Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Critical Thinking Has Been Defined Many Ways Throughout

Critical thinking has been defined many ways throughout time. The definition I chose to go with was from Edward Glaser who defines critical thinking as â€Å"The ability to think critically, as conceived in this volume, involves three things: (1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one s experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods.† (Glaser 1941) Critical thinking is are ability to gather knowledge and put it to use. Critical thinking is used every day for example, problem solving, gathering, and storing information, to comprehend and use language accurately, interpreting data, and to†¦show more content†¦Maybe the activity would have gone up either way and people are making a big deal about the immigrants for no reason. While this is possible I believe it to be untrue. This is one of many examples we have in ou r everyday news stories. We need to remain vigilant and can locate false information to remain informed about what to believe. Another idea in critical thinking is about assuming a single explanation. The main point of this is that your idea of a trait may be true most of the time, but sometimes the behavior could have less obvious causes. You see in this that self enhancement drives overly favorable self-appraisals. For example, to be polite someone may say â€Å"Have you lost weight?† when they know you may have even gained weight. This could overly boost your ego in thinking that you look way better than you do. So, try to look past the obvious ideas and think about different less obvious thoughts. For example, the government is most likely hiding things from us to protect us. They might tell us that a terrorist has been captured when in fact they really aren’t to boost our moral and make us more into a war. The last idea explained today is critical thinking Surveys vs Experiments. This article on page 243 of the book talks about how â€Å"Michael† Deng died during a fraternity event while being hazed. This got researchers thinking why put yourself through this torcher just to join a group. ToShow MoreRelatedThe Coat Of Arms : Critical Thinking, Cultural Competency, Upstream Thinking And Equity1211 Words   |  5 PagesNursing is a profession that has gone through many changes over the centuries. Though it originated as the subservient partner to the medical profession, nurses have slowly gained autonomy and have come into their own as a respected profession. The fluidity of this ever-changing profession is integral to its make-up, but equally integral is its stability. This coat of arms attempts to illustrate these contrasting images of nursing, by using thoughtful analogies. Some of these analogies are relatedRead MoreFallacy Summary and Application Essay1066 Words   |  5 P agesFallacy Summary and Application Abstract Throughout this paper, we will discuss the relative meanings of fallacies and the importance they have in regards to critical thinking and the decision-making processes. Within the process of critical thinking, fallacies tend to play a very large part of this process. By definition, a fallacy is a statement or an argument based on a false or invalid reference (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language). As you will read on further into thisRead MoreLean Thinking : Banish Waste And Create Wealth1096 Words   |  5 Pages Authors of the book Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones, focus on Lean thinking, the five principles of Lean with details on how to implement these ideals in their text. Additionally it provides evidence as to how creating a Lean factory will boost productivity and reduce inventories. Womack and Jones define Lean thinking as providing â€Å"a way to make work more satisfying by providing immediate feedback on efforts to convertRead MoreCombat Operations Success1438 Words   |  6 PagesDuring combat operations, success can take on many definitions. Seizing the objective, destroying the enemy or defending the hill are all examples of military operations that are assigned a task and purpose that must be completed. Within each task could lay hidden problems that must be identified and mitigated to facilitate mission accomplishment. Should a problem be misinterpreted or ignored, mission failure coupled with unwarranted friendly casualties will be the inevitable outcome. Of theRead MoreThe Human Body And Mind Essay975 Words   |  4 Pagesto regulate the heartbeat, breathing, sight, sensations, hearing and many other functions that our body’s perform every moment of our lives, we would die. Look at the brain as a computer motherboard, it is programed to tell our body what to do when to do it through thought or instinct. In order for the brain to tell our body’s exactly how to react to a situation it first must know what is going on. This is accomplished throughout the body by Sensation and Perception. To show how this process worksRead MoreDecision-Making Model Analysis: 7-Step Decision-Making Model Essay1619 Words   |  7 PagesDecision-Making Model Analysis: 7-Step Decision-Making Process Decision making is defined as the cognitive process leading to the selection of a course of action among alternatives (Decision Making, 2006, para. 1). Decisions are made continually throughout our day. For the most part, our decision-making processes are either sub-conscious or made fairly quickly due to the nature of the decision before us. Most of us dont spend much time deciding what to have for lunch, what to wear, or whatRead MoreA Critique Of Capitalism And The Power Of The Bourgeoisie Class1744 Words   |  7 PagesCritical Theory is defined as â€Å"is a critique of capitalism, its appropriation of the surplus value of collective work, and its commodification of every aspect of our modern society† (Ward, p.1). In this essay I will argue that although perhaps not inherently intentionally, both liberal and realism, in all of their forms, represent hegemonic ideology, and that this has been proven throughout history, and therefore support much of Marxist theory surrounding capitalism and the power of the bourgeoisieRead MoreWhy Project Management Has Become A Driving Force1539 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment or any number of initiatives. It is no mystery that the w ay that these projects are managed will dictate the level of success that will be experienced. In today’s business world the process of project management has become a driving force in order to help ensure that these initiatives become a reality. The majority of the modern business will has become to realize the importance of project management, the oversite required throughout the life-cycle of a project, the concepts that such be appliedRead MoreAnalysis Of Young Goodman Brown1179 Words   |  5 Pagessymbolism in the text. Throughout the story, Hawthorne includes psychological, emotional, and gloomy events that really gets the reader thinking about their own personal experiences. However, finding the true meaning of this story is a matter of how that person interprets the events. After reading â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† it is easy to see that there can be many different meanings behind the short story because it can be viewed differently depending on the reader and their own critical perspective. NecatRead MoreAcademic Success : Career Goals1378 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction â€Å"Motivation is defined as the general desire or willingness of someone to do something, but often finding the desire within you can prove difficult. One of the keys to success is to be able to self-motivate and not depend on external forces to deliver your drive† (Stone, 2015, para. 1). Starting something new in life, such as deciding to earn my master’s degree in Psychology, has been an exciting but stressful journey. In my first course of study, I have learned many things and great resources

