Why Do Kids Want To Play the Guitar Essay Example For Students

Why Do Kids Want To Play the Guitar Essay Todays Youth: Playing the guitarA recent trend that seems to be prevalent in the youth of our society today is the desire to play an instrument. I am a musician and want to help explain from others experience as well as my own why playing an instrument is so popular among teens today. My father and other friends of his generation suggest that instrument playing has always been popular, but its popularity seems to have increased dramatically over the past 25 years. Testaments such as these compelled me to search for the answer to this increasing trend of playing an instrument. One reason, and probably the most prominent one, is the longing to live the life of the music icons that are admired. Programming, such as music videos, feeds our imaginations about the musicians lavish lifestyle. An example of feeding our imaginations to a better lifestyle would be to examine music videos that contain live footage of concerts with a large mount of fans in attendance. A fairly mainstream hardcore act like Korn, for instance, contains footage in their video from a concert that displays literally thousands of fans in attendance. Musician hopefuls see the mass attention and want very badly to be appreciated in the same way. In addition to this, interviews on television stations like MTV relay opinions of the band over national television that many people might be able to identify with. Teenagers may place themselves in the same boat as these musicians and again gain imaginary aspirations of being a famous musician though identifications of similarity like opinions and m usical influences. Young adults often associate the musicians life being one of carefree status that contain many rewards, such as being above the law and being able to have your opinions supported by fans. Young adults, in order to accomplish these aspirations, purchase an instrument and then begin practicing for a dream that will never come true. Another reason that instrument playing has become more popular is due to the fact that there is so much more musical diversity and its accessibility through radios, compact discs, and music television stations. In a recent survey I conducted of twenty adults, when asked the question, Why do you think instrument playing has increased in popularity?, the most common response was that over the past twenty five years or so, the number of radio stations on the FM dial, in the Houston area have tripled. Genres of music such as rap, country, latino, classic rock, and modern rock have spread music into separate directions that are still being categorized today. These types of genres help kids realize that there are many frontiers of music that are accepted by society, and still others that are left to be explored, and thus, give way to both a diversity of music to be influenced upon and to pursue a genre that they enjoy. Hobbies are something that everyone has and, in turn, gives way to a v ery valid reason of instrument playing today. With all of the modern conveniences that are available today, children growing up are presented with more free time on their hands to pursue their hobbies. As a way to pass the time, instruments such as the guitar become a hobby. In recent times, the pressure on kids to compete in sports as a hobby has diminished enough that parents are accepting instrument playing as a hobby, just as sports are considered a hobby. In another case, a friend of mine whom has participated in sports in the past believed he was not particularly cut out for sports and he began to play the guitar as a means of gaining an enjoyable hobby. .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 , .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .postImageUrl , .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 , .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:hover , .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:visited , .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:active { border:0!important; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:active , .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18 .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8b88cd8e60d41d93619906a1806c1a18:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Fences EssayThe causes that are stated above are very credible reasons to explain the increase in instrument playing among young people today. The longing for the glamour life, the increasing diversity of music, all combined with an era of acceptability of instrument playing as a hobby, will give way to a rational explanation to this trend and identify the origins of it as well.

