Free Essays on Dysfunctional

Dysfunctional is usually applied to families, but also to describe anything from a broken appliance to society at large. To qualify as dysfunctional, obviously the thing in question has ceased to function, or perhaps never functioned in the first place. A family cannot function if the individual members don ¹t communicate their ideas, feelings, needs, and desires. Lack of communication is usually embraced and reinforced by a stringent set of unspoken rules. The same theory can be applied to organizations. Unfortunately I have been part of a dysfunctional organization, although the main problem was contained in one department, but much like teams, an organization is only as strong as their weakest link. I was a Director of Servicing Operations for a major mortgage lender in California. I had recently graduate from college and I had 5 years of servicing experience with the organization and I felt this would be an excellent opportunity for advancement in my career. I was well aware of the departments problems prior to taking the position, but for some reason I felt as though I would be the one to go to bat for my subordinates, reduce turn-over, increase productivity and finally bring the mortgage delinquency down to a respectable percentage. This was a huge order, but I was up for the challenge. Throughout my undergrad I learned many definitions of Leadership and I was determined to be a Leader rather than a Manager. Little did I know how much support I needed from upper management and colleagues to make this possible. When I first started with this company I was attracted to the scores of smart, motivated, and talented people that populated this organization, although I did notice that they do not often pull in the same direction at the same time. When they did, they can execute brilliant, breakout strategic moves, but the organization typically lacks the discipline and coordination to repeat these successes on a consistent basis... Free Essays on Dysfunctional Free Essays on Dysfunctional Dysfunctional is usually applied to families, but also to describe anything from a broken appliance to society at large. To qualify as dysfunctional, obviously the thing in question has ceased to function, or perhaps never functioned in the first place. A family cannot function if the individual members don ¹t communicate their ideas, feelings, needs, and desires. Lack of communication is usually embraced and reinforced by a stringent set of unspoken rules. The same theory can be applied to organizations. Unfortunately I have been part of a dysfunctional organization, although the main problem was contained in one department, but much like teams, an organization is only as strong as their weakest link. I was a Director of Servicing Operations for a major mortgage lender in California. I had recently graduate from college and I had 5 years of servicing experience with the organization and I felt this would be an excellent opportunity for advancement in my career. I was well aware of the departments problems prior to taking the position, but for some reason I felt as though I would be the one to go to bat for my subordinates, reduce turn-over, increase productivity and finally bring the mortgage delinquency down to a respectable percentage. This was a huge order, but I was up for the challenge. Throughout my undergrad I learned many definitions of Leadership and I was determined to be a Leader rather than a Manager. Little did I know how much support I needed from upper management and colleagues to make this possible. When I first started with this company I was attracted to the scores of smart, motivated, and talented people that populated this organization, although I did notice that they do not often pull in the same direction at the same time. When they did, they can execute brilliant, breakout strategic moves, but the organization typically lacks the discipline and coordination to repeat these successes on a consistent basis...

