...attribution, motivation, group dynamics, power and politics, leadership, conflict resolution, organizational culture, and organizational structure and design. This same description can be best summed up in “The Heart of Change” – Real Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations. To fulfill the final requirements of MNGT 5590, it is my intent to provide a summation of The Heart of Change, how the books ties into the course’s main text, “Organizational Behavior and Management, and how both books are interwoven into various facets of my life, and finally, I will provide some closing thoughts related to my interest in the Heart of Change and the class in general. Written by John P. Kotter and Dan S. Cohen in 2002, the Heart of Change is based on Leading Change, a book written in 1996 which described how it is not systems or strategies that make organizations successful. Rather, it is the human nature (behavior) of people that make organizations successful. How? By tugging at one’s emotions. Kotter and Cohen interviewed over 200 people from 90 United States, European, Australian, and South African organizations to create eight steps people follow to foster change. The purpose of the Heart of Change is to delve into the core problems people face regarding...
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...Change of Heart Crime and Punishment is a powerful novel written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that depicts the actions of the Raskolnikov after an axe murder that he commits. Throughout the novel, Fyodor Dostoyevsky displays masterful technique in controlling the audience’s emotions by bending how they feel about certain characters, such as Svidrigailov, Sonya, and Raskolnikov. Dostoyevsky initially portrayed Svidrigailov as a perverted old who is willing to cheat on his wife, but he is later portrayed as a man who is insecure and obsessive. Sonya is portrayed as a selfless young girl who is willing to do anything for her dysfunctional family. Raskolnikov is initially portrayed as an observant, desperate man who is easily swayed by his false sense of logic. Svidrigailov is initially portrayed as a perverted man who has a romantic interest in Raskolnikov’s younger sister, Dounia, “But at last he lost all control and had the face to make Dounia an open and shameful proposal, promising her all sorts of inducements and offering, besides, to throw up everything and take her to another estate of his, or even abroad” (Dostoyevsky 26). This quote shows that Svidrigailov was quite infatuated with Dounia, and that he wanted to leave his wife for her. This situation causes the reader to feel slightly disturbed by Svidrigailov’s behavior, as he is many years older than Dounia, and he shows that he has a pedophilic nature within himself. Svidrigailov’s behavior changes as Crime and Punishment...
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...9/21/13 MNGT 5590 OK F1 2013 → Pages → Week 1 Readings: Chapter 2: MNGT 5590 OK Organizational Behavior Week 1 Readings: Chapter 2 Week 1: Readings Chapter 2: Organizational Culture An organization's culture reflects the "personality," "norms," and "values" of the organization. Every organization has a unique culture that shapes its objectives and actions, as well as shaping how people in an organization view the world around them and the organization itself. Culture is sometimes very subtle (e.g., what are the behavioral norms), and other times very obvious (e.g., elaborate ceremonies and rituals). Schein developed a three-level model of organizational culture that elaborates on the basic ideas of culture. This model distinguishes between artifacts (the most visible aspects of culture), values (less visible, but often articulated beliefs), and basic assumptions (typically invisible to outsiders, and often unknown even to members of the organization. Organizations usually prefer people who conform with the organization's culture, especially the organization's cultural values and assumptions. Therefore, employees need to be sensitive to what the culture demands of them, or they will ultimately end up being ostracized by their work groups, or even terminated by the organization. When effective, the socialization process helps employees understand their roles and how to behave in an organization. The orientation process (a part of the socialization process) conveys important...
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...1. Discuss how the principles of job design and reinforcement theory apply to the performance problems at the Hovey and Beard Company. Job design is defined as the process of specifying task and duties to individuals within an organization. In terms of Hovey and Beard Company there were several known issues dealing with performance within the company. The supervisors recognized that there was a problem within the organization, the painters complained that the hooks moved to fast, that there was poor ventilation in the work room, the job was messy, and the incentive pay was not correctly calculated. They recognized the needs of the employees and they made accommodations to appease them by purchasing fans to circulate the air in the work room and installing a control knob to adjust the speed of the belt. By doing so they fulfilled the needs of their employees and in-turn production increased significantly. Hovey and Beard Company used reinforcement theory by offering a group bonus plan. It stated that the painters would receive a learning bonus for the first six months and afterwards they could earn a group bonus if they exceeded production standards. This was meant to influence the behavior of the employees to increase production. 2. Analyze the performance problems using the "performance diagnosis model" in Chapter 7. In analyzing the performance of Hovey and Beard Company this is what I came up with in relation to the diagnosis model: * Do both the boss and subordinate...
