The Influence of Organizational Culture on Business Strategy Essay

The Influence of Organizational Culture on Business Strategy - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the smooth running of an organization is based on its values, the more the values upheld by the employees the more likely successful the will be. A clear, well-designed, and strong organizational culture can reveal to be particularly useful to enable organizations to better integrate individuals into businesses. In addition to that, Deal and Kennedy defining organizational culture as â€Å"the way we do things around here, but even more direct emphasis on the behavioral side of culture. For instance, Kenyans are known to lend out a helping hand no matter the situation thus an enterprise, for example, the medical sector will be needed to be strict in order to achieve said services and minimize the effect of this value to exploit it in its bright side only. Moreover, looking at the system in which organizational culture develops is agreed with Boddy that when people start to work and interact they consequently find common ground, things that work for all of them in the name values. These shared values represent a fabric that the individual with more values in common lead to a more competitive business. In the Kenyan scene, individuals who went to the same school, or have more in common than just being workmates have proven to be a force to reckon with since they provide the concrete result. The underlying factor here being the fact that they concentrate solely on the task rather than feuds at the workplace. Equity Bank in Kenya is a case study, all its success is attributed to the strong and supportive staff that are trained to work for them at a mostly high school level. It is important to note that organizational culture is about unwritten norms, which are actually intended to mold the behavior of all the individuals of a group both when interacting the one with the other and when interacting with people who are part of the external environment. It is a common practice that a relationship between workmates is not encouraged in any b usiness environment but it will not be said or put in a memo.

Political science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political science - Research Paper Example an Glover persuasively argues that the propensity of people in the West to attempt to explain the genocide in Rwanda by harking back to tribal divisions and historic tribal animosities is an oversimplification which does not do justice to the conflict. Accordingly, by focusing on the inevitability of such tribal animosity Western scholars have ignored important preconditions to the outbreak of genocide in Rwanda in 1994. As the poorest country in data set #9, the world-wide movement to atone for the historical injustices faced by the Tutsi people is alive and well in post-genocide Rwanda (CIA, 2009). Genocide in Rwanda did not â€Å"just happen†. The Belgian colonial experience shaped the artificial â€Å"ethnic† divisions in Rwanda which shaped politics for years to come, culminating in the genocide of 1994. Accordingly, the conflict in Rwanda was more than a civil war or short-term conflict. While estimates vary, up to one million people – largely Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in an incredibly short period of time. The Rwandan genocide was not a standard civil war and was an orchestrated full-scale genocide perpetuated against the Tutsi minority but extremists within the Hutu camp. A hate campaign against Tutsis and moderate Hutus was conducted through a variety of means by gà ©nocidaires intent on eradicating the Tutsi presence in Rwanda. Fearing a Tutsi-led invasion in the aftermath of Habyrimana’s death, the genocide planned by â€Å"people wanting to keep power† (Glover, 121) and a variety of means were used to coerce the Rwandan population to engage in the genocide. Instead of a mere tribal hostility, Glover argues for individual agency in attempting to account for the emergence of the genocide and argues that key players within the Hutu extremist establishment were responsible for the events that transpired after Habyrimana’s plane crashed. Instrumentalism is a theoretical paradigm which argues that things â€Å"don’t just happen†, events