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Need to Prevent Supervisory Workplace Bullying Free Essays

string(227) " This will encourage an anti-bully culture to prevail in the workplaces, which should eventually wipe out bullying as a common threat to the emotional wellbeing, the productivity level and the general welfare of organizations\." Much has been said about workplace bullying and its harmful effects to the victims. With a purpose to clear the area of discussion, this paper will talk about several areas of workplace bullying particularly the one which is manifested between bully superiors and subordinate victims. The paper will also present significantly essential components of discussion such as the issue’s characteristics, hypotheses, causes, implications and precautionary measures. We will write a custom essay sample on The Need to Prevent Supervisory Workplace Bullying or any similar topic only for you Order Now The paper focuses on the supervisory workplace bullying, which involves supervisors and managers who use their power and position to intimidate and eventually inflict harm on their subordinates. The paper ultimately aims to make people realize the need to prevent, if not end, supervisory workplace bullying in order to avoid the unhealthy consequences that it brings in. It cites concrete ways to go about protecting the organization from such threat. Introduction Brief Introduction to the Topic The workplace is one setting that provides people with many experiences. As such, employees’ success or failures depend much on the particular situations that the office environment offers. Given a motivating surrounding, employees are expected to perform well and to deliver the things expected of them. Similarly, workers who are subjected to any form of work-related irritations, whether inflicted by their colleagues or superiors, are likely to manifest inefficiency and dissatisfaction at work. One particular kind of job-related nuisance which has significantly gained concern is workplace bullying. The workplace is an area that is least expected to provide employees with harmful or damaging feelings and thoughts. This is because it is in such environment where employees can supposedly have the opportunity to do their tasks and show their potentials hence the need for the workplace and its employees to be free from any manifestation of bullying. Bullying is, at present, alarmingly manifested in various workplaces. To make matters worse, workplace bullying is not limited among employees themselves. Bullying has escalated to a level that has involved no less than supervisors and higher management of companies. Supervisor or manager bullies use their authorities or positions to inflict harm to their subordinates. Purpose of the Project The purpose of this paper is to discuss, in particular, workplace bullying perpetuated by the immediate superiors of employees – or supervisory workplace bullying. In doing so, this paper seeks to present and analyze the essential details surrounding supervisory workplace bullying as an issue: its nature and characteristics, what causes the superiors to engage in it, its effects on the victimized employees, its overall cost to the company, and the things needed for its prevention. Problem Statement Supervisory workplace bullying has turned out to have a damaging impact on the employees and ultimately on the entire organization. It triggers consequences that bring more harm, as compared to the bullying that employees can do amongst themselves. Needless to say, efficient mechanisms for detecting and preventing supervisory workplace bullying have to be determined and put in place. Problem Background It is unfortunate to note that the workplace is the primary setting where employees are intimidated or bullied in today’s modern world. Bullying is no longer a common happening in recreational areas with children as the involved parties. The occurrence of bullying – especially supervisory bullying – in workplaces has become a serious concern that authorities both in the public and private sectors of society ought to address. Otherwise, its casualties would continue to increase day by day and its growing total adverse effects would remain unchecked. Scope of Problem Analysis In order to have a better and clearer understanding of supervisory workplace bullying, it is necessary to present its nature and characteristics. A detailed account of the dire consequences of supervisory workplace bullying and its quantified harm would help emphasize the urgency of preventing it from ever taking place. Then to advocate measures against the prevalence of supervisory workplace bullying, specific ways to deal with it are included in this paper. Description of the Proposed Project There will have to be ways for properly dealing with supervisory workplace bullying. Solving the problems it gives rise to will require adequate information on it – its causes and origin – and on how such problems arise from it. Research Questions †¢ Which supervisors are likely to bully their subordinates? †¢ Which subordinates are likely to fall prey to the bullying of their bosses? †¢ Which organizations are likely to have bullying supervisors? †¢ What can be done to prevent supervisory workplace bullying? Hypotheses Hypotheses have been drawn for confirmation through research on printed reports and materials about workplace bullying as a whole, and through the use of survey results as reliable data to base conclusions on. A set of hypotheses are focused on why supervisory workplace bullying has to happen. One states that supervisors who are likely to bully their subordinates are those who are not equipped with sufficient professional expertise or know-how. Thus, these supervisors try to cover or make up for their incompetence by bullying selected subordinates – in particular, those who are yet in probationary status and at the same time fearful of losing their jobs. Another hypothesis states that organizations with well-oiled and transparent working systems do not provide settings where supervisory workplace bullying will thrive; these organizations, in fact, deplore supervisory workplace bullying of any form and degree. The third hypothesis affirms that active involvement of management in the bid against supervisory workplace bullying and