Recent orders
Should it be harder to get a divorce
Assignment 4
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Date:
Chapter 12
Question 1: Should it be harder to get a divorce?
Many people would agree that the number of divorces has risen notably in the past few years. However, the argument remains whether the number is higher or the methods of reporting have changed. Couples choose to divorce when they find that they cannot amicably resolve many conflicts within their marriage. Interestingly, a majority of couples who decided to stay married were found to be happier than before when researchers checked on them after five years. For this reason, it appears that the choice to stay married and avoid divorce would be a good one. However, many married people face serious challenges, and sometimes, these challenges cannot be resolved, especially when one or both partners are unwilling or unable to work towards this. The process of getting a divorce should not be made harder for several reasons. Couples who have filed for divorce in most cases have explored other options such as counseling and temporary separation; thus, divorce often comes as a last resort. For this reason, couples should be allowed to get a divorce as quickly as possible and iron out their new arrangement to avoid the painful process of getting a divorce that may drag on for years.
Question 2: Why is it that most couples do not have a good divorce?
Divorce means breaking up a family, and the process is rarely easy. There are several reasons why many couples do not have an amicable and friendly split, referred to as a good divorce. First, money matters are often the thorniest and couples fight over who should take what, with each wanting to take the most. The second reason as to why divorce is so difficult is when children are involved, and parents have to fight over custody, child support, and alimony payments. From the book and in real life situations, custody and child support are usually stipulated at the time of divorce. However, the noncustodial parent fails to pay mainly to cause difficulties for the parent with custody. Another common argument during divorce is who should pay spousal support, and each party fights to be paid. At the end of the divorce proceedings, one party feels wounded and walks away with bitter feelings; thus, it is very difficult to have a good divorce.
Chapter 13
Question 2: Why is divorce such an emotional process for people? Why does it often generate so much anger and rage?
Divorce is an emotional process because it entails beginning a new life apart from the old one which the family members were so used to. One of the significant causes of anger and rage is the reason for the divorce. For example, if divorce is due to neglect, infidelity or such factors blamed on one partner, then the other party is sure to be very angry. The divorce becomes a way to get back at their partner, and they end up demanding custody and more money if they feel this will cause the offender distress. Financial issues are also a major cause of negative emotions during a divorce when one of the partners stands to suffer significant losses as a result of the divorce. Other causes of anger and rage are the disappointment that comes with the divorce, especially if the couple had hoped to be together forever but finds that one of them has had a change of heart.
Question 6: Why does the “evil stepmother” stereotype persist?
The stereotype of the evil stepmother dates back hundreds of years, with many people having learned of it from fairy tales such as Cinderella. Stepfamilies are still associated with a lot of negativity, especially stepmothers. Many people think that stepmothers are likely to favor their biological children over their adopted ones, and can even act cruelly by denying them fundamental rights. The reason why this stereotype against stepmothers exists to this day is connected with the negative view of stepfamilies in general. Most people find it hard to believe that a stepparent can treat their adopted children with the same love and care that their biological parents would. Such negative expectations lead to the smallest acts of discipline or reproach by a step parent being viewed as acts of cruelty.
Chapter 14
Question 1: Given the large number of people over the age of 65 in our society, why does ageism persist?
The main reason why ageism is rampant in our society is that people prize youth more than anything. Young people have more vitality, energy, and many years to do many things that they like. Older people are assumed to be old and frail, and people mock old age as something negative and that no one should look forward to. Old age is viewed as a dreaded time, and people take many steps to avoid looking old such as getting plastic surgery. Another reason as to why ageism persists is that very few people know any old people outside their grandparents. Statistics show that the number of old people is growing and projected to grow even more in the future. Many assume that old age is associated with poverty, suffering, and illness such as arthritis, dementia, and constipation, among many others. However, statistics dispel these stereotypes and show that old people can be quite healthy and fit depending on their lifestyles, especially when they are younger.
Question 5: Should families be expected to care for elderly family members? If so, why? If not, why not?
