Sunday, October 6, 2019
Ethical leadership in the modern business market Essay
Ethical leadership in the modern business market - Essay Example Although seeking to understand each and every aspect of the way that ethics have shifted and changed in the years that make up the XXI century would require a thesis length response, this brief analysis will seek to understanding and briefly enumerate upon the key differentials that have come to exist within ethics of the XXI century as opposed to those that existed earlier. Furthermore, the analysis will give a particular level of discussion with regards to the means by which the recent global financial collapse was ultimately precipitated and aided by the complete disregard for ethical standards. Perhaps the most salient and important aspect of ethics that have changed within the XXI century is the level to which ethics have come to be differentiated upon the terms of both personal and systemic. If one briefly considers the way that a large company handled business back before the turn of the XXI century they would come to note that the company placed a high degree of emphasis on honesty of the employees and/or shareholders as a fundamental requirement that might be espoused (Brenkert, 2010). However, namely missing from such an ethical interpretation of company needs would be the reciprocal understanding that it was the sworn duty of the form to exhibit such a level of ethical responsibility with regards to both the employees as well as the end consumer. In this way, ethical considerations of the previous era were more focused on profitability and how the company may wish to safeguard its assets, inclusive of employees, while completely disregarding the ethical responsibilit ies that management/leadership espoused with relation to the rest of the system (Cuillla, 2011). This should of course not be understood to mean that all firms during this time were disrespectful to the ethical considerations that they must necessarily espouse to the customer or to the shareholder/employee. Rather, the level of emphasis, as it exists today was not to such a highly evolved, regulated, and legislated mandate that it has subsequently reached within the past several decades. Says the textbook that was used for this class, ââ¬Å"An organization is concerned with regulating the behavior and performance of its employees to ensure safe, uniform, and effective conduct in the performance of dutiesâ⬠(McLachlan, 2009). This level of ethical understanding of as a function of profitability is perhaps the single most important reality that must be considered with regards to the global economic collapse 2007/2008. Rather than the shareholders of the situation paying particul ar attention to the ethical ramifications of their actions, profitability was ultimately championed as the greater good in each and every situation. Although it is oftentimes been convenient for individuals to point to the upper management of firms such as Lehman Brothers, the reality of the situation is that middle management as well as the line employees of such institutions bore as much ethical culpability as those at the top. Due to the fact that they were fully aware of the situation was taken place and did absolutely nothing to bring these concerns to light, these individuals are ethically and morally culpable as well. Although it is not the determination of this particular analysis to shed blame with regards to global financial collapse of 2007/2008, it must be understood that an ethical interpretation of the event demands that all parties be analyzed in an unbiased manner. This shared form of responsibility has become a fundamental hallmark of the ethics of the
Saturday, October 5, 2019
SOCIAL CONTEXT OF HEALTH Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
SOCIAL CONTEXT OF HEALTH - Outline Example Once every individual takes care of his/her health in a community, it will lead to a healthy community. Most minor cases of illnesses are treated and can be managed at home. The traditional approach of health has become common in the day to day world (Helman, 1978). In the past, illnesses were believed to be a result of satanic possessions or witches. Good health was brought about by balance in people, which included a balanced diet, exercises and sleep. If you got sick, it meant there was some imbalance (Heaman and Hardy, 2002). The theory of Miasma, developed in mid-17th century, leads to the interest of improving hygiene and sanitation. It resulted from poisonous gases that came from decayed matters in the soil and stagnant water and unhealthy jobs (Hardy, 1999). It made people be careful of their environment and make it clean and clear stagnant water. Helmanââ¬â¢s work was based on the concept of ââ¬Ëfeed a cold, starve a feverââ¬â¢. Changes in temperature for example a fever is seen as ones carelessness (Helman, 1978). If a person exposes him or herself to cold, rainy weather he is bound to get sick so if people keep warm when needed it can prevent infection and for those who already get a cold can manage the sickness at home by resting in bed and eating and drinking hot food and drinks(Hardy, 1999). Helmans work tried to explain treatment in a lay-manââ¬â¢s language instead of scientific ways that are complicated to understand especially for ordinary people (Helman, 1978). Although sickness at times is beyond our control, the best way of preventing sickness and promoting health is by people to take responsibility of their own health. Hardy, A. (1999). Edwin Chadwick Revisited Christopher Hamlin, Public health and social justice in the age of Chadwick: Britain, 1800ââ¬â1854, Cambridge History of Medicine series, Cambridge University Press, 1998. Medical History, 43(2),
