Positive Organizational Scholarship Essay Example for Free

Positive Organizational Scholarship Essay Positive organizational scholarship is an emerging discipline in organizational behavior and is about positivity in organization. The need for it emerged to bridge the gap between moral and rational objectives. It is not a new science, it is the new way of looking at things, it’s like you have just changed your glasses. In today’s world, society is facing extremely tough challenges in the form of global warming, natural disasters, economic recession, unprecedented homelessness, terrorism and the draining continuation of war. So at this moment of extreme negative happenings and uncertainty, what is needed to be emphasized and brought up is positive. With all this sadness and horror, where in the world does a science based on testing happiness, wellbeing, personal growth and ‘the good life’ ? t into the modern-day agenda? So, Positive psychology; is the study of topics such as happiness, optimism, personal growth and subjective well being. It promotes the factors that allow the groups and communities to thrive or flourish. At the current stage in this world of negativity, positive psychology focuses on positive experiences at three time points a) past centering contentment; b) present focusing current happiness c) future including optimism and hope. We should know that what a good life is ? Aristotle and Plato used to believe that when people carried out a virtuous life they would become authentically happy. The happiness are of two types in positive psychology according to Seligman, one is hedonic happiness which is high level of positive affect and low levels of negative effect, in addition to high subjective life satisfaction. See more: how to start a scholarship essay Other is eudemonic wellbeing which focuses more on creation of meaning and purpose in life. (Hefferon Boniwell, 2011) A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The model of Seligman of Positive psychology is divided into three parts: The pleasurable life, the good life, and the meaningful life. The pleasurable life is about things like shopping, eating, drugging, meaningless sex, etc. The research is finding that having more pleasures does not increase life satisfaction. The good life as defined by Seligman is about understanding and using ones core strengths/virtues in work and love and play. He, in conjunction with Chris Peterson, developed a VIA Signature Strengths Survey found that Having a life of high absorption does correlate to life satisfaction measures according to Seligman. Lastly, the meaningful life is when a person uses his/her strengths for the purpose of something larger than him/herself. Choosing to live a life of faith, purpose, meaning, correlates to life satisfaction measures. Marty also sees this aspect of his model directly related to Positive Institutions—those organizations that promote positive character development and/or meaning. Hes mostly focused on non-profits and religious organizations but others are applying it to for-profit organizations. (Seligman Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) An approach that is positive to selection, development, and management of human resources in organizations has been emphasized by both scholars and professionals over the years. A wide variety of positively oriented high-performance work practices in placement, compensation, and motivation and their underlying strategies, structures, and cultures have also been extensively studied and supported for their contributions to organizational performance and competitiveness. Research and consulting by the Gallup Organization also supports the importance of positive, strength-based organizational cultures and human resource practices . (Buckingham Clifton, 2001). For example, factors such as effective selection and placement practices that capitalize on employees’ talents, clear and aligned goals and expectations, social support and recognition, and opportunities for growth, development, and self actualization have been found to significantly contribute to employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and ultimately organizational profitability and growth(Harter, Schmidt, Keynes, 2003) On the academic side, the positive organizational scholarship or POS movement has been instrumental in providing macro-level scholars with a conceptual framework for organizing and integrating their research on positive organizations (Cameron et al. , 2003). Positive refers to the elevating processes and outcomes in organizations. Organizational refers to the interpersonal and structural dynamics activated in and through organizations, specifically taking into account the context in which positive phenomena occur. Scholarship refers to the scientific, theoretically derived, and rigorous investigation of that which is positive in organizational setting. (KIM S. CAMERON CAZA, 2004). Positive organizational scholarship (POS) is considered an alternative approach to studying organizations; it is argued that POS plays a critical theory role in contemporary organizational scholarship. By using essays on critical theory in organizational science to consider POS research, and drawing from the principles of Gestalt psychology, it is argued that the important distinctions between POS and traditional organizational scholarship lie in POSs emphasis on positive processes, on value transparency, and on extending the range of what constitutes a positive organizational outcome. In doing so, it is concluded that the primary contribution of POS is that it offers an alternative to the deficit model that shapes the design and conduct of organizational research. (Caza. Caza. , 2008) There are several reasons that exist for the neglect of positive phenomena in organizational science. They include a) Lack of valid and reliable measuring devices b) the association of positivity with uncritical science c) the fact that negative events have greater impact on people than positive events(Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, Vohs, 2001) The first reason for the neglect towards POS concerning measurement and instrumentation, most positively focused at work up to now has been at the psychological level. For example only surveys had been used up till now for finding out anything related to it. Most scholarly work in POS has been conceptual and definitional rather than empirical. Little empirical work has been published. (Cameron, Dutton, Quinn, 2003). The article by Losada and Heaphy uses a model to estimate team effectiveness. Communication patterns in 60 top management teams were observed and coded in day long strategic planning sessions. The ratio of positive to negative communication was ranging among high, medium and low performing teams. Positive teams performed significantly better Similarly Cameron, Bright and Caza’s study in which they surveyed organizations across a number of industry types, and eventually they found out that the organizations scoring higher on virtuousness had a better performance than the other ones. The second reason to the neglect towards POS is that the topics related to it have sometimes been associated with non scholarly prescriptions. Hope and optimism for example have been interpreted as wishful thinking. POS uses the word scholarship to identify its scientific and theoretical foundations. It is committed to documenting, measuring, and explaining usually positive human experiences in organizations. The third reason for the dearth of POS illustrated by Baumeisteret et al’s concluded that the events that are negative for example losing money or receiving criticism will always have a greater impact on the individual than the positive events such as winning money or receiving praise. Many good events can overcome the psychological effects of a single bad one. In case the numbers of good and bad events are equal then the psychological effects of bad ones always outweigh the good ones. This tells us that the neglect of problems and challenges might threaten the survival of individual. And the neglect of positive might only result into regret or disappointment. (KIM S.  CAMERON CAZA, 2004) Identifying the factors that lead to joy and happiness, hope and faith, and what makes life worth living represents a shift from reparative psychology to a psychology of positive experience. Similarly, Positive organizational scholarship examines the positive side of organizational performance. It investigates positive deviance, or the ways in which organizations and their members flourish and prosper in especially humane and extraordinary ways. It investigates virtuous elements in organizations such as compassion, forgiveness, dignity, respectful encounters, optimism and positive effect, integrity, and wisdom. This emphasis parallels a new movement in psychology that is shifting from the traditional focus on illness and pathology (e. g.  , deviancy, abnormality, and therapy) toward a positive psychology that focuses on human strengths and virtues. (Dinnah Pladott, 2003) Pos is concerned with understanding the integration of positive and negative conditions. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) and Positive Psychology are focused on understanding the conditions and processes that explain flourishing. What differentiates POS is an explicit interest in understanding and explaining flourishing in organizational contexts (including individuals, groups, units and whole organizations). Flourishing refers to being in an optimal range of human functioning and is indicated at the individual level by goodness, generatively, growth and resilience. At  the collective level of groups and organizations, flourishing may be indicated by creativity, innovation, growth, resilience, thriving virtuousness or other markers that a collective is healthy and is performing in an â€Å"above normal† or positively deviant range. POS also focuses on the development of individual, group and collective strengths that represent forms of individual and collective excellence. POS unites existing domains of organizational inquiry focused on flourishing. This includes work on flourishing indicators such as creativity, engagement, flow, growth, health and well-being, as well as contributors to flourishing that consider features of the organization, group and job contexts.

