Organisational Culture Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1834 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Organisational Culture and Change Culture within an organisational context is a widely explored paradigm. It is nature and mottled definitions have formed the basis of organisational study for many decades. From Handys cultural forms in the notorious Gods of Management3, to the Morganest metaphoric representations of the concept such as, culture as a web, an onion, or an iceberg6. Therefore, the contents of culture encompasses a wide range of organisational phenomena including surface features such as values and forms of expression: preconscious factors such as symbols and norms: and deep structures such as basic assumptions and worldviews (Pettigrew 1979; Frost et al 1985)7. They all imply that culture is an integral part of organisations, that without due consideration, development of strategy will ultimately lead to failure, leading to the assumption that culture should always fit with organisational strategy. Revenaugh2 suggests that most researchers assume that corporate culture is an important considera tion for understanding and effectively managing organisations, and thus supports that argument. Bringing me to the purpose of this essay, which is to explore the context of organisational culture in more depth and come to a more discernible conclusion about its relationship with strategic management. As a result of its wide and varying definitions, corporate culture can be hard to define, measure or manage; these definitions reveal culture to be a complex concept that involves many factors as suggested by numerous academics such as Pettigrew5. Thompson and Strickland (1987) offer this explanation: Every organisation is a unique culture, it has its own special history of how the organisation has been managed, its own set of ways of approaching problems and conducting activities, its own mix of managerial personalities and styles, its own established patterns of how we do things around here, its own legendary set of war stories and heroes, its own experiences of how changes h ave been instituted in other words, its own climate, folklore and organisation personality2. Naturally there are other definitions given but the basic thinking of this concept in organisational terms is twofold. As a component that represents the core of the organisation and its way of doing things or as its Achilles heel. The first view sees culture in terms of encapsulating distinctive competences8. The later though is often attributed to the term Icarus Paradox (Miller 1990)6. Miller argues that there is a tendency for organisations to become victims of the very success of their past. Here arises the concept of strategic drift, where an organisations response to the changing environment is often within the parameters of the organisations culture, which over time becomes more and more apparent. In this respect culture is traditionally seen as a preventative to change, which stifles innovation and results in a momentum of strategy that can lead to strategic drift. In shor t the organisations response to the business environment is internally constructed rather than objectively understood. This view therefore supports the assumption that strategic change must always be accompanied by an appropriate cultural change. The opposite of strategic drift is strategic fit. This is also known as the process of incremental development. Quinn (1980) and Lindblom (1958)11 have argued that incremental development in organisations is not only inevitable, but also logical. Managers are aware that it is not possible to know about all the influences that could affect the future of the organisation. So to cope with uncertainty, strategies must be developed in stages, carrying members of the organisation with them.This allows the organisation to try out new ideas and experiences to see which are likely to be effective and to stimulate commitment within the organisation through continual, but low scale change. Mintzberg and Waters (1985)9, argue that building t oo much upon what managers espouse is precarious because whether managers choose to follow the notion of logical incrementalism or not is irrelevant, because it doesnt automatically follow that they behave in such ways. This highlights the difference between the intended strategy and the one actually being followed the realised strategy. This difference is often attributed to some unseen internal power, which for the purpose of this essay we will call culture. The point is there has been a good deal of discussion in recent years about the formulation and implementation of strategy. Thus the argument Im trying to represent here is that for strategic change to be effective practitioners must bear in mind cultural constraints. In other words, the proposition that cultures should always fit with organisational strategy is correct but only because it assumes that culture can be measured and controlled. The rationalistic models (such as logical incrementalism) that have dominate d the complexity we call scientific management, are only the tip of the iceberg, and should only be seen as an integral part of a much wider process, as there are other explanations that explicate how managers cope with the complexity of managing change. Allaire and Firsirotu (1984)1 for instance suggest that how the organisation scans its environment is of major importance, that leadership, decision-making style, and organisational design are of significance to the process, but the argument put forward by Schein4 is that the concept of organisational culture embraces all of these variables, therefore organisational strategy is the outcome of organisational culture, not the other way around. If strategic change is viewed this way instead, what emerges is that the complexity that managers face cannot be objectively analysed, because managers hold to a set of core beliefs and assumptions. There is also likely to exist at some level a core set of beliefs and assumptions held r elatively common by managers, either called ideational cultures or myths (Hedberg and Jonsson, 1977)7. Either way this set of beliefs, embraces assumptions about the nature of the organisational environment, the nature of its leaders, and the operational routines seen as important to ensure the success of the given organisation. All these assumptions lead to the conclusion that whilst it would be necessary to modify corporate culture to ensure effective strategic change as the proposition suggests, given the nature of cultural paradigm its not always possible to adhere to that rule. Id suggest that an organisations culture is far more easily perceived to those from outside the organisation. An example of this type of action can be associated with Compaq Computers, who during the 1990s bought in a new CEO (Eckhard Pfeiffer), who within a year had a new strategy in place involving the complete overhaul of the company. Pfeiffer said: We had to recognise what had gone wrong and name the problems early. Only by asking for dramatic change can people see their way out of old habits. Sometimes it is more difficult to achieve a 10% cost reduction than it is to tell people they have to achieve 50%. Small incremental steps block your view of doing something fundamentally different12. The success of this strategy contradicts the beliefs of Quinn (1980) and Lindblom (1958)11 whose views on the value of logical incrementalism are highly regarded and instead offers support for the work of Mintzberg and Waters (1985)9. Alternatively there is the view that when organisations have a strongly shared vision or culture it is often easier for organisations to get things done more effectively (because it captures distinctive competences). If people share a common set of goals, a common perspective and vocabulary on what to do and how to accomplish it, it allows them to coordinate their behaviour more effectively. Managing through shared vision and with a strong org anisational culture has been a very popular prescription for organisations (Deal and Kennedy, 1982, Peters and Waterman 1982, Davies 1984)7, and is also supported by the actions of Pfeiffer who also wanted to preserve Compaqs culture, which stood for quality, service and innovation. I was 100% for culture. Let us keep the culture but let us solve our problems12. This view suggests that it is not always necessary to change the organisations culture in order to achieve an appropriate strategic change that the proposition being discussed is inaccurate and only represents one side of the argument. The work of Gagliardi4 suitably sums up all of the assumptions and contradictions discussed during this essay. Starting with Scheins view that values and assumptions are at the core of an organisations culture and adding that every organisations primary strategy is to protect the organisations identity rooted in those assumptions and values. He then discussed the possibility that ther e are a number of secondary strategies that are developed and implemented which bear in mind the primary strategy. These strategies may be directed towards the internal or external environment and are either instrumental (management of external problems of adaptation and internal problems of integration) or expressive (seek to protect the stability and coherence of shared meanings). In developing this concept Gagliardi traced three types of change, which arguably have formed the main threads of this essay. Firstly there is apparent change, which is where new problems are confronted by choosing from a range of different options permitted by the company culture. Secondary strategies only produce changes at a superficial level, as the organisation only adapts within the confines of its existing identity, similar to the process of logical incrementalism. Secondly Gagliardi proposes the concept of Cultural Incrementalism where a strategy stretches the existing organisational cu lture to include new values alongside its old ones. This is very much the approach taken by Pfeiffer in the overhaul of Compaq. Finally there is revolutionary change; Gagliardi argues this is where strategic change is imposed upon the organisation, which does not comply with existing cultural values and believes, and requires the organisation to create new values and symbols in order to achieve the desired change. In this case it is more appropriate to say that the old firm dies and a new firm, which has little in common with the first, is born. In other words strategic change doesnt always fit with the organisations culture. At one end of the scale exists that strategy which when aligned with the organisational values, does not require an appropriate cultural change. On the other hand when strategies are in conflict with assumptions and values, culture is either overthrown where it is then replaced or destroyed, or the strategy is resisted and never implemented. Somewhere in between those two extremes exists a middle ground or a compromise where strategies are different but not incompatible with assumptions and values, and it is only necessary to expand the existing culture so that it incorporates some new assumptions and values. In conclusion, Gagliardis model separated culture and strategy, by suggesting that different strategic moves have different effects on an organisations culture and the examples I have illustrated throughout this essay would seem to agree with that assertion. That whilst the proposition being analysed is partly correct, in light of the findings of this essay I offer a more discernable explanation, Organisational cultures sometimes fit with organisational strategy, but it isnt always appropriate to fit the culture with the strategy and vice versa and to quote Strebel (1996)10 successful change takes place on a path that is appropriate to the right situation and of which accordingly makes my point. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Organisational Culture Essay Online For Free" essay for you Create order

Teaching And Learning For Students - 896 Words

Many school systems believe that the only effective way for students to learn is through direct instruction. This isn’t the only way, but it is the most common way throughout America. Direct instruction is the easiest way for teachers to instruct to a whole group and students are used to this type of instruction. But that style of teaching isn’t exactly the best way for students to learn and retain information. One of the most effective ways for students to learn is through differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction is a framework for effective teaching that involves providing different students with different avenues to learn. This style of instruction allows for the curriculum to adapt to certain needs and interests of individual students. (Bravmann) Making this instruction one of the most effective styles of teaching. It also gives both the teachers and the students more of an opportunity to learn in different ways that will help them to be successful in the long run. Since this type of instruction involves a ton of work many teachers don’t use it because they don’t have the time but it is really worth the time, especially for the students who don’t learn like everyone else when it comes to direct instruction. One of the best examples of differentiated instruction comes from The Ron Clark film which is about who is a man from North Carolina who moved to New York and had the chance to change the lives of students through differentiated instructi on. HeShow MoreRelatedTeaching For Improved Student Learning761 Words   |  4 Pagesassess student learning data and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning. Whenever I begin a unit, I access NAPLAN results to allow me to gauge my students’ ability and progress, and adapt my pedagogies accordingly. I also use TORC testing and On Demand data to provide me with the information required to ensure my students are able to understand and complete my common formative tasks. I attempt to provide prompt, useful and constructive feedback to my students. I askRead MoreTeaching And Learning For Students With Disabilities775 Words   |  4 Pages In order for students with disabilities to learn in a science classroom, there needs to be a balanced approach to learning that includes both instructed and constructed learning activities. Direct teaching and mnemonic strategies can be used in order for students to learn vocabulary and facts. Text structure comprehension and summarization strategies can be implemented to help students read science textbooks. Graphic organizers and framed outlines can help improve learning of abstract conceptsRead MoreTeaching, Learning, And Millennial Students Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesTeaching, Learning and Millennial Students Maureen E. Wilson is the author of Teaching, Learning, and Millennial Students. Wilson’s intent was to alert College and University educators and faculty on the challenges regarding education and Millennial students. College and University educators and faculty must attempt to make education exclusive in a way that grabs Millennials attention. College and Universities need to improve curriculums by using creative environments that use technology and avoidRead MoreTeaching Technique For Students With Learning Disabilities Essay1697 Words   |  7 Pagesvolunteer. Teaching methods were administered to all students to include students with disabilities. While conducting my observation, several questions arose which lead to my research. Finding the appropriate teaching technique for students with learning disabilities will benefit all level students which will inevitably help in filling the gap within the general education system. First, I will discuss my observations to explain what happened and how the teacher used different approaches on students. ThenRead MoreTeaching Students With Particular Learning Needs1178 Words   |  5 PagesTeaching Students With Particular Learning Needs: Case Study This case study involves a male student with juvenile arthritis who has two younger brothers who also have this condition. This individual wants to be a pilot. The parents are supportive of this students plans for his future. This study will answer: (1) what is the impact of having a disability and what might be the different perspectives of stakeholders involved in the inclusion of students with special needs? and (2) What can be learnedRead MoreTeaching Methods For Students With Learning Difficulties1802 Words   |  8 Pagesfor students with learning difficulties in regular classrooms. Despite the continued deliberation over which teaching method is best suited to the teaching of mathematics to students with learning difficulties, explicit teaching has overwhelming come out on top. According to mathematic intervention research explicit instruction is one of the most effective instructional approaches. This paper will put forward the arguments supporting explicit instruction and w hy it is a far superior teaching methodRead MoreTeaching And Learning Mathematics For Elementary Students1520 Words   |  7 PagesAn article, I chose, related to teaching and learning mathematics for elementary students is â€Å"STEM Gives Meaning to Mathematics† by Lukas J. Hefty. This article is about how teachers can teach mathematics while teaching science. Teachers can do this by using â€Å"STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education† (Hefty, 2015, p. 424). This allows teachers to integrate science with math or math with technology. The article mentions that STEM â€Å"frees students to reason about complex problemsRead MoreTeaching, Learning, And Student Centered Approaches Essay1758 Words   |  8 Pagesaiding teachers as well as learning the importance of planning. Although teaching is the foundation that we see for the students, it is important to understand that all of the teaching that occurs can not be done without the planning. This essay will be informative of the planning, techniques, and models 1st grade English teachers at the World Language Academy use to be most effective on the students they are teaching, as well as also explaining the diversity among the students and teachers and how thatRead MoreTeaching Students With Literacy And Lifelong Learning1784 Words   |  8 Pagesliteracy and lifelong learning. In everyday conversations children are simultaneously learning both the language of their community and understanding how to learn through different life experiences, whether that be school or home based learning. What students become depends on who they are surrounded by and the language that is socially and culturally constructed around them (Flint, Kitson, Lowe, Shaw, 2014). Effective Pedagogies. A person’s first experience of learning is at home so schoolsRead MoreSample Resume : Teaching And Student Learning1523 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy- As an administrator, I will support and guide my staff in making meaningful connections with teaching and student learning. I will I validate my staff’s input, and recognize them as professionals. I will ensure my staff has a clear and concise understanding of school goals and standards. I will work to ensure the staff stays focused, and continually guide progress towards set goals and standards. District spending must be transparent in order to be effective. For example, if there is

Problems of Youngs in the Society Violence Free Essays

Youth violence is prevalent in almost every country, and in an effort to lessen it, it is important for us to understand the primary reasons behind it. If we observe keenly, violence is extremely prevalent among youth from different walks of life. There seems to be a driving force (or forces), that urges these young people to engage in such violence. We will write a custom essay sample on Problems of Youngs in the Society: Violence or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is very common nowadays to hear news about teenagers or high school students taking part in brutal killings, homi-cide, murder or even suicide. However, I think youth violence is not restricted to such forms. Bullying, for ex-ample, happens everyday in almost every school in this country. The very fact that violence is becoming more widespread in our time is enough reason for us to identify and understand the main reasons behind such vi-olence. The environment where a person grows up plays a major factor in his/her participation with vi-olence. I believe that a young man or woman can be directly influenced to do violent acts if he/she has wit-nessed or experienced it on a personal level. If a child grows up in an environment where violence seems to be a normal part of daily life, then it is almost certain that the child will adapt the same tendency to engage in violent acts. For example, if a boy often sees his father hurting his mother, this could lead to two things. Either the child will adapt the same attitude of cruelty towards women, or he will develop a strong anger against men who hurt women. Eventually, as the child grows up and becomes a teenager, he might find ways to bring out his or her pent up emotions by engaging in similar violent acts. The content behind modern media and entertainment can also be a major cause of youth violence today. Parents may be able to discipline and guide their kids at home, but when these same kids open the television, they can watch the news where people are being murdered, folks are hurting each other and crimes are being committed everyday. In many television shows and movies, brutal acts of murder and torture are shown as if they are a normal part of daily life. Other films teach young people the value of revenge, and portray violence as the righteous way to vindicate the characters. The fearful thing is that these acts of violence can be watched by children and teenagers unrestricted. They do not need to personally experience crime and brutality because these things are already fed daily into their heads: through the television, news, movies and the internet. There are thousands of websites where young people can freely watch videos with graphic content and gore. In this way, violence becomes a part of a young person’s daily thinking. Suddenly, it stops being a scary thing to him or her. Instead, violence becomes more and more appealing and interesting to the young person. He then finds ways to do these same things in real life. Just a few years ago, news broke out about a young, introverted student who one day went to school with a firearm and entered the classroom shooting all her classmates. Similar events have occurred in previous years in different parts of America. Homicides happen in schools where young people are supposed to be safe. What is the reason why seemingly harmless and meek young people have engaged in brutal killings? I believe one of the reasons is social alienation. The current society we live in is full of racism, minority branding and social biases. Some young people find themselves in school environments where they are treated as outcasts possibly because of their nationality, religious beliefs and other unique characteristics. Every young person is longing for genuine belongingness and attachment, an environment where he or she is accepted. Unfortunately, some teenagers’ needs for social belongingness are not being met. Instead, they are exposed to a cruel world where people are cold, indifferent and judgmental. In my opinion, this leads to feelings of anger or resentment against the world in general. This anger or resentment may be kept deeply hidden in the thoughts of a young person. It could grow stronger as years go by, until at last, it reaches a certain level where the young person gives in to his strong feelings and resorts to acts of violence towards others. In conclusion, a young person’s environment, exposure to violence through the media, and feelings of social alienation, all contribute to youth violence. There are many other reasons and causes, and we could not possibly point out all of them. However, I believe the important thing is that we are aware of what’s happen-ing around us. It is my conviction that learning, studying and fully understanding the main causes of youth violence will help us become better citizens and effective parents in the future. There are some solutions that can help to avoid or to solve teenage violence: Parents and others who care for young people can help them learn to deal with emotions without using violence. Because violence results from conflicts between people, it can be prevented by learning nonviolent ways to control anger and solve problems. Teaching your teen, through words and actions, that violence is never an acceptable form of behavior is very important. The tips provided here can help you. Quick Facts †¢Almost 16 million teens have witnessed some form of violent assault. †¢About one in eight people murdered in the United States each year are younger than 18 years of age. †¢Research shows a link between violent television programs and aggressive behavior in teens who watch those programs. †¢Most injuries and violent deaths occur between people who know each other. If there is violence in your family, it increases the risk of your teen becoming involved in future violence. †¢A gun in the home is more likely to be used to kill a family member or friend than to kill an in-truder. Tips for Parents 1. Start talking about ways to reduce or eliminate violence. †¢Team up with other parents and get involved in your community; join your neighbors in activities to reduce violence. †¢Talk to your teen about ways to solve arguments and fights without weapons or violence. †¢Advise your teen to talk to you or a trusted adult to avoid potentially violent situations. If you suspect a problem with your teen, start talking about it. 2. Monitor the media. †¢Limit the amount of television your teen watches to 1 to 2 hours a day (includ-ing music videos and video games). †¢Do not allow your teen to watch violent movies or TV programs. †¢If something violent comes on the TV, talk about what is wrong with the pro-gram and how the situation could have been handled in a nonviolent way. 3. Be a role model by handling problems in nonviolent ways. †¢Don’t hit your teen. Model non-physical solutions to problem solving. †¢Count to 10. Cool off. If you can’t control your anger, tell your teen you need some time to get your thoughts and feelings under control. †¢Problem solve with your teen. Think together about options and consequences for behaviors. †¢Set limits, make sure your teen knows the rules and consequences, and follow through. †¢Don’t carry a gun. This sends a message to your teen that using guns solves problems. 4. Reduce the threat of gun-related violence to your teen. †¢Make certain your teen does not have access to guns. If you have a gun, re-move it from your home or store it unloaded and locked up. Lock and store bullets separately. Tell your teen to stay away from potentially dangerous situations and from guns in homes of friends or places where he or she may visit or play. †¢Keep in mind that teens don’t always follow the rules. Also, teens are attracted to guns and see guns as symbols of power. Since you can’t always count on teens to stay away from guns, you have to keep guns away from them. 5. Help your teen deal with anger. †¢Anger is a normal feeling. Anger does not have to be bad if it is expressed ap-propriately. Teach your teen that it is okay to be angry, but it’s not okay to throw a punch. People must control their anger before they can control a situation. †¢Sometimes counseling is necessary to help teens deal with their anger appro-priately. Steps your teen can take to avoid violence or injury 1. Recognize situations or events that are likely to escalate into violence. 2. Stop whatever you are doing and count to 10 backward. This will help you think about your feelings before they get out of control. 3. If you can’t control your anger, get away. Take a time out. 4. Think about the options and conse quences of your actions. For example, hitting someone could result in suspension from school or injury. 5. If necessary, get help from a third party to solve differences. 6. Cool off. Make sure you are calm and then talk to the person. 7. Listen carefully to the other person’s opinion. 8. Be assertive, not aggressive. Stand up for your ideals. Begin every sentence with â€Å"I† For example: â€Å"I feel this way†¦ † or â€Å"I don’t like it when†¦ † 9. Be willing to admit and be responsible for something you may have done wrong. 10. Respond with your HEAD, not your fists, threats, or weapons. How to cite Problems of Youngs in the Society: Violence, Papers

Student Teaching free essay sample

I walked down the hall. My palms were sweating and my was mind racing. What was I going to do? What was I going to say? How should I act? Finally, I approached the door. I reached for the handle and it slowly opened. I stood in the doorway with 30 pairs of eyes focused directly on me. The teacher stood up and introduced me as Miss Michele, the student teacher for the year. I was there to help the teacher with the dance class because its size. All the young girls took an instant liking to me, except for one girl, Carly. I did not understand why she would not listen to directions; she was the kid who just did not care. Carly was the one who would sit talking to anyone near her no matter how many times I asked her to stop. She would also make faces at other dancers or me during class, and she would try to have other dancers join her, which would disrupt the class. We will write a custom essay sample on Student Teaching or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Carly had a learning disability; she sometimes could not comprehend what she was seeing. For instance, if I was doing a combination for the class she would see a different step or even a different combination. She would always act up because she was confused. She was the real reason I was assigned to the class. The teacher wanted me to work with her and help her understand the steps and keep up with the class. It was my first year in the student teaching program and I was already presented with a difficult and daunting task. At first, I did not know how I would to accomplish this, but I would not give up. I started working with Carly, but it appeared I was not getting through; she seemed frustrated and confused. I realized I was approaching this task in the wrong way. I needed to work with her more individually, but I could not make her feel self-conscious or singled out. So, I would work with her along with a couple of other girls on specific steps. Whenever a new step was introduced, I put the girls in groups so they could help each other. I would put Carly in a group with other girls who did not understand the step as well, and I would work with them. When the recital came, she knew all of the steps and how to do them. I could see how proud she was of herself, and I was equally as proud of her.