Communication and Organizational Practices †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Communication and Organizational Practices. Answer: Introduction Effective communication helps in forming a positive impact on the working relationships based on trust, high level of tolerance and mutual respect, which are the primary aspects when working in an organization. The effectiveness of the process of communication helps in analyzing the ways in which the different groups and individuals interact within themselves within the organization (Austin and Pinkleton 2015, pp. 7-8). Cultural communication within the workplace is based on a set of beliefs, attitudes, behavior, customs and the social habits of the different individuals who are residing in a particular society. The origin of language gives a complex communication process that helps in understanding the capacity of the humans. Language and culture helps in using the symbols, as a communication process and helps in constructing the social identity with a particular social group, which helps in grooming the individuals and the society (Grunig 2013, pp. 3-4). Communication and culture are two separate entities but are directly linked to one another. The ability to communicate and share the ideas with each other acts as a foundation link for the contact between humans, where culture helps in transmitting the ideas through effective communication. The communicational and cultural relationship is complex and has an intimate connection with each other. The creation of culture is based on communication where the process is based on interaction of the humans based on different cultural characteristics. Without the presence of communication and the relevant media, it is nearly impossible to preserve and pass down the characteristics that are present in a culture from one place to another (Schmitt 2014, pp. 88). As a relationship manager in the Twigs and Things Company, I am responsible for the communicational process that is existing within the company and find out ways so that the communication process can be effective in nature. It is seen tha t within the company there are many employees who have various backgrounds and are working effectively within the organization. Theories on cultural communication The cultural identity theory has helped in identifying the relationship between the inter-cultural competence and the cultural identity. The theory helps in studying the process of communication of the individuals so that there can be negotiation in identifying the cultural groups and establishing a relationship between them. The organization makes it a point to evaluate the messages of the individuals, which may include the ideas related to nationalism, racism and based on gender (Asante 2013, pp. 1). The properties of cultural identity include the process of avowal, which helps in articulating the views and expressions that are present in the identity of the culture. The process of ascription helps in getting the views about how other individuals perceive the idea of different individuals and their cultures. The modes of expression help in using the core symbols that are present in the cultural beliefs, which are followed and shared between different groups. This helps in demonstrating the identities that are present in the different cultural groups. The identity of culture is based on three components such as individual who relates the cultural identities based on their own experiences. Samovar et al. (2014, pp. 5) stated that The history of intercultural interactions is as old as humankind. The migration of peoples, whether seeking new homelands, engaging in trade, or bent on physical or ideological conquests has bought people from different cultural backgrounds in to contact. The relational function refers to the method of interaction between each other and the communal identity helps in using the communication process so that it can create and negotiate the shared identity. The changing aspects that are linked to identity such as economic, social and political needs to be taken in to account so that it can help in identifying the changes that are present in cultural identity. The affective, cognitive and the behavioral aspects help in identifying the situations that are present with respect to cultural identity within a particular situation (Kinloch and Metge 2014, pp. 6-7). The content and the relationship level helps in the interaction between two or more individuals where the message that is sent has some informational content in it. The participants or the sender and the receivers of the information interpret the meaning of the information, which is based on the previous experiences. The level of the message is based on different factors such as the closeness between the individuals and the level of trust that they have within themselves (Chen 2017, pp. 3-4). The cross-cultural communication theory is the process of communication that helps in the interaction between different individuals based on the mode of working, nationality and the sexual orientation of the employees. The employees practice cultures at various levels, which help them to grow within the community and within the organization where they are working. Communication studies are not independent efforts; they are part of the total human search for knowledge and understanding (Casmir 2013, pp 9). The cross-cultural communication is also influenced by the different academic disciplines that are present in the individuals and needs to be avoided so that it can avoid conflict within the organization. It helps in creating a sense of trust and helps in building cooperation between the employees. The various sources that may lead to miscommunication in exchanges between cross culture are the assumption of similarities, which is the way in which we act and behave and the rule of behavior that is accepted universally. The differences in language create the inability to understand what the different individuals try to say within the organization, which may lead to various discrepancies within the organization. The non-verbal communication that exists in an organization may be misinterpreted with respect to the dressing of the individuals and the expression that is presented through the body language. The preconceptions and the stereotypes that are pre-defined with a set of characteristics may lead to wrong notions and expectations. The anxiety level is high among the