YOUR JOB

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Post a substantive reply of at least 250 words each to a minimum of 3 classmates’ threads. Expect to enter on-going dialogues with your classmates and be prepared to answer questions about your own selected topics. Student interaction on the Discussion Board is the key to success in this course.

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·         Use 3rd person.

·         Do not simply revisit what was discussed in the thread.

·         Only the substantive part of the response will be counted toward the word count.

FROM JUSTIN SALEM

Definition:

            Satterlee defines chain of command as, the unbroken vertical authority in the organization that clarifies who reports to whom. It follows the line of authority and responsibility from the lowest level of an organization to the top manager.  

 

Satterlee, A. (2013). Organizational Management and Leadership. Raleigh, NC: Synergistics              International Inc.

           

 

Summary:

            Michael Crumpton published the article “Is the chain of command working for you?” in 2013. The articles main purpose is to discuss the chain of command in a library organization while long term repurposing of employees is taking place. Crumpton defines a chain of command as, as an element of organizational structure, the chain of command refers to an organization's hierarchy of reporting relationships.

 

            Aligning a chain of command with the mission objectives, in this case a library, is important for accomplishing the mission at hand. A chain of command is an important structure to have as a chain of command lays out the basics for job design, departmentation, delegation, and span of control. (Crumpton, 2013). Establishing a chain of command lays the ground work for communication and problem solving up and down the chain as a hierarchy is clearly laid out by top managers.

 

            Although the chain of command may work well in most work places, Crumpton’s opinion is in a library setting where innovative thinking independent staff could clearly overlook a structure such as a chain of command. Such problems as communication issues or clear disrespect for the chain of command can cause harm not only to the organization, but to the supervisors in authority positions as well.  

 

Discussion:

            Chain of command, when most people hear this term, military comes to mind. The department of defense has been using a chain of command from the humble beginnings and even today the modern military branches are clearly structured with a chain of command with the President at the top of the so called food chain. Not only has the military been using a chain of command, but classical French kitchens and culinary schools around the world also run on a chain of command. At the top much like the President is the Executive Chef that is responsible for everything and everyone that goes on in his kitchen.

 

            A chain of command is a structure that allows a clear structure from the lowest employee to the senior most executive. At most key leadership roles a seasoned manager will be put in place in order to make decisions, give clear directions, and handle problems at the lowest level. In the military the chain of command exists to maintain good order an discipline. In order to maintain the good order and discipline a leader must be put at critical roles.

 

            IngarGrev states that the only reason you should hire a leader to work for you is to take work of your plate. The managers an organization choose to put in place are selected so senior leaders can continue to move up the chain of command. By working up the chain of command you are learning valuable leadership qualities and enabling the subordinates to continue the upward progression and learn leadership skills as well.

 

            Clearly defined chain of commands do have a fair amount of problems as well. Most small businesses and organizations do not run well with a chain of command in place. The problem is simple, a chain of command works best when a larger infrastructure is in place. Another problem is circumvention of the chain of command. Circumvention of the chain of command is a simple idea of subordinates going around and higher than their managers to open a line of communication to the superiors. In a military setting this is known as jumping the chain of command and can be punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

 

            Another problem with the chain of command is the slow dissemination of information up and down the chain. Not all information can make it up or down or when the information is communicated it is done slowly. The slower the information the more time for the troops to misconstrue information or a problem to get worse.

 

            The University of Southhampton did a study of command team structures while using 5 different communication structures. The study showed that the teams did not do as well as predicted, but the Y team structure, which is molded mostly like modern day military chain of commands did best. The study concluded that an effective chain of command and control structure is still the best.

           

                       

Biblical Integration:

            In 1Corinthians 11:3 the Bible says,”Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God”. There is a strong connections between God’s standard for Leadership in the family. The Bible is laying out a chain of command for the family. In Ephesians 5:22-33, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, his body of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her…” These verses lay out His standard for Leadership not only in society but in the Church as well. In the Bible there are so many examples of chain of command and how the Bible supports it.

 

References:

 

A. Crumpton Michael , (2013) "Is the chain of command working for you?", The Bottom Line: Managing library finances, Vol. 26 Iss: 3, pp.88 – 91. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/10.1108/BL-07-2013-0017

 

Grev, Ingar. (2014) “How to manage your chain of command”, Birmingham Business Journal.http://rx9vh3hy4r.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=How+to+manage+your+chain+of+command&rft.jtitle=Birmingham+Business+Journal&rft.au=Grev%2C+Ingar&rft.date=2014-06-27&rft.pub=American+City+Business+Journals%2C+Inc&rft.issn=0889-2237&rft.eissn=1930-207X&rft.volume=31&rft.issue=26&rft.spage=12&rft.externalDBID=BKMMT&rft.externalDocID=376638447¶mdict=en-US

 

Stanton, N.A.; Rothrock, L.; Harvey, C.; Sorensen, L., "Investigating Performance of Command Team Structures in the NATO Problem-Approach Space," in Human-Machine Systems, IEEE Transactions on , vol.45, no.6, pp.702-713, Dec. 2015

doi: 10.1109/THMS.2015.2437993

FROM Christopher Roberson

Definition:

“Organizational Management and Leadership” defines scenario planning as “an awareness of potential risks and developing plans for possible future conditions.”

