Titration Lab Essay Example for Free

Titration Lab Essay Method for Control of Variables 1. In order to control the titration of potassium permanganate, we used the pipette to make the titration constant. We also used the same amount of chemical solutions, with the same flasks, to make the titration as constant as possible. 2. To control the amount of redox in the experiment, we have used the pipette to keep on putting the same amount of drop every time. The pipette made the amount of redox constant for every trial, and made the data more accurate. 3. In order to control the amount of potassium permanganate, we have measured the solution with the same plate and same scale. Since we have used the same materials, the amount used was very close. 4. To control the amount of force put in to mix the solution, I used my right hand for every trial and did not vary the length and procedure to mix. I have mixed the solution 5. In order to control the temperature of the liquids, I have used the same room at the same time. I did not used any air conditioning to change the temperature. Method For Data Collection 1. I have weighed out exactly 2.5 grams of AR ammonium iron (II) sulphate crystals, and dissolved them in approximately 40cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of sulphuric acid solution with a concentration of approximately 1 mol dm-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. 2. I did NOT heat the solution to assist the dissolving of the solution. 3. I made up to 100cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of the solution into a volumetric flask and mixed the solution. 4. I have used the pipette to pipette 10cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of the solution into a conical flask and added about an equal volume of distilled water. 5. I titrated this with 0.0200mol dm-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ potassium manganate (VII) solution to a faint pink color. 6. I repeated the titration for at least 2 times for accuracy in the data and recorded all the results. Table of Raw Results Table Showing Volume of KMnO4 Used to React With the Solution Initial Reading Final Reading Volume of KMnO4 The error or uncertainty of this data is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.05cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. However, the uncertainty for the volume difference is not à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.05cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, but is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.10cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. This is because there are two à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.05cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ datas, and if you add them up, you will get à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.10cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Evaluation Improvements: In this experiment, there were several inaccurate results and some mistakes I could have improved. 1. Pipette: For each drop from the pipette, there were same amounts of solutions, but since it is made by human hand, there should have been a slight difference in each drop. 2. Temperature: Although I have done this experiment in one class period, there were slight changes in the weather, causing the temperature to change. This could have affected the data results. 3. Force: The force applied to the solution and the flask was approximately the same, but there were some differences since it was done by humans. Humans never can do the same exact thing over, and so there should have been a slight error. Conclusion My hypothesis for this experiment was correct, because it took about 10 drops to titrate. Although there were some slight errors during the experiment, the experiment itself went fairly well, as there werent any big outstanding errors in the data and procedures. The main aim of this experiment, titration of redox with potassium permanganate, was well presented, and overall the experiment was good. Problem Calculation 1. MnO4- + 8H+ + 5Fe- = Mn2+ + 4H2O + Fe3+ 2. 5 moles of Fe2+ is required. 3. 10cm3 = 0.01dm3 0.02 mol dm-3 x 0.01 dm3 = 0.0002 mol 0.0002 moles of KMnO4 is present. 4. MnO4- : Fe2+ 1:5 0.0002 mol : 0.001 mol 0.001 moles of Fe2+ is present in 10cm3 of the solution. 5. 0.001 mol x 10 =0.01 mol 0.01 moles of Fe2+ is present in 100cm3 of the solution. 6. 1 mole of Fe2+ = 56grams 56g x 0.01 mol = 0.56g 0.56 grams of Fe2+ is in the ammonium iron (II) sulfate 7. Number of moles of ammonium iron (II) sulfate = 39 0.56g/(39mol x 0.1) = 14.4% 8. 1 mol of ammonium iron(II) sulfate = (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2 x 6H2O = 2N + 8H+ 1Fe+ 2S + 😠¯ + 12H + 6O = 392 grams 56g/392g = 14.3% 9. My result was 14.4% and it is almost equal to the correct value which is 14.3%. The difference is only 0.1%. 10. The iron (II) salt might evaporate if I heat it, and will affect the result.

