Monday, November 25, 2019

Live Oak - Description, Planting and Growing

Live Oak - Description, Planting and Growing Live Oak Introduction A large, sprawling, picturesque tree, usually graced with Spanish moss and strongly reminiscent of the Old South.  Live oak is one of the broadest spreaders of the Oaks, providing large areas of deep, inviting shade. Live oak is the state tree of Georgia. Reaching 60 to 80 feet in height with a 60 to 100-foot spread and usually possessing many sinuously curved trunks and branches, live oak is an impressive sight for any large-scale landscape. An amazingly durable American native, it can measure its lifetime in centuries if properly located and cared for in the landscape. It is also often wrongly planted in small landscapes and right-of-ways where it is doomed to heavy pruning and ultimate removal. The live oaks scientific name is  Quercus virginiana  and pronounced like  Ã‚  KWERK-us ver-jin-ee-AY-nuh.The trees most used common name is  Southern Live Oak  and in the family Fagaceae. It grows inUSDA hardiness zones  7B through 10B, is native to the North American south and generally available in many areas within its hardiness range.  The oak is generally used in wide tree lawns but adapts well in large parking lot islands. It is a magnificent specimen tree in open landscapes. Michael Durr in Manual of Woody Landscape Plants says it is a massive, picturesque, wide-spreading, evergreen tree with magnificent horizontal and arching branches that form a broad rounded canopy; a single tree constitutes a garden. A Botanical Description of Live Oak As I have mentioned, live oak has a moderate height but a spread to  120 feet. The live oak crown uniformity is a  canopy that is  symmetrical and  with a regular (or smooth) outline and all  individuals have more or less identical broad crown forms. A live oaks crown approximates round but has a definite look of spreading vertically. The crown can be considered dense but its growth rate is medium to slow which means that it can only become a prime tree specimen over many decades. Live oak branches will continuously droop as the tree grows and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy. This is why a small urban median between moderately wide avenues will make for problems. The oak does have a showy trunk and should be grown on a single leader with substantial height. The live oak leaf is thickly green and persistent through the winter. The leaf arrangement is alternate, the leaf type is simple and the leaf margin is entire. Managing a Live Oak in the Landscape A live oak tree will grow  in part shade/part sun and in full sun. It tolerates many soils including  clay, loam, sand, acidic, alkaline and  occasionally wet but best on  well-drained soils. The tree has a high tolerance of drought, a high tolerance of salty atmosphere and a moderate tolerance for salt in the soil. You will need to prune this tree regularly to develop strong structure when in a managed landscape that has vehicular traffic. The tree is extremely resistant to breakage and will not be a problem in any but the strongest of storms. Live oak is usually pest-free. Occasionally mites infest the foliage, but they are of little concern in the landscape. There is some concern for a newly discovered Texas live oak decline. Galls cause homeowners much concern but should not. These trees  suffer with many types of galls which  can be on the leaves or twigs of Quercus virginiana. Most galls are harmless so chemical controls are not suggested. Live Oak In Depth Once established, the live oak will thrive in almost any location within its natural range and is very resistant to wind and its resulting damage. Live Oak is a tough, enduring tree that will respond with vigorous growth to plentiful moisture on well-drained soil. Like other oaks, care must be taken to develop a strong branch structure early in the life of the tree. Be sure to eliminate multiple trunks and branches which form a narrow-angle with the trunk as these are likely to split from the tree as it grows older. Be sure that an adequate landscape area is given to live oak as roots will grow under curbs and sidewalks when planted in confining soil spaces. When visiting large southern coastal cities (Mobile, Savannah) you will these trees thriving in these urban settings and their ability to lift sidewalks, curbs and driveways. This is the cost many are willing to pay for a live oak urban forest. One of the biggest problems with live oak in cities, towns and private landscapes is e lack of pruning. This tree can live for a very long time and it is important to develop proper trunk and branch structure early in the life of the tree. Following planting  in the landscape, prune the tree each year for the first three years, then every five years to age 30. This program will help ensure that the tree develops into a strong, long-lived fixture in the community, and will help develop the 14 to 15 foot tall vehicle clearance needed for planting along city streets. Source Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propogation and Uses. Bonnie Dirr (Illustrator), Margaret Stephan (Illustrator), et al., Revised edition, Stipes Pub Llc, January 1, 1990.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discussion question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Discussion question - Essay Example If companies were able to realize that in the long run it is better to be environmentally-conscious, then I am sure that more companies would be socially responsible. It is in the self-interest of companies to be socially responsible because the decisions that they make and actions that are taken will reflect back on the company. For corporations that become well-known for damaging the environment, the consequences may be devastating. Most consumers do not like buying a product from a company that disrespects society and looks to take advantage of people. Once a corporations actions are discovered, it is likely that customers will take their business somewhere else. This is why it is best for firms to come up with ways to protect the environment because it makes commercial sense rather than the government forcing these corporations to pay up. 2- Lincoln Electric considers customers and employees to be more important stakeholders than shareholders. Is it appropriate for management to define some stakeholders as more important than others? Should all stakeholders be considered equal? It is not appropriate for management to differentiate between stakeholders in order of importance. The fact is that each stakeholder has a vested interest in the business and so they should be treated with the same respect. Of course each stakeholder has a different role to play, but a business would not survive without the participation of all of the stakeholders. Customers are the lifeblood of a business because without consumers choosing to part with the money, a business would not make any revenue. Employees also play a vital role because they are the face of the business and are the go-between for management and customers. It is up to employees to sell the brand so that the customer is willing to part with their money. On the other hand, while shareholders may not seem to play an important role in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Joan of Arc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Joan of Arc - Essay Example For this reason, the world continues to remember these people long after their demise. One such person who epitomizes selflessness is Joan of Arc, also known as the Maid of France. Joan of Arc overcame challenges that appeared insurmountable at her time and got unheralded achievements. Joan of Arc lived in an era when women did not take a centre stage in matters regarding leadership with male dominance being the order of the day. In the same period, nations engaged one another in wars, which made it a challenge for women to take a leading role. This expose gives an analysis of Joan of Arc's life and the accomplishments, which made her break from the traditional self-image of women. Commonly referred as the Maid of France, Joan of Arc was born in 1412 to Jacques d’Arc and Isabeau Romee, poor farmers at Domremy in the valley of the Meuse (Newman 431). As a young peasant girl, Joan received an education similar to other peasant girls. In this regard, she did not learn how to read and write, but Joan learnt sewing, spinning and repeating the Ave Maria. For someone who went through an informal system of education, it is ironical that Joan of Arc became a subject to many literary works by acclaimed authors. More ironical is that Joan of Arc died at the age of nineteen years (Stanhope 4). Nonetheless, famous English writers such as Shakespeare and Holinshed reviled Joan of Arc, while Southey and Schiller idealized her work with Voltaire ridiculing her (Stone 3). However, for a young girl whose childhood activities included tending to her father’s flocks and working in the field’s, Joan of Arc became a symbol of what Mark Twain referred as a â€Å"peerless human being† (Stone 5). In addition, Mark Twain called her â€Å"the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced† with George Bernard Shaw calling her â€Å"the queerest fish among the eccentric worthies of the Middle Ages† (Knopf 151). As a young girl, Joan of Arc did not demonstrate any extraordinary acts of boldness and heroism. In fact, Joan of Arc appeared timid when speaking to strangers with her neighbors referring her as a simple-minded though a compassionate girl (Stanhope 4). Joan of Arc’s acts of compassion included tending and nursing the sick and accommodating any wayfarer who found their way to Joan’s home. In addition, Joan was an embodiment of a pious life, which in many cases made her a subject of ridicule by her neighbors and other people. In the fields, Joan would kneel and pray in solitude and go to church and make devotions, which made her spend her pastime in a manner different from the children her age (Stanhope 5). In effect, this young girl started defining her own path at an early age, differentiated from her age mates. Instead of spending time with her peers playing in the fields after spending the day herding or in the farms, Joan of Arc’s commitment to God at her age was exceptional. While Joan was growing up, France was undergoing a series of conflicts between them and England, in the famous period of the Hundred Years’ of War. During Joan’s life in particular, the infant King of England, Henry VI of England, was proclaimed King of France, leaving the rightful heir, Charles the dauphin, holding his weakened courts in a few French provinces (Barstow, â€Å"Joan of Arc† 31). At this time, Joan was only thirteen years, and she had started experiencing visions regarding her being the person who would deliver France

Monday, November 18, 2019

Masters Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Masters - Personal Statement Example dation soon after my academic feat has also furthered my insight into the field of law, giving me an opportunity to put in practice theoretical concepts learnt at the university and during diverse training seminars. The undergraduate studies and training have fuelled my interest in law to higher levels, prompting me to consider pursuing a postgraduate degree in International Commercial Law. I have acquired significant skills relevant to the practice of law in the course of my academic training, internship and life in general. Skills like client orientation, problem resolution, organization and planning, business competence, adaptability and focus on quality, will come in handy in my professional development, which I hope your esteemed institution will accord me. I am diligent, focused and motivated to succeed as an international business relations lawyer. I intend to exert diligence in my postgraduate studies, while bringing my leadership skills and critical reasoning ability to presenting legally viable arguments to this globally renowned course.   I look forward to learning from honored professors the intricate nature of International Commercial Law. I am also eager to interact with like-minded scholars and advance my skills and knowledge to become effectively global-oriented. In a progressively competitive and interconnected world, I hope to acquire focused legal training that will help me in critical analysis and development of laws that govern international commerce. I appreciate the fact that becoming an international lawyer requires time and significant effort. I am willing and ready to make this commitment and approach the course with due diligence not just for enhancement of my career prospects, but also for the benefit of my future

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Problems In Rural Distribution

