Organizational Essay Example for Free

Organizational Essay Table of Contents Introduction Organizational culture is an important part of any organization, for this is the principles a company stand for. Without a strong, stable culture, an organization is sure to fail sooner than later. I will now discuss the subjects briefly mentioned in assignment 1. 1. The organizational culture of the organization where I work: 1. 1. A) Definition of Organizational culture and 4 types of cultures. Organizational culture refers to the shared values, norms, visions, symbols, beliefs, habit, working language between people sharing a working environment. There are, according to (Greenberg, 2011) four types of organizational cultures that exist. (Control) Hierarchy culture: These are typically large, bureaucratic corporations where smooth production, without wasted time is important. Stability, control, internal focus, standardization and integration are key principles to this system. Leaders in such a system should organize, monitor and coordinate the people and process thoroughly. (Compete) Market culture: These organizations are also concerned with stability and control, but rather than focusing on internal factors, they focus on external. This system is concerned with competition. They look at all the other organizations competing in the same market and then focus on their relationships- or transactions with suppliers, customers, contractors, unions, legislators, consultants, regulators etc. They believe that they’ll achieve success by focusing on effective relations (external). (Collaborate) Clan culture: Inward focus is important, same as the hierarchy system, however clan cultures emphasizes flexibility rather than control and rigidness. At such organizations, the well-being of workers comes first. It is said that people working in a clan-cultural environment feel related to their co-workers due to the warm, friendly nature. (Create) Adhocracy: This culture refers to the opposite of bureaucracy, focusing on flexibility and the external environment. It’s all about opportunities, problem-solving and outcome. These type of companies should always be up to date regarding development and technology. Typical example of such organizations is software-developing companies. The culture of the organization where I work: The organizational culture at my company is the Create or Adhocracy culture (defined above) According to Waterman’s theory (cited in Greenberg, 2011) an Adhocracy culture goes beyond the ordinary bureaucratic lines to capture opportunities, solve problems and get results. In my organization, we focus on innovation and creativity. Team work is essential, because software engineers have to split up the work due to the work-load. 2. How are new employees accommodated in the organization? Accommodation can refer to special needs of some employees or just taking account and respecting all members’ race, ethnic group, color, nationality, social origin, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, sex, opinions, family status and source of income. In my company, respect is a very important aspect, we accept every member the way they are. Supporting each other rather than rejecting. (Denison, 1990). In my organization, we use a process called â€Å"Onboarding†. Onboarding is the process whereby information, training, mentoring and coaching is provided to new members. This makes new members feel welcome and informed. This also increases productivity from the beginning, reduces costs due to flaws and saves co-workers training time. According to (Parker, 1993) this process includes four stages to let new employees â€Å"onboard†. Acquiring is the first step we use in the onboarding process: In this first step, newcomers will be introduced to co-workers. The group in which the employee will work is already decided before his/ her arrival. The employee will now get the opportunity to talk to other group members to create a mental picture of what the work will include. Accommodation is the next step, new employees are provided with all the necessary resources to make their working experience pleasant. In my company, new employees get a computer, which stays at the office at all times. This computer will have all the newest software on it, ensuring that the employee can do the tasks effectively without any discomfort. Assimilation is step 3 of onboarding. The intern will now be allocated to a more experienced member. This member will show the intern around, showing him where everything is and given him a crash-course about what will be expected of him. The intern can now shadow the person to get the hang of things. Please do note that the newcomer is expected to have all the skills needed to obtain this job. Like the necessary degrees etc. , which was considered before appointing the job to the person? Acceleration: In this stage, new members engage in their working tasks, still learning as they go, but now they are able to feel comfortable in their working environment. In this stage the results are brought to the table and fairly employees now have the chance to perform and show everybody what their made of. 3. How my organizational culture can be improved: Before discussing the stages I shall take to do so, there are a few core principles that should be in place. Values are the first, which means the core values and believes of the company should be spelled out very clearly. All employees should know what the company stands for. Second are goals. When everyone knows what the goals and milestones of the company are, they know what is expected of them. Consistency is the next fundamental point- keeping the standards and goals high. Communication, important in every aspect of life is also important to improve the culture in organizations. The last point is celebration- everybody needs some reward for good work done. This will motivate employees to work hard to reach the upcoming goals and having fun in the workplace is fundamental. (Denison , 1990). The above is not the strategies I will follow to improve my organizational culture, its important elements that forms the basis of a good organizational culture. The stages of improvement include strategies to spread the culture throughout the company and beyond the borders of the company and let everyone be aware of them. I believe through doing that, the culture will improve. Here follows 6 strategies Symbols: Symbols are, according to (Ornstein, 1986) those objects, not needing words to be described. The symbols of an organization can rest in the waiting room, the size of the building, the awards hanging around, the atmosphere when you walk into the doors etc. these symbols let you know what the company is all about. Thus, it spells out the organizational culture. Slogans- Phrases that summarize the organizational culture: Slogans are those catchy tunes or saying things unique to a certain company. The slogan can tell you a lot about the companies’ culture, because the companies â€Å"heart† is captures in a few phrases. Thus, the employees and public can grasp the essence of the organizations- whereas the culture is improved. Stories: These are the re-authoring of important and catchy moments in the company’s history. The telling of these stories can re-introduce important values to employees. (Martin, 1982). These stories might be told in a formal way (in a meeting) or informally (employees drinking coffee). These stories remind employees how â€Å"we use to do it around here† and indirectly creating some expectations or guidelines. Through this the employees get a clear understanding of what the company cherishes. Jargon: These are the everyday language used in the company. Companies may also create their own phrases or words, which are understood by each other. These jargons might become unique to this company, but may also spread out to the public, making the company â€Å"famous† for their unique words. According to (Carroll. 1993) Jargons are especially popular in the high-tech world (like my company is). Ceremonies: These special events celebrate whatever it is that it most essential to the company. By looking at the reason for celebration, you will get to know the core beliefs and values of a company. Therefore, by hosting ceremonies, the employees and public can see what is valued the most. This will strengthen the culture of the organization. Lastly is Statements of Principle: Defining culture through writing: This means bringing forward a statement of principle. In this statement lie the core values of your company, reinforcing and clarifying the qualities of the company. (Carroll, 1993). Bibliography Carroll, P. (1993). Big blues: The unmaking of IBM. New York: Crown. Denison, R (1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness (3rd ed. ) Oxford, England: John Wiley Sons. Greenberg, J (2011). Behavior in Organizations. Martin, J. (1982). Stories and scripts in organizational settings. In A. Hastorf A. Isen (Eds. ), Cognitive social psychology (pp 255-306). New York: Elsevier-North Holland. Ornstein, S. L. (1986). Organizational symbols: A study of their meanings and influences on perceived psychological climate. In J. Greenberg, Behavior in Organizations (p 520). London: Pearson Publications. Parker, M (1993). Postmodernism and organizations. Sage Publications ltd.

