Communication Strategies

The intent of this assignment is to ascertain my individual reflection which is imperative for developing a clear understanding of my overall performance during the assessment. A three fold critical reflection is obtained as a result of this assignment that looks at personal reflection in the following topics and situations reflections on the proposed ICT solution recently submitted as the subject assignment reflection on the group working and issues of cooperation in line with the assignment and my personal reflection on all facets of working with the assignment and working with the group, including reflection on the Australian education system which has been a novel experience in my educational life.

Reflection on the proposed ICT solution
The primary objective of the entailed task set for us by the lecturer and the course was to aid the development of superior answers for information and communications technology, in order that business processes, technical and competitive advantage, and additional performance and business solutions could be developed. This was to be realized through group work. An Australia based ICT solution provider, Lighthouses vision is to create solutions for clients so as to increase areas of productivity, efficiency and performance, and in order that the client under study, Definitive Accounting and Taxation (DAAT), can choose the most effective from a range of appropriate technological solutions. Working in a group has enabled me to experience new knowledge in ways beggaring description. Therefore my reflection on the proposed ICT solution can be described as an experience similar to that which I would have undergone had I been really involved in working for a real company for the same job. In the possibility that I may work in the professional field of information and communication technology, this experience, I believe, will prove fruitful in helping me develop feasible solutions for clients in the form of appropriate levels of technologies and applications.

From the very outset it was important to seek professional applications and tangible ideas as this is the manner in which Lighthouse or even other ICT solution providers would handle client needs in real life circumstances. Hence, by observing the mutual maturity and professionalism of both Lighthouse and DAAT it can be comprehended that the types of technologies recommended and employed can handle and effectively meet the requirements and outcomes required by DAAT which have been clearly elucidated.

Being a startup organization scheduled to begin operations on the 1st of July, the needs of DAAT were observed to be predominantly foundational. This included primarily the establishment of a stable and sustainable, well-designed IT system. The concern of security with regards to data and smooth access to professional information were additional requirements. High levels of job automation in order to elevate productivity and the availability of low cost communication channels for the company to be connected with their clients were also important priorities.
       
Lighthouses proposed multi-fold solution thus consisted of job automation, electronic data interchange (EDI), knowledge management (KM) and seamless communication measures in order to fulfill DAATs specific requirements. The introduction of accounting software ensured that employees of DAAT are liberated from basic clerical activities such as collection and input of data and could hence focus on more productive issues such as analysis and interpretation. An external source KM system on DAATs website which provided free access to free online professional sources and an internal source KM system supported by a forum and case database were also suggested.

To prevent the leak of confidential data strict security policies and mechanisms were offered. In order to prevent the failure of the computer system, secondary server and spare computers for backup were advised where the secondary database server would backup the data of the main server frequently, especially at the end of each month. According to the analysis of the needs and requirements of the Definitive Accounting and Taxation, Lighthouse customized a set of ICT solutions which included an Office Network, Web and Email Server, and MYOB Server.  All these three parts would be connected through VPN network to ensure secure communication and protect the clients confidential information. The existing clients or the potential clients are enabled to communicate with DAATs staff through several channels Email, WebPages, Forum, News letter and RSS feeds, thus fulfilling customer relationship management (CRM) objectives as well.

The chief aim of any information and communications solutions provider firm is to supplement the dominant function of client companies by providing a superior edge of technical and competitive advantage, and added performance and business solutions against similar competing businesses. Through the development of group work it was possible for us to produce varied solutions and ideas to organizations and in the process craft advantages for them. Lighthouse has been observed to have the competence to generate solutions for clients problems of any severity and in addition create all requisite solutions.

 Reflection on the group working

The experience of working in and with a group was an overwhelmingly positive one for me. Besides the academic edge it has given me by working with peers of exceptional caliber, it has disclosed to me the significance of diversity in views, judgments and experiences.  Keeping my linguistic barriers in mind, my learning duration at the university has presented me with unforeseen challenges that have undoubtedly helped my grow and comprehend the varied modes of learning patterns, cognition and rational processing especially because my peers come from different backgrounds themselves. In retrospect, this has enabled me to develop wider perspectives and improved ways of thinking and dealing with problems.

Since my colleagues each had wide ranging views and aptitudes, they also had their own unique ways of communicating and connecting with other peers in the working group. In the process, I have been able to appreciate the many ways in which individuals tackle and articulate ideas, especially those with regard to the assignment in question.  The lack of support and coordination, during meetings, was another aspect that was observed, when working in a group and is one of the avenues which when understood can be useful to students looking to work in groups in general. The time slots and accessible prospects would sometimes not be convenient for all of the members, as some of the group meetings were not conducted at times that were in alignment with studying at the university. However, in such situations, patience is of utmost importance and it is required of each member to be empathetic with the other to ensure that the entailed task is progressed at and that each individual is able to put in his own contribution towards the fulfillment of the groups goals and objectives.      
   
Working in a group is a unique learning experience as it helped me understand the significance of learning from other people and not just restricting oneself to academic learning and other conventional modes. There is always difficulty in managing diversity and bringing together people from multiple backdrops and social circumstances imply that the involved task was unduly complicated from the very beginning and at moments quite difficult to work with. However this is also accompanied by other unanticipated synergistic outcomes. To conclude this section of my contemplation, it is worth noting that though there are many hurdles involved in working in a group the potential benefits that can be reaped in the process are bountiful and in this particular scenario it has helped the group and myself to consider the various situations that can be anticipated in real life working conditions where there could be similar challenges in the process of executing delegated projects and in delivering clients contracts.    

Personal Reflection
It is important to note that it is the underlying difference between the learning mechanism between Saudi Arabia and Australia that has led to many of the issues that I have come across in this learning curve. There is a more refined focus on critical learning and practical experience, here in Australia, rather than reiterating methods. This necessitated that I fully utilize all lecturer notes, academic material, course readings, tutorial discussions and recommended exercises, which is in direct contrast to my hitherto experience with the educational system back in Saudi Arabia. In addition, since this was my opening semester at the University of Wollongong this was an exceptionally exigent hindrance to my progress. However I do feel that though these same challenges will present themselves in subsequent semesters, they may not pose the same level of difficulty due to the knowledge and skill sets that I have gained through this virgin experience.

Language has been the predominant barrier as English is not my first language. Though I have successfully completed the ETS course at the Wollongong University College, I am personally of the opinion that this course is insufficient in offering us with the level of English dexterity required to fully understand journal articles and materials at the Masters level and to resolve issues arising in the verbal context. However, I am well aware that it is vital that I overcome these trials if I wish to carve myself a professional niche in the information and communication technologies domain, as this avenue is founded chiefly on the English language and hence need to harness the required degree of English language mastery especially with respect to the related technical vernacular usage. These key facets of the study here, though exceedingly taxing to international students, has been appealing to me due to the strong credibility that they have given to the Australian education system and I hope that I persistently persevere in this learning curve as I firmly believe that they will endow me with the potential to pave my professional and personal best into the future, while helping me to nurture the relevant problem solving skills required to develop information and communication technology solutions that would be valuable to the businesses that seek them.

Besides being able to grasp various new aspects about ICT solutions, including the advantages of aspects such as EDI and Knowledge Management, the actuality of interactions between ICT solution providers and client companies was more effectively comprehended as a result of this course. One of the most beneficial outcomes that I have derived from this course was the advantages of learning through group work. The globalized workplace of contemporary businesses will revolve around team based activities and environments and hence a hands-on experience of dealing with such a situation will definitely be fruitful for me, both in a personal as well professional perspective.

To sum up, on comprehending the varied backgrounds and social grooming of the different students that I have worked with, I have fully understood the extent of diversity in experiences and educational styles that could prove helpful in viewing problems from different perspectives and hence solve them more effectively. Thus, the judgment and experience of all participating students should be considered as the resultant synergistic productivity would without doubt be more superior to that of each of these students when considered on their own.

Back in 2008, American Airlines created a new policy in terms of their baggage fees.  The policy states a 15 fee for the first checked baggage and an additional charge for the second checked luggage.  Not long after, other airline companies such United Airlines and US Airways followed suit.

Despite having an IRS code specifying that charges for transportation of baggage were not taxable (News, Bloomberg), however, airline companies continued increasing their fees into what has now become a twenty-five dollar fee for the first checked baggage and an additional thirty-five dollars for the second checked baggage.  While issuing baggage fees may be starting to become a standard among the airline companies, this issue has since become a source of confusion for many passengers because of the lack of uniformity in the fees.

A traveler can have many options when it comes to their luggage.  They have the choice to pay the twenty-five dollars for checking one bag but doing it online could cost them only twenty-three dollars.  However, they also have the option to avoid having to pay any fee whatsoever by making all their belongings fit into a small carry-on bag.  Passengers have already worried in line about having excess baggage now they have to worry about fitting all the necessary items into one small bag.  This, plus one personal item, is the only thing allowed inside the plane free of charge.  This issue clearly leads into many time delays because everyone is trying to avoid having to pay for the baggage fees.  More bags come into the aircraft in the form of the carry-on bags and the flight attendants will have to do their jobs of trying to fit everything into the overhead compartments.  Otherwise, the passenger will have no choice but to place a tag on the bag so that they are allowed to go below the plane, adding up to the delay.  They could even try to lessen the load of their carry-on bags, if they already go beyond the allowance, by unpacking and taking off a few things thereby adding up to the delay.  It is with this knowledge that has led me to ask whether it is possible to place information on the baggage fees right at the base of every airline ticket, so that time delays and confusion could be avoided.

