Stakeholder

Stakeholders are a group of people united by a common objective especially when working together to accomplish a common goal. The smooth running of any organization depends on how stakeholders effectively utilize available management tools and any success they usher in will affect many people who will be attracted to the organization’s keen interpretation of its existing vision and mission statements. Stakeholder analysis helps identify the right stakeholders for the right positions. There are benefits to using the stakeholder-based approach which is using the opinions of stakeholders in shaping the destiny of an organization at an early stage. Likewise, getting the help of influential and experienced stakeholders will assist in gathering resources and also will in the end make all project implementations successful. The most important action to take is to communicate with stakeholders at an early stage so that they can comprehend the nature of your project and give support where and when necessary. It is necessary to have a plan for your project so that people can understand where you are headed to. According to Bryson (2004), having a false impression of one’s stakeholders can cause a dilemma for an organization. Some unique characteristics of shareholders include having an understanding of the required context and understanding the nature of the people involved.

Stakeholders in a project may be your boss, co-workers, and customers; they can be shareholders, analysts, lenders, or suppliers; they could be trade associations, the public, the community, or interest groups (Rachel, 2011). To better understand and monitor stakeholder interest in your project, it is best to utilize Power/Interest Grid for prioritization. They can be classified as such: low power and high power and low interest and high interest. In high power, these are the interest group that you will need to monitor. You will need to satisfy and engage the high power group as much as you can. The high power-less interested group deserve to be engaged but not pushed too hard or else they feel uninterested in the message you are trying to convey. The low power-interested group needs to be sufficiently informed of the project by constantly making them aware of the ongoing processes. The low power-less interested group deserve monitoring without being bored with excessive communication.


References

Bryson, J. M. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Rachel, T. (2011). Stakeholder analysis: Winning support for your projects. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm

Managing Money

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Nations, regardless of system of governance or financial capability, have to be prepared for disasters whose catastrophic impacts are hard to prognosticate. Almost every year, the world experiences disasters of various magnitudes that include devastating tsunamis, earthquakes of different dimensions, hurricanes that inundate vast stretches of lands, contagious diseases that spread beyond borders, civil wars that kill and displace undisclosed number of people, and volcano eruptions that spread beyond control with geothermal implications.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a U.S. Government public organization that provides emergency assistance to state, local, and non-profit organizations. Former president Jimmy Carter created FEMA by executive order on March 30, 1979 (Woolley, 2005). FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security headed by Janet Napolitano. It was founded for the sake of averting disasters or triumphing over natural or human-made disasters (Adamski, Kline, & Tyrell, 2006). In its fiscal year 2011 budget, the Department of Homeland Security allocated 15% of its budget of $56,335,737,000 (a 2% increase over 2010 FY) for use by FEMA boosted by a further 7% grants (DHS, 2011). However, due to increased natural disasters, FEMA at times finds itself suffering austere measures that lead to budget deficits. Usually, it is Congress that passes appropriation bills thereafter to be signed by the president so that it becomes a law. Conversely, the president has the power to veto a bill or sign it in its entirety (Mikesell, 2011). Before appropriations are made for a FY, federal agencies may continue functioning through continuing resolution.

In order to succeed in its commitment to the public it serves, FEMA has to have the necessary tools and financial resources required to accomplish its goals and expectations. Since FEMA is a public not-for-profit organization that solely relies on the U.S. Government for its budgetary and other financial needs to combat disasters, it is prudent that accountability be considered with utmost importance to safeguard dwindling resources in case of economic meltdowns. Because the money provided by the government to FEMA is generated from businesses and the public through taxation, it is equally important for FEMA to ensure public services is distributed in the most applicable manner without hindrances of any sorts. According to Mikesell (2011), a budget is a valuable document that is fundamental in the way an organization is managed. Budgets apply differently to public and private organizations. Besides government, FEMA generates its budgetary needs from well-wishers and donors especially when catastrophes strike.

References

Adamski, T., Kline, B., & Tyrell, T. (2006). FEMA Reorganization and the Response to Hurricane Disaster Relief. Perspectives in Public Affairs. Vol. 3, Spring 2006.

DHS (2011). FY 2011 budget-in-brief. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/budget_bib_fy2011.pdf

Mikesell, J. (2011). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (8th Ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Woolley, L. (2005). FEMA-Disaster of an emergency. Retrieved from http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/9/12/102827.shtml

Leadership, Ethics, and Money Matters

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Every year, many organizations suffer misappropriation of funds and white collar crimes of various dimensions that are either prosecuted in courts of law or neglected altogether due to laxity of organizational rules and regulations. Such improper behaviors resulting from poor book keeping and distorted accounting procedures ultimately result in the loss of millions of dollars. According to Franklin and Raadschelders (2004), bureaucracy can cause hardships on a state's economy. Political and self-interests are some factors that can impede budgetary operations of a state like in Oklahoma where disproportional distribution of services, kickbacks, unethical behaviors, and corruption have been the norm for some time. Budgetary wranglings is not limited to the state of Oklahoma only. In essence, it is a widespread practice that can be found in both private and governmental organizations. Bureaucrats or office-bearers driven by the desire to get-rich-quick have caused bankruptcies to many financially stable organizations. Failure to uphold constitutional values, conflicting ideologies, disregard for budgetary control and mismanagement are some of the causes that lead to budgetary breakdowns. According to DeThomas, Oliver, and Seereiter (1987), organizational success can be achieved by laying down an impressive financial planning that will serve as a guiding force.

Corporate financial scandal has become a global problem and that it is not limited to the U.S. alone. The latest financial scandal that shook Australasia happened in Victoria, a region of Australia. Located in the city of Melbourne, Sonray Capital Markets Pty Ltd. is a marketing company that deals in investments, derivatives, futures, and international and domestic equities. Former CEO of Sonray, Scott Murray, started a two-year jail-term without the prospect of parole for deliberately shuffling client money from one account to another leading to the subsequent collapse of Sonray in June of 2010. In total, Sonray lost a staggering $46.7 million (Wood, 2011). According to court documents, Murray, working surreptitiously in cahoot with his boss Russell Johnson, dragged money belonging to clients to Sonray's operating budget. This was done to rectify the financial afflictions faced by Sonray and also to fulfill the directives of his immediate boss who, in a separate court proceeding, was also charged with twenty-four counts including conspiracy to commit theft and making false accounting.

In order to resolve past financial follies, Sonray Capital Markets Pty Ltd. has hired a new external administrator who is tasked with overseeing its day to day activities until such a time when it can be determined if it can continue with its normal operations or go into liquidation. The new administrator has set up a line of communication that include telephone numbers, a postal address number, and a web site with e-mail addresses exclusively for people intending to lodge grievances. This is a commendable action as it will help Sonray deal with shareholders, creditors, and employees in an amicable manner without resorting to grueling court proceedings that could result in challenging financial settlements.

References

DeThomas, A., Oliver, J., & Seereiter, D. (1987). Designing the strategic financial planning system. American Business Review, 5(2), 23–31.

Franklin, A. L., & Raadschelders, J. C. (2004). Ethics in local government budgeting: Is there a gap between theory and practice? Public Administration Quarterly, 27(4), 456–490.

