Dynamic Facilitation A Critical Discussion

Dynamic Facilitation A Critical Discussion Introduction Increased competition, shifting customer demands, technological advancements, shifts in government regulations and workforce demographics are some of the triggers of change that continue to provide the impetus for organizations to continually adopt change (Sitkin et al, 2011), but these change efforts may be ineffective, unsustainable or even elusive if the fundamental principles and the methodologies of change are not effectively grasped and actively applied (Rough, 1997).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dynamic Facilitation: A Critical Discussion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is with this realization that the present paper seeks to discuss one of the change methodologies referred to as Dynamic Facilitation, with a view to bringing into light its theoretical underpinnings and how the methodology could be applied in contemporary organizational contexts. Theoretical Perspectives of Dynamic Facilitat ion Developed in the decade of the 1990s by Jim Rough, Dynamic Facilitation as a change methodology has attracted considerable interest from researchers, practitioners and organizational change agents (Sitkin et al, 2011; Howard et al, 2005). Rough Martin (2007) describes Dynamic Facilitation as â€Å"†¦an emergent approach to facilitating that helps people address difficult issues creatively and collaboratively, where shifts and breakthroughs are the natural result† (p. 224). Available literature demonstrates that Dynamic Facilitation revolves around bringing together people faced with a similar need and giving them the opportunity to chart the way forward by facilitating a process that will enable the participants to engage in deep, heartfelt and creative quality of thinking known in theoretical terms as â€Å"choice creating† (Rough Martin, 2007). In Dynamic Facilitation, the designated facilitator should not direct or control discussion among the participant s; rather, he plays an active role in ensuring that all participants are allowed the chance to express their views in any form in addition to seeking forclarifications, encouraging opposing views, and ensuring that only one participant speaks at a time (Rough Martin, 2007; Howard et al, 2005). In theoretical terms, therefore, such an arrangement is intended to generate elevated trust, shared understandings, and the spirit of community in an attempt to come up with the best solution(s) to the arising need (Rough Martin, 2007). The major task of the designated facilitator is to attempt to record all the contributions made by participants using four charts, which are purposely labeled â€Å"†¦enquiries/problem statements, difficulties/concerns, information/perspectives, and options/ideas† (Howard et al, 2005, p. 3).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Using some sort of a jigsaw puzzle analogy, the participants in the group may jump around while discussing diverse sections of the bigger picture in a bid to come up with both short- and long-term solutions to the identified need. In recording the participants’ contributions into the four charts, the designated facilitator should ensure that everyone’s contributions are written down. The theoretical underpinning of this process of recording all contributions, according to Howard et al (2005) and Rough (1997), lies in the fact that participants are more likely to expand their focus and listen to the contributions of others in the process of forming the bigger picture if they are well aware that they are free to be fully heard, and that their own contributions are taken into consideration in the search for possible solutions to the presenting need. Consequently, Howard et al (2005) and Rough Martin (2007) note that Dynamic Facilitation encourage participants to be ‘them selves’and to express freely or ‘dump’ the information on their mind to the group. Upon starting to comprehend the complexity of the scenario when considering manifold points of view they, on their own volition, begin to suggest possible solutions to the presenting need. Howard et al (2005) observes that such a self-organization environment, where all participants are allowed to participate without the facilitator attempting to push for any consensus, brings forth important breakthroughs, which are then recorded in the fifth chart. The facilitator should always ensure that the points of convergence brought forward by individual uniqueness and passion are identified as it is these convergences that form the backbone of the solutions to the presenting need. Indeed, Rough Martin (2007) note that â€Å"†¦individual uniqueness and passion, normally seen as liabilities, are valued as assets in the group† (p. 224). The theoretical underpinning of encouragin g this uniqueness is based on the fact that the unique perspectives fronted by participants may well turn out to be the missing portion of the puzzle (Rough, 1997). However, it is always important to note that conclusions should always be unanimous (Rough Martin, 2007), and the consensus statements then communicated to all stakeholders for additional discussion and possible implementation (Howard et al. 2005). Application of Dynamic Facilitation Dynamic Facilitation as a change methodology can be applied in managing change process at a community college, where the decisions made not only affect the school management and students, but also the community at large. An example of a change process affecting the college would be to develop mechanisms aimed at fighting the rising incidences of insecurity within the school’s neighborhood.