APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS - Essay Example The proponent will discuss concisely the research aims and objectives. Next to this, the proponent will show related and significant literature that may add up insight to the subject of the research. Then next to this will be the discussion of research methodology. It is through this that the proponent will detail the needed structure in order to work out the research and obtain substantial information. The other important part will be data analysis. It is through this that the proponent will analyse the data gathered in order to come up with important information as the main contribution of the entire research. Finally, ethical issues would also be included in the research. This is to ensure that the entire research process is conducted with strong emphasis on ethical considerations so as to come up with Research Aims and Objectives In this section, the proponent will discuss in general what the research is all about. Thus, the proponent will present the general aim of the research and that this research is in line with the investigation on how the channels of communication with employees might be improved in a multi national organisation. Next to this, the proponent will discuss a little background about the importance of communication in an organisation that especially deals with manpower. This will give substantial idea on the proposed objectives of the study. The following discussion is considered the background of the study that will serve as opening thoughts as far as the introduction of objectives is concerned. Communication is important because it is through this that an organisation will succeed in dealing with employees and all other aspects in the operation. Communication is one of the most important applications in the operation because it is having this that every detail in the operation will substantially be implemented. For instance, if the vision is not clear among employees, then the company will end up being hopeless in achieving its objectiv es may it be in the short-term or long-term run. In fact, communication both in its verbal and non-verbal forms is important in the operation on a daily basis because there is a real need to do so in order to interact with employees, customers and everyone in an organisation. Thus, it is important that the most effective and efficient channels of communication should be chosen especially in a multi-national companies. The only possible way to effectively improve the channels of communication that are integrated in the multinational company is to evaluate it in the first place. Such evaluation should be essentially done among the users. Thus, it is important that this study must emphasise that one of the best options is to conduct evaluation on the current channels of communication used in a multinational company. Thus, the following objectives should be included in the research process. 1. To choose a multinational company where channels of communication will be evaluated. 2. To eva luate the channels of communication in that certain organisation based on the employees feedback. 3. To evaluate the channels of communication based on their accuracy and efficiency. 4. To present a detailed conclusion and recommendation on how the channels of communication in a certain organisation might be improved. The above objectives imply that the general objective for this research is to actually choose an organisation to be

Technology and Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology and Business - Essay Example In a way, Blackberry is the next generation in portable access that began with the introduction of mini computers and then laptops and now to handheld devices. It is an improvement over the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The Blackberry has its own operating system that has been developed by RIM (Research in Motion), the company that has pioneered the device. There is provision for third party vendors to provide add-on software. Currently, Blackberry allows for integration with the Microsoft Exchange, Novell and Lotus software. Blackberry can be thought of as a mix of the WAP access in mobile phones and the portability of a PDA. The latest versions of Blackberry have the GPS (Geographical Position Service) enabled along with the radio feature. This is a marked improvement over the earlier versions and it shows the extent to which the device has evolved over the years. The Blackberry device is portable and allows for flexibility and â€Å"on the move† access of the applications for professionals in any field. It is the technology of choice for senior management and those who have multiple meetings in a day. As mentioned in the previous section, it is a boon for anyone who spends a lot of time away from his or her desk and yet needs to access the emails and know the schedule for the day. Many companies have taken to the Blackberry devices in a major way and it is not uncommon to see executives sporting these devices. The later versions of the device have text messaging and group chat enabled along with the internet fax and other features that enable the users to access the network simultaneously. More and more companies are going in for versions of the device with lots of gigabytes of memory and storage space so as to enable the users to have applications like Microsoft Word integrated and make the users access them â€Å"on demand†. This integration makes the transition from desktop applications to the handheld devices and

How has Reapportionment Affected Nevada?

How has Reapportionment Affected Nevada? After the Census of 2011, how have reapportionment affected the State of Nevada. Does it benefit or hurt the least populated areas/cities/counties versus the larger cities/counties. Please provide facts and details to support your findings. ABSTRACT Nevada is one of the states of the mountain west. A lot of demographic amendments were witnessed by the state in the first decade of 21st century. It was seen in the census that it was one of the highest population gaining states in the country. Due to this reason, it is believed that this region has become a home for a lot of people who are diverse in terms of the demography and geography. With the help of these factors, it has been seen that Nevada has become one of the new swing regions in the country. With the help of this paper, we will try to examine the impact of reapportionment in the Nevada state. Apart from this, we will also try to draw a comparison between the impacts of redistricting on areas with varied number of population. It is believed that the area of Nevada before redistricting was considered as rural area. So the process of reapportionment is considered to have been a boon for the area as the policies were amended in a manner the rural interests were taken care o f on the costs of the urban requirements. INTRODUCTION Apportionment is the process with the help of which the seats in the House of Representatives in the united nations of America are divided. As per the apportionment of 2010, the total population in the Nevada state was reported to be 2709432 out of which 2700551 were the resident population and 8881 were reported to be overseas. The numbers of representatives in this state as in 2010 were reported to be 4. Nevada was of the 6 six states which gained one seat each as an apportionment that was done on the basis of the census of 2010. The population of the region constantly rose and this was one main reason due to which a gain in the seat was observed in this area. It was also seen that the seats from a lot of states of the U.S. were cut down. New York and Pennsylvania lost two seats each and there were 8 other states as well which lost one seat each as a result of apportionment. (Damore D. F., 2013) It has been keenly observed that the population of the country is constantly shifting towards the southern and the western parts of the country from the northeast and the Midwest parts. Since Nevada belonged to one of these parts, the population in this state of the country trolled to a higher level and thus an additional seat was given to the state. The nation growth rate of the population in the time period of 2000 to 2010 was seen to be 9.7%. But in the Nevada state this rate was outpaced to 35.1% being the highest in the country. Due to this, the Las Vegas metro area is believed to have the highest population in the area and hence is highly concentrated in the entire region. One important factor that is worth noting here is that a lot of ethical diversity has been seen in the state. The minority population in the Nevada state increased by almost 11 percent in the last decade. Due to this, around 45% of the residents in the Nevada region are believed to be non-whites. These change s proved to be highly important in terms of politics. Due to the electoral factors, the maximum seats in the region belonged to the Democratic Party. DISCUSSIONS On the basis of the brief overview that has been presented above, it can be seen that the increasing population was one of the main reasons behind the reapportionment and redistricting in the Nevada state. It is believed that the interests of the minorities and urbanization will increase in the region in such a way that the politicians take an advantage of it. It has been seen that population is not one of the most important factors that results in apportionment or redistricting of any states in the U.S. the population in a country migrates from one part to another and therefore leads in changing the political preferences. In many cases, it is believed that the apportionment should be done on the basis of the number of population in that particular area. The most basic formula that is used to carry out the process of the apportionment also works on this factor only. In cases when the number of seats or representatives is less or high in comparison to the population of that area, it i s termed as misapportionment or malapportionment. However, in case of the United States, it is a rule that there have to be two seats in each senate irrespective of the population, geography or demography in that region. Also, after each census’s result, the process of apportionment has to take place in the United States of America. Since, the population in the Nevada region increased, with the process of apportionment, one additional seat was given to this region. However, this criterion holds true only for the lower house. The process of apportionment of the upper house is carried out through several other processes. (Crocker, 2011) The impact of the process of apportionment holds a lot of importance when it is done on the basis of the population distribution in the states. Since the number of people belonging to a particular region or state is more in comparison to any other state, it becomes important that they are paid more attention in the House of Representatives as well as the senate. Obviously the least populated areas of the cities are often at a loss in comparison to the benefits that are enjoyed by the highly populated areas of the city or county. The concept of misapportionment is highly prominent in the country but it does not in any way confer to the benefits attributed by its defenders. It is seen that misapportionment has often lead to different views of people. The minorities often have proved to be the biggest sufferers in the course of this process. The number of minority groups in the country is quite high. However, the representation to these minorities is only given in the smaller states whi ch are considered to be unnecessary. One more argument that is prevalent in this regard is that the senate was formed only to protect the rights of the residents living in smaller state which is not accurate in any case. In comparison to the senate, the house of the representatives is considered to be way more balanced in this regard. (Brown, 2014) After discussing the benefits that are associated with the apportionment, it is also important that we pay some attention to the costs associated with it. As per the census of 2010, it was seen that around a quarter of the country’s population resides in the states of New York, California and Texas itself. The biggest political disadvantage associated here is that the political candidates face a lot of arduous issues in winning a seat in the constituencies which is larger in size as well as in terms of population. However, this expense stays to a minimum level in smaller states. Apart from campaigning, the process of fund raising too isn’t an easy task for the contenders in bigger states. Due to this, the contenders in the smaller states often win by a larger percentage in comparison to their counter colleagues in larger states. The advantages given to the senators of smaller states often help in augmentation of their influence in comparison to the other senators. (Damo re, 2012) CONCLUSIONS Seeing all the above made arguments, it is seen that there is a strong need of a new convention of the constitution. The abandoning or reducing the powers of the senate can be a good process in this direction. Also, apportionment should be done on the basis of the needs of the people living in a particular area as well. Although population holds an important place in this entire process, it is important that work is done on other areas as well. Judicial intervention is considered to play a very important role in this process thus leading to a fair process of equal state apportionment. It is important to pay attention on the demographic as well as the geographic factors of every state. With the visible trend, we can see that Nevada would surely see a rise in the population in the next census and therefore, it will become important to take a note of the needs of various groups and communities of people living in that area. Another factor that needs to be mentioned here is that the popu lation of the U.S. is increasing at a drastic rate. However, the number of members in the House of Representatives and the senate has not increased with the same pace. This clearly shows that the number of leaders to represent the people of various areas is insufficient. In the states like Nevada, the rate of growth of population in the last decade was almost 35% but the number of seat added to the state was only one which sounds inappropriate. There are a lot of rules mentioned in the constitution regarding the process of apportionment. But the number of amendments made in this regard is quite low. The leaders of the leading parties need to become more lenient in this direction. On the basis of the discussions made above, it can be clearly concluded that there are benefits as well as costs that are associated with the process of apportionment in the United State of America. It is also believed that with the course of time, work will be done in the areas in order to cure the disadva ntages that are associated with the process of apportionment in respect to the population of various cities and counties in the states. (Burnett, 2011)