A Wall In-Between Essay -- Literary Analysis

On August 13, 1961, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) constructed the Berlin Wall to prevent its citizen from leaving the country (Frederick Taylor, US News.com). For twenty-eight years, the Berlin Wall completely detached West Berlin, isolating its population from the remaining human race. Margaret Atwood represents this real experience in the novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Instead of dividing a large population, Atwood conveys the Harvard University perimeter wall as a divider between oneself and the people around them. Through this, Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaids Tale demonstrates how the author uses physiological object of the wall to reveal the barriers between the characters, physically and emotionally. Atwood’s description of the Harvard Wall presents a setting that is intimidating, daunting, and rigidly regulated. We can identify with the fearsome image Atwood describes because we can all picture a common jail cell. The cold brick walls â€Å"and barbed wire along the bottom†¦ they are ugly† (31). The walls themselves create and image of fear within the human mind however, it is what is in or on these walls that frightens the mind the most. In prisons we commonly think of the punishment is a hidden form of isolation, humiliation and/or torture, for the misbehaved. The Harvard wall publicly displays these methods of punishment through the form of lynching. This is a method used by Atwood to convey the significance of the wall and the use of fear produced by the Gilead society to create a barrier. â€Å"But on one bag there's blood, which has seeped through the white cloth. . . This smile of blood is what fixes the attention finally† (32). As Atwood clear ly states, the men who are hanging on the wall are meant to frighten peop... ...hysical object of the wall and the clothing connect to the emotional separation of the multiple characters by the fear and barriers set by the Gilead government. The fear and barriers come from the Harvard wall an image depicted by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. The Novel additionally utilizes the image of the wall to show the physical and emotional boundaries it creates within its characters. Borders are created throughout the novel, through clothing, through fear and through people. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Print. Collins English Dictionary. London: Collins, 2009. Print. Taylor, Frederick. "The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 13 Nov. 2008. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.

