Interest Groups and Their Role in American Politics Research Paper

Interest Groups and Their Role in American Politics - Research Paper Example A particular example of an interest group is the organization SAGE (Service and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders). . It is the largest and oldest organization in America devoted to promoting the welfare of LGBT senior citizens and make sure that their voices do not get lost in a cacophony of voices. SAGE formed itself in 1978 not only to deliver services to LGBT elders in New York City but also to push for policy reforms at the national level, and provides technical assistance to similarly-minded groups all over the country. It is not however a simple issue of sterile technical assistance. Considering the historical marginalization of LGBT communities and their susceptibility to the hate agenda of conservative groups, SAGE employs a radical organizing component as well (Reisch, 2005: 288) – that is to say, â€Å"the replacement of oppressive institutions, conditions, systems and practices with ones that reflect principles of justice, equity and respe ct for human diversity.† SAGE works in tandem with other organizations in order to further the shared goal. After all, theirs is a shared commitment towards addressing the needs and uplifting the well-being of LGBT elderly and pushing for equality and tolerance, regardless of age differences. It is through the consolidation of their voices that change can be sought and demands can be made to reform policies or introduce new ones. Coupled with this, SAGE is also following the strategy of pushing for their advocacy on three levels: city/local, state and federal level. This is a sound strategy in that it acknowledges that policy is generated in multiple fulcrums of power an if one is to push an agenda, then pressure tactics must be applied on the multiple fulcrums and not just one one. While interest groups are in theory a crucial component in any thriving democracy, many have criticized how some interest groups have created adverse effects in the American political terrain. Sust ein (1985: 29) writes: The dissatisfaction takes various forms, but many of the concerns have a common root in the problems produced by the existence of interest groups, or â€Å"factions†, and their influence over the political process. The scheme is challenged on the grounds that it allows powerful private organizations to block necessary government action; that the lawmaking process has been transformed into a series of accommodations among competing elites, and that the rise of a large bureaucracy exercising broad discretionary power has undermined original constitutional goals by circumventing the safeguards of separation

Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Descartes - Essay Example He doubted everything even the existence of God, nevertheless he considered atheists as the benighted people (Watson, 226). Descartes claimed that sense of perception could be the source that definitely should be doubted as our feelings was subjective dimension of sensation. He was perturbed that people had regarded senses as a basic source of beliefs. It was constant for Descartes that only approved facts could be seen as general truth in the world. Philosopher declared â€Å"if I wanted to establish anything at all in the sciences that was stable and likely to ask† and â€Å"I want to discover any certainty† (Dicker, 1). That statement was viewed as Descartes’ goal due to the perspective of Method of doubt discovered by him. All knowledge was examined as related one and they needed to be built on solid and reliable facts from our field of experience. Descartes represented undeniable example of his respectful ideas. He argued that the process of thinking was cogent one as this was continuous proceeding. Such implication was related to every subsisting person. â€Å"Cogito, Ergo Sum† that means â€Å"I think therefore I am† was considered to be Descartes principal notion (Watson, 232). What was more a big number of his investigations were constructed on this profound idea. He intended to accomplish the idea that no existence without factual confirmation was occurred in our dimension. Investigations in the field of philosophy regarded Descartes’ ideas as rather skeptic ones. They sounded radically and unilaterally in some perspectives that was why the concept of skepticism regarded as characteristic to Descartes’ philosophical notions. It should be mentioned that veiling of skepticism was present in his thinking. However, Descartes himself did not regard his concepts as skeptical ones and claimed that he â€Å"had refuted

Journal Writing Essay Example for Free

Journal Writing Essay During this class I have made two self- discoveries that will positively impact my career goals. Those self- discoveries has helped to mold, and shape me into a student that I have never thought I would be. Those discoveries were that I am an organized learner, because I made a study plan to help me determine when, and how I would study. Being that I have five children, I had to make sure that I had set a schedule so that my course work including study time would not affect my family time and take away from spending time with my children and fiance`. Since these are the competing priorities in my life right now learning to obtain trust and consistency in the home while I have been attending school has also improved because not only do I see my success so does my children and fiancà ©. Knowing that I had that support also has made it possible to do my best in school, setting the pace for them to do the same in school also, whether it be good grades, sports, etc. I know that they will continue to be good at what they do and have proven to do so time after time. Another self- discovery that I have made that will positively impact my career goals is my willpower. Willpower has become my greatest