adequate information dissemination about it as something that is not tolerated within organizations would successfully ward it off. This would then form part of compliance to the enacted laws that require employers to see to the health and safety of all their employees. These questions and hypotheses serve as basis for doing a comprehensive research on the subject. This project aims to emphasize the need to undo the damages of workplace bullying and to establish that mechanisms that will address the prevalence of bullying in the workplace are not complicated or difficult to accomplish. This will encourage an anti-bully culture to prevail in the workplaces, which should eventually wipe out bullying as a common threat to the emotional wellbeing, the productivity level and the general welfare of organizations. You read "The Need to Prevent Supervisory Workplace Bullying" in category "Papers" Results Origin of the Concept Workplace bullying phenomenon traces its root from the trauma resulting from continued psychological fear of employees in the work environment. Heinz Leyman, the founder of a three-decade-old international anti-bullying association, has cited in her documentations that Namie (2003) used the term â€Å"mobbing† to describe such harmful act. The term â€Å"workplace bullying† was later used by Andrea Adams in the early part of 1990s to refer to the same form of intimidation when the victims happened to be employees doing their work in their respective workplaces. Thereafter, the concept of workplace bullying was introduced to the United States organizational setting by Namie in 1998 while an associate formally presented to the criminal justice system the legal issues emanating from it. Namie, 2003) Nature and Characteristics of Workplace Bullying Different sorts of threats and intimidation coming from supervisors and managers cannot be ignored. They are bound to cause stress, anxiety, discomfort and disappointment or even to inflict pain on the victimized employees. The workplace, then, becomes a hostile place. T here is no doubt that the presence of the bullying bosses doing their bullying tactics does not create a healthy culture. In general, supervisory workplace bullying damages the organization. Workplace bullying is generally characterized by the fact that it is unwanted, intentional, frequent and intense inappropriate behaviors which are enough to inflict harm and trauma-related manifestation to employees’ physical, psychological and emotional conditions (Namie, 2003). Hence, bullying in a work setting is a manifestation of either the supervisor or co-workers’ terrorizing, insulting, demeaning and embarrassing attitudes committed against employee-victim. The workplace bully wants power over his co-workers; the supervisory workplace bully wants control over his subordinates. Namie further said that workplace bullying is often caused by issues pertaining to gender, race, economic or financial status and positions of employees in an organization (Namie, 2003). Workplace bullying can be accomplished in various ways. The Trades Union Congress, by defining the term, names the factors that can lead to it: Workplace bullying can be defined as offensive, intimidating, malicious, insulting or humiliating behavior, abuse of power or authority which attempts to undermine an individual or group of employees and which may cause them to suffer stress (TUC website). Samples of Bullying Acts of Supervisors The Workplace Bullying Institute has described that supervisory workplace bullies generally inflict verbal or spoken abuse against subordinate employees, create work distractions such as sabotage that hampers workers’ tasks from being completed and manifest insulting behaviors with a purpose to threaten, humiliate and intimidate the victims (Workplace Bullying Institute, 2008). Specifically, supervisor and manager bullies can manifest several intimidating conducts which vary from physical or spoken offenses and from subtle and blatant manners. Some of the evident workplace intimidations done by superiors towards their subordinates include demeaning opinion or regular criticisms; shouting or use of offensive language; belittling or unreasonable statements or jokes about an employee’s physical looks, way of living and background. Additionally, the conducts include insulting acts; segregating employees from regular job interaction and development-related opportunities; excessive workload; unimportant pressure; illogical deadlines; meddling with personal and work belongings; aggressive conducts; intentional withholding of needed details, access, assistance and resources; fabricating the idea of uselessness; uncalled work alterations; unmerited jobs; not providing due recognition; exaggerated performance checking, and illogical disciplinary actions (â€Å"Workplace Bullying and Intimidation,† 2008). Prevalence of Bullying in the Workplace and Its Cost Bullying has become so common an occurrence in the working place. This statement is confirmed by documented surveys. Among them are the following: Date of bullying survey Survey origin Ratio of employees bullied % of workforce Number of employees bullied Bullied over the period†¦ Nov 1996 IPD 1 in 8 12 3. 5m 5 years Oct 1998 TUC 1 in 6 18 4. 5m 1 year Feb 2000 UMIST 1 in 4 25 7m 5 years Oct 2003 CHI 1 in 3 37 10. 4m 1 year Apr 2002 Lyn Quine 1 in 3 37 10. 5m 1 year Jan 1999 Lyn Quine 1 in 3 38 10. 5m 1 year Jun 1994 SUBS in 2 53 14m working life Source: UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line webpage With the frequency of bullying incidents in workplaces, the total productivity of workforces of various organizations has been greatly affected. Needless to say, lowered productivity is tantamount to wastage of time and a general failure to maximize the resources – especially the human resources – that would have been available for the organizations and their respective pursuits. A noted psychologist, Michael Harrison, Ph. D. , has cited the results of a survey involving 9,000 federal employees. The entire exercise has led to the significant findings: that 42 percent of the female and 15 percent of the male employees all experienced harassment of any form within two years from the conduct of survey in 2002. In monetary terms, such incidents of harassment have accumulated costs pertaining to lost time and productivity amounting to over US$180 million. (Farrell, 2002). Source: Working to Halt Online Abuse, 2000 Also according to surveys, the male gender composes the majority of the harassers while the female gender composes the majority of the harassed parties. Source: Working to Halt Online Abuse, 2000 Causes of Supervisory Workplace Bullying Given the fact that workplace bullying is not only contained among employees themselves but is more apparent between superiors and subordinates in current work settings, it is empirical to determine and analyze the causes of the problem. This leads to the identification of the reasons behind the inappropriate and unreasonable bullying acts committed by supervisors or managers with their subordinates as victims and the motivating factors that make them engage in such untoward