The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

Technology has linked its way into just about every facet of human lifestyles. For your edification, this continuing discussion, as well as an addition to previous study formats. In offering this informational passage, the legal system is just one more profession that has been conquered by technology.

We are aware of the court stenographers and PC's that record and track our legal system, but what about the C.G.A. System? The Computer Generated Animation Presentation can be admitted into our American Court System. Admissible Evidence in criminal trial(s) has been recorded as a precedent case ruled on by the Supreme Court. As reported by Asher Hawkins, of the Legal Intelligencer, differing arguments by six Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices concluded that a Lackawana Common Pleas Judge properly admitted the use of CGA during a first-degree murder case in 2002. CGA has been portrayed on various television shows such as CSI Investigation(s) and Crime 360.

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Justice Sandra Schultz Newman wrote, "Society has become increasingly dependent upon computers in business and our personal lives..." She went on the say, "With each technological advancement, the practice of law becomes more sophisticated and commensurate with the need to shed any techno phobia and become more willing to embrace the advances that have the ability to enhance the efficiency of the legal system."

Prosecutorial teams, including Forensic Pathologists and Crime Scene Reconstructionists presented a murder case to the jury; the prosecutor's version...the defendant did not possess and/or have access to this tool. One argument against this procedure in court is of a defendant, a poor person, is able to commission an equivalent production. In other words, would the defense be able to match the expenses associated with the prosecutions presentation to the court? Another justice suggested it would be wiser to exclude CGA evidence if an indigent or poor defendant could not afford the costs of "equivalent production." The basic cost could be upwards of ,000.00. Another legal professional commented on whether the cost(s) of CGA was worth the expenditure. The justices also took note on the fact that CGA's are becoming increasingly less expensive to produce and could be a vital tool in the rapid expedition of court cases. In any case, pre-trial motions that include CGA evidence should be treated with respect. Jury instructions and indigent (lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished, destitute) defendants are needed with the court's permission for the presenting of such evidence.

The judges position was to make certain that Computer Generated Animation was fair and accurate while permitting defendants an opportunity to challenge its foundation. It has also been noted by the justices, to make clear to the jury that it was not meant as a re-enactment or simulation, but merely an expression of opinions formulated by expert witnesses. Another justice stated his position..."I think it's a valuable tool, but a tool that needs to be used sparingly. I don't think it's necessary in every case." Newman also wrote, "The difference is one of mode, the law does not, and should not; prohibit proficient professional employment of new technology in the court-room. This is, after all, the 21st century."

Each state has its own court system. There's also a system of federal courts. Decisions made during adjudication by federal administration agencies may be appealed to a federal court. Similarly, decisions made by state administrative agencies may be appealed to a state court. The definition for adjudication (adjudicate) is to render a judicial decision. In the administrative process, the proceeding in which and administrative law judge hears and decides on issues that arise when an administrative agency charges a person or a firm with violating the law or regulations enforced by the agency. An administrative agency is a state or federal government agency established to perform a specific function. Administrative agencies are authorized by legislative acts to make and enforce rules to administer and enforce the acts.

Typically, a state court system will include several levels, or tiers, of courts - (a) trial courts of limited jurisdiction, (b) trail courts of general jurisdiction, (c) appellate courts, and (d) the states highest court (often referred to as the State Supreme Court). Anyone who is party to a lawsuit has the opportunity, and/or right, to plead his/her case before a trial court and then if he/she loses, before at least one level of appellate court. Furthermore, if a federal statute of federal constitutional issue is involved in the decision of the State Supreme Court, that decision may be further appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

Have you ever wondered, with all the juris prudence (the science or philosophy of law, a body or system of laws, a department of law, Civil Law. decisions of courts, esp. of reviewing tribunals) activities flooding the land, how could the legal system function without technology?

Monica Bay, of Law Technology News, reported of lawyers at small firms, especially solo practitioners, have resisted adopting practice/case management (CMS) software - even though there's no doubt that it can help firms deliver faster, better, and cheaper services to their clients. Several observers suggest that the initial threshold of setting up a management system intimidates firms. A software consultant, Tom O'Connor said, "Everybody loves technology but hates installing it."

Project Management has not been a topic stressed in many schools, according to an independent IT consultant from Minneapolis. A successful project management is dependent upon a large network of personnel. An effective Electronic Data Discovery (EDD) Project Network includes: clients, partners, legal IT staff, associates, paralegals, inside counsel, service providers, and technical experts. Without a doubt, the use of (PM) Project Management to mitigate risk while delivering consistent, quality results that represents significant benchmark(s) in the maturing process of the EDD environment.

Used in many corporations to increase productivity, quality control programs such as Sigma Six, have been generating interest. Understanding why and where problems occur has a great impact on the decrease in mistakes. The application of these principles and practices on Electronic Data Discovery processes improve a lawyer(s) result(s) with increased quality and decreased costs. Reasons for rising interest in Project Management are recognition in the success depends on effective management.

Mitigating risk and lowering cost by applying "Electronic Discovery Techniques" offered a myriad of considerations, for example, matching time tables, securing outside IT experts, propose and follow "E-Discovery" protocol, engagement of a special master to monitor compliance and resolvement of disputes, use of checklist(s) containing critical steps and reminders for every step in and of a project, working service providers, working with attorneys to find answers to the right questions, as managing vendors require special attention to service level agreements (SLA'a).

Meanwhile, discover these definitions/terms of legal jargon that may help you in your administration, business, everyday life, and tech studies:

Subrogation - any right a creditor has against a debtor now becomes the right of surety. Inclusive are creditor rights in bankruptcy, rights to collateral possession by the creditor, and rights to judgments secured by the creditor - the surety now stands in the shoes of the creditor against the debtor.

Indemnification - The right to pursue guaranteed reimbursement/payment to a director for legal costs, fees, and/or judgments involved in defending corporations - (clients) related law suits. Simply put the right to compensation for services as directors (representatives/attorneys).

Habeas Corpus - held against your will - against your constitutional right(s), a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or court, esp. for investigation of a restraint of the person's liberty, used as a protection against illegal imprisonment, one of a variety of writs that may be issued to bring a party before a court or judge, having as its function the release of the party from unlawful restraint.

Writ - a legal order, a document of the court.

Tort - personal injury, a civil wrong not arising from a breach of contract...a breach of a legal duty that proximately causes harm or injury to another.

Posterity - the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation; descendants; all future generations; succeeding or future generations collectively; Judgment of this age must be left to posterity; all descendants of one person.

HIPPA - The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted to ensure that personal information stored, accessed or processed adheres to a set of guidelines or "security rules." These rules outline security measures that should be implemented to adequately secure all electronic protected health information (EPHI). LogRhythm directly meets some HIPAA requirements, reduces the cost of complying with others, and it features out-of-the box HIPAA reporting packages.

SOX - require public companies to create, monitor, and manage controls over many aspects of their financial reporting. Some companies have found that such transparency doesn't come easily. The rules require not only new processes, but also fresh tools that can determine whether systems and reporting standards are up to snuff. In general, SOX applications can be classified into three main market segments, according to Forrester Research. Those in the enterprise-application space include Oracle and SAP; IBM and Stellent fall under the enterprise-content management (ECM) heading; and OpenPages and Paisley Consulting are considered specialists, competing with Certus, HandySoft, and other pure-play vendors.

Where is it that technology hasn't reached? Are the courtrooms truly behind in technology? Are they out of the loop as are many "non-techie" or poor people are? The "Great Technical Divide"...go figure!

After all, this is the 21st century.

Til next time...

by

Gregory V. Boulware

3.16.10

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

MS Word - How To Import Text And Images From Another Document Or Web Site Without Copy And Paste?

MS Word has a very powerful functionality hidden under its hood.

You can import text and images from any other document or web site into your current document without copying and pasting anything.

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You can import external content into the body section of your document, as well as into your headers and footers.

NOTE: Whatever you import into headers and footers will be repeated automatically on every page.

WARNING 1: if you are importing from the Internet, make sure you are not trying to import the whole content of a mega web site like Amazon.com since that will certainly crash your system. Do not type the URL of the Index page of big web site since MS Word will attempt to download everything on that site! You have to be careful not to bite too much.

WARNING 2: you should also not import any copyrighted materials from the Internet unless you have the written permission of the site owner, or the material is clearly marked as "Public Domain" content, like the images you can find on Wikipedia. Downloading copyrighted materials for your own use is a violation of the copyright law.

A good practice is to import a single image that sits on its own page and can be reached through a specific URL.

This is how you do it:

1) Place your cursor where you want the new text or image to appear.