personal essay- The Girl In Pink :: essays research papers

It's seven o'clock and Megan's alarm has just gone off. Up out of bed and into the closet she goes to find her wardrobe for the morning. The closet door opens to sunlight shining through the open blinds inside the large walk-in closet. To the left and right are haning masses of pink clothes, dresses, jeans, and, in one corner, a couple of employee tee shirts for the movie theare and some black work pants. Se carefully selects her favorite pink halter top, a lighter pink jacket, and a denim skirt. "Time to meet my public," she says to herself. She treks down the stairs, passing me. I just woke up. "Why are you up so early sister?" "Class," I reply. "Oh." Time for breakfast. "Mom, will you make me some eggs? Sunny side up?," Megan asks with a toss of her hair. "Sure hon." The family computer is turned on and Megan thinks to herself, "Which cute boys have emailed me today?" "Seth wrote to me, mom!" Mom smiles, "are you going to write back?" "Are you crazy! If I write back this soon, Ill look desterate and needy. I'll do it this weekend." She starts responding to some of her girlfriends' emails, a quick one or two lines each, and then moves on. A plate of eggs and toast and a glass of orange juice is set at her seat at the dining room table. Without closing anything on the computer, she prances over to pick at her breakfast. Half way through, she stops eating and goes toweigh herself. I pass her again in the hallway. "Are you going in the bathroom?" E ask. "Yes." Great. Well, I guess I'm done inthere now. She doesn't run any water or anything. It just seems to have slipped her mind that she has a huge murror in her room, too. Half an hour later, Megan emerges from the bathrom with perfect hair and flawless make up to compliment her outfit.

