...* American Sociological Review > * Vol. 15, No. 2, Apr., 1950 > * A Set of Categories ... You are viewing the first page/citation. Full-text access may be available if you are affiliated with a participating library or publisher. Check access options or login if you have an account. + Show full citation American Sociological Review © 195 SOCIAL GROUP In the social sciences a social group can be defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity.[1] By this definition, a society can be viewed as a large group, though most social groups are considerably smaller. A true social group exhibits some degree of social cohesion and is more than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such as people waiting at a bus stop, or people waiting in a line. Characteristics shared by members of a group may include interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship ties. Paul Hare regards the defining characteristic of a group as social interaction.[2] The members of the groups contact each other which Ackeema Johnson calls a "regular interaction." This group also should have, a common identity, rules, structure, etc Most researchers define a small group as having at least three and no more than twelve or fifteen members. A group needs to have at least three members, otherwise it would simply be a dyad. With three members, coalitions can be formed and...
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...1. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. Leadership is guiding people towards productive results to achieve the goals of the organization. An effective leader has the ability to motivate and influence others. Leadership impacts organizational performance depending on the level to which the leader enables managers and team leaders to plan, organize, control, and act effectively. By accepting authority, responsibility, and accountability, managers can confidently face though situations which require decisions made. Both the manager and subordinate understand how to distinguish right from wrong by using sound judgment. Also, the leader must to learn his own strengths and weaknesses at work as well as his personal life and seek to better himself with new professional knowledge. Everybody has different opinions and attitudes towards values, lifestyles, and behaviors. An effective leader will use diversity at the workplace to combat the fierce competition in the market place. Likewise, cultural diversity within the organization will only add to the company’s growth and good leadership values and respect in the differences in cultures and employees do not create negative stereotypes that could affect the company’s success. Leaders need to address the importance of open communications within the organization. Active listening, questioning, and placing emphasis on verbal and written communications between management and subordinates ensures...
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...successful team to see how this can be achieved. Critical Elements to Creating a Team When establishing a team it is important to consider several attributes that help to facility a high performance team. Effective Leadership - Every team needs a leader to drive the team to success. To be effective the leader must allow input from the team members. It is important to keep the individual input organized for everyone to keep the direction clear. An effective leader will need to make decisions and assign tasks to team members in line with the team goal. It is the responsibility of the leader to steer the team’s direction in an atmosphere where the environment allows open communication, everyone is involved, individual skills are used to benefit the team, and the goals remain clear. Clear Direction - Every team needs a clear goal to embrace and be empowered with. Teams are challenged with the different backgrounds, experiences as well as personal goals or objectives they wish to achieve in the project. The direction must be clear enough for the team to understand what is required for success and what each team member must do to achieve that. Cooperation and Empowerment- It is not enough that a team is composed of skilled members. The key to team dynamics is being able to work together. Gadeken (2012) indicates that many team members may come to a team environment use to doing their own thing. The team can have a superior combined skill set, but if they are unable...
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...Final Strategic Plan Bus/475 09/19/11 Matthew Nosbisch Introduction Effective cross-functional teaming is vital to the success of a company. Successful companies possess common traits in how its employees execute on tactics. A common trait employees at properious companies have is the ability to collaborate and work well with other employees in different departments that they rely upon for support or assistance to complete a common goal or objective. “Functional tactics are the key, routine activities that must be undertaken in each functional area—marketing, finance, production/operations, R&D, and human resource management—to provide the business’s products and services” (Pearce & Robinson, 2009, p. 309, para 4). Functional managers who provide clear functional tactics enable their employees. Clear functional tactics and direction enable employees to understand what they need to do in their day-to-day work and thereby strengthens accountability. In a present scenario, strategic direction plays a vital role in the overall success or failure of a business organization (Joyce & Woods, 2001). Key strategic elements guide the strategic direction of the organization. Alignment between strategic direction and business activities is essential to ensure the attainment of vision and mission. Strategic Objective According to the vision and mission of Mapua (spring) water company, the main objective of the company is to gain highest shares of the market by providing...
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...Assessment 4 P1 - explain different types of business information, their sources and purposes P2 - present complex internal business information using three different methods appropriate to the user’s needs P3 - produce corporate communications P4 - evaluate the external corporate communications of an existing product or service P5 - explain the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information P6 - explain the operational issues in relation to the use of business information P7 - outline electronic and non-electronic methods for communicating business information, using examples for different types of audience. M1 - analyse different types of business information and their sources M2 - analyse the legal, ethical and operational issues in relation to the use of business information, using appropriate examples. D1 - evaluate the appropriateness of business information used to make strategic decisions D2 - evaluate the effectiveness of business information and its communication as key contributors to the success of an organisation, using examples to illustrate your points. Explain different types of business information, their sources and purposes Tesco has stores in 14 countries across the world. In the UK it is the grocery market leader it has about 30% of market share. This means that Tesco is the main supermarket leader in the shores of the UK. The key purpose of Tesco is to make profit. Tesco’s is the third largest retailer in the...
