Importance of Management and Interpersonal Skills Essay

Importance of Management and Interpersonal Skills - Essay Example Therefore it is enlightened as the way individuals relate with each other. Interpersonal skills also take into account the ability to understand and listen. Decision making, personal stress as well problem solving is also considered as a part of it (Barkley and Murphy, 2005, p.699). Therefore interpersonal skills play an indispensible role towards the success of an individual in both the personal and professional fields. It further helps individuals to perform effectively in the various circumstances at the workplace (Klein, 2009, p.9). Individuals with strong interpersonal skills can easily portray their confidence and charismatic image (Givens, 2008, p.314). It also helps to develop the management skills of a person. Management skills are also necessary for a person to function in an organization (Dan O’, 2008, p.163-164). Hence strong interpersonal skill and management skill act as the foundation of success. The report will present a brief introduction and the background of management skills. It will mainly demonstrate the required expertise for a person to work in an organization. The study will also discuss different type of management skill. Furthermore in the literature review section, the study will shed light on the previous works of eminent writers and will also emphasize on the theories of interpersonal and management skills. Then reflective analyses will be carried out, which will depict one of the necessary skills required for a person to excel in his/her career. The report will then conclude with the significance of interpersonal and management skill. Finally it will offer few recommendations for the purpose of developing interpersonal and management skills. Introduction In the last few decades, the scenario of managerial tasks has undergone substantial changes. The changes are mainly because of the fact that economic, technological and organizational context in which administ rative works are carried out has transformed rapidly. There have been changes in almost every sector of a business organization (Huber and Glick, 1995, p.400). Introduction of modern concepts such as â€Å"the self managed work team†, incorporation of Business Process Reengineering (BPR), extensive use of information technology and employment of a variety of communication techniques are some of the visible changes within an organization (Worrall and Copper, 1999, p.5). Consequently managers have to learn all such factors and their implementation processed in order to cope and get accustomed with the changes (Dey, 2004, p.86). Despite all such changes one thing remained constant and will probably remain constant in the near future. With inconsequential variations, what has remained unaltered for a number of years, are the basic skills that reside at the nucleus of effective management and is known as the management skills. In general management skills include conceptual skills , communication skills, interpersonal skills and finally effectiveness skill (Singh, 2012, p.20). Each of these skills has different applications and is implemented according to the need of the situation. However in addition to management skills, success also depends upon the personal skills.

