Resistance To Change Management

Resistance To Change Management From individual level to highest organizational level change is seen everywhere for their reformation and development. To cope up with globalization and for survival of the organisation a lot of companies are enforced to make their changes. But it is not always an easy task and some people are not willing to accept the change agenda because of inertia and the fare of losing their job (Edmonds, 2011). A different number of factors affect the change process and for the resistance many change program have failed (Waddell and Sohal, 1998). So for the achievement of successful change, resistance should be considered and managed accordingly (Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). The main objective of this paper is to analyse the organisational change management and specially different ways to address and minimize the resistance to manage successful change by reviewing different related literature. In first part define In this essay there are five sections, i.e. introduction, literature review, resistance to change, how to manage successful change and finally conclusion. What is Change? Before going to start review of different change models, it is important to describe the definitions and concept about organisational change to make a clear idea about it.Organisational change is the transformation of structure, quality and position by introducing latest ideas and dealings for the better performance and global adjustment of the organisation (Sckalk et. al., 1998, cited by Pardo-del-val et al., 2012). Organisational change basically in two types, where first one is evolutionary or incremental or first order change and anotherone is strategic or transformational or revolutionary or second order change (Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). The first category of change is a small scale change which improve the quality within the same framework on the other hand, second category of change is a radical one, organizational structure and basic framework are completely change here (Blumenthal and Haspeslag, 1994). The main objectiveof radical change is to improve the potent ials of the organisation for competing the market (Ruiz and Lorenzo, 1999). However organisational change also classified as planned change and emergent change(Bamford and Forrester, 2003).The planned approach organisational change highlights the different status which an organisation will have to shift from an unacceptable position to recognized desired position (Eldrod II and Tippett, 2002). The emergentchange suggests that it is an unpredictable and undesirable continuous method of adjustment to changing environments (Burnes, 2004). But uncertainty of circumstances create emergent approach more significant (Bamford and Forrester, 2003). So, an organization should identify the requirements of change and how to deal with that changes (Burnes, 2004). Although for the existence and effective competition successful management of change is highly required (Luecke, 2003). Why Change Basically change is requiredfor the global economic crisis, technological advancement, market competition and development of the organization (Brisson-Bank, 2010). Edmonds (2011) argued that some factors influence the organization for changing their strategy and forms. The factors are governmental change, joining with another one, global economic challenges, different formation, Strategy for leaving business, technological advancement and business strategy. Dawson, (1994) also described that, a single instrument or entire design of manufacturing process may be restored in the technological change process. When the structure or formation of an organization change it involves the employee structure, reward system and organisational communication system. Governmental or legislative change includes different policies, environmental control, employment opportunity etc. These factors are generally inter-reliant. For instance technological change may need skilled employee, competition among local engineering workforce etc. So, change is intended to different points but it cannot satisfy all. In reality it cannot be managed completely. He also added that if people are not clearly informed about change before implementation they make a resistance against the change process. Paton and McCalman, (2000) argues that naturally a favorable environment is created and accepted by an organization. When change is required, whatever it may be, the organization will face the resistance by its employee, stakeholder, customer, dealer, and distributor, because they feel comfortable with the present environment and frightened with uncertainty regarding change. He also added that the resistance can be reduced but this uncertainty cannot be eradicated completely. Resistance to change: Now it is important to give an idea about the barrier which hinders the change process at its different stages is resistance. So, resistance is defined asan opposing trend which affects the change agenda by delaying start, blocking implementation and raising theprice(Ansof, 1990, cited byPardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003).In addition resistance always wants to maintain status quo. It has a tendency to keep away from change as inertia (Rumelt, 1995). Resistance is indicated as the main cause of problem of implementation and failure of change agenda (Erwin and Garman, 2010). Dawson (2003) recognizes some factors which create resistance i.e.changing of job nature, transfer of job or economic insecurity, psychological pressure, lowering status and disturbance in societal arrangement. Graetz et al. (2002) has identified four main perceptions of resistance to change which are (cited by Hughes, 2006); the psychological model the system model the institutional approach, and theorganisational cultures approach. The psychological model indicates the resistance which is created by individuals behavior. The system model recommends that people do not resist change but they resist what they are losing.Resistance is establishedinorganisational formation, administrative procedure, and allocation of assets at the institutional approach. As the consequence of organisational culture resistance can be described in this approach(Hughes, 2006). Hambrick and Cannella (1989) have classified the resistance as three types which are as blind resistance, political resistance and ideological resistance. The persons of blind resistance type are considered to befrightened in any kind of changes. The considerations of political resistance type persons are to lose something valuable after the implementation of change. More over the persons of ideological resistance type consider thattheir establishedvalues may be tarnished if change is implemented (Hughes, 2006). Greetz et al. (2002) classified the resistance as active and passive where active resistance is occur at the time of aggressive change and passive resistance is occur at the period of indirect change. Continuum On the other hand Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes,( 2003) added that resistace is not always a negative notion when change is not very favorable.InadditionMabin et al., (2001) also argued that for the improvement of the quality of decision for transformation resistance can be make a positive role. Some factors createthe resistance at different stages of change process. Resistance creates difficulties at the stage of strategy formulation and at the stage of implementation. More over the sources of resistance are divided in five groups where first three groups act as the sources of resistance at the formulation stage and last two groups act as the sources of resistance at the implementation stage (Rumelt, 1995; cited by Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). Wrong perception: At the initial stage it is important toassess the needs for change, so incorrectassessment is the first barrier of change. It is also known as the barrier of interpretation.It contains another factors short-term mind set and do not have the clear idea about future strategy, Information rejection tendency, continuationof thoughts or trend to continue thoughts at the changingsituation, implied assumptions, barrier of communication, and organisational silence. Lower motivation: When change is done for a product manufacturing but it can create some problems for another. Different interest groups are involved in the change process. So sacrifice and motivation is needed. Shortage of innovative response: Reactive mentality and lack of commitment of highest authority are the main factors of this stage. Cultural and political gap: Politics of different sections, specific discrepancy among different groups, different values and environment for implementation are the main factors of this group. Another sources: Different sources are acted in the last group i.e. ineffective leadership, unplanned routines, problem of group action, shortage of required capabilities and distrust. How to manage resistance to successful change: Bamford and Forrester (2003) argues that management literature did not make any consensus about a suitable