The Plains Indians Were Cruel, Blood-Thirsty and Uncivilised

It Is the story of all that is holy and good to tell and of us two legged sharing it with the four legged ND the wings of the air – all green things; for these are the children of one mother and their father is one spirit† Initially out first impression of the plains Indians from simply this source, is that they are peace loving, good natured folk with pure hearts and love and respect for all creatures, we find them referring to all creatures as equal.This In one way makes them appear more civilized from their white American brothers, as we know that the Americans did not believe that humans were equal to plants or animals. These beliefs of the plains Indians give us a first impression that causes us to disagree with the initial question. From source five on page thirteen, Black Elk describes his vision, this is probably where we, as historians may choose to question their level of civilization compared to the white American folk, and even us.We In the 21st century certa inly do not go about searching for visions and neither did the white Americans. So does this cause me to question how classed the plains Indians actually were? To be perfectly honest, no it does not. I believe it is just like if one were to question the religion of another person, the Indians did not quest for scions and talk to spirits because they were less developed and/or less civilized than us or the white Americans, it was simple their tradition and belief, much like Islamic belief In the teachings of Muhammad.This life of conversing with spirits and questing for visions suited them perfectly and does not change my opinions on them so far. Perhaps the second thing we encounter In this unit Is the various rituals and dances the plains Indians took part in, at first this does not seem to strange as it is another one of their beliefs and traditions, however after we have studied these in ore detail we might be somewhat shocked to learn the details of a few dances in particular, o ne of these dances (the sun dance) is considered rather horrific and brutal In my opinion.The sun dance involves an Indian brave, having gashes cut Into his back, and ropes latched onto the flesh Inside and hung from a tree, this young brave would then partake in dancing and praying to the great spirit (known as Waken Tank). This is one of the things that greatly shocked the white American people, to them it was considered horrific and taboo, they thought such beliefs of the plains Indians were ludicrous, and caused their opinions of the tribes to waiver, and think them bloodthirsty and immoral. Studying the tribes, I can say I agree.This was Just but another one of the Indians' traditions, they knew In their hearts that good would a bloodthirsty act, perhaps it was interpreted so by the white American people, but to the Indians it was Just a perfectly normal and customary tradition that bore no maliciousness or anything considered (to them) bloodthirsty. Moving on, we began to stud y in detail how the plains Indians hunted and gathered food, namely in the form f hunting buffalo. The main way, in which the Indians hunted buffalo was on horseback, using bows and arrows in order to kill the game and being back the carcasses for food, and many other uses.This would seem normal to them, however to the white Americans it could be somewhat frowned upon and seen as uncivilized, again I disagree. When the Americans learned that the buffalo was used for more than Just meat one can imagine their reaction, they were not used to such treatment of animals, normally the American people would Just take the meat and possibly the did. However the plains Indians used almost every single part of the beast, including many of the organs and bones.Naturally the Americans who would obviously be afraid of their cultural differences saw this as ‘bloodthirsty when of course the Indians were Just being practical, rather than uncivilized. I can empathic why the Americans might have thought the way they did though, I mean wouldn't you be surprised if your neighbor started using dung as a form of fuel for their car? Continuing on to another significant point of reference was the family life of the lain Indians; this is probably where the white American folk acquired all their assumptions of the plains Indians.To being with, the Americans probably frowned upon the fact that the Indians were always moving, I can understand why as the American people were probably settles, happy and content with where they lived, however the plains Indians always being on the move might have caused them to seem somewhat homeless, like a vagrant on the streets to the Americans perhaps? I disagree with this because I believe that the plains Indians thought the whole plains s their homes, not Just one little settlement.Source nine on page twenty five, an extract from a book by George Cattail explains that women who are giving birth pass through the painful process with ease, although there is little evidence to show this, perhaps this was also thought uncivilized by the American folk, this might be because the women, who were simple giving birth with no huge amount of suffering, leads us to believe they encounter such labor in daily life, or have adapted to such conditions, the Americans clearly could not cope with child birth in the same way that he Indian women could so they may have thought that their lives were a lot more physical, stressful and tiring compared to theirs. This however is not true in my opinion because the Indians Just went about their lives in the way that they did, and this somewhat of an adaptation was a mere side effect of their nomadic lives (being on horseback often).Another reason that causes me to disagree with the statement is the way that children are treated, it is said on page twenty five that the children of the tribe were very rarely misbehaved, and were taught to respect all living things ND elders from birth. They were also ra rely punished, and in extreme cases they merely had cold water thrown on them. This seems a lot less harsh than the way modern man deals with children and also the how the American folk did too. This is another reason that makes the Indians seem more civilized in a way, as their children seemed to be a lot better behaved, despite being breast fed for longer. Moving on to and cruel.The whit American folk would care for their elders, put them in homes so they could be treated to help them live longer and keep them happy. However old people often were Just left behind when they became too weak to travel, to die on their own. Or some even went off to die by themselves. This I must admit seems rather cruel, but it was usually by the elder's choice and so it does not seem as bad as it initially seems to be. Widows also, seemed to be dealt with in a strange manner compared to today, when a brave was killed in battle, the widow would soon be married to another man, to keep the woman protect ed, and also so more children could be conceived.Moving on once more, I think that in terms of how law and order ere kept, the Indians were a lot less organized, however this worked for them very well. In source two on page twenty nine, we find that the Comanche tribe elect chief in a very unconventional way, it is said â€Å"No one made him such; he Just got that way'. This suggests that the actual chief of the tribe was not selected because of diplomatic, politic or people skills, he Just simply seemed a goof man for the Job. This would give an impression of uncivilized behavior toward said white Americans, but once again, to them it seemed normal and thought well of. As we move on to talk bout battles, this is probably where all the accusations of blood thirst and cruelty matter most.The Indians had very different beliefs and ideas about battles and bravery, the most prominent example of this is of course, ‘scalping. Scalping is the art of literally, cutting off an enemy's scalp in the midst of battle, now this seems very harsh at first look, the poor victim doesn't necessarily have to be dead to receive this treatment, so why does it happen? What makes these people so cruel? Is it because they are indeed, bloodthirsty and malicious? After careful study of various source, I o not believe so. Although to the victim, and to the historian who observes this act for the first time, it seems that this is simple bloodless in the heat of battle, the plains Indians have very different reasons for this treatment.You see, within a tribe there are various ranks of men, these ranks are determined by how brave the particular warrior performs in battle, to touch and enemy, to steal a horse, to kill a man is all counted toward the Indians honor, to bring back an enemy scalp is not a thirst for blood or an act of cruelty, it is a prize of honor, and proof to the tribe that the airier is skilled in battle. These scalps are dried out and hung, or used to adorn the warr ior's body to show what a skilled warrior he was. However as white Americans believed bravery was achieved by simply standing and fighting until you died for your country, naturally this reaction was probably one of fear, and perhaps disbelief.These accusations of being uncivilized and cruel are by no means true in my opinion, I believe it is down to ignorance of the white Americans who observed the Indians, it is not that they are bloodthirsty, but the clash and blatant differences in the cultures ads the more ‘civilized' in to believing so. If one was in a situation where you Were' in one of these Indian tribes, you would by no means think you are bloodthirsty, uncivilized and cruel. So to conclude, I disagree with this earlier statement because I believe the Indians were Just behaving in a way which seemed normal to them, and I strongly think that the Indians did not believe that they were cruel. Which I believe is what matters most. These rituals and battle procedures were important, spiritual and normal to them, and that in my eyes does not make them bloodthirsty or malicious in

