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Current New Trends in Company Cultures

Published on May 17, 2012 by in News Trends

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, we have seen several new trends emerge on the corporate front. One of the most notable of these is the change in the culture of companies. 21st century thinking has reached deep inside corporate culture and we are seeing some distinct trends emerging.

Companies that have survived the recession have invariably downsized their workforce and tightened their corporate belts. Most are realizing the need to become commercially focused to a greater degree than ever before. The culture within the workplace now has a greater emphasis on Profit and Loss. Reporting and training are more focused on sales and bottom line profits.

This increased emphasis on sales and profitability has impacted on hiring and the type of staff being sought. Employers are looking for workers who have skills and knowledge that will add value to the individual roles as well as the company as a whole. Workers are being encouraged, even expected, to find strategies that will improve the company’s bottom line as well as increase sales. Employees will require additional skill sets to be successful in these roles. They will need to have entrepreneurial and networking skills.

The modern corporate environment expects and demands fast communication and information exchange. New high-tech industries are working to provide more sophisticated IT systems. However, the individual employer will also need to be a skilled communicator, team player and collaborator. Other competencies that will be needed within the new company culture include innovation, flexibility and assertiveness.

In order for companies to have the edge over their competitors, they are going to need to be at the forefront with the latest technologies, hiring highly skilled staff who are able to multitask and work at the coal face. Taking risks is now being encouraged with training being undertaken to teach workers how to recognize opportunities and judge the associated risks.

Employees are increasingly becoming dissatisfied with high salaries and enticing benefits. These benchmarks are no longer sufficient to attract and retain qualified staff. People are interested in other things these days, with issues surrounding the environment, community and family starting to be looked at by companies. Forward-thinking corporations are providing opportunities for their workforce to participate in environmental and community projects, both at home and overseas. Policies are being developed that allow time for workers to attend family-oriented events during working hours, such as school presentations, that would have been unheard of previously.

There has also been a shift in management style since the recession. The old style of command and control management is disappearing from the workforce, being replaced with a leadership style that incorporates team work and collaboration.

Companies are realizing that being perceived as an entity that cares about the environment, the local community and its employees, is an excellent marketing opportunity. Consumers are increasingly seeking out companies such as challenge coins limited  that have these values as part of their culture, even being prepared to pay a higher price for goods to support that organization.

These new trends in company culture appear to be the way of the future for organizations and workers can expect to see a shift in attitudes and leadership.

 
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About the Courseware

Published on May 8, 2012 by in Courseware

About the Courseware

How was the content chosen?
The content was carefully assembled to enable physicians and others in the healthcare and technical arenas to gain a full understanding of the transition in healthcare that is being inaugurated by the groundbreaking discoveries of the Human Genome Project. The content includes presentations about basic genetics, molecular techniques in a clinical context, the use of genetic tests in clinical medicine, and the ethical, legal and social implications that are raised by our ability to use these new technologies. The initial content outline was assembled by the authors and then modified according to feedback from physicians, educators, reviewers, and members of the Board of Advisors.

What level of knowledge is required to benefit from the courseware?
This courseware was initially designed for practicing physicians whose training in genetics occurred prior to the invention of the new molecular techniques and clinical tests. Because there is wide variation in physician background, we started the courseware at a very basic level, with a perspective on the genome and basic genetics. After draft versions of the courseware were demonstrated to audiences, enthusiastic responses persuaded us to produce a version for other audiences as well. The courseware will benefit almost anyone who has a background in biology, grasps the concept of DNA as the basis of heredity, and is motivated by an interest in the applications and ramifications of our emerging knowledge of the human genome.

What are the differences between the two versions?
The “Courseware for Physicians” version gives physicians the opportunity to apply for up to 20 continuing medical education (CME) credits from the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education of the Stanford University School of Medicine. The content of the version that is subtitled, “Medicine and the Human Genome” has the same content, including the comprehensive examination, but users are not able to receive CME credits. Therefore the only differences are the required CME disclosures and accreditation statements, as well as the mechanism to apply for CME credits, all of which are included in the physician version.

Who will be interested in this courseware?
Interest in the courseware has been expressed by members of diverse audiences with an interest in genetics, including medical students, human genetics students, allied health students, policymakers, advance practice nurses, and those who are training for careers in biotechnology.

