Research Spotlight on Homework Essay Example for Free

Research Spotlight on Homework Essay Some researchers are urging schools to take a fresh look at homework and its potential for engaging students and improving student performance. The key, they say, is to take into account grade-specific and developmental factors when determining the amount and kind of homework. So, whats appropriate? What benefits can be expected? What makes for good homework policies? Research doesnt have all the answers, but a review of some existing data yields some helpful observations and guidance. How Much Homework Do Students Do? Survey data and anecdotal evidence show that some students spend hours nightly doing homework. Homework overload is the exception rather than the norm; however, according to research from the Brookings Institution and the Rand Corporation (see the Brown Center 2003 below). Their researchers analyzed data from a variety of sources and concluded that the majority of U.S. students spend less than an hour a day on homework, regardless of grade level, and this has held true for most of the past 50 years. In the last 20 years, homework has increased only in the lower grade levels, and this increase is associated with neutral (and sometimes negative) effects on student achievement. How Much Is Appropriate? The National PTA recommendations fall in line with general guidelines suggested by researcher Harris Cooper: 10-20 minutes per night in the first grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (e.g., 20 minutes for second grade, 120 minutes for twelfth). High school students may sometimes do more, depending on what classes they take (see Review of Educational Research, 2006). What are the benefits? Homework usually falls into one of three categories: practice, preparation, or extension. The purpose usually varies by grade. Individualized assignments that tap into students existing skills or interests can be motivating. At the elementary school level, homework can help students develop study skills and habits and can keep families informed about their childs learning. At the secondary school level, student homework is associated with greater academic achievement. (Review of Educational Research, 2006) What’s good policy? Experts advise schools or districts to include teachers, parents, and students in any effort to set homework policies. Policies should address the purposes of homework; amount and frequency; school and teacher responsibilities; student responsibilities; and, the role of parents or others who assist students with homework. Reference: Cooper, H. (2003). A synthesis of research. Review of Educational Reseach, volume 76, Retrieved January 09, 2013, from http://www.nea.org/tools/16938.htm Reasons why students should not have homework Homework is supposed to ensure that all students retain the material covered in the classroom, but for many children it is an unnecessary chore and actually hinders their learning. Children learn best when they are interested in the subject. Positive mental attitude makes learning even challenging things much easier. Negative mental attitude, however, makes retaining knowledge harder and creates stress in a learner. It also takes much longer periods of time to complete. As a result children hardly have any time to develop their talents through extracurricular activities, or to spend adequate time with family and friends. Instead of being burdened with much resented huge loads of homework, children should have the opportunity for more self-directed and interactive learning at school to generate their interest and build in them positive attitude towards learning. Teachers should be more creative and use multimedia like computers and video presentations to make covered subjects more engaging involving childrens input more. Students should be allowed to suggest activities and projects they would like to do. In the present school system it is usually the teacher who decides what and how children should learn in class and at home. This promotes passivity and a sense that learning is a necessary evil rather than exiting opportunity to learn about the world we live in. This is very ineffective, making kids bored, stressed, and frustrated. Not to mention that it is often parents who do the reluctant kids homework therefore homework doesnt help them to learn at all. They get their grades, but end up having learning gaps that will come out later on and hinder their success. Children who are struggling themselves with loads of homework lack the time to develop other than academic passions and experience very unhealty stress that cen result even in a depression. The numbers of children who take antidepressants is rapidly growing. Students who are defiant about their homework often have very strained relationship with their parents. It is a source of contention in too many families and contributes to deep emotional problems in these children and also inevitably may cause depression and substance abuse. The age of kids taking street drugs is getting lower and lower. Children as young as ten in some countries have a drinking problem and homework overload can be an indirect cause of that. That is why I think students should not have homework, but be able to have enjoyable learning experience at school and freedom to be encouraged by the teacher to expand their knowledge on their own terms at home, and to be rewarded for the extra effort instead of being forced to do homework they dont like. Reference: Tehrani, E. (2009). Reasons why students should not have homework. Retrieved January 09, 2013, from http://www.helium.com/items/1309973-why-students-shoul-not-have-homework The Truth About Homework In high school, some studies do find a correlation between homework and test scores (or grades), but it’s usually fairly small, and it has a tendency to disappear when more sophisticated statistical controls are applied. Moreover, there’s no evidence that higher achievement is due to the homework even when an association does appear. It isn’t hard to think of other explanations for why successful students might be in classrooms where more homework is assigned—or why they might spend more time on it than their peers do. The results of national and international exams raise further doubts. One of many examples is an analysis of 1994 and 1999 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS, data from 50 countries. Researchers David P. Baker and Gerald K. LeTendre were scarcely able to conceal their surprise when they published their results last year: â€Å"Not only did we fail to find any positive relationships,† they wrote, but â€Å"the overall correlations between national average student achievement and national averages in [amount of homework assigned] are all negative.