Cognitive Dissonance Essays - Social Psychology, Attitude Change

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance How do human beings make decisions? What triggers a person to take action at any given point? These are allquestions that I will attempt to answer with my theoretical research into Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance, as well as many of the other related theories. We often do not realize the psychological events that take place in our everyday lives. It is important to take notice of theories, such as the balance theory, the congruency theory and the cognitive dissonance theory so that one's self-persuasion occurs knowingly. As psychologist and theorist gain a better understanding of Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory manipulation could occur more easily than it already does in today's society. Leon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory is very closely related to many of the consistency theories. The first of the major consistency theories, the balance theory, was proposed by Fritz Heider (1946, 1958) and was later revised by Theodore Newcomb (1953) (Larson, 1995). Heider and Newcomb's theory was mostly looking at the interaction between two people (interpersonally) and the conflicts that arose between them. When two people have conflicting opinions or tension is felt between another person, it is more likely persuasion will occur. Because if no tension was felt between the two parties, or there were no conflicting opinions there would be no need to persuade each other. If you think about it persuasion occurs only because there is tension between two facts, ideas or people. Charles Larson writes in his book, Persuasion, Reception and Responsibility, ?another approach to the consistency theory is congruency theory, by Charles Osgood and Percy Tennenbaum (1955)? (p.82). This theory suggest that we want to have balance in our lives and there is a systematic way to numerically figure it out. When two attitudes collide we must strive to strike a balance between the two attitudes. The balance varies depending on the intensity we feel about each attitude and our pre-disposed positions concerning the attitude. We either have a favorable , neutral or unfavorable opinion concerning ideas. When two attitudes collide we will attempt to downgrade the favorable position and upgrade the unfavorable position so that we feel a balance. For example, suppose someone thought of Mel Gibson as a good role model. Later on they come to find out Mel Gibson does not like football. If the person was to like both football and Mel Gibson one of three things would happen: 1) The individual would downgrade their opinion of Mel Gibson, or 2)downgrade football, or 3) downgrade both. The action taken would create psychological consistency in one's mind. These theories are very interesting and have been quite researched, but none more so than Leon Festinger's theory of cognitivedissonance. Leon Festinger's theory, unlike the others I have described, deal with quantitative aspects, as well as qualitative. That's what is so different and revolutionary about Festinger's theory. Robert Wicklund and Jack Brehm (1976), in their book Perspectives on Cognitive Dissonance, write,? Most notably, the original statement of dissonance theory include: propositions about the resistance-to-change of cognitions and about the proportion of cognitions that are dissonant, both of which allowed powerful and innovative analyses of psychological situations (p.1). The term ?dissonance? refers to the relation between two elements. When two elements do not fit together they are considered dissonant. Cognitive dissonance can be broken down into a number of elements. As Brehm and Cohen (1962) write, ?A dissonant relationship exist between two cognitive elements when a person possesses one which follows the obverse of another that he possesses. A person experiences dissonance, that is, a motivational tension, when he (or she) has cognitions among which there are one or more dissonant relationships? (p.4).Cognitive dissonance can occur intrapersonally as well as betweentwo or more people. With individual cognitive dissonance the individual longs for consistency within their own mind. Second, there exist dissonance between two or more people. This occurs when two people have differing opinions about a particular issue.This phenomenon may have something to do with varying degrees of knowledge about the issue or different belief systems being enacted. An example of this can be seen by taking a look at the cultures of the West versus cultures of the East. Cultures of the East value loyalty and honor. Cultures of the West have different value systems that often collide with those of the East. Between two parties, dissonance may arise from: (1) logical inconsistency; (2) because of cultural mores: (3) because of a specific opinion; and (4) because of past experience. To reduce cognitive dissonance a person

Job Prospects for ESL Teachers in the U.S.