As a frequent flyer, this issue is of very high importance to me because I get to deal with it often.  The air travel industry has undergone many changes over the years, including the addition of the unnecessary baggage fees.  As a travel agent, I am also faced with various travelers who make comments about these baggage fees.  The different policies on baggage fees of the different airline companies tend to be very confusing thus leading them to make inquiries in how much it would cost them and in how they could best deal with their luggage. If it were up to me, this unnecessary confusion could be avoided easily  and thus the avoidance of time delays  if the policy was set straight, making traveling a less stressful thing to do.

After all, not all airplanes adopt the same policies in terms of the baggage fees.  Most airline companies such as American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines charge twenty-five for the first checked bag and thirty-five for the second.  Other companies such as Southwest and Jet Blue are still generous enough not to charge any fees for the first checked baggage.  However, aside from these fees, other things also have to be kept in mind such as charges for overweight and oversized bags.  This could add more confusion to the traveler as additional fees, starting at fifty dollars per excess kilo, would go up depending on the size and weight of the bag.  Of course, these fees also have exceptions  they would differ for the different classes of frequent flyers as well as the military personnel.  The charges would also double up for those taking round-trip.  Sometimes, airline companies would also put up promos for their customers thus making it hard to know the correct baggage charges beforehand.

It is truly confusing why airline companies would want to put up such fees to their customers.  Of course, it is understood that there are certain charges for moving the baggage from one point to another but, considering that the travel industry only has two kinds of luggage carry-on and lost (Haber), are the high costs really worth it  Could their claims that lost revenue from ticket sales and other factors such as higher fuel costs are the reason for the fees be reasonable enough for instilling such fees  If they could just have added these fees into the base fee of the ticket prices, there never would have been chaos among the customers in the first place.  Perhaps the airline companies would also have helped avoid creating disputes against the airport executives as they continue to accuse each other of being greedy for fee revenues (n.p.).

If the information regarding these baggage fees had been made clear at the start, there would perhaps be no issue among the travelers and the airline company staff.  Perhaps they could make a clear liquidation of where every dollar and cent of the baggage fees go so that the general public may know.  This way, their customers would never have to question such moves and there would be no reason for this issue to create so much noise in public.  Just think about the reports the US airline industry has been found to collect around 1.2 billion in excess baggage last year, according to the US Department of Transportation back in 2008 (n.p.).  Placing the correct information of the fees in the ticket or adding them up along with the ticket price thus taking them out entirely in the process could even help in reducing the confusion among their customers and make the check-in process speedier and hassle-free for everyone.

Effective interpersonal communication is an important factor for the success in the workplace because it leads to increased productivity and personal satisfaction of the workers. This calls for people to be able to communicate with each other in a bid to structure the flow of productivity. Studies have shown that without an effective interpersonal relationship among workers, conflicts will remain unresolved thus misunderstanding and ultimately lack of productivity will be yielded. With the advent of technology, interpersonal relationship stands a better chance of being fostered hence efficiency, understanding and peaceful coexistence is achieved. This paper seeks to explain the principles of effective interpersonal communication in the workplace, discussing the misconception that surround this form of communication, exploring barriers of effective interpersonal communication, strategies for active listening and the impact of gender and culture on interpersonal communications.

Researchers contend that the ability to incorporate a subtle variance of communication, which includes tone as well as speech patterns, is at the heart of interpersonal communication. It is inarguable that interpersonal communication revolves around the speeches, chitchats, and meeting at departmental and personal levels, fights and general occurrence in person. Interpersonal communication at the workplace follows certain established norms for efficiency and productivity. This implies that the principles of interpersonal communication must be considered in a bid to root out various misconceptions about it. Due to these misconceptions, certain barriers impede the efficiency of interpersonal communication in the workplace but efforts must be employed to rise above such barriers. As such there are strategies for active listening that must be used to enhance this kind of communication. The effects of gender  as well as culture on interpersonal communication in the 21st century marketplace forms the basis upon which organizations should call upon their employees to adopt an effective strategies. Evidently, effective interpersonal communication at the workplace provides a breakthrough in the success various organizations in the competitive global market.

Principles of Interpersonal Communication at the Workplace
The primary reason as to why we communicate is to express our thoughts, feelings and ideas in the way that will be clearly understood.  The integration of both spoken and non verbal communication helps in achieving this clarity in the workplace. Accordingly, effective interpersonal communication entails the use of the traditional face to face communication with the body language being evident as well as the responses through a feedback mechanism. Research shows that organizations that have encouraged their employees to develop good interpersonal communication skills have virtually succeeded. Communicating effectively with the boss or customers, forms the foundation upon which an organization succeeds. According to DeVitol (2008), effective interpersonal communication at the workplace provides an opportunity for exchanging ideas as well as symbols that represent ideas.  Symbols attached to all words reflect who we are, our cultural setups and social upbringing. If this form diversity is mutually shared and channeled to the right direction, an organization can surely succeed.

The basic principle of interpersonal communication at the work place is that it occurs in a given context. Wood (2002) asserts that there is no single time interpersonal communication will occur in isolation. With regard to this, interpersonal communication occurs in the context where the participants bring needs, values, personality and desires to an interaction. Evidently, Rowell (1999) further points out that interpersonal communication occur in a relational dimension where participants interact by relating to certain aspects of life. By increasing ones range of interpersonal skills, employees achieve extensive job satisfaction as well as performance.

In addition, interpersonal communication follows the principle that it does not just entail spoken words. Accordingly,  DeVitol (2008) postulates that looking at the boss face is already communication because in such a simple act, an employee is able to derive a message or two depending on the expression gotten from the boss face. It is significant that body language, elements of tonal variation as well as aspects of situation must be considered in the entire process of interpersonal communication because they enhance communication at the workplace.

Researchers argue that most people hold on the misconception that interpersonal communication is avoidable therefore they refuse to utter verbal words but do not know that they are still communication. With regard to this, Wood (2002) explains that interpersonal communication can not be escaped thus, when we deliberately choose to be silent to others, we are still communicating at least our silence. In light of this, silence has a manifold of interpretation depending on the situation as well as cultural aspects. For instance, certain cultures considers silence where elders areas a sign of politeness and respect while in other situations, it may communicate lack of bond.

Communication in the Workplace
The use of gestures and body language coupled with our verbal communication makes the perception of an employee clearer. To reap extensive understanding in a workplace, effective interpersonal communication must be established. For instance, if you listen to a monotonous person, it may become hard to understand their feelings on the subject but should he person use gestures and tonal variation, their points will become articulate and what they mean will be understood clearly.

Furthermore, interpersonal communication gives people in an organization the ability to get along with others through the use of interpersonal skills. DeVitol (2008) argues that effective interpersonal communication exposes you as a smart and fascinating worker thus providing the ability to achieve prosperity in the workplace.

To enhance ones interpersonal communication at the work place, workers need self expression in communication. This means that they should adopt thoughts around ideas and get tuned with the feeing of others, their opinion and knowledge at large. Moreover, employees should use effective responses by being assertive. For example, it would be prudent if a particular employee specified why they agree or disagree with a given opinion. Primarily, descriptiveness as well as tactfulness should be employed to help phrase feedbacks and comments in the positive light.

Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication
It amounts to a simplistic view if we argue that communication in whatever form is easy and straight forward. According to Wood (2002), the misconceptions about interpersonal communication have forced us to put certain barriers in the way of communication. Largely, this undermines the whole process of effective communication. Among the barriers of interpersonal communication at the workplace include physical barriers, emotional barriers, perceptual barriers and cultural barriers.

Rowell (1999) asserts that physical barriers range from colleagues marking their own territories such that those deemed as strangers will not be allowed to access them. Accordingly, closing office doors and designing separate areas for employees with different status, is a manifestation of physical barriers .Instead, an organization should e courage open office where colleagues can exchange ideas and feeling over particular issues that keep on emerging I the workplace.

Research postulates that in a bid to build cohesion and team building in a workplace, interpersonal communication must be enforced through proximity (Wood, 1999).In light of this, workers will still have personal space that they can call theirs but proximity to others facilitates communication because of the basic function that it provides a chance for workers to know each other.

Similarly, emotional barriers hinder interpersonal communication by blockading free and open communication. Fear, suspicion ad well as mistrust are elements of emotional barriers because our development as people with effective communicating skills is hindered therefore interfering with out ability to establish relationships that are meaningful. Organizations should encourage openness through formulating policies that 4encourage freedom of expression. In so doing, employees will not ride in fear or entertain the thought that they are there to be seen and not to be heard. Such an approach is quite effective in promoting team work which forms an important factor in the productivity of an organization.

