Causes and Impacts of disruptive Behavior (DB) in Healthcare

Causes and Impacts of disruptive Behavior (DB) in Healthcare Introduction Persons may be fascinated to study and work in the nursing occupation because it is trustworthy and esteemed; though, the reputation of nursing is at risk as nurses are vulnerable to violence at their work more than other professions (Carter 2000 cited in Norris 2003). Indeed, nursing profession is four times more dangerous than most other careers (Gallant, R 2008). Nurses deliver care for displeased patients and families, whether they are mentally or emotionally ill, or they are offenders. They also need to deal with staffs and other healthcare members within the organization who evoke distress and nervousness. Lateral violence (LV) in health organizations has come to be so widespread and troublesome that it has gained the concern of the policy makers, managers and the healthcare organizations. During the past years LV has gained special attention in organization research. According to National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) in 2006, 60% of workplace assaults are presented and intensified in health organizations, social facilities, and personal care employments. Investigators have reported alarming findings about the negative consequences related to disruptive behavior (DB) for the individuals, the health organizations, and the patients. As for the impacts on the organization, DB has been reported to be associated with higher turnover and intent to quit the organization, higher absenteeism, and decreased commitment and productivity (Hoel, Einarsen Cooper 2003). In addition, victim bullying has been reported to experience stress, job dissatisfaction, psychological and physical illness, and possible expulsion from the Job (Hoel Cooper 2000, Keashly Jagatic 2003 cited in Hoel et al. 2003, Vartia 2001) while patient bullying has been reported to result in reduced s afety and quality of care (reference). Although LV is considered a global epidemic (International council of nursing (ICN) (2007) and has long been a concern among healthcare providers, it has frequently gone uninhibited, or even pernicious, accepted as part of the organization. Thus, leaving these behaviors unaddressed, health organization quietly maintained and reinforced them. Fortunately, DB has lately come under better scrutiny. The American Medical Association (AMA) (2002) has commented: Personal conduct, whether verbal or physical, that affects or that potentially may affect patient care negatively constitutes DBs. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) in 2005 has noted that the presence of DB is negatively impacting the collaboration among healthcare workers, which is principal to instituting and supporting a productive work environment. Furthermore, Alspach (2007) stated that LV in nursing is insidious, costly, disgusting and affects patient care. These behaviors urge TJC in 2008 to warrant the healthcare organizations of the safety risk caused by intimidating behaviors and asked them to increase their awareness of the individuals and organizational risk resulting from these behaviors. Those exposed to DB can live through stress, frustration, and psychomatic disorders. Sadly, Griffin (2004) found that 60 % of newly appointed nurses quit their work within six months of service upon exposure to LV, 20% leave the nursing profession forever. While, Veltman (2007) stated that DBs pushed the nurses to leave a particular job, and this drain on resources further affect patient care. In order to address this threat TJC (2009) introduced a leadership standard requiring that facilities looking for accreditation must formulate policies to tackle DBs in healthcare organizations. Now all Healthcare givers should be charged with understanding and addressing this needed culture change within health organizations. In this paper, the causes and impacts of DB for both patients and healthcare workers will be reviewed. Strategies to address and combat DBs among healthcare givers will be discussed. LV, DB and bullying are the terms that I will be using throughout this assignment. Laying the foundation Several terms have been used in nursing research to describe the negative behaviors of nurses in health services. These include LV, bullying, relational aggression, intimidation, horizontal hostility, horizontal violence, sabotage, verbal abuse, psychological abuse, oppression and interactive workplace trauma. (Alspach 2007,Dellasega 2009,Longo Sherman 2007, Lutgen-Sandivk 2007, Rocker 2008,Rowell 2005, Rosenstein ODaniel 2008, Stanley 2007, The Joint Commission(TJC) 2008) . Griffin (2004) identified the most common ten features of DB in the nursing literature (Duffy1995; Farrell1997, 1999, McCall 1996, cited in Stanley 2007): non-verbal innuendo, verbal affront, undermining activities, withholding information, sabotage, infighting, scapegoating, backstabbing, failure to respect privacy, and broken confidences. These kinds of DBs may be perpetuated by healthcare providers, patients or their families. High jobs pressure such as nursing tends to create stresses that are often released when further stressors are added. The discharge of the unbearable stress can result in LV. Irrespective of the initiating stress, no one merits to be abused. When LV erupts, everyone is influenced (Rowel 2010).Some researchers argued that nurses are an oppressed group who intern contributes to the oppressive behaviors indicative of LV (Stanley et al. 2007). Moreover, oppression, vulgarity, and sexual harassment are key elements of LV (Lutgen-Sandivk 2006). But these issues are not the only means that DB may manifest itself in personal communications. Norris (2010) added that hostility may take the form of apparent detesting, patronizing language, annoyance with questions from neophyte nurses or unlicensed employees, disparaging, impoliteness, concealing information, and even temper tantrums. DB is used to depict the workplace negative behaviors that may affect the health status of patient (TJC 2008). Dellasega (2009) refers LV to the act of intimidating, degrading that result in physical, psychological or emotional injury on a colleague or group while Rosenstein and QDaniel (2008) described LV as any unsuitable conduct, conflict, or confrontation ranging from verbal abuse to bodily or sexual harassment. According to Piper (2003) DB is any aggressive behavior that may endanger the stability of patient, unit, and the ability of the organization to achieve its mission. The ICN (2007) defined bullying as a behavior that dishonors, demeans, or otherwise shows disrespect for the dignity and value of an individual. Habitually, the fundamental cause of DP turns around communication mishaps (Ratner 2006, cited in Rowel 2010) or intentional obnoxious behaviors. Sheridan-Leos (2008) stated that the term LV has been used for more than 25 years in the nursing literature and described it as an act of antagonism that occurs between nursing colleagues within an organizational hierarchy. DB may be obvious or subtle. Farrell (2001, cited by Leiper 2005) uses the terms active or passive to categorize DP while the TJC uses the terms overt or covert. Active or overt actions range from intimidating body language designed to discomfort another or others to overtly criticizing a colleague in the presence of others, shouting at others and even physical attack (Leiper 2005, Longo Sherman 2007). Passive, covert aggression may take the form of gossiping, cover-up information needed to perform the job, or demonstrating unhelpful approaches during routine doings. Griffin (2004) found that many experienced nurses are not acquainted with the term LV and thought new nurses were making up the term. Likewise, many forms of DB may be so delicate that certain actions are considered nothing more than a personality conflict between two persons. Jackson (2002) contends that DB is an axiomatic phenomenon in health organizations and is recognized by many organizational cultures as a part of doing business. However, when asked precisely about personal experiences with DB, most healthcare providers confess that they know it when they see it, and many acknowledge exposure to some sort of experience with it during their professional life (Alspach, 2007). Owing to the seriousness and continuity of the side effects of LV on patient outcomes, a great attention has been paid to this topic in the literature. Here are some examples of reported cases: In a study conducted by the joint program and reported by the international council of nurses (ICN) (2007).Researchers found that the most common forms of LV are Verbal abuse, bullying and sexual harassment where verbal abuse ranks the highest among them. Verbal abuse had been experienced by 39.5% in Brazil, 32.2% in Bulgaria, in Portugal, 52% in the health center complex and 27.4%in the hospitals, 40.9% in Lebanon, and up to 67% in Australia. Additionally, bullying has been suffered by 30.9% in Bulgaria, 20.6% in South Africa, 10.7% in Thailand, in Portugal ,23% in the health center complex and 16.5% in the hospital, 22.1% in Lebanon, 10.5% in Australia and 15.2% in Brazil. Furthermore, sexual harassment impacted 64% in India, 90% in Israel and 56% in Japan, 69% for the UK, 48% in Ireland and 76% in the US. The Institute of Safe Medication Practice (ISMP) surveyed over 2000 healthcare providers in 2004 including nurses (1565), pharmacists (354), and others (176) and reported that 88% of the surveyed staff suffered bullying by other workers in the form of haughty language or voice intonation. 87% felt impatience when questioned and 79% were unwilling or refuse to respond to questions or telephone calls. The Nursing journal website (2006) asked guests in the last 6 months have you observed any nurse dealing inappropriately with others? 55% of all visitors claimed yes. This was demonstrated by a survey administered in 2007 to 663 nurses; 46% informed that LV was very serious or somewhat serious issue in their healthcare area and 65% reported witnessing DB repeatedly (Stanley 2007). Ulrich (2006) surveyed 4000 nurses; 18% reported verbal abuse from another nurse, while 25% of all participants rated the quality of teamwork and communication with other nurses as fair or poor. A minor study in Boston (2001) involving 26 new graduate nurses reported that 96% of respondents had seen LV during their first year of work, 46% stated that the act was against them. Acts of LV included being set them up to fail with an unreasonable assignment, sabotage, undermining, or not being available (Griffin 2004). According to a survey written by the Workplace Bullying Institute in 2010 and commissioned by Zogby International survey (2010), an estimated 35% of the U.S. workforce has been bullied at workplace; 62% of bullies are men; 58% of targets are women,68%of bullying is same-gender harassment; an additional 15% witness it. Half of all Americans have directly experienced it. Simultaneously, 50% of targets and witnesses never report the incident (silent epidemic). Leymanns (1993, cited in Einarsen1999) asserts that four elements are noticeable in prompting bullying at workplace: (1) lacks of work design, (2) deficits in leadership performance, (3) a socially visible status of the victim, and (4) reduced ethical standards in the working department. Einarsen et al. (2003) designed a workplace bullying framework; which gives an overview of how factors on different levels may interact at different stages in the multifaceted bullying process. This framework calls the attention not only to individual factors (in victims and perpetrators) but also to contextual, organizational and social factors. Salin (2003b) adapted this framework (Fig. 2), which builds and argues a planned adjustment of the framework by constructing on organizational factors of intimidation and its tolerance/intolerance by using terms such as enabling/disabling factors (Fig. 3). The Problem A survey conducted by TJC (2008) involving 4350 healthcare providers revealed that 77% witnessed DP by doctors and 65% by nurses. These behaviors are frequently demonstrated by professionals in positions of power and include unwillingness or rejection to answer questions; return telephone calls or pagers; patronizing language or voice intonation, and impatience with questions. In response to these events, TJC (2008) issued a patient safety alert affirming that the existence of threatening and unapproachable behaviors weakens the effectiveness of teamwork, erodes professional behaviors, and creates an unhealthy work environment. This sort of toxic environment can lead to malpractice risk (Rosenstein and ODaniel 2005, Morrissey 2003, ISMP 2008), patient dissatisfaction and to preventable adverse outcomes, (Rosenstein and ODaniel 2005, Gerardi 2008, Ransom and Neff et al 2000), increase cost of care, (Gerardi 2008, Ransom and Neff et al 2000) and causes competent clinicians, administrators and managers to look for new workplaces in more professional settings. Lutgen-Sandvik (2009) stated that nurses employed in a toxic, threatening environment often dread going to work and many face the day with feelings of impending doom. Recurrent exposure to bullying headed some nurses to retreat into silence, which led to disruption in communication and teamwork. Furtherm ore, continuous bullying may alter nurses self-confidence, initiativity and innovation resulting in psychological and occupational impairment (WBI 2003). All of these factors combine their effects to disrupt the stability of employees, the organization, and the patients safety. Unfortunately, there is no research study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) handling the issues of LV except for a minor one conducted in Saqr Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah. The executive director stated that DB by physicians, including Sexual harassment and verbal abuse is a major cause of nurses stress and dissatisfaction at the hospital. Such abuse pushes the nurses to turnover (Zain 2010). Moreover, unhealthy nurses-physicians rapport and authority abuse by the doctors have contributed to nurse turnover in the UAE (khaleej, T 2009).The absence of studies involving the whole emirates does not mean that the problem does not exist. Based on my observation as part of the healthcare system, many nurses especially Asians suffer from different kinds of hostility from physicians, superiors, peers, patients and their families in their work. This hostility take the form of shouting, oral degrading expressions, oral ironic remarks, raised eyebrow, unflattering face gestures, apparent detesting , and sexual harassment. Literature Review History The notion of LV is not a