2) Then select Insert > Field from your main menu.

3) Select "Include Image" or "Include Text" field from the list-box.

4) In the "Filename or URL" field, type in the address of the file on your hard drive, or the web site URL.

If the text document you want to import is in the same local folder as your current document, then all you need to type in is the full name of that file.

For example, if you are trying to import the content of a local file named "File1.doc", then all you need to do is type "File1.doc" into the "Filename or URL" field.

Let's say, however, that your current document is saved in the My Documents folder but you are trying to import content from a file named "sample.doc" saved on the C drive, then this is what you would type:

C:[forward slash]sample.doc

5) Click OK and the content you want will appear in your document.

MS Word - How To Import Text And Images From Another Document Or Web Site Without Copy And Paste?

What Role Does Human Resource Management Play In A Business?

The human resource function has gone from the traditional hire and fire role to a strategic partner at the table with finance, operations and other business centers that are not centers of profit for the organization. The job of HR, as is the job of all such departments, is to ensure that the business gets the most out of its employees. Another way to put this is that the human resource management needs to provide a high return on the business's investment in its people. This makes it a highly complex function - because it deals with not just management issues but human ones as well.

These 2 polarities are not always easy to balance and the human resource managers specifically try to maximize output from employees by instituting various schemes and policies. The following are some of the functions handled by the human resources team.

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Handle compensation and rewards:-

Human resources are responsible for tying incentives and rewards to certain positions and roles in order to maximize performance levels. This is a strategic thinking task because it affects every single person in the organization and has to be planned separately for each position, depending on level, department and goals. Some jobs need to be more goal driven, such as sales so salary can be basic but commission can form the bulk of the remuneration, leading to more incentive to work effectively and close sales. Some firms tie top management's salary to stock price but this can be risky. It is up to human resources to structure this important aspect to everyone's satisfaction.

Recruitment:-

Another important task handled by the human resource function is the selection and retention of employees. If the right type of employees does not enter the organization, its days are numbered, because people drive almost any type of organization towards success.

Performance management:-

Regular, balanced and systematic appraisals must be administered consistently in order to evaluate the performance of each individual in the organization. This allows human resources to pinpoint the weaknesses of an individual's work style and the strengths. They can then share this information with the employee in order to affect a change in performance. This in turn will lead to more productivity and potentially better returns on human investment.

Point of contact:-

The human resource personnel form the point of contact for an employee with any type of difficulty or query about their remuneration or other aspects of employment with the business. It is essential for someone to be available to answer questions and provide guidance. This communicates to the employee that the business cares about his or her concerns and is available to address them.

Employee expectations:-

The human resources function fulfills a very important 'soft skill', unspoken task - that of balancing employee expectations and the organization's expectations. Both need to be addressed and aligned for a business to be successful and one with satisfied employees. Only a content and motivated employee will deliver good work, so it is the job of human resources to keep track of the expectations of the employee and those of the organization to ensure both are met simultaneously.

What Role Does Human Resource Management Play In A Business?

The Advantages of eLearning

Technology has revolutionized business; now it must revolutionize learning.

In the 21st century, people have to learn more than ever before. Especially for global organizations, live classroom-based training is becoming too costly and cumbersome. Even if employees had the time to attend all the courses and seminars and to read all the books and reports they should to remain up-to-date in their area of work, the cost of such learning would be prohibitive. The need to transform how organizations learn points to a more modern, efficient, and flexible alternative: eLearning. The mission of corporate eLearning is to supply the workforce with an up-to-date and cost-effective program that yields motivated, skilled, and loyal knowledge workers.

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Anywhere, anytime, anyone.

The Internet can offer the logical solution for a company's education and training objectives. Approximately 80% of the professional workforce already uses computers on the job. Technical obstacles, such as access, standards, infrastructure, and bandwidth, will not be an issue in a few years. The growth of the World Wide Web, high-capacity corporate networks, and high-speed desktop computers will make learning available to people 24 hours a day, seven days a week around the globe. This will enable businesses to distribute training and critical information to multiple locations easily and conveniently. Employees can then access training when it is convenient for them, at home or in the office.

Substantial cost savings due to elimination of travel expenses.

When delivered through technology based solutions, training is less expensive per end user due to scalable distribution and the elimination of high salaries for trainers and consultants. The biggest benefit of eLearning, however, is that it eliminates the expense and inconvenience of getting the instructor and students in the same place. According to Training Magazine, corporations save between 50-70% when replacing instructor-led training with electronic content delivery. Opting for eLearning also means that courses can be pared into shorter sessions and spread out over several days or weeks so that the business would not lose an employee for entire days at a time. Workers can also improve productivity and use their own time more efficiently, as they no longer need to travel or fight rush-hour traffic to get to a class.

Just-in-time access to timely information.

Web-based products allow instructors to update lessons and materials across the entire network instantly. This keeps content fresh and consistent and gives students immediate access to the most current data. Information can be retrieved just before it is required, rather than being learned once in a classroom and subsequently forgotten. Training Magazine reported that technology-based training has proven to have a 50-60% better consistency of learning than traditional classroom learning (c-learning).

Higher retention of content through personalized learning.

Technology-based solutions allow more room for individual differences in learning styles. They also provide a high level of simulation that can be tailored to the learner's level of proficiency. With 24 x 7 access, people can learn at their own pace and review course material as often as needed. Since they can customize the learning material to their own needs, students have more control over their learning process and can better understand the material, leading to a 60% faster learning curve, compared to instructor-led training. The delivery of content in smaller units, called "chunks," contributes further to a more lasting learning effect. Whereas the average content retention rate for an instructor-led class is only 58%, the more intensive eLearning experience enhances the retention rate by 25 - 60%.1 Higher retention of the material puts a higher value on every dollar spent on training.

Improved collaboration and interactivity among students.

In times when small instructor-led classes tend to be the exception, electronic learning solutions can offer more collaboration and interaction with experts and peers as well as a higher success rate than the live alternative. Teaching and communication techniques which create an interactive online environment include case studies, story-telling, demonstrations, role-playing, simulations, streamed videos, online references, personalized coaching and mentoring, discussion groups, project teams, chat rooms, e-mail, bulletin boards, tips, tutorials, FAQs, and wizards.

Distance education can be more stimulating and encourage more critical reasoning than a traditional large instructor-led class because it allows the kind of interaction that takes place most fully in small group settings. Studies have shown that students who take online courses are typically drawn into the subject matter of the class more deeply than in a traditional course because of the discussions they get involved in.2 This engagement is further facilitated by the fact that instructors do not monopolize attention in an online environment. Another study found that online students had more peer contact with others in the class, enjoyed it more, spent more time on class work, understood the material better, and performed, on average, 20% better than students who were taught in the traditional classroom.

Online training is less intimidating than instructor-led courses.

Students taking an online course enter a risk-free environment in which they can try new things and make mistakes without exposing themselves. This characteristic is particularly valuable when trying to learn soft skills, such as leadership and decision making. A good learning program shows the consequences of students' actions and here/why they went wrong. After a failure, students can go back and try again. This type of learning experience eliminates the embarrassment of failure in front of a group.

With all of these advantages of taking classes online, it is hard to imagine why anyone would opt to sit in a lecture to learn new information. There are online classes available free on a multitude of topics, just start surfing, find one to your liking, and start learning!

ENDNOTES

1 Jack E. Bowsher, "Revolutionizing Workforce Performance: A Systems Approach to Mastery," 1998; D. Peoples, Presentations Plus, 1992; Training Magazine, 1998.

2 Greg Kearsley, A Guide to Online Education, 1997; Dennis A. Trinkle, "Distance Education: a Means to an End, No More, No Less," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1999; Colin McCormack and David Jones, "Building a Web-based Education System," 1997.

The Advantages of eLearning

What is Fleet Maintenance Management?

Fleet Maintenance Management is a critical position in any company that has a number of commercial vehicles. The individual responsible for the management and maintenance of fleet vehicles performs a variety of functions. It is imperative that companies such as delivery drivers or even taxi services know what is going on with their vehicles at all times. Preventative maintenance, order/vendor logging and fuel economy are among a few of the issues that fleet maintenance managers deal with on a daily basis.

One of the most important duties of a fleet maintenance manager is the maintenance of vehicles. With the number of vehicles many companies have on the road each day, maintaining quality vehicles is important. Regular and controlled fleet vehicle maintenance can assist in more efficient and lower cost repairs, fewer technical problems and more efficient tracking, management and budgeting of the fleet. An outstanding fleet vehicle maintenance program can save time and money by ensuring that vehicles are safe and on time.