Problems In Rural Distribution Rural consumers spend around 13% of their income on fast moving consumer goods.The FMCG industry in India was worth around US$ 16.03 billion in August 2008 and the rural market accounted for 57% share of the total FMCG market in India. Rural marketing facilitate transfer of goods and service from rural producers to urban consumers at possible time with reasonable prices, and agriculture inputs/ consumer goods from urban to rural. The rural markets have become a great opportunity for many companies to expand sales. However, many of them back out as they find distribution as a major problem. They try the same tricks in rural markets as they have tried in urban market e.g., extensive retailing and sustained pull generation through mass media advertising. As a result they fail and blame the less developed infrastructure of the rural markets. Creative companies like HLL, have been experimenting to find innovative ways of reaching the rural consumers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Problems in rural distribution (i) Difficulty in reaching rural consumers: The major problems are: Lack of adequate transport facilities, Large distances between villages, Lack of pucca roads connecting villages to nearest townships, Lack of proper retail out lets, and The low density of population and inaccessibility makes the problem of servicing these villages individually difficult and often uneconomical. Direct delivery of goods to even the top one per cent of villages costs twice as much as servicing urban markets. Therefore, in the initial stage, it may be better to concentrate only on the larger villages, and towns with large agricultural hinterlands that act as foci for distribution. The semi-wholesalers and retailers servicing smaller villages can obtain stocks from these places or the villagers themselves can buy the necessary items.Studies conducted by the Marketing Research Department of Hindustan Level showed that about 20 per cent of the farmers visit the nearest town at least once a month to sell their produce and purchase their requirements. (ii) Multiple Tiers, Higher Costs and Administrative Problems: In the first place, the rural distribution chain requires a larger number of tiers, compared to the urban one. The long distances to be covered from the product points and the scattered locations of the consuming households cause this situation. At the minimum, the rural distribution chain needs the villagel evel shopkeeper, the mandi-level distributor and the wholesaler/stockiest in the town. And on top of them are the manufacturers own warehouses/branch office operations at selected centers in the marketing territory. Such multiple tiers and scattered outfits push up costs and make channel management a major problem. The scope for manufacturers direct outlets such as show rooms or depots is quite limited in the rural market unlike in urban areas. (iii) Non-availability of Dealers: Many firms find that there are a limited number of suitable dealers. Even if the firm is willing to start from scratch and try out rank newcomers, the choice of candidates is really limited. (iv) Poor Viability of Retail Outlets: Retail sales outlets in the rural market suffer from poor viability. A familiar paradox in rural distribution is that the manufacturer incurs additional expenses on distribution; still the retail outlets find that the business is un remunerative. The scattered nature of the market and the multiplicity of tiers in the chain use up the additional funds the manufacturer is prepared to part with. (v) Inadequate Credit Facilities: Inadequacy of institutional/bank credit is another constraint. Rural outlets are unable to carry adequate stocks due to lack of credit facilities. They are unable to extend credit to their customers. Thus there is a vicious circle of lack of credit facilities leading to inadequate stocking and loss of business,finally resulting in poor viability of outlets.   Need for an Intelligent Approach Further if one takes a closer look at the characteristic features of rural market, it will be clear that distribution in fact, is no problem at all. The perceived problem is only a misconception of the old timers who are not aware of the changing scenario in rural areas and the potential of the existing selling outlets. Under the rural road construction programme, the Government plans to link villages with a population of 1,5000 or above withal-weather roads. Progress in this has been somewhat tardy. Coke To reach out to rural India, Coke started out by drawing up a hit list of high potential villages from various districts. To ensure full loads, large distributors (Hubs) were appointed, and they were supplied from the company’s depot in large towns and cities. Full load supplies were offered twice weekly against payment by demand draft. On their part,the hubs appointed smaller distributors (Spokes) in adjoining areas. The smaller distributors undertook fixed journey plans on a weekly basis and supplied against cash. The distributors also hired rickshaws (cycle operated vans) that travelled to villages daily. ITC eChoupals Another innovator in rural distribution — the $3.6 billion, Calcutta-based tobacco-to hotels conglomerate ITC — has also been trying to build a platform that others can use.   ITC is setting up eChoupals across the agricultural belt in India to offer the farmers of India all the information, products and services they need to enhance farm productivity, improve farm-gate price realization and cut transaction costs. Farmers can access latest local and global information on weather, scientific farming practices as well as market prices at the village itself through this web portal – all in Hindi. Choupal also facilitates supply of high quality farm inputs as well as purchase of commodities at their doorstep. This has been done in a phased approach: In Phase I, the business goal was to create a physical infrastructure of eChoupals at the village level and create local level ownerships through the identified Sanchalaks. At this stage the business goal was supported by creating a local language portal, which provided the required information to farmers such as local weather, market prices and best practices. In Phase II, the business goal was to get the farmer registered and transacting by selling directly to ITC Ltd. through the virtual market. This goal was supported by creating a B2B site, which integrated the transactions directly to the back-end ERP and ensured that there was no latency in processing any of the procurement by the processing units. In Phase III, the business goal was to create a full fledged meta-market.In this phase, the market would facilitate other operators like inputs providers and rural distributors to work effectively through the eChoupal to deliver and procure goods from every participating village.The technology road map to support this phase was to have a secure,consolidated Farmers database with all information pertaining to their holdings and credit worthiness   to be available online. This database, along with identification provided by smart cards would enable support for online transactions through the eChoupal leading to integration with participating financial institutions such as banks, insurance and credit agencies .Transaction costs are also minimized for the farmer by buying output at the farmers’ doorstep, and through transparent pricing and weighing practices. A substantial quantity has already been procured through this channel, resulting in overall savings. The savings are shar ed between buyer (ITC) and seller (farmer).On the marketing front, ITC is able to maintain and grow the trust of its farmers by enhancing their productivity and wealth. ITC leverages this position of trust among farmers, as well as its distribution capabilities, to market its own consumer good brands and those of partner companies offering products and services that ITC does not. Sales of consumer goods through the e-Choupals have been particularly successful because the cost-savings associated with dealing directly with the manufacturer allow Sanchalaks to offer goods at lower prices than other village-level traders or retailers can afford to do.   Empowering Women Consumers I-Shakti Hindustan Lever, whose 2006 revenues were $2.8 billion, has been learning these lessons for nearly a decade. The company’s Project Shakti (its name means â€Å"strength†) was born out of this realization, and it has become a case study for business schools and evolved beyond its original goals. â€Å"The objectives of Project Shakti are to create income-generating capabilities for underprivileged rural women by providing a small-scale enterprise opportunity, and to improve rural living standards with greater awareness of health and hygiene,† says Dalip Sehgal, executive director of the Shakti initiative. Hindustan Lever’s drive into rural India was prompted in part by growing competition. When the Indian economy opened up in early 1990s, multinationals such as Procter Gamble stepped up their activities, forcing Hindustan Lever to seek higher revenues and growth by reaching into villages with 1,000 or fewer residents. Launched in 2001, Project Shakti was an important part of this strategy. It involved working with rural self-help groups (SHGs) to educate rural women, while also making them part of the company’s marketing network. â€Å"Women from SHGs become Shakti entrepreneurs — direct-to-home distributors [of Hindustan Lever products] in rural markets,† says Sehgal. â€Å"This micro-enterprise offers low risks and high returns. The products distributed include a range of mass-market items especially relevant to rural consumers,† such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo and detergent. The Shakti website features a video profile of Rojamma, a young woman from the state of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India, as an example of a typical Shakti distributor. A mother of two who was left to fend for herself and two daughters after her husband abandoned the family, Rojamma initially made ends meet by working in her parents’ fields. She then joined the Shakti project and became a distributor of Hindustan Lever products, speaking in village after village to impoverished and often illiterate women about the need to bathe their children and wash their clothes regularly and also selling them soap and detergent. The commission Rojamma earned on her sales helped provide for her family. â€Å"Today she is a proud entrepreneur and enjoys not only the money she earns from the project but also the respect of society,† says Sehgal. â€Å"The lives of thousands of women have changed because of Shakti.† A typical Shakti distributor sells products worth Rs 10,000-15,000 (around $250) a month, which provides an income of Rs 700-1,000 (around $25) a month on a sustainable basis. While this may not seem to be a high income, it makes an enormous difference to women who live in remote villages in dire poverty. In many cases, earnings from Shakti help them double their household income. Much of the additional income goes to educating children, and also to purchasing consumer durables such as television sets, which further expands the rural market for such products. Some Shakti distributors — whom the company calls â€Å"entrepreneurs† — invest the extra money in buying vehicles such as motor scooters that allow them to go into more villages. Indeed, with help from Shakti distributors, Hindustan Lever has been able to reach rural consumers in thousands of remote Indian villages. According to media reports, Shakti distributors now account for 15% of the company’s sales in rural India. Meanwhile, the potential for growth is enormous, since studies have shown that just 15% of Indian consumers use products such as shampoo. According to Wharton’s Raju, there are behavioural reasons why rural consumers represent a sound bet for companies that are willing to invest in reaching them. â€Å"Affluent consumers demonstrate that they have ‘arrived’ by buying bigger houses or cars. People at lower income levels do so by buying premium brands. This means brand loyalty is very high among less affluent consumers. That is why the rural market is critical for companies. The first-mover advantage is significant.† The Shakti model was piloted in 50 villages of the Nalgonda district in Andhra Pradesh. It has now spread to more than a dozen states, creating 26,000 women distributors covering 80,000 villages. By 2010, the goal is to recruit 100,000 Shakti distributors covering 500,000 of India’s more than 600,000 villages. â€Å"This initiative has been extremely successful,† says Ajay Gupta, CEO of www.ruralnaukri.com, a job site for the rural market. In addition to the distribution network, the Shakti project includes Shakti Vani (or voice), a social awareness program, and iShakti, a community portal. â€Å"Desktop computers are set up in the homes of Shakti entrepreneurs,† says a Hindustan Lever spokesperson. â€Å"These computers are equipped with software developed by Unilever through which users can access content in categories including education, employment, agriculture, health and entertainment. They can also ask questions on any of these subjects and have them answered by experts.