The Concept of Postmodernism - 5138 Words

CHAPTER 1 The concept of ‘Postmodernism’- A Theoretical Approach It is a clichà © by now to say that we live in a postmodern world, and it is true that the word ’postmodern’ has become one of the most used, and abused, words in the language. Still, it is striking that not many people can say with assurance what this term actually means and involves. Some theorists suggest that ‘postmodernism’ refers to a mood or an attitude of mind, others define it as a literary, cultural, or philosophic phenomenon. Either way, critics haven’t agreed on a common definition for the concept. â€Å"Brian McHale points out that every critic â€Å"constructs† postmodernism in his or her own way from different perspectives, none more right or wrong†¦show more content†¦He famously claimed that when one of he most representative examples of the style, the award- winning Pruitt- Igoe housing complex in St Louis, Missouri, was demolished in 1972, modern architecture died. The trend towards eclecticism in architecture, wi th old and new styles freely being mixed, was given its greatest boost by Jencks. He also considers that the confusions between the late modernism and the post-modernism could be explained by the fact that both artistic movements were born in the post-industrial society. On the other hand, he claimed that the concept of postmodernism itself suffered some changes during the decades and became clear in its meaning only in the ‘80s.. But not all theorists see such a contrast between modernism and postmodernism. In Postmodernist Fiction, Brian McHale affirms: â€Å" Postmodernism follows from modernism in some sense, more than it follows after modernism†.[v] Dan Grigorescu, a Romanian theorist, shares the same opinion concerning the dispute between modernism and postmodernism: â€Å"Prin â€Å"noua paradigmÄÆ'† nu se urmÄÆ'reÅŸte acreditarea ideii cÄÆ' ar exista o rupturÄÆ' totalÄÆ' à ®ntre modernism ÅŸi postmodernism, ci mai degrabÄÆ' a aceleia potrivit cÄÆ'reia modernismul, avangarda ÅŸi cultura popularÄÆ' au intrat à ®ntr-un nou sistem de relaÃ… £ii reciproce ÅŸi de configuraÃ… £ii ale discursului ce a primit numele de postmodernism, considerat de autorul rà ¢ndurilor de faÃ… £Ã„Æ' ca fiind cu totul diferit de paradigma â€Å"modernismului elevat†Show MoreRelatedThe Concept of Postmodernism5129 Words   |  21 PagesCHAPTER 1 The concept of ‘Postmodernism’- A Theoretical Approach It is a clichà © by now to say that we live in a postmodern world, and it is true that the word ’postmodern’ has become one of the most used, and abused, words in the language. Still, it is striking that not many people can say with assurance what this term actually means and involves. Some theorists suggest that ‘postmodernism’ refers to a mood or an attitude of mind, others define it as a literary, cultural, orRead MoreKurt Vonnegut : The Concept Of Postmodernism1598 Words   |  7 Pagesincredulity toward metanarratives.† Through his statement, he endeavored to associate a theory to the shifting concept of postmodernism; to synopsize different events, experiences, and phenomena in history through a universal appeal to truth. While his supposition, through equation with the poems of Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Olsen, or John Cage - does indeed seem to hold validity; to define postmodernism remains difficult. To define this era would be to violate the p remise of the postmodernist that no absoluteRead MoreEssay on Why Postmodernism Failed to End History1542 Words   |  7 Pages‘Why did postmodernism threaten to end History, and why did fail?’ This question poses two clear questions, why postmodernism threatened the end of history, and why it failed to do so. While few would counter the assumption that it did fail, it can be argued that it massively changed history, and through answering the questions posed, this can also be addressed. In 1986 A. Huyssen claimed that postmodernism possessed ‘the unshaken confidence of being at the edge ofRead MoreDesigning A New Method Of Visual Communication1461 Words   |  6 PagesPostmodernism in design is often distinguished by its difference in ideas and concepts to modernism. Graphic design was lead by modernism throughout the 20th century, however postmodernism was not recognized until the 1980s. Once it became known – as complicated as it was – designers saw it as an opportunity to break away from the modern movement to create a new method of visual communication with their work. Although the ‘rules’ of design were broken in postmodern practice (Poyner 2013 p.13), itRead MorePostmodern Concepts Influence on Museology934 Words   |  4 PagesPostmodern concepts have influenced curation and exhibitions, under the effect of museum classifications which determine the audiences’ perspectives on exhibitions. Postmodernism is highly influ ential and appealing because it is avant-garde (challenging past traditions). People appreciate new concepts, especially those that challenge the concept of art. The process of curation not only considers the organisation of the exhibition but is highly influenced by conceptual frameworks, postmodernism being partRead MoreRelationship between Postmodernism and Post colonialism1048 Words   |  5 PagesPostmodernism has been described as a new version of Western cultural imperialism. Discuss the relationship between postmodernism and postcolonialism. Postmodern theory been applauded as liberating, even democratising, in its rejection of absolutism and in its refusal to accept the dictates of hierarchy and certainty. It calls for the abandonment of the modernist qualities of objective truth, centralized knowledge, totalising explanations and determinacy . Rather, postmodern theory advocatesRead MorePostmodernism : Modernism And Postmodernism1549 Words   |  7 PagesModernism and Postmodernism To begin with, to determine the meaning of postmodernism is possible only through the relationship with modernism. Modernism in modern science is understood as a kind of