One of my work on Management major that received a grade of 36/45 (80%)
MGT2002 - Managing Organisations
University of Southern Queensland
Assignment 2
This is one of my work on Management major that received a grade of 36/45 (80%)
This assignment is made up of three (3) structured reflection papers of the kind that you completed in Assignment 1
Question 1 (a total of 15 marks)
The first part of this question â titled âThe experienceâ â requires you to write up a brief but specific case study of a personal experience you have had with an organisation. This section is to be 300 words (10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
The second part of this question â titled âIntegrating theory with experienceâ â asks you to make some quite specific types of links between your experience of this organisation and theory about the learning organisation as presented in of the course materials. You are however expected to include theory beyond the course materials. In the best papers students will articulate one major learning about or insight into the theory that they have identified by integrating their experience with the theory. This section is to be 300 words (10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
The third part of the question â titled personal reflections â asks you to engage in a more personal and introspective form of reflection where you are asked to identify previously unidentified personal strengths of yours that are worth cultivating and or previously unidentified (and possibly unhelpful) assumptions you have made about relevant theory. Or you could identify a preferred approach to work that you use, which you have only just identified. This section is to be 300 words (10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
Question 2 (a total of 15 marks)
The first part of this question â titled âThe experienceâ â requires you to write up a brief but specific case study of a personal cross-cultural experience. In this section you are asked to reflect on an incident that foregrounds your cultural intelligence. This section is to be 300 words(10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
The second part of this question â titled âIntegrating theory with experienceâ â asks you to make some quite specific types of links between your experience and theory about cultural intelligence as presented in the course materials. You are however expected to include theory beyond the course materials. In the best papers students will articulate one major learning about or insight into the theory that they have identified by integrating their experience with the theory. This section is to be 300 words (10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
The third part of the question â titled âPersonal reflectionsâ â asks you to engage in a more personal and introspective form of reflection where you are asked to identify previously unidentified personal strengths of yours that are worth cultivating and or previously unidentified (and possibly unhelpful) assumptions you have made about relevant theory. Or you could identify a preferred approach to work that you use, which you have only just identified. This section is to be 300 words (10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
Question 3 (a total of 15 marks)
The first part of this question â titled âThe experienceâ â requires you to write up a brief but specific case study of a personal experience you have had that relates either to ethics or to sustainability within an organisation or management context. This section is to be 300 words (10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
The second part of this question â titled âIntegrating theory with experienceâ â asks you to make some quite specific types of links between your experience and relevant theory presented in the course materials. You are however expected to include theory beyond the course materials. In the best papers students will articulate one major learning about or insight into the theory that they have identified by integrating their experience with the theory. This section is to be 300 words(10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
The third part of the question â titled âPersonal reflectionsâ â asks you to engage in a more personal and introspective form of reflection where you are asked to identify previously unidentified personal strengths of yours that are worth cultivating and or previously unidentified (and possibly unhelpful) assumptions you have made about relevant theory. Or you could identify a preferred approach to work that you use, which you have only just identified. This section is to be 300 words(10% +/â allowance on the word count) in length.
Word Length:
The experience 318
Integrating theory with experience 311
Personal Reflection 303
The Experience
I was scared when I heard my name being called upon by my grade 9 math teacher for a review. Back then we must stand in front of the class to do the review, so a student would easily become a target for humiliation, if he could not answer a question. That was exactly what happened to me. I could not answer my teacherâs question, which was to restate a formula we studied earlier. I was really embarrassed when he asked whether there was something wrong with my brain. So to defend myself, I told him that I actually did not try to memorize the formula, because I could not understand from where it came and the principle behind it; instead, I had developed another way that can help me to solve the question of that type without relying on the formula. In fact, I was quite proud of my âdiscoveryâ, of a new way to solve that math problem.
