Staff Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Staff Management - Essay Example If we take these factors into consideration, we find that in hotels there is usually a respect for authority which makes the employees defer to their superiors and operate in the circle of ownership that they have over their jobs. Hence, what can be done within their purview, they do that well and leave the rest to the control system to tell them their specific duties. By empowering employees at all levels, Becker has introduced what can be called uncertainty in the decision-making the process as the case highlights how employees are unsure of what they are supposed to do and hence seeking direction on even the minute aspects. Though the intention here is not to belittle empowerment, there are places where employees need to be assigned specific jobs with clearly defined roles and responsibilities and this is one such instance (Joiner, 2001, 238). Individual behavior, in this case, is a classic example of how empowerment leads to the wrong results if not managed properly. The case ill ustrates the need for direct supervision along with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the staff that stems from a command and control system with each level doing what they are supposed to do under strict conditions of regulation. Though the intentions of Becker are noble, he just happened to have implemented them in the wrong manner leading to the outcomes described in the case. In conclusion, it can be said that Becker was in the wrong place at the wrong time and with the wrong set of people. Organizational Culture The culture of the organization before Becker took over is an example of top-down control with limited autonomy at each level and employees at all levels being clearly told what to do and how to do it. Once Becker took over and started the process of empowerment, there was a "culture" shock in the hotel which led to chaos and confusion and loss of productivity and direction. These are all symptoms of how an organization reared in the culture of authoritarian decision making and centralized authority reacts when there is a shakeup in the way the organization goes about its business. As mentioned in the previous section, the intentions of Becker are noble but they just happened to be applied to the wrong organization (Ashkanasy, 2003, 303). The point here is that hotels can be run in autonomous fashion provided they have a culture of openness right from the beginning. And if changes to the culture are supposed to be brought in, they must be done in a gradual and graduated manner instead of introducing them all at once. This saves the organization and the employees in it a lot of trouble as culture shocks can be managed and the transition to another organizational culture done in an orderly and smooth manner. Hence, when introducing changes to the organizational culture, care must be taken to follow the due diligence process and not jump into unchartered territory (Schein, 1990, 90). The hotel described in the case was being run in an efficient manner with the culture being one of command and control with elements of delegation and role definition is clearly laid down. So, when Becker took over and started his reorganization methods, it did not go down too well with the employees who were used to a different

Leadership - Steve Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership - Steve Jobs - Essay Example They also possess intelligence and charisma, which enables them to navigate the difficult operational environments (Kurian 2012 p. 2). The sole purpose of a leader is to provide leadership, direction and dependence. The leader should also have the capabilities to encourage and stimulate people. Different qualities distinguish leaders from other people. There is an early recognition of leaders and their importance in society. According to the trait theory, the early assumptions and recognitions of leadership were based on personal characteristics known as individual attributes. Alternative theories of leadership introduced different strategies for approaching leadership (Kurian 2012 p. 2). These had their basis on the notions of the driving force of leadership. These theories showed that an individual who excelled in one leadership position might not shine, in other leadership positions. These theories led to the realization that leadership cannot be characterized as enduring individu al traits. This means that people may posit, in certain situations (Kurian 2012 p. 3). However, the trait theory is a crucial leadership theory that helps, in the comprehension of people’s capabilities in different situations that require leadership. This is because individual traits such as adjustment, astuteness, extraversion, carefulness, self-efficacy and directness to different experiences support an individual, in different situations. Steve Jobs Leadership Approach Steve Jobs can be characterized as an unconventional leader. His leadership styles and approaches were successful, in his environment. Steve Jobs’ leadership and management styles and approaches were not based on textbook materials (Kurian 2012 p. 3). For instance, he was not keen on consensus building approaches or consultations. He exhibited the characteristics of a high maintenance co-worker who demanded excellence and consistency from his staff. He used criticism as a tool for leadership and insti lling discipline among his workers (Kurian 2012 p. 6). His abilities to articulate his vision and motivate his staff towards the achievement of his ideas endeared him to his staff and business society. He also combined this ability with his sheer genius to articulate his vision. These were crucial in pulling his customers to purchase his products. A turning point in his career was the lessons learnt, in his career setbacks. This created the elements of visionary leader that were a characteristic of his ideas and innovations. His relations to his firm, Apple, have often been described as visionary. Decision-making and strategizing were crucial approaches used by Steve Jobs in his marketing and management approaches (Kurian 8). The trait theory is a prominent theory with the case of Steve Jobs. For instance, Steve Jobs was a stickler to discipline and excellence. Other people such as his former CEO found it difficult to work with him, in the same environment. In 1985, John Sculley, hi s former CEO stripped Jobs off his responsibilities and powers at the firm (Kurian 9). He also had the characteristics of taking new challenges and transforming previously underperforming firms into multinationals. For instance, he bought Pixar and changed it to a global animation company. According to Walter Isaacson, the theory of transformational leadership applies to the case of Steve