approach forsuccessfully managing organisational change. Some disagreements are always prevailing in this field. So change managers are confused to take decision for choosing the appropriate approach. They did not find any effective and reliable approach for applying in change management. If uncertainty is created by resistance not by change then resistance to change will be the major concern to manage not change itself (Carnall, 2003). Dowson (2003) has suggested that by participation, communication, support, negotiation, influence and force complexities of resistance can beovercome. He also argued that organizational development model supports the participatory approaches. In the reality it is better to employee involvement in the change process rather imposed by the management (Hughes, 2006). Resistance is created in major changes but negative effects of resistance can be red uced by open discussion andopenly discussed resistance is easily manageable than the resistance of unexpressed (Conner, 1998). It is necessary to be practical for managing resistance the nature and context of the resistance should be analyzed by the change managers (Hughes, 2006). The participatory approach is widely analyzed for its effectiveness and mostly discussed in business area as an important issue to smooth the progress of organisational change (Pardo-del-val et al., 2012). Generally, at present participatory management is playing an important part for reducing the resistance (Waddell and Sohal, 1998). Participatory approach is well received for its better creativeness and decision make (Lawler, 1993). Now it is important to know about the participative management and its impact on reducing resistance to organisational change. Participative management is a style where employees are involved in every step of the change process from decision making to implementation (Cole et al., 1993; cited byPardo-del-val et al., 2012). It is known as a traditionalconception in management literatureabout eighty years (Lawler, 1993). Managers share the decisions with the employees through information technology, training, management culture and leadership (Pardo-del-Val and Lloyd, 2003).The participative approach is generally recognized as the best method for managing resistance to organisational change which acts on two steps, firstly by decreasing resistance and then by increasing efficiency (Pardo-del-val et al., 2012).The success of changeprogramme depends on the proper identification of major sources of resistance. The change process start from its first step taking decision staff involvement is required from this stage. There is a connection between participation and commitment, and resistance is reduced by that commi tment. So the literatures opine that it is the best way to defeat resistance by the participationof all people (Pardo-del-val et al., 2012).When people feel that they are involved in the change process as well as decision making process a commitment is grown inside them by participating in the programme. Then the resistance created by the employees can be reduced by sharing the responsibilities within managers and staffs (Zeffane, 1996). Time consumption is the only shortcomingof this approach otherwisefor growing commitment and feeling it is very convenient process to manage resistance for a successful change (Lenz and Lyles, 1986). Communication is another process to implement change programme by reducing resistance (Hughes, 2006). It is impossible to make changes of an organization without effective communication with staffs (Barrett, 2002). Where communication is essential it depends on the nature, urgency, promptness and reactions of change (Quirke. 1995). The change management is generally a top down procedure, so management should provide information to the employee for clarify the necessity of transformation (Hayes, 2002). Balogun and Hope Hailey (2004) argued some reasons for communication in organizational change; Employees do not like to receive information from rumor; they always desire to know the information of change from their higher authority. Employees can realize and adjust if communicate with them earlier. Employees like to hear authentic information. Employees want to know about changes and do not like hidden policy. Finally Hughes, (2006) argued that the strategic communication is necessary for a strategic change. So, by proper communication resistance can be reduced to manage successful change. Moreover, middle managers can play an important role for both reduce the resistance and implement the change.Bamford and Forrester (2003) argue that senior managers are mainly involved with policy formulation and control but middle managers are directly involved with customer, workers and suppliers. So, operating managers have the multi-dimensional experience. They can predict the consequences of transformation. For these reasons necessary measures and adaptation policies can be taken. Middle managers can displayand filter the proposal of change initiatives and suggest to authority. Then senior managers can take decision by analyzing the proposals of middle managers. The planned change can be executedby managers with their understanding and experiences but emergent changes related to development cannot be executed solely, it needs multifunctional approaches (Wilson, 1992). Additionally Edmonds (2011) argued that team work and training have the role to implement change by decreasing resistance. He asserts that team sets task, scheduling and aim to achieve goal and develops interpersonal relations which is important for change initiatives. Edmonds also emphasized that some special skills are essentialfor manage different types of changes. Training is the basic way to attainthose skills. Finally Taylor (1999) added that training can support to understand the implementation procedure of change and clear the ambiguity. Recommendations for Further Research: Drawing the attention on change agenda, there may be basic requirement of an appropriate outline for the management of organisational change. Due to shortage of experimental study on change management in organisations, it is recommended that more research into the character of change management will be directed. The primary stage may be to complete investigative studies to enhance the understanding themanagement oforganisational change.The significant success factors can be identified by these studies for the change management. Moreover, it is very much essential to determine success rate for creating a suitable structure of change management. Therefore, determinationtechniques should be intended (Todnem By, 2005). Conclusion: Change is a continuous process for organisational development and adjusting with modern world. So, managing change is an important issue for an organization and successfully management of it is highly required (Todnem By, 2005). In the process of management of change resistance is a factor which is to be considered. So success of change depends on the success of managing resistance. Where, resistance wants to keep the organization in its current position by delaying the process. There are different factors acting as resistance which are organizational values, interests of the employees, communication gap, stillness of organization, and lack of capabilities of management and employees. So, management should consider these factors to reduce resistance for successful change (Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003). To reduce the resistance to change there is no universal way but some probable approaches are suggested in different management literature. Executives should give proper concentration for their needs. Moreover Pardo-del-val et al., (2012) suggested that participative management can be the one of the best way to reduce resistance. He also added that participative approach canproperlyaddressthe mentioned sources of resistance as a result output of the change process can be improved.He showed a positive relation between employee participation and resistance. Any complicacy related to change process can be resolved by the participation of staffs (Waddell and Sohal, 1998). Furthermore the barriers of change programme can be removed by open discussion (Beer and Eisenstat, 1996). Finally Pardo-del-val Martinez Fuentes, 2003 suggested that change managers can take an important role to implement successful organizational change. Managers have to know the effect of change on organisational culture and take probable measures to develop before start. This measure will be helpful to develop the relation between staffs and managers. He also emphasized that training can lessen the resistance by reducingthe barriers of communication and develop the essential skills for the change. Reference:Claire V. Brisson-Banks, (2010),Managing change and transitions: a comparison of different models and their commonalities, Library Management, Vol. 31 Iss: 4 pp. 241 252 John Edmonds, (2011),Managing successful change, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43 Iss: 6 pp. 349 353 Paton, R.A. and McCalman, J. (2000), Change Management: A guide to effective implementation, Sage, London.