Woods, L (2010). CEO jailed for Sonray theft. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/business/ceo-jailed-for-sonray-theft-20111014-1lp77.html

Comparing and Contrasting Levels of Government

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Budgets for the three levels of government often perform the same regardless of the scope of government though there could be variations in the size of earmarked budgetary allocations according to demand and population. According to Mikesell (2011), it all depends on how the entity pays particular attention to the demands and foundations of the institution to be funded. Budget allocation is the prerogative of select government appropriation officials who often debate on subjects related to what to spend, where to spend, when to spend, and how to spend. At the federal level, it is Congress that debates on government budgetary needs before sending their final bill to the president for approval. In the end, the president may approve it by signing it into law or veto it out-rightly. In the U.S., there are financing committees known as the Senate Finance and House and Ways Means committees that have leverage over federal tax and revenue measures (Mikesell, 2011). In essence, as a measure of easing work, the appropriation committee gets help from subcommittees that assist in making the necessary budget for federal operations. In the U.S., the two largest federal budget entitlements are Social Security and Medicare that are primarily for the elderly. Medicaid, a program that has been established to serve the needy receives 12.5 percent mandatory spending and is the third largest entitlement. Most government spending comes from tax cuts (Mikesell, 2011).

At the state and local governments, expenditures are geared towards general public needs and that is the delivery of health and sanitary needs, educational enrichment, and welfare and public safety measures. Unlike the national government that has a broader reach in international affairs related to dispute resolution, state governments put greater consideration to the attainment of fiscal stability by tending to the needs of local governments. The largest recipient of local government expenditure goes to primary and secondary education (Mikesell, 2011). Public welfare programs receive the largest share of state budgets. Governments-federal, state, and local-generate their expenditures from taxes levied from income taxes, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, wealth taxes, property taxes, corporate taxes, and estate and excise taxes (Taxes and Government Spending, 2011). A state may use innovative ideas of dispensing its money without causing harm to the rest of the national economy.

At the local level, departmental heads prepare Christmas lists that are devoid of executive guidance and at times unreliable in context. Some important features that make local governments perform well in their fiscal policies when executed efficiently include choices and responsiveness, citizen participation in decision-making, accountability, improved revenue mobilization, and easier monitoring of results (Shah, 2007).

References

Mikesell, J. (2011). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (8th Ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Taxes and government spending (2011). Retrieved from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1309/Taxes-Government-Spending-OVERVIEW.html

Shah, A. (Ed., 2007). Public sector governance and accountability series: Local budgeting. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. World Bank. Washington, DC

Strategic Planning

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Strategy is defined as a policy or stratagem while planning connotes to mean preparation, scheduling, or arrangement. Thus, strategic planning, entails having a complete approach that is capable of producing realistic and positive results when applied to an organization. Strategic planning that has been prearranged before application is a crucial tool that helps alleviate future misconceptions and organizational breakdowns. According to Bryson (2004), strategic planning involves carrying out elemental decisions for safeguarding implementations necessary for running an organization or entity for the present and for posterity. Strategic planning that lacks preparation, dexterity, group support, and group effort may not hold long and end up in failure. Strategic planning is best applicable when focus is given to present and future organizational expectations having success and productivity in mind.

The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library’s mission statement is one geared towards connecting communities by coming up with the required tools, resources, and creating the factors that help enrich the lives of the inhabitants of Wyandotte County (KCKPL, 2010). Its vision calls for striving to become the frontrunner in the dissemination of information and knowledge in the State of Kansas. KCPLS’s desire is to disseminate knowledge and create a healthy, educated society. The use of intelligence and profound marketing strategies can be useful when implementing strategic planning (Weier, 2008). KCKPL’s strategic planning is a flexible one that is susceptible to change depending on the needs of its patrons, stakeholders, and employees.

KCPL is struggling to shine in an atmosphere of competition where libraries abound. Levy increases will be deliberated by a board before implementation. Some of the new strategies to be included in the library’s strategic plans include library charges for the purchase of new products, self-registration features for patrons, new informational brochures, and the crossing out of old bills as a gesture of goodwill for library patrons confounded by financial hardships. The library is determined to introduce PlayStation, Wii, Kindle, and Gameboy after assessing patron needs.

References

Bryson, J. M. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

KCKPL (2010). Strategic plan 2010-2012. Retrieved from http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/documents/2010_2012_approved_strategic_plan.pdf


Weier, M. H. (2008). Collaboration and the new product imperative. InformationWeek, 1195, 26–30, 32.

Motivational Factors in Leadership

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The success of any organization, whether public or private, depends on the effective use of strategic planning. According to McNamara (2010), there are various organizational strategic planning models. Charting a strategic plan depends on the purpose, plan of action, culture of organization, and existing environmental conditions. Since organizations exist to serve their clients, there has to be a comprehensive, broad-based, and long-term strategy to serve as navigational aid. Almost all organizations have vision and mission statements.

McNamara (2010) argues that models one and two are vital to smaller businesses while model three is ideal for organizations looking toward implementing solid foundations and planning to expand their working strategies. Often, newly-founded non-profit organizations lack the expertise to look forward to new changes and challenges and that they simply stick to their initial plans at the time the organization was founded. Vision entails having the prudence to see further afield and make new additions that are deemed necessary. On the other hand, goals are list of items that have to be accomplished in a certain period of time despite projected handicaps. In model three, whatever is causing organizational stoppages will have to be lubricated and fine-tuned to enable freedom of movement and operation of personnel and machinery. What is known as scenario planning or model four may be incorporated with other models for successful strategic planning.

The nature of leadership style that exists in an organization should be taken into context when implementing strategic planning. Leadership styles will have to be adjusted to be acceptable to the planning process. Leadership styles come in various styles: transformational, transactional, and situational. One non-profit organization that I was involved with overseas had a transformational leader. One vital motivational factor in any organization is seeing there is continuous, sustained developmental growth. As long as the organization is on the right path in its firm commitment to production, internal and external forces will be assured that the future is bright. Growth and production are interrelated and will have to be watched carefully.

A second motivational factor is caring for the customers that make the organization’s operations possible. Targeting customers in the most applicable manner and giving them appealing products leads to satisfaction and trust. The third motivational factor is the management that is responsible for running the organization. Management will have to undergo training so they understand the operational procedures of the organization and how best to leap further from the current stagnation. According to Bryson (2004), vision, goals, and issues require developing objectives in various ways and places.

References

McNamara, C. (2010). Basic overview of various strategic planning models. Free Management Library. Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/strategicplanning/models.htm

Bryson, J. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to
strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Collaboration, Coordination, and Cooperation

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In modern times, collaboration, coordination, and cooperation are three leadership concepts widely used in organizational management. If used effectively, these three concepts increase productivity, augment better communication procedures, and enhance better working atmosphere. According to Stein (1982), coordination allows different actors to converge at equal equilibriums. Thus, coordination is an arbitrary convention where no actor wishes to lose in case of market competition. Often, actors adapt contextual rules where for example, like in an intersection, drivers avoid head-on collision. In this case, both coordinate a plan that allow one driver to proceed while the other yields. Coordination enables leaders having strategic plans to bring together various sectors of an organization under one umbrella without harming the autonomous working principles of each and every segment.