acts. Throughout these procedures, theories related to supervisory workplace bullying will be analyzed as to relevance and applicability. In an analysis of 148 organizational ethnographies, Hodson, Roscigno and Lopez (2006) learned that the relative and organizational bases of workplace bullying are established by three main theories. The first supporting hypothesis stated that powerlessness is related with the vulnerability of subordinates against the bullying of their superiors. Subordinates who are not yet secured with their employment such as casual and probationary employees, members of minority groups and workers engaged in low-end services fall prey to workplace bullying by their supervisors and managers. Secondly, the hypothesis about the context or culture of an organization – the bureaucracy therein and involvement of the company management people in general – also fail to stop workplace bullying and to support initiatives that would help the organization to rationally in dealing the issue. This led to the third hypothesis which explained that common path to workplace bullying is organization chaos. This means that workplace bullying is likely to be committed by supervisors and manager against their subordinates when there is chaos in the organizational set-up or where relational powerlessness adds to the lack of transparency, liability and competence of the superiors or within the organization in general (Hodson, Roscigno Lopez, 2006). Effects of Supervisory Workplace Bullying Namie further reported that the prevalence of workplace bullying in the country was based on a ballpark figure derived from a random survey of Michigan workers that was conducted in 2000. The study indicated that the lives of a significant number of employees were severely affected because of existence of workplace bullying in their respective companies (Namie, 2003). The issue of workplace bullying has gained significance because of the apparent implications that it has inflicted on the lives of the victims. In particular, Parker-Pope (2008) has noted that supervisory workplace bullying has taken its toll on the emotions of subordinate employees. In fact, its seriousness and the gravity of its negative effects have surpassed another sensitive work-related offense which is sexual harassment. Parker-Pope added that in the current corporate setting, supervisors and managers tend to be insensitive to its damaging implications and even regard bullying as one of the harsh management styles (Parker-Pope, 2008). Workplace bullying is generally bad for any industry. This is due to the fact that bullied subordinates are inclined not to report for work and this scenario, coupled with increased turnover of employees, eventually affects the organization. Aside from emotional impact, workplace bullying results to serious health concerns where bullied subordinates suffer tension, misery, nervousness and even signs of post-traumatic strain illness (Parker-Pope, 2008). This finding is relevant in order to have an increased awareness on the harmful effects of workplace bullying. Aside from these apparent effects, the harm inflicted to bullied employees such as financial problem, reduced self-respect and phobias as well as other physical problems are alarming signs of the issue that need to be addressed. Prevention of Supervisory Workplace Bullying Citing previous studies which proved the negative implications of workplace bullying to the victims, Namie noted that it has definitely spurred an escalated lack of civility in workplaces. Hence, there is indeed a need to regard it in the same way as the other serious work-related offenses such racial discrimination and sexual harassment. In doing so, there will be a clear identification of the bullies and establishment of guidelines. Additionally, an increased awareness will pave the way for companies to create punishments as well as for the lawmakers to enact laws addressing workplace bullying and for the criminal justice system or law enforcement to implement the penalties (Namie, 2003). Supervisory workplace bullying can be prevented if the victims will have the conviction to work on putting such harmful treatment to a stop and if the company management is committed to address the concern. It is only through the collected efforts, therefore, of both the victims and management that workplace bullying can be totally eliminated from the organization. With this kind of cooperation in place, the problem of workplace bullying would be efficiently dealt with. More importantly, the bullies would hence be restricted from taking in more victims. The initial move to prevent, if not stop, workplace bullying is to accept its existence (Union Safe, 2005). When the problem is recognized as an issue that needs to be addressed, it is essential for the company, through its management, to formulate guidelines that will punish bully supervisors and managers as well as precautionary measures or steps that will protect the subordinate victims and punish. For the part of the company, the employers need to present a clear statement among all employees that such act is inadmissible and not tolerated. Another move to prevent economic losses that can stem from bullying acts within organizations is to arrange for training programs to be cascaded from managerial to staff levels and to impose anti-harassment policies that will brook no exceptions. Such policies should cover any act of bullying as something that will not be tolerated by management. (Farrell, 2002) A four-step process for recognizing and removing the risks of workplace bullying has been outlined to specifically guide management in handing the bullies right. Step 1 involves identifying the bullies as hazards; step 2 begins the assessment of the risks of having such bullies around; step 3 brings in effective measures to control such risks identified and assessed; and, step 4 requires the evaluation and review of how the bullies were accordingly dealt with. (Preventing Workplace Bullying: A Practical Guide for Employers) The following is an illustration of these four steps: Source: Preventing Workplace Bullying: A Practical Guide for Employers Preventing any form of bullying from occurring within an organization is not simply a move that top management would want to make for the sake of avoiding the huge costs and non-quantifiable but equally dire consequences that arise from its prevalence. Instead, such prevention is a specifically required by law – specifically, by the S ection 5a of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This law defines the safe and healthy workplace that all employers ought to provide employees; such workplace should, then, be free of threats and other hazards caused by the presence of an individual bully therein. (Farrell, 2002) Putting in concrete writing the campaign of the organization against workplace bullying and its serious policies against all forms of it should come a long way in discouraging everyone from ever bullying fellow members of the organization. A sample written company rule against workplace bullying is as follows: Source: Safety Health Assessment Research by