strength. Being able to control what I do, leaded to personal improvement. I realize that lack of willpower not only causes you to lose focus it also allows you to fail to achieve goals. My ability to resist short-term temptations have helped me to meet some of my long term goals already. There has never been a day that I thought that I could not achieve my goals. I kept a positive mindset just so I could keep going. Negativity takes a lot of willpower from you and I think success is a part of having a positive mindset. Having that determination was not easy at first I can say that, but having that willpower and thinking about my future will positively impact my career goals. Two self-discoveries that I believe will positively impact my personal life, o ne is my happiness. If I am not happy there is nothing good that will come out of being unhappy. In my life I noticed that unhappy people wait for something to make them happy. Happy people make themselves happy without hesitation because they choose to have  positivity surround them in all areas of their lives. I am that happy person, I do not feel like being unhappy because it drains energy, it drains potential, it sucks the life out of you, and it keeps you from becoming successful. I am happy because I am not afraid of change, I am valued, and I attend school knowing that I am a success story. I learned to create positive changes in my life. In doing so this has made a positive impact on my personal life. My character will also have a positive impact on my life. Knowing who I am, my beliefs, values, and morals. The clearer I became about what I value and what I believed in the more effective I became not only for me, but for my family, my friends, and my peers. I have this thirst for knowledge and a thirst to make the best out of any situation and this impacts my personal life in so many positive ways because when I know who I am , my children will learn their true identity because they are my children and they share the same DNA. My grandmother use to tell me that I can be different from everyone else and still be blessed and fabulous, and I believed her.So this has played a part in my self- identity. I also had to explore what my heart wanted, so that I could truly identify who I was, the most beautiful thing that could have happened to me was unfolding that I was an excellent mother, a great friend, and a superb student. Knowing these few things lead me to know who I was in the beginning and knowing this has made a positive impact in my personal life. My biggest take way from this course is keeping a growth mindset and knowing that I always have room for improvement. I want to keep ownership over my learning experience. I am in control of my success. I am able to keep this in mind and always grow with it. This is something that I had to develop because when I was younger I had a fixed mindset I did not want to change because I was set in my ways and it felt like everything I was doing had failed me, so I figured that I would quit trying and give up. One day that change I started thinking of other approaches of how to be better and I used trial and error as a way of figuring out what I needed to do. So as I was thinking and applying I realized that I had that growth mindset and I have kept it all through the years. While learning about the fixed mindset and growth mindset I gained a better understanding on what life is really about also and I saw the bigger picture. The way I perceived it to be is to  noticed that if something is not working right the way you are doing it, then try another way and if that works out better than stick with it, but have fun with it and be creative and then you will be successful that way . Life is about trial and error and never giving up no matter what.

About Time Essay Example for Free

About Time Essay When introducing his book, author Adam Frank tells us that he is setting out to â€Å"unfold the grandest conception of the universe we human beings have been able to imagine and explore. At the same time embracing our most intimate and most personal experience of the world — the very frame of human life. † â€Å"This book is about time, both cosmic and human. † For those interested in the complex journey of humanity through the cosmos, Frank does not fail in his quest to unravel the unique web of ‘time’ into a thread of understandable science. That is if you can take a partially solved puzzle and write a book that connects the proverbial dots of known science and cultural anthropology with the partially understood theories of cosmology and related sciences. Mission accomplished by Frank. Upon first receiving this book, I was hopeful that Frank would present the material of thousands of years of science in a unique and interesting way; setting his writing apart from the hundreds of other astronomy books I’ve read. See more: Strategic Management Process Essay Frank, being a seasoned writer and astrophysics professor, did not disappoint. Frank takes you on a conversational journey, filled with real life examples, both personal and historical, to share his view of some of the most multifarious ideas being considered in our galaxy today. The first few chapters are a review of compound science related to our galaxy, but Frank quickly dives into a discussion of how culture has been affected by the world around it. From there Frank draws a picture from intricate ideas and theories of how society fits in the larger puzzle of cosmology. All while focusing on the measurement of time. If you are looking to take your perspective of cosmology to a new and deeper level, allow Adam Frank to steal some of your time and read his book â€Å"About Time†. Frank will surely have you viewing your society, history, and clock in a whole new perspective. Not to mention putting you on the forefront of scientific theories and cultural progress being considered in the world of cosmology.