Collaboration is an important working feature that embodies teamwork, partnership, alliance or group effort in ensuring the success of any organization. The exclusion of one group in a collaborative network is cause for failure and a deviation or departure from traditional working relationships (Thompson, Perry & Miller, 2009). According to Sharma and Kearins (2010), collaboration among members develops an enhanced understanding of the economic, social, and environmental factors that may be affecting an organization. However, according to Prins (2010), moving away from competition to collaboration may lead to drifting from initial objectives and multi-stakeholder approach attributable to apprehension of an embryonic process. This can happen when parties are driven by self-interest and not organizational goals and expectations. Sincerity has to flourish among stakeholders when instituting collaborative endeavors or else there will be nothing to salvage if disingenuousness prevails.

Cooperation entails working together in an atmosphere of compliance while having organizational goals and expectations at heart. Cooperation is a synchronous movement practiced among groups with identical agenda. Armies move in marching order as a mark of discipline; churches have choirs that sing in harmonious synchrony; and corporations work in concert to achieve positive outcomes (Wiltermuth & Heath, 2008). Cooperation has been so effective in the last few decades mainly as a result of increased human interaction, improved communication, and the rise of globalization. We often hear phrases like departmental cooperation, international cooperation, social cooperation, cross-border cooperation, religious cooperation, military cooperation, and organizational-level cooperation to refer to humans joining hands to break a barrier and reach success. When collaboration, coordination, and cooperation become tripartite working impressions in organizations, increased harmonious relationships and enhanced productivity will prevail.

References

Prins, L. (2010). From competition to collaboration: Critical challenges and dynamics in multiparty collaboration. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Vol. 46, 3: pp. 281-312

Stein, A.A. (1982). Coordination and collaboration: Regimes in an anarchic world. International Organization. Vol. 36, No. 2pp. 299-324.

Thompson, A.M., Perry, J.L., & Miller, T.K. (2009). Conceptualizing and measuring collaboration. Journal of public administration research theory. Volume 19, Issue1, Pp. 23-56.

Sharma, A. & Kearins, K. (2010). Interorganizational collaboration for regional sustainability: What happens when organizational representatives come together? Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Vol. 47 no. 2 168-203.

Wiltermuth, S.S., & Heath C. (2008). Research report: Synchrony and cooperation.
Department of Organizational Behavior, Stanford University. Volume 20—Number 1. Retrieved from http://personal.stevens.edu/~ysakamot/175/paper/synchrony.pdf

When Leaders Resist Change

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Today’s leadership is confounded by a plethora of problems that need to be addressed if genuine organizational change is to be affected. One major obstacle to organizational change is the constant resistance to change that has become a daily occurrence and an enigma to all sorts of development. Most often, leaders, management, and lower level employees may resist organizational changes simply because of fear of being exposed to something new that they deem unnecessary or infringing on their previous working styles. A new environment that comes with alterations may not be welcoming to some individuals in a workplace.

Any leader whose goal is to effect new changes to an organization will need to be armed with some valuable philosophical resources to overcome perceptions harbored by some employees in the workplace. Since leadership is a personal characteristic that calls for persuasion and having an embodiment of vision and reflection, in the pre-launch phase, undergoing thorough self-examination could be an added advantage (Burke, 2011). Because undergoing organizational change can be messy and at times chaotic, having self-control, understanding employee behavioral changes, and inculcating tolerance could be vital tools for the pre-launch execution phase.

In the pre-launch phase, understanding the external environment of the organization is a means to improving relations with all people that have dealings with the organization. Coming up with priorities to institute change and providing vision and direction is a means to laying a platform for catapulting to the next phase. Effective leaders who have the trust of their followers have the best chance of succeeding when equipped with appealing behaviors and theoretically reflective foundations that serve as beacons for navigational purposes.

In the launch phase, the best equipment to stretch out immaculately in the launch pad will be effective communication tools. After all is ready for launching, there will be a need for further implementation and inspection of all available facilities to avoid last minute malfunction. In this phase, it should be noted that there will be extreme anxiety or excitement that can only be overcome with the application of scrupulous decision making. What comes after the launch phase will be the post-launch phase that will require collective perseverance and consistent scrutiny.

References

Burke, W. W. (2011). Organization change: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Corporate Responsibility

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Leadership of the yesteryears is quite different from today’s modern leadership styles that are mainly driven by the volumes of advanced literary writings that are widely available in electronic and in print form and the technological innovation we see sweeping across the globe. Modern academia has played a great role in shaping the various leadership styles currently in use in the running of organizations driven by massive globalization. As the nature of leadership changes by day, one trend that needs to be addressed thoroughly is the great imbalance between majority and minority groups in the running of government institutions, corporations, and international organizations.

For a long time, minority groups have suffered the effects of stratification and marginalization imposed on them by majority groups wielding considerable power and influence in government and in the private sector. There is a tendency for plurality groups to feel threatened when they are excluded from power yet they don’t allow minority groups a share of power (Fearon, Kasara & Laitin, 2006).

Organizations have a responsibility to the societies that make their existence possible. Corporate social responsibility has been accelerated by changing trends in global business and the arrival of globalization. While society plays a great role in the proliferation of corporations worldwide, likewise, corporations have a responsibility to elevate the living conditions of society through the provision of education, healthcare services, environmental protection, infrastructure development, and delivery of clean water and other humanitarian services.

References

Fearon, J., Kasara, K., & Laitin, D. (2006). Ethnic minority rule and civil war onset. Stanford University. Retrieved from www.stanford.edu/~jfearon/papers/fearonkasaralaitin3.doc

Hopkins, M. (2004). Policy integration department world commission on the social dimension of globalization. International Labor Office, Geneva. Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/integration/download/publicat/4_3_285_wcsdg-wp-27.pdf

Social Responsibility

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In modern times, social change has become a vital tool for use in advancing the needs of society. Generally, social changes exist in various forms and can have positive or negative consequences. Social change, depending on impact, is a term implying changes in social, economic, religious, or political conditions. An example of social change is what is known as corporate social responsibility. This is when corporations engaged in philanthropy give back to society for the sake of maintaining societal health and foster close cooperation. Firestone, the great American tire manufacturer, in its pursuit of the precious rubber used in the manufacture of the durable tires we use in our cars, has been castigated for the tremendous environmental destruction it has wrought on the West African nation of Liberia (Makina, 2011). Rather than giving back something precious in return, Firestone has imposed on the land and the people of Liberia an environmental hazard that will take years to remedy. Firestone’s irresponsible actions have led to the destruction of vast tracts of land and the creation of other ecological hazards.

Social change can only materialize when those in authority partake in the training, educating, and transforming of communities. Social change is associated with fairness in dealings, accountability, changing attitudes, overcoming biases, organizing change, and determining solutions to problems. Leadership and social responsibility are inseparable. Hickman (1998) believes that corporations and business entities have to give back to communities and be thankful for the role society plays in their successes.

References

Hickman, G.R. (1998). Leading organizations: Perspectives for s new era. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Makina, A. (2011). The impact of globalization on Liberia’s ecosystem. Retrieved from http://wardheernews.com/Articles_2011/May/05_The%20Impac%20of%20globalization_makina.pdf

The Role of Organizations in Social Change

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When used effectively, public policy can be a powerful tool to effect social change. Changing how society lives requires thorough thought and reflection. Implementing social change also requires commitment to the cause, living up to expectations, getting the approval of society through communication, and monitoring the effects it will have on society. Because of the many failures associated with policymaking, policymakers have a responsibility to remain focused on how the policies they legislate impact society. Millions of dollars may be spent on a certain public policy yet fail to materialize in the end.