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dynamic Facilitation: A Critical Discussion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/p age Learn More In such a scenario, it is feasible to use this change methodology due to the fact that the processes triggering the change are largely unplanned, thus the need to employ the self-organizing concept to manage change which cannot be planned (Rough, 1997). It can also be argued that this methodology is feasible because it is very effective in dealing with complex situations, where there is no easy answer. Insecurity is one such scenario. A number of stakeholders would be involved in such a change initiative. In the context of therising insecurity problem, it is imperative to involve the college administration, teachers, students, parents and local church leaders, as well as government officials such as the police. Rough (1997) argues that it is these stakeholders who, individually and collectively, elicit creative quality of thinking through their contributions in the dialogue. It is this quality of thinking that is later used to come up with important br eakthroughs. Consequently, it is of fundamental importance to include the right kind of stakeholders in the group for the discussions to become fruitful. It should be noted that while the dynamic facilitator acts to guide and direct the discussion among participants, the sponsor is involved in setting or sketching the outcomes as needed by the organization or community to deal with the presenting problem. To identify the sponsor, therefore, concerted efforts need to be made to identify someone who is well versed with the issues at hand, and who is well respected to command a significant degree of influence in the community (Sitkin et al, 2011). However, it is imperative to note that the influence of the sponsor should not be used to sway the contributions of participants in the group. The success of the change initiative should be measured by how the members are able to attain convergences in discussing particular issues of interest. It should be noted that it is the convergent poin ts of view that contribute to the achievement of the consensus statements, which are then used to come up with breakthroughs to the issues at hand (Howard et al, 2005; Rough Martin, 2007). Lack of convergent points of view among participants therefore implies lack of progress. Lastly, the organization, which is the community college in this case, is expected to gain from reduced cases of insecurity and student complaints in the short-term, but will gain more in terms of positive public image and enhanced student enrollment levels in the long-term.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion This paper has effectively demonstrated how Dynamic Facilitation can be used as a methodology to manage a seemingly impossible and unplanned change process. The discussion has particularly shed light on how change can be viewed as self-organizing, and how important breakthroughs can be achieved by getting people to freely discuss the presenting problem and by getting them to listen to the contribution of others (Howard et al, 2005). Certainly, it can only be concluded that Dynamic Facilitation represents an increasingly growing paradigm of change management methodologies, particularly at the community level. Reference List Howard, P., Galarneau, T., Perez, J., Shaw, D. (2005). Integrating open space technology and Dynamic Facilitation. Participatory Learning Action, 53(1), 1-6. Retrieved from http://foodsecurity.org/ Rough, J. (1997). Dynamic Facilitation and the magic of self-organizing change. Journal for Quality and Participation, 20(3) 34-38. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database. Rough, J., Martin, D. (2007). Dynamic Facilitation. In: P. Holman, T. Devane, S. Cady (Ed.), The Change handbook: The definitive resource on today’s best methods for engaging whole systems (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Sitkin, S.B., See, K.E., Miller, C.C., Lawless, M.W., Carton, A.M. (2011). The paradox of stretch goals: Organizations in pursuit of the seemingly impossible. Academy of Management Review, 36(3), 544-566. Retrieved from Business Source Premier Database.