Identify The Needs And Expectation Of Individual Stakeholder Management Essay

Identify The Needs And Expectation Of Individual Stakeholder Management Essay Organizations change constantly, a projects stakeholder set will change as stakeholder change roles within the organization, move into different roles or leave the organization to take up roles in other organizations. For whatever reason, the ability of individual stakeholder to influence the project may increase or decrease. Most project management methodologies define ways to identify project stakeholder, and then base their entire communications strategies on this initial, and only, identification. Many projects fail because stakeholders do not continue to support the vision or objectives of the project. In many cases this is because the team does not recognize changes in the relative power or position of key stakeholder and fails to make appropriate adjustments in their stakeholder management activities. This study reported upon in this paper is focused on support for project managers in building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholder. This is accomplished through using a practical methodology that allows the project team to identify and priorities the projects stakeholder and then stakeholders needs of the project to develop an appropriate relationship management strategy. The underlying assumption for this research is the stakeholder management is extremely difficult, the project manager and his/her project team members must identify, engage and sustain relationships with a diverse set of groups and individuals (including themselves) who can impact the project in many ways. STAKEHOLDER According to Freemans (1984: pg.25 and pg 26) stakeholder view of the firm instrumentally defines a stakeholder as Any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firms objectives and he suggested that there is a need for integrated approaches for dealing with multiple stakeholder on multiple issues While Freeman framed and demarcated stakeholder as elements of corporate strategic planning. Stakeholders are persons or group who are directly or indirectly affected by a project, as well as those who may have interest in a project and/or the ability to influence its outcome, either positively, or negatively. Stakeholders may include locally affected communities or individuals and their formal and informal representatives, national or local government authorities, politicians, religious leaders, civil society organizations and groups with special interests, the academic community, or other business. The stake that each of these different individuals or groups has in project or investment will vary, for example, there may be people directly affected by the potential environmental or social impacts of a project. Others may be resident in another country altogether, but wish to communicate their concerns or suggestions to the project company. Then there are those who might have great influence over the project, such as government regulators, political or religious leaders, and others active in the local community. There are also stakeholders who, because of their knowledge or stature, can contribute positively, for example, by acting as an honest broker in mediation relationships. TYPES OF STAKEHOLDER Stakeholder is classified as being either internal or external to the firm. They are either part of the business itself, or are influenced by it. There are many groups who are stakeholders inside and outside of a firm who have an interest in its operation, and obviously its survival. The diagram below shows the different stakeholders. Internal stakeholders: are (ones from within an organization) individual, group or business with a vested interest (a stake) in the success of an organization is considered to be a stakeholder. A stakeholder will generally be someone who is concerned with an organization delivering intended results and meeting its financial objectives External stakeholders: are (outside organization) individuals, group or business with a vested interest (a stake) in the success of an organization is considered to be a stakeholder. A stakeholder will generally be someone who is concerned with an organization delivering intended results and meeting its financial objectives. From the table below, Internal stakeholders may have different objectives and level of risk. Stakeholder Objective Risk Shareholders (may be companies not people) Dividend income Small, if investment is part of the portfolio of shares owned. Directors executive Income and power Higher, but may have many directorships, and savings. Directors non-executive Many, depending why they are there. Gives some income. May well be small, smaller than that of executive directors. Managers Income Higher than Directors but lower than that of workers. Workers Continuation of job. Earnings to pay the cost of living High. No job = no income. Jobs may be hard to get. THE IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders are those groups, individuals, and parties that are directly affected by the practices of an organization and therefore have a stake in the organizations performance. Some of the common stakeholders in an organization are customers, employees, investors, suppliers, local communities, etc. one of the importance of stakeholders is that a stakeholder can provide feedback to a companys performance. The critical importance of stakeholder engagement and alignment of their goals and vision has been well established (Cooke-Davies 2000, Christensen and Walker 2003). By providing more project manager with a methodology and a tool to better visualize stakeholder potential impact, it is possible to ensure a greater set of potential responses of project manager to the environment they need to operate in (Cooke-Davies 2000, p 211) Stakeholder