Cohabitation in the UK Essay Example for Free

Cohabitation in the UK Essay There is some evidence that cohabiting relationships are less stable than marriages. A 1994 Economic and Social Research Council Report found that couples living together were four times more likely to separate than married couples. However, this study did not distinguish between couples with children and couples without, so a wide range of circumstances cold be aggregated together in the results. For example, young cohabiting couples such as students may well not be committed to a longer-term relationship. Also, the stronger position of women in cohabiting relationships could mean they are less willing to tolerate a male partner who is not participating in the relationship on an equal basis. Activity 1 Does marriage bind people together in stronger ways than cohabitation? Prepare your arguments for and against this view ready for a debate. Living alone. If increasing numbers are choosing to cohabit because of increased instability in marriage, another option that is increasing is for people to live alone. In 1996, just over 25 per cent of households were occupied by one person and this proportion is forecast to continue rising. As would be expected, a significant proportion are elderly widowed, usually women, and divorced or separated men and women. However, a rapidly growing proportion are single people of either sex who are opting live alone. It would seem that increasing numbers of young professionals are opting for independent living. They may have relationships, but they desire to live alone rather than cohabit or marry. Their work can involve long hours and commitment which means that childrearing becomes impossible and in any case they questions the necessity of having children in an insecure and uncertain world. Activity 2 a) Why do people have children? b) What factors may lead to increased questioning of the need to have children in the future? In an essay in The Obersver, 11 February 1996, Anthony Giddens suggests that living alone as an option will increase. Rather than seeing single people in a negative light, almost as lonely outcasts subject to pity, he suggests that living alone will become a valued option, offering benefits of choice and independence that are not available in more conventional family settings. He suggests that a person on their own may, in fact, have more contact with a wider network of relations and kin than the conventional married couples, whose coupledom could be a more isolated experience. Discuss what are your views on a future where more people may opt to live alone?

Types of Communication

Types of Communication Introduction The topic researched is the different types of communication and their importance in the teaching environment. There are four main types of communication: verbal, non-verbal, written and visual. Each of these have there own way of passing on information from one person to another. They each have there own advantages and disadvantages. The report looks at each one in turn and looks at ways poor communication can cause barrier to learning. Verbal communication is a way of expressing yourself wth words and getting the correct message across. It can be spoken words either face-to-face or chatting on the telephone. It is important to set the right tone and pace and use simple words and less Jargon. The choice of words would also need to be considered as there may be learners for whom English would be their second language. In another word use KISS (Keep it Short and Simple). When communicating verbally it is important to use simple language and not to use Jargon. It would be best practise to back up the lessons with Visual aids and handouts for referencing. Introduce point in a logical order to avoid ambiguity and summerise key point regulary. Always give construcive feedback and allow the learners to ask question to confirm their understanding. When using verbal Communication remember to use KISS. Advantages Able to clarify and ask questions straight away Able to be flexible and adaptable according to the audience Able to check if the messages had been understood Build a rapport with learners, use humour. Disadvantages Tone and body language can give the wrong message The instruction can result in misunderstanding and incorrect responses if badly presented. Leaners may have different connotations for different words If no notes are taken then may be difficult to remember Non-Verbal Communication is the use of body language, facial expression, and hand movement to convey the message across. As a teacher, you should be aware of your body language, of your dress, the language used, as each of these are observed by your learners. The other areas that a teacher would need to be aware like making eye contact and addressing each of the learners. Also need to watch their facial expression to see how they are react. The teacher should be aware of his/her posture, gestures and body contact. The teacher would need to be positioned so they are visible to all learners, If the teacher is stood behind a desk, it can cause a divide. By paying attention to these attributes enables the teacher to send clear positive vibes to the learners and for the learners to feel safe and comfortable. Below is a diagram with some nonverbal ways to communicate. Advantages: able to communicate something that you dont want other to hear The conversation can be short and brief Able you to communicate in places where you are supposed to be silence. Disadvantages You cannot have long conversation. Difficult to understand and requires many repetitions. Written communication can be in forms of emails, handouts, presentations slides, manuals, and overhead projectors etc. It is another way of communicating to your learners using visual aids. When creating written documentation, it is best practise to keep the written documentation brief and precise. Making sure that no jargon, slang or abbreviation is being used. The wriiten documkentation must be spellchecked and proofread to see if anything can be misinterrpreted. A lot of colleges and unversities use a central database or Intranets to put their handouts and notes. Regardless of how the information is displayed it still need to be well written and the audience needs to considered. Advantages. Good for instructions and vital information There is a lesser chance for the message to be misunderstood. It is a good reference if you need to come back to it. Disadvantages Not very personal. Learners tend to forget to read them. There is no one to ask immediate. Difficult to engage a tone so can be misinterpreted eg emails. Barriers to Learning, due to poor communication. To avoid barriers to learning when using verbal and non-verbal communication the teachers would need to consider many factors. They would need to have knowledge and understanding of diversity and cultural differences. In some cultures, making direct eye contact can be seen as rude or offensive. They would need to take into consideration the audience i.e. age, disability, religion, learning difficulties. Their own body language would need to open and inviting. Using a simple language vocabulary would suit all levels of literacy learners. Establishing their level of the minimum core would enable the teacher to pitch at the right level for example not asking the class to do research on the computer if they have never used one. Most of the barriers can be overcome by the teacher, if they are receptive to the learners needs. Conclusion Professor Albert Mehrabian has pioneered the understanding of communications since the 1960s. His research provided the basis for the effectiveness of spoken communications. Here is a more precise (and necessarily detailed) representation of Mehrabians findings than is typically cited or applied: 7% of message pertaining to feelings and attitudes is in the words that are spoken. 38% of message pertaining to feelings and attitudes is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said). 55% of message pertaining to feelings and attitudes is in facial expression. (Mehrabian) As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words. If we are constantly aware of the signals, we send out and if it is done in a positive, approachable, and fair way then there is no reason why a teacher and learner cannot communicate in a successful way References Petty.G (Forth edition) Teaching Today: Communication blocks, p40 to p41 Gravells, A, Simpson, S, (2008) Planning and Enabling Learning: Communication p71-p87 Website addresses: http://www.cehjournal.org/download/ceh_13_35_044.pdf http://communicatebetter.blogspot.com/2009/03/causes-of-miscommunication-in-daily.html http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articlerender.cgi?artid=952211 http://www.uk-student.net/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=120 http://www.businessballs.com/mehrabiancommunications.htm http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#communication

