Group Development Essay Example for Free

Group Development Essay First, here is a summary of the development stages of a team. In the forming stage, team members come togetherand form initial impressions. They socialize in order to get to know each other and bond with other team members. In the storming stage, team members experience hostility and infighting over tasks and how the team works. In the norming stage, team members start to come together and realize what needs to be accomplished. In the performing stage, team members are well-organized and well-functioningand maintain a positive balance. In the adjourning stage, team members achieve closure when the project is accomplished. At the end of the cask study the team is still in the storming phase of team development. The team has not fully come together. There is still some infighting with Mike and the presence of cliques is developing, for example, the situation in the cafeteria. Overall, I think there is tension within the team. Christine’s leadership abilities could benefit by having knowledge of the stages of group development. Aside from the very first meeting Mike was not present at any subsequent meetings. He missed out on the forming stage of team development. During this stage Mike could have talked with the team about his outside distractions, job and girlfriend, that may prevent him from fully participating at the meetings, and on the project. If Christine had some knowledge of team development she would have recognized this lapse in the forming stage and could have been able to address this issue with Mike before it became a bigger problem. Christine, as the team leader, could have pulled Mike aside and talked to him about the importance of attending the meetings. She could have spoke with him after the cafeteria incident to reassure him that he was not being excluded, but that all the team members being there was truly a coincidence. Also, she could have told Mike her opinion about how she felt he had a lot to offer the team, the value of his contributions and how it would help with the success of the team. PART II – Problem Identification The primary problem that appears in this case is Christine’s lack of knowledge in team development and as a team leader. The secondary problem is Mike’s unwillingness to contribute to the team. Since Christine did not have knowledge of team development or experience she was ineffective as the team leader. She could have organized the team better by assigning tasks’, scheduling meetings in advance, and possible scheduling a team building event to solidify the forming stage of development. Mike was the second problem to overall team success. Although Mike had issues outside of the team he should have talked to the team at the beginning and asked for assistance and support. After the incident in the cafeteria Mike simply walked away. He should have stayed for a few minutes and discussed the situation with the other members. I don’t fell Mike did his part to interact with the team to enhance the forming stage of development. After the first meeting he immediately set himself as an outsider. Christine as a leader must understand the each group of individuals is going to have its own personality, both individually and collectively. When you understand the needs of each member, and the dynamic that each one brings to the group, then and only then, are you able to develop a strategy to utilize team development to achieve the groups ultimate goal. The goal is to complete a quality project on time. If Christine’s knowledge of team synergy, social facilitation, and overall team effectiveness would have server her well in her role as project leader. Lastly, Christie needs to learn how to assign tasks based on the strengths, and weaknesses of each team member. Other members of the team each had something to offer, including Mike. He was classified as a clown. Clowns tend to be very spontaneous in their thinking; this is a possible source of new and innovative ideas. This should have been communicated to Mike as well as the rest of the team. PART III – Retrospective Evaluation In order for Christine to solve her primary problem two things need to occur. First, Christine should take a class in organization behavior. Understanding the team development process, as well as, team effectiveness, and teams in an organization will definitely help Christine. She will be able to understand, and identify positive and negative aspects of her project team and would have been able to implement steps to correct any deficiencies. The second aspect was Christine’s lack of effectiveness and her inability to integrate Mike into the team. After the first meeting which Mike attended, the problems started. Mike did not make meeting, and was submitting hand written notes. Christine should have structured a meeting that Mike could attend, or scheduled a team building social event. in addition, she could have started reviewing his notes with the other team members at the meetings since he was not there to do it himself. This would at least have given the other team members the knowledge that Mike was making an effort on his part of the project. PART IV – Reflection In my opinion Christine was presented with a challenge that was way above her level of experience. Her lack of knowledge in team development, and as a team leader was evident in the project team. The team did not make it past the storming phase, and therefore never fully developed into an efficient team. She failed to integrate one individual into the team. This caused friction within the team and left one section of the project incomplete with one week remaining until the deadline. Overall, I do not believe Christine was an effective group leader. REFERENCES 1. Schermerhorn, J.R. Jr.,Osborn, R.N., Uhl-Bien, M., Hunt, J.E., Organizational Behavior 12th Edition (2012), John Wiley Sons, Danvers, MA.