cultural consciousness, which is implemented in the artistic practice of symbolism, expressionism and acmeism. In the socio-historical context, it means the period of modernism in the development of culture from the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, that is, from Impressionism to a new novel andRead MoreEssay on Midnight in Paris1672 Words   |  7 Pagesfilm engaging and witty, but it also manages to provide both, overt and covert examples of postmodernism in film. By analyzing Woody Allen’s 2011film Midnight in Paris, we can identify the presence of many underlying motifs in both the narrative and the characterization of the film when using some of Frederic Jameson and Jean Baudrillard’s concepts on postmodernism. One of the main concepts that postmodernism relies on is bricolage, which is reflected in Midnight in Paris through the usage and mixturesRead MoreAssessment of the Contribution of Postmodernism to Our Understanding of Society1025 Words   |  5 PagesAssessment of the Contribution of Postmodernism to Our Understanding of Society The idea of the modern began as a way of describing the ideas and behaviour that emerged during, and contributed to, the decline of medieval society in Europe. There were three main elements in modernity: 1. Economic: This involved the growth of the capitalist market economy, the production of goods for profit and the emergence of wage labour. 2. Political: The emergence of theRead MorePostmodernism : Modernism And Postmodernism1472 Words   |  6 PagesModernism and Postmodernism are both two important eras in design. Postmodernism takes a lot of concepts from the modernism era. Both modernism and post modernism focus on Style, Social analysis, Cultural Context, Philosophy, Politics, Human experience, Machine aesthetics, and the constant transformation of the â€Å"New†. An interesting fact of the Modernism and Postmodernism is the use of the psychology and philosophy themes 1. Subjectivity 2.History 3. Culture and 4. Theoretically divers aesthetics

Higher Rates Of Chronic Illness - 1077 Words

Higher rates of chronic illness in minority populations requires health care providers developing a plan of care to assess the dietary practices and traditions of a populace and gain the knowledge to assist these minorities with compliance, explain what behaviors can be modified amiably to be acceptable to culture and tradition. Risk behaviors also include lack of or late pre-natal care, the lack proper care, food and shelter and religious beliefs such as fasting. When assessing the health education needs of minority patients the provider takes an in-depth look at many factors. Factors to consider in program planning include language barriers, current disease trends in the community, literacy levels, and demographics to name a few. Problem†¦show more content†¦Food insecurity is the unreliable availability to consistently obtain food without resorting to socially unacceptable practices with over 14% of the people in the U.S. affected and the rate is higher among the Hispanic population (ADA, 2017). The goal for J.M. is to become more educated about diabetes mellitus and healthy food choices. Behavioral objective for J.M. would be to consult with a dietician and diabetic educator to review smart food choices, exercise and community resources which may be available to guide her in self-managing her illness. The outcome to this objective is the patient obtained the knowledge to make healthy food choices for both herself and her family evidenced by verbal understanding and loss of 1-3 lbs. within the next 6 weeks. Problem 2 – Physical Activity: Goals, Objective and Outcomes Problem 2 for the patient is her lack of physical activity. Although the patient walks a couple of days per week for 30 minutes this falls below the recommended 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, spread over at least 3 days per week, with no more than 2 consecutive days without activity (ADA, 2017). Hispanic’s in the U.S. have acknowledged that their new diets and limitedShow MoreRelatedCauses And Differences Between Men And Women The Aging Process1399 Words   |  6 PagesIs there a gender difference in chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and parkinson’s disease, for older adults in North America? Aging is inevitable, it is part of nature and as an individual ages, they become more at risk for developing a chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and parkinson’s disease. A chronic illness is classified as a disease that lasts for at least 3 months and is progressive whichRead MoreCauses And Treatment Of Chronic Illness1491 Words   |  6 Pagesbecome incredibly advanced and thus life expectancy rates have increased over the years. However, it must also be recognized that there are now higher rates of chronic illness. Chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and heart disease are the leading causes of disability throughout the United States. â€Å"As of 2012, about half of all adults—117 million people—had one or more chronic health conditions† (CDC 2016). People with a chronic illness essentially have a disease or disorder that requiresRead MoreMadison Childrens Hospital1074 Words   |  5 PagesMadison Children’s Hospital: Chronic Health Illness Program HSM 270 Abstract Madison Children’s Hospital has been serving the multi-cultural rich county of Orange, California since 1960. For more than 50 years, Madison Children’s hospital (MCH) has been steadfastly committed to providing the highest quality medical care to children. MCH has provided medical care to over 1 million children in the county of Orange. Our regional pediatric healthcare network includes a state-of-the-artRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder1167 Words   |  5 Pagesvirtually every medical condition. Overall, approximately 24% of patients do not adhere to their medication regimen. This non-adherence rate skyrockets when the condition is chronic, and is even higher when the illness is a severe mental illness (American Pharmacists Association, 2013). Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness that has one of the highest non-adherence rates, up to 65% (American Pharmacists Association, 2013). The reasons for this non-adherence are multi-faceted. Some reas ons are commonRead MoreBetter Not to Know in Mishel’s Uncertainty in Illness Theory Essay examples1156 Words   |  5 PagesMishel’s (1988) Uncertainty in Illness theory is a mid-range nursing theory that examines how uncertainty can affect patients. In addition, Mishel’s theory identifies causes of uncertainty that negatively or positively affect the patient. If an individual is spiraling down a known path of illness, they may perceive uncertainty as a benefit. However, illness uncertainty causes breakdowns, fear of the illness, emotional distress, loss of control, and inappropriate coping methods (Mishel 1988). TheseRead MoreEssay On Home Health Care1710 Words   |  7 Pagescontrol technology to the home is crucial; furthermore, coupling high-tech home health care with early diagnosis will certainly increase life expectancy. If pathogenic microbes could be eliminated from the home, it would be possible to prevent chronic and lethal respiratory infections from developing in people who have weakened immune systems. What the average person does not realise is that their home is filled with millions of microbes. This includes good and bad microbes. â€Å"A molecular-basedRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Chronic Illness1491 Words   |  6 PagesThe phrase chronic illness is one that no one wants to hear when going to the doctor. We do not want to hear about a diagnosis that will be with us for the rest of our lives, but it is even worse when we learn that our child or our younger sibling is sick. For my family this happened about six years ago with my little sister. We learned that she had Chron’s Disease. At first we though to ourselves at least it is not cancer, at least we will not have to deal with chemotherapy and constant doctor visitsRead MoreHow to Live to Be 1001662 Words   |  7 Page solder population is the most rapidly increasing segment of the U.S. population. Since 1900 the number of older adults has increased over ten times and their percentage of the population has more than tripled. This increase is projected to continue at a rate of 1.3 percent annually until 2010. (Torrez, p.132) The number of ethnic minority elderly persons will grow much more rapidly than the number of White elderly people over the next 50 years. The percentage of older adults in the United States thatRead MoreA Brief Note On The Organic Food Industry Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesOverweight and Obesity Statistics. National Institutes of Health). If Colorado wants to reduce health problems, then legislators and community leaders must reduce the price of healthy food to increase the rate of people to become healthier to, improve the lives of people who struggle with chronic illness, while preventing certain health risks like diabetes, obesity, and heart diseases. For instance, patients with these concerns are increasing their chances of developing health risks problemsRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Depression1180 Words   |  5 Pagesdisorder and has a lifetime prevalence rate of 6-25% in international studies (Carr, 2012). Reliable diagnosis is vital for the study of mental disorders (Fried, Epskamp, Nesse, Tuerlinckx Borsboom, 2016) and with the rising issue that depression is, individuals with multiple chronic diseases can be tackling depression occurring at the same time thus, it may complicate the treatment of these chronic illnesses. However there is a question of whether it is due to chronic illnesses as to why individuals

Memoirs of a Geisha Free Essays

I. Title: Memoirs of a Geisha (1997) II. Author: Arthur Golden (1957- ) III. We will write a custom essay sample on Memoirs of a Geisha or any similar topic only for you Order Now Setting: a. Where: Gion, Kyoto, Japan b. When: Early 1900’s (1930’s, World War II) IV. Character and Characterization: c. Principal Characters i. Sayuri Nitta (Chiyo Sakamoto) Sayuri is the main character of the book. As a child, she always thought well of others. She has determination and does not give up easily. Her gray eyes are what make her stand out the most. ii. Mameha Mameha was a well-known geisha in Gion. She was Sayuri’s older sister (not by blood) and mentor. She taught Sayuri what she needed to do for her to become a successful geisha. She is very determined and would do anything to achieve her goal. iii. Hatsumomo Hatsumomo was a geisha of the Nitta Okiya, the same okiya that Sayuri came from. She boasts of herself and thinks that no one is better than her. She despised Sayuri and saw her as competition, which led to her numerous attempts to destroy Sayuri’s life. iv. Chairman The Chairman was the reason why Sayuri had a purpose to live, which was the result of his act of kindness to Sayuri when she was a child. He is a person who thinks of other’s feelings. As a geisha, Sayuri wanted nothing more than for the Chairman to take notice of her. . Nobu Nobu was the Chairman’s right-hand man, the Chairman owed him a lot. He is patient and kind. Nobu’s appearance is peculiar because of his skin which was damaged by a bomb. He fancies Sayuri and waited most of his life to become Sayuri’s danna. d. Secondary Characters i. Pumpkin Pumpkin was Sayuri’s friend when they were young. T heir friendship was destroyed by Hatsumomo, who was Pumpkin’s older sister. She was sweet and very helpful at first, but was influenced by Hatsumomo. Pumpkin also became a geisha from the Nitta Okiya, but she was not as famous as Sayuri. ii. Auntie Auntie was the first person to show kindness to Sayuri when she arrived at the Nitta Okiya. She wanted Sayuri to become successful and to not end up like her. When Sayuri became a geisha, she continuously helped her through what she needed to do. iii. Mr. Tanaka