“Nature gave women too much power. The law gives them too little”. - William Henry

Introduction:

India is a democratic and political country with a well streamlined administrative structure, and an already existing mixed economy, with a rich experience of private sector operations. Also available in India is a vast stock of skilled manpower and entrepreneurial class, a reasonably good basic infrastructure and a good track record of fulfilling past international obligations.

In this highly competitive world the development of a society is highly influenced by productive contribution from each member. Contributions from women in different walks of life can’t be neglected. But the experiences show that the benefits of development are not equally shared by all sections of the people.

The status of women in the Indian society:

From time immemorial women faced the challenges of coping with a male chauvinistic society. Even after several years of planned development in India, the status of women in our country is low and their socio-economic conditions are much more depressed than that of men. The most important factor that have affected non-participation of women in decision making and governance is the private – public divide associated with men and women. Women’s place is in the private domain is associated with household. Whereas, the public domain is associated with political authority, public decision making, productive work and masculinity .Such assumptions have always hindered women to negotiate in the public domain and they find themselves either being criticized for their inadequacies or patronized by men. The recent experience of structured adjustment reveals that the women are the most marginalized sections. They are destined to a disproportionately larger share of the burden,iiliteracy and unemployment.

Challenges faced by women:

o Gender disparity in school enrolment and literacy rates

o Gender disparity in wage rates

o Women’s employment and livelihood opportunities

o Causes of gender-based poverty

o Infant and maternal mortality rates

o Restrictive fertility control practices

o Violence against women

o Vulnerability of women in crisis situations

o Depiction of women in the media

Grave Disappointment in some areas:

Marginalization of women as a particular species has put women on a footing with inherited handicaps. It is now generally accepted that unless women constitute a ‘Critical Mass’of at least one third of those in decision making their presence makes little difference to the outcomes of governance. Experiences from different countries reveal that the struggle is on, but mainstreaming gender as an institution and cultural transformation process should continue to eliminate gender biases in development and governance frameworks.

Impact of education and technology:

The challenge of development in the broadest sense is to improve the quality of life which generally calls for better education, higher standards of health and nutrition, a cleaner environment, more equality of opportunity, greater individual freedom and a richer cultural life. Development, being a human centered process is obvious but until women reach the same footing as men, special attention for empowerment is called for. Empowerment is a multi dimensional process which enables an individual to realize his or her potential. In the light of the above background it is clear that empowering women will change the destinies of nations.

Education is the most important instrument through which human resources can be developed. Education enables people to acquire basic skills and inculcate abilities which are helpful in raising the social and economic status of women. Education helps to expand the economic opportunities for women. Higher female literacy is associated with better hygiene, lower infant mortality, better family nutrition, reduced fertility and lower population growth rates. Education has been included in the successive five year plans as a major program for the development of women.

Today women are and integral part of the new economic order and play an important part in the economy. In India, women in lower income groups were the first to enter into the labor market to earn their livelihood who were followed by middle class women. Due to the development of education and technology, the middle class women have greater preference for white collar jobs. The economic and social empowerment of women in any society is influenced by the extent of their involvement in income generating activities outside the household. An important role is played by the Self Help Groups to uplift the economic as well as the social status of women in the society.

Self Help Group is a homogenous group of rural poor voluntarily formed to save whatever amount they can save conveniently out of their earnings and mutually agree to contribute to a common fund, to be lent to the members for meeting their productive and emergency needs. The basic principles on which self help groups functions are group approach, mutual trust, organization of poor, manageable small groups, group cohesiveness, spirit of thrift, demand based lending and women friendly loans. SHG have been fast emerging as a powerful and alternate banking structure to cater to the needs of its members mostly women.

Altogether the self image of the women as respectable source of strength improves significantly within and outside the family, their improved earnings is spent by them for the education and improved nutrition of their children, thus paving the way for human resource development in villages.

*Impact of participation of women in SHGs

( after two to three years )…..(Results from some independent studies)

oAverage value of assets (livestock, consumer durables, etc.) per household increased by 72.3 % from Rs. 6,843 (pre-SHG) to Rs. 11,793

o59 per cent of the sample households reported increase in assets.

oHousing conditions improved

oAll members developed saving habit as against only 23% of households earlier

oAverage annual savings per household registered over threefold increase from Rs. 460 to Rs. 1,444

oAverage borrowings per year per household increased from Rs. 4,282 to Rs. 8,341.

oShare of consumption loans declined from 50% to 25%.

o70% of loans taken in post-SHG situation were for income generating purposes.

oAverage net income per household increased by 33% from Rs. 20,177 to Rs. 26,88

Impact on Empowerment

Related to Economic Issues

% members

ocontributing to family income

65

o% share of contribution to family income

40

ofeeling improvement in financial status

89

ofeel enhanced contribution to household income after joining the group

74

ofeeling consulted in finance related decisions

60

Related to Self Development

o(of those) earlier unable to but now able to write
their names (after joining the group

100

onot formally educated, now read forms in banks

42

oread newspapers regularly or occasionally

41

omore confident in taking decisions on their own

66

ofeel recognised in family

59

ofeel being increasingly consulted by other women

44

ofeel more confident in dealing with people

75

ofeel more confident in dealing with various

institutions with which they interact regularly

59

oregularly attend Village Meetings

41

ocast their votes in last local elections and 96

Interactions with Others and Local Level Decision Making

*Source: SHG – Bank linkage program status as on 31st march 2004, NABARD.

Recommendations:

oEnable women to overcome barriers and constraints to their economic productivity.

oAddressing gender gaps in governance

oEngendering different institutions for good governance

oTo form and strengthen women’s groups to play an active role in the social change.

oRemove illiteracy through women participation in education

oEnable women to use modern science and technology

oFlooding the rural areas with quality SHG

oEncourage NGO’s

R. GAYATHRI SARAVANAN M.A., M. Phil.
Email: gayathri_srvnn @yahoo.co.in

Author: Gayathri Saravanan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
White Coat Hypertension

While CPAs are recognized by the common public typically for their tax know-how and for “doing the paperwork” for minor companies, they are exclusively educated for the attestation task mentioned above, and also for all-purpose business information that enables them to function competitively in the private sector.

CPAs have to go through rigorous education and training and educate themselves with the economics and tax structure of their country, and this needs special coaching classes. These classes are called ‘CPA review classes.’ They equip a CPA to understand all the nitty-gritty details of tax and accounting and business. They train them to understand the complexities and clauses involved in specific business conditions, as well as the business law and tax structure laid down by the government’s budget. They are taught on advisory skills and inter personal relations, as well as in how to increase the client’s profits and minimize their losses. They are taught all the particulars of tax documentation and the paperwork that they are so famous for.

CPA review classes are in almost all states in the US, and they are affiliated to all the prestigious universities. There are many independent review classes that are conducted by individuals or organizations that deal with finance and accounts. The study and reference material for these classes are available at different sources, and the most famous are the Internet sources. These days the Internet has made CPA review classes available online.

CPA provides detailed information on CPA, CPA Exam, CPA Review, CPA Firms and more. CPA is affiliated with Expense Report Software.

Author: Max Bellamy
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Low-volume PCB maker

A lot of organizations conduct seminars and workshops on human resource management. The HR seminars mainly focus on three specific areas of HR management – development, functions, and quantitative analysis. They are specifically designed to assist individual organizations to invigorate and reposition their HR department and practices. These seminars help HR management to discover new approaches and techniques for training their employees and building organizational unity. These seminars also enable HR professionals to manage employees beyond geographical and cultural boundaries. HR seminars help professionals to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into operational objectives that drive both performance and behavior.

