Saturday, April 18, 2020
Karl Marx Essays (1954 words) - Karl Marx, Anti-capitalism, Marxism
Karl Marx Karl Marx Karl Marx was the greatest thinker and philosopher of his time. His views on life and the social structure of his time revolutionized the way in which people think. He created an opportunity for the lower class to rise Above the aristocrats and failed due to the creation of the middle class. Despite this failure, he was still a great political leader and set the Basis of Communism in Russia. His life contributed to the way people think Today, and because of him people are more open to suggestion and are Quicker to create ideas on political issues. Karl Heinrich Marx was born May 5th, 1818 in Trier. Although he had three other siblings, all sisters, he was the favorite child to his father, Heinrich. His mother, a Dutch Jewess named Henrietta Pressburg, had no interest in Karl's intellectual side during his life. His father was a Jewish lawyer, and before his death in 1838, converted his family to Christianity to preserve his job with the Prussian state. When Heinrich's mother died, he no longer felt he had an obligation to his religion, thus helping him in the decision in turning to Christianity. Karl's childhood was a happy and carefree one. His parents had a good relationship and it help set Karl in the right direction." His 'Splendid natural gifts' awakened in his father the hope that they would One day be used in the service of humanity, whilst his mother declared him to be a child of fortune in whose hands everything would go well. (The story of his life, Mehring, page 2) In High school, Karl stood out among the crowd. When asked to write a report on "How to choose a profession" he took a different approach. He took the angle in which most interested him, by saying that there was no way to choose a profession, but because of circumstances one is placed in an occupation. A person with an aristocratic background is more likely to have a higher role in society as opposed to someone from a much poorer background. While at Bonn at the age of eighteen he got engaged to Jenny Von Westphalen, daughter of the upperclassmen Ludwig Von Westphalen. She was the childhood friend of Marx's oldest sister, Sophie. The engagement was a secret one, meaning they got engaged without asking permission of Jenny's parents. Heinrich Marx was uneasy about this but before long the consent was given. Karl's school life other than his marks is unknown. He never spoke of his friends as a youth, and no one has ever came to speak of him through his life. He left high school in August of 1835 to go on to the University of Bonn in the fall of the same year to study law. His father wanted him to be a lawyer much like himself but when Karl's reckless university life was getting in the way after a year Heinrich transferred him to Berlin. Also, he did not go to most lectures, and showed little interest in what was to be learned. Karl's reckless ways were not tolerated at Berlin, a more conservative college without the mischievous ways of the other universities. While at Berlin, Marx became part of the group known as the Yong Hegelians. The group was organized in part due to the philosophy teacher Hegel that taught from 1818 to his death. The teachings of Hegel shaped the way the school thought towards most things. Those who studied Hegel and his ideals were known as the Young Hegelians. Hegel spoke of the development and evolution of the mind and of ideas. Although Karl was younger than most in the group, he was recognized for his intellectual ability and became the focus of the group. While at Berlin "He came to believe that all the various sciences and philosophies were part of one overarching, which, when completed, which would give a true and total picture of the universe and man." (Communist Manifesto, Marx (Francis B. Randal), page 15) Marx was an atheist, and believed that science and philosophy would prove everything. Thus he had no belief in a god of any type. Marx believed that Hegel must have been an atheist as well because of his strong belief in the mind. Marx's doctoral thesis was competed in 1841. It carried the title "The Difference Between the Philosophies of Nature of Democrtius and Epicurus."(The Making of Marx's Critical Theory, Oakley, page 11) It had to do with the Greek philosopher Epicurus and how his beliefs related to Marx's of that day.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908