individuals if they do not know how to react or behave to a situation that may seem inappropriate in nature (Neuliep 2017, pp. 10-12). Generational differences The generational gap between the employees in the company causes problems in communication, as they are not aware of the modern communication tactics that are practiced in the organization on the interpersonal level. From my point of view, I have seen that some of the employees who are aged and serving the company for more than ten years have problem in communicating with the younger generations when they approach them or vice versa. They face problem with the employees who are in the line of production and has to provide feedback to the immediate uppermanagement constantly who are managers and have been serving in the company for long time (Bolton et al. 2013, pp. 245-267). The elders in the company get irritated with the interpersonal communication and the body language of the younger generations, as they are not regularized with these kinds of disciplines within the company. The generational gap within the organization affects the work ethics, mutual respect, level of tolerance an d the core values between the young and the old generations. The members have to communicate and interact in an efficient manner so that it can help in increasing the productivity of the company (Schullery 2013, pp. 252-265). Person with disability The company also employs disable persons, which acts as a barrier within the company. Marcus, the employee is efficient in the work process but has difficulty in his vision. He cannot recognize the faces of the employees and often tells the wrong name of the employees when they go to meet and discuss about the tasks, which requires his help (Dell, Newton and Petroff 2016, pp. 6-7). I have observed for a long time that the employees have problems in communicating with him because of his failure to recognize the person and often explain the wrong tasks to the wrong people. The human resource department of the company has made the other employees aware of the health condition of Marcus but in reality, the person has to face difficulties when dealing with the other employees (Jacobson, Foxx and Mulick 2015, pp. 20-21). Emotions and relationships The emotional content of some employees in the workplace is high, which creates an impact on the process of communication and the buildup of relationships with the other employees in the company. I have notices that Mr. Nicholson in our company has a high level of emotion and becomes judgmental and aggressive in his behavior when his mistakes are pointed out in front of the other employees (Guerrero, Andersen and Afifi 2017, pp. 5-6). This creates a negative impression in the presence of the new employees, as they take this advantage and teases him in the workplace. This has led to a decrease in the productivity level of him, which has hampered his balance between work and life. The display of negative emotions within the company may lead to risks and may disturb the relationships that he shares with the other employees. The difference in the personalities is not only the generational differences but it differs with persons and the ways of communicating with them (Leathers and Eaves 2015, pp. 4). Conclusion and Recommendations Cultural differences The theories on cultural and cross-cultural communication within the workplace need to be followed in a proper manner. Being the manager of the company, it is my responsibility to ensure that there are no miscommunications with respect to culture within the company. I have made a proposal to themanagement of the company about giving proper training to the employees who have different cultural backgrounds and are working under the same roof within the organization. The company needs to hire authorized experts that are available in Australia so that they can communicate effectively within the organization. The employees of the organization needs to promote the use of non-verbal communication and has to have an interest in the culture that exists within the organization. Communication plays a vital role in the relationship development as it is important to develop shared values and understanding and to coordinate activities (Hung and Lin 2013, pp. 1223-1232). The use of facial expressio n and eye contact needs to be encouraged within the cross-cultural group in the organization. The use of this method of communication will help in the effective use of the cultural knowledge and the interpretation of it. The employees need to be trained to use the appropriate communication method whenever it is required so that the other employees can understand the information that the employee wants to communicate. These strategies and the tactics need to be emphasized and taught within the organization to the employees through different workshops that will help in training the staff. These workshops will help in assisting the employees with the cross-cultural communication techniques that will be effective within the organization and the productivity level of the employees will increase. It will also help in changing the mindsets and the habits of the employees in communicating effectively and adapting the different cultures that are present in the organization (Macky, Gardner an d Forsyth 1994, pp. 857-861). Generational gap The generational differences that are present in the organization by gathering the young and the older employees at a particular place and letting them interact with each other. I will note down the body language of the employees, which will help me in assessing the communication techniques that are adopted by them. The workshop that will be undertaken by the company will be done under my guidance so that I can solve the discrepancies that will arise again in the future. It will help me in understanding the differences that may arise due to the age related problems in the organization (Schullery 2013, pp. 252-265). The tolerance level of the employees will be increased with the help of proper training so that the discrepancies of the employees can be solved in an efficient manner. The new generation employees have to understand the importance of communication and respect the way in which the older generation communicates so that the level of understanding between the employees can in crease, which will create an impact on the level of productivity of the organization. The older generation needs to undergo a training