Currently, the American society is watching with keen interest the contentious tax policy issues being debated by the line-up of party presidential hopefuls competing to win the race to the White House. While taxation is a way of generating the financial resources required to run a government, public resentment can at times lead to tax evasions that drain the national economy. With fair taxation, government can be assured that business owners will not flee with their money for safe keeping in foreign countries. It is a social responsibility when lawmakers ensure business owners feel at home.

Organizations that conduct business in foreign lands have a responsibility to protect the indigenous or local people they encounter. Exploiting the environment and then leaving it depleted is a big plunder that can have catastrophic effects on entire humanity. Overworking or underpaying the locals that do the hard work is against the foundations of public policy.

Having a reliable public policy in place means that the living conditions of society will be sustained, their level of education elevated, and their health needs put to the fore. Seeing policy networks become internationally accepted norms means that governments have now more responsibilities than ever before when it comes to meeting the demands of society. Policy networks are state-interest relations (Thatcher, 1998) and inter-organizational with informal approaches.

References

Thatcher, M. (1998). The development of policy network analyses: From modest origins to overarching frameworks. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 10(4), 389–416.

Role of Libraries in Governance

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Since the discovery of the computer, internet connectivity in libraries has been enormously felt in every part of the world especially in countries with advanced democratic governance (Elsevier, 2004). Formerly, internet technology was restricted to the military and the government only. The drastic use and rise of the internet has been made possible by the increase of telecommunication corporations that enjoy monopoly over other businesses in the management of the internet. In the United States, almost every library is equipped with state-of-the-art computers that have internet connections. It has now become a common practice for many library patrons to serve the internet with ease thanks to the presence of libraries in every locality. Nowadays, major libraries allow their clients access to important university libraries known as virtual libraries. Government use of libraries has become intense especially during election processes as electorates can cast their votes in simpler fashions.

Internet use in libraries is vital for education and other sources of information as well. Underprivileged citizens that cannot afford to have computers and internet connectivity at home can now sit in libraries with ease and enjoy the good that come with the internet. However, restrictions apply to sensitive web sites that are regulated by government. Internet use in libraries allows citizens to correspond with their elected representatives with ease, stay informed of prevailing global political, social, and economic conditions, and as well pursue education of choice.

Reference

Elsevier, A. (2004). The impact of technology on information literacy education in libraries. The journal of Academic Librarianship. Vol. 30, no2, pp. 151-156

Policy Networks

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Policy networks, as seen in modern democracies, play great roles in democratic processes especially when it comes to fighting for what is right for society and for the nation as a whole. Some policy networks may be restricted to a given area like a constituency while others may cover a larger area. There are international policy networks such as in banking, airlines, and even terrorist organizations that have leverage over large areas of the world. According to Peterson (2003, p. 1). “Public policies, by definition, are the responsibility of public authorities and aim to satisfy some vision of the public good”. On the other hand, according to Mendizabal (2006), quoting Perkin and Court (2005:3), “networks are broadly defined as ‘formal or informal structures that link actors (individuals or organizations) who share a common interest on a specific issue or who share a general set of values”.

In this essay, the policy network I have chosen to highlight is the African Women’s Economic Policy Network (AWEPON), a faith-based, non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Uganda and founded in 1994 during the United Nation’s NGO regional preparatory conference held in Dakar, Senegal. AWEPON was founded on the basis of influencing women in economic policy and achieving economic justice for women. The purpose of AWEPON is to ensure women receive representation at the national, regional and global levels. With headquarters in Uganda, AWEPON has representations in many African countries.

Main Actors

AWEPON has brought together people with knowledge in international policy networks drawn mainly from nations that have advanced in democratic governance such that AWEPON was recognized by the Betty Plewes Fund (AWEPON, 2007), a Canadian international donor agency that gives priority to global women development. In the international arena, AWEPON has been recognized by the European Union and other international actors committed to governance.

Democratic Influence and Governance

By working with international organizations, AWEPON has been able to influence and exploit various sectors of society including youth activities, people afflicted with HIV/AIDS, and water privatization in various districts of Uganda. Working in concert with the Gender Entrepreneurships Markets (GEM) and the Department of International Finance Corporation (IFC)-a World Bank Group-AWEPON has been able to impact women groups regarding the legal and administrative barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in Uganda.

Democratic Governance and Policy Networks

The creation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a global initiative to halve extreme poverty, halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, and the provision of universal primary education by 2015 galvanized AWEPON’s commitment to improving the living standards of women in Uganda. On the other hand, AWEPON has been partnering with neighboring countries in training women entrepreneurs in business skills, transforming socio-economic conditions of women, providing innovative technology like solar cookers, economic literacy and market competitiveness and many other fields that are meant to elevate women in countries like Kenya and Tanzania. The activities of AWEPON is not only limited to the borders of Uganda. In the past AWEPON conducted poverty and socio-economic assessments in HIV/AIDS among households in as far as Cameroon in West Africa, Swaziland in southern Africa, and in neighboring Tanzania.

References

AWEPON (2007). Betty Plewes Fund Award. Retrieved from http://www.awepon.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=37&Itemid=12

Mendizabal, E. (2006). Understanding Networks: The Functions of Research Policy Network, Working Paper 271, Overseas Development Institute, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JD, UK.

Perkin, E. and J. Court (2005) Networks and Policy Processes in International Development: A Literature Review, Working Paper 252, London, ODI

Peterson, J. (2003). Policy Networks. Department of Political Science, Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Political Science Series 8.

Diversity and the Workplace

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Diversity in the workplace works best when leaders comprehend its true meaning and put in place dynamic structures for success that benefit the organization and everyone involved. Organizations that fail to observe diversity in the workplace have more legal problems than those that are keen at following the right procedures. Modern leaders will require assimilating or integrating diverse cultures to ensure smooth running and operation of the organization involved. Organizations will require more focus on diversity-related issues as the world undergoes political, social, and economic revolutionary changes that emanate from aggressive globalization and human contact, migratory patterns and demographic intermingling.

Challenges to diversity in the workplace include how to implement diversity-related policies, diversity management, and communication. Because select leaders in an organization may be unwilling to implement changes to diversity due to having different perceptions, there could be cause for failure in implementing policies related to diversity. Winning the hearts and minds of the top echelons before embarking on a collective measure reduces rifts and misunderstandings that emerge the last minute. Fear of failing to implement the new policy and having the perception that it will end in failure are some of the factors that cause a section of leaders to stay distant from its execution.

Lack of proper communication can restrain the accomplishment of diversity in a workplace. Communication should be directed at all levels of organization so that everyone having a stake in the organization can be aware of requirements for achieving successful diversity in business. Organizations have different ways of dealing with conflicts and confusions in the workplace depending on level of consciousness, leadership perception, and general unity. Some burning issues that need greater attention include gender, race, sex, and culture issues and sexual orientation. According to Hickman (1998), it is imperative that leaders identify business culture and have an understanding of diversity. Recognizing, appreciating, and giving value to the skills of people of diverse backgrounds add value to the prestige and working styles of any organization from a holistic approach.