As people grow older, they need more care. The level of care depends on age, physical, and mental state. For example, an older adult with arthritis is unable to move much, and hence, they will need a helper to help them around the house with most of the chores. Old people also need extra medical care, especially if they have chronic medical conditions. The primary responsibility to care for the elderly falls on family members, and this often presents high financial and emotional costs. It comes as a significant advantage when the elderly person has some income or property, which can cover the financial costs associated with their care. However, when they have to rely on their children, the situation is more complicated. Most people caring for the elderly are their grown children, and these children often have kids of their own too; hence, they are referred to as the sandwich generation. Caring for elderly parents and relatives can bring a financial and emotional strain on a family, especially where there are young children. Most families prefer to put the elderly in care homes where they have caregivers around the clock. While this comes at a cost, it presents less train as the younger adults have more time to work while at the same time ensuring that the old people have constant care which may not be available at home due to work and other family constraints.
Leadership-Style
Assignment 4: Leadership Style: What Do People Do When They Are Leading?
Bus 520 – Leadership and Organization Behavior
Leadership is not always used as an example in management by people. According to Schermerhorn (2012), leadership is defined as the process of influencing others and the process of helping individuals and any efforts that are collective in order to accomplish shared objectives. As a result, a manager is not needed in order to lead. The CEO of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly, has a specific group of values and a style of leadership that will help Southwest Airlines to stand out in the middle of any airline within the business.
A Southwest veteran, Gary Kelly is 28 years old and his career began as a controller at Southwest Airlines. Kelly meets as a Independent Director of many associations and trade corporations as well as working at Southwest Airlines. In 2004, Kelly advanced to Vice Chairman and CEO of the airlines after he previously served as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance, as well as CFO and Executive Vice President. Gary is a Texan and he attended the University of Texas in Austin where he received a B.B.A in Accounting. Before he joined Southwest Airlines, Gary received certification as a Public Accountant in 1986 for Arthur Young and Company which is located in Dallas and as a Controller for another company named Systems Center, Inc.
The Leadership style of Gary Kelly is transformational. Transformational leadership according to Bernard Bas (1985), happens when followers’ interests are broaden and elevated which stimulates followers to reach outside the limits and beyond their interest to the benefit of others. Kelly has advised that the environment of Southwest Airlines is not ambitious or curriculum but it is a total of people’s hearts (Spirit Magazine, 2014). The airlines constantly empower and enable the employees to always go over and beyond in order to meet individual needs and this is a representation of their leader. A leader that is good must fit in with the leader and the companies’ culture however they must be separate according to the feelings of Gary Kelly. Kelly feels strongly that leaders that are good are able to compensate their employees and take care of them first. Gary Kelly believes that when communicating with employees, leaders should be able to know when to listen and when to act in response. Gary Kelly has a style that is very laid back when it comes to leadership and this is unlike many CEO’s. Employees are able to have more freedom than many organizations. The culture at Southwest Airlines aligns very well with Gary Kelly’s style of leadership. The culture at Southwest Airlines is defined as the improvement, development, and refinement of the individuality, originality, and personality of a specific people (Southwest Airlines, 2014). More than flights are offered at Southwest Airlines. Through volunteer services they are able to give back to the community while encouraging their employees to become better individuals. Having events that are fun such as deck and spirit parties and Halloween are just a few events that are included in the culture of Southwest Airlines. Gary Kelly has been with the company for 28 years and has been everything from Edna Turnblad, Count Dracula, and the mother in Hairspray (Hall, 2010). This is just a few ways Kelly and Southwest Airlines are able to keep employees motivated and make worthwhile for them to work hard for a company that they love.
The personal values of Gary Kelly were created by the old fashion brand of Southwest and his morals and honor was inspired in him by his father (Miranda, 2013). Miranda (2013) declares that the values of Kelly’s were all centered on encouraging a atmosphere at work where individuals are able to have fun and enjoy their jobs while they are performing their jobs. The main priority of Southwest Airlines is to secure and guarantee the personal safety of each customer and employee of Southwestern Airlines. Southwest Airlines believes in the Golden Rule, to treat others as they want to be treated. They believe in living a Servant’s heart, Warrior spirit, and an attitude that is Fun-Luving which is the Southwestern Airline way. To work hard, be courageous, display urgency, persevere and innovate, and encourage employees to work hard is the Warrior Spirit. Embracing the Southwestern Airlines family, follow the Golden Rule, treating individuals with respect, follow rules and principles, putting people first is having a Servant’s Heart. Last but not least in order to have an attitude that is fun luving is defined as having fun and to maintain perspective, don’t take yourself very serious, successes are celebrated, be a team player that is passionate and enjoy your work.