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...five individuals were still affected. Worried about the wellbeing of the company, Mr. Jackson is looking to revise their current vision and mission, as well as restructure their new program development and customer service divisions. II. Mission and Vision Statement Prior to being able to establish a new structure for the company, vision and mission statements are needed to establish a foundation for direction. “It is important to get employees on board with the decision making process. This can be articulated through the mission and vision statement…” (Hawthorne, n.d.). New Mission Statement: Providing the most innovative and up to date around the clock cyber security, and satisfactorily customer service to our clients New Vision Statement: Pioneering cyber security services and protection by adapting to daily cyber environmental changes and technology With the revised vision and mission statement, Cyber Security Inc. has a new foundation set to assist in a proper path when planning. There are three main planning functions that must be considered when setting a direction for the organization, strategic, tactical, and operational. Strategy planning is the long term results of the company, but tactical planning divides out the steps to accomplish or reach that long term goal. (Boundless, n.d.). Mr. Jackson can now establish long term and medium term goals and plans based off the newly revised vision statement. With the new course of action in place he must now establish a...
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...and objectives • Branding • Positioning • Communication Introduction When preparing a strategy for success, a business needs to be clear about what it wants to achieve. It needs to know how it is going to turn its desires into reality in the face of intense competition. Setting clear and specific aims and objectives is vital for a business to compete. However, a business must also be aware of why it is different to others in the same market. This case study looks at the combination of these elements and shows how Kellogg prepared a successful strategy by setting aims and objectives linked to its unique brand. One of the most powerful tools that organisations use is branding. A brand is a name, design, symbol or major feature that helps to identify one or more products from a business or organisation. The reason that branding is powerful is that the moment a consumer recognises a brand, the brand itself instantly provides a lot of information to that consumer. This helps them to make quicker and better decisions about what products or services to buy. Managing a brand is part of a process called product positioning. The positioning of a product is a process where the various attributes and qualities of a brand are emphasised to consumers. When consumers see the brand, they distinguish the brand from other products and brands because of these attributes and qualities. Focused on Kellogg, this case study looks at how aims and objectives have been used to create...
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...and Findings A step in determining what my leadership style is and how to improve on it was to take the Seven Habits Profile. After completed the Seven Habits Profile I discovered what areas I do well in and what areas I need work. I was surprised on some of the results noting what my strengths and weaknesses. After reviewing each habit it became clear why I score was high and low in an area. In reviewing my high scores it indicated that have a good emotional bank account, begin with the end in mind, and have life balance. In this section I will discuss what the results might indicate about my leadership practices today and in the future. One of the habits that I rated high on was that of emotional bank account. Scoring high in this area is shows that my positive attributes are understanding, keeping commitments, and show integrity. I believe this reflects my leadership style. I am empathic with staff who are learning new information. I am an empathic listener. When you do your best for the people that you lead they do the best for you. When train people I take the time they need to understand a concept. When making commitments I follow through on tasks. These are important skills in leadership because this encourages staff to trust. I continue to be a trusted leader and co-worker in my role. The next habit that scored high on my assessment was that of beginning with the end in mind. How this makes me a good...
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...Corporate Communication Plan Bus 475 Communications Plan In the business environment it is essential for organizations to communicate their mission, vision, goals, and objectives to all employees and their audience. The most effective way to communicate is through a communications plan. A communications plan is a powerful management tool that when properly written with strategic integrity, alignment, and focus allows all employees and the audience to understand the vision and direction of the organization. An organization with a well developed communications plan will support the organization’s goals and objectives. Communications plan increases employee motivation; it creates awareness, understanding, acceptance, and it also equips personnel with knowledge and motivation to perform their roles effectively. Communications plans must be written in a way that fits the organization; however, there are basic guidelines to help management create an effective communications plan. The first step is to bridge the gap between where the organization is and where it want to go; this is accomplished by shaping the communications plan around organizational goals and how the communications objectives will help achieve said goals. Secondly, objectives should be set at the beginning of the plan; they should be specific, measurable, and attainable. The next step is to identify key messages; the basic facts the organization wants to communicate and the way they want people to...
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...WHAT IS MANAGEMENT? Management is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term. All organizations - business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose. According to Harold Koontz, “Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals”. According to F.W. Taylor, “Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done in the best and cheapest way”.Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the attainment of certain pre - determined goals. It is the process of working with and through others to effectively achieve the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the changing world. Of course, these goals may vary from one enterprise to another. E.g.: For one enterprise it may be launching of new products by conducting market surveys and for other it may be profit maximization by minimizing cost. | Management involves creating an internal environment: - It is the management which puts into use the various factors of production. Therefore, it is the responsibility of management to create such conditions which are conducive to maximum efforts so that people are able to perform...
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...company’s intranet “Liz’s experience and education helped refine her vision of a business environment centered on the Internet revolution. Under her leadership, CanGo has grown from a small online book retailer to a leader in entertainment focused e-commerce”. Liz has done very well for herself and the company with the effort and ideas that she has used thus far. CanGo is growing so fast that she now needs help to show her how to be prepared for what could happen and what she wants to happen as a company. When there is so much growth and so much competition, Liz and CanGo need to have a plan. That is why we are here; to help the company stay successful even when they are considering expanding into a new market. During this research period, The Grads have come up with the top issues that the CanGo team needs to address so that they can ensure further successfulness. The six top issues that we are going to address here in this Week Two Analysis Report are: The lack of direction the company has; its poor management skills; absence of proper communication; the company has a lack of financial awareness; lack of Management by Objectives (MBO) as well as lack of...
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...Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Steve Rhew Dr. Aiynak Finch BUS 520 Leadership and Organization Behavior August 7, 2011 1. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. Army Doctrine defines leadership as “The process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (Department of the Army, 2007). This definition tells us several key elements of leadership that affect the organization at some point. In order to get the organization to function and employees to perform, there has to be a purpose, a direction of where the organization wants to go, and the employees need to be motivated to do what they are hired to do. Leaders set the tone of the organization and provide that purpose and direction of what they desire for the organization. To take it a step further, leaders define the goals which help provide the direction to the desired end result. Leaders possess several key traits necessary to accomplish goals. Leaders lead by example. The example the leader displays affects the behavior of those in the organization. You can normally determine the type of leadership that exists by the way the organization operates. Leaders also provide effective communication in order to ensure their ideas are understood and executed. Leaders are responsible for the culture that exists in the organization. Leaders provide encouragement to employees...
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... COLLABORATIVE VISIONING 1. Based on the given case study, discuss the purpose and rationale behind the approach to a strategic vision development undertaken by St. Ambrose University. What are the potential opportunities and challenges to such an endeavour? A strong vision for an organization is essential as it can change a direction of company in a short and long run. Effective vision statement consists of core value which will indicate the purpose of existence of an organization. Without a proper communication to all the relevant parties, it will be difficult to make the vision an achievable reality. Communication breakdown can be a disaster as it will divert the direction and the purpose of the vision. Vision also sets the objective that need to be achieved in future, with the direction that has been set as target/goal. Most important is, to ensure that the progression and development of a vision is being monitored for a continuous improvement. Sally’s case study is a very good example of strategic vision development where St. Ambrose University have decided to align 3 main focus area in order to a have clearer direction in a long run to attract the stakeholders and promotes the culture, thus increases the reputation of the University. The focus areas identified are i) issues of declining enrolment of student in a year ii) to increase the reputation of the brand name of the University iii) help to enhance the facilities and the environment of the campus....
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...Organizational Commitment and Communication Paper: The American Red Cross The American Red Cross The American Red Cross was established in 1881 to be an organization in a humanitarian way to help people with emergency services, disaster relief, and education inside the United States and Internationally. The organization’s mission is to help prevent and relieve suffering for all the people. The organization holds a vision that incorporates compassion, collaboration, creativeness, creditability, and commitment. The organization’s culture is made up of ordinary individuals who have the same desire to accomplish extraordinary things. Through the right channels of communication and deep desire of commitment, The American Red Cross has succeeded for many years to bring hope, relief, and safety to people in need. In order for a company or organization to be successful, it must have a person to lead everyone in the same direction. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group toward an achievement of a vision or set of goals. There are many types of leadership styles that a company or organization can select from to help direct the group in the same direction. Depending on which style is chosen, will depict how it affects the group and its communication. One type of style is the Transactional Leadership. This style is more thought of as a management style; however it has its advantages and disadvantages. Transactional Leadership is a controlling and dominating way...
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...Introduction Many companies set out to be the best in the field that they are in. The Riordan Manufacturing Company is no different. They have set high goals to be the leaders in their industry and have strong strategic planning to help back this up. They are a company strives to put their people and consumers first and by doing so have been able to be leaders in their industry. They have a clear mission and vision of what it will take to be the best and have strived to be leaders in their field in all aspect of their business. The Riordan Company is built their reputation on good customer service and doing what it takes to have great employees that are all working for the same thing. Mission and Vision The Riordan Company has set them up for success by understanding what it will take to be leaders in their field. They feel that strong business values are important and they are striving to reach the goals they have set forth for themselves. Being a global plastics manufacture can be a tough business to be in and to be successful the Riordan Company realizes that then need to use tools such as six sigma to help them out in problem solving as well as business decisions making. They have set standards such as meeting or exceeding the ISO 9000 standards for great business practices to insure that the products they put out will be the best on the market. They have a strong R-Dbase to help them have the latest and greatest products out on the market. They understanding the importance...
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