Confucian perspective and critique Qin rule Essay
Confucian perspective and critique Qin rule - Essay Example This paper seeks to adopt a Confucian perspective and criticize Qin rule. The paper will analyze the rapid decline of Qinââ¬â¢s rule, identify what Confucians objected about Qinââ¬â¢s rule, and explain why Confucianism was seemingly a better ruling ideology. According to legalism in the Qin Dynasty, the law was referenced and available to the public where all before the Emperor were equal under the law. Legalism sought to reward law-abiding citizens and punish lawbreakers severely. Actually, the Qin implemented corporal punishments and sentenced legal offenders to hard labor for the state. As such, legalism ran the state and not the emperor. Nevertheless, the Confucian scholars who were victims of legalism had detailed information on Chinese history including the Qin Dynasty and had great impact on other cultures like the Korean culture. Confucianism is an aspect of philosophy emanating from the teachings of Confucius (551 - 479 BC). As such, Confucianism was a formidable force in Chinese political and social history. Indeed, Confucianism main aim was to train its followers on traditional rituals, respect for authority, loyalty, flexibility of leaders, respect for the aged, and benevolence. Therefore, Confucianism promoted a tradition of ââ¬Å"humane authority.â⬠However, Confucianism faced support and equally opposition from various scholars. In fact, while some scholars like Lu Xun accused it of limiting modernization, others like Kang Yuwei used it to for Chinese nationalism. In the 19th century, the influence of Confucianism declined as Qing Dynasty ended in 1911. In the later dynasties, legalism fell and consistently merged with Confucianism to play central roles in the Chinese government. Most assuredly, Qin Shi Huang incurred opposition from Confucian historians and consequently becoming one of the shortest-lived dynasties in Chinese history.à According to Morton and Lewis, ââ¬Å"Qin Shi Huang Di, the First Emperor, incurred the disapprova l of Confucian historians and in actuality was in many ways a ruthless tyrantâ⬠(Morton and Lewis 46). The Rapid Decline of Qinââ¬â¢s Rule The Qin Dynasty existed between 256-202 B.C.E. The Qin Dynasty settled in the North where it initiated reforms and created a powerful army using horse archers to form a powerful state. The first emperor of Qui Dynasty was Qin Shi Huang and ruled via legalism. Most assuredly is the fact that Shih Huang Ti was a very efficient and unifying leader in ancient China. Nevertheless, his rule lasted for the shortest time because of his harsh leadership style. Uniquely, Qin chose to break the China's old provinces and loyalties and created others under the leadership of non-hereditary governors. This was a blatant mistake, as the governors had no capacity to accumulate power in one place through different generations as sought in Chinese culture. It is equally true that although Qin initiated many effective projects in ancient China, these project s required a lot of taxes and human labor from the Chinese people that was against their will and ability. Indeed, he forced the ordinary people to work on his projects with harsh and cruel punishments muted on the people. As such, though the projects were viable, they made his rule very unpopular among the poor citizens. Moreover, Qin initiated and completed the Great Wall of China (Morton and Lewis 45-46). However, this wall had huge costs on human lives from hunger,
Friday, October 4, 2019
Does peanut corp. have a conscience What responsibilities does peanut Essay
Does peanut corp. have a conscience What responsibilities does peanut corp. owe society to self regulate their actions in pursuit of profits Did they follow CSR - Essay Example As the paper declares every time consumers walk into a supermarket or retail store they rarely pose to contemplate whether the products they are about to put into their shopping baskets are health hazards. There is an implicit trust that consumers have in the producers putting these products on the shelves, especially those who deal in food products. After all there are bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that are meant to ensure that food products are safe. A corporation is not a thinking, feeling being, hence the corporation in and of itself cannot be termed as having a conscience. However the corporation is made up of individuals who are held responsible for the actions that the corporation takes part in. these individuals are the ones who act as the corporationââ¬â¢s conscience because they are the decision makers. This discussion explores that building a good corporate culture entails in part ensuring that the individuals within a corporation who are responsible for the corporationââ¬â¢s actions are morally upright in that they can factor in the human component into the making their decisions. Though corporations are out to make profit, it should never be at the expense of their own consumers or the society within which they are based. There are repercussions that come with not observing the fundamental principles of business ethics and corporate social responsibility as will be seen with the case of Peanut Corporation of America.... sions that come with not observing the fundamental principles of business ethics and corporate social responsibility as will be seen with the case of Peanut Corporation of America. Salmonella in peanut butter; a modern day tale of greed and tragedy There have been eight deaths and now almost six