Sayuri, as a child, idolized Mr. Tanaka and thought that no other man is higher than him. Mr. Tanaka was the person who offered Sayuri’s father to sell Sayuri and her sister Setsu. He was the reason why Sayuri ended up in Gion. iv. Mother Mother was the sister of Auntie and the owner of the Nitta Okiya. She was very fond of money and would do anything to become richer. She later adopted Sayuri as her daughter and as the successor of the Nitta Okiya. v. Dr. Crab Dr. Crab was one of the men who were attracted to Sayuri when she became a geisha. Dr. Crab is a kind of person who would let nothing to stand in his way. He is known for spending a lot of money in the pursuit of mizuage. V. Subject Matter: a historical fiction about the life of a geisha in Japan before World War II VI. Thesis/Main Idea: The story revolves around a girl whose life was transformed from rags to riches when her father sold her until she became a well-known geisha in Kyoto. VII. The Part I Like The Best. Why? I was thrilled the most when I was reading the part where the Chairman met Sayuri in the Ichiriki Teahouse after the incident with the Minister on the island of Amami. I was so consumed by the book since I badly wanted to know what the Chairman would say to Sayuri. Shock and disbelief came over me when the Chairman admitted that he knew Sayuri was the child he saw crying near the Shirakawa Stream. VIII. The Part I Like The Least. Why? I did not like the part where the war was going on and Gion closed down. I felt as if the part was not that significant to the main topic of the story and that the story would just have the same effect to the readers without it. As a reader, I thought that this was the dullest part of the story. IX. Vocabulary Improvement: 1. Geisha-(n. ) a Japanese women educated to accompany men as a hostess, performing different skills such as dancing and playing instruments * Most Americans confuse geishas as prostitutes because of the pretend geishas who called themselves geisha girls and sold their bodies to American soldiers in Japan during the World War II. . Okiya-(n. ) the lodging house in which a geisha lives until she has paid all her debts from the okiya for sending her to school * Mameha was a geisha who was allowed to live in her own house since she was able to pay off all her debts from the okiya she was from. 3. Danna-(n. ) a geisha’s patron, a wealthy man who supports the geisha’s needs in exchange for spending time with him privately * Nob u spent almost his entire life waiting to become Sayuri’s danna which unforntunately never happened. 4. Shamisen-(n. a three-string musical instrument that is played using a plectrum * Many geishas, if not all, were taught how to play the Japanese instrument called shamisen, which they used in performances. 5. Mizuage-(n. ) the coming of age ceremony of an apprentice geisha, usually associated with the geisha’s loss of virginity; a large sum of money is to be paid to the geisha in return for her mizuage * According to Mineko Iwasaki, the geisha Arthur Golden interviewed for his book, a geisha’s mizuage was never won by means of bidding. X. Brief Summary: Chiyo Sakamoto, a girl from a little fishing village called Yoroido, was 9 years old when her father sold her and her sister Satsu to a man named Mr. Tanaka. They were brought to Kyoto where Chiyo and her sister were separated; Chiyo stayed in Gion in the Nitta Okiya as a maid, whereas her sister was brought to Miyagawa-cho where she worked as a prostitute. Chiyo started going to school to become a geisha, but when she learned about her sister’s location, she went to look for her. When they met, they decided that they would runaway a few days after, Chiyo tried to runaway but failed, which caused her her schooling priviledges. As Chiyo continued to live as a maid, knowing that she won’t see her sister again, she felt as if she has no purpose in life; then he met the Chairman who treated her kindly, which gave her hope for a better future. After this incident, she wanted to become a geisha hoping that she would please the Chairman someday. Mameha, a well-known geisha in the Gion district, became her mentor and trained her to become a successful geisha; she then changed her name to Sayuri Nitta, of the Nitta Okiya. Though she had numerous admirers, she wanted no one but the Chairman to take notice of her; she strived hard to for this and in the end, she eventually learned that the Chairman acknowledged her way back then from the very first time they met. How to cite Memoirs of a Geisha, Essay examples Memoirs of a Geisha Free Essays â€Å"Memoirs of a Geisha† is a book written by Arthur Golden. The plot takes place in Japan and tells us the story of a young girl; a fisherman’s daughter and her journey through life to become a famous Geisha, a Japanese female entertainer. The book describes the struggles of a young girl, Chiyo, who is abandoned; sold by her father. We will write a custom essay sample on Memoirs of a Geisha or any similar topic only for you Order Now The story is told in flashback format with reference to the protagonist’s present and past. The focal point of the story is constantly on the internal narrator, Chiyo, who later changes her name to Sayuri when she becomes a geisha. Sayuri, who is our protagonist, is eight years old and lives in the small fishing village of Yorido at the beginning of the story. She lived happily with her family until one day her mother becomes sick. Her father who is a fisherman can’t afford the medical treatment of her mother. Seeing no other way out, he sells Sayuri and her clumsy older sister Satsu to Mr. Tanaka; the owner of the seafood company which all the villagers work for. Mr. Tanaka brings the girls to the cultural city of Gion. Satsu who is the less beautiful of the two is sold to a brothel while Sayuri is sold to the Nitta Okiya, a geisha house. At the Nitta Okiya she meets a number of different people. There is the owner of the Okiya who is referred to as â€Å"Mother†, a bull-dog