re doing comes one or two years down the line. I think, in all honesty, I spend more than 50% of my time on things like social media, sharing content, interviewing authors for my website†¦ Of all of those activities, interviewing authors has been the most helpful. Initially I approached everyone who appeared on the Guardian’s list of the top 30 indie books of 2013. There’s a very supportive community of indie authors out there. Interviews take up quite a lot of time, but I think they’re incredibly worthwhile. You don’t get immediate rewards, but an author you have interviewed might perhaps read and review your books, or offer a return interview†¦My third indie release was in November 2013. I had no publicity, so it was a very soft launch. April 2014 I released ‘An Unchoreographed Life’, and I was inundated with offers from people offering me guest blog posts, interviews, etc. The difference was that I had offered that facility to other authors. It’s very much a reciprocal thing. So marketing is not always direct marketing. It’s the soft-sell and building brand awareness. I’d say more than 50% of my time is spent on it - I wouldn’t want to say how much more than 50%!REEDSY: Would you think about outsourcing the marketing at some point?JD: Well, I have no budget. I recently relaunched my website and paid The Curved House to design it. I think it was money well-spent, even though it will knock out any profit I might have made next year. My original website had been built for one book, and I had tweaked it over time, but the look wasn’t cohesive. Now, it will be easier to add to, and I’m glad I’ve invest ed the money. But my budget is generally minimal. I often barter with people, offering to help out in exchange for return services.REEDSY: How about production?JD: I try to stick to a budget of  £1000 -  £1500. I think that’s a sensible level because only 5% of books sell more than 1000 copies. Interestingly, most authors I know aren’t making money from their sales, they make it from other services they offer.In terms of where I spend the money, my cover designs are really important to me. They are my brand. None of them have cost very much. I use a graphic designer. I come up with the design myself, and he executes it.  I also use a team of beta readers who have more or less replaced the need for a structural edit (something I used to pay for), and a copy editor and a proofreader. The typesetting and e-book conversion I do myself. In addition to writing my own stuff, I also do work for other authors as part of bartering process.REEDSY: Are there services you see authors being tempted to neglect?JD: It’s not always a question of ‘neglecting’ services. You have to look at the reasons behind choices. I know some authors who are very against using a copyeditor, not because they’re ‘unprofessional,’ but because they’re very anti-censorship and see using a copyeditor as a form of that. However, if your reason for not using a copy editor or a proofreader is lack of funds - I would say think again. Save the money and invest or decide what skills you have that you can offer someone else.When you’re starting out it’s tremendously hard but I’ve had massive support, even before I was a member of ALLi. Not necessarily from my writer’s group. You’re not a novelty there, everyone’s got a book they want readers for - but the Keep Fit group I’ve been going to for 25 years. I’ve found some fantastic beta readers and proofreaders there. The thing is not to be afraid to ask for help. There’s a great TED lecture by Amanda Palmer about the power of asking, and people want to be involved in a project, especially one where they can use skills that they don’t get the chance to use at work. My beta readers work for no more than a mention in the back of the book, maybe a coffee and a cake to talk about how the book made them feel. It’s not all about spending money. It’s about investing your budget in the right places and collaborating with a team you respect. It’s a mistake to think ‘expensive’ means ‘quality.’ Some of the services I have been happiest with have cost me nothing at all.REEDSY: Thank you for your time Jane

Learning diversity and authentic assessment tools Essay

Learning diversity and authentic assessment tools - Essay Example EVALUATION: For evaluation purposes, the teacher will use a series of impromptu and written tests that will be given at the end of the lesson (Ahrenfelt, J. and N. Watkin, 2006). This will be important in helping to ascertain the extent to which the learning objectives are attained. As a tutor, I would like to report that this lesson was well organized. In fact, it is the best lesson I as a teacher has designed for use in my class. It is really accommodative and can help to cater for the varied interests, abilities, likes, dislikes and weaknesses of learners in a typical class environment (Skowron, J., 2006). As we all understand, an ideal class has a combination of weak and strong learners. In such a case, it is the responsibility of the teacher to design a lesson plan that will create a conducive environment for all of them. A good teacher should not leave any of the learners behind. Since this lesson plan has a combination of both the expository and heuristic strategies, it puts the lesson in a better position because these strategies if well used, will create an ample time for the tutor to explore either the lecture, discussion, small group method, questioning or other methods to teach it. Besides, the use of questioning method is vital because it puts the learner in a position of actively participating in the lesson. Taban, a great educationist once said that a teacher who does not ask questions does not teach. Similarly, the kinds of objectives set prior to this lesson were very feasible and could be very important in helping to impart the desired knowledge to the learners. They were aiming at achieving both the cognitive, affective and psychomotor objectives of learning. This is what will definitely lead to a complete learning process that cuts across the three levels of objectives. More importantly, since this was a science lesson, the choice of experimentation can actually assist in fulfilling the affective aspect because it will require the learners