Job Prospects for ESL Teachers in the U.S. If youve ever thought about changing professions to become an ESL teacher, now is the time. Increasing demand for ESL teachers has created a multitude of ESL job opportunities in the US. These ESL jobs are being offered by states which are offering a number of job training opportunities for those not already qualified to teach ESL. There are two principle types of ESL jobs that are in demand; positions which require bilingual teachers (Spanish and English) to teach bilingual classes, and ESL positions for English-only classes for speakers who have a limited ability in English (LEP: limited English proficiency). Recently, the industry has moved away from speaking about ESL and has turned to ELL (English language learners) as the preferred acronym.   ESL Job Demand Facts Here are some statistics that point to the great need: According to the  National Center for Education Statistcs, In school year, 27 percent of all schools with bilingual/ESL teaching vacancies found them very difficult or impossible to fill, more than for many other teaching fields. Since this report, the number of ESL job vacancies has grown rapidly.From the same report: As the number of children with difficulty speaking English has increased (from 1.25 million in 1979 to 2.44 million in 1995), so has the burden on school systems to recruit teachers with the skills necessary to teach these classes. The difficulty schools have in filling such positions is one indication of whether the supply of bilingual and ESL teachers is adequate to meet the demand.The number of LEP speakers grew 104.7%, from 2,154,781 in 1989 to 4,416,580 in 2000 according to a survey performed by the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Now for the good news: As a means of meeting the ESL job demand a number of special programs have been implemented around the United States for non-certified teachers. These programs provide an excellent means for teachers who have not taught in the State education system to take advantage of these opportunities. Even more exciting, it provides an opportunity for those from a wide variety of backgrounds to become ESL teachers. Some of these even provide a financial bonus (for example a bonus of up to $20,000 in Massachusetts) for joining their programs! Teachers are needed throughout the country, but principally in large urban centers with high immigrant populations.   Education Required In the U.S., the minimum requirement for programs is a bachelors degree and some sort of ESL qualification. Depending on the school, the qualification required might be as simple as a months certificate such as the CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). The CELTA is accepted around the world. However, there are other institutions that provide training online and in weekend courses. If youd like to teach in a community college or at a university, youll need at least a masters degree preferably with a specialization with ESL.   For those who would like to teach in public schools (where demand is growing), states require additional certification with different requirements for each state. Its best to look into the certification requirements in the state in which you would like to work.   Business English or English for Special Purposes teachers are in high demand outside of the country and are often hired by individual firms to teach staff.  Unfortunately, in the United States, private companies rarely hire in-house teachers.   Pay Despite the need for quality ESL programs, pay remains rather low except at larger accredited institutions such as universities. You can find out about average salaries in each state. Generally speaking, universities pay best followed by public school programs. Private institutions can vary widely from near minimum-wage to much better-paid positions.   To meet the growing demand for ESL teachers, a number of websites have created invaluable resources for the recruitment of teachers. This guide provides some tips on becoming an ESL teacher. Other opportunities are open to those who are in mid-career  or do not have the exact teacher certification required by any individual state for ESL jobs in the public school system. For more information on teaching ESL in the United States, TESOL is the leading association and provides a great deal of information.

Sports Day Event 'Give It a Go' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sports Day Event 'Give It a Go' - Essay Example Aims and Objectives Engaging students in sports events in order to bring the best in them making them Good leaders, Team builders and discipliners. To promote healthy competition amongst students of the Childwall Valley Primary school (Lang-8 2011). A good psychological and physical health for students To encourage interaction (communication skills) between the students and Parents so they can learn from one another (Bigelow, Moroney and Hall 2001). Work plan of Event The event requires extensive preplanning, which is not possible with the help of the School staff as well as Students. For the success of the event the Sports Instructor of the Childwall Valley Primary School will be given the task of short listing students participating in the event and under which aspect will they be participating (Gomez 2011). The heads of departments need to be patient with allocating some time from their classes during the last two weeks of the Sports Event. Parent volunteering is welcomed and high ly respected for the event. The event will have an opening ceremony, gymnastics and cheer leading squad, field sports, relay races, tug of war and event ceremony with prize distribution (Lang-8 2011). Persons in charge of event Responsibility Name Head of Sports Event Daniel Roffman (Sports instructor) Speaker and Disciplinary head at Event Rachel Mike Gymnastics and Cheerleading Kathrine Jones Field Sport Rohit Adwalia and Hilton John Drinks and Food Parent Volunteers Nurse Kamila Scott Score Board (Spectator) High School Volunteers Award and Closing ceremony Rachel Fo (Director) (Merriam Webster 2012 ) Equipment Required Equipment Required Whistles Boundary Ropes Hurdle Exercise Mats Microphone and Speakers Baseball kit Cricket kit Basketball Nets kit Soccer Goals and kit Stop watch Relay sticks Score board Trophy and prize distribution gifts (Sports Equipemnet Supplies 2012) Explanation of Event The event will take place in the premises of the Child Valley Primary School’s Playground. This option was feasible and convenient as it is economical and will avoid transport issues for students and teachers. The School bus will pick students from the bus stop for the event at nine in the morning. The organizers of the event will be in school from seven in the morning preparing for the event. Safety is the most important aspect for this event. Therefore, the school Medical nurse will be available at the ground at all times during the event (Omelianovych 2010). The event will start at 10 in the morning with the Opening Ceremony and the settling of the students with energy drinks and water bottles. Then, the cheer leading squad and gymnasts will perform their exercised performance. Shortly after this, the races and rallies will take place around the ground with the help of the sports instructor and parent volunteers. The high school students will maintain a Scoreboard throughout the event for the avoiding confusion at the end of the ceremony (Omelianovych 2010 ). The Baseball, Basketball, Cricket and Soccer will be played in the teams made during practices for the event. After the last game of Soccer students will be given a break of twenty minutes to rest and change. The ending ceremony will take half an hour with the awards being trophies, medals and certificates for volunteers (NSW Department of Planning 2009

