Identity and Difference of People - Assignment Example

Identity and Difference What are the ways in which organizations routinely seek to regulate and control members’ identities? Is identity regulation a legitimate organizational concern? Why or why not? Ans. Identity regulation in organizations is usually done by applying appropriate structures, procedures, measures and targets to situations under consideration. It is generally carried out by devising ways like rewards, leadership, division of labor, hierarchies, management accounting etc. It apparently is a legitimate organizational concern since it aims at pursuing control in work as well as introduce greater work flexibility. 2. Describe the pubic/private split. What do you think are the most problematic outcomes of this socially constructed split for men and women? Ans. The public-private split in organizational set up is the way resources are utilized and executed. It also talks about the domain of a particular organization in execution of its social responsibility as well as the difference in the philosophy of employee welfare activities. The extent to which a society maximizes gender role differences decided the nature of this constructed split among men and women. Consequently, women are perceived to be more willing to conform to authority, while men are perceived as aggressive. The demand for greater flexibility in work-schedules is viewed more in case of women because of their role as mothers, which they are supposed to carry out single-handedly in most cases. 3. Frame 1: “ Gender differences exist. ” Do you believe that to be true? If so, why? If not, why not? Ans. I do not believe that there is anything like gender difference. Men and women are alike in terms of leadership, cognitive abilities and personality. It is an individual’s knowledge and experience that helps in the workplace and not his/her gender. 4. Frame 2: “Gender identities are performed.” How do you perform your gender in your everyday life? What aspects of those performances are useful or beneficial? Which aspects are problematic? How might you transform your gender identity through engaging in different performances at home? At work? Ans. Though I do not believe in gender differences, yet there are certain stereotype roles that are socially attached to both genders. These socially constructed identities mould the way people behave. For example it is easy for a woman to get her work done through a soft and humble approach. On the contrary, an aggressive woman might not be liked much. Though the execution of gender identities might be beneficial, it is also harmful since it does not help in the exploration of individuality. It is possible to transform gender identities by multi-tasking and assuming certain roles otherwise not specified by gender differentiation. A male software engineer, for example can opt for flexible work hours and take care of his child as well. 5. Frame 3: “ Ideal worker is one who is masculine”, Is that true across all organizational contexts? Where and how is that idea challenged? Ans. No, this is not true. Achievement is not about masculinity but dexterity and commitment. Therefore the realization of organizational and individual goals can happen only by tying the lose ends rationally. 6. Frame 4: “How popular culture impacts our understandings of work and life.” What are the popular culture images that have had the most impact on your understanding of gender at work and in life? Ans. Popular culture images leave deep impressions on the mind in its formative years. As a result, we assign certain specified structure and function to both genders. I have a strong impression that women have better social orientation and emotional quotient as compared to men. Similarly men live in a world of pragmatism and action. 7. What are some of the strategies you use to successfully enact and embody multiple and intersecting identities everyday in work and in life? How do the concepts presented help you to do that more successfully? Ans. People have multiple identities and use them according to the situation they are in. It is important to understand the clear distinction between these identities and then use the right one in the right situation. As an employee in an organization you have a working identity, however you might also be party-freak. This gives you a socializing identity. With changing demographics in the workplace, the organizations no longer deal with only workforces, but various working identities. It is therefore important to understand these conceptually and implement the right demeanor in the required situation. Teams and Networks: Collaboration in the workplace 1. What is meant by employee participation in decision-making? Ans. It is the process in which subordinates share a significant degree of decision-making power with their supervisors. 2. What are some of the paradoxes typically associated with the practical implementation of greater participation? Ans. It is very difficult to reach a common consensus. Even if a decision is made, there would be some workers who do not agree. Also the involvement level becomes so deep that sometimes the political or other such concerns are relegated to the backdrop. 3. What is Deetz’s ideal for democracy in the workplace? How does the multiple stakeholder model challenge accepted ideas about effective organizational communication? Ans. According to Deetz democracy is threatened as governments have given far more governance power and public decision making to the commercial sector. 4. List and explain the types of teams used in today’s organizations. What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking a team-based approach to organizing? Ans. 1. Functional teams which work to achieve specific goals. 2. Cross-functional teams usually work to integrate multiple functions, or to investigate and resolve issues. 3. Multi-functional teams develop organizational issues, make policy, define philosophy, plan direction, and cultivate opportunities. 5. Quality Circles work on specific quality, productivity, or service challenges. They are often temporary teams. 6. Virtual teams use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. Team-based approach brings in cohesion in the work culture and improves productivity. The flip side however is clash of opinions which discourages the functioning of a team as a whole. 7. What unique challenges are associated with virtual teams? Ans. Virtual teams usually suffer from less social rapport as well as less direct interaction among members. They are not able to duplicate the normal give and take of face-to-face discussion. 