Education Reform Essay -- Education

Ideas swarm around us everyday. They run through our heads and at times they alter our thoughts, believes, and perception. The question is, what ideas, events, or words affect us so that we do the things we do and say the things we say. If we understand the causes and know the effects, we have yet to fully understand the â€Å"chain.† In essence, the real question is not â€Å"what† ideas, events, or words affected the person but rather â€Å"why† it affected them. To understand the why, we must first understand the initial cause and effect. George Santayana’s philosophies found in his essays, â€Å"Intellectual Ambition† and â€Å"Intuitive Morality,† were enthused by the rise of education and change in literature during the time. The cause and effect can be as simple as the rise of education and such forth brought Santayana to write these essays; however, with the lack of detail, the lack of evidence, and no answer to why these things affected his writing, it is impossible to complete the chain of cause and effect. Basically, the causes, effects, details, and evidence must first be analyzed then organized in order to understand the question of why. During the late 1880s and early 1890s, reforms in education allowed for a more open view of education and the world sparking creativity and independence in schools. (America Past and Present, paraphrase) The world, especially the United States, was beginning to understand that through creativity and education beyond the core subjects the spectrum of knowledge known would spread beyond regions imaginable. The curiosity spread through out the U.S and eventually influenced many great people, one being George Santayana. In his essay, â€Å"Intellectual Ambition,† Santayana signifies the strength of creativity and... ...Works Cited Santayana, George. â€Å"Intellectual Ambition.† The Oxford Book of Essays. Oxford University Press. ED. John Gross. 1991. 341-342 Santayana, George. â€Å"Intuitive Morality.† The Oxford Book of Essays. Oxford University Press. ED. John Gross. 1991. 342-345 Saatkamp, Herman, "George Santayana." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) . â€Å"Chapter 19: Towards an Urban Society, 1877-1900.† America: Past and Present. Ed. Michael Boezi. 8th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 538-570 â€Å"Chapter 20: Political Realignment in 1890s.† America: Past and Present. Ed. Michael Boezi. 8th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 572-598 â€Å"George Santayana.† Britannica. 2005. 17 Jan. 2006 .

Hope Wireless HR Proposal Essay

In support of launching a total reorganization of Hope Wireless, the third leading wireless company in the United States, the Human Resource Department will review and enhance several processes to include but not limited to staffing, performance appraisal, training and development, total rewards, and organizational behavior and processes. The goal is to transition Hope Wireless from good to great; from not only being an American company but a global company. The goal of this strategic organization proposal is to attract and retain the most qualified employees, improved company performance, customer satisfaction, prevent churn and increase revenue. Employees are Hope Wireless number one resource and a long term investment in employees is a long-term investment for the organization. Part I – Hope Wireless HR Proposal Plan Hope Wireless offers a broad range of wireless and wire line communications services encouraging mobile freedom to consumers, business and government users. By the end of the first quarter 2013, Hope Wireless had served more than 55 million customers with an employee base of approximately 60, 000 people. This is over 15 million more customer than one year ago. Hope Wireless is widely recognized for offering the most innovative technology and cutting edge devices and the most sophisticated network of all mobile carriers. Hope Wireless’s business objective is to position the organization to be the leading wireless company in the telecommunications industry. Hope Wireless is striving to offer world-class customer service, proactively identifying and meeting the wireless needs of customers and to offer benefits unlike any other organization. â€Å"Organizations in which people work affect their thoughts, feelings, and actions in the workplace and away from it. Likewise, people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions affect the  organizations in which they work† (Brief & Weiss, 2002). Over the past five years, Hope Wireless has progressively earned numerous customer service awards but most importantly the American Customer Satisfaction Index award. The American Customer Satisfaction Index group rated Hope Wireless No. 1 amongst all national carriers in most improved customer service particularly over the last four years. â€Å"Customer satisfaction is an important goal for providers of both services and products, and customer surveys are a commonly used instrument for evaluating that satisfaction† (Ammar, Moore & Wright, 2008). Approximately five years ago, Hope Wireless was failing customer service surveys miserably and the customer satisfaction rate was fluctuating between anywhere from 65% to Part I – Hope Wireless HR Proposal Plan 72%. The telecommunications industry customer satisfaction goal is 85% or better. It was obvious across sites, states and countries that employees were not satisfied with their work environment and conditions. A supervisor task force proposed ideas to incite change across the organization. â€Å"Operation Smile† became a nationwide Hope Wireless initiative in addition to the â€Å"Go Fish† campaign. Operation Smile all employees to smile whether it was towards another employee