HR seminars focus on HR management, HR planning, international HR management, labor law, organizational management, organizational development, information management, compensation management, training and development, and labor economics. High level managers from various industries are invited to share their experiences in an effort to broaden the HR professionals’ perspectives.

The agenda for every HR seminar will vary, and it could include themes such as how to improve human performance, how to implement a highly productive workplace, how to provide feedback on individual performances, etc. The seminars could also educate trainers, HR professionals, IT professionals, and managers to excel in their performances. These seminars could also discuss how to find solutions to human performance problems especially if an emergent situation should occur. Seminars on HR management are mainly based on behavioral sciences, economics, psychology, statistics, and other associated factors. By participating in seminars like these, senior HR executives can address issues such as compliance, talent management, leadership development, healthcare issues of diverse workforces, etc.

In general HR seminars, conferences, and workshops act as a continuing training program for organizational development, HR management, training and development, business administration, information management, finance and economics, current issues on labor problems and many more.

HR provides detailed information on HR, HR Software, HR Outsourcing, HR Jobs and more. HR is affiliated with Recruiting Software.

Author: Kristy Annely
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Anti-angiogenic Food

But what will happen in 2011 and 2012? This week Obama will give his State of the Union with a new balance of power in Washington: Republicans control the House of Representatives and may exercise the blocking minority in the Senate. For the Democrats, the key to the next 22 months will be whether the electorate will be able to feel the economy is improving, and that forces you to redirect its strategy toward the center.Technically, the great recession ended in the summer of 2009, but the recovery is so slow that the ordinary citizen just the note.

There will be, therefore, two years easy, and these first few weeks will set the tone of the second half of the mandate. Public spending clearly dominate the legislative agenda until the 2012 elections.That’s where Obama will side with the opposition, which soon begin to negotiate the budget to take effect in September.

Democrats and Republicans must also deal together another dark spot on the economic and political future of the U.S.: the degradation of the country’s finances during the Great Recession.U.S. gross debt is now at 14 billion dollars, equivalent to over 90% of GDP and is expected to exceed April from the ceiling of expenditure of 14.3 billion set by Congress. That is, the government will run out of money if not extended by that margin. Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, is a year asking for a plan to let the deficit continue to fatten the account. Current year, Bernanke said, is “unsustainable.”

Before leaving for Hawaii for Christmas vacation, the president said it is “vital” to invest in “things that create an innovative economy” and “cut programs that do not work.” Go back to the struggle between the two parties: the Republicans have already shown their muscle by passing a motion in the House of Representatives to dismantle the health reform adopted by the Democrats. The vote, which was delayed because of the tragedy in Tucson (Arizona) , was symbolic, because the move can not succeed in the Senate, and if you exceed this step, the president would veto it.

Republicans seek roughly cut spending to 2008 levels, about 100,000 million, with 20% cuts in education and transport.But the problem does not end there. The White House also needs to make proposals to change the tax structure to raise revenue and make the collection more efficient combating fraud and abuse. Washington, naturally, stands for division. And although the ultimate goal may be the same, Democrats and Republicans differ on how to achieve it. This becomes even more evident with respect to taxes.

A Barack Obama will be playing, therefore, traversing a hostile political climate, as did Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and should put on the agenda items that pass the bipartisan border, such as reducing the tax burden to businesses. Obama, however, faces a more delicate economic situation. Therefore, from the bank Wells Fargo will believe that any important decision until after the presidential election of 2012.

Société Générale claims that the problems come from then because the decision to extend the tax incentives is not accompanied by measures to reduce the deficit. In contrast, only serves to increase it. And that, he says, increases the uncertainty. The recommendations of the bipartisan commission to deal with debt, he says, are a starting point for future decisions.

Obama, like Reagan, is known for its ambition and for being an ideologue. But it is also a pragmatic politician, which helps to adapt to circumstances. This explains the profoundremodeling is carried out in his team of advisors , veterans of the Clinton Administration and a profile more favorable to business interests. They are Gene Sperling, Jacob Lew, Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman, as well as centrist William Daley as chief of staff.This week they were joined by the chairman of General Electric (GE), Jeffrey Immelt, who is responsible for the new Council for Employment and Competitiveness, a government agency to replace the Economic Recovery Council, headed by former president Federal Reserve (Fed), Paul Volcker.

Employment, housing and the deficit will set the pace of the Federal Reserve during the next two years. In principle, it is expected that the central bank remains active until June of repurchasing debt. But as economic data improve, the pressure will be increased to reduce stimuli. Regarding interest rates, inflation gives leeway to keep close to 0% until 2012.

The price of money can also rising sharply if investors lose confidence in U.S. ability to put their accounts in order, and if Democrats and Republicans opt for the next two years to throw things at the head instead of compromises. “And that can be potentially harmful,” alert from the Council on Foreign Relations.

At this point, Bernanke was clear two weeks ago in the Senate. The cost of this situation, he said, is “severe economic and financial markets if left uncorrected.” Or to put it in reverse, “the prompt adoption of a program to reduce future deficits will strengthen the growth and long-term stability and will leave rates low for an extended period.”

Both Wall Street and Washington are hoping that this year the economy will show that it is able to sustain itself without the aid adopted following the earthquake triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 . There are signs that, finally, growth is gaining strength in the U.S.. Private consumption, which depends on two thirds of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) advanced at the end of 2010 at a rate of 4%.

They have also picked up orders in industry and manufacturing. For Goldman Sachs, both data suggest that “domestic demand steadily advancing.” Nine of the ten leading indicators compiled by the Conference Board, which help predict the evolution of the economy are positive for months. The only one that remains red is for the real estate sector.

The crisis has forced Americans to review how they spend, has reduced its debt and high savings. The level of personal debt compared to disposable income is around 11.9%, according to the Federal Reserve, the lowest level since 1999 and less than 14% just before the recession. “A significant improvement,” the Economic Outlook Group, but the hole remains deep.

There is optimism among managers of small and medium enterprises and among executives of large corporations, which stood at levels close to pre-recession. “Step by step”, said since the conglomerate General Electric. Also, consumers seem less burdened than last summer, judging by the polls at the University of Michigan and ABC.

“The legs are stronger economy,” said PNC Financial experts are convinced that the activity is on track “toward a more durable recovery.” The two-year extension of tax incentives for George W. Bush will have a positive effect this year and next.The Goldman forecast, based on these data is that growth up to 3% in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to 2.6% in the third, and maintain that pace in 2011.

Societe Generale as 3.3%. The question is whether growth is translated into prosperity for what Americans call Main street , that is, for ordinary people. The answer is that the situation is improving but is still far from out of the hole. Conference Board data show that although most households have a healthy balance and are willing to spend more, caution dominates. In fact, the confidence index is at 52.5 points away from the 90 that indicate the economy is healthy and not achieved since 2007.

Wells Fargo economists believe this year will be “turned the corner”, that people will notice that things are better than in 2010. But that point does not mean that there will be a return to normal. “There will be progress, yes, but not to the point where friends, family and colleagues are satisfied with the job prospects and their future.”

The city of Los Angeles, Chicago and Albuquerque does not need a political analyst in Washington or New York to tell you how things are going, and has reason to believe that things will go better in the short term. Nor is it true that the Dow Jones closed 2010 with an increase of 11% and scored his second consecutive year in green.

And is that just a year ago at this time in the U.S. are breathing the same sense of optimism. What did Wall Street, Federal Reserve, the White House and international agencies. Until it all fell apart so abruptly with the outbreak of the crisis of European sovereign debt and it was feared a relapse. The IHS Global Insight analysts say this year will be different. To support his argument are set on four things: increasing business investment in equipment, computers and communications employees work more hours, more money is circulating in the system and the values of the S & P 500-stock index’s largest companies – is at levels seen before the fall of Lehman. Shall, in the best case scenario, “a mild rebound.”