Innovation Prowess Leadership Strategies for Accelerating Growth Essay

Innovation management Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovative management is a strategy in which a company manager utilizes all the available resources and develops a working community where ingenuity and innovativeness work together with practicality in order to formulate reforms. Today’s fast changing business environment calls for innovation management which will help companies to achieve their long term objectives. Innovation management will help companies to maintain competitive advantage. Long term sustainability of a company may be determined by its ability to expertly direct innovation assets to address a swiftly changing economic and market setting. Innovation management includes the activities, decisions and practices that propel an opinion to realization for the rationale of breeding business worth. This paper is about software development by Samsung Company. The Company has come up with an advanced wireless disk drive that is the champion in the Google industry (Day, 2013 ).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung unlike Apple reveal good consumerist skills in the course of innovativeness. The Company usually manufactures differentiated products that ensure that consumers choose from variety of Samsung devices. For example, Samsung products are of high quality with OS and software thus thriving well especially in OS and android market. Samsung have advanced strategic capacity which enable them hang about as the greatest threat to Apple. For example, their marketing strategies are outstanding. They augmented their cost of advertisement from $78 million to $401 million. In addition Samsung association capability is first-class. They exceedingly believe in providing people with opportunities to excel. They slot in the five hub values in every action taken which enable them to prosper. They are dedicated in ensuring that they are socially and environmentally liable wherever they are operating from (Michell, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation management is very important owing to the fact that Samsung Company have to work under tight budget and the increased demand from the customer who prefer high quality products and services at affordable prices. Innovation management emphasizes on production of new technologies, products and services. Samsung is also known as the giant electronic maker, it is planning to launch the advanced wireless disk drive to the android users. The advanced disk drive Crystal Disk Mark chronological read and writes scores of 300MB/sec and 250MB/sec are around three times as fast as the swiftest hard disks from any other company and the disk’s LaCie’s small-file scores are excellent: its 300KB and 250MB/sec write and read results of 700MB/sec places the advanced disk drive at the front line. The advanced disk drive is expected to be more durable as compared to other disks. Durability is more important than speed and capacity. Ide ntifying and implementing investments repetitively and effectively make up the vital purpose of innovation management. Various decisions that are prepared in Samsung Company affect the succession and eventual success of superior ideas. New innovative ideas must be aimed at solving an existing business problem or growing an opportunity (Ernst, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Successful innovation management in Samsung Company follows the following guidelines; first, whether the potential innovation is aligned with the company’s strategy. Second, how the proposed change will add value to the customer. That is how the advanced wireless disk drive will add value to the customer, the third guideline is the amount of investment that is required and whether the investment will generate good returns. Whether the advanced disk drive will attract more customers? Forth, the possible impact of innovation to the current business and whether it would affect the existing returns. Also, the time frame for the effect to be realized and the impact to the business, how the innovation will alter or disrupt current markets; whether the new idea will generate additional revenue or reduces operating costs, the other guideline is how the latest innovations improve existing or build up new obstacles to competition and finally whether there is an effortless access to the competencies required to apprehend the new idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new strategy that Samsung Company should slip in when launching the advanced wireless disk drive is pricing strategy. They should employ customer-based pricing. Samsung Company is well-known for hasty production of differentiated products thus penetration pricing will work best. The purpose of penetration pricing is to enlarge market share of the product. Samsung Company by the use of penetration pricing will be able to raise prices once they penetrate the market. The new strategy will draw many customers to buy the wireless disk drive and other products. The long term gain is that Samsung will accomplish a higher market share as compared to other rivalry companies in the industry. Samsung products are somewhat differentiated and owing to price inelasticity of demand in the market; this new strategy will work best for Samsung. This will be a very competitive tool for Samsung as they launch the advanced wireless disk drive and other inn ovative products. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/aboutsamsung/Samsung Company is conversant that innovation management requires an innovation framework that will enable effective and repetitive change which will increase the capacity of the company to generate high quality goods and services. Innovation encourages the need for rapid change and rejuvenation, potentially affecting all sectors of a company. Samsung does not engage its workers in long working hours like Apple and Google since they believe in innovativeness. Transform is usually opposed which calls for necessary rewards and incentives to endorse the required innovation. The weekly meetings and workshop with the team of 8 members will be very significant since it will help me to diagnose the hindrances to innovation in the company (ArguÃÅ'ˆden, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The workshop and meetings will be exceptionally useful in understanding how verified framework to make the company more inventive. The workshop and weekly meetings will help us to find out examples of appropriate practice in innovation management and compose an action plan that will boost the innovation performance of the company. The other chief benefits of holding weekly meetings and workshops in Samsung Company include; gain awareness of how to develop excellent ideas that focus on adding value to the customer. For example, Samsung is planning to launch the advanced wireless disk drive and other products such as Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5. Samsung operates under the philosophy of ‘people first.’ Second, help to gain self-assurance to manage the company’s assortment and shield the most innovative ideas. Third, help people to gain capacity to borrow ideas from chief management team for the company’s innovation acti on plan. Third, help individuals to gain ability to endorse an organizational culture that embraces creativity and innovativeness. It also helps to increase the alertness of apposite application of strategies so as to improve company presentation. Finally, help to build up confidence to communicate about the need for innovation and how to achieve it (Chang, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new idea of advanced wireless disk drive must offer competitive advantage to attract new clients, maintain existing clients and cut-down the production cost with an aim of maximizing profits. Innovation is not hard but it is a complex process which involves change. Change on the other hand necessitates learning. High improbability and likelihood makes innovation management very complex, since it calls for the learning speculation to be concentrated on the areas of alteration that represent the highest possibility or uncertainty for gradual sustainability and intensification of the company. For more than 70 years, Samsung has focused on advancing the world through diversification that has led to advanced technology fashion, skyscraper, hotels, medicine, petrochemicals, semiconductors, finance and plant construction. Samsung Electronics lead takes the top position in the global market in high-tech digital media and electronic manufacturi ng. Through innovative, reliable services and products, talented personnel, collaboration with customers and other stakeholders, and responsible approach to business and global citizenship, Samsung is moving the world in imaginative new commands (Bessant, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several external and internal triggers facing Samsung Company; however, there are many potential solutions to these problems. Three pillars of innovation must also be considered in development of innovation framework. These pillars include strategy, competency and management. Innovative competency of the company will depend on the set of capabilities and the history. Samsung main objective is making a better world through innovation. Powerful framework is based on commitment and competence which will help the company to propel forward. As the company manager it is vital to come up with strategies in the resource allocation. The strategies will also be significant in improving the existing processes and products, finding adjacencies and discovering totally new markets. A competent firm is required to manage its innovation in an appropriate manner. Samsung have to be hasty in its production so that it can cope with competition from Apple and Google. People everywhere, regardless of their earnings; desire to use superior and innovative products. Thus Samsung Company has to come up with strategies to make their products more affordable to the customers. People have different tastes, budgets, preferences and lifestyles. Through provision of innovative products that offer value for money, the company will meet different needs of the clients all over (Ghemawat et al, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The diversification strategy should focus on ensuring that the new product gives the customers confidence that the product will deliver on its promise so that they feel their money is spent appropriately. Improving brand quality will make business sense and enhance the company’s capacity to improve the lives of the low-income customers. The Samsung Company has the necessary resources, skills and the will to produce high-quality products at a lower price which meet the customer’s demands. Samsung Company must to come up with innovative strategies such as diversification strategy since the competitors are not willing to move back from breakthrough designs, very responsive and mass customizing variety strategies among other strategies that enhance production of superior products (Kenny, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The innovation team will be of great importance since they will help in generation of a set of innovation activities which amalgamates the activity into a regular cycle of running the company. The following phases in innovation management will assist Samsung to amalgamate the set of innovation activities in order to realize a fruitful end (Trauffler et al, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They include: Setting the objectives for the process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation is all about change and starts with a goal in mind. The major problem is developing a strategy that will ensure provision of quality products at affordable prices which will attract more customers as well as retaining the existing customers. The team of innovation management has come up with diversification strategy that solves this predicament. Once the goal is identified, it will be discussed by all the members in the problem solving team. I am the leader of the team being in charge of other 8 members. These individuals are professional functional areas. The team will have weekly meetings and workshops where they will provide feedback and suggestions regarding their personal experience with the company’s product and services. I will be the leader of the team and I will oversee all the parts of the process from the beginning to the end (Hill, 2012). Cooperation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As an innovation team in Samsung Company we will work together so that rather than raising separate ideas, we can amalgamate them and develop a collaborative solution. This will be achieved through the weekly meetings and workshops. I have great experience as a manager in the company thus there is no need of hiring a trained business coach to facilitate the discussions. In addition, the prosperity of Samsung Company can be attributed to the uphill struggle and proficiency of its employees, whose mutual efforts boost the company’s competitive advantage and speed up innovation. It is also doubtless that the previous success would have been impractical without the intense interest and packed support from all stakeholders. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ Combination of ideas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The team highlights the ideas, and then they select the most suitable ones and then evaluate to see whether they can be combined to come up with an excellent idea. In deed, bold ideas will be complementary to each other and will combine to a better result. The whole result is likely to intensify with every member contributing to the process. The success of this combined ideas require representative from every stakeholder in the process. This is because these stakeholders are experts and have crucial information that individuals from other departments could not raise. As the team leader I will ensure that every angle of innovative process is covered. The business idea is to develop an advanced wireless disk drive. Evaluation of Innovation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is a very crucial aspect of innovation management; however, it is usually ignored. When the most suitable ideas are fine-tuned, combined, and polished they should be subjected to peer review for evaluation. This will ensure the efficacy of the idea of advanced wireless disk drive. Deprived ideas will be identified in the evaluation stage before Samsung commits its funds, time and resources to them. Evaluation stage will also help the team to select idea with great potential from the other ideas that seem to have equal chances of success. This is the stage where the innovation team can alter the strategy of innovation with a lot of ease as compared to later stages. The stages after evaluation stage are more costly and thus require a lot of caution. The advanced wireless disk drive will enable customers to; access their Media Wirelessly, stream media wirelessly to Tablets or Smartphones among others, customers can also stream to up to 4 diverse devices concurrently, the drive also can operate the disk drive as a moveable DVD Writer and finally the wireless disk drive can as well be paired with Samsung Smart TV. The advanced disk drive is the quickest of all other wireless disk drives. Testing the ideas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once the innovation team identifies the potential idea, in this case developing an advanced wireless disk drive, they will test it so that they can identify the weak areas that require development. One of the most common method of testing service delivery or product quality is creation of test group. This will enable the innovation team, the customers, and the investors to familiarize with the new product in terms of its functioning and the necessary changes to be made to improve the product. The strategy is to ensure that the product raise interest as well as generating more orders. Customers will get interested to the high-quality products such that they will order more products from the company. Execution of the innovation implementation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the idea of advanced wireless disk drive passes through the testing process, it can be further modified and changed until it is ready to be implemented as a component of the company offerings. The execution of implementation is unique for every business. Unless the idea of advanced wireless disk drive calls for alteration of marketing strategies, then this step for innovation management process should be basic for the company. It will be effortless for Samsung Company to move from testing of the product to the execution if the new product were able to create interest and generate orders in the testing stage (Zacharias, 2011). Assessment of Innovation Life-cycle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is the step that follows after the execution of the business idea. Implementation should be closely monitored and assessed regarding the targets to be set. If the target is unattainable, the idea will be turned down calling for developments. Customer is always considered in the execution stage, the team will design measuring systems which can measure the value added to the customer through application of new strategies. Samsung work under the philosophy of ‘people first.’