Marcus Brutus as a Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essay

Marcus Brutus as a Tragic Hero in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar In the play Julius Caesar, the tragedy of the play was directed mainly at one specific character, Marcus Brutus. Brutus was the tragic hero of the play, because of his idealistic and pragmatic qualities. The mindset that Brutus possessed only allowed him to see the world and its people from one point of view. This point of view allowed him to make judgments that assumed only the best of people. This tragic weakness resulted in many errors throughout the play. The major incidences such as decisions made during the orchard soliloquy, the discussion with Cassius and the conspirators regarding decisions about Antony and the oath, his speech to the commoners after Caesar's assassination and finally the outward circumstance regarding Titinius and Cassius in act 5. Brutus was too idealistic and lived in fantasy world in which he made all his decisions simply by expecting that all were as honourable as himself. Brutus' idealism was displayed when he was reviewing his decision to kill Caesar while in his orchard. While evaluating his feelings towards Caesar, he stated, " I know little personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general". Brutus felt that Caesar had not done anything incorrect, but was afraid of what might occur. He compared Caesar to a snake, which has the ability to sting. Just as one might step on the snake and be stung, Caesar might defeat anyone who interfered with his course of action. Brutus thinks about what Caesar could become and do, if he was given the power of the crown. A very descriptive metaphor was used to illustrate Brutus' reasoning for killing: That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face... ...t. Shortly after, Brutus too realizes that he fighting a battle that can not be won. His honour forces himself to run upon his sword, rather than to be captured by Octavius. Brutus made errors because he was an idealist, who thought that all men, including Antony were honourable. Brutus was a tragic hero in this play, because he was too idealistic. He often fell into negative circumstances that were beyond his control. His decision making was often affected by this, because he made all his decisions by expecting that all were as honourable as himself. The tragedy can be well outlined by reviewing his orchard soliloquy, discussions made with the conspirators, the speech to the commoners and the outward circumstance in the conclusion of the play. Brutus died because of his idealism, and did so because others were not as honourable and trustworthy as he was.",,,,

