Managing Creativity and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Creativity and Change - Essay Example The pyramid scheme structure looks reflects the organization of authority. The hierarchical organization structure is common in both the public and private sectors. In a typical private organization or public institution, departmental heads, as well as, unit managers report directly the general managers or the vice presidents, who in turn report to the president (Marlow, 2011). In small businesses, the layers are lesser than the layers in the large organizations. Although hierarchical organizational structures may be effective as far as managing thousands of employees is concerned, they have numerous weaknesses, which will result in them being less evident in the future. In today’s business world, the level of competition in every industry is growing rapidly. One of the key factors behind the ever-increasing competition is the fact that globalization is ever increasing. In other words, the ever-increasing interconnectedness has substantially contributed to the rapidly increasi ng competition. Companies are spreading their operations outside the local borders to take advantage of new markets. Another key reason why countries are going global is to take advantage of the hap labor especially in the emerging markets including China, India, and Brazil among other emerging economies. Firms that are taking advantage of the cheap labor in today’s competitive world are enhancing their competitiveness. Production using cheap labor translates into competitive prices for the goods and services. Therefore, for all the global organizations that have shifted some of their operations to some of the cheap labor economies are becoming more competitive. This is because they are able to supply their goods and services at competitive prices in both the local and international markets (Dutz, 2011). The global economy has significantly changed in many ways. Countries are more dependent on each other than ever before. The world has become a global village and an external effect on a single major economy or region has direct, as well as, indirect effect on the global economy. For example, a major economic outcome in the U.S. could positively or, negatively affect the whole world. This is because of the increased interconnectedness and dependence amongst nations. If there were an economic boom within the U.S., other countries including the small ones would benefit from the high demand of goods and services in the world’s largest economy. On the other hand, a recession in the world’s largest economy could adversely affect the rest of the world. For example, following the 2007/2008 global financial crisis, the poor economic state in the U.S. affected the entire global economy (Ofd.ncsu.edu, 2013). The world’s economy is shifting from hierarchical organization structures to flat organization structures. The expectations amongst employees are different under the tall and the flat structures. For example, under the hierarchical structu res, employees feel that they have a job security. This is because of the fact that this type of organizational structure is present in large organizations, which have attained a higher level of stability. In these organizations, the level of innovation is lower, compared to organizations that embrace flat structures. This is because of the fact that the senior high-level management keeps a close eye to the employees. In other words, there is more

Heart of Darkness Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Heart of Darkness - Term Paper Example The script further entails a summary of the ‘Heart of Darkness’ and the implied atrocities that depict the European colonialists as dark hearted, to the extent that they suffice the cultural and societal norms of the African Congo community. The writer narrates that curious Marlow approaches his aunt who works for an exploration company and seeks for a sail to the Belgium colony of Congo1. The aunt grants Marlow the opportunity to make a sail after one of the sailors dies during the war with the African habitats. As he sails the ship alongside the company’s lawyer, accountant, and director, Marlow appears as a person who has no role in the society, as the Europeans tend to realize personality by the relevant qualifications, one has in their civilized world. Because of this factor of civilization, Marlow articulates to the crewmembers that he depicts the European countries as malign and dark hearted, using their enlightened skills to rape colonies off their values2. As he narrates of the hard feelings on the antisocial deeds, the others stare at him without any comments, a factor he holds as ignorance due to his unskillful nature. The issue of culture arises at the time of anchoring the sail at the African shores, Marlow is quick to identify empty creatures with which one comes forward and secures a pack of ship biscuits. He sighs from relief when the creature walks away and gives way for the four to talk with the company’s chief accountant, a well dressed up man. Introductions prevail between the crew and the man as they proceed to the hut. Similarly, Marlow establishes that the Belgian colonists have the mandate and control over the resources available a factor exhibited precisely when the accountant sets out to assess the palms, whereas on the native creatures languish in poverty and hunger as learned from the creature with whom

Globalization Of Culture In Society