Cbta

Military profession can be considered as one of the oldest professions in the world. It had been a feature of societies throughout history where certain groups of people were entrusted with the responsibility of defending the state. The military profession today however, differs in many aspects from the military of the late eighteenth century in the sense that recruitment is based on education and skill rather than on the basis of social origins. Military men today work on a full-time basis instead of regarding military service as a part-time vocation or hobby.All professions are expected to maintain a certain level of competency and will be reprimanded or reject outright if they do not measure up to the required professional standards. The military profession must maintain high standards of performance in the eyes of the general public in order to hold its credibility and professional standing. Over the years, western writers like Huntington (1957), Janowitz (1971) and Sarkesian (19 75) had given their views on the subject of military profession and professionalism.They had identified the following general characteristics of military professionalism which are organizational structure, special knowledge, education and training, self-regulation and commitment. The Malaysian Army had rise up to the challenge in addressing the issues of military professionalism among its personnel. All the characteristics of military professionalism mentioned earlier are being addressed seriously by the Army.Thus, one of the measures taken by the Army that the best place to start inculcating professionalism among the soldiers should start at the training centers. The Army has 17 training institutions all over the country and in 2011 the budget allocated for the Markas Pemerintahan Latihan dan Doktrin Tentera Darat was $22. 7 million. With 250 courses and 441 series of courses in 2011, the number of soldiers trained in year 2011 was approximately 16,000. This is a significant figure that can be considered as products of the Malaysian Army.Therefore, the Army has taken an approach by introducing the Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) as a measure to increase the level of professionalism among its personnel. CBTA is not a new approach in training. It has been a nationwide move by the Ministry of Human Resources. Malaysia, along with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and Germany were the main players in implementing CBTA since year 2000. The introduction of the National Skills Certification System in 1993 by the Majlis LatihanVokasional Kebangsaan (MLVK) and the soon to be implemented National Skills Development Act by the Ministry of Human Resources as well as the Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) by the Ministry of Higher Education will serve to restructure and streamline the national vocational and skills training in the country towards meeting the demands of today’s job tasks more effectively. Its intro duction is indeed timely, given the high priority that it places on the area of human resource development.With the emphasis towards preparing trained and qualified skilled workforce to support the country’s economic development, therefore, the more flexible framework of national skills recognition and qualifications is necessary to promote a conducive training culture for the personal motivation of skilled workers, which would hence lead to the overall upgrading of competencies amongst the country’s skilled workforce. Competency based learning has been the basis of most training and has been practiced in most countries.The Roman Army for example, were masters of competency training as applied to large groups and their effectiveness in delivering such training was a major contributor to their military success. A perfect description of competency training is as follows: â€Å"Their drills are like bloodless battles, and their battles are like bloody drills. † Jos eph Ben-Matthias, aka Flavius Josephus The terms of CBTA have many variations. Some countries know it as Competency Based Learning (CBL) and some countries call it Competency Based Training (CBT). Nevertheless, competency is the main keyword.CBT was a critical factor in the US Army’s ability to train several million young men during World War II. With the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942, the US Military was faced with the requirement to train millions of young men for its rapidly expanding armed forces. This rapid expansion required a method for quickly providing people with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to do a particular job. Using variations of CBT, millions of young men were trained, shipped to Europe or the Pacific and due to their training played a major role in the defeat of Germany and Japan.The role of training in enabling the US Military to expand from a very small army to one of several millions in only a short period of time is mainly due to the effe ctiveness of CBT. The Vocational Education, Employment and Training Advisory Committee of Australia, sees CBTA as â€Å"training geared to the attainment and demonstration of skills to meet industry-specified standards rather than to an individual’s achievement relative to that of others in a group†. CBTA is basically a scientific approach to training that relies on identifying the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to do a particular job, for example for an infantry soldier.The approach taken was to break each job down into groups of competencies. Competencies related to any particular job could be identified through a careful process of training analysis in terms of performance, conditions and standards. For example an infantry soldier might be required to perform firing of a rifle. The conditions required to fire the rifle at various conditions and positions. Example of standards required are, during day on a range at one hundred meters score fifty hits on a t arget measuring three foot high two foot wide, while standing.There is considerable debate as to what actually makes a competency, but for general purposes it can be identified as a readily identified group of related knowledge, skills and attitudes, which taken together constitute a major part of a job which is subject to measurement and assessment. Generally if you cannot measure performance with a stop watch then it is probably not a competency. To give an example, firing a rifle in terms of infantry training can be regarded as a competency. It is a major part of an infantry man’s job. It can be measured in terms of performance, conditions and standards and you can put a stop watch to it.For example, ten shots in the target within one minute. The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) adopted CBTA based on the concept implemented by the Australian Defence Forces (ADF). The ADF practiced the CBTA concept since year 1996. The MAF, realizing the need to revamp the approach towards trai ning, started the initiative towards CBTA in 2002 and started implementing CBTA in year 2007. The introduction of CBTA in the Army training programs has lead to the establishment of the Malaysian Army Competency Standard (MACS). It is a document that underlines the necessities and requirements that must be obtained by a soldier in their field of expertise.MACS will be assessed based on job proficiency in order to make sure soldiers can accomplish tasks at a level that can be accepted. The Army has identified that there are 318 career and functional courses based on the Armed Forces Code No 2 (AF Code No 2) that need to meet the requirement of MACS. Since the introduction of CBTA until end of year 2011, the number of soldiers who have qualified for the Malaysian Skills Certification (MSC) or also known as Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) from Army training institutions is 42,408 students.MSC or SKM is a certification structure which comprises of five levels National Skills Qualificatio n Framework based on National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS). MACS development for the courses listed in the AF Code No 2 varies in terms of achieving SKM accreditation ranging from SKM Level 1 to 5. The strengths of implementing CBTA in the Army encompassed all the general characteristics of military professionalism mentioned earlier. In the area of education and training, once the competencies have been identified then it is relatively easy to structure a training course.You might break the competencies down into component tasks, for example before you can fire a rifle, you would have to learn how to strip and assemble that rifle. That particular task might be listed as a specific learning outcome which has to be performed before meeting the final competency of firing a rifle under specific conditions. It would then be relatively easy to structure a training course, which might involve initial training and then further ‘On-The-Job’ training (OJT), which would del iver to the Army, soldiers with the necessary competencies to do the job required.Implementation of CBTA also allows the Army training institution to produce a more comprehensive training package that take into account the core values of competency (knowledge, skill and attitude). Efficiency in managing training courses, effectiveness of course delivery and systematic evaluation or assessment, ensure the quality of training, hence ensuring the quality of soldiers. Evaluation of a soldier does not end only at a particular training institution, which is the main approach in conventional method of training. CBTA allows continuous evaluation in the form of competency log.This would ensure that a soldier does not only competent during training but also when performing task and duties at workplace. In addition, CBTA can also help the Army to develop a good organizational structure as part of achieving military professionalism. Job analysis and job specification which have been identified during CBTA process, allows the Army to have the right person for the right job. This would allow the Army to identify what sort of competency and soldiers it needs in its organizational hierarchy. Improvements have also been made on Army training centers organizational structure.Moreover, besides having at least an officer responsible on CBTA at each of the Army training institutions, the Army also has started grooming its staff and instructors on what CBTA is all about. In year 2011, there were 5 courses conducted in the Army which aimed to increase the knowledge of the staffs and instructors. The courses were, Pegawai Latihan Vokasional (3 series), Induksi Pentauliahan Persijilan Kemahiran (3 series), Course of Study (4 series), Basic Instructor Methodology (1 series) and Kursus Induksi Pegawai Pengesahan Luaran Vokasional (1 series).These courses would lead the Army to ensure that CBTA is well understood, taught and implemented. As a result, the objectives of CBTA implementation can be achieved. Military professionalism should not only be accepted among military personnel but it must be recognized by the general public. CBTA has allowed military professionalism to be accepted and recognized. The implementation of CBTA in the Army is consistent with the requirement of MLVK. Adoption of CBTA provides soldiers with another qualification path and career development opportunity that has been established in line with the academic qualification structure.In other words, this means that the double qualification structure is based on two types of qualifications, namely the academic qualification and the skills qualification that are available in this country today. The emergence of this new skills qualification structure has opened up a whole new set of opportunities for all soldiers after completing their service in the Army. In addition, it also caters to soldiers who have no qualifications to show despite having years of working experience.As an example, PULMAT has able to get SKM accreditation of SKM Level 4 for its Souse Chef course. It is the highest level of SKM accreditation achieved among all the 318 courses conducted by Army training institutions. Attaining SKM Level 4 accreditation is equivalent to a diploma based on NOSS. Therefore, it can be said that soldiers who have achieved competency in the course is at par with others in the business environment or the labour market. They would also have a better career path after completing military service if they decided to pursue any job with similar competency level.A lot of discussions have been made