Perceptual barriers come by virtue of the fact that in interpersonal communication, we communicate as guided by our different perception of the world. In essence, our assumptions, thoughts and perceptions constantly shape our mindsets thus determine our interpersonal communication. To avoid perceptual barriers we should be objective in our thinking and often respect other peoples opinion regardless of whether we disagree of agree with them. In so doing, we will not impose our feelings on others but will allow ourselves to grow and benefit from the diversified outlook of nature.

On the same note, it is inarguably that interpersonal communication has been hindered as a result of cultural barriers. In an organization, all employees are forced to adopt the cultural and behavioral patterns of that organization. Without this, the organization will regard you as an out cast because you will constantly not feel a sense of belonging. However, in certain cases, some employees hold on to their personal and cultural identification until they operate on different lanes with others in an organization. Sooner or later, such employees will feel left out because it always remains that if your cultural mindset differs with that of the organization, your interpersonal communication will be displaced. It is therefore significant that we conform to the culture of the organization in order to mutually benefit from a high level interpersonal communication and therefore achieve rewards of approval, recognition and inclusion.

Impact of Gender and Culture on Interpersonal Communication
Gender has impacted on the interpersonal communication in the workplace by infusing different styles of communication used by both men and women. Wood (2002) analyses that the methods of communication that men as well as women use comes with the far reaching effect of who will be heard, approved and influence the work to be done. Accordingly, elements of status, authority, apologies and indirectness are the pointers of the impact gender have had on interpersonal communication in the workplace. For example, the way people communicate with their words and body determines who get a bigger share of power as well as recognition from the boss. Power in this case, is understood within the parameters of being able to influence people to listen to you as opposed to having to do what others want.

Similarly, culture appears to be an important factor in interpersonal communication in the workplace. For instance, with America becoming so diverse, the style of interpersonal communication has definitely been reshaped. This is due to the understanding that America represents many cultures making it impossible to create a single unified way of communicating. With regard to this, DeVitol (2008) explains that interpersonal communication is built around the belief that our thoughts and ideas are expressed depending on how we have been raised as well as what we believe in. Accordingly, culture continues to bring about the emergence of dialects and certain non verbal cues do not have a universal meaning.

Strategies for Active Listening
Effective interpersonal communication is pegged on the ability to listen actively. Whether we use spoken language or body language, the message we communicate will only be understood and clearly interpreted if we listen actively. We require active listening in our every day life. It is away of responding to others in a manner that will build a mutual understanding. Strategies to active listening enhance interpersonal relationship and communication at large. Such strategies are not rules but rather tips that help one to better the interpersonal communication.

Researchers and communication experts has recommended various steps to improve an active listening skill. This is watching the body language and using it together with the spoken worse. For instance, watching aspects of facial expression and tone of voice reinforces the message that the words will convey. In addition, observing the rate of speech as well as other auditory changes, positions you to a level of catching up with the actual meaning and  the intended meaning that others may be trying to convey.

It is important to remain part of the communication process which is indicated by active listening sills. As such, it is appropriate to use receptive language such as asking questions for clarification, avoiding judgment, and demonstrating interest by providing positive feedback and avoiding being emotionally involved. All these of course will happen if eye contact is maintained.

Conclusion
From the foregoing discussion, it is evident the one of the most important forms of communication is interpersonal communication because, apart from conveying the message it builds a mutual understanding between relations. To achieve this, clarity is paramount. This means that principles of interpersonal communication especially at a workplace must be observed such that people understand what they say and use other non verbal cues to reinforce their messages. Barriers of interpersonal communication that result due to misconception should be avoided and instead, strategies of active listening employed. In so doing, it goes beyond doubt that interpersonal communication in the workplace will be effective hence leading to the success of employees as well as an organization. Arguably, with effective interpersonal communication in a workplace, an employee feels satisfaction which leads to productivity. In a nutshell, interpersonal communication in a workplace can be effective if one conducts himself in a professional manner and respect others. In so doing, their position within the company will not be jeopardized or worsened.

The ability of expanding organizational goals and objectives correspond to the value and ability of utilizing perspectives of management and providing directions for maximizing an employees skills and strengths. Seeing this, understanding the aspect of interaction complements not only the everyday office environment but also the dynamics related to formulation of relationships. These perspectives in turn also provide the leverage in establishing appropriate functions within the interplay of groups and accomplishment of specific tasks. Due to these, I believe that understanding the value and precepts of communication within the office environment remains crucial in bridging competencies of the workforce and diversifying opportunities for valuing cultural relevance and interpersonal relations.

Given the increasing diversity in the workplace, managers and leaders continue to find means to reach out to employees and create preferable outcomes. This then provided new inputs and strategies towards understanding the aspect of communication and how it prevails within the prospect of everyday activities and achieving organizational goals. Such directions then reinforces the values as I try to respond to the challenges within the workplace and create better means to integrate management principles by conveying a clear and concise format. Seeing this, the essential principle surrounding my professional capacity revolves around how (1) I handle conflict management, (2) value of communication towards cultures and gender, and (3) harnessing new means to develop interpersonal relationship in a professional setting.

Handling Conflict Management
One important process of office communications revolves around proper handling of conflict among parties. This remains to be valuable as miscommunication continues to occur within the office environment and can indeed hamper relationships, work productivity, and optimizing appropriate tasks and objectives.  As Authenticity Consulting (2009) provides, conflict is when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature and havent been aligned or agreed about yet (p.1), it is then crucial to underline measures that can consolidate better means to address each partys issue and promote better means for generating a more responsible and open response. By taking into consideration these trends, the value then of office communications becomes more dynamic and facilitative of employee needs and creates a level of responsibility in the workplace.

Similarly, it can be seen that the process of addressing conflict management remains to be a difficult hurdle. This is because it corresponds to different factors from work-related technicalities to organizational culture. Due to this, managers need to think twice before implementing these strategies because it may prove to be costly and further escalate the problem. Here, Groenewald (2006) provides that these factors create bad relations between people, and are generally the result of not following proper communication models, or of grudges built from the outset of a relationship where initial problems were not addressed (p.1). Seeing this, it is then crucial for managers to outline the necessary steps from understanding the root of the problem towards identifying the appropriate strategies that can tackle the points raised by both parties.

Applying this principle in future scenarios, I deem that it is essential on my part to remain responsive to the needs of both parties. Here, I need to allow each one to communicate and provide their response and arguments in the given problem. After this, I can appropriately gauge and determine objectively which ones hold ground and remain adherent to what the organization stands for. Similarly, I believe that I can act as a mediator merging common interests and utilizing each one for the benefit of all parties involved. By becoming non-biased and fair, it can provide the capacity for competing individualsparties to have the assurance that each decision can be made according to what is essential and relevant to the issue.

At the same time, I also do recognize the significance of establishing common rules for work-related and ethical behaviour within the workplace. The process of creating standards remains crucial not only in setting a benchmark for appropriate norms within the organization but also provide an avenue on how issues of conflict can be handled. Under this process, I argue that it must creating these rules alone are never enough. Rather, the organization must continue to use its experience to devise better means for facilitating and exploring possible options for amendment to become cohesive to the organizational culture and meet the current trends of the workplace. These dynamics in turn promote better means for establishing conflict resolution strategies on my part and supplement the ability to enforce decisions that is rooted in fairness.

Lastly, I also adhere to the notion that the communication patterns within the company must be reinforced. This corresponds to the application of formal modes of interaction from the superior-subordinate to employee-employee relations.  Given that formal rules are already in place, having a standardized model for formal communication enables valuing the level of professionalism and work ethics. Moreover, it also brings about the capacity to exercise my duties and goals according to what is expected of me. Seeing this, it can serve as an important component in helping determine my role in conflict resolution and the ability to manage my subordinates effectively.

Communication, Culture and Gender
Another important process related to office communications revolves around dwelling into the issue of understanding the relevance of culture and gender. In every organization, there will always be issues relating to the manner employees are treated and how they perceive these issues to be with their own personal interests. Due to this, it develops specific norms and values that remain to be seen within the workplace environment. At the same time, given the increasing diversity within different organizations, the process of varying culture and gender issues increases and poses to create conflict if not properly addressed. An essential precept brought about by this changing workforce involves the aspect of miscommunication. Here, Barett and Davidson (2006) provide that miscommunication arising from different speech structures affect personal relationships and career development opportunities and strategies for men and women (p.96).

Similarly, the application of gender in the workplace can be seen in the disparity provided among positions and responsibilities delegated to men and especially women. Given this setup, such process then becomes a gender issue because of the biased view that organizations give to men especially in advance positions and limits their capacity to become subjected to fair measurement of competencies. Due to this, many organizations seek to utilize this precept and create better models and methods for appraisal as well as communication of objectives and responsibilities. This strategy remains essential in building common grounds for diversifying options and responding to current trends in the workplace.