† iShakti is in its early days; it was launched in November 2004. The Vani project, however, is operational in more than 20,000 villages in states like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Hindustan Lever has also tied up with partners such as Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest software firm, which is actively involved with the iShakti portal, and ICICI, a financial services institution that is involved with providing micro-credit loans. With the network now in place, other companies want to hop on to the Shakti bandwagon. One service that is likely to be added soon is insurance. Hub and spoke model Ex: Medicated soap which is 100 per cent handmade is exempt from tax and consumers especially in rural market is attracted by the medical qualities of the soap as natural products appeals to an average Indian. Medimix in this category is very popular due to all the above qualities and within the reach of a rural customer. There is no compromise on the packaging or appearance or the perfume or colour of the soap. Their strategy was first target small hotels all over India. A firm decision was taken that Medimix would aggressively market to over 3,000 small hotels all over India, even in small towns. The outcome is even foreign tourists were impressed by the medicated quality of Medimix. Through the hub model, Medimix is offered in the villages and explaining the local influencer about Medimix as an ayurvedic product. When he is convinced, his customers got convinced. In fact penetration of medimix in south is about 80% which is much higher than Hindustan unilevers Haman. Distribution network of coca cola is effective in reaching the rural market. It has a hub and spoke distribution system which helps in gaining access to the small places. Increasing the reach by providing inexpensive ice-boxes to small retailers and distributors in rural areas as it can be a substitute for electricity which is not available 24 hrs in rural areas. Improvements Future Scope : Increasing urbanisation in reference to lifestyle, habits, etc. has given opportunity to the companies to enter into the rural market with a purpose to maximise the market reach and to realise the untapped potential. Making small size packets or sachets and popularizing the brand with the help of opinion leaders facilitate in serving the rural market. As people can afford these packets of small sizes having lesser price. This requires sales force to be trained to win the confidence of opinkion leaders. This strategy is already in use by a number of FMCG companies like HUL, Marico etc. Rural consumers can be reached through innovative media. Apart from radio and television which are the conventional media others like horse cart, bullock cart and wall writing can effectively convey the message. Some of the strategies to tap the opportunities in the rural market are: Build fair price shops i.e. having tie ups with public distribution system. Develop rural shopping malls that act as a two way supply chain. While selling goods to the farmers and also buy their farm produce. Use mixture of retailers and wholesalers to reach every nook and cranny of rural market. Grow rural malls and self help groups to push product into core rural market.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Fear in Tony Kushners Angels In America Essay -- Kushner Angels in

Fear in Tony Kushner's Angels In America    Both parts of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America paint a painfully truthful picture of what gay men go through. In most cases, they suffer either inner anguish or public torment. Sometimes they must endure both. Being homosexual in America is a double-edged sword. If you publicly announce that you are gay, you suffer ridicule and are mocked by the ignorant of society; but if you keep your homosexuality a secret, you are condemned to personal turmoil. Kushner's work attempts to make America take a close look at itself and hopefully change its ways. The fear of public scrutiny forces many gay men into a life of denial and secrecy.       Kushner describes a society, not unlike our own society today, that looks down upon gay men and other minorities. By setting the play in the mid 80's, a time when gay-bashing was at its zenith, he is able to capture the prejudice towards homosexuals and all that surrounds it. The early 80's was also the time when AIDS was a new disease being made aware to the mass public for the first time. By setting the story in New York City, a melting pot of different cultures and people, Kushner proves that not just one group of people come in contact with homosexuals. All of these geographical and atmosphirical forces aid in setting the mood of the play. These surroundings drive the characters to act the way they do and make the choices they make.       Angels in America centers around the gay community which is one of the most scrutinized minorities in the world today. Kushner is able to convey his view more efficiently by having a broad range of power. His characters are of more than one social standing and are at different places in ... ...men are a minority, and like any minority there is prejudice against them. Kushner focuses on that prejudice and shows how foolish it is. He proves that gay men are not drastically different than any other man. The only difference is their sexuality, and that part of any person is no one else's business. Homosexuals and heterosexuals both feel love when in relationships, and that is where the emphasis should be placed. A person's sexual behavior should be left in the bedroom and not debated in a public forum. Neither heterosexuals nor homosexuals are better than the other. Until society as a whole makes a conscious effort to accept gay men and all minorities, prejudice will still exist and be a part of us all. No one has the right to judge another person.    Bibliography: Kushner, Tony. Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches. New York: TCG, 1992.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Change Management

Nowadays we observe an acceleration of change in the value systems worldwide, an adoption of new attitudes, new goals, and aspects leading to rapid change of the society. To survive and develop, an organization must first know how to anticipate and capitalize on the opportunities and to attenuate or eliminate the vulnerabilities. Second, the organization must demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the change process, from detailed investigation of its past and present. Bold, 2011) This report assumes that any organization wishing to adapt their external environment and especially to the progress, must accept the change and respond to them in a quick and responsible way. And to help X Factor organization manages change as it seeks to become more sustainable through resource efficiency, and as it takes corporate responsibility for the effects of the human resources. The objective of this report is to explain the concept and steps to support and help X Factor during their change process of restructuring workplace due to a sustainable workplace.For the start we are going to take a look at our organization and a small introduction of their business and their goals. 2. Background X Factor is one of the biggest international automakers in the world, which has 300,734 employees worldwide. The company was founded in 1980 as a family company to create automobiles. They received Quality Control Award in 2000 in the US branch. After that they started to expand their business to Europe, and started with Germany. After while they established they branches in 10 countries, Germany, I-J, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, China and Argentina.With growing the business and also with growing markets, managers start to think about the ways to add value to their business. They realized to remain competitive they should be take more attention to the environmental issues. They understood this fact which in addition to ecological aspects of energy and how it can damage the environment and our earth, using energy in fact is really costly, because it is an expensive resource and it is one the highest operational expenditures.Therefore energy consumption has become a major issue for most of the industrial sectors and hence, they are looking for efficient energy consumption methodologies. In other words, reducing energy consumption makes perfect business sense; it saves money, enhances corporate petition and helps every one lead the fight against climate change. (Carbonates, 2011) In one of their branch which is located in Switzerland, in Zurich that is Just commercial and marketing department, they decided to apply sustainability in to their workplace.Their workplace consists of 3 floors in one building, with 120 fulfillment employees and 20 part times. Their objectives for this decision are to act in a way to benefit both their business and also society. Before we go for the change process we will analyze their objectives in their busi ness, because any change in company is objected to reach the objective and the alee of the core business, so it is really important before any change processes to specify the objectives, goals and main value of the business.What we can see in the mission statement of X Factor is as following: â€Å"X Factor will lead the way to the future of mobility, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, constant innovation and respect for the planet, we aim to exceed expectations be rewarded with smile. We will meet our challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there is always a better way. Retail Industry, 2009) So we can see that responsibility to planet is one of their objectives in the business, which here regarding to the change process there are indenting to claim this goal in this branch. In following chapters we will see why and how they will apply this goal to their business. 3. Approach The approach which used in this report to apply the change process and getting the best out of it, started by analyzing the company.After a short introduction about the organization itself, we explained the current situation in the company which related to environmental issues to know the culture of this organization. After defining the challenges, opportunities and objectives of the change, we analyzed the best leadership style which could be used (actually used) in the organization by project leaders and also defined the type of change which realized by leaders. Then we did a stakeholder analysis in order to identify who will benefit and challenge in this process.After stakeholder analysis we started with one of the changes model, to apply the process of change in the company. At the end we will analyze the outcomes and results of the change. 2 4. Situation Analysis After lots of discussion and researches on change processes, managers decide for he first ste p try to understand the changing behavior in their groups and organization that require an understanding of how these communities act to work, an identification of barriers and facilitators for change and what influences their behavior in general. 4. Current Situation After a wide analysis with experts in environmental issues, following results were found due to their current behavior in environmental issues: Most of the employees are working in offices which consist of 2 or 3 person, and there are some private offices as well in all three levels. All the Coos have their private offices which are rarely used. There are 5 meeting rooms in whole building which are most of the time empty, because due to their global business most of the important meetings are taking place in other countries, and these meeting rooms will Just usable for domestic issues.After considering the expenses of the company they found out that travel expenses are too high due to taking part in meetings and small discussions. The usage of papers and copy machines are too high. In general usages of energy in the company are also too high, which is almost 1. 5 times more than usual. (This includes water, electricity, heating, light†¦ 4. 2 Organization Culture The culture which exists in the organization is the hierarchical culture, a highly structured and formal place to work with high control.Rules and procedures govern behavior. Leaders strive to be good coordinators and organizers who are efficiency- minded. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is most critical. Stability, performance, and efficient operations are the long-term goals. Success means dependable delivery, smooth scheduling, and low cost. Management wants security and predictability. (Tarp, 2009) Looking to this culture, leaders should try to have a Truckee plan and strategy to implement change.Despite of high hierarchical culture, higher managers willing to have all employees involve to the change process. 3 4. 