hundred cases of infection related to the salmonella bacteria that has been found in peanut butter as well as other peanut products ranging from roasted peanuts, peanut granules, and dog food. It has become apparent that the contaminated peanut can be traced back to Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). These cases have been reported through forty five American states and across the border in Canada (Steenhuysen, 2009). According to a report complied by the Food and Drug Administration, there were tests run by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) that found traces of salmonella while conducting tests in its own labs in Blakely, Georgia. This did not happen once or twice, but an incredible twelve times between 2007 and 2008. Which means that PCA was presented with multiple opportunities to take action on the tainted peanut such as avoid shipping it all together. However, PCA did not opt to take what should have been the most natural and approvable cause of action, they opted to 'lab shop', that is, look for an outside laboratory that would be willing to state that the results for salmonella had come back negative. When the second results came back negative, PCA went ahead and shipped their products, an action which goes against standard protocol that demands that the first tests saying positive are the ones upon which further action is supposed to be decided (Steenhuysen, 2009). Another action that the company should have taken upon discovery of contamination was a
Insanity of War Essay Example for Free
Insanity of War Essay Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut were two of the most influential anti-war authors of the twentieth century. Heller and Vonnegut served in Second World War; Heller flew sixty missions as a bombardier and Vonnegut was awarded the Purple Heart as an infantry scout. Throughout the Vietnam War, these two authors were idolized for the heroic anti-war masterpieces that they wrote. College students throughout the country carried the novels Heller and Vonnegut wrote everywhere they went. Heller first published his book in 1961, right in the midst of Civil Rights Movement, a perfect time for a book that challenges the power of bureaucracy. Vonnegut published his novel eight years later in 1969, during the Vietnam War, a controversial period for American citizens. One student was quoted saying, Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller were part of a vanguard of writers my friends and I idolized (Golly). Through the use of complex structures, highly effective literary styles, and character portrayal, Heller and Vonnegut helped to reveal the insanity of war. Heller and Vonnegut both use a complex structure when writing their satirical anti-war novels. When writing Catch-22, Heller intentionally created a narrative that is hard to follow. While Heller admits that Catch-22 was meticulously structured in order to seem chaotic, he disagrees with the readers that claim Catch-22 is formless (Merrill 34). Merrill also claims that Heller says the real structure is artfully camouflaged (34). He speaks the ideas of multiple characters and tells the story in an unconventional manner. While the majority of the novel is written from the ideas, actions, and feelings of John Yossarian, the protagonist, Heller uses other characters to tell the story from a different perspective. An example of this comes in Chapter 6, aptly named Hungry Joe, where Heller writes the ideas and feelings of Hungry Joe (Heller 51). Another comes in the twentieth chapter, where the narrative comes from Corporal Whitcomb (Heller 198). Heller also uses an unorthodox chronology while writing Catch-22. Multiple times during the text Heller makes obvious jumps in time, be it forward or back. Heller uses the number of missions to help the reader follow the chronology of this insane structure. On the twenty-first page, Doc Daneeka declares that the colonel want fifty missions (Heller). He then declares that the Twenty-seventh Air Force only requires forty missions and later on the same page they are required fifty-five missions (Heller 58). Vonnegut also uses a complex structure when writing his book, Slaughterhouse-five, but rather than switching from character to character, he changes between past, present, future. Vonnegut uses a chronological scheme that is difficult to follow as well; he actually starts the narrative during the second chapter. He starts the novel, on page twenty-three, by talking about the past and tells us that the protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, was born in 1922 (Vonnegut). Seven pages later, he jumps to 1944 describing his position of assistant chaplain and his first time being unstuck in time (Vonnegut 30). Then, during the fifth chapter, starting on page eighty-eight, he talks about the past again. When he was twelve years old, he went on vacation to the Grand Canyon that he hated (Vonnegut). In addition to using a complex structure, Vonnegut uses the phrase So it goes over one hundred times (Slaughterhouse-Five). These writing structures both work to expose the insanity of war. Heller creates a chaotic atmosphere by writing through numerous characters and through a chronology that is anything but in a logical order. While Vonnegut employs the death of over a hundred people within Slaughterhouse-Five and uses an intensely paced, chronological mess (Vonnegut). They both write chapters and paragraphs that follow the same disorganized style. With the structures that Heller and Vonnegut use, they both create a chaotic atmosphere for their readers, similar to that of war. They attempt to place the readers