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next step after assessment is starting again, identify new strategies, solutions and inspirations and taking them through the cycle until the company come up with appropriate strategies that ensure value is added to the customers. Over the last two decades, Samsung Electronics utilized a series of turn around strategies that basically altered the approach of managing Samsung Company. The employees will be forced to learn from the new speed. Creativity calls for speed in the processes, inventory turns, functions, data access and market response. The style of management which includes control and command is obsolete and the modern way of business success is accommodating new technologies as well as open leadership styles where leaders consider other people’s opinions. The innovation team has to determine how the problem is defined in order to come up with appropriate strategy. For example, Samsung identified the problem associated to access of media. They decide to solve the problem by developing an advanced wireless disk drive where people can stream at ease. This will help the company to develop and raise ideas based on the need and how to improve the brand while maintaining low prices. Capacity to come up with new ideas should be one of the most crucial priorities in an organization. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation process will also include the Samsung’s internal and external elements. The team of innovation includes eight members who are company employees, customers and other stakeholders in the company. The innovation process will consider the following: Industry and cultural context.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This refers to the environment and culture existing in Samsung Company. Samsung Company main objective is to produce first-rated product and services. The company officials also are very considerate since they respect other people’s opinions. This cultural background has greatly contributed to the expansion of the company since the employees have learnt to work under minimum supervision. The relationship between employees and the supervisors is excellent. The company is also deeply concerned with the future path of the employees and thus provides mentoring, training and essential coursework as well as coaching them. The company is also concerned about the employee’s social life and thus offers flexibility in schedules (Michell, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employee’s opinions are also taken seriously so as to involve them in decision making. Decision making is very important and everyone should be involved since decision made will affect every individual related to the company operations. This employee relationship enhances engagement thus workers are motivated and thus will be crucial to company’s performance. Samsung Company recognizes that a company is its people, thus they operate under the value of integrity. Operations in Samsung are guided by moral values which ensure respect, complete transparency, fairness, for all employees as well as stakeholders (Mellor, 2003). Organizational context   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung’s structure is very distinct because although there are representatives in every sector; respect remain paramount in the company. Employees respect their bosses and works under minimum supervision. Moral ethics is fundamental principle in Samsung Company. Samsung Company believes in use technology and innovation instead of control and command. The main goal is to be the best company in product and service. Customer satisfaction is the main objective since Samsung seeks to produce high-quality products while maintaining low prices. Company culture is very crucial since it can shape or break down the company. Samsung operates under team-based culture where employees participate on all levels. Samsung Company’s culture is adaptive and hence has enabled Samsung to outshine its competitors (Haig, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adaptive culture accommodates change which is very essential for innovation management. It is very imperative for Samsung Company to understand its culture since it will learn to shape it according to their wish. The company’s culture has experienced changes due to hiring and replacement of employees. New employees bring new values and practices to the company’s culture. Thus it is vital to access the company culture by listening to comments from suppliers, customers and the employees. The common behaviors and noticeable symbols comprise the company culture. The team should also determine the desired company culture before any change is implemented. Samsung innovation team must find out the appropriate culture that suit the company in its desired future situation. The team will also review the company’s mission, values and vision to ensure that the culture being designed will support them effectively. Samsung Company c ulture is aligned to its strategic goal (Krug, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aligning company culture to the strategic goals includes; developing a strategy that endorses the good things in the current culture and correcting the unaligned sectors, the team should brainstorm developments in the formal laws and daily duties, the team should develop strategic plan of the desired behaviors and actions, the innovation team should communicate the recent culture to all employees, and finally the innovation team should also over-communicate the recent culture and its practices to every individual. Strategic model of innovation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung electronic main focus is strategic innovation endeavors on product improvement which are usually addition and convey diminutive new significance. Though the aim might be to improve the brand quality it is also good to consider company culture, resources and network. Samsung can avoid diminishing returns from increased competition by creating a new model for the product. The more the innovation team will succeed in advancement of unique features in their production, product and marketing the more the innovation will be. Samsung uses four main areas to come up with a successful new business model of innovation for secure competitive advantage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first chief area is the core strategy which implies how the company will compete. The innovation team will develop core strategy such that it includes the company mission with key objectives such as strategic intent and value proposition. The company can use the strength of the current strategy or consider generating a new one. The core strategy should focus on competitive markets, defining the environment, customers and segment. A strategic core strategy is different from that of the competing firms and builds on the company’s features and strengths. Samsung Launch of advanced wireless disk drive is a significant step that enables customers to enjoy the quickest wireless streaming from SMART hub. Retrieved from http://www.macworld.com/article/1162103/samsung_announces_new_optical_drive_with_wi_fi_connectivity.html   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The innovation team will also focus on strategic resources. Samsung will also highlight the areas that require reorganization and improvement of the existing staff. The team should understand the company’s patents, brands and infrastructure. The company resources are expensive to imitate as they are associated to high cost and thus scare off competing firms. The company should use its strengths to improve competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Customer interface is the other key factor to consider, where Samsung considers the market and the existing competition. Samsung should identify the type of service, channels and support involved or that it controls with the available one so that they can add value to the product. Samsung innovation team should also use its client’s insight and use every opportunity to improve market understanding and how the market understands the company. Understanding the information requirements of chief customers and their dynamic interaction with the product or company is very important in strategic innovation. Pricing strategies might also be considered since the new product might alter the company’s practices (Michell, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Value network is another crucial factor to take into consideration. Samsung should consider the value network from the top to bottom of the value chain. The company stabilizes when it attract more finances and better partnership as compared to its competitors. The rapport between company and its suppliers influence opportunities for faster changes, price and quality of a product. The partners of the company can supply critical solutions and mechanism to the product, or create synergies or symmetries to augment sale. If Samsung innovation costs are projected to be high, the innovation team can consider a coalition even with the competing firm to enhance radical change in the market. The framework of meta-innovation is very important strategy to apply since it challenges the firms to think beyond product quality, markets and processes. Innovation does not necessarily have to be a high cost, but it should be an appropriate idea (Chang, 2008). 4. Knowledge deployment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung is committed to inspire people across the world by developing innovative products, new technologies and creative solutions. Samsung is changing rapidly to cope with the changing world. The company is relentless in innovation and pursuit of discovery thus creating possibilities. The launch of the wireless disk drive among other excellent products has enabled Samsung to be a world-class company. Samsung innovation has enabled advancement in technology, skyscraper, medicine, semiconductors, hotels, plant construction, finance and petrochemical among other significant application that help to push industries forward. Through creation of superior product and services, Samsung struggle to augment the lives of people across the world and ensuring positive change to the world. Samsung believe in power to connect people to what they are today with what they aspire to be in future. Samsung Company is the leader in high-tech digital products such as LCD and color television, EMS micro chip and mobile phones (Michell, 2010). 5. Methods of collaboration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung has taken full advantage as a latecomer and outshined various leading companies by employing a powerful engineering of core technology. Samsung does not engage its workers in long working hours, but it believes in innovation management. Samsung work under the philosophy of ‘people first’ thus they are able to develop products that attract more customers. For example, the wireless disk drive is a very advanced tool that will enable customers to enjoy wireless streaming among other uses. Samsung has never thought of quitting transformation and innovation. History reveals how, Kun-Hee Lee, Samsung chairman is excellent in deciding and forecasting. Samsung is also able to be the world leading company because of continuous development and investment. Samsung also changed from massive imitational production to independent product development based on digital technology. Samsung endeavors to make an integrated world through g lobal citizenship and responsible approach to business as well as collaboration with their customers and stakeholders (Krug, 2009). 6. Protecting innovation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper explains how Samsung internalization in China helps it secure a competitive advantage. Samsung has three lasting forces namely promotion force, force of internal motivation and organization force. Promotion force is the company and entrepreneurship culture which control strategic decision making and approach of development of a company and determine the character of a company. Force of internal motivation is the capacity in engineering of key technology and its application which forms Samsung’s competence. Organizational force is under scientific management which enables Samsung to execute its strategy. Samsung company management involves innovation in reducing transaction cost as well as innovation in utilizing capital. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ 7. Managing risks: failure and imitation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversification is the key strategy that enables Samsung to cope with risk and uncertainty. Samsung philosophy is ‘people first’ which enable them to develop products that align with customer’s needs. Samsung chairman is also excellent in forecasting and deciding power which has greatly helped the company to develop products that attract more customers. Samsung success is not measured in terms of achievement, but how they have improved the lives of the people. Samsung also manage risks by changing rapidly to cope with the changing world. Samsung is a leading company in production of high-tech digital products which are unique. For example, the launching of wireless disk drive is a significant step where customers will be attracted by the drive unique characteristics. Samsung strive to make a better world through innovation, trustworthy goods and services. Samsung utilizes diversification which helps it to produce differ entiated products ranging from LCD and color television, smart phones and EMS memory chip. Customers are able to choose from variety of Samsung products which place the company at a competitive advantage. Samsung also utilizes cost-benefit analysis which helps the company to manage risks and uncertainty. Samsung measure the efficacy of a strategy by testing the ideas mainly through insights from customers, employees or other stakeholders (Kenny, 2009). 8. Commercialization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung products are widely used across the world. Samsung has enhanced the growth of many businesses that use their high-tech products. Samsung strive to make the world integrated through advanced technology, finance, medicine, semiconductors, hotels skyscraper, petrochemicals, and plant construction among others. Samsung is made up of more than 78 distinct companies and joint ventures in an extensive assortment of businesses. Samsung objective is to diversify into medicine, health and biotechnology. Samsung is recognized as the leader in technology and is now ranks as a top 10 global brand. Diversification strategy has also helped Samsung to develop different products of high quality at cheaper prices as compared to products from other companies; for instance, Samsung receive massive sale of smart phones. The company also project that the newly launched advanced wireless disk drive will attract more customers and gain more orders (Arguà Å'ˆden, 2011). References About Samsung. (n.d.). – Samsung. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/aboutsamsung/ ArguÃÅ'ˆden, R. Y. (2011). Keys to governance Strategic leadership for quality of life. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Bessant, J. R. (2009). Innovation. London: DK. Chang, S. (2008). Sony vs. Samsung: the inside story of the electronics giants’ battle for global supremacy. Singapore: Wiley. Day, G. S. (2013). Innovation Prowess Leadership Strategies for Accelerating Growth.. New York: Wharton Digital Press. Ernst, H. (2007). Innovation orientation, innovativeness and innovation success. Wiesbaden: Gabler. Ghemawat, P., & Siegel, J. I. (2011). Cases about redefining global strategy. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Pub..Haig, M. (2004). Brand royalty: how the world’s top 100 brands thrive and survive. London: Kogan Page. Hill, K. (2012). International directory of company histories. Detroit, Mich.: St. James Press. Kenny, G. (2009). Diversification strategy how to grow a business by diversifying successfully. London: Kogan Page. Krug, J. A. (2009). Corporate strategy. London: SAGE. Mellor, R. B. (2003). Innovation management (1. ed.). NÃÆ' ¦rum: Globe. Michell, T. (2010). Samsung Electronics and the struggle for leadership of the electronics industry. Singapore: Wiley. Samsung Receives 49 Awards across Multiple Product Categories at CES 2014. (2014, January 15). Health & Beauty Close-Up, 23, 43. (2014). Samsung S5 to feature biometric access control and secure mobile PayPal. Biometric Technology Today, 2014(3), 1.Samsung announces new optical drive with Wi-Fi connectivity. (n.d.). Macworld. Retrieved May 22, 2014 http://www.macworld.com/article/1162103/samsung_announces_new_optical_drive_with_wi_fi_connectivity.html (2007). Samsung does six sigma: A case study on supply chain management. Strategic Direction, 23(9), 15-17. Trauffler, G., & Tschirky, H. (2007). Sustained innovation management: assimilating radical and incremental innovation management. Basingstoke [England: Palgrave Macmillan in association with the European Institute for Technology and Innovation Management. Trott, P. (2008). Innovation management and new product development (4th ed.). Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Welcome to Samsung. (n.d.). Samsung. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ Zacharias, N. (2011). An integrative approach to innovation management patterns of companies’ innovation orientation and customer responses to product program innovativeness. Wiesbaden: Gabler Verlag. Source document

