Leadership and the Diversity Challenge

Leadership and the Diversity Challenge Should organisations embrace different leadership styles of individuals from background and could this be the missing link to unlocking their full potential? Summary This major paper will examine if there are any common threads in the leadership style, traits or the development of leaders from different gender or ethnic backgrounds. The purpose is to see if there are differences in the leadership styles of individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and could this be a partial explanation as to the paucity of leaders from such groups, when compared to the conventional white heterosexual male leaders found in organisations today. In North America during the 1950s and 1960s the diversity debate concentrated on the civil rights of employees from different gender and ethnic backgrounds in the work place, this culminated in the USA with the introduction in 1964 Civil Rights Act and the establishment of the Employment Opportunity Commission. However in the 1970s the focus shifted towards affirmative action and equal employment opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds, with many organisations adopting polices to raise the talent pool from those of different ethnic backgrounds and genders. In the 1980s there was then a backlash against affirmative action and diversity debate became a bottom line or competitive concern for organisations. The diversity debate has grown in importance within many organisations for various reasons, not least of which is the increased competitive pressure to attract and retrain top talent. Additionally there is also a need for organisations to develop new innovative products and s ervices in an increasingly global market place. These combined pressures have resulted in many organisations seeking to develop both diverse work forces and leaders to meet these challenges. In the literature there is strong evidence to support to suggestion that there are long-term positive effects to an organisation in adopting a positive approach to diversity issues. This paper will examine the broader diversity issues and the benefits to organisations, but will specifically focus on the issue of leadership styles, traits and the development of leaders from different backgrounds. The paper will examine the phenomenon of the glass ceiling, or as in some cases the concrete ceiling, which is often described by aspiring executives from different gender and ethnic origins. In my opinion when considering diversity issues in organisations one aspect that is often inadequately considered is the concept of leadership style, traits and the development of future leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds within organizations. This needs to be considered in the placed in the context of what is often considered to be a successful style of leadership, namely the white, heterosexual macho male style of leadership, which dominates many organisations. This paper will attempt to explore the link between gender and ethnic origin and the style of leadership, and will examine if there are factors, which could provide an important connection that organisations, need to focus upon in their search to become more effective. Hopefully by examining, recognising and embracing any differences in the leadership styles, organisations can identify the critical factors that need to be considered to create a better-balanced leadership profile. Maybe it is through a deepe r understanding of the various styles of leadership that organizations can achieve the desired objectives of increased diversity, creativity, innovation and enhanced performance. In transcending the diversity debate to focus upon the differences in leadership style, it may be possible to examine the traits that organisations need to develop in their leaders to broaden their talent pool and achieve their diversity objectives. The resultant effect will be to encourage organisations to re-examine a number of aspects of their evaluation process and may create a framework to allow new leaders from different backgrounds to emerge, allowing them to break through the glass ceiling that exists in many organisations. I will conclude my major paper by focusing on major themes highlighting the key academic learning points. I will provide advice on the future implications for the diversity challenge within organisations and highlight further avenues of research. I will finish by providing a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. The paper has five major sections and in the next section I will provide a summary of each chapter, which supports the structure of my paper. Chapter One Objectives and Structure In the following section I will emphasise the objectives and structure of the paper, including a diagram, which shows the relationship between the chapters. 1.1 Objectives The paper will focus on why it is important for organisations to accept, understand and take advantage of different leadership styles, which maybe found in individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. To challenge the traditional white male heterosexual heroic style of leadership, which many organisations continue to accept, encourage and develop. It is only by challenging these leadership concepts will organisations achieve their often-stated diversity objectives and create truly successful and innovative organisations. Compared to the traditional white heterosexual male leadership found in most organizations, there is clearly a noticeable lack of leaders coming from diverse gender and ethnic backgrounds. This paper will examine the connection between the ethnic origin and gender of leaders and the scarcity in the workplace. The aim is to explore if there are common aspects preventing greater diversity of leadership in organisations. In building a more balanced senior leadership team it will be critical for organisations to recognise that individuals have different backgrounds, cultures, styles of leadership, levels of creativity and approaches to problem solving. By clearly understanding that leaders will see the same issues through different lenses then organisations will capture the full potential of their leaders and also their workforce. It is however important to recognise that organisations need adaptive styles of leadership to deal with various contexts and also that certain styles of leader ship may be required in certain the circumstances. However if organisations only make use of the typical leadership styles found in the traditional white male leader, then it will be increasingly unlikely that they will be able to operate and in the global context in which many organisations now operate. The focus of the paper will be on common patterns of leadership style, traits and the development of leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. The aim will be to determine if these common factors could provide a clue, as to why there has been limited success within organizations of individuals from different gender or ethnic backgrounds in obtaining senior positions. In additionally these common features may also exist in many white male employees who are currently overlooked for leadership roles. If there is a common link between gender and ethnic leadership styles, then it may be possible to enhance and develop diverse leaders within organisations, allowing those from different backgrounds to break through the glass ceiling. This would be beneficial both to the individuals and the organisation, but also to the wider social cohesion of society. To aid the discussion in the introduction chapter we will first examine some of the more traditional aspects contained in the literature as it relates various gender and ethnic backgrounds in the realm of leadership and management, particularly Hispanic, Afro American and Asian leadership styles, examining the diversity issues commonly found in these groups, looking at both the positive and the negative aspects of each ethnic classes traditions and values as applied in the workplace and the role of leadership. This discussion will focus on the varying leadership styles employed by and unique to each of the ethnic classes, as well as qualities and how they developed into leaders. The introduction will also touch on the concepts of â€Å"glass ceiling† and â€Å"concrete ceiling†, reflecting on the roles of women in the arena of leadership within organisations. However this particular aspect will be coved in more depth in later chapters in the paper. 1.2 Structure of my major paper Below I will provide a top-level summary of each of my five chapters. This will afford the reader both information and an understanding of the outline combined with the content of each chapter. Figure 1.1 on the following page shows the relationship between the chapters and highlights specifically the links between each of the chapters. Figure 1.1 relationship and links between chapters Chapter Two Introduction In chapter two I will provide an introduction to my major paper and a brief outline of the diversity challenge that faces many organisations. We will examine the historical context, the social and economic perspective and why these issues are of critical importance to both to individuals and organisations. This will set the context as to why diversity issues are often discussed within many organisations. It will also set the stage to explore why a deeper understanding of the issues involved with the diversity of leaders in organisations and why the need to build a balanced leadership team is important part of the debate on diversity which organisations need to consider. Chapter Three Literature Review In chapter three I will focus on the literature review of the major issues discussed in the academic literature on the areas of focus for this paper. The first part of the review will discuss how the context in which organisations have developed policies and practices to enhance the development of individuals of different ethnic and gender backgrounds, placing this in a historical context of changing competitive landscapes for organisations and the political background to addressing the issues of diversity. The second part of the review will focus upon the academic literature concerning the evidence of the benefits for organisations in pursuing a diversity strategy for their work force and leadership team. The third part of the review will focus upon the academic literature on the current thinking as it relates to models of leadership styles and traits and development of leaders found in organisations. The fourth part of the review will focus upon the academic literature as it relates to the leadership styles, traits and development of women leaders in organisations. Examining the glass or in some cases the concrete ceiling as it relates to women and also individuals from non-white ethnic backgrounds leaders in organisations. Chapter four – Towards a unifying model Chapter five- Conclusion The final chapter draws a conclusion based on the key themes and highlights the key academic learning points from my major paper. I will provide advice for future implications of policies that originations may wish to pursue in meeting the diversity challenge and will discuss the limitations of my research and highlight areas that were potential challenges. I will articulate areas of research that I would explore further if I were to continue this study and lastly, in keeping with the spirit of the IMPM, I will provide a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. Chapter Two Introduction The focus of the major paper will be to explore if there are common threads to the diversity debate as it relates to leadership styles and see if there are sufficient commonalities so that we can bring these together under a unified model which helps us better understand the challenges faced by individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in the work place as they strive to develop their full potential. This will I hope deepen our understanding and may also lead to certain practices and learning’s, which could help organisations, develop their talent pool in a more effective manner in the future. Leadership is one of the most important and elusive concepts to understand in management thinking today. While it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a specific definition of leadership, there does however appear to be researchers have identified certain characteristics. But why should organisations be concerned about leadership? One of the principle reasons cited is the importance of leadership in the success of an organization, it has been said that leaders are created by the needs of people relative to particular social conditions (Kershaw, 2001). Kershaw goes on to illustrate this point: As conditions change certain individuals are thrust into leadership roles. When physical strength is highly valued then the leaders will be perceived as, and at times must prove that they are, the strongest. When closeness to God is seen as major criteria for leadership, the successful leaders will be perceived as being closer to God than the masses (i.e. feudal monarchs and clergy during the European middle ages). (2001) However in the current age of globalization, an additional consideration that organizations need to consider is the widening need for diversity in their leadership. This will enable organizations to cope with the twin aspect of an ever-changing standards demanded by the global market place and consumers from an assorted variety of ethnic groups and because organisations, are also beginning to recognize the importance of having a widely diverse workforce and leadership teams to deal with the increased pressures they face today in the global market place for talent. According to Combs, finding ways to maximize benefits of an increasingly diverse workforce and client base is a continuing concern for organizational leadership (2002). While policies promoting diversity are an integral part of many organisations today, they are still not enough to effectively guarantee positive results in the existing organizational environments. This is especially pertinent as it relates to senior management within many organist ions. Diversity training is used to bring about behavioural change in organizations, however the model often made use of is the traditional white male role model in both the development of their leaders and also their workforce. Many organisations have failed to make use of their diversity training to bring about a new focus in order to improve the ethnic and gender mix and this is especially acute as it relates to the senior leadership teams. This paper will focus on the type of leadership conduct, philosophy, and set of values that are required for an organization, that is set in a global community, to cope against the rigors presented by an ever-changing set of standards presented by the demands of globalization. In this introductory section we will give a brief overview and attempt to address the issue by discussing and applying one of the numerous leadership approaches popularized in the literature (e.g., Charismatic, Humanistic and Fulfilment approaches to leadership) (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass, 1990; Casimir, 2001). In order to make the connection between differing leadership styles characteristics and their effectiveness in the field of leadership within various ethnic groups, we will examine the various kinds of approaches adopted or admired within various ethnic groups as it relates to leaders within these communities. These are be introduced below: African American Leadership: Charismatic approach One of the more pronounced characteristics of African-Americans is their uncanny ability to incite sentiments and emotions. They are adept in what could be labelled as a â€Å"Charismatic† style of leadership, which is not only apparent in the work place but also in their other aspects of community life. This is not entirely surprising as the core values of the traditional Africa-American community makes true when assessing a leader is that all leaders must be bold, innovative, committed and able to motivate the masses. They must, if they wish to remain in leadership positions, have their finger on the pulse of the people they represent or be able to determine what that pulse is (Kershaw, 2001). A critical aspect of a charismatic leadership is that they must not ever lose the focus from the masses and shift interest to the individual. If this occurs then the leaders authority will become easily dispersed and he/she will lose their authority, since the leaders main hold centres on how they move the various constituent groups in an organisation as a whole. With the African-American charismatic leaders they often find it necessary to move its constituents into cooperative action, and this aspect, which is often identified as a factor, which determines a good leader as perceived by the eye of the community. It is also necessary to create a strong a supportive organization with the leaders role serving as a medium to turn plans into reality. One of the foremost requirement in charismatic leadership, is to tap into the forces contained within organisation, and while it may appear at times to be very cumbersome, at times it does however not negates the importance of charismatic leadership (Kershaw, 2001). Charismatic leaders within the African-American communities are very useful especially when there is a need move against a more powerful adversary arises, such as a discriminating upper management, for instance. However a charismatic leader, in its most successful form can serve as catalyst by acting as a unifying force. Hispanic Leadership: Humanistic approach Hispanic form of leadership emphasizes the importance of human relations in order to achieve the most favourable results from the whole organisation. Bordas (2001) in his article details Latino leadership as having three dynamics, all of these are said to characterize the idea of the humanistic approach to leadership: Firstly a leader should have Personalismo, which pertains to the actual effort, made by the leader to earn the trust and respect of followers. Secondly a leader should develop Tejando Lazos (which translates to ‘weaving connections’) this really refers to the traditional Hispanic leaders as storytellers (weavers), keepers of cultural memory, to be the dream weavers (creating tapestries of traditions past). Thirdly a leader should act as community scholars with emphasis being the placed upon developing an understanding of the social climate—how it changes rapidly—and by encouraging collective action, very much akin to their African-American cou nterparts. Bordas develops this further dividing these concepts into sub-divisions derived from the three dynamics listed above and attempts to develop a uniquely Hispanic model of leadership that can be clearly identified (Bordas, 2001). The sub divisions that Bordas created are set out below In the Hispanic Community â€Å"Culture is Central† – as an ethnic group they are bound by the Spanish language, colonization, the Catholic Church and the common values stemming from their Spanish heritage / indigenous roots. This cultural aspect has to be tapped into by a leader as a common ground from which to operate from for a Hispanic leader as they relate with their constituents. As in many cultures the Hispanic community places a high emphasis on â€Å"Trust† and it is seen as one of the most important value and is integral to the success of Latino leadership. Being trustworthy in general, Hispanic Leaders are known to be people-and relationships-centered, always certain that the leaders are very capable and dependable. Loyalty is highly valued in a traditional Hispanic setting and they take the concept of trust very seriously with their followers often confiding in their leaders, and perhaps, vice-versa. Within the Hispanic Community â€Å"Respect† – is seen as one of the foremost characteristic, which should be noticeable in a leader. This type of respect is usually found in a person who is older, possesses knowledge, or is in a position of authority. The Hispanic concept of â€Å"well-respected† covers both the professional and personal aspects of the leader. They show great respect towards people who exercise a degree of power, people of professions such as priests, doctors, teachers, while on a personal level they place considerable importance on a person’s lifestyle, their manners, their moral values, and there generosity. A Hispanic leader should have the skill of â€Å"Congeniality†: Being able to maintain smooth pleasant social relationships with people within the community. This is seen as extremely important and a premium is placed on social manners, being polite, respectful, and courteous and an ability to make small talk, taking personal interest in people. To be a successful leader in the Hispanics community they look for individuals that can develop relationships down to the very personal level. Taoist Leadership (Chinese) – Fulfilment approach It has now become fashionable for many western leaders to adopt the Taoist philosophy of leadership. This is often referred to or described as the path to both professional and personal fulfilment (Johnson, 2002), it is purported to create more cooperative, flexible, and creative leaders. Johnson claims that Taoist leadership qualities are highly desirable for a decentralized, rapidly changing work environment. A leader, which is following this approach, is said to experience a sense of equilibrium in the midst of the chaos, which is commonplace in many western organisations, it is best expounded in the following excerpt: The more you embody these [Taoist] teachings, the more the scattered parts of your life fall into place and become a seamless whole; work seems effortless; your heart opens by itself to all the people in your life; you have time for everything worthwhile; your mind becomes empty, transparent, serene; you embrace sorrow as much as joy, failure as much as success; you unthinkingly act with integrity and compassion; and you find that you have come to trust life completely. (Autry Mitchell, 1998, p. xviii) The Taoist leadership approach to leadership, places a great deal emphasis on the inner calm and balance, which should be maintained by creating a low profile, and leading mostly by example and allowing followers to take ownership (Johnson, 2002). With the select examples illustrated above namely that of Afro-American, Hispanic and Taoist leadership it obvious that there is a whole range of core values and skills to choose from in order to create a leader who can be borne out of diversity. It will be important to equip such a leaders in organisations today with the training and skills to adapt to the ever-changing contexts in which organisations now operate. But diversity itself is not only confined to ethnic classes, it also includes in its definition the member of the other gender, the female. Women in the Leadership Arena – The Glass Ceiling There is such a phenomena known as the â€Å"glass ceiling†. The glass ceiling is, according to Chaffins, Fuqua Jr., Forbes and Cangemi (2002) a term coined in the early 1980s to describe the invisible barrier with which women came in contact when working up the corporate ladder. This form of discrimination has been depicted as a barrier so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women and minorities from moving up in the management hierarchy Sexual discrimination often keeps most women out of senior managerial positions; this creates the stereotypical image in the general psyche of society that men are more stable than women in terms of intellect, emotion, and