new phenomenon. Horty (1985, cited by Piper 2003) defined the disruptive doctor as as a very clinically competent to the extent of considering himself as the most experienced in the healthcare organization. The troublesome physician is naturally very tough to contact and hence argumentative and antagonistic. In the 1990s, DBs by doctors began to be labeled in the literature as a form of physician impairment (Piper 2003). Gawande (2000) revealed in his article When Good Doctors Go Bad how the medical community was not set to suitably address physicians DB. Rosenstein et al. (2002) found out that lack of physician awareness, appreciation, value, and respect for nurses were serving to fuel the countrywide nursing shortage, profoundly impacting job satisfaction and morale for nurses. So what motivates TJC to ask the medical community to act against violence after two decades? Researchers agree that two milestone matters brought the dispute of LV to the front (Lu tgen-Sandivk 2007, Rocker 2008, Rosenstein ODaniel 2008, Seidel, 2006). The Institute of Medicine (lOM) published in 1999, To Err is Human. The report determined that medical errors cause between 44,000-98000 deaths yearly- more than result from vehicle accidents, breast cancer or AIDS (Baker 2009). The report emphasized the necessity to consider organizational resources and human factors that harmfully influenced patient care (Rosenstein ODaniel 2008). The risk of a nursing shortage. Aiken et al. (2001) found in his global study in a sample of 43,329 nurses that job dissatisfaction was highest in the USA (41%) followed by Scotland (38%), England (36%), Canada (33%) and Germany (17%). More striking, however, was that 27-54% of nurses less than 30 years of age intended to quit within 12 months of data collection in all countries. The U.S.A had a shortage of 150,000 nurses and that number is expected to reach 800,000 by the year 2020 (Childers 2005). Consequently, the nurses will be incapable to meet the forthcoming patients needs if this continues. One reason of turnover is the frustration caused by DBs. Rosenstein et al. (2002) noted that nurse-physician relationship is the key element for retaining nurses. Rosenstein surveyed 2562 from 142 hospitals from 11 Voluntary Hospital Association regions. The sample included 389 physicians, 1615 nurses and 104 senior level executives. More than 90% informed witnessing DB by physician and over 33% of nurses tend to turnover. Using a scale of 1-10 to identify the level of nurses satisfaction and moral; LV ranks pretty high (8.01) Figure 4 Theoretical Framework Rowell (2010) suggested five theories about LV. (See Appendix I). Causes of LV Physicians related Several researchers stated that the physicians training at the hospitals make them vulnerable to DB (Kuhn 2006, Rosenstein ODaniel, 2008). During their training; doctors learned to think individualistically and to become accountable for their activities. This mentality promotes self-reliance, self-sufficiency and an autocratic, bullying conduct which is the antithesis of teamwork (Rosenstein et aI. 2002). According to Kuhn (2006), the absence of quality control starting in university and it is nearly difficult to be fired from internship. This leads the physicians to see themselves as the so-called captain of the ship but possibly do not have the necessary skills to keep it right. This also produces a hierarchal model of healthcare which builds passive roles for nurses and other subordinates (Rosenstein ODaniel 2008) Piper (2003) found that DB is usually demonstrated by excellent clinicians who are accepted by their patients and the society. As they habitually have a notable record of accomplishments; victims may be unwilling to intervene considering the behavior as an exceptional one. Moreover, Piper stated that hospital managers who are supposed to implement the policies are confronted with the challenge of whether to ignore the behavior, or take a difficult decision of firing a great physician who shows too much enthusiasm. According to Rosenstein ODaniel (2008) some hospital directors are disinclined from averting the aggressive attitudes of the physicians because they are not hospital employees and willingly admit their patients to the hospital and thus considered a source of organizational income. Growing external forces such as governmental supervision, pressures for more productivity, managed care restrictions, lower payment, and increasing liability risk cause disruptive physician behavior (Rosenstein et al. 2002). Practicing physicians are overwhelmed with paperwork. As a result, demoralization, and anger will develop leading to oppressive conducts. Another likely cause is the stress inherent in todays medical environment such as mental exhaustion and environmental stressors experienced by physicians lead them to commit medical errors (Kuhn 2006). Staff related The oppression theory will be applied to understand the nurse-to-nurse aggression. Healthcare institutions are controlled by the administrators and physicians who use their authority to rule subordinates. It is obvious that when any oppressed group recognizes that it is not possible to direct its power upward, the group then places their powerlessness and frustration on one another. These peer-to-peer hostilities, which reduce self-esteem, are called LV (Sheriden-Leos2008, Griffin 2004, Leiper 2005). Dunn (2003) confirmed in a study involving 500 nurses in the operating theater that the great numbers of nurses were verbally attacked by the surgeons. This sort of offensive abuse led the oppressed group to develop personal characteristic such as disunity and inability to oppose the physicians because of their positions, authority and ability to revenge from the nurses. Rowell (2005) estimated that 81% of oppressors are bosses, 14% peers, and 5% lower rank staff. Referring to Griffin (2 004) this form of oppression causes the nurses to feel helpless, disrespected and self-loathing. Stanley and Martin (2007) have suggested an applied model of oppressed group behavior to demonstrate how LV seems to manifest itself in the workstation (Fig. 4).It also useful in predicting nurses retention and satisfaction. Gender is another factor. Many studies revealed that females are more susceptible to LV than males. Dunn (2003) rationalized that women tend to suppress their feelings of bitterness. In addition, women are habitually considered inferior to men within society in general and healthcare organization in specific. Accordingly, it is not astonishing to see recurrent acts of sabotage in the nursing as 90% of nurses are females. Leiper (2005) has a parallel opinion and said that females generally underestimate their efforts and have lesser self-esteem than males so they can be irritated more easily and have a predisposition to yell at others. Dellasega (2009) concluded that males express their anger more frequent with bodily violence and this is usually accepted and women exhibited it through character insult, mortification, disloyalty and rejection. ISMP (2004) surveyed 2095 nurses (86% female and 14 % male) and found that DB was nearly equal. Thomas (2003) agrees with this finding. Not all Researchers support the oppression theory as the mechanism for DBs. Ratner (2006) view the oppression theory as condescending to nurses, making them appear as the powerless victim. Another standpoint suggests that organizational cultures, sustained struggles for authority, inconsistent work standards and management styles results in LV (Hallberg 2007). Further organizational causes include shortage, work overload, lack of administrative support, relations among groups, and organizational reform (Rocker 2008). Patient/Family related Patient or family members with a history of DB should be considered at high risk for becoming violent. Violence results from those who are frustrated, rampant, mentally ill, and substance abuser. Finally, LV is not frequently reported by victims and therefore run unaddressed. Fear of revenge, the stigma related to blowing the whistle on a peer, a wide-ranging averseness to oppose an oppressor (TJC 2008), the status quo, lack of confidentiality, lack of administrative support, and lack of awareness or reluctance among doctors to change inhibit the reporting (Rosenstein et aI. 2002). Similar to other kinds of mistreatment, staff violence is repeatedly viewed as an isolated matter and individuals are occasionally unwilling to talk about it (Gammons 2006). On several occasions, LV is not informed because it isnt identified. Some practitioners doubt that bullying has happened except when somebody shouts or uses attacking language (Beyea 2004). Forms and Manifestations OF LV: (see Appendix II) Effects of LV on: Nursing workforce, Organization and Patient The Nursing workforce Defamation of professional dignity, stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger (Rosenstein ODaniel 2008), sleeping disorders, reduced self-esteem, low morale, disconnectedness from their colleagues, depression, apathy, and excessive sick leave (Alspach 2007, Longo Sherman 2007), Suicide attempt (Griffin, 2004). According to the WBI, 45% of respondents had stress-related health problems which include debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression (39%), and even post-traumatic stress. Not astonishingly, the adverse effects of LV are not only restricted to the targets. Co-workers witnessing LV report stress and job dissatisfaction. Witnesses who never report are confused how to stop assailant. Unluckily, their silence often leads them to despair and turnover (Lutgen-Sandvik 2007). Healthcare Organization Manifestations include: increased patient illnesses, increased healthcare costs, unplanned absences, law suits (Rowell 2005), malpractice risks (TJC 2008) and turnover (Rosenstein QDaniel 2008, Griffin 2004). Rocker (2008) states that between one third and one half of all work related absences and illnesses are a result of office bullying. According Yamada (2009) some victims pursue compensation or disability benefits as they are no more able to endure work stress and intimidation. Along with Stanley (2010) the overall increase in nurses turnover induced by LV from 2002 to 2007 is 32%. Turnover costs the organization per RN for 2007 $82,000 88,000. Additional costs are decreased productivity and loss of experienced and knowledgeable nurses. Malpractice of physicians and other healthcare providers, which is estimated at 4-6%, has a vast impact on organizational costs. Patients and families detect aggressive work environments (TJC 2008) and are ready to sue when they are faced with arrogant or insensitive behavior from healthcare workers (Aleccia 2008 as cited by TJC 2008). The Patient Rosenstein (2008) surveyed 4530 participants from 102 USA organizations from 2004-2007. The survey questions were intended to assess the respondents perception of the link between DB and patient care. The links were as follow: 66% adverse events, 71% medical errors, 53% compromises in safety, 72% detrimental impacts on quality of care, 25% patient mortality,18% were aware of a specific adverse event, 75% of them believe that the adverse event could have been prevented. According to Dunn (2003) some nurses may control patients by putting off their response to the patients needs- pain medicines, etc. Displeased nurses can also keep patients family uninformed about the patients health status or not support them when needed. Stanley (2010) reported that 1.5 million patients are harmed by medication errors yearly. DISCUSSION In todays sophisticated healthcare setting, each system brings particular skills to patients care. Whether the clinician is a nurse, or any other healthcare workers; each has a unique set of expertise and acquaintance that enable them to view the patient from a particular standpoint. Each field is taking care of the patient at distinctive times and intervals of the day. The doctor visits the patient one or two times a day for 15-20 minutes whereas the nurse employs several successive hours bedside his patient. Therefore, the nurse is the first one who detects and attends the alteration in patients status, not the physician. The patient and the efficacy of the healthcare team are dependent on each other to thoroughly and assertively communicate the changes in the health status of the patient. Unhappily; DB hinders this communication process which affects patients outcomes. It is of merit to mention that the international picture of LV is no difference from UAE.I have been working in the clinical setting for 16 years in different hospitals as a nurse and in a health institution as a teacher and clinical instructor. I have been exposed to and witnessed many episodes of Dbs. For example, I remember a situation when the head nurse asked the Surgeon whether he wants to start the patient on diet or continue keeping him nothing by mouth. The doctor replied in an offensive manner; give him Shoes. The head nurse asked him to write this in the order sheet. Sadly but true, the doctor did it without giving consideration to anything. The nurses felt that they were disrespected and were frustrated because of the recurrent response from the administration when DB is reported as status quo. That instance happened before 9 years but this troublesome situation impacted my psychological status that I recall it as if it occurred yesterday. Another incident, Though I do no t like to recall it, but its profound effect keeps it all the time in my imagination when the nurse came to the nursing counter crying once an aged patient got the money from his pocket and asked her to satiate his sexual desire. Furthermore, nurse on nurse aggression is also clear and take different forms ranging from verbal and non-verbal attack such as intentional rolling of eyes, folding arms, gazing into space when communication is being attempted, backbiting, withholding informationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. to physical assault such as pushing each other. These DB extended also to the patient particularly the dependent and the unconscious patients who were insulted either by bad words or inappropriate care. The negative effect of these DBs was manifested by medical errors, reduced patient safety and care, decreased performance and productivity, frustration, dissatisfaction, turnover, and poor hospital reputation. Although these are merely anecdotal notes, there are comparable events recognized in the research. Rosenstein ODaniel (2006) presented selected comments acquired from a survey of 4530 healthcare providers. They include terms such as RN did not call doctor about change in patients health status because the doctor had a history of abusive behavior and