Organizational Behavior Essay Example

Organizational Behavior Essay Organizational Behavior Dennis Gillispie BUS 610 Organizational Behaviors Instructor: Gary Shelton Date February 11, 2013 Abstract Organizational behavior may be defined as the investigation of the behavioral factors that affect modern organizations and their management at the individual, group, and organization-wide levels. Although managers supervise many activities as they direct employees of difference task. Organizational behavior mainly concentrates on the people side of a business, whether it is nonprofit, private or a governmental entity. The concept of organizational behavior is designed to help a company accomplish its full potential by creating a satisfying and positive environment that leads to a higher level of success, profitability, and growth. By creating a satisfying and positive environment an organization is able to connect the human element with the operational elements of an organization. However there are many things that impact the behavior of an Organization and its people (Baack, 2012). Also there are many important areas which must be considered when analyzing the condition of a selective organizational behavior. When an organization is selective to be analyzed there are areas that must be measured for its effectiveness in order for managers to become effective, as well as for the people to enjoy being productive in their work environment. This paper will analyze various behavioral components, within the Holder organization, viewing its culture, the modes of communication within, its social rank, and the organizations motivations, how well the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence and virtual organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Organizational behavior may be defined as the investigation of the behavioral factors that affect modern organizations and their management at the individual, group, and organization-wide levels. Although managers supervise many activities as they direct employees of difference task. Organizational behavior mainly concentrates on the people side of a business, whether it is nonprofit, private or a governmental entity. The concept of organizational behavior is designed to help a company accomplish its full potential by creating a satisfying and positive environment that leads to a higher level of success, profitability, and growth. By creating a satisfying and positive environment an organization is able to connect the human element with the operational elements of an organization. However there are many things that impact the behavior of an Organization and its people (Baack, 2012). Also there are many important areas which must be considered when analyzing the condition of a selective organizational behavior. When an organization is selective to be analyzed there are areas that must be measured for its effectiveness in order for managers to become effective, as well as for the people to enjoy being productive in their work environment. The Holder Construction Culture which is what they really call it. The Holder way is the way Holder do business, meaning the way they dress the way they act, and the expectation of attitudes across the broad as it relates to respect, response and responsibility. Holder takes the word responsibility and looks at it as the ability to response with respect to all and the actions of all employees’ exhibits that behavior within the Holder culture. Within the Holder culture we have a diversified makeup of employees from 80%White Americans, 10% Black Americans, 2% Hispanic and 8% others, however the authority recognized social rank is of the 80% White Americans which have set the ethical standards of the organization. The Holder organization is a family own business and has be in existence for over 50 years. Over the past 20 years the company has made some major transition in order to remain competitive pursuing talent as well as working consistency to retain good employees. As a matter of fact they say they what the best of the best. In order to understand how strategy impact organizational culture and why, an in-depth understanding of culture needs to be obtained. An organization’s culture is actually developed by the company’s way of doing business. It starts with how employees and customers are treated within the organization and if the stakeholders are empowered to contribute and be heard (Baack, D. 2012). Many in the Holder organization understands that culture is necessary in order to establish values and beliefs that shape the organizations objectives of how and what they want to accomplish (Pearce Robinson 2009). They also understand clearly that the holder culture represents their shared values among employees and shareholders. The loyalty and commitment which ea ch employee exhibits, out of the sense of respect for each other provides an atmosphere of family. The employees have a set of standards that guide them as individuals as well as groups to achieve the organizational gold’s. They are approachable and have no problem with questions asked and allow opportunities to ask questions. The culture is Pluralism, full of freedom, and democracy based. There is rarely outburst, or non- compliance from employees, mainly because the working environment is very positive. Although there is segregation once each ethic group depart from the work environment, once they all return to work the Holder culture began. It’s as everyone leave as much of their culture of origin at home, except the founding culture which is the dominant culture which is 80% white American. However this is understood and is likable to all culture so as it relates to culture attire, the attire is to meet the white American business attire, for example no braids for African America are allowed in the office work area. Although in the earlier decades, the modes of communication in the Holder culture was dominated by a form of verbal, face to face communication, due to the rapid pace of artificial intelligent such as fax machines cell phones and emails most communication is now non- verbal which is welcome by all Holder teams. In any changing organization, learning from mistakes is very important and the most important communication skill is listening. So due to the rapid pace of artificial intelligent communication has change in many ways. The ability to understand difference writing skill is very important, because of the frequent use of texting and emails. At Holder one main constant which everyone is aware of is if an email disappoint or seems to make you anger, do not answer that email until after 1pm that day if it was read that morning embracing a great amount of emotional intelligent. There are many