in a situation that makes them feel similar to the authors, when they were in the military. Heller and Vonneguts literary style is to create tension in the mind of the reader by shifting the narrative around from character to character and to and from different time periods. They do this in order to draw the readers closer to the soldiers and bombardiers of the Second World War. By doing so, they cause the readers to begin to wonder what will be happening next in the story; much like the way the soldiers of Catch-22 do on the fictional island of Pianosa and the Slaughterhouse-Five soldiers in the German city of Dresden (Heller, Vonnegut). The overall pace of Catch-22 is slow; Heller is very descriptive and builds the setting and atmosphere. There is, however, parts of Catch-22 that are intense and fast paced. Heller uses this slow pace to build tension before the novel climaxes. Catch-22 becomes faster as it approaches the climax and the end of the novel. This change of pace ties directly to war; at first everything is slow, then suddenly, the characters are in the middle of a firefight or bombing mission, then it quickly ceases. Slaughterhouse-Five uses a slightly faster pace throughout the novel; Vonneguts narrative is much shorter and does not go into as much depth as Hellers story does. However, this is the same feeling that many soldiers of the Second World War felt. The soldiers and bombardiers do not always know what is happening next or, in regard to the current Iraqi war, which is the enemy and which is not. Heller employs another literary device, called a motif, a recurring theme or device in literature, and in the novel written by Heller, the motif was catch-22. Heller incorporates many forms of the catch-22 throughout the novel. The main catch occurs when Yossarian must continue flying missions. Obviously anyone willing to risk their lives by flying these missions is crazy. The only way to be granted permission to stop flying the missions is to ask the commanding officer, but he cannot grant permission to be grounded unless it is asked of him. However, anyone sane enough to ask a commanding officer to be grounded is clearly not insane because they have regard for their lives. Therefore, they must continue flying missions. In short, any circular argument that always works in favor of the bureaucratic system that puts it in place is a catch-22. These circular arguments trap soldiers within the chaos of war; they have no way to escape it because of the system that placed it. There is several other catch-22s in the novel Catch-22, such as the open and close case against Clevenger in which all they need is something to charge him with and how they can only meet up with Major Major Major Major in his office when he is not in his office. Vonnegut also employs the literary device motif, within his novel. He uses the phrase So it goes over one hundred times in Slaughterhouse-Five (Slaughterhouse-Five). He first uses the phrase So it goes when talking about Gerhard Mullers, a cab driver, mother, who was incinerated in the Dresden fire-storm (Vonnegut 2). During chapter nine, Vonnegut writes about how Billys wife, Valencia, dies of carbon monoxide poisoning after an accident she caused while driving to the hospital Billy was taken to after a plane accident he was involved in (Vonnegut). In the prior situation, Vonnegut ended to text with So it goes, this shows how the insanity of war causes death to mean so little to some people. The last use is on the second to last page, two hundred fourteen; he uses it after the death of Edgar Derby, an old, poor English teacher, who was arrested, tried, and shot for stealing a teapot (Vonnegut). Vonnegut uses the phrase So it goes to equalize all death. Through equalizing all death, Vonnegut brings forward how some bureaucratic systems feel about war and their effects on life. Vonnegut writes to point out the insanity of war; he shows his readers what war can cause and how his characters and their lives are affected. Hellers characters display insanity throughout Catch-22. An example of this occurs on page seventy-five, when the following conversation takes place: In sixty days youll be fighting Billy Petrolle, the colonel with the big fat mustache roared. And you think its a big fat joke. I dont think its a joke, sir, Clevenger replied. Dont interrupt Yes, sir And say sir when you do, ordered Major Metcalf. Yes, sir. Werent you just ordered not to interrupt? Major Metcalf inquired coldly. But I didnt interrupt, sir, Clevenger protested. No, and you didnt say sir, either. Add that to the charges against him, Major Metcalf directed the corporal who could take shorthand, Failure to say sir to superior officers when not interrupting them. (Heller) This conversation shows just how crazy some of Hellers characters are. Through his dialogue, Heller shows the insanity of his characters and the absurdity of war. Conversations similar to this occur a dozens of times throughout Catch-22. Another example of Heller portraying insanity occurs when the IBM machine in control of the military ranking system gains a sense of humor. After only four days of enlistment, Private Major Major Major, one of Hellers more awkward characters, becomes Major Major Major Major (Heller). This mistake portrays another chaotic situation that war created. The bureaucratic system causes confusion and people lose control of their responsibilities. The actions of war depicted in Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-five, caused a large amount of death. The center of the book, the German city of Dresden, is approximated to have had at least thirty-five thousand and some