Organizational Change

Organizational Change Plan-Part One The use of mobile technology for health care professionals, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) has increased exponentially in both clinical practice and nursing education (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some evidence exists that the use of a PDA in health care settings may improve decision-making, reduce the numbers of medical errors, and enhance learning for both students and professionals (Nilsson, 2008); for these reasons, the Learning Technology Committee (LTC) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) explored the benefits of nursing students using the PDA at the bedside in the clinical setting.The committee proposed a change, Project PDA, to implement the use of PDA among novice nursing students and faculty. The following paragraphs will focus on the assessment and plan of the Project PDA; and examine the rationale for the change, barriers to change, influences on change, application of a theoretical model and resources available to support t he change initiative. Rationale for Change Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving field of knowledge. Nursing students are trying to learn and implement this large amount of information at a rapid pace.Nursing students are generally unsure of their skills, feel insecure about their knowledge level, and lack self-confidence (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Many advantages have been seen with the use of the PDA, such as time savings, reduction of errors, and ease of use (Miller, Shaw-Kokot, Arnold, Boggin, Crowell, Allegri, Blue, & Berrier, 2005). Through the use of the PDA, it is thought, the nursing student will have reduced stress, fear, and improved self-confidence (Martin, 2007). Students will benefit from gaining immediate access to resources at the point of care, become more efficient, and spend more time focusing on patient care.PDAs will provide a bridge for students to apply theoretical learning to practice and foster the development of critical reasoning skills and professiona l autonomy. Nurse educators will need to develop creatively new, innovative models of teaching to keep up with changing society and technological advances in nursing practice (Jeffries, 2005). Adopting this new technological process will ensure SCC is keeping up with the trends of technology in nursing education. Organizational and Individual Barriers to Change Organizational change is a complicated process and is likely to be met with resistance.According to Borkowski (2005), resistance may originate from two sources: organizational barriers and individual barriers. These barriers threaten to impede change success. In an effort to avoid change failure, management must identify and understand potential barriers to change. Organizational barriers are typically beyond the control of management and may be perceived as insurmountable, which in the early stages of change can prove to be futile (Borkowski, 2005). Two potential organizational barriers to implementing Project PDA are cultur al complacency; and the lack of financial and technology resources.The first barrier was cultural complacency. Spector (2010) suggests that organizational culture may enable and create barriers to change. The nursing department has functioned like a well oiled machine as result of shared values and beliefs among faculty and students; subsequently creating a complacent atmosphere. Management must change the culture of the nursing department to engage faculty and students; and promote behaviors in line with the proposed change. The second barrier was the lack of financial and technology resources.The college was in the midst of a new levy campaign and there were no current funds allocated in the nursing department budget for technology improvements including the purchase of equipment. The college does not own PDAs for the students or faculty to use. No process was in place for technical support if students were to experience challenges with the device. The individual barriers identifi ed included lack of motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Faculty and students may lack motivation if they perceive the change will disrupt the status quo, or the preference for the current situation (Borkowski, 2005).The lack of support and acceptance of the new technology by other clinical staff and faculty is one of the key challenges of implementing new technology into educational programs (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some students and faculty are computer literate, but many are less familiar and lack experience with computer systems. As a result, it will take time for students, faculty, and clinical staff to become comfortable with using the PDA. Factors of Influence The college’s readiness to change could lead to success or failure.The change itself is not the reason, but the organization’s culture of environment and the employees respect, trust, and attitude toward the management implementing the change (Krause, 2008). The attitudes of faculty and s tudents may directly affect how responsive and committed they will be to the change process. The factors of influence within any organization may originate or draw in part on the quality of leadership (Krause, 2008). The leaders must implement strategies to communicate the value of the change, establish a coalition, and empower all participants to become change agents.Theoretical Model Kurt Lewin’s change theory was the theoretical framework selected for analyzing the change process involved in adopting the use of PDAs in the clinical setting as planned in Project PDA. Lewin’s change theory identified three stages in the change process-unfreeze, move, and refreeze. To unfreeze leaders must create a sense of disequilibrium to motivate change. A pre-pilot survey completed by the LTC revealed students and faculty believed time management was the priority challenge for students in the clinical setting.PDA use is expected to improve time management skills. In stage two, cha nge is implemented. Students and faculty will be required to use the PDA during clinical for access required textbooks and other resources. The final stage, refreeze, the change is cemented into the organization’s culture (Spector, 2010). The LTC will evaluate the change process, communicate progress, maintain support structures, reinforce required behaviors and encourage continued commitment to sustain the change. Internal and External ResourcesBorkowski (2005) noted managers must be certain adequate resources are available to implement change and ensure organizational goals are met. The nursing department at SCC is fortunate to have access to internal and external resources needed to support efforts to implement Project PDA. A strong organizational structure facilitates collaboration within the department. Webinars will be used for faculty and student development. The nursing department secured grant funding to purchase 16 i-Touch devices for faculty. Students will use fina ncial aid to purchase the PDA and software undle. E-book resources will be made available through contracted publishing vendors. Learning and troubleshooting tutorials will be included with the software as well as the Sinclair Help Desk will be available for technical support. Information technology has integrated in the health care delivery systems to include the use of personal digital assistants (PDA) and other computer devices (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Teaching institutions are being challenged to keep up with the trends in technology and meet demands for use of hand held devices.In response to this challenge, SCC proposed to implement Project PDA. Students and faculty will begin using PDAs in the clinical setting. The use of these devices will provide real-time access to important resources enabling medical personnel and students to manage point of care activities more efficiently (Lee, 2006). As a result, students will be less stressed, more confident, and more competent hea lth care providers. Change may be complicated by organizational or individual barriers.The specific barriers were identified as cultural complacency, lack of financial and technology resources, employee motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Organizational change in the nursing department at SCC could be influenced by the nursing department’s readiness for change; and the attitudes of faculty, students, and clinical staff toward the change. The Kurt Lewin change theory was applied to Project PDA examining the three stages of the change process. Leaders at SCC have access to internal and external resources necessary to implement the proposed change.The presence of a solid organizational structure, access to grant funding, technology resource vendors, and on-site technical support will facilitate the success and sustainability of Project PDA. Organizational Change Organizational Change Plan-Part One The use of mobile technology for health care professionals, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) has increased exponentially in both clinical practice and nursing education (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some evidence exists that the use of a PDA in health care settings may improve decision-making, reduce the numbers of medical errors, and enhance learning for both students and professionals (Nilsson, 2008); for these reasons, the Learning Technology Committee (LTC) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) explored the benefits of nursing students using the PDA at the bedside in the clinical setting.The committee proposed a change, Project PDA, to implement the use of PDA among novice nursing students and faculty. The following paragraphs will focus on the assessment and plan of the Project PDA; and examine the rationale for the change, barriers to change, influences on change, application of a theoretical model and resources available to support t he change initiative. Rationale for Change Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving field of knowledge. Nursing students are trying to learn and implement this large amount of information at a rapid pace.Nursing students are generally unsure of their skills, feel insecure about their knowledge level, and lack self-confidence (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Many advantages have been seen with the use of the PDA, such as time savings, reduction of errors, and ease of use (Miller, Shaw-Kokot, Arnold, Boggin, Crowell, Allegri, Blue, & Berrier, 2005). Through the use of the PDA, it is thought, the nursing student will have reduced stress, fear, and improved self-confidence (Martin, 2007). Students will benefit from gaining immediate access to resources at the point of care, become more efficient, and spend more time focusing on patient care.PDAs will provide a bridge for students to apply theoretical learning to practice and foster the development of critical reasoning skills and professiona l autonomy. Nurse educators will need to develop creatively new, innovative models of teaching to keep up with changing society and technological advances in nursing practice (Jeffries, 2005). Adopting this new technological process will ensure SCC is keeping up with the trends of technology in nursing education. Organizational and Individual Barriers to Change Organizational change is a complicated process and is likely to be met with resistance.According to Borkowski (2005), resistance may originate from two sources: organizational barriers and individual barriers. These barriers threaten to impede change success. In an effort to avoid change failure, management must identify and understand potential barriers to change. Organizational barriers are typically beyond the control of management and may be perceived as insurmountable, which in the early stages of change can prove to be futile (Borkowski, 2005). Two potential organizational barriers to implementing Project PDA are cultur al complacency; and the lack of financial and technology resources.The first barrier was cultural complacency. Spector (2010) suggests that organizational culture may enable and create barriers to change. The nursing department has functioned like a well oiled machine as result of shared values and beliefs among faculty and students; subsequently creating a complacent atmosphere. Management must change the culture of the nursing department to engage faculty and students; and promote behaviors in line with the proposed change. The second barrier was the lack of financial and technology resources.The college was in the midst of a new levy campaign and there were no current funds allocated in the nursing department budget for technology improvements including the purchase of equipment. The college does not own PDAs for the students or faculty to use. No process was in place for technical support if students were to experience challenges with the device. The individual barriers identifi ed included lack of motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Faculty and students may lack motivation if they perceive the change will disrupt the status quo, or the preference for the current situation (Borkowski, 2005).The lack of support and acceptance of the new technology by other clinical staff and faculty is one of the key challenges of implementing new technology