Kacie K.

Harris
Master of Organizational Management Graduation Committee: Dr. Shafiq Rahman Dr. Wendy Waugh, Dr. Norma Nealeigh Oral Exam: April 3, 2013 Graduation date: May 4, 2013

Table of Contents Resume Plan of Study Courses: PSYC 538 Behavioral Statistics BIS 632 Information Systems for Managers CA 530 Communication Research Methods FCS 537 Family Strengths PSYC 541 Advanced Organizational Psychology CA 630 Organizational Communication MKTG 630 Marketing Managers MGMT 630 Organizational Behavior CTE 632 Organizational Leadership CA 610 Conflict Resolution and Mediation BA 690 Internship Summary and Conclusion 5 33 39 69 94 113 198 250 271 282 325 349 1 4

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RESUME

Kacie K Harris
645 S. Norfolk Way Aurora, CO 80017 720-837-5933 Kacie.Harris@childrenscolorado.org ______________________________________________________________________ OBJECTIVE: As a current employee of Children's Hospital Colorado, I look to extend my knowledge and expand my skills in the supervision and management of others. HIGHLIGHT: I will graduate from Chadron State College, with a Masters degree in Occupational Management. I pride myself in the ability to resolve conflict in a constructive manner, utilize teamwork to the highest ability all through effective communication.

EDUCATION: Chadron State College Master's Organizational Management Graduate: May 2013 Bachelors of Technical Occupations Received :May 2012 Pima Medical Institute Denver, CO Chadron, NE

Associate of Applied Science in Radiologic Technologist Received: 2010 R.T.(R) 480078 Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO

Associates of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Received: 2006 SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Effective Communication Conflict resolution Public relations with the public by using empathy and problem solving skills Leadership skills with coworkers and employees to improve and grow as a team Management of time by productivity, and reliable for scheduled shifts Detail oriented in patient medical history and quality of work ALARA Experience working with pediatric, inpatients, outpatients, trauma, surgery, geriatric, and bariatric patients Utilize and practice transport, sterile technique, and radiation protection Director of Home Owners Association

TECHNICAL SKILLS: CT GE 8, 16, and 64 slice Timing Bolus V. Smart Prep Reformats on scans Cross Sectional Anatomy Vitals, Medical History, and Blood draws/IV Diagnostic Imaging: CR and DR Agfa, Fuji, and Kodak DICOM: HIS, RIS, and PACS GE, Phillips, and Siemens Fluoroscopy procedures Portables: Emergency department, Operating room, ICU, MICU, PACU, and NICU C-arm: Operating room, and Anesthesia department

CERTIFICATIONS: ARRT R.T. (R) 480078 Basic Life Support Certified

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Nov. 2012 Feb. 2013 Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO Internship Radiology Director Create, Review, and Submit justification request; attend Quality Assurance, Service, and Equipment meetings; employee moral improvement, attend financial meetings, and disciplinary actions

July 2011 - Present, Children's Hospital Colorado Radiologic Technologist

Aurora, CO

Radiographic duties, quality films, as well as excellent patient care

Feb. 2011 Aug. 2011 Med Express Radiologic Technologist

Denver, CO

Triage, vitals, patient history, preform radiology duties, as well as patient care.

2009 2010, Pima Medical Institute Clinical Experience

Denver, CO

16 months of DX/CT experience at HealthOne, Kaiser, Veterans Hospital, Boulder Community Hospital.

2008 2009, 2004-2006, Bank of the West Assistant Customer Service Manager

Denver, CO

Exceeded customer service and sales goals every quarter, as well as training new employees, and responsible for monthly audits.

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Plan of Study

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Courses: PSYC 538 Behavioral Statistics Expectations of Student PSYC 538 was the first class I took for my Masters program; when I took this course I was still an undergraduate and about to graduate. When enrolling in this course I had the expectation that it would be similar to the statistics that I took in high school. I knew the importance of knowing and understanding statistics for research reasons and was expecting to learn how to decipher statistical information for the purpose of reliability and validity of research studies. Student Learning Outcomes to understand what statistics are and how they are used. to be able to choose the appropriate statistic(s) to use in a given situation to understand conceptually what statistics mean and what they can tell us to be able to use statistical software for the computation of both descriptive and inferential statistics to understand the process of hypothesis testing to be able to write up conclusions in real English based on the printouts from statistical software. to apply critical thinking skills in terms of evaluating claims that are made around them in commercial and other environments to communicate statistical results and will learn about the application of statistics in social contexts

Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments Statistics is data, information, and the analysis collected for the use of research. Each situation is different requiring different statistical formulas to be utilized known as methodology. Within my future career as radiology director statics are used for a multitude of reasons including medical research, safety concerns and improvement
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standards. The first learning outcome was to understand what statistics are and how they are used. This is collection, analysis and translation of data based on quantitive principles also known as measureable data. Statistics are used everyday in many things we see as a consumer a great example would be a new medication that is advertised on television, they state that only 10% of people have a specific drug reaction. Behavioral statistics taught me that the methods of the study could have been chosen to show this favor, depending on the variables such as the amount of subjects, their sex, age and medical history the results can change. The second learning outcome stated, to be able to choose the appropriate statistic(s) to use in a given situation. The basis of the appropriate statistical formula is dependent on the information given and information desired. This is also known as inferential statistics, we can try to take a sample of information from people to make a judgment for what the whole population would want, or we can use the formula to find the differences and similarities among different samples of population. The third learning outcome was to to understand conceptually what statistics mean and what they can tell us. With my lack of history in math and statistics this outcome surprised me, I never realized the variety of ways that information can be gathered, translated and explained. To conceptually understand what statistics mean it took all semester to obtain a full picture. Statistics are the combination of information collected, separated by variables where the information is analyzed for review. Statistics can tell us a lot of information that would be otherwise unknown. A great example would be in a city with two high schools the same size, as a parent you want to know which one to send your child to, statistics show that the graduation rate at one school and the attendance to college after is much higher when compared to the other school. The test scores at the first school are higher in the last three years of school then the other. Based on the statistical overview a parent would be more likely to send their child to a school where their child is more likely to graduate and go to college. The next learning outcome stated, to be able to use statistical software for the computation of both descriptive and inferential statistics.. Descriptive statistics is when information is obtained from a population of people and real scores are used. For example how many people have a 2 or 4-year degree in your neighborhood. The number of 452 out of 600 for a 2-year and 105 out of 600 for a 4-year degree would be described as descriptive statistics, the utilization of real numbers. Inferential statistics is use when a researcher generalized scores or provides an average for when the
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population is so big that the it would be impossible to reach everyone so, an assumption is made based on the data collected from the sample group. The fifth learning outcome was, to understand the process of hypothesis testing. Hypothesis testing is the testing of an educated assumption based on prior information. A great example would be you want to prove that more people own Chevys then Fords. Based on this hypothesis you set up a research study, collect the data and then you analyze and publish your findings. The next learning outcome stated, to be able to write up conclusions in real English based on the printouts from statistical software. This is a very important thing to know when dealing with statistics. The person writing and reading the research information much has a mutual understanding about the information. Having a understanding of the analysis allows for a better understanding of a possible sampling error, the possible information change from one study to the next. It provides an importance on how to explain your findings and possible other finding to the public for anyone of any education level or background to understand. To apply critical thinking skills in terms of evaluating claims that are made around them in commercial and other environments was the next learning outcome. Based on the information that was obtained in this course I was able to analyze and question the statistics provided in the public. Many times I would and still find myself questioning the researcher approach and how they came up with the published information. The last learning outcome was to communicate statistical results and will learn about the application of statistics in social contexts. In order to communication statistical results one would need to have a basic understanding of the hypothesis, research polls and how the data was analyzed including the variables of each. Once there is a basic understanding the communication is simple, the advertisement of 23% of subject had an adverse reaction to the medication. These adverse reactions consisted of rash, difficulty breathing and blurred vision. My first question would be how many subjects this will help determine the actual likely hood of you having the same reaction. The next question I would ask would be what is the medical history of the subjects, age, sex, ethnicity because each is important to know how to relate to the information. This is usually provided in the small print to make the consumer search for the information. Knowing how the information is applied in the social media or research is important for the comprehension of the information.

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Summary comments for positive change Since this was my first class at a Masters level I found learning mathematical statistics difficult for me personally. With limited experience with statistics I found much of my learning as being learn by error. Once the general information was understood it slowly became easier to understand and perform. With my career as radiology director I found the information in this class to be useful for future statistical analysis for equipment, medical research and population wants and concerns. In my organization we put the patient and their families as the top priority so it is important to know what is working and what isnt, while looking at what the best treatment for the child based on published research studies. I wouldnt change anything about this course due to the abundance of information that was provided, great communication with the students, and great interaction in daily/weekly discussions. It provided constant help when questions were present.

Syllabus Psychology 538-79 Advanced Behavioral Statistics Spring 2012

Instructor: Mary Jo Carnot Office Phone: 432-6419 (1-800-chadron, ask for me)

Office: Miller 209 email: mcarnot@csc.edu

Fax: 308-432-6429 (please make sure my name, your name, the class, and the assignment name appear - this is a shared fax Office Hours: Monday 10-11 in Advising Center Tuesday 1-2 Wednesday 10-12
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Thursday 1-2 I am on campus most days. Please feel free to contact me to schedule an appointment at other times I might be available. Class Time: online through Sakai and the Aplia website (see Aplia instructions in Resources). Credit hours: 3 Description: Computational and graphical techniques in descriptive and inferential data analysis. Primary topics include the scales of measurement, shapes and types of distributions, measures of central tendency and variability, correlation, regression, hypothesis testing; analysis of variance, interval estimation, sampling, and probability theory. Course will also include an introduction to statistical software and multivariate methods. Prerequisite: PSYC 238 or 242, or another undergraduate statistics class. Required Text(s): Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 9th Edition Frederick J Gravetter | Larry B. Wallnau Aplia access is also required for homework and exams. This will give you online access to the 9th edition of the book and immediate feedback on homework. If you are using a hard copy of the 7th or the 8th edition, chapter 12 on estimation has been integrated into other chapters, and a new chapter (chapter 19) on selecting the appropriate statistic has been added. Some nonparametric tests have been moved to an appendix. Student Learning Outcomes: The specific learning outcomes for the student are: 1. to understand what statistics are and how they are used. 2. to be able to choose the appropriate statistic(s) to use in a given situation 3. to understand conceptually what statistics mean and what they can tell use
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4. to be able to use statistical software for the computation of both descriptive and inferential statistics 5. to understand the process of hypothesis testing 6. to be able to write up conclusions in real English based on the printouts from statistical software. 7. to apply critical thinking skills in terms of evaluating claims that are made around them in commercial and other environments 8. to communicate statistical results and will learn about the application of statistics in social contexts In this class many of the ten learning goals and suggested outcomes from the American Psychological Association will be addressed. For many of you, this class will be a chance to demonstrate that you have achieved the following goals. 2.3 Evaluate the appropriateness of conclusions derived from psychological research. a. Interpret basic statistical results b. Distinguish between statistical significance and practical significance c. Describe effect size and confidence intervals d. Evaluate the validity of conclusions presented in research reports 6.2 Use appropriate software to produce understandable reports of the psychological literature, methods, and statistical and qualitative analyses in APA or other appropriate style, including graphic representations of data. 7.3 Exhibit quantitative literacy. a. Apply basic mathematical concepts and operations to support measurement strategies b. Use relevant probability and statistical analyses to facilitate interpretation of measurements

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c. Articulate clear and appropriate rationale for choice of information conveyed in charts, tables, figures, and graphs d. Interpret quantitative visual aids accurately, including showing vigilance about misuse or misrepresentation of quantitative information Method(s) of Instruction: Classroom lecture and discussion, Classroom exercises from text and other sources (guided problem solving) Discussions, critiques of research. Evaluation of output from statistical programs Evaluation of popular press and journal articles in terms of presentation of statistics Course Requirements: In this class, you will need to attend class on a regular basis. For an online class, this means keeping up with all of the work, and getting online regularly to complete assignments. Statistics builds to a very large extent on the material that was covered in an earlier portion of the class, and missing class will be problematic. Non-participation for any extended period of time will result in the loss of at least one letter grade. Class requirements include attendance and participation in the online class, exams, and several homework assignments that include both conceptual questions and application questions. Students will read about concepts and research in statistics, both in textbooks and in associated online readings. Students will participate in several activities associated media and research representation of statistics. Students will also be asked to demonstrate their understanding of text and online readings through exams, quizzes, assignments, and short in-class papers or assignments.

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Exams: Exams will be a mixture of multiple choice and problem solving questions. Since Sakai does not render the formulas and symbols correctly, I am still deciding on the best process for exams. They may be in Aplia or in Sakai. Please watch carefully for more information as exam times approach. Forums: Forums will be in Sakai. There will be an introductory forum and two types of ongoing forums. In the introductory forum, you will be asked to introduce yourself to your fellow learners, as well as explore your background, concerns about the class, and what you hope the class will do for you. The first type of ongoing forum is a place for you to post questions you might have about Aplia assignments, or about end of the chapter questions that cause you have trouble. Be sure to post enough specific information about your questions so that people can help. (this one is optional and can be used as needed, and you will get some limited extra credit points if you help out your fellow learners). If you are really stuck, please email me so I am aware of issues you might be having. The second type of ongoing forum is for you to begin to explore the way in which statistics are used in media reports and in peer reviewed journal articles, as well as in potentially internal documents created for business use. Ill provide some basic information/articles here, but will expect you to be actively contributing here. For graduate students, the expectation is that this forum will allow you to actively explore how statistics might be used in your current (or perhaps anticipated) future employment settings. Assignments: Assignments will be on the Aplia site. It may also be helpful to review problems at the end of the book chapters. You will have a chance to discuss problems with your classmates and will receive extra credit if you post questions or answers. Graduate students will have an additional writing and application assignment. For graduate projects, you need to collect five research articles in your field that demonstrate the use of at least five different statistical techniques, and write a mini12 Kacie K. Harris

literature review in which you summarize the articles, and indicate to me that you can accurately interpret the statistics. Your articles should be based on a single topic, so you can write a coherent literature review. 1. Find five research articles in your field of study. (these must be from scientific peer-reviewed journals, not popular press articles) 2. Write a literature review that includes the following:

a. Critical review of each article including overview, description and critique of rationale, methods, statistical techniques and interpretations b. Review the statistics chosen by each author (you should be sure that the articles incorporate at least three different inferential statistics). Were the correct analyses performed? Was the correct interpretation provided for each statistical analysis? c. Incorporation of your articles into a literature review on the topic of your choice (note that a literature review would not typically include statistical analyses discussion, so you might wish to make this two separate portions of your paper. d. American Psychological Association format must be used. 3. Example of Paper Setup

a. Part 1: literature review of at least five articles on topic of your choice related to your field of study. For each article critique theoretical and methodological choices, and integrate findings into some conclusions and suggestions for future research. b. Part 2: in depth analysis of statistical techniques selected for each of five articles. Were they appropriate for methodology? Were they reported correctly? What other analyses would you have expected?

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Course Schedule Week 1

Assignment Chapter 1. Introduction

January 9 Grading Procedures: PSYC2 538 Chapter Last day to add Frequency Aplia Assignments is January 15 Distributions Exams Forums Week 2 January 16 Paper Continue Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Measures of Central Tendency

Register for Aplia (complete by Wednesday) Introduction to Aplia (complete by Wednesday) Math/Graphing Pretest (complete by Wednesday) Chapter 1 Aplia (complete by Sunday) 20 percent Forum Sakai) introduce yourself to your 40 (in percent classmates 20 percent Chapter 2 Aplia (complete by Wednesday) Chapter 3 Aplia (complete by Sunday) 20 (in percent Forum Sakai) ongoing forum with questions/problems you might be having Forum (in Sakai) ongoing application of statistics, will be focused on popular press or scientific articles, possibly white papers presented by instructor and students Chapter 4 Aplia Assignment (complete by Sunday) Forum (in Sakai) ongoing forum with questions/problems you might be having Forum (in Sakai) ongoing application of statistics, will be focused on popular press or scientific articles, possibly white papers presented by instructor and students Chapter 5 Aplia Assignment (complete by Sunday( Exam 1 on Chapters 1-5 Forum (in Sakai) ongoing forum with questions/problems you might be having

Week 3 January 23

Chapter 4 Variability

Week 4 January 30

Chapter 5 z scores: Location of Scores and Standardized Distributions

Week 5 February Chapter 6 6 Probability

Forum (in Sakai) ongoing application of statistics, will be focused on popular press or scientific articles, possibly white papers presented by instructor and students Chapter 6 Aplia Assignment (complete by Sunday)Forum (in Sakai) ongoing forum with questions/problems you might be having

Forum (in Sakai) ongoing forum with questions/problems you might be having

Kacie K. Harris

Week 6 February Chapter 7 13 Probability and Samples: The

Forum (in Sakai) ongoing application of statistics, will be focused on popular press or 14 scientific articles, possibly white papers presented by instructor and students Chapter 7 Aplia Assignment (complete by Sunday)

Grading Scheme 90 % and above A 80 % - 89 % B 70 % - 79 % C 60 % - 69% D Less than 60% F Variations to this grading scheme may be based on the distribution of scores in the class and will be discussed. Make-up Policy: All make-ups for tests will be given during the final exam week, and will be different than the exam given in class. Incomplete Policy: It is expected that incompletes will occur under relatively extreme and rare circumstances. If a situation may cause difficulty with completion of course work, please let me know as soon as possible. Incompletes will not be given unless at least half of the coursework is completed. Student Behavior: Academic Honesty - Students are expected to conduct themselves in conformity with the highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Violation of college, state, or federal standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating, or falsification of official records will not be tolerated. Students violating such standards will be subject to discipline, as per campus policies articulated in the Student Handbook. Please request a copy of the student handbook from the Dean of Students (Crites 6280). Attendance Policy The College assumes that students will seek to profit from the instructional program and will recognize the importance of attending every class meeting of courses for which credit is expected. Responsibility for notifying faculty of absences, and for arranging potential make-up, rests with the students. Course attendance is required. More than five unexcused absences will result in a grade that is lower by at least one letter grade. Civility Civil behavior enhances the academic setting, and is expected at all times. The academic environment welcomes a difference of opinion, discourse, and debate
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within a civil environment. Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Educational Opportunity Policy: Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage admission of minority and female students and to provide procedures which will assure equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating an environment for all students that is consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of Chadron State College to administer its academic employment programs and related supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, or marital status. Student requests for reasonable accommodation based upon documented disabilities should be presented within the first two weeks of the semester, or within two weeks of the diagnosis, to the Disabilities Counselor (432-6461; CRITES 338). Disclaimer: This syllabus and schedule is articulated as an expectation of class topics, learning activities, and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in this schedule that, within my professional judgment, would result in enhanced or more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially change the intent or objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and procedures of Chadron State College.

Attachments:

http://csc.rsmart.com/access/content/attachment/d20a4509-f74c-42e9-9780d0e0e2a427ed/Syllabus/8e6bc91a-80d8-44fe-ac62-57acea10af43/Spring %202012%20PSYC%20538%20syllabus.doc

Course Work

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Increase in Obesity Rates Result in an Increase in Medical Costs Kacie K. Harris Chadron State College

Part 1 Introduction Twenty five percent of the United States population is obese according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance

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System (BRFSS) as of 2006. This was a steady increase of thirty-seven percent from 1998. What is Obesity? Obesity is a term used to identify a persons weight in relation to their height this is determination is based on their BMI (body mass index), a person with a BMI of 30 or more is placed in the obese category. This number is determined based by a simple formula of a persons weight in kilograms divided by their height measured in meters squared. The cause of obesity in one article is based on lifestyle habits, which then correlates into obesity; being obese places a person into certain health risks resulting in medical visits. We will see how going from lifestyle habits such as eating and exercise can cause a person to develop health problems, these poor health decisions result in medical issues the ultimately result in an increase in medical costs. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) obesity is a risk factor that causes idleness such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), asthma, cancer, and degenerative joint disease. (AHA, 2012). The poor health decisions resulting in CVD show that there were 7,452,000 cardiovascular procedures in 2009 alone, these procedures adding to the Medicare bill of 32.7 billion dollars in 2006. In one study by Wang, Beydoun, Liang, Caballero, and Kumanyika (2008) 86.3 percent of Americans are projected to be overweight or obese by 2030. The increase in the prevalence of obesity creates an increase in health care cost of 104 billion, a 15.8 17.6 percent increase (Wang, Beydoun, Laing, Caballero, and Kumanyika, 2008) The cause of the correlation between obesity and heath care cost was explained very well by Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen, and Dietz, presenting factors that show a 42 percent higher medical spending for an obese over a person of normal weight.
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Methodology of Review The research studies chosen for this review begin with the causes of obesity such as lifestyle decisions. Based on those lifestyle choices health risks can come into effect such as cardiovascular disease, effecting over 82 million people it creates an increase in healthcare procedures, medications, and demands. With an increase in healthcare demands the resulting factor is an increase in healthcare costs. Each study will show the colorations of being obese resulting in increased healthcare costs. Common key words used throughout these six studies include: projection, correlation, prevalence, variables (continuous and demographic), Cox proportional hazard ratio, random sampling, Coehns d for projection, and regression-based approach. Including common abbreviations: Body Mass Index (BMI), obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), American Heart Association (AHA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Center of Disease Control (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Heart, lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Overview of Research Studies Methodologies The six research studies chosen for this review consisted of eight different forms of methodology including: demographic and continuous variables, Cox proportional hazard ratio (Matheson, King, & Everett, 2011), Cohens d projection (Wang, Beydoun,
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Liang, Caballero, & Kumanyika, 2008), regression approach (Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen, & Dietz, 2009), and linear estimation model on logarithmic scale (Andreyeva, Sturm, & Ringel 2004). As well as random sampling and self-reporting techniques (Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen, & Dietz 2009; AHA, 2012; Finkelstein & Stromotne, 2010). Purpose of Research Studies These research studies were chosen based on a common argument of the prevalence of obesity with the correlation of increased healthcare costs; the causes of obesity, the health risks caused by obesity, resulting in an increase of healthcare costs. In each of the six studies, random sampling was used along with self-reporting bases for collected information. In one study participants were followed for an average of 170 months by Matheson, King, & Everett (2011), allowing for insight over time. Each study describes the health effects of obesity as well as the correlating effects it has on healthcare costs. Findings of the Review The studies conducted comprised of random sampling allowing for a more diverse group of people to be represented thus preventing any kind of bias over sex, race, ethnicity, or economically. With the random sampling, self-reporting was conducted the concerns with self-reporting include false data resulting in questionable results. When we report things we may not always be honest. For example, in one study
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done by Matheson, King, & Everett, 2011 it showed that twelve percent of people who were obese worked out more than 12 times a month. Is this due to the errors of the BMI scale or self-reporting, unfortunately the BMI scale doesnt take into account someone that may have a low body fat percentage possibly placing them above 30 on the BMI scale. Weightlifters can possibly be put into the obese category due to the massive amount of muscle, creating issues in the report process. It can also cause a reverse issue; someone that is of a normal weight could have more health problems than an obese person due to not eating healthy foods. This creating common issues that are argued often on whether or not obesity is the cause of increased healthcare. The similarities among the studies chosen are the prevalence of obesity as well as the drastic increase in healthcare costs today. Much of the information used was from reliable sources such as AHA, CDC, and others. These sources are considered reliable and construct useful information due to the fact that much of their information was a result of direct reporting from medical agencies and insurance companies. Discussion and Implication According to researchers a healthy individual eats more than five servings of fruit a day, works out more than twelve times a month, doesnt smoke, and drinks moderately (Matheson, King, & Everett, 2011). The strongest connection shown in the data is given by Matheson, King, & Everett, which is the relation between being married or living with a partner and being obese. Seventy percent of the people who are married or living with a partner had a BMI of more than 30 placing them in the obese category,

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compared to that of thirty percent of the people living alone were obese. Seventy percent of the participants in this study didnt smoke where as three quarters of the people that were smokers were obese. (Matheson, King, & Everett, 2011) Although exercise was a big contributor in keeping people healthy according to this study, only eighteen percent of people in this study reported that they worked out more than 12 times a month were also classified as obese, in comparison to people who worked out 1-12 times a month thirty-six percent were obese. Losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle can be two different things if the weight is lost in an unhealthy way. 1 in 5 Americans who attempt to lose weight are successful in maintaining weight loss over time (Matheson, King, & Everett, 2011) Peoples lives change, whether it is marriage, career, or children, these can all cause a change in how they live it, this includes healthy habits. Eric Finkelstein and Kiersten Strombotne (2009) reported in their study that over the last twenty years the data here in the United States reported that the price of fruit and vegetables increased 190% along with other healthy foods, whereas the price of fatty and sugary foods as well as carbonated beverages increased at a much lower rate (32-70%) With the increase in the cost of healthy alternatives, people are eating more foods that are high in fat increasing their daily caloric intake resulting in weight gain. This weight gain can cause health issues such as heart problems. Heart problems for example can begin with health issues like hypertension. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 34% of
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reported Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVD) is the resulting factor of obesity. This increases a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke by one-third. Thirty-one percent of children 2 to 19 are considered overweight or obese; this increases the duration of being overweight in turn increasing the health risks. One astounding fact that is presented is the lack of regular physical activity. The lack of exercise increases the chances of a person becoming obese; in return increasing their chance of CVD. Based on the information published by the AHA over 82 million people in America suffer from one or more types of CVD costing Medicare 32.7 billion dollars. Costs were based on payments made by Medicare, self-reporting, and information provided by the CDC. According to the NHLBI cardiovascular operations and procedures have increased 22% from 1999 to 2009. In ten years there was an increase of 1, 320, 000 more operations. In a study from 2009 Eric Finkelstein, Justin Trogdon, Joel Cohen, and William Dietz, found that people who are deemed obese paid an average of forty-two percent more in medical costs than the average individual. This is an increase in spending from 6.5 to 9.1 percent. This information was based on a study of 10,597 in 1998 and 21,877 in 2006 with weighted variables to allow for estimates made based on generational changes. In 2002 the annum for people in a normal weight class paid $3915 increasing to $8017 for people in the obese category. Is this related? As the obesity rates increase is this cause for the increase in healthcare cost? Based on these studies performed and
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predictions made it is related. a strong nonlinearity in the effects of varying degrees of obesity on health care expenditures and use of outpatient health care services for both men and women (Andreyeva, Sturm, and Ringel, 2004). Wang, Beydoun, Liang, Cabellero, and Kumanyika used a projection model of Cohens d to calculate the increase in prevalence and healthcare costs related to obesity. By looking at the growth history, this study was able to calculate over the past two to three decades an increase of adult obesity of 49 percent, with women becoming obese at a much faster rate of 65 percent then that of men. Researchers were able to project that by the year 2030, 51 percent of people in America will be obese, with 90 percent being overweight if nothing is done to correct these trends. (Wang, Beydoun, Liang, Cabellero, & Kumanyika, 2008) These astonishing numbers will result in a 15-17 percent increase in healthcare costs, resulting in every six dollars one will be spent on healthcare costs. (Wang, Beydoun, Liang, Cabellero, & Kumanyika, 2008) Another prediction made was based on the R2 factor when comparing treated obesity minus untreated divided by the standard deviation of obesity, showing that 80 percent of Americans will be obese by 2022. On average there is an increase of health care cost associated with an increase in BMI for people between the ages of 54 and 69, a 33 percent increase. (Andreyeva, Sturm, & Ringel, 2004) With the information presented there is a strong correlation between the increase in obesity rates and the increase in health care costs; although there is no definite averment that the increase in obesity is the basis of the increase in healthcare costs.

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Limitations to Studies Limitations in the studies include inaccurate information due to self-reporting factors. In one study by Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen, & Dietz (2009) there was a small sample size used which can create issues in data not providing a good basis for the population. Most information was obtained from medical reporting such as the AHA, CDC, and other institutions, which are very reliable in the context of information reporting. Part 2 Statistical Analysis 1. Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Mortality in Overweight and Obese Individuals. Matheson, E. King, D., Everett, C. (2011) The methodologies used in this study were appropriate for the information desired. The usage of controlled and continuous variables with the Cox Proportional hazard ratio gave constructive information. After researching the Cox Proportional hazard ratio it was shown that this provides data for estimate of the survival of the treated (revert to health lifestyles) versus the control group. I believe this information was reported correctly to the best ability allowing for constructive information. Based on the information given there was an expectation of more people following healthy habits. 2. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2012 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Circulation. Journal of the American Heart Association (2012)

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Methodology used in this report was based on numerous surveys, which in my opinion allowed for reliable information, with not only self-reporting but also factual information from Medicare, Medicaid payments, as well as reports submitted to the CDC. I believe this was the best way to conduct this study and obtain accurate information. There was no other information I expected to retrieve from this information; one important thing that I did learn was the CVD costs more than any other diagnosis. 3. The economics of obesity. 1-4 Finkelstein, E., Strombotne, K. (2010) The economic study of obesity was based on self-reporting data along with research programs and economic reports of the President, giving the average costs of food with caloric intake. I believe that the information in regards to the prices of food was reported correctly, although the information in regards to caloric intake was based on self-reported information, which cannot be accepted as creditable. 4. Will Americans Become Overweight or Obese? Estimating the Progression and Costs of the US Obesity Epidemic Wang, Y., Beydoun, M., Liang, L., Caballero, B., Kumanyika, S. (2008) Cohens d projection model was used to project the prevalence of overweight and obesity from 2010 to 2030, and the obesity-related healthcare costs. This was a very useful tool in understanding how the study was conducted as well as the information obtained from NHANES and other data sources. The information was

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creditable as well as informative. There were no other analyses I expected to see in this article. 5. Annual Medical Spending Attributable to Obesity: Payer- And Service-Specific Estimates. Amid calls for health reform, real cost savings are more likely to be achieved through reducing obesity and related risk factors. Finkelstein, E., Trogdon, J., Cohen, J., Dietz, W. (2009) The small sample size used in this study gave undependable information, creating potentially false information. I believe that the regression-based approach was used appropriately in regards to the spending of the payer, yet it cuts out direct spending of specific illnesses or causes of obesity, which should be used in future studies. I expected to see more creditable information to conduct an educated opinion for the relation of obesity and healthcare costs. 6. Moderate and Severe Obesity Have Large Differences in Health Care Costs. Andreyeva, T., Sturm, R., Ringel, J. (2004) The usage of linear estimation was a very interesting example to show the regression line of increase in healthcare costs as well as obesity. I believe this information was reported correctly based on the usage of large sample groups. One thing I did expect to see was the standard error rate used in this study. All in all this was a very informative study with credible information. Conclusion

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All in all there is sufficient evidence that there is a resulting factor of increased healthcare cost based on the prevalence of obesity. Although there is not evidence that the increase in obesity has caused healthcare costs to increase. There is a correlation between the two factors but not causation.

References: American Heart Association (AHA). 2012. Circulation Journal of the American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics -- 2012 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Retrieved From: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/125/1/e2.full.pdf Andreyeva, T., Sturm, R., Ringel, J. 2004. Moderate and Severe Obesity Have Large Differences in Health Care Costs. Obesity. A Research Journal. Retrieved from: http://csc.rsmart.com/xsl-portal/site/bf086be1-120a-4e0e-ba6a-6f95fd2fcb53 Finkelstein, E., Trogdon, J., Cohen, J., Dietz, W. 2009. Annual Medical Spending
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Attributable To Obesity: Payer-And Service-Specific Estimates. Amid calls for health reform, real cost savings are more likely to be achieved through reducing obesity and related risk factors. Health Affairs. Retrieved from:http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/28/5/w822.short Finkelstein, E., Strombotne, K. 2010. The economics of obesity 1-4. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Retrieved from: http://www.ajcn.org/content/91/5/1520S.full.pdf+html Matheson, E., King, D., Everett, C. (2011). Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Mortality in Overweight and Obese Individuals. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Issue 10.3122. Retrieved from: http://jabfm.org/content/25/1/9.short Wang, Y., Beydoun, M., Liang, L., Caballerol, B., Kumanyika, S. 2008. Will All Americans Become Overweight or Obese? Estimating the Progression and Cost of the US Obesity Epidemic. Obesity. A Research Journal. Retrieved from: http://csc.rsmart.com/xslportal/site/bf086be1-120a-4e0e-ba6a-6f95fd2fcb53/page/562efa1d-6fe5-4dd7-bcfb2d78d748fc66

BIS 632 Information Systems For Managers Expectations of Student The expectations that I had for this course were to learn different ways to manage employees. I took BIS 632 while I was an undergraduate having high expectations in learning the different systems used by management. I was surprised after reading the syllabus that it goes more into depth evaluating techniques and technology behind successful organizations. This is important in my future endeavors as a radiology director due to the fact that technology in health care is continuously changing and its important to now the past, present and future of information systems within the organization. Student Learning Outcomes
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 Students will develop new strategies for managing technology in the workplace Students will be able to explain the major areas of information technology in a business, including: networks, telecommunications, e-commerce, database management, systems analysis and design, and computer security Students will be able to identify ways that technology could be used to achieve a competitive advantage in a given business or organization Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments Once I got into this course I developed new knowledge about technology, different communication systems, and types of organizations. The new and inventive ways of running a company, the different types of systems needed, and the networks desired for the upmost protection. One example would be the different firewalls that organizations use for the protection of their customers personal information, this is the first line of defense in protection of information. The firewalls are setup to prevent an outside virus from embedding into their computer network. The second learning outcome for this course was to explain the major areas of information technology in a business, including: networks, telecommunications, e-commerce, database management, systems analysis and design, and computer security. A network is a web of computers throughout a organization, these can be all in one location or in multiple locations that are all on the same channel of communication. The telecommunication is simply how the channels or computers communicate with one another, whether it is through the internet, cables or radio waves it is how information gets from one computer to another; this assist in the e-commerce of an organization. E-commerce is how an organization goes about buying and selling their goods and services online. The buying and selling can be done via the internet, internet/physical storefront or storefront only. As technology has advanced over the past 20 years many organizations have found e-commerce vital to the success of their organization. The database management is simply the software that your organization uses, for example my organization just upgraded to Windows7, which is based on a Microsoft database management system. This system requires a design with analysis and protection for the best potential outcomes. Each organization will require a specialized design yet all require some form of analysis and protection. Some organizations may only need one mainframe for information and others may be so large that there are multiples. The analysis is important for consumer loyalty and organization improvements, its important to know what products are being bought and which ones arent. The security is vital for the protection of the organization and its consumers. As I stated previously the major form of protection is the implementation of firewalls, these are used to protect the organization from outside attacks. The last learning outcome required the ability to identify ways that technology could be used to achieve a competitive advantage in a given business or organization. This is obtained through a feature of advertisement on the internet, some organizations require cookies to be downloaded onto the personal computer
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so the organization can follow their similar internet inquires, this can be used for pop-up adds or email advertisements. Other organizations keep track of how many times their site is visited and how long each person on average spent on their site. This information is important so the organization can decide what is working and what isnt in their approach to advertisement.

Summary comments for positive changes I enjoyed this class due to the inventive ways of communicating, video, teleconference, and online chats. Learning about e-commerce and management systems provided a new insight on the wide variety of different companies. These qualities are important for my education goals so that I have a better understanding of the technology that is and can be used in the organizational field. Its important for me personally to understand this for preparing myself for a future as a radiology director. A radiology director needs to have a good comprehension on the usage of technology for the advancement of healthcare and the care provided for the patients.

Syllabus

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Course Work

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CA 530 Communication Research Methods Expectations of Student The expectations that I had for this class were to learn the research methods that are commonly utilized and how they are communicated to the public for general knowledge. This is important for my career in healthcare because of the daily concerns that we face daily when working with the public. Its important to know, understand and have the ability to educate others on the research that has been conducted to possible decrease the anxiety they may have. Student Learning Outcomes Discuss the main points of research tools such as survey, content analysis, experiment and their merits; Explain the differences and similarities of quantitative and qualitative research; Describe different research methods concepts such as variables, reliability, validity; Dissect a research paper identifying different elements, especially identifying which method was used, how data were gathered and interpreted, what tests were run, etc; Conceptualize a research problem, design a research project, write a review of literature, outline a detailed methodology, plan and conduct a pilot study, and determine how to analyze the gathered data and determine statistical significance of the results; Address the ethical issues and comply CSC Institutional Review Board requirements. Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments The first learning outcome of this course was to learn main points of research tools such as survey, content analysis, experiment and their merits. This is simply how a research committee decides to collect the vital data for their study, how they analysis the collected data and the reliability of the information collected. Depending on how the information is collected determines the validity and reliability to the information. For example if information were collected through observation would be more valid then if the information was collected through self-reporting measures. Depending on the type of research will determine the tool, analysis and merits. The next learning outcome consisted of explaining the differences and similarities of quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research is the testing of a hypothesis to make educated predictions for the population. Studies are conducted on large groups where only specific variables are studied, where measurements are made, during the quantitative studies the bias of the research isnt known to the public, this allows for education predictions to be made. Qualitative research is conducted to obtain a better understanding on the subject and explain the interactions that occur. In this situation the study is done on a specific group of people this is commonly done through interview process, observations, reflections which allow for the researchers
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biases to be known to the public. These findings are specialized to the research that is being conducted and not applied to other populations. It is a study that looks at why a population makes the choices they do and how it could be different from other populations. In both studies the goal is to find correlations, these can variables selected for quantitative research or a study of the whole picture as in qualitative research. The third learning outcome states describe different research methods concepts such as variables, reliability, validity. One type of research method would be observational research, this is where the subjects are watched and information is recorded for the purpose of the study, this information is collected analyzed and published. Another form of research is the correlation research, this occurs when a research looks at two or more variables to distinguish a relation between them. Important factors to look at in research studies he variables used and the reliability and validity of the study; variables are the traits that are being studied, this can be the age, sex, income of a person, the country they live in, which can vary for each person in the study. Reliability is where the information collected can be reproduced or found in more than one study. Validity is determined on the whether the results of the study meet all the requirements of the research method. When a study is reliable and valid the public is more likely to accept the information. In the next learning outcome of dissecting a research paper identifying different elements, especially identifying which method was used, how data were gathered and interpreted, what tests were run. This was done throughout the course on a multitude of studies in order to create our research project. By going through each study with a fine tooth comb I was able to analysis and determine the reliability and validity of each study, along with the statistical significant information pertinent to my overall research project. The fifth learning outcome states, conceptualize a research problem, design a research project, write a review of literature, outline a detailed methodology, plan and conduct a pilot study, and determine how to analyze the gathered data and determine statistical significance of the results. Once I analyzed my selected studies I was able to design my own project. I selected to view the prevent usage of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among people of different countries to view the common usage based on age, sex and income. Once I selected my study I found research conducted by other researchers to develop my own mock study. I decided to utilize a survey self-report study to people throughout different countries while using the statistical significance from the other studies. The last learning outcome required addressing the ethical issues and comply CSC Institutional Review Board requirements. These issues that may arise can create doubt in the publics mind when taking the research study seriously. The CSC Institutional Review Board requires a research to describe the purpose and methods of the study, describing the procedure in which the study will be conducted and provide instruments that will be used for review by the committee. Summary comments for positive changes The demands of this course where underestimated by me in regards to the detail
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and time each project required. Its essential for the future of my career to know and understand research methods. In my degree of organizational management, its required for me to know and understand the methods used in research studies. This assists me in my daily dealings with the public and their concerns that are publicized in the media, which in some situations are no statistically reliable.

Syllabus Communication and Social Sciences Department Chadron State College Chadron, NE 69337

C A 530-79 Communication Research Methods Summer 2012 Fully online class Instructor Dr. Shafiq Rahman, Associate Professor of Communication Arts 217 Admin Bldg srahman@csc.edu Tel: (308)-432-6327

Prerequisite: Graduate status Requited Text Baxter L and Babbie E. (2004). The Basics of Communication Research, Wadsworth. Publication Manual of American Psychological Association (APA Style Book)

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Other materials posted by the instructor. Credit Hours: Three Credit Hours Catalogue Description A review of research methods used in the discipline of Communication wherein students can gain an understanding of and practice in research design. Students will be exposed to both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Course Objectives The broad objective of this class is to help students understand the research process, both quantitative and qualitative, so that they can independently review and analyze scholarly research, and plan, conceptualize, and execute their own research projects. Course Student Learning Outcomes After successful completion of the class, students are expected to: discuss the main points of research tools such as survey, content analysis, experiment and their merits; explain the differences and similarities of quantitative and qualitative research; describe different research methods concepts such as variables, reliability, validity; dissect a research paper identifying different elements, especially identifying which method was used, how data were gathered and interpreted, what tests were run, etc; conceptualize a research problem, design a research project, write a review of literature, outline a detailed methodology, plan and conduct a pilot study, and determine how to analyze the gathered data and determine statistical significance of the results; address the ethical issues and comply CSC Institutional Review Board requirements. Methods of Instruction This is an online class. All the instructions will be provided online through Sakai. You must have a Sakai account to access the class, receive the instructions, and submit the assignments. You must learn how to navigate Sakai (log on, finding materials such as assignments, articles etc., take quiz and make forum posts). For instructions the Lesson, Assignment, Test and Quizzes and Forum tools will be extensively used. Messages and Chatroom will be used for communication. Additional materials are posted in the Resource section of the course and in some cases they are linked to
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Lesson, Assignment and Forum discussion.

I suggest that you begin your journey to the course by first reviewing this syllabus carefully. Then read the course homepage and the linked course schedule. Course schedule, even though tentative, can guide you through the course. You will find each weeks readings, Lesson, assignment, quizzes and forum discussion in the schedule. Make sure you understand what you are supposed to do (read, submit, post etc.). Please contact me should you have questions.

I recommend that you begin in the lesson. The lessons are short and easy to read. The lessons are designed to guide you through the readings of other materials such as the text book chapters and other readings.

Course Requirements Your presence online is required for this class. Visit the course site frequently to receive the instructions, take the tests, make posts in discussion boards and submit the assignments. Use the communication tools (message and chat room) embedded in the course site to contact the instructor and other students. When you use the message tool of Sakai, make sure you check the box send an email to the recipients email address. That way your email will be stored in the course site and can be retrieved, if necessary and at the same time it will generate an email and will be delivered to the recipients email address. Please do not use other emails for course-related correspondence. Assignments will have to be submitted on or before the due date. Please contact me if you anticipate a late submission. Otherwise, your late submission may result in lowered grades. Library & Web Resources It will be necessary for you to utilize the library as well as the online databases to complete several assignments for the course. You will able to the CSC library by clicking this link: http://www.csc.edu/library/. I suggest that visit the library website and familiar yourself with the article databases. Please include scholarly articles in your reading list. I have posted some articles in the Resource section of the course. You might want to review those. You will have to use scholarly style in the papers that you will write for this course. The only way (or at least the best way) of learning how to write in scholarly style is to read scholarly articles. Unfortunately there is no easy way that I know of. Additionally, each student will need to have access to Sakai, MyCSC, the library online database and a word processing program.
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How to Succeed in this Class? While there is no short-cut way to do better in this class, I can give you some tips that I have developed from my experience: Do not be intimidated by the word research and statistics. This is not a statistics class; its a research methods class. That means you will have to understand the concepts first and foremost. Read the textbook and attend to the lectures to grasp the theoretical aspects of various research methods. Once you understand those concepts, I will teach you how to design a research project, gather data, enter the data in SPSS and analyze data. Read research articles and critically analyze how the research was designed, what were the variables, which measures were used, and how the conclusions were drawn. Submit ALL the assignments and take EVERY quiz. Do all the make-up works in a timely fashion. Finally, think of research, talk about it and ask questions about it.

Methods of Evaluation Your final grade will be calculated on the basis of the points you would receive in all assignments, quizzes, exams and final paper. Remember, you are not given grades but you earn them for the work you complete. An A means that you do excellent work by going above and beyond the assignment requirements provided by the instructor. Bulk of the grades of this class will involve two major papers that you would write. Also, assignments, test and quizzes and discussion forums will populate the grade book. I will use a weighted system of grading. Following is the breakdown of the grade book items: Individual Research Project (topic statement, problem statement, research proposal, and research plan) 45% Short assignments Chapter Quizzes Midterm Final Exam Discussion Forum 5% 15% 7% 8% 20%

______________________________________________________________________ _ Total 100%

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Student Behavior Academic Honesty: Students are encouraged and expected with the assistance of faculty to conduct themselves in conformity with the highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Any violation of college, state or federal standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating or falsification of official records will not be tolerated. Students violating such standards will be advised and disciplined by the instructor and should be advised that such violations may result in course failure, suspension or dismissal from the college. It is recommended that students seek the advice of instructors as to the proper procedures to avoid such violations. The following are examples of plagiarism: 1. Handing in an assignment that someone else has written and claiming the work as your own. 2. Handing in an assignment that contains sections, paragraphs, sentences or key phrases that someone else has written without documenting the source(s) for each portion of the assignment not written by you. 3. Handing in an assignment that contains paraphrased ideas from another source, published or unpublished, without documenting the source for each paraphrase. (changing around a few words in a sentence from the sources is not sufficient to avoid plagiarism.) Someone else in the three statements above may refer to a published author, another student, an internet source, or any person other than the student claiming credit for the assignment. Documenting means providing the name of the author, the source you have used, and other relevant bibliographical information such as the address for web sites used for sources. If you do not know how to document sources in your paper, ask your professor or the reference librarian for assistance. (Rev. Academic Review: Oct 6, 1998) This policy will be enforced. The first offense will result in 1) a zero for the assignment and 2) the final course grade dropped by two letter grades. The second offense will result in a grade of F for the course. Civility in Academic Settings: Civil behavior enhances the academic setting and is expected at all times. The academic environment welcomes a difference of opinion, discourse, and debates within a civil environment. Respect for others and courtesy creates a pleasant environment and improves learning for all. Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Educational Opportunity Policy Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage admissions of minority and female students and to provide procedures, which will result in equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating and environment for all students that are consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of Chadron State College to administer its academic employment
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programs and related supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability or marital status. Students request for reasonable accommodation based upon documented disabilities should be presented within the first two weeks of the semester or within two weeks of the diagnosis to the Disabilities Counselor (432-6461; CRITES 338) Disclaimer This syllabus and schedule is articulated as an expectation of class topics, learning activities and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in this schedule that, within my professional judgment, would result in enhanced or more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially change the intent of objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and procedures of Chadron State College.

Course Work

The Prevalence of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana Usage

Kacie K. Harris

Chadron State College

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July 17, 2012 Table of Contents Page Abstract Introduction Problem Statement Review of Related Literature Tobacco Alcohol Marijuana Statement of Hypothesis Methodology Participants Instrument Design 9 11
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3 4 4 5 5 6 7 9 9 9

Procedure Data analysis plan Time Schedule Budget Institutional Review Board References

11 11 12 12 13 17

The Prevalence of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana Usage

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Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana (TAM) usage. Each person has their own reason for using a drug, yet the common characteristic that they share is interesting. The basis of their sex, income, ethnicity, or education each has its own reports of usage. Different countries were studied to find these common aspects, because it is the goal of the study to find out who uses these drugs.

Introduction

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Tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana each have limitations within different countries on age or usage or the legality of the usage. The usage of drugs is known as substance use, a drug such as tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana use can all be termed as such. According to research conducted Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana (TAM) are the most commonly used psychoactive drugs (Haberstick, 2010) Substance use is a term commonly used to describe the usage of TAM, the goal is to seek the answers to why people use such substances. Out of each drug of TAM, the only that is illegal in most states in marijuana; tobacco is freely used by adults over the age of 18, and alcohol is also freely used for adults over the age of 21. Each of these have limits to them, today smoking is banned in many public areas such as restaurants, bars, and hospital grounds. Alcohol is limited when operating a motor vehicle of any kind. Studies conducted view theses limitations. The importance of this research is find out who uses these drugs, and what commonalities they have. Research is lacking in the aspect of age, sex, and education levels of drug usage by people in multiple countries. By doing so this will allow for comparison of each category to have a better understanding of the prevalence of drug usage. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to obtain a better understanding of who uses tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. To obtain a connection between age, sex, education, and ethnicity, a new study needs to be conducted.

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Review of Litature Surveys and interviews give an insight to each individuals usage of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana (TAM) the difference among them as well as the commonality of usage. With a combination of face-to-face interviews and surveys participants from 17 countries to see who uses these drugs. Tobacco In 1604 King James wrote Smoking is a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless (Hirschfelder, 2010). Tobacco usage has been questioned for hundreds of years, in the early 1800s Dr. Joel Shew attributed 87 different illness to tobacco usage, this was 115 years before the sugeon general report in 1964. According to the sugeon generals report in 1966 a persons degree level made an impact whether a person smoked. Report showing 16.3 percent of college graduates smoked in 1966 where as 41.1 percent of high school graduates whom did not attend college, and respondents whom didnt graduate high school reports at 36.5%. (Hirschfelder, 2010) Smoking tobacco created heath problems one being the effect it has on the heart, the usage of tobacco causes tobacco heart, this is a syndrome that describes the arrhythias, angina, or even cardiac arrest is caused by tobacco usage. (Dunn, 2009) This information showing the prevelance of the usage of tobacco in 1966 was high, and the war on tobacco was on. In 1985, 89 cities and counties limited peoples ability to smoke in public and in 1986, 41
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states began to enforce restrictions on smoking. (Hirschfelder, 2010) In 2007, 70.9 million Americans 12 years of age or older utilized tobacco in some form or another. (Hirschfelder, 2010) Tobacco is prevenlant within America, yet how does the effects compare to alcohol and marijuana. The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a study that included 17 different countries to understand the usage of these drugs. With a total of 85, 052 participants from many different countries the information recived was very interesting. Based on the interviews and surveys the United States had the most common tobacco usage of 74%, compaired to 32% in South Africa. (Degenhardt, 2008) Alcohol In a 2009 report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 72.5 percent of high school students have tried alcohol, 46.3 percent tried cigarettes, and 36.8 percent have tried marijuana. (Dunn, 2009) People drink alcohol as a result of peer pressure, lack of family communication, as well as lack of support. (Dunn, 2009) A study focusing on students 14-18 years of age in two public schools in Tennessee gave an insight on what drugs kids were doing. Results showed that 40.4% of females and 43% of males had tried alcohol, 35.3% of females and 34.3% of males tried tobacco, and 19.4% of males and 15.9% females had tried marijuana. This information shows the prevalence of the usage of these drugs. In the study conducted through 17 countries alcohol usage by the age of 15 years old was much more common in European countries when compared to others. By the age of 21 78-93% of Americans
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had began using alcohol and only 40-63% in Africa and the Middle East. (Degenhardt, 2008) Alcohol is an organic solvent, which in high does has both direct and indirect harmful influence on a large number of organs(Gronbaek, 2009). Alcohol usage has been linked to cancers, hypertension, and diabetes. In moderation alcohol has the reverse effect of over usage, for example moderate usage reduces stress; lowering blood presure, where as the over usage creates high blood pressure because of the strain it puts on the body. during the past decades, a large number of prospective populaton studies from many countries have described the impact of alcohol intake on all-cause mortality as a J-shaped curve, indicating that there is a benifical effect of light to moderate alcohol intake and a detrimenal effect of high alcohol intake. (Gronbaek, 2009) Marijuana Marijuana has what is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannaabinol (THC), which causes effects within the body. Long term marijuana use is associated with mood and anxiety disorders. (Metrik, 2011) Increases in subjective anxiety immediately after smoking may be in part due to the initial stimulation and physiological effects or marijuana, including strong cardiovascular effects (Metrik, 2011) The prevalence of marijuana usage is based on many factors, The United States 20% reported using marijuana with
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27% in New Zealand this is only by the age of 15 years, looking at the usage by 21 years of age it goes up to 54% in the U.S. and 62% in New Zealand. (Degenhardt, 2008) Although the usage of this drug seems to be common in two countries, others such as Asia, Middle East, and Africa report almost no usage. The usage of marijuana is subjective in the matter that it changes based on the location as well as the effects it can have on the person. An interesting placebo study was conducted to better understand the physical effects when using marijuana. By having 18-30 year old participants answering a SelfAssessment, 5-point Likert scale questionnaire based on how they feel after smoking known or unknown marijuana. Based on the findings of this study all cigarette ratings were significantly higher in the TCH than Placebo conditions (Metrik, 2011) As stated prior the usage of marijuana has been linked to increasing anxiety in this study anxiety decreased after smoking in all but one experimental conditions, the one in which participants were told Placebo but received THC. (Metrik, 2011)It may also cause impairment. Looking to see if impairment does occur a simulation was performed to see how a persons performance of driving is affected after smoking marijuana. Studies have shown that marijuana usage negatively affects the ability to drive due to the altered state of mind caused by the THC. In this study a driving simulator consisting of 150-degree forward and 50-degree rear view was used giving the most realistic driving encounter. The results showed that although the usage of marijuana slows a persons response causing additional compensatory skills. (Thoma, 2011)

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(Anderson B. R., 2010) The drivers slowed their speed yet made fewer mistakes as well as increase the time they had for reaction to an obstacle. The question that remains is this any safer? Statement of Hypothesis It is hypothesized that males use tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana more than females. It is hypothesized that a higher income individual is more prone to using TAM (dependent variable) then lower income individuals. It is hypothesized that the United States uses more TAM than any other country. Methodology Participants Participants for this study will reside in a variety of 20 different countries (Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Europe, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Mexico, Middle East, Russia, Spain, United States). Instruments Participants will be randomly chosen based on residential information. Surveys mailed out with pre-paid return envelopes, which will be mailed out to 10,000 individuals in each country. Each category having 4 sub-categories; age, 18-25, 26-35, 36-50, 5165; income, less than 15, 000, 15,000-30,000, 30,000-55,000, 55,000 or more per year. Ethnicity will be questioned based on 4 categories, Caucasian, non-Caucasian, Black,
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or Other (please specify), and last the sex of the individual, male or female. The questions on the survey will read as: 1. What is your age at the time of this survey ___51-65. 2. What is your annual income per year ___ 30,000 55,000 ___less than 15,000 ___ 15,000-30,000 ___ 18-25 ___26-35 ___36-50

___ 55, 000 or more _____Caucasian ____Non-Caucasian ___

3. Please check your ethnicity Black 4. Sex

_____Other (Please specify)______________________________ _____Males ____Female

5. Please state if you have ever smoked Marijuana before __________YES ___________NO ____15-20 _____Over

6. At what age did you first try Marijuana ____under 12 21 7. How Often do you smoke Marijuana ______ 1 a month

______Once and never again _____more than 4 times a month

_______ 1 a week

8. Please state Have you had Alcohol _________YES ___________NO 9. At what age did you first try Alcohol ____under 12 ____15-20 _____Over
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21 10. How Often do you drink Alcohol ______ 1 a month 11. ______Once and never again _____more than 4 times a month

_______ 1 a week

Please state if you have ever smoke Tobacco ________YES _________NO

12. At what age did you first try Marijuana ____under 12 21 13. How Often do you smoke Marijuana ______ 1 a month Design

____15-20

_____Over

______Once and never again _____more than 4 times a month

_______ 1 a week

By utilizing a cross-sectional study, meaning that the study will be based on a large-scale. This large scale includes multiple countries, ages, sex, as well as income levels. Processing the surveys from 10,000 participants from 20 countries will give this large-scale research to show the prevalence of each drug usage. Participants will have 30 days to return the survey at which volunteers will record the results. Based on the hypothesis TAM is the dependent variable and income, sex, age, and location is independent. The questionnaire gives straight information about the usage of each drug, the
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participants information, and keeps their personal information confidential. Once this information has been reported and combined the mean of each category is found. Once the mean is determined the Chi-Square test will be conducted. The Chi-Squared test allows for the representation of an identified difference in data. This will allow for a compassion view among the different income levels, then among the different sexes, and countries, as well as ages. In order to determine significance between the categories with a .05 significance level that will be utilized and documented. Procedure A group of volunteers will be selected to print, address, stuff, and mail the surveys to randomly selected addresses in 20 countries. These surveys will have a prepaid return envelop for the participant to return the survey. Once they are received back volunteers will combine the gathered information for the production of the ChiSquare formula. Each category will be processed for comparison as well as cross category comparison. Data Analysis Plan The results of the test will then be compared to previous studies conducted for the subject matter as well as the location. The Chi-Squared will allow for identification of differences among each category, this one-sample study gives a good look into the prevalence of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana usage among a variety of age, income, ethnicities, and sex. The table will show the results along with supportive statistical
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information for the hypothesis. The Chi-Squared one-sample test was utilized due to the fact that one sample was taken over a large number of people. The goal of 200,000 people surveyed from 20 different countries. This will allow for a significant difference to be stated where one presents. Limitations to this study include the unreturned surveys and self-reports. Self-reports are reliant on the participant telling the truth, which can hinder the validity of the information. Time Schedule Week 0 Week 1 Week 2-6 Week 7 Budget Paper for surveys - $300 Envelopes and stamps - $12,000 Volunteers no charge
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Gain Permission from all 20 countries local governments Gather addresses, Send out Letters, and Surveys Receive surveys and collect data Analyze data and Write report

Total $12,300

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Chadron State College Institutional Review Board IRB Expedited Review Application Form

Submit one complete copy to IRB Chairallow at least two weeks for review

Research Project Title:

Usage Prevalence of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana Principal Investigator (must be a full-time faculty or professional staff member):

Shafiq Rahman Department:

Telephone:

E-mail:

Communication 308-430-3230 srahman@csc.edu Research Co-Principal Investigator (student researcher):

Kacie K Harris Department:

Telephone:

E-mail:

MSOM 720-837-5933 Date Project Activity to Begin: July 17, 2012

Kacie.mason@eagles.csc.edu

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Site of Research: Chadron State College Other institution/Non-institutional Investigators (describe collaboration or use of records):

Source of Funds (if any): I believe this qualifies for expedited review under category number _____ (see categories in IRB Expedited Review Project description) As the investigator submitting this proposed research and signing below, I agree to conduct the research involving human subjects as presented in the protocol and as approved by the School/Unit and the Institutional Review Board; to obtain and document informed consent and provide a copy of the consent form to each subject unless this is waived by the IRB; to present any proposed modifications in the research to the IRB for review and approval prior to implementation; to retain records for the mandated lengths of time; and to report to the IRB any problems or injuries to research participants.

Principal Investigator Signature:

Date:

Co-PI Signature:

Date:___________

As School Dean/Unit Head, I certify that the proposed research meets School policies and complies with the requirements for Expedited IRB Review. Dean/Unit Head Signature: Date:________

(application continued on next page)

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CSC Expedited Review Application, continued

Using the following format and numbering, please submit the following: Principal Researcher Credentials: 1. Attach a copy of the Principal Researchers current curriculum vitae that documents the credentials of the PI to conduct the proposed research. 2. Attach copies of current certificate of training in ethical issues involving human subject research for all members of the research team (as noted above in Principal Investigator Responsibilities section; all investigators must complete such training).

Overview and Objectives of Research Project: 3. Concisely describe the purpose and methods of the research: research methodology to be used participant population

The purpose of this study is to determine and view the prevalence of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana usage among 20 countries, sex, age, and income level 4. Include a brief description of all procedures to be conducted. A group of volunteers will be selected to print, address, stuff, and mail the surveys to randomly selected addresses in 20 countries. These surveys will have a prepaid return envelop for the participant to return the survey. Once they are received back volunteers will combine the gathered information for the production of the ChiSquare formula. Each category will be processed for comparison as well as cross category comparison.

5. Attach a full proposal, and any instruments (surveys, recruitment documents, interview protocols, questionnaires, demographic forms, phone screens, etc.) that will be used.
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1. What is your age at the time of this survey ___51-65.

___ 18-25

___26-35

___36-50

2. What is your annual income per year ___less than 15,000 ___ 30,000 55,000 ___ 55, 000 or more

___ 15,000-30,000

3.Please check your ethnicity _____Caucasian ____Non-Caucasian ___ Black _____Other (Please specify)______________________________ 4. Sex _____Males ____Female

5.Please state if you have ever smoked Marijuana before __________YES ___________NO ____15-20 _____Over 21

6.At what age did you first try Marijuana ____under 12

7. How Often do you smoke Marijuana ______Once and never again ______ 1 a month _______ 1 a week _____more than 4 times a month 8.Please state Have you had Alcohol _________YES ___________NO 9.At what age did you first try Alcohol 10. How Often do you drink Alcohol ______ 1 a month ____under 12 ____15-20 _____Over 21

______Once and never again _____more than 4 times a month

_______ 1 a week

11.Please state if you have ever smoke Tobacco ________YES _________NO 12. At what age did you first try Marijuana ____under 12 21 ____15-20 _____Over

13. How Often do you smoke Marijuana ______Once and never again ______ 1 a month _______ 1 a week _____more than 4 times a month

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Human Participants Description: 6. Risks and Benefits: a. Describe the risks and benefits this research has for research participants (including physical, psychological, social, legal and economic risks). N/A b. N/A c. Explain how the risks are reasonable relative to the anticipated benefits of the research. d. N/A Describe measures to be taken to minimize risks.

7.

Selection of participants: a. What are the characteristics of the participants you are choosing? Offer justification for selecting participants with these characteristics.

Participants will be randomly chosen based on residential information. Surveys mailed out with pre-paid return envelopes, which will be mailed out to 10,000 individuals in each country. Each category having 4 sub-categories; age, 18-25, 2635, 36-50, 51-65; income, less than 15, 000, 15,000-30,000, 30,000-55,000, 55,000 or more per year. Ethnicity will be questioned based on 4 categories, Caucasian, non-Caucasian, Black, or Other (please specify), and last the sex of the individual, male or female.

b. Describe your recruitment procedures and explain how these procedures will help to increase diversity of the participating population. Randomized mailed surveys c. If the researcher, or members of the researchers family, will serve as research participants, explain the rationale for use of these participants in the research project. N/A
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d. If your research participants include individuals who are pregnant, economically/educationally disadvantaged or from a targeted specific ethnic/cultural group, address the rationale for such selection, any additional safeguards you will provide for their protection, and why participation in the research provides minimal risk for those subjects. N/A

8. Will subjects be compensated? How? Note: financial incentives, extra credit, and course grade incentives are not considered a benefit to the participant. If used, these must be used cautiously so as to not coerce participation or to skew participation from the potential population of interest. NO

Consent Procedures: 9. Provide a copy of the written informed consent form to be used and signed by participants (see Appendix V). If no consent form will be used, explain how the research meets each of the following criteria such that the research qualifies for a waiver of informed consent: Research involves no more than minimal risk to participants; Waiver will not adversely affect the rights and welfare of the participants; Research could not practicably be carried out with the waiver or alteration; and Subjects will be provided with pertinent information in some other format.

Confidentiality: 8. Specifically describe if and how participant privacy and confidentiality will be maintained.

No personal information obatined Collaborations and Partnerships:

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9.

If access to research participants is gained through cooperating institutions not under the control of Chadron State College, provide evidence that the authorized official of that institution has approved the research application and collaboration.

N/A

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References: Anderson, B. R. (2010). Sex Differences in the Effects of Marijuana on Simulated Driving Performance. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs , 42 (1), 19-30. Anderson, B. R. (2010). Sex, Drugs, and Cognition: Effects of Marijuana. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs , 42 (4), 413-424. Degenhardt, L. C.-M.-V. (2008). Toward a Global View of Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis, and Cocaine Use: Findings fromt he WHO World Mental Health Systems. PLOS Medicine , 5 (7), 1053-1066. Dunn, M. K. (2009). Effects of Youth Assets on Adolescent Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana Use, and Sexual Behavior. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education . Gronbaek, M. (2009). The positive and negative health effects of alcohol- and the publi health implications. Journal of Internal Medicine , 407-420. Haberstick, B. Z. (2010). Common and drug-specific genetic influences on subjective effects to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Addiction , 215-224. Hirschfelder, A. (2010). Tobacco. Greenwood. Metrik, J. K. (2011). Acture Effect of Marijuana Smoking on Negative and Positive Affect. Journal of Congnitive Psychotherapy: An International Quaterly , 25 (1). Thoma, R. M. (2011, Jan). /adolescent Substance Abuse: The Effects of Alcohol and Marijuana on Neuropsychological Performance. National Institutes of Health , 35 (1), pp. 39-46.

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FCS 537 Family Strengths Expectations of Student When reading the description of this course prior to enrolling I expected to learn how to strengthen the ties within a family circuit. How to improve communication with others and how to overcome obstacles that we all face, this is important to my degree because it will help me become a strong communicator and find ways to provide support to patients and their families during difficult times. For my career goals I find that the strength of a family is the most important aspect to the survival and rehabilitation of a patient. Its important to know how to support and teach others how to support during lifes challenges. Student Learning Outcomes Explore the dynamics of successful family functioning Identify attributes of vital families Practice successful conflict resolution strategies and positive communication patterns Examine characteristics of resilient families as a means of extrapolating protective factors that lead to family strength Investigate some challenges families face, addressing proactive management strategies Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments Exploring the dynamics of how a family can function successfully is the first learning outcome for this course. During this course I was assigned to develop a family mission statement, this is the root to a successful family. It provides a set of goal, values and moral that everyone in the family are expected to follow in order to be successful. This is important in my career due to the fact that I deal with very ill children everyday. The second learning outcome was to identify attributes of vital families. Each family is going to have their own goals in a family mission statement due to history or religious beliefs, so its important to know and understand what your family needs are. Communication is key in the success of a family, talking about the mission statement, creating one together and talking to one another about issues that may arise rather than ignoring them. The next learning outcome was to Practice successful conflict resolution strategies and positive communication patterns. This consisted of us putting our ideas into play, taking our mission statement and implementing it into our own families. How to resolve conflict within our homes in a successful manner, this is important for families and requires good communication skills. The forth-learning outcome consisted of examining characteristics of resilient families as a means of extrapolating protective factors that lead to family strength Finding the weakness within your family and creating tools to overcome them. When a child is given a life altering diagnosis it affects the whole family, in this situation the strengths the family can create is unity, communication and education. Not only to work
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through the procedures to overcome the illness but to live with it the rest of your life. Developing strategies allows for families to join together for support and strength preventing anger and hurt to overtake the situation. The last learning outcome required me to investigate some challenges families face, addressing proactive management strategies. This I would say was addressed in my paper about a Family Diagnosis when a family member is diagnosed with an illness that will affect them their whole life. This was based on my cousin who at two months old was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis a life long illness. Through family support, Cystic Fibrosis communities and education my family has been able to work through difficulties that are faced. As my Aunt put it you find out who your real friends are, by communicating and not keeping secrets families can come together and work trough this hard times. Summary comments for positive changes I greatly enjoyed this course for many reasons, one major one being that I learned a lot about my family and how to improve it. My mission statement is still in effect in our home and we work everyday to continue the good communication even in hard times. When going into the health care industry I knew Id be working with very ill people and never expected to see the harsh reality of how secrets can hinder a familys ability to work together. Its important for me to know how to help other families be successful during a hard time in their lives. As a manager this provides me with the knowledge and ability to set team mission statements for the success of my team as well.

Syllabus FCS 437/537 FAMILY STRENGTHS SUMMER 2012 INSTRUCTOR: Burkhiser 219 PHONE: ymoody@csc.edu OFFICE HOURS: Dr. Yvonne Moody OFFICE:

432-6368

E-MAIL:

1 5pm daily

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CREDIT HOURS:

3 credit hours

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Advanced study in the dynamics of successful family relationships. Investigation into the attributes of vital families that contribute toward the resolution of stressors in meaningful and positive ways. TEXT: NONE required --- Recommended readings included in Sakai

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through this course of study, you will:

Explore the dynamics of successful family functioning Identify attributes of vital families Practice successful conflict resolution strategies and positive communication patterns Examine characteristics of resilient families as a means of extrapolating protective factors that lead to family strength Investigate some challenges families face, addressing proactive management strategies Lecture, discussion and case analysis.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: REQUIREMENTS:

Abstracts of contemporary research - 5 @ 10 Family genogram / family system map Discussions - 10 @ 5 points Case study analyses - 2 @ 25 Unit quizzes / assessments Research project / report 2 5 @ 20 - 50

50 points 50 points 50 points 50 points 100 points 100 points

Other incidental activities / assignments to be determined

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*Graduate students will complete additional requirements; ie: 10 abstracts, more extensive research and leadership roles in discussions and case analyses.

FINAL ASSESSMENT: DUE June 29th

100 points

COURSE OUTLINE I. Family Life Education -- Strengths-based theory A. Why / What 1. Theories 2. Group Processes B. Developing the Profession / Professionals 1. Integrating theory and practice 2. Understanding family dynamics 3. Ethical behavior

II.

Individual and Family Challenges A. Relationships / Marriage the business of family 1. Enhancing nurturing / kindling 2. Ending terminating / rebuilding B. C. D. Sexuality Education Parent Education

Financial Stability Consumer Literacy

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E.

Work / Family Balance - Integration

III.

Family Life Education Programming A. Design B. Implementation Strategies C. Assessment

* Expanded course outline details are available in Sakai EVALUATION: Based on criterion established as per assignment and value-weighted on a point scale: 94% - 100% = A 87% - 93% = B 76% - 86% = C 70% - 75% = D >70% = F

Education Unit Conceptual Framework: This course supports the conceptual framework, Developing as Visionary Leaders for Lifelong Learning, through the following components: Communication written and oral activities Professionalism individual / family / societal ethics Human Relations/Diversity ethnic and cultural demographic groups

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Assessment student self-evaluation is encouraged along with prompt feedback Thinking Skills creative and critical thinking skills / practical reasoning processes Methodology/Technology internet and on-line activities

Student or Teacher Candidate Behavior: Academic Honesty Students and teacher candidates are expected to conduct themselves in conformity with the highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Violation of college, state, or federal standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating, or falsification of official records will not be tolerated. Students and teacher candidates violating such standards will be subject to discipline, as per campus policies articulated in the online Student Handbook. Attendance Policy The College assumes that students and teacher candidates will seek to profit from the instructional program and will recognize the importance of attending every class meeting of courses for which credit is expected. Responsibility for notifying faculty of absences and for arranging potential make-up rests with the student. If a quiz or exam is missed, it must be made up prior to the next regular class meeting or be forfeited. All projects and assignments that are turned in beyond their due date shall be progressively discredited. No projects or late assignments will be accepted during Finals Week. Civility Civil behavior enhances the academic setting and is expected at all times. The academic environment welcomes a difference of opinion, discourse, and debate within a civil environment. Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Educational Opportunity Policy: Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage admission of minority students and to provide procedures which will assure equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating an environment for all students that is consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of
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Chadron State College to administer its academic employment programs and related supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, or marital status. Student requests for reasonable accommodations based upon documented disabilities should be presented within the first two weeks of the semester or within two weeks of the diagnosis, to the Disabilities Counselor (432-6461; CRITES 011). Diversity: Chadron State College aspires to create a safe and diversity sensitive learning environment that respects the rights, dignity, and welfare of students, faculty, and staff. Diversity includes the fair representation of all groups of individuals, the inclusion of minority perspectives and voices, and appreciation of different cultural and socioeconomic group practices. We aspire to foster and maintain an atmosphere that is free from discrimination, harassment, exploitation, or intimidation. Courses will strive to provide opportunity for all students to discuss issues of diversity including, but not limited to, ethnicity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. Intellectual Real Estate / Copyright Notice: Reproduction of copyrighted material is governed by Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Under conditions of this law, students may copy materials for research or scholarship purposes as long as the copyright holder is cited. In teaching situations, parts of copyrighted material may be used under the fair use guidelines, but only once, and the copyright holder must be cited. Unauthorized use may be liable for copyright infringement. Use of Technology: Students are encouraged to use the technical resources provided in Chadron State College facilities to support, enhance, and expand their learning activities. Chadron State College recognizes that learning is a unique human endeavor best achieved through the interactions of instructors and students. Technology is best used when it supports and enhances teacher - student as well as student - student interactions. Cell phones, iPods, etc. are NOT to be used in the classroom. Disclaimer: This syllabus and schedule are articulated as an expectation of class topics,
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learning activities, and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in this schedule that, within his/her professional judgment would result in enhanced or more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially change the intent or objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and procedures of Chadron State College.

Attachments:

https://csc.rsmart.com/access/content/attachment/9908a97f-99fd-4337-8315cdf1f1809693/Syllabus/2804029d-29c8-42a9-a36e-cc0683f91b78/FCS %20437%20537syllabi%202012.docx

Course Work
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74 Kacie K. Harris

Harris Family Mission Statement Purpose: The purpose of our family is to be a role model for others. We strive to show endless love and support for everyone we encounter. A safe home by not hurting one another with physical force or with words, we also strive for a productive home. With a safe and productive home our family can reach the goals we set ahead of us. Feelings: The feelings we want to have and portray are safety, positive, encouraging, and love. With each of these feelings in our home we will meet our goal of being a strong home that supports one another. Relationships: The relationships we want to have with one another is the feeling of support, knowing that your family will be there for you no matter what. Love for the times that we just need a hug. The most important relationship is the most important relationship in the world. We must show our love in whatever way we know how. Importance: The most important thing to our family is unity, standing up for one another as well as supporting each other without judgment. The most important think in a family is unconditional love, we must love one another no matter how hard it is. Goals: The highest priority goal is for Kacie to finish school. One thing that is also important is a safe and happy home, in order to receive this a family must communicate with one another and support one another in achieving goals. Uniqueness: The uniqueness that Nolan holds is his support for his family to do better and continue to grow. Kacies talent is her ability to encourage each other through any situation. Together they have a great ability of honesty, love, support, determination, and being nonjudgmental.

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Responsibilities: The responsibilities that everyone in the family has is respect; respect one another and the decisions that are made, and keeping a humble home. A humble home includes cleanness, support, and a helping hand. As long as we work as a team we can accomplish anything. Principles & Guidelines: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Love one another Support one another Communicate Help one another Positive talk

Promote Growth & Happiness: To promote growth and happiness we must follow our familys mission statement. Being a family, loving one another unconditionally, and encouraging words will only make a family more strong.

Shoot For the Moon You will always end up among the stars
Kacie KLynn Harris

Kacie Harris FCS 537

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Final Paper The interesting part of a relationship is the strength it can give a person through the tough times. In a family this strength helps the unit survive illnesses, death, or demise; yet it can also boost up the joyous time of celebration. Each person in a family has their needs and wants that have to be met in order to have a strong and successful family connection. A strong family as we have learned consists of communication and support for one another. Effective communication is described as the children of parents who allow them to freely express their feelings, thoughts, and opinion (Ireland, 2010) With a strong form of communication we develop a strong family. If secrets are kept from one another it can hurt the family. Why keep secrets? They may be afraid of being ridiculed or rejected if the information is revealed (Ireland, 2010) Trying to avoid conflict and keeping secrets within a family henders the process of becoming strong and dependable. Children within the family need to feel safe with being able to tell their parents or other family members anything, without the feeling of being judged. This type of judgement over the years has decreased do to more acceptance in abormal norms of society. Homosexuals, teen mothers, and religious choises I believe are the most common subjects in the past that were kept secret. Unfortionaly many homosexuals couldnt tell their family who they loved do to the fear of being shuned, the United States government now allows for homosexuals to express their sexuality when joining the military, before it was a Dont Ask, Dont Tell
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policy. When individuals choose to reveal a secret, they often consider the types of responses they might receive from the target of the disclosure. (Afifi, 2005) This secret is now in the open. Teen mothers use to be sent to a special school where the public and community didnt see her because the family was ashamed. Today this is accepted not by choice but because of the prevelance of the situation, it allows for teen mothers to be more easily accepted by their families. With secrets the pregnant teen wouldnt get the prenatal care needed because she would hide the pregancy rather than facing her family. These are forms of secrets that form within a family as well as the community, when a family doesnt accept them for who they are rather then, their choices in life. Secrets hurt, they hurt the person keeping them as well as the person who doesnt know the truth because on one hand the person that has the secret has the stress of not telling the truth to a loved one and it hurts the person who it is being kept from. It is a two way street with secrets, on one side it get you by without conflict, yet it hurts everyone involved when it comes out because it was kept quite. When a person thinks about keeping a secret these need to be taken into consideration. Secrets cause stress. A great example is when a child finds out that a parent is having an affair and the spouse doesnt know. The parent tells the child dont tell or youll be in trouble. This creates major stress on that child not only because it hurts to know the truth but because they cant tell the other parent. A family must be able to communicate freely with one another without judgement and riticul if not secrets are kept. The process hinders a families ability to be happy as

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well as a strong unit that can withstand devistating times. When a family goes through a hardship they must come together to be there and support one another. When secrets are kept this doesnt happen and the result is devestating. As a professional that works with families everyday I see the impact of keeping secrets. If a child is sick and they dont explain to their child what is going on the chld becomes angry because all they know is they are sick. There isnt a understanding of why because the parents feel that the child doesnt need to know or that they are better off without knowing. The truth is, in order for a child to understand their illness the family cant keep it a secret. When faced with questions there needs to be answers so there can be a understanding of why they feel the way they do. On the personal side on things I will admit I have kept secrets from my family in the past as well as my husband. This is one thing that I have learned that hurts me more in the long run because by not telling my family or husband the truth or keeping it a secret, and then they find out, I see the hurt that it causes. When not telling my husband about how much I spent while shopping it hurts him later to find out the truth, its the fact that it was kept from him. Why did I do it? Because I was ashamed at how much I would spend in one day and I was worried not about him getting angry but disappointed. We all have secrets, we have skeltons in the closet, and we make pinky swears with bestfriends. We do this in most cases as a protection response, we want to protect oursleves from whatever it is we might face. It can hurt a family when these are kept, it
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can create a strong bond between friends. Each secret has a reason for it and we make that choice as a person to keep it or not. In most cases a secret is a hurtful thing, it can create anger, resentment, or fear of the unknown. It is a human response to want to protect ourselves, yet a secret is not a form of protection, it is a prolonged hurt that we put unpon ourselves, until someone finds out the truth.

Bibliography Afifi, T. O. (2005). The Chilling Effect in families and the Pressure to Conceal Secrets. Communication Monographs , 72 (2), 192-216. Ireland, J. (2010). The Impact of Effective Communication in the Family. Retrieved May 2012, from Livestrong: www.livestrong.com

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A Family Diagnosis: How a Family lives with Cystic Fibrosis Chardon State College Kacie K. Harris

Abstract A child that is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life altering moment for an entire

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family. The child isnt the only one effected by this life long illness; it effects each family member differently. Parents love for, and deep sense of commitment to their child influences their experience (Gravelle, 1997) This study was chosen to understand more about what families go through when they have a child diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

Introduction Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an illness that is still in the discovery process, yet it is considered
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one of the most common and serious genetic disorders. CF is a single gene defect that effects the transport of essential ions across cell membranes. (Campbell, 1993)This defect causes dehydration of the mucus in the respiratiory tract, resulting in chronic and lethal obstructive lung disease (Campbell, 1993) This can be maintained so that a child with CF can live a healthy, normal, and fulfilling life. Discussion Research of how CF effects the child as well as the entire family as a whole show that it is a uphill battle. Treatments and medical needs for a child with CF can be time consuming, with chest physiotherapy, aerosol breathing treatments, prophylactic antibotics, pancreatic enzyme replacement, and increased caloric intake (Miller, 2009) This is an everyday treatment required to keep a child with CF healthy. Due to this time consuming ritural the families face adversity. The parents love for their child determines their experiences in facing adversity. There are two componets to adversity: defining and managing. Defining adversity is created by how a family paints the picture of their situation, including the hardships they encounter caring for a child with this kind of progressive illness. Where as managing adversity is how a family manages the illness daily. Each family may define these differently due to the fact that each person handles situations in their own way. One parent that was interviewed by Gravelle stated If the water well is half a mile away from the house, you walk half a mile to the water; theres no point thinking about that, or worring about that (Gravelle, 1997) This type of acceptance from a parent shows the resilency that a parent can have when faced with a life long illness that their child has. When faced with this illness there are decisions that have to be made in regards to

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healthcare. How are these decisions made? Parent-Child Collaborative Decision Making(CDM) is a great way that families make pertenate decisions in reagards to their health. Victoria Miller conducted a qualative analysis on how effective parent-child decisions are and how they effect the childs health. These decisions that are required for CF include diet, activities, symptom monitoring, and how to respond to symptoms. (Miller, 2009). Miller hyposhesized that CDM gives the child more opportunity to learn how family members make decisions, what they take into account, the conseqeences of certain decisions, and the communication skills that are needed to create these decisions. This format helps the child understand and cope with the condition that they are living with. Millers study consited of 18 kids with CF and 16 parents, ages ranging from 8 to 19 years. The children saw collabortative decisions as working together, as well as listening and expressing ones opinions, this helps utilize negotiation and compromising in the decision process. Giving the child more knowledge and skills by utilizing CDM allows for better symptom recognizitation. CDM allows for information so each family member understands what is going on. The child is being heard, this is what matters because they are the one living with this illness, and gives more effective and efficient illness management. (Miller, 2009) Even with CDM utilization, mealtime can be an issue with a child that has CF. Cystic Fibrosis effects all major organs, including the gastroenterological syetem, resulting in 27% of children with CF having malnutrition or failure to thrive. (Michtell, 2004) Creating an importance on mealtime; families have been observed to see how children with CF and children without CF function. Mealtime habits start at infancy and toddlerhood this is termed

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the critical period because this is when a child develops their eating patterns and taste preferences. (Michtell, 2004) Families with children 6 to 36 months with and without CF were studied to see their interactions at mealtime. The families that had a chlid with CF scored lower on each category, including task accomplishment, communication, interpersonal involvement, effect management, behavior control, and role allocation. Overall the families with children without CF had less difficulties at mealtime. Once a child enters the school age era does this change? The school age era that was studied was 6 to 12.9 years of age. Resulting in a closer comparision between children with CF then those without, and the families with CF still struggling in all catigories. (Janicke, 2005) Both studies show a negative effect on mealtime for families that have a child with CF. There are different strategies on how to handle stress that results from the diagnosis as well as struggles that are faced. Interviews conduced with 17 mothers of children with CF were conducted in Birmingham to see stresses and coping strategies used. Caring for a child with CF is stressful and this has implications for the main carer, the parental relationship, well siblings, family functioning as well as the affected child. (Hodgkinson, 2002) Hodgkinson listed three main themes of stress: the stress of feeling in the middle, burden of responsibility, coping with a changed identity, strategies were problem-focused, appraisal-focused, and emotion-focused. The feeling of being in the middle was described when the question of where did this faulty gene come from is played. The genetic implication to find out who has the gene and to find out how, why, or where the child got CF from. The next stressor of the burden of responsibility comes from the decisions that are made, this burden isnt shared among both parents. A great example used was the constant relaying of information from doctors appointments to the other parent.
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(Hodgkinson, 2002) With the knowing thought that CF comes first to everything. (Hodgkinson, 2002) A change in identy is expressed because the mother feels they have lost their identity as an individual due to sacrifices that are made as a result of their childs CF. This can be due to the inability to work any longer due to the demand of care for the child, or feeling socialy isolated. There are ways to cope with these stressors. One coping strategy is the problem-focused strategy, this is where the mothers find support from sources such as family, their partner, friends, CF support groups, and their health care provider. This can be an important source of support for the mother so they can talk about things other than their childs CF. The scond form of coping is appraisal-focused; looking at events from a different perspective and mentaly adjusting to the situation. This can also be looked at as getting use to the problem, by getting use to the illness it becomes more habitual rather than pain staking. The last form of coping is the emotion-focused approach that is acceptance and maintaning hope for their child. In Hodgkinsons study many of the mothers felt they had no choice but to hold it together for the sake of others. The hope that their child will have a normal and fullfilled life. Each family handles the diagnosis of a loved one differently and each family adjust in their own way. A family encounters stress, struggles, and guilt when faced with having a child with CF. A study of 44 children between the ages of 7 and 15 years each with CF was done to elvalute; different adjustments made, looking at bahavior, depression, eating disorders, and anxity. The severity of the illness was significantly correlated with the impact on the family. (Pumariega, 1993) The more sever the illness the more it effects the family unit (R= 0.34, p < 0.05) and

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depression (R = 0.62, p < 0.001). With a small sample size the dependency of this study is limited. If the family is impacted to such a degree how does it effect the siblings, and their Quality of Life (QoL)? The QoL of siblings of a child with CF was studied based on 189 CF patients with siblings, to see how they are impacted by their siblings illness. The results of this study indicated that the QoL of siblings of a child with CF are better then those without. Siblings observe the sick child and the daily treatment, which makes them in a way feel superior in certain aspects of life. (Hvermans, 2010) The siblings of children with CF have more of a positive view on what healthy is, resulting in their opinion of QoL being higher than other children. Interview An interview conducted with a mother of a child with CF was difficult to hear the personal aspects. Not looking at statistics or research studies the personal experience of a mother with a 19 month old little girl with CF. This little girl is my baby cousin, her mother and I were raised very close not only in age but as very close friends. Looking back 18 months ago I received a phone call from my Aunt asking what is Cystic Fibrosis, knowing the term there wasnt an answer I could give. I could hear the tears rolling down her cheeks as she told me her doctor just diagnosed Adalyn with it. As a newborn she had no symptoms at all only a blood test to verify. My Aunt and Uncle were lost, no one could give them a straight answer, and so they turned to the Internet. The Internet has great information yet it can cause the thoughts of the worse case scenario. The news hit the family hard it was life altering; their pediatrician couldnt give them answers and referred them to a Childrens Hospital in Dallas, 5 hours away. For 2

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weeks they had to wait and fear the worse. The appointment was informative and nerves were eased for now, every month they made the 5-hour trip to see the doctor for 12 months. Now that she is over one year of age they make the trip every 3 months. The family has been brought closer, Adalyn has an older brother who takes care of her and plays with her as if she is any other kid. As a mother she plays the what if games and worries about her baby girl, making sure she has had her medicine and breathing treatments. The worry is constant; luckily they have a lot of supportive family members. When asked who has been the best support she answered her mother. She goes to the doctor appointments, helps with taking care of the kids when she needs some time off. A couple with a child with CF needs to be able to depend on someone else for support and have the time off to keep their relationship strong. As of right now Adalyn doesnt show any symptoms so when you look at her shes just like any other kid. Yet when trying to get into a daycare its another story. Adalyn requires enzymes every time she eats; this causes concern for most daycares. In order to take liability off the daycare a letter has to be signed by her physician stating that Adalyn is in good health and can attend a daycare without limitations. Life has just stated for this little girl and she is just as full of energy as any other 19 month old. She has a long road ahead of her; life with CF will hopefully be easy yet there is no promise. Conclusion Studies and personal interviews show that a child with Cystic Fibrosis can take different roads and it effects each differently. With other children in the home families join together to live with this diagnosis, its a whole family diagnosis. Each person plays a role in the care and
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outlook on the life of that with CF. Each study showing the different aspects of how families live with a child with CF and hopefully with advancements in medicine there will be a cure or a pill to take so their lives arent altered so drastically. They too can and do live a happy and fulfilling life.

Reference: Avent, L. (2012, June). (K. K. Harris, Interviewer) Campbell, T. (1993). Impact of Family Factors on Childhood Ilness. Family Systems Medicine.

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Gravelle, A. (1997). Caring for a child with a progressive illness during the complex chronic phase: parents' experience for facing adversity. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 25, 738-745. Hodgkinson, R. L. (2002). Stresses and coping strategies of mothers living with a chlid with cystic fibrosis: implications for nursing professionals. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 39 (4), 377-383. Hvermans, T. W. (2010, July). Siblings of children with cystic fibrosis: quality of life and the impact of ilness. Child: care, health, and development , 37 (2), pp. 252-260. Janicke, D. M. (2005). Family Functioning in School-Age Children With Cystic Fibrosis: An Observational Assessment of Family Interactions in the Mealtime Environment. Journal of Pediatric Psychology , 30 (2), 179-186. Michtell, M. P. (2004, October). Family Functioning in Young Children with Cystic Fibrosis: Observations of Interactions at Mealtime. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics , 25 (5), pp. 335-346. Miller, V. (2009). Parent-Child Collaborative Decision Making for the Management of Chronic Ilness: A Qualitative Analysis. Families, Systems, & Health , 27 (3), pp. 249-266. Pumariega, A. P. (1993). Family and Childhood ADjustment in Cystic Fibrosis. Journal of Chidl and Family Studies , 2 (2), 109-118.

PSYC 541 Advanced Organizational Psychology Expectations of Student Through personal knowledge of the meaning of psychology my expectation of this course was to learn the way organizations works in a cohesive manner. How stress
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and other outside factors affect peoples abilities to perform. This is important in obtaining a degree in organizational manage for many reasons. The major reason would be when supervising others a manger must know how to approach, problem solve and fix issues that may arise. Personally I was very interested in taking this course, Ive always enjoyed psychology and was interested to learn more. As a future manager in healthcare its important for me to have a solid understanding of how and why people respond the way they do in the workplace. Student Learning Outcomes Ability to access, critique, and integrate research and literature in the area of organizational psychology Ability to identify and describe the formal and informal organizational structures that lead to organizational success or failure Ability to organize and present academic material in an online forum to an audience of peers Ability to facilitate discussions in an online forum on topics relevant to organizational psychology Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments The learning outcomes of this course began with the ability to access, critique, and integrate research and literature in the area of organizational psychology. The ability to analyze research for the good of my organization was performed by finding a subject matter and creating a proposal for employee improvements. A great example would be workplace stress, what are the causes, effects and how can it be reduced. These studies are important to the productivity of employees within an organization. The next learning outcome was to have the Ability to identify and describe the formal and informal organizational structures that lead to organizational success or failure. This is important to learn so improvement plans can be made for improvements. First the issue must be identified; this can be through production, consumer complaints or performance evaluations. If the issues are dealt with in a timely manner they grow into larger ones making it difficult for the organization to be successful. This can be due to the structure of the large organization being too informal, where there is no one leader to make decisions; a large organization needs a formal structure such as a hierarchal structure. A hierarchal structure is used in many large organizations where there is a chief executive officer (CEO) who over sees management, management oversees supervisors, and the supervisors over see employees. This allows for formal structure on who does what. Ability to organize and present academic material in an online forum to an audience of peers and the ability to facilitate discussions in an online forum on topics relevant to organizational psychology were the last two learning outcomes assigned in this course. This was performed though the discussion forums with other students, its important to have the ability to share material with others and to learn what they have experienced. When working with others in a class setting its interesting to hear others experiences so that when I become a manager I can take my personal encounters and theirs into
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consideration when approaching a issue. Summary comments for positive changes This course provided great insight into the psychology of employees and how to obtain the best results from them for success. This is very important in my education as well as my career, for example in order for me to be a successful manager and improve the productivity and outcomes of my employees it is vital for me to know, understand and implement organizational psychology. Personally I find that organizational psychology can be applied in many situations, it can be applied to any size of business, teams, families and even peer groups. I believe this course was laid out well and provided a path for students to learn and improve on their management knowledge.

Syllabus

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Course Work

Workforce Stress and its Effects Kacie K. Harris Chadron State College

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Abstract
The stress that is caused by the workplace is a common occurrence; studies will show how this stress affects the lives of the worker and their family. The causes of this stress and how to manage it is important research to find out what the causes are and how to fix the problem. Each study that was conducted shows the prevalence of this problem and the emergent need to fix it. The health of employees is dependent on this issue, and the utilization of stress reduction tools can and will reduce stress.

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Introduction Stress is defined as an employee with high demands, low control, resulting in depression, nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia. (APA, 2003) Throughout this discussion the effects of stress created by the workplace will be described as well as studies that have been conducted. Once the effects of stress on a workers physical health, mental health, and families have been determined an organization is forced to look into how to fix the problem, as well as what is done to help prevent stress in the workplace will be discussed. The purpose of this discussion is to bring knowledge to workers to understand the emotions and strain created in their workplace as well as ways to minimize and prevent the stress and the effects. Discussion The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a study to determine the amount of control an employee had in relation to the amount of stress they reported. The goal of this study was to find ways to reduce stress for the employee without sacrificing the productivity. Productivity is the amount of quality work an employer receives from the worker. Many organizations have increased employee control to make jobs better for employees (APA, 2003). A great example was how Ford Motor Company redesigned their workforce from a traditional supervisor to employee workforce into a team-based workforce. This approach allowed for employees of Ford to obtain more control over their job, it allowed them to talk directly to the source such as a supplier rather then going to their supervisor and waiting for them to make the phone call. Ford gave their employees more control over their tasks resulting in higher employee productivity. This is only one industry that has been studied to view the result of occupational
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stress. White-collar occupations have been studied to view the amount of stress created by the workplace. Technical jobs, sales, and administrative support careers reported forty-eight percent of the stress in the workforce according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics (U.S. Department of Labor, 1999). Occupation determines much of the stress level, the stress level of police officers isnt known unless a person has been in that field of work. Pagon, Spector, Cooper, and Lobnikar researched the amount of stress placed on police officers today and the results of this stress. A great example is in 1990 it was reported that over one million workdays were missed by police officers and 25% of these days were stress related. (Pagon, 2011) The results of this stress were found to be the result of work overload, staff shortages, insufficient resources and lack of consultation (Pagon, 2011). This type of stress starts out at the top of the ladder with the bosses and moves its way down, because chiefs and captains in police force look at their squad for the good performance, and making up for the shortages in staffing. This shortage in staffing, resulting in overtime, longer shifts, as well as less time with the officers families. Creating more stress not just at the workplace, but this stress creates more stress at home. A study conducted seven measures were looked at to determine the source of the stress, behavior pattern, locus f control, coping strategies, job satisfaction, and mental and physical wellbeing. The method used was questionnaire sent out to 267 officers and 232 managers in the private industry to view stress. (Pagon, 2011) The self-reporting measure should be reliable due to the lack of personal opinions needed for this study. In the police force there are more pressures
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on subjects such as workload and hassles, relationships, and climate. This results in dissatisfaction with their work, which can result in an individual leaving the organization; if the office had more control over these issues the results might be slightly different. With that being said the information collected showed higher stress due to other reasons such as longer hours, the risks that come with their occupation, impatience, and outcome-orientation; all these eventually take a toll on a persons body not including the habits the workers pick up such as smoking to deal with the stress. The employees in the private sector reported less physical and mental well being when compared to their police counterparts. According to the results of the study police officers are actually better off in terms of their calmness, energy, and contentment (Pagon, 2011). Based on the amount of stress both positions result in the effects on the family is present as well. In 2009 Michael Ford conducted a research study to find the like between income and work-family stress. Is there a link between the amount of money a person or couple brings home to the amount of stress? Work-family conflict arises when demands and responsibilities from the work and family domains are incompatible(Ford, 2011). The interference that a work place can have on a family can be detrimental if it is not fixed, the stress from work has been found to interfere with the family. Other factors that go along with this are work demands, the amount of time one spends at work, and the demands placed on them. When a person spends a lot of time at work this takes time away from their family creating strain on a marriage and children relationships. Its been found that the higher income occupations have family-friendly benefits which decreases the stress placed on families, where as low income occupations may not offer these benefits as well as pay the employee less. If the employee is unable to pay their bills based
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on this one low-income position it forces them to find a second job. Resulting in higher stress on not only the worker, but the family as well. Financial stress caused by the occupation is another factor that creates additional stress. What kinds of occupations cause stress and is there a difference among men and women? Men and women handle stress differently as well as perform at different levels, do women have to work harder to perform at the same level as a man; the generality of this is how the stress effects women in health care. Sources of stress for health care workers encompass exposure to infectious agents, antineoplastic agents, and needle stick injuries. (Klainin, 2009). A cross sectional research design was used to find the result of stress on full-time, female healthcare workers. A four-item scale was used to determine the prevalence of conflict per day; the conflict helps determine the amount of anxiety, frustration, and depression the healthcare worker suffers from; and a five-item scale for workloads, as well as a 14-item questionnaire relation for the stress at their particular job. The results of this study showed that healthcare workers suffered from higher levels of stress due to interpersonal conflict, role conflict, ambiguity, an the stress of the family (Klainin, 2009). The stress of this type of environment also affects the workers health, which will be discussed later in this discussion. A working parent creates a 24-hour, around the clock job, these hours result in stress. The health related stress in health care workers are not limited to the risks that are put on to them with illnesses and diseases, its also the result of weight gain and depression. Stress causes psychological strain on the body and scientists have linked this to risk factors such as cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In 2008 Block, He, Zaslavsky,

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Ding, and Ayanian conducted a study to see the weight among adults as a result of psychological stress. Based on the study, men with chronic job strain, coupled with low social support among co-workers, were more likely to develop obesity(Block, 2009). Although the study did show that over a 9.5-year study that men and womens change in weight was about the same. This shows that it can be the same for men and women when obesity and stress is concerned. Although the study did show that women snacked more during stressful times then that of men. The men may not have snacked, yet the on average consumed more fat then women creating approximately the same weight gain (Burke, 2002). This form of chronic stress forms problems, the question that lies is how does this stress affect the family unit. The stress from work can and does affect the family in many ways, one being negative mood spillover. This is a form of mood redirection, this happens when an employee suffers from extreme stress at work and bring that stress home and directly imposes that stress onto the family unit. This imposition of stress from the work place also creates a lack of emotional reaction to the family. A very interesting study conducted by Wang, Repetti, and Campos looked at families interactions once the adult worker came home, utilizing video surveillance they were able to get a good understanding of what the initial responses were based on stress levels that day (Wang, 2011) (Hussin, 2008). Measures of stress and workload were recorded twice a day to get a good understanding of the levels. In the study they were able to see a relation for men in negative emotional display, less response intensity with their children for the first hour after high stress. Based on the negativity that can be portrayed stress levels can be reduced. In order to fix the problem the cause, each organization will have slightly different issues.

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The Wan Hussin 3-Dimensional Stress Manaement Model (Wang, 2011) does this exact thing. First issuing surveys based on occupational stress only, these surveys include the simple stress test, Holmes-Rahe Life Readadjustment Scale, Stress symptoms, Stress Reliever Personality, and other test. Each test assesses different issues, which will allow for the organization to target the problem areas to decrease the stress. The goal of this is to explain stress and make recommendations. The recommendations usually made to reduce stress are utilizing breathing techniques and other options, many different techniques such as mindfulness and yoga showed great improvements in stress levels when repeat analysis studies were conducted. (Wolever, 2012) By allowing the employee to utilize these techniques it lowers the levels of stress. As a matter of fact, relaxation training interventions are one of the most popular approaches to stress management (Sidle, 2008) Organizations can also restructure positions by allowing for more employee control as Ford did and giving the tools and flexibility. By giving an employee more tools and control it takes the stress out of the job creating a more productive employee as well as a happy employee; this happy employee will also have a happy family, this isnt a bad thing. Conclusion When an organization has issues of stress, research has shown that if that source of stress is fixed the results are astounding. As employees become less stressed they will want to be at work, and work well. With better performing employees the organization will improve. A simple way to configure this is by an organization doing their homework to find out where their issues are, fix those creating a happy workplace. If this is allowing more flexibility or better training this can give an employee more control resulting in less stress. Every employee deserves to be

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stress free and happy in his or her place of work. Stress is something that companies shouldnt take lightly, because if they do their employee performance, job satisfaction, and production will decrease. All in all the only way for an organization to continue to grow and improve is to find the stress, and find ways to reduce it for their employees. It can be a make or break company decision.

References:
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American Psychological Association (APA). (2003). Occupationsl Stress and Employee Control. Retrieved May 2012, from American Psychological Assiciation: www.apa.org Block, J. Y. (2009). Psychosocial Stress and Change in Weight Among US Adults. American Journal of Epidemiology , 170 (2), 181-192. Burke, R. (2002). Work Stress and Women's Health: Occupational Status Effects. Journal of Business Ethics , 37 (1), 91-102. Ford, M. (2011). Linking Household Income and Work-Family Conflict: a Moderated Mediation Study. Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress , 27 (2), 144-162. Hussin, W. (2008). MANAGING STRESS AT THE WORKPLACE: THE APPLICATION OF WAN HUSSIN 3-DIMENSIOAL STRESS MANAGEMENT MODEL. The Journal Of Management Awareness , 11 (2), 16-26. Klainin, P. (2009). Stress and health outcomes: The mediating role of negative affectivity in female health care workers. International Journal of Stress Management, 16 (1), 45-64. Pagon, M. S. (2011). Managers in Suits and Managers in Uniforms: Sources and outcomes of Occupational Stress. International Journal of Police Science & Management , 13 (3), 211-222. Sidle, S. (2008). Workplace Stress Management Interventions: What Works Best? Academy Of Management Perspectives , 22 (3), pp. 111-112. U.S. Department of Labor. (1999). Issues in Labor Statistics: Summary 99-10. Retrieved May 2012, from Bureau of Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov Wang, R. R. (2011). Job Stress and Family Social Behavior: The moderating role of neuroticism. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology , 16 (4), 441-456. Wolever, R. M. (2012). Effective and Viable Mid-Body Stress REduction in the Workplace: A Randomized Controll Trial. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17 (2), 246-258 CA 630 Organizational Communication Expectations of Student
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My expectations of this course were to learn how to approach, analyze and solve issues within the organization as well as find the most successful ways to communicate for problem resolution. In the aspect of my education this course is important for many reasons, when dealing with people whether they are employees or consumers its vital to have good communication. Another reason organizational communication is important is in my chosen career in healthcare to have the ability to communicate policies and procedures for the safety of patients and the employees. Student Learning Outcomes An understanding of the changing nature and role of communication in organizational contexts. An understanding of and ability to analyze and apply a variety of theoretical perspectives on organizational communication to practical organizational settings & situations. The ability to integrate theory, research, and practice related to organizational communication to address common organizational communication challenges related to: o Organizational Identification & Satisfaction o Organizational Climate & Culture o Employee Recruitment, Socialization & Retention o Interpersonal Relationships & Team Dynamics in Organizations o Leadership & Organizational Change o Conflict in Organizations Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments The first learning outcome for this course was to obtain an understanding of the changing nature and role of communication in organizational contexts. This is a very important aspect of communication within an organizational setting. In order to understand the changing nature and the role of communication one must have a good understanding of basic organizational communication. Over the years the demands of people have changed, changing the approach to communication. The second learning outcome was to develop an understanding of and ability to analyze and apply a variety of theoretical perspectives on organizational communication to practical organizational settings and situations. The goal is to develop a relationship between the supervisor and the subordinate; the relationship can grow and mature when the line of communication is open. This happens through feedback, and providing uniform treatment to all employees. The last learning outcome consists of the ability to integrate theory, research, and practice related to organizational communication to address common organizational communication challenges related to: organizational identification and satisfaction, organizational climate and culture, employee recruitment, socialization and retention, interpersonal relationships and team dynamics in organizations, leadership and organizational change and conflict in organizations. Organizational identification and
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satisfaction is when the organization has a vision and the framework of the organization, this provides strength and support. The organizational climate and culture are the morals, beliefs and values set by the organization for the consumers to know what to expect of the organization, and the employees know the standards in which they are held to. Communication is important in employee recruitment for one major reason, there must be a standard role for each employee that they will be held to for the organization to have something to base a performance evaluation on and the employee knows what is expected of them. Once the organization and its employee are on the same page the emphasis is now placed on the socialization and retention, this begins on day one when an employee starts at the organization. Retention occurs by providing the employee with good communication and having mutual visions. This develops the interpersonal relationships and good team dynamics, when miscommunication occurs it affects the relationship and dynamics in a devastating manner. As time goes on employees change, creating a need to a change in leadership, which can affect communication. In my opinion when too much change occurs at once communication fails creating a decline in relationships and satisfaction. Summary comments for positive changes This class was very insight full in regards to the research, development and implementation of communication within an organization. Its important in both my educational and professional careers to have good organizational communication. In my education realm communication is essential due to the approach in which I am obtaining my education, online, its vital for me to have the ability to communicate well with my classmates and my professors. In my professional career its important to have these skills so that I can maintain good communication with my employees and provide a reliably environment so each employee feels a sense of commitment and value.

Syllabus

CA 630 Organizational Communication Course Syllabus Fall 2012 (August 20 - December 14)
Course Description
CA 630 Organizational Communication explores the nature and flow of communication in modern organizations (such as businesses, political structures, hospitals, etc.) through applied theory, diagnosis, and problem solving skills. Examination of communication between management, employees, and organizational community are examined. Students will be expected to analyze communication environments and present communication findings to the class.

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Required Textbook
Author: Daniel P. Modaff, Sue DeWine, Jennifer Butler Title: Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings, 2/E ISBN: ISBN-10: 0205493491, ISBN-13: 9780205493494 Publisher: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/academic/product/0,3110,0205493491,00.html

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate the following: An understanding of the changing nature and role of communication in organizational contexts. An understanding of and ability to analyze and apply a variety of theoretical perspectives on organizational communication to practical organizational settings & situations. The ability to integrate theory, research, and practice related to organizational communication to address common organizational communication challenges related to: o Organizational Identification & Satisfaction o Organizational Climate & Culture o Employee Recruitment, Socialization & Retention o Interpersonal Relationships & Team Dynamics in Organizations o Leadership & Organizational Change o Conflict in Organizations

Course Design:
This course is designed to be completed entirely online. As a graduate level course, students will be expected to be actively engaged in each course Unit in a strategic combination of activities to complete the R.A.D.A.R. Learning Cycle: R.A.D.A.R. Learning Cycle = Read Apply Discuss And Reflect The R.A.D.A.R. Learning Cycle includes a strategic combination of learner-content interaction, learnerinstructor interaction, and learner-learner interaction to help each student successfully achieve each Unit's learning outcomes.

Course Assignments:
Students will be expected to successfully complete the following graded assignments in this course: Unit One: Getting Started Assignments Assignment #1-A: Syllabus Review Checklist 2 Points Please see instructions under "Unit 1" in the "Lessons" area of the online course Due Date: August 26
To Be Submitted as a Word Document (.doc) to "Assignments" Course Area

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Assignment #1-B:

into a

Self-Introduction & "3 Best" Discussion Postings 8 Points Please see instructions under "Unit 1" in the "Lessons" area of the online course Due Date: August 26 Each Student Must Combine their "Self-Introduction" post and their "3 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them single Word Document (.doc) and Submit them to the
Instructor Review & Grading.

"Assignments" Course Area for

Unit Two: Assignment #2:

Introduction to Organizational Communication "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 2 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: September 9 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

Unit Three: Assignment #3:

Theory Part 1: Classical & Humanistic Theories of Organizations "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 3 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: September 23 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

Unit Four:

Theory Part 2: Systems,

Cultural & Critical Theories of

Organizations
Assignment #4: "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 4 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: October 7 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

Unit Five: Assignment #5:

Organizational Recruitment & Socialization "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 5 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: October 21 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

Unit Six: Assignment #6:

Organizational Conflict "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 6 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: November 4 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

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Unit Seven: Assignment #7:

Relational Dynamics within Organizations "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 7 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: November 18 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Fourm, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

Unit Eight: Assignment #8:

Organizational Leadership "My 4 Best Postings from the Unit 8 Discussion Forum" 20 Points Due Date: December 9 Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from this Unit's Discussion Fourm, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc)
Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Instructor Review &

and
Grading.

Total Points Possible from Required Assignments:

150 Points

OPTIONAL "FINAL ESSAY EXAM" ASSIGNMENT (40 Extra Credit Points)

After Unit 7 of the course is completed, all students will be able to decide, based on their current overall course grade status, IF they want to complete an optional "Final Essay Exam" to improve their final course grade. Any student who has less than a 90% overall course grade may elect to complete an optional "Final Essay Exam" to improve their overall course grade before the end of the semester. The "Final Essay Exam" will be worth up to 40 "Extra Credit" points, which can be added to the points the student has earned toward their overall course grade. Any student who DOES NOT elect to complete the optional "Final Essay Exam" will be awarded the overall course grade they have earned without these optional extra credit points.

In-Depth Discussion Participation Requirements:

This IS NOT a self-paced course. Actively engaging in course discussions will be essential for your success in this class. Because your active discussion participation is worth almost 100% of your course grade, I strongly recommend that you devote great effort toward being actively engaged in each Unit's discussion. The following information is intended to help you successfully fulfill the discussion requirements in this class. PLEASE READ BELOW COMPLETELY and VERY CAREFULLY!!! All students are required to be actively engaged in "In-Depth" Discussions scheduled throughout the course calendar. In this class, there will be one (1) - "Self-Introduction" discussion forum during the first week of class and then seven (7) discussion forums, each running for 2 weeks, which are focused on discussing specific topics being covered in the course content. For each Unit's discussion, several initial questions will be posed by the instructor which are intended to encourage all students to critically examine and explore different perspectives on the course content. Occasionally, the instructor will also present several "follow-up" questions intended to encourage students to build upon the current discussion and/or to encourage students to consider other directions of dialogue on the topics being discussed for that unit. Within each discussion period, all students must contribute a specific quantity of discussion posts - AND most important - each discussion post must satisfy very specific "In-Depth" content requirements. Please 114 Kacie K. Harris

review the instructions below VERY CAREFULLY to ensure that you understand the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements that must be followed for all forum discussion postings. For the "Self Introduction" discussion forum during the first week of class, all students must complete the following requirements:

1. Post a complete "Self-Introduction" posting to the discussion forum. 2. Review and respond to at least 4 of your classmate's discussion posts within the 1-week (7 Day)
discussion period. These can be responses to your classmate's "Self Introduction" postings and/or responses to your classmate's responses to your "Self-Introduction" posting, as long as you have contributed at least 4 separate discussion postings to the forum, in addition to your own "SelfIntroduction" post. (NOTE: These posts do not have to follow the "4-Part In-Depth Format" requirements but should reflect substantive interaction and meaningful dialogue with your classmates).

3. At the end of the first week (By August 26th) please copy/paste your "Self-Introduction" posting as
well as what you believe are your "3 Best" discussion posts that you contributed to the week's discussion forum into a single Microsoft Word (.doc) document, save it with the title "(Your Last Name) - Unit 1 - Self Intro and My 3 Best Posts" and upload the document into the "Assignments" area of the course in the section titled "Unit 1 Discussion Forum Assignment". For each of the remaining seven (7) Unit discussions in the class, all students must complete the following requirements:

1. Post at least 5 fully "In-Depth" discussion posts within each 2-Week (14 Day) Discussion Period: Days 1-4 of Each Discussion Period:
Within the first four days of each discussion period, all students must submit at least 1 "In-Depth" post - that fully satisfies the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements outlined below - in response to at least one of the initial questions posed by the instructor.

Days 5-9 of Each Discussion Period: Sometime between days 5-9 of each discussion period, all students must review, consider and substantively respond "In-Depth" to at least 2 of their peer's discussion postings. In order to be considered "In-Depth", each post must fully satisfy the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements outlined below. Days 10-14 of Each Discussion Period:
Sometime between days 10-14 of each discussion period, all students must review, consider and substantively respond "In-Depth" to at least 2 more of their peer's discussion postings. These can respond to your peer's responses to your postings and/or to any other peer's postings, so that you have contributed at least 5 fully "In-Depth" discussion postings within the unit's discussion. In order to be considered "In-Depth", each post must fully satisfy the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements outlined below. NOTE: You are required to be actively engaged in discussion interaction throughout each discussion period. DO NOT submit all of your discussion postings on one or two days of the week. Failure to follow the discussion guidelines and timelines above, without prior approval from 115

Kacie K. Harris

the course instructor will result in a 4-point penalty on the overall student's discussion participation score for that discussion cycle (i.e a score of 16 (80%) would become a 12 (60%).

2. Within EACH of the required 5 posts students must satisfy the following "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements:
For responses to the initial discussion questions, please use the following format for your posts:

Part 1: Label this part of your post:

"My Perspective"

Under this label, please provide at least 3 well developed paragraphs explaining your detailed perspective on the discussion topic(s)/question(s) that have been posed.

Part 2: Label this part of your post:

"Support from Readings & Outside

References"
Under this label, please provide at least 4 well developed paragraphs that explain how your perspective is supported by specific quotes or passages from your textbook readings - AND - also from outside reference materials including other textbooks, journals, articles, or any other relevant internet resources that you find applicable to support your perspective using http://www.google.com or other internet search engines. In this section of your post, in addition to referencing specific page numbers from your text (i.e. pg. 214) where you are referencing specific quotes or passages, please also include the specific reference information or internet URL for outside materials that you are citing. Finally, please make sure that you provide a detailed explanation of how you believe each reference, quote, passage that you are citing specifically supports your perspective on the discussion topic(s).

Part 3: Label this part of your post:

"Support from My Own Experience &

Observations"
Under this label, please provide at least 4 well developed paragraphs that explain how your perspective is supported by your own specific experiences and observations. Please provide very detailed, vivid descriptions of specific incidents or events that you have experienced or observed - and - then explain how these experiences and/or observations from these real situations help illustrate / substantiate / justify your perspective on the discussion topics.

Part 4: Label this part of your post: "Food

for Thought, Insights Gained &

Lessons Learned"
Under this label, please provide at least 3 well developed paragraphs that are intended to promote or to provoke additional dialogue with your classmates to build off of your perspective shared in your post. This can involve "taking a stand" on the discussion topic that offers alternative or unique perspectives that you want to challenge your peers to consider, respectfully challenging other student perspectives that have been presented previously in the discussion or perspectives presented in your textbook readings, and/or presenting any other "food for thought, insights gained and/or lessons learned" from your consideration of the current discussions content and questions.

For responses to your peer's postings, please use the following format for your posts:

116 Kacie K. Harris

Part 1: Label this part of your post: "My

Perspective on (Name of Peer)'s

Posting"
Under this label, please provide at least 4 well developed paragraphs explaining your detailed perspective that provides a substantive and meaningful response in reaction to the perspective presented in your peer's posting. Your response needs to be something more than "I agree and here is why..." and must provide something "new" to add to and enhance the insights to be gained from the combination of your perspective being integrated with your peer's. You are encouraged to constructively challenge or critique the point of view being presented by your peer's and vice-versa - and/or - if your perspective re-inforces the perspective shared by your peer, your post must offer additional perspective that clearly adds value to what has already been stated.

Parts 2, 3 and 4 of your post should follow the same guidelines as outlined above under the previous section labeled "For responses to the initial discussion questions" - but - should reflect a clear consideration, reflection and response to the reference materials and experiences shared in the peer's posting and an explanation of how your understanding of the readings, outside references, and your own experiences relate / compare / contrast to your peer's. Please make sure you separate each part of each post into the 4 separate "Parts" as outlined above and provide the appropriate "Labels" for each part, including:

o o o o

Part 1: "My Perspective on (Name of Peer)'s Posting" Part 2: "Support from Readings & Outside References" Part 3: "Support from My Own Experience & Observations" Part 4: "Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned"

NOTE: You should expect to compose the equivalent of a 2 to 3 page, single spaced, 12-point font word document in order to fully satisfy the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" expectations for EACH of your required posts. NOTE: The key issue is to ensure that you are: #1 - able to demonstrate substantive and meaningful perspectives on the course content in relation to the discussion questions / topics being posed, #2 - able to support and justify your perspective based on your demonstrating how it relates / applies to your readings and outside reference materials; #3 - able to support and justify your perspective based on demonstrating how your point of view has been exhibited in actual real-world situations that you have directly experienced and/or observed; and #4 - able to acknowledge and articulate the "learning implications" of your having considered and reflected on the course content and discussion topics and that you are able to engage in and promote additional learning with your classmates through perpetuating the "in-depth" dialogue in each discussion cycle. NOTE: Because of the expected length of each "In-Depth" discussion post, you are encouraged to compose your postings, initially, as a Microsoft Word document and "Save" each post on your computer as a separate file. This will provide you with a saved copy in case there is an "error" or "timeout" problem that can sometimes occur online if the computer does not detect activity while you have been typing over a long period of time. TRUST ME...please learn from the "lessons learned the hard way" from past students...and make sure you save a copy of each of your posts on your own computer before actually posting them to the course "FORUMS" area. Once you have a copy "SAVED", then please proceed to submit your post to the FORUMS area by copy/pasting from your word document into the discussion post area. NOTE: Please DO NOT submit your discussion posts as word document attachments in the

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discussion FORUMS area. In order for your classmates and I to be able to read and respond to each discussion post as it relates to other postings above and below in the discussion "thread", it is important that all discussion posts appear as text within the Forums area. Accordingly, posts that are submitted as "attachments" will not be accepted toward the minimum of 5 posts required for each discussion cycle.

NOTE: Discussions will be "CLOSED" after each 2-week discussion cycle. Once it is "Closed" everyone will still be able to read/review all postings which have been submitted, but no new postings may be submitted to the discussion area.

3. At the end of each 2-week discussion unit (Please see due dates in the course schedule below)
please copy/paste what you believe are your "4 Best" discussion posts that you contributed to the unit's discussion forum into a single Microsoft Word (.doc) document, save it with the title "(Your Last Name) - My 4 Best Posts for Unit (#)" and upload the document into the "Assignments" area of the course in the section designated for that specific Unit's discussion forum assignment.

Explanation & Rationale for My Teaching / Facilitation Style:

The primary goal of my teaching / facilitation style is to create challenging activities that are strategically designed to promote positive and productive learning experiences for each of you individually as well as for all of you collectively. I see my role in the process as a facilitator or guide...similar to a "Tour Guide" on a "Learning Safari". If you think about that, please put the following into perspective: A tour guide cannot control whether or not you enjoy or "get something" meaningful out of the experience...only you can do that! The tour guide is not the "center of attention" but may offer suggestions or guidance from the sideline or in the background that is intended to help you navigate through your experience. A tour guide does not "have the experience for you" and should not "tell you what you should do, think, feel, etc. along the way". Accordingly, as your guide/facilitator in this class, you will not learn anything FROM ME. I will not serve as an "Expert" that expects to transfer knowledge or skills I have acquired to you. Instead, I see my role as setting up challenging learning experiences for you to complete and to challenge you to invest yourself in the 'discovery" process. Then while you "dive in" and devote a considerable amount of thought, time and effort into these experiences, if I see anything along the way that I think would be helpful or if I sense that you may be "off-track" or "falling too far behind", I will intervene as needed to help ensure that you stay on course...but please understand...there will be only one source of your learning in this class...and that will be from YOU engaging meaningfully and deeply in the experiences provided for you to invest yourself into. Please do not take my "guide on the side" approach to be a lack of interest or involvement with your learning. Instead, I am sincerely interested in make sure that you have an exceptional learning experience in this class and I will create and facilitate the experiences placed in front of you with that as my primary goal. Along the way, please do not hesitate to let me know if / when you need additional guidance, support and/or feedback from me and I will sincerely do my best to assist you throughout the course.

Grading:
Student participation for each Unit's discussion will be graded based on satisfying BOTH "quantity" and "quality" requirements. First, every student must demonstrate that they have contributed the required minimum "quantity" of discussion posts - required in each Unit. Each student must also demonstrate that they have satisfactorily fulfilled the "active engagement in discussions throughout the unit's discussion" 118 Kacie K. Harris

requirement by adhering to the 14-day discussion interaction guidelines outlined above. Finally, each student must demonstrate that they have successfully fulfilled the "quality" discussion interaction requirements by fully satisfying the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements in EACH of their postings contributed to the discussion forums for each Unit. 20 Points Possible = 4 Points for Required "Quantity" + 16 Points for Required "Quality" * A 4-Point penalty will be assessed if student is not actively engaged in the discussion throughout the 14-Day discussion period

Final Grades in this course will be assigned according to the percentage of points earned by each student out of the total points possible according to the following grading scale: A B C D F = = = = = 100 - 90 % 89 - 80 % 79 - 70 % 69 - 60 % Below 60%

* Percentages will be rounded up to the next letter grade at .5 and above. Grades below .5 will retain that grade level.

Course Schedule:
The following course schedule is tentative and may be changed as the semester progresses. Any changes made will be communicated to students by the instructor. The schedule below is intended to offer flexibility "within" each Unit...however...it is important to keep up with the schedule so that all assignments within a particular week are completed by the end of that week. Please DO NOT fall behind (i.e. Do not plan to submit discussion postings after the Unit's scheduled end date without prior approval from the instructor). Also - Please DO NOT work ahead (Do not look ahead to future Unit's content or work on future Unit's assignments unless directed to do so by the instructor) as the instructor will likely be adapting materials prior to each Unit's scheduled start date.

Fall 2011 Semester (August 22 - December 16)

Unit # 1 Dates Aug. 20 - 26 Readings Syllabus Assignments ___ Syllabus Review Checklist ___ Self Introduction Forum Discussion ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 2 ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 3 ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers Due Dates __ Due by August 26 __ Due by August 26 __ Between Aug. 27 Aug. 30 __ Between Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 __ Between Sept. 5 - Sept. 9 __ Due By September 9 __ Between Sept. 10 - Sept. 13 __ Between Sept. 14 - Sept. 18 __ Between Sept. 19 - Sept. 23 __ Due By September 23 __ Between Sept. 24 - Sept. 27 __ Between Sept. 28 - Oct. 2 __ Between Oct. 3 - Oct. 7

Aug. 27 - Sept. 9

Ch. 1 & 6 Intro. to Org. Comm.

3 4

Sept. 10 - Sept. 23

Ch. 2 & 3 Theory - Part 1 Ch. 4 & 5 Theory - Part 2

Sept. 24 - Oct. 7

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___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 4 5 Oct. 8 - Oct. 21 Ch. 7 & 8 Recruitment & Socialization Ch. 9 Organizational Conflict Ch. 10 & 11 Relational Dynamics ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 5 ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 6 ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 7

__ Due By October 7 __ Between Oct. 8 - Oct. 11 __ Between Oct. 12 - Oct. 16 __ Between Oct. 17 - Oct. 21 __ Due By October 21 __ Between Oct. 22 - Oct. 25 __ Between Oct. 26 Oct. 30 __ Between Oct. 31 - Nov. 4 __ Due By November 4 __ Between Nov. 5 - Nov. 8 __ Between Nov. 9 - Nov. 13 __ Between Nov. 14 - Nov. 18 __ Due By November 20

Oct. 22 - Nov. 4

Nov. 5 - Nov. 18

*
8 Nov. 26 - Dec. 9

Week of November 19-25 - No Coursework - Take a Break :)

Ch. 12 & 13 Organizational Leadership ___ Initial Question Response ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ Responses to 2-Peers ___ My 4 Best Posts - Unit 8 __ Between Nov. 26 Nov. 29 __ Between Nov. 30 - Dec. 4 __ Between Dec. 5 - Dec. 9 __ Due By December 9

Dec. 10 - Dec. 14

Optional Final Essay Exam

Other Course Policies:

Student Behavior - Academic Honesty: Students are encouraged and expected with the assistance of faculty to conduct themselves in conformity with the highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Any violation of college, state or federal standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating or falsification of official records will not be tolerated. Students violating such standards will be advised and disciplined by the instructor and should be advised that such violations may result in course failure, suspension or dismissal from the college. It is recommended that students seek the advice of instructors as to the proper procedures to avoid such violations. The following are examples of plagiarism:

Handing in an assignment that someone else has written and claiming the work as your own. Handing in an assignment that contains, sections, paragraphs, sentences or key phrases that someone else has written without documenting the source(s) for each portion of the assignment not written by you. Handing in an assignment that contains paraphrased ideas from another source, published or unpublished, without documenting the source for each paraphrase. (changing around a few words in a sentence from the sources is not sufficient to avoid plagiarism.)

Someone else in the three statements above may refer to a published author, another student, an internet source, or any person other than the student claiming credit for the assignment. Documenting means providing the name of the author, the source you have used, and other relevant bibliographical information such as the address for web sites used for sources. If you do not know how to document sources within your paper, ask your professor or the reference librarian for assistance. (Rev. Academic Review: Oct 6, 1998) This policy will be enforced. The first offense will result in 1) a zero for the assignment and 2) the final course grade dropped two letter grades. The second offense will result in a grade of an F for the course. Attendance Policy: Online learning requires that all students actively engage in online interaction with the course content, with other students, and with the instructor. Because active online interaction and engagement is so

120 Kacie K. Harris

important for student learning in online courses, the weekly discussion participation points are intentionally set to represent a significant portion of the overall course grade. Accordingly, "attendance" in this online class is required and all students are expected to "attend" class regularly by logging in frequently and actively engaging in weekly online discussions. Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Educational Opportunity Policy: Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage admissions of minority and female students and to provide procedures, which will result in equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating an environment for all students that is consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of Chadron State College to administer its academic employment programs and related supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability or marital status. Students request for reasonable accommodation based upon documented disabilities should be presented within the first two weeks of the semester, or within two weeks of the diagnosis to the Disabilities Counselor (4326461; CRITES 338) Disclaimer: This syllabus and schedule is articulated as an expectation of class topics, learning activities and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in this schedule that, based on professional judgment, would result in enhanced or more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially change the intent of objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and procedures of Chadron State College.

Course Work My 4 Best Post Unit 2

1. My Perspective on Samanthas Posting

Samantha you make some excellent points about miscommunication. Communication is the key to success in anything whether its a relationship, business, or just basic interaction with others. The lack of information that is present when bad communication happens can cause life-altering results. You can look at a investment gone bad or approving something unintentionally. Things like this happen and it hurts the people involved as well as the business. Your statement about misunderstanding being between an individual and the organizational values it a big one. When an employee assumes one thing but the reality is another they could lose their job over it. A great example would be in knowing your organizations procedures, what are you to if this happens. Many organizations have these policies and procedures for just that reason. But what if those arent communicated well and there is misinterpretations? What happens then? In the healthcare industry we have an acronym we call CYA Cover Youre A. Need I say more. With misinterpretations everywhere doctors today are doing the above and beyond amount of tests so they dont get sued. This is looked at as a evolution of communication issues. There are many times my department of
121 Kacie K. Harris

radiology has to call the doctor and speak with them directly because we have no clue what they are wanting based on the written order request. A great example would be in October of 2011 U.S. Soldiers died due to friendly fire when an analysis didnt communicate that they didnt think they were enemies. This case of miscommunication killed innocent people, what else can happen. If the US government is having these issues it shows that it can happen to anybody and that the results can be devastating. Samantha I agree with you that we need to find a way to fix it. Support from Reading & Outside References Just 2 days ago a jet in Amsterdam miscommunicated with the Netherlands air support resulting in a hijack scare. The lack of communication between the pilot and the tower and the airport from the spokeswoman for Spanish carrier according the NBC news. A simple lack of communication cost a lot of money sending F-16 fighter jets up to intercept the aircraft due to the miscommunication that the craft had been high jacked. As you stated misunderstanding is the instances in which people who are communicating dont share meanings (Wood, 1998) This is a prime example of how even when you are talking to someone it doesnt mean you are all on the same page. The lack of shared meaning affects the expected or needed outcome. In an organization we have set values which as an employee we are to uphold. Some may be pride, hard work, and commitment. These three things can mean totally different things to two people. We all have our own understandings of what each of those stands for which creates a misunderstanding and miscommunication. Support from my Own Experience & Observation The one example I can think of is a very serious situation at a Urgent care that I use to work for. A man came in with chest pains and the doctor ordered meds to be injected into the IV that had been started. The tech understood 10mL of meds when the doctor stated 2mL. Thus resulting in the man being rushed to the closest hospital in cardiac distress the man was fine. This was a very serious consequence, which could have resulting in the death of an individual. After that innocent policies where changed and two people had to sign off on a medication before it was administered to prevent the miscommunication problem. Needless to say this scared the tech to the point that she was scared to give any kind of
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medication for a while. I see where her fear came from. One little mistake can change lives. Although the way I look at making mistakes is its just a way of learning. Being in the healthcare industry there are many miscommunications made. Yet it happens everywhere. Whether its at home with my husband, on the phone with my sister, or with my dog, I believe that may times it is due to our minds not being 100% listening to the person. I know thats the case with my family interactions, if my sister is dealing with her kids and talking to me there are many times where we miscommunicate or misinterpret something one of us says, it happens and all that needs to be done is to find a way to fix it and prevent future occurrences. Food for Thought, Insight Gained & Lessons Learned Communication is vital for success, and just because you are communicating with someone doesnt mean there is a shared understanding. When two or more people communicate the understanding of the material is what makes it successful communication. As a woman I know there are many times where I just expect my husband to know what I want Well lessoned learned Men nor women can read minds and even though communication happens doesnt mean there is a shared understanding. How is this fixed? Can it be fixed? During a conversation repeat what the other person says to you in the way that you understand it. Any times in these online classes I have to email my professor to make sure I understand the assignment, because they dont always make sense. Constructive communication is the key to prevent miscommunication. Reference: NBC News. (2012, August 29). Pilot 'miscommunication' leads to Amsterdam jt hijack scare. Wood, J. (1998). But I thought you ment...: Misunderstnading in human communication. Mountain, CA: Mayfield. Zucchino, D. C. (2011, October 14). U.S. death in dron strike due to miscommunication, report says. Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, CA.

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2. My Perspective on Margos Posing

Margo you bring up a great point. Having the desire to be part of something is vital; when people feel like their work is valued they try harder. We all like to be part of something important and big, I almost think its a matter of feeling important and special that causes this action. When we put 100% into something and its successful it gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment. Margo your points on job satisfaction talks about unethical people getting to the top. The thing is many people have different definitions of what satisfaction is. To someone like you or I it could be a matter of accomplishment where as someone who utilizes unethical means to get ahead his or her view of job satisfaction is getting ahead and making the big buck. I mean wouldnt you be more satisfied with more money? We all would in a sense yet the unethical ones dont have the morals and values that we have. Putting them in a different category. So to put it bluntly your statement of satisfaction is driven by a persons personal needs is right on. Communication is valued and gives us a sense of belonging. When we arent included and our thoughts or opinions arent heard we feel unappreciated and that the organization doesnt value us as a person causing anger. All that has to be done in order to fix this is to communicate and listen to the employees. The company wouldnt function without these employees so why wouldnt a person want to listen and communicate with the backbone of the organization. If the communication is week the organization is week. Which backs up your statement that Any organization is only as strong as the ethics that organization represents Support from Readings & Outside References A very interesting article in the Bloomberg BusinessWeek stated Those of us with experience in business tell students they might receive kudos and a pat on the back for behaving ethically, but acting ethically can also lead to ostracism or even getting fired for not being a team player (Hanson, 2012) This is exactly what we dont want. We want our employees to be able to say something if they feel uncomfortable. The one thing that this article stated that I thought was interesting is that graduates are happy to have a job. Not saying that they will act unethically to get it but it basically says that they arent going to stand up for their personal ethical beliefs in fear of being unemployed. Ethical dilemmas and choices are an unavoidable part of ones work life. (Hanson, 2012)This is a vey true statement because we are pushed to make decisions everyday and they are based on our ethics.
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The concern is; are employees willing to push back and say no? According to Hansons article in Bloomberg because of the economy and unemployment rates when a person has a job they arent going to rock the boat per say over an ethical dilemma. By giving employees the right tools and the voice they are able to stand up for their morals so they arent being put into a personal ethical dilemma. The goal is to have happy, loyal employees and the only way to do so is by giving them a voice and not bulling them into unethical decisions. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Margo I see many people come and go in the healthcare industry and although Ive only been in it myself for 2 years now I see exactly what you are talking about. Many people see their job as a stepping-stone or its just temporary until they find something better, I know what thats like, been there. Yet it is still important to support the organization and be proud of what you do and where you work. Even a garbage man is proud of the work they do, its all about self-confidence and assurance. I come from a family of trash, that sounds funny but I do. My grandpa ran the local land field, my uncle was the vice president of waste management in Texas and my Dad was the head mechanic. I am proud to say that my family put their blood sweat, and teats into something that most look at as disgusting. And even here at the hospital I could probable gross some people out with some stories, but thats not the point. The point is it doesnt matter what other people think of your job it matters what you think, and if you are proud of what you do. And when we are put into ethical dilemmas it can cause us to cringe when we tell others about who we work for or what we do. A great example is my husband the car salesman. Many look at them as they do lawyers, they are in it for the money and everyone gets ripped off. He doesnt do anything unethical and he is successful because of his knowledge of cars and his ability to relate to people. Its not about the money to everyone its about doing what you love. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned The major thing I look at is everyone has his or her own ethics and it doesnt always line up with ours, and we have to respect that. Job satisfaction, doesnt exists unless the employee is able to be ethical, identification is set as what the organization stands for, and this has to be communicated. With a strong set of values in an organization that is communicated well the result is satisfied employees. A happy employee is a loyal one, one that will work overtime and do a good job.
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Without good employees an organization will fall. Which is first do you ask? In my opinion a Strong set of values for the organization have to be set so they know what kind of employees they want or need. These have to be communicated and if you have the right match you have a happy satisfied employee. Reference: Hanson, K. (2012, June). Workplace Ethics: The High Cost of Compromise. Retrieved September 2012, from BloombergBusinessweek.com: www.businessweek.com

3. My Perspective on Caitlins Post

Communication is vital in every organization, whether it is how to perform a task or exactly what is expected from the employee. Although it is a physical act of relaying a message its important for that message to have a common understanding. Not only what the message is but also how it is relayed. When speaking with a employee one must use the common ethical expectations that they would have if they were the one being spoken to. Diversity it a big reason why communication can falter is not done correctly. With a variety of people each person has their own mind and way of interpreting things that are said to them. Its much like a relationship; one person has to tell the other what they want in order to receive the correct outcome. No one can read minds, so if a manager or supervisor doesnt tell/communicate to their employees what their expectations are it is a guarantee that the employee will fail. Due to this lack of communication and the employee failing, it creates stress on both the employee and the manager. Its a simple solution; communication and ensuring that both parties have a common understanding. Caitlin made a great point about hearing and not listening. Many times people inactively listen which is just hearing, when a person actively listens they comprehend the message. This is so important in every aspect of life because so many times do we hear and dont listen. I believe that the same can come in written forms as well, many times we receive a memo via email and it goes into a read file without being read. Its actually very unprofessional. Managers face these problems every day, and the levels that Caitlin mentioned can create these issues. If the communication is spridered out it can cause people not to be informed and this creates more miscommunication. In my opinion when there is a tall culture the organization can be organized in the way of communication top to bottom and bottom to top. Its a ladder form rather than a spider web.
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Support from Readings & Outside References Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit. (Communication and Leadership, 2010) The continual strive for effective communication in the work place is caused by the constant ineffective communication. First a persona must listen in a active manner and relay their understanding back to the speaker. There are many common barriers that range from the listen flat out not paying attention to the physical environment, stress, noises, and preoccupations. Each must be over come by the listener. I believe that its also the job of the speaker/manager to help ensure that this can be overcome. The common hints that the manager can look for to ensure a person is listening is eye contact, facial and body expressions, and their response back. These are common ways to prevent the common misunderstandings that Caitlin talked about. With information being so important its critical that the manager verifies that the employee understands the information. Depending on where you work it can be a life or death situation. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations The most common experience I have in my work place is when a nurse from the inpatient floors call needing a portable x-ray on a kid. They give the room number Can I get a chest x-ray on the kid in 3167? this is not ok. We have changed our procedures due to misidentification problems that now the nurse has to use the patients full name and room number to ensure we have the right order for the right patient. Cailtin had a great example of the voicemail that her coworker left her; its very nerve racking when you get the impression that you did something wrong. Its a learning process though and your coworker should know that. We all make mistakes and the nice part about it is we learn from them. Miscommunication does cause a lot of stress on everyone, the speaker not getting their information across as they intend and the listener because either they dont understand or they misinterpret the information. Ive actually had this issue with a previous professor, I had one understanding of an assignment and it apparently wasnt what he was meaning. After weeks of emailing back and forth I finally called him to find out that I was totally off. Due to certain barriers I didnt understand the requirements and once I spoke with him and understood the assignment, we were on the same page. It was very frustrating and in my opinion it
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could have been fixed by simply changing the wording in the assignment. We all read or hear things differently in my opinion thats what makes online classes so difficult. Not only do you have to stay super organized but you are responsible for reading, there is no going to a lecture and listening. So my point is that it doesnt matter the physical form of communication written or verbal it can be miscommunicated. In the business world its directions, policies, and procedures that need to be clear cut and precise and in my opinion explained in a way that a 3rd grader would understand. When big words are put into these kinds of communication is can be misunderstood. Food for Thought Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I like Cailtins comment of before jumping to conclusions, we need to make sure we are listening to what people are saying. This is a very strong comment and a very important tool to remember when dealing with others. I dont know how many times my husband has explained to me how to do something and I do it the opposite. Its communication and its not easy. If we were all to miscommunicate could you imagine how stressful not only work but life would be. We think divorce rates are high now, turn miscommunication up to 100% and all relationships will fail, and people would be getting fired left and right. In order to prevent this we continue to learn and work on improving our communication skills, its the only thing we can do. Cailtins mom is very wise in her statement. It is the way you say things in how they are perceived by another. I get accused of this a lot by my younger sister, that Im mean, Im not trying to be mean and its not intentional but its how I say things. Its a tone, attitude, preoccupation, or just not paying attention can cause these and result in a argument. So no only do we have to make sure our statement is comprehendible but that we say in in a good manner. Reference: Communication and Leadership. (2010). Retrieved September 2012, from Big Dog & Little Dog's Performace Juxtaposition: WWW.nwlink.com

4. My Perspective on Sandras Post

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Sandra makes some great points that as an employee of an organization we become knowledgeable agents. Its kind of like a hard-drive in a computer, I dont know a lot about them but what I do know is that each little piece on the drive contributes to its ability. Whether this ability is to function, obtain information, or storing information they are knowledgeable agents of the hard-drive. With one week point in the organization, this can be a certain department, product, or individual this can affect the organizations functioning ability. When hiring employees I agree with Sandra that they should be informed that they are knowledge agents and that they have responsibilities to the organization to look at their actions. These actions need to be in line with the organizations ethical expectations. A great way to make sure this happens is to make informed decisions, informed decisions lead to educational decisions, which result in good decisions. Its like voting, you should never vote for someone just because of their party affiliation, you should vote for whomever you believe is the best to make your counties decisions. Sandras comment that knowledge is power is very true. When we have the knowledge and information to make informed decisions we tend to not regret them. When you have a whole organization of people who make knowledgeable decisions it creates a very strong organizational structure. A strong organization is a great way to grow and is the only way to be successful. Creating the duality of power, giving individuals power to make decisions within the organization. Can this cause things to go array? With knowledgeable information and structured power there can still be mishaps. Mishaps such as misunderstanding of information, thinking that you know the information one way and it turns out that information was misunderstood can lead to a whole big problem. It can lead to unintended results. The unintended results can be the reactions that Sandra spoke about. How we cant control other reactions to our actions. These misinterpreted actions can result in anger, stress, bad business decisions, and so forth. A great way to try and prevent this is to ensure you have the correct information, think about how youd react in such a situation before acting, and look at the potential consequences. Support from Readings & Outside References Knowledge workers are those who acquire, manipulate, interpret, and apply information in order to perform multidisciplinary, complex and unpredictable work. They analyze information and apply expertise in a variety of areas to solve problems,
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generate ideas, or create new products and services. (Rank, 2012). This knowledge gives the employee a great deal of strength within an organization. With new ideas and information is helps the organization continue to grow and strengthen. Some people hold specialty knowledge, which makes them a very important contributor to the organization. A great example would be a researcher at a hospital, the individual obtains new knowledge, which can cure a disease and strengthen the organization. Knowledge and strength comes from continued education, risks, and mistakes. These can result in the unintended consequences that can occur. Sandra mentioned strategic planning for companies to help ensure a strong workforce. The power of structure is overlooked in my opinion. When you have a strong foundation of employees and knowledge with the right decisions it can result in a very successful business. Knowledge is power and its a strong force to break, if built correctly nothing will break it up. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Sandra had a great example that she utilized in her work place and I can see how her knowledge had a positive impact. In many ways we see customer service a way to make a positive impact on an organization. Yet in order to be knowledgeable agents in my place of work not only do you have to have good patient care but also you have to know what you are doing. Dealing with peoples kids can be a touchy subject, its worse then dealing with their money. If I was to try and preform an exam on a child and I obviously didnt know what I was doing it would look very poorly on my organization. So I must be knowledgeable in my area to contribute to the organization. If I dont have the knowledge and try to preform something outside of my abilities not only would that put me on the line but the organization as well on the possibility of being sued. Although I had the right intentions to try it was a unintentional bad decision which can have very bad consequences. To prevent the unintentional consequences I must be knowledgeable in my field and be a knowledgeable agent for the organization. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned The best lesson learned here is try and do something that youre not qualified or knowledgeable in doing. When you are qualified in something you have acquired the knowledge in it. A very important thing to remember is that a decision that you make
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today can and will affect the organization in which you are representing. So before making a decision do your homework to ensure that the decision is the right one, and how it will affect others as well as your organization. Whether it is saving a persons life or creating a new product to keep your organization safe and strong the decisions must be knowledgeable ones. Sandra had some great points in the posting showing that knowledge is power and to have a powerful organization it must have knowledgeable agents. By having knowledge agents this creates a strong structurally sound organization. Reference: Rank, J. (2012). Knowledge Workers. Reference of Business, Encylopedia of Business, 2nd e.d.

My 4 Best Post Unit 3 1. My Response to Samanthas Post Samantha you did a great job in your discussion of Fayols Theory. Each one of his principles is important aspect of management. With there being 14 different principles there can be a range of different approaches that a manger can take. Your selection of the first one and the eleventh one is interesting. I understand your point that the division of work and the treatment should all is fair and equal yet this is almost impossible. Looking at an organization with multiple employees we see people with all different needs and skill settings. The division of work sounds pretty easy for the most part. Until you have a very quick worker on the same level as a slower person. Based on the principle we should give the same amount of work to both employees, when the result will be the quick employee finishing all their work and then being unproductive because they have met their quota. And then you have the slower employee who takes their time and the result ends up being the employee takes a lot longer to complete a task. The equal work is in theory a good way to work yet there is times where one employee is just at a higher level then the next.

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Your next selection of fair treatment I believe in 100%, as a human I know and understand the importance for each person to be treated equally. We all deserve a fair chance at a job, time off, and promotions. Decisions should never be made based on who a person knows, their race, sex, or ethnicity. Everyone deserves a fair chance and all jobs should be based on experience, skill, and knowledge. In my opinion centralization is also very important. By decisions being made from the higher levels of management it allows for universal treatment and decision-making, its a form of rules, regulations, and policies and procedures. All companies must have some form of rules, it gives employees a guideline of expectations of not just them but of their managers as well. It allows of them to know what they can expect from their managers whether its the treatment that they will receive or the expectation of what their job entails. I believe that this principle is another very important one. Support from Readings & Outside References For the sake of efficiency and coordination, all materials and people related to a specific kind of work should be treated as equally as possible. (Henri Fayol's , 2008) This is based on Fayols tenth principle. In my opinion this is a very important principle, it cover many topics and important aspects of management. The order of a company creates the structure in which we work. A great example would be in an ice cream shop, the customer comes in and you create an order, type of cone, flavor of ice cream, and any other needs. With having a process or order the organization is able to run more smoothly and efficiently. Each principle that Fayol created for management has its own reasoning behind it. Samanthas quote that she took out of the text is key to understanding the reasoning behind Fayols theory. He believed that the way a manager practiced was the key to efficiency and predictability within the organization. Hes goal was to create a unified way of managing employees to prevent misunderstanding and issues that can be resolved before they even happen. A good manager is an effective one, one that utilizes the important aspect of Fayols principles. In my opinion his principles are along the same line of other theories, its just a matter of the goal that is being strived for. The treatment, results, and process within an organization is dependent on the process in which the management works with their employees. Support from My Own Experiences
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Samanthas experience was an unfortunate one, one that happens quite frequently. In my opinion this happens because of two things, one the owner wants the control, or two they dont want to waste money on someone who is better at management then they are. The truth is a company will fail if there isnt good leadership and guidance. If an owner wants to control their employees they will become unhappy and leave. If its a matter of money, maybe they should re-look at the idea of having their own business to begin with. Ive run into this problem myself. Here at the hospital if the person who does the scheduling doesnt like you, its a guarantee that the employee will get the worse shifts possible. The shifts that we all dread, with unfair treatment many employees are unhappy. Its not only the employees who are getting the unwanted shifts but its all the other employees as well. Others can feel tension when there is hatred towards others. How do you fix this? In my opinion the only successful way to fix this issue is to catch it early. The goal of it never happening is impossible, so the second best option would be to catch the issue early and fix it. The next best way is to hire a manager who is experienced, knowledgeable, and has the key qualities that the company looks for in a employee. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Each company has a different goal and based on this goal will determine their management style. I believe that as a company its important to treat everyone with equality, respect, and encouragement. In order to have a strong successful organization that organization must have a strong and successful management team. The term team shows that when people work together they are more likely to succeed then someone who works alone. That team must have a great leader, without a leader the team doesnt have any direction for success. The way a manager treats his or her employees, the direction they give to their team are all based on experience and knowledge for success. Would you want to work for someone who has no empathy, has no structure, and has the inability to succeed. The leadership that a manager gives to their employees is very important aspects, they allow for us to survive. Great post Samantha it was very insightful.

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Reference: Henri Fayol's . (2008). Retrieved Sept 2012, from Management Innovations: managementinnovations.wordpress.com

2. My Response to Sheris Perspective Sheri you bring up some excellent points, some I agree with and others I dont. Thats the wonderful thing about life. I agree that a happy employee results in a happy customer. Your usage of empowerment it great, people no matter if they are a manager, employee, or customer we like to have the feeling of having power and control over a situation. Your aspect of allowing freedom, regular meetings, and creativity is great. This allows for employees not only to have a say in things but also to express himself or herself as an individual. When you allow employees to express themselves as individuals you must be very careful. If the organization is too big it can create a hostile work environment due to the conflicts of interest and beliefs. I believe that employees should have some freedom but limited in their abilities to make decisions and actions when the result can and will directly affect the company. Southwest airlines is a great example not only their no baggage fee claim to benefit the customer but their customer service as well. In my opinion Southwest Airlines have the friendliest employees, they look as though they truly enjoy their jobs. Its a chain reaction; a happy employee is going to bring a good attitude to the workplace creating a happy place for the customers to shop. Support from Readings & Outside Resources We put the employee before the customer, even. And if you take care of your employee better than anybody else, theyll take care of the customer better than anybody else. Tindell of the Container Store, the store that has an unorthodox approach when compared to other retail stores. The Container store has been voted Fortunes Best Company to Work for the last 11 years, this goes to show that they take care of their employees. (Golodryga, 2010) How does this reflect on their customers? Well they didnt lay a single person off
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during the recession; they continue to be successful after 33 years of business. They take care of their employees; this is the important aspect that we see. Its called air excitement. Tindell talks about when you walk into a room and you can just feel the excitement from the employees it excites the customers making their shopping experience a pleasant one. The key to success with customers is to make them happy, and the way to make customers happy is to make the employees happy. Its a vicious chain reaction. Support from My Own Experience & Observation Sheris examples are great, Ive been in a situation where I was hired for a job and it was obvious I didnt fit. I believe it is laziness for an company to just hired someone based on their skills, its so very important to make sure all the employees are able to work together as a team and for the most part get along. There is never a perfect situation but there are ones that a person can handle much easier than the one Sheri described. In my experience it was that the hiring manager mislead me on my position duties, once I started I realized the depth of things that I was required to do and many I wasnt qualified to do. Working in the healthcare industry its very important to be qualified for duties that you perform to avoid lawsuits. After wasting 6 months there it became a real issue with me that the company wasnt training the employees for duties that they were required to do. I agree with Sheris that when you make an employee an owner through profit sharing its amazing the amount of care they develop for the future of the company. They develop a sense of responsibility for their future; I believe this is a great way to instill drive in employees for increased performance. Great examples Sheri, and thank you for sharing. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned The term coach is a strong one; it shows that there is one person to help lead a team to victory. The utilization of coaching in organization helps everyone learn and grow into success. A great thing that Ive learned is that no matter what kind of job that you are there to perform there is always room for coaching and a team aspect. Ive worked with people who do not like working as a team and the one thing that Ive noticed is that it takes that person twice as long to perform a task and ends up
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slowing every aspect down. Where as when others work together they are able to perform procedures in a quick efficient fashion allowing for a faster turn around for the patients healthcare needs. Its important in healthcare for patients to receive great quick care, because when they are in pain or in critical condition it creates a very bad experience for them. The goal at our hospital is to give the best care as well as the best experience to our patients so they dont fear the doctors. When working with children it easy to create fear and very difficult for them to over come that once its there. With coaching from management and working as a team we are able to better meet the needs of the patients and their families. We try to keep it quick and simple.

Reference: Golodryga, B. (2010, March 30). Inside the Container Store: Secrets of America's Favorite Stores. Retrieved Sept 2012, from abc: Good Morning America: abcnewa.go.com

3. My Response to Shannons Post In Shannons theory of communication she makes some excellent points. By creating a open communication style between all employees it allows for information to flow as well as growth. Taylor believed that if employees work to their highest potential then the number of employees is reduced. How can we control this; motivation and employee satisfaction. Shannon your idea of allowing fee communication is great and many companies try to utilize this as much as they can yet some employees still feel the fear of retaliation. With your form do you plan to utilize a horizontal form? I assume with free communication among all employees this would work the best. Employees have to feel confident in the true freedom without consequence. I also agree with Shannons idea of hiring the best person fit for the position, not only for the sake of the organization but the sake of the personal ethics of that person. If someone is hired and they dont have the same beliefs and ethics of the organization it
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will cause conflict in the future. This conflict can cause issues resulting in the person leaving and then the organization is back to square one with trying to hire the right person for the job. A skilled person might have the right abilities and not agree with the ethics, and a not as skilled person does have the same ethics. The person with the same ethics can be trained and taught; where as someone with conflicting ethics creates more of an issue. When we look at allowing managers to make decisions it is still very important to have all the managers on the same page. If managers of different departments are conflicting this can cause major issues. Communication between managers creates the foundation for the communication between the departments and in order for a company to be successful all departments must work together. Support from Readings & Outside References In the Elements of Management the third element is Command. With the plan of action in place and the necessary resources secured, managers must begin implementing the plan. To so effectively, managers must understand the strengths and weaknesses of the personnel, to maintain the principles of management (Modaff, 2008) When looking into managing a organization of people it is very important to look at each individual, their strengths, and place them in the right place. The managers who are in charge of employees must have a good understanding of how to communicate with people effectively. If communication is utilized correctly employees will have the ability to perform to the highest of their abilities. Without effective communication how does an organization succeed? Its very difficult to retain employees, manage, and succeed. Effective communication is very important in the structure of an organization. Communication among employees and managers is an important aspect that each theory takes into consideration. All the theories we have studied thus far put a great emphasis on communication, each having their own idea of what structure works best. Each manager will have their own ideas and opinions on what works best the only way to find out it by trial and error and studies conducted. Its important to do research to avoid too many errors. Support from My Own Experience & Observation I would agree with Shannon that the organization that she use to work for did lean towards Taylors ideas. It amazes me how a company wouldnt want the input of
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their employees since they are the ones doing all the work. When it comes from another perspective such as the worker it can open new ways of doing things that are more efficient and time saving. Time saving would in return save the company money, some times people just dont think logically. In my experience when there is lack of communication among employees and managers it can affect employee satisfaction. Every year my hospital conducts a employee satisfaction survey, each department director receives the results. This allows for them to hear the opinions of the employees on what is working and what isnt. If changes are being implemented as they are suppose to, promises being kept, and simply managers doing their jobs. After the survey managers meet with the director and discuss the results and any problems are addressed. Another form of communication we utilize is one-on-ones. This is a meeting we have with the department director just one-on-one. This allows me the opportunity to voice my opinions, concerns, and satisfactions. The director has chosen to do these meetings to ensure that the employees opinions are being heard and its another way to ensure employee satisfaction on the annual survey. If problems can be fixed before the survey the results will be better. Another tool that is utilized is we do a weekly check-in email with our manager. Its a quick weekly email of any concerns or issues that may have developed that week. In my opinion a monthly one-on-one with my manger would be more satisfying then the weekly email. I have found that when I send issues or concerns I dont hear anything back so Im left out in the dark on whether something is being done. This is a kink in the communication cycle that can easily be fixed. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned The most important lesson that Ive learned during this process is the importance of communication. When dealing with employees its important for them to know that they are cared for, their opinions are listened to. As a manager we must put emphasis on taking care of our employees. When we are trying to think of a theory we want to take bits and pieces of each theory so we have the best. Not everyone will agree on a theory due to different personalities and management styles yet we all have a common ground. Running a successful business with productive employees. How is this obtained? Communication is the key ingredient in for a taste of success.

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When something is going wrong in our life we want to find a way to fix it. This is the same concept that we take into running a company; we have to fix the problems. Many times communication is the key problem because we forget or we just want the job done. An ineffective way to work is to ignore the needs of the employees and not communicating with the people who are ultimately the ones making your business successful.

Reference: Modaff, D. D. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstanding, 2ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

4. My Perspective on Cresseys Post Cressey you have some great ideas. When we look at Fayols theory we see the importance that is emphasized on how to create a productive employee. With his principles and elements we can run a successful company. Although not every theory goes without issues some of Fayols ideas such as centralization might not be the best option for a company. It all is dependent on what kind of organization is being run and what kinds of decisions need to be made. I agree that the important concepts of Fayols theory are the division of work, unity of command, and scalar chain; I also find equity an important aspect as well. When employees have a sense of carrying because they are being treated fairly and with dignity and respect they return this treatment through loyalty. Fayol also has important elements to his theory such as planning, organizing, command, coordinating, and control. Its basically a process of setting a idea into action with planning it out, creating a plan of action, implementing that plan, smoothing out the rough edges, and then controlling the situation be evaluations. The important aspect of each theory is important and in the Human Relations Theory the idea is to hear the employees side. Listen to their thoughts and ideas; this is a strong idea that can be used to grow a great business. When a person works in a position for 5 years they know the ins and outs of it, they might have ideas of how to make the task more efficient and cost effective. The worse thing that could happen
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would be that the employee has an amazing idea. Support from Readings & Outside References When I look at Fayols theory I think about the how it could have started. The concept of the model was not commonly used in the social science in any sophisticated form until well into the twentieth century. Possibly as a consequence of his engineering training, Fayol was thinking in terms of theoretical and practical models in the field of management from the beginning of the century. (Fayol, 2002) Once we see that Fayol was a head of his time we see the need for structure in a companys structures. With Cresseys comment that the Human Relations theory focuses on the individuals rather that the policies and procedures, I think of the company The Container Store. The container store sees their employees are the most important aspect of the company. When the idea that a happy employee will result in a loyal, hardworking employee, and happy customers, We put the employee before the customer, even. And if you take care of your employee better than anybody else, theyll take care of the customer better than anybody else. Tindell of the Container Store, the store that has an unorthodox approach when compared to other retail stores. The Container store has been voted Fortunes Best Company to Work for the last 11 years, this goes to show that they take care of their employees. (Golodryga, 2010) With the success that the Container store has accomplished by putting their employees first it shows the power that employees truly have over the companys success. Many times when I look at a company I think about the customers and how to keep them coming back for more. The key is according to Fayols Theory is to treat them right and they will do right by the company. Then mixing in the Human Relations Theory we see the treatment of individuals even stronger creating a stronger bond. Support from My Own Experiences & Observation Cresseys examples are great ones when your hard work is noticed it is a very nice feeling. Its a feeling of satisfaction and knowing that the boss cares, Ive always felt as if it means they value me, they need me, and it keeps me working harder. If an employee worked hard and wasnt rewarded they would lose motivation and wonder what all the hard work was for. It makes it hard to keep good quality employees. In my experience Ive seen both, great management acknowledgment and no acknowledgment. When I worked at the bank I was acknowledged by the district office and by the regional office on my sales goals, reaching and exceeding them. Yet the
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manager I worked with everyday never acknowledged any one of the employees on their hard work. So needless to say many employees lost the ambition to work hard. With sales being a big part of the job it began to affect the employees all around attitude towards the company. The only acknowledgement anyone would receive was if they were being scrutinized for not selling, as they should be. So employees would get into trouble for not selling, and absolutely no support or reason to work hard. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned I like Cresseys comment about we all have our ideas and wants for a perfect supervisor. I agree with this statement because we have all seen the good and bad that can come from different approaches of management. We want our employees to be the most productive and the most loyal, and how do we create this. We create a happy employee by giving the most we can to them as a manager. Management is a position that isnt taken lightly, if someone thinks that management is easier then a regular employee they are sadly mistaken. As a manager our job is to create a conducive work environment as best as we can. Striving to make employees happy, productive, and loyal as possible. The only way to accomplish such a goal is to have the proper management style. Each manager has their own beliefs on what theories work best as well as their approach. We learn by our mistakes and all we can do is make sure we build on the things that we learn to improve our management styles to improve the companies employee moral. The ultimate goal it to have a successful company and it all starts with the employees, and the best way to ensure that is by having a good management theory.

References: Fayol, H. (2002). Critical Evaluations in Business and Management. (J. &. Wood, Ed.) New York: Routledge. Modaff, D. D. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstanding, 2ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

My 4 Best Post Unit 4

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1. My Response to Samanthas Post I agree with Samantha that failure and success are direct results of organizational personnel. The importance of team work and hiring the right people for the job. In order to have a successful organization it is important to have a strong culture. The culture is how a organization is going to function based on the ideas and beliefs of the organization. Each organization faces challenges and in most cases it is change. Change is the hardest obstacle to overcome at times; culture, systems, management, and communication are all affected in one way or another. Each interdependent variable can make change easier or more difficult for employees. In my opinion communication and control are the most affective. Samanthas view of the four promises is great, it gives great insight into what makes change manageable. With a realistic view, theory (idea), attempts, and the ability to handle difficult situations change is possible. The ability to learn by others mistakes and our own allows for growth and success, and the establishment of a strong culture. Support from Readings & Outside References Samanthas example by Sege is great I believe that mistakes and taking chances allow for learning and advancing. The ability to build on situations gives great insight into the ability for the company to succeed. Expanding knowledge is strength and allows for success. The best way to obtain knowledge and strength is through communication. The ability to communication with one another is the best way to manage and work within an organization. The culture of an organization is only as strong as the people within it, this includes their ability to communicate with one another and learn from one another. Simple or complex; it doesnt matter the structure of the culture, what matters is the goals and the process in which people take to reach such goals. Each person in an organization is a team member; they have their position in which they are to preform. The ability to communicate with one another and the ability to work with one another creates a strong unified culture. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

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Ive always believed that a successful team helps the weak link grow into a strong link. They work together to reach success. The culture that is set will determine the attitude in which teamwork is enforced. If it is important to the organization it will be part of the desired culture. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations Samanthas experience I think happens a lot, in my opinion it was wrong for the manager to leave anyways. Take a break you dont leave. The communication breakdown occurs frequently in companies because many people dont want to rock the boat. They dont want to complain, which is what I deal with everyday. I work at a level 1-trauma hospital, which is that we can see the worst of the worst. I work 7pm to 7am Friday night through Monday morning. The weekends are the busiest. Well I must be wrong because as an x-ray technologist I am he one and only one here. We have over 200 inpatient beds and the emergency department in which anyone can request an x-ray to be done at any time. At times Ive been pulled 5 million different directions trying to meet all the needs, resulting in stress. When my boss gives me the non-understanding eyes on Monday morning I tend to get very frustrated. This frustration results in a lack of communication, in Samanthas experience I wonder if it was simply not caring on the manager and daughters behalf. With the not caring, only caring about themselves, kind of actions, the frustration resulted in stress. Food for Through, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Communication, Communication, Communication.. Communication is a very important aspect of a successful organization. Clear direction, teamwork, and the goal to effective communication are to ensure all parties have the same understanding. Its very important for employees to be on the same page. It gives a sense of importance to the employee creating loyalty. The lesson that Ive learned throughout this process is the way we communicate is just as important as the information it contains. This creates a culture that creates expectations of how to properly translate information to employees, between employees, and with management. At times its important to change processes to find out exactly what the best form of communication is. We dont live to work; we work to live. Finding the perfect job with the perfect
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communication, and the perfect fit is impossible. Its important to have the ability to adapt to changes to create success.

Reference: Senge, P.M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday.

2. My Response to Corys Post In Corys post the organization was described as a living organism. This is very true, each department plays the role of liver, heart, stomach, lungs, and brains. Its very important for each person in each department to perform to their upmost ability. They depend on one another and the relationship between them in order to survive. I like in Corys posting how the usage of the body formation is used to describe organizations. Culture is the layout, structure, and protection that companies use. The layout of how each organ connects to the other, this is how departments mesh together, communicate, and grow. Each department face challenges, which bring reality to face. The reality is that not all people are able to communicate effectively, which requires change. The environment in which a organization sets their employees is also looked at as the culture, this give an employee the ground level of expectations and performance. Expectations are set and communicated with employees to ensure that employees performance can be evaluated. Environment is created by the culture, communication, and expectation in place within an organization. They are all required in order to be successful; each organization
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is slightly different, having different goals and needs. With the correct form of communication is essential for a company to have an environment and a successful one at that. Support from Readings & Outside References The response of a receiver to a senders message is the definition of feedback. This can be used in a positive way or a negative way; the approach creates the direction of the feedback. You can give bad feedback in a positive way if its approached in the right way. The type of feedback that is given will set the culture in place. Corys example of Beckers 4 types of boundaries is important aspects of a company. The physical aspect is the structure, linguistic is how to communicate, systemic is how to work together, and psychological is how to improve, think, and succeed. Every company wants to succeed and its important for them to have boundaries for how to grow in the right way. Can an organization survive without these factors? In my opinion no; each company has different needs that will require different approaches yet in some sense these factors are essential. So my answer to this question would be that no a company cant survive without these factors they just require slightly different ones. Support from My Own Experience & Observations I like how Corys example uses the growth in Korea, many of this I didnt know. America has seen this over the last 11 years, something that our great grandparents hoped no one would have to live through. Our difficult times may not be as bad as the great depression yet we have all struggled for the power to succeed. Transition is important and in order to grow and improve communication is essential and this is required to accomplish the goals that are set. Personally Ive seen difficult times for families when they have a sick child in the hospital. Communication between the parents and the sick child is essential for the child to be able to get healthy; everyone must be on the same page and have the same goals. There have been times where Ive seen parents not communicate the childs illness with their child. Anger occurs in these cases, when people dont understand whats going on anger and dissatisfaction occurs. When you take this in the place of how organizations function its essential for a employee to know and understand the culture. Communication is the best way to
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ensure the understanding of each employee. When employees have an understanding they are able to perform to the highest ability possible. Without known expectations employees performances are unable to be evaluated. Insights Gained, Lessons Learned, and Food for Thought The importance of culture from the beginning to end for organizations. We look at structure needed for success and it includes communication, goals, and performance, each employee must perform for success. Feedback is an important aspect that employees need in order to know how well they are doing in their job and what they can improve on. One thing that Ive learned is that employees are the needed and the key to success is good communication with the employees. Each person within the organization needs to know, understand, and strive for the goals. Organizations depend on their employees for success and employees depend on the organization for motivation and the right pathway. We all look at communication as a way to relay feedback and enforce goals. It allows for managers to evaluate employees performance to ensure quality work. A great way is to look at creating change, sometimes certain procedures dont work and its important to have the ability to adapt to the need for change and embrace it for the best of the organization. We all look for success and sometimes we need to change certain parts of the organization to accomplish it.

Reference: Feedback Communication. (2012). Retrieved Sept 2012, from Management Study Guide: www.managementstudyguide.com

3. My Response To Shannons Response In Shannons response the failure and success in navigating the challenges and realities are on the right track. When we look at the impact that the influence has and I agree with Shannon that they vary. Managements job is to look at what the challenge is and how the employee stands up to that challenge, the structure and culture of the
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organization sets the goals. Sometimes change is needed in order to achieve the success. Employees must not only have the ability to adapt to change but to accept it as well. In order to have a successful change within an organization is communication. Change is always happening because companies have to keep up with competition and regulations; the best way to ensure change is done in a constructive successful manner is with good effective communication. Shannons statement that its important to know the culture of a company is very true, its vital to know the history of a company and its employees. The history will help find the best way to conduct change in a easy fashion. When a manger want to implement change they think about how to implement the change with the least amount of effect on its employees, they want to make the change easier to handle. Support from Readings & Outside Resources Norms are described as the average; its what we accept as the normal acts of society. This can be in an organization or in an organization. The norms are set by the culture and people within an organization in order to implement change an organization will need to influence and finally change the culture before leading a successful organizational change effort. (Understanding organization culture, 2012) Each time change is implemented its a sensitive adaptation that is placed on employees. Not all employees will accept change at face value and need reassurance during the change. By providing training, communication, and support employees will be able to adapt to change more easily. Change is always hard to accept and with the right tools change can be successful. The difficultly of organizations is due to the complex recipes required for success. Each department requires its own structure in which then works with the over all structure of the organization. With the culture and structure in place organizations are able to successfully communicate with their employees the expectations. Support from My Own Experience & Observation Shannons example of how she tried to implement change was a great one. In many organizations change isnt widely accepted especially when the culture is set. The one thing that people today are trying harder and hard to accept is change, not everyone is good at it. We have to adapt to something new and thats not always easy.
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I work for a non-profit organization where we are continuously changing things. This continuous change makes it easier to accept it when its presented. We may complain at first but once we have the chance to adapt and get use to the change we embrace it. With the fact that technology is always improving and changing the healthcare industry has no choice but to keep up with the new. The one thing that has made adaption easier is training; we are continuously doing training and practicing events in case they occur. If we are unable to adapt to something our patients are the ones who are going to lose. And they dont just lose and move on they could lose their lives. The culture is set to help us accept change and the communication and training are what will make it so much easier. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Shannon made some great points throughout her post. The most important aspect of culture is the employees, their beliefs, and abilities. As a manager I need to know what my employees are capable of doing and how we can grow effectively. The goal is success and the plan is how to achieve that success. One step at a time is all that we need. If we have a plan, we communicate that plan, and take it one step at a time employees are able to adjust and adapt in a more successful way. Employees will be more accepting of change and open to the possibilities that come with it. As for the managers part communication and training are key. We must supply our employees with sufficient training and communication with them as much as possible to avoid any stress. Stress is bound to occur although we are able to handle stress more effectively when information is communicated in an effective manner. Its all about helping employees through change that helps the success of it.

Reference: Understanding organizational culture. (2012). Retrieved from www.russellconsultinginc.com 4. My Response to Kims Post
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Kim makes a great point that employees are the heart of the organization. They are the front line; they determine the success of fail of the company. Managers willing to communicate and provide the right path for their employees are promoting growth. When managers take change step by step and help their employees through change it creates trust in the company by the employee because they then have a feeling of value. An important aspect to accept when dealing with change is the people that are being affected by the change and how they are able to handle it. Many people dont like change and others embrace it, this will determine the approach in which management needs to take so they can maintain employee satisfaction. Change must be effective and efficient; the approach is how employees will handle it. I agree with Kim that communication is one of the most important aspects of management. The ability to communication allows for information to be transmitted from one person to another. Communication is something that companies depend on to relay important information onto their employees. This information that is relayed determines the reaction of employees because when a step-by-step approach is taken less stress occurs. The culture of the company is dependent on the type communication. Support from Reading & Outside References No two organizations can have the same work culture. It is the culture of an organization which makes it distinct from others. The work culture goes a long way in creating the brand image of the organization. (Importance of Organization Culture, 2012) It can be compared to the DNA we have. Each company has different goals, ways of communicating, and different cultures. At times these cultures need change and its very important for managers to have the ability to communicate change with employees. Without communication employees would be lost in their job creating stress and decreasing job satisfaction. Managers want their employees to be satisfied because this creates loyalty and high performance. When employees have a clear image of what is expected of them, this gives the employee the ability to reach those goals. If goals and expectations are not communicated with employees they are left in the dark when it comes to what is expected of them. Each person has a different way of communicating, the important part is that information is shared and explained to others. So everyone is on the same page.
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Support from My Own Experience & Observations Communication between departments is very important. In the health care industry it can prevent illness from spreading. A great example is the flu or pertussis (wooping cough) both are highly contagious if the proper precautions arent taken. When a patient goes from one department to another and the information that this patient either has the illness or might have it is not communicated it can infect the health care provider. The best way to prevent the spread of illnesses it to communicate to other departments that the patient is visiting so the caregiver can take the proper precautions for their own personal safety. It would be like a construction worker walking into an area where hard hats are required not knowing they are required. Safety is conveyed in other companys as other issues, yet they all com down to communication. To adapt to change and grow into success communication is important. We may all communicate is different ways, but the only importance is that the important information is conveyed and understood. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Change is a everyday adjustment that is taken one step at a time, if too much change happens at once it creates stress. In the business world companies have a culture in which needs adjustments from time to time. The best way to adapt to this needed change is through effective communication. It can prevent stress, illness, and or serious injury. If the coyote had proper communication from the roadrunner, he wouldnt continue to be squashed by the weight. As policies, laws, and procedures change the culture of a company is forced to change. The acceptance of this change in my opinion is directly dependent upon the ability to communicate. When you buy a toy for a child it has step-by-step directions, when you start a car there are step-by-step directions. Everything has its routine and direction, and the only way to get that toy to start up is to follow the directions that are given. I remember in 3rd grade we had to write a paper on how to make a PB&J sandwich and our teacher would make the sandwich the exact way we described it. This taught us no only the importance of communication but how to communicate.

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Reference: Importance of Organization Culture. (2012). Retrieved Oct 2012, from Management Study Guide: www.managementstudyguide.com

My 4 Best Post Unit 5 1. My Perspective on Samanthas Post I believe that Samantha did a great job describing the traditional form of recruitment. The high unrealistic expectations that are placed on employees are basically setting them up for failure. This is not a good way of running an organization or recruiting new employees and expecting them to stick around. In order to have a good retention of employees, there must be realistic views and expectations. RJP is great! I agree with Samantha that realistic recruitment is the complete opposite of traditional recruitment. When a recruiter is realistic with the applicant in the expectations of the job and the quality of work, a person is more capable or satisfactory work. Providing the worse and the best of what the potential employee would be required to do or see this allows for a proper educated decision to be made. I like how Samantha mentioned the investiture socialization, the ability for you to be yourself. Its important that we are accepted in our society and in our work society its even more important. We spend 40 hours every week at our place of work with coworkers and its very important to feel accepted and respected. We try to avoid divestiture socialization because when you take a persons individuality away from them they arent happy, which will then result in unsatisfactory work. Support from Readings & Outside References
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The definition of recruitment if The process of identifying and hiring the bestqualified candidate for a job vacancy, in a most timely and cost effective manner. (Recruitment, n.d.) Each form of recruitment is different. The traditional form involves two actions as Samantha stated, by stating the positive aspects of a job and setting high expectations. The issue with the traditional form of recruitment is expectations are set so high that employees are unable to reach the goals creating unsatisfactory employee performance. The other form of recruitment is the realistic for. This is a form of recruitment where the hiring manager is honest with all aspect of the job. The good parts the bad parts, and everything that is expected from the employee. It provides a realistic view of the job and the expectations of the employee. This view allows for employees to reach the companies expectations creating job satisfaction. Employees are more likely to be satisfied with a position in which they are able to reach the goals that are set for them. When employers set goals that are unreachable employees will not be happy with constant struggles and the inability to achieve. The realistic view provides a honest outlook of what the job requires as well reachable goals. When a company hires a new employee its important to hire them for who they are, the aspirations that they have for success. When an employee is stripped of their personality due to divestiture socialization they lose their ambition and ability to succeed. Each person brings their new innovative ideas into the company so the company can succeed. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Samanthas example is a common one. When I was hiring for a new teller at the bank that I worked at we had the same issue. The branch manager and I had three or four applicants that applied. Being a teller isnt hard; you need basic computer skills, the ability to count money, and sales. When we interviewed potential employees we fount many knew how to count money, but knowing how and having the ability are two different things. Its easy to count by 1s, 5s, 10s, and so on, its different when you are talking about providing change and taking monies from people. The one teller that we hired was a great interview, had a good resume of cashier experience. When it came down to it she lasted 6 months, her inability to count, sell, and constant issues. How do you avoid this problem? You can check references, yet how do we know
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if the person on the other end isnt lying? Its all about looking through the resume and the person that shows up for the interview and take it with a grain of salt. You cant believe everything an interviewee says. There is always someone who either lies or embellish on his or her abilities. No one is 100% truthful when applying to a job, many people not only thinks they have the ability but they truly believe that they do. The approach of how a company interviews and hires provides either great results or horrible results. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Samanthas statement that RJP is the best approach to hiring new employees. Another thing that Ive seen used that seems effective is skills testing and personality testing. Its important to know the abilities of those that you hire. The way I look at it there are people who embellish on their abilities and people whom flat out lie. In school we were taught to use the professional terms for skills on our resume to seem more experienced and that we have more knowledge. Its about selling yourself to the company, your skills that you have are essential. Our ability to integrate into a new company is also important. The ability to take a new employee and socialize them into a set society determines will provide success or failure. Each person is different in what they need to integrate, and a hiring employer should be aware of this.

Reference: Recruitment. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2012, from BusinessDictionary.com: www.businessdictionary.com

2. My Perspective on Kylas Post Kyla makes a great point when she described the aspect of traditional recruiting. When we look at traditional recruiting we see the false claims to not only abilities but to expectations as well. Traditional recruitment is described as the prospective employee
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who not only embellishes on their resume but will flat out lie about their abilities. Not only do applicant lie but employers do the same, they create false expectations that are placed on the employee. This creates the inability for an employee to reach the expectations that are placed, resulting in unsatisfactory work with unsatisfied employees. The best way to prevent this is through realistic recruitment; this is a form of recruitment that allows for sensible expectations, and one that an employee is able to accomplish. I like how Kyla compared realistic recruitment methods to the courting for a serious relationship. In both senses the people involved are looking for success in the work place or the relationship. Without having unrealistic views or expectations everyone has the ability to reach the level required. This creates a satisfied employee with a satisfied employer. Providing people with the right tools for success provides them with the ability to achieve goals. When an employer places unreachable goals on an employee it puts stress on everyone, the employee as well as the employer, also creating an unsatisfied employee. The best way to prevent this is to provide obtainable goals that provide growth and loyalty for the employee. The realistic form of recruitment is the most sensible form for all involved. When recruitment occurs the socialization is also important. Socialization is how you integrate a new person into a society of people. A new employee into a already established work environment. This isnt always easy; the best approach to socialization is investiture socialization. This is a form of socialization that describes the new employee as a ingredient to the recipe for success, that the new employee has the desired skills and knowledge for the success of the company. Support from Readings & Outside References The realistic job preview (RJP), a new concept in recruiting and selection, is a method of communicating to an applicant or new employee what it will be like to actually perform a certain job. RJPs perform a valuable function in employee orientation, reducing reality shock and thus speeding the socialization process. (Realistic Job Preview, n.d.) The type of recruitment process determines the success of the employee. There are steps that an employer takes in the process of hiring and integrating an employee into the company. First the employer creates the expectations of the employee; this provides the form of recruitment the employer will use. With realistic expectations and views the employer will place sensible expectations on the employee,
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as well as providing them with a honest view of these expectations. If the employer has their expectations set high without the regard of attainability, this places a traditional recruitment view. The employer set expectations that may not be obtainable, as well as providing the employee with a un-honest view of the position. When a person goes into a position with false information they can become stress and dissatisfied very quickly. Once the determination has been made in regards to the approach in which the company will utilize to obtain new employees. Once this has been set the form of socialization is determined. Kyla stated that the form of socialization is crucial, and I agree with this statement. Careful selection by management of newcomers socialization experience can at the extreme create conformist who maintain traditions and customs, or incentive and creative individualists who consider no organizational practice scared. (Rao, 2008) Support from My Own Experience & Observations Kyla makes some interesting points about the skills in which people claim that they have and they dont. Ive witnessed people struggle after being hired due to not having the skills that are claimed. This causes problems not only for the new employee but the existing ones as well, because the current employees have to make up for the work that the new employee can do. When a job posting is listed it states the required skills and knowledge that the company requires the applicant to have in order to be a candidate for the open position. This provides prospective employees to know if they have the proper skills required. The issue is this also provides the person with the information to add to their resume regardless if its true or not. In my experience its important to align your resume with the position in which you are applying. In my work history I have a wide range of experience from supervisor in banking to the health care industry. So depending on the job that I apply for I will emphasize the appropriate skills, I still include my other skills I just dont put as much emphasis on them. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Kyla that honesty is the best way, its the truth and this provides a clear picture of abilities and expectations to all parties involved. When looking at the
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recruitment process and the integration into a new position. With honesty everyone is provided with a realistic view. In my opinion how we enter a company determines the result of our career there. If we enter a company based on false information the company will have expectations that the person can perform the needed duties. In reality the new employee will be unable to succeed in the company no matter what the employer uses as a recruitment style. The ability to be honest, work hard, and succeed is what most people strive for. When looking for a new employee to hire a company must do the same, be honest and supportive. The approach sets the tone for success. References Rao, S. (2008, Dec 7). Entry Socialization Options. Retrieved October 2012, from CiteMan Network: www.cite,an.com Realistic Job Preview. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2012, from Exploring HR Management: www.exploreHR.org

3. My Perspective on Corys Posting Corys makes some great points; the best way to approach recruitment is through honesty. With realistic recruitment practices the truth is the best approach, a realistic expectation is something that places success within reach. In order to obtain this one has to be honest with the employee about what the expectations are. The traditional form of recruitment is where the employer set unreachable expectations and not informing the potential employee the truth about the expectations that are placed upon them. The best way to explain traditional recruitment is a fluffy version of a job, the good parts. The expectations that are placed end up being unrealistic. These unrealistic expectations result in stress on the employee, creating low employee satisfaction. Another important part of the recruitment process is the socialization process. I agree with Cory that the best socialization practice it related to the recruitment practice.
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How a person is brought into the company whether it is based on false information or honest information, I believe this determines how a person will integrate into a company. Each person is different which results in each person will have different needs when integrating into a new company. In my opinion if a employer is honest in the expectations then the socialization process is more smooth. When employees are lied to through the traditional form of recruitment, the employee isnt sure what their abilities are, this causes stress and conflict. Support from Readings & Outside Resources In Corys post the statement from the book that I agree with is that sometimes your have to stretch the truth to be more desirable. When you are submitting a resume to a company you are selling your abilities, skills, and knowledge. Sometimes the only way to be the most marketable is to embellish on your skills. Im not saying that lying is alright, but if you are a quick learner and have experience in the field the ability to look good through vocabulary and wording is how you will catch someones eye. With that being said if you expect a employer to be realistic in the recruiting process, you need to be realistic with your abilities. In Realistic Job Preview (RJP) the information provided to employees and future employees should not be all positive employees are encouraged to state some of their problems and frustrations. (Realistic Job Preview, n.d.) The ability to be honest about performance and expectations. In the traditional form employers provided employees with a all positive view of expectations and work. Along with the positive outlook the employer places expectations on the employee that are unreachable. This creates stress on the employee with un-satisfaction, and disappointment for the employer. This results in both parties being unhappy, and a high turnover. The best way to ensure your employees are happy and successful is by first being realistic about the expectations and the job; and how you integrate the person into the company is also important. Socialization is vital to ensure a person is brought into the company on good terms; this helps them build a solid foundation for the future. Support from Observations & Personal Experience In Corys experience it sounds like they didnt have a plan. When you are trying to increase the proficiency of English speaking individuals in a foreign country its
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important to have a plan and expect certain qualifications. I look at it and say I could probably do that, but then I think realistically. Would I be doing any good with my limited experience and no experience in teaching. We hire English teachers for a reason, because theyve gone through school and finished their student teaching. The expectations should be higher if we are sending them to a foreign country. We look at our country as educated, yet we are losing the fight to be at the top of the list. In other countries they are being place in a more realistic mind set without false hopes so they know what to expect. It helps to prevent the under-performance issue that arises due to lack of experience and knowledge. Would you hire a nurse to perform heart surgery? I wouldnt personally; I would find the best heart surgeon and have them perform it, because I have more of a realistic view of expectation on the results. I also know for a fact that this person is qualified to hold my life in their hands. I know that this can be slightly over thought; I work in the health care industry and I want someone who knows what they are doing to work on me. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Cory did a great job in his post, with the description on the different processes that are taken in the hiring process as well as his personal experience. Its important to have that personal experience because if not you are basing all decisions on book knowledge. Im not saying that book knowledge is bad its just that sometimes it doesnt fit all situations and experience allows for personal knowledge to intervene and help. There are many positive and negative ways to approach recruitment and socialization and its important to chose what works best for your organization. When we look at how to bring a new person into a company many might agree with me that honesty is the best policy. Corys experience is a great example. To just hire people with the education didnt solve the problem. The best way is to have a plan and be realistic. Honestly is the best policy means that by being truthful in the expectations up front with the employer and with the employee both parties are able to accomplish tasks better. With the clarity of who, what, when, where, and why; employees are more apt to succeed. It goes both ways, just because you lead a horse to water doesnt mean you can make it drink; the important thing is to ensure that the person you do hire has the ambition to not only work but to work well.

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Reference Realistic Job Preview. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2012, from Exploring HR Management: www.exploreHR.org 4. My Perspective on Williams Post In Williams post he states that the type of recruitment can determine the experience that the employee has. It will create a long-term loyal employee or a shortterm employee. The importance to retaining employees for a period of time is important, it saves money on training and the hiring process. William did a great job on describing the traditional form of recruitment. His description of the inflated form of misrepresentation not only by the candidate but the hiring company as well. Williams quote about he applicant making up their skills is true. In the traditional form of recruitment there is a embellishment of information that is given as well as the information about the job. The two forms of recruitment are traditional and realistic. The traditional form provides false information to others to make the job or their skills look better then they truly are. Its a common problem in my opinion, a company makes their position look desirable and the applicant looks the same due to their falsified resume. The second form of recruitment is the realistic job preview (RJP) this form of recruitment is exactly what is states; realistic. The ability to be honest about the positions expectations, and the applicant is honest about their skills and abilities. Another important aspect is the socialization in which is utilized within the hiring of an employee. The right integration is an important aspect when bringing a new employee into a already established society. Careful selection by management of newcomers socialization experience can at the extreme create conformist who maintain traditions and customs, or incentive and creative individualists who consider no organizational practice scared. (Rao, 2008) Support from Readings & Outside References A happy employee is a loyal one; William backs this up well in his references about RJP. When honesty is utilized people are able to better understand the expectations and elements of the job. This realistic view does in fact decrease stress
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and unsatisfactory performance due to unsatisfied employees. RJP reduces reality shock and speeds up the socialization process. (Realistic Job Preview, n.d.) William quoted Madaff, Butler and , DeWine when looking at the tradtional form of recruitment. When applicants and organizations misrepresent themselves during the recruitment and the selection process, the potential exists for low satisfaction, low commitment, low performance, and increased turnover. (Modaff, 2008) In the traditional sense the hiring company provides false information in regards to only providing the positive prospective of the position and having unreachable expectations that are placed on the employee. Once the proper form of recruitment is selected its important to look at the form of socialization that is used. Each person will require different adaptations when being integrated into a company as a new employee. The two forms are described well by Rao, Investiture socialization assumes that the newcomers qualities and qualifications are the necessary ingredients for job success, so these qualities and qualifications are confirmed and supported. Divestiture socialization tries to strip away certain characteristics of the recruit. Fraternity and sorority pledges do through divestiture socialization to shape them into the proper role. (Rao, 2008) In my opinion the best approach is the Investiture socialization, this form uses the employees skills to help integrate them into the society. When the proper recruitment and socialization styles are used success is more promising from the employee for the company. Both strive for success and the best way to achieve that is by using the best approach. Support from Observations & Personal Experience William brings up a great point in seasonal work. When companies use seasonal employee its common for there to be surprises. The company wants the best employees for the short amount of time, and many people who want the seasonal jobs look at quick easy money. The best approach to this is to be honest so that there arent surprises. Everyone has expectations; this can be what they get out of the job, what the job description is, or the expectations of performance. Each is important; in my personal experience it can change the dynamics of the position and the want to have the position. Ive worked in a variety of fields, from food, sales, retail, to health care each
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having a different approach. In the health care industry RJP is used for the purpose that if a person doesnt know what they are getting into they shouldnt have others lives in their hands. Its important to have high expectations and honesty in the health care industry. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned William has some great future goals; to know what kind of supervisor you want to be is important. I believe that the utilization of the RJP will serve you well, Ive always believed that honestly is the best policy. RJP will serve you well in finding a good employee. I agree with William that if its possible to promote within the organization not only for the reason that they are already part of the company but they already know the expectations. When you promote within the employee knows the expectations of the companys society and the norms. Its an important quality to have in a manager. The one thing I look at is the first, second, and final stages of hiring. The honesty of the expectations, the applicant skills, and the structure of socialization are each essential aspects for success. With RJPs honesty on both end reduces stress and increased unsatisfied employees, and the investiture form of socialization by taking advantage of the skills and knowledge of the employee to obtain optimal integration. References Modaff, D. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Rao, S. (2008, Dec 7). Entry Socalization Options. Retrieved October 2012, from CiteMan Network: www.cite,an.com Realistic Job Preview. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2012, from Exploring HR Management: www.exploreHR.org

My 4 Best Post Unit 6

1.
My Perspective on Margos Post
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Margo makes a great point that conflict can be avoided, yet I dont believe all conflicts can be avoided. I say this because we all think differently and we each have our own style, if these styles conflict there will ultimately be a conflict between the people. If we try to understand others approaches as Margo states this can help reduce and prevent conflict. It takes work and motivation to be able to try to find the right approach. Another great point that Margo brings up is the personal side of things. When we feel as if we are being attacked our mind and body goes into the Fight or Flight mode, this will cause the other person to either clam up and not say anything or they will become defensive and create conflict in the situation. As an Owl this provides Margo the ability to work with others for a mutual solution, something everyone can be happy with. Margo makes a great point that the style in which you are classified shows the strengths and weaknesses of your style. The traits I would say are like a persons fingerprint; everyones is different in their own way. This difference can be minuet or drastic, this is the exact same way conflict styles are. Two people can have drastically different approaches or similar ones yet each and every person will handle a situation in their own way. Conflict is difficult and can be a challenge to overcome once it has occurred. Our approach to resolution is important; avoidance can be the most destructive style. When someone ignores the problem due to not wanting to face the facts creates anger and hostility. This type of avoidance hinders good results. I agree with Margo that assertiveness and cooperativeness is the most important types of conflict styles, these provide the ability to work together and obtain the best results. Support from Readings & Outside References Margos statement that conflict happens is very true, each interpersonal interaction is different and each person handles those interactions in their own way. The quote that Margo utilized from our text; implementing strategies to decrease the negative effects of conflict and creating an environment in which conflict can enhance the learning effectiveness of individuals and the organizations. (Modaff, DeWine, & Butler, 2008) This is an important aspect of conflict management. In my opinion compromising is the best approach, an approach to conflict in which people gain and give in a series of tradeoffs. (University of Wisconsin, 2010) This brings up the important aspect that Margo mentioned about satisfaction. In order to
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keep others happy in their job and interactions with others the conflict style that is used is important. Avoidance is the most dangerous and damaging conflict style. This type of conflict prevents people from communicating their concerns and wishes, resulting in an unhappy employee or employer. Conflict cant be avoided although it can be managed, and if it is done correctly it will build a stronger interpersonal relationship. Support from My Own Experience & Observations I agree with Margo that this self-assessment was slightly different in the ones Ive taken as well, yet pretty accurate for me. In my experience its all about what and how I need to respond, sometimes Im more stern and hash while others Im softer and flexible. It depends on the situation for me. Margos statement of picking your battles hits the nail right on the head. This is the perfect statement to describe conflict. Margos friend that is uncomfortable with conflict sounds like me 10 years ago. When I was young and in a management position I found myself giving things to employees because I was too afraid to say no. I wanted to be liked, until one day I had an employee completely run me over verbally, at that point I wasnt allowing anyone leave their shift early, come in late without punishment, and I was a lot more strict on vacation time. Every since then Ive learned to compromise better and communicate with others so this doesnt happen again. I also work with someone who is a Shark, shes very brass, and doesnt know her boundaries very well. In a business setting there is a ladder, this ladder provides employees with direction of who to go to first in a difficult situation. This one employee finds it her job to jump steps in the ladder and go to the top with everything, without allowing her supervisor to try and fix the problem she goes straight to his boss. This causes major conflict, I have told her repeatedly that her approach is misguided; you must follow the correct steps to avoid conflict. If this particular employee would report problems to her direct supervisor and allow for him to try and fix it this would avoid conflict caused by her ignoring his position of authority. A persons position of authority is important to respect because if it isnt respected there will be conflict that arises and this type of conflict isnt one that is easily overcome. I do agree that conflict can be a good thing; it can be a good thing if it is done correctly. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned
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Margo makes a great point about why conflict is a good thing, its like a marriage, its part of communication. Without communication a couple will fight and argue, yet with the right way and approach to conflict a very productive conversation can come about and decisions can be made. The degree to which a person is assertive or cooperative will make or break a conflict situation. Just like many when I hear the term conflict I think of an argument or two people disagreeing. This isnt the case. A conflict is when two various behaviors interact in a situation; this can be a good interaction or a bad one. Its all determined on the two styles that come together. The people involved determine the outcome of the situation. The way I look at it is you chose you approach, to pick your battles, which will determine the outcome of the situation. We have different approaches and ideas about how things should go; the best results come from those who are able to work with others as a team. The team is the secret to success in my opinion. And if the wrong kind of conflict is used the team will break.

References: Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings (2 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. University of Wisconsin. (2010). Conflict Styles. Retrieved from Office of Human Resource Development: www.ohrd.wisc.edu

2.
My Perspective on Shannons Post Shannon mentions the slight difference that her and her coworker have on her conflict styles. Its important to know how other perceives you because this can cause them to become avoidance or compromising. If someone was a teddy bear and wanted to approach a Shark they will most likely approach the situation in a different manner then they would if they were a Shark as well. Perception is everything. I agree with Shannon that depending on the situation will depend on the type of
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conflict style used. I have personally been able to range from a teddy bear to a Shark myself depending on the need of the situation. I like how Shannon mentioned the importance of interpersonal relationships. Its important to continue the strong relationship with others. Each person handles stress and conflict in their own way and its important to know the limits of others to ensure the relationship can continue and goals can be accomplished. When we look at the questions on the self-assessment we learn the different ways people would handle a situation and I know personally some I was completely thrown that someone would even act is such a way. Its important to know who all is involved in the decisions making and conflict, Shannons comment about the hands in the cookie jar is very relevant. When we look to others for compromise we value the good conflict skills that are present. Its important to be able to work together and collaborate for the best results. Support from Readings & Outside References The quote that Shannon used from the book when group members have interpersonal problems and are angry with one another they work less effectively, produce suboptimal products, and cognitive functioning is inhibited. (Modaff, DeWine, & Butler, 2008) This is a very interesting a true statement. When we have issues or conflict within a group the teamwork aspect is lost and attitudes come to face. When conflict is resolved effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual respect, and a renewed faith in their ability to work together. (Mind Tools, n.d.) The best way to prevent this from happening is to ensure the right conflict style is utilized. When the wrong approach is utilized in a conflict situation it will be difficult to come to a workable conclusion for everyone involved. The best route in my opinion is compromise, when both parties give and take both parties are more likely to be happy with the result. The ability to work together and communicate as Shannon states is a key ingredient to success. The way a person communicates is their conflict style; a conflict style is examining the consequences of various behaviors at moments in time. (University of Wisconsin, 2010) The ability to resolve issue together is very important in the company, organization, and team setting. I like how Shannon mentioned that communication has to come from both sides. Its important not only to speak our opinions but to be quite and listen as well. Ive found
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that at times it can be difficult to shut-up and listen but its vital to conflict resolution that all parties are understood. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations Shannon makes a great point that when the environment is smaller there is a larger affect on others; there is no escape from conflict. In a small environment we are much closer to others so when conflict occurs between two people it affects the whole branch. Ive personally witnessed this myself in a small branch setting, you find people taking sides when the conflict doesnt affect them and in my opinion isnt their business. How you respond to and resolve conflict will limit or enable your success. (Meier, 2011) In Shannons post the term teamwork was utilized. This is a strong term that provides the ability to overcome difficult conflict. When someone fights the teamwork it creates conflict with others making success a struggle. I like how Shannon used the example provided in the text about how Cindy left the group voluntarily yet blamed others in the group for her shortcomings. The issue of conflict and inability to work within a group caused Cindy to blame others for the results of lack of success. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Shannon that this chapter was interesting, its amazing how we all think differently. I think that is why it can be very difficult to work with certain people. I have personally worked with a non-teamwork individual, she refused to allow anyone to help her do anything. This resulted in snide comments between her and other employees, and low production due to it took her longer to complete the tasks. Ive learned its not only important to work as a team but the approach to the conflict is just as important. Its important to go face conflict straight one, and not avoid it. Many managers avoid the conflict because they are worried about employees not liking them. The one major thing Ive learned is as a manager Im not here to be liked, Im here to run a great organization, and if that is done right the employees will come around. In order to run a great company the right conflict style must be utilized. The importance of how we approach problems and others in situations will determine the reaction as well as the results. We must know the style of others, how to handle those styles, and our own style, and how it interacts with others.
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References: Meier, J. (2011, March). Five Conflict Management Styles at a Glance. Retrieved October 2012, from Sources of Insight: www.sourcesofinsight.com Mind Tools. (n.d.). Conflict Resolution: Resolving conflict rationally and effectively. Retrieved from Mind Tools: Essential skills for an excellent career: www.mindtools.com Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings (2 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. University of Wisconsin. (2010). Conflict Styles. Retrieved from Office of Human Resource Development: www.ohrd.wisc.edu

3.
My Perspective on Samanthas Post I agree with Samantha that there are different people out there and many look at them as either strict, black/white rules or soft with a lot of gray areas. This also will describe the type of conflict that will be encountered. When you know and understand the basis of someones conflict style it allows for better preparation when entering into a conflict. Samanthas style is has a great approach, the ability to use smooth and accommodating approaches can be very successful. When you try to please everyone this will cause major issues, because its impossible to make everyone happy. Ive always believed that a manager who is able to adjust their conflict styles to the situation makes a great one. When you deal with a variety of employees its important to take a different approach based on the person in which you are dealing with. I agree with Samantha that it is very important for cooperativeness, concerns for relationships, ideas, or goals, and the ability to find and utilize your conflict style. No two people are exactly alike, we all respond and interact in a different way so by knowing our conflict styles it provides us with a way to effectively communicate with one another.
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Avoidance is the worse approach a person could use, it is when a person ignores the issue hoping itll go away on its own or someone else will fix it. This form of conflict makes the problem bigger resulting in being very destructive. Where are compromise is something that is a give and take situation that allows both parties involved to be content with the solution. It builds trust, teamwork, and loyalty. Support from Readings & Outside References In the quote that Samantha used Modaff, DeWine and Butler(2008) states that conflict is substantive or affective, the size of the conflict, and the outcome of a conflict is the rigidity This is the exact explanation that is used by most if not all of my classmates. The idea that conflict affects others, and the size and type of conflict determines the outcome. The text describes what conflict is and the second important aspect is How you respond to and resolve conflict will limit or enable your success. (Meier, 2011) This is very important, the style that is used in the conflict determines the response, which will determine the result of failure or success. One person may see you in a different way as you see yourself, so its important to know both so you can adjust your style to best fit the situation. There are negative and positive aspects to conflict styles, it provide everyone with the ability to reach success. The solution to a problem and the ideas on how to fix and prevent problems is an important aspect to a successful company. Samantha makes a great point that it encourages creativity, new and innovative ways to improve and achieve. I agree with Samantha that the most difficult and frustrating part of any part of life not just business is conflict. Conflict can be between you and your sibling, you and a manager, or between two co-workers, conflict is the interaction between two people sharing ideas. The conflict can be a great experience or it can be a horrible one, it all depends on the style that each person has. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Samantha thank you for sharing your experience, its interesting how we approach thing differently based on what environment we are in. I too find myself utilizing a different conflict style at home; I tend to be more of a shark as home as well because Im comfortable there and I am more comfortable around the people.

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In the work setting we are more afraid of rocking the boat and making people mad. Its important to know that if we dont learn to say no we will be taken advantage of and get burnt out. A great example is when I was part-time at the hospital I would pick up extra hours to make 40, it got to the point I was always being overworked, which was resulting in a loss in motivation for my work. We have to learn our limits, set them, and refuse to allow people to infringe on them. I believe that most if not all people have more than one conflict style, when taking the self-assessment it gave me two. We tend to react differently when we are around people we are familiar with and one that we just work with. Its a different approach to reaching the goal; it may take a little more Shark to get things done at home and more of an Owl at work. I agree with Samantha that we tend to get tired of always being the nice guy and end up eventually saying no a lot more often. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Samantha made some excellent points in her post, and I too learned a lot about the different styles of conflict that are out there. Its interesting that they are described in animals because they too have different approached to their nature. Its important to know and understand the different conflict styles to ensure the appropriate approach is used. What I thought was interesting is how accurate the self-assessment was, its amazing that based off a couple of common questions my conflict style is brought to light. I agree with Samantha that this shows the difference or similarities that we have when dealing with personal and professional settings. It allows of better communication in both a personal interaction as well as a professional one. Ive personally encountered many conflicts, some that turned out well and others were a failure. It wasnt only my fault when the conflict turned ugly; it was both parties, each person had their own part in the success or failure of the conflict due to their conflict style.

References: Meier, J. (2011, March). Five Conflict Management Styles at a Glance. Retrieved October 2012, from Sources of Insight: www.sourcesofinsight.com

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Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings (2 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

4.
My Perspective on Kims Post I like how Kim mentions the problem with headstrong; always having to be right. I agree that this can be an issue at times but in other situations it can be a good thing. It shows determination and will in a person to be right; I personally use to be this way as well. I learned that we all have our own opinion and I wouldnt want someone else telling me how I should be doing things so I will provide my opinion and leave it at that. Ive learned to only argue if I know Im right and have information to back that up. I believe we all change slightly over the years, we develop our conflict style. I agree with Kim that the ability to adjust the conflict style is important and much desired, yet not everyone can do it. It helps because in a conflict you are dealing with others and their style can be conflicting with yours. So if someone has the ability to adjust their conflict style it helps the two people or the group to come to a conclusion in a more efficient manner. Kim makes a great point that there is no best conflict style because one style will not meet the needs of every situation. Its important to know this so that we can try an adjust our style to others. A great manager is able to adjust his or her style to the employee in which they are interacting with, in my opinion. It provides a better work environment. Yet avoidance is the most difficult conflict style due to the person evading the problem. With many different styles of conflict its important be aware of the styles and to take advantage Support form Readings & Outside References Evading conflict being described, as Avoidance is one of the common forms of conflict styles. While avoidance is presented by some theorists as a negative style that
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shows low concern for both one's own and the other party's interests, there are sometimes strategic reasons to avoid conflict. (Electronic Encyclopedia of Communication, 2002) Based on the situation this determines the needs for proper conflict resolution. I like how Kim mentioned how to bring out the best in someone and in the situation. The best way to maximize the outcome is to ensure that your perception needs to be conveyed to one another. The best way to ensure this is to utilize the proper combination of conflict styles. In my opinion compromise is the best route. The classic compromise in negotiating is to "split the difference" between two positions. (Electronic Encyclopedia of Communication, 2002) In all situations compromise is possible, Ive always thought that the best results come from a situation where both parties are happy with the result, and this is most common a compromise situation. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations Kim our lives create who we are and once we get to a certain age we chose to follow one path or another. Thank you for sharing your story, its important to know why we are the people we are so that way if we do want to change we know why and how to change it. As a kid I found it hard to talk with my father as well yet I could always talk my way out of anything with my mom. Communication is the key to success. Our approach to conflict, as adults are a direct result to the conflicts we encountered as young people. I also believe that it creates our drive in life, it can create a great drive or a lack of one depending on the person. The great thing is that Kim understands the type of people she likes to deal with and others she doesnt. This doesnt mean that Kim wont or cant deal with them but she understands the styles of others. In my experience I have learned that the ability to use different approaches is the best conflict style approach. This is learned throughout life and our life experiences, these shape us into the people we are. Another important aspect is to ensure good communication; When two people in conflict have opposite preferences, misunderstandings are likely to occur. (Electronic Encyclopedia of Communication, 2002) Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned

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There is no perfect form of conflict resolution or communication, the best thing is to try and if something goes wrong find out what that is, adjust for the next time. With many different people in the world we find many different personalities and ways to communicate. The important thing is to find out what works best for us personally, and have the ability to adjust if needed. I believe that it is very important for managers to know and understand their employees conflict styles so they know how to handle interpersonal interactions. At times managers might find the need to adjust their style to better accommodate their employees, other times to show that they are the boss. I agree with Kims statement that managers need to be open-minded and non-judgmental, this is important to stay neutral and supportive to the employees. When the time requests its important as a manager to be assertive so the employees will have a leader to follow. Conflict is important, its something we utilize everyday when dealing with interpersonal relationships. Each person makes his or her own result. Conflict can be a good interaction or a bad one, it can be constructive or destructive and these results are a dependent variable of two peoples conflict styles.

Reference: Electronic Encyclopedia of Communication. (2002). Conflict Management. Retrieved November 2012, from Conflict Management: www.cios.org

My 4 Best Post Unit 7

1. My perspective on Samanthas post

Samantha makes some great points on the Hall of Fame the ability to provide feedback in a constructive way provides the ability to trust. Compliance-gaining using attractive style, appropriate humor, and coaching, each is an important aspect of a good superior/subordinate relationship. In order to have success in an organization, I agree with Samantha that its important to utilize each one of these qualities. There is a strong emphasis on having a strong employee and a strong relationship with each employee to provide a sense of security and value. Proxemics
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and interpersonal needs are also important aspects to provide to employees, again it allows for trust and loyalty to build. Each quality in Samanthas Hall of Fame creates a foundation for employees trust and loyalty to build on. The Hall of Fame is a great place to help establish goals for individuals as well as the organization. One thing that is important is to not fall into the Hall of Shame. In the Hall of Shame Samantha mentioned inappropriate humor, unattractivestyle of compliance-gaining, upward influence, face-threatening acts, and competitive conflict. Each of these has its downfall and in my opinion the most damaging is facethreatening acts, this creates hostile work environment creating an employee the want to leave the organization. Inappropriate humor can be damaging as well, this can cause a hostile work environment leading to lawsuits. Samantha also mentioned that romantic relationships in the workplace are a bad idea as well. I agree with Samantha because when two people get involved it becomes about feelings and emotion rather than business and doing their job. In my opinion this creates favoritism, which results in angry employees. I believe that its a good idea for organizations to have policies to prevent this behavior it protects the employee as well as the organization. Support from Readings & Outside References Samantha uses a great reference about feedback; Feedback from a supervisor to a subordinate has been shown to have a positive impact on motivation, satisfaction, commitment, and performance (Geddes, 1993). I believe that feedback is very important in the business world due to the information it provides. Feedback provides an employee with expectations and performance reviews so the manager and the employee both know the roles of the positions and the performance expectations. The attractive style of compliance gaining can be violated very easily. Samantha stated that the attractive style of complaisance gaining is through provided advantages for good work, and bad disadvantages for bad work. This can cause a hostile work environment; if someone doesnt trust the outcome of their work with their boss they will be more likely to leave the organization. Another issue that can arise is when life-threatening acts are committed. When a person puts another in a position where they feel threatened in any way this creates hostility, stress, and anger. When a person has these feelings they become defensive, this results in no trust and no loyalty. This will create a wide proxemics and the goal is to work closely with others.
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Proxemics is defined as the distance between two people in a particular space such as workspace that results in friendships. (Modaff, DeWine, & Butler, 2008) When two people work together in a close proximity it is creates a high chance of friendships occurring. This can create problems in the work place due to attention not being placed on desired tasks, creating difficulties. Where making friends is always a good thing, the result of the friendship hinders the organization. This is just the same as a romantic relationship in my opinion. Samantha mentioned that this can and does lead to sexual harassment, again creating more problems for the organization. Its important to keep an eye on employees not only for their protection but the companys as well. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations I like Samanthas example, the girlfriend would get mad because she knew that she met the guy at work and so any other girl around in the workplace was competition. I have personally dealt with this as well. When I was 19 I worked as a supervisor at the local grocery store, it wasnt odd at all for us to date one another. As I got older I realized how immature it was and moved on. Im not saying you cant meet your soul mate at work, it happens all the time. Im saying its rare and not a good idea. Not only do the issue affect the people you work with but is can effect the customer service as well, which was seen in Samanthas example. When we are upset we have a tendency to take it out on innocent people, and in my opinion this is the most dangerous part of romantic work relationships. Why would anyone want to deal with this as a person or as a manager? Samantha had a great example of the utilization of coaching; this is a very important key to success. When a manager take the time to show, teach, and coach their employees the company becomes more successful. The more successful the company become the more successful the employees will become. Ive been on both sides of coaching and you learn a lot. Its important to always improve, learn, and build on the current knowledge that we have. If growth doesnt happen the world is placed on standstill. The one thing I would relate this to, is the cure for cancer, if we stopped and didnt continue to work and learn we wouldnt have the medical technology that we have today. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned Samantha makes a great point that communication ranges depending on the manager, although it is important to utilize good management communication to prevent
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issues. Not only knowing the type of management is important but also the goals of the organization. Ive always thought that the goals and values set the tone for how management should work. I agree with Samantha that the most important quality is trust, the ability to trust and the ability to provide a foundation for others to trust you. Samantha mentioned that trust provides the willingness to be open and honest, these qualities create a foundation for a strong successful team. Strong teams with honest employees that trust one another create a strong team. The one thing that Ive learned throughout these chapters is the type of leader determines the success of the team. When we work together we are only as strong as our weakest link, meaning that a leaders job is to lead others to success. The approach determines how well others can trust the leader, be honest, and grow. We all have the same goal; success and the best way to obtain this are through good leadership.

References Geddes, D. (1993). Examining the dimensionality of performance feedback messages: Source and recipient perceptions of influence attempts. Communication Studies, 44(3/4), 200-215. Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

2. My Response to Wills Post Will makes a great point that the supervisor to subordinate relationship is vital for the functionality of the organization. This relationship can create trust, loyalty, and success; and some methods of building this relationship are better than others. Finding a solid way to build the relationship will determine the outcome. Will also mentioned the bottom to top aspect, listening to subordinates ideas can help grow not only the company but the relationship as well, it provides a sense of value for the employee. Will mentions that there are methods that can be dangerous as well; some of these methods create distress, stress, and anger on the behalf of the subordinate and supervisor. Limiting communication creates many issues, one big one being all
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employees are not all on the same page. This can be a life threatening situation, in the hospital environment, if one nurse doesnt know the protocol on how to call a code blue (respiratory distress) a patient could die. Its important to have effective communication. Another issue that can arise is misunderstandings, one person understands something one way when it was intended to be another way. If something isnt black and white in definition it can be misconstrued, and again someones life can be the result. As Will stated these are potentially negative results to problems that can occur in the supervisor to subordinate relationship. Support from Readings & Outside References I like Wills quote from the text that states, Both parties are vulnerable; trust helps to alleviate some of the vulnerability and provide for a mutually beneficial situation. (Modaff, Butler, DeWine, 2008) This is a strong statement; it set the foundation that with trust anything can be done. I was always told if you cant trust your husband the relationship will never work. I believe this 100%, if you cant trust someone it creates the inability to open up and share, and build into a stronger relationship. In the business world if there isnt trust the organization wont succeed. Another item that Will mentioned was feedback; this is something that if its done correctly it will help develop trust and growth. When you provide constructive feedback to others it helps them grow as an individual as well as the relationship between you and the employee. The value that comes from feedback is priceless; it provides an outside view of how to improve. Personally I value feedback because I may not see something that someone else does. Something else that Will mentioned was the strategic ambiguity, this is where a person is left the fill in the blanks, this isnt always a good thing. Depending on the task this can create problems of create a new and successful product. In my work environment there isnt the freedom of filling in our own thoughts or ideas into the blank. Often this can create stress because many employees just want to know whats expected. This results in perceptual incongruence, the inaccurate perception of the subordinates job satisfaction. Support from Experiences & Observations Great examples Will, its always a good thing to have the ability to experience both sides of things. You now know how youd want to be and how you wouldnt. In your experience with the employer who was invested in you gave you a sense that they
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cared, and they probably did. I know in my experience when a supervisor helped me achieve the things I wanted like moving up and challenging me it helped me develop into a hard worker. Now I go into a job and strive for the bosss position, currently Im doing my internship here at the hospital with my departments director. So shes over my boss, she has been great in my aspiration to move up in the hospital. I first went to her in February about cross training into CAT scan since Im an x-ray technologist. She was supportive and helped me accomplish the certification that I was striving for. Then two months ago I went to her about doing my internship with her for my degree, and she was more than supportive about showing me the ropes. Its all about approach and having the type of supervisor who wants you to succeed. Like Will I too have had the supervisor who flexed their muscles these types of managers have a big ego, and all that results from it are unhappy employees and no success. In my experience the ego got in the way with not only the supervisor growing but his or her teams growth. They think the games are fun but in reality it causes more harm than good. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned I agree with Will that the supervisors job is to motivate and teach subordinates the needed tools to grow and be successful. When this doesnt happen people get angry, discouraged, and unmotivated. Its a team and the supervisors attitude determines the potential success. Wills statement that you give more effort when you trust someone is head on, in my experience of both a manager and an employee this is correct. Personally Ive experienced good and bad in the work place, and a lot of my experience is determined on the supervisors approach and attitude. As an employee I feel valued when my supervisor wants to know what I want out of my job, helps me get there, and encourages me to do better. It builds a relationship as well as trust. I like Wills example of the yes manager, these types of managers typically arent successful in the junction of improvement, feedback, or success because they are people pleasures. The result is lack of production, if you want a productive employee you have to create a trusting relationship, provide feedback, and encourage growth. The best relationship anyone can have is an honest one, if you cant be honest with others they cant help you grow.

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References: Modaff, D. P., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

3. My Response to Kims Post

I agree with Kim the importance of trust, immediacy, and feedback. Each of these vital aspects of the supervisor and subordinate relationship lays the foundation for success. Each person has their own needs in a workplace setting, yet when given trust, immediacy and feedback in the right ways it provides strength. Kim makes a great point about not wanting subordinates to be dependent on her, I agree. I think that good workers have the ability to function at a distance from their supervisor. Kims makes a strong and very accurate comment that some supervisors forget where they come from. At one point in time they too where the subordinates, this is important to remember when being a supervisor because changes affect subordinates in a different way than they do supervisors. Its important for them to have empathy and understanding of the duties in which they themselves are requesting the employee to do. Proxemics is something that can be good; its the closeness that develops between co-workers from working together in proximity creating a relationship. As Kim, I too have developed relationships with people that I work with, most dont last once I leave yet during the time that I worked with them we had a blast. These relationships can also go past friendships, which in my opinion turn to the Hall of Shame; they can lead to romantic relationships, which in my opinion are a bad idea. When dealing with romantic relationships in the workplace many factors can be affected, trust, equal treatment, and advancement. Although others may argue that these types of relationships are ok, in my personal opinion its a bad idea. I understand that many people meet their significant others at work and thats ok with me as long as the two people dont work in the same department or closely with one another. It is a recipe for trouble. Support from Readings & Outside References Kims quote of If you create or allow close personal ties with your subordinates for any of these reasons, you will struggle as a manager. You won't be able to make
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tough but necessary people decisions or evaluate people accurately and give critical but helpful feedback. If you try to stay on good terms with everyone, you'll make exceptions for individuals that others consider undeserved or unfair. Relationships that are primarily personal can only produce disappointment for your people in the long run and make you much less effective (Hill and Lineback, 2011). This quote is right on; Ive personally been in this position. It takes a strong person to be able to draw the line and stick to it. Trust is something that isnt just received; trust is earned based on past performance. Its important for a subordinate to know if their supervisor has trust in them or not. Kim also uses a post from Straiter that talks about the delegation and relinquishing of duties and responsibilities. In my opinion its up to the subordinate to determine their ability to handle the job, and duties. Support from My Own Experience & Observations I like Kims personal experience; it shows the difficulty that comes with being a manager to others. I too have dealt with this difficulty, which I believe was due to the fact that I was supervising employees my own age. This can be very difficult because of the large of amount of common ground. I had a similar situation with a subordinate about being on time. She was 6 months younger than me and I had to approach her about her timeliness of being on time. We had built a relationship of where we would go workout after work together and hand out on the weekends. The problem was she was always late; this wasnt just a problem in my eyes but in the managers as well. So I was sent to talk to her about it. When I approached her she too began throwing attitude and giving excuses. At this point I had to lay down the rule book and explain to her that within these walls I am your boss and you have to respect that, Im not your friend from 8-5; Monday thru Friday. I think I surprised her, she admitted that she took advantage of our relationship and she apologized. After that I didnt have any issues with not only her being late but also taking my position seriously. Its a business and Im not here to make friends. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned Throughout these chapters not only is trust an important aspect to remember but how to develop these qualities is important as well. Trust is one of the few desired qualities that come from both the supervisor and the subordinate; each person desires others to trust them.
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Proxemics can be a good thing and a bad thing; the type of relationship that is created will determine this. A strong relationship that encourages growth and success is good for the company as well as the parties involved. Where as a weak relationship that doesnt take anything seriously creates problems in the workplace making success difficult. We all have our own way of supervising and they may be good or bad, the only thing that determines this is the success of the team or organization. Ive learned that youre the boss first and a friend second, and yes sometimes you do have to take into consideration what the employee if dealing with personally, and others you have to be cautious to not cross the friend/boss line at work. Reference: Hill, Linda, and Lineback, Kent, Be the boss, not a friend, (2011), http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/01/18/be-the-boss-not-a-friend/

4. My Perspective on Corys Post

Cory makes a great point that trust allows for a relationship to grow. No matter if the relationship is professional or personal the only way to a strong relationship to develop is with trust. Good communication allows for people to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. I agree with Cory that this fits into the Hall of Fame. Many items can be placed in the to Hall of Fame I also believe that feedback is a very important aspect in the business environment. Providing feedback to others allows for growth and improvement. It provides subordinates the ability to known and understand the expectations that are placed upon them in their position. When feedback is received its important to be able to take the information in a constructive manner and have a positive outlook on improvement. One of the qualities in the Hall of Shame that Cory mentions is the upward distortion. This is basically false information that is relayed to the supervisor from the subordinate. The false information can destroy the trust that is build and creates stress along with other issues. When I look at the upward distortion, I look at what can cause this, it can be due to laziness on the behalf of the subordinate not wanting to due their job or simply scared to admit the truth.
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The important aspect in a supervisor and subordinate relationship is to look at the potential results that can come from both the Hall of Shame and the Hall of Fame. Both halls have their pros and cons its just a matter of how the supervisor and the subordinate handle the situations. Support from Readings and Outside References Cory brings up some great points in regards to trust in our text trust has three facets: (Modaff, DeWine, & Butler, 2008) 1. Expectation ha the other will act benevolently 2. A willingness to be vulnerable and risk that the other will not act accordingly 3. Some level of dependence on the other Which goes in line with the five behaviors Whitener mentioned. In the business world its important to know the aspect of what trust is and how to build it. Many times I feel as though we take advantage of the trust that we have in others and what they have in us as a person, which can create major issues. When problems arise it is important to find a way to fix them as soon as possible, if not one little issue can turn into a major one. In an organization if trust is abused upward distortion can occur resulting in team and possibly organization failure. Its important to have trust in other yet not so much that as a supervisor you are blind to what is going on. Support from Observations and Personal Experience Cory has a great example of how problems occur due to behavioral consistency and integrity. Its important to know what your employees are doing because if not it damages not only the superior and subordinate but it can create major damage to the organization itself. It creates damage to the organization through unsatisfied employees that may leave and tell others about the negative experience they encountered. I have personally dealt with the poor planning at my current job and it drives me crazy. When scheduling employees and not taking into consideration the times that may need more staff then others, they just try to make everyone happy by giving them the eight to five. Ive said this before; Im not here to make friends, if I do great if not I have friends outside of work. Its important to look at it this way when you are a supervisor because the relationship can become more of an issue then an advantage.
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Another thing that Cory mentions is the refusal to accept feedback, this can be a common occurrence that creates major problems. When an employee cant or refuses to accept the feedback provided from a supervisor it comes down to an issue of growth. The organization cant grow and succeed if the subordinates are not willing to improve upon themselves. Insights Gained, Lessons Learned & Food for Thought The one thing Ive learned throughout these two chapters is the importance of being aware. To be aware of the surroundings, subordinates, and the organizations goals, as a manager a person cannot ignore issues or be blind to problems. A supervisor needs to be confident in their decisions, and be a leader as well as a teacher. When dealing with others the best environment is a happy and productive one, without these two stress and dissatisfaction occurs. In order to strengthen an organization it begins with the subordinates and their superiors these are the front line of the organization, which makes it all that more important. I agree with Cory that one of the best approaches it to eliminate upward distortion. And in my opinion the best way to do this is to, again, be aware. Currently I am doing my internship with the director of my department and it surprised my how intuned she is with what is going on. She knows about just about everything, this created more respect to develop toward her because now I know she cares and shes not out of the loop.

Reference: Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

My 4 Best Post Unit 8

1.
My Perspective on Caitlins Post
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Caitlin makes a great point, which all the challenges go hand in hand in order to obtain success. Team member selection, development, decision-making, the ability to overcome issues, promotion teamwork and loyalty. When we look a the cohesiveness of teams it is very important to identify and reinforce as Modaff, DeWine, and Bulter mention in their text. By reinforcing team cohesiveness it allows a manager and organization to prevent the dysfunctional team form. I agree with Caitlin that organizational leadership is very interesting as well as important. There is a drastic difference in the qualities of a manager and a leader. In my opinion a leader provides a good example as well as challenges team members with new innovative ways. A manger is rule oriented creating a supervisor/subordinate relationship. In a leadership the team members want to follow the leader, in a management situation the team has no choice to follow voluntarily. In regards to a leader Caitlin bring up some very valid points. When looking at the traits of a leader we see someone like a mentor, aspiration, someone we want to follow. They have the traits that team members respect and are willing to follow them into war. Where as a manager in my opinion is simply a boss, a person who upholds the policies and procedures, the respect that they receive is based on their power and position not their qualities. Another great point that Caitlin makes is in regards to the transformational leadership theory. During this theory a leader gains the trust through their actions and developments, this provides the followers with inspiration and a common goal between the leader and the follower. This is essential to have in order to have a successful team; everyone must work together towards the end result. With communication, ambition, leadership qualities and a leaders ability to be a role model allows for people to believe in what the leader is trying to help them all accomplish. Support from Readings & Outside References We need interpersonal relationships in order to feel engaged, to test our ideas and abilities, and for moral support. Without team interaction we are isolated, cut off from the advantages of teamwork. We need the support of others to face lifes challenges, both at work and in our personal lives (Modaff, DeWine & Butler, 2008). A interpersonal relationship is a relationship between people the supporting interpersonal relationship creates a strong bond. This bond allows of r support and great leadership. In Catlins example written by Suzy Welch some great points were made. When there is a team member who doesnt do their part of the tasks, is lazy and provides
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more room for failure. In this article there was some interesting point made when Welch mentioned the boss hater, stars, sliders, pity parties, and self-promoters. Each has their own excuse or advantage, depending on the situation or work environment a slider can get away with not doing their work and still succeeding, where as in many situations its vital for each person of the team to provide input and work for a successful outcome. The next article that Caitlin utilized that I believe strongly is in the blog by Deb Green. She brings up some great points about how to fix the dysfunctional relationship within a workplace. I truly believe that there is no need to become Facebook friends with people in which I work with. I believe that work and personal are different environments and if they intermix thats fine to a point. I truly believe that favoritism occurs when these personal relationships go to far. You don't need to become best friends, or even Facebook friends - Just show that you care about the individual as an individual. (Green, 2012) In the workplace its important to treat one another with respect and as a team. When the interpersonal relationship becomes to personal it can also allow for others to take advantage of one another. Why should I, Suzie will do it for me it can create a lazy dependent atmosphere. Caitlin chose some very interesting articles throughout her post that bring up some great points, when we look at leadership and management its always important to remember the difference. Do you want to be a leader or a manager? When looking through the websites that Caitlin utilized there was a commonality among them, a leader provides motivation and ambition where as a manger is someone who rules the team based on rules, and are paid based on results. A great manager is also a leader, a person who leads by example of hard work, dedication, and provides motivation to the employees to reach success. This is important when wanting a high functioning and successful team. The statement of in todays business world there is too much management and not enough leadership both are important, but in a world thats changing faster and faster, great leadership is especially important (Kotter, 2011), is a strong and honest statement. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Caitlins example of Amy and her job in the kitchen is a perfect one, it provides a common occurrence of what happens when new people come into a work place. When I first started working at the hospital all I heard was complaints about lazy people and the managers lack of ability to run the department. Now after working in my position for over a year now I see their complaints are valid yet they are skewed. I am currently doing my internship with the director of the department and Ive learned about many of the behind
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the scene things that go on that my co-workers are complaining about. Its interesting to see that yes the managers are trying to fix the problems; all the employees see is its still not fixed 100%. I find that many employees have unreachable expectations of how things can and should run in their work environment. I like how Caitlin was able to see both sides, I agree that its not only interesting to see and know this. When I see this happen I tell my co-workers actually they are working on that and it surprises them to know this. I think that is there was more communication between the kitchen and waitresses or in my case the managers and employees these problems would be obsolete. It also allows for you to become a good manager because youve been in all their shoes, you understand whats going on and the problems at hand. You can address them and attempt to fix them. In my personal experience Ive learned that being a manager, supervisor, or an employee its important to have reachable expectations. A great example is a story I here all the time from my husband, a man comes into the car dealership wanting to buy a $50,000 Tahoe, with no money down, no trade in, he wants a $200 monthly payment. Realistically without taxes, and interest on a 84 month loan youre looking at a $600 monthly payment. This is a prime example of unrealistic expectations. As a prior manager and hopefully a future one I understand that many people have unrealistic expectations. I believe its important to know their expectations and talk about what can happen within your limits. If employees are left out of the loop they become unhappy and less productive. Caitlins statement of what can we do better is a great conversation to have with your employees to ensure an open dialog so everyone can be on the same page. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned A great leader is a person who leads a team to success by example, ambition, encouragement, new direction, and doing the right thing. When others see a manager they see rules, no choices, black and white rules of task accomplishment. Its important to know the difference when a person wants to be a manager, you can be one that people want to follow or one that people have no choice and are unhappy to follow. Personally I consider myself a leader, I promote team unity, enthusiasm, fun, and success. As a manger Ive always tried to find a way for my employees to enjoy their job and feel as though they are valued and look forward to working with me. Its a great feeling when you are respected for the things you do not the position you hold.

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Through out life Ive been on sports teams, councils, associations, and group projects and the one place Ive always found myself is in the captain or leader role. I love to be the person that people come to for help, I love to have the ability to encourage others to do well because it only makes me want to do and be better. All in all a great manager is a great leader, one who provides others with the want to follow and be part of the team.

References: Green, D. (2012, Jan). When you can't fire 'em - 5 Ways to Approach "Dysfunctional"Team Members. Retrieved Dec 2012, from govloop: www.govloop.com Kotter, J. (2011, April). The Perils of Confusing Managent and Leadership. Retrieved Dec 2012, from Forbes: www.forbes.com

Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Welch, S. (2007, Sept). Scary Work Scenario: And I Have to Spend All Day with these People? Retrieved Dec 2012, from Oprah: www.oprah.com/money/How-toSurvive-Dysfunctional-and-Difficult-Co-workers/1

2.
My perspective on Sheris Post In Sheris post she makes some great points, one being that overcoming team conflict is an area of concern. I believe that team conflict can make or break the overall success of a team. The ability for a team to overcome such issues provides strength and trust among the members. The first step is finding a solution. Its important for a team member and a team leader to look and find the issue at hand and then try and find a solution. I agree with Sheri that understanding the nature of the conflict allows for many perspectives for a solution. When a problem arises the best approach is to find out what the issue what, where it came from, and how to fix it. This also provides team members the ability to
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build trust and loyalty towards their team. The example that Sheri shared from the text about leaders and managers is very true. A great way to put it is that a leader finds new paths and ways for success where as a manager is policy and procedure orientated. So which would you prefer? Personally Id prefer a manager who is also a leader, this is very possible. A manager who had leader qualities is a person who follows the rules and finds new ways to do things; they create a team who wants to follow not because they have to. Another great point that Sheri brings up is the Golden rule. I agree that following this rule does create a great leader and I find it is very hard for some managers to have the ability to look at it from a subordinates point of view. Im on the Home Owners Association for my housing addition and I find myself pulling the other two board members back to make them think from a homeowners perspective. Its easy to assume and to tell people what to do, and it takes an even bigger person to have the ability to step back, evaluate, and see the other persons perspective. Support from Readings & Outside Resources The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. (Conflict Resolution: Resolving conflict rationally and effectively, 2012) I agree with Sheri that conflict management cant be ignored, if it is ignored problems continue to grow and become unmanageable. An effective form of conflict resolution can create a positive outcome. Were as if the problem is ignored the outcome becomes negative. By learning how to manage conflict members develop a better understanding of the situation, it brings the group closer together, and increases knowledge to all involved. Some times the best resource is someone who has been in the situation and was successful in the outcome. I believe that conflict management is something that everyone can benefit from. Part of Sheris quote is very interesting the ability to recognize conflict, understand the nature of conflict, and to be able to bring swift and just resolution to conflict will serve you well as a leader the inability to do so may well be your downfall. (Myatt, 2012) This statement is a very strong one, it proves that one must recognize, understand, and find a solution to a problem. I personally believe that this is essential to being a good leader. What is a leader? According to Grace Hopper a leader has qualities that include
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initiating change, facilitates decision-making, and leads a team in in a long-term direction of success. They take risks by breaking rules, create new direction, and the team members follow him or her by choice. Where as a manager provides stability by making decisions, provides rules for short-term accomplishments, and the members that follow are called subordinates; who have no choice but to do as the manager states. (The Leadership Versus Management Debate: What's the Difference?, 2012) Support from My Experience & Observations Sheris example is a perfect one that I believe happens more then we, as management students want to realize. Yes we see people as professionals because they are adults and have an adult responsibility, this does not mean that they have ability or knowledge to handle a conflict. Every person is different and they all have different ways on how conflicts should be handled. Ive personally dealt with a situation where the manager was unable to handle the conflict in a productive manner causing more conflict to occur. In this situation human resources was brought in because the manager created such a hostile work environment that all the employees were quitting. I was asked why I was leaving the company and I admitted to the human resource representative that the manager creates hostility by yelling at the staff, degrading employees, and not respecting the customers. Once all the employees had been interviewed and customer complaints followed up on, it was evident that the manager was causing conflict and didnt have the tools to fix them. At this point the company had two options, fire the manager, or provide training. They decided that investing in training for all employees was the best route. The training provided no only the manager with conflict resolution tools; it also provided essential tools to the employees as well. Things slowly began to improve. Sheris example proved sometimes a third party, needs to get involved to fix a problem. Its not always easy to go into a situation as such, yet when a person has the skills of conflict resolution it provides an advantage. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, Lessons Learned I agree with Sheri that conflict happens, not only does it happen its part of life. Ive always thought that a little conflict is good because it allows for two people to voice their thoughts and opinions. Whats important is the approach that is used to manage the conflict. Ignoring a problem doesnt fix it or make it go away, it makes the issues worse.
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Another important point to take from these two chapters is the difference in being a leader and a manager. You can still be a manager with leadership qualities, yet managers without these qualities have different results. Guiding teams to victory or forcing them to do their duties are two different things; a leader will utilize using themselves as an example to guide others. Where as a manager sets rules, hands out duties, and puts others to work without providing any kind of leadership. Its like having a team captain of a football team; the captain is the player who sets the tone of the game, attitude, as well as the example off the field. Team captains are not chosen because they are the best player they are chosen for their leadership qualities on and off the field. Great post Sheri.

References: Conflict Resolution: Resolving conflict rationally and effectively. (2012). Retrieved Dec 2012, from Mind Tools: www.mindtools.com Myatt, M. (2012). 5 Keys to Dealing with Workplace Conflict. Retrieved Dec 2012, from Frobes: www.forbes.com The Leadership Versus Management Debate: What's the Difference? (2012). Retrieved Dec 2012, from Educational Business Articles: www.educational-businessarticles.com

3.
My Perspective on Samanthas Post Samantha makes a great point; everyone has something they could work on. The topics that Samantha chose are great ones as well, its interesting how we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Personally I attribute this to our experience, the experience that we have in life teaches us things that we have to learn and adapt to. In a team setting each person could have a different issue and its important to try and find a way to fix that so the team can be successful. A team norm, culture, and diversity issues is an important part of working with others. When I think of norms I think of the general acceptance of actions within a company or society. The culture doesnt have to be the same for everyone yet the
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norms need to be in order for any issues to be solved when diversity is present. Im not sure if that makes sense on paper, maybe a better explanation would be that the norms have to provide people a structure to handle diversity. Stuckness is a term our text used to describe a situation where an individual or a team is stuck in a pattern mentally or physically. Its important for a manager to be have the ability to help others through this. The person who leads a team to such success is a leader. The qualities of a leader that Samantha mentions are gaining trust, confidence, and respect, these qualities are not always found in a manager. A manager is described as someone who sets structure through rules, structure to minimize risk and maximize outcome. I believe that there are many managers who are also leaders. These managers provide their team a path to success through direction and example. Its important to utilize these qualities to obtain the best results possible. Support from Readings & Outside References Sometimes things go beautifully, sometimes a programmer spends whole days beating his head against the wall on a single point, until finally the light bulb lights up. (Cowen, 2005) When dealing with stuckness its important to know how to face the issue and overcome it. In a team environment the only way to reach success is by finding a solution to being stuck. I personally find myself in this a lot when doing school work, and I believe it is due to being in school for so long, and losing ambition. I like how Samantha mentioned the importance of having a positive to get through stuckness. In order to break through this kind of situation it takes a insight. The ability to overcome difficult situations is important when in a leader and manger position. Another important aspect to remember is to find ways to prevent stuckness. I then to try and fight through stuckness yet I find sometimes all thats needed is a break. Samanthas websites had great information; I would have liked to have seen her summary or insight on the information. Its always interesting to see others point of view on different situations that we encounter in a team situation. Whether its a leader, manger, or defeating stuckness. Every situation and insight will provide different insights and possible solutions. Support from My Experience & Observations Samantha gave a great example of a horrible manager, a person who is not only
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lazy but self-serving to the point that he didnt care how things were done but that they were done when needed. Managers have to be very careful to be this way. In my experience in a family owned company it can go one way or another. It can create a horrible atmosphere such as the one Samantha described or the family can be harsh on one another and pushing one another to the point of high stress for everyone involved. In my experience there is always one person who is lazy regardless if the company is family owned or not. At my current place of employment there is an employee who is drastically over weight to the point that he cant perform the daily duties of the job. Everyone complains that he sits there all day and everyone is forced to pick up the slack. How is a situation like this resolved? The best way to approach such a situation is to fix it before it gets to big. The manager needs to talk with the employee and inform him that hes not meeting the minimum requirements of the job and his performance is not meeting the standards. If things arent resolved the employee will eventually need to be let go. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Samantha that leaders are born not made. The qualities a person has are created in them through their parents and the way they were raised. In life we encounter obstacles and a great leader has the ability to over come these obstacles and learn from them for the next time. With many different types of leadership styles each approach is different. Due to this results are different for each person and in each situation. We find the importance in leadership in all situations, and we have to find what works best for each of us individually. Every outcome is slightly different then the next, the important thing to remember is that learning from each situation and growing is what builds strength, loyalty, and trust. Its important to remember this because it can be easy to ignore. Reference: Cowen, J. (2005). Flow, Stuckness, and Interruptions. Retrieved Dec 2012, from Recycled Knowledge: recycledknowledge.blogspot.com

4.
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My Perspective on Wills Post Will made a great point in his first paragraph, conflict is inevitable. When you put a group of people together in a work or social environment its a guarantee that at some point not everyone will agree on things, resulting in conflict. The best way to approach conflict is to know how to handle it. When we deal with a diverse set of people we are bound to find differences of opinions. So what a manager or even teammates need to know how to manage conflict resolution. Conflict resolution isnt easy, as a manager if we can prevent anyone from being offended or report having a negative experience. Everyone wants to have a good team experience, having the ability to find the problem and finding a solution is key in the management of conflict to provide members with a good quality experience. I agree with Will that the success of a team and organization is dependent on many factors. One that includes the ability to make decisions, solve problems, and overcoming stuckness. Theses are vital to a teams ability to overcome obstacles and succeed. How does all this work though? Is it something that we can learn or are these traits we have naturally? Personally I believe that each trait provides a unique set of advantages to each group to over come any obstacles that may occur. As a team leader on must have the ability to help a team make a decision when faced with questions, they must be able to provide insight on how to solve problems, and push through the issue of stuckness. A manager has rules they enforce that may or may no assist in these issues, in my opinion its very important to have a leader in the group to help assist in times of difficulty or question. Support from Readings & Outside References I agree with Will that effective and efficient teams have to be created, they dont just appear out of thin air. Effective teamwork creates its own set of characteristics that makes it possible to see the cohesion in a group. (Anderson, 2012) Its important to know how to lead a team to success through effective and efficient work flow. Anderson stated in his article that communication; participation, decision-making, and efficient use of ideas are key to effective teamwork. I think that this article roles into the statement that Will used from the text well. Effective team decision making and problem solving relies on some characteristics that the textbook features: They have a clear and engaging direction, the basic work is designed to be done by a team, team rewards are strongly associated with team effort, physical resources are readily
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available, the team has the authority to make decisions over basic work strategies, the team can articulate clear goals that fit the organizations goals and can be measured within a specific time period, the team established norms that promote strategic thinking. (Modaff, Butler, DeWine, 2008) Will brings up a great point that promoting loyalty, commitment and motivation are key factor on showing employees that they are valued within the team and the organization. So when they are faced with issues such as stuckness there is a much stronger foundation for overcoming the obstacle. Its a circle of life, by providing value to employees, they work harder, resulting in a more productive, efficient, and effective team. Support from My Experience & Observations Will brings up a great point, that when you are in a team environment you have to think about the we aspect and not the individual. The results affect the team not the individual a success for the team is a success for each individual of the team. I have personally found difficult situations where there is one or two people on my team who are not giving the amount of effort that they should, I believe that these particular members are either lazy or think something else is more important and dont give enough effort. Ive been in many positions ranging from entry level to management and its always interesting to see how people work with one another but how they act towards you. In one situation I started out as a entry level and was in management within a year due to hard work and dedication on my behalf. My initiative showed my managers the drive that I have and my ability to work with any team that I was placed in. I believe that this is important. Personally Ive never been willing to accept low standard work or low grades from myself, so at times I find it difficult to work with a team because I have no control over the end result. The saying if you want it done right you might as well do it yourself fits me to a tee. Its a process to get use to trying to overcome this obstacle in life, nut its important to have the ability to look at a situation from another persons perspective. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Will that great groups even face troublesome times, its how its dealt with and the results that count. It doesnt matter what kind of team it is, whether it is a sports team, work team, support group, or any of kind its important to have the support
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of each person, and to have a common goal. When we look at football we think about the running backs and the quarterback. Although they are important aspect of the game, the quarterback wouldnt be able to perform its duties without the support of the linebackers defending them. Its a team effort in many different aspects and the more effort each individual person puts into the team the better the outcome. A leader is a person who leads their team to victory; a manager is a person who tells a team what to do and how to do it. As a person how would you want to be treated? Personally the way I see it is that I would rather follow someone who is willing to go to war with me then send me out there without a chance. A great leader will be the one right next to you in any situation for the sake of the team.

References: Anderson, A. (2012). Characteristics of Effective Teamwork. Retrieved Dec 2012, from Chron: www.smallbusiness.chron.com Modaff, D., DeWine, S., & Butler, J. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

MKTG 630 Marketing Managers

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Expectations of Student The expectation I had for this course was to learn marketing strategies, I wasnt fully aware of what this consisted of. With my interest captured I was eager to learn more about marketing. This contributed to my Masters degree in the aspect of every manager should have a basic understanding of marketing approaches. Student Learning Outcomes Be aware of the role of marketing in the global economy. Have an understanding of the marketing process and concept. Be able to identify consumer needs and how to use marketing research as an aid to define these needs and identify markets. Identify the variables of the marketing mix and gain skill in combining them. Recognize pricing objectives and develop pricing strategies. Combine the elements of promotional strategy into the marketing mix to make a comprehensive marketing plan. Use the marketing field in an ethical manner. Explore entre/intrapreneurship as part of the market planning process. Demonstrate competence through completion of comprehensive business/marketing plan Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments The learning outcomes for this course were lengthy; the first one was to be aware of the role of marketing in the global economy. This is important to know as a manager and as a consumer the approach that marketing uses determines the outcome of consumers buying the product and/or services. The next learning outcome was to have an understanding of the marketing process and concept. The approach used by marketing is important and requires a massive amount of research. This research consist of economic growth, demographic demands and consumer needs, each must be taken into consideration when looking into a new company or product. Having the ability to identify consumer needs and how to use marketing research as an aid to define these needs and identify markets. Through research and surveys a marketing manager can determine the needs and desires of consumers, once this need is apparent a marketing plan can be designed. The ability to identify the variables of the marketing mix and gain in combining them. This outcome was met through design of a marketing plan that was created. I developed a gain in information by learning the ability to develop pricing based on competition and the return on investment strategy. Pricing strategy was developed based on competition in the area. The next learning outcome is to combine the elements of promotional strategy into the marketing mix to make a comprehensive marketing plan. A marketing plan was developed through thorough research of the target area, the needs of consumers and interviews of local business owners. The marketing plan for an out-patient imaging center was created and is attached to my portfolio. During the design of my marketing plan the utilization of the marketing field in an ethical manner became more important. In order to obtain a good customer basis its important to use ethical grounds for
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marketing. Honesty, dependability and friendly staff are the three things most consumers desire. The last two learning outcomes stated, explore entre/intrapreneurship as part of the market planning process and demonstrate competence through completion of comprehensive business/marketing plan. This is all shown is my marketing plan, the research that was required to obtain dependable information and interviews were conducted to help ensure the right path had been selected. In order to develop a comprehensive marketing plan one must look at the community, its growth, the needs, and competition and then a plan is made. Summary comments for positive changes This course exceeded my expectations, in many ways. The first and major factor was the abundance information that was obtained through research and discussions during the course. Another important factor was the attention to detail in the design and development of the marketing plan. This is important for my future, as the radiology director to see the importance of attention to detail to ensure consumers are well educated prior to making a purchase. I would not change anything about this course, the professor did an amazing job the expectations that were set and the time expectations that are faced during the creation of a marketing plan.

Syllabus

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We Mean Business

MKTG 630 Marketing Management

Course Information

@ Chadron State College

Instructor Information

Dr. Timothy D. Donahue

Office: Burk 120 Office Phone: 308-432-6279
E-mail: tdonahue@csc.edu

Sakai Address: www.csc.rsmart.com OR www.csc.edu Campus Office Hours: Mornings until 10 AM MWF Online Office Hours: Mornings, daily
Please send an email/call to schedule an online/in-person appointment when needed.

Course Description

Credit Hours: 3 197 Business goals, marketing and a strategic business/marketing plan that will match the individual with the business will be the central theme of this course. This course will take the basic concept of strategic marketing and the marketing plan and put it in a management perspective. Focus will be on "fundamental strategies" of a marketing manager to obtain the most effective and efficient use of organizational resources. Particular attention is given to integrating problem formation and solving Ethical concerns for the use and potential abuse of market research data are woven into the

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NOTE Additional reading that will help you in your plan (required) can be found in Sakai on the left side of screen under Course Tools, Resources. PLEASE USE THESE.

Week 1 Readings: I. The Market - Chapter 1-3

The following tie to your market plan outline below and helps you find some of the information in your text. A. Target market segmentation 1. What are the needs? Consumer or corporate 2. Who are they? 3. Where are they? " " " "

4. Characteristics (Demographics) 5. Attitudes

Week 2 Readings II. The Product/Service Ch 4-7 A. Quality B. Models and Sizes C. Attractiveness D. Shape, material, design, color and copy 198 Kacie K. Harris

E. Brand - can you differentiate from competition? F. Competition

Assignment Due: you will have prepared and typed: I. The Market & II. The Product/Service in your Market Plan Format.

Week 3 Readings III. Place Ch 8-12 A. Place/distribution objectives

B. Channels of Distribution 1. Wholesalers - type, location 2. Retailers - type, location 3. Who will be the channel captain?

Week 4 Readings IV. Promotion Ch 13-17

C. Promotion blend combinations of:

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1. Selling 2. Advertising 3. Sales Promotion 4. Publicity D. Methods 1. Informing, persuading or reminding

Assignment Due: you will have made the corrections from Week 2 plus III. Place will be added in the first rough draft form.

Week 5 . V. Pricing *Proven through cash flow statements* Ch 18

A. Pricing objectives strategies B. Does your pricing goal conform to your overall marketing strategy? C. Factory price D. Wholesale and retail price 1. Built in profit 2. Discounts, allowances - deals

Week 6

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VI. Expectations, summarization and overall coordination

A. How does it all tie together? B. Timing - are there any critical dates? C. How will you get feedback for your review and future planning?

Assignment Due: you will have made the corrections from Week 4 plus IV. Promotion, and V. Pricing will be added in the first rough draft form.

Week 7

Assignment Due: Instructional review of your market plan to help correct and polish before it is turned in for the last time.

Week 8 Marketing plans due discuss w/class if projects can or should be posted on Sakai for others to learn from. (For some doing a project of their company there may be confidentiality issues)

Formats for Assignments & Explanations

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Individual Marketing Project

The project will be developed by student and be worth a majority of each student's total grade. Individuals will develop a marketing plan. Individuals will follow the "Marketing Project Outline" provided. The final report will be due on Week 8. You are to select a product/service or business (that is approved by me) and develop it. To help make sure that your plans are realistic, you will interview two businesspersons (from different companies). These individuals can be from any field but must have knowledge of your kind of product/service. Discuss with them your ideas and ask for suggestions or potential problems they see with the plan or product. Make sure you include the Name, Title, Company and phone number in your bibliography. The number of pages isn't as important as the content. Write for quality and make sure you can defend any suggestions you make in the report. This should be a real world plan when it is done. The Process: Beginning in Week 3 you will have prepared and typed: I. The Market & II. The Product/Service from and in your Market Plan Format. You will flesh-in the outline with information obtained from texts, readings, business information, and personal knowledge that can be confirmed. You will make 3 copies of this outline and during each class period you will meet with another team and you will present your plan as it exists. (this will be done only in the class room setting for internet, plans can be posted in Sakai note unless the project is for a real company and is confidential). The more work accomplished each week and review by fellow students and me, the faster you will learn the process and have excellent outcomes at the end of the course. On Week 4 you will have made the corrections plus any additions you have added and present this to me along with III. Place & IV. The process will repeat itself again. Again, at the conclusion you will rework your plan with all the suggestions. This process will continue in the 5th week in the same manner until the complete plan is reviewed. You will find that after your plan has been reviewed a few times, you will spot problems 202 Kacie K. Harris

quickly and find better ways of presenting your material.

MARKETING PLAN FORMAT

* FOLLOWING THE FORMAT IS CRITICAL. USE THIS OUTLINE EXACTLY AS IT IS. YOU CAN CHANGE LANGUAGE TO FIT YOUR PLAN, BUT YOU WILL WRITE TO FIT THE OUTLINE. DON'T PUT IN REPORT FORM

Each project should be typed and double spaced and contain the following:

Title page:

Term Paper Title by Student's Name Course Instructor Date Due

MARKETING PROJECT - OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION (Separate Page)

I. The Market 203 Kacie K. Harris

A. Target market segmentation 1. What are the needs? 2. Who are they? 3. Where are they? 4. Characteristics 5. Attitudes 6. Class

II. The Product/Service

A. Quality B. Models and Sizes C. Attractiveness D. Shape, material, design, color and copy E. Brand - can you differentiate from competition? F. Competition G. Classification - SIC # and Description H. Where is your product on the product life cycle?

III. Place

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A. Place / Distribution objectives

B. Channels of Distribution 1. Wholesalers - type, location 2. Retailers - type, location 3. Who will be the channel captain?

IV. Promotion

A. Who is channel leader (organization that controls the Market Channel) and their role? B. Promotion blend combinations of: 1. Selling 2. Advertising 3. Sales Promotion 4. Publicity

C. Methods 1. Informing, persuading or reminding

V. Pricing

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A. Pricing objectives strategies B. Does your pricing goal conform to your overall marketing strategy? C. Factory price D. Wholesale and retail price 1. Built in profit 2. Discounts, allowances - deals

VI. Expectations, summarization and overall coordination

A. How does it all tie together? B. Timing - are there any critical dates? C. How will you get feedback for your review and future planning?

Footnotes: Author, "Article", Title, pages.

Bibliography: * minimum of 12

Author, Title, Publisher's name, place and copyright date. Author, "Article", Title, Publisher's name, place and copyright date or volume and page. Person, "Title or Position", Company Name, and phone number.

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You will be graded on the following:

Creativity and initiative; originality and purpose;

organization and depth of study; content; neatness, ability to follow format.

MARKET PLAN DETAILED EXPLANATION

NOTE: STRATEGY IS EVERYWHERE IN THE MARKET PLAN AND EACH SEGMENT OF THE PLAN BUILDS ON
THE PAST. IE. YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP YOUR PLAN BASED ON THE FIRST INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TARGET MARKET SEGMENTS. THIS LEADS TO SPECIFIC PRODUCTS OR SERICES TO HELP SATISFY THESE NEEDS. THOSE STRATEGIES LEAD TO PLACE AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES, WHICH IN TURN WILL HELP YOU DETERMINE; PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO MAKE A PREDICTION AS TO THE MARKET FEASABLE (Pricing objectives strategies). LAST IT ALL MUST TIE TOGETHER, Expectations, summarization and overall coordination. THAT IS HOW A MARKET PLAN WORKS AND INNER CONNECTS ALL COMPONENTS INTO ONE UNIFIED STRATEGY.

INTRODUCTION OR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Separate Page) ALWAYS DONE LAST. THIS IS WHAT
GETS THE READER INTERESTED, YOU HAVE TO STATE THE PURPOSE OF THE MARKET PLAN AND THEN AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE PLAN STATED. THIS IS ALSO CALLED AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REVIEW EXAMPLE: IN Resources - Example Market Plan -EXAMPLE OF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.doc.THINK OF IT AS THE DUST COVER ON A BOOK, IT IS WHAT DRAWS PEOPLE IN.

I. The Market - USE Resources Required Reading Student Information, Market Plan Basics, Setting Market
Objectives,

A. Target market segmentation 1. What are the needs? 2. Who are they? 3. Where are they? 4. Characteristics Demographics -Resources- MR Sites & Links - Downtown & Business District Market
Analysis -A toolbox for using market data and geographic information systems to identify economic opportunities in communities.

5. Attitudes http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/ 6. Class (social class or social stratification)

II. The Product/Service 207 Kacie K. Harris

USE Resources - Service Goods Analysis, Business Dictionary,Product Life Cycle

NOTE: Terms like Quality, Attractiveness,and (Characteristics,Attitudes, and Class - above) are terms in marketing, don't guess what they mean, look these topics up before you start to complete your answers. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF mARKETING http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/ A wonderful site that has many of the consumer behavior definitions required for this market report. A. Quality - DEFINE QUALITY AS A TERM AND THEN WHAT IT MEANS IN YOUR CUSTOMERS. YOU CAN
NEVER ASSUME THE READER WILL FILL IN THE BLANKS AFTER YOUR WORDS, THEY WONT.

B. Models and Sizes change to fit your product or service C. Attractiveness Market Attractiveness Measure of the profit possibilities that lie within the structure of
a particular industry or market. There are many different factors that contribute to market attractiveness. These include: (1) market factors such as growth rate and size of the market; (2) economic factors such as investment potential and industry saturation or rates of inflation affecting consumers' purchasing power; (3) technological factors such as availability of raw materials; (4) competitive factors including the types of rival business and the bargaining power of suppliers; and (5) environmental factors such as the existing regulatory climate and the degree of social acceptance for a product within a particular market.

D. Shape, material, design, color and copy - ALL ITEMS THAT WILL BE USED TO COORDINATE PUBLIC
RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING, STATIONARY, WEB DESIGN, LOGO..... http://www.logomojo.com/logo-designbrand-whats-your-logo-design-brand-logo-mojo

E. Brand - can you differentiate from competition? RESOURCES - Mkt Commo Handout F. Competition - TELL ME WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THAT COMPARES TO WHAT YOU DO. DETAILS, DETAILS. USE
BULLETS FOR EACH COMPETITOR SO YOU CAN DESCRIBE EACH OF THEIR SERVICES AND STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESSES. IN THIS MANNER YOU WILL KNOW HOW TO SET YOUR PLAN SO YOU CAN BETTER COMPETE WITH THEM.

G. Classification - SIC # and Description- NOTE - SIC - North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)- has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. NAICS will reshape the way we view our changing economy - http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html OR http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/sicsearch.html H. Where is your product on the product life cycle RESOURCES - Product Life Cycle AND OTHER TEXT. EACH
CATEGORY IN THE LIFE CYCLE SPEAKES TO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MARKET IN TERMS OF PRICING, PROMOTION, PLANNING AND THAT IS WHY IT IS IN HERE. - SIMPLY STATING A TERM LIKE INTRODUCTORY STAGE HAS NO VALUE OR MEANING TO ANYONE UNLESS THEY ARE SPECIALISTS IN MARKETING THIS HELPS YOU DETERMINE YOUR MARKET STRATEGY.

III. Place -USE Resources - Distribution Objectives , Mkt Channels Handout & Service-goods Analysis A. Place / Distribution objectives B. Channels of Distribution 208 Kacie K. Harris

1. Wholesalers - type, location 2. Retailers - type, location 3. Who will be the channel captain?

IV. Promotion RESOURCES - Consumer Behavior Psych of Mktg & Mkt Commo Handout A. Promotion blend combinations of: GO TO Communication Mix Handout.doc LOOK AT IT CAREFULLY.
FOR SALES - 9 Below-the-line promotion. TO 9.4, ADVERTISING - 8.6 Advertising by objectives, SALES PROMOTIONS - 11 Direct mail and direct marketing TO 11.3 - Resources - Promotional Marketing Measures

1. Selling 2. Advertising 3. Sales Promotion 4. Publicity B. Methods 1. Informing, persuading or reminding

V. Pricing RESOURCES- Pricing Objectives, Break Evan Analysis A. Pricing objectives strategies - Pricing objectives or goals give direction to the whole pricing process.
Determining what your objectives are is the first step in pricing. When deciding on pricing objectives you must consider: 1) the overall financial, marketing, and strategic objectives of the company; 2) the objectives of your product or brand; 3) consumer price elasticity and price points; and 4) the resources you have available.

B. Does your pricing goal conform to your overall marketing strategy? YOU MUST COMPARE YOUR
MARKET OBJECTIVES TO YOUR FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES OR BUDGET TO SEE IF YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOAL AND MAKE A PROFIT. OR AT LEAST BREAK EVEN.

C. Factory price D. Wholesale and retail price 1. Built in profit 2. Discounts, allowances deals

VI. Expectations, summarization and overall coordination

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A. How does it all tie together? WHEN YOU SUMMARIZE YOU START AT THE BEGINNING, YOU STATE;
MY MARKETING OBJECTIVES WERE..TO ACHIVED THEM I SET THE FOLLOWING GOALS AND FINANCING STRUCTURE .. ONCE THESE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE MET, OUR ENTERPRISE WILL MEET OR EXCEED OUR MARKET PLANS GOALS AND OBJECTIVESS.

B. Timing - are there any critical dates? C. How will you get feedback for your review and future planning? -----------------------------------------Footnotes: Author, "Article", Title, pages. Bibliography: * minimum of 15 Author, Title, Publisher's name, place and copyright date. Author, "Article", Title, Publisher's name, place and copyright date or volume and page. Person, "Title or Position", Company Name, and phone number.
NOTE: DON'T EVER USE A WEB LINK AS A SOURCE WITHOUT GIVING IT THE NAME ON THE WEB PAGE AND ITS PURPOSE

Marketing Paper Grading

200 Total Points

Term Paper Title by Student's Name Course Instructor Date Due MARKETING PROJECT - OUTLINE Table of Contents INTRODUCTION (Separate Page) 10 points ____ for introduction and Table of Contents 210 Kacie K. Harris

I. The Market 50 points

_____

II. The Product/Service 30 Points ____ III. Place 25 Points ____ IV. Promotion 25 Points ____ V. Pricing 30 Points ____ VI. Expectations, summarization and overall coordination 10 Points ____ 20 points _____for proper formatting in paper and Footnotes and Bib.

Footnotes: Author, "Article", Title, pages. Bibliography: * minimum of 10 Author, Title, Publisher's name, place and copyright date. Author, "Article", Title, Publisher's name, place and copyright date or volume and page. Person, "Title or Position", Company Name, and phone number.

You will be graded on the following: Creativity and initiative; originality and purpose; organization and depth of study; content; neatness, ability to follow format.

Additional Student Information

The Marketing Concept a concept for all small business

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The marketing concept rests on the importance of customers to a firm and states that: 1. ALL company policies and activities should be aimed at satisfying customer needs, and 2. PROFITABLE sales volume is a better company goal than maximum sales volume.

To use the marketing concept, a small business should: * Determine the needs of their customers (Market Research); * Analyze their competitive advantages (Market Strategy); * Select specific markets to serve (Target Marketing); and * Determine how to satisfy those needs (Market Mix).

Market Research In order to manage the marketing functions successfully, good information about the market is necessary. Frequently, a small market research program, based on a questionnaire given to present customers and/or prospective customers, can disclose problems and areas of dissatisfaction that can be easily remedied, or new products or services that could be offered successfully.

Market research should also encompass identifying trends that may affect sales and profitability levels. Population shifts, legal developments, and the local economic situation should be monitored to enable early identification of problems and opportunities. Competitor activity also should be monitored. Competitors may be entering or leaving the market, for example. It is also very useful to know what your competitors' strategies are (i.e., how they compete).

Marketing Strategy Marketing strategy a\encompasses identifying customer groups (Target Markets), which a small business can serve better than its target competitors, and tailoring its product offerings, prices, distribution, promotional efforts and services towards that particular market segment (Managing the Market Mix). Ideally, the strategy should try to address customer needs which currently are not being met in the market place and which represent adequate potential size and profitability. A good strategy implies that a small business cannot be all things to all people and must analyze its market and its own capabilities so as to focus on a target market it can serve best.

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Target Marketing. Owners of small businesses have limited resources to spend on marketing activities. Concentrating their marketing efforts on one or a few key market segments is the basis of target marketing. The major ways to segment a market are:

1. Geographical segmentation -- specializing in serving the needs of customers in a particular geographical area (for example, a neighborhood convenience store may send advertisements only to people living within one-half mile of the store).

2. Customer segmentation -- identifying and promoting to those groups of people most likely to buy the product. In other words, selling to the heavy users before trying to develop new users.

Managing the Market Mix There are four key marketing decision areas is a marketing program. They are * Products and or Services, * Promotion * Place or Distribution and * Pricing. The marketing mix is used to describe how owner-managers combine these four areas into an overall marketing program.

Products and or Services -- Effective product/service strategies for a small business may include concentrating on a narrow product line, developing a highly specialized product or service or providing a product-service package containing an unusual amount of service. Promotion -- This marketing decision area includes advertising, salesmanship and other promotional activities. In general, high quality salesmanship is a must for small businesses because of their limited ability to advertise heavily. Good Yellow Page advertising is a must for small retailers. Direct mail is an effective, low-cost medium of advertising available to small business. Web pages and e-mail will be an absolute must as newspaper and direct mail becomes less effective. Price -- Determining price levels and/or pricing policies (including credit policy) is the major factor 213 Kacie K. Harris

affecting total revenue. Generally, higher prices mean lower volume and vice-versa; however, small businesses can often command higher prices because of the personalized service they can offer. Place or Distribution -- The manufacturer and wholesaler must decide how to distribute their products. Working through established distributors or manufacturers' agents generally is most feasible for small manufacturers. Small retailers should consider cost and traffic flow as two major factors in location site selection, especially since advertising and rent can be reciprocal. In other words, low-cost, low-traffic location means you must spend more on advertising to build traffic. The nature of the product/service also is important in locational decisions. If purchases are made largely on impulse (e.g., flavored popcorn), the high traffic and visibility are critical. On the other hand, location is less a concern for products/services that customers are willing to go out of their way to find (e.g. restaurant supplies). The recent availability of highly segmented mailing lists (purchased from list brokers, magazines, or other companies) has enabled small businesses to operate anywhere -- and serve national or international markets. Marketing Performance After marketing program decisions are made, owner-managers need to evaluate how well decisions have turned out. Standards of performance need to be set up so results can be evaluated against them. Sound data on industry norms and past performance provide the basis for comparing against present performance. Owner-managers should audit their company's performance at least quarterly. The key questions to ask are: 1. Is the company doing all it can to be customer-oriented? 2. Do the employees make sure the customer's needs are truly satisfied and leave them with the feeling that they would enjoy coming back? 3. Is it easy for the customer to find what he or she wants and at a competitive price?

Course Work

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Quality Imaging Prepared by: Kacie K. Harris MKTG 630 Dr. Timothy Donahue October 9, 2012 Marketing Project - Outline

Table of Contents Executive Summary I. The Market a) Target market segmentation b) What are the needs? c) Who are they?

Page 3 5 5 5 6
215

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d) Where are they? e) Characteristics f) Attitudes g) Class II. The Product/Service a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) III. Place a) Place Goals b) Method of Distribution c) Wholesaler d) Retailers e) Channel Captain IV. Promotion a) b) c) d) e) V. Selling Advertising Promotion Publicity Methods Quality Equipment Attractiveness Material, Design, Color Brand Competition Classification NAICS Product Life Cycle (PLC)

6 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 19 19 19 20

Pricing a) Built In Profit VI. Expectations a) Timing b) Feedback References

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Executive Summary

Quality Imaging is an in demand outpatient imaging center that possesses equipment with the best technology and provides the exceptional care to each patient. Producing up to $400,000 a month creating a potential turnaround profit within 3 years and equipment payoff within 5 years.

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Quality Imaging was created by, Kacie Harris a Radiologic Technologist in 2012. In which the plan, design, and implementation began in the Metro area of Denver.

The company will have stable growth throughout due to the growing need of health care imaging request. The area that is targeted currently has limited access to outpatient imaging needs. By opening multiple locations this will allow of patients to have more access and expanded business hours.

With 5 locations, 2 located in Parker on Highway 83, one on Highway 86 in Elizabeth, one location on Greenwood Village Parkway, and one on Arapahoe Road in Parker. Each location will have a unique family friendly design.

Designs will include 1. 2. 3. 4. Televisions, magazines, books, child play area Neutral tones Comfortable temperature of 72 F Licensed, certified, and friendly staff

Advance marketing utilized to attract and obtain the maximum number of patients within the target area. Providing one of a kind experience by the design of the locations, care given by licensed and certified staff members, and quick turnaround results.

Best quality care at a great price. Quality Imaging cares about each patient and their experience. High expectations placed on each employee to provide the upmost care creating a positive encounter for an affordable price.

The companys short-term objectives include securing partnerships with local

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physicians, promoting the service in which we offer through advertisements. By utilizing the objective we will be able to obtain patients, which will result in the return on investment and increase in profit.

In order to achieve these objectives the company needs a loan: 1. In the amount of $4,000,000.00 with a rate of 2% above the Prime rate. This will provide equipment (MRI, CT, X-ray, and Ultrasound), and location set-up. This amount will be repaid within 5 years. 2. A Business Line-of-Credit in the amount of $100,000 to take advantage of promotions, discounts, and help to avoid any fees or penalties With in 3 years Quality Imaging will begin to profit on exams with a ROI of 60% of monthly revenue. Collateral will consist of equipment and location property.

The overall objective of Quality Imaging is to offer exceptional care at an affordable cost through training, and the hiring elite licensed professionals. Market research shows the demand of imaging centers in this area as well as a continuous growth of population at an average of 2% annually. With a continued increase in population this gives an increase in patients annually.

Financial Objectives The projected financial objectives for Quality Imaging over the next year are:

Projected 2013 Income $4,800,000

2014 - 2015 $9,600,000

Please review the enclosed business plan and loan proposal for Quality Imaging. Feel free to ask for any additional information in regards to this business plan. I will contact you in 10 business days to arrange for an appointment to discuss this proposal.
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I look forward to our future in a profitable and successful business adventure.

Sincerely,

Kacie K Harris

I. The Market

Target market segmentation: With a wide range of target consumers, the target families and local physicians seek healthcare imaging needs from a caring and professional team at an affordable price. The range of imaging needs can range from in utero for example ultrasound to
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geriatric ages, which any imaging can be of assistance. Both Male and Female Ages will range from prenatal to geriatric Living in zip codes of 80117, 80107, 80116, 80134, 80138 Household incomes as low as $20,000 annually and up Healthcare Imaging needs Patients and Physicians Examples: A pregnant mother is at her sons baseball game and the man sitting next to her begins to complain about his knee pain. After the man explains his prior unfavoring encounter with the local hospital, the mother shares her recent experience with Quality Imaging. How wonderful the staff treated her, the cleanness of the location, and the family friendly atmosphere. He agrees to go tryout the new location for his MRI to find out what is wrong with his knee.

What are the needs? Quality Imaging is a limited liability company created to meet the needs of patients who may or may not hold insurance. Here is a great example: With insurance the cost of a Head CT billed to patient = $650 Without insurance the cost of a Head CT billed to patient = $1300 The need for patients to obtain affordable healthcare imaging will allow for them to set up a payment plan and reduce the cost to the patient. Quality Imaging will cut the costs of the patient who dont have insurance by 25%, making the cost of a head CT $975 dollars rather than $1300.

Another great need in the area is a family friendly healthcare-imaging center, to meet the needs of all ages. In order to meet this need the imaging locations will have televisions, magazines, books, and games for all ages. With affordable procedures and available payment plans, discounts and membership plans also available. Providing affordable and quality medical imaging needs to patients with a wide range of income, ages, and needs. With the limited access to health images in the area the goal of Quality Images it to provide patients and their families with a comfortable, friendly, and good experience. A hospital cannot offer such quality one-on-one
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patient care and experience that we offer.

Who are they? The everyday individuals that have medical imaging needs, children teens, and adults are the ranges are the target patients. Those who have income levels ranging from $20,000 - $100,000, with no specific race, sex or ethnicities. The potential patients range from non-college graduates to college graduates. The goal of this company is to provide a variety of people with good quality health imaging exams. The usage of modern technology allows for quick, efficient, and quality imaging.

Where are they? The 5 locations in the Denver Metro area; Franktown, Parker, and Greenwood Village with an approximate population of approximately 153,000 people located in multiple zip codes of 80116, 80134, 80138, and 80111. These zip codes hold an average median income of $96,000 annually, with a range in educational degrees of high school graduates to college and beyond. The Quality Imaging center is a place that will provide local services to the small communities in the Denver Metro area.

Characteristics: The patients that make up the targeted population have a range of educational background. The average educational experience is 97.8% have a high school diploma and 57.7% obtain a bachelors degree or higher. These homes are within two counties, Douglas and Arapahoe, with the average income level of $96,000, with approximately 339-716 people per square mile with the average family size of 2.52.7, with 65-82% owning their home.

These residents tend to travel to the Denver area for work giving them an average commute time of 26-27 minutes each way, this shows the need for convenience. On average the household values range from $232,000 - $338,000 and the rental payments on average of $1000. The sex percentage is about equal with 49.1 being
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female and 50.9 being male. All with an age range averaging 41.6.

These areas have on average increase in population over the last 10 years at about 2% each year, with business growth on the rise with 2,101 new building permits in the year 2011. There are many surrounding cities that can be served by these locations including, Castle Rock, Kiowa, Centennial, and parts of Aurora due to commuting and location. The goal is to network with local people to spread the word of these wonderful establishments, which can grow to the surrounding areas.

Attitudes: Consumers in the target area have a positive outlook on outpatient imaging centers; the complaints are due to billing practices. This will be prevented by: Ensuring patients agree prior to the exam Have set pricing Provide payment plans as well as discounts and membership plans Many people know they need to go to the doctor yet avoid it due to the feelings they have as a result of a prior experience or fear of the unknown. As a medical imagining center we strive to help patients work through these fears with education and empathetic staff. 1. Beliefs Medical centers give patients uneasy feelings, creating stress and avoidance 2. Consumers feelings they fear procedures for themselves and their loved ones, with a desired clean and nice facility They knew that if there were charges we would not have done the procedure as we did not have the funds to pay for it. They also knew the patient would be drugged during the procedure so they could tolerate the confined space. I guess they have done this before after the patient completed the MRI they had the patient sign a bunch of forms, charged the credit card and had the sales slip signed. The patient remembers none of this as the patient was drugged up! One half of that day is a blank in the patients mind. (Complaint Review: Round Rock Imaging Radiology, 2012)
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3. Behavioral intentions - Patients are more likely to return to a facility that is clean, friendly, and competent staff Ensure exams are done properly. A common complain would be: The film was looked at I was told everything was fine to go ahead and get dressed and leave. I was then called again the same day they need to do the mammography over. Rescheduled me another day and now my insurance will not pay since they already paid once. I am now receiving a bill for $125 that I don't feel I should have to pay because they should have told me it was ok to leave until the made sure the readings were ok. (Blandford, 2011)

Class: The middle class is commonly known as the working class ranging in the lower middle class with household median income ranging from $78,958 to $99,198 annually. Placing the targeted population in a middle class environment where affordable health care is essential. With procedure ranging from $40 - $2000 with available payment plans and discounts it will meet the needs of this area. Making the middle class our target patients, some of these individuals and families may not have health insurance, which allows for them to qualify for payment plans and discounts when paying in cash. We strive to meet the needs of all individuals with radiographic needs at an affordable price.

II. The Product/Service: A strong independent company created to meet the needs of individuals in the area, with one of a kind experience. A great encounter will be given to each and every individual; in order to ensure the quality of service each employee will undergo training and close supervision. Each technologist will be licensed and certified through American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ASRT), Basic Life Certification (BLS), and members of the American Society of Radiologic Technologist (ASRT)
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Continued improvement strategies developed from results of patient surveys Marketing designed to work with local physicians Target marketing- Schools, healthcare locations, and newspapers Locations with comfortable seating, kids area, magazines, television, with relaxing tones, all at a comfortable temperature

The desired results will show that families of all sizes, income levels, and needs will be met. With a friendly environment and skilled employees at an affordable cost the patients will leave with a smile on their face. Quality: Quality defined as a measurement of excellence or a state of being free from defect (Quality, n.d.) This is the pilar that our companies utilizes for all decisions and actions. Quality Imaging defines the term quality as: Increasing clientele with advertising Partnering with local physicians Flyers sent in mail to local residents as well as the local newspaper Word of mouth, attendance at community activities

The best of the best employees, experience, and equipment Highly satisified patients Exceeds patients expectations Personal experience for patients encounter Staff doing their homework they have read the chart and know about background prior to patient encounter giving the patient a sense of caring Also the company will have quality equipment and technologist that will provide the highest quality exam for the patient. With comfort and ease of the patient this allows for the technologist to perform the exam to the best of their ability.

Equipment:
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With the need of different equipment there is a wide variety of options. For a computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanner, Siemens are of high quality scanners, resulting in superior images. The x-ray and ultrasound equipment select is a digital setup developed by Phillips, again creating excellent images for diagnosis. The following images are the selected equipment for our locations. Siemens MRI & CT shown here

Phillips x-ray equipment shown here

Phillips ultrasound shown here

Each piece of equipment allows for the highest quality digital images for diagnosis,
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giving the radiologist the immediate availability to view each exam providing the patient with quick results. Each room needing to be a particular size based on equipment, two of the rooms must be lead lined to prevent radiation leakage. Lead aprons must be available for patient and technologist protection.

Attractiveness: Quality Imaging is a great investment opportunity due to the lack of competition in the area and the high demand of health care imagining. The imagining needs will continue to grow resulting in quick payoff and profit. 1. Market High demand with little competition- With 3 locations in the area available for outpatient imaging 2. Economic effect minimal changes in reaction to inflation 3. Technology- current technology to compete with local competitors 4. Competition only out patient imaging available is at two local hospitals, and 1 imaging center (Radiology Outpatient Imaging, Parker, CO, 2012) 5. Other factors Open 5 days a week, 24 hour results, great patient care The local market for out patient imaging is limited due to location; Quality Imaging will meet the needs of over 100,000 residents in the area.

Material, Design, Color: The first interaction a patient will have with our company will be with our font office staff or our website. Our website will include step-by-step instructions and video examples of typical procedures, to help assist with any questions or concerns. Patients will have the option to open an account on the site to view billing, exams, and access to radiologist via email. Once a patient has set an appointment if one is needed, their physical encounter at our locations will provide them with tranquility.

By placing a location in a friendly shopping area with a calming atmosphere we are able to provide a positive experience. A great example would be light neutral colors (browns, greens, blues, yellows), keeping a comfortable temperature (72 F), and designing the waiting area fun and the exam rooms comfortable with pillows,
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cushions, and blankets when needed. Each patient has the options in the waiting room of coffee, drinks, and snacks again giving a positive experience. As well as during MRI studies patients have earphones available. With the logo of Freddie the skeleton providing fun with Freddie, giving children and adults the feeling of ease for exams and procedures.

Brand: Many local imaging centers and hospitals utilize digital radiographic equipment, so in order to differentiate from other imaging locations is to keep up with the technology and giving turn around results within 24 hours. Many out patient imaging locations offer 48 hours turn around results so by having less turn around we will be more attractive to patients in need.

Mission Statement: Caring People Providing Quality Care A person who is in need of an imaging procedure may not be 100% themselves. We are here to help each person though the hardship of medical imaging needs, emotionally and financially. Medical Imaging Needs Provided by Caring People at an Affordable Cost With Payment plans, membership discounts, and acceptance of all insurances we are here for the patient and Only the Patient.

Currently there is 1 location for a patient to walk in an receive a radiographic exam, this is located at the Parker Adventist Hospital, showing the needs for imaging centers in the area. Providing quick and quality care to patients we will be able obtain a large amount of patients.

Competition: With limited competition we are able to meet the needs of the local population with efficiency. The only local completion for walk in exams would be two local hospitals creating a possible wait time for patients.

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Our main competitors are Parker Adventist Hospital and Sky Ridge Medical offering: X-ray, CT, Mammogram, Ultrasound, PET/CT, and MRI Only open 8am 5pm for outpatient imaging Quality Imaging X-ray, CT, MRI, and Ultrasound Open Monday Friday 7am 7pm Flexible scheduling Reduce exam times Radiation safety & Patient safety is top priority The goal of our imaging center is to provide patients with short wait times, quality exams, and a friendly experience. As well as providing the most protection from radiation as possible, shielding every part of the bod not being examined.

Classification NAICS # Description Using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Quality Imaging is classified under SIC code 621512. The code is described as a diagnostic imaging center in which a practitioner has referred a patient for an imaging study.

Product Life Cycle (PLC) Product life cycle is described as how a product or services begins, grows based on market values or technology, matures, and possibly declines in costs and value. Quality Imaging Mature stage Technology is high Costs low
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 High Demand Due to health imaging being in the mature portion of PLC the goal is to maintain growth and value. Growth & Value Improvements in technology equipment Reduction in exam time short turnaround Accessibility more locations Affordability lower costs By having a mature PLC Quality Imaging is able to meet the needs of patients expectations in a affordable manner. With improvement in technology the imagining quality is better allowing for more precise diagnosis.

III. Place

Place Goals Quality Imaging has a large target area with a large population, the goals of the business are to grow, improve, and maintain. As an out patient imaging center the company plans to provide quality care with quality results. Obtaining new clientele will be achieved through established partnerships with physicians, advertisement, and work of mouth Improvements will be made continuously through training and patient surveys Quality care will be provided to each patient on every encounter Each exam will be of the best quality to ensure accurate diagnosis by the radiologist Retaining clientele by providing quality care for a good price Method of Distribution The method of distribution for Quality Imaging would be straight to the consumer also known as the patient. By having 5 locations to meet the needs of a large population in Elbert, Douglas, and Arapahoe counties, with CT, MRI, X-ray, and Ultrasound
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capabilities. The primary method of advertisement is local physicians, newspapers, word or mouth, flyers, and Internet. With quality service being a guarantee for each and every patient, Quality Imaging strives to give each person a perfect experience. Mission Statement: Caring People Providing Quality Care Magnets, Flyers, T-Shirts (Who Cares? We Care!) Membership Plans 10 x-ray exams, 11th is free, this can be combined from family members (at the same address)

Wholesaler A great wholesaler for Quality Imaging are the local physicians; the physicians in the area have imaging needs for their patients in which they refer them to an outpatient center. For quick turnaround on results Quality Imaging is able to meet the needs of each physicians order for each individual patient. Another wholesaler that will be utilized is an advertisement agency that will send out a representative to local schools, stores, and businesses to connect with the community. They will be in charge of the advertisements placed in newspapers, as well as the website.

Retailers Quality Imaging will target their customers through direct mailing and Internet searches. By placing advertisement in mailers for potential patients to view whom the company is and what they do. By placing our site on the Internet it allows for potential customers to find us when searching for the following terms; Radiology, X-ray, MRI, Ultrasound, CT, as well as a mixture when combined with the location of Parker, Denver, Franktown, Castle Rock, and Greenwood Village. With each patient we will ask for an email address so they can also receive updates and routine information about procedures and the company.

Channel Captain The Channel captain for Quality Imaging will be our advertisement agency in combination with the company CEO. The two will work together to make marketing decisions on what will be the best forms of advertisement for the locations for the
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area. Two individuals, the Agent and CEO, will make these decisions the combination will allow for informed and educated decisions to be made on behalf of the company.

IV. Promotion:

Selling The way personal contact is managed with customers is critical to the success of any organization, and it can only be carried out competently by people who adopt a professional attitude towards their training and their approach to the business of looking after customers in a caring manner. (Lancaster, n.d.) Quality Imaging strives to keep customers satisfied with great care by skilled technologist. Patients needs are our first concern in each individual encounter. In order to ensure quality care by trained technologist, we will provide routine training to each employee and ensure each technologist is licensed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT), and members of the American Society of Radiologic Technologist (ASRT). Advertising The goal of advertisement is to get the word out about our company and so people know whom we are, what we do, and the excellent care we provide. We believe that advertisement will provide local residents with essential information about Quality Imaging. The CEO and representative of the advertisement agency will work together to find the best way to reach out to the community with the goal to bring patient into our facility for their health care needs. Quality Imaging plan to promote and advertise in the following ways: Prospect calls/presentations to local physicians and orthopedic offices (turnaround, care, and costs) Valpak advertisement Monthly coupons in mail packets Local School Sponsorships Sports teams sponsor Roster Advertisement Local events Parker Days Fair, Elbert County Fair, Elizabeth Stampede Facebook Allows for comments, and local advertisement
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 Promotion:

Mail cards Word of Mouth

In order to promote our company, Quality Imaging will utilize the following: Service Promotion through local physicians, schools, businesses, and advertisement options. Above-line-promotion In order to create awareness for a target area that is so wide spread the best route would be radio (Riley, 2012) Below- line-promotion - mailing such as Valpak with coupons and membership information (Valpak, n.d.) Events such as local fairs, rodeos, and sporting events will be attended to promote our services and locations With our Agent our CEO will attend local events and community meetings to obtain local support Direct marketing will obtain new patients to our locations; generate return customers (First 100 customers receive a free T-shirt with 20% discount on services) Who Cares? We Care! Quality Imaging where Caring People Provide Quality Care.

Publicity: By concentrating on the needs that people have for heath care imaging, and the concern with radiation protection, Quality Imaging will provide information regarding new technology that is used to reduce radiation and the precautions that are taken by our technologist to ensure patient safety. With advertisements, quarterly newsletters, and promoting the Who Cares? We Care! Quality Imaging where Caring People Provide Quality Care. Methods: In order to inform local residents of our business we will utilize advertisement strategies, and attending local events. The promise of quality care and membership plans, and discounts will provide patients an incentive to continue to utilize our services. Including quarterly newsletters of new healthcare information and coupons for
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services.

V. Pricing The pricing strategy is based on our local competition. By keeping our service prices lower than local competition and offering excellent service. At this time we will offer memberships for frequent patients. If a family has 4 kids all who play sports they will have imagining needs, for every 10 x-rays they will receive one free. If a family has a child with health problems they will have imaging needs, offering them a 5% discount after 5 CT/MRI scans and 10% after 15 scans. This gives families help so they can afford the testing that their child of family member needs.

1. Predatory Pricing Offering low costs when compared to competitors 2. Objectives Maximize Quantity and Long Term Profit. Increase the number of patients will increase our return on investment profit. 3. Price Points Placing prices within a competitive range of local averages 4. Resources Education on radiation safety By offering stable pricing to customers through structured pricing, we are able to guarantee price along with exceptional care. The structure allows for payoff on equipment and a return on investment within 3 years. This supports our predatory pricing strategy by utilizing the maximum amount of patients this will maximize our profit.

Below outlines the marketing objective and the expense related in order to meet the marketing objective

Marketing Objective Technologist will be licensed by ARRT, BLS certified, and members of ASRT

Expense Monthly training Radiation Safety training

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Marketing Objective Continuous Improvements

Expense Patient Surveys Weekly Meetings Luncheons with local physicians Build Relationships Advertisements in local school team rosters and banners Advertisements at local physician offices Advertisement in local newspapers Providing a television in waiting area Magazines and books Comfortable and spacious seating Room temp set at 72 F Facebook and Twitter Valpak Mailers Rosters Physician offices Local Events Word of Mouth

Marketing designed to work with local physicians Target marketing- Schools, healthcare locations, and newspapers

Locations with comfortable seating, kids area, magazines, television, with relaxing tones, all at a comfortable temperature

Advertisement to local residents

Built in Profit: In order to obtain a profit pricing for the services offered by Quality Imaging must be carefully selected. Each piece of equipment can be expensive and the goal of obtaining a profit for the company. CT scanner 64 slice New $1,000,000; MRI New 3.0T $2,000,000 (Medical Imaging Systems, Radiology Euipment and more, 2010); X-ray Digital $400,000; Ultrasound $70,000. (Absolute Medical Equipment, 2011) Cost per exam dependent on body part, and type of exam, number of images
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X-Ray (Holden, 2009) 1. Extremity x-ray 2-views - $50 3-views - $60 4-views - $75 2. Chest-2-view - $150 3. Spine 2-view - $100 3-view - $125 5-view - $200 4. Skull 2-view - $150 3-or-more-$200 Computed Tomography (CT) (Holden, 2009) 1. Head With contrast Less than 600 images - $900 With contrast More than 600 images - $1050 Without contrast Less than 600 images - $700 Without contrast More than 600 images - $850 2. Spine Without contrast Less than 200 images - $400

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 Without contrast More than 200 images - $550 With contrast Less than 200 images - $600 With contrast More than 200 images - $750 3. Extremities Without contrast - $300 With contrast - $450 4. Angiogram / Venogram studies With contrast - $1200 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (Welcome to CompareMRICost.com, n.d.) 1. Head With contrast Less than 600 images - $1800 With contrast More than 600 images - $2050 Without contrast Less than 600 images - $1400 Without contrast More than 600 images - $1650 2. Spine Without contrast Less than 200 images - $2000 Without contrast More than 200 images - $2250 With contrast Less than 200 images - $2200 With contrast More than 200 images - $2500 3. Extremities Without contrast - $550
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 With contrast - $700 Ultrasound (Ultrasound Costs and Pricing Information, n.d.) Traditional - $100 3D - $200 4D - $300 Traditional scheduling allows for up to 3 CT scans an hour, 10 MRIs per day, 15 ultrasounds, and unlimited X-ray exams each day. Allowing for maximum daily profits.

IV. Expectations My marketing objectives were stated under the section titled Place Goals and Pricing, which included environment, pricing, and patient experience. To achieve these goals I set the following goals and financing structure stated under the section V titled Pricing, this included predatory pricing and ROI. Once these goals and objectives are met, out company will meet and exceed out market plans goals and objectives.

Timing: Timing is essential in the advertisement and opening of locations. In my professional experience summer months are most busy with imaging needs. It is important to ensure the opening of locations prior to the summer months and the usage of advertisement shown in section IV titled Advertisement and Promotion.

Feedback: Feedback will begin with the goals that we have set. Surveys will be sent out to patients to ensure performance is up to the expectations; training and weekly meetings will be performed for continuous improvement. The results of each section will allow for any adjustments that need to be made for future planning.
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References: Absolute Medical Equipment. (2011). Retrieved Sept 2012, from www.absolutemed.com Blandford, J. (2011, Feb). ComplaintNow Consumer Rules. Retrieved Sept 2012, from www.complaintnow.com City-Data.com. (2009). Retrieved August 2012, from City-Data.com: www.city-data.com Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (2010). Retrieved August 2012, from Colorado The Official State WEb Portal: www.chd.dphe.state.co.us Complaint Review: Round Rock Imaging Radiology. (2012, June). Retrieved Sept 2012, from Ripoff Report: www.ripoffreport.com Google.com (Director). Radiographic equipment [Motion Picture]. Holden, J. (2009, Apr 7). How much does an X-ray cost? Retrieved Sept 2012, from RemakeHealth's: blog.remakehealth.com Johnson, D. (2012, Sept 23). General Manager, Len Lyall Chevorlet. (K. Harris, Interviewer) Lancaster, G. (n.d.). Selling and Sales Management. Retrieved Oct 2012, from Marketing Lectures: www.da-group.co.uk Medical Imaging Systems, Radiology Euipment and more. (2010). Retrieved Sept 2012, from Ardus Medical, Inc: www.ardusmedical.com Quality. (n.d.). Retrieved Sept 2012, from Businessdictionary: www.businessdictionary.com Radiology Outpatient Imaging, Parker, CO. (2012). Retrieved Sept 2012, from Google.com: www.google.com Riley, J. (2012, Sept 24). Promotional Mix - Introduction. Retrieved Sept 2012, from Tutor2u: tutor2u.net Slater, R. (2012, Sept 23). Owner, Slater Sports Zone. (K. Harris, Interviewer) U.S Department of Commerce. (2012, April). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved
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August 2012, from State & County Quick Facts: quickfacts.census.gov U.S. Census Bereau. (2012). North American Industry Classification System. Retrieved Sept 2012, from www.census.gov Ultrasound Costs and Pricing Information. (n.d.). Retrieved Sept 2012, from CompareUltrasoundCost: www.compareultrasoundcost.com Valpak. (n.d.). Valpak Our Business is to Grow Your Business. Retrieved Sept 2012, from ValPak: www.Valpak.com Welcome to CompareMRICost.com. (n.d.). Retrieved Sept 2012, from CompareMRICost: www.comparemricost.com

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MGMT 630 Organizational Behavior Expectations of Student Going into this course I had the expectations of learning how and why employees behaved the way they do. Learn new skills and theories of how to handle difficult situations with employees. How to overcome and problem solve situations in which employees and their teams are not productive. As well as solve conflict among employees for better communication and teamwork. This is important in the course of my education as well as the advancement of my career to ensure I obtain the competence in managing individuals within an organization. Student Learning Outcomes Understand current management related research and theory concerning how and why people behave the way they do in the context of work organizations. The focus is on individual, group, organizations and leadership behaviors. Know how to understand, predict and influence behaviors of individuals and others for the improvement of organizational effectiveness at the personal and group level. Apply organizational behavior skills in the real-world business enterprise. Appreciate the importance of organizational behavior and its role in creating and supporting successful organizations. Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments Employees behave in various ways, its important to understand current management related research and theory concerning how and why people behave the way they do in the context of work organizations. This can be in an individual or group setting. The research shows that employees respond to communication, good communication will allow for commitment and loyalty if communication is compromised it creates hostility and employee dissatisfaction. The second learning outcome was to know how to understand, predict and influence behaviors of individuals and others for the improvement of organizational effectiveness at the personal and group level. I feel that its important to understand these and find the best approach to a resolution. If they have been laid-off in the past or had trust issues it creates difficulties for future trust. In order to be successful in managing individuals one must know and understand what motivates their employees as well as find better ways to analyze, test, and implement more productive ways for success. The last two learning outcomes required the application of skills in the real-world enterprise and to appreciate the importance and its role in creating a successful organization. During this course a paper was developed to see the effect that stress has on employees production, the research shows that employees stress adversely affects production. How to decrease the stress and increase production was the ultimate goal, my advice was through wellness programs, a healthy employee is a happy employee.
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Summary comments for positive changes Throughout this course I found myself questioning my past approaches in conflict management with employees. It was interesting to research new ways organizations are testing to reduce employee stress and increase employee production. Over all I enjoyed this course it was laid out well with challenging and informative information. This is very important for my future in management, its vital to truly understand the basis of employee behaviors. In order to maintain strong successful organization knowledge of organizational behavior is required in order to provide support for a strong employee relationship. This course provided great insight and information on organizational behavior.

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Syllabus

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Course Work

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Wellness Programs Increases Employee Production Kacie Harris MGMT 630 Chadron State College Dr. August Bruehlman October 12, 2012

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Abstract Eighty-seven percent of health care costs are due to an individuals life style. Wellness programs are designed to teach, help, and ensure employee health. Wellness programs are designed for companies and their employees, to improve and maintain health. Creating an incentive to be healthy employers has found a way to motivate employees through wellness programs. When an employee calls in sick, the workload falls onto someone else; weather it is having to call another employee into work or overloading others. The result of this is; one employee is sick, another is making up the work and being overworked, resulting in employee moral declining. A way to increase employee moral is by decreasing the likelihood of employee absenteeism. Most American employers- about seven out of ten- believe that they have a responsibility to promote wellness among their workers. (Williams, 2007) With the increase in healthcare costs employers are leaning towards wellness programs as a way keep their employees healthy. One of the main reasons why healthcare costs are increasing is due to the decline in the nations health. As the nations health decreases the costs to employers to provide healthcare increases. With wellness programs companies are taking a step towards healthy. This is not the only reason why many companies are trying wellness programs; another reason is an increase in productivity resulting in a decrease in absenteeism. With 65% of the population being overweight or obese the need for improvement is in high demand. People who are unhealthy tend to miss work more due to illness when compared to a person who is healthy. Wellness programs are created to help employees stay and/or become healthy to decrease
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absenteeism and increase productivity. Introduction Wellness programs are becoming the new innovative way for employers to improve production and health while decreasing healthcare costs. The costs of healthcare is continuously rising throughout the United States, this rise in cost is directed to the employers who offer health benefits. From 2001 to 2004 employee healthcare premium charges rose 59 percent. (Silberman, 2007) Employers are trying to save money by decreasing healthcare costs, retaining employees, and increasing production. In the beginning wellness programs were offered as a benefit to the employee, a reduction in their gym membership, this was separate from their health benefits. As more companies began to adopt wellness programs the realization of potential became apparent. Companies can save money, increase moral, and increase production; they can become more successful. Wellness programs is a form of intervention, this intervention is to decrease unhealthy behaviors such as; lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor nutritional diets. (Dursi, 2008) This paper will explain the positive impact wellness programs have on companies and their employees by how they improve health and production, and increase production. In 2004 the Department of Health and Human Services, Center of Disease Control and Prevention showed that heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading most common chronic cause of disability and death affecting 1.7 million Americans
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every year. (Department of Health and Human Services, 2004) With these illnesses being the most preventable employers have taken measures to help prevent future rises in healthcare costs. Wellness Programs Each wellness program is slightly different; each one is constructed for the company in which it is created for. Typical features of wellness programs are healthrisk assessments and screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol; behavior modification programs, such as tobacco cessation, weight management, and exercise; health education, including classes or referrals to online sites for health advice; and changes in the work environment or provision of special benefits to encourage exercise and healthy food choices, such as subsidized health club memberships. (James, 2012) The goal of decreasing unhealthy activities of eating, lack of exercise, and unhealthy habits with the intention of reducing healthcare costs is why so many companies offer wellness programs. This is a way to reduce the demand of health services, lower insurance costs, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity. (Silberman, 2007) Although most wellness programs are voluntary, employers offer incentives to encourage employees participation. These incentives can include gifts, reduced health insurance costs, reduction in deductibles or co-pays, or many other motivating gifts. The goal of implementing wellness programs is to reduce the costs to the employer paid benefits. According to the American Heart Association 149.3 million Americans over the age of 20 are overweight or obese. (AHA, 2012) Obesity is a
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growing trend and employers that implement wellness programs are trying to fight this. With two-thirds of Americans being categorized as overweight health concerns have caused a rise in healthcare cost not only to employers but to employees as well. A wellness programs is designed to assess the health risks of individuals within a company, and to implement a plan to reduce risks and improve production. The Return on Investment (ROI) is what employers look for in a wellness program. The ROI can be decrease healthcare costs, increase in productivity and retention, or a decrease in absenteeism. (Willams, 2007) According to Williams $13 billion dollars each year is lost to health related costs; sick leave, healthcare, life insurance, or disability. obesity alone is connected to 30 million lost work days annually. (Willams, 2007) Wellness programs have two kinds of ROI that affect the bottom line. One being intangible results that include increasing productivity, work effectiveness, decision-making abilities, and customer rapport/retention through improved customer service. The second ROI is tangible results that include reduction in health plan costs, sick leave costs, worker compensation costs, and disability costs. A three-dollar return for every one-dollar spent is the average ROI that wellness programs create on healthcare costs. An important aspect is to help employees know the importance of the programs and the benefits that come with it. A great example would be, Company XYZ offers an employee wellness program to employees that provides $15 dollars off their monthly healthcare costs. Their participation requires them to speak with a wellness coach once a month to set goals, free seminars, and monthly newsletters with healthy recipes and activities. Rising health care costs are a major concern for your employee. In fact, may employees are

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more worried about paying for health care than they are about losing their job, terrorism, or stock market losses. (American Institute for Preventive Medicine, 2008) Why wouldn't an employee sign up? Many employees may not have the understanding of the program, the materials provided to them, lack of knowledge of the program, or state they have lack of time. Its important for employers to provide employees with information and education about the wellness program that they offer, and a good example within themselves, not only for the companies benefit but for the employees as well. Wellness Programs are designed for success of the employee, employers can pay for this program in two ways, per-eligible employee or per-participant. When employers pay per-eligible employee there is a flat fee that the employer pays per employee, this puts the responsibility on the company for planning and achieving results. Per-participant employees are placed in categories based on their risk factor; high, medium, or low risk. Employers pay for each program separately due to personalized programs and intervention needs, the employer has the ability to limit the programs to a desired degree to save costs. There are rules set by the Federal Government in regards to what is allowed to be offered, to prevent discrimination (Willams, 2007) (Dursi, 2008): 1. Programs are to reimburse all or part of the costs of a membership to a fitness center 2. Diagnosis testing programs (reward is NOT based on outcome ONLY on
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participation 3. Encourages preventative care by waving co-payment or deductibles under health plan (prenatal care, well-baby visits, annual physical exams) 4. Reimbursement of smoking cessation programs regardless of outcome 5. Rewards for attendance to monthly health education seminars Each statement listed shows that a program can not base their reward on the outcome of the program. If success was the only way for employees to obtain rewards motivation will be lost and the program will not be successful. A popular way for employers to give incentive to employees it through cash incentives, gift cards, or health premium reduction. Many employees are motivated by free money, which creates a new interest in the wellness program. The incentive provides motivation for the employee to work on being healthier. With changes in the work place causing employees to work longer hours this begins to affect their behaviors such as smoking, unhealthy eating, stress, and increase alcohol consumption. Each of these attributes to increase in healthcare costs. Smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the United States costing employers over three thousand dollars a year per smoker in related health issues and production. (Dursi, 2008) Employee wellness programs offer employees strategies on how to manage the stress long business hours in a healthy way. Through the promotion of healthy foods, exercise, and quitting smoking the wellness program is able to help employees manage
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stress better. With improved health there is a decrease in absenteeism, which is described as a employee not being present, as well as tardiness where a employee may not be absent but they are not onsite for their job at the specified time. (Ellyn, n.d.) This result of tardiness and absenteeism is that the workload is placed on another employee. A vicious cycle; the employee who received more work is now stressed, eating unhealthy, and smoking as well a decreasing productivity; as well as increasing overtime paid by the company. With the implementation of a wellness program employees will not only be more likely to be one time for work but they will also be healthier. When employees come to work ill or have ailing family members, they may work slower, cause more accidents or stop work to deal with family problems.: (Ellyn, n.d.) According to the American Institute for Preventative Medicine when a employee is at work, but due to health concerns they are not working optimally it costs the company money. Such as (American Institute for Preventive Medicine, 2008): Annual cost to companies of over $180 billion/year The per employee cost is between $22 and $157 annually Persistent problem at over 50% of workplaces In 2006, 56% of HR executives viewed it as a problem vs.. 39% in 2004 A healthy alternative is to have healthy employees, and this is done through employee wellness programs. A wellness program is designed to improve the health of the labor

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force with a ROI for the company.1 (Griffin, n.d.) Not only is there a reduction is sick employees with less healthcare visits, there is a reduction in work related injuries. When employees are aware of their work, not tired or over weight they are able to work more efficiently. This results in employee satisfaction, which increases production, surveyed employers who were able to track absentee information and found that employees with chronic diseases missed considerably more work days a year than their healthy counterparts. (Dursi, 2008) Productivity is measured by the total output produced when divided by the number of hours worked. (Dursi, 2008) Being present is important, whether it is mentally present, which reefers to a persons mind not being on work, or physically present which refers to being absent due to illness. By implementing a wellness program employees are able to find a way to decrease health risks, this can be diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancers, as well as injuries that can occur by not being mentally present and not paying attention to the job. The best way to find out how the employee wellness program benefits a company is before, during, and after the implementation of the program. This will allow for employers to see what the rate of illness, injury, and production was prior to the program. During the program the results of illness and injury will decline with production increasing. After the program has been implemented for a period of time its important to review these categories once again.
1

Return on Investment described as the efficiency of an investment. Benefit (return) is divided by the cost of the Investment and is expressed as a percentage or a ratio. (Investopedia, n.d.)

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Once these categories have been evaluated the satisfaction of employees should be included. A happy employee is a loyal employee; the retention rate will go up when employees are satisfied with themselves physically, mentally, and professionally. A great example is the company Johnson & Johnson, since 1995 the percentage of Johnson & Johnson employees who smoke has dropped by more than two-thirds. The number who have high blood pressure or who are physically inactive also has declined by more than half. (Berry, 2010) The benefits that employers receive from the implementation of wellness programs show a 56% increase in employee morale, 41% improvement in employee health, a 27% reduction in health care costs, 9% decrease in accidents on the job, 8% less absentees, and 8% increase in productivity. (American Institute for Preventive Medicine, 2008) Johnson & Johnson saving $8.5 million annually from the reduction in health care costs, estimating a $225 per employee savings per year. With a ROI of $3.48:1 on reduced medical costs and a $5.82:1 on the reduction of absenteeism. What this means is that for every dollar spent on healthcare costs the company makes $3.48 on the reduction, and with every dollar spent $5.82 is made due to the reduction of absenteeism. When employees are present and more work can be done in the correct manner. Wellness programs are designed to help employees improve their health in more ways than one. When an employee is healthy they are less likely to call in sick, be tardy, and are less likely to produce unsatisfactory work. When employers invest in the health of their employees there is a Return on Investment in many categories. As unhealthy lifestyles increase so do health premiums, its important for employers to invest in their
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employees health. Government incentives or not, healthy employees cost you less. (Berry, 2010) Dr. Richard Milani and Carl Lavie performed a study on a single employers implementation of a wellness program; the results showed that 57% of the employees were moved to the low-risk category within six months of the program. The resulted in a $1,421 decrease in medical claim costs for the company. (Berry, 2010) This company had a $6:1 ROI. The return is great for the company as long as it is done in a legal form. According to Health Affairs there are 5 conditions the programs must (James, 2012): 1. Total rewards offered must not exceed 20% of the total costs of the individual benefits 2. Program must be designed to improve health or prevent disease and must not be overly burdensome 3. Individuals must be given a chance to qualify for the rewards at least annually 4. Full rewards must to available to similarly situated individuals, a reasonable alternative for those with medical conditions preventing unreasonable difficulties 5. Alternatives available must be disclosed in program materials ABC news reported 32 million more Americans will become obese by 2030, upping obesity rates to 42 percent of the U.S. population. (Gann, 2012) This shows the importance in taking preventive measures, the implementation of wellness programs helps this outrageous trend to slow and maybe stop. Gann describes these measures
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are anti-obesity measures, which are designed to reduce the amount of unhealthy individuals in the workforce. The healthier the employees the more productive they will be. When looking at production many think of the end result, where as production is described as the amount of work put into job in relation to the outcome of the work. The quality of work that is produced is directly dependent on the input from the employees. The best ways to ensure quality work is to ensure employees are trained, present at work, and are healthy. A healthy employee that is present will provide a mush higher quality of work when compared to a unhealthy non-present employee. The investment employers put into their employees is important because the employees feel invested in and in return will work hard. With the lack of health of employees at a all time high due to health care costs employers are forced to find ways to improve this. This investment of wellness programs have a high return for employers and employees, it provides employees with tools to improve themselves not only for the sake of the company but for their benefit of live, love, and happiness. A happy employee is a productive one, and as long as employers continue to invest in their employees they will continue to receive a return on their investment through lower health care costs and higher quality production.

Conclusion

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In conclusion employers who invest in wellness programs is not only an investment in their employees, but its an investment in their company. Every wellness program is designed specifically for the company whether its outsourced or the company runs it themselves, its a way for employees to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle. The healthier life style serves both the employee and the employer; the employee that is healthy pays less in health care, lives longer, is happier, and retains their job easier. Employers are served in the aspect that their ROI is high, they pay less for employee health care, the quality of work they obtain from their employees goes up, they have less tardiness and absence problems, and the retention of their employees goes up. Its a win/win situation, an employee provides its employees with a healthy motivation to improve not only them-selves but their work allows for no loss. The goals that companies have is to save money and maximize their profits, the first place to start is the employees. A company can run off fewer employees more efficiently if they are healthy and productive when compared to unhealthy, unproductive employees. A decrease in unhealthy habits decreases health care costs, decreasing employers payouts, increasing productivity, and increasing the employers ability to increase employees pay. No matter how the situation is looked at wellness programs are a benefit to all. Its important for employers to advertise, promote, and encourage employee involvement in the program. Its a long-term investment, but what company isnt.

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References: AHA. (2012). Statistical Fact Sheet 2012 Update, Overweight & Obese. American Institute for Preventive Medicine. (2008). The Health & Economic Implications of Worksite Wellness Programs. MI: Farmington Hills. Berry, L. M. (2010, December). What's the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs? Harvard Business Review . Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dursi, M. C. (2008). Can Health Promotion Programs Effectively Reduce Health Care Costs, Increase Productivity and Retain Qualified Employees? University of Rhode Island. Ellyn, S. (n.d.). The Effects of Workplace Wellness Programs on Absenteeism. Retrieved Sept 2012, from Chron: www.smallbusiness.chron.com Gann, C. (2012, May 7). Fat Forecast: 42% of Americans Obese by 2030. Griffin, D. (n.d.). What is an Employee Wellness Program? Retrieved October 2012, from Chron: www.smallbusiness.chron.com Investopedia. (n.d.). Return On Investment (ROI). Retrieved Oct 2012, from www.investopedia.com James, J. (2012, May 10). Workplace Wellness Programs. Health Affairs . Silberman, R. (2007). Workplace Wellness Programs: Proven Strategy or False Positive? Michigan Journal of Public Affairs , 4. Willams, D. (2007). Wellness Programs Trim Medical Costs and Improve Employee Productivity. Business Enhancement Associates .

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CTE 632 Organizational Leadership Expectations of Student The expectations I had for this course was to obtain a better knowledge on who leaders where, what kind of qualities they had, where they came from and how to be a successful one. I like many thought of a manager as a leader, upon further research this may not be the case. Is a manager a leader? Its important as a Masters level student to be a good leader to others in an educational and professional setting. In my professional career leadership is desired in management for employees to have someone to help lead them to success. Student Learning Outcomes Discuss leadership theories and leadership styles. Analyze trends in organizational leadership. Identify strategies which contribute to effective leadership within organizations. Consider the impact of vision, mission, and goals to an organization. Analyze the concepts of power and empowerment as related to personnel within organizations. Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments In the first learning outcome of this course it is desired to discuss leadership theories and leadership styles. One great leadership theory is the transactional theory; this theory places a focus on the interaction between the leader and their followers. This is important to have good interaction for support from the leader and from the followers. Which brings me to the leadership style that I think is most important, the task-oriented leadership. This leadership style places the task as the most important role; the leader puts structures and a plan in place for the success of the team. Identifying strategies that contribute to effective leadership is important for continued support from followers. Great strategies include constructive communication, feedback and support from the leader. An effective leader is someone who leads by example, they provide the example of how they want their followers perform. When finding a leader the vision, mission and goals of the organization must be taken into consideration. The impact of a vision and mission statement and the goals set determine the desired outcomes of the employees. When dealing with employees its important for everyone to have the same end goal in mind with correlating values. When analyzing the concepts of power and empowerment in relation to personnel its important to remember too much power is bad. Providing employees with empowerment is giving them a voice. An employee that is heard and valued is a happy employee. When an organization takes all the power away from their employees it creates anger, hostility and dissatisfaction resulting in high turn over. Summary comments for positive changes So far this course is very interesting in finding new conflict resolution and
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learning what it takes to be a great leader. With great in-depth discussions I am able to have a better understanding to the qualities of leadership. This is important for my education to improve my writing skills as well as my leadership skills. The more a person understands the demands and expectations of a leader the better leader they are able to be. In my career being a leader is essential for advancement, my current qualities need improvement and this course has taught me new ways to help improve myself for the purpose of becoming a better leader and manager.

Syllabus Chadron State College Career and Technical Education CTE 632, Organizational Leadership Spring 2013 Section 79 Online

Instructor: Office:

Dr. Norma Nealeigh BRK 215

Office Phone: 308-432-6228 e-mail: nnealeigh@csc.edu

Office Hours: M 2:00-4:00, T 2:00-4:00, W 2:00-3:00 (Please feel free to contact me at any time via e-mail, phone, or in the office; afternoons are usually best.) Credit Hours: Three Description: A study of leadership theories, characteristics, styles, and effectiveness as related to growth of an organization and the development of the personnel within the organization. Required Text: Organizational leadership will be investigated through reading, research, and discussion. Many assignments will be accessible on the internet or the online system.

Student Learning Outcomes: (The student will be able to)

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Compare and contrast leadership and management of organizations. Discuss leadership theories and leadership styles. Analyze trends in organizational leadership. Identify strategies which contribute to effective leadership within organizations. Consider the impact of vision, mission, and goals to an organization. Analyze the concepts of power and empowerment as related to personnel within organizations.

Methods of Instruction: Online instruction via Sakai. This course will include reading, completion of online assignments, online exams, and discussion boards (Forums). Students will use critical thinking and problem solving in completing the course.

Course Requirements: Final ................................................................................. Application Exercise ....................................................... Readings/Postings/Responses ......................................... Books Project ............................................................. TOTAL .......................................................................... 20 points 50 points 100 points 75 points 255 points

(All points are approximate and will be determined based on assignments.)

Grading Procedures: 90%-100% = A 80%-<90% = B 70%-<80% = C 60%-<70% = D < 60% =F

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Late Papers: Any assignment turned in after it is due is a late paper and will earn zero credit.

Location: Papers must be submitted to the correct/assigned location to receive credit (correct location and unit/topic within the location). Zero credit will be earned if posted to the wrong location.

CONTACTING THE PROFESSOR: When contacting the professor for this course (by e-mail or other means), please always include the number and title of this course and also your full name. Please use the following e-mail address to reach your professor (do NOT use the Sakai e-mail, as the reply button will not return an answer directly to you, and therefore, responses will be quite delayed): nnealeigh@csc.edu. This e-mail is also much quicker than using Messages in Sakai.

Honesty: There will be many opportunities for student involvement in this on-line course. Research shows that involvement is critical to learning. Short-cuts to learning usually end up as roadblocks. Plagiarism of an assignment, in whole or in part, is destructive to learning and may result in failing the class, and/or expulsion from Chadron State College.

Format for Papers: Your Name CTE 632 Unit Number: Topic: Date Due: Generally speaking, papers should be single spaced; double spaced between paragraphs. No title page or cover page. Standard font, font size, and margins.

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Do NOT use zoompapers should be posted at 100% not 75% or 125% or etc. Spelling and grammar count. All citations will be in APA style.

Course Week: The course week for this course will normally run from Tuesday of one week through Tuesday of the next week. This means that units and assignments will be posted on Tuesdays (around 6:00 p.m., but times may vary), and assignments for that unit (discussions/responses, etc.) will be DUE by Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time (12:00 noon Central Time) of the following week, unless otherwise stipulated. NOTE: This is 11:00 in the MORNING, not at night. COURSE OUTLINE: Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7 Unit 8 Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 11 Unit 12-14 Unit 15 Introductions Leadership or Management? Leadership Styles Transactional and Transformational Leadership A Study in Leadership Change and Leadership The Role of Followers Exam A Study in Leadership (continued) How Green Is My Leadership? Power and Empowerment A Study in Leadership (continued) LeadershipOutside the Box

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Unit 16

Final Assessment and Reflection: What Have We Learned?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Education Unit Conceptual Framework: This course supports the conceptual framework, Developing as Visionary Leaders for Lifelong Learning, through the following components: Communication Professionalism Human Relations/Diversity Assessment Thinking Skills Methodology/Technology

Student and Teacher Candidate Behavior: Academic Honesty - Students are expected to conduct themselves in conformity with the highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Violation of college, state, or federal standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating, or falsification of official records will not be tolerated. Students violating such standards will be subject to discipline, as per campus policies articulated in the Student Handbook. Please request a copy of the student handbook from the Dean of Students. Attendance Policy The College assumes that students will seek to profit from the instructional program and will recognize the importance of attending every class meeting of courses for which credit is expected. Responsibility for notifying faculty of absences, and for arranging potential make-up, rests with the students. Attendance and participation are expected; in-class activities may generate some points which cannot be made up if one is not in attendance. Civility Civil behavior enhances the academic setting, and is expected at all times. Courtesy and respect for others are essential elements of the academic culture. The
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academic environment welcomes a difference of opinion, discourse, and debate within a civil environment.

Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Educational Opportunity Policy: Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage admission of minority and female students and to provide procedures which will assure equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating an environment for all students that is consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of Chadron State College to administer its academic employment programs and related supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, or marital status. Student requests for reasonable accommodation based upon documented disabilities should be presented within the first two weeks of the semester, or within two weeks of the diagnosis, to the Disabilities Counselor (432-6461).

Diversity: Chadron State College aspires to create a safe and diversity-sensitive learning environment that respects the rights, dignity, and welfare of students, faculty, and staff. Diversity includes the fair representation of all groups of individuals, the inclusion of minority perspectives and voices, and appreciation of different cultural and socioeconomic group practices. We aspire to foster and maintain an atmosphere that is free from discrimination, harassment, exploitation, or intimidation. Courses will strive to provide opportunity for all students to discuss issues of diversity including, but not limited to, ethnicity, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. Intellectual Real Estate / Copyright Notice: Reproduction of copyrighted material is governed by Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Under conditions of this law, students may copy materials for research or scholarship purposes as long as the copyright holder is cited. In teaching situations, parts of copyrighted material may be used under the fair use guidelines, but only once, and the copyright holder must be cited. Unauthorized use may be liable for copyright infringement. Use of Technology: Students are encouraged to use the technical resources provided in Chadron State College facilities to support, enhance, and expand their learning activities. Chadron State College recognizes that learning is a unique human endeavor best achieved through the interactions of instructors and students. Technology is best used when it supports and enhances teacher-student as well as student-student interactions. Disclaimer: This syllabus and schedule is articulated as an expectation of class topics, learning
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activities, and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in this schedule that, within his/her professional judgment would result in enhanced or more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially change the intent or objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and procedures of Chadron State College.

Course Work Kacie Harris CTE 632 Unit 6 February 6, 2013 I. Introduction Creating change for the best, accepting change, these are important aspect to improvement within organizations. Organizations begin with a vision, someone sitting in their garage or basement thinking about how to make the world better. Once the vision is created the process slowly falls into place, as the growth of the organization occurs the needs and desires will change. The continuous learning of leaders and followers all have their part in the advancement and success of the organization; resulting in a learning organization.

II. Accelerating Environmental Change A. Factual Review:

In regards to learning organizations its important for the learning to keep up with new information; this will keep them competitive in their market. Learning organizations don not happen automatically, but require a deep commitment to building required skills throughout the workplace. (Johnson, 1998) The key to success is adaptation; this includes Woolners five stages to becoming a leaning organization; The Forming Organization, The Developing Organization, The mature Organization, The Adapting Organization and The Learning Organization. Each one describes the slow progress into becoming a learning organization.

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The forming Organization is described as the first stage of Woolners model, it is described as; normally newer organizations that require outside formal training, primarily trial and error. His second stage The Developing Organization is when the organization knows there is a need for training and so it is acquired through outside sources. The third stage The Mature Organization, the organization recognizes the need and advantage for training which the organization does so through in-house sessions. Woolners fourth stage is The Adapting Organization which is when a company sees the advantage to training and its requirement in order to reach the goals that are set-up for the organization. The last stage is The Learning Organization this stage is where organizations learn from their history, current experiences, and practices of other organizations (Johnson, 1998). The final stage consists of formal and informal training for the success of the organization.

B.

Reflective Review:

My review of this section would be described as understanding the importance of training and constant improvement in order to be a successful learning organization. With Woolners stages it shows the gradual desired improvements needed based on the type and goals of an organization. I believe that the final stage The Learning Organization is the most successful stage. When organizations proved the appropriate training to the individuals within their organization it provides them with the tools to be successful.

When building an organization there a goal is set, whether this is the number of products or the number of clients, there is a goal to reach. The only way to reach these goals is to create a learning organization, providing the tools and knowledge to the employees who are on the front line, the employees that your organization is dependent on for success. Learning organizations do not happen automatically, but require a deep commitment to building required skills throughout the workplace. (Johnson, 1998) This commitment is required from the organization as well as the employees who work there.