8. What is a communication role on a team? What types of roles are available to team members? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a diverse array of roles in a team-based situation. Ans. The communication role in a team is positively related to team members’ willingness to share their knowledge as well as is positively related to both eagerness and willingness to share. The different roles available to team members include – creator, promoter, assessor, organizer, producer, controller, maintainer, adviser and linker. The major advantage of this role delegation is that individual performances get matched with team role demands and the results are good. The disadvantage however is the rigidity of sticking to particular role restricting versatility and multi-tasking. 9. What are communication networks? What characteristics do communication networks share with organizational teams? How does a communication network differ from a team? Ans. Communication networks in an organization include a lot of workers as well as a number of hierarchical levels. They can be in the form of formal small group networks or grapevine. There are many types of communication methods. For business collaboration, we can use various level of technology from traditional face-to-face meeting and telephone to computational email, instant messaging and groupware. A communication network can interact on a variety of issues, even those that might not be the focus area of a team. However a team concentrates on communication related to the fulfillment of their short-term and long-term goals. 10. What are some examples of prominent inter-organizational networks in your local community? Ans. Business clusters are prominent examples of inter-organizational networks. The Silicon Valley in California, Israel in the field of wireless telecom companies, The US Movie Production at Hollywood are some examples. 11. How do new network forms affect the way an organization thinks about growth and expansion? What effects does this new way of thinking have on the nature and challenge of competition between organizations? Ans. New network forms foster learning, represent a mechanism for the attainment of status or legitimacy, provide a variety of economic benefits, facilitate the management of resource dependencies and provide considerable autonomy for employees. Communicating Leadership 1. Describe the progression of leadership thinking over the past one hundred years. What are the main changes that you observe, and how do these changes reflect important social and cultural changes? Ans. In recent decades leadership itself has been intensively studied. The leader of the past was a doer. The leader of the present is a planner. It might be surprising but, in study after study about the purpose of leadership in the new millennium, getting results, i.e., making money, doesn’t even figure in the top requirements. What does figure is getting the process right – making sure the right people are talking to one another about the right things and have the right tools to do what they decide needs doing. When that happens, good results inevitably follow. This is what focus is all about. The 21st century leader doesn’t focus on results per se. He or she focuses attention squarely on the things that produce results. 2. Describe a situation where the careful selection of leaders is essential for public safety. Based on the leadership models you have just studied, what advice would you offer about how to best screen candidates for these positions? Ans. Choosing the right leader is of utmost importance in a democracy. The electorate is responsible for its own future. The best way to make this discretion is to get into retrospect about the way these candidates have handled crisis situations. 3. Is transformational leadership and change agency critical in every type of organization? Are there any you can think of which require leaders mainly to maintain the status quo instead? Ans. Transformational Leaders, by definition, seek to transform. When the organization does not need transforming and people are happy as they are, then such a leader will be frustrated. Therefore they are not critical in all types of organizations. Systems that already in place also require maintenance to sustain. Therefore it is important to have dynamic leaders who can maintain the status quo but with a progressive perspective. 4. What do leaders do to empower employees? Do you think it is critical to communicate a sense of empowerment to all employees in every organization, or are there specific types or organizational settings for applying the empowerment principles that make more sense than others? Ans. Leaders, who trust their employees and share their vision and direction, empower them. A positive organizational environment where the goals are set and a procedure is laid out to achieve is motivating for an employee. Getting a feedback on it also gives a sense of empowerment to the employee and he/she feels a sense of achievement. 5. Look on the Web for examples of organizational vision statements. What makes for a compelling vision? Ans. A vision statement is a vivid idealized description of a desired outcome that inspires, energizes and helps you create a mental picture of your target. It could be a vision of a part of your life, or the outcome of a project or goal. It has a compelling aspect that serves to inspire, motivate, and engage people. 6. What kinds of life events are most likely to lead to the modesty and high level of self-examination that seems to characterize the greatest of leaders? By contrast, what events are likely to result in bullying or abusive leaders? Ans. Vision, integrity, perseverance, courage, hunger for innovation and ability to take risks make great leaders. However insecure leaders whose agendas revolve around themselves result in abusive leaders. They have authoritarian attitudes and tend to impose supremacy rather than encourage teamwork. Organizational Alignment 1. Why is it important to take a “bird’s eye” view of an organization in charting its future? Ans. A bird’s eye view of the organization would help understand both its internal and external environment as well as the influencing factors. This is very important from the point of strategic management. 