References

Hickman, G.R. (1998). Leading organizations: Perspectives for a new era. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Current Political Issue

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A burning political issue that failed to materialize in the past and is currently being debated on is the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal. Historically, America’s two major political parties, Republicans and Democrats, have been divided on the issue of burying nuclear waste in the Yucca Mountain of Nevada. The issue of disposing nuclear waste in the projected area has been receiving outcries from various sectors of American society for sometime. Meeting in Las Vegas last October, Republican presidential contenders debated the proposed disposal of nuclear waste in Nevada (NYT, 2011).

Divisions have been emerging among legislatures every time the nuclear disposal proposal popped up such that it has become a subject without a definite solution. Nuclear waste is dangerous to fauna and flora and its future consequences on life after disposal remain indefinable. However, there has to be a geologically reliable and suitable place to dispose off the remaining waste that has been idle for sometime. Despite some republican presidential contenders voicing their rejection at burying the dangerous waste in Yucca Mountain, there are higher expectations that the upcoming convention in Spartanburg, SC, will yield better results.

South Carolina is home to some of the oldest nuclear power plants producing tritium and plutonium for making bombs. The states of Washington and South Carolina that possess bomb making factories filed suit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to force the commission to assess the suitability of Yucca Mountain. Gregory Yaczko who headed the commission finally presented his evaluation of the Yucca Mountain project. Yaczko is the former aide of Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic majority leader. Harry Reid, a native of Nevada, nullified the evaluation after the Energy Department pulled out of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project.

According to the Examiner (2010), supporters of nuclear energy belief that it is a clean source of energy that does not create pollution while opponents are of the view that it is a dangerous source that can remain active for thousands of years. Majority of Republican lawmakers support the Yucca Mountain initiative while Democrats oppose it. President Obama has been opposed to the Yucca project because he believes that it is a health hazard to Nevadans and millions of Americans.

According to NYT (2011), Ron Paul and Mitt Romney received applause from the audience in the Las Vegas debate when they decried why Nevada should be the only state to accept the depository while the other 49 states are unwilling to receive the nuclear waste. In the same meeting, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum did not get the chance to respond to the question of the nuclear disposal. Jon M. Huntsman who did not take in the debate is said to be against the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal. Newt Gingrich felt that it was geologically safe to dispose off the disputed waste since the site is 100 miles from Las Vegas.

In essence, there is the absence of bipartisanship in reaching a consensus on the Yucca Mountain nuclear disposal issue. Democracy is about deliberating, making concessions, and coming to agreement. Unfortunately, that is not the case in modern American politics because whoever has the upper hand makes the final decisions. According to Raney and Kendall (1951, p. 434), democracy “necessarily involves more than just universal suffrage and elected representatives; it also requires that those representatives decide this way rather than that”. Keeping the final evaluation papers under lock and key must be a political success for Harry Reid who is a native Nevadan and a powerful figure in the Democratic Party. For Nevadans, their “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) struggle has so far materialized because they do not have to worry about hazardous materials affecting their health and those of future generations as long as Obama and Harry Reid are in office.

References

Examiner (2010).Yucca Mountain: Bipartisan effort opposes Obama administration's actions. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/environmental-policy-in-national/yucca-mountain-bipartisan-effort-opposes-obama-administration-s-actions#comments

NYT (2011). Nuclear waste is likely to come up at next debate. Retrieved from http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/nuclear-waste-is-likely-to-come-up-at-next-debate/?ref=politics

Ranney, A., & Kendall, W. (1951). Democracy: Confusion and agreement. Political Research Quarterly, 4(3), 430–439.
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Comparative Democracy

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The Republic of India is a parliamentary democracy located in South Asia. India is a member of the Commonwealth realm and has the second largest population in the world with a staggering 1.2 million people (Library of Congress, 2004). The central government, also known as the union government, is identical to the British governing system and comprises the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Indian parliament is bicameral and is composed of a lower house (Lok Sabha or House of the People) having 543 members popularly elected members and 2 members elected by the president, and an upper house (Rajya Sabha or Council of States) having 12 appointed members and 233 members selected by the state and union territories. Members of the lower house serve for 5 years while those of the upper house serve six-year terms. The legislative branch of government is responsible for passing laws such as government budgets and legal amendments.

India has both president and prime minister. While parliament elects the president, selection of the prime minister who is also the leader of the majority party, is the prerogative of the president. All bills have to be approved by the president before becoming law. The vice president who is ex officio acts in place of the president especially when the president fails to perform his duties. The president is the chief of state while the prime minister is head of government (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2011). The Indian legal system is based on the English model; there are separate personal law codes that apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus.

Unlike India’s parliamentary system which is at times clangorous, Presidentialism, America’s preferred system of governance is more stable and promising. India and the U.S. are two major democracies known for their pursuance of economic growth and technological advancement. While India is a young democracy that gained independence from England as recent as 1947 after a devastating war that saw the segmentation of the expansive Indian sub-continent, America’s democratic growth has been in the making since 1776 when it also declared independence from England after a brutal war. India’s democracy remains to be a victim of corruption that is having profound impact on the nation’s dwindling economy. To the contrary, there is corruption in the U.S. system but to a lesser degree. According to Maeda and Nishikawa (2006), differences exist between parliamentary and presidential systems of government when it comes to survival duration. According to the authors, while parliamentary governments may collapse within short periods, presidential systems remain to be more established due to fixed terms.

India and the U.S. have well established relationships that include political as well as commercial dealings. Many U.S. corporations have moved their businesses to India to exploit the nation’s abundant cheap labor and untapped advanced education system that is credited with producing a great number of young, educated professionals. On the other hand, India relies on America’s educational institutions to train a great number of Indian doctors, engineers, scientists, and other professionals. By working hand in hand, India and the U.S. have a lot to gain from each other in the foreseeable future.

References

Library of Congress (2004). Country Profile: India. Retrieved from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/India.pdf

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State (2011). Background note: India Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3454.htm

Maeda, K., & Nishikawa, M. (2006). Duration of party control in parliamentary and presidential governments: A study of 65 democracies, 1950 to 1998. Comparative Political Studies, 39(3), 352–374.

Leadership Styles

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Transformational leadership is a visionary leadership style that injects vision and energy and transforms minds through influence. Transformational leaders have a passion for implementing new ideas and creating environments where everyone becomes involved to accomplish a goal. A transformational leader is known to transform existing conditions and working environments day by day without any lapse. Regardless of whether they work with a nation, organization, or community, leaders of this category have the capacity to change everything about the workplace and worker welfare. They are driven by motivation and are full of energy and drive. According to Burke (2011, p. 216), “they never leave a situation the way they found it”. Arguably, this leadership style is visible in healthy democracies where change is continuous. I have long admired this kind of leadership style as it is the right style to propel one to a better future. People who espouse transformational leadership style have the chance to succeed in life and become reliable, responsible, and ever ready for the future.

