Professional areas

The professional map is a guideline that offers clear directions on how one can go about different activities within various HR professional fields. It encompasses qualities, specific methods, and elements that shape professional life of an individual. The map’s main objective is to maintain expert competence but not limited to a firm’s structure, role, and level. Moreover, it covers a wide scope of HR professions that can fit anywhere in the cooperative world such as from a small business to large-scale enterprise. The founders of the map were experts that covered all aspects of the professional life hence equipping it with the dynamic ability to remain relevant in each sector of the market (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

Insights, strategies, and solutions are the two professional areas. These core areas help to enhance understanding of any firm or company and their context. Consequently, an organization can use the information to make custom solutions to their problems. On the other hand, the leading HR is in form of leadership and makes use of HR components that offer systematic support by measuring, development, and ensuring other factors are stable across the board (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

Under the professional area, organization structure is essential in delivery of a firm’s goals in both the long and short term. On other hand, aligning the goals of an organization with the skill set available improves performance and enhances strategy. Consequently, the effectiveness of an organization increases. Design interventions establish proper ways of conducting activities within a firm, which in turn increases productivity. Still under the professional area, training and development or advancement equips staff members with the ability to meet hefty demands from the market without compromising on the quality service or product. Under the performance category of the professional area, it assists to come up with a hard working culture within the organization by rewarding employees after they deliver quality work. This motivates the workers to consistently deliver more work (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

The bands encompass all the tasks and information within the professional map. There are four bands. Each band shows competencies and contribution of HR experts in each stage of their careers. For instance, the social link between HR experts with clients. Hence, the bands are like guideline to development and planning. The first band deals with delivery basics, the second band is advisory and fact based, the third band consultancy and cooperative. Lastly, the fourth band acts on leadership skills and coaching. As one moves from one band to the next, there are certain problems experienced. However, the challenges are normal there are strategies that enable smooth transition (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

The first band enhances understanding and evaluates opportunities within a market. It achieves its goals by utilizing past experiences, training in order to increase awareness on  an organization so that one can carry out his or her activities in context of the exact situation within the particular organization. Working with the goal of organization in mind increases productivity. The second band uses an enterprise’s information to come up with a strategy that covers all aspects of an organization that moves the workforce forward. This band does not ignore people’s experiences and perspectives as they can also shape productivity within an organization. The third band evaluates complex data, which consequently gives a glimpse into the current situation of the organization and how to go about challenges. The last band includes social, economic and politics aspects. The management and incorporation of the three sectors taps into potential market and opportunities. After coming up with a foundation of the four bands, all plans fall into place (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

There are certain behaviors that HR professionals need to exhibit as they conduct and carry out their duties. Bands of competencies contain the behaviors experts need in order to carry out their responsibilities successfully. Being curious helps one to learn more and go an extra mile while maintaining an open mind and a strong sense of creative thinking that propels his duties further. Being a role model solidifies one’s character as it one act in an exemplary manner that will portray them as leaders. Being courageous gives an expert the strength to face challenges and heavy duties without giving up (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

 The organization’s design is to analyze and pick the best strategic plan for the business. An effective organization design is subject to review, as it has to achieve both long and short-term goals of an organization. If the design does not help in meeting the aims, changing it would be the best chance. It is vital to note that changing an organization’s design must be in line with technical professional areas and incorporate central areas. In order to come up with a design, under the first band, one should consider revising sectors that contain weakness and create proper strategies of enhancement. Also producing areas that increase efficiencies is a critical way of updating an organization’s design. Under the second band, manages should inform on areas that can upgrade efficiency within an organization. The third band is to utilize senior administrators come up with effective designs that can steer the company and fulfill objectives and strategies. By using the last band, change in the internal structure of an organization can be subject to a review even without negative results on site. Hence, altering a design should occur after sometime as it increases chances of achieving certain objectives. In short, an organization design should produce maximum results by examining professional areas (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

The organization’s development isolates organizational and the ability of each employee’s necessities. Then it organizes, workers, procedures into an effective system, able to achieve immediate and long-term goals. Defining policies helps to contextualizes information and reveals the challenges within an organization. In fact, managers and other senior stakeholders may carry out an evaluation to determine whether a team charged with the responsibility of carrying the mantle of the organization forward is capable of delivering quality, efficient work (The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards).

In short, the professional map is a guidance with articulated information that sheds light on critical issues in the HR professional field. The guide is a gold mine full of strategies and solutions to an organization’s structures and goals. It takes into consideration personal opinion, experiences and contextualizes challenges to fit the current state of the organization.

References

The CIPD profession Map Our Professional Standards. Pdf

Prevention, Mitigation, and Preparedness and Community Resilience in Disaster Response

 In conducting the research, two mitigation strategies that I believe can do best are setting mitigation goals and mitigation actions. Mitigation goals entail setting long-term policies for managing hazard. It is the role of the planning team to understand the risk and create plans. In order to come up with the goals, they should create a problem statement, state the themes from the outreach findings, review the community goals to ensure consistency with the new goals and state the mitigation goals to the State's plan (Chandra, 2011). If the disaster actually occurred, the efficiency of the strategy would be achieved by asking a question like ‘what are the short-term and long-term outcomes that the community seek to accomplish? This question will help the planning team come up with goals that focus on minimizing hazards. They will not only create goals but they will also find the best ways to achieve those goals.

 The second strategy is the mitigation actions. This entails setting projects and identifying the activities and implementing the actions to minimize the hazards. For example, the planning team may create local plans, come up with structural projects, education programs, and response actions. After creating mitigation actions, it is important to implement the actions by using the existing mechanism such as community plans and policies. The implementation also means finding the responsible agencies, funding mechanisms, and available financial resources (Chandra, 2011). If the disaster actually occurred, it is important to ask a question like ‘who are the stakeholders? What actions should be taken to minimize the hazard?' By understanding the stakeholders and people responsible for managing the hazard and stating the specific actions will be easier to solve the problem.

 The best preparedness strategies are identifying the special needs population and use the community-based organization to prepare for the disaster. The first step in preparedness should be finding the at-risk populations. The efficiency of the strategy would be achieved by asking ‘who is at risk?'. This will help identify the specific group that is vulnerable and provide the necessary resources required for preparedness (Chandra, 2011).

The second preparedness strategy is joining hands with the relevant organizations. This entails creating an emergency plan and involving the community-based organizations to offer long-term care. In other words, the stakeholders should engage in operational readiness and this includes employing all-hazard approach and empowering the existing capacities (Chandra, 2011). This strategy would efficient if the responsible team member asks themselves ‘who the stakeholders are and which organization should we involve or collaborate with to prepare for the emergency?  By so doing, the team will consider the need to look for response effort from relevant organizations.

Reference

Chandra, A. (2011). Building community resilience to disasters: A way forward to enhance national

health security. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.

Facility location decision

 Facility location is an important step that shows the organization has growth-oriented objectives for the purpose of satisfying the customers with products and services. For the organization to create a sufficient access to goods and services and gain the competitive advantage, it should make strategic decisions based on developing manufacturing unit in the right location (Sule, 2008). After coming up with the strategic decision, managers should consider several factors. Focusing on the case at hand, I have the responsibility as a manager to make decisions based on the location of the third restaurant in a suburb of a medium-sized city (Sule, 2008). The following is the information I will need from my employee before analyzing the location alternatives. I may need a lot of information but first of all, I will only require the important information or the main factors to consider;

• Political factors

Politics should be a key determinant in making decisions for facility location.This means that it is important to investigate whether the specific areas has favorable local government policies,   whether the local government is stable and the consistency of policies (Sule, 2008). Some locations may have favorable regulation while others may keep on changing the rules and this may affect the business long-term decisions.

• Regulations

 The organization that decides to analyze the location alternatives should know that there are many local government regulations that can affect the new firm. Thus, the employee should find out the rules and regulations and whether they will restrict the company from succeeding. I would need information regarding the compensation law, insurance law, environmental law, and the legal system (Sule, 2008).

• Attitudes

 Population attitude is very important as it affects the company in a positive or negative way.  Thus, I would like information regarding the community attitude to underhand whether the attitude will make the company or it will mar.

• Cultural and economic issues

 I also need information regarding social factors such as cultural differences, demography, spending habits, cultural events and quality of life. In general, it is important to underhand the community in terms of the way people live and think.

• Competition

 Selecting the location requires an understanding of the level of competition to evaluate whether the company will maximize profits and maintain the competitive edge.

• Market characterizes

 Before analyzing the location alternatives, it is important to consider customers and market.  Since the goal of locating the third restaurant is to serve customers, the employee should conduct a research and understand the potential markets, the purchasing power, the potential growth, and transportation costs (Sule, 2008).

Reference

Sule R. Dileep. (2008). Manufacturing Facilities: Location, Planning, and Design, Third Edition. CRC Press.