in terms of achievement with the resultant effect that men are also seen as being more assertive than females. This creates a major obstacle for women who aspire to achieve a senior managerial position are the presence of these stereotypical constraints imposed upon them by society, the family, and women themselves (Crampton, 2002). In order to overcome these obstacles, women (who have successfully climbed the management ladder) have found it a necessity to acquire the courage, the skills, and willpower in order to overcome the male-established norms and environmental climate. While policy making and also placement is largely in the hands of males (Crampton, 2002), there are still recommended tactics for women to develop in order to survive the rigors of the male-dominated workplace. It is by capturing of all the aforementioned traits and skills found in minority groups in many organisations and by making use of the rich cache of resources and qualities to compliment the traditional ‘successful’ white male leader that will make organisations better equipped to deal with the world today. It will be essential to adopt an approach, which includes many facets from different leadership styles from those of different ethnic and gender backgrounds rather than relying on the traditional narrow focus organisations currently utilised by organisations. It will then be possible for organizations to continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive space for talented individuals. Chapter Three Literature Review In this chapter I will focus on four key sections. Firstly, I will explore the historical and social context of the development of diversity in organisations. Secondly, we will attempt to examine the rationale for the organisation wanting to have a diverse work force and leadership. Thirdly we will look at the various leadership models contained in the literature and fourthly review the issues that are specific to leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in their struggle to raise their profile and attain senior leadership positions. Table 3.1 highlights the key themes within the literature and the main points that are discussed in each section. 3.1 Historical and Social context The early years The 1960s Civil Rights to work place The 1970s Affirmative action The 1980s Backlash The 1990s Bottom line 3.2 Rationale for diverse organisations Economic rationale Social rationale Business case Benefits to a diverse workforce and leadership for organisations 3.3 Leadership models Traits model of leadership Behavioural model of leadership Situational model of leadership Transactional vs. transformational leadership discussion 3.4 Diversity issues in leadership Leadership styles of women The glass ceiling Racial dynamics in leadership Organisational culture Table 3.1 Key themes within the literature 3.1 The Historical and Social Context In this section I will focus on the evolution of leadership diversification in work environments from the early years up to the most recent time. This section discusses the various changes that standard norms have undergone in relation to labor and management. The changes that are cited in this section mainly evolve around the beginning of the participation of women and ethnical minorities in the work force, role of women in organizational management and other issues related to a diverse labor management. Diversity in the workplace and the management has long been an issue debated among work organizations. In the United States, for instance, race has been a profound determinant of one’s political rights, one’s locations in the labor market, one’s access to medical care and even one’s sense of identity. Most importantly, race is one of the major bases of domination in its society and a major means through which the division of labor occurs in organisations (Nkomo, 1992, p. 488, drawing on the work of Omi and Winant, 1986; Reich, 1981). Gender is also a basis for stratification in organizations and work (Tang and Smith, 1996). In some research studies, it has been observed that the impact of race on organizations is somewhat more profound than gender, at least in the case of white women. Researchers believed that this may be because the social distance between White women and men is less than that of White men and ethnic or racial minorities. The racial separation evident in housing, education and church affiliation limits the opportunities for minorities to develop non-work social ties with White men (Massey Denton, 1993; Wilson, 1996). The degree of separation between White men and women is lesser. Hence, White women seem likely to have greater opportunity for non-work social ties and the work related benefits one may derive from such ties. As an overview, about 37.3% of adult women in 1960 were in the workplace while 83.3% are adult males. By 1987, the number of working males has decreased to 78% (Schor, 1991). In 1990, the percentage of working women had increased by 45%. At this time, approximately one-half of all black workers, 45% of all white workers, and 40% of all Hispanic workers were women. In the U.S. statistics report, an average 16-year-old male can expect 39 years of working in the labor force, while a typical female of the same age, can expect 30 years of labor force involvement (U.S. Department of Labor, 1990). 3.1.1 The early years Before cultural diversity has been willingly integrated by various organisations, the early years had witnessed this concept shunned by other business management. In fact, in a published work of Peter Drucker (1968), he did not even mention dealing with cultural diversity in his seminal work. He addressed the topic of the manager of tomorrow and stressed that American managers, more than ever, would have to be of impeccable personal integrity and would have to shoulder the social responsibility of keeping the opportunity open to rise from the bottom according to ability and performance. Implicitly, Drucker advised managers to disregard cultural background and instead focus on individual qualities. While this message remain relevant, it lack any global appeal and fails to recognize that there might be special management challenges in an increasingly multi-cultural business environment. In the early times, men and women received different signals about what was expected of them. To summarize a subject that many experts have explored in depth, women have been expected to be wives, mothers, community volunteers, teachers and nurses. In all these roles, they are supposed to be cooperative, supportive, understanding, gentle and service-providers to others. They are to Leadership and the Diversity Challenge Leadership and the Diversity Challenge Should organisations embrace different leadership styles of individuals from background and could this be the missing link to unlocking their full potential? Summary This major paper will examine if there are any common threads in the leadership style, traits or the development of leaders from different gender or ethnic backgrounds. The purpose is to see if there are differences in the leadership styles of individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and could this be a partial explanation as to the paucity of leaders from such groups, when compared to the conventional white heterosexual male leaders found in organisations today. In North America during the 1950s and 1960s the diversity debate concentrated on the civil rights of employees from different gender and ethnic backgrounds in the work place, this culminated in the USA with the introduction in 1964 Civil Rights Act and the establishment of the Employment Opportunity Commission. However in the 1970s the focus shifted towards affirmative action and equal employment opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds, with many organisations adopting polices to raise the talent pool from those of different ethnic backgrounds and genders. In the 1980s there was then a backlash against affirmative action and diversity debate became a bottom line or competitive concern for organisations. The diversity debate has grown in importance within many organisations for various reasons, not least of which is the increased competitive pressure to attract and retrain top talent. Additionally there is also a need for organisations to develop new innovative products and s ervices in an increasingly global market place. These combined pressures have resulted in many organisations seeking to develop both diverse work forces and leaders to meet these challenges. In the literature there is strong evidence to support to suggestion that there are long-term positive effects to an organisation in adopting a positive approach to diversity issues. This paper will examine the broader diversity issues and the benefits to organisations, but will specifically focus on the issue of leadership styles, traits and the development of leaders from different backgrounds. The paper will examine the phenomenon of the glass ceiling, or as in some cases the concrete ceiling, which is often described by aspiring executives from different gender and ethnic origins. In my opinion when considering diversity issues in organisations one aspect that is often inadequately considered is the concept of leadership style, traits and the development of future leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds within organizations. This needs to be considered in the placed in the context of what is often considered to be a successful style of leadership, namely the white, heterosexual macho male style of leadership, which dominates many organisations. This paper will attempt to explore the link between gender and ethnic origin and the style of leadership, and will examine if there are factors, which could provide an important connection that organisations, need to focus upon in their search to become more effective. Hopefully by examining, recognising and embracing any differences in the leadership styles, organisations can identify the critical factors that need to be considered to create a better-balanced leadership profile. Maybe it is through a deepe r understanding of the various styles of leadership that organizations can achieve the desired objectives of increased diversity, creativity, innovation and enhanced performance. In transcending the diversity debate to focus upon the differences in leadership style, it may be possible to examine the traits that organisations need to develop in their leaders to broaden their talent pool and achieve their diversity objectives. The resultant effect will be to encourage organisations to re-examine a number of aspects of their evaluation process and may create a framework to allow new leaders from different backgrounds to emerge, allowing them to break through the glass ceiling that exists in many organisations. I will conclude my major paper by focusing on major themes highlighting the key academic learning points. I will provide advice on the future implications for the diversity challenge within organisations and highlight further avenues of research. I will finish by providing a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. The paper has five major sections and in the next section I will provide a summary of each chapter, which supports the structure of my paper. Chapter One Objectives and Structure In the following section I will emphasise the objectives and structure of the paper, including a diagram, which shows the relationship between the chapters. 