Troy University Answer Dysfunctional Groups Discussion Question Responses
Post answers and at least one peer response to the discussion board per the following instructions:
All discussion board assignments must include an original post in response to the discussion question and at least one post in response to another student’s original post. All posts must be substantial, significant and thoughtful (not just “I agree”!) and you must include at least 2 (2) citations and appropriate references from relevant academically sound sources and only one reference of the two can be the text book. Citations and references must adhere to the latest APA format. Academically appropriate sources are peer reviewed journals, text books, conference proceedings, dissertations etc. They are NOT Forbes.com, Business Week, Wikipedia etc.
REMEMBER, this is a five point assignment and will be graded as such. Make sure that you provide appropriate detail and academic support for your arguments on discussion assignments as they represent 30% of your overall grade. In other words, this is an important part of your coursework so spend appropriate time and effort on them!
Please respond to student post?
What change agent skills are necessary for helping a dysfunctional group become more effective? What if problems exist between managers? What happens if they refuse the help of the change agent?
According to the text a change agent must have the following skills, must be able to perform a variety of team-building activities, must be able to assist a team leader in various aspects of team development such as managing conflicts, problem-solving and decision making, and finally the change agent must be able to understand the culture of the group or system that is targeted for change. If the change agent understands the culture of the group he/she will be able to identify “access leverage points” that can facilitate or impede the implementation of the change strategy (Werner, 2017). “Culture influences the negotiation process, management in general, performance monitoring and control, and work information-sharing norms” (Burke, 1997). Being able to understand the organizational culture will help the change agent to relate to the employees and use it to help support the change process. If a problem exists between managers, the change manager and change agent should meet with them to communicate the importance of the change. It is important to get them on board with the process to help make the changes happen smoothly. If they refuse the help of the change agent, then the company may not succeed in reaching their goals and may eventually have to replace employees and management that are not on board with the change.
Do you believe it is important to acknowledge, understand, and value differences in the workplace? Explain. How are you and your friends from culturally diverse backgrounds different? How are you the same?
Yes, I do believe it is important to acknowledge, understand, and value differences in the workplace because everyone is unique. It is the values that people have that help them to determine between what is right and wrong, what drives them to do what they do and how they want to live their life. Different values in the workplace can be beneficial because people have different experiences, look at things differently and come up with solutions or ideas differently which may help the organization to be more productive. My friends and I are different in so many ways. I have friends of all ethnicity. Having friends is important. I also think we should have all kinds of friends because no two friends are alike. I have friends who are amongst the who’s who; others who I can rely on to make me laugh and keep me grounded. I think the main advantage of having friends that are of the multiculturalism give you the advantage of developing insights into their lives. I feel the only way you truly know someone is that you walk in their shoes. It teaches you how to accept differences and to build an understanding. This can be carried on into the work environment. I work for a social service agency. I come in contact with a lot of people from all different kinds of ethnicity, religion, and cultures. Multiculturalism becomes an important concept to instill in today’s society especially when it relates to globalization.
We are the same because we all have the values that drive us to get the work done to reach the goals of the organization. We respect each other’s differences and learn from each other to work together and be a more cohesive unit. I think we all have the same the goals and that is to learn how to conduct yourself in different settings as well as build social skills. It does not matter where we come from, what gender we are or what religion we are, we all work together towards one mission, and we know that we need the assistance of others to be able to accomplish our goal. Taking the time to learn about your friends from different backgrounds makes you a better-rounded person.
Reference
Burke, W. W. (1997). The New Agenda for Organization Development. Organizational
Dynamics, 26(1), 6-20.
Werner, J. M., (2017). Human Resource Development, talent Management, Boston, MA;
Cengage Learning. Seventh Edition
