Organizational Culture - 1980 Words

Three general types of organizational culture—constructive, passive-defensive, aggressive-defensive: The organizational cultural inventory measures 12 sets of normative beliefs or shared behavioral expectations associated with three general types of cultures, Constructive, Passive-Defensive, and Aggressive-Defensive. Constructive cultures—in which members are encouraged to interact with others and approach tasks in ways that will help them meet their higher-order satisfaction needs, are characterized by Achievement, Self-actualizing, Humanistic-Encouraging, and Affiliative norms. Constructive styles strongly associated with satisfaction and low stress (Cooke Szumal, 1993). ï  µ Achievement: pursuing a standard of excellence. ï  µÃ¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Elite: +Values: Authority, performance, Reward -Values: Teamwork, Leadership, Participation, Commitment, Normative, Affiliation. (Unequal Power Equitable) Meritocratic: +Values: Teamwork, Participation, Commitment, Performance, Reward, Normative, Affiliation -Values: Authority, Leadersip. (Equal power Equitable) Leadership: +Values: Authority, Leadership, Teamwork, Commitment, Performance, Reward, Affiliation. -Values: Participation, Normative. (Unequal Power Egalitarian) Collegial: +Values: Teamwork, Participation, Commitment, Performance, Reward, Affiliation. -Values: Authority, leadership, Performance, Reward. (Equal Power Egalitarian) For example, the Elite type represents a â€Å"pure† unequal type with unequal power values combined with inequality-oriented equity values. The Elite value structure emphasizes unequal power relations (authority); de-emphasizes egalitarian power values (participation, normative), and de-emphasizes cohesion values (affiliation, teamwork, commitment, leadership), while emphasizing performance and reward. On the other hand, the Leadership type represents a â€Å"mixed†, compensatory pattern which, while it retains the Elite types’ unequal power orientation, superimposes on the Elite value structure a set of cohesion values that are nevertheless consistent with unequal power relations, namely leadership, teamwork, commitment, and affiliation. LeadershipShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Culture And Organizational Culture1647 Words   |  7 PagesThe importance of culture in the organization The organization culture as a leadership concept has been identified as one of the many components that leaders can use to grow a dynamic organization. Leadership in organizations starts the culture formation process by imposing their assumptions and expectations on their followers. Once culture is established and accepted, they become a strong leadership tool to communicate the leader s beliefs and values to organizational members, and especially newRead MoreOrganizational Culture Essay731 Words   |  3 Pages Edgar Schein, a famous theorists dealing with organizational culture, provides the following definition for the term: A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems that has worked well enough to be considered valid and is passed on to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. (organizationalculture101) However, organizational culture is more than sharing assumptions used by a grou p to solve problems;Read MoreOrganizational Culture Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesOrganizational culture Culture is something that encompasses all of us. It helps us to understand how things are created, acknowledged, developed and managed. In this context, culture helps to define and understand an organisation and how it works and manages. Organizational culture is a shared value system derived over time that guides members as they solve problems, adapts to the external environment, and manage relationship (Schein in Wooten and Crane 2003, Vol. 21(6), p.276). OrganisationalRead More Organizational Culture of Alibaba 1463 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished a strong company organizational culture based on a shared mission, vision and value system as the cornerstone of the company and its subsidiaries. They respect the spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, and focus on meeting the needs of their customers. According to the founder, Jack Ma (August,2013), Alibaba’s organizational culture can be summarized with four simple words: openness, transparency, sharing, and responsibility.It is thank to the organizational culture, Alibaba has launched aRead MoreOrganisational Culture And Organizational Culture1730 Words   |  7 PagesOrganisational culture refers to ‘the shared beliefs and values guiding the thinkin g and behavioural styles of members’ (Cooke and Rousseau, 1988, in Bratton 2010: 334), indicating that employees who accept the common values of an organisation and put great effort on commitments are likely to build up a strong culture to an organisation. Edgar Schein (2004) proposed three levels of organisational culture. As employees go through changes, they gain experiences from the past, adapt to a new environmentRead MoreOrganizational Culture Essay1812 Words   |  8 PagesOrganizational Culture Organizations have personalities like individuals and like individuals, they have enduring and stable traits that help us predict their attitudes and behaviors. An organization’s culture may be hard to define but it has a major impact on the behavior of individuals in the organization. To understand one’s behavior in an organizational culture it helps to