Prevention Conclusion The support and participation of everyone – the management and the victims themselves – are significant in achieving a good fight against workplace bullying. Subordinates should be able to stop it even at its initial stage by being confident and firm in telling the bully supervisor or manager that the action is a serious offense. The union, in turn, needs to ensure in the first place that the workplace is free from any form of intimidation as well as assist and give essential service to the victim. In doing so, a victim is assured that he or she is not alone in the fight against bullying while the bully superiors are warned as well that resorting to bullying will expose them to moral and legal liabilities. Workplace bullying is a serious and dangerous issue that should not be taken for granted. With heightened consciousness about workplace bullying in general, the bulling supervisors and the bullied subordinates will know their places in the organization and the rights of everyone therein. The management and staff of companies all ought to be properly apprised as to the specifics of workplace bullying – in particular, its characteristics, signs and manifestations, causes, theoretical basis, effects, and precautionary measures against it. Through the collected efforts of the employers, management, employees and the union, the subordinate victims are saved from the ill effects of being bullied while the needed help is provided to the bully supervisors or managers. Indeed, bullying bosses would have to come to terms with issues that they have to face within themselves. They should realize that their bullying actions are manifestations of psychological disorders that would have to be treated for their own good. The significance of supervisory workplace bullying is emphasized by the above discussion on the specific bullies’ actions which threaten the victims. It is important to recognize what causes the bully superiors to intimidate their subordinates in order to identify the appropriate actions to be taken. The extent of the adverse effect of supervisory workplace bullying is more than enough to spur action aimed towards preventing it at all cost. The materials gathered from related literature confirm the hypotheses on which this research has been based. Such materials on workplace bullying indeed confirm that bullying and intimidation are done by the very people who, as supervisors and managers, should have been first to see to the generally healthy working environment that their subordinates are entitled to. The workplace bullies have turned out to be mostly superiors who delight in abusing the authority and power that go with their positions in the company by causing the people at the bottom of the organization chart all sorts of despair and anxiety. They are sick people needing psychological therapy and, unless treated, they ought to never have been designated to occupy supervisory or managerial positions. The alarming increase in the frequency of reported workplace bullying has thankfully triggered higher levels of awareness and resolve on the part of management people to be vigilant in detecting slightest signs of bullying in their respective turfs and to decisively put an end to it all. This should mean that the bullying bosses will cease to make victims of their subordinates and that the non-bullying ones will not anymore hesitate to stop colleagues from engaging in their bullying ways. Increased consciousness should generally limit the opportunities of bullies to do any bullying. It has also been an acknowledged truth, as seen by the rising prevalence of workplace bullying, that management has not been proactively battling it as something that can harm the organization, in terms of both the individual circumstances of its members and the overall effectiveness of the group. Websites of various government welfare agencies and all kinds of published materials have been decrying workplace bullying as a menace to the entire organization, citing specific reasons to substantiate the harm that it is purported to cause. This rising consciousness will equip employees with sufficient ammunition against being victimized by a bullying boss, who is most likely to get away with his bullying when dealing with an intimidated and uninformed subordinate. Thus, bullying now becomes associated with bad bosses who are harboring some insecurities, tendencies toward racial discrimination, imbalanced value systems, or psychological disorders. Gone are the days when victims silently suffer from the ill treatment that they get from bullying bosses. These days, workers now know their rights as provided by enacted laws. Articles have been written to repeatedly emphasize that bullying is a threat against the overall safety and welfare of employees, which are protected by laws as vital to all organizations. In organizations that are inadequately set up, there is bound to be chaos and lack of transparency in different matters that ought to be well-established and systematized. Indeed, bullies would not thrive in an organization where everything is in order. Among the things to be clearly made known to everybody in an organization is how each of them is supposed to epitomize the vision, mission and objectives of their organization. These ideals would encourage virtues and good traits such as honesty, willingness to work hard, treating people right, and concern for other people’s well-being. Needless to say, these ideals go against the motives that lead people to bully other people. Improvement of corporate governance, therefore, is a step toward prevention of bullying in the workplace. Healthy organizations have efficient, skilled, well-trained and confident people, both officers and staff. In such organizations, bullying will not at all be tolerated. In general, competent superiors would never feel the slightest inclination toward bullying as a management tactic or as a way to get their needed confidence-boosting. Good managers deliver what is expected of them and get people to do their own share of work without at all having recourse to bullying. In fact, it is the absence of malpractices like bullying that bolster the integrity and authority of management people. Bullying managers do not at all win the respect and admiration of their subordinates – they get only fear, and even this fear is not known to last simply because bullying either will cease once detected or once the victim has decided to leave the company for good. Workplace bullying brings in unnecessary costs and losses. In totality, it triggers all sorts of dire consequences and not a bit of beneficial result. The development in the area of proactive fight against workplace bullying has undoubtedly improved the lot of the victims thereof. But a lot remains to yet be accomplished in this line of endeavor. How to cite The Need to Prevent Supervisory Workplace Bullying, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Effects of Culture on Organizations-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Effects of Culture on Different Organisations. Answer: Introduction: Globalisation has resulted in the increase