looking woman, whose main concern is money as described by Sayuri. The main â€Å"Villain† of the story is Hatsumomo , a famous and successful geisha who lives in the same Okiya as Sayuri. Hatsumomo is the main resource of the Nitta Okiya since all the money she earns goes to support it. From the day Sayuri arrives at the Okiya, Hatsumomo dislikes her, she tries to make Sayuri’s life as hard as possible. At first it is hard to understand why she has that kind of behaviour towards Sayuri but as the story continues we understand that it is all about jealousy. Hatsumomo can’t stand that Sayuri is beautiful and sees that in a few years she might become a successful geisha unless she gets rid of her. Hatsumomo clearly states that she hates Sayuri and doesn’t want her in the Okiya: â€Å"I shall destroy you† (pg. 78)1 Sayuri comes to the Okiya with a debt which she has to pay off. The debt just keeps getting bigger because she has to take geisha ‘lessons. Sayuri is taken out from geisha practice,e after several accidents, and made a slave at the Okiya. She has no hopes for her future when Mameha, a character who becomes very important to the story, comes to convince Mother to let Sayuri continue her geisha practice. She helps Sayuri throughout her career by introducing her to many famous and rich people who can invite her to their parties and by taking her to all important places where the big parties are held. Mameha gives her personal lessons and gives her all help she can and if it weren’t for Mameha, Sayuri would never have become a geisha. Throughout the story we see how Sayuri’s character changes drastically, from a simple and a naive country girl to a slave with no future to a graceful famous geisha and when the story turns again, a seamstress trying to survive the second World War. Although the story mostly concentrates on Sayuri and we get to know the secrets of a geisha’s life, there’s a lot more that can be learnt from the story. It tells us about the life in Japan before, during and after the Second World War. The story which is set in Japan wouldn’t have existed if we were to set it elsewhere. Geishas are something unique to only Japan and can’t be found in any other culture around the world. It tells us about the time before the war when everything was good. Sayuri mentions the war a couple of times, in the beginning but she talks about it as if it were something that was far off and didn’t concern her. Then slowly she starts realising that the war is affecting them more and more when they start using ration books. Still, the reality of the war isn’t realised fully by either Sayuri or the reader until it hits you in the face when suddenly the heads of different Okiyas are selling fancy kimonos and jewels at the black market for their survival. The book mentions real-life incidents such as the bombing of Tokyo and other big cities. It tells us about the problems that the people of Japan were faced with and how even graceful geishas are forced to become normal seamstresses, making parachutes for the war. The theme of the book in my opinion is first of all, the life of a geisha since it tells us about how geishas lived and what they had to go through. Arthur Golden takes us into an unknown world and reveals the secrets of what seems to us a glamorous life. The book shows that the life of a geisha is far from glamorous. Both in sense of the social problems they have to face such as jealousy from other geisha and the struggle to make a good reputation for themselves in order to survive and also personal problems such as those older geishas, whose skin has rotted and become yellow because of the paints they used, had to face. Another theme of the book may also be; destiny. Sayuri’s destiny was to become a geisha no matter what came in her way, no matter how impossible it seemed at times, she finally succeeded in becoming a geisha and not just that, she even became a very successful and famous geisha of her time. When the book starts and we see the village of Yoroido through the eyes of a young innocent girl, you wonder ‘what does this little girl living in a small fishing village have to do with a graceful and glamorous geisha? It’s almost as you wonder whether the title of the book is wrong. As the story develops, we see how Sayuri ends up in the cultural city of Gion, but then suddenly when the story turns again and Sayuri is made a servant at the Okiya you start wondering if the story will instead start focusing on Hatsumomo. The book is very slow and boring in the beginning, several times I thought of just putting it down but just then the story takes a new turn. It really tells about a life I knew nothing about before and got really interesting the further I got into the book. The author has tied in historical events into an interesting story reflecting not only the lives of geishas but also the lives of ordinary people of that time. I found the book very interesting and different but a bit slow. Since it is semi-reality based I would recommend it to people both my age but also older people. The story catches your interest whether you are young or old. I would give the book 3 out of 5 points. How to cite Memoirs of a Geisha, Essay examples

Case Study Analysis on an Organisation free essay sample