engagement is a formal process of relationship management through which companies, industries or project engage with a set of stakeholder in an effort to align their mutual interest, to reduce risk and to advance the organizations economic advantage. Manila Water Company Organizational Point of view: (e.g.) From its inception in 1997, Manila Water Company in the Philippians has sought to have a proactive and open relationship with its stakeholders, including customers, local NGOs and government. Good stakeholder relationship are viewed as being fundamental to the core business of the company, which is to provide clean, safe water and sewage services to approximately half of manilas population. When Manila Water acquired the east concession from the government operator, it launched a walk the line program in which all company staff from managers to district level representatives visit their customers, including residents of informal settlements, to consult with them on the delivery of these essential services to their community. As a result of this engagement and other initiatives, Manila Water has significantly improved its service delivery. Between 2004 and 2006, the percentage of household having a 24-hour water supply jumped from 26% to 95%. At t he same time, water losses from the system were reduced from 63% to 35.5%. From 325,000 households served at start of 2004, there were more than 1,000,000 in 2006, including over 848,000 urban poor. The companys proactive stakeholder engagement strategy has also led to a number of partnerships that have benefited local communities, including housing reconstruction for habitat for humanity and micro-financing to start small business through the bank of Philippine islands. Manila Water has established engagement plans for key NGO stakeholders, the media, and investors that include quarterly dialogues and visits to the companys sustainable development and community projects. HOW TO ENGAGE AND MANAGE STAKEHOLDER STRATEGY Stakeholder engagement can improve long-term viability and benefits significantly by improving decision-making, understanding and accountability (Hughes and Demetrius, 2006, p.95) Due to the size and scale of our company, as well as the nature of our business, ConocoPhillips stakeholders have unique and evolving expectations. We proactively engage with them to learn their expectations of us, and then incorporate what we learn into our business plans and actions. This process fosters an environment of trust and mutual respect. Through work with industry associations, participation in multi-sector forums, and dialogue with socially responsible investors, were gaining diverse and valuable perspectives as we continuously improve our sustainable development programs and initiatives. ConocoPhillips stakeholder engagement activities are an integral part of the sustainable development commitments. The major businesses have engagement strategies which vary according to the nature of the local community. In dispersed communities, it identifies key stakeholders and engages with them face-to-face to ensure that the activities are understood and that could consider the feedback. In regions where there are opportunities to bring local stakeholders together, they work with multi-stakeholder groups in a similar way. Proactively identify and seek out key stakeholders early in the business endeavour.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Include these key stakeholders in the design and implementation of the engagement process. Listen in order to understand stakeholders interests, concerns and culture. Communicate openly. Seek solutions that create mutually beneficial business and engagement approaches that also build long-term value for both the company and our stakeholders. Follow through on our commitments and stand accountable for the results, both internally and externally. We engage with stakeholders in variety of ways, for example: Customers: by carrying out a regular customer satisfaction surveys and review feedback from a range of third party surveys. Also to give customers the opportunity to provide feedback directly to stores and via customer service helps line. Employees: by having an open and honest corporate culture, and carrying out regular employee satisfaction surveys. Suppliers: by having a regular communication with its suppliers Communities and NGOs: by engaging with a wide range of local, national and international associations, organizations and NGOs, and local and national government, the municipalities of the communities they serve. Shareholder: by participating in various road shows for socially responsible investment (RSI), at which multinational investors are present. Stakeholders have important and sometimes different priorities. As an organization, there is a need to identify the key stakeholder that is relevant to the business organization activities. And these are the customers, employees, suppliers, communities, NGOs, and shareholders. Many stakeholder engagement activities currently occur at operating level; there is always a plan to aim at an increase activities at group level and also to discuss the progress of the business and implement a future strategy. Benefits of stakeholder engagement Stakeholder benefits Company benefits Reputation Reputation Innovation employee motivation and competence project outputs competitive advantage/innovation access to resources risk management social capital (networks, local knowledge) social capital (networks, local knowledge) Competitive advantage/innovation Several companies supported the view that stakeholder engagement can help create a competitive advantage (Porter and Kramer, 2002; Harting et al, 2006). One respondent noted that weve gone 100% Fair-trade on our bananas and have committed to do the same with tea big strategic changes