Managing Activities to Achieve Results Essay Example for Free

Managing Activities to Achieve Results Essay Structure of an organisation is the way the people and different departments are set out. XXX School’s structure is shown in Appendix 1. It’s is widely split into Thai and foreign areas with different departments that interact daily to fulfil its processes and functions. There is evidence to suggest it uses the matrix model. For example XXXX the Head of English Kindergarten department is also responsible for undertaking the project of improving the schools website. Mullins (2005:a) notes culture as ‘the collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs, and attitudes that constitute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organisation’. Due to the being both foreign native speakers and Thai teachers present in the school, a divide in beliefs, values, policies, traditions and processes is present. The two ‘sides’ maybe well undertake tasks in a different way, however there is one belief that is clearly paramount throughout the school. The most important belief is the service and relationship provided to the customer (customer being the student and their parents) is everyone’s number one priority. Whether you are a native English or Thai teacher the attitude fed down from the top is the strong value and belief that the student’s education is most important. Processes are the series of links that define  the function. Within every organisation functions have to be performed. Fig 1. Examples of functions carried out at Varee School Fig 2. The processes involved in planning a lesson. Planning a lesson involves relatively few departments and people. It’s mainly an individual task that is easy to complete and can be repeated easily, something that is important to keep the business efficient. Certain processes that involve more people and more departments are not so efficient. Most obvious problem being the Thai/foreigner cultural difference. There are problems with language barriers, different attitudes and beliefs. For example, Thai people don’t like to ‘loose face’ or cause somebody to ‘loose face’. This can cause problems as often they would rather mislead people than be honest and accept they can’t do something. Business process transformation and TQM would be able to improve the interrelationships between the different process and functions and this is talked about later in the report. Taken from the latest school magazine, published December 09 it states the mission statement as: ‘In order to maintain high standards of educational development, the school follows and emphasises three main goals which are to maintain a progressive curriculum, a proficient management and a highly productive teaching staff. XXX School strongly believes that if these goals are carried out, our students will gain various skills which are crucial in life such as intellect, communication skills in foreign languages, technology and moral development. Our students will mature into good citizens physically and mentally. Over all they will develop social skills enabling to and learn harmoniously in society. ‘ Within this mission statement three main goals are given, lead to its overall objective: * to maintain a progressive curriculum * a proficient management * a highly productive teaching staff. The overall objective being: * to maintain high standards of educational development The mission statement along with the aims and objectives have meant that a structure designed for the most effective teaching possible has been developed as well as providing the customer (the student and their parents) with the a path of education they wish to take. They can study their subjects in 80% Thai or can study on the English programme where they will be studying mostly in English. Along it could be suggested the mission statement is a little long, there can be no doubting that it has created a sense of direction and the main belief that is comes down through the management in the school to all the staff. Evidence of this is seen in not only my personal objectives but many other teachers’ also. XXXX, Head of Mattayom for foreign staff states in the school magazine â€Å"Our goals are simple; to give every student the best education available; to foster creative thinking and a global outlook; and to instil a love of learning in every student. (Teachers at Varee love teaching and genuinely care about their students.† In addition XXXXX, Mattayom Teacher in the native English teaching department says â€Å"My goal is to give the children the confidence and tools required to expand their English abilities so that they can interact in an increasingly global English Community†. The school is of course a business and there for wants to make a profit. By carrying out these aims and objectives the school is providing the customer with great service, meaning the school will continue to grow thanks to an enhanced reputation. If the school continues to grow, with good business management to, the school will continue to make a profit. How does the school carry out its functions to meet its objectives? A curriculum for example is crucial to providing quality teaching and obviously quality teaching is the school’s main objective. According to my seniors, Fig 3. , shows the  communication process they will follow in updating a curriculum. One of three people can decide that change in curriculum is required; The Head Mistress, Director of foreign staff, Head of Department. Reasons for a change can be due to results, government changes, private tests changes, or parent’s requests. In this example we will assume that the Head Mistress has requested the change. Fig 3. Communication process XXXXX School will follow when updating a curriculum Happy with the curriculum? No Happy with the curriculum? YES Finished curriculum Happy with the curriculum? No Happy with the curriculum? NO Happy with the curriculum? YES YES Happy with the curriculum? YES Finalised and continuously monitored Head of Department (Will make the improvements) Curriculum is provisionally taught Director of foreign teachers Head Mistress The methodology used in this process is carried out by four levels of the organisation. It’s very much based around completing the task and then checking, discussing and improving if possible. Once the Head Mistress is happy it is provisionally taught and again checked. Again, if any improvements can be made they are, if not its taught and continuously monitored. With every process there is an output. The schools main and ultimate output to the customer is the education of the student. The Head of departments work has to be referred back to higher authority to be checked and this means the quality is checked before being moved onto the next  stage. By continuously carrying out processes, such as improving the curriculum, the standard of education, the final output, will be strong. As with any businesses, weaknesses and improvements can always be found and that’s why it’s important for the curriculum and other such areas to be continuously developed and improved using all areas of the organisational structure. Bibliography Mullins, L.J, 2005a. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 7th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Varee school Magazine Mullins, L.J, 2005b. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 7th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Hall,D, Jones, R, Raffo,C, Anderton, A, 2008:a. Business Studies. 4th ed. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited

The Ideal Performance Management System Essay -- Management Performan

A comprehensive performance management system will be thorough, inclusive, practical, meaningful, reliable, open, ethical, and correctable among other qualities (Aguinis, 2013). Additionally, the process of managing performance will be an ongoing process to include processes such as coaching and employee development. An ideal performance management system will serve an organization by developing satisfied and competent employees who are actively engaged in aiding the organization to reach their strategic goals, mission, and vision. Consideration of an ideal performance management system for a college of business shall be discussed to include the organizational strategy, systems, implementation factors, and employee development components. Organizational Strategy The primary objective of performance management is to assist organizations to achieve their strategic goals (Aguinis, 2013). These strategies initiate from the organizations vision and mission statements (Johnson, 2013). The performance management system, if effectively developed, will join unit and individual goals with the overall organizational goals so that all parties are working to achieve the same purpose (Aguinis, 2013). An additional benefit can be derived from the performance management plan because it serves to secure employee engagement in the organizational objectives (Aguinis, 2013). At the College of Business, the organizational purpose, vision, and mission are modified to adequately serve these objectives. Organizational Purpose The College of Business is committed to success. The success of students is a primary focus of this organization as a school of business. As an AACSB accredited college, the organization stands well positio... ...ormance appraisal look like? Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 12(1), p. 57-71. Oberoi, M. & Rajgarhia, P. (2013). What your performance management system needs most. Retrieved from http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/161546/performance-management-system-needs.aspx Society for Human Resource Management. (2012). Performance management: Can our company’s vision and values be reflected in our performance management system? Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/TemplatesTools/hrqa/Pages/Canourcompany%E2%80%99svisionandvaluesbereflectedinourperformancemanagementsystem.aspx The Deming Institute. (2014). Theories and teachings. Retrieved from https://www.deming.org/theman/theories/fourteenpoints University of Cincinnati. (2013). Vision, mission, and core values. Retrieved from http://www.uc.edu/business/index/about-us/vision-mission-and-core-values.html