The Conference Board notes that there are still clouds over the medium term and that will cause the average citizen still see things differently. “It is the dual reality” that, according to the Economic Policy Institute, “will continue to dominate in 2011.” All analysts agree that the biggest problem, the cloud is the persistently high unemployment rate is at 9.4%. Are about 14.5 million Americans, 44.3% of them long term.

The Federal Reserve itself admits in the minutes of the last meeting. The recent strength of economic indicators “not enough” to justify a change in its strategy of stimulating the economy. In other words, there are still risks that push in the opposite direction of growth and, in the words of Ben Bernanke, will be five years until things normalize. The slowdown in growth, he says, prevents the recruitment exceeds 100,000 new jobs a month, which makes the great concern over the medium term future is the job market. The unemployment rate in the IHS predict, will continue at over 9%.

If for the 2012 elections has not fallen below 8%, it will be difficult for the tenant in the White House will be reelected. There are, however, good news. The private sector added 297,000 net jobs in December, the biggest on record, perhaps driven by a more favorable tax climate. CareerBuilder is anticipated that more companies are able to sign more full-time permanent contracts in 2011 (24%) than in 2010 (20%) and 2009 (14%).

There are also those who intend to continue reducing staff (7%), but less than last year (9%) and anterior (11%). The rest expect no change (58%) or unsure (11%). Manpower believes the hiring plans of companies are “most promising” in two years. “The momentum in hiring is imminent,” Barclays added.

At Mesirow believe that there are better prospects since 1983. That is, if expectations are met, the economy could generate about 200,000 jobs per month in 2011. “If sales are better, there is no reason why the job does not follow the same trend,” he added at Credit Suisse. What about salaries? The modest increase is expected there, at around 3%. To fit all the puzzle pieces will not be easy after the mess lived for the past three years. The house will be another point of attention in this second act. After signs of recovery in the spring, the price falls back. There are about 10 million homes “under water” (with a larger mortgage than they are worth today) and 1.2 million at risk of eviction.

Although home sales rose 5.5% in November, the activity remains depressed, at levels not seen since 1981. The end of the tax incentive to buy housing sector got the brink of a second recession, as indicated from S & P Case Shiller. All this explains, according to IHS, prices fall 10% more for excess supply. And if home values fall, people feel poorer.

The evolution of employment, not only by the unsustainable rate of unemployment, but also by the perception of safety in the workplace and salary, will be key to real estate out of this spiral to which output is not seen at the earliest, until next spring. And economists are clear that while they remain stuck there will be no real recovery.

Meanwhile, core inflation (which excludes volatile items like energy and food) is at 0.8%, its lowest level in half a century.And with the current unemployment level, prices could go even less, 0.5% in 2011 and remain at that level in 2012. That, in principle, it gives leeway to the central bank to keep rates near 0%, says Goldman.

But some prices are rising, such as food, clothing and transport, and this is reflected in bills later this month and forcing families to pay more attention to what you put in the basket. And the picture is now added the rise in oil prices, which threatens to become an “additional tax” for consumers.

This year is also significant for being the first in which the impact will be felt a wave of retirements among the generation ofbaby boomers. The pension system is literally insolvent in its present structure. The reform, therefore, is urgent. Here again, the ideological division in tackling the debate on how to update a system designed to protect the elderly is abysmal.

And it will also key to bring the paper to reality of financial regulation [http://www.newswoofer.com/the-economy-will-decide-512/], aimed at solving the problems that led to the Great Recession. So far it has been more talk than action. One of the real changes will start operating when the new consumer protection agency, which will be addressed in the shade by Elizabeth Warren.

With the uncertainty and volatility in 2010 and in the rearview mirror, Obama says it’s time to look ahead. The challenge will be to convince politicians of both parties together to underpin recovery. “There will be time in 2012 to campaign,” he said.The first act ended. Now you need to consolidate what has been done if you want to secure his reelection.

Author: Anuj Kaushik
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the quality of services being offered to them, making it essential for the services industry to implement quality improvement techniques like Six Sigma for conforming to customer expectations. This is especially true for the insurance industry where the relationship between the insurer and the insured is still largely governed by sustained personal contact. By implementing Six Sigma programs, insurance companies have been able to offer quality services at affordable rates to their customers.

Identifies Key Business Processes

Unlike other quality management practices such as Total Quality Management (TQM) whose effectiveness is difficult to measure, Six Sigma based improvement programs make use of statistical tools, which can measure the effect of changes being made in a very short time. Six Sigma focuses on process orientation, enabling organizations to identify key business processes that are necessary for improving customer satisfaction. This helps managers in understanding the exact requirements of their customers and in altering business processes to suit customer needs and expectation.

Follows A Disciplined Approach

Six Sigma has helped insurance companies in improving quality as well as reducing costs of services offered. It has enabled insurance companies to follow a disciplined approach, which has helped in preventing errors, minimizing hand-offs, and eliminating rework and workarounds. It has also helped in increasing the speed of business processes used in the insurance industry.

Helps In Making Informed Decisions

Six Sigma has enabled managers in taking informed decisions based on statistical data. With the use of Six Sigma tools and techniques, managers no longer have to rely on their perceptions or gut feelings for rendering the level of services promised to policyholders, clients, and prospects.

Helps In Building Customer Loyalty

Six Sigma emphasizes on understanding the needs of the customers before making any changes to business processes. This helps insurance companies in building customer loyalty among their policyholders, which is necessary for the long-term success of any business organization. Insurance companies can also hope to increase their market share, as satisfied customers are most likely to recommend a company that offers quality services while advising a friend, relative or business associate.
Helps In Reducing Costs

Six Sigma tools and techniques aim at streamlining business processes in such a way that helps in reducing costs. This helps insurance companies to improve their savings and avoid drastic cost-saving measures such as downsizing, which can have a negative effect on employee morale. It can also create doubts in the mind of policyholders and prospects as downsizing usually attracts a lot of negative publicity.

Six Sigma has helped the insurance industry in bridging the gap between planned strategies and actual operations by providing analytical and in-process performance measurement tools. These tools are used for comparing planned goals and objectives with actual outcomes and for finding the reasons as to why a particular business process is not giving the desired results. Once the exact problem has been pinpointed, managers can make the necessary changes that will help in improving overall quality of services rendered to policyholders and prospects.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions – Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Author: Tony Jacowski
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canadian-US cross border flight

According to Gerald Celente, CEO of the Trends Research Institute “Current events predict future trends.” This brings me to the revolutionary pattern beginning to brew underfoot. Do you think people are likely to risk going through another market (and ensuing job) collapse like this again? For that matter, what about organizations? I doubt employers have enjoyed this miserable fare of terminating the very life blood that makes their companies tick. Think of the pain as akin to having a bad case of shingles. I had them and can safely say I’d rather cut off my toes, rub sea salt in the wound and pour alcohol on top rather than endure the pain of those itty bitty blisters. Which is why I believe there is a trend underway for both workers and companies alike (who currently find themselves faced with the rotten prospect of no work) to forge a new way of going about work. Get ready for the hybrid worker.

Hybrid Workers (like busy beehive dwellers) are already at the community level.

In the winter of 2007, the Centre for Creative Communities in London wrote about the increasing visibility around a type of social worker in our neighborhoods – one who could approach a traditional struggle with an unexpected remedy. The Centre asserted that:

(There are) a growing number of people who are using creative processes to confront the complex interests, talents and problems of people and communities directly. Artists are working with hospital patients, theatre practitioners are working with young offenders, and police are working with designers on public spaces. On the fringes of all sectors new, often creative hybrid workers are emerging who deal directly with the interdependent realities of contemporary problems. It is not surprising that sectors struggle to keep up.

