Bob Knowlton Self Concept

Analysis As part of the analysis we examine Bob’s Self-Concept and the following characteristics with regards to complexity, consistency and clarity. Bob’s locus of control is also considered and the impact this had on his relationships at work with his colleagues. Fester’s individualism is also considered. Bob’s Self Concept Bob’s Low Self-Concept Complexity Bob has a low complexity as he perceives his most important identity to be work related – he defined his self-concept by his work. The positive side of Bob’s low complexity enabled him to become a relatively successful, skilled engineering, as he invested more in his skill development and focused his attention on his work. However, the low complexity caused Bob great stress when his main self-concept, defined by his work), was threatened by the arrival of Fester, a much more brilliant, driven engineer. Bob perceived Fester’s arrival as a threat by challenging all aspects of Bob’s self-concept, not only his technical expertise, but also Bob’s leadership of the team when Fester became the informal leader by default as Bob conceded defeat and essentially abandoned his role as group leader. Bob’s Low Self-Concept Consistency Bob’s has a low self-concept consistency. Bob’s leadership style was focused on teamwork and collaboration and he prided himself on motivating his team by including them in group problem solving and decision making. However, this self-concept was inconsistent with how Bob really perceived himself and the disconnect present between his position as team leader and his ability to lead. Bob acknowledged to himself that the team’s collaborative style brought him a sense of security in that he did not actually have to lead the team. Bob focuses on the team to the exclusion of his leadership role essentially using his team to mask his insecurities with respect to his ability to lead. Another example of Bob’s low inconsistent self-concept is his accepting Dr. Jerold’s praising of Fester, when he clearly did not agree. Bob’s Low Self-Concept Clarity Bob has low self-concept clarity; he does not have a clear, confidently defined, stable self-concept. This is apparent early in the case as evidenced by his belief that his â€Å"stumbling upon† a significant breakthrough led to what he considered his â€Å"miraculous† promotion to team leader of the Photon Unit rather than it being based on his skills and abilities. Bob lacks the confidence to deal with Fester, who he perceives as more brilliant and driven. As the case progresses and Fester brings group conflict and openly challenges Bob’s leadership, we see Bob become inconsistent with his behavior. Fester challenges Bob’s collaborative approach with the team and Bob’s lack of confidence meant that he in essence surrendering his leadership by agreeing to re-examine how the team works together and make it about individual updates. Bob’s Locus of Control and Self-Evaluation Given Bob’s behaviors and reaction to Fester, Bob has a low locus of control and is externally motivated. Bob didn’t feel in control of his environment and was unwilling or unable to take steps to control the environment. We have seen that Bob already believes he received the promotion because of external â€Å"miraculous† forces. Although initially, he does feel he has control as team leader, his underlying external focus of control becomes more apparent when Fester is introduced to the group. Fester’s group interactions and individuality presents a new situation for Bob. Bob internalizes the conflict with Fester and openly wonders if he is there to replace him, causing Bob a great deal of stress as he feels he does not have control over the situation. The situation quickly deteriorates as Bob visibility and relevance to the team are diminished and Fester’s increases. Bob’s Self-Concept Conclusion Bob’s low or negative Self-Concept (low complexity, consistency and clarity) greatly influenced Bob’s behaviour and ultimately his decision to resign. Bob’s low self-concept created a great deal of stress and he experienced immense amount of internal-intra personal conflict and tension. Bob’s low Self-Concept meant that Bob could not adapt to what he perceived as threats outside his control. His perceived inadequacies meant that he was not able to face the issues and overwhelming internal conflict he was experiencing. He consistently avoided confronting any of the issues and thus the only action he could take to release himself of this conflict was to resign. Fester’s Individuality and Group Norms Fester is introduced to the group unexpectedly and although initially helps the team solve a problem previously thought to be unsolvable; he goes against established group norms and almost immediately creates conflict. Fester is clearly â€Å"more brilliant† than any of the team members and his individual approach is in direct contrast to the team –based, collaborative approach establish by Bob. He challenges the group norms directly, suggesting the team meetings are a waste of time and is openly dismissive of others. Fester is very confident in his abilities but lacked the social skills to integrate successfully into the group. Although Fester individuality isolated him from the rest of the group, he dominated the leadership of the group to the point of essentially forcing Bob to change the structure of team meetings, from teamwork based to individual updates. This reinforced Fester’s individual approach. Fester’s individuality influenced the group, and particularly his negative influence on Bob grew and went unchallenged, and the conflict it brought ultimately had a negative impact on the Photon team and Simmons. Recommendations 1. Jerrold should meet with Bob and find out the true reasons for Bob’s resignation. Jerrold should ask Bob to return to Simmons by telling him of the plan to increase Bob’s team and offer Bob a substantial raise to return to Simmons. 2. Jerrold should consider undergoing leadership and communication skills training to help him develop the prerequisite skills to manage his teams effectively. 3. Jerrold should become more involved with the teams under his leadership, through developing a clear and compelling direction for the team and ensure his articulates that directly to this team. 4. Jerrold should strive to increase communication and participate in regular team meetings and incorporate individual meetings to ensure his is aware of and understands any issues or concerns. 5. In the future, the team leader (Bob’s replacement) is included in the recruitment and selection of new team members. 6. Dr. Jerold should meet with the Photon team members individually to gain an understanding of how the situation affected the team and get their feedback on what their needs. Team building and intergroup communication skills should then be introduced to ensure team members have the tools to work effectively together.

Entrepreneurship, innovation, economic development, and sustainability Essay

Entrepreneurship, innovation, economic development, and sustainability - Essay Example Burj-Al-Arab, and Burj Khalifa that even supersedes the hotel. By the end of 2008, the world in general and the UAE in particular were hit by the global financial crisis. As a result of the economic downturn, entrepreneurs rapidly started drawing their money out of the UAE, particularly Dubai. This further aggravated the condition and increased the economic challenges for the UAE. The sale of innovative products in the present age amounts to 33 per cent of the total sales of a company (Cooper, 2001, p. 4). While so many people talk about innovation, there are not many who understand what it means truly. For many people, anything that is new in some way is innovative. â€Å"[C]reativity is commonly defined through the recognition of produced and valued novelty† (Martin, 2009). Innovation is in many cases, a reinvention of old things by combining their features in a unique way. Basically, innovation happens from ideas that are unique. The idea of one individual might never have been experienced by another and thus when it is incorporated into a new product, it becomes innovative (Boden, 2004, p. 13). Many studies aimed at identifying common personality traits in creative people have successfully identified some (Amabile, 1996, p. 5). Irrespective of what qualifies as innovation, a factor whose importance cannot be overemphasized for the economic development as well as sustainability is the usefulness of the product for the society at large. â€Å"Attempts must be made to address the potential unintended and unforeseen consequences of the technology, as well as its potential benefits, if it is to be successfully applied† (Hall and Martin, 2005). â€Å"†¦creation is a continuous process... This essay present a thorough theoretical analysis of the impacts that economic categorical concepts of entrepreneurship, innovation, development and sustainability have on each other. These concepts are all strongly interrelated The sale of innovative products in the present age amounts to 33 per cent of the total sales of a company. Creativity is commonly defined through the recognition of produced and valued novelty Innovation is in many cases, a reinvention of old things by combining their features in a unique way. Basically, innovation happens from ideas that are unique. The idea of one individual might never have been experienced by another and thus when it is incorporated into a new product, it becomes innovative. Many business entrepreneurs think of sustainability and the need to adopt environment friendly business practices as a burden whereas in reality environmental-friendliness not only cuts down the costs of business but also increases its profitability, which is what makes sustainability integrally related to both entrepreneurship and innovation. Sustainability is quite as strongly linked with economic development and the logic behind it is quite understandable and simple; the lesser the costs and the higher the profits in business, the greater the contribution of the entrepreneurs in the gross domestic product of the country, and the more the economic development consequentially. Sustainability saves the country’s resources that can be utilized in better ways to yield more money.

S6W8Paper2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

S6W8Paper2 - Research Paper Example The latter part of the 20th century and commencement of the 21st century has radically altered the nature of international order. It is now evident that this change cannot be contained in a dynamic world characterized by globalization, and rapid growth in information and technology. United States of America must therefore brace itself to a multilateral world where, while boosting of the military, economic and cultural prowess, it may face challenges from adversaries and even allies2. This paper gives a detailed account of the current international order and trends in the global affairs that have either a direct or indirect impact on United States. It further shows the manner in which US can chart its way to a peaceful and stable future by being at the forefront of world economy, protecting crucial global strategic interests, and maximizing on the use of military power and strength. In addition, the paper provides an analysis of the emerging threats from terrorist and the proliferatio n of nuclear weapons. ... Most of these actors are responsible for direct acts of terrorism and supporting terrorist groups either financially or through offering them a safe haven. Cases in point are North Korea and Iran. The two nations have totally objected collaborating with international treaties on aspects such as reduction of nuclear weapon capabilities. The eventuality has been constant threats on resources that are meant for the common good such as oil and sea lanes. The policy of United States then is to insist on measures that would compel such non-players to comply with the treaties agreed upon by the international institutions. Among the many strategies employed include application of stringent sanctions on such nations aimed at crippling their economic and coordination power3. Nonetheless, the sanction would be only be enforced on states that blatantly object the efforts of international institutions of preserving global peace and order. For instance, North Korea is clearly moving against the gl obal peace initiative. It has consistently tested its medium range missiles despite warnings from the international community. Furthermore, it has gone on the offensive, through its dictatorial leader, to warn U.S., South Korea and Japan of a possible war if they do not stay away from spying on them. The threats from North Korea warrant for all possible forms of sanctions. On the other hand, United States would capitalize on the strong reform organizations as well as citizens to drive change in nations such as Iran. Through supporting these movements, U.S. can effectively drive both social and political change in such countries. The same case can be applied in China. Essentially, the idea of nations investing on weapons of mass destruction would be discouraged at all costs4. The strategy