How to Get the Best Letters of Recommendation Ever!

How to Get the Best Letters of Recommendation Ever! Letters of Recommendation (LORs) are ranked as the 5th most important part of your college application. Most LORs make no difference because they sound like everyone elses. They dont hurt, but they dont help. To make sure you get LORs that actually help you get into a top college, follow these guidelines: Meet with your recommender either in person or by phone. Remind the person of who you are and where you are heading. Talk about stories/examples the recommender can put in the letter. Give the recommender a package of information that includes: examples of your academic work; your high school transcript; your resume; your personal essay (or a summary if you havent written it yet); specific examples of your accomplishments that the recommender can write about The following is an outline of a great letter of recommendation: Introductory paragraph Who the recommender is and how that person knows the applicant. Statement that the applicant is in the top 5 or 10 numerically or the top 5% or 10% of comparable students, in a particular class, work load handled, etc. Something quantifying the students position in comparison to other students. A summary sentence of how it is this applicant stands out to you. 2-6 paragraphs telling stories about the applicant. Provide detailed examples of how this person stands out among the rest. If not already covered, make sure to insert examples of attributes that admissions committees care about. For example: Intellectual ability Intellectual curiosity Writing research skills Analytical skills Positive character traits/Integrity Special skills Leadership Extracurricular involvement Conclusion: Mention anything the recommender knows about the students goals and his/her capacity to reach them. Make sure to request your LORs asap if you havent already! The last thing you want is to have an incomplete application at deadline because youre still waiting on a recommendation. Feel free to show this article to your recommenders for extra insurance that you get the BEST letters of recommendation ever!

Making An App For A Large Number Of College Students Today

Organization is a major concern for a large number of college students today. It seems that keeping track of work, school, sports, and family life can be a feat that proves to be highly challenging. Thus, creating an app for helping students to track their schedules, along with reminders that cause them to recall information that is to be learned will aid in their ability to maintain a satisfactory GPA. When considering the developmental stage of life that these students are in, we can understand there are many events that may cause them to lose focus of the tasks that are most important for furthering their education. Though this age group can vastly vary, a large number of students just beginning college are going to fit into the emerging adulthood category, ranging between eighteen and twenty-five years-of-age (Nevid, 2015, p. 359). Therefore, these freshmen will likely be approaching their peak of physical and cognitive maturity, as this typically occurs in the early twenties (Nevid, 2015, p. 357). Moreover, it is likely that during this stage of life, the college student is experiencing a conventional level of moral reasoning, which is a point in maturity that is evident by one’s willingness to comply with social rules (Nevid, 2015, p. 351). In this conventional point of life, there are two possible levels, stage 3, the â€Å"good boy – good girl† orientation is a observed by the ones desire to please others by doing right. Whereas in stage 4, the law and orderShow MoreRelatedThe Diversity Of Black Americans1402 Words   |  6 PagesDiversity is now, more than ever before, at the forefront of the American conversation. Black people have been slowly but surely making gains in today’s society and in ways that were not possible before. African Americans are more educated and more affluent, and more important as consumers than ever before. By 2017, they are expected to have a spending power of 1.3 trillion dollars (Resilient, 2013). Young, influential , and brand loyal, this group should be the target of many companies. InterestinglyRead MoreSmartphones And Its Impact On Society1183 Words   |  5 Pagesacross the world, access the internet on the go, and utilize a plethora of apps. The ability to access an unlimited amount of information on a handheld device is truly incredible. However, every improvement or invention comes with unseen consequences. Today people are addicted to their phones and therefore lack common communication skills necessary to function properly in society. Smartphones have negatively impacted dating by making everything artificial and limiting in-person contact, while also beingRead MoreSocial Networking1544 Words   |  7 Pagessocial networks on the Internet. Afterwards, they are surprised when their parents read their journals. Communities are outraged by the personal information posted by young people online and colleges keep track of student activities on and off campus. The posting of personal info rmation by teens and students has consequences. I will discuss the uproar over privacy issues in social networks by describing a privacy paradox. Social networking is successful because of its Viral Nature-They key to socialRead MoreKindle Fire Marketing Case Study3055 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction/Overview  Ã‚ ­Ã‚  Renan   In  1995,  Jeff  Bezos  launched  Amazon.com.  