like that take a lot of planning and create real points of difference that are difficult to copy (Sainsburys). Engaging stakeholders has also been seen as a way of inspiring business innovation: were a big business but we dont have all the answers its good to listen to other people and develop new solutions Marks Spencer DESCRIBE THE ROLES 0F THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS BY ANALYSISNG DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES Commonly cited techniques for informing deliberation through stakeholder involvement Public hearings: Regulated, formal arrangements for times and places at which members of the general public and other types of stakeholders can give evidence or question public authorities about decisions under consideration. Deliberative polling: Like opinion polling, but collects views after persons have been introduced to the issue and have thought about it. Meant to give an indication of what people would think if they had the time and information to consider the issue (instead of reacting cold). Includes a feedback session, sometimes with a high media profile (e.g. broadcast by television along with documentary inserts) Focus groups: Small groups of invited or recruited persons discuss a theme or proposal; provides insight on their reactions, values, concerns and perspectives, and an indication of how group dynamics influence opinions. Citizen advisory groups: Small groups of persons who represent various interests or expertise (e.g. community leaders) meet on a regular or ad hoc basis to discuss concerns and provide informed input. Consultative groups: Forums that call together key representatives of civil society (NGOs and CSOs), economic and political spheres, to make policy recommendations and to improve the ongoing dialogue between these actors Nominal group process: A structured group interaction technique designed to generate a prioritized list of high-quality ideas within two hours or less. It is particularly helpful for setting goals, defining obstacles, and gathering creative responses to a particular question. Multi-actor policy workshops: Small groups mixing key stakeholders and technical experts, aimed at collecting a range of viewpoints on what are the important question raised by the dialogue issue. These may allow an innovative view of the problem to emerge, along with new approaches to its solution. It is not necessary or practical to engage with all stakeholder groups with the same level of intensity all of the time. Being clear on whom you are engaging with and why will save both time and money. This requires prioritizing your stakeholders and, depending on who they are and what their interests are, figuring out the most appropriate ways to engage. Stakeholder analysis will assist in this prioritization by assessing the significance of the project to each stakeholder group from their perspective, and vice versa. It is important to keep in mind that the project is dynamic and that both stakeholders and their interests might change over time. For example, some stakeholders will be more affected by a particular stage of a project. You may now have a long list of people and organizations that are affected by your project. Some of these may have the power either to block or advance it. Some may be interested in what you are doing, others may not care. You can map out your stakeholders on a Power/Interest Grid as shown in Figure 1, and classify them by their power over and interest in project. Power/Interest Grid for Stakeholder Prioritisation For example, your boss is likely to have high power and influence over your projects and high interest. Your family may have high interest, but are unlikely to have power over it. The position on the grid shows you the actions you have to take with the stakeholder: High power, high interest: these are the stakeholders you must fully engage with, and make the greatest efforts to satisfy. High power, less interest: put enough work in with these stakeholders to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become bored with your message. Low power, high interest: keep these stakeholders adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These stakeholders can often be very helpful with the detail of your project. Low power, less interest: monitor these stakeholders but do not bore them with excessive communication. Internal stakeholders: Directors: may be executive or non-executive ones. They are appointed by the shareholders to look after their interest. Shareholders: are the owners of plcs (public limited companies) or private limited companies. Managers: will include the executive directors. When they are running the company they are managers. Essentially managers are the [people within a firm responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals and monitoring their work. Worker: These are all the non-managerial/supervisory people that work in a firm. External stakeholder Central government: firms supply the central government with a large part of its income. They can influence their decisions, though, especially if they are large and powerful. Locality: firms create employment and income for the community. Employees spend in shops etc. creating more jobs. There is a multiplying effect from this income. They may cause pollution and other problems causing potential conflict of interest. Pressure groups: this may b e stakeholders if they are affected directly or indirectly by the actions of a firm. Local communities, for instance, may form a pressure group to prevent a firm from expanding its premises or even setting up in the first place. Customers: customers have an obvious interest in the survival and efficiency of the firm. They want the product at the best price and quality possible. Suppliers: suppliers have an obvious interest in the survival