Minority Essay Example for Free

Minority Essay I am a young 23 year old Hispanic girl, I am not married nor do I have kids. I am working towards my degree, live on my own, I have a decent Job, and do not depend on my parents. But as a minority I face the challenge of negative labels in many places I go. I especially deal with them when I am with my 4 nieces and nephews (age range from 6 months-10 years old) in public places. People think I am a typical Latina which includes: being a dropout with no education, four kids (that may be from at least 2 different fathers), no Job, no goals in life, etc. The biggest problem I have faced eing a minority is, being able to overcome negative stereotypes and being able to outweigh statistics. According to statistics from cdc. gov, in 2010, 23. 2% of elementary and high school students were Hispanic, but only 6. 2% of college students were Hispanic. Meaning that Hispanics are not going to college after high-school. This research paper will investigate how people treat me when I am alone and when I am with my four nieces nephews, and how the differences reflect among gender, race, and age. II. Method I utilized a type of participant observation known as complete observation. Playing he role of a complete observer, I observed and recorded the positive and negative, acknowledgement towards me with and without kids, I also observed and recorded the different looks and conversations I was able to get with and without the kids, based on three criteria: gender, race, age. The Setting I selected a very busy mall called NorthPark Center Mall, located in North Dallas off of Central Expressway. I chose this mall for several reasons. First, it is an easy place to view different types of genders, race and age groups. Second, it has several stores that I am able to go into and quickly be able to note the differences among who nters the stores according to gender, race, and age. Lastly, I chose this particular mall because it is huge, containing over 200 stores restaurants, which helped to maximize my potential for observation. Observation Strategy To avoid looking obvious, I observed no longer than 20 minutes anywhere from one central benches located in different areas of the mall, different types of stores which included: Forever 21, Nordstrom, Bebe, Disney Store, Loft, and LEGO, and restaurants inside the mall that included: Luna de Noche Tex-Mex Grill, Hibachi-San, and Maggiands Little Italy, I also observed when walking inside the mall from 2 different ntrances which were from Nordstrom Macys. Moving around from place to place was the only way I could observe discreetly and accurately given the amount of information I had to record for all the individuals. Other ways I considered observing included dressing very poorly maybe with ripped shirt and shorts and my nephews not groomed, not clean, and also the total opposite, also trying to make as much eye contact with someone as much as possible, facial expressions, different conversations as people passed by me in the different entrances, benches, restaurants, ; stores I isited. These strategies were all possible, because doing so allowed me to record valuable information and observe from the different locations and able to note the differences among gender, race, and age. I observed on five different days Monday at 7pm (alone), Wednesday at 5pm (witn my nephews ; nieces), Friday at Oam (alone), Saturday at 5pm (with nephews and nieces) and Sunday at 12pm. I chose to observe on two weekdays and on the weekend and also at different types to be able to diversify my research which allowed me to make a more complete investigation. Therefore, I observed on 3 different weekdays Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which according to a mall cop those are days that an older crowd tend to visit. I also chose the weekend because thats when a more diverse population tends to go and do their shopping. However, according to my own observations it varies among the time, what age groups go since NorthPark is so huge it is very diverse at ALL days and times of the week. That is why I chose different times of the day, ranging from 10am-7pm. I also chose that time range because I believe that vastly different groups of society re active at different times of the day. For example, elders tend to wake up extremely early and go walk some miles at the mall as opposed to a younger crowd that typically go to school or work during the morning time and do their shopping at later times. I believe that by observing at various days and times of the week, I included a more representative sample of the population. Categories and Measurements I based my observations on gender, race, and age, because I believe these criteria highly influence the different looks, facial expressions, comments, manners among people towards me. I chose these three because they are easily determined viewed, and therefore more accurate to measure, although age and race were sometimes hard to determine. One other category I considered measuring was socio- economic status. Although I believe that this may be an important contributing factors to the topic, I decided against using it because I couldnt find a way to accurately determine how wealthy a person is based on a single observation. To determine age and race, I used obvious physical characteristics I could observe to classify a person, such as skin/eye/hair color, style, and language accent if any. For this topic, there wasnt a way to measure exact proximity. I only observed people that actually noticed me no farther than about 2 feet. Ill. Findings Altogether I made a total of 12 observations at different times over 5 separate days. After observing about 200 people that entered the various places inside the mall I observed, I found that more that almost every one of the persons I observed actually said hello smiled at me while I was alone. Less than half, looked at me with a confused face, did not smile, and commented something to the other person they ere with while I was with my 4 nieces and nephews. I found that the day or time didnt matter the huge difference I observed was the gender, age, and race of the people I observed. I found that 60% of males and only 40% females acknowledged me in a positive way, with a smile, opened the door for me while I was alone. The percentages were reversed when I was with my nieces and nephews, only 40% of males and 60% females acknowledged me in a negative way, didnt open the door, made comments or facial expressions towards me and the kids. Race During my research I chose to observe only whites and Atrican-Americans. I tound that 90% of all Whites and African-Americans acknowledged me positively while alone. While I was with the kids it changed drastically, 80% whites and 40% of all blacks acknowledged me in a negative way even when I smiled at each and every one of them. Age When it came down to age, it was a very broad type of positive and negative acknowledgment. Age ranges from 15-60 years old, overall I received positive acknowledgement while I was alone of more than 50% male, blacks from ages 15-60 years old and only about 10% showed negative acknowledgement towards me with the kids. Female, whites, between the ages of 15-45 years old over 40% acknowledged me in a positive way whole I was alone, while 70% acknowledged me an a negative way while I was with the kids. Also, I found that I received much more attention from everyone including cashiers from the various places I was in, when I was with the kids especially when they were not groomed. V. Discussion ; Implications Through my observations I found overall I had a more negative acknowledgement from Whites, females and males. A more positive acknowledgement from Black, males ; females. Also, according to my research elders are more likely to stereotype and cknowledge me negatively when I walk around with my nephews and nieces. While I was alone more than half actually acknowledged me while I was alone. Although gender, age, and race statistics are interesting, I see no real-world application for this information to this situation. As it all varies from the different places that you visit. As stated earlier I chose NorthPark because it would allow me to see a more diverse crowd. Proximity, on the other hand, seems to play a significant role, a man or female no matter the race is very likely to open the door for me while coming in through an ntrance with the kids, especially with a stroller. On the other hand, while I was alone males are more likely to open then the door then females. Solutions In reality there is no true solution that I can provide, that will allow me to be seen in a positive way with or without kids. The only thing I can suggest to my Hispanic, single ladies is to not worry about negative stereotypes or acknowledgements and overcome the bad stats, work hard towards career, not to get married at an early age, and work twice as hard as any other race. V. Conclusions Altogether, this paper exposed several previously unknown facts about the different ttitudes, positive ; negative acknowledgements that people in general have towards young, Hispanic women. What I found much interesting was the fact that I never imagined getting so many bad looks, with kids. I always believed Id be more respected in public when I was with kids, especially because I could blend in as a single mother. If I could I would raise a program to assist young Hispanic women to overcome all stereotypes as they are growing up. As I stated earlier there isnt a solution that I could recommend to avoid stereotypes. Only to work towards goals and dreams, and never give up!