understand the dominant culture in an organization and to figure out how individuals come to learn that culture and howRead MoreThe Term Organizational Culture Essay2100 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction A look at simply a couple of works that utilization the term organizational culture will uncover huge variety in the meaning of this term and much all the more in the utilization of the term society has no altered or extensively importance even in human sciences, however variety in its utilization is particularly discernible in the writing on hierarchical society. This is mostly identified with solid contrast in the reason and profundity of books and articles. Be that as it may, likewiseRead MoreThe Organizational Culture of Quinlans3389 Words   |  14 PagesThe Organizational Culture of Quinlans Introduction Quinlan has been UK’s foremost retail giant for a long period of time. By end of 1998 there was evidence of a crisis and since then the company has been on a decline. The company has been ignoring market changes and trying to maintain its corporate image and identity. This has caused the customers to drift to more fashionable brands causing huge loss of business to Quinlan. Presently the company is on a restructuringRead MoreDefining Organizational Culture : An Organization2382 Words   |  10 PagesDefining Organizational Culture With numerous meanings given to organizational culture, scholars claim that the field is grounded in the shared assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors accepted and enacted by employees within an organization, which affect its performance and overall welfare (Belias Koustelios, 2014). Another widespread definition of organizational communication often used by organizational scholars states that: â€Å"Organizational culture is the pattern of basic assumptions that a groupRead MoreQuestions On Organizational Culture And Leadership914 Words   |  4 PagesSchein, E (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership. 2nd ed., San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Edgar Schein outlines those characteristics in better understanding and assessing the culture and climate of an organization. A lot energy and emphasis is focused on the identification and application of an organization’s guiding principles. Schein suggests that our guiding values and principles are important, but it is in the organizations structure, culture, action that describes the true character

Definition Of Functional Level Strategies - 1083 Words

Questions on Chapter 4 1. What is functional level strategies and how it contributes to efficiency? Function strategy is that the approach a purposeful space takes to realize a company and business unit objectives and techniques by maximizing resource and productivity. It is necessary that a company sporadically (at least annually, sometimes as a part of the Medium-term coming up with process) review all purposeful strategy to assure that they re ïÆ'Ëœ Consistent with the business strategy. ïÆ'Ëœ Supportive of the business strategy. ïÆ'Ëœ Consistent with different purposeful strategy. Functional ways square measure developed by specialists in every space. purposeful ways work as a backbone of the organization. It provides the fundamental info on†¦show more content†¦Once economists square measure talking concerning economies of scale, they re typically talking concerning internal economies scales. These square measure the benefits gained by a private firm by increasing its size so having larger or additional plants. Economies of scales square measure the worth beneficiaries with the aim of a production gain feeling to growth. Once economists square measure conversations concerning economies of scale, they re typically discussion concerning internal economies scale. These squares measure the advantages gained by a personal firm by increasing its size so as that having larger or extra plants. Internal and external economies of scale: Managerial economies:- As a firm grows, there s larger potential for managers to specialize in explicit tasks .specialist managers area unit seemingly to be additional economical as they possess a high level of experience, expertise and qualifications compared to 1 person during a smaller firm attempting to perform all of those roles. Financial economies: - several little businesses realize it laborious to get finance and once to get finance is commonly quite high. This can be as a result of little businesses that have developed an honest data. Massive corporations thus realize it easier to seek out potential loaner and to boost cash at lower interest rates. Research and development economies:-A massive firm will have a quest and development department, since running such a developmentShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Internal Planning On Strategic Planning921 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of DSS in Strategic Planning Casey Matta Walden University Business Intelligence Business Intelligence, also referred to as BI, has been defined in many ways. The earliest definition comes from 1958. At this time business intelligence â€Å"was seen as the ability to apprehend the interrelationships of presented facts in such a way as to guide actions towards a desired goal† (Turning Data into Actionable Information). Business Intelligence encompasses the following elements: Reporting,Read MoreStrategy Levels Companies Approach Essay1165 Words   |  5 PagesStrategy levels are an easy way to determine various responsibilities involved in implementation and strategy formulation. â€Å"A convenient way to classify levels of strategy in view corporate-level strategy as responsible for market definition, business-level strategy is responsible for market navigation, and functional-level strategy as the foundation that supplies both of these† (Advameg, Strategy Levels, 2011). Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and Sarnoff are companies that use different approa ch to businessRead MoreEvaluating The Functional Areas Of Management1668 Words   |  7 PagesWHAT IS STRATEGY There are different definitions of strategy. However, for the purpose of this research, we must select a definition. According to Tony Proctor (2000), a strategy is a plan that integrates an organization’s major goals, policies, decisions, and sequences of action into cohesive whole. It can be  ¬applied at all levels in an organization and pertain to any of the functional areas of management. Thus there may be production, financial, marketing, personnel and corporate strategies, justRead MoreA Strategic Framework for Customer Relationship Management1494 Words   |  6 Pagescomprehensive CRM strategy followed by its successful implementation. The objective is to highlight CRM’s role in enhancing customer value and, in turn the shareholder value. Various CRM and marketing experts, who provide their views in the article, emphasize the need for a cross-functional, process-oriented approach which identifies three alternative perspectives of CRM within a holistic organiza tional context. They try to identify five key cross-functional CRM processes starting from a strategy developmentRead MoreFunctional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Support Plans1202 Words   |  5 PagesFunctional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Support Plan Haley Floyd Grand Canyon University: SPE 522 September 21, 2011 Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Support Plan The importance of the Functional Behavior Assessments lies in the 1997 Reauthorization of IDEA that mandates â€Å"the use of FBA and BPS to address chronic and excessive problem behaviors† (Wheeler amp; Richey, 2010). More specifically IDEA states in Sec. 1414(d)(3)(B)(i), that: â€Å"In the case of a child whose behaviorRead MoreLogistics: Management and Supply Chain1566 Words   |  7 Pagesvriad@hr.nl Rotterdam, 00 januari 2007 6-1 Corporate strategy Business strategy Operations Strategy Mission Objectives (cost, quality, flexibility, delivery) Functional strategies in marketing, finance, engineering, human resources, and information systems Strategic Decisions (process, quality system, capacity, and inventory) Distinctive Competence Consistent pattern of decisions Operations Strategy Process (Figure 2.1) 2-2 Course organization Logistics Read MoreBachelor1506 Words   |  7 Pagesinformation flows between different levels of management. Basically, a structure depends on the organization’s strategy and its objectives. In centralized structure, the top management makes a decision and 1 does the control upon other departments. In decentralized structure, any departments have the power for decision making. Hence the structure in any organization is inevitable. 2.1 Organizational structure of Carlsberg Carlsberg is structured as horizontal Functional approach, and is followingRead MoreExternal and Customer Analysis1353 Words   |  6 PagesStrategy Resources Glossary Action Item Definition: A unit within an action plan. Each action item should include the following: Person responsible Measure of success Due date Action Plan Definition: A set of tasks assigned to an individual or team that lists targets for each task as well as due dates, responsible persons, and measures for success. Action plans illustrate for individuals or teams how they will affect the completion of organization-wide objectives Balanced Scorecard Definition:Read MoreCustomer Relationship Management : Definitions Of Customer Relationships966 Words   |  4 Pagesrelationship management Definitions of customer relationship management Kumar and Reinartz (2012, p.4) defined CRM as a process companies analyse marketing database and leverage communication technologies to find practices and methods to maximise lifetime value of each customer to the firms. In this definition, the authors focus on customer value which is the economic value customers receive after they interact with the organisations. The most important part of a CRM strategy is to identify differentRead MoreMarketing Functions Within The Organization1084 Words   |  5 PagesAdvertising and Selling is only part of the whole marketing process. There are many definitions used to describe marketing. One of the most commonly accepted definitions of marketing today comes from the American Marketing Association: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large (ama, 2015). In other words, it is a total system o f interacting

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I Want Key Card Locks And Metal Detectors - 881 Words