Globalization Of Culture In Society Virtually all countries in the world, if not all parts of their territory, and all segments of their society, have now become part of the larger global system in a way. The culture of globalization and globalization of culture strives towards deterritorialization and re-territorialization of political and economic power in the era of borderless world. The concept of global culture is today perceived as a spread of American values, goods and life style. As a matter of fact, the most visible globalization sign seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and Coke in almost every country in the world. As we all know the world became smaller as a result of the increasing development of transportation and information systems, but behavior types, values and attitudes that govern human relations can remain unchanged. Technological innovation leads to business internationalization and individuals from all firms levels become involved in cultural interaction. Firms extending their activities at international level need to communicate in an effective way with foreign clients taking into consideration cultural differences that in many cases are very important. In the past, managers that couldnt handle with culture challenge had the option of focusing on internal markets. At present, a company is obliged to keep up with international competition. In this global business environment, the idea according with culture is not so important is fatal. Cultural differences are often subject of jokes, but culture incompetence can affect million of dollars or euros through wrong negotiations and weak relations with customers. The cultural risk is as real as the political risk in international relations. As John Tomlinson said, in the centre of modern culture there is globalization; in the centre of globalization there are cultural practices. Observers of globalization are increasingly recognizing that globalization is having a significant impact on matters such as local cultures, matters which are less tangible and hard to quantify, but often fraught with intense emotion and controversy. Generally speaking, issues surrounding culture and globalization have received less attention than the debates, which have arisen over globalization and the environment or labor standards. In part this is because cultural issues are more subtle and sensitive, and often more confusing. The concept of global culture is today perceived as a spread of American values, goods and life style. As a matter of fact, the most visible globalization sign seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and Coke in almost every country in the world. Today globalization has the ears of Mickey Mouse, feeds with Big Macs, drinks Coke or Pepsi and works on an IBM laptopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Th. L. Friedman, 2001). In this context, the international aim of management is that of highlighting the cultural differences between countries and even in the same country between the different regions and then the establishment of some potential opportunities and problems. GLOBALIZATION AND LOCAL CULTURES The globalization of the production and distribution of goods and services brings many advantages for all countries offering them access to products that they would not otherwise have. But the changes brought by globalization affects the interests of some categories of people in some countries or regions. Because foreign products are usually cheaper, local farmers are disadvantaged. Globalization is also increasing international trade in cultural products and services, such as movies, music, and publications. The expansion of trade in cultural products is increasing the exposure of all societies to foreign cultures. And the exposure to foreign cultural goods frequently brings about changes in local cultures, values, and traditions. Although there is no consensus on the consequences of globalization on national cultures, many people believe that a peoples exposure to foreign culture can undermine their own cultural identity. Although we can talk about a globalization of culture, there are also a lot of cultural differences that should be taken into account by managers of multinational corporations if they want to be effective in approaching foreign markets. Culture has many elements but the most important are: language, religion, values and attitudes, habits, education. When you enter on a foreign market you must know very well the language of that country, because otherwise you should lose a lot of money. It is not enough to have a product and sell it, it is necessary to know if the name of the product has a negative meaning in that market. Religion is also essential when you are an international firm, because in Middle East for instance you cant sell pork meat or alcoholic products. The role of woman in business is also linked with religion in this region. That affects management in two ways: the firm cant use women as managers or in other positions in some countries and the role of the woman as a consumer or her influence on consumption process is different. Regarding the values and attitudes of a country, there are some cultures with a strong context like Japan for instance in which there are a lot of fact hard to be understood by other cultures. Firms will gain only if they have a long term approach of Japanese markets. For example, Procter Gamble had a long term perspective on its products and that was an approach in a Japanese style. Starting with the middle of 1970s, the company gained 20% of the market and made the word pampers familiar for Japanese mothers. For these results, the foreign firm has to accept to lose in the first years because the confidence of Japanese people is hard to be gained. Changes in habits and customs should be carefully monitored especially in cases that indicate a limitation of cultural differences between people. McDonalds or Coke phenomenon was successful worldwide but that doesnt mean that the world becomes identical with West countries and this is the case especially with Arabian countries. Understanding the habits of foreign countries is very important in negotiation. All types of communication must be understood in order to negotiate abroad. Americans perceive the lack of action or silence as negative signs. As a result, Japanese negotiators wait for Americans to reduce prices or ameliorate other conditions. Education is also very important in a culture. For instance, local recruitment will be affected by the availability level of experienced and trained stuff. The international manager should be ready to handle with recruitment obstacles. For Japanese culture for example loyalty is very important and employees are seen as members of a large family the corporation. If you produce and sell technology, you must take into account the educational level of the potential consumers. Decisions of product adjusting are often influenced by the way in which the consumers are capable to use the product or the service in a correct way. THE