particular surgeons give the impression that they have the right to be impolite and verbally offensive. It is hard to maintain a high level of performance when repetitively scared of being yelled at (Rosenstein ODaniel2006). Unhappily, DB is not solely restricted to doctors. Rosensteins survey data supports the issue that DB spread to other non-physicians employees. Remarks include; DB from nurses is much more upsetting. I expect it from the surgeons but not from my peers and please realize that most stress is from RN managers, not MDs. According to Rosenstein ODaniel (2008), the most common situation that triggered DP by doctors, as conveyed by nurses, was calling physicians to report a decline in the patients condition. This shows a failure in communication that ought to bring dreadful results on the patient. For instance, if the physicians order is inaccurate or not clear. The nurse many not carry out the order until clarified by doctor. If the nurse is anxious about making a telephone to the doctor due to fear of an annoyed eruption, she might postpone the call or make another work around by evading the doctor entirely and including another party. If there is inaccurate order of medicine, this situa tion can be revealed in various ways, all with awful outcomes for the patient. Primarily, the issue will not be verbalized as the practitioner did not desire to confront the stellar reputation of the doctor or because they were demoralized by previous behavior (ISMP 2008). Consequently, the incorrect medicine will be given. If the nurse calls the doctor and feels that the physician is irritated, the incorrect medicine can still be given and secondary repercussions such as being unable to correct the order in the future can result. Unfortunately, several nursing staff has to live with the guilt of a serious error because they did not follow up on a questioned situation (ISMP 2008). The negative outcomes of such an error can result in stress and frustration for all involved and thus can bring about DB. Limitations Workplace LV is a complicated issue. A diversity of expressions is used to reveal similar behaviors .Although they possess distinctive meanings, the terms are frequently used interchangeably in the nursing literature. There are also a many workplace abuse that might be categorized as DB. First, the paper has focus merely on psychological and/or verbal abuse and not physical or sexual harassment. Second, the majority of literature focuses on LV in nursing profession in particular and to a certain degree

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Group

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Group This is a case study report to analyse how Hunter Douglas Group manages its human resource planning and how the activities involved in the human resource planning process contributes to the success, as well as to ensure future success, of this large multi-national organisation in line with its corporate vision, mission, core values, strategic planning and objectives. Human resource planning provides the means to accomplish the desired outcomes of the organisation and achieving objectives by ensuring that the organisation has the right number of quality people available to achieve objectives through strategy implementation. This is based on a close working relationship between the human resource practitioners and line managers in each company (business unit) of its decentralised organisational structure. The human resource practitioners serve as consultants to line managers concerning the people management implications of business objectives and strategies. Line managers, in turn, have the responsibility to respond to the business implication of human resource objectives and strategies. We also see that the environmental and contextual changes present a number of competitive challenges to this organization which requires its human resource management to be involved in helping to create and build new capabilities. The challenges include: Globalisation: the challenge is to move peoples ideas, products and information around the world to meet local needs. Technology: the challenge is to make technology a viable, productive part of the work setting Competition: in order to remain competitive and remain as a market leader, Hunter Douglas is aware of the importance of continuous training of its people. Economics: economic growth or lower interest rates cause the increase in spending and often increase in business opportunities. Changes in the labour market has an impact on the organisations ability to find and keep employees Workforce changes and ability to cope with change: these include resignations, terminations, leave of absences, death, change in employment status and retirement The success of a business is directly linked to the performance of those who work for that business and Hunter Douglas Group is fully aware of this as it believes in the power of learning and providing its employees growth opportunities to develop their skills. Hunter Douglas Group acknowledges that its employees commitment is the key ingredient to the Groups continued growth and success. Hunter Douglas Group prides on the diversity and strength of its corporate culture that empowers its employees to build and run the business like their own businesses. The Hunter Douglas Group acts like a federation of entrepreneurial companies who think globally but act locally. The character and creativity of its 21,000 employees in 169 countries worldwide have built the dynamic and entrepreneurial company that the Group is today. With numerous benefits encouraging wellness and a work-life balance, Hunter Douglas Group regards its employees as its most valuable resource which is the key to the Groups success. Background Corporate Mission and Core Values Corporate Mission: Hunter Douglas is the worlds market leader in manufacturing a wide range of innovative and quality architectural and window covering products. Hunter Douglas provides on-time delivery, reliable and friendly service at a competitive price. Its aim is to offer fulfillment to its staff and to secure a reasonable return to its shareholders. Core Values: Customer Oriented Putting customers first Providing reliable and friendly service. Achieving on-time delivery Innovation Seeking continuous improvement and new ideas to create value to our customers Striving for creative ways of doing our work better Teamwork Working together harmoniously to achieve common goals and objectives Integrity Honouring commitments to customers, staff and organisation Being sincere and truthful Communication Showing respect and understanding for each other Being frank, open and receptive Staff Well-Being Providing continuous training and development Recognising good performance Corporate Structure Board of Directors Hunter Douglas Group has a one-tier corporate structure. Under its Charter, the Board of Directors is responsible for the overall management and control of the Company. The Board is appointed by the shareholders at the annual General Meeting. The Board has four regular meetings per year and additional meetings as required. Board members may not be members of more than five boards of public companies. Independence The Board has six Members, of whom four are independent. It acts collectively by majority resolution. Functions The Board reviews the overall strategy, financial objectives, budgets, acquisi ­tions, divestments, capital expenditures, currency and aluminium hedging, port ­folio composition and returns, results and risks in the Companys business. Audit and Compensation Committees The Board has an Audit and a Compensation Committee, whose members are independent. The Audit Committee reviews the Companys accounts, internal controls and meets with the Companys external Auditors twice a year. The Compensation Committee reviews the Directors and Officers compensation and stock options. Chairman, President CEO Mr. Ralph Sonnenberg is Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer. Officers The Board annually appoints the Officers of the Company: the President, the Co-Presidents, four regionally responsible Vice Presidents, two Staff Vice Presidents and a Corporate Secretary. The Vice Presidents and Corporate Secretary report to the President. Financial Reporting In accordance with the applicable reporting principles, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group. The annual report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description of the principal opportunities and risks associated with the expected develop ­ment of the Group. Major Business Processes A business process is a collection of structured, related tasks or activities which produce a specific product or service which serves a particular goal for customers. The main types of business processes observed in this case study report are Management Processes, Operational Processes and Supporting Processes. Management processes: processes which govern the operation of a system in an organisation. Typical management processes include Corporate Governance and Strategic Management. Corporate Governance The Hunter Douglas Group is incorporated in The Netherlands Antilles and has its statutory seat in Curaà §ao. Hunter Douglas is therefore not subject to The Netherlands Corporate Governance Code. However, Hunter Douglas adheres to good Corporate Governance. The Group has the following key internal controls: Conflicts of Interest Policy The Conflicts of Interest Policy is applicable to all key employees covering relations with customers, suppliers and other third parties. Insider Trading Policy The Insider Trading Policy, as prescribed by the Authority Financial Markets (AFM), restricts trading in the Companys shares by Directors, Officers, key employees and related persons. Internal Audit Function Hunter Douglas principal Operating Companies have an Internal Audit Program. Authority Limits Every Manager, including the Regional Vice Presidents, has clearly defined Authority Limits. Whistleblower Policy Hunter Douglas has a Whistleblower Policy in each and every Company within the Group. Compensation Compensation is reviewed by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Company also follows the best practices: Stock options Stock options are granted for five years with vesting starting after two years. Stock It is not the Companys Policy to provide stock at no cost. Loans Loans to Directors, Officers or other employees bear market interest. There is no forgiveness of principal or interest. Investor Relations Hunter Douglas has an Investor Relations Website, regularly issues press releases and holds analysts and investor meetings. Strategic Management Strategic management is a process through which organizations analyse and learn from their internal and external environments, establish strategic direction, create strategies which are intended to move the organisation in that direction and implement those strategies, all in an effort to satisfy stakeholders, as illustrated in the diagram below: External Analysis (External Environment) Strategic Controls Direction Setting: Generate, Allocate Build Develop Vision Evaluate, and relationships Control Mission and Manage Systems Values Select, Resources Design Strategies Structures Measure and Evaluate performance Internal Analysis (Internal Environment) Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation and Evaluation Hunter Douglas Group has been successful over the long term because the Group has effectively acquired, develop and manage resources and capabilities that provide competitive advantage. The Group has, over the years, achieved strong brand recognition such as the HunterDouglas ® in North America and Asia as well as for Architectural Products worldwide. Luxaflex ® for residential window coverings in the rest of the world. The Hunter Douglas Group, with its 21,000 employees in 169 countries worldwide, takes advantage of its organisational strengths and environmental opportunities. It continues to neutralise or overcome organisational weaknesses and environmental threats by managing its business processes well and applies best practices. Operational processes: processes which constitute the organisations core business and create the primary value stream. Typical operational processes include Purchasing, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Sales. As a highly decentralised organisation, each company in each region within the Hunter Douglas Group manages autonomous operations with minimum interference and maximum accountability, growing their businesses within the groups entrepreneurial environment following the corporate governance, vision, mission and values. Supporting processes: processes that support the organisations core processes. Examples in this category include Accounting, Recruitment, Technical support. Although highly decentralised, each company in each region within the Hunter Douglas Group has to follow an Internal Audit Program when it comes to financial and accounting matters. Recruitment and Human Resource matters are set in line with the business plan and strategies of each company in each region as well as in line with the directions and corporate governance, vision, mission and values of the Group. Business Strategy Porters Generic Strategies Target Scope Advantage Low Cost Product Uniqueness Broad Cost Leadership Differentiation (Industry Wide) Strategy Strategy Narrow Focus Strategy Focus Strategy (Market Segment) (Low Cost) (Differentiation) Hunter Douglas Groups strategy is to grow the market and the Groups market share by continuing to introduce innovative and proprietary new products and by expanding its presence in key geographic markets. It was observed that Hunter Douglas Group has been successful in using the Differentiation Strategy by having the following internal strengths: Access to leading research and development Highly skilled and creative product development team Strong sales teams with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths and benefits of the product. Corporate reputation for quality and innovation Differentiation Strategy A differentiation strategy calls for the development of a product or service that offers unique attributes that are valued by customers and that customers perceive to be better than or different from the products of the competition. The value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it. The firm hopes that the higher price will more than cover the extra costs incurred in offering the unique product. Because of the products unique attributes, if suppliers increase their prices the firm may be able to pass along the costs to its customers who cannot find substitute products