Beauty Cuts More Than Skin Deep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beauty Cuts More Than Skin Deep - Essay Example In the article, the author tends to indicate that the practice of beautifying oneself is more or less a recent trend. Though this is not expressed directly but the indication and focus on more recent techniques such as Botox indicate that the author is analysing the situation in a recent perspective only. People have been in the race to beautify themselves from ancient times. There are indications to suggest that cosmetics were utilised by affluent men and women alike in the ancient Egyptian civilisation (Winter, 2005). Not only this, the practice of denying the usage of cosmetics and other beautification agents has been just as strong. In her article, Cannold (2012) suggests that the onus of using makeup or beautification agents and denying it falls squarely on women. However, this may not necessarily be true. The denial of using beautification agents is just as rampant in men as in women. Studies have indicated that the usage of cosmetics is more of a personal or individual affair than a gender related affair. The author indicates that women use Botox and other beautification agents but deny it in front of other women. She also implies that women are not concerned with Botox usage in men but instead are concerned with the use of such agents by other women. However, if this phenomenon is looked at in detail, it could be recognised that none of us, whether men or women, want to admit our fallibility to age. As indicated before, the use of beautification agents is not associated to gender anymore (Robertson, Fieldman, & Hussey, 2008). Instead, the old values are being replaced by new values where men and women alike want to deny the usage of any beautification agents. The author further develops her argument by presenting weight as a means of differentiating between women’s social groups. Cannold (2012) suggests that women of one weight category will socialise with each other only in order to justify their own weight. This serves as a weak argument since this argument can be generalised to nearly any gender and their socialisation patterns. It is relevant to note that men will only socialise with other men who share common physical characteristics. For example, body builder men will socialise with others who are conscious about their physical well being. This argument can also be extended further to espouse the third gender. Members of the third gender will only socialise with members of the third gender since they resemble physically. Hence, it could be concluded that physically similar people will socialise with each other whether you talk about men, women or about the third gender. The author extends her argument to indicate that women utilise beautification agents in order to fit into their social groups where 50 year olds seem like 40 year olds. Again, it could be argued that men tend to be just as choosy about their appearance and this can be demonstrated by looking at the corporate sector. Restricting the argument’s sc ope to women alone is rather lope sided since male corporate managers do their best to look and as fresh as a cucumber (Gimlin, 2002). Present-ability is one of the most esteemed characteristics of the corporate world especially at the higher levels. This applies across the board to men and women operating in those domains (Low, 2008). The author’

The Second Treatise of Civil Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Second Treatise of Civil Government - Essay Example This is an indication that freedom has its own limitations based on the activities that individuals are involved in. Freedom is important in ensuring that the individuals are able to carry out their activities without the fear of being arrested or harassed . Different forms of freedom exist in the current world. The different types of freedoms are recognized by the government in the United States of America and it based on theses freedoms that the individuals are allowed to carry out certain activities and restrained from carrying out other activities.   Freedom also comes with a sense of responsibility and the individuals are supposed to be responsible when carrying out different activities.   The issues of slavery have also been highlighted in the article. Slavery has negative impacts on the freedom of the individuals. This is because a slave does not have any freedom and cannot make any decision. The master decides everything for the slave which puts their life at the mercy of their master. Freedom is therefore important to the society in enabling the individuals to be involved in different political, social and economic activity. The freedom that the individuals enjoy in the society determines the levels of democracy.   The theory of John Locke considers freedom as one of the most important aspect in the society. It is through freedom that the members of the society can make decisions on how they should be governed.   The limitation of the freedom in the society in most cases results to dictatorship.