workshop where they will be trained in using the non-verbal communication with the new generation employees so that the time in production can be saved and the employees are comfortable in using the sign languages to communicate with each other. This will further help in maintaining discipline within the company (Gursoy, Chi and Karadag 2013, pp. 40-48). Person with disability The disabled persons in the company need to be given proper care so that they do not feel distanced in the company. A meeting with Marcus will help me in understanding the problems that he is facing in the company and identify the ways that will help him in communicating effectively with the fellow employees. The method of communicating with empathy needs to be encouraged amongst the employees so that Marcus may not feel any problem in having a conversation with them. I have to take an initiative in building a positive relationship between the employees and Marcus by rephrasing him the information that has been communicated by the employees. Since he has a problem with the vision, I need to keep an eye on him and inform him when an employee is coming to meet him. This will help him in understanding the information that he wants to give to the particular employee (Travers, Tincani and Lang 2014, pp. 8). This will help him in gaining a strong foundation with the employees, as he will p ass on the necessary information to the right employees. I will discuss with him about his daily life, which will help him in boosting his self-confidence and will be supportive to the employees in his behavior. The good part in his behavior is that he has a calm and composed nature, which helps him in listening patiently to the employees and then providing a proper feedback on how to proceed with the work. The disability has restricted him in adapting the flexibility within the workplace, which will help him in easing out his work. A supportive environment needs to be created so that communication within the organization can be created so that the disability of Marcus can become a tool of empowerment, which will help in contributing effective communication in the organization (Christensen et al. 2014, pp. 10). Emotions and relationships The relationship that is based on emotions in an organization helps in communicating effectively with the other employees. Nicholson has the habit of being aggressive within the workplace, as his level of anxiety increases when he is confronted, which may lead to something destructive in the workplace. I need to conduct classes on stress management so that he can understand the importance of remaining calm within the workplace and increase his productivity (Rosenberg and Chopra 2015, pp. 6). He needs to respect the views of other employees and should be tolerant in behavior so that the employees may feel safe while communicating with him and help him in understanding the tasks of the company. I need to conduct several sessions with him and help him in understanding the disadvantages that are associated with the high level of anxiety levels. My end goal would be to help Nicholson become friends with the other employees so that it will help in creating a positive communication climate within the organization (Hackman and Johnson 2013, pp. 2). References Asante, M.K., 2013.The global intercultural communication reader. Routledge. Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015.Strategic public relations management: Planning and managing effective communication campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Bolton, R.N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., Komarova Loureiro, Y. and Solnet, D., 2013. Understanding Generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda.Journal of Service Management,24(3), pp.245-267. Casmir, F.L. ed., 2013.Building communication theories: A socio/cultural approach. Routledge. Chen, L. ed., 2017.Intercultural communication(Vol. 9). Walter de Gruyter GmbH Co KG. Christensen, K.M., Collins, S.D., Holt, J.M. and Phillips, C.N., 2014. The relationship between the design of the built environment and the ability to egress of individuals with disabilities.Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal,2(3). Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A. and Petroff, J.G., 2016.Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson. Grunig, J.E. ed., 2013.Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Guerrero, L.K., Andersen, P.A. and Afifi, W.A., 2017.Close encounters: Communication in relationships. Sage Publications. Gursoy, D., Chi, C.G.Q. and Karadag, E., 2013. Generational differences in work values and attitudes among frontline and service contact employees.International Journal of Hospitality Management,32, pp.40-48. Hackman, M.Z. and Johnson, C.E., 2013.Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press. Hung, K and Lin, C 2013, 'More communication is not always better? The interplay between effective communication and interpersonal conflict in influencing satisfaction',Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 1223-1232. Jacobson, J.W., Foxx, R.M. and Mulick, J.A., 2015. Facilitated communication.Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice,283. Kinloch, P. and Metge, J., 2014.Talking past each other: problems of cross cultural communication. Victoria University Press. Leathers, D.G. and Eaves, M., 2015.Successful nonverbal communication: Principles and applications. Routledge. Macky, K, Gardner, D and Forsyth, S 1994, 'Generational differences at work: introduction and overview',Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 857-861 Neuliep, J.W., 2017.Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage Publications. Rosenberg, M. and Chopra, D., 2015.Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships. PuddleDancer Press. Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R. and Roy, C.S., 2014.Intercultural communication: A reader. Cengage Learning. Schmitt, N., 2014, July. How Staffing Functions Communicate To Organization Members And The Public. InMeeting the Challenge of Human Resource Management: A Communication Perspective(p. 88). Routledge. Schullery, N.M., 2013. Workplace engagement and generational differences in values.Business Communication Quarterly,76(2), pp.252-265. Travers, J.C., Tincani, M.J. and Lang, R., 2014. Facilitated communication denies people with disabilities their voice.

How Can a Sample of Argumentative Essay Help You?