1.1 Objectives The paper will focus on why it is important for organisations to accept, understand and take advantage of different leadership styles, which maybe found in individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. To challenge the traditional white male heterosexual heroic style of leadership, which many organisations continue to accept, encourage and develop. It is only by challenging these leadership concepts will organisations achieve their often-stated diversity objectives and create truly successful and innovative organisations. Compared to the traditional white heterosexual male leadership found in most organizations, there is clearly a noticeable lack of leaders coming from diverse gender and ethnic backgrounds. This paper will examine the connection between the ethnic origin and gender of leaders and the scarcity in the workplace. The aim is to explore if there are common aspects preventing greater diversity of leadership in organisations. In building a more balanced senior leadership team it will be critical for organisations to recognise that individuals have different backgrounds, cultures, styles of leadership, levels of creativity and approaches to problem solving. By clearly understanding that leaders will see the same issues through different lenses then organisations will capture the full potential of their leaders and also their workforce. It is however important to recognise that organisations need adaptive styles of leadership to deal with various contexts and also that certain styles of leader ship may be required in certain the circumstances. However if organisations only make use of the typical leadership styles found in the traditional white male leader, then it will be increasingly unlikely that they will be able to operate and in the global context in which many organisations now operate. The focus of the paper will be on common patterns of leadership style, traits and the development of leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds. The aim will be to determine if these common factors could provide a clue, as to why there has been limited success within organizations of individuals from different gender or ethnic backgrounds in obtaining senior positions. In additionally these common features may also exist in many white male employees who are currently overlooked for leadership roles. If there is a common link between gender and ethnic leadership styles, then it may be possible to enhance and develop diverse leaders within organisations, allowing those from different backgrounds to break through the glass ceiling. This would be beneficial both to the individuals and the organisation, but also to the wider social cohesion of society. To aid the discussion in the introduction chapter we will first examine some of the more traditional aspects contained in the literature as it relates various gender and ethnic backgrounds in the realm of leadership and management, particularly Hispanic, Afro American and Asian leadership styles, examining the diversity issues commonly found in these groups, looking at both the positive and the negative aspects of each ethnic classes traditions and values as applied in the workplace and the role of leadership. This discussion will focus on the varying leadership styles employed by and unique to each of the ethnic classes, as well as qualities and how they developed into leaders. The introduction will also touch on the concepts of â€Å"glass ceiling† and â€Å"concrete ceiling†, reflecting on the roles of women in the arena of leadership within organisations. However this particular aspect will be coved in more depth in later chapters in the paper. 1.2 Structure of my major paper Below I will provide a top-level summary of each of my five chapters. This will afford the reader both information and an understanding of the outline combined with the content of each chapter. Figure 1.1 on the following page shows the relationship between the chapters and highlights specifically the links between each of the chapters. Figure 1.1 relationship and links between chapters Chapter Two Introduction In chapter two I will provide an introduction to my major paper and a brief outline of the diversity challenge that faces many organisations. We will examine the historical context, the social and economic perspective and why these issues are of critical importance to both to individuals and organisations. This will set the context as to why diversity issues are often discussed within many organisations. It will also set the stage to explore why a deeper understanding of the issues involved with the diversity of leaders in organisations and why the need to build a balanced leadership team is important part of the debate on diversity which organisations need to consider. Chapter Three Literature Review In chapter three I will focus on the literature review of the major issues discussed in the academic literature on the areas of focus for this paper. The first part of the review will discuss how the context in which organisations have developed policies and practices to enhance the development of individuals of different ethnic and gender backgrounds, placing this in a historical context of changing competitive landscapes for organisations and the political background to addressing the issues of diversity. The second part of the review will focus upon the academic literature concerning the evidence of the benefits for organisations in pursuing a diversity strategy for their work force and leadership team. The third part of the review will focus upon the academic literature on the current thinking as it relates to models of leadership styles and traits and development of leaders found in organisations. The fourth part of the review will focus upon the academic literature as it relates to the leadership styles, traits and development of women leaders in organisations. Examining the glass or in some cases the concrete ceiling as it relates to women and also individuals from non-white ethnic backgrounds leaders in organisations. Chapter four – Towards a unifying model Chapter five- Conclusion The final chapter draws a conclusion based on the key themes and highlights the key academic learning points from my major paper. I will provide advice for future implications of policies that originations may wish to pursue in meeting the diversity challenge and will discuss the limitations of my research and highlight areas that were potential challenges. I will articulate areas of research that I would explore further if I were to continue this study and lastly, in keeping with the spirit of the IMPM, I will provide a personal reflection on my major paper and its content. Chapter Two Introduction The focus of the major paper will be to explore if there are common threads to the diversity debate as it relates to leadership styles and see if there are sufficient commonalities so that we can bring these together under a unified model which helps us better understand the challenges faced by individuals from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in the work place as they strive to develop their full potential. This will I hope deepen our understanding and may also lead to certain practices and learning’s, which could help organisations, develop their talent pool in a more effective manner in the future. Leadership is one of the most important and elusive concepts to understand in management thinking today. While it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a specific definition of leadership, there does however appear to be researchers have identified certain characteristics. But why should organisations be concerned about leadership? One of the principle reasons cited is the importance of leadership in the success of an organization, it has been said that leaders are created by the needs of people relative to particular social conditions (Kershaw, 2001). Kershaw goes on to illustrate this point: As conditions change certain individuals are thrust into leadership roles. When physical strength is highly valued then the leaders will be perceived as, and at times must prove that they are, the strongest. When closeness to God is seen as major criteria for leadership, the successful leaders will be perceived as being closer to God than the masses (i.e. feudal monarchs and clergy during the European middle ages). (2001) However in the current age of globalization, an additional consideration that organizations need to consider is the widening need for diversity in their leadership. This will enable organizations to cope with the twin aspect of an ever-changing standards demanded by the global market place and consumers from an assorted variety of ethnic groups and because organisations, are also beginning to recognize the importance of having a widely diverse workforce and leadership teams to deal with the increased pressures they face today in the global market place for talent. According to Combs, finding ways to maximize benefits of an increasingly diverse workforce and client base is a continuing concern for organizational leadership (2002). While policies promoting diversity are an integral part of many organisations today, they are still not enough to effectively guarantee positive results in the existing organizational environments. This is especially pertinent as it relates to senior management within many organist ions. Diversity training is used to bring about behavioural change in organizations, however the model often made use of is the traditional white male role model in both the development of their leaders and also their workforce. Many organisations have failed to make use of their diversity training to bring about a new focus in order to improve the ethnic and gender mix and this is especially acute as it relates to the senior leadership teams. This paper will focus on the type of leadership conduct, philosophy, and set of values that are required for an organization, that is set in a global community, to cope against the rigors presented by an ever-changing set of standards presented by the demands of globalization. In this introductory section we will give a brief overview and attempt to address the issue by discussing and applying one of the numerous leadership approaches popularized in the literature (e.g., Charismatic, Humanistic and Fulfilment approaches to leadership) (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass, 1990; Casimir, 2001). In order to make the connection between differing leadership styles characteristics and their effectiveness in the field of leadership within various ethnic groups, we will examine the various kinds of approaches adopted or admired within various ethnic groups as it relates to leaders within these communities. These are be introduced below: African American Leadership: Charismatic approach One of the more pronounced characteristics of African-Americans is their uncanny ability to incite sentiments and emotions. They are adept in what could be labelled as a â€Å"Charismatic† style of leadership, which is not only apparent in the work place but also in their other aspects of community life. This is not entirely surprising as the core values of the traditional Africa-American community makes true when assessing a leader is that all leaders must be bold, innovative, committed and able to motivate the masses. They must, if they wish to remain in leadership positions, have their finger on the pulse of the people they represent or be able to determine what that pulse is (Kershaw, 2001). A critical aspect of a charismatic leadership is that they must not ever lose the focus from the masses and shift interest to the individual. If this occurs then the leaders authority will become easily dispersed and he/she will lose their authority, since the leaders main hold centres on how they move the various constituent groups in an organisation as a whole. With the African-American charismatic leaders they often find it necessary to move its constituents into cooperative action, and this aspect, which is often identified as a factor, which determines a good leader as perceived by the eye of the community. It is also necessary to create a strong a supportive organization with the leaders role serving