† Consider the assumption that homework should be beneficial just because it gives students more time to master a topic or skill. (Plenty of pundits rely on this premise when they call for extending the school day or year. Indeed, homework can be seen as a way of prolonging the school day on the cheap.) Unfortunately, this reasoning turns out to be woefully simplistic. Back â€Å"when experimental psychologists mainly studied words and nonsense syllables, it was thought that learning inevitably depended upon time,† the reading researcher Richard C. Anderson and his colleagues explain. But â€Å"subsequent research suggests that this belief is false.† The statement â€Å"People need time to learn things† is true, of course, but it doesn’t tell us much of practical value. On the other hand, the assertion â€Å"More time usually leads to better learning† is considerably more interesting. It’s also demonstrably untrue, however, because there are enough cases where more time doesn’t lead to better learning. In fact, more hours are least likely to produce better outcomes when understanding or creativity is involved. Anderson and his associates found that when children are taught to read by focusing on the meaning of the text (rather than primarily on phonetic skills), their learning does â€Å"not depend on amount of instructional time.† In math, too, as another group of researchers discovered, time on task is directly correlated to achievement only if both the activity and the outcome measure are focused on rote recall as opposed to problem-solving. Carole Ames of Michigan State University points out that it isn’t â€Å"quantitative changes in behavior†Ã¢â‚¬â€such as requiring students to spend more hours in front of books or worksheets—that help children learn better. Rather, it’s â€Å"qualitative changes in the ways students view themselves in relation to the task, engage in the process of learning, and then respond to the learning activities and situation.† In turn, these attitudes and responses emerge from the way teachers think about learning and, as a result, how they organize their classrooms. Assigning homework is unlikely to have a positive effect on any of these variables. We might say that education is less about how much the teacher covers than about what students can be helped to discover—and more time won’t help to bring about that shift. Regardless of ones criteria, there is no reason to think that most students would be at any sort of disadvantage if homework were sharply reduced or even eliminated. But even if practice is sometimes useful, we’re not entitled to conclude that homework of this type works for most students. It isn’t of any use for those who don’t understand what they’re doing. Such homework makes them feel stupid; gets them accustomed to doing things the wrong way (because what’s really â€Å"reinforced† are mistaken assumptions); and teaches them to conceal what they don’t know. At the same time, other students in the same class already have the skill down cold, so further practice for them is a waste of time. You’ve got some kids, then, who don’t need the practice, and others who can’t use it. Furthermore, even if practice were helpful for most students, that wouldn’t mean they needed to do it at home. In my research, I found a number of superb teachers (at different grade levels and with diverse instructional styles) who rarely, if ever, found it necessary to assign homework. Some not only didn’t feel a need to make students read, write, or do math at home; they preferred to have students do these things during class, where it was possible to observe, guide, and discuss. Finally, any theoretical benefit of practice homework must be weighed against the effect it has on students’ interest in learning. If slogging through worksheets dampens one’s desire to read or think, surely that wouldn’t be worth an incremental improvement in skills. And when an activity feels like drudgery, the quality of learning tends to suffer, too. That so many children regard homework as something to finish as quickly as possible—or even as a significant source of stress—helps explain why it appears not to offer any academic advantage even for those who obediently sit down and complete the tasks they’ve been assigned. All that research showing little value to homework may not be so surprising after all. Reference: Kohn, A. (2006). The truth about homework. Retrieved January 09, 2013, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/09/06/02kohn.h26.html?tkn=RVRFTkNGGXy32nbQpdGsSFt01V8aHU5cZ3wG

Cannery Row By John Steinbeck- Short Summary :: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Cannery Row, John Steinbeck describes the unholy community of 1920s Monterey, California. Cannery Row is a street that depends on canning sardines. It is where all the outcasts of society reside. Steinbeck himself, in the first sentence of the book, describes Cannery Row as "a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream." Lee Chong, the owner of the local grocery, Dora, the owner of the Bear Flag Restaurant, (a cover for a whorehouse) and her girls, and an old Chinaman who nobody knows all inhabit Cannery Row. However, the story focuses on the lives of Doc, a local marine biologist, and Mack and the boys, a group of not-quite-homeless, rather philosophical bums. Mack and the boys freelance, picking up money and short-term jobs where they can. Early in the story, they acquire an empty fishmeal storage building from Lee Chong. Mack and the boys transform it into their home, the Palace Flophouse. Doc ran Western Biological, a company that supplied animals for educational purposes, like dissection. He would go down to the tidepools and collect all sorts of critters like squid, octopus, and sea cucumbers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Doc had to leave for La Jolla on a collecting trip, Mack and the boys decided to give him a surprise party. They bought beer, plenty of Old Tennis Shoes (Old Tennessee, a blended whiskey). The whole town was going to be there, and in the minds of Mack and the boys, it was going to be a grand party. However, the party started before Doc even got there. The guests arrived at Western Biological (which doubled as Doc's house and laboratory) and soon became drunk. Windows, doors, expensive equipment, books, plates, and Doc's prized phonograph were all victims to the raucous crowd before Doc arrived. The place was trashed, and everyone left before Doc even got there. By the time Doc pulled up to Western Biological, Mack was the only one left.