or customer. Everyone in the organization was presented 20 SMILE cards of which agreements were electronically signed that each employee would award any employee they â€Å"caught† smiling. The quality analyst were charge to give a SMILE cards to employees they heard SMILING through the phone. The Operation Smile initiative alone increased the overall customer satisfaction rate by 9%, sometimes higher. Any employee who accumulated increments of 10 or more cards could earn exciting gifts. This was a six-month initiative that cumulated with a grand-prize drawing that varied depending upon the site and locality. The next morale boosting initiative which would have a direct positive impact on organization effectiveness was implementing the â€Å"GO Fish† campaign. Seattle’s Pike Fish market was the source of this idea as they are a living example of the principles supported by this initiative†¦.†being present† and â€Å"making someone’s day†. If an employee was present for the  customer or peer, they were awarded a fish by their supervisor or manager. The receiving employee would solicit a fish for their peer from a supervisor or manager. The quality analyst would award the fish if they witness an employee â€Å"being present† and â€Å"making someone’s day† towards their customer. Part I – Hope Wireless HR Proposal Plan Each team was also given a stuffed fish to throw to the person who received a fish. Whenever the random bell tolled, the person holding the fish would receive an immediate reward, most often a gift card. Just as the SMILE initiative, any employee who accumulated increments of 10 or more fish could earn very exciting prizes. This was also a six month morale boosting plan. Customer satisfaction results have continually progressed and have been maintaining ratings of 85% or better on a monthly basis. Hope Wireless began and continues to see a decrease in churn, decrease in employee turnover, increase in employee relations and retention and a dramatic increase in customer satisfaction. The aforementioned action plans greatly influenced employee morale and encourage positive customer behavior while increasing the effectiveness of the organization. â€Å"The loss of employees is a disruptive event. Organizations often pursue innovative ways to reduce employee turnover, often with limited success† (Murphy & Taylor, 2006). In addition to random initiatives, Hope Wireless offers on-going employee relation and retention resources such as the manager, site director open door policy, human resource specialist, employee assistance hotline, anonymous corporate security hotline and email address and a on-line suggestion box is set up in each site. Hope Wireless needs to supports diversity management by â€Å"ensuring that factors are in place to provide for and encourage the continued development of a diverse workforce by melding these actual and perceived differences among workers to achieve maximum productivity† (Mondy & Mondy, 2008). Hope Wireless needs to offer various employee resource groups in support of sexual preference, gender, race, veteran status, etc. The employee Part I – Hope Wireless HR Proposal Plan resource groups will be voluntary, open to all employees with them not being limited to having access to only one group. The Employee Resource Groups (ERG) will offer many benefits to employees such as unique development and networking opportunities, acquisition of practical skills and mentoring programs. In addition, ERG offers connections with people and information not generally accessible. The aforementioned connections to aid employees in positively impacting the organization by become part of the solution. Association with ERG provides allows employees exposure to company leaders, to serve and volunteer in the community as a representative of the organization and most importantly exposure to and learning about different cultures. Hope Wireless has utilized both internal staffing processes and temporary staffing agencies. Research has suggested employees that were hired on a permanent basis out-performed temporary worker. The permanent workers demonstrated ownership and allegiance to the company coupled with documented higher customer satisfaction ratings. The recommendation is to maintain the internal hiring practice. Hope Wireless is successfully trending in the right direction. The aforementioned initiatives, processes and resources, customer service ratings and referenced awards have aided and proven that Hope Wireless is now offering world-class customer service. In addition, the number of net-adds in one year’s time, demonstrates Hope Wireless’s ability to meet and exceed the mobile needs of customer base. Hope Wireless continues to strive for on-going growth and success. REFERENCES Ammar, S., Moore, D., & Wright, R. (2008). Analyzing customer satisfaction surveys using a fuzzy rule-based decision support system: Enhancing customer relationship management. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 15(2), 91-105. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/dbm.2008.2 Brief, Arthur P., & Weiss Howard M., â€Å"Organizational Behavior: Affect in the Workplace†, (2002), pp. 279-307. Mondy, R. W., & Mondy, J. B. (200*) Human Resource Management (10th ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Taylor, Lloyd J., I., II, Murphy, B., & Price, W. (2006). Goldratt’s thinking process applied to employee retention. Business Process Management Journal, 12(5), 646-670. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14637150610691055 Part II – Hope Wireless Performance Appraisal Hope Wireless offers a broad range of wireless and wire line communications services encouraging mobile freedom to consumers, business, and government users. Performance appraisal methods are essential in support of â€Å"Human Resource planning, recruitment and selection, training and development, career planning and development, compensation programs, internal employee relations and assessment of employee potential† (Mondy & Mondy, 2008). The appropriate performance appraisal method for Hope Wireless, considering the type of organization and the number of employees is the rating scales method. â€Å"The rating scales method is a performance appraisal method that rates employees according to defined factors† (Mondy & Mondy, 2008). â€Å"Performance management systems are effective when they are based on goals that are jointly set and are driven by an organization’s business strategy† (â€Å"What Makes Performance Appraisals Effective?† 2012). Performance appraisal imperatives for Hope Wireless will include: Do It Now (resolve); Delegate & Empower (engage appropriate resource/make a decision); Be Accountable (ownership); Focus on Customers (attentive); Teamwork & Camaraderie (work and win as a team); Compete like Winners (always strive for the top); Develop Yourself & Others (stay abreast of the business policies/procedures; peer-to-peer coaching); Acting with Integrity (adhere to code of conduct) and Have Fun (enjoy what you do). The advantage of the rating scales method is that the process is controlled and uniform. With the large number of individuals employed by Hope Wireless, the rating scales method allow for easy comparison and contrast. ‘The rating scales method allows each employee to be subjected to the same appraisal process and rating criteria, with the same range of responses. Part II – Hope Wireless Performance Appraisal Rating scale methods are easy to use and understand. The concept of the rating scale makes obvious sense; both appraisers and evaluated employees have an intuitive appreciation for the simple and efficient logic of the bipolar scale. The result is widespread acceptance and popularity for this approach† (â€Å"Appraisal Methods†, n.d.). â€Å"Organizational culture change is dynamic and depends on leadership and  management. The concepts of organizational change focusing on process, culture change and leadership, and organizational culture change and the learning organization are central to organizational transformation and will be addressed next† (ConceiÃÆ' §ÃƒÆ' £o & Altman, 2011). â€Å"Training and development is the heart of a continuous effort designed to improve employee competency and organizational performance† (Mondy & Mondy, 2008). The training and development program projected for Hope Wireless will be inclusive of intense focus on the position of the front line employee. The front-line employee is the customer-interfacing employee which directly impacts the organization’s bottom line revenue. While training for the management team and other integral positions is very important, it is the customer interaction of which the organization thrives and allows the other positions to be vital and necessary. Taking into consideration the organization’s mission, goals and corporate plan, the training and development will be created to support the company’s culture. It is also important for Hope Wireless’s training and development plan to support the various job description tasks to include both internal and external customers. The final attribute in the training and development process is each employee’s personal training needs. This can be assessed by compiling knowledge, skills and abilities checklist and having each supervisor/manager administer the survey. Establishing training goals specific to each Part II – Hope Wireless Performance Appraisal Position will ensure effective training in support of expected execution. Goals should include purpose and objectives. Hope Wireless offers 60% instructor led training and development while 40% of the training is via on-line classes for all level of employees. The management staff will also receive enhanced development via team builders, instructor led leadership courses and off-site leadership classes. Career pathing at Hope Wireless will be facilitated through Hope University (HU). Hope University’s goal is to improve business performance innovative tools and resource to ensure on-going learning and development in support organizational success and employee career enhancement. â€Å"As a leader in learning and development, HU creates support tools that effectively  facilitate performer tasks while on the job (such as desktop decision-making tools) and knowledge-management solutions which allow organizations to capture and share their collective knowledge (like discussion forums, blogs, pod casts and case studies). These less traditional solutions are in addition to its more than 3,000 skills and knowledge development offerings and over 2.5 million hours of training delivered annually†(â€Å"Sprint†, n.d.) At Hope Wireless each employee is ultimately responsible for their career plan, with their manager’s and leader’s support. With expertise in performance support, development, and delivery, the HR staff has the knowledge and hands-on experience to help each employee reach their full potential through innovative and engaging solutions. On-line job development courses and interactive training classes are optional and available to any employee to be scheduled at Part II – Hope Wireless Performance Appraisal their leisure. The HR staff will provide assistance in identifying the appropriate classes in support reaching one’s career goals. Effective succession planning is the reward of training and development and career pathing. Both training and development and career pathing should be developed and executed with succession planning in the blueprint. Hope Wireless succession plan