III. Examining Leadership in the context of the learning organization A. Factual Review:

In order to be a successful learning organization the qualities of the leader are essential. Its important for leaders to be involved when change is initiated within an organization, people tend to resist change is they had no part in initiating it. (Johnson, 1998) Three qualities are desired for a leadership in a learning
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organization; visioning, empowerment, and leading-learning.

Visioning is when a common vision is desired to avoid problems and encourage growth and success. Empowerment is the power given to employees of the organization, the leaders and their subordinates. Its important for all members to feel as though they have say, insight, and power directly related to the success of the organization. Leading-learning is described as the continuous learning required by the leader. The leader must show the desire and improvement of knowledge to best serve the organization and its employees.

B.

Reflective Review:

Looking at the type of leader that is required for a successful learning organization, the three themes are mentioned. Visioning, empowerment, and leading-learning each have their own value in the success of being a learning organization. These qualities are different from the needs of a traditional organization so it is important to for the top leaders of the organization to show their drive and desire for success.

Having a vision for the employees as well as the organization provides a path for the organization to follow. Its important for all of the members to have a collective vision to prevent stay paths to be taken. The empowerment is also very important, providing all members of the organization the felling of power in making mutual decisions within the organization allows for support from all levels.

IV. Leadership qualities and the learning organization A. Factual Review:

The qualities of leaders in a learning organization are vital for success. As the organization grows the needs of the leadership qualities grow. In stage one of Woolners five stages of development, the vision must be created and shared with the members in order for members to work together. In stage two the organization is turning into more of a learning organization, with empowerment, leading-learning and visions members are provided with motivation. Stage three talks about how important the behaviors of the members are to the success of the organization.

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The visioning is slowly reduced which in return increases leading-learning. This is an important step to emphasize learning for the future. The behaviors continue to increase in stage four, visioning, lead-learning, and empowerment. This becomes habit and creates the importance of staying on course. Lastly stage five is when the organization has reached their desired level of learning and leading. Throughout the growth of the organization there are changes that coincide with Woolners five stages of development.

B.

Reflective Review:

I agree with Woolners stages and the qualities that are needed of a leader in order for an organization to be successful. Throughout each stage the desires and emphasis changes for the leader yet the end goal is always the same. In order to reach that desired level leaders must take the organization step by step though the learning process. Beginning with the formation of an organization, the vision for that said organization, and then the evolution through learning, developing, and implementation of values, visions, learning and empowerment.

V. Implications for the field A. Factual Review:

The world is going through constant change, and in order for organizations to keep up they have no choice but to do the same, change. A learning organization is considered to be adaptive to the environment and responsive to change. (Johnson, 1998) In order to be successful leaders must share their vision, empower members, and place a strong emphasis on learning. Depending on the stage at which the organization finds itself, the emphasis on the leadership themes can be increased or decreased to allow the organization to move towards the desired stages of a learning organization. (Johnson, 1998) As the needs of society change this places new demands on organizations, so in order to be successful it is vital to learn, improve, and change with the demands.

B. Reflective Review: Growing up in life we change, our needs, wants, desires, and requirements as a human being change. The same happens with a growing organization, all organizations have the desire to grow and improve. Going through the stages Woolner mentioned it clearly shows the different needs that are required at each stage of development for the organization. When writing a paper you must have a
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vision an idea, then the critical information which is also the empowerment of knowledge, and then the teaching of the materials to another person. Each process of learning and stage of development is important for success of a learning organization.

VI. Conclusion Throughout the reading the term learning organization is defined as learning organizations are not those that lie in waiting; they are intended to initiate and forcefully create. They should be designed to generate new knowledge at a speed that will benefit them in their race against changing environmental dangers and opportunities. (Johnson, 1998) Step by step organizations strive for growth and improvement and the best and only way to achieve such a goal is through a learning organization.

Biography Johnson, J. (1998). Embracing change: a leadership model for the learning organization. Internationsl Journal of Training and Development , 141-150. CA 610 Conflict Resolution and Mediation Expectations of Student The expectations I had for this course was to learn new ways to resolve conflict within the organization. Its important to know how to resolve conflict and mediate conflict between employees to ensure issues are address and resolved for the future. If the manager has the conflict resolution and mediation skills they are able to teach these to their employees, this can ultimately decrease the need of involvement for future issues. This is important in my career path; if I can manage conflict as an employee I will be more apt to resolving conflict as a manager. Student Learning Outcomes An understanding of the nature of interpersonal conflict Understand how to take a transactional approach to conflict to learn how to constructively resolve conflict with others. Understanding of how different conflict choices promote more constructive and productive resolution to conflict situations. Identify and analyze different conflict types Understand of how to use the S-TLC System for communicating effectively in
274 Kacie K. Harris

conflict situations. Apply appropriate communication responses in different conflict situations and styles Understand when and how to incorporate negotiation principles and techniques in conflict situations. Evaluate how to manage the process of conflict toward constructive conflict resolution. Understand how to create and maintain favorable communication climate during conflict situations. Understand the role of stress and anger in conflict situations Understand the role of creating & maintaining positive face, autonomous face and face saving in conflict situations. Understand the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation with others following conflict situations.

Coordination and correlations of expectations, learning outcomes and assessments What is conflict? Conflict is when two people do not agree on how a project would be done, this can be due to difference in opinions or miscommunication. Its important to know how to approach these issues in a constructive manner for the success of the team and the organization. A transactional approach to conflict resolution would consist of not avoiding the issue, doing the research and then approaching the parties for a possible resolution. Some conflict choices include avoidance, in my opinion this is the one choice that can devastate the resolution. When someone avoids conflict they are hoping that it will just go away where as in reality it will continue to grow until it is unmanageable. When in a management position its important to take an authoritative approach to the conflict resolution so all parties involved can obtain a winning resolution. The goal is to compromise for a win-win situation. During conflict stress occurs due to judgments and opinions that are expressed between the parties. Its important to take into consideration what others might have in mind before making a judgment. There are some aspects that we have not discussed yet in this course including role of creating and maintaining positive face, autonomous face and face saving in conflict situations as well as the concept of forgiveness and reconciliation. Yet I see the importance of each of these qualities; in my opinion maintaining a positive face, autonomous face, and face saving would be the approach used when approaching the conflict. Staying positive in the situation or an autonomous face being indifferent in the emotions that are shown. Summary comments for positive changes So far this course has been very interesting with a great demand placed on writing. In my professional career I have learned that there is always a need for improvement when conflict is present. Every conflict situation will be different due to the individuals involved and the reason for the conflict. Throughout this course the only
275 Kacie K. Harris

change I would make would be more interaction with the professor for a more in-depth conversation in the postings. I find it difficult at times to stay focused when the only course work is writing long postings and responding to classmates. All together I have learned a lot in this class thus far and expect to continue to learn more about conflict resolution and mediation.

Syllabus

CA 610 Theories of Conflict Resolution & Mediation Chadron State College

Course Syllabus Spring 2013
Instructor: Kathleen C. Kirsch, Ph.D. Phone: 308-432-6046 Office Hours: Monday 12:00-2:00 pm Wednesday 12:00-2:00 pm Credit Hours: 3 credit hours Office: 219 Old Admin Building email: kkirsch@csc.edu Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am online And by appointment

Course Description
CA 610 - Theories of Conflict Resolution & Mediation is a graduate level course. The course approaches conflict resolution and mediation from a theory and skills perspective. Conflict mediation and resolution theory and skills in both personal and professional settings will be discussed.

Required Textbook / Materials:

Managing Conflict through Communication.4rd Edition. -- Abigail, Ruth A &. Cahn, Dudley D. Pearson Education, Inc., 4rd Edition / 2011

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
An understanding of the nature of interpersonal conflict Understand how to take a transactional approach to conflict to learn how to constructively resolve conflict with others. Understanding of how different conflict choices promote more constructive and productive resolution to conflict situations. Identify and analyze different conflict types Understand of how to use the S-TLC System for communicating effectively in conflict situations. Apply appropriate communication responses in different conflict situations and styles Understand when and how to incorporate negotiation principles and techniques in conflict situations. Evaluate how to manage the process of conflict toward constructive conflict resolution.

276 Kacie K. Harris

Understand how to create and maintain favorable communication climate during conflict situations. Understand the role of stress and anger in conflict situations Understand the role of creating & maintaining positive face, autonomous face and face saving in conflict situations. Understand the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation with others following conflict situations.

Method of Instruction:
This course will be conducted completely online. Students are responsible for checking in to Sakai, participating in discussion forums, completing assignments and communicating with instructor as necessary.

Course Design:
This course is designed to be completed entirely online. As a graduate level course, students will be expected to be actively engaged each week in a strategic combination of activities to complete the R.A.D.A.R. Learning Cycle: R.A.D.A.R. Learning Cycle = Read and Discuss: Apply & Reflect The R.A.D.A.R. Learning Cycle includes a strategic combination of learner-content interaction, learner-instructor interaction, and learner-learner interaction to help each student successfully achieve each week's learning outcomes.

Assignments:
Students will be expected to successfully complete the following graded assignments in this course: First Week Getting Started Assignments 10 Points

(3 small assignments due by Jan. 13th)

Active Participation in 6 "In-Depth Discussions" (20 points each)

120 Points

Each Student Must Select their "4 Best" Discussion Posts from each Unit's Discussion Forum, Copy/Paste them into a single Word Document (.doc) and Submit them to the "Assignments" Course Area for Review & Grading.

(See course schedule & calendar below for posting due dates)

Reflection Journal with 10 "In-Depth Entries" (10 points each)

100 Points

(Complete Journal with entries 1-10 submitted together by April 11th)

Final Conflict Focus Paper

100 Points

(Due April 26)

Final Week CRM Goals Evaluation Assignment

5 Points

(Due May 1th)

Total Points Possible:

335 Points 277

Kacie K. Harris

Grading:
Final Grades in this course will be assigned according to the percentage of points earned by each student out of the total points possible according to the following grading scale: A B C D F = = = = = 100 - 90 % 89 - 80 % 79 - 70 % 69 - 60 % Below 60%

* Percentages will be rounded up to the next letter grade at .5 and above. Grades below .5 will retain that grade level.

In-Depth Discussion Participation Requirements:

This IS NOT a self-paced course. Actively engaging in course discussions will be essential for your success in this class. Because your active discussion participation is worth almost 1/3rd of your course grade, I strongly recommend that you devote great effort toward being actively engaged in each Unit's discussion. The following information is intended to help you successfully fulfill the discussion requirements in this class. PLEASE READ BELOW COMPLETELY and VERY CAREFULLY!!! All students are required to be actively engaged in "In-Depth" Discussions scheduled throughout the course calendar. In this class, there will be one (1) - "Self-Introduction" discussion forum during the first week of class and then seven (6) discussion forums, each running for 1.5 weeks, which are focused on discussing specific topics being covered in the course content. For each Unit's discussion, several initial questions will be posed by the instructor which are intended to encourage all students to critically examine and explore different perspectives on the course content. Occasionally, the instructor will also present several "follow-up" questions intended to encourage students to build upon the current discussion and/or to encourage students to consider other directions of dialogue on the topics being discussed for that unit. Within each discussion period, all students must contribute a specific quantity of discussion posts - AND most important - each discussion post must satisfy very specific "In-Depth" content requirements. Please review the instructions below VERY CAREFULLY to ensure that you understand the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements that must be followed for all forum discussion postings. For the "Self Introduction" discussion forum during the first week of class, all students must complete the following requirements: 1. Post a complete "Self-Introduction" posting to the discussion forum. 2. Review and respond to at least 4 of your classmate's discussion posts within the 1-week (7 Day) discussion period. These can be responses to your classmate's "Self Introduction" postings and/or responses to your classmate's responses to your "Self-Introduction" posting, and/or your responses to your classmates responses to other classmates original discussion postings, as long as you have contributed at least 4 separate discussion postings to the forum, in addition to your own "SelfIntroduction" post. (NOTE: These posts do not have to follow the "4-Part In-Depth Format" requirements, but should reflect substantive interaction and meaningful dialogue with your 278 Kacie K. Harris

classmates).

3. At the end of the first week (January 15th) please copy/paste your "Self-Introduction" posting as well
as what you believe are your "3 Best" discussion posts that you contributed to the week's discussion forum into a single Microsoft Word (.doc) document, save it with the title "(Your Last Name) - Unit 1 Self Intro and My 3 Best Posts" and upload the document into the "Assignments" area of the course in the section titled "Unit 1 Self Intro Discussion Forum Assignment". For each of the remaining seven (6) Unit discussions in the class, all students must complete the following requirements:

1. Post at least 5 fully "In-Depth" discussion posts within each 1.5-Week (9 Day) Discussion Period: Days 1-3 of Each Discussion Period:
Within the first three days of each discussion period, all students must submit at least 1 "InDepth" post - that fully satisfies the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements outlined below - in response to at least one of the initial questions posed by the instructor.

Days 4-6 of Each Discussion Period: Sometime between days 4-6 of each discussion period, all students must review, consider and substantively respond "In-Depth" to at least 2 of their peer's discussion postings. In order to be considered "In-Depth", each post must fully satisfy the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements outlined below. Days 7-9 of Each Discussion Period:
Sometime between days 7-9 of each discussion period, all students must review, consider and substantively respond "In-Depth" to at least 2 more of their peer's discussion postings. These can respond to your peer's responses to your postings and/or to any other peer's postings, so that you have contributed at least 5 fully "In-Depth" discussion postings within the unit's discussion. In order to be considered "In-Depth", each post must fully satisfy the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements outlined below. NOTE: You are required to be actively engaged in discussion interaction throughout each discussion period. DO NOT submit all of your discussion postings on one or two days of the week. Failure to follow the discussion guidelines and timelines above, without prior approval from the course instructor will result in a 4-point penalty on the overall student's discussion participation score for that discussion cycle (i.e a score of 16 (80%) would become a 12 (60%).

2. Within EACH of the required 5 posts students must satisfy the following "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" requirements:

For responses to the initial discussion questions, please use the following format for your posts:

Part 1: Label this part of your post:

"My Perspective"

Under this label, please provide at least 3 well developed paragraphs explaining your detailed perspective on the discussion topic(s)/question(s) that have been posed.

279 Kacie K. Harris

Part 2: Label this part of your post:

"Support from Readings & Outside

References"
Under this label, please provide at least 4 well developed paragraphs that explain how your perspective is supported by specific quotes or passages from your textbook readings - AND - also from outside reference materials including other textbooks, journals, articles, or any other relevant internet resources that you find applicable to support your perspective using http://www.google.com or other internet search engines. In this section of your post, in addition to referencing specific page numbers from your text (i.e. pg. 214) where you are referencing specific quotes or passages, please also include the specific reference information or internet URL for outside materials that you are citing. Finally, please make sure that you provide a detailed explanation of how you believe each reference, quote, passage that you are citing specifically supports your perspective on the discussion topic(s).

Part 3: Label this part of your post:

"Support from My Own Experience &

Observations"
Under this label, please provide at least 4 well developed paragraphs that explain how your perspective is supported by your own specific experiences and observations. Please provide very detailed, vivid descriptions of specific incidents or events that you have experienced or observed - and - then explain how these experiences and/or observations from these real situations help illustrate / substantiate / justify your perspective on the discussion topics.

Part 4: Label this part of your post: "Food

for Thought, Insights Gained &

Lessons Learned"
Under this label, please provide at least 3 well developed paragraphs that are intended to promote or to provoke additional dialogue with your classmates to build off of your perspective shared in your post. This can involve "taking a stand" on the discussion topic that offers alternative or unique perspectives that you want to challenge your peers to consider, respectfully challenging other student perspectives that have been presented previously in the discussion or perspectives presented in your textbook readings, and/or presenting any other "food for thought, insights gained and/or lessons learned" from your consideration of the current discussions content and questions.

For responses to your peer's postings, please use the following format for your posts: Part 1: Label this part of your post: "My

Perspective on (Name of Peer)'s

Posting"
Under this label, please provide at least 4 well developed paragraphs explaining your detailed perspective that provides a substantive and meaningful response in reaction to the perspective presented in your peer's posting. Your response needs to be something more than "I agree and here is why..." and must provide something "new" to add to and enhance the insights to be gained from the combination of your perspective being integrated with your peer's. You are encouraged to constructively challenge or critique the point of view being presented by your peer's and vice-versa - and/or - if your perspective re-enforces the perspective shared by your peer, your post must offer additional perspective that clearly adds value to what has already been stated.

Parts 2, 3 and 4 of your post should follow the same guidelines as outlined above under the previous section labeled "For responses to the initial discussion questions" - but - should reflect a clear consideration, reflection and response to the reference materials and experiences shared in the peer's posting and an explanation of how your understanding of the readings, outside references, and your own experiences relate / compare / contrast to your peer's. Please make sure you separate each part of

280 Kacie K. Harris

each post into the 4 separate "Parts" as outlined above and provide the appropriate "Labels" for each part, including:

o o o o

Part 1: "My Perspective on (Name of Peer)'s Posting" Part 2: "Support from Readings & Outside References" Part 3: "Support from My Own Experience & Observations" Part 4: "Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned"

NOTE: You should expect to compose the equivalent of a 2 to 3 page, single spaced, 12-point font word document in order to fully satisfy the "4-Part In-Depth Discussion Format" expectations for EACH of your required posts. NOTE: The key issue is to ensure that you are: #1 - able to demonstrate substantive and meaningful perspectives on the course content in relation to the discussion questions / topics being posed, #2 - able to support and justify your perspective based on your demonstrating how it relates / applies to your readings and outside reference materials; #3 - able to support and justify your perspective based on demonstrating how your point of view has been exhibited in actual real-world situations that you have directly experienced and/or observed; and #4 - able to acknowledge and articulate the "learning implications" of your having considered and reflected on the course content and discussion topics and that you are able to engage in and promote additional learning with your classmates through perpetuating the "in-depth" dialogue in each discussion cycle. NOTE: Because of the expected length of each "In-Depth" discussion post, you are encouraged to compose your postings, initially, as a Microsoft Word document and "Save" each post on your computer as a separate file. This will provide you with a saved copy in case there is an "error" or "timeout" problem that can sometimes occur online if the computer does not detect activity while you have been typing over a long period of time. TRUST ME...please learn from the "lessons learned the hard way" from past students...and make sure you save a copy of each of your posts on your own computer before actually posting them to the course "FORUMS" area. Once you have a copy "SAVED", then please proceed to submit your post to the FORUMS area by copy/pasting from your word document into the discussion post area. NOTE: Please DO NOT submit your discussion posts as word document attachments in the discussion FORUMS area. In order for your classmates and I to be able to read and respond to each discussion post as it relates to other postings above and below in the discussion "thread", it is important that all discussion posts appear as text within the Forums area. Accordingly, posts that are submitted as "attachments" will not be accepted toward the minimum of 5 posts required for each discussion cycle.

NOTE: Discussions will be "CLOSED" after each 2-week unit period. Once it is "Closed" everyone will still be able to read/review all postings which have been submitted, but no new postings may be submitted to the discussion area.

4. At the end of each 9-day discussion unit (Please see due dates in the course schedule below) please
copy/paste what you believe are your "4 Best" discussion posts that you contributed to the unit's discussion forum into a single Microsoft Word (.doc) document, save it with the title "(Your Last Name) - My 4 Best Posts for Unit (#)" and upload the document into the "Assignments" area of the course in the section designated for that specific Unit's discussion forum assignment.

In-Depth Journal Reflection Requirements (100 Points):

281 Kacie K. Harris

All students will be required to complete 10 "In-Depth" journal entries during the course that will be combined and submitted together as a complete "Reflection Journal" by April 18th. The intention of each journal entry is to challenge you to reflect on how the course concepts covered every few weeks have actually "played out" in your own experiences. Through direct application, synthesis, analysis & evaluation of course concepts, your journal entries should help you develop a very practical understanding of how you can use these concepts to help you engage in more positive and productive conflict management, resolution & mediation practices in future conflict situations you encounter. Additional details will be provided on each "Journal Entry" assignment that clarifies the specific expectations for what your journal reflections should cover. "In-Depth" format requirements for each journal entry will be similar to those described above in the discussion requirements section. It is assumed that each journal entry will represent the equivalent of at least a 4-5 page, single spaced, 12point font document providing an in-depth application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of course concepts applied to specific situations you have directly experienced / observed. To provide you with adequate time to "focus" on your journal entries, the course schedule/calendar has been segmented into 2 week units with the first part of the 2 week period providing opportunity for the "Reading and Discussion" of the course content and the latter part of that period devoted to providing you with time to "Apply and Reflect" on your journal entry assignments. You will actually be provided with the journal entry assignments at the start of each 2 week period, so you can get started on these entries at any time that works for your schedule, but I am intentionally "closing" the discussions several days before the end of each 2 week period so that you will have dedicated time to "focus" on these important "Reflection" activities. Additionally, although it will be very important for you to work on these journal reflections as they are assigned throughout the course, I have also tried to build in maximum "flexibility" for your time/effort by setting the due date for all 10 journal entries to be submitted together in one complete "Reflection Journal" on April 18th. This way, you can budget your time according to when you have the ability to really 'focus" on completing these reflection assignments without feeling like you are "under a deadline" to complete these each week. That said - PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL APRIL TO WORK ON YOUR JOURNAL ENTRIES!!! Each journal entry will require a significant commitment of time and effort in order for you to satisfactorily fulfill the "In-Depth" application and reflection requirements of each assignment. This is why I have provided dedicated time every 2 weeks for you to "focus" on these. Please use this time as intended. Additionally, please understand that the time that is dedicated to focusing on these reflection journal assignments is intentionally AFTER the discussion period for each unit. THIS IS INTENTIONAL in that it is expected that your journal reflections will actually serve as a reflective EXTENSION on what has been presented in the discussion forums and NOT a repetition of what has already been presented in the units previous discussion postings. In other words, the reflection journals should use the units discussion forum postings as another source of reference information, along with the textbook readings and other outside references, etc. but should be substantively different from the discussion forum postings themselves. As an extension of the forum dialogue, the reflection journals should go deeper and farther in considering the reflection journal assignment questions and expectations and should use the discussion forums as one source for support, but MUST be substantively different and offer meaningful extension and elaboration on what has been presented in the respective units discussion forum postings. PLEASE RE-READ THIS and consult with the instructor if this is not understood clearly as THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT of this portion of the course requirements which represents 1/3 of your course grade.

Final Analysis Focus Paper Requirements (100 Points):

At the end of the semester, all students will be expected to complete a final "In-Depth" Conflict Analysis Focus Paper involving a comprehensive application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of course content covered throughout the semester to actual conflict situations. This Final Analysis Focus Paper will 282 Kacie K. Harris

represent the equivalent of your Final Exam in the course.

Explanation & Rationale for My Teaching / Facilitation Style:

The primary goal of my teaching / facilitation style is to create challenging activities that are strategically designed to promote positive and productive learning experiences for each of you individually as well as for all of you collectively. I see my role in the process as a facilitator or guide...similar to a "Tour Guide" on a "Learning Safari". If you think about that, please put the following into perspective: A tour guide cannot control whether or not you enjoy or "get something" meaningful out of the experience...only you can do that! The tour guide is not the "center of attention" but may offer suggestions or guidance from the sideline or in the background which is intended to help you navigate through your experience. A tour guide does not "have the experience for you" and should not "tell you what you should do, think, feel, etc. along the way". Accordingly, as your guide/facilitator in this class, you will not learn anything FROM ME. I will not serve as an "Expert" that expects to transfer knowledge or skills I have acquired to you. Instead, I see my role as setting up challenging learning experiences for you to complete and to challenge you to invest yourself in the 'discovery" process. Then while you "dive in" and devote a considerable amount of thought, time and effort into these experiences, if I see anything along the way that I think would be helpful or if I sense that you may be "off-track" or "falling too far behind", I will intervene as needed to help ensure that you stay on course...but please understand...there will be only one source of your learning in this class...and that will be from YOU engaging meaningfully and deeply in the experiences provided for you to invest yourself into. Please do not take my "guide on the side" approach to be a lack of interest or involvement with your learning. Instead, I am sincerely interested in make sure that you have an exceptional learning experience in this class and I will create and facilitate the experiences placed in front of you with that as my primary goal. Along the way, please do not hesitate to let me know if / when you need additional guidance, support and/or feedback from me and I will sincerely do my best to assist you throughout the course.

Spring 2013 - Course Schedule & Assignment Calendar

The following course schedule is tentative and may be changed as the semester progresses. Any changes made will be communicated to students by the instructor. Weeks Dates Readings Assignments
Syllabus Review CRM Goals Assessment Jan. 7-13 Syllabus Self-Introductions

Target Due Dates

__ Due: Jan. 7-8 __ Due: Jan. 10-11 __ Jan. 7-9 Post Self-Introduction __ Jan. 10-12 Respond to 2 Peers __ Jan. 12-13 Respond to 2 Peers

Unit 1 Week
1

Syllabus Review, CRM Goals Assessment, & Discussion Forum Posts - Due: January 13th

283 Kacie K. Harris

Unit 2 Weeks
2&3 Jan. 14-27

Chapters 1&2 Nature of Conflict

Reading & Discussion

__ Jan. 14-16: Respond to 2 Initial Questions __ Jan. 17-19: Respond to 2 Peers __ Jan. 20-22: Respond to 2 Peers

Application & __Jan. 23-27: Focus on Journals #1 & 2 Reflection Journal Entries # 1 & 2 Your Application, Synthesis, Analysis & Evaluation on "The Nature of Conflict" Due: April 18th
__ Jan. 28-29: Respond to 2 Initial Questions

Unit 3 Weeks
4&5 Jan. 28-Feb. 10

Chapters 8&9
Conflict Perspectives

Reading & Discussion __ Jan 31-Feb. 2: Respond to 2 Peers

__ Feb. 3-5: Respond to 2 Peers

Application & Reflection

__Feb. 6-10: Focus on Journals #3 & 4

Journal Entries #3 & 4 Your Application, Synthesis, Analysis & Evaluation on "Perspectives on Conflict" Due: April 18th
Unit 4 Weeks
6&7 Feb. 11-24

Chapters Reading & Discussion __ Feb. 11-13: Respond to 2 Initial Questions __ Feb. 14-16: Respond to 2 Peers 10, 11 & 12 __ Feb. 17-19: Respond to 2 Peers
Conflict Variables

Application & Reflection

__Feb. 20-24: Focus on Journals #5 & 6

Journal Entries #5 & 6 Your Application, Synthesis, Analysis & Evaluation on "Conflict Variables" Due: April 18th
Weeks Dates Readings Assignments Target Due Dates
* Start with Journal #7 - Pt. 1- Feb.24-26 __ Feb 27-Mar. 1: Respond to 2 Initial Questions __ Mar. 2-3: Respond to 2 Peers March 4-8 = Midterm Break __ Mar. 10-12: Respond to 2 Peers

Unit 5 Feb. 24-Mar. 2 Mar. 4-8 Weeks Mar. 10-16 8,9,10 Week 9 Midterm Break

Chapters 4&5
Differing Approaches to Conflict

Reading & Discussion

284 Kacie K. Harris

Application & Reflection

__ Feb. 25- 27 Focus on Journal #7 - Pt. 1 __ Mar. 13-16 Focus on Journal #7 - Pt. 2

Journal Entry #7 - Part 1 & 2 Your Application, Synthesis, Analysis & Evaluation on "Approaches to Conflict" Due: April 18th
Unit 6 Weeks
11 & 12 Mar. 17-March 30

Chapter 3, 6 & 7
Responding Constructively to Conflicts

__ Mar. 17-20: Respond to 2 Initial Questions

Reading & Discussion __ Mar. 21-23: Respond to 2 Peers

__ Mar. 24-26: Respond to 2 Peers

Application & __Mar. 27-30: Focus on Journal #8 Reflection Journal Entry #8 Discussion Synthesis, Analysis & Evaluation on "Responding Constructively to Conflicts" Due: April 18th
March 31-Apr. 13

Unit 7 Weeks
13 & 14

Chapter 13 __ Mar. 31-Apr.3: Respond to 2 Initial Questions PostReading & Discussion __ Apr. 4-8: Respond to 2 Peers Conflict __ Apr. 9-13: Respond to 2 Peers Realities Chapter 14 Mediating Other's Conflicts

Unit 8
Apr. 14-19

Week
15

Application & Reflection

__Apr. 14-16: Focus on Journal #9 & #10 __Apr. 17-19: Compile Final Journals 1-10

Journal Entry #9 & #10 Discussion Synthesis, Analysis & Evaluation on "Post-Conflict Realities" and "Mediating Other's Conflicts" ALL Journal Entries #1 - 10 - Due: April 18th

Weeks

Dates

Readings

Assignments

Target Due Dates

285 Kacie K. Harris

Unit 9 Weeks
15 & 16

Apr. 20-May 1

Complete Final Conflict Analysis Focus Paper Final Conflict Analysis Focus Paper Due: May 2nd

Unit 10
April 29-May 3

Afterword

___ CRM Goals Evaluation

__ : Complete CRM Goals Evaluation

Week
16

CRM Goals Assessment & Evaluation Due: May 4th

The schedule above is intended to offer flexibility "within" each 2-3 week unit...however...it is important to keep up with this schedule so that all assignments within a particular 2-3 week period are completed by the end of that unit. Please DO NOT fall behind (i.e. Do not plan to submit assignments or discussion postings after the unit's scheduled end date without advanced approval from your instructor). Also Please DO NOT work ahead (Do not look ahead to future unit's content or work on future unit's assignments unless directed to do so by the instructor) as the instructor will likely be continually adapting materials prior to each unit's scheduled start date.

Course Policies:
Student Behavior - Academic Honesty: Students are encouraged and expected with the assistance of faculty to conduct themselves in conformity with the highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Any violation of college, state or federal standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating or falsification of official records will not be tolerated. Students violating such standards will be advised and disciplined by the instructor and should be advised that such violations may result in course failure, suspension or dismissal from the college. It is recommended that students seek the advice of instructors as to the proper procedures to avoid such violations. The following are examples of plagiarism: Handing in an assignment that someone else has written and claiming the work as your own. Handing in an assignment that contains, sections, paragraphs, sentences or key phrases that someone else has written without documenting the source(s) for each portion of the assignment not written by you. Handing in an assignment that contains paraphrased ideas from another source, published or unpublished, without documenting the source for each paraphrase. (changing around a few words in a sentence from the sources is not sufficient to avoid plagiarism.)

Someone else in the three statements above may refer to a published author, another student, an internet 286 Kacie K. Harris

source, or any person other than the student claiming credit for the assignment. Documenting means providing the name of the author, the source you have used, and other relevant bibliographical information such as the address for web sites used for sources. If you do not know how to document sources within your paper, ask your professor or the reference librarian for assistance. (Rev. Academic Review: Oct 6, 1998) This policy will be enforced. The first offense will result in 1) a zero for the assignment and 2) the final course grade dropped two letter grades. The second offense will result in a grade of an F for the course. Attendance Policy: Online learning requires that all students actively engage in online interaction with the course content, with other students, and with the instructor. Because active online interaction and engagement is so important for student learning in online courses, the weekly discussion participation points are intentionally set to represent a significant portion of the overall course grade. Accordingly, "attendance" in this online class is required and all students are expected to "attend" class regularly by logging in frequently and actively engaging in weekly online discussions. Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Educational Opportunity Policy: Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage admissions of minority and female students and to provide procedures, which will result in equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating an environment for all students that is consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of Chadron State College to administer its academic employment programs and related supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability or marital status. Students request for reasonable accommodation based upon documented disabilities should be presented within the first two weeks of the semester, or within two weeks of the diagnosis to the Disabilities Counselor (432-6461; CRITES 338) Disclaimer: This syllabus and schedule is articulated as an expectation of class topics, learning activities and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in this schedule that, based on professional judgment, would result in enhanced or more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially change the intent of objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and procedures of Chadron State College.

Course Work My 4 Best Post Unit 2 1. My Perspective of Caitlins Post Caitlin you make a great point, I agree that there is no such thing as a relationship that doesnt have conflict. I do think that conflict is created based on two peoples strong feelings about how something should be done. My husband and I have been together for 7 years now and we just recently encountered our first major conflict. All our other conflicts where small, no anger, hostility or yelling occurred previously. Its all about the approach of the two people on how it is resolved.

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In regards to the second statement it is important when going into a conflict to remember that we are not all the same. One person might have the ability to handle conflict and another person wouldnt be able to handle it at all. I have personally witnessed this on more than one occasion; one person approaches two people, receiving two different responses. I believe this is why our text put such an importance on finding the root of the problem. I agree with Caitlin that interpersonal violence is not the way to go. Ive never personally dealt with emotional and mental violence, it can be just as damaging as physical if not more. In my opinion the mind is our worst enemy, when we look at conflict we always remember what someone said and did, where as broken bones and bruises heal. The mind remembers it all, I agree with Caitlin that violence is NEVER the option. I like Caitlins comment that in some situations two people agree to disagree, this is a strong and in my opinion a correct term. When we are dealing with others its important to remember not everyone will compromise for a solution. Knowing this sometimes the resolution is to accept the fact of there is no agreeing on one solution. Support from Readings & Outside References The quote that Caitlin uses from our text is in my opinion on the right track. [Conflict] occurs because there are deep divisions in our society that carry over into our interpersonal relationships. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) This is a strong statement that talks about the root of conflict. Conflicts occur due to the differences that we have with others. When I see conflict I think about the different perspectives that can occur in one situation. Its interesting that Caitlin and I utilized the same article in our original postings, this is a great article on Mindtools, I find myself utilizing this website a lot throughout my degree due to the massive amount of quality information that is provided. When reading this article the one thing that stood out to me was if conflict is not handled effectively, the results can be damaging. Conflicting goals can quickly turn into a personal dislike. Teamwork breaks down. Talent is wasted as people disengage from their work. And its easy to end up in a vicious downward spiral of negativity and recrimination. (Manktelow & Carlson, n.d.) In my opinion a successful conflict is one where two people share their insights without being violent and results in a successful outcome. If conflict is not handled properly it can become violent, when this occurs people get hurt, empowerment is taken away, and as a team we lose. If one person is violated
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the whole team loses in my opinion. Interpersonal violence is almost always counterproductive (Hauss, 2003) When Caitlin used this quote it made me stop and think about the things we encounter everyday. I work with kids so when a kid tells me no and has a angry attitude and the parents do nothing to help me get the exam done this creates anger. As a professional that work with kids I have to swallow this anger and find a way to work with the child. If I were to approach the situation the same as the child interpersonal violence would occur, I would be without a job. I think its always important to remember the end goal, a resolution to the conflict. In order to do so all of the people concerned must find common ground. Common ground can create a resolution resulting in less future conflicts. Ive always felt that the best way to do this is to go into the conflict with an open mind and a mutual goal, if two people have different goals a resolution cant be found. It takes teamwork for conflicts to be resolved. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations Great example Caitlin, I agree with you that it is impossible for a relationship to be without conflict. With that being said I strongly believe that depending on the two people involved within the relationship conflict may not seem to occur. When two people are open-minded conflict is less likely, each person feels free to share their thoughts, opinions, and belief free of judgment; resulting in a relationship with little to no conflict. Like Caitlin I too have been bullied, mainly for standing up to people to prevent them from doing the wrong thing. Many times I came across as a goodie goodie that wouldnt break the rules, yet I did plenty of rule breaking on my own. I do want to say that I do believe that people that are bullies have been bullied before; they know what its like but they have no way to express that hurt so they turn it to someone else. I think it all depends on the persons personality on whether being bullied makes them angry creating a new bully or depressed by lowering their self esteem. I believe it can go one way or the other. Finding the root of the problem allows for a way to solve the problem. A great example is one that was just mentioned, bullying. Finding the cause of someone bullying another will help find a solution and a resolution to the problem. Many times its anger, if we were to find out what the anger stemmed from it would allow for a action plan to resolve that anger. Like Caitlin I too argued with my parents and later couldnt tell you why or what it was about, or how we got to that point. Its always amazing how situations change and many times we question how it got to that point.
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The last example that Caitlin mentioned I believe to be a common one. Many times as a younger working person I find that the older co-workers believe that we know nothing. When I was a supervisor at the local grocery store I was in charge of many people who were older than my mom and in many situations I was told that I had no clue what I was doing and that I just need to go back to my office. At one point I told the lady that if she wanted my job maybe she should of applied for it, and the only response I received was no thanks I have a life. So because I had the drive to improve and move up at 19 years old with a result of being bullied by an employee. Needless to say it didnt last much longer. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I think its interesting how I agree with so much that Caitlin talked about, although there were some aspects that I thought slightly different it was a great post. When we look at conflict many people think of two people yelling when its not always the case. Conflict can be a simple disagreement of ideas or beliefs without the hostility. One major thing that Ive learned throughout this unit is the importance of knowing what kind of conflict, having all the information, and finding a resolution. I always thought a resolution and solution was the same thing, but its not. Resolution is the answer to the problem for future reference where as a solution is the answer to the problem now. Its interesting how there are many times where the immediate answer is needed and the future isnt thought about. I agree with Caitlins thought about listening to others ideas. Ive always believed that I cant make a decision or judgement about an idea without listening to the persons reasoning. Its important to have all the information, making a informed decision will result in a good educated decision.

Bibliography Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managing Conflict through Communication (4th ed.). Bouston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Cardillo, D. (n.d.). Seven Strategies for Managing Conflict. Retrieved Jan 2013, from Donna Cardillo & Associates: www.dcardillo.com Hauss, C. (2003). Retrieved Jan 2013, from Interpersonal Conflict and Violence:
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www.byondintractability.colorado.edu Manktelow, J., & Carlson, A. (n.d.). Conflict Resolution: Resolving Conflict Rationally and Effectively. Retrieved Jan 2013, from Mind Tools: www.mindtools.com

2. My Perspective on Gordons Post I strongly agree with Gordons post, his perspective on the confrontation avoidance cycle is perfect. Anytime we are dealing with other people we have to stand back and look at the situation and some people unintentionally follow the six step included in the cycle. Ive witnessed this many times and its usually by successful people, and when I say successful I am speak of people who do great things in life. The first step to confrontation avoidance is preparation, this is very important, one must figure out what the problem is and what is anything can be done to fix it. Its important to investigate the issue to ensure the approach is appropriate, it also allows for more insight on expectations of others involved. Once the essential information is set its important to speak with those involved. When the initial approach is made the other person can and will usually shy away from the confrontation, the We need to talk is a strong statement that will cause many to put a wall up and attempt to avoid. I agree that once you initiated that conversation that its vital to stop, listen, and consider the persons point of view. Ive seen so many times where this doesnt happen and the conversation takes a drastic turn for the worst. Once both persons involved have had a chance to express their needs, concerns, and ideas a resolution can occur. So many times these types of conversations are avoided due to prior experiences. This only makes the approach that much more important, once the resolution has been made its important to meet back up with the individual to see how the plan is working out, ensuring success. Support from Readings & Outside References The definitions Gordon mentioned are great examples of how to overcome conflict. Each stage is vital to create, Prelude to conflict, triggering event or stimulus, initiation phase, differentiation phase, and the resolution phase in my opinion all stages
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have their important role in conflict. The prelude to conflict is known as the environment and participants involved. Depending on these keys aspects will determine the success of the conflict. The trigger of the event is in relation to the trigger, for one person it may not bother them, which might not be the same for another. Once the trigger has been activated the determination of how it is handled is consistent with the differentiation stage. The differentiation phase is defined as where the conflict is escalated or deescalated. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) All these step determine the resolution, if one can be found or not. Diane Helbig exampled it well in her article. Step 1: Decide Your Desired Outcome, Step 2: Recap The Goal and Expectations, Step 3: Recap What is Happening and Step 4: Seek Input. (Helbig, 2012) Each step provides a easy four step approach to confrontation. Avoiding confrontation will allow the issue to grow and more problems to arise. The quote that Gordon sighted stating, in work conflict getting results and reaching company objectives can be more important than hurt feelings. (Endress, 2010) This put the steps right into perspective that the problem needs to be addressed regardless of possibly hurting someones feelings. The goal is not to hurt anyone or offend anyone, the end goal is a resolution and in some situations the person who is being approached might become defensive. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Gordons experience based on the culture in which you are interacting with can determine the type of conflict that is encountered. Ive personally witnessed many families that wont rock the boat per say. They will judge and talk about people behind their backs and when a real problem is present no one will confront the issue. All that results from this is anger, hostility, and internal conflict. It amazes me that the situation Gordon was put in when faced with the simple fact of implementing a budget. It understand where some people feel uncomfortable whit conflict, but the way I look at it is that in its business its not personal. Decisions are made based on whats best for the business not the personal comfort of the employees. With an action plan the company employees still refused to follow the assignment plan and budget to avoid conflict. Personally Ive never witnessed this issue in my places of work. Ive experienced one similar; the hiring manager at my hospital
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would avoid conflict by sending emails rather than speaking to the employee in person. All this did was create hostility from the employees towards the manger. I agree with Gordons end decision on releasing the team, sometimes we have no choice but to give in and find someone who will do the job correctly. When someone isnt producing the desired outcome and modifications have been made to help assist in such, sometimes the best thing to do is let go. Approaching conflict is something that is learned, its not something we just know how to do. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned One major thing that Ive realized throughout Gordons post is the importance of being able to handle conflict. When in a professional situation its important to know how to approach the situation, find an action plan, implement the plan, and find results. Some managers and supervisors struggle with the approach of conflict so its important to provide training for difficult encounters. I agree with Gordon that some people do indeed live for conflict, and those people I believe are the ones who dont handle conflict in the way that is should be. We all have different expectations on how conflicts should be handled. On the other side the people who avoid conflict can create just as many problems. A person who avoids conflict as I read in Gordons post can create major issues within a business. A person who loves conflict can also create major problems, so the best way for one to solve these kinds of issues it to find common ground. In order to be successful in conflict the careful steps must be taken to ensure a successful resolution.

Bibliography Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managing Conflict through Communication (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Endress, P. (2010). Managing Conflict at Work Versus Managing Personal Conflict - 4 Differences You Should Be Aware of. Retrieved Jan 2013, from Ezine @rticles: www.ezinearticles.com Helbig, D. (2012, July 3). Conflict Avoidance Strategies That Work. Retrieved Jan 2013, from Small Business Trends: www. smallbiztrends.com

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3. My perspective on Pamelas Post Pamela makes a great point of finding out what causes behaviors to be destructive, the importance of identifying these issues. She is right that conflict is not always bad, its actually healthy if done correctly, as long as there is no violence it creates open dialog for information. Avoiding conflict can be dangerous as well, if you dont communicate the information no one knows, creating holes in communication and less production. It can creates a vicious cycle is one doesnt ensure good communication skills. The chilling effect in conflict begins eith the perception that all conflicts are bad, this fear causes people to think that its not worth speaking my mind if its going to turn into an argument. The cycle then turns to if avoidance happens then there is a decrease level of communication resulting in a decrease in the strenght of the relationship, thus resulting in relationship death. Its like being in a marriage, if you avoid sharing your feelings to avoid conflict, you shut down; once you shut down this results in little to no communication and again resulting in relationship death, also known as divorce. When people dont communicate and express their feelings, thoughts, and beliefs it builds up and creates anger and hostility. I believe that Pamelas comment that the notion that conflict is bad is a complete misconception. As long as the persons involved abstain from interpersonal violence conflict is productive. Every healthy relationship has conflict, everyones conflict is slightly different because we all communicate in different ways so its important to remember that conflict is a good source of communication. Support from Readings & Outside References The chilling effect of conflict is described in our text as: The chilling effect begins with the reception that conflict has negative effects. This fear leads us to belief that conflict is not worth the effort that it would take to enact. When conflicts are avoided, however, other types of communication in the relationship decrease. A decrease in communication often leads to a decrease in commitment to the
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relationship. After several cycles of decreased communication and decreased commitment, we may simply cycle out the relationship altogether. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) As you can see in our text is is simply put that with the absence of conflict there is an absence in communication which ultimately results in relationships ending. I agree with Pamela that the six step to confrontation that the book mentions will help individuals approach and process confrontation. The steps being with identifying the need, telling the person you want to talk, then actually talking to the person, listen to their side/views, find a resolution and finally follow up on the solution to ensure a resolution has been found. Each person has his or her own way of approaching conflict; Diane Helbig exampled it well in her article. (Helbig, 2012) Step 1: Decide Your Desired Outcome Step 2: Recap The Goal and Expectations Step 3: Recap What is Happening Step 4: Seek Input Each step she provides an easy more simple approach to the initiation of confrontation. If one avoids confrontation issues to grow and more problem will arise. I like how Pamela mentioned harmony, the only way to obtain harmony in a relationship is through conflict in my opinion. In order to be satisfied in any relationship one must feel the freedom to confront the other with issues and find a resolution, opening that line of communication. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Pamela had a very interesting example of her interactions with her supervisor. It brings up a great point. Currently at my hospital we are working on a Just Culture approach to management. It is a way to try and get people to open up to their managers and be more forward about information. A great example if we have a problem with another department or we see a coworker placing them in a position that can compromise patient safety. WE are able to QSRS ourselves or others, its a form of reporting issues to management. Just Culture
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was created to help employees approach their managers with concerns and issues without feeling as if theyll get in trouble. Its important in any field to feel like you can approach your manager with an issue and not feel as though you will encounter conflict or discipline. Ive personally felt as though this program has provided employees with tools on conflict, and growth for departments as well as the organization as a whole. I have experienced a supervisor where I was even afraid to call in sick due to conflict. Its important as a manager and as an employee to have open forms of communication. The six steps that walk you through conflict will help anyone approach and find a solution during the approach of conflict. Sometimes all it takes is someone standing up and approaching the needed individuals with issues. The perfect example of the chilling effect results in relationship death proves that when someone dont communicate things go down hill and eventually the relationship is over, this relationship can be professional or personal so its important to utilize the steps provided to get through conflict. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned The one thing that keeps popping up in my mind during these posts is the importance of conflict. Conflict is not an argument; its a crucial conversation of vital information. Its important to not be afraid of conflict, in Pamelas case I understand where it was difficult to approach the manager in the situation. One thing that Ive learned in life is that in some situations it may take a third party to kind of referee a conflict to make sure everything stays on track and no one gets out of control. I personally witnessed this just yesterday at my internship. Two managers needed the director to run a mediation for problems in communication. The only issue I find with these kinds of situations is the mediator has to be very careful not to take sides. The director that I am interning with it very good at not taking sides its important in conflict to stay open minded and not jump to conclusions. Great post Pamela!

Bibliography Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managing Conflict through Communication (4th ed.).
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Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Helbig, D. (2012, July 3). Conflict Avoidance Strategies That Work. Retrieved Jan 2013, from Small Business Trends: www. smallbiztrends.com 4. My Perspective on Brittneys Post Its interesting that Brittney selected the Competitive Escalation Cycle; I have found that many people struggle with this cycle. Known as the cycle where the person has one concern and one concern only, winning the argument. This cycle results in unresolved problems. Im right youre wrong (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) I like how Brittney utilized the example that the text goes through, Prelude, Trigger, Initiation, Differentiation, and Resolution. I see how easy it can be to get into the competitive escalation cycle, when two people are in a relationship its important to utilize good communication, which begins with knowing the prelude of conflict. The prelude of conflict, taking into consideration the people involved, the relationships between them, the by-standards, and the environment in which it takes place. Once the prelude has been taken into consideration you have to find the trigger. What stimulated the problem? In Brittneys example is was the comment that was made by the boyfriend that obviously offended the girlfriend. Once the conflict has been triggered a response is initiated. Depending on the persons involved it can either end here on continue. In Brittneys example the girlfriend yelled back creating the continuation of conflict. In my personal experience Ive stopped here with my husband because I dont want to say something I dont mean or that I will regret. So I tell him to cool down and we will talk once we both have a chance to think about what we want to say to one another. Depending on his mood he is in it will escalate the conflict or end it, this is the differentiation stage. If the conflict continues we end up not having a resolution. You have to prepare, talk, confront, listen and resolve the problem. Support from Readings & Outside References The Competitive Escalation Cycle: This cycle is fueled by previously unresolved grievances that color the perception of the current conflict. The conflict is initiated with
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competitive messages that indicate a Im right- youre wrong stance on the part of the initiator. They cycle is intensified when the other responds with a win-lose orientation as well. The outcome is generally that one person wins, and the other loses. The person who has lost has another unresolved grievance the will affect future conflicts. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) Its a vicious cycle of unresolved issues. Douglas Noll states the first stage is part of normal, everyday life. Even good relationships have moments of conflict. (Noll, 2000) Once the initiation has occurred it proceeds to stage two at this stage, each party does everything possible to not show weakness. (Noll, 2000) The trigger that creates the escalation. During the next stage we see the initiation where each person has the fear of losing which creates a competitive pull of whos right and whos wrong. This relates back to the fourth step in the Effective Confrontation Cycle: Consider your partners point of view. Employees can easily get stuck in unhealthy conflict that can snowball and result in a poisoned work environment and even workplace violence. (Must, 2012) Differentiation is the ongoing interaction pattern occurs when the participants use constructive or destructive strategies and tactics. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) When this occurs the tension can just build and build to the point that the disagreement never comes to a resolution. With the competitive escalation cycle conflict never comes to a resolution due to the lack of listening and structure. Support from My Own Experience & Observations Brittney brings up an interesting point, the difference between a emotional relationship conflict and a professional one. I personally find myself doing the same thing at times, I tend to be much more emotional with home life situations that at work. I have a friend that doesnt do this and I believe that it hinders her professionally. When you react to your manager in a emotional way in many aspects its unprofessional and things are said that shouldnt be. I tell her all the time you have to think about what you say before you say it, theres a right way to say things and a wrong way. She was raised thinking that everything needs to be said to anyone, the problem is when it comes to your career thats not the case. In the professional world we have to watch our Ps & Qs our phrases and questions because there are some situations where it can be inappropriate for certain things to be said. Some people just dont understand that. I understand where Brittney
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is coming from sometimes its hard not to get emotional and yell and no matter what Im right attitude. Just last night my husband and I were going back and forth about how much of a show I saw that he recorded and played for me. He claimed I only saw half and I told him no you showed me the whole thing, so what did he do. He pulled it up on the internet to show me and I finally said fine youre right even though he was wrong. Its a matter of picking your battles. Is it really worth to argument? Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Like I stated IS IT WORTH THE ARGUMENT? When I look at a possible disagreement I look at the situation and ask myself if its worth the emotion, argument, or hurt. In many situations its not, if everyone thought about it this way we wouldnt have to worry about the competitive escalation cycle. Its all about winning. When you have two people who are set in their way and refuse to lose its a vicious cycle. Its emotional and dramatic, in my opinion its not worth it. In every relationship there is away to communication without the escalation due to competition. When in the competitive escalation cycle there is never a resolution. So the question is where does the argument end? The argument never ends when communication is competitive because there is never a resolution. Its a cycle that goes round and round with the same issues over and over. Theres never an end. The best way to approach and to overcome competitive escalation cycle is to utilize the 6 steps of confrontation.