Impacts Of Poverty On Student’s Achievement Essay

Poverty is an issue faced by more children in our nation. Children face problems related to poverty during their schooling. The price that children pay out of poverty is incredibly high than anyone can imagine. Each year, schools admit large numbers of children with needs brought about by poverty which is an issue that the school is usually not prepared to deal with. Poverty is a risk factor in the process of student’s education. This paper examines the impacts of poverty on teaching and learning which determines the student’s academic achievement. The concept of being at risk This term refers to students who are faced by life’s social circumstances such as poverty that puts them at risk of underachieving in school. There are many risk factors which increases the chances of a student to failure. However poverty is regarded a major risk factor due to its compound effect. Some of the factors that are related to poverty and put a student at greater risk of failing include, very young parents, unemployment, low educational level parents, substance abuse, exposure to inadequate or improper educational experiences, dangerous neighborhood, mobility, abuse and neglect as well as homelessness. (Gromard, 2003) These factors affect the physical status of the children as in dressing, the type of food they eat, their personal effects are usually of low quality or cheap. The physical disparities in among the students cause a wide gap between the poor students and their peers from middle or upper class families. Sometimes the isolation of this group of students is automatic in that they themselves assume that others do not want to associate with them. Teachers may also contribute in perceiving students in accordance to their social classes. This is however a rare case because teachers are professionals. Nevertheless, there are some instances that the teacher may talk about an issue in the process of teaching and unintentionally touch the students from poverty stricken families. For example in studying population, the teacher may teach about demographics of poverty which is inevitable. This students may change their attitude towards the teacher and hence the subject. (Knapps, Shields, & Clementina, 2001) High mobility is a symptom associated with poverty in connection to other surrounding factors. Students who come from poor families may live in daily or monthly rent houses. This is makes them to move day in day out as their parents look for jobs or runs away from problems like abusive spouses, financial responsibilities or criminal records. This kind of situation may also put the poor family homeless. The conditions they live in affect their education achievement. This result from the emotional impact that moving impacts on children. The children also are forced to join new schools occasionally where they may find it very difficult to adapt. When this factor combines with other issues related to poverty, overwhelming effects on the students’ social, emotional and cognitive development are experienced. Students from poor families attend school irregularly. Transfers to new schools are a routine which brings about difficulty in socialization with new friends in the new school. This may make the student to become either withdrawn or hostile due to their experiences in their past attempts to make friends. The student may therefore develop an attitude of ‘why bother’ with regard to both social and academic aspect schooling as they will after all be moving soon. Due to the various reasons of moving, which are often abrupt, the student come to the new school without records from their previous school which makes it difficult for the school to track the records. As a result, teachers lack the slightest idea of what the student have or haven’t leant. It is a big challenge for the school to place the new students in a class and provide them with the additional services they may require. Even when the school succeeds in placing the new students in class and providing these services, these students will likely move within the school year. It is also difficult for teachers to teach these kinds of students something valuable as they rarely concentrate. Children from poor families become aware of the social economic classes that exist in the society at a very tender age. They grow being aware of their own class and that of their peers which make them to develop a class related attitude as early as in their elementary schooling years. This attitude id carried on throughout their lives in school. Inferiority complex or aggressiveness may be the end result of this effect of poverty in the student’s life. However teachers can help children build up caring and sensitivity towards various cultures including social classes. Lessons and activities in the school should be designed on how children perceive the world and themselves during the different stages of development. For example at the age of eleven, children can comfortably reflect on the causes and solutions to poverty. Achievement gap Achievement gap is the difference in academic achievement between children from various groups or classes in relation to ethnic, income or race. The achievement of students is generally lower than that of middle and upper classes. However at lower levels, children of poverty achieve more than their peers from well to do families. Children from low income families have more in their minds than quizzes, homework or extracurricular activities. As pointed out earlier in this work some may have spent their nights in the streets due to homelessness, at camps or compounds of their friends or relatives. Therefore they are often engaged in thinking about