The Human Intellectual Development - Essay Example

?Application of Youth Work: A Literature Review Application of Youth Work: A Literature Review Introduction The youth is considered as an important part of any nation’s population as they are responsible to take over all the major operations in a few years (Young, 1999 pp.3). The developed nations are famous for diverting substantial amount of resources towards training and development of youngsters so that they can get ready for performing their parts in the overall society. Nevertheless dedication towards work and professionalism are developed in early childhood when people encourage their children to engage in little activities like gardening in order to make money in the summers. The importance of making a living is repeatedly told by the parents so that their children can understand that they have to earn sooner and later in their lives. Additionally the philosophy of work is worship is also quite prevalent in developed nations and therefore elders encourage the next generation towards living a productive life in the community. The above mentioned positive attitude is indeed helping strong economies in maintaining a higher level of living standards. When the majority of the individuals make their own living then the burden of the society divides that causes a notable improvement in the community. But in case of underdeveloped or developing country's skilled labor and highly educated people are rare and therefore the responsibility of economic welfare of four to ten people resides on the shoulders of one individual. The aforementioned condition is causing a significant hindrance in the process of fiscal development as more than seventy percent of the workforce is unwilling to work at all. The lack of education is also considered as a leading cause of poor economic conditions in the third world (O’Higgins, 2003 pp 8). Painfully third world nations are notorious for killing creativity and confidence in their youth in order to tame them to serve the old systems and therefore entire nations are suffering from the bitter consequences of the status quo. Advanced world on the other hand is known to support the developmental process in young via sponsoring youth work projects (Arnett, 2000 pp 483). These programs are established to foster certain types of professional behaviors in the youth while they are trained to implement creativity and newness in the upcoming corporate world. The professors and trainers also highlight the role of technology in the modern day business world. Youngsters are also guided to consider technological development as a friend whereas they are encouraged to embrace it when performing their responsibilities in the practical arena. The investments in youth developmental programs are ideal for those cultures where people are willing and committed towards sharing their knowledge with others. But in developing nations experienced professionals feel reluctant regarding knowledge sharing with others because they fear that their own skill set will become obsolete if they share it. Yet according to modern research if a person shares his or her knowledge with others then he or she might gather new information as well. The ability to share knowledge and its benefits are explained in Social Exchange Theory that is identified as one of the fundamentals of modern management (Emerson, 1976 pp 347). The companies operating in developed economies play their role in supporting youth development with the help of offering internship programs so that they can train the next generation of corporate soldiers to say the least. Literature Review According to contemporary research on the topic of youth work, it is quite evident that the nations that use these kinds of programs as a source of development in youth end up with an excellent workforce for the future (Larson, 2000 pp 181). The nations that are deploying the concept of youth work include the names of America and England (Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, & Hawkins, 2004 pp 111) whereas in developing nations Malaysia and Indonesia are using extremely intensive youth training programs. In advanced countries youth developmental programs are used in the wide range of industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and other services sectors (Greenberg, Weissberg, Zins, Fredericks, Resnik, & Elias, 2003 pp 480). The most efficient way of facilitating knowledge transference among different layers of the organization is to foster informal gatherings where juniors can freely consult their seniors. The importance of willingness to share the knowledge with an upcoming breed of managers is well documented in the literature of management sciences. Historically the human intellectual development occurred due to knowledge sharing among generations (Meyer & Weiner, 2002 pp 268). However in the past family structure was strong and therefore it facilitated communication between father and son. But now in 21st century family structure has deteriorated and thus the bridge between generations is weakening. This weakening is causing companies and nations to sponsor programs that can help in the process of knowledge sharing. Yet students can learn a great deal from their parents and grandparents if they bother to spend some time with them every day. The development of neural networks and electronic databases are suggested as an ideal ways of storing information because with the help of these methods leaving employees’ knowledge can be retained and therefore the organizational knowledge base will keep on growing (Hendriks, 1999 pp 99). Furthermore the creation of informal culture is also very important in terms of training and developing youth (Peck, 2008 pp. 121). If organizations fail to involve youngsters in the main stream decision making then the dream of attaining professionally sound youth will remain as such for decades. It is because the feeling of being useful and productive is a great motivator in youth and their absence will lead towards lessening of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Moreover the management of youth programs is recommended to promote go ahead thinking in youth because in this way they will experience the heat of practical world. The realities of the corporate world will soon compel them towards modifying their business plans according to the current situation of the market, in doing so the youngsters will learn the art of patience and flexibility that are prerequisites of success in all walks of life. The basic idea behind youth developmental programs is to foster self-confidence in youth that they can use to challenge the existing mindset and break free from the confines of the status quo. It is also a well noted fact that every innovative idea is identified as absurd and unreasonable in the early days. But with the passage of time people come to understand its applicability in the world such as the dream of the Personal Computer was considered as imagination of a mentally ill person, yet it became one of the great realities of the 21st century. Thus youth training programs are designed to seek and find new ideas of commercialized products. However in order to fulfill the above mentioned goal management and trainers should permit trainees to speak up their minds without making fun of the infant ideas of them. It is because one can never know that an alien looking concept may turn out to be an innovation of a century in near future. Essentials of Youth Developmental Programs Following are the imperatives for successful youth developmental programs 1. Application of Modern Management Theories: The modern management theories collectively state that trainees should be involved in the process of training and development. It is because in this manner they will consider themselves important and will work with dedication towards learning what they are being taught. 2. Long Term Planning: The students should also be guided towards planning long term projects that have significant national importance in the near future as well. 3. Managing Self: The manager who cannot manage him or herself should not be considered as a manager at all. The management of training and developmental projects is required to induce trainees in demonstrating professional behavior while they should also be guided to dress up properly and professionally during the training. Additionally management must develop policies and procedures to foster punctuality and respect of time in youth. 4. Managing Finances: The trainees must be trained to plan finances of the project with great care and it must be made clear in front of them that they have to ensure profitability of the venture against all costs. The dedication towards profit should be implanted in youth because it is the ultimate purpose of any business activity. 5. Managing Others: In modern organizational structure teamwork is the most important attribute of an employee and therefore youth projects should work towards enhancing the ability of team management in the trainees. The trainees should know about the importance of teamwork and they should also be told about different motivational strategies that can be used to encourage the subordinates towards attaining a certain goal. 6. Marketing Youth Programs as Entrepreneurial Training Schemes: The management of youth programs is suggested to advertise their ventures as grooming opportunities for fresh entrepreneurs. In young years people are found to be extremely capable and creative and therefore may bring something new in the world of business if they are given proper guidance and confidence. Still a failure in sporting newness will teach them some useful lessons. Findings The key findings of this study are enlisted as follows The nations that are pouring top dollars in training and development of the youth are prospering in every walk of life The developing and underdeveloped nations are not at all encouraging their next generation towards participating in the mainstream decision making The countries that are famous for training and developing their youth for the future include England and America while in developing countries Indonesia and Malaysia have taken few concrete steps regarding the empowerment of youth The fundamental purpose of youth developmental programs is to facilitate learning of corporate culture and norms in youth The most vocal programs work in order to develop and foster entrepreneurial skills in youngsters so that they can challenge the status quo The management and teaching staff must give the trainees ample amount of confidence and time needed to articulate their new ideas The economic development of the nations is highly dependent on the educational quality of youth In training programs youngsters are also told about the practical application of management theories The companies are offering various internship programs and initiatives in order to train the upcoming breed of managers The youth training programs are ideal for those countries where people are more than willing to share their knowledge with the next generation Knowledge sharing happens effectively in an informal environment The corporate organizations are supposed to develop a flexible and participative management style Recommendations and Suggestions As mentioned earlier that national development is closely related to the quality of youth’s skill. Following are the recommendations and suggestions that would be vital in training and developing the next generation The developing nations are suggested to find proficient professionals of all fields and with the help of them arrange training sessions for youth The companies operating in developed nations are recommended to offer cross cultural training to expatriates so that they can adjust effectively to their new environment The developmental programs for youth fall in the operational domain of the government and therefore it should take full responsibility of supporting these initiatives Conclusion The world of corporate affairs is in the state of flux and therefore people should be repeatedly trained in the art and science of management and other sciences. The training and development is important because information technology has caused the speed of inventions and innovations to increase tenfold and if nations, companies and individuals do not change accordingly then they simply risk extinction to say the least. Youth’s energy and commitment towards learning is a well noted fact and developed countries are using their potential to grow significantly over the past number of decades. The substantial amount of resources is being diverted towards youth development programs on an annual basis. Still the developing and underdeveloped nations are not bothering about training their youth because seniors do not want to share their knowledge with juniors as they consider training the youth in the present means creating competition for the future. But in developed nations public and national interest is identified as the top priority under all circumstances and due to this reason people volunteer their services in order to participate in the youth development programs. References Arnett, J. 2000. Emerging Adulthood A Theory of Development From the Late Teens Through the Twenties. American Psychologist 55 5 , pp.469-480 . Catalano, R., Berglund, L., Ryan, J., Lonczak, H., & Hawkins, J. 2004. Positive Youth Development in the United States: Research Findings on Evaluations of Positive Youth Development Programs . The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 591 98 , pp.95-124. Emerson, R. 1976. Social Exchange Theory. Annual Review of Sociology 2 1 , pp.335-362. Greenberg, M., Weissberg, R., Zins, J., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. 2003. Enhancing School-Based Prevention and Youth Development Through Coordinated Social, Emotional and Academic Learning. American Psychologist 58 7 , pp.466–474. Hendriks, P. 1999. Why Share Knowledge? The In?uence of ICT on the Motivation for Knowledge Sharing. Knowledge and Process Management 6 2 , pp 91–100. Larson, R. 2000. Toward a Psychology of Positive Youth Development . American Psychologist 55 1 , pp.170-183 . Meyer, A., & Weiner, T. 2002. The Generation Gap Perspectives of a Program Director. Archives of Surgery 137 3 , pp.268-270. O’Higgins, N. 2003. Trends in the Youth Labour Market in Developing and Transition Countries. Social Protection Unit The World Bank. Peck, M. 2008. The Road Less travelled The Classic Work on Relationships, Spiritual Growth and Life's Meaning . Rider, an Imprint of Ebury Publishing . Young, K. 1999. The Art of Youth Work. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing Ltd. Read More