 Disaster management

            A city in Midwest U.S has been hit by a tornado that has destroyed four major hospitals and the emergency services dispatch center in the area. As a member of the emergency and crisis response team, the first priority is to guarantee the safety of the people present in the area and ensure that any person injured gets the appropriate medical attention in the shortest time possible, however, due to the destruction caused by the tornado, especially to the hospitals and emergency center, it will be rather difficult to offer fast emergency assistance and to coordinate efforts to ensure that everyone is safe and those injured are attended to. Therefore, as part of the emergency and crisis management team, the first step will be to develop and implement a response plan followed by a mitigation plan that will help in identifying all the people present in the area when the tornado hit; create a system to identify those that need urgent medical attention; giving first aid to those injured; offering counseling; and even trying to restore the city to functioning position so as to speed up the recovery process.

            The response plan will include measures taken to protect the lives of the people in the area; prevent any further damage of property and ensure that the people do not come to any further harm; create a system to identify the injured, those that can assist in the recovery; and ensure that the disaster preparedness plan are well implemented (FEMA, 206). The first step in the response plan will be to create an emergency service dispatch center. Since the city’s dispatch center was destroyed by the tornado, establishing a new one will be crucial to ease the flow of operations. The dispatch center will act as an information collection point where city residents and visitors will be required to give personal information as well as the whereabouts of their family and friends (Alexander, 2015). The information will be used to keep track of all the people in the area, how many have been identified and how many are still missing. The center will also be responsible for trying to find medical institutions to treat those in need of medical assistance and keep records of where each individual is taken.

            The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National response Framework (NRF) will assist the crisis management team in implementing the response plan. The organizations will bear the responsibility of reviewing and coordinating emergency plans, supervise the disaster response and recovery activities carried out by the disaster and crisis management teams as well as creating guidelines on what procedures will be followed (FEMA, 2018). They will also be responsible for allocation of funds and seeking medical institutions to assist the injured as well as take care of the costs.

            The disaster management will also include a mitigation plan which will focus on reducing the damage caused by the tornado even after it has passed. As a safety precaution, the mitigation plan will start by moving the rescued civilians to a more secure location, preferably away from the affected area (Alexander, 2015). To prevent further damages, all houses still standing after the tornado will be examined and those likely to collapse will be market to help people identify buildings that are not safe. The mitigation plan will also focus on creating a better tornado warning system. Since it is impossible to prevent the occurrence of a tornado, the best mitigation efforts will be focused towards warning people early in advance so that they seek shelter in secure locations.

            Further mitigation will include building shelters aimed at housing people during a tornado event. While warning citizens about a tornado threat is important, providing a place for them to seek shelter will greatly reduce the loss of life and bodily damage that they may endure when the tornado strike (Alexander, 2015). The shelters should be well stocked and equipped with all the basic necessities that people will need as they wait out the tornado. The mitigation plan will therefore factor in guidelines on what people ought to do when a tornado occurs so as to ensure they get to the shelters safely as well as be comfortable as they wait for the danger to pass.

            FEMA will also work with the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) to come up with mitigation strategies that will help the city to be better prepared for future disasters. Their duties will include providing subsidies to the local and state government to assist in managing crisis management programs, train the crisis management teams in the area on how to prevent or prepare for disasters so as to ensure that the least damage and loss of life occurs in case of a disaster and offer financial assistance to help in preparedness of disasters and implementation of the mitigation plan (Labrador, 2018). They will also bear the responsibility of training crisis management teams to prepare them to tackle future disasters as well as sourcing capital to fund the disaster mitigation plan.

            The main difficulties that the community is likely to encounter have to do with accessing basic amenities such as shops, schools and medical institutions. The destruction experienced in the whole city greatly damaged the infrastructure and thus making it difficult to access such amenities. The destruction of the four major hospitals for instance will make it difficult to get quality medical care and solutions need to be found to remedy the situation (SE, 2018). Another difficulty has to do with utilizing funds allocated to assist with the relief after the tornado. With the destruction of the emergency dispatch center, it will be difficult to assess which areas need the most assistance and distributing funds will experience great challenges as a result. However, as part of the disaster management plan, the emergency response plan will try and find a solution for the problem so as to aid in giving relief to those who need it the most.

            The difficulties experienced when offering relief after the tornado are mainly caused by the lack of an emergency dispatch center. To remedy the situation, the best approach will be to set up a temporary dispatch center that will handle all responsibilities during the calamity and after it is resolved until a permanent dispatch center is set up (Alexander, 2015). The center will be established in a strategic position, near to the area most affected by the tornado and at a place that is easily accessible. The location will also be selected in consideration of the safety and security that will guarantee its survival in the event of another tornado (FEMA, 2015). The emergency dispatch center will be equipped with the guidelines needed to educate disaster and crisis management teams on how to cope with future disasters in case they occur.

            With the destruction of the four major hospitals, the new dispatch center will also follow up and keep records of where injured patients are sent to seek medical assistance. Due to the chaos and confusion caused by the tornado, the dispatch center will bring order by making records available to all interested parties so as to assist them in finding their loved ones (Alexander, 2015). The center will also keep records regarding disaster response and mitigation practices undertaken to cope with the damages caused by the tornado as well as measures taken to restore the city to the state it was before the tornado. The records will act as a basis of reference not just to prepare the city and disaster response teams react to future disasters but also help to structure the guidelines on what needs to be done when training disaster and crisis management teams.

            Although tornadoes and other natural disasters cannot be prevented, it is important to prepare for what approaches to take when they do occur in order to limit the damage to property and loss of human life experienced as a result. Crisis management plans must therefore be put in place to respond to disasters as well as set up mitigation plans to prevent further damages from being experienced in future. The aim of the disaster management plan should therefore be to offer assistance to those affected by the tornado; attempt to restore the city to its original state; and prevent further loss and damages from occurring not only after the disaster has struck but also in future.

References

Alexander D, (2015) “Disaster and emergency planning for preparedness, response and    recovery” Natural Hazard Science, retrieved from,             http://naturalhazardscience.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.001.00   01/acrefore-9780199389407-e-12

 FEMA, (2016) “Emergency support functions” retrieved from, https://www.fema.gov/media-            library/resources-documents/collections/533

FEMA, (2018) “National disaster recovery framework” retrieved from,      https://www.fema.gov/national-disaster-recovery-framework

Labrador C, (2018) “U.S disaster relief at home and abroad” Council on Foreign Relations,          retrieved from, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-disaster-relief-home-and-abroad

South Eastern University, (2012) “Emergency preparedness and crisis management plan”

2 Steps one need to follow before reporting to the board of directors

The first step is to single out the agenda that one will converse with the board of directors. Board meetings have many agendas tabled before them and to capture attention and save time, the subject matter needs to be specific. The topic is special to the owner hence one needs to make it understandable to others (Great Britain, & Rooney, 2008).

The second step is to carry out research on both the reputation of the board members and the topic. Researching will enable an individual to discuss essential facts not heard before by the board members (Great Britain, & Rooney, 2008).

The third step is to send documents prior to the actual meeting. This will help members of the board to acquaint and make the flow much simpler when it comes to presentation. In fact, the prior information will   make the presentation quicker, clear, and accurate (Great Britain, & Rooney, 2008).

3

One of the strategies of increasing success is capitalizing on relatability. The more relatable a concept of discussion is, the more interpretable it becomes. More so, chances of the members accepting   and implementing becomes clearer. As stated above, a relatable topic leads to understanding into the subject matter and access to a solution becomes visible. The second strategy is to avoid lobbying for the concept presented. One needs not to show perspective but increase understanding on the matter. For instance, if one presents a topic on upgrading information system, stick to the topic and its benefits. Lastly, failure to consolidate the subject matter will increase the chances of failure of a project   and leave cracks for other interpretations outside   the main topic. Therefore, one needs to learn everything possible about the topic of discussion (Great Britain, & Rooney, 2008).

Reference

Great Britain., & Rooney, T. (2008). The role of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive in regulating workplace health and safety: Third report of session 2007-08. London: Stationery Office.

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring emotional intelligence and how it is manifested in transformational and transactional leadership approaches. The introduction part defines the transformational and transactional leadership theories and emotional intelligence. It includes a literature review where that compares and contrasts the transformational and transactional leadership, where the transformational leader is presented as best suited to learn the employees' pulses and influence their behavior. The findings include what is learned from the research and after understanding the literature review. The final part includes the recommendation for future research.

Introduction

Transformational leadership involves leaders acting as mentors to followers by encouraging them to learn and achieve development at a personal level. It involves maintaining contact with them and empowering them so that they can self-actualize. Transactional leadership is more reactionary and passive is mostly involves a give-and-take relationship with the followers. Emotional intelligence refers to various abilities that enable an individual to generate, express and evaluate own emotions and those of others so as to shape the thinking and actions that can handle environmental demands. Emotional intelligence for leaders is important since it helps them to understand and regulate emotions and integrate them in leading and inspiring others. In order for a leader to understand and communicate with the followers, he or she must learn and manage their emotions and then inspire them to achieve the highest level of productivity and performance.