Reflecting on my future endeavours, I do believe that culture, diversity, and gender would continue to be an essential precept shaping interactions and organizational development. Under this process, I must continue to be responsive to the needs of the community and open up options for reaching out and infusing the necessary skills for cultural competence and consideration towards gender. In particular, Barett and Davidson (2006) argues that there is a need therefore, within the field of international business and human resource management to unravel socio-cultural variables that may shape language styles and consider their implications for womens managerial roles and advancement (p. 98).

Likewise, I must also recognize that within the organization, cultures among employees exist. In here, they create their own norms and form of interaction with one another. For my part, it is then crucial to deduce these realities and try my best to reach out and synchronize it with the organizations norms and values. By integrating and infusing these cultural principles within the company that I work for in the future, it can help create better means to utilize the value of culture towards enhancing opportunities available and promote a common professional language where everyone can interact and take part. Such aspect then becomes relevant in utilizing opportunities and harnessing communication patterns.

Lastly, I also see the relevance of inducing opportunities for education and training in the workplace concerning gender and culture. By taking into account the manner on how people interact, establish norms, and value work and non-work related processes increases the ability to generate a more facilitative response. These elements I believe is one aspect that consolidates better means for inducing competency among employees and place value on other factors shaping organizational development and growth.   All these in turn emanate options available in generating coherence within the organization and justify application of specific standards.

Developing Interpersonal Relationship in Professional Settings
Another component shaping the dynamics of office communications revolve around the value of establishing interpersonal relationships. Though organizations continuously seek to promote a professional environment, there will always be specific areas where employees develop interpersonal relations with one another. Here, it can be seen that these associations also promote specific reactions towards how employees communicate with one another. If this action is not taken in its appropriate place, it can serve to hamper the ability of employees to coexist and work at their optimal level. Seeing this, the value then of interpersonal connections among employees remains a viable stance among leaders as they seek to balance the challenges and the manner on how the workforce communicates with one another.

Similarly, it can also be argued that the aspect of interpersonal relationship goes along the lines in the establishment of organizational culture. As individuals within the workforce try to communicate and interact, they establish friendship and relationships that utilizes common areas of interest, goals, and principles. Due to this, outlining the necessary steps towards identifying these common patterns of interaction thus remains essential in generating new inputs and allows leaders to recognize its existence and promote methods to complement organizational goals and values.

At the same time, identifying interpersonal relations within the office environment also brings about new areas for opening growth and development among employees. In here, common expectations and elements of motivation are created as each one feels appreciated and valued in the company.

Understanding how these dynamics are created also gives managers the ability to design motivational strategies and help empower employees to utilize their full potential in specific roles and responsibilities that they had to fulfil. Thus, these elements strengthen the capacity of organizations to take care of their employees and provide leverage for using interpersonal communication to their benefit.

As a future leader, I deem that the idea of interpersonal relationship be an important principle taken into consideration in handling employees. Harnessing on what employees feel and opening up channels of communication for them to voice out these concerns can increase loyalty and induce motivation among employees. These then serve as an essential method in increasing productivity and fostering better options for inducing employee growth. For my part, I must continue to recognize these trends and allow the value of identifying the aspect of interpersonal communication because it can also serve as an essential aspect shaping my management and leadership techniques.

To further consolidate on this issue, as a leader, I must learn how to listen to the concern of employees. This can then help understand the level of awareness of whats going on among my future subordinates and then integrate their experiences to make decisions on what can help each one give out the best of their capacities. In essence, these dynamics then infuse greater ability to induce my role within my group. At the same time, it also creates a more reactive role in generating options for my team. As Groenewald (2006) provides, by discussing the positives, you now move a few steps closer to finding out what they are looking for from the relationship (p.1).

Developing Empathic Listening
The process then of establishing listening options also remains crucial in fostering office communication. Under this process, it helps delegate new means for integrating opportunities for leaders to consolidate and infuse better means of encouraging responsibility and accountability. At the same time, the value of listening becomes crucial in highlighting my capacity to become responsive to the needs of their employees and identify common elements that equally shape their perception, inputs, and also critiques about the organization. This then encourages greater openness as I consider new means for developing continued growth both as an employee and leader.

Conclusion
Overall, the value then of communication has always transcended to induce opportunities for organizational growth and development. By taking into account themes related to communication (e.g. culture, gender, listening, and interpersonal relationships), I can be able to expand my capacity as a leader. At the same time, I can become more responsive to my future endeavours as I gain the competency to facilitate conflict and promote new programs to address the challenges prevalent within the organizational realm. As I tread to my future opportunities, I can effectively use these principles in becoming responsible and accountable not only in my specific role within the organization but also become adaptive to the increasing trends and diversity in the workplace.

Conflict is brought about by people in an organization when people disagree. This could be due to lack of resources, unrealistic expectations and a difference in goals. Conflict resolution is trying to solve these conflicts so that all the employees are able to work towards the goal of the organization. One of the most accredited programs is the leadership-training program. This is a program that is designed to give skills necessary to solve any form of conflict. The key is to use effective communication to solve the problem of conflict to creative opportunities for growth. This ensures that people understand that conflict may be a mutual problem, which can be sort out by use of negotiation rather than aggression. Use of listening ensures that a person has understood the other persons point of view and his goals. When one has understood this then one can see why his actions are affecting him by understanding the person first. Turning a lose-lose situation into a win-win situation is also another tool in this program. The purpose of conflict resolution in the organization is that it not only resolves the issue at hand but it also presents new ones by opening strong lines of communication. The goal of conflict resolution in the organization is to ensure that the organization reaps the benefits of increase in productivity, more effective results and also improved synergy.

The program once applied, will enable a manager to manage conflict by identifying arbitrating conflict in the teams, whereby the manager will be able to work through the conflict with the team to reach an agreement that not only ends the conflict but involves everyone and not making a decision that the employees grudgingly obey, ability to identify difficult people who will always find fault in every decision made, and recognition of those who dont want to co-operate and who find it difficult to work with others.

As time goes by, United States becomes more culturally diverse. Now, the health care professionals will need to adapt with the cultural diversity. They need to be sensitive about the cultural needs of the client to be able to provide better services to the Hispanic communities. One approach in meeting this attempt is to achieve cultural competency. Cultural competency enables the health care professionals to recognize and appreciate different cultures. It is defined as behaviors, attitudes, and policies that may ensure that an individual can work effectively in a diverse cultural setting. This helps people to respect cultural diversity, expand their knowledge and increase their sensitivity.

The nonmaterial and material products of human behavior are part of the culture which are shared in different ways. The rapidly increasing rate of cultural differences in United States serves as a challenge to the working health care professionals. Most problems reported by the professionals arise from poor knowledge in bilingual and lack of cultural competency. In order to render better services, cultural competency needs to be included in the curriculum. Also, all health care organizations must undergo training to be able to achieve such competency. Effective communicaion is vital to cultural competency. It requires open-mindedness and willingness to explore others culture. Appropriate languages at the appropriate comprehension and literacy levels are important to provide culturally competent services to patients. Learning new languages and techniques to bridge communicaion gaps, openly responding to culturally based cues and interpreting the implications of symptoms as they are expressed by individuals from different cultures are the abilities of a culturally competent health care provider.

Almost 32 million in United States speak a different language other than English. That is why language becomes one of the major barriers because the health care providers need to make their best attempt to communicate with the patients. The federal  government requires any health care provider who receives a federal funding from U.S Department of Health and Human Services to communicate with patients effectively or risk losing that money.  Monolingual health care providers fnd it hard to work with clients. Even body language can also be misterpreted. For example the firm handshake in Anglo-American culture is a symbol of strong character, but in some native American groups, a limp hand is a symbol of humility and respect. Two people from these cultures will leave this encounter with completely inaccurate assessments of each other.

The concept of culture enables us to recognize a particular pattern of living comprising with the health care needs and preferences of the society. These behaviors and knowledge lie at the core basis of health care in the U.S. In short, health care in United States is distinct from others because no other country has a culture just like the American way of life. This means that the culture of the health institution matches the American lifestyle.

People in U.S tend to seperate professional and personal identity. Communication style is depersonalized  to achieve professionalism. Such communication style and views affect the way of thinking of the heath care providers. What explains the epidemiology of such illness or disease is an explanatory model. If patients and health care providers ideas suffers about the structure and function of the body such as causes of diseases being bacteria, virus, or the environment versus the  evil eye  or   loss of soul   or   curses  it will be difficult to get patients to comply with treatment.

Based on the article, United States is the most socially and racially diverse country. Almost 3 million are considered   limited English proficient  and majority are Hispanic. Nearly 85 come from Latin America and the Caribbean. The way of living and kind of language affects the process of how patients access and respond to health care services. The manner of intepretation of these can either cause failure or success in responding to the needs of other.