the dandelion killer :: essays research papers

The Dandelion Killer This story takes place in the beautiful Frankfort, Kentucky. The setting is real. The Evans shop, Elayna’s house, Jayboy’s house are a few places of where this story is set. In the present time, is when this story is set. There isn’t an exact date of when the story takes place. Jayboy Calvin is an interesting person. He is different from anyone else in the story because he is 55 years old but has the mind of an 8 year old. The darkness is what scares him the most. He thinks it will swallow him up, and he will never be able to see his best friend again. He hates the color black. He won’t let his mom buy anything for him that’s black. When he gets crayons, he’ll break the black one in the store before the darkness can spread. He loves dandelions. His best friend Elayna (or ‘Layna) as he calls her) is the princess of dandelions and he is her trusty knight. Elayna Evans life is full of mysteries. She has lost everyone. Hunt, her husband, disappeared 10 years ago and her daughter Carrie died of meningitis at the age of 4. She has had a lifelong friend, Jayboy. He helps her in many ways through the struggles and she helps him. Shirleene, Elayna’s sister-in-law, was brutally murdered one night in her coffee shop. Someone stole a dandelion pin from her shirt, stepped in her blood and now the police think it was†¦ Jayboy Calvin! Could someone with the mind of an 8 years old possibly kill someone? Everyone is trying to figure out who it is and you can’t trust anyone. The impression left on me was that friendship lasts a life time. I liked how the author hinted to some things but then made them cliff-hangers.

American History Essays Boston Tea Party -- American America History

Boston Tea Party: A Fight for Freedom Imagine you are a merchant in Boston selling imported goods from England with a high tax on them, when three ships come in with 342 chests of tea without planning to pay the middleman tax. That's how it was for many merchants in Boston. The East India Tea Company went bankrupt due to the dropping rate of tea sales in America because of the increasing rate of smuggling. The government's lack of support, and the newly passed Tea Act, only kindled more resentment towards the British from the colonists. This finally resulted in approximately three groups of fifty men going aboard the three British ships and dumping the tea into the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party was more an act towards self-government and displaying their rights rather a way to gain revenge at England. The West India Tea Company found themselves bankrupt due to the amount of smuggled tea America was buying. People were buying smuggled tea because it was so much cheaper than the tea England was forcing them to buy. The company's plan was to select three major cities in America to get rid of their competition. They would hire other handlers in Philadelphia, Charleston, and New York. By having the tea sold in America, they could avoid the high taxes of England. After they had eliminated their other competitors, they would charge much more for the tea that they were selling (Francis 1). When the colonists heard that the East India Company was selling tea to these cities, almost all of them were furious and wanted England to be aware of it. The patriots worried that they would start liking England because of the better tea prices (Maier 516). Soon tea was shipped to America for distribution to agents of the company, who ... ...me of need, and the passing of the Tea Act only created more resentment and created more resentment towards England. The citizens were feeling that they had no more rights left, and that England was completely taking over their new country so they acted in what has been called the Boston Tea Party. The colonists were outraged by the disrespect they were shown from England. It was only an act towards freedom, not revenge and should be treated as such. Works Cited Tyler, John. "The Boston Tea Party." (Online) Available http://aol/bostonteaparty.html "Boston Tea Party." Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. Funk & Wagnall's Corporation, 1996. Maire, Pauline. "Boston Massacre." World Book Encyclopedia. 1982. Francis, Thomas. Liberty. New York: North American Printing Company, 1993. Fleming, Wyatt. "The Revolution." (Online) Avaialble http://usa.revolution/

Memorable Experience

My Memorable Experience â€Å"I have something to tell you†¦ † There was a pause, her tone was worrying. â€Å"It's your grandfather, he's passed away. † I was stunned: the grandfather who had always been there for me was no longer there. I could feel someone grinding their fist through my stomach; the pain was unbearable. For the first time ever I was lost for words. Tears started to form in my eyes. I could not contain my emotion. All my memories of my grandfather seemed to rush through my head as I sat in my room isolated from the rest of the world.I had been asked to write a speech for the funeral; it seemed a daunting task at first but as my emotions took over, i found I was able to express exactly what I was feeling. The speech read: My grandfather was a man of few words who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: a bet on the horses and the odd bit of chocolate. I can still taste the Polos that he would give me whenever I came to see him and as I stand here be fore you today, I know that every-time I open a pack of Polos, my grandfather will always be in the back of my mind.As a younger child, he would often take me to work with him, down to the school or Letham's farm where he would teach me about birds' eggs, crops and the types of plants and flowers. Pleasure was found in the simple things that I (and the rest of my brothers and sisters) did with him and his country life. I would often go into the back door at Mitchell Avenue where my granddad worked to a familiar scene and the smell of ‘Old Holborn' lingering in the air. The smell of warm pastry hung in the air as my nana would always be baking and listening to Radio Two and preparing granddad's lunch for when he came in from work.We thought they were infallible and would always be there; now their bungalow stands empty as a shell. The last time I saw my grandfather, he was sitting up in his hospital chair wearing his floral shirt, looking as eccentric as Spike Milligan and with a familiar twinkle in his eye. That's how I'll remember him. The funeral was held Becoming A Dancer? By  Jennifer M. , East Providence, RI Email me when Un. contributes work Standing in front of the mirror one day, I came to the harsh realization that I fell short of the requirements of my dream. The reflection that stared back was of a skinny brown-haired girl who stood a mere five feet tall.My entire life had been about dedication and striving to be the best dancer in my studio. I'd always had elaborate dreams and high aspirations. I never noticed how hard it might be to achieve something that you really want. Most people spend their whole lives searching for their calling or their nitch, but I've known that I was born to be a dancer since the first time I stepped into Thoroughly Modern Dance Studio at one and a half years of age. I've devoted sixteen years of my life to helping my dream come true, and also taken time out of my personal life to