Discourse, Field-configuring Events, and Change in Organizations Essay

Discourse, Field-configuring Events, and Change in Organizations - Essay Example Using the United Nations Stockholm Convention, the researchers analysed documents related to the DDT pesticide to draw their conclusions. The research provided evidence that considerable influence of the narratives by actors who either played part in the production, distribution, or consumption of texts related to the DDT. The study relied on the documented evidence from the various texts presented in the conference, related to the DDT issue. Findings from the research indicated that there were three different forms of discursive spaces within a text. Each of these had different rules and understanding regarding the most appropriate forms of text production, distribution and consumption. 1. The researchers demonstrate how field configuring events generate multiple discursive spaces governed by different rules as well as the understanding of the text production, distribution and consumption. While text production concerns with the author and the type of text, text distribution focuses on the where, when and how texts distribution take place. On the other hand, consumption focuses on the target audience, people who may have access to the text and the ability of these people to act on the texts. 2. The second contribution focuses on the emergence of the texts as stakeholders produce, distribute, and consume texts at a field-configuring event. Three mechanisms that lead to field change include; Hardy and Maguire (2010) argue that telling a story in itself does not bring organizational change. In fact, it has no influence, and if any, it is insignificant. According to them, narratives uniquely affect actors. Since narratives create a struggle between the advantaged and the disadvantaged, then, for such a narrative to effect change in institutions, it must have the following features; As the research focused on the analysis of the various

Critical review of using the literature as a research method Essay

Critical review of using the literature as a research method - Essay Example 31). There are however, various drawbacks and benefits of using literature review to conduct a research on some selected topics such as female genital mutilation among other sensitive topics. These will be discussed in this paper. Literature review is vital in that it helps a researcher to get familiarized with methodology, weight and deduction of research conducted by other people on the chosen topic. It helps the researcher familiarize with the problem or need and to express the major aim of the research issue pertinent to the issue. This ensures that the researcher comprehends the wider context to the specific topic, issue or concern and to prevent the duplication of the current research in particular the out-of-date or inconsistent research. The research gets the general overview of the research body with which one is not well conversant with (Cresswell, 2003; p.13). It helps the researcher to position the research in the broader background so that one can make the relevant conclusion which might emerge from the research. Literature review is also very significant since it initiates the researcher to the demerits and merits of the different research methods and methodologies. The main intention is for the researcher to understand intensively the connection between the methods, methodologies and the outcome and to select the most relevant and fruitful methods for the data collected in regard to the issue, problem or need (female genital mutilation). It offers the researcher new ideas and concepts which can be applied in the research to enrich the content, applicability and relevance of the outcome. Another benefit is to familiarize the researcher with the possible effective reaction to the chosen topic, subject or need which other researchers have both made attempts and assessed for their efficiency. The main intention is to assist one to learn from the experience of