How was the accuracy of the content verified?
The content of the courseware is based on a solid scientific foundation in molecular genetic knowledge and draws on the latest biomedical literature. The latest developments in clinical genetic applications and emerging ramifications are included. As further discoveries are made, the courseware can be updated by downloading files from a web site funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

How much time will it take for a novice to learn how to use the CD?
If a user already knows how to use a mouse to move the cursor, to scroll and how to click to select an option, he or she should be up and running within 15 minutes. Two evaluation panels have found the courseware extremely user-friendly. In particular, physicians are under stringent time pressure, so the navigational system was specifically designed to permit use of an accessible, self-explanatory interface. All of the physician evaluators of this courseware, some of whom rated themselves as novice computer users, have commented on the ease of using the courseware. There is a detailed presentation of the navigational features of the courseware on the Table of Contents page (Using This Courseware), including explanations of each feature and pictures of the menu bars. These instructions are also reproduced on this website (see the Navigation, Tools page) so you can get a first-hand impression of how easy the courseware is to use.

How easy?
Once you have entered the courseware, just point the cursor at your selection and click the mouse one time. The only typing that is required is for filling out the CME applications by physicians who have been successful in completing the course and who have chosen to submit their applications on the Internet.

Do I have to be on the web to submit my application for CME credits?
When a physician has achieved a score of 75% or better on the examination, he or she will move to a screen that permits a choice between submission via the Internet or via a printed form that can be filled out manually and then mailed or faxed to Twisted Ladder Media™.

Do I have to be connected to the Internet to use the program?
No Internet connection is required. However, users who are not connected with the Internet will not be able to update their courseware. Users without Internet access will need to print their application form for CME credits and then fill it out for submission by mail or fax. In addition, the highlighted links to Internet resources will not be functional.

What about updates?
As new discoveries are made and new interventions are developed, the courseware can be updated by downloading new text or graphics from a website. The updated materials will be saved to the user’s hard drive, but will be presented as if they were a seamless part of the CD-ROM courseware. It is possible to update any of the graphic or text files in the courseware.
Is it possible to arrange for a site-licensed version?
We would be delighted to discuss an arrangement through which a business or educational institution arranges to purchase a large number of copies. Alternatively, it may be possible to arrange to house an institutional copy of the courseware on an institutional computer. Please contact us at salesandinfo@twistedladdermedia.com if you think you might be interested in pursuing either of these possibilities.

Technical Support

I have a question about the courseware. How can I contact you?
Please e-mail us at support@twistedladdermedia.com. Please be sure to include your computer type (PC or Mac), model, amount of RAM, size of hard drive, and current operating system. If your question is about printing or updating, please include information about printer hardware or browser software.

What do I need to run the program?
This courseware requires a minimum operating system of Mac OS 8.0 or Windows 98, and will run optimally on 4X to 24X CD-ROM drives. CD-ROM drives connected to the computer through the parallel port are not recommended. Eight megabytes (more is better) of free RAM are needed. PC computers must be equipped for audio with a sound card and speakers. All the programs that are needed to use the courseware are included on the CD-ROM disc.

I’m going on a trip. Can I print out the program and take it with me?
You can print out the text on every page by using the “Tools” menu on the lower navigational bar. The courseware does not support printing of the graphics because of technical constraints.

My CD got smashed in the mail. What shall I do?
Insurance is included with all shipments of the courseware, so please initiate a claim with the shipper and send us your smashed disc. We will replace it immediately.

I keep clicking on the “down” arrow to move to the next page of text, but it only advances line by line. What is the problem? I am running Windows 98.
Because the courseware is dual platform (Mac and PC), specialized scrolling functions, such as the ability to “page down” or “page up” by clicking on the appropriate arrow, are not supported. However, we have included a setting in the lower tool bar that permits the text field to be made larger. Though the size of the accompanying graphic is correspondingly reduced and, in most cases, interactivity is lost, the larger text field does have the advantage of minimizing scrolling.

 
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About Twisted Ladder Media

Published on May 8, 2012 by in Twisted Ladder Media

Twisted Ladder Media 

Twisted Ladder Media, Inc., was formed in the Spring of 2000 for the purpose of creating and distributing outstanding educational programs about science and technology, with an emphasis on the current avalanche of discoveries about genetics and genomics.