3. How to Make Schools Safe To begin with, the first thing I will do to make schools safer is to install key card locks and metal detectors in every entrance. The reason why I want key card locks is because only faculty and students would have special key cards that would let them into the building and people without the key cards could not enter the building. This prevents any unauthorized personal to enter the building and endanger the faculty and students. The reason why schools need metal sectors is to make sure faculty or students are not carrying a dangerous weapon with them. Also, the schools should bring in a Police Officer so the kids can be educated by a person who knows about safety and protection. This will give students a better knowledge of gun safely. Another, idea is to have a gun drive in the local community. The reason why we should have a gun drive so people could trade in their guns for money. The reason why this is important is because young kids are curious and adventures. They can find a nything in the house even if the parent puts stuff in a safe place. I guarantee kids will find items even though parents thought the area was a safe place. Kids will find items like guns because they think it looks cool and will bring them to school to show their friends. Then a kid will be injured or killed because they were playing with the weapon during recess or gym. Therefore, a gun drive would eliminate guns from homes because parents can not watch their kidsShow MoreRelated Public Vrs. Private Essay2244 Words   |  9 Pagesbusiness as usual you think. You and your friends walk up to the door and wait in line for the metal detectors. You put your keys in the tray and walk through the detector, it goes off. Two cops walk up to check your backpack. Pager in the pocket got to go back to the car and put it away. Back through the metal detectors and they do not go off, thank God. You go to first period, sit in your seat and the teacher locks the door. The drug dogs must be comin g today. Second period and the dogs are still hereRead MoreSchool Shootings : A Nationwide Epidemic1778 Words   |  8 PagesBernardino, 14 people were murdered by 2 people that allegedly had ties to ISIS. Although officers responded in a matter of minutes, that speed isn’t always available, especially in rural areas. Is this the beginning of a change in America? I believe this is so and I also believe mass shootings should be addressed more specifically school shootings because the means of protection aren’t there. â€Å"Since 2013, there have been at least 161 school shootings in America- an average of nearly one a week.† (161Read MoreWhat Would You Do With Mary?3212 Words   |  13 Pagesa worker, it will be important to arrange for an interpreter to assist Mary in explaining her situation. As English is her second language, she may be more comfortable talking about her experience in her native language and a good interpreter is a key element in empowering her in the process. However, care should be taken while enlisting an interpreter to ensure that the interpreter is unknown to the family and will not breach confidentiality by relating Mary’s situation to other members of her communityRead MoreRooms Division Management : Individual Project Essay3837 Words   |  16 PagesArrangement Fixture Arrangement Fitting Arrangements Guest Room Amenities 11 12 12 12 13 Drawing Explanation Explanation Explanation Explanation 8 8A 8B Cleaning of Guest Rooms Cleaning of Public Areas 13 13 Table Table 9 9A 9B 9C Innovations in Guest Room Keys Innovations in Internet services (Wi-Fi) Innovations in Room Temperature control 14 14 15 Explanation Explanation Explanation 10 10 Referencing 15 Explanation Answers 1] Organisational chart of the Rooms division department:- Rooms Division DepartmentRead MoreClubs and Non Profit Organizations8113 Words   |  33 PagesIntroduction What’s the deal? Clubs are very common establishments in our society. Firstly, before I further explain all the required information, we have to understand that a club operates differently as compared to a normal business/enterprise. The most imperative difference between a business and this sports club is that a business is established with the aim of generating profit which the owner is entitled to because the owner is the person who provides the start-up capital. The low down Read MoreRfid at the Metro Group Essay9896 Words   |  40 Pages(active system). Research and development in radar and radio-frequency communication systems continued through the 1950s and 1960s. In 1973, an American entrepreneur was awarded a patent for a passive transponder used to unlock a door without a key. When a card with an embedded transponder communicated a signal to a reader near the door, the reader detected a valid identity number stored within the RFID tag and unlocked the door. A similar idea, an automated toll payment system, was commercialized inRead MoreGsm Based Anti Theft System11765 Words   |  48 PagesREQUIREMENTS 4.1 TRANSFORMERS 4.2 VOLTAGE REGULATOR (LM7805) 4.3 RECTIFIER 4.4 FILTER 4.5 MICROCONTROLLER (AT89S52/C51) 4.6 GSM COMMUNICATION 4.7 GSM MODEM 4.9 SMART CARD MODULE 4.10 KEYPAD 4.11 LCD DISPLAY 4.12 MAX-232 4.13 DB9 CONNECTOR 4.14 ENERGY METER 4.15 BC547 4.15 OPTOCOUPLER 4.16 1N4007 4.17 RESISTOR 4.18 Read MoreHotel and Hospitality Industry22258 Words   |  90 Pagesachieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, you are able to: D1 evaluate the contribution of P1 compare and contrast the P2 assess the impact of key DR AF P3 describe the terms influences on the industry by describing the key influences Assessment activity 1, page xx ‘hospitality’ and ‘catering’ Assessment activity 1, page xx P6 explain the differences between types of operations Assessment activity 1, page xx P7 explainRead MoreCloud Computing Security67046 Words   |  269 Pages........................................................... 6 An Editorial Note on Risk ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Section I. Cloud Architecture ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Domain 1: Cloud Computing Architectural Framework ................................Read MoreCfi Oral Plan of Action17474 Words   |  70 PagesCFI-I Oral Plan of Action Objective: Discussion of the elements related to Basic fundamentals of Fundamentals of Instruction, Technical Subject Areas, Preflight Planning. Contents: Fundamentals of Instruction Review Certificates and Documents Airworthiness Requirements Weather Information IFR Cross-Country Flight Planning National Airspace Technical Subject Areas Regulations and Publications Operations of Systems Aeromedical Aircraft Systems, Flight Instruments, and Navigational