 

 

Satterlee, A. (2013). Organizational Management and Leadership (2nd ed.). Raleigh, NC: Synergistic International.

 

 

Summary:

            A Review of Scenario Planning, by Amer, Daim, and Jetter covers the types of scenario planning and how they can help buisinesses look ahead so they can meet the ever changing variables that affect buisinesses every day. The authors write about the advantages and disadvantages of each type of scenario planning so businesses can make the best decision based on the results of their work. The first type of scenario planning we will discuss is qualitative planning. The other type is quantitative planning. More emphasis is put on quantitative planning as we will read about in the following paragraphs. The authors dive into the types of quantitative planning and break down those types so we have more subcategories to look at and evaluate for each business.

 

           

Discussion:

            Scenario Planning is a topic that should be discussed by every business. This concept is to have plans ready to enact that help the business respond to less than ideal but possible scenarios. “Scenario planning stimulates strategic thinking and helps to overcome thinking limitations by creating multiple futures” (Amer, 2013). From this quote we can infer why the authors wrote this article. They are assisting any business owner with their information to encourage them to prepare for “multiple futures.” This concept of scenario planning was first used around the time of WWII for “military planning, social forecasting, public policy analysis, and others” (Amer, 2013). The reason for making a list of contingency plans is to be prepared to have the best options in mind for your company if plan A, B, or C become reality. Before we jump into some of the different types of planning, we must first understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative is broken down to quality so it is an in-depth planning method. Quantitative is looking more at a generalization of results to suit the largest category or merchant that uses that business. There are three primary approaches to forming your scenario development today. They are “intuitive logics, probabilistic modified trends (PMT) methodology, and the French approach of La prospective.” (Amer, 2013). The intuitive logics method is considered the most popular and is the most frequently used. This is probably because it can use a blend of both qualitative and quantitative factors but it “strongly relies on the members” in navigating this particular type of planning because of the many avenues of thought and consideration it can take. The PMT approach looks at trend impact analysis (TIA) and Cross-impact analysis (CIA) to make planning decisions (Amer, 2013). TIA looks at the companies regular forecasting and compares it with “qualitative factors.”

CIA looks at predicting the correlation of the outcome with a particular event. This type is used to look at the major factors or events. La Prospective is described by its creator (Gaston Berger) that the future “can be deliberately created and modeled.” (Amer, 2013). Looking into this, the company could follow the four steps to build their company to the scenario they want based on the decisions they make on how to get there. These types of scenario planning are only a few discussed in this article but this should shed some light on the many angles of attack a company could take to keep their business successful.

             

 

References:

 

Amer, M., Daim, T. U., &Jetter, A. (2013). A review of scenario planning. Futures, 46, 23-40. Retrieved February 8, 2016.

 

Ghanem, M. (2015). Management strategies in hospitals: Scenario planning. GMS. Interdisciplinary Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery DGPW, 4. Retrieved February 8, 2016.

 

Satterlee, A. (2013). Organizational Management and Leadership (2nd ed.). Raleigh, NC: Synergistic International.

 

Zapata, M. A. (2015). Radical uncertainty: Scenario planning for futures. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design Environ. Plann. B, 0(0), 0-0. Retrieved February 8, 2016.

FROM Elizabeth Gibbons

Definition:

Position Power is determined by the ability of a leader to dispense rewards and punishments.

Satterlee, A. (2013). Organizational Management and Leadership: A Christian Perspective. Raleigh, NC: Synergistics International Inc.

Summary:

            In the article The Power of Knowledge Facing The Power of Position: Case Study About The Conflict of Power written by AdhamAlarbeed and Diala Al Hakim they introduce a scenario where a young nurse, Susan, is asked to do administer medication to a patient. The problem is the medication is at a higher dose than normal and some of the preexisting conditions don’t match with the medication that has been asked to be administered. Since Susan is requested to administer the medication by the attending doctor no questions are asked. The next thing we know there was complications with the medication that Susan had given the patient. Since there was no documentation that the doctor had ordered Susan to administer the medication it was ultimately her word against the doctors and she was suspended.