Communicaion styles in America may vary depending upon the group that each represents. The population of the Hispanic and other cultural communities is rapidly growing. This fact is quiet alarming for the health care professionals because they need to be competent or else they will have to face the adverse consequences of delivering health services. But not all individuals value cultural diversity. Diversity produces new approaches to old practices and derive different beliefs from every traditions.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, America was recognized as a  melting pot  to describe the fusion of different nationalities, languages and cultures. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, the individuals in America are melted into a race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.  Later on, multiculturalism came into view which states that cultural differences within society are valuable and should be respected and preserved. These facts and principles show the history behind cultural diversity. Even before it existed and will continously grow in the future. We should consider this as a challenge rather than a problem. It only needs one cup of willingness to adapt and a pouch of respect to make up a new melting pot of acceptance to cultural diversity.

In the contemporary era of globalization, the business organizations are seeking competent human resources who have the specialized knowledge, skills, and experience for performing the assigned duties and responsibilities. Besides, the employers want to recruit those people who can adapt themselves to the changing business environment, work with a diverse workforce, and deliver the results within the stipulated deadlines. To meet the requirements of the employers, the job seekers prepare catchy CVs, cover letters, follow-up letters, and also rehearse for the interviews through comprehensive research and practice. This paper highlights the endeavors of the job seekers as they search for employment in a competitive job market, and it also includes a layout for a CV, which will help them to emphasize and match their key strengths with the requirements of a potential employer.

The job seekers use the available resources for searching the advertised positions in the newspapers, specific industrial publications, and the online job portals. These are the most common methods used by the candidates as they want to grasp the available employment opportunities. However, according to the information presented by Judith Dwyer in Business Communication Handbook, 8th ed., a smart job seeker also uses the expertise of employment agencies and does not hesitate in doing cold canvassing. In the ongoing recession, the job seekers grab every employment opportunity- full-time, part-time, or freelance. While applying for a job, it is essential that the candidate must have a catchy CV, which should have the contact information, qualifications, work experience, specialized training, and references. The CV is mostly written in reverse chronological format to highlight the most recent work experience, education and training followed by previous endeavors. The career goal, position and strengths should be clearly mentioned because the employers want to hire those people who would have the specialized skills in their organization. The details of writing a job application, CV, and electronic application form must be followed meticulously, and the content should be proofread before submitting the application to a potential employer. While writing the contact information of the referees, it is highly recommended to include a diversity of people from workplace and academics although trustworthy colleagues and customers can also be used to support the employment application.

Interview Preparation and Follow-up
When the job seeker gets an interview call, all energies should be focused on preparing for the face-to-face interview, which ultimately decides the selection of the most deserving candidate for the available position. It is highly recommended to do research about the company and its products since it shows the employer that the candidate is sincere in working with the organization. The candidate should dress neatly and carry all the necessary documents during the interview. The recruiters look for candidates who have confidence, good communication skills, and can perform their duties efficiently. Since the goal of the interview is to analyze the candidates competency for the position, the job seeker should emphasize the key strengths that match the requirements of the job. After the interview, a courteous thank you letter or a follow-up letter should be sent to the interviewer to show interest and professional conduct.

Name
Street Address, City, State, ZIP
Ph (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Email abcdef.com

Professional Goal
Seeking  Name of Position  in a Blue Chip Company

Strengths
Mention the number of years of experience in the related discipline
Highlight the problem solving and communication skills necessary for working in a group
Emphasize the ability to work under stress and deliver the results within deadlines
Summarize the specialized skills that the organization is looking for
Reiterate professionalism, integrity, and adeptness at using computers

Work Experience

Name of the current or latest organization Location
Position held From Year to 2010
Mention the duties performed
Portray the major achievements
Highlight the most notable achievement that led to economic growth (include statistics from the available annual report to corroborate)

Name of the previous organization Location
Position held xxxx to xxxx
Mention the duties performed
Portray the major achievements
Highlight the most notable achievement that led to economic growth (include statistics from the available annual report to corroborate)

Educational Qualifications

Highest Degree, Name of College, State Year of Graduation
(Include honors, GPA, etc.)
Previous Degree, Name of College, State Year of Graduation
(Include honors, GPA, etc.)

Professional Memberships

Name of Society Year of Membership
Name of Association Year of Membership
Name of Club Year of Membership

Special Training

Name of Course Year of Completion

Awards

Name of Award and honoring organization Year of Award
Meritorious achievement and honoring organization Year of Award

References
Full Name 2) Full Name
Designation and Organization Designation and Organization
Address Address
Phone and Email Phone and Email

Hypothesis
In proposing a thesis, it is important to have a solid hypothesis as a first step in beginning a scientific study.  In regard to the digital divide and limits to education, it is essential to acknowledge that not all people are given equal access to modern technology.  Notably, it is the poor and impoverished members of our global society who are the most limited in regard to access to resources, and therefore also modern technology and education.  The internet is the most valuable modern technological resource in providing instant access to information, and is therefore a key element in education.  Although there is much research surrounding the positive correlation between income levels and access to the internet, there is less research which is inclusive of educational success.  It is the hypothesis of this research that there is a positive correlation between personal income, level of access to the internet, and educational performance.  In other words, as the income of the individual increases, there is more of chance of having access the internet and also an increase in educational performance as demonstrated by student GPA. By analyzing an individuals socioeconomic financial level, access to internet, and educational performance together, one is able to identify whether or not there is a positive correlation between the three dimensions of higher income, higher internet access, and higher educational performance.

Survey
Please note that research study participation is confidential in that no personal identifiers such as name or address are required.
What is your net household income
What percentage of the net household income is spent on your own personal needs
(Note Household income will be multiplied by personal percentage in order to obtain personal income.)
How many hours per week on average are you able to access the Internet
What is your current or most recent student grade point average (GPA)

Population and Sample
The population size and sample of this study are somewhat limited, given that fact that this is a student led research project without any official funding.  However, it is the aim of this study to have the best population and sample size possible.  Engagement of a diverse population and a large random sampling size are ideal for significant research studies involving meaningful quantitative information.  It is the aim of this particular research project to involve 100 random adult individuals with various ethnic, educational, and income levels.  The research study is confidential in that no personal identifiers such as name and address are required.

Instrument Creation
How difficult did you find the creation of a good research instrument (your survey) to be
Given that the three factors being studied are rather precise in this quantitative research, the formulation of a good research instrument was not very difficult.

Population and Sample Determinations
How did you come to determining the size of sample most appropriate for your research What were some of the issues you needed to address to do this

The size and sample determination was decided upon via a mixture of realistic research resources and best research practices.  Some of the issues being considered are the level of access to a diverse population and ability to acquire random participants.

Validity and Reliability of Survey
In responding, consider why you think (or dont think) your survey is valid and reliable. Discuss what you could change to make your survey more valid and more reliable.

I believe that the survey instrument is valid and reliable.  By keeping the research thesis and survey very specific, there is a limitation to extraneous variables.  It is possible that more questions could increase the validity of the survey and that more participants could make the survey more reliable.

Recently I attended a lecture given by a geriatrician. He was speaking on healthy ageing. Most of the audience consisted of people above the age of fifty years. However there were some youngsters too like me. The appealing fact regarding the entire lecture was that the geriatrician possessed the qualities of a good orator. What is said is not as important as how it is said. All the health related information was given in an easy to understand and interactive manner making the speech structured, intentional yet formal. The audience got bound to be attentive for full one hour due to excellent communication techniques of the speaker.

The eye contact of the geriatrician was excellent. His eyes moved in all the directions which kept the audience engaged. He used interesting slides to present his point. The slides did not just contained written words but also lots of pictures and easy to understand graphs. All this made the lecture more interesting. There was a high degree of audience participation as the geriatrician did not just kept on speaking on the topic, rather frequently asked questions. He also scheduled the last fifteen minutes of the lecture for the audience to ask questions or clear their doubts if any.

He stood in the middle of the room and his facial expressions, and body language beautifully matched the contents of the message he wanted to convey. He was a lot younger than the majority of the audience attending the lecture but his excellent command on the subject that he was speaking and the matured way in which he was conducting the whole session resulted in a wonderful interactive session. He reworded certain information in order to hold the interest of the few young audience who were present.

Thus every element of communication such as the sender, message, medium of communication and the receiver were in perfect synchrony making the lecture a huge success.

Research Theme and Conceptualisation
Most social issues are influenced by gender either directly or indirectly. Educational attainment, distribution of wealthy, epidemiology, violence and sexual abuse are some social issues that are influenced by gender. By creating awareness on the influence of gender on social issues, it is possible to determine some of the underlying causes for instance discrimination and maternal responsibilities. In a nutshell, understanding gender representation provides an avenue to addressing some of the social challenges associated with gender based responsibilities and even discrimination.

Gender issues are increasingly gaining audience due to the emphasis placed on empowering women and addressing the challenges that they face. The mass media plays a central role in creating awareness on the challenges facing women and highlighting some of the social events and even incidents that are influenced by gender. The theme of this study is gender representation. The study will determine the representation of males, the representation of female issues and comparison between males and females in the mass media. Evidently, the study will seek to determine if the mass media addresses gender issue and the frequency of addressing gender related issues. The study will therefore highlight if there is a difference in representation of either gender. Findings from the study are important in highlighting corrective strategies that should be instigated by the mass media to ensure that both male and female genders are equally represented. Equal representation is vital in addressing the challenges facing either gender and ensuring equity in addressing problems in the society.