Slave Dbq Free Essays

Julie Giaimo DBQ Going back to 1619, Africans were bought to America and sold to Americans as workers. It wasn’t long before slavery became a controversial issue. Over the course of almost two and a half centuries the debate of weather to continue or abolish slavery went on. We will write a custom essay sample on Slave Dbq or any similar topic only for you Order Now The supporters and the abolitionist had their arguments on how they viewed slavery, and the government played their part too. Those who supported slavery were for the most part southerners. Senator John C. Calhoun states that slavery is a â€Å"positive good†. He says that through slavery, the conditions of the races improved physically, morally, and intellectually and the two races of black and white were brought together. Calhoun also says that the living conditions for the slaves were good and they were taken care of. But in reality, the slaves were living in shacks fearing for their lives and hoping not to get beaten by their slave owner after a long hard day of working in the blistering sun on the plantations (document 2). Another man against the abolition of slavery is Chancellor Harper. According to Harper, the emancipated slaves would harm the economy of the United States and Europe. This is because he believed that the free laborers would strike against working for higher pays and they wouldn’t do their jobs, thus affecting the trade. The slaves did get paid but very low amounts compared to the hard work that they put into their jobs (document 3). Those were some arguments of people who supported slavery and believed that it should be continued. People who didn’t believe in slavery are known as abolitionist. How to cite Slave Dbq, Essay examples

Dialogue in Education free essay sample

In nearly every debate the ultimate motive is to prove that one side is right and the other is inherently wrong, rarely leaving any room for middle ground. Sadly, because of debate’s prevalence throughout society, American culture and education has been deduced to lecturing and mere dualistic contention. From news shows to elementary classrooms, logic and reason serve as the gateway to discovering truths, according to western education. But what exactly are the consequences of a debate-centered education system, and can America make changes in order to diminish any negative consequences? For one, it is evident that in comparison to Asian nations, American education is lacking. When it comes to academic achievement, according to the International Business Times, the US is ranked 17th in the world (Gayathri). Additionally, research has shown that Americans do not appreciate education like many Asian nationals who value knowledge as, â€Å"integral to what it means to be a person, and that socialization, education knowledge and morality are inseparable† (Alexander 11). In order to address these two issues and better America’s education system, one solution does not exist. A hybrid of solutions must be explored. The two articles The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue and The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime, written by Deborah Tannen and Malcolm Gladwell, respectively, offer two theories that could revolutionize western education. By considering, and possibly implementing, the authors’ theories regarding the importance of dialogue and the influential power of our environment, America would permanently improve its education system. In her article, Deborah Tannen mentions an important consequence of the debate pedagogy dominating western school systems: â€Å"The tendency to value formal, objective knowledge over relational, intuitive knowledge,† she claims, â€Å"grows out of our notion of education as training for debate† (405). The Georgetown professor addresses the agonistic, debate focused educational system by referring to it as warlike, â€Å"deeply rooted in Western tradition, going back to the ancient Greeks† (Tannen 402) American education has always been centered on discovering abstract truth through the debate of two ideas. Tannen explains how seeking to prove others wrong, as opposed to discovering new ideas or solutions, has become an end in itself (413). For example, western education teaches that academic essays are, for the most part, only supposed to be written in direct opposition to another essay. If an author fails to objectively choose a side, then their opinion is often considered unnecessary. But how can we expect students to think creatively and discover new solutions when they are only told to tear down and refute already presented ideas? Tannen considers this very question. Despite the millennium long roots in western society, she believes America is capable of altering its education system to a more dialogue based method of teaching, and explains the benefits of