How Can a Sample of Argumentative Essay Help You?Many people do not even realize the great value that can be found in a sample of an argumentative essay. While some argue for the complete use of such essays to write an argumentative piece, there are others who find these samples of essay valuable only as a guide on how to write their own essay.Either way, when you make use of a sample of the essay, you would be able to find out your own experience and style and also how to draw your way of writing. With the help of these samples, you would also be able to take note of the mistakes and the pros and cons of the techniques that you are going to use when writing your essay. This would be really helpful if you want to make sure that you have something that can be used as a basis in the argument.But what exactly is an essay? To tell you the truth, the definition of the term essay is something that varies from one person to another. For some, an essay is simply a lengthy essay; while for ot hers, it is a more formal document that is meant to provide a rationale behind your points.In other words, an essay has its own set of rules. These are the very rules that can help you know how to form a good argument. And this is where a sample of argumentative essay comes in.With this kind of essay, you would be able to find the different techniques that can help you form your essay. Because of this, you would be able to know exactly how you should be conducting yourself in order to present your points effectively.Of course, the most important thing here is to never forget to come up with a good title for your essay. The title of your essay will determine whether or not the majority of your readers are even able to get through your essay. They would not get any further if they do not know what your essay is all about.When you are done, you will then be able to organize your points. You would then be able to start the writing process. One of the best ways to come up with an effecti ve title for your essay is to check what kind of ideas you would like to use when writing your essay.By doing this, you will be able to come up with an essay that would really be unique and different from the rest. You will not just be able to provide your readers with some information that would help them learn something new, but you would also be able to provide them with a unique experience. For this reason, a sample of an argumentative essay is really helpful to people who would want to write an essay.

Why Do Teens Contemplate To Suicide Essays - Abnormal Psychology

Why Do Teens Contemplate To Suicide? Why do Teens Contemplate to Suicide? As the third largest cause of death between the ages of 15 and 24, the adolescent suicide rate has tripled since 1960. This is the only age group in which an increase has occurred over the last three decades. While there are approximately 10,000 reported teen suicides annually, it is estimated that the number of teen suicides is actually three to four times that number when unreported deaths and ?suicide equivalents? are added. The teenage years are a period of turmoil for just about everyone. You're learning new social roles, developing new relationships, getting used to the changes in your body, and making decisions about your future. And when you're looking for answers to problems, it can seem like no one has them. That can make a person feel quite alone. Teenagers experience strong feelings, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, and other fears while growing up. Teenagers commit suicide because there is too much pain in their lives and they can do one of the two things; move from the pain or learn to cope with the pain. While some teenagers learn to cope with the pain, others attempt suicide. Suicide among young people have increased nationwide in the recent years and it is important that everyone is aware of the major causes, symptoms, and methods of prevention of this self-inflicted death. To further understand suicide, one must take a look at the different reasons behind the act itself. Suicide is not a genetic disease, but rather a series of events that are very depressing or stressful. Without depression, most people would not attempt to take their own lives. Depression is a vital issue in almost every suicide attempt. The victim feels very depressed and everything seems to be going the wrong way. Depression is not ?just sadness.? Depression is a mild form mental illness, which can be permanent or temporary. It can be simple things like the loss of interest in usual activities. The start of what leads a person to suicide does not have anything to do with the person's present life experiences, but with their early childhood experiences. This is because the view of others, outside family and friends, has no contribution to the pain that causes suicide and depression. Depression can include self-pity, shame, envy, and grandiosity. All of these things play a role in dep ression one way or another. Depressed people are usually subject to desire and ?grandiose ideation.? Grandiosity is best described as when a person starts thinking they are above everyone and everything else. They absurdly exaggerate many things in their lives just for attention it brings them. Envy, another cause of depression, has two aspects. In its primary sense, envy is the experience of pain when a person sees that someone else has something desirable, which he would like. Envy is also the experience of pleasure, when the person who has that desired quality suffers misfortune. Shame, in depression, is usually aimed inward toward the victim, or depressed person. When self-pity, another depression mode, is thought of , it usually brings up the feelings of being sad or angry for mistakes that happened in the past. Depressed adolescents frequently communicate their despair before they act out in this final act of desperation. Teens tend to reflect their