The Dispensable Nigger in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The Dispensable African in Heart of Darkness    Three Works Cited  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story is about a man named Marlow, who is hired by The Company, which is a shipping company located in England.   Although Marlow had sailed before, he had never sailed to Africa.   The people who operated The Company (those located in England) are so far removed from reality, that they have no concept of the devastation caused in order to ship vast loads of ivory.   The Company is a perfect example of how these profit driven industries obtain their wealth – through the blatant disregard of the environment and their fellow man. One can only imagine the death and destruction that was inflicted in order to ship mass quantities of ivory.   The Company’s disrespect for the Africans and their environment was the typical attitude had by many nineteenth century profiteers.   Their rationale was that no matter what degree of damage was inflicted, they felt it would never affect them. Their disdainful attittude towards the Africans is expressed in the following words: The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.  Ã‚   (Conrad 9) In order to be able to conquer a people, one must dehumanize them and believe they are insignificant/inferior.   This mode of thinking is used to justify any atrocities committed by the conquerors. In â€Å"Root of Racism,† the superior attitude is described as All groups, by their nature, imply to the members that they are somehow special in particular ways and in many ways better, than their fellow travelers on this earth.  Ã‚   (Ross) This superior attitude has been evidently pervasive throughout mankind’s history; some strong examples of these are the war in Bosnia, the slaughter of the Tutus in Rwanda and the white settlers near annihilation of the Native Americans. Conrad’s character Marlow describes the natives as having â€Å"a wild vitality† and their â€Å"faces like grotesque masks.†Ã‚   These remarks demonstrate his fear and reinforces the distinction between himself and the natives. Racial or ethnic hatred is a direct consequence of our Fear Response.   Hatred is really taking the fear response one step further.   We justify that fear by invoking certain attributes to others by assuming that they may be inferior, evil or harmful.

Investigating the Possibility of a Developmental Trend in the Way That Children Describe Themselves Essay