Twisted Ladder Media is currently developing an educational project about genetics and genomics that will target the general public as its audience.

The Authors

Sara L. (Sally) Tobin, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Dr. Tobin obtained her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from the University of Washington and did postdoctoral research in Genetics at the University of California, Berkeley, and in Biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. She became an faculty member at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1983, where she established her independent research laboratory and taught basic genetics, recombinant DNA, molecular diagnosis, and ethical issues to first year medical students. Her research contributions have been published in prestigious journals such as Cell, Nature, Genes & Development, Neuron, and Journal of Cell Biology. In 1996 she moved to the Program for Genomics, Ethics, and Society at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, where she has participated in Working Groups on genetic testing for susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer and to Alzheimer disease.

Ann Boughton
Ms. Boughton trained in Graphic Design at the Kansas City Art Institute and has owned her own graphic design business for the past fifteen years. She has always maintained an active interest in science and technology. Ms. Boughton initially specialized in corporate reporting projects primarily for everyday math and energy companies, but gradually her multimedia work in science and education has occupied a greater proportion of her attention. Her work has been published in scientific journals such as JAMA, Science and The Plant Cell. In addition, her illustrations were showcased in a plenary talk at the American Society for Cell Biology meetings in December 2000. She has designed multimedia projects to promote a range of products and services from a vocabulary building program for high school students to creating Millie, Cow for the New Moo-lennium (along with pal, Edgar Allen Crow) for a regional chain of ice cream and dairy stores.

Our First Projects

This courseware is the result of a professional collaboration between these two longtime friends who began to work together in 1994. Dr. Tobin was invited to write a review chapter on medical genetics for medical students studying for their board examinations and asked Ms. Boughton to create the illustrations. Their work was subsequently published in the third edition of “Oklahoma Notes: Biochemistry” (T. Briggs and A.M. Chandler, Eds., Springer-Verlag, New York, 1995). Their chapter was singled out for positive reviews by a national student-to-student survey of similar review publications.

In 1995, the collaborators decided that they would like to exploit the flexibility, speed, and multimedia capability of a CD-ROM to teach molecular medical genetics to physicians. They reasoned that the groundbreaking discoveries of the Human Genome Project would create an acute need to present the appropriate use of these new genetic technologies to practicing physicians. Based on this conviction, a successful grant application was submitted to the Department of Energy Human Genome Program in 1995. During the evaluation of the proposal, Dr. Tobin and Ms. Boughton used their personal resources to create a series of unique slides that were pilot-tested in medical student lectures.

Funding for the project was activated at Stanford University in September 1996, and the process of developing a prototype version of the courseware was initiated. One of the first projects was the animation of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for which Ms. Boughton created storyboards and over 50 original illustrations that were subsequently animated under her direction by Communication Wave, a professional CD production firm in San Francisco. Subsequent elements including the pedigree rollovers and the Yellowstone Park sidebar were also created. Drafts of these segments were shown publicly for the first time at a Work-in-Progress Seminar at Stanford in December 1996, and also at a Stanford-SmithKline Beecham Symposium later that same month. The CD demos were well received, and audience comments, as well as feedback from the members of the advisory board, have contributed to the progressive refinement of the courseware. A prototype version of the CD was evaluated by physicians in the Central Valley of California in 1997, and physician comments led to several improvements. In addition, the CD has been under continuous development and evaluation through a series of multimedia demonstrations including review of a PCR video at a workshop for physicians on Genetics in Oncology in San Diego (March 1997) and a demonstration of genetic pedigree rollovers at a workshop for college teachers sponsored by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories (April 1997). In addition, the prototype was demonstrated at the National Center for Genome Resources (January 1997), at an AMA-NCGR-sponsored workshop on “What do physicians need to know about genetics?”(July 1997) and as a platform presentation at two DOE Contractor-Grantee Workshops (November 1997 and March 2000). Prior to its commercial debut, the courseware was reviewed by a beta-testing panel and by the Board of Advisors for the project.

The authors would like to express their profound appreciation to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research for providing major funding for this project. More recently, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation approved funding to produce several enhancements to the courseware content and its capabilities. We were able to include a few of these enhancements in this courseware version, and the remainder will appear in a second edition scheduled for completion in 2002.

 
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