Case Incident 1: Choosing Your Battles

14-11) How would you ensure sufficient discussion of contentious issues in a work group? How can managers bring unspoken conflicts into the open without making them worse?

I would ensure that issues that could cause problems in a work group were discussed sufficiently by creating an environment where people fell safe to discuss issues. I would make sure that people knew that bringing up issues is important to keep the group dynamic strong. I would also make sure that the group knew that the goals of the group were important and that by working together we would complete our goals. So making sure that everyone discusses all of the issues they have when they happen is important to be able to work with each other. Managers can bring unspoken conflicts out into the open with out making them worse by encouraging people to talk about any problems that have been going on. Also if the manager knows about some issues that have not been brought out in the open then they can address the type of problems without calling anyone out on it. But they have to make a connection to the companies or groups goals or morals. That way people will not take offense to what the manager is saying.

14-12) How can negotiators utilize conflict management strategies to their advantage so that differences in interests lead not to dysfunctional conflicts but rater to positive integrative solutions?

Negotiators can utilize conflit management to make the two parties feel as if they are both trying to reach the same goals. They could use the smoothing technique where ether play down their differences and emphasize the common interest between the two. That way both groups will not be focusing on what the differences of what they want are but in working together to reach their shared goals. They could also use compromise techniques which involves both parities giving something up. That way both parties are getting something that they want but not everything.

14-13) Can you think of situations in your own life in which silence has worsened a conflict between parties? What might have been done differently to ensure that open communication facilitated collaboration instead?

Yes, I can thing of situations in my life where silence has worsened a conflict. I remember when I was younger and my friends would get into disagreements and instead of talking out their problems they would just ignore the problem. Which would lead to an even bigger issue. The issue would turn even worse because they would talk bad about each other to other people. Therefore making the two even madder at each other since they were talking bad about the other. One thing that could have been done to ensure open communication to facilitate collaboration instead is if other people in the group would encourage the two to talk to each other and not feed into the gossip about the others in the group. If people would not engage and make the issue worse and instead tried to make it less of a problem it would have helped deescalate the issue between the two friends.

Case Incident 1: Delegate Power, or Keep It Close?

13-16) If you were Samantha Parks, how would you prioritize which projects or parts of projects to delegate?

If I were Parks I would decide what parts of projects to delegate based on the difficulty of the tasks and the importance of the tasks. If the project requires the knowledge that others would not have on the subject it would make more sense to do that part of the project yourself. If the task is something that others know how to do and are able to complete the task than it would not be the best use of your time to spend working on it. If a certain part of the project is vital to the overall completion of the project it would probably be something that you would want to do just to make sure it is done properly. Unless someone else that you trust to complete that part of the project is able to do so. Essentially it comes down to the fact that if the task is something that you could trust others to do that and is not of major importance than you can delegate the task to someone else. That does not mean that you are not in the loop as to what is going on it just means that you should not try to do everything. Especially when the task can easily be completed by someone else.

13-17) In explaining what makes her divisions hard, Parks said “I hire good people, creative people, to run these projects, and worry that they will see my oversight and authority as interfering with their creative process.” How can she deal with these concerns without giving up too much control?

Parks can deal with these concerns by explaining the guidelines of what she expects and what her involvement in the projects will be. That way people will understand from the beginning what to expect. It would not seem as if you are checking up on them to make sure they are doing their work right. It would be to know what is going on and helping to direct them so they stay in line with the businesses direction. As long as she lets them have some control and input on the outcome of the project the people would understand that the CEO wants to be involved with their business.

13-18) Should executives try to control projects to maintain authority? Do they have a right to control projects and keep in on the loop on important decisions just so they can remain in charge?

I do not think that executives should try to control projects to maintain authority. They should be guiding the other people in their business so they are all able to complete their goals. If an executive spends to much time trying to control every project they will not have time to work on other things. Controlling projects is not the best way to maintain authority if people feel like they have no say in what is happening they will not buy in to the projects as much as if you let people have some say in what they are doing. They do have the right to control projects and keep in on the loop on important decisions, but not so they can  remain in charge. Keeping up on what is going on is something that executives should do. If they have no idea of what is going on in their business it could be going in a direction that is not good for a company. They should be in charge because they are able to manage all the aspects of the business and not just control others. They should be able to work with all of the employees in a way that works for both parties to a certain aspect.