This version of Rosenberg’s research into children’s self-descriptions analysed data from semi-structured interviews with two children; Annie (8) and Kirsty (16). The data was interpreted to ascertain whether, as in Rosenberg’s research, children’s self-descriptions show evidence of a developmental progression and whether locus of self-knowledge shifts from other to self as children get older. Substantial support was found for Rosenberg’s theory that children’s self-descriptions become more complex with age and demonstrate a developmental trend. Some support was found for the idea that the locus of self-knowledge shifts from other to self with age but some of the children’s responses ran counter to expectation. Introduction A child’s sense of identity begins to form at a young age and develops throughout childhood. Eleanor Macoby (1980) pointed out that a sense of self emerges gradually as a child develops more complex understandings. Research shows that children differ in the way that they describe themselves at different ages. Bannister and Agnew (1977) and Harter (1983) found that as children get older they use more complex descriptions and include more references to emotions and attitudes. Younger children rely more on physical attributes, activities and preferences. Bannister and Agnew (1977) proposed that as children get older they become better able to ‘distinguish themselves psychologically’ from others (The Open University, 2009, p.20). Harter (1983) proposed that the way children describe themselves follows a developmental sequence which reflects the notion that identity develops in increments throughout childhood. Rosenberg (1979) focused part of his research into the self-concept on investigating this idea of a developmental trend in children’s sense of identity. He interviewed a sample of 8-18 year olds and created categories in which to sort the children’s responses. In keeping with the findings of Bannister and Agnew and Harter, Rosenberg found that younger children used mostly physical descriptions of themselves while older children relied more on character traits. As a result he concluded that ‘the self becomes less and less a perceptual object and more and more a conceptual trait system’ (Murphy (1947), as cited in The Open University, 2009, p.21). He found that, as children get older, they focus more on interpersonal traits and refer more frequently to relationships and inner qualities. Rosenberg also investigated what he called the ‘locus of self-knowledge’ – the extent to which children develop an ‘independent, self-reflective sense of self’ (The Open University, 2009, p.22). This was measured by asking children who knew them best, themselves or someone else. He found that younger children were more likely to claim that another, usually a parent, knew them better. Older children were more self-reliant when it came to judging themselves. Therefore, Rosenberg concluded that the locus of self-knowledge shifts with age from another to the self. Increased self-knowledge would result in more psychological self-descriptions so this relates to the idea of developmental progression being demonstrated in children’s self-descriptions. This study is based on Rosenberg’s research and is an analysis and interpretation of interview data. Children’s responses are allocated to Rosenberg’s categories in order to answer the research question: Do children’s self-descriptions show evidence of a developmental trend? This study will focus on answers to the ‘Who Am I?’ statements but will also pay attention to further interview responses to understand differences in the way children of different ages self-evaluate, view themselves and others and conceptualise an ideal self. This study also examines the concept of a locus of self-knowledge and asks: Does a child’s locus of self-knowledge shift from other to self with age? Method Design Rosenberg’s research design is employed in this study – the responses from a semi-structured interview are compared. Participants The participants are Annie (8) and Kirsty (16), pupils from schools in the Milton Keynes area. They were recruited by the ED209 course team who asked school teachers for help in identifying willing participants. Materials A microphone and a video-recorder were used to amplify and record the interviews. Rosenberg’s semi-structured interview, with questions on self-description, self-evaluation, self and others, ideal self and locus-of self-knowledge was used. A sheet of A4 with the words ‘Who Am I?’ printed at the top and ten numbered lines beginning with ‘I†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ was provided to enable participants to complete the written exercise. Adaptations of Rosenberg’s categories were used to analyse the responses to the Who Am I? exercise. The analysis of the ‘Who Am I?’ statements was presented on category analysis forms (appendix 1). A consent form was provided for the parents of the children to sign. Procedure The interviews took place in May 2005 during the day. Both children were interviewed by members of the ED209 course team in familiar rooms used by the schools. Annie was accompanied by a classroom assistant. The participants were told that they could stop the interviews at any time and were briefed as to the purpose of the research. A sound recordist and producer were present but efforts were made to ensure that neither they nor the equipment used inhibited the participants. Background noise was occasionally intrusive and recording halted. The final recording of the interviews was edited to ensure a smooth flow. The recorded interviews were listened to several times. The ‘Who Am I?’ statements were identified and transferred onto a pre-prepared category analysis form (appendix 1). The categories, Physical, Character, Relationships and Inner, were adapted from Rosenberg’s (see appendix 2). Each sentence read out by the interviewer was taken to constitute one statement. The statements were then coded. To ensure coding consistency, each statement was reviewed against the criteria for the inner category, then relationships, then character and then physical. Only if there was no way it could be said to fit within the ‘higher’ category was it pushed down. Even if it may have fitted within two categories, the fact that an order of review was applied meant that it would not be considered for a second category if it had already been allocated. Once the categories had been applied, the responses in each column were added up and the percentages calculated so that the results could be compared with Rosenberg’s findings. Next the detailed responses to the interview questions, including the locus of self-knowledge questions, were analysed in the context of Rosenberg’s research findings. The responses of the children were analysed to see if the same patterns were present. Ethics The data collected by the Open University ED209 course team was intended to comply with the BPS ethical code and principles. The children agreed to take part and their parents signed consent forms on their behalf. At the start of each interview the children were informed of their right to withdraw from the research and were told that they could ask for the recording to be stopped at