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Repairs and downtime for fleet vehicles can cost your company a considerable amount of money. High-quality fleet vehicle maintenance can mean the difference in your company's reputation being one of top-notch service rather than undependable service. Preventative maintenance and scheduling routine maintenance or repairs can extend the life of your fleet vehicles. Many fleet vehicle managers find that using a specialized software program is the best way to organize these needed elements.

With the high cost of fuel today, fleet managers also take into consideration the fuel usage among the vehicles. Fleet maintenance software programs often have features that enable the manager to appropriately budget for gas. The ability to log and track the mileage of drivers can give the manager a good idea of the average fuel consumption of each vehicle in the fleet.

Fleet maintenance managers occupy important positions within a company. Most managers within top U.S. companies recommend the use of high-quality fleet maintenance software programs. These programs enable the fleet managers to keep detailed records and logs of everything that happens with each vehicle. For companies whose primary service depends on well-maintained vehicles, organization and tracking of the fleet and expenses is obviously a key responsibility. Your company's business reputation is important and it is essential that the fleet manager is able to accurately maintain an exceptional level of quality of all vehicles in your fleet.

With all of the products available on the market, the fleet maintenance management needs to examine the company's needs to find the product best suited for them. The manager may choose to examine some of the top products by taking advantage of free trials offered by most companies. During the free trial, you are generally capable of performing the full range of functions in order to get a good feel for the product. This is a critical first step in choosing the software program that is right for your company.

What is Fleet Maintenance Management?

Windows 7 Slow Shutdown - How to Make Windows 7 Quickly Shut Down

Have you even encountered slow shutdown problem on Windows 7? Though sometimes, the installation shuts down fine (in around more than several minutes); other times it won't shut down at all - the Start button doesn't do anything, neither does Windows Explorer or Task Manager. Here, some guidelines will be discussed on how to quickly shout down Windows 7.

If noticing your Windows 7 suddenly become slow in shutdown, please first check if a particular program is slowing the machine when you shut down, e.g. an antivirus program, driver: go to Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Performance Information and Tools > Advanced Tools (in the left pane). On this screen the problem is sometimes shown. If not, you should turn to the tips below.

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Secondly, for those who are using Windows 7, they will annoy with the popping-up window when shutting down the computer indicating that there are many programs to turn off. You can directly modify this by going Group Policy Editor: just go to "Start"-> type "gpedit.msc" and press "Enter" -> Computer configuration ->Administrative Templates -> System -> Shutdown Options -> double click on "Turn off automatic termination of applications that block or cancel" and check "Enable".

Then open Registry Editor and go to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\, in the right side, please double click on "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and change the Value Data and click on OK to save your settings.( Note: The Value Data should be from 2000 to 20000 Milliseconds. The default will be 12000 Milliseconds). With this simple modification, you will see an improvement on your Windows 7 shutdown speed.

Fourthly, to always avoid Windows 7 slow shutdown issue, you have to regularly defragment your hard drive. This simple process helps to rearrange the files on the disk making them always stay at the same place and much easier to be accessed to, speeding up shutdown speed. Just go to Start -> All programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter. Note: It is recommended that you can remove the unwanted programs, folders, system junk files from the computer before the disk defragmentation.

Fifthly, bloated or corrupted Windows registry also results in a slow shutdown. The invalid registry items will make the system to move around too much to reach what it exactly needs, hence make the computer shut down slowly. To ensure a quicker shutdown, it is highly recommended that you should regular clear Windows registry to always enjoy a clean and compact registry.

Windows 7 Slow Shutdown - How to Make Windows 7 Quickly Shut Down

How to Fix System Error 5 - "Access is Denied"

System error 5 - also known as the "Access Is Denied" error - is an error which shows when you try and use the "Net Time" or "NetView" commands inside Windows. The error basically means that your system is being blocked from accessing the various files / settings / information that it needs from a network computer, and the only way it can be fixed is to make sure all the settings that are blocking it are in working order.

System error 5 shows up like this normally:

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"System Error 5 has occurred"

"Access is denied"
There are various causes of this error, which every Windows computer can become susceptible to. However, the main cause of the problem is down to the "Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC)" feature of your system. This feature is what Windows uses to control who has access to your files & settings, and it's often the case that if its not set up correctly, a PC will just block access to it. There are also other causes of problems, such as having registry errors and virus infections.

The first thing you should do to fix this error is to change the "LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy" registry key. This is the key inside the registry database which allows Windows to control the various access options that you have. It's often the case that this key will have the wrong setting, and will consequently deny you from being able to access other computers. To remedy this, it's advised you edit the registry and change the value of this key.

After you've done that, you should then look at the time on your PC. This might seem like a trivial error - but most computers will actually end up having problems if their timing is out. To make sure this is not a problem, you should look to edit the time on your system & synchronize it with Microsoft's time server.

The last steps is to clean out the registry of your system with a 'registry cleaner' application. Registry cleaners will scan through the registry database of your PC and fix any of the damaged settings that are causing your computer to run slower and with errors. If you want to fix your system, you should use one of these tools to make sure no corrupt settings are causing System Error 5. If you do this, along with the other steps mentioned in this tutorial, you should be able to resolve this error quite easily.

How to Fix System Error 5 - "Access is Denied"

Socio-Technical Systems and Organizational Values

Modern organizations define themselves using statements of vision. They state their vision in terms of human resources and technology, a socio-technical view. Modern organizations also define themselves in terms of values. New employees entering the organization learn the value system from employees with longevity in it. How organizations incorporate socio-technical systems as a reinforcement tool of their value system is the focus of this paper.

Values

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In business, small and large, values determine course the business sets for itself. Yukl (2006) defines values as key statements of an organization. The value statement is ideological, what the organization considers important. Many values find their way into organizations including customer service, innovation, satisfaction of internal and external constituents, and excellence. Yulk’s view of values suggests something deeper. Organizational values and value creation are the soul of competitive edge, competitive advantage.

Hill and Jones (1998) write of management values as statements of how managers will conduct themselves and how they will do business. Managers in high performing businesses conduct themselves with stakeholders in mind. Winston (2002) suggests that high performing leaders accept the values of the organization as being of higher consequence and importance.

Systems

Values of an organization (customer service, innovation, satisfaction) imply an organization is a system. Senge (1990) tells us that organizations are organic systems of interconnected and interrelated sub-groups. This suggests more than brick and mortar structures, it suggests organizations of people, technology, and social interaction. Technology, according to Davis (1996), is a “conceptual bridge” between science and economics. This link gives form to how organizations manage. Conversely, Wren (2005) presents the view of technological change being disturbing to the social system of an organization. Socio-technical systems offer leverage to dispel the disturbing nature of change.

Socio-Technical Systems

Lee (2000) explains social of the socio-technical systems as the habitual attitudes of people. He includes the relationships between people with their values and behavioral styles. He also describes it as the formal power structure identified using traditional organizational charts. However, he continues with the aspect of an informal power structure based on influence and knowledge. The technical system makes up second part of the dyad. This system, according to Lee (2000), is “machinery, processes, procedures and a physical arrangement.”

A socio-technical system, abbreviated STS for the remainder of this paper, is people and technology blended. Yet, this is a much too simple definition. Some elements of STS are closely interrelated; therefore, it is not easy to distinguished items within a STS as purely technical or purely social. Aldridge (2004) explains STS as approaching organizational work groups as social systems and macro social systems. A third level of work observed is primary work systems. The primary work system according to Aldridge is one or more work units involved in face-to-face work. Work units collaborate jointly and have support of management, relevant technology, resources, and workplace specialists. Aldridge includes the writings of Trist (1981) when defining macro social systems, “…macro social systems include systems in communities and entire business sectors as well as societal institutions” (Trist, 1981, pg. 11). The STS design in work groups is increasing productivity of the group and increasing job satisfaction through optimization of social factors and integration with technical factors.

Elements of STS

According to an anonymous article on STS, the author explains some of the components integrated into a functional socio-technical system. Explained separately, each component has its own character; however, it is clear how closely linked each is and overlaps the others.

• Hardware is computers and computing peripherals, the classic technology of modern business. Organizations today do not exist without some kind of computing network, connecting wires, routers, and individual workstations.

• Software includes operating systems (Windows, UNIX, Apple, etc). As technology advances, it is increasingly difficult to separate hardware and software. Software varies based on organizational needs; yet software allows companies to create data for storage on hardware devices. The software often runs from the same hardware devices used for storage. Software facilitates social interaction by allowing distantly remote people an opportunity to message each other in almost real-time.