be a dance teacher at my studio.L ast summer I attended what is called an audition class in Boston taught by a highly respected Broadway dancer. At this seminar he explained the procedures for getting into a dance company or production. While I was listening and taking notes, I was thinking that I certainly had the experience, but there was one area in which I didn't quite measure up. He informed us that at most auditions all dancers under 5 feet 6 inches are automatically eliminated or simply overlooked. He said that most casting directors are looking for the stereotyped dancer with long legs, a long neck and a size one waist.Standing half a foot under this height, I felt my heart drop to the floor. It really is hard to listen to someone basically tell you: â€Å"Sorry, but you've been working really hard for sixteen years for nothing, so find a new dream. † Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way. Dancing isn't just some hobby for me; it's more like an addiction. My complete heart and soul are exhibite d in every step. Through dance I find a sense of pride and satisfaction that I don't think anyone could understand or appreciate. To have all that I've ever wanted instantly shot down created a sick feeling in my stomach.Furthermore, I knew that at that moment I could do one of two things. I could settle for a second choice, or I could commit myself to the tedious uphill battle to come. Well, I've never been known as a person who gives up easily, so I've been working even harder to make up for in skill what I lack in inches! Nevertheless, it really doesn't matter how high the odds are against me, for I will rise above them. It's time for me to â€Å"put my nose to the grindstone† because, despite what anyone sees, the only direction my life is going is up.Whether I end up becoming a professional Broadway dancer or open a local dance studio is irrelevant, because I will do one or the other by choice, not because I wasn't qualified. I'm comforted in knowing I'm not alone in thi s battle. My mentor, Lorie Bernier, who stands at 5 feet 1 inch and has taught me everything I know, always inspiring me by saying: â€Å"You have to believe you can reach the stars before you can actually touch one of them. † – Failing Successfully By  Candace M. ,  Berea,  KY More by this author Email me when Candace M. contributes work Image Credit: Hailey J. , Lake Oswego, ORMy day in the sun had arrived – my magnum opus would be revealed. I had just delivered a memorized speech that I had labored over for weeks, and I was about to learn how the panel judged my performance. The polite but sparse audience leaned forward in their folding chairs. A hush fell across the room. The drum rolled (in my mind, anyway). The contest organizer announced the third-place winner. Alas, the name was not mine. Then he read the second-place winner, and once again it was not me. At last, the moment of truth came. Either I was about to bask in the warmth of victory or rue the last several months spent preparing.While neither of these came to pass, my heart felt closer to the latter. Losing is a part of life, and I have dealt with the emotional baggage that travels shotgun with it on more than one occasion. However, it was an indescribably underwhelming feeling to drive 200 miles round trip, get up obscenely early on a freezing Saturday morning, and yet still finish fourth out of four contestants. After Lincoln lost the 1858 Illinois Senate race, he reportedly said, â€Å"I felt like the 12-year-old boy who stubbed his toe. I was too big to cry and it hurt too bad to laugh. Oh yeah, I could relate. I had spent many hours in front of a computer and in libraries doing research for the Lincoln Bicentennial Speech Contest. As I pored over several biographies, one notion stood out: Lincoln was handed many sound defeats, but he never allowed them to (permanently) hinder his spirit or ambition. While I believe many history lessons can be applied to modern l ife, I hadn’t considered â€Å"the agony of defeat† as a historically valuable learning experience. I never dreamed I could relate to Lincoln! A president no less, and the greatest at that.I thought â€Å"failing successfully† was a very appropriate topic, given the many letdowns Lincoln experienced, and so this became the title of my speech. After not placing in the first year of the speech contest, I really wanted to compete again. Lincoln had been the epitome of persistence, so I was not going to give up on a contest about a historic individual who did not give up! I reworked my speech for the following year, and while I did not come in last, again I did not place. Some days you’re the dog, and some days you’re the hydrant, and this was definitely a hydrant day that brought me down for a while.I couldn’t accept the fact that I had failed twice in something that I had worked so hard on, until I contemplated the individual whom I’d s pent so much time learning about. Never mind the lost prize money (ouch, major) and praise (ouch, minor) – I had learned, really learned, about a great man who had experienced failure and disappointment, and had many chances to give up. We remember Lincoln because he didn’t take this route; he didn’t throw lavish pity-parties, and he persevered to become, according to many, the greatest American president.While I did not earn monetary awards as a result of this contest, I did gain a new perspective. Through learning about Lincoln, I discovered that I can fail successfully, and that it is possible to glean applicable wisdom from the lives of those who have come before us. Now, whenever I’m faced with a setback, I remember what Lincoln said after his unsuccessful 1854 Senate race: â€Å"The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, ‘It’s a slip and not a fa ll. ’† Not Just Any Thunderstorm Unknown Email me when Un. ontributes work Image Credit: Heather H. , LaHarpe, IL Discuss the greatestchallenge that you have faced or expect to face †¦ As the sun melted intothe distant horizon, I saw the thickening of the ominous clouds overhead. Therain began to pelt the roof of my old house, but nestled in my canopy bed underall my covers, I felt safe. Flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder shook thehouse and tears began to roll down my cheeks. This was not just any thunderstorm,it was a moment in my life when I struggled to keep my faith and hope. Ispotted my mother's face, eyes ringed with smudged mascara.I peered up at herand knew something was very wrong. â€Å"It's Dad and me,† she began. â€Å"We have decided to separate for a while until we can work thingsout. † â€Å"But you're not getting a divorce, are you? † Iquickly asked. She shook her head, but I knew things would never be thesame. Soon aft er, my dad and I packed our bags and moved in with mygrandparents. He tried so hard to be strong, but I could see that he was feelinga lot of pain. He read me books to try to help me fall asleep at night. Iremember one was about a single dad and how things around the house weredifferent without a mom.He even tried, unsuccessfully, to put my hair up in anon-bumpy ponytail. My dad helped me to develop my faith, and without it, I donot think I could have made it through this difficult time in my life. He taughtme the Lord's Prayer and we recited it together every night. But as much as hetried, he was not my mother. My