Because of believe in punishment and reward, transactional leadership is now being applied to many companies and business who wish to see increased competition among employees, associates, and stakeholders. Often, transactional leaders expect a high degree of performance and perfection followed by giving out incentives as encouragement for enhanced performance. This kind of leadership creates competition among workers who compete for reward. According to Hickman (1998), the role of transactional leadership begins when contact is made with another person with the sole aim of making important exchanges. I am assuming many of you may have seen signs that read “employee of the month” hanging from the walls of many corporate offices and companies. Likewise, there seem to be proliferation of parking spots reserved exclusively for employees who perform well in their duties.

Situational leadership holds that managers must apply various leadership styles depending on the setting. Developed by behavioral scientist Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, situational leadership is a leadership style that works across cultural, linguistic, and geographical barriers. This leadership style focuses on how to retain star workers, reduce absenteeism, track employee performances, and above all improve job satisfaction. The model for level II situational leadership is about delegating, supporting, coaching, and directing. However, people who show high commitment, high competence should be left to do their jobs independently. Often, situational leadership is tied to task behavior, which is the amount of time, and guidance the leader provides to the follower and relationship behavior which is the amount of social and emotional support rendered (Yukl, 2006). Because people behave differently, this type of leadership works well with people of different cultures.

References

Burke, W. W. (2011). Organization change: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Robinson, H. G. (2010). Leading organizations: Perspectives for a new era (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in Organizations (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall.

Evolution of Leadership

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Leadership is the process of inspiring or influencing people to achieve specific goals or to accomplish certain tasks. It is a means to influencing and encouraging people to come up with or conceive extraordinary results at the organizational and societal levels. The study of leadership has been growing out of proportion in recent years due to the need for better leaders in expanding economies at the national and workplace levels. The advancement of leadership sciences has opened so many sub-fields such that, in recent years, there have been increased focus on newly-emerging leadership traits. Some of the leadership traits that are commonly discussed in academia include include transactional, transformational, laissez-fairez, charismatic, participative or democratic, autocratic or authoritarian, bureaucratic, and people-oriented or relations-oriented leadership styles.

Born in 1925, Mahathir Mohamad became the first Malaysian commoner to become prime minister of his country in 1981, a post he held until October 31, 2003 when he retired from politics altogether. Mahathir embodied specific traits that helped him transform his ramshackle nation into an industrial economy. For the twenty-two years he was in power, Mahathir courageously fought hard to make Malaysia the Asian Tiger it is today. Because of his extraordinary wisdom, charisma, and visionary leadership style, Malaysia excelled in many aspects including trade and commerce, gender empowerment, education, infrastructure, healthcare, politics, communication, and banking. By providing direction to his people and by defining certain objectives, in the end Mahathir was able to count his political and developmental achievements in just over two decades while at the same time elevating himself to the level of intriguing maverick and politician. A pragmatist as described by Wain (2009), Mahathir later on clashed with political Islam and as well rose to international prominence by championing the rights of the “third world”. Dr. Mahathir, Malaysia's great statesman of the century, espoused transformational leadership style. Some of the describable characteristics of a transformational leader include being visible to the people and keeping constant communication with the governed.

Oliver Cromwell was an Englishman born in 1599 to a modest bourgeoisie landowning family. He was famous for waging war against the local government of the time that was dominated by crown appointees and that was famous for depriving common people of their livelihoods. A Puritan himself, Cromwell rose to the political spectrum at a time when England was engulfed in social and political turbulence (Jenkins, 1999).Cromwell was against the usurpation of political power and economic strangulation of his people especially by leading authorities including the powerful Church of England. Despite his fascinating background history laden with controversies, Cromwell fought hard with parliament to ensure there existed liberty of conscience between the nation and the people of God (Smith, 2001). I perceive Cromwell to have been a figure who wanted to liberate his people from the injustices of poor parliamentary governance, religious dominance, and abuse of power by the royal hierarchy. In 1653, after successfully pacifying his area of influence through the use of persuasion and military might, Oliver Cromwell was crowned the “Lord Protector of the Commonwealth”. Oliver Cromwell was a visionary leader as well as task-oriented or relations-oriented. His obsession with organizing, supporting, and developing his subjects ultimately resulted in him subduing his antagonists that dominated the government bureaucracy.

The most virulent authoritarian or autocratic leader to have evolved in modern history was Genghis or “Chinggis” Khan, founder of the great Mongol Empire whose legacy created the largest continuous empire in recorded history even after his sudden demise. Genghis Khan's imperial ambitions saw the absolute occupation of vast tracts of lands that included almost all of Asia, European Russia, Southeast Asia, and incursions into central Europe. The brutality of his invading armies were so severe such that millions of innocent civilians perished in every altercation. Contemporary historians allude Genghis Khan to have had all the characteristics of the 4Es of leadership: envision, enable, empower, and energize (Yates, 2011).

References

Wain, B. (2009). Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times. Palgrave Macmillan. Pp 363.

Jenkins, G. (1999). The Lion of the 17th Century. Issue 229 of the Socialist Review. Retrieved from http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/sr229/jenkins.htm

Smith, D. L. (2001). Oliver Cromwell, the First Protectorate Parliament and Religious Reform, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p38 . Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0cb8e94-1dff-46de-bf65-482ee5476478%40sessionmgr11&vid=9&hid=18

Dictionary of Alternatives (2007), p52-52, Zed Books 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0cb8e94-1dff-46de-bf65-482ee5476478%40sessionmgr11&vid=9&hid=18

Yates, M. (2011). Leader Values. Retrieved from http://www.leader-values.com/Content/detail.asp?ContentDetailID=783

Ethical Challenges in the Workplace

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Ethical guidelines are practices and policies commonly observed by employees of non-profit and for-profit organizations and government agencies. An ethical guideline is like an essential navigational tool that assists the employee to figure out where to go and how to arrive at a projected destination, and what to do and what to avoid in the workplace. When an employee abides by and follows an employer’s ethical guidelines without digression, there is a greater chance that both employer and employee will experience increased productivity in terms of input and output, notice remarkable rise in customer satisfaction, get improved performance, and observe reduction in conflicts of interest.

Boeing Ethical Conduct

Important and noteworthy guidelines worth emulating are that of the mammoth Boeing Company that is a global leader in aerodynamics and space exploration. The company’s ethical business conduct guidelines include commitment to leadership, integrity, quality, customer satisfaction, and people working together, a diverse and involved team, good corporate citizenship, and enhancing shareholder value (Boeing, 2011). Arguably, four guidelines that are of relevant importance in the implementation of organizational change would be integrity, customer satisfaction, quality, and a diverse and involved team. Workforce diversity is an issue that focuses on people and their differences and similarities and what they bring to organizations (Woods, Bormann, & Schmidle, 2010).

Ethical Guidelines

These days, upholding higher degree of integrity has become the hallmark of many successful conglomerations in modern businesses ethics. Integrity which implies truthfulness, truth, veracity, or honesty is the most important tool employer and employees need to be equipped with to construct a credible foundation for any business. In my opinion, quality is another important and outstanding trait that has been credited with solidifying corporate business operations. In the case of Boeing, quality epitomizes improving work performance to achieve customer, employee, and community satisfaction.