Organizational Conflicts of Interest In Contracts Management Dissertation

Organizational Conflicts of Interest In Contracts Management - Dissertation Example I am going to focus on the four instances that tend to create organization conflict of interest in contract management process and how the OCI regulation helps contract officers to handle them. I will also include research questions and a problem statement on the topic that will give readers more understanding on what I am talking about. Problem statement The goal of this research paper is to come up with a good solution to solve the problem of organizational conflicts of interest in the process of contract management process. Organizations need to make sure that the process of giving out contracts is free and fair and that the best qualified for the job gets it (Friedberg 1999). Anyone with any other interests should not get the job at any cost. The main reason why organizations are facing this problem and making it so rampant in the contract management process is because organizations lack proper guidelines that can prevent this. Organizations also have contract management officers who lack integrity and the knowledge of how to curb this vice (Lo et al 2000). The people seeking these contracts also play a major role in this process these are the contractors who try to find illegal ways to get the jobs or have other interests in the organization apart from the job itself. If organizations do not find ways to avoid this, then most contracts will never be up to the required standards of the organization and also the government standards. It is important that organizations make sure there are regulations to be followed in any contract management process (Marilyn 2009). The government should also make sure the regulations they have come up with are stricktly followed by the organizations and their contract officers. Research questions 1. Why Organizational Conflicts of Interest exist in Contracts Management? 2. Who are the people involved in this conflict of interest in contract management? 3. What makes these people have these conflicts of interest in the contrac t process? 4. How can the organizations and the government solve this problem? We need to know that organizational conflict of interests can result due to several factors. A potential conflict of interest is created by these aspects on an available contract; this makes the nature of the work to be performed on the contract to create an actual conflict of interest on the contract management process (Friedman 2002). The conflict here comes up because of a future acquisition. What are the two main situations in which organizational conflict of interest may occur in the contract management process? The first situation is when a contractor is probably unable to give unbiased assistance or advice to the organization offering the contract. Here we clearly see that the contractor interests are conflicting with how he is giving the organization assistance on how the contract will be handled or any other imperative information. Subsequently organizational conflict of interests may occur in co ntract management process is when a contractor has an inequitable competitive advantage for a contract that is available. (Nelson 2002) In the organizational conflict of interests embody two underlying concerns that define organizations conflict of inte

Managing People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Managing People - Essay Example An organisation should therefore strive to reduce constant absenteeism that has direct and indirect negative impacts. Most companies are now focusing on the proactive ways of checking and reducing absenteeism by indentifying and dealing with causes of non-attendance rather than focusing on the absenteeism as a negative entity (Coughlan 2004, P.5). The moist common causes of absenteeism are related to sickness and other genuine reasons though in some cases employees may fail to show up at work place without a genuine reason due to lack of motivation, bullying, personal issues and stress. A company should therefore focus on addressing the cause of absenteeism rather than completely eliminating absenteeism. Keenly addressing workers absences will help to make a major variation to the absence intensity currently and in future. The proactive ways helps to reduce employee’s absence as well as creating conducive working conditions that helps to increase production and staff retention . This paper will critically analyse proactive approaches in reducing absenteeism. Approaches to reduce absenteeism Most companies are focusing on reducing absenteeism in their through proper proactive approaches that also helps to improve employees’ services delivery. ... The second step is the administration level that helps to allocate resources to implement the set rules, regulations and policies to achieve the organisational goals (Devanna at el 1981, P. 53). The require recourses may include time, employees, funds, information and other parameters stated in the strategic plan. And finally the implementation level that involves the day to day running of the organisation by the management that brings together all departments in the organisation to allow smooth learning of the organisation which is the overall goal of reducing absenteeism. To effectively reduce absenteeism the company must assess the current situation; come up with the desired situation and the plan to achieve the future situation. A company can adopt several proactive methods to anticipate reduce absenteeism in workplace as follows. Recruitment A company should lay a strongly highlighting of the significance of consistent turnout to work in the organisation from the recruitment sta ges. The interview should ask questions aimed at determining the applicants’ attitude towards chronic absenteeism depending on the organisational goals (Liste n.y.) and if possible the applicant can be asked to show his attendance record from the previous employer. The employer should seek to know personal traits that can increase chances of absenteeism without genuine reasons such as personal honesty, commitment to work, truthfulness and personal integrity (Salisbury 2010). According to Morgan (2012), some of the company may concentrate on a policing and implementing of principles set to ensure full attendance rather than developing a culture of consistence in attendance of employees. Developing a civilized and constructive attendance in an organisation starts

Consumer Buying Behavior Comparison in Marketing Strategies Essay Example for Free

