How does the identity of consultants impact their work Essay

How does the identity of consultants impact their work - Essay Example This paper explores identity formation in multiple fields of consultancy work to determine how identity impedes job role or whether elements of identity have the potential to enhance relationships internally or with external clients. The nature of consultancy According to Alvesson & Robertson (2006, p.220), consultancy firms â€Å"are highly people dependent and rely heavily upon safe-guarding loyalty through identification†. The consultancy industry relies on organisational culture and structure that facilitates allegiance and dependability through various social systems that guide control behaviour through management and demand reliability in all aspects of client relationships. In psychological theory, the nature of organisational culture or group membership defines team-based hierarchies as being highly contributory to self-esteem development and the sustainment of affiliation needs in order to achieve the pinnacle of total self-development and productivity (Chow, 2009; Ga mbrel & Cianci, 2003). Affiliation needs are necessary in group-based environments that are people dependent in order to sustain higher self-esteem development and be able to link identity with organisational culture. A study utilizing a sample of 79 representatives from four distinctly different consulting firms identified that the role of consultant requires four key dimensions. These include knowledge work, management and membership, personal orientation and external interface (Alvesson & Empson, 2008). Knowledge work is the active sharing of data between key members of the organisation and promoting knowledge as a regular business practice. Membership ties closely with the psychological principles previously identified as they are related to finding a sense of identity in terms of the organisation and its mission or structure, as well as related to personal orientation, in support of the literature provided by Chow (2009) and Gambrel & Cianci (2003). For the sake of this analysi s, the spotlight will be on external interface which deals with how the organisation or the individual is seen by others in the external environment. Kipping & Armbruster (2002) recognise that consultants have a difficult time legitimizing their profession to the outside world and clients. There is a general misconception about consultancy work that exists in the external community and external marketplace that is build on scepticism of its validity with perceptions that the field is borne less of expertise and knowledge, but more as â€Å"masters of persuasion† (Kitay & Wright, 2007, p.1619). This pervading professional and social attitude regarding consultancy work maintains the potential to have negative impact on the self-confidence development of consultant workers that could have ramifications for their practice activities and general attitude. â€Å"A deficient sense of the self has a profound impact on psychological functioning as well as interpersonal behaviour† (Reasoner, 2009, p.2). Much to the disadvantage of the consultant, the majority of their dealings are with the external environment in the form of client relationships. When consultants are put into the position of having to continuously

Characteristic of a Research Problem Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Characteristic of a Problem - Research Paper Example After clearly identifying a research problem, it must be translated into a research hypothesis stating a relationship between variables in a number of populations. Therefore, the assignment tend to reflect on the connection of the research problem, the research hypothesis, along with the existing variables (Tacq, 1997). A research problem happens to be the initial step, while, at the same time, the most significant requirement within the research problem. It acts as the basis of a research study, therefore, through ideal formulation, an appropriate study tends to be bound to take place. In order for a researcher in solving a problem, he or she must understand what the problem is, thereby comprehending what one is attempting to do. A research problem, along with the manner in which the researcher formulates it ascertains every step followed when undertaking a research study. Formulating the problem happens to be input into the study while the output turns out to be the quality of research report’s content. As a result, a research problem is in most cases accompanied by a research question. A research question is responsible for the identification of the phenomenon undergoing study (Jeffrey & George, 2000). When defining a research problem, it is essential to bear in mind that is must be specific instead of general. In stances whereby a problem is specific, as well as focused, it turns out to be more answerable compared to if it is general. As a matter of fact, there is a perception that a well formulated research problem happens to be half solved. Therefore, research formulation appears to be like the identification of a destination before embarking of the journey; in the lack of a destination, it is not possible to make out a route, let along the shortest one. Similarly, lack of distinctive research problems, it is impossible to have a clear, economical plan since the research problem happens to be the foundation of the research problem; with the type, along with the design of the building being dependent on its foundation. The majority of research in humanities tend