would include promoting from within as the potential candidate will be prepared to transition into the open position fully armed with the organization’s mission, goals and expectations. It will be important to focus on those individual who demonstrate the ethics, value and integrity of which the Hope Wireless culture represents. Potential leaders will be identified, partnered with existing leadership and provided the resources to enhance strong skillsets and enhance areas of opportunity. Company career goals will be identified along with the potential candidate identifying their personal career goals. Hope Wireless will extend every effort to fill key positions from within to enhance employee morale, avoid negative business impact and ensure continual career advancement. Part II – REFERENCES Appraisal Methods. Retrieved from http://www.performance-appraisal.com/ratings.htm ConceiÃÆ' §ÃƒÆ' £o, S., C.O., & Altman, B. A. (2011). Training and development process and organizational culture change. Organization Development Journal, 29(1), 33-43. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/862094636?accountid=35812 http://linked2leadership.com/2013/04/01/10-steps-to-create-a-killer-succession-plan/ Mondy, R. W., & Mondy, J. B. (2008) Human Resource Management (10th ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Sprint. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sprint.com What Makes Performance Appraisals Effective? (2012, October). Sage Journals, 44(4), 191-200. Retrieved from http://cbr.sagepub.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/44/4/191 Part III – Hope Wireless Compensation Plan â€Å"Compensation is the total of all rewards provided employees in return for their services† (Mondy and Mondy, 2008). In support of meeting and exceeding Hope Wireless’ business objectives, a comprehensive compensation and incentive plan will be outlined as follows for the front line customer-interfacing employees. Hourly rate for customer service (CS) agents is $12.00 per hour based on the average industry hourly pay of $10 per hour. Overtime will be paid at one and one half hours for every hour worked over 40 hours. This does not include vacation hours, specifically worked hours. Bonus compensation will be paid when the criteria has been met as outlined in the bonus plan for each group. Paid time off (PTO) will accrue at the follow rate: tenure of one to three years will accrue two weeks of PTO; tenure of four to six years will accrue three weeks of PTO and tenure of six plus years will accrue five weeks of PTO. Each employee will only be able to carry-over 40 hours of PTO at the end of each calendar year. Every year each employee will accrue two eight hour floating holidays for personal use, which are not transferrable. CS agents will begin with a balance of 140 HAP (Hope Attendance Points) to be used for unscheduled absences. A five to eight hour unscheduled absence will result in deduction of 10 HAP. An unscheduled absence of four or less hours will result in a deduction of five HAP. Business impact days that are designated by Workforce, will have a double point deduction. Those days will be  identified at least two weeks prior to applicable timeframe. The aforementioned benefits and compensation are in support of employee satisfaction, retention and securing employees commitment to the organization. The CS agents will be Part III – Hope Wireless Compensation Plan provided a comprehensive outline of the PTO/HAP policies to include unacceptable HAP balances, the consequences of exhausting all balances including PTO and HAP, etc. The CS agents will also have the option of enrolling in medical insurance of which Hope Wireless will remit 70% of the premium. The CS agents will also have the option of dental and optical insurance where Hope Wireless will remit 70% of the premium. Employees will also have the option to participate in pre-tax flex-spending accounts. A self- initiated pre-tax monetary amount will be deducted from each paycheck and placed in a fund for medical/co-pay expenses for the employee and covered relations enrolled in the medical insurance program. This is a great savings and perks for the employees. Hope Wireless offers all employees an exciting 401K plan of which Hope Wireless matches dollar for dollar up to five dollars per pay period. Stock options are also available in addition to the 401K plan, both of which will be outline on the company’s intranet benefit site. Enrollment in 401K and stock options are available year-round. Tuition reimbursement is available for courses applicable to customer service/leadership/management and will be paid up to 90% for two courses annually after outlined criteria is met and approved by his/her manager. Criteria can be found on Hope Wireless’ intranet benefit site. Base pay increases are performance based and will be determined yearly once the employee has been rated by Supervisor via the annual performance review. The pay increases will be based on current rate per hour, performance rating and active corrective actions and performance action plans. Pay increases will be com mensurate with current industry standards at the time of the rating. Part III – Hope Wireless Compensation Plan The Human Resource team has rendered extensive research of surrounding call centers, conducted surveys of sister sites and concluded the outlined  compensation plan is inclusive of the most desired benefits of the most tenured employees who consistently exceed performance goals. The targeted employees also have consistently exceeded customer expectations per customer surveys. HR’s partnership with middle management is also a key element to successful operations and employee retention. HR will also outline a process of