Literature review

There are varied claims from research on the relationship between transactional and transformational leadership and emotional intelligence (Harms & Credé, 2010). Effective leaders tends to be sensitively intelligent, and the intelligence involve the capacity for recognition and management of personal and organizational member's emotions (Harms & Credé, 2010). Leadership should possess specific characteristics so that to achieve commitment and job satisfaction among the employees and these include clear vision and empowerment (Harms & Credé, 2010). This means that between the transformational and transactional leaders, the one with these characteristics is considered to be consistent with emotional intelligence.

The transformational leaders are the leaders and managers who persuade their followers to improve their performance beyond expectation by providing them with a clear vision and inspiring them to transcend personal interests for the wellbeing of the larger unit or group.  A major characteristic of a transformational leader is the huge personal effect he or she has on employees' values and thinking regarding work and interpretation of happenings (Antoniou, 2005).  Idealized influence of which is a great aspect when it comes to transformational leadership defines the leader's attitude towards the followers such as trust, respect, and faith while showing dedication and appeal to their hopes. The leader assists followers in their work while making them feel that their contribution is important (Goleman, 2001). Intellectual Simulations defines the extent to which the leaders influence followers to creatively handle old problems while creating a tolerant environment to extreme positions while nurturing individuals to weigh their beliefs and values including those held by the organization. Individualized consideration defines the extent to which the leader shows interest in the welfare of others, assigns tasks as per individual capabilities and pays attention to members who appear less involved in the team (Goleman, 2001).  The transformational leader is charismatic in that he has a compelling attractiveness that arouses devotion in followers.

On the other hand, the transactional leadership is defined by various aspects which comprise contingent reward indicates the extent to which the leader informs followers what to do so that they can be rewarded. The emphasis is on what is expected of the members of the organization and recognition of their accomplishments (Harms & Credé, 2010). The second aspect is management-by-exception (active), which involves an assessment of whether the managers inform others of job requirements, are satisfied with the expected performance and where mistakes arise, correction is made. The third aspect is management-by-exception (passive) involves leaders who believe in the notion that "if it is not broken, don't fix it" (Harms & Credé, 2010). The leader waits for the mistakes to arise and then corrects them.  The leader may avoid making decisions, hesitate taking actions and can even be absent when needed.

A major development in the research on transformational leadership and emotional intelligence involves the view that emotional intelligence enables the leaders to improve organizational commitment, effectiveness, and commitment (Kumar, 2014). The transactional leadership majorly involves maintaining the operations in a normal flow, while using the disciplinary power and other related range of incentives as a way of motivating high performance in employees.  The leader normally does not have a future strategic focus to guide the organization to market leadership but rather his major concern is the normal flow of operations (Kumar, 2014).  The transformational leadership focuses beyond daily operations and comes up with strategies aimed at leading the organization to high performance. The transformational leader emphasizes team-building, members' cooperation and motivation at every managerial level to achieve the expected performance. Managers with behavior similar to that of transformational leaders are normally seen as effective and satisfying than transactional leaders (Kumar, 2014). 

The transformational leadership appears to motivate and empower organizational followers but since transactional leaderships emphasize rewards or threat of rewards withdrawal, it seems to suppress the commitment of followers to quality and productivity in the organization (Kumar, 2014).  Trustworthiness is an essential aspect of the make-up of a leader since where there is no trust, a lot of effort and time are used in non-productive activities because leaders feel compelled to focus on procedures even for the simplest of transactions. When the subordinates have no trust in the leader, creativity vanishes since individuals are busy guarding their backs. Transformational leaders exhibit behaviors that enhance empowering cultural norms, increased employee motivation, improved productivity and quality. These aspects relate to shared assumptions and basic values that place emphasizes on the importance of collaborations and roles of members in the organization through motivation instead of through competing (Kumar, 2014).  The individualized considerations and inspirational motivation aspects of transformational leadership relate to the capacity to manage and monitor personal emotions and those of other people. Transformational leaders exude excitement, energy, and enthusiasm that empower followers (Harms & Credé, 2010). They employ their strong emotions to stimulate similar feelings in their audiences, and their dual effect enables them to influence followers through personal identification creation with the manager and social identification within their work team (Harms & Credé, 2010). Finally, the varying kinds of identification can result in differential outcomes. 

Transactional leadership can be damaging since it is founded on negativity and this leads to a regressive impact on the satisfaction and performance of followers. It is devoid of chances that leaders can use to engage emotional intelligence but such leaders will only be available when mistakes are to be corrected. This is very true for passive management-by-exception, where the leaders do not make any initiative to influence the workers' feelings and actions towards high performance and productivity. In fact, the leadership style is seen as "immobilizing, self-absorbing, and finally manipulative” since the aim is to control followers through providing for their lowest needs (Maidenberg, 2017). There is no chance for inspiring and motivating the members of an organization to achieve the highest productivity and performance. The leader does not have the ability to monitor and manage their own emotions and those of the followers and thus cannot build trust and excite the enthusiasm and energy of the followers (Maidenberg, 2017). Lack of trust also means that the leader is not able to communicate with the followers so that to build the emotional connection. Even though transactional leadership can be effective for completion of an agenda, it does not have the ability to stimulate followers. It also seems to appeal to a one-size-fits-all approach, where managers can act in a similar manner with every follower and achieve desired positive results (Maidenberg, 2017). This may not always be true and could lead to illogical expectations since followers are different. The lack of active participation in the operations can curtail the communication process which entails listening and getting feedback. With transactional leadership, there is no enhanced creativity that is promoted by emotional intelligent leaders.

However, the transformational and transactional leadership characteristics can interact in the organization to achieve the desired results. The transformational characteristics normally build on the transactional traits so that transformational leadership exists in a manner that it supplements the transactionally related management approaches. Hence, a certain manager or leader can possess both the transactional and transformational leadership qualities (Hamilton, 2010). In regard to the application of emotional intelligence, there are certain circumstances where the transformational leadership may be inappropriate. Managers in an organization should rely more on charismatic leaders' resources who are capable of inspiring followers and ensure high productivity levels that would not have achieved while employing only the transactional approach. Every leader should show both the transformational and transactional factors so that his or her profile portrays more of one approach and less of the other (Hamilton, 2010). On the other hand, the transformational leader is capable of relieving followers of any fears stemming from uncertainties, makes them feel responsible for their tasks allocated and utilizes analytic thinking together with emotionality to get the best out of the individuals. Through socialization, the transformational leader is best placed to take the pulse of the followers, understand their unspoken currents of concerns and thoughts (Hamilton, 2010). Hence, the leader can communicate with the followers in ways that they can understand and embrace. The transactional leader is associated with laissez-faire approach which has no relation to emotional intelligence since it is passive and involves non-leadership kind of behavior. Self-awareness and emotional management are important aspects of effective leadership and this can only be associated with the transformational approach to leadership.

Findings

In this research, I have found that transformational and transactional leadership styles have varying sets of skills that sets them apart. I understood that the two leadership approaches have different characteristics that define the leaders' behavior and which determine their approach to people management in an organization. As a leader in an organization, I found it necessary for one to work towards developing skills of the employees so as to assist in motivating them to produce and perform at the highest level. The exploration of the two leadership styles helped me understand how emotional intelligence plays an important role in learning employees' pulses and managing their emotions and thus inspire them to attain the highest productivity. I also learned that there are certain skills that enable leaders to inspire their followers – employees – and these skills are derived from the characteristics of the transformational and transactional approaches. Through the research, I have found out that emotional intelligence is a core aspect of effective leadership in an organization, and it's built upon self-awareness, self-control, social skills, and motivation. I can relate most of these qualities to the transformational leadership approach since the leader is able to have self-awareness and manage other peoples' emotions. The transformational leader can easily learn and manage the emotions of others and through communication, inspire them to achieve the highest performance and productivity. However, I found out that no single leadership approach is appropriate for every situation and the transactional approach may be applicable in some instances. Having reviewed the various studies done, I observed that transformational leadership is definitely correlated with emotional intelligence apart from the few exceptions. Self-awareness relates to individual influence that eventually brings about intellectual stimulation. Social skills exhibited by the transformational leader enables them to have inspirational motivation on the employees in the organization.

Recommendations for future research

The review of emotional intelligence's relations with the transactional and transformational approach to leadership highlights the best method of understanding people's pulses, communicating with them and managing their emotions. However, since the transformational approach is not suitable for all situations, there is a need to further research on how the transformational and transactional approaches can interact to strongly influence the employees' behavior and satisfaction. This should also include how the transactional leadership can be used to promote organizational productivity and employee satisfaction where transformational approach alone may not be sufficient.

References

Hamilton, M. (2010). The interaction of transactional and transformational leadership. Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development, 3(3), 4.

Kumar, S. (2014). Establishing linkages between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership. Industrial psychiatry journal, 23(1), 1.

Harms, P. D., & Credé, M. (2010). Emotional intelligence and transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analysis. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 17(1), 5-17.

