Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behavior Essay An effective organization or agency exhibits behavior conducive to a healthy workplace. The employees are motivated, satisfied, good communicators, and team-oriented. These elements help to promote a successful organization. Missing elements could disband an agency or create a hostile environment. Specific fundamentals can develop skills necessary to improve individual and organizational practices. Scientific foundations of organizational behavior suggest that individual attitudes, group dynamics, and relationships between managers and workers are an important focus (Schermerhorn, 2010). A positive attitude can have many benefits: less stress, self control, better relationships, and job security. A positive attitude can influence others and help build strong working relationships. This also affects job performance and assures the organization that its employees are satisfied. The goal of organizational behavior is to improve the performance of people, groups, organizations, and improve the quality of life (Schermerhorn, 2010). Motivation is an element that can be a driving force to an organization or the individuals involved. An employee’s sole motivation is personal or job development or financial purposes. The solution is to identify the factor that motivates an employee to attend work every day as scheduled and performs to the best of his or her abilities. These individuals set and achieve goals consistently and with persistence. This type of determination benefits the agency and the individual’s reputation. High employee performance relies on effective communication, creativity, and respect. Managers must be able to communicate with employees without fear. The mutual respect allows employees to provide feedback and actively respond. This permits an equal contribution within the team. The employee dynamic is the way in which coworkers interact with one another and their managers. Managers can assess the behavioral and organizational status of their workplace by asking employees to approach them when a problem arises  (Marquis, n.d.). Management practices must be tailored to fit the exact nature of each situation or individual. Managers must be able to understand the challenges and demands for different situations and craft responses to them that best fit circumstances or people involved (Schermerhorn, 2010). This makes the agency resilient and adaptable to various situations. Diversity in an organization is essential to recognize differences based on gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and only considering the performance of the individual. A diverse set of skills allows the agency to assist customers on a global scale. Successful organizations foster an attitude of openness and encourage new ideas and challenges. This is especially important in criminal justice and security organizations in which diversity is evident in communities. Employees will be introduced to a variety of cultures and diverse situations in which they will have to know how to correspond. Diversity in justice and security agencies promotes equal treatment under law. This protects the agency from over representing a specific racial group or other population from the streets to the court. Diversity is an element that proves effective internally and externally of any organization. No employee will be the same; personalities, social traits, and values will differ. It is the way the agency manages these situations that sets them apart. Ultimately, employee commitment defines the agency. Employee performance is directly related to his or her commitment to the jobs and the agency. Employees are representatives of the agency mission statement. The employee’s performance is motivated by passion or reward. The agency must reinforce positive behavior that demonstrates commitment. Employees exchange his or her commitment to performance to the organizations commitment of reward. The reward can be promotional, pay grade increase, material, or other form of recognition. Some employees are high performers because they love their job and are results driven. In every organization is a natural or appointed leader. The leader must be able to influence others to perform the organizations expectations and beyond. A formal leader is responsible for his or her results through talent management. Any agency is only as good as its employees; it is the duty of the leader to level set those expectations and lead through example. A leader is confident in his ability to encourage his staff to produce positive outcomes. The leader is concerned with task objectives, ethical, and well adjusted. Leaders in a criminal justice or security agency have many strong individuals to lead. Each of them is carefully selected and most of them will be leaders in his or her right. They are of good moral and ethical character, intelligent, professional, and influential. These individuals are representing a government agency working to accomplish a shared objective. These elements are crucial to the success of the organization and its members. References Marquis, A. (n.d.). Key Elements for Effective Behavior and Organizational Management. Retrieved November 19, 2012 from http://smallbusiness.chrone.com/key-elements-effective-behavior-organizational-management-43874.html Schermerhorn, R., Hunt, J.G., Osborn, R.N., Uhl-Blen, M. (2010). Organizational Behavior (7th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: JohnWiley Sons.