as a medium to turn plans into reality. One of the foremost requirement in charismatic leadership, is to tap into the forces contained within organisation, and while it may appear at times to be very cumbersome, at times it does however not negates the importance of charismatic leadership (Kershaw, 2001). Charismatic leaders within the African-American communities are very useful especially when there is a need move against a more powerful adversary arises, such as a discriminating upper management, for instance. However a charismatic leader, in its most successful form can serve as catalyst by acting as a unifying force. Hispanic Leadership: Humanistic approach Hispanic form of leadership emphasizes the importance of human relations in order to achieve the most favourable results from the whole organisation. Bordas (2001) in his article details Latino leadership as having three dynamics, all of these are said to characterize the idea of the humanistic approach to leadership: Firstly a leader should have Personalismo, which pertains to the actual effort, made by the leader to earn the trust and respect of followers. Secondly a leader should develop Tejando Lazos (which translates to ‘weaving connections’) this really refers to the traditional Hispanic leaders as storytellers (weavers), keepers of cultural memory, to be the dream weavers (creating tapestries of traditions past). Thirdly a leader should act as community scholars with emphasis being the placed upon developing an understanding of the social climate—how it changes rapidly—and by encouraging collective action, very much akin to their African-American cou nterparts. Bordas develops this further dividing these concepts into sub-divisions derived from the three dynamics listed above and attempts to develop a uniquely Hispanic model of leadership that can be clearly identified (Bordas, 2001). The sub divisions that Bordas created are set out below In the Hispanic Community â€Å"Culture is Central† – as an ethnic group they are bound by the Spanish language, colonization, the Catholic Church and the common values stemming from their Spanish heritage / indigenous roots. This cultural aspect has to be tapped into by a leader as a common ground from which to operate from for a Hispanic leader as they relate with their constituents. As in many cultures the Hispanic community places a high emphasis on â€Å"Trust† and it is seen as one of the most important value and is integral to the success of Latino leadership. Being trustworthy in general, Hispanic Leaders are known to be people-and relationships-centered, always certain that the leaders are very capable and dependable. Loyalty is highly valued in a traditional Hispanic setting and they take the concept of trust very seriously with their followers often confiding in their leaders, and perhaps, vice-versa. Within the Hispanic Community â€Å"Respect† – is seen as one of the foremost characteristic, which should be noticeable in a leader. This type of respect is usually found in a person who is older, possesses knowledge, or is in a position of authority. The Hispanic concept of â€Å"well-respected† covers both the professional and personal aspects of the leader. They show great respect towards people who exercise a degree of power, people of professions such as priests, doctors, teachers, while on a personal level they place considerable importance on a person’s lifestyle, their manners, their moral values, and there generosity. A Hispanic leader should have the skill of â€Å"Congeniality†: Being able to maintain smooth pleasant social relationships with people within the community. This is seen as extremely important and a premium is placed on social manners, being polite, respectful, and courteous and an ability to make small talk, taking personal interest in people. To be a successful leader in the Hispanics community they look for individuals that can develop relationships down to the very personal level. Taoist Leadership (Chinese) – Fulfilment approach It has now become fashionable for many western leaders to adopt the Taoist philosophy of leadership. This is often referred to or described as the path to both professional and personal fulfilment (Johnson, 2002), it is purported to create more cooperative, flexible, and creative leaders. Johnson claims that Taoist leadership qualities are highly desirable for a decentralized, rapidly changing work environment. A leader, which is following this approach, is said to experience a sense of equilibrium in the midst of the chaos, which is commonplace in many western organisations, it is best expounded in the following excerpt: The more you embody these [Taoist] teachings, the more the scattered parts of your life fall into place and become a seamless whole; work seems effortless; your heart opens by itself to all the people in your life; you have time for everything worthwhile; your mind becomes empty, transparent, serene; you embrace sorrow as much as joy, failure as much as success; you unthinkingly act with integrity and compassion; and you find that you have come to trust life completely. (Autry Mitchell, 1998, p. xviii) The Taoist leadership approach to leadership, places a great deal emphasis on the inner calm and balance, which should be maintained by creating a low profile, and leading mostly by example and allowing followers to take ownership (Johnson, 2002). With the select examples illustrated above namely that of Afro-American, Hispanic and Taoist leadership it obvious that there is a whole range of core values and skills to choose from in order to create a leader who can be borne out of diversity. It will be important to equip such a leaders in organisations today with the training and skills to adapt to the ever-changing contexts in which organisations now operate. But diversity itself is not only confined to ethnic classes, it also includes in its definition the member of the other gender, the female. Women in the Leadership Arena – The Glass Ceiling There is such a phenomena known as the â€Å"glass ceiling†. The glass ceiling is, according to Chaffins, Fuqua Jr., Forbes and Cangemi (2002) a term coined in the early 1980s to describe the invisible barrier with which women came in contact when working up the corporate ladder. This form of discrimination has been depicted as a barrier so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women and minorities from moving up in the management hierarchy Sexual discrimination often keeps most women out of senior managerial positions; this creates the stereotypical image in the general psyche of society that men are more stable than women in terms of intellect, emotion, and in terms of achievement with the resultant effect that men are also seen as being more assertive than females. This creates a major obstacle for women who aspire to achieve a senior managerial position are the presence of these stereotypical constraints imposed upon them by society, the family, and women themselves (Crampton, 2002). In order to overcome these obstacles, women (who have successfully climbed the management ladder) have found it a necessity to acquire the courage, the skills, and willpower in order to overcome the male-established norms and environmental climate. While policy making and also placement is largely in the hands of males (Crampton, 2002), there are still recommended tactics for women to develop in order to survive the rigors of the male-dominated workplace. It is by capturing of all the aforementioned traits and skills found in minority groups in many organisations and by making use of the rich cache of resources and qualities to compliment the traditional ‘successful’ white male leader that will make organisations better equipped to deal with the world today. It will be essential to adopt an approach, which includes many facets from different leadership styles from those of different ethnic and gender backgrounds rather than relying on the traditional narrow focus organisations currently utilised by organisations. It will then be possible for organizations to continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive space for talented individuals. Chapter Three Literature Review In this chapter I will focus on four key sections. Firstly, I will explore the historical and social context of the development of diversity in organisations. Secondly, we will attempt to examine the rationale for the organisation wanting to have a diverse work force and leadership. Thirdly we will look at the various leadership models contained in the literature and fourthly review the issues that are specific to leaders from different ethnic and gender backgrounds in their struggle to raise their profile and attain senior leadership positions. Table 3.1 highlights the key themes within the literature and the main points that are discussed in each section. 3.1 Historical and Social context The early years The 1960s Civil Rights to work place The 1970s Affirmative action The 1980s Backlash The 1990s Bottom line 3.2 Rationale for diverse organisations Economic rationale Social rationale Business case Benefits to a diverse workforce and leadership for organisations 3.3 Leadership models Traits model of leadership Behavioural model of leadership Situational model of leadership Transactional vs. transformational leadership discussion 3.4 Diversity issues in leadership Leadership styles of women The glass ceiling Racial dynamics in leadership Organisational culture Table 3.1 Key themes within the literature 3.1 The Historical and Social Context In this section I will focus on the evolution of leadership diversification in work environments from the early years up to the most recent time. This section discusses the various changes that standard norms have undergone in relation to labor and management. The changes that are cited in this section mainly evolve around the beginning of the participation of women and ethnical minorities in the work force, role of women in organizational management and other issues related to a diverse labor management. Diversity in the workplace and the management has long been an issue debated among work organizations. In the United States, for instance, race has been a profound determinant of one’s political rights, one’s locations in the labor market, one’s access to medical care and even one’s sense of identity. Most importantly, race is one of the major bases of domination in its society and a major means through which the division of labor occurs in organisations (Nkomo, 1992, p. 488, drawing on the work of Omi and Winant, 1986; Reich, 1981). Gender is also a basis for stratification in organizations and work (Tang and Smith, 1996). In some research studies, it has been observed that the impact of race on organizations is somewhat more profound than gender, at least in the case of white women. Researchers believed that this may be because the social distance between White women and men is less than that of White men and ethnic or racial minorities. The racial separation evident in housing, education and church affiliation limits the opportunities for minorities to develop non-work social ties with White men (Massey Denton, 1993; Wilson, 1996). The degree of separation between White men and women is lesser. Hence, White women seem likely to have greater opportunity for non-work social ties and the work related benefits one may derive from such ties. As an overview, about 37.3% of adult women in 1960 were in the workplace while 83.3% are adult males. By 1987, the number of working males has decreased to 78% (Schor, 1991). In 1990, the percentage of working women had increased by 45%. At this time, approximately one-half of all black workers, 45% of all white workers, and 40% of all Hispanic workers were women. In the U.S. statistics report, an average 16-year-old male can expect 39 years of working in the labor force, while a typical female of the same age, can expect 30 years of labor force involvement (U.S. Department of Labor, 1990). 3.1.1 The early years Before cultural diversity has been willingly integrated by various organisations, the early years had witnessed this concept shunned by other business management. In fact, in a published work of Peter Drucker (1968), he did not even mention dealing with cultural diversity in his seminal work. He addressed the topic of the manager of tomorrow and stressed that American managers, more than ever, would have to be of impeccable personal integrity and would have to shoulder the social responsibility of keeping the opportunity open to rise from the bottom according to ability and performance. Implicitly, Drucker advised managers to disregard cultural background and instead focus on individual qualities. While this message remain relevant, it lack any global appeal and fails to recognize that there might be special management challenges in an increasingly multi-cultural business environment. In the early times, men and women received different signals about what was expected of them. To summarize a subject that many experts have explored in depth, women have been expected to be wives, mothers, community volunteers, teachers and nurses. In all these roles, they are supposed to be cooperative, supportive, understanding, gentle and service-providers to others. They are to