Organisational change is something that occurs throughout an organisation’s life cycle and effects the entire organisation rather than one part of it. Employing a new person is one example. Change is increasing due to a number of forces including globalisation led by rapidly advancing technologies, cultural diversity, environmental resources and the economy; therefore the ability to recognise the need for change as well as implement change strategies effectively, in a proactive response to internal and external pressures is essential to organisational performance. Internal changes can include organisational structure, process and HR requirements and external changes involve government legislation, competitor movements and customer demand (Wood et al, 2010). Change does not need to be a painful process, as it may seem when observing the amount of failed change management initiatives with reports as low as 10% of researched success rates (Oakland Tanner, 2007), when successful change management strategies are utilised and planned, including effective communication strategies, operational alignment, readiness to change and implementation, which all lower and overcome resistance (Wood et al, 2010). There is a great amount of literature on the negative aspects and difficult management with employees resisting change, however Wood et al (2010) challenge this notion by questioning the change management process as people do not resist change itself but aspects of the change that affects them personally such as fear of the unknown, status, remuneration and comfort. Resistance to these changes is a healthy reaction and can be managed effectively in the beginning by ensuring communication and using one of the change initiatives described here. Background Information Truelocal is based in Sydney, with small sales branches in Brisbane and Melbourne. It employs over 150 staff, an increase of approximately 50% over the past two years. It was founded in 2005 by NDM as part of an expanding operation of online websites to provide across the board consumer services, including news and magazine websites; online sport and weather information; and shopping comparison search engine, web-based recruitment, and travel search engine solutions [http://www. ewsdigitalmedia. com. au, accessed 25/08/2010]. As the world shifted into what is often referred to as the ‘digital info age’, consumer demand for online media as a way to source information significantly increased and demand for printed media decreased putting pressure on newspaper companies to expand to producing news and information online in digital format. This included News Corporation which decreased its newspaper operations and increased its digital expansion. As an employee at Truelocal for over six years, I have acquired this information presented here through interviews with management, company information and my own observations internally within the organisation’s sales department working in the roles of sales executive, account manager and senior retention account manager. The Need for Change – Management Structure Truelocal needed to align its culture, values and structure with the parent company in order to meet strategic growth goals not long after it was founded. Wood et al (2010) describe the work of an author, Noel Tichey on managing strategic change. Experts use three fundamental sets of change in their approach; technical design, political allocation and culture/ideological mix problems. It is one of these problems that become a pressing issue at any one time of which then initiates the change. In Truelocal’s case there were a number of changes evolving and at this time it was culture problems. NDM has been growing in size since its establishment in 2006 with a number of acquired website operations, each operating as a separate business unit with the support of HR, Finance, IT, Commercial Operations and other support services provided by the parent company (NDM). A decision was made to align the organisation in terms of operations, culture and strategy so it could concentrate on innovation and performance to achieve its goal of becoming the number one provider of online information in Australia. As a result NDM redesigned its organisational structure as Truelocal and most of the other business units merged together in one location. Not long after this relocation, Truelocal began flattening out the company structure lead by a new management team and CEO. It has since been under constant change to achieve it’s goal to continue growth (both in number of staff and performance) and excel as a high performing and innovative company with an agenda of being the second largest online directory service in Australia after it’s competitor Sensis (Yellow pages online). Wood et al (2010) explain the performance gap is a desire to move from one less desired state to another. This can be seen by the increased performance after the change occurred and culture change was implemented. What changed Fundamental changes that occurred were a shift from the existing vertical, bureaucratic structure to a horizontal structure and change in specialist functioning of divisions creating a professional, corporate environmental culture that was customer focused. The existing culture was a casual attitude towards dress requirements, starting and finishing times, breaks, informal communication expression and channels and many staff were employed as friends of existing staff rather than based on competency and job skills. Some managers had their partners working for them and a few were family members. There didn’t appear to be any dress code and people came and left work at varying times. Additionally management employed more skilled staff, retrained existing staff and created processes of which procedures were then put in place. One of the ways these objectives were achieved was by the reduction of management layers resulting in more direct reporting. Wood et al (2010) explain as organisational size increases, the more interconnections and less direct communication between people takes place (Wood et al, 2010). Change Process When management at Truelocal uplifted existing management and reporting structures, staffs were initially left without direction, reporting channels, processes and goals were not clearly communicated causing a lot of uncertainty. Consequently many staff resigned as they felt upset and confused about what was happening. Truelocal however, retained some of the more experienced staff with new career development propositions and new managers were encouraging and open about future improvements that were to take place within the organisation. One of the ways Truelocal could have managed this change is by using the Freeze/Unfreeze concept; Wood et al (2010) explains Kurt Lewin, a famous organisational Psychologist’s three-force phase, which is needed for any organisation to be motivated to bring about the change of which are; 1) Unfreezing focuses on preparing people for change. This is a critical part of the change phase prior to implementation by analysing and influencing resistance and need to change. A common tool that is used at this stage is called Force Field Analysis, this measures these forces. ) Changing of people; tasks; structure; technology. Ideally the organisation will be completely unfrozen, ready for change and its goals made clear. It is recommended that staff are not perceived to have a sense of high or low security at this stage in order to avoid resistance. 