A current example of this hybrid approach can be found in Southern California as reported in the Los Angeles Times, January 2009:

Fire chiefs in tinder-dry Southern California, faced with lean budgets while more people squeeze into the region, are starting to rethink long-standing policies on ordering mass evacuations in a wildfire, debating whether it may be wiser in some situations to let residents stay and defend their homes.

We don’t have enough resources to put an engine at every house in harm’s way,” said Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper. “We figure, if people are going to stay, maybe they can become part of the solution.”

Local fire departments are beginning to employ training and development skills launching new programs called “Evacuate or Stay and Defend.” Who would have thought that our neighborhood firefighters would also become community trainers?

In essence, the innovative marriage of skill set know-how to an existing dilemma has been in the works for some time. However, with the current economic recession in full swing, we’re more likely to see this creative choreography take on a blunt workplace interpretation.

Would you like a red couch with that Excel spreadsheet?

Disaster breeds imagination. Post war ruin and natural catastrophes have historically ignited resourcefulness and creativity with entire cities, industries and individuals seeking to rebuild or re-invent themselves. It’s amazing how clever people can become when faced with adversity.

Likewise, this economic calamity is giving birth to savvy approaches for surviving (and even succeeding) in a shriveling marketplace. Workers are beginning to think about unusual ways to peddle their skills apart from traditional career paths and normal disciplines. For example, I just met with a professional who for the past 18 years has been up to her eyebrows in corporate management. How is she approaching current events? She’s becoming certified in interior design. The goal? To invent a new workspace where knowledge is more readily shared among co-located employees and their virtual team mates.

One company or two?

Putting all proverbial eggs into one basket is a risk many workers will become increasingly averse to adopting. This isn’t only a result of the current recession, but also the emerging role Gen Y’ers will play in our workplaces. Richelle Rivera, a former Human Resources Director for a large medical device company (and now a hybrid worker herself) says:

Gen Y saw what the recession of the 80′s did to their parents and vowed never to be owned by a company. That’s why turnover rates in the 20 something year olds is hugely disparate to other generational groups. They’re thinking about their own stability – not the organization’s ability to withstand change. Many think that two years with one company is more than enough. They’re big believers in not becoming overly invested in one place.

Now book end the already wary to commit Gen Y’er with the Baby Boomer who finds themselves (after decades of 60%2B work hour weeks and forfeited weekends) standing behind their children in the unemployment line. What you find is what one recently laid off baby boomer colleague summed up “I’m nauseous at the thought of going to work for one more company where I work countless hours pouring my heart and soul into it, just to have them spit me out when finances turn sour. I’m in my 50′s… I can’t afford to be starting a career all over again!”

As a result of the resounding cubicle call of fed up workers, you’re likely to see more and more adopt a quasi-consultant and contractor role of working for more than one company at a time. By doing so, risk is spread. So if that egg basket does get dropped, all income hope is not lost.

The company’s reaction? Many will advocate a part time role to cut their own operating costs. With profitability streams narrowing and costs of health care and worker’s compensation insurance premiums soaring out of sync with reality, companies will court the brilliant talent at a reduced work schedule, but also at a fraction of previous talent management costs.

Are we simply going to see a resurgence of the contractor movement? After all, the recession of the 1980′s is believed to have prompted use of this worker role in the first place. The difference is that in this recession there’s a twist – hybrid workers will labor in more than one company concurrently… not just work on more than one project at a time.

The hybrid choreography offers a sense of fulfillment in addition to an economic safety net.

Hybrid workers are finding that the dance between skill set mix and across company lines provides a keener sense of fulfillment and expression (not to mention a prudent economic safety net). For example, take the employee who works for a large manufacturing company as their facilities coordinator but also teaches music part-time to inner city youth on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Or consider the anesthesiologist who moonlights by playing flamingo guitar at a local Spanish restaurant. Increasingly, people will want their lives to be filled with memories and rewards that extend beyond the simple affiliation a company offers.

The Great Depression of the 1930′s (while sparking an unbelievable number of black bean recipes) also pulled families back to hearth and home. Who can forget Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life?” Set during the Depression, Jimmy’s character “George Bailey” struggled to learn that a life invested in others is where joy resides and real treasure is found. Since the film’s debut in 1946, four generations have learned from Mr. Bailey. With this recession in place, I believe we’ll see more George-like moments – real epiphanies that there is more to life than money alone.

It’s a world of one size fits one… not all.

From the 1980′s through the millennium our management classes have been teaching that the leadership ladder requires workers to start off as specialists and then expand their capabilities mix to the point of being a generalist. Today? According to Shannon Jordan, a senior career development facilitator at a prominent telecommunications company “It’s about being both. Our workplaces will require a broad base of capabilities AND expertise in targeted areas. For the last several years, we’ve been stressing to our workers that they display agility – and this is going to be the biggest test to date of being truly adaptable in today’s setting.”

Our hybrid workplace will necessitate adaptation to people, projects and processes in ways we’ve not yet experienced. We’re likely to witness a new advertising vocabulary “boutique-like service and agility with mammoth sized capabilities”.

Whether telecommuting or working on site, it’s all about transferring knowledge via mass collaboration at a virtual level.

When not sitting in their home offices the hybrid worker will be driving their hybrid cars to the local Starbucks where hybrid coffee and intranet access are served.

Obviously, with the price of gas all over the map (and the push for eco-friendliness so hot) there will be added momentum to the already coveted flexibility of working from home (or the coffee shop). Besides, according to Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams, authors of the best-selling business book Wikinomics:

Millions of media buffs now use blogs, wikis, chat rooms, and personal broadcasting to add their voices to a vociferous stream of dialogue and debate called the “blogosphere.” Employers drive performance by collaborating with peers across organizational boundaries, creating what we call a “wiki workplace” customers become “prosumers” by co-creating goods and services rather than simply consuming the end product. So-called supply chains work more effectively when the risk, reward, and capability to complete major projects – including massively complex projects like cars, motorcycles, and airplanes – are distributed across planetary networks of partners who work as peers…. Indeed as a growing number of firms see the benefits of mass collaboration, this new way of organizing will eventually displace the traditional corporate structures as the economy’s primary engine of wealth creation.

Frank Lynch, Ph.D. and organizational learning expert, underscores what our research in knowledge transfer over the past few years has found:

When looking for interpretation of key topics, collaboration, problem solving or morale boosting, people go to people- not heavy data systems. The trick for companies today is in finding a way for people to be able to tap into their co-workers who happen to be sitting across the ocean in Melaka, Malaysia the same as they might defer to their team mates 20 feet down the hall. Finding a system that is easy to use and affords workers a positive experience of reaching out to interact with their teammates (irrespective of geography) will be a central activity.

Seeing an end to the recession will not imply resuming business as usual. Mass collaboration and knowledge transfer (on a virtual level) will be the norm. There are scores of laid off workers who know this, which is why they (within days of being laid off) have created their own websites or posted responses to net based free lance marketing sites.

To manage or not to manage, that is the question.

Let’s face it. With a lay-off comes down sizing which means that flat reporting structures are in and hierarchy is out. Add to that the recent economical debacle in which Wall Street firms (as well as our own Treasury Department) have been unable or unwilling to account for billions of bail out tax dollars and you’ll find that the loose strings on the financial front will trickle down and eventually be construed as short leash accountability in the workplace. The new hybrid workers will be the ones who can manage people or be managed by someone, but most importantly they will be doing a whole lot of self- managing.

We’ll see individual accountability right up there with organizational ethic mantras and poetic vision prose. As more and more organizations advocate quarterly business reviews, an increasing number of workers will find themselves frequently initiating individual action plans that align with department or organizational goals while making a conscious effort to tie to tangible business results.