life before the separation was socarefree, and I was content. The memories of the three of us vacationing inFlorida – smiling, laughing, and spending time as a family – are painful, andwill last a lifetime. How could my life change so fast?I felt like I was on aroller coaster, and as much as my parents tried to comfort me, I felt alone. Theonly hope I had wa s my faith in God. I do not remember how long it wasuntil my parents announced they were getting a divorce. This did not come as acomplete shock because I suspected when they separated it would be forever. Ittook many months of arguing in court for my parents to settle that they wouldshare parenting. I believe God blessed me because I have had an opportunity toknow both parents. I often wonder how my life would have been if myparents had worked things out, but I know I would not be the same strong person Iam today.Struggling through this rough time, I learned to put my faith in Godand never to lose hope. I thank my parents for allowing me to learn from theirmistakes, and hope that I will not make the same ones. Ultimately, I had to makea choice: to move on with my life, or dwell on my past. I thank God for all thewonderful gifts he has bestowed upon me. My parents have both remarriedand are happy. I have two new parents, whom I hold as dear as my own. I am trulyglad to see both my p arents happy. Although I still wonder what my life mighthave been like, I never wish to change where I amtoday. *  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  *  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  *Asthe sun rose, sunlight peered into my bedroom and I could hear birds singing. Isat up in bed, relieved that the thunderstorm was finally over. I felt changed. Slowly, I opened my window, noticing the beautiful tulips blooming and the softspring breeze blowing against the trees. Suddenly I thought, I survived thestorm! I am ready to face the next one! After all, today is another day. One Typical Day Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Amanda S. , Phoenix, AZ Dragging my tired self to my locker one Tuesdayafternoon, I picked up my books and shoved them into my bag.I pulled out mysports bag, dreading cross-country practice and thinking of all I had to do thatnight: write an English paper, do a practice math SAT and study for chemistry. That's when a cheery voice broke in, â€Å"Hey, Katie, don't forget about ourSPAC performance tonight at the hospital. See you at seven! † Thevoice belonged to Adam, the president of Students in the Performing Arts for theCommunity. He and a few of our school's symphonic band members (including me)started the club because we wanted to put some of our time and talents back intothe community by performing at hospitals and nursing homes.At that moment,however, I saw the performance as just one more thing to add to my list. Iarrived at the hospital with my flute in one hand and my chemistry book in theother, hoping to sneak in a little studying. I walked through the sliding doorsinto a cream-colored hall and saw an audience of older people in wheelchairs. Some were sleeping, others sat with blank stares, but a few looked joyful. Thosewere the faces, rosy with excitement, that made me smile. In their midst Ispotted a thin, pale girl who was no more than 13. Thick black braces engulfedher tiny legs, and I wondered wh y someone so young was stuck in thisplace.Toward the end of the hour, after Bach and show tunes, my friendSarah asked if anyone had any requests. The girl raised her arm and asked if shecould sing â€Å"My Heart Will Go On. † Sarah happily invited her to sharethe microphone and the girl hobbled past the sea of wheelchairs. When she andSarah began to sing, I noticed the girl's cheeks became pinker and her eyesshined. At that moment, I forgot my homework and remembered the true meaning ofSPAC: improving the quality of life for others. After the performance weall talked with the girl and discovered she wants to be a singer.She told usthat singing with Sarah had helped her remember her goal. As she spoke, shelooked down, self-consciously, at her thin legs. Then, she asked if we could allget together for a picture so she could remember this night and never give up onher dream. I stayed longer than I'd planned. I was amazed by what one hourof my time could do – help someone go from feeling like a prisoner in a hospitalto feeling like Celine Dion performing at a concert. That night, I lingered atthe dinner table with my family. I also called a friend I had not talked to in awhile.I did not do too well on the chemistry test the next day, but it was justone test, and I knew I could take it again. There could be no retake for myexperience that night at the hospital, except the one I'll always replay in myheart. Success Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Michael G. , Glocester, RI â€Å"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you none otherthan the one and only Nick A.! † screamed the announcer into themicrophone, in a vain attempt to be heard over the eruption of cheers from theoverflowing auditorium. As I stood, brimming with pride, the noise grew to adeafening level.I walked slowly toward the podium, my grin growing with eachstep. The announcer shook my hand, the principal slapped me on the back, and as Istepped up to the podium, I look ed up at a gigantic banner blazing forth mysuccess. It read: â€Å"Nice Guy Builds Ramp! † Well, it probablywould never happen that way. â€Å"Nice Guy Builds Ramp! † is not exactly acommon honor at an awards ceremony. The fact is I am, for the most part, a niceguy, and I did, in fact, build a ramp. And here is another fact: the truereward did not come from any ceremony but rather because I built it for someone Idid not even know, and it made a world of difference to her.She was an olderwoman, perhaps in her 70s. I never found out what was wrong with her, but she hada gigantic oxygen tank in her simply furnished living room, and she waswheelchair-bound. The whole business began when I participated in a summerprogram where teens from all over come together to do projects for people who aretoo old or poor to get them done. With other kids, I was assigned to build a rampfor this lady who had not been out of her house in seven years. At first Icould not believe I had been talked into going to a work camp, but I soon found Ihad never felt so good or had so much fun.My crew and I really bonded, with thiscommon goal of helping a woman who was only seeing the world from her window. Instantly, our group seemed to know each other. Lindsey was tall andathletic with really stretchy skin she could use to launch pencils from her knee,a talent she often demonstrated at lunch. Matt was a year younger and muchshorter, his crew cut not helping him much in the height department. We came tocall him the Handy Man because he was never without super-cargo pants that heldmore tools than seemed humanly possible. Michelle had great,super-precisely braided hair that looked as if it had taken hours to do.I wasreally impressed until one of the braids fell out. â€Å"Oh, shoot,† shesaid, and tied it back in. My whole world came crashing down when I realized thebraids were synthetic and that lots of girls wear them. As our workprogressed, we were so involved that we bec ame impervious to the attacks ofpassersby who stopped to ask