The Cause Of Premature Puberty Children And Young People Essay

The Cause Of Premature Puberty Children And Young People Essay It is usually young girls who are the victims of sexualisation. The media teaches them inappropriate behaviours that are frequent in older women and represents them in a sexualized way. Many young girls look up to models and celebrities. Many teenage girls look up to and copy the hair, makeup and wardrobe of celebrities like Kim Kardashian; who is popular with men and became famous because of a sex tape. Young girls dont want to look like strong successful women who are less attractive. The media puts a strong emphasis on their idea of beauty for example you would see a slim sexy women on a mens magazine however you are less likely to see an overweight women. Many media and entertainment sources promote this ideal beauty image to young girls. For example TV shows and ads, music videos, toys, beauty pageants for under 10 year olds, clothes and magazines all promote sexualisation. Interpersonal relationships with friends, family and teachers can also contribute to sexualizing girls. Parents can encourage girls to have a good appearance and take pride in the way they look which will make them believe this is an important aim for them. Sarah Burge was in the newspapers for controversially giving her 8 year old daughter a cosmetic surgery voucher for liposuction for when she turns 18 she has also admitted to giving her teenage daughter Botox. Girls can also sexualise themselves. They want to buy product that are meant to make them look more sexy and attractive and copy the celebrities who they label sexy. Research in the APA report Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls suggests that teachers can also push sexualisation on girls by encouraging them to be sexualized women. More findings suggest teachers believe girls who are of Black origin are viewed as hypersexual and are not likely to accomplish success in school. Peer pressure also contributes to sexualisation. Over a quarter of teenagers are having sex before 16. Further research from child line suggests that 15% of callers talking about peer pressure connected it with sex. The pressure to have sex came from other girls (NSPCC 2011) The media effects a childs thinking with their focus on looks and appearance shaping how a child views the perfect body image. Teenagers today are getting sex education and socialization mainly from media sources and children are exposed to large amount of explicit sexual content which they cant process. Valuable time for them to develop with their age is taken away (Olfman 2009). In the early 19th century many children were orphaned and pushed into the adult world where they had to work however they managed it to the best of their ability because TV and media didnt have such a big impact as it has today. The media however thinks it is the responsibility of the parents to decide what they let their children watch and to shield them from what they view as inappropriate. Parents allow their children to watch films that are not age appropriate. When a child wants to look different parents automatically panic thinking it is not normal. A child supporting the Goth look can be seen as abno rmal and they are suspected of doing wrong as it is different to the common appearance accepted in society and media. Fredrickson Roberts in 1997 came up with the Objectification theory which suggests several women and girls are sexually objectified and seen and treated as an object only recognized for how other people can use them. According to Bartky it is when the body parts of a female are highlighted and detached from the female as a whole person so she is seen only as a sexual object for a man. This makes a women start evaluating herself and her appearance (APA 2007) Shugarts (2003) did a study on the media and TV coverage of the U.S. womens football team in 1999 to show how the team was sexualized and found 3 ways in which they were sexualized. The first was subtle sexualisation taking place through passive objectification. He found pictures concentrating more on the athletes face instead of her performance. Secondly was less subtle sexualization which took place due to the remarks made by the commentators, the presenters and media. When an athlete took her top off after to celebrate scoring the winning goal they made comments about her breasts. Many male athletes celebrate scoring a goal in football in the same way however their body parts arent commented on the way a womans are. Thirdly vigilant heterosexuality also was seen, again in the remarks made by the commentators when their families appeared in the foreground showing they were not lesbians and had husbands and children. They were stereotyped as lesbians just because they were playing a sport popular with men. This kind of sexualisation makes the athleticism of the female athletes insignificant because the strength of the athlete has been seen as sexual for men and taken as a way of pleasurable for them. Effects of Sexualization Young girls can suffer from poor body Image and low self esteem leading to eating disorders. America the beautiful is a film about perceptions of beauty and media. It shows issues teenagers and children have with their body image because of the media. Gerren Taylor who was a popular model discovered at 12 years old was later told she didnt fit the requirements of a model anymore because she was seen as not thin enough. The film showed a study of the effects TV had on the people of Fiji in the 1990s. The results found that girls in Fiji did not have eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia when there was no TV however 3 years after TV was introduced, around 11% of girls confessed to vomiting in order to lose weight. The film also showed magazine editors who said they dont want ugly people on their magazine covers because they wont sell. This film clearly shows how big of an impact TV and media have on children. Research suggests 4 out of 5 10 year old children are frightened of becom ing fat. A survey was conducted by people magazine and women roughly 80% said pictures of other women on TV and in films made them insecure about themselves (The Eating Disorder Foundation 2005) According to Durham (2009) young girls describe Barbie as having the perfect body. Barbies body interpreted to human size as being tall with a slim waist and big breasts and weighing 110 pounds which according to medical experts is far too skinny. Many women in the entertainment industry also have this Barbie style body. Men and boys also have a fake perception of beauty. The media shows images of men who are tall, handsome, have a full head of hair, strong and muscular. Boys think this is the way they should be. An article in the Independent showed that 12 year old boys are taking muscle building steroids to attract girls. Other effects of sexualisation include depression, poor concentration, risky sexual behaviour and unhappiness in relationships. According to the about kids health (2012) website; 6 hours of some source of media is viewed by a child each day. 12% of comments in prime time TV shows were sexual and had some kind of sexual objectification aimed at women. These TV programs were mostly watched by children and adolescents. Music videos and song lyrics can also be sexualised. 