Goleman, D. (2001). An EI-based theory of performance. The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations, 1, 27-44.

Antoniou, A. S. G. (2005). 41 Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership. Research Companion to Organizational Health Psychology, 633.

Maidenberg, J. (2017). Transactional and Transformational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence for Athletic Coaches.

                                     Business and Management

                                                            Abstract

Successful leadership is all about achieving the goals of the firm. This comes as a result of being concerned with one’s responsibilities as a leader. The success of any organizational leader is normally evaluated through considering the behaviors that he or she ends up manifesting in the organization. As a result of that, it means that leadership is associated with the orientation of one’s negative behaviors. Equally, this is because it has been realized that positive leadership behaviors normally arises from some of the theorized leadership traits.

Nevertheless, the main objective of a leader is to come up with a clear and concise roadmap before embarking on establishing his or her leadership traits. A leader entrusted by a business organization, it is essential to acknowledge that its success ultimately one of the roles that senior management authority ought to accomplish just within the stipulated time. Moreover, leadership development in a business organization does not entail training and directing workers only. The main objective of a leader is to ensure that he or she has enabled the organization to have the propensity of growing and enjoying the economies of scale. As a result of that, the objectives of the management authority should be chronologically explained to all stakeholders.

                                                            Introduction

            Leadership refers to the means of adapting the existing setting environment so that each person will feel more empowered in contributing creatively or innovatively to matters relating to solving some of the problems which might arise (Parker & Begnaud, 2004). This in return has the capacity of reflecting the management authorities’ ability to set as well as realize some of the challenging objectives they might face.  This will basically entail taking some swift and decisive actions which will outperform rivals in the same industry as well as enabling group members to execute their work effectively (Berens, 2001)

            Despite that, it is difficult to leadership values and other quantitative aspects of a business organization as compared to other quantitative metrics that are comparable and easily tracked between various businesses (Segil, 2002). This then means that individuals who have strong leadership competencies or skills in the contemporary business world over and over again rise to executive posts, for instance, president, CEO, CFO, and so on.

                                                Literature Review

            In connection to that, in our modern business world, leadership is perceived as being an enabling force which assists both the organization and employees in developing and performing their duties. Additionally, it means that there is the existence of a high level of harmony or solidarity between employees as well as relatively low level of job-related stress amongst group members (David, 2012). This have the effect of reducing employee-work stress hence increasing the quality of their work. In the process of caring for the moral value of the employees, this in return makes them to be more concerned with their work through upholding the standards set by their company (Bunting, 2016).

            Effective leadership entails realizing some of the fundamental human requirements that each business organization ought to fulfill. This mainly has to involve recognizing one’s capabilities, self-esteem, as well as accepting self-directness (English, 2006). This means that any leadership model ought to have the potential of increasing worker’s involvement to any affairs and other objectives which the business desires to achieve. In return, it becomes possible for the management authority to increase workers’ output and the performance of their enterprise as a whole (Gallos, 2008).

            Nevertheless, in order to foster employee motivation and performance, any form of leadership style which the organization can use should have the capacity of assisting to become more motivated, involved, and empowered (Parker & Begnaud, 2004). Thus, to an organization which has a bad history, this will be perceived as a leap of faith. In case a leader has the potential of providing solid evidence which assists in empowering others, that will be an excellent opportunity (Daft & Lane, 2008 P. 152). Regardless of that, the truth is that that will only happen after leadership actions have produced the desired outcomes. The essence of this study entails evaluating the impacts of transactional leadership and transformational leadership styles on motivation in private organization.

                                    Findings/results of the research

            Transactional leadership model

            Transactional leadership model have the potential to motivate group members to the extent of making them to execute their duties via basing them to their own interest. The power and authority of transactional leadership models usually come from the leaders’ formal authority and responsibility in their organization. This means that the main objective of the group members is typically following and obeying the leader’s instructions (Gagné, 2014). With transactional leadership approach, the interest of the organization and that of the leader are given greater consideration than anything else. Moreover, with transactional leadership model, it implies that it is the duty of the transactional leader/manager to establish optimal conditions which will enable each group member to perform his or her duty effectively. Whenever things do not work as expected, the transactional leader/manager will have the task of not only taking corrective actions but also monitoring the task to be done by each worker more closely (Ingley, 2015).

            It should be noted that in an organization, a leader is a person who is fundamentally responsible for all the activities of an organization. This activity involve the development of clear vision, extending the vision of the company to all stakeholders, offering skills and knowledge, and relevant information to realize that vision, coordinating all conflicting interests of the members with the objectives of the organization (I.C. M. L.G et al., 2014). Leadership actions and decisions to be made by a transactional leader should be related to the objectives of the organization. This explains that leadership is typically a unique responsibility which enables a business organization to be able to expand and enjoy its economies of scale. Emotional strength and leadership traits are the main factors which ought to be taken into consideration by a transactional leader in order lead other effectively (Barling, 2014). In return, this is what will reflect the ability of a transactional leader to consider the challenges employees might be facing and come up with concrete solution to solve them.

 The strategies used by situational leaders enable them to ultimately track their teams, and assess the various issues within the work-place. The impact of this is that it enables them to select the leadership style which best fits their objectives and circumstances. In the old times leaders used to merely function as the boss of the organization without effectively collaborating with their followers (Vecchio et al., 2008). Contrary to that, in the modern business world, leaders cannot manage to lead alone based on their positional powers. This indicates that transactional leadership is extremely flexible as compared to transformational leadership model. The reason for that is that it allows the transactional leader to adapt to the prevailing working environment as well as considering the needs of the organization in return (Weichun et al., 2012). Additionally, this leadership theory is not solely based on certain skills of the leader. In order to lead others effectively, the situational leader modifies his or her management style to fit in the requirements of their business organization.

Transformational leadership model

Transformational leadership style is one of the organizational leadership models which are utilized by both the manager and the subordinate staff to uplift each other to a higher morality and motivation levels. As one of the independent leadership models, it implies that this style takes into consideration various attributable idealized influences that enable leaders/managers to describe personal behaviors. This is what encourages workers or group members to think critically about their leader/manager (I.C. M. L.G et al., 2014). The reason for that is because it takes into consideration some of the critical actions which a transformational leader/manager takes so as to reveal values and beliefs of the workers as well as vision and mission of the company.

Within a business organization, transformational leadership approach assists in inducing change in individual and other social systems. In other words, it creates positive and valuable changes in individuals with the main objective of enabling them to become effective leaders. Since Bass transformational leadership theory is used as an ultimate solution in various cases, this model makes a positive difference in one’s life (Sosik et al., 2018). In this case, any organization leader who makes use of this approach has the capacity of possessing integrity, clearly communicates and makes his or her goals to be known, and sets a good example  to all  members of the group (Gagné, 2014). Likewise, he or she expects the very best from the group. In return, such a person should have the propensity of inspiring people to not only look beyond personal interest but also on the needs and interests of the group as a whole (Kessler & Bailey, 2007). Such a leader or leaders who make use of transformational leadership approach not only offers exemplary work but also dedicates his time to recognize good people and good work.

Transformational leadership approach includes inspirational motivation variables that are used for describing organizational leaders who are ultimately optimistic about the vision and mission of their organization in issues relating to future endeavors. Furthermore, intellectual stimulation as an independent variable is used to illustrate the manner in which a transformational leader articulates new and innovative ideas which assist in prompting employees to rethink about traditional practices and thinking (Kessler & Bailey, 2007). Another independent variable is the individual consideration which is regularly demonstrated through recognizing and mentoring unique abilities and needs of each member.

In addition, the effectiveness of a transformational leader/manager is measured by the amount of influence he or she has on employees’ satisfaction, group and individual performance, as well as the overall organization effectiveness. Consequently, successful leaders, as the transformational leadership model explains, differs from others as well as possess unique core identity traits which contributes significantly to their success and that of an organization as a whole (Moonjoo, 2017). As a result, having a clear understanding of the significance of such core identity traits which predicts the effectiveness of a leader assist in the selecting and training of a transformational leader and other developmental practices that he or she needs to uphold in the company.

                        Recommendations for future research

In connection to the above considerations, a leader who manages to establish an inspiring vision, motivate workers to the extent of making them to be part of the organizations’ vision, delivering it, as well as building an effective team for the organization has the potential of realizing the vision of the firm (Barling, 2014). From the perspective of transformational leadership, it is explained that the main objective of this style in such an organization is typically transforming or changing the attitudes of people. This is associated with the long-term objectives, values, and culture of the organization in motivating people as well as realizing the goals of its objectives (Bunting, 2016).

On contrary to that, leadership concept in the contemporary continues to differ extensively.  The philosophy and concept of any transactional leader is typically to be in the position of serving people and their organization as a whole. This is to say the leadership concept in any business organizations entails taking into greater consideration of the needs of the employees as well as the business that they serve. Leadership actions and decisions to be made by an organizational leader should be related to the objectives of the organization (Kessler & Bailey, 2007). This explains that leadership is typically a unique responsibility which enables a business organization to be able to expand and enjoy its economies of scale.