which middle management can execute separate and apart from the aforementioned proposal. â€Å"Practical strategies for supervisors include clearly identifying role responsibilities, implementing flexible scheduling, supporting role integration, applying job sharing principles, and remembering to reward and recognize employees†(Winterstein, Mazerolle & Pitney, 2011). Hope Wireless’ mission is to exceed the expectations of every customer who is in contact with the site. In order to enjoy such a reputation, every employee has to be engaged, empowered, committed, satisfied in their role and have allegiance to the organization and their team leads. Meeting performance expectations will allow each employee their hourly base pay. Surpassing performance expectations invites the opportunity to earn a bonus. WOWING every customer, owning the business, caring about your co-worker, volunteering in the community on behalf of the organization, etc. earns rewards and recognition. Recognizing employees for a job well done is more important than many leaders realize. Employees often times provide feedback via company surveys that their manager only meet with them to share/discuss poor performance. Being â€Å"caught in the act† of outstanding performance/behavior is a pay-off for the organization that is immeasurable. Great behavior Part III – Hope Wireless Compensation Plan breeds great behavior. Receipt of recognition in front of an employee’s peers not only enhances one self-esteem but often times deem an employee a subject matter expert. A go to person. â€Å"Since managers prefer to keep their good performers and employees that they like, it is important to understand their treatment of those individuals in promoting their desired continued personal development† (Adams, 2005). Hope Wireless will not only engage in  on the spot â€Å"Caught in the Act† positive feedback cards issued by an employee’s manager, the use of â€Å"Caught in the Act† certificates, posters and emails will also be initiated. Certificates will be presented in team meetings; posters will be posted in the team work area and emails will be sent to recognized employee with the entire team copied. Hope Wireless Trinkets will also be available to the management team in addition to the creation of the Hope Wireless Fun committee. The Hope Wireless Fun committee will be charged with engaging a mix of employees to create and execute fun activities for the site to reward and motivate employees such as team prizes for the best performers, best customer service surveys, etc. Hope Wireless is committed to working and winning as a team and to have the best team of employees in the wireless industry. REFERENCES Adams, S. M. (2005). Positive Affect and Feedback-Giving Behavior. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20(1), 24-42. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview Mondy, R. W., & Mondy, J. B. (2008) Human Resource Management (10th ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Winterstein, A. P., Mazerolle, S. M., & Pitney, W. A. (2011). Workplace environment: Strategies to promote and enhance the quality of life of an athletic trainer. Athletic Training & Sports Health Care, 3(2), 59-62. doi:http://dx.doi.org Part IV – The Cultural Change The senior leaders of Hope Wireless prides themselves on being one of the top three wireless leaders. Hope Wireless has won sundry service awards and achieve many honors for most improved customer service. In addition, Hope Wireless offers innovative and competitive wireless devices of which the other wireless providers have been unable to match. While many of Hope Wireless’s policies and procedures will be addressed and enhanced as a result of this proposal, the last enhancement proposal is in support of the internal culture of the organization. The previous site director allowed employees to dress down daily. Dressing down allows denim, flip-flops, shorts, hats, etc. Employees who are dressed down are more relaxed and come across as such when speaking to customers lending to an unprofessional  environment and poor customer service interactions. A recent event involving an employee who had placed their sweatshirt hood on and laid their head on the desk while waiting on a call is the final motivation for the proposed change. While sleep, several customers came onto the sleeping employee’s line and dropped when no one responded. This resulted in an impact in customer service and service level. The news of the termination of the employee was wide-spread amongst the agent’s peers. This was the first step towards awareness that the organization will take immediate reaction to negative impact caused by an employee. â€Å"When people in an organization realize and recognize that their current organizational culture needs to transform to support the organization’s success and progress, change can occur. But change is not pretty and change is not easy† (Heathfield, n.d.). Part IV – The Cultural Change The first cultural change proposal is to initiate a change to the current dress code policy from daily dress down to dress down Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays ONLY, unless otherwise specified. Currently, employees are only required to wear professional business attire when corporate visitors are expected on-site. The proposed normal day to day dress requirement will be business casual. Business casual dress guidelines will require men to wear collared shirts, khaki or dress pants and no tennis shoes or sandals. Business casual dress guidelines will require women to wear non- provocative, non-tight-fitting clothing void of denim and stretch material. Denim will not be allowed for either women or men. Women or men will not be permitted to wear shorts