variations in attitudes and managing the emotions that prompts feeling are sometime hard. However attitudes describe an individuals feelings toward a person, objects, concept, or event, and can be broken down into three components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral (Baack 2012) By waiting until after 1pm this allows Holder employees to become self awareness of their own emotions and then allow themselves to become sensitive the feelings of others, making time for their cognitive abilities to improve (Sole 2011). The Holder way emphasizes the mportance of clear, concise communication as a critical part of the success of the company and how effective communication occurs when the sender’s message is interpreted the way the sender intended it to be. When communication is interpreted the way the sender intended it to be understood, work can be accomplished accurately and efficiently (Johnson Johnson, 2009, p. 133). Communication in groups is sometime difficult, mainly because each member has differences personal circumstance and the motives sometime have hidden agendas. Holder has a motivation programs which is tailored to fix each Individual employee. The extrinsic motives which are tangible and visible, all employees have an ideal of others performance appraisals, pay raises and other compensation packages. These motives can be adapted to fit the needs of various organizational members, so each member communicates in ways that is competitive among each other (Baack 2012). Holder has also used group bonus incentives for performance and group achievement which sometime create friendly interactions with members of the group; also create a greater financial portfolio which serves at the individual needs level (Baack 2012). The Holder culture also know that change is to be anticipated, and their managers must work to give their employees a sense of control over changing situations as motivation technique to change (Rosenberg 1993). The Holder organization is a construction company in Atlanta GA and (Baack 2012) position on motivation theories says that many say that accountants and engineers are not necessarily representative of every type of occupation. Interviews of construction workers might result in different answers regarding workplace satisfaction and motivation, as would answers given by employees from other countries and cultures. In spite of these criticisms, many managers believe the two-factor theory helps explain workplace dissatisfaction. One of the strengths of two-factor theory, when compared to other need-based theories, is that the research was conducted in a work environment and was directed toward employment-related, rather than more general, motives. Herzbergs two-factor theory proposes that a certain set of factors is responsible for workplace dissatisfaction, while another set is responsible for workplace satisfaction. The theory has also been described as motivation-hygiene theory, because Herzberg calls the factors that affect satisfaction motivators and the factors that cause dissatisfaction hygiene factors (Baack 2012). Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is areas of important at The Holder organization in so much that all leadership positions before filled, the person that apply for the position must have completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) testing as well as have spent two week in the mountains of Denver to interact under observation with other peers. It is also a requirement at Holder that each salary employee takes at least one class per year to update their awareness of emotions which is an emotional awareness class that Holder provides in house. The Holder Company understands that there are many variations in attitudes and managing the emotions that prompts feeling are sometime hard. These attitudes which describe an individuals feelings toward a person, objects, concept, or event, must be under control at all times in the Holder organization. As (Baack 2012) indicates these feeling can be broken down into three important components which is the cognitive component, affective, and behavioral components. The thoughtful logic of an attitude is a significant part of the cognitive component of an attitude. The cognitive component provides reasons with premises in a person thought life that is important in the everyday business at Holder. The affective component is and very important component because the holder way say no matter what you are thinking in your head as it relates to your cognitive component, the outcome must not exhibit a negative behavior. How ones attitude is affective on behalf of the cognitive reasoning which one has concluded, the behavioral component of an attitude is based on how a person may intends to act or respond toward a situation which is presented by their cognitive reasoning, so that is why if there is an email that one may be unconformable with that email can’t be answered until after 1pm that day (Baack, 2012). According to Sole (2010) Emotional intelligence is a set of skills that can be learned and improved when the awareness of emotional issues are increased, as well as attaining the ability to identify, manage , assess, and feel. By improving cognitive abilities to reason, and improving the awareness emotional issues, a person attitudes could be emotional difference, as well as the behavioral component would have difference intents. Holders culture really embraces Emotional intelligence, understanding that an attitude is a predisposition toward a person, object, concept, or event, the outcomes of one’s attitudes can be favorable or unfavorable (Baack, 2012). Most employees at Holder try and take the approach when take become angry at someone, to ask themselves three things which are learn in the Holder classes. Does anything need to be said? 2 Do they need to be the one to say it, and 3 does it need to be said then? According to (Baack 2012), emotional intelligence reflects a persons ability to detect and manage emotional cues and information. In Holders culture it is expected that everyone has a self awareness of their own emotions and able to process reason. Managing emotional is sometime very diffic ult, however as Sole and Baack indicated self awareness of one’s own emotions and being able to sense the feelings of others, then ones cognitive abilities can improve. Believing just because there’s something going on up in a person head, doesn’t mean it needs to come out of my mouth. In the process of reasoning, some time people have to, what Holder calls (play the tape all the way through); this is to insure their the cognitive reasoning has been reviewed, and all the details as well as all the consequence has been accurately assumed . However there