3 Rea sons for change Sustainability has three aspects in a company, Environmental, Social and Economical. Environmental sustainability is about maintaining the integrity of life support systems. This aspect incorporates the important notions of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As our energy and natural resource demands grow, impacts to ecosystems are systems proportionally growing and causing more damage to the health of our planet and inning communities.Social sustainability is about equity within and between generations and within and between ethnic and social groups. It is inclusive of people's mental and physical well wellbeing and the cohesion of their communities based on a fair distribution of natural resources. Economic sustainability means using resources to provide necessary and desirable products and services for the present generation without compromising the ability of present future generations to do the same.Sustainability presents opportunities for efficiency that can improve business per performance and competitiveness, while reducing operating while costs. Sustainability, 2012) We can also wee three aspects of sustainability in figure 4. 3. 1 : Figure 4. 3. 1: Aspects of Sustainability Source: http://www. Porous-sigma. Com/archives/1082 sigma. Com/archives/1082 4 Energy is one of the highest operation expenditures in an organization, so if the organization wants to stay competitive should care about sustainability and energy efficiency. 4. Benefits/Opportunities Sustainability and being sustainable has lots of benefits for the organization, which we can categorize them in three parts. We can measure the benefits of sustainability on Profit, Planet and People. (Stringer, 2009) Profit: Sustainability can save Organizations Money and Resources, Increases operational efficiency and reduced operating costs, Organizations that embrace sustainability are likely to have an advantage in recruiting and retaining young people w ho value the environment a nd w hose Job preferences may increasingly reflect these attitudes.Given the high concern many organizations have about attracting, retaining and motivating workers, the sustainability advantage could be significant, Increases profit and customer loyalty, Adopting Sustainability Enhances reputation and brand image, Creates new business opportunities, Increases productivity and morale, Preferential government and regulatory treatment, Innovation in market through cooperation with local communities.Planet Significant saving in carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, Reducing energy consumption, Saving planet for future. People Productivity and Increased morale for employees, Positive and healthy work environment, Benefit from a sustainable environment, Increased employee satisfaction Loyalty and engagement to company with sustainable policies. 5 4. 5 Challenges/Barriers One of the biggest challenges and barriers in this change process are employees, ND involving them in the cha nge process.Involving employees are really important in this change process because of the following reasons: The employees are the ones that will be seeing to it that all the day-to-day tasks at the workplace reflect the principles on sustainability. Without their support, the project will surely fail. Involvement is not Just a means. It is also a core value of the sustainability concept that people have the right to have influence on their own working lives. It is therefore in everyone's interest that the employees are involved in he discussion, the planning and the implementation of the workplace initiatives to promote sustainability. FCC, 2004) Here we are going to discuss about some of the reasons which we might face with employees during the change process to a sustainable workplace in the organization: Knowledge and behavior gap This can be due to users' lack of knowledge about general environmental impacts of consumption. And it will also happen because of the lack of commun ication. As we know one the important steps for a successful leader is to communicate with employees, and convince them about the benefits of change transition. Change Management Week 3 Assignment Introduction Briefly explain the change management initiative. Change management initiative is a logical method of an organization transformation process—based on qualitative and quantitative information—from key stakeholders perspective. When an organization is experiencing a change process, it goes through several phases: acceptance, acclimation and commitment. From this change process, Palmer, Dunford and Akins discuss in Managing Organization Change the six different images of managing change. These images of change are director, navigator, caretaker, coach, interpreter, and nurturer.Briefly explain the importance of the Images concepts and application to the change management initiative. Change manager as director is based upon achievable outcomes from a manager’s perspective. These images provide managers with the freedom to audible and make the appropriate adjustments to strategic initiatives in order to fulfill a goal and gain results. C hange manager as navigator is when external forces set the narrative for change and the manager has to maneuver through obstacles and improvise when necessary to achieve positive outcomes.Change manager as caretaker is when both external and internal forces limit a manager’s ability to produce results from known or creative efforts. A caretaker results are normally stagnant and becomes only a manager of bureaucratic ideas. Change manager as coach is when a manager orchestrates and instructs an organization strategic agenda on how to execute and produce results. Change manager as interpreter is when a manager effectively communicates key stakeholders agenda within an organization. Change manager as nurturer is when an organization is affected by external forces that severely control the outcome of a manager.Therefore, a manager comforts and supports an organization by reinforcing a positive attitude, supportive to others, and providing hope. Application Analysis Provide a hist ory of information from your organization or case study that supports the change management initiative. Provide a review of the change management process related to your chosen topic. When my company was going through financial woes due to the U. S. economic downturn in 2009, the CEO and VP of Operations introduced Lean methodology to the company.The Lean concept was based on continuous improvements for every department and emphasized on producing efficiency and cost reductions. The managers managed the change by coaching and nurturing the strategic change initiative. Each company site had a project manager that was trained in Lean and Six Sigma. In turn, every project manager coached Lean throughout the organization and appointed Lean champions (project Lean coordinators) from every department to execute the strategic agenda. After providing this review of the change, based on how the change was managed, how would you assess the people/person who managed this change?What Image woul d you use to describe the change manager(s) style and why? The Lean strategy produced a high production of results and a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization. Even though the strategy was successful, my company still reduced its workforce by 20%. During this time, the project manager as coach also became the project manager as nurturer. It was extremely difficult to produce results when many employees’ morale was down. Project managers were very influential in encouraging employees to stay focused and weather the economic storm.This approach made most employees hopeful and positive, which produced positive results. Lessons Learned Briefly explain what you have learned by applying the concept to the strategic change initiative. The concept of strategic change initiative focuses on cross-functional support, effective communication, and a consensus approach to produce positive organizational results. Based on what you learned, explain in some detail how a practicing manager could use this knowledge to better manage change. Change is inevitable for all companies.A practicing manager could use these six change images technique to fully optimize opportunities. The manager will be able to produce positive outcomes by being an effective leader through adversity. Identify any mistakes that were made in using the change concept and how you would fix the situation. There were some goals that were not achievable due to the reduction in force and environment. The situation could have been fixed by simply doing an employee assessment and modifying the strategic initiative to reflect the actual number of workers. This would have made the goals more achievable. Change Management Nowadays we observe an acceleration of change in the value systems worldwide, an adoption of new attitudes, new goals, and aspects leading to rapid change of the society. To survive and develop, an organization must first know how to anticipate and capitalize on the opportunities and to attenuate or eliminate the vulnerabilities. Second, the organization must demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the change process, from detailed investigation of its past and present. Bold, 2011) This report assumes that any organization wishing to adapt their external environment and especially to the progress, must accept the change and respond to them in a quick and responsible way. And to help X Factor organization manages change as it seeks to become more sustainable through resource efficiency, and as it takes corporate responsibility for the effects of the human resources. The objective of this report is to explain the concept and steps to support and help X Factor during their change process of restructuring workplace due to a sustainable workplace.For the start we are going to take a look at our organization and a small introduction of their business and their goals. 2. Background X Factor is one of the biggest international automakers in the world, which has 300,734 employees worldwide. The company was founded in 1980 as a family company to create automobiles. They received Quality Control Award in 2000 in the US branch. After that they started to expand their business to Europe, and started with Germany. After while they established they branches in 10 countries, Germany, I-J, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, China and Argentina.With growing the business and also with growing markets, managers start to think about the ways to add value to their business. They realized to remain competitive they should be take more attention to the environmental issues. They understood this fact which in addition to ecological aspects of energy and how it can damage the environment and our earth, using energy in fact is really costly, because it is an expensive resource and it is one the highest operational expenditures.Therefore energy consumption has become a major issue for most of the industrial sectors and hence, they are looking for efficient energy consumption methodologies. In other words, reducing energy consumption makes perfect business sense; it saves money, enhances corporate petition and helps every one lead the fight against climate change. (Carbonates, 2011) In one of their branch which is located in Switzerland, in Zurich that is Just commercial and marketing department, they decided to apply sustainability in to their workplace.Their workplace consists of 3 floors in one building, with 120 fulfillment employees and 20 part times. Their objectives for this decision are to act in a way to benefit both their business and also society. Before we go for the change process we will analyze their objectives in their busi ness, because any change in company is objected to reach the objective and the alee of the core business, so it is really important before any change processes to specify the objectives, goals and main value of the business.What we can see in the mission statement of X Factor is as following: â€Å"X Factor will lead the way to the future of mobility, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, constant innovation and respect for the planet, we aim to exceed expectations be rewarded with smile. We will meet our challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there is always a better way. Retail Industry, 2009) So we can see that responsibility to planet is one of their objectives in the business, which here regarding to the change process there are indenting to claim this goal in this branch. In following chapters we will see why and how they will apply this goal to their business. 3. Approach The approach which used in this report to apply the change process and getting the best out of it, started by analyzing the company.After a short introduction about the organization itself, we explained the current situation in the company which related to environmental issues to know the culture of this organization. After defining the challenges, opportunities and objectives of the change, we analyzed the best leadership style which could be used (actually used) in the organization by project leaders and also defined the type of change which realized by leaders. Then we did a stakeholder analysis in order to identify who will benefit and challenge in this process.After stakeholder analysis we started with one of the changes model, to apply the process of change in the company. At the end we will analyze the outcomes and results of the change. 