• Physical surroundings (physical setting) help establish the social and technical rules of engagement. Building with an open floor plan and open desk arrangement allows open social interaction among workers. Buildings with offices separating workers reduce interaction. Managers with an inner sanctum guarded by a secretary’s office establish a hierarchy of power.

• People, by name and by title, make up an integral part of any organization culture, social environment. Within an organization people have roles they play, positions they work in, and ancillary roles they exercise. Within their roles, they use their surrounds with hardware and software to support their roles.

• Procedures define operational procedures in an organization. Procedures are statements of rules and norms formally written. Outside the formal written procedural statements are unofficial ties to data flow and reporting relationships. Procedures attempt to define culture in a STS but the informal norms and behaviors are equally important to understand when developing a STS model.

• Laws and regulations are similar to procedures but impose stronger public sanctions when violated.

• Data and data structures in STS involve collection and storage of an organization’s information. Additionally, this element explains data use, retrieval, or presentation for use.

An organization’s socio-technical system supports the business as a great place to work. More than that, STS is a key factor to supporting leadership initiatives, vision, and values. Observed in 1949 in Great Britain, researchers developed socio-technical systems in South Yorkshire coalmines. They saw the technical improvements in mining coal combined with highly motivated work groups who self-regulated and collaborated closely became more productive than traditional work groups with the same technological improvements. Another observation was the self-regulated and collaborative teams were more cooperative among themselves, performing multiple tasks rather than one man one job, and committed to Ortgeist (spirit of the place) (Aldridge, 2004).

STS Applied Organizationally

A recent Internet search found the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Logistic Center’s statement of beliefs and commitments. Not all cited here; however, these selected ones reinforce concepts of socio-technical systems.

• Results Oriented – The Logistics Center constantly drives for results and success. We drive issues to closure, persist despite obstacles and opposition, and maintain a high energy level. Our employees readily put in the needed time and effort to achieve results.

• Innovation – The future of the Logistics Center is assured only as long as it welcomes and rewards innovation, creativity, and resourcefulness. We recognize “trial and error” as being elements of innovation and continuous improvement. Innovation has been the cause of success for the Logistics Center.

• Quality – We provide the best quality in all of our products and services. Our goal is to exceed industry benchmarks.

• People – People are our most important resource. We respect the individual’s dignity and value their contributions. We invest in training and education to give our employees the tools to make the Logistics Center a world-class organization.

• Teamwork and Collaboration – The Logistics Center provides a positive and challenging environment that supports the achievement of mission goals and fosters team spirit. We are partners with our customers, stakeholders, suppliers, and are committed to union/management partnerships.

• Integrity and Openness – The Logistics Center values trust, sincerity, honesty, and candor in relationships both personally and organizationally. We encourage our employees to express ideas, opinions, and thoughts in an honest and genuine manner.

• Corporate Citizenship – The Logistics Center values a positive corporate image and is sensitive to our corporate responsibilities to the community. We actively participate and support community involvement.
In post-industrial organizations, STS helps leaders create constructs that are enabling, empowering, in turn, enabling and empowering accelerates communication, and learning and knowledge. Within the context of knowledge building and knowledge, sharing, STS, through collaboration, allows work groups’ flexibility to develop original work patterns and competitive advantage.

Leaders Role in STS

Davis (1996) urges successful leaders to lead as if the future is now. Accomplishing this means seeing the final product rather than the processes of the product. STS employs the right people and the right technology at the right time within a structure that supports organizational values.
In an environment of rapid change, having a competitive advantage allows organizational foresight. However, foresight requires maintaining core values. Socio-technical systems support organizational values by maintaining organizational memory and shared experiences. Memory and shared experiences provide views of where the organization was while keeping everyone tracking toward future vision. An organization with strong STS standards uses their technology to preserve history, create performance benchmarks, and develop knowledge and learning environments. Strong quality systems demonstrate teams’ abilities to eliminate obsolete practices while staying within the framework of original values.

Conclusion

Stated earlier, organizations are systems of interrelated parts with differing skills and skill levels. STS, working within an organizations value system promotes wisely those with skills, knowledge, and ability. Additionally, STS, working with the value system, provides workers with the tools needed to grow in the skills, knowledge, and abilities so they, too, can be promoted. Members of self-directed teams seek new or improved skills from within the STS and through their interconnection with team members.
Self-directed teams improved productivity and commitment to the team and organization in English coalmines in 1949 and self-directed teams continue being productive and committed. Therefore, an organization employing socio-technical systems can grow into the future, yet hold fast to its historical past and the values making the group viable.

References

Aldridge, J. W. (2004). aboutChange Solutions. Encyclopedia of Distributed Learning (ISBN 0-7619-2451-5). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Anonymous, (no date). Why a Social-Technical System? Retrieved online January 12, 2006 from [http://www.computingcases.org/general_tools/sia/socio_tech_systems.html].

Anonymous, (1996 – May-June). Maintaining Organizational Memories. TQM/CCI News. Retrieved January 22, 2006 from [http://www.grafix9000.com/documents/ccinews_organizational-memory.pdf].

Davis, S. (1996). Future Perfect. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Hill, C. W. L. & Jones, G. R. (1998). Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Lee, Q., (2000). Quality in the Balance: Six-Sigma – A Socio-Technical System. Retrieved online January 12, 2006 from [http://www.sixsigma.com/library/content/c020902a.asp].

Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Currency and Doubleday.

Trist, E. L. (1981). The evolution of socio-technical systems: A conceptual framework and an action research program. Ontario Quality of Working Life Center, Occasional Paper no. 2.

U. S. Federal Aviation Administration – Logistics Center. Organizational Values. Retrieved online January 22, 2006 from [http://www.logistics.faa.gov/StratPlan/values.htm].

Winston, B. (2002). Be a Leader for God’s Sake. Virginia Beach, VA: Regent University, School of Leadership Studies.

Wren, D. A. (2005). The History of Management Thought (5th Ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Wren, J. T. (1995). The Leader’s Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages. New York, NY: The Free Press.

Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in Organizations (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Socio-Technical Systems and Organizational Values

Writing Thank-Yous For Your Non Profit

My mom and dad recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. One of my friends wanted to make a donation in their honor and so she sent a check to a non profit organization that my mom and dad support.

Unfortunately, after 4 weeks my parents still had not received an acknowledgment of the donation nor had my friend received a thank you. I emailed one of the leaders of the non profit who said she would get right on it. It took 2 more weeks for my parents to receive the acknowledgement and 3 more weeks for my friend to receive a thank you.

Content Management System

Neither family will be making donations to that organization any time soon. The organization itself is a very worthwhile cause, but people who donate money like to be thanked, and they like to be thanked in a reasonable amount of time.

If you are working at a non profit, develop a template for thank you letters. You always want to personalize your thank you, but the content should be able to remain the same. You want to tell the donor what the money will be used for, how the money is helpful and to let them know their contribution is important.

Always hand sign thank you letters for donations. There is nothing worse than receiving a form letter for a donation with a stamped signature, meaning the only person who even knows you made the donation is the clerk stamping the envelope.

I believe hand addressed envelopes are also very nice. We have so many choices of who to donate money to these days. Why not take every effort to show appreciation to the donor?

One final suggestion; if the donation has been made in someone's honor, get an acknowledgement out to the honoree. I remember a friend being horrified when she made a very large donation in someone's honor, never expecting the amount to be disclosed. The acknowledgment did include the amount and my friend NEVER made another donation to this organization as the honoree was embarrassed over the large amount. A simple acknowledgment saying "Mr. and Mrs. Smith have made a donation in your honor is great.

Taking the above steps will make both the donor and the honoree much more apt to contribute in the future.

Writing Thank-Yous For Your Non Profit

The Risk Management Process - How to Maintain an Effective Risk Management Program

A risk management program is a complicated but necessary initiative within organizations. However, by following a distinct process, organizations can maximize the effectiveness of their risk management program.

Identifying and Analyzing

Content Management System

To effectively manage risk, management must first identify the risks that pose the threat of a loss.

Risk managers use a variety of methods to collect information to identify such risks, the common of which is incident reporting, which is the reporting of any incident that is NOT consistent with the standard of care. Incident reports help identify training opportunities and weak processes within operations.

Occurrence screenings, also a common used method to identify possible exposures, are often done as apart of quality assurance initiatives.

Patient feedback, such as complaints or results from patient satisfaction surveys, is also used to identify potential loss exposures.

Past data can be very valuable in identifying risk and also addressing it, as it provides lessons learned from past mistakes or near misses. By analyzing past data, risk managers can identify the root cause of an incident that lead to a loss. Past occurrences help managers analyze the potential impact of current risks, and helps managers prioritize potential exposures.