to revolve around the four P's; they comprise of People, Problems, Programs, as well as Phenomena. There are a number o f considerations to contemplate when choosing a research problem that comprise of interest, ethical issues, magnitude, availability of data, measurement of concepts, relevance and level of expertise. However, studies indicate that, on top of these factors, the sociological paradigm, time factor, the researcher’s values, unit of the chosen analysis, the researcher’s methodology and the level of reactivity inherent in a method considered suitable for gathering data should also be put into consideration (Tacq, 1997). There are a number of characteristic that should be put into consideration concerning a research problem, they include (Lynn & Ronald, 2010): a) Idea: Every research problem statement starts with the introduction of the idea the researcher in interested in studying. For instance, if the researcher is studying the impact of parenting technique on the self esteem of children, there is a need to read everything concerning parenting techniques, as well as what is already known concerning the impacts different techniques have on self-esteem. Clarify why the idea is significant; give details concerning the importance of children's self-esteem for the creation of prosocial society, along with the parenting techniques that are a primary element in the creation of self-esteem. In this case, the problem statement might be: "The aim of this research is to explore which of four parenting techniques has a connection with positive children’

Advantages Of A Sole Proprietorship Business Essay

Advantages Of A Sole Proprietorship Business Essay According to Investor words .com, macro environment is the external elements that exist outside of a companys control that can significantly impact its performance and ability to compete in its marketplace. Examples of macro environment elements are the economy, government policy-making, technology, social conditions, and nature. For companies with a global foot-print, their exposure to macro environment elements is magnified. In other hand, according to Business Dictionary, macro environment is The major external and uncontrollable factors that influence an organizations decision making, and affect its performance and strategies. These factors include the economic factors; demographics; legal, political, and social conditions; technological changes; and forces. Specific examples of macro environment influences include competitors, changes in interest rates, changes in cultural tastes, disastrous weather, or government regulations. Body A business and its forces in its micro environment operate in larger macro environment of forces that shape opportunities and pose threats to the business. It refers the major external and uncontrollable factors that influence an organizations decision making, and affect its performance and strategies. These factors are Economic Factors The most important external economic influence on a business is the level of competitiveness in its market. This factor determines how much profit a company can make. Other factors, like consumer demand, tax rates and interest rates, affect businesses by determining how much people are willing to pay for their products and how much of the resultant revenue must be given to the government. Social Factors Social factors determine what a business can and cannot do. Businesses that engage in racist marketing campaigns or abuse their employees may be subjected to boycotts, divestment campaigns, and other devastating forms of social backlash. Thus, social mores determine the informal rules that businesses must play by. Legal Factors Laws determine the formal rules that businesses have to play by. Business laws deal with competition: for example, no monopolies; employment: minimum wage; and taxation; among other things. Businesses that form illegal monopolies, for example, may be subjected to lawsuits and broken up into smaller businesses. Because the penalties for corporate malfeasance are so severe, most businesses take the law very serious. Political Factors Political issues occasionally come to influence the activities of the business community. Corporations often spend many billions of dollars lobbying to influence political decision makers for this reason. Businesses may get involved in politics, for example, when their international operations come under fire from human rights groups, or when a high-profile politician recommends an increase in corporate taxes. Environmental Factors Environmental factors have profound effects on the way businesses operate. The availability of natural resources in a given area determines whether resource companies could profit from operating there. The presence of pollution determines whether it is safe for businesses to put employees in a certain area. Environmental laws regulate the extent to which businesses themselves are able to pollute. Conclusion Macro is large and environment is world. Marco environment is large number of force which operates. Macro environment is very important to the economy factors because the level strongly wanting to be more successful than other people.Sosial factors is what to make something develop in a particular way or be of a particular type in business. When we involve in macro environment, we should follow the law of .Dont try in legal factor as well. Politics issue is happening or done from time to time to make business more interesting. Last but no list, environmental factors is showing great