81% have sexual imagery in them which objectifies the women by showing them wearing revealing clothes, dancing provocatively, body parts are emphasized, posing to show sexual readiness. There whole purpose of being in the videos is because they are good to look at (APA 2002) Research shows that 45 prime time TV shows popular with teenagers in 1996 were analyzed and the results showed that the teenagers and young adults in the show spoke about sex and/or displayed some kind of sexual behaviour(Brown 2002). Most horror movies have something sexual in them. Boys arent seen as sexualized victims but girls are. There are scenes of girls undressing, w earing revealing clothing, having showers at the time of the assault. This makes boys watching sexually aroused when the violence takes place. This combination of pleasure and violence is worrying. In Disney films which are primarily aimed at children, current heroines like Pocahontas, Jasmine and Areal are sexier than some other Disney heroines like Cinderella and their bodies are similar to the half naked women you see in magazines. Around 72% of British people think sexualized ads and media is too common these days. 64% said there is a lot more pressure on children to engage in sexualized behaviour with 55% agreeing that they do behave in a sexualized way. 70% believe that there is a lot of inappropriate clothing for children around with 69% agreeing that children are wearing clothes that are not suitable for them in terms of their age. 70% believe parents are too laid back in regards to what they allow their children to watch and a small 16% believed sexualisation is not a bad thing (Yougov/Alice Moran 2012) Another survey conducted by the Australian childhood foundation 2005 discovered 85% of parents alleged that their children are growing up too quickly. The Australian Institute produced a discussion paper on the sexualisation of children in Australia and found there is a pressure for children and pre-teens from advertising companies and this limits a childs freedom to grow in their own time and ways. (Rush and Nauze 2006) They had found that the girls 20% of 5, 6 and 11 year old girls brought magazines such as Disney Girl, Total Girl and Barbie magazine. When analyzing these magazines it was found that they encourage them to look up to celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton; bearing in mind she was famous for a sex tape and they want girls to look up to her. They also found they teach them to dance in a provocative way, they again have hair, makeup and fashion tips for young girls and encourage them to picture young adult males as their dream boyfriends. All this targeted at girls aged 11 and under. Young girls are exposed to music videos from girl bands like the Pussycat dolls who have worn corsets, mini skirts, knee high boots and other sexualized clothing in their music videos. Many toys are also sexualized for example Bratz dolls have heavy makeup on and are dressed in sexy clothing similar to the Pussycat dolls. These dolls are supposed to be for girls aged 4-8. This could send the wrong message to young girls making them think this is the way they should look and dress this way. It could have a negative effect on boys as they may begin to think this is how every girl should look like. Psychologist Michael Carr-Gregs said kids are being taken out of childhood by unprincipled media and marketers who are only concerned about their own business and profit. I find a hip and sexy 10 year old quite disconcerting. 8 years old girls dont want to be their age anymore instead they want to be 13 (Brooks 2008, page 17) The media construct sex and sexuality in ways which disrupt the healthy sexual development of girls and children. While young they are shown too many pictures and messages about sex and sexuality which can be harmful for them. Young people are having sex too early as shown by the rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States. Nearly 750,000 women and girls ages 15-19 in the United States become pregnant every year. It is also found the STDs are also very common in youngsters ages 13-24. In the United States they were the 17% of people who had been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS (Kost and Henshaw 2012) There can be dangers to sexualisation for example the case of 6 year old child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsay who was killed in her home at just 6 years old. Each night she was shown dressed up like an adult on TV. Her publicity as a child beauty queen exposed her to dangerous individuals. Beauty pageants dress children up as adults training them to compete against each other. These pageants have a strong focus on physical appearance which could affect children when they grow older as they start craving to be physically perfect. The results of a 2005 study showed that children who competed in beauty pageants showed more body dissatisfaction than others. There are many inappropriate kids clothing around today. Finkelstein states that appearance has deceived others for years and clothes can be used to mislead others about age (Brooks 2008, page 80) Sexualisation triggers vulnerability to abuse. According to the NSPCC, an Italian study discovered a link with teenage girls watching porn and them suffering sexual violence. A survey was conducted in 2008 on boys ages 14 to 17 year olds. The results showed 27% were watched adult pornography each week among them 5% were viewing it each day. (NSPCC 2011) Boys get an unrealistic image of sex and relationships by watching pornography. Many girls in relationships suffer sexual or