Accomplishments of Ancient Rome

In the 3,000 years that make up the ancient history of the emergence of Western Civilization, Rome’s contributions to society include the construction of bridges, domes, and temples. The Romans had great architecture skills that have stayed with us in one form or another for thousands of years. Each construction has evolved into many different forms that are found all over the world today. Each country or civilization uses the items differently, but without the help from the Romans and Greeks transportation may have been harder to accomplish and buildings would not have the beauty they have today. Short bridges are not hard to build.They can easily be made by throwing a log across a narrow stream or river. It’s building a bridge across a wide river that can be difficult. Building a straight bridge across a wide gap can be unsafe and unsecure. The Roman’s invented a bridge in the form of an arch. This caused the bridge to be better equipped to handle heavy weight without having to put many supports in the water itself. Like all inventions, the first few arch bridges had flaws but they were worked out and now many bridges across the world have an arch like structure to them. The arch structure can also be found in historical buildings because of its beauty and uniqueness.The Romans were very proud of their accomplishment and they used it whenever they could. The Ancient Romans were the first to construct the dome. The Pantheon was an important building built in Ancient Greece that contained a dome. It is very noticeable from the exterior of the building. The dome of the Pantheon is one of the largest masonry domes every built. A heavy concrete base supports the weight, while the upper walls and dome are constructed of a lighter mix of concrete. The center of the dome has an opening which allows light and rain to enter.Many buildings and houses right here in New York have a roof with a dome shape to it. It is really popular in old Victorian ho mes. The Ancient Romans were not the first to construct temples but they contributed their own ideas to the structure. Some temples, such as the Temple of Saturn, have been rebuilt many times. Eight Ionic columns still remain on the Temple of Saturn today. Romans often didn’t include the fluting from the column shafts. Roman temples had columns and many pieces of artwork hung throughout the buildings showing Roman life just like the temples of Greece.Every building design starts off very basic and excels into something great and powerful. Each architectural design was created for some reason or another. If for some reason the Romans didn’t create the arch, dome or temples it doesn’t mean that it would never been created. They were just the first ones who needed or desired them first. I’m sure someone; somewhere would have had the idea of creating such beautiful pieces of architect. But as it stands today, we thank the Romans and Greeks for our earliest fo rms of advanced architecture.

Beauty What Are Beauty - 891 Words

What is Beauty? Beauty in my opinion is all about who is perceiving it, although there are many things that can be widely accepted as beautiful, whether it s a bountiful orchard of apple trees or the deep vast ocean blue with the waves cascading down with the mystery of life looming in the depths beneath. Beauty can be described as the fresh snow glistening on the pine trees with deer majestic in their natural glory and fat, fluffy hares dancing playfully in the snow or birds in song singing to their own unique tune not unlike a grand orchestrate making wonderful music for all to hear. It is the Fresh paw prints In the snow and the curiosity of what furry little creature left them as he scurried by doing reconnaissance for food and oblivious to our human world, relying on only primal instincts to live. Beauty is Bright pink salmon swimming in the stream while a ferocious bear awaits them to pluck them out of the stream to subdue his monstrous belly, the countless amount of rocks in that stream covered in moss that clings to them and dances with the pressures of the current. I observe majestic beauty in the giant ominous mountains looming high above the sky such as a stairway to the heavens for all those to gaze upon in grand awe. In the serene image of the clouds, white and puffy much the same as cotton candy drifting in the breeze of the great sea of sky, occasionally blocking the radiant golden rays of the sun that shines light on all below. It is present in theShow MoreRelatedWhat is Beauty?1209 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to Oxford Dictionary, beauty is defined as â€Å"a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight†. Over a long period of time, the meaning of beauty has changed. The way beauty was seen in the past, have been slightly modified into something totally different today. For many years, there has been that one question that has not been proven, even until now. There are few people who have their own opinion on this issue. There have beenRead MoreWhat is Beauty Essay 977 Words   |  4 PagesThe ideal of what beauty really is changes in our society from time to time. Everyone has their own opinion of what is beautiful. However the opinion that people mostly tend and heed to is that of the prominent and influential characters in today’s society. Those who claim to know what true beauty is and impel humanity to do and be what they want, as if people were their puppets. Television, magazines, and advertisements play an immense role in this. Playing with emotions and ridiculing those ‘notRead MoreWhat is Beauty? Essay716 Words   |  3 Pages The common clichà © goes â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder.† Is there any real meaning to that? The expression simply means that beauty has no set meaning, definition, or even value for that matter. It is a collectively undecided notion, since its definition lies solely in observation. It also implies that each individual may interpret the idea of beauty (of people, obj ects, thoughts, etc.) according to his/her own biased, genetic, emotional, cultural, social, and spiritual needs. HavingRead MoreWhat is Pure Beauty?1540 Words   |  7 PagesEveryone has their own idea of what pure beauty is. According to Websters Dictionary, the definition of beauty is â€Å"the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit† (â€Å"Beauty†). However, the definition of pure beauty has become warped and manipulated into a standard that only a select few can achieve. Nonetheless, beauty is more than what is behind the counter and computer. With these high criteria societyRead MoreWhat is Beauty? Essay704 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is beauty? How do we decide who is attractive and who is not? Society is full of information telling us what is beautiful, but what fact is that information based on? The topic of beauty has been studied, analyzed and controversial for centuries. We all know the feeling you can have when you hear a beautiful song that brings joy to your heart, stand in a field of flowers that excites your eyes, or admire a face that is visually pleasing. As human beings, we are all drawn to beauty, but whatRead MoreWhat is Beauty? Essay1385 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is beauty? People have always attempted to find, create, and pursue it. A quick checkout at the grocery store will reveal a plethora of magazines devoted purely to what they call beauty and the proper pursuit of it. Most have an idea of what they might personally define as beauty, but not as a general, sweeping definition. That which one might la bel ugly another might call absolutely stunning. 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Wealth Inequalities All Work And No Pay - 856 Words

Wealth inequalities in different social class All Work and No Pay. BillMoyers.com. Ed. Sikay Tang. N.p., 2014. Web. 09 Nov. 2015. This article highlight the issue of wage encountered by the people working in fast-food. In fact, the amount of money that can be received in an hour by waiters, waitress, bartenders or busboys pegged only 29,38 % of the minimum wage. Some protests to raise their salaries has been done but it didn’t change the situation. The tipped minimum wage law has fail due to random or meager tips. When Bill Moyers spoke with Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, he expresses his discontent about the topic. This source wants to touch the reader about the issues encountered by the people working in fast food restaurants. I think the source is useful, but, the data given are a little be biased in favor of the waiters to make the readers understand how serious the topic should be considered. Compared to my others sources, this one provides written information and a documentary to make people fully understand the message the author wants to convey. This source is not as helpful as I thought it would because the written part only gives us pieces of information about the matter. It didn’t change my mind about the topic because I had done research on this topic and I still think that this is not fair. The video is more detailed and can enable me to better understand the problem on the topic and be used to explain or developShow MoreRelatedDiscuss Whether the Most Effective Way to Have Income and Wealth Equality Is to Tax Income More Progressively.1113 Words   |  5 PagesDiscuss whether the most effective way to have income and wealth equality is to tax income more progressively. Income is a stable flow of money, often a salary, which someone works for but this can also be made through interest on savings. 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Education and wealth go hand in hand when talking about income inequality. When a family is more wealthy, they can afford a better education. One article from ACE states that â€Å"currently in America, getting a postsecondary degree—inRead MoreEssay on wealth inequality in america1518 Words   |  7 Pagesallocation of wealth within a society? The resulting issue becomes income inequality. Where a small portion of the population, own the majority of the wealth and the majority of the population own only a fraction of what the rich own. This prominent issue has always been the subject of social tension from even before the French Revolution and spawns numerous other social issues in a society. In the more recent Occupy Movement, beginning in 2011, protesters used income inequality as a motive.