Additionally, it won’t be enough to just create and submit a plan’s progress. Each hybrid worker will follow in the footsteps of the late vaudeville entertainer W.C. Fields (adding public relations expert to their growing list of capabilities):

Tell people what you’re going to tell them… tell them and then tell them what you’ve told them!

We live in a world changing at warp speed which requires a workforce who can do the same. Barack Obama was inaugurated today. How amazing to bear witness to this historical event. In his speech, our 44th President reminded us of the great challenges we face.

They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met… We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

Indeed. Though faced with lay off and business restructuring, we may yet re-discover the better parts of our American work ethic and heritage – the DNA handed down from our business forefathers – the ability to imagine and persevere in our pursuit of purpose, contribution and contentment.

Get ready. There’s a new type of worker in our midst.

ZeroBoundary, Inc.
Developing Leaders. Individuals. Teams. Organizations.
http://www.zbglobal.com

For more articles and management resources, please visit our online library at http://www.zbglobal.com/index.php?id=170

Author: Victoria Tucker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
How Electric Pressure Cookers Work

I tried but could not provide an answer; and asked him to allow me to write down why, as I am better expressed that way. On the way back, I did manage to provide an answer, but decided that I would still write it, to share it across our company and possibly consider publishing it in a supportive media publication, to let the idea rub-off on other companies as well.

Unlearning the ways of the world

In the last few years, I have been deeply influenced by books such as “Built to Last” and more recently by “Maverick” and “Seven Day Weekend” by Ricardo Semler talking of his experiments with ‘democracy at work’ in his company Semco in Brazil. I have also been influenced by the late Sh. P.L. Tandon, the first Indian chairman of HLL, and well-known economist, with whom I had several late evening discussions on ‘management’ with the heart.

To add to all this, we have an advisor to our company who believes in complete transparency at the work place, as a basic tenet to ‘building great companies’ of the future.

Through months and years of training, or may I say, ‘questioning’ and then ‘unlearning’ the ‘thought paradigms’ and ‘values’ taught to us by society, have I now begun to initiate processes which are transparent, idealistic, and really how, companies must run.

Purpose of a business

Firstly, each company must have a reason to be in business. Earning as much money as possible’, having the best car, foreign trips, etc. for the promoter and his/her family, could be the motivation. However, this reason alone creates the insane world we live in, with such huge inequities that 60%-70% of our population lives ‘below poverty line’. Now, I refuse to be drawn into the technicalities of the BPL category; people, actually much more than the percentage above, are struggling daily to meet their daily basic survival needs. This is poverty; and I do not care if they earn the US$2-3 subscribed as a benchmark by World Bank or IMF to define the ‘poverty line’.

When I formed Srijan, we did not have much of a reason, except generating financial security, so that I could be involved in areas of political reform in this country. Over the years of training and ‘unlearning’, it is now a personal dream to create a ‘great company’ which works for a larger purpose than fulfilling the gluttonous appetite of the shareholders or promoters or even the employees, for money.

So what is Srijan’s purpose?

Srijan will work in areas of ‘national significance’ such as those which address the social needs of the people of the country, and in-turn the world at large.

We believe that Information Technology and Media, both of which culminate in the Internet, has the power to transform lives of millions, by giving them a voice, and an opportunity to come together, share and learn from each other. Srijan will continue to work at the forefront of this revolution.

Over the last few years, we have seen the power of communities at work, where one person’s willingness to share his university project code, has culminated in an OS which has challenged the might and monopoly of Microsoft, in a manner that no large corporation in the world has been able to do. Linux, is getting mature, and its acceptability increasing by the day. It has given birth to an Open Source movement which is giving the power of choice, affordability and security to the end-user. It is for the first time, in the last 30 years or so, that small businesses are being able to afford IT for increasing their business efficiency. Small IT companies, such as ours, are being able to find a niche for themselves in the product segment by adopting and learning various Open Source products and implementing them for customers. The sense of appreciation in most companies using open source products is quite high, and sooner or later, they do contribute to the movement and the community in effort, money or materials. Srijan remains at the forefront of this movement, with its specialisation in helping customers in the Small-Medium Enterprises, Government, Education and Social sectors, use ‘information’ and ‘knowledge’ gainfully for their business/purpose enhancement.

Information Technology is only the beginning. At Srijan, we dream that in the near future we shall be able to diversify and create “successful business-models” and work in

a) renewable energy;

b) promote ‘sustainable’ organic agriculture;

c) water security;

d) environment sensitive products’ development and marketing;

e) health – through preventive alternate medicine and practices;

f) micro-finance

g) Consulting – to help Indian companies become efficient and effective;

h) Education

Srijan is already working on building a ‘consulting’ division within our company through association with a couple of highly-recognised management consultants, and began our first project in ‘assessing water security’ of villages in hilly regions of Uttaranchal.

We are already working in the sector of micro-finance, though currently at a personal level. I recently lent our domestic-help a few ten-thousand rupees to enable purchasing land in his village, which would in the years to come enable him to become independent and an entrepreneur. Who knows, he may get to run a Petrol pump one-day on this piece of land which is on the road leading to Chilka lake. The only condition remains that once he is doing well for himself in the future, he would help others in-need and with an opportunity, become independent as well.

Initiatives at Srijan

So, how does all this relate to my discussion with my colleague, mentioned at the beginning? Well, the only ‘humane’ and ‘sustainable’ way to grow and diversify into these areas, is by involving a group of inspired people to work towards these ‘shared common goals’. It makes this movement (or the company) much more stable, sustainable and one that lasts.

Such a company could only provide a ‘loving’ and ‘balanced’ environment, required for creating new brilliant ideas, which will give new direction and new areas of business and thus, profits to the company; and a more equitable society.

The challenge is to find the right kind of people. A company must share and ‘live’ its culture rather than talk about it. It is what one ‘does’ and not what one ‘says’ that will help put in place such a culture.

At Srijan, we have a good work environment. Inspite, of being small, we are now able to afford better salaries for our people. We have recently redesigned our office to improve the environment and the ambiance, thus making the work hours more comfortable. In order to bring in transparency in management, we

share information on the company’s billing to its customers, each other’s salaries are known to all key people, including the normally hidden perks to the top management.

Although, everyone does not have an opinion in all decisions, we still ensure that everyone is consulted or apprised before any major initiatives. All of us, in capacity as Account Managers, build relationships with our customers. There are ‘strategic consultants’ associated with us, who are encouraged to make project bids, building customer relationships, deliver the work – independently, without bothering with the bureaucracy of control-based centralised Project Management practices. Quality does not suffer at all. We trust that we are dealing with adults, who are aware of Srijan’s ‘quality practices’ and the ‘code of conduct’.

This is not where it ends. We have a long-way to go in creating a company led by its people. There is still a lot of unlearning to do, to create a truly great company. However, our open and transparent management practices, often inspired by the leadership of our highly-charged advisors, will ensure that new inspired initiatives keep cropping up, leading us to new directions and new business initiatives within the company, which will help achieve and expand our ‘purpose’.

Rahul Dewan

Managing Director

Srijan Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

http://www.srijan.in/

Rahul Dewan is the Managing Director of Srijan Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an IT company based in India. Under the guidance of J. Sen Gupta, his mentor and a Management Consultant with over 30 years in the industry in TQM and Organisation Development, Rahul worked on bringing democracy at his workplace as well. Initially, sharing revenue statements with people at Srijan, was unimaginable, out of apprehensions that they may either think the company is not too profitable (we’re doing very well now) or on the other extreme may think, that they were earning much less than the company’s earnings; however, none of this happened, and although people are more vocal about their expectations and desires (this is exactly what we wanted to achieve), their is a more loving environment we have been able to create in the company. Sengupta, enthused by the way Srijan is re-creating itself, has recently agreed to join it full-time.

