help in assignment

Final individual paper: overview

I will ask you to read four sources:

Ericsson et al. (2007, HBR) – Deliberate practice

Gladwell (Dec 15, 2008) – Predicting performance

Gladwell (2008, Outliers) – Practical intelligence

Gladwell (July 22, 2002) – Talent myth

You will then write half a page per source. In total, the paper should be no more than 2 pages.

All critiques must be typed. Use 1-inch margins all around and double-spacing with a 12-point font based on Times New Roman.

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1. Ericsson et al. (2007, HBR) – Deliberate practice

The article states: “This kind of deliberate practice can be adapted to developing business and leadership expertise.”

To what extent may their recommendations lack practical utility?

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© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education.  This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner.  This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

1. Ericsson et al. (2007, HBR) – Deliberate practice

Suggestions for critiquing this article based on lack of practical utility:

What might be some jobs where you face significant pressure to work/performance and often play, but not many opportunities to engage in deliberate practice?

What if you are a working parent of multiple children, and your spouse works too? Would that impact your ability and/or motivation to engage in deliberate practice?

Other

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© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education.  This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner.  This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

2. Gladwell (Dec 15, 2008) – Predicting performance

The author claims that the “quarterback problem” means that the profession should keep the gates wide open.

But is predicting quarterback performance in the NFL truly inherently unpredictable? Is the author incorrectly or incompletely interpreting the situation?

After all, elite levels in science, art, music, etc. all seem vastly different from non-elite levels, but for these, the author emphasizes the importance of deliberate practice in other works.

Explain how the article suffers from misinterpretation of evidence when discussing the unpredictability of which college players will do well in the NFL.

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© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education.  This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner.  This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

2. Gladwell (Dec 15, 2008) – Predicting performance

Hints/suggestions for critiquing this article:

One possibility: Range restriction

Another possibility: Structured versus unstructured

Other

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© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education.  This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner.  This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

3. Gladwell (2008, Outliers) – Practical intelligence

I agree with the author’s conclusion that IQ alone cannot explain who succeeds and who do not. Job knowledge also counts above and beyond IQ.

But even if the conclusion happens to be sound, the way he makes this argument may not. Why? Explain how the author potentially commits the narrative fallacy.

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© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education.  This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner.  This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

4. Gladwell (July 22, 2002) – Talent myth

I agree with the author that talent mind-set had a direct impact on Enron’s decline.

But, I strongly suspect that the relationship between the talent mind-set and organizational decline is largely inflated because of a third (i.e., confounding variable).

Explain how the article potentially suffers from ambiguous causality.

Hints: Leadership by top management, environmental factors exerting pressure on the organization, personality of leaders.

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© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education.  This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner.  This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.