Mass Media Creates Rather Than Reflects Social Reality Media Essay

Mass Media Creates Rather Than Reflects Social Reality Media Essay The modern society is surrounded by different types of media that present multifarious information. This is done in a gratuitous manner whether with or without the consent of the audience. It has been argued by some that the medias role has extended from the conventional reflection of societal values to the creation of new values. This is a complex and controversial matter though. However, this articles final stand is that the media is an amplifier of underlying societal values. Some of the content is distorted, even though one cannot down play the inherent significance of the medias belonging to the society (Lull, 2000, p. 37). The media has rapidly developed with the advent in information technology. It has become easier to access information in contemporary times than it was some few decades ago. This has been through smart gadgets and technologies such as phones, and the internet, and social networking sites such as Facebook, My Space, and Tweeter among others. Virtually everything is going e, from e-mails to e-newspapers. This has made it so easy to communicate; you could easily speak your mind and even show the world what youve got through YouTube (Kuerschner, 2006, p.11). When one is sitting in their living room to watch music videos from MTV, different interpretations arise, but one thing is common-MTV clearly displays the way music has developed. MTV has generally been a symbol of those who are young and jaunty. The music, the lifestyle of rap stars, rock stars, pop stars have liberally set new criterions, which are earnestly followed by the young. MTV has increased its presence in oriental countries; this has been observed as an invasion from the West and a destruction of conventional values. There has been a creation of new styles of walking, talking, clothing, and consequently thinking for the young oriental minds. For example, MTVs era in Japan is quickly associated with the birth of the rebellious Japanese adolescents. However, it is sincerely wrong to believe that the MTV itself creates reality from nowhere or to conclude that the MTV is responsible for all changes in the contemporary technologically advanced Japan. The MTV has actually been s uccessful in the western world, and then in the rest of the world simply because it has continued to support and magnify the values that are inherently held and nurtured by these societies. The contemporary society is more liberal, more spontaneous, and more rebellious; this may be as a result of industrialization, and the media serves as an amplifier of such values. If the modern media would instead assume a more conservative figure, the expected result would be its extinction. (Connell, 1995, p. 9) Information has a significant effect on people lives. For example watching the world cup can make one to experience a gamut of emotions, a sense of delight, nervousness and even resentment at the same time. Watching movies can take someones mind away from reality; this may bring inspiration to do act in a certain way. Therefore, information has created a myriad of avenues to the society but at the same time the society has become heavily dependent on these avenues (Newbold et al., 2002, p. 31). The film making industry is another noteworthy example. Several changes have occurred in this industry and the modern filming industry has witnessed radical changes in the physical appearance of actors and actresses. Main actresses have become symbols of beauty. Modern movies depict beauty as tall and slim. More evidence can be seen from the modern posters and magazine covers display of images of women. The social appetite and taste for the woman body have really changed over time. The figure of a man is displayed as tall and well built (Parenti 1990, p. 6). The media has significantly propagated a certain type of beauty. Think about it this way, what if the media starts to promote short and fat model of beauty, would it be successful? This question may receive more No than yes, this means a doubt in the ability of the media to create the beauty that is not inherently held by the society. Another example is watching a movie of the hero robbing a bank with striking ingenuity; this ins tills negative messages into the masses (McGillion, C., 2003, p. 33). Generally stealing is wrong, but the hero of the movie walks out free, and goes to have fun without any conscience. Such movies create negative values that are against the principles of honesty (Barr, 2000, para.2). However, the media plays a significant role in presenting facts and realities say from newspapers on development, finance, justice, poverty, e.t.c, which are real reflections of what is happening in the society (Newbold, 2002, pp. 219). The values and mentality of the society is displayed as a whole rather than as an individual. Renowned scholar James Curran argued that The conviction à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that the media are important agencies of influence is broadly correct. However, the ways in which the media exert influence are complex and contingent (p. 158). For example the way the media has reported on terrorism has really instilled fear in the minds of people (Cozens, 2006). The loathing of terrorism has on the other hand turned others into pacifist. The media is arguably the most important form of expressing views and it is itself a medley of individuals and societys views (Fiske 1989, p. 127). With all these said, some view the media as being liberal but a closer analysis reveals otherwise, the owners of media outlets are not liberal themselves. Media outlets are businesses that are kept afloat by advertising revenues. It is true that some media outlets do a good job of being impartial. But when a TV station backs a political candidate who is sponsored by business heavy weights it must pay the price (Kalathi, S, 2004, p.40). Money of course directly buys influence as a result it affects how media covers a certain event (Price, 2002, p. 13). It is a medium for the ruling class to perpetuate their power, wealth and status (Barr, 2000, p. 17). Therefore, the media in this sense does not reflect reality (Curran, 2002, p. 45). Conclusion The thesis of this paper is that the media does play a role in creating reality from underlying societal values. Thus, the media cannot create values of its own. The article puts the relative advantage and disadvantage of the power of the media in creating reality, with an emphasis on the way the society has inherently allowed this to happen.

Holbein vs Il Guercino :: Essays Papers

Holbein vs Il Guercino Most museum-goers would say that the artwork they are looking at is "impressive" or "interesting", but they would not usually be able to tell you why they think so. This is because, even though they hold that different pieces of work are equally beautiful, it is not often that the inexperienced eye would truly realize exactly what makes each work unique. Some of these factors include the period in which the work was done, the techniques used, and the overall emotion that the work displays. Even though these are not usually the first things that the average museum-goer thinks of, they are surely some of the most significant reasons for why art attracts so many different people with a variety of tastes and interests. Two excellent examples of how these aspects add to the magnificence of a painting while still retaining each work's uniqueness can be seen in comparing Sir Thomas More, by Hans Holbein the Younger, and Sampson Captured by the Philistines, by Guercino. These two paintings are both masterpieces in their own respects, displaying the exceptional talents of the artists and encompassing the nature of paintings during their time. Sir Thomas More, painted in 1527, is a portrait done by Hans Holbein the Younger. The portrait shows Sir More posing still, from the waist up, seated in front of green drapery, with one arm lightly resting on a type of wooden panel. This painting accurately encompasses the civil situation and spirit of the Renaissance in the North. Since religious art was traveling in a downward spiral due to the Protestant Reformation, artists were forced to look for other types of commissions. Because of the improving economy, middle-class citizens started making more money and began to commission portraits of themselves. Holbein was forced to leave his home to find work in England, where he first met Sir Thomas More and portrayed several other great humanists of the time. Holbein's painting of Sir More displays the intricate details, definite lines, rich colors, and illusionism that are associated with the Northern Renaissance. The details in this painting are countless. The individual strands of hair at Sir More's hairline, the wrinkles on his knuckles, the easily observable difference between the color of his irises and his pupils, and the "SS" chain around his neck are all details that may be easily overlooked if one was not thinking about it.