Emotional strength and leadership traits are the main factors which ought to be taken into consideration by a leader in order lead other effectively (Barling, 2014). This is what will reflect the ability of a leader to consider the challengers employees might be facing and come up with concrete solution to solve them. Nevertheless, it has been proved from the previous studies that employee motivation and empowerment is a significant asset to a business organization (Bunting, 2016). This also in line with the views that the development of human competencies is one of the most applicable tools which assists in shaping employees’ knowledge and skills.

                                    Conclusion

The notion of management and leadership is usually perceived as being part and parcel of an organization. The reason for that is because it assists in evaluating leadership concepts and traits which are commonly misunderstood when it comes to instructing and directing people as well as making crucial decisions or judgments on behalf of an enterprise. Investigate the effectiveness of transactional leadership style and transformational leadership style on motivating employees is the core value of these leadership styles.

 Regardless of any leadership model, effective leaders are followed mainly because teammates respect and trust them, and not because of the skill that they possess. Conversely, it is important to examine whether the above two leadership style typically correlates together in design nature of the organization which assists in promoting leadership on tactical and technical capacities, for instance, technology. Moreover, the manner in which team members works together through the use of effective communication, time management, business acumen, and collaboration skills is based on these leadership models.

References

Barling, J. (2014). The science of leadership: lessons from research for organizational leaders. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press

Berens, L. V. (2001). Quick guide to the 16 personality types in organizations: understanding personality differences in the workplace. Huntington Beach, Calif, Telos Publications.

Bunting, M. (2016). The mindful leader: 7 practices for transforming your leadership, your organisation and your life.

Daft, R. L., & Lane, P. G. (2008). The leadership experience. Mason, OH, Thomson/South-Western.

David, C. (2012). Leadership for Follower Commitment. London: Routledge press

English, F. W. (2006). Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration. Thousand Oaks, Calif, SAGE.

Gagné, M. (2014). The Oxford handbook of work engagement, motivation, and self-determination theory. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press

Gallos, J. V. (2008). Business leadership: a Jossey-Bass reader. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.

Ingley, C. (2015). Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on management, leadership and governance. [Place of publication not identified], Academic Conferences & Pu.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE, DOVER, P. A., HARIHARAN, S., & CUMMINGS, M. G. (2014). Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance ICMLG 2014: hosted by Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA, 20-21 March 2014.

Kessler, E. H., & Bailey, J. R. (2007). Handbook of organizational and managerial wisdom. London, SAGE.

Parker, J. P., & Begnaud, L. G. (2004). Developing creative leadership. Portsmouth, NH, Teacher Ideas Press.

Segil, L. (2002). Dynamic leader, adaptive organization: ten essential traits for managers. New York, Wiley. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=131014.

Sosik, J. J., Arenas, F. J., Jae Uk Chun, & Ete, Z. (2018). Character into Action: How Officers Demonstrate Strengths with Transformational Leadership. Air & Space Power Journal, 32(3), 4–25. Retrieved from https://usmalibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=131615630&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Vecchio, R. P., Justin, J. E., & Pearce, C. L. (2008). The utility of transactional and transformational leadership for predicting performance and satisfaction within a path-goal theory framework. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 81(1), 71–82. Retrieved from https://usmalibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=31688814&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Weichun Zhu, Sosik, J. J., Riggio, R. E., & Baiyin Yang. (2012). Relationships between Transformational and Active Transactional Leadership and Followers’ Organizational Identification: The Role of Psychological Empowerment. Journal of Behavioral & Applied Management, 13(3), 186–212. Retrieved from https://usmalibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=76581079&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Hazards, Vulnerability, and Disaster Risks

Overview

 A hazard is a thing or a situation that can cause property damage and adverse health effects. During the e-activity, I have been involved in hazard identification or the process of identifying all hazardous things in Colorado communities. I have also been involved in risk assessment or evaluating the severity of the hazard to the community. Both risk identification and risk assessment are very important as they will help in developing strategies for mitigating hazards

  Major hazards in Colorado communities and the level of threats they pose to the community

Avalanche

 Avalanche is a type of disaster or a ‘geologic hazard' that has occurred in Colorado.  Avalanche can be defined as the flow of snow down a steep slope due to various causes such as rain, human activity, vibration, warm temperature, earthquakes, wind, and snow among other natural causes (Konveio, n.d).  Avalanche in Colorado is a real disaster that has caused many deaths not only in Colorado but also in the other United States.

  In Colorado, Avalanches cause death and property damage. When such hazard occurs in heavily populated areas, roads are closed due to infrastructure damage and the disclosure disrupts day-to-day activities, normal movement of people and goods, businesses and even school attendance (Konveio, n.d). Building and power supplies are also damaged and this type of damage isolates the community.  Businesses, tourism, and schools are forced to close while waiting for mitigation actions.

Drought

Drought is also a major hazard present in the Colorado communities. During the e-activity, I learned that drought in Colorado is a shortage of water due to lack of water supply from precipitation. According to the research, I found  that Colorado communities experience  different types of drought such as meteorological drought which occur due to  low precipitation, agricultural drought which occur  due to lack of  inadequate water supply, hydrological drought which occur due to  lack of water supply from sources like groundwater and reservoirs and,  socioeconomic drought due to  lack of  adequate supply of  economic goods (Konveio, n.d).  Recent studies have found that the major cause of drought is warm temperatures and the drought will become severe due to the projected warming.

 In Colorado, drought has caused a threat to the community in various ways. In identifying the threats caused by drought, I found that there is a shrinkage of soil. the latter has affected many building foundations since as the soil shrinks,  there are gaps in the basement wall and the gaps remove the foundation's supports and allow the rainwater to run down to cause basement water intrusion (Konveio, n.d). Drought also causes subsidence due to soil shrinkage. These threats cause damage to the buildings, people and property. The communities are also suffering from pest infestations and this happens when pests lack sustenance in agricultural areas and find a friendlier environment such as buildings and homes. When conducting the research, I learned that drought has caused wildfires and flash floods. Since drought hardens the soil, the ground does not absorb the rainwater during rainfall, but rather, water runs off (Konveio, n.d).  Also, the wildfires increase flooding because the removal of vegetation that can trap rainwater allows water runoff.

 Flooding

 Flooding is a major natural hazard in Colorado communities and it occurs due to heavy precipitation where water is stored in a watershed for a long period of time. This happens when the natural systems are unable to absorb and retain water thereby causing backflow and overtopping. Colorado also experiences flash flooding which happens when excessive waters fill dams (Konveio, n.d).  In Colorado, there are almost 677 state-regulated dams and during excessive rainfall, the water floods and causes property damage and loss of life.

 Floods pose a higher level of threat since the communities have already experienced higher financial costs and casualties. For example, Colorado experience 20 t0 30 floods every year and since 1950, the state has experienced 5 major flood disasters that have demanded response capabilities from the federal (Konveio, n.d).

  Hazardous material release

 The hazardous material release is a hazard in Colorado communities. These materials are used in industries and released to the environment. These materials and chemicals cause death and long-lasting effects not only to the Colorado community but also to large geographical areas especially when the release of chemicals are combined with flooding (Konveio, n.d). 

According to my research, I can conclude that the researched location or rather the Colorado community is not vulnerable to disasters that have not occurred in the past.  This is because, following the disasters that have already occurred, Colorado has come up with a comprehensive plan, climate plan, a hazard mitigation plan, and a pre-disaster planning (Konveio, n.d).  The purpose of these plans and strategies is to reduce vulnerability by taking actions toward these adverse impacts.  The planning also has improved the community's knowledge of threats, the community has understood the threats and has exploited the opportunities for managing the threats (Konveio, n.d). By taking actions, the community will reduce the vulnerability of experiencing hazards such as landslide, earthquakes, soil hazards and more.

 Reference

 Konveio. (n.d). PLANNING FOR HAZARDS; LAND USE SOLUTIONS FOR COLORADO. Retrieved from: https://www.planningforhazards.com/hazard-identification-and-risk-assessmentReference

Assignment 1: Stakeholders

Interrelation of various parties in disaster declaration and management

The interrelationship established by the various by the federal, state and local governments on one hand, and the non-governmental organizations and private sector on the other involve a framework that brings together the effort of the entire community in realizing the National Preparedness Goal.  The interrelationship highlights the shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all the parties in the community. Through this, the policy and strategy to be used to build, sustain and deliver the major capabilities as per the National Preparedness Goal are established (Schmidtlein, Finch & Cutter, 2008). The frameworks define the structures and alignments needed for coordination of the aforesaid roles and responsibilities for the entire community and their integration ensure that the parties attain interoperability for all ever mission area.  There is an established partnership between the authorities and the entire community whose engagement is important in ensuring security and resilience, and this makes the preparedness of the individuals and their community an essential part. There are National Planning Frameworks that have established themes and the key mission. The frameworks are highly interdependent so that they ensure coordination among the departments and various agencies that work together to attain the established goal (FEMA, n.d.). An important aspect of the interrelationship is the coalition building and engagement partnership that comprises of consistency of, effectiveness and the right communication and common situational consciousness. These aspects are achieved with the engagement of the entire community while capitalizing on the resources available resources to have unity of effort.

The five preparedness mission areas

 The efforts of the parties have to align with the preparedness mission areas established in the Presidential Policy Directive which includes "Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and recovery (on Earth, 2017). Prevention refers to the capabilities required to avert or stop an impending threat or crime or incident that can lead to a mass casualty. It aims at ensuring that the individual and community are well prepared to avert an imminent occurrence such as terrorism.  These capabilities include planning for preparedness, sharing information or issuing a warning to the public, ensuring operation coordination and attribution and forensic (on Earth, 2017). Others include the sharing of information and intelligence, carrying out disruption or interdiction and various security measures such as searching, screening, and detection.  Protection refers to the capabilities to provide security against violence and disasters, and against disasters whether natural or manmade.  This area involves various ongoing actions that aim at protecting people and their property from any hazards (on Earth, 2017).  The efforts involved in providing protection involve various physical protective actions and management of risks through some adopted programs or activities.

Mitigation refers to the capabilities required for the elimination or reduction of loss people's lives or destruction or damage to their property by making lighter the effect of an occurrence. It also means efforts aimed at reducing the probability of the threat occurring.  This area may be carried out through various strategies including emergency plans, collaborations, and even training so that information on how to reduce long-term vulnerability, risk and disaster among the various parties in the community (on Earth, 2017). Identifying and assessing various risks, disaster, hazards is an important capability for mitigation purpose. Response defines the capabilities required for stabilizing an emergency after it has occurred or whose occurrence is certain and unpreventable through setting up a safe environment for saving lives and property and allow for recovery. It also involves installing and providing various facilities or infrastructure systems necessary for meeting the human needs including food and healthcare.  Recovery involves the capabilities needed in helping to restore normalcy after the occurrence with strategies such as plans for mental health and reunification of families (on Earth, 2017). All the five missions will be achieved when emergency planning has been set up outlining the important measures to be undertaken. 

Stafford Act requirements on federal disaster declaration

 The Stafford Act provides two kinds of disaster declarations including the "emergency declarations and major disaster declarations", which gives the President authority to offer additional federal support for a disaster.  The act allows the president to declare a disaster resulting from a natural event irrespective of the cause that he deems as the bringing about so much severe damage that the capabilities of both local and state government cannot handle (FEMA, n.d.).  Such a declaration allows the federal government to provide assistance for people and public infrastructure that caters for the emergency and permanent work. The declaration is only done after various requirements have been met. To begin with, the state's governor or Tribal Chief Executive of the area should first request assistance from the federal government through the relevant Regional Administrator within 30 days after the disaster has occurred (FEMA, n.d.). The basis of the request should be a finding that shows the capability of the governments in the area including state, federal and tribal government is not sufficient and that additional support is needed. Moreover, the Governor or Tribal Chief Executive should confirm through the report that they have acted as per the Tribal or State law and ordered the implementation of a local emergency plan (FEMA, n.d.).  The request should also have an estimate of the extent of the damage to both private and public sectors, and highlight the efforts or resources that the area governments have used to improve the situation. It should also include an estimation of the kind and amount of assistance needed as per the Stafford Act. The Governor or Tribal Chief Executive should also certify that the area governments will adhere to the appropriate requirements on cost sharing (FEMA, n.d.).

The requirement that the governor first seeks for assistance is important since it allows for the better understanding of the review process provided by FEMA. The governor and local governments have a better understanding of the situation on the ground, and the extent to which their capabilities cannot respond to alleviate the disaster. The state and the local government sets the pace in regard to the kind of support required from the federal government. The Regional Administrator ensures that the situation as reported on the ground is real and provides the link between the federal government, state and local governments and other parties in the community (Bazan, 2005). The requirement that the request by the governor should fulfill certain conditions ensures that only the necessary programs are activated for the disaster that has occurred.  An estimation of the severity of the destruction ensures that the assistance offered to the area is sufficient and at the same time preventing any wastage or duplication of roles. The preliminary estimates of the amount of assistance needed also ensure that human needs are catered for fully and that infrastructural rehabilitation is accorded the required attention. Of great importance is the governor's and Tribal Chief Executive's assurance that the cost-sharing agreements are adhered to and this prevents any disputes or complaints.

Suggested Additional requirements

Since thee is largely no pre-defined thresh-hold in regard to the part of the cost that the federal government should cover in relation to the cost that local and state authorities can cover, the federal government should first assess the ability of these authorities to pay the cost. This would help in avoiding a declaration of disaster while the magnitude of the situation does not warrant federal government intervention. It is possible for the sitting administration to extend its financial and technical assistance in alleviating the situation including reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure whereas the state and local authorities can handle the circumstances since there is no predefined threshold of what cost the parties should cover. Moreover, the state and local authorities may also manage to handle the situation with assistance from community agencies or individuals without enlisting the federal government's assistance.  Another requirement is that the federal government should first determine the ability of the state and local authorities to carry out damage assessments in order to report the extent of damage or losses and the resources needed for recovery. This implies that the required assessment may not be completed in time to allow the governor to request the president to declare a disaster. Without such an assessment, the regional FEMA office may not be able to review and even make their recommendation to the federal government (Schmidtlein, Finch & Cutter, 2008). In such a case, the federal government should assess the situation on the ground before deciding on whether the losses will warrant a disaster declaration and thus, the financial and technical support to the affected communities.

 References

Kumar, V. (2015). An analytical study of disaster management In Jalgaon District (PERIOD 2001-2011). Lulu. com. 26-35

on Earth, D., Carlin, E., Brown, L., Benjamin, G. C., & National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). Prevention, Protection, and Mitigation Planning.

FEMA, (n.d.).Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,

Public Law 93-288, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq., and Related Authorities

Bazan, E. B. (2005, September). Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act: Legal requirements for federal and state roles in declarations of an emergency or a major disaster. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Schmidtlein, M. C., Finch, C., & Cutter, S. L. (2008). Disaster declarations and major hazard occurrences in the United States. The Professional Geographer, 60(1), 1-14.

Emergency and Crisis Management Stakeholders

Disaster causes harm and suffering and affects a large number of people. Disaster requires emergency management stakeholders or individuals who would join hands in emergency planning processes, practices and policies (Lindell, Perry & Prater, 2007).  Two stakeholders that would play significant roles in the crisis management are the community and the local government. The community and in the specific the homeowners who are affected by the disaster will form a group (emergency response team). The main aim of this group is to administer first aid, conduct urban search and rescue, suppress fire and estimate damage. In general, the community will develop projects and create programs that are designed to provide early warning, hazard awareness and take actions to minimize the threat (Lindell, Perry & Prater, 2007). The second stakeholder is the local government. The latter will play a significant role in providing resources needed for disaster management.  For example, schools may need resources and infrastructure may also need to be repaired. It is the role of the local government to communicate with the federal government for federal assistance. Local government will act as the first responder not only in looking for resources but also in controlling the land us and setting the code requirement for constructions to manage the hazards (Lindell, Perry & Prater, 2007).

Both community and the local government play a significant role in managing disaster by combing efforts. As the community conducts research and understands what has happened, where, when and ways to recover from the disaster, the local government communicates with the federal government to provide economic, social and environmental needs (Lindell, Perry & Prater, 2007).  However, the local government is more efficient than the community. This is because the community stakeholders will incorporate few stakeholders or rather a small size. This means that they have the interest to manage the hazard but they do not have the power or the ability to develop and implement policies due to due to poverty and lack of resources. However, the local government has not only the power but also a considerable knowledge that could be used in the management. In other words, the local government will consult the federal government and by working together, the recovery networks will provide a holistic disaster response, develop operational capabilities and provide the support to the vulnerable populations (Lindell, Perry & Prater, 2007).

 In conclusion, I would say that the hazard or in specific the flooding is a natural hazard that needs to be dealt with at all levels, that is; local, state and federal level. This is because, this is a natural hazard that causes many fatalities and thus, all levels will provide an effective response. For example, the local, state and federal government should work together in building the flood protection dams immediately after the flood disaster. The local community will raise flooding awareness and train the residents on emergency preparedness method such as the use of sandbags to protect the flooding and do reforestation to the deforested areas. The local government should also be involved in providing medical care to the victims, building dams and improving channels. The state and the federal government should be involved in setting policies and the best practice as well as providing the required resources.

References

Lindell, M. K., Perry, R. W., & Prater, C. (2007). Introduction to emergency management.

Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

            FOCUS- PDCA

Introduction

This is a management tool common in the health care sector. It upgrades or improves procedures and came into existence after Hospital Corporation in America invented it for the purposes of conducting systematic processes. More so, through FOCUS- PDCA, information of the usefulness of a procedure and its viability is accessible. In turn, details availed by the system can inform on decision-making and whether a certain procedure meets the needs or expectations of certain people. Further, the management tool can help in planning and executing changes based on viable evidence. Although made for the medical industry, its use is applicable in other organizations.

An example of a FOCUS- PDCA

In a children’s hospital in Tehran, FOCUS- PDCA was useful in improving quality of programs at the medical center. Health care services and processes in developing countries are normally in a sorry state. Therefore, there is a need to use a good management tool such as the FOCUS- PDCA to bring about desired change. The structure and principles that accompany FOCUS- PDCA are able to modify nature of services (Buchbinder, 2012).

Tehran medical university was in charge of implementation of the quality improvement project through FOCUS- PDCA models of management. The main aim of Tehran University is to provide quality service hence the implementation took place at one of Tehran’s units. The children’s unit stood out as a suitable candidate for the quality improvement project as it gives out specialized treatment unlike the rest of the units that only offer general services (Buchbinder, 2012).

Intervention

The FOCUS component plays the role of recognizing the section that needs an upgrade, and then brings about variables that will result in improvement and offer a number of clever solutions to challenges. On the other hand, PDCA component identifies an actionable solution to the challenge identified by FOCUS component. In addition, PDCA changes the environment so that improvement is possible within the system (Ferrell, Coyle, & Paice, 2015).

The Tehran University chose FOCUS PDCA because it works well under complex circumstances that allow numerous tasks to take place. The system does not need prior technical skills even when facilitating complex scientific procedures. Secondly, more people can operate on the system thus bringing surplus expertise within the system. Third, the system is easy to operate and learn as it has an infrastructure that that guides through the entire upgrade of the project (Ferrell, Coyle, & Paice, 2015).

In order to establish a FOCUS PDCA, for quality progression, setting up training workshops is one of the first steps. A workshop informs the staff on what they should expect when the project begins. In addition, consultations and facilitating the workshops ensures that everybody has the basic information on the entire project. Apart from the two activities mentioned, above, practical demonstrations through a nine-month period acquaint are vital in normalizing the transformation process (Ferrell, Coyle, & Paice, 2015).

 Components

The first component of the project was to identify a procedure that needs upgrading. In the case of Tehran University, it is the medical services offered at the children’s unit. The medical services do not meet the goals and needs of the young patients. Thus, the aim of FOCUS PDCA is to improve the medical processes that bring about medical services. By doing so, they will align medical services with the needs and goals of the young patients. The expectations of the project are to align the medical processes together with the intended needs of the patients (Sower, Duffy, & Kohers, 2008).

The second component is to organize a team, which is ready to come up with a workable strategy   and carry out an immediate plan. The team members should have information on how the system works. This information will enable team members learn faster and adapt early. However, the system does not need professionals or specialists for it to succeed and operate. In fact, people who will drive the process will need to form part of the team members. Thus, anybody whose duties relate to the project needs to form part of the team (Sower, Duffy, & Kohers, 2008).

Clarifying the process by asking questions, gives team leaders insight on how well the team members understand the project and its abilities’ functions to bring about quality improvements. This component allows a team leader or administrator to gather data on the FOCUS PDCA. Physical measures can apply as a way of gathering data on how well the team members know the project they are about to implement. Who, where, when and how should be some of the questions asked to people who will operate the process (Sower, Duffy, & Kohers, 2008).

The last component before implementation is to understand variables of the improvement project so that they do not disrupt the normal flow of regular activities at a hospital. Some variations are acceptable but some may signal failure of the new system. Thus, it is good to understand all the variables that come with the new system (Buchbinder, 2012).

In summary, the FOCUS PDCA concept centers on upgrading processes. By identifying a perceived challenge, intervention based on FOCUS- PDCA procedures sets up a series of steps to alter the process and initiate renovation. Tehran University is an example of an institution that used FOCUS PDSCA to bring about quality medical services to the children’s unit of the hospital.

References

Buchbinder, S. B. (2012). Introduction to health care management. Burlington, Mass: Jones et Bartlett Learning.

Ferrell, B. R., Coyle, N., & Paice, J. A. (2015). Oxford textbook of palliative nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sower, V. E., Duffy, J. A., & Kohers, G. (2008). Benchmarking for hospitals: Achieving best-in-class performance without having to reinvent the wheel. Milwaukee, Wis: ASQ Quality Press.

Challenging Group Situations

Situation 1

According to Franz, (2012), while leading successful groups is highly rewarding, there are many challenges that come with the responsibility. In this situation where the members of an educational cum growth group suddenly fall silent despite their past active participation because of the remarks made by one of them this would work to ensure that I experienced mixed feelings and thoughts. To start with, the occurrence is discouraging given that the objective of the group is to ensure that the members are fully equipped with assertive abilities that would help stand up against any form of bullying and peer pressure. My initial thoughts as the leader will be to focus on making the group work by ensuring that the members are focused and motivated. I generally believe that the most successful leader is one who never gives up and remains optimistic regardless of the existing challenges. Therefore even with the disappointment, my focus would be on uniting the members since with diversity such issues are expected.

Large or diverse groups only achieve desired results in the case that the members are able to sync with each other (Salas, Vessey & Estrada, 2015). Even though this is undoubted, such groups are hard to manage in challenging situations given that every individual comes with their personal skills and issues which helps in easing communication. This group of youths is large which means that there are more schedules and need to consider and integrate individual’s opinions. The diversity of opinions such as the one made by Ruben is an example of one of the leading benefits of the groups which cannot be avoided. Therefore, in the case that the members become passive based on the ground that one of the members noted that the lessons are useless and will not work in real life I would design effective strategies to deal with the issues.

It is accurate that social loafing has risen among the members. Social loafing refers to the general tendency of the members of a given group to employ minimal effort than they would simply because they hold a low sense of responsibility (Salas, Vessey & Estrada, 2015). In that, after the remarks, the members felt that they would not gain anything through their participation and opted for silence. Social loafing is responsible for reduced productivity. In this case, the members are frustrated that their efforts would not particularly bare any form of fruits. This has also eroded their morale leading to withdrawal. To address the existing issue I would begin by explaining why working as a collaborative group is worth the struggle. In other words, this would begin by setting clear expectations for the group and increase personal accountability. Everyone is entitled to their personal opinion but that does not necessarily imply that they are right thus the members should always retain their focus on increasing their ability to stand against bullying and peer pressure.

This form of intervention was selected because the group is made up of youths which means that they are young and vulnerable to severe effects of bullying. In this context, each member needs to understand that working as a group is the best option to overcoming the issue. Youths are vulnerable to social loafing since they tend to follow the views of the majority which therefore implies that the remarks made by one of the members is likely to affect them severely leading to the loss of production. Since the session is aimed at enhancing their skills in standing up against bullying such an approach is suitable, based on its ability to increase their willingness to participate.

Script to Group:  An Educational Cum Growth Group for Vulnerable Youths

Leader: ‘’The success of any group is dependent on the commitment of all members and their ability to focus on the set objectives. Ruben is right because the issue of bullying and peer pressure has no definite solution. However, we are all entitled to personalized opinions and that does not imply that we are bound to fail. Let’s remember that our participation is the motivation that we need to enhance the needed skills to fight bullying and peer pressure. ‘’

Situation 2

The forming of two subgroups in the committee group is very frustrating based on its ability to affect an individual’s participation, morale and productivity. In the fourth session where the juniors tend to speak less while the seniors remain dominant shows that the group is literally divided. The committee was created with the aim of reviewing some of the existing practices and policies and such goals cannot be achieved where there are divisions. The situation would create an unpleasant feeling to me as a leader because the opinions or ideas of some members would not be considered and raised which will affect their willingness to participate. This would, therefore, create the thought the juniors would feel discriminated and less valued (Salas, Vessey & Estrada, 2015). The most effective groups are the ones that work together to achieve common goals. Divisions normally create frustrations which in turn leads to failure due to the withdrawal of most participants. In other words, this is an intellectual cost which entails the elements of an individual’s behaviors in a group that leads to reduced inventiveness, participation, and productivity.

To address the issue group thinking should be encouraged. People should always think collaboratively without conforming to the views of the dominant perception. This leads to escalated commitment where the members feel accountable for all their actions as well as the success of the group. The seniors also need to get rid of transparency illusion which is a behavior where the group members tend to trust that their ideas, perceptions, and reasoning is more understandable to others. Making a clear focus of the group clear is necessary to set a common focus for all those that are involved (Forsyth, 2018). To draw the members, as a leader setting rules make the management easier since it is very hard to manage diversity while still seeking to increase the morale of the members. Communication needs to be active which will help the members understand their roles and needs of the group. Despite the diverse opinions of the members their ideas should always be integrated and considered as important.