The Changing Face of Business

Chapter 1 The Changing Face of Business http://www. wileybusinessupdates. com Learning Goals 1 Distinguish between business and notfor-profit organizations. Identify and describe the factors of production. 5 Explain how today’s business workforce and the nature of work itself is changing. Identify the skills and attributes managers need to lead businesses in the 21st century. Outline the characteristics that make a company admired by the business community. 2 6 3 Describe the private enterprise system, including basic rights and entrepreneurship.Identify the six eras of business, and explain how the relationship era— including alliances, technology, and environmental concerns—influences contemporary business. 7 4 What is Business? Profit-seeking activities and enterprises provide goods and services necessary to an economic system. Profit-seeking is the reward for business people who take the risk involved to offer goods and services to customers. See Fortune 500 for a list of major U. S. companies. Factors of Production Natural Resources Capital Human Resources Entrepreneurship Occupational Outlook Handbook The Private Enterprise System CapitalismAdam Smith is the father of capitalism. â€Å"Invisible Hand† Economic system determines business ownership, profits, and resources Rewards firms for their ability to serve the needs of consumers Minimized government intervention Competition is the battle among businesses for consumer acceptance. Basic Rights in a Private Enterprise System Entrepreneurship An Entrepreneur: Is a risk-taker Takes financial, personal, social, and career risks Entrepreneurial thinking is important within large firms. Sees a potentially profitable opportunity Devises a plan to achieve success in the marketplace and earn those profits Fuels the U.S. economy Provides innovation Six Eras in the History of U. S. Business Managing Relationships through Connections Relationship Management Activities to build and mainta in mutually beneficial ties with customers and other parties Relationship management depends on technology. Strategic Alliances and Partnerships A partnership is an affiliation of two or more companies that help each other achieve common goals. A strategic alliance is a partnership formed to create a competitive advantage for both parties (see Amazon). Today’s Business WorkforceDedicated workers who can foster strong ties with customers Capable of high-quality production Able to compete in global markets Technically savvy Changes in the Workforce: Aging Population By 2030, the number of U. S. workers 65 or older will reach 72 million. Many baby boomers are hitting the peak of their careers, while Generations X and Y are launching their careers. Technology has intensified the hiring challenge by requiring workers to have ever more advanced skills. U. S. Census Bureau Changes in the Workforce: Shrinking Labor Pool/Diversity Economists predict the U. S. abor pool could soon fall short by as many as 10 million people. The two fastest-growing ethnic populations in the United States are Hispanics and people of Asian origin. Employee teams with individuals of different genders, ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions, ages, and physical and mental abilities are more effective. Changes in the Workforce: Outsourcing Outsourcing is using outside vendors to produce goods or fulfill services and functions that were previously handled in-house or incountry. Offshoring is the relocation of business processes to lower-cost locations overseas.Changes in the Workforce: Innovation through Collaboration Younger workers are looking to something other than work-comes-first Telecommuting and job-sharing Part-time and temporary workers are growing Collaboration is replacing working alone Value risk-taking and innovation The 21st-Century Manager Critical-thinking Creativity Ability to lead change Vision Critical Thinking and Creativity Critical thinking is the ability to analy ze and assess information to pinpoint problems or opportunities. Creativity is the capacity to develop novel solutions to perceived organizational problems.Ability to Lead Change Guide employees and organizations through changes Managers must be comfortable with tough decisions. Factors that require organizational change can come from external and internal sources. What Makes a Company Admired? Solid profits Stable growth Safe and challenging work environment High-quality goods and services Business ethics and social responsibility Fortune’s list of Most Admired Companies The Future of Business New Technologies Population Shifts Emerging nations Shrinking Global Barriers Trade, communication, transportation