are times when the consequences or outcomes are negative in a given situation, then the opportunity to learn and develop new emotional understanding of self is availed. The understanding that attitudes always affect logic is very important at Holder; so the intent to act or respond toward a situation needs to be carefully approached because difference outcome provided difference awareness of an emotional state. Analyzing various behavioral components, within the Holder organization, viewing its culture, the modes of communication within, its social rank, and the organizations motivations, how well the organization embraces the theory of emotional intelligence and virtual organization. Organizational behavior may be defined as the investigation of the behavioral factors that affect modern organizations and their management at the individual, group, and organization-wide levels. Also there are many important areas which must be considered when analyzing the condition of a selective organizational behavior. The Holder Construction Culture which is what they really call it. The Holder way is the way Holder do business, meaning the way they dress the way they act, and the expectation of attitudes across the broad as it relates to respect, response and responsibility. The Holder organization is a family own business and has be in existence for over 50 years. Over the past 20 years the company has made some major transition in order to remain competitive pursuing talent as well as working consistency to retain good employees. Many in the Holder organization understands that culture is necessary in order to establish values and beliefs that shape the organizations objectives of how and what they want to accomplish (Pearce ; Robinson 2009). Although in the earlier decades, the modes of communication in the Holder culture was dominated by a form of verbal, face to face communication, due to the rapid pace of artificial intelligent such as fax machines cell phones and emails most communication is now non- verbal. The Holder way emphasizes the importance of clear, concise communication as a critical part of the success of the company and how effective communication occurs when the sender’s message is interpreted the way the sender intended it to be. Communication in groups is sometime difficult, mainly because each member has differences personal circumstance and the motives sometime have hidden agendas. Holder has a motivation programs which is tailored to fix each Individual employee. Holder has also used group bonus incentives for performance and group achievement which sometime create friendly interactions with members of the group; also create a greater financial portfolio which serves at the individual needs level (Baack 2012). Holders culture really embraces Emotional intelligence, understanding that an attitude is a predisposition toward a person, object, concept, or event, the outcomes of one’s attitudes can be favorable or unfavorable (Baack, 2012). Reference Baack, D. (2012). Organizational behavior. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Johnson D. W. , Johnson F. P. (2009). Joining Together: Group Therapy and GroupSkills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Pearce J. , Robinson R. (2009). Strategic management: Formulation Implementation and? Control (11th ed. ) New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Sole, K (2011) Understanding Interpersonal communication San. Diego,CA Bridgepoint Education, Inc. , Rosenberg, D. (1993). Eliminating resistance to change. Security Management, 37(1), 20-20. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/231144681? accountid=32521 Organizational Behavior Essay Example Organizational Behavior Essay One of the most important subject in each organization is the measurement of the effectiveness of the communication between the employee and their mangers. In other word the more effective In communication you are the more productive involvement you will create as a manger. These are the three aspect I would focus on In these research: verbal communication, nonverbal communication. And the written. Also I would discusses some barriers that effect the communication in the organization. The verbal communication is the central what best of us do and It could be writing or speaking, for example all of the debate between our president or the meeting, face to face, telephone conversation or even the interviews is verbal, therefore, the verbal communication is the most Important type of communication. Since we born the first thing we try to learn Is the verbal communication and we do It step by step till we become good at it. However As business major knowing the verbal communication is not enough I have to prepare my self to be a provisional at it. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Behavior specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I remember when I use to work at Saudi Telecoms company as assistant to a general manger I have met many CEO from all over the world such as the CEO for Oracle company in the middle east and many others I remember some of them they came with their assistant or other employee and the reason was because the mangers were not good at negotiations or presentation at that time I did not notice the important of having a professional skill in communication and how it can persuade others but now I complicit new the important of it and I would mention the nine way to improve verbal communication according to Illumine. O. UK 1- read more the reason it says the more the person read the more he/she can express her self better by having more vocabulary which Is make sense I remember when I use to go to the English program back in 2008 every time I learn a new vocabulary I could express myself better and in the business world the more vocabulary the person have the more he/she can persuade people o r at least sound dedicated. The second way it says Think about the rods and it means go down to the level of the audiences in other word now your audiences, for example do not use very old language or big vocabulary in the front of forefinger company because they will not understand and some time they will not ask what does this word means. The teller way Is prepare before for speaking and that means the speaker should spend time thinking about what he/she would say and what is the best way of saying it, for example if he/she would talks about globe worming he/she should bring fact and organized the idea as much as possible. The fourth one is listen and be interested and that means show emanation during the conversation for example if one of the audiences ask question act if It important Arabic it says the man has tow ears and one mouth and that means he/she should lotion more than talk. The fifth one it says be aware of non-verbal communication traps: and that means the presenter or the speaker should be a area of his movement, tone, or even his body language because the people are watching you and making Judgment more than listing therefore,