dysphoria with action rathe r than words. For example, they are inclined to withdraw from others, complain of boredom, and have an increasingly difficult time concentrating. School performance tends to suffer and changes in personality may include increased aggression. Depression is like a bad dream, but with help, a person can overcome this ?bad dream? and awake. The biology of the brain, genetics, psychological traits, and social forces all can contribute to suicide. Biological research indicates that suicidal behavior runs in families, suggesting that genetic and biological factors play a role in one's suicide risk. Among one community of Amish people in Pennsylvania, almost three-quarters of all suicides that occurred over a 100-year period were in just four families. Studies of twins reared apart provide some support for a genetic influence in suicide. People may inherit a genetic predisposition to certain psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia

Organizational Behavior Mid Term Essay Example

Organizational Behavior Mid Term Essay Example Organizational Behavior Mid Term Essay Organizational Behavior Mid Term Essay ASSIGNMENT FRONT COVER used: 1471 | | Table of Contents Question 1: Understanding Human Behavior is critical to organizations – discuss the benefits of self evaluation/self assessment as it relates to leaders today . †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Question 2: Prejudice can be hurtful and destructive – discuss how you can personally reduce prejudice in your workplace – please provide an example †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 References and Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Question 1: Understanding Human Behavior is critic al to organizations – discuss the benefits of self evaluation/self assessment as it relates to leaders today In today’s ever changing environment, organizations need to continuously adapt and transform, not only in order to succeed but even just to survive. While it takes a capable manager to efficiently run a business in steady-state, it takes a leader to successfully drive an organization through change (Kotter in Robbins and Judge, 2009: 385). Dealing with technology, economic and legislation changes isn’t new for organizations. The speed of change has however substantially increased in the last few decades as has the disruptive nature of these changes. Leaders today are faced with challenges such as globalization and instant communication that were not present until recently. The words and actions of leaders are broadcasted across the globe within seconds and are heard and seen by individuals who will perceive and interpret them through the filter of their own values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations. In this accelerated environment, effective leaders need to be able to swiftly read trends and anticipate change, adapt to new situations, fine-tune their actions and continuously inspire others towards the pursuit of a compelling vision. In order to do so, they need to be perceptive of the environment around them and detect when discrepancies between their assumptions and reality arise (Clawson, 2001: 14). An example of business failure due to the mismatch between leader’s assumptions and environmental reality is Polaroid. When in 1977 Polaroid launched its instant-video product Polavision (an innovative instant movie camera that used an additive process to generate color), it experienced the first of several product failures that eventually forced the company into bankruptcy. The mistake that Polaroid’s Leader Edwin H. Land made was to assume that the market-follows-technology approach that had been successful for the previous 40 years was unchangeably valid (Lefler, 2010), despite the skepticism expressed by many within the company. Simpler and cheaper videocassette based alternatives were released at the same time by Kodak and other competitors. These â€Å"non-instant† products responded to markets’ trends better than Polaroid’s ground breaking instant-video solution, condemning Polavision to irrelevance and Polaroid to massive losses (Giambarba, 1977). I think Polavision is the story of a self awareness lacking leader, failing to identify his blind spots and driving the organization to failure. In my opinion Mr. Land failed to question his assumption in a changing marketplace and to openly listen to others, consequently ignoring precious feedback. Had Mr. Land listened to the concerns expressed by others around him, including Polaroid’s president Bill McCune, things could have possibly gone differently. Self evaluation is what allows individuals to identify those blind spots and weaknesses and to put measures in place to compensate them (Musselwhite, C. 2007). Through self evaluation, self awareness is achieved. The benefits of self evaluation and self awareness for a leader in today’s organizations are significant. By understanding your strengths, efforts can be focused on them, hence developing a greater potential for success (Roberts at all, 2005: 1). By recognizing your weaknesses you are in a better position to a ccept them and deal with them effectively. In the case of Polavision, Mr Land’s product and technology strengths were overshadowed by his marketing weakness. For his leadership to be effective, Mr. Land should have commissioned a market research to validate his assumption that the public was ready and willing to consume the product he was developing. Self awareness is the basis of self management and social awareness (Goleman, 2000; 80). The ability to read and manage your emotions, reactions and feelings, helps seeing yourself and the world under a different light. This in turns enables you to shift your point of view and identify opportunities and solutions that were otherwise impossible to imagine (Covey, 1989: 86). In the case of Polaroid a more socially aware Mr. Land would