knowledge or understanding the way make business operate. Introduction Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship is the simplest and most common structure chosen to start a business. It is an unincorporated business owned and run by one individual with no distinction between the business and you, the owner. You are entitled to all profits and are responsible for all your businesss debts, losses and liabilities. Partnership A partnership is a single business where two or more people share ownership. Each partner contributes to all aspects of the business, including money, property, labour or skill. In return, each partner shares in the profits and losses of the business. Because partnerships entail more than one person in the decision-making process, its important to discuss a wide variety of issues up front and develop a legal partnership agreement. This agreement should document how future business decisions will be made, including how the partners will divide profits, resolve disputes, change ownership (bring in new partners or buy out current partners) and how to dissolve the partnership. Although partnership agreements are not legally required, they are strongly recommended and it is considered extremely risky to operate without one. Body Sole Proprietorship Forming a Sole Proprietorship You do not have to take any formal action to form a sole proprietorship. As long as you are the only owner, this status automatically comes from your business activities. In fact, you may already own one without knowing it. If you are a freelance writer, for example, you are a sole proprietor. But like all businesses, you need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits. Regulations vary by industry, state and locality. Use the Licensing Permits tool to find a listing of federal, state and local permits, licenses and registrations youll need to run a business. If you choose to operate under a name different than your own, you will most likely have to file a  fictitious name  (also known as an assumed name, trade name, or DBA name, short for doing business as). You must choose an original name; it cannot already be claimed by another business. Advantages of a Sole Proprietorship Easy and inexpensive to form: A sole proprietorship is the simplest and least expensive business structure to establish. Costs are minimal, with legal costs limited to obtaining the necessary license or permits. Complete control. Because you are the sole owner of the business, you have complete control over all decisions. You arent required to consult with anyone else when you need to make decisions or want to make changes.   Easy tax preparation. Your business is not taxed separately, so its easy to fulfil the tax reporting requirements for a sole proprietorship. The tax rates are also the lowest of the business structures. Partnership Types of Partnerships  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three general types of partnership arrangements: General Partnerships  assume that profits, liability and management duties are divided equally among partners. If you opt for an unequal distribution, the percentages assigned to each partner must be documented in the partnership agreement. Limited Partnerships  (also known as a partnership with limited liability) are more complex than general partnerships. Limited partnerships allow partners to have limited liability as well as limited input with management decisions. These limits depend on the extent of each partners investment percentage. Limited partnerships are attractive to investors of short-term projects. Joint Ventures  act as general partnership, but for only a limited period of time or for a single project. Partners in a joint venture can be recognized as an ongoing partnership if they continue the venture, but they must file as such. Advantages of a Partnership Easy and Inexpensive.  Partnerships are generally an inexpensive and easily formed business structure. The majority of time spent starting a partnership often focuses on developing the partnership agreement. Shared Financial Commitment.  In a partnership, each partner is equally invested in the success of the business. Partnerships have the advantage of pooling resources to obtain capital. This could be beneficial in terms of securing credit, or by simply doubling your seed money. Complementary Skills.  A good partnership should reap the benefits of being able to utilize the strengths, resources and expertise of each partner. Partnership Incentives for Employees.  Partnerships have an employment advantage over other entities if they offer employees the opportunity to become a partner. Partnership incentives often attract highly motivated and qualified employees. Conclusion Choosing a sole proprietorship to start your business is a relatively simple process. In fact, you elect this business set up by default if you prefer not to go through a more formal set up with an LLC or corporation. A sole proprietorship has no formal paperwork requirements unless you have to file for state or local business registration or professional licensing. The fact that a sole proprietorship is the simplest way to go into business has great appeal for many entrepreneurs. If you want to start a small one-man repair shop, writing business or lawn care service, the thought of going through tedious paperwork filing and keeping up with documentation requirements may not seem appealing. By opting for a sole proprietor setup, you simply start your company, promote it, do the work, and collect the money.