on business casual days. Women’s skirts and dresses must be knee length and the women’s shoe requirement will require dress shoes, no tennis shoes or flip flops. â€Å"Top-down attempts to change organization culture have a number of unintended consequences, amongst which is an emotional fall-out that becomes manifested in higher rates of absenteeism† (Carr, 2002). Human Resource has elected to release management of the task of owning and communicating this change. Employee focus groups will be formed to access to proactive strategize the most effective communication and reaction to opposition toavoid   negative impact to business. Agent dissatisfaction often translate to poor performance and reliability in call centers. Severe opposition is expected in response to this proposed change. The tentative initial communication to employees will be socialized to employees in team meetings by members of the employee focus group. Often times, peer buy-in lends to continued peer buy-in to change in an organization. In support of the opposition, Human Resources will also partner Part IV – The Cultural Change With the Communication team to begin sending out catchy, funny emails and launch internal television advertisements of the dress code change to occur in 30 days. The â€Å"why† documents will be drafted to include the goal of delivering superior, professional customer service. Anonymous pictures will be included of relaxed desk posture of agents who are dressed down versus those who are dressed business casual. Relaxed posture translate to relaxed conversations. Human Resources will also be prepared to hold optional brown bag meetings to share â€Å"relaxed† remote quality observations where unprofessional customer service was rendered versus calls observed on a professional dress day. Human Resources will set the expectation that the Management team will be held accountable to execute this change and maintain application and consistency of the policy change. All policy amendments are supported by 30 day adaptation grace period after which the following reaction will be instituted. Management will render a documented verbal warning for the 1st dress code violation. The 2nd dress code violation will result in the employee being sent home to change with an impact to pay for the time missed and documented warning. The 3rd dress violation will result in a 1st written warning and will continue to progress to termination. Human Resources will be open for feedback will be open to negotiate with employees holistically to encourage receptiveness to the dress code change. â€Å"Timing can be crucial. Conflict tends to develop through stages, from awareness that differences exist to a hardening of attitudes and, possibly,  open hostility† (â€Å"Abc of Conflict and Disaster: Approaches to Conflict Resolution,† 2005). The employee focus group will be the first reaction to conflict of which employees will be encouraged to provide open and honest feedback to and amongst their peers. Part IV – The Cultural Change This will provide an immediate forum for employees to react versus allowing dissatisfaction and conflict fester and result in unnecessary and avoidable conflict.  The aforementioned changes outlined in this proposal outline a cultural change that lends to effective start-up, encourage growth, prevent decline, encourage renewal and upward mobility and prevent death of the organization. CONCLUSION The Human Resource planning and partnership outlined in the aforementioned proposal will institute efficient, effective, consistent, and revenue impacting operations. The Human Resource team for Hope Wireless has prepared the blueprint to propel the organization to becoming the #1 wireless leader in the industry. REFERENCES Abc Of Conflict And Disaster: Approaches To Conflict Resolution. (2005, August). BMJ: British Medical Journal , 331(7512), 344-346. Retrieved from http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com Carr, A. (2002). Organisational culture: Organisational change? Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15(4), 425. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/197601624?accountid=458 Heathfield, S. (n.d.). How to Change Your Culture: Organizational CultChange. About.com Guide, (), Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/organizationalculture/a/culture change.htm

Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel Facts

The Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus and abbreviated as VNSF) is a subspecies of northern flying squirrels (G. sabrinus) that lives in high altitudes in the Allegheny Mountains in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. In 1985, this squirrel was listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but after its population rebounded, was delisted in 2013. Fast Facts: Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel Scientific Name: Glaucomys sabrinus fuscusCommon Name: Virginia northern flying squirrelBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 10–12 inchesWeight: 4–6.5 ouncesLifespan: 4 yearsDiet:Â  OmnivoreHabitat:Â  Allegheny mountains of Virginia, West VirginiaPopulation: 1,100Conservation Status: Delisted (due to Recovery) Description The Virginia northern flying squirrel has dense, soft fur that is brown on its back and slate gray colored on its belly. Its eyes are large, prominent, and dark. The squirrels tail is broad and horizontally flattened, and there are membranes called patagia between the fore and hind legs that serve as wings when the squirrel glides from tree to tree. Adult VNFS range in size between 10 and 12 inches, and between 4 and 6.5 ounces. Diet Unlike other squirrels, the Virginia northern flying squirrel usually feeds on lichen and fungi