In modern business practices, the term customer satisfaction has become a significant philosophical, psychological, or ideological tool and a rallying cry for most business entities, national and international, whose significance is nothing other than attracting consumers to the array of products earmarked for retail or wholesale by producers who are in firm competition for market domination. It has become an observable fact and a widely acclaimed, universal belief that any organization that fails to fulfill the needs of its customers is doomed to fail miserably. In relative terms, the term customer satisfaction signifies business-customer consanguinity, buyer-seller attachment, or giver-taker affiliation.

The sudden increase in global demographic protuberances, political irredentism, social equality, and economic emancipation experienced by humanity in the last few decades has given rise to explosive technological advances, enhanced globalization, and human interaction consequently leading to the elevation of integrated teamwork and inflexible workforce diversity never before seen in human history. In modern times, upsurge in unregulated human migratory patterns have set the stage for teamwork and workforce diversity. Likewise, diversity and teamwork have been making great strides in spurring spontaneous proliferation of global industrial production on a large scale. Thus, teamwork and workforce diversity are of paramount importance if organizational success is to be achieved. However, it should be noted that fruitful results can only be accomplished with strenuous training and regulatory enforcement.

Leadership Style

Two important ethical guidelines I tend to exemplify and intend to unleash in the near and distant future leadership role for effecting organizational change are competence and integrity and confidentiality. With competence an organization is required to have a solid trained workforce that has a firm understanding of the required roles and obligations. Employees will have to perform exceptionally well in the performance of their duties and also avoid making misleading statements that may hurt the organization and client good standing. According to Lamar (2000), confidentiality entails keeping the identity of clients secret especially records, information, and identity. I will expect each and every employee to observe confidentiality as being sacrosanct and inviolable. Since I consider myself a committed and loyal servant who has all the values and ideals of his organization at heart, assisting another leader in evil deeds is my greatest challenge and fear. I am not willing to take risks by contravening the rules and regulations of my organization.

References

Boeing (2011). Ethical business conduct guidelines. Retrieved from http://boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/ethics/ethics_booklet.pdf

Lamar (2000). Ethical guidelines for educational developers. Retrieved from http://lamar.colostate.edu/~ckfgill/ethics1.htm

Woods S., Bormann, T. & Schmidle J. (2010). Introduction: Workplace diversity. Retrieved from http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/research/subjectguides/workplacediversity.html

The Impact of Globalization on Leadership

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Globalization may be lauded for the tremendous role it has played in spreading leadership and management and in reforming organizational conduct in almost every corner of the world especially in countries that have democracy as their systems of governance. According to Baylis, Smith, and Owens (2008), globalization has been translated to mean various things with some scholars defining it to mean “international interconnectedness i.e. linkages between countries (p. 17)”. The radical spread of communication to all corners of the globe especially air and sea travel and the meticulous broadband internet connection are some of the driving factors that have made globalization almost universal in context. Lehman (2008) believes that the role of corporations in global commitment is one geared towards economic enlightened self-interest. To have business success in foreign environments, organizations time and again feel compelled to change the way they deal with other cultures. For example, GM may have to change its organizational structure when it opens a new base in Hanoi, Delhi or in Bamako. This is done mainly to accommodate the diverse and unique socio-cultural environments encountered by the overseas-based organization.

Many Western multinational corporations, international and political organizations have spread their business operations far and wide by having branches in many parts of the world. The demand for the products made by these corporations and the expertise they provide are some factors that necessitated cross-cultural corporation. According to Pease (2008), “Multinational corporations (MNCs) are private, for-profit organizations that have commercial operations and subsidiaries in two or more countries”. On the other hand, there are transnational corporations (TNCs) that have their headquarters in one country and branches in several countries (WHO, 2011). Monsanto and Sony are examples of TNCs whose businesses are based on resource extraction and manufacturing. To ensure the required working standards are met, these international conglomerations have taken initiatives to train local employees to international levels. Corporations or organizations that have branches in many parts of the world include banking institutions, accounting firms, auto-industries, household goods manufacturers, aerospace engineering firms, beverage manufacturers, educational and health institutions, cigarettes makers, and petroleum and industrial products manufacturers.

Specific international corporations or organizations that have made great strides in diplomacy, trade and industry include Toyota, GM, BMW, AUDI, VOLVO, Coca Cola, Siemens, Price Waterhouse, the United Nations, and government consulates and embassies. These organizations or corporations put great emphasis in training leaders who are responsible for the smooth running of their operations worldwide. Corporations or organizations are at the forefront of expanding their empires by setting foot in unchartered territories while hosting nations aspire to emulate them by benefitting from their leadership potentials and the array of missing products at their disposal.

To create a culture of excellence, it is of paramount importance that leaders understand the impact of globalization regardless of region or locality (Tierney, 2007). However, understanding only the impact globalization has on organizations is not enough to navigate an organization. Leaders are required to effect changes to the new environment and get ready to immerse themselves in a new playing field. According to Burke (2002), for modern organizations to survive, they will have to confront the demands of adaptation and change. In the words of Welch (2001, p. 169), “Change has no constituency—and a perceived revolution has even less”. Kerno’s essay (2008), Leadership and Organizational Change: Implementation amidst the Potential Constraints of Institutionalized Formal Structure and Institutional Isomorphism, is educational and inspiring in that it touches on significant aspects of globalization and organizational change. According to Kerno (2008), organizational change in this modern era of globalization requires change of attitudes, culture, and the introduction of modern technology that replaces old or obsolete equipments to enhance production and rejuvenate workforce spirit.
Having an understanding of an organization’s deep culture-which is the main embodiment of one’s organization-help alleviate misinterpretation of organizational goals and expectations. Organizations may face restrictions in their overseas operations due to measures imposed by the host government and it is here leaders have to feel compelled to abide by the rules and introduce organizational revolutionary change. In this type of scenario, an organization cannot rely on the same play book that has been rendered inappropriate or unnecessary. At times it will be prudent to change institutionalized social structures that fail to work (Kerno, 2008).
Undoubtedly, articles and publications used in this research have been useful in explaining the implications of organizational change-revolutionary or evolutionary. Definitely, depending on the nature of environment organizations do change to suit the demands of employees, stakeholders, and customers alike. An organization in the US behaves differently when it sets a branch in a foreign country; organizations do suffer deregulation, and likewise they do meet with resistance from constituencies that do not agree with their nature of operations.

References

Baylis, J., Smith, S. & Owens, P. (2008). The globalization of world politics: An introduction to international relations. New York, Oxford University Press, Inc.

Burke, W.W. (2002). Organizational change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Kerno, S.J. (2008). Leadership and Organizational Change: Implementation amidst the Potential Constraints of Institutionalized Formal Structure and Institutional Isomorphism. St. Ambrose University

Lehman, Jean-Pierre (2008). Globalization, corporate leadership and inclusive growth: An Indian agenda for global knowledge & local implementation. The Indian Institute for Corporate Affairs (IICA), the confederation of Indian industry (CII) & IMD – The Evian Group.

Pease, S. (2008). International Organizations: Perspectives on Governance in the twenty-first century. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pierson/Prentice Hall.