The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908 At 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908, a giant explosion shook central Siberia. Witnesses close to the event described seeing a fireball in the sky, as bright and hot as another sun. Millions of trees fell and the ground shook. Although a number of scientists investigated, it is still a mystery as to what caused the explosion. The Blast The explosion is estimated to have created the effects of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake, causing buildings to shake, windows to break, and people to be knocked off their feet even at 40 miles away. The blast, centered in a desolate and forested area near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, is estimated to have been a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The explosion leveled an estimated 80 million trees over an 830 square-mile area in a radial pattern from the blast zone. Dust from the explosion hovered over Europe, reflecting light that was bright enough for Londoners to read at night by it. While many animals were killed in the blast, including hundreds of local reindeer, it is believed that no humans lost their lives in the blast.Ã Examining the Blast Area The blast zones remote location and the intrusion of worldly affairs (World War I and the Russian Revolution) meant that it wasnt until 1927 19 years after the event that the first scientific expedition was able to examine the blast area. Assuming that the blast had been caused by a falling meteor, the expedition expected to find a huge crater as well as pieces of the meteorite. They found neither. Later expeditions were also unable to find credible evidence to prove the blast was caused by a falling meteor. Cause Of the Explosion In the decades since this huge explosion, scientists and others have attempted to explain the cause of the mysterious Tunguska Event. The most commonly accepted scientific explanation is that either a meteor or a comet entered the Earths atmosphere and exploded a couple of miles above the ground (this explains the lack of impact crater). To cause such a large blast, some scientists determined that the meteor would have weighed around 220 million pounds (110,000 tons) and traveled approximately 33,500 miles per hour before disintegrating. Other scientists say that the meteor would have been much larger, while still others say much smaller. Additional explanations have ranged from the possible to the ludicrous, including a natural gas leak escaped from the ground and exploded, a UFO spaceship crashed, the effects of a meteor destroyed by a UFOs laser in an attempt to save Earth, a black hole that touched Earth, and an explosion caused by scientific tests done by Nikola Tesla. Still a Mystery Over a hundred years later, the Tunguska Event remains a mystery and its causes continue to be debated. The possibility that the blast was caused by a comet or meteor entering the Earths atmosphere creates additional worry. If one meteor could cause this much damage, then there is a serious possibility that in the future, a similar meteor could enter Earths atmosphere and rather than landing in remote Siberia, land on a populated area. The result would be catastrophic.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
The effect of a new drug on blood pressure. Testing Research Paper
The effect of a new drug on blood pressure. Testing - Research Paper Example Another reason for using the t-test is because a t-test is normally used when the standard deviation of the population is unknown. In this case we do not know our population. The t-test is also used when the purpose of the study is determining whether there is statistically significant difference between two independent sample groups. In this case the drug and the blood pressure are two independent variables. The z-test is not applicable in this case because it is normally used when the null and alternative hypothesis are stated (Tanner, 2016). In our case the two are not stated. The ANOVA on the other hand is normally used when carrying out a test using three or more variables (Tanner, 2016). In our case, we only have two variables. What would your choice of test depend on? For the test you select, explain your design and your comparison groups. Choosing the type of test to use in a particular study depends on: the type of the variables used either continuous or categorical, the number of variables to use in the particular study either one variables, two variables or three or more variables, the normality, how the variables are normally distributed and the nature of the variables, are they dependent or independent variables. The design in this case will be the number of patients to use in the study. Small number of patients will result in an inaccurate result and using a large number of patients will be risky to their health and lead to waste of resources. One should therefore use not so small neither not so large number of patients.