Ã‚  Today,  Amazon  is  a  Fortune  500   e ­commerce  company  and  the  largest  online  retailer  in  the  United  States.  Amazon.com  has   become  well  known  as  a  company  that  enables  sellers  to  sell  their  products  on  its  website  as  well   as  their  own  branded  websites  and  to  fulfill  orders  through  them.  Amazon  introduced  the  Kindle   Fire  HDX  in  2007  with  an  Android  operating  system,  access  to  their  own  media  and  e ­commerce   services  and  low  pricing  for  the  Kindle  deviceRead MoreA Short Note On How I Use The Internet For Business Activities1539 Words   |  7 PagesE-Procurement This is the buying of goods and services online, instead of face to face business. This is a something which I will do regularly. I have purchased a number of goods and services over the internet, these are some of the E-procurement websites I have used recently to make my purchases. Amazon.co.uk This is a very large E-procurement site which I use very regularly to purchase a variety of different goods and services. I do this through my registered account I have with the businessRead MoreThe Community Through Service Oriented Activities1464 Words   |  6 Pageschild†. The children of today are faced with a myriad of obstacles that they must overcome in order to be successful. My commitment begins with taking the school to the community. We begin our school year with a field trip through the communities that we serve. It is imperative to see where our students come from so that we can begin to foster relationships with the students and parents. As an educator, I invest countless hours before and after school tutoring students and parents on the GeorgiaRead MoreWhat Determines The Effectiveness Of Communication Process? Essay1833 Words   |  8 Pagesfacilitate the communication e.g. mobile phones, tablets, laptops, or personal computers (Taylor, 2000). The number of global Internet users has enormously grown from less than 1 percent in the year 1995 to around 40 percent today. By the year 2005, there were around a billion users and this figure double by the year 2010. This number had risen to three billion by 2014. Asia leads in the number of internet users, commanding a 48.4%, followed by both North and South America at 21.8%. Europe follows withRead MoreThe Iphone 6 And Ipad 61675 Words   |  7 Pagescompanies in the world today achieve the success Apple has earned over the last couple of decades. Apple was founded by co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976 in Cupertino, California, in which both men dropped out of Reed College and UC Berkeley respectively. The year prior, the two men had teamed up to create 50-100 of the first Apple computers. Since that time, Apple has risen to become one of the most innovative and successful companies in the world today. In terms of profit, AppleRead MoreHow Zipcar Has Become Mo re Than A Car Rental Service1054 Words   |  5 Pagesand market mediation. The nature of exchange, consumption and brand community are discussed. http://jcr.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/4/881 â€Æ' Many studies have shown car sharing reduces the cost of transportation for a large segment of urban dwellers. It also reduces the number of cars on the road because the members do not own cars. Zipcar is a company founded in 2000 by Antje Danielson and Robin Chase. By 2010 it had over 8000 vehicles offered to over 560,000 members in urban areas throughoutRead MoreThe Marketing Strategy Of Nike2833 Words   |  12 Pagestheir range of products. Nike redesigned their branding strategy by using terms such as Nike ID, Nike+ and nike5. Nike ID enables customers to personalise their own shoes, and Nike+ is an app that customers can download to help them with their workouts and measure amount of exercise they have done, e.g. Nike+ running app, Nike+ coach and Nike+ challenges. Market development: is another strategy that businesses use, this is the processes of selling existing products to a new market; for example Nike developed

Impact Of Globalization On The Media - 2634 Words