Author: Rahul Dewan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Cellphone, smartphone

As Long as I can remember, we have looked at a typical business model in the form of a pyramid or triangle. The CEO, CFO, and COO are at the peak of the triangle followed by the Board of Directors, Comptroller, Vice Presidents, Supervisors, and at the bottom or base of the triangle are the workers or staff. The whole of the triangle comprises all of the people in an organization. You are also subjected to the same model even within departments of a company.

The figure demonstrates that the greatest percentage of the people is closer to the base of the figure. In fact, if you consider most organizations, clubs, government, etc. they all seem to flow from a top down direction where the individuals of authority at the top set policy and exert power to the larger group below them. The mass at the bottom are responsible for making everything work, and one would think they would and should have the greatest responsibility. It doesn’t work that way even though the people at the bottom make everything happen. They put into motion all the policies, procedures, and orders handed down to them right or wrong.

In this business model, the bottom people are sometimes forced to involve themselves with situations that may be wrong, offensive, inappropriate, and sometimes illegal. In this system you can be subjected to these inequities and cannot speak out for fear of losing your job and benefits if you attempt to take an action to correct the inequity. In this model, you may be forced to compromise your work ethic in favor of a lower standard. The result can be an inferior product or service brought to market. In any event this working model can create unrest, frustration, injury, and sometimes violence.

It is fair to say that inequities in this model do not exist in all situations. In all that you do, communication, cooperation, and coordination in life is necessary to accomplish all that you desire. The lack of this is now very evident in business, government, and society in general. More products seem to be recalled than before. The Democratic and Republican parties in the USA many times seem more obsessed with putting each other down than focusing of the needs of the people. What is the price that is paid for profitability and power?

How many times have you become aware of the inefficiencies in industry, government, and society where the public is knowingly given an inferior product or service. We are seeing this in more frequent product recall. We find toxic chemicals in food and in a variety of products as well as in medication. How many times do we see, hear, and read about directives that seem contrary to common sense; and policies that favor one over another. What happened to the common good?

In recent years greed at the top levels of corporations, organizations, and government has been exposed that border on the unreal. City government officials nearby recently voted themselves salary and pension increases that were extremely excessive and then passed legislation so that it would be held from public viewing. We read frequently about heads of companies making tens of millions of dollars in annual wages and then even more in performance stock benefits while employees are being laid-off. It is no wonder why the top one percent of the population receives most of the income in the USA.

I am in favor of executives being paid for their services, but there are now too many imbalances where excessive compensation has become an acceptable practice. How can you justify a ten million dollar annual salary when a company is losing money? I realize these executives are under extreme pressure to show a profit, but at what expense? Downsizing and restricting employee benefits are common ploys to remedy lower profit margins. This is attacking the core people of a business who do the most to bring a product or service to market. Everyone should share in cutbacks, not just the ones at the bottom of the triangle.

Many of the inequities involve publicly traded companies. Upper level executives are under pressure to show a good profit to keep the price of their stock high to satisfy shareholders, and also guarantee more personal compensation benefits. You can increase profits by streamlining fixed costs (lowering salaries, inventory, accounting gimmicks) just so far without imploding the company. This is happening now in our slow economy where debt financing has also made our economic situation even more dire. Yes, debt financing is a common and needed business practice, but not when there are questionable sources of repayment, and a government bailout should NOT be a first alternative to keep them in operation.

What are we going to do? Think about what would happen if we turned the pyramid or triangle upside down. Now, the workers (staff) are on top and the executives are on the bottom. In this model the executives still receive sufficient compensation for their services, but not excessive. The input and the needs of the workers now become more paramount. They are more involved in the profitability of the business and their voices are more easily heard. Their needs are addressed more timely and efficiently as well because all communication now links directly to them, and gives them more involvement with the overall business operation.

There is a large industrial company in Brazil that made this switch, and a book was written about its success. A company in Argentina also made this switch, and it went from going out of business to a thriving entity. Why isn’t it done more? Is it a greed factor of protecting the rich at the expense of the middle class? Is management fearful of giving lower class workers too much power to set policy? We really are not to judge.

In the USA we have the freedom to choose how to do business within legal guidelines, and that is the way it should be. Since the middle class has all but disappeared because of decades of using them to finance the economy, it may be time for a change. It is time the middle class reassert themselves, and one good way is to have more companies adopt the inverted pyramid or triangle as the business model of choice.

Possibly with greater support to charitable organizations we can limit the government involvement in areas it does not belong. This will allow our tax dollars to go farther, and also allow the government to downsize as well.

What is it going to take to make an attitude shift to a more equitable system where people are not left behind? I’m convinced this can be done in the private sector, and the inverted pyramid business model may be a good way to begin the changes necessary to stabilize our economy and help the middle class recover and once again become the core force in the economy.

Ed Lupton is the author of the book, “Discover Living – A Writer’s Journey” which is available at http://www.discoverliving.com.
This website is the action plan of the book. Review this article on my blog at
http://blog.discoverliving.com/226/the-inverted-pyramid.

Author: Ed Lupton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Omron HEM-790IT review

Aims and objectives:

This report aims to explore PRINCE2. A description of the methodology considering its past and present as well as the internal areas of PRINCE2 is provided. Following the description is an analysis of the methodology; considering its positives and negatives. Next, suggestions for where the methodology may be best applied, and where it may be avoided. Finally, there is a discussion on how the methodology may be improved or adapted.

A description of the methodology:

PRINCE2 is an update to the original PRINCE. PRINCE was developed from PROMPTII, a Project Management method created by Simpact Systems Ltd in 1975; PROMPTII was adopted by CCTA in 1979 as the standard to be used for all government projects. The OGC continued to develop and improve PRINCE; to make the methodology more effective. This was achieved by the collaboration of user experiences, numerous projects, project managers and project teams; considering their successes and failures. PRINCE2 is described as a de facto standard; this is because it is used throughout the UK government departments for projects and is widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally.

PRINCE2 can be split into three areas: Principles (see appendix 1), these are the underlying PRINCE2 laws; Processes (see appendix 2), these are the PRINCE2 project stages; and Themes (see appendix 4), these are the important PRINCE2 documents.

PRINCE2 has a process based approach. This approach describes the various processes; explaining to management what has to be done by suggesting how to bring together the raw materials to achieve project success.

The first process ensures that the prerequisites for initiating the project are in place. This is crucial because it ensures that the project has a solid purpose and is feasible, it involves determining, do we have a viable and worthwhile project?

Having established the purpose of the project and if it is feasible the next stage is initiating a project. This stage delivers the plan of the project. It is argued that the planning stage is the most important stage of the project; this is because a logical path of the project can be determined, and risks can be considered and planned for as well as resources. This point seems very reasonable, however too much time spent on planning can hinder a project, potentially preventing it from starting or delaying the project completion date.

Governing the project is the directing a project process. This process involves authorising funds, committing resources and communicating with internal and external parties. This process would be defined as governing the project, more precisely, this stage does not cover the day-to-day activities of the project manager, but this stage is required to enhance the project manager’s effectiveness; this would be through consultation.

After the project has been initiated, the next stage is the controlling stage. This is where the plans begin to unfold. During this stage, careful monitoring is recommended due to potential project deviations.

Managing Product Delivery is another important PRINCE2 process; this is because it defines the required amount of work for a set period of time and splits it into work packages, which improves efficiency.

The managing a stage boundary process confirms to the project board that products to be produced in the current stage plan have been delivered, it is also useful for monitoring and controlling the project, as well as evaluating current progress and identifying any problems.

