Organisations and Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Organisations and Behaviour - Essay Example There are multiple organisational structures found both in theory and in practice. Some are rigid like public sector organisations while others are flexible like small scale private enterprises. There are many variables that affect the structure of the organisation. They include its size, age, staff, culture, geographical position and legal, commercial, social and technical environment. These factors all help to shape many organisational structures. In the basic categorisation, there are tall and flat structures. Below is the comparison of these two types. Tall Structure Flat Structure Size Usually Large Usually Medium Age Independent Independent Culture & Environment Rigid & Formal Flexible & Less Formal Geographical Position Independent Independent Hierarchy Strong Weak Span of Control Tight Loose Chain of Command Strict Loose Delegation of Authority Formal Informal Workload Reduced – Decentralised Increased Career Growth Well Defined Vague There are some other structures wh ich are combination of these two structures. The matrix structure is an example. It has different units and each one follows the tall structure independently. On the organisational level, all units form flat structure. Many organisational structures are dependent upon functional units therefore they extract the required characteristic from all types of structures. It is important to mention here that every organisation differs from other one in terms of structure. There can be variety in tall and flat structures as well. Organisational Structure of Apple The organisational structure of Apple is quite different from the ones mentioned in the literature and found in the practice. It is more like a wheel where CEO places himself at the centre. All other departments and functional units are spread around him and he the key focal of all. This structure reflects the overall leadership and operational philosophy in which Steve Jobs believed. He gave his executive team a direct access to hi mself. Through close coordination with them, he established trust and involvement. The same practise was adopted down the line and Apple won loyalty of employees. Steve’s successor disagreed with this organisational structure. His management and leadership approach is quite different from that of Steve. It is more likely that the command of Tim Cook will transform Apple into an organisational having traditional tall structure. The CEP will be at the top while the Executive Team will be next in the hierarchy and reporting to him. Since the structure is the overall design of an organisation, the functional units of Apple will become tall too. In addition to the conventional pros and cons attached with the tall structure, it is also expected that structural transformation will bring certain resistance. It is because change is naturally resisted and the employees of Apple are used to the wheel structure since long. It is also possible that command of authority may be challenged b y the employees and Apple may not expect the same performance as it was in Steve’s time. Comparison of Organisational Cultures The organisational structure influences the organisational culture. The rigid structure promotes strict and formal culture while the flexible structure is more likely seen in an informal culture. Below is the comparison of formal and informal culture that can exist in any organisation. In formal culture, the basic guideline followed throughout the

Population Health in South Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Population Health in South Africa - Essay Example Any crucial health promotion effort, would therefore need a thorough knowledge of the epidemiologic factors and their distributions (Ugen, Bendinelli, and Friedman, 2002, 1-24). HIV transmission is known to occur by both homosexual and heterosexual contacts; by blood and blood products; and by infected mothers to infants either intrapartum, perinatally, or via breast milk. It has been intensely investigated since its discovery, but till date there is no evidence that HIV is transmitted by casual contact or that the virus can be spread by insects, which are commonly people's perceptions. HIV infection/AIDS is a global pandemic; every country has its share of this burden. It has been currently estimated that the number of cases of HIV infection among adults is 37 million worldwide. Unfortunately, two-thirds of whom are in sub-Saharan Africa, and about 50% of these cases are women. In addition, an estimated 2.5 million younger than age 15 children are living with HIV/AIDS. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) undertook study in 2003, and they declared there were an estimated 5 million new cases of infection worldwide. Calculating on a daily basi s, more than 14,000 new infections occur each day which ultimately lead to 3 million deaths. In this way, AIDS becomes the fourth leading cause of mortality throughout the world. The cumulative number of deaths out of AIDS and from conditions related to AIDS exceeded 20 million in the year 2003. The epidemiologic patterns of HIV occurrence in the world is in the forms of "waves", with each wave demonstrating little difference in characteristics which are determined by the demographics of a specific country or a region. It is also determined by the time when the HIV was introduced into the population. This indicates, in different regions of the world, different types of virus may be prevalent (UNAIDS/WHO, 2006, Chapter 4). Demographically and statistically, HIV/AIDS in different regions of the world provide evidence that although the epidemic was first recognized in the United States and thereafter in Western Europe, it most likely indexed in sub-Saharan Africa. The major mode of transmission of HIV worldwide is heterosexual sex unquestionably; since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in developing countries, where the numbers of infected men and women are approximately equal, the same pattern had been particularly prevalent. Knight has computed the South African data in relation to population and HIV/AIDS in 2006. This comprehensive document highlights many interesting facts in relation to the disease burden of South Africa. These data are important since it is a fact that AIDS epidemic has had a devastating impact on Africa, particularly in South Africa. A mid 2007 data indicate the population in South Africa of 47.9 million with 51% women. Approximately 32% of this population is children of age 0 to 14 years, 5% are older, and 63% belong to age group 15-64, who are working. The burden of the disease becomes more conspicuous