It is without a doubt that the Globalisation of the media has increased our access to information about people and events around the world. However, during the process it has also shifted issues on what should or should not be in the public domain due to media ownership led by Western media corporations. The media shape is reconstructing itself, forming a singular global body playing an essential part in our democracy socially, politically, economically and culturally. Due to this, the effects of globalisation towards Journalism have become very debatable to whether it is benefiting the practice of journalism or hindering it. During the course of this essay, it will explore the affect globalisation has on the media (especially journalism), the affect of media ownership and how new technologies have influenced journalism. The theory of globalization today is a field of intensive debate as the efforts towards defining globalization most often highlight its individual aspects. According to Held and McGrew (1999), â€Å"globalisation is an idea whose time has come, yet it lacks precise definition†. Despite the ambiguity of the term â€Å"globalisation,† the use of the term, according to Held and McGrew, reflects increased interconnectedness in political, economic and cultural matters across the world creating a shared social space. Given this inter-connectedness, globalisation may be defined as: â€Å"a process which embodies a transformation in the spatial organisation of social relations andShow MoreRelatedImpact Of Globalization On The Media2634 Words   |  11 PagesIt is without a doubt that the Globalisation of the media has increased our access to information about people and events around the world. However, during the process it has also shifted issues on what should or should no t be in the public domain due to media ownership led by Western media corporations. The media shape is reconstructing itself, forming a singular global body playing an essential part in our democracy socially, politically, economically and culturally. Due to this, the effects ofRead MoreThe Impact Of New Media On The Globalization Process?1081 Words   |  5 Pages2. To what extent has new media played a role in the globalization process? In this new century, people of all ages and backgrounds are using new media tools for a variety of reasons. New media is an interactive forms of communication via the Internet, including podcasts, RSS feeds, text messaging, blogs, social networks etc. It is possible for everyone that can access to the new media to use simple tools to create, modify and share content and share it with anyone in different parts of world, usingRead MoreCulture Globalization and Its Impact on Recreation Culture1353 Words   |  6 Pagestwenty century until that day by globalization theory, its concept and future impacts . the scientists opinions had varied about globalization repercussions at rising countries including the Arab and Islamic countries . cultural globalization is one of globalization fields which correlated by cultural side , all life fields impacted by globalization , the sport field is one of fields which impact by social phenomenon what appear on societies , but globalization appearan ce and its effect on anyRead MoreGlobalization : A World Wide Movement Essay1267 Words   |  6 PagesGlobalization is a phenomenon, a world wide movement where nations and communities come together and form a network. Throughout the course we explored the integration and interdependence of various nations, which ultimately shapes world affairs on a global level.Evidently, growth of the developing countries is the main cause of globalization and it brings both opportunities and disadvantages to them. There are numerous ways in which globalization has impacted the world today.The course also createdRead MoreGlobalization : Globalization And Sustainable Prosperity1032 Words   |  5 PagesGlobalization and sustainable prosperity â€Å"To what extent does globalization contribute to sustainable prosperity for all people?† Globalization’s impact on sustainable prosperity is examined in the source. It does this by asking a question. Also examined is the impact on all people and this would include both developing nations as well as developed nations. 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It’s on television, in our homes and woven into our workplace. This is not necessarily a new construct; it’s just more noticeable today than in the past. The Roman Empire opened all trade in Europe, Africa andRead MoreAdvertisement And Culture Of The Media1658 Words   |  7 Pages______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction In the era of information society, media is playing a very crucial part in everyday lives. It influences both how we see ourselves and society in all perspectives. There are different kinds of media and all of them are presenting their content in more fascinating and glamorize way to influence audience. The presentation of advertisement and pictures in the media is certainly creating a unique mental space in the mind of social capitals. As far asRead MoreVenezuelan Crisis: Grounds for Revolution? Essay1515 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment. When 3 protestors were killed in February, the international community couldn’t turn a blind eye any longer. Shortly after the news hit the web, Venezuela’s civil unrest was broadcasted all around the world. Social