The closing a project process is described as important because as well as a controlled start, every project needs a controlled ending. This should include disbanding resources and measuring project success when the objectives have been met.

An analysis of the methodology:

The PRINCE2 process model breaks down the project into distinct management units. Each process is specified with its key inputs and outputs, with specific goals and activities to be carried out, this provides automatic control over any deviations from the plan. This automatic management allows the methodology to provide a controlled start, middle and end; by providing directions on what to do during certain stages, overall this removes management confusion. This control allows management to: decide the order of the delivery of products; group the products into logical sets; and assign decision making points for reviews. By doing this, management is able to assign a logical progression path.

The process model that PRINCE2 encompasses creates a variety of business benefits. PRINCE2 allows the project to acquire and keep the benefits which are the underlying reasons for undertaking the project. These benefits include: financial benefits such as profit and avoidance of costs; strategic benefits, which help the organisation to progress towards their strategic aims; legislative, this is by making it clear the requirements of higher management or the government.

Organisations seek order and routine, but this contrasts projects because they are unique. PRINCE2 considers the best performing management environment for every single project; meaning each project will have a different management environment. PRINCE2 reduces uncertainty by providing a structured approach in terms of processes, standards, templates and tools. The standardisation improves efficiency because by sharing a standardised approach, documents and vocabulary; this allows the people involved in the project to communicate more effectively. The standardisation makes PRINCE2 applicable to all industries and project sizes. This then makes tailoring the methodology even more useful because it is initially applicable to all projects, but PRINCE2 can then be precisely amended to run even more efficiently and effectively.

Due to the methodology being applicable to all types of projects, it is particularly useful that the methodology is publicly available; this also allows businesses to easily obtain the methodology and prevents businesses having to develop their own methodology.

However, even though PRINCE2 is applicable to all sizes of projects, PRINCE2 has been determined by some as inappropriate for very small projects; due to the amount of administration required. Others contrasts this point describing this perception as being a misunderstanding due to a lack of knowledge of understanding how to tailor the methodology. This lack of knowledge may also be responsible for something known as PINO this is where projects mainly fail because the methodology has been incorrectly applied. These further failures in projects that utilise the PRINCE2 methodology may provide negative statistics, but similarly to how some suggest PRINCE2 is inappropriate for small projects, and practitioners create projects that suffer from PINO, as others suggest, it is the lack of knowledge and understanding of how to tailor the methodology that leads to these negatives perceptions and results.

Another important point to consider is that PRINCE2 is a method not a cure, meaning people who utilise the methodology should still continue to think because problems inevitably remain an issue. PRINCE2 is a methodology for projects not people, PRINCE2 can not be used to solve problems that involve human resource issues or dealing with upwards management. Also, PRINCE2 is a project management template, however the real world is not so static and predictable, so it is reasonable to use PRINCE2 as the framework of the project but initiative is still required for success.

PRINCE2′s structured approach is associated with benefits including control. However, projects are about change. Projects are always unique and they involve uncertainty, to succeed, initiative and flexibility is required. However, PRINCE2 is restricted to being a rigid framework, and it may be argued that this inflexibility limits the ability of the organisation in being able to deal with the continually changing environment.

The structured approach encompasses different review stages; this is to provide further control. However, too many approval gateways can create further problems, rather than increase probability of success. This is because there is a sense of pressure during these periods, and it may be determined that too many reviews utilise an unnecessary amount of time and resources.

Overall, PRINCE2 may not be the best methodology in certain cases, but it is the most widely used and available and it is not difficult to learn. This makes it easily obtainable. As well as this, the methodology is widely used in the public and private sectors so clearly it works and its benefits are being achieved by a wide variety of businesses. In comparison to other methodologies, the main advantage is that PRINCE2 can (no matter how efficiently or effectively) be applied to all projects, unlike methodologies such as DSDM, which is only applicable to IT projects, or methodologies such as APMBoK which define what should be done – but not how that should be done; which to the novice project manager, may be oblivious to how to achieve the desirable results leading to successful project management. At least PRINCE2 provides a pathway to undertaking any project.

Examples of where the methodology may be best applied, and where it should not be used, if appropriate:

There is much debate about the flexibility of PRINCE2 and what type of projects it suits, as previously provided, some argue against the flexibility and usability of the methodology mainly towards the use for small projects, whereas others provide positive views on the methodology – the opinion that PRINCE2 is a scalable, flexible project management methodology will be favoured contrast to the negative opinions because as a standard methodology the negative opinions are correct, however the methodology should be tailored to each project; shortening or integrating project stages and reducing or integrating paperwork – further tailoring can be applied depending on people involved, project size and complexity. This allows the methodology the adaptability to be applied to any project.

PRINCE2 is used by the UK government in projects including healthcare, finance, construction and IT. These are some of the largest projects carried out by the government, and show the methodology provides benefits when utilised. When put into perspective, PRINCE2 could benefit departments such as finance or IT by its standardisation; this would allow different departments to work together by using a standard language to convey ideas and standard documents to report and share information. This is important because specialists in one particular field develop their own specialist language, and two specialists from different backgrounds may find it difficult to communicate, so the PRINCE2 standardised format breaks down this barrier of communication.

Construction and IT can involve very large projects, and in these types of projects a large degree of control is needed. It would be beneficial for the project manager to utilise the PRINCE2 methodology for this type of project, as all aspects of the project can be monitored and controlled.

Even small human resource projects, perhaps recruitment and selection for a small business would still be benefitted by PRINCE2. This is because: it would provide a structure to the whole process; it can be tailored down to an appropriate sized methodology; it increases efficiency by keeping the project manager on course with a schedule, rather than being lost in a confusion of what to do; and it would also save the project manager money and time by preventing them from having to learn from trial and error.

Suggestions for how the methodology might be improved or adapted:

It has been suggested that PRINCE2 is predominantly suited to large projects, this is because the whole methodology is engineered for control and the amount of control PRINCE2 creates is very beneficial for large projects but the amount of paperwork this involves makes it inappropriate for small projects. Others have disagreed with this, suggesting that the methodology is tailorable. However, overall the methodology can be quite inconvenient; especially when considering the amount of paperwork, rigidity of the methodology and the frequent number of approval gateways – this is all time consuming. A cure to this issue would involve putting project plans in a graphical format. Initially, it may appear difficult to compile all the required information into a compact graphical format, but there is a method that can be integrated into PRINCE2 to facilitate this process.

Project on a page is a method that compresses a vast amount of information into one page. This may be a solution to some of the administrative issues and gateway review issues. The method solves these problems by including the most important information on the page; this is then distributed to the project team and stakeholders to review the current status of the project. However, there is an issue with confidentiality; if there was one document created to provide information useful to all departments, there may be an issue with sharing financial information or employee performance to all recipients. This issue can be resolved by either creating multiple project on a page documents; suited to different groups or departments, or provide the project on a page document on the internet with security; allowing groups to see only the relevant information. Providing the document on the internet would provide another bonus of being able to discover more information if required; through hyperlinks.

It may be useful to cut down the administration, but it would still be important to maintain quality. This would firstly be achieved by following the PRINCE2 methodology which recommends creating the product checklist. However this does not have to be a basic list, this can be as in-depth as desired; depending on the importance of meeting the projects outcomes, how static the project outcomes are and the amount of quality that is required from the end product.

PRINCE2 may also be adapted according to risk. It is recommended to implement an effective risk strategy as well as a contingency plan. However, a rigid risk strategy is potentially dangerous because a project stage that involves a small amount of risk may find it inappropriate, and a high risk stage may find it lacking depth. So it can be concluded that an effective risk strategy would be flexible according to risk probabilities, impact and priority of the stage.