sources say up to one hundred thousand casualties in the infamous firebombing of Dresden during the Second World War (Bombing of Dresden). A few characters from Slaughterhouse-five share the same insanity of those from Catch-22, such as Roland Weary, who is intent on glorifying himself and uses the fact that he saved Billy multiple times to do it (Vonnegut). Although the characters from Slaughterhouse-five dont carry on crazy dialogues, they still portray madness through their actions, like when Wild Bob inquires if Billy is part of the regiment that he is colonel of, even though all his men are dead (Vonnegut). Heller and Vonnegut use their characters in a way that proves that war does really take a toll of a persons mental situation. Through their motifs, Catch-22 and So it goes, Heller and Vonnegut show that bureaucratic systems and death do not mix well. Systems like this shouldnt have control over such a life altering things, especially since they carry the attitude So it goes throughout the war. It really is insane for a system to be in place in which someone has absolute control over anothers life. And the ability of these people to have a So it goes attitude is as pure madness. The structure in Slaughterhouse-five and Catch-22 are very similar in that the both follow a chronology that is nowhere near in order. This is significant because it puts the reader into the insanity of war. The have the same confusion that soldier does until they realize what is really going on. Through the use of characters, motifs, and confusing chronologies; these brilliant antiwar authors capture the insanity of war.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Why do you want to attend Pratt Essay Example for Free
Why do you want to attend Pratt Essay Having decided on a career early in life, I have always known that accomplishment of my professional goals would require the attendance of a quality art school that would offer me theoretical and practical foundation for a successful career. This is the reason why I chose Pratt and want to pursue a course at this school. In my conviction, the Pratt Institute in New York will offer me an excellent platform from which to move forward with my education and career goals. The rich history of the Pratt Institute that spans three very different centuries makes it interwoven with the history of art and design and helped the institute to build a strong academic program, which makes it attractive for people with a serious interest in design. I share the vision of the schoolââ¬â¢s founder, Charles Pratt, that a person who is true to oneââ¬â¢s trade will eventually see this commitment pay off. On my part, I hope to apply the greatest effort to master the secrets of fashion design at Pratt so as to become a successful designer afterward able to leave an individual imprint on the history of fashion. Looking through pictures of models created by Prattââ¬â¢s students on the instituteââ¬â¢s website, I was impressed with the quality of their work. This strengthened my desire to attend courses at the school that teaches its students to produce work remarkable for innovation and quality. Besides, the location in New York City, an important center of fashion, is, in my opinion, a great advantage for am art school, as it gives students an opportunity to mix academic courses with first-hand experience of vibrant professional activity. I have long set my mind on a career in design. Since my childhood, I wanted no other career, being attracted by the fantastic world of designer clothing and the process of modelling. Fashion has riveted my attention for years. I regularly read professional periodicals devoted to this topic, trying to keep up-to-date with the news of the world of design. With the appearance of the Internet, I began to regularly browse a series of websites on design, such as www.dexigner.com, www.metrofashion-magazine.com and others. This helps me to stay abreast of the latest trends and search out the most valuable innovations in this field. To practise in the chosen area, I often draw fashion illustrations in an effort to put on paper various dreams and ideas about clothing. I hope that obtaining an education in fashion will help me realize these dreams on a more professional level and translate my ideas into mature, well-thought out collections. At this point in my life, I already have my future in fashion design mapped out, hoping that things will go according to the plans and I will be able to make all my ambitions come true. The start will be a Bachelorââ¬â¢s degree that I hope to obtain from the Pratt Institute that will provide me with the fundamental knowledge of fashion design and open the way to a professional career in design. As a next step, I plan to attend graduate school in Paris or London so as to improve my knowledge of this area in one of the worldââ¬â¢s famous fashion capital. Combining this with the knowledge obtained in New York City, I hope to create my personal unique style that will be a combination of the best found in both Northern America and Europe. To crown my career, I want to create my own designer brand. This has to be a reflection of my personal style and world outlook, closely reflecting my own personality. At this point, I have a blueprint in mind as to what I want to do; however, it is still somewhat vague, and I hope, will become more definitive in the process of studying and working in this area. I feel the potential to become a great fashion designer, even if I am at the very start of my career. With an education from the Pratt Institute, I hope to realize my potential and to make my professional ambitions reality.