media sites, radio stations and just about every major media outlet began showing the student protesters and their political demonstrations. To understand this conflict it is important to look at what major factors have played a role in the protests and why, specifically, collegeRead MoreCultural Globalization and Westernization698 Words   |  3 PagesGlobalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of worldviews, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. Cultural globalization is dealt with in our everyday lives. It deals with different ideas, meanings, and values throughout the world, globally. International t ravel, television, music, the Internet and many different popular cultures influence it. Globalization has been questioned whether or not it actually leans towards the Western culture, or if it

Customer Experience Free Essays

Customer experience is practically the complete make up of a client’s transaction over the internet. It is the general span of a customer’s behavior on how he perceives the products and services, how much he avails of these commodities and how he reacts passively to the presented info on the company’s websites. One more approach to regard customer experience can be pointed out in the way clients tend to integrate their objectives in the overall product presentation of the business entity. We will write a custom essay sample on Customer Experience or any similar topic only for you Order Now Apparently, Web companies are very concerned about the customer experience principles because these factors readily provide the big picture of the firm’s performance. The main reason is that when they provide better customer experience they tend to retain their existing clients instead of acquiring new ones. Add to that that the advertising mileage benefits if a client’s customer   experience is good as being considered in â€Å"customer advocacy† of promotion to their fellow consumers (Allen, 2005). This is true since they consider losing a client to a competitor is just a click away. In the modern age of internet commerce, there are different types of data that online companies use to evaluate their respective customer experience magnitudes. One example is by collecting data which reflects the shopping activities of consumers. Another form of data being collected by Web firms is the kind of activities visitors do in their Web pages. These data can help evaluate the overall behavior of the clients while inside the company’s domain. Most shopping websites use software to track the actual inventory of their products as reflected by the number of purchases done online. One more data value being used by Web firms is in the aspect of passive customer satisfaction after sales. Some companies conduct small but efficient surveys in order to track the progress of the company whether it actually retains old customer, increase their numbers or losses them. These surveys are being presented through non-spam e-mails or ready to use platforms in the company’s web page. The new sets of technologies available today for customer experience development are almost always in the platform of computer software. Since Web companies do their transactions online, the only possible way to promote good customer experience is to provide clients with Web interface functions for their convenience. For example, the software SAP AG of TeaLeaf is being used by U.S. Airways to detect typographical errors in order entry. This helps the customers provide accurate data for ticket dispensing. Another example is by introducing do-it-yourself features in customized purchasing. The satisfaction of a client may now be tracked using ForeSee and iPerceptions platforms by asking survey questions from them. One more type of technology is the one that empowers customers to find answers through built-in search parameters like â€Å"FAQ† (Frequently Asked Questions) link. Kana Software makes it possible to increase the level of search hits of a customer who needs a quick answer to an inquiry. In summary, the Web firms are insinuating that their previous goals to enhance customer experience are actually paving the way for a more beneficial result in terms of their performance. With the technology and techniques in customized marketing, they have been experiencing a complete growth of sales and service requests from old and new customers. The US Airways ticketing sales have doubled while BasePro increased its revenue by 10% due to customized e-mail ads for its clients. They are now measuring success by considering how much of the customers are still doing business with them as well as how other clients are being drawn towards their Websites due to new technology make ups. References Allen, J., Reichheld, F., Hamilton, B. 2005. The Three â€Å"Ds† of Customer Experience. Working Knowledge-Harvard Business School. Retrieved May 13, 2008 from How to cite Customer Experience, Essay examples

Identified free essay sample