of diversity in the workplace. The sensitivity as well as the cultural awareness in the handling of the multi-cultural workforce is one of the most important managing aspects of the business. Cross cultural sensitivity is the acceptance, knowledge and awareness of other cultures. Cultural sensitivity is the acceptance of the cultures as they exist without any sort of judgemental attitude of any form or in any way. The cultures of any country are inherent aspects of that particular country and prove beneficial for the individuals residing in that particular country. Understanding the varied cultures of the workforce as also of the allies or associates is bound to result in the better communication, productivity and the unity in the workplace. The cross cultural sensitivity as also the awareness among the employees is extremely essential for the handling the multicultural business teams. The cross cultural sensitivity is also critical in the strategy for the global expansion of a particular organisation. The accounting and the advertising departments will need to take the diverse cultures and the sensitivities into account in the countries of expansion. The sales, growth of a company as well as its turnover are affected by any particular wrong decision of a company. It is therefore essential to give adequate thought to any decision before coming to a probable conclusion regarding any particular business decision in case of any organisation (Riivari et al 2012). A broad minded outlook needs to be adopted in case of companies to facilitate their growth and prosperity. It is genuinely required for the current generation professionals to familiarize themselves with the business protocol, the decision making process as also the core values of another culture. It is necessary to read into the cultural sensitivities and lead to appropriate communication across cross cultural workplace scenarios. Culture and its effect on organisations: Culture can be thought to be a malleable component of a particular organisation which can evolve as well as adapt through several concepts or influences to create value. Culture is representative of the beliefs, ideologies, practices, policies as well as principles of a particular organisation. The employees get a sense of direction and the way and nature of their behaviour is also influenced by the culture. Organisational culture is basically a system of shared values, beliefs as well as assumptions governing the way in which people behave in different organisations (Alvesson 2012). The nature of the performance of the people as well as their jobs is also essential factors contributing to the overall organisational culture. In case of large organisations, the existent culture might have a great deal of internal momentum, it has a low probability of being modified or changed. The organisational size as well the strength of its culture contributes hugely to the cultural inertia. There is a strong tendency of powerful organisations to continue their movement in their existing directions. It is the duty of the managers and the authorities to understand the culture as well as manage it effectively such that it becomes positive, ethical and efficient (Cameron and Green 2015). Several factors exist, that affect organisational culture. The most important factor is the individual who works for the organisation. Every individual contributes to the culture of the organisation. The culture of the organisation is reflected by the nature of the employees working there. The mentalities, interests, perceptions inherent in the employees affect the culture of an organisation (Mendenhall 2012). The gender of the employees also influences the organisational culture. Usually in cases where the male employees dominate the workforce, the late working hours or late sitting is a common feature. The nature of female candidates is generally kind as well as soft-hearted, whereas males are usually aggressive by nature. The nature of the business of the organisation also affects the business of the organisation. The industries related to stock broking, the financial services, banking industry are dependent on the external factors, which comprise the demand and supply, the market per share, the earning cap and so on. In the event of market crash, the industries and hence the associated organisations are automatically terminated. The fluctuations in the market lead to tensions within the employee circle and are bound to affect the workplace culture. In many occasions, the individuals are also de-motivated. The individuals are bound to reconsider their career choices in the organisation in such severe situations (Eisenbeiss and Brodbeck 2014). The nature of goals of a particular organisation also contributes to the nature of the culture at the workplace. Usually in case of government organisations, the individuals follow a set pattern and conform to the basic guidelines, it does not depend on the instant feedback or the opinions of the clients. However in case of fast paced industries, for example like event management or advertising, the employees are much more active as well as aggressive (Urbancova 2013). The external parties or the clients also affect the organisational culture as also the work culture. Those organisations which cater to foreign clients have to maintain the shift timings to match their requirements. The management style of handling the employees also affects the culture and the ambience at the workplace. In cases where the employees are allowed to take their own decisions as also participate in the strategy making, have certain significant cultures. In case of organisations where employees are given value as well as importance, they desire to hold on to those companies and start seeing future career prospects with them. In such cases the employees do not work for money but for personal satisfaction. In certain cases the culture is also responsible for an organisations objectives. Different cultures correspond to different levels of effectiveness. Several factors contribute to the organisational efficiency. One of the important factors is that of innovation. Active engagement of the employees in reaching certain goals and objectives is bound to benefit the culture. Involved employees tend to be more committed towards the organisations objectives. Employees can also be asked for input on the basis of which the organisation may take future decisions. The best and most innovative suggestions should be rewarded as well. These contribute to the culture focussing on the objectives as a part of everyones commitments (Wiewiora et al. 2013). Consistency is another important aspect of the culture of a company. Different messages should not be given to the teammates on different days. Only if the culture of shared objectives is consistent the company can reach its desired level. In order to achieve a desired level of success and reach the goals set for the company, the consistency should be maintained. The most important impact or connection to the organisational culture is the connection with the employees. In this aspect it can be said that it is the duty of the