INFLUENCE OF U.S. CORPORATIONS ON LOCAL CULTURES One of the principal concerns about the new globalization of culture that is taking place in the world is that it doesnt lead only to a homogenization of world culture, but also that it largely represents the Americanization of world cultures. The spread of American corporations abroad has various consequences on local cultures, some very visible, and others less obvious. For example, the influence of American companies on other countries cultural identity can be seen with regard to food, which matters on two levels. First, food itself is in many countries an integral aspect of the culture. Second, food restaurants can influence the habits in societies where they operate. The French are proud of having a unique cuisine that reflects their culture, such as crepes and pastries. Because of their pride in their cuisine, some French people are concerned that U.S. restaurant chains crowd out their own products with fast food. Some French people would argue that fast food does not belong to French society and is of lower quality than their own. Moreover, restaurant chains not only affect eating habits, but they also influence the traditions in countries where they are located. Starbucks causes cultural concerns in Italy because of the association that Italians make between coffee and leisurely sidewalk cafes. Coffee in Italy is more than a drink; it is part of the way of life and Italian habits. While in the United States it is common for people to buy takeaway coffee for drinking in the street or office, in Italy people usually prefer to relax and chat with peers while drinking coffee. Coffee shops offer a personal, friendly atmosphere that many Italians believe a large chain could not provide. Similarly, many people would prefer to frequent coffee shops that are each unique, while Starbucks offers a standard formula. Another example can be seen with the introduction of the McDonalds restaurant in China. In the past, it was not considered proper for Chinese children to buy food with their own money, as they were expected to eat what was put in front of them. Because of McDonalds marketing to children, however, kids developed an interest in choosing their own food when going to McDonalds. After some time, it became more of a common practice for children to buy their food with their own money. We notice a phenomenon of McDonaldization in the world. McDonaldization is the process through which the principles of the fast-food restaurant become to dominate more and more sectors in the most countries in the world. This phenomenon affects all aspects of social life, not only the restaurants: education, work, health services, travel, spare time, alimentation, politics, family etc. Some authors sustain that McDonaldization is a process of the cultural imperialism used by the American system to dominate other countries. On the other side there are people sustaining that McDonald systems adjust to local medium. McDonaldization is a transnational phenomenon. There is no doubt that McDonalds adjusts to local conditions, realities and tastes. This adjusting capacity led to the success of the system on international markets. But if it adjusts too much, losing its standard methods, it will lose its identity and that would affect its success. McDonaldization influence the habits of societies as a whole; for example Japanese people didnt eat standing and didnt drink directly from the bottle till the American fast-food chain entered their market. This shows the great cultural impact of McDonalds on the traditions of other countries. Despite the negative effects on local habits we dont have to forget that McDonalds also changed the sanitary conditions in local restaurants and increased the competition, leading to progress. Concerns that globalization leads to a dominance of US customs and values are also present with regard to films and the entertainment industry. This is the case with French films in France, for example. Governments from countries like France have attempted to intervene in the functioning of the market to try to protect their local cultural industries, by taking measures such as restricting the number of foreign films that can be shown. But if a government imposes domestic films, TV shows, or books onto its people, it limits their choice to consume what they prefer. Throughout history, cultures have changed and evolved. Globalization may accelerate cultural change. However, because change is driven by the choice of consumers, the elements of a particular culture will inevitably reflect consumer choice. Although the United States may play a dominant role within the phenomenon of cultural globalization, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an entirely one-way street. Many other countries also contribute to global culture. Just as American popular culture influences foreign countries, other national cultures are influential within the United States. Hollywood is a good example of an industry that integrates elements from more than one culture. Most people would think of Hollywood as something entirely American. However, while Hollywood dominates world cinema, American movies are subject to foreign influence. According to The Economist, one reason for Hollywoods success is that from the earliest days it was open to foreign talent and foreign money. Many American movies are remakes of foreign films (Asian or European movies). Some examples would be Asian horror movies like The Grudge, The Ring, Shutter, The Eye and more other. Many film-making companies, producers, and actors in Hollywood are not even American. Arnold Schwarzenegger is from Austria, and Nicole Kidman grew up in Australia. From this perspective, one may argue that Hollywood is a typically global institution. However, one may also note that actors such as Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson, upon arriving in Hollywood, were given language lessons to help them lose their foreign accents. Hollywood producers had them do this largely over sensitivity that American audience might perceive them negatively if they appeared to be foreign. So while Hollywood may incorporate many foreign elements into its craft-especially behind the scenes-its public face is distinctly American. GLOBALIZATION