regarding to the advantages and strengths of CBTA in having the Army desired results. Nevertheless, CBTA also have some weaknesses in heading to higher level of professionalism in the Army. Looking at the milestone and achievement of CBTA in the Army until today, the figures and statistics can be said to the extent of they are alarming. Out of the 17 Army training institutions, only 9 tra ining centers or about 50% are considered accredited training centers. They are IKED, IKEM, IJED, PULMAT, PULNORD, PULAPOT, PULPAK, PULADA and IPDA.These training centers have in total of 42 courses out of 318 courses that have been accredited with SKM certification. This only made up to approximately 13% out courses listed in the AF Code No 2. Only one course managed to get SKM Level 4, 13 courses at SKM Level 3 and 28 courses with SKM Level 1 to Level 2. IJED has the most courses in terms that are accredited with the national level SKM. Based on the AF Code No 2, year 2011, out of the 21 courses were conducted by IJED, 12 courses are accredited with national SKM.In addition, IKEM and PULMAT have 7 courses each with national SKM accreditation. PULADA on the other hand, only have 1 course (Dog Unit Handler Course) which has achieved national SKM accreditation. This is very distressing figures for the Infantry Corps in terms of where is the future of Infantrymen during their service and once they leave the service. The competence level of Infantrymen should portray the professionalism of the Army since most Infantry officers would end up as top brass in the Army.As for the future of Infantrymen after their service, the Army must take a necessary action to in order to ensure that Infantry soldiers have a decent competency to compete in the labour market, especially for the other ranks where they would normally retire by the age of 45 and still need to work to support their family. With only 1 course accredited (SKM Level 2) out of 18 courses conducted by PULADA, CBTA can be said as failed to increase the level of professionalism for the Infantrymen. Only those who have the technical skills and knowledge while serving in Corps such as KJLJD and KPD would reap the benefits of CBTA.With majority of Army personnel were only trained at SKM Level 1 and 2, one lead to wonder how SKM Level 1 and Level 2, help the Army to increase professionalism among its personnel. The general guideline of SKM level is as the following diagram. SKM Level 1 and Level 2 are categorized as in the operation and production level in terms of category of personnel. These are the level where most of Army personnel managed to obtain SKM certification from attending courses in year 2011. In year 2011, 4,800 Army personnel obtained SKM certification.Only 11% (550 personnel) obtained SKM Level 3, 32% (1,516 personnel) obtained SKM Level 2 and 57% (2,734 personnel) obtained SKM Level 1. Thus, referring back to the general characteristics of military professionalism, if the Army considers having most of its personnel achieving SKM Level 1 and Level 2 as increment in professionalism, then CBTA would have met its objective. Nevertheless, military professionalism is more than just special skills as in SKM Level 1 and Level 2. The Army should be looking at aiming for at least SKM Level 3 in order to increase some level of professionalism.SKM Level 3 will allow soldiers to have the three categories of personnel as shown in the diagram. The categories are skills, related/management skills and supervisory skills. Mastering them would lead to achieving military professionalism. When the MAF adopted CBTA, the general guideline of SKM competency has been laid out based on rank structure. SKM Level 1 for the rank of Private and Lance Corporal, Level 2 for Corporal, Level 3 for Sergeant and Staff Sergeant, Level 4 for Warren Officers and Level 5 for Officers. It can be said that some courses in the Army failed to meet the guideline.As an example, the Section Commander course conducted at PULADA, is only developed to achieve SKM Level 2. Thus, for the Infantry Corps, most of its sergeants would have SKM Level 2 instead of SKM Level 3 as required by the MAF. This should be a major concern for the Infantry Corps because it has the most number of personnel in the Army. The number of personnel with the rank of sergeant in the Infantry Corps is approximately 1,500 personn el. In the Infantry Standard Battalion, personnel holding the rank of sergeant are 56% (57 personnel) out of the 102 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in the battalion.The Infantry Section Commander course at PULADA basically focus on field application and tactics and not so much focus on managerial and administrative duties at the battalion. The managerial and administrative duties are covered mostly during the Pegawai Tidak Tauliah Rendah (PTTR) course at IPDA. Nevertheless, an infantry soldier is qualified to be given the rank of sergeant once he completed the Infantry Section Commander course. In an Infantry battalion, he is responsible to manage 7 personnel in his section.In year 2011, PULADA conducted 3 series of the Infantry Section Commander course with total number of approximately 300 students. The 300 personnel would have little knowledge of managerial and administrative duties due to normal practice applied in an Infantry Battalion is that a soldier will go for PTTR cours e once he completed the Infantry Section Commander course and if the he is planned to be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Moreover, on average only 100 bits are given to Infantry Corps per year for the PTTR course.In comparison to the 300 personnel attended the Infantry Section Commander Course per year, less than 50% would have the chance to attend the PTTR course. Hence, approximately 200 personnel would not be competent enough to manage a section of soldiers in the Infantry Battalion. In the Sistem Saraan Malaysia (SSM), a Sergeant in the Infantry Battalion will have to complete the PTTR course if he wishes to have a better pay. He will be given the P2 salary for the rank of Sergeant. Therefore, it can be said that money could be the motivational level to attend the PTTR course.That motivation would force the learning of managerial and administrative knowledge during PTTR course where in return, it would make the Sergeant a better soldier, increasing his level of professio nalism. Thus, it leads to the question on the new SBPA salary structure system where salary of P2 no longer applies. There could be personnel by the rank of Sergeant no longer wish to attend the PTTR course if they feel that they would not be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Hence, it can be said to the extent that without the PTTR course they would be less professional.For an Infantry Battalion, the 57 Sergeant would not have the competency to manage approximately 500 soldiers in the battalion if no one attends the PTTR course. The chain reaction effect of this issue is that officers would have a larger responsibility in ensuring military professionalism is carried out in the Army. The responsibility supposedly to be shared among the NCOs and Officers in order to have a well structured organization as required in achieving military professionalism. Another area where CBTA is seen as does not promote the sense of professionalism is in terms of leadership training.CBTA is not effective when used as a basis for training in areas such as leadership, and management where it is almost impossible to measure competency in terms of clearly defined behaviors that contribute to effective management and leadership, hence affecting the characteristics of military professionalism. Such areas still rely on a subjective assessment made by experts in the field. For example many special forces training courses do use competencies as part of the training package where these competencies relate to measurable behaviors. Literally behaviors which can be measured with a stopwatch.However, the final assessment must be subjective. Such assessment could take the form of a group of experts examining each individual and asking a question that can only be answered subjectively such as ‘would you go to war with this man’. If the answer is no, then it doesn’t matter how many behavioral competencies the individual has passed, he is not suitable. Such subjective as sessment is probably still appropriate in assessing candidates for jobs where qualities are required that can only be defined subjectively by experts. For example priest, teacher, military officer or a flying instructor.All of these types of jobs require qualities that it is almost impossible to define in terms of behavior. It is hard to say what exactly a good leader is actually doing, but we know it when we see it. Attitude competencies generally fail because they can only be measured in the negative. For example, a competency might require the individual to demonstrate the right attitude to safety. Well you can easily measure the wrong attitude, if somebody lights a cigarette in a no smoking area, you have a behavior which clearly demonstrates a poor attitude to safety.But if the individual is not smoking, it doesn’t demonstrate a positive attitude, all it shows is that the person is not smoking. Officer training courses where students are aware that attitude is being asse ssed tend to lead to students falsifying their behaviors that they believe will be viewed in a positive light. For example demonstrating keenness by always smiling and being willing to do a task. Any assessment could only conclude that the person is competent at smiling and effective in using the language of volunteering, it says nothing about the individual’s attitude.The keen individual might well turn out to be displaying a competency in duplicitous behavior, which might well be useful but is hardly a trait likely to endear the individual to his or her subordinates. CBTA could also lead to soldiers feel complacent on their achievement. They only have to achieve competence level since the evaluation is either he is competent or not yet competent. In contrast, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) adopted the Competency Based Learning (CBL) and has a different competence level assessment.The differences between the Malaysian’s Army CBTA are that the SAF’s CBL evalua te performance based on five level of competency. The levels are, Novice/Advance Beginner, Competent, Proficient and Expert. The SAF feels that these are the necessary levels that should be assessed in CBL especially leadership training. Therefore, the Malaysian Army leadership training could be hampered in increasing level of professionalism due to soldiers feel that they only have to be assessed as competent. In order to excel, one should not feel complacent but try to bring the best out of him.In conclusion, the Malaysian Army should have a well defined terms and definition of military professionalism. From there, it would be able to understand how CBTA can improve the level of professionalism among its personnel. Based on the discussions, arguments and empirical evidence of CBTA achievements in the Army, it can be concluded that the level of professionalism could be increased solely by implementation of CBTA. Nevertheless, it does not mean that CBTA has failed in terms of its ob jectives, it merely need a minor overhaul in terms of the SKM level needed by Army personnel in achieving professionalism. 3894 words) REFERENCES 1. Janowitz, Morris, The Professional Soldier, The Free Press, New York, 1971. 2. Huntington, Samuel P. , The Soldier and the Slate, Belknap Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1957. 3. Sarkesian, Sam C. , The Professional Army officer in a Changing Society, Nelson-Hall Publishers, Chicago, 1975. 4. Ramatahan, K. , Leadership Development Through the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Competency Based Learning Project, SAFTI Military Institute, Singapore, 2000. 5.Annual Report, Laporan Perkembangan Latihan dan Penilaian Berasaskan Kompetensi (LPBK) Tahun 2011, MK LAT-BPL(MLVK)/G3/3001/5(71) dated Feb 2012. 6. MACS Report, Pembangunan Standard Kompetensi Tentera Darat (SKTD) Untuk Tugas Penolong Ketua Platun Infantri Dan Ketua Seksyen Infantri, MK-TD Jab Inf, Kuala Lumpur, Jul 2008. 7. Paper Work, Konsep Strategi dan Perlaksanaan LPBK Dalam Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, MATM/J1CTK/A/238/8 dated 12 Dis 2005. 8. AF Code No 2, Jadual Kursus Tempatan Tahun 2011, Markas Pemerintahan Latihan dan Doktrin Tentera Darat, Kuala Lumpur, 2011.