Mr Dolphus Raymond tells Scout, Your pa’s not a run of the mill man. :: Free Essay Writer

Mr Dolphus Raymond tells Scout, Your pa’s not a run of the mill man. How far do you agree with this description of Atticus Finch? The novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee is set during the 1930s in the Deep South of America, during a time when there was a large racial segregation. The book is about Tom Robinson, a black man accused of the rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson’s lawyer is Atticus Finch. Atticus is a white, single father of two children, Scout and Jem. The family live in the town of Maycomb County, Alabama. It is a very close knit community and Atticus is family, friends or a neighbour to nearly all the people of Maycomb. He is frowned upon by nearly all the white citizens of Maycomb because he is defending a black man. Atticus believes Tom Robinson is innocent and so defends him, with or without the support of Maycomb’s citizens. Atticus Finch is ‘Maycomb County born and bred’ and is ‘related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in Maycomb’. Atticus has lived in Maycomb all his life and at the start of the book, before the trial, is highly regarded as a good citizen of Maycomb. Atticus is a fair and honest man. Atticus is one of the only men in Maycomb who does not share the prejudices of the other citizens. He is also very well educated unlike many others in the town, whether this is due to lack of money or simply the fact people cannot be bothered to go to school, like the Ewell family. On Scout’s first day of school we find out that every member of the Ewell family ‘come first day every year and then leave’. He treats black and white people the same and he gains a lot of respect from the black community of Maycomb. A few of the white citizens of Maycomb support Atticus during the trial but Mrs. Dubose is not one of them. Mrs. Dubose tells the children ‘Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!’ I feel that Mrs. Dubose deep down likes Atticus but she has been brought up in a world or racism and prejudice and more than likely was taught not to like black people. One person who supports Atticus throughout the book is Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie is a neighbour of the Finch family. Miss Maudie is the only person who never loses faith in Atticus. During a conversation with Scout she tells her ‘there are some men in this world that are

Nutrition †Food Essay

In our today’s society, especially western countries, the issue of fast food seems to be at the top of every health related debate. As these debates become more controversial, the question of who bears the responsibility remains unanswered. In his essay, Don’t Blame the Eater, David Zinczenko attempts to answer this key question by placing the greater responsibility of America’s obesity and other fast food related health issues on the fast food industries. Contrary to Zinczenko’s argument, Raldy Balko, in his essay, What You Eat Is Your Business, states that, people should take ownership of their health and well-being, and are therefore responsible for what and how they eat. Although both Zinczenko and Balko address the issue of responsibility, though with contrast, but valid arguments, Zinczenko seems to present a more convincing argument due to the way in which he explains the politics of food, the way in which our lifestyles are altered by what we eat, and things we can do to change the way we see food and its role in our lives. Although Zinczenko hold consumers responsible to an extent, he blames the fast food industries for the rising rate of obesity and other health issues related to fast food due to their failure to provide labels for their products. Zinczenko convincingly supports his claim by noting statistical data that shows the rise in money spent to treat diabetes. â€Å"Before 1994, diabetes in children was generally caused by a genetic disorder only 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity related, or Type 2 diabetes. Today, according to the National Institutes of Health, Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of all new childhood cases of diabetes in this country†(Zinczenko 392). He argues that, if the fast food companies are regulated so that they are responsible for their food contents, by providing proper labels, than consumers will make informed food choices. Contrary to Zinczenko, Balko argues that what one eats should be a matter of personal responsibility. To Balko’s credit, I believe that people should take personal responsibility for their health by adding a sensible diet and exercise to their routines. Where I differ from Balko is when he says that government restrictions on food are a result of people making poor food choices. According to Balko, â€Å"a society where everyone is responsible for everyone else’s well-being is a society more apt to accept government restrictions† (397). I think Balko’s argument in this regard, is a selfish one, and is an attempt to exempt the rich from paying their fair share of taxes that would otherwise benefit the poor or some middle families who cannot afford the high cost of health insurance. Both Zinczenko and Balko seem to agree on the rising health costs that are somehow a result of fast food, these two authors seem to differ on reasons. Zinczenko argues that health care cost is on the rise because of diseases caused by fast food due to the failure of fast food companies to provide labels and that consumers should not be blame for it. However, Balko argues that it is so that, we allow the â€Å"government to come between us and our waistline† (396). Balko states that, the more the government continues to fund health issues that are direct attribute of poor food/health choices, the more people will continue to dine on fast food and engage not in an effective diet and exercise regimen. (398) The growth of the fast food industry and the rate at which fast food is consumed is so fast, and its accompanying risks of obesity and related cardiovascular diseases have become a societal epidemic. Zinczenko blames the fast food industries for the spring in the rate to which obesity have grown in the United States. Even though Zinczenko is right about the rising rate of obesity, and that the consumption of fast food forms part of its etiology, the thesis of his argument cannot be proven and therefore cannot form the basis for his claims against the fast food companies since there are other contributing factors regarding the cause, onset, and progression of obesity. Obesity is also biologically linked. These biological attributors include: genetics, hormones, enzymes, and vitamins and minerals. Some people have fat in their genes that, no matter what they do, they are just fat. Others have issues with hormonal imbalances and or inadequate enzymatic actions that would aid in the adequate digestion and absorption of certain foods. Fast food is just one of the many environmental attributes associated with obesity. So Zinczenko can accurately make his case against the fast food industries for providing labels so as to enable consumers make informed food choices and not a case of obesity. Sometimes, people are too fast to pass judgment on others, especially people that are obese. I am equally guilty of the accusation myself. I work as a nurse at a nursing home facility and, in most cases, when staff member comes to me complaining of headache, first thing I say to them is; let’s check your blood pressure and, God forbid, the blood pressure is elevated, or if that person just look fat to me, my next comment is, it is because of all the junk you eat. My judgment, though may be incorrect, is based on the fact that most of these staff members are single parents, live in inner cities, and have a total commute time of two hours to and from work. Not to mention, some of them have more than one job. However, these people are being made to feel guilty about something that is totally out their control. In most instances, their wages aren’t even enough to meet up with their rents and utilities bills. Fast food comes handy in such instance where one can spend ten dollars and get ten cheeseburgers to feed a family of three to five versus going to the grocery store where each healthy ingredient is almost equivalent to the price of the entire dinner comprising of fast food. People fall back on fast food because it is cheap. Zinczenko explains that his parents were split up and that he had to live with his mother who worked long hours just to make the monthly bills. â€Å"Lunch and dinner, for me, was a daily choice between McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. † (Zinczenko 391). In Zinczenko’s case, his lifestyle is altered because fast food is his only option since his family is dysfunctional. His single mother has to work very hard to pay bills and provide him a meal. It doesn’t matter the kind of meal. A meal is a meal, especially for someone who doesn’t have the time to prepare a home cooked meal. The people afflicted with fast food related obesity are not to blame for what they eat because they have very little or no options regarding what they eat due to all of the above reasons. However, to Balko’s point, while people may not have the option about what they eat, they have the option to control how they eat. Zinczenko states in his essay that fast food is â€Å"the only available options for an American kid to get an affordable meal†, and so, he urges his readers not to â€Å"blame the Eater† (392). But as with Zinczenko, we are well aware of the role fast food play in our lives. We understand that, though fast may be one, or the only available meal choice that we have, the way we eat can help us determine the role these foods play in our lives. Zinczenko supports his argument about the role food play in his life by giving information about his pre-college weight. â€Å"By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame† (392). Even Zinczenko believes that, consumers are as equally responsible for the way they eat. However, he maintains his argument that the fast food companies bare the greater responsibility. In conclusion, both the eater and the producer are responsible for fast food related obesity, but I believe that the fast industries should bare the greater responsibility. Fast food companies must provide their consumers with proper food labels that enable them to make inform decision about what they eat. Label should not be falsified or misleading, like in the example giving by Zinczenko about the misleading label on the â€Å"chicken salad† (393). He refers to the salad as not healthy and that it is a caloric death- trap aimed at eaters who will not suspect it. Although Balko makes some really good points, his objectives seem to me as a means to an end. Zinczenko cautions that there are few or no alternatives to what we eat and that things have to change. Balko cautions that allowing food regulations for labels means letting the government between you and your waistline. In either case, we as a people have a responsibility to consider what and how we eat.

The Impact Of Low Socioeconomic Status On Student Success...

Out-of-school factors and educational inequalities affect the academic success of students in the lower class population. The research questions that will be answered in this research paper are: What is the impact of low socioeconomic status on student success and failure? Does culture have a (positive or negative) impact on educational equality? The significance of the topic is to elucidate and educate others on how crucial it is for teachers and principals to understand the backgrounds and dynamics which surround students of the lower class population. This research paper will reveal the encumbrances children encounter in their daily walks of life. Out-of-school factors to be discussed will include family economic status, culture,†¦show more content†¦By the time the lower class parent(s) get home they are too exhausted to read to their children. Moreso, they may even be dropping by to ensure their kids are in place and/or changing uniforms for the next job. This results in very short, simplistic conversations, leaving no opportunities for vocabulary expansion. It is not surprisingly at all that non-school factors impact school achievement.The two aspects of parenting that seem to matter most are intellectual stimulation (eg, talking, reading, answering â€Å"why?† questions) and emotional support for examp le bonding with infants so that they grow up confident and secure (Parenting in America, 2014). Before most lower class students exit their homes, they have already dealt with numerous issues by the time they reach school. These students have encountered so many problems they did not create. However, being in that place at that particular time, they are a part of the what seems to be a never-ending equation. Students from the lower social class are not afforded the same opportunities as their peers from the upper and middle class to attend structured after school programs or organized extracurricular activities because their families cannot afford it. These students go home to play in the neighborhoods or streets, sometimes getting involved in gang activity or picking up habits (i.e., using profanity, smoking, drinking, drugs, experiencing sex) from non-productive people. Lower social class parents cannot affordShow MoreRelatedEffects of Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity on a Child1542 Words   |  7 PagesThe socioeconomic status of a family and their ethnicity has a substantial effect on their child’s early learning and determines how much their child will accomplish through life. Life events from before birth to three years old will have significant impact on brain development (Nelson, 1999). Socioeconomic status limits how much a family could provide to aid a child’s development. 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