VS. ASIAN AND ISLAM VALUES Some government officials in East Asian nations have proclaimed an alternative to the Western cultural model by declaring an adherence to traditional Asian values. Asian values are typically described as embodying the Confucian ideals of respect for authority, hard work and the belief that the community is more important than the individual. This is said to be coupled with a preference for economic, social and cultural rights rather than political rights. Lee Thesis (a Singapore leader Lee Kwan Yew) claims that political freedoms and rights can actually hamper economic growth and development. According to this notion, order and personal and social discipline, rather than political liberty and freedom, are most appropriate for Asian societies. Adherents to this view claim that political freedoms, liberties, and democracy are Western concepts, foreign to their traditions. The controversy over westernization has had major historical implications in the Middle East over the past several decades. Globalization is accelerating some peoples concerns about the infusions of Western values in Islamic countries. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has likewise adopted an approach with the motto modernization without westernization. One such example is a Saudi police issue ban on pet dogs and cats. The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a sign of Western influence. However, in the past decades, owning dogs or cats has become a fashion statement among Saudis. Showing off a Doberman, pit bull or fancy breed of felines has become a status symbol. For conservatives, it smells of imitating Western trends, just like the fast food, shorts, jeans and pop music that have become more common in the kingdom. Many governments around the world have attempted to protect their native cultures by imposing bans on what they declare to be foreign cultural intrusions. For example, with regard to language protection, the Chinese government has attempted to protect the purity of its language by removing the use of foreign words. Authorities in China recently scrutinized the brands and names of over 20,000 western companies, forcing them to change 2,000 to more Chinese-sounding names. But this is not specific only to Asian countries, all the other countries fighting to protect their language. France has attracted the most notoriety for attempting to protect its language from the immigration of foreign words. The French Academy routinely scours the land for invasive words from other languages, most notably English ones. Words such as walkman, talk show, and prime time have been declared unwelcome foreigners, and the government has attempted-with rather limited success-to replace them with French substitutes. This movement demonstrates the extreme sensitivity of cultural issues, and the visceral reaction that many people have to what they perceive to be threats to their traditional ways of life. In an interview that appeared in December 2005 in Asia Pacific Perspectives magazine, the international economist Yonosuke Hara expressed his thoughts about the potential of a dynamic Asian economic model that could serve as a new regional economic system and could prevent the tendency to a global standardization. According to Hara, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾the world will never become standardized through globalization. Asian societies have their own complex structures. In XXI-st century, the Asian economic model which is the product of its own history and social structure will continue. It is not necessary to undertake an economic system that alternate between joy and sadness on a profit basis and Asian countries should progress to an economic system valorizing long term profits through the production of goods and their distribution to the entire society. CONCLUSION Efforts to protect local culture from the homogenizing effects of globalization are often tangled with other, sometimes questionable, motives, including economic protectionism and the political suppression of ideas. Because the topic of culture can, almost by definition, include almost every human effort, it is often difficult to draw lines around what are legitimate cultural activities, worthy of special protective measures. Many organizations and groups have been formed at the local, national, and international level that aims to promote the protection of traditional cultures. Some aim to study the matter more deeply so that we may understand more clearly the implications of globalization on culture, and others are already taking on advocacy roles. Globalization critic Jeremy Rifkin has suggested there may be a need to establish a World Cultural Organization to help represent diverse cultures and put cultural protection on an equal footing with the WTO (Rifkin, 2001). Another group, the International Network for Cultural Diversity, has made a similar argument for an institution to ensure that culture is being protected. The INCD has proposed that: Governments must not enter into any agreements that constrain local cultures and the policies that support them. A new international agreement should be created, which can provide a permanent legal foundation for cultural diversity. An informal group of governments that has already been created to try to find solutions to cultural questions is the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP). The INCP is an international forum through which representatives of member countries can exchange views on emerging cultural policy issues. One of the ways in which the INCP seeks to strengthen cultures is by advocating more cultural exceptions to the global trade rules of the WTO. Forty-five countries are members of the INCP, including Canada, France, China, and the United Kingdom, but not the United States. In the coming years, efforts to protect traditional cultures are likely to play an increasingly prominent role in new trade agreements and within international cooperative ventures. Indeed, a global effort to protect local cultures from globalization would be a somewhat ironic development. But increasingly, local activists are trying to learn how to harness new worldwide forces to cope with the impact of international trends that have cultural effects.