Bullying and Social Deviance Essay

The topic I have chosen resonates with me personally as I have experienced it firsthand. I also think it is a topic that many can relate too. I know a lot of people have either been bullied, been the bully or witnessed it themselves. I have chosen bullying and how it is a social deviance. Bullying cane be defined as the use of power and aggression to cause distress or control another. Bullying itself manifest in all ages, from children in grade school all the way through adult hood. I have seen it and the effects of it, no good comes from bullying. I also know that while yes it can stem from some sort of discrimination it does not always target a certain race, sexual orientation or gender. Bullying has a huge spectrum; those previously listed can be reasons why but so can your social status, culture or even the brand of clothing you wear. Most of these reasons are out of anyone’s hand, people are usually born into these circumstances no one chooses to be a person of color nor do they choose their sexuality, contrary to what some believe. I believe personally that bullying is the worst as you are going through school. You are still trying to figure out who you are and that last thing you need is someone trying to tell you that. Also, bullying today is far different because now we have the cyber realm to consider. Everything from shopping to communicating to people abroad can be done via the web and social media unfortunately plays a significant role in our lives. Now with that said, you can literally be bullied from the comfort of your own home which should be a safe zone. You can be a target for many reasons, body image, sexuality and the list goes on but the question is how do we stop it? How do we prevent children from cyber bullying? What should the punishment of this be, if any? Throughout the course we learned how different theories and perspectives better help us explore and define the different deviances that people demonstrate. One of those theories that goes hand and hand with bullying is the labeling theory and that is for obvious reasons. The labeling theory is a theory in which the rule making and the reactions to the rules that are being broken (Goode, 2011, pg.52). The way this correlates to bullying is basically with every action there is a clear and opposite reaction. An  example of this would be someone is bullied day in and day out now they want to either hurt themselves to escape the torment or the victim wants revenge. So now we have a reaction to the action which is the bullying. Therefore it has a snow ball effect of another deviant behavior because personal harm to either party is involved. According to the article by Douglas Vanderbilt and Marilyn Augustyn there are a plethora of effects from being bullied. Bullying is in fact a major problem for children, â€Å"There are well-defined risk factors for bullying that are individual and social. Beyond the immediate trauma of experiencing bullying, victims are at high risk of the later physical and emotional disorders† (Vanderbilt & Augustyn, 2010). There are multiple rules that are broken when it comes to bullying, basic human rights are violated, and discrimination may even take place among many issues. Bullying leaves significant trauma on people as stated from the article this is both physical and emotional. The issues that can arise from this are vital and preventing bullying is the key. As stated in the article as well, there are signs of bullying by both the bully and the victim. Recognizing them could be huge in protecting someone and possible getting the bullies themselves help as well. As we transition into the topic of bullying and victimization the College of Family Physicians of Canada published an excellent article to review the epidemiology, identification, and management of bullying and victimization among people in their primary setting. This article presents a review of bullying and associated symptoms, a tool for assessing bullying involvement, and an overview of intervention and management. â€Å"With an increased awareness and understanding of bullying as a health problem, physicians can play an instrumental role in identifying people involved in bullying and providing them with the support needed to develop healthy relationships† (Lamb, Pepler, & Craig, 2009) If we have children that are targeted early on in life this could have long term effects on them so it is crucial they get the help needed to develop healthy relationships. By doing so we will be setting people up for success which is only fair since they were cheated from it. Although not everyone that is bullied will need help it all varies on the person themselves and the extent of the bullying that took place. By utilizing the labeling theory we can see how such basic rules are broken, but what is broken is also fixable. The problem needs to be addressed in order to do that. The next theory  will be the functionalist theory. Functionalism adopts a consensus paradigm: Harmony is the rule, and a disruption of that harmony calls for steps to reestablish peace and tranquility. (Goode, 2011, pg. 58) We can examine what made the individual become a bully. This could have stemmed from a dysfunctional family life, maybe this person saw their parent be bullied by the other, or a parent (s) bullies the children. There is a good chance that bullies themselves face a disarray of issues at home that cause internal pain and anger, as a result they attack others. Once we have identified this dysfunction and acknowledge that there is a problem we can then fix it. I believe that nine times out of ten someone doesn’t wake up and become a bully, they are taught it. People are not born hating, it is something that is taught, and this particular habit is probably picked up at home unfortunately. It has a ripple effect, this habit is picked up at home and brought to school or the work place and so on as so forth. (Swearer, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, 2010) This article addresses what can be done once bullying has occurred which is very important. Bullying sometimes is not preventable and it can happen but the important thing is once it does what is done to rectify the issue. Creating a safe work place and learning environment is vital. Also, stating in any clauses or work environment rules that bullying is not and will be tolerated. People should feel safe when they are either at school or work, no one should have to feel uncomfortable because this atrocity is tolerated. This also covers how a person is not born a bully but created. This is a learned behavior, it is taught to prey on the weak and defenseless because they make easy targets. It is all a part of the theory of bullying. Choose someone that you know won’t put up a fight this in turn makes you feel better about yourself, superior almost. If this happens in a school the child could be threatened with detention or even suspension. The work place can have a similar type of punishment, suspension without pay is usually enough to stop someone for being a bully. Lastly, the conflict theory will help me further explore the issue of bullying. In contrast to functionalism, the conflict theory sees groups with competing and clashing interesting, â€Å"they see struggles between and among categories, sectors, groups, and classes in the society, with winn ers and losers resulting from the outcome of these struggles† (Goode, 2011 pg. 58). The conflict theory is probably one of the strongest  out of the three to better identify this issue. With the cyber realm playing such a pivotal role in our daily routine bullying has become essentially easier to do (Sabella, Patchin, & Hinduja, 2013). A person can literally be bullied from their own home, so where is the safe zone? Cyber bullying is so much easier with all the social media. Unfortunately this is the society we live in with smart phones and computers ruling our social life. The competing and clashing of people attacking one another is simple. The sad part is strangers can jump upon the bullying bandwagon and the next thing this victim knows they have dozens of people attacking them instead of one. Once this happens the victim can suffer tremendously. Not only are they being attacked at school or work but at home and it is spreading like wild fire. This has a huge effect on the victim’s self-esteem and as previously discussed this could have long term harmfu l effects on them. â€Å"Previous research on traditional bullying among adolescents has found a relatively consistent link between victimization and lower self-esteem, while finding an inconsistent relationship between offending and lower self-esteem† (Patchin & Hinduja, 2010) This is why it is important to know what bullying is, how to stop it and once someone has been victimized how to get them proper help. Throughout this course we learned a number of ways to identify different deviances. We learned out to categorize them and better explore them by using different concepts and theories. By utilizing the labeling, functionalist, and conflict theory I was better equipped to research bullying and connect it as a social deviance. Once that was established the research articles supported the thesis. Bullying is an awful problem that causes far more harm than good and can lead to many problems down the road. While it is an unfortunate issue it is preventable and not a permanent problem. It is important that people feel and are not victimized once they seek help. I know firsthand that bullying can create long term problems but with the right help and assistance it can also be stopped. It stops with people taking stand and fighting for the ones that cannot figh t for themselves. Again, people are not born hating and being cruel it is taught so if they are taught to hate they can learn how to be kind. References: Sabella, R. A., Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2013). Cyberbullying myths and realities. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2703-2711. Vanderbilt, D. (2010). The Effects of Bullying. Pediatrics and Child Health, 315-320. Lamb, J., Pepler, D. J, Craig, W. (2009). Can Fam Physician. Apr 2009; 55(4): 356–360. Swearer, S. M, Espelage, D. L., Vaillancour, T., Hymel, S. (2010) What Can Be Done About School Bullying?. Eduational Researcher, pg 38-47 Patchin JW, Hinduja S. Cyberbullying and self-esteem. J Sch Health. 2010; 80: 614-621 Goode, E. (2011). Deviant Behavior (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Reviewing Progress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reviewing Progress - Essay Example Listening has more to do with the mind that the ear. These changes were necessary to make because if a person does not readily listen to his peers, subordinates, higher ups etc. he will never benefit from what they are trying to say to him. A person should always listen more than he speaks. These changes have made me a successful learner because they enable to keep other's point of view before what I think and then evaluate them in a sensible and unbiased manner. It is important to listen in this world of business because if you do not listen and keep on talking, you will give away more information about yourself and your company than you intend to and others who are clever enough to keep quiet and listen to you will catch the hints from what you are saying and find an advantage from what they have heard from you. Moreover, listening in the workplace is so important if you want to learn better and be a good employee. All the time, your boss, your subordinates and your customers will be trying to tell you something. If the listening skills are developed well, it would get easy for you to accommodate everyone and solve their problems, answer their queries. Being a good listener opens ways for you to hit bright ideas for your company, the project you are working on etc. 3 Identify the transferable skills which you have as you have studied B200 and suggest how they will be of use in future study or other aspects of your work. The listening skills that I have developed in this course will be very useful to me in my future study as well as other aspects of my work because this has helped develop an important aspect of my personality and I can rely on it to help me grow more in my educational career as well as my professional career. The listening skill, once developed, helps a person throughout his life because a bad listener always fails to take the utmost advantage of every opportunity that comes his way. In future study, the listening skill will be very helpful to help me listen to my teachers in other courses and understand what they are trying to educate me about. I will not just hear them; rather I will listen to them. Moreover, in other aspects of my work, it will help me communicate better with my peers. PART B 1 Describe one activity you undertook during which you practiced your discussion skills The activity that helped me practice my discussion skills is that of negotiation. There was a negotiation activity that I took part in and in which I had to negotiate with a second party about this problem that we were both facing regarding contract terms etc. in the activity, I played the Head of the union of workers that existed in the company whereas the other party was the top management of the company. The top management was not ready to raise the wages of the workers of the union and I, being the Head, had gone to talk to them and negotiate the matter in a way through which desirable results can be brought out in favor of both the parties. In this activity, first both parties were given a time of five minutes to practice

The Presidency of The United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Presidency of The United States - Essay Example The Commander-in-chief of the US military forces is responsible for deploying, supervising and increasing the number of America’s defense forces (White House Correspondent, 2012). The other roles that President Obama has for formulating policies and obtaining his goals include negotiating treaties with other foreign dignitaries acting as the chief of state in presenting medals to military heroes and hosting formal dinners for foreign leaders to further economic and global security relationships. He is the chief diplomat who appoints competent leaders as Ambassadors to the United Nations (UN). The UN Ambassador works under the guidance and supervision of the US, and acting as a source of influence to the rest of the world. Obama travels to foreign nations to create trade relationships, and affirm the US ideologically concerning foreign affairs (White House Correspondent, 2012). ... In his leadership, President Obama has encountered hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, Japan’s and Haiti’s devastating earthquake, inflation in oil prices and a nuclear threat from Iran, and the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake. In all these devastations, Obama has made sound decisions for the greater good of humanity. During and after the great recession that began after the real estate boom in 2008, President Obama worked hard with his economic and political advisors to improve the living standards of American consumers as well as those of the rest of the essential economies that were greatly affected. He improved financial markets, passed healthcare reforms to benefit even the low income earners and proposed a tax and economic reform to increase employment, increase total revenue and improve the living standards of the US consumers.ii President Obama’s leadership style positively affects how he governs the US. During the economic crisis, many US consumers w ere in panic-mode because of home foreclosures, rise of unemployment rates and mass layoffs. Obama’s calm and assertive leadership style encouraged many Americans to hope and strive for the best in their lives because measures were being taken to improve the economy that was spiraling. President Obama avoided making hasty decisions that would put the US primacy and global economy in jeopardy. The Federal Reserve issued loans to the government to provide temporary money infusions that would jump-start the economy. People with bad credit history were given loans to repay debts such as home mortgages and credit card debts. The adjustment interest rate was lowered for debtors to repay their loans within the time stipulated when their incomes were increased. Current Economy Situation