Consumer Buying Behavior Comparison in Marketing Strategies Essay In order to help creating new offerings, improving communication, organizing delivery and, eventually, increasing the sale. It is important to understand the consumer buying behavior from situational, personality and social aspects. This paper will briefly discuss the marketing strategies of two giant retail department stores, Walmart and Macy’s, in terms of customer buying behaviors. Macy’s atmospheric settings provide strong stimuli for its customers. First, every season, Macy’s puts up different window showcases to demonstrate its classic and artistic tastes. Also, different ambient colors are used in its shopping environment. These seasonal changes should be able to boost the sale of the fashion apparel. Secondly, Macy’s decorates different themes for different holidays, such as Easter, Mother’s day, Halloween, Christmas, etc. the gift shopping behaviors are likely induced by these themes. Thirdly, Macy’s always plays a comfort and light background music, customers would spend more time into shopping with a good mood as the text points out:† People’s moods temporarily affect their spending patterns† (Tanner, J., Raymond, M. Schuster, C, 2001) On the other hand, it seems that Walmart pays a lot of attention to the shoppers’ personality factors. First, Walmart concentrates on the idea of â€Å"money saving†. Walking into a Walmart, the â€Å"Rollback† tags with two comparing prices are everywhere. The economical shoppers would compare more on the prices. Secondly, customers who prefer one stop shopping might find that Walmart, with its stock of food, toy, auto parts, etc, is more convenient than other shopping centers. Thirdly, Walmart shelves â€Å"as seen on TV† items and dollar items along the cashier to affect the shopping decisions. While waiting in the checkout line, customers are likely to pick up these items as they are categorized as low-involvement products. Moreover, social factors are also well considered by these two retail giants. In terms of social class, Macy’s focuses more on the middle-class families whereas Walmart targets on the customers with standard income. Wal-Mart exclusives have a mean household income of about $57K (Scarborough Research, 2005). Also, the products, Walmart is selling, represent the main stream of a geographical culture whereas Macy’s might satisfy some groups with special subculture interests such as high-end golf clubs or perfumes. In sum, consumer buying behavior is a very important element in the marketing strategies of a company. Situational, personality and social factors will influence the consumer buying behavior dramatically.

Cuban Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

Fidel Castro, inspired by Josà © Martà ­ who first dreamt of a Cuban Revolution who died a martyr before he could succeed, wanted to overthrow the corrupt government under Fulgencio Batista. Castro gathered an army of revolutionaries known as the Fidelistas who were driven by nationalism, idealism, patriotism, and the thought of possibly becoming a martyr, a historical glory of Cuba. The result of this revolution in Cuba was an overthrow of the government and the start of a Communist state that still remains today. Several events occurred that led up to the Cuban Revolution. The first war for Cuban independence lasted from 1868 through 1878 and became known as the Ten Years' War. The following year, the "Little War" began and lasted just over one year. The next attempt for independence began in 1892 by Josà © Martà ­. In 1901 the United States passed the Platt Amendment which further angered the Cubans and increased the desire for independence. The Revolution of 1933 was led by a series of small uprisings. Then, in 1952 when Fulgencio Batista seized power and ended the constitutional government in Cuba. The 26th of July movement, also known as M-26, in 1953 was another step toward revolution. Although the M-26 was a physical fight, the first operations of the revolution did not occur until late in 1956. Fighting continued until 1959 when Batista fled the country. The Ten Years' War be...