have valued the input of the Polavision skeptics and maybe redirected his creativity towards developing a product more in line with current market trends. Moreover, acknowledging your limits and not hiding them induces trust. You are perceived as human and people relate to you better. When trusted, you become a more effective leader as people feel safe when they follow your direction. Your behavior remains consistent in different situations and the influence of the environment on your actions is weakened. You develop charisma. You become authentic (George, B. et all, 2007: 7). Self evaluation implies asking for feedback and actively listening to what you hear. As you learn from asking questions, people around you also feel more comfortable doing so. This ignites a virtuous learning circle that drives personal growth. The biggest asset of organizations is their human capital. An engaged, motivated and virtuous human capital is the engine behind organizations’ success. In particular, by developing an environment where it is OK to ask questions, to challenge status-quo, to try new things and to make mistakes, innovation forces are unleashed (Musselwhite, C. , 2007). Conclusion Self Evaluation develops self awareness. Self awareness promotes personal growth and enables behaviors that are associated with charismatic leadership. Charisma is what inspires others to follow the leader. They trust her, share her vision and feel empowered and motivated to work towards a common goal. Charisma is a crucial element of effective leadership, but it is often not sufficient to drive organizations, particularly large ones, to sustainable success (Nadler and Tushman, 1990: 85). Self awareness developed through self evaluation, allows a leader to also understand and address this. By recognizing her limits, a self aware leader will develop an organizational structure that complements her strengths and, through alignment, effectively works towards the set vision. The most prominent benefits of self assessment for leaders today in my opinion are therefore the enablement of charismatic and institutional leadership, both of which are necessary to effectively guide an organization. Question 2: Prejudice can be hurtful and destructive – discuss how you can personally reduce prejudice in your workplace – please provide an example Prejudice (prior judgment[1]) implies forming an opinion about the personality traits, expected behavior, skills and capability of a person, without that opinion being backed by empirical evidence. These pre-formed opinions are often very strong, deriving from values and beliefs that are deeply embedded in our psyche. As such they are hard to remove. We may even unconsciously reject evidence negating the pre-judgment in a self affirming effort to confirm our assumptions. The end result is a diminished ability to appreciate the full range of qualities and the potential of the impacted individual. Prejudice and the corresponding discriminatory behavior, including institutional prejudice, are major issues for organizations today. Increasing cultural diversity in the workforce and the global reach of markets require organizations to actively strive for integration rather than assimilation or differentiation (Thomas Ely, 1996: 1). In my opinion, the onus of promoting an effort in that direction lies mostly on managers. As a manager I have a moral and professional duty to address prejudice in my organization and I have taken specific steps in that sense. I started with doing introspection to identify my own prejudices. I focused on my upbringing: who were the most influential figures in my childhood? What messaging did I receive from them and from the environment around me? What stereotypes derived from this? Being of white, catholic and Italian origin, I could immediately identify how anything outside of that archetype, was subject to some degree of prejudice, even if involuntarily. The good news is that â€Å"Prejudice is externally sourced† and â€Å"since it s learned, it can be unlearned† (Clawson, J. G. Smith, B. , 1990: 5-6). I then realized that most likely everyone in my work environment have similar preconceptions. For example, some people talk to me with the typical Italian-American mafia accent from The Sopranos[2] probably thinking it is hilarious. It doesn’t bother me, but I can definitely see how it could be bothersome to other Italians. I made treasure of these realizations and determined that these are ignorance-based preconceptions that can be resolved by increasing inter-cultural knowledge. I therefore resolved to take steps to encourage people from different backgrounds and cultures to interact with each other. For example, recently I included two international team members (Bryan the reporting manager who is Chinese and Manish the systems analyst who is Indian) in a 4 person project team based in the US Midwest, dealing with the integration of systems and processes from our Company’s latest acquisition. I personally facilitated the first few meetings and encouraged open participation by listening to and publicly valuing everyone’s contribution. I then assigned tasks in a way that required interaction and cooperation. The effort paid off and the team succeeded. The system and process integration was completed in record time, with wide consensus and to the smallest details. References and Bibliography Books Robbins, S. P. Judge, T. A. (2009). Organizational Behavior. 