2. How do competitive strategies and competitor analysis work together to effectively position an organization? What role might the specific strategies we mentioned (lowest-cost and differentiation) play as well? Ans. Competitor analysis and competitive strategies have several important roles in strategic planning that include helping the management understand their competitive advantages/disadvantages relative to competitors, generating understanding of competitors’ past, present (and most importantly) future strategies and providing an informed basis to develop strategies to achieve competitive advantage in the future. Differentiated goods and services satisfy the needs of customers through a sustainable competitive advantage. The low cost leader in any market gains competitive advantage from being able to many to produce at the lowest cost. 3. What happens to companies that are not consciously positioned in the market place, or to those whose employees are unaware of their companies’ positioning? Ans. In such cases the entire strategic planning goes for a toss because the planning and execution are not in sync with the organization’s position in the market. 4. Which elements of strategic alignment seem the most challenging, and why? Ans. Strategic alignment happens in four steps: assess, collaborate, customize, align, implement and sustain. Implementation and sustenance are the most challenging. 5. In what ways do human resources contribute to the successful implementation of company strategy? What are the roles of targeted selection, performance management, and training/development? Ans. HR professionals have a unique set of perspectives and knowledge for effective strategy implementation. Targeted selection, performance management and training streamline the entire process of strategic implementation. 6. What are learning organizations and why are they at an advantage in today’s competitive market? Ans. An organization that learns and encourages learning among its people is called a learning organization. It promotes exchange of information between employees hence creating a more knowledgeable workforce. This produces a very flexible organization where people will accept and adapt to new ideas and changes through a shared vision. 7. What are the pros and cons of computer-assisted communication technology and computer-assisted decision-aiding technology? What view do you take of such technology – utopian, dystopian, neutral, or contingent? Why? Ans. Organizational boundaries become less relevant as a result of computer-aided communication. It seems to be a contingent technology as the contemporary organizations depend on it for their operations and communication. Working with Integrity 1. Under what circumstances do you behave most mindfully? Think of situations in jobs or classes that required a great deal of mindfulness from employees and/or students. Did the expected degree of mindfulness cause any problems? Ans. I try to behave most mindfully both in crisis as well as successful situations. The former requires a correct discretion to sort things rationally. Even in successful situations one needs to rationally view the situation so that no complications come in the future. Sometimes being over-cautious becomes a barrier in innovating. 2. How might the four alternative metaphors – poetry, discourse, voice, and performance – be put to practical use by organizational leaders? What do these metaphors highlight that prior lenses for seeing organizations do not? Ans. Organizational cultures give off the stuff of which poetry, discourses, voices and performances are made, e.g. mission and vision statements, strategies, advertisements, public court decisions, web page rhetoric, speeches given by leaders, annual reports, and the more private stuff, such as emails, interoffice memos, conversations in meetings, in short, virtually anything the organization communicates, intentionally or not, could serve as the raw material for poetry. 3. How do national cultures vary in their approach to communication and conflict? Ans. Effective conflict management is positively related to information sharing and organizational learning within business. The kind of communication is influenced by national culture and social values. So the approach to handle such conflict situations is socially specific. 4. What is the relationship between organizational communication and working with integrity? Ans. Organizations are people working together to achieve a common outcome or goal that would be more difficult or impossible to do alone. It is leadership’s responsibility to provide a clear, ethical direction for the organization – a direction that is also well thought out and viable for the organization’s purpose. They must also clearly articulate this direction and ensure that associated implementation plans are created. As a part of establishing this ethical direction, the leadership must ensure an environment where there is an opportunity to create, grow and develop – one where self-expression, responsibility, integrity, respect, diversity and service to the greater good are not only encouraged but strongly reinforced. Apollo, Challenger, Columbia 1. What were the "Monday Notes," and how did they improve communication at NASA? Ans. ‘Monday Notes’ established a sort of organizational communication network at NASA. These notes were created by the managers and handed over to the administrator every Monday morning. These notes focused on various jobs throughout the organization. These were further distributed to all the managers who got a better idea about their interdependent equations and were better prepared to anticipate difficulties. 2. What did the incident with the shuttle that was damaged by the "foam" reveal about language and communication? Ans. NASA’s organizational communication was blamed for the event. Although NASA personnel were connected with each other in this incident-based network, the right information did not get to the people who needed it. 3. What is meant by "automatic responsibility?" How can it be fostered in organizations other than NASA? Ans. When every single employee takes on the responsibility of others when needed in an organization, the concept is called automatic responsibility. Automatic responsibility requires that a person follow through with something that is off point, even if it is not in their area of expertise. 4. What effect did outsourcing have on organizational effectiveness at NASA? Ans. Outsourcing negatively affected the safety of NASAs manned space flight program, its ability to retain and pass along core technical knowledge and its oversight of the contractor workforce. References Google, The Search Engine, Read More