Teaching Strategies

The book â€Å"Dharma Punx† was written by Noah Levine, the son of bestselling author and Buddhist teacher Stephen Levine. As a writer, he uses a natural, conversational and empathic voice to narrate his story in order to reach out to others who have gone through the same ordeal as he did.This book, which was written in a very thorough narrative serves more or less as his autobiography, focusing primarily on what would probably the most turbulent moments of this life when drifted from one â€Å"movement† to another, from punk rock to drugs and alcohol which nearly sent his life crashing down to the point of self-destruction or suicide which he attempted several times, hence the title of the first chapter is â€Å"Suicide Solution† (Levine, 2003, p. 1).The starting point of Levine's story was at the detention facility where he was confined and at the time, he was going through withdrawal symptoms as the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol were being flushed out o f his system. It was at this point that he would begin to retell his tale on how he got into that situation. Born in 1971, his parents hailed from the â€Å"hippies† generation of the 1960's where they revolted against the establishment at the height of the Vietnam War and one of their mantras was â€Å"Make Love, Not War!† as well as the overflowing freedom of expression of their generation that also indulged in free drugs and sexual promiscuity as well, thereby making the term â€Å"psychedelic† an understatement for their generation that turned to drugs as a way to escape a harsh, brutal and cynical reality they wanted to repudiate.They were trying to create their own brand of utopia but somehow, this would not be perfect as well, and this would be reflected in Levine's own family.  In his childhood years in the late 1970s and early '80s, Levine loved to skateboard but partly out of curiosity and influence, he got hooked into punk rock and often watched pun k-rock concerts as well as looking the part of a punk rocker by the time he was in his teens. Punk rock was to his generation what the psychadelic â€Å"hippie† movement was to his parents. Levine said that the situation of his generation made them turn to this fad – like him, the youth of his generation had to cope with problems like broken homes, irresponsible parents who were either alcoholic or drug dependents; there was no responsible adult who could guide them.His parents had divorced by then and he would spend time with each of them, shuttling between their homes in California and New Mexico. Both his parents remarried but his mother's second marriage was fraught with trouble and the irony of that was she met her second husband in a meditation retreat while his father was able to move on and remarry a woman whom he truly loved and gave him a happier marriage (Levine, 2003, p. 5). However, without his â€Å"enlightened† father around to guide him, the youn ger Levine was susceptible to the temptations of the materialistic world.By the time he was six years old, he already began smoking marijuana and was also trying out other banned substances as well like cocaine. This also came hand in hand in partaking of alcohol which would stay with him for most of his youth. He was so addicted into drugs and alcohol that by the time he was in high school, he had become very violent, often getting into trouble ranging from brawls to vandalism that he was arrested several times for such behavior, something he appeared to have welcomed, owing to his punk rock influence, his own way of defying authority.He eventually dropped out of school and lived like a vagrant, often stealing to support his habit (Levine, 2003, pp. 21-24). In his recent detention in 1988, the point where he was at his very low that his road to â€Å"enlightenment† would begin. When his father visited him, he was the one who had set him on the path by encouraging him to try meditation (Levine, 2003, pp. 3-4). At first, Levine regarded Buddhist teachings as â€Å"bullshit† but the moment he made an effort to try it, he underwent a profound transformation.He began the 12-step program and started attending meditation sessions. He was eventually released and he started on a new path in life. Over the next few years, Levine worked hard on his spiritual growth, even practicing celibacy and taking a pilgrimage to the Far East in search of enlightenment and even meeting and learning from the Dalai Lama himself! He would eventually finish his studies by getting a college degree but he did not stop there.He went further and obtained a graduate degree in counseling psychology as well. He followed in his father's footsteps by also becoming a Buddhist teacher and of all the places where he would like to teach, he chose to be at the very same detention facility where he used to be remanded. Although he is a totally reformed