Depression and Psychosis Essay -- Mental Health

For the purpose of this essay the user group I have decided to focus upon is people who suffer from mental health issues, in particular depression and psychosis. I will firstly talk about the illness and about the client group concerned. I will then discuss different treatments available and how effective communication is essential for the well being of these clients. I will then focus on different theories of communication from a psychology perspective and conclusively will discuss and critically analysis powers imbalances, inequalities and disadvantages. Depression haunts the lives of many. It exists in many forms, takes various guises and has been recognised for many centuries. Over two thousand years ago the Greek physician Hippocrates labelled the illness melancholia. The early thinking surrounding depression especially within the Greek community believed that "depression arouse of the body humour especially black bile." (Gilbert 1994) Early reports of depression can be found in numerous biblical texts. King soleman is believed to have suffered from an evil spirit and dark moods from which he eventually killed himself. " The book of Job is regarded as the work of a depressive." (S.Mangen 82) More recent sufferers include politicians such as Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincon and various other writers and poets such as Thomas Mann and Edgar Allen Poe. So whatever else we may say about depression, it seems that it has been in existence for a very long time. It is not unique to humans and various animal models of depression ha ve been advanced and researched. The type of people who suffer from depression vary and it is not too be stereotyped to the image of a person contained within a mental hospital rocking back... ...eds to be shown at all times and the lead should always be taken from the client. Due to word restrictions within this essay I feel that it is now important to bring together and conclude my findings regarding effective communication and depression. The example of my experience with the psychiatrist was a worse case scenario of communication gone wrong and basically everything that he did needs to be reversed for successful communication to take place. Needless to say when I felt better and was going through an "stable" period I demanded a change of psychiatrist and have since embarked on a university degree. Good communication skills can not however be read about or taught they are something that is practically learnt and the only way in which to monitor them is by being self analysing at all times and receiving feedback from clients and friends.

Leadership Path-Goal Theory

IntroductionLeadership is a serious task that has to betaken by those who are able to understand the society in an objective way. Certainly, the idea of becoming a leader requires serious thinking.   Becoming a leader requires efforts that start with personal development and adjustments. There are numerous theories and practices that help the hopeful leaders in becoming the person that they want to be. In the paper to follow, a reflection on one’s ability and self-improving processes would be discussed in the view of the author of this paper.Being a leader is a serious task that requires serious effort and determination to adjust on the part of the person who wants to pursue on being a leader in his or her own field of interest. As Peter Northouse refer to leadership as a â€Å"change that would affect the whole personality of an individual†(2006, 16). It is not true that leaders are born, they are made. Through self-restructuring of themselves, the leaders of today h ave sprung out from actually being nothing to becoming influential personalities in the human society.How? Because of their determination to make a change to the society that rooted out from the changes that they had to make on themselves in the first place. This is the reason why in this paper, a self-examination process shall be utilized to learn the importance of self-adjustment in becoming a leader. Leadership is one of the most common practices that is found and applied on the different organizations around the world. The need for governance has mainly increased the pressure on institutions specializing in educating aspiring leaders with the needed skills that they are expected to have when they are already working on their own fields of interest.Leadership for many is a virtue learned through the experience of becoming great followers. It requires effort and ample time before it could be said to be the perfect way of showing leadership.   It could be obviously seen how much the people who are considered leaders in the world are viewed as exemplary people and not as people who knows only to command and drives other to work. When it comes to the business industry, the character involving refined leadership is a must to be possessed by everyone. Yes, as leadership itself has strongly affected the lives of many people in the business industry, it indeed is an important character. The idea of being a leader itself is never that easy. Though, through careful and patient learning in adjusting one’s self to be able to adapt to the necessary needed characters of a leader, a refined leadership is never that impossible to acquire.When it comes to the definition of leadership, many groups or organizations have their own view of the characters and responsibilities involved in being a leader. As for example,   House defines â€Å"leadership† organizationally and narrowly as â€Å"the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members† (House, R. J. 2004: page 15). Indeed, the success of the leader would naturally determine the success of the organization he or she is acquainted with. This is the main reason why many people tend to really deeply learn the art of leadership. Mainly aiming to alleviate the effectiveness of one’s leadership skills, leadership