had never been to a concert before, so I was incredibly excited about it

It was the 6th of April 2001 and I remember every detail vividly. I was with 6 of my close friends; Ben, my boyfriend of 5 months, Becka, my best friend for as long as I can remember, Charlotte and her boyfriend Steve, Sbecky and her boyfriend Tony. Charlotte and Sbecky were also very old friends of mine from school years, both of whom I had kept in contact with since leaving school. We were all very excited about the gig, and as we stood outside waiting for the doors to open, I noticed that nobody was concerned about the fact that it was bitterly cold. I stood amongst my friends and while we were talking about Charlotte's birthday that had just been, I felt a gust of wind hit my face like sharp knifes piercing my skin. I rubbed my face to warm myself slightly. Ben noticed that I was incredibly cold and he wrapped his arms around me to shelter me from the unkind coldness of the night. It was very slow getting into the venue as there were so many people waiting, so as we slowly crept nearer to the doors, we all became a little more anxious to get in. When we finally got there we handed over our tickets and they were torn in half, just like at the cinema. The first thing I noticed as I walked through the doors was the instant warmth, so welcoming in contrast to the icy wind that waited to stalk us on our return home. Next I noticed the amount of people that surrounded me; it was just like a sea of teenagers all as happy and excited as me and my friends. It was such a lively enthusiastic environment. I turned around, expecting to see Ben, but instead there was a short woman in her early twenties. I started to look around and walk back towards the doors until I heard Ben's voice from about 5 feet away, so I turned and moved towards him. As soon as I was back with him I felt safe and relaxed. Everybody else soon found us, and as soon as we were all back together we headed towards the main hall. There was a long passage leading to the main hall, I was sure it would have seemed longer if there were fewer people surrounding me. The doors on our right hand side were huge and had two people in luminous yellow jackets standing at either side. As we walked in we had a little more room to move about. We went to the back, and sat down on the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs. For me Charlotte and Becky, it was the first time we had ever been to a concert, so we had no idea what to expect. We waited for about twenty minutes until the support band came on stage. They greeted the audience and told us that they were called Ten Benson. Each member of the band wore a fish-net top and a green baseball cap. We had already begun to walk down the stairs and into the main crowd by the time they started playing. The noise was so powerful it began to make my ears tingle. As we got closer and closer to the front, we could see the band a little more clearly. They were such an energetic band; their act consisted of climbing on top of amplifiers and jumping off, whilst still playing their instruments incredibly well. The drum beat was very powerful and so we were all compelled to dance. When the vocalist began to sing on the second song it was clear that he was a very heavy smoker, but his voice was so intoxicating, I couldn't do anything but listen to him. At the end of each song there was a huge sound of clapping and cheering for the band, but it wasn't until they started to leave the stage that the sound became like thunder. They had played amazingly well and I'm sure that anyone who didn't have their album already would own it within the next week. When the band had left the stage and the lights came on slowly, people began to drift back towards the seats. Becka, Charlotte and I, decided to do the opposite. As people were leaving the front we moved forward. We eventually managed to squeeze our way right up to the front. Various people were coming onto the stage, swapping leads about, tuning the lead and bass guitars, and trying to make the stage a little tidier. After about fifteen minutes the crowd started to force their way back to the front again. I was being squeezed against the metal railings that were keeping the crowd from getting onto the stage. Security guards stood in front of the railings, I felt envious of the amount of space they had. It seemed so strange that thousands of people were all packed into a space like sardines and less than two feet away from them stood security guards who had all the space they liked. The main band appeared and the crowed roared once again. They were called The Darkness and I had only heard one track they had ever made, but I loved it from the first time I heard it. They talked to the crowd for a few minutes, saying how great it was to be back in Wales and what a great crowd we were. They started playing and the pain I was feeling as my ribs got crushed was reduced as I was distracted by the creativity of the band. They were outstandingly good. The drummer looked like he had just escaped from a mental institution. He let out all his energy onto the drums, with his head moving up and down frantically and arms everywhere, he was so talented. The lead guitarist/vocalist wore a cat suit with zebra print on it and a huge hole from the waist line up to the shoulders so that his torso was on full display. He had shoulder length dark hair, and as he was playing his hair was flying about so freely. His fingers moved up and down the guitar with such elegance and ease, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the performance. The bassist, on the other hand wasn't moving much, he looked very serious and was concentrating on his instrument. He played very well, and the bass line was very clear, which was unusual. I was having the time of my life, and I didn't think the night could get any better, until they played the one song I'd heard by them the week before. It was called ‘Love on the Rocks with No Ice', and it was played so much better live, than when I had heard it on the television. The crowd loved them, there were people on other people's shoulders, singing with the band and people were crowd surfing over our heads. The enthusiasm from the crowd was so powerful that it seemed to give me more energy, so I danced and danced for the rest of the set. When the band played their final piece the crowd all shouted for more, nobody wanted the night to end. Eventually the band came back on to the stage and told us we could have one more song. They played what was going to be their next single. It was great, but when the song ended, I knew it was the end of the night. The lights in the hall came on and the atmosphere was diminished. As we wandered out of the hall with the rest of the crowd, I felt overwhelmed with happiness. Ben tried to talk to me but I couldn't hear him, I'm not sure if it was that the noise from the concert had slightly damaged my ears or whether it was the fact that so many people were talking around us. As we got into the main reception area where t-shirts and posters were being sold frantically, my friends and I began to talk about the concert. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed the night; the only thing that had gone wrong was that Becka had lost her jacket in the crowd. We all put our money together and bought her a long sleeved top to keep her a little warmer on the walk home. We walked outside, said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. As predicted, the cold wind crept behind me, Becka and Ben, reminding us of its presence every now and again, until we finally reached the warmth of our own homes.