organisation to promote a culture where the employees are given value, respect as well as importance. It also needs to be understood that the culture of an organisation directly affects the employee performance. In cases where the employees are valued, they align their objectives as well as goals with the best interests of the company. In case where the culture involves rewarding the employees for their level of work or achievements done, this is bound to lead to job satisfaction. Thus it can be said that the organisational culture impacts the overall performance of the employees of the company. The lesser amount of negative factors ensures that the employees work towards a specific goal and also are satisfied in the process. In situations where the authorities or the mentors lack the characteristics of positivity as well as the capabilities of team motivation, the overall performance and hence the output of the organisation is bound to suffer. The turnover of a company as well as the existence of opportunities of an organisation affects the characteristics of its culture and the nature of the benefits it poses for its employees. Thus it is bound to impact the culture and the nature of the organisation (Reason 2016). How Organisations affect culture and cultural convergence: Cultural convergence is when the cultures across different countries become more or less alike. Primarily the concept of communication is one factor that contributes towards the growth of cultural convergence, for example the communication through a common language (Hislop 2013). With the increasing globalization of companies, the training of individuals as well as developing people across cultural boundaries is increasingly important. It is needless to say that the culture of a country is increasingly important for the nature of communication of the people. Organisations that operate in several companies across the world consist of people speaking in different languages and used to different cultures (French 2015). Cultures belonging to different countries and instances of individuals being sensitive to these cultures results in embarrassments as well as misunderstandings and in many cases even a loss of efficiencies. As an example it can be said that, time is an important factor for the difference of cultures. There are different implications for time and punctuality in different countries. The understanding and sensitivity towards times is different in terms of behaviour as also the orientations (Gentry and Sparks 2012). The roots of cultural differences, in case of the business practices are much deeper. The business cultures in different countries are also variable and the personal understanding and sensitivity also vary. Only the social values or the legal frameworks, public systems or public policies are not the influencing factors of the business culture. There are certain factors which influence the cultural variables in different countries. They differ in the way the social institutions function; the nature of operations of their financial system, the government structures which exist as also their inherent operations. The education systems in different countries focus on different aspects and the facts which are elaborated are bound to be incorporated in the work of the individuals of different nationalities. Individualism as well as entrepreneurship is focussed in case of the capitalist system in America. Other countries focus on the different systems which become inherent in the employees. The legal frameworks as well as the government policies reflect the cultural values of the country. The business practices are influenced by the broader framework for doing the business in the country. The management practices within the company are influenced as well as circumscribed. The interpretation as well as implementation of the laws is also affected. One of the most pervasive impacts on the business culture and the values comes from the broads cultural values belonging to the country. The business is influenced at different levels by all these impacts. As an impact of these cultural values different businesses get positively impacted while others are not so much benefited (Park and Shaw 2013). The cultural values also influence the way in which the business is organised and conducted in the different societies. In case of collective societies, the personal contacts play a major role in the conduction of the business. In case of people who are adaptive, the culture of the organisation does not suffer but in case of people who are unable to adjust it might lead to several problems. The concept of time is an important factor for the convergence of cultures as time specialities or preferences are varied for people belonging to different countries. Different shifts are preferable for different people. This might be based on the time zones to which the people belong and they are dependent on the shifts they are used to working in usually. The concept of ethnocentrism focuses on the evaluation of other cultures based on the existing notions which originate in the standards and the customers of a persons individual culture. It is an important concept in the context of organisational culture. It is quite natural that the concepts of ones individual culture is inherent and is also invisible to ones own self. Ethnocentrism is a concept that helps domestic companies improve their sales as it involves the buying of products that are domestic instead of products from other countries. Culturally similar countries may also benefit from the ethnocentric concept as it involves buying products from the similar countries as well (Rasula, Vuksic and Stemberger 2012). Several problems can be encountered when a country wishes to expand its businesses abroad. It can be used to benefit companies which are domestic but can create huge problems when there is the prospect of entering a foreign market. In case of any particular country, the companies which are not perceived as favourable will face problems while entering into another country. It should be the goal of the companies to maximise the benefits of this concept at the same time minimize its drawbacks. In case of domestic sales the company should focus on the advertising and the promotions. On the other hand, while going abroad, it should focus on the operations under a suitable foreign subsidiary with a different marketing campaign in order to benefit the sales of the company (Garca-Morales, Jimnez-Barrionuevo and Gutirrez-Gutirrez, 2012). Subculture is a total of all the cultures and beliefs which separate the groups within the same broad culture. Subculture may vary due to race, religion as well as socioeconomic status. Subculture might also influence the business priorities as well as the buying patterns of individuals. Subculture, in a way, prevents the overgeneralisation of culture. It is a beneficial aspect in case of the final organisational culture. Various cultural models for effective cultural leadership: Several popular models exist for the effective cultural leadership which focuses on the humane orientation, gender differentiation as well as the