into educational programs (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some students and faculty are computer literate, but many are less familiar and lack experience with computer systems. As a result, it will take time for students, faculty, and clinical staff to become comfortable with using the PDA. Factors of Influence The college’s readiness to change could lead to success or failure.The change itself is not the reason, but the organization’s culture of environment and the employees respect, trust, and attitude toward the management implementing the change (Krause, 2008). The attitudes of faculty and s tudents may directly affect how responsive and committed they will be to the change process. The factors of influence within any organization may originate or draw in part on the quality of leadership (Krause, 2008). The leaders must implement strategies to communicate the value of the change, establish a coalition, and empower all participants to become change agents.Theoretical Model Kurt Lewin’s change theory was the theoretical framework selected for analyzing the change process involved in adopting the use of PDAs in the clinical setting as planned in Project PDA. Lewin’s change theory identified three stages in the change process-unfreeze, move, and refreeze. To unfreeze leaders must create a sense of disequilibrium to motivate change. A pre-pilot survey completed by the LTC revealed students and faculty believed time management was the priority challenge for students in the clinical setting.PDA use is expected to improve time management skills. In stage two, cha nge is implemented. Students and faculty will be required to use the PDA during clinical for access required textbooks and other resources. The final stage, refreeze, the change is cemented into the organization’s culture (Spector, 2010). The LTC will evaluate the change process, communicate progress, maintain support structures, reinforce required behaviors and encourage continued commitment to sustain the change. Internal and External ResourcesBorkowski (2005) noted managers must be certain adequate resources are available to implement change and ensure organizational goals are met. The nursing department at SCC is fortunate to have access to internal and external resources needed to support efforts to implement Project PDA. A strong organizational structure facilitates collaboration within the department. Webinars will be used for faculty and student development. The nursing department secured grant funding to purchase 16 i-Touch devices for faculty. Students will use fina ncial aid to purchase the PDA and software undle. E-book resources will be made available through contracted publishing vendors. Learning and troubleshooting tutorials will be included with the software as well as the Sinclair Help Desk will be available for technical support. Information technology has integrated in the health care delivery systems to include the use of personal digital assistants (PDA) and other computer devices (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Teaching institutions are being challenged to keep up with the trends in technology and meet demands for use of hand held devices.In response to this challenge, SCC proposed to implement Project PDA. Students and faculty will begin using PDAs in the clinical setting. The use of these devices will provide real-time access to important resources enabling medical personnel and students to manage point of care activities more efficiently (Lee, 2006). As a result, students will be less stressed, more confident, and more competent hea lth care providers. Change may be complicated by organizational or individual barriers.The specific barriers were identified as cultural complacency, lack of financial and technology resources, employee motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Organizational change in the nursing department at SCC could be influenced by the nursing department’s readiness for change; and the attitudes of faculty, students, and clinical staff toward the change. The Kurt Lewin change theory was applied to Project PDA examining the three stages of the change process. Leaders at SCC have access to internal and external resources necessary to implement the proposed change.The presence of a solid organizational structure, access to grant funding, technology resource vendors, and on-site technical support will facilitate the success and sustainability of Project PDA. Organizational Change Organizational Change Plan-Part One The use of mobile technology for health care professionals, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) has increased exponentially in both clinical practice and nursing education (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some evidence exists that the use of a PDA in health care settings may improve decision-making, reduce the numbers of medical errors, and enhance learning for both students and professionals (Nilsson, 2008); for these reasons, the Learning Technology Committee (LTC) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) explored the benefits of nursing students using the PDA at the bedside in the clinical setting.The committee proposed a change, Project PDA, to implement the use of PDA among novice nursing students and faculty. The following paragraphs will focus on the assessment and plan of the Project PDA; and examine the rationale for the change, barriers to change, influences on change, application of a theoretical model and resources available to support t he change initiative. Rationale for Change Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving field of knowledge. Nursing students are trying to learn and implement this large amount of information at a rapid pace.Nursing students are generally unsure of their skills, feel insecure about their knowledge level, and lack self-confidence (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Many advantages have been seen with the use of the PDA, such as time savings, reduction of errors, and ease of use (Miller, Shaw-Kokot, Arnold, Boggin, Crowell, Allegri, Blue, & Berrier, 2005). Through the use of the PDA, it is thought, the nursing student will have reduced stress, fear, and improved self-confidence (Martin, 2007). Students will benefit from gaining immediate access to resources at the point of care, become more efficient, and spend more time focusing on patient care.PDAs will provide a bridge for students to apply theoretical learning to practice and foster the development of critical reasoning skills and professiona l autonomy. Nurse educators will need to develop creatively new, innovative models of teaching to keep up with changing society and technological advances in nursing practice (Jeffries, 2005). Adopting this new technological process will ensure SCC is keeping up with the trends of technology in nursing education. Organizational and Individual Barriers to Change Organizational change is a complicated process and is likely to be met with resistance.According to Borkowski (2005), resistance may originate from two sources: organizational barriers and individual barriers. These barriers threaten to impede change success. In an effort to avoid change failure, management must identify and understand potential barriers to change. Organizational barriers are typically beyond the control of management and may be perceived as insurmountable, which in the early stages of change can prove to be futile (Borkowski, 2005). Two potential organizational barriers to implementing Project PDA are cultur al complacency; and the lack of financial and technology resources.The first barrier was cultural complacency. Spector (2010) suggests that organizational culture may enable and create barriers to change. The nursing department has functioned like a well oiled machine as result of shared values and beliefs among faculty and students; subsequently creating a complacent atmosphere. Management must change the culture of the nursing department to engage faculty and students; and promote behaviors in line with the proposed change. The second barrier was the lack of financial and technology resources.The college was in the midst of a new levy campaign and there were no current funds allocated in the nursing department budget for technology improvements including the purchase of equipment. The college does not own PDAs for the students or faculty to use. No process was in place for technical support if students were to experience challenges with the device. The individual barriers identifi ed included lack of motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Faculty and students may lack motivation if they perceive the change will disrupt the status quo, or the preference for the current situation (Borkowski, 2005).The lack of support and acceptance of the new technology by other clinical staff and faculty is one of the key challenges of implementing new technology into educational programs (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some students and faculty are computer literate, but many are less familiar and lack experience with computer systems. As a result, it will take time for students, faculty, and clinical staff to become comfortable with using the PDA. Factors of Influence The college’s readiness to change could lead to success or failure.The change itself is not the reason, but the organization’s culture of environment and the employees respect, trust, and attitude toward the management implementing the change (Krause, 2008). The attitudes of faculty and s tudents may directly affect how responsive and committed they will be to the change process. The factors of influence within any organization may originate or draw in part on the quality of leadership (Krause, 2008). The leaders must implement strategies to communicate the value of the change, establish a coalition, and empower all participants to become change agents.Theoretical Model Kurt Lewin’s change theory was the theoretical framework selected for analyzing the change process involved in adopting the use of PDAs in the clinical setting as planned in Project PDA. Lewin’s change theory identified three stages in the change process-unfreeze, move, and refreeze. To unfreeze leaders must create a sense of disequilibrium to motivate change. A pre-pilot survey completed by the LTC revealed students and faculty believed time management was the priority challenge for students in the clinical setting.PDA use is expected to improve time management skills. In stage two, cha nge is implemented. Students and faculty will be required to use the PDA during clinical for access required textbooks and other resources. The final stage, refreeze, the change is cemented into the organization’s culture (Spector, 2010). The LTC will evaluate the change process, communicate progress, maintain support structures, reinforce required behaviors and encourage continued commitment to sustain the change. Internal and External ResourcesBorkowski (2005) noted managers must be certain adequate resources are available to implement change and ensure organizational goals are met. The nursing department at SCC is fortunate to have access to internal and external resources needed to support efforts to implement Project PDA. A strong organizational structure facilitates collaboration within the department. Webinars will be used for faculty and student development. The nursing department secured grant funding to purchase 16 i-Touch devices for faculty. Students will use fina ncial aid to purchase the PDA and software undle. E-book resources will be made available through contracted publishing vendors. Learning and troubleshooting tutorials will be included with the software as well as the Sinclair Help Desk will be available for technical support. Information technology has integrated in the health care delivery systems to include the use of personal digital assistants (PDA) and other computer devices (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Teaching institutions are being challenged to keep up with the trends in technology and meet demands for use of hand held devices.In response to this challenge, SCC proposed to implement Project PDA. Students and faculty will begin using PDAs in the clinical setting. The use of these devices will provide real-time access to important resources enabling medical personnel and students to manage point of care activities more efficiently (Lee, 2006). As a result, students will be less stressed, more confident, and more competent hea lth care providers. Change may be complicated by organizational or individual barriers.The specific barriers were identified as cultural complacency, lack of financial and technology resources, employee motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Organizational change in the nursing department at SCC could be influenced by the nursing department’s readiness for change; and the attitudes of faculty, students, and clinical staff toward the change. The Kurt Lewin change theory was applied to Project PDA examining the three stages of the change process. Leaders at SCC have access to internal and external resources necessary to implement the proposed change.The presence of a solid organizational structure, access to grant funding, technology resource vendors, and on-site technical support will facilitate the success and sustainability of Project PDA.