Conclusion

It can be concluded from the findings above that PRINCE2 is an effective methodology; this is because of its structure, enabling a plan of a project which allows control. Following the standard framework is not enough for project success; the methodology needs to be tailored to the specific project’s elements and business strategy to be efficient and effective. Further, PRINCE2 does not encompass every aspect of a project that is required for success, elements that are not part of the methodology include: leadership skills; interpersonal skills; and human resource management skills. PRINCE2 is a methodology for projects not for people, so it is still important to utilise past experiences and be assertive when undertaking a PRINCE2 project. So, to have a successful project that utilises the PRINCE2 methodology, there must be a successful combination of effective tailoring, effective practice of skills acquired from experience, and effective interpersonal skills; these are all required for the successful PRINCE2 project.

Appendix 1

PRINCE2 has seven principles, these are:

1

Continued business justification – this is important because the project should be driven by its business case, it should be regularly checked against the business case to maintain direction, Bentley (2009; 10) states that “justification may change, but must remain valid”, if the projects purpose no longer fits the business case the project must be terminated (OGC, 2005).

2

Learn from experience – this principle encompasses the PRINCE2 lessons learned document (OGC, 2009b), this principle involves stating problems that have happened preventing those problems from recurring again in the future.

3

Defined roles and responsibilities – projects require creating a “temporary organisation” (Bentley, 2009; 10) so it is important to make everyone aware of their roles and responsibilities to quickly enable effective project communication, if this is not quickly enabled the project could quickly fail from a breakdown in communication.

4

Manage by stages – PRINCE2 divides the project into stages, this is important to help the overall management of the project and to provide key points for meetings regarding the project.

5

Manage by exception – PRINCE2 provides a certain amount of freedom to each management level, it does this by providing tolerances, these allow each descending line of management a restricted boundary to which it can operate, tolerances include time, cost, quantity, scope, risk and benefit; focus on products – products are the key element in PRINCE2 this is because the end result involves satisfying the customer by providing them with a product they are happy with, to do that throughout each stage of the project there should be consideration for quality and the end product.

6

Focus on products, this means the product should be considered throughout the project. It is important not to lose focus of the end result.

7

Tailor to suit the project environment, to effectively utilise PRINCE2 the methodology should be tailored to suit the project size, risk, complexity, importance and capability of the people involved.

Appendix 2

PRINCE2 processes, these are:

1

Starting Up a Project (SU) this defines and authorizes the project, it ensures the prerequisites for initiating the project are in place, this is important to allow successful progression to the proceeding stage, this stage asks the question “do we have a viable and worthwhile project?” this is important to know to prevent starting a project that will provide little benefit.

2

Initiating a Project (IP) the purpose of this stage is to plan the project and confirm the necessary controls are in place to deliver the project successfully, this is important to establish solid foundations for the project and identify the required work to be done.

3

Directing a Project (DP) the key principles for this stage involve defining what is required from the project, authorising the funds for the project, committing the resources and communicating with external interested parties, all of this is required to successfully govern the project, this stage does not cover the day-to-day activities of the project manager but it is required to enhance the project manager’s effectiveness.

4

Controlling a Stage (CS) this stage is concerned with giving attention to deliver the stage’s products, focusing resources, controlling risks, reviewing the business case and carefully monitoring the project for deviations.

5

Managing Product Delivery (MP) this defines the stage’s objectives by allowing the team manager to agree work with the project manager, get the work done and return it back to the project manager. The purpose of this is to define the required amount of work which can then be split into work packages – allowing improved management for the team manager.

6

Managing a Stage Boundary (SB) this process confirms to the project board that products planned to be produced in the current stage plan have delivered, this process is important to monitor and control the project, it evaluates the current stage and identifies any problems, depending on the outcome the project board may authorise moving on to the next stage.

7

Closing a Project (CP) every project should come to a controlled completion, to measure project success the project should be closed once the objectives have been met. Resources then should be freed up; allowing allocation to other activities that require them.

Appendix 4

The third area of PRINCE2 is the PRINCE2 themes, according to Bentley (2009) these consist of:

1

The business case – the philosophy behind this is that the project should be driven by a business need, if this need disappears the project should be stopped, the business case is continually referred back to during the span of the project.

2

Organisation – this theme supports the principle for defined roles and responsibilities, PRINCE2 recognises that three interests must be considered during the decision making process, these are the business, the user and the supplier, this is because the business covers the project funding as well as benefits from the outcome, the user’s interest represents people who will be affected by the final product and the supplier’s interest covers the resources required to build the products.

3

Plans – it is impossible to control a project without a plan, the plan is necessary for control, plans consist of elements including targets, end-products, work required, resources and skills needed, equipment required, time to create required products, work allocation and risks, these are all necessary to enter the project with solid foundations.

4

Progress – this theme is supported by three PRINCE2 principles justification, the purpose of this theme is to provide points in a project where control should be executed, as well as define PRINCE2 responsibilities, documentation and procedures for monitoring progress and then to compare the results against the planned results.

5

Quality – this theme defines the PRINCE2 approach to ensuring the end product is fit for purpose, further to this, the quality centred approach underlies PRINCE2 and the quality component, it is also scalable depending on the project.

6

Risk – risks are possible events that if occur can have dramatic effects upon the overall project success, to reduce risks PRINCE2 implements a risk management procedure consisting of identify, assess, plan, implement and communicate; change – this theme covers change control and configuration management and a project has to effectively manage its assets and its assets are the products it develops, over time they have to be effectively configured to change.

7

The final theme is tailoring PRINCE2 to the project environment, this involves tailoring PRINCE2 to the scale, complexity, geography or culture, tailoring does not involve dropping parts out of the methodology but adopting the methodology to fit factors such as documentation, standards and procedures of business.

Shaun Gurmin,
Serial Entrepreneur, Strategy Consultant and Project Manager
http://www.shaun-gurmin.co.uk

Author: Shaun Gurmin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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We all know that change is inevitable within an organization and they can either be good or bad changes. Everything seems to be in high speed with an indication that it will not be different in the future yet much faster and definitely more chaotic. When allocating balanced scorecard into the resources of your company, you will find that there is a big connection between performance and the budget of the organization. For many years now, the public sector has been trying to link them together and as you may have learned, the balanced scorecard can surmount the many obstacles that are associated with the general performance measurement systems. In this case, if your company seeks to connect performance and company budget successfully, you are advised to create an organizational balanced scorecard system first.

When you start scorecard allotment to your budget, make sure that you have already aligned the BSC measures to the objectives of your company particularly the financial ones. The building blocks of this process consist of the BSC itself and a high level strategy map. These two will play the role of the key reference points when it comes to cascading both of them throughout the organization. What you have to bear in mind from here is that the BSC does not only include the company’s objectives, targets and measures; it also has the initiatives which are equally important as the three mentioned. Initiatives are the projects, programs or plans that can describe how the firm will go about attaining the target performance. Therefore, you can come up with a conclusion that the initiatives are the ones that forge the relationship between the balanced scorecard and the finances.

Allocating balanced scorecard means that you have to quantify the initiatives so that you will be able to form the foundation for capital budget and operating requests. Of course, the process involves developing a plan which should involve the task of implementing the BSC throughout the entire organization. Then, you have to refine the highest level strategy map as well as the balanced scorecard. This process actually relies on the linkage of the plan and the cascaded BSC. Thus, you will need to develop a set of cascaded scorecards, which will give every single group within the company the opportunity to give signal as to how their local actions provide contribution to the overall results. When you allocate resources with BSC, it is certainly necessary to compile all the pieces of information you have gathered, review them and deploy the proper action that should be performed.

If you are interested in allocating Balanced Scorecard, check this web-site to learn more about Allocating Balanced Scorecard.

Author: Sam Miller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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