Should You Really Trust College Ranking Lists

Should You Really Trust College Ranking Lists SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Since the U.S. News World Report college rankings list debuted in 1983, college-bound students and their parents have become quite enamored with college ranking lists. While the U.S. News list may be the most well-known, there are a plethora of college ranking lists out there. All use slightly different criteria to rank colleges and all claim to be the best and most reliable. However, should you trust any of these lists? Should you use them when deciding which college to attend? Do they provide any valuable information? In this article, I'll answer those questions. I'll let you know how much you can trust college ranking lists. Furthermore, I'll explain the pros and cons of these lists and how to use them to your benefit. How Are College Rankings Determined? Most ranking lists use a combination of objective statistics and subjective opinions based on survey responses to compile their rankings. Objective Numbers That Influence the Rankings These are the most common statistics used by the most popular college ranking lists that help determine the rankings. Retention: Some lists use the freshman retention rate, the percentage of students who return for their sophomore years, to help to determine their rankings. The logic behind using this statistic is that if a student is happy with a college and receiving the necessary support, then she will return for her second year. Also, lists use the 6-year graduation rate, the percentage of students who graduate within 6 years. If a college is providing quality instruction and nurturing its students, then the vast majority should be able to graduate within 6 years. Class Size: US News measures the proportion of classes with less than 20 students and the proportion with 50 or more. The idea here is that very small and large classes are indicative of having more resources. Also, students in smaller classes receive more attention and personalized instruction. Faculty Salary: The reasoning for using this metric is that schools that pay their faculty most generously are able to attract the best professors. Student-Faculty Ratio: If there is a low student-faculty ratio, then students can possibly get more attention and there will be more opportunities for students to interact with professors. SAT/ACT Scores: Schools with higher average standardized test scores are seen as being more selective and having more academically capable students. Percentage of Students That Graduated in the Top 10% and 25% of Their High School Classes: Colleges whose students all graduated near the top of their high school classes are judged positively for having the highest caliber of student. Acceptance Rate: The logic behind using this number is that if a college admits only a very small percentage of its applicants, then those that it does admit are likely to be the best and brightest. Average Spending Per Student: US News calculates spending per student by using the average spending per student on instruction, research, student services, and related educational expenditures in the most recent two fiscal years. Spending on sports, dorms, and hospitals doesn't count. If a college is spending more per student on education, then you may be able to assume that its students have more educational resources and quality instruction. Alumni Giving Rate:The alumni giving rate is the percentage of graduates who gave to the school, usually within the last year or two. According to various studies, the alumni giving rate is a measure of student satisfaction. However, I enjoyed my experience at Stanford, but I don't donate to my alma mater. Maybe somebody from Stanford will read this and I'll stop getting incessant letters and phone calls asking me for my money. Financial Aid: Some lists measure the average amount of financial aid awarded and others measure the percentage of financial need that is met. Better colleges should have the resources to enable all qualified students to attend regardless of financial need. US News also measures how satisfied students are with their financial aid, but that is a much more subjective rating. Salary of Alumni: The logic behind using average alumni salary in college rankings is that colleges that provide an excellent education and can offer good professional connections will have alumni with high salaries. Opinions That Influence The Rankings Academics US News World Report relies heavily on "undergraduate academic reputation" in its rankings. The academic reputation of a school is determined by how top academics and administrators at other colleges assess its academics. US News also surveys counselors from high schools to rate the academic programs of colleges to help determine "academic reputation." Princeton Review conducts a survey on how hard students work and how much they get back for their efforts to assess academics. Quality of Life Most college ranking lists assess the quality of life at a college through student surveys. Princeton Review grades quality of life through student assessments of "their overall happiness; the beauty, safety, and location of the campus; the comfort of dorms; the quality of food; the ease of getting around campus and dealing with administrators; the friendliness of fellow students; the interaction of different student types; and the quality of the school's relationship with the local community.