Baums Ambivalent Vision :: Literature Children Books Papers

Baum's Ambivalent Vision Perhaps more completely than any other writer, the person who hopes to write successful children's literature must become a child again, to write with that combination of seriousness, simplicity, and wonder children demand in their stories: they will read no others. Arguably, then--because his books have been read and reread by generations of children--L. Frank Baum possesses this quality, this childlikeness, to a great degree. It is a crucial attribute for writers, one that Erich Neumann calls "a special animation of the unconscious" and defines as "the creative man's special kind of alertness. He usually possesses it even as a child, but this alertness is not identical with the reflecting consciousness of a precocious intellect. The childhood state of the creative individual can be characterized no better than in HÃ ¶lderlin's words: "und schlummert wachenden Schlaf" ("and slumbers in waking sleep"). In this state of alertness the child is open to a world, to an overwhelming unitary reality that surpasses and overpowers him on all sides. At once sheltered and exposed, this waking sleep, for which there is as yet no outside and no inside, is the unforgettable possession of the creative man". ("Creative Man and Transformation" 180) The special, creative state Neumann describes is functionally an altered state of consciousness, one achieved in a writer's case not by drugs, fasting, or meditation, but by simple concentration in a relaxed posture, the restriction of the mind to a blank piece of paper as the writer sits at his or her desk, waiting for whatever will come. Because it is a variety of altered state, because most of the major phenomena of such states overlap (Mogar 385), because one of these phenomena is a shift toward increased imagery, and because the images themselves follow a remarkably regular pattern--it is possible to construct from various sources a visionary schema that indicates just how a particular writer reacts to this heightened sense of the unconscious--with a sense of joy, of fear, or of ambivalence. The first of these sources is Aldous Huxley's Heaven and Hell, in which he identifies the major imagery of visionary states as a sense of light and color in intricate, geometric forms resembling jewels and/or flowers (103-04). This is true in both the positive and the negative visions Huxley identifies, though the jewels and flowers seem divine in the first case and demonic in the second. The latter, the terrible