            Susan’s director decided to make an announcement to warn the other nurses to try and prevent another mistake. Susan didn’t feel as if that was enough; she felt that her Director should have done more to help prevent this mistake in the future. Susan made the decision to look for a better fix for this problem and help prevent it from happening again. Susan used her lunch hour to do her own research and to talk to her fellow nurses for their input on the situation. Susan came up with an idea that she felt strongly about. A double signature, the double signature would allow for two people to review the patients chart and both sign that the medication requested would be the best option. It would allow for less error and to better assist the patients in their care. However when Susan Director got wind of what she was doing, Susan was instructed to stop and if any further interest was taken on her part punishment and possible termination would follow. Susan was at a loss, she did not know what she should do.

 

Discussion:

            Position Power can be both a positive and a negative. Depending on how the leader decides to handle his position. According to Satterlee “position power is determined by the ability of a leader to dispense rewards and punishments. In the article The Power of Knowledge Facing The Power of Position: Case Study About The Conflict of Power Susan is faced with a director who is willing to dispense a punishment if Susan does not quit her investigation of the situation the Director felt she had handled on her own.

            In the article The downside of looking like a leader: Power, nonverbal confidence, and participative decision-making by Connson C. Locke and Cameron Anderson they performed a few experiments with a person in power and how the subordinates  reacted to different body languages. For instance in all of the studies that they conducted they found that “the subordinates participated less when the supervisor exhibited a confident demeanor than a not-confident demeanor”.  It is harder to voice your opinions on a problem when your supervisor demonstrates the right amount of confidence. I myself have become a victim to being afraid to voice my concerns or suggest an alternate solution to a problem for fear of being told I was wrong or that my idea was not a good one. Sometimes being honest with your supervisor about your opinions can be difficult if your supervisor doesn’t have an open communication, if they are closed and only go by what they feel is right they could be hurting not only the company but also the people that work under them. I believe being able to go to your supervisor or manager and speaking to them about possible fixes to problems from a different standpoint than their own can be beneficial to all involved. Someone should use their Position of Power to improve their department or area of work instead of discouraging the people they work with.

Biblical Integration:

After reading Ezekiel 36:16-28 and Proverbs 27:17 what we have learned about transformational leaders and how they must deal with change is more clear. Lewin and Kotter have a process for change Lewin has three steps: Unfreezing, Change, and Refreezing. While Kotter has eight steps that break Lewin’s down even further.

In Ezekiel 36:16-21 we can see the ‘unfreezing’ step start to take place. God speaks to “son of man” and explains that when the people of Israel lived in the Holy land they defiled God’s Holy name.  So God made a plan to remove the people, and their uncleanness, from his land. Only because they did not respect it or treat it how God had intended them too. God dispersed the people out all over the land as punishment for their misuse of his land. He judged them.

In Ezekiel 36:22-28 we see the next step the ‘change’. During this step God says that he will make it known that he is the Lord. He will gather the people to return back to Israel. He will sprinkle water on them, cleaning them from their uncleanness. After he has done that he will come back into their lives and forgive them for their mistakes.

In Proverbs 27:17 the last step ‘refreezing’ can take place. If you apply that “…a man sharpens a man” it can be said that the changes are reinforced. If one man strongly believes and lives his life in a Godly way it will rub off onto a man who may not have as strong a faith. That man can lean on the other and learn from him and use him as guidance to what he desires in a relationship with God.

 

 

References:

Alarbeed, A., & Hakim, D. A. (2015). The power of knowledge facing the power of position: Case study about the conflict of power. I-Manager's Journal on Nursing, 5(2), 38-41. Retrieved fromhttp://ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1758307698?accountid=12085

Hwan, Seung. (2014) The role of consumers’ network positions on information-seeking behavior of experts and novices: A power perspective. Journal of Business Research, 67(1) 2853-2859. Retrieved from http://rx9vh3hy4r.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=The+role+of+consumers%27+network+positions+on+information-seeking+behavior+of+experts+and+novices%3A+A+power+perspective&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Business+Research&rft.au=Lee%2C+Seung+Hwan+%28Mark%29&rft.date=2014-01-01&rft.issn=0148-2963&rft.eissn=1873-7978&rft.volume=67&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=2853&rft.epage=2859&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.jbusres.2012.07.002&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1016_j_jbusres_2012_07_002¶mdict=en-US

Locke, C. C., & Anderson, Cameron. (2015). The downside of looking like a leader: Power, nonverbal confidence, and participative decision-making. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 42-47. Retrieved from http://rx9vh3hy4r.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=The+downside+of+looking+like+a+leader%3A+Power%2C+nonverbal+confidence%2C+and+participative+decision-making&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Experimental+Social+Psychology&rft.au=Locke%2C+Connson+C&rft.au=Anderson%2C+Cameron&rft.date=2015-05-01&rft.issn=0022-1031&rft.eissn=1096-0465&rft.volume=58&rft.spage=42&rft.epage=47&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.jesp.2014.12.004&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1016_j_jesp_2014_12_004¶mdict=en-US

Satterlee, A.  (2013). Organizational Management and Leadership: A Christian Perspective. Raleigh, NC: Synergistics International Inc.