One honored value that is Southwestern Airlines have is to respect each employee mutually. Gary Kelly, also has values that are instrumental such as independence, honesty, being open minded, cheerful and imaginative and all of these help shape the behavior that is needed in order to achieve goals and end state. Southwestern employees are very honest and concerned about others because they are encouraged to treat others with respect and compassion and this is very possible. The proof of these values are mirrored in the mission statement of Southwestern Airlines and the mission states dedication to customer service quality that is high and delivered with warmth, pride, friendliness, and the spirit of the company (Southwestern Airlines, 2014).
Hard work, honest, humility and concern for others are just a few of Gary Kelly’s strengths and values (Miranda, 2013). Some of Gary Kelly’s greatest strengths are his personality, his compassion especially for his employees and his strong ethical behavior. Kelly has a free spirit and he is very humorous within the workplace and this affects the employees at Southwestern Airlines positively. In order for workers to work at high levels they are very relaxed and work under less pressure. All of the strengths of Gary Kelly in the corporate world are good but they can also be weaknesses as well. All of these qualities can be viewed as symbols of softness. Gary Kelly has a personality that is passive and his expectations of employees tend to put the business responsibility on the employees. This type of weakness can cause harm and damage to the company during the times of chaos and doubt in the economy.
Being able to keep an attitude that is humble is what Gary Kelly contributes to the success at Southwestern Airlines as CEO. Having a attitude that is humble enables the leaders to have a mindset that is equal to their employees. This could be interpreted as bad, however in order to connect and get respect form the individuals that are in entry level positions, it is important for management to have the ability to relate to the employees in a similar way. This makes for a understanding that is better for all individuals which allows the operation to function in a smooth and effective manner. Having a attitude that they are better than the rest of the employee’s is often the attitude that most CEO’s have. This type of attitude usually causes tension between management and employees, which stops the progress of the organization.
Gary Kelly is laid back in the workplace and he is not the type of CEO hounds employees. By having ways that are humble helps to create a environment that is better in the workplace which makes Southwestern Airline more likely to succeed in all directions of the industry.
Power and politics at Southwestern Airlines means empowerment of all employees to make decisions on the spot in order to make passengers happy (Miranda, 2013). The reviews and stories of customers have all been established facts. The mindsets of the employees to be helpful and nurturing have all been products of effective communication and working together with the organization. Relational coordination is another belief of Southwestern Airlines and this is shown through the shared relationships, the goals, knowledge and mutual respect of their employees. An excess amount of advantages regarding performances have come to the forefront because of this strategy that Southwest has used for many years. At Southwest Airlines politics and power are not a concern that is major. Because they are family oriented at Southwest this helps to fade away the forces of politics and the sense of power within the organization. Individuals drive to work together to get the job done, and not to use their position or power as a way to go beyond each other. There will never be an employee that will be penalized for using judgment that is good and using common sense when assisting customers. Southwest Airlines is known for their using of the relationships of industrial power and labor in order to achieve performance that is high. They are able to provide information that is true and relevant and this is done by putting in effect the Department of Employee Communication.
Leaders that are different all do things that are different. No two people have leadership’s styles that are the same and they don’t have the same values which help to run the organization. Gary Kelly is a leader that is awesome! His transformational, laid back style of leadership helps to contribute to him being awesome. His values and his beliefs help to make him who he is and his style of leadership allows Southwest Airlines grow continuously and they have flourished and have become the leading airline within the industry today.