growing above and below ground instead of eating strictly nuts. It also eats certain seeds, buds, fruit, cones, insects, and other scavenged animal material. Habit and Distribution This subspecies of flying squirrel is typically found in conifer-hardwood forests or forest mosaics consisting of mature beech, yellow birch, sugar maple, hemlock, and black cherry associated with red spruce and balsam or Fraser fir. Biological studies have shown that it prefers mature growth red spruce trees at high altitudes, because of the presence of downed trees which promote the growth of fungus and lichens. The Virginia northern flying squirrel currently exists in red spruce forests of Highland, Grant, Greenbrier, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Webster counties of West Virginia. Behavior These squirrels large, dark eyes enable them to see in low light, so they are very active during the evenings, especially two hours after sunset and one hour before sunrise, moving among trees and on the ground. Virginia northern flying squirrels live in family groups of adults and juveniles that share ranges. Home ranges of males are approximately 133 acres. The squirrels fly by launching themselves from tree branches, and spreading their limbs so the gliding membrane is exposed. They use their legs to steer and their tails to brake, and they can cover more than 150 feet in a single glide. They may build leaf nests but often opportunistically reside in tree cavities, underground burrows, woodpecker holes, nest boxes, snags, and abandoned squirrel nests. Unlike other squirrels, Virginia northern flying squirrels remain active in the winter instead of hibernating; they are social animals and have been known to share nests with multiple males, females, and pups in their families over the winter for warmth. Their vocalizations are varied chirps. Reproduction The breeding season for Virginia northern flying squirrels falls between February to May and again in July. Gestation lasts 37–42 days and one or two litters of live pups are born with two to six individuals and averaging four or five. The squirrels are born from March through early July with a second season in late August to early September. After theyre born, the mothers and the newborns move to maternal nests. The young stay with their mother until they are weaned at two months and become sexually mature at 6–12 months. VNFS have a lifespan of about four years. Threats In 1985, the primary cause for the decrease in population was habitat destruction. In West Virginia, the decline of Appalachian red spruce forests was dramatic beginning in the 1800s. The trees were harvested to produce paper products and fine instruments (such as fiddles, guitars, and pianos). The wood was also highly valued in the ship-building industry. The single most important factor in the squirrels population resurgence has been the regeneration of its forested habitat, reports the Richwood, WV, website. While that natural regrowth has been ongoing for decades, there is considerable and growing interest by the U.S. Forest Service Monongahela National Forest and Northeastern Research Station, the state of West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Department of Forestry and State Park Commission, The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups, and private entities to foster large spruce restoration projects that restore the historic red spruce ecosystem of the Allegheny Highlands. Since being declared endangered, biologists have placed and encouraged the public placement of nest boxes in 10 counties of western and southwestern Virginia. Primary predators of the squirrel are owls, weasels, foxes, mink, hawks, raccoons, bobcats, skunks, snakes, and domestic cats and dogs. Conservation Status The loss of red spruce habitat by the end of the 20th century necessitated the listing of the West Virginia northern flying squirrel under the Endangered Species Act in 1985. In 1985, at the time of its Endangered Species listing, only 10 squirrels were found alive in four separate areas of its range. In the early 2000s, federal and state biologists captured more than 1,100 squirrels at over 100 sites and based on that believe that this subspecies no longer faces the threat of extinction. In 2013, the Virginia northern flying squirrels were delisted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, due to population recovery. Sources Cassola, F. Glaucomys sabrinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T39553A22256914, 2016.Diggins, Corinne A., and W. Mark Ford. Microhabitat Selection of the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Sabrinus Fuscus Miller) in the Central Appalachians. BioONE 24.2 (2017): 173–90, 18. Print.Ford, W. M., et al. Predictive Habitat Models Derived from Nest-Box Occupancy for the Endangered Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel in the Southern Appalachians. Endangered Species Research 27.2 (2015): 131–40. Print.Menzel, Jennifer M., et al. Home Range and Habitat Use of the Vulnerable Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys Sabrinus Fuscus in the Central Appalachian Mountains, USA. Oryx 40.2 (2006): 204–10. Print.Mitchell, Donna. Spring and Fall Diet of the Endangered West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Sabrinus Fuscus). BioONE 146.2 (2001): 439–43, 5. Print.Trapp, Stephanie E, Winston P Smith, and Elizabeth A Flaherty. Diet and Food Avail ability of the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus): Implications for Dispersal in a Fragmented Forest. Journal of Mammalogy 98.6 (2017): 1688–96. Print.Virginia northern flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus). ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System.