2 4. Situation Analysis After lots of discussion and researches on change processes, managers decide for he first ste p try to understand the changing behavior in their groups and organization that require an understanding of how these communities act to work, an identification of barriers and facilitators for change and what influences their behavior in general. 4. Current Situation After a wide analysis with experts in environmental issues, following results were found due to their current behavior in environmental issues: Most of the employees are working in offices which consist of 2 or 3 person, and there are some private offices as well in all three levels. All the Coos have their private offices which are rarely used. There are 5 meeting rooms in whole building which are most of the time empty, because due to their global business most of the important meetings are taking place in other countries, and these meeting rooms will Just usable for domestic issues.After considering the expenses of the company they found out that travel expenses are too high due to taking part in meetings and small discussions. The usage of papers and copy machines are too high. In general usages of energy in the company are also too high, which is almost 1. 5 times more than usual. (This includes water, electricity, heating, light†¦ 4. 2 Organization Culture The culture which exists in the organization is the hierarchical culture, a highly structured and formal place to work with high control.Rules and procedures govern behavior. Leaders strive to be good coordinators and organizers who are efficiency- minded. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is most critical. Stability, performance, and efficient operations are the long-term goals. Success means dependable delivery, smooth scheduling, and low cost. Management wants security and predictability. (Tarp, 2009) Looking to this culture, leaders should try to have a Truckee plan and strategy to implement change.Despite of high hierarchical culture, higher managers willing to have all employees involve to the change process. 3 4. 3 Rea sons for change Sustainability has three aspects in a company, Environmental, Social and Economical. Environmental sustainability is about maintaining the integrity of life support systems. This aspect incorporates the important notions of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As our energy and natural resource demands grow, impacts to ecosystems are systems proportionally growing and causing more damage to the health of our planet and inning communities.Social sustainability is about equity within and between generations and within and between ethnic and social groups. It is inclusive of people's mental and physical well wellbeing and the cohesion of their communities based on a fair distribution of natural resources. Economic sustainability means using resources to provide necessary and desirable products and services for the present generation without compromising the ability of present future generations to do the same.Sustainability presents opportunities for efficiency that can improve business per performance and competitiveness, while reducing operating while costs. Sustainability, 2012) We can also wee three aspects of sustainability in figure 4. 3. 1 : Figure 4. 3. 1: Aspects of Sustainability Source: http://www. Porous-sigma. Com/archives/1082 sigma. Com/archives/1082 4 Energy is one of the highest operation expenditures in an organization, so if the organization wants to stay competitive should care about sustainability and energy efficiency. 4. Benefits/Opportunities Sustainability and being sustainable has lots of benefits for the organization, which we can categorize them in three parts. We can measure the benefits of sustainability on Profit, Planet and People. (Stringer, 2009) Profit: Sustainability can save Organizations Money and Resources, Increases operational efficiency and reduced operating costs, Organizations that embrace sustainability are likely to have an advantage in recruiting and retaining young people w ho value the environment a nd w hose Job preferences may increasingly reflect these attitudes.Given the high concern many organizations have about attracting, retaining and motivating workers, the sustainability advantage could be significant, Increases profit and customer loyalty, Adopting Sustainability Enhances reputation and brand image, Creates new business opportunities, Increases productivity and morale, Preferential government and regulatory treatment, Innovation in market through cooperation with local communities.Planet Significant saving in carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, Reducing energy consumption, Saving planet for future. People Productivity and Increased morale for employees, Positive and healthy work environment, Benefit from a sustainable environment, Increased employee satisfaction Loyalty and engagement to company with sustainable policies. 5 4. 5 Challenges/Barriers One of the biggest challenges and barriers in this change process are employees, ND involving them in the cha nge process.Involving employees are really important in this change process because of the following reasons: The employees are the ones that will be seeing to it that all the day-to-day tasks at the workplace reflect the principles on sustainability. Without their support, the project will surely fail. Involvement is not Just a means. It is also a core value of the sustainability concept that people have the right to have influence on their own working lives. It is therefore in everyone's interest that the employees are involved in he discussion, the planning and the implementation of the workplace initiatives to promote sustainability. FCC, 2004) Here we are going to discuss about some of the reasons which we might face with employees during the change process to a sustainable workplace in the organization: Knowledge and behavior gap This can be due to users' lack of knowledge about general environmental impacts of consumption. And it will also happen because of the lack of commun ication. As we know one the important steps for a successful leader is to communicate with employees, and convince them about the benefits of change transition. Change Management Fundamentally change management is commerce with two things, the technique by which change is obtained in any specific company; along with how working class managed to accomplish the desired change. It has been pragmatic that in this globe there are dissimilar kinds of industries, verbal communication and moreover the problems of everybody are diverse from each others however the change management process is almost similar for all (Oliver Recklies).Approach to change management: The reason for the adoption of change management is one with the intention of gaining higher-ranking leadership by individuals concerned in the midst of the expenditure pronouncement, financial support as well as to cover the problems which has been generated for the reason that of change. The change management problem may also be taken as the process which has to describe that how to move from one condition A to a new condition A’.For moving from the position A to A’ there are three types of ob jectives, they are transforming, reduce and apply, the transform is about identifying the differences between the two states, then the reduce goals are about how to eliminate these differences between two states and the apply goal is concerned with making placement of operator that actually effect the elimination of these differences. So it is believed that the process of managing change commences by way of unfreezing then it acquired the anticipated change moreover the process ends with refreezing.It is mostly seen that changes along with the change troubles they in attendance are tribulations of modification so as to they have necessitate of the association no more than that it contrivance by means of an increasingly changing position of conditions, to have better understanding with this approach let us take the example of AT&T and IBM, these organizations are designed by someone else and is being operated by others, it is believe of working class that these organizations has been designed by geniuses and maneuver by idiots consequently for being successfully established they have resolved the predicament of structure at near the beginning stage by the means of the definition, positioning and synchronization of occupation as well as people.Further populace then has to survive by way of this intend, for the reason that the ends comprises previously be conventional, the other people are predominantly apprehensive with means. For this motivation many problem solving efforts establish paying attention on means.So it is understood that approach for managing change take account of appreciative the problem on or after every characteristic furthermore then approaching with the solution in addition to the appropriate submission of revolutionize to arrangement, for this progression the structured approach is taken as the contrivance furthermore it be capable of serving as the successful association group and when it formulate the understanding with the personage revol utionize organization these both paraphernalia make available a framework for supervising (Fred Nickols, 2006).For the change management analytical as well as peoples skills are the basic needs, by analytical skills we mean that one should not make any mistake about, it means that the person whom the managing change task is given they should have better understanding with the situation so they can make right analysis at the right time to give desired results (John Kotter, 1995-2002) and by peoples skills we mean that peoples must have skills to make understanding with the bought up change (Fred Nickols, 2006). Change Management Week 3 Assignment Introduction Briefly explain the change management initiative. Change management initiative is a logical method of an organization transformation process—based on qualitative and quantitative information—from key stakeholders perspective. When an organization is experiencing a change process, it goes through several phases: acceptance, acclimation and commitment. From this change process, Palmer, Dunford and Akins discuss in Managing Organization Change the six different images of managing change. These images of change are director, navigator, caretaker, coach, interpreter, and nurturer.Briefly explain the importance of the Images concepts and application to the change management initiative. Change manager as director is based upon achievable outcomes from a manager’s perspective. These images provide managers with the freedom to audible and make the appropriate adjustments to strategic initiatives in order to fulfill a goal and gain results. C hange manager as navigator is when external forces set the narrative for change and the manager has to maneuver through obstacles and improvise when necessary to achieve positive outcomes.Change manager as caretaker is when both external and internal forces limit a manager’s ability to produce results from known or creative efforts. A caretaker results are normally stagnant and becomes only a manager of bureaucratic ideas. Change manager as coach is when a manager orchestrates and instructs an organization strategic agenda on how to execute and produce results. Change manager as interpreter is when a manager effectively communicates key stakeholders agenda within an organization. Change manager as nurturer is when an organization is affected by external forces that severely control the outcome of a manager.Therefore, a manager comforts and supports an organization by reinforcing a positive attitude, supportive to others, and providing hope. Application Analysis Provide a hist ory of information from your organization or case study that supports the change management initiative. Provide a review of the change management process related to your chosen topic. When my company was going through financial woes due to the U. S. economic downturn in 2009, the CEO and VP of Operations introduced Lean methodology to the company.The Lean concept was based on continuous improvements for every department and emphasized on producing efficiency and cost reductions. The managers managed the change by coaching and nurturing the strategic change initiative. Each company site had a project manager that was trained in Lean and Six Sigma. In turn, every project manager coached Lean throughout the organization and appointed Lean champions (project Lean coordinators) from every department to execute the strategic agenda. After providing this review of the change, based on how the change was managed, how would you assess the people/person who managed this change?What Image woul d you use to describe the change manager(s) style and why? The Lean strategy produced a high production of results and a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization. Even though the strategy was successful, my company still reduced its workforce by 20%. During this time, the