The Tragic Sense of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Tragic Sense of Life - Essay Example makes it move towards faith which readily offers immortality and meaning, a sense of immortality that is vulnerable to doubt, yet, at the same time richly endowed with meaning and hope. It is this mutual contradiction of these two ideas, one ensuing from objectivity and the other from faith is the eventual source of life’s unity. In a broader context, both these ideas, complement and complete each other. It is the sense of annihilation ensuing from a scientific objectivity that moves the humanity towards faith, and the doctrines of faith, though seeming mystical, ambiguous and vague ultimately does have the power to move the men to act in a way that actually makes people think that these doctrines if not true, ought to be true. That death, if it is the eventual destiny of man, is a destiny that is undeserved and unjust. Unamuno boldly declares that â€Å"We think because we live (157).† However, by ‘thinking’ here, Unamuno does not mean what most men consider thinking to be. For truly speaking, in case of most of the individuals, thoughts are nothing, but a pretext for justifying their actions to oneself and others. Nudged to act by their innate, basic and primordial instincts, they present thoughts as a sophisticated veneer to cover up the essential senselessness and vagueness of their actions, or rather to project some sort of a meaning over their actions. Yet, the shallowness of their thoughts is evinced the minute there start to appear chinks in their adopted or professed doctrines, taking a heavy tool of their belief in the very integrity of their actions. By ‘thinking’ Unamuno means that an innate belief, which embraces both the impermanence indicated by logic and the immortality offered by faith and proceeds to act irrespective of the inherent contradiction of these two ideas, confident that the very character of the actions engendered by this belief while resolve this contradiction and endow life with a meaning. Doing so, Unamuno places upside

Country Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Country Research - Essay Example Amaterasu is considered their chief deity with the emperor and empress as the successors who must lead ceremonies for the welfare of the people. Buddhism is another main religion practiced by many Japanese. Buddhism set the standard where salvation is achieved when believers give up their worldly desires and without too much thought of themselves. Japanese likewise have faith in myths. They claim that Izanami, the female goddess retired into the underworld as a result of the birth of god of Fire. Izanagi, the male god created the storm god, Susano. The myth of the tallest mountain is yet another that they maintain. Mount Fuji became the highest mountain in Japan because she destroyed Mount Haku after it was known that it has the tallest peak (Piggot, 1969). Interestingly, there are many rituals practiced by Japanese. Family ritual practices involve bathing themselves in a small square tub. The tub is used by every member of the family where it requires scrubbing and soaping outside t he tub before dipping. Bowing when meeting someone and departing them is observed to show respect. When entering a house, outside shoes should be removed as a sign of cleanliness. Family eats with chopstick and talking is restricted.

Persuasive synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Persuasive synthesis - Essay Example They are treated as interesting subjects for study and they are not considered human beings anymore, but rather subjects for research. According to the guidelines set by Papadimos and his colleagues, patient care in the movie, â€Å"Wit† (2001), was partially effectively given because Dr. Kelekian discussed the treatment with the patient and was frank with her about the possible results of the extremely aggressive treatment that was presented. However, the doctors did not discuss with the patient her end-of-life plan. Although with Vivian Bearing’s wit, she was able to read between the lines and understand that the treatment was not working because the cancer cells were just spreading in other parts of the patient’s body, the doctors did not directly discuss things with her. Moreover, it took the courage of a nurse to consult with the patient about the issue of the patient’s dying for her to think about what she would choose the doctors to do in case her h eart stops. Since Dr. Kelekian and his partner were very interested in studying the patient’s case, one cannot help but question their interest in not discussing the patient’s end-of-life plan. Moreover, the doctors failed to recognize dying symptoms such as extreme agony. In one of the doctor’s visit to the patient’s room who was obviously in torment, the physician asked Ms. Bearing if she was in pain and the patient found it ridiculous. Nevertheless, the nurse observed such flaws of the doctors and did her best to provide the patient with the care that she deserved as a human being. Byrne claims that metaphors are also used not only in literature but also in understanding what patients go through. Since not all people go through the same circumstances, not everyone would be able to understand what patients would be going through. However, with the use of metaphors, one could perhaps have a glimpse of the agonies of sicknesses and therefore understand wh at the patient longs for. Henceforth, the caregiver could effectively provide the necessary care and understanding to the patient. On the other hand, metaphor can also be used by doctors to explain the jargons of the medical world to the patient. In the aforementioned movie, Dr. Jason easily used metaphors to explain Ms. Bearing’s health conditions to her and being a literary scholar, the patient was quick to understand the explanation. As a result, there was a point wherein the doctor and the patient had an intellectual sharing about their own professions which gave Bearing new perspectives. Pope Benedict in his speech in 2007 stressed that more palliative care centers are needed to â€Å"provide integral care, offering the sick the human assistance and spiritual accompaniment they need†. Indeed, hospitals should not be just a place where patients are admitted and studied like animals. Rather, they should be treated with all their dignity intact despite the possibilit ies of recovering or dying. In the movie, doctors were careless about the rights of the patient to be treated well because she was not give the care and spiritual assistance a human being needs. This made the patient look back to the times when she was strong and full of health. Like the doctors, she lacked sensitivity to human needs. She was disciplined in her manners and demanded the same from her students. She regretted how she treated other people and wished she would have been a little kinder to them. Eventually, this helped

Final Project Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Project - Research Proposal Example To access the facility customers are required to obtain tickets for different movies of their choice. The theatre has only one ticketing station located at the entrance of the premises where the customers obtain their tickets. The movie theatre serves a huge number of customers, there is an increased number of customers particularly during holiday seasons. The limited number of ticketing stations results in long queues and unnecessary time wastage in the ticketing process. The customers always complain about the time wasted queuing to purchase the tickets. Additionally, most clients complain about missing the beginning of the movies for which they intend to watch. The seats in the theatre are arranged into three sets; VIP lounge, Ordinary and back seats. Each of the seats is numbered depending on each category and they all have different pricing. The VIP lounge costs more followed by the ordinary and back seats respectively. The pricing also varies depending on the day of the week and the time. Tickets for movies shown on weekends and between 2PM to 7 PM and 7PM to 11 PM cost more than those on weekdays and during the day. The major problem associated with the current system is the loss of revenue and lack of customer satisfaction occasioned by delays in issuance of tickets to customers. The delay also results in low number of customers resulting from the slow ticketing process. It has been observed that approximately 600 seats are always occupied in one sitting yet the capacity of the theatre is twice this number. Hence, there is underutilization of the facility since it is not filled to capacity. To achieve this, the proposed simulation intends to create additional ticketing kiosks to a total of 6 kiosks strategically placed to enhance the ticketing process. It also intends to increase the ticketing options to allow online ticketing through the company’s website or through

Private funds Essay Example for Free

Private funds Essay The article by Rick Jervis of USA Today, delves into instances surrounding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, two years after the storm hit New Orleans, greatly devastating communities, houses, and the livelihood of its residents. Entitled â€Å"2 years after Katrina, pace of rebuilding depends on who pays,† the tone of the news article immediately shifts to that of a skeptical one, and although such skepticism isnt pronounced without the presence of the routine set of facts and backing evidence to support it, the article nevertheless gives off a certain air of liberal, left wing, of-the-people and for-the-people leaning. But the article starts off with an optimistic note, showing one of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, whose house once buried deep in muddy water is now pictured in the same house, with new furnitures and freshly painted walls fashioned to look as good as new. The home owner in question, it would turn out, used her personal life savings to have her home get back to looking the way it was and better, and government did not have its hand on the matter. The state of rebuilding in the nearby vicinity, and the rest of New Orleans it would seem, is not going as planned and as in order as that of the previously stated home owner. The article sheds some probably unwanted light on the governments ineffectiveness: the delay in releasing of funds intended for rebuilding and reconstruction, the â€Å"critical priority projects† which has failed to take its form. For the most part, the article was able to show that civilians and residents were not the only victims affected by the delay in the issuance of funds, police and firefighters are forced to work in trailers, and the citys crime labs have no place to conduct DNA testing and similar laboratory analysis. But the news article identifies the lower class bracket of being on the receiving end of much of the rebuilding problems as they depend on government funding to assist them in the restoration of their homes, as opposed to middle and upper class individuals who are able and have been able to rebuild using money from their private funds, insurance, and so on. After the initial pressing issue was shed light on, the article gave brief history and information regarding the root of the devastation, and proceeded to include packets of optimism in the form of interview with civic activists who are volunteering their time and effort into ensuring that improvements can and will be achieved. The news article culminates in the reality that the federal and state government is doing nothing to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, or if it does, hardly anybody could attest to it. And concludes with the notion that if people are to look for help, they are to find it amongst themselves. Asked about the instance of rebuilding, people reply with, â€Å"if it werent for volunteers, if it werent for the private sector nothing would have been done. † The news article presented the necessary facts, and although it showed bias towards the survivors of Hurricane Katrinas part, this bias was justified because of the apparent inaction on the side of the government. Works Cited Jervis, Rick. â€Å"2 Years After Katrina, Pace of Rebuilding Depends on Who Pays. † 28 August 2007. USA Today. 11 December 2007. http://usatoday. com/news/nation