schools and courses were opened especially regarding the business industries. This is the reason why the need for path-goal theory application is an insisted demand upon those individuals who are longing to become effective leaders of the organizations that they are aiming to serve.How the Path-Goal Theory is Effectively UtilizedThe path goal theory is more of a directive motivation on the part of the individuals who are aiming to become leaders of their own groups. The idea is to motivate themselves to motivate others. It is undeniable that people ge t personal motivation from different areas of life. They naturally get influenced by the different systems of understanding that they particularly grow fond of as they deal with the different challenges that they need to face as individuals everyday. These growth sources could be both derived from theoretical assessments of the situation along with the experiential measure of the situation. It is undeniably true that experience itself makes the theoretical background of each individual grow to a more applicable aspect of learning on the part of each person’s growth.Theoretical learning aspects could be sourced out from institutional instructions while that of the actual learning aspect could be sourced out from on the job trainings or from actual based experiences. Self-learned theories could be observed to have the personal impact of insisting administrative practice of leadership upon a person’s life. How could self-assessment be performed by an individual wanting to be an effective leader?Applying Personal Growth in Leading the GroupBeing a leader requires many humane aspects in different personality region. Mainly, it requires psychological stability for holding together the team which is to be lead or the subordinates, mental capacity for making critical reasoning and proper judgment, and sociological for relating with the people within the team. Certain traits aside from these are also much required such as interpersonal charisma and pleasing personality.All of these are vital in leadership because of the main fact that the people within the team will look up to him or her for the decisions, actions and guidance thus his or her responsibility is quite complex and morally challenging (Lashway, 1996). Since being a leader is an important task and it deals with people, performing it involves many moral and ethical aspects and if these issues are in contrast with the leader’s personal values then severe contradictions can occur. Thus, th e personal ethics is important in playing the role of a leader because whatever the leader’s moral values are will reflect to his team thus influencing their performance and relationshipBefore making a decision, critically analyzing the consequences and the action itself will provide some ethical enlightenment to the problem that is being faced. Though taking the job, which is considered unethical, would not compromise the moral values of the person, it will surely affect the conscience and the performance of the person and being a leader, this scenario would not post pleasant environment. Considering the impact of the unethical nature of the company would give the applicant a broader contextual perception of the dilemma. (Center for Ethics and Business, 2006).Thus, by looking at the problem completely then other perspective can be considered such as the consequences that the person can do to influence the ethical position of the company. As a leader in the company, the perso n can establish certain ethical policies that can promote positive outcomes instead of solely focusing on the negative aspect of the company. As an example, making policies and regulation that strongly prohibits smoking among the minors or launching campaigns educating the public regarding ideas of moderate smoking which would increase the pleasant appeal of the company to the society.It may sound very idealistic but it will surely affect the ethical and moral perception of the people with the company thus reflecting positive economic asset to the enterprise itself. A leader has the responsibility to promote the moral values and ethics in his or her work place and this also includes the company’s image itself. By being a leader, a person powers can extend to aspect such as creating an ethical environment regarding the employment he or she pursue with moral adhesion. Instead of seeing a certain job as something unethical, consider a perspective of how a person can make a certa in job ethical for himself or herself and the social community they belong lived in.Dealing with such issues of organizational assistance of truthfully realizing their organization’s worth to the society should be faced with the leader with integrity and power over what is wrong. How does he know what is wrong? The theoretical background that he may have learned from school or other instructional institutions that he has attended may as well serve well in these particular situations. Whereas on the other hand, his personal experiences on the matter could profoundly assist him in making considerable decisions that are bound to do something that is progressive for the entire business.The present world is beset with problems that defy solution. So as to be able to meet the challenges of becoming a fine leader for the majority, this paper then requires personal adjustments on a hopeful leader. As it is believed by Northouse, a leader is someone who has competencies in changing th e society by starting within himself. (2006, 25) Yes, changing the society is a large responsibility. Providing the people of what they need is a vital part of the responsibilities of being a leader.A hopeful leader could not attain the said goals and complete the said responsibilities without working on his personality first. Not unless he is able to reach his best potential as a person would he be able to bring out the best potential on others that could help them attain