The Struggle life of a Mexican-American In todays society, racial profiling is not unheard of, actually it is quite common. It is still at debate whether the act of racial profiling in moral or not. In the essay â€Å"Exile. El Paso, Texas†, Saenz describes his personal experience of discrimination due to his ethnic background. Saenz is a Mexican-American and because he lives in El Paso, which is a border town, he is often mistaken for an illegal immigrant by other Americans. Throughout the essay, Saenz’s feeling about his identity as an American had changed. He feels like he is always being judged by Americans sorely on his appearances. Towards the beginning of his essay, Saenz feels like he belonged to America and he had a positive view about everything around him, special is the nature throughout his desk view. Saenz says, I looked out my window and stared at the Juarez Mountains. We will write a custom essay sample on Identified or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mexican purples – burning. (p. 20). We can see that Saenz is enjoying his desk view. He goes further in describing how he feels, All this color, all this color, all this color beneath the shadow of the Juarez Mountains. Sunset Heights: a perfect place with a perfect name, and a perfect view of the river. (p. 20). These colors, especially the purple, represent the beauty of El Paso for him. At this point, it is easy for Saenz to find the beauty of El Paso. But later, Saenzs feeling had changed because Saenz is stopped on the streets of his neighborhood and questioned by the border patrol officers. When she first saw him, she suspected that Saenz was not American. She asked him where he came from and later she repeated the question in Spanish because the thought Saenz could not understand English. Even thought Saenz said he was a U. S citizen, she still kept her suspicious about his identify and kept asking him some questions to make sure. Despite the rude questioning of the female border patrol officer, Saenz tried to stay friendly and appeasing. Afterwards, Saenz regreted the way he handled the situation saying, I was embarrassed, ashamed because Id been so damned compliant like a piece of tin foil in the uniformed womans hand. (p. 22). At the same time Saenz becomes annoyed and says to himself, pretty soon Ill have to carry a passport in my own neighborhood. ( p. 22). Because he thinks when people stops him and starts to ask him the same questions, he would show them the passport to confirm that he is American then they cannot be mean to him. Besides, Saenz was affected by the questions of the border patrol officer and the attitudes, so he tried to do anything to get these questions out of his mind. As the result, he went for a run, he kept running until he could no longer hear â€Å" Are you sure you were born in Las Cruces? †. The next encounter, the border patrol officers still had doubt about him and they asked him some question such as: Do you live in this neighborhood? , Where down the street? (p. 23). But in this encounter, he became more confident for his answers and with each pursuing officer Saenz becomes more aggressive. He replied they: are you planning on making a social visit? (p. 23). Couple months later, he was stopped again and be asked by the similar questions: where are you from? (p. 24). Saenz was so upset and he asked them to leave him alone. In another day, when he was in Juarez with his friend, Michael, the custom officer asked them to declare their citizenship. After they answered that they was U. S citizens, the officer kept asking Saenz about where he was born in America and did not ask Michael. In this situation, Saenz noticed that his friend did not be asked about the identity because he had blue eyes, white skin which makes him look like an American. Thus, Saenz feels like he was being discriminated against because his appearance. Saenzs total shift is completed in his final confrontation of the essay. In this run in with the border patrol Saenzs defiance is most blatant. Saenz is pushed past his threshold and snaps, saying to the officer, Read me my rights, throw me in the can, or leave me alone. (p. 26) The reader is able to view Saenzs change in attitude. Saenz feeling of annoyance turns to pure hatred. Saenz states, He hated me as much as I hated him. (p. 26). We can see the feeling of Saenz had changed from the beginning through the end of the essay. When the first meet up with the female border patrol officer, he did not get upset about what she acted to him and her rude questions. Nevertheless, his feeling had changed day by day because of the behavior of the officers that makes him feel like he is separated from his neighborhood. Saenz’s lifestyle has been an ongoing struggle for him because of all the harassments and discrimination he encountered in El Paso. He realized that people judged him sorely based on his appearance and treats him different than his other American friends just because he doesn’t look like an ideal American. Throughout the essay he becomes less and less aware of his identity and who he really is.