where they will spend that night as well as caring about their parents who go through hardships trying to look for a living for the family. This affects their concentration in class and other school activities hence affect their performance academically as well as socially. (Brown, 2000) The reason for variation in achievement of students is determined by the social environment the students come from and the education that they receive in school. Poverty influences the quality of student’s learning behaviors, their past experiences with education, home environment and sometimes the teacher’s attitude which greatly affect the individual student performance. Students from poor or low income families are generally worried too much about themselves. They usually feel out of place when interacting with children in other social classes. They may feel that the society is unfair by placing them in poverty. The students may decline from participating in class activities and this affects their learning in school. As proposed by Salvin 2001, schools impact on students’ academic achievements are powerful and the success of all the students regardless of their social economic class depend on the teachers’ perception of these students as at promise rather than at risk and at the same time preparing them to get to their full potentials in life. A good education that is focused is usually the only means of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty for the poor children. These children require an education founded in high standards with high expectation for all. The curriculum should be aligned to ensure that a meticulous and assessment go hand in hand with the standards. The curriculum should avoid a decrease in opportunities for the students from the poor background. What usually takes place in the classroom has influence on the achievement of the students and hence teachers should be careful when passing information to students. (Plumber, 2004) The teacher should avoid at all costs any activity that may discriminate students from poor backgrounds. The content of education should be of value and cultural relevant. Teachers should be aware that the instructional and classroom management methods do not necessarily work well for poor students. The teachers can help in closing the achievement gap.

The American Dream By Dan Kadlec - 1344 Words

The American Dream is steadily changing as time goes on and some say this is a bad thing. As different generations come about the dream changes with the people. As stated by Dan Kadlec in the article â€Å"Millennials Put Their Surprising Stamp on the American Dream† the American dream is now seen as having control over your daily life. Today s generation has seen some of the main aspects of the original American Dream fail greatly so they have made up a new dream. With the things Millennials have seen change and go wrong they only believe that they can achieve a day to day lifestyle, but should this really be the case? In another article named â€Å"The Hourglass Society† it’s stated by Stewart Lansley that the middle class is going backwards. The idea of the ‘hourglass’ is that there are large amounts of people on the top and the bottom, but not many at all in the middle representing the middle class. This article also states that the American Dr eam is now only a myth and this generation only has a â€Å"fear of failing†. Many say the American Dream is dead but is the dream really dead or are people too afraid of failure? Millennials of today have seen so many bad things happen to their parents that they just settle and this shouldn’t be the case. The American Dream is only going to die if we let it happen. Stewart Lansley, author of ‘The Cost of Inequality: Why Economic Equality is Essential for Recovery’ speaks very seriously in â€Å"The Hourglass Society† article about inequality.Show MoreRelatedThe American Dream Could Become Possible1773 Words   |  8 PagesThe American Dream Could Become Possible Is the American Dream ever going to be achievable? Many studies from different viewpoints have been trying to get an answer to this question. It is looking like some generations are more likely to have the determination to achieve this status, and others do not even think it is close to possible. There are many different factors that influence the likelihood of an individual coming close to achieving the American Dream. Many individuals that have the possibilityRead MoreThe Television Show Shark Tank1608 Words   |  7 PagesThe Tv show Shark tank embodies everything the American dream represents. The show obtains successful Entrepreneurs ready to invest their own money into other Americans wanting to be just like them, reaching the American dream and become a successful entrepreneur. The show presents entrepreneurs working towards the goal of creating a business to not only gain wealth but change the way we live today. The show is to keep the American dream alive and well while of fering aid to those who pitch theirRead MoreWomen’s Income Inequality and The American Dream Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesabout, the American dream. The American dream that everyone is equal and has equal opportunities. Although a big part of what goes on in the Untied States that just doesn’t fit the American dream; women are unequal in the work place. They are put under what is known as the â€Å"Glass Ceiling†. Women do not get promoted in the work place and aren’t getting equal pay as men. This also leads to wag gap between the men and women. Both create income inequality for women and affect their American Dream. ThereRead MoreShark Tank And The American Dream1755 Words   |  8 PagesShark Tank and The American Dream The TV show Shark tank embodies everything the American dream represents. The show obtains successful Entrepreneurs ready to invest their own money into other Americans wanting to be just like them, reaching the American dream and become a successful entrepreneur. The show presents entrepreneurs working towards the goal of creating a business to not only gain wealth but also change the way we live today. The show is to keep the American dream alive and well while