CSR

CSR CSR New trends and focuses that companies are trying to employ Concepts of social responsibility or alternatively corporate citizenship have formed a predominant business lexicon hence attracting the attention of the academicians especially due to advents of the technological advancements of the 21st century. Nelson and Jane (2004, p.3) notes that, â€Å"over the past decade, however they have grown to encompass a more complex, multidimensional and global set of issues, with strategic implications for both business leaders and policy makers.† The current trends in the CSR, encompasses organizations orientations so as to enhance CSR integration to form part and parcel of corporate strategies. To achieve these, the corporations attempt to mainstream CSR functions to transform them into fabric of values that remain evenly integrated within the business enterprise of the company.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on CSR specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The trends focus pinpoints on the need to â€Å"breakdown the silos, adopting a strategic vision, implementing and operationalization of CSR on a global basis, addressing CSR as a risk management as opposed to one that can be electively be avoided and addressing social risks in the context of total risk management† (Nelson Jane, 2004 , p.10). More critically, the modern trends are oriented to solve communication challenges: becoming cognizant of impeccably different communication demands for various stakeholders, and making decisions on appropriate strategies of communication. Among other crucial changes in the perception of the CSR concept include: self regulation and juggling regulation, solution of legacy issues that jeopardize the trust of future stake holders, strike of balance between the long term and short term business market pressures and â€Å"creating new forms of public/private collaboration and partnerships† (C apriotti Moreno, 2007, p.90). Consistent with the established demands that require to be fulfilled by the emerging businesses laid on the foundation of the CSR programs, the trends include focusing of CSR on the dimension of being a risk management tool by the potential investors. They further include the inculcation of social responsibility in the investment of funds of speedily developing the component of mutual benefit fund industry and addressing the interrogative of the governance crisis matters of the corporate CSR fund. Further trends entangles taking into consideration â€Å"reinsurers increasingly nervous and vocal concerns about climatic change† (Burke Logsdon, 1996, p.500). Consequently, NPF business establishment to aid the CSR programs with the intent to develop green products of an organization has chances of success due to support by various government and international policies of putting into place mechanisms to deal with the problem of environmental degrad ation.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reasons why companies do not engage in more CSR The reason why companies do not engage in CSR activities can be broadly divided into government and financial institution and reasons related to human resources. Falck and Heblich (2007, p.249) notes that, â€Å"the first and greatest barriers to the broader adoption of CSR practices are of an institutional or governmental nature – the lack of an appropriate regulatory framework and the lack of government involvement, followed by a mix of financial and government related barriers.† In one or other impediments to success of CSR inclusions in the companies’ strategic plans are perceived to result to increased operation costs of an organization, absence of results that are visible from companies’ main business objective: to involve in activities that places it at a more competitive edge through profit generation, and lack of financial linkages. Barriers related to human resource entangles â€Å"lack of staff (middle management) incentives, (followed by current Government policy), cultural differences, employee resistance and management resistance† (Porter Kramer, 2006, p.81). In the light of all the corporate fare to incorporate CSR, the main ones include: escalated operating costs, hiked perceived risks, more exertion of stakeholders’ interests, competitive disadvantage, evidence of regulatory authorities interventions, decreased productivity coupled with devastating impacts to the companies’ profits with a consequence of diminished quality levels of company’s product qualities. Current risks for in-house CSR Risk associated with the application of CSR or current risks for in-house CSR fall into six categories entangling the issue of compliance, operational, employment market, extrinsic busines s relationships, reputation and stock markets. All these risks surrounding implementation of CSR programs need to be impeccably and or closely monitored and controlled if at all CSR initiatives have to be aligned with the corporation strategic plans of operation.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on CSR specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of the issues that need to be ardently addressed include â€Å"conflicting global laws and regulations that pose potential risks when organizations implement CSR initiative† (Sharma Talwar, 2005, pp. 35-45). Omissions, violation of laws governing CSR disclosures, in adequate performance in comparison with the goals and objective of the company have the capacity to cause substantial harm to the company’s reputation or brands. Other issues included in the spectra of CSR initiatives risks includes failing to give consideration to integration of objectives of CSR i nto the product , services and manufacturing process and non compliance to the established regulations on CSR. According to Matten and Moon, â€Å"Companies could also lose investors if they don’t qualify for socially responsible investment and reduce their pool of potential employees who don’t want to work for organizations without social and community commitment† (2008, pp. 40-42). Worse still a company may be in operation under relationships with organizations such as supplier companies, customers, among other business partners who do not pay any concern to CSR principles. Social media reputational risk Within a spectrum of stake holders, discontent exist with regard to ‘state of play’ in spite of amicable formulation of initiatives and standards to guide CSR globally. â€Å"NGOs and action campaigners want corporations to be legally responsible and accountable for human rights violations and CSR lapses† (Mullerat, 2005, p.40). Strides mad e with the aid of advocating green business or sustainability initiatives, various draw backs have been registered especially when addressing social and labor risks attributable to operations of corporations and in general those who are afflicted by them either for good or bad.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Going green can solve some of the challenges. However, this attempt may not be sufficient to ensure substantial company health since ignorance to non-green CSR concerns exposes a company to reputational and financial risks. As Fombrun, Gardberg and Barnett notes, â€Å"This is definitely a case where going green can leave you in the red management might suffer thinner coffers and embarrassment from a CSR oversight† (2000, p.101). Adequate capacity that ensure support, provide counseling and legal advice services so as to implement and sustain effectively CSR programs to companies while not disregarding stake holders that are sought to be protected so as to maintain social reputation of the organization. Society’s perception of companies linked to revenue Focusing on profit is agreed upon by many economists to amount to paramount businesses’ indulgencies. This is necessary for the success of any company. Nevertheless, how does the society perceive such companies ? According to Luo and Bhattacharya the word profit serves â€Å"to project images of greed, exploited workers, and rich capitalists† (2006, p.14). In the eyes of the consumers: who comprise what the company may term, as the target group for its products, have never welcomed the term profit with good regards (Trevino, Nelson, 2007, p.23). The society in most situations tends to focus mainly on cash profits as opposed on accompanying value it receives. To many members of the society, profit is attained at an expense of somebody else’s welfare. â€Å"Reducing company profits by contributing more to community organizations is frequently applauded by the public but however, company contributions almost always are made with some hope of a return or benefit to the company† (Carroll, 1991, p.43). Consequently, companies have come to the realization that to attain long term success, they ought to adjust their social corporate behavior enormously to levels that are cohe rent with societal anticipations in terms of norms and values. Increased corporate concerns in social interest alongside with the media in CSR Has got also the capacity to foster companies to embark on practices that help to cover their negative image before the eyes of the society. Michael Porter – perceived benefit Over a long time, capitalism ideologies had been deemed as a major causative of success of profit making organization since they are anchored on the need to maximize profits. Porter and Kramer believe â€Å"companies have been perceived to be prospering on behalf of the wider community† (Porter Kramer, 2011, p.3). Companies, on realizing the magnitude of blame they receive in contributing to societal failure, have embarked on methodologies of correcting the existing gap through deployment of value sharing tactics. With reference to Porter and Kramer’s work, companies deserve to extend their efforts beyond tradeoffs and create shared value between t hem and the society through â€Å"re-conceiving products and markets, redefining productivity in the value chain, and building supportive industry clusters at company’s locations† (2011, p.7). He further suggests that not all profits are equal where by profit that entails social purposes integrated within it depicts a greater form of capitalism that has the capacity to create community prosperity and company’s positive cycles. How companies propose business plans for internal CSR There is no specific plan for internal CSR for adoption universally by every corporate. â€Å"Each firm has unique characteristics and circumstances that will affect how it views its social responsibilities; and each will vary in its awareness of CSR issues and how much work it has already done towards implementing a CSR approach† (McWilliams, Siegel Wright, 2006, p.13). Proposed Plans streams widely from the corporate existing knowledge in certain other fields for example envir onmental management and quality control and assurance. With reference to, the work of Dicken (2006), â€Å"The framework follows the familiar plan, do, check and improve model that underlies such well-known initiatives as those of the International Organization for Standardization in the areas of quality and environmental management systems† (p.73). Plans are engineered to be flexible since any viable CSR implementation framework demand to have components of social, economic and environmental decisions, as the need to go green is critical. The decision making task is planned by many companies to stem from the board of directors to officials of the organization and finally to the contracted partners charged with supplies tasks. This is perceived as necessary since CSR program need be agreeable and coherent with all organizations stakeholders. As Ira and Jane (2003) lament, â€Å"A properly governed firm can reap optimal benefits for itself and its shareholders and in turn for those who are affected by the firms activities† (p.41). The plan contains six essential elements, which depending on the complexity level of an organization; some may be skipped while their implementation has already been begun. the plans entails conducting corporate social responsibility assessments, developing CSR strategies, developing commitments to CSR, commitment implementations, verifications and reporting the progress of the plans and finally evaluation so as to provide room for improvements where necessary. Competitive analysis CSR is a diverse field. In the private sector, within an organization CSR departments are placed within anything ranging from compliance, legal or public relations. In the public sector, USAID, UN, international labor organizations have all endorsed CSR career options. On the other hand, in the non-profit sector, â€Å"There are a wide variety of NGO’s, industry associations, think tanks, and academic institutions engaging in learning and/or advocacy within the CSR arena† (David, 2004, p.57). Social responsibility business groups and Harvard business schools for social enterprise do specialize in this arena. However, important element that ensures thriving in any business venture, whether profit oriented or non-profit making is the products differentiation. Therefore, the presented idea is viable in a free competitive environment inasmuch as the products remain well thought of clearly distinguished from what is on offer by charitable organizations. References Burke, L., Logsdon, J., 1996. How corporate social responsibility pays off. Long Range Planning, 29(4), pp 495-502. Capriotti, P., Moreno, A., 2007. Corporate Citizenship and public relations: The importance and interactivity of social responsibility issues on corporate websites. Public Relations Review, 33(7), pp. 84-91. Carroll, A., 1991.The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward and moral management of organizational stakeholders. Busi ness Horizon, 34(3), pp. 39-48. David, B., 2004. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dicken, P., 2006. Global shift Reshaping the Global Economic Map in the 21st Century, London: Sage. Falck, O., Heblich, S., 2007. Corporate social responsibility: Doing well by doing good. Business Horizons, 50 (1), pp. 247-254. Fombrun, C., Gardberg, N., Barnett, M., 2000. Opportunity Platforms and Safety Nets: Corporate Citizenship and Reputational Risk. Business and Society Review, 105(1), pp 85-106. Ira, A., Jane, N., 2003. Profits with Principles: Seven Strategies for Delivering Value with Values. New York: Currency Publishers. Luo, X., Bhattacharya, C., 2006. Corporate social responsibility, Customer satisfaction, and Market value. Journal of Marketing, 70 (4), pp. 1-18. Matten, D., Moon, J., 2008. ‘Implicit’ and ‘explicit ’CSR: A Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Understanding of Corpor ate Social Responsibility’. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), pp 40–42. McWilliams, A., Siegel, D., Wright, P., 2006.Corporate social responsibility: strategic implications. Journal of Management Studies, 43(1), pp. 1–18. Mullerat, R., 2005. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Corporate Governance of the 21st Century. Kluwer Law International: The Hague. Nelson, A. Jane, T., 2004. Leadership, Accountability, and Partnership: Critical Trends and Issues in Corporate Social Responsibility. Report of CSR Initiative: Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Report no.1. Cambridge, MA: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Porter, M., Kramer, M., 2011. Creating Shared Value: How To Reinvent Capitalism-and Unleash A Wave of Innovation and Growth. Harvard Business Review. Web. Porter, M., Kramer, M., 2006. Strategy and Society: The link between competitive advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility. Harvard Business Review (HBR) Spotlig ht, 53 (5), pp 76-94. Sharma, A., Talwar, B., 2005. Corporate social responsibility: modern visvis Vedic approach. Measuring Business Excellence, 9(1), 35-45. Trevino, L., Nelson, K., 2007. Managing Business Ethics: Straight talk about how to do it Right. New York: John Wiley Sons.

Announcing #IWriteBecause - A Campaign For Writers

Announcing #IWriteBecause - A Campaign For Writers Announcing #IWriteBecause: A Campaign For Writers, By Writers The pinnacle of a writer’s life may not ever be a tearful speech at the Oscars. (â€Å"I want to thank my ergonomic keyboard for not giving me carpal tunnel.†) However,  though it might not take the form of a miniature golden statue, all writers possess inspirations that drive them to put pen to paper. So what's yours?We know that words are powerful - and now more than ever, we can use our words to get the message of writing out and do good. Perhaps one day a child who watches your video will be able to say that #TheyAlsoWriteBecause.How  can you contribute to #IWriteBecause?Submit your short, one-minute video via the campaign site, and tell us your reasons for writing. In doing so, you’ll be joining writers of all stripes who already sent in videos, including bestselling author Mark Dawson, award-winning food and travel writer Joanna Pruess, USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson, New York Times bestseller David Heinemeier Hansson, and popular BookTuber Hailey LeBlanc.We’re featuring a couple of videos every day on the site, so feel free to browse through other writers’ stories! The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, or so they say.Here are a few questions to get you started:Why do you write?What do you love the most about writing?What do you get out of writing?What do you want to achieve by the end of your career as a writer?So grab your phone or a camera now. You can change a child's life for the better. All it takes is a minute to fill in the blank and say via video: I write, because ___________.Why do you write? This is your chance to tell us. Send us a video through the campaign site  and contribute to the movement.