Slumming It Essay Essay Example

Slumming It Essay Essay Through the documentary McCollum consistently expresses his pollens on Diehard and aims to solve the enigma that this slum is claimed to have a strong sense of community, high employment rate, little crime and a model for sustainable living. Kevin Mucosas opinions in the opening scenes of the film reinforce the audiences attitudes of poverty stricken, disease rife slums. He says When I think of a slum, the thing I think of is misery. And for people to say they are intensely happy, I don buy that. These relatable personal opinions and camera shots of McCollum experiencing the extremes of the slum give him a persona of a genuinely interested and honest investigator. This positions the audience to respect him and adds an air of credibility which encourages the audience to accept the information as reliable and encourages them to accept the views being promoted by Kevin McCollum. Juxtaposition is shown through the editing of camera shots which displays the negative and positive aspects o f Diehard. Camera shots of littered lands, crowded and fragile makeshift housing and children playing in sewage, gives us a powerful image that further strengthens the attitudes and ideologies the western world has with poverty stricken societies. This persuades the audience to feel empathy and arrow towards this poor and euthanized community. However through the construction of taking a positive approach and emphasizing the qualities of the slum, the audiences attitude is altered. Silencing Is used as information such as the high death rates in slums, depression and struggle that many people In the slum experience regularly is not included. Not knowing this Information, positions the audience to perceive the slum as a more positive place, as the positive features are focused on stronger. Conversations are had with the people who live In Dorval, we gain Information of personal experiences wealth the slum. Convincing statistics are given through the narration of McCollum, such as the high 85% employment rate of Dorval. We will write a custom essay sample on Slumming It Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Slumming It Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Slumming It Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Also through the visual shots of the communities utilizing space extremely well, the connections and Interaction between all the people In the slum and the long camera shots which emphasize the smiles, laughter and happiness had In the communal TTY, persuades us to change our Attlee we previously Ana AT ten slum. Film puts forward the view that underneath the unsanitary conditions, there are values overlooked that the western world can learn such as teamwork, social interaction, space management and the keys Tao happy life. The construction processes used in Slumming It were effective in conveying and persuading the audience of first world countries. Its purpose of exposing the audience to the knowledge of the true happiness and intelligent tools that can be learnt from poverty stricken societies was achieved. The documentary altered the audiences attitude and ideologies that people living in slums are not depressed, unmotivated and uneducated people as the film persuaded us that they are very content in the way in which they live focusing their values in happiness and life qualities. I chose this documentary as the ways in which other cultures live interests me. The knowledge of a identity other then my own and to learn the way in the way which they live and express their language to connect to the communities in which they live in, has altered my attitudes and ideologies not only towards the people living in slums like Diehard, but the western society and how much we lack qualities such as sustainable living and the happiness shared with social interaction in our own communities.

Coles Myer Ltd Essays

Coles Myer Ltd Essays Coles Myer Ltd Essay Coles Myer Ltd Essay Coles Myer Ltd Background and Issues In 1985 G. J Coles, primarily a Melbourne-based supermarket chain, merged with Myer Ltd, an upmarket Melbourne department store, becoming Coles Myer Ltd. The merger was brought on by an expectation of significant cost savings from sharing services and overheads such as purchasing, warehousing, information technology and property. However these benefits never occurred. Coles Myer was burdened with poor management, bad strategic decisions, and internal conflict. Their share price was faltering, and lagging behind their biggest competitor Woolworths, and profit had been stagnant for three years. In September 2001 the board appointed John Fletcher as chief executive, well known for his part in turning Brambles into a successful international company. Fletcher’s first priority was to do something about Coles Myer’s share price, however he recognised that to be able to change it he must first deal with the companies strategic and structural problems. This analysis of organisational design and effectiveness will discuss the issues experienced by Coles Myer, discussion of theories related to the these problems and possible solutions, an examination of what is being done, and what else could be done to improve the situation. One of the biggest problems facing Coles Myer was organisational culture. With the Coles and Myer target markets being