and transformed individual, there i s one thing from Levine's past that he has not repudiated, his passion for punk rock. He still listens to punk rock, and still acts, looks and dresses the part.He still sports tattoos but the difference now is that his tattoos are Buddhist-inspired such as the lotus flower and Sanskrit inscriptions, making Levine a look-alike of Hollywood actor Vin Diesel famous for his role as agent â€Å"XXX† where he would also sport tattoos. One of the things Levine discovered about Buddhism is that it is very open-minded into tolerating anything that would compliment it. Buddhist teachings, particularly the Zen school of thought, say that if an individual can be one with that particular subject, that is also Buddhism.Levine himself will attest that punk rock, contrary to what conservative thinkers may think, is not anathema to society at all. This is, of course, looking at it from a Buddhist perspective. Other people tend to view punk rock as wild, violent and to a certain extent, destru ctive. As Levine would also admit, he turned to punk rock as a way of defying the status quo of his generation, much like his parents were part of the â€Å"hippie† movement as an expression of defiance of the status quo of their own generation as well (Levine, 2003, p.  34).The nice thing about Buddhism is that it has a way of channeling the excess energy away from the destructive path. If there was one other thing that Levine learned from his enlightenment, it is that death is not the answer to his problems when he was attempting to commit suicide. For most people, to take one's life is the way of the loser, notwithstanding the â€Å"samurai† concept of suicide where they would take their own lives to erase the stigma of the shame. It does not apply here and this can be interpreted in several ways.From the Hindu/Buddhist perspective, there is the concept of â€Å"karma† and reincarnation where one's conduct in the present life would have an influence on what will become of them in the next. While these beliefs recognize death (as a natural occurrence), it does not encourage people to commit suicide. Based on â€Å"karma,† the one who commits suicide might find himself or herself reincarnated in a much lower life form because of this and surely, no one would like to be reborn as an animal or a microscopic organism!In most beliefs, death is not the end, but rather the beginning of the next phase, provided it would be allowed to take its natural course. Committing suicide would disrupt the grand design for the individual in the universe. One notable aspect of Buddhist Dharma is the direction one's path will be, depending on the choices made. Levine's somewhat troubled past serve as the basis of his writings and teachings. â€Å"We all sort of have a different doorway to dharma or spiritual practice. Suffering is a doorway.For me it was the suffering of addiction, violence and crime which opened me at a young age, 17 years old. I w as incarcerated, looking at the rest of my life in prison and thought, ‘Maybe I will try dad's hippie meditation bullshit. ‘ Suffering opened me to the possibility of trying meditation. † (Levine, 2003, p. 246) All in all, â€Å"Dharma Punx† is not only an autobiography, it is a spiritual journey of one individual who has endured probably the worst life can throw at him, send him on the wrong direction but through corrective â€Å"enlightenment,† was able to bounce back and become spiritually whole again.And if the spirit is â€Å"whole,† the physical body will follow as well. Noah Levine went through hell and came out of it intact. If this were to be applied in international relations, one thing Buddhism can teach is violence and hatred is not the answer to the problems in the world. Buddhist teachings teach compassion and empathy and if nations would like to establish close relations with one another, they have to begin by establishing a spir itual connection which is first done by â€Å"letting go† of one's self.Buddhism teaches that the reason why there is so much suffering in this world is due to worldly desires. In international relations, the struggle for power often puts nations at odds with one another and this often leads to wars. Buddhism teaches the opposite, in letting go of these desires and to empathize. In doing do, not only are friendly relations established, but one's own interests will be met by others and one need not worry about it anymore.Finally, â€Å"Dharma Punx† is a very enlightening book which is highly recommended to anyone, not necessarily to those who went through the same ordeal as the author went. The author had been there and had done that yet he would not encourage anyone to go through it. Nevertheless, the book is very helpful for anyone who needs to be steered to the right direction of real happiness which is something no worldly goods can provide.