Analysis of the Normative Data on Linguistic Profile Test

Analysis of the Normative Data on Linguistic Profile Test Normative Data of Linguistic Profile Test on the Elderly Population: a Comparison of Literates and Illiterates INTRODUCTION Literacy is a basic human right and keystone for lifelong learning. It is fully vital to human development in its ability to alter lives. In 1951, UNESCO defined literacy as the aptitude of a person who can read and write, and has the ability to write about their daily life. UNESCO later revised this definition in 1978, now referring to the literate person as one who has the capability to participate in all activities in which literacy is necessary for â€Å"effective functioning in his group and community and also for enabling him to continue to use reading, writing, and calculation for his own and community’s development† (Soares, 1992). The change in UNESCO’s definition reflects modification from a narrow set of behaviors in reading and writing to a broader sense of skills including mathematics. In UNESCO’s publication, literacy is viewed from a social-psycholinguistic viewpoint, one in which literacy constitutes more than the ability to read and write, extending also to the use of oral and written language as well as other sign systems, such as arithmetic and art, to make sense of the world and communicate with others (Berghoff 1998, Harste, Woodward, Burke 1986, Heath 1984, Halliday 1975). Other definitions of literacy emerged in 1992 when the National Institute for Literacy Council defined the term as involving the ability to write and read, to make use of oral and written language in all respects, and to critically and successfully use oral and written language for all purposes. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 defines literacy as competence in the ability to read, write, and speak, to compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, and to do so in personal and professional situations. This interpretation denotes a broader view of literacy, instead of the more simplified determination of an individuals ability to read, which the more conventional concept of literacy is. India does not have any reliable indicator of who is a literate person. Indian government defines literacy as the capability of a person to read and write. A person who can only read but cannot write is not considered as a literate. Illiteracy in India is characterized by ample proportions between the urban and rural populations. The rural population depends on agriculture mainly and high illiteracy rate can be noticed here, while the urban population is more of the ‘employee class’ and also more educated. Even between the male and female population, there is a wide discrepancy in literacy. The literacy rate of male is 82.14% and female 65.46% according to census in 2011. Language is the most important aspect in life of all beings. We use language to convey our inner thoughts and emotions make sense of complex and abstract thoughts, to fulfill our wants and demands, as well as to uphold our culture. Language is divided into major 3 components- Form, Content and Use (Bloom Lahey, 1978). Form consist syntax, morphology and phonology- the components that connect sounds or symbols with meaning. Conventionally, the study of language has been equated with Form only. Content includes meaning or semantics and Use includes pragmatics. Phonology is the study of sound systems in language. It includes how speech sounds are classified and structured and how they are used in a particular language. Syntax is the basic structure of language. It is the way in which humans form meaningful sentences and understand it. Sentences have to follow certain structural rulesin order to make sense. We cannot use any words together to make a sentence. Studying syntax helps to understand how children acquire their language, how they start constructing sentences and what stage do they learn the syntactic rules of the language. Syntax can also be learnt to understand how adults construct sentences and also the changes that has been seen after a brain injury. Semantics is the study of meaning. Meaning is the set of associations that a word evokes. The growth of vocabulary continues throughout a person’s lifetime. Through the school years, words are added to the speaker’s vocabulary. This acquisition of vocabulary involves m ore than adding items to one’s lexical list. Semantics also involves the sorting of words into categories. Assessment is one of the major tools that are used by a speech-language pathologist. A thorough assessment leads to accurate diagnosis, identification of etiology and also provides a foundation for treatment. Chaotic assessment leads to wasted time and energy, and eventually to inaccurate conclusions and incompetent planning. A test is basically a device used for objective measurements and helps the clinician in arriving at a truthful diagnosis and in successful rehabilitation of the clients. Some tests are carried out only for adults and some only for children. There are even tests are efficient in testing all the age groups. The information