uncertainty avoidance. It also focuses on the power distance, intellectual collectivism and also the in group collectivism (Bush 2014). Power distance is the degree to which the lower ranking individuals accept that the power is unequally distributed among the individuals in an organisation (Ashby, Palermo and Power, 2012). Collectivism is the concept that the individuals life is not merely his own but is that of the society of which he is an essential part. The group or the society is the most important unit of moral concern. The in-group collectivism is the extent to which the individuals express the loyalty pride as well as the collectiveness in their organisations of which they are a part (Aycan et al. 2012). Edward T. Halls model: Edward T. Halls model focuses on the high as well as low context cultures which are clearly discussed below. As is shown in the figure, communication is less verbally explicit and emphasis is given on long term relationships in case of the model. The listener also is found to have many more ways of understanding in case of the high context culture. In case of the low context culture, the communication is explicit, the listener does not have much knowledge. Most of the European countries are engaged in the low context culture. Figure 1: Edward T. Halls model GeertE Hofstedes Model: The cultural dimensions theory is a framework for the effective cross-cultural communication which was developed by Geerte Hofstede. The effects of a societys culture on the values of its members are discussed and the values relating to the behaviour. It uses the structure that is derived from the concept of factor analysis. According to this theory, different characteristics, including the uncertainty avoidance index, the masculinity versus femininity concept of role distribution, the comparison of the long term and short term orientation, the indulgence versus the restraint are all discussed. The interactions between the different cultures are studied. The discussion of role distribution between the genders is discussed in case of the masculinity versus the femininity. The connection between the past and the present are discussed in case of the long and short term orientation. Figure 2: Hofstedes model Impact of internet on culture: The advent of new technologies significantly impacts the culture of organisations. It is an important factor in determining the cultural prospects of a business in future. (Porter 2013). Almost every individual of the present young generation is media and internet savvy. It definitely is a blessing to use this particular technological development as an advancement to the culture of the organisations and also in case of their operations. Internet as also the social media is extremely powerful and impacts the culture and also shapes the human behaviour (Kiesler 2014). Everyday lives are influenced by the advent of the internet. Hence it can be said that the businesses of powerful and not so powerful organisations all across the world are impacted by the advent of newer technologies and have made the business operations much more efficient (Lee, Trimi and Kim 2013). Conclusion: Despite the various differences in culture which are existent in the organisations, people need to be tolerant of the varieties in the organisations and also in the individuals as well. Being judgemental is not an option in case of the cross cultural diversities. Several characteristics are essential for the leaders of today including the concept of the cultural sensitivity. Non-judgemental attitude is an essential feature for the proper running of the organisations. It can also be said that the organisations can prosper as a whole only if the team members and the leaders work together as a whole. Concentrating on how the company attributes can be improved needs to be focussed on. The employees need to work together as a team along with the heads and to ensure this the employees need to be satisfied and their needs need to be taken care of. In order to assist the managers for the implementation of the cultural sensitivity, the popular models of the leadership for the cultural convergence need to be followed. The managers need to be sensitive to the needs to the employees of the organisation. It is only when the managers and the employees are motivated and work together as a whole, the company can move towards cultural growth and reach a level of dominance in the global market. References: Alvesson, M., 2012.Understanding organizational culture. Sage. Ashby, S., Palermo, T. and Power, M., 2012. Risk culture in financial organisations: an interim report. Aycan, Z., Schyns, B., Sun, J.M., Felfe, J. and Saher, N., 2013. Convergence and divergence of paternalistic leadership: A cross-cultural investigation of prototypes.Journal of International Business Studies,44(9), pp.962-969. Bush, T., 2014. Instructional and transformational leadership: alternative and complementary models?. Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015.Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Eisenbeiss, S.A. and Brodbeck, F., 2014. Ethical and unethical leadership: A cross-cultural and cross-sectoral analysis.Journal of Business Ethics,122(2), pp.343-359. French, R., 2015.Cross-cultural management in work organisations. Kogan Page Publishers. Garca-Morales, V.J., Jimnez-Barrionuevo, M.M. and Gutirrez-Gutirrez, L., 2012. Transformational leadership influence on organizational performance through organizational learning and innovation.Journal of business research,65(7), pp.1040-1050. Gentry, W.A. and Sparks, T.E., 2012. A convergence/divergence perspective of leadership competencies managers believe are most important for success in organizations: A cross-cultural multilevel analysis of 40 countries.Journal of Business and Psychology,27(1), pp.15-30. Hislop, D., 2013.Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press. Kiesler, S., 2014.Culture of the Internet. Psychology Press. Lee, S.G., Trimi, S. and Kim, C., 2013. The impact of cultural differences on technology adoption.Journal of World Business,48(1), pp.20-29. Mendenhall, M.E. ed., 2012.Global leadership: Research, practice, and development. Routledge. Park, T.Y. and Shaw, J.D., 2013. Turnover rates and organizational performance: a meta-analysis. Porter, D., 2013.Internet culture. Routledge. Rasula, J., Vuksic, V.B. and Stemberger, M.I., 2012. The impact of knowledge management on organisational performance.Economic and Business Review for Central and South-Eastern Europe,14(2), p.147. Reason, J., 2016.Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Routledge. Riivari, E., Lms, A.M., Kujala, J. and Heiskanen, E., 2012. The ethical culture of organisations and organisational innovativeness.European Journal of Innovation Management,15(3), pp.310-331. Urbancova, H., 2013. Competitive advantage achievement through innovation and knowledge.Journal of Competitiveness,5(1). Wiewiora, A., Trigunarsyah, B., Murphy, G. and Coffey, V., 2013. Organizational culture and willingness to share knowledge: A competing values perspective in Australian context.International Journal of Project Management,31(8), pp.1163-1174.