Ethical Dilemma: Is Social Loafing Unethical?

9-27) Do group members have an ethical responsibility to report shirkers to leadership? If you were working on a group project for a class and a group member was social loafing, would you communicate this information to the instructor? Why or why not?

I think that group members should report shirkers and it is something that group members have to decided based on their own ethics if they are responsible to report shirkers. Ethically I think that if I know that someone is not doing their work that they should be reported. If a group member was loafing unless it became an issue I would not report them to the instructor. If as a group we each decided what we were going to do and all the group members did what we agreed on. Though it may not have been equal I would not report them. Since it was something that we all agreed to. If a group member did not do what they were suppose to do I would report them. It is unethical for a group member to break the agreement of the group. Since when the group is deciding what to do it is an agreement. When one member dose not do what they are supposed to do they are breaking that agreement.

9-28) Do you think social loafing is always shirking (failing to live up to your responsibilities)? Are there times when shirking is ethical or even justified?

I do not think that social loafing is always shirking. If a group splits up the work in a way that is not equal but is agreed upon then they may be social loafing but are not shirking. The group members would all be living up to their agreed upon responsibilities but are not doing their full share of work. The only time shirking is ethical or justified is if it is something that you can not control or be prepared for. Such as if you end up in the hospital or there is a family emergency. It was not intentional and it is something that the person can not control. It would not be fair to hold the person accountable for not living up to their responsibilities.

9-29) Social loafing has been found to be higher in Western, note individualist, nations than in other countries. Do you think this means we should tolerate shirking on the part of U.S. students and worker to a greater degree thin if it occurred with someone from Asia?

The level of shirking should be tolerated the same amount no matter where the worker or student is from. One person should not be held to different standards than another. If people were held to different standers people would take advantage of that. If in a work or school environment the person that has a higher toleration on their shirking then they will use that to their advantage and not do work if they do not have to. People tend to live up to peoples expectations so if you expect people to not live up to their responsibilities they probably won’t.

Ethical Dilemma Deciding to Cheat

6-16) Do you know classmates who have cheated in school? Have you ever cheated?

I do know people who have cheated in school. During my high school years a lot of classmates cheated. I have cheated before on homework in high school.

6-17) The authors of one study noted that people feel they don’t need to be objective in evaluating potential cheaters when there are disclosures of unethical behavior. Do you agree? Why or why not?

I disagree that people don’t need to be objective when evaluating potential cheaters. I think that because your opinions of others should not be the deciding factor of whether or not someone has done something. If someone is going to be credited as responsible there should be hard facts that can prove that the person has done something. Other wise things like the halo effect, and stereotyping could cause the wrong person to get in trouble for something that they have not done.

6-18) Do you think that if we admitted it to ourselves when we cheated, we would be less likely to cheat in the future? Why or why not?

I think to a certain extent if we admitted to ourselves that we cheated we would be less likely to cheat in the future. If we actively recognized and admitted that we cheated for most people they would feel bad that they cheated and would be less likely to cheat. Unless the consequences of not cheating were worse than cheating or if they rationalized that cheating was the best option that they had. They also may try to rationalize that what they are going to do this time is not really cheating and they classify it to themselves as something else. That way they would not feel bad for cheating.

Ethical Dilemma Bounty Hunters

3-12) If you had reason to believe someone was lying about an absence from work, do you think it would be appropriate to investigate? If so, by what methods?

I think that if you had probable cause that someone was lying about why they were absent from work you should be able to investigate the employee. I think that having someone followed would be a little bit of overkill. I would probably ask other employees, check their social media, and ask them about whatever it was that they called in for. That way it would not seem as suspicious, it would seem like you care about them and what they are doing. Which you both do care about them and are trying to find out about them.

3-13) If excessive absenteeism is a real problem in an organization, are there alternatives to surveillance? If so, what are they  and do they have any limitations of their own?

One alternative to surveillance could be to ask employees why they are missing so much work to see if there is a problem with the company. In the book it talks about how unsatisfied employees are more likely to be absent from work. A limitation to this is that people could claim there is no problem. Another alternative is to have a limit on the amount of days a person can miss with out a doctors note or valid reason as to why they are missing work. The limitation to this is that they could just spread out their absences so they do not go over the limit.

3-14) How might an organization help to curb sick leave abuse through policies? How might administrators help or hinder effective implementation of those policies?

An organization could implement a limit of sick days that a person uses without a doctors note. That way it makes it harder for an employee to repeatedly abuse sick leave. Administrators could help to make sure that the policies were implemented correctly by making sure all of the employees are treated the same. It would also help to make sure that the administrators try to understand how the employees feel about the policies so the employees do not feel that they don’t understand where they are coming from. In the book it talks about how employees feel that mangers don’t get it so if mangers made an effort to show that they understand where they are coming from but make the policies clear it would help the employees understand why there are new policies.

Jekyll and Hyde

1)

I would have a number in mind that is slightly higher than the minimum amount I would accept to work for. I would do that because you are bargaining for your salary so you know what ever the first number you come up with will most likely not be the amount you get. So you start out a slight bit higher than what is the absolute minimum that you would take. I would not go to high over the amount that I would take as a base salary. Since you do not want to come off as wanting to much that they will just hire someone else. I don’t think giving a different number than what the minimum amount of salary you would take violates the transparent culture of the company. I think that because everyone has a range of what they will want to be paid. They did not ask what the minimum you would work for they asked what you would expect to be paid. So it is not really hiding anything its not like you are not going to bargain to what both of you can agree to.

2)

Knowing that the company engages in activities that I do not find to be something that I want to be involved with. It definitely would influenced my decision to take the job. I would not want to be associated to a business that is causing excessive damage to the environment and is using children for their labor. Especially if it was something that I knew they were doing and there were other ways to go about doing that job. Considering there is a similar job offer that does not do the same things as this business does.

Introduction

Hi my name is Tiffany Kester I am 21 and live in Fairbanks, Alaska. My major is accounting. I have worked in the retail industry for the past two years. I am interested in getting a job as an accountant to either a small business or to a larger company.

Colorful Abstract

The theme for my art collection is colorful thought provoking artwork.

Rider (Untitled VII) by Willem de Kooning (America, 1985)

I chose this painting because I liked the use of the white space between the colors. I also like how smooth the lines look in this painting. I also like how you can see multiple pictures by combining different shapes.

This painting goes with my theme because of the bright red and yellow. It also goes with the theme because a person can see multiple pictures within the one painting. Depending on how it is looked at you can see whatever you want.

Willem de Kooning was born in 1904 in the Netherlands. Durning the 1980s he painted over 300 canvases. He also worked a lot in sculpting metals later in his life.

 

Lady Dog Lizard by James Rosenquist (America, 1985)

I chose this painting because I like the colors of the flowers. They are all light reds, pinks, and yellow. I also like eyes that are hidden within the flowers. They blend in with the rest of the painting. At first I didn’t even recognize they were there.

This painting goes with my theme because of the colors of the flowers. It also goes with my theme because at first glance it look like a bunch of flowers, but upon closer inspection you can see the eyes in the flowers.

James Rosenquist was born in 1933 in North Dakota. He attended the University of Minnesota and visited the Art Institute of Chicago. He worked for a advertising company and painted the billboards for it.

 

Giufà, la luna, i ladri e le guardie by Frank Stella (America, 1984)

I chose this art piece because of the colors and how they contrast. Such as the black and the bright yellow. I also chose this piece because of the texture differences of the shapes. While some have strait lines others have colors smeared all over it.

This piece goes with my theme because of the bright yellow, which stands out from all of the rest. It also can be seen in different dimensions depending on how you look at the lines on the shapes.

Frank Stella was born in 1936 in Massachusetts. He attended Princeton University where he studied history. Where he visited many art galleries that is how he developed his style of art.

 

Clouds by Gerhard Richter (Germany, 1982).

I chose this art piece because I liked how there are different textures in this painting. I also like the fading effect with some of the colors and the distinct lines of colors. The green in the painting fades to lighter shades while the reds are one shade per shape.

This piece relates to my theme because of the bright yellows and red. Along with the fact that, the painting is not of something specific. It looks as if the paint was just randomly put on the canvas but people can interpret it however they choose.

Gerhard Richter was born in 1932. He is known as the second top selling painting for an alive artist.  He also works in multiple mediums and styles.

 

Prototype by Joe Zucker (America, 1980).

I chose this art piece because I like how you can see the strokes of the marker on the paper. It gives the drawing more texture. I also like the combination of colors. The choices of colors go well to each other.

This piece relates to my theme because the colors are bright and there is a variety of colors in the drawing. It is thought provoking in the sence that what the drawing is of is not clear. Depending on what you think it may represent something else.

Joe Zucker was born in 1941. He went to the Art Institute of Chicago and graduated in 1966.  68 of his art pieces have been up for auction. He was well known for his cotton ball paintings.

“LE NEVEU/DE RAMEAU” by Grapus (France, 1980).

I chose this piece of art because I liked how the heart looks almost cartoonish while still maintaining the key characteristics of an actual heart. I also like the use of black in the painting. It stands out from the rest of the color and draws your eye to it.

This piece relates to my theme because of the bright colors and the fact that the heart does not just represent a heart. The red and yellow colors stand out from the white background. The heart in this picture could represent multiple things. It could also represent the Le Neveu De Rameau’s heart.

Grapus was a group of artists from 1970 to 1991. They created a lot of art during that time. The entire group artist belonged to the communist party at the time. After they disbanded in 1991 most continued to make art individually.

Sources:

http://www.moma.org

http://www.willem-de-kooning.com

 

 

Boomtown (1928 America) by Thomas Hart Benton is a good example of how the Depression influenced art. It shows people going on about their lives as if nothing is happening. Some of the people are going to the theater which was a common way to spend money. Also there is a fight going on in the painting showing the problems of the depression. While the smoke in the background shows progress towards making more money. Since the town that the painting is of had a lot of business from a refinery (Magart).

I chose this painting because I like how it portrays a regular town. It shows people going about their business. While showing that things were not all perfect even though this town had more money that most. I also like how you can see the combining of distinct colors.

 

 

The painting The Satin Tuning Fork, (1940, America) Yves Tanguy is a good example of how WWI affected art. It is a surrealism art piece, which was influenced by WWI. It demonstrates how people during the time would want to escape what was going on and art was a good way to do so. The art piece also shows this because of how sparse it is. It could be a representation of how the artist felt during that time. Since the artist was in the military.

I chose this painting because I like how there is not a lot going on in it and there is not a lot of color. The only color in the painting is in the foreground, which makes it stand out more. The main object is also in the foreground, which makes it the only focal point. I also like how the color in the painting contrasts for the grey background to the light green and red.

 

The painting Europe After the Rain by Max Ernst (1940-42, America) is a good example of how WWI affected art. It is another piece of surrealism artwork. This piece shows how people may have felt towards the war going on. Since there looks like there is bones all around with a warrior person on the look out. With a statue of a female looking out across the landscape. This could represent how both the people a home felt and the warriors felt. The people at home are waiting and looking for the people who went to war. While, the warrior is turned away on the lookout for more trouble.

I chose this painting because of the detail. The structures have a lot of detail in them. It shows all the little carved detail into them. I also like the colors in this painting. It has a bright blue background with the bright green and red. Those colors together make a great contrast in the whole painting.

 

 

References:

http://magart.rochester.edu/Obj211?sid=1420&x=52041

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1999.363.80

Impressionism

I like the Impressionist art looks.  I enjoy how the colors look together. For example in the, Garden at Sainte-Adresse, by Claude Monet (France, 1867) I like how the blues and greens have a nice contrast. The blue in the painting make the green stand out more.

I also like how there are details but it is as if you are looking from far away.  I like how this is shown in The Garden of the Tuileries on a Spring Morning by Camille Pissarro (France, 1899). It looks as if you are looking from a distance. You can see that there are trees and people, but you can not see exactly who the people are.

I enjoy the fact that there are a lot of paintings that focus on landscapes rather than people. Though there are people in most of the paintings, they are not the main focus. A good example of this is The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne by Alfred Sisley (France, 1872). There are people in the the painting but they are not very distinct or in detail.

A good contrast to Impressionism is Realism. While in Impressionism the painting is more of the feel of something. While realism was portrayed as realistic as possible. In Realism there is more detail to the painting so it looks as if it is a picture of whatever the painting is of.  Though both are good styles they just differ in what the painting should look like. A good example of realism is The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur (France, 1853–55). There is plenty of details in all of the horses. Also int the rest of the painting. It almost looks as if it could be a picture rather than a painitng.

Sources:

http://www.metmuseum.org