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...We generally believe we see our surroundings and everything in them with complete accuracy. However, as the contributions to the following story argue, this assumption is wrong. Susan’s view of the store clerk is cloudy at best. This paper seeks to first define what is meant by the term social perception, then examines two main aspects of social perception: non-verbal communication channels and attribution. Specifically, attention is given to addressing what non-verbal communication channels are and the substantial impacts they can have on our thoughts, feelings, and ultimately the inferences we make about other people. Attribution is then defined and discussed, as well as, attribution biases are explained and their influences in leading us to make incorrect conclusions about others we observe in particular situations that may or may not accurately reflect who they truly are as a person. Social Perception is the way in which we seek to define the many characteristics and behaviors of ourselves and others (Social perception, 2013). It is how we process available information and form impressions of those we encounter and interact with. It is our perceptions of what we believe others are all about and it helps us to categorize and organize our interpretations of others through our interactions and experiences with them. Simply put, social perception is the cognitive process that helps us form impressions of those around us. Non-verbal communication is the term...
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...Vanellope: "Eh… Pardon me, Smelly-One, but I wish to inform you that, as a princess, it would be rather inappropriate for me to associate myself with you. I understand that - at some point - you were my best friend, but due to a magical grey-face, I find that my status finds you rather..." She crinkled her nose, "...disgusting, really. Horribly disgusting. I thought I would at least do you the pleasure of seeing me one last time." Ralph: “… That’s not funny, kid.” Usually, he would have humored her little quips with a hot-tempered rebuttal. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before; however, the words stung a lot more than they should have, and Ralph swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. “‘Status’? You gave that up. You’re a president, not a princess. So drop the fru-fru act, Vanellope.” Vanellope: Vanellope tittered. Yes, tittered. "Oh, you really are an oaf, aren't you? This isn't an act, I assure you. In fact, to make sure that I am not seen with you in the future, you are banned from ever entering Sugar Rush. I will have my Oreo guards keep watch. Step one fungus-coated toe into my game, and you will regret it." Her stare up at him was hard and unforgiving. "Am I understood?" Ralph: “Forget that!” Ralph shot back defiantly, swiping his hand through the air to dismiss her words. “You’re not bein’ serious, kid—and I’ll come n’ go as I please.” The greys couldn’t have hacked her coding that badly, could they? The harshness of her gaze was enough to make the wrecker...
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...(Due to this “change of heart” I have to write a second part) 1.In the poem “A change of heart” by Lexi Sanchez the speakers shows the emotional journey that a person who has lost a loved one went through. This poem conveys a strong message on how their loved one (in this case the speaker’s grandfather) had an immense impact on their life. They describe in detail how loss of a loved one can filled their minds and hearts with many sad and painful feelings. The speaker is going through an emotional journey throughout the poem. The poem records the speaker’s various moods and emotions. To commence with the speaker utilises the waiting room as an unpleasant location where they experience sorrow and melancholy. In the midst of the speaker’s misery,...
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...The Heart of Change Latesha Tillman The Heart of Change Introduction First of all, in the scope of this paper it is essential to refer to the fact that the core motivating factor for the changes, done by people, is the fact that they are provided with a truth, which makes an impact on their feelings. This trend may be considered as especially significant one in terms of the large-scale organizational change, where the individual faces with the set of new changes, e-business, cultural transformation and globalization. It is possible to make a statement that in the age of turbulence, if such reality is handled by an individual in a proper manner, one wins. In order to understand the core reason of success in one organisation and lack of success in another one, it is essential to refer to the flow of large-scale and effective change efforts. In accordance with the classification, offered by Kotter and Cohen's in The Heart of Change, there are eight steps, incorporated into the change. They are the following: 1. Creating the sense of urgency in order to motivate smart people to tell other participants of the process that here is a need to go and to change the things; 2. Pulling together a guiding team, which is powerful enough for guiding a big change. 3. Creating simple, clear and uplifting visions and the setting the strategies. 4. Introducing the vision through heartfelt and simple...
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...many changes occur in the cardiovascular system. Our heart is a strong muscle that beats about 100,000 times a day. With each beat of the heart, blood is pumped to the lungs via pulmonary circulation and to the rest of the body via systemic circulation. The pumping of the heart enables the body to receive oxygen and rid the body of carbon dioxide. Your heart pumps 30 times its own weight each minute. This amounts to about 5 liters of blood pumped to the lungs and to the rest of your body. It is, therefore understandable why the heart changes as we age. As we age, and the body starts to wear out, diseases such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and myocardial infarction start to become evident. Coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries become hardened and narrow due to buildup of plaque and cholesterol. As the buildup grows, less blood can flow through the arteries and the heart does not get the necessary oxygen it needs. The lack of oxygen can lead to chest pain or a heart attack. Coronary artery disease can weaken heart muscles over time. Weakened heart muscles can lead to heart failure. Congestive heart failure starts when the pumping of the heart becomes weaker. With the weaker heart rate, the blood moves through the body more slowly and the pressure in the heart builds. As the pump becomes less effective, more blood remains in the heart. The less the heart pumps, the less pumping capability the heart has. As a result, the heart does...