Implementing organizational change

Implementing organizational change Introduction We all know that for one to thrive in the business world, change is paramount. Management has to develop new initiatives and catch up with the rapid technological and socio-economic advancements in order to stay ahead of the competition.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Implementing organizational change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are various theories and models recommended to corporate managers on how they can handle organizational change. However, in implementing organizational change in practice, especially where a large-scale organization is involved, can be challenging and complex and if not handled properly, it can be disastrous to the whole organization. This paper discusses practical implementation of organizational change in a large-scale business. General Motors Corporation will be analyzed by looking into the various changes it has undergone through and problems resolved as well as recommendations on new changes that could be carried out to enable it retain its competitive advantage in the industry. The GM adopted the overall structure organizational change model in implementing its changes. Implementing organizational change General Motors Corporation Organizational Changes The GM recently changed its traditional organizational model from being decentralized to a more centralized and unified one. The traditional model was characterized by a hierarchical structure of management and leadership. Jobs are arranged into independent functional departments. â€Å"GM was divided into different independent automakers†¦each independent automaker was operated differently and competing with each other,† (Kenly85 2009). The new model, however, does not have independent departments but rather consists of a team and individual employees all focusing on a common organizational goal. This model was adopted to respond to problems such as harmonization of w orkers. The staff required to develop a central set of skills by learning from each other’s designs of work as well as improve communication amongst themselves so as to work as a team rather than as autonomous individuals. The management revised its management to respond to the declined demand for medium and high-priced cars which had been created by the depression. A new management staff was put in place at the five-car division with the operational committee being dissolved and the executive committee eliminated. â€Å"In order to cut costs, the divisions had to share frames, chassis and other parts. This meant that productions and designing cars would entail cooperation and coordination among the four divisions,† (Spector, 2010). This resulted into reduced operation costs and streamlined management system.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More F urther, it was deemed necessary to reorganize the general office. The office was now empowered to oversee the operational and overall financial decisions. The top executive basically made all the major financial decisions in the organization. This is because financial decisions are very important to the future success of an entity through prospective policies and procedures. This made it a requirement to include general executives with special knowledge in prospective policies in decision making concerning financial matters. Operational policies were therefore left to the administrative committee. Later, the financial policy committee was created which was meant to authorize all financial decision matters. An operating committee was also formed and was mandated to oversee strategic planning and policies. The division managers no longer had legal authority. Its only role was to recommend policies for the operating policy committee to adopt. The president and chairman formed the CEO a nd had overall authority over the financial committee. Division managers were later included in administrative committees but this did not relegate their power of having overall control over policy. Policy groups made up of general office men now formulated policies. The proposed policies were then handed over to the administration committee which were required to debate and ratify or modify the policies. The divisions only had power to revise or amend such policies. Support systems were also formed to ensure organizational changes were effectively implemented. An Automotive Strategy Board together with a management committee were formed to keep the CEO updated on the happenings of the corporation. There were also monthly meetings whose attendance was compulsory globally. The meetings were used by operation heads to monitor the progress of the organization so as to inform the CEO. It also ensured that the organization staff worked as a team towards the achievement of the organizatio nal goal. A Culture Transformation Team as well as an Operating Model Team were established. The Automotive Product Board and also Automotive Strategy Board were eliminated and replaced with one committee consisted of eight individuals. This was done to fasten the decision making process.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Implementing organizational change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The committee reported to the CEO twice a week when they met to discuss product matters. The operation team, however, was composed of ten executives representing the various divisions in the globe. This increased bureaucracy even more and the decision-making was made even slower. The government has also contributed to the GM change. The U.S. government eliminated certain vehicle brands such as Pontiac and Hummer and slashed headcount. It also reduced its debts and the obligated benefits and shuttered dealerships. The governm ent now has a 60% shareholding in the company; therefore, we can say that the ownership and control of the organization has shifted to the government. However, most of the government intervention in GM has been helpful to its growth as well as its changes. For example the New Deal Legislation in the past which was aimed at avoiding future depressions through relief, recovery and reform. It has somehow helped and the GM to recover from its bankruptcy through government funding and subsidies. The GM had to implement its organizational changes according to the Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy act. The government also funded the GM to the tune of $14 billion through the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. The Troubled Asset relief Program (TARP) supported the funding. It was aimed at saving the free-market system that GM represented. Effects of the organizational changes There were both positive and negative effects of the transition. Positively, the organizational change was able to must er teamwork amongst its workers. Streamlining of production and general operations cut down operational costs. By cutting costs, the organization was able to operate efficiently and maintain its solvency. Further, a good communication system was established from the teamwork. Good communication increases the motivation of workers through recognition and the ability to voice their grievances. It also helps in reducing resistance to change by engaging employees in the change program. This ensures that everyone knows what is going to be achieved and they are all willing to contribute towards the same. It will also give management an opportunity to clarify on the need for change and the intended results to ease out employee’s uncertainty and fear of the unknown on the outcomes of the change process such as retrenchments and layoffs.