doing so. Early in her article, Tannen asks readers to compare the contention filled western education model with that of the dialogue dominated Chinese culture. As stated earlier, many Asian nations, including China, have far surpassed the US in academic achievement, and Tannen believes the inherent presence of dialogue throughout their culture may be the reason why. She explains how educating children by using a dialogic approach fosters an increased access to knowledge because â€Å"the aim [is] to ‘enlighten an inquirer,’ no to ‘overwhelm the opponent’† (403). Whereas, in western culture and education, critical response is limited to critique; therefore, students are, â€Å"not doing the other kinds of critical thinking that could be helpful; looking for new insights, new perspectives, new ways of thinking, new knowledge†- all processes made possible through dialogue (414). Consider Asian talk shows, for example. As opposed to American shows such as the O’Reilly Factor, Chinese talk shows portray how approaching a situation from many perspectives instead of simply two opposing viewpoints can be very beneficial (Tannen 422). Not only does adding multiple perspectives expand the possibility of discovering solutions, but it diffuses arguments into discussions instead of escalating them into tension-filled disagreements, as debate often does. Western society allows debate to dominate over any type of dialogue, thus snuffing out the possibility of exploring already proposed ideas. If a dialogue mentality was adopted into western education, however, people would no longer instinctively view solutions and truths from within the constraints of a limited, directly opposing argument. Rather, many people would search for other solutions instead of remaining intent on proving an idea right or wrong. With problems becoming more complex annually, and the US becoming more globalised, solutions to problems are no longer linear and as clear cut as before. Multiple perspectives and opinions must be considered, and without dialogue in the classroom, we are only preparing students to carry a one-dimensional mindset in a world that requires multifaceted solutions. Nevertheless, many authors believe that dialogue in the classroom does more than prepare students to solve the most complex problems. They argue that dialogue lays the entire foundations of a â€Å"good society†. For example, in his essay Education as Dialogue, Professor Robin Alexander from the University of Cambridge concurs with, and expounds upon, the benefits of dialogue that Tannen mentions. Dialogue, unknown to most, is more than conversation. â€Å"Dialogue requires willingness and skill to engage with minds, ideas and ways of thinking other than our own; it involves the ability to question, listen, reflect, reason, explain, speculate, and explore ideas†¦dialogue within the classroom lays the foundations of social cohesion, active citizenship and the good society† (Alexander 2). Clearly, Alexander believes dialogue in the classroom determines a student’s behavior and the behavior of society as a whole. What may seem extremely trivial, such as how a question is posed in the classroom, can affect the fate of society and â€Å"our private lives,† according to Alexander and Tannen (Tannen 426). Alexander believes dialogue is imperative during the primary education years due to the human brain’s expanded learning power throughout that time period. According to his research: Neuroscience shows us that between birth and adolescence, brain metabolism is 150 per cent of its adult level, and synaptogenesis, or the growth of brain connections, causes the brain’s volume to quadruple. In this process language plays a vital part†¦The period from birth †¦to adolescence [is] critical for all subsequent development, for during this phase of life the brain restructures itself†¦Language, and especially talk, help drive that process (Alexander 6). With dialogue having such a monumental effect on society’s structure and people’s ability to discover truth, it is crucial the US education system begin utilizing a pedagogy focused on dialogue as early as elementary school. It is important to note, however, that Alexander does not believe debate or recitation pedagogies should be thrown out, but rather included alongside dialogue for the most effective teaching to occur (7). Alexander’s notion that the educational environment plays a pivotal role in student behavior leads to Gladwell’s discussion of behavior and the Power of Context Theory. Gladwell attributes human behavior to what he believes is quite a radical idea. In his article, he searches to discover what causes behaviors to â€Å"stick† or become pervasive, and at what point a government or organization becomes able to make a societal change. The article covers New York City’s drop in crime rates during the 1990s, attributing the decline to the Broken Window Theory by claiming that people’s behavior is heavily influenced by their environment. Thus, small things, such as graffiti or dilapidated buildings, will inevitably lead to increased crime. His Power of Context Theory is quite similar, claiming that the immediate context of one’s environment is most important in guiding one’s actions (Gladwell 164). Essentially, â€Å"behavior is a function of social context†, and, â€Å"it isn’t just serious criminal behavior that is sensitive to environmental cues, it is all behavior† (Gladwell 159,165). With this reasoning, it becomes simple to see how the Power of Context can be applied to the realm of