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...Forgiveness is a powerful act not all can conquer. Jeanne Bishop is the sister of Nancy Bishop who was found murdered in her safe home in 1990. A teen boy took Nancy, her husband Richard, and their unborn child. This tragedy was a drastic event for the family, but Jeanne decided to overcome this loss and make every day she had to live after her sisters death a day that mattered. Jeanne was able to forgive her sisters killer and started working, as a lawyer, to help defend juvenile suspects. She was determined to ban the death penalty, because she believed you do not fix a murder crime by taking another life. I had the opportunity to read Jeanne Bishops book titled, “The Change of Heart” before attending her presentation. By reading the book...
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...An article published by The Huffington Post states that “An 8-month old girl survived a house fire thanks to her family’s heroic pet dog.” “The 8-month old girl was kept safe by the dog as he used his body to shield the infant from the flames.” In the article, “A Change of Heart about Animals” by Jeremy Rifkin, he asserts that “animals feel pain, suffer, and experience stress, affection, excitement and even love.” I believe animals are exceptionally similar to humans. They should be studied more due to the similarity of characteristics that they share with humans. I agree with Rifkin’s article because he uses great insight and valuable information. Since animals are our fellow beings we should live to respect their lives and importance on earth instead of questioning their intelligence and emotions. To start with, it seems to me that animals have the ability to feel any emotion. In the documentary Blackfish (2013), there is a scene where a calf whale named Kohana was taken from her mother Takara. During the course of that scene, Takara was so distressed and upset she had emitted vocalizations no one had ever heard from her. This of...
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...Just because animals cannot communicate it doesn’t imply that they don’t feel pain or have no response to sufferings. Thus, it is firmly believed that animals should granted Bill of Rights. The concept of Bill Of Rights is only specific to the world where human lives. The man has become so selfish over the course of time that he even forgot that there are other living creatures on Earth, who have also been granted the gift of life by God. In “A change of Heart about Animals” Rifkin states the work of many researchers “ many of our fellow creatures are like us than we had ever imagined.”(Rifkin 33) which shows that animals are also living beings like us, who cherish the time of joy and their reaction is not different to pain and sufferings than we humans. Animals are only seen as a childhood pet, adopted for human recreational purposes, looked down as a source of food, medicine and education or mere useless creatures. It is wrong for humans to harm animals for no compelling reason. Living beings are abused not only by the strangers but also by the loved ones for no compelling reason at all. Humans as well...
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...In the articles, “ A Change of Heart About Animals “ by Jeremy Rifkin and “ Hooked on a Myth “, by Victoria Brathwaite, both authors attempt to persuade their audience to rethink their opinions on if we should give animals rights.The authors state good reasons why we should give animal rights. They also make the audience question many important things on how we should treat our animals. Another good point they state in the article is if we do decide to give animal rights will this affect the way we live? This topic is very iffy because we can side on either sides based on reasoning. Researchers have found evidence on how our fellow creatures are similar to us than we ever thought. Does this mean we have to treat our animals with more respect and do you think they deserve a Bill of...
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...In Jodi Picoult's author's note “Stop Thinking of Beliefs as Absolutes” the idea of the death penalty along with religious beliefs are considered through her book “Change of Heart.” Yet, throughout the whole author's note each point is explored throughly, even going into the history of religion through the example of the Gnostic Gospels. While reading the author's note ideas such as vengeance, dying wishes, the death penalty, the eight amendment, and religious absolutes. If given the choice between vengeance and saving a loved one, I would choose the saving the loved one. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary vengeance, by definition, is the “punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.” For that...
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...Organizational Approaches to Change The ability to change and adapt is extremely important for any organization to reach its full potential. Influencing people to change is more dependent on showing them a truth that influences their feelings, rather than shifting their thinking (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 1). If leaders can change the behavior of members of an organization, the successful large-scale change they are seeking will more likely be realized. According to Kotter and Cohen, in order to achieve successful large-stage change, there are first eight stages that must be followed. These steps are: increasing urgency, building the guiding team, getting the vision right, communicate for buy-in, empower action, create short-term wins, don't let up, and making change stick (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 6). While organizational change does not necessary require each of these steps to occur, or in the exact specified order, they provide a basic pattern for leaders to use to influence behavior and create change (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p.7). An alternative to the eight steps suggested by Kotter and Cohen is the Model of Organizational Change and Development. This model operates in this way: forces for change affect performance outcomes, which are the focus of diagnosis of the problem, which leads to the selection of appropriate methods, as constrained by impediments and limiting conditions, followed by implementation of the method, which is the provision for program evaluation...
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