The Cuban Crisis During The Cold War - 1935 Words

The Cuban Crisis was a significant key turning point in USA and USSR relations during the Cold War. Historians pin down this event as the most intensified proxy war in the history of mankind, which nearly trigged a Nuclear War. On the one hand, a dà ©tente began to put an end to the arms race. But, it was also a time of epiphany as the superpower leaders noticed their unwise behaviour could have led to a nuclear war. This in return, made Kennedy and Khrushchev show mutual respect for each other reoccurring in better political relations. However, the Cuban crisis was not the only key turning point. The Nazi-soviet pact was another important turning point as it deteriorated German relations with the USSR allowing them to expand their powers over Europe. The pact also led initiated World War 2. Additionally, the Moroccan crisis created a rigorous German state that historians blame for world war one. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 was key in reducing political tensions in the cold war. The war began to soften as Kennedy changed his preconception of Khrushchev from a ‘feasible leader’ to a more intimidating political figure. The Washington hotline made communication better and a ‘test ban treaty’ was signed in 1963 to avoid further ‘risk of war occurring by accident or miscalculations’ quoted by the white house. This change in relationship forced both leaders to no longer see each other as enemies but rivals in the political stance. Furthermore, the ‘Bay of Pigs’ failureShow MoreRelatedThe Cuban Missile Crisis During The Cold War1378 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in 1963 in a setting that was the high point of tension in the Cold War. The most significant background cause of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the underlying cold war ideology of capitalism vs communism. This was dramatically increased by the second key cause, a series of events that quickly built tensions between the super powers from 1959 such as the U2 incident, JFK’s response to the Berlin Wall, and the Bay of Pigs incident. The third cause was the relationshipRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis During The Cold War1612 Words   |  7 PagesDuring 1939-1945, the United States and Soviet Union were involved in the Cold War. When Cuba accepted communism, the United States tried to drive out Cuba’s leader, Castro, during the Bay of Pigs, but it failed (Kauffman). The U.S. were concerned even more when they discovered Soviet Missiles in Cuba. Kennedy had established a quarantine to try and stop weapons coming to Cuba, but it was still a mystery when it came to what Kennedy’s response would be. 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John F. Kennedy was the president at this time and he was not to fond of that idea. October 1962, JFK was warned that the USSR had the nuclear weapons set up in Cuba ready to attack and as a result of this situation, Kennedy then also placedRead MoreThe Significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis Essay1686 Words   |  7 Pagesspeaking about the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy said, It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization† (â€Å"Nuclear Test Ban Treaty† 1). the Cuban Missile Crisis was a time where these two men, Kennedy and Khrushchev, had the power in their hands to end civilization. In order to understand the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis one must understand, the Cold war drama; the dangerous crisis; and its importanceRead MoreCuban Missile Crisis : Nature Of The Cold War1092 Words   |  5 PagesCOLD WAR ASSIGNMENT (Cuban missile crisis) Nature of the Cold war The cold war was a clash between two superpowers with competing ideologies, or sets of ideas. Although they had been allies against the common enemies of Germany and japan during World War 2, both sides distrusted each other. After the war this distrust evolved into a long term hostility. This era was called the ‘Cold war’ because the two superpowers never directly assaulted each other. This war was very political as it was foughtRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War was a result of what happened at the end of World War 2. At the end of World War 2, the Soviets held a grudge against the U.S for their delayed entrance in the World War resulting in deaths of thousands of Russians resulting in the appearance of the Cold War .The Cuban Missile Crisis was a significant flashpoint in the Cold War because it was the moment two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict. This crisis, while posing the very real threat of global annihilation, al so led toRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis : The Cold War1323 Words   |  6 PagesWars have been going on since the beginning of time, whether it is fighting for your religions, fighting for land, and fighting for your rights and freedoms. Some wars cause dramatic amounts of deaths, but the Cold War resulted in none. The reason there were no deaths is due to the fact that the Cold War was just that, cold. The conflicts never heated up enough per say to cause a real war. Though the Cold war itself wasn’t a war fought in battle, there were parts caused by it such as the Korean WarRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis as a Turning Point in USA and USSR Essays1009 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis as a Turning Point in USA and USSR The Cuban Missile Crisis was indeed a turning point in USA and Soviet relations during the Cold War. The event stands in history as one that nearly brought humanity to the brink of destruction and is known as perhaps the single greatest political battle between the two superpowers, the world has ever seen. It also started a dà ©tente that which instigated an end to the arms race between the two nations. FollowingRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis And The Soviet Union1062 Words   |  5 Pages During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States took a bold stand against the Soviet Union, Communism, and the installation of nuclear arms in Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union that occurred between October 14 and October 28, 1962 (â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis Timeline†). During the Cold War Era, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were already high because of the way that World War II ended. The Soviet Union’s decision