project manager as coach also became the project manager as nurturer. It was extremely difficult to produce results when many employees’ morale was down. Project managers were very influential in encouraging employees to stay focused and weather the economic storm.This approach made most employees hopeful and positive, which produced positive results. Lessons Learned Briefly explain what you have learned by applying the concept to the strategic change initiative. The concept of strategic change initiative focuses on cross-functional support, effective communication, and a consensus approach to produce positive organizational results. Based on what you learned, explain in some detail how a practicing manager could use this knowledge to better manage change. Change is inevitable for all companies.A practicing manager could use these six change images technique to fully optimize opportunities. The manager will be able to produce positive outcomes by being an effective leader through adversity. Identify any mistakes that were made in using the change concept and how you would fix the situation. There were some goals that were not achievable due to the reduction in force and environment. The situation could have been fixed by simply doing an employee assessment and modifying the strategic initiative to reflect the actual number of workers. This would have made the goals more achievable. Change Management Nowadays we observe an acceleration of change in the value systems worldwide, an adoption of new attitudes, new goals, and aspects leading to rapid change of the society. To survive and develop, an organization must first know how to anticipate and capitalize on the opportunities and to attenuate or eliminate the vulnerabilities. Second, the organization must demonstrate the ability to effectively manage the change process, from detailed investigation of its past and present. Bold, 2011) This report assumes that any organization wishing to adapt their external environment and especially to the progress, must accept the change and respond to them in a quick and responsible way. And to help X Factor organization manages change as it seeks to become more sustainable through resource efficiency, and as it takes corporate responsibility for the effects of the human resources. The objective of this report is to explain the concept and steps to support and help X Factor during their change process of restructuring workplace due to a sustainable workplace.For the start we are going to take a look at our organization and a small introduction of their business and their goals. 2. Background X Factor is one of the biggest international automakers in the world, which has 300,734 employees worldwide. The company was founded in 1980 as a family company to create automobiles. They received Quality Control Award in 2000 in the US branch. After that they started to expand their business to Europe, and started with Germany. After while they established they branches in 10 countries, Germany, I-J, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, China and Argentina.With growing the business and also with growing markets, managers start to think about the ways to add value to their business. They realized to remain competitive they should be take more attention to the environmental issues. They understood this fact which in addition to ecological aspects of energy and how it can damage the environment and our earth, using energy in fact is really costly, because it is an expensive resource and it is one the highest operational expenditures.Therefore energy consumption has become a major issue for most of the industrial sectors and hence, they are looking for efficient energy consumption methodologies. In other words, reducing energy consumption makes perfect business sense; it saves money, enhances corporate petition and helps every one lead the fight against climate change. (Carbonates, 2011) In one of their branch which is located in Switzerland, in Zurich that is Just commercial and marketing department, they decided to apply sustainability in to their workplace.Their workplace consists of 3 floors in one building, with 120 fulfillment employees and 20 part times. Their objectives for this decision are to act in a way to benefit both their business and also society. Before we go for the change process we will analyze their objectives in their busi ness, because any change in company is objected to reach the objective and the alee of the core business, so it is really important before any change processes to specify the objectives, goals and main value of the business.What we can see in the mission statement of X Factor is as following: â€Å"X Factor will lead the way to the future of mobility, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, constant innovation and respect for the planet, we aim to exceed expectations be rewarded with smile. We will meet our challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there is always a better way. Retail Industry, 2009) So we can see that responsibility to planet is one of their objectives in the business, which here regarding to the change process there are indenting to claim this goal in this branch. In following chapters we will see why and how they will apply this goal to their business. 3. Approach The approach which used in this report to apply the change process and getting the best out of it, started by analyzing the company.After a short introduction about the organization itself, we explained the current situation in the company which related to environmental issues to know the culture of this organization. After defining the challenges, opportunities and objectives of the change, we analyzed the best leadership style which could be used (actually used) in the organization by project leaders and also defined the type of change which realized by leaders. Then we did a stakeholder analysis in order to identify who will benefit and challenge in this process.After stakeholder analysis we started with one of the changes model, to apply the process of change in the company. At the end we will analyze the outcomes and results of the change. 2 4. Situation Analysis After lots of discussion and researches on change processes, managers decide for he first ste p try to understand the changing behavior in their groups and organization that require an understanding of how these communities act to work, an identification of barriers and facilitators for change and what influences their behavior in general. 4. Current Situation After a wide analysis with experts in environmental issues, following results were found due to their current behavior in environmental issues: Most of the employees are working in offices which consist of 2 or 3 person, and there are some private offices as well in all three levels. All the Coos have their private offices which are rarely used. There are 5 meeting rooms in whole building which are most of the time empty, because due to their global business most of the important meetings are taking place in other countries, and these meeting rooms will Just usable for domestic issues.After considering the expenses of the company they found out that travel expenses are too high due to taking part in meetings and small discussions. The usage of papers and copy machines are too high. In general usages of energy in the company are also too high, which is almost 1. 5 times more than usual. (This includes water, electricity, heating, light†¦ 4. 2 Organization Culture The culture which exists in the organization is the hierarchical culture, a highly structured and formal place to work with high control.Rules and procedures govern behavior. Leaders strive to be good coordinators and organizers who are efficiency- minded. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is most critical. Stability, performance, and efficient operations are the long-term goals. Success means dependable delivery, smooth scheduling, and low cost. Management wants security and predictability. (Tarp, 2009) Looking to this culture, leaders should try to have a Truckee plan and strategy to implement change.Despite of high hierarchical culture, higher managers willing to have all employees involve to the change process. 3 4. 3 Rea sons for change Sustainability has three aspects in a company, Environmental, Social and Economical. Environmental sustainability is about maintaining the integrity of life support systems. This aspect incorporates the important notions of biodiversity and ecosystem services. As our energy and natural resource demands grow, impacts to ecosystems are systems proportionally growing and causing more damage to the health of our planet and inning communities.Social sustainability is about equity within and between generations and within and between ethnic and social groups. It is inclusive of people's mental and physical well wellbeing and the cohesion of their communities based on a fair distribution of natural resources. Economic sustainability means using resources to provide necessary and desirable products and services for the present generation without compromising the ability of present future generations to do the same.Sustainability presents opportunities for efficiency that can improve business per performance and competitiveness, while reducing operating while costs. Sustainability, 2012) We can also wee three aspects of sustainability in figure 4. 3. 1 : Figure 4. 3. 1: Aspects of Sustainability Source: http://www. Porous-sigma. Com/archives/1082 sigma. Com/archives/1082 4 Energy is one of the highest operation expenditures in an organization, so if the organization wants to stay competitive should care about sustainability and energy efficiency. 4. Benefits/Opportunities Sustainability and being sustainable has lots of benefits for the organization, which we can categorize them in three parts. We can measure the benefits of sustainability on Profit, Planet and People. (Stringer, 2009) Profit: Sustainability can save Organizations Money and Resources, Increases operational efficiency and reduced operating costs, Organizations that embrace sustainability are likely to have an advantage in recruiting and retaining young people w ho value the environment a nd w hose Job preferences may increasingly reflect these attitudes.Given the high concern many organizations have about attracting, retaining and motivating workers, the sustainability advantage could be significant, Increases profit and customer loyalty, Adopting Sustainability Enhances reputation and brand image, Creates new business opportunities, Increases productivity and morale, Preferential government and regulatory treatment, Innovation in market through cooperation with local communities.Planet Significant saving in carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, Reducing energy consumption, Saving planet for future. People Productivity and Increased morale for employees, Positive and healthy work environment, Benefit from a sustainable environment, Increased employee satisfaction Loyalty and engagement to company with sustainable policies. 5 4. 5 Challenges/Barriers One of the biggest challenges and barriers in this change process are employees, ND involving them in the cha nge process.Involving employees are really important in this change process because of the following reasons: The employees are the ones that will be seeing to it that all the day-to-day tasks at the workplace reflect the principles on sustainability. Without their support, the project will surely fail. Involvement is not Just a means. It is also a core value of the sustainability concept that people have the right to have influence on their own working lives. It is therefore in everyone's interest that the employees are involved in he discussion, the planning and the implementation of the workplace initiatives to promote sustainability. FCC, 2004) Here we are going to discuss about some of the reasons which we might face with employees during the change process to a sustainable workplace in the organization: Knowledge and behavior gap This can be due to users' lack of knowledge about general environmental impacts of consumption. And it will also happen because of the lack of commun ication. As we know one the important steps for a successful leader is to communicate with employees, and convince them about the benefits of change transition.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Essays

Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Essays Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Paper Business Plan Essay Writing Guidelines Paper A business financial plan is a special assignment, which comprises a description of a specific business idea, startup or project. It is a necessary document encompassing significant volumes of info describing various aspects of entrepreneurs activity. What is more, a business plan comprises an analysis of the market niche, potential counterparts, and counting of the spendings and profits. This document serves as a list of guidelines for a young entrepreneur. It also allows elaborating effective strategies for prosperous development of the business. Business plan essay is a type of paper, in which the student has to reflect on a topic based on a business marketing plan. The task of a writer is to compile and extensive writing, comprising the discussion of a specific issue. Exists many topics, which can serve as a basis for this writing. For example, a scholarly supervisor can demand to write an essay analyzing the specific chapter of a business plan or estimate the documents in general. One can also receive a task requiring to reflect on the strategies helping to create a business plan etc. No matter what topic the essay will have, a writer should approach the preparation process seriously. One has to gather all the necessary materials, examine statistical data, include examples and relevant references. One has to create an extensive paper presenting a proper discussion of a given topic. To prepare this task, a student should be experienced in writing and have well-trained critical thinking skills. What is more, a writer should be able to works with various sources of information to be able to gather all the necessary data. This task requires a writer serious and responsible attitude as well as a creative approach. How to write a business plan essay? Writing of a business plan essay requires from a student the performing of several practical steps that will lead him to the creation of proper paper. Primarily, one has to focus on the choice of a topic. It is an essential step, as it defines the level of complicatedness of the whole writing process. There are cases when scholarly supervisors offer the standard topic. In that case, the task is more manageable. However, in most of the cases, students have to decide on topics on themselves. The prolific strategy will be to pick the theme that is the most familiar to the writer. It will be easier for him to choose the relevant info, provide excellent examples and grab the attention of a target reader. It is necessary to create a catchy topic to make the reader interested and involve him in the reading process. After that, a writer should conduct small research to gather all the necessary data. One can consult various sources and gather the statistical data to be able to collect all the material. It will help to create an informative and extensive business plan essay. The next important step presupposes the compilation of the outline. It serves as a business plan development for your future writing. In this plan, one has to write a short version of a future writing. It should be like a scheme. While writing, the author will be able to consult an outline to create a logical, coherent and cohesive paper. Then follows the very writing stage. However, it is not so difficult if a writer prepared an outline and gathered all the info in advance. The last step is polishing the paper. The writer should examine it on the availability of errors and eliminate them. How to structure a business plan essay? Exist many characteristics of written assignments that influence the overall quality of the paper. To the list of the most important criteria, it is possible to include the relevance of the content, the cohesion and cohesiveness, logical order, grammatical correctness and since loading. Proper structuring helps to achieve the perfection in the compilation of the paper. Business plan essay structure comprises the introductory part, the main body, and the concluding part. Each of these sense blocks has its peculiarities and writer should strictly stick to them. The introduction is the opening part of the essay. The first sentence of the intro is called a hook sentence. It should be logical and attention-grabbing. One can use a famous quotation or an interesting fact to attract the attention of a target reader. The next statement should create a background and prepare the reader for the perception of a thesis sentence. A thesis sentence in the last element of the intro. It is a basis for the whole writing. Try to make it thought-provoking. The central body part has to comprise 2-3 paragraphs. In this section, the task of a writer is to provide persuasive arguments supporting the thesis sentence. What is more, an author has to enhance each argument with a relevant example illustrating or clarifying the argument. The closing part is a conclusion. In this section, the author has to sum up all the info discussed in the essay. One has to emphasize the thesis once more and clarify one’s position concerning the central topic. The last sentence of a final paragraph should be inspiring. It should create a positive feeling in the mind of the target audience. It is essential to create a sentence that will allow the reader to understand the essay was informative and useful. Order business plan essay on paperap.com The preparation of a business plan essay is a serious and complicated task. To create a proper paper author has to be advanced in writing, think critically and apply creative thinking skills. 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Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How to Transfer Colleges Successfully Complete Guide

How to Transfer Colleges Successfully Complete Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Transferring colleges can be a very difficult decision to make, but you need to find the college that is the right fit for you even if it means transferring. Whether you are trying to transfer from a 2-year school to a 4-year school or from one 4-year university to another, this article is to help you on your journey to transfer! Why transfer? There are many valid reasons to transfer, and before you apply to transfer, you need to figure out what your reason is. The school you're applying to transfer to will want to know why you are choosing to leave: Did you not fit in with the other students? If so, did you try to fit in? Did you join any clubs, teams or Greek life? Did you attend events? Do they not have your desired program of study? Did you decide to switch majors and your school does not have your new major? Did you apply undecided and realize you have a passion for a specific major your school does not have? Did you graduate from a 2-year program with an associate’s degree and now want to pursue a bachelor’s? These are all very valid reasons to transfer.If you are looking to find a college to transfer to, I recommend using the College Board College Search Portalto help you find the right college for you. This portal allows you to search by school size, location, major, diversity, if transfer credits are accepted, and by many more options. If you felt like your school is too small, search by school size to find a larger university, or if you want to be a fine arts major, search by major and find a school with a fine arts program. Whatever you are looking for, before starting your search, make sure you qualify to transfer. Do I qualify to transfer schools? Most universities require that you have completed at least 8 courses at another university to qualify as a transfer student; otherwise, you must apply as a freshman. So long as you have those credits, most schools will let you apply to transfer as either a sophomore or junior (some schools let applicants apply to transfer in either the spring or fall; others only let applicants transfer in the fall) to find out a school’s exact policy, search â€Å"[College Name] transfer policy† in Google. Note: high-school students, who dual enroll at a local community college during high school, still apply as freshman, not as transfer students. How hard is it to transfer? It depends on the school. If you want to know a school’s specific transfer rate, search â€Å"[College Name] Transfer Acceptance Rate.† At some schools, it is more difficult to be admitted as a transfer than as a freshman; while at others, it may be easier to be admitted as a transfer. Some schools only admit transfers if students admitted as freshman choose to dropout or take time off, leaving very few spots for transfer applicants. Other schools plan to take transfer students, holding spots for these students. Some schools may take more transfers because these applicants are stronger, having proved their academic prowess at a 4-year or 2-year college institution. Other schools have lower qualifications for transfer students in order to fill up their classes (and make the most money), since transfer students are not factored in to the school's freshman admit profile (or their overall admission rate) both of which are published and are typically used as a assessment of the school's prestige and academic rigor. Also, transfer applications are oftenneed-aware such as at Brown University, meaning that a transfer applicant’s ability to pay for tuition, room and board is factored making an admission decision.Whatever the school's reason, the difference in freshman admission and transfer admission is striking. Check out the transfer admission rates for Harvard and Notre Dame: Harvard University takes about 15 transfers per year out of about 1500 applicants (1% admit rate for transfers vs 5.9% for freshman) while Notre Dame takes about 190 out of 500 applicants (37% admit rate for transfers vs 21.2% for freshman).You can check out transfer statistics on several schools from the 2012 fall class here. What is the transfer application like? Some schools may vary slightly from this format, but in general, the transfer application is very similar to the normal college application. The transfer application includes Common Application including Personal Statement and Supplement Transcripts, High School and College Mid-Year Report *****different from the normal college application SAT or ACT Score (most schools) Letters of Recommendation Major Specific Requirements: Portfolio, Resume, or Additional Writing Sample (only for certain majors at certain schools) To check a school’s specific requirements, search â€Å"[College Name] Transfer Application.†I will delve into more on each of these components below. Personal Statement and Supplement These are two of the MOST crucial parts of your transfer application.As I said before, you need to tell your story of deciding to transfer and this is your opportunity. If you do not tell it in your personal statement and/or supplement, the admissions officer will not know why you should be invited to attend their school.Be open and honest about why you are deciding to transfer and why you NEED to transfer.Try to explain why their school is truly your perfect fit. If you don’t believe me, here's a quote from theYale University Admissions Office: â€Å"Transfer candidates should also have particularly compelling and well-defined academic reasons for wishing to attend Yale. Wanting to leave one’s current school is not a sufficient argument for admission to Yale. Transfer candidates should explain in their application essays how studying at Yale would give them an educational opportunity particular to their interests that could be experienced nowhere else. The Admissions Committee also gives serious consideration to a transfer applicant’s motivation, curiosity, energy, leadership ability, and distinctive talents. The personal essays and evaluations from college faculty members, deans, and secondary school counselors provide a great deal of insight into these qualities. We hope to find students who have made significant contributions to their college and local community.† How do you explain how their school is your perfect fit? Well, here is a sample mini-transfer personal statement: â€Å"My reason for wanting to transfer arises from a desire to search for those people I really fit in with. I have had a fine experience at my college so far; I enjoy my classes and have made many friends, but something is missing. I yearn for that intellectual challenge surrounded by students who inspire me to be great. I have tried to make this school right for me and search for potential lifelong friends. I have joined the Cooking club, club softball team, and the Oscar Wilde fan club. My experience at my school has convinced me more than ever that your school is my perfect fit, not because I long for the prestige of your institution, but because I long to be with the people who will truly challenge and inspire me everyday.