obtained from an appropriate tests, reveal the childs or adults positives and negatives within his language system. Tests also help us to know how language processing might be disturbed in an individual after brain injury which there by helps us in intervention. Linguistic Profile Test (Prathiba Karanth, 1984) was designed with the objective of evaluating the linguistic competence of children by obtaining and analyzing adequate linguistic samples at the phonemic, syntactic and semantic levels. The test was designed originally in Kannada. The framework of the test is such that, it can be easily constructed in any language. Over the last few years, the test has been extensively used with clinical populations (both adults and children) and has been found clinically useful, both for evaluation and as a basis for rehabilitation and linguistic retraining of communicatively disabled (Prathiba Karanth, 1980). Need for the study Acquisition of reading and writing skills influences the functional status of the brain, and accordingly alters the performance on language tests. Thus, it is important to identify the degree of the impact of levels of both illiteracy and education as potential confounders on test performance in people with neurological communication disorders. Malayalam is a language which is considered as the mother tongue of Keralites where there are no standardized tests available for assessing language in literate and illiterate adults with norms. Language skills in literates and illiterates are different. Education-adjusted norms are necessary for an adequate interpretation of test results. Impaired language seen in an individual may be due to the impact of illiteracy rather than a brain damage. So it is important to distinguish the cause of language impairment observed in the patient is due to the impact of illiteracy or the actual cause is brain damage. There are only limited studies which address the performance of participants who are illiterates or participants with low education. So this study is an attempt to establish normative data on Linguistic Profile Test – Malayalam (Asha M.M, 1997) for adults who are literates and illiterates. This study is thought to yield a better understanding of differences in the performance of literates and illiterates, thereby aiding us in identifying the adults with language deficits and also the area of deficits. Aims of the Study To standardize LPT for adults who are literates and illiterates. To find out the differences in performance between literates and illiterates. To understand the impact of literacy in language.

Field International Case Study :: Field International, Case Studies, business,

Field International is a large production company that operates for fifteen years. This company has three divisions: Field Production, Field Music, and the new venture, Field Advertising. The president and chairman of the board, Lawrence Field, has operated this business in a pooled interdependence fashion. Each division is directed independently by a vice president, and evaluated in the same independent basis. Recently, two major clients complained directly to Field about some production delays of the Advertising Division. Therefore Field decided to meet with his three vice presidents on a weekly luncheon; so the two experienced vice presidents could contribute to the one that is having problems. In addition, he taught that this would be a good occasion to change the usual independent method of operation of each division to a new reciprocal interdependence form of operation where all can cooperate with each other. However this sudden change cause a negative reaction on his v ice presidents, and Field had to drop this idea of change. Consequently, Field International is going through communications problem that could damage the growth of his company. First, Mr. Field tried to impose a radical change on the operation of the business without notifying to the vice presidents of each division. During long time, the production vice president and the music vice president have worked in an independent basis and during this time they get used to it. So, when they get Mr. Durkey’s memo they probably thought that now the authority that they used to have was been restricted without any reason. Also, they could feel offended by the sudden show of distrust of Mr. Field. After all, they had been working for long time for the company without having major problems. In the same way the new advertising vice president was aware of this independent way of operation within the company. Thus, he also must felt professionally underestimated. In addition, the two major clients of the company made the mistake of going over his head which cause an immense indignation on him. In the same way Mr. Field made the mistake of exposing the adverti sing problems in front of the other two divisions without knowing the magnitude of the problem. All these complications contribute to the gloomy atmosphere of the meeting. Next, characteristics like the setting of the meeting and the personality of the employees also contribute to the development of the problem.