The Privatization of Social Security Essay -- Social Security Privacy

The Privatization of Social Security Many people don’t understand how the Social Security system really works. There are no separate Social Security "accounts" set up for each taxpayer to which he contributes his Social Security "tax" each year. Many people believe these accounts exist, that the money they pay into their accounts grows each year until retirement, and when they retire they get back what they paid in with interest. This is not true. Most people are unaware of the fact that our current Social Security system is a "pay-as-you-go" program, which means that the revenue the federal government raises each tax year for Social Security benefits is paid out that same year to beneficiaries. Many economists believe that our Social Security system is in need of a major overhaul if today's workers are to receive future benefits. Thomas R. Saving, Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center at Texas A&M University says, "What is wrong is that the Social Security system was never set up to be a sound investment-based retirement system." Karl Borden, professor of financial economics at the University of Nebraska recently wrote, "Social Security is an unfunded pay-as-you-go system, fundamentally flawed and analogous in design to illegal pyramid schemes. Government accounting creates the illusion of a trust fund, but, in fact, excess receipts are spent immediately." Robert M. Ball, former commissioner of Social Security said, "Some of the trust fund money should be put into the stock market. I want to do it to get a better return for the Social Security system. Historically, long-term government bonds have had a real return, after inflation, of 2.3 percent a year, compared with 6.3 percent for stocks." Paul W. Boltz, economist for the T. Rowe Price mutual fund said, "When we examine the pending financial crisis of our Social Security system, we find, in effect, the characteristics of a government sponsored Ponzi-type scheme." Michael H. Cosgrove, of the Dallas-based newsletter, The Econoclast says, "People need to take the responsibility of investing their own funds for their retirement. The Social Security system assumes people can't make that decision and government can do it better. The result is a bankrupt Social Security System." These economists believe that by investing ... ...oss would have to be made up either by hiking taxes, increasing borrowing or drastically cutting benefits to current retirees. The present Social Security system faces a long-term shortfall of between 1 percent and 4 percent of total payroll, depending on your projections of future economic growth. But the existing pay-as-you-go system could be rendered solvent by a judicious combination of increasing the retirement age by two or three years and slightly raising taxes. Also there is the question of whether to privatize the whole system, or whether to add a second tier. We might keep the basic system but supplement it with self-directed IRA-like funds. The basic tier would be redistributive and pay-as-you-go. The supplementary layer would be private and based on individual contributions. A further question is who bears the risk when investments go sour. There is no such risk under the current system. The stock market looks like a great retirement vehicle in the 1990’s, but it wasn't so reliable in the 1970s and 1930s. The program was deliberately designed as a social guarantee of retirement income, not a system of government-mandated private savings.