The U.S. Financial Crisis Essay - 1814 Words

It is difficult to quantify exactly how much revenue a bank generates from proprietary trading, one brokerage analyst estimated that 5%-10% of trading done by large banks is a result of trading not done on behalf of the client.32 These investments are the reason Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., a global financial services firm, failed. The firm participated in investment banking, equity, fixed-income sales, research, trading, investment management, private equity, and private banking. At one time, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., was a primary dealer in the United States Treasury securities’ market. In 1998, 25% of Lehman’s revenue was generated from proprietary trades.33 The company, at this time, held $28 billion in securities and other†¦show more content†¦The current financial crisis of the United States, began in 2007. The numerous issues, giving rise to the crisis, brought focus on the subject of proprietary trading. A history of the events contributing t o the financial crisis illustrates the role proprietary trading played, and the reasons Congress and regulators have proposed limits on such activity. In 2006, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., was allowing employees to trade derivatives. Derivatives, are an agreement or contract that represents a determined value of something. These derivatives can be put in any security, a document that represents a share in a company or a debt owed by a company. Employees of the firm were trading significant sums of money. An intern, only a junior in college, was given $150 million to trade.39 A junior trader in the firm was given $450 million. The firm invested primarily in real estate, derivatives, and bonds. Bonds are a promise to repay a principal amount plus interest, raising the firm’s capital by borrowing. When the financial crisis reached a peak in 2008, and the market crashed, the credit markets seized up, and people were no longer borrowing money. 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The New Paradigm Of Healthcare Delivery - 1380 Words

Competitor Analysis One element of an external environmental assessment is the complicated, dynamic process of a competitor analysis. The new paradigm of healthcare delivery makes it necessary for organizations to think about their competitive edge, something that healthcare administrators did not have to think about in the past. Ginter, Duncan, and Swayne (2013) identify the essential elements of a service area competitor analysis: establishing the categories of service; determine the service area, the geographical boundaries; and identification and analysis of weaknesses and strengths of those vying for the same market share (p. 78). Today’s healthcare leaders need to think beyond the facilities that are most close, owing to the fact that consumers of care are willing to move past their neighborhoods to centers of excellence that deliver the highest quality care. Leaders also need to consider service providers that are dissimilar in structure. These ventures are new to the h ealthcare market, offering one profitable, specialized service. Market niches should not be overlooked or underestimated because they are likely contenders (Ginter et al. p. 80). This paper offers a competitive analysis for detoxification, the first level of treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). There is a discussion of the service category and service area of one treatment offered in a freestanding psychiatric facility in metro Boston, Massachusetts, and ends with a discussion on how theShow MoreRelatedEvolving Practice of Nursing and Patient Care Delivery Models682 Words   |  3 PagesEvolving Practice of Nursing and Patient Care Delivery Models: Healthcare is one of the greatest growing professions across the globe because of the increase in population, rising healthcare costs, and increase in the demand for nurses. 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People - Management and Organisation

Question: Discuss about the People, Management and Organisation. Answer: Introduction The case of the Pluto telecommunications presented the firm level issues; mismatch of the roles in the sales, customer service and marketing team which showed differences in their working styles, approach and the output. There was incoherence which made customer touch points in the service delivery difficult to link the service gaps affecting organisational performance. The middle management seemed to be arrogant and uncooperative, while the top management is happy being in the London office showed three distinct sub cultures instead of a unified one. The company has witnessed rapid growth in last one year and the three departments with different goals have not been able to coordinate in essence and output delivery. The management pattern in not identifying the problem which exists between the departments shows the myopic attitude. The departmental heads are not able to relate to the other, resulting in the absence of inter departmental communication. The directors of the Pluto telec ommunications also seem to be non cooperative and showed inability to voice honest opinions. This indicates problems in job