physical abuse and are experience some form of control by their partners. Some research suggests that sexualisation of young children through media does not make them more open to sexual abuse and sees this as one of her myths of child sexual abuse. Sanderson (2006) suggests sexual predators are attracted to childhood innocence instead of a child wearing provocative clothes and make up. As girls ages 7 or 8 are dressing more provocatively, paedophiles are preying on more younger and childlike children. Lolita is a story about a 12 year old girl who attracts her step father unwillingly. He becomes obsessed with her and in the book it is clear that she is a powerless victim of abuse from her stepfather. Durham (2009) found that the media constantly represent her as an immoral little girl or a metaphor for a child vixen. The media makes Lolita look like some kind of sex object for example an article read Bring back school uniforms for little Lolitas This article supported fashions for sexy school girls. A perfume inspired by Lolita also caused controversy. Marc Jacobs Oh Lola perfume was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority because the ad pictured a 17 year old actress with a large perfume bottle in between her legs. As she is underage this is seen as sexualising a child. It is important for parents to be aware and in control of the programs children watch and prevent them watching adult content. Parents should join their children in watching TV to be fully aware of what is being watched. An important point is to speak to children about any sexual behaviours seen and explain what is acceptable and when. This is also a good opportunity to talk about what their thoughts are and whether they are having any problems like peer pressure outside the home. Also to explain the body images they see and discuss what is and what isnt healthy. References Olfman, S.0, (2009) The Sexualization of Childhood. 1st ed. United States: Praeger Publishers Inc. NSPCC. (2011) NSPCC response to the Bailey Review on the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/policyandpublicaffairs/consultations/2011/bailey_review_wdf81521.pdf. [Accessed 01 November 12]. Brooks, K B, (2008) Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture and Our Children. 1st ed. Australia: University of Queensland Press. The Eating Disorder Foundation (2005) About Eating Disorders. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/EatingDisorders.htm#BodyImage. [Accessed 02 November 12]. Durham, M G, (2009) The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It. 1st ed. New York: Gerald Duckworth Co Ltd. AboutKidsHealth. (2012). Sexy babies: how sexualization hurts girls. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/News/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/Sexy-babies-how-sexualization-hurts-girls.aspx. [Accessed 07 November 12]. Brown, J D, (2002) Sexual Teens, Sexual Media: Investigating Medias Influence on Adolescent Sexuality. 1st ed. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Inc. YouGov/Alice Moran. (2012). Sexualisation in the media. [ONLINE] Available at: http://yougov.co.uk/news/2011/06/09/sexualisation-media/. [Accessed 07 November 12]. The Australia Institute/Rush E, Nauze A. (2006). Letting Children Be Children Stopping the sexualisation of children in Australia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tai.org.au/documents/dp_fulltext/DP93.pdf. [Accessed 09 November 12]. Kost and Henshaw (2012). U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, 2008: National Trends by Age, Race and Ethnicity. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends08.pdf. [Accessed 09 November 12]. Sanderson, C S, (2006). Counselling Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. 3rd ed. London: Jessica Kingsley Pictures Nick Allen, (2010), JonBenet Ramsey a child beauty queen was brutally murdered in her home in Boulder, Colorado [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8044818/JonBenet-Ramsey-murder-case-reopened.html [Accessed 10 November 12]. Olivia Bergin/Juergen Teller, (2011), Dakota Fannings Oh, Lola! advert for Marc Jacobs [ONLINE]. Available at: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG8876913/Dakota-Fannings-Oh-Lola-advert-for-Marc-Jacobs-is-banned.html [Accessed 10 November 12]. The Society Pages/Lisa Wade. (2011) ADULTIFICATION SEXUALIZATION OF GIRLS IN FRENCH VOGUE. [ONLINE] Available at: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/01/08/adultification-and-sexualization-of-girls-in-french-vogue/. [Accessed 07 November 12]. monicahicks, (2011), Starting too young? [ONLINE]. Available at: http://monicahicks.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/38/ [Accessed 11 November 12]. Rebecca M Gruber, (2011), 5 items that are too racy for baby [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.lilsugar.com/Inappropriate-Clothes-Kids-14431123 [Accessed 11 November 12]. Lucy Waterlow, (2012), Controversial: Sarah gave daughter Hannah Botox injections when she was just a teenager [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2139468/Sarah-Burge-Human-Barbie-set-launch-daughter-Poppy-US-pageant-scene.html [Accessed 11 November 12].

Ethics in Reality TV Shows Essay -- Entertainment Media Television Pap

Ethics in Reality TV Shows â€Å"A man is standing on a swing, holding both metal lines that support it. Tied in chains around his waist and on each leg, he holds the 3 keys that are strapped to his wrist. He is to free himself after being submerged to the water outdoor with biting cold temperature as fast as he can to win the $50,000 prize beating the other contestants.† This is one of the scenes I saw a couple of weeks ago in the Reality TV show, "Fear Factor". Technology has greatly progressed specially in the area of multimedia communications of which television is one of them. From the very first black and white television drama, â€Å"The Queen’s Messenger† up to current full-colored â€Å"reality TV† show â€Å"Joe Millionaire†, a lot has happened. Below is the table of the different eras of TV Programming and their corresponding brief descriptions: Eras of TV Programming TV programming changed constantly to adapt to changing times and viewer preferences. Based on the time-frame, TV programming was divided into seven eras that constituted: †¢ Vaudeo (1948-1957): Era of sitcoms (situational comedy); lots of visual comedy effects; studio-bound technical requirements. †¢ Adult Westerns Era (1957-1960): Era of telefilms; first TV violence took its major participation; research companies could measure the number of TV audience including their ages and income brackets. †¢ Idiot Sitcom Era (early-late 1960s): Era of magic and slapstick comedies;start of James Bond and other action-oriented shows; first soap opera appeared. †¢ Relevance Era (late 1960s-1975): The period of TV renaissance that gave rise to quality TV; black actors were reintroduced to primetime starring roles and portrayal of women changed from housewives ... ...inello, Richard; (Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Incorporated, Sudbury MA 01776; ISBN: 0-76371-2698) p17 4. Media-Mediated Relationships: Straight and Gay, Mainstream and Alternative Perspectives;  ©1996; Fuller, Linda K.; (The Haworth Press, Inc.; ISBN: 1-56024-8769) 5. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present; 6th edition,  ©1995; Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle;(Ballantine Books, New York; ISBN: 0-34539-7363). pp. xv-xxi 6. The Elements of Moral Philosophy; 3rd edition  ©1999; Rachels, James; (McGraw-Hill Companies; ISBN: 0-07052-5609). pp. 20-36, pp.175-193. 7. Voyeur Nation Media, Privacy and Peering in Modern Culture;  ©2000; Calvert, Clay; (Westview Press; ISBN: 0-8133-6627-5) 8. Why we watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment;  ©1998; Goldstein, Jeffrey H.; (Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0-19511-8219)

Thirteen Reasons Why: Personal Response

Reading this book was a moving and very emotional experience for me, being able to connect and heavily relate to the feelings and emotions of the two main characters helped me to understand every word I was reading. First of all, I really liked the Idea of book: a girl explaining why she committed seclude to the people responsible for it. I think the chain of tapes, forcing being sent from one person on the list to the next was a concept I found Intriguing and allowed me to stay Involved and crave more with each chapter.Just Like Clay, find myself wanting to now who was on the next tape and why-I loved Clay as a character and I really enjoyed the way he was written into the story. I felt like I was in his shoes a lot of the time, hearing the tapes through his ears and experiencing this journey alongside him. The suspense of each following tape was entertaining, I wanted to know which tape Clay would be featured and when his story was coming up, this gave me a sense of impatience.Each time a new character was introduced was a sigh of relief as it wasn't Clays turn to be humiliated, I found myself wanting what was best for him but also wanted to know how and why he was Involved In the death of Hannah Baker. There's something addictive about this book. I couldn't stop reading It because I desperately needed to know what was next. I felt kind of ashamed and sick to be this obsessed over a girls seclude story, even though the story Isn't true, thought of Hannah as someone I knew because throughout reading this book I had grown so attached to her and just wanted to gain closure over her death.Having spoken to other people who have read the book, I found our difference in opinions to be quite interesting. The majority of people who I spoke with thought that Henna's reasons to decide to end her life were petty and stupid. I think that to have that opinion about the book means you have strongly misinterpreted the point of the story. Having understood it extremely well a nd often related parts back to my own experiences, believe that Hannah had many reasons and although some very minor, we were not able to fully comprehend the Impacts and effects of these events much Like the 13 people on the tapes.I realized that the purpose of these tapes being sent eave consequences and can highly affect a persons life, much like they did Henna's. The tapes and their secrets were all connected and they were not sent out as blame or blackmail but as proof that you never know how much a person is hurting and one tiny movement has the ability to send them over the edge. I became extremely enraged in one particular part of the book. Tape number 13 features the school counselor and Henna's English teacher, Mr.. Porter.At a time in Henna's life where she felt alone,defeated and extremely depressed, she managed to build up the courage to approach a counselor about her suicidal feelings, she cited that she would attempt one more time, after being mistreated numerous time s already, to find some way to carry on. Mr.. Porter was her last chance and only hope of surviving and he failed to deliver appropriate advice or methods of dealing with these feelings therefore caused Hannah to make the final decision to take her life.This part really broke me and I was encountering so many different emotions from sadness, to anger, disappointment, I felt let down and unpeel like Hannah. I would describe Mr.. Porter as the cherry on top of the cake, a cake of really crappy experiences and retreat for Hannah. I found myself identifying him as my own past counselor's, not as useless but still very disagreeable and enunciating of my feelings.Similarly I was often told what I was feeling instead of being able to freely express my own thoughts, counselors often shove a symptom list idea of suicide down your throat and expect you to throw it back up in your own words. For teenagers it's a struggle dealing with suicidal feelings, there are few ways that you can reach out for help, and to find somewhere the strength in you to admit it is hard enough let alone admitting t to someone else, therefore when you try and get help and the results are useless, you end up feeling even more alone than before.This makes me wonder if Hannah was a real person would I be able to tell what she was going through? I wonder how many Hannah Bakers there are in this world, feeling exactly Just like her; like there's not a single soul here on earth who understands and cares for them; feeling alone, with no friends to share their secrets and problems with; thinking that there's nothing left to hold on to, so the only option left is to end their lives instead.She could have passed me by in the halls, or she could be there locking herself in the bathroom, muffling her cries, or she could be there in her bedroom right now, secretly wishing death would Just come and swallow her whole. I learnt from this story that you can never truly understand what goes on in a persons life and that even though they're smiling on the outside doesn't mean that the pain inside isn't unbearable The meaning behind the story is that one small action has the power to change a you're contribution has the ability to ruin someone life, possibly even end it.