their dreams as well. Yes, personal development is essential for creating a leader within one’s self. Realizing one’s personal capabilities and limitations would help one recognize that others too have their own limitations and capabilities. People who have the capability of seeing people as persons who are capable of improving and developing are the ones who become successful leaders of the society.Applying the Leadership Concepts as Learned from Theory and ExperienceThere are different issues of le adership that each person faces in terms of organizational administration. It is indeed helpful that one knows how to deal with each situation as one actually differs from the other. There are at least five major ways of leadership that could be applied in this particular situation of personal growth.Model the WayThis particularly refers to the ability of the appointed leaders to become role models for other members of the group. The fact that they are placed in position, means that they have a certain characteristic that is   particularly inspiring. The utilization of the said character shall help the leader set a pattern for others to follow. Once the road has been set, the reality of success is not that hard to foresee.Inspire a Shred VisionUnity is one of the primary reasons behind the success of different organizations. Once each member is able to envision the real goal of the organization as to where they are actually headed to, the inspiration begins. Indeed, everyone has t he right to get involved in what is happening and thus be able to understand where the direction of the group is taking them.Challenge the ProcessChallenging the process does not mean changing the procedures of the organization abruptly. With ample time of adjustment and informing the members of the changes that are to be made, the procedural changes could occur. From this particular way, the organization is beginning to open its doors to other alternatives of meeting the goals of the group. However, to do so, careful planning and examination of the possibilities should be done.Enable Others to ActIncluding other members of the group within the system of procedural arrangements is one type of motivation that makes everyone in the organization feel that they are of great use for the achievement of the group’s goal. Hence, achieving the goals with them leaves them with the satisfaction of work that they primarily expect from the group upon joining.Encourage the HeartSimply invo lving the members within the job are not enough. Leaders ought to encourage their members through making them realize of their worth to the group. To do so, the leaders are expected to be able to figuratively touch the hearts of the members of the group so as to empower them to perform better not only for the organization’s sake but for their own benefit as well.Through the consideration given to the five steps of leadership as enlisted above, it could be expected that the appointed authorities would be equipped with the necessary skills that they need to set a straight path for success for the entire organization. However, to do so, it should be remembered that the effective utilization of empowering communication should be applied as well. Without the existence of the said connection between the leaders, the victory that is being achieved may not become reality at all.ConclusionSetting path-goal theory as a major source of improvement upon organizations is a primary effecti ve process of strengthening the capability of the leaders and of the other members as well to face the different issues that the entire groups need to face with everyday.   This particularly means that the changes that organizations are required to meet every now and then require an ample amount of patience and courage from the leaders. Aside from that, it also requires sturdiness when it comes to decision making on the part of the leaders.The policy of â€Å"what must be implemented must be implemented† should always be carried on through by the leaders with an ample scaling of the ethical values that are involved within the situation. Yes, the fact that leadership is not an easy challenge that needs to be conscientiously met identifies the qualities and the attitudes that leaders or aspiring organizational head personnel should posses. Hence, a leader is then supposed to face the said challenges in full courage and knowledge of the strategies that need to be applied in pa rticular situations that they are to meet.Changes need to happen individually. However, making a leader out of one’s self is not an easy task. As they say, the worst enemy one could ever have is one’s own self. This is why learning the art of leadership requires the determination to do well on the said matter. If one is determined to become the best leader he could be, he should be able to accept self-changes and adjustments to be able to attain the goals of becoming and efficient leader. Hence by becoming individually effective as a leader, the learning of theoretical leadership along with the implication of the learning that one gains from experience could be established well as part of the major aspects of application that could be utilized for establishing a fine practice of leadership as per noted by an individual upon himself and his colleagues as well. Through personal assessment of the matter, motivating people would become an easier task on the part of the lea der himself.References:Bolman, L.G. & Deal, T.E. (2003) Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Howard Garland. Relation of Effort-Performance Expectancy to Performance in Goal-Setting Experiments. Departments of Management and Psychology, The University of Texas at Arlington. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1984, Vol 69, No 1, 79-84.Thomas W. Lee. Explaining the Assigned Goal-Incentive Interaction: The Role of Se/f-Efficacyand Personal Goals. Journal of Management 1997, Vol. 23, No. 4, 541-559.