design, organisational design, and the subsequent operations back end process that is evident from the organisational output. Analysis: The Pluto telecommunications analysed using the SOGI (Societal, organisational, group and individual) model reveals the following. The societal level though not important here, as Pluto telecommunications as a business entity needs to be ethical in treating its customers fairly and ownership factor missing in problem solving bring this dimension into discussion. The Pluto telecommunications will fit into Emery and Trists four type of environments as either turbulent or disturbed, reactive category which shows the fast growing firm, seeking constant growth, Organisational analysis Organisational culture: This is a concern area, as the absence of the unitary organisational culture fails to bind the departments, teams and the employees towards Pluto telecommunications goal. The presence of sub cultures and its evidence over the year has made a strong support to the manner in which the employees of Pluto telecommunications work and achieve their tasks. Thus the existence of the cultures in different teams/departments is a sign of the herd behaviour where in all the members of the group show allegiance of typical attitude that is affecting the tasks, its completion status (Hatch, 1997). The externalities has forced Pluto telecommunications to meet the goals, making it high performance organisation has essentially set aside the internal alignment due to lack of HR line manager and lack of control in devising these HR initiatives. Organisational structure The three departments which are subset of the marketing function failed to coordinate at least on one common ground which is lack of internal communication. The evidence is also in the organisational structure which shows that the departmental heads who reports to the Ms Tsang are not in talking terms, sharing reports. This issue of the differentiation is a problem that has made departmental identity and boundaries very tight and strict, drawing lines that are unable to stretch when the operational demand is more. It should be guided by the Leavitts diamond for better goal setting, operations and outcomes. Figure 1: Leavitt Diamond (Huczynsk and Buchanan, 2013, p. 505) Inability of the departments functioning to the maximum limit was due to lack of coordination, nonexistent of the design of the whole structure which is not a process centric one. So lack of integration in the activities which are not linked led to poor communication and setting a separate work culture. This fails in the Weicks (1976) loosely coupled elements and the resulting effect is evident in the customer frustration. The onus of shouldering responsibility is not there which shows that the top management is unable and unaware of the interdependence factor and does not acknowledge it. The above status is Mintzbergs grouping by function at the extreme, where the specialisation based functions are finding the narrow path in Pluto telecommunications. It is hard to point this out, as even the top management failed to realise this and establish common activities that each department shares to be customer centric. Burns and Stalker issue of Mechanistic structure fits Pluto telecommunic ations. This inability to understand the flexibility problem Group level analysis: Pluto telecommunications Group structure The Pluto telecommunications has distinct structure which is functional in nature in terms of delivery that has the homogeneity in the actions performed by all its members. Each of them are comfortable in achieving the tasks due to clear understanding of the departmental goals and achieve the own targets. Daft (1995) explained that in organisational structure that is very independent as it lacks cooperation and neither fosters it, which is why they are focussed on individual targets and display visible wealth to the world. The result is that the department consists of head with targets that are duly met which is why Pluto telecommunications had a wonderful growth in last one year. Figure 2: The Five Phases of Growth (Greiner, 1998, p. 58) The structure follows function and here the sales team has forced to team members to define their own space, delivery and the boundary. It has led to the engineering team to do the checking in pre installation phase, and the rest of the task is carried out by the sales employees of the Pluto telecommunications at the customer premises. Therefore the only link is the engineering team and not the customer service which is the logical choice after customer has the device installed and needs help in malfunctioning of the device. Group Culture: The Pluto telecommunications groups are formalised in nature where the sales department has different teams as per service areas earmarked in Pluto telecommunications. The sales in Pluto telecommunications has an achievement and challenge element with the short time horizons, low patience it has housed people that are intentional (Allcorn, 1989) in nature. They lacked responsibility and it is evident from the output where the customer scrambles for solution. So this department has gradually accepted the performance based culture which led to Pluto telecommunications earning revenues from the new customers and orders. It also led to formation of the department adopting an elitist attitude compared to the other departments thereby defining their identity, the delivery through their function. Buchanan and Huczynski (2001) added that thus the culture element is more singular in nature as it is evident in the mismatch of the sales, customer service and marketing departments. Top managemen t not voicing is a symptom of Groupthink where others