education. For the first twenty-two years of most students’ lives, their most influential environment is school. Just as Gladwell explains people’s behavior is influenced by the appearance of buildings and side-walks, a student’s behavior is defined by the environment set by a school’s physical appearance. Naturally, the debate of whether determinism or constructivism is the main cause for one’s behavior arises. It seems to reason, according to Tannen, Alexander and Gladwell that determinism wins and whether people like it or not, they are molded by their environment. As a result, in order to maximize student learning, school systems must make every effort to improve classroom environment as much as they are able. While clean buildings ensure students are not distracted from learning, dialogue serves as the â€Å"Stickiness Factor† of an environment according to Gladwell (164). This is what Tannen is referring to when she talks of relational knowledge in the quote mentioned earlier. It is the ‘x-factor’ of personal connection that engages a student and brings them fully into dialogue. Tannen gives the example of an elementary student who brought a rock to class for show-and-tell. He spoke of the rock’s personal meaning to him, quickly tying contextual and emotional strings to the object. The teacher redirected the student and began to ask questions relating to facts about the lava instead of the relation between him and the lava. â€Å"The example†, says Tannen, â€Å"shows  the focus of education on formal rather than relational knowledge – information about the rock that has meaning out of context, rather than information tied to the context† (405). According to Gladwell, keeping things in context is all-important, and that is exactly what dialogue does. Bringing American education back to the top â€Å"can be done through the influence of special kinds of people, people of extraordinary personal connection†¦it can be done by changing the content of communication [dialogue], by making a message so memorable that it sticks in someone’s mind† (Gladwell 164). By building rapport. Applying the Power of Context to education may seem as a bit of a stretch, â€Å"but in reality it is no more than an obvious and commonsensical extension of the Power of Context, because it says simply that children are powerfully shaped by their external environment† (Gladwell 165). A mixture of the approaches mentioned above could very well serve as Gladwell’s â€Å"Tipping Point† to move the US back into contention as a world leader in education. A core argument against implementing dialogue into western education is the effectiveness of doing so. Unlike Asian nations where collectivity is already stressed in their culture, American culture focuses on competition and individualism, and therefore lacks natural collectivity in the classroom and society. Alexander notes, â€Å"In a British and American context, shifting towards a more collective and less individualistic learning culture may demand considerably more than it does in Asian classrooms, where the collective principle is more firmly established† (9). Nevertheless, despite Asian schools being able to easily introduce collectivity through dialogue, they have failed to implement reciprocity into education. Alexander believes, â€Å"Interaction which is collective without being reciprocal remains monologic and therefore suitable only for transmission teaching† (9). What he means by reciprocal is the willingness of the student and teacher to ask and answer questions. With reciprocity, the two listen to each other and give consideration to each other’s comments, â€Å"questions are framed on the assumption that there are alternative answers, some of them unanticipated†¦ideas are exchanged and it is accepted that students know things which teachers do not† (Alexander 5). Implementing reciprocity is a matter of choosing to alter the immediate environment, as Gladwell would state, and does not require a societal connection in order to be implemented with ease. Others would also argue that the US has already implemented dialogue into the classroom with the popular adoption of the Socratic Method. However, according to philosopher Janice Moulton, Americans have misinterpreted the Socratic Method as a process of asking questions to lead someone into admitting error (Tannen 414). The true Socratic Method was to discover new insight by â€Å"asking questions rather than merely accepting what one is told† (Alexander 9). Essentially, the true adoption of the Socratic Method would utilize reciprocal discussion to discover a solution neither side initially proposed. Reciprocity is a pillar of dialogue that Asia lacks and America is capable of implementing. In fact, due to the stress on respecting authority, many Asian nations would be extremely wary of reciprocity in its schools. America could easily use reciprocity in education to maximize the results of dialogue and improve its educational standings in comparison with Asia. Each of the theories presented serve as a possible solution to improve American education, and collectively have the potential of revolutionizing society. This may seem to be a drastic statement, but according to Alexander, dialogue, â€Å"may be one of the keys to our survival as a species† (10). While the reasoning for much of this may seem theoretical, authors Brian Ripley and Randy Clemens outline how community dialogue in Lynchburg, VA and Syracuse, NY have already significantly built trust and tolerance amongst residents (Everyday Democracy).