what we were doing and could not believe we wereworking for free. The big payoff came when â€Å"our† lady rolleddown the ramp for the first time. I will never forget her tears. For the firsttime in seven years she collected her mail herself. We all gave her a gigantichug.Still in a state of amazement, she invited us to visit anytime, claiming shehad plenty of soda. And as she thanked us over and over again, I'll admit it – Iteared up. Building a ramp is not the only thing I was ever praised for. Iwon a bronze medal in the Rockland Final Fencing Tournament junior year, so Iknow what it is like to have people clapping when my name is called. But I alsoknow that building a ramp was a much greater success than any medal I could everwin. All the Things I'm Not Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Samantha P. , Rochdale, MATo look at me, I'm just a â€Å"pretty boy,† puton Earth for the amusement of bullies who are jealous of my appearance, andcoveted as a boyfriend. Now, if that's true, I must also be conceited(that goes without saying) and pig-headed, too! I must think I'm God's gift towomen. I'm really just a pretty face, I don't have much else going for me. Godswitched brains for dimples, I guess. I bounce from woman to woman; I'm ashameless heartbreaker. Yet, I have been in a monogamous relationship for about ayear now. My GPA's a solid B+, higher when I apply myself. I'm creative – Iwrite, I read, I play Dungeons & Dragons.Maybe I'm a nerd. I read atleast 75 comics a month, usually more. I have a favorite writer, I've read morethan the required reading for English, and more than five books without pictures. I play role-playing games. I know what HP and THAC0 stand for, and while I'venever personally lost touch with reality, I've played with people who have. I'myour resident fanboy, and own six different Spider-Man T-shirts. I know whokilled Jason Todd (I own the actual issues and the trade paperback), and I'malways ready to argue over which was the best comic series ever,†Watchmen† or â€Å"The Dark Knight Returns. I play with actionfigures. In fact, I've built an entire city in my room, and when no one's around,I pretend the figures talk (I do a great Christopher Reeve impression). I dohomework. My I. Q. is more than the change in my pocket. I didn't need acalculator for the SATs and I never took a prep course. That said, I'mprobably antisocial. I shy away from sports and physical confrontation. I'veprobably never had a date, and I probably spend all day online (maybe nights,too). I'm probably on the newspaper staff, maybe even class president. Well, Ihave a girlfriend, I'm really vocal and I only go online for research.Plus, Ican bench 200 pounds and squat twice that much and I do play sports. Maybe I'm ajock. I play a sport for every season, three for the sole purpose ofbecoming better at the main one. Yes, the wo rld is shaped like a football, andorbit is made possible by the powerful arm of Testaverdi. AC/DC's the best bandto get you pumped, and six straight losses is the best way to bring you down. Oneof my favorite movies is â€Å"Braveheart,† and although†Gladiator† was good, it doesn't even come close. I want to be likeRudy, and I never want anything that happened in â€Å"The Program† tohappen to me.I've seen things men could never show their girlfriends; I can findthe locker room by smell alone and I know for a fact that mold can grow oncotton. I've heard â€Å"Welcome to the Jungle† 986 times this year (andit's only April). I must run out of socks and underwear before I wash them, andeven then I go commando for a week. Knowing this, you might think I pickon smaller kids or hang out in large groups. You might think I have a very bigbody with a little head. You'd assume that I use the words â€Å"dude† and†cool† constantly out of cont ext (which I do). But that can't be right. I mean, I can spell football and I only fight if necessary.Heck, sometimes Ieven use metaphors. Maybe I'm one of those artistic guys. I have writtenat least one piece of any type of writing you can think of, and I enjoyed it all(except straight news articles, I really hate writing those). I'm going on myeleventh art credit. I took a fashion class and am not ashamed to admit it. Ihave a sensitive side – I cry during â€Å"Bambi. † I can appreciate theamount of time it takes to hand draw a couple hundred flowers. I know the fourkinds of self-portraits: one without looking in a mirror, one looking in amirror, one drawing from a picture and one of your hand. I know green'scomplement, and exactly what ROY G.BIV stands for. I understand Shakespeare, butnot a word of The Scarlet Letter. When essay assignments are announced, I'm theonly one who smiles, and whether you like it or not, I think this essay ishilarious. So, you would figur e I'd be pretty quiet. You know, I can't speakwell, so my writing will be my voice and such. Nope, I'm very loud. I talk andargue and sing. Maybe I'm one of those choir boys. I was the only freshmanin my school ever to get a solo, I was in the elite Florida Singing Sons, I'veperformed at nine Sea Worlds, I know all eight versions of the â€Å"HallelujahChorus† and I have two medals for excellence from NYSSMA.But that's notall; I'm also the lead singer of my very own punk rock band. It's been one yearand we've had 447 different names. I know why Kurt Cobain shot himself, and Ihope I die before I grow old. I own at least ten Misfits T-shirts, and pants thatsay â€Å"Hey, Ho! Let's Go! † on the crotch. I own leather pants and astudded bracelet. I'm currently waiting for McFarlane to wise up and make aDexter Holland figure, and I don't care what your definition of punk is, GreenDay is good enough for me.By now I'm sure you're not assuming anything, and I'msure you suspect that I also do many things to contradict this cliche, like I ownan Eminem record and Rod Stewart's greatest hits. And while I do have a few bodypiercings, none of them is life-threatening. Well, pigs can fly. Hell hasfrozen over. The world is coming to an end. Because the good-looking, faithful,singing, drawing and writing, jock fanboy is roaming the earth. They said itcould never happen, but I guess â€Å"they† were wrong. I make no excusesfor myself and pay no mind to your complaints or opinions. I'm everything thatI'm not, and I love it.A Memory Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Elizabeth B. , Norwich, CT Builtof gray stone and situated on a small plateau in the middle of rolling hills ismy grandmother's three-story farmhouse. Sunken into the land, it fits like aperfect piece in the puzzle of the checkered landscape. This housefostered comfort and happiness. I trusted that it would always be there, and feltsafe in knowing I could always go back and r evel in its character and uniqueness. It was my mother's home. It was my grandmother's house. We drove up thegravel driveway and parked under the overhang.For weeks, my mom had been tryingto get me to go. The settlement was at the end of the week, and I finally gavein. Only five stepping stones away from the road was the door. Massivepine trees, only half as tall when I was born and even smaller when my mother wasyoung, shaded the front of the house and blocked the wrap-around porch on thesecond level. My mom unlocked the door with the key she'd had for years. Adraft of the scent inside hit me like a slap in the face. I let it resonate in mybrain as the smell triggered memories. Boxes belonging to strangershad invaded the living room.In the kitchen the refrigerator had been ripped out,the furniture removed. All I could see were the images of Christmas Day duringthe past 17 years. I stepped onto the porch. From the left, the streetslithered through the hills to the front door and con tinued on to the right. Withone breath I inhaled the sweet pine scent from the trees and looked at thesetting sun. Up the road was my cousin's house. Between the two homes wehad dwelled in days of simple play. In the halcyon times of summer, our bathingsuits became second skins, our bikes second sets of legs. We spent comfortablehours in the pastoral landscape, knowing the day was ours.I took one last lookat the view. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want it to be just amemory. My grandfather walked into the house carrying a camera. Muscles oflabor, skin of leather; years of hard work were in this once six-foot-tall oldman. His height had shrunk while his belly had swelled. My mom anxiouslysnapped a picture of her old bedroom. The house was retained in its splendor forthat frozen moment. My grandfather put his strong hand, a hand worthy of farming,on my shoulder. Flash. For one last time I was part of these walls. I putthe place to rest in my mind, trying to swallow the lump in my t hroat.As I saidgood-bye to an era of my life – the chapter of my childhood – my eyes welled withtears. Closing the white metal door for the last time, I carried with me a senseof security as strong as those old stone walls. Success at Last Unknown Email me when Un. contributes work Image Credit: Jason B. , Philadelphia, PA It always looked so easy when my dad did it. He cutsmoothly, his shoulder leaning so close to the water that his body lookedparallel to the cool glass. I had been itching to be free of my yellow trainingskis and ski on my own. I wanted to learn to fly over the water just like my dad,but water skiing isn't as easy as it looks.I had been trying for almost a month. First I tried two skis, but my seven-year-old stick legs weren't strong enough tocontrol them, so Dad suggested simplifying things by using one ski. Simplify? Slalom ski? My first attempts at slalom skiing were disasters, but Irefused to give up. When we took a family trip to a lake, I couldn 't wait to tryagain. After eating a big lunch on the deck overlooking the water, we went outfor a ski. I was the last to go. I reluctantly slipped into the foreboding water;this lake was a lot bigger and rougher than the one back home. The frothy waterswirled around me and I was terrified.How can I get up in this mess of whitecapswhen I can't even get up in my calm little lake? I wondered. I crouched in thewater, pulled my legs to my chest and waited. After four attempts Iaccepted defeat – but only for that outing. I was determined not to giveup. The next morning my dad's friend suggested another way of getting meup, and I said, â€Å"Sure! † I would try anything to get the chance to ski. He had me sit on the lower portion of the dock, skis in the water and rope inhand as he pulled the boat away. As I sat, I thought about falling like an anchorinto the dark water and getting splinters in my butt. Ready? † he asked. â€Å"Yeah! † I replied, shakily. Iheard the boat roar and my teeth clenched. I felt the rope gently tug my arms andsuddenly the cool air was tingling my legs and the water was splitting to let methrough. I was doing it! Success at last! I couldn't wait to get home and showoff my new skill to my friends. It took seemingly endless gallons of waterup my nose and aching, heavy arms, but now I can fly across the water almost aswell as my dad. I gained this confidence through persistence and courage -qualities I plan to apply to my life once I reach the big lake of college andeven the ocean of real life.

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation Essay

The net profit figure of RMB 19,011 reported under PRC GAAP was increased to RMB 21,593 under IFRS. The increase of RMB 2,582 under IFRS was due to the following reasons: Dep. and disposal of oil and gas properties RMB3,044 Acquisition of subsidiaries 443 Capitalization of general borrowing costs 389 Gain from issuance of shares by subsidiary 136 Gain from debt restructuring 82 Revaluation of land use rights 18 4,112 Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries (182) Pre-operating expenditures (169) Effect on taxation (1,179)(1,530) 2,582 The net profit figure of RMB 21,593 reported under IFRS was increased to RMB 25,577 under U.S. GAAP. The increase of RMB 3,984 under U.S. GAAP was due to the following reasons: Dep. of revalued PPE RMB 3,998 Disposal of PPE 1,316 Capitalized interest on invest.in associates 141 Reversal of deficits on revaluation of PPE 86 Foreign exchange gains and losses76 Reversal of impairment of long-lived assets 47 Exchange of assets23 Capitalization of PPE12 5,699 Deferred tax effect of U.S. GAAP adjustments (1,715) 3,984 2.The differences for CPCC between PRC GAAP and IFRS, and between IFRS and U.S. GAAP are given in the case. As mentioned in the case, treatments of the following items under PRC GAAP and IFRS are different: Depreciation and disposal of oil and gas properties Capitalization of general borrowing costs Acquisition of subsidiaries Gains from issuance of shares by a subsidiary Gains from debt restructuring Revaluation of land use rights Unrecognized losses of subsidiaries Pre-operating expenditures Impairment loses on long-lived assets Government grants (Refer pp.5-72 – 5-75 in the textbook) Treatments of depreciation and disposal of oil and gas properties seem to have a significant impact on reported profit. As mentioned in the case, treatments of the following items under IFRS and U.S. GAAP are different: Foreign exchange gains and losses Capitalization and revaluation of property, plant and equipment Exchange of assets Impairment of long-lived assets Capitalization of interest on investment in associates Goodwill amortization Companies included in consolidation Related party transactions (Refer pp.5-77 – 5-82) Treatments of depreciation of revalued property, plant and equipment, and disposal of property, plant and equipmentseem to have a significant impact on reported profit 3.U.K. readers of the financial statements may not find them very useful, as the information is not reconciled to the U.K. GAAP. There are differences between U.K. GAAP and IFRS, and between U.K. GAAP and U.S. GAAP. With the adoption of IFRS in the EU, this may not be a major problem anymore. However, UK companies use IFRS as adopted by the EU which in some cases differs from the IFRS issued by the IASB. 4.U.S. readers should find the information useful. However, it would be better for them if the information was reconciled directly from PRC GAAP to U.S. GAAP. 5.When a company is listed on a foreign stock exchange, it is always useful to explain the differences, if any, between accounting standards used in  preparing financial statements, and those that are stipulated by the listing requirements. The need for such explanation is reduced if the two sets of standards are comparable. However, differences can still exist due to different interpretations of the requirements. Therefore, the approach taken by CPCC can be recommended to other companies.