kept mum and did not want to raise the issue and justify avoiding the confrontation. Each of the departments thus shows unique identity and traits, which has more individualism that defines their structure and functional output. Individual level analysis: Pluto telecommunications Leadership style: The issue of the myopic leadership direction and inability to find integration of the functions and operations is an indication of the organisational ineffectiveness and inefficiency. The team is qualified with MBAs working while it is taken for granted that they accomplish without any supervision. However, they lack the analysis of the problem identification and exhibited lack of ownership (Shackleton, 1995). Shackleton (1995) agreed that this is typical of the highly specialised and compartmentalised structure defined strictly by functions and not process. Thus the issue of leadership within in being empowered to solve the customer problems for a department seems out of job description definition for many employees. Fiedler leadership contingency model when applied shows the LPC (least preferred co-worker) showed those different hierarchies leaders showing different level of interest, drive, commitment. The sales department leadership and style of working is more independent nature that lacks the essence of the coordinated approach to the work completion. The elitist attitude and display of wealth in the form of achievement is therefore a direct relation to the impression management. The leadership style of the woman director challenging the way past through the stronghold of the Pluto telecommunications existing directors is not expected. This culture of the male dominance in the decision making and a female finding problems challenges and questions the leadership style of the company (Steers et al. 1996). The delivery of the HQ in London marketing department strategies hence fails to meet the organisational effectiveness in meeting the customer demand set. Motivation: The individual level actions are subsets of the team based, group culture and the roles or tasks at hand are clear to the each employee (Fincham and Rhodes, 1999). The motivation level of the employees in the sales is driven by the fat incentives that they receive in closing a sale. So financial rewards are important and driving the sales employees of Pluto telecommunications. The extrinsic reward system showed the market based competition and the willingness to represent Pluto telecommunications as an individual and team to beat the competition. This is however; an individual gain as the efforts contributes to the achievement of targets and revenues to the Pluto telecommunications. Thus the challenge in the task supersedes the pay and is the motivating factor for sales to penetrate new markets faster than other competitors (Martin, 1992). The customer service employees of Pluto telecommunications are more patient and had to resolve the queries of customer dissatisfaction, with coordination with the technical department in case the device is faulty. Stiff targets and penalties are forcing undue pressure on the motivation level to achieve the targets in this department in Pluto telecommunications. The use of warnings and recriminations are the failure of mismanagement of the aggregate work volume and employees at hand. The service quality standards and quality metrics defined being strict leaves lesser motivated employees in this department in Pluto telecommunications. The fine balance not present, will lead to Herzberg (1986) stated that forced targets do not support motivation. Marketing department the chief architect of the total function lacks attitude and purpose in designing an equitable performance analysis. So not balancing the equity theory (Adam, 1963) for sales, customer services is stressing the motivation level and output. Locke (1968) goal setting theory seemed to have been missed as Pluto telecommunications managers especially the top management and the HR seemed to forgot that. Though the bonus, incentives do exist there seems to be lack in the PMS (performance management system) metrics that should be agreed by each department. The reward systems in Pluto telecommunications also needs visible recognition that was not evident and the (Peace and Porter, 1985) work on merit based pay systems will allow to have a longer impact on the employee motivation and the management seeking organisational commitment. Alternative and possible solutions The goal for Pluto telecommunications is to change and become a flexible, adaptable and decentralised in terms of structure, design, culture and output. The competition from the market being stiff needs a work hard/play hard approach which is to continue the existing high performance in sales and customer services department. Applying the Greiners (1972, 1998) organisational growth model, will lead us to adopting strategies to counter the leadership crisis at Pluto telecommunications. The direction and the goals being set at firm level, business level (verticals) can follow the participative evolution strategy as stated by Dunphy and Stance. This will have to be translated into job roles and targets. The crisis for the leadership in engaging more into operational tasks rather than strategy is an apt approach for Pluto telecommunications. Figure 3: Scale of change and leadership style (Dunphy and Stace, 1988) At steep growth level, there needs one to one communication between the team or group members on daily issues which managers heading functions need to engage. Shaking the bureaucratic attitude and the strict lines of control, need more delegation that will free the leadership of responsibilities in multiple verticals in the Pluto