I then proceeded to demonstrate my way in another question that he made. Unfortunately, contrary to what I was expecting, my teacher criticized my way as too long and strange. He even made fun of it by calling it as âheresyâ. I felt absolutely disappointed, not because my way was not as good as his, but because of the way my teacher refused to acknowledge my effort of figuring out a new way solving math problem. He made it clear to all of us not to think that we were smart, and that we âjust follow what I told you to do if you want to pass the examâ. Â Â
I also felt very embarrassed because of the way he dramatized about my âdiscoveryâ in front of the class. That made me think of myself as some kind of a freak. This event made me hate schooling a lot, very much due to my non-conformity and rebellious mind. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Integrating theory with experience
Linking this incident with module 2 The Learning Organisation helps me to understand how my teacherâs teaching style and the education system in Saudi Arabia as a whole do not fit into the learning organisation paradigm. Samson and Daft describe a learning organisation as one in which âeveryone is engaged in identifying and solving problems, enabling the organisation to continuously experiment, improve and increase its capability to growâ (2009, p. 56). Imbedded in this organisation is a supportive culture that promotes openness, creativity, and experimentation among members (Cummings & Worley 2009, p. 543). So if education is the outcome of schooling, then I believe that the teacher is a leader or manager, and pupils as employees. So to me the theory requires that learning is a process, in which not only teacher but also students are empowered in determining what and how they should learn, and this learning process should be open to new ideas.
However, the experience with my math teacher and my schooling experience in general were quite opposite. We were told what to do, follow specific instructions, memorise certain things despite of not knowing why we got to do so, just because they help us solve the questions to pass the exam. This was frustrated for me because I always believe that education should teach us the ability to think and grow. My schooling, however, only handed us knowledge in the form of memorised information and taught us how to conform without questioning, which to me is disastrous to the learning process (Bui & Baruch 2010, p. 231). Without growing, therefore, the high-school institution has failed in being a learning organisation. The capacity to learn and grow is very important because like Bui and Baruch (2011, p. 2) argue, rapid changes in todayâs turbulent business environment require it much more than knowledge for us to adapt and confront changes. Â
Personal Reflection
I had always thought that I was not the type of person that fits in education because I often have trouble following instructions without knowing why or accepting things for granted without understanding the principle behind. Now, however, I discover that it is actually a strength that is worth cultivated. It is because my philosophy about learning is aligned with the double-loop learning that Argyris and Schon promoted as explained in Smith (2001). Double-loop learning occurs when the learner questions existing assumptions and conditions rather than simply accepting these features for granted. This is also consistent with another study about how the higher education process should be, in which the authors suggest that rather than controlling the learner and preventing mistakes, educators should encourage students to try new things, question and challenge learning issues, and learn from their mistakes (Silins & Mulford 2002, p. 441).
Another insight that I realise is based on Druckerâs idea about how do I perform in the learning process. I realise that the reason why I did not do well in high school was because there was a mismatch between my values and the schoolâs values regarding to learning, not because of my intelligence. I will work best whenever I am given clear idea about why I have to do certain things and have freedom of how to accomplish them. Unlike my math teacher, I prefer to take instructions but not orders. This understanding significantly rebuilds my confidence. Moreover, to prevent a similar frustration that might happen in the future, the company I choose to work for must have a similar philosophy like mine. At best, it should mirror a learning organisation because like Samson and Daft (2009, pp. 57-60) point out, this organisation is built upon employee empowerment, supportive leadership, and strong adaptive organisational culture.
Word Length:
The experience 314
Integrating theory with experience 311
Personal Reflection 329
The Experience
It was the first time I went to a shop to buy a new phone, shortly after arriving to Australia. I was treated by a nice young lady. After introducing her name, she offered to shake hands with me. Because it is a sin in my religion for a man to shake hands with a woman, so I felt a bit embarrassed and backed away, saying that âSorry I donât want toâ. She looked startled for a second, said it was fine, and asked which product I was looking for. At that point I could sense an awkwardness between us, and I realised that I should have explained to her the reason why I could not shake her hands, instead of simply rejecting her polite gesture. However, I was shy and did not have the courage to admit my rudeness. After all, I thought she was not supposed to be such friendly to a stranger male.
I showed her the phone and we discussed about some features around it. The lady seemed like not able to understand the questions I asked, because she kept asking me to repeat the questions many times. She stared at me incessantly while we were talking. That made me feel very uncomfortable, to the point that I tried to avoid looking at her directly.
After paying for the phone, as a sign of thanking her to help me, I offered for her to keep the change. To my surprise, she replied bluntly that she would not do that if she was me. I felt very embarrassed because it never happened for me before, and especially when this happened in the public. I left the store feeling confused and promised myself never coming to that store again. It seemed to me that Australians were so strange that I were not sure how to act appropriately in another situation like this. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Integrating theory with experience
The work of Earley and Mosakowski (2004) helps me a lot in realising the importance of cultural intelligence and assessing the three facets of my own cultural intelligence. It is the ability that allows a person to interpret unfamiliar gestures and act appropriately while dealing with various cultures (Samson & Daft 2009, p. 162). This interpretation, according to Triandis (2006, p. 21), is related more on the external contextual factors such as norms and roles, than the internal factors like attitudes and personalities. Furthermore, cultural intelligence is built upon the integration of three elements: cognitive, emotional, and physical (Earley & Mosakowski 2004, pp. 141-142).
Related to the incident, if I were having high cultural intelligence, I would not have seen the ladyâs actions as a flaw in her personality, but as a difference between the Australian culture and Middle Eastern culture. For instance, in Australia, it is acceptable for a woman to shake hands with another stranger; it is polite to keep eye-contact to show your respect while listening to another person; and it is uncommon to give tips to shop attendants. Moreover, I should have known how to react more appropriately as well. Â Â
Assessing what I did, I actually failed at all three facets of cultural quotient, and acted just like a provincial (Earley & Mosakowski 2004, p. 141), because I did not have sufficient knowledge about Australian culture or noticed clues that might help me understand the differences between the two cultures (cognitive); instead of using the incident as an opportunity to motivate myself to grow and become better at the next encounter (Moon 2010, p. 463), I felt embarrassed and blamed the other (emotional); I could not adjust my behavior appropriately, like maintaining eye-contact more often with the lady (physical). It is no wonder why my scores in the CQ strength test are low: 2.75, 3, and 1.25. Â
Personal Reflection
It is hard to identify any strength in someone, who scores very low in three aspects of the cultural intelligence. However, after reviewing the test, I realise that I do have an ability to immediately sense whether something is going wrong in the current situation. In fact, that ability makes me remember the incident so vivid and helps me very much in my reflection so that I can learn so much about myself, even after a long time have passed.
This awareness is important not only in regard to improving cultural intelligence (Crowne 2010, p. 392), but also to my learning according to Drucker. Unlike other people, who learn by writing or listening (Drucker 1999, p. 4), I learn better by reflecting on my own experience. Therefore, from now on, I will pay more attention to what happen around me, and perhaps set some time away every day or week to reflect on these things, so that the experience I get can be reinvested in the next encounter. Imagine what my life would be like to have the experience this year invested so that next year is even better. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
A clear example I can see for myself is also in cultural intelligence. After three years studying in Australia, I now realise that I behave not like a provincial anymore, but more like a mimic, according to (Earley & Mosakowski 2004, p. 144). However, I do not believe that I am a mimic by nature; instead, I think it is because of all the experience I have collected while studying in Australia has made me adopt some of the Australian features. Moreover, I also feel more comfortable dealing with people from other countries, because I no longer assume the Middle Eastern culture as the only one. Like McNamee and Faulkner (2001, p. 78) point out, studying abroad is one of the best ways to develop cultural intelligence. So I will consider this option should I decide to take postgraduate study later on. Â Â Â Â Â
Word Length:
The experience 321
Integrating theory with experience 328
Personal Reflection 320
The Experience
This incident happened during my first semester studying Data Analysis in Australia. I was very worried about the subject because it was difficult to understand and I was not used to the way Australians study. One day I came to ask my professor in class about how to prepare for the subjectâs homework and assessments. My lecturer expressed great difficulty while dealing with me because she said that she could not understand what I meant. I repeated my question again. This time, she replied by throwing the same question back to me and asked: âWhat do you mean, exactly?â Then she commented that I should take an English course to improve my accent and pronunciation.
This made me upset, because I came to her asking not for an advice of how to improve English but for tips about my study. However, I did not say that out loud because I feared of possible unfavorable treatment from her. I said I was sorry for my bad English and I just wanted to know what to focus on while working on the assessment. Now she raised her voice: âYou didnât listen to me in class, did you? What did I say back then?â I started shaking, I told her that I did, but I could not follow her because she talked too fast. At this point, I heard her mumbling that she could not understand how they accept a student with such a poor English. She then explained the key points of the lesson to me. However, I was in such a bad mood that I could not remember much details of what she said to me. Â
I discovered later that I was not the only exception, as some of my Middle Eastern and Asian friends experienced similar things with this lecturer. The experience made me feel embarrassed and stressful in class. Consequently, I stopped asking questions and just be quiet in class. Â
Integrating theory with experience
Although my lecturerâs behavior do not involve a break of the discrimination law, I believe the situation represents an ethical issue. This is because of two reasons according to Samson and Daft (2009, p. 174), firstly the domain of ethics does not require a specific law, but it is governed mainly by shared principles and moral conduct; secondly, the actions of one person give harm to another. To demonstrate, while it is hard to accuse my lecturer of committing a discrimination act as all of what she did was quite subtle and indirect; however, it would be easier to argue that her behavior violate the Australian spirit regarding to discrimination (National Anti-Discrimination Information Gateway 2012). Therefore, in terms of Kohlbergâs conventional level of moral development Samson and Daft (2009, p. 180), she is expected to live up to the expectation of a wider society, not only the law. Moreover, her behavior brought me stress and affected my study in a negative way.
If I was to deal with this ethical dilemma today, I could apply Velasquez et al.â framework (2009) to choose the best action. Instead of stop asking question and keep quiet, I could either confront my lecturer politely to resolve the misunderstanding directly, or report the incident to the university. For the first option, the result is hard to predict as either the conflict is solved or it may be worse than before. It is because it is very difficult to challenge the attitude and belief of the discriminating staff, especially when she is not aware of it (Lee & Rice 2007, p. 397). Therefore, if I were to apply the utilitarian approach, I would not know how to weigh the benefits of the first option as they are indeterminable (Clegg 2000, p. 2). The outcome of the second option, if successful, could protect my interest and many others that are treated similar ways. So it seems to be aligned with the utilitarian and justice approach.
Personal Reflection
It is understandably easy for a discriminated victim to say that âNot like me, I wonât commit such a shameful act!â. However, there is a true insight in that. Firstly, because I can look at the incident through a victimâs glasses, I understand what the feeling and consequence will be like for just a subtle form of discrimination like that. Moreover, I also realise that I myself have done something like this before to other people, whose country I will not discuss here, because to do that is another form of discrimination as well. As a result, I will be more careful in dealing with other people to avoid causing similar incidents in the future. Maybe my lecturer was not meant to be discriminating because another study (Robertson et al. 2000, p. 89) shows that teaching staff is often unaware of foreign studentsâ problems such as English, culture shocks, or homesickness so that they misunderstand studentsâ performance as lack of interest or competence. If she had known the impact of her behavior on her students, I would argue that she would have tried to express her points more carefully. This is because Hayibor and Wasieleski (2009, p. 162) find that people often conduct unethical acts because they are not aware of the potential consequences of their actions. Â
Another insight I learn is that if the incident had happened in my country, then I would probably not consider the option of reporting to the university. The reason is because the attitude toward anti-discrimination is not that serious compared to Australia. Therefore, studying here has made me adopt some of the Australianâs expectations. Similarly, relating this to the company I am going to work for, it would be better for me to choose a company, which culture represents ethical standards that are compatible to mine or a little higher than what I am striving for (Elango et al. 2010, p. 553). Â
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