Self Education and Self Development
Self Education and Self Development INTRODUCTION This assignment will examine the definition of self analysis, self development, continuous self development, their importance and how it influences ones future career as a manager. Self analysis and continuous self development has been described in different contexts and topics by various authors and the best way to understand its complexity is by been aware of oneself. Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell (2007), describes self development as a personal development, with the person taking primary responsibility for their own learning and choosing the means to achieve this. In identifying developmental needs it is important for one to explore this six sources which are work itself, self reflection, feedback from others, individual psychometric and self diagnostic measures, organizational metric and lastly professional metrics (Megginson and Whitaker, 2003). Mumford (1993) believes that self development is an attempt to improve managerial effectiveness through a learning process. Burgoyne (1999) suggests that developmental aspect of ones career is about how you change, learn and develop the knowledge, abilities and value that you acquire through both formal and informal learning. Argyris (1985) maintains that the door to self development is locked from inside and no one can develop anyone but themselves. At the same time,, the importance of self development to managers will be identified. Firstly, self development helps manager to continue to grow up to the best that is within them (Warren, 2001). Secondly, self development helps managers to develop their skills, knowledge and insight by sharing experience with others (Mumford, 1993). By contrast, awareness is defined as a process that helps us to move from unconscious to conscious incompetence (Routledge and Carmicheal, 2007) which seems to play an important role in learning. Self analysis can be seen as a process that leads to self awareness. In managing an organisation, it is important for you to be able to manage yourself before you can manage others (Pedler and Boydell, 1999). It is believed that an individual that is self aware has a better understanding of his or herself. Goleman (1998) proposes that self analysis is a candid sense of our personal strength and limits, a clear vision of where we need to improve, and the ability to learn from experience. Furthermore, Telford (2006) claims that from the moment we are born and first reach out to other human beings; we begin the lifelong process of trying to make sense of ourselves, others and our relationships. Self awareness is a hallmark of effective managers (Caproni, 2005). He went further by saying successful managers know what they want, understand why they want it and have a plan of action for getting it. Additionally, Goleman (1998) states that self awareness is knowing ones internal state, preferences, resources and intuitions. However, the importance of self awareness to manager will be identified. Self awareness helps managers to regulate and control their emotions and have a better understanding of the emotions of others (Goleman, 1998). Peter (1987) suggests that self awareness helps manager to have an orientation toward change. It is important for managers to continuously develop their selves in order to have a competitive advantage over their competitors in the business world. A managers character is a reflection of his or herself which has a direct impact on the performance of an organisation. To achieve good organisational performance, a manager needs to be aware and learn about his or herself which is through self development (Burgoyne, 1999). The notion of continuous development is based on the Japanese concept of kaizen which means change for good or for better (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005).Continuous development is an approach to management and it is define as learning from real experiences at work (Wood, 1998). However, it is crucial to look at what management is in different contexts by different authors. According to Armstrong and Stephens (2005) management is concerned about deciding on what to do and then getting it done through people and use of effective resources Adair and Allen (2003) believes that management is about running the business in steady state condition, the day to day administration, organising structure, establishing systems, controlling especially by financial methods. In the same, Cole (2004) proposes that management is the ability of an organisation to effectively plan and bring the plan into limelight through the help of employees. Mintzberg (1989) in his own work went into details of the qualities a good manager must possess and this includes interpersonal communication, being well informed and being able to make decisions for an organisation. It is seems that people do not understand the difference between manager and a leader. Management involves coping with complexity, while leadership is about coping with changes (Kotter, 1990). Covey (1999) claims that management focus on doing things right while leadership focus on doing the right things CONCLUSION To be an effective manager in future, it is important to be knowledgeable and understand that business environment is constantly changing, you learn to change rather than become a victim of change (Pedlar, Burgoyne and Boydell, 1986). Clifford and Thorpe (2007) agrees that learning needs to be continuous because of the pace of change and an organisation that do not learn faster than the rate of change in the environment will eventually die. After reviewing books, articles and journals by different authors on self development, self awareness, it can be argued that self development, self awareness and continuous self development are essential to ones future career. Summary of critical incident (use detailed critical incidents from your module activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc) What happened, or what did I do? During the residential weekend, the critical incident was building of tower of Toki. My job was sorting of symbols on the cards and explaining the process to my team members. I also contributed in calculating the number of moves for the building of the tower of Toki by representing the moves with different denomination of coins and