The Renaissance Period Of English Literature

The Renaissance Period Of English Literature The Renaissance Period injected English literature with a new and innovative life; it was a time for rediscovering classical texts, coining new words, and both translating and imitating classical forms. This inspiration arose from Ancient Greek, Roman and Italian writers, such as Homer, Virgil and Petrarch. These writers inspired new poets of 17th century England to look towards old literature, with the intention to improve new literature; the Renaissance Period was thus a time for rebirth. Thomas Wyatt was greatly influenced by the Italian poet, Petrarch, and consequently, he derived the sonnet from him, introducing it into English poetry. He was thus inspired by Petrarch, and translated many of his sonnets into English, yet adapted them to create some originality and also to reflect his own personal experiences. Wyatts poetry was chiefly designed to entertain, for example, Whoso List to Hunt? I know where is an hind is a courtly poem, written for a distinct audience and predominantly intended to entertain the court. However, whilst King Henry VIII ruled the throne, many writers found it difficult to talk about courtly matters through their poetry, since they could easily be imprisoned for offending the King. Sir Thomas More comments on this dilemma, stating that, By the indirect approach you must seek and strive to the best of your power to handle matters tactfully (710). His use of the word tactfully is intended to mean that writers had to be subtle yet skilful if they were to convey their intended message without becoming imprisoned. This was often achieved through the power of translation. Wyatts Whoso List to Hunt is a reinterpretation of Petrarchs Rime 190 and thus not a direct translation, since the poem is thought to indirectly refer to Wyatts love for Anne Boleyn, with Caesar representing King Henry VIII. The narrator in the poem is contending with his king for the doe, ensuing in a more direct and potentially precarious series of consequences for the narrator. The 1534 Treason Act, stated that anybody could be executed for what they said or wrote, yet Wyatt avoided being accountable for his words through the beauty of translation, proverbs, and ambiguity. For example, in 1541, one of the chief accusations against Wyatt was that he said in conversation with his friends in Spain that he feryd that the king shulde be caste owte of a Cartes arse (life and letters p189), which was a way of hanging common criminals. Susan Bridgen states, that Wyatt was judged at last upon the fine distinction between whether he had said whether the king would be cast out of a carts arse, like a thief as he was hanged, or simply left out, his interests ignored. His fate hung upon judgements between tenses and syllables. (p29 of article) Although he was put in prison for this, he defended and ultimately saved himself by claiming that the carts arse was proverbial, and thus not literal. This is a further reason why Wyatt uses ambiguity in the majority of his poetry ; he cannot be punished if there is no set meaning behind his poems. states that in order to express at the same time the code of courtly love and his own problems, he had to eliminate from his poetry everything which was too narrow and specific in one way or the other. Translation and imitation thus shaped the poetry of the Renaissance, since both these forms acted as a mask to hide the poet conveying the instability of both courtly life, and courtly love, whilst at the same time improving the quality of English Literature during this period. Through Wyatts translated version of Whoso List to Hunt, it is apparent that he has used his own opinions and emotions to transform the interpretation, yet his reinterpretation of Petrarchs original is still referred to as a translation. Despite Wyatt having to write discreetly, writes that probably the necessity of discipline to use a technique of camouflage imposed a useful artistic discipline on him. Wyatt carefully adapts Petrarchs form and manipulates the original content to cunningly convey his message. The reader can then interpret the poem as they wish; Wyatt thus aims to entertain, teach, and convey a sense of morality. When considering Harold Blooms statement in this essay question, he argues that influenced poets are Original, though not therefore necessarily better. I would disagree with this statement simply because although Wyatt uses Petrarchs idea of the doe as an allegory, he was the first poet to adopt the notion to introduce the sonnet into English Literature. Moreover, in order to convey his message in the correct manner for his time, he had no choice but to translate Petrarchs poem, because he would have been hanged otherwise for his offensive message to the King. Thus, perhaps Wyatts version is superior, because of his cunning and initiative to make his intended statement about his feelings and court-life in such a discreet manner. Moreover, the translation of any classical literature into English in the Renaissance period was highly respected. Thus, unlike a contemporary poet of today, Wyatt did not need to distinguish himself as an original poet. Daalder (Joost Daalder (Sir Thomas Wya tt: Collected Poems, edited by Joost Daalder (1975)) correctly states that we should not admire something because it is new or old, but because it is intrinsically important and appealing and Wyatt certainly makes his poem engaging, since it was so controversial for its time. Wyatts sonnet is composed of an octave stating an idea or dilemma, followed by a sestet, suggesting a resolution to this problem. The octave in Wyatts translation of Whoso List to Hunt, depicts the unsuccessful pursuit of the hind, whereas the sestet clarifies that the reason the hunter is unable to catch his prey is because she is promised to somebody else; capturing her would jeopardise both the hind and the hunter. Whilst Wyatt uses the same rhyme scheme as Petrarch for the octave in his sonnets, abbaabba, he adapts Petrarchs sestet so it consists of a quatrain and a couplet, which infuses his sonnet with originality. However, by changing Petrarchs structure, some of the rhymes become irregular, particularly because in the Renaissance period, specific words would have been pronounced differently. In Wyatts sonnet, wind (signifying windy), with a short i sound, is designed to rhyme with the long drawn-out assonance of the i in the words hind, behind, and mind. Similarly, in the fin al couplet of the sonnet, the extended sounding of the letter a of tame is expected to rhyme with the a in the word am which is a much more abrupt sound. Thus, if we read this couplet aloud, in order to generate a rhyme, we have to alter how we would usually pronounce the word, which potentially causes a problem for a modern reader of this Renaissance poem. Petrarchs Rime 190 represents an unattainable mistress through the image of a pure-white doe (1), whilst Wyatts hind (1) represents his own love; thus both women referred to are unapproachable objects of desire. Petrarchs use of the word white to describe the deer literally translates to candida in Italian, a word which has strong connotations with purity and innocence. Thus, the depiction of both the courtly hunt and of courtly love clearly represents the dangers involved. Wyatt also modifies the honest and innocent deer in Petrarchs version into a more morally ambiguous animal. By using the original content of the sonnet to his advantage, Wyatt cunningly ensures that his poem operates on the surface as a translation whilst still expressing his own message. Wyatt invests his translation with multiple layers of meaning through the description of the words of Caesar, written about the deers neck, which is graven with diamonds in letters plain. The sign thus suggests eternal beauty, but also loyalty because she is promised to Caesar. The diamond conveys a sense of coldness too, highlighting a lack of virtue, which increases the tension between the speaker and the object of desire, because Caesar is controlling her. In both Petrarchs original sonnet and Wyatts translation, the domination of ownership has protected the deer from being captured, and this image works to Wyatts advantage; he is acknowledging that Anne Boleyn is betrothed to Henry V111. Wyatt thus uses the line Noli me tangere, for Caesars I am (13) to signify that the deer belongs to somebody who is greater and more controlling than the narrator. Again, Wyatt has used the original content of Petrarchs sonnet and adapts the symbolism to his personal situation, conveying his feel ings subtly and indirectly. Furthermore, Wyatts oblique translation imparts a different tone than Petrarchs original. For example, through his language, the attitude of the hunter conveys a sense of lethargy and futility to the reader, Yet I may by no means my wearied mind/Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore/Fainting I follow (5-7). A further poignant image which depicts the speaker as completely helpless and unable to catch the object of his desire is conveyed just before the sestet, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind (8). He attempts to catch her, but the words, I seek suggest a continued effort of vain pursuit; the speaker is persistently chasing only the wind, because experience has taught him that both wind and deer are equally impossible to catch. This response, however, is not apparent in Petrarchs original, I left work to follow her at leisure (6) and written with topaz (10) which represents chastity. These phrases convey a tone of satisfaction and pleasure, since the words leisure and topaz bear more positive connotations than wearied and fainting. Despite Wyatts speaker conveying complete exhaustion, he is unable to forget the deer, whereas at the end of Petrarchs sonnet, his speaker fell in the stream and she was gone, indicating a sense of closure. Through the imagery of hunting this deer, Wyatt is perhaps signifying the fact that because he is part of the court and under the charge of Henry V111, he is unable to leave the court. Thus, his persistent pursuit of the deer reflects the fact that he cannot leave the court; he is forced to persevere with court-life, which he is now starting to see as both meaningless and unsatisfying, but also dangerous. This could be an indirect criticism of the court, serving as a message of council to his fellow courtiers. Moreover, he is stating that although he is unable to escape from this treacherous environment, through his poetry, he can counsel and advise others against it, whilst subtly expressing the threats he perceives in court-life. By imitating Petrarchs Rime 190, he is able to convey this message ambiguously, and if accused, he can state that his poem has been misinterpreted. The tone of Wyatts version of the poem is also depicted through the manipulation of the sounding of words. Wyatt deliberately emphasises the sound of the repetitive letter h on the words hunt and hind in order to draw attention to these words, whilst creating a harsh tone to signify the narrators frustration at being unable to catch the deer. Moreover, Wyatt chooses to use words with open vowel sounds also in his poem, for example, where, as, and alas. These words, when the poem is read out loud, cause the reader make a sighing noise, which conveys the poems tone of submission and despair. These sighing noises, and the sibilance on the letter s create a despondent mood, and portrays Wyatts feelings of apathy and dejection to the reader, whilst still remaining inside the precincts of a translation. Moreover, Wyatt uses enjambment, leading the reader to be almost out of breath if reading the poem out loud, Yet may I by no means my wearied mind/Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore/Fainting I follow (5-7), which mimics the speaker fainting. Petrarch used enjambment in his version too, Like the miser who looking for his treasure/Sweetens with that delight his bitterness. The juxtaposition between bitter and sweet also highlights the speakers dilemma. The enjambment in Wyatts poem could purely be taken from Petrarchs translation, but it figures as highly appropriate in Wyatts version, because it reflects his own fatigued and drained outlook on his hopeless situation. The enjambment mimics Wyatts pursuit of his desire, whilst revealing his own sentiments in his poem. Through imitating Petrarchs poem, Wyatt successfully creates ambiguity within his poem, in which it is possible to read a more personal meaning without making any sort of direct statement that would implicate the poet. Wyatt uses words that can be interpreted in many ways; each word, sound, and image functions on both the literal sense of its translation, yet also on a symbolic level to depict Wyatts personal sorrow.