Operationalization
The study will focus mainly on print media with special emphasis on newspapers that have a readership of over half a million in a day. All three variables will be measured using the same unit of measurement. Mention of words relating to males, females or gender will be considered to be instance of one of the variables. The words that will be searched in the newspaper editions include man, male, female, woman, gender, girl and boy. In capturing the attributes of the variables it is important to note that every instance of a variable will be considered to have a single numeric value that corresponds to the number of appearance. For instance the occurrence of the word man twice in an edition will result in award of the numeric value two to the associated variable. Direct comparison between males and females will be considered as instances of the third variable and will not be considered in the variables corresponding to either male or female gender. This is a measure that is aimed at reducing the risk of double entry and therefore improving the accuracy of the findings. Evidently, every instance of occurrence of comparison between male and females earns a unit point or value to the corresponding variable. It is noteworthy that news or information on specified or named persons will not be considered as instances of the variables. For instance the phase Tom said that will not be considered as an instance for the variable associated with the male gender.

Sampling
Though the study aims at determining gender representation in the mass media, it will focus mainly on print media. Newspapers and information on print media is more comprehensive than that in TV content. Moreover, the use of print media makes it easy to confirm if there is any comparison between male and female gender. This capability is vital in minimising the risk of erroneous entry which is a threat to the validity of data. The sampling approach that will be adopted in the study is convenience sampling. Under this approach to sampling, the sample is chosen with the aim of improving the validity of the findings and improving data collection (Creswell, 2009). The non-probabilistic convenience sampling approach will allow the researcher to formulate a criterion that will be used in determining the elements that will be considered in the sample (Punch, 2005). The criterion that will be used emphasises on review of newspapers with over half a million people readerships in a day use of at least five editions of the newspaper and use of at least three different newspapers. Use of at least three different newspapers is aimed at ensuring that the data collection strategy leads to reliable results. Moreover, the use of at least five editions of the newspapers is aimed at improving the reliability and validity of the results over time. This is important because newspapers tend to address current issues thus a local conference on violence could result in mention of gender issues above normal rates. Collecting data over the five editions ensures that such events do not adversely affect the validity and reliability of the findings.

Measurement
Data collection will be carried out using a data collection form that has been designed to capture the frequency of observations of the attributes associated with the variables. Data measurements will require the researcher to read five different editions of three newspapers and fill the data collection form. A data collection form will be filled for every session of data collection that must involve collection of data from all the three newspapers. Data collection forms that were used to facilitate measurement of the variable are presented below

Data Collection form

Day  16th May 2010

Variable
Frequency
Total Frequency
Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3

Representation of male issues
3
4
2
9

Representation of female  issues
4
6
2
12

Comparisons of males and females
2
2
3
7

Day  17th May 2010

Variable
Frequency
Total Frequency

Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3

Representation of male issues
1
4
2
7

Representation of female  issues
4
3
1
8

Comparison of males and females
2
1
3
6

Day  18th May 2010

Variable
Frequency
Total Frequency


Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3

Representation of male issues
4
5
0
9

Representation of female  issues
2
4
1
7

Comparisons of males and females
5
8
3
16

Day  19th May 2010

Variable
Frequency
Total Frequency

Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3

Representation of male issues
3
3
2
8

Representation of female  issues
2
1
3
6

Comparisons of males and females
4
5
3
12

Day  20th May 2010

Variable
Frequency
Total Frequency

Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3

Representation of male issues
6
0
4
10

Representation of female  issues
2
3
3
8

Comparisons of males and females
2
3
4
9

Data Construction and Analysis
The following data set will facilitate quantitative analysis of the collected data
ObservationDateRepresentation of male issuesRepresentation of female  issuesComparisons of males and females
116th May9127217th May786318th May97164
19th May8612
520th May1089
Total434150
Average8.68.210

The findings show that the representation of female issues (41) is slightly lower than the representation of male issues (43). It is however noteworthy that though there is a slight difference in the average representation of male and female issues, the rates are comparable. This may be a result of increased awareness on gender issues which is supported by the findings that the newspapers report on average ten instances of comparison between males and issues. The relatively high rate of comparisons of gender issues (average 10) compared to address of male and female issues (8.6 and 8.2 respectively) may be depictive of an increase in awareness on gender equality. The findings clearly show that mainstream media is increasingly addressing both female and male dimension to issues though it is evident that female issues are relatively lowly represented relative to male issues.

A leadership development plan is a tool that aids in developing and sharpening ones leadership skills. It is a tool that allows one to review their leadership strengths and weaknesses as well as develop a plan on how to translate from the current position to a better equipped person for leadership. Through this tool one is also able to identify the different leadership styles and theories and incorporate them so as to be come more effective. This paper is my leadership development plan to help me as I lead in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation where i am a parole agent. It will help me as I supervise and provide training to parole agents. This will also help me in any other place where I may acquire a position of leadership and this includes even in the community.

Leadership theories to apply
I will mainly apply Transformational leadership theory (Bass). This theory defines how leaders affect their followers. It assumes that the importance of the task normally affects the motivation level of the followers. It also assumes that focusing on the organization or on the team usually produces a better result. A transformational leader usually gains respect from the followers or from his subjects. Thus in this theory a leader should increase among his followers the awareness of how important the task is and at the same time make his subjects understand that organizational goals are before their personal interests. The leader should also make the workers activate their higher order needs. Charisma is important in this theory but it is viewed as not necessary. This theory is based on four components that are idealized influence, inspirational sort of motivation, individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation. It also highly emphasizes on the need for the leader to be morally upright so as to lead by example and also the morality of the whole leadership style. This refers to the entire morality process that leaders follow so as to get into a conclusion. Morality in this theory also refers to the ethical values that are embedded in the leaders vision and how ethically he articulates the program and how they collectively pursue the program in the organization. According to burns it gives the spiritual values gives people an uplifting.

I will also employ the visionary theory of leadership. A visionary leader has a deep sense of purpose. He makes things happen. He also has sensitivity to what people are feeling. He also makes great sacrifices to ensure that goals are achieved. They connect well with the people they lead. The future is also clearly defined to this type of leader. He also leads others by example and involves people in the decision making process and employs the caring and the coaching style of leadership. A visionary leader also has a strong social presence as they influence the people around them.

My Leadership strengths
My strengths in leadership include the fact that I have an ability to live and coordinate well with people. I am also able to create an ability to influence people to work as a unit and this helps me to influence people easily towards achievement of goals. I have high levels of integrity as that I believe forms character believe in loyalty to every commitment I make and especially towards my job and towards the organization that employs me.I have a very high level of inspiration am very motivated towards achieving the goals set before me. I also respond well to positive feedback .this is a vital element in the work place also provide feedback to people. I respond well to constructive feedback. This serves as an opportunity for me to explore the areas that need to be improved. I share my knowledge and experience with other people. This in turn influences them to work well and to follow and emulate. I provide feedback by considering who is giving the information and how they are likely to receive it.

My leadership weaknesses
My main weakness is that am not proactive which means mainly I wait for things to happen so as to react and this is normally not a very good leadership quality. I also can abandon a project in the very last minute. This poses problems especially when a situation depends on me and when people count so badly on the results that I produce. This sometimes causes me to fail my own expectations as well as the expectations of those around me. My other weakness is that I do not reward my followers. Motivational theories and models suggest that an employee is motivated through being rewarded and this normally discourages some of my followers.

Gaps between the leader now and the leader to be
My being proactive and learning leadership skills are a gap that requires to be closed. It also includes learning the integrated model of the leadership theory. This also includes deciding which leadership model meets all the needs of my department.

Items to implement so as to close gaps
I will undertake a study guide about how to become proactive. This would call for a need to be stimulated and to sense more highly what needs to be done so as to curb the eventuality of things happening as a surprise as this is at times expensive. This will take a period of about six months to incorporate a proactive behavior to my character. I will also learn more about the leadership approaches. This will entail learning on all the leadership styles and putting into practice what I learn. This will also take approximately a six month period. It will also include learning all the details about the people who follow me within the department. This will take more association with them. This is a measure to help me in implementing and incorporating all the concepts will dedicate a period of one to two months to know my followers. However the implementation of the leadership styles to suit each individual may take a sizeable period of time as part of it will be learning what style works well with whom.

I will complete my doctoral programmer. This will make me more knowledgeable and thus I will be more competent and my decisions will be more informed. This will take a period of approximately 2 to 3 years. I will also consult experts in the field so as to ensure that I follow the right direction in this career development and to ensure I lead people towards the right direction. This will also provide feedback on how to go about my role as a leader. It will also take an approximate period of 2 to 3 years. Finally I will Get feedback from employees and supervisors about what they think about a good leader. I am will incorporate these ideas so as to make leadership more effective within the organization. I will also use this to improve that which does not auger well with the employees within the organization. This will cost

How to use the plan to impact the leadership and the followers in the organization
I will use my strong points like the fact that I am a natural leader and that am a person of integrity to influence others to follow me. This I will do by leading by example and by being reliable to all those expecting my services to ensure dependence. I will also ensure a close relationship with my family and friends. I will ensure that I get their support so as to make the accomplishment of my goals easier. I will also ensure loyalty towards my job and loyalty towards my organization as well as towards my bosses. I will also ensure am totally committed to life long learning and to service.