Humanistic Psychology Essays -- essays research papers

Overview: Throughout history many individuals and groups have affirmed the inherent value and dignity of human beings. They have spoken out against ideologies, beliefs and practices, which held people to be merely the means for accomplishing economic and political ends. They have reminded their contemporaries that the purpose of institutions is to serve and advance the freedom and power of their members. In Western civilization we honor the times and places, such as Classical Greece and Europe of the Renaissance, when such affirmations were expressed. Humanistic Psychology is a contemporary manifestation of that ongoing commitment. Its message is a response to the denigration of the human spirit that has so often been implied in the image of the person drawn by behavioral and social sciences. Ivan Pavlov's work with the conditioned reflex had given birth to an academic psychology in the United States led by John Watson, which came to be called "the science of behavior†. Its emphasis on objectivity was reinforced by the success of the powerful methodologies employed in the natural sciences and by the philosophical investigations of the British empiricists, logical positivists and the operationalists, all of who sought to apply the methods and values of the physical sciences to questions of human behavior. Valuable knowledge was achieved in this quest. But if something was gained, something was also lost: The "First Force" systematically excluded the subjective data of consciousness and much information bearing on the complexity of the human personality and its development. The "Second Force" emerged out of Freudian psychoanalysis and the depth psychologies of Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, Carl Jung, Melanie Klein, Otto Rank, Harry Stack Sullivan and others. These theorists focused on the dynamic unconscious - the depths of the human psyche whose contents, they asserted, must be integrated with those of the conscious mind in order to produce a healthy human personality. The founders of the depth psychologies believed that human behavior is principally determined by what occurs in the unconscious mind. So, where the behaviorists ignored consciousness because they felt that its essential privacy and subjectivity rendered it inaccessible to scientific study, the depth psychologists tended to regard it as the rela... ...ments; the Self-Esteem and Addiction Recovery Movements; Family Therapy, Holistic Health and Hospice, and Organizational Development and Organization Transformation. It is philosophically aligned with the post-modern philosophy of science, constructivist epistemology, structuralism, and deconstructionism. We also could include green politics, deep ecology, the feminist and gay rights movements, and the psycho-spiritual wing of the peace movement. Perhaps this is what Rollo May was pointing to when he suggested that AHP has accomplished the mission for which it was founded. This breadth, depth and diversity is representative of the world we live in and takes into account an integrated and balanced view of human nature and maintaining balance and harmony in the grand scheme of existence. "As the world's people demand freedom and self-determination, it is urgent that we learn how diverse communities of empowered individuals, with freedom to construct their own stories and identities, might live together in mutual peace. Perhaps it is not a vain hope that is life in such communities might lead to the advance in human consciousness beyond anything we have yet experienced. "

Team Strategy Plan

Week 3 Reflection Kimberly Grigsby, Juataun Mark, Jack Martincavage, Ana Valdivia MGT/311 December 04, 2012 Joe Cheng Week 3 Reflection During period of November 27 to December 03 Learning Team F was presented a slide show, lecture by Professor Cheng and reading assignments from Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Professor Cheng’s slide show and lecture discussed conflicts and conflict resolution.Conflicted is defined as a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about (Robbins and Judge, 2011). The conflict process has five parts. They are: potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcome. In week three of Organizational management there is open discussion relating to the differences of teams and groups, and how these differences may affect organizations and individuals within the organization.A group is primarily defined as to w or more individuals who have come together to achieve a particular objective and to allow individuals to share information, and allow each member to perform within his or her area of responsibility or expertise. On the other hand a team is designed to generate and coordinate as a combined unit with greater influence than that of individual input. Organizations are moving more towards the team structure in an effort to create positive synergy, and to increase performance within the organization. There may be various types of teams within organizations with each type focusing on different objectives.Teams basically require three types of skills, it need persons who have technical expertise, problem-solving, and decision making abilities, and most importantly teams need people with good listening, feedback, conflict resolution skills, and interpersonal skills. Some members of teams may need to learn or develop these skills along the way, this may not be uncommon and is crucial if the team is to reach its full potential. References Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Prentice Hall. Longeneker, C. O. (2011). How the BEST motivate workers. Industrial Management, 53(1), 8. Team Strategy Plan Week 3 Reflection Kimberly Grigsby, Juataun Mark, Jack Martincavage, Ana Valdivia MGT/311 December 04, 2012 Joe Cheng Week 3 Reflection During period of November 27 to December 03 Learning Team F was presented a slide show, lecture by Professor Cheng and reading assignments from Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Professor Cheng’s slide show and lecture discussed conflicts and conflict resolution.Conflicted is defined as a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about (Robbins and Judge, 2011). The conflict process has five parts. They are: potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcome. In week three of Organizational management there is open discussion relating to the differences of teams and groups, and how these differences may affect organizations and individuals within the organization.A group is primarily defined as to w or more individuals who have come together to achieve a particular objective and to allow individuals to share information, and allow each member to perform within his or her area of responsibility or expertise. On the other hand a team is designed to generate and coordinate as a combined unit with greater influence than that of individual input. Organizations are moving more towards the team structure in an effort to create positive synergy, and to increase performance within the organization. There may be various types of teams within organizations with each type focusing on different objectives.Teams basically require three types of skills, it need persons who have technical expertise, problem-solving, and decision making abilities, and most importantly teams need people with good listening, feedback, conflict resolution skills, and interpersonal skills. Some members of teams may need to learn or develop these skills along the way, this may not be uncommon and is crucial if the team is to reach its full potential. References Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Prentice Hall. Longeneker, C. O. (2011). How the BEST motivate workers. Industrial Management, 53(1), 8.

Importance to the performance of the business Essay

Identify aspects of the business training and development programme and explain its importance to the performance of the business? What is training? Training is the acquisition of a body of knowledge and skills, which can be applied to a particular job. Training includes all forms of planned learning experiences and activities designed to make positive changes to performance in a job. The benefits of training There are number of major benefits that flow from training: It increases productivity of workers within a business. It helps achieve the businesses objectivities by having more knowledge within the business. Improved efficiency results from saving from material costs due to reduced wastage, improved delivery performance, improved delivery performance, reliability and range of products or services to customers. At Haydon this means less wasted teaching time lessons starting on time lessons planned and run efficiently. Creates a more flexible work force. At Haydon this could help when a teacher is off sick and another teacher has the ability to teach another subject for example an Ict teacher who can also teach economics. If effective should improve the competitiveness of an organisation. As well as improving its productivity and service to customers. At Haydon this mean’s improved student grades. Retaining staff, surveys have shown that training costs less in the long run than recruiting full trained workers from outside the organisation. Recruited, fully trained employees tend to leave much sooner than employees the organisation has trained itself. Haydon should try to train staff already at the school to do jobs rather than hire some one from outside. Improves image of a business. As it will be able to keep staff and have well trained staff where parents will want their children to go to school.l Training adds to competitiveness In a ‘knowledge economy’ training & development take on a greater importance than ever before. The company that trains and develops its staff is best placed to have better educated students and therefore gain competitive advantage. What is development? Development approaches the individual and his or her motivation from a different angle from that of training. While training is typically concerned with enabling the employee to contribute to meeting the objectives of Haydon better, personal development is more concerned with enabling individuals to develop themselves in the way that best suits individual needs. The two will come together. By helping individuals to develop themselves, they will be more inclined and better able to contribute to helping Haydon meet its objectives. Why adopt training and development? Haydon & other organisations organise training and development programmes for many reasons. Training and development programmes may be introduced to: Motivate employees and increase job satisfaction, thereby reducing absentees and student leaning Establish the most effective and efficient working methods in order to maximise the education of students and remain competitive The resources needed for Haydon training can generate significant costs. It is important that training needs are correctly identified and the required standard of skill is established. The training programme needs to be administered efficiently and evaluated, so the results achieved by the Haydon teachers that have received training should be compared with the standard of performance it was hoped to achieve How does a business know if training is needed? The business could ask the employees to see if they need or want any training. When filling a vacancy they could use the job description to find skills and knowledge required for the job. Also look at the performance of the school e.g. exam results Induction training Induction is the process of introducing new employees to their place of works new surroundings and the people they will be working with. Induction also provides information to help new employees start work and generally fit in. This induction programme enables Haydon to introduce new employees to the business and tell them about the many achievements and procedures it has produced over the years. The induction programme is supposed to make the new employee feel more aware of the different functions of the business as a whole, so they can know what the business is about instead of the specific job he/she has to take on in the future. The induction usually contains information about the organisation’s policies and objectives, future career opportunities Pay, training and fringe benefits Health and safety, the requirements of the job. Good induction programmes can successfully balance the amount of information that needs to be conveyed with the length of time, so employees can ma intain their concentration. In house training courses This is where employers run courses inside their own organisation the courses might be held in an office or in a smart training centre owned by the business. The main benefits of in house training are: > They are cheap to run > Course content is made to suit the business > Examples can be related to the business work > Everyone knows each other. External Training courses These are more expensive because they include fairly luxurious accommodation in lavish surroundings and the guest speakers are highly paid. This means employers have to think very seriously about the value of the courses to the business. Mentoring Mentoring involves a trainee being ‘paired’ with a more experienced employee. The trainee carries out the job but uses the ‘mentor’ to discuss problems that may occur and how best to solve them. Often trainee teachers work with a mentor who is responsible for their early training and development. The student teacher will watch the mentor teach before starting his/her own teaching. The mentor will then give an ongoing guidance to the student teacher on how best to improve his/her performance and the trainee will take any problems and difficulties he/she is facing to the mentor to seek advice. Coaching This is rather similar to mentoring but the difference is that the coaching involves helping the young employee to acquire high quality skills in a number of specific management areas. These skills include communication with staff, budgeting, how to appraise and how to carry out disciplinary procedures. Vocational Courses These provide training in job related skills for example office skills: the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) took over the role of the NCVQ (National council for Vocational Qualifications, set standards for workplace competences which can be assessed both in the workplace and at college by examining bodies such as Edexcel, OCR and AQA. Job Rotation Is giving staff a range of jobs in rotation, which widened their experiences and increases their skills Job enlargement Is where staff is given extra tasks to do this gives management a better idea of the employees true capacity and ability. Job enrichment Adding more interesting and difficult tasks to the job to motivate and tro see how capable they are. Types of training at Haydon Induction Training The induction training takes place in July, which can be up to 3 weeks long this will include > Assessment > Reports > Behaviour management > Child protection > Special needs > Being a form tutor > Administration > Health and safety > Contracts > Classes > Syllabus > Courses Training days All employees have to attend this as it is where school issues are disused and they are trained on things like equal opportunities within the school. The 1996 Educational Act legally requires these training days. Specialised Courses Some courses which Haydon have done are: > Use of fire extinguishers: a specialised trainer came in to school to train the staff how to use them. > Man handling courses: is for staff looking after disabled students so they no how to look after the student and what they are and aren’t allowed to do. > Web design: this needed to be taught because of the new syllabus this was run by miss Boorman. Mentoring Every newly qualified teacher has a mentor at Haydon within the same subject the mentor has to do weekly meetings to review progress, observe their teaching skills and give feed back, and need to be their for support and motivation. On the Job training This is when a trainee at Haydon will work along side a qualified employer and observe teachers to gain experience. This means the trainee acquires their training st the school. This is known as job shadowing. External Training Haydons staff have gone on courses such as first aid which are done out side the business. Haydon also have to do external training for changes in the syllabus for example how to mark the coursework. I have shown why Haydon should train its employees and how it can be identified. Ive shown different types of training used how Haydon benefits from it and how the employees benefit from it.