Change Initiative

Change Initiative George Tautz Grand Canyon University Organizational Development & Change MGT 623 Dr. Kensler March 17, 2010 Change Initiative Organizational change is a necessary outcome when considering various scenarios contributing to the resulting vision. Perplexing as it may seem, change initiatives don’t always result in positive outcomes. In fact, many never succeed. As a change agent, one should always have formulated a vision of what change will â€Å"look† like for the organization. One would be hard pressed to paint a landscape without having a vision of what the landscape should resemble. Yet, resistance to change usually becomes a significant factor contributing to an initiative’s failure. It is likely an implicit expectation to prepare for the advent of resistance and it consequences. A change agent’s tool box should contain a number of strategies which will support the process of change. Defining and re-defining the end result as well as the change process itself is a useful exercise in that clarity eventually overcomes obscure, poorly orchestrated attempts at invoking change. This paper will propose a change initiative designed for LC- an organization referenced previously in part I of a continuing anthology of LC’s attempts at facing change. Resistance to change will be examined within the context of how certain attributes of any successful change process operate to support or derail attempts at managing a successful change initiative. Managing change requires a vision which supports a renewal process (Moran & Brightman, 2001). Change doesn’t (or shouldn’t) occur for the sake of change. The stress which change places upon an organization isn’t likely to justify the price in terms of its effect on the people which make up the organization. Rather, change should be gauged in terms of its resultant ability to adapt to the needs of the organization’s external and internal customers (Burke, 2002). This should serve as the premise for any organizational change initiative. It is, therefore, the basis for any vision attributable to recognizing that the needs of an organization’s constituents is not being served or met. In practice, such a realization not only forms the basis for a vision of change, but also incites and solicits aberrant behavioral reactions by employees who are responsible for its implementation. Research and anecdotal examples support the fact that an initiative’s success or failure ultimately relies upon whether or not employees get in back of an initiative or stand in its way (Scheck & Kinicki, 2000). As mentioned, employee resistance is an integral component of a scenario for failure if not managed appropriately. Rampant cynicism portends what could ultimately become an abbreviated attempt at change. Symptomatic responses to resistance include withdrawal as well as decrements in performance criteria (Weeks, Roberts, Chonko, & Jones, 2004). Resistance does not necessarily have to be exclusively negative. However, it needs to be planned for and managed upon presentation. Whatever change is envisioned for LC, there must also be a strategy for harnessing employee reactions of uncertainty and control loss. In the case of LC, the precise vision of what the final outcome of change should be must be tempered by alternative strategies necessary to address resistance. In LC’s case, the vision is to become a more responsive organization able to adapt faster to environmental changes. A change in priorities coupled with an extinction of misdirected goals and objectives will require LC to utilize the coalition of support described previously in tandem with the overall goal of reviving the organization’s viability. Trusting management is an important component to the change process. If change is not managed well, employees will inevitably mistrust management. This leads to anger as well as cognitive resistance which is questioning the very need for change in the first place. Interestingly enough, too much poor quality information results in an overall exacerbation of resistance linked symptomology (Allen, Jimmieson, Bordia, & Irmer, 2007). The perceived quality of information offered greater chances for a successful initiative. This is more or less intuitive. So then, what is the best way to provide good quality information? Fortunately for LC, the mechanism is already in place. The coalition set up for LC will serve an instrumental role in developing, analyzing, and disseminating information to the rank and file employees at LC. However, it should be pointed out that the initial selection of coalition team members may prove to be one of the most important aspects of the change initiative. Poorly selected, unqualified or otherwise circumspect individuals who â€Å"leech† their way onto a planning and implementation team such as this one, tend to force more attention onto their own needs rather than on the needs of the organization. A further refinement is in order, however. What must be understood is the observation that employees tend to react differently to quality information based on its source. The reason for this apparent discordant phenomenon has to do with employees perceiving communications emanating from senior management as one way- not two way. One way communication channels do not allow the employee to ask questions. Two way channels offer two way communication. Therefore, the most ideal make up of the coalition team should be senior management as well as supervisors. Proceeding further, it should also be understood that the overall make up of the coalition should consist of experts contributing information appropriate to their expertise. Certainly, a coalition of change agents in a hospital setting, for example, would not do well if we included the landscaping staff whose contribution would be marginal at best to a positive outcome relating to decreasing mortality rates within the institution. In conclusion, trust in management is one of the most important contributing factors when considering the likelihood of resistance to change. To enhance trust, management should form a coalition of experts as well as line supervisors for the purpose of putting forth accurate information. The strategic initiative for LC is to promote a change in how the organization conducts its business. Sweeping changes are proposed which will resonate within all areas of the organization. Immunity from inclusion is unlikely even for the most obscure, entrenched employee. Change will re-define how LC presents its service delivery model to both internal and external clients. In order to garner support for change, LC must communicate to the employees what is being done and why. The company must offer an opportunity for a two way dialogue in order to circumvent employee cynicism. There are specific well orchestrated reasons for selecting the various team members. For example, all the major operations divisions should be represented since whatever is implemented will have far reaching effects on every division of the organization. The change initiative will determine how each division is accountable to the overall mission of the organization. Developing a vision for change is an important step for the change agent to engage in. Without clarity, it is unlikely that change will occur successfully. References Allen, J. , Jimmieson, N. L. , Bordia, P. , & Irmer, B. E. (2007). Uncertainty during organizational change: Managing perceptions through communication. Journal of Change Management, 7(2), 187-210. Burke, W. (2002). Organization Change: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Moran, J. W. , & Brightman, B. K. (2001). Leading organizational change. Career Development International, 6(2), 111-118. Scheck, C. L. , & Kinicki, A. J. (2000). Identifying antecedents of coping with an organizational acquisition: A structural assessment. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21, 627-648. Weeks, W. A. , Roberts, J. , Chonko, L. B. , & Jones, E. (2004). Individual readiness for change, individual fear of change, and sales manager performance: An empirical investigation. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 24, 7-17.