Organisational Culture Essay

Culture According to Kroeber and Kluckholn (1952) culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiment in artifacts. Sinha (2000) suggests that â€Å"Culture consists of totality of assumptions, beliefs, values, social systems and institutions, physical artifacts and behaviour of people, reflecting their desire to maintain continuity as well as to adapt to external demands.† Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes an organisation from other organisations. Organisational culture is the set of values that helps the organisation’s employees understanding which actions are considered acceptable and which are unacceptable According to Schein, Organisational Culture is defined as A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as a correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems Gareth Morgan has described organizational culture as: â€Å"The set of the set of beliefs, values, and norms, together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities, that represents the unique character of an organization, and provides the context for action in it and by it.† Types of Organizational Culture Organisational culture can vary in a number of ways. It is these variances that differentiate one organisation from the others. Some of the bases of the differentiation are presented below : 1. Strong vs weak culture : Organisational culture can be labelled as strong or weak based on sharedness of the core values among organisational members and the degree of commitment the members have to these core values. The higher the sharedness and commitment, the stronger the culture increases the possibility of behaviour consistency amongst its members, while a weak culture opens avenues for each one of the members showing concerns unique to themselves. 2. Soft vs hard culture : Soft work culture can emerge in an organisation where the organisation pursues multiple and conflicting goals. In a soft culture the employees choose to pursue a few objectives which serve personal or sectional interests. A typical example of soft culture can be found in a number of public sector organisations in India where the management feels constrained to take action against employees to maintain high productivity. The culture is welfare oriented; people are held accountable for their mistakes but are not rewarded for good performance. Consequently, the employees consider work to be less important than personal and social obligations. Sinha (1990) has presented a case study of a public sector fertilizer company which was established in an industrially backward rural area to promote employment generation and industrial activity. Under pressure from local communities and the government, the company succumbed to overstaffing, converting mechanised operations into manual operations, payment of overtime, and poor discipline. This resulted in huge financial losses (up to 60 percent of the capital) to the company. 3. Formal vs informal culture : The work culture of an organisation, to a large extent, is influenced by the formal components of organisational culture. Roles, responsibilities, accountability, rules and regulations are components of formal culture. They set the expectations that the organisation has from every member and indicates the consequences if these expectations are not fulfilled. Mechanistic and organic cultures: The most important aspects of organisation in public sector companies include hierarchies, supervision, control, formalisation, flow of authority and communication from top to bottom, etc., rather than the results or outcome. Organisations with these characters are termed as mechanistic organisations. They follow status quo strategy and therefore resist innovation and aggressiveness on the part of employees. These organisations also lack customer-orientation and employee welfare. Tata Infotech, on the other hand, is more flexible and open. Jobs and roles are not defined rigidly and employees are given freedom to adjust themselves to the environmental requirement. Concern is more towards the outcome and results, but not the procedure or hierarchy. Communication in this company is more multi-directional. The informal communication is widely used. Decision-making is more decentralized. People with the ability to handle problems are given freedom to assume authority and responsibility. This company is a continuous learning organisation from the environment and such companies are termed as organic structures.† The mechanic culture de-motivates the competent people and leads to negative organisational culture and while the organic culture motivate the able employees to be competitive and innovative. Authoritarian and participative cultures: Authority to make the decisions is centralised at the top management level in Nagarjuna Fertilisers Limited. Consequently, the CEO of the company makes the decisions and informs them to the lower levels in the organisation. Such culture of concentration of authority and power at the central level is called authoritarian culture. Such a culture kills the initiative and innovativeness of the employees at different levels. In contrast, Cybertech Systems and Software decentralises the power and authority decision-making. In fact, employees are involved in decision-making. Communication flows not only from the top to bottom but also from the bottom to the top. Such type of culture is called participative culture. Participative culture encourages the employees to be innovative, aggressive and to take risks. Features of Organisational Culture The analysis of the above definitions indicate the following features of organisational culture Innovation and risk taking: ‘Innovation is the way of life in Microsoft.’ Innovation the key characteristic of Gillette Company.’ Companies encourage the employees to innovative and risk takers at different degrees. Attention to detail: ‘Employees in the Boston Consultancy Group are expected to be precise, analytical and pay attention to even the minor details.’ Thus, organisations require their employees to be precise, analytical and pay attention to the minute details at different degrees. Outcome orientation: ‘Coromandal Cements expects its employees to improve their performance at least by 5% every year irrespective of the approaches they follow.’ Thus the organisations require their employees to pay attention or the results. Pople Orientation: Hewlett and Packard announced one day unpaid holiday for every nine working days and avoided lay-off.’ Thus, the organisations take the effect its decisions on the employees.ei Team orientation: â€Å"Global Solutions repeats: â€Å"We Work.† It does mean that activities are designed around teams but not individuals. Thus, we today find team jobs rather than individual jobs. Aggressiveness: The employees of State Bank of India were not allowed to be aggressive whereas the employees of IDBI Bank are expected to be aggressive and competitive. Thus, aggressiveness is the level to which the employees are expected to be competitive rather than easygoing. Stability: Most of the Indian Universities still have the status quo strategy of maintaining the traditional values and beliefs of ‘Guru and Shishya’ parampara of Gurukulas Radical change: In contrast to the stability strategy, most of the organisations after 1991 have the growth, diversification and conglomerate diversification strategies. It is the degree at which the organisational activities emphasise growth and diversification Customer Orientation: Pizza Huts build relationship with the customers and then adapt aggressive marketing strategies. It is the degree to which the management decisions take into considerations the effect of outcomes on customers of the organization. indicates the consequences if these expectations are not fulfilled. Table 1.1 presents some of the components of formal culture and their implication for organisations.

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Personal Statement Example I will be the first to admit that I was not always interested in a career in music. As a child, my activities leaned more towards the child like interests such as roller skating. As a teenager, I loved to take long drives in the countryside with my friends on weekends. But because my mother enrolled me piano lessons as a child, I had no choice but to follow her orders. As I progressed with my piano studies though, I discovered that I was slowly coming to love the art of music, hence the reason why I chose Music as my college major. As an international student, the biggest challenge I have faced would have to be my communication abilities .I am at a disadvantage because I am not a native English speaker. Since we have a number of Chinese students enrolled in my current school, I have come to understand the difficulties of learning a language far removed from ones own. Since translators are not always available and translations do not always work in conveying the original thoughts and emotions of a person. So I am working hard on improving my English skills in order to ensure that that I can overcome this problem that I am facing. As I previously mentioned, there are a number of Chinese students currently enrolled in my school. Being foreign students, they have a great difficulty in communicating with the others in our class and expressing themselves in oral reports. Such experiences send them into isolation because they feel intimidated by our classmates. I have gone out of my way to make friends with the foreign students and help them overcome their language barrier with the others in our class because I know that the time will come when I will be needing the same help from others. So I am paying it forward for now. My goal in life is to complete my college studies in Music and then go on to further training at internationally renowned musical institutions where I can catch the eye or ear of notable names in the music