Reflective Essay

Phenomenon Causal Context Clarifying Describe the here and now experience What essential factors contributed to this experience? What are the significant background factors to this experience? What are the key processes for Reflection in this experience? 2. Reflection 2. 1. What was I trying to achieve? 2. 2. Why did I intervene as I did? 2. 3. What were the consequences of my actions for: †¢ myself? †¢ the patient/family? †¢ the people I work with? . 4. How did I feel about this experience when it was happening? 2. 5. How did the patient feel about it? 2. 6. How do I know how the patient felt about it? 3. Influencing factors 3. 1. What internal factors influenced my decision making? 3. 2. What external factors influenced my decision making? 3. 3. What sources of knowledge did/should have influenced my decision making? 4. Could I have dealt better with the situation? 4. 1. What other choices did I have? 4. 2. What would be the consequences of these choices? 5. Learning 5. 1. How do I now feel about this experience? 5. 2. How have I made sense of this experience in the light of past experience and future practice? 5. 3. How has this experience changed my ways of knowing: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ empirics? aesthetics? ethics? personal? (Taken from â€Å"Centre for Health Education† info RD+E(H) April 02) The Reflective Process — Analysing & Learning from Experience 1. Gather the Information †¢ †¢ †¢ Describe the incident Explain the context Take any relevant clarifying statements from others involved 2. The Reflection †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What was I trying to achieve? What were the consequences of my action for the patient, for my colleagues, for me? What do I feel about it? What has been the effect on my colleagues? What factors/previous knowledge may have influenced me? What alternative action could I have taken? 3. The Learning Process †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How do I feel now? Could I have acted differently? What have I learnt? How will that influence my future practice? What has the incident taught me about my values and/or my belief system? What ethical principles were involved? Once you have completed the process, it would be valuable to evaluate it again, with a colleague or with a professional mentor to clarify the main issues, the learning involved and the impact on your practice. CHIRS WHITEHEAD Professional Development Co-ordinator February 1994 (Taken from â€Å"Centre for Health Education† info RD+E(H) April 02) (More examples of reflective writing formats) Reflection on Practice Date: 3rd Feb 1995 A 50 year old man with CA lung who was not expected to live much longer was smoking in his room with oxygen. The Consultant had just visited him and told him that he could continue to smoke in his room. The gentleman was unsafe to be left as every time he took a puff on the cigarette he collapsed and he still had the oxygen running through a nasal cannulae. Description of the experience I expressed my concerns to the Consultant, my concerns being: †¢ There was piped oxygen in the room and there was a high risk that it may ignite. †¢ There was a risk to the patient that he may set light to himself or the bed when he collapsed. †¢ There were babies below. †¢ There was not enough staff on duty to free someone up to sit with him whilst he smoked. Once the Consultant had left the ward I took away the cigarettes and lighter and said that we would be back every hour to allow him to smoke. The gentleman did not like this and started calling out and shouting continuously for a lighted cigarette. My decision was to only allow one cigarette an hour as I could only free up a Nurse to sit with him for this period of time. To turn the oxygen supply off whilst the gentleman had the cigarette and to keep the cigarettes in case he tried to light up whilst there was no one around. What other actions could I have taken? †¢ Allowed him to smoke with the oxygen on and without a Nurse present and allowed him to get on with it. The consequence would have been that he may have collapsed without my knowledge and died/caught light to himself. †¢ Not to have allowed him to smoke at all taking the cigarettes away from him. The consequence would have been an angry uptight man shouting at the top of his voice until I relented or he wore himself out, causing distress to himself and the other patients on the ward. How did I feel at the time? †¢ Frustrated that the Consultant put me in such a position and did not seem to think of the consequences. †¢ Annoyed that my concerns were washed over when I was accountable for that shift. †¢ Powerless to do much about this situation. †¢ Determined that whatever I did, I was doing it for the right reasons and had thought about every possible avenue. What I have learnt from this experience? That you have to act as you see fit when faced with a situation as this one. †¢ That you have to take the welfare of the gentleman and others into consideration. †¢ That you cannot always expect backing from your Consultant or Nurse in charge. †¢ That you, have to take a holistic view point and weigh up all the pros and cons. †¢ That you have to stick to your decision if you believe it to be right. Three months later After reflecting on this incident I still believe today that I made the correct decision of only allowing this man to smoke when the oxygen was turned off and a Nurse was present. It caused him some distress and myself a lot of distress but I feel I had an obligation to safeguard the safety of the other patients and babies in the ward and the ward below. The gentleman has since died and I wonder sometimes whether I was too hard, but as they say you can only do what you believe in and work within the confines of the situation, which on reflection I believe I did. (Taken from â€Å"Centre for Health Education† info RD+E(H) April 02) Reflective Log from Teignbridge District Model Name: Date of learning event: Me My experience of the subject prior to the learning experience. Facts How the knowledge was acquired? What was the nature of the experience or event? Explain the subject. An account of what happened without specifying what was learnt. Select the part that is significant and/or important. Feelings What aspect of the event went well? What was not so good? What were my feelings about what happened? What were the feelings of others? Learning What were my desired learning outcomes? Where does it link in or combine with my existing knowledge? What have I learnt from the experience? Conclusions What do I need to do next? How can I put my learning into practice in another situation?

Culture in the Ancient Roman Republic