preparation of the proposal by extracting the cost per each blocks. Although we did not win the competition but I learned what is called team sprit from the way the team members believed and encouraged one another. How does this reflect the findings of your chosen self analysis toolkit? Behavioural traits of individual can fit into team roles (Belbin, 2004). Based on Belbin result my preferred roles in a team are that I am a completer finisher, resource investigator, team worker and implementer. Being a completer finisher means painstaking, conscientious, anxious, searches out errors and omissions and also to deliver on time. This attributes reflected in my person during the building of tower of Toki at the residential, where my team members ran out of ideas and decide to setback and abandon the task. I took up the challenge of making sure that the task was completed by spending more time in calculating the number of moves for building of the tower of Toki and also submitting our proposal at the right time. This brings me to the role of a resource investigator. A resource investigator is an extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores opportunities and develops contacts. This also reflected in my attitude at the residential during the sorting of cards for the tower of Toki, some of my team members had communication problems as we are all from a different cultural background I had to explain the card process as many times as possible to my team members before they could understand. I was able to communicate effectively and I also develop contacts with all my team members and my various facilitators. Being a team worker means co-operative, mild, perceptive, and diplomatic, listens, build, averts friction and these attributes also reflected in my person during the residential weekend when one of my team members was giving her ideas, I gave her my audience and I showed interest in the message she is trying to pass to the team even when everybody seems not to understand what she was saying because of the communication barrier I was tact and skilful dealing with all my team members. The feedback that I got at the residential during different task from my various team members and my facilitators supported my stated preferred Belbin roles, based on this feedback it appears that Belbin report is quite reliable. What are the implications for future career or personal development According to my Belbin result, I realized that I am more of people and action oriented person which was supported by feedback from my team members and facilitators at the residential weekend. As a future manager being action and people oriented person appears to be good qualities because managers are concerned with dealing with people and making decisions (Armstrong, 2008).The implication of these attributes is that I will be able to build relationships, develop networks, manage people and create contact with my workers. Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell (1986) suggested a number of qualities or attributes of a successful manager which are social skills and abilities, creativity, self knowledge, proactively and so on. However, I need to work on my creativity to be a successful manager to be able to make effective and efficient decisions which I also got feedback on during the residential weekend. Self Analysis Toolkit _____JOHARI WINDOW________ Summary of critical incident (use detailed critical incidents from your module activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc) What happened, or what did I do? During my high school days, I never use to talk or share my ideas because I was shy, not confident about myself, like keeping to myself and I am an introvert. I was always avoiding any form of publicity. How does this reflect the findings of your chosen self analysis toolkit? One of the toolkits used in discovering myself is the Johari window and it is made up of four different windows which include: open, blind, hidden and unknown. I got a constructive feedback from my classmate and friends from my country using the adjective list. Based on the feedbacks from my classmate, friends from my country and personal reflection, I have been able to discover some attributes which I possessed. These attributes are friendly, helpful, kind, organized, introverted and trustworthy which is also confirmed by my adjective list result except from been calm which falls in the hidden window which is not known to people. However, the feedback through adjective list was able to list some other attributes which are not known to me and these attributes are able, adaptable, brave, caring, confident, dependable, intelligent, knowledgeable, loving, matured, modest, quit, religious, sensible and shy. From my blind window I never thought about myself as been dependable, brave, adaptable and confident but Johari window has helped me discover new things. It seems that studying here in united kingdom helped me to realize that I am capable of doing some things which I never thought I could do such as presentations, addressing group of people and asking questions in the classroom. From this result, I want to refer back to the attribute of dependable, it seems that Belbin result also supported this attribute because as an implementer and a completer finisher that I am, people can rely on me that a job will be done and deliver on time. Belbin identify me as a resource investigator and one of the attribute of a resource investigator is been an extrovert, although I sometimes switch my mood and it might be very difficult to know which of the attribute I actually posses but it would appear that Johari window is right based on my personal reflection and feedback from people. All other attributes of been a resource investigator such as communicative, developing contacts appears that it is right because Johari window also supported it by saying that am friendly. (see Appendix 2) What are the implications for future career or personal development Atwater and Yammarino (1992) describes self awareness as the ability of a person to reflect on the feedback from others and imbibe it into ones evaluation. Based on my result, being shy and an introvert is what I need to work on, this I intend achieving by assessing myself and get to realize those things that I am capable of doing just as I have discover from doing presentations