References:
“About Southwest.” – Southwest Airlines. N.P., n.d. Web. Feb. 2014.Bass, Bernard M. (1985). Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations. New York: Free Press. 98-99.Hall, Cheryl. (2010). Southwest Airlines CEO is Defining Himself as a Leader—Without Bag Fees. Dallas News. Miranda, Jun. (2013). Leadership Secrets of Gary Kelly, Chairman CEO, Southwest Airlines. Trade Secrets: Simple Ideas behind Great Business Success.Schermerhorn, J. R. (2012). Organizational Behavior (12th Ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Southwest Airlines. (2014, February). Spreading the LUV. Spirit Magazine, 12.
teamwork-and-motivation
Assignment 3: Teamwork and Motivation
BUS 520 – Leadership and Organization Behavior
One of the key ways to keep employees engaged and satisfied at their place of employment is through motivation. Money does not keep employees happy or motivated while at work. Being the owner of Woo Woo manufacturing company there are many different salary ranges as well as a variety of ways to motivate employees at work. Being able to motivate a team is very important in the manufacturing industry this day in time. The plan for motivation within this company is to determine a way to maintain the high levels of productivity, job satisfaction within each department and, how to keep the department change of people at a low rate.
In order to keep the turnover rate low, high levels of productivity as well as high work quality satisfaction on the job is the key. “An individual’s reaction to the job experience” (Berry, 1991) is job satisfaction. There are many contributing factors in order to have satisfaction on the job. Some of them are as follows:
Is the work fulfilling?
Is supervision good?
Worker types and relationships
Opportunities for promotions and acknowledgement
Salary of each employee
When reviewing each of these factors of satisfaction on the job it is very important to examine each department separately because each department has needs of their own.
The job of sales can be a job that is very tedious therefore someone that can handle rejection well would have to be placed in this position. Because this is a job that is hard there are special rules put in place in order to make this sales team satisfied. Since the job in sales is not consistently fulfilling this part of job satisfaction has to come from within other departments. Supervision in this area is not tight or micro-managed however if there is a need for the sales
team they are available. With a managing style such as this for this team they have the ability to do their job with freedom but also still have support if it is needed. One of the key things that is needed in the sales area is relationships since this is a job that is and can get lonely at times. They need to be able to get along with each other which is also important to on the job satisfaction. By having contests within the sales team this helps to bring them together instead of putting them against each other. This is a way for them to communicate effectively and efficiently which also helps to keep numbers flowing in a positive direction. This team is paid a salary which is set along with a commission that is based on sales percentage. The entire sales department is paid a rate that is the same however performance is used to determine who makes the most money.
The line of assembly can very repetitious so to carry out this type of work can be very challenging. Job enrichment and rotating the job are a few things that can make the job fulfilling. By rotating the job, individuals will not be able to become bored or uninterested in their jobs and by using a reward system will help as a way to provide feedback on any work that has been done. Supervisors in this area of work are strict in order to maintain a high productivity rate which helps to keep quality high. Relationships are very critical in this assembly area because of job rotation, they have to be able to train each other. A way to provide recognition to individuals on the assembly team is to have employee of the month and employee of the year. In order to keep them satisfied on the job, the employees have to see that there is a way for them to be recognized as well as promoted. The opportunities for promotion is to have a way for the individuals on the assembly line to advance into roles of supervisors which allows employees to feel a sense of attachment and this to contributes to job satisfaction. These employees are paid on a merit system and are encouraged to be as productive as they can in order to earn more and better wages.
In the department of technology the work is very interesting as well as fulfilling. Supervision in this department is not stifling or suffocating however it is present which allows for innovation. Employees are encouraged to work together as a team which helps relationships to build and grow. The quality of work in this department is high which influences the pay and the promotions. By maintaining a share of the market and keeping these employees happy in the technology department is very essential.
The job of administration within a company is very stressful and it is not a fulfilling job to have. By paying well and offering rewards is a way to compensate employees for the stresses of the job. Because everyone has the ability to work independently and stay on task supervision in this department is very light. The administration department has a common purpose therefore relationships are very important amongst this team. In this department the opportunity for growth is pretty limited because many individuals within this team are at the highest level position available and their salary is also high because of the roles they are in. This is the highest paid department within the organization. Recognizing and rewarding individuals in this department is very important in contributing to job satisfaction. When quarterly meetings take place in administration department, employees have come up with ways to recognize individuals for their hard work by giving away gift cards, have team outings, as well as bonuses.
The rate at which a company reorganizes individuals in the workplace is very expensive and the turnover rate ties into satisfaction on the job. Employees that are late consistently and that call in regularly will be observed and monitored. Their situations will be reviewed by management to find out if they need any assistance from the company to better improve their issues.
Maintaining productivity that is high is very important when in competition with other companies that make widgets. Supervisors are placed along the assembly line to make sure all quotas are met which ensures all widget orders have been fulfilled. The department of technology has an environment that is relaxed and they are provided with refreshments regularly. This helps to make sure that work is completed with minimal breaks. Through the different rewards that are distributed within the administration department the employees of this department are inspired to keep productivity high.
There has been some defects with the product so there has to be a focus on work quality. This starts with the line of assembly however this affects all of the departments. If the technology department can work on a widget that is easily assembled then there will be a chance that less defects will happen. Any problems or defects with the widget will need to be handled by the sales department by being honest and advising the customers that any problems will be resolved. Making sure that quality parts are used and the assembly being done is the responsibility of the assembly line. The funds are then allocated by the administration department to the technology department and assembly department’s main objective is to keep any problems or major issues restrained and controlled.
Working conditions and reward systems are two methods that are used to help motivate employees within the organization. The reward system is the most important factor of motivation because this system allows individuals to be recognized and rewarded for the hard work they do. Each department will nominate the best worker every quarter is how the reward system will work. The employee of the year is also selected within each department and these individuals will receive a plaque as well as a paid vacation. This is huge reward and this will encourage employees within each department to work hard towards winning the accomplishments on a daily basis. The next factor used for motivation will be the conditions of work within each department. The employees within the sales department will be provided with a laptop as well as a company vehicle to make sure they are prepared for all sales meetings. The department of assembly will be able to take breaks because they will be provided a break room with drinks and foods that are healthy. All these things will help with satisfaction on the job along with productivity. The technology department will have an environment that is relaxed while the department of administration will have time off which will help relieve stress and reduce the amount of employees that are burned out.
Workers that make minimum wage have to feel valued and their feelings have to be observed in comparison to the other employees within the organization. The theory of Equity then becomes a motivation factor. This will show these individuals that they are being paid the same salary as the other individuals within the organization and they will not feel as if they are a unequal part of the company. They will be treated with dignity and respect even though they are making minimum wage. They should know that they have a chance for a raise in pay and the ability to advance to a different position within the company. These things gives employees the sense of accomplishment and that they have a future within the organization along with their hard work and dedication.
The individual worker is very critical within today’s organizations. Within the environment of work it only takes one employee to be negative and this can influence the entire organization. Now contrary to the negative employee, a worker that works hard for the company can also encourage and motivate others to work hard and this will help the organization to operate effectively and efficiently. In some organizations individuals can be made to feel as though they are just a number or part of the equipment and that they can be replaced easily. It is very critical for the organization to make their employees feel like they can run the organization and that they are valued and important.
To sum it all up, motivation is something that is very critical in order for a company to be productive. Each and every employee should be satisfied with their job and they should have pride in the job that they do on a daily basis. Motivation factors should be used by each organization because they have access to many and each factor should be used in a way that is fair and equal to all employees of the organization. When all employees of a company know and feel that they are being paid and treated fairly this helps to improve motivation, the turnover rate and improve productivity.
Individual Work to Teamwork
Individual Worker Team Member (change in behavior from individual team member)
Talks Ideas are exchanged
Me oriented Team oriented
Department focused Focused on the organization
Competitive Works as/within the team
Logical Ideas are good
Written messages Coordination; face to face communication
Image Team/corporate images
Secrecy Open and communicates
Short-term sighted Long term oriented/sighted
Immediate results Goal specification/Long term goal oriented
Critical Creative/part of the team
Tenure Equality
References:
Berry, Lilly M. (1997). Psychology at Work. San Francisco: McGraw Hill Companies Inc.
Job Satisfaction Retrieved May 25, 2014 from http://www.u.arizona.edu/~ctaylor/chapter9/jobsat.htmlSchermerhorn, J/Osborn, R/Uhl-Bien, M/Hunt, J (2012). Organizational Behavior 12th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Importance of Motivation Retrieved May 25, 2014 from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/importance_of_motivation.htm
Eight Tactics to Motivate Minimum Wage Employees Retrieved May 25, 2014 from http://train2gainus.wordpress.com/training/eight-tactics-to-motivate-minimum-wage-employees/