Becton Dickinson Human Resource Management

Introduction Becton Dickinson (BD) is a company whose main business is to supply medical products and diagnostic systems to clinical laboratories, hospitals, pharmacies, and to physicians’ offices. The company had been involved in other businesses before the year 1983 when it started restructuring and focusing purely on health care business.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Becton Dickinson: Human Resource Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, the company divested from a number of other businesses and used the proceeds to increase its capital layout in its health care division, namely medical and diagnostic products. The company became a leader in the manufacture of I.V. catheters. In addition, the company also bought back some of its shares worth 3 million. This move led to an increase in its profits between 1983 and 1986, after which profitability started declining. Its major strategy was to address new market requirements with peculiar products based on technology in order to build on its existing business and distribution strengths (Williamson 1). Assessment of Strategic Human Resource Management Profiling The human resource department is an important department in the profiling process. Profiling is a process that requires skills and expertise since it will have a major impact on the whole organization in the long run (Kozami 156). If the process fails the whole organization fails, and if it succeeds it is reflected in the success of the organization. Howe appointed Gilmartin to become the vice president for Corporate Planning. Profiling was introduced in Becton Dickson in the year 1988 when Gilmartin became the CEO. He applied the SHRM profiling process in the corporate strategies, following its success at the divisional level. This led to changes in the way the company was to be managed. The changes were to help the company in its developmental strategies.Ad vertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It became evident that SHRM would have a positive impact on the organization in the future, but its implementation would not be an easy exercise. However, Wessel was aware that the problem could be managed and make the whole process a success (Williamson 35). This indicates that the process of profiling, if conducted efficiently, can be helpful to the organization. It is a source of competitive advantage. It changed the divisional level towards the right direction. It also enabled the divisional manager to implement strategies in the division and reformulate them. One of the major aims of profiling is to ensure that the manager is capable of effectively implementing strategies in the organization. It is important to note that a strategy will always be successful if the manager is able to align it with all the elements of the organization. This was one of the bases of assessment in Becton Dickson. Strategic human resource management assumes that the workers in the organization are aware of the areas where the organization is not aligned with the strategies. They have experienced the organization and, therefore, they understand where the barriers are. Therefore, the SHRM should ensure that all employees are aware of the strategies. At Becton Dickinson, the SHRM had the initiative to ensure that every employee in the company was aware of the company strategies. In addition, the management was responsible for hiring the right individuals to ensure management talent within the organization that would help it in the implementation of the proposed strategies. The SHRM should also have devised ways of assessing the performance of employees. This would help them take the appropriate action in time in case the employees did not perform as expected. It is difficult for the organization to implement its development strategies if employees do not perform as they are expected to.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Becton Dickinson: Human Resource Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is important to note that the human resource in an organization gives the company a competitive advantage (Salaman, Storey and Billsberry 2). It is, therefore, the responsibility of the human resource managers to ensure the organization has the right individuals for the various positions. The concept of strategic human resource management was introduced in BD by Fred Bryant in the year 1987. The HR managers set strategies, which the employees are made aware of and are required to act according to the strategies to achieve the organizational long term objectives (Salaman, Storey and Billsberry 2). Generally, SHRM links the human resource in the organization with the strategic goals to foster development and innovation. At first, SHRM brought succes s to the company since division presidents started to review the methods they use to organize and manage people; they used data to solve the organizational problems. However, this did not last for long. Some managers such as Ralph Biggadike felt that SHRM was not evenly implemented. Managers did not have the skills to manage complex processes that came with the introduction of SHRM. This called for standardization of the process. SHRM profiling was then introduced in order to help in the development of people who had the capability of implementing business strategy. This brought in changes in the organization. However, managers still complained that the process focused more on the negative aspects of the business and tended to ignore the positives. When SHRM was formed, it was to complement the strategic profiling. It was able to identify the barriers to the organizational strategies. First, cooperation is important for the success of strategies in an organization. The members of th e organization failed to cooperate; therefore, implementation of strategies failed. For instance, the management is responsible for appointments, and in BD there was a Management Review Committee (MRC) that was established for this initiative.