that I am confident. As a future manager, I need to be more open and transparent with my employees to be able to get new ideas, opinions and feedback. It seems that where there is transparency and with my qualities of been friendly, helpful it is likely to achieve high organizational performance from employees. Self Analysis Toolkit: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Summary of critical incident (use detailed critical incidents from your module activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc) What happened, or what did I do? In my country, after undergraduate courses there is one year compulsory placement imposed by government for one to have knowledge about business environment and of course working experience. Where I did my one year placement back in my country, we have this supervisor who was so temperamental and nasty. How does this reflect the findings of your chosen self analysis toolkit? Goleman (1995) define emotional intelligence as the capability for recognizing our feelings and that of others, for motivating ourselves, managing emotions well in ourselves as well as others. Referring back to the aforementioned critical incidence, Everybody sees my supervisor as a very difficult person to deal with because of her attitude, at the initial stage her attitude towards me affect me and I was always thinking I cant cope with her and I was looking for a way to resign. Later on, I got to understand her kind of person knowing fully well that I can not change her. I had to ignore her totally making sure that her attitude towards me didnt affect my performance at work and was determined to gain experience and learn new things from other members of the organization since she has proving difficult. Bennis (1989) believes that if a leader is self aware, they demonstrate determination, farsightedness and strong convictions in their belief. The result of my emotional intelligence discovery test reveal that I have high scores in self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill based on my self perception which means I am aware of my emotions and their effect, I know my strengths and limits and so on. (See Appendix 3). The result of the emotional intelligence discovery test supported the critical incidence by revealing my high scores in self regulation which means that am capable of controlling and regulating my emotions, keeping disruptive emotions, impulses in check and ability to stay calm, clear and focused when things do not go as planned. Based on the result of my emotional intelligence and the role I played in the critical incidence it appears that the emotional intelligence test is good and reliable. What are the implications for future career or personal development People are regarded as the most important resources available to managers, it is through this resource that all other resources will be managed (Armstrong, 2008). The implication of the discovery test for my future career is that I will be able to recognize peoples feelings and manage relationships with them and this might lead to the success in the organization. However, I had a low score in self esteem which means that I dont have a strong sense of my own self worth and capabilities. To be a successful manager, I need to have a strong sense of my own self worth and capabilities by having confidence and believing in my own ideas. TASK THREE STRENGTHS Based on the three toolkits, I have been able to analyze both my strengths and weaknesses. With respect to my strength, my analysis reveals that my main strength is that I am more of people and action oriented person and my strengths are helpful, organized and trustworthy Moss (1992) agrees that these are some of the qualities a manager must posses. I am also adaptable, brave, caring, dependable, modest, intelligent, matured and confident which I never thought of myself as been confident but with the help of presentations and seminars I have been able to build my confidence to a certain level. Practicing continuous reflective review to aid my learning and development process (Megginson and Whitaker, 2007). In my future career, I need to possess self knowledge this has been the basis of this paper and relevant professional knowledge (Boydell, Burgoyne and Pedler, 2001). All this identified strengths needs to be worked on and developed properly. WEAKNESSES My weaknesses based on my personal reflection and constructive feedback from friends and class mate it reveals that I am shy, introverted, quite, and I sometimes dont express my own opinion about something which means I might not be transparent or open. I am not too creative and sometimes lack confidence in my own ideas and opinion which I am trying to overcome with time. Goldsmith (2006) claims that confidence is very important for organizational and ones usage. He identified several ways of building self confidence. In order to improve on my weaknesses I have decided to believe in myself not to compare my strength or weaknesses with others, take responsibilities for my decisions and engage in activities with my classmate. I will also try to motivate myself and also be optimistic (positive about something). Self development and self analysis is a good way of understanding oneself and the knowledge of it will be useful to individual who is involved in the process (Boydell, 1981). IMPLICATION FOR MY FUTURE CAREER DEVELOPMENT After analyzing my strength and weaknesses there is need to overcome my weakness to become strength and the attributes I need to work on are introverted, shy, quietness, transparency, not confident in my own ideas, views and opinion although feedback from people appears that I am confident but personally I sometimes dont believe in myself. As a future manager, identifying my strength and weaknesses seems to give me an insight of what I need to improve on and the attributes I also need to develop to be an ideal manager. As mentioned earlier on I am more of action and people oriented person which will help me in managing employees in an organization but the need to also be a cerebral oriented person is also important as a manager because a manager needs to be creative. I also want to be a better communicator because good communication across all level improves performance and aid organisational development (Darling, 2007).
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