Two Found American Writers

Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor were two deeply religious American writers of different backgrounds. They wrote with devotion to their Christian faith. These two Puritans showed dedication to their families and to their writing. An analysis of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor’s poetry revealed two noticeable differences: the audience and their views of death. Bradstreet and Taylor wrote with the same purpose. Both accepted God’s will even if it was not to their advantage. They praised God through sickness and in health. In â€Å"To My Dear Children† Bradstreet writes, â€Å"Not to set forth myself, but the glory of God† (235). She wants everyone to know that she is a good writer but that she writes to glorify God. In the same poem she writes how even through illness she, â€Å"communed with my heart and made my supplications to the most High who set me free from affliction† (235). She makes it clear that she did not blame God for her illness but continued to praise him through her affliction. Bradstreet was often sick through her lifetime and probably through child birth. In â€Å"To My Dear and Loving Husband† she praises the heavens for her husband, â€Å"The heavens reward thee manifold† (226). She was thankful for everything God had given to her, especially for the love of her husband. Unlike Bradstreet, Taylor did not suffer from illness, but a few of his children died at infancy. He praised God for taking his children from the suffering they were experiencing. In â€Å"Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children,† Taylor wrote â€Å"In Prayer to Christ perfumed it did ascend† (303). He was not angry that his children had died and accepted it as God’s will. He wrote as personal worship. These two writers wrote to preserve the teachings of God but their audiences were different. Bradstreet wrote to her family and children, reaching out to them through her writings. She wanted her children to learn from her mistakes and to be grateful to God just as she was. In â€Å"Contemplations† she write how thankful she is for God’s creations, â€Å"Admired, adored for ever, be that Majesty† (216). In â€Å"Before the Birth of One of Her Children† Bradstreet writes, â€Å"No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,† making it known to her children that they should be good to God and not worry about pleasing other people but themselves. Through her writing she writes to teach her children her own Christian faith and beliefs to guide them through their own personal developments. She empathizes the importance of understand the importance of doing God’s will. Edward’s writes to prepare himself for meditation. He writes for his own benefit and to better understand his purpose in life in the way it will please God. Taylor sees himself as an instrument of God. In â€Å"Upon a Wasp chilled with Cold† Taylor compares himself with a wasp saying, â€Å"Lord, clear my misted sight that I May hence view Thy Divinity† (305). In other words, Taylor asked that God clear his sight so that he can do God’s will. Taylor writes for his own benefit so that he can build a closer relationship with God. Bradstreet and Edward had different views when it came to the way they perceived death through their writings. When Bradstreet wrote about death it was about separation and it caused her a great deal of sorrow. Through her writing she tries to prepare her family for death. In â€Å"Contemplation† she writes about time being the enemy on earth and that, â€Å"Here’s neither honor, wealth, nor safety; Only above is found all with security† (222). In â€Å"Before the Birth of One of Her Children† she writes that death is part of life, â€Å"irrevocable† (225). Further she tells her unborn children to remember her and to protect her other children from a stepmother if she is to die. In â€Å"To My Dear Children† Bradstreet writes, â€Å"if I perish, I perish: but I know all the Powers of Hell shall never prevail against it† (238). Bradstreet prepares herself for death, she is not afraid, but wants to prepare her children for when the time comes. Taylor’s purpose is to build a closer bond with God. He wants to reach out to God and create a unity worthy of him. He doesn’t write to ask that his family follow his footsteps, but he writes to God directly. In â€Å"The Soul’s Groan to Christ for Succor† written by Taylor is a good example of him writing to God to forgive his soul because he has been inclined to sin. He writes to God to let him know that the dog or sin is causing him to, â€Å"from Thy Pasture stray† (299). He wants God to help him keep the sin away so that he can find Grace, preparing for the afterlife. In â€Å"upon Wedlock, and Death of Children† when Taylor loses one of his children he says, â€Å"At that unlooked for, dolesome, darksome hour. In Prayer to Christ. † Taylor knows that during a time of mourning most people would be angry, but he is not and instead he prays. Taylor takes the negativity of death and use is it to reach peace within him by praying to Christ. He saw death as a necessity to the order of life. Bradstreet and Taylor both show love for their spouses and families. They were truly devoted Puritans who through their writing expressed differently their righteousness and sovereignty of God. Although, both choose different audiences and had different views of death they had a common purpose to accept God’s will through any difficulties in their lives and praise God always through sickness and in health.

Essay on Platos Ideas of an Inefficient Democracy

Platos Ideas of an Inefficient Democracy Platos Republic describes precisely how he feels about society and what the true meaning of justice is within that society. Plato feels that a city can only function if each of pieces does its part and nothing else. He also thinks that a perfect society should run on a distinct social scale. This scale descends in the order from the philosopher kings to the guardians to the craftspeople. His ideal society would be run in the form of an aristocracy where the philosopher kings use the guardians to ultimately rule the lowly craftspeople. He deems that justice fits nicely into an aristocratic community. Plato does not believe, however, that a democratic society is beneficial or even has the†¦show more content†¦He comments on how lovely a democracy appears to be, just like a coat with many multicolored ornaments that fascinates women and children (Republic 228). In doing so he not only takes a cynical stance toward democracy, but he also ridicules the position of women wit hin a society. According to Plato, the average person lacks the knowledge and mastery of emotions necessary to make informed and rational decisions about various government laws and practices. He thinks that the general public is driven by its own self-interest in the world and therefore cannot act in a politically smart manner. Plato infers that letting these people, who are guided by emotion and ignorant to procedures of the government, run the State or democracy is a bad idea altogether. He decides that only the philosopher kings, whose main goal is to help maintain good for the entire community, should be allowed to rule a government. And he goes on to imply that the rulers need not be tempted by living simply to improve their own lives, rather they continue working to benefit everyone. Platos idea of democracy stated in the Republic sounds ideal in theory. If a society could function in this manner normally, it would be a utopian society basically. The only problem is tha t history has proven that societies based on this method and these procedures have generally failed. In ancient city-states, such as Athens, the democratic style of government proved to beShow MoreRelatedThe, Democracy, And Leadership1486 Words   |  6 Pagesassociate democracy and leadership as an antidote to conflict and corruption. This may also be the case since Greek culture illustrates that the polis was the final form of political association during the time when Aristotle was setting out his ideas. But even if this was the case, there is still much about politics we can learn. 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