any time. The purpose of the research and they way in which the data would be used was explained to them before the interviews began. Results The first research question was: Do children’s self-descriptions show evidence of a developmental trend? The second research question was: Does a child’s locus of self-knowledge shift from other to self with age? Table 1 shows a comparison between Annie and Kirsty’s self-descriptions. It shows that the majority (60%) of descriptors used by the younger child are about physical characteristics and activities and the remainder are character descriptors. She makes no reference to relationships or inner qualities. The majority of the older child’s responses relate to inner qualities (50%). She spreads the remainder of her descriptions across the physical, character and relationship categories. Self Evaluation When discussing their strengths and weaknesses, Kirsty focused far more on character and relationship descriptions than Annie, who focused on physical attributes, particularly for her weak points (‘my ears†¦ my legs’). However, Annie counted her friends as a strength and the fact that she likes ‘being myself’. Self and Others Annie’s awareness of similarity to others in her age group was centred on having the same likes and dislikes. She also identified differences between herself and others in this way. Kirsty talked about having the same experiences as others her own age but identified character and inner traits as distinguishing her from others. Ideal Self Annie’s notion of herself in later life was focused upon what job she might do and how else her time may be spent. Kirsty focused on the character traits that she hoped to have developed. Locus of Self-Knowledge The locus of self-knowledge responses were not straightforward as both participants gave ambiguous answers at times. Annie conceded that in some ways her mother would know her better than she knew herself and Kirsty insisted that her mother knew her just as well as she did herself. Discussion In the ‘Who Am I?’ data, it can be seen that, in accordance with Rosenberg’s findings, the majority (60%) of descriptors used by the younger child are about physical characteristics and activities. Rosenberg found that older children are more likely to use character traits to define the self. In this analysis, Kirsty actually uses a lower percentage of character descriptors than Annie, but this is influenced by the large percentage of inner descriptors used. The data in this study supports Rosenberg’s finding that older children referred more frequently to relationships. He also noticed that older children were more likely to reference inner qualities, which can be seen by the high percentage of Kirsty’s inner descriptors (50%). For the main part, the analysis of the self-description data supports Rosenberg’s findings. Rosenberg found that older children focused on interpersonal traits when describing their strengths and weaknesses. Kirsty’s responses follow this pattern but Annie also mentioned the large number of friends she has as a strength. She also said that ‘being myself’ was a strength which was interesting. The interviewer explored this a little more and she seemed to revert back to describing preferred activities. Further prompting, however, may have ascertained that by ‘being myself’ she meant that she was confident about who she was, which would be a character description. It is difficult to tell at this point if Annie lacks the ability to explain what she means which may affect the results. Rosenberg found that only 36% of 8 year olds mentioned interpersonal traits when talking about the person they would like to become, compared with 69% of 14-16 year olds. Annie and Kirsty’s responses fall into the majority pattern for their age group. Analysis of the data provides a positive answer to the research question, Do children’s self-descriptions show evidence of a developmental trend? The developmental trend as identified by Bannister and Agnew, Harter and Rosenberg, is characterised by younger children relying on physical attributes when describing themselves and older children being able to use more sophisticated and complex descriptions that focus more on psychological characteristics. The data in this study largely supports this theory. The evidence for the locus-of-self-knowledge shifting from other to self with age (as Rosenberg found) is less obvious. When asked about who knows her best at school Annie identifies teachers and parents as being the best judge of her performance, which supports the idea that the locus of self-knowledge in young children rests with another. However, when questioned further about who would be right if they had different answers about Annie’s maths performance, Annie’s responses indicate that she is the best judge of her ability. However, when questioned about her behaviour at home she places the locus of self-knowledge with her mother. Kirsty, somewhat surprisingly given her high percentage of references to inner qualities (indicating high self- knowledge), believes that her mother would know her just as well as she knows herself and explains that her mum has ‘pretty much figured me out’. She decides that any differences in answers about how she would behave at home would be a matter of different interpretations. It is possible that Kirsty is unsure about what is being asked and a reformulation of the questions might provoke different responses. Although Kirsty does not exactly place the locus of self-knowledge within herself, she does not place it with someone else either, and so the data does not, in itself, contradict Rosenberg’s theory. The analysis of the locus of self-knowledge responses produces some support for Rosenberg’s findings but it is not conclusive. However, it is important to remember that this is a sample of only two participants and so the data is not enough to prove or disprove his theory. Another limitation of this study is that the coding reliability was not checked. Coding was applied according to one person’s interpretation. Had the coding of the data been interpreted differently results may have been different for the self-descriptions data (see appendix 3 for alternative coding of Kirsty’s responses. In this instance the evidence in favour of a developmental trend in self-descriptions is present but less compelling). Another consideration lies with the ethics of the research. The issue of informed consent is often difficult in research with children. In the case of a young child, such as Annie, it is not clear that she fully understands the nature of the research, despite the fact that it is described in simpler terms than those used to explain it to Kirsty. It is also possible that the power-imbalance between the interviewers and the participants may prevent them from withdrawing from the interview, even if they are told that they can. Conclusion The results of this study provide support for the idea of a developmental progression in the way that children describe themselves, particularly the analysis of the ‘Who Am I?’ data. Qualitative analysis of the other interview questions, however, while showing some support for Rosenberg’s theory, also presents some deviation from expectations.