3) Refreezing is the evaluation and reinforcement of the changes that took place. The new managers were recruited by Truelocal for their exp erience in organisational transformation within the type of professional, high performing, corporate environment the organisation desired and who worked at their competitor company. These managers were expected to manage the entire change process themselves. Change agents are people or groups who take responsibility for the change of behaviours and existing patterns in a supportive manner (Wood et al, 2010). The perceived risks however, are the responsibility of the organisation’s leader who decides on the direction of the change (Oakland Tanner, 2007). Planned changes that took place were; Structure – change in organisational design by reporting systems, operational processes and size of teams, while roles were redefined by definition, job title and remuneration. Tasks – Most jobs were redesigned including more responsibility for staff in management roles and multi functional tasks for other staff. One of these job designs is called job enrichment, which is the increase and deepening of motivating factors built into a job (Wood et al, 2010). Some of these enrichments used by new management were increased responsibility and accountability, less control and more freedom in the job and more recognition. People – improvement of recruitment and selection process by advertising formal job vacancies on the organization’s intranet and incentives for staff to nominate candidates who were then formally interviewed by a number of managers. Additionally training sessions for new staff, coaching and certification courses were made available. Carless (2005) describes her research on the compatibility of job-person-organisation-environment fit. She believes a person must assess their attributes and personality with the job and organisational characteristics, which is likely to improve job satisfaction and adjustment to the environment. Culture – organisational values and beliefs were communicated from the parent company of which staff was rewarded when their behaviour displayed these values. Recognition was given in addition at meetings and performance appraisals. This is the observable culture, however as Wood et al (2010) explain, shared meanings and stories are other powerful aspects of culture and this can be observed at Truelocal by the high turnover of staff by both stories and norms that communicate the need to work hard to perform in the job or leave. Cultural symbols include trophies for ‘employee of the month’ awarded to the highest performer. These symbols serve to transmit cultural meaning (Wood et al, 2010). In the sales department a large subculture can be observed. Wood et al (2010) explain strong subcultures are often found in high performance task forces where people share similar values and backgrounds. This subculture included men between the ages of 22-30 yrs that have no formal education, drink alcohol excessively, and are passionate about technology, highly materialistic and view women as sex objects, which can often be observed by their language and behaviour. Moreover this culture is likely to be influenced by the national culture of which the organisation is embedded (Wood et al, 2010). In fact this subculture existed in the old culture before the restructure of which the company held ‘diversity training’ focused on discrimination and fairness within the workplace resulting in terminations. According to The Economist (2008), in the economic downturn companies need ‘Generation Y’ as hungry 25-35 year olds without commitment, for marketing and product innovation with emerging technologies, able to put in the time and energy to help them deal with recession hazards, especially in sales. Strategy – operations and planning were clarified at monthly and quarterly meetings including product changes. These were addressed by department managers regularly and CEO meetings irregularly, to engage staff. Wood et al (2010) explain leadership has changed from the traditional trait and behaviour approaches to transformational, charismatic, visionary focus and is separate from management. The leadership team at Truelocal formally includes the CEO and parent company (NDM) leaders. Their leadership function can be observed by their language and behaviours they use a transformational and visionary change approach. Objectives – specific performance targets were set allowing staff to earn a higher commission by overachieving set targets, recognition and prizes to increase motivation consistently. Purpose – both the CEO and the parent company made organisational goals clearly communicated vision and clarified progress regularly. Recognition was given for the contribution of each department and each business unit to the overall success of the organisation. These changes were managed by senior staff using a combination of change strategy approaches as explained by Wood et al (2010) that include a forced approach of top down command, one way communication, coercive reward and punishment approach, rationalisation approach and shared decision making, empowered approach. Of these approaches no single approach was concluded best by researchers on organisational