Creating TV Drama Essay Example for Free

Creating TV Drama Essay The Public Defenders – We all know about the lives of top-league lawyers who rake in millions of dollars settling class action suits or representing celebrity clients. We all also realize, somewhere back in our minds that for every high-priced lawyer whos working to spin celebrity Q-ratings and turn high-profile crimes into high-tax bracket success, there are ten public defenders (PDs) sweating out in the innards of some state or federal building, working for peanuts to save the dregs of society from an indifferent and often unjust legal system . The Public Defenders chronicles the toll that long hours and short pay take on the personal lives of four PDs who walk a tightrope of action and suspense while balancing their self-sacrificing professional lives with their all-too-self-absorbed sex lives and driving ambitions. The viewer enters the world of The Public Defenders from the vantage point of the common citizen: first glimpsing the four PDs in their professional roles. Each episode begins with four short but conflict-heavy teasers representing the beginnings of four distinct, but sometimes interweaving cases. The bulk of each weeks episode is devoted to the resolution of the four cases, by each of the PDs respectively. In some episodes, a case will be left hanging to be resolved in a later episode or episodes. As in real life, the PDs will often represent the same client or clients on repeated cases and it is likely that many defendants and clients of the PDs will become running fixtures as minor characters throughout the series entirety. Each of the PDs: Emmanuel Gonzalez: a young Yale graduate who chose to work in the trenches, student Jonathan Smith: a closet alcoholic, Sara Kentowitz: a compassionate but highly sexual do-gooder, and Joann Bonier: an ambitious but flawed attorney, becomes embroiled with their clients, often in sexual or romantic entanglements and sometimes, events unfold so rapidly and chaotically that the PDs themselves may cross the lines of legality. The plot-lines for specific episodes are based on showcasing the thin line between subjectivity and objectivity. The scripts will show blatantly that attorneys are anything but neutral when it comes to pushing their cases and working for their clients. Instead they are either emotionally engaged or coldly indifferent form the start of their cases and their professional work shows the degree to which they are personally engaged, invested, and interested in their clients. Ongoing plot-lines which thread through all the episodes will help to flesh out the characters and add a linear narrative dimension to the episodic format. Emmanuel is dealing with the process of a complicated divorce from his wife of 7 years, coupled with a child custody battle while his soon to be ex-wife is dealing with extreme alcoholism. He is also defending a repeat offender on trial for murdering his brother. Sara deals with an abusive husband while defending a 16 year-old being charged with rape. Jonathan is scheduled to go before the disciplinary committee for a hearing followed by an altercation in court, and is currently the sole care-giver for is aging parents. His father is showing symptoms of the early stages of Alzheimers. His mother suffers with depression. Joann, who is single, struggles to balance her work-load with the needs of her co-workers and her desire to have a personal life. Each of these over-arching plot lines will continue to spin threads and exert influence over the individual episodes which, as previously mentioned, may or may not resolve individual plot-lines. To allow our targeted viewing audience to connect and identify with the characters, The Public Defender will be filmed in courtrooms, jail cells and in the homes of our characters, giving an in-depth real life feel for the struggles that the characters are dealing with. In stark contrast the personal scenes will be filmed in a romantic idealized style which emphasizes hope and humanity. The sub-text of these visual contrasts is that the shows characters draw their inspiration to keep fighting from their real life relationships and not from law-books or high-flying principles. In fact , The PDs are willing to subvert principles and even laws to win cases that have moved them or touched them personally because they have to do so to win. The deck is stacked against them: the are over-worked, under-trained, and representing those who are least able to defend themselves. The depth of the real life affects on the characters is intended to attract eductaed audiences of a predominantly mature demographic. The target audience would be compatible with that of Law and Order or West Wing. However, many of the shows minor characters and sub-plots will be devoted to youthful issues and themes which impact younger people, so it hoped that 18-25 year-old college students may also find the show worthy of attention. Crime buffs, CSI fans, and fans of courtroom dramas should also be targeted with advertising and scheduling as much as possible as it is hoped that this demographic will also prove fruitful for The Pubic Defenders. The hook for taking viewers out of the competitions time-slot is The Public Defenders no-holds-barred romanticism coupled with its no-hold-barred realism: the PDs love hard, they play to win but they lose just as often and their clients pay the price. Airing this program will allow the network to not only capture the targeted audience but hold them for each and every episode. It will be the talk of the campus, the office and coffee shops everywhere. Those that miss these episodes will be looking to see when the reruns will be airing.

Lord Of The Flies :: essays research papers

The adventure novel, The Lord of the Flies, was an epic tale that depicted the different facets of the human spirit. It was written by William Golding in the 1950’s and recieved many awards. Idt was declared the â€Å"Outstanding Novel of the Year† by E.M. Forrester. The author did in no wat mean for this story to be biographical, but Mr. Golding depicted well the many different aspect of human nature. The book has been described as â€Å"provacative, vivid and enthralling,† but Time and Tide said it best when they wrote, â€Å"It is not only a first-rate adventure story but a parable of our times.† The novel took place on an island probably somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. This can be inferred because of the fact that the boys are British and that they arrived on the island by way of a plane cradsh. The story also occurred during wartime. The story begins when a group of British boys crash on an uninhabited island. In the beginning they area all unruly and unmorginized. Finally, a boy by the nakme of Ralph decides to take charge and call a meeting. The boys declare him â€Å"chief† and then begin to follow his lead. Ralph is also assisted by another lad by the name of Piggy. The group of boys were getting along fine until Jack Merridew, a boy who wanted to be â€Å"chief† instead, decided to go his own way. He disobeyed Ralph and did things his own way. He was to preoccupied witdh his own whims to do the act that was most important on the island, which was to keep the signal going so they could be rescued. Finally, Jack went against Ralph and declared that if any of the other boys wanted to have â€Å"fun,† which meant acting like savages, that they should follow him. The boys splot up into two groups and then havoc insued. Jacks group went around hunting and being barbaric while the others tried to get rescued. In the end Jack had gotten all the boys except Ralph to run around loke wild animals. Then when Jack got tired of dealing with Ralph, he convinced wveryone to try and kill him. By then however, a navy ship had come an they could never get around to the nasty deed. There was more than one antagonist in the story, The Lord of the Flies.