† In addition to the personal statement, most schools require a supplementary essay (usually much shorter than the personal statement), and in the supplement, you have to address a school specific question. Typically, the supplement asks, "Why Our School?" You really need to have a great answer for that question. These two essays (the personal statement and supplement) are very similar, but there is an important distinction between the two. The personal statement needs to show who you are through a story and explain why you, as you are, want to transfer or did not belong at your former school (as I did above in the example).On the other hand, the supplement needs to explain for what academic reason do you want to transfer. Here is the personal statement prompt for all UC Schools such as UC Berkeley and UCLA, "Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?" Again, the focus is on you and your uniqueness, why you as you are, don't fit in at your school. What personal reason do you have for transferring? Were you at a school that was too small for you? Too big? Did you not fit in with the students at that school?Did you visit a friend at Notre Dame and realize you fit in there? Here is the transfer supplement prompt for all UC Schools such as UC Berkeley and UCLA, "What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement." The focus here is more on the institute you are applying to. Why do you want to go to that school and study that major? What academic reason do you have for transferring?Did you realize your passion for fashion journalism and NYU has a top journalism program in a city where you could intern at fashion magazines? Try to answer both prompts as specifically as you can.Do not be general or vague. BAD for supplement essay: I want to attend Yale because your school is better than my school. GOOD for supplement essay: I want to transfer to NYU because I have discovered my passion for fashion journalism through my fashion blog that has 100,000 subscribers. My school has no journalism program, and NYU’s is the best program for fashion journalism in the country. I know NYU would help me achieve my dream of becoming editor of a fashion magazine. Transcripts In addition to the personal statement and supplement, you will need to provide a transcript from your high school (just as you did for college applications) and a transcript from your college.If you are applying from a 2-year school with a completed Associate’s degree, your transcript from college must show all of your grades and that your Associate’s was received.If you are applying after completing 1 semester at a 4-year university, you cannot send in your transcript until you receive your first semester grades, so that the school can take those grades into consideration. Hopefully, your transcript looks slightly more official. Note: Do not give up on your classes at your current school when you decide to transfer.These grades are EXTREMELY important. If you get B’s at your school and are applying to a more competitive and academically challenging school, the admissions officer may question how you will do at their school.You also cannot give up on your classes once you submit your application. Mid-Year Report The Mid-Year Report is a grade report you send to the schools you are applying to in the middle of the spring semester (typically April 1).From the UPenn Admission Office, â€Å"you will need to print out the form, available through the Common Application, and ask each of your professors to provide a mid-term grade (the grade they would give you if they were to give you a grade at that point in the class) and a signature.† In the report, all of your CURRENT spring semester professors fill out a paper predicting your FUTURE grade in the class and have to sign off on it.You read that right.You have to ask your spring semester teachers to give you a grade prediction and to sign off on it.This can be extremely intimidating, but again is another important part of your application. Again, this is why you CANNOT slack off in your classes at your current school. You need to get the best grades possible to better your chances to transfer.Try to form close relationships with your spring semester teachers.They will be much more willing to slightly inflate your grade (A- to A) on this prediction report if you are an active participant in class and if they like you.Trust me, these professors will be willing to slightly inflate your grade on this sheet to help you transfer if they like you, as this is not guaranteeing what they write will be your actual grade. Again, you cannot give up on your classes at your current school when you decide to transfer. If you got A’s first semester and B’s on your mid-year report, the admissions office may question how you will fair at their school.They do also consider SAT or ACT Scores SAT or ACT Score Some schools may not require you to send these scores, but most universities do require transfers from other 4-year colleges to send their SAT or ACT scores.If you are applying from a 2-year school with a completed Associate’s degree, some schools require you to submit your SAT or ACT score while many others don’t. You should find the university’s policy on SAT/ACT scores for transfers when you search for the school’s application requirements. Again, to find a school’s specific requirements, search â€Å"[College Name] Transfer Application.† For students applying from 4-year universities, your SAT/ACT score will definitely play a role into whether or not you are accepted, but it is not weighted as heavily as in freshman admissions.When you applied as a freshman, the admissions officers didn’t know how you would do at a 4-year university, so they used your score as a measure of that. However, now they have your college grades and can see how you are performing at a 4-year university.If you have straight A’s in all of your biomedical engineering classes at University of Florida but got a 30 on your ACT, the A’s seem very impressive and make the 30 less meaningful. Should you retake the SAT/ACT if you are applying to transfer? You can, but I would only recommend it in certain situations.Your SAT/ACT score is only valid for 5 years, so if your score is older than 5 years, you will be required to retake it.To decide if you should retake the SAT or ACT, find out the 25th/75th percentile scores for current students at the school you are applying to. The 25th/75th percentile scores means that 25% of the students attending have a score at or below that number (this is below average). 75th percentile means that 75% of students have a score at or below that number. In essence, the 25th/75th percentile covers the middle 50% of all students admitted to the school. If you score at the 75th percentile for any school and have great grades from your current college, you have a great chance at getting in. If you're at the 25th percentile, you'll need to have a strong application to boost your odds of getting in. To find the 25th/75th percentile scores for current students at the school you are applying to, search â€Å"[College Name]† freshman admission profile† or â€Å"[College Name]† ACT† or â€Å"[College Name]† SAT† Let’s say, you are applying to transfer to an Ivy (most 25th/75th percentile scores between 34-36 ACT or 750-800 on all sections of the SAT).As I said, your grades are more meaningful than your test score on your transfer application, but that being said if your grades are not perfect (A’s and B’s) with a test score below 31 on ACT or below 2100 on SAT, I would consider re-taking the test to try to improve your score and improve your chances of being admitted. If your college grades are all A’s and your score is within the school’s 25th/75th percentile score, you do not need to retake the SAT or ACT. Letters of Recommendation Most schools require that you submit at least 2 letters of recommendation from COLLEGE professors or teaching assistants. Some schools prefer the letters to come only from professors and NOT teaching assistants such as UPenn, who said, â€Å"The Admissions Selection Committee prefers to review recommendations from professors. We encourage you to meet with your professors and ask for recommendations. However, we understand that some classes may be too large for a professor to write a detailed, personalized recommendation for you. If you ask a teaching assistant to write your recommendation, the class professor MUST sign off on the written recommendation.† Hopefully, your recommender is a little more expressive. You will find a school’s policy on letters of recommendation when you search for the transfer application requirements.You are NOT supposed to reuse your letters of recommendation from your high school teachers.You need new letters from college professors or teaching assistants. Make sure you are forming relationships withyour professors and teaching assistants. You need them to like you enough to be willing to write you a letter of recommendation.Go to their office hours! Participate in class! Study! You need their help.If they don’t have a relationship with you, your letter will most likely turn out pretty mediocre.For more guidance on your letter of recommendation, check out our other article Who Should I Ask to Write My College Recommendation Letter? Major Specific Requirements If you are applying to a specific major or program (such as film, acting, dance, art, music), you may also be required to submit an additional application component such as a portfolio or do an audition.Find out by searching for the specific program you are applying to, search â€Å"[College Name] [program] Transfer Application† such as USC Film Transfer Application. Make sure to also check the deadline for your program.Oftentimes, arts programs (theatre, film, dance, music) will have earlier deadlines than the general university transfer deadline. For help with your major specific application requirements (if you are applying to film school), check out our other article, How to Get Into Film School by a USC Alum.Now that we have covered all components of the application, let’s talk deadlines: Application Deadlines Schools have transfer application deadlines ranging from December 1 to March 1 for Fall admits or November for Spring admits. When you search for the school’s specific requirements (search â€Å"[College Name] Transfer Application†), you will find the deadline. Again, make sure to also search for the specific program you are applying to, search â€Å"[College Name] [program] Transfer Application.†Oftentimes, arts programs (theatre, film, dance) will have earlier deadlines than the general university transfer deadline. Make sure to create a schedule for yourself working back from the timeline. I recommend completing the first drafts of your personal statement and supplement at least one month before the application deadline, so you have time to review and rewrite. Ask teachers to write letters of recommendation at least 2 months in advance of when the application is due.Send transcripts and scores as soon as possible. Check the transfer requirements to see when the last available ACT or SAT testing date is.According to Yale, â€Å"Scores from the February ACT or the March SAT test date should reach [the admissions office] in time for consideration,† but this may vary from school to school, so check the schools you are applying to. Once you submit your application, your journey is not over. Decision Letters and Making the Decision to Transfer or Stay You will receive your decision letters typically in Mid-May for Fall Admission.You typically have only a few weeks to make a final decision.Before making the decision to transfer, consider this Will transferring make you happier? By transferring, will you be more likely to achieve success in your chosen field? If you need financial aid, will you receive financial aid? Will you be able to complete your degree on time? How many of your units will transfer? How many of your units will count towards your degree? Will you need to spend extra time and money to complete your degree? Most schools only let you transfer up to 2 years of credit, so if you applied to transfer in your junior year, you will most likely be restarting as a junior at the next school. Are you okay with that? I also recommend creating a pros and cons list for your current school and the school your were accepted to.I know it may sound old-hat, but it works!Once accepted, you want to make sure transferring is the best decision for you. Remember that when you transfer, it may take time to make friends at your new school.Try to get involved and go to school sponsored events to help meet people and make your transition easier. Another PrepScholar writer transferred schools, and she said at times it can feel at first like being a stepchild or like being someone who married into the family. However, she and the other transfer students bonded; her closest college friends ended up being the other transfer students. She is so happy she transferred.Transferring can be a great experience! Just don’t be shy and get out and meet people! Points to Remember Think about why you want to transfer and convey that to the admissions office through your personal statement and supplement. Work very hard in your current classes (participate and go to office hours), so that you have good grades on your transcript and you have professors who are willing to write you letters of recommendation. Consider whether or not you want to retake the SAT or ACT (if you need to send your scores for your transfer application) Check application deadlines and set up a schedule to complete your application on time. When your decision letters come, really think about whether transferring is the best choice. What’s next? Get more help with your application: Who Should I Ask to Write My College Recommendation Letter? What is a Good GPA? What's a Bad GPA for College? What College Should You Go To? How to Choose a College Want to improve your SAT score by 240 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: