Reflection of Groupwork for Self-Awareness

Reflection of Groupwork for Self-Awareness INTRODUCTION: â€Å" Coming together is a beginning Keeping together is progress working together is success.† †¦Henry Ford This report describes the successful application of reflective learning to promote critical self-awareness and improve both individual and team performance, in a group project work assessment for MSc in International Business Management at LJMU. Boyd and Fales (1983) defined reflection as: â€Å"The process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience ,which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self and which results in a changed conceptual perspective.† According to the suggestions of Kolb learning cycle, i.e. Reflective observation (watching) Abstract conceptualization (thinking) Active experimentation (doing) Concrete experience (feeling) The team members engaged themselves in reflective practice of â€Å"Assimilating, Organizing, Implementing and Executing† the assessment on Burberry case study. (Jennifer Annoon, 2000) GROUP WORK ANALYSIS: Many professional bodies and educational quality institutions now require that students have proven â€Å"experience of working in groups or teams† (Blease, 2006 in Kelly 2007). Hence forth we formed a group to invigilate the challenges and issues that the Trafford group was confronting. To compliment this, catholic youth council (1980) also stated that ‘when examining the relative success and failure amongst group works, the selection process may be a key variable in establishing criteria for successful group work. 1. GROUP FORMATION: For this particular assessment, the group was christened by choice and acceptance i.e. students were given the liberty to select a peer and later on were clubbed with another team to form a clique. A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others. Initially group was formed with low level of conflicts and high level of group cohesion. The presentation was due in 3 weeks; the roles were assigned, norms were laid and work was divided as a part of group contract. Scheduled meetings were altered at regular intervals considering team members availability and preferences. The members in the group had 4 attributes namely activist, reflector, pragmatist and theorist. Honey and Mumford linked Kolbs learning cycle with the personal attributes. 4 Members A(reflector)- reviewing and observation B(theorist)- developed thought process and conclusion C(pragmatist)- applied theory in practice with the existing ideas D(activist)- application through action in a new circumstance with new ideas. 2. GROUP DEVELOPMENT Effective teamwork plays a vital role in group development. The key factors which effect the group are conflict management, personality traits, individual performance and time management Shaw and Barrett Power (1998) explained group development and the creation of a productive working /learning with the help of a model showing the effect of diversity and small group processes on performance. The model reflects that a successful group work requires open communication, symbiosis, effective conflict management discussion of strategy and the appropriate weighing of individual inputs into decisions. Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a four stage model of group development. He labeled the stages forming, storming, norming, performing and ten years later added a fifth stage called adjourning. In the first week, our group was in the forming stage. Initially all members were confused and uncertain in assessing the assigned work. We did the ‘Big Five Locater (Kelly) personality test to assess the personality trait clusters of each individual in the team. This helped each member to analyze each other. Group contract helped us to overcome these barriers by defining the goals, establishing rules and getting acquainted to the task in hand. During the first week of discussion, time consensus was a big issue, as couple of members had their vocations. There was constant atoning of the schedule, which had spilled the beans for a conflict. However according to Maddux R.B., (1998) conflict is healthy when it causes the group to explore new ideas, test their standards and beliefs and stretch their imagination. When conflict is dealt constructively, people can be stimulated to great creativity, which will lead to a wider choice of action and better results. Another important aspec t was that the group was more into planning than execution (Schon, 1983). In the later part of the second week the group progressed well by understanding each other and got settled down as an appeased group. A whole brained approach for development and execution is an essential constituent to stimulated long term productivity (Eales-White,2005). This approach was taken by the group members by applying a variety of different learning abilities towards common objectives which was more focused and integrated, which helped in enhancing the Burberry case study. With a combination of formal and informal practices group gained a potential competitive advantage while performing. 3. CRITICAL EVALUATION AND REFLECTIONS: Group conflict is essential for a groups cohesion. It helps groups identify areas of common values; provides group stability through shared beliefs, helps to balance the difference between extreme ideologies and helps to clarify roles and structures frequently. â€Å"If managed constructively, conflict can be a strong indicator of the groups effectiveness† (Mary Holz-Clause, 1996) Issues: Time Consensus: One of the serious hurdle faced by the members during the discussions were meeting the time requirement. Although all had opined to meet on an agreed time. The attendance was really an impeding factor. There was constant atoning of the schedule which resulted in frequent feuds between the members giving rise to clouds of disharmony amid group. Cold war: â€Å"The transmission of information and exchange of meaning between two or more people is communication† and lack of which can lead to ambiguous situations, where people may differ in the reception of intended meanings (Buchanan and Huczynski ). We were initially distracted by the pall of uncertainty that was prevailing due to profuse interpersonal misconceptions. The group was deprived of amiable and cordial environment as none were gelling together. The varied attributes and behavioural differences among the members of the group proved to be significance for the meetings but at the same time, differences in ideologies and perceptions lead to clashes. Personal Commitments: Another persistent worry was the prior commitment of the members. Couple of them were employed and we found it really challenging to have their presence in the meeting during the initial stages of the discussions. They had irregular shifts which aggravated the situation furthermore. Lack of Acceptance: Members were too much into there own findings that they gave less importance to others work. REFLECTIONS: The recurring issues had to be solved and the garbage can model (Cohen, March and Olsen, 1972) was used which suggests a scenario where decisions have a random element to them. For an effective decision to be reached, the problems and solutions had to come together. Bringing them together was a challenge. Developing the ability to identify relevant problems and seeking radical solutions by bringing the right people together at the right time. In order for them to reach the sometimes radical decisions that will be needed in often turbulent environment (Ian Brooks, 1999). Conclusion REFERENCE: BROOKS, Ian and Cohen etal.(1999).Decision making.Organisational behaviour-individuals, groups and the organisation,Pearson Education.edi.5.p.32 BUCHANAN, David and HUCZYNSKI, Andrzej(2004).chapter6Communication.Organisational communication- commitment and propaganda,Pearson Education.p.207 CLAUSE Mary Holz.(1996), http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c6- 55.html, date accessed 23/03/08

The Extinction of Penguins

Emperor Penguins have been around for millions of years. Although they are a type of bird they can not fly. They walk, slide on their stomachs, or swim. They can swim up to nine kilometers an hour. That is faster than an average person can run. Emperor Penguins can hold their breath over twenty minutes and dive over eighteen hundred feet. Another interesting fact about them is that they show no aggression towards humans. The real question is though whether or not Emperor Penguins are on their way to extinction? Some of the reasons why we may think this would be climate change, depletion in food supply, pollution, tagging, and their predators. Climate change is the reason for the Emperor Penguin population to decline by fifty percent over the past fifty years. Penguins use the ice to escape from predators, and to raise their chicks. A temperature increase of 2. 1 degrees Celsius will jeopardize forty percent of the world’s Emperor Penguins. When the ice melts before the chicks have matured and grown their waterproof feathers, chicks that are swept into the ocean are likely to die. If the ice isn’t sturdy enough to last until when the chicks are ready to head out to sea, they aren’t going to be able to raise them. The loss of sea ice for adult penguins can lead to lower food availability, which can result in increased mortality. In Antarctica an Emperor colony has declined from 250 pairs to 10 pairs since 1960, due to rapid loss of the sea ice. Since global climate change has been causing the rapid melting of sea ice, the amount of krill in the southern oceans has decreased in recent years. Krill in which many penguins feed upon, survive by feeding off the algae which forms on the underside of the sea ice. So the reduction in sea-ice which has resulted from climate change has meant there has been much less food for penguins to eat. If this continues to happen the Emperor Penguin population is going to keep on declining. Over fishing of krill, and fish is another factor in helping penguins become extinct. It is putting pressure on food chains and food availability for penguins. Industrial fisheries deplete the penguins’ food supply and entangle and drown the penguins in longlines and other destructive fishing gear. The more fish and krill being caught by humans the less food there is for penguins to be able to eat. Ocean acidification which is caused by the absorption of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the oceans is also harming penguins. Plankton is a major part of the food chain for many fish on which penguins feed. As gases are absorbed into the oceans, they become less hospitable places for plankton and other organisms to live which is less food penguins have to eat. Oil pollution kills tens of thousands of penguins annually. The oil destroys the natural water repellent on their feathers, causing the birds to become vulnerable to hypothermia. Penguins also consume the oil while trying to groom, poisoning them and causing internal organ damage. The oil also kills the penguins’ food and poisons the penguins when trying to eat contaminated fish. The banding of penguins is another issue contributing to the declining population of penguins. The first evidence that flipper bands might be causing damage to penguins came in the 1970s. Zoos reported that the bands would wound penguins’ flippers, especially during the yearly molt, when flippers enlarge. Over a ten year period, banded penguins produced thirty-nine percent fewer chicks and had a sixteen percent lower survival rate than unbanded birds. Banded penguins also had less time and energy to reproduce and care for their young because they spent more time searching for food and provisions and arrived more than two weeks late to breeding areas. The penguins wearing bands expend twenty-four percent more energy while swimming and attract the attention of predators. Rory Wilson, an ecologist at Swansea University said the extra baggage likely increased the drag penguins experienced and impaired their athletic ability.

Participant-Observer Exercise Essay

First of all, I am grateful to all class members and our instructor for the experience that I was able to acquire during this course. This is a good example of experiential learning – here we all had opportunities to transform our theoretical knowledge into real life experience. It really proved effective. I may also note that the last group engagement exercise did not disprove my previous hypotheses: with time and the experience of joint work we all got more confident about the tasks, and with the raise of confidence our productivity increased. I think we all got to know each other better and it increased the level of confidence. My hypothesis for this week is: â€Å"Group work gets real meaning and becomes more productive when group members bring in their personal insights and personal experiences instead of confining themselves to theorizing and relying on common sense. † At first, we knew each other too little to be open and share our personal experience. With time, we got to know each other better and gradually became more relaxed about sharing our thoughts. I think it had a positive impact on our performance. It helped to provide more examples of the concepts we presented. Our task was to discuss experiential learning and how it assists in exercising leadership and understanding group dynamics. We focused on several chosen principles in our presentation, and each of us was able to vitalize theory by referring to specific examples. This level of openness was quite impossible during the first exercise. Personal insights helped us all better understand theory and make a more interesting presentation. In fact, this experience once again proves Principle 9 that we discussed in our presentation: â€Å"The more supportive, accepting, and caring the social environment, the freer a person is to experiment with new behaviors, attitudes, and action theories† (Johnson & Johnson, 2009, p. 51). Since all were open and ready to introduce a personal insight, we felt the environment to be rather supportive and accepting. As a result, we felt more confident and could communicate our thoughts freely. It provided greater value to our group work and helped to fulfill our task more successfully. References Johnson, D. W. , & Johnson, F. P. (2009). Joining together: Group theory and group skills. 10th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Gun Control, Pro and Con. - 850 Words

America is the most well armed nation in the world. The reason why Americans own so many guns is because of the second Amendment, which states â€Å"The Right to Bear Arm†. This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. In the freedictionary.com, weapon is defined as, an instrument of attack or defense in combat, as a gun, missile, or sword. There are many kinds of weapons and almost all of them are illegal to use without registration. Weapons are changing over times. Looking back from millions of years ago, Wikipedia wrote that chimpanzees are the first one to be the target of human being using those weapons such as sharp stones and spears. Since then, thousands of weapons are invented, for example, small arm guns. They†¦show more content†¦He said, â€Å"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms. Disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; t hey serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.† Criminals would continue finding ways to illegally acquire guns while robbing and attacking law-abiding citizens who suddenly have no means of self-defense. The cause of mass shootings isn’t guns; it is mental health. â€Å"Guns don’t kill people, people kill people† at first seems like a stupid pro-gun argument. It sounds immature, and it is much too easy for liberals to counter with, â€Å"Well, people need the guns to kill people,† which is true. The point is, we need to target the source of the problem, not the tools used. We need to talk about mental illness and how we can help provide services, resources and other support to those who need it. One mother posted her struggles with her mentally ill son onto her website titled â€Å"The Anarchist Soccer Mom.† She writes about how her son transitions between a sweet boy who loves Harry Potter and a terrifying, screaming boy who threatens to kill her. She pleads for people to realize the real problem behind massShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control1225 Words   |  5 Pagesto discuss in this paper is gun control as I feel it is a hotly debated issue in the country today, especially after the incidents we have had throughout the recent years. Gun control has and probably will always be an issue that is argued for or against from all political sides, regardless, of your own beliefs one must look at the pros and cons of gun control to determine what is necessary. To address this, we must first look at the statistics on deaths involving guns and then apply the currentRead MoreGun Control: Pros and Cons1986 Words   |  8 Pages| Page(s) | 1 | Table of Content | 1 | 2 | Introduction | 2 | 3 | Gun Control: Pros (i) Disarm and Control Citizens (ii) Better Management (iii) Reduce Crime Rate and Death Rate | 3-4 | 4 | Gun Control: Cons (i) People’s Life Unsecured (ii) Women’s Safety Unguaranteed (iii) Spring Up of Black Markets (iv) Conflict with Democracy | 5-7 | 5 | Conclusion | 8 | 6 | References | 9 | Introduction: A gun is a normally tubular weapon or other device designed to discharge projectilesRead MorePros And Cons Of Gun Control1511 Words   |  7 PagesGun control is a policy that the government limits the keeping and using of guns by citizens. 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