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Much as these changes were meant to add to the development of the corporation, this was not the case. Instead, this transition affected the two most important stakeholders i.e. the customers and the surrounding community. Due to the discontinuation with some of the brands, it became hard for customers of some models to service or upgrade their vehicles. Consequently, GM did not only lose its customer base but also its reputation was affected. During the transition, however, GM had to close some of its factories aimed at streamlining production. Consequently, other entities â€Å"such as restaurants, gas stations, the real-estate market and the grocery stores suffered financially,† (Kenly852009). Therefore, the community’s financial well-being was disturbed. Of course, this had an impact on the money circulation chain in the market creating unemployment, downsizing in some public departments and generally lower standards of living. â€Å"Due to downsizing, people tend to move out of the town resulting to start of the cycle all over again,† (Dawson, 2003). The transformation of management system also had great effects on the workforce. This is because they were required to learn a new set of skills and also learn central software being used in all the organizations’ offices in the globe. This in turn impaired the communication system. Training and development of staff also became a major problem. This occurred because with the traditional model, the independent departments existing were using different softwares each. Recommendations for Future Organizational Changes The organization needs to adopt a new organizational culture which, according to Fitz Henderson, should consist of accountability, focus more on the customer and the product as the main subjects and also one that was ready to take risks. Also, it should be faster in decision making process. In the past, the organization was restructured where the Human Resource was given the responsibility of supporting culture change rather than drive it. Leaders came up with a new performance management standard and conducted an informative education system to communicate the new organizational culture and it’s values to all the workers. Those cultures were aimed at incorporating a culture into the organization’s highly bureaucratic system to ensure that its independent departments, regions as well as brands became self-governing and competitive within the organization. In order to retain its competitive advantage in the industry therefore, GM requires to make new changes to its organizational structure. For instance, it needs to come up with new organizational culture. There should be a way of making the executive body accountable for its performance standards. Employees should be exposed on how other organizations and, in general, other industries operate. The various staff should be promoted based on their performance as opposed to how much they h ave invested in the organization or how many years they have been on the job. Further, the organization should change its bureaucratic nature and adopt a more democratic decision making process to include even the employees in the process. This will bring the employees closer to the product, the problem as well as the customer themselves. In return, he will be able to respond quickly to the rapidly changing and divergent needs of customers as well as the highly unpredictable market conditions. Also, a company that is highly bureaucratic takes long in making decisions thus resulting into slow decisions. The organization should make changes to its production system into a Just-in-Time production system. This reduces costs since production is only done when the products are needed and therefore storage costs are minimized. Also, they should concentrate on producing environmental friendly cars as opposed to the guzzlers. This will not only ensure a clean environment but will also increa se demand since that is what customers are going for nowadays. Further, they should make more connections with suppliers globally to increase their distribution channels. Also, focus on getting low-cost suppliers by using competitive bidding. By keeping up with the consumer needs and general economic trends, the organization will be able to change as the market changes and produce products that will satisfy the consumers. It will also be able to adapt to current early enough to technological developments to avoid being outdated. In a world where technology is becoming the in thing, failure to adapt to new technology on time will have disastrous results to the whole organization driving it to bankruptcy. Conclusion The General Motors has taken various steps to change its organizational design in order to retain its competitive nature in the industry. This organizational change has helped it achieve some of its objectives such as teamwork and cutting operational costs. On the other ha nd, those changes have brought about several negative effects by affecting the customers, the community as well as the staff themselves. Its bureaucratic system has also contributed negatively to its failures. But GM’s organizational change has shown that bankruptcy can also be used as an opportunity to take that crucial step to implement major organizational changes that will see a company fly up and start flourishing once again. Therefore, companies should not fear making that big step and making holistic organizational changes. References Dawson, P. (2003). Reshaping Change: A Processual Perspective. Routledge. Kenly85. (2009). Blog 1: Organizational Change- General Motors (GM). kenly85’s blog, Just another Worldpress.com. Retrieved from https://kenly85.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/blog-1-organizational-change-%E2%80%93-general-motors-gm/ Spector, B. (2010). Implementing organizational change: Theory into practice, (2nd Ed). ND.