Choice Theories and How They Relate To Crime Essay

Choice Theories are a rational choice that actors act upon because of the thoughts and feelings they have. It is an immediate instinct to do what’s needed for your immediate survival at the time. Also Known as a personal conscious choice. Rational people think that the act will benefit them more than cause harm to themselves. They do not know if it will cause harm to anyone else around them but honestly they normally do not care. Criminals are a great group of people whom commit these acts. They feel that they are restrained and that their choices are constricted. They use this as a last and sometimes only resort. Criminals are seen as inherently anit-social. This gives the criminals a sense of control, power, and in their minds gives them an alternative career. For example look at drug dealers. They live their lives selling drugs not because they enjoy doing it and disobeying the law but because they can work for two hours and they can make more money than I do in two weeks working 40+ hours. They love quick easy money and over look the consequences. The only way to stop this major crime rate and help keep our justice system a little more organized and not so stressful is to make the cost of crime so high that no rational human will commit the crime. All of this does not go for a criminal whom sits down and thinks of the cost/benefit portion of things. A choice theory to some is simply nothing other than a resort.

Psychological Processes that May Be Involved in Obedience...

Psychological Processes that May Be Involved in Obedience to Authority Obedience is the following of someone elses instructions or orders to do something. The instructions are usually from someone who has authority such as a parent or teacher. Milgram proposed the agentic state theory; this is where we act as an agent of someone who has authority, it means that we find it easy to deny personal responsibility for our actions because we have just been following orders or doing our job. In 1950 Adorno expressed his beliefs that personality was a better explanation of obedience. Adorno believed that some people have an Authoritarian Personality, this means that they are likely to be obedient yet†¦show more content†¦c) Briefly outline some of the procedures used in social influence research (theories and/or studies) and evaluate whether these processes are ethical. Social influence has been investigated by a large number of psychologists such as Asch, Zimbardo and Milgram. There have been many issues raised by other psychologists as to whether the procedures that they used were ethically questionable. This means that the research wasnt carried out in an ethical way and so they have caused themselves much criticism. In 1951 Solomon Asch tried to find out if people would conform in highly unambiguous situations. Asch did this by setting up a circumstance where seven people all sat looking at a display. In turn they had to say out loud which one of three lines was the same length as line X. All but one of the participants was a confederate of the experimenter, and on some vital trials the confederates were asked to unanimously give the same wrong answer. The one genuine participant was the last to offer their opinion on each trial. The performance of participants exposed to such group pressure was compared to their performance in a control cond ition in which there were no confederates. Despite Aschs findings he was criticised for the way that he carried out his experiment, Asch undertook this study in 1950s America, this was a time when conformity was high and doing yourShow MoreRelatedWhat Social Psychological Factors Play a Role in Determining Whether a Person Conforms, Complies and Obeys?1019 Words   |  5 Pagesto determine what each of these social processes mean, in order to understand which psychological factors are involved. Conformity is a behavioural change in response to social pressure, either real or imagined. Compliance is a behaviour change in response to an explicit request to perform an action. Obedience is a behaviour change in response to a demand or order to carry out an action. 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