The Leadership Styles Of Leadership - 1533 Words

Leadership is a concept most people feel informed enough to discuss, but that few are truly educated sufficiently to comment on. Therefore, it is instructive to consider the leadership styles of people with very different approaches both to better understand the diversity underlying leadership, as well as to appreciate the effective and less effective strategies that underlie different leadership outcomes. For that reason, this essay will consider the styles of two leaders who are less visible in this highly contentious presidential election season: Jill Stein (the Green Party nominee) and Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate. The leadership styles of both are very different, yet they are aligned in the sense that both are outsider candidates struggling to gain momentum from a disaffected electorate. This essay begins with a theoretical discussion of leadership more generally and then turns to the two leaders as case studies, comparing and contrasting them and drawing conclusions about how they both work within the same public sphere and for putatively similar ends (i.e., gaining votes). Leadership, according to theorist John Kotter, â€Å"†¦is about†¦ coping with change† (Kotter, 1990, p. 4). By this definition, one should consider leadership to be the product of change in context and the ways in which the response to this change informs strategy. â€Å"Leadership is†¦a set of traits, qualities and behavior possessed by the leader that encourage the participation, development, andShow MoreRelatedLeadership Styles : Leadership Style780 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Leadership style is designed according to a pioneer s behaviors, which is enveloped under behaviorist theory. Inside of this class, distinctive examples of leadership behavior are watched and classified as leadership styles. Practicing managers have a tendency to be the most keen on looking into this specific theory in light of the fact that with it leaders can modify their style taking into account the convictions, values, inclinations and society of the association they work for.Read MoreLeadership Styles And Leadership Style1026 Words   |  5 PagesThe fourth subject is the leadership style. As of right now the company is an autocratic style. This means that there is less communication involved. â€Å"In an autocratic leadership style, the person in charge has total authority and control over decision making.† (Leadership Toolbox) The leadership style mainly effects the employees. The reason for this is because with an autocratic leadership, there is less communication. The employees have opinions in the business and they want to share thoseRead MoreLeadership Styles Of Leadership Style1399 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is leadership? Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines leadership as â€Å"the power or ability to lead other people†. Although this is simply put, it is also correct. But leadership is much more than the ability to lead. The ability is one piece of the puzzle. Other pieces to consider in leadership are education, attributes, and style, just to name a few. In this assignment, I will focus on leadership style. Specifically, I will discuss my style according to the assessment developed byRead MoreLeadership Style Of Leadership Styles897 Words   |  4 PagesThe last style of leadership is delegative leadership in which the leader delegates tasks to the employees. This leader is abl e to derive satisfaction from allowing the staff to participate in decision making responsibilities (Brody and Nair, 2014, p. 4). These leadership styles are not set in stone and characteristics may overlap into other leaderships styles. The leadership style that would best suit a rural area is participate leadership style. In rural areas agencies and organizations lack resourceRead MoreLeadership Styles And Leadership Style851 Words   |  4 Pageswant to give critical thought to your unique leadership style and foster genuine followership, learn from what’s out there and weave it into something meaningful and authentic.† (Feiner, 2015) For the last two weeks, I have spent time self-analyzing and soul searching to identify the qualities I bring to a leadership role. Many of the core values important to me also align between the participative leadership style and laissez-faire leadership style. These values include working in a team environmentRead MoreThe Leadershi p Style Of Leadership Styles1994 Words   |  8 Pagesthat leadership is a kind of ability or activity which a leader could straight affect and guide their followers to achieve certain objectives in the specific situation (John Calvin Maxwell,2011). The shifting internal elements and increasing external competitions have posed growing demanding to managers’ leadership approaches. However, managers are provided with various personalities or perspectives, accordingly, managers are not accomplishing their aims by using similar styles. The leadership styleRead MoreLeadership Styles : Leadership Style995 Words   |  4 PagesLeaders are expected to use a leadership style, communication skills, and their knowledge of interpersonal and team dynamics to create an appropriate quality of work life for their followers in the workplace. A leadership style is a combination of a leader’s attitude, expertise, character, and values that is exhibited in the leader’s behavior. Each style of leadership reflects a leader’s beliefs about a follower’s capabilities. A follower’s perception of leadership style really matters to them, as theyRead MoreLeadership Style Of Leadership Styles934 Words   |  4 PagesThere is much that is written about leadership; like books on leadership styles, techniques and also biographies of leaders that have inspired people to action. While this is true, there is the everyday leadership and a slightly different outlook to leadership as well. Here are a few of them. 1. There Are Different Kinds of Leaders Among leaders are formal and informal leaders. Formal leaders are elected to their positions like congressmen, senators and office bearers of clubs. Informal leadersRead MoreLeadership Styles : Leadership Style979 Words   |  4 Pagestheir own leadership style. 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With that in mind, this essay will consider the leadership styles of two leaders who are involved in the

Where Do These Measurements Come from Free Essays

Today almost all women try to lose a few kilograms. But to tell the truth, every woman in the world wants to look like a top model. If they could only dream about a fantastic figure, it was ok. We will write a custom essay sample on Where Do These Measurements Come from? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Unfortunately some of them try to achieve this, and sometimes it becomes a big problem. Usually, top models have parameters 90-60-90. There are several versions of the beginning of these, but the real reason is laziness. These numbers were chosen by designers because this is easier to make clothes only for one little size. It happened in the middle of XX century, when mannequins began to demonstrate the clothes. So thinness became fashionable. A woman spends on diets about 10 years of her life. But according to statistics, only 10% of men prefer thin women. Losing weight the woman notices that she likes herself, her man like her, and not only he. But psychologists say that men like women’s confidence and not lost weight. Sometimes a woman wants to lose weight to be better than her friends. Firstly a diet unites women, but if one of them is more successful, other start to envy her. Also the woman wants to be like actresses or young singers. In addition to this, it is a fact that woman has hard time losing weight. For example, due to unbalanced diet a woman suffers from depressions. A lack of glucose disturbs the thought processes. Moreover long diets reduce the level of estrogen-the hormone of attractiveness. Often, losing weight women cannot stop. According to Wikipedia (2012) â€Å"The thinner one gets, the fatter they think they are. †(para. 2). Later, it becomes a terrible disease â€Å"Anorexia nervosa†. â€Å"Anorexia nervosa† often occurs with young girls. They have this illness because of their paranoia. They want to have it themselves and cannot stop. Macrae (2007) claims that â€Å"Dr. Mann’s research showed that up to two-thirds of dieters put on all the weight they lose-and moreover a four to five-year period. †(para. 12). Unfortunately, the most of girls already do not have so much time. They die, and nothing can save their lives. In conclusion, I want to add that every second woman returns to her previous weight, and every third woman even gets more. Therefore, it is better for girls not to torment themselves with diets trying to suit the generally accepted standards. How to cite Where Do These Measurements Come from?, Essay examples

Interpersonal Communication-working Together

Question: Describe about the interpersonal communication-working together. Answer: Introduction: In accordance to the given task requirement I shall take an opportunity to produce an illustrative note on the topic entitled Interpersonal communication- working together wherein my key focus shall be on highlighting the various aspects and significance of interpersonal communication in the professional horizon. In the subsequently segments of this particular essay I shall emphasis on explaining the theoretical implications of this topic and along with the importance of interpersonal personal communication for career developments and team working approach. Communication can be defined as the process of exchange of information that can be achieved through speaking, reading and writing or by the application of sign languages. On the contrary the process of interpersonal communication can be defined as the process of exchange of information wherein two or more individuals are involved and the presence of communication skill are important in this respect. Therefore during the process of interpersonal communication the continuous flow of sending and receiving messages are inevitable. In this particular essay I will also put some light on my personal experience with respect to interpersonal communication and how it has helped me in surviving the professional world. Apart from this I will take an opportunity to convey some recommendations on this particular topic of discussion based on my findings and understandings. Focussing on the aspects of interpersonal communication I would initially like to mention the overall organizational structure is comprised of complexity, formalization and centralisation wherein organizational communication can be defined as the process that controls coordinates and regulated all the vital organizational activities in parallel to restoring the association between the organizational employees. In this context I would like to state that in order to remain sustainable with an organization or workplace it is very essential to own the skills of interpersonal communication. Before entering into a detailed discussion I would like to highlight the major functional attributes of organizational communication is inclusive of production function, maintenance function and innovation function. Further it is also important to consider the fact that in every workplace the presence of an effective platform of interpersonal communication is one of the potential drivers for restoratio n of teamwork approach. It is my personal experience that affirms that fact that an effective interpersonal communication aid significantly in understanding the behavioural and professional attributes of the fellow workers. Also I find interpersonal communication helped in the successfully undergoing through certain decision making phases that brought me positive outcomes in the future. Furthermore I would also like to emphasize that it was through applying the interpersonal communication skills that gradually development by behavioural attributes and made be more professional. I slowly started to understand how to develop a cordial relation with my fellow workers by the application of interpersonal communication skills. Hence it was through the implementation of interpersonal communication skills I gradually learnt to adapt myself in the organizational culture and also would like to state that this particular type of communication is one of the key ingredients towards building a professionally efficient te am. Emphasizing further on the internal communication at an organizational level I would like to convey my personal experiences that is shared with my supervisor. I understand that internal organizational communication is mainly accomplished through meetings, face to face interaction, through exchange of mail via the electronic medium, in form of telephonic conversation and via written documents. In this context I would like to state my personal experiences with respect to organizational internal communication occurred frequently through face to face interaction and over the telephone and hardly experienced the organizational internal communication through meetings. However I would like to confess that it is the contribution of face to face communication and the regular practice of verbal communication over the telephone with my seniors and supervisor that gradually nurtured my vocabulary and verbal communication skills. My problem of stammering during any verbal conversation gradually f aded away and I feel more confident than before. Hence the regular practice of interpersonal communication not only improved my communication skills but also made be understand how organizational internal communication in linked with organizational benefits and compensations, developmental phases of the organization and in process facilitation. Apart from this I was also capable of understanding in what way the factors like morale, satisfaction along with professional training and developments are linked with this particular aspect. Hence in consideration to the above mentioned facts and information regarding the organizational internal communication I would like to infer that I have a greater extent of informal level of interpersonal communication with my team members and seniors and rarely experienced the formal process of interpersonal communication. I also successfully overcome the cultural and linguistic barriers with the help of interpersonal communication skills. In consideration to the theoretical aspects of interpersonal communication I find the significance of Uncertainty reduction theory and relational dialectics theory significantly applicable. Referring to the first theory I would like to convey that It was with the significance of interpersonal communication that helped me in obtaining a better knowledge about my fellow members and also made me capable of predicting the behavioural attributes of my team members. Hence I find the Uncertainty reduction theory extremely important to develop a good level of coordination with respect to team work approach. On the contrary considering the relational dialectics theory I experienced the significance of this particular theory in connection to novelty-predictability and openness-closeness with my fellow team members. As the principles of this particular theory highlight the aspects of contradiction, praxis and change I would like to emphasize that my communication skills was a close reflection t o the above mentioned notions. Also I found that it was the contribution of the interpersonal communication that brought me close to my fellow team members and I was able to understand better my team members. Moreover I would also like to confess that it is one of the key feature of interpersonal communication that enable an individual to practice a decision making taking into consideration the viewpoints of the fellow members. Considering the approach of sharing my personal experience I found it comparatively easier to exchange information within the team members by implementation of this particular type of communication skill. I was also able to understand that presence of an effective communication aid significantly in bringing closeness between the member and subsequently resulting to the formation of a better and well coordinated team. In context of the topic of discussion I would like to take an opportunity to explain how my previous inability to communicate was significantly improved with the incorporation of interpersonal communication. During my initial days in this particular organization I was basically an introvert type of person. My persistent feeling of lack of communication skill kept me isolated from the team. Gradually by applying my observation power I understood the significance of interpersonal communication skills and the benefits of working together. Although I took a considerable amount of time but gradually learnt to strategically implement the communication skills and also experienced the advantages of team work approach. To my surprise I found the working in a team with the presence of an effective and stable interpersonal communication platform was both professional and personally lucrative. I witnessed better professional performance of myself and my team and was also able to gradually improv e my communication power. Also I personally felt the presence of a healthy organizational culture which can be considered as a contribution of this particular communication process. Moreover I found the presence of an effective interpersonal skill also positively added to the work productivity factor whereby a positive work outcome was a frequent part. In this context it is also justified to highlight that a strong sense of motivation in terms of work productivity was also clearly evident within the team members. I also experienced that in presence of a stable interaction platform at the personal level also contributed in timely delivery of the assigned task. Furthermore I would also like to put forward the fact that significant amount of reduction was observed with respect to conflict of interests within the team members in presence of an effective interpersonal communication platform. It was due to the strong interactive platform I witnessed my team members to be more involved and shared an open attribute with respect to sharing of information. I and my team members embedded the practice of conveying our respective views or perceptions regarding the concerned topic of discussion and with the implementation of an effective and appropriate approach if interpersonal communication was able to gradually sort out the issue. Hence by following this particular approach we experienced a significant reduction in incidents related with conflict of interest. Hence I support the positive role of interpersonal communication behind formation of a close bond between the team members along with development of a friendlier working atmosphere within the t eam. As already mentioned in the previous sections interpersonal communication is one of the potential contributors towards minimising the incidents of conflict of interest and personal clash between the team members, I also found that harmony level is also maintained by this approach. Therefore I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to my seniors and supervisors who had taught me how to implement the communication skill within the team. It is as a result of their dedication I have been able to analyse and understand the significance of this particular more of communication and in what ways it may exert its impact on team building and team work approach. By following this particular communication mode while being a part of a team I found this skill to be effective making us aware regarding the work related issues. Hence analysing this particular issue I would like to recommend that every individual or professional should remain informed regarding the negative aspects of a poor commun ication skill and the consecutive effects on teamwork approach. Therefore I strongly find that every individual should be given adequate exposure to understand and efficiently apply the skills related with interpersonal communication in working as a team. Moreover as an addition to this concluding segment I would like to mention that in order to incorporate proper and positive development of career the contribution of interpersonal communication skill is immense. Conclusion: To conclude with I would like to state that interpersonal communication is one of the most essential component in order to embed the teamwork approach within an organization or in any other professional domain. A detailed analysis of this particular issue has made be understood the fact that interpersonal communication is very essential for the gradual development of trust along with mutual understanding within a team. Incorporation of this particular mode of communication hence favours the implementation of honesty and openness within the team members. Hence the a process of communication is a reflection of regular updating of information accomplished through continuous information flow aided by the process of information sharing interpersonal communication can be considered to be an in inevitable part with respect to delivery of practice of effective verbal communication within the team members. In context of my personal experience with respect to the role of interpersonal communic ation for the teamwork approach I would like to state that with the experiences I have acquired has positively helped in improving my personal communication skill. Also my present knowledge on this particular topic has also significantly enriched as I was also a part of the team and observed closely ho my fellow members applied their respective communication skills. Hence as an inference to this topic of discussion I would like to state that interpersonal communication is one of the key players towards developing a positive essence of team work approach within an organization and personally I have been benefitted with this particular communication skill as it has a very vital role in my future career development. It is the contribution of the knowledge and experiences with respect to interpersonal communication skill in building a teamwork approach that shall help me in becoming an efficient leader having all the capabilities to build a team.