Tierney, W.G. (2007). Academic leadership and globalization. The Department Chair, Vol. 17 No. 4. Retrieved from http://media.wiley.com/assets/1308/42/DepartmentChairSample051507.pdf

Welch, J. F., Jr. (2001). Jack: Straight from the gut. New York: Warner Books

WHO (2011). Trade, foreign policy, diplomacy and health: International Corporations.
Retrieved from http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story057/en/index.html

Workplace Democracy

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Democratic governance is an important aspect in the workplace because it elevates the level of trust and collaboration that is supposed to exist between the bureaucracy and the retinue of followers. However, democracy in the workplace is impossible if those endowed with authority behave contrary to democratic norms and expectations. Incidents of undemocratic practices in the workplace can be found everywhere even in nations that have been committed democracies for several centuries. According to Deleon and Deleon (2002), democracy in the workplace “promotes efficiency and effectiveness” (p. 9).

An organization that I have been involved with in the past is the Marriott Hotel chain where I worked as an agent who represented customer needs. The nature of organization and the chain of command existing at that time was consistent with contemporary democratic values even though top management at times violated hotel regulations by practicing favoritism.

Cohesion, trust, and collaboration in every sector of the hotel created harmonious relationships that would have been impossible in an undemocratic setting. Giving employees the freedom to carry out their responsibilities without interference after thorough training helped alleviate mistrust and resistance. Employees partook in the operation of the hotel because they felt they had the necessary tools and training required to conduct business to utmost satisfaction.

Democracy is sustainable in the workplace if employees are treated fairly well and equally. This will give them a sense of belonging. Motivation is another important factor that has been shown to increase worker input.

References

Deleon, L., & Deleon, P. (2002). The democratic ethos and public management. Administration and Society, 34(2), 229–250.

Arab Spring

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Since the ouster of Tunisia’s former leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in December 2010, there has been heated debate among political circles in the United States and elsewhere regarding the future direction of the north African nation. However, in the latest election whose results are to be announced on Sunday, Ennahda, an Islamist political party is about to claim victory (Amara, 2011). The “Arab Spring”, a contemporary connotation that has become a subject of discussion in global politics started with the self-immolation of unemployed student Mohamed Bouazizi on December 17, 20010 followed by a civil uprising that toppled the former Tunisian strongman on December 28, 2010 consequently leading to his self-exile in Saudi Arabia. Like Libya’s Qaddafi, Ben Ali retarded the social, political, and economic sectors of the most liberal Arab nation, Tunisia. Despite awaiting victory to reclaim the governing of the country from a contumacious family that held onto power for decades, Ennahda has promised not to ban women in bikinis; it has promised not to introduce Islamic banking; and it has promised to uphold the constitution of the nation (Amara, 2011). Derived from the 19th Century Islamic resistance in the Middle East-Ennahda or An-nahda-stands for renaissance or reawakening. According to Rohr (2011), the belief that the party may resort to a theocracy is an exaggeration as Ennahda looks to Turkey as a model. In global perspectives, there is the fear that the party may drag the nation to undemocratic forms of governance.

As Rohr (2007) contends, the President of the United States has vested executive authority as stipulated in the first section of the Second Article of the US Constitution. However, in a country like Tunisia, as has been during the reign of Ben Ali, the president, his family, and his closest friends abused the constitution of that nation due little regard for the law. The constitutionality of the US and her allies getting involved in the Tunisian political landscape rests on safeguarding their national interests.

References

Amara, T. (2011). Tunisian Islamists await word on election win. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/27/us-tunisia-idUSTRE79Q32V20111027

Rohr, J. A. (2007). Ethics and comparative administration. Public Integrity, 10(1), 65–74.

Rohr, M.V. (2011). Why Tunisians voted for the Islamists. Retrieved from http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,794133,00.html

Proliferation of NGOs and Competing Interests in Somalia

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In areas of the world afflicted by clandestine warfare, the absence of effective and stable central governments empower non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to act at the sub-government level consequently emerging as a force to reckon with in the distribution of resources that include medical supplies, relief aids, and infrastructural developments. However, despite the contributions of these organizations, self-interest and competition have become the norm for many freewheeling NGOs devoid of accountability. A case in point is the impoverished, beleaguered, and war-ravaged nation of Somalia located in the Horn of Africa where the absence of an effective central government has been hampering the effective distribution of aid earmarked for regions beset by man-made and natural disasters that include civil war, disease, intra-clan fighting, piracy, drought, and locust invasions among other things. In Somalia, because the government has little presence in the country, NGOs have sprouted almost everywhere forming complex interactions that connect the public and private sector.

Somalia is located in a strategic area of the world making it a perfect spot for powers engaged in competing interests. The transmutation and collapse of the former Soviet Union and the subsequent end of the Cold War enabled the US and her allies to flex muscles. Since the collapse of the central government in 1991 when Major General Mohamed Siyad Barre was overthrown by a ragtag militia headed by General Mohamed Farah Aideed, this Horn of Africa nation has seen competing interests among foreign powers attracted to its strategic position. On the other hand, the rise of al-Shabab, a vicious theocratic extremist group with ties to al-Qaeda energized western nation’s resolve in the region. The West and the weak Somali government are for democratic governance and against al-Shabab emerging victor while al-Shabab and al-Qaeda want the establishment of a sultanate state governed by strict religious values.

Since western governments, the United Nations, and foreign-aid agencies cannot work directly in war-torn regions for fear of putting their employees in harms way, the only option is to let anyone willing to take the risk do the work for them (Mansbach & Rhodes, 2009). Too many people, including leaders of Somalia’s otiose federal government are reaping the fruits while many desperate civilians in need of food, water, and shelter continue to perish everyday. The European Union (EU) through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is responsible for the payment of wages for 550 members of Somalia’s parliament (UNDP, 2011).

Regardless of whether projects funded by western powers, the United Nations, and foreign-aid agencies succeed or not, changing trends in global politics since the end of the Cold War have opened many avenues for NGOs. Developed powers will do everything in their power to ensure their interests gain momentum even in the most hostile environments. NGOs of today relay their resources to major crisis spots of the world even before the arrival of the mighty cameras of CNN, ABC, NBC and other world news media (Mansbach & Rhodes, p. 216).

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the security situation in Somalia is so dire that the agency and its partners are taking advantage of every opportunity to deliver much needed aid to refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. Taking ‘advantage of every opportunity’ include NGOs who are willing to take the bullet. In an interview with a UN official regarding the proliferation of NGOs, Mansbach and Rhodes (2009) found that anybody can form an NGO these days without problems.

Competing interests in Somalia is multifaceted with one side being the US and her allies and partners, the Somali government assisted by the African Union troops known as AMISOM, fundamentalist al-Qaeda and its ally the al-Shabab extremist group, and the many NGOs working hard to making profit while delivering services. Competing interests and misappropriation of funds by NGOs will continue unabated for the foreseeable future in Somalia until the establishment of a stable government. In the case of Somalia, because NGOs are partners at the sub-government level, they will continue to provide the much-needed aid to some of the most affected parts of the country while in return pocketing considerable unaccounted for bounties.

References

Mansbach & Rhodes (2009). Global Politics in a Changing World, p. 216. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Boston. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=fA3Qs_Qq1DwC&pg=PR3&dq=NGOs+competing+interests+in+somalia&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q=NGOs%20competing%20interests%20in%20somalia&f=false

UNHCR (2011). Country operations profile – Somalia. Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e483ad6.html