6. How to modify and asses the plan so it is on track.
I will incorporate the concept of ScholarPractitioner model into constructive feedback. I will also deeply incorporate the suggestions given in the visionary model of personal purpose. Use my influence on people to affect peoples behavior. I will also incorporate the concepts of the transformational leadership and make the workers understand their higher order needs. I will also do this by employing such steps as motivating the workers by doing the following I will help associates to be enthusiastic towards their jobs.

Conclusion
 An effective leader delivers to the followers the expected standards. A leadership development plan is an important tool to use in the development of ones leadership skills. it acts as a highlight to the acts that need to be undertaken so as tom help one be more effective in their leadership roles. this leadership development plan shall act as my ,aiding guide towards achieving my career objectives.

Given the challenges being face in the health industry and mainly in the treatment of cardio-vascular disorders, we found it very important to investigate or rather find out what are the characteristics the social and economic perspectives of people living in Kenya who are suffering from cardio-vascular diseases. We are targeting a decrease in the rate of mortality due to the heart disorders in Kenya and in the general world. Many deaths are being registered each year due to the lack of treatment for heart diseases such as the cardio-vascular diseases. CVD is an abbreviation for cardio-vascular diseases. We will collect the qualitative and quantitative data that relate to the economic background of the patients, their demographic characteristics, the family structures, the community structures, other socio-economic support systems, income at family and personal level, personal and family assets and then access to financial resources and other material resources. The end goal of us is to find out the common characteristics exhibited by the patients who have accessed medical or treatment services for Cardio-Vascular diseases.  The findings of the research should be helpful to the government and policy stakeholders in the health sector in Kenya, in drawing out a clear depiction of the population being served through their CVD treatment program. The findings will also help other similar countries that are scaling up new treatment programs and have the need of establishing the common attributes of the population that is likely to seek care.

Objectives
In this research, we have four main objectives regards to solving the cardio-vascular disorder problem in Kenya. These objectives are as follows
Investigating the risk factors associated with CVD
Find ways that may help in the reduction of risk factors of CVD
Find ways that may improve survival of CVD patients
Findsuggest ways of Improving treatment for CVD patients

Background
CVD is a group of heart-related diseases that also affect the blood vessels. These diseases also include all the diseases that affect the cardiovascular system. As such, CVD have similar causes and exhibit similar mechanisms and the treatments are also similar. Cardio-Vascular Diseases have been documented by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the largest killer diseases in the world that claim about seventeen million lives every year.  According to the WHO, these diseases result from various causes including use of tobacco, an unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity. The same source also shows that using alcohol aggravates the risk of getting heart attack.  Specifically, for instance, when an individual does not exercise adequately and eats high calorie-cum-fat foods, the arteries may block thereby calling for medication or medical attention. If there is no prompt medical attention then this can turn into blockage of the arteries and ultimately cause a disease like heart attack.  Heart attacks may strike all of a sudden and may be fatal if immediate medical attention is not sought or availed. An overweight individual has higher chances of getting strokes or heart attacks.

Research methodology
Cardio-vascular diseases are most common in developing countries or countries that have population characterized by low or medium income levels. In fact, the WHO records that about 80 of the deaths that result from CVD occur in the countries where average income levels are low or medium. Women are affected more especially after their menopause though the risk is equally distributed for men and women in these regions. The ability to access the requisite medical attention may be inhibited by economic resources, availability of transport, level of awareness, geography, or even family members.  

In this research, we wish to investigate these factors by interviewing CVD patients in six of the countrys eight provincial hospitals and the two of the national hospitals. The Kenyas healthcare system is arranged in a hierarchical manner where the most complicated cases are taken to the highest-level hospital. We hope that at each point of interview (that is, at each hospital) we will be in a position to interview at least five patients, three nurses and one doctor. Through these procedures, we will collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data that relate to various aspects of the patients, which include their demographic information, family structures, the structures of the community where they come from, the patients local transportation, and how accessible to the transportation systems it is. In addition, we will also collect and analyze data that relates to the income an asset possession for the patients. Level of education and access to financial services will also be among the factors that the researcher will explore.

We will carry out the research in collaboration with Kenyan-Heart National Foundation. This is a non-governmental medical charity that works to prevent, reduce, control, advocate for treatment and better management of heart-related diseases. It does its work through creation of public awareness and through education its mission is centered on prevention as the best mechanism of dealing with CVD. The charity has worked together with community groups in Kenya to promote its work in the country. We have, on several occasions, communicated with them and they have accepted to help in easing the access to interviewees thus facilitate efficiency of the entire process. Kenyan-Heart National Foundation has also accepted our requests for assistance in the preparation of the necessary data collection tools, identification of a translator for some of the interviews given that some interviews might entail communication in Swahili. The translator is to be paid out of our budget. In addition, they have agreed to allow us use their office facilities in the preliminary review and cleaning of the collected data. They will also be of great help in determining the hospitals to be visited for the interviews out those in the country. Their recommendations with respect to this will us to come out with the most representative sample from the target population of CVD patients and providers.

After gathering, cleaning and analyzing the data from Kenya, we will be able to describe the socio-economic attributes or characteristics that are common amongst CVD patients who have accessed treatment services. Thereafter, the information gathered from the study will help in matters of planning and policy implementation to facilitate programs that can help in management prevention and treatment of CVD.

Action Plan
In all our activities and events we plan to have an action plan that will guide us through the research to be carried out. In order to fulfill this action plan, we shall ensure that we have a team that

Has goodwill
That is able to apply the quality methods needed in this research
That has the right type of management and communication degree and skills
To fulfill all our set objectives we shall follow that may follow a certain path as shown in the following diagram

Limitations of the Study
We will only deal with cases of patients who have accessed treatment services those who might have CVD and have not accessed treatment may be beyond the scope of the study. The findings of the study may, therefore, not be generalized to such individuals who remain untreated. However, we strongly believes that the entire research will be helpful to many countries of similar characteristics to provide new insights in management, treatment and control or prevention of CVD especially given that these are diseases that have been identified as they are responsible for over three-quarters of deaths in the low and middle-income countries.

Timeline and logistics
Our travels are as indicated below
June 23rd -24th Travel to Nairobi, Kenya
June 25th-30thWork with Kenyan-Heart National Foundation staff in Nairobi on finalizing the tools of data collection tools and putting groundwork for travel logistics
July 1st-31stCollect data at 6 hospitals (3 days of work are required with 2 days of travel per hospital)
August 1st-14thData cleaning at Kenyan-Heart National Foundation office in Nairobi
August 15thReturn air travel from Nairobi, Kenya

Budget
In all our activities, we have a budget that is sound enough and that will enable us to carry out the research in Kenya on CVD. Most of the expenses to be incurred during the research ard directs as can be seen in the budget shown below.

Proposed Budget for the Research Project0Characteristics of Individual Receiving Treatment for CVD in Kenya00000ExpenseCost per unit of unitsTotal ProposedNotesRound-trip airfare Philadelphia   Nairobi2,500 12,500 Based on quoted fares from several bargain airfare websitesAccommodations in Nairobi25 30750 Daily rate for guest house in NairobiFood  Incidentals in Nairobi15 30450 Daily rate for meals and incidental expenses in NairobiAccommodations for field visits15 31465 Average daily rate for guest house  hotel accommodations for field visitsFood  Incidentals for field visits10 31310 Daily rate for meals and incidental expenses in field visitsLocal transportation8 44352 Average daily cost for local taxi travel to Kenyan-Heart Foundation office  hospitalsTransportation between field sites50 6300 Average cost for inter-city travel by bus, 6 trips totalTranslator wages25 31775 Daily rate for full-time translator assisting with field visitsMaterials  Supplies00250 Required supplies include voice recorder, batteries, recorder memorystorage, and small gifts for all interviewees.Total006,152 0

Budget Notes
Airfare We have budgeted 2,500 for round-trip airfare between Philadelphia, United States (PHL) and Nairobi, Kenya (NBO). This amount is derived from quotes we received through bargain airfare websites concerning cost of air travel tickets on our intended travel dates June 23rd departure and August 25th return.

Accommodations in Nairobi We expect to use a daily budget of 25day for the 30 days that we will spend in Kenya before and after collecting data in the field. This is derived from the cost of daily accommodations for single rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen and which are easily accessible to the Kenyan-Heart National Foundation offices. All the rest are costs that are based on estimates provided by the Kenyan-Heart National Foundation.