Red BAron essays

Red BAron essays World War 1s leading fighter pilot for Germany was Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen. During his two years of fighting for Germany he shot down eighty enemy planes. Richthofen painted his plane bright red so everyone that saw him coming would be in fear of, THE RED KNIGHT, or better known as the RED BARON. Most of the planes the Richthofen shot down were British. Most of the people that Richthofen defeated burned to death after the bullets form his machine gun hit the gas tanks, as for the pilots who were able to eject before the plane went down or exploded Richthofen would fly by giving them a friendly wave or land to shake hands. IN 1918 Richthofen was 25 and the commander of Pursuit Squadron 1 of the German Air Force. The squadron that Richthofen was in charge of was nick named the Flying Circus. His squadron flew Fokkers. The squadron painted their planes in gaudy colors but no one was aloud to copy the all red design of the red barons plane. On the morning of April 21, 1918 Richthofen led two-dozen warplanes over the Somme river Valley of France. Richthofen was eager and hoping to gain air control so they could launch an offensive attack on the British forces below. As thy were chasing a few Australian photo reconnaissance planes they encountered some ROYAL AIR FORCE FIGHTERS. They commenced the air battle, which was quite a show for the men down in the ditches. Richthofen chose his one victim, which was LT. (Lieutenant) Wilfred May from Canada. Wilfred was a novice fighter pilot. He did not notice that he had Richthofen on his tail until he saw tracer bullets begin to arc past the stays on the wings. Wilfred looked behind him to see the big red plane chasing behind him with the machine guns spitting fire. Wilfred then took risky actions to avoid being hit and downed he pulled h ...