13th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. USA: Free Press. Internet Resources Lefler, P. (2010). Polavision Polaroids disruptive innovation failure. [Webpage] Available from: spruancegroup. com/blog/bid/32860/Polavision-Polaroid-s-disruptive-innovation-failure [Accessed on Wednesday, November 7th 2012]. Giambarba, P. (1977). [Webpage] Available from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polavision [Accessed on Wednesday, November 7th 2012]. Musselwhite, C. (2007). Self Awareness and the Effective Leader. [Webpage] Available from: inc. com/resources/leadership/articles/20071001/musselwhite. html [Accessed on Wednesday, November 7th 2012]. The Online Etymology Dictionary, word search: prejudice. [Webpage] Available from: etymonline. com/index. php? term=prejudice [Accessed on Thursday, November 8th 2012]. Wikipedia, word search: the sopranos. [Webpage] Available from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Sopranos [Accessed on Friday, November 9th 2012]. Journal Articles and Written Course Material Roberts, L. M. , Spreitzer, G. , Dutton, J. , Quinn, R. , Heaphy, E. , and Barker, B. (2005), â€Å"How to Play to Your Strenghts†, Harvard Business Review, January 2005. Goleman, D, (2000), â€Å"Leadership that gets results†, Harvard Business Review, March-April 2000. Clawson, J. G. 2001) UVA-OB-0652 Leadership and Intelligence, Charlottesville: University of Virginia Darden School Foundation. George, B. , Sims, P. , McLean, A. N. , and Mayer, D. (2007), â€Å"Discovering Your Authentic Leadership†, Harvard Business Review, February 2007. Nadler, D. A. , Tushman, M. L. , (1990) CMR-024 Beyond the Charismatic Leader: Leadership and Organizational Change, California Manag ement Review, Harvard Business School Publishing. Clawson, J. G. Smith, B. (1990) UVA-OB-0381 Prejudice in Organizations, Charlottesville: University of Virginia Darden School Foundation. Thomas, D. A. Ely, R. J. (1996), â€Å"Making Differences Matter†, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1996. [1] See the â€Å"Online Etymology Dictionary† ( etymonline. com/index. php? term=prejudice) [2] From Wikipedia (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Sopranos): The Sopranos is an American television drama created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads.

Analysis & Estimation of Travel Demand Assignment

Analysis & Estimation of Travel Demand - Assignment Example The questions provides a practical basis for collecting the required information for analysis and estimation of the travel demand. Large volumes of information could also be collected from many respondents within the targeted transportation companies in the city. This is typically possible within a relatively short time period. Because no much movement is required when trying to reach the respondents, the survey as a whole is very cost effective. With this survey instrument, the aspects of validity and reliability of the collected data is preserved. The research results can easily and quickly be quantified. Nevertheless, the survey instrument is disadvantageous in that to a certain extent, it is inadequate in understanding certain forms of information that is completely implied such as behaviour, emotions, and feelings with regard to the posed questions. To some extent, the data collected may not be valid enough especially where estimates are considered for answers. There is also the possibility of the respondents interpreting the questions different. Trip generation is basically the fundamental step in the process of initiating transportation forecasting. In this regard, there is the need to acquire all the necessary information that could ultimately lead to an effective travel demand forecasting. Trip generation would help the authorities of the City of Omaha predict number of that could be destined for the city’s traffic analysis zone. In order to achieve the objective of the trip generation step, the questionnaire focuses on residences through the companies offering the transport services. In this case, the first thing considered in designing the questions was the key aspects required in trip generation. The questions were then structured with respect to the variables required for the analysis. The companies involved were some of the key

Essay on the movie ti kill a mockingbird Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On the movie ti kill a mockingbird - Essay Example There is no denying the fact that â€Å"Early on in the history of American South, the institution of slavery established race as one of the dominant influences shaping Southern culture (Beck, Frandsen & Randall 121)†, whose diluted remnants can still be traced in the contemporary Southern life. In that context this movie is primarily concerned with the dynamics of the race relations in the South. To a great extent the movie traces the conflict and friction accompanying the change in social perceptions pertaining to the notion of race in the South. The fictional character of Tom in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird emerges as a symbolic representative of the injustices inflicted on a section of the Southern society, a direct outcome of the Southern notions of race. The movie elaborately delineates the race based bifurcation of the Southern society, which happened to be all encompassing, including within its ambit all the salient aspects of the Southern social life, like habitati ons, religion, mannerisms, language, food, politics and sadly justice also. Class is an important concern in this movie as social class has traditionally commanded immense importance in the essentially agrarian Southern culture replete with â€Å"an abundance of myths and stereotypes about the poor and the wealthy (Beck, Frandsen & Randall 46)†. In that sense, this movie allows the audience to glance over a range of class affiliated stereotypes like the conservative Mrs. Dubose, and the Cunninghams and the Ewells belonging to the lower class, from the relatively balanced perspective of Jem and Scout. The movie in a way visually presents the complex interplay between the Southern notions of class and race, with those at the receiving end of the system trying to seek a common space. For instance, when Scout embarrasses the poor Walter Cunningham, she is severely reprimanded by her black cook Calpurnia. However, it does need to be mentioned that when