MD Program Step-by-Step Guide

How to Get Into a BS/MD Program Step-by-Step Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Is your goal to become a doctor? Do you want to put yourself on a fast track to medical school and making your dream a reality? If so, you may want to consider applying for a BS/MD program. In this article, I'll explain what theseprograms are and go overexactly how to get into a BS/MD program, so that you can be one step closer to your dream of becoming a doctor. What Is a BS/MD Program? A BS/MD program offers you admission to medical school if you meet certain minimum requirements while you’re in college or applying to colleges. You can apply for a BS/MD program as a high school student during the regular college application process. Additionally, there are BS/MD programs you can apply to as an underclassman in college. Most people begin applying to med school the summer between their junior and senior years of college, so BS/MD programscan let you know you've been accepted to med school years before many of your peers find out. Much of the information in this article is geared towards current high school students who are considering applying to programs that admit first-year students, but some of the advice and information also applies to current college students who are contemplating entering a BS/MD program. Typically, for BS/MD programs, you have to maintain a 3.5 GPA while in college, and many programs still require you to take the MCAT, the medical school entrance exam. However, assuming you meet the minimum requirements, you’ll be guaranteed admission to the medical school that’s associated with your BS/MD program. Usually, it takes at least eight years to finish your undergraduate and medical school programs, but sometimes, you can do so in six or seven through a BS/MD program. Upon completion of the program, you’ll have a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Medicine degrees. Requirements for Getting Into a BS/MD Program Getting into a BS/MD program is extremely difficult. Each program has different requirements, but, in all cases, you need a high GPA and stellar standardized test scores.The requirements are usually much stricter than those for other undergraduate applicants. The University of Missouri-Kansas City's BS/MD program has a minimum unweighted GPA requirement of 3.0, one of the lowest for a BS/MD program. However, the average unweighted high school GPA for an admitted student to the program is a 3.80. The minimum ACT score is a 24, but the average for admitted students is a 31. The minimum SAT score is 1090, but the average score for an admitted student is 1380. So, even if the bare minimum that a BS/MD program requires isn't that competitive, expect to need stellar academics if you want to actually get acceptedbecause the competition will be tough. Also, for most BS/MD programs, you have to write a personal statement, get recommendations, and do an interview. Additionally, you’ll be evaluated on your extracurricular activities. These programs want to see that you’ve demonstrated leadership and achievement; furthermore, they like to see involvement in extracurriculars related to health and medicine. Here’s a chart with the minimum GPA and standardized test requirements for some BS/MD programs to give you an idea of what you need to be eligible for most of these programs. Keep in mind that you’ll probably need to comfortably exceed the minimum requirements to give yourself a decent shot at getting into these programs. School GPA SAT ACT SAT Subject Tests University of Alabama at Birmingham 3.5 1340 30 Not Required Baylor University 3.7 or top 5% 1400 32 Not Required University of Cincinnati No minimum requirement 1300 29 Not Required Drexel University 3.5 1360 31 Not Required Florida Atlantic University 4.3 weighted 1450 33 Recommended University of Miami 3.75 1400 32 600 in Math and one Science (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics) The College of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School 4.5 weighted or top 5% 1500 35 Not Required Rutgers University Top 10% 1400 32 Not Required Saint Louis University No C's 1330 30 Not Required While the table should give you an idea of the minimum requirements of different BS/MD programs, as mentioned above, you’ll likely have to do substantially better to have a reasonable chance of getting accepted. To give yourself a good chance of getting into a BS/MD program, you should shoot for at least a 3.8 unweighted GPA and either a 1500 SAT score or a 34 composite ACT score. Basically, getting into a BS/MD program is on par with getting admitted to the most selective colleges in the country. Dom Sagolla/Flickr How to Get Into a BS/MD Program: Application Components Now I’ll focus on each component of your BS/MD program application and offer advice and tips to make yourself as competitive for these programs as possible. Your GPA and Classes Your high school transcript is probably the most important component in determining whether or not you gain admission to a BS/MD program. First, your goal should be to get as close to a 4.0 GPA as possible. Also, you should make sure to excel in the most rigorous math and science classes offered at your school. Because pre-med programs and medical school are very science intensive, you want to show that you’re extremely capable of doing well in demanding science classes. Depending on what classes your school offers, you should plan on taking at least two of these three classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. Your Standardized Tests Again, you need exceptional SAT/ACT scores to make yourself competitive for admission. You should follow our tips to get a perfect SAT or ACT score. We recommend taking the SAT/ACT for the first time by the fall of your junior year. If you don’t reach your target score, you can retake the test in the spring, and, hopefully, you won’t have to worry about it during your senior year when you’ll be busy with school, extracurricular activities, and college applications. Know how long you’ll have to study to reach your target score. Remember that you want to get at least a 1500 on the SAT or a 34 on the ACT to give yourself a good chance to get into a BS/MD program. Also, many programs require SAT Subject Tests. I recommend taking your SAT Subject Tests in the spring of your junior year. Some schools have guidelines on what subject tests you must take, but even if there are no specific subject requirements, you're probably going to want to take a math and science SAT Subject Test. If you're doing well in high-level math and science classes, you shouldn't have much trouble with the SAT Subject Tests, assuming you spend a little time to familiarize yourself with the tests. If you take the tests in subjects you excel at, you should do very well. Your Extracurricular Activities BS/MD programs want to admit students who have exceptional achievements both in and out of the classroom. Your commitment to your extracurricular activities demonstrates your willingness to do more than what’s required and your initiative to actively pursue your passions. Because BS/MD programs are looking for students who are passionate about pursuing a career in medicine, you should have at least a couple of extracurriculars related to your interest in the medical field. You may want to volunteer at a hospital, shadow a doctor, help a professor with medical research, or get involved with a summer medical program. Extracurriculars are a great way to separate yourself from other applicants who have similar grades and test scores. You'll enhance your applications and gain valuable experience by pursuing leadership positions, conducting research, and participating in otheractivities that show your potential and achievement in the medical field. Your College Essay Your college essay or personal statement is another critical component of your college application. The essay gives the school an opportunity to get to know you outside of your grades and accomplishments. It can give you a chance to explain any unique obstacles you’ve had to overcome or express why you’re motivated to become a doctor. College essays can be challenging and time-consuming. Learn what you need to know about college essays and how to come up with great essay ideas. I recommend starting to work on your college essays the summer before your senior year or at the beginning of your senior year at the latest. The essays aren’t very long, but you want to give yourself ample time to write and revise your college essays. I've worked with hundreds of students who procrastinated on their college essays, and they ended up not having enough time to produce their best work. In a few years, you too could be sporting a stethoscope. Your Recommendations While your college essay allows a school to get to know you from your own perspective, your recommendations help a college get to know you from another person's perspective. Most BS/MD programs will require recommendations from your teachers. Ideally, at least one of your recommendations will come from a science teacher who can speak glowingly about your science skills, character, and desire to learn. Make sure you know what a good recommendation looks like and how to ask for a letter of recommendation. You can initially ask teachers if they would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation at the end of your junior year. That will give them time to think about what they’re going to write, and you can get them to agree to write a recommendation for you before they become inundated with requests during your senior year. Then, you can submit a formal request at the beginning of your senior year. For your reference, here are examples of excellent recommendation letters. Your Interview Many BS/MD programs do have an interview requirement. I know interviews can be scary, but with some basic preparation, the interview should only enhance your application. Because these programs are so selective, they try to take every necessary step to ensure they admit the best applicants. Be ready to answer why you're interested in that particular program and why you want to become a doctor. Avoid generic answers that could be given by any applicant; incorporating anecdotes and specific examples will strengthen your interview responses. Don’t worry about the interview too much. By the time you interview, you’ll have completed most of the hard work needed to apply to a BS/MD program. As long as you’re respectful, you’ve done your research on the program, and you thoughtfully answer the questions you’re asked, you should be just fine. Is a BS/MD Program Right for You? At this point, you may be wondering if you want to do what’s necessary to get into a BS/MD program. These programs aren’t ideal for everyone, but they're excellent options for certain types of students. If you have your heart set on becoming a doctor, a BS/MD program will set you on a direct path toward becoming one. You won’t have to deal with the stress of applying to medical school, and you’ll possibly be able to finish medical school in less time. However, a BS/MD program may not be the best option for you if you’re not completely sure that you want to be a doctor. In fact, most of my friends who started college intending to pursue medical school ended up changing their plans. Furthermore, many of the most selective and prestigious colleges and medical schools aren’t connected with BS/MD programs. If you want to attend a top college or medical school that isn’t associated with a BS/MD program, then perhaps you should just make yourself competitive for admission to Ivy League schools and not worry about BS/MD programs. Schools like Harvard and Stanford don’t have BS/MD programs, but the vast majority of their pre-med students get into medical school. In 2012, 93% of Harvard pre-med students with at least a 3.5 GPA were admitted to medical school. Finally, BS/MD programs tend to be demanding, and the workload can be very rigorous, especially if you're in a 6 or 7-year program. Make sure you're capable of doing the work that will be required, and more importantly, make sure you really want to do the work. What's Next? If you think you want to enter a BS/MD program, you really should have a high GPA and excellent test scores to give yourself the best chance of getting into the program of your choice. Learn helpful test prep strategies if you have a low SAT/ACT score but a high GPA. Also, understand the secret to getting a perfect SAT/ACT score. Finally, regardless of whether or not you end up deciding to apply to BS/MD programs, you should know how many colleges to apply to. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: