Crystel, a Study in Leadership

Crystel, a Study in Leadership Free Online Research Papers Leadership, as defined by Robert J. Shiver, chairman and CEO of New York City – based Aewav Holdings, Inc., is â€Å"the ability to motivate and guide people toward a goal.† Leadership includes influencing and enabling others to contribute to the successes of the company or team to which one belongs. A key point of leadership has to do with competency. The competency trait includes knowledge, skills, abilities, and values. (McShane Glinow 2005, p. 4) CrysTel, which is based out of Illinois, employs 2,500 people and has annual revenue of $200 million. Their company produces products such as: data cables, wireless solutions, and network development. With in the simulation it identified strong and weak areas within the organization and apply behavioral changes. This would build a culture that could maintain and continue change. When faced with the challenge of bringing on new products to the companies portfolio, in an effort to keep up with the demands of the market, it was essential to asses the areas that were not able and ready to handle this constant change. Some important aspects to consider in making these decisions are leadership quality, communication within the team, and motivation. After the evaluation, it was realized that the performance of any department has a direct relationship to the flow of communication, the kind of leadership, and the level at which the employees are motivated. Once the weakness was identified in each department, the company had to initiate activities that would help the departments change their weaknesses into strengths. When determining those activities, the company had to take into consideration the department’s resistance factors. Activities that were implemented included: constant communication with employees, creating a training calendar and appointing mentors, creating a conflict resolution forum, empowering teams to decide on targets and leaders, etc. â€Å"All organizational structures include two fundamental requirements: the division of labor into distinct tasks and the coordination of that labor so that employees are able to accomplish common goals.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 446). CrysTel currently holds an organizational structure of centralization. â€Å"Centralization means that formal decision-making authority is held by a small group of people, typically those at the top of the organizational hierarchy. Most organizations begin with centralized structures, as the founder makes most of the decisions and tries to direct the business toward his or her vision.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 451). CrysTel follows this organizational structure with top positions of Chief Executive Officer, Vice President of Technology Development, Vice President of Sales and Delivery, Vice President of Marketing, and Vice President of Human Resources. The individuals at these levels are considered experts of the business and understand the fitness manufacturers industry. Each one of these positions holds power, prestige, and great intelligence. CrysTel uses the functional structure in conjunction with the formalization structure. â€Å"Functional structure organizes employees around specific knowledge or other resources. Employees with marketing expertise are grouped into a marketing unit, those with production skills are located in manufacturing, engineers are found in product development, and so on. Organizations with functional structures are typically centralized to coordinate their activities effectively.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 456). CrysTel’s departments of expertise consist of technology development, human resources, technology operations, sales and delivery and marketing. Within each of these departments, there are several levels of leadership: team managers, senior managers, and vice presidents. CrysTel has been continually going through changes with their products with rapid and frequent advances in the telecommunications industry that inevitably lead to new expectations which require new management changes. With the enormous amount of change that occurs in organizations, employees depend on information to reduce the level of uncertainty about what is about to happen next. The better CrysTel can cope with feelings of uncertainty among their employees, the better they can achieve their goals as a profitable, successful company. â€Å"Individuals and work units acquire power by helping the organization to cope with uncertainty. Coping includes any activity that effectively deals with environmental uncertainties affecting the organization.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 363). There are three general strategies that help organizations to cope with uncertainty among their employees. They are: prevention, forecasting, and absorption. Prevention being the most powerful tool. Prevention is when the most powerful people in the organization can prevent environmental changes from taking place. Forecasting is the second most powerful tool. With forecasting it is expected that powerful people will try to predict environmental changes or variations. Absorption is when work units also gain power by absorbing the impact of environmental shifts as they occur. All three of these strategies must be practiced by CrysTel for employees to have a sense of certainty in the company. Additional ways to ease employees’ reaction to change is to create visibility and networking methods in the office and to ensure that these methods are known throughout the office. â€Å"Those who control valued resources or knowledge will yield power only when others are aware of these power bases, in other words, when it is visible. Even when someone’s legitimate power has no effect until employees are aware of the person’s position or status in the organization. One way to increase visibility is to take people-oriented jobs and work on projects that require frequent interaction with senior executives.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 366). When visibility becomes part of the picture team members seem to be more open to upper management’s ideas and tend to have a greater incentive to be on board with the mission, decisions, and objectives that affect the whole company. Employees want to know what is happening and why, they want to know how it wi ll affect them. When employees know these things they become more apt to go along with the company. Networking is another method to manage reaction to change. Many good things come from networking such as building credibility and trust. â€Å"Networks consist of people who trust each other, which increases the flow of information among those within the network. The more you network, the more likely you will receive valuable information that increases your expert power in the organization.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 367). â€Å"Leadership is the ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute to the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 416). CrysTel needs phenomenal leadership for them to grow and manage large initiatives. â€Å"Leadership isn’t restricted to the executive suite. Anyone in the organization can be a leader.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 416). CrysTel must communicate this concept to all employees and bring them on board with the company. Leadership must take place in all levels of the company, from the cubicles on up to the CEO. They must be open minded to new ideas and embrace the thoughts of changing processes that can work more effectively and efficiently. Leadership style should be people-oriented with the seven competencies integrated. The people-oriented leadership style is a leadership style that is well liked. When a boss treats their employee like an equal and listens to their suggestions, they will respect them. trust them and want to work harder for them. Through this style of leadership a greater job satisfaction level, lower absenteeism, grievances, and turnover can be achieved. â€Å"Leaders with strong people-oriented style listen to employee suggestions, do personal favors for employees, support their interests when required, and treat employees as equals.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2004, p. 421). Using the path-goal theory of leadership would be the best. This theory of leadership would fit some situations better than using judgment calls based on the people-oriented theory. â€Å"Path-goal leadership theory is a contingency theory of leadership based on expectancy theory of motivation that relates several leadership styles to specific situational contingencies.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2004, p. 422). Through this theory leaders are able to strengthen the performance-to-outcome expectancy and valences of those outcomes. They are able to do so by ensuring that employees who perform their jobs well have a higher degree of need fulfillment than employees who do not perform well. (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 422). Through the combination of the people-oriented theory of leadership for a foundation and using the path-goal leadership theory in practice, when the timing is right, would be the leadership methods best used for implementing a major initiative. These styles of leadership will work the best for CrysTel because of the people friendly feel they portray. Since, employees resist command driven leadership which results in lower job satisfaction, lower attendance and higher turnover. Each of those implications can be very costly to a company. Employees will work harder for management whom they fell respects them, one who treats them with integrity and shows equality, while making work enjoyable. Transformational leadership is also another great way to lead people and have them understand what the company is all about. The elements of transformational leadership are: creating a vision, communicating the vision, modeling the vision, and building commitment to the vision. Transformational leaders actually perform all of these tasks. They not only come up the vision, they also find effective ways to communicate the vision to the employees while modeling how to fulfill the vision. When the employees see the â€Å"vision maker† actually â€Å"walking the walk† and enacting the vision, naturally they will build commitment to the vision. Using this transformational leadership method to outline what the leaders hoped to accomplish, along with an explanation of what roles the company needed to be filled and what the roles would be doing, and working as a team to make it happen would help them in their pursuit. Together, this will build a commitment to reach the goal as a team and give everyone the drive to achieve the end vision. Recommendation of Measures to Monitor Progress After running the simulation of change management, I feel that the culture at CrysTel is not all positive. Within this simulation I was given the role of researching and analyzing which departments needed changes and which departments were resistant to change. I was also assigned the task of providing the information required to optimize flexibility, promote innovation, and sustain change. I had to identify strong and weak areas of the organization and apply behavior change techniques that would build a culture that would be able to sustain change. During these tasks, I received input from the organization’s perspective and upper management. There were five strong upper management employees who advised me along the way. There were several behavior restrictions that could be altered although I had to figured out what departments needed altering and by how much. Leading by example, employee and senior communication, empowering teams, risk-taking, resolving conflict, and mentori ng sessions were the behaviors I worked with. Certain departments were stronger than others but a few stood out as very weak. These were the sales, and delivery and marketing. The formalization organization structure and the functional organization structure are compatible structures that will work hand in hand. The formalization concept explains how the business is run in terms of organization structure of employees. The function structure describes how the business is structured in terms of functionality. These organizational structures will create a culture that will follow the upper management of greater power and modeling their behaviors. It will also create a more departmentalized structure that thinks about the effects on their department only and does not work in teams with other departments. The functional organization structure should be less about the goals of each department on their own, but more about the department and how it can work with other departments to find best practices, core competencies, and idea sharing. As I worked through the simulation and made decisions based on areas of weakness and resistance to change, I found apprehension among the employees when change occurred. â€Å"Organization politics are behaviors that others perceive as self-serving tactics for personal gain at the expense of other people and possibly the organization. While influence is sometimes beneficial to the organization, organizational politics is usually considered undesirable.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 375). â€Å"People have referent power when others identify with them, like them, or otherwise respect them. Like expert power, referent power comes from within the person. It is largely a function of the person’s interpersonal skills and usually develops slowly. Referent power is usually associated with charismatic leadership.† (McShane Von Glinow, 2005, p. 362). This is a much more positive, effective way to use your power to win other subordinates over that you want to buy-into your changes and whom you want to gain respect from. This is an option that I wish I would have had control over in the simulation. When choosing to implement a change in a behavioral parameter, I wish I would have had the option to choose what kind of leadership style this change was implemented with. As our reading spelled out, there are several ways of using power in a negative way and too often, those ways are sometimes easier and take less work or time but do not result in true and genuine feelings from employees. Recommendation of Management Practices that Contribute to the Success of Change Process Change is the tidal wave of irresistible force that occurs in the workplace each day. Employees who try and deny change and expect it never to take place will end up on the outside of the company. There are ways that management can bring about change quickly and gracefully. In an article in KM World, Art Murray of Applied Knowledge Sciences discusses basic techniques to gain focused concentration on vision, mission, strategy and objectives. He points out that performance drivers, key people, processes and technologies can aid in complete transformation when a company practices repetition and the desired change becomes habitual (Murray, 2007). Murray points out three managerial practices that are sure to aid in the success of the organizational change: Focused concentration, relentless repetition, and living embodiment. â€Å"Change cannot occur if energy is misdirected. Vision and mission, strategy and objectives, performance drivers and key people, and processes and technologies must be closely aligned and in balance. Lack of organizational alignment means energy is being wasted in places not critical to the mission. Maximum transfer of energy comes from focusing your efforts only on those key areas having the greatest impact on mission success.† (Murray, 2007). Managers must constantly have the vision and mission in the front of their minds and always be looking for the gaps that are holding the team back. The goal should be to try to close the gaps one at a time. â€Å"Then look for hidden opportunities that can give you even greater results, using what you already have.† (Murray, 2007). Every company is aware of the importance for standard operation procedures and doing things the right way and playing by the rules. A business is efficient and effective when there are specific rules and standards in place for every day operations. These standards serve their purpose when everyone follows them each and every time. If these rules weren’t followed consistently and closely, they would do the company no good. â€Å"Complete transformation can only occur when the desired change in behavior becomes habitual, to the point where the employee no longer has to think about it.† (Murray, 2007). Something that often happens is after the new initiative is launched and all the new standard operating procedures are in place, new training has been done, execution doesn’t follow. The employees slowly begin to fall back to their old habits and get caught up in day to day operations â€Å"That’s where repetition comes in. As the leading change agent, a manager must continue to bang the drum relentlessly. And if the manager is not focused, the message will quickly get lost among the distractions. A clear theme, with a clear result, communicated many times over, will eventually take hold.† (Murray, 2007). The final concept is living embodiment, not just talking the talk but actually walking the walk. If the manager practices what he preaches to his team, the team is more likely to follow his actions. Not only does this aid in demonstrating to the team how the action is to be performed but is also shows the real belief and support the manager gives to the change. Murray also brings up a very simple concept of lessons learned that can save companies millions. â€Å"Lessons-learned can save the company money by eliminating the waste that comes from repeated mistakes. At the end of each task or activity, take some time to document what worked, what didn’t work and how to do it better. Uncover the root cause of the problem and correct it.† (Murray, 2007). This drill will often times uncover a gap in the process or inadequate controls that allow shortcuts or inappropriate standards. This short but important task could save the company time and money in the long run. As the world changes and the consumers change with it companies will need to follow suit. Those who do not follow suit will fall by behind and die out. CrysTel needs to get their employees on board and ready and willing to embrace change. Once they have embraced change have found the best form of leadership for their company they will be able to move forward with confidence that they will succeed. â€Å"Don’t even think about not practicing the change yourself. If you can’t stick to it, don’t expect others to. The real challenge is finding the balance in challenging work habits while delivering a measurable boost in performance.† (Murray, 2007). References McShane, Steve L Von Ginlow Marry Ann. (2005). Organizational Behavior: Emerging Realities for the Workplace Revolution. Retrieved from McShane, Steve L Von Ginlow Marry Ann, MMPBL/520 website. Murray, Art. (2007). The Future of the Future: Overcoming resistance to change. KM World, 16(19),Retrieved from kmworld.com/Articles/Column/Future-of-the-Future/The-Future-of-the-Future-Overcoming-resistance-to-change-39710.aspx University of Phoenix. (200?). Building a Culture for Sustaining Change [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation, MMPBL/520 website. Research Papers on Crystel, a Study in LeadershipAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAW

Public Housing in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public Housing in USA - Essay Example The paper has shown that since the end of the World War II, it has been argued that the poor have lost access to expensive housing provided by private markets. Almost all the United States presidents have either come up or sponsored projects targeted at enhancing the access of the poor to quality better housing than they do (Howard 1). As Howard explains, there are numerous reasons why the government gets involved in the public, housing sector activities (Howard 2). First, the government believes that the private market cannot offer enough housing to the poor Americans. The government also believes that the private markets offer their housing at a high price which the poor cannot afford. Currently, the United States government action in public housing is the provision of subsidized housing to the poor families so as to replace the buildings that have been demolished through the HOPE IV program. HOPE VI program was developed in the 1990s so as to demolish houses that did not meet the standards according to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and those that fell into crime and disorder (Howard 3). Presidents have either come up or sponsored housing projects to enhance that the poor can have access to quality housing. The issue of house shortage also affects the poor. Reports shows that there is a shortage of houses in the United States and the poor are the most affected. The demand is higher than the supply although there is race discrimination, which is affecting the blacks. This is the reason why the government ought to control public housing. The other issue that should concern the government is some individuals setting lower prices thereby increasing the demand. The government ought to fix the prices to protect the poor who are their mercies. The major Stakeholders in the Subsidized Housing Project for the Poor Families The US government presented HUD as the main stakeholder of the subsidized housing projects. As Johan has written in his article , Housing Subsidies and Homeowners, the United States government’s main interest is to provide affordable housing for the poor families. The government also aims at ending the HOPE VI program. It will then replace the demolished apartments through HOPE VI program, so as to ensure the poor families are not homeless. The other stakeholders in the project are some of the public housing landlords who are supporting the government involvement in matters of public housing for the poor. According to the Guide section 8 Housing Assistance programs of 2008, voucher 8 is given to families who are not able to afford quality housing. Therefore, the United States government funds them through their voucher 8 program. However, it has been argued that it is the landlords who benefit from these funds. Therefore, their main interests in this program are ensuring they continue benefiting from governments funds aimed at improving the housing conditions for the poor. The landlords should be scru tinized to ensure they get what they deserve and avail to the tenants their dues. The

Person Centered Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Person Centered Counseling - Essay Example His professional struggle against orthodox psychiatry has reminded a scholar of Martin Luther’s stand against the catholic church. Roger’s person centered approach (to psychotherapy; to education; to small encounter groups; and to larger groups assembled for the purpose of improving transitional understanding, exploring intergroup conflicts, and learning the nature of culture and its formation) has been committed to such contortions. For example, there is a proposal to wed the person-centered approach with Taoism’s technique of the â€Å"microcosmic orbit†, and no less serious, coupling the person-centered approach with a French Physician’s philosophy of human development based on the architecture of the human inner ear. Another past time is to construct elaborate arguments to show Rogers was in the Existentialist line of dissension and then scold him for not admitting his debt to his forbearers. The fact is what are called existential attitudes and behaviours in his approach developed independently of any contact with the philosophy of extentialism. It was while he was director of the counseling center at the University of Chicago and Roger’s major work on psychotherapy was well established that his intellectual trajectory intersected with the Extentionalists. His intention as a psychotherapist and his research methods concentrated on the phenomenon of effective therapy. Thus, one may find many examples of phenomenology in his work.. The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, while writing on the "collective unconscious", is said to have coined the term translated "transpersonal". Like most of psychology, transpersonal psychology intends to help individuals realize deeper self-understanding, improve the health of their minds and bodies and lead more effective lives. In working with individual clients, transpersonal psychologists are said to be dealing with more than just the mere persona. Thus, they focus their attention on the whole person: "Spirit, mind and body". Though this may be the goal of other psychotherapies, it is the means that transpersonal psychologists may differ from their colleagues. To accomplish their objectives, they may analyze dreams, explore "peak experiences", or delve into paranormal phenomena, such as revelations from "past lives". Other methods may involve provoking altered states of consciousness through the use of drugs, hypnosis, guided fantasies, breathing exercises, meditation, and other "spiritual" practices. It is unlikely that Rogers would have approved of some of these activities, particularly where the therapists exerts authoritarian control over the client. Certainly he could not be considered to be a transpersonal psychologist in an unqualified sense. Roger's world view and his practice of psychotherapy should be understood as a integrated approach that he cultivated over his entire life. His (person-centered) approach evolved over time out of a specific stance or way of being, which can be described as consisting not only of certain beliefs and attitudes, but also abilities that improved with

The Effects of Eating Fast Food Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Eating Fast Food Essay Americans have been choosing fast food as a replacement for classic homemade meals for many of years. It is fast and convenient, but the negative effects outweigh the good effects by a long shot. Eating fast food daily affects Americans’ health, diet, leaves a hole in their pocket, and even changes their everyday mood. The effects might not be seen right away, but after time they will start to add up. It has been proved that replacing a homemade meal with fast food has had a huge effect on Americans’ health. It does not take a scientist to figure out that fast food is not a good choice. Basically, fast food is high in calories, salt, sodium, and fat. This can cause weight gain and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and that is just naming a few. A survey of how often Americans ate fast food in the last 60 days states that 25% of Americans have eaten fast food everyday and it is only rising (Ludwig). If we do not act soon about this, the numbers can only get worse. Fast food has changed America as a whole but it affects their diet the most. Fast food contains double the amount of calories as home cooked meals do. A 2007 survey from Hara Marano’s journal, â€Å"The Far Reach Of Fast Food,† found that the average fast food lunch in New York totaled 827 calories. That is almost half of an average American’s daily calorie intake. With more and more fast food commercials advertising a new burger or a new sandwich, it makes it even more tempting to make a quick stop at a fast food restaurant. Students who have open campuses at schools or colleges over Schell 5 the lunch period are pretty much obligated to go for fast food. They are short on time and need something fast and cheap. It may seem like a plus at first. Fast and cheap food, why not? Students are so short on time they tend to forget about what they are putting in their mouth. Americans are spending $110 billion annually on fast food, as stated by Marcella and Greta’s article, â€Å"Avoid The Fast Food Trap. † Money spent on fast food could go towards payments for a higher education, mortgage, computers, or new automobiles. Which is a better choice? 5. 6% of Americans’ income goes to fast food (Durand ). For a person to realize how much of their money is going to fast food, save it instead and count it after a few months. It is amazing how much money is being spent on food. After filling up after a quick meal, the feeling is often happy or satisfied. That feeling will not last for long because it also causes depression. According to Kelly Brownell’s article, â€Å"In Your Face: How the Food Industry Drives Us to Eat,†it is a proven fact that fat, greasy food can negatively change a mood. It also stated that if an average American eats it at least three times a week he or she is 50% more likely to develop depression. This is a lose-lose situation because eating a lot of fast food is proven to cause depression, but Americans who are depressed tend to turn to food. Some can completely disagree on every negative effect that was stated above. They argue that it is cheap and affordable and it makes your children happy. They must have not thought about the prices of their hospital bills once they develop diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or become obese. They argue Schell 6 that it makes your children happy, so why not give them what they want. If they get what they want while growing up they will soon become used to it and will think of fast food as an everyday meal. Not to mention, restaurants that serve fast food provide Americans with job opportunities. That is one positive effect of the rising fast food restaurants being built. Therefore, the unemployed will be able to get an easy job causing the unemployment rate to go down. However, working around food only makes it more tempting to eat a quick burger or scarf down a few fries on break. Lastly, Americans should realize that the bad factors outweigh the good when it comes to eating fast food every single day. Also that it is not worth replacing the classic, tasty homemade meals. Saving more time by going through the drive thru sounds more important at the time but it is not worth it in the end. A homemade meal takes, at the most, 60 minutes of an American’s day to make a healthier, tastier meal. Fast food affects Americans’ long term health. It changes their diet and it soon becomes hard to control. It is proven that it causes depression and it starts to take a toll on your wallet.

Are Dogs Getting the Attention They Deserve? Essay -- Symbols Wealth A

Are Dogs Getting the Attention They Deserve? It used to be that you could tell just about how poor a family was by how many dogs they had. If they had one, they were probably doing all right, two dogs meant that the couple were dog lovers, but if a citizen kept three, you could begin to suspect he didn’t own much else. What type of dogs these were also lead people to believe their social status in society. (Hoagland, 1995) Would this lead people to believe that this is true? In my opinion, No it does not. In Edward Hoagland’s â€Å"Dogs, and the Tug of Life†, he describes the significance of dogs in our lives, both as social symbols and as reminders of why dogs are taken for granted. He explains why having a dog is giving people the wrong impression and how people need to know the true significance. Are dogs a symbol of social status? Hoagland wholeheartedly agrees with this argument, as stated in the first paragraph, as well some people do too. I, personally, would have to agree with this term of being a social status. Dogs have always been part of many homes. But nobody stops to think that the kind of dog one owns, signifies what type of lifestyle that person lives. This bit of information is incorrect. Just because a family is wealthy, does not mean they are spending lots of money on high class dogs. Who’s to say they aren’t taking in every stray dog that mosies up to their house? Maybe richer people do more with their dog, such as spend lots of money on grooming, feeding, and showing off, but it doesn’t mean the dog is always a pure bred, one of a kind. People are beginning to take dogs for granted. They feel that it is just an animal with no feelings and don’t consider what kind of role a dog really ... ...er of dogs owned and the income of the family have nothing to do with each other. For the most part, Hoagland’s argument was very informative and significant. It is agreed that people are trying to use dogs as a sign of social status, but people who know the real meaning of having a dog, know this is incorrect and falsely justified. Dogs are being taken for granted, and people need to realize the importance of why they have dogs as pets. Dogs are more than lazy animals, dumb creatures, or ways of showing off to others. Dogs don’t help with social status, rather they help with companionship, loyalty, trust, and a bodyguard. In my opinion, dogs don’t help determine how poor or wealthy a family is. Maybe people spend lots or little money on a dog, but that just depends on what type of people they are, not what type the dog is. Nothing more, nothing less.

PoP Culture Trend and Media Essay

When I was a child, all I wanted was to be a doctor. I obeyed my parents, studied hard, and played around every once in a while. I had my simple ambitions and simple outlooks. I lived a simple life. Today, however, you can ask any child about his ambition and he would most likely tell you that he would be a Dennis Rodman someday, or a Britney Spears if it was a she you’ve happened to ask. Another possible scenario could be that the child you’d like to ask wouldn’t even talk to you because he/she is too busy with his/her cellular phone, Gameboy Advance, i-pod nanno, or personal computer. Looking at this everyday situation, my father had always been asking me what is happening to this generation. This picture had also been a popular topic for homeroom or sociology classes, and online debates. Each of these discussions, however, boils down to a common phrase: pop culture. Pop Culture, or Popular Culture, is the set of customs, beliefs, values, arts, and entertainment common to massive sectors of the society.  (http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~smitha/PopIndex.htm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oftentimes, it results from the everyday interactions, needs and desires, and cultural ‘moments’ of the mainstream. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media). It is important that we examine the prevailing Pop Culture as it can shape people’s beliefs, values system, and attitudes since trendy music, movies, television programs, and fads often mirror the outlooks and behavior of the masses. James E. Combs recognized even in 1984 that â€Å"Popular Culture is so much a part of our lives that we cannot deny its developmental powers.   Like formal education or family rearing, popular culture is part of our ‘learning environment.’   Though our pop culture education is informal-we usually do not attend to pop culture for its ‘educational value.’ It nevertheless provides us with information and images upon which we develop our opinions and attitudes.   We would not be what we are, nor would our society be quite the same, without the impact of popular culture.† (Combs 1984). Nowadays however, an additional factor to the power of popular culture and to the importance of evaluating its effects is technological advancement. Specifically, electronic media has become a tool to further elevate the influence of pop culture, in an ever faster and unstoppable way, to all corners of the world. â€Å"Electronic media are those communications mediums which are based on electronic or electromechanical means of production and most often distinguished from print media. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public worldwide include radio, sound recordings, television, video recording, and streaming internet content†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic media). Personally, I have been most fond of surfing the internet, watching television programs and movies, listening to contemporary and pop music through radio, cd player, and i-pod, playing computer games, and messaging through cellular phones, either for educational or entertainment purposes. I am now aware that most of my viewpoints have been influenced by the things that I watch, read, and listen to that’s why I have been trying to balance out my views by patronizing different sources of information. My most poignant realization was that pop culture has affected my viewpoint on what is beautiful. Seeing models and actors who are almost perfect and worshipped everyday and everywhere has blinded me into considering beauty as skinny, 36-24-36 for females, and hunky, tall, and handsome for males. Everything else that did not replicate what pop culture has embedded on me seemed merely normal, or worse, ugly. I very much think that this has also been the case for majority of the people in this generation, what with the number of anorexics and bulimics, and steroid users rising up to an alarming level internationally. Social responsibility and morality had also been largely affected by today’s pop culture. The case of pornography that has been very widespread, moreover in the advent of the internet and camera phones, is just an example. The concept of privacy has also been oftentimes mutilated either consciously or unconsciously through electronic means propagated by pop culture. Relationships have also been builded and shattered in the blink of an eye as a result of the prevailing culture and technology. Gossips and defamation had also been most common and aggravated these days, usually spreading worldwide in a split-second. These, however, can either be conscious or unconscious. It can be conscious in the part of the companies who perpetrate these kinds of trend to gain profits in the employment of their technology. It can also be unconscious or subconscious in both sides especially now that these trends have already been inculcated in the society’s culture. It must be noted though that pop culture, aside from its commonly criticized negative influences, also has contributed positive effects to the society. In the negative matters, social responsibility and civility must draw the line. This can only be done by a more conscious meditation and evaluation of the popular culture that is being imposed upon us. As human beings, we were given the capability to analyze the things that are going on around us. And we should. As for the trend in pop culture that had greatly influenced me, I have already mentioned that it is the way that I viewed beauty. Upon analysis, I have come to a conclusion that it had been a result of both my personal desires as a consumer, and the media’s making. Popular culture, in general, does not only result from the corporation’s commercial pursuits. I believe that it is a mixture of the continuous interaction of the consumers and suppliers in every society. References: Combs, James E. Polpop:Politics and Popular Culture In America. University of Wisconsin Pr. 1984 http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~smitha/PopIndex.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic media

Should Marijuana Be Legalized Essay - 1223 Words

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects that the marijuana industry has had on the economies of the states which have legalized recreational marijuana use for consumers over the age of 21. Many predictions were made referring to the outcome of marijuana legalization, however, most predictions made did not foretell the actual outcome. The act of legalization in the state of Colorado has yielded many advantages in the field of marketing. With these advantages, however, come many disadvantages. This study will identify how marijuana legalization can affect the US market economy. This study will also identify the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana legalization on the state and federal levels. Marijuana Marketing: How Marijuana Legalization Can Affect a Market Economy A market economy is an economy in which decisions regarding investment, production, and distribution are based on market determined supply and demand. With marijuana, the supply is limitless because it grows from the Earth with only a little bit of sunlight and some water. So, in retrospect, if marijuana legalization has a high demand then it can be very beneficial to a market economy because marijuana has a limitless supply. There are countless other reasons why legalization positively affects our economies. â€Å"Marijuana is still illegal on the federal level which has led to conflicting state laws, restricting regulations, and endless problems for cash-only marijuana business owners andShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe that marijuana is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conductedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1596 Words   |  7 Pages But what needs to be known before a user can safely and completely make the decision if trying Marijuana is a good idea? Many do not want the drug to be legalized because they claim that Cannabis is a â€Å"gateway drug†, meaning it will cause people to try harder drugs once their body builds up a resistance to Marijuana, because a stronger drug will be needed to reach a high state. This argument is often falsely related to the medical si de of the debate over legalization. It is claimed that this wouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?985 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize Marijuana Despite what people believe about marijuana, it hasn’t once proved to be the cause of any real issue. It makes you wonder what the reason as to why there is a war on drugs. Why is marijuana the main concern? Since the time that alcohol and tobacco became legal, people wonder why marijuana isn’t legal yet. The fact that marijuana is illegal is mainly caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. Once the government starts anything, they stick to it. At