downmarket and upmarket respectively, compatibility of their cultures became an obstacle after merging. In order to achieve the anticipated merger benefits, Coles with their mass merchandising mentality would have to find a way to amalgamate many of their functions, tasks and processes with Myer’s, who dealt with chic, and more expensive luxury items. In addition to this, Fletcher believed the Coles Myer culture had become too bureaucratic. A clear demonstration of this bureaucracy was in the headquarters of Myer in Melbourne, which was built as a statement of purpose, place and status. Also, since the merger, the Coles Myer bureaucracy had allowed several uncooperative silos to develop. This problem was worsened by the recent appointment of overseas managers to head the main businesses. As a conglomerate, Coles Myer had the difficulty of having to coordinate a diverse range of businesses including Coles, Red Rooster, Target, and Myer. This was not helped by various newly appointed managers would change business strategies confusing employees and consumers. The result of this was that each business struggled to find its position in the marketplace and in the Coles Myer business family. Myer also struggled to find its place, it was continually under-performing, and it wasted a substantial amount of management’s time. Fletcher also initiated considerable organisational change upon his appointment, including standardisation IT throughout the company. He also worked towards developing a coherent strategy for each of the Coles Myer businesses, breaking down the bureaucracy, and developing a common culture. Relevant Theories The Machine Bureaucracy Coles Myer demonstrates many of the characteristics of a machine bureaucracy. â€Å"It is an organisation with very routine and formalised operating tasks, rules and regulations, which is highly centralised† (Robbins Barnwell, 2006, pp. 123). Being such a large organisation it has to rely on these formalised tasks, rules and regulations for coordination and control. The main strength of a machine bureaucracy is its highly efficient ability to perform standardised tasks. Like specialties within the organisation are grouped together to achieve economies of scale and reduce the duplication of personnel and equipment (Robbins Barnwell, 2006, pp. 24). Many employees have the sole purpose of maintaining standardisation, and a large number of these would have been included in the 1000 back-office staff that was made redundant by Fletcher in his progress towards making Coles Myer less bureaucratic. However, creating specialised units can result in conflicts, the creation of unit goa ls that take precedence over the organisational goals, and a reduction in communication between the units. Units that exhibit these characteristics are known as silos. Fletcher attempted to dismantle the silos within Coles Myer but encountered ignificant difficulties. Another problem for machine bureaucracies is trying to do too much. The resulting complexities arising from an organisation attempting to control a very broad range of businesses can often be too great for the machine bureaucracy structure to handle (Robbins Barnwell, 2006, pp. 125). This problem was recognised by Fletcher, with one of his first moves to sell off the ‘non core businesses’ Red Rooster and World 4 Kids. Increased organisational complexity also played a part in failure to achieve the expected economies of scale after the merger. Organisational Change Change in an organisation can either be planned or unplanned. â€Å"Planned change is change that comes about as a result of a specific effort on the part of a change agent† (Wood et al. 2001, pp 635), with unplanned being the opposite. Wood (et al. 2001, pp 635) also states that planned change comes about as a result of someone’s perception of a performance gap. The board’s recognition of such a performance gap led to Fletchers appointment as chief executive, and change agent. The problems facing Coles Myer were difficult and widespread. Most of the individual businesses struggled with business strategy, and across the whole organisation there was issues with organisational culture and structure. These kinds of problems require a kind of change known as systematic change. Systematic is a form of planned change that is widespread across an organisation, and affects most aspects of its operation. Robbins and Barnwell (2006, pp. 377) suggest that because systematic changes causes widespread disruption and requires enormous effort that it is only done out of necessity. The systematic change that Fletcher initiated took the form of downsizing to reduce the bureaucracy and reduce costs; clear definitions of the structures, roles and responsibilities, and positioning of each business unit, developing a common culture across the organisation, and the standardisation of IT across the organisation. Change is a continuous process, but the traditional episodic view of change is unfreeze, change and refreeze (Burton, Lauridsen and Obel, 1999, pp 2). Unfreezing involves management preparing a situation for change. The change is then performed. Refreezing involves positively reinforcing the desired outcomes, and evaluating the change process and gathering feedback. A continuous but intermittent process. Change can also be ongoing, where instead of refreezing, more of a rebalancing occurs after