telecommunications management. Ellis and Dick (2000) argued that there needs more collaboration and coordination at this growth phase to succeed, which currently in cold phase is resulting in loss of control factor for all the head of the departments. As a leader, the task is to understand the driving and restraining forces in the work area, which can be done using Lewins force field analysis. Chmiel (1999) opined that this will allow segregating and focusing the time and efforts to convert the driving forces and restraining forces acting on the department and the counter strategies to eliminate them. This needs to be implemented with the analysis of the pre sent state for all the managers in their respective work areas and also map the forces (potential ones) in the desired state which they want to achieve. This will result into the planning of actions for tactical, medium and long term that is vital to the streamlining of the issues and actionable solutions for that. Recommendations: Segregate the briefing of the leaders of Pluto telecommunications and discuss one to one on their perception of the team functions. Present the new framework of the Greiners or Lewins force field analysis to be completed as a leader with their action plans. Discuss each departmental current state of analysis and ask for the plan of action for three, six and nine months time frame. The orientation of the employees of the sales with the sales head, Pluto telecommunications head attending the goal setting, target achievement, team norms and rules (West, 1994), expected behavioural outcomes. Presentation of the new process mapping of sales (end to end) process will be outlined blurring the functional tags. This will include asking each employee to be a part of revamping process owners with WBS (work breakdown structures) against time to be completed as per new job analysis and job description. Repeat of the above activity for the customer service team, department in ditto. Encourage pre and post team huddles to involve the management leadership to oversee the daily targets, the problems (pending issues, fresh issues), explaining the revamped reward strategy. The employee grievance session at one to one level, PMS review for each employee monthly basis, identify and delegate task to best performer, encourage employee engagement through job enrichment programme. Discussion of plan of action The above recommendations can be brought out into action needs a change management framework in order to break the old habits, attitudes and enable the employees to adopt the revamped programme for change. This is the first step and needs to address the query resolution and rebuttals which has to be completed in one week. The second week orientation of the managers, top management for the leadership change in behaviour and work processes will span over four weeks and monitored over additional four weeks. The work procedures and systems for interdepartmental reorganisation, process mapping of sales, service to be completed within first week. The PMS to be aligned with the work load, incentive plan to be finished within the fourth week of the new framework. The overall testing the organisational design effectiveness, reporting structures, communication flow (both ways), productivity and output (measured through lesser complaints), will be tested and fine tuned in application phase each time the changes are implemented in manager leadership level and employee level. Tasks Responsibilities Success Criteria Time Frame Resources Address the query resolution and rebuttals Managers to address employee queries Discussion and negotiation in a participative style. 1 week Training modules for process, product handling guidance. Orientation of the managers, top management for the leadership change in behaviour Aim to change leadership delivery Participative, departmental cooperation 4weeks Training, role plays, situational enactment, coaching skills, mentoring, listening, delegating more Work procedures and systems for interdepartmental reorganisation, process mapping of sales, service Sub systems to be understood WBS 1 week Training of users in new roles, GUI, work procedures and systems PMS Metrics defined Participative, systems approach 4weeks Training, role plays, listening, adaptation. OD (organisational development) framework Organisational effectiveness in reporting structures, communication flow (both ways), productivity Participative at managerial level 4weeks Testing, evaluating, adaptation, fine tuning. References Allcorn, S. (1989) 'Understanding groups at work', Personnel, 66: 28-36 Buchanan, D and Huczynski, A. (2001) Organisational Behaviour an Introductory Text 4th Edition. Prentice Hall Chmiel, N. (1999). Introduction to Work and Organisation Psychology: A European Perspective. Blackwell Publishing Daft, R.L. (1995) Organisation Theory and Design. Cincinati, Ohio: South Western College Publishing. Ellis, S and Dick, P. (2000). Introduction to Organisational Behaviour. McGraw-Hill. Fincham, R and Rhodes, P. (1999) Principles of Organisational Behaviour 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press. Greiner, L. E. (1998) Evolution and revolution as organizations grow. Harvard Business Review, 76, 3, 55-68. Hatch, MJ. (1997) Organisation Theory. Oxford University Press. Martin, J. (1992). Cultures in Organisation: 3 Perspectives. Oxford University Press. Mintzberg, H. (1979). The Structuring of Organisations. London: Prentice Hall Shackleton, V. (1995) Business Leadership. London: Routledge Steers, R.M., Porter, L.W. and Bigley (1996). Motivation and Leadership at Work 6th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill West, M. (1994). Effective Teamwork. BPS Books.