and efficiency of the firm. They want the product to sell so they get the orders from materials etc. Competitors: competitors have an interest in the survival of the firm. Its failure may help them (more market share available), but so may their survival. (Monopoly markets are not as good as they seem. New technology firm need competitors to help with the marketing and market development.) Local government: films are part of the locality so interface with the government. They supply income (business tax) and need services. (Planning, health, fire, police) Also, Secondary stakeholders may play key roles in managing conflict by: Information gathering and analysis providing technical support, obtaining or advising on information, participating in the search for views on possible solutions, or increasing the acceptability of various outcomes; Advocacy working alongside weaker parties to build a transparent process, or helping the wider political arena to work towards greater equity; Intermediating acting as mediators between other conflicting groups; Monitoring and enforcement ensuring compliance with agreements by helping to enforce any that are broken. Secondary stakeholders can be effectively involved without including them directly in formal negotiations. For example, they can take part in focus group meetings, advisory or working groups, surveys or interviews, and community meetings. USE RACI ANALYSIS TO CLEARIFY STAKEHOLDER MAPPING AND TECHNIQUE: by Value Based Management.net Last updated Apr 17th, 2012 RACI Analysis: The RACI model is a relatively straightforward tool that can be used for identifying roles and responsibilities during an organizational change process. After all, transformation processes do not process themselves; people have to do something to make the process happen. Therefore it is useful to describe what should be done by whom to make a transformation process happen. Instead of the term RACI, sometimes also the terms RASCI or RASIC are used. RASCI is an abbreviation for: R= Responsible owns the problem or project A= to whom R is Accountable who must sign off (approve) on work before it is effective S = can be Supportive can provide resources or can play a supporting role in implementation C= to be consulted has information and/or capability necessary to complete the work I= to be Informed must be notified of results, but need not to be consulted The techniques is typically supported by an RACI chart (see figure) which helps to dearly discuss, agree and communicate the roles and responsibilities. Typical steps in a RACL process: Identify all the processes / activities involved. Identify all of the roles. Identify who has the RASCI for each process. Every process should preferably have one and only one R as a general principle. Resolve overlaps. Resolve gaps. Responsibility matrix that helps to clarify the who-does-what on the virtual team.   While working with a team recently I realized that RACI is often confused with a similar tool called a stakeholder analysis.   Whats a stakeholder?   In the case of telework, a stakeholder is any individual, group or organization that can have a significant impact on or can be significantly impacted by the telework initiative.   A stakeholder analysis is a process to align the political aspects of the organization  to the needs and goals of telework.   The success of a telework program can be influenced by many factors.   As many studies have pointed out, some of the biggest hurdles in telework are management resistance, organizational culture, and communication.   A stakeholder analysis can help overcome these barriers by forcing the implementation team to identify all the potential parties and individuals that can positively or negatively influence the initiative and then develop strategies to align those stakeholders. Creating a stakeholder analysis is simple.   Heres how to do it step by step: First, identify the individuals or groups that qualify as stakeholders (you can list them in the first column).   Next, identify whether they are resistant, supportive, or neutral in regards to the telework implementation.   I have colored coded mine (red, green, yellow) to make it stand out more.   Some teams like to use a scale of 1 5 to add in categories of very resistant to very supportive. In this step you will identify the issues or reasons that explain the stakeholders position.   If they are resistant, why are they resistant? Once the team labels the stakeholders position, they can use the same scale described in Step 2 to list where they need the stakeholder to be.   This step will help you prioritize where to focus some of your communication and change management efforts.   For example, you may have stakeholders that are neutral to the initiative but they are not vital stakeholders and as long as they are not resistant, then there is no need to focus on them.   Lastly, for the stakeholders the team needs to align, the team can identify the specific strategies to employ to get them onboard.   Additional columns can be added to assign specific team members to the strategies and due dates. So whats the difference between the stakeholder analysis and a RACI?   Both are living documents and can be used to help increase intra-organization communication.   However, the RACI is typically used to determine who-does-what while the stakeholder analysis helps get various people or organizations onboard with the initiative.   Like the RACI, there are may variations to the stakeholder analysis.   Some practitioners like to add an additional column to help prioritize stakeholders, such as level of impact the stakeholder might have.   Other matrices can be get more elaborate by adding additional columns for identifying root causes to certain issues or specifics of the communication plan (i.e. frequency, medium, etc.).   