the change, ready for the next change. The change needed by Coles Myer upon Fletchers appointment was episodic. They needed a significant systematic change, and then for this change to be secured and given time to succeed, as the continuous changes occurring in the organisation in the previous years had done more harm than good. This also had to be supported by extensive feedback. Organisational Culture Robbins and Barnwell (2006, pp 405) defines organisation culture as a system of shared meaning within an organisation, and that in every organisation there are patterns of beliefs, symbols, rituals, myths and practices that have evolved over time. Coles Myer has numerous organisational culture problems. Firstly, due to the separate nature of the businesses, vertical subcultures have formed in the Coles Myer family, contributing to the silo problem discussed earlier. This is a problem, as organisational effectiveness depends on how much the organisations culture, strategy, environment and technology are aligned with the organisations goals (Robbins Barnwell, 2006, pp. 411). It is also the main reason behind the attempts to create a singular culture across the organisation. But as Fletcher found out, it is a difficult problem, as it is almost guaranteed that subcultures will form within a large organisation such as Coles Myer. Organisational culture was also a significant issue at the time of the merger. When mergers are aimed at attaining economies of scale, the success of the merger will depend on how effectively the different cultures themselves can be merged (Robbins Barnwell, 2006, pp. 419). In order to integrate functions, assets and infrastructure, a successful merger between the mass marketing culture of Coles, and the more elegant and exclusive culture of Myer would have to be performed. We know now that this wasn’t to be, and that Coles Myer decided to abandon the Myer department store, and become known as the Coles Group. Recommendations In addition to the actions already performed by Fletcher, there are a number of things that can or could have been done to improve organisational effectiveness and efficiency. An effective way to assist in the dismantling of silos, and preventing their formation is to promote communication between the silos. This can be done by creating various coordinator positions, whose job is to liase between different departments, ensure that all the necessary information is being communicated, and regularly report back to senior management on how the departments are performing in relation to the organisational goals. The implementation of common/centralised IT and processes throughout the Coles Group would play a significant role in their future success. Using common software and procedures will increase communication and coordination, and reduce organisational complexity. A centralised system is well suited to the Coles Group, and it will enhance control and monitoring; important processes in a machine bureaucracy. Leifer (1988) asserts that effective performance of centralised computer business information systems requires rules and policies that match the tasks of the machine bureaucracy organisation, supporting this statement. Moving to a centralised system would appear to be a significant change, however Rockart and Scott Morton (1984, cited in Leifer 1986 p 66. ) believe implementing a centralised system in a machine bureaucracy requires few changes on part of the organisation†. Having disposed of non-core businesses, and the culturally different Myer, the Coles Group are now set to unify their brand and culture. With the aid of the $1. 4 billion provided by the sale of Myer, the Coles Group will be cutting their key brands down to just three – Coles, Target and Office works within the next two years (Simpson, 2006). This strategy will help to resolve the organisational culture and structure problems discussed in this case study analysis, as by reducing the number of key businesses/brands the individual business goals will also be reduced, discouraging the formation of silos, and making it easier to create a unified culture throughout the whole organisation. References Burton, R. M. , Lauridsen, J. ; Obel, B. 1999, ‘Tension and Resistance to Change in Organizational Climate: Managerial Implications for a Fast Paced World’, Retrieved April 26th, 2007 from www. ok. cbs. dk/images/publ/Burton%20og%20Obel%20og%20Lauridsen%20tension%202000. pdf Leifer, Richard 1988 ‘Matching Computer-Based Information Systems with Organizational Structures’, MIS Quarterly, Vol 12, no 1, pp 66. Robbins, S. P and Barnwell, N. S. 2006, Organisation Theory: Concepts and Cases, Prentice Hall, Sydney Rockart, J. and Scott Morton, M. 1984 ‘Implications of Changes in Information Technology for Corporate Strategy’ Interfaces, Vol 14, no 1, pp. 4-96, cited in Leifer, Richard 1988 ‘Matching Computer-Based Information Systems with Organizational Structures’, MIS Quarterly, Vol 12, no 1, pp 66. Simpson, Kirsty 2006 ‘Coles drops Kmart, Bi-Lo’, The Age, August 1st, 2006, Retrieved April 26th from theage. com. au/news/business/coles-drops-kmart-bilo/2006/07/31/1154198073979. html Wood, J. ; Chapman, J. ; Fromholtz, M. ; Morrison, V. ; Wallace, J. ; Zeffane, M. ; Schemerhorn, J. ; Hunt, J. ; Osborne, R. 2003, Organisational behaviour: a global perspective, 3rd edition, John Wiley Sons Australia Ltd, Milton Qld