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the committee did not perform its duties to perfection for some reasons. First, the committee did not hold regular meetings to assess the performance of managers and their developmental requirements. Secondly, the members of the committee were always very busy such that it was not easy to have them all assemble for a meeting. Finally, they did not meet regularly to discuss openings in major positions, as well as the availability of personnel to fill in the positions (Williamson 11). In addition, the human resource of the company failed in implementing management development. They hired people to fill key positions from outside the organization. They could not identify low performers in time. Division managers felt that employees who were newly hired should have start performing immediately they joined BD. As a result, the HR managers preferred recruiting people from competitor companies. This led to lack of depth in the organization. Gilmartin recognized the problem and the need to discuss the problem with the HR vice president, Jim Wessel, so that they could find a way to align the company’s strategy with the human resource. SHRM profiling has the ability to address the issues that prevent implementation of strategies and change in the organization. Once the relevant issues are identified, the SHRM should come up with discussions on how to improve on them to ease implementation. SHRM profiling at Becton Dickson was able to spur organizational change. The managers were able to come up with change plans. But the poor communication was a barrier. This is one of the issues that SHRM addressed to enable implementation of changes. The cross-functional coordination also improved. It is, therefore, important for organizations to embrace introduction of SHRM profiling. Many organizations that have failed in strategic development can benefit greatly from SHRM profiling. Generally, the SHRM profiling process was beneficial to the organization since it br ought improvements in most business units. The human resource was aligned with the company’s strategies to improve the efficiency of the process. Despite these improvements, the process was faced with a number of barriers, which included conflict of interests, management issues, lack of coordination, poor communication, and lack of career development in the organization. These led to failure of BD to achieve the success it was expecting. It called for action to be taken to improve on these barriers. Recommendations Since SHRM profiling has the potential to improve on the overall performance of the organization, it is important for BD to continue with profiling as a strategy. However, SHRM should be carried on voluntarily. This way, the managers will be able to act proactively. They will find solutions to possible problems before the problems occur. This will prevent any chance of failure. Top managers need to resolve their management differences and interests. They need to im prove the communication network to be able to carry out efficient review processes. Solving the management issues in the organization will be vital in redesigning the continuation of SHRM. In addition, SHRM has the ability to complement strategic profiling and improve the chances of successful change implementation. When SHRM was introduced in Becton Dickinson, there were improvements in coordination of managers, the communication network also improved. This enabled changes to be implemented and strategic developments to be successful. I, therefore, recommend that SHRM profiling be embraced by organizations. It would be of much relevance in those organizations where some of the barriers to strategic developments are communication problems. Works Cited Kozami, Azhar. Business Policy and Strategic Management. New-Delhi: McGraw-Hill Publishers, 2005. Print Salaman, Graeme, Storey John and Billsberry Jon. Strategic Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE, 2005. Prin t. Williamson, D. Alistair. Becton Dickinson (A): Corporate Strategy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. 1991. Print. This assessment on Becton Dickinson: Human Resource Management was written and submitted by user Lylah Hobbs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Classical Conditioning Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

Classical Conditioning Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks Theory of Classical Conditioning: The Basics In ordinary life, a person makes a number of habitual actions without even noticing them; for example, when leaving for school or work, hardly anyone will forget to lock the door; likewise, when greeting someone, most people would stretch out their hand for a handshake. Caused by classical conditioning, these habitual actions, or reflexes, can be either simple or complex, yet they all have one thing in common – they were acquired at some point of a person’s life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Classical Conditioning: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Also known as responded conditioning, or Pavlov’s theory, classical conditioning can be defined as a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus (Basford Slevin, 2003, 560). The principle of conditioned theory mechanism seems to have become a common knowledge. According t o Basford and Stein’s interpretation, classical conditioning is developed in a person or an animal when a neutral stimulus â€Å"is paired or occurs contingently with the unconditioned stimulus on a number of occasions† (Basford Slevin, 2003, 560), which leads to the neutral stimulus producing â€Å"the same response as the unconditioned stimulus† (Basford Slevin, 2003, 560). As it has been stressed above, Pavlov is immediately associated with the term of classical conditioning. In his experiments, he offered his experimental dogs food, which served as an unconditioned stimulus, causing them to respond in reflex salivation. Simultaneously with the unconditioned stimuli, a neutral stimulus (a bell ringing) was also used. After the experiment had been reiterated several times, a neutral stimulus turned into a conditioned stimulus – the dogs started salivating at the sound of the bell as well (Basford Slevin, 2003, 560). Thereforethe theory of classical c onditioning clarifies the nature and development of conditioned, or trained reflexes and behaviors. Scenario Number One: Proving the Classical Conditioning Theory Classical conditioning works in a very efficient way, since it affects people and animals on the subconscious level. Perhaps, one of the most powerful tools for changing one’s behavioral pattern, it might be considered somewhat unfair when tested on people, which is why it seems much less controversial to try the effects of classical conditioning on animals. People say that of all animals, cats are the least trainable. However, being animals, just like dogs an people, cats are also subject to the effects of training (Johnson-Bennett, 2007). In the given experiment, the myth concerning cats being completely untrainable will be finally busted.