Conclusion
With the above research proposal, we hope to achieve all our set objectives so that we can fulfill our goal in reducing the mortality rate. We anticipate that alternative treatments for cardiovascular disorders or diseases will emerge or will be investigated so that the viable options can be implemented. In our research, we intend to recommend solutions to the people of Kenya who are suffering from cardiovascular disorders and give them an insight or knowledge of what they are supposed to do to reduce the chances of getting these disorders. We believe that this proposal is of importance to the whole world since most people suffer from cardiovascular disorders without their knowledge and therefore they may even die without even knowing what they were suffering from.
With a clear budget, action plan and teamwork, we believe that this proposal will be a success if put into motion and that there shall be no regrets as to why we started it. This research will also be a learning opportunity to us as we shall be able to intermingle with people of different ethnicities and therefore we shall be able to analyze each communitys social and economic lifestyle. It is our prayer that this proposal is given a go ahead for us to start the action soon so that we can see the benefits soon.  

The former president of United States of America, President Bush is mostly identified with the Iraq war and many people from America and across the globe are angered with the situation there. His poor handling of the conflict between the two countries has been criticized from time to time and because of that the US is still grappling with the consequences. Many have agreed that if the conflict had been resolved well, may be through other means, the war would have been averted and US would not be budgeting for the war the way they are doing now. Since then, two major conflicts have emerged and these are the conflict over the health bill by two dominant American parties and the other one is between USA and Iran over the latters nuclear program. This essay seeks to find out how these conflicts have been resolved and if not, what strategies have to be followed to resolve them.

The Conflict over the Health Care Bill
This conflict was between two major parties in the US, the Democrats and the Republicans. One would question what was in the bill. The passing of the bill meant that, with pre-existing conditions, parents would be able to buy their children and themselves insurance cover. The bill would also extend insurance on medical grounds to 32 million for the uninsured Americans which will last for ten years and this would be achieved by requiring every individual to purchase it through private exchanges. Another thing that the bill proposed is that companies offering insurances will not be restricted in raising prices and opponents have argued that many people will continue to be bankrupt because of their inability to pay huge medical bills hence not changing anything in America.

The most contentious issues were about abortion and Medicare rates. Many republicans and some anti abortion democrats saw the passing of the bill as a yes to abortion because it proposed that federal money would be used to provide abortions insurance coverage. Concerning the Medicare, people disagreed on the issue of geographical disparities which characterized the payments of Medicare.

The republicans saw the bill as an ambitious one and a strategy of the Obama government to take over the system of private healthcare and impose it on employers leading to a raise of taxes. At the time when the Americans economy is still reeling from recent economic slump, the republicans argued that they could not afford the budget which would cost 1.05 trillions in the next 10 years. They continued to argue that the consequences of this bill would be costly even to the next generations and it will take away the rights of Americans to make choices when it comes to health care. The nations jobs would also be devastated by this bill due to high costs of Medicare .

How was the conflict handled
The first step that was taken to resolve the issue is that the party leaders agreed to vote for an amendment to be done on the bill concerning abortion which was introduced by democrats who were antiabortion This amendment was approved and the approval meant that people who got subsidies on insurance would be prevented from buying private plans which covered abortions. Many were content with this move and they agreed to pass the bill.

Regarding the Medicare payments, the issue was left for the senate after the conservatives and moderates opposed the bill regarding the issue and even some democrats from rich states opposed the move to tax heavily the high earners in the country. The senate was left to decide whether companies should be given the opt out option that is, to choose to pay for their workers insurance coverage or face some punitive measures as suggested by the senate moderates. It was also mandated with the task to decide whether to tax the wealthy or health care policies which were highcost.

This led to another problem the house democrats could not trust the senate democrats over the bill. They saw that the latter would not do anything on the bill and they would just take it to the president the way it was prior to being taken there.

Strategies to Be Followed On the Conflict Resolution
What could have happened to solve all these divisions in the house and also in the senate, is for the house to pass the health care bill and take it to the president for signing. Then this would have been followed by a process of reconciliation which would need 51 votes of the senate to pass the amendments to the bill that would have been agreed upon by negotiators from the house and the senate.

It also would have been possible for the reconciliation bill containing amendments to be sent to the senate which would do some slight changes agreed by the house. Then the bill would later require the houses votes. Only after this would the house have passed the health care bill and then take it to the president for signing. This did not happen and that is why, Nancy Pelosi, the house speaker has been under criticisms for allowing the senate bill to pass without amendments. If she would have done so, there would not have been the wrangles that characterized the bill.

USA and Iran Conflict over the Latters Nuclear Program
This Conflict started when the United Nations reported that, it is under suspicion that Iran is in the process of developing nuclear weapons for war. This is as a result of some findings done by the UN nuclear watch dog but Iran has always found itself in the defense saying that its program is a peaceful one.
 
The (IAEA) International Atomic Energy Agency produced a report which contradicted the US report by saying that Iran had actually stopped its nuclear program. The US report agrees with Europes and Israels that Iran is enriching itself with Uranium which could make a nuclear bomb. This raised concerns over Irans past and present activities relating to nuclear development. The Obamas administration called the report a disturbing one. The US is calling for sanctions on Iran and also action to be taken against the country by the UN Security Council.

At the wake of these calls, Iran has tried to defend its nuclear program by saying that it is using Uranium to enrich its Tehran research reactor which helps in cancer treatment by producing Nuclear isotopes to be used medically. The IAEAs recent report on the issue, says that Iran is capable of developing nuclear warhead within 6 months. There so many unknowns in the Iran nuclear program with the US and Iran openly disagreeing over the issue.

How has the issue been handled before
The UN Security Council gave Iran a deadline through resolution 1737 to bring to a halt its nuclear program but Iran did not comply. This led to tension around the Persian Gulf when threats were leveled to Iran by the then US president, President Bush over its meddling in the Iraq war. During Presidents Bush leadership, the democrats had considered a grand bargain with Iran where the latter would continue with its nuclear program but cease to use the kind of fuel they are using which is usually used to produce nuclear bombs.

John Kerry, who was once a presidential candidate in the US came up with a new strategy of using Iran  in promoting stability in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, in his report, he was thinking of how to include Iran in the US efforts in creating post war governments in these countries. This would bring the two countries together. It was seen as unrealistic and a goal that could not be achieved.

In their effort to solve the situation, the west struck a deal with Iran in the year 2009. The latter agreed that it would transfer the uranium it had, even though low enriched to two countries, Russia and France in return for Isotopes for Tehrans research project. The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmdinejab was quite at home with the settlement but the Iranians could not hear of it. They rejected this forcing their president to counsel the deal.

The conflict between US and Iran has been long standing and some European states have offered themselves as intermediaries in their efforts to solve the stand off amicably. Washington welcomed this move but never participated actively but this changed later after President Bush visited Europe. In 2006, US for the first time offered to talk to Iran directly on high diplomatic level thus deviating from its principles of policies which they held since 1979. The US offered Iran both political and economic corporations but the latter rejected it resulting into diplomacy fail and calls for sanctions to begin. Even though European Union is always against the policy of isolation, the US has insisted that it is the best option. However, just recently, US approached Iran regarding Afghanistan and Iraq but the two countries have proven to be incompatible.

What Is the Way Forward In Solving the Conflict
The first step the US government should do is to make it clear that Iran will not be allowed to continue with its nuclear program because it is unacceptable. It should also be told to its face that even if they succeed to get them, they must give them up. Many have proposed the military option but this one will not help in solving anything and for a matter of fact, it is going to worsen the situation.

So what is the way forward First it should be acknowledged that negotiations will not lead to anything even though it is recommended. The US government should pay attention to various strategies that would increase pressure on Iran. It should impose sanctions on Iran, bolster its missile defense and also aim at establishing good relationship and Alliances with the Arab world around Middle East. Moreover, is it high time it learns to provide security assurances, and at the same time come up with structures that may reduce risks of nuclear weapon capabilities spreading in the Middle East. One thing is clear if Iran succeeds to get these nuclear weapons, nothing will prevent Egypt and Saudi Arabia to produce them.US should strive to dissuade these countries from engaging in the program, but the most important thing is for US to come up with mechanisms that will prevent these countries completely from accessing the nuclear capabilities.

US should never give up on this fight and accepting Irans nuclear weapons should be out of question. It is not always a win-win situation and therefore, it should never compromise but the answer should always be NO to Irans nuclear program. As stated before, declaring war on the country will be detrimental to US and thus the situation should be handled through containment, deterrence, robust alliances and at the same time trying weakening Iran. Russians and Chinese have been wavering in their decisions of whether to support Iran or US in imposing sanctions to the country. Russia recently has made it clear that it is not happy with the situation in Iran but Chinese are not yet to declare their stand on the issue. Since China is somehow close to Iran, US should aim at weakening that linkage between the two countries. The latter should encourage other Arab states to step up their crude oil supply to China to reduce the latters dependency on Iran for oil. It is going to be easy but the issue of using Diplomatic negotiations should be ruled out because it has proven to be ineffective with Iran.

In conclusion, there is bound to be conflicts all the time but the most important thing is how to resolve them. The resolutions should always aim at settling the conflict amicably where parties involved end up satisfied but the moment it is not done well, the conflict may persist and even be made worse.