Open communication between management and staff may be considered the most effective form of risk identification, as it can produce valuable information regarding the effectiveness of processes and any potential weaknesses within processes.

Once potential risks are identified, they must be analyzed in order to determine their significance. Risk managers must prioritize risks based on their potential for financial loss. Managers should prioritize addressing potential events that could lead to substantial losses over smaller threats that would be less costly.

Evaluate Possible Risk Management Techniques

Techniques used to manage risk can be broken down into two categories:

- Risk Control: techniques that are aimed at preventing or reducing loss

- Risk Financing: techniques used to pay for losses that occurred

Risk Control Techniques

Avoidance

Avoidance techniques are those used to eliminate the possibility of a loss entirely. If a risk that cannot be reduced exists within a particular activity, avoiding that activity would in effect avoid the risk associated with it.

Loss Prevention

Loss prevention reduces the likelihood of a potentially compensable event from occurring.

Loss prevention practices include reviewing and implementing policies and procedures and educating staff.

Example:

Educating staff about existing regulations regarding the release of a patient's medical records or protected health information is a loss prevention technique as it reduces the possibility of an occurrence.

Loss Reduction

Loss reduction techniques are used to reduce the potential consequences of an event that has occurred.

Diligence is key in exercising reduction strategies, as damages awarded can be much lower for an organization that exemplified diligence in attempting to prevent an occurrence or following up on an occurrence that has happened (investigating the occurrence and determining its root cause).

Another example of a loss reduction technique is if a medical facility were to use fire retardant materials during construction. This would reduce total loss considerably in the event of a fire.

Segregation of Loss Exposures

Segregating loss exposures involves arranging an organization's operations and resources in a way that if a loss occurs, its overall effect on the organization would be minimized.

Separation

A separation technique relates to the saying, "don't keep all of your eggs in one basket", as it involves dispersing activities and resources over multiple locations.

Example:

Facilities and vendors may store their inventory in multiple locations in the event of a fire or any other event that would damage inventory.

Medical practices may also choose to avoid contracts with vendors and purchase through multiple vendors in case a vendor were to run out of stock on an item.

Duplication

Duplication techniques are used to serve as back up in the event of a loss. Many practices keep copies of patient medical records in case of an event that damages the originals.

Duplication techniques are also used in terms of physician coverage.

Example:

It is mandatory that when chemotherapy is being administered to a patient, that a physician or mid-level is on site in case of if a patient experiences a reaction to the drug. If only one provider were available to cover, and something arose causing the provider to have to leave, then the chemotherapy treatment would NOT be able to be given or would be a violation to do so.

Contractual Transfer of Risk Control

Contractual transfer of risk control involves transferring risk from one party to another. An example of this is when a medical office leases property, thereby transferring the risk of loss or damage to the properties owner.

Risk Financing

Risk Retention

Risk retention is a technique that involves planning on how to cover losses if they were to occur.

The simplest risk retention technique is to simply pay for a loss as it occurs. This is not viable for smaller organizations, depending on the amount of the loss.

Organizations may also accrue dollars in a funded reserve which can be used to cover any future loss.

Organizations may also borrow funds to cover losses.

Physicians also carry extensive malpractice insurance policies to help cover any loss that is incurred.

Risk retention should be considered when:

• There are known risks that cannot be reduced or avoided

• A risk does not carry much potential for great loss and the organization can pay for any loss itself

• There are predictable losses

Risk Transfer

Risk transfer involves an organization transferring only the financial liabilities to another party, while still assuming the legal obligations. This is typically done by purchasing outside insurance policies.

Select a Risk Management Technique

Organizations should implement at least one risk control technique and one risk financing technique.

Selecting the most effective technique requires an organization to predict how a selected technique would affect its mission and goals (i.e. it may not be viable for a specialist to avoid risks by avoiding procedures that are necessary for that particular specialty).

The organization must also consider which technique is most cost-effective in respect to it's operations.

Implementation

Implementation requires communication between risk management, department heads, and organizational leaders. All leadership must understand the techniques chosen to be implemented and educate staff of their importance and purpose.

Communication and education ensures that implementation of any technique is smooth, effective, and understood.

Monitor and Improve the Implemented Technique

Once a technique has been implemented, its effectiveness must be closely monitored, evaluated, and improved when needed by management. Risk management techniques can be very complex in nature, and require fine tuning when put to work.

The Risk Management Process - How to Maintain an Effective Risk Management Program

What's the Next Operating System After Windows 7?

Windows 7 is barely out and people are reporting great results with the operating system? But what comes next? Will Windows 7 be the last operating system from Microsoft for a few years or will consumers and businesses a next generation operating system to meet the needs and wants of both industry and consumer? The answer to that question will be up in the air for a while but meantime there are many things I would like to see added to Windows 8 when the operating system comes out.

I liked all the eye-candy that was included with Microsoft Vista but the 32- bit version was so unstable that I could not keep it up and running for more than three months without having to reinstall the operating system. After I upgraded to the 64-bit version all those instabilities went away but I still had to add quite a few visual styling programs to create the look and feel I wanted in an OS that was perfect for me.

Content Management System

The major thing I would like to see in the next operating system after Microsoft Windows 7 would be enhanced graphics and customization capabilities. I'd like to see Active Desktop brought back and made secure. I have missed Active Desktop since it was discontinued with 64-bit XP and Vista's widget sidebar which they claim made up for the loss of Active Desktop is no comparison. I used Active Desktop to place animated graphics on my desktop as links to my favorite webpages and would have used it to add animated icons if the ability had been there.

Another thing I would like to see in the next operating system beyond Windows 7 is program launching from your browser & program launching from locally created webpages. I have been trying for years to create my own locally stored webpages and use them as a program launcher & I am not alone in this desire either. Microsoft claims they removed this feature for security reasons, but I would much rather be able to use my computer like I want to than not have the ability. A feature should be added that will easily allow someone to turn on this ability if they so choose for a single or series of webpages that are locally based. There are many other options I can use to launch my programs but I would like to centralize my computer usage around my browser and do everything with it including program launching.

The third thing I would like to see in Windows Eight is native animated icon support. The computers of today have both the processing power and memory capabilities to serve such a feature but it is not offered in any version of Windows and the 3rd parties solutions when available are buggy and do not work well. Native high-res animated icon support is clearly the way to go and would go a long way to soothing my eye-candy addiction. Animated effects on the taskbar, windows, browsers, and program search bars would be welcome additions as well.

The forth thing I would like to see added to Windows 8 is another eye-candy option. I would like the native ability to change the background of individual folder windows just like I can choose an individual icon with the option to include animated backgrounds if I so choose.

The fifth thing I would love to see added into Windows 8 is a free personal edition of Microsoft Office including Outlook, OneNote and Word with the option to upgrade to other features as needed. The advertising supported version of Microsoft Office 10 in Windows 7 is pointless because non-targeted advertising is not worth the money spent creating it and the basic office features I listed above are all a family needs to organize their lives. I would be willing to pay an extra for Windows Eight if it included a non-advertising supported version of the latest Microsoft Office software listed above.

As you can see there are a lot of improvements that can be made to the Windows operating system and I hope that the next operating system after Windows 7 has all of these features and much more. Microsoft, this is an invitation to impress and surprise me!

What's the Next Operating System After Windows 7?

iTunes Freezing - Why iTunes Keeps Freezing and How to Fix It

Do you have iTunes freezing problems? Do you complain that iTunes freezes up at random times? Before we get to fixing iTunes freezing problems, it is important to understand a little bit about iTunes itself.

Among the many free media players available, iTunes is widely popular because of its close integration with two of the most sought-after electronic gadgets of our time: the iPod and the iPhone. Both devices require Apple's media player for many reasons, not the least of which is the transfer of media files from computers to the portable device.

Content Management System

Old-time users know, however, that iTunes has its good and bad sides. It is intuitive and sleek alright, but sometimes using the apps can be really frustrating. For one, frequent start-up problems or program freezes would surely test the patience of even the most ardent fans. These issues usually occur whenever new updates are installed, when a portable device is connected, when downloading content from the Internet, or when shutting down the program. Most probable causes of the instability are missing program files or the settings running askew due to recent updates.

While this may not look like a life and death situation, it is nevertheless imperative to enact corrective measures once the program freezes more frequently than it does before. For one, you would not want to risk losing your entire media library - including content purchased from the iTunes store - which is a real possibility if the program hangs and the portable device's hard disk is corrupted due to an incomplete data write process.