I chose to use the intervention because the existence of divisions in any group results in failure. Both new and senior employees needs to be fully engaged in the process of reviewing policies and practices given that the opinion of every member matters. By setting a clear focus while encouraging constant communication and group thinking the members will work collaboratively. Socializing is an effective strategy that enhances individual’s ability to interact as well as participate without fear. The session needs to be inclusive as the participation of all the employees is necessary with respect to improving the current state of the organization. With the domination of seniors other members will tend to withdraw their participation as they might feel discriminated.

Script to Group: A Committee Group

Leader: ‘’Group working means working collaboratively without any form of exclusion. This group will not succeed in reviewing practices and policies of the organization where there is division. We need the opinions and contributions of every individual member regardless of their status in the organization. Thus, domination is not an option since it has a tendency of creating fear and discourages individuals from participating in the group. This calls for all of us to sync and embrace our differences for the success of the group. ‘’

Situation 3

It is evident that the members of the group are unwilling to participate which is demanding more in terms of effort from me as their leader. Leading an effective group is challenging but with the participation of every member, the task is rather easy. The lack of member’s participation and the fact that, it is affecting my general productivity would disappoint me in general given that the goals of the group are at stake (Franz, 2012). However, this would not discourage or distract my objectives but rather encourage me to develop other strategies for motivating the members and calling for their active participation. In order to increase the engagement of the caregivers in all our sessions, several approaches must be considered. First, before the beginning of each meeting, the topic should always be considered by focusing on the needs of the members as something they would love to hear. Also, it is important to let the members know that their participation is necessary and they should be free to express their thoughts without fear (Salas, Vessey & Estrada, 2015). People tend to speak up when they know that their ideas are valued and that no judgment would prevail in any given case.

Addressing the situation would mean being able to create an optimal environment for the members to interact. A positive setting for group working is the one that is casual and relaxing. Socializing should be encouraged to ensure that the members not only share their thoughts but also inspires them to commit and collaborate in achieving mutual objectives. Socializing is essential in the development of connections as well as the ability to develop reliable relationships. Cooperation as one of the most important aspects of teamwork requires the leader to encourage the members to air out their ideas while at the same time ensuring that they listen to the views aired by others (Franz, 2012). In other words, the environment should be one that supports learning and engagement. The speaker also needs to avoid answering their own queries because the discussion will not be a healthy one. Being inclusive and creative is another strategy since one person should never be allowed to dominate the discussion as everyone deserves an opportunity. Being assertive does not imply that one should rely on being authoritative rather people need to understand that the entire success of the group relies on their participation and each contribution counts towards the fulfillment of the set aims.

This intervention suits the situation because people tend to participate more in an environment which is comfortable and friendly. In that by creating a positive surrounding the members will not only be able to socialize but also exchange ideas among themselves for the betterment of the group. The members appears to be lacking the needed motivation to engage in the set discussions which then implies that the approach of delivering lessons has to change. Thus, the intervention will lead to desirable results which not only involve high productivity but increased participation. The session will mainly entail interactions and learning about the needs of the members to understand the things that would interest them in the set discussions which would in turn increase their participation.

Script to Group:  Support Group for Caregivers of Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients

Leader: ‘’A support group is a platform where the members learn through participation and sharing personal experiences. Being a leader does not imply that we are right as we all need to support one another. There is a need to join hands and focus on building reliable relationships and a positive support environment where we learn and teach others. Thus, each one of us needs to be part of the discussion without fail which means answering, asking questions or giving opinions. Every person has the opportunity to participate in the wellness of the entire group as we need to head in the same direction.’’

Situation 4

In the case that some group members fail to fulfill their responsibilities, the effort of the entire group is then affected. The lack of active participation of Tom and Jerry is causing discomfort among the members which is likely to affect their productivity and morale as a whole. In this case, the situation would raise the feeling that the behavior of the two members will negatively affect the stability of the members in general. Diversity does not only entail owning rather different skills or ideas but it is also inclusive of active and passive members (Salas, Vessey & Estrada, 2015). There are those that commit to the given tasks while others apply less effort based on the belief that others will participate and therefore they are not in any way accountable for any happenings. It is never okay to drag others down in a group since that means failure of the entire group. Since tasks have been assigned to all the participants, it then implies that the contribution of every individual is needed.

The lack of active participation of the members cannot be presumed as intentional. The lack of active communication normally leads to the withdrawal of some members and leaders need to encourage cooperation through active social interactions. Such things are important as they help in the growth of positive energy for every small group which in turn helps in easy integration into the larger group. People will only participate when they feel comfortable with one another which begins during interactions. People need to be encouraged to talk as well as listen to others which in turn creates an appealing environment for learning as well as active engagement (Franz, 2012). Therefore the members need to understand that they can always share their challenges or ask for help when needed at any given time without having to worry about responsibilities. Effective communication is needed alongside active cooperation to ensure that the group succeeds fully as needed in general. Socializing is the kind of motivation that is needed in the group to ensure that every member feels comfortable sharing their ideas without the fear of being judged or discriminated by others. We are all different and this kind of diversity is a major benefit to the entire group.

The intervention is appropriate because the group is comprised of youths and mainly seeks to achieve academic related goals. Tom and Jerry are not receiving the best reactions from others simply because they are dragging down the effort of others. In the case that the tasks are well designed every person has an obligation to fulfil something that both of them have failed to meet. Thus, the first thing would be trying to understand the source of their inactive participation and how best the situation can be resolved. However, the focus of the group must be set by designing suitable rules to govern the behaviors of every individual. This will lead to stability while still increasing their willingness to participate.

Script to Affected Individuals:  Tom and Jerry

Leader: ‘’A group will only achieve the set objectives only when all members are willing to cooperate and meet their targets. This group cannot afford to fail because some people are unwilling to participate. We should not only be ready to learn from each other but also to interact actively with one another which will, in turn, improve our relations. However, we should not judge passive participant before we can understand what they are going through or their reasons for not actively participating in the development of the projects. Togetherness means learning and sharing our skills with those that need them most. Thus, there is a need to strive to ensure that all the set targets are met without fail.’’

Situation 5

The new behavior as portrayed by John would create somewhat uncertain feelings and thoughts. First, the group had been progressing while until now that John is sharing unlimitedly about his positive encounters as while as his consistent interruptions when others are talking. The frequent interruptions are upsetting others something that has the ability to disrupt the stability and productivity of the group in general. The behavior is unusual and annoying which means that the situation needs an immediate address to ensure that the participation of other members and their performance is not affected. One of the most important characteristics of any leader is their ability to lead with transparency (Franz, 2012). In other words with assertiveness and transparency, John needs to know that what he is doing is affecting others because it is rather unwelcome. Everyone in the therapy group deserves a chance to share their experiences and express their views which is part of healing and learning which cannot be achieved with the constant interruptions from John. He should, therefore, be allowed to explain what the source of the behavior is. Also as a leader, one should listen without judging him as part of developing reliable communication.

The first strategy with regard to dealing with the situation involves summarizing everything that the group feels with regard to John’s behavior. This would involve clarifying everything while pointing any additional points that need to be noted (Franz, 2012). This is important to gathering various thoughts and ensuring that John does not feel discriminated. Affirmativeness is needed where all his contributions should be acknowledged while giving people the opportunity to not only express by also share their views in general. Creativity is needed in this case, since John might not open up in an environment where he feels pressured. With understanding, this helps in maintaining the active nature of the group while ensuring that every idea counts. Since it is a form of discussion it should be a form of interaction that leads to healthy outcomes. This also means being inclusive because even though the members are right to get upset by the behaviors portrayed by John he is also entitled to defending himself. Creating an enabling surrounding and active listening are some of the most important aspects of running an effective discussion that would result in a smooth running of the group as a whole.

John has been demonstrating a rather weird behavior over the last few sessions which is affecting the stability of the group which makes the intervention suitable. He needs to understand that we are operating as a group and the views of every person are important. In that, he has to ensure that he listens to others before making the decision of responding. Effective communication is all about listening and responding rather than being the dominant speaker which is normally irritating. The sessions are mainly aimed at offering therapeutic benefits to the affected persons which is not to be achieved if they are unable to share their experiences in general. In other words, the intervention will allow John to understand the effects of his behavior and how to overcome for the benefit of everyone.

Script to Affected Individual: John

Leader: ‘’Every individual in the group deserves an opportunity to share their encounters and express their views without feeling intimidated. However, this does not mean that we are limited in our sharing but it is important to listen to others. Interruptions are unnecessary as they lead disruptions of the groups which might affect the productivity and participation of most members. In this case, I would beg for the cooperation of every member in ensuring that we listen and give others the needed chance to share with others. There is no inferior or dominant person in the group and each experience is an important part of learning and healing.’’

References

Forsyth, D. R. (2018). Group dynamics. Boston, MA: Cengage.

Franz, T. M. (2012). Group dynamics and team interventions: Understanding and improving team performance. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.

Salas, E., Vessey, W. B., & Estrada, A. X. (2015). Team cohesion: Advances in psychological theory, methods and practice. Bingley, U.K. : Emerald.