Journal Article Summary and Application Essay

This paper presents the summary of the article â€Å"Staff development and student learning: A synthesis of research on models of teaching† by Bruce Joyce, Beverly Showers and Carol Rolheiser-Bennett published in the Educational Leadership on October of 1987. The second half of the paper will discuss how the findings of this paper could be applied to real life situations. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that theoretical assumptions of the authors about staff development can actually be used to enhance curriculums that would result to increased student performance. Summary This article argues that staff development must be and can be used to develop school programs and curriculums that would result to increased student performance and better learning. The authors discussed that the recent developments in the field of staff development have been very useful in designing new educational programs for students because the findings of said research have provided educational leaders the guide to which staff development can enhance student learning, provided innovative ideas and programs for more student involvement and a wider application of the different learning models. The authors assumed that the theoretical models and program designs that could be adopted to effectively improve student performance would only work in as much as how effectively the staff has been developed and trained. Thus, for the authors, staff development should come first before any improvements or programs can be designed and developed. The most important aspect of the measure of student performance and improvement was the effect size. According to the authors, effect size is akin to the level of change or value that was supposed to have occurred due to an intervening process or variable. Effect size can be used to determine how much the improvement was relative to its original value, effect size is important because it could tell just how effective the intervention was in bringing about change. On the other hand, the authors also pointed out that high effect size is desired but often a small effect size for a large number of people is more desirable as it would bring about greater change. The authors also discussed the teaching models that have been found to have yielded promising results and those that have been applied successfully in some research studies. Social models of learning refers to group and cooperative learning against individual learning, it has been found that students who learn by cooperation and group work are more socially equipped, have better self-concept and positive attitudes to learning. The authors recommend that staff development on how to teach cooperative learning can actually lead to better academic performance. Information processing models make use of the learning process as the strategy to help students retain more information and learn more in a given period. The authors mentioned the use of advanced organizers and mnemonics, which both had been proven to increase student learning and output but this would require intensive training of teachers and a highly technical staff development program. The personal models refer to the use of person centered learning experiences; the authors said that synectics and nondirective learning would help students learn both academically and personally. However, some have argued that the personal models would likely have lesser academic impact because it focuses on the person. The behavioral models were taken from the work of Skinner and it makes use of the different behavioral methods such as programmed learning, conditioning, reinforcement and the like. Much research have actually found that behavioral methods are effective in increasing student performance and this have been the focus of many staff development programs. The authors also identified specific teaching methods that could be used to increase student performance across levels such as wait time and teacher expectation and student achievement. Wait time refers to the process of allowing students enough time to think about the teacher’s questions while teacher expectation says that there are differential treatments in the classroom. The authors conclude that designing staff development programs should make use of the most effective working models and strategies and that this should be the focus of administrators who wishes to see their schools improve. Application The article has pointed out several learning models that could be used effectively to enhance student learning and this could actually be applied to the design of staff development programs. The assumption here is that teachers could not teach what they do not have, and since these models are not the conventional models and traditional ones teachers have been trained to do, it is imperative that staff development be able to teach teachers the exact method and process for a more effective classroom experience. For example, a staff development program on using nondirective learning should start with an input on the theoretical and technical aspects of the model, and then a workshop on how to carry out classroom interaction within this model can be demonstrated to the teachers and then critiqued by the group and resource speaker. Then the second part of the training session would be to have the teachers design a lesson plan and demonstrate it to the group and a series of critiquing would also be done to help teachers see their weaknesses and strengths in using the model and then be able to make improvements. The experiential learning was used in this design as adult learners learn more effectively in this way. References Joyce Bruce, Showers, Beverly and Rolheiser-Bennett, Carol. â€Å"Staff Development and Student Learning: A Synthesis of Research on Models of Teaching. † Educational Leadership 45/2 (1987): 11-23.