The Face-Negotiation Theory and Stella Ting-Toomey Essay

In the world of communication, there are many theories which describe different ways people communicate. According to Doctor Thomas Hanitzsch, an associate professor of communication at the University of Munich in Germany, â€Å"Communication Theory is an international forum publishing high quality, original research into the theoretical development of communication from across a wide array of disciplines† (â€Å"Communication Theory†). A specific communication theory that will be highlighted is the Face-Negotiation theory developed by Stella Ting-Toomey. Simply stated, Dr. Ting-Toomey suggests that conflict is a consequence of identity management on an individual and cultural level, and occurs when an individual or group’s face is threatened.†¦show more content†¦Some additional information includes, that according to â€Å"Stella Ting-Toomey’s Home on the Web,† Dr. Ting-Toomey has held major leadership roles in international communication associations and has served on more than fifteen editorial boards (â€Å"Stella†). To further explain the theory of Face-Negotiation, when Dr. Ting-Toomey suggests conflict is a consequence of identity management on an individual and cultural level, she means that culture has a significant impact in regards to identity management. One’s culture has defined ‘rules’ as to how someone is to properly interact amongst other individuals and groups, and these ‘rules’ include values, norms, beliefs and traditions. Generally, an individual would strive to adhere and follow all of their culture’s ‘rules,’ and in turn, would view another individual turning against those ‘rules’ as a threat to their overall culture or beliefs. Similarly, Dr. Ting-Toomey states that conflict can come from a clash of these ‘rules,’ a misinterpretation, or as a result of misapplying certain expectations and standards for behavio r for a given situation (Griffin â€Å"List†). The Face-Negotiation theory suggests there are three goals that any conflict will revolve around; content, relational and identity, or rather, needs, interests or goals. Based on M. Afzalur Rahim’s work, Dr. Ting-Toomey and later John Oetzel, identified eight distinct responses to conflicting situations based on an incompatibility (GriffinShow MoreRelatedFace Negotiation Theory By Stella Ting Toomey1465 Words   |  6 PagesFace-negotiation theory was developed by Stella Ting-Toomey, a professor of Speech Communication at California State University, Fullerton, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1981. She developed the theory after being influenced by the work of Goffman, and Brown and Levinson. Ting-Toomey (1988) states an assumption of face-negotiation theory is that â€Å"people in all cultures try to maintain and negotiate face in all communication situations.† Another assumption of the theoryRead MoreThe Theory Was Introduced By Stella Ting Toomey914 Words   |  4 PagesïÆ'Ëœ The theory was introduced by Stella Ting Toomey in 1985, a professor of human communication at California State University. ïÆ'Ëœ It states about the careful and imaginative administration of passionate dissatisfactions because of social or ethnic gathering enrollment character contrasts. ïÆ'Ëœ Negotiating is the to convince people around them to the point they need. ïÆ'Ëœ Negotiation doesn’t mean arguing or creating the point we like. It’s a discussion between people creating an agreementRead MoreFace Negotiation Theory4242 Words   |  17 PagesBn Stella Ting-Toomey 2011 Face-Negotiation Theory: Research and Assessment Stella Ting-Toomey 2011 Face-Negotiation Theory: Research and Assessment Face-Negotiation Theory: Research and Assessment Roberta Beauty Redding University of Louisiana at Lafayette Professor Philip Auter CMCN 384 March 27, 2011 Face-Negotiation Theory: Research and Assessment Roberta Beauty Redding University of Louisiana at Lafayette Professor Philip Auter CMCN 384 March 27, 2011 Face-Negotiation Theory: ResearchRead MoreAn Analysis of American – Chinese Movie ‘Saving Face† by Using Face Negotiation Theory1939 Words   |  8 PagesAn analysis of American – Chinese movie ‘Saving face† by using Face Negotiation Theory Table of contents Face Negotiation Theory 2 An application of face-negotiation theory in the movie â€Å"Saving face† (2004) 3 Advantages and disadvantages of face theory 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 The term â€Å"face-negotiation theory† was first introduced by Stella Ting-Toomey, a Professor of Human Communication Studies at California State University, in 1988 based on amazing works of Goffman in 1955Read MoreJeremy Lin s Cultural Identity1961 Words   |  8 PagesAmericans; however Ting Toomey and Jackson’s identity theory’s show that this actually resulted in Lin becoming a free agent trying to renegotiate his identity by joining a different culture. The theories of Stella Ting Toomey and Ronald L. Jackson II provide relevant and important ways of looking at identity and the shifting changes in identity that will be referenced throughout this paper. These theories include contracts, the five dialectics, negotiation, and power in relation to negotiation. JacksonRead MoreThe Uncertainty Reduction Theory And The Face Negotiation Theory1756 Words   |  8 PagesDuring the course of this paper two communication theories will be reviewed and analyzed. The two theories will first be introduced, followed by comparing and contrasting the implications, assumptions and concepts of both theories. The two communication theories that have been chosen are the Uncertainty Reduction Theory and the Face Negotiation Theory. The theories were not chosen randomly, they were chosen because they both deal with how individuals perceive one another, as well as themselves, inRead MoreThe Second Hofstede Cultural Dimension Compared : Individualism Vs. Co llectivism1643 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Saving Face† is typically more prevalent than in personal interactions. In 1985, Stella Ting-Toomey† developed â€Å"Face Negotiation Theory† which explains how cultural difference in people influence their management of inevitable conflicts (â€Å"Face Negotiation Theory†). It seems logical that â€Å"Facework† is closely correlated with cultural context (Figure 3). As discussed later, the Japanese are classified as a â€Å"high-context culture† which correlates to a face-giving or face supporting culture. Face Giving