change and it is advised that more commonly a combination will occur, however guidelines are offered to change agents and managers (Wood et al, 2010); consider use of expert consultants communicate the need for change feedback from employees avoid changing for the sake of change study organisational change and structures From this perspective Truelocal management took the right approach by varying the way they managed the change. Change Results The facilitation of clearer and faster communication channels enabled staff to work more efficiently and get things done faster, along wit h improved technology. Further benefits of this structure were people collaborating in teams, using initiative and increased spontaneous communication while rules, procedures and close supervision were reduced as described in (Tushman, Anderson O’Reilly, 1997). Wood et al (2010) describe the matrix structure is common in large organisations wanting to improve customer responsiveness. Truelocal’s reporting structure utilised this organisational design as part of the change, for example the finance manager reports to the CEO of Truelocal and to the Commercial Director of NDM, however Wood et al (2010) note each organisation’s structure is unique and there is no single observed design. This change is described by Wood et al (2010) as radical. Radical changes are fundamental reorientations and transformational, often initiated by the arrival of a new CEO. Culture Performance Change Since the change occurred, Truelocal’s sales department recorded a growth rate of 15% per full time employee (FTE). Some strategies used were; Performance appraisal review (PAR) – staff are asked to grade themselves on their performance and their use of company values of which are discussed by their managers. For example one of the values is ‘Impact’ and an employee is asked how much impact they contributed to the organisation since the last performance review and they are required to give examples of this behaviour. These PARs are held quarterly and annually. Reward and remuneration – staff are given targets according to their job level and experience with incentives to over achieve. These targets are called Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The person’s job is broken into task components of which each component consists of a target behaviour that is rewarded. Remuneration is based on the overall percentage of KP I achievement. Recognition – employee of the month award was created by encouraging staff to use an online submission for their preferred co-worker who had gone over and above their job requirement displaying one of the company values. In addition the company awards the sales department with the person with the highest dollar value in sales and yearly a larger reward of which one year was a new car. Similarly a newsletter recognises new sales people who achieve early in their job. All of these reinforcements are called extrinsic which are rewards given to someone by another person’s valued outcome and because they are environmentally impactful are valued in influencing behaviour through the law of effect (Wood et al, 2010). Cultural change can take years according to Wood et al (2010); however effective cultural change strategies can be used to shorten the timeframe. One of which is explained by Oakland Tanner (2007), it is important to align the culture to support the desired change in behaviour. For example Truelocal needed a professional, customer focused culture which required staff to develop professional skills and behaviour. The result was all departments undertook a full training programme designed to increase awareness in communication, with a focus on questioning and empathy. Conclusion Truelocal is a young company and part of the larger and still relatively new parent organisation, NDM, operating under the global News Corporation. The industry it operates in, digital media is one of the fastest growing and changing environments globally. It changed from a structure and culture of casual, unprofessional work practices managed within a more bureaucratic structure that was under performing to a transformational, high performing, innovative and professional culture that is customer focused. Truelocal achieved its goal of growth, productivity and change in culture, however many staff were lost in the process and not much planning appeared to be in place. It is unclear as to the lack of planning, communication or use of external consultant in the case of radical change that occurred. One assumption might be due to budgetary restrictions as the company has been running at a loss since it started, reporting a loss this year of over one hundred million. Apart from the successful change management strategies that were used by the change agents, in particular the motivational strategies used by nominated change managers, numerous other approaches were identified that may benefit the organisation for managing future changes more effectively. Reference List Carless, S. A. (2005). Person-job fit versus person-organisation fit as predictors of organisational attraction and job acceptance intentions: a longitudinal study. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology. 78 (3), 411-429. Generation Y goes to work (2008, December 30). The Economist (US). Retrieved from http://www. economist. com/business/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12863573 Oakland, J. S. , Tanner, S. (2007). Successful change management. Total Quality Management, 18 (1-2), 1-19. Tushman, M. L. , Anderson, P. C. O’Reilly, C. (1997). Technology cycles, innovation streams and ambidextrous organisations: organisaiton renewal through innovation streams and strategic change. Managing strategic innovation and change. Oxford University Press, NY. 2-23. Wood, J, Zeffane, R. , Fromholtz M. , Wiesner R. , Creed A. , Schermerhorn J. , Hunt J. , Osborn R. , (2010). Organisational Behaviour, Core concepts applications. 2nd Ed. John Wiley Sons, Australia, Ltd. Milton Qld.