easily. The risks associated with a differentiation strategy include imitation by competitors and changes in customers tastes. Generic Strategies and Industry Forces Industry Generic Strategies Force Cost Leadership Differentiation Strategy Focus Strategy Strategy Entry Ability to cut price in Customer loyalty can Focusing develops core Barriers retaliation deters discourage potential competencies that can act potential entrants entrants as an entry barrier Buyer Ability to offer lower Large buyers have less Large buyers have less power Power price to powerful power to negotiate to negotiate because of few buyers because of few close alternatives alternatives Supplier Better insulated from Better able to pass on Suppliers have power Power powerful suppliers supplier price increases because of low volumes, to customers but a differentiation-focused firm is better able to pass on supplier price increases to customers Threats of Can use low price to Customers become Specialised products core Substitutes defend against attached to differentiating competency protect substitutes attributes, reducing against substitutes threats of substitutes Rivalry Better able to Brand loyalty to keep Rivals cannot meet compete on price customers from rivals differentiation-focused customer needs Relationship With External Entities In order to remain successful and continue to expand its market share, Hunter Douglas Group has learned to develop and manage relationships with wide range of organisations, groups and people that have a stake in their business. The emergence of a fiercely competitive global economy means that the companies within the Hunter Douglas Group have to expand their networks of relationships in their region and cooperate with each other to remain competitive. Education Hunter Douglas Singapore team up with the National University of Singapores Department of Architecture to organise the NUS-Hunter Douglas Award for the innovative use of technology in Architecture. Hunter Douglas Group has developed multi-level training and education programs for its fabricators, retail dealers, professional designers and installers. It holds consumer seminars to help prospective buyers under ­stand the importance of window coverings for home fashions and for light control and energy efficiency. It provides training seminars and hands-on workshops for retailers, designers and installers, which includes CD-Roms, videotapes and web-based instructions, through ­out the world. It has created the industrys first and only formal Retail Alliance Program, offering its very best dealers a choice of tiered partnership options that reward their brand loyalty with lucrative business-building benefits, including financial incentives and exclusive products and programs. Through Hunter Douglas Group exclusive partnership with Archiprix International, it builds relationships with the next generation of architects as they begin their careers after college. With Hunter Douglas Groups support, Archiprix organises a biennial international com ­petition for the best graduation projects in architecture. Finalists travel to a host city with hundreds of architects from around the world where an independent jury evaluates the student entries and recognizes the most outstanding work with the Hunter Douglas award. Hunter Douglas Singapore was conferred the Singapore Institute of Architects Friend of Architecture Award in recognition of the companys contribution to Architecture in Singapore and its continuous support for the Singapore Institute of Architects. Its Windows of Opportunity seminar on the use of window fashions in interior design reaches more than 2,500 design school students and designers in major United States markets each year. At the Fashions Institute of Technology in New York and other leading design schools, Hunter Douglas provides design students with industry overviews and a business perspective through teaching opportunities. At the renowned Pratt School of Architecture, Hunter Douglas has sponsored design studio projects that challenge students to envision new and novel ways to integrate its products and materials into architectural structures. Corporate Citizenship Hunter Douglas Group actively supports the com ­munities in which they live, work and do business. Decisions about which causes to support and the form that support takes are made locally by the management in each country. It provides window coverings to hospitals, research centres and healthcare facilities around the world. It supports educational opportu ­nities for the families of its staff and less privileged members of our communities. In the United States and Canada, Hunter Douglas sponsors Habitat for Humanity, donating custom window cover ­ings for the homes Hunter Douglas has built for low-income families since 1993. Hunter Douglas employees have also contributed thousands of hours in sweat equity assisting with the building of these homes at the local level. Hunter Douglas stimulates students awareness of its products and encourage their creativity through competi ­tions in which they are judged upon the innovative application of its products in their design projects. Hunter Greenà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and Keen on Green are important new company-wide environmental initiatives being undertaken by the Hunter Douglas branded compa ­nies to reduce energy consump ­tion, water usage and its overall carbon-footprint. It also includes an ongoing consumer marketing effort creating increased aware ­ness of Hunter Douglas corporate commit ­ment to the cause as well as the superior energy-saving benefits of its products. The Process of Human Resource Planning in the Organisation Manpower Planning Manpower planning is a process of getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at the right time. It is a system of matching the supply of people internally, who are the existing employees, and externally, potential talents to be hired or searched for, with job openings which the Group expects to have over a given time frame. This planning requires the human resource departments in the Group to prepare an inventory of skills and talents already available as well as coordinating and controlling various activities in the Hunter Douglas Group. Manpower planning involves reviewing current manpower resources, forecasting future requirements and availability as well as taking steps to ensure that the supply of people and skills meets demand. It utilises the concept of planning to visualise how the Hunter Douglas Group can go through the allocation and control of its manpower resources in a better manner. It is also a tool for higher management to equip themselves with the necessary data on its human resources available immediately within the Group and from outside, when the need arises to meet markets demand. Manpower Planning Model Forecast Demand Forecast Supply Considerations: Internally Product/ Service demand Staffing tables Economics Balance Supply and Demand Markov analysis Technology Skills inventories Financial resources/ limitations Recruitment (Shortage) Management inventories Absenteeism/ turnover Full-time Replacement charts Organisational growth Part-time Succession planning Management philosophy Recalls/ transfers Overtime Externally Techniques: Outsourcing Demographic changes Trend analysis Reductions (Surplus) Education of workforce Managerial estimate Terminations Labour mobility Delphi technique Layoffs Government policies Leave without pay Unemployment rate Outplacement Demotions Retirement Factors Economic Competition Government action Organisational Divisional Skills and Historical Data Objectives Department abilities Nature of company Objectives required Skills Inventory Net human resource Types, numbers, requirements Human Resources Negative: Layoff, terminations, resignations, retirement Manpower planning, as observed in the Hunter Douglas Group, consists of the following steps: Identify the Groups objectives and strategies which are stipulated in the business plan and from the strategic planning processes of the companies within the Group. Determine the impact of the organisations objectives on specific organisational units. For this purpose the cascade approach can be used, whereby the organisations long term strategies are translated into the shorter term performance objectives and time schedules per division and department. Define the skills, expertise and total number of employees (demand for human resources) required to achieve the organisation and department objectives by using the different statistical methods and managerial estimates. Perform an analysis of the Groups current human resources. By doing a skills inventory will shed light on the number of current employees in terms of their different competencies, skills, training levels, qualifications, work experience, etc. Determine the additional (net) human resource requirements in light of the Groups current human resources. Develop action plans to meet the anticipated human resource needs which may include a comprehensive succession plan for each department, resultant recruitment strategies, the design and implementation of managerial development and other training programs, making available bursary schemes for current participants who may eventually fill scarce positions, designing compensation packages to attract and retain quality staff. The key activities of Human Resource Management carried out by both line managers and the Human Resource practitioners in the Hunter Douglas Group are: Organisation Organisation structuring: developing an organisation which caters for all the activities required, groups them together in a way which encourages integration and cooperation. Job design and role specification: deciding on the contents of the jobs which involve the employees duties and responsibilities and the relationships that exist between job holders and other employees within the Hunter Douglas Group. Organisational development: stimulating, planning and implementing programmes designed to improve the effectiveness with which the organisation functions and adapts to change. The employment relationship Improving the quality of the employment relationship Creating a climate of trust and self propulsion Developing a more positive psychological contract Achieving a highly committed organisation Resourcing Human resource planning: assessing future people requirements in terms of both numbers and all levels of skill and competence. Formulating and implementing plans to meet those requirements through recruitment, training, development, etc. Recruitment and selection: obtaining the number and type of people the organisation needs Performance management Getting better results from the companies, teams and individuals by measuring and managing performance within agreed frameworks of objectives and competence requirements; assessing and improving performance. Human resource development Organisational and individual learning Skill improvement through systematic approach to training Reward management Job evaluation: assessing the relative size of jobs as a basis of determining internal relativities Pay: developing and administering pay structures and systems Non-financial rewards: providing employees with non-financial rewards e.g. recognition, increased responsibility and opportunity to achieve and grow. Employee benefits: providing benefits in addition to pay which cater for personnel security and personal needs Employee relations Employee relations involving managing and maintaining formal and informal relationships with trade unions and their members Employee involvement and participation which means sharing information with employee and consulting them on matters of mutual interest Communication: creating and transmitting information of interest to employees. Health, safe

The Evolution of Democracy in Georgia Essay -- European Europe History

The Georgian people made its choice on 26 May 1918, when it voted for democracy and pluralism in the conditions of a free Georgia. 26 May was destroyed by Bolshevik bayonets, but the idea of freedom and democracy remain undefeated in the Georgian - Statement of the National Democratic Party, 1988.1 In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Caucasian country of Georgia (map below) was among the vanguard of forces seeking the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It was the only republic to join the Baltic in flatly refusing to even consider signing Gorbachev's new Union treaty in 1990.2 Agitation for Georgian independence led to a series of bloody clashes with the authorities that only served to further radicalize the nationalists. When discussing the prospects for independence, many Georgians mentioned the short-lived Georgian Democratic Republic, which managed to survive for "three halcyon years... 1918-1921, the period lovingly referred to by Georgians as 'independent Georgia'."3 This brief period was critically important for the development of a Georgian nationalism. In effect, the existence of Georgia as an independent nation led to the birth and initial growth of nationalism in Georgia. The history of Georgia from 1917 to 1921 shows a steadily increasing national feeling, which wa s not crushed by the Soviet invasion and later formed the basis of the strong separatist tendencies of the Georgians in the final decades of the Soviet Union. Before the Russian Revolution, Georgian national feeling was so subdued as to be effectively negligible. The absorption of feudal Georgia into the Russian Empire in 1801 and the subsequent Russian administration of the country were widely accepted as necessary for the protection of the country a... ... 192. 27. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 118. 28. Zourab Avalishvili, The Independence of Georgia in International Politics, 1918-1921 (Westport, Connecticut: Hyperion Press, Inc., 1990), 64 - 65. 29. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 126. 30. Ibid., 148. There was also talk in Berlin of installing some German prince as King of Georgia, but this was abandoned once the strength of the Socialists in Georgia was understood. 31. Suny, Georgian Nation, 195. 32. Ibid., 201. 33. Nasmyth, Georgia, 301. 34. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 196. 35. Suny, Georgian Nation, 199. 36. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 182 - 183. 37. Nasmyth, Georgia, 52. 38. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 197 39. Ibid., 197. 40. Ibid., 199. 41. Suny, Georgian Nation, 207. 42. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 203. 43. Ibid., 328. 44. V. I. Lenin, quoted in Kazemzadeh, The Struggle, 324. 45. Suny, Georgian Nation, 208.

Social Planning, Community Development, and Social/Community Action Ess

Social Planning, Community Development, and Social/Community Action A Community can be defined as a group of people who don’t just live in the same area, but also share the same interests, experiences and often concerns about the area in which they live. Often when individuals have lived on a street or in an area for a while they become familiar with each other and the issues surrounding them. Children often attend the same schools and grow up together, again sharing similar experiences. In some instances adults may work together, and quite commonly all community members will share the same doctors, dentists, hospitals, health visitors and other public services and facilities. Frequently however, issues arise amongst a community that need attention. In this essay I will outline and discuss some of these issues and the interventions, projects or programmes designed and used to tackle and combat them. The three models of intervention or, ‘Community Development’, I will discuss in this essay, "Social Planning", "Community Development", and "Social/Community Action", all have the same aim regardless of how it is accomplished and this is to improve and maintain the conditions which affect the lives of the community. ‘Social Planning’, is a model of development which can be described as, ‘Doing For’, the community. If it is perceived by government bodies that a community has sunk so low that is unable to be resolved by using alternative methods, (some of which will be discussed later in this essay), the government will intervene with methods deemed necessary. Initially a profile of a community will be drawn up using research methods, surveys and statistics that will highlight the issues faced by the community. Then a plan... ...ith rather than weakening it by doing for. Community development creates independence and an ability for a community to stand up and control, to an extent the factors that affect the lives, exactly what the intentions were in the first place. Social/Community Action while this appears affective in some instances it can become out of control and altogether unproductive. It is probably the most empowering model yet at the same time the most confusing if the aims, objectives and facts are unclear. Through the study of each of these models it is apparent that the best form of community development embraces all three Social Planning, Community development and Social/Community Action, and quite often community workers and practitioners do. Taking a piece from each model and using it at the appropriate time will be much more beneficial than using one single model.

Lord of the Flies Simon as Christ Essays -- essays research papers

Simon, Christ-figure? In the book Lord of the Flies the charecter, Simon, is portrayed as a Christ-figure. He is shown to have all the qualities Christ has: intelligence, determination, and resiliance. Simon also is portrayed like Christ physically, he is skinny and not a strong person. Simon was very calm, kind, and he enjoyed being alone when ever he could. Simon was made fun of by the other kids because of how he acted and the things he said. One such ocassion was when he was talking to Ralph and said, "You'll get back to where you came from" to which Ralph replied a few lines later, "You're batty." (Page 111) Simon here has a prophecy about Ralph, and was made fun of for what he believed. Jesus was made f...

Resource and Competitive Position Analysis

The restaurant industry is a competitive industry. From low cost meals to specialty food items, restaurants have become save. â€Å"y' in their efforts to attract customers. Pander Bread has developed a strategy to attract customers that are looking for a change from fast food. Consumers are looking for new ideas for meals. They are looking for quality foods over cheap fast food. Pander has been able to attract and draw customers away from the fast food market with their unique food ideas by drawing upon the many strengths of the company.The company has been hindered y the weaknesses in its strategy and now needs to develop ideas to turn those weaknesses into opportunities to increase customers and revenue. A SOOT analysis of the company will highlight areas where the company is performing well and areas that need improved. Strengths Quality ingredients – Pander offers the highest quality of products to its customers. From fresh vegetables to gluten free items. The company of fers a menu to suit a variety of customers. Niche Market – Pancreas menu items have evolved to meet the taste and demands of customers.Brand – The company has a strong and distinctive rand Reward card – This allows Pander to build a relationship with customers. Customers are rewarded with free food items for being loyal customers. Weakness Pricing – While Pander offers higher quality foods, many people are turned off by the high cost of the food. Pancreas food is priced considerable higher than that of their competitors. Many of the fast-food chains offer and entire meal for less than the cost of a sandwich at Pander Brand name – The Company is not as well-known as some of its competitors and often gets overlooked.Menu Selection – Pancreas menu is limited o soups, salad, sandwiches and bread. Customers wanting more variety will look for other food ideas. Market share – The company is a national brand sold exclusively in the United Sta tes Opportunities Expansion – The Company can expand business to the international market. This opens the company up to a new market with similar taste. This allows the company to increase market share and revenue. Catering – Pander offers catering services which is a feature that many fast food companies do not offer.Catering services allows the company to increase revenue and introduces menu items to a new range of customers. Trends – Consumer taste can change and evolve over time. This gives Pander the opportunity to adjust and adapt its menu to meet those needs. Threats Chipolata – Chipolata has a similar strategy to that of Pander. It offers fresh ingredients and healthier food items that consumers are seeking. Chipolata stores have cropped up across the country and offer consumers quality meal over standard fast food items. Struck – Struck has been a leader in the coffee business for years.They have a larger beverage menu than that offered by Chipolata. Coffee drinkers prefer the various options offered by Struck to the limited drink menu of Pander. McDonald's – McDonald's competes with Pander on a different level. They offer customers cheap and quick food selections. They have introduced healthier food items to their menu to meet the needs of more health conscious individuals. Pander has distinctive competencies that set is apart from competitors. Its artisan breads are made fresh daily and gives customers a variety of options to choose from. Customers frequent the restaurant exclusively to purchase the breads.For Pander to continue to grow, the company needs to look at making an entrance into the global markets. Pander has achieved a great deal of success domestically, but has not managed to penetrate international markets. Pander needs to conduct research on trends in foreign countries and develop products to fit the needs of those consumers. Once research has been completed, market testing needs to occur to s ee how consumers respond to the menu items. Next, the company needs to stay abreast of current trends in the market and make adjustments to its menu items.Consumer taste changes often and companies that onto adapt to change will not be successful. Additionally, the company needs to look at ways to drive up traffic during evening hours. Pander has been very success with the lunch crowd, but traffic drops off after that. Pander needs on incorporate menu items that will attract people out for dinner or that will be appeasing to families with children. Pander has enjoyed great success over the years. Customers are pleased with the variety of items offered by the restaurant. Pander has been very successful with the fast-casual market, quality dishes and the esthetics look of the stores.Pancreas strength lies in attracting and retaining customers and evidenced by the company's increased revenue. Pander is a leader in the market and set the standard for which many companies are imitating.

Management and Leadership Models Essay

As Regional Director for Happy Face Frozen Foods (HFFF), I hold a great responsibility to meet sales projection levels at each of my sales districts. Hitting goal is not just a numbers game- it’s a task of managing people within the culture of the organization. My ultimate goal for District IV and district manager Tony’s performance deficiency is to diagnosis issues and problem areas. Multiple management/leadership models and concepts are needed in order to shift this district to become profitable and successful. PERFORMANCE MODEL Skills, Abilities, Traits Tony appears to have a lack of effort, despite being young, aggressive, talkative, appears to be intelligent, and was a top sales representative. I questioned his work ethic capabilities, but the Myer Briggs Type Indicator says we are polar personality opposites as he is an ISTJ and I am an ENFP. In general, his type explains why his apparent lack of effort is actually  his â€Å"introverted† and â€Å"sensing† personality; Tony self-reflects, works alone, thinks before acting, keeps energy inside, is hard to read, and verbalizes well though out ideas, concern for present and practical matters, likes things to be precise and clear, and wants step-by-step approaches. I had promoted him despite of his tendencies towards coercion and party reputation, which seemed to be a lack of cooperation skills and professionalism. Again, his type explains these traits of Tony’s â€Å"thinking† and â€Å"judging† personality; he finds it easy to be firm-minded and give criticism, brief, concise and impersonal, uses pros and cons lists, doesn’t like surprises, resist or does not notice change, and wants advanced warning. As a top manager his thinking process is great for following rules and procedures, but as a leader of his district he needs to improve all traits involving interaction with people. In order to compliment Tony’s personality traits with my own, I must reduce perceptual errors with a self-understanding of how our opposing traits interact. Tony’s sensing type needs intuitive types at work to see possibilities, deal with complex issues, explain other intuitives, and spark innovation. His thinking type needs intuitive types at work to persuade, smooth feathers, teach and coach, and anticipate reactions. Tony has several of the Kirkpatrick and Locke Leadership Traits to facilitate success, which include drive, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business, but Tony’s sales team is hesitant to discuss his performance as a manager. A person does not become a leader by virtue of the possession of some combination of traits; therefore, with proper action Tony can transform those traits toward becoming a successful leader. Tony has three factor categories of leadership to accomplish, which include managing skills, vision, and implementation. I can provide Tony with specific guidelines for goals, objectives, and situations so he will have the managing skills for decision-making and problem solving. To improve his vision of the company, I can train him in the importance of the Big Five personality traits to become extraverted, conscientious, open, less neurotic, and agreeable. I can teach Tony how to apply the MBTI types among  his subordinates and myself, so he can properly implement his vision to the team through team building, motivation, and training. His efforts will increase their trust in his abilities and be more likely to give proper feedback in the future. Role Perceptions Inappropriate behavior concerns in Tony’s district arise from sexual harassment complaints, unwanted nicknames, mixture of work and personal relationships, and name calling shows that action for ethical conduct is lacking. Because Tony is involved in some of the unethical action, a quick response is needed at the management and subordinate level. Nielson’s guidelines for changing unethical organizational behaviors are not easy, but start with an intervention strategy implemented by corporate guidelines and myself. Caution should be used as I could be misled on details, and do not want to damage relationships and hurt the organization unnecessarily. The advantage of leading an ethical change increases incremental performance, but must include Tony in the process of establishing ethical rules and procedures in order to implement long-term. Rallying others to agree for the good of the organization takes consensus building through patience and relationship building, and can happen with ability and courage. Tony perceives his abilities for his own â€Å"book of business† as a successful sales person to be a major part of his job requirement. As a superior, my perception of his skills and traits lack the ability to manage his people, and his personal success makes me doubt his capabilities even more as he ignores his job requirements to train and coach his sales team, especially the two brand new employees. Tony needs to understand the importance of socialization practices, and appreciate the problem of transitioning a new employee. To prepare Tony in the training of his team, helpful mechanisms to utilize change are found in the elements of Schein’s organization socialization, which include basic goals, preferred means the goals are to be attained, basic responsibilities of the members, behavior patterns required for effective performance, and a set of rules to maintaining identity and integrity. New entrant should have multiple sources, whether official literature,  examples set by Tony and other employees, direct instruction, rewards and punishment system, and experimenting with new values and behavior. Success of socializing techniques depends on the initial entry of the organization and what Tony does to keep them. He must build commitment and loyalty early in the socialization process by investing time and effort into the new members, and since the two new hires have already been introduced to a laissez-faire style of management, Tony’s efforts need to be well prepared. Establishing socialization is included through training opportunities to Tony to train his sales team, giving Tony a formal role definition and the guidelines to defining his subordinates roles (which he will appreciate as an ISTJ), giving Tony a performance appraisal and future personal goals to improve, and to coach Tony the norms of a successful manager. The Determinant of Person Perception describes Tony’s situation as an ineffective leader based on the perception of his subordinates, which is influenced from the mixture of Tony’s and the subordinate’s characteristics. His ineffective leadership mixed with the subordinates lack of direction has created an Organizational Citizenship Behavior that allows discretionary behaviors based on personal choice within the workforce; several of the current norms that are being utilized and promoted under Tony’s supervision include tardiness, teasing, competitiveness, ignorance of complaints and concerns, inclusion of personal life and work, and individuality. These structureless norms and values are dangerous to the well being of Tony’s district as he does not understand his role as a leader to structure right and wrong norms, pivotal norms and values should be made clear in order to survive. The norms and values that should be implemented include trust, honesty, integrity, empathy, respect, teamwork, separation of life from professional work, and the total changes should keep 60-70% of operations stable in order to keep the organization running smoothly. The Simple Change Process has three phases to implement desired norms and values; the Unfreezing Phase includes immediate action between myself and Tony to establish how he wants the team to operate, create rules and procedures to follow, and to reprimand actions that are breaking current rules. The Moving Phase includes actions  for Tony to model new norms, train and educate the rest of the team, and provide incentives for following the new behaviors. The final process in the Refreezing Phase involves more rewards systems, standardization, and implementation of the new structures. Even if the perception of Tony’s lack of effort is a symptom of his set characteristic traits, I also need to understand as his supervisor the Self-Concept Theory of Motivation. The idea that humans are self-expressive, motivated to maintain and enhance self-esteem and self-worth, self-concepts are composed in part of identities, and this behavior isn’t always related to clear expectations or to immediate or specific goals. Tony is no different and also holds inner motivations that are not easily seen, I need to get to know him better before the districts sales meeting next month to understand his motives and actions. His current performance has demonstrated low results for the higher expectations I demand; if Tony does not have some expectation to work for, meeting my expectations is difficult and is a lose-lose situation. To give Tony direction, we can practice the Goal Theory to link Tony to specific and challenging goals with appropriate feedback for Tony to know ho w much effort to contribute in order to achieve increased task performance, and to understand what expectations to meet. Any theory or concept Tony learns can be applied to relationships with his subordinates, but will be difficult to implement with the current presence of Learned Helplessness. Tony has set such high expectations for performance and punished employees both by disregarding and berating employees publicly; his employees have become passive from repeat failures and will most likely remain passive even after changes are made. Organizationally Induced Helplessness is evident as the attribution to failure leads to behavioral influences, and Tony’s subordinate, Britni, is clearly suffering from substance abuse and practices it in the workplace openly. Because the negative environment has forced employees to shut down mentally, the operation of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy is not in effect here as Tony places high expectations, and they are not performing better because of these expectations. The factor missing in order to for the prophecy to work in Tony’s environment is more input from Tony to teach his subordinates to  reach the expectations he sets. To stop influencing negative behavior and start influencing positive attributions, organizational goals need to be easier to obtain and set clearly by Tony, because subordinates who stopped trying have already decided goals are impossible to reach such as the case with Melanie who was forced to structure her sales route by herself. Minimizing OIH can be done through multiple strategies: immunization that sets specific levels of success can begin with the new norms and values that will be set through the Simple Change Process, rewarding those who follow quickly. Attribution Training will direct failure away from internal fault and toward external conditions, and Ego Defense will develop attributes so if Tony continues to berate his employees, they will learn to not let it threaten their self-esteem. Performance Goals Tony punishes Big Ron’s performance for not getting the product out ahead of schedule is an example of Tony’s need for the Goal-Setting Concept, which assigns employees a specific task, quota, performance standard, or deadline. The use of punishment to affect behavior has negative consequences of modifying an employees behavior, such as a short-term effect, resentment of the punisher, negative aftereffects, doesn’t reinforce desired heavier, and creates an atmosphere of fear. Tony may punish too soon because of lack of training on my part, not aware of alternatives, looking for quick solutions, personal gratification, out of frustration, or believe it is the best way to change behavior. The misunderstanding of the product schedule time between Big Ron and Tony is directly attributed to miscommunication and a lack of goals. Big Ron perceives his goals to be only within the processing plant, Tony communicates his goals to be overseeing Big Ron’s operations and delivering the product. A helpful mechanism would for both to work together as a team and manage by objectives from each side. Tony and Big Ron need to use Participative Goal Setting and set specific and difficult goals together to lead to higher performance and relationship building. Merely telling Big Ron to â€Å"do his best† and to be supportive would be sufficient, but the best gain  comes from a set standard. They can also hold Management By Objectives â€Å"assignment† sessions to discuss what each side’s efforts will include. If Big Ron knows why Tony wants the products early, he can then communicate that status knowing Tony really needs that information. If Tony knows why Big Ron can’t get the products out sooner, he can then exert efforts to help Big Ron. When the task is done, a final performance appraisal feedback session will give each side a chance to voice actions that worked, need changing for future projects, and to give constructive feedback for the other person. This will build a climate of trust, and shows an acceptance of goal failure. Based on head quality control engineer Daniella’s visit with the sales force informal leader Bill Gates, is uninvolved with his job at HFFF with multiple side interests. Bill needs to get involved, and since he is in a leadership position can be given roles to support the sales force and himself by taking their performance under his accountability. If workers have a chance to participate in setting goals, they will be more committed to attaining those goals. If larger goals are broken down into short-term goals, workers will receive more frequent feedback about goal accomplishment and, thus, strive harder to meet those goals. A list of good goals similar to what Bill can make could include setting specific short and long term sales goal quotas, to create friendly competitions within the sales team, for individuals to talk to a certain number of clients or make a certain number of presentations, to meet with each sales rep individually to hear progress reports, and many more. The SMARTFIC model is a good checklist to prepare Bill to present Tony a plan of action within the sales force team. To start, Bill rates himself on scale of 1-5 on each goal setting area: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/rewarded, timely, feedback, integrated/intermediate, and challenging/clear. He can keep or change the specificity or attainability of each goal based on the scale results, and once the goals are presented and approved by Tony, Bill can implement among the team. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards Along with Bill’s goal setting for the sales team, rewarding Bill and team members based on bonuses and commission compensation will motivate the implementation to be successful. Tony could also be motivated to perform better if he was given a bonus for getting positive evaluations, as a demonstrator at a recent training program recently evaluated him negatively. To pinpoint the best reward system for Tony, I can use the Modifying On-The-Job Behavior concept to first identify target behavior, such as his need for procedure. The second step is to perform an Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence (ABC) functional analysis to identify Tony’s trigger for needing procedure and when he uses this behavior. The third step arranges antecedents by removing obstacles, providing opportunities, appropriately scheduled consequences, such as unexpected events that cannot be controlled or sporadic behavior from others. The fourth and final step evaluates the results to find how to imple ment more procedure-based structure within Tony’s environment and utilize his best behaviors. This analysis also needs to be implemented by Tony onto his employees so they see that he appreciates their well being and can develop trust with him on other issues. Hertzberg’s Motivation Theory says if there is job dissatisfaction, the hygiene factors must be addressed before motivating employees. Tony’s team holds many hygiene factors in their workforce situation, including inappropriate subordinate work and personal relationships initiated by Tony, personal life issues addressed at work with Britni and Bill, poor supervisor relations among everyone, laissez-faire work conditions, and a lack of organization policy. Once they work through the hygiene factors, Tony can then motivate his team by setting goals for achievement, recognizing their achievements and efforts, giving them responsibilities, and chances for growth to contribute to their job satisfaction. The better the team is satisfied, the better job they can all provide. Tony created tension in his district when he hired his college buddies based on their personal relationship, and will have to overcome judgment and the tension by making his sale rep friends work hard to e arn their keep. In order to do so, Tony needs a standardized set of job dimensions and outcomes to give them, as outlined in the Job Characteristics Model. This concept gives core job  dimensions that can include skill variety, task identity, and significance to specify the sales reps various duties ranked by importance, levels of autonomy to make informed and unforced decisions on their own, and proper feedback in the form of evaluations from other subordinates or myself, instead of Tony because of their personal relationship. These dimensions lead to critical psychological states that provide experienced meaningfulness of the sales reps work, responsibility for their own works outcomes, and knowledge of their actual results. The process finally leads to personal and work outcomes that result in high internal work motivation that produces quality work performance and satisfaction, and proves their worth of working with the other subordinates while holding respect for Tony despite his initial favo ritism. Melanie complains that nobody, especially Tony, listens to her concerns, and is frustrated with the competitive and inefficient environment. While she may just be a complainer, Tony can quickly implement One Minute Praising to praise Melanie immediately when she should be appreciated, be specific about her finding an inefficiency in the training programs, share feelings of how her ideas could impact the team, and encourage her to find ways to make training programs more productive. This could help Melanie to not feel so ignored, especially if she is praised for something that is obviously a concern for her. When she begins to be more positive, her negativity will change in front of other employees and they wont ignore her as much. Tony can easily use this on all employees and voice his support for positivity to encourage the concepts use amongst the subordinates. If Melanie continues her complaining and negativity, Tony can use the One Minute Reprimanding to reprimand the complaining immediately, be specific about what she has said, share feelings of how the complaining affects the team, and remind her how good of a person she still is. The concept assists Melanie to realize how her complaining affects her coworkers, and will end the behavior. Tony needs to fix his working relationship with Big Ron quickly in order to address the possible ecoli breakout issue that Big Ron had on the health inspector visit. Not only is the health risk an ethical issue concerning consumers, Big Ron’s action plan to blackmail the inspector is an alarming  example of a lack of internal procedures. To address both of these issues and to prepare for future situations, Tony needs a Contingency Plan to manage risk that could have catastrophic consequences. Contingency Strategies are a result of the contingency plan and are devised for a specific situation where things could go wrong, although they cannot predict future outcomes. Tony’s strategies need to include procedures for situations that can happen within the management office, at the warehouses, and other facilities and need to include the managers at each location for input of specific internal details. These strategies prepare the organization or the person for anything that could happen in future and are back up plans that support the organization when the actual plan fails. For positive reinforcement for the behavior to increase, Tony must apply the strategy AND reward for something desirable or pleasant. The reward need to be individual-based in order to encourage employees to act ethically and receive personal recognition for their actions. Tony’s intricate involvement in Britni’s personal dating life and his friends looking for a good time is an example of negative reinforcement within the workplace. This involvement and his personal relationship with human resource manager, Margaret, are behaviors that need to be eliminated. I need to use the Coaching and Reinforcement Concept to tell Tony what to do to cease his involvement, show him how to change through role-play practice, then let him try to implement within the situations. I’ll observe his performance, and either praise his progress or redirect if it fails. A weakness in Tony’s relationship with his subordinates is a major issue in the balance of work performance. If the subordinates do not respond to Tony and he makes no initiative to manage his people, the district is at risk of failing and ruining sales figures. To create a trusting and open work environment, the PRICE System from Putting the One Minute Manager to Work says to pinpoint the performance area of interest, such as the subordinate/management relationship, then record and measure the current performance level on a graph. We must involve everyone to agree on  performance goals and strategies for coaching and evaluation, with extravert personalities on the team in charge of coaching, observing performance, and reporting to Tony to manage consequences. Tony and the team must then evaluate, track performance progress, and determine future strategies. The results of successful implementation of this system will strengthen the relationships between Tony and his subordin ates and eliminate the â€Å"fear† that is prevalent throughout the organization. Human resource specialist, Mary Ann, is enthusiastic about work-family balance and schedules of reinforcement concepts, but Daniella tuned her out during a recent visit. If employees and reporting superiors dismiss constructive ideas, the company may miss out on great progress opportunities and the employees who value change. The Reinforcement Appropriate Behaviors concept encourages hard working employees; if workers receive immediate reinforcement for their hard work, they will work harder than if their reinforcement is delayed. Frequent reinforcement of positive behavior and infrequent reinforcement of negative behavior results in higher performance. Workers will work harder if their reinforcements for work are somewhat random in either a variable interval or ratio. Mary Ann’s interest in Performance Model theories can be rewarded in the future based on this concept through praise and the responsibility to help host internal training sessions if we specifically provide her the proper way to relate them to her workforce. Her success could lead to creating reward programs and working with Tony to think of reward opportunities. Kerr’s Common Management Reward Follies says we hope for long-term growth, teamwork, challenging objectives, restructuring, and commitment to total quality, but we often reward quarterly earnings, individual effort, making the numbers, adding staff, and less than quality. Relatedly, Tony is reluctant to take charge of the sales team, but from afar demands higher levels of productivity. Tony is seeking simple quantifiable standards to measure but some aspects are highly visible and most aren’t, so a lacking view of performance factors and results doesn’t help break out of old ways of thinking. Since current rewards systems hardly exist, Tony must explore what types of behavior are currently being rewarded to positively reinforce  desired behavior. Equity Model The disturbing story of a possible kickback program involving sales manager, Jeff Daniels, and his stress related behavior is symptoms of the Equity Theory and Justice: The Concept of Fairness says Jeff must believe his is being treated fairly or his motivation will wane. Employees must evaluate their inputs in relation to their outcomes as compared to the inputs and outcomes of others to determine fairness, and inputs of employees on the job include enthusiasm, knowledge, innovation, and skills, while outputs include salary, satisfaction, recognition, and training opportunities. If the outputs of Jeff’s efforts are not equal to his inputs, he will find a way to make that mental equation balanced. If balancing to him means receiving under-the-table funds and lashing out on others as a consequence of a work-stress overload, then his promotion to International Protocol Specialist will only reward his unethical behavior and actions. Although the action of Mary Ann and Nelson arriving late to meeting with Danielle seems minor, this action sends the message that other business etiquettes are not important and will not represent the company at its best. The Reinforcement and Rewards concept says part of Tony’s job is to direct the behaviors of employees by providing appropriate rewards to reinforce the desired behaviors that lead to organizational effectiveness and success. Reinforcement stimuli Tony could incorporate for not only tardiness, but other common courtesies, include attendance awards and office-wide recognition, employee of the month awards with reasons attached to the award, and spontaneous cash awards for sighted acts of kindness. Effort-Reward Probability Although the ultimate Performance goals are nowhere near to be reached, there are good opportunities to reward good effort. The Effort-Reward Probability concept produces effort and follows Vroom in that abilities and traits can also multiply to determine performance. Examples have been provided with other models, but Steve Stricker aka â€Å"Mr. Insensitivity† deserves credit for his enthusiasm and attempt to correct a bad situation in the most efficient way possible. While his handling of the situation was not  the most desired, he still holds my respect enough to want him to supervise Tony’s district. The more good efforts we can multiply with good rewards, the better the performance the organization will gain. Satisfaction and V = Valence The majority of Tony’s workforce chooses to remain silent about most incidents that happen at work because the consequences of speaking up are higher. The Valence outcome of the Expectancy Theory model needs to be changed the most for this team as their value of rewards based on their needs and goals are low. The current valence level that I provide Tony, and Tony provides his subordinates can be rated a â€Å"0† as indifferent to the outcome of rewards, which is very much my fault for not encouraging a reward system to my own subordinate and setting the right example. I can start from my own practices to implement a rewards system specifically for Tony, and various programs for him to relay down to his team. COMMUNICATIONS Tony needs to improve his communication with subordinates in order to convey and receive information, gain acceptance for his ideas, maintain relationships with coworkers, establish trust, keep people involved in a project, to produce action or change. The change should include the climate of the workplace, as it is defensive, in the sense of the amount of control and superiority that is exerted from Tony’s competitive nature. In order to create a supportive climate, while allowing a friendlier competitive environment, Tony needs to encourage equality among the team and to practice empathy. He will also appear more reasonable if he learns to admit when he doesn’t know an answer, admits when he is wrong, and asks for help. When Tony ignores his employee’s requests for help and suggestions, his unrelated and tangential responses levels of listening serve as punishment to his employees for speaking. To display listening in the workplace, Tony must stop talking, show he wants to listen, empathize, go easy with arguments and criticisms, and again stop talking. He will encourage future interactions when he develops their trust. To practice the three elements of trust, Tony needs to show an inclination towards charity through  benevolence, practice integrity through a consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty of one’s actions and the ability to lead his team. To develop trust, he must demonstrate concern for others well-being and needs, be willing to see other peoples point of view, correspond between his words and deeds, and not be afraid to show emotion. When Tony received negative feedback from the recent training program, he most likely felt embarrassed and defensive. Tony needs effective feedback, he will not listen to the training program if we assume he should know what to do, evaluative, late, negative only, and punishing in the face of others at the program. In order for him to learn, it needs to be descriptive, specific, timely, and positive with the negative, and he needs to listen, check, clarify, and ask the feedback of others. There will be situations in the future similar to the miscommunication with Big Ron that will frustrate Tony, but he needs to make himself clear even if he is upset by managing from the HEART to convey his message to others: to be heard and understood, if disagreed with to not be made wrong, to be acknowledged for good, to look for right intentions, and to be told the truth with compassion. If he can correctly convey this message throughout a disagreement, relationships will be saved and solutions can be found. Tony should also remember to listen; two ears, one tongue, DM’s who don’t listen have less information for making sound decisions. Gibbs describes communication as a people process. The more supportive a climate is, the less defensive a person has read into distortion and can respond productively. A supportive climates in Tony’s relation with Big Ron can include descriptions of updates at the facility, problem orientation to seek mutual solutions to get products out early, with no hidden agenda from fear of reprimand, empathy for each other’s position, equality in interaction, and provisionalism of always seeking new information outside of personal knowledge. LEADERSHIP Traits Approach My perceptual distortion of Tony’s capabilities can be further discussed through Leadership Traits, which can describe Tony’s drive, personalized leadership motivation to be in charge, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business. These are great leadership traits to have, but he needs to apply them in order to be an effective manager. The fatal flaws of leaders who derail, which also apply to Tony’s traits, include insensitivity of others, aloof and arrogant, overly ambitious and managing, and inability to adapt to situations. Fortunately Tony’s fatal flaws can be improved with the Emotional Intelligence at Work concept, which highlights Tony finding self-awareness through assessing his current position, self-regulation to determine whether he seems trustworthy, holds integrity, and is openness to change). Tony does hold motivation for a strong drive to achieve, but can improve on optimism organizational commitment in management. Empathy is his biggest weakness and can improve on expertise in building and retaining talent and being sensitive to others, and his efforts to build social skills in his effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise in building and leading teams will ultimately change his workforce to trust his judgment and commit to the organization. Another trait-based approach for improving skills is the Three-Skill Approach, which suggests Tony’s effective administration to depend on three basic personal skills: technical knowledge about work and specialization, human ability to work with people, and conceptual ability to work with ideas and concepts. Tony’s knowledge of the company is very strong as he was a top sales rep and can work with set concepts that use step-by-step approaches. When Tony improves his ability to work with ideas and people, he will increase the effectiveness of his leadership. Power Approach Tony has an element of fear within his relationship with subordinates, and Big Ron was treated so meanly because of a miscommunication. The Power Approach explains good sources of power are legitimate and reward, but bad sources of power that Tony is guilty of include coercive and charismatic. According to Yukl and Taber, Tony identifies as an authority power and  effective leaders are expert and referent. Subordinates will comply with his orders, but do not accept his goals, although he is in position to get possible commitment, and just as easily to get possible resistance. Tony can enhance his authority power by making polite requests, not demands, requests made in clear and simple language, checking to make sure subordinate understand and giving reason for the request if necessary, and following up to verify they have complied. Overall to appear more personable and less powerful, Tony needs compassion. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, top power tools that Tony’s subordinates will respond to are patience, gentleness, teachableness, acceptance, kindness, openness, consistency, and integrity, which all are in line with compassion. Situational Leadership Model Situational Leadership says it’s not so much what you are, as what you do. I find many things to change of Tony’s relations with his subordinates, when my own leading of his development is lacking, and my leadership style should combine directive and supportive behaviors. I can institute directive behavior by clearly telling Tony what, how, where, and when to do something, then closely supervising their performance. I can increase supportive behavior by engaging in two-way communication on a more frequent basis, listening to his concerns, providing support and encouragement, facilitating the interaction, and involving him strongly in decision-making. I need to give Tony more Directing as a manager and leader, even through he only needed Delegating as a salesman. Tony, in turn, needs to apply the same concept of Directing to many of his new salesman and Coaching for the rest of the employees. Understanding the effectiveness of situational leadership and communicating thi s understanding with Tony will enhance our relationships at all levels, and reduce the perception of Tony lacking training duties. Effective leaders are those who can recognize what employees need and then adapt their own style to meet those needs. Path Goal Theory Tony is lacking in leadership behaviors according to the Path Goal Theory in  helping subordinates to shape their tasks. The idea is to define goals, clarify path, remove obstacles, and provide support, and Tony is achievement oriented based on the leadership behaviors as he challenges subordinates to perform work at the highest level possible, a high standard of excellence. To help subordinates meet Tony’s standards, he needs to provide guidance of how to obtain excellence. Leaders Member Exchange Theory Tony should form an individualized working relationship with each of his subordinates, and the exchanges in content and process should be dyadic with unique characteristics. High quality leader-member exchanges produced less employee turnover, and exchanges can be in-group or out-group. Tony has created a tight in-group from hiring his college friends as salesmen, but still doesn’t hold the qualities of a true in-group that has mutual trust, respect, liking, and reciprocal influence. Out-groups are based on job a description, which is the relationship Tony holds with his team, and even I hold with him as a superior. Tony is in Phase 1 Stranger, the phase in leadership making that is directed toward self-interest rather than toward the good of the group; roles with the team are scripted, influences are one way from Tony to subordinates, exchanges are low quality, and interests are for self. Transformational Leadership and The Leadership Challenge Tony’s aggressive leadership style is unwanted by many of his subordinates, the Leadership Challenge can help him implement carry out significant changes, which include to challenge the process, inspire a shared vision and enlisting others, enable others to act to foster collaboration and strengthen others, model the way and set the example and encourage the heart by recognizing individual contribution and celebrate accomplishments. Tony is currently a Laissez-Faire Leadership style, hands-off, let-things-ride approach that gives little effort to help followers satisfy their needs. Out of the four I’s he is most lacking â€Å"individualized consideration† to provide a supportive climate, listen carefully, and act as coaches. If Tony adopts any of the transactional leadership factors to perform a better job, the Contingent Reward to obtain agreements from followers on what must be done and what the payoffs will be. Servant Leadership One of the biggest struggles Tony will have is in following Servant Leadership by putting followers first, supporting personal development, honesty, treating fairly, share power, and enabling others. The antecedent conditions are strong as the culture, leader attributes, and follower receptivity to wanting a leader. The core of the process is weakest in conceptualizing the organization, emotional healing in sensitivity to others, putting followers first, helping followers grow, behaving ethically, empowering, and creating community value. The outcomes cannot happen until the core of the process is successful, but include follower growth and performance, organizational performance, and societal impact. Tony can improve with training in empathy, compassion, and listening. Once his team sees his efforts to be a better person, they will respect his position better. CONFLICT Conflict will always be part of an organization, whether to be avoided as described by the traditional view or necessary for a group to perform effectively as described by the interactionist view. Because Tony and I will be making many changes to the organization and our personalities differ so much, we should practice integrative bargaining through goals by expanding the pie so both parties are satisfied, motivation with win-win solutions, focus by showing interest, interests being congruent, information sharing being high, and the duration of the relationship being long term. Tony has been a Shark in terms of conflict: he is forceful towards his subordinates to achieve his goals at all costs, and overpowers others to win conflicts. He needs to become more of a Fox, and be more concerned with goals and the relationship, willing to give up something for the common good, and resolve conflict by finding middle ground. To use the Problem Solving Approach to Conflict Resolution between Tony and I’s interactions, we must identify the problem, set a goal or objective, generate and evaluate solutions, and create an action plan. Because Tony most likely does not want to deal with the personal relationship issues within the organization, especially since he is directly  involved, the Hill’s Model for Team Leadership is an easy tool to aid leadership problem solving and to clarify its complex nature. My leadership decision is to take action for the task needs of the group and intervene for the internal task force. My next action will managing the conflicts of interest, external alliances of corporate human resources, and to receive the desired outcome of team satisfactory for future development. PERCEPTION In my expectations from hiring I did not take into account the function of Tony’s personality and the management environment he would work in, especially since his MBTI traits are ISTJ and I am ENFP. The Halo Effect is in full swing on my part as I held a cognitive bias in the judgment of Tony’s character, which influenced my overall impression of him. Tony’s perception is also flawed in using projection as a defensive mechanism to place his own actions on other people, such as the late shipment of product onto Big Ron, and the failing sales numbers onto his salesmen. He has used projection to improve his own self-image and have a reason for failures. When Tony teases Chris, he sends a very strong message to his subordinates, as it is in verbal form, a face-to-face channel, toward immediate subordinates, it’s a high channel richness that is allowing multiple cues from Tony’s words, and tone of voice which strengthens the message of his unintended te asing. When Melanie complains about the long training classes, she is dealing with Primacy Effects, as the listener is more likely to start off paying attention then drift off when the subject gets boring or the listener is internally processing data. Our company does not want ineffective training sessions, therefore if we want information to stand out in a person’s mind we must use it at the beginning of a conversation or a written list and not let it get lost in the middle. Repeating messages consecutively several times through messages after the training sessions will embed it in their minds. When Tony ignores Melanie’s complaints, he believes in Theory Y but leaves her be. He lacks empathy for this situation, a perceptual error that can be reduced with conscious empathizing for her feelings. When Tony is given backhanded compliments for helping Britni get dates, she has received an area of self-consciousness of her ability to date. To reduce perceptual errors in this situation, self-acceptance involves self-understanding, a realistic, albeit subjective, awareness of her strengths and weaknesses, she can then feel about herself that she is of â€Å"unique worth†. When Tony misunderstood Big Ron, he became defensive from constructive criticism, and sometimes when actions or motives for the action are questioned, it is best to just explain. Interpersonal attributions happen when the causes of the events involve two or more individuals, and it is likely that one will always want to present oneself in the most positive light in interpersonal attributions, which is what Tony did. Tony creates perceptual defense in being angry instead of remaining neutral. Tony should communicate his needs and practice better listening skills so the miscommunication doesn’t happen again. TEAM PERFORMANCE: Meeting in Orlando Before the team meeting, I want to spend quality time with Tony and let him know what my concerns are and the pros and cons to the issues. I want to hear his side and be able to work together on some misconceptions since we are in direct rank and contact with each other. I need to keep him on my team if he is going to follow any changes I want to make. At the team meeting I plan to merely observe the group in their natural state, then as I am included, congratulate the team on aspects of the meeting that went well and motivate them based on those positives. Topics of improving performance, ethics, and setting goals, and making plans for future collaboration. Nothing can be completely fixed within this one meeting, but is a start for positive change. The golf game is where I will begin to gather more details of the group’s dysfunctions and look for contradictions in what Tony and other members have relayed to me. The biggest aspect of team functioning I want to discuss with the golfing group a and improve are relational of the ethical concerns and team dynamics. Any process I decide will involve teams of people, so I will be able to rally subordinates to work with Tony and I through this  rapport-building game. Already, I see the reasons for team failures to occur from degrading employees, inequities in reward system, an aggressive leadership style, a weak team leadership, and a fear of the leader. I expect particular behaviors from the Role Nomination Form to be lacking which include task-oriented behavior like initiating activity, seeking/giving information and opinions, elaborating, testing workability, and group-oriented behavior such as encouraging, expressing group feelings, harmonizing, gate-keeping, and setting standards, and what may occur from these lacking behaviors which include anti-group behavior such as resistance, recognition seekers, dominators, and avoiders. Janis says groupthink happens when members of decision-making groups become motivated to avoid being too harsh in their judgments of the leaders or their colleagues ideas. Some Groupthink symptoms are present in this situation, including members who have doubts or differing points of view seek to avoid deviating from what appears to be group consensus by keeping silent about misgivings and even minimizing to themselves the importance of their doubts, and there’s an illusion of unanimity- if someone doesn’t speak, it’s assumed they are in full accord. Tony could be leading his subordinates in groupthink by constantly voicing his beliefs and reprimanding anyone who opposes or wants to report higher than him. Victims avoid deviating, and keep silent about their misgivings and even minimize to themselves the importance of their doubts. To fix this issue, the leader should assign he role of critical evaluator to each member to air objections and doubt, adopt impartial stances in the beginning, monitoring group size by splitting up into smaller teams, then coming back together with results, and appointing a devil’s advocate to always look at the other side of things. Effective teams have adequate resources, effective leadership, climate of trust, a performance evaluation, and reward system that reflect team contributions. The team effectiveness model for this group needs leadership structure and a climate of trust, a composition of allocating roles and finding abilities of members, and a process that has specific goals and  common purposes. Overall, every model and concept discussed for this situation has a solution that can be used to address problems when I attend the monthly directors meeting with Tony. The most important aspect of all these concepts is being able to apply them within myself in my relationship with Tony, as he is my partner to making his district profitable. Open communication, trust, and mutual problem solving with his team should help me land the international assignment and leave Tony skilled and ready to continue great performance after I am gone.