Hamlet vs. Beowulf Essay

How do the protagonists from Beowulf and Hamlet compare? Though both play a major role in an epic story, they share a few common viewpoints. The outcome of both stories is greatly influenced by the main character’s struggles in life. The situations that occur throughout these stories also impact the narratives. In addition, the various characters in each work influence the protagonists’ choices and lives. Each is involved in themes which can easily relate to those of modern day society, although Beowulf and Hamlet live in completely different times. Beowulf is the ideal warrior; he is a strong, fearless fighter and a fantastic leader who goes to immutable extremes to protect his people. When his country is threatened by what is thought to be an undefeatable beast named Grendel, Beowulf does the impossible and slays the monster. Hamlet, on the other hand, is not a leader like Beowulf whatsoever. Hamlet is not even a king or recognized as a leader. Hamlet’s father was murdered, and afterwards he simply wants to go back to school to learn. It is not until much thought and preparation that he makes it his mission to have his father’s revenge. If Beowulf was placed in the same situation, he would have instantly killed the man responsible for the murder. From the beginning of this epic poem, Beowulf is not loved as a child and is told he will never be a leader, thus giving him the motivation to become one of the greatest warriors ever. His only fear is failure, in battle and as a leader. He takes on such a large role as a warrior that his fellow countrymen do not see the need to ever prepare to fight because Beowulf is all the warrior they need. This ultimately results in much pain and struggle when Beowulf finds himself in need of assistance. Hamlet is as much of an introvert as Beowulf is an extrovert. Hamlet prefers to study instead of fight and learn over battle. Hamlet’s parents love him, but his mother is a shallow woman who marries his uncle solely to remain in a place of power. Horatio and Hamlet hold an odd relationship- Horatio is Hamlet’s servant, yet he is a close friend of Hamlet’s. There are many major events in both of these narratives, but one in each stands out. In Beowulf, at the beginning of the novel he is crowned king and viewed as the leader of all. This is a major event because it puts Beowulf in a position of undivided power which seems to eventually go to his head. Though he is an incredible leader, he believes that he does not and never will need any assistance, which ends up being fatal. In his final moments, Beowulf exclaims â€Å"To the everlasting Lord of All, to the King of Glory, I give thanks that I behold this treasure here in front of me, that I have been allowed to leave my people so well endowed on the day I die† (Beowulf, page 189). A major turning point in Hamlet is the scene where Hamlet speaks with his father’s ghost. Up until this point in the play, Hamlet seems at ease with his father’s death, but after he converses with the ghost he becomes ridden with revenge. This climax turns the entire context of the play from Hamlet wishing to attend school to Hamlet seeking revenge on his uncle which, similarly to Beowulf, leads to his death. Beowulf’s character is rather elaborate. At the beginning of the book, it is said â€Å"a boy-child was born to Shield, a cub in the yard, a comfort sent by God to the nation† (Beowulf, page 3). From the beginning, Beowulf is made out to be an undefeatable hero who will stop at nothing to protect his people from danger. It is easy to relate to Beowulf in the sense that he will always rise to people’s expectations and continue to exceed them, as supported by the text â€Å"then Halfdane’s son presented Beowulf with a gold standard as a victory gift†¦with customary grace bestowed upon Beowulf both sets of gifts† (Beowulf, page 69). But it eventually comes to a point where he simply cannot meet the expectations and is left dumbfounded. As Grendel’s mother returns to take her son’s claw, she is frightened as â€Å"The hell-dam was in panic, desperate to get out, in mortal terror the moment she was found, she had pounced and taken one of the retainers in a tight hold, then headed for the fen† (Beowulf, page 91). Even though the monster is scared and running away, Beowulf, simply out of pride, follows her to her home to battle. Hamlet has no leadership desire at the beginning of the play. He simply wants to study and learn while his dad rules the country. Then Claudius, his uncle, murders his dad and after an encounter with his father’s ghost, Hamlet’s personality changes; he becomes obsessed with restitution. This makes sense because anger is one of the strongest human emotions. It is an axiomatic emotion, referred to as â€Å"one of the seven deadly sins.† For Hamlet, this becomes a reality as getting revenge ultimately leads to his own death. A very popular quote, â€Å"More than kin, less than kind† (Hamlet, page 3) was originated in Hamlet when he mumbled it to his uncle, who becomes his stepfather. Beowulf and Hamlet, though composed by different authors and written in different forms, have struggles which parallel many in the world today. Both of the heroes are affected by emotions, the people around them, and the events that occur throughout each work. Beowulf lives in a very violent society where heinous violence is the norm; this compares to certain parts of the world today, such as the Mideast. He also exemplifies the good in good versus evil which most of the modern world still deals with today. Beowulf fought against monsters whereas people today fight against disease and terrorism. Hamlet’s obsession with revenge is not different from many living today. Although Christians are meant to forgive their neighbors, many find this difficult. We are supposed to learn from history, however, the past seems to repeat itself more often than not. Even though Hamlet and Beowulf live in different eras, their battles with violence, good versus evil, and revenge still hold true today.

The Harsh Reality Crime and Punishment Essay - 1926 Words

A paragon of realist literature, Fyodor Dostoevsky harshly exposes nihilism in his novel, Crime and Punishment, published in 1866. He wields his knowledge of social psychology and pathology to weave the cautionary tale, borrowing liberally from his personal life. Its protagonist, Rodion Raskolnikov, is intelligent yet bitter and unfeeling, embodying the qualities of nihilism, the desertion of one or more meaningful aspects of life. The philosophical doctrine of nihilism is historically ubiquitous, particularly with the Nihilist Movement, one of Imperial Russia’s Great Reforms, and the growing apostasy and atheism of postmodernity; both instances highlight the abandonment of virtue. Raskolnikov is an impoverished ex-student living in St.†¦show more content†¦Raskolnikov has many intrusive thoughts about murdering the miserable pawnbroker. After a close encounter with his landlady, he thinks, â€Å"I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles’† (Dostoevsky 2). This is one of several duplicitous ideas that pass through Raskolnikovs mind. He is contemplating the death of an innocent solely for her money - the obvious motive - but to prove his superiority to society, which he blames for his crippling poverty. Even theoretically, he is a nihilist: a mere consideration of killing requires some moral abandonment. His dangerous intrusive thoughts manifest in reality; he â€Å"pulled the axe quite out, swung it with both arms, brought the blunt side down on her head...the body fell back...she was dead† (Dostoevsky 69). In addition to Alyona Ivanovna, Raskolnikov kills Lisaveta, as she witnesses him standing near her sister’s mangled body. Raskolnikov believes that by committing the murder of the old woman, he is rightfully removing â€Å"a louse...a useless, loathsome, harmful creature† from society, a mentality of political nihilists (Dostoevsky 358). This also demonstrates utilitarianism - an ethical doctrine that states moral decisions should be founded upon the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. It is imperative to note that Raskolnikov is acting on supremely selfish impulses. Although he wishes to purge society of its ills and be a â€Å"benefactor ofShow MoreRelatedPhilosophy of Punishment: Deterrence General and Specific1084 Words   |  5 PagesPhilosophy of Punishment: Deterrence General and Specific Sentencing Model: Indeterminate Sentencing For the philosophy of punishment I chose deterrence, specifically because of the goals and benefit this philosophy. The deterrence punishment is divided in to two separate categories. 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