Bibliography Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managing Conflict through Communication (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Must, K. (2012, Jan). Five Tips to Avoid Unhealthy Conflict and Improve Work Relationships. Retrieved 2013, from MOSAIC Counseling + Family Services: blog.mosaiconline.ca Noll, D. (2000, Nov). Conflict Escalation: A Five Phase Model. Retrieved Jan 2013, from Mediate.com: www.mediate.com

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My 4 Best Post Unit 3 1. My Perspective on Shannons Post Shannon makes a great point, 20/20 hindsight happens more than we think. We do this when we get stuck in traffic, or when we are stuck in the emergency room for 3 hours. The after thought of maybe that would have been a better option doesnt always come to light until we are done or stuck in the middle of a traffic jam. I think we can all relate to the 20/20 vision. I agree with Shannon that we all think in the aspect of I should of our after thought of how we should have reacted to a situation creates a learning experience of how to handle the situation next time. Some learn from their experiences and others dont, its important to improve in each conflict situation. In order to learn how to improve on your ability to handle conflict a person must evaluate their actions. Having the ability to utilize 20/20 hindsight we are able to create better choices, behaviors, and reactions to conflict. I like how Shannon mentioned role-play; in many businesses role-play is utilized to help their employees know how to handle difficult situations with customers. The perfect example of 20/20 utilized for improvement. It also allows for us to improve our personal relationships. When we enter into a relationship with a friend or loved one we learn their buttons we learn their sensitivities. In our readings one example was about a stepfather who decided not to approach his stepdaughter about her $300 phone bill. He knows bringing it up to his wife or the stepdaughter will cause conflict, so he decides to pay the bill and move on. Although this is avoidance its the way he chose to handle the situation based on previous experience. Support from Readings & Outside References The trigger event is known as the stimulus is a behavior that at least one person in the conflict points to as the beginning of the problem. (A Process View of Conflict) Its important for each of us to know our triggers to help prevent and manage conflict situations. In a relationship its important to know how to handle our loved ones triggers. Once the trigger has been acknowledged the initiation phase comes into play.
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This phase is when at least one person involved recognizes the presence of conflict. Many times in this phase people say things that they dont mean, they create more conflict taking away from the resolution. Especially when things escalate as Shannon mentioned. Things can be said and they cant be taken back. A Conflict not only can arise between individuals bust also among countries, political parties, and states as well. A small conflict not controlled at the correct time may lead to a large war and rifts among countries leading to major unrest and disharmony. (Understanding Conflict - Meaning and Phases of Conflict, 2012) Its important for each person to know and understand the phases of conflict to avoid complete meltdowns not only in relationships but also between countries. In order for us to know how to handle conflict better we must know the phases, triggers, and potential outcomes of our interactions. The quote that Shannon utilized provides the perfect example. becoming aware of our behaviors at each stage in the conflict can help us be more successful in dealing with the conflicts in our lives. (A Process View of Conflict) Support from Personal Experiences & Observations Shannons experience was a great example of how situations can be mishandled and misrepresented. Ive experienced this in many different ways, it can be a employee not being happy with their job creating conflict with others, or it can be simply one person not doing their job and others having to pick up the slack. In my experience when people make assumptions and dont hold up their portion of the work this creates major conflict. At the hospital where I work we have a lead who doesnt do his part of the job, he makes assumptions that we arent doing our job correctly as he sits there without knowing the whole story and makes snide remarks. This incident happened just recently and still makes me upset. I work the overnight weekend shift, Im 5 months pregnant, and doing 24 hours of internship during the week so when Monday morning comes around Im glad to go home and sleep. We were slammed at the hospital and the lead made a snide remark to me you need to start earlier my remark back to him was I would have if the network wasnt down. I was nothing short to very angry. Later in the week I went to the supervisor to vent and explained what all was going on and why we were so busy. I explained to him that if the lead would have simply asked who, what, when, where, and why rather then jumping to telling me what to do I
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wouldnt have ended up so mad. When all I see him as sitting there bossing people around I probably wouldnt have taken the comment to heart. A great example of knowing how to handle people, how to make the right comments, and manage people. Know the whole story before making assumptions. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Shannon is right; no two situations are the same. Something to remember when dealing with people in order to be successful one must be able to handle conflict. The cycle of conflict has the same phases no matter who you are we all go through the same routine phases. The major insight is to take into consideration the 20/20 hindsight that we get after the situation and learn from them. As a leader we must be able to adjust, learn, and improve on conflicts to better handle situations the next time. Its all a learning process, and in order to obtain the best results is to improve with every situation that you encounter. Shannon stated learning from your mistakes; this is so vital in the improvement of handling conflict. As humans our emotions can get the best of us so it is very important to take a step back, think, and then react. When we react out of emotion we set ourselves up for failure in conflict.

Bibliography A Process View of Conflcit. In Theoretical Perspectives on Managing Conficts (pp. 152176). Understanding Conflict - Meaning and Phases of Conflict. (2012). Retrieved Feb 2013, from Management Study Guide: www.managementstudyguide.com

2. My Perspective on Lanas Post Lana makes a great point; at one point or another in our lives each person has encountered one theory or another. The psychodynamic theory is the interaction of the
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emotion and motivation along with the internal forces of the behavior. We all struggle with making emotional, motivated decisions based on internal forces. I like how Lana mentioned that some situations are blown out of proportion, in other words some people take a conflict and create a big fiasco when it was a little situation. I find these types of personalities not suitable for management. When a leader blows something way out of proportion they are the one ultimately creating the conflict situation. The job of a leader is to minimize and manage the conflict situations not create them. What we consciously and subconsciously think and react is the psychodynamic theory. Being human we have a tendency to react sometimes out of instinct, which can be emotional and unrealistic. Its important to know where we are consciously and subconsciously so we are aware of possible outcome. Lanas statement that being in a relationship takes two or more people each having their own values, beliefs, and opinions. Each person in the relationship has their reactions and experiences on how to handle situations. This is just another obstacle to overcome, dealing with others id, superego, and ego. Support from Readings & Outside References Lana makes a great point with her quote from the book that states, the key concept that unifies the theories is their assumption that the way people act in situations is due to their individual dispositions and ways of thinking. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) When dealing with the psychodynamic theory its important to remember we all react in our own way. Psychodynamic theories commonly find that childhood experiences shape personality. Such theories are associated with psychoanalysis, a type of therapy that attempts to reveal unconscious thoughts and desires. (Definition of Psychodynamic Theory, 2013) The id, superego, and ego of individuals describe the reason why we do, want and react the way we do. Sometimes we react and then realize there was nothing to react over, the theory explains the false conflict. Sometimes in our minds play games on us, giving us the sense of conflict when in reality there isnt one. This is very important to recognize in any kind of relationship, if someone thinks and feels as though there is conflict when there isnt one they will react in a unrealistic manner.

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I agree with Lana that each and every relationship is different and the only way for those relationships can and will be successful. Its important to know and recognize the aspects of individuals so you know how to handle the conflict. Something that can help is to take a situation, and learn from it. Most people with the same type of personality will tend to react in similar ways, knowing whom you are dealing with will help determine your approach. Support from my Own Experiences & Observations Its interesting how we all handle relationships; Ive always believed that its based on how strong we are as an individual and the self-esteem we have. When we are young as the girl was in Lanas example we tend to find a guy irresistible and we cant live without them. At that age this is common. One thing that is important is that we grow and improve our psychodynamic abilities. We evolve over time, as we mature into adults we find the skills to handle relationships and conflicts in a more construct and healthy manner. That being said this is not always the case. There are always exceptions to the theories. In the professional world we find the importance to knowing our true desires and motivations to the things that we want. In order to obtain these abilities one has to be aware of their weaknesses. Another important thing to take into consideration is not taking it personally. Over the years Ive learned that in the business world its business its not personal. In a personal relationship we must live, learn, and move on. With life there is wins, losses, gains, and obstacles we all face, the only way to improve is to take into consideration the experiences and improve. If its our ego we have to find out why we want the things that we want and decide if it is worth the effort. Is our health worth a boy breaking up with us? It may hurt for a while but nothing is worth our health or lives. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned The important aspect to remember is that every situation is unique along with the individuals in which you deal with. With every encounter one experiences something new to learn form. Knowing whom you are dealing with will help to minimize any potential conflict that may arise. I agree with Lana that being fair in any type of relationship personal or professional. Knowing when to walk away from a situation is just as important as
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knowing how to handle one. Sometimes its best to just walk away. When we go into a conflict or interaction with another person its important to look at how the interaction and reaction will affect you personally as well as the other person. The goal is to solve problems not create them. Finding a solution to a problem helps a person grow and improve for next time.

Bibliography Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managing Conflict Through Communication (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Definition of Psychodynamic Theory. (2013). Retrieved Feb 2013, from Chegg: www.chegg.com

3. My Perspective on Mursals Post Its always important to understand who, what, when, where and why in conflict. The best way to resolve conflict knows the answers, I agree with Mursal that understanding each phase moves us closer to conflict as well as a resolution. Each person will have their own approach to conflict as a result it is a great advantage to understand the phases to ensure a smooth encounter. I personally lean towards the prelude to conflict, the variables that allow for conflict to be possible between parties. The people involved, the relationship among them, the bystanders, and the environment in which the conflict occurs are all very important aspects. From that point you have the trigger, the initiation phase, differentiation, and finally the resolution phase. Each creates its won unique set of obstacles. In Mursals post the conflict destructive cycle was described. The one important aspect of this is to avoid the URP (undesired repetitive pattern). This is the feeling that some people get, the feeling that they are trapped causing a spur of the moment reaction. This automatic response can be dangerous due to the lack of empathy, thought and steps are missed; many times these conflict can be avoided if they are
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handled correctly. Each conflict is going to be different even if its with the same person over and over. The goal to maintain good communication is to take the conflict step by step, and avoid quick reactions. No matter the type of conflict, they can all be resolved through step-by-step encounters and good communication. Having the same end-goal in mind is key, resolution. Support from Readings & Outside References Conflict results from real or perceived opposition to ones values, actions, desires or general interest. (Meehan, n.d.) When we are put into a situation where conflict is inevitable its important to know the difference as well as how to handle it. Its best to try and be constructive, working with the other person on a resolution. Constructive conflict refers to conflict in which the benefits exceed the costs; it generates productive, mutually beneficial, shared decisions. (Meehan, n.d.) In this process how you get to the solution is just as important as the resolution itself. You want to be constructive; you want to build a foundation for the resolution to stand on so you have a strong/secure result. This will ultimately strengthen the relationships between the parties involved. In order to be constructive in you conflict there must be good communication and the willingness from both sides to come up with a resolution. One person cannot come up with a constructive resolution, when only one person makes the decision it turns into destructive conflict. Destructive conflict, which promotes inequality and an imbalance of power, often damages relationships. (Meehan, n.d.) Destructive conflict has three main cycles; confrontation avoidance, the chilling effect, and the competitive escalation cycle. Each cycle has pros and cons, its important to approach conflict in a constructive manner. The In the confrontation cycle conflict is avoided as much as possible. Because we would like to avoid conflict, experiencing one makes us nervous. Generally, something that makes us nervous is something we put off. (A Process View of Conflict) We have the pro of not being in a conflict yet nothing is resolved. The chilling effect is what happens when the whole truth is not told. When someone holds something back in fear of the other persons reaction. In my experience the reaction is never as bad as expected. Lastly the competitive escalation cycle is defined, as the conflict is so strong because the only interest is winning, the message is lost. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations
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In Mursals example there are key problems in the conflict resolution. When two people want to try their way and not listen to the other person it can have devastating results. In this situation both partners had their ideas of what should be done without compromise. I strongly believe in compromise, I believe that when two ideas can be molded into one that idea is stronger then the two individual ones. In my experience Ive learned the importance of listening to others ideas and opinions. Ive been in a position where if I would have only listened we would have been more successful. The problem is sometimes my control issues get the better of me and my team suffered as a result. When working with others the line of communication needs to be open as well as the conflict resolution. If a bad form of conflict resolution is present success will be unreachable. In order to be successful the parties must be able to overcome conflict with a good strong resolution. Knowing who, what, when, where and why are key points to overcoming conflict successfully. I pride myself now in my ability to take a step back, listen, and find a collaborative resolution for the best of my team. It takes patience, listening and knowledge of conflict to be successful at overcoming it. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Mursal 100% that many of us see the conflict resolution as common sense yet its not. For many people they dont think about the logistics that go into resolution of problems or the course one needs to take in order to be successful. Its important for us to educate others so they are aware and have the ability to successfully overcome conflict. Taking step-by-step is one of the most important aspects of resolution. Have a plan and a goal with the other party to ensure everyone is on the same page, this is the best way to avoid conflict. Not every situation is going to be the same, its important to have the ability to adjust when needed for the best results. Conflict does not always have to be present, if all parties stay open minded, listen, and take in what the other party suggest a compromised solution will allow for conflict to be avoided. We all handle each situation differently, stay open minded. The best practice is to find a way to work with conflict for a constructive and successful resolution.

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Bibliography A Process View of Conflict. In Theoretical Perspectives on Managing Conflict (pp. 152176). Meehan, C. (n.d.). Differences Between Destructive & Constructive Conflict. Retrieved Feb 2013, from Chron: www.chron.com

4. My Perspective on Gordons Post I love how Gordon selected The Big Bang Theory his example is great. When Sheldon does the awkward things that he does he doesnt understand or realize that its abnormal behavior. He claims it is because hes a genius. Everyone around Sheldon is wrong and doesnt know what they are doing according to Sheldon because as he claims hes smarter. I find in this show he not only struggles with the interaction with Amy but everyone in his life is forced to make accommodations for his idiosyncrasies. He has to sit in one spot on the couch, he must have the kitty song sang to him when hes sick and so on. His awkwardness with the world is something to take note of. Sheldons superego gets in his way a lot in my opinion because he thinks on a scientist level rather than a personal one. As Gordons example mentioned Amy forced him to say something romantic for she was going to leave. His behavior suppresses all urges that are biological, the hormones that is what attracts us to our mates. Amy seeks the gratification which is a character of her id. She craves the attention and normalcy with Sheldon. Another great episode is when Amy gets the flu. She craves the attention so much from Sheldon she ends up faking the duration of her illness, after he takes a mucus sample from her while she is sleeping (his super ego) to see why she wasnt getting better. Gordon really selected a great show to show the three stages of personalities of Freud. The id, superego, and ego are all important personality traits to find in others. Its an explanation to why they respond in the way they do. Support from Readings & Outside References

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The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality. Freud talked about the id, superego, and ego of personalities, each describing traits that each person portrays. The description of id is that the personality that a person portrays is unconscious an unconscious behavior which is present at birth. These are instinctive behaviors that are based on the pleasure principle. The ego is the reality based personality; everything is realistic and socially appropriate. Lastly the superego is where we hold our morals, standards, and ideals. There are two main parts to the superego; ego ideal which is explained as the rules and standards for good behavior . The second part of the superego is the conscience which is similar to norms; its the things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These three forms of personality bring us to the attribution theory which is described as the assumptions that we make to justify others actions. Gordons point is a good one about Amy blaming Sheldon for being unromantic for bringing Raja on their date. Many people in the show utilize the attribution theory with Sheldon to find a reason for his awkward behaviors. Sheldon utilizes this theory by blaming others inadequacies on the fact that Sheldon being a genius. In this show I see the uncertainty theory a lot, the unclear communication, a great example of this is when Howard and Penny get married and Penny is trying to get Howard to move out of his moms house. The unclear communication between the three of them creates false conflicts. Mainly because Howard is lying to both women to make them happy so the two women blame the other for the reason of why Howard not moving out, a false conflict. Support from my Own Experiences & Observations Gordon I really enjoyed you example, its always hard as a young person to encounter and overcome those experiences. Dating in high school is always pretty entertaining to say the least. I personally had a pretty similar experience with high school, its interesting how we adapt, grow, and move on. Sometimes I look back and think about all the fun I had and wonder how I survived my parents. I grew up in Texas, my freshman year my mom remarried a man from Colorado. So just as all my lifelong friends and I were headed off to the big 5A high school campus I was moving to Kiowa, Colorado. A town with less than a thousand people in it. I was
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not a happy camper. I took all my anger out on the court playing all the sports I could, until I met my high school sweetheart. He was very sweet and the cutest guy in school. With me being angry and his home life slowly falling apart we found ourselves becoming closer and closer. Its interesting how two people can come together based on common difficulties. He graduated a year before me so my senior year I felt lost; we broke up and were barely on speaking terms. After I graduated his home life got worse and he found comfort in talking to me again. On and off for the next year I decided it was best to move on. I went off to college and he stayed in the little town of Kiowa. Now we are both married to other people and our interactions have become awkward. Im not 100% sure why, maybe its because of all the history, Im not sure. This was 10 years ago not yesterday, maybe some people cant move past the past. Food for Thought, Insights Gained, & Lessons Learned Its funny how Gordon mentions his list. Ive utilized the pro and con list in many situations including relationships. Its best to know why you stay and not leave. And without a list its all in your head and sometimes writing it down, walking away, and rereading it helps make a better long term decision. I did this exact thing when I was looking into getting my masters. The pros were that I was going to have the skills and education to support my family and the con was itd make 10 years worth of college. The pro outweighed the con and here I am. Cost analysis is important to do in everything, if we dont do this we dont realize the consequences of the decisions that we are making. Great post Gordon I really enjoyed reading your post. Its interesting how many people think along the same lines and have similar experiences. I believe this is taught to us by our parents and the experiences that we live though. We must live, learn, and adapt to situations in order to be successful.

Bibliography Cherry, K. (n.d.). The Id, Ego, and Superego The structural Model of Personality. Retrieved Feb 2013, from About.com Psychology: psychology.about.com McLeod, S. (2007). Psychodynamic Approach. Retrieved Feb 2013, from Simply
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Psychology: www.simplypsychology.org

My 2 Best Post Unit 4

1.
My Perspective on Caitlins Post I agree with Caitlin that this unit did open the eyes of all of us to see the emotions that go into conflicts. The effectiveness of conflict management = stress management + anger management + impression management is very true. Its always hard to keep our emotions out of the conflict because we are all human we all have feelings. I like how Caitlin brought up the different types of stress we tend to encounter. I agree that stress is an everyday part of life; we just have to know how to handle it in a constructive way. A great example is this semester is very stressful for me, this being my last semester, doing two different portfolios, and an oral exam. With all the writing that is required its been hard to stay afloat. So I may be behind in my writing, but thats all I can do is take one thing at a time and not get overwhelmed. Anger management is a very important subject that many people need to take into consideration. Especially when it affects the people around us. I have found myself doing this exact thing, when Im stress I tend to get angry very easily. Its important to be aware of these characters and take into consideration when a loved one comes home and flies off the handle over split milk theres something more going on. Its interesting how this is the chapters we read this last week because I encountered a conflict at work due to stress. A parent brought their child in for an upset stomach, I was performing the radiography exam and the mother was becoming so stress with everything she stopped the exam and refused to continue. Parents have this right, I understood her stress, her child was mentally handicap and was not cooperating, and she had a long day. So I was empathic by not taking her anger personally took her back to her room and explained the situation to the doctor. We all have our own stressors its important to be empathic to others for we each have our own stories. Support from Readings & Outside References I agree with Caitlin that these chapters where very beneficial in learning more
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about conflict management. Finding new ways to learn, understand, handle and overcome difficult situations. When we are stress we tend to become emotional and are unable to keep a level head resulting in conflict. The best way to manage these situations is to have a better understanding of the stress that they are experiencing. The quote that Caitlin used from Abigail and Cahn that stated We can avoid stress by minimizing the number of irrational thoughts we entertain. We can monitor our emotional reactions to problematic situations and ask what feelings different events are around in us. We can record out self-talk and make sure it is positive rather than negative. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) I think the most important aspect of this quote is to make sure we dont make assumptions about others reactions, by talking through situations and trying our best to keep emotions away. The five conditions of anger management that Abigail and Cahn suggested are very fitting in my opinion. Taking a time out to regain self-control is a very important step to take, to collect all the emotions and think about the approach that you want to take. Which helps in the second condition; not taking the anger out on someone who is not involved, many times we get stressed and our friends, family, and loved ones are the ones who end up getting the blunt of it. This provides us with the ability to restore control over the situation, which is the third condition. This provides a sense of control over the other party, this being the forth condition. Being able to influence the other party can be a big advantage in many situations. Lastly we should express our emotions with slight emotion, enough to show passion and empathy. Being a responsible yet emotional person provides both parties with insight and ways to handle conflict in a constructive manner. I agree with Caitlin that these conditions can be very difficult to stick to in a conflict situation. We as humans get emotional and if we feel threatened we get angry, we get defensive. These responses are forms of emotion, which is the one thing we have been reading that needs to be kept out of conflict situations. When we get emotional we say and do things we dont mean, when we take and use the five conditions we find a way to take one step at a time, manage the emotion, and find a good solution for all. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations I understand Caitlins perspective; I have felt like that every semester for the last 10 years of my college career. When we see how much work is required in a short amount of time we get overwhelmed and stress occurs. This semester is particularly
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difficult for me; being my last semester I just finished my four-month internship that was keeping me at the hospital 7 days a week between my paid position and the internship all in my first trimester of my pregnancy. I have two portfolios to make, two classes to keep up with, and an oral exam. Ive never experienced so much all at once. So for the babys sake Ive learned to take it a week at a time, because if I stress out it stresses the baby out. Its a hard thing to get use to because for 28 years Ive been able to just do it all. Now my husband has picked up my slack at home doing the chores and cooking because when Im home Im glued to my computer. I strongly believe that the best way to handle stressful situations is to have support from others. The goals that we set have to be reachable, if you have to start out small do that and build. Take one step at a time to prevent being over whelmed. Its very easy to do so especially when it comes to schoolwork. Another important subject that Caitlin mentioned was the anger that comes from stress and conflict. This anger can be dangerous if it is not handled correctly. When in a conflict situation the best way to handle it is to take out the emotions as hard as it can be at times. When taking the appropriate steps to conflict resolution the results will be the best possible ones. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned Caitlins metaphor using stew was right on. When we look at conflict there are many aspects that need and must be understood in order to have a successful conflict, just like a stew you have to have all the right ingredients for something tasty. In a conflict situation the more information and knowledge the stronger your case will be. I would say most if not everyone has seen some form of Law & Order or CSI show. In these shows the more evidence is needed to convict the bad guy. This is the same in a conflict situation, the more information, knowledge and support you have the more smoothly the conflict will go. Know the steps to a resolution. The major lesson I have learned in these chapters is taking emotion out of the situation allows for a more constructive resolution. When utilizing each step in the encounter to a resolution allows for the best resolution. So when we combine the two we ultimately end up with a long term resolution that is best for all involved.

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Reference: Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managining Confclit Throught Communication. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

2. My Perspective on Jimmys Post I agree with Jimmys statement that its important to look at the cause and effect of stress. There is always a trigger to an event that creates an effect, which is the reaction to the trigger. We all handle stress in our own ways, with many different variables that can result in many different outcomes. Jimmy put the situation of stress into perfect terms the branching and mutation that occurs. This s a perfect example of how each person deals with stress in a different way as well as each situation. One person may have the skills to handle stress and another may not. Throughout these chapters there have been many different approaches on how to cope and handle stressful situations for the best results. The volcano that Jimmy mentions is the result of a cascade effect from stressful events. When a person doesnt face the stress and handle it in a constructive manner there is an eruption that occurs. This eruption that occurs is when the stress builds up and is taken out on a loved one. We have all been in this situation; the best way to handle stress is to take one step at a time and not to become overwhelmed. Throughout these chapters many techniques where described on how to handle stressful situations in a successful manner. Its important to be successful in stress and conflict management in order to run a successful organization. When we encounter situations that we may not know how to handle we tend to react based on emotion, this is not the best way to respond. By taking the concepts described we were able to learn new and more successful ways to handle these situations. Support from Readings & Outside References The quote that Jimmy mentioned from our text that stated Researchers has found that in particular, competing, avoiding, and accommodating are associated with high work related stress. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) This simply describes the issue that arises quite frequently, when we avoid situations it creates more stress. The best way to
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handle stress is to find a constructive way to handle the conflict to minimize the amount of stress for both parties. Stress not only happens in the work place, it happens at home as well. Occupational stress is not related only to what goes on at work. Conflicts between the demands of the workplace and of home life are increasingly common. (Maxon, 1999) When we learn about stress we think of the main cause being the workplace, yet in reality its all around us. This stress turns to anger; Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure, a synonym for antagonism and rage. (Abigail & Cahn, 2011) This negative reaction to stress can have devastating results. When we react in anger we are using negative emotions and things are said to others that can be damaging to the relationship. A result of stress can cause conflict, yet the avoidance of conflict can cause stress. Whats the best result to this problem? Many people want to take conflict straight on and others want to avoid it, yet the best approach is to do your homework, find out all the information that is needed and find the best approach for both parties. The best approach will provide the best results. Support from My Own Experiences & Observations Jimmys experience with stress as an athlete is all to real. When I played sports in high school I was involved in 4 sports every year, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, and track. All putting stress on me to do well and maintain my good grades. Yet now days its life that causes stress. This semester has by far been the most stressful, with all the writing involved in this class, it just seems like there isnt enough time in the day. Along with another class, getting ready for graduation with two portfolios; one for my internship and another for graduation. And on top of all that I am not five and a half months pregnant. All this stress that we encounter we tend to chose it. I chose to try to conceive before my last semester of college, and Jimmy chose to continue to wrestling. In many ways we chose the stress and we chose how we handle it. The approach we have to stress determines our success in its results. I know personally the more stress that occurs in my life the more exhausted I become which results in being short tempered. I like how Jimmy mentioned the importance of recognizing stress. When we recognize stress we are able to find a better solution on how to handle it. When Jimmy mentions the difference he sees in each athlete it brought to mind the importance of
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understanding how we each respond in a different manner. One person my handle stress very well and another may not handle it well at all. Its important to know how manage stress and others reactions to stress. In my experience when my husband comes home stressed I can feel it, I can tell based on his demeanor, tone, and response to conversations. When he is stressed I try to find a way to encourage him to talk about whatever made his day so stressful, many times when he talks about it he is able to slowly relax easier over time. I strongly believe that when we are stress sometimes we just need to get it out, we just need to talk to someone. Food for Thought, Insights Gained & Lessons Learned I agree with Jimmys insight that the way someone handles stress they respond the same to many other situations. I believe that this is due to a persons maturity and their ability to adapt. When we learn new ways to handle stressful situations we grow as a person. Throughout my life I have learned to adapt to all different types of situations and I have learned new ways to improve my approach to conflict and stress. Sometimes its best to stop and listen to what the other person has to say, think about your response, and then respond. If we just respond we jump to conclusions ending with more conflict. Throughout this unit many steps were described no how to approach and handle stress and conflict in the most constructive manner. As a professional I want to make sure I learn the best ways to handle these situations for the best of all involved and the success of my organization. If I have the proper tools I can teach others the tools which will result in a strong team.

Reference: Abigail, R., & Cahn, D. (2011). Managining Confclit Throught Communication. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Maxon, R. (1999). Stress in the Workplace: A Costly Epidemic. Fairleigh Dickinson University Magazine .

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BA 690 Internship

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Kacie K. Harris
Master of Organizational Management Internship Portfolio Spring 2013

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319

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When beginning this internship I was not sure what to expect, was I going to be given projects, asked for input, or just sit and observe. I will have to admit it started out that way, but it did not take long for projects to be handed to me. I believe that the internship I was in just so happen to be the exact position I aspire to be in the future. I worked with the director of Radiology at Childrens Hospital Colorado, where I happen to be employed for the last two years. My paid position within the department consists of working the overnight weekend position where I do basic radiographic exams. The internship that I was so fortunate to work was with the head of the department. She is the director of 150 employees ranging from computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-ray and radiology nurses; each having their own problems at times. This position is my ultimate career goal and utilizes the essentials of a degree in organizational management for a non-profit organization. Going into my internship I thought that the directors job was to balance the budget for the department, ensure policies and procedures were up to date and in compliance with the Joint Commission requirements and simply manage the employees. To my surprise the responsibilities of the director of Radiology is much more complex then that. Each day was full of meetings with all different topics, some directly related to radiology and others needed for the purpose of need to know information. My job throughout all of this was to take notes, at times attend meeting solo, and discuss the meetings to ensure the proper information is relayed to the supervisors. The Radiology department depends on this information to ensure policies

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and procedures are followed appropriately. The duties of the director directly affect the departments ability to run safely and successfully. When information is not obtained and employees are not aware of changes it can directly affect the patient care of the patients that come to Childrens Hospital Colorado. All of these duties are essential to the success of the organization, without a successful department the organization will suffer. The learning outcomes were created to set a goal for what I personally wanted to obtain out of the internship that related to my degree as well as personal curiosity. I am very excited to share the outcomes of these goals. For my internship I created six things that I desired to learn, the first goal that I set was: I want to learn how we meet/plan health care regulatory standards of the Joint Commission in a childrens hospital. The reason why I chose this as a learning outcome was due to the requirements that a hospital is obligated to uphold for federal safety and regulatory reasons. In order to meet this standard we had on going meeting with regulatory agents and quality assurance officers within the hospital as well as surveys conducted. These requirements are set up as a national standard so all hospitals across the nation are universal in quality and safety. During my internship we had a mock survey that was completed by a company who acts as joint commission in the aspect of having the same expectations, concerns and questions that the actual joint commission would have. This allows for the hospital to get an idea of what to concentrate on and potentially fix prior to a actual survey by the joint commission. The measurement that
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was chosen was based on feedback provided; this was a great learning experience. During my internship I was privileged enough to assist and write new policies and procedures for the department. This was based on current changed that occurred within the hospital, turning policy-based orders to standing orders for the radiology department. This consisted of obtaining information on contrast media used in CT, MRI and fluoroscopy exams, the administration amounts, exam types, and any precautions that may need to be taken. Once putting all this information together along with the approval of all radiologists in our organization we submit it to the policy and procedure committee. This committee reads through the standing order to ensure there are no questions and they either approve or deny. The committee approved our Contrast Media Standing Order, although there is still a question of whether or not the department will have to change this process due to questions that were brought up during the mock Joint Commission survey. There were concerns of the standing orders; they seem to believe that based on the situation and department it should be left as a per-policy for contrast administration. As of today this is still a question and has not been resolved. My second learning outcome was to learn how to measure employee satisfaction at Childrens Hospital Colorado and identify areas to improve. In November of 2012 all employees are asked to participate in a anonymous organization wide survey, these surveys are collected by departments in order to obtain the most detailed results possible. In late January we received the results to said survey for the entire hospital.

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As a entire entity we improved our results from a 79% to a 83% overall satisfaction. This is considered a significant improvement according to the survey company. In February we received the detailed survey results based on each department, this allowed for the director and I to narrow down possible areas for needed improvements. As a department we had a significant improvement in many areas when compared to the 2011 survey. As a department we only had six areas of concern when compared to eleven from 2011. Although we found these areas still need to be worked on we were very satisfied with the results for 2012. One major area that we found that needs constant attention is the feeling of trust this was a question where employees were asked if they had trust for others in their department. This was an improvement from 2011 yet still in the concern field. The question stands of what employees feel is trust, why cant they trust, and how do they think this can be improved. Each supervisor agreed to meet one on one with each employee to discuss these areas of concern to find solutions. In my opinion the only way to find a solution is to find out what the expectations are of the employees. This outcome was measured by reading literature on employee satisfaction within the healthcare sector, reviewing past and present surveys and discuss the outcomes, and was met by reviewing the results of the 2012 survey, comparing them to the 2011 survey as well as reviewing the expectations and comparisons of other childrens hospitals within the United States. The steps that the administration took to improve needed results measured this outcome; and will be proven by the 2013 survey that will be conducted later in the year.

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The third learning outcome was how to determine the amount of employees needed to cover the workflow within Childrens Hospital Colorado. This learning outcome was a tricky one, as I learned the department had no pull or involvement on the ability to open more positions. A great example is the position in which I currently work within the hospital; I work as the overnight weekend tech within the x-ray portion of radiology. Our location is a Level 1 trauma center showing that we receive the most difficult and life threatening patients. For seven hours every night I am alone in the responsibilities of over two hundred patient beds. This places a large demand on one person, yet the amount of exams that are performed dont prove to the finance committee that a second person is worth the money that would be required to be spent. This was discussed at the quarterly fianc committee. This committee gives each of regional department a certain amount of full time employment positions also known as FTEs. This is based on the prior years numbers of profit as well as projected numbers for that current year. Each year they have a project increase in growth that provides each department with the ability to grow with increased demands. Unfortunately there is evidence for a need of a second person on my shift although the finance committee is basing their decision on last year and projected numbers. These limits are set by the finance committee to protect the organization from over staffing and potential layoffs. Which in my opinion is a downfall to projections yet from a business standpoint makes a lot of sense when the ultimate goal is to protect the organization and its employees. In my forth-learning outcome I wanted to learn how the annual performance and

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quality assurance gals were set and implemented within the radiology department. In order meet this outcome meetings where set up with the supervisors to discuss the current goals, the needed area of improvement and determine new goals for employees. Throughout this process we found some areas needed for improvements one major area was the repeat analysis for the x-ray technologists. The 2012 goal was not met creating an in depth analysis for who, what, when, where and why. Some goals for employees remained the same and some changed for a more desired outcome. For example, the repeat analysis goal that was set in 2012 for x-ray technologist was to remain under twenty percent for the year. Unfortunately this was one goal that was not met, the repeat analysis came in at thirty-five percent as a result employees received a 1 out of 5 on this goal of their annual performance evaluation. During my internship we created a action plan to help meet this standard for 2013. I worked with the supervisor to develop a quarterly image analysis of each employee; each employee will have six random images analyzed with six criteria on a Likert scale of 1 correlating to did not meet at all and 5 correlating to exceptional technique, collimation, positioning, rotation, anatomy present and ensuring a marker is placed. These are important aspects required to ensure a quality image is obtained which can reduce the repeat rates. This learning outcome was met with a 5 due to the actions put into place for future goals to be met in a productive manner. The fifth outcome was designed learn the process a remodel and/or development of a new location. During my time as an intern I was privileged enough to be involved in

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a 100 million dollar new mini hospital build as well as a 10 million dollar remodel of the radiology department. The mini hospital will be 175,000 square feet with twenty inpatient rooms, operating rooms, clinic areas, a 24 hour urgent care, and a radiology department with all modalities (x-ray, CT, MRI, and ultrasound). The 10 million dollar radiology remodel involves expansion and the addition of two more MRI scanners providing four for the hospital. This outcome was met through weekly meetings to determine the progress to ensure the correct equipment is placed and the design is acceptable for daily workflow. One major project we had was to convert a clinic location to a clinic and after hours care facility with a opening date of January 7, 2013. We met twice a week with a development committee to determine radiology coverage and training needed. This outcome was exceeded due to employees trained and ready to work prior to the opening date, the urgent care opened with success on January 7, 2013. The last learning outcome was designed for a better understanding of how to write and submit a justification to the finance committee for a new position or expensive equipment In order to meet these standards meeting with supervisors to determine the needs of the hospital along with thorough research of other facilities and safety needs. When setting up a justification letter for a new position the need must be present, to show such need we went through and analyzed in four-hour increments the amount of exams and how many employees were on duty at that time. This is used to show the requests made and the turnaround rate of the requests being met. Another situation we

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had was to buy essential Ferro Guard metal detectors for the MRI suites. These highly rated metal detectors are very important to ensure ferrous materials do not enter the MRI suite creating a dangerous situation. I sat down with the MRI supervisor and we went through and researched the Ferro Guard, the safety requirements suggested by the American College of Radiology (ACR), as well as what other major hospitals have. During this process we went through documentation of near misses, these situations occurred when dangerous metal object entered the MRI suite creating a potentially deadly situation. One great example is an oxygen tank entering the room, an oxygen tank is made of ferrous material which has an attraction to the magnetic of the scanner. If a patient is on the scanner platform this tank can and will fly into the port opening at a high speed and could severely injure or kill the patient. Once these facts were put together we went to the equipment operation committee for approval. When any single purchase is over $50,000 dollars it must be approved through this committee, once we presented and explained the need and potential dangers that can be present if the department did not have the Ferro Guard metal detectors they approved them for purchase and placement. This was deemed successful meeting the outcome presented. Throughout this experience many benefits were presented and accepted for advancement in personal, educational and professional development. On personal development I found myself learning about the aspects of the organization in which I work providing me with more goals to reach. These goals included personal growth, knowledge, and advancement within the organization. Today I work a shift that provides

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me with the ability to volunteer my personally time to the organization, and attend meetings to continue to learn more about the organization that I plan to work with for the next twenty to thirty years. Its important to me as a person to develop the drive for my job and my future with the organization. I see myself moving up into a supervisor position within five years and a managers position within ten to fifteen years. My goals seem long term and I look at this time line with knowledge that I am new to the field and I still have a lot to learn. Throughout my internship my eyes were opened to the complexity of running a department at Childrens Hospital Colorado. In the form of my educational standards of the internship I found myself utilizing many management skills that I have studied throughout the program. With critical conversations when employee performance issues came up, or issues with patient families in regards to pricing and insurance or research studies. Each situation was different and in many cases the basics of problem resolution came into play and a resolution was found. Professional development is the ultimate reason why I went into the graduate program, with high ambition I find myself with constant drive to advance and learn about something I am passionate about. Throughout my internship my professional development grew astronomically, I found myself maturing into a more professional employee and holding myself to a much higher standard than before. When someone learns more about the expectations that they are held to and the reason behind them there is a more clear understanding of the pressures that are placed upon employees. Learning the questions to ask and how to ask them, this is very important not only in my

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current position but even more important in management. Being able to communicate between departments is essential for quality patient care that our hospital offers. During my internship there were many situations where it was essential to communicate and work with other departments for development of a new location or improvements. I find that my growth throughout this internship is vital to my personal, professional, and educational growth. As a professional its important to have continuous growth, because in my personal opinion no one person is perfect or even close enough to perfect that they dont have any room for growth and advancement. We all have room for growth, its important to strive for continued growth. During my time as an intern with the director of radiology I found myself analyzing my current goals, developing new ones and developing plans on how to improve myself. Throughout my time at Childrens Hospital Colorado I have received two exemplary reviews, in both situations my superior provided feedback for improvements and supported my drive for advancement within the organization. All the feedback that I receive I utilize for personal and professional improvements. My education provides me with more knowledge that the work place cannot offer. The education provides information and ways to apply this information; the development of these skills is dependent upon the person. One person may apply the learned skills and be successful and another may not apply the skills with the result of the department or organization not being as successful. Learned skills and information are only useful if it applied and continued improvement is strived for. Ive learned over the years that its important to

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apply skills that have proven to be successful. During the internship I found myself comparing the aspects of organizational management that we study, research and developed throughout my program. When these aspects are applied properly a successful organization emerges. With all the pressures I put upon myself to do well in this program I have developed a new understanding and respect for hard work and those who are hard workers. Being a leader and a manager is important; the best way to improve the moral of an organization is to be a good leader. In my opinion my current director is a great leader, she is someone who has worked the entry-level position so she understands the challenges that are faced by her employees everyday. When the director doesnt understand the challenges it can create difficulty in understanding and supporting the team. The four months that I spent with the director was an amazing and desired one, Ive always had the desire to see and understand how the department and hospital ran. During my time I learned new approaches for employee conflict resolution, which provided the opportunity for me to provide input based on my education. This also provided an opportunity for the director to hear part of my growing knowledge where she was able to learn and improve her skills along with me. It created a great way for me to depersonalize decisions that are made for the department as well as personalize how it affects employees for the understanding of management and subordinates. I found myself as a middle person, explaining to my co-workers how and why decisions
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where being made. This provided my co-workers with a better understanding and reduced complaints and improved moral. Its important to know and understand employees needs and complaints in order to obtain a more successful work team. In many situations I found myself speaking up for employees as a representative so management had a better understanding of who, what, when, where and why. This can be difficult if there is a lack of communication between subordinates and management. I believe my actions during my internship created bridge to develop between the two for better communication. My internship provided an inside view of the organization, this allowed me to grow and develop great respect not only for my organization but also for my supervisor and director. Each situation provided its own challenge and each situation I received a better understanding of how a successful non-profit organization runs. I believe that any employee who questions the decisions that are made should spend a week in an internship situation where they can learn, see, and understand the reasons behind the decisions made. My experience not only provided me with answers but with respect for those in the positions where difficult decisions are made. Each organization will require certain difficult decisions to be made and once I met these individuals it was apparent that they dont like making the decisions that they are forced to make. Its like a puzzle, some pieces will fit together perfect and others wont and the only way to find he perfect fit is to have the right piece. My internship provided me with the insight to see these pieces come together and be successful and in other situations
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they were trying to force something that wasnt working. When there are pieces that are forced end up failing. This experience was something that I honestly believe that all of the employees in my department should experience. When given the opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding in a field or subject that I am interested in I find myself immersed. During my four months I learned the process of my department, I grew as an individual, obtained new knowledge and found a new respect for those within my organization. This experience along with my program provided me with an understanding vital to my growth and goals for my future. When there is a better understanding of something a more clear view is provided for the creation and implementation of goals for future success.

Kacie K. Harris
645 S. Norfolk Way Aurora, CO 80017
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720-837-5933 Kacie.Harris@childrenscolorado.org __________________________________________________________________

OBJECTIVE: As a current employee of Children's Hospital Colorado, I look to extend my knowledge and expand my skills in the supervision and management of others. HIGHLIGHT: I will graduate from Chadron State College, with a Masters degree in Occupational Management in May of 2013. I pride myself in the ability to resolve conflict in a constructive manner, utilize teamwork to the highest ability all through effective communication. EDUCATION: Chadron State College Master's Organizational Management May 2013 Bachelors of Technical Occupation May 2012 Pima Medical Institute Associate of Applied Science in Radiologic Technologist Received: 2010 Arapahoe Community College Associates of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Received: 2006 Denver, CO R.T.(R) 480078 Littleton, CO Chadron, NE

SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Effective Communication Conflict resolution Public relations with the public by using empathy and problem solving skills Leadership skills with coworkers and employees to improve and grow as a team Management of time by productivity, and reliable for scheduled shifts Detail oriented in patient medical history and quality of work ALARA Experience working with pediatric, inpatients, outpatients, trauma, surgery, geriatric, ,and bariatric patients Utilize and practice transport, sterile technique, and radiation protection
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Director of Home Owners Association TECHNICAL SKILLS:

CT GE 8, 16, and 64 slice Timing Bolus V. Smart Prep Reformats on scans Cross Sectional Anatomy Vitals, Medical History, and Blood draws/IV Diagnostic Imaging: CR and DR Agfa, Fuji, and Kodak DICOM: HIS, RIS, and PACS GE, Phillips, and Siemens Fluoroscopy procedures Portables: Emergency department, Operating room, ICU, MICU, PACU, and NICU C-arm: Operating room, and Anesthesia department CERTIFICATIONS:

ARRT R.T. (R) 480078 Basic Life Support Certified PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Nov. 2012 Feb. 2013 Childrens Hospital Colorado Internship Radiology Director

Aurora, CO

Create, Review, and Submit justification request; attend Quality Assurance, Service, and Equipment meetings; employee moral improvement, attend financial meetings, and disciplinary actions July 2011 - Present, Children's Hospital Colorado Radiologic Technologist Aurora, CO

Radiographic duties, quality films, as well as excellent patient care Feb. 2011 Aug. 2011 Med Express Radiologic Technologist Denver, CO

Triage, vitals, patient history, preform radiology duties, as well as patient care.

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2009 2010, Pima Medical Institute Clinical Experience

Denver, CO

16 months of healthcare experience at Health One, Kaiser, Veterans Hospital, Boulder Community Hospital. 2008 2009, 2004-2006, Bank of the West Assistant Customer Service Manager Denver, CO

Exceeded customer service and sales goals every quarter, as well as training new employees, and responsible for monthly audits. 2006- 2008, Bellco Credit Union Senior Financial Specialist Aurora, CO

Performed beyond expectations on customer service and sales; assisted in monthly audits, as well as trained to new employees.

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Weekly Reflective Questions Week 1 Question #2: What is the name, size, and location of your site Childrens Hospital Colorado 13123 E. 16th Ave Aurora, CO 80045 Size: Hospital - over 4,000 employees Department: 150 employees

Week 2 Question #3: Define the purpose of your organization To improve the health of children through the provision of high-quality, coordinated programs of patient care, education, research and advocacy. Childrens Hospital Colorado strives to be one of the leading childrens hospitals in the nation through the dedication and drive to provide patients and their families with the best pediatric care possible. Values: Quality Patient Care and Safety Customer Service Innovation Family Centered Care

Week 3 Question #4: Describe the organizational structure Childrens Hospital Colorado is a non-profit organization that functions on a hierarchical structure. With CEO, CFO, CIO who has direct reports that include multiple vice presidents. Each vice president over sees five to six departments where the director of each department reports. Each director has direct supervisor report and each supervisor has entry-level employees. Physicians are contracted through Universal Physician, Inc. Week 4 Question #6: Describe the effective and ineffective mechanisms of personal communication within your unit or immediate work environment that affect your ability to carry out your day-to-day responsibilities. Include specific examples and suggestions There are many effective forms of communication; in my opinion the best form is faceto-face interaction. In my opinion when this type of interaction is utilized in critical situations I find it to be more effective, both parties are on the same page. The most ineffective form would be email and memos. Information can and may be relayed in
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these fashions yet the result tends to be a mutual misunderstanding. The best way to communicate with others is through voice or physical conversation. A great example would be policy and protocol changes, a meeting where all come face to face to talk about the change allows for conversation and questions to arise where there is a common understanding among all involved. Week 5 Question #7: Describe the technology used in your workplace. What training did you receive in order to be productive in its use? Does the technology serve the individual and the organization? Are you familiar with an alternative form of technology that would be more efficient? Provide suggestions for modifications The current form of technology used is basic computer software as well as a Hospital Information System (HIS); Childrens uses the program Epic for their HIS. This system is used to store patient information as well as communication. You will find patient name, date of birth, insurance information, medications, exams, and test results. Due to Childrens Hospital Colorado being my current place of employment I did not need to receive any additional training on these systems. This form of technology serves the organization and the employees well by providing the ability to chart detailed information and making the information easy to find. Based on this I am unaware nor have I experienced any programs that would meet the needs of the organization in a more constructive manner. Week 6 Question #8: Discuss how the experience is or is not meeting you expectations. How will you apply yourself differently for the remainder of the internship? What factors would improve your internship experience? I would say my internship is meeting me expectations very well, I would like to see more projects given to me, yet Ive only been in my internship for six weeks so far. There is still plenty of time to improve upon this goal. I plan to improve on this by asking for more projects and also being more assertive in tasks. I believe that my personal improvement in becoming more assertive will allow for more confidence from my supervisor in giving my projects. Week 7 Question #9: Discuss how your classroom learning applies to your internship Many of the issues that arise in my internship are directly related to communication and the management of others. In many of my classroom learning, communication was ranked as the most important aspect to being successful in managing others. Also in my internship has shown me the importance of communication between departments at the hospital to ensure correct patient care and the knowledge of policies and procedures.

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Week 8 Question #10: What information could you take from your internship experience and share in the classroom? We have discussed the importance of communication throughout each course that Ive taken, the one thing I would be able to share is the absolute importance of good communication and the type of manager that is present sets the tone of the department. After following the director and each supervisors of radiology I was able to witness two different types of leadership. One who can be slightly intimidating and the other who cannot say no, the broad spectrum that I observed provided me with great insight on the importance of being physically present and the ability to say no when needed. In my opinion a great supervisor is approachable by their staff and still maintains the respect by having the ability to say no and the employees respecting that decision. Week 9 Question #11: Describe your short term and long term goals and design your pathway for achieving these goals. Where are you now in relation to these goals and how do you plan to get where you want to be? How is the internship assisting you on your pathway? My short-term goal is to become a radiology supervisor at a new mini hospital that Childrens plans to open in December of 2013. The long-term goal that I have is to become the radiology director at Childrens Hospital Colorado, throughout my internship Ive had the pleasure of following the person who I aspire to be. Currently, I am a radiologic technologist that is the first step of stepping-stones to becoming a supervisor. With my hard work and my degree I have been able to work closely with the people who I aspire to be. My internship is providing me with an insight on the duties of those in management positions as well as express my knowledge and experience with the director. And in my opinion the most important advantage to my internship is creating relationships and contacts for my future endeavors. I personally see this experience as a four month, three hundred hour interview. Week 10 Question # 14: Imagine you are a manager within your organization. Propose some changes that would increase efficiency and working conditions or boast employee morale. Currently employee moral is good, yet everyone could use improvement. There is a common complaint that certain employees are not carrying their weight in duties. I believe this can be improved with an improvement plan. This will show all the employees that there is a job and there are duties expected of each person. Once this improvement plan is implemented its important to continue to monitor employees to ensure that conditions and moral are on a continuous improvement path. Currently the issue is ignored which affects the efficiency, working conditions, and employee morale. I
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believe that is employees see the initiation of change it will boost the efficiency, working condition, and the moral of the employees. Week 11 Question #15: What have you learned about yourself, your employer and your job? I have learned that I am personally dedicated to the work and the people in my life. This internship process has been difficult, with this being my last semester of school, taking two classes, as well as being in my first trimester of pregnancy its been an uphill battle. Do to these obstacles Ive seen myself grown personally and professionally, in knowledge, maturity as well as finding new strengths and weaknesses. Ive learned that my employer expects hard work, dedication and the drive to learn and improve. In my current position Ive learned that it is imperative to pay attention, work hard, interact as much as possible and ask for feedback. Asking for feedback I believe is the only way to know what areas need to be improved upon for my advancement. Week 12 Questions #16: What have you learned about the value of your education in preparing you for, or not preparing you for your career? Explain Ive learned that my education is essential to preparing me for my career; it is required for me to have a masters degree to obtain the position that I strive for. Not only is it required, I believe that my education has prepared me in knowledge and the understanding of how to be a successful manager to a large variety of employees. With that being said its important to acknowledge that my education does not provide me with the ability to handle all situations, each situation will be different and you cannot always be 100% prepared. Its important to see that a person can have the education and training to be a manager but it takes the ability of applying that knowledge to situations. You can have street knowledge or book knowledge, having a little of both is more desirable in my opinion. Week 13 Question # 17: What have you learned about this occupation or profession? With this being my dream occupation, the director of Radiology at Childrens Hospital Colorado I have learned a lot about the essentials of this position. Much of the time is spent in meeting, over seeing multiple projects, updates, quality assurance and finances. A radiology director is responsible for he entire radiology department, this is not limited to employee issues, hiring and paperwork. In a hospital setting this includes protocols, creating policies and procedures, assisting in the setup of research studies, equipment purchases ranging up to 3 million dollars, and ensuring the department meets the requirements of the Joint Commission and American Registry of Radiologic Technologist in order to maintain the ability to function appropriately.

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Kacie K. Harris 645 S. Norfolk Way Aurora, CO 80017 Kharris9311@comcast.net

February 14, 2013

Linda Wright Director of Radiology Childrens Hospital Colorado 13123 E 16th Ave Aurora, CO 80045

Dear Mrs. Linda Wright, I would like to extend to you my appreciation for allowing me to intern with you these last couple of months. The experience was educational, informative and beyond my expectations. I feel as though you did an excellent job bringing me into the duties of what a Radiology Director does. This was a once in a lifetime experience. I feel as though I obtained a massive amount of information, knowledge and skills as well as new relationships throughout the organization. This would not have been possible with you. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from the best, I will always cherish this experience. You are an amazing leader, manager and person. The things that you have thought me about how to think outside of the box, run a department and most importantly stand up and support your employees is admirable. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Kacie K. Harris
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Summary and Conclusion When entering this program I was not sure what to expect, as I got into it I found that any and all tasks take much longer then expected. I learned new and more constructive ways to manage my time, conduct research and communicate with others. I did find difficulties at times communicating with others due to the online forums. Each assignment required many hours of research and detail. The expectations were much higher then that of the undergraduate program, which was expected, yet underestimated. As I went through each class I was truly amazed at the massive amount of information and research that had been performed for organizational management. The fascinating part of the whole programs about it was the research that has been done on organizational management; it provides great insight on how to manage others in a variety of situations. Another thing that I underestimated was the indepth detail required for each course. Over all each course either met or exceeded my expectations, the information that I obtained in regards to marketing, statistical research, conflict resolution and leadership I found to be vital to my future in management. The strengths of this program are the attention that the professors provided and the quality feedback provided for improvements. I found great support by many if not all of my professors in encouragement for improvement and development for my future knowledge and growth as a student and a professional. Many professors provided feedback in a timely manner providing me with constructive criticism so that I can perform to my fullest potential. The only weakness I found was in certain classes the assignments were repetitive creating a loss in interest at times making assignments difficult to execute. Overall I greatly enjoyed the program and I am thankful I decided to challenge myself by attending Chadron State College Graduate Program. I believe that CSC has a great graduate program, one that I would recommend to others, knowing that they to will receive support and encouragement and ultimate success.

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