Some practical ways to prevent iTunes from freezing include limiting the number of running applications to give iTunes all the memory it needs to do its tasks. Also, adjusting the program for manual updating of downloaded content would help, as it prevents simultaneous tasks - such as reading the media library, checking for new iTunes store contents, looking up settings in the registry - from running all at once when the program starts.

Another practical way to ensure that iTunes run smoothly is to have the registry checked periodically, to ensure that file associations, locations and other important data are accurate. The registry is the database that holds program parameters, user settings and system information, and often, changes in the system - like installing new programs - causes some files to be overwritten or deleted, making apps that uses such files inoperable.

More so for regularly updated programs like iTunes, as the frequent updating invariably leaves behind obsolete entries that in time would clutter up the database. Using a reliable registry cleaning program ensures that the registry is clear of debris and incorrect data, ensuring that applications run without a glitch, including iTunes.

iTunes Freezing - Why iTunes Keeps Freezing and How to Fix It

Applying Change Management Strategy in Educational Settings

Changing Our Thinking

Over the years the hierarchy of education has evolved into an unchanging leadership formula that has managed to survive without adopting change management strategies to meet the changing goals and needs of their customers. As more mandates have been passed to encourage schools and teachers to perform at a higher level, and expectations for student success have increased, we have not seen leadership evolve and grow to meet those demands. The result has been that school systems are attempting to reach 21st century goals using 19th century concepts. The passage of "No Child Left Behind" and the broad "highly qualified" teacher designation has simply highlighted the inability of most school leaders to adapt proactively by aligning their techniques and attitudes with successful business models.

Content Management System

Education is a business. At one time the failure of a school to reach goals was not published, made public or available to anyone with a computer. Now, before families move to a new area they check the numbers on the schools that their children may attend and choose their home based on the location of the school with the highest scores. Students, who must pass competency examinations at virtually every facet of their education in order to move through the system are falling further behind as they are caught between schools trying to increase their own scores and teachers trying to accommodate mandates presented them by leadership to increase school scores.

Once schools and educators in leadership positions realize that the success of any business, including their own, depends on their ability to adapt to the needs of their customers, they will find that numbers, both for schools and students will rise with each change that is successfully implemented.

Identifying Gaps

Leaders in the academic arena face many challenges. The foremost being that they usually do not have a business background and have been in education for their entire career. (Except for that stint they did at Pizza Hut while getting through college). These individuals are usually excellent educators who enter leadership in a school with great ideas for how to make the system better. Many of these individuals have some great ideas. But, as with all businesses, leaders are not only involved in operations, but also in budget and politics. This is true of any business, the difference though, is that business leaders are trained in operations, budget and politics. While, leaders in schools often go from teacher to vice-principal, to principal with little or no business training added to their toolkit for success. In addition, what may make a wonderful educator in one classroom, may not work in another, so the ability to motivate and give incentive to others must be accomplished as any other change management method. In most schools change management is a foreign concept, or something that was studied while getting the first of many degrees and certifications that are necessary to teach. Many times, in order to develop successful programs that meet the needs of our customers we must return to the library and learn an entirely new subject. Many books have been written on change management, how to build teams, how to motivate groups. It is vital in implementing change in your school that you have a true understanding of these concepts and methods.

Profitable Adaptability

Businesses make good customers and profit greatly by creating a proactive adaptability to change. Schools also profit by this same action. However, when identifying gaps, and establishing where to start your change management program it may be wise to look at how your students, community and staff are treated. Are they treated as customers or are they treated as people who just have to be there. If you went to a restaurant and the meat was undercooked, you would not hesitate to say "take it back, I want it well done." But, what happens when a teacher comes to you because her classroom is not adequately ventilated, or a student has a problem with a certain subject. If the auto-response is "that's the way it is," or, "that's the way it's always been," then this is a gap that a change management program can address. While businesses take great pains to assure that their vision and goals are clearly understood, spend countless hours assuring that their staff are well trained in conveying those visions and goals, and work very hard at exuding great customer service. Schools have reacted to mandates. This is a costly endeavor instead of a proactive approach, we start the "blame game." The gaps, when addressed proactively, are much easier to manage than to wait until the state or federal government pronounce on the Internet how bad your school is and you start losing students before families even move into the area.

School leaders, teachers, students and parents must become business partners for positive change to take place and be sustained. Proactive leaders utilize change management in every aspect of their enterprise. And, school is an enterprise. Unless a drastic assessment and change takes place in most schools, the money lost in terms of drop-outs, low scores, fines, take-overs, etc., will negatively impact not only the school, and students, but the community as well. So, let's discuss some steps for change management that leadership can use to start improving their standing in the educational community.

Collaboration Beyond the Classroom

Teacher training days are already built into the school year. Most of the teachers will attend these training days. Can you imagine what would happen in students homes if parents and teachers participated together in a teacher training day? Parents would suddenly find themselves part of the solution instead of being blamed for the problem. There would be an opportunity to teach communication skills and collaboration to a gymnasium of people who deal daily with the students. Imagine a student taking homework home and a parent actually understanding what the teacher is trying to do ahead of time. The reason that parents do not participate in parent-teacher nights and other activities at school is because most are working parents. They have neither the time or energy to go to a school on a Wednesday night after work and walk around a classroom. Teachers are tired, parents are tired, kids are hyped up because they've been getting ready for weeks. The result of parent-teacher night is that everyone is disappointed. Teachers, because most of the parents don't show up (which just proves they don't care), parents because they had to drive to school with screaming kids to basically stand around for fifteen minutes and pick up their students homework, and students because the subject they really do like was not discussed enough and they didn't have time to really be noticed in the commotion.

What if parent-teacher night were parent-teacher "day" on a Saturday afternoon. What if each class sat up booths on the playing field and it was actually a carnival like atmosphere where parents and teachers really could talk and students really could man booths and show their special projects. Would this cost more? No, Would it take more time to set up? No, Would more parents and students show up? You bet, there is nothing like a student with a place to go on a Saturday that is all about them and very few parents say no. In addition, for those students who have parents that don't participate, could still come because it's during the day and they could still feel that they were important and needed.  Isn't that what we are really trying to instill in students in the first place, to be better members of our communities?

Final Thoughts - Where to start?

Start with a simple survey sent to teachers, parents and students. Make sure that they are totally non-threatening and ask for honest answers. If you school is on the low end of the scale a simple survey will give you all of the information you need to start raising those scores. And, you will be surprised to learn that the teachers, students and parents are pretty aligned on identifying gaps and giving ideas for filling those gaps.

In our next series of articles we will be discussing some of the possible gaps you may be facing and some cost-effective alternatives to making small changes that have a big impact.

Applying Change Management Strategy in Educational Settings

Content Management Systems, Bespoke and Off-the-Shelf CMS Systems

Content Management Systems (CMS) have simplified the way content is published on websites and intranets these days. A CMS is an easy-to-use tool that requires minimal technical skills. Any lay-man can easily create text and multimedia rich web pages this way. However, you are not just confined to designing and publishing web pages. It also allows maintenance of documents and other content.

A CMS can also be used for specific purposes like document management, knowledge management, website content management, and so on. There are many systems available that are bundled with more or less similar features and are equally effective. Many of these can be tailored for a specific type of working environment and are usually referred to as bespoke content management systems.

Content Management System

Broadly they can be classified as enterprise level CMS and Open Source CMS. Enterprise content management systems have advanced elements like workflow management and security features. Open source CMS are free-to-use tools with all the required basic functionalities. Content management systems also depend on the type of platform used like the programming language (ASP, PHP, JAVA, and so on) and the supported databases (MySQL, Oracle, and so on).

Much of CMS success can be attributed to its usability aspect. The ease of use does not necessarily mean how simple it is for the author to get the content published on the web page. The usability factor of a content management system also takes into account the following:

Simple to design layout, publish the content, and speedy deployment. The ease with which the CMS can be learned. The manner in which the errors are reported and controlled. Portability between versions and scalability on various platforms.

Apart from easy functionalities, a CMS should ideally include the following features:

Customizable templates that can readily applied to content. Workflow management and document management. Advanced plug-ins and upgrades that comply to latest web standards. Content virtualization, where a virtual copy of the content can be worked on by multiple users.

A bespoke CMS allows the users to renew the content on any page or portion of the website.bespoke content management systems are best used when there are distinctive requirements like multi-lingual support, automatic link check, access rights depending on the roles, convoluted database systems, and so on. It is useful to have requirements and implementation objectives clearly defined before selecting and finalizing a content management system.

Content Management Systems, Bespoke and Off-the-Shelf CMS Systems

What Is CMS? Content Management Systems Explained

A lot of people have been asking this question. Every month 1.2 million people search Google with the term, what is CMS.