† For the first time this year in its rankings, Forbes used a student satisfaction survey on Facebook where students were asked how satisfied they were with their school from 1-5. Obviously, the logic behind using quality of life measurements in rankings is that students should be happy if they're attending a good school. Pros of College Ranking Lists Discover New Colleges College ranking lists can introduce you to colleges that may be a good fit for you. I think this is probably the most valuable thing about these lists. Many students are not as familiar with smaller, well-ranked schools. Seeing these schools on ranking lists can provoke a student to research them, apply to them, and maybe even attend a school he would not have previously considered. For example, schools like Harvey Mudd and Williams are excellent schools that may not be as prestigious or have the same name recognition as Harvard or Yale, but they consistently rank very highly in college ranking lists. Provide Extensive Data for You to Compare Schools In one ranking list, you can see the average class size, high school GPA, or SAT/ACT score for many different colleges. These lists can offer you a resource for numerical comparisons. If you're considering a few different colleges, you can refer to a rankings list to compare the available statistics for each school and that may help you narrow down your list of colleges to apply to. Give You an Idea of What Others Think While the rankings can be disputed and these lists are subjective, college ranking lists do provide some insight into the reputations of different colleges. Graduate schools and employers often consider the reputations of different schools when they make decisions. Going to a #12 vs. a #20 school will probably have little impact on those decisions; however, going to a #12 vs. a #200 school could. Learn What You Need to Do to Be a Qualified Applicant Many of the ranking lists give you the average high school GPA, standardized test scores, and the percentage of students who graduate in the top 10% and 25% of their high school classes. From these numbers, you can determine what you need to do to make yourself competitive for admission to a specific school. If you want to have a decent shot at getting into a certain college, your numbers should compare favorably to those of the average student there. Cons of College Ranking Lists Some of the criteria used to evaluate colleges are highly subjective. For US News World Report, top academics and high school counselors answer survey questions about other schools' academic programs. Are they well-informed enough to have educated opinions on the academic programs of colleges they may have never worked at nor attended? Are they just relying on hearsay and the reputations of these schools to answer these questions? Similarly, some quality of life assessments may not account for natural variances in opinions. If the campus of a school in a rural environment is ranked as beautiful, that means little for the student who prefers urban environments and would find the rural campus unappealing. Some of the criteria used to rank schools may have no real impact on your educational experience. The rate of alumni giving and selectivity of a school will probably not impact the quality of instruction you'll receive at a particular college. Students can get too focused on the rankings instead of figuring out which school is the best fit for them. There's probably not much difference in the quality of education at a #5 school vs. a #10 school. The #10 school may be a much better fit for a student who could excel academically at both. Finally, colleges are very motivated by the rankings. They'll convince students who have little chance of getting accepted to apply to increase their selectivity rating. They'll spend countless hours and tremendous resources hitting up alumni for money to up their alumni giving percentages. Perhaps these schools could improve their academic programs or support services if they allocated their resources without regard to college rankings. College ranking lists can be both good and bad. What Do Some College Experts Think? Generally, in my research, the "experts" on record seem to have echoed some of my sentiments about college rankings. Jeffrey Brenzel, Dean of Admissions at Yale from 2005-2013, believes that college ranking lists are of limited value to students: The formulas used to rank schools are based on factors that in themselves are often irrelevant to individual students. Their composite scores reflect alumni giving rates, student-to-teacher ratios, median SAT scores, persistence to graduation, admissions selectivity and other data that provide little information about specific program strengths, honors programs or the general way in which the school lifts and supports student aspirations. The simplicity and clarity that ranking systems seem to offer are not only misleading, but can also be harmful. Rankings tend to ignore the very criteria that may be most important to an applicant, such as specific academic offerings, intellectual and social climate, ease of access to faculty, international opportunities and placement rates for careers or for graduate and professional school. Colin Diver, former Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and former President of Reed College, also wrote of his dislike for ranking lists. He wrote positively of Reed's decision to not submit information to US News World Report for its rankings list: For ten years Reed has declined to fill out the annual peer evaluations and statistical surveys thatU.S. Newsuses to compile its rankings. It has three primary reasons for doing so. First, one-size-fits-all ranking schemes undermine the institutional diversity that characterizes American higher education. The urge to improve one's ranking creates an irresistible pressure toward homogeneity, and schools that, like Reed, strive to be different are almost inevitably penalized. Second, the rankings reinforce a view of education as strictly instrumental to extrinsic goals such as prestige or wealth; this is antithetical to Reed's philosophy that higher education should produce intrinsic rewards such as liberation and self-realization. Third, rankings create powerful incentives to manipulate data and distort institutional behavior for the sole or primary purpose of inflating one's score.Because the rankings depend heavily on unaudited, self-reported data, there is no way to ensure either t he accuracy of the information or the reliability of the resulting rankings. However, some college admissions experts do see some value in the ranking lists. Lynda McGee is a college counselor at Downtown Magnets High School, ranked as a gold medal high school by US News interestingly enough. Like I previously mentioned, she states that college ranking lists can help introduce you to excellent colleges: Many factors go into college rankings, including alumni donations and how other institutions perceive them. Take that into account when you start to think that school #1 must be much better than school #20. What the rankings can do is introduce you to great schools you may be unfamiliar with. So check out those rankings, but remember that you will find an excellent education up and down the list. Keep in mind that while you may not find many representatives from colleges to speak positively about ranking lists, in general, hundreds of colleges routinely brag about their rankings and prominently display them on their websites and in their brochures. Colleges tend to care about these rankings, and they know they matter to students, their parents, and influence popular opinion. Rankings matter to many people. Final Word on Whether You Should Trust College Ranking Lists Don't trust the exact ranking. The #5 school isn't necessarily better than the #10 school in any given list. Use ranking lists to find colleges you may have not previously considered. Focus on the factors that are important to you in a college when looking at a ranking list. You want to go to a college that is a good fit for you. Use the objective available statistics like average high school GPA and SAT/ACT score to compare colleges and determine what you need to do to be a qualified applicant. College ranking lists do provide a rough idea of how colleges are perceived in the academic and professional worlds. What's Next? College ranking lists should only be one of many resources you use in your college search. Make sure you know how to choose a college. Also, look at the best college search websites. Finally, as you're deciding which schools to apply to, learn about reach and safety schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Definition and Examples of Composition-Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Composition-Rhetoric Composition-rhetoric is the theory and practice of teaching writing, especially as it is carried out in composition courses in colleges and universities in the U.S. Also known as composition studies and composition and rhetoric. The term composition-rhetoric emphasizes the function of rhetoric (with its 2,500-year tradition) as an underlying theory of composition (a relatively new invention, as Steven Lynn points out in Rhetoric and Composition, 2010). In the United States, the academic discipline of composition-rhetoric has evolved rapidly over the past 50 years. Examples and Observations When we discuss rhetoric and composition, we are really talking about a much more complex set of interactions than the phrase implies. Our scholarly literature is rife with examples of rhetoric for composition, composition reacting to rhetoric, and rhetoric in composition. Of these, rhetoric in composition provides the most opportunities for integration of rhetorical theories and the teaching of composition. However, we seem easily sidetracked by the vagueness of and, the seeming simplicity of for. (Jillian Kathryn Skeffington, Looking for Rhetoric in Composition: A Study in Disciplinary Identity. PhD dissertation, University of Arizona, 2009)When conjoined with composition, rhetoric is generally understood as the broader field of subject matter. But many who locate themselves in composition studies . . . identify their intellectual projects with a variety of broader knowledge enterprises besides or instead of rhetoric. These include, for instance, literacy, linguistics, or discourse studies; cultural studies; English; English education; and communication. . . . College composition itself (originally freshman English), once isomorphic with the whole field, is now only one focus within rhetoric and composition, which has become progressively more intertwined with multiple, parallel, or transdisciplinary studies of discourse. (Composition Studies. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication From Ancient Times to the Information Age, ed. by Theresa Enos. Taylor Francis, 1996) Background of Composition-Rhetoric ​As a body of information, written rhetoric was brought into being between 1800 and 1910.Since, therefore, the methods and theories associated with teaching writing in America after 1800 are neither changeless, nor unified, nor seriously current in todays scholarly field, nor strongly related to traditional rhetoric, I propose in this book to eschew the term current-traditional rhetoric and to refer instead to older and newer forms of composition-rhetoric. History enthusiasts will recognize that I have appropriated the term from the title of a forward-looking but not very successful textbook produced in 1897 by Fred Newton Scott and Joseph V. Denney. Like Scott and Denney, I use the term to identify specifically that form of rhetorical theory and practice devoted to written discourse. Writing, of course, had always been a small but necessary part of the older rhetorical tradition, but composition-rhetoric after 1800 was the first rhetoric to place writing centrally in rhetoric al work. (Robert J. Connors, Composition-Rhetoric: Backgrounds, Theory, and Pedagogy. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1997) The Development of Composition-Rhetoric Studies: 1945-2000 Sometime between [the end of World War II] and 1990, a host of graduate programs, scholarly journals, and professional organizations dedicated to composition-rhetoric studies emerged in North American higher education. Despite the continued complaints raised against it, the freshman course itself persisted and grew during this period; but now undergirding it was a bona fide academic discipline, increasingly autonomous from other fields and capable of not only supervising, growing, and questioning that course but of sponsoring full and independent curricula at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, rich and seemingly limitless research projects, and dedicated academic careers of every rank and tenure. By the end of this period, comp-rhet boasted book series, endowed chairs, grant programs, research centers, and radically enhanced intellectual and professional self-confidence. . . .[B]y the early 1990s, there were more than 1,200 comp-rhet doctoral students in the United States, s tudying in seventy-two different graduate programs, together granting more than a hundred PhDs a year (Connors, Composition History 418). . . .By the end of the twentieth century, in other words, using the doctorate as the key marker of academic status, a discipline had been born. (David Fleming, Rhetoric Revival or Process Revolution? Renewing Rhetorics Relation to Composition: Essays in Honor of Theresa Jarnagin Enos, ed. by Shane Borrowman, Stuart C. Brown, and Thomas P. Miller. Routledge, 2009) [A]ll areas of the humanities except one have undergone drastic reductions. That one field is composition-rhetoric studies, which . . . continues to flourish among the second series of downsizings, the 1990s version. Why is composition-rhetoric exempt? One of the various answers is that we have enacted the New Paradigm for our 30 years of growth as a discipline. In short, the public, which as a whole understands but cannot articulate that language study is vitally important, supports massive support of the teaching of writing and the research that accompanies and drives it. . . .Although we are immersed in university cultures that regard research as the peak, teaching as the valley, and service as the underground (so that it is invisible), composition-rhetoric scholar-teachers embrace pedagogy, work hard at it, share current research with students, and generally possess an identity (or what Diotima or Aspasia might call an ethos) in which pedagogy is definitive. (Kathleen E. Welch, T echnology/Writing/Identity in Composition and Rhetoric Studies: Working in the Indicative Mood. Living Rhetoric and Composition: Stories of the Discipline, ed. by Duane H. Roen, Stuart C. Brown, and Theresa Enos. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)

Economic race and gander Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic race and gander - Essay Example Other concern is whether they can fully rely on or trust their partners. Divorce rates were going up. Religious beliefs and broad social attitude were also among the reasons. The main reason for divorce is financial instability and insecurity of future etc., Unanticipated events, sudden job loss and liberalized state divorce loss were also reasons for increased rate of divorces. The divorce rates stood at 2.2 divorces per thousand population in 1960 and increased to 3.5 to 5.2 divorces per thousand population in 1980. Births to unmarried mothers is also on the raise because of economic independence and social security available to mothers. Co-habitation or living together has been accepted by the society. Individuals who never married co-habit prior to first marriage or after they have been divorced. Co-habitation often ends in marriage or breakup. Co-habitation between gay and lesbian couples are also on the increase. Whether to have children or how many to have is decided on the ec onomic opportunities. The changing economic opportunities affect the fertility decisions. As the women's wage raises the opportunity cost of the time they spend with children also increases. However, the preoccupation with their employment and social activities force them to postpone the pregnancies. The fertility rate at the year 1955 was much higher compared to the year 1955 was much higher compared to the year 1974. However, because of economic independence and better opportunities in employment there were marked increases in fertility rate of unmarried mothers starting in 1970s from 11 percent of all births to 28 percent in 1990. At 2005, 37 percent all births in US were to unmarried women. Dual earner families increase from 45 to 58 percent of all married couple families. Dual earner family or female headed family became more common rapidly replacing the traditional married couple family or the breadwinner husband and home-maker wife. Dual earner earns more income on average th an the single earner family. However, the maternal employment during first year of the child may negatively affect children's cognitive developments. The specific finding about single parent family report that the children raised by single parent have a higher high-school drop out and higher rate of teen births than those raised by double parent family. Chapter 11 titled as "Polices affecting paid work and the family" focus on polices to alleviate poverty, government tax policies etc., This chapter examines major changes that occurred during last few years in the US welfare system. The expansion of EITC has played an important role in reducing poverty. In contracts to many tax credits which can benefit only households with income high enough to pay taxes in EITC the refundable feature of tax credit means that government provides a refund if the amount of the credit exceeds tax owed. The EITC transfers income to low income household. The employment outlook for welfare recipients tend s to be especially bleak because as a rule they have little education and fewer job skills. Following the effects in developing countries such as Grameen Bank in Bangladesh micro enterprises assistance programs have been developed in US funded by government and private foundations. Child support award for never married mothers continue to raise children under age 15 may receive federally funded health care

Performance Management Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Performance Management Project - Essay Example Performance management systems are not built out of the blue. In fact, there is always some basis of establishing the system of performance management. Policies of performance management comprise immensely on the internal structure of the organization. The entire formation of the policies of PMS is based upon the structure, requirements, position and condition of the organization and its employees. A performance management system is vital because it benefits the organization in ensuring that the day to day activities of the organization and its employees are aligned with the goals and objectives of the organization. Performance management system not only benefits the organization but it also benefits the employees by providing them with continuous feedback about their performance and also provides them with the opportunities to enhance their performance. The most critical aspect which had been overlooked is that not only achievement of goal is crucial but how the goals are attained is equally considerable as it reflects the element of Corporate Social Responsibility. The idea that implementation of PMS will immediately improve the employee’s performance is quite unrealistic. To obtain the full potential benefits of performance management system, the organizations needs to invest with resources so that managers and employee own that system, otherwise the system will be treated as obligatory activity and neither the organization nor the employees will enjoy the benefits of this system. Any PMS will cannot be complete or perfect and when the organizations evolve, their PMS must also evolve accordingly. This report will evaluate some common issues related to the system of performance management and will also provide recommendation about how the PMS can be implemented effectively. Generally, performance management is the procedure to

Pleasantville Essay Example for Free

Pleasantville Essay The movie â€Å"Pleasantville† (Produced and directed by Gary Ross in 1988) is more than just your ordinary film. Pleasantville sends a message within a message. Not only is it a great film, (made popular by New Line Cinema) it contains numerous biblical references. Some of the biblical references in this film may be easier to see and understand than others. But when asked to analyze this film and critique the biblical references you will understand just how many there are. To me the most obvious relation to the bible is in a scene where the main character David (Tobey Maguire) is the first to see a fire that breaks out in a tree in his front yard. Ironically enough, the tree is on fire, but is not consumed by the flames, it’s burning but not disintegrating. David then ran to the fire and distinguished it while commanding the fire fighters on what to do. How does that relate to the bible? In Exodus 3: 1-15 is the story of the burning bush. The burning bush was also on fire and not consumed by the flames, this was when God appointed Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Much like how David was then appointed a leader of Pleasantville. The only real difference is that the biblical story says that the burning bush talks to David. (The burning bush being God). Another obvious biblical relation in the film goes along with the story of Adam and Eve. The biblical version of the Adam and Eve (Genesis 2 and 3). story says that God created man (Adam) and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work and watch over it. God allows Adam to eat from all trees except from the â€Å"tree of knowledge of good and evil†. God tells Adam â€Å" for on the day you eat from it, you will surely die†. Later on in Genesis 2, Adam needs a help mate to look over the garden, but none of the animals in the garden are to Adam’s satisfaction, so God then makes a woman (Eve) out of Adam’s rib while he is asleep. On a side note, Adam and Eve are both naked and neither one of them are ashamed of themselves. Finally the serpent is introduced in Genesis 3, the serpent is said to be â€Å" slier then every beast on the fieldâ€Å". The serpent eventually persuades Eve to eat from the â€Å"Tree of Knowledge†. After she eats from it, she has Adam eat from it. Shortly after, they finally notice they are naked and become self conscious and cover up. God then asks about what they have done and Eve blames Adam, while Adam blames the Serpent. God curses them, and makes Eve suffer through labor and banishes both of them from the Garden of Eden. The relation in the movies comes from a scene in the end involving David and another girl from his school. Color starts to fill Pleasantville, and the girl he is sitting with in the lawn gets up and grabs a fruit of off the tree, and then she hands the fruit to David to eat, much like Eve did with Adam. As soon as they ate the fruit, it started to rain in Pleasantville for the first time ever, symbolizing God’s anger, and color now completely filled Pleasantville. The discovery in books also reminds me of the â€Å"Tree of Knowledge of good and evil†, the books being good, and the reading of them being evil because it made people curious to as what else was out in the real world. Therefore there is an effect in both cases, the biblical one, and also the movie. Pleasantville, (before David and Jennifer) is a â€Å"dream world† if you will, everyone is always happy and there are never any conflicts with anyone. Once the two of them arrive however, everything changes. In Pleasantville everything is black and white, but after Jennifer has sex with someone in Pleasantville, the first sighting of color comes out. To me, this symbolizes sin. The more people sin in the movie, the more color there is. So this biblical reference doesn’t necessarily correspond with any specific part of the bible, just sin in general. The people that sinned were turned into color, and at first if you were colored, you were frowned upon. But as more and more people â€Å"sinned† it became the â€Å" new norm†. So at first sinners were looked at in a negative way, but as more and more people sinned it became okay, and there was a neutral outlook on them. If I had to match a few characters in the movie to people in the bible I would say that Betty Parker (housewife) is most life Eve. I say this because at first she is so innocent and has no idea what sinning (or having sex) is. Then when she finally did sin she didn’t even understand or realize what she was doing was wrong. Jennifer ( Mary-Sue) to me, is most closely related with Satan. I say this because she was the one that first had sex (sinned), and she also spreads the knowledge of evil (sex). For example, in the movie Jennifer teaches her mother how to please herself, and she was also the first one to bring sex to Pleasantville. I would also say that David reminds me most of a Prophet because he is sent to Pleasantville and all in all he â€Å"delivers a message† to say the least. Another biblical allusion in the film that most people do not catch, would be the scene where David, and the soda shop owner paint a mural on the wall. They are expressing themselves, but, after doing research and seeing a picture of the mural that they made, I noticed something. On the left side of the mural there is a picture of a snake wrapped around an apple that is half eaten. This reminds me of the Garden of Eden and the serpent persuading Adam and Eve to eat the apple. At first glance you may not notice this, but after looking at the picture you can. The snake comes off us a very sneaky creature, much like the Serpent and how he tricked Even into eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. I don’t think that the film maker (Gary Ross) necessarily had an agenda when making this film, I think he just put in all these biblical allusions in the film to make people think. If I were to watch this film without trying to draw a connection with the bible, I wouldn’t have noticed any reference to it at all.

Communication Processes Essay -- Successful Communication Effective Co

Communication Processes Communication occupies up to 75% of every working day and can occur in verbal and non-verbal means. In order for an organization to be successful, it must demonstrate successful communication among staff members. Communication is considered to be successful when the desired objective is attained. All communication has a purpose, whether to inform, to convince or to serve some other purpose; communication is what ties all departments within an organization together. Without communication an organization is sure to fail. Within the University of Texas- University Health Services, one can observe several means of successful communication. It is this form of communication that ensures quality patient care, happy students and happy staff members. Unfortunately, if one looked close enough he could also see unsuccessful communication taking place. This is where improvement is needed to ensure patients are taken care of properly, staff members remain happy and nothing is missed during p atient care. One reason UHS has successful communication is because the managers take the time to ensure their staff members clearly understand the messages they are trying to send. Whether they send the message verbally or electronically, the managers do not assume their staff members understand the message. Instead, they follow-up with the staff to see if any clarification of the message is needed. If clarification is needed, then further communication takes pl...