Monday, February 10, 2020
The Features Of Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
The Features Of Immigration - Essay Example Legalization of the permits held by American immigrants would increase their wages. This has a multiplier effect on the entire economy and would result in an overall increase in the gross domestic product (GDP) by over 1.5 trillion dollars over the next decade. These increased amounts would result in greater employment levels, greater demand, exports, and output. Overall it would translate to better living standards for all the American people. On the other hand, mass deportations as proposed by some people would result in a decrease in the gross domestic product (GDP) by almost double this figure. This translates to about 2.05 trillion dollars over one decade. The difference between the two scenarios is over 3.5 trillion dollars. This clearly shows that immigrants positively benefit the American economy. Fighting an economic reality is not only a difficult endeavor, but it is also an endeavor whose chances of success are very slim. Americans are trying to fight an economic crisis oc casioned by mismanagement of their economy. The economy was brought to its knees through a misdirection of tax funds and a poor regulatory environment. Money that should be used at home in supporting new investments to increase employment is instead directed to wars that are not beneficial to the American people. The financial sector that triggered the collapse of the economy had prospered for many years under insufficient laws and regulations. In short, the prosperity was just a bubble that would eventually burst sooner or later. Rather than blame our problems on immigrants, it would be better to focus on the real issues. Such an approach will help us move forward and avoid similar problems in future. The truth is that immigrants do not violently rob Americans of their jobs. Rather than resort to empty rhetoric about their being in America and how it equals to fewer jobs for Americans, the question should be why they are in employment in the first place and not the Americans. As the poem So Mexicans Are Taking Jobs from Americans puts it, ââ¬Å"Do they come on horses with rifles, and say, Ese gringo, gimmee
Friday, January 31, 2020
Control being over business by government Essay Example for Free
Control being over business by government Essay What are the arguments for and against, greater control being exercised over business by government? How do these arguments differ between the countries of the group members? We would like to start the answer by an example of USA when they were heavily involved in the industrialization and expansion. People of all different occupations were involved in some part of the industrial revolution. However there was a debate over the government intervening in the building of infrastructure. Chief Justice John Marshall made many landmark court decisions which played a role in defining the business climate that developed during the industrial revolution and strengthened the central governments control over the business. Thus finally the government was involved in the early stages of the industrial revolution. The governments decision of this era laid the ground work of the future U.S. growth of the nation. Without these pro-business decisions, the United states would not have made the change from being agriculturally dependent to the industrialized nation it is today. [www.historyteacher.net/USProjects/myessay21.htm] Hence it sounds better in some situation and it doesnt in some. For example in China, local governments stand passively by as private firms aggressively reject long-standing official right because the government officials in south China are increasingly anxious to shed their responsibility for economic management. Also they fear the risks and dangers associated with the more complete market system that has emerged during the 1990s. As a result, Chinas southern provinces have already begun the process of separating government from business, while, in the north, leading officials emphasize the slogan separate government from enterprises but, fearing slow growth, practice the opposite. [www.pitt.edu/~tgrawski/paper98/china.html] To what extent do you think a change of government in a) UK would affect the business community? b) the countries of group members? It can have a great impact on businesses in UK or in other countries like India, China etc. For example: Regulatory systems can be improved to provide faster access to exploration land and clarification of aboriginal disputes, taxes such as corporate taxes, income taxes etc can be reduced, Business leaders can hope for a complete overhaul of the resource-rich provinces economic structure, Economic growth can be affected by change in government, it is expected that the new government can come up with creative solutions on how to reduce government indebtedness during its term, the new government will aim to solve deficit of balance of payments by boosting production through attracting direct foreign investments, also new government can change the manufacturing scenario in the country like instead of importing products, they can plan to manufacture in their own land which will indirectly reduce the unemployment in the manufacturing field. Also it can provide grant to those regions in which unemployment is high. [http://www.rba.hr/web/pdf/rrr/rba-rrr-012-2003-12-18.pdf] What are the implications of privatising a public sector business organisations? With privatization programs still active in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a growing debate on effects on economic development. To address such issues the representatives of privatization agencies of different nations established the African Privatization Network (APN) in November 1995. APN aims at promoting the concept of privatization and encouraging its implementation in African countries by sharing legislation and other relevant documentation; studying the nature and scope of privatization in each country according to its special circumstances and needs; and monitoring the process of privatization in Africa, identifying problems and obstacles and offering advice where required. The positive view of privatization suggests that it went ahead, in spite of domestic opposition, because politicians and bureaucrats perceived real benefits to themselves and their supporters. They could influence the sales to their own benefit, while, on the other hand, a more focused public sector improved service delivery. A well functioning private sector is essential for increasing economic growth and thus reducing poverty. Yet international development institutions recommend sophisticated policies to improve the business environment that governments in developing countries cannot successfully implement. The result is often a worsening of private sector performance. The promotion, support, financing, marketing and management of small and medium sized enterprises and industries is the core business of any privatisation programme. [ http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/130679/]
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Private Property and the Rule of the Middle Class in Aristotleââ¬â¢s Politi
Private Property and the Rule of the Middle Class in Aristotleââ¬â¢s Politics In his discussions of constitutions and cities in Politics, Aristotle makes it very clear that his top priority is to provide people with the opportunity to pursue and achieve the good life. An integral part of this is the stability of the constitution. Although Aristotle explicitly states that a kingship is the best system of rule for any given generation, its lack of stability from one generation to the next disqualifies it from being the best in reality. In his attempts to find a constitution with stability, Aristotle comes to the decision that the middle class would be the ruler of such a constitution. This, he says, will minimize the corruption that can easily take place within the rich or the poor, and will ensure lasting stability. In order to enable the middle class to take a role of power, Aristotle allows them to obtain wealth, and more specifically private propertyââ¬âa huge diversion from the opinion of Aristotleââ¬â¢s mentor, Plato put forth in th e Republic. Towards the beginning of Aristotleââ¬â¢s discussion about the different constitutions, he makes the claim that in certain situations, a kingship is the most virtuous of all types of government. ââ¬Å"There may, however, be a particular sort of society in which absolute kingship ought to be instituted. This is the sort of society in which one family, or person, is of merit so outstanding as to surpass all the other membersâ⬠¦there should be absolute kingshipâ⬠(III.17). When Aristotle speaks about ââ¬Å"virtue,â⬠describes a constitution as ââ¬Å"good,â⬠or issues any other form of praise, he is almost always speaking about the ability of the constitution to provide its citizens with t... ...a luxury but a necessity for the stability of the just city, and the pursuit of the good life. Aristotleââ¬â¢s arguments for the rule of the middle class and the existence of private property are very convincing. He successfully shows that a government, which best allows its citizens to live the good life must necessarily be stable. To achieve that stability, those who rule should be chosen because of their ability to maintain control when other classes challenge them, and for their reluctance to corrupt and start ruling for their own self-interest. The middle class was the obvious choiceââ¬âthe poor and rich could never unite to mount an effective challenge. In order for the middle class to have the potential to rule, wealth, luxury, and specifically property must be allowed. Aristotleââ¬â¢s arguments for all of these things are solidly grounded and correct.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Key Success Factors â⬠Organizational Culture Essay
In this assignment we introduce the idea that the organizational culture is the personality of an organization which can be defined, measured, sustained and changed and have an important impact on an organizationââ¬â¢s effectiveness. We want to define organizational culture as it is presented by two theorists, indicate levels of expressions of culture in an organization, and provide specific strategies or tools to modify organizational culture. We know that every individual has something that psychologists have termed ââ¬Å"personalityâ⬠. An individualââ¬â¢s personality is made up of a set of relatively permanent and stable traits. When we describe someone as innovative, relaxed, warm or conservative, we are describing personality traits. An organization, too, has a personality, which we call the organizationââ¬â¢s culture. Organizational culture is an important situational variable that influence all members of an organization to various degrees, so it is important to have a sound understanding of this construct to manage and work effectively in an organization. In this paper project we want to define organizational culture as it is presented by two theorists, indicate levels of expressions of culture in an organization, and provide specific strategies or tools to modify organizational culture. Chapter IDefinitions of Organizational CultureWe will present how Schein defines organizational culture in ââ¬Å"Organizational culture and leadershipâ⬠(1992) as it is presented by Yukl in ââ¬Å"Leadership in Organizationsâ⬠(1998) and Ottââ¬â¢s definition of the organizational culture in ââ¬Å"The Organizational Culture Perspectiveâ⬠(1989) as it is presented by Lawson and Shen in ââ¬Å"Organizational Psychologyâ⬠(1998). Scheinââ¬â¢s definition of organizational cultureSchein (1992) defines culture of a group or organization as shared assumptions and beliefs about the word and their place in it, the nature of time and space, human nature, and humanà relationships. Schein distinguishes between underlying beliefs (which may be unconscious) and espoused values, which may or not be consistent with these beliefs. Espoused values do not accurately reflect the culture when they are inconsistent with underlying beliefs. For example, a company may espouse open communication, but the underlying belief may be that any criticism or disagreement is detrimental and should be avoided. It is difficult to dig beneath the superficial layer of espoused values to discover the underlying beliefs and assumptions, some of which may be unconscious (Yukl,1998). The underlying beliefs representing the culture of a group or organization are learned responses to problems of survival in the external environment and problems of internal integration. Schein say that the primary external problems are the core mission or reason for existence of the organization, concrete objectives based on this mission, strategies for attainting these objectives, and ways to measures success in attaining objectives (Yukl, 1998). All organizations need to solve problems of internal integration as well as problem of external adaptation. Objectives and strategies cannot be achieved effectively without cooperative effort and reasonable stability of membership in the organization. Internal problems include the criteria for determining membership in the organization, the basis for determining status and power, criteria and procedures of allocating rewards and punishments, an ideology to explain unpredictable and uncontrollable events, rules or customs about how to handle aggression and intimacy and a shared consensus about the meaning of words and symbols. The beliefs that develop about these issues serve as the basis for role expectation to guide behavior, let people know what is proper and improper and help people maintain comfortable relationship with each other (Yukl, 1998). Robbins (1994) and others sustain too that the shared values determine in large degree what employees see and how they respond to theirà world (Robbins,1990; Robbins, 1994; Stoner and Freeman, 1992)When confronted with a problem the organizational culture restricts what employees can do by suggesting the correct way ââ¬â ââ¬Å"the way we do things around hereâ⬠(Bower,1966) ââ¬â to conceptualize, define, analyze, and solve the problem (Robbins, 1994). We believe that the internal and external problems are closely interconnected and organizations must deal with them simultaneously. In conclusion, Schein (1992) defines the organizational culture as shared assumptions and beliefs about the world and their place in it, the nature of time and space, human nature, and human relationships. Organizational culture have distinct dimensions that can be defined and measured. This is important to know in order to develop and use change strategies of the culture. Ottââ¬â¢s definition of the organizational cultureOn the other hand Ott (1989), in ââ¬Å"The Organizational Culture Perspectiveâ⬠describe organizational culture as a social constructed, unseen, and unobservable force behind organizational activities. Organizational culture is a social energy that moves organizational members to act and unifying theme that provides meaning and direction to and mobilizes the members. It functions as an organizational control mechanism, informally approving or prohibiting behaviors (Lawson and Shen, 1998). In short, organizational culture is a hypothetical construct that must be inferred from the share thoughts, feelings, values, and actions of organizational members. Last, Ott suggested that organizational culture is a concept, construct, energy, idea, rather than a thing that can be directly observed, measured and manipulated. But we do not agree that the organizational culture is just a concept, energy, idea and can not be observed, measured or manipulated because then we can not discuss about managing and changing the organizational culture.à If culture exists, and we argue that it does, it should have distinct dimensions that can be defined, measured, and changed. I n ââ¬Å"Organization Theory ââ¬â Structure, Design and Applicationsâ⬠Robbins (1990), propose that there are ten characteristics that when mixed and matched tap the essence of an organizationââ¬â¢s culture:1. Individual initiative, which is the degree of responsibility, freedom, and independence that individuals have. 2. Risk tolerance. The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk-seeking. 3. Direction. The degree to which the organization creates clear objectives and performance expectations. 4. Integration. The degree to which units within the organization are encouraged to operate in a coordinated manner. 5. Management support. The degree to which managers provide clear communication, assistance, and support to their subordinates. 6. Control. The number of rules and regulations, and the amount of direct supervision that are used to oversees and control employee behavior. 7. Identity. The degree to which members identify with the organization as a whole rather than with their particular work group. 8. Reward system. The degree to which reward allocation are based on employee performance criteria in contrast to seniority, favoritism and so on. 9. Conflict tolerance. The degree to which employees are encouraged to air conflicts and criticisms openly. 10. Communication patterns. The degree to which organizational communications are restricted to the formal hierarchy of authority. These ten characteristics include both structural and behavioral dimensions which means that organizational cultures are not just reflections of their membersââ¬â¢ attitudes and personalities. A large part of an organizationââ¬â¢s culture can be directly traced to structurally related variables (Robbins, 1990). John P. Kotter in ââ¬Å"Leading Changeâ⬠(1996) sustain that culture refers to norms of behavior and shared values among a group of people. Kotter(1996) says too that culture is not something that you manipulate easily but it is possible to make the transformation. ââ¬Å"The first step in a major transformation is to alter the norms and values.â⬠(Kotter, p.156,1996,). He sustain that cultures changes only after you have successfully altered peopleââ¬â¢s actions, after the new behavior produces some group benefit for a period of time, and after people see the connection between the new action and the performance improvement. In conclusion, organizational culture is not just a concept, construct, idea, energy, ghost which can not be seen or measured but it is a system of shared meanings with a certain structural and behavioral dimensions that are closely associated and interdependent. In every organization there are patterns of beliefs, symbols, rituals, myths and practices that have evolved over time. These in turn create common understanding among members as to what the organization is and how its members should behave. Organizational culture refers to norms of behavior and shared values among the people items which can be changed to increase the performance of an organization. Chapter II Levels of expression of organizational cultureAccording to Schein (1992) organizational culture is discernible at three different levels: artifacts, values and basic assumptions. ArtifactsIt is widely agreed that the most readily observable but least exact expression of the shared meanings of the culture are represented by artifacts. Artifacts include things and the arrangement of things in an organization, as well as observable behaviors captured by organizational stories and ceremonies, rites and rituals (habitual activities rooted in values and basic assumptions like weekly or monthly departmental meetings or presentations), and norms (unwritten rules for appropriate and inappropriate behaviors). Artifacts of a culture are quickly detected but the share meaning is the key for appreciating and becoming deeply aware of the organizational culture. Values Values, defined by Schein (1992) as someoneââ¬â¢s sense of what ought to be, as distinct from what is, represent the second level of organizational culture. Shared values are important concerns and goals shared by most people in a group that tend to shape group behavior and that often persist over time even when group membership changes (Kotter, 1996). The basic issue at this level of organizational culture is the membersââ¬â¢ determination of what works or is successful for a given organizational problem. Values can be both espoused and enacted; however, adults pay the greatest attention to enacted or operationalized values and are more inclined to modify their own values in response to them than to values that are solely expressed or espoused (Lawson and Shen, 1998). The validity of a given value is determined by testing the preferred solution against physical or social realities. For example, out of many comparable manufacturing processes, one is selected or valued because it yields the most durable product or particular activities are performed in particular ways because the feel right or are accepted by a large majority of organizational members as the right thing to do. Hence, what works and what members agree works becomes the anvil against which values are hammered out for a particular organizational culture. Basic assumptionsAccording to Schein (1992) when the initial preferences for organizational problem solving continue to be successful, organizational members increasingly take the originally tentative solutions for granted and come to believe that their selected solutions actually reflect reality because they have continued to be successful. If a solution works repeatedly, it must be true, and any doubt about its efficacy is eliminated from the minds of the members and eventually from the cultural mind of the organization. For example, if the members of an organization share the beliefs that they must first and foremost learn to harmonize human actions and desires with the elements of the world, such as clean air, water, open spaces, and respect for vegetation and other living creatures it is most likely that they will be working for a ââ¬Å"green organizationâ⬠. As the members act on their fundamental beliefs and the organization succeeds, grows, and prospers, the fundamental beliefs are taken for granted and simply acted on without further reflection or regard. According to Schein (1992) when these fundamental beliefs are shared, taken for granted and nondebatable, they become the basic assumptions of the culture. Changing basic assumptions is an anxiety-provoking and difficult process that involves double-loop organizational learning or basically changing the important things you have done and still do, rather than single loop learning which involves getting more efficient at what you now do (Lawson and Shen,1998). In conclusion to this chapter we have understood that there are several level of expression in the organizational culture like artifacts, values and basic assumptions which can be determined analyzed and changed. Artifacts are observable behaviors but least exact expression of the shared meanings of the culture; values represent important concerns and goals shared by most people in a group that tend to shape group behavior and also we have the basic assumptions which are the fundamental beliefs shared by all the members about the organization which are very difficult to change, but itââ¬â¢s possible to do this. Chapter III Cultural Change StrategiesOrganizational learning and organizational culture are intimately linked to each other, and this linkageà provides the bases for instituting organizational cultural change. A number of different changes are possible, including elimination of existing cultural forms that symbolizes the old ideology, modification of existing cultural forms to express the new ideology, and creation of new cultural forms (Yukl, 1998). Scheinââ¬â¢s change strategyScheinââ¬â¢s (1992) leader-centered change strategy is perhaps the most fully articulated. It is a strategy that involves a clinical relationship between outside consultants and informed and cooperative insiders whose primary joint task is to identify and then change the basic assumptions of the organizational culture primarily by changing either the leadersââ¬â¢ assumptions or changing the leaders. The external or outside consultant has the distinct advantage of independence and transience (Wallace and Hall1996). As an outsider, the external consultant is independent of the organizationââ¬â¢s hierarchy and status system. Detached financially, socially, and emotionally from the consulteeââ¬â¢s system. The outside consultant is in a position to be more objective in the assessment and diagnostic stages of the consultation process, and is free to offer new perspectives and paradigms for action. We consider that the outside consultant itââ¬â¢s very important to have in a change process from the organization. Schein (1992) identified specific primary strategies that can be applied to change an organizational culture. All these strategies focus on the formal (and informal) organizational leader or leadership team and include for example: what leaders pay attention to, measure, and control; how leaders react to critical incidents and organizational crisis; observed criteria by which leaders allocate scarce resources; deliberate role modeling, teaching, and coaching; observed criteria by which leaders recruit, select, promote, retire, and excommunicate organizational members. Schein (1992) also identified secondary strategies and reinforcement mechanism to change organizational culture that include modifyingà organizational rites, rituals, and stories; structuring reward system to promote change; and revising formal statements, such as the organizational mission statement (what we do), vision statements (what we aspire to be), value statements and recruitment materials. Scheinââ¬â¢s cultural change process focuses primarily on the leader or leadership team and involves the external consultant working closely with organizational insiders who are committed to organizational change and have sufficient influence to an impact on many members of the organization. Lawson and Shen Cultural Change StrategyLawson and Shen cultural change strategy combines features of different approaches that, in one way or the other involve changing norms, or unspoken rules of behavior, reward systems and organizational rites or organized and planned activities that have both practical and consequences (Lawson and Shen, 1998). Basically, there are three phases to these cultural change strategy: assessment; construction and implementation of cultural and learning change projects and organizational outcome measures and project modifications. Lawson and Shen (1998) recognize too the importance of the external consultant in the changing process of the organizational culture. Phase 1, assessment, involves three steps: identifying the client, increasing cultural awareness and establishing baselines. In the first step the external consultant focuses on identifying the organizational processes of motivational systems, leadership, decision making, conflict resolution, and individual ââ¬â organizational change as the client for the change program, rather than a particular individual, group, or unit. It is important to indicate that these organizational processes will change only if individual members who give life to them change their shared and unifying patterns of thoughts, feelings, values, and actions about the critical issues in the organization. Phase one also involves increasing cultural awareness by assembling as many of the documents that serve as a preliminary directory of an organizational culture. To obtain information about organizational stories, jokes,à ceremonies and rituals; information from external persons or organization that interact regularly with the target organization. And establishing cultural baselines by creating a document that describes the current organizational culture. From the assessment document, the leadership, committed organizational members and the change consultant can identify the cultural baselines and focal processes around which the consultant can build cultural change projects. Phase 2, construction and implementation of cultural and learning change projects, is the action phase. Once the draft mission statement is completed, the consultant expect some suggestions for revision and discuss the document to give everyone an opportunity to participate in the process. The external consultant expect suggestions from the internal consultant or from the manager of the organization. The internal consultant is aware of the existence of sensitive records and data; through experience the inside consultant has prior knowledge of the organizationââ¬â¢s history, social structure, power structure, communication channels, politics, and local customs and beliefs in the organizational community. In addition, it is important to have a good collaboration between the external consultant and the internal consultant because the insider has command of the organizationââ¬â¢s language ââ¬â the jargon (favorite terms and phrases unique to the organization) which is very important to make an implementation of cultural and learning change (Wallace and Hall, 1996). Here it is appropriate to establish some learning experiments in which a current process that supports the new mission statement is described and root causes of problems and barriers to change are identified and then to start implementing a change in a given process while monitoring changes in performance. Last it is important to initiate or reinforce an existing rite of enhancement. Phase 3, organizational outcomes measures and project modifications, includes a synthesis and interpretation of performance or outcome measures for allà cultural change projects and then decision about what modification of existing cultural change project are required and established as the way to do things in the organization. It is critical to provide systematic feedback to members so they become aware of their individual and collective sense of efficacy (capacities to execute specific patterns of actions), identify the extent of resistance to change and help to identify barriers to change in the organizational culture (Lawson and Shen, 1998) . Cultural transformation requires time and if the leadership is not prepared for a sustained campaign then the focus will be lost and the transformation effort will dwindle and die. A good collaboration between the external consultant and the leadership of the organization is required for the success of the changing process which may take a couple of good years. Kotter (1994) affirm too that culture changes only after you have successfully altered peopleââ¬â¢s actions, after the new behavior produces some group benefit for a period of time, and after people see the connection between the new actions and the performance improvement. In conclusion to this chapter we have understood that a number of different changes are possible to make in an organizational culture, including elimination of existing cultural forms that symbolizes the old ideology, and creation of new cultural forms in the organizational culture to save an organization and to make it if profitable and more efficient. We indicate that both cultural change strategies are worthy to be followed considering that both accept the importance of an external organizational psychologist consultant who is working closely with the internal consultant / manager and is promoting change strategy that involves the leadership team and change strategy for the other members of the organization by creating reinforcement mechanisms to modify organizational rites, rituals, to promote an holistic change in the organization. ConclusionsIn conclusion to this paper project it is essential to remember that organizational culture is a situational variable that influences, toà various degree, all members of an organization. We have learned that organizational culture is the unifying and shared pattern of thoughts, feelings, values, and actions that serve to bind together organizational members and distinguish them from nonmembers. Organizational learning and organizational culture are linked to each other and this provides the bases for instituting organizational cultural change. We have seen two specify change strategies and the steps to implementate them which can be applied in a wide variety of organizations. We have understood that a solid understanding of organizational culture minimizes the unnecessary expenditure of attention and emotions regarding what, how, when and why to think, value, feel, and act in the workplace. REFERENCES _____Yukl, G. (1998). Leadership in Organizations. (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall_____ Kotter, P. John, (1996). Leading Change, Boston: Harvard Business School Press_____Lawson, R.B., Shen, Z. (1998). Organizational Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press_____Robbins, P. Stephen, (1990). Organization Theory ââ¬â Structure, Design, and Applications. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall_____ Robbins, P. Stephen, (1994). Management -fourth edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall_____Stoner, A. James, Freeman, R. Edward, (1992). Management. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall_____Wallace, A. William, Hall, L. Donald (1996). Psychological Consultation ââ¬â Perspective and Applications. Pacific Grove, C.A.: Brooks / Cole Publishing Companycopyright à © Sorin Balogh
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