My advice is to keep it simple.   The intent, not the table, is what is important.   Successful telework implementations depend on managing a number of stakeholders.   Getting them aligned at the onset and keeping them onboard is key and can be done with a little forethought. Analysis for each stakeholder: Are there too many Rs:  Does one stakeholder have too much of the project assigned to them? No empty cells:  Does the stakeholder need to be involved in so many of the activities? Can Responsible be changed to Consulted, or Consulted changed to Informed? I.e., are there too many cooks in this kitchen to keep things moving? (And if so, what does that say about the culture within which this project is being managed?) Buy-in:  Does each stakeholder totally agree with the role that they are specified to play in this version of the model? When such agreement is achieved, that should be included in the projects charter and documentation. Analysis for each PLC step or deliverable: No Rs:  Who is doing the work in this step and getting things done? Whose role is it to take the initiative? Too many Rs:  Is this another sign of too many cooks in this kitchen to keep things moving? No As:  Who is Accountable? There must be one A for every step of the PLC. One stakeholder must be Accountable for the thing happening the buck stops with this person. More than one A:  Is there confusion on decision rights? Stakeholders with accountability have the final say on how the work should be done and how conflicts are resolved. Multiple As invite slow and contentious decision-making. Every box filled in:  Do all the stakeholders really need to be involved? Are there justifiable benefits in involving all the stakeholders, or is this just covering all the bases? A lot of Cs:  Do all the stakeholders need to be routinely Consulted, or can they be kept Informed and raise exceptional circumstances if they feel they need to be Consulted? Too many Cs in the loop really slows down the project. Are all true stakeholders included in this model:  Sometimes this is more of a challenge to ensure, as its an error of omission. This is often best addressed by a steering committee or management team.

Oregon Trail :: essays research papers

Oregon Trail Overland pioneer route to the northwestern United States. About 3200 km, about 2000 mi long, the trail extended from Independence, Missouri, to the Columbia River in Oregon. Part of the route followed the Platte River for 870 km (540 mi) through what is now Nebraska to Fort Laramie in present-day Wyoming. The trail continued along the North Platte and Sweetwater rivers to South Pass in the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains. From there the main trail went south to Fort Bridger, Wyoming, before turning into the Bear River valley and north to Fort Hall in present-day Idaho. In Idaho the Oregon Trail followed the Snake River to the Salmon Falls and then went north past Fort Boise (now Boise). The route entered what is now Oregon, passed through the Grande Ronde River valley, crossed the Blue Mountains and followed the Umatilla River to the Columbia River. Shorter and more direct routes were developed along some parts of the trail, but they were often more difficult. Originally, like many other main routes in the United States, sections of the Oregon Trail had been used by the Native Americans and trappers. As early as 1742, part of the trail in Wyoming had been blazed by the Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La VÃ ©rendrye; the Lewis and Clark Expedition, between 1804 and 1806, made more of it known. The German-American fur trader and financier John Jacob Astor, in establishing his trading posts, dispatched a party overland in 1811 to follow the trail of these explorers. Later, mountain men such as James Bridger, who founded Fort Bridger in 1843, contributed their knowledge of the trail and often acted as guides. The first emigrant wagon train, headed by the American pioneer physician Elijah White, reached Oregon in 1842.

The Slave Trade :: essays research papers fc

Intro: Slavery, the owning of slaves as a practice or institution. The condition of being a slave, bondage, servitude. Slave, a human who is owned as property by, and is absolutely subject to the will of another: bondservant divested of all freedom and personal rights. Hard to believe but on of the most horrifying occurances in World History, is the Slave Trade. It was a time in which people were sold as merchandise, where human beings were being treated as if they were not human. Beaten, being taken on a ship to an unknown land, drowned because of rations, and space, inhumane........ yes, unrealistic........ no. What was it? The capture and forced labor of Africans by Europeans began in the early 16th century. Africans were rounded up by other Africans as objects of trade with the Europeans. Eventually, slave ships became a regular sight in what came to be known as "the Middle Passage." These ships provided a constant flow of African slaves to Brazil and the Caribbean Isla nds, where the human cargo was auctioned off and brought to Europe or the New World.. Many of the ships wee not cleaned. The "cargo" was not feed or cleansed properly. Many captives died from the inhuman conditions on these voyages. Who had control? England gained control of the slave trade under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and managed the shipment of slaves to Spanish colonies. As the colonies gained independence from Spain, they outlawed slavery, and soon slaves were most in demand in North America, particularly on plantations. Few were fortunate enough to be house servants; most performed menial labor in the fields. How did it end? As far back as the mid-1500s, Jean Bodin, a French political philosopher, condemned the institution of slavery as immoral and unnatural.