The 5 Ethical Considerations in Sociological Research

The 5 Ethical Considerations in Sociological Research Ethics are self-regulatory guidelines for making decisions and defining professions. By establishing ethical codes, professional organizations maintain the integrity of the profession, define the expected conduct of members, and protect the welfare of subjects and clients. Moreover, ethical codes give professionals direction when confronting ethical dilemmas or confusing situations. A case in point is a scientists decision whether to intentionally deceive subjects or inform them about the true risks or goals of a controversial but much-needed experiment. Many organizations, such as the American Sociological Association, establish ethical principles and guidelines. The vast majority of todays social scientists abide by their respective organizations ethical principles. 5 Ethical Considerations in Sociological Research The American Sociological Associations (ASAs) Code of Ethics sets forth the principles and ethical standards that underlie sociologists professional responsibilities and conduct. These principles and standards should be used as guidelines when examining everyday professional activities. They constitute normative statements for sociologists and provide guidance on issues that sociologists may encounter in their professional work. The ASA’s Code of Ethics contains five general principles and explanations. Professional Competence Sociologists strive to maintain the highest levels of competence in their work; they recognize the limitations of their expertise; and they undertake only those tasks for which they are qualified by education, training, or experience. They recognize the need for ongoing education in order to remain professionally competent; and they utilize the appropriate scientific, professional, technical, and administrative resources needed to ensure competence in their professional activities. They consult with other professionals when necessary for the benefit of their students, research participants, and clients. Integrity Sociologists are honest, fair, and respectful of others in their professional activities- in research, teaching, practice, and service. Sociologists do not knowingly act in ways that jeopardize either their own or others professional welfare. Sociologists conduct their affairs in ways that inspire trust and confidence; they do not knowingly make statements that are false, misleading, or deceptive. Professional and Scientific Responsibility Sociologists adhere to the highest scientific and professional standards and accept responsibility for their work. Sociologists understand that they form a community and show respect for other sociologists even when they disagree on theoretical, methodological, or personal approaches to professional activities. Sociologists value the public trust in sociology and are concerned about their ethical behavior and that of other sociologists that might compromise that trust. While endeavoring always to be collegial, sociologists must never let the desire to be collegial outweigh their shared responsibility for ethical behavior. When appropriate, they consult with colleagues in order to prevent or avoid unethical conduct. Respect for People’s Rights, Dignity, and Diversity Sociologists respect the rights, dignity, and worth of all people. They strive to eliminate bias in their professional activities, and they do not tolerate any forms of discrimination based on age; gender; race; ethnicity; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; disability; health conditions; or marital, domestic, or parental status. They are sensitive to cultural, individual, and role differences in serving, teaching, and studying groups of people with distinctive characteristics. In all of their work-related activities, sociologists acknowledge the rights of others to hold values, attitudes, and opinions that differ from their own. Social Responsibility   Sociologists are aware of their professional and scientific responsibility to the communities and societies in which they live and work. They apply and make public their knowledge in order to contribute to the public good. When undertaking research, they strive to advance the science of sociology and to serve the public good. References CliffsNotes.com. (2011). Ethics in Sociological Research. cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26845.html American Sociological Association. (2011). asanet.org/about/ethics.cfm

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Reflection paper - Essay Example When a person hears a distasteful joke, it helps the person from keeping away from focusing at their problem. Individually, I have at several instances made jokes that put down other individuals with an aim of strengthening my ego. To help in justifying my fat body that is made fun of at various social occasions, I constantly referred the thin people as skinny and at various instances mentioning the negative implications of possessing a skinny body. The joke would yield fun and as result help me to avoid focusing on my fat nature helping me to have peace of mind. It is however inappropriate to make jokes that put down other individuals. For example, consider a joke that emanates from a racial connection. The joke may yield bad blood against individuals from different races and if it is done in a working place work relations among people from different races will become destroyed (McGhee). Consequently, it is not from every person understanding that the jokes putting a person down is merely a joke as some may perceive the joke as

How lean management can be applied to a grocery retailer Essay

How lean management can be applied to a grocery retailer - Essay Example This is due to the limited resources; however, small businesses such as small grocery store can incorporate lean thinking in establishing a new business, expansion of the existing business or in placement of other branches in other regions. This paper discusses how a small grocery store owner can use lean thinking for the benefit of the business as well as of the clients. Generally, the application of the lean approach in the context of a small business such as a green grocery, allows the business to minimize its costs, minimize execution time, increase efficiency, reduce all types of wastes, as well as keep low inventories. Moreover, the approach contributes to attainment of customer satisfaction, enhancement of the general product quality as well as increase the management morale, in this case the grocer (Valentinova, 2015). The major objective of using lean retail is basically a commitment to the elimination of wastes. Some of the waste in the context of a grocery store include, excess supply that may result in the damage of the highly perishable products in a grocery. The grocer should ensure that the supply of products is directly proportional to the market demand. This reduces damage of some of the highly perishable products such as tomatoes, and kales. Moreover, the grocer should use preservative measures such as the use of freezers to preserve the perishable products. The owner should also ensure that the likelihood of defects of products is minimized to the lowest level possible. This can be ensured by taking all the required measures in the storage of products, for instance, while preserving perishable grocery products, the business owner should ensure that all the preservative measures are in place for instance, the refrigeration time, period and ensuring that the products are preserved in the best condition (Sen, n.d.). Moreover, the owner should avoid wastage of time