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Experiment description A four-year -old Maine Coon cat is going to be the object of the experiment. The subject of the experiment will concern teaching a cat to â€Å"handshake,† i.e., raise its foreleg and allow the trained to hold and slightly shake it. The experiment is going to be carried out in the following manner: Step 1. The cat is being shown a snack (e.g., a piece of Kibble). Step 2. As the cat sits, the trained slightly touches the cat’s chin holing his/her hand palm up. Step 3. The cat raises the paw to stop the trainer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Classical Conditioning: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Steps 4 and 5. The trainer shakes the cat’s paw lightly and gives the cat a snack. Step 6. The trainer pets the cat and praises it. The steps 1–6 must be repeated at least twenty times (i.e., the process of training will take at least a week) until the cat learns the rout ine subconsciously and the classical conditioning is finally formed. In the end of training, as soon as the trainer stretches his/her hand with a palm up, the cat will raise the paw to get the snack, since a handshake will be associated with a snack immediately. Technically, the given experiment is rather complicated to carry out, given the â€Å"cat nature† (Johnson-Bennett, 2007), which is why a Maine Coon breed was chosen as the type of cats who are the easiest to train. Scenario Discussion and a Chart: How the Classical Conditioning Theory Is Going to Work Since the given experiment presupposes that there are several unconditional stimuli that lead to respective unconditional responses, the chart is going to be different from the traditional one, yet it is going to follow the same pattern. As the given diagram shows, the basic elements of the classical theory of conditioning are in their places. To start with, there is the neutral stimulus, which is going to become a cond itioned stimulus at the end of the experiment. The two unconditioned stimuli (lifting the hand up to the cat’s chin and showing a snack at the same time) predetermine the logical uncontrolled responses (i.e., lifting the paw and wanting the snack).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As soon as the trainer shakes the cat’s paw and the cat gets the snack, the procedure is over. As soon as the procedure is carried out repeatedly, classical conditioning is formed: if the trained stretches out his/her hand with a palm up, the cat lifts its paw thinking that it will trigger getting the snack. It can be assumed that in two to three weeks, the cat will acquire a conditioned habit. Reference List Basford, L. Slevin, O. (2003). Theory and practice of nursing: An integrated  approach to caring practice. Chettenham, UK: Nelson Thornes. Johnson-Bennett, P. (2007). Starting from scratch: How to correct behavior problems  in your adult cat. London, UK: Penguin.

Policy changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Policy changes - Essay Example The current policy of the USA pertaining to the nuclear program of Iran has failed to serve its purpose and should be looked upon from a different dimension to have any positive effect. Like an expired drug, any outdated or faulty policy, if kept implemented, can have its adverse reaction. This is an important concept to understand. The effect of the USA current policy is not limited to Iran but it shares a common interest of many countries around the world. Iran’s desire to acquire nuclear technology has raised many eyebrows on the international horizon (Davis 2011). America continues to follow a non-lenient policy on this matter and has to come up with a strong response. President Obama’s speech in Cairo also addressed the issue of Iran’s nuclear program clearly stating the country’s policy on the subject. The U.S. has its concerns over Iran’s peaceful propositions. Therefore, a conflict is inevitable. Currently, the U.S. follows a policy of imple menting sanctions and using diplomatic tools to force Iran to give up its desire of pursuing nuclear technology. But nothing much has been achieved so far. Despite this fact few amendments have been made from the U.S. government in their current policy. As mentioned earlier, this has resulted in some side effects. Iran is now more determined to bypass the international forum. Retaliation also came in the form of Oil embargo that was imposed on the members of European Nation. Due to the fact that America has a history of rivalry with Iran, it could be deduced that any American enforcement will aggravate the situation. Moreover, it is the right of any country to utilize its resources to fuel the economy. Iran believes that a nuclear energy can resolve their crisis of energy needs and can boost their economy. Any obstacle from America that prevents Iran from achieving that goal will be viewed as a conspiracy against them. Therefore, a new policy is required to address this particular i ssue. A proposed policy could be a discussion with the Iranian Government over their energy needs, and an alternative solution to that crisis can be provided. How to Implement That Policy? The first and the foremost hurdle that resulted in the failure of the early policy was that it was implemented by the U.S. The history between the countries suggests that any proposition from any side will be dealt with criticism and suspicion (Fayazmanesh 2008). Moreover, this problem is not of the USA alone and president Obama made it very clear in his speech in Cairo that all the steps taken against Iran are in the best interest of all humanity. Let’s closely look at the situation, if Iran acquires nuclear technology, it will definitely initiate a nuclear arm race in the surrounding region that can have severe consequences. We cannot afford a third world war. If initiated, these nuclear weapons can lead to annihilation of our entire planet. But Iran is not ready to give up its program an d will surely reject the future U.S. policies. The cause of such response towards the U.S. policies by Iran can be traced back to history. The only country in the history of mankind that practically used nuclear weapons to destroy two cities and killed thousands of people in a blink of an eye is none other than the U.S. Though, many justifications were