In its simplest terms a CMS is a lot like a word processor in that you can edit documents in a WYSIWYG format. WYSIWYG stands for 'what you see is what you get', this type of document creation allows you to see exactly what the document will look like as you are typing and adding different elements.

Content Management System

Content management systems are also pretty complex. A good content management system acts more like a database than a word processor. The database is where you can link content together and keep a record of changes made to any web page or web page element.

Electronic content management systems have been around since computers were invented. But content management has been a problem since the beginning of the printing press, and some historians say that the problem began with the first written word.

The scope of this article is beyond the history of the content management systems, instead I'm going to focus on the most used content management systems today and give a brief over view of each system. The most popular content management systems are:

Drupal Joomla WordPress

These are the top three systems in use today as they are all popular among people that don't know how to create a website or haven't learned any HTML.

Drupal

Drupal was launched in 2000 in a dorm room at the University of Antwerp by two students who wanted to be able to share information with other each other and other classmates. It was named "Drop" for the first year until the creator, Dries Buytaert, graduated and moved out of the dorm room.

The name Drupal, pronounced "droo-puhl," comes from the English enunciation of the Dutch word "druppel," which means "drop." Drupal is free. It is open source software that is constantly being updated by IT professionals from all over the world. With Drupal you don't have to know any HTML to create websites as everything is accomplished inside the interface that looks like a word processor. So you can create websites easily and manage all of the web pages from one location.

Joomla

Joomla is also free open source software that allows you to create websites and web pages easily once you get over the learning curve. You'll have to install and learn all of the modules to begin creating web pages. The Joomla website has extensive documentation on how to use the software and a broad FAQ page to help new people learn the tips and tricks and how to get around the different features of the software.

WordPress

WordPress was released in 2003 and has become the benchmark for automated SEO optimization. WordPress plug-ins automates most of the tasks associated with making a website search engine friendly. This software also has to be installed unless you choose to let WordPress host your website on a subdomain such as "yourwebsite.wordpress.com".

Having a website hosted by WordPress has its draw backs as you don't have control over your website and WordPress can ban you if you violate the rules.

WordPress is the easiest to learn of the three content management systems. And in my opinion the best one to start with if you don't have any experience in creating websites. It is powerful bu nimble and if used correctly any WordPress blog can be made to get high rankings on Google.

Now click on this What is CMS link to see introductory videos for the three content management systems listed in this article.

What Is CMS? Content Management Systems Explained

Corporate Management Titles

A corporation is a company that is vast in size, and that has many different divisions that produce services and products for its customers. In order to run these concerns a number of employees are required, and a special group of employees, also known as the board of directors are appointed by the company to govern them. The members of the Board of directors then act as advisors to the company, and have several employees working under them on specific tasks in a methodical manner. Because there are many different tasks of varied importance to be performed, the corporate management team is broken down into different divisions. Some of the ranks include the Chief executive officer, or the CEO, who is also known as the President, the chief financial officer (CFO), the vice president, the chief operating officer (COO), and so on.

Corporate titles are offered by various public sector or private sector organizations on the Officials of a company for identifying their role that is needed. Generally, big companies have a chairman or Chief Executive officer as their head followed by the ranks of president as their head but it has no official deputy. If we concentrate on this, it can be noticed that these corporate titles are most of the times given more for prestige and maintaining chain of command instead of differentiating between the jobs assigned to the employees. The division head is commonly referred to as Executive Vice President. This rank is almost the synonym of Vice Chairman. Sometimes it is also called President and CEO of the division depending on the structure of the organization.

Content Management System

Now let's look at some of the Corporate Management titles, and study the job that they have to perform on a daily basis. The CEO is of the highest rank and makes final decisions for all matters of the company. He also plays a visionary, and other officers like COO, CFO, and CIO report to him. The presiding officer responsible for selecting or removing officers and the one responsible for the technical and environmental operations of a company is the Executive or the Non executive Chairperson. Nowadays, certain companies have broken down separate tasks for the Chairman and the CEO, and sometimes the two combine to form Non Executive Chairperson. Helping him is the Chief accounting officer and the Chief Administrative Officer. The CAO or Chief Analytics officer manages the data of a company's activities and reports to the CEO. A new corporate management title offered by companies is the CBO, or the chief brand officer. A brand's public image, aspects and promises made by the company to the customers is looked upon by him. He looks after the packaging, customer service and marketing of a product. A company's brand Equity is reliant on him.

Chief Engineering officer is a corporate management title that can be mostly seen in technology and IT companies. He is responsible for the research and development of technology and products. Other important ranks include CTO, CPO, Treasurer, Superintendent and Supervisor.

Corporate Management Titles

Website Designer: How To Choose A Professional

By now most people trying to run a business should be aware of the importance of having a website. I don't think it's a secret anymore that the printed yellow pages have seen their day. Verizon, this year will not print their yellow pages anymore, and they have started to direct all their yellow page business to the Internet. Small and large business owners that have depended on the yellow pages for years are now forced to change how their customers will find them by means of the Internet. This can be a very frustrating process if you are not computer savvy. It's not enough today to be listed in a hand full of business directories, because people searching for products and service expect to land on a website to get their answers.

If the new or old business owner knows nothing about web design, then finding the right person to do the job will become overwhelming and sometimes frustrating. Lets first create a scenario that is very common with this process. For the remainder of this article we will call our business owner Joe, he is a plumber. Joe has come to realize that if he is going to remain in business, he has to join the digital age and now conduct business on the Internet.

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One of the first big problems that Joe has, and he may not even be aware of this problem, is the fact that web design is an unregulated industry. How is this a problem for Joe? Anyone and their mother can call themselves a web designer. There are all types of software that helps people to easily put together a website without having any working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, the computer languages that is behind a web page. Since the release of Joomla and WordPress, content management systems, another web application software, more and more people entered the web design market. The above applications create sharp looking quality websites. But many don't understand that these applications were designed for blogging, they are basically a blogging website. These applications have limits, as they primarily work with templates, and in many cases are just not appropriate for many businesses. That's not saying that professional web designers do not build sites with Joomla and WordPress, they do, but they also know when it's appropriate to use this application.

So that presents another problem Joe might have. How will Joe know if he is dealing with a real professional or an armature that is misrepresenting them self as a professional? Joe needs to do his research and learn as much as he can about web design. A professional web designer offers many services with his or her business. Joe needs to ask questions, such as, what other services do you offer? Can you design a logo for my business? Can you design postcards, flyers, and brochures? Do you handle the printing of these materials? And here is a very important question, can you design my website to look good with a mobile device? Today's professional is on top of all the new technologies, and will be able to design that website to look professional in both the desk top monitor as well as the newest mobile device. People are searching the web with their cell phones, I-pods, and tablets, and the same search habits will apply. If the website is not pleasing to look at or easy to navigate, people will simply move on to the next website to look for their answers.

Some red flags to watch for when searching for a web designer. Any Designer that doesn't provide a portfolio should raise a red flag. The designer's portfolio only has images of the website home page he created, but can't be linked to the actual site. The designer may not be willing to provide you with reference. The designer's email contact information is an Internet email service such as Yahoo or Gmail and not a company name dot com email.

Website Designer: How To Choose A Professional

How to Use SCORM For a Powerful LMS

Michael Leboeuf, a world renowned business author and consultant, said that "a satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all." How does one arrive at happy LMS customers? And how do LMS and courseware users as well as courseware developers decide on an LMS, and become happy customers? Luckily, there are standards to help guide the way, including SCORM.

The LMS industry strides alongside globalization, still new, expanding, and full of potential and promise. Competitors include smaller LMS product vendors, enterprise resource planning vendors, consulting firms, and training outsourcing firms.

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But according to the ASTD and the eLearning Guild, LMS buyers widely report dissatisfaction with LMS products. Poll respondents noted problems including high prices and lack of IT support, integration, and customization.

The many shortcomings that the LMS industry needs to overcome make the way for opportunities for smaller product vendors to tackle those problems and compete in the rapidly growing market. An LMS is a big and complicated tool, and requires a great deal of attention to both design accessibility and functionality.

Typically it goes like this: courseware developers use an authoring tool to create course content. Then the course is hosted on an LMS. Users need to choose an authoring tool that integrates smoothly with their LMS in order to ensure that their course content functions correctly. There are many authoring tools on the market, but one important consideration is that they meet SCORM standards.

What exactly is SCORM? Ignore the intimidating name that may bring to mind a mix of unpleasant weather and feelings of contempt.