Hrm Reflective Writing

Reflective writing and theories of Reflection There are several types of reflection. As mentioned by Taylor, All types of reflection are important and a combination of these may be used to make sense of practise and to bring changes. Technical Reflection is generally used to look at clinical practices and procedures along with the scientific knowledge. However, values play no part in this. Practical Reflection on the other hand judges human experiences and assumptions. It also develops common values in-line with organizational values.Emancipatory (Critical) Reflection involves critiques of the assumptions on which our social, political and cultural beliefs are based with the prospect of changing them. Reflective Practice is concept developed by Donald Schon. There are also several models of reflection used to draw lessons out of experiences. In 1978 Argyris and Schon established the idea of single loop and double loop learning. In the former concept the organization or the individual follows the current techniques or strategies even after corrections are made to the current errors.However, the late concept involves modification of techniques and strategies. Later in 1984 Schon coined the concepts of Reflection – in – Action (RIA) and Reflection – on – Action (ROA). RIA is a concept when the practitioner is faced with an issue he makes a decision based on his feeling and prior experiences. On the other hand, Reflection – on – Action is an idea where the practitioner analyzes the experience after it is over. Personally, I have experienced both the concepts during several situations in life knowingly or unknowingly.Specially, during our ALE1, we were given an opportunity to reflect on our performance after every task. This depicted our practical implementation of Reflection – on – Action. By implementing the learning from previous task in the later task we have also exercised the concept of Reflection  œ in – Action. To mention an example, in the first task we were given a sheet of instructions which were tricky. However, we went to perform the task without analysing the rules and we failed to finish the task within the given time.After the reflection session, when we went on to perform the second task, we made it a point to read and understand the rules carefully. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle is another great contribution to this concept. This learning cycle has four stages (Concrete Experience, Reflective, Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation Observation) and the reflection takes place after the situation has occurred. In the first stage the practitioner concentrates on something that they have done and later reflects and explores the new ideas to better perform the task.In the third stage he forms new ideas and experiments them in the fourth stage. This loop is continued from one task to another. is another process where the practitioner not only describes the situation but analyses it. Unlike the other models it also has an action plan stage where the reflector mentions the actions that he would like to change if the same situation occurs. Jhon’s model of Reflection on the other hand involves sharing the experiences with a colleague. It has two stages ‘Looking in’ on ones thoughts and emotions and ‘Looking Out’ at the situation experienced.Reflection on my Personal Development : Initially, when we were given learning logs for our ALE, I didn’t know the importance and advantages of it unless we started writing the reflective log after every task. After learning that this is one of the best and easy ways to change oneself, I have stated using the reflective writing tool every time I wanted to develop the way I work and think. During our ALE we have used several tools to better understand ourselves. During our feedback session, we were asked to use Johari Window to know our intern- personal relationships and communication.Though I was happy about the adjectives mentioned in the public session, the adjectives mentioned in the Blind Spots section were quite surprising to me. The blind spots for me were ‘complex’ and ‘proud’. When I tried to find the reasons from my colleagues for the same, I was told that though I am a friendly, work-oriented person, I sometimes get too much into detail in a group task or assignment and it’s difficult for them to understand me. This may be because though I am clear about the topic, I sometimes find it difficult to explain which confuses the other people.Also, the feedback I generally receive from most of the people after few days of being with me is that â€Å"I thought that you are a very proud person when I initially met youâ€Å". The reason for this is, when I meet new people or enter a new environment, I take some time to get acquainted and unless I know them, I don’t initiate a con versation with people. Though this perception of them changes at a later stage, it gives a negative vibe to people in the initial stage. Also, according to Belbin Self-Perception Inventory, the team roles I have similarity towards are ‘completer’ and specialist’. These two roles reflect my working style rightly. I always try to learn more and specialize in the subject area of my interest. Also, because I am good at analysing and pay a good attention to details, I am always given the responsibility of doing the last minute polishing and editing in our group assignments. However, there are also negative sides to these team roles which I am aware of and are part of my development plan. As a ‘specialist’ though I learn in-depth about the subject of my interest, I neglect other subjects which I am not interested in.Also, the blind spot ‘complex’ that I have mentioned earlier can be related to the weakness of the completer. As a completer thou ght I try to get the every detail of the report correct, I sometimes take the perfectionism to the extremes. According to Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles, I am a Reflector. As a reflector I like to learn from activities that let me think, watch and review. However, I find is difficult to concentrate on a lecture unless I find it interesting. This can be linked to my weakness as a Specialist.According to the MBTI my personality type is ISFP (Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving). This shows that I am a people’s person who is friendly and dislike conflicts. But, I like to have my own space. The MBTI and IDAP grid show me on the People Caring part of the grid. This is little contradicting. Though I am comfortable working in a team, I prefer to work on my own. I find it difficult to convey a message as I feel that contradicting with others views may create problems personally.As part of the self-development, I would like to develop a skill to converse a messa ge in a soft way and would like to learn to maintain a professional relationship with other people in team as most of the work in organization is team based. Also, would like to develop my networking skills. Reflection on my managerial skills: According to Reynolds Reflection â€Å"is a management tool for problem solving†. Also, the following quote depicts the importance of management in an organization. â€Å"Make your top managers rich and they will make you rich†.Robert H. Johnson A question that many people ask is why we should we study management theories? Personal traits, values, beliefs and attitudes are the core personal competencies which may enhance or weaken one’s ability to manage others. Also, it is the behaviour and talent of the individual that has major influence on the performance of the company. Hence, an understanding of managerial theories is very helpful for someone who aspires to be a manager as most rational decisions are based on theorie s.An extensive study of the theories available is also very helpful for a manager in order to better manage their team as theories provide info about how to behave and help change the behaviour. Theories also provide a common framework and idea about practices. Over a period of time the purpose of work and the way the work is conducted is changing in the organization. The management styles have to be changed accordingly. Minor says that â€Å"the more that is known about organization and their methods of operation, the better the chances of dealing effectively with them.Understanding may be more advanced than prediction, but both provide the opportunity to influence or to manage the future. Theory provides a sound basis for action†. Hence, an understanding of management theories and knowledge about organization are important for a manager to better perform their tasks. Mullin in his book, Management and Organisational Behaviour has followed a frame work of four main approache s to explain the Management Theory. The Classical Approach which emphasises on the purpose and formal hierarchy of management.The classical writers concentrated on improving the operational efficient in an organization. Brench, a classical writer also provided a concept of practical approach to organization structure based on tried general principles as opposed to the concentration on specific cases. Evaluation: The classical writers are criticised for not taking the personality factors into consideration and for creating an organisation structure in which people exercise a limited control. Also, providing a set of principles to perform management duties has been subjected to criticism. Two Major sub-groups of classical approach are :Scientific Management: This concept was developed by Taylor who was a believer in the Rational-economic needs concept of motivation. The emphasis of this was on obtaining increased productivity from individual workers through the technical structuring o f the work and providing monetary incentives as a motivator for higher levels of output. Though this concept has given a way to management thinking and the development of organizational behaviour, it was widely criticised by workers. Bureaucracy: This concept was defined by Weber. He didn’t define the concept of Bureaucracy.However, he attempted to identify the characteristics of this type of organizations. He emphasised on the importance of administration based on expertise and discipline. In this concept, the tasks of the organization are allocated as official duties among the various positions. There is an implied clear cut division of labour and a high level of specialization. Evaluation: Over-emphasis on rules and procedures becomes more important in its own right than as a means to the end. Argyris says that bureaucracies restrict the psychological growth of the individual and cause feeling of failure.The growth of bureaucracy has evolved through the increasing size and complexity of organisations and associated demand for effective administration. This theory is founded on a formal, clearly defined and hierarchical structure. However, with rapid changes in the external environment, empowerment and greater attention to meeting the needs of customers, there is an increasing need to organise for flexibility. The Human Relations Approach: While the main emphasis of classic writers was on structure and formal organisation, the emphasis was shifted to social factors at work and the behaviour of employees at work i. . human relations during the 1920s. The turning point in the development of the human relations movement came with the famous Hawthorne experiment at the Western Electric Company in America. During the experiment a better work environment and a concern for workers’ complaints has increased the productivity. Be Evaluation: This theory was also subjected to severe criticism. One of the criticisms is the lack of scientific approach. The Hawthorne experiment was criticised on methodology and on failure of the investigators to take sufficient account of environmental factors.After all the criticisms, the experiment did generate new ideas concerning the importance of work groups and leadership, communications, output restrictions, motivation and job design. Systems Approach: With this theory attention has been focused on the organization as systems with a number of interrelated sub-systems. This approach tries to bring together both classical and human approaches. Attention is focused on the total work organization; inter relationships of structure and range of variables within the organization.This encourages the managers to view the organization as separate parts and as a whole company as part of the large environment. The Contingency Approach: In contrast to both classical and human relations approach, this approach showed renewed concern with the importance of structure as a significant influence on organizational performance. The Contingency Approach that can be seen as the extension of system approach highlights possible means of differentiating among alternative forms of organizational structures and systems of management.This approach implies that organisation theory should not seek to suggest one best way to structure or manage organisations but should provide insights into the situational and contextual factors which influence the management decisions. DUCAMUS Leadership Development – was set up by Chris Rigby in June 2007 to plug gaps identified in many leadership development programmes during his research. As part of this Leadership Intervention, they use Downstream 9+1 model to support the critical reflection skills. John adair's action-centred leadership modelGenerally represented by three overlapping cycles, Adair’s three circle model is about balancing and managing Team, Task and Individual. Three core responsibilities in this model are: Achieving the task, Managing the team and Managing individuals. It helps to improve the quality of work, morale and productivity. Theory U is another change management method targeting leadership as process of inner knowing and social innovation developed by Otto Scharmer and originally based on a process known as the U-Process. It offers both theoretical perspective and Practical technology.As a theoretical view, it suggests that the way in which we attend to a situation determines how a situation unfolds. Practically, it provides a set of principles and practices for collectively creating the future that wants to emerge. It involves sensing and presence. There are seven stages in this theory and they are Suspending, Redirecting, Letting Go, Letting Come, Crystallizing, Prototyping and Institutionalizing. Moving down the left-hand side of the U is about opening up and dealing with the resistance f thought, emotion, and will; moving up the right-hand side is about intentionally reintegrating the intelligence o f the head, the heart, and the hand in the context of practical applications. An understanding of these theories not only helped me learn how the management theory is formed and changed over a period of time, it also helped me understand the effects of these changes on organizational working styles. Also, an understanding what happened in the past prepares me for changes that may occur in the future. It also gave me an idea about the skills that I need to develop to better manage others.I lack skills like creativity and inter-personal effectiveness which are very important to manage others. Career Development Model Career management involves the matching of individual career plans with organization needs and the implementation of activities to accomplish these joint objectives. Individual Career Development is another constructive model that helps in planning the career through self-analysis. It has several stages such as Life Planning, Career Interests, Goal Planning and Developmen t of abilities and skills.Though I always knew which field I want to get into and what I want to do in future, I never had a logical reason for my selection. This tool has helped me to analyze my interests, strengths and weaknesses and chose a career plan for myself. This development plan consists of several questionnaires about my Career Planning Values, My interests, skills, knowledge and a Priority Grid to prioritize my choices. After analyzing my inputs, I have decided a career of my interest. I always aspired to be a HR practitioner.After analysing my skills, I realized that I like Strategic Orientation and Team Orientation skills that are required to be a HR Practitioner. I will mention a development plan at a later stage along with the action plan that I am going to follow these skills. In a team environment, I can also use this model to know more about my team members career choices. Conclusion: I would like to conclude it by saying that this whole experience of reflective w riting was very pleasant and helpful in knowing me with a logical reasoning and my skills.It provided me with a tool that I can use life-long to develop myself. Few of my key learning’s from this exercise are : * A better understanding of myself * Understanding of several tools to know myself and people around me * A simple but effective Career Planning Model that I can use to know me and people around me Development Plan Skill| Action Plan| Effective communication| I have already started a lot articles about effective communication skills and started self practicing when I am along. However, in future I’l try to speak in public whenever I get a chance. Adaptability| I will try to be little open and go introduce myself to other people without thinking about what they might think as that is the thought that stops me from talking with strangers. | Inter-personal effectiveness| I have already improved a lot on this skill. However, I am not perfect yet. In future I am plan ning to take advice from tutors on how to develop this skill as it is very important for me in my desired profession. | Team Orientation| Though I prefer to work alone, these days I have started participating actively in the team activities and have already received positive feedback about the same from my friends.However, I am still putting in efforts to better perform. | Strategic Orientation| I am using the technique of writing an idea on a sheet of paper and think of several strategies to about it to develop my strategic skills. However, I am not being quite successful on this task. However, my efforts are still on to develop this skill| Creativity| This is one skill I lack completely. I can think logically and make appropriate decisions. However, lack of creativity is still my negative and I am quite not sure about developing this skill. | References : * Management and Organisational Behaviour by Laurie J Mullins, 8th Edition. Argyris, C. and Schon, D. (1974) Theory in practice : Increasing professional effectiveness, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. * Argyris, C. , ; Schon, D. (1978) Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective, Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley. * Kolb D. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www. goodreads. com/quotes/tag/management-theory * F. W. Taylor (1856-1917) * Wester Electric Company (1924-32) * Elton Mayo (1880-1949) * Otto Scharmer * Chris Rigby

Biological Beginnings and Infancy Essays

Biological Beginnings and Infancy Essays Biological Beginnings and Infancy Paper Biological Beginnings and Infancy Paper A lot have been said about how hereditary and environmental factors influence the individuality of each person. There are also plenty who argue on the importance of heredity over environment, and vice versa, in terms of the degree of influence they have on an individual’s physical, cognitive, and psychological aspects, to name a few. However, much emphasis is given on the importance of the interaction of heredity and environment in the production of individual differences. Although many human characteristics are obviously influenced by heredity, these predispositions may lead to a number of developmental outcomes depending on the environment in which the person grows up in. Rather than thinking about it as nature versus nurture, more emphasis must be given on the ways in which these influences combine or interact to promote developmental change and eventually the individual differences that distinguish one person from another. The development of an individual can be better understood when one considers the several determinants of development. Heredity-wise, there are biological factors believed to be the inherited general biological code passed on to infants from their parents. There are general inheritances or those which make up any species; there are also specific attributes that are transmitted from one family from one’s family or ancestors to the next which distinguishes them from others. Aside from biological determinants, there are also environmental determinants that play a powerful role in individual development. There are physical determinants that include essential yet mundane features; there are also social determinants that include all the effects that people have on others. Prior to infancy, heredity already plays an important role in the individual’s development. This is evident as early as pregnancy when chromosomes and genes, also the hereditary basis of life, combine during conception which then determine the traits that make each individual unique. Other factors that affect the mother during pregnancy such as genetic, environmental, and interaction factors, and maternal-fetal blood incompatibility also affect human development later on. Infant’s physical development is first noted by the infant’s weight and height, the latter being already one-third of the individual’s final adult height. Different body parts and bones also grow at different rates; the gradual progress is also evident in the growth and development of the infant’s muscles and bones. Although generally, an infant’s physical development is regarded as highly biological in nature, one cannot attest that the environmental influences such as a clean and health environment, nutritious and sufficient milk supplements, and a warm and caring environment also affect the child’s physical growth. Parents and families who can provide proper nutrition and a safe dwelling are believed to play a role in the physical progress of infants. One’s hereditary make-up can be enhanced by the proper environmental atmosphere for optimal physical growth. An individual’s cognitive development is marked by changes that occur in the person’s mental skills and abilities between birth and early adulthood, which is believed to be the period when cognitive growth is completed. Piaget, a popular psychologist , espouses that intelligence is a biologically oriented perspective; this means that imbalances between one’s mental abilities and the environment stimulate cognitive activity and intellectual growth. During early infancy, cognitive development is marked by certain reflexive reactions which are primarily reactions in terms of the infant’s reflexes. These reactions then progress into active searching, not present during birth, to allow groping and discovery. Between 1 to 4 months, infants learn to alter reflexive behavior and active searching into more coordinated hand-mouth, eye, and eye-ear movements. From the 4th to the 8th month, the most significant and observable cognitive response manifested by infants is their ability to repeat events that they deem interesting. As the infant approaches his/her 1st birthday, more significant cognitive milestones become more apparent such as the ability to adapt to new situations and eventually solve small problems on his/her own. Developmental experts agree that an individual’s social and emotional developments begin early in life. It is believed that the kinds of emotional relationships that infants develop with their close companions affect the ways they relate to other people and also the way they handle these relationships later in life. It is believed that the major social and emotional milestone of infancy is the development of ties between infants and their closest companions. Further, it is believed that infants pass through several stages as they develop close ties with their caregivers. Very young infants are largely asocial, but as they move towards their 6th month, they begin to   prefer human company no matter who these people may be. Later on, infants develop specific attachments, evidenced by protests when separated from particular individuals. These initial specific attachments then give rise to multiple attachments; and each attachment may serve slightly different functions from the other.