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives Assess the links between team performance and strategic Objectives. The fundamental aim of the strategic management is to generate strategic capability by ensuring that the organisation has the skilled, committed and well motivated employees which it needs to achieve sustained competitive advantages. It’s objective is to provide a sense of direction in an turbulent’s environment, so that the business needs of the organization, and the individual and collective needs of its employees, can be met by the development and implementation of coherent and practical Human Resource policies and programme. Team performance working involves the development of a number of interrelated processes that together make an impact on the performance of the firm through its people in such areas as productivity, quality, levels of customer service, growth, profits, and ultimately the delivery of increased shareholder value. This is achieved by enhancing the skills and engaging the enthusiasm of employees . The starting point is leadership, vision and benchmarking to create a sense of momentum and direction. Progress must be measured constantly and the main drivers, support systems and culture are: Development of people capacities through learning at all levels, with particular emphasis on self-management and team capabilities to enable and support performance improvement and organizational potential Performance, operational and people management processes aligned to organizational objectives to build trust, enthusiasm and commitment to the direction taken by the organization Fair treatment for those who leave the organization as it changes, and engagement with the needs of the community outside the organization. Team-performance management practices include rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, extensive and relevant training and management development activities, incentive pay systems and performance management processes. The fundamental business need the strategy should meet is to develop and maintain a high performance culture. The characteristics of such a culture are: A clear line of sight exists between the strategic aims of the authority and those of its departments and its staff at all levels Management defines what it requires in the shape of performance improvements, sets goals for success and monitors performance to ensure that the goals are achieved Leadership from the top which engenders a shared belief in the importance of continuing improvement Performance management processes aligned to the authoritys objectives to ensure that people are engaged in achieving agreed goals and standards Capacities of people developed through learning at all levels to support performance improvement. People valued and rewarded according to their contribution. Evaluate tools and techniques available to set team performance targets Tools and techniques to help companies transform quickly. Way back when (pick your date), team members in large companies had a simple goal for themselves and their organizations: stability. Shareholders wanted little more than predictable earnings growth. Because so many markets were either closed or undeveloped, leaders could deliver on those expectations through annual exercises that offered only modest modifications to the strategic plan. Long-term structural transformation has four characteristics: scale (the change affects all or most of the organization), magnitude (it involves significant alterations of the status quo), duration (it lasts for months, if not years), and strategic importance. Yet companies will reap the rewards only when change occurs at the level of the individual employee. 1.2.1. Performance Evaluations: As a supervisor, your role is to set expectations, gather data, and provide on going feedback to your employees to assist them in utilizing their skills, expertise and ideas to produce results. To provide this direction. The Annual Performance Evaluation should provide a comparison of actual on-the job performance to established performance measurement standards. The Annual Performance Evaluation encourages periodic and structured communication between supervisors and employees about the job, and should take place continuously. 1.2.2 . Feedback: Feedback is a process by which effective performance is reinforced and less-than-desirable performance is corrected. Feedback should be information that highlights the relationship between what is expected and what has been accomplished after the work is performed or the action is taken. 1.2.3. Development Planning: Development planning is the process of creating experiences for your employees that promote skills and knowledge related to the position, as well as to professional growth. Development plans draw from the Performance Evaluation: Performance goals or needs (deficiencies) to be addressed The employee, with supervisor assistance, identifies ways to achieve those goals and/or address performance deficiencies in systematic ways. Address opportunities for professional growth Agreement and/or commitment between employee and supervisor Planned follow-up Assess the value of team performance tools to measure future team performance The first step in getting organized is to establish the performance measurement team. The team should be made up of: 1. People who actually do the work to be measured2. People who are very familiar with the work to be measured. 3. It is important that each person understands the task before them and their role in its accomplishment. Guidelines for Teams When meeting as a team, consider these Guidelines for Team: 1. Focus on effectiveness of systems and the appropriate level of internal controls. 2. Maintain a balance between outcome (objective) and process (subjective) measures. 3. Develop measures that crosscut functional areas to better represent overall organizational performance. 4. Incorporate â€Å"Best Practices† and reflect management’s judgment as to the key elements for overall successful operation, including cost/risk/benefit effectiveness—ascertain that measures add value a improve effectiveness in support of the organizational mission. 5. Consider value-added criteria, including evaluating the cost of measuring and administering the measure, and the number of measures that can be effectively managed. Keep the number of performance measures at each management level to a minimum. For any program, there are a large number of potential performance measures. Develop clear and understandable objectives and performance measures. Performance measures should clarify the objective and be understandable Consider the cost of attaining the next level of improvement. Establishing a measure that encourages reaching for a new or higher level of improvement should take into account the cost of implementing such a measure against the value of the additional improvement. Consider performing a risk evaluation. Organizations developing performance measurement systems should consider performing a risk evaluation of the organization to determine which specific processes are most critical to organizational success or which processes pose the greatest risk to successful mission accomplishments. Consider the weight of conflicting performance measures. Organizations frequently have several objectives that may not always be totally consistent with each other. For example, an objective of high productivity may conflict with an objective for a high quality product, or an objective of meeting specific deadlines may conflict with an objective of providing the highest quality reports to meet. 2.1 Analyse how to determine required performance targets within teams against current performance High-performing individuals and teams should be the goal of any organisation. We are all now aware of the potential results of high performance in terms of organisational success and competitiveness. The perennial debate is around how to create that high performance and, more importantly, how to sustain it. Most companies find the organisational issues much easier to handle than the individual ones so they get the attention. Unfortunately this is only part of what needs to be done to create a successful high-performance culture: addressing high performance among individuals is also essential. 2.1.1 Know what it looks like It will be impossible to know when youre achieving high performance if you dont know what it looks like. From an organisational perspective, high performance means not only running a financially sound business, adhering to essential policies and ensuring regulatory demands are observed, but also understanding the capability of your workforce to deliver high performance. All too often, concerns about what they might find and the time it may take prompt organisations to adopt the three wise monkeys strategy dont see, dont hear, dont speak with the result that low performance goes unchecked for years until it is too late and competitors have overtaken you. Too often, individual high performance is defined as simply getting the job done in the short term rather than looking to the long term and focusing on behaviours. 2.1.2 Make a commitment Strong and active commitment from leaders and managers, and the pursuit of continuous learning throughout the organisation, are crucial to building a well-defined high-performance culture. Commitment means not leaving it to fate, but truly understanding what high performance looks like, trusting different approaches and working with all stakeholders, including the human resource 2.1.3 Define your starting point Knowing where your organisation currently stands will make it much easier to create a vision for the future and to secure buy-in. One of the most effective strategies is to define explicitly what creates high performance in your organisation. Ensure that these behaviours are distinct, while being comprehensive enough to cover different levels of the organisation. Include areas such as how people collect and make sense of information and how they influence and build confidence in stakeholders. 2.1.4 Put a stake in the ground Once you have agreed what the behavioural high performance indicators look like, it is essential to observe and measure them. The best way to capture current performance is through objective observation, such as work shadowing, behavioural event interviews and subjective feedback via online and facilitated 360-degree analysis. This should clearly distinguish between behaviour that: †¢ impedes performance †¢ helps to do the task in hand †¢ makes a sustainable and long-term positive contribution †¢ promotes beneficial and long-term behavioural change in teams and divisions. 2.2 Discuss the need to encourage individual commitment to team performance in achievement of organisational goals Individual understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they agree that their teams goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Team ground rules are set with consideration for both company and individual values. When conflict arises, the team uses alignment with purpose, values, and goals as important criteria for acceptable solutions. To enhance team commitment leaders might consider inviting each work team to develop team mission, vision, and values statements that are in alignment with those of the corporation but reflect the individuality of each team. These statements should be visible and walked every day. Once a shared purpose is agreed upon, each team can develop goals and measures, focus on continuous improvement, and celebrate team success at important milestones. The time spent up front getting all team members on the same track will greatly reduce the number of derailments or emergency rerouting later. Leaders can facilitate cooperation by highlighting the impact of individual members on team productivity and clarifying valued team member behaviors. The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team. 2.3 Relate the application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of the organisational objectives Coaching can take many forms, life coaching, business coaching, performance coaching etc. As with mentoring and counselling it is about helping the individual to gain self awareness, but it is goal focused and action is required so that the individual can move forward. The goal setting process has two components: skill development and psychological development. The outcome sought is that the coachee will achieve the goals set, and will thereafter feel able and confident to set personal goals for themselves. Developing a persons skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement at work, although it may also have an impact on an individuals private life. Mentoring happens in all organisations whether it is fostered as a development strategy; allowed or encouraged as an informal process; or is an activity that occurs below the consciousness of individuals. People are learning from others, adopting modelled behaviours and attitudes and absorbing the culture and perceived values of the