In 1999, an initiative was started in an attempt to facilitate the standardization of learning management systems. The Advanced Distributed Learning initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, created a set of specifications called SCORM: the Shareable Content Object Reference Model.

Though SCORM 1.1 was the first production version, SCORM 1.2 was the first widely used and is still supported by most LMSs today, along with SCORM 2004.

In summary, SCORM makes life easier for everyone involved in the LMS industry--buyers, providers, users. Say you've finally completed the process of gathering your instructional materials and you want to upload them to an LMS. A SCORM publisher tool will make the process of uploading simple and fast. Many LMSs allow you to upload SCORM modules from your desktop with just one click.

How to Use SCORM For a Powerful LMS

How to Cope With Anger

Everyone knows that we all get annoyed and angry from time to time. The thing is when we observe the world around us we can see that anger is a rather a familiar emotion. Any stroll down any busy road will show us people losing their temper in cars, or parents getting angry with their children. The truth is that anger is part of the human state. However, we tend to relate anger as being among one of the non constructive emotions. This is not exactly accurate, because there are different forms of anger. Anger can be positive and in fact be a huge motivator and compel people to accomplish great things. It was anger that led to the emancipation of women and the civil rights movement and many other righteous causes.

The thing is we have to make a distinction between positive and negative anger. We looked at positive anger just now so lets turn to negative anger. Negative anger is shown by frenzy and hatred in reaction to the slightest of annoyance. Having this kind of anger is really difficult to control. It can make starting any kind of relations with anyone almost impossible. A lot of people who are in top-security prison or a young offenders institution for brutal acts, are there from a lack of ability to manage their anger.

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This very dangerous from of anger shows itself in many different ways: such as making sure that people do not slur or mock you; if they do then they are in for a terrible beating. The thing is though if you have a lot of negative anger you are then the kind of person who always thinks that people are against you. Further signs that you've got negative anger problems are if you are the kind of person who tells people how to live their life: giving out very strict rules about how they should behave and so on. Also Conniving and taking revenge, manipulating others, are all connected with people with anger problems.

The danger signals consist of a fast heart beat and muscular rigidity in the neck and shoulders. Once the adrenalin sets in a state of rage is then reached and the feeling is so overwhelming that the only thing to do then is to lash out.

To conquer this form of anger you have to need to be determined about altering your viewpoint on the world. As with any emotion, anger is ruled by your attitudes and belief systems. Remember just saying that you want to be less angry about everything is not good enough. Now, think for a minute about the kind of negative thoughts and attitude that someone with severe anger issues has.

Do you ever find yourself thinking? " I don't care! I will get what ever I want, other people can get stuffed,'' or " Why is everyone always picking on me? I'll smash their heads in! ''

As you can see the two things that are of vital importance, if you want to change, are to restructure the attitudes and beliefs you have, so that they go in with the people and the world around you. Think of others as an alternative to just thinking about yourself. Take a moment to ask yourself what kind of person is it that you would like to be. Would you like to be cheerful, contented, successful and a psychologically sound person. These type of people are naturally open-minded and tolerant of others. They understand the ups and downs of the world and their environment. As a result They are able to change and adjust accordingly. Psychologically fit people are formed from having a healthy attitude to life. They comprehend that the world can be tough and maddening. They have a philosophical outlook on life. They don't dwell on the negative things that happen. Explaining your anger is the simple bit, altering it needs self-discipline and will power. Good Luck.

How to Cope With Anger

Advantages of Joomla Web Design

Although it has been only six years since the first launch of Joomla, (September 16, 2005) this open source, content management system, has experienced rapid growth and explosive popularity. The Internet has undergone a ton of changes and has become quite advanced, in general, for both users and website owners. One of the best ways to not only set-up a website but also upgrade and add content and other backend topics and channels, is through a Joomla web design.

Plethora of Website Designs and Applications

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The introduction of new technologies on the Internet, like Joomla and many others means that a new website can now select from a plethora of web design applications and formats. The advantages of going with a Joomla web design package and a seasoned, experienced SEO Joomla professional, stems from the way website owners can organize and continually develop the flow of the site themselves.

No One and Done Management System

What must be known and understood concerning Joomla design and implementation, is that this CMS is not just a one and down system. The ability to utilize the many benefits of Joomla web design is accelerated with the use of simplified Joomla templates. With the help of both Joomla templates and an experienced, reliable Joomla professional, a website owner and facilitator can design an attractive website, which appeals to the masses and the much-needed visitors.

SEO Friendly Websites

As stated before, Joomla web development offers many benefits and spectacular values; all geared towards aiming SEO friendly sites to the target audience, which is traffic. The essential goal here is to fabricate a marriage between a superior CMS system, which is open-sourced, with the search engines, through organic feeds.

Organic Realities

Please have a look at some of the greatest advantages of a Joomla based web design package. We like to refer to any type of SEO based organic content management system such as Joomla, as a package since that tells each website owner that this is not a stand-alone development. It will take the assistance of a seasoned, top-shelf, Joomla website developer, to make the goal of increased, sustained organic visitation, a reality.

Advantages of Joomla

• Attractive Website
• Easy Navigation
• Easy to Maintain

The combination of a Joomla web design with a great Joomla design professional is the best method of increasing traffic to your newly created or upgraded website. The benefits as well as the advantages of a Joomla web design package go far beyond just what is briefly listed here on this review. That is what makes Joomla such an interesting platform, both frontend and backend, for all of you website owners!

Advantages of Joomla Web Design

Diet To Reduce Weight - Women's Guide To Blasting Fat From Your Arms, Belly, And Thighs Quickly!

A good diet to reduce weight for women has several key element that provide not only dramatic weight loss but also improved energy and overall health. The challenge is that most people are tempted to turn to hazardous diet pills or starvation-level eating plans to try and get skinny, even if it puts their overall health in danger. This is NEVER the right answer.

Instead, we can use some easy tricks and tips from the BILLIONS of skinny Asian women around the world who manage to look fantastic even right after having a baby!

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Today I'm going to show you one diet to reduce weight that Asian women use each day to get and keep their ultra-lean figures, without working hard at the gym or eating terrible food.

Diet To Reduce Weight - The Skinny Asian Way

Whenever clients in my weight-loss classes ask me for suggestions on the best diet to reduce weight I always respond with plans that I know they'll be able to follow without too much trouble. It's not going to do them any good to try overly hard programs that are so difficult that they can't possibly stick to them.

And while you're not going to learn ALL of the best diets to reduce weight that Asian women use to burn fat and stay thin from just a single short article, you CAN pick up some tips that will allow you to get started on the road to a new you:

Tip #1: Before Every Meal You're Going To Drink a Cold Glass of Water

Not only does a big glass of water keep you from overeating because it help trigger your brain's own "I'm full" hormone production, but researchers have recently found that COLD water actually forces the body to burn fat and extra calories as energy.

It works because our bodies operate at an internal temperature around 98-degrees F, meanwhile a chilled glass of ice-water is around the 45-50-degree F mark...which means our body tries to force the water to a higher temperature through action and activity, which takes energy!

German scientists recently estimated that a tall glass of cold water may force up to 65 calories to be burned within you just from drinking it...what a perfect piece of a diet to reduce weight!

Tip #2: Your Body Evolved To Eat Fruit...Give It To It!

Despite fears about sugar content, nutritionists are now recommending something Asian women have known for thousands of years: Fruit is a key part of any diet to reduce weight.

Part of the reason it works so well lies in the fiber it contains, which helps your body not only process and remove waste (which can cause weight gain) but also because fiber requires energy to move through our system...which requires fat and calories be burned to do it just like the cold water does!

The other reason food is essential in a diet to reduce weight is that it actually makes you feel more full than the calories it contains should.

Meaning when you eat a single apple, and are taking in around 75 calories from its content, it actually keeps you as full as if you had eaten a 200-calorie bagel...or a 200-calorie plate of pasta.

Scientists aren't sure why this happens, but they believe it's part of our body's own ability to figure out that white refined carbohydrates ultimately convert to a lower nutrient profile than natural fruits and veggies do, and thus the brain commands us to eat again sooner until it gets the vitamins and enzymes it's after.

Try to mix in an apple and banana each day, or whatever fruits you enjoy, as your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. This will keep you feeling more full throughout the day while you're still on a perfect diet to reduce weight continuously.

What If You Still Can't Lose Weight?

If you're still struggling to get the body of your dreams, you'll need to learn one of the most powerful secret free methods that Asian women do to force fat off of their belly and thighs in less than a month...WITHOUT starving or doing crazy workouts.

Diet To Reduce Weight - Women's Guide To Blasting Fat From Your Arms, Belly, And Thighs Quickly!