organisation through their personal interactions with co-workers. Benefits to the Organisation Increase in morale and motivation Greater productivity Discovery of talent Development of leadership for future survival and prosperity Communication of values, goals and plans Demonstration of personal and professional standards Achievement of excellent service Implementation of equity initiatives Fostering of shared values and team work Enhancement of leadership and people management skills of managers Increase in staff satisfaction Building a learning organisation Managed careers Development of cross-organisational networks 2.4 Evaluate a team performance plan to meet organisational objectives As a Team Leader you will be required to ensure that Performance Plans are created for your team and its members. You should also ensure that you are involved in developing your own Performance Plan in conjunction with your Manager. Your Performance Plan ensures that you are clear on the levels of leadership and management performance that are expected of you and helps you to develop new skills as required. Performance planning should occur as: An Initial Performance Plan A Performance Improvement Plan Initial performance plan An Initial Performance Plan is a detailed plan for either an individual or a team and is used to: Identify the desired performance levels Identify how these performance levels will be achieved Provide guidance and direction Measure progress towards the desired performance levels Although there are no strict rules as to the format of a Performance Plan they normally contain the following information: Specific goals for development Performance measures Actions required to achieve goals An indication of how long goals will take to achieve Individual and team Performance Plans should align with the organisations overall objectives. This can be achieved by aligning the: Performance Plans with the Team Operational Plan Team Operational Plan with the Team Purpose Team Purpose with the organisations Strategic Plan Performance Plans might include the following types of goals: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Goals to improve competency levels Team building goals Whenever the performance levels of an individual or team are found to be below the levels indicated in the Performance Plan then a planning process to improve performance should be undertaken. Performance improvement plan When a performance deficiency is noted, it should be dealt with as quickly as possible. The following steps outline a process for handling poor performance. Collate the information regarding poor performance This information may be in the form of feedback, customer complaints, error rates, statistics and/or informal observation. Meet with the relevant team member(s) and discuss the issues During this meeting you will need to discuss the deficiency or inappropriate behaviour and identify the causes. Inadequate performance does not always indicate a problem on the part of the individual. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may be unrealistic or the resources required to achieve the performance standard may not be available. Develop a Performance Improvement Plan A Performance Improvement Plan provides an outline of what is required by both the individual and their Manager. You may find that your company or organisation has an existing process for implementing Performance Improvement Plans. You should consult with your Human Resources department or your Manager to determine if this is the case. Follow up Ensure that you monitor, follow up and evaluate the performance improvement as set out in the plan. A Performance Improvement Plan should clearly convey: The area of performance that requires improvement or development The action(s) to be taken Any parties required to assist in the achievement of the set actions The timeframe for achieving each action 3.1 Assess the process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary How do we initiate change Often it is easier to carry out a job if there is a specific plan to follow. When major changes are to be installed, careful planning and preparation are necessary. Strengthening the forces promoting the change and weakening resistance to it are the main tasks. Create a climate for change How people react to proposed changes is greatly influenced by the kind of climate for change that the manager/supervisor has created in the department. How is the right kind of climate created? Supervisors and managers who have enthusiasm for progress and change build a healthy climate. Creating the right climate is more than just passing on changes. It involves: Encouraging employees to seek ways of improving their jobs. Seeking suggestions and ideas from employees. This requires the manager/supervisor to listen and seriously consider suggestions. It is easy to see that there is a great deal of ego involvement in coming forth with an idea for improvement. Change can become an exciting and dynamic way of life. Get ready to sell Much of the difficulty in getting co-operation stems from the employees lack of understanding of how the change will affect them. With a little effort, managers/supervisors can find most of the answers to employees questions before they are even asked. Answers to these questions would be useful. What is the reason for the change? Whom will it benefit and how? Will it inconvenience anyone, if so, for how long? Armed with the answers to these questions a manager/supervisor can head off many objections and can develop a plan to present the change. 3.2 Evaluate team performance against agreed objectives Implement the action plans and take corrective action when required to ensure the attainment of objectives Periodically review performance against established goals and objectives Appraise overall performance, reinforce behavior, and strengthen motivation. Begin the cycle again supervisors need to ensure that appraisal processes are congruent with objectives and goals. An MBO rating form needs to provide space to list staff member objectives in order of importance, as well as space for the evaluator to describe staff member performance using a mutually agreed upon scale. Categories of performance can include: distinguished performance, competent performance, provisional performance, and inadequate performance. Accountabilities and Measures approaches involve the supervisor and staff member agreeing on accountability and performance factors and including them in the job description. Performance is then forecast for each factor to enable quantifiable measures for each factor. An Accountabilities and Measures form can be created, with performance factor categories. 3.3 Evaluate the impact of the team performance in contributing to meeting strategic objectives Clear Expectations: Expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes are clearly known and understand why the team was created. The organization demonstrating constancy of purpose in supporting the team with resources of people, time and money. It work of the team receive sufficient emphasis as a priority in terms of the time, discussion, attention and interest directed its way by executive leaders. Commitment: Team members feel the team mission is important. Members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected the outcomes. The team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers. The team members anticipate recognition for their contributions and the team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team. The team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity. Competence: The team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed. The team feel it has the resources, strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission? Charter: The team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission. The team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions; its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish their task. Control: Team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter and at the same time, the team members clearly understand their boundaries. The limitations (i.e. monetary and time resources) defined at the beginning of the project before the team experiences barriers and rework? The team’s reporting relationship and accountability understood by all members of the organization. There is a defined review process so both the team and the organization are consistently aligned in direction and purpose. The team members hold each other accountable for project timelines, commitments and results. The organization have a plan to increase opportunities for self-management among organization members. Communication: The team members clear about the priority of their tasks and an established method for the teams to give feedback and receive honest performance feedback. The organization provide important business information regularly and the teams understand the complete context for their existence. The team members communicate clearly and honestly with each other and the team members bring diverse opinions to the table and all the necessary conflicts raised and addressed. Creative Innovation: It reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements or does it reward the people who fit in and maintain the status quo. It provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips necessary to stimulate new thinking. The team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements and are rewards and recognition supplied when teams are successful. The reasonable risk respected and encouraged in the organization. Team members fear reprisal. The team members spend their time finger pointing rather than resolving problems and the organization designing reward systems that recognize both team and individual performance. The organization planning to share gains and increased profitability with team and individual contributors. Coordination: The teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success. Have priorities and resource allocation been planned across departments. The teams understand the concept of the internal customer—the next process, anyone to whom they provide a product or a service. The cross-functional and multi-department teams common and working together effectively. The organization developing a customer-focused process-focused orientation and moving away from traditional departmental thinking. Cultural Change: The organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be and the organization planning to or in the process of changing how it rewards, recognizes, appraises, hires, develops, plans with, motivates and manages the people it employs. 4.1 Determine influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action This is a unique approach to team leadership that is aimed at action orientated environments where effective functional leadership is required to achieve critical or reactive tasks by small teams deployed into the field. In other words leadership of small groups often created to respond to a situation or critical incident. The individuals should have the knowledge, skills and values required for todays and tomorrows jobs. One company clarified the usual definition of competence and framed it as right skills, right place, right job. Competence clearly matters because incompetence leads to poor decision-making. But without commitment, competence doesnt count for much. Highly competent employees who are not committed are smart, but dont work very hard. Committed or engaged employees work hard, put in their time and do what they are asked to do. In the past decade, commitment and competence have been the bailiwicks for talent. But my colleagues and I have found that next-generation leaders for an organization may be competent (able to do the work) and committed (willing to do the work), but unless they are making a real contribution through the work (finding meaning and purpose in their work), then their interest in what they are doing diminishes and their willingness to harness their talent in the organization wanes. Contribution occurs when employees feel that their personal needs are being met through their participation in their organization. 4.2 Discuss the impact of individual dynamics, interests and organisational politics on securing the commitment of individuals to a course of action Organizational behavior scientists study four primary areas of behavioral science: individual behavior, group behavior, organizational structure, and organizational processes. They investigate many facets of these areas like personality and perception, attitudes and job satisfaction, group dynamics, politics and the role of leadership in the organization, job design, the impact of stress on work, decision-making processes, the communications chain, and company cultures and climates. They use a variety of techniques and approaches to evaluate each of these elements and its impact on individuals, groups, and organizational efficiency and effectiveness. 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